A/N: Guys I did it! I finally finished this chapter! I know it's taken me a while, but here it is at long last. I've just been a lot busier than I expected since classes resumed. Thank you all for being so patient. Your consistent feedback is what's kept me going, and I'm so thankful to have such wonderful readers and reviewers.
Without further ado, here's Chapter Ten! All that's left is the epilogue :) But to my friend db - it's safe to read at this point! I promise!
Hope you all enjoy!
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While Josh may have supposedly forgiven me for my mishap, he also completely excluded me from any and all plans involving our shared goal for the next several weeks. As if I didn't feel bad enough already. And I knew there were plans, because I saw many of them executed before my own eyes. It would've stung if it wasn't all so damn touching.
Christmas was coming up, and I rapidly learned that this was one of Donna's favorite times of year. The Monday after Thanksgiving, she bustles into the office, humming The Christmas Song and decked in a Christmas sweater and accordingly themed jewelry. Over the course of the week, she decorates her desk with tinsel and other little holiday trinkets. She plays music. She goes on at length about shopping, and parties, and snow, and if there was any peppermint flavored coffee or pastry within a ten mile radius, she somehow got her hands on it.
Of course, Josh already knew all of this. And he certainly used it to his benefit.
In the second week of December, he strolls into our office unannounced. Donna looks up from the memo she's annotating with a candy cane striped pen and smiles. "Josh."
"Hey."
"What are you doing here?"
"Had a meeting down the hall, thought I'd stop by. Hey, Alan."
"Hey." I greet curtly. He could've at least told me he was coming.
"What's that behind your back?" Donna asks, observant as ever.
"What? Nothing."
"It's not nothing, or else you wouldn't be hiding it." She reaches over her desk to grab at his arm playfully. He willingly pulls it forward, holding in his hand a wrapped, rectangular package. She narrows her eyes. "What is it?"
"Fine." He relents. "It's your Christmas present."
Her eyes widen. "You got me a Christmas present?"
"Yeah. I mean, I just sort of had it laying around." He backtracks. "Thought you might want it."
"What is it?"
"You'll have to open it to find out." He hands it to her.
She stares at it in her hands as if slightly intimidated by it. "You didn't get me a present last year."
"Yeah, well, last year you hated me."
"I didn't hate you."
"Sure. But let's just say that if I'd shown up like this at your office, this time last year, I wouldn't have exactly received a warm welcome."
"Okay, maybe that's true."
"Andy would've chased me out the door with a broom."
She grins at the thought. "It's too early for presents, you know." She says, obviously doing all that she can to prolong the time before she must open said present.
"Maybe I'm doing a twelve days of Christmas sort of thing."
"Are you?"
"Well, no."
"Then it's too early."
"Well, there's a part two. Which I had to give to you today."
"There are two presents?"
"Okay, don't get too excited." He admonishes. "Part two can hardly be described as a present."
"Then what is it?"
"Will you just open the damn present?"
"What's part two?"
"I'll take it back and give it to someone who wants it, you know."
"Fine, fine." She grumbles, finally beginning to tear off the paper. She hesitates upon uncovering the back of a picture frame, perhaps afraid of what she'll find when she turns it over. Once she does, however, she begins to laugh uncontrollably.
"What is it?" I can't help but ask from my desk. Through her laughter, she turns the picture toward me so I can see it. It's her, in her underwear, holding on to Toby (the dog, not the person) in a bathtub. She looks outraged at whoever is taking the picture, presumably Josh.
"You kept this?" She finally manages, her laughter fading into occasional chuckles.
He smiles, pleased with his gift's reception. "Well, yeah. I kept the camera, if that's what you're asking."
She looks at him critically. "Oh really?"
"It had other... Stuff, on it. Important things."
"I'm pretty sure that camera was filled with pictures of you and me."
He shrugs. "Yeah, well." You know, important stuff, we're all left to conclude.
"Well, I like it. Thanks." She rises out of her chair and leans across her desk to kiss his cheek.
"I'm glad. It'll give Toby a reminder, that, you know, he's loved."
"Right. Of course." She allows. "Not that I'll be putting it any place that anyone can see it, but..."
"Why not? It's a great shot."
"I'm in my underwear." He merely grins at this, and she rolls her eyes. "Okay. Fine. What's part two?"
"Geez. Material culture these days. Can't even wait five minutes between presents."
"Josh."
"Okay, fine. It's more like an invitation."
"Ooh, to something swanky?"
"The President's movie marathon, actually."
She rests her chin on her hand. "Go on."
