(Just a little side note before we get to the good stuff)
To Lu78: Yes, I love the banter. After this chapter it will be all banter, and tawdry innuendo.
To: Sohard2c: Yes, I'm evil. I did it on purpose, for the reviews. MUAH AH AH!
To: Love2readfanfic: I am not worthy! You are the reason I write I love reviews!
To Prisschan: I remember re-watching season 1 waiting for my Season 2 to come and in 6 meetings before lunch Josh has a meeting with a nominee for Asst. Attorney General where he goes off because reparations. Nazi's hate everyone who isn't them.
So, onto the moment you've all been waiting for.
Previously on the West Wing: (Voice of Josh and Donna together)
"Donna!" Josh bellows from his office. He's woken up sore and in a bad mood. The bill on the patient's bill of rights had been amended, again and he wasn't happy at all. Meetings on the hill would run all day and his side was killing him.
"Don't shout." I smirk as he looks at me rolling my eyes. Something's wrong. He looks like he's hurting. And he of course won't say anything. So it's Donnatella to the rescue, again.
"What the hell is this?" he asks me looking at the embossed envelope on his desk. He fidgets in his chair playing with the edges.
"Josh, I would have thought you would have already guessed." I say looking at my watch. "It's an envelope." At this point I'm holding Advil and some water.
"Going to the ball are we Cinderella?" I say drinking from the cup. "Whatcha gonna wear Donnatella?" A long red dress slit up to your thigh, no panties.... Bad Josh, bad.... Toby in a dress. McNally in a thong... legs wrapped around me, moaning... Bad very, bad...
"I haven't thought about it yet, what are gonna wear? Are you actually going?" She says kind of shocked. Fantasizing about her boss, he he heh.
It may not be your anniversary but we don't forget...
We know where you live, and where that Jew loving bitch of yours lives...
We'll finish what we started. You cannot stop us, we are everywhere.
"Donna?" I whispered the fear no doubt in my voice, I try to mask it but it's too late, she's already crying. God I hate it when you cry. Don't do that... Aw Donna no, not now...
"Oh Josh, I thought that it was over." She sobs as I pull her into my arms. Not this again. Please not again...
"What Ron is trying to say is that I want you both to have agents for the next few days at least, just in case. The FBI and the Secret Service are going to be vigorously investigating this. I won't have my staff bullied and stalked by white supremacists. I've had all I'm going to take with that bunch. Now before you both go into fits, I won't be swayed from this. You took a bullet Josh. I won't have them take shots at you again. And Donna, I know this is a bit much for you, but with the other threats you have gotten, I know best. Better to err on the side of caution rather than court disaster."
"Donna, tell me please. I'll do anything." He says quietly. That's a boy, beg... "I'll give you a raise.."
"Now I know I haven't heard that one before." I say to him smiling. I know he's so close to crumbling. Ha! "What would you do?" I ask just for the hell of it.
He stamps his feet like a little boy. He's so cute. I kiss his forehead, lingering for a moment longer than platonic friends do and lean in to where his ear lay so convenient to my plan. I take a breath inhaling a moment which he no doubt notices and the signal that he will see me cave.
I sigh content in my plan. He takes it a capitulation and begins to gloat with my lips a hair's breath from his lobe. He can no doubt feel it on his skin. I am sooooo good. "No, Joshua. 22 hours." I remind him.
Let the torture begin
"Donna. You're killing me." He whispered smelling her, watching her lick on the candy.
"No I'm not." She said back to him. His hands were at his sides, running his fingers along her bare arm. "Josh, I can't go on living in fear of you dying."
"I know. Look, it's still beating." He told her taking her hand and putting it on his chest.
"You know why." He told her looking into her eyes.
"Tell me. I need to hear it." She said looking up at him and dropping the hand holding the candy.
"You. It's always been you." He said pulling her against him. "I woke up and I wanted to see your face; you stood by me. You were the one who held me after the nightmares; you believed I could do it. Even when Amy came, and went, and came again, even through Joey Lucas. I always knew you'd be there. I knew I hated every man that came between us. I knew then. But I didn't see it. I do now."
He lowered his lips against hers and tasted cherries. Cherries and heaven. She moaned as he pressed himself against her. "Oh Josh." She moaned against his cheek.
"Für das Vaterland" and he began to shoot.
The first shot hit the window and sailed right through and hit the ceiling. It went through the glass like tissue paper.
At the time, Josh had been biting Donna's lower lip savoring the after tastes of the cherry lollipop she had been sucking on. He could have tasted that for the rest of his life and not get bored. His ran his fingers up and down her lower back feeling content that the wait was over and his fantasies would finally get a chance at getting fulfilled.
Reality is much better than fantasy. I am so DA MAN!
Snug in his embrace she ran her fingers through his hair, unaware that the glass just to the right of his head had just been penetrated.
All she could hear was her hard breathing and the slamming of her heart in her chest. She was finally kissing Josh like she had dreamed for years, dueling with his expert tongue and feeling his hands against her back and neck.
God he's a master at kissing, why did I wait this long!
Josh saw the agents driving towards him before he felt the hot stinging and heard the buzz in the air around him.
