Hey, thank you all for your reviews! Please keep them coming! I love them all! Here's the next chapter! My beta has gone on holiday so all this mistakes are my own. Sorry for any! I hope you like this!! Please let me know!!

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From The Past

Needing More:

"Leanne..." Josh called as he ran after her. "Wait."

"Josh, go back..." She sighed, stopping but didn't turn around.

"We need to talk."

"No, you need to go back and live your life."

"No! You can't do this!" He told her. "You can't just walk away!"

"It's for the best..."

"You can't just walk away!" He repeated, taking her arm around turning her around to face him. "Come back to my place."

"Josh..."

"You owe me." He claimed. "Just an hour. One cup of coffee."

"I've got a plane to catch..." She started, glancing down at her watch.

"In 4 hours." He stated. "I'm asking for just one."

She sighed quietly. "Fine, one coffee."

"Thank you." He whispered, giving her a small smile.

They walked along side by side in silence as he lead her the short distance to his apartment. He was a little nervous about what the result be of the conversation. He still wasn't completely sure what he wanted. He just hoped whatever they agreed on, he wouldn't regret later.

"This is a nice place." She commented as they stepped into the apartment.

"Yeah..." He took a quick glance around, seeing a few of his possessions scattered around wishing he had chance to tidy before she came around.

"Not as messy as I thought it would be." She joked, noticing him looking around.

He couldn't help but smiled. "Yeah, well I don't spend a lot of time here."

"I can tell..." She replied. "I remember how bad your bedroom used to be."

"I used to clean it."

"Only when your Mom threatened to take your car away and when I refused to clean it for you."

"Yeah, great girlfriend you were." He countered teasingly.

"I was just trying to prepare you for life on your own, Joshua..." She stated, patting him on the cheek gently.

He let out a small laugh. Over the years of being apart, he had forgotten how easy and natural it was to be around her. She was never one for talking or debating politics like he was, even when he was High School but then that was something that always amazed him. She was the complete opposite to him and they had hardly anything in common, yet he always wanted to spend all his free time with her.

He shook his head slightly, trying to remove the thoughts from his head. He couldn't let his feeling for her in the past, cloud his judgement on the situation they needed to deal with.

"Why don't you take a seat and I'll put on that coffee."

"Okay." She smiled at him as she moved over to the couch.

Josh walked into the kitchen and started to make the coffee. He rubbed his eyes and thought over his options. He could be apart of this child's life...He could be a father or he could just let Leanne get on that plane and head back to England. Leo was right, at the moment there was no proof that this kid was actually his but Josh saw no reason why Leanne would lie to him. Sure, if it was happening to Toby or Sam, he'd be able to understand but he knew Leanne. He knew her better then anyone. She's not the kind of person to do that. He started to wonder what would happen between them if he became apart of Jackson's life. It felt like he had butterflies in his stomach and his heart raced a little whenever he looked at her but how can he be sure they were genuine feelings and not just past feelings. Even so, they owed it to themselves to find out because they had lost each other once before and maybe this time, it would actually work out for the best.

His train of thoughts were broken by the sound of his cell phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw Sam's name flash on the caller's ID. He cut the call off and put it away again, knowing Sam would leave a message if it was urgent.

He carried two cups of the coffee into the living room and took a seat next to her as he sat down.

"So..." He started.

She turned to face him. "I'll understand that you can't have a child...Your job..."

He shook his head slightly. "My job is my life but it's just a job..."

"Josh..."

"I love my job, I'm not going to quit but I don't want it to stop me from having a life outside of work." He stated.

"What are you saying?" She questioned.

"Jackson...He's my son?" He asked.

"Yes, I promise you...I wouldn't lie to you about this." She insisted.

"Then...then I should be apart of his life..." He claimed but continue when she want to say something. "I know things are a little complicated...I mean, you live in a different country and I wouldn't ask you to give up your life there... But he's my son...and I should be apart of his life...Even if its just by helping out with money."

"I don't want your money." She told him.

"Even so...I'd like to."

She nodded slightly and looked at her hands. "If that's what you want."

"Yeah." He replied and they reminded silent for a while before Josh spoke again. "Does he know about me?"

