Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!

Rating - PG.

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.

A/N – the text for Ellie and Josh's Catholic/Jewish wedding service comes from a website I found called

"I have the strangest sensation we've done this before," Jed teased Eleanor as he escorted her down the aisle for the second time that day to the strains of the quickly re-assembled string quartet.

"You're a riot Dad, she answered as he leaned in to kiss her cheek and place her hand in Josh's.

Josh and Ellie turned toward their ministers, finally ready to pledge their lives to each other. The small church was occupied by only their closest friends and family - those wonderful people in their lives who didn't mind a phone call at eleven p.m., ordering them back to the church for the wedding. The tuxes were rumpled, the gowns wrinkled, the flowers wilted and the hair flat, but no one in the room seemed to notice.

"Shall we pick up where we left off?" Rabbi Lerner teased. "Or shall we start all over again?"

"We're going to have to start all over again, because I don't remember anything from this morning," Josh explained with a wide grin.

"Very well," Father Keller said with a nod, opening his bible, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony..."

Ellie glanced over at Josh and smiled. He leaned in and softly kissed her on the cheek. The ministers both cleared their throat and the couple offered the men guilty smiles. "Patience is a virtue, Joshua," Rabbi Lerner warned.

"Eleanor and Joshua, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?" Father Keller asked.

"We have," they both answered with a laugh.

"Eleanor and Joshua, since it is your intention to enter into marriage," he continued, "join your right hands and repeat after me."

Josh took Eleanor's hand in his and brought it up to his heart, smiling brightly as he began to repeat the vows. "In the name of God, I, Joshua, take you, Eleanor, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness..." he paused for the inevitable snickering from their friends and family, "and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."

Ellie squeezed his hands and took a deep breath as she began her vows. Josh was overwhelmed as he watched her. She was so beautiful, bathed in the candlelight illuminating the small church, the light flickering off the tiny crystals embedded in her veil, tears in her eyes as she repeated the same vows he had just given to her.

Rabbi Lerner took the rings from C.J. and Sam, cradling them in his hands. "These rings in their unbroken wholeness are tokens of the continuity of your love. May their shining substance be a symbol of the enduring trust and affection that you bring to one another."

"Joshua, as you place the ring on Eleanor's finger, repeat after me."

Josh took Eleanor's simple platinum wedding band from the Rabbi's hand and slid it onto her finger. "With this ring," he began, "I join my life with yours. This is my beloved and this is my friend."

"Ellie, as your place the ring on Joshua's finger, repeat after me."

Ellie wiped away a tear and slid Josh's ring onto his finger. "With this ring, I join my life with yours." She looked into his eyes and raised her hand to wipe away his tears; then cradled the side of his face with her fingers. "This is my beloved and this is my friend."

The Rabbi continued, "Your friends and family, all of us here, rejoice in your happiness and we pray that this day marks only one of the many more blessings you will share in the days and years ahead. And now that you have spoken the words and performed the rites that unite your lives, we now, by the power of your love and the commitment you have made, declare your marriage to be valid and binding, and declare you, Joshua and Eleanor, husband and wife."

Chills shot through Josh's body as he listened to the Rabbi. Finally, after all these years, after everything they'd been through – the loss of Ellie's first baby, David's death, the Rosslyn shooting, their break-ups and make-ups, Amy and Curtis – they'd come full circle.

"That which God hath joined together," Father Keller continued, "let no man or woman put asunder."

"May God bless you and keep you," Rabbi Lerner said.

"May God's countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you," Father Keller continued the prayer.

"May God look upon you with favor and grant you peace."

Expecting to hear the words, "You may now kiss your bride," Josh leaned in to Eleanor, but was stopped by Rabbi Lerner's hand. "Somebody's a little anxious," he teased. Josh blushed and Ellie laughed, bringing her hand up to his face, caressing his cheek.

"We conclude this ceremony with the breaking of the glass," Rabbi Lerner continued, "It is a joyous ceremony and while there are many different explanations for the breaking of the glass – today, the fragility of the glass suggests the frailty of human relationships. The glass is broken to protect this marriage with the implied prayer.

May your bond of love be as difficult to break as it would be to put together the pieces of this glass. After Joshua breaks the glass, I invite everyone to shout out the Hebrew words 'Mazel Tov', which means 'Good Luck and Congratulations'."

The Rabbi laid the glass down and Josh grinned at Ellie as he stepped on it. The crinkling sound of glass breaking echoed through the room, and those assembled began shouting "Mazel Tov!"

Ellie launched into Josh's arms and he lifted her up, crushing his lips on hers.

"This is normally where I say, 'You may now kiss your bride', but I guess I'm a little late," Father Keller said with an amused shake of his head.

They finally broke apart, laughing and giving the other tiny kisses as the room erupted in applause. Josh set Ellie down and took her hand in his. Ellie accepted her bouquet from C.J. and turned with Josh to face their family and friends.

"It is our great honor," Father Keller said, "to present to you, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Lyman."

Josh couldn't resist giving Ellie another quick kiss as the first few notes of Mendelssohn's Wedding March began. They stopped at the first pew, Josh giving his mother a kiss on the cheek, Ellie hugging her parents and Leo. They raced down the rest of the aisle into the tiny narthex of the church. Josh laced his arms behind her back and pulled her close to him. "Hello, Mrs. Lyman," he whispered onto her lips.

"Hello, Mr. Lyman," she echoed, kissing him softly.

TBC....