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.

Josh bounced through the hallways of the West Wing, stopping at his assistant's desk. She was on the phone, as usual, making appointments and fending off politicians wanting five minutes of her boss's time. "I'm sorry, Congressman, but Josh is really tied up over the next couple of days." She listened for a moment; then continued. "He wanted me to let you know that he wants to meet with you, but it's going to have to wait until after the Healthcare vote." She made a motion with her hand and rolled her eyes, mouthing "blah, blah, blah". Josh stifled a laugh and looked away until he regained his composure. "No, Congressman, thank you," Donna said, hanging up the phone.

"FINALLY!" she said, exasperated.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Congressman Wells," she answered, scribbling the date and time of the conversation on a pad of paper she kept on her desk.

"When is he going to understand that I don't give a rat's ass about his initiative to save some ant?"

"It's not just some ant, Joshua," Donna corrected him. "It's a..."

Josh cut her off with a grin. "Donna, I don't care. I don't like ants and I'm not going to pressure the President of the United States to save one."

"I'm not going to argue with you, Josh. I'm not in the mood. I have a date tonight," she told him, standing and heading down the hallway toward the file cabinets.

"Yeah, I do too, remember?"

"Yes, Josh, I remembered. The reservation has been made, the ring has been delivered, the tiramisu has been ordered," she announced, retrieving a file from the drawer and shutting the cabinet. "Your proposal is right on track."

She turned and quickly noticed that he wasn't following her and she turned back to him. "Josh?"

"You don't think I'm rushing into this, do you?" he asked with a bewildered look on his face.

"Oh, God," she moaned. "Here we go again."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He followed her down the hallway, not noticing they were heading for the Communications bullpen until they had already arrived at Sam's office.

Donna stood in the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. "He's doing it again, isn't he?" Sam asked.

Donna nodded and pushed Josh into Sam's office, shutting the door to prevent his escape.

"Josh?" Sam asked.

"Yeah?"

"It's going to be fine," Sam said, offering his best friend a wide grin. "Amy is a wonderful woman and you will be very lucky to marry her."

"Yeah," Josh answered, flopping down in a chair and leaning on his knees. "But what if...."

"No what if's," Sam demanded. "You love Amy, Amy loves you, and God help us all, you two are great together."

"I'm going to do this," Josh said confidently, standing. "I'm going to ask Amy Gardner to marry me."

"That's the spirit," Sam answered, rising with him. "You need me to write something for you?"

"Nah," Josh answered with a shrug, "she'd see right through that." He opened the door to Sam's office, hanging in the doorway briefly; then turning to his best friend. "Thanks."

"You can thank me by letting me be the best man at the wedding," Sam instructed.

"I wouldn't have anybody else, man," Josh answered with a grin. "Except maybe Donna, but that might be weird."

"For all of us," Sam shot back. "Get out of my office and go propose to your girlfriend."

Josh fidgeted with anything he could get his hands on that night - his fork, his napkin, Amy's hand. She stared at him all through dinner, obviously wondering what was going on in that head of his. When he hardly ate his dinner, Amy finally asked, "J, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he answered honestly, taking her hand. "Absolutely nothing at all."

The waiter delivered dessert, setting the tiramisu in front of Amy. She glanced down at it; then back up at the waiter. "I'm sorry, I didn't order this."

"I did," Josh corrected her, taking her hand and standing from his chair to come around the table. "Look down."

Amy looked down, finding a two carat platinum diamond ring embedded in the dessert. The color drained out of her face. "Oh God," she sighed.

Josh got down on one knee in front of her. "Oh God," she said again. The tone in her voice was beginning to scare him. He pulled the ring out of the dessert and wiped it off with a napkin; then slipped it on her finger. "Amy," he said quietly. "I love you and I want to marry you."

"Oh God," she repeated, her eyes darting nervously around the dining room. "Josh, what are you doing?" she nearly hissed.