"For the next two weeks, he's showing what he believes to be the pinnacle of Christmas cinema."
"Ooh, Christmas movies? For two weeks? That sounds so fun!"
"For some of us, maybe." He mutters. "You weren't there when he was droning on about the historical significance of Miracle on 34th street."
"Oh, I love Miracle on 34th street!"
"I know you do."
"He and I actually talked about it once! We discussed having it preserved by the Library of Congress."
"He mentioned that."
She grins. "So you scored me an invite, huh?"
"It was very hard to do." He says somberly.
"I'm surprised, actually, I thought we were banned."
He grins shamelessly. "Oh, yeah, well. Maybe he's forgotten it."
She raises her eyebrows. "The words 'lifetime ban' were thrown around."
I stare at them curiously, trying to discern why they're both smiling and blushing slightly. "Why were you banned from the President's movie theater?"
They share a furtive grin. "There may have been... An incident." Donna starts.
"Donna couldn't keep her hands off me." Josh interrupts.
"Me?" She splutters. "Oh, so now it's my fault?"
"I'm just saying, if you could've stayed in your own seat-"
"I was in my own seat!"
"You were on top of me."
"I may have migrated slightly from the confines of my own seat, but that doesn't mean-"
"You were in my lap, Donna. We were blocking CJ's view. And CJ's not a short woman."
"It wasn't my fault, okay! I'm pretty sure you moved me, anyway!"
"I did not." He scoffs.
"You definitely had a hand in it, let's just say that." Her eyes widen and she blushes even more brightly upon realizing what she'd just said. "Okay, when I said that-"
"Oh, we all knew what you meant." He grins impishly.
"Besides, I really think that the movie was to blame."
"What movie was it?" He frowns, trying to recall.
She stares back at him, flustered. "Um... I don't remember."
"I don't either." A silence settles between them, and it rapidly becomes awkward as they both recall that night. He coughs. "But, uh, anyway. I think you'll be allowed in, as long as you stay in your own seat this time."
Her blush fades, and she looks up at him. "You're right. Maybe we should sit on opposite sides of the theater tonight, just to be safe."
"You think you'll have trouble resisting me?"
"Oh no, not me. Just worried for your sake."
"No need to be."
"Really?"
"Really. But you know there's only one way to see."
"What's that?"
"Sit with me. And I'll prove just how wrong you are."
"Oh ho. Is that a challenge?" She dares.
"Think you're up to it?"
"I think I'll manage."
"Just try and keep your eyes on the movie this time, Donnatella."
She rolls her eyes. "Shouldn't be too hard."
"So I'll see you tonight?"
"Yeah. You will."
"Alright. See ya, then."
"Bye. Thanks for the present."
"Oh yeah. Glad you liked it."
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The next morning, Donna is her usual cheery self, so I'm left to assume that she had a good time last night. I verify this, anyway. "So, you enjoyed the movie last night?"
She grins. "Oh yeah. I love White Christmas. Tonight is It's a Wonderful Life, another fantastic choice. You should see if you can come."
"Maybe. Did you manage to keep your hands off Josh?" I joke.
She grins at me triumphantly. "Oh, I was great. He, on the other hand, seemed to be having a harder time of it."
"Oh yeah?"
"I mean, he didn't try anything, but he certainly wasn't following the movie."
"His eyes were elsewhere?"
"You bet they were." She says smugly.
"So, a pretty good date, then?" I ask innocently.
"What?"
"You and Josh. Good date?"
She smiles slightly in confusion. "It wasn't a date, Alan."
"It wasn't?"
"No, of course not."
"Oh. My bad. I guess I misunderstood."
She sits down heavily, her eyes drifting out of focus. "It wasn't a date." She mutters again, mostly to herself. Her gaze snaps back to mine worriedly. "Was it?"
I shrug, concealing a grin. "I don't know. You just said it wasn't."
"But... Maybe he meant... Oh god. What if it was?"
"I don't know. Would it bother you if it was?"
"I... I don't know." She admits, faltering. "I mean, we broke up. There's a reason we broke up. He can't think... Can he?"
I attempt to follow her half formed question. "Maybe he's just sort of... Testing the waters."
She bites her lip. "Do you think he wants to get back together?"
"Would it be so bad if he did?"
She considers this. "Well..."
"I mean, the relationship wasn't all bad, right?"
She smiles, nostalgia softening her features. "No. No, it wasn't. Most of it was great."
"So then, what's the problem?"
She furrows her brow, focusing on her answer. She takes a while to speak, but when she does, it's deliberate. "You probably know this, but Josh isn't very good at taking no for an answer."
