"The Missing and the Lost"

written

by

Regency

-

borrowed

from

Aaron Sorkin, John Wells & Thomas Schlamme

-

edited

by

Mallory

Coleman

"The Missing and the Lost"

JED [THE PRESIDENT]

ABBEY [THE FIRST LADY]

ZOEY [THE THIRD FIRST DAUGHTER]

GILLIAN DE LOUVIERE-BARTLET [THE FOURTH FIRST DAUGHTER]

DR. LORENZA DE LOUVIERE [MOTHER OF THE 4TH FIRST DAUGHTER]

C. J. [WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY]

JOSH [DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF]

DONNA [DEPUTY DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF]

TOBY [WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR]

LEO [WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF]

CHARLIE [PERSONAL AIDE TO THE PRESIDENT]

NANCY MCNALLY [NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR]

ADMIRAL PERCY FITZWALLACE [CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS]

SPECIAL AGENT ROAN ROMANII [AGENT-IN-CHARGE OF GILLIAN'S DETAIL]

SPECIAL AGENT RON BUTTERFIELD [AGENT-IN-CHARGE OF POTUS DETAIL]

DEBBIE [EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TO POTUS]

TONY [REPORTER]

SIMONE [REPORTER]

KATIE [REPORTER]

Non-Speaking

Secret Service Agents

"The Missing and the Lost"

INTERIORS EXTERIORS

THE WHITE HOUSE THE WHITE HOUSE

THE WEST WING THE MANCHESTER HOUSE

THE OVAL OFFICE AIR FORCE ONE

CJ'S OFFICE THE LOUISIANA RESIDENCE

TOBY'S OFFICE THE PRESIDENT'S LIMOUSINE

DONNA'S DESK THE MOONLIGHT MOVIE THEATER

JOSH'S OFFICE THE RESIDENCE

THE PRESS ROOM

THE MANCHESTER HOUSE THE RESIDENCE

THE FAMILY ROOM THE FIRST COUPLE'S BEDROOM

ABBEY'S & JED'S BEDROOM THE LIVING ROOM

ZOEY'S BEDROOM THE CORRIDOR

THE DINING ROOM

THE KITCHEN

AIR FORCE ONE

PASSENGER SECTION

THE LOUISIANA RESIDENCE

THE KITCHEN

THE DINING ROOM

THE LIVING ROOM

GILLIAN'S BEDROOM

THE PRESIDENT'S STUDY

THE FRONT PORCH

THE PRESIDENT'S LIMOUSINE

THE BACKSEAT OF THE LIMOUSINE

"The Missing and The Lost"

"The Missing and the Lost"

FADE IN:

1 EXT. OUTSIDE THE MOONLIGHT MOVIE THEATER

Out of the darkness, four arms reach out for the camera. The seemingly monstrous limbs pull away to show a young woman being pulled against her will. They pull her towards an idling car waiting at the curb.

GILLIAN

Who are you? Let me go. Sara? Sara, help! Sara!

MAN

She can't hear you, anymore. She can't hear anything.

He turns her to a scene offcamera. The women's eyes widen and she tries to run out of the scene, but the men pull her back.

GILLIAN

What did you do to her? Sara!

The camera pans around to see what she sees. There are two prone forms clad in black suits crumpled on the ground. They both have pools of blood round their heads--blood halos.

The commotion brings more suit-clad agents. The guys get antsy.

MAN[2]

Man, let's get out of here. We've got the girl. Let's go.

They drag her down the sidewalk. The girl resists and the more nervous of the two hits her over the head with his gun. She falls limp against his chest.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

2 CLOSE ON THE DOOR TO THE OVAL OFFICE

a heated debate is taking place within those curved walls.

2A The camera pans 180º to be inside the office.

Three men and one woman engage in a heated debate over another arms deal and something new, that's never happened before…

NANCY MCNALLY [NATION SECURITY ADVISOR]

Mr. President, we need this deal. That base in Qumar--

JED [THE PRESIDENT]

The base in Qumar? Why the hell are we talking about the base in Qumar again? Didn't we do this two years ago? I mean, we've done this; this is done. It was a ten-year lease. It's been two years, not ten. That's nowhere near ten. I'm not even supposed to be alive to hear about the next deal, much less negotiate it again. Why are we talking, no, arguing about this? I know there's got to be something better or at least more interesting for me to care about in the world right now. Can we please find it!

