Title: Ice Magic
By: Jaye Reid
Commenced: 9, Jan. 2002
Completed: 5, Mar. 2002
Rating: PG13
Category: R J/D
Disclaimer: All characters you recognize are his. Any you don't, are mine. I've taken them out of the WB toy box when AS wasn't looking. I promise to return them in good working order.
Spoilers: Up to OTDB (S3) - none really but all if that makes any sense.
Summary: "The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Eden Phillpotts.
Archiving: just let me know. Also to be found at 'Boulevard of Misdirection'
http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~jayereid/jldmmain.htm
Author's notes: This has been a long time coming. It's required a fair bit of research - you'll be able to tell where. Although the event attended is/was real, all names used are fictitious.
Beta read and pestered for by Bridget - who is always so enthusiastic for a new piece of J/D fic.
~*~*~
"Margaret, honestly... you sound awful. I don't mind going by myself. You should go home to bed," Donna stated as she looked up at her friend from her over-cluttered desk.
"I'm really sorry," Margaret replied with a sniffle before launching into another coughing fit.
"Margaret please!" exclaimed Josh from behind them. He gripped the top of the doorframe near Donna's desk, "has Leo sent you here *specifically* to spread your cold throughout the entire west wing?"
"No," she wheezed. "I just had to let Donna know I can't go tonight. I'm going home now."
Donna glared at Josh, before turning her attention back to Margaret. "Home and bed is the best place for you. I'll be fine."
"Okay, have a nice time," she mumbled before starting to cough all over again.
Josh jumped out of the way as she passed, as though she was carrying a deadly plague he could catch if within a five-meter radius.
"You're so insensitive," lectured Donna. "She's really not well."
"Yes, that much is obvious," he replied. "So the last thing I need is for her to make *you* sick. I'm only thinking of your health."
"No you're only thinking that if I'm away sick, you have to do your own work," she replied.
"Donna! Your faith in my sincerity wounds me!"
"Hmm..." she muttered as she went back to her computer. "Did you want something Josh?"
"Where are you going tonight?" he asked casually, trying not to let too much of his curiosity through. Obviously not on a date, he thought.
"Nowhere you'd be interested in," she replied, as she punched away at her keyboard.
"You might be surprised. You have to go alone now? I could go with you... unless of course it is like, a woman thing," he added.
She stopped typing and looked up at him. "Josh, you don't even know where I'm going, yet you want to go with me?"
"Well if you tell me where you're going..."
"I'm going to the Pro skating championships at the MCI center. It started yesterday and it finishes tonight," she replied. "Now please, I want to finish this. It's bad enough that I'm still here on a Saturday afternoon."
"And why do you think I wouldn't want to watch skating Donna?" he replied.
"I wouldn't have thought *skating* was your choice of ice sport. I would think hockey would be more your preference?"
"I can watch skating. I mean... it's women's skating right? I'm not adverse to watching that," he smirked.
"You're so *male* Joshua!"
"I would hope so!" he laughed.
"Ohh, alright. Yes there *is* women's skating but there's also men's and pairs. If you promise not to embarrass me, you can come," she replied giving in with a sigh.
"Thank you for such a gracious invitation," he grinned. "So what time does this start?"
"Starts at 7.00, Margaret and I were going to get something to eat there beforehand," she replied.
"So I'd better leave you alone to finish that report or we'll be late I guess," he shrugged. "We can still grab something to eat there."
"Okay, but I want to be out of here in plenty of time to get there and eat," she replied, still looking at the computer screen.
"You were going to walk, I take it?" he asked as he leaned his shoulder into the doorway.
"Yes, then the Metro home," she replied as she turned a page from her notes she was transcribing.
"Nah... forget the Metro, I can take you home. It's..."
"Yeah I know, not safe. I can look after myself you know," she replied, looking up at him.
"I'd just be happier to see you home, that's all," he smiled. "Now, what time?"
"Five?"
"What! Five? You'll be finished by then? I don't think we need to go any earlier than five-thirty," he replied.
"Okay, five-thirty," she smiled. "So leave me alone until then."
Josh turned away to go back to his office, but stopped. "You didn't really want to leave at five did you?"
"No, I thought I'd be lucky to get out of here by six, so five-thirty is a bonus. Thank you Josh," she grinned.
He wandered away muttering.
~*~
There was a nice restaurant at the MCI center that also offered a bar menu, perfect for eating on the run. Josh ordered Nick and Steph's wood grilled cheeseburger - extra burnt of course - with fries, whilst Donna decided the grilled chicken breast sandwich, also with the obligatory fries, would do nicely.
"So, have we got good seats or nose bleed seats?" Josh asked as they waited for their food.
"I'll have you know they are *very* good seats," she replied.
"How good?"
"Let's just say, excellent," she smiled.
"Okay... I've been told that the best seats were priced well over a hundred a ticket, so in relation to that, how good?" he continued.
"Actually they were $125 a ticket for the two days, but since they were given to me, they cost me zero," she replied casually.
"Donna! Who is going around giving you $250 worth of tickets? What did you have to do?"
"Don't worry Josh, I didn't sell my soul to the devil," she snorted.
"I just don't trust those republicans," he replied warily. "So it's above board?"
"Yes Crime Boy," she smiled.
"Don't call me that," he replied.
She leant forward and dropped her voice. "Crime boy, Crime boy, Crime boy," she mocked before sitting back up straight on her bar stool and grinning at him.
Josh dropped his chin before looking up at her with only his eyes, "Donna... if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were seriously getting turned on there..."
"Oh please! Will you just get over yourself!" she laughed.
"Here you go," said the guy behind the bar as he brought them their food.
"And I'll have a beer thanks. Donna?"
"I'll just have a coke and he'll have one too - not the beer," she smiled.
"Hey..."
"Eat your charcoal Josh."
"I wanted a beer."
"So does the little woman win here or what?" the guy replied still standing at the bar.
Josh and Donna exchanged looks at his comment. "He'll have a coke," Donna replied, staring at Josh and challenging him to correct either statement.
"A *large* coke then," he added.
The guy behind the bar chuckled. "Two cokes coming up."
~*~
As the last of the presentations were being made, Donna tapped Josh on the arm.
"Are you interested in coming back to meet them with me?" she asked.
"Donna... really this thing you have about meeting celebrities. I thought you would have learnt after the last incident," he complained.
"Yes or no Joshua?"
"Yeah, yeah... okay. If only to save them from your over enthusiasm," he joked.
"They don't need saving Josh," she replied as they started to move against the crowds of people trying to leave.
They reached the corner barrier and Donna waved to get the attention of a security guard.
"Oh great. Security are about to throw us out," Josh muttered.
"Will you be quiet Josh? Remember you wanted to come. I'd have been happy by myself," Donna chided.
"Yes, but then you'd have phoned me in the middle of the night to come and bail you out after you'd been arrested for stalking," he chuckled.
"Can I help you ma'am?" the guard asked.
"Yes. My name is Donna Moss. I was wondering if you could please let Marc..."
"DONNA!"
"MARC!"
"Heathcliffe," Josh muttered under his breath.
Josh watched as one of the male skaters from the competition made his way to where they were standing.
"Donna, oh my God you look so *good* woman!"
Donna smiled brightly as Marc drew her into a bear hug across the railing.
"Come on back," he continued. "The guys are going to be so wrapped you could make it."
"Well really, how could I say no when you sent me the tickets and then virtually *begged* me to come?" she laughed, as they pulled apart and the guard swung the gate open.
"Err... Donna?"
"Oh Josh... sorry," she said realizing that her manners were... well, starting to resemble Josh's, "Josh Lyman... Marc Greenslade."
"Nice to meet you," stated Marc as he extended his hand to Josh. Josh noted that Marc's other hand was attached to the arm that was currently draped across Donna's shoulder.
"Likewise. It was a pretty impressive performance out there earlier," Josh remarked.
"Thank you. Come on, the guys are waiting," Marc said, turning his attention back to Donna.
They headed back behind the partition to what appeared to be a waiting area. Several of the skaters were sitting around talking.
"Hey look who I found," grinned Marc.
"It's Dazzling Donna!" exclaimed one with a huge grin on his face.
"Dazzling Donna?" queried Josh.
"Oh ignore Pete. Craig, Daniel... it's so good to see you," laughed Donna as she was virtually mobbed by male skaters.
Josh stood back and took in the scene that was being played out in front of him. This was obviously where Donna had managed to secure two virtually front row - best seats in the house - tickets. These guys knew Donna, and by the way they greeted her, they knew her very well. Too well, Josh thought before realizing he was starting to get very territorial when it came to Donna.
He wondered whether this was a good or bad thing?
"You're all so..." started Donna before Pete interrupted her.
"Old?"
"No, not what I was going to say," Donna laughed.
"Well it's true," he continued. "But Wow! Look at you Donna!"
Donna blushed at their praise and then heard Josh give a discrete little cough. Well - as discrete as her boss ever was.
"Everyone... this is Josh Lyman. He offered to come along with me tonight. Josh... I think you should recognize everyone from the program tonight?"
"Nice to meet you," said Josh. "Donna, you never mentioned you actually *knew* anyone. You let me believe..."
"Josh thinks I'm some sort of celebrity stalker," laughed Donna. "Oh and speaking of celeb's... you'll never guess who I finally got to meet!"
"Don't tell me," said Marc, "David Hasselhoff?"
"Yes!"
"And was he everything you'd drrreeeeamed?" Craig asked cheekily.
"Well... I thought he would have been a bit taller," she replied with a smile.
"So she's had this David Hasselhoff obsession for awhile now?" Josh enquired.
"Yeah. Used to drive us nuts on the circuit," Marc replied.
"That was a long time ago," Donna added wistfully.
"Do you still skate?" Daniel asked.
"When I can," she replied.
"You can skate Donna?" Josh asked.
The small group of men all turned to Josh, all wearing the identical dumbfounded expression.
"A bit," she replied hesitantly.
"Come out onto the ice with me?" Marc asked encouragingly, wrapping his arm around her again.
"Oh I don't think so," she replied as she shook her head.
"Come on... please?" Craig cajoled.
"I don't have any skates and I couldn't wear these clothes..."
"I have skates," said Marc, reaching into a bag sitting under a chair.
"But how do you know they'd fit?" she replied, thinking she had just given the closing statement in her argument to stay off the ice.
"I phoned your Dad to get your contact number, remember? He told me he'd bought you a new pair last Christmas. He knew the size. I was hoping you would come tonight."
Donna looked at Marc and then to the skates. "But I have nothing to wear."
"I never thought I'd hear Donna Moss utter such *girly* words," chuckled Pete.
"Peter Ignatius Augustus Melcombe!" fired Donna playfully.
"Oh now you're in trouble Pete," quipped Marc.
"Backing off!" Pete laughed.
"Seriously Donna, one of the girls will have something you can wear. Please?" Marc asked giving her a pleading look. "I've got skates and I'll even strap your ankle."
"They knew about the car accident?" Josh asked, surprised.
"Car accident? Donna... you were in a car accident?" Craig asked in a concerned tone.
"It's okay... it was years ago now. The ankle healed really well," she replied.
"Come on Donna, I'll be with you every step of the way," Marc added.
"I don't know..."
"Go for it Donna. How many times would you get the opportunity to skate at a venue like this?" Josh coaxed.
Again the skaters all looked at Josh like he'd grown a second head.
"He doesn't know?" Marc asked Donna quietly.
She shook her head. "I guess I could try..."
"Yes! That's it... come on, we'll go find some clothes for you and I'll strap that ankle," said Marc.
"Look after Josh for me, and behave boys! If any stories are told, I'll know who told them!" she instructed the others as she gave Josh a grin. "You're okay waiting? You don't have to..."
"Hey, it's fine with me," Josh replied. "I'll just hang with the guys."
Josh and the other skaters headed towards the seating, dodging the television crews as they packed up the equipment.
"She's going to get a kick outta this," said Josh, deciding to make conversation, wondering just how well Donna knew them.
"It should bring back a few memories," Craig commented.
"Um, yeah... you guys have sorta made me feel like I'm missing something here. You all know Donna how? She's a sort of skating groupie or something?" Josh quizzed.
"You had no idea that Donna could skate, did you?" Pete asked.
"Well most kids learnt to skate... I mean, I preferred to just throw snowballs, but I'm sure my sister used to skate," Josh rambled.
"Trust us, Donna can skate," replied Craig.
"I don't know much about the competition. Actually I sorta invited myself along tonight," Josh said, deciding to make conversation.
"Donna was going to bring someone named Margie... Mary..."
"Margaret. Yeah, she was sick, so I volunteered," replied Josh.
"You came to watch the women skate, right?" laughed Pete.
"Hey, I'll have you know... yeah, they were good," he grinned.
"Yeah they're amazing. Skating has changed so much over the years. Some of the stuff the women are doing these days... well they wouldn't have even dreamed of attempting ten years ago," said Daniel.
"There used to be such a division between what the men and women were doing, but now..." stated Pete.
"Here she is!" Marc called as the approached.
