(AN: Sorry everyone. Some of you know this but I haven't had a computer for a while. Confessions has 10 parts. I promise to get them up as quickly as possible.

As a side note, thank you Kimmie and Holly. You've kept me focused on continuing after I finished the part that was practically the whole reason for the story. Because of that, I left a very small treat. Let me know if you pick it up.)

Part 6 "Its Lord of the Flies In There!"

I am not going to the council's office. I'm not. I graduated from Harvard Law. I don't need a lawyer.

I tap my pen on my tablet and look up at my notebooks on the shelf. My gaze travels to the too few law books underneath.

I need a lawyer.

No I don't! If I go to the council's office with something like this, I'll be laughed right out of there.

"Josh." I hear her but really I don't. "Josh." Is there one lawyer I can just casually mention it to? I turn my head to the side and find Donna standing in front of my desk watching me. "I'm pregnant with Sam's baby." My head shoots up.

"Sam!" Perfect!

Apparently I shouted that. Opps.

"Josh!" I shake it off.

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." My reply comes out a lot more struggled than I meant it. I'll be amazed if she believes it.

"Josh." Told yea.

"It's nothing Donna." Now I sound snippy. Great.

"I'm heading to lunch. I thought I'd see if you wanted anything.

"No, I'm fine."

"Josh, you haven't eaten anything all morning. Now it's one and I haven't seen so much as a cup of coffee in your hand."

"Are you offering?"

"No."

"Kay." I notice she switches feet two times.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes I'm offering." I look up at her. "I'm offering." She's very serious and I know this, but she just wouldn't understand. And even if she did, she'd banter with me about why it's such a bad idea in the first place.

"Go." Giving one more sympathetic look, I watch Donna shuffle out the door, heading for the Northwest lobby. Giving the hall one more look, I pick up the phone and dial the familiar number.

"Congressman Seaborn's office."

"Hey Cathy. Is Sam busy?"

"Josh, hey. No, he's actually got a free hour before he has to head to a lunch meeting. Do you want me to put you through?"

"Yeah, thanks." There's a pause before a click and a pick up.

"Hey!" Sam's voice seems cheerful in my ear. I can't understand how he can be. Then I remember.

He's not me.

"Hey Congressman."

"Josh, I know it's been a long time but it's still Sam."

"Yeah." I really need to get this over with.

"What's wrong?" His cheer drops to concern. Sam's emotional stance is amazing really.

"Nothing."

"Josh."

"It's nothing Sam. I just have a few questions."

"About?"

"Legal rights."

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"Josh." It's amazing how similar Sam and Donna can sound.

"Nothing happened!" There's a pause between the two of us. "There's this girl."

"Josh."

"I'd like to start off by saying I did nothing wrong."

"And why do I find that hard to believe?"

"Sam."

"You're calling about legal advice and you've done nothing wrong? What am I missing?"

"The story." I spin in my chair. "Look, I was being interviewed by a girl. When the vetting was done, CJ found that she'd started a fan sight devoted to me nd more or less ordered me to loose her."

"She ordered you?"

"Not the story."

"Right."

"So I revoked her pass."

"And that's not the end of the story?"

"Sam."

"Listening."

"She caught me in the lobby and yelled a lot. In the end, she threatened to sue if she loses the story."

"And you want to know if she can?"

"Yeah."

"What's the article?"

"Does it matter?"

"Maybe. What's the article?"

"Singles Magazine's Top Bachelors." Come on Sam...

"You can't."

"Why not!?" I can't hold back my iritation.

"It's an article that's supposed to make you look good. There's no way to prove she's being bias."

"There's not way around that?" He pauses.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Thanks for listening."

"No problem. Hey, call me sometime. We can go out for a beer or something."

"Yeah. I will. Thanks Sam." I set the phone down and turn my chair back in front of my desk. Instantly my fingers drum over the desk side. What to do. What to do...

My eyes flip to the computer. I stare that way for a few minutes before I roll my chair over in front of it and start it up. I start reading my email but my eyes keep wondering to the Internet Explorer icon. Before I realize what I'm doing, I click on it and type the words that have gotten me into this mess. Quickly the web page loads. I'm not really thinking as I surf the site.

