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Disclaimer- see Part 1 "There's No Place Like Home" - Part 6 Caitlin sat on the plane staring out her window. Never in her life had a plane ride taken so long. Six hours total- so much could happen in six hours, Sam could... No, Caitlin shook her head trying to get rid of the thoughts, she turned to Michelle sitting next to her. Her eyes were closed but Caitlin doubted the Agent was really asleep. "Miss Bartlet?" A flight attendant came over and whispered. "Can I get you anything?" "Can you make the plane fly faster?" Caitlin asked. The flight attendant gave her a sympathetic smile. From the moment she stepped on the plane and had been recognized, people had been staring. Those who knew about the shooting sent concerned, curious glances. The ones who didn't know soon did. The whispers were all around her. She hadn't been under such scrutiny since... "OK so Governor Bartlet's daughter is on her way here to spend her Spring Break helping us and I've been given the honor of being her welcome wagon." The brown haired man said sarcastically to his blonde haired assistant. "and Sam, who was supposed to endure this with me seems to have cut out. So give me some warning before she gets here ok?" "She already is here." Caitlin answered from behind him. Caitlin had just flown into Illinois from DC where she went to college and came straight to the offices her father's campaign was using. "You must be Joshua Lyman." She said holding out her hand. "I'm Caitlin Bartlet." "Oh...um...hi. Yes, yes, I'm Josh Lyman and about what I just said..." "Don't worry about it. I can only imagine how my father made this 'assignment' sound." "Well I had the impression it was going to be something of a baby sitting job but now I'm not so sure." Josh said with a smile. Caitlin smiled back at Josh. He was definitely NOT what she was expecting. When her father had told her about Josh Lyman and Sam Seaborn he stressed their many educational, professional, and political accomplishments. Which meant to Caitlin that they were both nothing to look at with horrible personalities. After all her father knew better than to pair her with good looking men. Since his daughters hit puberty, Jed Bartlet had never had an attractive man working on his staff. It was like an employment requirement that they be unattractive. But this Josh, he was extremely attractive with a great smile, and Caitlin realized as the day wore on a fantastic personality. Which could only mean one thing, Sam Seaborn must be, well, beyond ugly with absolutely no personality to balance out Josh's great qualities. Caitlin jumped right into work, but felt the curious glares. She guessed they were all expecting her to have an attitude, like she had been forced into helping out. Little did they know that SHE had to persuade her father to let her come. This was excitement to her, this was her idea of the best way to spend her spring break. By mid afternoon, everyone had realized that she was her father's daughter and she fit right in. She was in the middle of retrieving a stack of fliers to stuff into envelopes when she heard Josh's voice behind her. "Caitlin, wayward Sam has finally arrived and is anxious to meet you." Caitlin took a deep breath preparing herself to be nice and courteous to the man. She turned and found herself staring into the most startling blue eyes she had ever seen. And at that same instant she promptly dropped the entire stack of fliers she had been carrying. "Oh..." Caitlin groaned, embarrassed by her lack of suave. She quickly bent down and started picking them up. Sam knelt in front of her and began to help. She watched him closely, her heart racing, her stomach flipping, she had to physically control her breathing. He was....he was gorgeous. 'This isn't possible' she thought. 'This is like attack of the body snatchers and they've taken my father. I'm going to have to check the hotel for a pod.' She laughed quietly to herself. Then she felt Sam's eyes on her and she looked up to meet them. "I'm usually more coordinated than this." She said softly, then stood up as they finished picking up the fliers. "Actually I think you just have good taste. I've never liked these fliers." Sam said smiling. Then he held out his hand, "Sam Seaborn." Caitlin hesitated for a moment, "Caitlin Bartlet" she said shaking his hand and in the process almost dropped the fliers again. This time Sam's hands reached forward and grabbed them, and her arms, before the fliers could fall. Caitlin looked down at his hands touching her and felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her. 'Snap out of it Bartlet. This isn't some Harlequin Romance.' She admonished herself. "They're not that bad." He said laughing, motioning towards the fliers. Caitlin laughed right along with him, feeling completely at ease and yet wonderfully alive. "Miss Bartlet" the flight attendant's voice brought Caitlin back to the present. "We're preparing to land, I need you to put your seat back up." Caitlin shook her head once again to clear it and prepared herself for landing. She also began to mentally prepare herself for the confrontation with her father she knew she was about to have. TBC
There's No Place Like Home - 7
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