Chapter Four

Friday, January 30

Logically, Sam could understand Hoynes' breakfast invitation the day before. He'd just rediscovered his long lost son, and it made sense that he'd want to spend some time getting to know him better. Now, moving into a second full day of being a Hoynes instead of a Seaborn, Sam expected things to settle back to normal. Especially after spectacularly embarrassing himself by blindly arguing against a bill that Hoynes had no intention of supporting.

Which was why Sam had been floored when Hoynes appeared at his office door that morning at about the same time with another invitation to breakfast.

"You . . . you want to eat breakfast with me?" Sam repeated dumbly. "Again?"

A concerned frown began to crease Hoynes' face. "If you're busy, or if you'd rather not-," he began.

"It's not that," Sam hurriedly said. "I just . . . after yesterday . . ."

The concern only deepened. "What about yesterday?"

Twin spots of color appeared high on Sam's cheeks. "I . . . I should apologize," he said. "I didn't mean to offend you by accusing you of supporting that bill . . . I should have known that you'd never . . ."

Hoynes' expression cleared, giving way to a fond smile. "Sam, you have nothing to apologize for," he said gently. "If anything, I should apologize to you. I deliberately goaded you into that debate."

Sam was stunned. "Why?"

Hoynes took a step into the office. "Because I could see the fire in your eyes as you spoke about education. Because I could hear the conviction in your voice, and because I wanted to see what you could do. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Sam shook his head, still surprised. "So I . . . I didn't embarrass myself then?"

"On the contrary," Hoynes told him. "I was actually hoping for a rematch. With someone who can give me a run for my money."

The prospect of engaging in a debate just for the sheer enjoyment of it sounded very appealing to Sam. He smiled slightly. "So . . . breakfast?"

The two men chatted as they walked to the Mess, their words flowing between them more steadily than the day before. Sam mentioned an upcoming meeting with lobbyists for alternative energy, and Hoynes chuckled over his own meeting that day with a representative from the oil industry.

As they collected their meal and moved towards the table they had claimed the day before, Hoynes switched topics. "So I heard that Zoey came to visit you yesterday."

Sam narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You know, there seems to be a lot more people aware of what I'm doing than I'm used to. If there's some kind of loop, I want in on it."

Hoynes smirked. "It's not so much as a loop as it is a chain, and you'll want to get used to that. Your mom and Abbey Bartlet are becoming pretty good friends, and they spoke yesterday. I have a feeling that's going to become a regular thing."

Sam winced.

Hoynes nodded in sympathy. "Yep. So Abbey told Suzanne, who mentioned it to me."

Sam suppressed an aggrieved eye roll. "Yeah, she stopped by yesterday. Actually, she was really great. It was nice to talk to someone who understood some of what I'm dealing with."

Hoynes nodded. "I'm glad that she was able to do that for you. Have you . . . have you considered talking to anyone else yet?"

Sam ducked his head. "No."

Hoynes dipped his head, catching Sam's eyes. "I'm not trying to pressure you into talking, Sam. I just want to make sure that you have people in your corner that you can lean on when you need it, even if those people are someone other than me and Suzanne."

Sam smiled shyly, lifting his head slightly. "Thanks."

Hoynes smiled back, taking a bite of his breakfast. "So," he said. "How is Agent Price working out?"

This time the eye roll managed to escape. Sam glanced over at Elliot, who caught his eye and gave him a small smirk before returning his attention to the rest of the room.

"I can't believe he just stayed in the communications bullpen the whole time I worked," he exclaimed.

Hoynes gave him a pointed look. "I can't believe he's been doing it for five weeks and you never even noticed."

Sam shrugged. "There's a lot of people in my department," he offered up lamely.

Hoynes lifted an eyebrow, but didn't challenge the comment.

A thought occurred to Sam. "Hey; do your other sons have their own protection details too?"

Hoynes nodded, smirking. "They sure do, and both have jobs that require some degree of hand-to-hand skills or combat training, so if they get a security detail, you definitely do, too."

The response sparked a small flicker of curiosity in Sam. "Can you . . . can you tell me about them?" he asked.

Hoynes was pleasantly surprised at the request. "Of course!" he exclaimed. He pulled out his cell phone and tapped on the screen for a few minutes, then handed it to Sam. "That's Jake. He's about six years older than you."

Sam studied the image of a smiling man with dark hair and blue eyes the same shade as his. In the photo he was crouching down beside a German Shepherd whose tongue was hanging out of its mouth in a pseudo-smile.

