PART THREE
2005, California
In January, Governor Adams once asked Sam to join him in his office. His Lieutenant Governor, Michael Sands, was present too, and Sam assumed they were going to talk about the strategy for the next campaign. They still had plenty of time, but you could never start strategizing soon enough, Sam thought. His days with Bartlet had taught him that much.
"Have a seat," the governor said, and the three of them stayed silent a moment. Sands finally spoke up, as Sam was beginning to wonder what was wrong.
"Sam, in a few days, I'm going to announce my candidacy for the presidency."
Sam stared at him, dumbfounded. "Sir?" he asked.
"Sam, I don't like Hoynes. It's no secret. He's going to run, and hopefully win. I want to make sure he'll run a good campaign. I want to make his life difficult. I..."
He gestured vaguely, and Sam recalled the reasons why Jed Bartlet had run in the first place. He didn't know if Sands was aware of what Bartlet had been expecting of his campaign, and if he wasn't, it wasn't Sam's place to fill him in, but in a way, he thought it was fitting that someone would try and keep Hoynes on his toes.
He nodded to show Sands that he understood and turned to the governor. "So I guess we have to find someone who'll - "
"Sam, there's something else you need to know," the governor said. Sam felt a lump form in his stomach. That didn't sound good at all. He looked his boss carefully. He had aged in the past few months, it had been a point the press had raised a few times. All his hair had turned grey in a few months time, and the wrinkles around his eyes were more visible than they had been when the two of them had met. Other than that, he was still as energetic as he had been when they had first met, and still as loud when making an argument.
"Governor?"
"I'm not going to run again. I planned to, I really did, but... the press has been on my back for months now about my health, and they're not entirely wrong. I still have two years, but I think it's time to let the younger generation take over. And I'll add that the party agrees with me."
Sam took a moment to digest all that. He knew that the governor didn't like the idea that he wasn't at top form anymore, that he would now have to take it easier, but he could understand his reasons.
On the other hand, it seemed like he would be updating his resume sooner than he had expected.
Then he realized the implications of what had just been said.
"You already talked to the DNC?" he asked, and the governor nodded, then shot a quick glance at Sands.
"They've agreed to let me talk to you first. Sam, we'd want you to run."
Sam stared at him.
Run?
For governor?
"Sir, I've never..." He trailed off, not wanting to point out the obvious.
Campaign?
For himself, instead of someone else?
"Sam, everyone has to have a first time," the Governor said. "I'm sure you'll do great."
Good, because he wasn't so sure.
Him, running for...
No way.
Unless...
After all, it wasn't as if he had never thought about it. Hell, how many times had he considered what he would do if he ever had the chance to be elected - what kind of chances he would take, what kind of concessions he would be willing, or unwilling, to make.
Yes, he had wondered what kind of leader he would be.
But that had been theory, and he had never seriously considered doing it.
"I don't know," he said, and the governor nodded.
"I'd be worried if you did," he smiled. "Take the time to think, talk to your wife. Consider your options. Just don't take too much time. As you pointed out, you've never run before. We would have to start campaigning for you pretty soon."
Sam nodded, and said goodbye to the two men, then left the office, so lost in his thoughts he barely heard his assistant tell him goodbye.
**********
Much later that night, he was in bed with Ainsley. The two of them were deep into speculation, about an eventual campaign, about worst case scenarios, about chances, and how their decision would affect their lives, either way.
When the phone rang, Sam picked it up absentmindedly.
"Yes?"
"Hey, it's Josh. You'll never believe what just happened here!"
"Hey, Josh," he said, not listening. "I'm considering running for governor, how is that? In fact, I'm wondering..." he trailed off, and hung up on his friend. Ainsley looked askance at him, and he stared back at her blankly.
"Who was it and what did he want?" she asked.
"Josh. And... I didn't let him..."
Realizing what he had done, he grimaced, and picked up the phone again, dialing his friend's number.
"I'm sorry," he said as soon as Josh had picked up. "You were saying?"
"I met someone. Stacy. Whatever. Governor?"
"Yeah. I'm... thinking."
