Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the West Wing, Hamilton, or the 1946 film 'House of Horrors' directed by Jean Yarbrough.
Note: This episode takes place within the Season 3 episode 'Ways and Means'.
CW: Teen rating, sexual tension, and mild intimacy. SFW
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Josh's POV
*Ssshhhreee...swiisshhhh… shrep…. shreee* Papers rustled as Donna retrieved a box from a shelf in the OEOB storage room.
*trah tra cluck … dru-RUUUUMMMEE* Josh raised his eyebrows as he opened the door. 'Did it swallow her whole….?' "...Donna?"
Donna's teeth held a pen. "Yeah!"
'Y'know they serve food if here, no need-ta eat your pen.' "What's going on?"
*BLUMP* Donna plopped the box on the desk. "Well, ... in one of these boxes are the President's public schedules, ... an' in one of these boxes are his publicly issued schedules ta see if there are inconsistencies between the two." She capped the pen.
Josh blinked. "Were you here all night?"
"Is it daytime?"
He creased his brows. 'I'll take that as a yes.' "It's ….. 7:30."
Donna jotted down notes. "Usually when I stay up all night I'm able to pass a 19th century English literature midterm….Josh…" She removed a box as she turned towards him.
'Oh boy.' "Yeah?"
"I'm not going to have to take a 19th century English literature midterm, ... am I?" Donna inquired.
"No." 'We're not in college anymore.'
" 'Cause in one of these boxes are memos and handwritten notes pertaining to the President's 100,000 new teachers initiative, ... since it's a ... major policy initiative launched right after a suspected MS attack." Donna crouched down.
'Remember to, y'know, breathe.' "Can I ask you something?"
Donna stood up. "I had a plan."
'I can see that….. How else did you pass your 19th century English literature midterms?' "When you say in one of these boxes…"
"I had a plan! ….. Each box's numbered... There's a piece a paper wi' a number an' a corresponding description ….of the contents of each box."
'Easy enough.' "Well, where's the piece of paper?" Josh asked.
*SHLUM-ump* Donna pulled another box down as she glared at him.
'Oh.' His forehead creased. "It's... in ….. one of these boxes."
"I had a plan." Donna scowled. "I grew up on a farm." *buh-duh-lump* She set one of the boxes on the floor.
'What?' "Ya grew up ... inna ... condo."
"I grew up ...near …. a farm." *pl-APPP* Donna plopped another box on a cabinet. "I was cute. An' I was peppy. And I always did well on my 19th century English literature midterms, 'till you came along,..." *CLAPPPP* She slapped a file folder down. "…... sucked me into your life of crime!" Donna marched towards the back of the storage room.
"Hey, I'm not the one…"
Donna stopped to look back. "White-collar crime boy." *sshhhumppp* She retrieved a box. "Y'know what they do to a girl like me on tha' cellblock? …. I've seen those movies!
"Yeah, …..me too."
"I'll bet you have!"
'Okay….' "Look…"
She carried the box back towards Josh. "Sell my farm-girl ass for a carton of Luckys!"
His forehead creased. "Hey, …..seriously, ….. ya need ta …. sleep for a while."
"I can't yet. 'Cause in one of these boxes are FedEx receipts, an' mailroom records for
any gifts or packages sent to senior staff," 'That's you, Buddy Boy!' "…. an' in one a these boxes is a piece of paper which says WHICH BOX IT'S IN!" Her bloodshot eyes popped out of her head.
'Okay.' "...I'll be in the office."
"Your office is down the corridor, 'bout 200 feet from here. …. Try not to commit any felonies on the way." Donna recommended.
"I'll do my best." *CLUH-DUH-DUNK* Josh slammed the door behind him as Sam walked down the hallway.
"Josh." Sam held up a memo.
"Donna's like ….. two,... three days from unspooling….. It's pretty fun-tuh watch, but can you loan me some senior assistants from Communications?" Josh requested.
"Yeah. … So listen, ... there's a fire in Yellowstone Park." Sam explained before they started up a short flight of stairs. *DAPP-pap-dlapp-Pap-Pap*
"Well,... put it out." 'Easy.'
"Technically, I'm not a professional firefighter, ... though…. there was a time I wanted ta be."
"When?"
Sam looked at Josh. "When I was four."
