Title: Stay Anyway 18/?

Author: Amber (Ambino1111@prodigy.net)

Disclaimers & other notes in Part 1

Previously, in Stay Anyway…

Sam sees his ex-fiancee Lisa as she takes a tour of the White House with her son Alexander. He talks with her and they decide to go to dinner the next night. A political snafu pops up before their dinner, and they end up eating with Josh and Donna in the White House. Lisa vows to hook up Josh and Donna, the latter becoming a new friend. Sam encourages Lisa to stay so they can talk about what happened between them, and as she is singing her son to sleep in Josh's office, Sam talks with Josh and Donna. He goes ballistic when Josh asks if he still loves Lisa. Sam and Lisa decide not to talk about what happened, although Lisa rhetorically asks "How did we get here?" Flashbacks: Lisa is a dentist and first meets Sam at an appointment. Fast forward to Sam and Lisa living together. A misunderstanding occurs when Sam's plans for a surprise party make Lisa suspicious. She tracks down the woman she thinks he's having an affair with, and discovers it was Josh, who had been helping Sam plan everything. At the party, she and Josh, realizing who they are, react strangely when introduced, which makes Sam wonder. He confronts Josh, who tells him the truth. Sam tells Lisa it was all just a misunderstanding and they drop it. Back to the present, where Lisa informs Sam that she and Alex are moving to DC He offers to let her stay at his apartment until hers is ready - she says she'll think about it. Instead, she accepts Donna's offer to live with her and refuses to call Sam and tell him. Sam and Josh have a heart-to-heart about women, and Josh learns about the office-wide pool betting on when he and Donna would admit their feelings. Meanwhile, at Donna's, Lisa comforts Donna, who admits that Josh treats her like a platonic wife. Josh shows up at her apartment, drunkenly informing her of his love, and Donna makes him leave. While waiting for the cab, Josh tells Lisa that Sam still loves her. In the middle of the night, Sam comes over to Donna's and demands to know where Lisa is. He and Lisa have a huge fight that ends with Sam yelling that he loves her. Later that day, Lisa calls Sam and tells him it's over - they shouldn't even see each other anymore. At lunch, Sam decides to ask Ainsley out to dinner and she agrees.

*****

"Goodbye stranger it's been nice

Hope you find your paradise

Tried to see your point of view

Hope your dreams will all come true"

- Supertramp, Goodbye Stranger

*****

I really don't want to be sitting here right now.

Honestly, this is just about the last place I'd like to be.

"It'll be fine," Donna insisted. "I'll make sure Sam is going out to lunch. Don't worry. It'll be fine."

I should have been alarmed by the fact that she kept assuring me it would be fine. Silly me, I didn't listen to my gut instinct.

Well, I did feel guilty saying no to Donna's lunch request. After all, this is our last night together as roomies. The super from my new building called last night and told me the apartment was ready a few days ahead of schedule. Donna seemed a little saddened by the news - I think she liked having a roommate (well, two roommates) for a change. I would have stayed with her longer, but I already feel like I've imposed more than enough... especially after that fight with Sam.

I check my watch. Donna's only two minutes late.

"Mommy! Wook what I colored!" Alex says excitedly, twisting around in my lap to show me the page in his coloring book he's been working on. In the process, he knocks over his small box of crayons.

"Here, let me help," a Southern voice drawls behind me. I look up to see a blonde woman bending down to pick up the spilled Crayolas.

"Thank you so much," I gush, switching Alex to my other leg. Dave was off today so I had to leave the stroller in the lobby with security. "People around here are so kind."

"I know. It surprised me, too, at first," She says, handing Alex the crayons. He smiles up at her and lets out a quiet "Fank you."

"He is adorable," The woman continues, offering me her hand. She looks familiar. I shake it. "I'm Ainsley Hayes. I work here, well, not here in the mess, but in the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue."

"I've never heard of it," I admit truthfully. I KNEW she looked familiar. This is the Republican woman that whipped Sam's butt on that Capitol Beat episode. I remember being strangely proud of her.

"That's just the name of my office. It's a tiny one way down in the basement, where the heat oftentimes works too well and, unfortunately, too noisily."

Ainsley definitely has a unique way of speaking. I like it.

"My name's Lisa, by the way," I tell her as she takes a seat at the table next to me. "And this is my son, Alex."

"It's nice to meet you," She says, smiling. "You, too, Alex."

We settle into silence, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. I watch Alex as he concentrates on coloring a bear in his book.

"So, for whom are you waiting?" She asks congenially.

"Donna Moss."

"Really?" She seems pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it's at the fact that Donna has a friend outside of the office. "Donna is a great girl."

"Yeah, she is. We've become really good friends." I pause, wondering if I should inquire about her lunch date. I don't have to wonder for long.

"I'm waiting for Sam Seaborn," My stomach tightens. "He's the Deputy Communications Director. We have to go over some final projections for HR 206 before tomorrow's vote."

