1Sam turned when he heard the patio door slide open, then shut. Ainsley made a face, seeing the cigar in his hand.
"Oh come on. I didn't light it in the house."
"I don't like it at all."
"I don't even smoke them a lot."
"Don't try making it seem like it's a good thing." Ainsley said.
"Okay." Sam put it out in the ashtray on the small table. He was almost done with it anyway. "Why are you out here?"
"It's as silent as a tomb in there and you walked out, leaving me with all of them."
"I'm sorry."
"Besides, dinner is ready."
"I'm coming."
"I don't want to eat dinner."
"You have to eat dinner."
"Not with them I don't." Ainsley muttered. Sam wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest. Christmas had not gone the way they had planned. Everyone had been fairly quiet, no one really talking to anyone. Ainsley wouldn't speak to her mother, who wouldn't speak to her father. Sam wouldn't speak to hisfather, who wasn't speaking with his mother.
"It's almost over. Only a few more hours."
"I want them gone."
"Yeah, I do too."
"Nice way to spend our first Christmas together." Ainsley commented.
"No. Last Christmas we were together."
"I mean as us being married."
"Oh well... we'll have a lot more." Sam said. "Besides, next year, the baby will be here and he or she will be..."
"Six months old. Not really the ideal age to open presents. She won't make it past the first few gifts."
"Well, we'll worry about that next year."
"Right. Let's just worry about making it through dinner." Ainsley said. Sam nodded and kissed her. They walked back into their home together, making most of their guests snap to attention. Elizabeth came out of the kitchen and frowned at her son.
"Were you smoking?"
"It was a cigar." he shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't care what it was. You shouldn't be smoking." Elizabeth scolded. Sam lowered his eyes to the ground, feeling his face turn bright red. Ainsley grinned and walked over to the door as she heard the doorbell rang. She opened it and smiled, seeing Danny Concannon and Leo arguing on the porch.
"Are you guys going to stand there arguing or are you going to come in?" she asked.
"Merry Christmas kid," Leo kissed Ainsley's cheek as he walked passed her into the house.
"Danny, I didn't think you'd come." she smiled, shutting the door behind him.
"Well, you know... spend the day with loved ones." he nodded his head in CJ's direction, making Ainsley smile again. "Thanks for inviting me again Ainsley."
"Don't worry about it. We're all friends. You're just in time actually for dinner. I think most of the guys are in the living room watching TV. You can just go in there."
Danny nodded and disappeared through the doorway as Ainsley turned into the kitchen, where Donna, CJ, and Elizabeth were sitting at the table talking.
"You certainly raised him right." CJ said as Ainsley sat down.
"Are we speaking of my fabulous husband?" she grinned.
"What other man would be raised right in this house?" Donna joked. "Certainly not Joshua."
"Leo and Danny just got here."
"Danny?" CJ squeaked.
"Yeah. CJ, I felt bad. He was all alone for the holidays. Besides Sam and I invited all our friends over and Danny is certainly one of them." Ainsley said as Sam walked in. "Hey, can you take the turkey out of the oven?"
He nodded, doing what he was told, then sat down next to his wife.
"What a little pansy." CJ teased, "Sitting in the kitchen with the women."
"It's better than sitting with my father." Sam muttered. "Where's this dinner?"
"When are we opening presents?" Donna asked.
"After dinner." Sam replied.
"Why?"
"Because I'm the man of the house and I said so."
"Leave them alone." Ainsley smacked him lightly and walked over to the counter. "What are you guys doing in there anyway?"
"Watching some sappy Christmas movie."
Ainsley turned and stared at Sam.
"What the hell do you think we're doing? We're drinking and being merry and watching football."
"They actually play football on Christmas?"
"It's an old ESPN rerun. Great games of the NFL or something like that." Sam peered over Ainsley's shoulder and pawed at the turkey, resulting in a hard smack on his hand. "Ow!"
"Stop it."
"I'm hungry."
"You'll last a few minutes."
"I'm dying of starvation."
"Samuel, honest to God!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "You're like a little kid."
"He is. He's bad." Ainsley grinned at Sam, who gave her a hurt look.
"What are you gonna do when the baby comes Spanky?" CJ asked.
"I guess I'm gonna have to grow up." he smirked.
"Why do you call him Spanky?" Elizabeth asked. CJ's lips curled into a smile and Sam gave her a look.
"Don't."
"I want to know."
"No you don't Mom."
"Yes she does." CJ grinned.
"Ainsley," Elizabeth turned to her daughter-in-law, who smiled and shook her head.
"I've been sworn to secrecy and I've been forewarned of my punishment." she said. "And frankly, I like having sex."
"Stop!" Sam exclaimed, turning bright red. "I don't want my mom knowing about that!"
"Sammy, please!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "You got her pregnant and obviously you did not just wave a wand at her and say some magic words."
CJ and Donna howled with laughter as Sam turned even redder.
"It... but... oh shut up!" he stomped out of the kitchen and flopped onto the couch, where the guys were laughing as well, obviously hearing the conversation. "You all shut up too!"
Ainsley walked into the living room and wrapped her arms around Sam's shoulders.
"Honey, we were just teasing you." she said, kissing his cheek.
"Go away. You're embarrassing. I can't believe you said that."
"Well I had to give a good reason for not telling your mom about your nickname."
"It's not my nickname!" Sam exclaimed. "It's CJ having to remind me of that stupid old lady in that bar in Manchester!"
The guys began laughing again and Elizabeth, CJ, and Donna came out of the kitchen.
"Now I need to know." Elizabeth said.
"It's not a big deal. It happened like four years ago." Sam muttered.
"Then we can tell her." Josh said. "We were at the Bartlet for America campaign headquarters and decided to go for a beer. So we went to the bar and there was this elderly woman sitting at a table a few feet from ours. We were sitting there, having a good time and Sam went over to the jukebox. Now this old woman had been eyeing Sam the whole night and followed him to the jukebox."
"We can stop now."
"No go on Josh." Elizabeth said.
"She grabbed my ass all right?" Sam said.
"She did more than grab your ass." Josh smirked, making them all laugh again.
"She slapped it a few times." CJ added. "Hence the name 'Spanky."
"She was drunk." Sam protested.
"I dunno. It's pretty cute." Ainsley grinned.
"I'm going to crawl in a hole and die now."
-----------------------------TWW---------------------
Sam found himself back out on the porch after most of his friends had left and glanced behind him, hearing the back door open. He turned back to stare out over the backyard, ignoring his father.
"It's a nice house Sam." James said quietly.
"Thanks."
"Sarah didn't come."
"Nope. And yeah, I did invite her."
"I wasn't going to ask that question."
"Never know."
"I don't know how many times I have to say it Sam."
"You don't have to. I just have to deal with it in my own ways."
"I understand that."
"Look, I've been having a good day, minus my mother-in-law, and I want to keep it that way." Sam glanced over at James, an unreadable look on his face. "I don't want to fight and the only way that'll happen is if we don't talk."
"I understand that too. I just came out to say goodbye. I need to get back to the hotel. My flight leaves early tomorrow morning."
"Bye."
James lifted a hand and squeezed Sam's shoulder gently, then walked back into the house. Sam stood there for a few minutes, then went back inside once he was sure his father was gone.