Livin' On A Prayer| S. Seaborn

Part 1

"Oh, We're halfway there, Ohh, living on a prayer." - Livin' On A Prayer- Bon Jovi

One

Washington DC

2002

Former First Daughter Madison Bartlet Dating Former Deputy Communications Director, Sam Seaborn looking cozy on a date

Is what all the headlines in all the newspapers read the morning after the second youngest daughter of former President Jed Bartlet was seen out with the former deputy communications director of her father's senior staff, Sam Seaborn at a Lakers game in Los Angeles.

Sitting close together, her head tilted towards his as he whispered something to her, and a shy smile formed on the corner of her mouth. And since she was the least known Bartlet daughter, it was all over the news, and of course it was raising problems for not only the Bartlet camp but that of Sam's second senatorial campaign.

The headlines were the first thing that Maddie saw when she woke up and went outside to get the newspapers, leaving Sam sleeping. Something he had done since the campaign started.

All the color rushed out of her face seeing the headline followed by the colored picture, "Sam!" she paused to see if she could hear him stirring but nothing.

"Sam!" She repeated louder as she shut the door and started towards the stairs, "We have a problem."

The familiar tune of Hail to The Chief started playing from her phone paralyzing her with fear. It was her father calling to more than likely yell because she kept this from him and the rest of the family. But they hadn't meant for their relationship to start but it did, they had both been at the same event and he came over and rescued her from a terrible date.

And things just happened. But like her mother said, things happened for a reason and this was one of those reasons.

"Sam!" She repeated as she climbed the stairs towards his bedroom, his phone's ringtone added to the noise. By the time she got into the room, the man had stirred and was looking at her with blurry eyes, "What's wrong Mads?"

She wordlessly tossed the newspaper onto his lap and bent down to pick up her phone from the floor.

"Hi, Dad.' She said into the phone after she flipped the lid up.

"Abigail! What is going on with you and Sam?" Jed Bartlet shouted, causing her to pull the phone away from her ear wincing, she was only ever called by her given name when she was in deep trouble, and she could count on one hand how many times her father had called her by Abigail and not Madison.

She chewed on her bottom lip before locking eyes with Sam who inclined his head in agreement, might as well get it over with, he knew he was going to have the same conversation with his staff.

"We have been dating for the last couple of months, we didn't want to say anything until we knew it was going somewhere."

"Is he there with you?" The anger that had been in his voice had faded and he sounded like the father that just wanted to have his daughter be happy after being unhappy and sick for most of her life.

'Yes sir." Sam piped up, his fingers curling into the paper causing crinkles in it, the younger girl already planning on getting an extra copy of it and saving the clipping like the commutation's staff did back in the day like Mrs. Landingham did.

That old woman loved her father and his family like their own and she would have rooted for them to be together like she rooted for Charlie and Zoey. She had pointed out several times how special Maddie's friendship was with not only Sam but with Donna and Josh.

"We aren't happy that you kept this from us but, as long as you don't hurt her, we will be fine. Madison, take me off the speakerphone, I have to talk to you." Madison pressed the button and put the phone back to her ear.

The former deputy watched her, he had never given much thought about what their future was going to hold and if he wanted to get married, especially with what happened to his parents and his father cheating on his mother and his previous failed engagements.

But this was different, it felt different when she was around. She made him into a better person and he wanted to keep being that person especially with him running for president, Madison would be the best first lady he could have. She had learned from the best in her mother Abby. She knew how things in the world of politics worked and how to handle herself.

He shook himself quickly from his thoughts when he heard Maddie's voice hitch like it had the night he rescued her from that bad date.

"Maddie? What's wrong?" He asked, grasping her elbow and pulling her back towards him on the bed, the worry that had been floating under the surface came back tenfold.

"No, sir, I will be on the next flight out tomorrow. I will bring Sam with me. I am sure the campaign can wait 48 hours without him.'

"If anything we can turn the barn into the headquarters for a few days." Jed's voice met his ears, "We need you all out here."

"Is it back?" He mouthed, there was only one thing that could set Maddie off other than her own health and it was her father's MS.

Maddie nodded her head, her free hand sneaking out to hold his, "We will be there soon Dad, I promise." She snapped the phone shut and almost broke down sobbing instantly. "What are we going to do without him, Sam?"

"Hey, we don't know how bad this episode is yet and if it will take him from us." He returned as he pulled her to rest back on the bed next to him, "Your father is one of the most stubborn sons of bitch I know, it's going to take a lot more than MS to take him from us."

She curled into his side and nodded her head, she needed to get all these emotions out before they boarded the plane back to New Hampshire. She had to be a strong front for not only her father but her family, like they had been for her when she was battling cancer again and she was getting shielded from all the issues that were going on except for when her father got shot. She was terrified that things were going to get bad again like they were when he had the bout in the white house and she was in the hospital sick from cancer treatment.

But Sam was right, they could get through it together, and it would take more than MS to take her father from them. She had enough faith for that and she had to rely on that and on Sam.

They were her support system and she needed to cling to them. That's all she could do.