"Okay," Josh said, and the two of them began to talk. After a while, Sam put him on speaker so Ainsley could participate. Then Josh called in CJ and Toby, and the five of them made plans until early morning.
It was when they hung up that Sam realized he had gone from 'what would I do if I was the governor?' to 'what do I need to do to become the next governor?'
He got back to the office with dark circles under his eyes, and an answer for the Adams.
**********
As they had promised, the governor and his lieutenant put Sam on the front of the scene, emphasizing his importance to the administration, his input in the big decisions, his knowledge of the office, and of the country. No one made a big deal out of it, and they were discreet in their maneuvers, but after a few months, it had become obvious what they were trying to do. By that time, it was time for the candidates to announce that they were going to run, and after many reunions of planning and strategizing with the rest of the staff, who had been enrolled in the campaign's preparation, Sam made his announcement. The reaction they got was what they expected - no one laughed outright, but many people, democrats and republicans alike, decided to wait and see what Sam would be like in his campaign.
He could live with that.
"They're going to bring up the call girl thing," Colleen told him once, during yet another strategy meeting.
"And the fact that he was a staffer for President Bartlet," Peter added.
"And about that - "
Sam rose abruptly. "Could you please refrain from talking about me as if I wasn't in the room?" he asked, and all conversations stopped, all eyes trained on him, everyone waiting for someone to say something.
"I'm sorry, I - " Peter began.
Sam didn't let him finish. "Look, I know you're all eager to help, and thanks for the extra hours you're all putting in, but seriously, my name is Sam. Not 'him', okay?"
He had kept silent for too long on this, and now he had had it. They had worked together for years now, he wasn't going to let them treat him as yet another candidate. They were friends, not mere colleagues.
There were nods of agreement all around the room, and he left, avoiding looking at them. Colleen followed him to his office.
"They're trying to get their footing here, Sam."
"I know," he said, sighing and sitting carefully in his chair. Trying not to grimace at the stiffness in his leg.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
It did, yes. Oh yes... He tended to be harsh with his colleagues when he was in pain, and Colleen had been the first one to notice that trend. They cut him some slack because of that, and he was grateful, but he didn't like blowing up at them because of his problems.
It wasn't the only reason for his bad mood, though. "I'm just... a little freaked. I'm not used to being in the spotlight."
"I know."
"And with Toby and CJ and, God, Josh, breathing down my neck with advice, I'm not sure..."
"Who to listen to?" she guessed.
"Something like that." He let a few seconds pass, and when she didn't say anything, he asked, "What do you think?"
She looked surprised at the question, and he motioned for her to sit down. He hadn't realized his tendency to turn to her for advice at first. It was Ainsley who had made him that remark one night, and in hindsight, he had had to admit that she was right. He liked Colleen. She was commanding, she was cool headed, she was practical, and she had been the one to keep him focused on the task in the past two years. They made a good team, the governor had told them so several times. He was an idealist who was learning how to live in the real world, she was a cynic who was discovering her own ideals. The perfect match, Adams had joked once, and Sam realized now that the older man had been more right than he had thought.
He relied on her a lot already, and he thought now was as good a time as any to say it out loud and have it in the open.
She thought for a minute, then carefully said, "I think you should hire one campaign team, and stick with them. If you don't, the message you're trying to send will come as less clear, more... I don't know, incoherent."
He had already thought about that, too. But he was reluctant to tell his friends to mind their own business.
"Sam, I know you love them dearly, but they live in Washington, and if I'm not mistaken, they're going to rally behind Hoynes so Ritchie doesn't get elected. They'll have their hands full already. They don't live here, we all do, we know the state, we... I don't know how to put this... 'feel' it, I guess. Besides, they haven't seen you at work in years. We know you, we know your style, what you want, what you're trying to say. If you want their input, fine, if you want to run some things by them, fine, but don't take two teams on board."
"That was - "
"I'm sorry," she said, suddenly afraid that she had said too much.
"Eloquent," he finished, and she relaxed. "I had already considered some of that. I think you're right. They're not going to like it, but you're right, of course."
"I am?" she asked.
