A/N:

S03E17

Donna Moss listened to her boss with a long-suffering expression as he tried to explain why he wanted her assistance to respond to the comment on lemonlymon dot com.

When he finally said, "Sit down," to get her to start typing, she finally put her put down.

"Are you trying to make me fail my class?" she asked him with an almost resigned tone.

Looking confused he said, "Huh?"

She smirked at him. "Josh? You're a world class political mind, a bit elitist, but overall – a good man. But you have absolutely no understanding of," she motioned toward the computer which had the site up, "the kind of crazy that it takes to post on a site like this. Now. Through the work that you and Ainsley have done, Georgetown has been generous in allowing me to receive credit for many of the things that I do around here already. But if any Professor knew that I allowed you to post to that platform, they might change their mind." She became a bit more serious. "And I really want to get my degree without having to attend classes to learn things that I already learned listening to and working for you."

He tried to protest. "But Donna. These are the people. What can be wrong with helping them to explain what I meant and making sure they understand the true working of government?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stay right here." She turned around walked out, her irritated (and still confused) superior watching as she did so. In the interest of finding more people he could help, he sat down to attempt to find more of his fans that he could respond to.

About ten minutes later he was interrupted. "Okay," he heard Donna's voice. Josh looked over and saw Donna at his door with CJ and Sam standing behind her. She turned to CJ. "Do me a favor and explain to Josh exactly why I should ignore his request that I help him respond to what he is looking at right now." She turned back and said to Josh, "And I would have gotten Toby too, but he's been put on fixing something for CJ – I had to approve his choice of ties for some reason – and I think he would start plotting if that was interrupted for … this." She turned, motioned the two inside, and then closed the door behind them.

She returned to what she had actually been working on and ignored the raised voices behind the closed door. When a passing clerk looked over she waved them off, "Just a minor educational session, nothing to see." She was attempting to hide a grin as she said it, which convinced the woman that she didn't want to know.

A couple of minutes later the door opened and CJ walked out with a viciously satisfied smirk followed by Sam, whose expressions said, "I really wish I hadn't been there for that." As Sam walked back to his area, he paused at her desk. "You sicced CJ on him?"

Donna gave a single nod. "Yep."

"Isn't that kind of like using a Howitzer to kill a fly?" Sam asked.

As Sam was talking, Josh walked out of his office, his face a mixture of contrition and annoyance. "Well, I wouldn't call it a Howitzer for a fly." She looked past Sam to Josh, which caused Sam to notice that Josh had followed them out and then Donna finished her reply to Sam. "It's more like a flu vaccination: Yes, it might not be necessary, but better safe than sorry, right?"

Sam glanced at Josh and decided that he really didn't want to be involved anymore. "Well. Okay then. Back to my own Crisis of Communication." Sam deliberately turned and marched back to his own area.

"He's really been catching it on the Ritchie comment, hasn't he?" she asked Josh conversationally.

Josh paused and considered that. "Yeah. Which is really funny because he wasn't even there."

She shrugged at him and then asked, "All sorted out on the lemonlyman dot com?" she asked with an arch tone.

Josh sighed. He wanted to be upset, but CJ had been almost pleasant compared to what she would have been if he had actually been allowed to post. CJ was very clear on how much trouble Donna had just saved him, and Sam had backed her up. "Well, a deeper study of some of the users has led me to believe that they care less about understanding and more about just getting attention."

She gave him a small satisfied, smile. "CJ got through to you."

Josh nodded. "Yes."

"Good." She looked at him and stood up. "And just to prove I'm still on your side, let's take a break and go buy some good coffee. I'll pay for yours."

Josh looked at her and said, "You could just bring me some back."

She chuckled as she gathered her purse. "I'm not that sorry for bringing in Sam and CJ on that."

He smirked at her and the two went off. It was a busy week and they would be working late.

Donna had stopped in Communications to drop off a response on some research Toby had asked for when she saw an unexpected person. "Ainsley?"

Ainsley paused in her implacable walk, "Hello, Donna."