"Black, we're at Black! Attack on the principal! Black we're at black!" one of the agent's shouted into his wrist and then the whole world went nuts.
Ku-phock.
Glass shattered around them. Josh's heart felt a familiar twinge, like when he would awaken in the night because of Rosslyn. But it wasn't a nightmare. It was happening for real. DONNA!
Ku-phock. Zing. Zing. Zing.
Agents surrounded them smashing the lights along the way and pulling them away from the window. The bulletproof window.
All Josh could feel was the hot stinging coming from his face and neck and the screaming coming from Donna. He couldn't see a thing. Something was in his eyes. Blood, he thought. Not that... Donna? Where's Donna!
Donna couldn't see, the hallway was completely shrouded in darkness. "JOSH!" she screamed as more shots rang through the shattered picture window and into the wall. Not AGAIN! JOSH!! Not now, not when I finally get to have you!
"DONNA!" he shouted back as their agents dragged them apart. "LET ME GO!"
Flashlights, covered in blue light, ran towards them. They revealed her worst fear. She watched them forcibly drag him from the hall, blood covering his face and neck. OH GOD NO NOT JOSH!
"LET GO OF ME GOD DAMN IT!!" she screamed struggling against the restraint of two agents.
But they were too strong. She could hear was him screaming her name over and over as the world went black....
Ron Butterfield was running. Leo McGarry watched him as he sailed past his office after stopping inside the oval. He ran after him, quick on his heels.
Leo had been down to the office because he had wanted to make himself a note on a bill due for a vote the next morning. He knew it could have waited but he figured it was alright to slip out of the part for a few minutes.
Into his wrist Ron shouted, "Lock it down, Lock it all down!"
"What the hell just happened?" Leo shouted at Ron as he tried to keep up.
"Shots fired at the residence. We've got an AOP and an agent down. Confirmed—Yankee's been hit." He answered as Leo stopped dead in his tracks. Not Josh, OH GOD not Josh.
He started after him. Panting heavily wanting to see if the President and Mrs. Bartlett had been taken to the Oval, they were there shaken and ranting.
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT THE HELL THE PROCEDURE IS GET ME BACK UP THERE RIGHT GOD DAMN NOW!"
"Mr. President, the area is not secure. Please sit down."
"Don't tell me to sit down!"
It was procedure and they weren't happy about it. He ran passed them and up to the residence, all color drained from his face. The party in full swing when the shots started and had been interrupted by a sea of agents securing the two rooms that the President had used for his infamous Chili night.
In the two rooms he saw many huddled together their faces grave. CJ was trying to be brave, but Leo saw the terror in her eyes. Toby was not far from her, and neither was any of the senior staff. They looked extremely rattled.
"CJ is anyone else hit? He asked her looking to Toby as well. She shook her head no. He was relieved at that. At least that was something.
"Leo, they carried Josh in kicking and screaming. He's covered in blood." Toby said pointing to the room where he'd told the President about his angels, better or worse. Leo mentally remarked that none of them looked good. They all looked terrified. But his thoughts were entirely focused on Josh.
Leo's eyes darted passed the couches, filled with staffers, to Sam who hovered by the door clinging to Ainsley. Alternately when she calmed him Sam was pacing. No one was being let in. All they could hear was scuffling and shouting. Then silence.
He kept his composure just long enough to get to Sam, who looked like a caged animal.
"Sam," he said putting his hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Leo, where the hell is Donna? Is she dead? What the hell happened? Give us something." He begged. When Leo began to speak the room fell deathly silent.
"They blew out the window, shots, agent down, Josh was hit. That's all I know." He said as CJ burst into tears.
All eyes darted passed the couches and chairs and towards the closed door flanked by two agents.
Ron Butterfield came in and signaled Leo to follow. "Come on."
The doors slid open and everyone saw Josh sitting on the upholstered couch one agent on either side a white compress against his face. His priest's robe was gone and he had a white t-shirt and slacks. The shirt was covered in blood and he looked sheet white. His hands, shaking uncontrollably were covered in the sticky substance and when Josh saw Leo and tried to stand up, he was forced back down by the agents on either side.
Everyone in the other room saw Josh and the condition he was in. Ainsley wept openly causing Sam to pull her into his embrace, tears streaming down his own face. Not again, they all thought once was enough.
Vacantly, he looked up and saw the man he had felt was a father figure since his own father's death. "Leo."
"I'm here son." He said compassionately. You're alive, thank GOD.
"Where's Donna? They won't tell me." He said trying to get up. He was roughly remanded back down. "All this blood, is she dead? I heard her scream and..."
He had no idea that the blood was his. All he could think about was Donna, his precious Donnatella, the woman he'd spent his whole life trying to find. The one person he could count on to be hassle free, the one who could make him do the things he needed to...gone from him forever.
Leo's face blanched. He knew Josh, knew him since childhood, since Joanie, Noah and the shooting. One thing was for sure. That look in his eyes told him that they needed to get Donna in there, and fast.
"Ron, I don't care what you have to do, get her here, now." He ordered knowing that Josh was extremely fragile.
Into his wrist, Ron said walking towards the door, "Bring Rolling Stone to Yankee's position, ASAP."
