Chapter Three - I Just Thought You Ought To Know

AN: Sorry this took so long to get up, I was away so I didn't have any interent connection. Also I've slightly edited Chapter One to make the Time Scale fit better. Anyway, thank you for all your reviews and I hope you enjoy.

To be honest I'm still kicking myself that I didn't work it out. They all did, everyone else managed it and they were probably very amused that I didn't. I'm pretty sure I saw CJ trying not to laugh at me during the meeting. It's just like her to think that this is funny, I suppose she's used to finding something good in everything. Me, well I was once told that I was too sad, but now away from the meeting even I can find something good about Josh and Donna's relationship.

I won't confess that I've ever taken much of an active interest in the personal lives of anyone here, but I've yet to find one person who works here who is oblivious to the Josh and Donna thing. Many of us, including myself, have dismissed it over the years as a school girl crush here and a physiological jealousy due to the fact that Josh hates to come second in anything there (okay, maybe that one was just me) but it's always been a thing, from the very first day she stepped into his office. It wasn't kismet, it wasn't fate (because those things are just stupid people's explanations for why something goes 'right') but it's about as close to perfect as I've ever seen. Well it would have been, it had the potential to be. I suppose it still is, the wait has just made it all the more perfect because they did wait for all that time. Not that they waited chastely, I don't think anyone can wait for they person they love for five years and not have the odd relationship along the way. But they never stuck, that was the important bit. All the Amys, Cliffs, Jacks and Mandys in the world couldn't have stopped these two.

The first time I met Donna she had only been working for the campaign for two hours and we were all getting ready to go to South Carolina. When I tried to walk into Josh's 'office' she stopped me, didn't even look up from the files on her desk but still managed to stop me then and there. I think it was the way she asked for my name, that simple, direct, authoritative way that told me she meant business. It was the same sort of voice that Mrs Landingham used, according to Bonnie she took each of the assistants aside and taught it to them their first lunch time on the job. So I stopped and turned to face the assistant whose name Josh had mention sixteen times during lunch, the same name that I had forgotten each and every time, and there she was. Donna Moss, the ethereal being who managed to persuade Josh to give her the job. Not by wheedling or offering him something in return but by being herself and making him see the campaign as something other than what he thought it was. She always looked so delicate, her skin so light and her hair so blonde, but there was something about her that told you she wouldn't be a push over. The only two people I've ever known her to give in to are Josh and the guy she left the campaign for, other than that there is no one who can beat Donna.

Normally I'm not the type to spend a lot of time appraising anybody and that day was no exception. I will admit that I saw her and thought she was very pretty, very young and most likely had got her job because Josh wanted to sleep with her. It's amazing what retrospect can do to you. Did I expect her to last more than ten minutes? Well maybe, after all she had the voice down, but only if Josh wanted her to stay. More fool me, he never wanted her to leave after the moment she walked in. I wish I could have seen it then, seen what CJ and Sam claim they saw the second they saw them together, that these two were pieces of the same puzzle. I didn't even realise that Josh Lyman was a puzzle at this point, he was just the son of an old friend of Leo's with a pretty impressive CV which included John Hoynes on the list of referees . As for Donna, she was the University drop out with push-over written all over her. To be honest I don't really think that any one saw it back then either, I'm just the only person willing to admit it. After all, you'd have to be pretty blind not to have noticed what went on after that.

"Toby Zeigler...yes, Josh is free to see you now."

"I can see that from here, he's been staring at that computer for the last ten minutes. I didn't need to have you check it."

She just raised her eyebrows at my tone before getting up from her desk and walking over to the office with me, "Mr Zeigler's here to see you."

"You can call him Toby you know Donna." Josh instructed, looking away from his computer just long enough to smile at his new assistant.

I watched bemused as his assistant smiled back and then left the room, "Who's that?" I asked, somewhat tetchy at Josh being the one to correct her about my name.

"Her name is Donna, she's my assistant."

"You've got a paid assistant?"

"Nope, she works here for nothing. Must be the effect I have on women." Josh's ego hadn't been rearing it's head that much in a while, which is what led to my next question.

"Are you sleeping with her?"

I have never seen any one looked so offended, "God no Toby, what do you take me for? She works for me. She's only about twenty four anyway, that's a huge age gap."

"I'm just saying...because it would be bad for the campaign if you were."