He smiled, and decided to ask now. "Colleen, Ainsley recently pointed out that I'm relying on you for an increasing number of problems - not just for the job, but for the campaign as well. You're all here as the governor's team. He's the one who hired you, he's the one you're loyal to. I can't thank you guys enough for all the work you've put into this, but we're soon going to have to talk about definite positions. What I'm trying to say is this : will you accept to manage this campaign for me?"
She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and finally said, "Sure, I will. I mean... I wasn't sure you appreciated what I had to say."
"I do. I don't always follow your advice, and I'm sure we'll have more disagreements in the future, but I do appreciate you."
"Okay," she said, smiling.
"Who else will stay?" he asked.
"Who do you want?"
"Peter and Jim, anyway. I'm not sure either of them is ready to work solo yet, but they're good together. Besides, I'll do some speechwriting too along the way. Do you think they'd - "
"They will. Don't worry."
Sam's assistant poked her head through the door. "I'm sorry, but Josh Lyman wants to talk to you," she said, and he rolled his eyes.
He was going to have this conversation now, then. He was sure Josh's first question would be about the campaign - how was it going, what was the next thing on the agenda, and was he sure he knew what his opponent was up to?
Colleen got to her feet and he extended his hand to her. She took it, and they looked at each other solemnly, sealing the future of their team.
He then picked up the phone, and Josh's voice greeted him. "She dumped me! And what the hell were you doing, attacking business like that?"
**********
2006, Manchester
"I would have done good work," Josh insisted.
Donna smacked him on the head.
"Hey, what was that for?" he complained.
"For being an idiot," she answered plainly, and everyone laughed.
Donna had finally arrived, apologizing that her mother had refused to let go of her until late last night, which had caused her to miss her flight. Ainsley had been happy to see her - they hadn't met since Sam was in the hospital. She had been a big help that week end, reassuring her, assuring her that everything would be all right, that Sam was going to be fine, and keeping Josh from hovering too much.
"I'm just saying, Sam could have - "
"You were busy with Hoynes, and I had all the help I needed there, Josh," Sam said in his best long-suffering tone. They had had that discussion over the phone already.
Several times.
"Your opponent scored points with the call-girl thing."
"And your being there would have changed that how?" Sam asked.
"I..." Everyone looked at Josh expectantly, and he shrugged. "I would have kicked his ass."
"Thanks a lot, but I do my own kicking of asses now," Sam said firmly.
Ainsley smiled. For all his banter, he really had grown, away from Washington.
She had wondered once or twice whether it had been a good idea for him to leave when he had. She had been afraid that he would have second thoughts, that he would forever wonder how things would have turned out if he had stayed with the President. She could see now that it had been good for him. He didn't dwell on the past, she knew. It was one thing she appreciated about him, his ability to move on.
He had grown up. He had become more confident, away from the senior staff. He had had to prove himself to the Governor and to a team of strangers during Adams' campaign, and he had risen to the challenge.
And in his own campaign, he had become his own man. He already was before the campaign, actually, but he didn't realize it then. She had noticed how annoyed he was when he had a phone call from one of the Washington staff, asking him what the hell he was thinking to have said this, or done that. Most of the time, when he made mistake, he realized it by himself - or Ainsley pointed it out to him.
"I guess so," Josh said, clearly unhappy.
Leo growled, "For Christ's sake, you look like a boy who's been denied a new toy. You had Hoynes' campaign to play with, remember?"
"Yeah."
"And if you had been in California, when would you have asked Donna to marry you?" CJ asked.
Everyone chuckled.
It was only when Donna had arrived that Ainsley had heard about The Proposal, Lyman-style.
The staff had been gathered in the Communications bullpen, watching Hoynes lose state after state, eating cake, and trying to pretend it all wasn't going to end. As the anchor was announcing that Hoynes had lost New Hampshire, "I had an epiphany," Josh said. "I was looking at Donna, who was staring at the screen, looking like her cat had died, and suddenly, it dawned on me. She was the woman of my life."
"Took you long enough to reach that conclusion," Sam laughed. "You were only eight years behind the rest of us."
"Yeah, well, anyway, I looked at her some more, and then I, hum..."
"Then," Toby smirked, "he just shouted at her, 'Hey, Donna, do you want to marry me?' in the bullpen."
