A/N: Hi! Sorry, that I am late to update as always. My classes have been long this semester and working on a national campaign has put a damper in my schedule. I just want to thank everyone who is continuing to read this.

A few things I want to quickly say before I shut up. Firstly, I want to say something about the last chapter and the ending where the Buffy people came in. Some people weren't very happy about that and I am sorry. Not that I did it, but that you didn't like it. This story is NOT a crossover and was never intended to be. In fact, that is the last I had planned on mentioning them. I had it planned from the beginning because I originally wrote collaborations with a Buffy writer (Holly) and was comfortable writing all of the fandoms together. Sorry that people were upset, but that's my reasoning behind it.

Lastly, I want to recommend a fic to everyone out there. Grey Gardens of Shadowed Rapture by the fabulous Holly. It is a Buffy/West Wing crossover, but it has some of the best West Wing that I have read. It's hilarious, but also so true to charter. Go check it out here or on our website. I swear you won't be disappointed.

I think that's it. Thank you and enjoy! Feel free to email me about anything.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Josh was exhausted as he made his way into work Wednesday morning. He had been up all Tuesday night with appropriations proposals as well as the knowledge that Wednesday was going to be one of the few most important days of his life.

Firstly, he was going to finally see his baby in person. Fate had caused him to miss every single one of the checkups for the past six and a half months. Of course, the first several he hadn't even known that the child was his—but he had in the past two; he had just been unable to leave the office.

So as he came into work, he was also dreading the inevitable national event that would ruin his day.

And then the night he planned.

Really he hadn't quite come up with the firmest of plans yet. He didn't know what to do for the first date that was happening about five years too late. Or at least six and a half months.

Three times he almost picked up the phone to call Donna for advice. Then he remembered who he was taking out. Then he panicked on what would happen when ring shopping came into play. And anniversary presents. He was realizing how hard that was going to be on him.

So he sat at his desk, with the coffee his new secretary Jenna brought him, and decided that he needed a woman's input on what to do. He began to call out to his assistant, but realized that he didn't want to. He didn't want to turn her into his Donna replacement. Really he wanted Donna back and suggested that she could come back if she wanted to after the baby was born. She didn't say anything, but he already knew her answer.

That left CJ. And she wasn't a happy gal today. A press debacle occurred and fortunately he wasn't to blame. One of the Communications aides let a memo slip that should have never been written in the first place.

He was a little sickened as to where his path of women took him. But he decided that he should give her a call anyway. So he picked up the phone and dialed the old and familiar cell phone number.

"Amy Gardner."

"Hey."

"Josh, long time no talk."

"Yeah." He really wanted to hang up the phone and pretend it never happened. "I was just calling to see how you are."

"Good. You?"

"Yeah."

She paused. "What's up?"

"Nothin'."

"Something's up. I can tell by the sound of your voice."

"Maybe my voice just felt like sounding different for a moment."

"And you called me. I know something's wrong because you called me. Are you really behind that whole memo mess?"

"No." He nervously laughed as he leaned back in his chair. "I was just thinking about you."

"Josh? I've been doing a lot of thinking about everything and I don't think I want to get back together with you. Ever again."

Though good news, he couldn't help being offended. "You make it sound like being with me is worse than a prison sentence."

"Depends on what I'm in for."

"Hey!"

"Josh, I'm sorry, but I thought about what you said and I think you're right."

She slammed the brakes on him again. "Huh?"

"We aren't good for each other. Though it sounds like things have been crazy there for awhile. How's Donna?"

"She's good." He sighed. Some of this he didn't feel comfortable sharing over the phone. "What are you doing now?"

"Actually, you have impeccable timing. I just left a meeting at Harper's office and now I was just planning on grabbing a bite to eat."

"Wanna come sample that latest at the Mess."

"Sure."

And then the line went dead.

"Why am I such a dumbass?"


"What's up?" Amy asked in between bites.

"Have you not eaten in days?" he asked in astonishment.

"In fact...quite possibly. Talk."

"You asked how Donna was?"

"I did," she now was looking up at him as she set her food down. "Is she okay?"

"For a long time she didn't tell me who the father was. I was pissed and she was annoyed at me. I went through a long line of accusations. I even went as far as to think it was Sam."