"Really? Never heard that before. Word on the Hill was that he was a total softie." I say sarcastically.
She gives me half a smile. "Well, it's not just in his job. He can be very persistent when he wants to, when he doesn't want to admit defeat. He was like that for a while after we broke up. It was really confusing, because I thought he'd wanted it. But then, he was back at it, telling me he loved me and that we should get back together."
"Maybe he realized what he really wanted." I defend.
"Maybe." She grants. "But after a while, I started to think that maybe it wasn't about me at all. It was about the fact that he'd put time and effort into a relationship, for the first time in a while, and it had failed. Breaking up was like admitting defeat to him, and that's the last thing he ever wants to do. So I figured, maybe it wasn't about me. It was just about winning."
"It was about you." I say desperately, even though I'd have no way of knowing this, as far as she knew.
"So I pulled back. I became closed off, like I was when you met me. I was friendly to him, I guess, but nothing more than that. I didn't want to encourage him, and I didn't want to fall for him again. It was self defense, really." She says, as if trying to sell me on the validity of her actions. "He seemed to get it. He backed off."
"And then what?"
"And then, well, here we are. We're back in this again, back the way we used to be, almost. But the strange thing is, it doesn't seem to be about winning. These past few weeks, or months... They don't seem like him not being able to take no for an answer. It feels like it's about me."
"Yeah."
"And... Like he just wants to be around me again. Which is nice, because I missed him."
"So you're saying that the fact that he isn't trying to push the relationship... Is why you'd consider being in one again?"
She nods almost imperceptibly. "I don't know yet. We'll see how it goes."
"That sounds like a solid plan."
She nods again, stronger this time. "All I can say is, if he's trying to win me back, he's certainly going about it the right way."
I can't help a smile. "I'll pass that on."
"What?"
"Sorry. Joking." I cover quickly. "So you think you'll go over there again tonight?"
"Yeah, I think I will. Even if it is kind of like a date. Just to... Test the waters." She parrots my phrase from earlier. "Besides, I do love Christmas movies."
And you love Josh. "Right. Who doesn't?"
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"Alan, I can't tell if we're dating." Donna announces with evident frustration, striding into the office and flinging her bag down.
"Really? Four dates in, and you're not sure?"
"No, I'm not!" She nearly shouts back. "I can't tell, Alan! I can't!"
"Okay, let's look at this rationally." I say in a soothing tone. "What's he done to make you think you're dating, and what's he done to make you think you're not?" This conversation would be so much easier if he'd only conferred with me.
"Well, he... He... Oh, this is so stupid!" She exclaims, collapsing into her chair. "I mean, he asks me to these movies, and maybe it's just because he knows I'd like them, but then maybe it's because... Because... Ugh."
"Go on." I prompt.
"And then, you know, we sit together. And we're all cute, and cozy, and we talk throughout the whole movie, which, of course, we've done since the beginning of time. But, usually, he at least complains a little about me ruining the movie. But he hasn't been doing that! And then, well, the way he looks at me."
"How does he look at you?"
"You know how!" She snaps. "Like he used to. Like he did when he was in love with me."
"Maybe he still is." I offer, as if it isn't obvious.
She waves a hand dismissively. "But he hasn't made a move, Alan. He hasn't kissed me, or, or anything like that." A slight blush tints her cheeks at her implication.
"Maybe he's trying to take it slow this time."
"Well, we didn't do that last time! Last time, I had to drag him out of bed the morning after so we could go on our first date." She says, flushed.
I can't help but smile at this image. "Well, he probably wants you to see that he's serious about this."
"Maybe." She agrees considerately. "He invited you and I to the congressional Christmas party, by the way."
"You and me?"
"Yeah, he told me to tell you. I thought it was weird, too. Because at first I was like, 'Oh, it's a date' but then he went and said 'And can you invite Alan too'? God. I just don't get it." She says dismally, looking away from me.
Why would he invite me? I find myself distracted. "Huh. Maybe I'll go."
"Yo-yo Ma is playing it again, so it'll be a good time. Usually aides aren't invited, you should feel lucky." She offers half a smile.
Our office assistant brushes into the office, a stack of last night's phone messages in her hands. "Donna, one for you about the coalition next week, one for the Congresswoman from Kimball, and Alan, one for you from Josh."
I raise my eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yeah. Something about a plan? I don't know." She hands it to me.
Donna is watching me curiously, so I lie, "Probably about the open Senate seat next year. Told him I might have someone."
She shrugs. "Okay."
