Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like to play with them for a little
while and then return them relatively unharmed. I make no money off
writing this, so no point in suing me! :)
Feedback: Please! I love it!
Archive: Sure, just ask first please! It'll also be available on
http://www.pixies-bookshelf.tv/fic/archive.asp.
Summary: Be careful when you throw caution to the wind, it may come back and bite you in the ass.
Spoilers: speculation on season 3
Category: Donna/Other, Josh/Donna, romance, angst
Notes: Going on all the spoilers I've read for the upcoming season (bad me! ;), I decided to see how well I could read AS's mind. This is the product of it! This fic happens before "The Florist" and "The Deputy Deputy", so I guess it's a prequel. This puppy is un-betaed, so be prepared for goof-ups! ;)
---------------------
Donna sat back in her chair, then gazed at the clock on her computer. Midnight. Not unusual considering whom she worked for, but these days she didn't seem to be doing much of his work. She had finished the latest round of file boxing in preparation for the imminent grand jury trial.
She stretched her arms over her head, then rubbed her eyes. When she removed them and opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of that lawyer from Ways and Means. Clint? No, Cliff.
"Did you forget something?" she asked him, trying to seem nonchalant. She had noticed earlier that he wasn't hard on the eyes, but she hadn't realized how good-looking he was until now. Of course that could be the lack of sleep talking. And the hormones.
Cliff smiled. "Uh, no. I'm actually meeting Ainsley."
The blonde's face fell. "Oh."
"Hey there!" Ainsley called as she entered the bullpen. She gave Cliff a big smile, then, as a last thought glanced at Donna. "Hi."
Donna nodded in response. Things had been a bit tense between them since the President's announcement, and they didn't seem likely to change too soon.
"Well, I suppose we should get going," Ainsley stated, looking back at Cliff.
"Sure." He looked at Donna. "Nice seeing you again."
She gave him a friendly smile. "Yeah."
Ainsley steered Cliff away before he or Donna could talk further. She sighed as she watched them walk away.
"Yet another one slipping through my fingers," she said aloud to herself.
~*~
"So, what is going on with you and Donna Moss?" Ainsley quizzed Cliff after they were served their drinks.
He raised an eyebrow as he took a sip. "Is there something going on?"
"Oh come on!" she exclaimed, leaning toward him. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other. I had to get you out of there before you made an utter fool out of yourself."
"And why would I be making a fool out of myself over such an obviously lovely woman?"
"Hell-o," she replied. "She's not your type."
"Oh really? And why's that?"
"She's a one-date woman."
"'One-date woman'? That's a new one."
"She never goes beyond one date. She's notorious for it. I think she's just test-driving. Or else waiting it out until she can do the nasty with her boss."
"Ainsley!" Cliff called out, staring at her in surprise. "I think you've got her all wrong. And to prove you wrong, I want you to ask her out for me."
The blonde nearly choked on her Pink Squirrel. "You're joking, right?"
He shook his head and grinned. "Nope. I'm going to prove to you that you have terrible judgement."
She laughed. "I thought I pinned you pretty good."
"I still have some surprises up my sleeve."
"I doubt it." She paused, taking a drink. "Don't hold your breath on my asking Donna out for you. You can make a fool out of yourself just fine on your own."
~*~
"Donna!"
"You have staff in five, Josh!"
"I know, that's why I need you," he stated, standing in the doorway.
She glanced his way and saw him giving her his best 'I-can-charm-the-pants-off-anyone' smile. She returned it with a patronizing smile. "You've always needed me, Joshua. You couldn't subsist without me." Donna stood up, grabbing a couple of folders, then walked his way.
"Forever and always," he teased, joining her as she turned down the hallway.
They walked together toward Leo's office, the blonde handing her boss the folders. "Your notes from the meeting on tobacco are in there. Oh, and the latest polling numbers are in that green folder."
"How come you didn't tell me they were ready?" Josh asked, his tone confrontational. He started to flip through the sheets of paper as they walked. "I thought they weren't going to be ready until this afternoon."
She stopped in place, but Josh didn't notice and kept walking. "They weren't, and I'm telling you now, Joshua," Donna stated, her annoyance with his attitude coming through in her voice.
Josh looked to his side and realized she wasn't there any more, then glanced back. He saw the expression of annoyance on her face and knew he had to backpedal. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped on you."
Donna felt a grin twitch at her mouth at his apology. He certainly had a way with words. She caught up with him and they continued on their way to the meeting.
"They were couriered in about ten minutes ago."
"Did you get a look at them?"
"Briefly," she replied, not sounding very enthusiastic.
"That good, eh?"
The blonde made a face, giving Josh his answer.
"Good news all-around this morning," he said. They stopped at Leo's door. "I'll see you later."
"I'll have the research on tobacco advertising ready for you when you get back."
He gave her a big smile, the dimples on his cheeks making an appearance. "Thanks."
Donna gave him a warm smile in return, then watched him disappear in to Leo's office. She then turned on her heel and returned to her desk. She began prepping all the material she had found, putting it in some sort of logical order.
Forty-five minutes later she had it ready to go, but, as usual, Josh wasn't out of the meeting yet. She decided to get a muffin in the caf, feeling the need for a snack.
Taking the research folders with her, she made her way through the bullpen and toward the cafeteria.
