Ordinary World

Characters: Josh and Donna and a smattering of others
A/N: Next chapter. Title belongs to Duran Duran. Disclaimers in previous chapters. Enjoy!

Beep beep beep

'Here we go' she thought to herself as she hit the snooze button.

"Josh."

"Hmfriphonphhm" she heard as Josh stuck his head under his pillow.

"Josh."

This time he pulled the covers over his head.

"JOSH!"

"Take a message" he mumbled as he flipped over on his side, facing away from her.

Beep beep beep

"Josh, it's 10 after 6. You have to get up."

"No."

"Yes. Work. White House. Chief of Staff. Any of this ringing a bell?"

"I quit."

Some mornings were easy than other. Sometimes it only took a little cajoling to get him out of bed, but she knew that this morning was going to be hard. He had just gotten back from France and his clock was all out of sorts. They landed early yesterday and went straight to the office and he didn't get home until after 11 because of some crisis with the airlines and a possible strike.

Her measures varied, depending on the time of year and how obstinate he was being. A couple of times during the winter, when he just flat out refused to get out of bed, she ran outside quickly, jumped up and down on the cold concrete and ran back to the bedroom and placed her very cold feet on his back. That usually did the trick, but it was the end of August – no cold porch would be found this morning.

Beep beep beep

"Josh, seriously…."

"I'm calling in sick."

Donna turned on her side and propped her head up on hand. He was still facing away from her. Tickling was out of the question – he would more than repay her for that and she couldn't stand being tickled. She was quite comfortable, so ice in the boxer shorts was out of the question since that would mean getting out of bed. Suddenly, it hit her.

She turned herself perpendicular to Josh's snoring form. She lightly placed her feet on the middle of his back and started to knead his back with her toes. When she heard him give a soft moan, she knew it was time. With all her might, she pushed hard against his back and forced him out of bed and onto the floor.

He shot straight up off the floor and glared at her. "DONNA!"

"JOSHUA!"

"You kicked me out of bed!"

Beep beep beep

"Yes, I did. It's now 6:30 and you need to get in the shower."

He glared at her again and stalked into the bathroom, mumbling something about 'devil woman' under his breath.

"I HEARD THAT" she yelled as he turned on the shower.

She reached over and turned off the alarm and made herself comfortable right in the middle of the bed. Classes had just started and she didn't have class today until after lunch. She was going to head to the library after the morning work rush had already gone in for the day. She heard the shower go off just as the coffee pot in the kitchen kicked on. 'Ahh, yet another normal DC day' she thought as she closed her eyes.

She laid in bed while she listened to Josh race around the townhouse.

"Hey Donna, have you seen the…"

"On the coffee table."

"And the…"

"Underneath the other thing."

"Thanks!"

She laid there and smiled at their normal routine and how quickly they fell into it. She heard him as he fought with the travel mug full of coffee, trying to make sure the lid is secure. She listened as he grabbed his coat and started to put it on and head out the door before he mumbled to himself and jog back to the bedroom.

He appeared in the doorway with a sheepish smile on his face. "Sorry."

She smiled up at him as he crossed the room and sat down next to her on the bed.

"I didn't forget."

"Sure."

He leaned down and gave her a quick but passionate kiss. "I'll call you later."

"Yeah."

He got up and started to jog through the house again, since he was running late. 'Wait for it' she thought to herself. Just as he was out the door he yelled back "I love you".

"Love you too."

And with that, he was out the door for another day at the White House.

She had been at the library for about an hour when she noticed him across the room.

"Oh god" she mumbled under her breath.

She continued reading and taking notes as she saw him wander over to her table out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey Donna."

Without looking up, she responded with a "John".

"What you working on?"

She sighed and looked up at him. "What?"

He tried to give her a sexy smile, but it only came off as creepy. "Just wanted to say hi."

"Hi" she said as she went back to her book.

"You wanna go get some coffee?"

She dropped her pen and scrubbed her fingers through her hair before looking back at him.

"No."

"C'mon Donna. You know, I ask every other day…"

"Yet my answer remains the same."

"It's just coffee."

"John, you've been bugging me for a date since I started school. OK, for the last time, I'm not interested. Even if I was single, which I'm not, I wouldn't be interested. Seriously, have you MISSED the diamond on my left hand" she said extending the hand for him to see.

He was about to respond when her cell started to ring. She picked it up and grinned as she looked at the id screen.

"It's Josh. Remember what he said last week when he came in here?"

"Something about sicing the IRS on me. He can't really…"

"Yes, he can. You want me to tell him that you are standing here talking to me?"

John's eyes got wide and he took off across the library. Donna giggled as she answered the phone.

"Hey."

"Professor Strangelove bugging you again."

"Yeah, but I reminded him about the IRS and he took off."

"Well, then, my job here is done."

"I swear it's like clockwork with that man."

"Go to class."

"Go to your meeting."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Donna sighed as she hung up her phone and started packing her books to head off to class.

Donna was crossing campus, reading her returned paper, when her phone rang.

"Hey."

