Disclaimer: Still not mine, but I still dream of the day when I can read fanfics of characters that do belong to me ;)
Summary: Set after 'Holy night' in an AU setting. Josh does take Donna for drinks at the Hawk and Dove. Things happen. Then more things happen. Rated M since that is as high as I can get on **update, Thank you DB for pointing the name out to me!
Author's Note: First, thank you for reading my works. If you would like to review, I would love to hear feedback. This story is an idea I've wanted to read about, but have yet to find a fanfic quite like it. I tend to listen to music while I write. I listened to the works of Chase Holfelder (minor from Major) which I recommend regardless of my fanfiction, as well as 'btsk' by MrMs.
I do have about 3 chapters of this particular fanfic finished, but will post a chapter at a time incase I desire to make changes or decide to move things around. I also have another I'm working on concurrently, so feel free to read and review there as well. Cheers!
When September Ends
Chapter 1: Something Unnamed
Washington D.C. was a city known for its' lifeline. The heart of an entire nation rested within the walls of a fairly sizable piece of real estate on Pennsylvania Avenue, currently enjoying an unexpectedly quiet evening. It gave way to the holiday spirit that fell with each snowflake. The snow in D.C. was much like snow elsewhere in that it was cold, wet, and fell often during times of inconvenience.
Tonight, it fell in drifts that piled high on the lawn of the White House, reaching to the windows and lining them with trails of Jack Frost. It blanketed the world in a billowy white, and for the moment, the sky had broken free and clear for the moon to shine down and create an almost incandescent glow. It was peaceful, and surprisingly calm in a city that was usually anything but.
Donna found it hard to be upset at the turn her holiday had taken with such a sight outside. She sat in Josh's office, waiting for him to return from a meeting with Leo. A surprise, of sorts, he no doubt was expecting her to be long gone by now. Leo had been gracious to offer her space on a press helicopter that would land near her intended destination for the long weekend, but that ship had sailed and left harbor hours ago. She sighed and laid her chin on her hands, watching the frosty wonderland from the window in Josh's office.
The one time she didn't hold out for a miracle, like say, getting off work before nine, the guy had gone and made the impossible possible. Only her date, Jack Reese, had taken her for her word and cancelled the arrangements and made other plans. It was slightly humorous, slightly, and tremendously ironic.
Her breath created a halo of fog on the window where she now rested her elbows on the cold sill. Childishly, she reached out the tip of her finger and drew a little stick figure in the fog, laughing at her own foolishness before the sound dropped away. Instinctively, she knew she was no longer alone. Years of working in the White House with him had honed her senses to his comings and goings. She felt him enter the room even before he made a sound, but she didn't make move to greet him or stir from her place at the window, instead lost in some random thought that came from nowhere to distract and amuse her.
Josh had frozen in his place at his office door, unable to move. The sight that greeted him was unexpected. He had come from Leo's to get his coat and a few essentials before they were to man the phones. Expecting his office to be empty, after Leo's admission of Good will, he had been taken off guard at the silhouette sitting in his chair by the window. Inching his way into his office, he was further surprised to find he recognized the silhouette.
At first he was unable to speak, convinced he was merely seeing what he had desired most that evening. A thought that had been altogether perplexing and bothersome. Donna had gone on dates before, and even a weekend trip once, during their time together. Why this particular plan bothered him so profusely was beyond him. When Leo and the President had asked him to stay and pull strings, he had been uncharacteristically relieved at the delay in her plans. So much so that he had found reason to deny any piece he might have in its fallout. When Leo had announced his grand gesture, Josh had been equally crushed, temporarily losing control of emotions and ramblings he normally kept in check.
Leo, though understanding in his own way, he pulled Josh back as if scolding a small child. Leaving Josh with the only answer sufficient 'I'm trying.'
Mindless work was just what he needed to keep his mind of a particularly romantic evening that one woman in particular would be having without a chance for him to disturb it. For once, Josh would fail to sabotage, delay, or dampen an evening plan with a potential rival. The thought sat wrong with him. Despite the fact that Jack Reese was a republican, which was enough for Josh to find fault with the man, he was a decent guy. Clearly willing to work with the president on whatever his agenda may be Josh could find no fault with him, and that stuck with him. Most of Donna's men could be easily labeled as gomer's. Josh felt little guilt over ruining evenings with men he felt beneath Donna, but Jack was a decent guy and it didn't feel right to sabotage someone who had more ethics and a decent political platform, even if he was a republican.