Donna was wearing a pair of gray stretch sports sweats, her white shirt untucked and hanging loosely. She balanced on her skates as she followed Marc out.
"Now you promised to come with me, right Marc?" she queried as she reached the group, giving Josh a small smile.
"Yeah, come on," Marc replied, taking the guards off his skates, Donna following suit.
Josh tried to focus on the conversation with the other skaters as he watched Donna and Marc skate around for nearly half an hour. They talked about sports in general and other competitions, but Josh couldn't help but marvel at the way Donna glided around on the ice as she joked and laughed with Marc.
Eventually they skated back over to the fence.
"All warmed up?" Marc asked.
"I'll say!" Donna laughed.
"Good."
"Hang on Marc... warmed up?"
"Promise you won't hit me?" Marc asked, taking a side step from her.
"Marcus!"
"Woo hoo... your turn to be in trouble," laughed Pete.
"Don't be like that Donna. I was hoping I could convince you, so I brought some music you might remember," said Marc, using the same tone that convinced her to even go out on the ice.
"The pairs routine?"
"Yep... do you remember any of it? Like we can forget the complex stuff. I'm guessing double toe loops are out of the question?" he joked.
Josh sat up straighter in his seat at this change in conversation. Toe loops? He wasn't sure which of the spin things was a toe loop, but he decided it sounded difficult.
"I wouldn't suggest you lifting me these days either," she laughed. "But honestly Marc, I don't know..."
"Come on... let's see the Donna Moss magic," Marc encouraged.
Donna looked apprehensively towards Josh, but only received a confused nod.
"Okay... but I don't know how much I remember," she sighed.
"Thata girl! Do you still do any weight training?" Marc asked as he gave her a hug.
"Donna? Weight training?" quizzed Josh.
"Not so much weights, but you should see the size of some of the files I have to lift on a daily basis," she replied, wondering if she really wanted Josh to know this much, but she figured the horse had already bolted.
"So that's why you're freakishly strong Donnatella," Josh quipped.
"Must be," she grinned back. "Really Josh, you don't have to stay."
"No... no. I'm intrigued now. I'm not going anywhere," he replied, settling back in his seat.
Donna gave him a brave smile and wondered what it was going to take to keep this quiet, before turning her attention back to Marc.
"We going right to the end?" she asked.
"If you think you can make it," he replied.
"Okay, let's do it. Give me a refresher, what's the first sequence again?"
"Double toe loop, into a salchow, side by side..."
"Then into a spin sequence, right?" she finished.
"Yes, see you do remember," Marc laughed.
"Don't say that until we've finished," she joked back.
"Go Donna!" Craig shouted as Donna and Marc made their way out to the middle of the ice.
Josh watched as they circled each other as Marc shouted to someone, before turning back to Donna. He said something that Josh couldn't hear, and watched as Donna gave Marc a shy smile that made Josh's heart tighten.
He became increasingly uncomfortable as he watched Donna and Marc wrap their arms and bodies around each other. They way the looked directly into each others eyes made him feel like voyeur peering through a window.
Then music started - slowly at first - and they began circling on the ice, still wrapped together. The music was an instrumental version of an old 80's song, he tried hard to remember the words, but all he could remember was something about time and always finding 'someone' whenever or wherever, and catching them if they fell. Appropriate perhaps?
He watched them break apart and sat gob smacked as he watched Donna moving and spinning as Marc circled her. Then back together, holding hands before Marc wrapped his arms around her and she let him lead her on the ice. His heart tightened on him again, and he wondered if he was somehow dying... although he was fairly certain he wasn't. Not physically - not really anyway.
He could tell they were calling to each other on the ice. Josh noticed Donna shake her head before both Marc and Donna jumped and spun - Marc obviously doing more rotations on the jump than Donna. Then he reached out to Donna and they spun together.
"Wow - did you see that? She like jumped and spun at the same time as Marc!" exclaimed Josh.
"After 12 years, she still looks good," Pete replied as they all watched.
"Okay I give in. Donna obviously knows how to skate," said Josh, still not taking his eyes from the display on the arena.
"You should have seen her back then - when they first did this routine," Craig nodded towards them.
"And that was?"
"Junior Skating Nationals," Daniel provided.
"Hang on... Nationals? As in people from every state?" Josh quizzed.
"No, it's a bit more complex than that. It's broken up into regions; you have to qualify in your region. It's fairly tough competition before you even get to the Nationals," added Craig as they watched Marc and Donna.
"Donna and Marc were that good?" Josh continued.
"Well look where Marc is now. He's been skating as a pro for years. And Donna... she was proclaimed as America's next sweetheart on ice," Pete replied.
Josh looked out at Donna again as she jumped and skated back into Marc's arms.
"Donna and Marc... were they ever... you know..." posed Josh. He had just realized what was causing the tightening in his chest - partly relieved to know he wasn't having a heart attack, but wondering if this alternative was any better.
He was jealous.
He watched as Marc gently wrapped his arms around Donna again and wished he were the one with his arms around Donna.
Daniel laughed. "The only thing Donna was attached to were her skates. No, we haven't heard from Donna for years. Marc was back home and just happened to see her brother somewhere. When he mentioned Donna lived in Washington, we decided to try and catch up."
"Oh," Josh replied, annoyed it even bothered him. But he figured that it was probably lucky that it was Marc out there with her. He figured they would have been lying in a heap on the ice if he were trusted to hold her up.
But then lying crumpled with Donna didn't sound like a bad proposition at all.
But perhaps not on ice...
*
The music changed tempo. Josh figured it was now a different tune. He watched as Donna laughed and shook her head. Marc launched into a series of fast steps as Donna stayed in the same spot, gently circling as she watched him move around her. Then she broke into a couple of steps mirroring Marc, just before the music changed back again.
"Donna used to be able to do all of what Marc just did, right?" he asked.
This was Donna - and she had talents that he had no idea she possessed.
What else didn't he know?
"Yeah, she was amazing," Pete, offered.
"Then why'd she stop?" he questioned, all the while not taking his eyes from Donna.
"I figured she never told you. I mean, you are her boyfriend and everything, but I can't believe you didn't know?" Daniel stated.
"I'm not actually her boyfriend. We're just... friends... colleagues."
"So, when Marc told us she was an assistant to a senior White House official... you're him?" Pete asked.
"Yeah."
"And she never told you?"
"No. Did she lose a big competition or something?" Josh asked, starting to get impatient.
"She had a fall," said Craig.
"But skaters fall over. I mean one of the women tonight took a tumble. Was it embarrassing or something..."
"If you know Donna at all... you'd know that embarrassment doesn't make Donna back down. No, it was a bad fall. But you might want to ask her about it sometime," replied Pete defensively.
Josh read his tone. "Hey, look... Donna is my friend. I didn't mean to imply that she would turn her back on something just because things got tough. You're right, I do know Donna and I know she's better than that," Josh defended.
"Good. Just as long as you understand she is special," Pete added.
"Believe me I know," he replied as he turned to watch Marc and Donna return to each other's embrace as the music wound down.
The group whooped and cheered as the music finally stopped. Donna and Marc laughed as they broke apart and skated back to the edge.
Donna's smile glowed and Josh was acutely aware of how beautiful that profile of her was.
"Donna that was..." Josh stammered, searching for an apt description and finding none suitable enough.
"Hopeless!" she exclaimed, as she tried to regain her breath. "I could barely remember half of it!" she complained.
"That's *not* a definition I would use," Josh replied.
"Donna, it was only a new routine for us back then anyway. After so many years I'm surprised you remember any of it."
"Well you do," she replied.
"I help out with a bit of junior coaching. Getting into practice for when this body says enough. It's one of the routines we use. It was a good one and we didn't get much of a chance with it."
"Yeah... I know... my fault."
"Hey - don't! Don't you dare Donna Moss!" Marc chastised as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Okay... well thanks," she smiled. "I'm just going to do a few laps around to warm down before we go," she replied. "You don't mind waiting a bit longer do you Josh? It's just that I should really do this, and I'm sure it will give you more time to come up with funny things to tell Sam about this."
"This isn't something I'd ever joke about," he replied sincerely.
Donna gave him a small smile and headed back out on the ice.
"She's still amazing," said Marc.
"Yes she is," Josh agreed.
"Hey Marc, have you got that other music?" Craig asked cryptically.
"Yeah, they've got it up there. I just have to give them the signal," he replied.
"So... what do you think?" Pete quizzed.
"It could go either way - hopefully she will be okay with it," he added.
"Two ways?" quizzed Josh, protectively. "Because that usually means good or bad. And if you are referring to Donna then..."
"Honestly? I think she will be okay. It's a calculated risk, but worth it," he said to Josh, reassuringly. "HEY DONNA?"
"YEAH?" she called back as she smiled and skated around in circles, stretching her limbs in the process.
"GO OUT TO THE MIDDLE."
"WHY?"
"DONNA..."
"OKAY... okay," she called as she skated to the center. "WHAT NOW?"
"I'VE GOT ANOTHER PIECE OF MUSIC."
Donna laughed and shook her head. "WHAT? THAT TANGO WE USED TO CLOWN AROUND TO?"
"NO," he hesitated. "JESSICA'S THEME."
Josh watched as the expression on her face changed and he knew that she would be biting her bottom lip if he could see her face clearly. "She doesn't look happy Marc, who is this Jessica person?"
"No, it's a piece of music from a film. The character was Jessica."
"MARC? I DON'T KNOW..." She called back tentatively as she skated across, Marc and Josh left their seats higher in the stands and came down to the edge.
"Do you remember it?" Marc asked, trying to judge her mood as she stopped in front of them.
She smiled, "It's burnt into my brain."
"I want to see some more Donna Moss magic," called Pete with a shy smile. "Something to tell my kids about."
"You don't have kids!" said Daniel, giving him a shove and making them all laugh.
"But when I do, I want to tell them I saw this!" he replied.
"Okay... okay... just don't expect to see anything too amazing. And I... I don't think I can skate right to the end," she added.
"Yes! Now get back out there!" Marc instructed as he waved her off again.
"Bossy!" she sassed.
Donna smiled and glanced at Josh who was leaning on the fence, watching her intently. "I'm really sorry Josh, this is much later than I thought we would be."
"It's alright. Go for it," Josh nodded at her.
As he watched her skate back to the middle, he suddenly understood Donna's hesitation.
"This is the music... when she fell... that's why she was hesitant. That's why you were all concerned?"
Marc nodded as he too leaned his arms on the fence to watch as Donna took her pose and he signaled for the music to start.
Josh was mesmerized as he watched Donna move on the ice to the haunting music.
The sound of more music brought a few of the skaters still at the center out to see what was going on. One of the female skaters that Josh recognized from earlier had made her way up to the group.
"Oh my... is that Donna Moss? I heard the music and I remembered from when I was really young... it is?" she asked.
"Yeah," replied Marc with a smile as they watched Donna glide around the ice.
"I cried when she fell," the woman added quietly. "I so wanted her to win. But then she got up and finished, I thought she was okay."
"Yeah but that was Donna, stubborn as hell."
Josh chuckled. "Believe me, she hasn't changed."
They watched in silence for the rest of the routine. Josh couldn't believe that this was his Donna, gliding and jumping - the spinning alone would be enough to make anyone else fall over from dizziness yet she would launch into another movement immediately after without so much as a wobble.
This was his Donna, and he rather liked the thought of that.
He watched as her expression changed. There was something... she seemed to come out from under a spell, and he realized she had completed as much of the routine as she was going to. The music continued, but she was just skating now. The others noticed it too.
"HAD ENOUGH?" Marc called to her.
Donna nodded, and Marc signaled for the music to stop.
Silence... for a second.
Then guys started cheering and yelling to Donna and she gave them a wave and smiled.
"I'M GOING TO JUST..." she yelled, and moved her hands around indicating she was going to do a few laps on the ice to warm down and stretch again.
"GO FOR IT," Marc called back.
"There was obviously more... that's when she fell wasn't it?" Josh asked quietly.
"Yeah," replied Marc sadly. "We'd all hoped she'd got over it. Her Dad even thought this would be good for her."
"But she's out there at least. She did most of the routine, right? It's got to be a good thing?" Josh continued.
"Definitely. Can I ask you something?" Marc quizzed quietly as they both watched Donna. They were still leaning on the fencing whilst the others were still a few rows up in the stands.
"Sure," Josh replied. Hey, he was a politician, he was used to being questioned.
"Does Donna know you're in love with her?" Marc asked, still watching Donna skate.
"You don't mess around do you?" Josh choked.
Marc chuckled. "No. Not where Donna is concerned. I guess old habits die hard."
"How so?" Josh asked, trying to compose himself.
"Donna's Dad. Donna and I were always great friends back when we used to skate on the circuit and competitions together. There was nothing between us; we were like brother and sister really. Her Dad knew that and sort of... I don't know... deputized me I guess to look out for her. She was just as beautiful back then you know."
"I could believe that," replied Josh watching her skate and stretch, knowing that the evening was quickly drawing to a close.
"So you didn't answer my question," Marc stated.
"I didn't. Look, what's between Donna and myself... well it's complicated," Josh replied.
