"Sam?" Toby muttered, opening one eye a little. "What's up?"

Sam could answer with only one word.

"Kennedy."

~*~*~*~

The plans changed seventy times in two hours.

With the rain alternating downpour and nonexistence, it was difficult to tell whether or not they'd be able to go with the parade as planned, or if there would be no parade, just a procession of sorts.

And finally it was determined - after consulting four dictionaries - that the only difference would be whether the top of the car would be on or off, which they could decide just before the beginning of the journey.

There was another minor problem - Hoynes was adamantly refusing to ride with Senator Windsor - the one who'd taken over his seat. Windsor was a staunch republican, and the fact that he'd won an election bothered Hoynes to the depth of his shallow soul.

But such was the political business.

The sky was overcast but not dripping when the motorcades were loaded, meaning they went with the open tops - so that people could see the president and vice president and senators and governor parading through town. The first car held the Secret Service and served as a watch - behind them, President and Abby Bartlet, behind them Governor and Mrs. Smoke, behind them Hoynes, and behind him the senators, followed by a ton more Secret Service. The staff would walk - it wasn't that far, really, it was more for show than anything else.

~*~*~*~

The lights flickered on the dimly-lit room. The room was dark enough on a bright day, but with the overcast skies it made the room seem grey and hard to see in.

But he didn't need to see - he knew what he was doing. And then he would wait.

~*~*~*~

The crowds were in mostly good spirits, despite the overcast weather and threatening storms on the horizon - storm clouds were gathering as Bartlet rode through the streets, smiling and waving, Abby at his side, both smiling charismatically and looking...down to earth and like genuinely nice people.

"Good, good," CJ murmured as they all watched from the corner where the car would turn. She was the only one with a completely unobstructed view - Sam and Josh were close, Donna not much worse off - but CJ had the best eyesight (with glasses, of course) and the tallest height, so she was being the relayer of information. "The press is gonna eat up the pictures of this thing."

"Good - we could use some decent press around here. Not here, but you know what I mean," Sam chimed in, and Toby and Josh nodded.

"You guys act like it's worse than it is," Leo muttered. "It's not that -"

And then the storm hit.

A shower of bullets rained down upon the street and sidewalk as a thunder of panic descended upon them, terrified screams and shouts as everyone leapt for cover.

Josh stumbled back, clutching his chest, with such startling suddeness that Donna dove after him, certain he'd been shot again. Leo dove to the sidewalk, saying Hail Marys he hadn't said since his Catholic High School, feeling as though he was back in the jungles of Vietnam, hiding from an enemy just as unseen. Margaret sprinted away from the scene, like much of the panicking crowd. Completing the sense of déjà vu was Sam tackling CJ - rather, she was in the way of where he was trying to hit the sidewalk, and so he knocked her over - but to the same effect.

And all of a sudden, things went blurry, then black.