Title:
The Path Which Has Led to the Present (4?)
Author:
Aerial312
Rating: PG
Category: Humor/Fluff/Angst/Romance (a
little of everything)
Spoiler Info: Pre-Series.
Disclaimer: I
own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated.
Sure. Just let me know where its
going.
A/N: I'm staying true to the canon timeline, I decided. So Josh's father has died, and it was before Donna left the first time.
"No, I wasn't kidding. I really don't want to go." Donna flopped down on the edge of the bed.
"You don't?"
"I don't"
Josh spun to face her. "Why?"
"I just don't feel like going to a big event tonight. Its supposed to be a night off for everyone except the very few important people."
"You're important—"
"Ha!" Donna shook her head, but smiled, "Only to you."
Josh grinned. "So then…would you…for me—"
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
"It'll be fun."
"What fun will I have at a big fundraiser? Besides answering your cell phone, and retrieving information you want?"
"You've had fun at fundraisers before."
"Nothing like this one. This one is going to be a bunch of really dressy, really snooty people. Just let me have the night off in peace. We've had an exhausting few days. And I've even gotten more sleep than you have."
"I've slept."
"Barely. You've probably gotten 6 hours in the last 3 days."
"More than that."
"I doubt it. One night off."
"So you can watch TV in my hotel room?"
"I can read on the bus."
Josh pouted. "No, you can stay here." He sat on the bed beside her. "You really don't want to go?"
"No…" Truth was she did. But she couldn't, and it would be too embarrassing to explain the why part to him.
"Okay. Enjoy your night off. Don't say I never—"
"Sure…it only took 15 minutes of arguing—"
"Still—"
The phone rang.
"Josh Lyman," Donna answered. "Hi Leo…sure…I'll come down. Sure, I'll bring him. We'll be down in the minute."
"Leo wants to see me. He wants you to come downstairs too."
"Okay."
"Does Leo know about this?"
"About what?"
"That I've been staying in your room."
"Uh…not exactly."
"Do you think that he'll be mad?"
"He might be, but I don't care. The campaign can't afford to pay you yet—and believe me, I'm trying—and you're not sleeping on the bus. He'll understand, and as long as he knows we're keeping it kind of hush hush, he'll be fine."
"Okay…"
"Don't worry. I think he just wants to make sure he knows the exact times I'll be at my par…mom's tomorrow."
"Which are?" Donna drilled.
"I leave the hotel at 10:00. I make it to mom's by 11:00 at the latest. I depart by 3:30pm at the latest, and meet the campaign in New York City around 5:30, 6ish depending on traffic. We hope."
"Good."
"And the fundraiser begins at 7. The fundraiser you won't come to."
They arrived at the door to the conference room.
"He wants to see you first." Margaret pointed at Donna, and she went in.
"Hello, there. I'll just be a second," Leo told her, looking up from a folder. "How are you tonight, kiddo?"
"I'm good, sir."
"We've got a slow night tonight. Everyone will actually be able to get some sleep."
"We're going to be working on the environmental plan tonight."
"Don't let him work you too late."
"Okay."
"And make sure he gets some sleep tonight."
"I'll try, sir. There only so much will that you can impose on—"
"I know. He's stubborn as an ox. How much sleep has he been getting?"
"2 or so hours a night. If."
"That's what I thought. I hope you're getting something more than that."
"Yes, sir."
"How much?"
"5 hours, usually."
"Good. Did you make Josh an itinerary for his trip tomorrow?"
"Yes, sir. I booked him a rental car, that he'll pick up across the street. He'll leave at 10, after the morning meetings, and drive up—"
"I want you to go with him."
"Sir?"
"Okay, we can dispense with the 'sir'. Leo. I want you to go with him. He's too exhausted to drive."
"I…uh…I don't think he'd go for that. It's the first time he's seen his mom since he was home for the funeral…"
"I'm aware of that. Which is all the more reason to make sure he gets there safely. You're going. And you're driving."
"I…I don't want to get in the middle of a private moment."
"Donna…she's worried about him. She doesn't want him driving. And its not like you're a complete stranger. Hell she says she talks to you on the phone twice as often as she catches Josh."
"Okay."
"Good. So tomorrow, leave a copy of the travel plan with Margaret, so that I'll have some idea of when to expect him back."
"Yes, si—Leo."
"Send him in."
Donna scooted out the door. Josh was sitting on the edge of Margaret's table, oblivious to her glare.
"Your turn," Donna announced.
"How'd it go?"
"It was fine."
Josh nodded, and entered the conference room. "What can I do for you, Leo?"
"Do you have the names of the folks that you've been assigned to sweet talk tomorrow night?"
"I do. Donna left it for me somewhere."
"Please look at it."
"I will. Leo, is Margaret going to the fundraiser?"
"Of course. If she gets to go, she goes. She doesn't miss these things."
"Ah."
"Why?"
"Donna doesn't want to go."
"So? She doesn't have to."
"I know that, but last time—back in February—she was dying to go."
"Maybe it lost its charm? Women are strange like that."
"There's gotta be a reason…"
"So your trip tomorrow…"
"I've got the schedule. Donna made me an hour by hour plan, practically."
"Donna's going with you."
"She…what?"
"I'm sending her with you. She's driving. I want you there and back safely and on time—"
"I think I know how to drive to my par—my mother's house—"
"The time thing is not really the issue. Josh, you've gotten 2 hours of sleep a night for this whole trip. You're not up to driving."
"We have a slow night tonight."
"Donna said that you guys were working."
Josh looked down at the ground. "A month ago, I would have brought Donna with me in a heartbeat…I just…this is going to be the first time its just mom and me…I don't know what she'll—"
"Josh, your mom called me."
"She called you?"
"Wanted to know if you'd been sleeping. Eating. The normal things that moms want to know."
"She gets that info from Donna."
"I know. She already knew all my answers to her questions. But she knows I'm the boss. So I'm to tell you that you're not allowed to drive tomorrow. Donna is going to drive, and your mom knows she's coming. It was her idea."
"It was my mom's idea that Donna come?"
Leo nodded. "She wants to "meet the sweet girl I talk to all the time". She said she's been talking to Donna almost every day."
"I know. And I keep forgetting to call her back until its like midnight."
"So, get some rest tonight, and be a good son tomorrow. Tell Rita I said hello."
"I will." Josh stepped out of the room.
Donna was leaning against the wall. "He tell you?" They began to walk back to Josh's room.
"Yeah."
"You okay with this?"
"I'm fine…they didn't leave us much choice."
"They?"
"Mom put Leo up to it. She was worried about me."
"She should be."
"We won't work that late tonight."
Donna grinned, and pressed the button for the elevator. The rode in silence, until Josh turned to her.
"Are you okay with going?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Just wondering if you thought it was weird."
"It would be weird if I didn't talk to your mom almost everyday."
"Did you know she was going to do this."
"No…she didn't tell me she was going to make Leo send me too…just that she wanted to meet me…which I guess I could have put together."
Josh smiled and handed Donna the key card to their room to open it. "It'll be fun."
