'Sam said he looked like hell. Sam said he was miserable. Sam said he was a mess. Sam said he needed you.'
She sat on the couch replaying Will's words in her head. She looked at the clock, Josh would still be at the office. She picked up her phone and put it back down. She put her hand across her abdomen.
"He'll be okay. He'll be okay." She told herself.
Margaret had called.
'Donna I know you're trying to make a point. I know you're trying to send him a message, but Donna I'm worried.'
She stood up and moved to the kitchen of Will's immaculately clean apartment. It was different than Josh's. Bigger. Cleaner.
It wasn't her home. The townhouse was her home. More so than the apartment that she'd had while she was in the White House. Josh's home was their home.
Her stuff had still been in 'her' drawer. She'd swallowed hard when she'd opened it. She thought it would be empty. She though he would have filled it with loose socks or ripped up sweat shorts. He hadn't.
It was still stocked with her Bartlett for America shirt andhis boxers with the black pin stripes she loved to sleep in. There was the lotion she used. There was a pair of her jeans and two sweatshirts of Josh's that he'd shrunk in an attempt to do his own laundry when she'd gone back to Dr. Free Ride. It had all been there.
She'd dumped her bra's and panties on top of it all. She wondered if would have ever gotten rid of it.
'Donna. Look. I feel awful even talking to you after everything. I've never seen him like this..'
CJ's message had made her cry. If CJ was saying it, maybe she'd been too hasty. Maybe she should have waited until he'd gotten his staff in place. Until Sam came home. Until they'd picked a VP. See.. this is why she'd had to draw the line. This is why it would have never happened unless she did this.
Her phone rang.
"Donna? Is Josh alright?"
"Bram?"
"Some guy named Sam shows up and says he's talking some personal time. What the hell happened Donna?"
"Sam's here?"
"Yeah. I think Will Bailey called him. They were all in Josh's office, then Sam says Josh is taking some-."
"Personal time?" Donna's breath quickened. Personal time meant PTSD. Personal time meant he'd had an episode. Personal time meant she had gone too far with this. It meant he was in trouble. Itmeantshe was just sitting on the couch doing nothing while he hurt. "Did Sam leave with him?"
"No. No. Sam's still here ordering everyone-."
"I've got to go." She hung up the phone running back into the living room, grabbing her bag off the floor and ran towards the door. It opened before she got there.
She stopped breathing when she saw him standing there. They were both frozen for a second.
"Are you okay?" She whispered worriedly.
"I am now." He said with certainty.
"You took personal time." She tried not to sound as scared as she felt. "I.. I thought.."
"Sam made me." He smiledat her bag and moved towards her stopping a few feet away. "You were coming to find me?"
"No." She took slow breaths, trying to keep from crying. "Maybe."
"I don't want to be Leo." He told her. "I don't want to leave you waiting."
"I don't want you to be Leo." Her voice was quiet.
"I need you." His eyes crinkled.
"I need you Joshua. More than you know."
He moved closer.
"Tell me." His tone was firm, despite the rapid movement of his chest.
"I need to hear more." She told him honestly.
He smiled and held up the envelope Sam had given him.
"I was going to take my new assistant..." He told her his face taking on a familiar snarky expression., pulling the tickets out and looking at them. "Some times bosses do that." Her breath caught in her throat. He smirked at her. "I.. I packed our bags. I'm sure I did a horrible job, but I.. "
He took another step towards her.
"You took personal time?" She breathed. "To take me to Hawaii?"
He nodded.
"I need to hear more."
"I love you." He began, as he sniffed back tears. "I don't want to wait eight more years. I let this become who I was. It's not who I am. It's just a job. It doesn't make me the man I want to be." She swallowed a sob. "You do that" She laughed a little.
" I was going to wait for Hawaii. I was going to be really smooth" His eye brows rose as he closed the short distance between them and took her hand. "But why start now huh?" Hedug into his pocket. "I.." She recognized the ring right away. "Marry me." It was a command not a question.
"Josh.." He put his hand on her face. "How did you get my grandmothers-?"
"Your mom gave it to me in Gaza. I tried to send it back, she'd just send it back to me. I see where you get your stubbornness." He laughed reaching up and touching her face. "Without you I'm nothing..."
"I have to tell you something." Tears filled her eyes, but she was smiling at him.
"Tell me yes." He pleaded.
"Sir?"
"There you are." Jed Bartlett turned towards Sam Seaborn. "Cupid himself."
"Yes sir." He smiled slyly.
"Matt? Have you met Sam Seaborn? The White House's prodigal son?"
"My new Deputy Chief of Staff?"
"Yes, Sir." He studied Matt Santos.
"The man that can handle Josh as well as Donna can?"
"I'll try, Sir." Sam smiled. He liked this guy.
"I'm trying not to be offended Sam." Bartlett joked. "First he up and leaves me. Next he calls me creepy. And then comes back to work for you.
"Well from what Josh say I'll take him."
"You'll need him." Bartlett patted Sam on the back.
"Mr. President?" Debbie poked her head in. "Helen Santos is here to see you."
"Something you want to tell me, Jed?" Matt raised his eyebrow. Helen walked in on the phone. The three men just looked at her.
