Title: The Path Which Has Led to the Present (30/35?)
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: There is large chunk in this chapter that comes directly from Season 3's "Bartlet for America". In re-reading that again, I realized that I mixed up the time frame a little. The last debate, on 10/30 is nine days before the election per a direct quote (though I'm not convinced that that works out to make election day a day that it could actually be…) Anyways, that's what I'm going with now. I'll g back and fix chapters 28 & 29 to reflect that the meeting in question occurred 10 days before the election.

"This answer is still too long."

"You're been pouring over that for an hour now."

"It's too long."

"Sam and Toby say it isn't."

"You know he never sticks to the answer we've set. If the answer on the paper is 90 seconds, then the segment as a whole is too long."

"Sam said that they made him do it six times."

"And he speeds that up to get it over with, so—"

"Under actual conditions he—"

"Loves the audience—"

"And takes lots of dramatic pauses."

"Hence our problem."

"What can we do about it?"

"I've got to get him to take out the stuff that prick coerced him to put in."

"He didn't really want to put it in."

"But he did. He gave in and added something. To an answer that he went over on—"

"Just barely."

"Doesn't matter. Over is over."

"It wasn't over enough that he couldn't finish the last sentence."

"When you start to get cut off by the moderator it looks bad."

"Well, he did cut some stuff for the new answer."

"Important stuff."

"Was it?"

"More important than this…this…is pandering. That asshole got pissed off, and the Governor doesn't want to alienate his group 9 days before the election, so he's pandering!"

"He's not—"

"Yes! He is!"

"The answer is not all that diff—"

"The old answer was fine! Vastly superior to Maguire's. This all makes our position unclear. We're not taking a stand!"

"Calm down."

"It just makes me so made that we worked so hard on one answer for so long, and it kicked ass in the last debate, and now he gets screwed into changing it in the 11th hour, and now he's going to look like an idiot was he gets cut off—"

"What is this reading at?"

"It reads cold at 85 seconds. That's with me reading it, without pause or any real inflection. I can't do it any faster than 85 seconds without racing. The Governor usually adds between 15 and 20 seconds of personalitiy."

"And the old one?"

"70 seconds, cold. And we were usually very, very close to the cut off."

"Maybe if he's determined to keep the new stuff, you could throw it at the end so that that's what gets cut off?"

"I wish it were that easy."

"But?"

"But we need closure in the answer. It needs a beginning, middle and end, otherwise—"

"It doesn't look thought out."

"Right," Josh ran his fingers through his hair. "Where the hell is Leo?"

"He's probably still with those CEO's."

"He should be back by now. He was going to go over some stuff with me before the Governor gets here—"

"Which is anytime now. I don't know how far behind they were running."

"Right."

"Should you call him?"

Josh looked at his watch. "I'll give it a little longer. I don't want to interrupt this meeting if I don't have to."

"Have you eaten?"

"I had a thing earlier—"

"What kind of a thing?"

"Danish?"

"And that's it?"

"That's all I had time for."

"You hungry?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. I'm guessing you are."

"I could eat."

"Could you eat in like an hour, after this orientation with the Governor."

Donna nodded. "You need to eat something then too."

"Fine, fine."

"And not a charred, hockey puck of a burger—"

"Fine—"

"Chicken maybe, and a veget—"

"I said fine!"

"Its freezing in here."

"Not that cold."

"Can I wear your sweater?"

"No, I need my sweater."

"You've got your button down."

"So do you."

"Half sleeves."

"Well, whose fault is that?"

"I thought you weren't cold."

"I'm not cold. 'Cause I'm wearing my sweater."

"I'm freezing."

"So you've said."

"Isn't it bad for it to be so cold in here?"

"It's cold because its empty."

"When people get in here it'll warm up?"

"Body heat."

"Oh, and stage lights."

"Uh huh."

"Can I please wear your sweater?"

"Donna…"

"For now?"

Josh pulled his grey sweater over his head, proffering it. "This is a temporary arrangement. If I'm too cold, I get it back. When the others get here—"

"You get it back."

"It's just—"

"I know."

"It's obviously mine, and—"

"You'll get it back when the others arrive."

"Am I actually more prepared than you are?"

"Bite me."

