Title: I'm Fine
Author: Angela
Rating:G
Spoilers: We Killed Yamamoto
Category: Post Ep., Sam/Donna friendship
Summary: He could fool everyone but her
Disclaimer: Not mine. They belong to Aaron Sorkin
Archive: The Sam Fanfic site? I'd be honored. Anyone else? Just
ask
Feedback: Yes, especially praise, but including constructive
criticism.
Major Props to my beta reader, Elaine.
I'm Fine
"Sam?" Donna stuck her head in the doorway of Sam's office.
"I'm fine, Donna," he said without looking up.
She stepped inside and sat down. "Now that you've practiced your
mind reading, let's start again. Sam?"
Sam shook his head. "Hi, Donna. What can I do for you?"
"How are you?" She grinned.
"Like I said, I'm fine. I'm up off the dirt, off the bench, ready to
play ball."
"Sam, you're babbling."
"Yes, I am." He gave her the patented 'Sam Seaborn' smile. She
answered with one of her own.
"And you're lying through your teeth."
The smile faded. "Donna, I don't want to be rude, but . . . "
"You want me to leave?"
"Yes?" he said, hopefully.
"Tough." She leaned back in the chair.
"It's a wonder Josh hasn't fired you."
"Twice today. I'm impervious."
"You're also the person who makes him look good. He'd probably end
up working at a drugstore if it wasn't for you."
"True. And flattery and misdirection won't get you anywhere."
It should have been easy. A few assurances that he was fine, a
couple of quips to lighten the mood and, give or take a few concerned
looks, everything would be back to normal. He was the master of
subterfuge. Except with Donna. She wouldn't let him brush her
aside. She just sat there, patiently.
"Nobody yelled. I mean . . . Bruno . . . a little, but nobody
else," he volunteered.
"Maybe they figured you would be kicking yourself enough without
their help."
"Or maybe they just expected something like this from me. It was
stupid, something an intern wouldn't have done, and I'm a Senior
Staffer. So why didn't they yell? I would have. Instead, everyone
is asking me if I'm all right. You even came back with a message from
Harry Conroy." He looked at her accusingly.
"You're upset because people aren't yelling?" Donna asked.
"I just don't want people to look at this and say, 'Well, that's just
Sam. What can you expect?'"
Donna was silent for a minute. When she began to speak again, it was
slowly, as if she was thinking of what to say at the same time. "I
think everyone knows how stupid it is. And, no one thinks you're
more likely to make dumb mistakes than anyone else. But it is like
you." She held her hand up, to stop him from whatever protests or
self-recriminations he was about to make. "It's like you to put your
faith in people, because you measure them by what you would do. If
the situations were reversed, you wouldn't have broken anyone's faith
in you."
Sam contemplated Donna's words. They sounded good. Oh sure, it
still painted him as hopelessly naive, but there was the
added 'You're a good man, Sam,' buried in there. But it wasn't
exactly true, and he didn't want Donna to think more of him than he
deserved. "That's not why. One of the reasons was when Bruno kept
insisting that I put it away - I don't know. Something about Bruno
makes me want to do the opposite of whatever he says."
"Bruno is to you what Doug is to Toby."
"But don't you think it was stupid and arrogant of me not to listen,
just because Bruno rubs me the wrong way?"
"Well, you're human and a man. It goes with the territory." She
smiled to show she was teasing, and Sam managed to smile back. "You
said that was one reason. What were the others?"
"Oh, nothing important." But she still sat there, and gave him a
look. Josh always said that Donna could say a lot with her
eyes. "You're wasted here. You should be interrogating hardened
criminals or something. 'Ve have vays to make you talk!'" She didn't
move. He sighed. "I told everyone Kevin was a friend of mine, but I
exaggerated our relationship. We knew each other from way back, even
longer than I've known Josh. But we were never close. And I hadn't
heard from him for over a year until he called. I almost didn't give
him the tape, but he sounded so sincere and trustworthy. He probably
rehearsed everything to get it perfect. But I wanted to believe him -
I needed to believe him. Trust is one of the most important things
you can give a person. That's what I always thought. Stupid, right?'
"No! It isn't stupid to trust people. Maybe you are too trusting,
but don't give up on people completely. That's why I like you."
"It is? How much would you say you liked me?" he asked.
"Don't get a big head or anything. I've seen you trip over your own
feet and land on your butt. Numerous times."
"It's all part of my charm." This time, the light-hearted comment
came easily, without any manipulation on his part.
"Yes, there's nothing more charming than a geek with a poor sense of
balance. So, are you okay?" she asked again.
He hesitated for a split second. "Not completely, but I will be."
