Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to West Wing or Hamilton.

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*Click. Click. Click.* Ainsley strode pass the chaos of the Communications Bullpen. 'It was too good to be true. Why did I think that President Bartlet 'wanted to hear from me', as Leo had said? Bruce and Harriet were right. They just wanted to say that they were bipartisan. Or maybe they wanted to be bipartisan but changed their minds.' Regardless, she was determined to return to the White House one day because she still had a million things to do for the country.

She arrived in the waiting room outside the Oval Office while Charlie filed paperwork at his desk. "The President will see you now." He informed her as he opened the door.

'That's not the look I would expect to see from someone who knew I was about to be fired.' she thought. The soft mid-afternoon autumn sunlight streamed through the windows as she entered the Oval Office. 'This isn't how I wanted to meet the President of the United States.' She held back tears.

The President looked up from his copy of the Washington Post and motioned for her to sit across from him. 'This is an awfully casual way to fire someone.'

"So Ainsley Hayes- did I say it right? I heard that some of the staff did not say it right initially. How do you like it here so far?"

'It's okay, you'll be back. And next time, this'll be your office.' Ainsley stiffened as she looked down. "It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve you, Sir."

"I understand you got off to a rough start and that some of the White House staff displayed less than tolerant behavior." The President furrowed his brow. "I apologize for that."

"I'm sorry for all of the trouble I caused, Mr. President." Ainsley said.

"Oh, no matter. Tribbey's always been a hotheaded asshole. He stormed in here screaming with a cricket bat in hand, ranting about how you had been hired during the Radio Address. And from what I understand, Brooks and Thompson, or whatever their names are, should have been fired a long time ago." He said. "But anyway. The reason I called you in here today was that I heard about your plans to volunteer at the Soup Kitchen this Thanksgiving. Would it be all right with you if we – my family, my Senior Staff, and I- joined you?"

'Wait what?' Ainsley thought. "Wait could you repeat that?"

"I asked if we could join you when you volunteer at the Soup Kitchen." Bartlet repeated. "Why? What did you think I was gonna say?"

"It would be an honor, Sir." Ainsley replied. 'This is not what I expected.'

"And what are your Thanksgiving dinner plans?" Bartlet asked.

"My friends and I were gonna go out to eat."

The President was appalled. "At a restaurant? You're spending Thanksgiving with us."

"But sir, I don't wa-"

"Don't be ridiculous. As your Commander in Chief, I order you and your friends to spend Thanksgiving with us." Bartlet commanded.

"Yes, Mr. President." Ainsley obliged.

"So what time on next Thursday?" He asked.

"Noon. Dinner starts at 5 pm, so they'll need us ready to go by 1 pm to get ready and it should take around 30 minutes to an hour to get to the Church."

"Noon on Thursday. Got it." He stood up.

Ainsley stood up. "Thank you, Mr. President."

'This is definitely not what I expected.' Ainsley left.

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Sam sat on a couch wearing a black knit sweater as Toby swayed from side to side in a chair across from him in the dimly lit spare office. "Well over three and a half centuries ago, strengthened by faith and bound by a common desire for liberty," Sam read aloud from a notebook as his forearms rested on his knees. "A small band of pilgrims sought out a place in the New World where they could worship according to their own beliefs... and solve crimes."

"Sam…" Toby spun around in his chair with the New York Times crossword in hand.

"It'd be good."

"Read the thing." Toby swiveled his chair back and forth.

"By day, they churn butter and worship according to their own beliefs and by night, they solve crimes."

Toby rolled his eyes. "Read the thing."

"Pilgrim detectives."

Toby raised his eyebrows. "Do you see me laughing?" 'You're such a child sometimes.'

"I think you're laughing on the inside."

"Okay." Toby said as he got up.

"With the big hats." Sam perseverated.

C.J entered the office. "Give me the speech." Toby sat next to Sam and the water cooler.

C.J packed up her briefcase as Toby opened his newspaper. "Have either of you heard of... uh, I don't know, ... something, ... the... Jamestown Mayflower Daughters of the American Revolution Preservation Soceity?" She rested one hand on the chair and the other hand on her hip.