"Wow. Sam. Why didn't she tell you?"

"Well, I thought it was because of the many years I told her not to tell me of her men. Then she confessed that this gomer had a career that she was afraid would be jeopardized by the whole thing."

"Is it a Republican? Like high-ranking?"

"Amy!"

"Oh, please! How many times have I heard you go on about Donna and her Republican gomers? Trust me, it got to a point that I almost started dating one so you would talk about me a little when we were in bed." Now his face was red. "Finish the story. I figure that you've found out by now."

"The Friday after you and I broke up, I went over to Donna's for some Chinese and beer. She had a lot on her mind and I had a lot on mine. We were both thinking about relationships and careers and all the heavy stuff that shouldn't be thought about on weekends."

"And she told?"

"Not exactly." He sighed. "After the beer, we realized we wanted something a little stronger. She went and got a dusty bottle of tequila and we went to town."

Amy's face dropped. "You."

"I didn't remember, but apparently she did. She wasn't going to tell because it was embarrassing to begin with and the—k" He stopped and looked at her. "I know that we've took punches at each other but...you aren't going to go and tell—"

"Josh." She gave him the most sincere look of her life. "No. This isn't politics. This is...your life. As fucked up as it is, it's your life."

"Yeah. I just...I just needed someone to talk to."

"So you know and Donna knows, right?"

"Yeah. Sam had found out because he's dating her roommate and he ended up telling me on the night of the Congressional Ball."

"Figures," she snickered.

"I baited him," he instinctively said in defense. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, we fought it out and then I duked it out with Donna. She gave me her lame Donna excuses and then we started to think about the reality."

Amy smiled. "You're going to be a daddy."

He flushed with pride. "I am."

"You always wanted kids."

"Huh?"

"You did. You never came out and said it, but both times we talked about it, it was because you brought it up."

"Well..." He really had no answer for that. "Donna thought it best to step down."

"Who knows?"

"Senior Staff, First Family, Margaret, Carol, Debbie, Charlie and you."

"Okay." She knew that Josh had made a big leap of faith coming to her. And she wasn't prepared to let him down. Though their relationship had been rocky at best, a small part of her would always belong to Josh Lyman. Even though she knew who had him all these years. "So..."

"As lame as it sounds, I've realized that I'm in love with Donna."

"It does sound lame, but it also sounds about right," she commented never missing a beat. "Have you told her yet?"

"No," he shamefully admitted. "Though we are going on a date tonight after the sonogram."

Amy desperately wanted to be bitter, but she couldn't. "I'm actually happy for you."

"Thanks."

"Were you just giving me a heads up or what?"

"Both." He sighed. "I...you know me."

"Unfortunately."

He glared for a second before moving on. "What should I do for a date?"

"No," she said, throwing her hands in the air. "I can embrace that you have finally getting together with the woman you loved the whole time we were together, but I can't help you plan the whole thing."

"Oh. Yeah. I'm sorry. This was—"

"Bring back a fond memory from when you guys were playing coy. Then do something romantic like take her on a carriage ride or to a picnic."

He sat there in silence for a moment. "That's really good."

"Yup."

"I might try it."

"Okay."

"Now tell me about that meeting with Harper."


Donna felt like a little child on Christmas morning. It was past midnight before she could get to sleep and she was up as the sun rose over the Washington horizon. She couldn't stop herself from wandering into the front room at six thirty in the morning.

"You know you don't have to do this anymore." Dawn said when she finally immerged from her room to get ready for classes.

"I know. I just have a doctor's appointment today," she stated as she briefly pulled her eyes away from the morning news.

"Yeah," the brunette smirked. "I always get up ten hours early for my appointments, too." She then grabbed a banana from the kitchen. "You know you don't have to watch politics all the time anymore, either. You are unemployed now. You get to watch all the soap operas and cartoons that you want."

"I figure that in my lifespan I will watch more cartoons than I ever wanted. But in the meantime..." she turned her head back to the television.

"Have fun on your date," she called as she headed out the door. "And try Passions. I heard that it's pretty good. General Hospital too."

"Bye!"

As soon as she was alone, she hopped up and headed to the kitchen to make some breakfast. After she ate, she worked out to one of her new pregnancy approved exercise videos before heading to the shower.