"A long silence followed," CJ picked up the story. "I mean, talk about coming out of the blue."
"And then," Leo added, "Donna raised an eyebrow, looked at him and said, 'Well, sure, Joshua. Just ask me again tomorrow, so I can be sure it's not adrenaline speaking.'"
"It was a great moment," Josh protested.
"Whatever you say, Joshua," Abbey concluded, as the rest of them chuckled.
************
November 2006, California
When the election was called for Sam, there was an explosion of cheers, laughs, and popping champagne corks in the campaign's headquarters.
For a few minutes, Sam and Ainsley were hugged by as many members of the staff as possible, Sam took the concession call from his opponent, then they had to answer a few questions for the journalists. They smiled, they waved, and Sam looked for a phone so he could call Toby. Josh was his friend, but Toby was always the one he sought the approval of. Ainsley suspected that it would never change - he worshipped Toby, even now that he knew that his hero was flawed, like the rest of them. He'd always try to make his former boss proud, she knew.
She saw the uncertainty on his face as he talked to Toby, his shy smile, becoming bigger when he listened to the answer.
Then he had to hang up for the noise was too loud to carry on a conversation, and he reached Ainsley's side. "He says congratulations to both of us from everyone. He also says he'll call back tomorrow, when there'll be less noise."
"Okay."
Colleen approached them. "Hey, wanna party?" she asked, obviously on a major adrenaline high.
They looked at each other. This was going to be their last chance for a while, and the campaign hadn't been easy. The press had happily dug the Laurie story, then they had pointed out that Ainsley was two months pregnant when the two had gotten married, then that President Bartlet had lied to the country back when Sam was working for him.
It had been a hard fight, and they deserved to have some fun.
"Sure," Ainsley smiled. "Is there food somewhere?"
Sam watched her go, smiling.
They had won.
He still couldn't believe it.
He didn't doubt that there would be hard times ahead, and mistakes made, and unfortunate words in front of reporters, but for now, he guessed he could indulge in some fun.
Joining Ainsley, he grabbed a drink, and they toasted. "To the future," he said.
"To the future," she answered, smiling.
2005, California
In January, Governor Adams once asked Sam to join him in his office. His Lieutenant Governor, Michael Sands, was present too, and Sam assumed they were going to talk about the strategy for the next campaign. They still had plenty of time, but you could never start strategizing soon enough, Sam thought. His days with Bartlet had taught him that much.
"Have a seat," the governor said, and the three of them stayed silent a moment. Sands finally spoke up, as Sam was beginning to wonder what was wrong.
"Sam, in a few days, I'm going to announce my candidacy for the presidency."
Sam stared at him, dumbfounded. "Sir?" he asked.
"Sam, I don't like Hoynes. It's no secret. He's going to run, and hopefully win. I want to make sure he'll run a good campaign. I want to make his life difficult. I..."
He gestured vaguely, and Sam recalled the reasons why Jed Bartlet had run in the first place. He didn't know if Sands was aware of what Bartlet had been expecting of his campaign, and if he wasn't, it wasn't Sam's place to fill him in, but in a way, he thought it was fitting that someone would try and keep Hoynes on his toes.
He nodded to show Sands that he understood and turned to the governor. "So I guess we have to find someone who'll - "
"Sam, there's something else you need to know," the governor said. Sam felt a lump form in his stomach. That didn't sound good at all. He looked his boss carefully. He had aged in the past few months, it had been a point the press had raised a few times. All his hair had turned grey in a few months time, and the wrinkles around his eyes were more visible than they had been when the two of them had met. Other than that, he was still as energetic as he had been when they had first met, and still as loud when making an argument.
"Governor?"
"I'm not going to run again. I planned to, I really did, but... the press has been on my back for months now about my health, and they're not entirely wrong. I still have two years, but I think it's time to let the younger generation take over. And I'll add that the party agrees with me."
Sam took a moment to digest all that. He knew that the governor didn't like the idea that he wasn't at top form anymore, that he would now have to take it easier, but he could understand his reasons.
On the other hand, it seemed like he would be updating his resume sooner than he had expected.
Then he realized the implications of what had just been said.
