This is the first chapter with them back from vacation. This is set two days after they land and neither is back at work yet. They were summand for dinner by the President and First lady, joined by Helen and Matt Santos.
This reads as more of a family/friends gathering rather than having dinner with the President. As you read on you will see they talk feely because lets face it, it would be boring if they were all formal.
Enjoy and thanks for reading.
They walked onto the residence hand in hand a little quicker than normal, as they were late.
"I still don't know about this dress." She ran her free hand over it as she looked down for creases.
"I've told you, you look beautiful baby, don't worry."
"I could were a potato sack and you'd say that." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I should have put my hair up."
Josh rolled his eyes. "Your hair's fine." He stopped and pulled her back. "Okay, listen to me. The President and First Lady have known you for a very long time Donnatella, The President Elect, and First lady to be, have seen you at four in the morning looking like hell, so just relax." He pulled her into the dining room but she pulled him back just as they entered the door.
"What do you mean looking like hell, Joshua?" She pulled her hand away and glared at him, he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and counted to 10 as he looks up at the ceiling.
"I swear if you don't stop this madness I'm taking you home, you look beautiful at 2, 4, and 6 in the morning."
She smiled at him. "What about 1, 3, and 5?"
He looks back up at the ceiling. "Dear lord help me with this crazy woman." Donna elbows him in the stomach.
"Shit baby, that hurt." He followed her shocked eyes to see both couples sitting at the dinner table smirking and smiling at them. "Oh hi...sorry were late...it was Donna she wouldn't let me get dressed."
She gasped at him in mortification and slapped his head. "JOSHUA." He gave her an apologetic look.
"Sorry, it just slipped out and it's not like it isn't true." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the table.
They all stood up, Abby was the first to greet them, she kissed Josh and cupped his face. "Look at you Joshua all brown and looking so handsome."
Josh smiled and kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful as always Dr. B."
"Josh" He stepped away from Abbey after the President said his name in a mock warning tone.
"Sorry, Sir."
Abbey waved her Husband away. "Shut up, jackass." She looked past Josh to Donna and gave her a big smile "Donna, I see your trip did you some good as well?"
"Yes Ma'am, Josh spoiled me, it was wonderful." Abbey kissed her cheek while Josh shook the Presidents hand.
"I do apologise for being late Sir, it was my fault."
"You were always late Josh; I would have been surprised if you were on time."
"And the mocking begins." He smiled and moved around the table to Helen his kissed her cheek. "Good to see you Ma'am, you look beautiful as well."
She gave him a smile for the first time in a long time. "Thank you Josh, and please don't call me Ma'am it makes me feel a hundred years old."
He winks at her. "Duly noted, Helen." He shakes Matt's hand. "How have you been, Sir?"
"Not as well as you by the looks of it, Josh. I've seen you smile more in the last few minutes than since I've known you." Josh smiles and glances at Donna who greats Helen after she kissed The President hello.
Josh moves out the way for Donna to say hello to The President Elect. "I have a feeling you're to thank for his mood Donna?"
She blushes and takes Josh's hand. "Maybe a little, Sir."
Josh laughs. "Yeah, only a little." He pulls a chair out for Donna after kissing her cheek, everyone sits down.
"We've already ordered for you guys, Josh you're getting a green salad for starters and white fresh fish for mains." Abbey give him a stern look daring him to argue, but being Josh he had too.
"But Abbeyyy..."
"Shut up jackass." He huffed and snatched his napkin off the table. She turned to Donna. "Donna honey, we've ordered you mushrooms in a creamy dressing and a pasta bake with roast potatoes."
"Thank you Ma'am, that sounds wonderful." Donna sticks her tongue out at Josh who looks miserable.
"It's bad enough I have a control officer at home." He grumbles under his breath.
Donna turns to him and narrows her eyes. "What was that, honey?" His eyes open comically wide as he did not realise he said it aloud.
"Err..." He looks around for help when he realises they were smirking at him, he turns back to Donna.
"Now Baby, don't take any notice of me I'm an idiot."
She turns back and sips her wine; she places it back on the table making him wait. "Do you think we've just met Joshua, I know you're an idiot."
Everyone laughs as her comment while Josh smirks at her. "Hey you chose me remember?"
"I didn't exactly choose you Josh; I was powerless to your charms." Even thought she said it in a sarcastic tone she sent a massage with her eyes.
He smiled and shrugged "I am charming."
