Three months ago, if somebody had told him that he’d be working for the President, almost as his right had man, Sam would have laughed in their faces. He thought he had everything he wanted in his cushy lawyer’s job, but lucky for him he had a friend in Josh Lyman.

Josh had known that corporate law would be the death of his best friend. Ever since their first meeting, the two had wanted to work on a project of this magnitude together. And when Josh had said those magic words "I think this is the real thing," Sam had jumped at the opportunity. So far, he had no regrets.

It was such an amazing experience, helping to mold the United States of America, hopefully for the better.

The President wanted to get a lot done in his first term, in hopes of insuring a second one and his staff was ready and able to help him. This Administration was so full of hopes and dreams that at times Sam found it a little intimidating.

Even though Sam had been working with the President for several months before the election, on the campaign trail, he couldn’t believe the change that had come over him in the he past two weeks. Already, he seemed more professional, and - if possible - even more eager to get things done. It was a heartening change, one Sam and Josh used to push themselves further.

Everyone was putting their heart and soul into this administration. From the mail clerks to the man himself, this group of people was going to make a difference in American lives.

As far as Sam was concerned, this was the tip of the iceberg. At thirty-one, he had accomplished more than he’d set out to do in his whole life. He had his entire life ahead of him and he wanted to make the most of it.

Sam Seaborn was going to make a difference. Sometimes that confidence got him into trouble, but if there was one thing he liked, it was a challenge.

He grinned as Josh came into his office. The two best friends didn’t have any use for knocking. It went unspoken that if one came, the other would drop what they were doing. Of course, Josh was not in his office to socialize. They saved that for after hours.

"What’s up?" Sam asked his best friend.

"Morning briefing, Sam," Josh said. He tried to smile around the piece of muffin he had in his mouth. "You know, you really should check the time once in a while. That’s what it’s there for, to make you aware that you have things to do."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sam retorted, grinning. He shut down his program, put his computer on standby, rose to his feet and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in his muscles before they caused any real pain.

Sam and Josh exited his office, both walking with military precision. Their steps were almost synchronized. Josh and Sam moved with the confidence of men who were good at their jobs and knew it.

* *

If there was one period in the day the President preferred the most, it was right at the beginning. Duties hadn’t begun to pile up, his country was just beginning to go to work and he had a chance to sit down and talk with his staff. This was the time of day where he felt he got to know his people the best.

He knew that Sam and Josh would be in first and was glad of it. Although the President would never admit it, he enjoyed the company of those two men more than any others. He had great respect for his staff, but enjoyed the company of those two the most. They appreciated his sense of humour and had been with him from the beginning. Sam had joined a few weeks into campaigning, but once the President saw the young man’s natural charisma, he had taken a liking to him.

Sam Seaborn was also a master of words. The President was astonished that anybody could manipulate the English language with such skill. At times, Sam seemed more like a conductor than a speech writer. Of course, Sam could have had somebody do the work for him, but preferred the hands-on approach. He was truly ahead of his time and the President was glad that he was on the team.

Then there was Josh, a man who had been with him through thick and thin. When push came to shove, Josh was the one person whose advice he depended on. Josh was the only person who would dream of getting into a screaming match with the President of the United States. What was baffling is that he would usually win. Lyman was such a passionate person, it was clear in everything he did.

As usual, Sam and Josh were the first to arrive. It was tradition amongst the three men to sit down by the coffee table. They engaged in idle small talk for a few minutes, asking each other how they’d slept and commenting on sports or the weather. It was not the type of talk one expected to hear in the Oval Office.

"How is that Carolina speech coming along, Sam?" The President asked, getting down to business.

"Very well, Sir, I’m just working on the final draft now. You should have it a little after lunch." Sam replied.

"Be sure to actually have lunch today, Sam. I don’t want you working yourself ragged again. My wife would have a fit."

Seaborn’s obsessive work habits had gotten him into trouble before. He’d attracted national attention by passing out at a fundraising convention. After that incident, it was advised that people in the White House take care not to lose themselves in their jobs too much. Healthy lifestyle became an important facet of the Administration.

Sam smiled, "Don’t worry about that, Sir. I’m having lunch with the Vice President. He will ensure that I eat. If he doesn’t bore me to death with the history of clam chowder first."

With a satisfied nod, the President turned to Josh. "How about you? Do you think we have a chance of getting Senator Wilson-Vargas to back our wildlife preservation bill?"

"She should go along with it well, Sir." Josh replied with a familiar smirk. "After all, she was almost arrested for staging an animal rights protests in her teens."

The President was accustomed to hearing such tactics from Josh. For the most part, he didn’t approve of this, but at times, it was the only thing that got the job done. He nodded and smiled. "Don’t forget tonight, gentlemen. It’s time for the poker game. The first lady is out of the house and we have the whole place to ourselves."

"You sound like you’re proposing a kegger, Mr. President," Sam teased.

"Just don’t cheat this time, Sir." Josh said.

"You have the facts wrong, Mr. Lyman," the President chided. "Obviously the loss of your shirt that night has affected your memory."

Before Josh could reply, the other members of the Senior staff began to enter the Oval Office. Putting aside most of their familiarity, the three men stood and got down to the day’s business. The President delegated all of their jobs, but the Staff already knew what they had to do.

As usual, Sam and Josh were the last to leave. "Eight O’clock tonight, boys." The President said as they turned to leave.

Josh and Sam nodded, then went back to their respective offices.

President John Hoynes sat back in his chair and wondered how he’d been so lucky to surround himself with such great men such as his Chief of Staff and Communications Director. He didn’t want to think about where he would be without them.