" I thought you were on vacation," Donna commented in a friendly manner.

"I was. Until I was called back urgently by Bonnie at Sam's behest." Donna saw that Ainsley was quite annoyed.

She gave her friend and current college monitor a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry to hear about that." She paused at Ainsley's very annoyed look. "Remember the night of the First Lady's party?" Ainsley nodded. "I think she had a name for people who truly annoy members of the sisterhood. You remember what that was?"

Ainsley actually let her annoyance drop as she concentrated. Her face then went incredulous. "No."

Donna shrugged and smirked in reply. "He should be reminded how not to treat the sisterhood."

Ainsley actually smirked in response. "I'll make sure to explain it to him."

Donna grinned. "You do that. Good luck."

Ainsley gathered herself and went to Sam's door.

Sam Seaborn was at his desk when someone knocked on his door. "Come in," he called. Glancing up, he saw that it was Ainsley Hayes. She looked at him with a very annoyed look though it sowed some amusement.

"I'm channeling the First Lady at her most annoyed with her husband when I say this: What the hell, Jackass?"

Sam was torn between complete astonishment and a terrible amusement.

Donna, on yet another annoying errand required by her annoying boss, walked through the White House toward the front door. She had to go to the OEOB. This was the penalty she was paying for siccing CJ on her boss.

She could live with it. Her diligence had paid off. CJ had one of her staff create an anonymous user to say what Josh had wanted to say. It was worded, "I believe that what Josh was saying was ….:" The tremendously insane number of neurotic responses to the comment demonstrated quite handily exactly why wading into that morass would have been quite stupid.

But Josh was still pouting about it. So Donna was performing grunt work that she would normally have staffed out to others because Josh insisted that only she knew exactly what was needed and so she had to go get it herself.

She mused that Josh would have to be made to pay. But that was for the future when he wasn't expecting it.

Toby appeared from a side hall, also moving toward the exit. "Hello, Donna," he said in his half gruff tone that he used when he was being friendly but didn't want people to realize it.

"Hello, Toby. I haven't seen you much around. What's going on?" she asked him casually.

He sighed. "I'm going sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?"

Toby explained what was happening with the US Poet Laureate. Donna was quite interested in hearing about it. Finally Donna asked a question. "Do you remember the filibuster? Senator Stackhouse's filibuster in the Senate?"

Toby nodded. "That was quite a night."

"Right. But you remember what it was all about," Donna replied.

"Yes."

Donna nodded in acknowledgement of his answer. "Josh made the same mistake you're making now: You're fighting the fight without really getting at why she thinks it's worth fighting for. Is she the kind of person who gets into causes? Is she really an activist type of personality?"

Toby actually was struck into stillness. "She has no history of activism."

Donna gave a satisfied look at that. "So maybe instead of concentrating on what she is so focused on, you should figure out why she is so focused."

She recognized the look on Toby's face: When he realized he had stopped seeing the forest because he was trying to find it through the trees. It usually was followed by him finally resolving his trouble. So that was okay. Toby finally stopped looking off and turned his head toward Donna. "Thanks."

She gave him her happy smile. "You're welcome. Have a good time."

"I will." Donna turned and moved toward the OEOB. Tony watched her walk away. And then with renewed resolve, he went out to spend time with the beautiful poet.

Toby watched as Tabitha stopped to make marks on a piece of paper. "What are you doing?" he asked casually.

"Crossing off the FDR Memorial, the Atrium, and the Folger Library," she answered. "I like crossing off lists. It's very satisfying." Her voice showed it. She put her papers away as she asked, "You like making lists?"

"Yes."

"You like crossing things off?"

Toby was amused. "I'll let you know if that happens."

Tabitha asked, "Hey. How'd you know what hotel I was at?"

Toby said, "We have you watched when you're in DC."

Tabitha looked over to see if he was serious. "Are you serious?" she asked.

"No."

She replied, "Good."

Even as she was relaxing he said, "We always have you watched." His tone made it hard to see if he was joking – which he was. She glanced over to see the small smile. She finally got it. "So. You know what I think might be fun?"