"Save me!" she heard him whisper into the phone.

"Josh?"

"What?"

"Am I hearing an echo?"

"Well, it's just that…"

"GERALD!" she heard from the back ground.

"Is that today!" she said, excitedly.

"Donna, can we please focus here!"

"Seriously, that was an echo."

"Well, you see…"

"Are you hiding under your desk?"

"Umm…."

"JOSHUA!"

"Ok, look…"

"Get out from under your desk! It's just Lord Marbury, not the Grim Reaper!"

"GERALD!" she heard again.

"Josh, will you please…"

"SHHHH." And there was silence.

She stopped and stood there for a few moments. "Josh, what are you…"

"SHHHHH!"

She huffed into the phone and stood there.

"OK, then."

"What?"

"I think he's bugging Amy. I think it's safe."

"Get out from under your desk."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. How was class?"

"Fine."

"Where are you going now?"

"Gee, Josh, I don't know – let's see its 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon. Where do I usually go on Tuesday afternoons?"

"I really wish you would quit that job."

"Yeah, I know. You've made that clear to me. VERY clear – I mean, you did index cards and everything, but I like have the interaction and, God, it's not like it's permanent."

"Yeah, I know, but…"

"Josh" she heard in the back ground.

"Yeah, Connie."

"The First Lady's office called and was wondering if you and Donna could join her and the President at the Kennedy Center Saturday night."

"Can we join…"

"I'm not deaf, Josh! Yeah, we can go."

"Tell her yes."

"So, did you get your…"

"GERALD!" she heard very loudly.

"Oh crap" he said into the phone as Donna laughed.

"See, your Lordship, I told you he was in here."

"Why thank, my dear Ms. Gardner. I do truly appreciate your time."

"My pleasure."

"She gave you a death glare didn't she?"

She heard Josh gulp into the phone. "I think I may have to hide under my desk from Amy for the rest of the afternoon."

"Tell Lord Marbury I said hi."

"Donna…"

"I'm here."

"Donnatella Moss…"

"Love you. See you later."

She giggled as she snapped the phone shut, imaging the look on Josh's face as he stares at the phone and at the British Ambassador and back and forth for a moment. If it wasn't one thing, it was something else. Life was never dull with Josh as Chief of Staff, that's for damn sure.

Tuesdays were usually late nights for both of them, well, ok, late nights for the Santos Administration. Donna had night class, so Josh usually scheduled meetings late on Tuesday. They met at the steps of the building a little before 9, Donna trudging home with a backpack full of books and Josh schlepping a bag of Chinese food home for their late dinner.

Usually, Donna cooked. Even though she had been living there for over a year, he still was in awe every time he got up for a snack and actually found something to eat. Tuesdays, though, Josh was responsible for dinner. Usually it was Chinese. One night he brought home a big container of food from the Mess and once she got a Leadership Dinner doggie bag.

They sat at the table, rehashing their days for each other. Josh liked to read her returned papers and then get mad when he disagreed with the professor. One more than one occasion, she had to hide all the phones from him and call Connie to tell her not to let him make any calls to Georgetown the next day.

Donna waited for Josh to get comfortable before she molded herself to his side, throwing one arm over his chest. He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and she placed a light kiss on his shoulder, like every night.

"So, what's your day like tomorrow?"

He groaned.

"What?"

"I've got to be in early for a breakfast meeting, so make sure I get out of bed."

That statement made Donna laugh out loud.

"Shut up!"

"Who's the meeting with?"

"OH GOD!"

"What?"

"It's with Marbury and the French Ambassador. They can't stand each other and are always trying to one up each other. I swear it's going to be a re-enactment of the Black Knight scene from Monty Python, right there in the residence."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"And then, I tried to tell Leo he had to come…"

"Yeah, I'm sure that went over well."

"No kidding. I swear, he said 'I'm the Vice-President and you can't make me'! Mature, huh?"

"Well, it's true."

"You're not helping."

They laid there in silence for a minute before Josh spoke again.

"Hey, I've got an idea…"

"Oh man, Josh. Not tonight. We've both got to be up early and I'm kind of tired…"

"Yeah, well, ok, not that I was thinking that, but I do appreciate the letdown, really."

She giggled. "What?"

"Come with me."

"Where?"

"Breakfast."

"No."

"C'mon, they both love you. You can charm and distract them while the President and I run away."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"FINE!"

Rarely did a day go by when he wasn't trying to convince her to distract some dignitary from something so he could make an escape.

She looked up at him and found him smiling at her.

"What?"

"I love you."

She returned the smile and gave him a hot but quick kiss. "I love you too. Turn out the light."

He stretched his hand up and turned off the lamp.

"Tell me a story."

"Go to sleep."

Josh snickered and got comfortable. Donna lay there, listening to him breath slowly until he started to fall asleep.

Once she knew he was asleep was she able to make herself start to drift off. Just before she fell asleep, she thought about it. Most people would think her life, his life, their lives, were very strange, but to them, it was just another day in their ordinary world.

TBC… (probably another couple of chapters)