FF: The Reluctant President (8/?)
Title: The Reluctant President (8/?)
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG-13 for a little language.
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day one of the Lyman administration.
General Note: In this world, things went AU in season six when Donna quit.
Sam took a deep breath as the car pulled up in front of Donna's parents' condo. Here went nothing. He had convinced his agents to let him go to the door first so they didn't scare the Mosses. He rang the bell and waited.
A woman who looked like she was probably Donna's mother opened the door.
"Yes?"
"Hello, ma'am. My name is Sam Seaborn. I'm from the White House."
Shock washed over Mrs. Moss's face, but she quickly suppressed it. "Yes, of course. Come in."
"Uh, one of my guys has to . . ." Sam gestured vaguely toward the agents standing behind him.
Mrs. Moss blinked as she noticed the agents. "Of course."
One of Sam's agents - he really had to learn all their names - entered the house and returned a moment later.
"Go ahead. The living room is secure," he told Sam. "You can stay there while we check the rest of the house."
"Thanks." Sam followed Mrs. Moss into the house. He took a seat in an armchair as she sat on a couch across from him.
"Now, Mr. Seaborn, what can I do for you?"
"Ma'am, I was hoping you'd be able to put me in touch with your daughter Donna. I don't have her current contact information."
Mrs. Moss smiled slightly. "You?"
"Well. Me and my boss," Sam admitted.
"I'd think you and your boss would be very busy right now, Mr. Seaborn."
"We are." Sam shifted uncomfortably.
"And yet you're here, looking for my daughter."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Whose idea was that?" Mrs. Moss looked stern, and Sam suddenly remembered Donna once mentioning that her mother was a teacher. She certainly seemed like one now.
"It was the President's idea, ma'am," Sam said.
"So I take it this is important to him?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"All right."
"Does that mean you'll tell me where she is, Mrs. Moss?" Sam asked eagerly.
Donna's mother raised her eyebrows. "She's HERE, Sam. I'll go get her."
Mrs. Moss rose and left the room. Sam looked around nervously as he waited. The room was pleasant, tidy but lived-in. He had just started to get up to look at the pictures on the mantel when the door opened and Donna came in.
"Sam!" she cried as she quickly crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you all right?"
Sam let himself collapse into the hug. "Thanks. I'm okay."
Donna pulled back slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - you looked like you needed a hug."
"I did," Sam assured her as he hugged her back.
"Were you there?"
"I was backstage with President Lyman. We heard the shots and rushed out . . ."
Donna nodded. "Is he . . ."
"You called Stanley," Sam said softly.
"I hope that was okay." Donna looked at him, her face suddenly full of fear.
"Of course. I was just a little - well, I hope you know that I would have insisted on calling him anyway."
"I know. Of course I know." Donna paused. "It was the only way I could think of to help right then."
"Thank you."
"You didn't come to Wisconsin to thank me for calling Stanley, Sam."
"No," Sam admitted.
"How did you get here? The planes are grounded."
"The Secret Service arranged it."
"Oh, of course. So you're officially Chief of Staff now?"
"Seems so."
"You'll be great."
"Thanks." Sam smiled at her.
"I'd think you'd be pretty busy right now, though. And yet, you're in Wisconsin."
"I am." Now that the moment had come, all of Sam's lovely words had deserted him. This wasn't a campaign speech. If he screwed this up, his best friend's entire well-being was at stake. Although at least Donna seemed happy to see him . . .
Sam's concentration was broken by a faint cry coming from another part of the house.
"Excuse me a minute, Sam," Donna said as she turned toward the door to the hallway. "I have to go check on my son."
Sam suddenly felt like he was about to throw up.
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG-13 for a little language.
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day one of the Lyman administration.
General Note: In this world, things went AU in season six when Donna quit.
Sam took a deep breath as the car pulled up in front of Donna's parents' condo. Here went nothing. He had convinced his agents to let him go to the door first so they didn't scare the Mosses. He rang the bell and waited.
A woman who looked like she was probably Donna's mother opened the door.
"Yes?"
"Hello, ma'am. My name is Sam Seaborn. I'm from the White House."
Shock washed over Mrs. Moss's face, but she quickly suppressed it. "Yes, of course. Come in."
"Uh, one of my guys has to . . ." Sam gestured vaguely toward the agents standing behind him.
Mrs. Moss blinked as she noticed the agents. "Of course."
One of Sam's agents - he really had to learn all their names - entered the house and returned a moment later.
"Go ahead. The living room is secure," he told Sam. "You can stay there while we check the rest of the house."
"Thanks." Sam followed Mrs. Moss into the house. He took a seat in an armchair as she sat on a couch across from him.
"Now, Mr. Seaborn, what can I do for you?"
"Ma'am, I was hoping you'd be able to put me in touch with your daughter Donna. I don't have her current contact information."
Mrs. Moss smiled slightly. "You?"
"Well. Me and my boss," Sam admitted.
"I'd think you and your boss would be very busy right now, Mr. Seaborn."
"We are." Sam shifted uncomfortably.
"And yet you're here, looking for my daughter."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Whose idea was that?" Mrs. Moss looked stern, and Sam suddenly remembered Donna once mentioning that her mother was a teacher. She certainly seemed like one now.
"It was the President's idea, ma'am," Sam said.
"So I take it this is important to him?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"All right."
"Does that mean you'll tell me where she is, Mrs. Moss?" Sam asked eagerly.
Donna's mother raised her eyebrows. "She's HERE, Sam. I'll go get her."
Mrs. Moss rose and left the room. Sam looked around nervously as he waited. The room was pleasant, tidy but lived-in. He had just started to get up to look at the pictures on the mantel when the door opened and Donna came in.
"Sam!" she cried as she quickly crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you all right?"
Sam let himself collapse into the hug. "Thanks. I'm okay."
Donna pulled back slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - you looked like you needed a hug."
"I did," Sam assured her as he hugged her back.
"Were you there?"
"I was backstage with President Lyman. We heard the shots and rushed out . . ."
Donna nodded. "Is he . . ."
"You called Stanley," Sam said softly.
"I hope that was okay." Donna looked at him, her face suddenly full of fear.
"Of course. I was just a little - well, I hope you know that I would have insisted on calling him anyway."
"I know. Of course I know." Donna paused. "It was the only way I could think of to help right then."
"Thank you."
"You didn't come to Wisconsin to thank me for calling Stanley, Sam."
"No," Sam admitted.
"How did you get here? The planes are grounded."
"The Secret Service arranged it."
"Oh, of course. So you're officially Chief of Staff now?"
"Seems so."
"You'll be great."
"Thanks." Sam smiled at her.
"I'd think you'd be pretty busy right now, though. And yet, you're in Wisconsin."
"I am." Now that the moment had come, all of Sam's lovely words had deserted him. This wasn't a campaign speech. If he screwed this up, his best friend's entire well-being was at stake. Although at least Donna seemed happy to see him . . .
Sam's concentration was broken by a faint cry coming from another part of the house.
"Excuse me a minute, Sam," Donna said as she turned toward the door to the hallway. "I have to go check on my son."
Sam suddenly felt like he was about to throw up.