"What does he do?" Sam asked.

"Jake is a detective with the Fort Worth police department," Hoynes answered, pride injected into his tone. "He started out in Abilene, then transferred over to the Metroplex seven years ago to gain more experience in a bigger city." Hoynes took his phone back, swiped through a few more photos, then handed it back to Sam.

The smiling face in this photo could have belonged to Hoynes thirty years ago. There was no mistaking this man as Hoynes' son.

"That's James, but he goes by Jamie," Hoynes told Sam. "He's three years older than you, and he works as an aerospace engineer for the Air Force. Right now he's stationed out at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee, designing aircraft and building and testing prototypes."

"Wow." Sam passed the phone back to Hoynes. "They both sound like very impressive men. You must be really proud of them."

Hoynes pocketed his phone, giving Sam a firm look. "All three of my sons are impressive men, and yes, I'm as proud as hell of all of them."

Sam blushed. "Where, um . . . where did they go to school?" he asked, hoping to deflect the compliment.

"Jake studied Criminal Justice at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth," Hoynes answered. "Even played football for them, and he had offers to go pro, but he really wanted to be a police officer."

"And Jamie?" Sam asked.

"Actually, Jamie didn't go to college right away," Hoynes said. "He wanted to get some experience first. I have to admit, we went round and round on that, but he ended up being right about it. He enlisted in the Air Force, then used his GI bill to get his degree in mechanical engineering."

"More and more of our active duty and retired military are taking advantage of that option," Sam pointed out. "Too bad there isn't enough money to provide that option to everyone."

"What do you mean?" Hoynes asked.

"Well, education provides access to more opportunities," Sam pointed out. "By providing tuition-free college, doors would open for certain populations that would otherwise have remained closed to them."

"And you're not at all concerned that, in order to provide this, the taxpayers would spend billions of dollars to subsidize tuition?" Hoynes challenged.

Yesterday, Sam hadn't seen the signs of Hoynes provoking him into a heated response. Today, however, Sam recognized it immediately.

"Billions of dollars which would then be put right back into the economy," Sam countered. "Nearly half of all college students immediately after World War II were military veterans utilizing the GI bill. With college degrees, they were able to get better paying jobs, and could buy homes and cars to contribute to the booming economy."

"But that was over sixty years ago," Hoynes pointed out. "College tuition didn't cost nearly what it does today."

"Neither do cars or real estate," Sam fired back. "The increased cost and ensuing benefits are still comparable in relation to each other."

"All that assumes that those who attend college actually go on to graduate," Hoynes said. "I grant you, post World War II, the United States saw an increase in veterans using the GI bill, but back then we placed first in the world for college graduates. Today we place tenth. What good is spending taxpayers' money to send people to college when thirty percent of students drop out in their first year?"

"We can't just deny the other seventy percent the opportunity for a college education," Sam argued.

"I'm not denying them the opportunity, I'm just saying if I'm going to pay more in taxes, then I better see some gains," Hoynes said.

A gentle throat-clearing interrupted their debate. Hoynes' principal Secret Service agent was standing by their table.

Hoynes looked up at him, then at his watch. "Ah. Thanks, Carl." He turned to Sam. "I'm sorry, but I have to get going." He pointed at his son. "This isn't finished yet."

Sam's blinding grin froze Hoynes in his tracks. "Damn right it's not."

Hoynes shook off his shock as he stood. "Don't forget, we're on for dinner tonight. Need a ride?"

Sam sobered at the reminder. He nodded. "Meet you in your West Wing office?"

"Five-thirty," Hoynes agreed. "See you then."

Sam nodded again, watching Hoynes leave before turning his attention back to his half-eaten breakfast.

Elliot abruptly slid into the seat Hoynes had vacated. "For what it's worth, I agree with you on the free college. I've met a lot of guys who only enlisted as a way to get a college education."

"John wasn't wrong, though," Sam told him. "It does cost the taxpayers more money initially, and the dropout rates have increased over the years."

Elliot tilted his head in confusion. "Didn't you just spend the last ten minutes arguing with him on that?"

Sam grinned. "What kind of lawyer would I be if I couldn't argue both sides?"

Elliot snorted and glanced at his watch. "We should get moving if you want to make it to Senior Staff on time."

Tossing his napkin onto his plate, Sam stood and walked with Elliot out of the Mess.

"Mom?"

