"Gracie!"

She glanced up but went back to typing on her new laptop. Sam had got sick of listening to her whining when they were on Air Force One about how she didn't have a computer so he got a laptop for her.

"Gracie!"

"GRACIE!"

She looked up as Sam entered her room.

"Hi Dad."

"Didn't you hearing me shouting?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I chose to ignore it."

"Because?"

"You were shouting."

Sam shivered and shook his head.

"You may look like me but you definitely have your mother's personality. We're leaving."

"You said nine!"

"I changed my mind." Sam said. "Come on."

"I didn't pack!" Gracie exclaimed.

"That's why you don't wait till the last minute with me. Hurry up."

"You know, Air Force One isn't going to leave without you Dad."

"It will leave without you though."

Gracie gave Sam a glare as she quickly grabbed clothes out of her closet.

"Bring that dress that you said you like."

"Why?"

"Because someone has arranged for us to see some Italian opera thing tomorrow night. It's formal."

"I have to go?"

"You know, you say we don't spend time together..." Sam started and Gracie poked her head out of the closet.

"Opera is not my thing."

"Nor is it mine so we'll just have to deal."

"Mom is going right?"

"Yeah."

"Why are we going to the Opera?" Gracie asked.

"Less talking, more packing."

"You're not making some deal while we're sitting there are you?"

"The Italian Prime Minister will be there, yes."

Gracie groaned and Sam ran a hand through his hair.

"How long are we staying there?"

"Three days."

"Why?"

"I have meetings with the Prime Minister tomorrow and the next day. We have the opera thing tomorrow night. I distinctly remember six months ago I told you we'd spend some time in Italy so that's what the third day is for."

"Are you trying to butter me up Dad?" Gracie asked.

"No." Sam lied, making Gracie give him a look she could only have learned from Ainsley. "You know, I really hope the baby is a boy, because I'll finally have someone on my side."

"Where did that come from?"

"During this whole conversation, you have become totally like your mother and it's scaring me. I expect you downstairs in ten minutes."

Gracie hid a smile as she ducked her head. Sam smirked slightly and headed out of the room.

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

"You are free until ten tomorrow. Then you have a phone conference with the Senior Staff."

"Isn't my staff coming?" Sam asked, looking up from a memo.

"CJ and Toby are coming." Anna said. "After the conference you have a two hour break for lunch."

"Two hours?"

"What's so bad about it?"

"I'm gonna go insane. What else?"

"At one thirty you're meeting with the Italian Prime Minister. You'll be in there for only god knows how long."

"Hopefully not long at all."

"When you get back you need to get ready for the opera. Before you go to the opera you are having an early dinner with the Prime Minister and his family, then going to the opera." Anna said. "The next day..."

"Whoa, let's worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow tell me about Wednesday. Okay?" Sam said.

"Yes sir."

The limo stopped and the back door opened, much to everyone in the car's relief. Sam stepped out of the limo, quickly followed by Ainsley and Gracie, who stifled a groan as the cameras started going off from the press line. Sam smiled and waved as he slid an arm around Ainsley's waist. He reached over to rest his hand on Gracie's shoulder but flicked her in the back of the head.

"Ow!" she rubbed her head and Sam gave her a look. She put on a charming smile as the cameras flashed and she waved, then quickly rushed to safety of Air Force One. Sam and Ainsley followed her lead, a bunch of agents and aides behind them. Ainsley went off to find Gracie as Sam grabbed the phone on the wall.

"Yeah it's the President. We're ready to go." he hung up and headed off to his office.

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

"Come in!" Sam called, hearing a knock on the door. Gracie walked in and Sam looked up at her. "Hey."

"I really don't like when you do that." she said.

"Do what?"

"You know what Dad."

Sam sighed and took his glasses off.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"Thank you." Gracie sat down in one of the chairs and looked at him. "Do you have work to do?"

"I have to finish reading this memo and sign a few things but other than that, no. Why?"

"When you're done, you wanna play cards or something?"

"Yeah. Give me like... a half hour."

Gracie nodded and stood up, heading towards the door.

"You know, I do it for you."

She turned and looked at Sam.

"What?"

"Make you look good to the press. If you look like you're not having a good time and being snooty, they're gonna take that and make it into a story. I know you don't like being talked about."

"No they won't."

"Yes. I remember when I was working for Grandpa Jed, they made a story out of him not like his green beans."

Gracie giggled, making Sam smile.

"It's stupid but it's true. Just watch what you do around the press honey."

"I know."

"Alright. Let me finish this and I'll come find you later."

Gracie nodded and left Sam's office. He watched the door for a minute, then went back to work.

