A/N: Sorry for the angst with the last one. Here's something that will hopefully make you smile. Long and fluffy :)

CHAPTER THREE

In the weeks following the election, the members of the Santos McGarry team were even busier than ever, if that was at all possible. They had slightly over two months to put together their entire administration. President Elect Santos was working very closely with new Chief of Staff Josh Lyman to finalize their staff choices. They were both going absolutely nuts.

Despite the help that Donna and Sam were providing, Josh couldn't help but call Leo about four times each day. But Leo was recovering from a heart attack and he needed to rest. And since Annabeth was already going to be his Chief of Staff in the new administration, she had taken to fielding all of his calls from his suite at the Watergate, where he had been living for the past six years. Annabeth had moved into the spare bedroom.

"Josh, we've had the same conversation for the past week. How many times have you called today?" she asked, struggling to keep herself from shouting at him.

"I don't know, maybe twice? It's only two in the afternoon."

"You've called eight times today. I've let you talk to Leo twice. And it's only two in the afternoon. I'm going to kill you, Josh. I swear, you can't keep doing this."

"Annabeth, just let me run this by him really quick. Or you run it by him and then call me back."

"HE IS NOT YOUR BOSS ANYMORE."

Josh was struck dumb momentarily. Annabeth wasn't usually one to shout. And this was a terrifying shout. He was glad he was on the phone and not there in person. Something told him that the fire in her blue-green eyes would be enough to make her tiny stature tower over him in that moment.

Annabeth took a deep breath and said calmly, "Josh, I know you're under a lot of pressure and that having Leo to talk to is comforting. He did that job and he was amazing at it. But now it's your turn. He has another job. He's the Vice President now. But he would rather work himself into another heart attack than let you down if you asked for help. It's time to stand on your own two feet."

"Yeah," he replied simply. He knew she was right. And he knew that he could do this job. He was ready. "Okay thanks Annabeth. By the way, how's he feeling? He went home, what, two weeks ago?"

"Almost three now, yeah. He's doing fine. He has a doctor's appointment next week, and I think he'll get the signoff to come into the office after that. Then he can be at your beck and call."

Josh could tell by her tone that she was smiling. "Okay great. You don't have to tell him I called. And I'll try not to call back again today."

"That would be good. Bye, Josh."

"Bye, Annabeth."

She hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair, groaning.

"Josh giving you grief again?"

Annabeth turned her attention to the doorway on her left where Leo stood. "He is a truly obnoxious man. And he loves you very much."

"Aren't I lucky?" he said sarcastically. Leo wandered over to stand behind her, gently rubbing her shoulders and neck.

"Oh god that feels good," she moaned.

He leaned over her and kissed the top of her head. She took off her glasses and tilted her head back so he could press a kiss to her lips.

Annabeth hummed and smiled. "So what are you up to?"

"I just got off with the President. Before that, I was on with the President Elect. He wanted my opinion on the short list for Treasury and Attorney General."

She sighed. "That's what Josh wanted this time around. See, I knew that if they really needed you, they'd figure out a way that didn't involve Josh begging for your attention."

"He's just getting used to it. And he's stressed out of his mind. I think he needs a vacation."

Annabeth nodded. "I'll talk to Sam and Donna about it."

"By the way, you might want to take a moment to put on real clothes," Leo mentioned.

She looked down at her sweat pants and University of Virginia shirt. "Why? Are we going somewhere today?"

"The President is on his way over."

"WHAT!?" She sprang up and ran into her bedroom. She shouted as she bustled around, getting dressed in something more presentable. "Leo, you have to give me a little more time with these things! I know I don't work in the Bartlet Administration anymore, and I know he's your best friend, but he's still the President of the United States! I can't be seen by the President of the United States when I'm wearing pajama pants and my college tshirt!"

"Well I like seeing you all disheveled."

"DISHEVELED!? I look disheveled!?" she shrieked.

