"Sit down," a man's boomed. "You're disturbing the passengers."
"I can't, I'm so nervous," a woman's voice answered his and it did sound agitated
"Honestly, anyone would think you were on the way to your own wedding."
"It's not the wedding I'm nervous about."
"What else is there to be nervous about?"
She sat down beside the man. "Well, there's something I didn't tell you."
"Like what?" He asked, furrowing his brows for a moment before comprehension dawned on him. "Oh, CJ, tell me you haven't been up to something."
"I can't help myself Toby, you should know that by now."
Toby sighed heavily. "Alright, what's going on then?"
"Alright but remember you're on a plane, that means small quarters so no shouting." She looked over at him but his face remained passive at her teasing. "Okay," she breathed. "So I was phoning Sam a few months ago and Ainsley answered. Sam wasn't in so we had a chat instead. Somehow, and don't ask me how because I haven't a clue, but somehow we got talking about how sad it was that Josh and Donna hadn't spoken in so long…"
Toby interrupted her by giving another sigh. "What did you do?"
"Nothing! Well, not really. We came up with a plan."
"A plan?"
"Yes, get them to meet up again, spend some time alone and they'd eventually see what they've been missing and –"
"Live happily ever after?" Toby guessed. "CJ, I've warned you about these plans of yours, they never work and you're the one who ends up disappointed. You just can't leave it alone can you?"
"But this is different," CJ said passionately. "It's actually working this time, I just need to land so I can see how well."
"What makes you so sure?"
"You remember I was on the phone when you came to pick me up? I was talking to Ainsley. She told me her and Sam have been working on Donna and Josh all week and last night they went out together, Josh and Donna that is, and Donna didn't get back until the early hours so Ainsley didn't see her. Stop that eye rolling. Anyway, when Donna eventually got up she had a big smile on her face and said the night went well. Ainsley was going to get more out of her during the day."
Toby took a deep breath. "All I'm saying is don't get your hopes up. Anything could have happened last night."
"Yeah, but –"
"CJ, please, stop doing this to yourself. You get so caught up in other peoples lives, I don't remember the last time you went out for a date and enjoyed yourself."
"I got fed up of wasting my time when I know the right guy already, I'm just waiting for him to get his act together."
Toby shifted a little in his seat and turned to face her. "Maybe you could make the first move and then you could stop living out your own romantic ideas through other people."
"I could," CJ agreed. "But where I come from the man is meant to make the first move."
"You might be making a while then," Toby said, chuckling quietly as CJ hit him playfully.
- - - -
"So are you going to tell me what happened last night? I'm dying here!" Ainsley cried. It was mid-afternoon and Donna was still withholding information of what had happened the previous night.
"A girl doesn't kiss and tell," Donna said teasingly but with a hint of seriousness that Ainsley didn't fail to catch.
She let out a little excited squeal. "You kissed him?"
"I didn't say that, it's just a phrase."
"So you didn't kiss him?"
"I didn't say that either," Donna said cryptically.
Ainsley let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a groan and a chuckle. "Well, will you at least tell me if you talked it all out?"
"No," Donna answered.
"Why not?" Ainsley whined making Donna laugh.
"No, we didn't talk it out," she said fully this time. "Something else came up but I think we might on track, so thank you."
Seeing the true smile lighting Donna's face, the smile that stretched as wide and as big as it would go while her eyes lit up and practically shone, that was enough reward for Ainsley. "All I did was set up a place, you did the rest yourself. Don't let it all go to waste, alright?"
"I won't," Donna promised.
- - - -
"Sam!" Abbey said as she wrapped him in a hug.
"Ma'am," Sam greeted back, stepping back for her to see Josh beside him.
"And Josh, too? You see this Jed? They both came to meet us."
"I see," her husband answered. "I'd love it if one of them tried helping me with these bags though."
"Oh, of course, let me," Josh said running forward to take some of the bags from the other men.
Jed off-loaded every other bag onto the eager man.
"Oh good God," Josh wheezed under the weight of the bags he was carrying. "What have you got in here?"
"My wife's entire wardrobe collection," Jed laughed.
"I didn't bring that much," Abbey argued.
"Are you still moaning, dad?" Zoey was coming up behind them.
"Well of course you agree she needs it all, you're just as bad." Jed countered but there was a hint of laughter in his voice.
Sam and Josh exchanged glances, if they didn't interrupt then this could go on for a while but they didn't really want to interrupt it, it was quite amusing.
