Author's Notes: This is slightly AU, as if Sam had never left to run for
Congress and then disappeared to Mandyville. It's after the Bartlet
administration's second term. I've given Sam a wife named Grace and a son
named Nathaniel (he's not mentioned here, though). There might be more
coming later involving them, but who can say?
Disclaimer: Sam Seaborn and Josh Lyman are very much not mine. This is just for giggles.
Josh Lyman stood in Reagan National Airport, hands in his pockets, looking at the floor. "Are you ready to go back?" he raised his head and looked at his long-time friend.
"I think so." Sam Seaborn answered, resolve on his face and in his voice.
"Grace is settled?" Josh silently wondered to himself why this was so awkward for him.
"Yeah," Sam's speech was clipped. There was certainty. "She went with my mother."
"Good." There was a brief pause, and again, Josh found himself feeling uncomfortable or somehow self-conscious. More than a little irritating to him was that Sam seemed perfectly at-ease, almost like he was waiting for something. "So, when do you start at UCLA?
"Next fall." There was that certainty; it was contentment. "I've got some time." Sam paused, then smiled. "Maybe I'll start my doctorate."
"Yeah." Josh chuckled a little and fell silent, staring back at the checkered tiles once more, envying just a little Sam's surety regarding exactly what was next when Josh himself was so insecure. Just as he was about to speak to bridge the pause, Sam beat him to it.
"Josh?"
Josh's head turned up, and found Sam's gaze intently upon him. "Yeah?"
Sam paused, his blue eyes seemingly going to the depths of his friend's soul. "It's okay to say no to Hoynes."
Josh sighed and gave the smallest of smiles. He should've known it was coming. "I gotta stay."
Sam nodded. He eyes turned down momentarily, but fixed on Josh once again. "Then keep him honest." There was something different in his voice now, almost a plea, but riddled with encouragement and command as well. "Get in the room. Don't let him smack you around on Social Security."
Josh took a deep breath and sighed, conveying that he understood.
"US Airlines flight 157, Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, is now boarding." A tinny voice came over the PA system.
"Hey. That's you." Josh glanced over at one of the large windows, looking at the plane that would take his best friend 3,000 miles away.
"Yeah." Sam sighed the word, and picked up his briefcase.
The two men shuffled slowly toward the gate. "Eight years, buddy. Man am I gonna miss it." Josh clapped a hand on Sam's back and smiled, genuinely, but a little sad at the same time. "We were doing something."
Sam stopped abruptly, just steps before the ticket counter, causing Josh to halt his movement as well. "You carried me here." The younger man's eyes held a look of sincere appreciation that his friend had seen many times.
"Nah." Josh waved his hand in the air, dismissing Sam's comment. "I got you to New Hampshire. You got yourself here. You kept yourself here." Josh stood directly in front of his friend, finally meeting his eyes, willing Sam to be aware of just how valuable he was and the confidence that Josh had in him. "Don't let anyone ever tell you different."
"Thank you." Sam gave a grateful smile. The understanding had always been largely unspoken between the two of them.
"Take care of that family." Josh made the first move, taking a step and hugging his friend. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah." Sam answered, stepping out of the embrace. Somehow they both knew it was more of a good-bye than either wanted to admit.
"Have a good flight." Sam smiled again, and walked to the woman who was scanning tickets. Josh watched as his friend exchanged words with the woman, watched her face light up with a grin, and knew that Sam was working the charm. The older man put his hands in his pockets, looked down at the floor and chuckled to himself. When he brought his head back up, Sam was just about to enter the breezeway. Josh was about to leave as well, but before he could, Sam turned, blue eyes meeting brown for one last good-bye. The younger man smiled again, bringing his free hand to his heart and mouthing a 'thank-you.' With that, he turned, and disappeared around the corner. Josh debated for a moment whether he wanted to stay and watch the plane taxi off the runway, but decided against it. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, tossing them in the air once as he walked away.
Disclaimer: Sam Seaborn and Josh Lyman are very much not mine. This is just for giggles.
Josh Lyman stood in Reagan National Airport, hands in his pockets, looking at the floor. "Are you ready to go back?" he raised his head and looked at his long-time friend.
"I think so." Sam Seaborn answered, resolve on his face and in his voice.
"Grace is settled?" Josh silently wondered to himself why this was so awkward for him.
"Yeah," Sam's speech was clipped. There was certainty. "She went with my mother."
"Good." There was a brief pause, and again, Josh found himself feeling uncomfortable or somehow self-conscious. More than a little irritating to him was that Sam seemed perfectly at-ease, almost like he was waiting for something. "So, when do you start at UCLA?
"Next fall." There was that certainty; it was contentment. "I've got some time." Sam paused, then smiled. "Maybe I'll start my doctorate."
"Yeah." Josh chuckled a little and fell silent, staring back at the checkered tiles once more, envying just a little Sam's surety regarding exactly what was next when Josh himself was so insecure. Just as he was about to speak to bridge the pause, Sam beat him to it.
"Josh?"
Josh's head turned up, and found Sam's gaze intently upon him. "Yeah?"
Sam paused, his blue eyes seemingly going to the depths of his friend's soul. "It's okay to say no to Hoynes."
Josh sighed and gave the smallest of smiles. He should've known it was coming. "I gotta stay."
Sam nodded. He eyes turned down momentarily, but fixed on Josh once again. "Then keep him honest." There was something different in his voice now, almost a plea, but riddled with encouragement and command as well. "Get in the room. Don't let him smack you around on Social Security."
Josh took a deep breath and sighed, conveying that he understood.
"US Airlines flight 157, Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, is now boarding." A tinny voice came over the PA system.
"Hey. That's you." Josh glanced over at one of the large windows, looking at the plane that would take his best friend 3,000 miles away.
"Yeah." Sam sighed the word, and picked up his briefcase.
The two men shuffled slowly toward the gate. "Eight years, buddy. Man am I gonna miss it." Josh clapped a hand on Sam's back and smiled, genuinely, but a little sad at the same time. "We were doing something."
Sam stopped abruptly, just steps before the ticket counter, causing Josh to halt his movement as well. "You carried me here." The younger man's eyes held a look of sincere appreciation that his friend had seen many times.
"Nah." Josh waved his hand in the air, dismissing Sam's comment. "I got you to New Hampshire. You got yourself here. You kept yourself here." Josh stood directly in front of his friend, finally meeting his eyes, willing Sam to be aware of just how valuable he was and the confidence that Josh had in him. "Don't let anyone ever tell you different."
"Thank you." Sam gave a grateful smile. The understanding had always been largely unspoken between the two of them.
"Take care of that family." Josh made the first move, taking a step and hugging his friend. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah." Sam answered, stepping out of the embrace. Somehow they both knew it was more of a good-bye than either wanted to admit.
"Have a good flight." Sam smiled again, and walked to the woman who was scanning tickets. Josh watched as his friend exchanged words with the woman, watched her face light up with a grin, and knew that Sam was working the charm. The older man put his hands in his pockets, looked down at the floor and chuckled to himself. When he brought his head back up, Sam was just about to enter the breezeway. Josh was about to leave as well, but before he could, Sam turned, blue eyes meeting brown for one last good-bye. The younger man smiled again, bringing his free hand to his heart and mouthing a 'thank-you.' With that, he turned, and disappeared around the corner. Josh debated for a moment whether he wanted to stay and watch the plane taxi off the runway, but decided against it. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, tossing them in the air once as he walked away.