"10:30," she grumbled to the clock as she came out dressed to stand in the living room. She had no idea that time could move so slow. So, she moved to the phone and dialed the most familiar number in the world.

"Yeah?"

"I want my job back."

"You do?"

"Trust me, it's nothing personal. I just...don't like soap operas."

"They don't start for a couple hours," Josh replied as he sat down in his chair. "And remember that there was that whole love triangle on Day of Our Lives. At least there was a couple years ago."

"I am going to have to do this for months?"

"Hey. Be grateful that you aren't shot. You have a baby. When you heal you get to play with it. All I could play with was a used bullet."

"Josh."

"I know." He sighed. Then he cracked a grin that could be heard over the phone. "You get cool toys, too."

"Josh."

"I'm sure the baby will share."

Now she was smiling. "Josh."

"I don't know if I will. I saw this ad this morning for the most awesome race car that came equipped with its own—"

"Josh!" Now she was laughing.

"So you want your job back?" He mused. "If I remember correctly, somebody was asked just Friday if they wanted to keep the job and they responded very negatively to the idea."

"I know. And I don't really want my job back. I just want something to do."

"Go over to my apartment and do my laundry." He could tell the lack of response was not positive. "Well...it was something to do."

"I want a hobby."

"Like what?"

"Knitting maybe. Or basket weaving. Something productive and fun."

"I could see you as a basket weaver. Or maybe rugs." Then he paused as she heard muffled voices. His tone softened. "Hey, Donna. I have to go. But I'll see you in the three o'clock hour?"

"Yeah. Have a good day."

"You too." And the line went dead.

Ten minutes had passed and she felt time was moving even slower.


Josh couldn't help but smile as he went on to Leo's office. The content in knowing that Donna was as excited as him was overwhelming.

Of course he was excited to be able to see his baby. The idea was still an anomaly to him. The fact that he had fathered a life. And that said life was coming from the person he was closest to in the world spoke volumes to him.

But at the moment, that was almost overtaken by the fact that he was going on a date with Donna tonight. His Donna. Donnatella Moss, the woman he had been in love with for years in his reptilian brainstem. The woman that had smoothed over his tempers, straightened his ties, cared for him in his darkest hours, and helped him to win two presidential elections all while refusing to bring him coffee was going to dinner with him.

How could he not be happy?

"There has been a shooting outside the embassy of Belize."

That could do the trick.

"The American one?" he asked as his face dropped.

"Yeah," Leo said, reaching over his desk to find the latest intelligence report. "Five were hit. Two dead already. US diplomats. Two more are in stable condition, but the ambassador himself is critical."

Josh took a deep breath. "What are we doing?"

"Praying that he makes it." The older man stood up from his chair. "The President is talking to the Belizean government in finding out who exactly is to blame."

"They think it's related to the Pakistani incident?"

In his most professional voice, Leo gave the statement. "The White House is not at a point of speculation. We are simply trying to figure out what has happened and who is responsible." After a second he added. "Yeah, we do."

Josh sighed. "Okay."

"We'll have you in on some meetings in the Oval and as it gets out into mass media, we'll need your office to keep control of the incoming calls."

"No problem."

"You think Jenna can handle this?"

"I hope so," he said with a thin smile of disappointment.

"Didn't you have something today?"

"Just...nothing that beats this."

"What?" Leo was heading toward the Oval office through his adjourning door.

Josh assumed that he was to follow. "Well...I was going to try and make the sonogram today."

"You've been trying that for awhile now."

"Yeah." He then cleared his throat and muttered. "I have a date."

"What was that?" The President asked as the two men entered and several more exited.

"Nothing, sir."

Leo spun around. "You have a date?"

"I...I had planned to." He groaned slightly in embarrassment. "I had asked Donna to go to dinner with me tonight and she agreed."

President Bartlet was grinning like a proud father, as well as his Chief. "I have to say that six months after consummation is acceptable in the period of courtship. However, six years between knowing you love this woman and asking her to dinner is not."

"God," Leo sighed. "This is horrible timing. I'm sorry, son."

"Maybe not."

"Excuse me, sir?" Josh prodded.

