Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.

Rating – PG-13. The President is a little upset and curses quite a bit.

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 guided their new Tahoe into the portico near the Residence. He hopped out and went around the back of the vehicle to open the door for Eleanor. He helped her out of the vehicle, then encircled his arms around her waist and kissed her. Then he lifted her hand and kissed her newly bejeweled ring finger. "Damn, that thing looks good on your hand," he said brightly, grinning at her.

She swatted him playfully and straightened his jacket collar. "All right, Lyman. Time to put on your game face." Josh stood at attention, trying desperately to swallow his grin. "Josh," she warned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm trying," he answered dramatically, his grin taking over his face. "I'm just unbelievably happy," he explained, circling his arms around her waist again. He captured her lips with his own in a searing kiss. "I love you," he muttered against her lips.

"I love you too," she answered, taking his hand and a deep breath. "It's now or never, let's do it."

Ellie led him through the Residence and up to the den, where her parents and Leo were watching television. Ellie knocked on the doorframe and stepped inside. "Well, hello, honey," her father said, standing and coming over to greet her, "this is a nice surprise."

"Oh, I hope you still think that when we're done," she sighed. She turned back to the door and called for Josh.

He stepped inside and crossed over to her, taking her hand in his. He finally turned to the President. "Mr. President, Dr. Bartlet, Leo," he said, his voice shaking, "I've asked Eleanor to marry me and she's said yes."

The three exchanged startled and shocked glances before Abbey finally spoke up. "You did what?" she demanded, instantly on her feet.

"I asked her to marry me and..." Josh began again.

"I wasn't talking to you!" she screeched, pointing at Eleanor with the magazine she had been reading. "I was talking to her."

"Mom," Ellie said slowly.

"Don't you Mom me, young lady," Abbey roared. "What in the name of God are you thinking? You tried this, Eleanor, don't you remember, you fought all the time."

"We've both changed a lot since then," Ellie argued. "We aren't the same people we were a couple of years ago. And I am old enough to make my own decisions..."

"Oh yeah, you've done a bang up of that up to this point," Leo chimed in.

"Do you really want to have two failed marriages?" her father asked candidly.

She stared at him, her shock at his statement registering on her face. "I can't believe you said that," she said, her tone both hurt and angry.

"Ellie," he said quietly, taking her elbow into his hand, "I'm sorry, but it's true. I told you a long time ago that I didn't think you and Josh had what it takes for the long haul, and quite frankly, I still don't."

"I'm standing right here," Josh quietly reminded him.

"There are three Secret Service agents right outside trained to take your ass out on my command in two seconds flat," Jed threatened. "I'm beginning to think I should have given that order years ago."

"Sir," Josh began the speech he'd been rehearsing for hours in his head, "I love your daughter more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life, and for six years, that hasn't changed. I loved Amy, and she loved Curtis, but somehow, we keep ending up together. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"It tells me that you are both gluttons for punishment," the President answered angrily; then turned to Ellie. "Don't you remember the fights, the arguments, the yelling, the screaming..."

"We haven't had one argument since we got back together," Ellie replied defensively.

"Well, congratulations," Abbey said sarcastically. "What an accomplishment for the short amount of time you've been back together. How long do you think that's going to last, Eleanor? A month, two months? How long before you're standing in front of us again, telling us that the wedding's off?"

"Mom," Ellie began, "I love him and we're having a..."

"You're having a what?" Abbey demanded.

"Mom, I'm..." Ellie's voice trailed off as her mother stared at her with hard, cold eyes.

"You're pregnant." Abbey said flatly, her tone resigned.

"Eleven weeks," she almost whispered.

"Holy hell," Leo exclaimed.

"Oh my God," Jed said quietly, sitting down suddenly.

Ellie was instantly on her knees in front of him, "Dad?"

"Yeah?" he answered irately.

"Are you okay?" she asked sheepishly.

"Do I look okay, Eleanor?" he demanded. "Do any of us look okay? You walk in here, tell us you are marrying the man you had an affair with and worse, you're pregnant with his child."

"I know that this is hard to take, Daddy, but..."

"You don't know a goddamn thing, Eleanor," he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Not a goddamn thing." He stood quickly and stepped past her. "I'm going to bed," he announced.