She chuckled along with everyone else but she looked down at the table "Yes you are."
He smiled and straightened in his chair. "I knew I was, 9 years I've been waiting for her to say that."
Abbey squeezed his hand. "I've always thought you were charming Joshua, a jackass but charming all the same."
"I'm not sure if I should be insulted or flattered Abby?"
She smiled at him and winked. "Probably both."
"I've missed you Dr B, no-one insults me with the same kindness as you do." He kissed her cheek as she chuckled.
"I've missed you too, I can still hear your voice bellowing through the West Wing, no-one can clear a room like you Josh, that Cliff guy I'm not sure about him."
Josh glances at Donna then back to Abbey. "Okay I mean this with all due respect...but he's an idiot." Donna slaps him on the back of the head; he chuckles as he rubs his head. "If he does anything, it doesn't matter how small Abbey you tell me...I need a reason to smack him."
The President laughs. "I have a feeling it's got nothing to do with the fact that he's a Republican Josh?"
"For me that's a good enough reason, I just need another excuse Sir. So if he happens to step out of line I'm more than happy to come back for a day, you can give me any job you like, I'll slap that smug look off his face free of charge."
"Idiot." Josh looks to Donna as she shakes her head.
"Sorry did you say something?"
"Yes, I called you an idiot."
"Look, I said I didn't hate him that's the best I can do, Donnatella." She rolls her eyes and takes a drink of wine. "He's in my office, I had a look the other week Donna, he's moved my desk and put plants on my windowsill...stupid plants with flowers and...and he's changed my computer desk." She sighs at his rambling. "My little fridge has gone and he's got a horrible carpet in there now and blinds hanging and there sort of pink, what kind of deputy Chief of Staff has Pink blinds and flowers? It looks weird and wrong, he's also had the walls painted, there was nothing wrong with my walls, but no he had them painted because he's a idiot." He huffed taking a drink while they laughed at him; he put his drink down ignoring their laughter as he huffed. "I loved my office and he's gone a ruined it with his nik naks and girly stuff...it's just wrong." Donna smiled as he dropped his head pouting. "He's got my bullpen, I miss my bull pen. I could shout at people to get to work, and if they didn't I could fire them. I mean I didn't but I could've. I bet he's sucked all the life out of my part of the building. My office is allergic to Republicans...I bet all his plants die...Damn I should've killed his plants while I was there." He finally turned to Donna who had an amused look on her face. "Baby, how do you kill a plant?" She shook her head in amazement as the others laughed at him. "What?"
"Joshua, do you think it's healthy that you have an obsession with your old office?" Donna asked as she glanced at Helen who looked like she was going to fall off her chair with laughter.
"It's not unhealthy, I spent 18 hours a day in that office, sometimes more for 7 years and he comes along and puts flowers in there."
She laid her hand on his cheek and gave him a loving smile. "Honey, its four walls."
He shakes his head. "No, I had many epiphanies in that office."
"Yes you did, but you also had a few travesties as well. You sat down with no chair falling on your butt. Plaster from the ceiling nearly smacked you on the head. You stubbed your toe about a thousand times. You jammed your finger in your desk almost breaking it. You forgot your door was closed a few times and gave yourself a concussion. You stapled your tie to the desk almost chocking yourself. Blow up three computers almost setting the place on fire and remember that time you walked into senior staff our first year after falling asleep at your desk with a posted note stuck to your face?"
He growled at her "That was your fault; you're the one that put it there the night before."
She gave him an innocent look but he wasn't buying it. "I did?"
"You know you did, I remember what it said too 'Joshua bring me breakfast in the morning I want pancakes.' Leo looked at me like a was nuts." She laughed along with everyone else.
"Did you get her the pancakes Josh?" Helen said as she smiled at him.
"I don't remember." He mumbled
"Yes you do, he got me coffee too."
He shuffled in his seat. "Only because I was going out anyway and I was hoping she might bring me coffee every now and then. Didn't work though, the only food or drink Donna has ever bought me was a pork sandwich and I'm Jewish."
They all laughed their asses off as he sulked; She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and kisses his cheek. "I got you coffee twice."
"Yeah but I was about to get fired the first time and it was stone cold the second time."
"I was trying to be nice the first time and you were hung over the second time."
"I still don't remember those strippers"
Helen laughed as she said. "Excuse me?"
"He was at a party, his friend was getting married...Josh has a..."
Josh interrupted her. "Would you please stop telling people that, it's embarrassing, Donna."
