Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys, glad you're still reading. Thanks especially to AuggieDeeksNico ( u/321921/AuggieDeeksNico) for making sure I stick writing this story, and untangling it in Beta.

Thanks to Aaron Sorkin & John Wells for such rich fabulous characters. My only wish is that a little more had been told on screen, but I can't complain as plenty was surely implied, which in some ways is even better as everyone gets to fill the gaps themselves … this is how I'm filling those gaps! x


He stands up, and holds out his hand for Donna pulling her into his embrace, she can feel her anger diminishing in his arms, their hearts beating together.

He speaks softly "I chose you a long time ago Donatella, and now that I have you I'm not giving you up." He perks up, "Come on, we're in Hawaii and I've not bought you a cocktail yet."

She knows he's stalling, thinking, but it's what she wants, considered answers. And if he's going to buy her cocktails while he works his thoughts into some kind of order she won't complain. She pulls the hat from her tote to keep the sun from of her tear-stung eyes, as they wander back along the beach.

They could be half way back to the hotel when he speaks again. "I chose to be Chief of Staff."

"J…"

He won't let her interrupt. "Honestly Donna, I thought about it. I persuaded Santos, and I knew it meant sticking beside him."

He pauses. This time she waits for him to complete his thought.

"It was an easy choice though, a rebound, Leo pushed me to step up… and… you'd gone. If you're asking me to choose again though it's still what I want. I want the White House, I want the hard work that comes with it.

He continues "It's the last choice I've found hard. Choosing to accept help, trusting people to do their jobs. I screamed at Otto." He looks for her response.

"I know."

"I need to apologise."

"Are you giving him a job?"

"Yeah, he's talented, but god he's young."

"That's what everyone thought about us…" she smiles "… well, me, and Sam. Otto will get over it Josh."

He's grinning at her. "The screaming or youth?"

She's glad he's joking again. "Both."

"I want to be Chief of Staff. I want to be good at it, I don't know how Leo did it, but I want to try."

"You don't have to be Leo, the White House isn't static, every administration is different, more than the sum of its parts. You can't do it all alone, which is why you get to surround yourself with good friends and colleagues. You're smart, charming, witty, handsome, sexy, and most importantly you're a good man Josh. Be someone your staff want to follow, want to stay late for, want to impress."

"I'm glad Sam said yes." His voice breaks "I'm going to need you all."

She grins. "Aw, Josh, how could he say no to all this hard work?"

"He looked like he was enjoying California!"

She looks back at the waves erasing their footprints. "Even the sand and ocean could only distract Sam for so long… he knows he has a job to do, we all do."

His reaches for her hips, gently pulling them to him. "I'm glad we're doing this together." He flashes her a brief, half smile. "I'm sorry it's not going to be easier."

"I don't need it to be easy, I need it to be with you Joshua."

His hand's at the back of her neck, capturing her falling hat as he draws her to his lips.


It's his first day back, he's still on Hawaii time, so the transition offices are already buzzing as he takes a moment to breathe before opening the door. It was hard getting out of bed into the cold winter air of transition Washington. He'd wrapped himself around Donna, hoping she'd forget their return to responsibility. Buried himself into the back of her neck, holding her to his hips, investigating her warm taut belly beneath the soft material of her pyjamas. Her soft moans encouraged him, until she'd cruelly removed his hand and left him alone in his large cold bed, reminding him they were already late. The coffee she handed him after he left the shower a small consolation, but she'd be his again this evening.

He's noticed as soon as he enters the outer office, one of the busy assistants, Cindy? "Your call sheet's on your desk Mr Lyman. Sam's still in there, he doesn't have his own office yet, but he said you'd need him for most of today anyway."

"Thank you…"

"… Josh, I need five minutes." It's Lou, she sounds impatient, of course that's her default tone.

"Right now? Or do I have a moment for Sam to bring me back to speed?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'll be in my office."

"Thanks…"

It's Ronna at his side, "The President-elect's in a meeting, he asked me to put you on his schedule though, half past ten?"

"Thanks Ronna."

"Is Donna with you?" She's looking over his shoulder.

He smiles, "No, she has a meeting with Mrs Santos at Blair House, she'll be in later."

"We've missed you both." Ronna smiles a little longer than necessary, and heads off back to her job before he can say anything.

Josh leans in the doorframe to his office, watching Sam at work. He knocks politely.

"Josh! How do you feel about Tribbey for Interior? Or maybe Wallingford?"

"Tribbey! Wallingford should be on the short list though, did he lose his house seat, he'll be a good back-up." Josh pauses as Sam looks back down at the papers on his desk. "No, 'Welcome home Josh'? No warm embrace?"

Sam looks surprised "You started it, and at least I'm not greeting you with a stack of briefing documents and a harried look. Ok, so there is a pile of briefing documents waiting for you, but at least you have a security pass and desk already, well, ok, I'm using your desk right now, but I should have a new office tomorrow. You look good, refreshed! How's Donna?"

