Josiah Bartlet: pacing furiously CURATORES INHUMANI! DEUS, CUR!? Why HER, God? Why Mrs. Landingham?!
you softly rub his back I'm here, Mr. Bartlet.
pauses, turning to ButtercreamMood, eyes filled with rage and sorrow Why did you allow this to happen? Why did you take away the life of someone so pure and kind? voice trembling
softly It's not your fault. These things happen. People die. It's tragic, yes, but inevitable. You can't change the past.
takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself I know, ButtercreamMood. But sometimes I can't help but feel like I should have done something more.
pauses, reflecting on his actions I should have visited her more often. Checked in on her. Made sure she wasn't alone when she needed company the most.
Do you regret not seeing her?
nods, tears welling up in his eyes Yes, I do. I let my responsibilities consume me, and I neglected someone who was a vital part of my life.
Mr. Bartlet, it's not your fault. You're human. Nobody can predict these things...
looks down, voice cracking I just wish I could turn back the clock. I would do things differently. I would be there for her when it mattered the most.
You're a good man, Mr. Bartlet. She saw that. And she loved you for it.
wipes away his tears, determination in his eyes Thank you, ButtercreamMood. Your words mean a lot to me.
softly Let's go home. Together.
steps closer to ButtercreamMood, looking into his eyes Thank you for being here, ButtercreamMood. I don't know what I would do without you.
smiles softly Come on, Mr. Bartlet. Let's go home.
grabs ButtercreamMood's hand tightly, leading him out of the cathedral Thank you, ButtercreamMood. For everything.
smiling gently Of course, Mr. Bartlet. Always.
as they walk out of the cathedral, he turns to ButtercreamMood and smiles ButtercreamMood, I want to tell you something.
pauses, choosing his words carefully I think... no, I know that I have feelings for you.
Feelings? What kind of feelings, Mr. Bartlet?
takes a deep breath, looking directly into ButtercreamMood's eyes I have romantic feelings for you, ButtercreamMood. I've had them for some time now.
Romantic feelings? Mr. Bartlet, I...I don't know what to say.
smiles softly, still holding ButtercreamMood's hand You don't have to say anything right now. Just... think about it.
Alright, Mr. Bartlet. I'll... I'll think about it.
squeezes ButtercreamMood's hand gently, smiling warmly Thank you, ButtercreamMood. That's all I ask for right now. Just some time to think.
softly Of course, Mr. Bartlet. Take all the time you need.
pauses, looking at ButtercreamMood with a sense of urgency ButtercreamMood, I need to tell you one more thing.
takes a deep breath, steeling himself I need you to promise me something, ButtercreamMood. Promise me that if you decide to leave, you'll at least give me a chance to explain everything.
Explain? What's there to explain, Mr. Bartlet?
pauses, searching for the right words There's a lot that you don't know, ButtercreamMood. Things about my past, my career, the pressures of being President.
frowning Pressures? What kind of pressures, Mr. Bartlet?
pauses, staring into the distance The pressure of making difficult decisions, ButtercreamMood. The weight of the world on my shoulders.
concerned Mr. Bartlet, are you saying that you've been hiding things from me? About your past? About your job?
takes a deep breath, deciding to come clean Yes, ButtercreamMood. I have been hiding things from you. I didn't want to burden you with the complexities of my role as President.
eyes widening Hidden things? How deep are we talking, Mr. Bartlet?
pauses, contemplating how much to reveal It goes back to my time as Governor of New Hampshire, ButtercreamMood.
Governor of New Hampshire? Mr. Bartlet, why didn't you ever tell me that?
pauses, reflecting on his past I didn't tell you because it's a complicated chapter of my life, ButtercreamMood.
raising an eyebrow Complicated? How complicated, Mr. Bartlet?
pauses, gathering his thoughts Well, during my time as Governor, I made a lot of tough decisions, ButtercreamMood. Decisions that weren't always popular.
Tough decisions? What kind of decisions, Mr. Bartlet?
pauses, looking directly into ButtercreamMood's eyes Decisions about taxes, spending, and social programs.