"You already talked to the DNC?" he asked, and the governor nodded, then shot a quick glance at Sands.
"They've agreed to let me talk to you first. Sam, we'd want you to run."
Sam stared at him.
Run?
For governor?
"Sir, I've never..." He trailed off, not wanting to point out the obvious.
Campaign?
For himself, instead of someone else?
"Sam, everyone has to have a first time," the Governor said. "I'm sure you'll do great."
Good, because he wasn't so sure.
Him, running for...
No way.
Unless...
After all, it wasn't as if he had never thought about it. Hell, how many times had he considered what he would do if he ever had the chance to be elected - what kind of chances he would take, what kind of concessions he would be willing, or unwilling, to make.
Yes, he had wondered what kind of leader he would be.
But that had been theory, and he had never seriously considered doing it.
"I don't know," he said, and the governor nodded.
"I'd be worried if you did," he smiled. "Take the time to think, talk to your wife. Consider your options. Just don't take too much time. As you pointed out, you've never run before. We would have to start campaigning for you pretty soon."
Sam nodded, and said goodbye to the two men, then left the office, so lost in his thoughts he barely heard his assistant tell him goodbye.
**********
Much later that night, he was in bed with Ainsley. The two of them were deep into speculation, about an eventual campaign, about worst case scenarios, about chances, and how their decision would affect their lives, either way.
When the phone rang, Sam picked it up absentmindedly.
"Yes?"
"Hey, it's Josh. You'll never believe what just happened here!"
"Hey, Josh," he said, not listening. "I'm considering running for governor, how is that? In fact, I'm wondering..." he trailed off, and hung up on his friend. Ainsley looked askance at him, and he stared back at her blankly.
"Who was it and what did he want?" she asked.
"Josh. And... I didn't let him..."
Realizing what he had done, he grimaced, and picked up the phone again, dialing his friend's number.
"I'm sorry," he said as soon as Josh had picked up. "You were saying?"
"I met someone. Stacy. Whatever. Governor?"
"Yeah. I'm... thinking."
"Okay," Josh said, and the two of them began to talk. After a while, Sam put him on speaker so Ainsley could participate. Then Josh called in CJ and Toby, and the five of them made plans until early morning.
It was when they hung up that Sam realized he had gone from 'what would I do if I was the governor?' to 'what do I need to do to become the next governor?'
He got back to the office with dark circles under his eyes, and an answer for the Adams.
**********
As they had promised, the governor and his lieutenant put Sam on the front of the scene, emphasizing his importance to the administration, his input in the big decisions, his knowledge of the office, and of the country. No one made a big deal out of it, and they were discreet in their maneuvers, but after a few months, it had become obvious what they were trying to do. By that time, it was time for the candidates to announce that they were going to run, and after many reunions of planning and strategizing with the rest of the staff, who had been enrolled in the campaign's preparation, Sam made his announcement. The reaction they got was what they expected - no one laughed outright, but many people, democrats and republicans alike, decided to wait and see what Sam would be like in his campaign.
He could live with that.
"They're going to bring up the call girl thing," Colleen told him once, during yet another strategy meeting.
"And the fact that he was a staffer for President Bartlet," Peter added.
"And about that - "
Sam rose abruptly. "Could you please refrain from talking about me as if I wasn't in the room?" he asked, and all conversations stopped, all eyes trained on him, everyone waiting for someone to say something.
"I'm sorry, I - " Peter began.
Sam didn't let him finish. "Look, I know you're all eager to help, and thanks for the extra hours you're all putting in, but seriously, my name is Sam. Not 'him', okay?"
He had kept silent for too long on this, and now he had had it. They had worked together for years now, he wasn't going to let them treat him as yet another candidate. They were friends, not mere colleagues.
There were nods of agreement all around the room, and he left, avoiding looking at them. Colleen followed him to his office.
"They're trying to get their footing here, Sam."
"I know," he said, sighing and sitting carefully in his chair. Trying not to grimace at the stiffness in his leg.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
It did, yes. Oh yes... He tended to be harsh with his colleagues when he was in pain, and Colleen had been the first one to notice that trend. They cut him some slack because of that, and he was grateful, but he didn't like blowing up at them because of his problems.
