Title: Complicated

Author: AAV

Feedback: Please! Alexis2100@hotmail.com

Summary: Romance, especially when you work at the White House, is never easy.

Rating: PG, for slight sexual innuendo and mild language

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it… The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin, the songs featured in the story, not any of it. This is just my humble attempt to create a story I would have liked to seen played out on screen. No infringement was intended.


Chapter 8: Falling

They ate dinner together, Barbara, Sam, Ainsley, and Mrs. Baker, who had kept food warm, waiting for them. The meal was somber but pleasant, the food as excellent as Sam had anticipated. Ainsley had grown quiet again and there was little discussion around the table aside from providing Mrs. Baker with a brief update.

After the meal, Barbara headed off to bed. Sam helped clean up, then turned to Ainsley. "Would you mind if I gave Josh a call?"

"No, not at all," Ainsley said. "I think I'm going to go sit outside for a while."

Sam nodded and pulled out his cell phone and dialed Josh.

"The Lymanator," Josh answered.

"Funny," Sam replied. "And what if I had been the President calling?"

Josh laughed. "I knew you weren't. Caller ID. So, how's the deep south?"

"Ainsley's parent's house is astounding, pre-civil war era, usual Republican paraphernalia."

"So the house is full of statues of elephants."

"Something like that," Sam said. "So how's everything at work?"

"Surviving without you, but barely, of course," Josh's voice hinting at sarcasm.

"It's nice to know you're appreciated."

"How's Ainsley's dad doing?"

Sam sighed. "It was touch and go for a while, but he seems to have gotten over the worse. It sounds like we'll know more tomorrow. He's really sedated right now and they might try to bring him out of it."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Tell Ainsley that Donna and I are thinking about her and wish her father the best," Josh said in a rare moment of sincerity.

"I will. How's Donna?"

"Beautiful. Wonderful. Amazing. But don't tell her I told you that. Sam? Everything else okay?" Josh had noticed that Sam didn't seem to be his usual self, he sounded like something was off, like something was bothering him.

"Yeah, or at least I think it will be. Ainsley and I were having some problems earlier, but I think they're fixed. At least I'm pretty sure that they are."

"Trouble in paradise already? I suggest that you go hunt her down and find out exactly what's going on before it's too late." Sam was the closest thing Josh had to a brother, and being the older of the two, Josh felt somewhat protective of him. And now that Josh had experienced first hand what real love was like, he wanted Sam to have the same.

"You're right. I'm going to go. I'll give you a call tomorrow. I should be getting back in sometime Monday evening."

"Sounds good, Sam. Take care."

Sam hung up the phone, sighed, and went on a search for Ainsley.

~*~*~*~

Sam found Ainsley in the estate's spacious backyard, if you could call the two dozen acres a backyard. She was standing underneath a beech tree about twenty yards from the house. He walked over to her and touched her shoulder lightly, causing her to jump.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Sam said.

"That's okay. I was just daydreaming. I didn't hear you coming."

"What were you thinking about?"

"This tree," Ainsley said smiling. "I remember once when I was about six, I was feeling adventurous and decided to climb this tree. Getting up there wasn't so bad. I climbed up and was enjoying the view when I realized just how high up I was. I started to panic and tried to climb down. I was getting closer to that branch," she said, pointing toward a lower branch, "when I started to slip. My dad was watching me through the window and rushed out. He stood under the tree and told me now to worry, that he was there and he wouldn't let me get hurt. He calmed me down and I found my grip, slowly working my way down until I was safe in his arms. I'll never forget that feeling, of his strong arms holding me tight." Ainsley crossed her arms in front of her, hugging herself. Sam stood behind her and wrapped his own arms around her. She leaned into him, closing her eyes, feeling a strange calm come over her.

Ainsley shivered as she felt Sam's warm breath on her ear, "I'll never let you fall." He wrapped his arms tighter around her. Ainsley laced her fingers through his. It was a beautiful September evening; a gentle breeze filled the air, fragrant with the scent of earth, stars dotting the clear sky. All worries cleared out of Ainsley's mind, her only thoughts of Sam's arms around her and the way he made her feel.

Ainsley turned around in Sam's arms, facing him now. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier, in my bedroom. My attitude was completely unprovoked and undeserved."

"Ainsley, it's okay, I was just worried about you…" Sam began, but Ainsley interrupted.

"Let me explain," she began. "You know about my past history with relationships, particularly my relationship with Eric. When everything with him happened, I swore to myself that I would never let me get hurt again, no matter the cost. I was afraid earlier because… I really care about you and love to be with you and I didn't want to see this turn into something bad." She saw Sam was about to interrupt again, but she stopped him. "I know that you would never hurt me. You weren't the problem, you aren't the problem. The problem is me being too afraid to take any risks. But I'm not so afraid any more." Ainsley smiled as she recalled her conversation with her mother. "I just hope that you're willing to put up with my moods a little while longer."

"Ains," he said, looking deep into her eyes, Ainsley melting under his gaze. "You're a Republican. I expect the moods. I cherish the moods." She smacked him hard on the arm, but there was no malice in it as she broke out into a wide grin.

"Some day," she said seriously, "I'll get you for that."

He kissed her on the temple. "I look forward to it."