TITLE: Connected - Part 5 - Watching The Moon
AUTHOR: Jacinta
SUMMARY: a trip to Camp David has some surprises.
SPOILERS: Anything up to S4
CHARACTERS: Ensemble
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: Most certainly not mine.
NOTE: I'm not Jewish and although I did some research, if I've made any errors
in the dialogue between Toby, Josh and Donna please let me know by email so I
can correct it.
"So you know what you should do?" Will asks Josh.
"What?"
"Ask her out."
"He's right," Toby agrees from the other side of the darkened cabin.
"No. What I should do is stop telling you two anything."
"Well, maybe," Will agrees. "But you just spent the last hour telling us how you feel. So do something about it."
"It's not that simple."
"Sure it is."
Josh sighs. "Toby, tell him it's not that simple."
"It's not that simple," Toby agrees.
"Thank you," Josh says.
"Why?" Will asks.
"Nobody knows Josh better than Donna," Toby continues.
"Ah," Will smiles, "I can see how that would be a problem."
"Excuse me!" Josh squeals. "That's not why it's not simple. Why would knowing me well be a reason not to..... yeh, okay forget I asked that. What you both need to do is stop thinking of us as Josh and Donna and start thinking of us as White House Deputy Chief Of Staff and his assistant."
"Okay," Will agrees. "Go on."
"Can you imagine what the press'd make of us dating?"
"We've faced tougher problems than that," Toby points out. "The President and MS. Leo and drink and drugs. Sam and a call girl. You and Capital Beat. You and secret plans."
"Communications director getting his ex-wife pregnant," Will adds.
"Thanks," Toby grunts.
"What if she said no?" Josh asks.
"Then it'd provide entertainment for the rest of us," Toby smiles.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Yes," Toby agrees.
"You should ask her this weekend. It's romantic here in the woods," Will states.
"Romantic?" Toby asks.
"This is your first stay here isn't it?" Josh adds. "Camp David is not romantic. And I'm not asking Donna on a date while we're here. For a start, where would we go?"
"The President's barbeque tomorrow?" Will suggests.
"Is this the reason you've not had a date in two years?" Josh asks him.
"I have. It's just that she proved to be insane," Will protests.
"Rather like Amy," Toby laughs.
"Yes. And there's another reason I'm not asking Donna out while we're here. Amy already thinks there's something going on between us."
"I can't think why," Toby mutters.
Will laughs. "You know, when I first met the two of you, I thought there was. I thought maybe it was a secret affair," he says. "But I asked Sam and he laughed."
"Sam laughed?" Josh bristles.
"Yes. At the irony of my question apparently."
"What irony? I don't...."
"The irony of you and Donna being the only ones it was a secret from," Toby supplies.
"Oh."
"Why do you care what Amy thinks?" Will asks.
"I thought she was dating Gary Fletcher?" Toby adds
"She is."
"And you don't care?"
"No. Why?"
"'Cos when you found that Mandy was dating Lloyd Russell, you weren't too pleased," Toby points out.
"Mandy?" Will asks.
"Josh's ex from the first campaign."
"Didn't she work at the White House for a while?"
"I think that's some kind of plot," Josh tells them. "I stop dating someone and the White House employs her."
"It's happened twice in five years, Josh," Toby tells him
"I've only had two ex-girlfriends in five years."
Toby returns from a meeting to find Josh sat in their cabin reading some papers, but there's no sign of Will. "Where'd Will disappear to now?" he asks
"Gone to find Charlie and get more details on his cousin, who Will took quite a liking to in the Hawk And Dove the other night," Josh smiles.
"I never thought I'd say it, but he's worse than Sam." Toby sits down and watches Josh for a second. "I wanted to ask....." he trails off and, to Josh's surprise, looks embarrassed.
"Ask what?"
Toby tries a different approach. "Andi and I have decided that the twins shouldn't be raised in one religion."
"Andi and you have decided that?"
"It seems fair. As long as they learn both cultures and religions they can decide when they're older which they want to follow."
"If any," Josh can't help but add.
"Yeh," Toby reluctantly agrees. "But they're still going to need...... Will you...." Toby hesitates and sighs. "Would you be Huck's godfather?"
Josh stares at Toby wondering if he heard right. "Me?"
Toby looks like he wants to the ground to open up right now and shallow him whole. He's been meaning to ask Josh for over a week. When Andi said that she'd choose Molly's godparents and he could choose Huck's, it was a surprisingly easy choice, but the actual asking has proved to be a lot harder. "Yeh. I mean, I understand if you don't want to, but......"
"Don't want to? God, Toby, it'd be an honor. Thank you." Josh is genuinely touched and is quite alarmed to feel tears at the back of his eyes.