"I'm down on one knee, asking you to be my wife," he answered, "Amy Gardner, will you marry me?"

"You're kidding, right?" her eyes were nearly pleading as she looked at him. "Josh, God, please tell me that you're kidding."

"Amy, I'm not kidding." he answered, taking both of her hands in his own. "This is serious. I want to marry you."

"Josh," she whispered breathlessly, yanking one of her hands away from him and starting to fan herself. "I think I'm going to pass out."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked curiously as she pushed him away to put her head down by her legs. He patted her on the back, hearing her mutter, "I need some air."

"Okay," he answered, helping her stand and leading her out of the restaurant. She took a deep breath as they stepped outside, leaning against a column for support. "Amy?"

"I can't do this," her voice cracked as she began to speak. "I do love you, but I can't do this, I'm sorry."

"You don't want to marry me?" he asked, his heart plummeting into his stomach. Suddenly, he felt the desire to pass out himself.

"No," she nearly whispered, finally looking up at him with huge tears in her eyes. "Josh, I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry?" he said under his breath. "You're sorry? I ask you to marry me and you're sorry?"

Amy grabbed his arm, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Josh," she said desperately, "please don't do this."

"Do what?" he bellowed, pulling away from her. "Don't yell? Don't raise my voice? You think that will cause me any more embarrassment or heartbreak than the fact that you just said no to my marriage proposal?"

"Josh," she warned, her tone suddenly growing as angry as his.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why won't you marry me? You just said that you love me, so why?"

"I'm just not...we're just not..." she stammered and reached out to grab his arms again.

"We're not what, Ellie?" he shouted.

Amy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, dropping her hands away from him. "You just called me Ellie," she stated with disbelief.

"What?" he demanded, his eyes cold.

"You called me Ellie, Josh," she said again, taking a step away from him. "You want to know why? This is why. You're still in love with her, Josh."

"I am not," he spat back.

"I am always going to be second best to her, aren't I, J?" she asked, tears spilling over her eyes again.

"Don't make this about Ellie, Amy," he yelled. "You don't want to marry me, that's fine, but don't drag her into this."

"I didn't!" she screamed back. "You did." She wrestled the ring off her finger, then grabbed his hand and forced it into his palm. "I knew that first night you kissed me that you were lying to me. You were thinking about her that night, weren't you?"

"Don't tell me what I was thinking, Amy," he argued.

"I ignored it," she continued, tears streaming uncontrollably as they fought outside the restaurant. "I thought that maybe if I waited long enough, you'd finally be over her. It's been seven months, Josh. She's been gone five months. She's engaged to Curtis West. When are you going to get that it's over?"

"I know it's over, Amy. I'm in love with you, I proposed to you - not her," he shot back.

"Only because you never got the chance," she answered bitterly. "I found her ring in your sock drawer last week."

He was stunned by the admission. He'd honestly forgotten the ring was even there. He couldn't even remember what it looked like. "How did you know it wasn't for you?" he asked quietly.

"I didn't," she explained softly, "until I saw the one that's now in your hand. Then I knew. It's only one of the many reasons I can't marry you." She stepped up to him and kissed him gently on the lips. "I do love you, Josh Lyman. Don't you ever doubt that." She touched him gently on the cheek and pulled away. "I never understood how you could love her no matter what, until I fell in love with you. Now I understand."

She left him standing there in front of the restaurant, bewildered and in complete shock. He didn't try to stop her as she hailed a cab and climbed inside. He didn't try to stop the taxi as it pulled away from the curb, carrying Amy out of his life, which he knew would be forever. He watched the lights of the cab until they were no longer visible and ambled inside the restaurant, paying the tab quickly and ignoring the condolences of the wait staff and the Maitre' D. He'd never be able to step foot inside this restaurant again, but that didn't matter. He'd lost the only two women he'd ever loved. He'd lost Ellie because he was stupid, and he'd lost Amy because of Ellie.

TBC....