Josh needs to learn to control his dimples. He's a hard nosed political operative, he can't break into dimples every time her name's mentioned.

"That good huh!? You could have told me you were taking her?"

"Sorry, I thought Lou was handling the press? Donna said she didn't have anything she couldn't hand over?" Josh drops his bags and sinks into a chair.

"I mean you could have told me, you know, about" Sam whispers, loudly "the two of you?"

"Hey, you were so keen to get behind my desk and put me on a plane it's a miracle I had a chance to ask her."

"Well, there's not much room around here, people will do much worse than chase their boss from the building to get a desk. And?"

Josh grins "I'm good."

"Donna?"

"We're good."

"You talked?"

"Yes Sam."

Sam tries a deep voice "And, what are your intentions?"

Josh grimaces, smiles, "You aren't her father Sam."

"You'll need a better answer when the President asks."

Josh groans. "Luckily I'll be too busy catching up today for visits to The Oval."

"Your seeing him this evening Josh, Mrs Bartlett's hosting a Christmas party for the staff, and she's invited quite a lot of the Transition team, the President-elect, Mrs Santos, they'll all be there."

Josh groans again, "I should have been more suspicious when Donna made me bring my tux."

"Don't complain, you finally get to whisk the woman you love around the dance floor without feeling guilty because you can't work up the courage to tell her. You have told her haven't you?"

"Sam, can we please pretend this isn't 6th grade for five minutes?"

"I'm just pleased for you Josh. And I can't believe she waited this long for you to make your move."

"Sam!" he's looking embarrassed.

"Oh Josh, you let her make the first move? Well, I guess she always was the organised one."

"Hey, I kissed her… accidentally… I'm still her boss, was, Helen Santos hired her as Chief of Staff."

"Accidentally? Accidentally?"

"Fortuitously! Can we drop this please Sam?"

"Okay. I'm just saying, it's a good thing you get to dance with the woman you love this evening."

"Thank you! Thank you, for coming, rescuing me. You don't know how relieved I am you'll be a part of this. I'm sorry for dragging you two and a half thousand miles from your fiancée, but boy am I glad you're here. You are staying aren't you?"

"Yes Josh. You've got a good team here, I've managed to spend some time with the President-elect, he's a great guy, I'm glad I voted for him. It'll be a pleasure to work with him. Thanks for coming to get me, again."

Josh squirms, feels slightly guilty for leaving Sam on his first week in the job. "How soon before your fiancée can join you?"

Sam's blushing "Um, she's here. She's coming this evening, she can't wait to see you."

"Does she have interviews set up while she's in town? I can call around for her if you like."

"She's got a job."

"She's staying in California?"

"No, I mean she has a job here. I may have understated it a little when I said she wasn't totally opposed to the idea of coming back to Washington. She started looking for jobs before you came for me."

"You knew I'd come?"

"A part of me hoped you'd ask. We hoped you'd want us both."

"Both?"

"I told you Josh, she's has a job, she's your lawyer. The President-Elect hired her last week."

"Ainsley? You're dating Anisley Hayes? She's a republican Sam!"

"I'm not dating Ainsley, I'm engaged to her Josh. And she's your lawyer even though she's still a Republican."

"Ainsley?"

"Yes, she's been living in California for a while, we met again just over a year ago, and well… you know." Sam pauses, "She's only just started working at the Hoover Institute out there, but when you won, well, she was out here on business, she said she spoke to CJ at Leo's funeral. She asked about the job Josh."

"I remember." Josh shakes his head. "I missed a lot while I was campaigning. I'm sorry, I should have stayed in touch better. It felt like I lost everyone. You to California, CJ & Toby barely spoke to me after I left, and Leo."

"I'm sorry Josh, I know how close you were. You didn't lose me though, I was just, well, on the other side of the country. And CJ's still here, she cooked me dinner, and if I'm not mistaken you still talk to Toby, he rang your blackberry, he tried to pretend it was a wrong number, but I'm sure it was him."

"Yeah, we talk. He's pretty angry still."

"It was hard for him Josh, he's always been an idealist. Of course he was going to leak information to save lives."

"It was his brother's information. He didn't pass any privileged knowledge from the White House."

"I know Josh, he did the wrong thing, but with the right intentions."

"So, what did I miss?"

"Haven't you been glued to C-span?"

His dimples are back. "No."

"We may have Baker for VP, Vinick for Secretary of State."

"Vinick? He's a republican Sam." Josh slumps back in his chair. "You went all bipartisan while I was otherwise engaged."

"He's a good man Josh, and the President-elect trusts him on foreign affairs. Their positions were very similar throughout the election."

Josh sighs, the rabid right wing Republicans were always much easier to cope with than the reasonable kind. "Ok, hand over those briefings, I need to check nobody decided to paint the White House Republican red while I was away."