W.W.- Tuesday morning

Just like the previous day, Donna walked though the security station feeling like every eye was on her. Kyle, a fifty-something officer with the security detail, nodded to her like he always did, and she had to actively suppress the urge to shout, "Yes, yes, I'm sleeping with my boss!"

She chalked it up to anxiety and a little bit of hormones. She knew she'd have to talk to everyone soon- there was no chance people would just let things lie another day. Still, she had to hope there would be some respectful moratorium on prying, so she and Josh could tastefully announce to their friends and colleagues the changes in store, make some plans, and take it from there.

She came around the corner into the bullpen, and was assaulted by a riot of colors and smells. It was as if a florist had exploded over her desk. Flowers, streamers, and even candy bouquets and gift bags covered every horizontal service. Standing front and center were all the senior assistants, led by Margaret.

"Hooray!" The sound was a physical force, stopping her dumbstruck in her tracks.

Margaret grabbed her by the shoulders, but was speechless herself and finally just hugged her wildly, almost knocking them into Bonnie, who was waiting her turn. Donna had barely escaped Bonnie's embrace when Ginger, tears running down both cheeks smothered her in a snuffly hug.

"We're all so happy for you," Ginger sobbed.

"I couldn't believe it, I mean I always knew but after so long, what am I saying…" Carol seemed to be blushing and grinning at the same time.

"You show 'em, Donna, you show 'em all!"

She found herself facing Ed and Larry, who had just come into the bullpen from the press area. Ed hugged her, and then Larry hugged her and kissed her cheek. She spun around and fell into her chair.

The noise finally abated as everyone paused for breath at once.

"So, what's the occasion?" Larry asked.

Ginger punched him on the arm. "You kissed her, you nitwit. What did you think was going on here?"

Larry flushed. "I don't know. Everyone was so happy, I got carried away."

C.J. arrived at that moment, carrying a bouquet of blushing cream-colored roses.

"There was kissing?" she asked, "And I missed it? Oh, these are for you." She held out the exquisite roses.

"Really, this is all too much," Donna said, holding the roses to her and smelling their delicate perfume. "All of you, and Carol, C.J., these really are…"

C.J. shooed Ed and Larry back out of the way. "You look a bit overwhelmed, Donna. Okay, you unruly horde, disperse I say."

Her glowering soon had the assistants, Ed, and Larry back to something that might to a casual observer look like work. She scooted some flowers over on the desk and leaned back on it.

"Congratulations, Donna. Love suits you." She gave a wry smile and a little sad sigh. "It's been a while, but I can still recognize it when I see it."

"Really, C.J., this is too much!" Donna looked at all the flowers and gifts and cards. "We haven't even had a chance to tell anyone but you and Leo. Oh, and the President. How did everyone…" She stopped at C.J.'s smile.

"Oh. It leaked."

"Like a three dollar boat," C.J. confirmed. "Margaret had every assistant in here at 6:00 this morning getting all this ready. I got my page last night around 9:00."

"Josh didn't tell anyone till after 9:00! Even for this administration, that's an amazing display of… of..." She looked at C.J., eyes growing wide.

"Margaret," they said together.

"It was a 'Code 208,' Margaret said- a confirmed Josh and Donna relationship alert. She apparently has a lot of free time." C.J. pondered for a moment. "I wonder how she does that?"

Donna laughed. "Here, why don't you take those roses? I mean, what am I going to do with 300 pounds of flowers?"

C.J. patted her shoulder as she stood up. "I think you'll want to hold onto the roses. They're not from me. They're from…" Her eyes narrowed as she saw some congressmen coming down the hallway. She said softly but with a casual expression, very obliquely as the congressmen approached, "Those are from the Management."

Donna looked at her, and then looked to the flowers. "The Rose Garden?" She asked, hushed and amazed. These flowers would be pressed, dried, and line her hope chest one day. Okay, so she didn't have a hope chest, but with roses from the President of the United States to kick it off it might not be too late to start one.

"When is Josh coming in?" C.J. asked her. "We're moving Senior Staff up to 8:55."

"Right. He said he was going call his mother first thing then he'd be here by half past."

"You better get those in some water. And you might want to call the busy elves back to clean some of this stuff out before Josh comes in. Just a suggestion."

"Thanks. Good idea." Her phone rang, and she waved C.J. off as she answered. "Josh Lyman's office?"

"Hello, this is Special Agent Michael Casper of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Is Mr. Lyman in the office?"

"Sorry, Mike, he's not due till just before Senior Staff this morning. I'm sorry he missed you yesterday. Can I arrange to have him call?"

"Sorry, Donna, it's not something, well, listen. If I come by around 11:30, can you free some time for me?"

"Sure. His lunch is free. Anything I should give him a heads-up on?" Mike often called, usually on short notice, and he usually was very formal when it was work related. He was cute, really, for someone who was, you know, not Josh.

"No, it's not something I can discuss right now. Put us down for lunch, ok?" He sounded a little distressed.

"Sure, is everything alright, Mike?"

"Certainly, I just need to speak to him this week. Thanks."

W.W.

