Sam stared at the TV as the reporter kept speaking.

"But I can report a rumor that's been making it's way around that former Orange County resident and current White House Senior Advisor Sam Seaborn will be seeking the seat."

The communications bullpen went dead silent and everyone looked at Sam. Donna rested her hand on his shoulder and he looked around.

"They're talking about someone else." Sam said. A couple of people nodded, then the woman on the TV went on.

"I hear we have a picture that we're putting up on the screen." she said. Sam felt his heart sink as his credentials and his face came up on the screen.

"Yeah." he muttered. "Okay. Does anyone know where Toby, Josh, and CJ are?"

------------------TWW----------------

After a talk with Toby, Josh, and CJ, and then another talk with the President, Sam made his way down to the Deputy White House Counsel's office. The room was dark but Sam knew, he just knew she was in there. He quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

"My man Sam." Ainsley said, turning her desk lamp on.

"Hi."

"I heard an interesting story today."

"Can I just say you look amazing tonight?"

"Can I just say that I would love to drive a stake through your heart?"

"Well... I'm not a vampire so..."

"That doesn't mean you still wouldn't hemorrhage all over the floor until you died honey." Ainsley said in a sickly sweet voice. Sam gulped and backed up towards the door. "When did you decide to run for Congress?"

"I actually didn't decide to run for Congress."

"Oh? Then how did Gail what's her face get your name?"

"Remember, the day of the debate I went to California early?" Sam asked.

"What does that have to do with this?"

"I went to go tell Will Bailey to stop the Wilde campaign."

"Well obviously he didn't."

"I drove back from San Diego to Newport Beach after the debate to return the rental car and I met him in a bar. I told him that if, on the insane chance, that Wilde won, then to tell Kay Wilde that I'd do it. I'd run in the special election."

"When did you plan on telling me this?" Ainsley yelled.

"I didn't think he'd win! I just told her that so she'd have some closure about the damn race!"

"So you don't tell me? I have to find out on the news?"

"Well you found out just like everyone else." Sam snapped. Ainsley stared at him, then turned away and stared out the window. Sam sighed and ran his hands through his hair as Ainsley began to speak.

"The thing is, I'm not everyone else." she said quietly. Sam walked over to her and she allowed him to pull her into his arms.

"I know." he mumbled. "Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't tell you because it wasn't a big deal."

"You obviously don't know what a big deal is then."

"I didn't mean it that way. I thought that he'd lose the election and I wouldn't have to run and you'd never find out."

"So you planned on keeping it a secret."

"Yeah." Sam said sheepishly.

"What are we gonna do?" Ainsley asked quietly.

"Do you want me to run?"

"You don't have a choice now and I don't think I know any other Democrat brave enough to run for a seat in the 47th."

"Are you okay with it?"

"I'm sure I will be." Ainsley said. "Besides, it's the first step."

"To what?"

"President."

They stood there for a minute and Ainsley turned and smiled at Sam. He returned it and leaned down, pressing his lips lightly against hers.

"Thank you." he mumbled.

"Just don't shunt me and Gracie to the side."

"Would never dream of it."

--------------------------TWW-------------------

Nine Years Later—

Sam was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Bridget in the doorway.

"What's up?"

"Senator Lyman is requesting to see you but he's not on the schedule."

"He doesn't need to be on the schedule." Sam covered his laugh in a couch and Bridget nodded.

"Your wife called as well and told me to tell you not to forget about dinner tonight."

Sam nodded as his assistant disappeared and Josh walked into his office, shutting the door behind himself.

"How can I help you Senator?"

"Well Governor, I hate all the Republicans and I would really like to take the White House back and I think you're just the guy to do it."

"Funny Josh."

"I'm not kidding. We should think about getting you elected as the next President of the United States." he said, sitting down.

"Did you take your medication today?" Sam asked, disbelief written all over his face. "I can't run for President. You are... I can't even believe you flew out here to talk about this! Even if I did run, I wouldn't win."

"Yes you would."

"Do you know how crazy it would be? A one-term Congressman/two-term governor of California? Me being elected governor after only four years of being in politics was crazy enough as it was!"

"But you still did it. You had the previous governor's backing and you did good work as congressman. You made promises, then you kept them. And okay, the guy you were running against was a total idiot. The public loves you. Sam, you just got reelected with 55 percent of the votes! Besides, you have about as much experience in politics that Santos had and I got him elected."

"Josh..." he let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. His best friend leaned back in his own chair, running a hand through his hair. "This is..."

"Tell me you'll think about it."

"I'll think about it."

"In three years, you're going to be the next president."

"Yeah," Sam snorted at the thought. "How's the family?"

"Good." Josh leaned over and picked a frame off of the desk. "Gracie's getting big."

"Yeah. That's from a few months ago."

There was a knock on the door and Bridget poked her head in.

"Governor, your wife said she's not going to wait forever and she's hungry and if you don't come home for dinner then she'll eat without you and you'll spend another night searching the kitchen for food at midnight."

"Sounds serious." Josh smirked.

"She's not kidding." Sam mumbled, beginning to collect work to bring home for the night. "I haven't eaten dinner with Ainsley and Gracie in three nights."

"It's been what? Ten years since you guys got married?"

"Eleven in June."

"You're whipped."

"I can say the same for you Mr. Moss." Sam said sarcastically.

"That's Senator." Josh corrected, standing up.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"No. I have a flight home in a few hours."

"...please tell me you didn't fly across the country to ask me to run for president."

"No. I had work to do in the area and I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone."

"What type of work does the Senator of Connecticut have in California?"

Josh glanced down at the floor, making Sam shake his head.

"You're ridiculous."

"You would've hung the phone up on me. And I did have work here. I was meeting with an old friend."

"This is sounding very convincing." Sam snorted.