"Funny... when I rang her the other week, I asked whether she was seeing someone. She sort of laughed and said there was someone she wished... she said it was complicated," replied Marc, turning to look at Josh.
A silent message was conveyed between them.
"Marc... not telling secrets I hope?" laughed Donna as she skated up to them.
"Me? Never!" he laughed. "You've had enough?"
"Yeah, and we've got a busy day tomorrow," she replied nodding towards Josh.
"You make her work on a Sunday?" Marc asked, raising an eyebrow towards Josh.
"What can I say... when you run the country it's a seven day a week job," Josh replied and Donna nodded.
"Of course the way Josh tells it, you'd think *he* personally did everything," added Donna.
"Hey!"
"Okay... okay, so he's not quite that bad - but close," she laughed. "I'm just going to
go and change. I'll be back in a minute."
"You looked good out there Donna. It was good to see," said Marc sincerely.
Donna gave him a small smile and nodded. "I'll be back in a minute Josh."
"Sure."
~*~
True to her word, Donna returned quickly, buttoning her coat as she made her way back to the group.
"Here," she said to Marc holding the skates up.
"What am I supposed to do with them?" he asked with a shrug.
"Return them to whoever you borrowed them from. Although I must say, they look new," she replied.
"That's because they are. Take them, they're yours," he replied with a grin.
"Marc! These are professional, competition class skates!" she exclaimed.
"And what? Now that I skate pro, you don't think I can afford to give them to you? Donna, I'm not the struggling - let's share the meal you can have the fries - guy I used to be."
"Ah so that's where she gets her fry stealing fetish from," nodded Josh. He realized it was lucky he didn't have that beer, because that sentence would be difficult to say even after only *one* beer.
"Marc, honestly..."
"Just shut up Donna and take the skates okay!" Craig laughed.
Donna sighed and hugged the skates to her, "Thank you."
"Oh look out," warned Marc with a laugh, "she's gonna get emotional. Time to go!"
Donna laughed back, "Yes, I know. Look we really have to go... I miss you guys," she said and let out a sob.
Marc put his arms around here first, "Well, don't be a stranger okay."
"I won't," she promised as she stepped back, wiping a stray tear from her eye.
"Come here," said Daniel.
She stepped over to hug him, but he lifted her up and spun her around. "Sheesh Donna, you weigh a ton these days!" he laughed as he put her down and feigned a sore back. Donna slapped his arm for his efforts and laughed.
"Our turn!" Craig exclaimed as he gave her a hug before letting her go and giving Pete the opportunity to do the same.
"Next time you're in town we'll all go out, okay?" she asked.
"Sure, just book us into your busy schedule," said Pete.
"I'm sure her boss will let her out for a couple of hours," added Josh with a grin.
"Just give me plenty of notice so I can avert any national emergencies," she laughed.
"Okay, get going... it's after midnight Cinderella," said Marc.
"Nice to meet you," said Josh, extending a hand to each of the guys. Each of them gave Josh their version of the 'you look after her glare' before Josh and Donna headed for the exit.
*
They walked in silence down the virtually empty halls, and Josh could only manage to contain himself until they reached the front doors.
"Donna, you can skate!" Josh bounced as they headed out of the building and back towards the White House.
"Yes Josh."
"Like, really well." he continued.
"I wouldn't go that far Josh."
"But... you did jumps and stuff out there... like wow Donna - you can skate."
"Josh, can we just drop it please?"
"Donna?"
"Yes Josh?"
"What other secrets have you been keeping from me?"
She stopped walking. "Josh... it wasn't a secret."
"Yes it was, you never told me," he replied stopping beside her.
She began walking again and it took him a moment to realize. He had to do a slight jog to catch back up to her.
"It would have been in my file when you vetted me before we actually got to the White House. I'm not going to boast, but I was fairly high profile as a junior - it would have been in there," she countered.
"I never read it," he replied.
"But weren't you supposed to?"
"Yes I was, but I didn't."
"Josh?" she stopped again.
"I didn't want to, okay?" he replied and continued walking.
"I'm sure the government wouldn't allow something like that to..." she said matching his stride again.
"No. I've gotta say they'd take a very dim view of my actions if someone found out I gave you the job without properly vetting you."
"Read my file Josh."
"I still don't want to."
"For what reason?" she asked.
"The same one as back then."
"And that was?"
"Donna..."
"Why Josh?"
"Because... because... we'd spent all that *time* on the campaign together and I figured I knew enough."
"If you didn't read my file Josh, what could you have really known? I could have been making it all up."
"What? You'd actually make up a story about a deadbeat boyfriend who you had to drop out of college to support? That you'd managed to take God knows how many majors while you *were* there? Honestly Donna, if you were going to make something up, I'm sure it would have been a prettier picture."
"I'm just saying Josh..."
"I knew enough - okay?"
"You knew what!" she exclaimed.
"I knew... I knew I found you valuable, okay? And I wasn't about to lose that over unpaid parking fines or some trivial misdemeanor I might find in your file."
"I think you should read my file."
"I don't want..."
"Josh!"
"Alright, okay. But I'm not going to find anything bad in there am I? Because I gotta tell ya Donna, I find you even more valuable now than I did then."
"Joshua, you really can be sweet sometimes. Read the file!"
"I'll access it tomorrow if it makes you happy."
"It would. Thank you Josh."
They walked in silence for the rest of the walk to the White House and to the staff car park.
"You want to go and get a coffee or something?" Josh asked as he unlocked her door.
"As much as the thought of *you* getting *me* coffee sounds appealing, I'm totally worn out after all that skating. I haven't had a work out like that for years. All I want is to go home and fall into a warm bath so I can actually move tomorrow," she smiled.
"Okay, not a problem," he smiled as he rounded the car and opened his own door. "Let's get you home then. I don't think an Assistant who can't move will be much use to me."
~*~*~*~
"DONNA!"
"WHAT!"
Silence between the bullpen and Josh's office.
They had managed to work through Sunday without any discussion on the events of Saturday night. Josh had even managed to stop himself from asking her if she was okay when he noticed she was limping just slightly. No one else would have really noticed it, but he, scarily enough, realized that he knew the way she walked.
But now it was Monday afternoon and he had been silent long enough.
"Donna?"
She looked up to see him standing in his doorway.
"Yes Josh?"
"Did you just yell *what*?"
"Did you just *yell* my name? Honestly Josh, you're lucky I *like* my name because after hearing it yelled so often, I might feel inclined to change it!"
"Are you quite finished?"
"For the moment. What do you want Josh?"
"Can you come in here for a minute, pleasssse?" he asked in an overly polite voice.
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes why Josh? I'm in the middle of this report and you said it was urgent."
"Just get your skates on and get in here," he smirked, knowing the skating reference would do the trick. He turned and headed back to his desk, she wouldn't be far behind, and he tried to contain a further grin when she stood in his doorway a few moments later.
"Okay. What do you need Josh?" she asked.
He feigned a sigh as he looked up at her, "Close the door please."
"O...kay. Josh, is there a problem?"
"Other than your total indifference to listening to me? But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Donna nodded. She wasn't sure about the expression on his face, it seemed serious.
"I'm really disappointed in you Donna," he started, and she decided whatever she had done, she should sit down to hear it. She slumped into a chair.
"What Josh?"
"This was delivered to me my courier this morning," he stated, holding up a videotape.
"I didn't see a courier..."
"You were taking that file to Leo for me."
"Oh."
"Yes."
"What's on the tape Josh? Because I can't think of anything I've done lately to..."
"It's nothing recent," Josh replied.
"No? Oh... OH! Please tell me that it didn't come from Wisconsin? Please, if Calvin wasn't joking and he really did video... oh God, if it's that... please pleeeeease tell me you didn't watch it?"
"Calvin?"
"You know... 'Doctor Freeride.'"
"He used to joke about videoing wh... Oh! No... no! Not going there! Let me reassure you that it is most definitely NOT that type of video," said Josh shaking his head quickly.
Silence.
Donna looked down at her hands resting in her lap, unable to make eye contact with Josh.
"He used to *joke* about something like that?" Josh asked shaking his head. One day Freeride would pay for making that sort of remark to Donna.
"I don't think he really did ever... but he used to say... I guess he thought it was funny," Donna shrugged.
"Well I don't."
"No, neither did I. I think that's why he used to say it."
Josh was starting to regret this whole charade he had started, but at least he had something else on the bastard who hurt Donna so badly.
"Josh? What's on the tape?" she asked nervously.
He gave her a wry smile, hoping to ease the tension. "Why don't you put it in the player and see," he replied, holding it out across the desk to her.
Her first thought was to grab it and run. Josh had already watched it and whatever was on it, she had somehow disappointed him. But running with it wouldn't be a very adult response and she doubted she would even make it as far as her desk before Josh called security and had her hauled back into his office.
Donna took the tape and stepped over to insert it into the machine. She looked around for the remote but couldn't see it anywhere.
"I've got the remote," Josh said. "Why don't you take a seat?"
"Josh?"
"Please? We'll talk at the end."
The picture came to life.
"Ice skating? Josh what is..."
"Shhhhsh!" he chastised, as he pointed to the screen and turned up the volume.
***...the next skater on the ice will be Donna Moss. She's skated beautifully so far today Phil...
Currently second after the short program, but this long program routine is something
magical Claire...***
"Josh..."
"Shhhsh!"
***...she's certainly destined for big things. Only sixteen years old, but already they're talking about her being the next darling of the ice.***
Josh glanced at Donna whose face had turned a flushed red.
"Josh I can't..." she said as she started to stand.
Josh hit pause.
"Come on Donna, sit down."
"Please Josh, don't make me watch this. I could never make myself watch this and I don't think I can start now..."
"Why?"
"Because... have you watched it Josh?"
He nodded.
"Then you know how it ends."
"I knew how it ended before I watched it."
"What? Ohhh, Marc told you? He sent you the tape didn't he?"
"Yes he told me but no, your father sent me a copy of the tape."
"Dad?"
"Yes."
"But how did you..."
"Hey you were the one who said I *had* to read your file. Guess what, there are contact numbers in it."
"Josh..."
"Watch it with me... please?"
"I don't know if I can."
"Want me to hold your hand?" he grinned.
"I think that would be frowned on," she replied.
"Not by me," he threw back.
"Josh?"
"Can we watch it please? I think... I know your Dad thinks it's kinda time."
"He thought it was time an hour after they set my ankle in plaster."
Donna leaned back in the chair and sighed.
"Okay then?"
"Hit play Josh."
***...here she is...listen to that applause Phil, she's got the crowd on her side...
The Olympics are next in her sights I'm sure, Claire. The piece she's skating to is called
'Jessica's Theme.' It's a pretty piece Phil. I saw her in the warm up earlier. ***
Josh silently watched as a teenage Donna skated to the middle of the ice. Her hair, obviously long even back then, was wrapped in a tightly jeweled bun on the top of her head. Her gold and purple outfit fluttering gently as she stopped, smiled and then, like on Saturday night, moved to her opening pose.
Josh watched the screen intently as the music began and a younger Donna began to move gracefully on the ice. He gave her a quick glance, she too was watching... reliving.
"You okay Donna?" he whispered.
She nodded, not taking her eyes from the screen.
They continued to watch as she successfully completed a series of jumps and spins, all the while listening to the commentators gush about her performance.
"Claire and Phil?" questioned Josh, "did you pay them?"
"No," she laughed, still watching. "I was the *darling*... didn't you hear them?"
"I did but..."
"Ohh!"
"What?" Josh asked.
"I remember - that jump just there," she said pointing to the screen, "I didn't think I was going to make a clean landing on it. I think there was a rough patch on the ice, or something..."
"But you made it," stated Josh.
"Yes."
"You did well then."
"Josh... the end... it's coming up... I don't know..."
Josh moved around from his seat and sat on the edge of his desk beside Donna, and began gently rubbing his hand on her arm.
She looked up at him for a moment and smiled before turning back to the screen.
Unconsciously she had taken hold of her pendant with one hand and was running the charm back and forwards along the chain.
Josh wondered if this would be what it would be like if someone had footage of Rosslyn? To sit and watch something that was physically and emotionally life changing?
Her moving hand was driving Josh crazy, and he grabbed it - untangling her fingers from the charm.
Josh wove his fingers through hers. "I'm here, okay?"
***... And now the final jump from this flawless routine... here comes a double... ohhh... she's fallen...she's not getting up straight away... it could be serious... ohh no, here she is... she's getting up with some obvious difficulty and back into the routine. It's cost her a place here today...
She won't place in the top rankings, but it's been a strong performance for the whole competition and she's still the crowd favorite. So there it was... Donna Moss. It just wasn't her...
Claire, she's obviously in some difficulty out there as she takes her bow to the crowd... she doesn't seem to be able to put that foot down on the ice now that she has finished... and as she attempts to skate off the ice...yes there's definitely a problem. We now have Marcus Greenslade, her pair's partner and Peter Melcombe, who took out first place in the men's competition, out there helping her off the ice. I think her coach wants her to go straight to a medic from what I can tell, but she seems to be insisting to wait for the judging. Yes, her friends are helping her to the waiting area. She's in a lot of pain, Claire.***
"Turn it off please, Josh," whispered Donna.
