Bipartisanship

Author: ScarlettMithruiel

Rating: PG-13

Classification: R [Sam/Ainsley]

Disclaimer: Not mine. Belongs to Aaron Sorkin (the creator), Thomas Schlamme, and John Wells (who is currently causing the avalanche that is West Wing now, but we won't get into that).

Summary: Sam tries to decide whether or not he should go after Ainsley, the presidency, and a shot at happiness.

Author's Note: Again, I hope they're in canon. Here's the third chapter. I hope they're in character. To all reviewers, Thank you! I really am not that good of a writer. These characters are just so dear to me!

Kursk: Thanks for your feedback. About the JoshDonna. I wanted this fic to mainly focus on Sam/Ainsley because I feel they deserve a shot in the fanfic world. I have a fic I'm working on, on the side, that's mainly JoshDonna too.

It was another one of those days. No, he couldn't file it mentally like that. He worked in the White House. How many of "those days" could he have? The answer was not a lot. He was holed up in Toby's office with Toby. He was reviewing the speech. Sam was tired beyond recognition and he couldn't focus. "Sam, you can't embrace a stunning horizon," Toby said. His voice shook Sam out of his daze, and he quickly recovered.

"How about… 'My fellow Americans, as I celebrate this spectacular horizon…'" he suggested. Toby nodded and he changed the sentence. They spent the next three hours in the office. CJ and Josh eventually joined them for a little while, bringing with them, food and laughter. It almost made Sam forget about the burning tension in his shoulders. After the speech was written, ready to be given to the present the following day, they all decided to go out for a drink. Sam, in all of his idealistic views about friendship amongst employees, decided to include Ainsley.

Maybe it wasn't his idealistic view of things. He just wanted to see her. She was one of them now, if only just for a time. He invited her and, with a warm smile, she accepted. She took his arm and they walked up, where the rest were waiting. They went to a bar, and the six of them crushed together in a booth and joked around. He felt the tension start to dissipate. He began to laugh at their familiar antics. When the topic began to wander, he smiled at the conversation.

"So who are you taking to the ball, Josh?" CJ asked.

"He's taking Joey Lucas," Donna instantaneously replied, taking a sip of Josh's beer. He looked at her, and she set the bottle down.

"I don't like Joey Lucas. We've been through this."

"Yes, you do." CJ leaned back in her chair, obviously enjoying the little bantering spat they were having. On bad days, she had to admit it pissed her off; it angered her that they were like this. If they realized they were like what they were like, it would only make her life harder. It would only be questions about why they couldn't. On good days, she realized their dynamic was in their ability to turn their…tension…into a good working relationship.

"If you like Joey Lucas, you should take her," Sam added. Josh glared at Sam, as if he was a traitor to the cause. Josh's cause.

"I don't like Joey Lucas!" he protested.

Donna murmured something, before taking another sip of his beer. "You do, you're just not willing to admit it."

"Yes, because one of your superiorities to me is your ability to mind read," he sarcastically quipped.

"You see? Josh gets very hostile when he doesn't get his way."

"Don't have to tell me twice. He covered my briefing once, remember?" CJ replied.

"I don't get hostile!"

"Shall we bring up the secret plan to fight inflation?" Toby added.

"Now, that's breaking the contract," Josh said. "Need I remind you all that on that night, in the midst of my drunken stupor…"

"Because of your delicate system."

"Whatever. In the midst of our drunken stupors, we all made a verbal contract never to speak of this again."

"Drunken stupors?" Toby repeated, utterly astounded by Josh's use of linguistics.

"What are you going to do? Sue us?" Sam said.

"Sure."

"Okay. You're all lawyers. The point of suing each other is—well, there is no point. So we shall continue as if the breach of contract occurred, all right?"

Ainsley, who had finished her drink, listened to them and she felt warm. She felt as if she belonged to them, regardless of her political affiliation. She dared to be different and ordered a mint julep. As she drank it, she remembered it. She remembered the feeling of it slowly sliding down her throat. She sighed a little at the feeling. She quickly drank the rest of it and apologized to them. "I have to go." They all argued in protest. "I've got a pressing appointment tomorrow morning."

Sam offered to at least see her home. As he spoke to her quietly, the others exchanged glances. CJ and Toby especially. They knew all too well what was going on from working with Josh and Donna on the campaign trail. CJ smiled a lazy smile as they all spoke greetings and watched Sam and Ainsley filter out along with other customers.

"Sam, it's okay. I appreciate the gesture, but…"

"The Sisterhood will not revoke your card if you let a guy walk you home." She chuckled. "CJ is the biggest advocate of the Sisterhood. She'd fight for you." He smiled. He followed her, as they walked several blocks. "Wow, you live far, huh?"

"Not that far." Within minutes, they arrived at the stoop of her apartment building.

They stood on her stoop, enveloped and encompassed by the awkward silence they were so familiar with. He leaned in and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. After he pulled apart, she covered the remaining space between them, linked her hands behind his neck, and leaned in for another kiss. This kiss was longer and she felt sublime. "Can I ask you something?" he began, reveling in the feeling of her fingers running through his hair.

"What?"

"Do you want to go to the Inaugral Ball with me?" He grinned, trying his best to be suave, and she giggled at his attempt. He was so cute. She nodded and gave him a soft, lingering kiss.

"Good night." She entered her building, leaving him standing there. He recalled her warmth from a few seconds before and headed towards his own apartment building.