Author's Notes: Thank all of you who have read and reviewed my story. I had a lot of fun! This was my first West Wing fan fic, in fact, it was my first fan fic. I am in the middle of a move and decided that this was a good place to end the story for right now. I have plans for a sequel but we'll see. I may try and write some other things. Anyway, thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter.
"What exactly did he want?" Josh leaned against the vanity as he watched Donna stare at the floor.
"Nothing, Josh, please don't worry about it."
"No offense, Donna, but you left me for this guy once already, how can I not worry?"
"He came here for me, and I laughed at him just now. I told him to go away that he had his chance and it's over."
"Why did he come back all of the sudden?"
"I don't know."
"Your father likes him," Josh stated.
"So?"
"Does that mean your father doesn't like me?"
Donna sighed, "Josh, you have to understand that Ryan and I grew up together and my father thought we were going to get married. My father doesn't know you and you get blamed for me not making it out to Wisconsin a couple of times, you get blamed for Gaza and I'm sorry about that, but my mother loves you and she understands, my father is just protective of me."
"Donna, we're supposed to be getting married and your father hates me?" Josh didn't like where this conversation was going. He was trying to keep all of his anger and jealousy in check but hearing about Donna's father and the fact that he liked Dr. Freeride was not helping anything.
"He doesn't hate you."
"But he blames me for the horrible things that happen in your life."
Donna stepped forward and cupped Josh's face. "It doesn't matter what he thinks because I know the truth."
"Donna, I won't marry you without your parents consent. Both of them."
She let out a frustrated sigh, "Josh, my don't..."
He interrupted, "Is this why you've been putting off calling them to tell them that we're engaged, you know that your father won't approve."
Donna stood there silent for a moment.
"I can't believe you! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Josh, my father is more stubborn than you are and he's a traditionalist. He can't let go of stuff, he was mad at me when Ryan dumped me the first time around. He was even angrier when I left Wisconsin to work for the campaign. You can imagine how he felt when I left Ryan the second time around. We didn't talk for months. Then Rosslyn happened." Josh saw the emotions plague her expression. "My father asked me every time he talked to me if I was in love with you and if I was did I really think some big shot politician was going to ever love me back. He told me that it wasn't appropriate that I work for you if I had feelings for you. Imagine the scandal he said. Imagine what you would do to his career. Then it happened, that night in April when you bought me the flowers for our work anniversary. I told you what really happened, why I really came back to you, and I told you I wouldn't stop for red lights, that was the night that I realized I was in love with you. I had always sort of known, but..." she trailed off a moment. "Then MS happened and everyone was on damage control and everyone felt betrayed. I was in that room for almost forty-eight hours looking through those damn boxes. I was hurt by you, the President and I was in that room looking through all of those boxes when Ainsley came in and asked me..."
Josh interrupted, "Why were you hurt by me?"
"I'm not sure really. I guess because I had to hear it from Toby. You withdrew from me at that point instead of confiding in me. We sort of lost our rhythm and it was hard. So I went out on a blind date."
"Calley," Josh stated.
Donna nodded. "Then things between us just got progressively worse. My parents were furious that I had been called in for the deposition for the MS case. Then the diary incident happened and I didn't think I would ever see you look me in the eye again. My father blamed you for the President lying and he blamed you for the sadness in my voice after the diary. I never told them about it though, I never told a soul."
"Neither did I. I have never hated anyone as much as I hate Calley for that night."
"Josh, it was my fault. He was just trying to get the truth, he was a fair man and I got off easy."
"I know, I know, but the fact of the matter is that I was so angry that you went out with him once, then I found out you saw him again, slept with him and then endangered your own well being, and then that night he got to read your diary, he got to see inside your soul, your thoughts and I was so jealous, hurt and angry I just wanted to kill him."
Donna's bright blue teary eyes looked up to see him staring at her with an expression of possession she had never seen before. She felt consumed just standing there under his gaze. Shakily, she continued her story.
"Shortly after you started seeing Amy I got a job offer from an old friend, I'm not sure you remember."
"Oh, I remember."
"Well, I deeply considered it, my parents begged me to take it. But you and I weren't the same anymore and you were dating Amy and I was dating some lawyer and I figured that there wasn't a problem anymore. We could work together and be co-workers and maybe friends again. At that point my parents backed off a little. Then something shifted again. When I started seeing Commander Wonderful as you like to call him, you started acting weird. Then the quote happened and you came to my apartment that night, throwing snowballs and I knew that nothing had changed, I was still in love with you, Jack was just a distraction from you. Then there was all the stuff in between that that freaked my family out. C.J. being stalked, the death threats I was getting, Zoey being kidnapped, the crashes and then Gaza, which led to PTSD and attempted suicide. My parents have been over protective since Lydia died in that car crash, and they would love nothing more than for me to be Ryan's housewife."
