Dislcaimer – I don't own any of the characters etc etc etc.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys rule! I'm afraid I lied to you again though, the party chapter is half done, I will be posting it asap I just thought I would pad it out a bit more and this is what came to me! Hope you all like it!
When Sam, Josh, Donna and Mallory arrived at the Bartlett's Manchester house, they were greeted by Abbey, as she stood waiting at the front door for the Presidential motorcade.
"Good afternoon ma'am" Josh and Sam chorused together, sounding remarkably similar to a pair of schoolboys.
"I'm not the First Lady anymore boys," she said with a wry grin, "you can call me Abbey."
"Yes ma'am!" they replied grinning.
"Hi Mal, hi Donna," Abbey added as the girls followed them up the stairs.
"Hi Abbey!" they both replied, looking amused at the looks on the guys' faces.
"Come on in won't you," Abbey said as she ushered them into the house, "Jed is out in the Orchard but he will be back soon. Mal, you and Sam are in the room opposite Zoey's bedroom. Josh and Donna, you guys have the next room down from those two." Abbey struggled to hold back the laughter as Josh and Donna exchanged confused looks.
"Uh Ma' Abbey, Donna and I are in the same room?" Josh said, hesitantly.
"Yes, sorry about that Donna," Abbey said with a wink, "We've got lots of people staying this weekend, and we thought you two would rather share a bedroom than have to have a sofa! Plus we have put Toby and CJ in a room together to see if they don't sort their lives out a little while they are here!"
"That's fine Abbey, thank you!" Donna cut in, "Josh stop being a big baby, we're both adults aren't we!" Mallory and Sam exchanged a smile as the expression CJ had coined as 'Josh's whipped face' flashed across Josh's face as he followed Donna and Abbey upstairs to their room, carrying both of their bags.
"C'mon, lets follow, I see Josh's face when he sees that's there's only one bed!" Sam said, grabbing hold of Mallory's hand and dragging her after the others.
"This is your room," Abbey said, indicating a door on her left. Josh opened it and stepped inside the doorway, stopping short when he saw the bed.
"Umm Abbey?" his voice rose an octave in shock. Donna, confused at this behaviour peeked over his shoulder to see what the problem was.
"Josh, don't be stupid, it's not like we've never slept in the same bed together, just make sure this time you don't steal all the covers, or you'll be on the floor!" Donna said with a no-nonsense tone in her voice, pushing him into the room, then turning round at the deathly silence that followed them into the room. "What?" she asked, looking slightly confused at the stunned expressions on their friends' faces.
"You guys have shared a bed before!" Mallory asked. Donna's face fell quickly as she re-played what she had just said in her head,
"Oh god, I said that out loud didn't I!" she asked, looking really embarrassed.
"Yep," Sam replied, with a cat-that-caught-the-canary smile, "and we will be discussing that later Donnatella." Josh and Donna both blushed hotly, before Josh said,
"She was talking about after Rosslyn….I…ummm…. when she stayed to look after me, I uh had nightmares, when she slept next to me, they didn't happen as often." The other three nodded in understanding, noticing that while Josh had been speaking he had grabbed Donna's hand to reassure her and had somehow forgotten to let go. Donna caught Sam's eyes focussing on their entwined hands, and gently removed her hand from Josh's grip.
"Sorry guys," Sam said, obviously feeling a bit guilty, "I didn't mean to pry."
Josh and Donna both offered him big smiles, telling him that it was Ok and that they understood.
"Well we'll leave you two to get settled," Abbey broke in, who had been watching the exchange in silence, "Sam, Mal, come one, I'll show you your room."
"Ok, c'mon Sam," Mallory said, tugging on Sam's hand. "Oh Donna, by the way, Zoey wants us all to get ready together in her room, I'll come find you in a bit."
"K, see you later Mal," Donna called after her retreating back, before turning to Josh, and giving him a hug. "You ok there? I'm sorry about that, it just slipped out." Josh looked into her eyes and saw the tears beginning to pool there, and returned the hug.
"S'ok Donnatella," he said soothingly, "They're our friends, they can know this stuff. They were there too remember." He pulled back from the hug and looked into her eyes, "Now," he added, his usual cheeky grin reappearing on his face, "which side of the bed do you want!"
Donna laughed, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "Right." She said without hesitating. "Joooshhhhh!" she squealed suddenly, as his fingers came into contact with her sides, tickling her mercilessly, "Ok, Ok left!" she shrieked, giggling hysterically as Josh picked her up and dumped her unceremoniously on the left side of the bed.
"That's better!" Josh said with a grin, looking down at her. "Now we've g..Ooomph!" he exclaimed, as a Donna's pillow came into contact with his face, cutting off his next words. "Why you cheeky little…" his voice trailed off as he ran to 'his' side of them bed and threw his pillow at Donna who had sat up and was clutching at her sides, laughing hysterically. "Ok, ok truce!" he added, as Donna ran to grab both the pillows and throw them at him.
"I don't think so!" Donna replied, with a wicked smile, while trying to hit him over the head with both pillows at the same time.
"Oh you are so dead!" Josh yelled, running towards her, pillow in hand. She squealed and ran out the door and into Mallory and Sam's room, giggling uncontrollably.
"Quick, hide me you guys, Josh is coming!" Sam And Mallory just laughed at the sight of their usually professional and immaculately dressed friend standing in their room with her blonde hair completely messed up and a childish grin on her face. Just then they heard Josh calling, "Donnnnaaaaa!" as he came running out of their room, "oomph!" they heard him say again, after having apparently run into a solid object. They all rolled their eyes at each other and then collapsed into hysterics when they heard another voice out in the hallway.
"Why hello Josh, how are you today!" The voice of the ex-President of the USA, Josiah Bartlett was unmistakeable. As was the surprise and embarrassment in Josh's voice as he replied, "Good afternoon sir! How are you today?"
"Josh, you don't have to call me sir, call me Jed please!" they could all hear the undisguised amusement in his voice, "And why are you carrying that pillow? Is there something wrong with it?"
"Uh no sir, I mean, uh, no, its just I was having a uh pillow fight with Donna, and she uh away!" Josh replied sounding completely embarrassed and so almost like a little boy in trouble with his father that Donna felt a little guilty and popped her head out of Sam and Mallory's door.
"Hi Donna!" Jed called, with a grin, "Come here and explain to me why you were HIDING from Josh, and not beating him with the pillow yourself!"
Donna blushed, "Good afternoon sir." She said shyly, heading up the hallway to stand next to Josh.
"Donna, for crying out loud, call me Jed!" Jed said, catching Sam's (who was peering around the doorway to watch the exchange) eye and smiling at the 'well what do you expect' look on his face.
"OK sir, I will do," Donna replied looking embarrassed, glancing at Josh for support.
"Good, now that we have that sorted, has anyone seen my wife?"
"She's gone to break it to CJ and Toby that they are sharing a room together!" Mal piped up, stepping out into the hallway, closely followed by Sam.
"I wanted to be there when she did that!" Jed protested with a wry grin, "Well if I hurry I might be able to catch the second half of the fireworks!" he added, and hustled off in the direction of where he knew Toby and CJ would be staying.
Mallory grabbed Donna's arm, "C'mon Donna, I think I heard Zoey's car arrive, lets go find her shall we." She said, "leave these to guys alone for a while…..Maybe," she added as an after thought, "we should go and get CJ as well, save her from hurricane Toby!"
"K, lets go," Donna agreed, following Mallory down the long hallway, shouting over her shoulder, "Oh and Josh? Don't you dare look at or touch my dress while I'm gone!"