She looked up at him again. "I told him a little about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I said you live here in America... I told him your funny and you have a good heart..."

"Does he hate me?" He cut in.

"What?"

"Does he hate me?"

"No, Josh he's three years old...He barely knows what the word means." She told him. "Why would he hate you?"

"Because I'm his father and I'm not around..."

She sighed and took his hand. "That's not your fault..."

"But..."

"No, Josh believe me...He doesn't hate you... He doesn't really understand... All he has known is it being just me and him... He asked a few questions about why some of his friends had Dads and he didn't but he also had friends who have only one parent." She explained. "I told him that you live here and that's why you weren't around... He accepted that for now and I was going to explain when he was older the real reason you wasn't around."

He nodded quietly, deep in thought before turning to her again. "Do you want me to be apart of his life?"

"Of course I do, Josh..." She replied. "He's so like you, it's a little scary but he would idolise you."

"I can be apart of his life." He claimed. "I mean, I can write him letters and stuff...talk of the phone...you guys can visit all the time...And there are times when we have to go to Europe and I can visit you.."

"Josh..."

"We can make this work."

"I know we can." She assured him. "But are you sure you want this?"

"Of course..."

"Because this is a child, Josh...you...you can't just let him down when the timing is not right...You need be a father first..."

"Lee..."

"I'm not saying you'd make a bad father...I think you'd be terrific, I always have ... but it's not easy."

"I know that." He replied quietly. "And I want to do this..."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"One hundred percent?"

"Yes!" He repeated. "I'll prove it."

"What you doing?" She asked, watching as he played around with his cell phone.

"I'm setting an alarm to go off at 2am."

"Why?" She frowned.

"Because it'll be 8am over in England and it'll remind me that I have to call him..." He told her.

"You're going to call everyday at 8am?" She looked sceptically at him.

"Well, I'm more likely to be less busy at that time." He shrugged.

"But will you be awake?"

"I don't think I've been asleep before 3am since Bartlet became President." He joked

She smiled slightly but only for a second.

"What?" He questioned. "If you think this is a bad idea... I know its not the biggest gesture ever but..."

"No, no...I think it's great that you want to do this." He told him. "But...it's just..."

"Just what?"

"Won't it cause trouble for you?" She asked. "I mean, if the press find out..."

"Who cares?"

"Your boss for one..."

"I'll explain..."

"And he'd understand?"

"He's a good man." Josh nodded.

"Okay but what about the press?"

"We don't comment on personal lives."

"Josh."

"Look, this sort of things comes up a lot..." He started but noticed the look she gave him and get out a small laugh. "Okay maybe not this sort of thing but we all have personal lives...we all have stuff that we're not exactly comfortable with the world finding out but when they do, it lasts for a few days and then something else happens."

"But..."

"We can deal with it."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Because I really don't know, Josh...I haven't been in the USA for a long time and I don't know a lot about politics...I'd be completely trusting you on this."

He nodded. "Then trust me."

"I was thinking of moving." She said suddenly.

"What?"

"I was fired from my job when I told them I had to come here." She informed him. "I've got a few good friends over there...but...but nothing else... I could move back... here."

"Here?" He repeated.

"I don't know, maybe not Washington..." She said slowly. "But maybe in America...that would be easier..."

"Yeah..." He replied quietly, thinking of it. "Not Washington?"

"I don't know...I'd have to look around for a place to live and a job..." She started to make a list.

"But...but you'll think about it?" He asked. "And you'd be okay with being so close to me?"

"Josh, it would be the only reason to do so..." She told him softly. "I haven't got much of a life and I can easily pick up and start somewhere new if it meant that Jackson gets to know his father..."

"Really?"

"Yes, Josh, really..."

"What about your family?"

She looked down at her hands. "I told you 4 years ago...I don't have anything to do with them."

"Yeah, I think that's going to make them a little bit more pissed off at me." He stated.

"My father's dead." She looked up at him. "Last year...He had a stroke."

"I'm sorry..." He reached out and took her hand gently.

"I'm not."

"Lee..."

"I hate him for what he did to you...to us." She claimed. "I could never forgive him for that."