ADMIRAL FITZWALLACE[ CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS]

Glad to get that off your chest, sir?

JED

Yeah, Fitz. As a matter of fact, I am. And another thing--

NANCY MCNALLY

With all due respect, Mr. President--

JED

Don't 'with all due respect' me. Whenever you or anyone starts a statement 'with all due respect' it ends with anything but. So just leave that out, go ahead and offend me already, because I obviously don’t have any respect due me.

LEO [WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF]

warningly

Mr. President--

CHARLIE comes into the OVAL with a call for LEO.

CHARLIE [PERSONAL AIDE TO THE PRESIDENT]

Leo, there's a call for you.

LEO

Yeah, can you have them call back? This is kind of important.

CHARLIE

I understand that, but this sounded kind of important too. I really think you should at least take the call just to be sure.

LEO

How important did it sound to you? Life or death important--

CHARLIE

I'm thinking life or death and I'm thinking now.

LEO looks CHARLIE dead in the eye and nods before turning the President.

LEO

Mr. President, I need to take this call.

JED

Go ahead. Sounds important. I think I can handle Dr. Strangelove and Sissy Mary here until you come back.

LEO stood up, absently re-buttoning his suit jacket. He reaches the door and looks at CHARLIE who looks ready to run to the nearest Secret Service Agent.

LEO

Calm down, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is.

3 EXT. OUTSIDE THE OVAL OFFICE-The White House

CHARLIE hands LEO the phone on his desk.

LEO (to the caller)

Leo McGarry.

ROMANII [AGENT-IN-CHARGE OF GILLIAN'S DETAIL]

Mr. McGarry, this is Special Agent Roan Romanii. I've got bad news.

LEO

It couldn't possibly be as bad as it sounds. I'm hearing bad in the Oval. It can't be as bad as that.

ROMANII

Mr. McGarry, it's happened again.

4 INT. THE OVAL OFFICE

The PRESIDENT, FITZ, and NANCY are back to the arguing.

NANCY MCNALLY

Mr. President, two years ago, we hadn't revealed to them that we'd had their Defense Minister assassinated. After that, did you really think that old deal was going to stick?

There is a knock on the door. LEO sticks his head in. The look on his face stops the PRESIDENT cold. He's seen that look before. He's worn that look before.

LEO

Mr. President, that call I just got…

LEO watches the PRESIDENT with a helpless expression on his face.

JED

No. God, No.

LEO

That…They…It's Gillian.

JED

When? Where? How!

LEO looks even more helpless and shrugs. The PRESIDENT who had been standing when he came in, fell heavily into his seat.

JED

(cont.)

Leo, I can't do this again. I can't lose Gilli like I lost Zoey. I might not get her back this time.

JED

(cont.)

I can't step down again. As much as I know I should… I can't step down again.

5 INT. THE PRESS ROOM

C. J. [WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY]

At some time around 9:30 last night, a member of the President's family was abducted from the Moonlight Movie Theater in Louisiana, after seeing a movie with a group of friends. Katie, go.

KATIE

C. J. , can you tell us which member of the President's family it was? The First Lady and Daughters are all accounted for.

C. J.

They're not all accounted for. Anthony, go.

TONY

It's Tony.

C. J.

Sorry, Tony, got it. Now go or shut it.

TONY

Can you tell us who isn't accounted for?

C. J.

I'm actually not privy to that particular piece of information myself. Everything I'm about to tell you is everything I know.

C. J.

(cont.)

She's nineteen years-old and her name is Gillian--

SIMONE

--Bartlet?

C. J.

I really don't know. All I know is that she's another member of the President's family and she's been kidnapped. This will not be tolerated a second time; that much, you can quote me on.

The room is silent save for the scratching of a dozen pens and pencils on paper.

C. J.

If there's nothing else…

TONY

C. J.

C. J.

Of course, there's something else. Tony.

TONY

Is there any chance that Gillian is another of President Bartlet's daughters?

C. J.

I couldn't tell you that. Hell, I probably couldn't tell you, even if I did know. I really don't know.