"When I was four, ….. I wanted tuh be a ballerina." *BANG-AH* Josh opened the double glass door before they passed through.
"Yeah?" 'Oh, this is beautiful. I should almost have to pay ya for givin' me such great material.'
"I don't like-tu... talk about it."
'Okay.' *BAPP-map-dlapp-Pap... PAPP-dap-tlapp-Pap-Tap* They started up another flight of stairs. "There was a dry lightning strike in a lodgepole pine forest. …. The fire spread to 500 acres but it's all inside a resource benefit zone."
"Is it all under control?"
"Well, as a matter of fact, last night the park's superintendent - in consultation wi' Bill Horton …. an' several deputies from the Department of the Interior … decided to let it run its course." Sam pursed his lips as he glanced at Josh.
'Huh?' "They're letting it burn?"
"It's not necessarily our policy to put these things out."
"Puttin' ou' ... fires ... isn't necessarily our policy?" 'But like…. Fires… burn….. And can kill people, destroy wildlife, and take out towns…..' They entered the Bullpen.
"Fire's good for the environment, under certain circumstances. Forests have a natural cycle that requires purging burns to reinvigorate growth."
Josh poured coffee. "...Someone just said tha' tah you, … righ'?
Sam nodded. "Yeah."
"What do we need-ta do?"
Sam followed Josh. "The President needs tuh talk on the phone wi' the governor."
"Why?" Josh asked.
"So that the President can say he talked on the phone with the governor." Sam clarified.
'Ah.' "I'll take care of it."
"Ballerina?"
Josh looked back to Sam. "I'd kinda like that not tuh get around."
Sam chuckled. "Yeah, no chance a that."
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Sam's POV
Sam glanced into CJ's office at Ainsley as she sat on the couch. 'Good God, I am the luckiest man alive.'
Oliver Babish clenched his hand in his pocket as he paced around C.J.'s office. "You can emphasize that it's not like being served." His voice escalated as he turned around in the doorway.
"How's it not like being served?" C.J. stood at her desk while Ainsley sat on the couch.
"A subpoena is just a legal agreement to produce certain testimony and documents." He tilted his chin down. 'As I've said many times.'
CJ turned her palms up. "Yeah, but isn't it like the way a mugger uses a gun to produce your wallet?"
"You say we're cooperating fully. …... You say subpoenas…." He raised his brows as he walked to her desk. "don't ... indicate otherwise…... You say … they're a ... commonly used ... legal tool … to define ... the scope of the inquiry!"
"Oliver," C.J. walked around her desk. "political reporters don't care about the scope of the inquiry. … They hear 'subpoenas'..."
"Look…" Oliver clenched his teeth as he looked away.
"My trouble wi' your spin is that we're not gonna get anywhere putting on a calm face. …. We need-tuh pick-uh fight!" C.J. declared.
"Why?" Ainsley inquired.
"Because in politics, if you're not on offense, you're on defense." C.J. argued.
Oliver lowered his voice. "Your problem there … is that Clem Rollins doesn't foam at the mouth. …. He's a good guy, … an' he comes off … as a good guy."
"Plus he was appointed by your own Attorney General, which is gunna make it tough to fit him wi' a black hat." Ainsley added.
"Lemme think for jus' a second." C.J. walked towards the doorway and then turned to Ainsley. "What do Republicans say about him?"
"Well, we don't all hang out at a little club…" Ainsley said.
"What do they say 'bout 'im?" C.J. asked.
"He's well-respected, he's deliberate, he takes his duty seriously, he wants to get the truth and he wants to avoid any appearance of impropriety or partisanship." Ainsley answered.
"...Excuse me!" CJ left her office.
"Where are you goin'?"
C.J. spun around in the doorway. "...We need a different enemy."
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Leo's POV
"When're you gonna meet on the estate tax?" Leo passed Margaret's desk.
"Five minutes." Josh followed Leo into his office.
"With Toby?"
"Yeah."
"Jus' remember, it's a compromise, Josh... It's done. ….. Y'may not like it, bu'..." Leo walked behind his desk.
"It's a compromise." 'Yeah, yeah, I know.'
Leo retrieved his briefcase. "I'm sayin' ... the two of you, … when ya don't like something, … have a tendency to…"
"Show our displeasure?" Josh looked down.
'That's one way to put it.' "Piss people off!"
