"We need to talk." Gracie said, walking into the dining room.
"About?" Sam questioned.
"My birthday is in June."
"Sweet sixteen." Ainsley singsonged, making Sam roll his eyes.
"Exactly." Gracie jabbed a paper in Ainsley's direction, making Sam look up.
"Excuse me?"
"Everyone has a sweet sixteen."
"Wait, hold on." Sam put the Washington Post down and leaned his forearms on the table. "You want me to let you have a sweet sixteen?"
"Yeah. Duh."
Ainsley smiled at Sam over her muffin.
"And where are we holding this?" he asked.
"One of the rooms we usually have dinners in." Gracie replied. "I made a list of everyone I want coming."
"Your birthday is in June. It's January."
"Exactly. I figured we'd need time to prepare this and the Secret Service would have to screen the guests."
Sam's jaw was hanging open as he stared at his daughter.
"I... go away."
"Dad, I'm serious." Gracie said. "I want a sweet sixteen like everyone else."
"I'll think about it." Sam reasoned.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Gracie gave a squeal and hugged Sam tightly, then kissed his cheek.
"I love you Dad!" she exclaimed and ran from the room.
"What the hell just happened?" Sam asked, looking at Ainsley.
"You are considering throwing a sweet sixteen for our daughter." she replied. "That's really sweet of you honey."
"I never said I was and I can't have a bunch of sixteen year olds running around the White House."
"We hold a lot of parties here. This is no difference."
"Oh it's just a bunch of horny teenagers!" Sam called as Ainsley left the room. "That's different from a bunch of mature statesmen!"
-----------------------TWW-----------------
"Are you using Toby's speech?"
Sam looked up. He had dismissed the Senior Staff but Zoey was still standing there.
"Why?"
"You fire him but then you're going to read something he wrote."
"People won't know it."
"Toby has a form of writing. People know when it's his speech that's being read."
"Zoey, do you want to write my inauguration speech?" Sam asked.
"I'm just saying some people may find it odd that you're still backing Toby."
"Do you?"
"It's not up to me."
"You want to re-write it."
"I haven't heard it yet." Zoey said. "If it's good I won't re-write it. Besides, it's not up to me. It's up to Will, who seems to have a stick shoved up his ass."
Sam hid a smile as he picked up a paper. He sighed, seeing it was a copy of Gracie's list.
"What?"
"Did you have a sweet sixteen?"
"Mr. President, with all due respect, give your daughter the damn birthday she wants."
"Get out of my office. You're supposed to take my side, not hers."
"If it's bad, I would like a crack at it." Zoey said. "And yes I did have a sweet sixteen."
"You can leave now."
"Thanks."
--------------------TWW---------------
"Hey,"
Gracie gave a yelp as she hit her head on the top of her locker. She was in the process of coming out of it when Chris popped up behind her.
"Ooh... you okay?"
"Yeah." Gracie rubbed the top of her head and looked at Chris. "What?"
"You want to go to the movies on Friday?"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because Inauguration Day is right around the corner and it's a likely possibility that psycho Ryan may do something stupid so everyone is on high security, me especially. I go to school and then I'm locked in my dungeon until it's time to go to bed."
"You can't sneak out?"
"Do you know how heavily guarded the White House is? There are sensors in the ground that go off if you step on it the wrong way. And everyone and their brother know how klutzy I am."
"Where do you get that from anyway?"
"The President." Gracie smirked.
"So the stories are true then." Chris said.
"What stories?"
"He's the biggest klutz on the face of the earth."
"Oh they are very true. The first year of his administration he tripped down the stairs of the Residence and broke his ankle. That was pretty funny."
"Anyway, when are you allowed to have a life again?"
Gracie shut her locker and leaned against it.
"When his term is through." she said.
"That must suck."
"I have to live with it."
"I'd boycott if I were you."
"I've tried. They've ended up in horrible fights and I hate going through it."
"Suck-up."
"That's right I am. I like having a close relationship with my parents. There's no reason I shouldn't. I'm an only child." Gracie said, then added silently, 'At least for another few months.'
"I never see you." Chris complained.
"You can see me. You just refuse to have a pack of agents around us and that is the only way I'm able to actually go out in public."
"You think I feel comfortable sitting in a movie with them all around?"
"Well I can't help it."
"Do you need so many?"
"Stop complaining. It doesn't get you anywhere."
"I mean, normal couples can go out and not worry about being see by a reporter and getting photographed while making out during a movie or at a restaurant."
"Chris, I can't help who I am and no one ever said you couldn't kiss me."
"Oh I won't get shot down?"
"I can't promise you that."
"This is what I'm talking about."
"I was kidding. One of my mother's rules is that my detail does not report every little thing back to my dad." Gracie said. "You know, when we started going out, you knew I had to be protected 24/7."
"It gets annoying after a while." Chris muttered as they walked through the halls.
"I know it does. I've had to live with it for the past four years and the rest of my life. But you knew, that's the point and now you're making it sound like I'm the bad guy."
"I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming your father."
Gracie swerved around and Chris moved back slightly.
"Look, you don't know how many times I've gone at it with my parents. You don't know how many times I've gone at it with their staffs. You don't know how many times I've gone at it with their friends. I've been mad too many times at him for running for president but don't you start on him because you don't like that we're not alone when you want to be. I get mad that I don't have privacy but I've realized that he only puts a pack of agents on me because he cares and he doesn't want me hurt. I'd rather be protected than being able to... to be with you."
"He's the reason you got kidnapped."
"My father had nothing to do with why I was kidnapped. Ryan is a lunatic from my mother's past wh—"
"Well then maybe we should start about your mother." Chris snapped.
"Fuck off." this small statement shocked both of them. Gracie was surprised that those words even came out of her mouth.
"Go to hell. You're a selfish little bitch who thinks she can get her own way all the time."
"Yeah and all you care about is yourself."
"Oh that hurt." Chris said sarcastically. Gracie rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, Alex and another agent Jack following her. Chris followed them as well and grabbed Gracie's wrist as he backed her up into a locker.
"Back off." Jack grabbed Chris by the collar and pulled him away from Gracie as Alex walked her away.
"Come on. You're gonna be late for class." she said quietly.
"I don't really feel good." Gracie mumbled.
"Gracie..."
"Can you take me home or something?"