Title: The Flower Girl (1/1)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG
Category: Fluff/Humor
Spoiler Info: Santos Administration
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated. Sure. Just let me know where its going.
A/N: This little story got stuck into my head, and wouldn't let me work on "Path…" today. EDITED: Because I always forget that screws up my formatting and gets rid of the little line I place between scenes, so things mush together.
"Now, we're going to be on our best behavior for Daddy's staff, right?"
"Yes," Peter huffed, not looking up from his gameboy.
Miranda nodded silently.
"I'll just be up onstage for a little while. Mommy should get back while I'm up there."
"Why isn't Mommy back yet?" Miranda asked.
"Her flight got delayed a little, honey. They just landed. She'll be here in a few minutes."
"Okay."
"Can Daddy have a hug before he goes up on stage?"
Miranda hugged her father, and watched him walk away. The staff bustled around the children.
"He goes on in two minutes, Bram, please tell me that the prompter has the changes to the speech."
"I gave it to the guy, like you said."
"Did you check on it?"
"Miss Lou?" Miranda asked.
"No, I didn't."
"Miss Lou?"
"Well go check on it!"
Bram scurried off.
"Miss Lou? How long till Mommy comes back?" Miranda tugged on Lou's blazer.
"Stop it!" Miranda started to cry. "Oh, sh--. I didn't know it was you, kiddo…uh….it's okay…its okay…uh, please don't cry."
Lou reached out and awkwardly patted the little girl's shoulder before turning back to the file she was looking at. "Josh, have you seen this quote!"
"Yes. We will not stoop to their level, in the name calling. Make sure a statement is prepared that says that, for the briefing. Um, has no one seen that there's a crying child?"
"I don't have time for a crying child. And I have no idea what to do about a crying child."
"Go prep the statement. I'll take care of this."
"You?"
"Just go."
Josh walked over to where Miranda sat crying, and squatted beside her. "Hi there."
Miranda turned away. "I want Mommy."
Josh picked up the little girl, and pointed towards the stage. "In just a minute, Daddy's going to be up on that stage."
"How long till Mommy gets here?"
"The plane landed, they're just stuck in traffic now."
"How long?"
"Um…let me check," Josh shifted Miranda to his other side, and pulled his Blackberry out of his suit pocket.
"Is that your cell phone?"
"Yes."
"Its really big."
"It's a special cell phone. I can check my email on my cell phone."
Josh dialed a number. He smiled when Donna picked up the phone. "Hey…where are you guys? …no, I know the plane got delayed…yeah, its about to start…Donna, I know I shouldn't be talking through the whole thing," Josh laughed. Miranda laughed too. "Yeah, that's Miranda. She wants to know how far away Mommy is—"
"Can I talk to Mommy?"
"We have to hang up the cell phone when your Daddy starts to talk. Five minutes? Thank you… I love you too. See you in a bit. Bye. Five minutes, kiddo."
"That was Miss Donna?"
"Yup."
"Are you married to Miss Donna?" She looked up at Josh.
"Uh…no…no…not yet."
"Why not?"
"I don't know."
"You love Miss Donna though?"
Josh nodded. "Very much."
"Then why aren't you married to her?"
"I—"
"Can't you just ask her?"
"I could."
"Then why haven't you yet?"
"I just haven't had a good time to yet. We're always really busy."
"Does it have to be a not-busy day?"
"No, I guess not."
"Do you have a pretty ring?"
Josh nodded. "It's really pretty. It was my grandma's."
"Can I see it?"
"I, uh, don't have it with me."
"Are you going to ask Miss Donna soon?"
"I think so."
"Even if you're still really busy?"
"Yeah."
"So you think she'll say yes?" Miranda giggled.
"I think so."
"You should ask her today."
Josh laughed. "Today?"
"So I can see the pretty ring."
"Oh, I see."
"When you marry Miss Donna, can I be the flower girl?"
"Ah, the real reason for the questions!" Josh teased, tickling Miranda.
"Well, I hear my daughter," Helen sighed, as she approached her chief of staff.
Donna's gaze was set on Josh playing with Miranda a few feet away.
"Well, look at that. I didn't realize he was good with kids."
"Yeah…" Donna smiled.
"It looks like she's in better spirits now."
"Mmm," Donna agreed, without looking away.
"It's something, huh, to watch the man you love play with children?"
"It is."
"Do you want children?"
Donna nodded. "I worry that I'm starting to get too old."
"You're not too old."
"We've never actually talked about it. He's always been good with kids."
"He seems it. He never would have struck me as good with kids, but watching…he actually is.
"Did you have a good time with Josh today, honey?"
"Josh watched her?" Matt laughed.
"He's really funny."
"I came back, and found her with Josh."
"I got lonely. And Miss Lou is mean."
"Mean?" Matt asked.
"She was yelling at the tall guy, and ignoring me."
"So she started to cry," Peter chimed in.
"Shut up!"
"We don't say that," Helen chided.
"So you were crying, and then what?"
"Mr. Josh picked me up. He's really funny."
"What did you and Josh talk about?"
