Hey y'all. I'm hijacking my fic again with a wee author note, just wanted to apologise for the lack of updates. It's written it's just not making it online. So this story is going to pick up pace and move more from a day to day chapter to longer intervals of time. My ideas about the fic keep spiralling out of control etc. So yeah. Enjoy and leave replies. PLEASE!
They'd moved in on May 25th after one of the quickest sales going. Josh had given Donna his credit card and a lift to bed, bath and beyond to furnish their home. Georgie's room had been painted pink at the little girl's demands. Her twin size bed was too tall for her to get into yet. Josh had returned to work full time. It was a nasty thought leaving the house every morning but the regular phone-calls during the day helped. Georgie had been to four appointments at the hospital having regular out-patient chemo. Drew and Georgie had been able to spend hours playing together.
June passed in a haze of late meetings, unpacking boxes and midnight movie fests. Josh's mom had come to stay for a few weeks to ease the stress on Donna. Her constant fussing around Georgie and getting to know them both had given the family a boost; the cooking had been extra. Donna had spent the morning cleaning the house and trying to get Georgie to stop running round the house. As eleven o'clock rolled round she'd breathed a sigh of relief as Helen Santos appeared at the door.
Helen had brought Peter and Miranda round on a rare school holiday. It had been a scheduling nightmare for the two old friends to find time for a coffee. Donna was anxious for Georgie to start laying down roots. Several of the kids in the neighbourhood had already spent the afternoon watching movies in the cinema-room. Georgie was already at a disadvantage. Her Kindergarten year had been spent in hospital.
"I think we've got one of the most secure houses here" Helen Santos grimaced. She was referring of course to the double protection sitting outside the house.
"Yeah we do. One of the neighbour's kids, Kitty, came over the Secret Service confiscated her new fairy wand, it's a weapon apparently." Donna was beginning to understand why CJ had correctly pointed out Helen had been nervous and tetchy during Transition.
"They've not had the talk yet?" Helen followed Donna into the kitchen. It reminded her of their Texan home. She'd been extremely disappointed when Donna had left after Leo's wake. She hadn't heard that Helen was going to ask her to be chief of staff. She'd left a day too early for the vacation Josh had taken, it took a long time for him to get over the desertion.
"Josh. Man. She's gone" Matt had broached his Chief Of Staff's shoulder. They'd received a resignation letter mixed in the mail two days after Donna had left. Helen hated having to choose someone else as her chief of staff. But at Josh's insistence Donna was gone for goods she'd made the decision.
Dear Josh,
I cannot do this; us. I realise that I will always come second to your work. No matter how much we love each other, there will always be a third person in our lives. It will forever be you me and the white house. I want to go now before it gets ugly. Before you get too wrapped up in your job and we loose anything to the press. I will not overshadow the Santos' time in the lime light. What we had was amazing. It always will be in my heart and soul. But I need to move on. You need to get your mind, body and dare I say it soul into working as the Chief Of Staff. Go marry the pretty girl Amy picked out for you. She'll make a great wife in the lifestyle you're about to inherit. I will always hold a special place for you. You gave me the chance to break free. Then you reined me in so skilfully. But I cannot be the person you want me to be.
Yours always
Donna.
It had taken Sam a lot of bargaining and persistence to get Josh to keep going. It had taken an entire new west wing office to help him carry on and mend the broken heart he'd inherited with his job.
"What talk?" Donna handed the first lady a mug of black coffee. Two sugars gave the brew a sweet aroma.
"After you left," coughing lightly Helen caught sight of Miranda and Georgie playing with Barbie's beside the pool. "Secret Service had to sit down and discuss daddy's job" she made mocking remarks with the last two words.
"How do they y'know cope?" the sheltered life Georgie had wasn't going to last forever.
"They manage at school but play dates are a nightmare"
"Yeah, I'm not even sure where I'm gonna be Georgie to school. Things are going to be a little weird till she's finished treatment. Hopefully we'll be done right after Christmas but I'm not sure what's going to happen" the kids tore through the house as Peter chased Miranda and Georgie down the stairs.
"She's gonna tire soon" Donna mused out-loud.
"When are you going back to work?" Helen's question was genuine. There would be a window in the coming year when her husband would be running for re-election.
"Not before Georgie is well again. Plus we've got the wedding and I'm not even sure I want to go back. I'm scared of letting my daughter down." In the months that had passed in Donna's life she'd mulled the question over time and again.
"Understandable. But after you become Mrs Josh Lyman I want you to be my chief of staff." Donna gasped lightly. She was unsure if Josh had put Helen up to the question or whether it was the healing of a betrayal four years prior.
"I can't make a promise. Mrs Santos, first lady" Helen fixed Donna with a stare, "Helen. My daughter and family come first."
"I know Donna but I'm giving you a get out of jail card." Helen rose to her feet. As if it were an automatic reaction Donna did the same. "I like what you've done with the place, it's homely"
"I'll give you the tour" Donna proudly beamed.