Title: Heart Condition Chapter Ten
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the West Wing characters etc. Just trying to play a little, so please don't sue! Larry King and Larry King Live are also not mine. Sylvia Lyman is a little bit mine, but mostly her own… she went in a completely different way than I expected.
Author's Note: The aftermath of Will's big gamble plays out as Josh and Donna decide what the future holds for them. My apologies to fans of Larry King Live. I realized mid-way through writing this chapter that it had been a really long time since I've watched the show much and I really don't know his mannerisms and the rhythm of the show as well as I thought. Please try not to let that bother you too much! Enjoy and as always, feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
Chapter TenJosh and Matt sized one another up for a few minutes, neither one quite ready to have the conversation that they knew was necessary.
"So, you and Donna, huh? I like her, I like her a lot actually. And I think Helen has found a new soul mate. I'm trying not to be jealous." Matt joked a little stiffly. Josh laughed just as stiffly.
"I have a feeling a new sisterhood has been born. This could be all kinds of trouble for every man involved in the Santos campaign." With the joke played out, the two men sat in an uncomfortable silence until Matt got tired of the dancing and plunged in.
"Have you made any decisions about when you will be back with the campaign?" Matt asked Josh, his concern and empathy clear in his eyes. Josh took a deep breath before responding.
"I don't know that a decision has been made, but I do know that if and when I come back, things have to change."
"Ok, you are scaring me now. What are you talking about- IF you come back? Josh, we need you. Without you, we may as well pull up stakes and give Russell the nomination." Matt pulled up the chair nearest the bed and sat down, staring intently at his campaign manager's face.
"I appreciate that, Congressman, but it is absolutely not true. I have done nothing beyond a whole lot of pacing and giving you advice you don't follow. Almost every time, you end up making the right decision." Josh laughed, but the look in his eyes told Matt that his words carried much more self doubt than Josh would ever admit to in words.
"No, Josh. Your advice has been crucial, even when I don't take it. I don't have to worry about figuring out what Russell's plans are because you are already two steps ahead of me. Your connections with the upper echelon in the party are what kept this campaign afloat in the early days. We need you. I understand if you feel like you need to make a change, but never doubt the impact you have had on this campaign." Josh took a moment to digest what the Congressman had said before responding.
"My personal life has become the story, Congressman. It may be better if I step aside and get things back on track, back to the issues you care about."
"Josh, as much as I hate this personal attack, I think some good has come of it. We can expose Bob Russell for the man that we both know he is. A man without scruples, without any concern but winning. Regardless of my own stake in this campaign, Russell is bad for this country. Hopefully, the American public will be as disgusted by this as we are." Josh didn't comment, already going back in his mind to the decision he needed to make about his career. Santos read that in his expression and sat quietly in his own introspection, allowing both of them to evaluate things. After a few minutes, he spoke again.
"If you weren't running this campaign, what would you do? Your whole life has been politics."
"Donna and I were discussing that earlier. I really don't know. What I do know is that I need to protect what she and I have started. We have both witnessed the destruction the White House can do to marriages, even strong marriages. I don't know how to make a relationship my first priority while doing what I do where a new crisis comes up every hour and no plans can ever be set in stone."
"Donna is part of this life, though. I can't believe that she would fight the demands of the job." Matt argued.
"Can you tell me that Helen understands this life? I've seen her frustration with the way this campaign has pulled you away from your children. I don't want to do that to Donna. I want to build a life, a real life with kids and a dog and neighborhood barbeques and anything else she's ever wanted. We have waited years to be together, I want to make this worth the wait." The sincerity in Josh's voice seemed to border on desperation to Matt.
"I can understand where you are coming from, but can you be happy without the adrenaline rush of the campaign, the battle won? You can't give up who you are for some one else no matter how much you love them."
"Right. So where's the middle ground? Where's the line between putting the greater good of the country before your own and becoming a suburban house husband?" Matt burst out laughing. At Josh's perplexed look, he took deep breaths to try and calm down before speaking.
"I'm sorry, just the image of you keeping house and having dinner ready before the little woman comes home was just too hilarious to let go. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just the last thing I can imagine you doing. I can see you pumping gas, working road construction, cleaning up after the animals in the zoo before I can see you doing the house husband thing." Matt explained, still chuckling. Josh tried to look offended, but smiled at the ludicrousness of the idea after a few minutes.
"Ok, so that clearly is not an option for me. So what do I do?"
"I have an idea that may or may not hold water. I would really like to ask Donna to join the campaign staff. That would solve your short- term problem. If things go the way we would like and we end up in the White House, we re-evaluate. Don't get me wrong, I want you on my team, but if you were prefer to be more of a consultant than a senior advisor we work with that. Sound good to you?" Matt laid out the plan with more enthusiasm than he'd addressed many of his favorite campaign issues.
"Sounds like I'm not the only one who's been thinking about this." Josh commented, his surprise evident on his face. Matt laughed briefly.
