#bartletslesbians

Raylan Givens could feel the eyes trace over him as he waited in the main lobby of the north entrance of The White house. A little bit of a side show but he didn't mind. He glanced at the admin that told him he had to have an appointment. She gave him a thin, awkward smile.

Without an appointment, the best she could do is let him wait. Maybe she would pass by.

Josh was heading to see Toby about what Will said about him meeting with Senator Gaines. He moved with his usual low humming mania. His stride faltered when he spotted Givens out of his peripheral. He looked out of place in his attire; a charcoal gray suit jacket over a dark plaid shirt tucked into dark wash jeans. Cowboy boots, and perched smartly on his head a silverbelly stetson with a brown leather band.

Laughter bubbled up that Josh swallowed, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Can…Can I help you with something?” Josh asked, a tilt of his head, amused by the hat.

Raylan stood. “Deputy U.S. Marshal, Raylan Givens. Lookin’ to have a word with a friend of mine, Shasta Shizuka Days.”

Okay, weird. Josh blinked a few times. “Uh, yeah it's Ziegler now, she–got married. How do you know her?” Brow furrowing a little.

As far as Josh knew, Shasta didn't have friends. She had a friend. Singular. And it wasn't this guy. Toby and Will didn't count, they were her family. Josh watched the guy smile and itch his forehead just under his hat.

“Grew up together. I’m sorry, I didn't catch your name?”

Josh pretended to be embarrassed by the faux pa. “Yeah, sorry Josh Lyman.”

Raylan squinted an eye. “So you're not the husband.” He noted.

“What?” Josh made a face like he tasted something rancid. Shasta has a personality that only Toby could love. “No, eugh. So, what exactly did you need to see her for?”

“It's personal.” He replied nonchalantly.

There was a pause. The curiosity and nosiness rattling in him wasn't going to let him go on without seeing this to its end. This was an opportunity to get more knowledge on their pint sided chief counsel; handed on a platter the swell color of Raylan Givens’ hat.

Josh tucked his arms over his chest for a second and then lifted one up, pointing a finger up and out to Raylan. “Let me check and see if she's across the hall. Don't move.”

Raylan cocked a brow and watched him hurry off. “I’ll be here.” He drawled. The people were fast paced around him. Talking on cell phones, talking to each other in pairs and groups as they milled around him. Walking himself back he sat in one of the stiff armchairs and waited. Wondering what would draw Shasta to this kind of work.

He and she came from a place that moved slow, talked easy, in no real hurry.

Toby was handing off a stack of papers to Rena as he walked back into his office. Toby gave him a quizzical look, feeling Josh staring a hole into him. He turned on his heel to face Josh who bowed into the office, supported by a hand on each side of the doorframe.

“It's a Slow News Day, Josh but it isn't so slow you have to loom. What do you need?”

Josh was breezy, trying to keep himself in check. “Nothin’, just– wondering why the Marlboro Man is in the lobby asking to see Shasta, is all.”

Toby stood still, eyes fluttering before scanning the ceiling above them. Was there a gas leak in the building? He didn't really have the time to spare and deal with whatever Josh’s crow-like behavior caught his eyes and pulled him towards today.

“What?” Toby asked again, turning his attention to the papers on his desk.

“Some, Marshal, Givens. He wants to talk to Shas.”

He knew the name. Five years ago, when he was vetting Shasta. A photograph shared with him by his now father-in-law. Oisín Days’ eldest daughter in a baby pink sequin gown, with a simple daisy corsage with dutch clover on her wrist. On her arm a young man of good height, lanky, sun streaked brown hair and a good smile wearing a dark gray suit. Raylan Givens.

The high school sweetheart. A seed of something sour cracked and seeped in Toby’s stomach. What was he doing here, after so much time had passed? Toby knew it was by no prompting from Shasta Shizuka. Their initial contention when they first met stemmed from her adamant refusal to discuss in any way shape or form her life in Harlan.

What Toby did know was from her parents and sisters sharing stories, not Shasta. If her parents wanted to see them or their granddaughter, they had to come to D.C. Shasta would not go back to Kentucky in physical form or memory. While he ruminated, Toby dragged his teeth over his bottom lip. Josh watched his friend’s face contort with vexation.

“Toby?”

Snapping out of his thoughts his brows went up. “Yeah. I’ll uh, see what he wants.” Trying to be ambivalent.

Skirting around Josh, Toby made his way to the lobby. A shadow seemed to cross over his features that gave Josh the inkling that he made a mistake by going to Toby instead of finding Shasta directly.

Back in the lobby C.J. was now engaging the deputy marshal in conversation.