"I can't Donna... you've sorta got hold of my hand and I can't reach the remote."
Donna's gaze left the screen and moved to their joined hands, and then realized the pain coursing through her fingers was from the death grip she had on Josh's hand.
"Oh Josh... I'm sorry," she apologized as she released his hand and watched him open and close it to return the blood flow through it.
"S'okay,"
Her hand now free, she tried to wipe a few stray tears that had escaped and trickled down her cheeks.
"Here," said Josh taking a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to her after he had
stopped the tape. "It's clean - I promise."
She smiled as she took it. "Thank you."
"So... the ankle?"
"Turned out it was broken," she replied as she dried her eyes and then blew her nose.
"I don't want that back now you realize," Josh joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ahhh yeah... sorry," she grinned.
"So, the ankle was broken, but you got up and finished?"
"I wanted to finish," she replied simply.
"So it was a bad break and that finished your skating?" Josh asked as he sat against his desk.
"Well skating on it didn't help, but no it healed okay. Physio and weights and so much work to get it right."
"So why stop?"
"Josh..."
"If it healed okay..."
"I... I wasn't at a standard to move up to senior level. I still felt I had to make the grade before I moved up. It took time for the ankle to heal enough to be able to put it through the sort of relentless pressure it would be put under. The guys... they were all senior skaters by the following year. They were all gearing up for the Olympics... and I wasn't there. I wasn't ready. It... it was lonely Josh. Marc had given pairs away totally, which was understandable with his run of bad luck with partners. I only stepped in as his pair's partner because his previous partner had a serious knee injury. He was concentrating on his solo. There were so many new juniors - good juniors coming through... I felt so old compared to them."
"So you stopped."
"I stopped competing, I've never stopped skating."
"When do you skate? I mean, I know your office hours Donna - when do you get any time to?"
"During the season, I'm a member of a rink not far from here. It's an outdoor rink and it's open until 11 most nights... until midnight on a Friday and Saturday, but it is fairly popular then. I try and get there a few times a week, some weekends if we're not working."
"Do you think you could show me?"
"Show you what? You've seen me skate?"
"No. Show me *how* to skate?"
"You can't skate?"
"Er... no. Not everyone can skate you know. My sister... well I think she could, but I was too busy having snowball fights with the neighborhood kids. I learned to ski when I was in college, but I never learnt to skate."
"You want me to teach you to skate?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Isn't this a mature conversation? Just because Donna. Does there have to be a reason?"
"Yes."
"Well there isn't."
"I think I know what it is," she chimed.
"I doubt it."
"Ah ha! See there is!" she added pointedly.
"I didn't say that."
"You don't like it that I can do something you can't," she smiled smugly.
"That's not it," Josh smiled as he went back to his chair.
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't."
"What is then?"
"I just want to be able to share something with you that you obviously love - okay!"
"Oh Josh..."
"Donna, how did you do that?"
"Do what Josh?"
"Make me tell you why?"
"I'm tricky like that aren't I?" she grinned.
"Yeah," he nodded with a half smile.
"And I had a good teacher."
"Thank you."
"Hey, who said I was talking about you?"
"Because you were... weren't you?"
"Yes. But don't let it go to your head," she replied as she stood.
"So, when can I have my first lesson?"
"You're serious aren't you?"
"Yes... when?"
"I don't know..."
"Well if I promise we can get out of here by say seven tomorrow night, can we go? Can I get some skates somewhere?" he asked.
"You can hire them there. It doesn't cost much," she replied. "Oh and make sure you have something to wear that is suitable for ice skating. I think you'd look funny in a suit."
"I'll remember," he replied.
"No you won't, I'll have to remind you tomorrow morning when I ring to make sure you get out of bed," she laughed and she headed for the door.
"Donna, do you want the tape?" he asked.
She stopped and looked at the tape player. "Not just yet. You'll keep it safe for me?"
"Definitely."
~*~*~*~
Josh had obviously refrained from spreading his knowledge of her skating abilities, Donna thought the next day. Not a comment from anyone. But then again, perhaps he didn't want his *lack* of skating ability to become fodder for their colleagues?
Josh wound up his last telephone conference call by 6.30 pm and surprised Donna by announcing she could finish up for the day.
"So, where are we going?" Josh asked Donna as they headed out the gates.
"The National Gallery of Art and Sculpture Garden, over on Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street. That's where the rink is," she replied.
"And I can hire skates there?" he questioned as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets. It was cold outside and he was glad he could get out of this suit and into his jeans, flannel shirt and thick pullover. His coat then provided some additional insulation, but he knew he would have to take it off to skate.
Well... *try* and skate.
"Yes Josh, I told you that yesterday," Donna reminded him.
"Hey where are your skates?" he asked realizing that she too had her hands in her coat pockets with her handbag slung over her shoulder. He thought her woolen hat looked rather comical but he figured that she would at least be warm.
"I have a locker at the rink," she offered in explanation.
"Oh."
"So do you think you're ready for this Joshua," she chuckled.
"It's gonna hurt isn't it?" he questioned.
"Only if you fall over," she replied seriously.
"I'm not going to be able to move tomorrow am I?" he groaned.
Donna laughed, "Probably not!"
*
"Hey this is pretty cool," said Josh as the walked passed the café to get to the rink. "We can grab something to eat on the way out."
"Depend on how long we're out there," Donna replied. "The café closes at 9."
"Next time then," said Josh, as if it was a foregone conclusion that they would be back again.
Donna thought about this for a moment, and wondered if he'd still feel the same way by tomorrow morning when he tried to get out of bed. Probably not, she chuckled to herself.
*
Donna left Josh organizing skates, while she headed to her locker to get her skates and store their coats.
"Donnnnnaaa..." Josh complained as he tried to balance. "Have I got these things on properly? I don't think I have because I don't seem to be able to stand up on them."
Donna bit her bottom lip. This was going to require every ounce of patience she possessed. It was that, or bludgeon him to death with a skate within the first half hour!
"Let me see," she said as she leant down and tugged at the laces. It was a token gesture, but if it made him feel better... "How's that?"
"Okay, I think. Donna, did you actually like *do* anything just then?" he asked looking up at her.
"Yes," she replied as she turned away so he couldn't see the grin spreading across her face. She let out a breath before turning back. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he replied as he stood and wobbled.
"If you can balance enough of ski's Josh, you should be able to get the hang of this fairly easily," she replied as she went ahead of him.
"Hey wait up!" he called as he grabbed hold of anything he could to help him move forward.
Donna turned and looked at him, trying to contain the smile that was creeping across her face. She pulled her hat down over her ears a little further before going back and offering him her arm to steady himself.
"This is worse than after Rosslyn," he muttered. "At least I had a damn hole in my chest that rendered me virtually useless. I've got no excuse here."
"Joshua!" Donna exclaimed, stopping suddenly. "Don't you ever... I mean *ever*... how could you say..."
"Hey Donna... look, I'm... You're right; I guess nothing could be worse than that. I'm sorry... I know you were there," he offered apologetically.
"It could have been worse," she replied. "You could have died."
"Yeah, well there's that I suppose," he nodded.
"HEY DONNA!" called a little girl, as she skated passed. "ARE YOU COMING OUT?"
"YES!" Donna called back, as something that resembled a little pastel pink fairy on skates virtually floated by.
"Yippee..." the girl cried as she spun around and clapped her little gloved hands.
Josh smiled. "My, my... Donna Moss has her *own* fan club."
"Come on, let's go out there," Donna coaxed.
"I'm gonna look really stupid aren't I?" he replied as he let her lead him out on the rink.
"Probably," she shrugged with a smile.
Josh hung on to her arm as he tried to move on the ice, all the while not far from the edge.
"Okay, try to step and glide Josh, like on roller-skates," she offered.
"Donna, do I look like the sorta guy that ever owned roller-skates?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"No, but you don't look like a guy who would have wanted to be a ballerina either," she mocked.
"Yeah, thanks for that," he replied with a frustrated puff. "Okay I can do this, step and glide, step and glide... I'm a senior White House politician... I can do anything."
"Sure you can," smiled Donna as she broke free from his grip and skated in front of him.
"Donna! Hey... ahhhHHHH..."
THUD!
"You okay down there?" Donna asked, as she bit her lip and skated back to him.
"Just... can you just help me up please?" he whined.
Donna helped Josh back to his feet. "Okay..."
"Yeah I know, step and glide, step and glide. You make it look so easy," he replied.
"Are you going to be right there?" she quizzed.
"Yeah, I'll just practice here near the edge. You go and do what you do," he replied.
"Okay," Donna smiled, as her little friend skated past her. "Hey Gabby, how you doing?"
"Look what I can do," the little girl grinned as she skated and then lifted one foot from the ice, balancing on the other as she skated, obviously pleased with herself.
Donna cheered and clapped her own-gloved hands together.
"Show me how *you* do it," the little girl asked.
Donna skated up to her on one leg, and then spun. The little girl cheered and Donna laughed after she stopped.
"Donna?"
"Yes Gabby?"
"The man that was watching us has fallen over again."
"Hmm, so he has," Donna replied, looked across to see Josh sitting on the ice. Donna skated over to him, Gabby followed.
"Want a hand?" Donna asked as she stopped at his feet.
"Yeah, thanks," he replied. "I think I might have broken something."
"Yeah, your ego," she laughed.
"You don't skate so good," offered the little girl as Donna helped Josh to his feet.
"You noticed that eh? You're very clever," said Josh.
"I'm *five* and I can skate *real* good!" she said proudly.
"Yes you can, I saw you. Donna can skate very well too, can't she?" Josh asked.
"Donna's the best!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah," smiled Josh, glancing at Donna.
"My name is Gabrielle, but you can call me Gabby, coz you're Donna's friend. Who are you?"
"My name is Josh. Have you ever thought of being a politician when you grow up?" Josh smiled. This kid really knew how to get to the point of a subject.
"No... whatever one of those is. I'm going to be a *skater* and win heaps and heaps and HEAPS of trophies," she replied.
"GABRRRRIELLLLE!"
"Awww... that's my Mommy... I think we're going now. It's nearly my bedtime," she told Josh solemnly."
"I'll see you next time," said Donna, giving her a wave.
"And maybe I'll have learnt to stand up on these things by then," Josh shrugged to her.
"I don't think so," Gabby called as she skated away.
"She should really think about politics," stated Josh as he tried to balance again on the skates by himself.
"She's a cute kid," smiled Donna, watching the child skate across the ice to her mother.
"Yes she is and she can skate, in comparison to me - who can fall over," replied Josh.
"Maybe you can get *her* to teach you to skate then?" replied Donna with a smile.
"Ohh no way. You two tag teaming against me..."
"You might learn quicker," Donna offered.
"There's only one thing I want to learn how to do," he complained.
"Josh, I think it's going to take more than enough time *and* patience to teach you to stand up and simply move forward. I'll be old and gray, which means *you* will be older and grayer by the time you're ready to learn anything else."
"But I only want to learn one thing," he replied, taking a couple of tentative, wobbling steps to reach her.
"Yes?" she laughed, "what do you want to learn?"
That thing Marc did.
"Which thing?"
"This..." he replied as he wrapped his arms around her like Marc had, but then captured her lips. His senses assaulted with the realization he was passionately kissing Donna - a gesture she was returning, and he hoped he could manage to remain standing. He prayed he hadn't over stepped the line with her.
"Josh..." she barely whispered, as her lips left his.
"Yeah... I'm thinking that was nice."
"And I'm thinking that's something Marc never did," she replied, smiling.
"So he forgot the kissing bit."
"Yes."
"So I didn't forget. And I'd really like to do that again, but I have this awful feeling that if I don't get back to the edge, I'm gonna fall down again," Josh smirked.
"And I think that is an excellent idea, although I think it isn't an idea to do it again in the middle of an ice rink when there are so many people around," she replied.
Josh made his way back to the edge and held on tightly.
"I'm not very good at this Donna," Josh stated as she leant on the edge next to him.
"It just takes a bit of practice, Josh. You keep working at it and it gets easier all the time until you wonder if there was ever a time when it didn't just fall into place," she offered.
Josh looked down at the ice at his feet, before tilting his head and looking up at her.
"I meant... relationships. I wasn't talking about skating," he replied before dropping his gaze back again to his feet.
Donna reached out and lifted his chin with her gloved hand so he met her gaze.
"I knew what you meant," she smiled.
He ran back over her words in his mind and gave her a smile in return.
"Josh, I know a nice little coffee shop near here. How about we go?"
"You're suggesting coffee? Geez Donna it *must* be freezing," he replied.
She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why Josh?"
"Well, hell's obviously just frozen over!"
She laughed and slapped him on the arm.
"Come on, I think we need to talk," she offered.
"And here was me thinking I'd prefer to kiss," he smirked.
"Well I guess I wouldn't mind that too," she smiled as she linked her arm in his and they headed off the ice.