"I've asked CJ to be godmother. We want you to be kvater and Christian style godparents."
"I have no idea what a Christian godparent does, but okay," Josh grins and walks over to Toby, who stands and hugs him.
"Thank you," Toby smiles. "And I'm sure the President will be more than happy to fill you in on your role."
"This is a nightmare," Donna announces as she flops onto Josh's bed.
Josh looks up from the desk and smiles. "What is?"
"This trip. A nightmare."
"Dare I ask why?"
"Do assistants normally accompany their bosses to Camp David?" Donna asks in a slightly strange voice.
"You know they do. You're sharing a cabin with Margaret. Last time we came Carol....."
"I wasn't asking you, I was quoting her."
"Her?" Josh asks.
"Amy." Donna manages to make that one word sound like the anti-Christ.
"Oh her. When did you have the pleasure?"
"She cornered me this morning when you were all meeting with the President. She thinks I'm here 'cos you're here."
"You are."
"No. I don't mean as your assistant. I mean she think I'm here with you."
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Josh asks, before he has time to stop himself.
"I think it may be a misuse of Government funds."
"True," Josh agrees. "So you're not having fun then?"
"I was until then. You?"
"I'm having a very strange time. The president's decided to have a barbeque tonight, which has to be the most bizarre state dinner in history."
"At least it's not chili," Donna points out.
"Yeh well I think feeding Jed Bartlet's chili to the prime minister of Great Britain may be a form of regicide."
"That'd be if he fed it to the Queen," Donna laughs. "But I get your point."
"Then," Josh continues, "Toby's asked me to be Huck's godfather."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously," Josh grins.
"I didn't realize that was a Jewish custom."
"Kind of. It's called Sandek in Hebrew or, if you want to impress him with your Yiddish, Kvater. Luckily it's not the same as a Christian godfather and I won't be responsible for his spiritual upbringing," Josh smiles. "Then I made a decision about something I've been trying to work out for some time."
"Sound's ominous."
"Maybe. You see I was wondering, and I understand if you think I'm insane, but I was wondering, when we get back to Washington, would you like to go for a drink or a meal or a movie or something?"
Donna tries to look nonchalant, just in case he doesn't mean what she hopes he means. "We do that all the time."
"I don't mean as friends or colleagues."
"Ah, you mean like a date."
"I do mean that, yes."
"Me and you? Go on a date? Together?"
"What do you think? Am I insane?"
"Completely," Donna smiles. "And I'd love to go on a date with you."
"Yeh?"
"Yeh."
"Excellent," he grins.
"But I thought after that night we'd agreed it wouldn't work, with our jobs and everything?"
"I know we did. But that was the best Saturday night and Sunday morning I can remember. Call me selfish, but I want more of those."
"Me too, only without Toby interrupting us."
"Definitely," Josh agrees.
"So this'd be like a secret relationship?"
"For now, would that bother you?"
"I'd want to tell everyone, but I can keep a secret in the interest of national security," Donna smiles.
"Joshua," CJ calls through the trees. "My fellow godparent."
"Claudia," Josh grins. "We're going to have a godchild. How do you feel?"
"Flattered. You?"
"Shocked. I can't believe he's asked me. I know he was unlikely to stick to tradition and ask his father, but I'd have thought he'd have chosen his brother."
CJ smiles as her and Josh walk up to the President's cabin. "He did."
"There's two godfathers? Is that a Catholic thing 'cos Andi's....?"
"There's only one godfather, you," CJ tells him as they enter the President's cabin and walk to the study.
Josh stops and stares at CJ for a second before a slightly bashful yet extremely happy smile spreads across his face.
CJ smiles back, "You two have come along way in the last five years. I always knew you'd become friends."
"Ah it's the godparents," Jed smiles as CJ and Josh enter the study.
"Mr President," Josh smiles nervously.
"Mr President," CJ echoes Josh's words and mirrors his expression.
Leo laughs, "They know you too well, Sir. I think I might just go and see.... "
"No, Leo, stay. I just want to make sure they know what duties godparents have."
"That's what they're afraid of," Leo grins.
Jed smiles and motions for CJ and Josh to sit down. "You'll be relieved to hear that I can only spare five minutes. CJ, you're a Catholic so you should know what your duties are, Josh on the other hand.... " he turns his attention to his deputy chief of staff.
"CJ's going to fill me in, Sir," Josh tries.
"Good," Jed smiles, though he's still keen to carry on with one of his favorite pass times, tormenting his staff. "You know you're going to be responsible for the child's spiritual upbringing?"
