Okay, my one and only West Wing fanfic, hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There are sections in this I took from season two's In the Shadow of two gunmen 2 and from Season 4's commencement but other than that its all my own work. This is a one off so don't expect anymore chapters thanks and please review loads !
Donna glided through the familiar doors, her movements almost in slow motion. The building looked exactly the same as she did when she had left. People walked with purpose through the entrance way with important files under their arms, men and women in uniform, a gun on their belt and a watchful eye. Impatiently she waited for security to clear her, she was used to it though. Finally the guard nodded and let her though, past the leather chairs and into the corridor leading to her destination.
"CJ, how are you?" Donna pressed the phone closer to her ear with her shoulder as she flicked through the papers she needed for her next meeting.
"I'm perfect, and you?"
"Had a check up a couple of days ago, I'm 100 fit"
"that's good news…" CJ watched Josh walk past her office window and sighed
"What is it CJ?" Donna knew she wanted there was a reason for this unexpected phone call.
"Have you talked to Josh recently?"
"why would I talk to him, he's made it perfectly clear he doesn't anything to do with me, although I don't know what I've done to warrant such an attitude"
"What are you talking about?"
"Please CJ, first he doesn't come and see me after Gaza, totally ignores the subject then fires me!"
"I think you've got the wrong end of the stick Donna"
Josh strolled out of his office for the fifth time in an hour. He was completely bored yet had a pile of work a mile high to get through before lunch. Leaning on the shelves by his door her watched his employees as the busied themselves on phone and computers. Looking down the corridor his eyes widened in surprise as the figure neared him, her light blonde hair swept back as she moved and her wide eyes filled with intention and anticipation. She looked so healthy, so different from the pale figure he had watched months earlier as she lay lifeless in a hospital bed.
He heard the reassuring beep of the monitor and quieter murmurs and phones ringing from the corridor outside but he drowned it all out as he sat by her bed. It killed him to see her so weak when normally she was the strongest person he had ever met. He jumped slightly as his cell phone burst to life. Pulling it from his pocket and flipping it open, he placed it against his ear.
"Josh Lyman" He answered tiredly. He had spent every moment he could at her side and it was taking a toll on him. His tired eyes and quiet voice proved this.
"Josh its Leo, I know you want to be there when she wakes up but we need you here, I'm sorry"
"Its okay, I'll get the next flight out"
"How is she?"
"Quiet" There were no other words to describe it. Donna would always have something to say, whether it would be an opinion, an argument or just a comment to put Josh in his place.
"She'll be fine Josh"
"Yeah" Josh answered, still unconvinced. He shut the phone, ending the conversation. He stood up slowly from the plastic hospital chair and leaned over her bed. Gently he moved a stray hair from her face and whispered in her ear. "I love you Donnatella Moss"
Donna moved closer, the noise and excitement of the bullpen forgotten and for the first time in weeks she saw him. He stood ahead of her a shocked look on his face at the sight of her. Donna smiled slightly, remembering her reason for being here.
"I don't think so CJ, he made it perfectly clear"
"You said he didn't visit you either at the hospital or afterwards"
"Yeah and?"
"Donna, as soon as he find out about the incident he was on a plane to Germany. He spent day after night at you bedside, he would even leave for food"
"But he wasn't there when I woke up"
"Leo called him back a couple of days before"
"But why didn't he tell me? Why did he make me think he didn't care?"
"Because it was the only way to make you leave….the way he fired you, the way he told you not to come back? In a twisted way he did it for you. He knew that if he asked you to go you wouldn't leave"
"He's right, I wouldn't"
"And now what are you doing"
"Well since he fired me a I managed to get a better job with more responsibility but-" Donna stopped. How could she have not seen his motives?
"He fired you so you would have the chance to make something of yourself Donna, there was nothing selfish behind his reasons, thing is Donna…, he's lost without you"
Donna reached him only moments later and without words she reached up and held his face in her hands, bringing him closer until their lips were touching. It didn't taking him long to respond and soon his hands had reached up and mirrored hers. The kiss had deepened and both were oblivious to the cheering from all around them. Second later they reluctantly pulled apart, their eyes not straying from each other as their hands fell back down to link together as their sides. Jerked out of their reverie they noticed the staffers clapping and cheering. Donna's pale skin burst with red in embarrassment while Josh just laughed.
