Completed: November 2002

*~*~*~*

Sam laced his fingers with Ellie’s as they waited patiently outside the Oval Office.

Debbie eyed them warily before returning her attention back to the mountain of paperwork on her desk. “He shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“It’s okay, he’s doing it on purpose,” Ellie smiled, and squeezed Sam’s hand tighter. “This is because I didn’t drop everything and jump on the next plane.” She saw the slight upturn of Sam’s lips at the connotation running through his mind and her grin widened. She had in fact dropped Everything the second she disconnected the call.

They had delayed their return another two days, barely venturing from their suite. The holiday had become a honeymoon and Ellie had been determined that they spend it like newlyweds, which meant round the clock sex and room service. Sam hadn’t objected.

When Jed had failed to have his daughter heed his order and return home, he had sent in the big guns. Abbey had been slightly more successful, in so much as Ellie told her about the wedding, gushing about how much she loved Sam and how they had wanted very little fuss. Ellie had however remained steadfast in her refusal to return to DC.

“CJ is with him right now,” Debbie started as the sound of Jed’s booming voice shattered the silence.

“You’re the Press Secretary, you think of something.”

Sam cringed and glanced longingly at the portico. It was only going to get worse, he concluded. If he was shouting at CJ, and no doubt Abbey too, he and Ellie were definitely going to get the brunt of it.

The phone on Debbie’s desk rang and she picked it up, holding the receiver as far from her ear as possible. “You may go in now,” she said, looking back towards the newlyweds.

Ellie looked at Sam and he smiled back at her, hoping he looked more confident than he felt. Hand in hand, they approached the door and Sam opened it.

Jed stopped pacing when he caught sight of them in the doorway. His eyes flew to their hands before looking back up at their faces and glowering at Sam.

There followed minutes of awkward silence as the staring competition continued.

Finally, Ellie sighed and released Sam’s hand. “Hello Dad.”

“Eleanor. Sam.” His tone was cold and unwelcoming.

“Mr. President.”

“Sam, sit,“ Ellie instructed, dropping onto one of the couches. “Dad, sit.”

The President raised an eyebrow.

“Fine, then we’ll go upstairs to the Residence and have this conversation at another time.” Her father had two choices - he could do it now in the Oval and have her stand up to him, or do it on neutral territory and have Abbey present.

Jed settled into an armchair and folded his hands in his lap. In the two days since the reporter had asked CJ about Ellie’s elopement he’d had time to calm down about the marriage. Or rather warm to the idea of having Sam as his son. The delay in their visit had only served to incense him once again. “Damn it, Ellie,” he snapped after a moment of silence. “Why do you do this?”

“With all due respect. . .,” Sam began.

“I don’t care,” Jed groaned. “You eloped with my daughter.”

“We’ve been living together for a year,” Sam mumbled, shifting in his seat.

“Your mother is devastated.”

Ellie let out an exaggerated sigh and lowered her head to her hands.

“You’re doing that thing again, Eleanor. I can’t hear you,“ Jed complained. “I need to see your face to be able to hear you.”

His daughter lifted her face and glanced at her husband.

“Dad,” she hissed. “I’m a grown woman now, a grown married woman, not a child.”

“Sir, if you’d let me. . .” Sam shut up as Jed glared at him. It was freaky but he could swear the President had been taking lessons from CJ or Toby.

“Did you think your mother and I wouldn’t approve? Am I that much of an ogre that you thought I’d forbid you? Or was it punishment for something? You see I’ve thought about this and I can’t think of anything that I could have done to you to make you hate me this much,” Jed shouted, his voice increasing in decibels. “So, tell me, Ellie, why you didn’t want me at your wedding?”

“I don’t hate you,” she said, her voice barely audible, her hand reaching for the security of Sam’s. She was an adult but her father still managed to revert her back to a snivelling seven year old. “We didn’t do this to punish you. I love Sam and I wanted to marry him.”

Jed threw his hands into the air and jumped out of his seat. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Sam grinned. “I’m really not that bad a guy.”

Jed shot him another look.

