Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.

Rating – PG for now

Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC

Spoilers – None

Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

Josh leaned against the closed front door of his hotel room and closed his eyes. The entire walk home, he'd done nothing but think of Ellie, trying to figure out what it was about this woman that had struck him so deeply. He'd been around beautiful women for most of his life, but somehow, this was different, and he just couldn't put his finger on it.

He sighed and shook his head, crossing into the tiny kitchenette to pour himself a stiff drink. He downed the dark liquid in one gulp, sitting the glass back onto the counter. His cell phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, flipping the tiny silver phone open. "Josh Lyman," he answered.

"Josh," Leo's voice was clear, but tinged with the slightest bit of exhaustion.

"Yeah," Josh answered.

"I need you to come to the residence, right now. We've got a situation," Leo explained.

"What kind of situation?" Josh asked, already gathering his belongings and heading back out the door.

"Hoynes," Leo said with only a hint of the annoyance Josh knew he really felt.

"On my way," Josh said, climbing into his car.

"What does he mean he won't be my Vice President?" Jed Bartlet screamed, slamming his fists onto his dining room table and standing up. "He sure as hell isn't going to be President! What, is he too good to be Vice President?"

"It's not that simple, Sir, and you know it," Josh said calmly, leaning back in the chair and stretching. He caught a glimpse of his watch – it was almost two in the morning. The Governor paced the room, deep in thought, clad in cotton pajamas and a thick navy blue robe.

"What are you screaming about, Daddy?" Ellie asked from the doorway, capturing all of their attention. Her hands were firmly planted on her hips, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She wore no makeup and was wearing a lime green tank top and lime green plaid cotton pajama pants.

Josh swallowed hard and fought back the images swirling around in his brain, reminding himself for possibly the nine-thousandth time that he had no right to be thinking of her in that manner. She was a married woman, and worse, she was his boss' daughter.

"Hoynes," the Governor frowned, plopping back into his chair.

"Enough said," Ellie said with a shrug. "You boys hungry? I could make you something to eat."

"That would be lovely, darling," Bartlet said affectionately; then pointed at Josh. "Josh, will you help her?"

"Sure," Josh said, hoping he didn't sound too eager as he stood and followed Eleanor into the kitchen.

She bent over to reach into the refrigerator and take out some deli meat and various types of cheeses. She then crossed over to the breadbox and took out a loaf of bread. "Will you get the condiments, Josh?" she asked quietly.

"The what?" he asked with a laugh. For some unknown reason, he'd always found that word funny.

"The condiments," she said again, obviously not amused by his laughter. "You know, mustard, mayo, pickles – or didn't they teach you that at Harvard?"

Josh shook his head and reached into the refrigerator. "Did I tell you I went to Harvard?"

"I asked around," Ellie answered honestly, diligently stacking the deli meat and cheese onto a slice of bread. "Wanted to know what I was up against."

"Up against?" Josh asked curiously, handing her the mayo. "Should I be worried?"

"Nope," she answered with a laugh, "You should be terrified."

"I am," he agreed with a nod. "What else can I do?"

She pointed to the pantry with her knife. "Chips in the pantry, sodas in the refrigerator. I figure you guys are going to be up a while yet."

Josh opened the door to the pantry and peered inside, reaching for the bag of potato chips. "So, I didn't know you were living here with your parents," he commented.

Ellie nodded and continued spreading mayo and mustard on the sandwiches. "It's too far to drive from Baltimore to Manchester, so I just decided to move in here for the summer."

"How long have you and David been married?" he asked curiously, having completed his assigned tasks and crawling onto a barstool.

"Three and a half years," she answered plainly. "But we've know each other since birth – at least since my birth."

"That's pretty cool, I guess, you didn't have that weird getting to know each other period," he commented. "What kind of doctor are you going to be?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" she teased, arranging the sandwiches and chips on plates.

"Nah, I'm just trying to get through the weird get-to-know-you period quickly," he answered with a shrug.

"I'm going to work in the E.R," she explained. "What did you study at Harvard?"

"Pre-law, where'd you go to college?"

"Notre Dame," she answered with a sly smile.

"Ass-kisser," he shot back with a grin, acknowledging her father's love of all things Irish.

"Takes one to know one," she said in a sing-song voice.

"What's your point? I'm a politician, it's what I get paid to do," he answered, swiping several potato chips off the plate. She slapped his hand away and frowned.

Leo stuck his head in the kitchen, glancing quickly between the two. "Ellie, come on," he whined. "I'd like to get my sandwich before I get to the White House."

"God, you are whiny when you're tired," she said with an exasperated eye- roll, "It's no mystery where David gets it."

Leo nodded, "I'll take full credit for that if you'll feed me."

Ellie shook her head and handed two plates to Josh, balancing the other three between her hands and arms, delivering them securely into the dining room. She sat one plate down in front of Bartlet. "Ah, brain food," the Governor commented, kissing his daughter quickly on the cheek. "There are times I'm really glad I made you take that job waiting tables that summer," he commented, taking a quick bite of his sandwich.

Ellie leaned in to Josh's ear. "He forbade me to take that job, but I did it anyway," she explained with a wink.

Josh snickered and the Governor looked at them over his glasses. "I heard that, young lady and for it, you shall be punished. I'm sending you to your room for the rest of the night."

Ellie fought the grin forming on her lips. "Gosh, Daddy, that's such a harsh punishment at 2 in the morning," she sassed. As she passed the Governor, he popped her on the rear. Ellie turned back to him and frowned. "Nice manners," she teased; then acknowledged the men in the room. "Night boys."

"Night Ellie," they said in unison, too engrossed in their sandwiches to look up for even a moment. Josh caught her eye and she winked at him again.

"Josh?" Ellie cooed seductively, running her fingers through his hair. "I can't fight it anymore," she whispered, tracing her tongue along the outline of his ear.

God, she's beautiful, Josh thought to himself. Her honey brown hair hung loose over her shoulders, and the tight red dress she wore hugged every curve of her body. Josh swallowed hard and looked up at the woman now straddling his lap.

"Fight what, Ellie?" he asked curiously, allowing his hands to rest on her hips.

"This attraction, Josh, this thing between us, it's just too overwhelming, I just can't fight it anymore," she answered, ripping his shirt open. Buttons flew in every direction.

"What...are...you...doing?" Josh stammered, trying desperately to gain some control over the situation.

"Stop fighting, Josh, just give in to it, you know you want to," she urged, trailing her lips over his chest.

She sat up and removed one strap of her dress from her shoulder, then the other. The phone on Josh's desk began ringing and he instinctively reached for it.

"Ignore it," she demanded, running her hand through his hair again. "I want you so much Josh."

"Ellie, I want you too, but I need to get the phone," he said remorsefully.

"Forget the phone, Josh," she whispered, trailing her hand down his chest and onto his lap, massaging him through the fabric of his pants. "Forget the world, Josh, there's nobody here but you and me..."

Josh's eyes flew open and he slammed the snooze button on his alarm clock with his fist. Then he glanced at the clock and groaned. "What the hell was that?" he asked to no one in particular, burying his face in his pillow and letting out a scream.

"Get a grip, Lyman," he said, shaking his head and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He sighed and stood, heading into the bathroom for a shower.

"This is going to be a long campaign," he commented aloud.

TBC.....