Helen raised her eyebrow at Donna, she was about to say something when The President butted in. "Josh has a sensitive system." Josh throws his arms up in humiliation as they laugh at him.
"Thank you Sir."
"It's hardly a secrete Josh. Don't you think everyone noticed that you couldn't have more than three beers before you either fell asleep on Donnas shoulder or fell over something and it was usually on Air Force One. We all knew when you had a drink because we could hear you snoring all the way to the back of the plane."
Josh shook his head. "That is so untrue, Sir." He turned to Donna. "Donna?"
She coughed to cover her laughter. "I'm sorry My Love, but The President's right...but you were cute."
"And quiet, well apart from the snoring." The President smiled at him fondly.
"Oh I see, you just invited me to poke fun at my expense. I didn't have to come here you know I get this abuse at home and I don't have to wear a tie." They all laugh at him Donna laid her head on his shoulder smiling at him with love. "You're supposed to stick up for me, I'm sure I've heard somewhere that's part of the relationship deal."
She laughs, "You are so cute."
"Well yeah." He kisses her forehead. "Just not as cute as Joe Quincy."
She gave him a confused look then it hit her. "Dear lord Josh, that was years ago."
"When the women you're in love with tell you you're not as handsome as some Republican lawyer you remember, Donna."
"Joe Quincy, please he's nothing compared to you sweetness." She gives him a mocking smile he rolls his eyes at her.
"Bite me baby and I've always been cute my Mum said so."
"She wasn't lying, now we just have to get the whole of America to see it."
"Why, I don't care as long as you think I'm cute I'm fine." He takes her hand kissing her palm.
"Ah young love." Matt smiles at them.
"Hardly young, Sir."
"Okay, new love."
"It's not that either." He looks to Donna with a confused expression. "We're weird Donna."
She chuckles. "I know."
"Oh well as long as you know. Seriously someone could write a book about us, it would be a million pages long and that's before we got together."
"God that's depressing, Joshua."
"No it's not. A young woman walks into a very messy office she brings it upon herself to pick up a phone that wasn't hers, read an appointment diary that wasn't hers and hire herself then walks in a handsome stranger. She throws herself at him overcome with love and devotion...Well that's the way I see it anyway."
She looks at him with amusement. "Threw myself at you?"
"Sure, like a moth to a flame...a nine year old moth." He shrugs and takes a drink while she just looks at him, everyone else laughs and smiles at them.
"Joshua..." She twisted her face in confusion. "You know, I have no idea what to say to that." He chuckles at her face.
"I'm going to write about it when I retire, 'Joshua Lyman the love doctor' we'll be rich," She laughs laying her head on his arm.
"Oh Josh, my dear sweet, Josh." She grips his hand. "Love Doctor?...Joshua it took 9 years you'll make one bad Doctor."
"Results are all that matter baby, it doesn't matter how long it took. We have history that is unique and special. It'll sell and I can buy the Mets while you buy all the shoe's you want."
She thinks about it and shrugs. "Okay, but I think you should make it so you throw yourself at me...it's more believable."
He gives her an insulted look. "What the hell do you mean by that?"
"We'll its true, you hired a stranger off the street Josh, if that doesn't make you the Moth I don't know what does. If I had been a middle aged, short man would you have hired me?"
He shrugs "If he brought me coffee sure."
She turned a little to him. "Name the reason you hired me and if you lie I'll punish you with fruit."
He fiddles with his napkin "Well you were nice."
"Two months."
He huffs "Okay you were needy."
"Three months"
He sighs, "I liked you and your babbling."
"Five months."
"What happened to four?"
"I don't babble Joshua...so five months try again."
He shrugged "I like nutty people"
"Six months one more and it goes to a year."
He picks some invisible lint of his jacket. "Alright...you were drop dead beautiful and I wanted you all to myself."
She rolled her eyes. "A year."
"I didn't lie, Donna, you were...Oh shit ARE beautiful and I wanted you...as my assistant you understand...and anyway you were like 19 years old it would have been barely legal."
"I was 24 nimrod and you hired me because I could shut you up and challenge that big head of yours."
"I don't have a big head and you looked 19 you were all...perky." He mouth fell open in shock; he shook his head and chuckled. "Not that kind of perky Donnatella get your mind out the gutter." He looked up and grinned. "But now that I think about it." She smacked his head as he grinned at her. "Relax buttercup, you were right you intrigued me and you had an answer for everything...but also you were cute as a button...in a looking like a 19 year old way...and you were hot...but I would have hired the short middle aged man."