Inwardly, though, I'm grinning ear to ear. I'm back in.
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The night of the Congressional Christmas party is bright and clear, so beautiful in fact that Donna, the Congresswoman, and I decide to walk to the White House (flanked by Secret Service agents, of course). The past few days, Donna has seemed a bit down, as if her hopes for her favorite month hadn't quite been realized. Hopefully, that will change after tonight.
"You seem down, Donna. What's up?" Andy attempts as we stroll.
"Nothing." She says softly.
"The holidays get you down?"
"You could say that."
When we arrive, we clear security and have our coats taken to be checked, revealing a tuxedo (mine) and two gorgeous dresses (theirs). I must say, even though she wasn't sure tonight was a date, Donna looks absolutely stunning in her red dress. I look around the foyer, hoping to catch sight of Josh's reaction.
I spot him talking to Toby. When he turns to see us, he's arrested by the sight of her. His eyes widen and his mouth falls slightly ajar. I grin, hoping he's not too thrown off to execute tonight's plan.
Toby follows his gaze and rolls his eyes before saying something to him sharply, but a certain softness around his eyes and mouth reveals that he, too, is warmed. They exchange a few words before Josh wends his way over to his, dodging Congressmen that try to get his attention. By the time he arrives, he's managed to compose himself with a smile.
"Hey, guys." He greets.
Donna pretends not to have noticed his approach. "Oh, hey."
"Hi." I greet, hoping the giddy lilt in my voice doesn't give me away.
"Josh." Andy greets coolly before slipping past him to talk to a fellow member of the House.
"You made it."
"How could we resist? Yo-yo Ma is playing, and as I'm sure you know-"
"Yo-yo Ma rules. Right." He interrupts.
"Exactly." Her gaze turns serious. "I'm sorry you, uh, didn't get to enjoy it last time."
He seems surprised by whatever it is she's talking about, but dodges it. "Yeah, well. I've got my second chance tonight." He exchanges a significant look with me, and I nearly shiver in excitement.
"I guess you do." She replies, befuddled by his implication.
"Anyway, um..." His eyes regain that awestruck quality of earlier as he allows himself to look at her, really look at her, up close. He takes a steadying breath. "You look..."
Her smile lights her up even further, and she eclipses even the gorgeous twinkling tree a few yards away. "I know."
He shakes his head, returning to his senses. "You don't know what I was going to say."
"Amazing. Gorgeous. Transcendent."
"You're right. I was definitely going to say transcendent." He says sarcastically.
She beams. "You look pretty okay, too."
"Pretty okay? You look transcendent, and I look pretty okay? Yeah, alright." The lights in the foyer flicker a few times, alerting us that it's time to find our seats. "Alright, looks like it's time to head in. I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?"
We nod. He heads in, and we rejoin the Congresswoman to find our seats together.
The first few songs, I try to follow the magnificent performance, but I'm too excited. I wait eagerly for my cue. Donna doesn't have the same dilemma, and her sulky mood of earlier evaporates as she listens with rapture. Her head doesn't even turn when Josh gets out of his seat, and my eyes follow him out of the room.
I lean over her shoulder. "Donna."
"Mm?" She says, not looking at me.
"Donna, I need to talk to you about something." I whisper.
She furrows her brow at me curiously, and searches my eyes for some clue as to what I'm talking about. She must decide that it seems urgent enough to draw us away from her beloved cellist. She sighs and stands, as subtly as she can manage, and heads out of the room. I follow closely behind.
"What is it, Alan?" She asks once we reach the hall, folding her arms in obvious frustration.
"Well, it's not me, actually, it's-"
"Hey, Donnatella." God, the guy knows how to make an entrance. He materializes from behind a pillar, hands in his pockets.
She looks between us in confusion. "What's going on?"
I allow him to take it from here.
"Sorry I had to pull you out of the concert, I just didn't want to risk losing you after the show." He smiles.
She turns to look at me. "And you're...?"
I grin, stepping back toward the concert hall. "Have a good time, guys."
I leave them there, with Josh looking anticipant and nervous, and Donna looking something between confused and miffed. I almost skip with joy as I head back to my seat, but decide better of it at the last minute and head to Josh's empty seat beside Toby. I sit down, and he turns to look at me.
"Where's Josh?"
I smile. "No idea."
"And Donna?"
"No clue."
"This wasn't some wild scheme of yours, was it?"
"His, actually."
Toby makes a huffing noise. "Dear god."
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Josh leads Donna through the double doors into the bullpen, all while she protests. "Where are we going?"
"You worked here for three years, and you still don't know the way around?"