"Everyone back to work!" He shouted. He turned back to Donna and led her into his office, closing the door behind him. "Okay" Josh began "What just happened? What the hell are you doing here ?" Donna shut him up with a quick kiss. He waited patiently after she pulled away. He had just been kissed twice by the woman he loved, he could give her all the time in the world he she asked for it. Donna looked into Josh's eyes, trying to find a way to show him how she felt. Lifting her right hand she brushed her hand through his hair before whispering in his ear.
"I love you Joshua Lyman" Josh stood speechless, both by the confession and the way she had shared it.
"You heard?" His voice cracked as he forced himself to reply, his mind flashbacked to that private moment in that German hospital.
"I didn't at first but I was talking to CJ and it suddenly came to me, I didn't know whether it was a dream or if you had actually said it to me so I rushed hear to find out"
"It wasn't a dream, I do love you Donna" Josh kissed her softly confirming his feelings for her. Donna pulled away harshly and hit his arm. "What was that for?" Josh asked as he rubbed his now sore arm.
"That was for making me think you didn't care.. and for firing me!"
"Okay, then I deserved that" Donna nodded
"Damn right" Josh smiled at the authoritive look on her face.
"Come here" Josh opened his arms towards her and pulled her into an embrace, one arm round her shoulder and the other reached up so that he could stroke the hair he had been forbidden to touch before now. Donna's arms circled Josh's waist and held him tight, her head resting on his chest.
"So where do we go from here then" Donna asked, her voice muffled from the jacket she was talking into.
"I wanna try this, I mean us. We have wasted so much time already"
"seven years at least" Josh laughed. Seven years was a lot of time to waste.
"But what about work. It's not like we can get together after a day at the office, you're not living in DC at the moment"
"Then that can be our test, if we can manage with weekend trips and phone calls and email then its meant to be"
"You think?"
"You doubting my genius plan?"
"Never"
"Good, otherwise I'll have to hit you again" Donna gave Josh a quick kiss on the lips before untangling herself from Josh.
"Where you going?"
"To see CJ" Donna shouted back as she was halfway out the door. Josh stood by his desk still looking in the direct Donna had left. There was no way he could get back to his work after all that. His smile didn't fade when his new assistant came in to tell him Leo wanted to see him and it still hadn't disappeared when he had reached the Chief of Staff's office.
"What are you smiling at?" Leo asked in his trade mark gruff voice. He had more than enough work to do and didn't have time for games.
"Me and Donna" Josh vaguely explained. His hands lay comfortably in his trouser pockets and it looked to Leo that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked the happiest Leo had seen him in weeks, maybe even months.
"Damn"
"You don't want me and Donna to be together?"
"Its not that" Leo tired to explain himself "I just didn't think you would, now I owe the President 20 bucks"
"Would you look at those two" President Jed Bartlet exclaimed. His eyes followed the young couple as they made their way through the crowds and onto the dance floor.
"Who?" Leo replied, not really paying attention. It was one of those benefit balls that seemed to go on forever and there was still a couple of hours before Leo could slip away unnoticed.
"Will you pay attention?" Jed ordered. He took a sip of champagne from the half filled flute his hand and then pointed to the middle of the room with his other hand. "There, Josh and Donna" Leo spotted them dancing. Josh in his black tux and Donna in a bright red gown that glided every time Josh spun her round.
"Why are we looking at them?"
"Its been so long that you can't recognise love when it stares you in the face?" No that the President had mentioned it he could see the gestures and actions that spoke of love. The way Josh's hand rested gently and reassuringly on Donna's back or the way they laughed at each others jokes. "Those two deserve each other, Josh needs someone to keep him in line and Donna needs a democrat that won't mess her around"
"He'll never act on it, he's so blind he won't even realise he's in love until its too late"
"Well Leo, that sounds like the beginnings of a bet" Leo pulled his eyes away from the dancing couple and back towards the very serious eyes of the President.
"You're on" Leo replied smiling widely, Committing to memory the terms of the bet to add to the very long list of other bets him and the President made daily.
Leo pushed himself away from his desk and stood up, fishing in his trouser pocket for some money. Josh was still trying to process what Leo had just told him.
"You mean, you and the President have been betting against me and Donna" Leo looked up after finally finding two ten dollar notes.