"Well, maybe we can have this all worked out before you have to go meet Donna."

Leo smirked. "'Cause we have a track record for doing it easy."


Donna hadn't performed so many wardrobe changes since high school. After many hours of deliberation, she settled on a sleek blouse and a slimming black skirt. With the time to spare, she tried desperately to make her hair as sexy as possible in a way that would look almost as she had spent little time trying to accomplish it. Finally, she accented herself with flawlessly applied make-up and jewelry.

She felt good when she looked in the mirror. Though her stomach was expanding and it was now becoming noticeable, she still felt good about herself. Right now she felt damn good. And she hoped to see a favorable reaction when she went to meet her date.

As she headed to her car, she glanced down her front. Her neckline dipped lower than she normally wore in the day, but she thought that it would draw attention more to her top half than her expanding bottom. Either way, she had gone to great pains to assure that she looked appealing and tasteful all at the same time.

Her first reward came as she was walking through the White House parking lot. The security guard, who she knew well, gave her a playful catcall.

That made her efforts worth it.

With a sigh of familiarity she made her way in the building. Though it felt weird to have to stop and sign in as a guest, she still felt like she had never left home. Then, she walked to the desk that had been hers only last week and knew that she had.

"Donna!" Jenna squeaked in glee. She was too overjoyed to see someone she knew could help her to even be embarrassed by the fact that she was failing at her job. "The calls are coming in like crazy and Josh is going mad trying to sort things out."

"What happened?" She just knew that the moment she flipped over and watched a little Days of Our Lives that the whole world would go to hell.

"The ambassador to Belize and four others were shot down in front of the embassy there. Two are dead and the ambassador himself is on life support."

"How long have they been airing it?"

"Four hours."

Damn you daytime shows! "Okay. Where is Josh now?"

"He's in with the President and Leo."

"Have they related it to Pakistan?"

"No."

"So that's why everyone is calling."

"Pretty much. They all want Josh to advise whether we should be pulling out of all our embassies."

"Tell them—" The phone rang and interrupted her. "May I?" She said gesturing to the desk.

"Gladly."

Donna picked up the phone and then effortlessly diffused the Speaker of the House with a no comment.

"I love you," Jenna said almost weepy. "You...I can never be as good as you with dealing with these people. I still get nervous when Leo McGarry walks by."

"It takes time. I promise." Then with a smile and nod she gestured to Josh's office. "I'm just going to hang out in there for a bit if that's all right."

"Sure." Then as Donna turned to walk in she added, "And you look great today."

"Thanks." Donna just hoped that her date would think the same. Though she knew that things weren't going to be the happy ending she secretly desired for five days.

"Get me the head of Foreign Relations for the Senate and the House," Donna heard about fifteen minutes later. The bark was quickly followed by a yelp of subordination by Jenna. Donna then saw the half open door swing all the way and heard Josh yell, "And somebody find me CJ and Toby!"

"I am guessing that you aren't inviting them to the sonogram."

"Donna!" He jumped. "I didn't know you were here."

"I came by and found out about what happened. What's the latest?"

He looked at her solemnly. "He died about ten minutes ago."

She cringed. "Oh no."

"Did you see it on the news?" he asked walking over to his occupied desk to mindlessly sort through files.

"No," she said leaning over in his chair to peer at the desk and help him out. "I was actually taking your suggestion and watching daytime television."

"Figures," he smirked. Then he looked more closely at her. "Stand up." His tone was gentle but firm. She did and he couldn't help but be taken aback by how she looked. "You look..."

"Silly."

"Gorgeous," he finished causing her to blush with his wide, adorning eyes. "Donna, you know that I really want to go, but right now—"

"It's okay," she said with a sad, but also sincere smile. "We should have known that the world would be out to get us."

"I will make it up to you."

Her face lost some of its depression. "Well you better 'cause you have a lot of making up to do and no salary to give me."

Josh glanced down at his watch. "You better go, if you want to make it to Dr. Young in time."

"Yeah," she said, scampering to get up and grab her purse.

"I really am sorry."

"It really isn't your fault."

"Still."

They shared one more meaningful look, before she walked out of her office and out of the White House.

"This sucks," he muttered as he flopped in his chair and began to read his messages.