"What a kind sentiment."

"I'm not unprepared for the weather. Just for this damn room."

"Hence unprepared."

"Josh!"

He grinned at her, dimples out.

"Sometimes your ego—"

"You don't like?"

Donna scoffed, but the truth was she alternated between finding his ego unbearable, and unbelievably sexy.

"Here they come!"

"Yeah…" Donna started to peel off the sweater.

Josh reached out and touched her arm. "Keep it on for now." He strode out to greet them.

A moment later the whole team marched in. The Governor walked out to the middle of the stage, and looked around. People began to bustle about.

"How's it been going?" Sam asked, as he and Josh huddled around the podium.

"Things are in good shape. We need to fix this answer though."

"Josh, her name is Evenlyn right?" CJ asked as she walked past the two men.

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"Ask Donna."

CJ continued in her path, beckoning Donna to follow her. She sent the younger woman off on a mission.

"Is Donna wearing your sweater?"

"Yes," Josh answered very matter of factly.

"Why?"

"Because it's really cold in here with so few people."

"Ah…"

"Sam, we need to fix this answer not dwell on the location of my sweater."

"CJ's beckoning us."

They walked over to where CJ and Toby stood.

"Where's Leo?" Sam asked.

"I'd still like to over the Social Security answer," Josh interrupted. "We gotta get it down to 90 seconds."

"It's down to 90 seconds," CJ sighed.

"It's not—and they're gonna cut him off."

Josh began to walk over to wear the Governor stood, beside a TV monitor on a cart. The rest of the group followed slowly.

"I put a stopwatch on him," Sam argued. "When he just speeds up…"

"When he speeds up, he speeds up. When he doesn't…It's 90 seconds. We need to cut some more."

"Which words?" Toby demanded.

They arrived beside the Governor, who was hunched over slightly.

"Governor, what do you think? Governor?" Josh asked. "Sir, we were just saying on the Social Security answer…"

"No."

"…it's a tight 90 seconds, and…"

The Governor looked at the floor, swaying slightly. "No, no. Not now."

Josh scoffed, and looked to the others, trying to find support. "Well, we gotta do it now, sir."

The Governor suddenly reached to the TV for support.

"Something's wrong," Toby observed.

"Governor?" CJ asked.

"Yeah."

"Governor?" Josh questioned. "Sir?"

"G'abbey…"

"You wanna sit down?" Sam asked.

"Let me get some water," CJ called, turning to find a bottle of water.

"G'abbey…"

Toby translated, "He's saying, Get Abbey."

"Get Abbey!" Josh called, hoping that Donna was around to make sure that that happened quickly.

The Governor lost his balanced again, and pitched sideways. Sam caught him, with Toby and Josh quickly providing assistance.

"Whoa…" Josh sighed, somewhat in shock.

Sam and Toby continued to hold the Governor up until an agent arrived to help. As they continued backstage, Josh paused, and pulled out his cell phone.

It rang several times before Leo answered. "Yeah."

"Leo, the Governor's sick."

In the background, Josh heard the buzzer of Leo's hotel suite.

"Okay."

"He collapsed. You gotta get down here….Leo."

"Okay." Leo clicked off the phone.

Josh stared at his phone for a moment. Donna came running up.

"Dr. Bartlet is on her way in."

Josh nodded, taking a deep breath.

"You okay?"

"That was surreal." Josh wasn't sure if he meant the situation with the Governor, or the state he fear Leo was in.

"It must have been terrifying…I was over there talking to Ms. Clark for CJ, and suddenly everyone starts yelling…Josh?"

"Huh?"

"Is he going to be able to continue tonight?"

Josh shrugged, and looked at his phone.

"I've gotta go back up Leo, right now. He's not that far away. Call me the second you know anything about the Governor."

"You're leaving the site right now?"

"I won't be gone long. Keep it quiet. Only tell people if you have to."

"Josh?"

"There's so much going on I doubt they'll miss me."

"But—"

"I am helping Leo out. Here we're just waiting."

"Is everything okay?"

"I hope so."

"Do you need me to do anything?"

"You are my eyes and ears here till I get back. Call me, keep me up to date. Go."

Josh turned, and jogged out the door of the theatre, leaving Donna watching after him, confused.