"Okay. I'm in. " Said into the phone before she looked at Sam. "You Sam?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Donna says to ask you to ask the president to call Josh's cell phone."
"Is everything all right?" Sam said suddenly. He'd talked to Donna last night. She said they were fine.
"She sounds fine." Helen shrugged.
"Debbie!" Jed frantically called. "Get me.."
"Josh Lyman on line one, Sir." She was almost Donna like.
"Josh?" Jed Bartlett called into the phone, worried. "Is everything.."
"Did I miss it?" Abbey Bartlett walked through the side door.
"Miss what?" Sam squeaked.
"They're getting married." Helen Santos smiled at Sam. She'd hung up her cell.
"They're.. what?"
"Getting married!" Sam looked at the presidents phone, apparently now on speaker. "Sam.. Sam.. Listen!" Sam could hear it in the background. He smiled."String quartet baby!"
"Sam?" He heard her voice call.
"Donna?"
"Thank you."
"Sure."
(a week later)
"So the secret meetings.." Josh shook his head.
"Yeah." Sam nodded.
"..were about a secret plan to mediate between Russia and China?" Josh laughed.
"Yeah." Seaborn sniffed pouring himself another drink and returning to the conference table.
"No more jokes about my secret plan to fight inflation." Josh announced. Sam threw a pretzel at him.
"Secret Plan for wh-?" Bram started.
"You don't want to know." Donna stopped him.
Josh's assistant Peter wandered into the room and handed him his mail.
"I wanna know about the-." Lou started. Sam shook his head emphatically. "Is it okay to drink in here? I feel like it shouldn't be okay to-."
"It's fine. Only Josh isn't allowed to drink in here." Donna explained. "How did Annabeth's mock press conference go?"
"She was awesome." Lou rolled her eyes.
"See, Josh I told you she was-. Josh?" He was starring down at a piece of paper. "What?" Sam leaned over and looked at the paper. Josh showed it to him.
He just nodded knowingly.
"It's from Toby." He told Donna. "It's a... poem."
"It's an Epithalamion." Sam collected.
"A what?" Bram asked shaking his head.
"A wedding poem." Donna mumbled, always the queen of trivia. "Read it." Josh gave her a look. "Read it, Sam."
They Wed
Josh and Donna Lyman 2006
Careening Caravan of Courtly Cavaliers
He, most loyal amongst them, but lost among them.
Fierce Fickle Forbearance
Victory will be his
"That's you before Bartlett was elected." Donna informed him.
"Cavaliers." Sam smiled. "Four qualities of a good man."
"Huh?"
"Loyalty, humor, drink and friendship." Sam supplied holding up his glass towards his best friend. "Us on the campaign trail."
It wasn't lost on Josh that Toby had named him most loyal amongst them.
Soul soaked fair-ly with few flavor
Still fain in sobers fancy
but by a drop is he
"Oh my god it's his sensitive syst-."
"Donna!" He whined. "Read Sam."
His tentatively too trained heart thrown
tightly down in discord
He waits unknowingly
for her.
"It's you before Donna." Sam announced, Josh smiled at his wife.
They Meet
Still and Statuesque of Alabaster born
Fair of face but firm
by her rule
"Ooo.. Toby!" Donna cooed. "He didn't think my rules were dumb!"
She is the queen and keeper
of his humbled hurted
heart
"Roslyn." Sam blinked up at Josh who nodded.
They Wait
Twisting through time waining love
for land-ly duties
taking stage.
For King and Country...
is his heavy quest.
still she waits
"And waits and waits and.."
Donna laughed at Sam. Josh shook his head and pointed at the poem.
She'll shed her body's blood
have but his name on
labored lips.
Josh swallowed hard. Gaza.
"How did he know?" Donna mumbled.
"I told Sam." He whispered.
"I told... everyone." Sam snickered.
They Part
Foe and Friend forbid freely
muddling their mystery
he is lost
"Lost is an understatement." Josh swallowed.
Crisping Cries of Crowds, Gold state
glory great godly grief guiding
fates fine future's found
They Wed
"How did he know about the California numbers?" Josh looked at Donna and shook her head.
"I told CJ." Donna admitted.
"CJ told Will.. in case he got the question." Sam explained.
"Did he?" Donna asked.
"Nope." Sam shook his head.
"Figures." Josh muttered. "Toby wrote this?"
Sam nodded.
"We haven't picked a-." Josh whispered to Sam.
"English?" Lou shook her head. They continued.
"Is there anything.. about the thing?" Donna asked.
"I'm in trouble here aren't I?" Lou moaned.
"If he's been pardoned." Sam asked.
"I'm never gonna catch up if you guys don't start talking in words." Lou shook her head
"PETER!" Josh bellowed.
"Don't yell!" Both Donna and Peter answered at once. Donna smiled at him.
"Okay. No more talking to my wife." He shook his head. "Find out what the criteria is for Poet Laureate. Find out if-. Find out how clean of a guy you have to be."
Sam, Donna and Josh exchanged glances.
A/N
I read a fanfic about Toby being the poet laureate a while ago and it stuck with me. I thought it would be a good way for him and josh to get some what back on track...