Jake jumped out of the SUV that the Secret Service had used to transport him from the airport to Number One Observatory Circle, duffel bag in hand. He dropped his duffel on the floor just inside the door, head swiveling around in search of a familiar face.

"Jake!"

Jake turned as his younger brother emerged from the sitting room. Crossing the distance, Jake pulled Jamie into a quick hug of greeting, then moved back.

"What's all this about?" he demanded. "Why did Mom need us back so soon? Is Dad okay?"

Jamie shook his head. "Dad's fine; I saw him when I got in last night," he answered. "I have no idea why Mom called us. Mom wouldn't tell me anything until you got here. Dad either."

"Well, I'm here now," Jake stated. "Where are they?"

"Mom's upstairs in the study," Jamie told him. "She said to bring you to her as soon as you got here."

Abandoning his duffel for now, Jake followed Jamie up the stairs and into the study.

The study was a spacious room with cream-colored walls and several mahogany bookshelves filled with books that Jake had never bothered to examine. There were two desks in the room now, different from the one that it had been just a little over a week ago. Near the window on the far wall were several plush armchairs arranged around a table. Suzanne was reviewing something in a folder in one of the chairs, but looked up at her sons' entrance.

"Jake!" Setting the folder aside, Suzanne stood and welcomed her oldest with a hug.

Jake endured the hug for as long as he could, but concern drove his actions. He pulled back, searching for answers on his mother's face. "What's going on? Is it Dad?"

Suzanne smiled. "No, your dad's fine. Everyone's fine. Let's sit down."

Jake tossed Jamie a bewildered glance as Suzanne sat back down. Jamie shrugged helplessly. Almost reluctantly, both boys sat down with their mother, but both remained perched on the edges of their seats.

Suzanne gave them a joyful smile. "The reason I called and asked you both to come back here is because of Charlie."

Jamie's brow furrowed. "What about Charlie?"

Suzanne took a deep breath; she felt she had been waiting her whole life to utter her next words. "We found him."

Silence met her stunning declaration.

"Wh-What?" Jake choked out.

"The Secret Service was running background checks on everyone when they noticed something wrong with one of the birth certificates," Suzanne told them. "They did a little more digging and ran a DNA test. It came back a match to Charlie."

As soon as the explanation sank in, it seemed as if a dam had burst as both of her sons peppered her with questions.

"Is he okay?" Jake asked.

"Have you seen him?" Jamie added.

"Does he know about us?"

"Where is he?"

"Can we see him?"

"Who took him?"

Suzanne held her hands up against the onslaught, more than aware of her own position barely two days before as she fired the same questions at Sam. Speaking of which . . .

"First," she said, quieting both boys with one word, "you should know that he wants to be called 'Sam'."

Jamie frowned. "Why?"

"When the Secret Service told him, he had no idea of any of this," Suzanne said. "He grew up believing he was born Sam Seaborn, and he's been having a difficult time wrapping his head around all of this. As far as I've heard, he hasn't even told anyone else about this."

Jamie opened his mouth to speak, but Jake cut him off.

"Wait," he said, frowning in thought. "Seaborn . . . didn't he . . . wasn't he the president's speechwriter or something?"

Suzanne nodded. "One of them."

"Are the Seaborns the ones who took him?" Jamie asked. "Have you met them?"

"We don't know yet," Suzanne replied. "And no; they live in California, which is where Sam grew up. The Secret Service is questioning them about all of that."

"Have you met Char- Sam?" Jake corrected himself. "What's he like?"

Suzanne smiled broadly. "I've only spoken to him myself on Wednesday night, when we all found out," she replied. "He's very bright; he finished high school at sixteen and went to Princeton, majoring in English. Then he attended Duke Law."

Jamie snorted. "A lawyer, huh? Dad must be over the moon."

Suzanne's smile only widened. "Your dad did mention how good he was. He's going into work earlier to meet Sam for breakfast now. Your dad told me that Sam managed to argue him down on a position in three minutes flat."

Jake's eyebrows shot up. "He argued Dad down? He must be good."

Suzanne nodded. "He's also quite funny; he's got a quick mouth to go with that quick mind."

"Can we meet him?" Jamie asked.

"He's agreed to come here for dinner tonight," Suzanne said. "You can meet him then." Her gaze sharpened into a stern expression that both Jake and Jamie were intimately familiar with. "I don't want you two boys to overwhelm him or push him if he's not comfortable with something. It was a big shock to all of us, and we've been looking for him for twenty-seven years. Sam never even had the slightest idea that he wasn't who he was, so you can just imagine what he's been going through the last two days."