"Donna, you just listed some very valid points that if I weren't in your life you would be safe. If it wasn't for me you would be safe in Wisconsin with you 2.5 children, worrying about PTA meetings, car pooling, girl scouts and feeding the dog. Being with me has made you..."
"Alive!" she exclaimed. "Josh, I've made differences, I've helped!"
"Yeah, and now you limp, have nightmares and got fired from you job!"
"Josh, not one single ounce of that has anything to do with you," Donna yelled.
"Yes, it does. It has everything to do with me!" Josh was yelling now too.
"Don't do this to yourself," she whimpered.
"Donna, the people around me get hurt, the people around me die."
She glared at him. "The people around me get hurt, the people around me die," she retorted. "And we saved each other."
"Maybe we should take a step back, things are..."
"Don't do this, Josh,' Donna pleaded.
"I can't..." He grabbed his things and left.
Donna had spent the entire night pacing her living room trying to figure out what she was going to do. Finally around seven o'clock in the morning she picked up her phone.
"Josh Lyman's office."
"Hi, Mike."
"Hi, Donna," he said nervously.
"Is Josh around?"
"He's in a meeting."
Donna shook her head. Did Josh really expect her not to remember his old tricks. "Michael, I know he doesn't want to talk to me. I just want you to tell him that I called and that I'll be calling once an hour on the hour."
"Okay." Mike took a breath. "If it's any consolation, I told him he was crazy."
"Hey, he's confiding in you, that's great! You two must be doing well together."
"Better. I think he likes me more than he leads on."
"That's Josh for you. You're doing well." Donna sighed. "Tell him I called."
"I will."
Donna hung up the phone and started pacing again. This time her buzzer sounded. She knew it wasn't Josh, so who could it be. She punched the intercom. "Hello?"
"It's Ryan."
"Go away!"
He buzzed again.
"What?"
"Five minutes."
"Go away!"
He buzzed again.
And again.
And again.
Donna stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She turned on the radio and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance as the buzzer echoed through her entire apartment.
Josh was pacing in his office when there was a small tap. Toby peek his head inside the door. "What are you doing?"
"I'm pacing."
"I can see that, why?"
"I really don't want to talk about it with you."
"Why not?"
Josh stopped pacing and looked up at him. "You'll yell at me."
"What did you do now?"
Josh continued his pacing. Mike peeked his head in the door. "Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"Donna made her ten o'clock phone call."
Josh stopped and looked over at his assistant. "What did she say?"
"She said that she was making her ten o'clock call and that she'd talk to me in an hour."
"Okay."
"Do you want me to say anything to her?"
Josh crossed his arms over his chest and let out a long sigh. "No," he said finally.
Mike nodded and left the office.
"Why is Donna calling you on the hour?"
"We had a thing last night."
"A fight?"
"Not so much of a fight as it was finding out that her parents hate me and that I continuously endanger her life."
"You're an idiot."
"I'm really not in mood for a beating, Toby."
"Well get in the mood, because C.J., Sam, Leo and the President are not the only ones who are over protective."
Josh looked a little taken aback.
Toby sat down in Josh's visitor's chair. "Start from the beginning."
"That's it," she huffed. Donna grabbed her cell phone, keys, and her coat and headed outside. She stomped down the stairs to the outside stoop. "Stop it!" she snarled to Ryan as she opened the door.
He looked slightly surprised. "Hi." He smiled.
"No, me coming down here was not a good thing. Go away, Ryan. I love Josh, I will always love Josh."
"You don't know that. There was a time you thought you'd never love anyone but me."
"There was a time I thought you were a decent guy. We grow up and we learn to tell the real thing from guys like you."
"Donna, your parents hate you being here. They want you closer to home. They want to know that you're going to be safe."
"I am safe."
"A car bombing in Gaza? Wasn't Josh shot too? I mean you call that safe?"
"I'm alive. I'm healthy. Things are good for me. Ryan, I like who I am, what I've been doing. My life is good." She glanced at her wristwatch. "Hang on."
She flipped open her cell phone and punched speed dial number 1. "Hi, Mike. Just making my eleven o'clock call. Anything new?" She paused. "Okay, well I'll talk to you soon." She closed the phone and turned her attention back to Ryan.
"Why are you here, Ryan, after six years?"
"Because I do love you. I love your family and I miss you. Six years and I can't get you out of my mind. Six years and I just want to hear your voice and see your face."
Donna chuckled, "Go home, Ryan, I promise you'll find someone better. Someone who would make a good housewife."
"I don't want a housewife."
"Ryan, you've always wanted what you couldn't have."
Donna stalked passed him and trotted down the steps.