Josh was fading fast. After fighting with the secret service agents, he stopped struggling. His eyes seemed to be far away and he stopped speaking.
Leo tried to talk to him, but he looked at Leo who had closed his eyes in resignation. Josh had shut down.
He barely noticed the President walk passed him and sit on the coffee table.
"Josh?" the commander-in-chief said in a soft fatherly tone. "Josh? Talk to me. It's okay son. We're all here. Talk to me."
He sighed when he got no response. He lowered his head in frustration, pain and loss on his face. He looked up at Leo whose face was grave and knew an episode was coming on and he was helpless to stop it. He walked away looking at his staff and swore silently to himself. Damn it!
It was only when the First Lady was brought in did anyone speak or move. She held onto Donna, blood splattered against the pristine whiteness of her shirt, and walked her to the room where Josh sat. He was pale and shaking. A staffer followed her carrying her black bag and they towards a room, a path made for them the instant they arrived.
The relief seeing that they were both alive was palpable. Donna ran passed everyone straight to Josh ignoring everyone. She didn't care. All that mattered was Josh, and looking at him, her fears so profound she could not give any thought except getting to him.
For the benefit of everyone in the room, the President ordered brandy. He let them see the two of his senior staff that he had thought of more as his children, hoping that whomever saw them together would feel relieved that they both were alive. And watched as the reunion would give credence to the fact that they were all going to get passed this.
He looked at them, holding onto his wife feeling a pain in his chest akin to grief, watching how Donna was going to get his Deputy to respond, where he could not.
"Josh? Speak to me? Come on! Come back to me. Come on baby!" she repeated almost afraid to touch him. There was so much blood.
CJ was crying as were Ainsley and Margaret. Sam did his best to calm them but his own heart was breaking. Josh was his best friend and this was the worse moment of his life and they all stood by and watched, helpless.
Josh had begun shaking, rocking back and forth. Donna bit her lip and looked at Leo, the President and the First Lady for guidance. Abbey Bartlett signaled for her to touch him, gently trying not to cry herself. She'd seen shock before but not this bad. She needed Josh to come back so she could see to his injuries and possibly get him to a hospital. She had tended to Donna when the agents brought her limp body to her. For Donna it was easy she had passed out due to shock and bringing her back was easy, but for Josh, that was a whole other ball game.
Her hands shook. Donna took a deep breath oblivious to the two dozen staffers still in the residence who didn't move. None of them dared, they were all rapt at the scene before them, hoping beyond all hope that she could pull it off.
She lifted her hand and touched his cheek, the one still bleeding and spoke gently. "Josh, I'm here. Come back, we're safe now. It's alright. Please, come back to me."
The President holding his wife's hand, squeezed it hard as he watched Josh's eyes come back into focus and start blinking. "Donna? OH God! DONNA! Look out!" he shouted trying to get off the couch. She was seated in front of him, on the coffee table, and stood making him sit back down, looking at his face, terror stricken and flighty. "Sh..." she crooned. "Joshua! Joshua, I'm here. Look at me. It's all right now. Look at me!" she said grabbing his face and pulling her forehead against his." She was crying and so was he. "See I'm fine. Look, see I'm fine."
He manhandled her roughly checking her for wounds and she laughed not really caring that he pulled and pushed her onto his lap for safety. He held her and rocked for a few moments crying.
CJ laughed putting her hand up to her face, so relieved that she couldn't contain the tears. He wasn't the only one. Everyone, including the leader of the free world cried. No one said a thing.
When he was satisfied that she was not wounded, he sat there quietly as she hugged him tightly. His face, still bleeding was pressed against her chest. He kept her so close it was heartbreaking when Abbey walked over with her bag.
"Josh?" she said careful to not sound too abrupt. She smiled when his thankful eyes looked back up at her. "I need to see your face. It looks like you got hit by flying glass."
Like a child he looked up a Donna who got up off his lap and sat next to him, never releasing his hand. Her blouse had Josh's cheek print on it and the President gave her a grateful smile. Her own smiled warmed his heart and gave him the satisfaction that everyone would be alright.
Abbey Bartlett had looked at Donna and thought that she was the most amazing woman. Not only did she bring Josh back to them in seconds, but she assuaged the fears of an entire roomful of people just by her presence. She sat next to Josh, silently soothing him back to calmness, all by stroking his hand.
"Pretty lucky aren't you guys?" Abbey smirked in her famous sardonic charm. "Let's see what we've got? Looks like we can clean this up in a jiffy."
"Sorry so slow." He said to the First Lady, trying not to seem to incapacitated.
"What have you to be sorry about?" she asked chuckling. "Right Donna?"
"Yeah. Looks like it's just a flesh wound." She told him winking. "They're terrible shots. Can't even get it right. Really, they're worse than Republicans!"
Everyone in the two rooms laughed including Ainsley. She looked up at the First Lady and knew that they had a long night ahead of them and wondered how long it would be before they felt strong enough to really deal with the "thing."
The president smiled knowing Donna had the most difficult time suppressing her panic, "Yeah, we're okay? Right Josh, we're fine." But he sighed knowing that was far from true.