It wasn't the only reason for his bad mood, though. "I'm just... a little freaked. I'm not used to being in the spotlight."
"I know."
"And with Toby and CJ and, God, Josh, breathing down my neck with advice, I'm not sure..."
"Who to listen to?" she guessed.
"Something like that." He let a few seconds pass, and when she didn't say anything, he asked, "What do you think?"
She looked surprised at the question, and he motioned for her to sit down. He hadn't realized his tendency to turn to her for advice at first. It was Ainsley who had made him that remark one night, and in hindsight, he had had to admit that she was right. He liked Colleen. She was commanding, she was cool headed, she was practical, and she had been the one to keep him focused on the task in the past two years. They made a good team, the governor had told them so several times. He was an idealist who was learning how to live in the real world, she was a cynic who was discovering her own ideals. The perfect match, Adams had joked once, and Sam realized now that the older man had been more right than he had thought.
He relied on her a lot already, and he thought now was as good a time as any to say it out loud and have it in the open.
She thought for a minute, then carefully said, "I think you should hire one campaign team, and stick with them. If you don't, the message you're trying to send will come as less clear, more... I don't know, incoherent."
He had already thought about that, too. But he was reluctant to tell his friends to mind their own business.
"Sam, I know you love them dearly, but they live in Washington, and if I'm not mistaken, they're going to rally behind Hoynes so Ritchie doesn't get elected. They'll have their hands full already. They don't live here, we all do, we know the state, we... I don't know how to put this... 'feel' it, I guess. Besides, they haven't seen you at work in years. We know you, we know your style, what you want, what you're trying to say. If you want their input, fine, if you want to run some things by them, fine, but don't take two teams on board."
"That was - "
"I'm sorry," she said, suddenly afraid that she had said too much.
"Eloquent," he finished, and she relaxed. "I had already considered some of that. I think you're right. They're not going to like it, but you're right, of course."
"I am?" she asked.
He smiled, and decided to ask now. "Colleen, Ainsley recently pointed out that I'm relying on you for an increasing number of problems - not just for the job, but for the campaign as well. You're all here as the governor's team. He's the one who hired you, he's the one you're loyal to. I can't thank you guys enough for all the work you've put into this, but we're soon going to have to talk about definite positions. What I'm trying to say is this : will you accept to manage this campaign for me?"
She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and finally said, "Sure, I will. I mean... I wasn't sure you appreciated what I had to say."
"I do. I don't always follow your advice, and I'm sure we'll have more disagreements in the future, but I do appreciate you."
"Okay," she said, smiling.
"Who else will stay?" he asked.
"Who do you want?"
"Peter and Jim, anyway. I'm not sure either of them is ready to work solo yet, but they're good together. Besides, I'll do some speechwriting too along the way. Do you think they'd - "
"They will. Don't worry."
Sam's assistant poked her head through the door. "I'm sorry, but Josh Lyman wants to talk to you," she said, and he rolled his eyes.
He was going to have this conversation now, then. He was sure Josh's first question would be about the campaign - how was it going, what was the next thing on the agenda, and was he sure he knew what his opponent was up to?
Colleen got to her feet and he extended his hand to her. She took it, and they looked at each other solemnly, sealing the future of their team.
He then picked up the phone, and Josh's voice greeted him. "She dumped me! And what the hell were you doing, attacking business like that?"
**********
2006, Manchester
"I would have done good work," Josh insisted.
Donna smacked him on the head.
"Hey, what was that for?" he complained.
"For being an idiot," she answered plainly, and everyone laughed.
Donna had finally arrived, apologizing that her mother had refused to let go of her until late last night, which had caused her to miss her flight. Ainsley had been happy to see her - they hadn't met since Sam was in the hospital. She had been a big help that week end, reassuring her, assuring her that everything would be all right, that Sam was going to be fine, and keeping Josh from hovering too much.
"I'm just saying, Sam could have - "
"You were busy with Hoynes, and I had all the help I needed there, Josh," Sam said in his best long-suffering tone. They had had that discussion over the phone already.
Several times.
"Your opponent scored points with the call-girl thing."
"And your being there would have changed that how?" Sam asked.