"And I'm not, besides Mandy would kill me before the campaign even found out," he checked his watch and then bellowed out into the space outside his office, "DONNA?"

Before I had time to turn around the blonde was back, "Josh, I'm right here, you don't have to yell."

"You come here faster that way." He mumbled, whatever I didn't notice I did see how easy and relaxed their relationship was, they were so comfortable around each other and she'd been here less than a day.

"If you're asking why your three thirty Media hasn't arrived yet it's because he rescheduled for three forty five, which I told you earlier and which was why I allowed Mr Zei- Toby in here."

"Anything else?"

Donna approached the desk flicking through a small pile of post-its, "Your Dad called to remind you he's got an appointment on Thursday. Then you've got a message from the people down in South Carolina, they wanted to confirm your reservation of another single room." She stopped short and then looked down at the ground, "You got me a hotel room?"

"Can't have you sleeping in the car, I need you at your most efficient." Josh avoided looking at me.

I kept my eyes trained on the blushing blonde in front of me, she didn't say thank you but the small smile she gave Josh was probably worth a lot more to him, then she returned to her phone messages, "And Mandy Hamilton called, she said that she'll come pick you up for dinner and she wants to know why Toby Zeigler is phoning her up offering her a job."

"I think I can answer that myself," I finally stepped back into the conversation.

"Okay. Thanks Donna, send in my three forty five when they arrive."

She nodded and left, "You got her a hotel room?" I asked with the tone that has the tendency to make people squirm.

"She didn't have anywhere to sleep and she has no money. The campaign's not paying her so I think the least I can do is cover her living costs whilst we're on the trail."

"Doesn't she have any savings?"

"No, she had some gomer of a boyfriend who took them all off her." He shook his head in disgust, "I don't see why you'd want to scam her she's so-"

I could see where this was heading so I cut him off, "Anyway Josh, I need to hire Mandy."

"Take it to Leo."

"We need a political consultant, a decent one."

"Take it to Leo. Anyway we can't afford Mandy."

"We can't yet...but since we have you as an in into the elusive world of Mandy Hamilton..."

"No. I'm not mixing work and my life, Toby that's not fair." He was one step away from pouting.

"Have I told you how childish you sound when you whine."

"I am not asking my girlfriend to work for us for little or no money."

"Little. She's not some recently scammed twenty four year old, she's worth the money we pay."

"Toby, don't talk about Donna that way." He glared at me.

"Talk to Mandy."

"I will not."

"You will."

"I will not."

"We need her."

"So you talk to her."

"This could go on for hours, let me put it this way: you talk to Mandy and I'll see what Leo can do about providing your assistant with enough money to pay for her own hotel room."

"You don't want this to look bad, this is a win-win for you. I'm only trying to make sure she doesn't die in her car."

"A win-win for the campaign and just so we're clear my interest in your life stops at the same point where it stops being intertwined with the campaign."

"Fine, I'll talk to Mandy but when, and only when, you've spoken to Leo."

I would have argued back but Donna had appeared at the door, "Scott Grant is here to see you Josh."

"Send him in."

She nodded and left.

"Toby how is she going to afford food?"

"Like I said Josh, I don't care until it becomes a problem for the campaign."

Sometimes I think he took me too seriously, but he spoke to Mandy for me, when and only when I had spoken to Leo. I didn't see Donna again until I boarded the trail bus for South Carolina with CJ the next day.

"Who's the pretty blonde sitting next to Josh?" CJ sounded intrigued and she wasn't the only one, half the bus was muttering and throwing glances at the blonde head bent over a pile of notes, they all watched as Josh muttered something to her and waved his hand in the direction of a particular paragraph. She nodded and picked up her pen, her hand moving quickly to take down everything Josh said.

"That's Donna, she's his new assistant." I said as I sank into a seat.

"Well then the office rumor mill was right for once." CJ mused this new addition.

"There's a rumor mill?"

"You're that out of it?" CJ retorted, "How did you know who she was if you didn't hear the gossip?"

"I ran into her yesterday when I went to speak to Josh."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You're useless Toby." CJ shook her head and flicked a glance back at the two heads, one dark and one blonde, "They look very sweet together."

"What they look CJ is focused on their memos which is what we should be doing."

"I'd be focused if I was a young blonde working for Josh Lyman." CJ smirked slightly.

"I see the teenage crush has switched back to Josh this week, had enough of Sam?"