"Josh."
"Donna."
"Tell me what we're doing here." She demands as they stop near his office. She doesn't seem entirely angry, and if he's not mistaken, he detects a faint trace of excitement in her eyes.
"I need to talk to you about something." He says seriously, releasing the arm he'd been pulling her by.
She tilts her head at him. "Okay."
"Do you remember the night we broke up?"
Pain contracts her body. She folds her arms tightly. "No, I'd forgotten it entirely." She says icily.
"So, that's a yes."
"Yes, Josh, I remember. What the hell are you bringing that up for?"
"Do you remember what I said?"
She snorts. "I don't remember you saying much of anything. I remember you sitting there silently."
"I said something."
"You said you didn't want to be with me anymore." She grinds out, glaring at him.
"Aha!" He says triumphantly, ignoring her daggers. "See, I knew that's what you thought. But that's not what I said at all."
"Fine. It was something like that, okay?"
"I said, 'I can't do this anymore'." He tells her.
"Right." She says impatiently. "Same thing. What's your point?"
"That's very different from saying that I don't want to be with you."
"No, it's not. You said you couldn't do it anymore. Us. I know what you meant."
"You see, that's not what I meant." He persists. "In fact, 'I can't do this anymore' was very poor word choice."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. In fact, that may have been the worst way possible to start a proposal." He waits for his words to sink in, rocking anxiously on the balls of his feet.
Eventually, she realizes what he's said, and she is predictably stunned. Her mouth falls open, and a crease appears between her eyebrows. "What?"
"A proposal. From me. To you."
"A proposal of what?" She splutters.
He smiles despite his nerves. "Of marriage."
"A proposal of marriage?"
"A proposal of marriage." He affirms.
She teeters precariously, as if she might fall down, and backs against his doorframe for support. "You were going to ask me to marry you?"
"I think we've just established that, yes."
"Well... Why?"
"...Because I wanted to marry you?"
She glares at him, as if he isn't taking this seriously enough. "But, but... We broke up! That night! You broke up with me!"
"No, I didn't. I said, 'I can't do this anymore,' and then you broke up wth me."
"I did not."
"You did."
"I thought you were breaking up with me! All I did was agree!"
"But I wasn't breaking up with you."
"Then why didn't you stop me?" She cries incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"The same reason you agreed with me."
She ignores him. "And what kind of idiot starts a proposal with 'I can't do this anymore'? Can't do what? Not be married to me anymore? God, you're so frustrating! You're such an asshole." She flings out haphazardly.
He doesn't take offense. He smiles wryly. "You've really missed calling me that, haven't you?"
A slight smile softens her features. "Every day."
He allows her a pause. "So." He says softly.
She takes a deep breath. "So."
"I didn't tell you because, how could I? You're over there railing about why we've gotta end it, and how neither of us are happy-" she grimaces in guilt. "-and I'm supposed to interject, like, 'Hold on. Actually, even though you've just told me you don't want to be with me, I think we should get married'."
She looks down, acknowledging the validity of this. "I still wish you would've told me."
"I should've." He says immediately. "I should've told you everything. I should've told you that when I said 'I can't do this anymore,' I meant, I couldn't let us fall apart anymore. I couldn't keep pretending that you weren't important to me. Because you were... Are. You are. And I should've told you that."
"You weren't the only one who let it happen, you know." She says softly.
"Still. I was a fucking coward. I was."
"Josh. Stop." She steps closer to him, placing her hand on his arm. She has always had the unique ability to calm him with a simple gesture, like this. He settles down, gazing at her seriously.
"I should've told you how much I love you."
She notices his use of the present tense. She swallows burgeoning tears, and smiles. "I should've told you that, too."
"I should've told you that you're the best thing that ever happened to me."
"You did. Several times." She reminds him, hand falling down his arm to grab his hand. "I just didn't listen."
"But towards the end..."
"There were a lot of things we both should've done. It's not worth it to dissect all of it." She shakes her head. "I'm not sure there's anything you could've done, anyway."
"I could've-"
"Because I had started to resent you." She informs him. The reaction she receives sends a pang through her chest. He reels back in shock, pain visible in his wide eyes.
"You..."
"It wasn't your fault." She says hurriedly. "I'd just... I'd been yours for a little too long."
"What?"
"I mean, I went from being your assistant, straight to being with you. There was no in between. Everything I was, everything I did, was associated with you. I felt like I had to work twice as hard to make people notice my work, to notice me as an individual, because they only knew me as that girl with Josh Lyman." She says, begging him to understand. Even now, her voice takes on an edge, just thinking about the inadequacy she'd felt.
