When Josh and Donna left the apartment, most of the people who were invited to the party were already there. One of the few things that Josh and Donna did not know about the party was that Matt and Helen had arranged for Jed and Abbey Bartlet, along with others from the Bartlet administration, to be there. Since the Bartlet administration was how Josh and Donna had actually met, Matt and Helen felt that it would be appropriate for the former President and First Lady to attend the party. So, in a way, the party would be a reunion of sorts. Sure, the Bartlet administration had just ended, but any opportunity to see Jed and Abbey was a welcome one.
One of the first people to arrive at the party was Sam. He saw the former President and First Lady and walked right over to them. Abbey hugged Sam and then Jed shook his hand warmly.
Sam greeted them with some formality by calling Jed "sir." Jed replied to this by saying, "I'm not the President anymore, you can call me Jed." Abbey said something similar to that.
Sam then asked the two of them, "Do Josh and Donna know that you're here?"
Abbey said, "No. The President wanted it to be a surprise. I guess he meant a surprise to everyone, because apparently you didn't know we were coming either."
Sam said, "No, but it is good to see you."
Jed said, "It's good too see you too." He then asked, "How is it being Deputy Chief of Staff."
"So far, it's been interesting," said Sam, "Especially with Josh as Chief of Staff."
"He's a good fit for the job," said Jed. Abbey simply nodded her head in agreement.
"He's perfect not only for the job, but for Donna too," said Sam, "They'll be happy together."
"Yes, they will," said Abbey.
During their conversation, most everyone who had been invited to the party had shown up. Annabeth, who was among the first to arrive, was deciding which of her CD's to play first (settling on a classical compilation). Lou and Ronna were finishing up on the decorations, which included tons of balloons and a big banner that said "Congratulations Josh and Donna!" Much of the other staff was engaged in conversation. Meanwhile, Matt and Helen were by the door when C.J and Danny finally arrived.
"Sorry we're late," said C.J. "We were stuck in traffic."
"Just be glad Josh and Donna aren't here yet," said Matt. "They don't know that you're coming."
"Really?" said Danny, "I thought that someone would have blown the surprise by now."
"Actually, nobody knew that you're coming," said Helen, with a smile on her face, "That way, we could keep it a secret."
At this point, C.J. had found Sam talking with the Bartlets, so she went over to talk to them. Danny joined her a few seconds later.
About ten minutes after C.J. and Danny arrived, Matt spotted Josh and Donna pulling up. Matt simply said, "They're here!"
Everybody was acting like it was a normal party, which it was, except for the few surprise guests. When Josh and Donna came into the residence, they were amazed at how amazing the residence was decorated, as well as the number of people who were there to celebrate their engagement. However, once they saw their former boss and friends from the Bartlet administration, they were so happy that they were at a loss for words.