'What did she just say?' Toby thought.

"The Jamestown Mayflower Daughters?"

"I may have gotten the name wrong. They're inviting the White House to participate in some kind of... I don't know, ... Thanksgiving Revolutionary War re-enactment." C.J clarified.

'May have?' "C.J., let's not torture American History completely to death." Toby pleaded. 'How'd she get all the way to a Master's degree without an American History course?'

"Who the hell are...?"

"Jamestown was the 16th century. The Mayflower landed at Plymouth in the 17th century. The Fathers of the Daughters of the American Revolution fought in...?" C.J. threw up her arms as Toby's voice escalated. "The 18th century!"

"It's a festival feast of some kind! Who cares?" C.J fetched her coat.

Sam turned to Toby. "Somebody needs to learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving."

C.J. stood by the door. "Re-enactments and proclamations and Native American cornhusks hanging contests with native…" She brushed hair out of her face.

"Cornhusks hanging?" Toby asked. 'And we let her be the spokesperson for this Administration?'

"Whatever! I'm the Thanksgiving cruise director around here." C.J vented.

"It wasn't like this last year?"

"I wasn't here last year."

"Where were you last year?"

"They sent me home last year. You don't remember me having a 102.7-degree fever and having all kinds of flu-like symptoms?" C.J. explained as Toby rested one foot on the coffee table.

"No."

"That's 'cause every time we come up on a holiday, you guys check out like seniors who're done with finals." C.J bemoaned. 'As evident by the fact that you don't even remember last year's Thanksgiving hoop-la.'

"We are writing a very important Thanksgiving proclamation."

"And possibly a new action-adventure series." Sam added.

'Sam...' "Nobody here has checked out." Toby reassured her.

Josh walked up to the doorway wearing jeans and an unbuttoned red flannel shirt over a white t-shirt. "Hey, I was just flipping a nickel in my office. Sixteen times in a row, it came out tails."

C.J. glared at Toby. 'An action-adventure series? Nickel flipping?'

Toby fiddled with his pen. 'Hey, don't look at me. I'm not responsible for that. Or that.'

"I'm going home."

"Have a good night."

"Yeah. Yeah." C.J. passed through the office on her way out as Josh joined Sam and Toby.

"Sixteen times in a row." Josh repeated. *Gllampp.* He slapped the nickel down. "Yeah!"

'I swear to God you can't soar with eagles when you're flying with turkeys.' Toby thought.

"So what time were we thinking for Bros-giving?"

Sam and Toby cringed as they made eye contact. 'You want me to tell him?'

"Listen, ... Josh." Sam hesitated.

"You're bailing on us?"

"Josh," Toby looked at him.

"Ah nah," Josh whined. "Y tu, Toby?"

"We're volunteering at a Soup Kitchen with the First Family, Ainsley, and Senior Staff."

"What about Bros-giving?"

"Josh, I beg of you, please, for the love of God, stop tryin' to make Bros-giving a thing and maybe, uh, I dunno, focus on other people." Toby said.

"Do you have a better name for a Thanksgiving with football, beer, food, and-"

"Don't say it." Sam wished.

"- and bros?"

'You just can't help yourself, can you?' "Thanksgiving." Toby corrected. "But switch family and friends for 'bros'. And chances are that food was gonna be takeout pizza an' Chinese because Sam doesn't wanna be left wi' all of the cooking."

"So instead of Bros-"

"Don't say it." Toby muttered. 'Please, please, please don't say it.'

"-Brosgiving, you're ditching me to volunteer, listen to yam lectures, the Thanksgiving story, and participate in Bartlet's mock Turkey Shoot, like we've done for the last three years?" Josh thought back to their Thanksgivings on the Campaign trail and last year.

"Donna's going." Sam informed Josh.

"Excuse me, fellas." Josh perked up at the sound of Donna's voice. "You're spending Thanksgiving with the Bartlet's?"

