Disclaimer: you know the drill.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed,  and thanks for your patience with my slow updating recently. Hope u enjoy this little bit.

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CJ and Toby headed downstairs about half an hour after the boys had disturbed them. There was no awkwardness between them, a fact that they were both truly thankful for, and CJ smiled inwardly when he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together as she hesitated slightly about going to join the others out on the patio. He gave her hand a small squeeze, the blush returning to the parts of his face not hidden by his beard. She nodded and he pushed the door open and led her out onto the patio. Everybody stopped talking and looked up at the couple, all eyes fixing on their joined hands. Sam was the first one to move. He jumped to his feet and went straight up to Toby.

"Look, I uh.." he hesitated slightly, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at the floor, "I'm really sorry about last night guys. CJ I didn't mean to upset you, forgive me?"

They both just looked at him for a second, their faces not giving anything away, until suddenly, huge smiles broke across their faces and CJ replied,

"Yeah we forgive you Sparky, I guess we owe you some thanks for giving us a push. But be warned… we also will be getting you back, so I'd be watching your back!"

Sam paled slightly at the thought, but looked immensely relieved that neither of them were gonna kick his arse.

"So CJ," Donna called, from what seemed to be her permanent position on Josh's lap, "you ready to go shopping?"

"Yeah, I just need to grab my bag." She replied, pulling away from Toby and heading back upstairs.

About an hour later, CJ, Donna, Mallory, Zoey and Ainsley were all sat on sofas round a table in the Starbucks in the mall where they were shopping, reminiscing the Bartlett administration, when Zoey suddenly said,

"So CJ, Donna I guess there's no need to ask you guys if you enjoyed the party!" she winked at them, and they both grinned back, blushing madly.

"Yeah it was great," Donna managed to say, blushing harder as she thought back to the previous night in the boathouse.

"So what happened?" Mallory asked, "When did u FINALLY see sense and snap out of denial!"

"I was not in denial!" Donna replied defensively, "What!" she added in a kind of squeak at the looks on her friends' faces.

"Come on Donna," Ainsley said, "you can not be denying that you have been crazy about Josh for a long time?"

"I loved him as a friend, nothing more!" Donna managed to squeak, looking round at all of them, doing a good impression of looking confused.

"Donna!" Ainsley continued, "Come off it! The two of you have been in denial ever since I met you, possibly before if you listen to these guys.."

"That's true!" CJ added, dreading the moment that the conversation turned to her like she knew it would, and subtly trying to prolong Donna's agony.

"See!" Ainsley said, grinning at her friends discomfort, "So what happened then?"

Donna rolled her eyes at her friends, and started to reply.

"Well… we were just sitting on the sofa chatting, after we figured out what was going on that is! I still can't believe you guys tricked us like that. By the way, who wrote the letters?"

"Don't change the subject," Mallory replied, "but if you really wanna know, Sam and Charlie wrote yours, and me Zoey and CJ wrote the one to Josh. Now carry on!"

"Seriously? Sam and Charlie wrote that! I'm impressed, it was really sweet!" Donna said with a smile, "Ok, Ok," she added when she saw Zoey rolling her eyes at CJ, "anyway, we decide we might as well enjoy the champagne you left us and then we sat on the sofa chatting for a while, and I uh felt cold, so Josh wrapped the blanket around us both and we stayed like that for a while. Then that James Blunt song came on, and he asked me to dance and while we were dancing, he kissed me!"

She blushed again at the collective 'awww's' coming from the group, "You guys should have seen his face after he kissed me, I think he actually thought that I was gonna hit him or something!"

"Well that sounds like Josh!" CJ laughed, "I'm sure it wouldn't have been the first time you have hit him though!"

"True." Donna admitted with a grin, "but I wasn't going to this time!"

"No I bet you weren't!" Zoey said, giggling at the look on Donna's face.

"So it was good then!" Ainsley asked with a wink causing Donna to flush even more, if it was possible.