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

Sam finally found Gracie in a small room, doing her homework and singing along with her iPod. He watched from the doorway for a minute, relishing the sound of her voice. Gracie had no idea her father was watching her as she belted out the words to the song she was listening too. She finally looked up from her science book and gave a scream, seeing Sam standing there.

"Don't do that!" she hissed, yanking her headphones off.

"What? Listen to you sing?"

"You scared the crap out of me! And I don't want to have to be the one to explain to Mom that you got shot by the Secret Service because when I screamed it sounded like I was being attacked so they shot you, thinking I was in danger."

"Seeing as the agent outside the door saw me come in here, I don't think that's gonna happen." Sam smirked. He closed the door and sat down across from Gracie. "What are you working on?"

"Science."

"It's the holidays and they gave you homework?"

"It's a project due at the end of January. I just wanted something to do while we flew."

"Oh. How's it coming?"

"It's coming good." Gracie said.

"You got a pack of cards?" Sam asked. Gracie leaned over and grabbed a deck out of her backpack and tossed them to Sam. He took the wrapping off and opened the pack, sliding the cards out into his hand. He put the jokers back in the box and shuffled quickly. "What are we playing?"

"You pick."

Sam thought for a minute, spread the cards out like a fan in his hand, and held them out to Gracie.

"Pick a card."

"I want to play, not watch a card trick."

"It's not a card trick, just pick a card."

Gracie rolled her eyes but picked a card anyway.

"Seven of hearts."

"Five card stud, sevens are wild." Sam said. Gracie nodded and waited for her cards to be dealt.

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

Ainsley smiled, hearing Gracie and Sam screaming at each other from the hallway. She poked her head in the doorway and pressed a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing.

"You're a lunatic!" Gracie exclaimed, making Sam laugh. "You cheat!"

"I do not! I got dealt good cards!"

"Ugh!" Gracie tossed her cards onto the table and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "I saw you go through the cards."

"You're out of your mind. You're just mad that I won."

"Are you saying I'm a sore loser?"

"Yes."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are. You're mad that I beat you."

"I can beat you."

"Yeah I'm sure."

"I can."

"Fine. We'll have a rematch."

"Fine. I'll deal." Gracie began to shuffle the cards and she noticed her mother in the doorway. "Hey Mom."

"Are you teaching our daughter to gamble?"

"She sucks at it so don't worry honey." Sam smirked. Gracie tossed a pillow at him and began dealing the cards.

"You wanna play Mom?"

"Oh no. I want to see you two battle this out. Besides you'll both be sore after I beat you." Ainsley smiled, making Sam laugh.

"You? Good at cards? It's not nice to lie Ainse."

"You just think you're the master don't you?" she asked.

"Well you have called me the master on many occasions." Sam winked. Gracie choked on her soda and waved her hands.

"Gross! I don't need to hear that!" she exclaimed.

"Get your mind outta the gutter."

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

Gracie stared at her parents across the top of her laptop as she quietly typed. Ainsley was sitting next to Sam, her legs in his laps as she rested her head on his chest. Sam had his cheek resting on the top of Ainsley's head and his right hand was resting on her leg gently as his other arm was wrapped around her waist. Their hands were intertwined and resting on Ainsley's stomach as they both slept.

Gracie shook her head and looked back down at the screen, smiling seeing her IM had been answered.

Hi.

You can use computers on Air Force One?

My dad bought me a laptop. I'm very happy.

I bet your father could buy you a country too.

Heh... Gracie-land.

Gracie-land... kinda spooky.

I'd be queen.

Aren't you kinda like a queen already?

That'd be my mom. I'm the princess.

Ah. Excuse me.

Are you coming?

I don't know where you're staying.

I'll send you an e-mail when we get settled in. Just make sure you're in Rome Chris.

I know where I'm going Gracie...

Sometimes I wonder.

Can you sneak away?

There's a first for everything. They're asleep and I type pretty loud. I gotta go.

Alrighty. I love you.

I love you too. See ya.

Gracie signed off the internet and put her laptop away. She smiled, thinking about Chris. They originally met when he asked for her help in English. They were in the same class, even though Chris was a junior but he had flunked English in his sophomore year and had to take the sophomore level again. Gracie agreed, having a huge crush on Chris already, and they began meeting in the library during lunch. Once Chris was passing, he told Gracie he didn't need help anymore but would still like to see her. That was back in September. They rarely saw each other outside of school but Sam did relent and let Gracie go to the movies with her friends, if she had a pack of agents on her. Little did he know, she was not meeting with friends. Gracie shoved her stuff onto the floor and laid out across a few seats, pulling a blanket over her. She glanced at her parents again and stood up. She leaned over and put the blanket over them then got another one for herself. This time, Italy would not be boring.