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

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.

Josh nervously spun his wedding ring on his finger. He was distracted and only half listening to the meeting he was supposed to be conducting. He glanced down at his cell phone for probably the tenth time in the last two minutes, fearing that it might have rung and he hadn't felt it.

"Josh?" Sam asked curiously, observing Josh's expression.

"Yeah?"

Sam offered him a sympathetic smile. "Go call her. I've got this under control."

"Thanks," Josh answered, rising quickly from his seat. He made his way into the hallway and checked his cell phone again. This was the week of her pregnancy, when over seven years ago, Eleanor lost her first child. Josh had been a nervous wreck all week, despite assurances from Ellie's doctors and Ellie herself that everything was fine.

He sauntered into his office and plopped down into his chair, sighing as he picked up the phone and dialed.

"I'm fine," Ellie immediately answered when she picked up the phone.

"I know," he sighed again, "I just needed to hear it."

"You're obsessed," she said with a laugh.

"I'm worried, Wifey, there's a difference," he replied.

"Wifey?" she questioned with an amused tone. Josh could hear the grin in her voice and it forced him to smile too.

"Hey, don't laugh, I've been working on that all day. It's your new nickname."

Ellie smiled, recalling the first time he'd given her that line. "What happened to Doc?"

"Got boring," Josh answered, twirling the phone cord around his finger. "Gotta keep things fresh, you know."

"Joshua?"

"Yeah?"

"Get back to work."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you more," she retorted.

"That's not humanly possible," he replied; then replaced the phone in the cradle. He glanced up to find Sam leaning in his doorway. "She's fine."

"Yeah," Sam answered, sitting down in one of Josh's office chairs. "So, we've decided that you should be the one to talk to Doug."

"What?" Josh demanded. "Why me?"

"Because you're his brother-in-law," Sam explained.

"I don't even like Doug Westin," Josh said exasperatedly.

"We're hoping that you can help Doug understand that the only Bartlet sons- in-law who have any business running for Congress are you and Charlie, if he ever marries Zoey." Sam continued.

"Doug's a moron," Josh sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"That seems to be the President's take on it, too," Sam said with a nod, "He says that he won't be campaigning for Doug, even if he chooses to run."

Josh groaned and sat up in his chair. "Donna!" he cried.

She arrived in his doorway almost instantaneously. "You bellowed?" she asked.

"I need you to arrange a meeting for me with my idiotic, thinks he can run for Congress on the President's coattails, thank God I'm only related to him through marriage, brother-in-law," Josh said as he blew out a long breath.

"Should I call him that, or just shorten it to Doug?" she asked sarcastically.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," he replied with a grin.

Donna glanced down at Sam and offered him quick smile as she turned to leave. Sam blushed slightly and looked down at his notes. Josh gaped at both of them. Sam's relationship with Ainsley hadn't survived her move to California and her foray into the private sector.

"Something I need to know?" he demanded.

"No, nothing at all," Sam said quickly. "I'm going. Let me know how it goes, okay?"

Josh chewed his fingernail mercilessly, despite the constant swatting of his hand from his wife. Ellie was perfectly calm, sitting patiently in one of the exam room chairs, flipping through a magazine. Her calmness was irritating him beyond belief.

"Why are you so nervous?" she asked with a laugh.

"Why are you so damned calm?" he shot back irritably.

"Joshua, everything is..." Ellie's admonishment dropped off and her hand flew to her ever-expanding belly.

Josh was on his knees instantly in front of her. "Oh my God," he exclaimed, "I knew it. I've been worried all week, and now..."

"JOSH!" Ellie said with a huge grin. She brought his hand up to her stomach and pressed it there. "Do you feel that?"

Josh felt something similar to a muscle twitching under his fingertips and his face screwed up into a frown. "What is that?" he asked.

She touched his cheek with her fingers. "That, is our baby kicking."

"No way," Josh laughed, pressing his fingers deeper into her abdomen. He felt the tiny sensation again. "That is the weirdest thing I think I've ever felt," he marveled.

"Try being on this end of it," she laughed.

The door opened and a cute, young blonde technician popped into the room. "Mrs. Lyman, we're ready for your ultrasound now." Ellie grinned at Josh and gathered her purse, heading out the door with Josh right on her heels. They stepped into the chilly room and the technician, Katie, instructed Ellie to hop up onto the table. Ellie got comfortable and Josh took up his position beside her, out of Katie's way.

Katie smoothed some warm gel over Ellie's belly and pressed the ultrasound tool onto her abdomen. She clicked a couple of keys on the keyboard and suddenly, the baby was clearly visible, even to Josh, on the monitor.

"There she is," Ellie cooed, reaching over to touch the monitor. Josh kissed her hand and grinned like an idiot.

"Somebody's active today," Katie laughed, moving the tool around and observing the baby's kicking. "How 'bout we see if this 'she' we keep referring to is really a she?"

Katie studied the monitor for a moment and then turned back to the couple. "Okay, you want to know?" she grinned.

"Yes," Josh answered quickly.

Katie shook her head. "I need a yes from the Mommy, too."

Ellie laughed and gazed over at Josh. She marveled at the wide-eyed child like fascination on her husband's face. "Yes," she said softly.

"So, what the boy's name you picked out?" she asked.

Both Ellie and Josh's faces fell in shock. "You've got to be kidding me," Josh said dramatically.

"Matthew," Ellie answered tentatively.

Katie grinned. "Well, it's nice and all, but you won't be needing it."

"It's a girl?" Josh asked, for clarification.

"It's a girl."

"It's a girl," Josh laughed, kissing away Ellie's tears. "I always wanted a girl." He touched Ellie's stomach with his fingers. "Hey there, little Emma Joan."

"That's pretty," Katie complimented.

"Emma is the book that brought us back together," Ellie explained, her eyes never leaving Josh's, "and Joanie is Josh's sister."

"That's really nice," Katie said with a smile, cleaning the gel off Ellie's belly and handing Josh Emma's first picture and video.

Ellie's obstetrician, Mary Nicholas, poked her head in the door. "Hi," she said brightly, "Did Baby Lyman cooperate today?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded. "Emma cooperated just fine."

"Glad to hear it," Dr. Nicholas said with a grin. She swung the door open. "Ellie, I don't need to see you today, so you can get dressed and enjoy the rest of your day."

Ellie hopped off the table and breezed past the doctor, leaving Josh alone in the room with Katie and Dr. Nicholas, who quickly reviewed the ultrasound.

"Dr. Nicholas?" he asked quietly. "Everything's really okay, right?"

She turned to Josh and offered him a sympathetic smile. "Everything is going beautifully, Josh. Don't stress about it, just enjoy this time with your wife."

His fears calmed slightly with the doctor's assurance. He stood and crossed over to the doorway, tapping his hand against the frame. "Okay, thanks," he answered.

TBC...