She shakes her head laughing, "You are such a liar."
He smiles at her. "We'll never know now, I'm stuck with you and you're no middle aged short man...thank heavens" He shudders and scrunches his face up. "I feel ill."
The waiters came in with their starters as they laughed and quickly left, Josh looked from his green salad to Donnas' mushrooms, he was just about to open his mouth.
"No" She snapped.
"What?"
"Eat your salad."
He lifts the lettuce with his fork. "It's not a salad Donnatella, It's a plate of lettuce."
She sent him a look. "Its Presidential lettuce Joshua...now eat the salad or you will be sleeping on the couch tonight." She gave everyone an apologetic look, but they just smile at her.
He stabs at the lettuce. "I would be closer to the fridge." He shoves some in his mouth but looks up at everyone smirking at him. The President is laughing his ass off in his napkin.
"What?"
The President moves his napkin away and laughs shaking his head. "Joshua, you're one of a kind."
Josh smiles at him. "Thank you, Sir."
"Oh son, I didn't say it was a good thing, Donna is going to make you pay."
"She already has, I don't have any beer in our fridge, and my entire take out menus seem to have disappeared."
Abbey smiles at Donna. "Good girl."
"I had to do something ma'am, I could try and control what he eats at work but at home I was powerless."
"So, how's the living together going?" Helen asked as she smiled at Josh trying to steal a mushroom from Donna's plate.
"We've done it before so it's nothing new." Donna answered.
"You have?"
Donna glanced at Josh and smiled; she put a mushroom on her fork and handed it to him. "Yes Ma'am...sorry Helen, I moved in with him when he was recovering from the...shooting."
He swallowed his mushroom. "But this time its Donna's house too." He turned to her "Can I tell them?" She nods and takes some of his salad. "We've bought the house..."
She interrupts him. "No, he bought the house and put my name on the deed."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, the house is paid for; Donna is now the owner or part owner anyway, that way I can keep her." He chuckled to himself as he stole another Mushroom.
"Keep me?"
He shrugs. "Sure, if we had a basement I'd lock you in there and I'd only let you out on the 4th of July."
She chuckled "So kind."
"I know I'm all heart, Anyway I decided to was about time I stopped being a moron and just...keep her."
Abbey and Helen exchanged a look with Donna who shrugged. "He's always been a pig; I've come to terms with it."
He gave her a confused look. "How I'm a pig?"
"Joshua, you don't tell a woman you're going to keep her, were not property."
He wipes his mouth and turns in his seat getting ready to make his point. "Okay, this is Donna logic I'm good at making sense of it, I've had years of practice. Donna do you love me?"
"Yes"
"Good, now are you staying with me forever?"
"Yes"
"Okay, are we going to get married in the future?"
"Yes"
"So you'll be my wife?"
"Yes"
"And the mother of my 20 kids?"
She stutters "Y...yes but not 20."
"Whatever, so you'll be with me till the day I die?"
"Yes"
He turns back and steals her plate putting his salad in front of her. "So in all that is holy please explain to me and everyone else, how through your own free will, that's not keeping you?" He eats her mushrooms while he waits. She looks at Helen and Abbey all three think about it while with their husband's smirk at them. "I'm waiting, Donnatella."
She huffs and gives in. "Shut up and eat your mushrooms, Joshua."
He chuckles as he clears the plate by popping the last mushroom on his fork, he wipes his mouth and watches her beat the crap out of the salad.
"Miss Moss?" She turns her head to see him holding up the last mushroom, she smiles as he places it in her mouth.
"Thank you, Mr Lyman." He kisses her cheek. "I could have won that one you know I just let you win."
He laughs and takes a drink. "Of course you did dear."
"Idiot"
Matt and Helen just watch their banter back and forth with a smile.
Matt shakes his head. "Sam was right"
Josh look to Matt. "About what Sir?"
"He said you too were meant to be together I just didn't see it until tonight."
"I knew as soon as I heard them on the phone the other day." Helen said with a grin.
Donna choked in her wine. "Phone?"
Helen smirked at her and winked. "Matt and I were there for the whole conversation that you and Josh had with Sam."
Donna covered her face in mortification and shouted into her hands. "JOSHUA." She lifts her head and glared at him.
He leaned back at the look she was giving him and held up his hands. "What the hell Donna, I didn't know. I could hardly see them through the phone could I and Sam ever said they were there, I'm not a mind reader."