Minutes later I'm once again on the doorstep to problems. But once again I feel the magnetic pull that drives me to continue. What pulls me the most you ask?

'Close Encounters of the Lyman Kind'

Subject: Out to Lunch ( 17 July 2004 )

I am sooooo happy right now!! I was with my friend Tammy for lunch. She works as an intern in the Canon Building. Anyway, I was supposed to meet her in the lobby to the tunnel that goes underground to the Capital Building. (For those not familiar with the Canon Building, it's one of three wings across the street from the Capital. All the Senators and Congressmen/women have their offices located in the wings.)

Well while I was waiting for Tammy to come down from Congressmen Spencer's office, I was looking around and saw the one and only Joshua Lyman talking to Congressman Warren!

So I looked around and couldn't find Tammy anywhere. When I looked back, Josh was finishing talking to the Congressman. So I did what any women hopelessly devoted to all things Josh Lyman would do.

I walked over to talk to him.

I was corny, I know. I ask if he'd seen someone matching Tammy around. I told him I was late for a lunch and I didn't know if she left without me. He told me he wasn't sure and that he was sorry he couldn't help. I then asked if he was Josh Lyman, because he looked familiar to me. So we struck up a small conversation about the GI Bill we've been talking about on here. He told me that I seemed very informed. That it's rare.

He was very sweet to continue to talk to me like he did. We talked for a few minutes before Tammy tapped me on the shoulder. I told him apparently I hadn't missed her and thanked him for his time.

I had a Josh encounter!

SalieMae

I remember that. I look down. There's a reply from the webmaster from today.

Subject: Re:Out to Lunch ( 21 July 2004 )

SalieMae, I'm so sorry for you. What you saw was an imitation. Not the real Josh Lyman. The real Joshua Lyman is an arogant jackass that wouldn't know manners if they tapped on his shoulder. The man may know his politics but he's a real dick when it comes to people skills.

My only wish is that you had met the real Mr Lyman that would have told you to leave him alone because you're an obsessed freak with too much time on your hands.

I for one didn't particularly enjoy being the receive of the true Josh, but I'd prefer fact to fiction.

Arrogant jackass.

XxGeorgiaInkxX

Wow. I must really have pissed her off. And there's nothing worse than a woman scorned.

Correction. There's a female journalist scorned.

Which I luckily have as well.

I'm so screwed.

Subject: Out on the Lawn ( 19 July 2004 )

So I was out jogging near the Washington Memorial and I saw Joshua Lyman walking back to the White House. I told him I thought he was hot and he modestly blushed and said thank you. We walked a little and talked about the new Homeowner's Bill that's been worked on. I told him I didn't see it getting passed and he indulged by saying that he was hoping to keep it that way.

He's so smart and sweet. I wanted to give him my number but I was too afraid to. Whoever snags this guy is going to be one lucky woman.

::Sigh::

BeeKathieMe

I don't remember any such meeting. But there's no surprise to the reply made today by a miss GeorgiaInk...

Subject: Re:Out on the Lawn ( 21 July 2004 )

Wow are you full of it.

First of all, Josh doesn't walk The Mall. And why would he? It'd be easier to take three different routs to the White House than to travel up The National Mall. Besides, the Metro seems more is style.

And why would he carry a nice conversation with a complete stranger? That's a little scary, isn't it. And Joshua Lyman blushing? The man doesn't have a modest bone in his body.

This forum isn't for crack-pots wishing for an encounter. It's to tell others about something real.

Please BeeKathieMe, don't post again unless you have so evidence to back you up.

XxGeorgiaInkxX
I must have really pissed her off. Not that I blame her. All she was doing is gorifying her First Amendment Writes. And what do I do? I try to ban her from it.

I pick up the phone and search my desk for the card. Dialing, I was greeted by a sweet-sounding secretary.

"Hi, this is Joshua Lyman. I'm calling for Mister Raymond."

"Hold please." She says. She has one of those voices you'd find in an old fifties movie when the receptionist connects a long distance call on one of those boards.

Right before the editor picks up, a thought strikes me.

If only everything were as easy as a fifties movie.