Tabitha's annoyance came through for just a moment. "If I came to the White House dinner and shut the hell up?"

"That's not what I was going to say," he said with a light tone.

She asked him in the same tone, "What were you going to say?"

He said, in still the same tone, "If you came to the White House dinner, wore a beautiful dress, and shut the hell up." He looked over as she chuckled a bit darkly.

He listened as she made her argument. He watched from the edge of his eyesight and mused that Donna's point was well made. She wanted to say something about this to the President. But it wasn't a platform. She really felt about this.

Instead of reinforcing what he was supposed to say he looked over to the side. "See that bench?" There was a bench under the shade of a tree. She nodded. "Let's go sit down for a minute."

Tabith Fortis considered that, but acquiesced. They walked over a sat down, looking around at all the other people enjoying the sunny day in the DC park. "I have a question for you," Toby started.

"Okay?" she replied.

"You seem to know a lot about this. From what I know, you don't have family who've run into landmines. Your father wasn't a Korean vet. But you've done your homework. Which means you feel strongly about this subject."

She considered that and said, "I do."

"Why?" he asked gently.

She tried to deflect. "I get a chance to talk to someone who maybe could do something about it. Reciting 64 couplets on the American experience would be treasonous."

He wasn't buying it. "But why is it so important? What happened?" His tone remained gentle.

It took some coaxing, but finally she talked about what she had seen in Korea, when the son of the fisherman who had taken her out had died by accidentally setting off a landmine disguised in some floating debris.

He gave her time to gather herself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. When it went through he said to the operator, "This is Toby Ziegler. Can you get me Charlie Young?" Tabitha watched him curiously. "Charlie. This is Toby." "Yeah, I know it's strange. I have a question. I've got the US Poet Laureate who could use a few minutes in private with the President." "No. Nothing political. She's wants to make a case. He might not be able to do anything for her. But it would be good for her if she could actually make her argument." "Because he's a good man and knows how to listen." "Okay." "Mr. President." "The dinner for the US Poet Laureate? She wanted to voice her opinion on landmines there." "Yes. I know. But I found out why it was important to her and I think it's the kind of thing you'd listen to." "I do." "Okay. I'll explain." "Let me ask."

He looked over at Tabitha. "What are you doing tonight?"

"I've got to meet some people to prepare for my reading at Georgetown tomorrow night."

"She's got a meeting to set up for her poetry reading tomorrow night at Georgetown's art department," Toby said into the phone. "Okay." He looked back at Tabitha. "When are you done?"

"8:30."

"8:30." "Okay. I'll set it up. Thank you, Mr. President." Toby hung up the phone. "Okay. When your meeting is done, I'll be taking you over in a car driven by the Secret Service to the White House – they'll have to make sure it's safe of course. You're going to have about half an hour in the Oval to give your story. And then you're going to come to the dinner in a nice dress and shut the hell up." He said the last with a gentle smile.

She looked at him in shock. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're a good person who's seen a horrible thing; and President Bartlet is a good man, who cares about people," Toby replied very matter-of-factly.

She still was in shock. "What did he ask you?"

Toby replied, "He asked me if I thought that it was important for you to be able to explain. I told him that I did think it was important. And so he's going to listen. If you showed up to a State dinner in your honor, and talked about it, people would ignore the issue and just talk about the break in protocol. No one would care about the actual issue. But this way, you get to make your case, the dinner happens, and you get to recite your 64 couplets on the American Experience."

Tabitha looked at Toby for a long moment and then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He stood up and she followed. "What's on your list? Let's see what I might be able to join you for. I got a bit of time right now."

When Toby got back to the White House about 5:00, he got the message that he was to see the President via Leo. He went there immediately.

Leo looked at him as he was sent into the Chief of Staff's office. "What the hell, Toby?"

"I know. But honestly? I thought it was the best way to handle this."

