Author's note I am having some formatting issues. Each email should have a to, a from and a subject. Josh's email was supposed to have enumerated paragraphs, and there are a few other omissions or changes. Any ideas on how to fix this? Please keep the feed back coming. More feed back more and better chapters. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and listened to. I just wish it would let me fix some of the problems that people have already mentioned. The last two emails spawned out of this one and were hastily written to make this email make sense. The last 2 emails were to have come from this account and Helen's was supposed to have come from the on this is going to Helenofhoustoncharternet . I dont know why it wont show the freaking to and from.


From: Job, Josh Lyman, and Sam Seaborne

Helen,

Fine I will accept your offer on an interim basis. When I get back we will close ourselves in a room and talk this out over some wine or whatever it is you thin veneered Texans drink. Believe you me if this is going to work out there will be honest revelations and swearing by both of us. We are both going to have to get over our hang-ups and just deal with the realities of where we are today, and ma'am that means you are going to have to learn to deal with protocol. Suck it up and deal. Only after you stop balking at the idea of someone acknowledging you position in your presence can we even talk about you being flexible with it.

As punishment for your bed warmer comment Otto is going to set up lunch for you with Miriam Cotesworth Hayes for the day after tomorrow. I suggest you ask Rona to find the stuffiest, prissiest etiquette functionary from the current First Ladies staff and draft her into intensive service. Otto is trying to work his way off my list for sending Josh a self-serving email while we are on vacation so if there is anything you need don't be afraid to ask him. Zoey Bartlet will drop everything to hang out with you this week and be someone you can relax around while at the same time filling you with stories of her experiences as part of the first family if tell her: "Donna says this would completely make you even for every purple box, past, present and future."

There have been around 50 American First Ladies and another dozen Whitehouse hostesses. Take this week and read up on them, you are their legacy. Talk to your husband he knows you better than anyone who worked on the campaign he is your rock just as you're his. Finally we can't start putting together our team till we know what it is we want to do. So think about what it is you want to accomplish during the next 4 years. What are the 3 most important issues to you, the 7 most, the 12 most? What would you like to do to affect those concerns? How vocal do you want to be? How much opposition are you willing to face? Those are questions you need to honestly wrestle with on your own.

Also remember that you are also the defacto head of the household apart from overseeing your children's education, you get to aid in all the daily life aspects and human needs aspects of your presidency. If a photo gets taken of President Santos in an unflattering suit, somebody is going to whine about it to you. On the plus side you get to wear designer dresses that anyone else could never afford, you get to focus the nations attention on issues important to you and if you do it right strike fear into the heart of every west wing staffer.

As for Samuel Norman Seaborne Esquire, no one could ask fro a better friend. He's one of the most noble, intelligent and just good people I know. He's like Sir Galahad, Atticus Finch, and James Madison all wrapped up in one yummy package. If he can be convinced to come in as WHDCOS then my expectations of what will be accomplished during your husbands presidency will increase by a magnitude of 5. Josh still thinks of him as a brother and takes Sam's counsel seriously and will listen to it and incorporate it even it is completely contrary to his current course of action.

This is both good and bad. Good because Sam is often the voice of conscience, humanity and rightness when everybody else gets mired down in the conflict of political maneuvering. Bad because they are birds of a feather when they both get left to their own devises mischief is bound to occur. In the sprit of full disclosure, they once tried to send me to get pinecones to help them build a fire that could have done structural damage to the Whitehouse. The good does out way the bad but there is a reason Josh is stocking the political side of your husbands staff with speech writers and wordsmiths, there are going to be times when they are going to have to talk themselves out of trouble.

Josh is still asleep so I can say this Josh loves Sam like a brother and that is why he did not bring him onboard for the campaign even though we could have used him. Josh's big fear is people he loves getting hurt because of him. His father died without saying goodbye during the first Bartlet Campaign, I got in the wrong car, Zoey trusted the wrong person, Toby Zeigler shot off his mouth, Leo died and Josh blames himself for all of it. If Leo hadn't died Sam would still be in California and Josh might have made it out for the wedding.

Josh is a brilliant man in many ways but he is emotionally stunted. His deepest relationships all involve work which is of course his life. Leo was like a father to him. Now that he's gone Josh is trying to rein it in and rebuild his strategy for all of this without one of the key players both personally and professionally. He realized he was going to have to step up and take the reins completely. He also realized that he was going to need to take care of himself to do that. Knowing that he is not able to look after himself on his own, he called the one person still willing to work in the west wing that could help him be a whole person.

Josh's work first personality is also the reason for where we are as whatever we are. We have had this dynamic for years and circled around our feelings for a while but as long as we worked together it wasn't going to happen. I overheard him telling Congressmen Wyatt that he could never be in a relationship with someone he worked with. Shortly after that I left him to join the Russell campaign just to put some space between us. It wasn't till Election eve that we got together. Your husband has said many times that he doesn't care who Josh dates. I hope that is true because if this is going to be a problem I should find out know rather than get my hopes crushed later. Josh is always going to chose work and I'm fine with that, I could never stand between him and doing everything he can to make things better. I'm just hoping he chooses me next so I can continue to help him do it.

Sorry I'm just venting and a little overly emotionally charged, this thing is so Blah and with everything else I think I am in need of a beach myself. I think I hear someone stirring so I better end this and see if can find some company to go down to that beach. I'll talk to you later Ma'am.

Donna