Leo sighed. "Annabeth, he doesn't care. Hell, I bet he'll be wearing something from his alma mater, too. It's Saturday. Seriously, honey, don't worry about it!"

Annabeth paused as she zipped up her skirt. He called her honey. He hadn't used any term of endearment like that before. He usually just called her Annabeth or kid when he addressed her at all. Honey. She liked it.

She reappeared two minutes later wearing a blue skirt suit over a white blouse with silver buttons running down the front. "I have to do my hair and makeup before anyone of importance gets here," she informed him.

"I'm not anyone of importance?" he asked, feigning offense.

"I thought you said you liked seeing me all disheveled," she counted.

He smirked. "I'd like to make you disheveled."

Her jaw dropped for a moment before she recovered herself and shook her head. "Not until you get the signoff from the doctor."

"So next week?"

"We'll see." Annabeth walked away and giggled. In all honesty, it was torture for her to sleep a few feet away from his bed every night for two weeks and not sneak into his room. Sometimes she would look at him and have to take a few deep breaths to calm down. They had waited so long, and now his recovery had added even more time before they could be together.

Five minutes later, a knock came at the door. Leo walked over to open it, finding his friend on the other side.

"Leo! Nice to see you up and moving around."

"Good afternoon, Mr. President. Please come in."

After the Secret Service agents did their quick sweep of the suite, Jed Bartlet walked inside. The agents waited outside.

"Can I offer you a drink?"

"No, I'm fine. So how are you, Leo?" The President sat down on the sofa.

Leo took a seat in the armchair across from him. "I'm doing fine, sir, thank you. Recovery is a lot easier this time around. No surgical wounds to heal from. And having Annabeth here makes everything easier, between recovery and the Transition and everything."

"Is Annabeth here?"

"She's fixing her hair and makeup. We've spent most of the day lounging around on the phone. She wanted to look presentable for you."

The President chuckled. "Well that's nice but not necessary. Annabeth," he called out, "Please come out and say hello. I don't care if you haven't put on mascara or finished curling your hair."

Annabeth stabbed herself with the mascara brush and simultaneously burned her ear with the curling iron. How on earth did President Bartlet know she was doing both of those things at that very moment? She pulled her hair up into a bun and pinned it into place and grabbed a tissue for her watering eye and walked out to the sitting area.

"Hello, Mr. President," she greeted.

Jed grinned when he saw her. She looked smaller than he remembered, if that was possible. Then he noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes. "It's nice to see you again, Annabeth. How are you?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Is your eye alright?"

"I got mascara in it," she mumbled.

The President laughed again. "You can go finish getting primped, if it would make you feel better," he told her.

She nodded. "Thank you, sir." She scurried back to the bathroom.

Jed watched Leo watch her leave. "She's pretty," he commented.

Leo turned back to the President. "Um. Yeah."

"Leo, is there anything you'd like to tell me? I've heard some of the rumors, but I rather like getting to the source of things whenever possible, you know?"

"Annabeth and I are…together," Leo replied awkwardly.

Jed smiled. "I'm glad. How long?"

"Since my debate."

"That long?"

"Well, as much as we could be. We were discrete. And busy. And then the heart attack. She's been living here since we got back to D.C."

"Oh?"

"In the guest room," Leo clarified quickly.

"Because of the heart attack?"

"And because I'm a gentleman."

"Are you really? Well that's nice, I guess. Less fun that way, though."

"I had a heart attack less than a month ago!"

He laughed, and Leo joined. After a small pause, the President said, "You seem happy."

"I am."

"I'm glad. I really am." He sighed. "Two months till I get kicked out."

"You got plans?"

"According to Abbey, I'm going to be sleeping for a week and then staying locked up at the farm with my family for a month."

Leo smirked. "Well, you deserve it."

"Then I guess I'll write another book or something. I'll need to fill my library with something."