Abbey had remained silent until then, quietly watching her daughter desperately trying to explain herself to her father. "Me too," she choked out, walking toward the door. Ellie stood, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill at any moment. Abbey walked up to her daughter and gently placed her hand on her abdomen. "The tiniest twinge, the tiniest drop of blood, and I get a phone call, do you understand?"

Ellie nodded weakly and covered her mother's hand with her own. "No chances this time, I promise."

She watched her mother exit the room and turned her attention back to Leo. The older man ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I hate to be the one to bring this up, but are you sure the baby is Josh's?"

Ellie and Josh exchanged glances and Leo groaned loudly. "I just don't even know what to say to the two of you," he said, shaking his head in dismay.

"Just say that you love us and you want us to be happy," she begged.

"I do," he nodded, striding over to them. He took one of Eleanor's hand and one of Josh's. "I've always thought of you as a son, Josh. And, Eleanor, you know I think of you as my own."

"Leo?" she asked quietly.

He squeezed her hand and smiled weakly. "I'll talk to them, Ellie. That's all I can promise." Ellie nodded and kissed him on the cheek, then watched him walk out of the room.

"That could have gone better," Josh sighed, sitting down on one of the sofas.

"It also could have gone worse," she reminded him. "No agents were called, no guns were drawn and you're still alive."

"Yeah," he said, resting his head on the back of the sofa. He pushed the fabric of his sleeve back and cast a quick glance at his watch. "It's almost eleven o'clock."

"You ready to go home?" she asked, offering him her best "come-hither" smile.

He grinned. "Keep that up, we won't make it home." He stood and crossed the room quickly, gathering her into his arms. He kissed the soft skin around her collarbone and Ellie hummed her approval.

"I can see the headlines now," she teased. "President's Daughter and Deputy Chief of Staff arrested for lewd conduct in new vehicle."

"That would be bad," he answered, trailing his lips up toward her ear. "We should get home fast."

She pulled away from him and held her hand out. "Lead the way."

The President paced his bedroom angrily. His face was bright red and the vein on his neck throbbed menacingly. Leo and Abbey watched from spots each had taken on opposite ends of the bed.

"Jed," Abbey said gently, "your blood pressure."

"Our daughter is knocked up and marrying Josh Lyman and you're worried about my blood pressure?" he answered irritably.

"Mr. President," Leo began, "Josh can be a screw up. You know that, I certainly know that, but the fact is, that boy loves Ellie. He has ever since he met her, and none of us can deny that. He's known life with her and he's known life without her."

"What the hell is your point, Leo?" Jed demanded.

"My point is," he said slowly, "The thing I most respect and admire about Josh is, he doesn't make the same mistake twice. He lost Ellie once, and I can guarantee you that he's not going to do anything to lose her again."

"I hate to admit it," Abbey replied, massaging her aching temples with her fingertips, "God knows I hate to admit it, but Leo's right."

"But Curtis was so perfect for her," Jed argued.

"Maybe too perfect," Leo guessed. "At least you know there's passion and fire when there's arguing. Case in point, you and Abbey argue."

"That's not arguing," he shot back. "It's lively, intelligent, mind- exercising debate. There's a difference."

"And that's what they have too," Leo nodded. "They just didn't know how to handle it the first time around."

"You seem to be okay with all of this," Jed replied. "I'm not okay with how okay you seem to be with all of this."

"I'm not okay with it," Leo said with a shake of his head. "But I love her, and I think of Josh as a son, and I want them to be happy."

"And you think they will make each other happy?"

"I don't have any current evidence to the contrary, Mr. President," Leo stated.

"Hmmphf," Jed scoffed. Leo glanced at Abbey and she gave him a grateful smile. At the very least, Jed had given up his pacing and his color was slowly returning to normal.

Leo grinned. "We're going to be grandfathers," he said happily.

"What's this 'we' business?" Jed teased. "I don't recall you being there when Eleanor was conceived."

"I helped raise her and I get at least a fourth of the credit," Leo answered. "Or a fourth of the blame, but either way..."

"We're going to be grandfathers," Jed replied. His tone was neither happy, nor unhappy. It was simply indifferent.

"Yeah," Leo said with a wide smile.

TBC....