Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

A/N: Hope you like it! The next bit will be JJ and Suzy, and who knows who else. I have an idea for a Suzy tangent, but if nobody's interested, I'm not sure if I'll do it. (Read: Please let me know!)

Feedback: Would be awesome. I've had an interesting 12 hours, and feedback would help to reestablish my equilibrium. I know, I'm shameless, but there it is.

"Karaoke? You guys got karaoke?"

That was JJ. He's just enough of a dork to get excited over a karaoke machine. Not that I'm not, too; Karaoke is awesome, especially when slightly tipsy. And especially when the J-man is drunk off his ass, which, of course, happens just around the time the rest of us are slightly tipsy.

It'd Josh and Donna's 25th anniversary. Since they never had a wedding reception, everyone got together to throw them a big shebang of a party. All of the Bartlet crowd is here, along with other friends and colleagues, and, of course, JJ, Becca and I.

I adore Josh and Donna. And CJ, and Sam, and Ainsley. Hell, even Toby. They care. About me, as well as in general. I mean, the first time I met them, each and every one of them, they didn't know me from Adam, and yet they treated me as though I mattered, as part of the family. I know I make a big deal out of that, but honestly, until I went to college, I could count the people who gave a good goddamn about me on one hand. So I envy JJ. I envy him these people. Because they're his.

We have karaoke. How awesome is that?

"The karaoke was my idea," Sam says somewhat sheepishly.

"They could have figured that," Toby mutters. Sam just turns his wide blue eyes on Toby, slightly wounded, and Toby harrumphs.

"It'll be fun when everyone gets drunk, though," Sam points out.

"Do we have 'The Jackal?'"

"We do," Sam affirms smugly.

"All right then," Toby says, and wanders off. Sam follows him, questioning Toby's problems with karaoke. Even after all these years, a part of him still needs Toby's approval. Which in a way is comforting, because that's how it should be.

"JJ looks good."

"He does, doesn't he?"

"Seriously, Donna, he really looks good."

I watch my son from across the room. He does look good. He looks happy, too, and I'm glad. This year has been hard for him, and for Josh, and for me. I've never been so angry with him in my life. And angry with myself, for not seeing the situation for what it really was, and fixing it before it got as bad as it did. But now, peace has returned, after a long hiatus. For once, my men resolved their issues without my help. I'm proud of them for that.

My men. It's hard to conceive that my baby is a full-grown man of twenty-five. He's over there, in his charcoal pants and black sweater, his brown eyes laughing, and all I can see is a little boy in grubby jeans and untied shoelaces, with the cutest little glasses on the face of the planet.

"He looks much better than that last time," CJ reiterates, her voice breaking into my thoughts. "I'm so glad."

Becca wanders by, and CJ calls out to her. "Hey, Becca. Dumb and Dumber persuade you to sing with them yet?"

"Yeah, right. I'm going to be too busy laughing at them to do any singing." CJ grins at her, and she smiles back, in perfect accord.

She looks tired. "Becca, sweetie, you look exhausted. Have you been working too hard?"

She grimaces. "Depends on who you ask. According to Abbott and Costello over there, yes. Especially Abbott," she mutters darkly.

I smile. "JJ been ragging you?"

"Like nobody's business. Which is rich, because he's redefined the word "workaholic." Do you know, he graded an entire set of multiple-essay exams last night? Not tha you could ever tell, damn the man." She chuckles self-deprecatingly. "I'm getting boring. I think I could use some champagne." Suddenly, she gives me a tight hug. "Happy Anniversary, Donna. You both deserve it, if anyone does."

I return her hug warmly, and then CJ and I watch as she grabs a glass of champagne, drinks it self-consciously, uneasily, in a corner. We watch as she startles at JJ's hand on her shoulder, shakes it off, and gives him an annoyed glance. We watch as JJ looks after her in consternation.

We watch.

CJ nudges me. "Is it just me, or is there some tension there?"

"As a woman who has watched entirely too many Disney movies, I feel extremely well-qualified to say that yes, there is definitely something there."

"To say nothing of personal experience," CJ remarks dryly, as Josh flashes me his brilliant grin across the room.

"Well, yes, there is that."

"She's avoiding me."

"This is news to you?"

"Chris, come on. Work with me here. You know. She's being weird."

"Well, you two have always had a rather quixotic dynamic."

"Chris, this is not the time for AdjectivaBee, okay?"

