Title: The Birthday Wish 2/2 (songfic)
Author: Eve Karma
See disclaimers and such in Part One.
************************************************
*Friday*
"Happy Birthday," Sam smiles as I walk into the work on Friday.
"'Morning. Thanks!" I reply.
He sort of stares at me for a second, then walks over to where I'm standing in the doorway and kisses me on the cheek. I look at him quizzically, and he replies by pointing above us.
"Oh, that," I remember, looking up.
He takes me by the arm and leads me to my desk.
"What's this?" I ask him.
"Your birthday present. Open it," he says, motioning to a small paper bag that's sitting on top of my blotter.
I open the bag and peer inside. "Breakfast from Starbucks, " I exclaim with a giggle, "Just what I always wanted!"
"I knew you'd like it," he says as he watches me pull a double-tall latte and a chocolate-chip muffin out of the bag.
"Thanks, Sam."
"You're welcome," he replies, "There's actually a bigger gift coming later."
"There is?" I take a sip of my latte, then offer it to him. He shakes his head and starts out of the bullpen.
"Yeah. But you'll have to wait and see."
I follow him into the hall and grin at him mischievously. "Aw, Sam, don't you want to give me a little hint?"
"Nope. I'd rather watch you wait in agony."
"Wait?"
"Yeah. You look cute when you're fidgety and impatient."
"But I'm always fidgety and impatient."
"I know," he smiles and continues down the hall, leaving me to fidget and wait...impatiently.
~~~~~
Around 6:00, Sam comes out of his office. "Are you ready to go, Kate?" he asks me.
I look up from where I'm hunched over my date book, plotting out Sam's appointments for the next week. I notice that the bullpen is deserted.
"Go where?"
"To get your birthday present," he informs me.
"Oh, yeah, in that case, of course I'm ready," I smile. I finish up things at me desk and grab my coat and bags, following him out of the West Wing.
"How about I follow you to your place," Sam suggests as we walk through the parking lot, "So you can drop off your car. Then I can just drive you home afterwards."
"Okay," I agree, and we both get into our cars.
~~~~~
I lock the car doors with my remote and then hop into the passenger side of Sam's car. "Okay," I rub my hands together, grinning, "So where are we off to?"
"It's a surprise. Put this on," Sam says and holds out a sleep mask.
"Sam, if you wanted to kidnap me, you could have just told me," I joke, then put on the mask, singing, "Oooh, surprises...I just love surprises."
We drive off, and I hear Sam turn the radio on. He tunes it to the metro area's alt-rock station that I listen to a lot. We listen in silence until a DJ comes on the air, announcing,
"We have a very special request going out tonight-a Ben Folds Five song for a Kate Montgomery. Happy Birthday, Kate. This song was dedicated to you by a guy named Sam. He says he works in the White House. Yeah, sure. Anyway, here's a song just for you."
I listen for a moment, then recognize the song. "Sam," I cry, resisting the urge to whip off my blindfold and kiss him, "This is so cool! I can't believe you did this for me!"
"Shhh," he says, and we listen.
*
She plays Wipeout on the drums
The squirrels and the birds come
Gather round to sing the guitar
Oh I...Have you got nothing to say?
When all words fail she speaks
Her mix tape's a masterpiece
Walks through the garden
So the roses can see
Oh I...Have you got nothing to say?
And you can see the daisies in her footsteps
Dandelions, butterflies
I wanna be Kate
Everyday she wears the same thing
I think she smokes pot
She's everything I want
She's everything I'm not
Oh I...Have you got nothing to say?
She never gets wet
She smiles and it's a rainbow
And she speaks
And she breathes
I wanna be Kate
Down by Rosemary and Cameron
She hands out the Bhagaved Gita
I see her around every couple days
I wanna meet her so I can say hey...Kate
I wanna wanna wanna be
Kate
*
"Sam," I laugh blindly, "This song doesn't reflect me at all."
"Yes it is," he defends, "How could it not, with lines like 'She smiles and it's a rainbow'?"