"Of course," Jamie replied, almost offended at the warning.

Suzanne softened and glanced quickly at her watch. "I took most of the day off, but I have a meeting in about an hour that I need to get to. I'm coming right back to get started on dinner. I managed to get most of the groceries I needed delivered this morning, but I forgot to add shortening to the list. Can I trust you boys to run and pick it up for me?"

"Mom, I run several investigations at a time, and Jamie builds cutting edge drones from scratch," Jake said wryly. "I think we can handle a trip to Walmart."

Suzanne's eyes narrowed. "Let me rephrase," she said. "Can I trust you boys to run and pick up some shortening for me without making any unscheduled detours to the White House?"

"Mom, come on," Jamie said. "You know us."

"I mean it," Suzanne pressed, refusing to be swayed. "You'll meet your brother at dinner tonight. Leave him be for now."

"We got it," Jake assured his mother.

Suzanne held their gazes for another moment, then stood. Dropping a kiss on top of both of their heads, she took her leave.

As soon as Suzanne's clicking heels faded behind a distantly closed door, Jamie turned to his brother.

"Feel like visiting Dad at work?" he suggested.

"Well, I haven't seen him yet to say hi," Jake answered.

Grinning, both boys rose and headed out of the study.

"Which way?"

"You think I know?"

"You were here with Dad just last week."

"So were you!"

Jake and Jamie stood in the middle of the foyer, glancing right and left as people streamed past them. Their security details had spread out around the room with poorly disguised grins of amusement, leaving each team's principal agent standing near their charges.

Jamie eyed his guard. "You know, some insider knowledge would be pretty useful right now," he pointed out.

The guard, Elijah, flashed him a bright white smile that shone against his dark skin. "And put myself in the path of your mother? Thanks, but I think I'll enjoy this train wreck from the sidelines."

"If it's so bad, why aren't you stopping us then?" Jamie challenged as Jake left his side to wander closer to a door.

"My job is to stop you and protect you from any outside threats," Elijah answered. "You're on your own with your mom."

"Hey!"

Jamie turned from glaring at Elijah to looking over at Jake, who was beckoning him over. "You found him?"

"No, but I think I recognize some of those people," Jake answered. "This way."

Jamie obediently trailed after his older brother, looking around at the flurry of activity that filled the room. The ringing of phones and the rustling of papers filled the air as they narrowly dodged around several staffers in an obvious hurry. Jamie idly wondered how anyone managed to focus in the midst of such a maelstrom.

He frowned. "Jake, I don't think-."

"Jamie?"

Jamie froze and turned, surprised. His eyes fell on Josh Lyman, who had just exited an office and stood framed in the doorway. Josh's eyes shifted to something over Jamie's shoulder, and Jamie glanced behind him to see that Jake had joined him.

"Jake?" Josh continued, moving closer. "Hey, how are you guys doing?"

"We're good, thanks," Jake said, rather abruptly.

Jamie concealed a wince. While he could understand Josh wanting to leave his father's campaign, Jake had never quite forgiven him for jumping ship. "Er, how are you? Looks like you're keeping busy."

Josh shrugged, glancing around. "I'd like to say it'll all settle down soon, but I have a feeling that would be a lie." He took another step closer, moving out of the way of a harried assistant. "I thought you guys left town after the Inauguration."

"We did," Jake told him. "Mom asked us to come back to help her with something."

"Is she okay?" Josh asked, frowning.

Jamie appreciated the concern, and he smiled reassuringly. "She's fine," he told Josh. "She's working on a family thing and wanted us here to help."

"Well, if you're looking for her, you're in the wrong building," Josh stated. "I think she took an office at the EEOB."

"We know," Jake replied. "We wanted to stop by and say hi to our dad. I just flew in this morning."

"Okay," Josh said easily. "But you won't find him that way." He jutted a thumb back the way they had come. "You'll want to go back that way, past communications. Do you need an escort?"

"Thanks, but we'll be okay," Jake answered. "We don't want to keep you."

"All right," Josh said. "Good seeing you both."

Josh had barely left when Jake grabbed Jamie's arm and propelled him back to the lobby. Jamie yanked his arm free, but kept pace with his brother.

"Are you going to recognize him if you see him?" Jamie asked Jake. "I barely even remember his name being mentioned at the Inaugural Ball."

"I think so," Jake said. "Someone pointed him out to me at the Ball, so I-."

