"Can you get the fireplace going? I mean, I don't think it's been welded shut or anything."
"You're never going to let that go are you?"
"Honey, you almost burned down the White House. Of course I'm never going to let it go." Ainsley smiled, turning back to the tree in front of her. "You need to put the star on."
"Because you're short right?" Sam said, throwing logs into the fireplace.
"And you won't let me get on a ladder."
"I don't want you falling."
"Sam, there's a greater risk of you falling off the ladder instead of me."
"You're hilarious."
"I know. You need to put some ornaments on the top branches too."
"Yeah. I thought the tree looked kinda bare on top." Sam teased.
"Well, maybe if you'd let me get on a ladder so I could reach, it wouldn't be bare on top." Ainsley said.
"Don't argue with me. I don't want you falling."
"I..."
"...am not going to fall." Sam finished, giving Ainsley a look over his shoulder. "But you don't know that."
"And you don't know that I will."
"I'm just taking precaution."
Ainsley shook her head and sat down on the couch.
"I think it looks nice." she said.
"It does. You did a good job."
"On the half I could reach."
"Don't make a debate out of this."
"You're being overprotective."
"I don't want anything happening to you or the baby."
"You're so sweet you know that?"
"Then why do you argue with me?" Sam asked, turning away from the fireplace.
"Well for one, it's fun and two, you are absolutely insane." Ainsley smiled. "Look, I've been avoiding you all day about something."
"What?"
"Your father called my office this morning."
Sam stayed silent, his eyes boring into Ainsley's.
"He said that he doesn't want you to be forced by me into making him come out here."
"I had no say in the matter."
"I know and I told him that and he said that's even worse, that if you don't want him out here then he won't come."
"Good."
"So I told him you'd call him."
"Ainsley," Sam let out a growl and walked out of the living room. She sat there for a second then followed him into the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his face. "Why the hell would you tell him that?"
"Because I am so sick of this."
"So sick of what?"
"Of you becoming sore anytime someone brings him up!" Ainsley exclaimed. "I've talked to your sister. I've talked to your mother. Sarah's forgiven him. Your mother has moved on. You're the only one that hasn't tried to listen to him!"
"I listened and he said everything that I had thought of. He's a bastard, a goddamn lying bastard Ainsley! He even said it! I don't need to talk to him. I don't need him coming out here and ruining my holiday!"
"Sam, he didn't do anything to you!"
"Why are you taking his side?"
"Because you're not even trying to forgive him!"
"You don't get it!" Sam yelled. "You think that I shouldn't care because he wasn't cheating on me! It was my mother but really, he was! He didn't just lie to her! He lied to me too! If I thought that it was just about my mother, I'd be pissed for a while but he screwed me over too! So stop trying to make me like him again because it's never going to fucking happen!"
They sat in silence for a minute and Ainsley stared down at the floor. Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes then looked at Ainsley.
"Ainse..."
"Forget it."
"No. Honey, I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I think you made your point very clear."
"I didn't mean to yell at you."
"Well you did. Get over it." Ainsley muttered. Sam crossed the kitchen but Ainsley walked out and headed upstairs, then slammed their bedroom door, making Sam wince. He waited a couple of minutes then walked upstairs, stopping at the closed the door.
"Honey, I'm sorry. I honestly did not mean to yell at you. You just..."
"I just piss you off right?" came a muffled reply.
"That's not what I was going to say. I just... I don't see why this pertains to you." Sam said quietly. There was the sound of footsteps, then the door opened.
"Don't see why it pertains to me?" Ainsley repeated. "How about the fact that you're my husband and I hate seeing you like this?"
"So you have to meddle when I've asked you not to time and time again? Just... God, Ainse stay out of it. Don't get in the middle of this. It's between me and my father."
Ainsley nodded as she stared down at the floor.
"Ainse..." Sam tilted her chin up and stared her in the eye, feeling horrible as he saw the tears brimming there. "Honey..."
He pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her shoulder as he rubbed her back.
"I'm a total asshole. I know. I'm sorry." he said.
"No. I should've not done anything." Ainsley said, wiping her eyes. "Don't worry about it."
"I'll call my father."
"I don't care Sam."
"No. I'll call him and at least try to make amends with him so you don't have a nutty."
"I want you to make amends with him because you want to. Not for my sanity."
"Okay then. I will call him to... to call him I guess."
"Okay. I'm tired. I'm going to bed." Ainsley mumbled. Sam nodded and kissed her, his lips lingering on hers.
"I love you."
"Yeah." Ainsley closed the door and Sam sighed, banging his forehead against the wall.
-----------------------TWW------------------
"Ms. Hayes?"
She made a noise to show she was listening as she played with her wedding ring.
"Sam Seaborn is here." her new assistant, Jenna said.
"Jenna, you can call me Ainsley."
"Okay."
"You can let him in."
Jenna nodded and left the room, Sam coming in a few seconds later. He closed the door and looked at Ainsley, who wouldn't look up at him.
"You left early this morning." he said.
"I had some paperwork to do."
"I said I was sorry Ainsley."
"I know."
"Then why the hell are you being so distant?"
"I don't want to step on your toes or anything."
"Oh Christ. Ainse, I said I was being an asshole. I said I was sorry. What else do you want me to do?"
"Nothing." she said. "I just... I feel bad for last night."
"Honey, don't. It was my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't have said anything to begin with."
"No. It's okay."
"I set aside some time today and I'm going to call my father and try and get things straightened out."
"Okay." Ainsley nodded. "Honey, I'm... I'm sorry for how I shunted you last night after you apologized."
"It's okay. I deserved it." Sam said. Ainsley moved out of her chair and crossed the room to Sam, who was standing cautiously by the door. She pulled him into a hug and Sam buried his face in her hair. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"I have a meeting. I just wanted to see you and apologize again for being an idiot."
"Okay." Ainsley laughed, kissing Sam lightly. "I'll see you at lunch."
"Plan on it."