"No they didn't." He denies, though his voice lacks conviction.
"I hated that. But I was conflicted, because... I loved you. And I hated how much I loved you, because it meant I'd always be with you. I'd always be that girl with Josh Lyman."
"So you worked more." He says, the pieces falling into place. "You worked longer hours, and..."
"And eventually, I started to avoid you." She finishes for him, gripping his hand tightly. "I'm sorry."
He gazes down at the floor between them. "And, um... How'd that work out for you?"
"Terribly." She says immediately. "I still loved you. That made it worse when you started avoiding me, too. Which was all my fault."
"And what about now? Now that you've been an independent person for a year, I mean."
She knows what he's asking. "It's been good, I think." She says slowly. He looks completely defeated. She hurries to say, "Because I missed you. Because I missed you, and now I know, that... I love you. This year confirmed that for me. It was good to be independent, and I still plan to be, but..." She shrugs helplessly. "I love you."
"You do?"
"I had to know that I didn't need you. And now that I do... Now that I know I don't need you, well... I still want you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
His face slowly breaks into a grin. "Okay. Well. That's fine for you and all, but I need you."
"You do?"
"Can't live without you."
"I always figured as much." She smiles at him, and he reciprocates, practically glowing. A bit of sadness tinges her gaze. She sighs. "You were going to propose."
"Yeah." He affirms for the seventh time.
"And then I broke up with you! That must've been the worst night ever." She says sympathetically. She slips her hand out of his and raises it, and her other, to the sides of his face. "I can't believe I did that."
"It did suck." He agrees. "But, um... If I had... Proposed."
"Yeah?"
He shifts nervously. "What would you have... Said?"
She smiles sadly. "You know what I would've said."
"No." He infers bitterly.
"What? No! I would've said yes." She says emphatically, and his gaze brightens again. "But... It wouldn't have been right."
"Yeah. I know. Was kind of stupid, to try and use that to save us."
"All of this would've come up eventually, even if I'd said yes." She tells him.
"But now?"
"Now, it's all out in the open." She says happily, feeling the weight lift off her shoulders.
"And we can move past it."
"I think so."
"I'll never let this happen again." He wraps his arms around her waist, enjoying the familiarity.
"It'll require some communication."
"Small price to pay."
"I agree."
"I'm never letting you go again." He says, physically accenting this point by tightening his grip on her.
She grins. "I hope not."
He looks up above them, to the mistletoe hanging from his doorframe. He'd found it particularly insufferable all week - from CJ leaving lipstick marks on his cheek to Will teasing him with a pickup line. But now, he is thinking that its placement is quite serendipitous. "So, umm... You wanna pretend this is mistletoe?"
She narrows her eyes at him. "This is mistletoe."
"I know, I was just-"
"I know what you were doing." She cuts him off with a smile. "And, yes."
With the excitement that only a year apart can build, they lean in under his doorframe. Much like their first kiss in the same spot, it starts out tentative and slow, but they quickly progress to the intimacy they'd once shared. It is easy to find their natural rhythm, and a thrill of happiness runs through them both.
When she pulls back for air, she grins. "Dear god, I've missed you."
"Back at ya." He manages, short of breath. She leans in again, but he stills her with a hand on her shoulder. He shakes his head. "Wait, wait. There's one more thing, I almost forgot."
She gives him an incredulous look. "Can it wait?"
He smiles. "No, it can't."
In a series of events, too quick for her to process, he pulls a small black velvet box out of the pocket of his tux and kneels before her. He opens the box, grinning up at her. "Will you marry me?"
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By the time they reappear, the performance is almost over. I see them standing behind a pillar, his hand resting on her waist. They're both glowing. My face splits uncontrollably into a massive grin. Toby notices, and turns to follow my line of sight.
"Well would you look at that."
"They're so beautiful." I say, near tears.
"Is she... Is she wearing an engagement ring?" He asks incredulously.
"It would appear so."
"They're engaged?"
"Unless there's another man I'm not aware of."
"You told him to propose to her?"
"Oh no, that was all him. He's very 'go big or go home' that way."
Toby looks away, perhaps remembering his own proposal to an ex. "Stupid." He mumbles.
"But she said yes."
"That's what makes her stupid. Up until now, I'd thought her to be quite intelligent." Nevertheless, he's smiling.
They sway in the background together for the remaining few minutes, drawing the eyes of a few others. When the performance ends, Toby and I make a beeline for them. Or rather, I do, and Toby follows in resignation.
