Mallory looked over at the alarm and frowned. It was off. It was never off unless Sam was home. She checked the downstairs noticing the briefcase tossed casually on the sofa, and the suitcase packed in the living room. Sam hadn't mentioned going on a trip, she thought to herself.

After making sure he wasn't back in his study, Mallory headed for the bedroom. Maybe he was in the shower. She stopped at the doorway, smiling at the sight of Sam casually laid out on the bed, his eyes closed, his hands folded sedately on his chest.

Mallory took off her shoes and crawled to her side of the bed, laying her head beside Sam's on the pillow. Sam's arm came around her and pulled her closer to his body.

"Are you awake?" Mallory asked softly.

"Yes." Sam replied just as softly, but didn't open his eyes.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you home early?" Mallory snuggled into the hollow of Sam's shoulder, her hand resting beneath his on his chest.

"I have a long flight tonight."

"Where are you going?"

"I didn't tell you?" Sam's face frowned.

"Nope."

"We're going to Seattle."

"What's in Seattle?"

"A bunch of computer geeks with too much money, who we hope to charm out of some of their money."

"You aren't going to charm them much by calling them geeks." Mallory smiled at Sam.

"I'll behave."

"When will you be home?"

"Sunday morning."

"When do you leave tonight?" Mallory's fingers twisted free of Sam's hand and started to lightly touch his chest.

"We're leaving at Midnight."

"So we've got some time?"

Sam opened one eye and looked at her. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking that maybe I could go with you."

"Really?" Both of Sam's eyes opened and looked at Mallory in astonishment.

"Yeah. But I need to talk to my dad or Abbey, now."

Sam didn't say anything just reached over and picked up the phone.

Mallory smiled as Sam punched in the White House number by heart and handed over the phone to her. Asking for Lily Mayes, Mallory smiled as Sam's hands started to roam.

"Behave." She told Sam quietly. He smiled.

"Hi, Lily, this is Mallory O'Brien. I was wondering if I could have a moment of the First Lady's time. Thanks."

Twenty minutes later, Sam had abandoned the bed for the study downstairs as Mallory talked dresses with the First Lady.

"I need to go lay down for a little while. Jed never lets me sleep on the plane. He always wants to let his imagination soar when we fly."

"I guess I need to pack too." Mallory sighed.

"Make Sam take a nap before you leave. He's the President's favorite companion on his flights of fancy. He likes to be poetic in the air."

"Yeah. I'll drag him to bed in a minute."

"I doubt you'll have to drag the boy. He loves you."

"I know, Abbey. I thank my mother everyday for setting him up." Mallory chuckled as she heard a snort on the other end of the line.

"I'm sure that your mother wishes she hadn't set that up."

"Yes, I know. She complains a lot."

"I'll see you later, Mallory."

"Bye, Abbey." Mallory hung up the phone and headed downstairs to rescue Sam from his work.

@@

The plane was dark as Mallory rested her head on Sam's shoulder. Across the aisle, CJ and Josh were arguing over something. Donna played solitaire stopping to shot Toby dark looks as he pointed out potential moves. Beside her Sam was engrossed in a popular fiction book revolving around a politically active lawyer.

Mallory watched as Sam turned the page, his eyes tracking the words, not even wanting to stop for the simple gesture.

"Good?" She asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is it good?"

"What?"

"The book, is it good?" Sam put down the book and looked intently at Mallory.

"The imagery leaves a lot to be desired, but the plot is certainly compelling." Sam marked his place and set the book down.

"I saw the mini-series. It was very good."

"You just liked it cause it had the guy with the cute butt." Sam poked at Mallory's thigh and smiled.

"Cute butt?" Donna asked suddenly looking up even as she slapped Toby's hand away from her card game.

"Who has a cute butt?" CJ asked, forgetting her argument with Josh.

"Sam." Mallory replied with a smile.

"Mallory!" Sam pulled away from her, as CJ turned green.

"Mal, I don't mind the cute butt conversation as long as it doesn't involve Sam, because really-it's just not a really good conversation to have. You can say that Bon Jovi has a cute butt, Will Smith, That guy from the Sci-fi series."

"What guy from what Sci-fi series?" Josh asked as he moved some of Donna's cards.

"That series, the one on Sci-fi channel. The one with space ships and stuff."

"That's really helpful, CJ." Josh ducked as CJ made to slap him for his comments.

"Do we have to have this conversation, people? Can't we talk about, you know, music or something?" Toby rubbed his hand where Donna had slapped it.

