There were ways to get Gibson out of the room. He'd made a career out of this.
But Leo had insisted that Josh not intervene. "Nothing but a family thing," he'd muttered. Leo was hellbent on holding his own with the members of The House. The hearing was going on and the time was coming for Gibson to have his turn questioning.
Leo's instructions didn't stifle Josh's determination. He continued to do what he did best, just to be ready should something need to happen. After all, the President himself wanted to see Leo spared the embarrassment and he'd placed his trust in Josh.
Josh tried all the angles, but no one was available. It was eating him up on the inside, but finally, Josh had to make the call. "Leo," he'd stated firmly, "I couldn't make it happen." He wasn't going to ramble or try and explain his failure. He'd let Leo down, and no one would be harder on Josh than himself.
"Don't worry about it," Leo responded. And he meant it. He was ready for the fight.
But when the committee suddenly adjourned before Gibson's questioning began, Josh was filled with renewed determination. Maybe he wouldn't have to let the President down.
OoOoOoO
"Come in, Come in," CJ threw open her front door and ushered Josh, Donna and Audrey inside, immediately reaching down as Audrey gave her a hug.
"Happy New Year, Ceej," Donna offered, taking Audrey's coat, hat and mittens from her as she shed them in the entryway before running into the party to give Charlie and Sam high fives.
Josh greeted CJ as well before excusing himself to say hello to Toby who was smoking a cigar on CJ's balcony.
Donna helped CJ place the coats in her spare bedroom as the two caught up and CJ told Donna all about her trip to Ohio and the new digital camera she'd received for Christmas. They were interrupted by a little voice pressing her own political agenda without an ounce of hesitation.
"Daddy!" Audrey knocked aggressively on the window to the balcony. "Tell Uncle Toby smoking is bad for you!"
Both men looked like deer caught in headlights, staring at Audrey and then glancing at each other. Neither had any defense in this one as Toby held a lit cigar.
"Audrey, look!" Donna deflected. "I packed a puzzle." She held up Audrey's pink backpack and distracted her, Toby mouthing an uncomfortable 'thank you,' from where he stood.
Friends and colleagues came and went through the course of the night, and everyone was in a wonderful mood, enjoying the food, drinks and company. Donna had just finished a long overdue conversation with Charlie's sister Deanna, who stopped in to say hello for a few moments.
"Donna, I'm thirsty," Audrey tugged at the hem of Donna's shirt.
"I brought you some apple juice," Donna guided her into CJ's kitchen and opened the fridge before pulling a glass from the cabinet.
"I want a fancy cup like you and Daddy," Audrey pointed to the champagne flutes on CJ's counter.
"Well of course you do," CJ interjected with love. "It's a special occasion and you're a special girl." She handed Donna a flute to fill with apple juice.
"Okay," Donna poured hesitantly, reading the writing on the walls for this little idea, "but be very careful," she told Audrey. "I'll carry it."
"It's fine," CJ waived Donna off. "What's the worst that could happen? She breaks it? I'll buy a new one. Let her have a little fun tonight. She's stuck hanging out with all of us."
Donna shook her head in amusement. "Walk slowly," she told Audrey, glad she'd only filled it about a third of the way up.
Audrey started towards the living room at a snail's pace, both hands on the flute and a look of concentration on her face, her tongue sticking out slightly.
CJ began to chit chat with Donna about this and that, filling her in on Carol's big date that evening. Their giggling was quickly interrupted by Josh bellowing from the next room. "Donna!"
Donna and CJ both peeked into the living room where Audrey stood next to her father, a scowl on her face and her arms crossed in protest as Josh held the flute of apple juice. "Someone gave her a champagne flute. And it's good crystal," he added.
"It's alright, Mi Amor," CJ assured Josh. "I gave it to her. I wanted her to use it."
Josh's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he handed it back to Audrey.
"Come on, Audrey," Sam chimed in from the other side of the living room, "Uncle Toby and I will teach you how to deliver a proper toast."
Audrey socialized a bit, putting together a puzzle and coloring on and off as the night went by. She started to get sleepy around bedtime, but tried to fight it as long as she could.
"I want to see the magic ball," she pouted.
"It's not magic," Donna smiled, picking her up and kissing her forehead. "It's just glittery. How about this," Donna offered. "Let's put your jammies on and you can take a little nap, and then I'll wake you up to ring in the New Year?"
"Okay," Audrey yawned her consent, resting her head on Donna's shoulder.
Three hours later, Audrey sleepily stumbled back out to the party, her wild curls sticking up in every direction as she rubbed her eyes as she wandered over to crawl into Josh's lap. "Is it next year yet," she asked sleepily.
"No, not yet," Josh assured her, smoothing her hair.
"Are you sure," she asked, resting against him, her eyes fluttering closed once more.
"I'm sure," he whispered, enjoying the simple moment with her.
The party went on around them and Donna eventually wandered over and joined them on the couch, gently rubbing Audrey's back as the three sat in content silence. Something had been off with Josh for the last week. She knew he'd been beating himself up because he wasn't able to get Gibson out of the room in Leo's testimony. And he hadn't given up on his mission.
"Three minutes!" CJ announced, and Audrey struggled to pull herself from her near slumber, reaching for a purple foil noisemaker she'd kept a close eye on all evening.
Josh stood and Donna grabbed a glass of champagne to toast in the New Year as the friends began the countdown, Audrey perking up a bit more with every passing moment.
"Happy New Year!" They all cheered. Audrey blew a noise maker as the Bartlet senior staff joined in with small horns and bells for her amusement.