Author: Angela
Rating:G
Spoilers: We Killed Yamamoto
Category: Post Ep., Sam/Donna friendship
Summary: He could fool everyone but her
Disclaimer: Not mine. They belong to Aaron Sorkin
Archive: The Sam Fanfic site? I'd be honored. Anyone else? Just
ask
Feedback: Yes, especially praise, but including constructive
criticism.
Major Props to my beta reader, Elaine.
I'm Fine
"Sam?" Donna stuck her head in the doorway of Sam's office.
"I'm fine, Donna," he said without looking up.
She stepped inside and sat down. "Now that you've practiced your
mind reading, let's start again. Sam?"
Sam shook his head. "Hi, Donna. What can I do for you?"
"How are you?" She grinned.
"Like I said, I'm fine. I'm up off the dirt, off the bench, ready to
play ball."
"Sam, you're babbling."
"Yes, I am." He gave her the patented 'Sam Seaborn' smile. She
answered with one of her own.
"And you're lying through your teeth."
The smile faded. "Donna, I don't want to be rude, but . . . "
"You want me to leave?"
"Yes?" he said, hopefully.
"Tough." She leaned back in the chair.
"It's a wonder Josh hasn't fired you."
"Twice today. I'm impervious."
"You're also the person who makes him look good. He'd probably end
up working at a drugstore if it wasn't for you."
"True. And flattery and misdirection won't get you anywhere."
It should have been easy. A few assurances that he was fine, a
couple of quips to lighten the mood and, give or take a few concerned
looks, everything would be back to normal. He was the master of
subterfuge. Except with Donna. She wouldn't let him brush her
aside. She just sat there, patiently.
"Nobody yelled. I mean . . . Bruno . . . a little, but nobody
else," he volunteered.
"Maybe they figured you would be kicking yourself enough without
their help."
"Or maybe they just expected something like this from me. It was
stupid, something an intern wouldn't have done, and I'm a Senior
Staffer. So why didn't they yell? I would have. Instead, everyone
is asking me if I'm all right. You even came back with a message from
Harry Conroy." He looked at her accusingly.
"You're upset because people aren't yelling?" Donna asked.
"I just don't want people to look at this and say, 'Well, that's just
Sam. What can you expect?'"
Donna was silent for a minute. When she began to speak again, it was
slowly, as if she was thinking of what to say at the same time. "I
think everyone knows how stupid it is. And, no one thinks you're
more likely to make dumb mistakes than anyone else. But it is like
you." She held her hand up, to stop him from whatever protests or
self-recriminations he was about to make. "It's like you to put your
faith in people, because you measure them by what you would do. If
the situations were reversed, you wouldn't have broken anyone's faith
in you."
Sam contemplated Donna's words. They sounded good. Oh sure, it
still painted him as hopelessly naive, but there was the
added 'You're a good man, Sam,' buried in there. But it wasn't
exactly true, and he didn't want Donna to think more of him than he
deserved. "That's not why. One of the reasons was when Bruno kept
insisting that I put it away - I don't know. Something about Bruno
makes me want to do the opposite of whatever he says."
"Bruno is to you what Doug is to Toby."
"But don't you think it was stupid and arrogant of me not to listen,
just because Bruno rubs me the wrong way?"
"Well, you're human and a man. It goes with the territory." She
smiled to show she was teasing, and Sam managed to smile back. "You
said that was one reason. What were the others?"
"Oh, nothing important." But she still sat there, and gave him a
look. Josh always said that Donna could say a lot with her
eyes. "You're wasted here. You should be interrogating hardened
criminals or something. 'Ve have vays to make you talk!'" She didn't
move. He sighed. "I told everyone Kevin was a friend of mine, but I
exaggerated our relationship. We knew each other from way back, even
longer than I've known Josh. But we were never close. And I hadn't
heard from him for over a year until he called. I almost didn't give
him the tape, but he sounded so sincere and trustworthy. He probably
rehearsed everything to get it perfect. But I wanted to believe him -
I needed to believe him. Trust is one of the most important things
you can give a person. That's what I always thought. Stupid, right?'
"No! It isn't stupid to trust people. Maybe you are too trusting,
but don't give up on people completely. That's why I like you."
"It is? How much would you say you liked me?" he asked.
"Don't get a big head or anything. I've seen you trip over your own
feet and land on your butt. Numerous times."
"It's all part of my charm." This time, the light-hearted comment
came easily, without any manipulation on his part.
"Yes, there's nothing more charming than a geek with a poor sense of
balance. So, are you okay?" she asked again.
He hesitated for a split second. "Not completely, but I will be."