Title: Something Worth Keeping: Hi ,Daddy...(1/6)

Author: Eve Karma

Rating: PG-13 for adult content and language

Disclaimer: Kate Montgomery is the only -Wing related thing I own. So there. "And So It Goes" belongs to Billy Joel.

Spoilers: Anything up to and including S3 could come up, as well as anything from my fics

Other: Thanks to Amber (Papergirl) for letting me write this all-to-similar-to-Stay-Anyway-fic! You rock! And a big thank you to Norma, the Beta Queen. :)


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*

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along
*



I know I have to get up. The alarm clock just went off, and even though he woke up just long enough to hit the snooze button, I know I can't stay for long. It's Tuesday, and he has the meeting for the thing. "But he's so warm," I think. "And his hair smells good--that soapy-good-clean smell. And I'm so comfortable here."



But I know I have to get up.



I pry my head off his chest and untangle myself from the covers. I find my clothes, which are scattered all over the floor, and put them on as I locate each piece. I retreat into the bathroom for a moment, and when I return, Sam finally has his eyes open. He smiles when he sees me.



"Leaving?"



"Yeah," I answer as I button my shirt. "Unless you want the tabloids all over us..."



"No, please, no," he puts his hands over his eyes and groans in mock horror.



The alarm goes off for a second time, and Sam hits the snooze button once more.



"You know, this would be a lot easier for the both of us if the White House didn't open for business at the crack of dawn," I remark as I slip into my shoes. He chuckles. I lean down and kiss him. "Thanks, Sam. I'm just going to run home to shower and change...then I'll meet you at work. Okay?"



"Yeah. Be careful, Kate."



"I will. You had better get moving. I don't feel like covering your ass this morning."



I wait to see him smile once more, and with that, I grab my purse and go.



***



"Hi...I'm here to see Toby Zeigler?" a young, dark-haired woman asks.



"Do you have an appointment?" Bonnie says, looking up from a notepad.



"Uh, no. I just stopped by," she replies.



"He's not in right now," Bonnie tells her, "But hold on a second." She walks over to an open doorway and calls, "Hey, you know when Toby'll be back?"



The young woman cranes her neck so she can see inside the office as another girl covers the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand and, looking at the clock, replies, "Probably a half hour...he's at the thing with Sam."



The woman behind her jumps at the name, but Bonnie doesn't notice. "I thought so," she agrees. "Who are you talking to?"



"His mother," comes the reply.



"Yikes," Bonnie wrinkles her nose, and then turns to the woman behind her. "It'll be a little while before he gets back. Do you want to leave a message for him?"



"Uh, no, that's alright. I'll just call him later."



"Okay," Bonnie tells her and, as the other woman looks as if she is going to leave, goes off to send a fax.



The woman sees an opportunity and peeks into the office to see that the other young woman is still on the phone.



She walks over to the door labeled with his name, tries the knob and finds it unlocked. She slips inside, deciding that she'll just wait until he returns.



***



"No, that's all right, I'll make the call later," Toby tells Sam as they come into the communications bullpen.



"Okay, just let me know," Sam replies and goes into his office.



Toby walks into his darkened office and flips the light switch. But just as he starts to remove his coat, his desk chair spins around from where it was facing the window. There sits a young woman with dark hair and a small, nervous smile on her face.



"Hi, Daddy."



He stands frozen in disbelief. "Hi."



***



"Hey, Josh," I say as he rushes by me in the hallway.



"Oh, my god, Kate, I've been looking all over for you," he gasps for breath, turning on his heels to stop and face me. "Where've you been?"



"With Charlie," I reply. "I was fixing his computer. See, he got some cookie crumbs stuck in the keyboard and so when he typed it wade this funny crunching sound, and-"



"Yeah, okay," He cuts me off. "I need to see you in my office. Now."



"What's going on?" I ask as I follow him into his office. I can't help but panic for a moment as I wonder if her knows about the, um, extent of Sam's relationship with me. "Something wrong?"



"Sort of," he sighs and slumps into his chair. "Sit."



"I'm fine."



"No. Sit."



"Okay."



"I know I told you about Lisa Fredrick. And that her last name was, you know..."



"Fredrick."



"Yeah."



"I have a feeling you must've left out a few key facts, Joshua," I say, looking at him over my glasses.



"Uh, yeah."



"What, Josh?"



"That's not her real name."



"Fredrick?"



"Yeah. Took it after her parents divorced. Wanted to be neutral or something..." He swallows hard. "You want to know her father's last name?"



I nod slowly.



He takes a deep breath before he tells me, "Zeigler."