"That's a bad rep. I'm swweeet as pecan pie."
"Yeah?" 'You sure 'bout that?'
"I hate these people, Leo. An' when this thing is done, I'm going to personally screw them
with their pants on!" Josh seethed.
Leo put on his coat. 'At least now we're being honest….. .'
'Well, I'd pay good money to see that.' C.J entered Leo's office. "Excuse me."
"Hey, C.J.." Leo said.
"Leo." C.J. turned to Josh. "Giselle."
"Yeah." Josh looked down as he left. "I'm outta 'ere."
"You gotta second?"
"Yeah." Leo picked up his briefcase. "Walk wit' me."
C.J. followed Leo to the hallway. "Oliver ... Babish … an' Ainsley Hayes ... were just in my office."
"On spin?"
"Yeah."
"Whaddya got?" Leo inquired.
"Nothin' ... Y'know why?"
"Rollins likes us." Leo quipped.
"I dunno if he likes us, bu' he doesn't hate us."
"Well, that's jus' 'cause he doesn't know us."
C.J. pulled Leo into an empty office.
'What the hell is going on, C.J.?' Leo thought.
"Leo, ... we need-tuh be investigated by someone who wants to kill us jus' to watch us die. …. We need someone perceived by the American people to be irresponsible, … untrustworthy,… partisan, … ambitious, an' thirsty for the limelight. …... Am I crazy, or is this notta job for the U.S. House of Representatives?"
Leo half-shrugged. "Well, they'll get 'round to it sooner or later."
"So let's make it sooner, let's make it now. … Rollins' drivin' them crazy, ….he won't talk to the press, … they're ready to jump ... I swear to God, Leo, …. I think we can move the show."
'She's got a point.' "...You gotta briefing now?"
C.J. nodded. "Yeah."
"Show me what you're starting with."
"Yeah." She nodded.
Leo left. 'Toby sure made the right call when he brought her on the campaign…. An' I'm sure as hell glad tha' she didn't resign 'cause of the Haiti incident.'
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Donna's POV
Ainsley looked around the OEOB storage room. 'Where is she? Did the boxes finally win and swallow her whole?' Ainsley glanced down at the desk. "Donna?"
Donna jabbed her finger from atop a ladder. "Don't touch that stack over there!"
Ainsley fiddled with her pen. "I heard you need help."
"That stack's the Secret Service logs of all visitors who came into the building tuh see Charlie." Donna climbed down the ladder.
"You feel like bein' fixed up wi' a hot guy?" Ainsley blinked.
Donna filed paperwork. "As opposed to this stack, which's the Secret Service logs for-" She perked up. "Whaddya say?"
"His name's Cliff Calley, we went tuh law school together, an' he broke up wi' his girlfriend."
Donna smiled. "Where does he work?"
"He's cuu-te as hell."
"Where does he work?" Donna repeated.
Ainsley averted her eyes. "On the Hill. …..House Ways an' Means."
"He works for the Minority counsel's office?"
"Not exactly."
"Where does he work?"
"Well, lemme say this…. He works … with... the Minority counsel's office."
"Ainsley…" 'But Josh.'
"He works for the Majority counsel's office." Ainsley said.
"He's a Republican." Donna said.
"We are the majority." Ainsley said.
"Look…" 'I just can't do that to Josh.'
"By a very small margin." Ainsley added.
"He works for the Majority counsel's office in Ways and Means?" 'This would devastate him.'
"Yes."
"Josh's in a 12-round fight wi' Ways an' Means!"
"If you're not comfortable with this…"
"Josh, who picked me out of nowhere, who works day and night and is under more pressure than ever and who hates these people." 'I'm a horrible person for even considering this. ….. Okay, one date won't hurt.' "I don't know, is he funny?"
"Yeah. Should I tell 'im to call you?" Ainsley asked.
"Let 'im call if he wants, but I'm just, y' know... phone rings, I answer it, could be
anybody!" Donna walked off to the side.
"Okay."
Donna pointed. "Don't touch that stack!"
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Sam's POV
*POP! Mrackle zap!* The carne asada sizzled in the pan as Sam browned the peppers and onions in another pan.
*ERRRR* Sam's intercom buzzed.
'That's probably Ainsley.' Sam clicked the talk button. *cleek*
"There's a Miss Hayes here in the Lobby for Master Seaborn." The doorman announced.