“That's—definitely a side I didn't know existed. So you're just dropping by to say hi?” C.J. had a big beautiful smile on her face, the marshal having told her something that made her laugh.

“More or less. Don't have her home address, but she works at the most famous house in the country so I figured–eh, what the hell.” He still had a good smile.

A rash of irritation bled through Toby, fixated on that stupid hat that Givens didn't have the sense to take off, no consideration for the building he was standing in.

His mouth twisted for a moment to keep his composure, speaking in that soft but direct way. “This, this is the holler, Marshal, you can't just drop in and say howdy.” He hadn't accomplished it. Toby knew he sounded like an asshole to Josh and C.J. neither of whom were dialed in. Yet he couldn't stifle the contempt.

Their eyes met, a rakish grin slowly spreading over Raylan’s face. The apprehension that radiated off Toby, the scrutiny in his eyes. Raylan didn't have to deuce it.

“You must be the husband. Wouldn’t have guessed that.”

Oo! wrong thing to say. Josh watched Toby’s brow go up, body shifting in place. He was going on the defensive. “Excuse me?”

Josh leaned over to C.J. “You might wanna go get Shasta…quickly.”

She gave Josh a look. “Did you know we would end up with a White House Springer special in the lobby? Or are you innocent?”

That boyish quality was ever present on Josh’s face, smothering a grin but the dimples in his cheeks gave him away. “Maybe not, totally innocent.” He admitted.

“Right.” C.J. said sharply, turning on her heel she headed for the stairs.

It didn't take long to find her as Shasta was already coming down the flight, handbag hooked on her elbow, cellphone in the crook of her neck while she thumbed through a small stack of briefs in her hands.

Shasta glanced down at C.J., her jet black eyes always seemed to pierce right through C.J. An unsettling feeling that she still had not quite gotten over. Like she had done something wrong even when she hadn't. She waited at the landing for Shasta.

“I don't know how late I’ll be. I can't say about Toby…he's having a moment of ingenuity and I could not begin to speculate how that will go.” She glanced at C.J. again. “Isaiah let me call you back, please”

Hanging up Shasta crammed the phone into her bag. “Yes, C.J.?”

Her raspy voice and stern tone did not help. But it also kept anyone who spoke to Shasta on task. C.J. just went right in.

“There's a guy in the lobby in a hat that has Toby hissing like a stray wet kitten. He wants to talk to you.”

One thick brow rose up, making a face, finishing her organizing. “Toby wants to talk to me or the guy in the hat?”

I think Toby wants to have a showdown at high noon. She thought sarcastically. “The guy in the hat. Toby–” She paused for a second, wondering how to word it, “Is he always that defensive of you when a guy asks after you?” Blue eyes batting with curiosity. Desperate for something to tease Toby about later and maybe just a glimpse past Shasta’s icy facade.

“I have to say C.J., I’m flattered that you think men ask after me.” She snorted as they turned the corner onto the hallway that led to the main lobby.

Despite their gap in height Shasta was hard to keep up with. C.J. had to walk with a little more effort to match her pace and stride. “So what you're saying it's just this Givens guy that Toby doesn't like?”

At the sound of his name. Shasta came to a crashing halt, looking up at C.J. with wide eyes. In real time she watched the color drain from Shasta’s face. What looked like fear painted her before Shasta gathered herself back together. Her brows bent hard, jaw set and locked tight. C.J. had seen Shasta angry, but this looked more like unbridled fury.

C.J. took a deep breath, feeling something nasty was going to unfold from what started as Josh being a shit. “Got it. This should be a real treat.” She replied flatly. So much for a slow news day.

Nineteen years. There has to be a reason. The short walk into the lobby her stomach burned with anxiety. Her pulse was so loud in her ears Shasta could hardly hear Toby’s voice carrying as he laid into both Josh and Raylan. She could physically feel the thoughts racing in her head as tried to fathom what Raylan could have found to come see her in person. Her scalp itched.

“My problem with you? Try your lack of awareness! How far up your ass was your head lodged, Givens!?”

“My guess pretty far, seein’ as I don't know what the hell you're talkin’ about–” Parrying the question with more indifferent wit.

“Toby!” It boomed through the room. On a dime Toby whipped around, seeing Shasta. Her body was rigid. He could see her white knuckling the files in her hands. Meeting her eyes Toby could read she was afraid, but hid it under that austere exterior. Her barking his name was also Toby's cue that he had said too much. That he said anything at all whether Raylan had context, was wrong.

“You dyed your hair.” Raylan said lightly, breaking the deafening silence.

Eyes lingering on Toby a moment longer they sharply cut to Raylan. There was no warmth or mirth to be had. Just two endlessly black irises, the light dying in them. The room felt cold as she spoke.