Sam looked at the newborn baby in the window. On the card in front of the baby girl with a dollop of red hair was the name: Emma Jean Cregg Concannon. Sam put his hands in his pocket and looked at the child of his good friend in awe.
"Pretty cute huh?" Sam heard Josh's voice and was very surprised to see him
"Josh?"
"But then what can we expect from CJ, right?"
"Josh? What you are doing here?" Sam said as he hugged his friend. "How?"
"I took the red eye...Man, that baby's cute. You really think Danny is the father?" Josh joked looking at the child.
"Josh?"
"I called back and Cathy told me what happened."
"So, you flew out?"
"I couldn't leave it like that. I needed to talk her in person."
"Brave guy."
"Yeah, well I figure she can't hurt me if there's a baby between us."
"Good call."
"Yeah, I thought so."
"How were you able to get away?" Sam asked his friend as the nurse took baby Emma to her parents.
Josh looked down and around before looking at his friend. "I'm no longer the Chief of Staff."
"What? He fired you?!"
"No, I quit."
"You quit? Why? Problems with Russell?"
"No... You know at first I thought it was me. It was too much for me....the job----but now....I mean it was me....but not in the way I thought....you guys weren't there."
"I haven't been there for a while, Josh."
"No, you know what I mean, half the fun was being there going at the other guy...side by side with your---- friends."
"Yeah."
"It wasn't the same."
"So, what ya gonna do now?"
"I don't know." He looked over at his friend. "I thought I'd come work for you?"
"For me?"
"You running again?"
"I might?"
"You should."
"Want to be my campaign manger?" He smiled. "As long as you don't screw it up?"
"Yeah, well that last campaign I worked on didn't do so well" Josh said with his usual sarcasm. The two friends smiled at each other for a moment. "She taking visitors?"
"Yeah, she's with Danny." Sam gestured to the room behind him.
"I should go do this."
"Good luck." Josh started to go, but Sam stopped him. "I'd keep her away from any sharp objects. Anything that could fly through the air at great velocity."
Josh walked into the room blocking himself with a teddy bear as big as he went. He moved the bear away from his face to see Danny and CJ sitting on the bed. CJ was holding the newborn baby Emma and Danny was sitting on the side of her with one leg on the floor. They looked at Josh at the door.
"I bring a piece offering," Josh said as he set the bear on his side.
"Hey, Josh." Danny stood up.
"Hey, Danny." He looked at CJ a little scared. "How's it hangin' Claudia Jean?"
"Josh." She said plainly giving Josh no idea what her mood was.
"I'll leave you too alone." Danny kissed his wife and his newborn baby before carassing Emma's forehead and heading for the door. All the while. CJ looked at her husband with sweet awe and affection.
"Danny." Josh tried to speak as Danny hit the doorway.
"It's ok. Josh."
"I'm really sorry."
"I know. It's ok." He paused. "You can make it up to me by paying for my kid's college education."
"Ha."
"No, I'm serious." Danny left the room. He really wasn't serious.
Josh looked over at CJ.
"Nice bear." CJ told him with a half smile.
"You don't think it's too big?" He placed the bear on a chair next to the door.
"A little."
"I figured she'd grow into it."
"Yeah, when she's 42."
"Listen, CJ."
"It's ok Josh. I'm not mad anymore." She looked down at her small child lovingly
"You're not?"
"I realized there are more important things to worry about."
"Yeah." Josh smiled at the baby.
"It doesn't mean it wasn't stupid, but I'm not mad."
The three of them shared a moment. "So." Josh began again, starting a long circle of the bed to CJ's left side.
"Emma Jean, huh?"
"It's a family name?" She defended it to Josh.
"EJ doesn't exactly roll of the tongue."
"We're calling her Emma. My father always called me Claudia." She still felt the need to defend herself to the "boys club" in her life.
"I'm just saying."
"Danny wanted to name her Lola?" CJ told Josh as if to show him her name was better.
"Lola's a strippers name?"
"That's what I said."
"How about Gail?"
"Gail?"
"Yeah, Gail. I mean it has sentimental value for your guys..."