Leo looked disgusted. "We're concentrating on Energy policy, we've got the Republicans in Congress making noise about we're being mean to their guy, and you want to distract him with this?"

Toby shrugged. "Let me explain."

"Oh, you're going to explain. But we're doing it in the Oval because I'd rather go through this as few times as possible." Leo stood up.

"Okay then."

"Margaret!" Leo bellowed.

Immediately she appeared at the door. "CJ is on her way. She'll be in the Oval in a minute."

"Okay then." Leo looked at Toby. "Come on."

Toby followed Leo to the door. He tapped on it, and then walked into the Oval.

Even as they entered from the Chief of Staff's door, CJ came in from the main entrance. The President looked at them all and said, "Okay. What's all this about?"

CJ gave her version and what she had sent Toby to do. CJ then turned to Toby and said, "I thought you were going to fix this."

Toby sighed. "Would you listen for a minute?"

The President interrupted. "Go ahead, Toby."

Toby sighed and said, "I was on my way out to meet, for the second time, the US Poet Laureate. I met with her yesterday to convince her to come to the party and not get into her issue. Her immediate reaction was, okay so I can't come to the party." That surprised the others.

CJ said, "You didn't tell me that."

"Because I was going to handle it. But as I'm walking out I run into Donna who is on her way to the OEOB. We got to talking and I explained what I was doing. She said something to me."

Leo was curious. "What did she say?"

Toby looked at Leo and said, "She reminded me of the Stackhouse filibuster. She said I was making the same mistake that Josh made. He was concentrating so much on the fight that we never took the time to find out why Stackhouse was fighting." Toby stopped and then started pacing. "I couldn't believe it. I've been in politics for years. I know that you've got to understand the motivation of the other person you're talking to. And I realized that she was right: CJ and I were concentrating so much on trying to make things smooth and quiet that we were ignoring what she was trying to tell us." Toby stopped pacing. "And when she once again started trying to make her case, I stopped her and asked her why it was so important to her. And she told me."

The President was quite interested. "And why is it so important to her?"

Toby sighed. "She was in Korea, out on a boat. She was with a fisherman and his son and they hooked some flotsam. And the son goes to dislodge it from their fishing gear and a landmine hidden in the debris blows up and kills him. Right in front of her and this kid's father. There was nothing that could be done for this kid or his father right then. So she actually makes an effort to go learn about it. Sure. Her experience is what did it. But now she really needs to tell someone and she's picked you."

The President looked at him, as did Leo and CJ. "And you think it's a good idea for me to be the one to listen to her?"

Toby shrugged. "She's the US Poet Laureate. And she's been through a trauma. The poet laureate is supposed to concentrate on increasing the reading and writing of poetry. But this one's hurting so much she's having a problem concentrating on that one thing. She needs to talk to someone. She doesn't need to talk to the Commander-in-Chief. She needs to talk to the man who listens to his daughters and makes the monsters go away. You're a good man. A good father. I think that you're the type of man who would be willing to spend half an hour just to decrease the hurt in the world and provide a little comfort."

CJ actually had to fight back tears at that. Leo and the President looked at each other. "Okay then." The President, who had been leaning against his desk listening, stood up. "You know there might be nothing I can do to change things."

"I know that," Toby answered. "She knows that. But at least when you listen, the person talking to you knows you're listening."

"Then I look forward to meeting her."

"Thank you, Mr. President." Toby and CJ left through the main door. Leo and the President watched them.

Leo commented, "This poet seems to have lit a fire in Toby."

The President grinned a bit. "I noticed." He paused and said, "Don't you find it strange that it's Donna Moss again who's knocking my senior staff in the head to get them to stop and actually think rather than running into the same wall repeatedly?"

Leo's smirk widened. "No. She's a pretty smart and observant woman. If God forbid Margaret ever gets fed up with me and runs off, I'm gonna steal her from Josh to help keep this place from falling down around our ears."

The President laughed. "Wouldn't that put a burr in Josh's jockey shorts."

"You know it," Leo laughed back. Finally he said, "Thank you, Mr. President," and withdrew.