"So." I say excitedly upon reaching them.
They just grin by way of a response, and I envelop both of them in a hug. "I'm so happy for you guys!"
"Thanks, Alan."
When we break apart, Toby approaches.
"Congratulations." He says gruffle, first shaking Josh's hand and then hugging Donna. His eyes betray his joy. "Hope you know what you're getting into, Donna."
"No clue." She says happily.
"What are you two still doing here?" I interrupt. "Why didn't you get out of here, and do all the things that two people who are in love, and have just been reunited, do?"
Donna rolls her eyes at my implication. "We wanted to find Leo, and the Congresswoman."
"Tell them we wouldn't be in tomorrow." Josh adds, barely containing his elation.
She wraps an arm around his waist. "Won't be in until after New Year's, if I've got anything to say about it."
"Bye, guys." He says cheerfully, and together they make their way across the foyer, in search of their bosses. The eyes of the entire building follow them, and a few moments later, I see them being accosted by CJ.
I watch them proudly. They grow up so fast. "So, Toby."
"So, Alan."
"So, you and Andy. What's going on there?"
"No." He says firmly.
"No, what?" I ask innocently.
"Josh may have bought into your Dr. Phil bullshit, but I want no part of it."
"But Toby-"
"No."
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February, 2002
"An empty egg carton, a God-knows-how-old takeout box, a single beer bottle, and... Yes. Just as I thought. Expired milk." Donna says frustratedly.
Josh grins, too distracted by the sight of her bent over and peering into his fridge to care about food. "Who cares about breakfast?"
"I do, Josh." She tells him seriously, straightening up and closing the fridge door.
He has never seen anything as wonderful as the sight of Donnatella Moss, hair falling out of a bun, pouting in his kitchen with his shirt hanging off her shoulders. "I gathered." He says, his hands snaking around her waist.
"We'll have to go out."
"Go out where?"
"To get food."
"Oh no. That's a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Let's stay in. All day." He kisses her neck. "And the next day."
"You really should call Leo, you know." She tells him, fighting back a smile. "And tell him we won't be in today."
"We won't be in any day this week. This month. You know what, let's just stay here forever."
"I don't think he'll take too well to that."
"Who cares?"
"You'll be fired."
"Who cares?" He repeats lazily, working his way up to her ear.
"Then you won't have any money to pay rent, and we'll be evicted. Then we wouldn't be able to stay here forever."
"We'll board up the doors, and the windows."
"How will we get food?"
"Sam will bring it to us."
"You're being highly illogical."
"I love it when you talk dirty to me." He murmurs, capturing her lips with his.
She giggles, a sound he hadn't heard much of until the previous night. He has discovered that he loves that sound. "No. We can't."
"Why not?" He whines.
"Because. You're going to call Leo, and then we're going out for breakfast."
"Donna."
"I'm hungry. I could faint."
"I make you weak in the knees, is that it?"
"Yes. That's it." She says sarcastically.
"I figured."
"Besides, don't you want to go out on our first date?" She gives him a charming grin.
He considers this. "It could wait."
She hits the side of his head. "Call Leo."
"Ugh. Fine." He grabs his phone from the counter and dials. "But you're staying here with me. For moral support."
"You just can't bare to be away from me." She teases.
He scoffs, but doesn't say anything because Margaret has picked up. "Leo McGarry's office."
"Hey, Margaret, it's Josh. Is he busy?"
"No, I'll put you through."
"Thanks."
There's a pause on the other end. "Say, where are you this morning, Josh?"
"Put Leo on, Margaret."
"And by chance, is Donna with you? Because she hasn't come in either."
"Margaret."
"Fine, fine." She sighs, patching him through.
"Josh. Where the hell have you been?"
"I'm at home." From behind him, he feels Donna's arms wrap around his waist, and her lips on his shoulder. He tries to keep his reaction out of his voice. "And, um, I can't come in today."
"Why not?" Leo growls.
"I'm... Umm... Sick." Donna bites him. "Ow! I mean, well. Not really sick."
"Why is your voice so high pitched?"
"What? It's not." He presses on, ignoring Donna's laughter behind him. "And, um, Donna won't be in either."
"Why not?"
"For the same reason I won't be in."
"...Which is?"
"Well..."
A new voice cuts in. "Oh for god's sake, Leo, they slept together."
"CJ?" Josh asks incredulously. "Am I on speaker phone?"
"It's just me, idiot boy. Now tell me I'm right, the suspense is killing me."
"Um, well. Yes. You're right."
"She is?"
"Aha! I knew it!"
