Sam sat at his desk, swiveling in his chair slowly. He finally let out a sigh and sat up straight.

"Bridget!"

"Sir, there is an intercom." she said, entered the Oval. Sam gave her a look and glanced at the file in his hands. "What did you need?"

"Get me Zoey Bartlet-Young on the phone."

"Yes sir."

"Right now."

"I'm going." Bridget left the room and Sam waited. Bridget poked her head in the door, "She's on line 2."

"Thanks." Sam grabbed the phone and waited a minute before speaking. "Zoey..."

"Mr. President."

"I need you to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"I'm going over a file right now."

"Yes?"

"It's got quite a bit of your work in it."

"What kind of work?"

"Op-ed pieces, term papers, stuff like that."

"Where is this going sir?"

"Zoe, how do you feel about taking over my old office?"

"Your... oh boy. I... Sir, with all due respect..."

"Hey, I brought Gracie to work with me while I was Deputy. You can bring Allie. I won't let you stay long hours. You can write speeches at home..."

"I need to talk to Charlie."

"Get back to me by tonight."

"Mr. President,"

"Sam. Zoey, you're like family."

"Sam, I've had no experience..."

"That's okay. Neither did I."

"Why do I feel you're bargaining with me?"

"Because you're the one I need to keep my staff going."

"Who's Communications Director?"

"Will Bailey."

"And you want me to be his Deputy."

"Yup. Look, I didn't have any experience in writing speeches for your father when I joined his staff."

"You lie. You worked on the campaign."

"But I still didn't know what I was doing. Zoe, you've been around politics. You know what I'm looking for."

"I... I have to talk to Charlie."

"Okay. Call me tonight with your decision."

"I will. Good bye."

"Bye." Sam hung up first, praying to God Zoey would agree.

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

Gracie sighed and rested her head in her hand as she sat in history class. Her regular teacher was not there so they had a substitute and were watching a movie on Pearl Harbor. Even though the class tried to tell old Mrs. Martin, she refused to believe they had watched it ten times before. Gracie could most likely say the lines with the historians as they spoke during the film. It had been interesting at first but now it had become extremely boring.

"Mrs. Martin," Angela raised her hand. "We've watched this tape already. Isn't there something else we could watch?"

"Miss Richards, please be quiet."

Gracie found herself falling asleep and once she began to dream, she was not happy with what she found.

"Oh I did but I wasn't the one that shot him."

"At any time, I could take one of them out and I can bet you that it will be your mother. But it all depends on you."

"I'm gonna start taking Maria's method. When you act up, I'm gonna take it out on dear Daddy." Ryan threw a dart at the wall. A picture of Sam was hanging up there and the dart landed right in the middle of his left eye.

"You better watch it. One of these days I'm gonna take something out on you."

"You're a bitch Gracie. And a smart ass. That's gonna have to stop once me and your mother are together. Your father may tolerate it but I won't."

"Miss Seaborn!"

Gracie jumped and looked up at Mrs. Martin.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't fall asleep next time."

"Trust me, it was no picnic."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Gracie muttered. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. She still had five minutes till the bell rang. There was a loud buzz and a voice came over the PA system.

"This is just a reminder that the sophomore class will be going on its trip to Philadelphia in three weeks. All sophomores that are going must have the permission slipped signed and returned to Ms. Johnson by Friday."

Great. Something else to worry about.

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

Sam waited impatiently for Zoey to call him back, his eyes glued to the phone on the desk.

"I... sir, are you listening?" CJ asked. Sam's head snapped up and he gave a small nod. "What did I just say?"

"What did I just say." he replied. CJ gave him a look and Bridget entered the room.

"Mr. President, Gracie is here."

"We're done." Sam said. CJ nodded and left the room, heading into her office. Gracie walked in and shut the door behind her. "Hey."

"Hi."

"How was school?"

"Great. Look, in a few weeks the sophomore class is going to Philadelphia."

"I... no." Sam shook his head and Gracie crossed her arms over her chest, an annoyed look on her face.

"Why not?"

"Because I said no."

"That's not a reason."

Sam looked up from a folder and stared at Gracie.

"Excuse me?"

"You have to have some reason for saying no."

"Because I said no." Sam said flatly. "End of story."

"No not end of story. I want to go! Everyone else is going."

"If everyone else jumped into the Potomac, would you?"

"Probably but I wouldn't go far. You'd have the Secret Service jump in after me."

"Damn straight."

"This is not fair."

"Inauguration is in three weeks."

"Inauguration is in two weeks." Gracie corrected.

"No it's not. It's in three weeks."

"Inauguration is January 20th. Today is the sixth. Seven days in a week. Two weeks... fourteen days. Six plus fourteen is twenty. So that won't be interfering with the trip."

"Go over and ask your mother. See what she says." Sam said.

"Fine I will but don't be yelling at her when she disagrees with you." Gracie called over her shoulder as she left. Sam dropped his head into his hands and prayed to God Zoey would call back soon and Ainsley would refuse to sign their daughter's permission slip.

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

Sam looked up as a paper filtered down onto the top of his desk. Gracie's triumphant grin met his eyes and he looked back down. On the paper was Ainsley's signature in a big flourish of letters.

"This isn't finished."

"Oh it is."

"Oh no it's not."

"She already signed it. Daddy, please!"

"Gracie, no!"

"Why? Because I'll run amuck?"

"Yes!"

"I'm not going to pull a 'Rome' again." Gracie said, referring to the previous incident.

"The other fact is that Ryan is still out there."

"It's three weeks from now! He could be caught by then."

"I highly doubt it."

"You just don't want me having any fun."

"If I wanted to do that I'd lock you in the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue."

"Huh?"

"That went right over your head." Sam smirked. Gracie thought for a minute and rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha."

"I'm talking to your mother about this."

"Dad!"

"Gracie, I said no."

"Well Mom said yes."

"Gracie..."

"What is the big deal? You can put as many agents as you want on me. I just want to be a teenager and go with my class to Philadelphia." she said. "I'll be good. I won't do anything bad. I'll stay with my chaperone. I... just please Daddy?"

Sam sighed and rubbed his temple. It was only three-thirty. He still had a long way to go until the end of the day.