“Mr. President. Ellie and I were on vacation. We hadn’t planned to get married but it seemed the right thing to do.” He gulped and pulled Ellie’s hand into his lap. “I love her and I always planned to spend the rest of my life with her, to marry her and have a family. It’s just happening a little earlier than planned.”

“You couldn’t wait a few weeks?” Jed exclaimed, slamming his fist against the desk.

“I guess we won’t be having a welcome home party for Sam, eh Leo?” Josh asked, grinning in the meeting next door.

Leo rolled his eyes and motioned to the door. There was little chance of the staff finishing their meeting in peace, better that they moved to another room.

“No,” Ellie stated firmly.

“You’re your mother’s daughter,” Jed retorted, his hands balling into fists at his side. His anger was threatening to get out of hand, which was never a good thing in the Oval Office.

Sam moved forward in his seat. He actually thought Ellie carried more of her father’s traits which was probably why the conversation was going as well as it was. They had photos of the ceremony to show him but now didn’t seem to be an appropriate time. “Maybe we should discuss this later.”

“Worried about my stress levels, are you son?” Jed snorted. His eyes widened as he realized what he’d said. Sam was his son.

Sam allowed himself a second’s indulgence and smiled. At last he had a father who would, after he got over his initial anger, be proud of him.

“It’s really not good for your condition to get so worked up, Dad,” Ellie commented dryly.

Jed made a strange noise and gestured with his hands. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you ran off to California.”

The conversation was going absolutely nowhere. Or round in circles, Sam wasn‘t sure. He rubbed his free hand on his pant leg and glanced at Ellie. “Why don’t we let you get back to work, Mr. President and we can talk later in the residence?”

He thought for a moment that Jed hadn’t heard him then the President nodded. “Josh wants to see you.” He raised his eyes to look at his daughter. “You need to speak to CJ, now would be as good a time as any.”

*~*~*~*

CJ slammed her office door and screamed. For days she had been getting questions about the whereabouts of the President’s middle daughter and veiled references to a wedding. Now the President wanted her to give a press conference. He was just a little shy on the details.

Ellie knocked on the door and waited, her red hair framing her face as she nibbled on her bottom lip. When her father had finally finished his rant he’d ordered her to talk to CJ. She wasn’t sure what was worse, her father or a pissed off Press Secretary.

“What?”

“It’s Ellie.”

The door opened and Ellie looked up into the flushed face of CJ. “Hey.”

“You’d better come in.” CJ stepped back and waited for the young woman to enter before she slammed the door. “So, I hear congratulations are in order.”

A small smile twitched at Ellie’s lips. “Thanks.”

“So what am I supposed to say in there?” It was a question devoid of emotion. Sam should have phoned her the minute he suspected the story was out, hell he should have phoned her the minute he signed the register. Now she was trying to spin something that really shouldn’t have had to be spun.

Ellie shrugged. “Sam and I got married.”

“If only it was that simple,” CJ sighed. “Ellie, the press don’t give a damn about you and Sam. Well, they would have liked a wedding in the Rose Garden, but that’s another matter. It’s going to be all about your father. Why wasn’t he at the wedding? Is there a family feud? Does he approve?”

“It was my idea. Sam knew nothing about it until two days before,” Ellie stated, refusing to meet CJ’s eye.

“Miss. Bartlet, sorry, Mrs. Seaborn, can you tell us why you eloped? Was it a shot gun wedding? How is your father taking the news?”

“You just give them the standard answer. We don’t comment on the private lives of the President’s daughters,” Ellie mumbled with a sigh.

CJ groaned. “Yeah, like that’s gonna work. Look, I’m happy for you, really I am. Sam and you are perfect for each other. It’s just if I’d known in advance I could have been prepared. An announcement, some photos and a few questions about when you’re going to make the President a grandfather. Now I’m playing catch up.”

Ellie ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it into a pony tail. “How bad is it really?”

CJ shrugged. Her anger was subsiding slightly with Ellie’s contrite expression. She couldn’t imagine it was easy being the President’s daughter and had she been in the same position, well eloping wasn’t such a bad idea. “It’ll be okay, well if I can keep your father out of my press room. But you need to do everything I say, okay?”

“Yeah.” It was a weary acknowledgment but she didn’t really want to create any more problems in her father’s life.