"Yes." Donna answered. "Anyways back to what I was saying." She looked down the hall. "It's okay. You can come in here." "Duh-delump, duh-delump." Her fingers rapped on her binder. When there was no response, she motioned for them to follow her out into the hallway.

*Cleep click clank clap.* They bumped the coffee table on their way out.

"Twee twee gobble gobble twee tweep." Two turkeys in cages gobbled.

"This is Morton Horn. He's from Jasper Farms, Virginia." She introduced them to a shaggy-haired teenager in jeans, a tan jacket, and workboots. "Tell 'em what you're doing here, Morton."

'There are turkeys. In the White House.' Toby thought.

"I'm dropping off the turkeys." He explained.

"He's dropping off the turkeys." Donna repeated Morton.

"What are, uh...?"

"Gobble-gobble-gobble twi-ug-ug."

"Nobody left me instructions. He had a pass for the Northwest Entrance." Donna said.

"I'm dropping off the turkeys." Morton said.

"Yeah."

"Where should I put 'em?" Morton clarified.

"Twee chirp cheerp twee."

Toby, Josh, and Sam looked at each other for a moment. 'C.J's office.' Toby thought before they began to talk over each other.

"C.J.'s office." Josh answered.

"C.J." Sam agreed.

"I'd definitely put 'em in C.J.'s office." Josh pointed to C.J's office.

"Good idea." Toby concurred.

"C.J. Cregg's office."

"It's right there."

"Well, C.J.'s office is right there…" Toby added.

"C.J. handles all the…" Josh explained.

"Donna'll show you."

"Tweegle twee chirp-chirp."

"...birds." Josh finished his sentence.

"C.J."

"Yeah."

"Tweep twee gobble tweek gobble-gobble."

"Okay."

"And Morton, Ms. Cregg is gone for the night, uh, an' her office is secure, so you should feel free to let the turkeys outta the cage, and allow them to, y'know, roam freely, as they were meant to do." Toby added.

Josh nodded. "Absolutely."

"Okay." Morton nodded.

"Okay."

"Twee gobble cheeerpp tweegle twittle." The turkeys gobbled as Morton prepared them to walk off.

"Show her who's slacking off." Josh flipped his nickel again as Donna lead him to C.J's office.

"Pizza?" Toby suggested.

Sam nodded as he and Toby headed back into the office while Bonnie met up with Josh.

"So what do you think? 1 pizza? 2?"

"3." Sam decided.

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Abbey Bartlet looked around at the cast of characters at their Thanksgiving Dinner, from their children, grandchildren, and her son in law Doug to Dolores Landingham, Jed's secretary, and her husband to Charlie and his sister Deanna, to Leo, Toby, Josh, Donna, C.J, Margaret, and Sam to the Republican Associate White House Counsel and her friends, Bruce and Harriet, as they gathered at the table.

"What are we naming the turkey this year, Dad?" Zoe asked.

"I'm sorry, did ya just ask what the turkey's name is?" Josh asked.

"Yup. You've never heard of that? And you don't remember that from the last few years of spending Thanksgiving with us?"

"He doesn't notice much." Toby explained. "And how about Troy the Turkey?"

C.J rolled her eyes.

"Okay, now they're just asking for an ass-kicking." Donna whispered to Ainsley.

C.J held up her index finger as Toby, Sam, and Josh sat down.

"Yee-owwww!" They jumped out of their thumbtacked and turkey feather-laden seats.

"Next time you'll think before letting two turkeys loose in my office." C.J advised.

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Abbey's POV

Later on that evening, Abbey was amazed at how well Ainsley and her friends fit in as Abbey watched Ainsley beat Jed, Sam and Toby in a long, grueling game of Settlers of Catan before they put on Monty Python and the Holy Grail and ate her homemade spiked apple pie. Everything about Ainsley –from her riding ability to her singing ability to her childhood- continued to surprise her. She also could not help but notice the way that Ainsley and Sam fought over politics, or anything really, reminded her of herself and Jed.

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What do you think of this alternative to how Ainsley met the President on the show?

What do you think of C.j's prank?

What do you think of Abbey's perspective?