Ex Post Facto: Epilogue The First - What's Next? (Umm, the second epilogue, perhaps?)

Disclaimers and everything else in Introduction.

Summary: Answering the question of what's next. Surprisingly. I'm just sayin'.

Notes: Really, this is it now. I'm all done. Okay, so I am in fact lying, since there's the *final* epilogue to come. Although strictly, that isn't related. But whatever.

Yana and Christine still rock. You have them to thank for the sense of this part.

~*~ Ex Post Facto: Epilogue The First – What's Next? ~*~

"Guys?" CJ yelled up to the open window at Josh and Sam. "I know you're having fun up there alone, but could you come help us out?"

Donna snickered.

A few seconds later, Josh poked his head out the window. "What was that, CJ? I didn't quite hear you," he said, smirking.

"I said…" CJ started even louder.

Josh covered his ears. "Yeah, I think I did get that the first time. We'll be down in a minute."

"What the hell are they doing up there?" Maria asked, struggling with a heavy box.

"I'm not sure you want to know," CJ commented, smirking.

It was move-in day for Donna. Almost everyone she knew in DC--far more than necessary--were at Josh's apartment to help. She was going to need the help though, at least for moral support, because it looked as though there was more stuff than room in Josh's apartment.

"We're hungry," Josh moaned as he finally made his way out to the front of the building.

"You ate an hour ago," Donna pointed out, wearily.

"Ainsley's hungry, too," Josh told her. "Aren't you Ainsley?"

Ainsley looked at Josh, then back at Donna. "I can wait," she said.

He glared at her, then tried a different tactic. He came up to Donna from behind, hugged her, and gave her a kiss. "Please?" he asked.

"When all of this," she said pointing to her car-load of boxes and bags, "is inside, then we'll eat." She smiled sweetly, unwilling to be moved.

He looked at her, trying to decide whether she'd compromise, and coming to the conclusion that it wasn't going to happen.

"All right, people, move, move, move!" he directed. Donna grinned.

It was another hour before everything had been moved in and the food had been ordered. Everyone sat round Josh and Donna's cluttered living room, talking and eating pizza. Looking around at her friends, Donna couldn't remember being happier.

Maria had moved out to DC the week before, and having attended Princeton, was already talking to Sam as if they were old friends. While chatting, Sam kept looking over at Ainsley, catching her eye and exchanging smiles with her. Ainsley was laughing with Josh about Sam's misfortunes when he'd met her parents the weekend before. CJ's attention was split: she was trying to hear something she could use to tease Sam about while trying to talk to Donna at the same time. She was only moderately successful, getting halfway through a sentence before stopping and eavesdropping on the other conversation.

Donna wasn't too bothered. She was so distracted by her own thoughts that she didn't pay attention to CJ's lack of interest.

Suddenly, Sam interrupted her reverie, asking for everyone's attention. "Is everyone free on July 12?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"Sam!" Ainsley objected, embarrassed but smiling anyway.

"Why?" CJ asked.

"Because you're coming to a wedding." He looked around at everyone. "Ainsley's and mine."

"Really?" Donna's eyes went wide, looking at Ainsley for confirmation.

Ainsley nodded, grinning widely.

"Congratulations!" she squealed, practically throwing herself across the room to hug her.

Josh made a point of rolling his eyes, but the huge grin expressed his real feelings. 

"Josh, stop smirking," Donna admonished, even though her back was to him.

CJ and Sam looked at each other and grinned. "Congratulations," she told him. "I always knew you two were perfect for one another, Spanky."

Josh went to the kitchen and got some beers from the refrigerator. Handing one to each person, he proposed a toast.

"To Sam and Ainsley! Congratulations for finally getting a clue," he said.

Sam, CJ and Ainsley looked at each other in amusement.

Sam held up his own beer. "To Josh and Donna. Congratulations," he started.

"For finally getting a clue," CJ joined in, grinning.

"To all of us," Donna suggested.

"To all of us," they repeated, touching their beer cans before drinking.

~

July 12

"So, I've just finished telling Donna that we aren't going to use any kind of flammable liquids when Sam comes in with the kerosene…"

"Secret plan to fight inflation!" Sam called out. Half the room laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," Josh replied, grinning. "You're just trying to avoid responsibility for almost burning down the building!"

"You keep telling yourself that," Sam responded with a laugh.

"Anyway, enough of that. Sam, you've been a great friend to me over the years, and I'm glad that you've found someone as wonderful as Ainsley to share your life with. I wish you both all the luck in the world," Josh said, no longer looking at the index cards. He lifted his champagne glass. "To Sam and Ainsley!"

"To Sam and Ainsley," everyone chorused.

When the speeches finished and the dancing began, Josh and Donna found a deserted table and sipped wine together.

Josh watched Sam and Ainsley as they stood in the middle of the dance floor, talking, laughing, occasionally kissing, and swaying gently to the music.

He looked over at Donna, who was also gazing at the dance floor, and wondered, not for the first time, what it might be like to be up there, celebrating their own marriage.

Standing up, he said to Donna, "Dance with me." He held out his hand and she took it, grinning.

"I've been waiting all night for you to offer."

He put his arms round her waist and brought her close to him. She looked over at Sam and Ainsley again and sighed. "They look so happy."

"Yeah," he replied, wistfully.  "So, Donnatella," he said, "Have you thought about what you want to do tomorrow? I've got a *whole* day off, you know."

"Yup. I was thinking it would be nice to sleep in."

"Sleep in? That's the exciting plan you've come up with?" he asked, in disbelief.

"Not just sleeping in," she said, looking at him with a sly grin. She paused dramatically. "You get to bring me breakfast in bed as well."

"And what do I get?"

"What do you want?" she asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

She laughed as he whispered in her ear.

"Maybe," she grinned, then kissed him, "If you're really lucky."

"I already am really lucky," he replied. He looked at her seriously. "I know I don't say it much, but I love you, y'know."

"I know," she smiled shyly. "I love you, too."

He leaned in and kissed her again.

~

Although he was tired from the day, and from the party that had run late into the night, Josh lay next to Donna for a long while, unable to sleep.

"Today was good, don't you think?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, barely awake. "It was good."

"Sam and Ainsley really did look happy," he commented thoughtfully.

"Uh huh," she murmured.

"I was wondering," he began.

"Yeah?"

"One day, do you think you'd want to marry me?"

"You asking?" She opened her eyes, suddenly wide awake, and looked at him.

He thought for a second, then smiled. "Yeah," he said.

"Okay." She smiled back.

"Yeah?" he asked.

She kissed him lightly. "Yeah."

~

END OF EPILOGUE ONE

Now… can you go brave the horrors of epilogue the second? Be strong. Be wary. Prepare yourselves.