She slapped him and covered her face again. "Save me."
He sighed and turned to Helen and Matt. "Would it be at all possible for you too never mention that again or think about it?"
They looked to each other and back with a shrugged "Okay."
He rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it all, then pulled Donna's hands way. "Relax baby, all's well in Donna world."
"Don't mock me, Josh."
"You asked me to save you and I have." He turns to Abbey "Can I have anything but fish, Abbey?"
They laugh at his change of subject Donna looks very relieved and relaxes again. "Thank you, Pumpkin Patch."
They all laugh at Josh's red face. "I don't want that nick name getting around thank you very much."
"It's more of a term of endearment, Joshua."
"Yes by you, I don't need the staff calling me pumpkin Patch, they already think I'm nuts."
The President give Josh a look asking a silent question.
"I'm fine Sir, thank you."
Matt looks between the two. "Hu"?
Josh clears his throat as the dishes are taken away; he holds his hand up for Matt to hold on while the servers moved out of hearing range. When they were, Donna grabbed his hand on the table and smiled at him.
"Stanley is a therapist; he worked with me after the shooting. I rather lost it a little. Donna being the sweetheart she is noticed I was going off the rails and went to see Leo they arranged for Stanley to come and see me, I've been talking to him on and off over the years."
They came with the main course and left, everyone was silent waiting for Josh.
"Before Hawaii I was slipping again, so a called him and he came to see me yesterday at home. We talked about a few things and he made some recommendation for me to follow. He wants me to get a full physical." He glanced at Abbey who nodded as she ate and sent him a smile. "And is insisting that Donna watches me like a hawk for a while, we're going to do phone consults every week and if I miss one he's going to beat me to death or so he says."
"If he doesn't I will"
He smirks at Donna then turns back to Matt and Helen. "He wants me to go to the gym three times a week to stop me bellowing at people and work off my aggression and work no more than 13 hours a day."
"12." Donna informed him with a little glare.
"Sorry 12 and he making Donna pick up my heart medication; Donna is under strict instructions to kick my ass if I step out of line."
"And I will."
Abbey narrowed her eyes at him. "Why does Donna have to get your medication Joshua and don't lie to me or I'll call Millicent and have her here in five minutes and you in a hospital in ten?"
He scratches his brow looking down at his dinner. "I Err...well you see...The thing is...Abbey it not." he huffs.
"Joshua Noel Lyman, I was your Doctor while you worked in this building, I only handed you over to Dr Collins because you promised me you would take care of yourself and take your medication while campaigning...do I need to call him?"
Josh's head snapped up at her words. "No Ma'am."
"When did you see him last, the truth Josh?"
He mumbled
"What?"
"8...9..." He sighed again "A year ago."
She gave him a look that could kill; her voice was too controlled even for her. "A year...a whole year while campaigning for the Presidency...with your heart...the only time you went to see him was when I made the appointment and sent Charley with you, A whole friggin year...we're damn lucky you're sitting in that chair." She sighed running her hands through her hair.
"But Abbey, I did see a Doctor when I was in Texas."
"What did this Doctor Say?"
He lowered his head and mumbled again but everyone heard him anyway. "Shut up idiot" Donna chuckled as she ran her fingers through his hair as everyone laughed apart from Abbey.
"He said my blood pressure was….through the roof and he took some blood."
"And?"
He shrugged "That's it."
"No moron, what were the results on the blood tests?"
"Oh them" He shuffled in his seat "I didn't exactly call for the results."
She shook her head as if she was about to blow but took a deep breath. "You've been taking your medication right?"
"Well…."
"When did you stop taking your pills?"
He swallowed at the murderous look she was giving him; he looked to Donna for help.
"Sorry Josh, I'm with Dr Bartlett, we've had this fight already so I suggest you give her an answer."
He nods and gives Abbey an apologetic look, "I haven't been taking my pills for over six months."
Abbey slammed her fork down, Josh winces and looks down at his food.
"GET UP." She demanded.
"Abbey I..."
"GET UP NOW"
She jumps out of her chair. "MOVE" He gets up, she grabs his arm in a tight grip and pulls him away from the table.
"But..."
"Shut up I want his name and number first thing in the morning Joshua, OH SO HELP GOD I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF."
We have a couple of visitors coming in the next chapter and Josh has a little nutty. The dinner continues and Donna struggles with Josh's sensitive system. Lol.