Title: Peripheral Vision

Author: Tinkerbell99

Rating: T

Disclaimer: The characters are not my creation, they belong to someone else.

Summary: And so it was that Donna joined the campaign, but what else happened that day? Told from the points of view of those on the outside of the main event.

POV: Governor Bartlet

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"The one who likes pie."

Well, that's certainly helpful. For reasons I can't explain, my wife seems to delight in making the simplest requests as difficult as possible. All I need to do now is invite these people to a lunch buffet and observe their dessert choices. Then I'll have a fighting chance of identifying the one named Toby.

Remarkably, no one seems to notice my reentry into campaign headquarters. Taking one last look out the window, I watch Abby's black sedan pull away as she begins her afternoon schedule. I'd trade it for mine in a heartbeat.

It's after one o'clock and the pace here is really picking up. Of course, that's mostly my fault for dodging the thing this morning and creating a surprise evening event, but everyone here seems awfully busy. Busy doing what, I don't know. A tall redhead brushes past me with a big cardboard box and an even taller brunette is waving a cell phone in the air, trying to get reception and yelling about podium height. Height, indeed.

"Leo, is it me or is this office filled with an inordinate number of tall women?"

"I'm sorry Governor, but I've got to…" Appearing from my right, he brushes by me, pointing toward a clump of volunteers in the corner now surrounding the redhead with the box. I wave him on, sensing I've been abandoned in the midst of my own campaign. I'm sure I should be somewhere, but where exactly seems to be the question.

All right, then. I'm still holding pie from Abby and hunting for a Toby. That plan would work if I could remember which one he was. The young one with the frizzy hair or the younger one that's always falling down…or is it the other young one with the…

I'm not getting anywhere with this. "Excuse me?" May as well take my chances and ask for some assistance. I manage to flag down a young woman with straight blonde hair. She's wearing a Bartlet for America badge, so chances are she knows this Toby. I hope. "Could I bother you for a moment?"

At the sound of my voice, the young lady stops collecting file folders and looks around with a nervous smile. "Ahh…me?" It would seem as though I've startled her, although I haven't the faintest idea why.

"Yes. Could you tell me which one of these…" I fumble for the right word "…people is Toby Lyman?"

"Toby Lyman?" From the expression on her face I'm guessing now that she doesn't know either.

I nod.

"Do you maybe mean Josh Lyman…sir?"

"No…I mean Toby." At least, I think I do. "I think. Could you tell me…is there a Josh Lyman here?"

The young woman nods.

"And…which one is he?"

"He's well…he's my boss. I mean, I'm his assistant so I suppose that would be the correct term, but…I'm sorry, sir, it's my first day here and I'm feeling a little…what was it you wanted?"

In addition to startling her, I seem to have confused her. It's probably best to start over. "See, I have this pie, and it's from my wife to be given to someone named Toby, only I can't remember which one he is."

"Oh." She nods in understanding. "You probably need Toby Ziegler then? Sir?"

"Yes, indeed! That would be the one!" At least, I hope so. Again. "Could I trouble you to deliver this to him for me, Ms…what was your name?" I won't remember it, but I may as well ask.

"Moss. Donnatella Moss." She smiles and extends her hand. "Donna, actually."

"Donna, I'm Jed Bartlet. It's your first day here?" She nods. "Then welcome to New Hampshire."

As we shake hands, she smiles and I remember brushing by her on my way out to lunch. Actually, it was more like marching and shoving by her on my way out to lunch. That could explain the initial reaction. "Thank you, sir."

"Well, we're happy to have you. And you don't need to call me 'sir.'" I pass her the pie just as the young one with the frizzy hair jogs up to us, shouting all the way.

"Donna!" He sidesteps the woman with the cell phone and comes to a sudden stop before he runs full speed into a filing cabinet. "Donna! I need your help with the computer. It's doing that thing again where it beeps and the screen goes black and then it…Sorry, Governor, I didn't mean to interrupt…"

"That's all right…" I struggle for his name and come up empty. Luckily Donna, retreating toward the back cubicles, comes to the rescue. Standing behind the young man, she points and mouths the word 'Josh.'

"That's all right, Josh. Donna and I were finished." She winks at me and turns away. I notice Josh watching as she goes. Sliding my hands in my pockets, I inform him that, "I didn't think we could afford to pay any more support staff."

Tearing his eyes away from her departing figure, he turns back to me. "We can't, really. But she's…special. I'll put her on my payroll until the campaign takes off."