"You're not mad?"
"Of course not. We've had a contingency plan for this since day one of the administration, mi amor." CJ says breezily.
"That's reassuring, I guess."
"Give us the day, and all will be well by the time you're back tomorrow."
"Tomorrow. Right." He says distractedly. Donna is biting him again, and when he whips around to look at her, she grins evilly. He covers the phone with one hand. "Oh, bad idea."
"For god's sake, kid." Leo mutters. "You couldn't have waited until second term? The President and I had a bet."
"Sorry." He manages while pinning Donna against his fridge. She giggles madly again.
"Is that... Is that Donna?" CJ asks incredulously, having heard her.
"Um."
"What are you doing?"
"Um."
"That's disgusting!" CJ says, loud enough for Donna to hear, which causes her to laugh even more.
Leo sighs, disappointed with the state of his staff. "She's a nice girl, Josh. At least take her somewhere nice, would you?"
"Will do." He says before snapping his phone shut. He glares at his (former) assistant. "I can't believe you."
"That was fun." She says brusquely, her laughter subsiding. She kisses the corner of his mouth. "Now let's get ready to go out for breakfast."
"You were serious about that?"
"As a heart attack."
He doesn't move, and just holds her there. Another smile escapes, as had been happening all morning. "You know." He begins thoughtfully. "I never understood the whole women wearing men's clothing thing."
"What?"
"I mean, some guys find it really attractive when women wear their clothing. Me? Not so much."
"You're telling me you want your shirt back?"
He shakes his head. "No. I'm saying, most of the time, it's just annoying. Like, bring your own clothes, you know? Or just put on the ones you had. Why mine? And then they never get returned-"
She interrupts with an edge to her voice. "You really get annoyed when a woman, who you've brought back to your apartment, to sleep with you, wants to change into something more comfortable?"
He shrugs. "Normally. But this? Right now?" He tugs at the hem of the shirt she's wearing. "I'm starting to get it."
"Oh, are you now?"
He grins impishly. "Oh yeah."
"Well, that's too bad, because I'm about to take it off." His eyes light up in excitement. "To change, Josh." She clarifies.
"Into what?"
"Clothes! To go out to breakfast!"
"Donna."
"There's a nice little crèpe shop down the street from you, did you know that?"
"No."
"Well then wouldn't you like to go see it?"
"No."
She shakes her head, smiling, and brushes past him. She heads into his bedroom and starts pulling open his drawers.
"What are you looking for?"
"Clothes." She repeats. She pulls out a pair of jeans and throws it at him. "Put those on."
"Hey now. You're at perfect liberty to get dressed, but you can't force me to."
"And this." She tosses him a sweater. She gives him her best girlish smile. "I like that one."
"You do?"
"Mmhmm."
He rarely pays much attention to the way he looks - his appearance has yet to fail him - but he finds himself swayed by her smile. She'd always displayed a love for dressing him, which he pretended to hate, but if it would get her to keep looking at him like that, he'd wear pretty much anything. "Fine. Maybe I'll get dressed."
She grabs her slacks from last night from the floor, and gathers them in her arms with a sweatshirt she'd grabbed from his dresser. "Good. I'm going to go get changed."
She turns toward the bathroom, and he narrows his eyes. "Where are you going?"
"The bathroom. To get dressed."
"Get dressed here."
"Joshua. If you see me in any state of undress, we're never going to get out the door."
"Hey." He protests. "I think I handled myself pretty well when we first got up. And you weren't wearing anything then."
"You didn't handle yourself well. We had sex."
"I'd say that went pretty well, then." He grins. "Besides, that was as much you as it was me."
"I'm going to go get dressed now."
Ten minutes later, they've managed to get themselves out the door. Donna leans against it, waiting for him to lock it. Unfortunately, dealings with keys weren't his strongest suit. She doesn't mind. It gives her a longer time to look at him. Warmth spreads through her as he flashes her a smile, muttering something about the shoddy craftsmanship that had gone into creating his front door lock.
"Hey, Josh?" She says as he pockets his keys, preparing to go. She grabs his arm and keeps him there.
"Yeah?"
"I know this is too soon to say, but..."
"But what?"
Her gaze dips to the pavement. "I know this is too soon to say, but, I love you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
He raises her chin with his hand until her eyes meet his. He's grinning widely. "I love you too."
And this is true of both of them for as long as they live.
After establishing this, and sealing it with a kiss (or several) they walk hand in hand to their first date.
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Yay, happy ending! Finally! How did you guys like it?
Thanks for sticking with me this long!