"Spanky? He's too pretty to get bored with." CJ laughed, "Listen to me talk, tell me what you've got on the Education Agenda."

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I'm still reconsidering that first twenty four hours when I realize that Josh hasn't said anything. CJ started glaring at him a good minute ago, normally it only takes twenty three seconds for her glare to have the desired effect. I'm starting to think that Donna's got something to do with it, and I'm not the only one. Leo has switched his gaze from CJ to Josh and he spots it before I do.

"Josh next time I haul your ass in here to talk to you about your relationship with your assistant it would help if you weren't holding hands with her." There is an amused air to Leo's voice but it's very faint and hidden under miles of disdain and anger.

Josh nods but he doesn't let go of Donna's hand. All eyes in the room are on their joined hands now, Donna tries to quietly extract her hand but Josh holds on fast. There's a tiny smile on her face when he refuses to let go, out of the corner of my eye I see CJ soften somewhat. She always was a bit of a sap when it came to these things, she was the one who saw it first after all. After today I'm not sure she's going to let anyone forget that.

"How long have you been lying to us"

"An omission of truth isn't a lie." Josh points out, quite reasonably which only serves to get my hackles up, "None of you asked us...well one person did and when he did we told him the truth."

We all look around at Sam again, he shrugs.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I ask him crossly.

"Because they were going to tell you." He said quietly and nods at Josh.

"Oh how nice of you to decide to let us in."Yes I'm growling, no I don't care that it makes me sound like a grumpy old man. I am a grumpy old man. Well, not so old.

"We were waiting for a reason Toby." Donna says, it's the first time she's spoken since she apologized.

"What reason would that be? The fact that you might get fired? Because that still might happen." I'm bellowing now.

"We were waiting because we didn't think that you should know. We were protecting you and CJ from having to answer awkward questions until we were sure of where this was going...where we were as a couple."

"Because not telling members of the group has never backfired before." I drawl, "Didn't you learn anything from the MS Scandal? I thought that was a valuable life lesson to take away there."

"Oh you did Toby?"A new voice, one that I know so well it makes me cringe when I realize he just heard what I did, "Perhaps you would all be kind enough to tell me why Josh and Donna are holding hands and what the hell is going on here."

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Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I mean how could it get any worse? We've been 'hauled in here' by Leo for the world's biggest lecture, Toby has been ranting at us and CJ has that look on her face which tells us that her professional and personal opinions are in complete conflict with one another and that she doesn't know which one to go with. Only Sam looks normal, but then Sam didn't find out about this in a press briefing. Anyway, just when it couldn't get any worse it somehow manages to because it seems that the President of the United States has walked into the room at some point in the last few minutes.

That's right, the President of the United States now needs to be told that someone claimed that I was sleeping with Josh. And then the President has to be told that said person was right. This is the President, the man who called up my High School English Teacher after I'd spent all evening trying to persuade Josh that her retirement should be recognized in some official way. The President who never batted an eye lid when I appeared on the campaign, who didn't fire me over the Jack incident and who certainly didn't question why Josh and I arrived at the inaugural ball together that night. He didn't care what was going on between us then, he seems to care now.

"Perhaps you would all be kind enough to tell me why Josh and Donna are holding hands and what the hell is going on here." His voice increases with every word and I can see that whatever chance Josh and I had of a mild reprieve has been pretty much quashed by Toby's last comment. I blush a little and look down at the ground again, trying desperately to think of something I can say in response to that. Then my hero, my knight in his shining armour, steps up to take the hit.

"Donna and I are holding hands because we're...we're in love Mr President sir."

If we weren't in Leo's office surrounded by a host of people who want to kill us I'd kiss him right now. He just told the President he loves me. I mean, this is Josh who, despite his SATs score, seems to find it very difficult to express things concerning me and our relationship. At home, in private, it's fine and he can tell me he loves me and why he loves me all night without stopping, but this is different. This is, after all, one of the most powerful men in the world and one that Josh is in great awe of.

"And is this a recent discovery?" I almost breathe a sigh of relief when the President says this, it's a return to his normal tone of voice and he's less likely to get made at us. I catch his eye and see him smile, yes, the bumbling old professor is back.

"No Sir, it's not Sir. I've been in love with her for five years." That's my man.

"And you Donna?"