"Are you really suggesting I should name my daughter after a fish?"
"Well, when you put it that way." Josh had finally made it over to CJ's left and looked down lovingly at his friend's child.
"I can't believe this thing came outta you?"
"You can't?" CJ laughed looking at her daughter.
Josh leaned down and kissed Emma on her forward.
"Welcome to the world, Emma. You got a great mom."
"You really are sweet sometimes." She spoke a sentiment she said to Josh from time to time.
"Yeah, well."
"Danny told me you quit your job."
"He did?" Josh than realized it. "They leaked it already."
"Yeah."
"I'm gonna work for Sam, you want to come alone?"
"With re-election?"
"Yeah." Josh spoke softly and with sweet passion.
"Sure." They shared a moment while a nurse entered the room.
"Mrs. Concannon. It's time for the baby's feeding."
"Oh. Ok." CJ told the nurse. Josh didn't move. "Josh? "She looked over at her.
"Oh, I should leave?"
"Yes."
"I can't stay well.....oh-ohh" Josh laughed in his embarrassment. "You mean I can't stay?" Josh smirked now that he got it.
"Get out Josh!"
"Ok, OK. I'm leaving."
Sam sat disheveled and tired in one of the most comfortable of hospital seats. He had just sat down for a moment when he opened his eyes to notice he had maybe been there longer than he thought. He rubbed his eyes to adjust to being awake again, when he saw her. Form the back, but it was unmistakable who it was. Her red hair shone in the harsh hospital lighting.
"Mallory?" he asked grabbing hold of his suit jacket and walking toward her in his still sleepy trance.
"Which one's CJ and Danny's?" Mallory asked holding her hand to the window.
"She's in with CJ? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you."
"Didn't Cathy get in touch with you?"
"She did. I took the flight anyway."
"Why?"
"This was very sweet of you. I know how much you were looking forward to this."
"You didn't have to come. It only gives us a day."
"I wanted to come."
"Oh." Sam was happy about that.
"I guess I'm going to be around one of theses sometime soon."
"Wait? You're not...I mean we haven't even."
"No, Sam. Not me. My father."
"Leo?"
"Yes"
"And Jordan..."
"But she's like..."
"Forty eight."
"Wow. I mean wow. Go Leo." He noticed Mallory crying. "Or not."
"No. It's ok. I'm happy for him. It's just."
"You're his little girl?"
"Crazy right?"
"No. Not at all. You're an only child and then this comes along. It's gonna spook you a little." He put his hands on Mallory's shoulders
"Sam. I'm sick of all theses games. I want a family. I want to be married this time and have it work---I want us to be together."
"Oh. Ok."
"You and me. No games."
"So, we're a couple now."
"Yes."
"So sex will be involved this time?"
"I hope so." Mallory leaned toward Sam and gave him a kiss.
"Sounds good to me." He smiled back.
"I'll be right back. I need to make a phone call." Mallory walked away and Sam watched her do so.
Josh approached.
"What's going on?" Josh asked.
"I think I'm engaged?"
"You're not sure?"
"No, not really?" He thought for a moment. "Things go good for you with CJ?"
"Yeah." Josh smiled with a breath. "She's gonna come work for us."
"Great." Sam commented.
Josh walked forward as baby Emma was brought back to the nursery.
"Can you believe one of us has one of these?"
"Well, one of us has had one of these, well, two of theses before."
"Yeah, but this is Danny and CJ. Makes you feel old. Huh."
"I think it makes me want to make the world a better place."
"Yeah, that too." Josh smiled at his friend. "When do we start?"
"When we get there he has to sign both releases-- do they know that??" CJ asked Carol as they walked down the halls of Sam's office.
"Yeah."
"CJ." A women yelled from CJ's left, holding a phone to her shoulder. "Danny wants to know which bottle is the baby's formula?"
"Tell him it's the blue one."
Josh walked out of his office.
"I need those numbers people!" He yelled. "Donna, I need those numbers?"
"Does it look like I have the polling numbers?"
"How does one look like they have numbers?"
"If I had the numbers I'd tell you, Josh."