C. J.

(cont.)

Now, if that is all and I'm positive it is…I'm calling a full lid until tomorrow morning or sooner, if I get any new information.

6 INT. THE OVAL OFFICE

JED

Tell me how the hell this happened again. Tell me! I really wanna know how I managed to have two daughters kidnapped in one term. How does that work? How much incompetence need be involved for this to happen twice!

RON BUTTERFIELD [AGENT-IN-CHARGE OF POTUS DETAIL]

tries to answer

JED

interrupts

Don't answer that, because I honestly just stopped caring a whole hell of a lot. Here's what you and your agents are going to do…You're going to fly to Louisiana and you're going to get her mother and you're going to bring her back here. And then you're going to find my daughter. Not in that order, simultaneously. I don't care what you have to do to make it so, but make it so. And make it so now!

RON

straightens up

Yes, sir. We'll try--

JED

gives a sharp look

RON

We will find your daughter and we will bring her home.

JED

Do it soon. I can't lose another daughter, Ron. Don't let me.

RON

nods

No, sir. You will have your daughter back. A.S.A.P.

JED

nods in return

I'll hold you to that. Now, go find my daughter.

RON

leaves room

Yes, sir.

FADE OUT

FADE IN:

7 EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE

7A INT. THE WEST WING - OVAL OFFICE

The PRESIDENT paces back and forth. He's waiting for his daughter's mother to arrive. NOT ABBEY. There's a knock on the door and CHARLIE sticks his head in.

CHARLIE

Lorenza de Louviere is here to see you, sir.

JED

nods

Send her in.

An auburn-haired woman steps silently into the room and with the briefest of looks around stops to stare at JED. The PRESIDENT gives CHARLIE a dismissive nod and the young aide leaves and closes the door behind him.

LORENZA

Jed.

JED

Lindy. I…I'm so sorry, honey. I didn't see this coming. If I'd seen it, I--

LORENZA

interrupts

You couldn't have known, Jed. You thought it would end with Zoey. There's no way you could have seen this coming. There was no way they could have known. No matter how this ends, we need to know how they knew.

JED

sighs

I don't know what to do here, Lindy. I've been here before, but I'm no expert. I don't know what comes next. Do we wait for a ransom note? Do we shut--Oh, dear God! Charlie, get in here!

CHARLIE

breathing heavily

Sir?

JED

almost frantic

Shut down the airports! Shut down the city! For the love of God, shut down the country, but don't let anyone else off this continent!

LORENZA

Charlie--May I call you Charlie?

CHARLIE

Yes, ma'am.

LORENZA

Okay, Charlie, I need you to do all of these things and anything else you can think of that might help, okay?

CHARLIE

Yes, ma'am.

LORENZA

And I need you to get an afghan or something from the Residence to cover the President with. While you're up there find me some Vicodin or Percoset. His back is bothering him.

JED

disgruntled

No, it isn't.

LORENZA

rolls eyes; exasperatedly

He's lying. Bring the afghan. And the Vicodin or the Percoset. Not both. We don't need a doped-up President. Especially not right now.

CHARLIE

slightly amused

Yes, ma'am.

CHARLIE turns and leaves the room to attend to his task. The room lapses into a comfortable silence.

JED

childishly

My back is fine and I'm not cold…Damn it.

LORENZA

snorts

If you say so, your Excellency. Or shall I say your not so Excellency?

And you're lying. You just either haven't figured it out yet, or you're, you know, lying to save face. It's one or the other. There's no middle ground there, Princess

JED

If these were different circumstances, I'd have attacked you for that remark.

LORENZA

flutters eyelashes

At least you're a pretty, pretty princess.

JED

Don't make me recant my prior statement and attack you.

The soft humor in the room dies away and they are left with a kind of covert desperation. Their daughter's life is at stake. Where are they now?

LORENZA

She'll be back Jed. The Secret Service will find her. They'll bring her home.

JED

It's not them finding her I'm worried about. It's not them bringing her home that I'm worried about. I know they'll find her and bring her home. It's just a matter of whether it'll be in or out of a body bag, that's scaring the hell out of me.

