Title:
The Path Which Has Led to the Present (20?)
Author:
Aerial312
Rating: PG-13.
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: Real Life has delayed my updating this story as much as I would like to.
Josh stared at the ceiling. After months of sleeping on hotel mattresses, it was strange to be in his own bed. After three weeks of sharing a bed, it was strange to be sleeping alone. He found it a little disconcerting just how much he'd gotten used to spending the night with Donna. She was his assistant, not his girlfriend. He shouldn't be missing her in his bed. But nonetheless he was, and couldn't sleep as a result. Josh rolled over and looked at the clock. 1:30am. He'd been staring at the ceiling for half an hour now.
Finally, Josh climbed out of bed, and padded into the living room. Donna was curled up in one corner of the couch, with the TV still on, flickering in the darkness. She looked up as he approached.
"Can't sleep?"
Josh shook his head.
"Me either."
"It's weird to be at home." Josh flopped down on the couch beside Donna.
"Yeah?"
"I haven't been home in months."
"It shows."
"Hey!"
"You can't sleep at home?"
Josh shrugged. "I'm used to hotels."
"Yeah, me too."
"It's just weird, you know?" It seemed like she was feeling similarly awkward.
Donna nodded.
"You want to put the TV on?"
"Sure, if you want."
"Well, you can try to sleep if you want…you can sleep in the other room if you want to…I doubt I'll get much sleep."
"Put the TV on, I'll watch for a while."
"Okay…where's the remote?"
Donna sat forward to grab it off the coffee table, and Josh lay down behind her.
"Getting comfy?"
"Might as well."
"Yeah."
Donna sat back against his chest. This was a bad idea, like so many lately.
"CNN?"
"Of course."
"Of course," Donna mocked, and lay back down in front of him.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she pulled her blanket around them both. After a few minutes of watching the TV, he could feel his eyes getting heavy. He closed them, and quickly fell into the steady rhythm of Donna's breathing, falling asleep.
"All I'm asking, is for somebody to find the damn file!" Toby bellowed. "What? Can none of you find it? Are you even looking?"
"No luck," Sam declared.
"You had it last."
"That was over a week ago. We didn't think we'd need that data again."
"Well, I do, and our copy of that briefing is nowhere to be found! CJ, have you seen a copy of it?"
"What do you need from it?"
"The figures. The damn numbers about the childhood poverty rates! He's addressing the Child Welfare League of America this week, his speech should reflect the statistics!"
"Well, yeah, that would be a good idea."
"Gee, you're helpful."
Josh walked by, his nose buried in a file. Headquarters was a bustle of activity since everyone else had arrived.
"Do you have your briefing book with all the children's education and poverty stats?"
"I'm sure I still have it."
"Do you know where it is?"
"The only files I know the location of are the ones that get put directly in front of me—"
"So no."
"No, I have no idea. I read it at some point. I couldn't spout the numbers back at you, but—"
"You're no help."
"But ask Donna. She'll be able to find it like that." Josh snapped his fingers.
"Really?"
"Her filing system is meticulous. Only she understands it, but it really works for her."
Toby nodded, continued down the corridor to Josh's office, where Donna sat on the floor with an array of folders spread out around her.
"Hi."
"Josh is down the hall with CJ."
"I'm looking for you."
"Oh." Donna stood up. She was a little afraid of Toby. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for a file. No one can find it. Josh thinks you can."
"What file?"
"Childhood poverty rates, education…"
"Recent?"
"Yeah."
"The one with all of the immunization data, and free lunch ratios—"
"Yes."
Donna knelt back down beside one of the filing cabinets, and in a matter of seconds had retrieved a folder. "Here you go."
Toby leafed through it. "What are these?" " pointed to several blue note cards that were clipped to the front of the briefing book.
"That's the summary."
"Summary?"
"Sometimes I…uh…pre-read…articles for Josh, and, uh, pick out the salient facts."
"I see."
"It draws his eye to the important parts."
"And so I should be able to find all of the stats I need on these blue cards?"
"Probably. But for page by page data, look at the post-it notes on the side."
"These pink things?"
"Yup. The data of the page, summed up."
"Do you do this for all of his briefings?"
"Not all."
"But most?"
"Yeah…"
"And do you think that's above what your job calls for?"
"Well, my job is very loosely defined at the moment."
"Do you seek a better definition?"
"I seek an actual salary."
"You're not on salary yet? You're still not making any money?"
"I—"
"That jackass hasn't put…I'm going to have a word with—"
"Toby—he tries. He's tried consistently. Leo keeps telling him in a week, in a week."
"Well, now that we're playing in the big leagues, they'd better get going. How have you survived with no money? Where have you been sleeping? Have you been eating?"
Toby was apparently the only person on the whole campaign who didn't know she was spending nights in Josh's hotel room.
"I've been getting by. I've gotten a stipend for the last few weeks—"
"A stipend? How have you gotten a stipend? You're either on salary or your not!"
"I've gotten an envelope—"
"Full of cash."
"Well, not full, but yes, cash."
"That didn't seem odd to you?"
"It did. It does. But…I've decided not to question it."
"But you know what's going on?"
"Yeah."
"I guess he can be a good guy everyone and a while, when he's not being a complete jackass."
"He's been very good to me. Usually buys my food, makes sure I have a place to stay…I'm taken care of for now."
Toby looked at her, with a raised eyebrow. Donna felt a little uneasy.
"Where have you been staying?"
Donna looked at the ground.
"Where?"
"With Josh."
"You're sleeping with your boss—"
"Not in the way that you're imply—"
"Does CJ know?"
Donna nodded.
"Who else?"
"Sam. I think Leo knows too. He hasn't addressed it."
"Be careful. Don't let him take advantage of you, you hear?"
"I won't—he's not. It's not like that."
"Okay, then. Just remember, if he tries anything you're uncomfortable with—"
"Thank you. But I'm fine, Toby. Really."
Toby nodded, and headed out the door. "Thanks for the file. I'll bring it back by when I'm done."
Donna watched him leave. Josh appeared in the doorway.
"Did you find what he needed?"
Donna nodded.
"Why was he raising his voice at you?"
"He, uh…finally figured out—"
"That you'd been staying with me."
"Yeah."
"And he was pissed."
"At you mostly."
"I'm sure I'll hear it from him later."
"He kept asking if I was okay with it all. I'm fine."
"Good." They stood in silence for a minute. "If you weren't, you'd let me know, right?"
Donna nodded.
"I was just over with Leo," he produced an envelope from his jacket pocket. "You are officially a salaried employee of Bartlet for America."
Donna took the envelope from his hands and opened it. "This is great. Thank you!" She flung her arms around his neck.
He squeezed her tightly, and inhaled deeply. "All of your travel is now covered, and, uh, housing will be—"
"Will be?"
"Leo said that he'll assign you a room when he hires another woman on the assistant level that you can share with, but until then, as long as we're fine with it, our arrangement would work."
"I'm fine with that."
Josh nodded. "Me too."
Donna looked at the check in her hands, then up at Josh who was grinning broadly at her reaction. Her life was finally locked in a good directions.