"Ricki Martin has a cute butt." Donna put it, abandoning her game to Toby and Josh.

"Shake your bon bon." Mallory sang.

"Oh God. And I thought the president was a bad flying companion." Sam moved to leave his seat, but found Mallory's hand on his arm. He leaned down near her.

"Don't wander too far." She whispered to him, just before his lips descended on hers.

"Oh, my innocent eyes!" Josh wailed, slapping a hand over his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure that that kind of behavior is against Air Force One rules." CJ said casually as she took the cards in her hands and started to shuffle. "Any one for five card stud?"

Sam pulled away from Mallory and smiled at CJ. "I'll go ask Charlie and Zoey if they want in."

@@

"Where's my daughter?" Leo asked Margaret as he dumped his suitcase on his bed and went to open the curtains to his room.

"She's in Sam's room. You have-"

"What?"

"If you'd let me finish, you have five messages. One-"

"No, back up. Where is Mallory?"

"Sam's room."

"They couldn't find her another room?"

"Leo."

"Margaret."

"What would be the point of getting her her own room, when she's just going to sleep with Sam?"

"Could you stop saying that please?" Leo turned an exasperated look on Margaret. "What room are they in?"

"I don't know, Leo. Go ask Kathy."

"Find out for me, please."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, Leo. Not this time. It's four o'clock in the morning. They've been up all night. You aren't going to wake them and Toby up." Margaret sat on the bed and looked at Leo stubbornly.

"What do you mean, Toby?"

"Sam and Toby always have connecting doorways, they leave them open. It makes for easier access."

"How do you know this?" Leo sat at the table and loosened his tie.

"Cause we talk."

"Who talks?"

"The secretaries."

"You talk about us?"

"Well to be honest, not just you. We pretty much cover all the global issues, but yeah. You. So leave Sam, Mallory and Toby alone."

"Fine, who are the messages from?"

"You mean it?" Margaret asked suspiciously.

"Margaret."

"Oh, okay."

@@

"Hey, Sam." Donna smiled as she walked into the large suite set up for a conference area.

"Hey, Donna." Sam poured himself another cup of coffee and sat down on the couch, reading a briefing memo.

"What are you doing up?" She asked, flouncing onto the couch beside him.

"I was stuck between two morning grouches and decided to vamoose before either of them got up."

"Mallory not a morning person?"

"No, not even close." Sam looked up to see CJ slinking into the room. She held up a hand, as she walked to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup of coffee, downing it in a few gulps.

The hand came down. "Morning." She sighed as she slinked over to a chair and sat down, pulling sunglasses out and sliding them on her nose.

"Morning, CJ." Sam smiled at her as the sun streamed through the windows, catching the golden strands of hair that settled among the red.

"How can you sleep next to Toby?"

"Why?"

"He's singing in the shower." CJ grumped as she picked up a morning paper and started looking through it.

"Toby doesn't sing."

"There is Opera coming from his room."

CJ looked up to see Sam sprinting down the hall, pulling out his key to the hotel room.

"SAM!" Came shouting from the corridor, as Mallory in sweats and a t-shirt glared at Sam, pointing at the door.

"Is he in trouble?" CJ asked Donna as she finally woke up, the caffeine hitting her bloodstream.

"Probably. When has Sam not been in trouble with someone?" Donna replied as she leaned her head against the back of the couch, basking in the early morning sun.

"That's true."

@@

"He's sleeping through it." Mallory growled at Sam as he entered their room, her hands across her chest, her eyes squinted open.

"He doesn't set the alarm for him. He sets it for me. He never wakes up."

"I'm going to sleep in my father's room, Sam." She moved to stalk down the corridor, but Sam grabbed her and pulled her into his embrace.

"No. Hold on Mal. Just give me a second." He whispered into her ear, placing a soft kiss on her earlobe.

"One second and then I'm gone." Mallory pouted. Sam led her inside their dark room, and sat her on the bed and moved to the connecting door between his and Toby's room. He turned off the CD player that Toby had plugged in beside the bed and moved to wake the older man up.

"Toby." Sam shook his shoulder and pulled his hand back, awaiting the grumble. "Toby." Sam shook him harder. Toby still didn't move. Sam slipped off his shoes and stepped up on the bed. "EARTHQUAKE!" He shouted jumping up and down on the mattress.

Toby bolted upright. "Where? What?"

