The light tapping on the door called again.

"I'm coming. Who is it?" Mallory reached the door looking out through the peephole.

"It's Sam."

Hanging her head in exasperation, she unlocked the door and opened it a little way, leaning against it and giving him her teacher stare, the one that said don't mess with me. Sam looked at her in surprise.

"You were asleep."

"Most people are at Oh dark thirty."

"I'm sorry." Sam bounced on his toes, fiddled with his hands. "I'll just let you. I'll go.

"Sam, What?"

"No really. Not important. Go back to sleep." Sam moved to turn away and then looked back at her.

"What Sam?"

"It's just. Nothing, Go back to sleep. It wasn't that important. I'm really sorry, Mallory." Sam turned to walk away and stumbled, and fell flat on his face.

Mallory sighed to herself and moved into the hallway to help Sam pick himself up.

"I really am sorry, Mallory. I didn't realize that you'd be asleep." Sam got to his knees and looked at her intently. "Do you ever really hate your job? I mean you work with kids, which is amazing like the West Wing Staffers, I mean are there days when you just want to walk away?"

Mallory crouched down next to Sam and noticed the lines of fatigue and stress. She laid a palm on his face, noticing the dark stubble the rasped against her palm.

"Come inside, Sam."

Sam stood up and dusted himself off. "No really. I should let you get back to sleep." He turned to go again.

Mallory reached out a hand and stopped him. Tugging on his arm gently she led him into her apartment, shutting and locking the door behind her.

"Coat." Mallory held out her hand.

"I won't stay long."

"Coat." Sam shrugged out his trench coat and handed it to her. She noticed somewhere along the way he had lost his suit coat and tie, his shirt unbuttoned one button, his hair slightly rumpled. "Pager? Cell phone?"

"I should-"

"Sam."

He handed over his electronic devices, and thank you for flying Mallory Air.

"Have a seat." She held up a finger. "Don't argue."

Sam sat on the couch as she turned on a light in the living room. The table that had jumped in front of her on her way to the door, was magically back in place. Grabbing a blanket from the chair she wrapped it around herself and sat next to Sam, facing him.

"You want to walk away from you job?"

"No, Yes, it's just." Sam leaned his head against the back of the couch with a long sigh.

"When was the last time you slept?" Mallory asked, letting the side of her head lean against the couch.

"A while. It's been. . . hectic around the white house. The elections and everything. Every one is-the shooting, Josh. It messed up a lot."

"I haven't seen Dad in a while."

"He's been covering for Josh, while he's out and doing the DNC crap."

"Crap?"

"Yeah." Sam turned to look at her. "Toby's been trying to find a way around the Constitution."

"Free association?"

"Yeah. He's mad." Sam was sending her that puppy dog look; the one that said read between the lines and fix it. Mallory sighed to herself, she wasn 't sure what he wanted her to see.

"He's been taking it out on you."

Sam sighed again, looking at the ceiling. "Not really, just everyone. He's consumed by it. It's what he spends all his time on."

"You covered for him didn't you?"

"When I could. He would've done the same."

"Where was CJ?"

"CJ was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. She has every right, everyone wants a statement and don't even ask where the President's been. He's been complaining about some school board race in New Hampshire and then Charlie and Zoey. Charlie's moping, or I guess brooding would be a better word and he has every right, but then, Zoey's walking around the West Wing asking people whether or not he's brooding. Do you know what acalculia means?"

"Inability to perform math. Sam, I'm a school teacher." Sam closed his eyes with a sigh. Mallory scooted closer to him, as second nature, Sam put his arm around her and brought her close to his body, his eyes still closed, his head still leaning against the couch. "Lay down, Sam."

"Hmm?"

"Lay down. I won't let anyone get you." Mallory moved to get up from the couch. Sam's arm tightened around her.

"Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Mallory reached down and took off each of Sam's shoes. Scooting to the edge of the couch she guided Sam down until he was stretched out. Spreading the blanket over them, she snuggled into his warmth and looked into his eyes.

"I screwed over a friend." His tone was dead, emotionless.

"What happened?"

"You know Tom Jordan?"

"Yeah."

"The DNC asked me to vet him, to handle him. I asked him to run, made the promises. Leo told me I had to pull the plug on his financing. We needed the money in districts where we were competitive." The last was said with a slight sneer. "Do you know what the house looks like now?"

Mallory shook her head.

"Nothing changed, except I screwed over a friend, who is no longer a friend, and tomorrow I'm going to have to deal with the President going medieval on Dr. Jenna Jacobs at the radio talk reception. He couldn't have just said the words I spent an hour working on, no he had to argue the bible with her." Sam paused; a smile crossed his face. "You should have seen him lay into her. Should I kill my chief of staff cause the bible tells me that, too. It was great." Sam's voice drifted off, and his body relaxed against hers. Mallory savored the gentle rise of Sam's chest, the warmth that seemed to cling to him. She had almost lost this. An August summer night could have deleted this moment.

"Sam?" Mallory kept her tone gentle.

"Yeah?" He didn't open his eyes.

"What was the best thing about the last few days?"

Sam didn't answer for a minute and she thought maybe he was asleep.

"When I took Jacob's crab puff. They were good and she had some of the last ones."

"Before or after."

Sam smiled, "After."

"Added insult to injury."

"Hell yes, felt good."

"That's what makes me go back to school in the mornings. That one moment."

"Yeah. Can I stay here?"

"Go to sleep, Sam."

"I didn't mean to wake you up, I just needed-" He floundered and Mallory snuggled closer.

"I know."

"Will you stay here?" His arms tightened around her slightly.

"Go to sleep, Sam. I'm not going anywhere."

"You have really nice jammies."

"Close your eyes."

"They're closed. And I'm just saying."

Mallory's hand reached up and cupped over his mouth. "The time for talk is over. Now is the time for sleep, do you understand, sailor?"

Sam nodded and relaxed once again in her arms. He sighed once happily and slid into sleep. Mallory laid her head to his chest and listened to the moments thump away beneath her ear.

Moments. It could have been him, instead of Josh. But he was here, now, with her. Moments. Maybe, I'll take him to dinner tomorrow, she thought as she lost herself in dreams.