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Faith

By Ecri

Episode related: Enemies Foreign and Domestic/Stirred

Sam Seaborn couldn't remember the last time he'd left the Oval Office feeling as good as he did right now. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt this good. He was very nearly giddy, and all because the President had told him that he'd done a good job. It was foolish, he knew, even a little ridiculous to be so affected by the words of one man. He knew it was silly. He also knew that the last time he'd felt this way after a compliment from the President had been when President Bartlet had still been Governor Bartlet, and the Governor, still unsure who he was, and only sure he'd done a good job, had called him Josh.

Josh.

Sam switched directions, and, rather than head to his own office, he went to Josh's. He and Josh were best friends, or at least he still liked to think so, but while they still spoke to each other almost daily, they didn't seem to do as much communicating as they once had.

He saw Donna gathering some folders on her desk. "Hey, Donna, is he in?"

"Yeah. CJ's in with him."

"Oh. I can come back."

"No. Wait a minute." Donna picked up her phone and dialed. "Josh, Sam's here." She said into the receiver. She paused for a moment. "To see you." Pause. "I don't know." Another pause. "I figured you could ask him yourself." Pause. "I know what you said, but CJ said if he or Toby came by, to call you." Long pause. "Yes, generally CJ's orders take precedence over yours." Longer pause. "You think you're in charge. CJ actually is in charge." Brief pause. "Impervious." She hung up the phone and gestured towards the door. "Go on in."

Sam hesitated. Obviously, something serious was going on in there, but Donna waved him through again, so he went into the office.

The Deputy Chief of Staff sat at his desk, and The Press Secretary stood just to his left. Sam stood in the doorway, still high on what the President had said, until he noticed the looks on his friends' faces and a man he didn't know standing next to CJ.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

CJ inhaled as if preparing herself. "This is my Secret Service protection, Sam. I wanted to introduce him to the Senior Staff." She turned to the agent. "Simon Donovan, Sam Seaborn. Sam, Simon."

Agent Donovan stepped forward and shook Sam's hand. "Just pretend I'm not here. I or one of my agents will be with Ms. Cregg 24 hours a day."

Sam nodded, turning back to CJ. "Ron thought it was this serious?"

CJ nodded. "There were pictures, apparently."

Sam's eyes widened at the implication.

CJ became distinctly uncomfortable then. "So, look, I've got some stuff to do." She gestured vaguely in the direction of her office.

"CJ," Sam called as she walked to the door. She turned to look at him. "If you need"

She cut him off, unable to face the look in his eyes that spoke of friendship, fear, helplessness, and a desire to throw her to the ground again to keep her from getting hit by flying bullets. "I know, Sam."

She'd been gone a few minutes before Sam realized he was still watching the door and ignoring Josh. Josh didn't say anything right away, but finally cleared his throat. "You wanted to see me?" Josh hadn't waited to see why the President called the Deputy Communications Director back when they'd been leaving the meeting, but he'd hoped it wasn't anything serious.

Sam smiled, but his previous elation had become apprehension. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?'

"Foryou know." Sam sighed when Josh stared at him blankly. In light of what was happening to CJ, this no longer seemed appropriate. He sat heavily in one of Josh's chairs. "When I came to you in the Oval Office about Chigorin's message, you believed me."

Josh smiled. "You were right."

"We still don't know that for certain," Sam pointed out.

"We'll go with your gut."

"We don't usually."

Josh's face fell. "Sam."

"I'm sorry. I was feeling much more positive before I realized this thing with CJ is real." Sam mentally shook himself, blinking to clear his head of misgivings and his eyes of moisture.

Josh nodded again, sensing that Sam wasn't finished and afraid to speak in case the moment passed and Sam kept his thoughts to himself.

"Josh, I don't usually have any input in meetings involving matters of Foreign Policy. I expected you to take the ball and run with it."

Josh nodded. "I know." Josh spoke softly, looking down at his desk, knowing what Sam would ask next.

"So why"

"You weren't sent to Hoynes' office so you wouldn't be at that meeting." Josh raised his eyes to meet Sam's.

Sam sat silently for a moment, unsure how to respond. "I believed you, Josh."

"I know. I wanted to be sure." Josh leaned across his desk. "We're a team. All of us. We just sort of scattered a little after the MS thing. I realized how you were feeling. I didn't like how you were feeling."

Sam nodded, still smiling. "Thanks."

"Besides, I want the job."

"What job?" Sam's confusion at the turn in the conversation was evident.

"Maybe I should say jobs. There's two of them I'd be well suited for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Campaign Manager for the Sam Seaborn for President Campaign and Chief of Staff for the Seaborn Administration."

Josh was surprised that Sam had no immediate response. He was even more surprised when Sam frowned in suspicion.

"Have you been talking to the President?"

"No. Why? What'd he say?"

"Forget it."

"What did he say?"

"That I would run for President one day. That he believed in me." Sam seemed almost embarrassed to admit it.

Josh laughed. "That sly little"

"Josh!"

"I wasn't going to say anything bad."

"Sure."

"So do I get the jobs?" Josh persisted.

"If you don't have those jobs, I won't get the big office at the end of the hall."

Josh stood, a genuine smile brightening his features. "Come on. Let's get to work on campaign strategy."

"There is a small matter of this other campaign to win first, Josh."

"Piece of cake."

"You mean President Bartlet's reelection, or my own election?"

"Both."

"How do you figure?"

Josh shrugged into his coat and pulled his door open. "Both candidates are the real thing."

Sam stood in stunned silence, flattered and amazed by his friend's words. Josh and President Bartlet seemed to have complete faith in him, and, even though it had never been a feasible goal to him before, now he knew. He wanted to be President. He would be President. He smiled at Josh. "Okay, so what's my campaign slogan?"

"Let me thinkhow about 'Sam Seaborn: The Real Thing'."

"Isn't Coca Cola the Real Thing?"

"You are such a trivia nerd."

"As opposed to what kind of nerd?"

"A grammar nerd."

"Where do you get these little gems of wit?'

"You're the one playing HaHa's. I'm just trying to keep up."

"The day you can keep up with me"

"Watch it! I am capable of keeping up with you in any arena, my friend."

"Well, not any arena."

"Name one arena where I couldn't keep up with you!"

"Anything requiring legal expertise."

"Hey, I have a law degree!"

"It's mostly decorative."

"Shut up!"

"You only say that 'cause you know I'm right."

"Shut up!"

"Thanks Josh."

Josh almost chose to ignore Sam's sudden serious tone, but in the end, emotion won over machismo. "You're welcome, Sam."

Finis