Author's Note/Disclaimer: I decided to take a crack (unofficially) at the Ultimate Fanfic Challenge on LiveJournal. 100 prompts, 100 fanfics. While my goal is to keep all stories in the same universe (canon, plus my interpretation of what came afterward), they are organized simply according to the order they appear on LiveJournal. Likewise, points of view, voice, and person may vary. I'll try to address these things at the beginning of each entry. Enjoy.

Josh, Donna, and the rest of The West Wing crew belong to Sorkin, Wells, Warner Brothers, NBC, et al. I write for fun, and as such, do not profit.

Prompt: Beginnings
Setting: January 1999, January 2003, January 2007, and January 2011

The first inauguration was fun and carefree, overwhelmed by the pomp and circumstance and unburdened by the cares of the world. They drank too much and slept too little, and somewhere in between he pulled her onto the dance floor. They twirled, unskilled and slightly intoxicated. And they laughed.

The second inauguration was characterized by unsuitable bibles, ethnic cleansing, and the dull thud of snowballs on her apartment window. In the early hours of the morning, as they researched and deliberated and gulped down what caffeine they could get their hands on, he desperately wanted to pull her aside and apologize for missing what she had tried to make so obvious. But the smile that lingered on her face throughout the night told him that, perhaps, it wasn't necessary. And they worked.

The third inauguration was not for them, but for Otto and Ronna and those who'd never experienced such a spectacle. They spent most of the evening trailing the newly minted president and first lady, offering advice and (occasionally) encouragement. But sometime around midnight, the first couple was chatting with old friends from Texas, and his hand found hers. Suddenly they were alone on the balcony, accompanied only by the distant strains of the orchestra. He pulled his jacket around her shoulder, and pulled her to him. And they kissed.

The fourth inauguration, they were sure, had been lovely. However, soon after dawn on January 20th, a newborn's cry echoed through the maternity ward of George Washington University Hospital, hopelessly scuttling any previous plans for the day. As CNN droned in the background, they marveled over the tiny being cradled between them, thoughts of speeches and oaths and parties a million miles away. Hours later, as fatigue set in, their eyelids began to droop with the setting sun. After ensuring the baby was tucked safely away in the nursery, he dropped a kiss on her forehead and stretched out in the rigid armchair next to her bed. And they slept.