"You'll figure something out, I'm sure. How's Abbey doing?"

"She's fine. I think she's itching to get back into a hospital and do some real work. Something more than give speeches and pick floral arrangements. I might try to talk her into taking a teaching job on a more permanent basis. She's great at it, and the hours are a lot better than for a surgeon. And if I'm going to be stuck at home all the time, it might be nice to have my wife around."

"Would be nice," Leo agreed. "And the girls?"

"All fine. Zoey is lining up work at a nonprofit starting in February. Ellie is due in March. She and Vic are really excited."

"Getting used to the fruit fly guy?"

"I guess so. He's not that bad. He loves her. And she's happy. That's what matters."

"And Liz?"

The President sighed. "I dunno. Annie and Gus are doing well in school. But that's really all I ever hear from her. Ever since Doug lost the House race, she doesn't talk to me much."

"Well you'll get to spend plenty of time with everyone soon."

"Yeah. When they kick me out. So you and the new guy can take a turn."

Annabeth came back out of the bathroom looking like her normal, put-together self. "If the Santos Administration can be half as good as the Bartlet Administration, we'll have succeeded."

Jed gave her a small smile and turned back to Leo. "You picked a good one."

"Don't I know it," he agreed.

"And you, too, Ms. Schott. You could not have picked a better guy."

"And don't I know it," she said with a sunny smile.

Jed could not get over how truly happy Leo looked for the first time in a very long time. And seeing his friend so happy made him happy. "Alright, I'll let you two get back to work. Sorry to intrude and make you get all dressed up for me to be here for ten minutes. But I gotta get back before Debbie drags me back with her own two hands. She hates when I interrupt the schedule."

After the President left, Leo turned to Annabeth. "So can I dishevel you now?"

"No!" Her refusal was somewhat less effective when she giggled.

"Oh come on. Just let me take your hair down and run my fingers through it and maybe rip all those buttons off your blouse," he suggested.

"Leo!"

"Okay, how about if I unbutton it by hand?"

She bit her bottom lip and considered moment. "Two flights of stairs."

"Huh?"

"That's the rule for after a heart attack," she explained. "I asked your doctor. If you can walk up two flights of stairs without getting chest pains or getting out of breath, we can go back to previously scheduled activities."

Leo nodded. "See you in a few minutes." He walked right past her and out the door. Annabeth followed him as he made his way to the stairwell. "Two flights, right?"

"Two flights," she confirmed.

"Want to join me?"

Annabeth nodded. She excitedly followed him as he made his way up the first flight without any hesitation. He paused on the second, though. "Are you alright? Should we go back down? You really shouldn't push it. Too much too soon won't do any good," she reasoned.

Leo looked at her, with her furrowed brow and her concerned gaze. "I just wanted to make sure you were still with me. I'm fine."

She was wary of his answer, but he didn't seem winded at all. And he made it up the last six steps without any trouble at all. He took her hand and went into the hallway of the floor two above theirs.

"I figured we could take the elevator back down," he said with his signature smirk.

And what a good idea it turned out to be. As soon as they got into the elevator, Leo was all over her. His hands wandered around her waist and back, and his lips devoured hers passionately. Very quickly, it was Annabeth who was worried about the way her own heart was racing. Clearly Leo's heart was up to the task.

The elevator went ding as the doors opened on their floor. They quickly made their way back to the suite and slammed the door behind them. Annabeth's hair was quickly released from its confines and her blazer was discarded on the floor. They stumbled into Leo's bedroom. After a ripping noise, tiny silver buttons fell all over the ground, rolling under the bed. White buttons joined those as Annabeth mimicked Leo's actions. The pair fell back onto the neatly made comforter.

In the other room, Annabeth's phone buzzed incessantly on the desk. Josh figured Annabeth was ignoring his calls, so he hung up after four rings, deciding to leave her and Leo alone for the rest of the day. Annabeth didn't notice the missed call until the next morning.