I've seen this look in the eyes of other young men. Rocking back on my heels, I have to ask, "You will, will you?" If I'm going to be stuck with these people for God knows how long, I'm at least going to have a little fun. "She going to South Carolina?"

"Yeah," he pauses. "I think she could be valuable."

"And it's only her first day?" He's turned back to watch her across the lobby where she's presenting a slice of cinnamon apple pie to a man I hope is Toby Ziegler. She motions toward us, and the balding man nods slowly, accepts the pie, and walks away. I clear my throat. "Son?"

"What?" His head whips around and he's instantly focused on other things. "Yeah, look, we've got to get the schedule set for tonight. Leo thinks we should have you at the site by 5:15, but CJ wants us there earlier to check out the podium."

"Is there something wrong with the podium?"

"No. Well, maybe. Apparently there was some sort of a problem with camera angles and podium height at the rally last week. The Times got a picture of you with just your forehead and hair peeking out from over the top of the thing." He starts to smile, making a little gesture to his own head. "Ran a headline with it calling you the 'Little Candidate who Could.'"

He begins to chuckle until noticing the general lack of enthusiasm from my direction. Sobering quickly, he hastens to add, "Which of course is completely inappropriate and we want to avoid that in the future…" Head tilted, I clear my throat. He looks suddenly nervous. "…Sir."

Damn right with the 'sir.'

"And will I be seeing remarks before this rally or am I making things up as I go? I'm not saying that would be such a bad thing and it certainly wouldn't be the first time, but I like to be prepared." I sneak a glance at Leo, who seems to be having a very animated conversation with the redhead.

"You'll see a draft sometime this afternoon, but my guess is that Sam will be polishing right up to the minute."

"Which one is he?"

"Sam?" I nod. "The one who spilled his coffee on your brown suit jacket. Actually, the blue one, too, but….Yeah. That's Sam."

"Very well then." Leo seems to be wrapping up his corner conference and is now heading in my direction carrying something quite large and oddly shiny. I would imagine I'm about to be pulled into a meeting, so I nod once more to Josh and head to Leo's office. Leo follows me in and places what appears to be a large metal trash can in the doorway as I remove my jacket. You know, that can looks awfully familiar…

"Did you have a nice lunch, Governor?" He rearranges the lid.

"It would seem as though my wife has restricted me from any food containing properties relating to taste. She now orders food for me which is barren of all condiments containing either calories or flavor. Pretty soon she'll be cutting my meat." I notice Leo trying to conceal a small grin as I toss my coat onto a chair and eye the garbage can I'm fairly sure I just saw filled with lawn clippings on the corner of Spruce and Seventh.

I give up. "Are you going to explain that thing, or is that what's passing for office furniture these day?"

"Well, Jed, since you decided to kickbox with my old can, Margaret had to find me a new one."

"That was the best she could do? You could fit an entire tree into that thing!"

"It's Margaret. I don't ask too many questions."

"Whatever." We take our seats on the couch. "Ahh, Leo. I've been a real jackass."

"Abby tell you that?"

"She didn't have to, but yes." He smiles. "I'm sorry for that."

"We've got a long road ahead of us, old friend."

Don't I know it. We sit in silence for a few moments before I continue. "Say, Leo, who was that young woman I met just now? Donna something?"

"The one working with Josh?"

"If Josh is the one with a lack of sensitivity regarding my height."

"Sounds like Josh."

"Anyway, who was the girl?"

"I don't really know. We haven't been introduced." Leo removes a schedule from his computer screen. "Now, we need to talk about how to handle the small business question."

If I can get forcibly dragged from meeting to meeting, I can at least have a few moments of enjoyment. "I only ask because she seemed very impressive."

Leo removes a highlighter from his desk and begins writing.

"From what I hear, others would concur with that opinion."

Leo grunts and keeps scribbling.

"Josh, in particular, seemed to think she was very impressive."

That did the trick. I watch in amusement as Leo's eyes leave the schedule and lock with mine. "He did." Somehow that didn't sound like a question. Just the reaction I'd hoped for.

"Valuable, too. I believe that was the word he used."

"Really."

I nod and watch Leo's face turn a pale shade of yellow. "I actually thought they made a rather good looking young couple."

"Jed-"

"Could even be called 'cute' I suppose, were I the type of man to use the word 'cute' in my-"

"You enjoy doing this to me, don't you?"

"Yup." I feel better than I have all day.

"I'm trying to get you elected President, and this…this is how you repay me?"

"Seemed a fair trade to me, Leo. Now, what was it you wanted to say about small business?"