They turned around a corner and came to a complete stop.

There, standing in the middle of their path, stood their father with his arms crossed and a flat and unimpressed look on his face.

"Boys," Hoynes rumbled.

The obvious disapproval rolled over them, but that didn't stop Jake or Jamie from rising to the challenge.

"Hi Dad!" Jamie said brightly. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"Uh huh," Hoynes replied. "Let's go."

The boys stood firm. "Dad, we want to see him!" Jamie insisted.

"He's not here," Hoynes told them. "Come on."

"Where is he?" Jake demanded.

Hoynes unfolded his arms and reached out, grasping each of his son's arms and marching them in the other direction. "He's in a meeting with some lobbyists in the Mural Room," he told them. "You can meet him tonight."

Hoynes waited until they were safely ensconced in his office before releasing his sons. "Care to explain how you two somehow took a wrong turn on the way to the grocery store? I'm fairly certain your mom told you both that we'd be home for dinner tonight."

Jake crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't tell us that you found our missing brother, and then expect us to sit on our thumbs while we wait half a day to see him."

"That's exactly what I expect," Hoynes countered. "For God's sake, it was only a few more hours."

"Oh yeah?" Jamie said, hands planted on hips. "And how long did you wait to see him once you found out?"

"That's neither here nor there," Hoynes said. "I'm your father."

Jake and Jamie gave each other a knowing look, Jamie rolling his eyes.

"All right, you menaces," Hoynes said. "Come give your old man a hug."

Jake moved forward, accepting Hoynes' hug before stepping aside to make room for Jamie.

"Dad?" Jamie asked, stepping back from his father's hug.

"Yes, Jamie?" Hoynes replied.

"Mom said that Charlie- that Sam isn't telling anyone about us yet," Jamie stated. "He wants to keep it quiet for now?"

"That's right," Hoynes confirmed.

"Why?" Jake asked.

Hoynes gave a weary sigh and moved to sit behind his desk. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "Something tells me that there might be more to the story than he's letting on, but now isn't the time to push him on it. Let's just respect his wishes and support him in this as he gets used to the idea of being our Charlie."

"We can do that," Jamie said. "No problem. But a secret this big won't stay a secret forever. He knows that, right?"

"Knows? Yes," Hoynes replied. "Understands? We'll see." His stern look returned. "Now: I believe your mother mentioned an errand she needed you to do?"

"Yes, sir," Jake answered for both of them.

"Then I suggest you see to it before she gets back home from her meeting," Hoynes ordered. "And boys? I'll be home tonight with Sam. Try and stay out of trouble until then, all right?

Sam looked out the window of the black Chevy Suburban as the driver effortlessly navigated rush hour traffic in downtown Washington DC. He had always loved how DC appeared at dusk, with the lights just beginning to illuminate the characteristic landmarks. The view that night, however, passed by him unnoticed as his mind kept circling around to the impending meeting he was being whisked towards.

Beside him, Hoynes glanced down at Sam's absently twisting fingers. "You don't need to be so nervous, you know."

"Hmm?" Sam turned away from the window, his expression quizzical.

Hoynes nodded at his fingers. Sam glanced down and immediately separated the tangled knot they had become.

"You don't have to be nervous," Hoynes repeated. "Your brothers are very excited to meet you. So excited, in fact, that they tried to sneak into your office earlier today to meet you."

Sam's gaze snapped back to Hoynes, his eyes wide. "What?"

Hoynes chuckled. "Your mother told them not to. Of course, the first thing they did the minute they were left unsupervised was to come straight to the White House. You had your meeting with those lobbyists, or you would have seen them wandering about."

Sam slowly shook his head, unable to make sense of the action. "Why?"

The Suburban slowed as it turned onto the driveway, rolling to a smooth stop in front of the three-story residence.

Hoynes nodded and pointed out the window. "Like I said; they're very excited to meet you."

Sam turned his head and saw two young men standing on the large front porch, eyes glued to the Suburban. Sam felt his nerves jump in his throat at the sight.

Hoynes gently patted Sam's shoulder. "It'll be okay," he assured Sam. "Come on."

As if on cue, the door was pulled open. Sam blinked up at Elliot, who was standing beside the car door with an encouraging smile on his face. Taking a deep breath, Sam climbed out of the car.

Jake and Jamie immediately started walking towards him. Sam tensed up as Hoynes moved to stand beside him, offering Sam some measure of comfort.

"Boys." Hoynes' tone was a warning. "Does your mother know you're both out here waiting to ambush us?"