"Donna!" he called after her. They both stepped down onto the sidewalk at the same time. Ryan pulled her around to face him and then pressed his lips to hers. The more she struggled the more he tightened his grip.
Donna pounded her fist against his chest and then suddenly she felt their bodies being yanked apart. She stumbled backwards and felt an arm snake around her waist to hold her steady while Ryan stumbled into a snow pile behind him. Donna turned to see Josh holding her in his arms.
"You had your turn, Dr. Freeride, and you blew it," Josh stated.
"Isn't that Donna's decision?" Ryan said getting to his feet.
"You're right. Donna?" Josh looked down at the blonde beauty in his arms.
"You had your turn, Dr. Freeride, and you blew it," Donna reiterated.
Josh smirked smugly as he watched the man slip and slide down the sidewalk. Donna turned to Josh. "Not that I'm complaining but what are you doing here?"
"The last fourteen hours apart were hell for me and I don't want to be away from you that long ever again. So, I think you should move in with me as soon as possible."
"What changed your mind?"
"You did." He wrapped his arm around her tighter. "Plus, I've decided that I'm going to be selfish and keep you. Your father will learn to like me and your family will trust me. But you have to promise me that you'll never leave me."
Donna looked up into Josh's deep brown eyes. "I'll never leave you," she murmured and lightly brushed her lips against his.
"Toby yelled at you didn't he?"
Josh shrugged, "That man has a force to be reckoned with and I'm certainly not going to be the one who defies Toby. Plus he's generally right about these things. Oh and he found you a job by the way. You'll be back in the West Wing."
"What? How?"
"Let's just say he's got connections. Turns out he knows the President of the United States," Josh gloated.
Donna giggled. "You're the best."
"Just so we're clear, I love you and if you'll still have me, I very much want to get married."
"Excellent, because I think I have the perfect date."
"Yeah?"
"April 2nd."
Josh smiled, "Really? How so?"
"Well you see I left you February..."
"And came back to me in April."
"That's right."
"Can we call your family?"
"Sure, but let's go inside, it's freezing out here." Donna cuddled up to Josh's side and wrapped her arms around him. They held on to each other and headed inside.
"I can't go out there," Donna stared at the crowd of people in the Rose Garden of the White House.
"Of course you can. Josh is waiting," C.J. replied.
"This was a bad idea."
"Why?" Andi asked.
"Getting married at the White House?" Donna shrieked.
"You can't say no to the President," Mallory grinned. She stroked her protruding stomach as the baby kicked inside of her. "This kid is definitely related to Sam, she fidgets just as much as he does." Mallory looked alarmed all of the sudden and turned to C.J. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be complaining when..."
C.J. shook her head. "It's okay. Don't worry about. Being pregnant isn't an easy feat, and if I was still pregnant you better bet your ass I would be complaining and blaming Danny."
"I really am sorry."
"Miscarriages happen, Mal, honestly I'll get another chance." C.J. smiled a sad smile, she was sad that she wasn't pregnant but she knew that she and Danny were plan on trying again very soon.
Mallory in all of her over emotional state grabbed C.J. and hugged her.
The First Lady entered the Oval Office. "Donna, what's going on?"
"They're having a moment and I can't seem to make myself go out there. I don't know what the hell anyone was thinking letting me walk down the isle in front of a crowd. I'm a klutz. I leave my underwear in front of reporters, I messed up my election ballet and I was surrounded by the press at an abortion clinic, I'm pretty sure if I take one step I'm going to make a fool out of myself."
Abbey Bartlett laughed. "Oh, honey, you and Josh really are a match made in Heaven."
"Donnatella Moss, what is going on in here?" Donna's father entered the room looking stern and anxious.
"I can't go out there."
"Donnatella, I dragged my sorry ass out here all the way from Wisconsin, excuse my language Dr. Bartlett, and I'm finally getting the chance to have the son I've always wanted, but if you stay in here, Josh won't be my son-in-law which is what I thought you wanted so bad."
"Came around to my side of thinking, did you?" Donna smirked.
"Truth be told, no man will ever be good enough for my Donnatella but he's the best one I've met, so let's get you out there."
Donna kissed her father on the cheek and allowed him to walk her outside to the path. Donna found Josh waiting anxiously at the end of it. The music started and the audience rose and watched as Donna walked down to her Josh.
Mr. Moss gave away Donna to Josh and then he went and sat down by his wife to watch the ceremony.
Donna glanced over at the groomsmen to find Sam, Toby and Danny beaming at her. She smiled back. Donna turned her attention to Josh and when she looked into his eyes she had found her future.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Josh lifted the veil and lowered his lips over her waiting mouth. They sealed their nuptials and parted with a blissful applause. Hand in hand they took their first steps as Joshua and Donnatella Lyman.
See the thing about happy endings is that they're usually just the beginning...