Chapter 1

"Sam, do you have you're picture?" Josh asked.

"You mean for the 'bonding exercise' thing?" Sam sighed shaking his head, "Josh, this might just be worse than the big block of cheese day."

"Come on Sam, I'm sure your picture isn't that bad. Come on, let me see," Josh held out his hand expectantly.

"Josh…fine," Sam opened up his brief case and pulled out a photo, which he quickly handed to Josh.

"You know Sam, I think when Leo said baby picture he meant a picture of you when you were an actual baby…what are you…five years old in this picture?"

"Well, I don't have any baby pictures so it'll have to do," Sam said, unable to hide the irritation in his voice.

"Why don't you have any baby pictures?" Josh asked.

Sam sighed, great, time for twenty questions, "there was a fire when I was little and our house burned down. My parents lost almost everything, so no baby pictures. Five year old Sam is just going to have to cut it," Sam stated.

"Well, you know Leo, he hates when people ruin his little pet projects. Remember you're still on his list," Josh reminded Sam.

"Yes the list," Sam laughed, "oh well, fingers crossed, the house burned down excuse will appease Leo."

"Well if we don't want to piss off Leo we should probably get going," Sam nodded and taking his picture back from Josh, he grabbed his coat and briefcase before following Josh out the door and towards Leo's office.

"We're going to the residency," Leo called to Josh and Sam, as they entered his office.

"So the president is joining us," asked Sam, not looking thrilled at the prospect. He sighed, thinking about how he wasn't exactly fond of his childhood memories. In fact, he liked to try and block them out. While he loved his family, his dad was always, very much so, the authoritarian style parent, ruling with his temper and occasionally his fist. Sam knew tonight would be all about the regaling of happy innocent times, and he had a hard time remembering any.

"Yes Sam the president will be joining us, in fact, this was his idea," Sam wasn't all that surprised, but he was a little wary; the president's idea of a good time usually consistent of him telling them all interesting facts that, too be honest, Sam never found to interesting. He still remembered the one time the president kept him in the oval office for over three hours telling Sam all about national parks.

"Well shall we?" Josh asked.

Twenty minutes later…

Sam was actually having a good time, sure he wasn't exactly contributing to the conversation much with his own childhood, but Josh's stories were particularly funny.

"What about you Sam any funny childhood experiences?" CJ asked.

"Well…I used to be obsessed with ice cream. I used to hide it away to save for later and was always incredibly disappointed when I found the ice cream melted every time. I had some interesting hiding places though…the sneak eating of ice cream ended when my dad sat on one of the cartons I hid underneath a sofa cushion. To say he wasn't happy would be a huge understatement," Sam wasn't sure if he wanted to smile or frown at the memory.

"Interesting…" Josh said, "so are you going to show everyone your baby picture or what?"

"Well…" Sam, fished out the picture he had shown Josh earlier from his pocket and gave it to Leo. "I don't have any earlier pictures," Sam explained.

"Why not?" Jed was looking at Sam strangely, feeling uncomfortable, Sam fidgeted in his chair.

"Well, there was a fire in our old house when I was four or five, so they burned."

"Do you remember the fire?" The President asked staring at Sam fixedly now.

"Umm…no," Sam replied, confused by the question. He couldn't understand why the president was staring at him. Then he noticed that Leo was also staring at him now too.

"You're right Josiah," Leo said, looking back down at Sam's photo, "he looks a lot like him." Leo handed the president Sam's photo. Sam was completely lost, looking back and forth, at the two men, Sam looked like whom?

Josh also seemed to be confused, "sorry, but what are you two talking about?"

President Bartlet had gone a little pale after seeing Sam's picture, "I think I'll go to bed, I'm not feeling well. Thank you everyone for coming and I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning," with that the president almost ran out of the room.

"What… what just happened?" Sam asked Leo, who was now staring into space.

"It's nothing Sam. I think I'm going to go home too, it's been a long day," Leo took one more look at Sam before grabbing his coat and rushing off.

Sam looked to Toby, Josh, and CJ, who all looked dumb struck. "Okay, tell me you all didn't think that was strange?"

"Strange…Sam, I've never seen the president look that pale or move that fast," Josh stated.

"Sam did they give you back the photo?" CJ asked.

"Umm…"Sam looked around, "no. I think the president took it with him, but I don't understand why they reacted like that. The way the president was looking at me, I don't know, something weird just happened."

"Well it could be about…" Toby began, but then stopped himself.

"You don't mean…" Josh also didn't finish his thought.

"What are you two babbling about?" CJ asked.

"Ben," Sam stated, "I remember the first lady saying we looked alike. I can't believe I didn't realize, I mean it's been twenty-three years, but the reminder must still hurt."

"You mean the president's son, his son who was kidnapped. Ohh," everyone was completely silent for a couple minutes. None of them could understand how the president felt. Loosing a child…

"Well, I'm going home," Sam stated, he felt uncomfortable and oddly guilty and all he wanted to do at that moment was go how and hope tomorrow, the whole incident would be forgotten.