Stne By Stone, chapter 13, Sprung
Summary: Josh hopes that CJ won't notice when he takes Donna to a friend's wedding.
Spoilers/Episode: Set in an a/u that leaves cannon after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place a month after chapter 12.
Characters: Josh/Donna, ensemble.
Rating: PG
Because it's been almost a year since any updates, I'd forgotten some of what had happened and chances are you may have too, so...
Previously in Stone By Stone...
A tenuous peace agreement was reached at Camp David between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Jed and Leo eventually made their peace
Sam returned to work at The White House after moving back to the East Coast with his girlfriend, Chloe.
Zoey and Charlie started dating.
Josh and Donna also started dating, but in secret
Another secret is the relationship between Leo and Debbie.
Part I
Wednesday April 6th
Josh strode through Toby's open office doorway and flopped down on the sofa. Toby didn't look up. He carried on writing for a almost a minute, before stopping and sighing. "Did you need something?"
"You busy?"
"Am I busy?" Toby's tone was irritated, even more so than normal.
"I can come back."
"Only if you really have to."
Josh ignored the tone. "I've been invited to a wedding on Saturday." Toby didn't reply, so Josh continued. "And I was wondering, you think it would be okay if I took Donna?"
"Do I think it would be okay?"
"Yeah."
"As long as you're not taking me, I don't care," Toby mumbled.
"You don't think CJ or anyone would have a problem with it? I mean, we'll have separate rooms and we're just going as friends. So what do think?"
"I don't care," Toby repeated.
"So it'll be okay?"
"Get out of my office."
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"Chloe and I are in town this weekend," Sam told Josh that lunchtime. "I thought we could all go out someplace."
"Donna and I are in Connecticut," Josh replied.
"You're kidding me," Sam sighed. "The first weekend for ages that Chloe's in Washington and you and Donna are going to Connecticut." Then he smiled. "Does CJ know you're taking Donna away?"
"I told Toby."
"But not CJ?"
"It's not a big deal. It's not like we're going for a romantic weekend in the country."
"Then why are you going?" Sam asked.
"We're going to a wedding."
"You don't think a wedding is romantic?"
"For the bride and groom obviously it is," Josh replied. "Not so much for the guests, no."
"Not sure CJ's going to agree with you there," Sam told him.
"Well what she doesn't know..." Josh shrugged.
"Is it at all possible that you're scared of CJ?"
"It's extremely possible," Josh smiled.
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Thursday
Josh looked nervously at his assistant as she stood infront of his desk with her arms folded. "Did I do something to upset you?" he asked
"I haven't been paid."
"I don't pay you."
"Josh! It's payday and according to my bank I haven't been paid."
"Well it's not because of anything I've done. Phone personnel. What's going on out there?" he asked as the noise in bullpen intensified.
"I'm guessing people are finding out that they haven't been paid," Donna said.
"Okay, let me check mine." Josh turned to his computer and logged on to his bank. "What?" he asked Donna as he typed in his password and security code.
"You bank online?"
"You know I do."
"No, I knew you had the facility, I didn't know you actually knew how to use it," Donna teased. "Well?"
"I haven't been paid," Josh replied. "I'll call personnel. If you could try and calm the restless natives out there."
"Oh that's right, you take the easy job," Donna sighed and left the office.
When Josh left his office ten minutes later, the entire bullpen turned on him. He couldn't make out all of what was being said, but he got 'rent', 'food', 'money'. He held up his hands, "Shut the hell up!" he shouted. When silnce fell he carried on. "The computers crashed last night while they were doing the banking run. It seems they lost the payroll information, they have it on backup and they should be able to make the payments tonight."
"Should?" Donna asked.
"Yeah."
"And if they don't?" Someone else asked him.
"I didn't get paid either," Josh protested and quickly retreated back to office with Donna following him.
"My rent's due tomorrow."
"I can lend you some money," he replied. "It'll be sorted tonight."
"It'd better."
"You see if you budgeted better..."
"I budget fine," Donna told him. "My rent comes out the day after I get paid."
"I'm going to see Leo."
Josh walked to Leo's office as inobtrusively as possibly, but as he crossed the lobby, Bonny called his name. He reluctantly turned round to face her and five other assistants. "Yeah?"
"We didn't get paid."
"Me either. It should be sorted tonight. I'm late for a thing," Josh said and quickly hurried away. "Don't," he told Margaret as he entered her office. "Is he free?"
"Yes," Margaret replied. "Unlike food, rent..."
"Tonight," Josh told her. "It should go in tonight."
Leo looked up as Josh entered the office. "What's going on?"
"You haven't heard?"
"Apparently not."
"No one's been paid, I'm amazed Margaret hasn't told you."
"She was talking about her rent, I wasn't really listening," Leo admitted. "No one's been paid?"
Josh relayed his conversation with personnel. "It's uproar out there," he told Leo. "I think they're gathering a lynch mob and I'm their target."
"You're not hiding in here," Leo smiled. "Have you been paid?"
"No, and neither will you."
"I think I'll cope. You?"
"Yeah, as long as we get something by next Wednesday when my rent's due, or I could be sleeping in the office for a while. I should brief CJ."
Part 2 ...