Title: At Last Author: Kelley Rating: R for language, violence, and adult themes Category: A/U, general, angst Pairing: J/D Disclaimers: Anything pertinent to "The West Wing" in this fic, Aaron owns. Anything that's stupid in this fic, that was all my doing! Feedback: You give me feedback, I happy. I happy, you get more fanfic. It's not rocket science, people! Notes: This story takes place in the same A/U as my previous work, "Smile". I had so many more ideas and so many great responses, I decided to turn this into a series. If you want to read that, it can be found at The National Library site or you can just email me directly. If you don't want to read it, here's a brief overview: Donna became gravely ill during a flight on Air Force One and had to be rushed to GW upon landing. It was discovered later that she had a deadly illness and would only have a few weeks to live unless she received a bone marrow transplant. Josh realized his feelings for her while she was battling her illness and admitted his love for her. Meanwhile, Donna's family, [her younger brother, T.J. and older sister, Nicole], and best friend, [Lily Irving], converged on the hospital where they kept the secret that Donna had a four year-old daughter living in Wisconsin with Donna's grandmother. After Donna fell into a coma, the daughter, Emma, and grandmother, Mena, came to DC so Emma could donate bone marrow to her mother. During all this, Josh met Emma and began forming a strong relationship with her. After a successful transplant, Donna awoke and agreed to Josh's marriage proposal. [I recommend you read the story, "Smile", if only to get a sense of Donna's family history.] Summary: AL takes place about a year after "Smile". Flashbacks will occur and will be properly marked. Characters from "Smile" will be making special guest-appearances and one or two new faces may pop up. This story will also deal with sensitive subject matter. If you're not comfortable with that, I suggest you don't read this. For those of you who are going to read this, sit back and enjoy the ride!

White House Rose Garden: September 23, 2003

The birds were chirping, almost in the tune of a song, as the sun shone through the trees and onto the crowd that had assembled in the garden on the beautiful, fall morning. Women in elegant, post-summer fashion were seated next to celebrities and heads of state. Political associates from all sides of the aisle were seated side-by-side, Democrat with Republican, pro-life with pro-choice, young blood with old hat. Family members, close- knit and distant, merged together. All of them gathered in celebration of the event that was to take place moments from now.

It was a perfectly perfect day that Saturday morning. The garden was still in full summer bloom, thanks to the prolonged heat of August, with roses of every color blanketing the ground. The grass had been freshly cut that morning and there wasn't even the slightest hint of dew on the ground. White clouds shielded the guests from the harsh heat of the sun and the gentlest of breezes blew in, capping off the perfection that was today.

A pale, white satin carpet separated the guests into two groups, who sat on matching white wooden folding chairs and to the left of them, a string quartet anxiously awaited their cue. Arrangements of flowers adorned the beginning and end of the aisle, flowers of orange, red, and yellow to represent the beauty of fall. Atop the white satin carpet were carefully placed autumn leaves, used to add a touch of country flavor to the elegant setting. And at the end of the aisle, there stood the centerpiece of the celebration: a gleaming white archway, decorated in a tasteful array of leaves and flowers, with a distinguished minister standing beneath it. To the minister's left was the groom, who looked ready to jump out of his skin from nervous excitement, dressed stylishly in a tux his better half had selected for him. In his mind, he was counting the number of steps it would take for her to join him in this dream setting, a setting fit for any prince or princess. All that was needed now to complete it was the bride.

Suddenly, music began flittering through the gathering and the chatter of the crowd ceased immediately. The bridesmaids began their slow descent down the aisle; each dressed in a matching sapphire red, full-length gown and carrying a bouquet of white lilies. They were escorted by their designated groomsmen, who were all decked out in identical black tuxes with matching bowties and cummerbunds. Next came the maid-of-honor, lead by the best man. They parted when they reached the end of the aisle and were followed by the flower girl, eliciting the standard "aw's" and "so cute's" from the crowd. When the child reached the rest of the wedding party, the musicians waited a beat, then started playing a different tune, the tune that meant it was time for the bride to make her long-awaited entrance.

Everyone rose on cue and turned to the entranceway. When the bride, at last, made her appearance the crowd murmured their appreciation and approval of her. The groom, on the other hand, was having trouble remembering his proper respiratory functions. He couldn't believe in all the times that he'd seen her that he'd never noticed how beautiful she truly was. She was a vision in a beige-white, strapless gown that hugged every curve of her body with a train that flowed like a wave behind her. An elegant lace shawl that had belonged to her deceased mother lay on her shoulders. Her veil was made from a wreath of babies' breath that rested gracefully on top of her head and the light amount of make-up she wore only added to the air of quiet elegance that seemed to surround her. 'If only I was a Greek poet,' the groom thought wistfully. 'Then maybe I could truly describe how amazingly beautiful she really is.'

He didn't have time to dwell on that thought as the bride had finally made it to him. The groom swallowed frantically, trying to obtain some moisture in the desert that had become his mouth. His hand shook violently as he raised it up to wipe the sweat off his brow, his head felt like it was spinning off it's axis, and he thought for a fearful moment that he was going to pass out before the minister even began the ceremony. Then the bride, sensing her soon-to-be husband's anxiety, smiled at him reassuringly as if to say, 'Don't worry, I'm right here with you.' At the same time, she was also giving her bouquet to her maid-of-honor, her sister, who looked at the groom and gave him a quick wink of encouragement. And just to make sure, his best man patted him lightly on the back to ensure that the groom was still with them. He took a breath and pulled himself together in time to notice the bride's father pulling his daughter close to kiss her cheek. She accepted his gesture and returned the kiss with one of her own. After she pulled away, she lovingly wiped away the lone tear that had escaped from the confines of his eye, giving him a sad smile as she did so. Father and daughter had not always been close but recent events in their lives had helped to bridge the once impossible gap between them. He took his daughter's hand and placed it in the outstretched one of the groom's, a symbolic sign of the father leaving his middle child in the hands of someone else from now on. He quietly stepped aside from his daughter's life for the final time and took his seat with the rest of her friends and family, leaving the couple alone, holding each other's hands and gazing into each other's eyes. The minister opened his Bible, cleared his throat, and began:

"Dearly beloved," he proclaimed in a crisp, clear voice. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two people."