Sam transferred the carne asada and vegetables to serving dishes and set them down on the table with the homemade salsa and guacamole. "Thank you, Sergio. I'll be down inna second." *cleek* He clicked the talk button again before he lit the candles and dimmed the lights.
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Sam's POV
*beep ….. beep…...beep….* The elevator chirped at each level. *Binnngggg.* The elevator opened when he reached the Lobby. "Good Evening, Sergio." Sam stepped out.
"Good evening, Master Seaborn." He replied.
"Hi." Sam smiled at Ainsley as he bit his bottom lip. 'Woooaaahhh…. Nellie. She's got legs that go all the way down to the floor.'
"Hi, …..Mas-ter Seaborn." Ainsley's eyelashes fluttered.
'In front of Sergio? Really?' Sam's face turned pink as took Ainsley's overnight bag and held the door to the Main Lobby for her.
"Why thank you,... Mas-ter Seaborn." Ainsley drawled. "Always the gentleman. Are you this chivalrous with all the ladies?"
"Well-" Sam flustered.
Sam's heart raced when she touched his forearm. "Sam, I'm just messin' wi' you."
"Oh." Sam laughed as he bit his bottom lip. "Sorry." He pressed the elevator button. *Binnngggg.*
"It's okay. No need to wig out." Ainsley reassured him as they stepped onto the elevator.
*sschhmoooppp* The elevator closed. "So I thought I was the only one who called you Master Seaborn."
"D'ya wan' me ta explain to Sergio why he can't call me Master Seaborn?" Sam pressed the button for his floor.
"No." Ainsley turned scarlet. "Everyone's wiggin' out lately. Like when I went to go see Donna about setting her up with Cliff-"
"Wait, you what?" Sam's eyes widened.
"I set'er up with Cliff." Ainsley repeated. "You don't think he's a good guy?"
"I do, … but Josh-" Sam said.
"I'm not setting Josh up with Cliff, I'm-" Ainsley explained as the elevator began to rise.
"Josh's not gonna like it." Sam insisted.
"Josh'll have to live with it." Ainsley looked Sam in the eye. "He and Donna can't be together right now, and you know it. And so does he. Why can't he deal with Donna being happy?" Ainsley kissed his cheek with one hand on his chest. "Happy, like how you make me feel."
Sam blushed. 'Ah jeez, I feel like a damn cartoon character.' "Yeah, but-"
"Sam, do you really wanna blow your chances of getting lucky tonight?"
"No, …. but, not for nothing, I already did get lucky 'cause I got you." Sam replied.
"Good answer, Master Seaborn." Ainsley tasted the minty fresh on his breath when her lips met his.
"I make you happy?" Sam asked.
"Yes, Sam. Incredibly happy. …. Is that even a question?"
'I make her happy.' Sam beamed.
*Binnngggg* The elevator chimed open before Ainsley stepped out. "What do you think he's gonna do 'bout the Estate Tax?"
*sschhmoooppp* The elevator door closed behind Sam.
"Is this a trick?" Sam asked.
"Why would it be a trick?" Ainsley asked.
"You jus' said-" Sam unlocked the door. *tphh vaAAARRRRRUMMM*
"Oh, Sam." Ainsley laughed as they stepped inside the apartment. "You made me a beautiful, romantic dinner. That, and you're a really good kisser, so I'll let it slide just this once."
"I'm a good kisser?" Sam pressed her back against the door. "Ya mean like this?" Sam clutched her cheeks and then slid a hand up her skirt.
"My, mmmyyyy, …. Samuel." Ainsley drawled as her face glistened with sweat. "That was a mighty fine there. I reckon tha' you jus' might convince me to support the Estate Tax."
"Too bad I can't use that on Republicans in Congress." Sam kissed her neck.
"You could always try tellin' 'em that the Great Ronald Reagan supports the Estate Tax, since we alllwaayys listen to our fearless leader, even from the grave."
Guilt spread across his face. "Ainse, I feel horri-"
"I know you do, Babe." Ainsley stroked his cheek as his chin tucked in towards his neck.
"Ainsley, I-"
"You feel bad for not being a good boyfriend? You're an amazing boyfriend. But you need to learn to not be so hard on yourself. I'm jus' givin' you a hard time. And I don't want you to be afraid to talk about this stuff with me."