End of Part One
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like to play with them for a little
while and then return them relatively unharmed. I make no money off
writing this, so no point in suing me! :)
Feedback: Please! I love it!
Archive: Sure, just ask first please! It'll also be available on
http://www.pixies-bookshelf.tv/fic/archive.asp.
Summary: Be careful when you throw caution to the wind, it may come back and bite you in the ass.
Spoilers: speculation on season 3
Category: Donna/Other, Josh/Donna, romance, angst
Notes: Going on all the spoilers I've read for the upcoming season (bad me! ;), I decided to see how well I could read AS's mind. This is the product of it! This fic happens before "The Florist" and "The Deputy Deputy", so I guess it's a prequel. This puppy is un-betaed, so be prepared for goof-ups! ;)
---------------------
Donna sat back in her chair, then gazed at the clock on her computer. Midnight. Not unusual considering whom she worked for, but these days she didn't seem to be doing much of his work. She had finished the latest round of file boxing in preparation for the imminent grand jury trial.
She stretched her arms over her head, then rubbed her eyes. When she removed them and opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of that lawyer from Ways and Means. Clint? No, Cliff.
"Did you forget something?" she asked him, trying to seem nonchalant. She had noticed earlier that he wasn't hard on the eyes, but she hadn't realized how good-looking he was until now. Of course that could be the lack of sleep talking. And the hormones.
Cliff smiled. "Uh, no. I'm actually meeting Ainsley."
The blonde's face fell. "Oh."
"Hey there!" Ainsley called as she entered the bullpen. She gave Cliff a big smile, then, as a last thought glanced at Donna. "Hi."
Donna nodded in response. Things had been a bit tense between them since the President's announcement, and they didn't seem likely to change too soon.
"Well, I suppose we should get going," Ainsley stated, looking back at Cliff.
"Sure." He looked at Donna. "Nice seeing you again."
She gave him a friendly smile. "Yeah."
Ainsley steered Cliff away before he or Donna could talk further. She sighed as she watched them walk away.
"Yet another one slipping through my fingers," she said aloud to herself.
~*~
"So, what is going on with you and Donna Moss?" Ainsley quizzed Cliff after they were served their drinks.
He raised an eyebrow as he took a sip. "Is there something going on?"
"Oh come on!" she exclaimed, leaning toward him. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other. I had to get you out of there before you made an utter fool out of yourself."
"And why would I be making a fool out of myself over such an obviously lovely woman?"
"Hell-o," she replied. "She's not your type."
"Oh really? And why's that?"
"She's a one-date woman."
"'One-date woman'? That's a new one."
"She never goes beyond one date. She's notorious for it. I think she's just test-driving. Or else waiting it out until she can do the nasty with her boss."
"Ainsley!" Cliff called out, staring at her in surprise. "I think you've got her all wrong. And to prove you wrong, I want you to ask her out for me."
The blonde nearly choked on her Pink Squirrel. "You're joking, right?"
He shook his head and grinned. "Nope. I'm going to prove to you that you have terrible judgement."
She laughed. "I thought I pinned you pretty good."
"I still have some surprises up my sleeve."
"I doubt it." She paused, taking a drink. "Don't hold your breath on my asking Donna out for you. You can make a fool out of yourself just fine on your own."
~*~
"Donna!"
"You have staff in five, Josh!"
"I know, that's why I need you," he stated, standing in the doorway.
She glanced his way and saw him giving her his best 'I-can-charm-the-pants-off-anyone' smile. She returned it with a patronizing smile. "You've always needed me, Joshua. You couldn't subsist without me." Donna stood up, grabbing a couple of folders, then walked his way.
"Forever and always," he teased, joining her as she turned down the hallway.
They walked together toward Leo's office, the blonde handing her boss the folders. "Your notes from the meeting on tobacco are in there. Oh, and the latest polling numbers are in that green folder."
"How come you didn't tell me they were ready?" Josh asked, his tone confrontational. He started to flip through the sheets of paper as they walked. "I thought they weren't going to be ready until this afternoon."
She stopped in place, but Josh didn't notice and kept walking. "They weren't, and I'm telling you now, Joshua," Donna stated, her annoyance with his attitude coming through in her voice.
Josh looked to his side and realized she wasn't there any more, then glanced back. He saw the expression of annoyance on her face and knew he had to backpedal. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped on you."
Donna felt a grin twitch at her mouth at his apology. He certainly had a way with words. She caught up with him and they continued on their way to the meeting.
"They were couriered in about ten minutes ago."
"Did you get a look at them?"
"Briefly," she replied, not sounding very enthusiastic.
"That good, eh?"
The blonde made a face, giving Josh his answer.
"Good news all-around this morning," he said. They stopped at Leo's door. "I'll see you later."
"I'll have the research on tobacco advertising ready for you when you get back."
He gave her a big smile, the dimples on his cheeks making an appearance. "Thanks."
Donna gave him a warm smile in return, then watched him disappear in to Leo's office. She then turned on her heel and returned to her desk. She began prepping all the material she had found, putting it in some sort of logical order.
Forty-five minutes later she had it ready to go, but, as usual, Josh wasn't out of the meeting yet. She decided to get a muffin in the caf, feeling the need for a snack.
Taking the research folders with her, she made her way through the bullpen and toward the cafeteria.
End of Part One