The end.
By: Jaye Reid
Commenced: 9, Jan. 2002
Completed: 5, Mar. 2002
Rating: PG13
Category: R J/D
Disclaimer: All characters you recognize are his. Any you don't, are mine. I've taken them out of the WB toy box when AS wasn't looking. I promise to return them in good working order.
Spoilers: Up to OTDB (S3) - none really but all if that makes any sense.
Summary: "The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Eden Phillpotts.
Archiving: just let me know. Also to be found at 'Boulevard of Misdirection'
http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~jayereid/jldmmain.htm
Author's notes: This has been a long time coming. It's required a fair bit of research - you'll be able to tell where. Although the event attended is/was real, all names used are fictitious.
Beta read and pestered for by Bridget - who is always so enthusiastic for a new piece of J/D fic.
~*~*~
"Margaret, honestly... you sound awful. I don't mind going by myself. You should go home to bed," Donna stated as she looked up at her friend from her over-cluttered desk.
"I'm really sorry," Margaret replied with a sniffle before launching into another coughing fit.
"Margaret please!" exclaimed Josh from behind them. He gripped the top of the doorframe near Donna's desk, "has Leo sent you here *specifically* to spread your cold throughout the entire west wing?"
"No," she wheezed. "I just had to let Donna know I can't go tonight. I'm going home now."
Donna glared at Josh, before turning her attention back to Margaret. "Home and bed is the best place for you. I'll be fine."
"Okay, have a nice time," she mumbled before starting to cough all over again.
Josh jumped out of the way as she passed, as though she was carrying a deadly plague he could catch if within a five-meter radius.
"You're so insensitive," lectured Donna. "She's really not well."
"Yes, that much is obvious," he replied. "So the last thing I need is for her to make *you* sick. I'm only thinking of your health."
"No you're only thinking that if I'm away sick, you have to do your own work," she replied.
"Donna! Your faith in my sincerity wounds me!"
"Hmm..." she muttered as she went back to her computer. "Did you want something Josh?"
"Where are you going tonight?" he asked casually, trying not to let too much of his curiosity through. Obviously not on a date, he thought.
"Nowhere you'd be interested in," she replied, as she punched away at her keyboard.
"You might be surprised. You have to go alone now? I could go with you... unless of course it is like, a woman thing," he added.
She stopped typing and looked up at him. "Josh, you don't even know where I'm going, yet you want to go with me?"
"Well if you tell me where you're going..."
"I'm going to the Pro skating championships at the MCI center. It started yesterday and it finishes tonight," she replied. "Now please, I want to finish this. It's bad enough that I'm still here on a Saturday afternoon."
"And why do you think I wouldn't want to watch skating Donna?" he replied.
"I wouldn't have thought *skating* was your choice of ice sport. I would think hockey would be more your preference?"
"I can watch skating. I mean... it's women's skating right? I'm not adverse to watching that," he smirked.
"You're so *male* Joshua!"
"I would hope so!" he laughed.
"Ohh, alright. Yes there *is* women's skating but there's also men's and pairs. If you promise not to embarrass me, you can come," she replied giving in with a sigh.
"Thank you for such a gracious invitation," he grinned. "So what time does this start?"
"Starts at 7.00, Margaret and I were going to get something to eat there beforehand," she replied.
"So I'd better leave you alone to finish that report or we'll be late I guess," he shrugged. "We can still grab something to eat there."
"Okay, but I want to be out of here in plenty of time to get there and eat," she replied, still looking at the computer screen.
"You were going to walk, I take it?" he asked as he leaned his shoulder into the doorway.
"Yes, then the Metro home," she replied as she turned a page from her notes she was transcribing.
"Nah... forget the Metro, I can take you home. It's..."
"Yeah I know, not safe. I can look after myself you know," she replied, looking up at him.
"I'd just be happier to see you home, that's all," he smiled. "Now, what time?"
"Five?"
"What! Five? You'll be finished by then? I don't think we need to go any earlier than five-thirty," he replied.
"Okay, five-thirty," she smiled. "So leave me alone until then."
Josh turned away to go back to his office, but stopped. "You didn't really want to leave at five did you?"
"No, I thought I'd be lucky to get out of here by six, so five-thirty is a bonus. Thank you Josh," she grinned.
He wandered away muttering.
~*~
There was a nice restaurant at the MCI center that also offered a bar menu, perfect for eating on the run. Josh ordered Nick and Steph's wood grilled cheeseburger - extra burnt of course - with fries, whilst Donna decided the grilled chicken breast sandwich, also with the obligatory fries, would do nicely.
"So, have we got good seats or nose bleed seats?" Josh asked as they waited for their food.
"I'll have you know they are *very* good seats," she replied.
"How good?"
"Let's just say, excellent," she smiled.
"Okay... I've been told that the best seats were priced well over a hundred a ticket, so in relation to that, how good?" he continued.
"Actually they were $125 a ticket for the two days, but since they were given to me, they cost me zero," she replied casually.
"Donna! Who is going around giving you $250 worth of tickets? What did you have to do?"
"Don't worry Josh, I didn't sell my soul to the devil," she snorted.
"I just don't trust those republicans," he replied warily. "So it's above board?"
"Yes Crime Boy," she smiled.
"Don't call me that," he replied.
She leant forward and dropped her voice. "Crime boy, Crime boy, Crime boy," she mocked before sitting back up straight on her bar stool and grinning at him.
Josh dropped his chin before looking up at her with only his eyes, "Donna... if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were seriously getting turned on there..."
"Oh please! Will you just get over yourself!" she laughed.
"Here you go," said the guy behind the bar as he brought them their food.
"And I'll have a beer thanks. Donna?"
"I'll just have a coke and he'll have one too - not the beer," she smiled.
"Hey..."
"Eat your charcoal Josh."
"I wanted a beer."
"So does the little woman win here or what?" the guy replied still standing at the bar.
Josh and Donna exchanged looks at his comment. "He'll have a coke," Donna replied, staring at Josh and challenging him to correct either statement.
"A *large* coke then," he added.
The guy behind the bar chuckled. "Two cokes coming up."
~*~
As the last of the presentations were being made, Donna tapped Josh on the arm.
"Are you interested in coming back to meet them with me?" she asked.
"Donna... really this thing you have about meeting celebrities. I thought you would have learnt after the last incident," he complained.
"Yes or no Joshua?"
"Yeah, yeah... okay. If only to save them from your over enthusiasm," he joked.
"They don't need saving Josh," she replied as they started to move against the crowds of people trying to leave.
They reached the corner barrier and Donna waved to get the attention of a security guard.
"Oh great. Security are about to throw us out," Josh muttered.
"Will you be quiet Josh? Remember you wanted to come. I'd have been happy by myself," Donna chided.
"Yes, but then you'd have phoned me in the middle of the night to come and bail you out after you'd been arrested for stalking," he chuckled.
"Can I help you ma'am?" the guard asked.
"Yes. My name is Donna Moss. I was wondering if you could please let Marc..."
"DONNA!"
"MARC!"
"Heathcliffe," Josh muttered under his breath.
Josh watched as one of the male skaters from the competition made his way to where they were standing.
"Donna, oh my God you look so *good* woman!"
Donna smiled brightly as Marc drew her into a bear hug across the railing.
"Come on back," he continued. "The guys are going to be so wrapped you could make it."
"Well really, how could I say no when you sent me the tickets and then virtually *begged* me to come?" she laughed, as they pulled apart and the guard swung the gate open.
"Err... Donna?"
"Oh Josh... sorry," she said realizing that her manners were... well, starting to resemble Josh's, "Josh Lyman... Marc Greenslade."
"Nice to meet you," stated Marc as he extended his hand to Josh. Josh noted that Marc's other hand was attached to the arm that was currently draped across Donna's shoulder.
"Likewise. It was a pretty impressive performance out there earlier," Josh remarked.
"Thank you. Come on, the guys are waiting," Marc said, turning his attention back to Donna.
They headed back behind the partition to what appeared to be a waiting area. Several of the skaters were sitting around talking.
"Hey look who I found," grinned Marc.
"It's Dazzling Donna!" exclaimed one with a huge grin on his face.
"Dazzling Donna?" queried Josh.
"Oh ignore Pete. Craig, Daniel... it's so good to see you," laughed Donna as she was virtually mobbed by male skaters.
Josh stood back and took in the scene that was being played out in front of him. This was obviously where Donna had managed to secure two virtually front row - best seats in the house - tickets. These guys knew Donna, and by the way they greeted her, they knew her very well. Too well, Josh thought before realizing he was starting to get very territorial when it came to Donna.
He wondered whether this was a good or bad thing?
"You're all so..." started Donna before Pete interrupted her.
"Old?"
"No, not what I was going to say," Donna laughed.
"Well it's true," he continued. "But Wow! Look at you Donna!"
Donna blushed at their praise and then heard Josh give a discrete little cough. Well - as discrete as her boss ever was.
"Everyone... this is Josh Lyman. He offered to come along with me tonight. Josh... I think you should recognize everyone from the program tonight?"
"Nice to meet you," said Josh. "Donna, you never mentioned you actually *knew* anyone. You let me believe..."
"Josh thinks I'm some sort of celebrity stalker," laughed Donna. "Oh and speaking of celeb's... you'll never guess who I finally got to meet!"
"Don't tell me," said Marc, "David Hasselhoff?"
"Yes!"
"And was he everything you'd drrreeeeamed?" Craig asked cheekily.
"Well... I thought he would have been a bit taller," she replied with a smile.
"So she's had this David Hasselhoff obsession for awhile now?" Josh enquired.
"Yeah. Used to drive us nuts on the circuit," Marc replied.
"That was a long time ago," Donna added wistfully.
"Do you still skate?" Daniel asked.
"When I can," she replied.
"You can skate Donna?" Josh asked.
The small group of men all turned to Josh, all wearing the identical dumbfounded expression.
"A bit," she replied hesitantly.
"Come out onto the ice with me?" Marc asked encouragingly, wrapping his arm around her again.
"Oh I don't think so," she replied as she shook her head.
"Come on... please?" Craig cajoled.
"I don't have any skates and I couldn't wear these clothes..."
"I have skates," said Marc, reaching into a bag sitting under a chair.
"But how do you know they'd fit?" she replied, thinking she had just given the closing statement in her argument to stay off the ice.
"I phoned your Dad to get your contact number, remember? He told me he'd bought you a new pair last Christmas. He knew the size. I was hoping you would come tonight."
Donna looked at Marc and then to the skates. "But I have nothing to wear."
"I never thought I'd hear Donna Moss utter such *girly* words," chuckled Pete.
"Peter Ignatius Augustus Melcombe!" fired Donna playfully.
"Oh now you're in trouble Pete," quipped Marc.
"Backing off!" Pete laughed.
"Seriously Donna, one of the girls will have something you can wear. Please?" Marc asked giving her a pleading look. "I've got skates and I'll even strap your ankle."
"They knew about the car accident?" Josh asked, surprised.
"Car accident? Donna... you were in a car accident?" Craig asked in a concerned tone.
"It's okay... it was years ago now. The ankle healed really well," she replied.
"Come on Donna, I'll be with you every step of the way," Marc added.
"I don't know..."
"Go for it Donna. How many times would you get the opportunity to skate at a venue like this?" Josh coaxed.
Again the skaters all looked at Josh like he'd grown a second head.
"He doesn't know?" Marc asked Donna quietly.
She shook her head. "I guess I could try..."
"Yes! That's it... come on, we'll go find some clothes for you and I'll strap that ankle," said Marc.
"Look after Josh for me, and behave boys! If any stories are told, I'll know who told them!" she instructed the others as she gave Josh a grin. "You're okay waiting? You don't have to..."
"Hey, it's fine with me," Josh replied. "I'll just hang with the guys."
Josh and the other skaters headed towards the seating, dodging the television crews as they packed up the equipment.
"She's going to get a kick outta this," said Josh, deciding to make conversation, wondering just how well Donna knew them.
"It should bring back a few memories," Craig commented.
"Um, yeah... you guys have sorta made me feel like I'm missing something here. You all know Donna how? She's a sort of skating groupie or something?" Josh quizzed.
"You had no idea that Donna could skate, did you?" Pete asked.
"Well most kids learnt to skate... I mean, I preferred to just throw snowballs, but I'm sure my sister used to skate," Josh rambled.
"Trust us, Donna can skate," replied Craig.
"I don't know much about the competition. Actually I sorta invited myself along tonight," Josh said, deciding to make conversation.
"Donna was going to bring someone named Margie... Mary..."
"Margaret. Yeah, she was sick, so I volunteered," replied Josh.
"You came to watch the women skate, right?" laughed Pete.
"Hey, I'll have you know... yeah, they were good," he grinned.
"Yeah they're amazing. Skating has changed so much over the years. Some of the stuff the women are doing these days... well they wouldn't have even dreamed of attempting ten years ago," said Daniel.
"There used to be such a division between what the men and women were doing, but now..." stated Pete.
"Here she is!" Marc called as the approached.