"Helen has been thinking about this and forced me to be thinking about it. She wants Donna on her team if we get to the point that she can have a team of her own. She knows that Donna is worried about the stress you are under running this campaign. So she put a bug in my ear to make this work for both of you."
"I appreciate that. We'll talk about it, figure things out. Hey, what time is it?"
"About ten minutes till Larry King. Should we call the ladies to let them know?"
"No need, we're here and we brought snacks." Helen announced as she, Donna and Sylvia entered the room loaded down with bags of snack sized bags of chips, popcorn, bottles of soda and the salad Donna had promised Josh. He wrinkled his nose at the salad, but a sideways glance from Donna and he opened it and began stabbing at it with the fork she provided.
"Hey, do I get any dressing with these weeds?" He asked a bit sullenly.
"Sorry, they didn't have any light dressing. I did throw a few croutons on for you, though." Donna answered with a trace of laughter in her voice. The rest of the room struggled to keep their laughter under wraps.
"Wow, how ever will I restrain my excitement about three pieces of stale bread." Josh responded sarcastically.
"Joshua, this girl is trying to keep you healthy, despite your best efforts to the contrary. Eat your salad and shut up!" His mother ordered as she opened a bag of Doritos and crunched noisily on a chip.
"Everyone, be quiet. I don't want to miss a minute of this." Helen shushed them, as she turned the television on and changing the channel. The room quieted as they watched the opening credits of Larry King. The camera flashed to Leo, Amy, Danny Concannon and Will. Matt and Helen hissed when Will's face came on their screen and Donna threw a few kernels of popcorn at the TV.
"Good evening. Tonight we are discussing allegations of impropriety between Matthew Santos' campaign manager, Josh Lyman and former aide to Vice President Robert Russell, Donna Moss. From the Vice President's office, campaign manager Will Bailey. Also joining us are Former Bartlett Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, NOW lobbyist Amy Gardner and Washington Post White House reporter, Danny Concannon. Good evening, everyone and thank you for joining us. Mr. Bailey, I'd like to start with you. These are pretty serious allegations you have made, some might call them slanderous allegations."
"THANK YOU!" Donna shouted at the television from her perch on Josh's bed. Josh threw a crouton at her to shush her. The camera turned to Will and the room was again filled with boos and hisses.
"Yes, they are serious allegations and we took them very seriously when it became clear that Ms. Moss and Mr. Lyman were having an affair." Will spoke seriously, a carefully rehearsed frown on his face.
"What evidence do you have of an affair?" Leo charged from off camera, his voice already filled with barely controlled rage.
"Mr. McGarry asks an important question. What proof do you have of an affair?" Larry King echoed.
"I personally escorted Mr. Lyman to romance Ms. Moss on the occasion of President Bartlett's second inauguration." Will began. Donna laughed out loud at that comment as on the television Danny snorted.
"If throwing snowballs at someone's window is a gesture of romance, I know a lot of third graders involved in affairs they had no idea they were in." Danny noted sarcastically.
"Danny, you know what Mr. Bailey is talking about?" the host questioned.
"I also happened to be on the free Donnatella adventure. Josh herded up several of the men around the Bartlett senior staff to convince Ms. Moss to come to the Inaugural balls. We threw some snowballs at her window, they bickered a little, we took her back in the cab- in which she rode on my lap, not Josh's, and we had a few drinks at the ball. I think they may have waltzed together once, but there was nothing inappropriate about their actions. Josh was helping out his assistant who happens to be one of his best friends." Danny explained dismissively.
"You sat on Danny's lap?" Josh squeaked. Donna gave him a look that said "You are an idiot" and turned her attention back to the television. The others in the room exchanged amused glances.
"Do you fly across the ocean to sit by the bedside of your friend when the country is under attack by terrorists?" Will challenged.
"Mr. McGarry, do you have an answer for that?"
"As Danny stated, Josh and Donna were best friends. Were they in love with each other, I absolutely believe so. Were they aware of it? I don't know. Did they act on it prior to Josh's recent health scare, I am absolutely sure they did not." Leo answered authoritatively.
"How can you be so sure?" Larry asked as Will snorted at Leo's answer.
"Because we have witnesses inside and outside of the White House to their completely platonic relationship. In all of the instances Mr. Bailey has raised as proof, we have very credible people who can dispute the claims. In Germany, we have the man that Donna was dating briefly. Danny has just explained the second Inaugural. I believe there is some claim about a hotel room in Iowa. We have a hotel clerk who remembers Ms. Moss being quite frantic to change her room because it was across the hall from Mr. Lyman's and she was uncomfortable with that. I don't believe that was the action of a woman carrying on an affair." Leo ticked off his evidence with a cool logic that was belied by the fire in his steel blue eyes.
"That could have been a lover's spat. It doesn't prove anything." Will argued.
"Donna Moss turned her resignation into CJ Cregg, not Josh Lyman. Josh didn't know that she was quitting until her two- week notice was almost over. That certainly isn't the behavior of two people having an illicit affair." Leo continued as if Will had not spoken.
