Sorry for the severe delay in updates. I promise I'll do more updates over the weekend. The more free time I have the better I can write (though this doesn't really prove it). I'm also going to be wrapping this up reasonably soon, I think.

I labored over writing this stupid chapter. It's basically a little mini-ficlet about Sam, but that's okay. Josh does get involved in it. And, it does actually go along with the plot or lack there of I've had throughout.

So, yeah, look forward to a few new chapters.

I just realized how I'm going to finish this. I don't know in how many chapters that will be, but whatever. Here's another 1,400 words for you all. :)

What was it that signified whether a woman friend wanted to become more than that?

Sam Seaborn was plagued by that confusion.

It wasn't that he didn't have any women friends. He had plenty of them; Donna was testament to that. She and Sam were best friends, and there had never been any confusion as to whether or not she wanted to be more than that. Perhaps it was because she had always been in love with Josh. But, no, Sam thought, With Donna it has always been pure friendship. None of that serious flirting. No, Donna was never a problem. Come to think of it, no one has really been as much of a problem as she has.

She. The blonde Republican lawyer who kicked his ass on television --- Ainsley Hayes.

With Ainsley, things had always been a bit hard to read. They'd flirt back and forth in engaging conversation, but, Sam never knew where exactly the line was drawn. He had come to grip with the fact that he definitely had a crush on the Associate White House Counsel, but he didn't know whether or not his feelings were reciprocated. It was all for the best, he thought, because he and Ainsley could never be a couple. Inter-office dating seemed to be frowned upon. That was, however, up until Josh and Donna broke down that unspoken rule's Berlin Wall. Sam's somewhat stable world had come to a crash.

He could ask out Ainsley Hayes. And not be reprimanded.

But, there was the problem. It was, most certainly, the million dollar question: did Ainsley like him?

Sam went to work thinking out multiple scenarios for her response. If Ainsley did in fact like him, they could go out for dinner one night. That would be fine, even though it would only be one date.

Then, say the date went really well. Obviously they'd want to go out again. Now they needed a label. Were they really dating? Were they in a serious long-term commitment? That mattered a lot. Sure, Josh and Donna went public despite the normal qualms, but, would he and Ainsley be able to do it as flawlessly as they had? It's not as if a major political sex scandal comes out of the woodwork every day.

If he and Ainsley were going to pull their relationship going public, they'd need some major distraction as well. Not necessarily a sex scandal, but something big. Maybe a major offensive being put out by the White House on some silly legislative proposition. That way C.J. could just throw the relationship in the briefing casually. You know, easy as pie. Sam had the whole thing figured out in his head.

First, C.J. would walk in and say hello to all the press in the room. She'd open up with the big news, saying that she would answer all questions at the end of the briefing. Directly after the big story, she'd throw in the fact that White House Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn and Associate White House Counsel Ainsley Hayes were currently dating. Then she could throw in some tidbit about the President. Or perhaps the economy of Portugal. Or a story about Alaskan sled dogs --- it really didn't matter. Then she'd add another fact about the big story, and open the floor to questions. Who would care about Sam Seaborn's love life when there was big legislative news in Washington?

Sam began to talk to himself out loud.

"This is pathetic. You're sitting here writing a 'choose your own ending' love story."

He pinched his nose between his eyes. Sure, it was his own fault he was crazy about Ainsley, but he had someone else to blame for the constant scheming.

Josh was about to receive a Sam Seaborn scolding. Or, well, at least some sort of speech. Whether or not it was severe really depended on how much Sam could put the words together.

Walking briskly, Sam poked his head into Josh's office.

"Hey. Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure," Josh said, turning away from his computer.

Sam shut the door and sighed. It was going to be difficult to articulate this without looking insane.

"Josh, I have a bit of a problem."

"What's up?"

"Well, you see, I was thinking about asking Ainsley Hayes out---"

"Really?" Josh looked up, smiling. "You and Ainsley? That's great."

"Oh, not so much."

Josh looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Sam started, "if today weren't today and if yesterday hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here right now, in this situation, talking to you about a situation that I am in, because of a certain situation."

"…all right."

"You see, you and Donna going public opened the door for my asking Ainsley out. The thing is though, Josh, I don't know whether I should or not."

"Why not? You and she have always had some sort of chemistry, or something."

"Yes, but, putting aside the fact that Ainsley may not feel the same way I do, I'll still have to endure the wrath of the press, and I'm not sure what I should be doing."

"So you came here to ask me what the secret to my success was?"

"Not really. I more or less came in here to just, well, talk. I don't really have a point to my entire argument."

Josh scratched the back of his neck. "Well, if you like a girl, you should ask her out, Sam."

"I know that. I just don't know where to go from there."

"A restaurant is usually a popular choice, but, you could try ice skating. Or, maybe, if you want to go all out and everything, you could rent a boat, row down the Potomac and read her poetry."

"Do people actually do that?"

"Go to restaurants? All the time."

"No, the rowing thing."

"I don't know. I think Donna mentioned it once or something."

"So you've never done it?"

"Do you actually think I'd so something like that?"

"No, but it sounds sort of nice."

Rolling his eyes, Josh sat up.

"Sam. Just ask her out."

"But what about the media? How did you and C.J. set it up?"

"We didn't, not really. Donna did most of it."

"Speaking of her, where is Donna?"

Josh smiled. "She's in a meeting with Mrs. Bartlet."

"Why?"

"Relationship details."

"Donna's meeting with the First Lady to talk about what you and she have been doing?"

"We're a very appealing couple, Sam. Of course, you and Ainsley could be an appealing couple, too."

"But I don't know if it would be appropriate for the administration."

"Do you think we're only allowed one love story per term?"

"Well, it used to be you weren't allowed any love stories per term. But, then again, Grover Cleveland did get married while in office. To his ward nonetheless."

"His ward?"

"Yeah. She was the daughter of one of his friends who died."

"And he married her?"

"They went on to have several children."

"And you're worried about dating a White House lawyer?"

"Well, she is a Republican."

"Which shows that not only does the Bartlet Administration condone dating within its senior staff, but it also condones bipartisan relationships."

Sam laughed. "Okay. I'll back off a little."

"Yeah. You just need to relax. Ask her out. Spend some time with her."

"You're right. You're right --- I haven't even asked her out yet."

"Yeah."

Sam started walking toward the door. "There's nothing wrong with something preemptive, though."

"No. Never."

"We do preemptive strikes all the time in military operations."

"Which is precisely why you did it for this."

"I should ask her out. I really should."

"Yeah."

"Right now, even. I should go right now and say 'Ainsley, I was wondering if you'd be interested in having dinner with me tonight.' She can't refuse that."

"No one could."

"Good. Well, I'm going to go do that then."

"Okay."

"I should be back in ten, fifteen minutes, maybe. So, I'll be in my office, if you want to discuss this more. To help me, since you started this chain reaction."

Josh gave Sam a look.

"You know, this was fun, but I've got work to do."

"Right, right. Sorry. But, tell Donna I want to talk to her too. Maybe we should have a conference at lunch. You, me, and Donna. About leaking relationships to the press. Think you can do that?"

"Sam. Just go."

"Okay. I'm going. Just try to devise some strategies for me."

"I will." Josh said with a laugh, as Sam walked out of his office, looking determined.

"Oh, what Donna and I have done." He chuckled to himself, returning to his polling numbers and brainstorming ideas. Sam's obsessing didn't bother Josh, though, as he knew there was nothing better than expressing one's love for another.