Donna was wearing a pair of gray stretch sports sweats, her white shirt untucked and hanging loosely. She balanced on her skates as she followed Marc out.
"Now you promised to come with me, right Marc?" she queried as she reached the group, giving Josh a small smile.
"Yeah, come on," Marc replied, taking the guards off his skates, Donna following suit.
Josh tried to focus on the conversation with the other skaters as he watched Donna and Marc skate around for nearly half an hour. They talked about sports in general and other competitions, but Josh couldn't help but marvel at the way Donna glided around on the ice as she joked and laughed with Marc.
Eventually they skated back over to the fence.
"All warmed up?" Marc asked.
"I'll say!" Donna laughed.
"Good."
"Hang on Marc... warmed up?"
"Promise you won't hit me?" Marc asked, taking a side step from her.
"Marcus!"
"Woo hoo... your turn to be in trouble," laughed Pete.
"Don't be like that Donna. I was hoping I could convince you, so I brought some music you might remember," said Marc, using the same tone that convinced her to even go out on the ice.
"The pairs routine?"
"Yep... do you remember any of it? Like we can forget the complex stuff. I'm guessing double toe loops are out of the question?" he joked.
Josh sat up straighter in his seat at this change in conversation. Toe loops? He wasn't sure which of the spin things was a toe loop, but he decided it sounded difficult.
"I wouldn't suggest you lifting me these days either," she laughed. "But honestly Marc, I don't know..."
"Come on... let's see the Donna Moss magic," Marc encouraged.
Donna looked apprehensively towards Josh, but only received a confused nod.
"Okay... but I don't know how much I remember," she sighed.
"Thata girl! Do you still do any weight training?" Marc asked as he gave her a hug.
"Donna? Weight training?" quizzed Josh.
"Not so much weights, but you should see the size of some of the files I have to lift on a daily basis," she replied, wondering if she really wanted Josh to know this much, but she figured the horse had already bolted.
"So that's why you're freakishly strong Donnatella," Josh quipped.
"Must be," she grinned back. "Really Josh, you don't have to stay."
"No... no. I'm intrigued now. I'm not going anywhere," he replied, settling back in his seat.
Donna gave him a brave smile and wondered what it was going to take to keep this quiet, before turning her attention back to Marc.
"We going right to the end?" she asked.
"If you think you can make it," he replied.
"Okay, let's do it. Give me a refresher, what's the first sequence again?"
"Double toe loop, into a salchow, side by side..."
"Then into a spin sequence, right?" she finished.
"Yes, see you do remember," Marc laughed.
"Don't say that until we've finished," she joked back.
"Go Donna!" Craig shouted as Donna and Marc made their way out to the middle of the ice.
Josh watched as they circled each other as Marc shouted to someone, before turning back to Donna. He said something that Josh couldn't hear, and watched as Donna gave Marc a shy smile that made Josh's heart tighten.
He became increasingly uncomfortable as he watched Donna and Marc wrap their arms and bodies around each other. They way the looked directly into each others eyes made him feel like voyeur peering through a window.
Then music started - slowly at first - and they began circling on the ice, still wrapped together. The music was an instrumental version of an old 80's song, he tried hard to remember the words, but all he could remember was something about time and always finding 'someone' whenever or wherever, and catching them if they fell. Appropriate perhaps?
He watched them break apart and sat gob smacked as he watched Donna moving and spinning as Marc circled her. Then back together, holding hands before Marc wrapped his arms around her and she let him lead her on the ice. His heart tightened on him again, and he wondered if he was somehow dying... although he was fairly certain he wasn't. Not physically - not really anyway.
He could tell they were calling to each other on the ice. Josh noticed Donna shake her head before both Marc and Donna jumped and spun - Marc obviously doing more rotations on the jump than Donna. Then he reached out to Donna and they spun together.
"Wow - did you see that? She like jumped and spun at the same time as Marc!" exclaimed Josh.
"After 12 years, she still looks good," Pete replied as they all watched.
"Okay I give in. Donna obviously knows how to skate," said Josh, still not taking his eyes from the display on the arena.
"You should have seen her back then - when they first did this routine," Craig nodded towards them.
"And that was?"
"Junior Skating Nationals," Daniel provided.
"Hang on... Nationals? As in people from every state?" Josh quizzed.
"No, it's a bit more complex than that. It's broken up into regions; you have to qualify in your region. It's fairly tough competition before you even get to the Nationals," added Craig as they watched Marc and Donna.
"Donna and Marc were that good?" Josh continued.
"Well look where Marc is now. He's been skating as a pro for years. And Donna... she was proclaimed as America's next sweetheart on ice," Pete replied.
Josh looked out at Donna again as she jumped and skated back into Marc's arms.
"Donna and Marc... were they ever... you know..." posed Josh. He had just realized what was causing the tightening in his chest - partly relieved to know he wasn't having a heart attack, but wondering if this alternative was any better.
He was jealous.
He watched as Marc gently wrapped his arms around Donna again and wished he were the one with his arms around Donna.
Daniel laughed. "The only thing Donna was attached to were her skates. No, we haven't heard from Donna for years. Marc was back home and just happened to see her brother somewhere. When he mentioned Donna lived in Washington, we decided to try and catch up."
"Oh," Josh replied, annoyed it even bothered him. But he figured that it was probably lucky that it was Marc out there with her. He figured they would have been lying in a heap on the ice if he were trusted to hold her up.
But then lying crumpled with Donna didn't sound like a bad proposition at all.
But perhaps not on ice...
*
The music changed tempo. Josh figured it was now a different tune. He watched as Donna laughed and shook her head. Marc launched into a series of fast steps as Donna stayed in the same spot, gently circling as she watched him move around her. Then she broke into a couple of steps mirroring Marc, just before the music changed back again.
"Donna used to be able to do all of what Marc just did, right?" he asked.
This was Donna - and she had talents that he had no idea she possessed.
What else didn't he know?
"Yeah, she was amazing," Pete, offered.
"Then why'd she stop?" he questioned, all the while not taking his eyes from Donna.
"I figured she never told you. I mean, you are her boyfriend and everything, but I can't believe you didn't know?" Daniel stated.
"I'm not actually her boyfriend. We're just... friends... colleagues."
"So, when Marc told us she was an assistant to a senior White House official... you're him?" Pete asked.
"Yeah."
"And she never told you?"
"No. Did she lose a big competition or something?" Josh asked, starting to get impatient.
"She had a fall," said Craig.
"But skaters fall over. I mean one of the women tonight took a tumble. Was it embarrassing or something..."
"If you know Donna at all... you'd know that embarrassment doesn't make Donna back down. No, it was a bad fall. But you might want to ask her about it sometime," replied Pete defensively.
Josh read his tone. "Hey, look... Donna is my friend. I didn't mean to imply that she would turn her back on something just because things got tough. You're right, I do know Donna and I know she's better than that," Josh defended.
"Good. Just as long as you understand she is special," Pete added.
"Believe me I know," he replied as he turned to watch Marc and Donna return to each other's embrace as the music wound down.
The group whooped and cheered as the music finally stopped. Donna and Marc laughed as they broke apart and skated back to the edge.
Donna's smile glowed and Josh was acutely aware of how beautiful that profile of her was.
"Donna that was..." Josh stammered, searching for an apt description and finding none suitable enough.
"Hopeless!" she exclaimed, as she tried to regain her breath. "I could barely remember half of it!" she complained.
"That's *not* a definition I would use," Josh replied.
"Donna, it was only a new routine for us back then anyway. After so many years I'm surprised you remember any of it."
"Well you do," she replied.
"I help out with a bit of junior coaching. Getting into practice for when this body says enough. It's one of the routines we use. It was a good one and we didn't get much of a chance with it."
"Yeah... I know... my fault."
"Hey - don't! Don't you dare Donna Moss!" Marc chastised as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Okay... well thanks," she smiled. "I'm just going to do a few laps around to warm down before we go," she replied. "You don't mind waiting a bit longer do you Josh? It's just that I should really do this, and I'm sure it will give you more time to come up with funny things to tell Sam about this."
"This isn't something I'd ever joke about," he replied sincerely.
Donna gave him a small smile and headed back out on the ice.
"She's still amazing," said Marc.
"Yes she is," Josh agreed.
"Hey Marc, have you got that other music?" Craig asked cryptically.
"Yeah, they've got it up there. I just have to give them the signal," he replied.
"So... what do you think?" Pete quizzed.
"It could go either way - hopefully she will be okay with it," he added.
"Two ways?" quizzed Josh, protectively. "Because that usually means good or bad. And if you are referring to Donna then..."
"Honestly? I think she will be okay. It's a calculated risk, but worth it," he said to Josh, reassuringly. "HEY DONNA?"
"YEAH?" she called back as she smiled and skated around in circles, stretching her limbs in the process.
"GO OUT TO THE MIDDLE."
"WHY?"
"DONNA..."
"OKAY... okay," she called as she skated to the center. "WHAT NOW?"
"I'VE GOT ANOTHER PIECE OF MUSIC."
Donna laughed and shook her head. "WHAT? THAT TANGO WE USED TO CLOWN AROUND TO?"
"NO," he hesitated. "JESSICA'S THEME."
Josh watched as the expression on her face changed and he knew that she would be biting her bottom lip if he could see her face clearly. "She doesn't look happy Marc, who is this Jessica person?"
"No, it's a piece of music from a film. The character was Jessica."
"MARC? I DON'T KNOW..." She called back tentatively as she skated across, Marc and Josh left their seats higher in the stands and came down to the edge.
"Do you remember it?" Marc asked, trying to judge her mood as she stopped in front of them.
She smiled, "It's burnt into my brain."
"I want to see some more Donna Moss magic," called Pete with a shy smile. "Something to tell my kids about."
"You don't have kids!" said Daniel, giving him a shove and making them all laugh.
"But when I do, I want to tell them I saw this!" he replied.
"Okay... okay... just don't expect to see anything too amazing. And I... I don't think I can skate right to the end," she added.
"Yes! Now get back out there!" Marc instructed as he waved her off again.
"Bossy!" she sassed.
Donna smiled and glanced at Josh who was leaning on the fence, watching her intently. "I'm really sorry Josh, this is much later than I thought we would be."
"It's alright. Go for it," Josh nodded at her.
As he watched her skate back to the middle, he suddenly understood Donna's hesitation.
"This is the music... when she fell... that's why she was hesitant. That's why you were all concerned?"
Marc nodded as he too leaned his arms on the fence to watch as Donna took her pose and he signaled for the music to start.
Josh was mesmerized as he watched Donna move on the ice to the haunting music.
The sound of more music brought a few of the skaters still at the center out to see what was going on. One of the female skaters that Josh recognized from earlier had made her way up to the group.
"Oh my... is that Donna Moss? I heard the music and I remembered from when I was really young... it is?" she asked.
"Yeah," replied Marc with a smile as they watched Donna glide around the ice.
"I cried when she fell," the woman added quietly. "I so wanted her to win. But then she got up and finished, I thought she was okay."
"Yeah but that was Donna, stubborn as hell."
Josh chuckled. "Believe me, she hasn't changed."
They watched in silence for the rest of the routine. Josh couldn't believe that this was his Donna, gliding and jumping - the spinning alone would be enough to make anyone else fall over from dizziness yet she would launch into another movement immediately after without so much as a wobble.
This was his Donna, and he rather liked the thought of that.
He watched as her expression changed. There was something... she seemed to come out from under a spell, and he realized she had completed as much of the routine as she was going to. The music continued, but she was just skating now. The others noticed it too.
"HAD ENOUGH?" Marc called to her.
Donna nodded, and Marc signaled for the music to stop.
Silence... for a second.
Then guys started cheering and yelling to Donna and she gave them a wave and smiled.
"I'M GOING TO JUST..." she yelled, and moved her hands around indicating she was going to do a few laps on the ice to warm down and stretch again.
"GO FOR IT," Marc called back.
"There was obviously more... that's when she fell wasn't it?" Josh asked quietly.
"Yeah," replied Marc sadly. "We'd all hoped she'd got over it. Her Dad even thought this would be good for her."
"But she's out there at least. She did most of the routine, right? It's got to be a good thing?" Josh continued.
"Definitely. Can I ask you something?" Marc quizzed quietly as they both watched Donna. They were still leaning on the fencing whilst the others were still a few rows up in the stands.
"Sure," Josh replied. Hey, he was a politician, he was used to being questioned.
"Does Donna know you're in love with her?" Marc asked, still watching Donna skate.
"You don't mess around do you?" Josh choked.
Marc chuckled. "No. Not where Donna is concerned. I guess old habits die hard."
"How so?" Josh asked, trying to compose himself.
"Donna's Dad. Donna and I were always great friends back when we used to skate on the circuit and competitions together. There was nothing between us; we were like brother and sister really. Her Dad knew that and sort of... I don't know... deputized me I guess to look out for her. She was just as beautiful back then you know."
"I could believe that," replied Josh watching her skate and stretch, knowing that the evening was quickly drawing to a close.
"So you didn't answer my question," Marc stated.
"I didn't. Look, what's between Donna and myself... well it's complicated," Josh replied.