"Excuse me, ma'am, Mr President, we need to get moving. We're meeting CJ, Toby and Leo at the other side of the airport."
"CJ's coming today, too?" Asked an excited Zoey.
As the five of them made their way across the airport, Jed spoke to Sam and Josh.
"You know, I'm not the President any more, you don't have to call me such."
"Old habits die hard, sir."
Jed laughed, "Sir's better but I'd prefer Jed."
"I think we could manage that."
"And stop calling me ma'am," Abbey interrupted from behind them. "Makes me feel old, Abbey will do fine."
It was Sam and Josh's turn to laugh. "Alright."
They reached the terminal and as they waited for CJ, Toby and Leo to come out they talked about anything and everything.
"Are you enjoying being back in Manchester?" Sam asked.
Abbey was the one who answered. "It's a nice change of pace, not so hectic. Jed's finding it hard to settle down though."
"I'm not."
"Oh please, dad," Zoey laughed. "You're always rattling around the house in the early hours."
"Well if I'm disturbing you, you can always move out. I know there's a certain young man who would love to have you staying with him."
Zoey blushed. "I'm your youngest daughter, you're meant to be encouraging me to stay not move out to live with strange men."
"Charlie's not that strange and you spent more time at his place than the residence last year anyway."
"That's not the point. Staying over and living together are two completely different things. We're not ready for that yet."
"Then I guess you'll just have to put up with my rattling then," Jed teased her.
"Oh, look, they're coming out," Josh pointed out as people began flooding out of the terminal.
Leo was one of the first people out, CJ and Toby two of the last. Having been working together up until a week previously, there was a brief catch up between these three and the ex-President and his family. There was a slightly longer catch-up between the three and Sam and Josh that lasted the entire length of the journey. There was a brief moment of uneasiness between Josh and Toby who, though they had put aside their differences a few months previously, were still not as comfortable around each other as they had been. This soon faded though and between the two cars that headed back to Sam's house that afternoon there was a strong sense of belonging that came from them all being back together for the first time in a long time. The Bartlett family together again, if only for a few days.
- - - -
"Are you sure about this?" Ainsley asked Donna for the hundredth time.
They were stood in the guest room where Donna had been sleeping as Donna packed a small bag.
"We've been through this, I need to do it. You were right. It all comes back to him and I can't keep living like this. If I'm ever going to take that chance with Josh I need to do this. You know I'm right."
"I do," Ainsley nodded. "I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. You're going to be doing this alone, you realise this."
Donna fastened the bag and swung it onto her shoulder as she looked at Ainsley. "I do and that's how it needs to be done. I'm not the same person who left then and I'm going to let him know it."
"I still can't believe you didn't run into him when you were there. I mean you spent a year there."
Donna shrugged, "It's amazing how much you can avoid something when you really want to."
"I guess," Ainsley said. A car horn was heard so they walked downstairs and she opened the door to let Donna out.
Donna hugged her. "Can I ask a favour of you?"
"Sure, shoot."
"Don't tell Josh what I'm doing or where I am."
"Donna, he's going to ask."
"So lie, I'll be back in time for time for tomorrow night."
"You better be."
Donna smiled at her. "I promise. Thanks."
"Just be careful alright? Don't get sucked in."
Donna nodded and walked to the taxi that was waiting to take her to the airport.
- - - -
"So why did we get here before your parents?" CJ asked.
"Because we wanted to see you all before they arrived and we weren't given a moments peace," Sam answered, half serious making the others laugh.
There were ten people sat around the table of one of California's top restaurants; Sam and Ainsley were sat beside each other, as were Abbey and Jed and CJ and Toby. Leo, Josh, Zoey and Charlie, who had arrived by plane earlier that evening, took up the other four seats. Everyone had noticed Donna's absence but as yet no one had mentioned it.
"Well I'm glad you asked us up here," Zoey said.
"Oh?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, it means I can attend my first hen's night," she said with a grin. "I do hope that Maid of Honour got an interesting evening planned."
"Sorry Zoey, it's just a few drinks in with the girls."
"What?" This was CJ asking, and with a pout. "Where's the wildness? The fun?"
"The strippers?" Zoey added.
"Hey, boyfriend sat right here!" Charlie cried from beside her.
"And your father!" Jed added, slightly alarmed at her daughters comment.
As the others laughed Zoey looked at both her boyfriend and her father, "Are you telling me you're not hoping Josh has something similar planned for Sam's night?"
