Title: Love Knows No Party
Author: Eve Karma
Rating: G
Disclaimer: West Wing = Not Mine.
Spoilers: None that I know of.
Other: In this fic, you just have to pretend that Charlie doesn't exist. I love him, you love him, we all love him, but he's nonexistent here. :)

*************************************************

She woke an hour early and hurriedly dressed as the sun rose over the frosty campus. She grabbed her bookbag, opened her door, and peered out. "The coast looks clear," she whispered to herself, and crept down the hall, past the still-sleeping Secret Service agents in the room across the hall from hers.

*

She scurried across the lawn, thrusting her hands into her pockets and trying to figure out if there was enough change in the bottom of her bag to atop and get breakfast at Starbucks.



She wasn't looking where she was going, though, and didn't see the stone steps until she was sprawled on her back at the bottom of them. She looked up at the sky, then blacked out.

*

"Hey! Hey, c'mon, wake up!"



"Wha-what's wrong?" Zoey asked groggily as she stared into a stranger's crystal green eyes.



"You fell, I think. I'm not sure, I just walked over here and you were lying on the ground.



"I'm okay," she said, sitting up slowly, "I tripped on the stairs."



"We need to get you to a doctor," she stranger said, helping her to her feet and supporting her by the arm.



"No!" Zoey exclaimed, "That's the last thing I want. I'm okay, really. I just got the wind knocked out of me."



"You're sure?"



"Yeah."



"Okay. You know, you look really familiar."



"I do?" Zoey asked and looked away, trying to hide her dread.



"Yeah...an actress? No, that's not it," he thought out loud, "Oh, wait! You're one of the President's daughters!"



"Zoey Bartlet." Zoey confirmed grimly.



"Right, Zoey. I didn't recognize you without the Secret Service guys."



She laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah. I was trying to get away from them for a while."



"Well," the stranger said, looking around, "They haven't caught you yet. Want to go to Starbucks with me?"



"You read my mind."



"Great. You can rest while you're there and make sure you're okay."



"I'm fine!"



"Still..."

*

"This may be a stupid question," Zoey asked as the stranger brought over two coffees, "But who are you?"



"Oh, my god, I am so stupid!" He blushed. "I can't believe I didn't introduce myself. David Whitley. Junior," he said, setting down the drinks and holding out his hand.



"My hero. Nice to meet you," Zoey smiled, shaking his hand.



"You're a sophomore, right?" David asked.



"Yeah. What's your major?"



"Journalism. Yours?"



"Undecided. Figures we don't know each other."



Over coffee, Zoey learned that David was from San Francisco and had come to Georgetown despite his mother's wishes for him to go to UCLA. His natural hair color was blond, not brown, and he burned his eyebrows off once in high school chemistry. He liked to play tennis (it made him look preppy) and he almost never missed an episode of Law and Order.

But the best thing about David Whitley is that he didn't ask anything about the White House. He didn't ask anything about her life as First Daughter. And he didn't ask her anything about her father. He let her offer the information. He made her feel like a normal college student.



"Oh, god, I have to go, David, I'm sorry. I have a class at nine." She suddenly remembered when she looked at the wall clock.



"That's okay. I actually have to go too. Can I walk you to class?"



"Yeah, thanks."



While walking across the campus, Zoey heard footsteps coming up behind her. She swung around to face Gina Toscano.



"Gina. Hi." Zoey mumbled.



"Thank god I found you. We've been looking all over for you, Zoey!"



"Sorry. I guess I forgot to tell you. I had a breakfast date." Then she turned and let David take her to class.

*

Over the next few weeks, David and Zoey had clandestine meetings in the library, in each other's dorms, in the cafeteria...they even played a few rounds of tennis one day. Although they were being careful and secretive, rumors started and the press was all over it.



So Zoey decided to make a stop at home.

*

"Hi Daddy," she said as she stepped into the Oval Office on Sunday afternoon.



"Hi, honey," he greeted her and got up from his chair to kiss her on the cheek. "How's school?"



"It's fine. How's Mom?"



"She's doing well. She should be back in about an hour, if you want to see her."



"Okay. I think I'm going to say hi to Josh too, while I'm here."



"He'd love to see, you. As always," her father smiled.



She took a deep breath. "Daddy, I want to talk to you about something."



"Shoot."



"I met a guy."



"At school?"



"Yeah."



"Is he nice?"



"Of course."



"Then why are you here?" he grinned.



Zoey sighed softly. "Everyone's all over us, Dad. We're always being followed. It's either the Secret Service or some crazy reported on our heels. I don't know what to do, Daddy."



"Zoey, you know you can't hide behind the White House," he told her, "But I'll have CJ talk to the press about it."



"Thanks. Um...what about the Service?"



"I can't do much about that, dear. I tell you what, though, I'll talk to Gina about it if I get a chance, okay?" he promised.



"Okay. But Dad, there's something I need to tell you about David Whitley."



"David Whitley is the guy?"



"Yes," she nodded.



"Okay."



"Well, Daddy, he didn't vote for you."



"He didn't?"



"He's actually a Republican."



"Oh. Well, let me ask you this. Is he planning on running against me?"



"Uh...no, Daddy."



"Then I'm not worried in the least. When do I get to meet him?"



END.