"Are you sure?" His lips pressed together.
"Seriously, Sam." Ainsley clasped her hands behind his neck. "I miss arguin' about politics with you."
His eyes rounded as his forehead puckered. "I jus' ….. I don't wanna mess this up."
"I don't wanna mess this up either."
'I'm sure that if anyone messes this up, it'll be me.' Sam feared.
"Jus' as long as we stay away from the personal attacks."
"An' maybe while we're at it, we'll set an example for the rest of the country for how to engage in debates with people you disagree with." Sam added. "Minus the sex, of course. ….. For them, I mean. I don't want us to hold off on that, I mean…... unless you wa-" 'I'm just gonna stop before I hurt myself.'
Ainsley snorted. "Sam Seaborn, you're just so adorable sometimes." She caressed his lips. "As I was sayin', do you think he'll veto the Estate Tax repeal?"
"Doug seems to think he should. It would certainly be a bold move and remind the people that he's a strong Commander in Chief." Sam pulled a chair out for Ainsley.
"That I agree with." Ainsley sat down.
Sam put a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, didya just agree with me on the Estate Tax? What would the Gipper say?"
"Nice try, Babe."
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CJ's POV
"C.J.!" A congressman called out as C.J. was on her way back to the White House. C.J. turned around as two congressmen caught up with her. "We had a meeting at the OEOB. We were goin' to come by an' see you. …. There's some concern on the Hill." The congressman creased his forehead.
C.J. tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "Abou' what?"
"Over the last coupla days, the press has been real soft on Rollins."
"Particularly with regard to his relationship to the White House." The other congressman added.
"An' there's concern on the Hill?" C.J. folded her arms. 'See Babish, this is wha' I was talking about.'
"Democrats're worried Republicans'll use this as an excuse to start their own hearings
earlier than expected…"
"We're jus' sayin' if the White House could seem a little less eager to cooperate, … a
little less confident about the guy's integrity." The other congressman raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah." C.J. agreed. 'Exactly what I've been saying.'
"I mean, if y'could downplay his friendship with Babish... Have a good night." The first congressman concluded.
"You, too." C.J smiled when the men headed back to the Hill. 'It's game time.'
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Ainsley's POV
Sam held a coffee cup in his hand as he "...for the moment, the President and Governor had a productive conversation, he's monitoring the situation with the Secretary of the Interior." He ambled with C.J. towards her office.
Ainsley swaggered through the Bullpen. "Excuse me!"
"Hey!" Sam said.
"You need a haircut."
"Yes ma'am. …. Hey, what time are we meeting your friends for dinner?" Sam asked.
"Bruce said 6 at the Capital Lounge. An' we get to meet that new guy he's dating."
"So I won't be the only outsider." Sam said.
"Sam." Ainsley glared at him.
"Are ya gonna go easy on 'im?"
"Go easy on him? What're you talkin' 'bout?" Ainsley narrowed her eyes.
"This guy's dating one of your best friends, an' you tend to go all Mama Bear anytime your friends start dating someone new or if they're dating someone you don't like."
"What can I say, I only want the best for my friends, 'cause I want them to have what I have."
The corners of Sam's eyes crinkled. " 'Have what you have'?"
"Yes." Ainsley's eyes sparkled.
"So 6?" Sam kissed her check. "Love you."
"Love you too." Ainsley smiled before she stepped into C.J.'s office. "You wanted to see me?"
"You did well last night on Capital Beat." C.J. closed the door.
"Thanks."
"Babish and Rollins wrote a paper together for the Yale Law Review." C.J. set her computer bag down.
"You should get it out there." Ainsley implored.
"Yeah, the problem is I can't just make photocopies and distribute it." C.J. said.
"What d'you need?" Ainsley said.
"I want you to get wi' one of your friends in the Press Room from a conservative paper." C.J. said.
"You really think we have a secret handshake, don't you?" Ainsley asked.
"Do you?" C.J. said
"Yes."
"Get alone with one of those guys, go off record, and say you can't believe how the President can be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents. Can you do that?" C.J. explained.
"I can't believe how the President can be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents." Ainsley rehearsed.
"Yeah, do it quietly and kind of shake your head in disbelief." C.J. advised.