LORENZA flinches and looks out towards the portico. JED has, just like always, put her fears into words and brought them to reality. There's really only so much reality she can put up with.

LORENZA

She'll be alive, Jed. She'll be a bit worse for wear, but after a while in… wherever, she'll hopefully be better.

JED

morosely

Hopefully, being the operative.

LORENZA

optimistically hopeful

She'll be fine…She has to be. I can't stand the thought of her being anything, but fine. And you can't either, so stop thinking that way.

Silence reigns in the room as they both contemplate their daughter's fate. Could CHARLIE be walking any slower? Neither them thought so.

8 EXT. THE RESIDENCE

8A INT. THE CORRIDOR

CHARLIE walks in at a brisk pace. He needs to get this back there and to be honest, he isn't wild about being near the FIRST LADY right now. He just heard the conversation in the OVAL. And he wonders if she has any idea. And if she does, does she have the right idea? He knows JED BARTLET as well as one can and he knows that this man is no infidel. There's something not being said. Something the two in the OVAL have said so often, it seems, that it need not be said again, but no one else knows that.

8B INT. THE FIRST COUPLE'S BEDROOM

CHARLIE

Ma'am, it's me…Charlie. Can I come in?

ABBEY

sarcastically

Sure, I haven't been able to stop anyone else yet.

CHARLIE

slowly

So, I assume that's a…yes, ma'am?

It's more of a question than a statement.

ABBEY

Yes, Charlie, you can come in. You're the first to ask today, anyway. The least I can do is show a little courtesy in return.

CHARLIE enters the room and looks around for the afghan that he's sure is around here someplace. His eyes fall on the FIRST LADY and then, on the afghan covering her legs. Oh, well, so much for that idea.

ABBEY

(cont.)

Looking for something, Charlie.

CHARLIE

carefully

Yes, ma'am. Miss, um, someone…the President needs that afghan and sent me to get it, but you're using it so…

ABBEY

over-pleasantly

Well, Charlie, why didn't you just say so?

ABBEY stands. After walking over to him, she hands him the afghan. She, then, walks over to the bureau and proceeds to look for something else to cover herself with. She's still digging around in there when she speaks again.

ABBEY

still over-pleasantly

Charlie, who ordered the afghan?

CHARLIE

mock confused

What do you mean, ma'am?

ABBEY

not so pleasantly

You know exactly what I mean.

CHARLIE

still playing confused

No, ma'am, I don’t think I do. But If you could just try again…And, you know, use small(er) words this time…Maybe, I could--

ABBEY

interrupts

Charlie!

CHARLIE

pleasantly

Yes, ma'am.

ABBEY

reasonably

Charlie, you know as well as I do that the President would never request anything that could possibly imply any weakness on his part. Not even an afghan from the Residence. So, who did?

ABBEY

frustratedly

Charlie, tell me, or I swear to God, I just may beat it out of you. Who ordered this afghan?

CHARLIE

resignedly

Ms. Lorenza de Louviere. She's in the Oval with the President. Oh, and she wanted me to get his Percoset or his Vicodin, but not both. She made that very clear. I think she might be a doctor, but I didn't ask so I don't know.

ABBEY

confused & concerned

Why the Vicodin or the Percoset? And the afghan?

CHARLIE

She said that his back is bothering him. And she didn't say why for the afghan, but I'm guessing she thought he was going to be cold.

ABBEY

still concerned & confused

And he just agreed to that?

CHARLIE

No ma'am, he argued a bit, but she overruled him easily. At least, she's the one I listened to. She seemed to have the most control over the situation.

ABBEY

thoughtfully

Hmmm. Really? Charlie, do you have any idea who this woman is?

CHARLIE

very carefully

I have the vaguest idea who she is, but I'm going to let the President tell you, because he knows the story much better than I do. And I'm sure he knows more of it than I do.

ABBEY

still thoughtfully

I'm sure you're right, Charlie. I'll just go down there and ask him.

CHARLIE

not quite desperate

No, I think, you should wait until he comes up here. Which, I'm sure he will at some point. Then, you can ask. That way you'll both be in a neutral environment. You know, just in case.

ABBEY

oh-so sweetly

Charlie, I'm beginning to get the impression that you don’t want me to go down to the Oval Office. Why?