"I need those numbers, Josh!" CJ howled as she passed Josh.
"I'm working on it!" He disappeared.
"If I don't have those numbers in thirty minutes I'm making them up and blaming you." By this time, Carol was no longer walking with CJ. A man walked up to CJ and handed her a paper.
"Here's that wire story."
"Thanks." She walked into Sam's office.
"Hey, CJ." Sam looked up from his writing.
"Got a copy of that wire article for you."
"Great." Sam took it as he put his glasses on to see it. CJ sat herself down on Sam's couch with a plop.
"We should be getting those numbers soon." Josh walked in followed by Donna. He sat himself down in a relaxed way.
There was an awkward pause as the group wondered why they were there.
"Why are we all here?" Sam asked, placing his glasses down on his desk.
"We're supposed to have a meeting?" Josh answered.
"Yeah," CJ looked up from her notes knowing this was true.
"But the meeting was supposed to be about the polling numbers?"
CJ laughed.
"Let's go drinking." The gang grimmaced and let out their out cries on the idea.
Donna entered not knowing what was going on.
"What?"
"Josh wants to go drinking?"
"Are the numbers that bad?" Donna asked.
"We don't have the numbers yet?" Sam told her.
"I just thought we could spend some time together. Unwind." Josh answered.
"Drinking?!" Donna knew it was a bad idea.
"Donna's right there, Josh?" Sam agreed
"I could drink any of you under the table." Josh was always in denial.
"I think the only one under the table would be you, Josh." CJ smirked.
"Hey!" Josh hated jokes about his drinking.
"He has a delicate system." Donna said with a worry.
"I do not!" Josh continued.
"I think what Josh is saying is he likes being under the table." Sam joked dryly.
"I don't." Josh was being ignored.
"Then he can look up all the women's skirts." CJ said with her dry sarcasm.
"Well, I can't deny that." Josh smiled his cocky smile and put his hands behind his head.
"Got the numbers." An intern appeared in the doorway, drawing everyone's eyes toward the door.
Josh jumped but, being closest to the door, and took the paper from the boy. Donna, Sam and CJ looked on with anticipation. CJ leaned in from the couch and Sam walked out from behind his desk.
"Oh." Josh's face dropped.
"What? Sam asked as CJ walked over to Josh and took the paper. "That bad?"
"Oh." CJ looked up at Sam and he knew it had to be really bed.
"That bad." Sam spoke. CJ and Josh looked at each other as Sam approached. He took the paper from CJ. "It can't be that." He looked at the paper. "It can be that bad?"
"Well, think of it this way, you're still the only democrat who ever won Orange County," CJ paused. "Now, you'll just be in a bigger club." She smiled to punctuate the fact she meant well.
"You can finally move back to Washington for good." Josh told him.
"Mallory would like that."
"Hey, come on." Donna injected. "Don't be so negative. We could still win this. Look at the come back Sam made from last time. We're still not out of this." During her speech, Josh took the paper from Sam and held it in front of Donna's face. "Oh, dear lord." She said as she saw the numbers. "I'm sorry, it just came out." She said to Sam.
"It's ok." He said to her. "I thought I was going to lose last time, so it's nothing new. Who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised this time."
"That's my guy." Sam put his arm around his buddy and squeezed his shoulder. "Stayin' positive."
"Right on." CJ raised her hand, but the remark still sounded odd coming from her.
1We're not letting you down, we're not giving up. We're staying till the end." Josh paused. "And then we'll drink."
The group groaned and made their way out of Sam's office.
"You know, I do not have a delicate system.." Josh demanded as he followed everyone out.
"Josh, you once started stripping down to your jockey shorts and danced the Macarena because you had half a dose of Dayquil."
"Don't forget the Air Force One incident." Donna remarked.
"Ok, that never happened." He yelled as the group left him. "That didn't happen. My system is not delicate. It's strong, thank you very much!" Everyone in the room was now long gone and Josh watched as a few interns stopped to give him a look.
"Ok, everyone back to work." Josh walked away trying not to look embarrassed. "Carry on."
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