First off, Heather, you rock my socks as always.
Kursk -- Yeah, the Sam thing is just an allusion to a little theory of mine. I'm working on a fic to further explore it.
Miss Jasadin -- You're right. That is why Heather rocks.
Scifi-- Thanks. I hope that I capture it well.
Heather -- Oh yeah, NONNA!
Donna was praying to the porcelain god, yet again. As she dipped her head over the toilet once more, she caught a glace at her watch. Seven forty-five and she was attending her seventh worship service since she got up two hours ago. In the back of her mind she was very glad a little voice told her to wear her hair up that day. She couldn't stand throwing up, she had always hated it; she thought that it was the worst part of being sick.
"So, Donna, should I run up to the drugstore?" Donna slumped against the stall door as she heard CJ's voice.
"That's not necessary."
"You sure? That is the fourth time you've thrown up since you got here."
"Actually it's my seventh time this morning, but that is besides the point."
"Really? Seven times? How long have you been up?"
"Since five thrity."
"So that's like once every fifteen minutes."
"Did you need something or did you just come here to mock?"
"To mock."
"Okay."
"Seriously, Donna, could you need to go to the drugstore?" Lying her head on her knees, Donna closed her eyes and took deep breaths.
"Nope. Like Josh said, not until after the wedding."
"Yeah, but you two have been…"
Donna let out a small laugh that came out a little louder than she intended. Of course they have been. On every. single. flat. surface. In both apartments for that matter. And the office. Repeatedly. And once in an airplane lavatory on a flight to California.
"Yes, but I'm telling you, it is impossible." They were always extremely careful, right?
"That's what I thought with Coll, Donna. You never know."
"Besides, I really don't think that it is morning sickness. My parents are in town and so is Kit, so we're going to have a whole meet the parents thing."
"So it's just nerves then?"
"Yeah," Donna said, her voice lightly laced with doubt.
Although it really wasn't a true meet the parents night. Josh had met Giovanna in Germany and Donna had met Kit several times the summer that Josh was recovering. The part that made Donna sick to her stomach was her father meeting Josh. She had always had been a daddy's girl and this was going to be hard all around. Nicola had always been closer to their mother and the meeting of the families had not been such a stressor when Nicola was engaged to Pete.
Once CJ had left go do the press briefing, Donna picked herself up, rinsed out her mouth, popped in a piece of gum and went back to her desk. The sight of Amy waiting in the bullpen made an eighth wave of nausea hit her. However, her pride kept her walking forward, confident in the knowledge that she was the one who had the trump card now.
"Donna, is Josh here?"
"No, he went to get his tux and have it fitted if needed. He should be back in about a half hour, but then he has a meeting with Casey and Morgan and a lunch with Larson."
"He already has a tux, Donna. One, that I'm sure you know, already fits him quite well."
"Well, he's getting a new one for the wedding."
Donna caught the look of utter shock on Amy's face. She had to have known, there was no way that Amy Gardner missed the announcement of Josh Lyman's engagement to another woman.
"You guys are really getting married? It wasn't some smart ass prank Toby and Sam got CJ to go in on?"
In response Donna held out her left hand and smiled sugar sweet.
"I can't believe it."
"Anyway, I think I can give you fifteen minutes at three ten if you want to come back."
"Sure. Whatever."
"Three-ten it is then. What is it regarding?"
"Marriage incentives," Amy answered, her voice dangerously dark.
Once Amy was gone, Donna bolted to the bathroom wondering when her penance to the Porcelain One would be done. Vaguely she wondered if she really was having morning sickness. Quickly she counted days and weeks and months in her head, but her train of thought was cut off by her eighth prayer.
Later that night, Donna and Josh were in her apartment getting ready for what promised to be an interesting evening no matter what.
"So, how was your thing with Amy?" Donna asked as she was putting the finishing touches on her chicken alfredo.
"How is anything with Amy?"
"She was pretty pissed then?"
"Oh yeah."
"Was she more pissed about the marriage incentives or the marriage?"
"Hard to tell. Although she did reference that damn stew pot and how I suck at all things domestic."
"Well, you do."
"Yeah, but did she have to be humming that damn song?"
"Josh, I don't even want to know." Yet of course Donna knew what song. She had heard it the morning he called her sending her to the back of beyond. That Sunday morning she could have sworn that she almost hated him.
"So, how is this going to work tonight?"
Donna jumped up on the counter next to where Josh was slicing up the garlic bread, took his face in her hands and smiled.
"Josh, are you telling me that you have no reservations about taking on Haffley and his cronies but you can't handle Clay and Giovanna Moss from Madison?"
"Basically."
"Good boy, you should be afraid," Donna mumbled as she kissed his forehead, his eyelids, his cheeks, his mouth. "Now finish up that bread, they should be here any minute."
As if on cue, the door bell rang.
"They're here," Josh whispered.
"Yeah."
"You should answer the door."
"You should get that lipstick off of your face."
Donna just smiled as she walked away, leaving Josh wiping furiously at his face.
"Donnatella, you look just great, just great. Still a little too thin though." Giovanna Moss didn't waste time with silly formalities such as hellos and how are yous.
"Yeah, well, I still don't have much of an appetite."
"You look tired too. I hope Josh isn't keeping you late at work."
"No, Mom, we still are done around eight or nine most nights." Donna could almost feel Josh's smirk as her parents swept into the apartment.
"Josh, would you please come out here?"
Josh walked out into the foyer, put one arm around Donna's waist and shook her father's hand and kissed her mother's cheek.
"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Moss; and nice to meet you Mr. Moss."
"We're so glad that you're going to be marrying Telly, Josh. "
"So am I, Mr. Moss."
Just as Donna got her parents settled in the living room with rusty nails , Kit Lyman knocked on the door to her future daughter-in-law's apartment.
"Hi, Mom. Come on in, I'd like you to meet Donna's parents." Josh then escorted his mother into the living room and awaited the suspected fall out. East coast versus the Midwest. Republican versus Democrat. Owner of a small business and housewife versus a philosophy teacher. The coming together of people, by who all logic should have never crossed paths in the first place. "Mom, this is Clay and Giovanna Moss, and Mr. and Mrs. Moss, this is my mother, Katarina."
"Kit, please."
Dinner went much better than either Donna or Josh had expected. Perhaps it was because the booze was flowing freely or maybe it was simple good will, but the night was enjoyed by all. The only reservation was voiced by Donna's father and that was why Josh hadn't asked earlier. He asked how Josh was going to pay the bills if Donna decided to stay home once she had children, and Josh assured him that it wouldn't be an issue. It was a night full of laughter and for the first time, Donna saw them as a family, all of them. In the back of her mind she could imagine staying like this forever, the only thing missing was a grand baby or two… or three… or a dozen. Later, when it was time for Josh and Kit to go back to Georgetown, Josh pulled Donna aside.
"You know, I hate that you can't come home with me."
"I hate it too, but I'm not going to flaunt the fact that I'm sleeping with you in front of my parents. I know they know that I'm not a virgin anymore, but I don't think it wise to present that fact before their eyes. Besides, I take it that your mom is going to want to, you know, sleep."
"We could be quiet."
"That's what we always say and it never stays that way very long. Remember the time against your office door?"
"Donna…"
"Don't use the whine, Josh. It isn't going to work."
"When will I see you again?"
"Stop being so melodramatic. My parents are going to be out all day tomorrow. I can stop by around six."
"Make it five thirty."