"Funny... when I rang her the other week, I asked whether she was seeing someone. She sort of laughed and said there was someone she wished... she said it was complicated," replied Marc, turning to look at Josh.
A silent message was conveyed between them.
"Marc... not telling secrets I hope?" laughed Donna as she skated up to them.
"Me? Never!" he laughed. "You've had enough?"
"Yeah, and we've got a busy day tomorrow," she replied nodding towards Josh.
"You make her work on a Sunday?" Marc asked, raising an eyebrow towards Josh.
"What can I say... when you run the country it's a seven day a week job," Josh replied and Donna nodded.
"Of course the way Josh tells it, you'd think *he* personally did everything," added Donna.
"Hey!"
"Okay... okay, so he's not quite that bad - but close," she laughed. "I'm just going to
go and change. I'll be back in a minute."
"You looked good out there Donna. It was good to see," said Marc sincerely.
Donna gave him a small smile and nodded. "I'll be back in a minute Josh."
"Sure."
~*~
True to her word, Donna returned quickly, buttoning her coat as she made her way back to the group.
"Here," she said to Marc holding the skates up.
"What am I supposed to do with them?" he asked with a shrug.
"Return them to whoever you borrowed them from. Although I must say, they look new," she replied.
"That's because they are. Take them, they're yours," he replied with a grin.
"Marc! These are professional, competition class skates!" she exclaimed.
"And what? Now that I skate pro, you don't think I can afford to give them to you? Donna, I'm not the struggling - let's share the meal you can have the fries - guy I used to be."
"Ah so that's where she gets her fry stealing fetish from," nodded Josh. He realized it was lucky he didn't have that beer, because that sentence would be difficult to say even after only *one* beer.
"Marc, honestly..."
"Just shut up Donna and take the skates okay!" Craig laughed.
Donna sighed and hugged the skates to her, "Thank you."
"Oh look out," warned Marc with a laugh, "she's gonna get emotional. Time to go!"
Donna laughed back, "Yes, I know. Look we really have to go... I miss you guys," she said and let out a sob.
Marc put his arms around here first, "Well, don't be a stranger okay."
"I won't," she promised as she stepped back, wiping a stray tear from her eye.
"Come here," said Daniel.
She stepped over to hug him, but he lifted her up and spun her around. "Sheesh Donna, you weigh a ton these days!" he laughed as he put her down and feigned a sore back. Donna slapped his arm for his efforts and laughed.
"Our turn!" Craig exclaimed as he gave her a hug before letting her go and giving Pete the opportunity to do the same.
"Next time you're in town we'll all go out, okay?" she asked.
"Sure, just book us into your busy schedule," said Pete.
"I'm sure her boss will let her out for a couple of hours," added Josh with a grin.
"Just give me plenty of notice so I can avert any national emergencies," she laughed.
"Okay, get going... it's after midnight Cinderella," said Marc.
"Nice to meet you," said Josh, extending a hand to each of the guys. Each of them gave Josh their version of the 'you look after her glare' before Josh and Donna headed for the exit.
*
They walked in silence down the virtually empty halls, and Josh could only manage to contain himself until they reached the front doors.
"Donna, you can skate!" Josh bounced as they headed out of the building and back towards the White House.
"Yes Josh."
"Like, really well." he continued.
"I wouldn't go that far Josh."
"But... you did jumps and stuff out there... like wow Donna - you can skate."
"Josh, can we just drop it please?"
"Donna?"
"Yes Josh?"
"What other secrets have you been keeping from me?"
She stopped walking. "Josh... it wasn't a secret."
"Yes it was, you never told me," he replied stopping beside her.
She began walking again and it took him a moment to realize. He had to do a slight jog to catch back up to her.
"It would have been in my file when you vetted me before we actually got to the White House. I'm not going to boast, but I was fairly high profile as a junior - it would have been in there," she countered.
"I never read it," he replied.
"But weren't you supposed to?"
"Yes I was, but I didn't."
"Josh?" she stopped again.
"I didn't want to, okay?" he replied and continued walking.
"I'm sure the government wouldn't allow something like that to..." she said matching his stride again.
"No. I've gotta say they'd take a very dim view of my actions if someone found out I gave you the job without properly vetting you."
"Read my file Josh."
"I still don't want to."
"For what reason?" she asked.
"The same one as back then."
"And that was?"
"Donna..."
"Why Josh?"
"Because... because... we'd spent all that *time* on the campaign together and I figured I knew enough."
"If you didn't read my file Josh, what could you have really known? I could have been making it all up."
"What? You'd actually make up a story about a deadbeat boyfriend who you had to drop out of college to support? That you'd managed to take God knows how many majors while you *were* there? Honestly Donna, if you were going to make something up, I'm sure it would have been a prettier picture."
"I'm just saying Josh..."
"I knew enough - okay?"
"You knew what!" she exclaimed.
"I knew... I knew I found you valuable, okay? And I wasn't about to lose that over unpaid parking fines or some trivial misdemeanor I might find in your file."
"I think you should read my file."
"I don't want..."
"Josh!"
"Alright, okay. But I'm not going to find anything bad in there am I? Because I gotta tell ya Donna, I find you even more valuable now than I did then."
"Joshua, you really can be sweet sometimes. Read the file!"
"I'll access it tomorrow if it makes you happy."
"It would. Thank you Josh."
They walked in silence for the rest of the walk to the White House and to the staff car park.
"You want to go and get a coffee or something?" Josh asked as he unlocked her door.
"As much as the thought of *you* getting *me* coffee sounds appealing, I'm totally worn out after all that skating. I haven't had a work out like that for years. All I want is to go home and fall into a warm bath so I can actually move tomorrow," she smiled.
"Okay, not a problem," he smiled as he rounded the car and opened his own door. "Let's get you home then. I don't think an Assistant who can't move will be much use to me."
~*~*~*~
"DONNA!"
"WHAT!"
Silence between the bullpen and Josh's office.
They had managed to work through Sunday without any discussion on the events of Saturday night. Josh had even managed to stop himself from asking her if she was okay when he noticed she was limping just slightly. No one else would have really noticed it, but he, scarily enough, realized that he knew the way she walked.
But now it was Monday afternoon and he had been silent long enough.
"Donna?"
She looked up to see him standing in his doorway.
"Yes Josh?"
"Did you just yell *what*?"
"Did you just *yell* my name? Honestly Josh, you're lucky I *like* my name because after hearing it yelled so often, I might feel inclined to change it!"
"Are you quite finished?"
"For the moment. What do you want Josh?"
"Can you come in here for a minute, pleasssse?" he asked in an overly polite voice.
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes why Josh? I'm in the middle of this report and you said it was urgent."
"Just get your skates on and get in here," he smirked, knowing the skating reference would do the trick. He turned and headed back to his desk, she wouldn't be far behind, and he tried to contain a further grin when she stood in his doorway a few moments later.
"Okay. What do you need Josh?" she asked.
He feigned a sigh as he looked up at her, "Close the door please."
"O...kay. Josh, is there a problem?"
"Other than your total indifference to listening to me? But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Donna nodded. She wasn't sure about the expression on his face, it seemed serious.
"I'm really disappointed in you Donna," he started, and she decided whatever she had done, she should sit down to hear it. She slumped into a chair.
"What Josh?"
"This was delivered to me my courier this morning," he stated, holding up a videotape.
"I didn't see a courier..."
"You were taking that file to Leo for me."
"Oh."
"Yes."
"What's on the tape Josh? Because I can't think of anything I've done lately to..."
"It's nothing recent," Josh replied.
"No? Oh... OH! Please tell me that it didn't come from Wisconsin? Please, if Calvin wasn't joking and he really did video... oh God, if it's that... please pleeeeease tell me you didn't watch it?"
"Calvin?"
"You know... 'Doctor Freeride.'"
"He used to joke about videoing wh... Oh! No... no! Not going there! Let me reassure you that it is most definitely NOT that type of video," said Josh shaking his head quickly.
Silence.
Donna looked down at her hands resting in her lap, unable to make eye contact with Josh.
"He used to *joke* about something like that?" Josh asked shaking his head. One day Freeride would pay for making that sort of remark to Donna.
"I don't think he really did ever... but he used to say... I guess he thought it was funny," Donna shrugged.
"Well I don't."
"No, neither did I. I think that's why he used to say it."
Josh was starting to regret this whole charade he had started, but at least he had something else on the bastard who hurt Donna so badly.
"Josh? What's on the tape?" she asked nervously.
He gave her a wry smile, hoping to ease the tension. "Why don't you put it in the player and see," he replied, holding it out across the desk to her.
Her first thought was to grab it and run. Josh had already watched it and whatever was on it, she had somehow disappointed him. But running with it wouldn't be a very adult response and she doubted she would even make it as far as her desk before Josh called security and had her hauled back into his office.
Donna took the tape and stepped over to insert it into the machine. She looked around for the remote but couldn't see it anywhere.
"I've got the remote," Josh said. "Why don't you take a seat?"
"Josh?"
"Please? We'll talk at the end."
The picture came to life.
"Ice skating? Josh what is..."
"Shhhhsh!" he chastised, as he pointed to the screen and turned up the volume.
***...the next skater on the ice will be Donna Moss. She's skated beautifully so far today Phil...
Currently second after the short program, but this long program routine is something
magical Claire...***
"Josh..."
"Shhhsh!"
***...she's certainly destined for big things. Only sixteen years old, but already they're talking about her being the next darling of the ice.***
Josh glanced at Donna whose face had turned a flushed red.
"Josh I can't..." she said as she started to stand.
Josh hit pause.
"Come on Donna, sit down."
"Please Josh, don't make me watch this. I could never make myself watch this and I don't think I can start now..."
"Why?"
"Because... have you watched it Josh?"
He nodded.
"Then you know how it ends."
"I knew how it ended before I watched it."
"What? Ohhh, Marc told you? He sent you the tape didn't he?"
"Yes he told me but no, your father sent me a copy of the tape."
"Dad?"
"Yes."
"But how did you..."
"Hey you were the one who said I *had* to read your file. Guess what, there are contact numbers in it."
"Josh..."
"Watch it with me... please?"
"I don't know if I can."
"Want me to hold your hand?" he grinned.
"I think that would be frowned on," she replied.
"Not by me," he threw back.
"Josh?"
"Can we watch it please? I think... I know your Dad thinks it's kinda time."
"He thought it was time an hour after they set my ankle in plaster."
Donna leaned back in the chair and sighed.
"Okay then?"
"Hit play Josh."
***...here she is...listen to that applause Phil, she's got the crowd on her side...
The Olympics are next in her sights I'm sure, Claire. The piece she's skating to is called
'Jessica's Theme.' It's a pretty piece Phil. I saw her in the warm up earlier. ***
Josh silently watched as a teenage Donna skated to the middle of the ice. Her hair, obviously long even back then, was wrapped in a tightly jeweled bun on the top of her head. Her gold and purple outfit fluttering gently as she stopped, smiled and then, like on Saturday night, moved to her opening pose.
Josh watched the screen intently as the music began and a younger Donna began to move gracefully on the ice. He gave her a quick glance, she too was watching... reliving.
"You okay Donna?" he whispered.
She nodded, not taking her eyes from the screen.
They continued to watch as she successfully completed a series of jumps and spins, all the while listening to the commentators gush about her performance.
"Claire and Phil?" questioned Josh, "did you pay them?"
"No," she laughed, still watching. "I was the *darling*... didn't you hear them?"
"I did but..."
"Ohh!"
"What?" Josh asked.
"I remember - that jump just there," she said pointing to the screen, "I didn't think I was going to make a clean landing on it. I think there was a rough patch on the ice, or something..."
"But you made it," stated Josh.
"Yes."
"You did well then."
"Josh... the end... it's coming up... I don't know..."
Josh moved around from his seat and sat on the edge of his desk beside Donna, and began gently rubbing his hand on her arm.
She looked up at him for a moment and smiled before turning back to the screen.
Unconsciously she had taken hold of her pendant with one hand and was running the charm back and forwards along the chain.
Josh wondered if this would be what it would be like if someone had footage of Rosslyn? To sit and watch something that was physically and emotionally life changing?
Her moving hand was driving Josh crazy, and he grabbed it - untangling her fingers from the charm.
Josh wove his fingers through hers. "I'm here, okay?"
***... And now the final jump from this flawless routine... here comes a double... ohhh... she's fallen...she's not getting up straight away... it could be serious... ohh no, here she is... she's getting up with some obvious difficulty and back into the routine. It's cost her a place here today...
She won't place in the top rankings, but it's been a strong performance for the whole competition and she's still the crowd favorite. So there it was... Donna Moss. It just wasn't her...
Claire, she's obviously in some difficulty out there as she takes her bow to the crowd... she doesn't seem to be able to put that foot down on the ice now that she has finished... and as she attempts to skate off the ice...yes there's definitely a problem. We now have Marcus Greenslade, her pair's partner and Peter Melcombe, who took out first place in the men's competition, out there helping her off the ice. I think her coach wants her to go straight to a medic from what I can tell, but she seems to be insisting to wait for the judging. Yes, her friends are helping her to the waiting area. She's in a lot of pain, Claire.***
"Turn it off please, Josh," whispered Donna.