“Then. . .,” CJ smiled, opening her notebook and dropping onto the couch. “. . .I want all the details, well not all.” She nudged Ellie and winked. The Press Conference could wait, for now she would concentrate on getting “the goods” on Sam.

*~*~*~*

Sam climbed back into bed, a bag of microwave popcorn in one hand and a tub of ice cream in the other. It was Sunday night, their first night in weeks when neither had to be up early for work, and Ellie wanted to watch television and snack in bed. So here they were. Or rather here he was.

Ellie was still in the bath, up to her neck in bubbles, humming softly.

Pulling open the bag of popcorn, he flicked channels on the television until he came to CNN. CJ’s press briefing was going out live and he turned up the volume. He liked to watch her at work and he missed his friends but then he loved being with Ellie more.

“CJ?” Ellie asked, padding out of the bathroom in his dress shirt and nothing else.

“They’re discussing your father’s plans for Labor Weekend,” Sam offered, taking another handful of popcorn.

“And CNN picks that up?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure if that’s why they have a live feed, or whether, and it seems more likely, it’s because your father has opened talks with Qumar about weapons. They still have, and in fact are using, American made missiles against our forces.”

“And they have CJ doing the briefing?” Ellie exclaimed, climbing into bed and snuggling up against him. “Oh, I’d love to be a fly on the wall in Leo’s office later.”

Sam grinned, “Yeah, there are times like this I miss working with these people.”

“You wanna go back?”

It was so timid and unlike his wife, that Sam turned abruptly to look at her. “No. No. I miss the people but not the job. I can’t imagine there is anywhere I would rather be than here with you.” He was always more eloquent with written words but sometimes he had to improvise.

Her smile lit up her eyes as she reached for the ice cream and removed the lid. “That’s good then.”

The first dollop was cold as it hit his stomach. Sam yelped and glared at her just before she pulled back the covers and dropped the second three inches lower. Before he could react, Ellie was lowering her head to gently lick off the melting ice.

“Ellie?” he choked as her head moved lower, her lips sucking and nipping at his flesh. “El. . Lie.” Sam’s eyes flickered shut as her fingers joined her mouth and she began to send him spiralling into orgasm.

They had waited to make love, not wanting to upset her father, and to be sure it was what they both wanted. The first time had been mind blowing and ever since they made love whenever they could. Tonight was obviously going to be one of those occasions if Sam could last that long.

He pushed her head lightly away from his thigh and slid further down the bed, pulling her on top of him. Once she slid down onto his erection the sex became fast the furious, the ice cream landing in a sticky mess of the carpet, the popcorn crushed into the bed.

Sam tugged her head down for a kiss as he shuddered inside her. She was incredible, her red hair tumbling around her face, her brown eyes wide and adoring. He could look at her forever.

As they crashed back to earth, he held her against his chest, kissing her forehead and stroking her back through his shirt. “Ellie?” he started gently.

“Um.”

“I love you.”

“Ditto,” she mumbled, nuzzling his neck.

“Every time I look at the triplets I see us with our own little family, a beautiful red haired little girl and a dark haired little boy.”

Ellie stiffened and opened her eyes, suddenly very awake. “Sam?”

Sam continued to stroke her back, images of them in the future surrounded by children. “I was thinking, that maybe, now we’re both settled, we could try for a baby.”

He suddenly felt cold, the place on his chest where she had once been now empty. “Ellie?”

“We need to talk, Sam.” Really need to talk, she thought.

“You don’t want a baby?” he asked, taken by surprise. They had never discussed having a family. He had always assumed that it was what they both wanted.

No, she didn’t, not now, not ever. Ellie sighed and glanced at the mess on the floor. “I’ve just started on my career, Sam. There’s so much to learn and I want to be the best. Mom had us kids and she had to wait years to get where she wanted.” Of course, she was no longer a doctor, having put her own career on the back burner for her husbands. Ellie didn‘t want to become her mother.

“I thought, I just assumed, that we’d become parents now, while we’re young enough to enjoy them. We’re happy, financially secure. . .,” he trailed off as she climbed out of bed and started to clean the carpet.