"He better not do," Ainsley interrupted seriously. "If I learn you've been trying to corrupt my fiancé in such a way you're not going to find me quite so easy to beat as Donna, Lyman," Ainsley warned with a pointed look at Josh who shrunk into his chair guiltily, again making the others laugh.
"Where is Donna anyway?" Abbey asked when the laughter had settled down.
"Oh, she uh…" Ainsley said, silently cursing Donna for leaving her to make up an excuse she as yet hadn't had a chance to come up with. "She's visiting a friend for the night, she'll be back for tomorrow night though."
'That's not exactly a lie now, is it?' Ainsley thought, satisfied with herself as long as no one questioned it.
"A friend?" Josh asked sounding surprised. "I didn't know she had any friends in California."
"Well he's a college buddy," she said quickly, of course it would have to be Josh who questioned her.
"He?" Josh said in the high-pitched voice he used when he was nervous.
"Yeah, he. That is alright isn't it, Josh?"
"Yeah, of course," Josh stammered.
"I could have sworn I saw her at the station," Charlie said when Josh went quiet.
"Must have been someone else," Ainsley said, shooting him a pointed glare to shut up.
"Maybe," Charlie said but he did drop the subject when he saw the look.
"I'm going to use the little girl's room, Ainsley come with me?" CJ asked her suddenly.
"Oh, uh, sure."
"Hold on, I need to use it, too," Zoey said, getting up motioning for her mom to come, too.
"Well as much as I love you guys, I'm not staying alone with you." Abbey told the boys as she too went to the bathroom with the others.
"What's going?" CJ demanded the second they were all in there.
"I may have made a mistake," Ainsley said as she ran the cold tap.
"What did you do? I thought it was all going well?"
"What was?" Abbey asked feeling confused.
"Long story short?" CJ answered her. "Ainsley set Josh and Donna up on a date last night and it went well, that's all I know."
"Really?" Zoey squealed with excitement.
"Yeah," Ainsley answered. "And Donna said it went well, I think they kissed, not that it would be the first time, and Donna was feeling posi –"
"Hold on, back up. They've kissed before?" Abbey asked, stunned.
"They've slept together before!" Ainsley cried. When she saw the shock on all their faces she instantly regretted saying it, she'd promised she'd keep it secret. "Oops."
"When?" CJ asked urgently.
"Uh, two years ago. It's why Donna left, she told him she didn't want to ruin his career when everyone found out he was sleeping with his assistant."
"That is so Donna," Zoey said, sighing at the romantic side of it.
"Yeah, but that wasn't the real reason she left."
"It wasn't?"
Ainsley shook her head. "How much do you know about why Donna started on the campaign in the first place?"
CJ shook her head, embarrassed that she didn't know much about Donna's life before they met. Zoey shrugged but Abbey spoke up. "She got out of a bad relationship, right? Wanted a fresh start. Josh told me, said it might get too much for her and she might need someone to talk to. As far as I could see it never did."
"That's because she's good at hiding stuff but the first day she got here I asked her if the real reason she left Josh was because she started thinking about the other guy. She said no but we both knew she was lying."
"Oh my God," CJ breathed. "Hold on, where is she now then?"
"Right now? I'm not sure, somewhere on her way to Wisconsin though."
"And why's she going to Wisconsin?"
"Because she wants to make a go of it with Josh and the only way she can do that is to get any hold this guy still has on her out of her life."
"Where would she get that idea from?"
"I told you I might have made a mistake," Ainsley mumbled quietly.
"Wait," Zoey said before CJ could start on Ainsley. "This guy, he was never violent towards her was he?"
"No," Ainsley said. "Or at least, I don't think so. Full of himself, a compulsive cheater and constantly putting her down but I don't think he was ever violent."
"Poor Donna," Zoey sympathised.
"We should tell Josh," CJ said.
"No," Ainsley said almost immediately. "She doesn't want him to know."
"He'd want to know."
"I agree," Ainsley said. "But as bad an idea as this was she needs to do this and she wants to do it alone. She's a brave woman, she can do this alone."
"I don't like it," CJ said, Zoey and Abbey nodded in agreement with CJ.
"Neither do I," Ainsley admitted. "But she's already on her way and she'll be back tomorrow."
CJ sighed and as they left the bathroom began muttering, "A foolproof plan, it was a foolproof plan and it still managed to get messed up. Maybe Toby was right. Oh good God, well I'm never going to tell him that!"