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!" Donna stood in the doorway of his office, her face beaming with a wide smile. "She's here."

"Yeah," Josh answered, hoping his casual response would cover the nervous emotions threatening to tear him apart.

Donna waved her hand dramatically in the doorway. "Soooo...let's go already! Everyone else is already out there!"

He rolled his eyes and stood, following his assistant through the West Wing and toward the residence. He stopped just outside the exit to the portico. Zoey came bouncing, literally, past him, skipping happily outside and immediately into her sister's waiting arms. He watched the display of love between the sisters, not bothering to hide the grin forming on his lips. Ellie's hair was longer, cascading past her shoulders in loose curls and onto the fabric of the light blue sleeveless dress she was wearing. Curtis stood beside her, shaking his head with laughter; then turning to embrace Sam. "Traitor," Josh thought bitterly, making his way outside.

"You can't ever leave again," Zoey was telling her as the two continued to embrace. "I hated it."

"I'll see what I can do about that," Ellie responded with a grin. She turned to hug Donna and noticed Josh leaning against the doorframe. She smiled softly at him as she embraced her friend.

Josh smiled back at her, just as the President and First Lady came bounding past. "The Prodigal Daughter returns," Bartlet teased, gathering Ellie into his arms.

"Very funny, Daddy," Ellie shot back, releasing him and turning to embrace her mother.

"Okay, enough of that," Abbey said with a wave of her hand before the tears hit. "Let me see the ring!"

Ellie laughed and held her hand out proudly for the waiting group of women to see. A three-carat, emerald cut, platinum-set diamond sparkled on her hand. "Quite a rock there, Doctor West," Abbey teased Curtis with a finger to his ribs.

"Only the best for my girl, Abbey," he answered, glancing past Abbey to shoot a steely glare at Josh.

Abbey's eyes darted nervously between the two men. Press cameras had recorded every moment of Ellie and Curtis's return and this was certainly not the place for the men to start taking swings at each other. "Well," she said hurriedly, "let's get inside, we've got lots to catch up on."

"Hi," Ellie whispered, leaning against the doorframe of Josh's office.

He looked up, startled by the sound of her voice. She'd changed clothes since arriving home and was now clad in blue jeans and a vintage green t- shirt. With a freshly scrubbed face, she looked much younger than her nearly thirty-three years. "Hi," he said gently, standing and coming around his desk to face her. She took a step toward him and he took one to her. They both laughed awkwardly before finally embracing.

He closed his eyes as he held her, breathing in the captivating scent her lavender shampoo that had always defined her. She pulled away from him and made a move to sit down in one of his office chairs. He sat facing her in the other visitor's chair.

"So," she began with a smile, "How have you been?"

"Good," he answered quickly. "I've been good. How about you?"

"Fine," she answered brightly. "I love the work I'm doing in the village and..."

"You're going back?" he asked with a frown. The last he'd heard from the President, Ellie and Curtis weren't sure if they'd be returning to the Congo. He'd been hoping he could convince her to stay here...preferably without Curtis.

"Of course, Josh, that's always been the plan," she nodded. "You didn't think we were back for good, did you?"

"I don't know what I thought," he answered weakly. "So, where is Dr. Congo anyway?"

"I really hate it when you call him that," she chided.

"It's just a nickname, Ellie," he replied with a lop-sided grin.

"Well, it's not funny," she said defensively, "What do you have against him anyway?"

"Nothing, I barely know the guy," he shot back. He couldn't help but notice how she absent-mindedly fiddled with her engagement ring. "Surely you don't wear that thing when you're working?"

She glanced down at her hand; then up at him. "No," she answered with a shake of her head. "We actually just bought it. It's not going to be very practical in the middle of the desert, though," she sighed.

His mind flashed to the ring in his sock drawer – her ring. He imagined how the three stones would look on her hand. The center stone was an emerald that had reminded Josh of her eyes. On either side were one-carat diamonds and the entire ring was cast in platinum.

"Josh?" she asked, observing the far-away look in his eyes.

"What?" he asked, his mind barreling back to reality.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Just dandy."

"He's a wonderful man, Josh."

Josh rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm sure he is, Ellie," he said bitterly.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"Nothing," he answered, leaning back in the chair. "You're happy, that's great."

"You don't act like it's great," she accused.

"Well, I could throw you a party if you'd like," he answered sarcastically, "Maybe some cake and balloons. We could make it an engagement party." He stood and moved to the door. "Donna!"

"I know what this is," she said with a shake of her head. "Amy said no to you, so now you're taking it out on me."

"How am I possibly taking it out on you?" he howled just as Donna arrived in the doorway. She took one look at the scene inside and backtracked to her desk.

"You're acting like an ass, you're angry and belligerent..."

"No, I'm me, Ellie," he said, poking himself in the chest. "This is just me."

"This isn't the you that I left," she shot back.

"That's right!" he screeched, pointing at her. "You left. See, you were missing the key word there, Ellie. You left."

"God, I came down here, thinking maybe enough time had passed that we could be friends!" she yelled.

"I don't want you to be my friend," he spat out, immediately regretting the words.

Ellie smiled weakly, fighting back the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Okay," she said quietly, standing from the chair. "I'll be going now."

"Ellie," he sighed, reaching out for her hand as she tried to pass him, "that's not what I meant."

"Oh, I think it is," she answered, wrenching her hand away from his.

"Ellie!" he shouted after her retreating form. He gripped the doorframe with his hands and swallowed a frustrated scream, mentally reviewing how quickly the conversation had gone downhill.

"I don't think that's what Dr. McKenzie meant when he said you needed to talk to her," Donna said quietly, making her way over to him again.

"You think?" he answered sarcastically. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. "I've got to find her."

"She was headed out toward the rose garden," Donna said.

"Thanks," he muttered, breezing past her in search of Ellie.

He found her there, sitting on a bench with her knees pulled up to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably onto the fabric of her jeans. He sat down beside her and swallowed hard. "Ellie," he whispered, placing his hand softly on her back. He leaned in close to her ear. "I'm sorry."

She wiped her eyes with her fingers and rested her head on her knees, facing him. "You should be," she said angrily. "I didn't deserve any of that."

"I know," he said quietly and sighed. "When...when Amy said no...to me," he began explaining, "she said that she couldn't marry me because...I was still in love with you."

Ellie closed her eyes and swallowed another sob. "Are you?" she barely choked out.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But holding you in my office a few minutes ago felt so incredibly right."

"I love Curtis," she answered.

"I know," he nodded. "I just need to know if part of you still loves me, too."

"Josh, please don't do this..." she begged.

"Ellie, I have to. You have to. We have to," he replied insistently.

"We make each other miserable," she sobbed.

"Yeah, but it's just a short ride over to the other extreme," he said, taking her right hand in his, "making each other miserably happy."

"There's no such thing as miserably happy," she laughed weakly.

"Okay, whatever then," he answered with a laugh.

"Josh," she whispered. "I love Curtis and I'm going to marry him. But, I would really like us to be friends."

"I meant what I said earlier," he answered, his heart breaking, "I don't want to just be your friend."

"Then, I'm sorry, Josh," she said, pulling her hands away from him. "I can't go down that road with you again."

They both saw movement out of the corners of their eyes and turned to face Curtis, who was standing in the doorway, his expression both angry and pained. Ellie stood quickly and made her way over to him, glancing back at Josh. "I'm sorry," she said again, taking Curtis's hand and leading him back to the Residence.

TBC...