"I can't Donna... you've sorta got hold of my hand and I can't reach the remote."
Donna's gaze left the screen and moved to their joined hands, and then realized the pain coursing through her fingers was from the death grip she had on Josh's hand.
"Oh Josh... I'm sorry," she apologized as she released his hand and watched him open and close it to return the blood flow through it.
"S'okay,"
Her hand now free, she tried to wipe a few stray tears that had escaped and trickled down her cheeks.
"Here," said Josh taking a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to her after he had
stopped the tape. "It's clean - I promise."
She smiled as she took it. "Thank you."
"So... the ankle?"
"Turned out it was broken," she replied as she dried her eyes and then blew her nose.
"I don't want that back now you realize," Josh joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ahhh yeah... sorry," she grinned.
"So, the ankle was broken, but you got up and finished?"
"I wanted to finish," she replied simply.
"So it was a bad break and that finished your skating?" Josh asked as he sat against his desk.
"Well skating on it didn't help, but no it healed okay. Physio and weights and so much work to get it right."
"So why stop?"
"Josh..."
"If it healed okay..."
"I... I wasn't at a standard to move up to senior level. I still felt I had to make the grade before I moved up. It took time for the ankle to heal enough to be able to put it through the sort of relentless pressure it would be put under. The guys... they were all senior skaters by the following year. They were all gearing up for the Olympics... and I wasn't there. I wasn't ready. It... it was lonely Josh. Marc had given pairs away totally, which was understandable with his run of bad luck with partners. I only stepped in as his pair's partner because his previous partner had a serious knee injury. He was concentrating on his solo. There were so many new juniors - good juniors coming through... I felt so old compared to them."
"So you stopped."
"I stopped competing, I've never stopped skating."
"When do you skate? I mean, I know your office hours Donna - when do you get any time to?"
"During the season, I'm a member of a rink not far from here. It's an outdoor rink and it's open until 11 most nights... until midnight on a Friday and Saturday, but it is fairly popular then. I try and get there a few times a week, some weekends if we're not working."
"Do you think you could show me?"
"Show you what? You've seen me skate?"
"No. Show me *how* to skate?"
"You can't skate?"
"Er... no. Not everyone can skate you know. My sister... well I think she could, but I was too busy having snowball fights with the neighborhood kids. I learned to ski when I was in college, but I never learnt to skate."
"You want me to teach you to skate?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Isn't this a mature conversation? Just because Donna. Does there have to be a reason?"
"Yes."
"Well there isn't."
"I think I know what it is," she chimed.
"I doubt it."
"Ah ha! See there is!" she added pointedly.
"I didn't say that."
"You don't like it that I can do something you can't," she smiled smugly.
"That's not it," Josh smiled as he went back to his chair.
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't."
"What is then?"
"I just want to be able to share something with you that you obviously love - okay!"
"Oh Josh..."
"Donna, how did you do that?"
"Do what Josh?"
"Make me tell you why?"
"I'm tricky like that aren't I?" she grinned.
"Yeah," he nodded with a half smile.
"And I had a good teacher."
"Thank you."
"Hey, who said I was talking about you?"
"Because you were... weren't you?"
"Yes. But don't let it go to your head," she replied as she stood.
"So, when can I have my first lesson?"
"You're serious aren't you?"
"Yes... when?"
"I don't know..."
"Well if I promise we can get out of here by say seven tomorrow night, can we go? Can I get some skates somewhere?" he asked.
"You can hire them there. It doesn't cost much," she replied. "Oh and make sure you have something to wear that is suitable for ice skating. I think you'd look funny in a suit."
"I'll remember," he replied.
"No you won't, I'll have to remind you tomorrow morning when I ring to make sure you get out of bed," she laughed and she headed for the door.
"Donna, do you want the tape?" he asked.
She stopped and looked at the tape player. "Not just yet. You'll keep it safe for me?"
"Definitely."
~*~*~*~
Josh had obviously refrained from spreading his knowledge of her skating abilities, Donna thought the next day. Not a comment from anyone. But then again, perhaps he didn't want his *lack* of skating ability to become fodder for their colleagues?
Josh wound up his last telephone conference call by 6.30 pm and surprised Donna by announcing she could finish up for the day.
"So, where are we going?" Josh asked Donna as they headed out the gates.
"The National Gallery of Art and Sculpture Garden, over on Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street. That's where the rink is," she replied.
"And I can hire skates there?" he questioned as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets. It was cold outside and he was glad he could get out of this suit and into his jeans, flannel shirt and thick pullover. His coat then provided some additional insulation, but he knew he would have to take it off to skate.
Well... *try* and skate.
"Yes Josh, I told you that yesterday," Donna reminded him.
"Hey where are your skates?" he asked realizing that she too had her hands in her coat pockets with her handbag slung over her shoulder. He thought her woolen hat looked rather comical but he figured that she would at least be warm.
"I have a locker at the rink," she offered in explanation.
"Oh."
"So do you think you're ready for this Joshua," she chuckled.
"It's gonna hurt isn't it?" he questioned.
"Only if you fall over," she replied seriously.
"I'm not going to be able to move tomorrow am I?" he groaned.
Donna laughed, "Probably not!"
*
"Hey this is pretty cool," said Josh as the walked passed the café to get to the rink. "We can grab something to eat on the way out."
"Depend on how long we're out there," Donna replied. "The café closes at 9."
"Next time then," said Josh, as if it was a foregone conclusion that they would be back again.
Donna thought about this for a moment, and wondered if he'd still feel the same way by tomorrow morning when he tried to get out of bed. Probably not, she chuckled to herself.
*
Donna left Josh organizing skates, while she headed to her locker to get her skates and store their coats.
"Donnnnnaaa..." Josh complained as he tried to balance. "Have I got these things on properly? I don't think I have because I don't seem to be able to stand up on them."
Donna bit her bottom lip. This was going to require every ounce of patience she possessed. It was that, or bludgeon him to death with a skate within the first half hour!
"Let me see," she said as she leant down and tugged at the laces. It was a token gesture, but if it made him feel better... "How's that?"
"Okay, I think. Donna, did you actually like *do* anything just then?" he asked looking up at her.
"Yes," she replied as she turned away so he couldn't see the grin spreading across her face. She let out a breath before turning back. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he replied as he stood and wobbled.
"If you can balance enough of ski's Josh, you should be able to get the hang of this fairly easily," she replied as she went ahead of him.
"Hey wait up!" he called as he grabbed hold of anything he could to help him move forward.
Donna turned and looked at him, trying to contain the smile that was creeping across her face. She pulled her hat down over her ears a little further before going back and offering him her arm to steady himself.
"This is worse than after Rosslyn," he muttered. "At least I had a damn hole in my chest that rendered me virtually useless. I've got no excuse here."
"Joshua!" Donna exclaimed, stopping suddenly. "Don't you ever... I mean *ever*... how could you say..."
"Hey Donna... look, I'm... You're right; I guess nothing could be worse than that. I'm sorry... I know you were there," he offered apologetically.
"It could have been worse," she replied. "You could have died."
"Yeah, well there's that I suppose," he nodded.
"HEY DONNA!" called a little girl, as she skated passed. "ARE YOU COMING OUT?"
"YES!" Donna called back, as something that resembled a little pastel pink fairy on skates virtually floated by.
"Yippee..." the girl cried as she spun around and clapped her little gloved hands.
Josh smiled. "My, my... Donna Moss has her *own* fan club."
"Come on, let's go out there," Donna coaxed.
"I'm gonna look really stupid aren't I?" he replied as he let her lead him out on the rink.
"Probably," she shrugged with a smile.
Josh hung on to her arm as he tried to move on the ice, all the while not far from the edge.
"Okay, try to step and glide Josh, like on roller-skates," she offered.
"Donna, do I look like the sorta guy that ever owned roller-skates?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"No, but you don't look like a guy who would have wanted to be a ballerina either," she mocked.
"Yeah, thanks for that," he replied with a frustrated puff. "Okay I can do this, step and glide, step and glide... I'm a senior White House politician... I can do anything."
"Sure you can," smiled Donna as she broke free from his grip and skated in front of him.
"Donna! Hey... ahhhHHHH..."
THUD!
"You okay down there?" Donna asked, as she bit her lip and skated back to him.
"Just... can you just help me up please?" he whined.
Donna helped Josh back to his feet. "Okay..."
"Yeah I know, step and glide, step and glide. You make it look so easy," he replied.
"Are you going to be right there?" she quizzed.
"Yeah, I'll just practice here near the edge. You go and do what you do," he replied.
"Okay," Donna smiled, as her little friend skated past her. "Hey Gabby, how you doing?"
"Look what I can do," the little girl grinned as she skated and then lifted one foot from the ice, balancing on the other as she skated, obviously pleased with herself.
Donna cheered and clapped her own-gloved hands together.
"Show me how *you* do it," the little girl asked.
Donna skated up to her on one leg, and then spun. The little girl cheered and Donna laughed after she stopped.
"Donna?"
"Yes Gabby?"
"The man that was watching us has fallen over again."
"Hmm, so he has," Donna replied, looked across to see Josh sitting on the ice. Donna skated over to him, Gabby followed.
"Want a hand?" Donna asked as she stopped at his feet.
"Yeah, thanks," he replied. "I think I might have broken something."
"Yeah, your ego," she laughed.
"You don't skate so good," offered the little girl as Donna helped Josh to his feet.
"You noticed that eh? You're very clever," said Josh.
"I'm *five* and I can skate *real* good!" she said proudly.
"Yes you can, I saw you. Donna can skate very well too, can't she?" Josh asked.
"Donna's the best!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah," smiled Josh, glancing at Donna.
"My name is Gabrielle, but you can call me Gabby, coz you're Donna's friend. Who are you?"
"My name is Josh. Have you ever thought of being a politician when you grow up?" Josh smiled. This kid really knew how to get to the point of a subject.
"No... whatever one of those is. I'm going to be a *skater* and win heaps and heaps and HEAPS of trophies," she replied.
"GABRRRRIELLLLE!"
"Awww... that's my Mommy... I think we're going now. It's nearly my bedtime," she told Josh solemnly."
"I'll see you next time," said Donna, giving her a wave.
"And maybe I'll have learnt to stand up on these things by then," Josh shrugged to her.
"I don't think so," Gabby called as she skated away.
"She should really think about politics," stated Josh as he tried to balance again on the skates by himself.
"She's a cute kid," smiled Donna, watching the child skate across the ice to her mother.
"Yes she is and she can skate, in comparison to me - who can fall over," replied Josh.
"Maybe you can get *her* to teach you to skate then?" replied Donna with a smile.
"Ohh no way. You two tag teaming against me..."
"You might learn quicker," Donna offered.
"There's only one thing I want to learn how to do," he complained.
"Josh, I think it's going to take more than enough time *and* patience to teach you to stand up and simply move forward. I'll be old and gray, which means *you* will be older and grayer by the time you're ready to learn anything else."
"But I only want to learn one thing," he replied, taking a couple of tentative, wobbling steps to reach her.
"Yes?" she laughed, "what do you want to learn?"
That thing Marc did.
"Which thing?"
"This..." he replied as he wrapped his arms around her like Marc had, but then captured her lips. His senses assaulted with the realization he was passionately kissing Donna - a gesture she was returning, and he hoped he could manage to remain standing. He prayed he hadn't over stepped the line with her.
"Josh..." she barely whispered, as her lips left his.
"Yeah... I'm thinking that was nice."
"And I'm thinking that's something Marc never did," she replied, smiling.
"So he forgot the kissing bit."
"Yes."
"So I didn't forget. And I'd really like to do that again, but I have this awful feeling that if I don't get back to the edge, I'm gonna fall down again," Josh smirked.
"And I think that is an excellent idea, although I think it isn't an idea to do it again in the middle of an ice rink when there are so many people around," she replied.
Josh made his way back to the edge and held on tightly.
"I'm not very good at this Donna," Josh stated as she leant on the edge next to him.
"It just takes a bit of practice, Josh. You keep working at it and it gets easier all the time until you wonder if there was ever a time when it didn't just fall into place," she offered.
Josh looked down at the ice at his feet, before tilting his head and looking up at her.
"I meant... relationships. I wasn't talking about skating," he replied before dropping his gaze back again to his feet.
Donna reached out and lifted his chin with her gloved hand so he met her gaze.
"I knew what you meant," she smiled.
He ran back over her words in his mind and gave her a smile in return.
"Josh, I know a nice little coffee shop near here. How about we go?"
"You're suggesting coffee? Geez Donna it *must* be freezing," he replied.
She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why Josh?"
"Well, hell's obviously just frozen over!"
She laughed and slapped him on the arm.
"Come on, I think we need to talk," she offered.
"And here was me thinking I'd prefer to kiss," he smirked.
"Well I guess I wouldn't mind that too," she smiled as she linked her arm in his and they headed off the ice.
The end.