CHARLIE

slightly nervously

I just think that you should stay here…and wait for the President right in here. I just think that that's what you should do. Not that you were asking for my opinion, of course. Maybe, you should just, you know, play with your ouija board for a while.

CHARLIE

sarcastically

Or you could just go to the Oval and talk to the President, whichever's more convenient for you.

ABBEY

warningly

Charlie, if I were you, I'd watch that mouth of mine. We wouldn't want your mouth to be writing checks, your ass can't cash.

CHARLIE

mock acquiescent

Of course not, ma'am. We wouldn't want that.

ABBEY

matter-of-factly

If I wasn't going to see my husband and Ms…what's-her-name?

CHARLIE

…de Louviere.

ABBEY

Ahhh…Ms. de Louviere…Yes, her. Anyway, if I wasn't going to see them, then I'd be kicking your ass like it's never been kicked before. You have been spending far too much time with my husband.

CHARLIE

with an oh-really inflection

(Internal Thought: Oh, really.) Where have I heard that before?

ABBEY

What was that, Charlie?

CHARLIE

Nothing, ma'am. Before you go, could you point me in the direction of the Vicodin or the Percoset?

ABBEY turns back around with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

ABBEY

naughtily

You know what, Charlie…I'll do you one better. Not only will I get the Vicodin for you, I'll take it and the afghan down to the Oval for you.

CHARLIE decided that the PRESIDENT owed him so big for this and that he didn't like it when the FIRST LADY did him one better.

CHARLIE

cautiously

No, thank you, ma'am. I can do it just fine. If you could just point in the direction of the Vicodin or whatever, I could get going back to the Oval.

ABBEY

sternly

I'm not going to tell you where it is, nor am I going to allow you to look for it, unless you agree to let me go to the Oval with you.

CHARLIE

placatingly

Ma'am, the President needs his Vicodin now, not when your temper tantrum is over. I'm going to take it to him and I want you to tell me where it is.

ABBEY

reasonably

Charlie, I know something has to be going on down there, because you would never be this disrespectful to me were you not under obvious duress.

CHARLIE

surprised

I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I apologize. I just really need to get back to the President. With or without you, ma'am. I'm sure the President wouldn't mind seeing you, but with Ms. de Louviere, I don't know the state of things.

ABBEY

warily

Neither do I, Charlie. That's why I need to go down there. I need to understand what's going on here. I mean, I don't even know anyone named Gillian, much less Gillian Bartlet. My mind is conjuring up a thousand and one scenarios about who I think she is and I have no way to prove or disprove them. It's driving me a little batty.

CHARLIE

acquiescent

If you get the Vicodin now, I'll escort you to the Oval and get you in.

The FIRST LADY rocks on her heels before heading for the bathroom. She's back after a bit of rummaging. She shakes the bottle so that CHARLIE can hear and makes a nodding-motion towards the door. CHARLIE nods and opens the door. The FIRST LADY steps out, followed by CHARLIE. They're headed for the OVAL OFFICE, where the PRESIDENT's waiting with LORENZA de LOUVIERE.

9 INT. THE OVAL OFFICE

The PRESIDENT and LINDY are sitting quietly on the couch. There's not much more sound being made then each of their heavy breaths. LINDY's hands are gently playing across the PRESIDENT's tense back. There's nothing for them to be doing, nothing they can do. It's unbearable, the silence.

JED

How's Gilli been doing in college this semester?

LORENZA

You already know, she tells you everything.

JED

shrugs

It's called trying to make idle conversation that I really don't have the heart to keep up. I'm attempting to stay upbeat, but you're dragging me down here, Lorenza.

LORENZA

contritely

Sorry, I'm not trying to cramp your attempt at whatever the hell it was you were trying to do. I'm just…I don't know what I am right now, Jed. I'm worried out of my mind right now…just scared and worried. I'm sorry if you need more, but that's all I have…right now. Please, don't ask for more of me.

JED just looks at her with those eyes that have always chased away her childhood horrors and takes her into the arms that have at times been the only glue by which she was held together. She finally cried like a mother faced with the loss of her only child. He just stroked her hair; he knew how she was feeling. He'd been here before.

FADE OUT