Jake merely grinned. "Who do you think sent us out here?"

"She said something about us getting under foot," Jamie added.

"From under her foot to mine, I see," Hoynes said sardonically. He turned to Sam. "Well, Sam, I had hoped to introduce you to a couple of well-reared young men, but I suppose these two will have to do."

Sam allowed himself a nervous chuckle as Hoynes beckoned Jake forward.

"Sam, this is Jake," their father introduced. "Jake, this is your brother Sam."

Sam reflexively offered his hand to Jake. Jake took the hand in a firm grip, then used it to pull Sam into his arms in a fierce embrace.

"It's so good to see you again," Jake whispered.

Sam returned the embrace more out of surprise than anything else. No sooner had Jake moved back did his other brother step forward, grinning with excitement.

"I'm Jamie," he announced before pulling Sam into another hug.

Sam withdrew from the hug and glanced between Jake and Jamie, eyes taking note of their similarities and idly wondering if he, too, shared those characteristics. "Hi," he said, almost shyly. "I'm Sam S-. Sam. It's nice to meet you."

"You're so polite," Jamie commented. "That won't do at all."

"I'm pretty sure Mom will kill you if you undo that particular home training," Jake told Jamie. "You know how she's always after you to show some manners."

"Me?" Jamie retorted. "That's some selective memory you've got going there. I wasn't the one that asked for a burger at that dinner with the governor of Texas last year."

"There's nothing wrong with a good burger," Jake said haughtily.

"Of course not," Sam chimed in, unable to help himself. "It's the epitome of haute cuisine."

The dry sarcasm froze the brewing spat in its tracks. Jake blinked at Sam in shock as Jamie burst into laughter.

"Oh, I like you," he said between chuckles. "Come on, let's head inside before we turn into icicles. Mom's making her pot roast, did you know?"

"She's going all out," Jake added as the boys gently tugged Sam into the house. "I hope you brought an appetite."

As they chattered, Hoynes followed his sons into the house with a wide, contented grin.

Sam was immediately struck by a mouth-watering smell the minute he set foot in the house. He glanced around the room, taking note of the simple yet elegant furnishing, wondering what changes were still to come as Hoynes and Suzanne settled into the residence.

He let himself be steered deeper into the house by his brothers, their words washing over him. Hey descended a set of stairs, passing by a dining room and arriving in a large kitchen where Suzanne was just pulling out a roasting pan from the oven.

"They're here!" Jamie announced.

Suzanne set the pan on top of the stove and set her pot holders aside. "So I see," she stated with a smile. She moved to Sam first, greeting him with a tight hug, then moved past him to give her husband a peck.

"Smells amazing," Hoynes murmured. "Need a hand?"

"If I needed a hand, I would've kept the staff," Suzanne replied. "I've got this. Why don't you go and get changed? The roast will be ready to slice when you get back."

Hoynes' eyes strayed to her sons, who had wandered further into the kitchen to poke at the dishes waiting to be served. He lingered on Sam, who was nodding at something Jake was telling him.

Suzanne gently squeezed Hoynes' arm, a knowing smile on her face. "Go on," she urged. "He'll still be here when you get back."

Hoynes smiled ruefully, giving his wife another kiss before slipping out of the kitchen.

"Boys," Suzanne announced, their attention shifting to her immediately. "You're just in time to set the table. Jake, can you handle our drinks? Or do you and Jamie need to take a quick detour by the Smithsonian first?"

Sam was intrigued at the sudden flush of embarrassment on both Jamie and Jake's faces as they mumbled a denial at Suzanne. He wondered at what triggered their reaction, but ultimately dismissed it as no explanation was forthcoming.

Jamie tugged Sam over to a cabinet and began to stack plates in his arms, then piled cloth napkins on top. "So Mom said you grew up in California?"

"Uh, yes," Sam answered, watching as Jamie collected cutlery for all of them.

"And you moved to the East Coast on purpose?" Jamie pressed, leading Sam into the dining room.

"What's wrong with the East Coast?" Sam asked, setting plates down where he was directed before folding napkins.

"Nothing," Jamie replied. "But I can't see a California boy appreciating the cold and wet temperatures of DC."

"I guess I appreciate it about as much as a Texas boy," Sam shot back.

Jamie grinned broadly, setting out the silverware on the napkins. "Touché," he replied easily. "But to be fair, I live in Tennessee."

"Your parents live here," Sam pointed out.