Ainsley shook her head back and forth. "I can't believe how the President can
be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still…"
'Okay, not that much.' "Ya don't have to keep shaking your head, just a little in the beginning."
"I can't believe" Ainsley shook her head. "how the President can-"
"Yeah, but think about…"
"Okay, I've got it." Ainsley grinned.
"Thank you." C.J. smiled. "Ainsley, any chance you could teach me the secret handshake?"
"Nope." Ainsley left.
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CJ's POV
"C.J., can you clear up whether the Special Prosecutor can compel the President's staff to disclose conversations he's had regarding his MS?" A reporter inquired.
"Well, Executive Privilege protects all communications that're necessary to enable a President to do his job, … but as I said, ... the President's waiving Executive Privilege. ... Mark?" CJ pointed to another reporter.
"Can you tell us if…"
'I wasn't finished, but nice try.' "Excuse me, Mark," The first reporter turned towards him. "I need-tuh follow up on that. ….. How can Bartlet be claiming to waive Executive Privileges, yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents?" She shook her head. "Isn't he just trying to protect himself?
'Nice work, Ainsley.' "Actually, he's trying to protect the office of the presidency… Information pertaining to national security, for instance." C.J. said.
"Stop being coy, C.J." The reporter said.
"I was born this way."
"You don't think Clement Rollins'll be angry, and with every reason to be, if the White House leaves out certain documents?" C.J. said.
"I think if you wanna know what Clement Rollins thinks, you should read some of his writings on the subject. ...He was a University of Chicago Law School professor, and I'm not sure, … you can check me on this, but I think he was editor of the Yale Law Review. ... That's a full lid, everybody, have a good night." C.J. stepped off the podium.
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C.J. sauntered in the Bullpen in search of a bottle opener. "You don't have a bottle opener, do you?" She smirked.
"No." Oliver snarled.
"I know some men carry those…"
"I don't." He tucked a hand in his pocket.
"...pocket knives."
"You screwed around with an independent legal proceeding, and you used one of my deputies to do it." Oliver chastised
"I worked the press." C.J. said as they watched television mounted on the wall. 'It's game time. Let's go!'
"Y'know, there was an irony in that Clem Rollins was the right man for the job."
"You think I could care less abou' irony?"
"You think jus' because the White House feels more comfortable when they're in an ugly political fight, that means we're gunna win it?"
C.J. strutted away. " Anybody have a bottle opener?" 'Whatcha gonna do 'bout it?'
Josh entered the Bullpen when Donna hastened to catch up with him. "Josh?"
He glanced at Donna. "Yeah?"
"Which Committee had jurisdiction?" Donna asked.
"For the hearings?"
"Is it Judiciary?" Donna reasoned as Leo, Sam, and Ainsley joined the staffers in the Bullpen.
"You'd think so, but Thomas' committee wanted it, so the Majority Leader…"
Josh started.
"Thomas' committee is?" Donna asked.
"House Government Reform and Oversight." Josh answered.
'Why couldn't it have been the Judiciary committee? Just my luck that I meet this great guy a week before he got transferred from Ways and Means to the committee holding the hearings.' Donna's heart sank as Sam bumped into Donna.
"Volume!" Sam demanded.
Bonnie turned up the volume with the remote control as more staffers gathered around the television in The Bullpen has been filling up to watch Congressman Randall Thomas speak on C-SPAN. "This is an election year, and in some states, the voting starts in a few months. People deserve answers now, and not at the snail's pace of Jed Bartlet's hand-picked prosecutor... I am announcing that the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee will be gaveled to session to conduct immediate hearings…"
C.J. opens her beer as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Ainsley, Sam, Josh, Connie, Doug, Carol, Toby, Ginger, Leo, Donna, Bonnie, and many other members of the West Wing staff. "Nice work." C.J. high-fived Ainsley as Oliver leaned against a doorframe in the back of the room.
"...into the possible use of taxpayer resources…"
'KA-CHOWW! Damn, my girlfriend's badass.' Sam beamed.
C.J. stared the Congressman down. "Come an' get us."
"...to defraud the public."
C.J. sipped her beer.
"It is time to put an end to this White House's abuse of power. It is time for this White House to answer to the American people."The congressman concluded.
"Ainsley, since you can't teach me the secret handshake, can we at least have our own secret handshake?" C.J. begged.