"I..." Everyone looked at Josh expectantly, and he shrugged. "I would have kicked his ass."
"Thanks a lot, but I do my own kicking of asses now," Sam said firmly.
Ainsley smiled. For all his banter, he really had grown, away from Washington.
She had wondered once or twice whether it had been a good idea for him to leave when he had. She had been afraid that he would have second thoughts, that he would forever wonder how things would have turned out if he had stayed with the President. She could see now that it had been good for him. He didn't dwell on the past, she knew. It was one thing she appreciated about him, his ability to move on.
He had grown up. He had become more confident, away from the senior staff. He had had to prove himself to the Governor and to a team of strangers during Adams' campaign, and he had risen to the challenge.
And in his own campaign, he had become his own man. He already was before the campaign, actually, but he didn't realize it then. She had noticed how annoyed he was when he had a phone call from one of the Washington staff, asking him what the hell he was thinking to have said this, or done that. Most of the time, when he made mistake, he realized it by himself - or Ainsley pointed it out to him.
"I guess so," Josh said, clearly unhappy.
Leo growled, "For Christ's sake, you look like a boy who's been denied a new toy. You had Hoynes' campaign to play with, remember?"
"Yeah."
"And if you had been in California, when would you have asked Donna to marry you?" CJ asked.
Everyone chuckled.
It was only when Donna had arrived that Ainsley had heard about The Proposal, Lyman-style.
The staff had been gathered in the Communications bullpen, watching Hoynes lose state after state, eating cake, and trying to pretend it all wasn't going to end. As the anchor was announcing that Hoynes had lost New Hampshire, "I had an epiphany," Josh said. "I was looking at Donna, who was staring at the screen, looking like her cat had died, and suddenly, it dawned on me. She was the woman of my life."
"Took you long enough to reach that conclusion," Sam laughed. "You were only eight years behind the rest of us."
"Yeah, well, anyway, I looked at her some more, and then I, hum..."
"Then," Toby smirked, "he just shouted at her, 'Hey, Donna, do you want to marry me?' in the bullpen."
"A long silence followed," CJ picked up the story. "I mean, talk about coming out of the blue."
"And then," Leo added, "Donna raised an eyebrow, looked at him and said, 'Well, sure, Joshua. Just ask me again tomorrow, so I can be sure it's not adrenaline speaking.'"
"It was a great moment," Josh protested.
"Whatever you say, Joshua," Abbey concluded, as the rest of them chuckled.
************
November 2006, California
When the election was called for Sam, there was an explosion of cheers, laughs, and popping champagne corks in the campaign's headquarters.
For a few minutes, Sam and Ainsley were hugged by as many members of the staff as possible, Sam took the concession call from his opponent, then they had to answer a few questions for the journalists. They smiled, they waved, and Sam looked for a phone so he could call Toby. Josh was his friend, but Toby was always the one he sought the approval of. Ainsley suspected that it would never change - he worshipped Toby, even now that he knew that his hero was flawed, like the rest of them. He'd always try to make his former boss proud, she knew.
She saw the uncertainty on his face as he talked to Toby, his shy smile, becoming bigger when he listened to the answer.
Then he had to hang up for the noise was too loud to carry on a conversation, and he reached Ainsley's side. "He says congratulations to both of us from everyone. He also says he'll call back tomorrow, when there'll be less noise."
"Okay."
Colleen approached them. "Hey, wanna party?" she asked, obviously on a major adrenaline high.
They looked at each other. This was going to be their last chance for a while, and the campaign hadn't been easy. The press had happily dug the Laurie story, then they had pointed out that Ainsley was two months pregnant when the two had gotten married, then that President Bartlet had lied to the country back when Sam was working for him.
It had been a hard fight, and they deserved to have some fun.
"Sure," Ainsley smiled. "Is there food somewhere?"
Sam watched her go, smiling.
They had won.
He still couldn't believe it.
He didn't doubt that there would be hard times ahead, and mistakes made, and unfortunate words in front of reporters, but for now, he guessed he could indulge in some fun.
Joining Ainsley, he grabbed a drink, and they toasted. "To the future," he said.
"To the future," she answered, smiling.