Title: Friendships
Author: Willow
Summary: Sam and Zoey visit Washington.
Spoilers/Episode: Set in an a/u that starts after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place four weeks after Chapter 3.
Characters: Ensemble, Sam and Zoey.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: JWP, NBC and others own these characters, I'm just borrowing them.

Part IV

Across the table, CJ turned to see who Zoey was watching with a fond expression. It wasn't too much of a surprise to see Josh and Donna helping themselves to each others food, and doing in a way that made it seem the most natural way to eat in a restaurant. "I don't know why you two don't just get one plate between you," she told them.

Josh and Donna hadn't actually realized what they were doing, let alone that someone else had noticed. They looked at each other and grinned self-consciously.

"I can't believe we haven't asked yet," CJ suddenly said to Sam. "How was your interview?"

"Not good," Sam told her.

"Well if you will go for interviews on Friday the 13th," Josh pointed out. "What happened?"

"It would have gone better if the senior partner hadn't known Mr Gage," Sam replied.

"Mr Gage, as in Gage.... whoever?" Josh asked.

"Whitney, Pace," Sam supplied. "Yes. I don't think he was too impressed with the way I left them."

"Ahh," Josh nodded.

"How did you leave?" Zoey asked.

"I sort of walked out in the middle of a meeting, cleared my desk and left."

"Why would you do something like that?" Mallory asked.

"It was Josh's fault," Sam smiled. "He was standing at the window, soaked to the skin I might add, grinning at me. I just had to follow him. He has a terrible poker face."

"What?" CJ asked.

Josh took up the story. "I told him, if I found the real thing in New Hampshire I'd come and get him. I did, so I did," he smiled.

CJ understood now. "Right," she nodded. "So you don't hold out much hope of Mr Gage's friend employing you?"

"Not really," Sam agreed. "But I have an interview on Monday in Hartford, with a firm I fancy working for more, so it doesn't matter."

"If you came back to work here you'd be involved in all the fun," CJ told him.

"From what Josh has said, fun isn't the word I'd use to describe the last few weeks."

"Only 'cos you're not here," CJ smiled.

............................................................................

As the dessert dishes were cleared away and the wine was finished off, everyone looked ready to leave the restaurant. "Where are you going now?" Zoey asked CJ.

"Sam has apparently had a long day and doesn't want to go to a club, so we're going back to Josh's."

"But you're going home," Josh told Zoey.

Zoey gave him a questioning look. "Did you turn into my father?"

"No, but he's scared of your father," CJ smiled.

"I'll come back with you," Charlie told Zoey.

Zoey looked from Charlie to Josh and wished they would both stop feeling guilty about her kidnapping. "One minute," she told them. She went to the next table, because she hadn't been joking when she told her parents that her agents would be at the next table, and spoke to Harry, the head of her detail.

"What's she up to?" Sam asked.

"I dread to think," Charlie replied as Zoey sat back down next to him.

"I'll be in The Residence all weekend," Zoey told Sam, "I'll see you before you go?"

"Yeah, course you will," he replied. "I'm coming to the White House tomorrow. Wouldn't they let you come to Josh's?"

"Yeah, but they'd want to go ahead of us and check the apartment first and there'd be agents outside, it's too messy."

Josh knew that the president, the first lady and Leo would kill him for this, but Zoey looked disappointed and they'd been having a good night. "They can check my apartment," he offered.

"No, I don't want to get you in trouble with my dad and Leo. Anyway, I'd better not push my luck, it's amazing they let me out at all. I'll let Charlie take me home."

..........................................................................

When they stopped outside the East Entrance, Charlie climbed out of the car and walked round to Zoey's side. "Thank you," she smiled as he opened the car door and held out his hand. "I had a really good night."

"Me too," he agreed.

"Come on up."

"No, I should get going, your parents will be waiting for you."

"Charlie," Zoey laughed, "It's not like you don't know them. Come up and have a coffee or something before you go. It's not that late."

"Okay," Charlie agreed. He walked next to Zoey, resisting the urge to hold her hand and listening as she chatted happily about Sam and his new job, about Josh and Donna, about Mallory and her crush on Will. "You think she'll ask him out?" Zoey said.

"Donna or Mallory?" Charlie asked.

"Either," Zoey replied. "Although they'd both have to face Leo if they did," she smiled. "Do you think it's okay for a girl to ask a guy out on a date?"

"It is a leap year."

"That's true." Zoey was thoughtful for a moment. Then she looked sideways at Charlie. "Well in that case, I was wondering whether you'd like to go and see a movie on Sunday night?"

"A movie?" Charlie asked. He seriously doubted her parents would allow it but, just for a few more minutes, he wanted to believe they were a normal couple, that they were the same as millions of other young, single Americans. "Which movie did you have in mind?"

"I'll let you choose, as long as I can choose the snacks."

"So that'll be toffee popcorn and those little kids sweets," Charlie smiled.

"They are not kids' sweets," Zoey protested. "I happen to like marsh mallow. So you want to come?"

"I'd love to." He had to ask though, even though he knew it would spoil the moment. "What about your parents."

"They won't want to come," Zoey smiled.

"You never know with your father," Charlie grinned. "Do you think they'll us go?"

"They let me out tonight didn't they? We're giving the secret service two days notice. They'll let us go, and if they won't there's a cinema right here in the building."

"Very true," Charlie agreed. "But then of course your father would definitely want to come."

Part 5.............