"Yeh, I think that may have been Toby's idea," Josh smiles. "I may not be his ideal Jewish role model, but anything's better than nothing."
Leo shakes his head. "You really think that's why he chose you? You're not the only Jew he knows."
"Yeh," CJ agrees. "And like you said, you're not the ideal Jewish role model," she grins. "He chose you 'cos you're his friend."
"Okay," Josh looks extremely embarrassed.
"Leave him alone," Jed smiles. "Now Josh, Catholic godparents are responsible........"
Josh is on his way to Leo's cabin, when Charlie and Will catch him up. "So did you ask her?"
"Ask who what?"
"Did you ask Donna out?" Charlie persists.
"Who said I was going to?"
"Will," Charlie grins.
"Hi," Will smiles nervously.
"Why would you tell Charlie something like that?" Josh asks.
"I thought we agreed last night that you were going to? It's been eight months, it's about time you made a move."
"Made a move?" Josh asks.
"Eight months?" Charlie asks at the same time. "It's been five years."
"It hasn't been anything. Now leave me alone."
"Sorry," Will sighs. "Did she say no? 'Cos I know that can hurt."
"She didn't say no."
"She said yes," Charlie grins.
"I_didn't_ask_her."
"Okay," Charlie smiles. "But you're gonna?"
"No."
"Josh," Leo calls.
"Thank God for that," Josh mutters. "Meetings to attend, got to go," he smiles as he escapes Will and Charlie.
Leo smiles at the look on Josh's face. "You look stressed."
"Being harassed."
"About?"
"Will, Charlie and Toby think it's about time I asked Donna out on a date."
'They're the only ones,' Leo thinks as he and Josh enter his cabin.
By 10pm the day's meetings are over and the staff from both countries are relaxing. The barbeque's in full swing, luckily the president isn't doing the cooking, although he's threatened to show the chef the best way to grill steak. Josh spots Donna talking to a guy he recognizes as being a British aide. He walks over and interrupts. "Sorry, I need to borrow Donna for a minute." He leads her away with a grin,
"What are you doing? He's a nice guy, he was telling me about this little village he's from in Yorkshire."
"Yeh that's great," Josh says. "I want to show you something." He places his hand on the small of her back and steers her away from the party.
"We can't just disappear, people will notice."
"No they won't. We'll be five minutes. There's like a hundred people here. I want to show you something," he repeats.
"Really?" Donna grins.
Josh laughs, "Maybe later. For now I just wanted to show you the moon."
"The moon? I've seen the moon before."
"Yes, but normally the sky's brightened by the city lights. From the woods behind the camp it looks completely different."
Donna follows Josh through the woods, Secret Service agents let them through the security after seeing their id tags. Soon they're stood in a small clearing, looking up at the moon and the stars. Donna has to agree, it is beautiful. Josh puts his arms around her shoulders and she leans back against him. He rests his chin on her head and she takes hold of his hands. She slowly turns around to face him, places her arms around his neck and kisses him, gently at first, but he responds with passion. Just as his hand strays to her breast she pulls away.
"Sorry," Josh says.
"Don't be, I want you do that, but not here, it'd be wrong."
"I know," Josh reluctantly agrees, then he grins. "Everyone's at the barbeque, so my cabin's empty."
"You don't think we might be missed if we're away much longer?" Donna grins.
"Yeh," Josh sighs. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow."
"To tomorrow night then," Josh grins.
"Where have you been?" CJ asks Donna.
"I left something in my cabin."
"Leo's been looking for Josh, he seemed to disappear about the same time you did." CJ gives Donna a searching look.
Donna recovers quickly, "He's over there talking to Toby," she nods in Josh's direction.
"Right. What did you forget?"
"When?"
"In your cabin," CJ prompts.
"My wallet."
"You think there might be something you want to buy?"
Across the other side of the barbeque Josh is getting the same grilling. "Your cell phone?" Toby asks.
"Yes, I left it my cabin."
"Show me."
"What?"
"Show me your cell phone," Toby demands.
"I, err...... "
"Maybe you left it in the woods," Toby suggests.
Josh sighs, "You saw us?"
"Yes. What do you think you're doing?"
"Last night you and Will said...... "
"We said you should ask her out, not take her into the woods and........."
"Don't finish that thought," Josh tells him. "We were looking at the moon, okay."
"The moon?" Toby smiles.
"Yeh," Josh looks a little embarrassed. "It's really clear from here."
"That's 'cos there's no interference from the city lights," Toby absently replies. "Did you ask her then?"
"Yes I did, and she said yes."
"Good," Toby smiles. "Are you going to tell Leo and CJ?"
"No, not yet."
"Brave," Toby comments.