Jamie paused ever-so-slightly, then continued laying out the cutlery. "'Our' parents," he corrected gently.

Sam blushed at the slip. "Right. Of course. Sorry."

Jamie looked up at him. "Still sinking in, huh?" he asked sympathetically.

Sam gave him a grateful grin. "Yeah," he admitted. "I guess I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Jake appeared, carrying two glasses of wine to the table. Jamie's eyes flickered to him, then back to Sam.

"The other shoe is that you're stuck with Jake for a brother," Jamie told Sam with a teasing grin.

"Hey, I'm a great brother," Jake retorted, setting the glasses down. "I beat up all the bullies who picked on you."

The three of them headed back into the kitchen. "What about Tiffany?" Jamie asked, handing Sam a bowl of green beans before picking up one with carrots and potatoes.

Jake grabbed the remaining three glasses. "What about Tiffany?"

"She picked on me," Jamie said as they returned to the dining room.

Jake snorted. "She picked on you because she liked you and was trying to get you to ask her out." He set the glasses on the table and looked at Sam. "He never notices when women are interested in him," he told Sam in a mock whisper.

Sam huffed a laugh. "I don't exactly have a leg to stand on there," he admitted. "Lisa practically had to draw it out for me that she wanted to go on a date with me."

Both boys perked up at the unexpected tidbit.

"Lisa?" Jamie asked. "Who is she? A girlfriend?"

Sam winced. "Fiancée. Ex-fiancée, actually. She was happy to be the wife of a lawyer who made partner in New York City's second largest law firm. She was less than happy to be the wife of an untried speechwriter for an underdog political campaign."

There was a wealth of emotion behind the matter-of-fact delivery that told Jake and Jamie that there was more to the story, but neither brother wanted to push Sam on it.

"So what made you decide to switch from law to speechwriting?" Jake asked, shifting their conversation slightly.

"Um, Josh, actually," Sam answered with a fond smile. "Josh Lyman. Do you know him?"

"We've met a few times," Jamie answered before Jake could.

"I met Josh back when I was interning as a congressional aide," Sam told them. "We hit it off and have been best friends ever since. He knew of an opening on President Bartlet's campaign and came and got me. We had always talked about making a difference in people's lives, and he knew that I had . . . I guess, settled with corporate law."

"Sounds like we have a budding politician on our hands," Jake commented as they walked back to the kitchen.

Hoynes had returned at this point, clad in worn jeans and an SMU sweatshirt and looking so much like a 'dad' that Sam was momentarily taken aback. Hoynes was slicing through the pot roast and laying the meat on a serving platter, but at their entrance, he glanced up.

"Budding politician?" he echoed, a light twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Do I have some competition at the office?"

"Not in the slightest," Sam assured him as Jake and Jamie delivered the final dishes to the dining room.

Hoynes set aside the knife and fork in his hands and lifted the platter. "Don't sell yourself short," he told Sam. "You've got the passion and the know-how. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see you in Congress one day, or even in the White House."

Sam blushed furiously, following Hoynes back into the dining room.

Suzanne was busy directing Jamie and Jake to move dishes around to make room for the platter of roast Hoynes was bringing. Sam hesitated a few feet away, taking in the ease in which everyone moved around one another. He didn't have time to feel awkward or out of place as Jake moved to his side, slinging an arm around Sam's shoulders and leading him to his seat at the table.

Plates were passed around the table, calls for different dishes bouncing around the dishes. Sam joined in the melee effortlessly, smiling and needling Jamie about the mountain of potatoes heaped on his plate.

Once the flurry of movement had eased and everyone had settled into their seats, everyone's eyes unerringly searched out Hoynes at the head of the table. Hoynes took his wine glass and held it up to his family.

"Words cannot express the joy and gratitude I feel and seeing my wife and all three of our sons seated at the table," he stated. "May this meal be a first of many to come for our family."

"Hear hear," Jamie agreed, hefting his glass and taking a sip.

As everyone finished toasting, Hoynes set his glass aside and looked at Sam. "Sam, I'd like to apologize in advance for the interrogation that's about to happen."

Sam let out a startled laugh. "I think I can handle a few questions."

Hoynes shrugged, picking up his knife and fork to cut into his food. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Sure enough, as soon as Sam had taken the first bite of what had to be the best pot roast he had ever tasted, the questions began to roll in. From school to work, from childhood friends to ex-girlfriends, there was a never-ending deluge of inquiries.