She seems so nonchalant about it - maybe they aren't dating. If they are, Sam sure didn't mourn our semi-relationship for long.

I can't help myself. She has no idea who I am anyway. "Are you two dating?"

She blushes slightly. "How'd you know?"

I shrug. That's about all I can muster.

"Well, it's kind-of a hush-hush thing," She admits. "Not too serious or anything. God, I can't believe I'm telling you, a complete stranger, about all this."

"Oh, it's no bother," I say in a fake cheerful tone. I try to unclench my teeth after I see, over her shoulder, Sam walk into the room.

Shoot me now.

He sees me and starts to walk the other way, but then he sees I'm sitting with Ainsley.

Oh boy. I've gotten myself into quite a pickle.

Donna! Help me!

"Hello, Ainsley. I'm sorry I was late. I got held up in a meeting," Sam says, appearing at her side. I wonder for a moment how he can sound so loving towards her and so icy towards me at the same exact time.

"Hi, Sam. It was no big deal. I met a really nice woman while I was waiting. Lisa, this is Sam Seaborn. Sam, this is Lisa and her son Alex."

Neither of us has the heart to tell her we know each other more than she could imagine, so we settle on shaking hands.

"Pleased to meet you," He manages to spit out. Ainsley must be off in her own little lovey-dovey dream world, because she's totally oblivious to the torrential wave of subtext going on between us.

"You guys make a cute couple," Someone is controlling my speaking abilities. Seriously, I don't know where that came from.

"Why thank you," Ainsley says, smiling. The look of confusion on Sam's face must mirror the look on mine. Why oh why did I say that?

"Lisa! Thanks for waiting. I'm sorry I'm so late."

Praise the Lord, it's Donna, and she seems to have successfully assessed the present situation.

"C'mon, Ainsley. I've changed my mind. The weather's too great to stay indoors. Let's go out and grab something to eat," Sam says, guiding her away from the table by her elbow. Ainsley looks over her shoulder as they leave.

"Bye, Lisa. Bye, Alex. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Wish I could say the same," I mutter under my breath as Donna takes Ainsley's now-vacated seat.

"Holy Cow, Lisa! I mean, Holy Cow! I am SOOO sorry. I didn't think - Sam was supposed to have a lunch meeting, but..." She trails off as everything clicks into place. "Oh. Will you ever forgive me?"

"Yeah. It's not your fault. It's mine, for even bothering to come here. Donna... this is horrible. I mean, did you SEE what just happened?"

Donna merely nods, looking immensely guilt-ridden.

"And when- when did THAT happen?" I gesture to the doorway the couple departed from a few minutes earlier. "Did I mean that little to him that he started dating right away?"

Donna hands Alex a crayon that rolled out of his grasp. "Josh told me that Sam was going to ask Ainsley out the day you first showed up here."

"Oh," That changes things. Now I feel terrible. I hope I haven't ruined their chance for happiness. Ainsley seemed sweet enough... I'd truly feel rotten if I caused them to break up. Yet, a tiny, microscopic part of me would rejoice in it.

What? I'm only human.

"It's not that serious yet. Just a few dates so far," Donna tries to shrug it off, but I can tell she's hiding something. I decide to drop it.

"So, how're things with you and Josh?"

"You want me to go order you two some lunch? A sandwich? Salad? I think we have Cream of Chicken soup today."

I shake my head at her, smiling. "Fine. Go get some food. You know I'll make you answer my questions when you get back anyway."

"Yeah, I know," She admits. "Chicken soup?"

"Here," I pull out my wallet. "I'll have a soup and salad. Alex, do you want some soup or a chicken sandwich?"

"Sandwidge!" He states excitedly, wiggling around. At least somebody's happy.

I hand Donna a twenty, but she refuses to take it. "Don't worry about it, Lisa. My treat today."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

Donna disappears into the line, leaving Alex and me alone.

"Ith Tham gonna eat wiff us?" He asks, switching crayons. I take a deep breath.

"No, not today, honey."

"Tomorrow?"

"No, not tomorrow either. We probably won't be seeing Sam too much anymore, okay?"

He nods his head, accepting what I told him in the way that only children can.

"Can we see Gwampa tomorrow?"

"I don't know, Sweetie. I'd like to, but there's lots of things you and I have to do. We have to call the movers and move all our stuff into our new home-"

"You mean, no moe Donna?"

"Well, we won't be staying at her house anymore, but we'll still spend time with Donna, okay? And you know what else we have to do? We have to find you a preschool. Doesn't that sound like fun? You get to meet lots of other kids."

By the time Donna returns with our lunches, Alex is no longer upset about not seeing Sam and no longer living with Donna. Instead, we spend our lunch listening to him tell us a story about what he thinks preschool will be like. I don't manage to get much about Josh from Donna, but we're going to have dinner tonight and I'll pump it out of her then.

When we go to leave, Donna gives me a hug. "You're doing just fine without him, Lisa."

Her words mean more to me than she probably expected them to.

TBC