"Among other things, now come on" Leo opened the door between his office and the oval and then walked straight in. Josh followed weakly behind. Jed Bartlet looked up over the top of his glasses as Leo and Josh walked in, putting the file he was reading down he spoke.
"And what do I owe the pleasure?" Leo walked up to the impressive desk and place the two notes down in front of Jed. Jed eyes the money cautiously. "Remind me again?"
"Josh?" Leo called, letting Josh explain himself. At Leo's sign, Josh stepped forward and made himself known.
"Me and Donna Sir, we uh we love each other and want to be together" Jed pulled his glasses of and pointed them at Leo.
"What did I say? And you said it wouldn't happen"
"That's why you're the President and I'm the Chief of Staff"
"Damn Right" Josh smiled to himself, remembering only minutes ago in his office as the President mirrored Donna perfectly. "Who else knows?" Jed asked, directing his question at Josh.
"Uh, Donna sir"
"Donna doesn't count" Jed replied he turned his head and shouted at the closed door. "Charlie!" A second later the young man appeared.
"Yes Sir?"
"Tell Margaret that Donna and Josh have finally got together" Charlie was used to strange requests so dutifully carried out this one. As Charlie close the door behind him, Jed was met with two confused glances. "Everyone knows Margaret is the biggest gossip around here" The president smiled at the thought of the gossip spreading round the west wing faster than Air force one, his mirth turning into laughter with Josh and Leo joining in soon after.
" His sister died in a fire while she was baby-sitting him. She tried to put it out, he ran outside. He went off campaigning, his father died. He wakes up in a hospital and discovers the President's been shot. He goes through every day worried that somebody he likes is going to die, and it's going to be his fault. What do you think makes him walk so fast?" Donna ranted, she hated it when people just assumed all this stuff about Josh without knowing the real reasons behind his actions. Donna stood up and made her way over to the mail boxes, needed some space between her and Amy. "Anyway, when you look at the list of replacements and said, "That's a windfall," what he heard was "Thank you Josh, you did it again. More for us." Donna added, her tone much softer after giving herself the chance to calm down.
"You said you have to get Josh." Amy spoke. He eyes not moving from their position, her fingers playing with a bottle cap from the beer she'd just drunk.
"Yeah. That was... I didn't mean to say that you don't... get him."
"You in love with Josh? " Donna stopped suddenly at the thought. Was she in love with Josh? They had worked closely for over four years, there was always a chance her feelings for him would grow into something else. It struck her in that moment, after Rossyln and Gaza and every single moment in-between she had slowly fallen in love with her boss. So slowly she hadn't even noticed it.
Donna's thoughts had begun to wonder as she sat on the big couch in CJ's office waiting for her to return from one of many meetings. The night she realised she loved Josh and the moment that she had told him kept replaying in her head and she couldn't help but smile. Things were starting to look up after every bad thing that had happened to her recently.
"Donna?" CJ had stopped at her doorway at the sight of Donna. At CJ's voice, Donna blinked back to reality and greeted CJ.
"CJ!" Donna jumped off the sofa and pulled CJ into a friendly hug.
"What are you doing here?" CJ asked confused at to what was happening.
"What do you think happened?" Donna began, letting CJ go and sitting herself back down. CJ joined her, her long legs crossing over as she welcomed her first break since she woke up this morning.
"You here on business?" Donna shook her head and smiled.
"So a personal matter then….last time I spoke to was that phone call which was all about…" CJ looked at Donna one more time, her cheeks flushed and with a huge smile on her face anyone could guess what had just happened. "You and Josh" Donna nodded furiously. "Donna that's great!" This time CJ pulled Donna into a hug. "This sounds like cause for celebration!" Donna laughed.
"Any excuse for you CJ"
"Hey! All legitimate reasons!"
"Oh? And what about the President found his glasses party?"
"I didn't see you complaining at the time!" Both fell into fits of giggles remembering that party in particular. A moment later they both calmed down and the air filled with silence.
"So you and Josh huh?" CJ spoke quietly.
"Me and Josh" Donna affirmed, letting it finally sink in.