"Good Morning. We are in Seattle, Washington, and it's time to get up." Sam smiled as his boss lay down and grumbled something to Sam. "UP! SHOWER!" Toby grumbled again. Sam leaned close to Toby's ear and whispered, "I'll let Bartlet write his own speech for tonight if you don't get up right now."

Toby bolted upward and glared at Sam. "That would be a national emergency." Toby flipped back the covers and headed for the shower. Sam smiled and made his way back to his room. He shut the door almost all the way, leaving it open a crack in case Toby needed something and looked over to Mal. She was under the covers dozing as Sam walked up to the side of the bed. He leaned down to kiss her cheek softly and was startled as a hand grabbed his tie and pulled him back down.

"There are better ways to wake me up." She whispered seductively. Sam crawled on top of the covers and pulled her into his arms.

"I know. But the door to Toby's room is open."

"Close it."

"I would, but then your dad might have serious issues." Sam kissed her softly again.

"Come back to bed with me, Sam."

"I'm not tired." Sam ran his hand lightly down her back.

"I'm not either." Mallory reached up and started to undo Sam's tie.

"Everyone's getting up." Sam's hands wandered under Mallory's shirt.

"Meaning?" Mallory's fingers started unbuttoning Sam's dress shirt, She made it to his waist before he answered.

"Meaning.Oh God." Sam's breathing came out fast and short as Mallory started to undo his belt and unzip his pants.

There was a pounding on the door. "STAFF MEETING FIVE MINUTES." Came Josh' s voice.

"Meaning." Sam tried again as Mallory moved closer.

"Meaning?" Mallory asked quietly as Sam's hands.

"Five minutes."

"Five minutes." Mallory repeated softly.

"I have time between two and four, and then we have time when we get ready."

"The First Lady, Zoey and I are headed over to some art studio to buy a piece."

"Chihuly. The President rolled his eyes when she asked him to go." Sam informed her, hoping the conversation would distract her from that thing she was doing with her hands

"His pieces are stunning."

"Yeah. Ummm. Mal."

"Yeah." She mumbled, her mouth pressed against his neck.

"Five minutes."

"We should stop then."

"Yeah." Sam leaned down to kiss Mallory again but was startled by a loud thump on the door.

"Loverboy. Let's go." Toby yelled.

"Later." Sam promised as he pulled away from Mallory and started straightening his clothes.

"Later." Mal agreed.

@@

"I swear to god, I don't know how she does this to me." The President complained to Sam and Charlie who sat across and next to him respectively. "I'm the leader of the Free World, but does that mean anything to my wife? No. Of course not. Now I have to spend my nap time driving out to some patch-eyed pirate who thinks he's a world famous artist."

"He IS a world famous artist, sir. And you're preaching to the choir." Sam sat back and watched the scenery fly by.

"That's right you're both with me because-"

"Yes, sir." Charlie shifted restlessly in his seat.

"At least I'm not in this by myself."

"Well sir, you're the only one buying anything, so you're the only-"

"Please don't remind me, Sam."

"Yes, sir."

"Leo gave you a hard time this morning?" The President asked Sam suddenly.

"Yes, sir."

"It'll only take five years or so, before he gets used to it." The President said sagely.

"Yes, sir." Sam replied dryly.

"Now Jenny, I don't think she'll ever get used to it."

"No, sir."

"I heard about midnight mass."

Sam winced. "Yes, sir."

"Did you hear about it, Charlie?"

Charlie gave Sam a sympathetic smile. "No, sir."

"Well Mal asked Sam to come to Midnight Mass with her and her family. The whole family. Cousins and Aunts and Uncles. Right Sam?"

"Yes, sir."

"Jenny doesn't like Sam." The President paused. "What did she whisper to everyone during the service, Sam?"

"She told everyone that I was just rebound sex from the great guy that dumped Mallory over Thanksgiving." Sam sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

Charlie looked puzzled. "Weren't you going out before Thanksgiving?"

"Yes."

"Leo nearly choked on his tongue when he heard the rumor at the end of the pew."

"What did he hear, sir?" Charlie looked a bit scared.

"Sam?"

"Leo heard that I had knocked up Mallory and I was being forced to marry her. It changed a lot before it reached Leo." Sam sighed again and glared at the landscape passing. A few minutes passed in silence.

"So when are you going to propose?" The president asked. Sam looked up sharply, Charlie looked sympathetic.

"Sir?"

"You heard me."

"I think that that is a personal question, sir."

"Sam, I know you slept with a call girl. How much more personal can it get?" The President smiled.

"I don't know."

"So when?"