Still, the sight of her in his office gave him a tremendous amount of relief. Even when it became clear he wasn't hallucinating, he remained silent, unable or unwilling to disturb the peaceful image that faced him. He half wondered if she had fallen asleep at the window. A quick glance at his watch showed it after eleven and while not late by any standard, it was the holiday, and she had been expecting some time off. Perhaps coming down from the high she had been on earlier had left her worn out. Or maybe she was just disappointed. An uneasy feeling crept into his stomach, making it ache.
"Donna?" he questioned. Hating the emotion he heard.
But while Josh heard concern in his voice, Donna heard surprise causing her to lift her head and turn away from the vanishing shape on the window. She plastered a smile to her face, glad to see him despite his look of bewilderment and perhaps a bit of something else.
Josh cleared his throat, caught off guard by her smile. "I thought you—Leo, said he got you a flight…"
Donna waved off the rest of his ramble. "He did, and it was sweet, but Jack had already cancelled with the hotel and made other plans."
The relief he felt was too much, and he felt compelled to distance himself from it. "Sounds like a real winner if he was that quick to give up hope that you'd show up." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he strolled further into the office, his mouth turned up on one side giving just a hint of an air of satisfaction.
Donna rolled her eyes, "Oh please, Josh, if the man could even get half of his money back for what he must have paid for, he should. After all, this is all your fault, you know."
"My fault?!" Josh was incredulous. "How is this my fault?! We work in the White House Donna, we don't have the luxury of a normal schedule."
Again, a roll of her eyes, "If you could learn to trust the other secretaries, I could have had the whole weekend off like I asked, Josh. Even government employees are entitled to a little vacation time. Especially overworked and underpaid ones!" she rose to her feet, hands on her hips. She was starting to regret not taking Jack up on his offer to drive back and take her with him to meet his parents. At the very least she was regretting staying behind in his office.
"First of all," Josh started, pulling a hand from his pocket in order to demonstrate his points "none of them will come anywhere near me."
Donna smirked, "That's because every time one of them tries you yell at them."
"I do not ye—"He stopped and glared. He was not going to let her distract him. "Secondly, you get vacation time."
"Time on Air Force One and following you during fundraising parties does not count as time off" she countered triumphantly with a haughty tilt of her head.
Josh narrowed his eyes, he was clearly not going to win this fight, but he had one more ace up his sleeve. "And last, you are way more than a mere secretary Donna." There. That wasn't so hard.
It worked.
In a mere moment, Donna had gone from stiff as a board to heart-melted and petals wilted. "See. There you go again. You spend most of the night being you and then you go and say something like that."
"You're welcome."
Donna shook her head, looking almost sad. Or possibly, she was simply touched by what Josh had just said. Either way, she reached for the coat she had placed on his desk and folded it over her arm. "And on that note, I will call it a night," she remarked, making her way around the desk and past him.
"Wait," he called out, turning to catch her.
She turned, canting her head to the side questioningly.
"I promised to get you drunk at the Hawk and Dove, remember?" when she hesitated, he added, "It's the least I can do since you gave up being a princess for a night in some cold, damp, lonely castle."
The smile returned, lighting her eyes in a way that Josh found exhilarating. Like a breath of fresh air. "It may be damp, Josh, but I wouldn't be alone and I'm sure we would have found some way to stay warm."
The feeling was back. The ache in his gut that seemed to gnaw at him. He didn't remark to her comment, but turned back and reached for his phone. "Just give me a minute to let Leo know I'm going to take him up on his offer of an early evening and I'll be right with you."
Donna nodded, and walked out of his office and towards the front lobby. Josh's eyes followed her as she went, his face somber and devoid of any emotion. "Hey Leo, yea, look. I'm going to take your advice and make it an early night." He paused and listened, not surprised to hear the acquiescence on the other end of the line. Leo often gave advice, even if he didn't expect it to be followed. For once, Josh was glad Leo didn't push him to stay. After a brief goodbye and a promise to be in first thing after the holiday, he grabbed his things and made a beeline for the main lobby where Donna was no doubt waiting for him.