"Absolutely." Ainsley smiled.
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Sam's POV
*rii-EEEEEEEEEEK* The bedroom door creaked open. "So ... the strangest thing ... jus' happened." Ainsley wrapped her arms around Sam's waist he stared out at the Watergate Hotel. "I woke up, ... searchin' for the strong, handsome man who makes me feel safe and loved in his arms," She kissed his shoulder blades. "But then, I realized I was … all … alone … in that lovely … bed a yours. … So I decided ta come give you some company."
He pressed her knuckles to his lips before they retrieved milk and cookies from the kitchen that they set on the table before they curled up together on the couch. "Talk tuh me, Babe." She stroked his hair as he snaked an arm across the small of her back. "Remember, we promised not to shut each other out." She reminded him.
" …..What's there to talk about? …. I'm guilty of perpetrating a fraud." He said as she helped herself to a cookie.
"You know ... that's not true." She bit a chocolate chip cookie and then washed it down with milk. "But even if you did, I'd still love you." She kissed his temple. "You're not still worried about the Indio, are you?"
'How can I not?' He nodded.
"What does Babish have to say?" Ainsley asked.
"He says that it could come up, but that I'll probably be fine."
'Exactly.' Ainsley swallowed a cookie.
"He also thinks they'll bring up Laurie."
"It might come up, but you'll be fine wi' tha' ... because guess what?"
"What?"
"You didn't break any laws or do anything wrong."
'That's debatable.' "When has that stopped bloodthirsty politicians and lawyers?" 'To say nothing of the media.'
"You're also being defended by one of the best lawyers in the country."
"That's right …. The headline should read 'Heir to the Seaborn fortune escapes multiple charges with the help of the family lawyer'."
"Sam, as far as the Indio goes, yes, it did crash, an' it did cause an oil spill. Yes, you were involved with the deal. …. But you know what?"
"What?"
"You did what you were supposed to do within the confines of the law. You wrote their liability shield, which, as I said, is what they hired you to do."
'So if they hired me to commit murder, I would be safe from getting convicted?'
Ainsley continued. "Also, you weren't even a partner yet. ….. As for Laurie, you didn't even know she was a prostitute when you met her and you never solicited sex from her." She rubbed his shoulder while he ate a cookie.
"It's just not fair… What gets me is that I should have to take personal responsibility for it, but I don't. …. Whereas if Charlie hadn't taken the immunity, he would've been eaten alive 'cause he can't afford a lawyer."
"Oh, my sweet Atlas." She kissed his cheek. "You carry the weight uh the world on your shoulders. One a the many, … many … things I love 'bout you … is that you always want to protect those you care about. But there are some things you just can't control, …. like the rain, ... wildfires, the MS hearings, and the fact that life isn't fair. I bet Charlie'd say the same thing. ... And don't you dare apologize 'for dragging me into this' again."
"Ainse..."
"No, Sam." Ainsley's gaze pierced his eyes. "You have this intense desire to protect the people you love from any kinda pain an' hardship, and you blame yourself when you can't ….. I love you for it, but you can't beat yourself up."
"It's how I hold myself accountable. ….. I don't wanna be him."
"Sweetheart, ….. you're nothing, …. nothing ... like your dad."
"How do y'know?"
"Well, for one thing, …. he cheated on your mom for 28 years, … an' I know you'd never cheat on me." Sam's raw, vulnerable eyes looked into her eyes before he rattled her bones with a kiss.
"You taste like chocolate chip cookies." Ainsley bit her lip.
He chuckled. "That explains why you were so eager tuh kiss me back."
"Oh, Sam." She rolled her eyes. "Hey, Babe?"
"Yeah?"
"We should probably get back ta bed. We have a big day aheada us. …. That, an' Toby or Josh might come out here to get a drink of water or yell at us for being too loud."
"They haven't yelled at us the last few nights, so I think we're good, you wild thing." Sam teased as she led him back to his room.
Ainsley's face fired shots of indignation. "YOU... have the nerve to call ME wild?"
*Shlipp-clum-click* Sam closed his bedroom door. "I'm sorry, Babe." He pressed her back against the closed door as he slid his hands under her pajamas and dropped his voice to a whispered. "Allow me ta make it up to you. …. Be as loud as you want."
"Thank you, Master Seaborn."