Clowns
Post Constituency Of One, Sam's concerned about Josh. --Sam, Josh and some CJ
Disclaimer: Josh, Sam and CJ don't belong to me, but if they did, I'd occasionally put Josh in just a towel!

"CJ!" Sam complained. "For five five years I stopped you throwing a party for him, didn't you think there might be a good reason he doesn't celebrate his birthday?"

"Yeah. Donna says it has something to do with clowns."

"Clowns?"

"You mean it doesn't?"

Sam quickly backtracked, "Yeah of course it does. When he was kid. So how is he?"

"Despondent. I've briefed Donna on what to do. She'll look out for him."

"She will," Sam agreed. "This'll be alright you know, I mean he took a chance and lost, it happens."

"I know."

"You don't sound very convinced there, CJ."

"Things have been bad round here all month. I'm just worried this could be the final straw."

"I'll call him."

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Josh heard the phone as he climbed out of the shower. He wrapped a towel round his waist, walked across the apartment and picked up the receiver.

"Traumatized by a clown?" were Sam's first words.

"Is that some kind of code?" Josh asked. "Am I suppose to respond with 'the eagle flies at midnight'?"

Sam couldn't tell Josh's mood from his tone of voice, so he carried on. "You don't celebrate your birthday 'cause you were traumatized by a clown," he clarified.

"Ah. Yes I was. He did all his tricks for Joanie."

"You practice that story?"

"It's true. It was my 7th birthday party. I think she did it deliberately," Josh smiled at the memory.

"You really thought that would stop them throwing a party?"

"It was the first thing that came to mind when Donna asked."

"You could have told her the truth," Sam pointed out.

"Nah. So how are you?"

"I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about."

"Sam, honestly it'll be fine. Leo'll calm down over the weekend, it'll blow over."

"You're not working tomorrow?"

"No, he told me to take the weekend off." An unsettling thought suddenly occurred to Josh. "You think he meant that, I mean just the weekend?"

"What happened to 'it'll blow over'?"

Josh sighed. "I don't know, I'm a pessimist, what can I say?"

"I saw the article."

"Don't even go there," Josh replied. "That really hasn't helped Leo's mood."

"It was a good article."

"It was a puff piece. Amy's idea of a birthday gift."

"Yeah Donna and Toby both mentioned something about you and Amy?"

"We're not dating if that's what you're asking."

"Really?" Sam asked. "Never had you down as a one night stand guy before."

"We're still friends."

"Who sleep together," Sam added. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not one to comment on other people's relationships but, Josh, Amy?"

"Well she's gone now, the president fired her."

Sam tried to decide whether that would have made Josh's day better or worse.

"Thanks for the gift," Josh was saying.

"It was nothing, just something I saw that reminded me of you."

Josh grinned, "I'm sure how to take that, but thanks anyway."

"Not a problem," Sam replied. "Josh, doesn't Donna know the real reason you don't celebrate your birthday?"

"No."

"Why? I didn't think there was anything she didn't know."

"I'm pretty sure there's plenty she doesn't know," Josh replied.

"I meant..." Sam began, but Josh interrupted him.

"I know what you meant. When you tell someone that you don't want a fuss on your birthday and they start teasing you about why, you can't turn around and say, 'actually it's because'. You just can't. Look, Sam, it's not a big deal and today I've got bigger problems."

Sam didn't doubt for a minute that Carrick was what was getting Josh down, but he knew the party hadn't helped. "So you have no plans for tonight then?"

"None," Josh agreed. "Although I'm kind of surprised that Donna hasn't turned up to check all my windows are still intact."

"It's early," Sam told him, "she'll be there any minute with a bag of take out."

"You think?"

"Well, seeing as I spoke to her ten minutes ago and she was in Fu Yan, yeah I'd say so."

Josh smiled in spite of himself. "So I'd better get dressed then."

"Might be a good idea," Sam agreed.

"Akay, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Try and enjoy your birthday for once," Sam instructed.

"I don't see that happening," Josh replied. "But I'll give it my best shot."

END