Please see Chapter 1 for general info and disclaimers.

*~*

"We need to stop."

Without looking up from the papers strewn all over his desk, Josh stated, "Well, I'm all for that, but since I'd also really like to sleep in my own bed tonight, I'm gonna have to pass."

"What?" Sam stepped into Josh's office, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I'm serious, Josh. I think we need to stop being mad at the President."

Josh looked up without moving his head and eyed his friend. "Sam, what are you—"

"No, hear me out. I've been thinking about this and I know we're all angry with him and I think we have every right to be, but he's…he's…"

"Not your father?" Josh offered as he finally raised his head and leaned back in his chair.

Sam stood motionless for a second, shocked that Josh had read his mind so easily. "How did you…"

"'Cause I know you, Sam. And you're right, Jed Bartlet isn't your father. He didn't have an affair with a woman for twenty-some odd years and build a home with her across town from his wife and child. But the President did lie to us and deceive us, and for that, I think all of us have every right to be as angry with him as we want to be."

"And no one's more upset with him than I am!" Sam exclaimed before sighing and dropping his head. "But…would it have made a difference if he'd told us? I mean, let's say that, not long after you'd brought me on-board and Toby had brought on C.J., the President ushered us into a room and told us about how he'd had an affair and that there was a daughter of his out there who no one knew existed. Would knowing that have made you go back to Hoynes? Because I don't think I would've gone back to Gage Whitney. After all, isn't an imperfect something better than a perfect nothing?"

Josh brushed some nonexistent hair away from his forehead and stared intently at Sam as he wondered exactly how many cups of coffee he'd consumed while down in the mess. But rather than ask that particular question, he grinned impishly. "That last question sounded a lot better in your head than when it just came out of your mouth, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted begrudgingly. Looking out into the empty hallway, he asked, "C.J. go home?"

"Yeah. Toby practically had to shove her out the door, but she finally left. What about you? Any plans to follow her lead?"

"Uh, yeah, eventually. But I've got this thing about women in the military to write and I want to go through some of the research Cathy put together for me."

"Women in the military?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you know, they – the women – are there. In the military."

"Gee, Josh, what would I do without all your help?"

"That's why they pay me the big bucks."

Sam snorted and leaned against the doorframe. "You better make sure C.J. doesn't hear you say that." When the moment of levity passed, he looked Josh squarely in the eyes and declared, "I still think we need to stop being mad."

"Duly noted."

"Okay." And with that, Sam disappeared into the shadowy hallway.