"Josh Lyman. Uh, no, he's not available right now. This afternoon? Uh, he's got a media session, and then a five o'clock with finance" Donna spoke into the phone. She hadn't noticed the man enter the room. He grabbed a piece of paper and turned back round to leave, just before exiting he stopped suddenly and pivoted on the spot until he saw the young woman sitting on his desk with his office phone to her ear. "I can get your name and number and give Josh the message when he gets back. Thank you very much." Donna hung up the phone and looked up to the man standing in front of her with a confused look on his face.
"Hi"
" Hi"
"Who are you?"
Donna then spent the next half an hour explaining everything what had happened between her and Josh, CJ demanding to know exactly what each of them said. Donna just wanted to go find Josh and actually start the relationship thing they were trying.
"…then I kissed him again quickly and then made my way here" Donna finally finished, taking in a large breath.
"That is so romantic"
"I always thought it would be, I mean between me and Josh"
"You did?"
"You didn't?"
"To be honest Donna, I picture Josh mumbling something about friendship and growth the trying to relate it all to politics" Donna laughed, realising that also could have happened.
"Well I would love to stay and chat about this longer CJ, but I only have the weekend up here and I have to make the most of it"
"You're right, go find your man" CJ pointed to the door.
"I'll phone you!" Donna told CJ before rushing out the room. All she needed to do was find Josh, get him to leave work early and then proceed to spend the rest of her weekend off in Josh's apartment, preferably Josh's bed. nothing too impossible! she thought to herself at the thought of trying to get Josh to leave work early. It was like trying to control the tide.
"I'm Donna Moss, who are you?"
"I'm Josh Lyman"
"Ah"
"Yes"
Donna had first checked his office, there was a small chance he's still be there but after being his scheduler for seven years she knew that he was in other people's offices most of the time. Walking through the busy corridors of the west wing she search for Josh. Walking through Josh's bullpen where she used to spend most of her time, the back through the entrance way and into the communications bullpen. Her frustration grew as she peeked into Sam's and Toby's offices, with no luck. Donna walked back to Josh's office, hoping he would find her there
"Donna" Josh started
" Look. I think I might be good at this. I think you might find me valuable" Donna had just spent the last five minutes convincing a man she had never met that she was right person for the job, although as she spoke she realised how unqualified she was for the job. Before he could answer the phone began to ring. Josh and Donna stared at each other in a stalemate, his look measuring, hers persuasive, their silence carried through a couple of rings.
"Go ahead." Josh finally relented, realising how through the few minutes he had known her, he had begun to like her. He liked her persuasive arguments and the way she didn't back down in a fight, plus it seemed that she had already tidied up his office. Donna grabbed the phone and spoke.
"Bartlet for America, Josh Lyman's office. Uh, yes, I think I'm going to have someone from the press office get back to you if it's related to yes. Uh, yes". Josh slowly pulled his badge holder off his neck and handed it to Donna in the ultimate welcome gesture.
Josh had also finished up in the Oval Office was walking the opposite way towards his office. After telling the President the good news he wanted to know how the new education bill was going and had spent most of time talking politics.
"Hey Josh" Sam walked up beside Josh and began to walk with him. With his coat on and briefcase in one hand he looked like he had just arrived.
"Where've you been?"
"On the hill, what's this rumour that's going around about you? Margaret passed me in the hall but I didn't catch what she was saying"
"Its not a rumour and you've missed quite a bit"
"What on earth is going on and whatever it is please tell me CJ knows so she can sort out another mess you've got yourself into"
"She does know but its not a mess, in fact it's good news"
"So you going to tell me anytime soon?" Josh opened his mouth to answer when he saw Donna standing in front of him.
"Hey Donna, what are you doing here" Sam asked naively. Donna didn't answer, keeping her eyes firmly on Josh's.
"The President gave me the day off" Donnas eyebrows raised, the president had given Josh the day off? "I think he's a fool for love" Josh added with a slight smile on his face.
"I have the whole weekend off" Donna replied. Sam looked at Josh and then at Donna.
"Okay, does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Josh's eyes flicked up to the clock above the doorway they were under and then back to Donna.
"Lunch?"
"I thought you'd never ask" Donna held out her hand and Josh placed his in hers, already walking away from Sam who had just realised what had happened.
"Congratulations!" Sam shouted after them, smiling to himself when he saw Donna laugh at one of his jokes and then place her head on his shoulder as they walked down the corridor and out the door towards lunch and much much more.