Leo looked at Margaret, who was thumbing through a well-worn copy of Modern Bride magazine, oblivious to the people passing, oblivious even to Leo standing in front of her desk. With a combination of amusement and curiosity, he cleared his throat softly. No response.

"Is Mr. McGarry available today?" He waited as she highlighted something and slowly turned the page.

"Mr. McGarry has a full schedule today but you're welcome to leave your name," she said without looking up.

"What a shame," Leo said, "as I was hoping to give him this check for ten million dollars."

"The office of the Deputy Chief of Staff is normally next, but today I might try communications, just down the hall to your right." She was frowning over a Vera Wang in antiqued ivory with beaded accents. How would that look with blonde hair and alabaster skin? Not good, but the line was stunning.

"Cabbages make an excellent source of fuel for hovercrafts," Leo added conversationally.

"Thank you, I'll pass that along." She nodded, slapping a post-it on the page to mark the Vera Wang.

"Margaret!" Leo growled loudly, leaning slightly towards her.

"Ahhh!" Her eyes wide, she tried to close the magazine, cover her face with her hands, and stand straight up all at once. What she succeeded in doing was hurling the heavy magazine spine first into the bridge of Leo's nose.

"Ahhh!" His cry mimicked hers, just as Josh came around the corner flanked by a grinning C.J. and a less-dour-than-usual Toby.

"Sorry, sorry Boss!" Margaret was around the desk in a flash, as Leo sat heavily in her guest chair. The offending magazine had fallen open in his lap. As it slid to the floor, Josh snatched it up.

"I'b fide. Bargaret, I'b fide!" Leo was holding his nose, and a little bit of blood was dripping down his wrist. C.J. handed him a tissue from the box on the desk and helped him to his feet.

"The first casualty of the revolution, Josh," Toby noted, peering at the article in Josh's hands. "Struck down by… '30 Ways to a Heavenly Honeymoon'? Leo? Do you, too, have something to tell us, you crazy kids?" His dark eyebrows arched at Leo and Margaret.

"Toby!" Leo warned, heading towards his office with tissues held to his nose.

Margaret watched them go in, biting her lower lip and blushing to match her hair. There were times she hated being a redhead. All the high spirits from her successful Code 208 operation ebbed away at the thought of Leo being teased, or hurt, or embarrassed.

She had an odd relationship with Leo McGarry. She'd started as an intern in the Labor Department, and when he'd gone on the lecture circuit, he'd brought her along as his assistant. They had worked closely for over ten years, and she was beginning to realize that some day soon he would be retiring from public life and she would lose him.

Not lose him, not like she had him. Lose him like a boss, like a part of the team, the very formidable Leo and Margaret team. It just didn't bear thinking about. Maybe she should call over to the hotel and have another shirt sent over for him?

Oh. No. He was staying at the house this week. Her house. The former Mrs. McGarry's house. And she, Margaret, had just literally hit him over the head with a bridal magazine. She sat, despondent in her own guest chair and sighed. Speaking of things that just didn't bear thinking about…

W.W.

"Donna!"

Josh's shout was one notch below a bellow. He was making an effort.

"Mmm?" She was standing right beside him.

"Ahhh! That's it, we're getting you that bell to wear around your neck." He looked at her hard. "Were you standing behind the door?"

"I was. You're right: it's good for the back. Very helpful when you're stressed."

"Well why don't you… Why are you stressed?" He turned, and took her shoulders in his hands, peering critically into her eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Aside from having six hundred White House staffers, half a dozen press members and my mother call me so far today?"

"Your mother called? I thought you were planning on calling her tonight?" He was still looking at her, examining her as though for signs of plague or madness.

"I'm fine!" She pulled away. "I was going to call her, but she called me instead. It's been crazy. Oh, and Mike Casper is going to meet you in the Roosevelt Room in twenty minutes. Tell me what you want and I'll send someone down to the mess."

"Mike? Oh, the thing… Say yet what he wants?" He resisted the urge to lift the stray strand of hair off of her cheek.

"Nope. Very opaque." She turned to go.

"Hey, Donna?" She turned. He reached out and gently tucked the stray strand of hair back behind her ear. As he pulled his hand back, he let his knuckles drag ever so softly across the skin of her cheek. Every hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood up in a frisson of excitement.

"What, what was that for?" Her eyes were wide and luminous.

"I realized I was resisting the urge to do that, like I do every day. Now," he shrugged, "I don't have to any more, and I'm not gonna."

"Oh." She blinked. She blinked again. She reached a foot back behind her and kicked the door closed, and then threw herself at him. She had him wrapped in her arms and her cherry-blossoms lip-gloss was being effectively applied to his mouth by the convenient mechanism of her lips. His arms wrapped around her, and her foot lifted off the ground like in those '40s romantic comedies.

She pulled away, leaving him open-mouthed, closed-eyed, and panting. He opened his eyes after a moment and blinked rapidly, mouth still puckered and body gently swaying in an unseen breeze.

"I realized I was resisting the urge to do that," she quoted, "like I do every day. Now, I don't have to any more, and I'm not gonna." She winked, adjusted her blouse with a tug, and let herself out.

"…," he said succinctly.