"His name is Brad O'Reilly. I went to Harvard with him. We've kept in touch. I'll even call him right now if you don't believe me."

"Thanks but I'd rather go home. I'll call you in a few days."

"Okay." they met in the middle of the large office, quickly hugging each other. "Tell Ainsley and Gracie I said hi."

"Same to Donna and Joanie."

---------------------TWW-----------------

"So was being Governor as productive as always?" Ainsley asked later that night in bed.

"Uh... yes. What would you say to moving back to DC?" there. He asked it. Now it was only a matter of time before she made sense of it.

"Why?"

"Just a suggestion."

"I thought you liked it here in California."

"I do but... perhaps... perhaps there's something in DC that I would want." Sam said quietly, his attention entirely focused on his novel. "Or maybe I thought that you'd be more happier in DC."

"Then why don't we move to North Carolina?" Ainsley asked.

"I'm just gonna come out and say it."

"Say what?"

"Josh wants me to run for president."

"When did this happen?"

"Oh... around six-thirty." Sam mumbled.

"Does... Sam want Sam to run for president?" Ainsley asked. She knew this day would be coming. She just didn't think so soon and from the way her husband was acting, she could tell he didn't think so either.

"I always have."

"Okay. Then... I guess you're gonna be the next President."

"Hold on." Sam sat up a little straighter and looked over at Ainsley, who just stared at him.

"What?"

"You can't... you can't just say... okay well then let's run."

"Why not?"

"Because... there's something else hidden here. I know there is."

"Sam, the world is not out to get you. Don't think we all have hidden agendas against you." Ainsley muttered, shutting the light off. She shifted so she was laying down and turned to look at him. "Are you going to go to sleep?"

"Yeah," he shut off the light on his night stand and laid down, his arms immediately wrapping around Ainsley's waist. "Ainse,"

"Mm,"

"I won't if you don't want me to."

"I want whatever makes you happy." she mumbled into his chest. "Go to sleep. It's late. We'll talk in the morning."

Sam obviously didn't hear this come out of Ainsley's mouth or chose to ignore it because he continued to talk.

"You make me happy." he kissed the side of her head as she let out a little sigh. She knew this was going to become a thing. But why couldn't it become a thing in the morning? "You and Gracie make me happy... happier than I could ever have even imagined."

"I know. Honey, listen to me. We both know you want this. I told you that I would stand by any decision that you made and you will make a fantastic president."

"I... you saw what just being on the staff was like. Ainse, we'd be the President and First Lady. It will be insane. Every day our schedules would be so tight that we barely have time to go to the bathroom."

"I don't care."

"You're putting everything on hold for me."

"Honey, I'm doing what I vowed on our wedding day and there's no other place that I would rather be than standing at your side as your first lady. I'm not putting anything on hold. I'm living our life. When you get elected, those eight years are going to be the most exciting out of our whole life." Ainsley hoped that this would shut Sam up for the night and hold him over till breakfast.

"Eight years huh?" he questioned.

"Yeah and I'll be right next to you all the way."

There was silence and Sam rolled onto his back, making Ainsley sit up slightly.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I..." Sam was speechless. He couldn't believe how caring she was being right now. He couldn't believe how she was just agreeing to let him run for president. "You're... you're amazing."

"Why? Honey, I don't know why you're so shocked over this. We've talked about you running before and you knew that I supported you a hundred percent."

"Yeah but I... I thought maybe when the time actually game, you'd... I don't know... change your mind. I mean, the past nine years I've put you through so much with campaigns and elections and moving and not being here and you're ready to let me have the ultimate politician spot."

"Because I know that you'll be wonderful and I know that this is what you were meant to do."

"Maybe I was meant to be a father and a husband."

"You can do that too. Also, I'm not acting selfish about this because it's only eight years. Once it's over, we'll have all the time in the world to be together. So, first thing you need to do in the morning is call Josh and tell him he needs to start gearing up for a campaign."

"I don't even know if I want to run!"

"So we just had this whole conversation for no reason?" Ainsley asked.

"No, I mean... I do but I don't." Sam muttered.

"You're scared."

"Yeah."

Ainsley sighed and wrapped her arms tightly around him. His head went down onto her shoulder and she kissed the top of his head.

"We're actually going to do this." he mumbled.

"Mhmm and we're gonna win. And I think we may be the first First Couple in the history of the United States that differed in their political views."

"I see we're gonna be having a lot of fights." Sam joked. A frown crossed his features, even though Ainsley didn't know it but she did know what he was thinking.

"It's not gonna split us up. There's more important things in life than politics. And besides, we were political enemies before we got married."

"Yeah but... now, if I do get elected, I'll be having decided which laws to pass and if we should go to war and things that we don't normally agree on."

"Honey, I don't think there really is one thing we agree on. We don't even agree on Gracie."

"That's true."

"And we're still together."

"I'm just afraid that it'll get too extreme."

"Well, I promise you that I will never leave you... no matter how angry you get me. My love for you is a lot stronger than my love for the Republican party." Ainsley said.

"Ah, now there's something we agree on." Sam smirked. Ainsley laughed softly as he continued. "I love you a lot more than the Democratic party."

"I'm glad. And you know what, us fighting is half the fun in our marriage. We always have really great sex afterwards."

"Yes we do."

"There's another thing we agree on." Ainsley teased. Sam glanced over his shoulder to the clock and saw it was almost 12:30.

"I need to sleep. I have a meeting at seven."

"I have breakfast with a bunch of women at seven-thirty. So I need to sleep as well." Ainsley kissed Sam, mumbling an I love you and shut her eyes. Sam shifted slightly and held her closer to him as he shut his own eyes. Already, the wheels were turning in his mind. Oh yeah, he'd definitely be president in three years. And Ainsley would be right there at his side.

the end