"Ms. Gardner, have you ever seen proof of an illicit affair between Mr. Lyman and Ms. Moss?"
"No. I have seen two people doing everything humanly possible to avoid having an illicit affair. As Leo and Danny have both admitted, I don't think anyone who knows these two even a little bit thinks that their feelings are completely platonic. However, they went to great lengths to avoid admitting their feelings to anyone, much less each other."
"Didn't you date Mr. Lyman for some time in 2002?" The interviewer turned to Amy. Amy smirked at the camera before answering.
"Yes. Josh and I dated for several months in 2002 and in late 2003." Donna turned and glared at Josh.
"What?" He asked defensively.
"You know what." Donna snapped back.
"Really, I don't. What's the problem? You know I dated Amy- twice and you were fine with it on both occasions." Josh said, the squeakiness back in his voice.
"She really, really wasn't." Helen commented dryly. Josh stared at her in shock.
"You didn't even know Donna then, how do you know that?"
"Joshua, everyone who had eyes knew it. Amy knew it and she mentioned it to me once. His secretary hated her because she was jealous. Of course this was before I knew Donna, so I thought it was some twenty year old bimbo who flirted her way into the White House." Helen answered.
"Well that's exactly the perception we want to get out. Remind me again why we asked her to be on this show?" Josh cracked and was met with stony glares from the women in the room.
"Because if you were sleeping with her, you wouldn't also be sleeping with me, you idiot!" Donna snapped and smacked him on the arm for emphasis.
"Can I remind you that I am lying in a hospital bed here? Do you have no common decency?" Josh teased. Donna rolled her eyes and snuggled back against his chest.
"Be quiet all of you. He's asking Will what would have been the problem if you had been having an affair. I hope Sam is taping this, we may need his quotes for that slander suit Donna mentioned." Sylvia hushed them.
"Larry, the affair itself wouldn't be a problem. Ms. Moss and Mr. Lyman are both consenting adults. It isn't anyone's business what they do on their own time. However, we have reason to believe that Ms. Moss was giving the Santos campaign sensitive campaign information." Will accused, his face again wrinkled in the rehearsed "serious" frown.
"Like what?" Leo challenged from across the table. Will looked to Larry, clearly hoping he would admonish Leo for speaking out of turn. Larry leaned closer, waiting with expectation for Will's response.
"It is sensitive information that we do not wish to disclose at this time. Needless to say, we are quite certain it was leaked by Ms. Moss." Will's bravado was fading quickly and his hands were fidgeting with a pen on the table nervously.
"You have to admit it is a little suspect when they have no proof of any wrongdoing by either Ms. Moss or Mr. Lyman that they can share. Sounds more like Mr. Bailey has his nose out of joint because Donna decided to be with Josh while he was ill. She put herself first and that does not tend to sit well with politicians, myself included. I will be honest in telling you that there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't say a few prayers that those two would keep away from each other until we were out of office. I regret that now. I think the American public can understand that these two people met through work and fell in love. It is a mutual feeling, neither will come out later claiming sexual harassment. They fought their feelings for nine years, through gunshot wounds, ethics hearings they both had to testify at before Congress censured the President, the kidnapping of the president's daughter and Donna being nearly killed while on a fact finding trip to the Middle East. Only now when they faced yet another health scare, have they begun to explore their feelings. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this should be a problem for anyone." Leo was passionate in his defense. Josh beamed at the implicit approval he was receiving from the man he looked at as his father.
"That will be our final thought for this evening. Thank you to all of my guests. We'll be back with Aaron Brown and a preview of what's coming up on News Night." Helen stood up and turned the television off.
"I think that went well. I can't wait to see the editorials coming in the next few days." Matt said with glee.
"I'm sure someone will take the Vice President's side, but I will agree this was about as good as we could have hoped for. Thank you for arranging it all." Josh spoke sincerely to Helen.
"It was the White House that did most of the work. You were both well loved and missed there." Helen responded as she stood up, turning to her husband. "Darling, we should get back. I'd like to call and check on the kids at my mom's before they go to bed." Matt nodded and stood to follow her.
"Josh, call me after you've made a decision." He said as they left the room. Josh nodded silently. Sylvia stood and stretched her arms a bit.
"I think I'll head out as well. I'm pretty exhausted. Josh, do you happen to have clean sheets at home?" She asked doubtfully.
"I think so. Is the press still staked out all over? You might have an easier time at a hotel." Josh suggested. Sylvia waved him off with a smile.
"I've got the US Secret Service to help me get home. I want to make sure the townhouse isn't so disgusting that Donna takes one look at it and runs away."
"Ok, then good night Mom. We'll see you tomorrow." Josh called as Sylvia left his room. He turned expectantly to Donna. "Are you next?"
"Sorry pal, you are stuck with me. I'm kind of thinking about staying at your side forever." Donna teased and burrowed her head into his neck. Josh leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Thank God." He whispered.