I Sign My Name
Summary: Sam always felt the need to protect them. And for the life of him, he couldn't understand why anyone would mistreat the women in his life. One-shot
I suppose I've always felt the need to protect those I am closest to. Especially the females. I didn't see them as weak or pathetic. I merely felt an urge to keep them from harm. I never had a sister. It was just me, Mom and Dad although later I would find out Dad had more. I grew up in Southern California where movies told me all the bad people lived. When I asked my mother why the women were always the ones hurt she responded with a lesson I'll never forget. "Women are beautiful wonderful but crazy people Sam. Treat every single one like you treat me – with respect and honesty. Treat them like queens and yourself a servant. Protect them and care for us. If you do that with every girl and woman you meet the world will be a better place."
Enter my third grade year and meet Angelika. She loved to sit under the big tree and tell stories to herself during recess. Everyone thought she was strange and, in typical third grade boy fashion, teased her. But I remembered what my mother said and tried to get to know Angelika. I found out she told stories to herself to perfect them for her younger sister. She wanted to be an author, she confided one day. That also happened to be the day Mitch and his fellow gang decided Angelika would be their prime target. I stood up for her even though it made me very unpopular with the third graders. Today Angelika is a children's author. In her first book, she wrote this in the inside cover of the one she sent me. "Sam – Thanks for listening to my stories. Third grade is a long way back but I think you'll remember it well. Best Wishes – Angelika Joy."
By high school I knew where I wanted to go. Princeton was calling to me. But that required top grades. I wasn't the only one shooting for an Ivy. In my class there was a girl named Marissa Cristhoff. Marissa was tied with me for the salutatorian spot. And she tracked every single grade I got with stalker-like precision. I hear she's a detective now. It suits her. Anyway, Marissa hated me. She was a math and science whiz. She thought English and history were pointless subjects that one couldn't make a living off. Government, let alone politics, was stupid to her. She had decided this all in the first month of our sophomore year. Why worry? We still had two years of high school. In our junior and senior years we dated and I found the reason. There's always a reason, I know. It was her goal but her dad didn't believe she could do it. In the end she was valedictorian, myself salutatorian. What can I say? Calculus killed me.
There were a few girls that I felt the need to protect at Princeton. Duke, where I earned my law degree, was the same. It was fresh out of Duke that I met Lisa Sherborn. Even though our engagement didn't work out, I still don't mind the woman. I actually think part of the reason I asked her to marry me was how she reacted to my treating her like a queen. Although I see Vanity Fair as a fluffy magazine, I'll defend her job. Because to Lisa, her job is part of her. She's a writer – it's in her blood, just like it's in mine. I'll try to protect her because well…not every guy is as nice as I am. And every woman deserves to be protected. I thought every female was like that. Until I met C.J. Cregg.
C.J. is the most independent, crazy, intelligent woman I have ever met. No one tries to shield C.J. She almost hit me when I did. She's been fighting for herself for almost too long. She knows how to stand tall and take everything like – like a guy. At times I know she is a stronger person than I am. Now she doesn't hit me. In fact, now she shields me, like with the Lori incident or from Mallory. We're like brother and sister. And I love her to death. C.J. is one who can most definitely hold her own.
Then comes the one I was so wrong about. Ainsley seemed exactly like our Press Secretary, only shorter, blonder … and a Republican. When I met Ainsley, I saw a woman wouldn't give up. Actually, while Kirkwood might be in Oregon, it is also in Iowa. There's a community college there, ironically enough named Kirkwood Community College. But that's beside the point isn't it? I got my butt whipped by her on Capitol Beat, and I suppose I deserved it. Ainsley had the worst first day in all of West Wing history I think. Some men who worked for her, even when she tried to be kind insulted her. Her boss hated her, and her office was in the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Center. I mean, how much worse could it get?
When I confronted her late that night about something trivial I could see something was wrong, but typical me, I bullied on. If I had looked closer I would have seen she was close to tears as she walked away. I followed her to find that bunch of dead flowers and a single card with the word 'bitch' on it. And at that moment I knew how I had to protect Ainsley. She tried to get me to stop, but I knew what I needed to do. So I fired them. Because when I protect them, I always leave a mark. I sign my name. I leave a mark on their souls because they have left one on mine. I sign my name so they will not forget that they are precious and sometimes do need to be protected.