“We are happy, but I want us to spend some time together, just us. I’m twenty-nine years old, Sam. You’re thirty-seven. We have so much time. Toby was what, forty-four?” She refused to look at him. He’d give her that puppy dog expression and she’d feel guilty, without any reason to be.

“I didn’t realize it wasn’t what you wanted,” he said sadly. Surely he wasn’t that visual impaired not to notice that his wife was against parenthood. She’d always smiled at her father and told him they would when the time was right.

“I’m asking for a few years, honey.” By which time he would hopefully change his mind. “I’m not saying that we can’t practise,” she added with a grin. Looking up, she pushed her hair off her face and gave him a coy expression.

He gave her a weak smile. He loved her and if she wasn’t ready he would wait. Besides maybe he could change her mind with his cunning and guile. “Okay, but can we practise some more tonight?”

*~*~*~*

Ellie stared at the test results. It wasn’t possible. She had been so careful. Except obviously she hadn’t. It was there in blue and white. She was pregnant. Sam would be thrilled. Even now she could see him on the phone calling everyone he knew, grinning from ear to ear. Her father, well he was going to be impossible to deal with. Since the day they married he had been nagging to be a grandfather again.

Her red hair fell across her face as she started to cry.

They would have to move out of the apartment into a house. Of course her parents would want them in Washington or Manchester, so they could see their grandchild at every opportunity. She wasn’t ready for suburbia just yet. There would be no more going out, seeing her friends or even time alone. It wasn’t what she wanted.

The pregnancy would also affect her career. There would be so much she couldn’t do while she was pregnant. As she put on weight it would be harder to carry out her duties, lift her patients and she would tire easily. They also wouldn’t let her set up the chemotherapy. She’d also get fat and have to take time off. More than three weeks leave and she’d spend months playing catch up.

Her mother had never reached her full potential in her field because every time there was the opportunity for advancement, she’d put her children first. Of course her mother was successful, and still would be if she hadn’t forfeited her licence. At least her mother had time to read the latest journals. No chance of that for Ellie with a new born baby screaming the house down.

Tears splashed onto her red blouse as pulled her knees to her chest. The worse thing was that she couldn’t do a thing about it. Her religious convictions meant there was no way she would abort and once the baby was born, her family wouldn’t let her give it up. She could only hope that she would grow to love the thing growing inside her.

*~*~*~*

Sam pressed his fingers against the glass and watched as his daughter slept in her crib. They had decided to call her Emma, Emma Georgia Seaborn.

Ellie was asleep down the hall, exhausted after a sixteen hour labor. For the first few months of her pregnancy she had been depressed but as time passed, she began to look forward to the birth. Her face, as she held their daughter for the first time, had been serenely beautiful.

Sam had been at her side throughout, only leaving briefly to phone her parents and to get more ice chips. His hand was just coming back to life after her constant squeezing.

He had phoned her parents and announced that they were grandparents to a seven pound baby girl. Abbey had asked endless questions about her, and how her daughter was. Jed’s first question had been names. He was surprised, and a little confused by their choice, muttering about his granddaughter being named after a state that voted against him.

Sam’s next call had been to Toby. It was brief but the older man had been pleased for him.

By the time Sam had finished phoning the rest of the extended family, Emma had been moved to the nursery. She was perfect, beautiful and perfect.

Taking one last look, he headed back to his wife’s room, intent on being there when she woke up so he could tell her just how happy she had made him..

*~*~*~*

“Dr. Seaborn, welcome back.”

Ellie smiled and continued towards the Oncology ward. It had been three months since she’d last set foot in the hospital, and she‘d missed the buzz.

Sam had wanted her to take more time, to be with their daughter awhile longer but she had been insistent. She loved Emma but if she had to spend another day alone, she was going to go crazy. The hospital creche was three floors down and of there were any problems what better place to be than here?

“Ellie, thank god for small mercies, the consultant grinned. “We have two new admittances over night. Can you take Mrs. Langley?” He handed over a bundle of notes and she continued down the hall. “By the way, welcome back.”

Her first day back was crazy. She had been so caught up with meeting new patients and rounds that the hours had flown by. By the time she had finished setting up her final drip it was after eight. Not that she minded. It was what she lived for.