"Okay, fine, so maybe it is. Except for the part about smoking pot."
The car stops and I hear Sam get out. Then my door opens. He helps me out of the car and holds my hands to guide me as we walk.
We stop, and Sam says to someone, "Sam Seaborn and Kate Montgomery. We're on the list."
"Okay. Go on in," a deep male voice replies, and once we go inside, I hear the sound of dance music playing loudly.
"Do you know where we are?" Sam asks me.
"Uh...no."
"You can take off the mask, Kate."
I push my mask up onto my forehead and am immediately blinded by a flashbulb going off. When my vision clears, Zoey is standing in front of me with a camera in her hand.
"Happy birthday!" she giggles and hugs me.
"Thanks," I reply. Then I look over her shoulder at the scene around us. "Oh my god," I gasp, "Are we at The Bubble Room?" I start laughing.
"Well," Sam confirms, "We're in the lobby. The real party is this way."
He motions to the double doorway ahead of us.
I slowly walk over and push open the doors, and my jaw drops as one hundred or more people yell, "Surprise!" and throw confetti into the air.
"For me?" My hands fly to my heart as I turn around and ask Sam. He nods. "Oh, Sam!" I run back to him and throw my arms around his neck, much to the delight of Zoey, who takes the opportunity to take more pictures.
"How did you ever pull this off? I mean, everyone from the White House is here! How did you get this place, Sam?"
"Let's just say that I work for a very powerful man," he informs me. Then he adds, "and I invited the press this time."
~~~~~
Everyone was there. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone, from my intern friend Lauren to Mr. President himself.
The whole night was about me. There wasn't a touch of Christmas in sight. I had to stand on a chair to blow out the candles on a huge birthday cake. I felt like a princess, and Donna had even bought me a silver tiara to wear.
Around 11, I find myself sitting at the bar, sipping a diet coke and overseeing the crowd that had dwindled to about fifty people. CJ and Zoey are talking over in one corner. Toby is grumbling in another, as he has spent most of the night trying unsuccessfully to remove stubborn confetti from his palms. Josh and Donna are sitting at the other end of the bar, having a heated discussion.
As I reach up to adjust my tiara, Sam appears and sits down on the stool next to me.
"So," he says, "I know it was a bit...elaborate...but did this fulfill your birthday wish?"
"Did it ever!" I exclaim. "Really, though, you didn't have to do this."
"I know. But I did."
"You always say that."
"This is true.
"Thanks, Sam."
"You're welcome," he smiles and puts his arm around my shoulder. We watch Josh and Donna for a few moments. Then I say, "They are so in love...if only they knew it."
"Do you think we should clue them in?" Sam looks at me.
"Nope," I shake my head, "They'll come around sooner or later."
Then, the DJ puts on a song that's a little different from his usual playlist. Maybe it was a hint for those of us that remained.
*
Closing time
Open all the doors
And let you out into the world
Closing time
Turn all of the lights on
Over every boy
And every girl
Closing time
One last call for alcohol
So finish
Your whiskey or beer
Closing time
You don't have to go home
But you can't stay here
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
Take me home
Closing time
Time for you to go out
To the places
You will be from
Closing time
This room
Won't be open
Till your
Brothers or your sisters come
So gather up your jackets,
Move it to the exits
I hope you
Have found a friend
Closing time
Every new beginning
Comes from some other
Beginning's end
I know who
I want to take me home
I know who
I want to take me home
I know who
I want to take me home
Take me home
Closing time
Time for you to go out
To the places you will be from
I know who
I want to take me home
I know who
I want to take me home
Take me home
Closing time
Every new beginning
Comes from some other
Beginning's end
*
"Sam."
"Yeah?"
"You want to take me home tonight?"
He looks at me blankly for a second, and then realizes what I'm thinking.
"Yeah," he replies.
END
Songs I used in this fic:
River by Joni Mitchell
Kate by Ben Folds Five
Closing Time by Semisonic
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