He tries to hold it in for a few seconds, but bursts out laughing anyway. "AdjectivaBee? Well, I think that's a new low, even for you."

"Chris."

He sighs. "Do you need me to explain this to you?" He regards me steadily until I have to look away. "Right. Look, neither of you has been very forthcoming as to what exactly went on between the two of you, but I can guess. It's not like I haven't seen it coming."

Huh? "JJ, don't do the deer-in-headlights thing, okay? You're not that dense."

"So what do I do?"

"Well, one of two things, I should think."

"But I don't want to hurt her."

"JJ, from the looks of things, I'd say she's hurting now."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, it hits me. "I need to make a statement."

"A statement?"

"A big bonanza of a statement."

"A big bonanza of a statement."

"Uh huh. Right here. Right now. Something she can't misconstrue, something bold."

"In other words, something embarrassing."

"Right."

"Do you think we need to enlist the Sisterhood?"

"Not just yet, CJ."

"You do realize that JJ is one-half of this equation, don't you?"

I glance at her sharply. "Give him a little credit, there, CJ. He is my son too, you know."

"Yeah, but…"

"I know. I'm tired of waiting, too."

"This song?"

"Yup."

"JJ, you do know that this is, like, the kitschiest song in the universe, right?"

He steels himself in a manner reminiscent of a Gary Cooper hero, resigned yet fiercely determined. "Yup."

"You're sure."

"Yes."

"You're absolutely sure."

"Yes."

"Really."

"Christian."

"O-kay, then. Here we go."

"CJ. CJ, look!"

"What? Oh…that is so…"

"That is so sweet! Oh, Sam, look!"

"What, Ainsley? Wow." He's grinning. "Well, who knew."

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. All I see is a grown man making a fool of himself."

"Shut up, Tobus."

"He's making a statement, Toby."

"A statement, Sam?"

"Yes. Like the time Sam…"

"You know what, Ains? Why don't you just stop right there, before my last bit of credibility is, you know, torn to shreds."

"It was a good statement, Sam!"

"I know it was."

"A very good statement."

"Yes."

"Oh, for God's sake, get a room, would you?"

"He's bringing the woo, Josh."

"Yes, he is."

JJ's singing along to that "Dance with Me" song by Orleans. He's on his knees, in front of Becca, begging in an exaggerated fashion. She seems somewhere between pissed and giving in to amused hysteria. As it is, she's batting him away, but JJ just continues, undaunted. "A chip off the old block, Donna."

"Just keep telling yourself that, hon."

"You stupid ass."

"Dance with me, I want to be your partner.
Can't you see the music is just starting?"

"Get up, you fool."

"Let it lift you off the ground.
Starry eyes, and love is all around us…"

"JJ, what can I do to make you stop?"

"Dance with me…"

"Not a chance in hell, pal."

"Fine then, I'll just keep singing. Chris, start it again, would ya?"

"No no no. No. Chris, do not start it again. We've had quite enough of an exhibition for tonight."

"Come on, you know you loved it."

"As a matter of fact I didn't."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

Damn. I just can't do it. He's giving me the puppy eyes. "No."

"Rea-Wait, what?"

"I said no."

"To the fact that you didn't love it."

"Yes."

"So you did love it."

"I must be deranged, but yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"JJ, please don't tell me we have to go through this again. Yes, okay?"

He looks all smug. "I am da man."

"You are."

"I am so da man."

"Yes."

" I am so…"

"Just shut up and kiss me, would you?"

He looks a bit stunned. "Well, okay."

I hate to say it, but when it comes to kissing, he is sooo da man.

Lyrics of "Dance with Me" by Orleans. Give it a listen.

Dance with me, I want to be your partner.
Can't you see the music is just starting?
Night is falling, and I am falling.
Dance with me.

Fantasy could never be so giving.
I feel free, I hope that you are willing.
Pick your feet up, and kick your feet up.
Dance with me.

Let it lift you off the ground.
Starry eyes, and love is all around us.
I can take you if you want to go.

Dance with me, I want to be your partner.
Can't you see the music is just starting?
Night is falling, and I am falling.
Dance with me.

Let it lift you off the ground.
Starry eyes, and love is all around us.
I can take you if you want to go.

Dance with me, I want to be your partner.
Can't you see the music is just starting?
Night is falling, and I am falling.
Dance with me.