"Well that had to be a first." Josh said. They were all sitting in the Residence, not knowing really what to do.
"Dad, stop." Joanie muttered.
"I'm just saying."
"It wasn't funny Josh." Sam said quietly. He was staring at the ceiling, his arm wrapped tightly around Ainsley.
"I wasn't trying to be. I was just saying." he said.
"Where's Gracie?" Donna asked. Sam looked around the room and felt his heart begin to race.
"She's in her room." Ainsley replied. Sam let out a slow sigh and stood up.
"I'm gonna go talk to her." he said. He left the room and headed down the hall to Gracie's room. Alex gave him a small smile as she saw him. "You did good today Alex."
"Just doing my job Mr. President."
Sam gave a slight nod and went into Gracie's room, shutting the door behind him.
"Gracie..."
He heard a sniff and saw Gracie pull her blanket further up her body. Sam held back a sigh and sat down on the bed next to her.
"I'll be down in a few minutes." she mumbled and Sam saw her wipe under her eyes.
"You don't have to."
"That's why you came up here wasn't it?"
"No. I wanted to see how you were."
"How do you think I am?"
"Come here," Sam pulled Gracie up into a sitting position and she moved over, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He felt his shirt quickly become wet as tears poured out of Gracie's eyes. Sam let out a sigh and buried his face in her hair, rubbing her back as she cried.
"I didn't even know what was going on at first." she muttered. "Alex pushed me down and I saw Jack and Dave push you and Mom down and I didn't know if you two were okay. I didn't even know if I okay. I heard everyone screaming and the shots going off."
"I know how you feel. I felt the same way after Rosslyn happened and I'm feeling the same way right now."
Gracie looked up at Sam, who had a sincere look on his face. She had heard stories about Rosslyn and how Josh had been shot, along with Jed. No one liked talking about the shooting and Gracie didn't blame them.
"But Gracie, everyone is fine. No one's hurt. He's gone. It's over."
"You don't get it!"
"I do honey. In five minutes, you're not going to be like, 'Oh okay we got shot at. Let's move on with our lives.' It's gonna take a while."
"I'm gonna need therapy once you leave office." Gracie sighed. "Oh wait, I already get it."
"It's going to be okay."
"It doesn't seem like it."
"Not right now it doesn't. But it will. You are human, you know." Sam said.
"I know."
"Then stop trying to hide your feelings."
"Oh yeah, I just hid my feelings." Gracie scoffed.
----------------------TWW----------------
Ainsley looked up as Gracie walked into her office.
"Hey. How was school?"
"Just great. Lots of questions and if I felt cool about getting shot at."
Ainsley gave Gracie a sympathetic smile and beckoned her over. She walked over and Ainsley pulled her into a tight hug.
"I know it's hard."
"I hate it."
"I know you do and I know you want it to all be over and I do too sometimes but you have to hang in there." Ainsley said softly.
"Can't I just go away?"
"Where would you go?"
"I don't know. Aunt Sarah's."
"Oh your father would really love that." Ainsley said teasingly.
"At least she's cool." Gracie muttered.
"Hey, we're cool too."
"No, not really."
"Oh. Well, we were once."
"Yeah," Gracie snorted at the thought and plopped down into a chair. "I hate school."
"Why?"
"I don't want to take my midterms. Can't Daddy give me like... a presidential pardon or something?"
"That's not what a presidential pardon is for." Ainsley said, a smile on her face.
"Yeah I know." Gracie sighed. "I'll still ask him anyway just to annoy him."
Ainsley shook her head and looked back down at her desk.
"What are you working on?"
"I'm looking a few of the things for Daddy's birthday party."
"Oh he'll really love that."
"If your father had a choice he'd sit in his pajamas watching Monday Night Football on his birthday."
"Yet he has to sit in a room full of jerks and subject himself to inane birthday celebrations."
"Yep."