Sam kissed CJ on the cheek as they heard fireworks begin all over the city.
"Happy New Year," Josh beamed at Donna.
"Happy New Year," She returned his sentiment, their gaze remaining locked for longer than normal.
The moment was broken when Audrey took a deep breath and blew the noisemaker horn between them. Donna let out a genuine laugh.
CJ circled around to them. "Say Happy New Year," she raised a camera to snap a quick photo.
"Happy New Year, Aunt CJ," Audrey grinned, as Josh and Donna both leaned in and kissed her cheeks.
CJ snapped a photo and looked down at the digital screen on her camera. "Oh," she swooned, placing her hand on her heart. "You guys are my favorite little family," she gushed before moving over to speak to Charlie.
Josh smirked at Donna. "How much champagne has she had," he asked, amused, standing Audrey on the floor to run over and celebrate with the other guests.
Donna raised an eyebrow and laughed. "I don't know but maybe we should figure it out for the next time you announce a secret plan to fight-"
"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, knowing what was coming. "You're just a mouth full of wiseass today, aren't you?"
"Daddy!" Audrey shrieked as she came up behind him. "You said a bad word!"
"Sorry," Josh apologized. "You're right. That's a bad word and I shouldn't have said it."
"Time out?" Audrey directed her attention to Donna.
"No time out for Daddy," Josh interjected. "Go get your things so we can head home. It's WAY past your bedtime as it is. I'm sure Donna will punish me tomorrow," he added, knowing he wouldn't soon hear the end of it.
"Yeah, you wish," CJ muttered softly as she breezed by.
Josh's mouth fell open in borderline shock and Donna, though she tried, couldn't help but to laugh outright.
"Seriously," Josh told Donna, smiling himself and not denying anything, "we've got to get her to drink more champagne."
OoOoOoO
Donna bit her bottom lip, feeling immediately conflicted. She wasn't even comfortable speaking to Cliff on the phone, she certainly wasn't going to go behind Josh's back and secretly meet with him. She flipped her phone open and clicked her first speed dial number.
Josh, pouring over a memo at his kitchen table, answered his phone on the first ring.
"Yeah?" He didn't even look away from the memo.
"Josh?" She was somewhat hesitant from the get go.
"Hey," he tried to keep his voice welcoming, reassuring her that if she needed something, she could talk to him.
"Cliff Calley called me. He wants me to meet him in the Georgetown Law library to discuss something."
He was immediately on full alert. "Donna, where are you?"
"I'm in your office," she told him.
"Come over here," Josh instructed her, leaving no room for argument in his voice. "Tell no one what is happening. Come straight here. Right now."
"Okay," she agreed, ending the call and grabbing her coat, making a beeline to a cab and heading straight to Josh's brownstone.
He was ready and waiting when she arrived. "You stay here with Audrey," he told her. "I'm going to meet him."
She nodded her head in nervous agreement and he could see her worry. "You did the right thing when you called me," he reassured here with a light touch, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "I'll be back as soon as possible," he told her, slipping out the door and hailing a cab.
Donna perched herself on the edge of his couch, where she sat for the next hour. She couldn't bring herself to relax. When she heard his key in the lock just past midnight she was immediately to her feet, a look of abject worry written all over her face.
"It's really coming down out there," he noted, removing his scarf and brushing the snow out of his hair.
She simply watched him, unsure of what was to come next.
"It's fine, Donna," he told her, though she didn't believe him. Something had shifted inside him and she could see it, though it certainly wasn't his usual man on a mission mentality peeking through.
She stared at him curiously.
"What did he say," she asked with a certain degree of hesitancy in her voice. She knew better than to ask Josh a simple question such as that, but this seemed somehow different.
"Nothing," he shook his head, though his usual political mask didn't cover everything his face was giving away. "But, hey, it's late and it's getting slick out there. You should just stay here."
She paused a moment and blinked a few times.
"It was an offer, Donna. He made an offer and I made a counter offer. He's going to take it back to his leadership, I'm going to handle it on our side. It's not something… I don't want to get into it. I can't get into it."
That appeased her only slightly as she nodded her head. "Alright," she agreed to drop the subject for the time being, following Josh down the hallway and stealing a pair of his flannel pants and an old sweatshirt.
She may not have been able to pinpoint what was on Josh's mind, which was certainly working in overtime, but she could lay next to him for a few hours. And that was exactly what she'd do.
OoOoOoO
Josh had barely been able to think about anything other than his meeting with Cliff Calley since he left the Georgetown Law Library in the middle of the night. The reality of the offer was only beginning to sink in, and Josh could only hope that he'd figure something else out.
"Josh. Hold on a minute," President Bartlet requested as the rest of senior staff was filing out of the Oval. Congress would return from recess the following day and Josh knew exactly what the President wanted to discuss.
President Bartlet flipped through a few pages of a memo and looked at Josh over the top of his glasses. "Your deal. Is it still on the table?"
"Yes, Sir," Josh swallowed.
"Are you going to be able to tell me what it is?"
"With all due respect, Mr. President, I think I need to keep you as far away from this as possible. And I certainly need to keep it out of The Oval."
"The repercussions are that serious?"
"Yes, Sir."
President Bartlet stared at Josh intently. His Deputy Chief of Staff was the best in the business, there was no doubt about that. If there was a deal to be made in DC, Josh Lyman would do whatever it took to make it happen.
President Bartlet nodded firmly to his Deputy. It was time. "Pull the ripcord, Josh."
"Yes, sir."