Strangely, rather than feel overwhelmed and intimidated, Sam matched his family question for question, intent on learning as much about them as they did about him. It was an entirely new experience for Sam, feeling simultaneously like an outsider and as if he'd always been a part of the family, and he found himself yearning for more.

By the time dessert had been finished and coffee consumed, Sam was shocked to find how late it had gotten. To his even greater surprise, he felt reluctant to leave the warmth of their family dinner.

"I hate to stop here, but I should be getting back to my apartment," Sam announced at the next lull in conversation.

"My goodness, I had no idea how late it was!" Suzanne exclaimed after a glance at the clock on the wall.

"Let's meet up tomorrow," Jamie told Sam. "We can hang out, maybe see if the Wizards are playing."

It was a very tempting offer. "I don't know," Sam hedged. "I still have a lot of work to do . . ."

"It's the weekend, Sam," Jake insisted. "Just a few hours. Work will still be there."

"All right," Sam agreed with a bashful smile, standing.

"Great!" Jamie leapt to his feet and pulled Sam into a hug. "We'll come by and pick you up at nine."

Sam was pulled into another hug by Jake, who then stepped back to make room for Suzanne.

"Um . . . thank you for inviting me," Sam said awkwardly. "Everything was great."

Suzanne tugged Sam down into a fierce hug. "I'm so glad you came," she said. She drew Sam back to meet his eyes. "You can join us anytime. You never have to ask. You hear?"

Sam nodded as Hoynes laid a gentle hand on his back.

"Secret Service is bringing the car around," Hoynes told him. "They'll take you home tonight. Come on; I'll walk you to the door."

The two men headed down the hall in a companionable silence for a moment.

Hoynes glanced at Sam. "So . . . was it as bad as you thought?"

Sam laughed lightly. "Not at all. Actually, I had a great time. I've never had a family dinner like that before. Is it always like that?"

The comment was odd; Hoynes smothered his confusion. "Pretty much. Your family dinners weren't quite so boisterous?"

Sam snorted and shook his head. "Not even close. Usually it was just me and my mo-." He abruptly cut himself off.

"It's okay to call her that, you know," Hoynes said quietly. "She was your mother growing up."

Sam shrugged. "Dinners were just the two of us," he said, ducking around the comment entirely. "She never really talked much; just read the paper or watched TV. She only talked when d- . . . when Norman was there. Dinner with my uncle or my grandparents was even more stuff; I was usually the only kid, so I never had anyone else to talk to."

That made Hoynes unaccountably saddened. He shoved it aside in an effort to keep their conversation light. "Dinner has always been a way for me and Suzanne to check in with the boys to see how they were doing. It was like that for my folks too."

They stopped at the door, Hoynes turning to face Sam fully.

"What Suzanne told you goes double for me," he told Sam. "You are always welcome in this house, any time, day or night. If you need a place to crash, or just to hang out; this is your home too. I'm pretty sure Suzanne wanted to issue a standing order for you to come home for dinner every night, but not even I can always obey that one. Just . . . we wanted you to know that. Okay?"

Sam nodded, a smile fixed on his face.

Outside, both of them could see the Secret Service pulling the car up through the frosted glass windows. Hoynes reached out and pulled Sam into his arms, holding him tight.

Sam felt himself melt into the embrace, his face pressed into the soft material of Hoynes' sweatshirt.

"Thanks for coming," Hoynes said softly into his hair. "I know how worried you were about this."

Sam withdrew from the hug. "Thanks for having me," he replied sincerely. "And for being patient with me. It can't be easy."

Hoynes dropped a hand on the back of Sam's neck and squeezed. "You never have to thank me for that," he said seriously. "You're my son."

The warmth of that simple statement stayed with Sam for the entire ride back to his apartment. It remained with him through Elliot's quick search of his apartment, aided by his team. A part of Sam marveled at the feeling; he had spent so much time trying to win Norman Seaborn's love and attention as a child, and John Hoynes was just lavishing him with it. Sam spared a thought for Josh, and Josh's affection for his late father. He wondered if this was how Josh had felt growing up,; if so, Sam envied him.

A blinking light on his answering machine caught his attention on his way to his bedroom. Sam pressed play, his mind only half on the action.

The sound of Chris Winters' voice filled the room, popping the euphoric bubble Sam and been carrying since dinner.

"Samuel," came the foreboding tone. "You will present yourself in my office on Monday. Do not make me track you down."

And just like that, reality crashed down on Sam.

end chapter 4