"I asked him if he was married to Miss Donna—"
Matt chuckled, and looked over at Helen to watch her reactions.
"—and he said not yet—"
"Not yet?" Helen smiled under her breath to Matt.
"—and I asked why not—"
By this point, both Helen and Matt were having a hard time keeping a straight face.
"—and he said he didn't know. I asked if it was because he didn't have a ring yet, but she said he did—"
"He's got a ring?"
"Uh huh. He said its really, really pretty, and it was his grandma's and I asked to see it, but he didn't have it with him. His mommy sent it to him from Florida, and he's got it at home."
"Wow."
"Did he say when he's going to ask her?" Helen grinned.
"I said he should ask her today, 'cause I really want to see the pretty ring."
Matt laughed.
"He said soon. And then I asked if I could be the flower girl and he said maybe. I told him I really want to wear a pretty dress—"
"Miranda!"
"I do! I've never gotten to be a flower girl. All of my friends have."
"They might have someone in the fam—"
"Miss Donna's nieces are older, they can be bridesmaids, Josh said."
"You talked to him about this for a long time?"
"That's what we were talking about when you and Miss Donna came back. He made me promise not to tell—"
"Miranda!" Helen laughed.
"Not to tell Miss Donna! I didn't promise not to tell you."
"You're quiet," Josh rolled on his side to face Donna, who was lying on her side watching him.
"I'm just thinking."
"What about?"
"You were adorable with Miranda earlier."
"Yeah?"
"She was completely enthralled—"
"All the ladies—"
Donna smacked him. "Helen and I had fun watching you two before we came over there."
"Kids ask interesting questions," Josh sighed. "They ask why a lot. And I don't know is not a sufficient answer, 'cause they'll just ask why not?"
Donna laughed. "You were good with her."
"The poor kid was crying, and Lou yelled at her. She just needed to be picked up."
They were quiet for a few moments.
"Do you want kids?" Donna asked softly.
"I've always liked kids. For a while I thought it was never going to happen…I would, though, like kids…" Josh answered meekly.
"Me too."
Josh leaned in kissed her gently, then pulled her close against his chest.
"What did Miranda ask you?"
"Hmm?"
"That you had a hard time answering."
"She asked if we were married, and I told her no, not yet."
"Not yet?" Donna grinned.
"Yeah, she picked up on that phrasing too, and asked why not, and I couldn't think of a good reason why not—"
"Really?"
"Yeah…all of the things that had been excuses…she kind of poked a hole in all of them…funny how kids can do that…" Josh took a deep breath.
Donna looked up at him. "Are you—"
"I think so."
"You think so?" Donna laughed.
"Hold on, I can do better than this—" Josh rolled over Donna toward the bed table.
"You don't have to—"
"Wait…let me just—" He grabbed the ring out of the bedside table.
Donna's eyes widened as she saw it. "How long has that been there?"
"Two weeks or so?"
"Were you worried I'd find it?"
"I was kind of hoping you'd find it."
"Wimp."
Josh settled on top of her, resting his chin on her stomach. He placed the ring box on her chest and opened it. "Well?"
Donna cracked up. "Well? Is that—"
"I, uh—"
"Yes, I will marry you," Donna laughed.
"I'm terrible at this."
"Its certainly memorable." Donna pulled the box closer and studied the ring. "This is beautiful. Did you pick it out by yourself?"
"It was my grandmother's."
"Really?"
"I asked my mom to mail it to me, and of course she started flipping out."
"She's been in our corner for a long time."
"So I have to call her first."
"Of course."
"Are you going to put it on?"
Donna removed the ring from its box and slipped it onto her finger. "It actually fits."
"Really? I figured we were going to have to get it adjusted."
"It fits."
"So tomorrow, the first person you need to show the ring to—"
"Is Miranda."
"Right."
"We're leaving for school in five minutes," Helen announced as she and the kids entered her suite in the East Wing. "I just need to go over something with Annabeth."
Helen disappeared into Annabeth's office.
"Miranda!" Donna called from her office. "Come here."
Miranda skipped into the large office. "Your office is bigger than Mommy's."
"Not quite."
"I think it is."
Donna laughed. " I have something you wanted to see."
"Yeah?"
Donna put her hand on the table.
"Oooh! Is that the ring?"
"Yup."
"Are you and Josh getting married?"
Donna nodded. Miranda opened her mouth wide, and ran from the room. "Mommy! Mommy! Come here!"
"What is it?"
"Come see!"
Helen smiled, as she and Annabeth scurried into Donna's office.
"Look! Show them!"
Donna held out her hand again.
"Oh my god!" Annabeth squealed. "When did this happen?"
"Last night."
Helen laughed. "Miranda really got to Josh."
"Huh?" the little girl asked.
"Josh listened to your questions yesterday, and couldn't come up with a good reason why he hadn't asked me yet."
"Was it romantic?" Annabeth asked.
"Not exactly," Donna laughed. "But it was very Josh."
"So when are you getting married?" Miranda asked.
"We haven't decided yet."
"Can I be the flower girl?"
FIN