As the weeks passed she became more involved in her work, loving every minute of her interaction with her patients, often working back well after her shift had ended.

*~*~*~*

“Sam, I’m home,” Ellie called, slipping out of her jacket and entering the living room.

“Hey,” he replied, never taking his eyes off the television, Emma asleep in his arms.

“Sorry, I’m late but I had to set up chemo for one of my patients and she had a reaction.”

He’d heard it all before, the last five nights in fact. His secretary took the messages and he rushed to pick up Emma, throwing his work into his briefcase. Ellie had been back at work barely a month when the changes started and he hardly saw her anymore. For a while in the Summer, things had gotten better but since they had returned from Labor weekend with her parents, Ellie was back working around the clock.

“Shall I order out?” she asked, glancing at the television and finally checking her baby.

“I’ve eaten.”

Ellie sighed. “I’m sorry but it’s my job. A job, I’m good at.”

Sam rose to his feet, carrying their ten month old daughter into the bedroom before he returned. “Yeah, you’re a great doctor but is that all that matters?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped, circling the armchair.

“You’re never here. Emma spends more time with my secretary than she does with you. Your parents keep asking when we’re going to visit,” Sam hissed. “I’m not sure I want to go on like this.”

“What do you want from me?”

He shrugged, “I thought, and considering my family history, I’m probably wrong, that marriage was a partnership, about what we both wanted. I thought we married because we loved each other, wanted to have a family together. Was I wrong?”

“Sam?”

“No, come on. Tell me what you want out of this.”

“Sam,” she sighed. “This isn’t a good time.”

There never was a good time, he mused. Their marriage was falling apart and he didn’t have a clue how to resolve the problem. “Look, I’m going to move out for awhile. Give us both chance to think.”

“SAM!”

He shrugged, not really sure why he was making the decision so suddenly or how it had come to that. “I’ll stay at a hotel.” Brushing past her, Sam headed into the bedroom and started to pack.

Ellie followed, hovering in the doorway as he tossed shirts and pants into the largest suitcase they had. It became clear in that second that he wasn’t talking a night or even a few, he was talking indefinitely. She wanted to beg him to stay, but she wasn’t sure, considering his determination, that he would change his mind.

The case packed, Sam walked to the nursery and leaned over the crib, brushing his lips over his daughter’s forehead. “See you soon, sweetie.” He crossed back to his wife and his fingers ran across his wife’s face momentarily. “I’ll make some arrangements for Emma and pick her up tomorrow.”

He wanted to take her with him, but it was late and disturbing her now would only increase the disruption for everyone. Tomorrow, he would try and re-arrange his schedule and make arrangements at the hotel.

“You can’t take her,” Ellie protested as he walked steadily towards the front door and out of the apartment they shared.

“Don‘t worry, when you can find the time, you‘ll more than welcome to come see her.” He had wanted to make this as painless as possible but they had a child, it was never going to easy. He closed the door softly behind him.

Ellie dropped into the rocking chair. He was gone, her Sam had left her, and he was going to take her daughter with him. She could fight him of course, bring her parents into it, but that would probably result in irreparable damage. The only answer was to give it time, time while they both figured out how they’d let their marriage slip away.

*~*~*~*

The night was crisp, the last of the snow turning to slush on the White House Drive as Sam waited on the steps for his wife. They were here, together, trying, for the sake of her parents, to put their problems behind them and celebrate Jed’s eight years in office.

It had been Leo’s suggestion that they get counselling and Ellie had agreed reluctantly. Their problems it seemed stemmed from one thing. Their parents’ marriages. Ellie didn’t want to become like her mother, giving up everything for her husband’s career. Sam wanted to spend time as a family, fearful of what would happen if they didn’t. There was no quick fix.

Abbey had taken him to one side as he’d exited the bedroom, her deep purple gown giving him more of an eyeful than he needed. She’d had the good grace to look embarrassed, a deep red flush covering her exposed skin, reminding him fleetingly of Ellie after they made love.

“Sam, you were made to wear a tux,” Abbey grinned, straightening his bow tie and letting her fingers pat down the front of his jacket.

“I did in fact know that,” he chuckled. “May I say that you look stunning?”

