Dislclaimer: why do I even bother, you know what I'm gonna say!

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The week following the engagement party was a busy one for everyone. A situation with a hostage in Iraq had Josh running between the Situation Room and the Oval Office at all times of the day, and Donna was briefing the press what seemed like a thousand times a day. Neither Josh and Donna nor CJ and Toby had made any particular announcement about their relationships, but were not afraid to act like a normal couple and go out for dinner or to the theatre when time allowed them to. If people saw then they saw was the basic view taken of it. In fact whilst returning from a date holding hands, Josh and Donna had been approached by a few senators, who were returning to the Hill after a meeting in the White House, congratulating them on finally getting it together. Matt Skinner had actually gone as far as offering to punch Josh's lights out if he did anything to hurt Donna.

They had both been so busy that going ring shopping was out of the question, and Donna was dying to tell someone their news. They had told her parents and Josh's mum, who were all over the moon but had promised to keep it a secret until they announced it to the rest of their friends and co-workers. Donna had just got back from doing the 12pm briefing and was sitting sat at her desk, staring dreamily out of the window, a smile playing at her lips as she thought about Josh's proposal six days earlier. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Sam leaning in her doorway.

"Donna?" he said, as he came in the open door. She didn't seem to hear him. "Hey Donnatella?"

"Oh, hey Sam," she replied, turning away from that window, her thoughts still very much on Josh. Sam smiled at the distracted expression on her face,

"Watcha thinking about?" he asked, with a teasing smile, "like I really need to ask!" he added with a slightly lecherous wink. Donna blushed furiously,

"Nothing like that Sam, get you mind out of the gutter!"

"Well it obviously is to do with Josh. I'm so glad our little plan succeeded, I've never seen the two of you so happy." Sam replied, moving forward and taking the seat opposite her.

"I know, he's just so amazing. I can't believe it actually happened…" she hesitated slightly, wondering to herself how much Josh would kill her if she told Sam their little secret. " Sam, can you keep a secret?"

"Yes," Sam replied without hesitating.

"You swear you won't tell anyone, not even Mal?" Sam's curiosity was really peaked now,

"I promise Donna, you can trust me." She smiled at that.

"Yeah I know, its just I promised Josh I wouldn't tell anyone, but I just can't keep it in any longer."

"Donnatella!" Sam exclaimed, "tell me!" Donna looked down at her left hand very briefly and took a deep breath.

"Josh asked me to marry him, and I said yes! We're engaged!" she said all in one breath, blushing and grinning madly. Sam looked stunned, his mouth opening and closing a few times, very reminiscent of Gail the goldfish.

"Seriously?" he finally managed to stutter.

"Yeah. He asked me on Friday night, before you guys burst in on us in the boathouse. We were waiting until we bought the ring before we told anybody apart from my parents and his mum, but I just couldn't keep it in any longer and it doesn't look like we are going to have a chance to buy the ring this week what with all that's going on in Iraq, I've hardly seen him." Sam leapt to his feet and pulled her into a massive bear hug,

"Congratulations! I can't believe he actually proposed! I'm so happy for you guys." He kissed her gently on the cheek and laughed out loud when he found them to be slightly damp. "Donna?" he asked slightly incredulously, lifting her chin slightly to look at her eyes, "are you crying!" Donna giggled,

"I can't help it! Every time I think about the proposal I start smiling and crying at the same time!" Sam rolled his eyes at her

"Women!" he said, poking his tongue out at her as he pulled out of the hug, dropping a kiss on her forehead and sitting back down on his seat. "So how did he ask?"

"That's one secret I'm not spilling just yet. I want to tell everyone together because I'm sure I am gonna get asked that question a thousand times over! Sam promise me you won't tell anyone."

"Cross my heart. Can I let on to Josh that I know?" At that moment, the man in question came bounding in.

"Can you let on to Josh that you know what?" Josh asked, walking up to Donna and giving her a quick kiss on the lips before sitting on her vacant chair, and pulling her down on his lap.

"I…uh…uh…nothing!" Sam stuttered finally, looking down at his hands.

"You told him didn't you?" Josh said, poking Donna in the side.

"I couldn't help it!" Donna replied, turning slightly on his lap to look at him with puppy dog eyes. "I had to tell somebody!" Josh smiled,

"That's ok baby. I think we can trust Sam not to tell anyone until we get the ring and tell everyone." Josh said, "Are you ready to go to lunch? Sam want to join us?"

"You're going to the mess?"

"Yeah, that's all we have time for." Josh answered, glancing at his watch.

"Mal, Charlie and Zoey are coming to meet me, we'll see you down there?" Sam replied, getting to his feet.

"Sure thing, see you in a bit." Donna called after him as he headed back to his office.

Down in the mess, Donna and Josh were soon joined by Sam, Mallory, Charlie, Zoey, CJ, Toby and for some reason, only known by one of the people in the group, Jed and Abbey Bartlett. About twenty minutes into their lunch, Josh jumped to his feet and just stood their, waiting until all eyes were on him.

"Uh Josh?" Abbey said, "Is there any reason why you are just standing there instead of sitting and eating like the rest of us!" Josh didn't seem to have heard her. His eyes were focused on the blonde women sitting next to him. Almost in slow motion, he pulled his chair back and knelt hesitatingly on the floor beside her, his left hand fishing in his jacket pocket as he did so.

"Donna…" he started nervously. Donna turned to face him, and her eyes widened noticeably as she realised what he was doing. He coughed nervously and grabbed both her hands in his, before continuing, fully aware of everyone's eyes on him. "I know I have already asked you this question once, and that you have already accepted, but I just wanted to ask you again to make it official, and.." his dimpled smile appearing once more, "I wanted to do it with witnesses to make sure I wasn't dreaming the first time. Donnatella, will you marry me?" he opened the box that he was holding in his left hand, showing her the ring that he had picked. There were collective gasps all around the table, and indeed around the rest of the room too. Donna smiled, her eyes filling with tears again.

"Yes Josh! Of course I'll marry you!" she exclaimed, leaning down and kissing him gently on the lips. He took the ring out of its box and placed it gently on the fourth finger of her left hand and leaned in to give her another kiss. They were interrupted by a huge round of applause echoing round the mess. They pulled back and looked around, huge smiles on their faces and soon started laughing at the stunned expressions that had appeared on the faces of all of their lunch companions, excluding Sam of course.

"Congratulations you two!" Jed said, the first one to find his voice again.

"Thank you sir." Josh said, squeezing Donna's hand, his 'I'm da man' smile slowly making his way back onto his face.

After everyone congratulated the couple, they carried on their lunch, the girls all chatting happily about wedding dresses and venues while the men carried on talking about he situation in Iraq. Donna kept finding herself drifting out of the conversation and staring at the ring on her left hand. It was absolutely beautiful, and somehow Josh had managed to guess her ring size perfectly. It was white gold, and had a beautiful round-cut diamond in the centre, flanked on either side by two sapphires. It was perfect, and she couldn't stop staring it as she wondered idly when Josh had had the chance to go out and buy it.

TBC

Hope you enjoyed it. Still to come: Josh and Donna play a prank on the rest of them and CJ and Toby play theirs on Sam, plus other things which will no doubt pop into my head at somepoint! 9this was supposed to be about a 5 part story, we're on chapter 11 and still going strong! Go figure!

All reviews, good and bad, welcome.