This doesn't quire seem the place for the usual, 'I've been in love with him from the moment I set eyes upon him' speech that I would be inclined to give. Instead I smile demurely, "Only three years Mr President."

"Only three?" Josh rounds on me looking a mixture of crestfallen and surprised.

"It's been three years since I realized that's what it was." my eyes glint mischievously, "But I must have fallen for you, oh, two years before that."

Josh relaxes and his face breaks into a grin, displaying those dimples that I love so much. CJ is hiding a smile, very unsubtly I might add, as she pretends to look over the piece of paper in her hand, Sam is looking at Toby in a 'see, I told you so' way and Toby is pretending he doesn't know what Sam means. Leo is looking over at the President, trying hard not to smile while he gauges the reaction that the leader of the Free World will have.

"And when in this five years did you decide to admit these feelings to each other?" The President asks after a while.

"Ten months ago Sir"I say, very quietly. CJ's knuckles go white on the paper she's holding, I don't think she expected that we'd keep it a secret for so long.

"Ten months? That seems to me like it's pretty serious." there's a twinkle in the President's eye.

"It is Sir, very serious." Josh says and I smile at him.

"So did you decide to tell us today because you have decided to make it serious?" The President asks looking at my hand intently as if he expects to see a ring on it.

"No Sir," and this time Josh looks slightly embarrassed, "We didn't tell you, CJ was given a rumor about us in the Press Briefing this morning."

"Was she?" The President asks, "And what were you all going to do about it?"

"We were talking about whether either of them should lose their jobs." Toby says, speaking for the first time since the President walked in.

"I thought we decided that we weren't and that the President was going to decide that." Sam shoots at him.

"That was awfully nice of you all, although I'd say that hiring and firing staff is more Leo's role than mine."

"We don't want them to get fired sir but we thought it might hurt the administration if we didn't so we were planning on briefing you and letting you decide."

"Well," the President pauses and then looks at Josh, "Did you ever act in any way which would compromise your position?"

"No Sir."

"You didn't promote her or tell her confidential information, increase her salary or anything like that?"

"No I did not Sir. I think everyone in here would agree with me that Donna is worth far more than we pay her and is far too bright for the position she is in. If anything I would say that my feelings for Donna have caused me to overlook her potential because I would rather she was working with me than somewhere else."

I love that he says 'with' rather than 'for' and I love that he thinks I'm worth so much. To be honest I haven't taken jobs over the years because I'd far rather be working in a dead end job with Josh for the next four years than one where I'm making too much money and not doing something good without him.

"Well that changes things." The President smiles, "So long as you continue to act in a way that won't harm the administration we will all support you in this. CJ, if the Press ask tell them that I'm happy for these two and that they are both assets to this administration. Well, you work on the wording. What's next?"

"That's it Sir." Leo says and the President nods before returning to his office. "Toby have a press release ready for CJ's next briefing please."

"What do I say when they ask why we didn't tell them before?"

"Say that CJ was checking with Josh and Donna about whether they were ready to go public. She didn't deny that they were sleeping together so they can't complain she was lying to them in the last briefing. Oh and make sure the statement makes it clear that their relationship is separate from work. CJ make sure someone asks a more appropriate question in your next briefing, one you can answer. Phone someone who will handle it well, plant the lead-"

"Leo, I can do this by now." CJ says in a slightly terse manner.

"I know, I just want it done right. Josh, Donna so long as there is nothing I can find to implicate you in anyway in any goings on that would hurt the administration you're free to go. Sam...I guess you can go too. Help Toby with the statement unless you have some other work to do. Okay guys that's it."

We all nod and smile and the others leave. Josh hangs back and naturally I hang back with him, "Thanks Leo." he says quietly

"Don't thank me, I would have fired you if I'd been told to. Thank the President." Leo says and then stops, "I'd call your mother and tell her now, she wouldn't like to hear this from the TV."

"Oh she knows." Josh says quietly.

"She was delighted?" It's more a statement than a question.

"She's always loved Donna. Now she just asks when the wedding is and when we're going to be giving her grandchildren."

"Well when you find answers to either of those questions make sure you inform us." Leo says with a return to his normal, jovial tone.

We both smile and turn to go but before we can leave Leo speaks again, "I told you once to snap out of it." he says, more to his papers than to either of us, "If this is how happy you are together I'm glad you didn't take my advice."

End Chapter Three

AN: Next chapter...look out for the appearance of Sam as narrator.