"Yeah but he's still your father.."

"But he isn't my Dad." She shook her head. "The guy that was my Dad, brought me ice cream when he felt ill and used to take me ice skating at Christmas time...I miss that guy...Not the guy he turned into...Not my father."

He didn't know how to reply to that and instead put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

"Don't worry about it." He replied, kissing the top of her head before they continued to sit in silence.

XxXxX

"You're late."

Josh looked up at C.J stood in his doorway, trying to tie his tie whilst quickly scanning the folder Donna had just handed to him about the meeting he was going to.

"By 5 minutes." He said defensively. "And I still got another 5 minutes to get to my meeting."

"And prepare for it?"

"Go away."

"I came to see if you're okay." She claimed.

"I'm fine."

"Josh, you abandoned us at the bar last night."

"Abandoned you? What are you, five years old or something?" He said gathering what he needed for his meeting. "I got to go."

"Who was she?"

"C.J..." He sighed, walking out the office as she followed closed behind.

"She must be special..." She started.

"I really haven't got time for this."

"I'm just saying that if..."

"She's just a friend... We talked about old times and caught up on things." He told her, stopping to face her. "Are you done with inquisition now? Can I get to work?"

"We'll talk later." She stated, walking off in the other direction.

"I'll look forward to it." He muttered before continuing to walk.

XxXxX

"The press will notice..." Toby claimed as he stood with C.J outside the oval office.

"I think they have more important things to write about." She rolled her eyes.

"Not if he screws up."

"Toby..."

"Hey, what's going on?" Sam asked, joining them.

"We're waiting."

"For?"

"The leader of the free world." C.J gestured to the empty office.

"Gotcha."

"We're also talking about Josh."

"Why? What's he done?"

"You know, I don't think it's necessarily a good thing that every time he gets mentioned, someone always asks what's he done wrong." C.J commented.

"Yeah, well this is Josh...So you're going to have to get use to it." Toby told her before looking at Sam. "Who was that woman?"

Sam turned around and looked behind him but saw no one there. "What woman?"

Toby rolled his eyes. "At the bar last night."

"Oh her." Sam nodded before shaking his head. "I don't know."

"Sam?!"

"Honestly, I have no idea." He shrugged. "I didn't know he was even dating anyone."

"He's actually dating her?!"

"Toby, calm down..." C.J told him.

"He can't!"

"Why not?" Sam questioned. "What do you know that I don't?"

"I don't know anything, that's the problem!"

"Is she married?" Sam asked. "Or a murder..."

"Sam..."

"Because I don't think it would be good for Josh to date a married murder..." Sam continued, in a mocking voice.

"Sam, shut up."

"You're freaking out because you don't anything about her?" Sam inquired.

"Apparently so." C.J nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not dating her."

"Who are you dating?" President Bartlet asked, as he walked past them and into his office with Charlie and Leo behind him.

"No one, Sir." Toby replied as they followed them inside.

"Maybe that's the real problem." Sam concluded looking at C.J.

"Ah, jealousy." C.J agreed.

"Y'know Toby, I have this friend..." Sam started.

"I'll kill you with my pen..." Toby cut him off, warningly.

"Toby, what have I told you about threatening to kill people in my Oval office." Bartlet said, taking his seat.

"You told him not to do it, Sir." Sam answered.

"Right..." Bartlet nodded.

"Can we just get on with this?" Leo interrupted.

"Well, I was a little interested in Toby's love life but I guess that can wait until we've finished running the country..." Bartlet replied.

"Not Toby's love life, Sir...Josh's." C.J corrected.

"Ah, then I'm not interested...He's not even here." He waved his hand dismissively.

"He's in a meeting about the tax cuts, Mr President." Sam pointed out but knew that Bartlet was joking around.

"Oh, that's right." He nodded.

"Is anyone else worried about this?" Toby asked.

"Why? It's not one of my daughters, is it?"

"No, sir."

"Then I'm not worried."

"He was five minutes late." Toby informed him.

"I'll give him a detention..."

"Sir, Josh has never been late before..."

"That's not true..." Sam tried to cut in.

"This girl is already distracting him."