"I don't know. We're still getting -"

"Hogwash. You love her. She loves you. You're practically living together according to Josh. What's left?"

"Mr. President. My job isn't exactly one that a woman wants to compete with."

"That's Lisa talking. Mallory loves you. She loves the way the job makes you happy."

"Still, sir."

"Has she asked you to quit?"

"No, sir. But."

"There is no but."

"Yes, sir, there is."

"No there isn't." The President insisted stubbornly.

"I won't be doing this job forever, sir. I'll eventually go back to corporate law. And that's something we haven't talked about." Sam said intently.

The President and Charlie looked at Sam. "You wouldn't stay in politics?" The President asked quietly.

"I only came back for you. For the real thing." Sam said quietly.

"You serve at the pleasure of the President." The president stated softly.

"I serve at the pleasure of President Bartlet." Sam countered. He turned his gaze back to the landscape and the rest of the ride passed in silence.

@@

"So." Mallory asked as she sat on the sink watching Sam shave.

"Yes?" Sam asked.

"What was up with you guys when you got the studio?" She asked.

Sam's hands stilled and he turned his head to look at her. She waited patiently. Sam's eyes turned back to the mirror. "Mallory, what would you say if I told you I was going back to corporate law?"

She considered her options. "I think I'd ask why?"

"Because this thing with Bartlet was over." Sam's voice was soft, his hands still.

"I'd ask if corporate law makes you happy."

"I'm good at it. I'm very good at it."

"I'd say, let's find you something that makes you as happy as this job, not just something you're very good at."

"I make a lot of money as a lawyer."

"That's nice, Sam, but it isn't about the money. It's about you being happy with what you're doing." Mallory took the razor out of his hand and pulled him between her legs. "You have to do what makes you happy, or else no relationship is going to work." She used her hands to lift his chin so they were staring into each other's eyes. "I love you as you are. It doesn't matter if you're in politics or in law, as long as you're happy."

Sam stared at her a little longer, silently.

"Okay, Sam?" She asked.

"Marry me."

"Excuse me?"

"Mallory McGarry O'Brien, would you please marry me?"

Time stopped. The hazy steam circling around them, the feel of Sam's hand on her thigh, the warmth of his skin beneath her touch, it was all imprinted on her heart as she stared into Sam's clear blue eyes.

"Yes." She whispered afraid to break the moment.

"Okay." Sam's voice faltered.

Mallory leaned forward and kissed him softly. Sam's hand reached out to pull her to him, his grip strong and sure on the back of her neck.

"I love you, Mallory."

"I love you, Sam."

@@

"Sam said the strangest thing to me in the car today, Leo." The President said as they walked towards the building the fundraiser was in.

"What was that, Mr. President?"

"He said that he was going back to corporate law when we finished here."

Leo stared straight ahead, not glancing at his best friend. "Well he was making a pretty good living at it, sir."

"I can't imagine our Sam ever screwing over the little people."

"I imagine there are quite a few things we can't imagine Sam doing that he's done, sir."

"He called me the real thing."

"Sam can be a pretty smart guy, when he wants to be."

"I don't want him to go back."

"Mr. President." Leo interrupted him. "We have a long time before we have to worry about that."

"I know, Leo. But he seemed pretty adamant about-"

"Mallory will help him change his mind."

"Does she even know?" The President asked.

"Considering they spent the ride over here with their hands locked together and Sam kept stroking her left hand. I'd have to say yes, sir."

"Do you think-?"

"He did. And Mallory told me-"

"Abbey will be happy."

"Jenny won't."

"What did Mallory tell you?"

"They aren't having a big wedding."

"We'll see."

"Mr. President." Leo's voice took on a warning quality.

"We'll see." The President said again more firmly. Josh joined them.

"Did you hear, Sam asked Mallory to marry him?"

"Yes, Josh we heard."

"He's insane." Josh turned away from them to go speed up his assistant who was lagging behind with the others.

@@

Air Force One was dark and quiet. The staff slept soundly worn out from the sucking up they had done at the party. CJ and Donna occupied the seats across from Sam and Mallory, smiles on their faces. Leo leaned against the wall of the corridor, watching the soft way Sam held Mallory, the gentle way her hand touch him. Shaking his head he tried to dislodge the memories of a time when he and Jenny lay the same way. The way her touch softened his heart and the way his breath relaxed her anger. It seemed like such a long time ago and the time hadn't been the easiest. He wished Mal and Sam the best, and hoped that each day would bring them the love they shared in this moment.