"Yeah, he's a great kisser!" she admitted hiding her face behind one of the sofa cushions. They all laughed at her and she threw the cushion at CJ's head, missing her and hitting the person sat on the chair behind.

"Ooops! Sorry sir!" Donna said, trying desperately to hold back the giggles, failing miserably when the man turned round and they saw his face, "Leo!" she exclaimed, laughing openly now, "I'm sorry I mean Mr Vice President, what are you doing here!"

Leo smiled at the group who had now collapsed into giggles. "Eavesdropping!" he replied with a grin, "Josh won't tell anyone anything, so they sent me to listen in on your conversation!"

"I can't believe they did that!" Mallory said, "I am so going to kill Sam, I bet it was his idea. Anyway, Dad, come and join us!" she gestured to the space on the sofa next to her. Leo sat down next to his daughter and then turned to CJ,

"So CJ, now that we've heard about Josh and Donna, I think its about time to hear about you and Toby." He said, smiling at his squirming Chief of Staff.

"Not a chance!" CJ replied, "Sorry boss, but girl talk is supposed to be between girls."

"Well you can't blame me for trying!" Leo replied with a grin, "Well I suppose I better let you get back to your shopping then, I'll see you back at the house." He got up and the his two Secret Service agents, who everyone had managed to miss sitting at the next table, got up to follow him. He was half way to the door when he turned around and said, "By the way CJ, Donna? I'm so glad that you guys all finally sorted your lives out! If the press have any problems with any of this, just let me know and I will set fire to the pressroom personally!"

"Thanks Leo, that really means a lot." They chorused.

"See you back at the house Dad." Mallory added, with a wave. Leo nodded to the group and then left to go back to house.

"So CJ, now that Dad's gone, spill it!" Mallory added, once she was sure Leo was out of earshot.

He came up to see me, apologised a thousand times and then we kissed again, and the rest is history." CJ said, looking down at her hands.

"Come on CJ, there must have been more to it than that!" Zoey said, CJ blushed again,

"No honestly that is basically what happened, the actual details are staying between me and Toby thank you very much!" Donna, who was very much used to CJ's secretive side that had been brought out very much due to her role as Press Secretary, and who understood why she did it now that she had taken over CJ's old job, jumped in before the others could badger her anymore.

"That's cool CJ, we understand. Just as long as you are happy, that's all we care about."

"Yeah, I truly am." CJ admitted, catching Donna's eye and giving her a small smile of thanks. Donna just nodded slightly in understanding.

"By the way CJ, seriously, I had no idea that Sam was going to do what he did, I almost killed him when we got back up to our room." Mallory added, "I'm just glad it worked out ok."

"That's ok Mal, I know it was all Sam's idea. And I have to admit, it was an ingenious, if not a little childish, idea and.." CJ shrugged her shoulders, "it did work pretty well, after a while."

"I can't believe we are all in couples now!" Zoey said, "It's about time! So who do you think is going to be the next to get engaged!"

"It's gotta be Sam and Mal right? I mean they've been together the longest now." Donna said quickly, her left hand flexing unconsciously, trying not to blush and give away her and Josh's secret. (He had asked her the previous evening, but they weren't going to say anything until they had chosen the ring.)

"My bet is on you and Josh actually Donna!" Mallory replied, not noticing the slightly strange expression that crossed Donna's face.

"Nah, I'm thinking you and Sam, Mal." Ainsley piped up, "He's absolutely crazy about you, you can see it in his eyes." Mallory blushed at her comments, and quickly changed the subject,

"Well anyway, lets get on with our shopping shall we! I really need to buy some new jeans!"

"Sure Mal, lets go!" Zoey replied, rolling her eyes at her oldest friend.

TBC

Yeah ok so its not a great chapter, but it was just a bit of insight into their relationships. Plus I know the thing with Leo was unlikely, but I realised that I hadn't included him at all in the plot, partly cos I forgot and partly cos I got sick of listing all their names!

Please review!

I'll update as soon as I can.