Bartlet sighed and took off his glass, glancing at Leo. "You're very quiet over there."

"Sir, I think Toby overreacting..." Sam commented.

"I agree." C.J added. "Josh said she was a friend and they just talked about old times."

"Leo?" He looked at his chief of staff for his opinion. "Is she going to be a problem?"

Leo was quiet for a moment, wishing he had chance to talk to Josh to see what he had decided.

"There's a chance it could be." He said slowly, not wanting to say to much.

"How so?"

"I'd rather not answer that right now, Sir."

"Leo..."

"Sir, it might be a problem...It might not..." He shook his head. "I'll sort this."

"Make sure you do.." He told him before turning to the others. "Right, now my good mood has completely vanished...What's next?"

XxXxX

"Is Toby mad at me for something? He keeps glaring at me." Josh asked Donna as he approach her desk.

"Why? Did you do something that would make him mad?" She questioned.

"Probably." He shrugged.

"Leo wants to see you right away." She told him.

"Oh, I definitely did something."

"What?"

"I'll tell you once I've found out." He replied before heading towards Leo's office.

"You can go straight in." Margaret looked up from her computer when he reached her desk. "He's waiting for you."

"Uh, thanks." He replied, slowly wondering whether this was going to be a good meeting for a bad meeting but he had a pretty good idea what it was about.

"You wanted to see me?"

Leo looked up from what he was writing . "Yeah,take a seat."

"I think we're really starting to get somewhere with these tax cuts." Josh informed him, sitting down.

"Great." Leo replied. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

"Okay..."

"I've been hearing some things..."

"Maybe you should see a professional..." He cut in, jokingly.

"Josh..." Leo said in a tone of voice letting him now he was trying to be serious.

"What sort of things?" He asked.

"About you being late.."

"God, Leo...it was 5 minutes... Beside I'm normally here early every day plus I stay late as well..."

"I know...I know." He held up his hand to stop Josh from continuing. "I'm just saying it's unlike you... And people noticed and are saying it because of the mystery girl you went off with last night."

"You would have thought that working for the President they would have better things to do with their time then gossiping."

"Josh."

"She turned up at the bar...She told me she was sorry for everything and that she was leaving..." Josh claimed. "What was I meant to do? Let her walk away?"

"Yes, Josh...That would have been best for everyone."

"Not for my son!"

"Josh..." He sighed.

"I know you don't approve but none of this is his fault." Josh replied. "He deserves to know me and I deserve to know him."

"Are you having a test done?"

"I believe her."

"You're going just on her word?"

"Yes, Leo... I'm trusting her."

"Are you sleeping with her again?"

"No!" He exclaimed. "And how the hell is it your business if I was?!"

"It's my job to know!"

"So, I can't have a life?" He questioned. "I can't have a family?"

"That's not what I'm saying and you know that!" Leo gave him a look. "This can all turn out horrible wrong...I need to know what's going on so I can help you!"

"I appreciate it but..."

"And I don't want to see you get hurt again." He continued, not allowing Josh to cut him off.

Josh feel silent, thinking about the last statement. "I'm not going to do anything stupid."

"You might think that but when you let your heart lead, your brain doesn't always pick up on all the stupid ideas."

"I know but Leo this is a child...My child... I want to be apart of his life...I don't want him turning up when his 18 and asking where the hell have I been." Josh told him.

"Even so..."

"Would you just walk away if it was Mallory?"

"That's different." Leo claimed.

"I promised I'd be apart of his life and I want to be...It's what going to happen." He replied. "I'm not going to let it effect my work...I still love my job but I deserve more...I need more."

Leo sighed. "Well, I guess there is nothing more I can say."

"No."

"Have you meet him yet?"

"No, I am tonight."

"Okay." He nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes, Sir.." He stood up. "Thank you."

"Josh?" He called when his deputy opened the door. "Remember, be careful."

"Yeah." He gave him a small smile before leaving the room.

Leo sighed and leaned back in his chair. Josh had a point, if this was his son then he should be apart of his life. Leo was just relieved that there was nothing going on between him and Leanne because he knew there would be trouble if there was.

TBC

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