SIX MONTHS LATER:

SAM SEABORN HEADQUARTERS:

California 47th:

"JOSH LYMAN IS A HORSES ASS!" CJ Cregg-Concannon yelled as she kicked open Sam Seaborn's office door. Well, more like pushed opened with the force of a kick. The yelling and bursting in of a nine month pregnant CJ into his office made Sam stand at attention behind his desk.

"CJ." Sam put up his hands to calm her.

"CJ's here." Cathy, Sam's assistant poked her head in.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks." Sam said dryly. Cathy left the room.

"I'm gonna kill him, Sam!"

"He didn't mean it, CJ."

"I'm really gonna kill 'im, Sam! I don't mean this figuratively. I mean I'm going to find a way. And if I can't, I'll pay people to do it for me!"

"CJ."

"How could he do this! How could he be this stupid!"

"You asking me how Josh could be stupid?"

"I'm going to kill him, Sam!"

"You said that."

"And I don't mean that figuratively!"

"You said that too. You do know I'm not him, right? And right now this is only misdirected anger?"

"I'm too mad right now to yell at him--!"

"So, you're taking it out on me."

"You bet!"

"Lucky me." Sam grumbled.

"How could he, Sam? Has he lost all the brain cells left in his brain!" She threw a news paper onto Sam's desk. "To a reporter!?—." She indicated the paper.

"To his credit he didn't know the guy was a reporter."

"He didn't know...he didn't know! This guy's a White House Reporter Sam, not only is he a reporter...he works five feet from Josh's office! Josh is Chief of Staff!"

"Ok, true....But not all of us work in the Communications Office, CJ—"

"SAM!"

"--As far as he knew he was making an off handed comment to a friend....a friend of yours at a friend's party..."

"My engagement party?!"

"Yes....yes....your engagement party...He didn't think he had to be careful..."

"At my engagement party...my engagement party to another White House Reporter. Who did he think was going to be there, Sam, Monkeys!"

"Monkeys is funny. I like how you just inserted a word that wouldn't..."

"Sam---!"

"It just shows your good comic timing."

"Sam!—"

"Ok, it was stupid-----It was colossally stupid. But he didn't mean it out of malice. You know that?! And we all know how Josh can't hold his liquor."

"I'm gonna ring his neck!" CJ took an object off of Sam's desk and threw it against the wall. Sam ducked.

"Ok, throwing things. Not the best game plan." He paused. "That was my mother's by the way."

"And why are you defending him? How do you know what he was thinking! What are you his lawyer?---- "

"Well, I'm his friend...and well.."

"--He called you didn't he?"

"Well."

"He called you before he called me---?!" CJ knew the answer, she really didn't have to ask it.

"Yes," Sam confessed. CJ was disgusted. "For some reason he was afraid to talk to you. For what reason. I have no idea." He said dryly. "He said he was going to call you next. I told him to. He's going to call you." CJ's phone rang. "I bet that's him now." Sam took a breath as if to say, "Thank god."

CJ took her cell phone out and saw Josh's name on the read out.

"DIE!" She yelled into the phone and shut it closed. This made Sam flinch. She placed her hands on Sam's desk and leaned forward. "I'm going to kill him, Sam. And if that doesn't work, I'm going to put arsenic in his coffee, and if that doesn't work I'll pay a very large man name Guido to run him over in his car!"

"Well if all that doesn't kill him---he's not a man... he's Rasputin?"

CJ's phone rang again and again it was Josh. CJ flipped her phone open.

"EAT GLASS!" She slammed the phone.

"Ok." Sam took in the moment and walked around his desk to CJ. "Now, I think maybe it's best for you and the baby if we all just clam down a little."

"Uhh!" CJ took another object off Sam's desk and threw it at him. Sam ducked and watched it hit the wall.

"Also, not a good idea for you----in your condition to be throwing things."

"Why is it bad for me to be throwing things at you, Sam!"

"Well, they could....bounce off of something and -----well,---hit you in the stomach."

"What are the odds of that happening!?" She took a step back from the desk and put her hand on her stomach.

'Well?" Sam realized his thought process was off. "I guess the probability of that actually happening is about...ok, my thought process was a bit flawed in that area."

"Ya, think?!!" CJ took an envelope opener from Sam's desk. Sam quickly took it away from her.

"I think you have to remember that you have a lot of hormones running through your body and....so your emotions might be --a little heightened."

Sam looked for a place to hide the opener. CJ walked around the office and when she wasn't looking Sam stuffed the opening into a drawer.

"Why does everyone keep saying that!?" CJ demanded.

"Again, I can't figure out why...Listen, CJ, I think you're being a little hard on Josh. Let yourself breathe. Go home. Put your feet up."

"He told a White House reporter, "we all knew something more was going on behind closed doors!---"

"Again....he thought he was being funny....and he didn't know.. And well, it wasn't...being funny, that is."

"And this guy writes a book!"

"Ok, that I really think Josh couldn't have known about."

"---There are reporters outside my house, Sam! I can't get to my car without a camera in my face!"

"That is regrettable---"

"Regrettable!?"

"Hey, I'm drawing at straws here.."

Sam's assistant entered the room.

"Josh Lyman on line one."

"Tell him he can k---"CJ yelled, but Sam stopped her.

"Tell him I'll call him back." Sam turned to CJ and then walked toward the door.

"You know I think you're forgetting the fact that Danny and you also knew the kid who wrote the book---"

"Why can't I be mad at them both!"

Sam walked toward the door.

"I think the best thing to do, for everyone, is for you to go home, relax, and then we'll all talk to Josh together. I'll broker a peace agreement, or a Magna Carta of some kind." Sam put his hand on the door and looked back at her. "After all, I am a man of words, and words are the best peace keepers."

"I don't think that's such a good idea right now." CJ answered.

"Of course, it is. I thought of it." Sam joked.

CJ looked at him with her suddenly all too human face. Her shell of anger had disappeared.

"My water just broke." CJ was agog, but not as much as Sam.

"Whoa, what?" Sam looked down and saw the water spot on his carpet. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

"What do we do?"

"You need to take me to the hospital, Sam."

"No, no. I can't do that."

"Sam, don't freak out!" CJ didn't need anyone making her do the same.

"No, I mean I can't. See, Mallory and I have been starting a relationship, mostly from here since it's the intercession----"

"Sam!"

"---And well, she's finally coming to visit and well, we have plans---."

"Sam, I'm having a baby!"

"Can't you take a cab? We could call you an ambulance—"

"Sam!" CJ didn't want to go alone.

"I could call Danny?"

"He won't get here in time!"

"I'm taking you to the hospital?"

"If you don't want me to have this baby in your office, yes, you are!"

"Yeah." Sam took a breath and took her arm. "I'm taking you to the hospital." CJ started to breathe heavily. Sam took her into the outer office. "Cathy, I need you to call Mallory O'Brien and tell her I'm going to have to postpone our meeting."

"Oh my God," Cathy noticed CJ and the reason why he was canceling.

"Yeah.. Cancel my meetings for the day too---"

"Ok." Cathy looked stunned as Sam walked her out. "Good luck, CJ!" Cathy yelled.

CJ was in too much pain to answer her with words. She kept on doing her breathing.

"You know this kid already has really bad timing. Must be a republican."

"You're making jokes!?"

"Sorry, sorry."

CJ squeezed Sam's hand as he took her out the door toward his car.