“It’s always a good move to keep on the good side of your mother-in-law.” Her eyes turned dark and she seemed to take a deep intake of breath. “And you still are my son-in-law, Sam. You will always be family.”

Words failed him for the briefest of seconds then he said quietly, “I love Ellie.”

Abbey gave him the brightest of smiles. “She loves you. The two of you just need a little time to figure things out. It’s never been easy being Jed’s daughter,” she said simply. “When you look at her, what do you see?”

Zoey had appeared then, bouncing down the corridor in a black ensemble that Sam knew would leave Jed flustered and mumbling about dungeons and Barbie dolls.

Sam had slipped away leaving mother and daughter to talk. Which is how he’d found himself on the steps, taking in the night air and thinking back on her question.

When he looked at Ellie, he saw the young woman who had curled up on his lap, hair fanned across his lap. That wasn’t when he’d fallen in love, but that was when he felt he had met the real Ellie. He also saw a hospital room, Ellie laying in bed, their tiny newborn daughter at her side. He tried hard to forget the look on her face when he’d returned to their apartment and taken their daughter.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Ellie called, coming up behind him, pulling her wrap around her shoulders and stamping her feet in the snow.

“Are they ready to go?” he asked without turning.

Ellie sighed, “If only. For once, it’s not Mom, it’s Dad. He’s having seven kinds of fit because of Annie’s dress.”

“What’s wrong with Annie’s dress?”

“Apparently she’s showing too much skin. She’s nineteen years old for crying out loud.”

Sam laughed and turned to face her, his eyes roaming her emerald clad body. “Wow!”

The dress fitted her like a glove, molded to her curves, a single thigh high split up one leg.

He watched as the matching wrap fell off her shoulder to reveal the tiniest of beaded straps and cleavage, the likes of which he couldn’t remember seeing on his wife before. Without thinking he reached out and pushed the wrap back over her shoulder. “You look. . . “

Ellie bit her bottom lip, waiting for him to say whatever was on his mind. The dress had been her mother’s idea. If anyone knew how to drive a husband wild it was her. “Sam?”

“You are such a beautiful woman,” he mumbled, wondering when it was that words failed him.

“Thank you.”

She missed him. It had taken a month of him living in a hotel for her to realize just how much. There was something in the way he’d packed his bags mutely, kissed their daughter on the forehead and left that had surprised her. He hadn’t begged or pleaded with her, just left. Ellie also missed Emma. The empty apartment only convinced her more that she wanted her family back together. That had been October, and bar Christmas at her parents they had spent less than five or six evenings together. This show of union was his gift to her father.

“She might as well wear her underwear,” Jed blustered, appearing in the doorway and gesturing at Abbey.

Ellie groaned and rolled her eyes. “Daddy, she looks beautiful.”

Annie appeared at her grandfather’s side and Sam had to look away. His niece, he had to admit, was looking much older than her nineteen years in the slinky black dress, her arms and sides bare.

“What do you think, Sam?” Jed asked.

Sam swallowed and looked at his wife. “I feel like the deer caught in the proverbial headlights.”

“Welcome to my world,” Jed snorted. “Right, Sweet Knees, let’s get this show on the road.”

They broke into two groups before climbing into the waiting limos for the short drive across town to the leaving ball.

The senior staff were already there with their partners, making the most of their last night working for the President and their last night together. It was going to be an emotional evening for everyone.

The Presidential motorcade pulled up at the service entrance to the Hotel and the agents checked the hallways one last time before they escorted the First Family to the Ballroom. Hail to the Chief struck up for the last time as the double doors opened and Jed walked in, his family trailing behind.

Sam reached out for his wife’s hand, entwining his fingers with hers.

Ellie smiled back at him, her heart thumping against her chest as she became the focus of all his attention.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked.

As Ellie stepped into his arms and allowed him to move them onto the dance floor, Sam smiled. There were days when they were absolutely nowhere. Days when he thought their marriage was dead in the water. Then the impossible happened. Something made them remember why they fell in love, and he’d gaze at her, she’d look at him and it was like nothing had gone askew. If only they could have more of those moments they’d make it, of that he was sure. For now though, he‘d enjoy the feel of his wife in his arms and take it one day at a time.