The Photograph – sequel to Who Da Man

Josh had been pacing since Donna had told him that no one knew Danny's whereabouts. He was trying to formulate a plan to find his friend and made one phone call. The guilt sat heavily with him. Danny was trying to help and was now missing. It was his fault and he couldn't stand by and leave it to others to fix. He threw some clothes into an overnight bag picked up his keys and cell phone; pulling on a Mets baseball cap and a jacket he left his apartment. Taking a deep breath he opened the door to the street stepping out to be instantly surrounded by reporters who rushed up the stoop. Microphones and cameras were shoved at him. "Josh!" "Josh!" "Did the President fire you personally?" "Is Miss Moss going to sue for sexual harassment?" "Josh how long have you two been having sex at work?" "Josh don't you think your behaviour is morally reprehensible?"

He kept his head down forcing himself not to respond to the hurtful words around him as he made his way to the waiting car. He slipped into the passenger seat putting on his seat belt as the car with tinted windows powered away leaving the reporters in its wake.

"Thanks." Josh turned to the driver.

"No problem buddy. My place?" Mike Casper smiled back at his old friend.

"Yeah." Josh sighed as he leaned back into the seat.

Mike opened the door to his apartment and preceded Josh in.

"You can dump your stuff in the guest room. You know where everything is. I'll get some coffee on." Mike went through to the kitchen.

"Okay." Josh removed his cap and took his bag to the guest room.

As they sat drinking coffee at the kitchen table Josh explained everything in more detail than he had over the phone earlier. Mike sat listening thoughtfully.

"Wow, when you get into trouble you really go all the way Josh!" Mike exclaimed once Josh had finished.

"Will you help me?"

"Of course, hey you, Donna, Danny we are all friends. I can't believe Leo would think that of you. I mean we all know you can be stupid but not that stupid!"

"Thanks, I think." Josh rubbed his arm where Mike had thumped him.

"So what did you have in mind?"

"Well I kind of figured that you would, you know, know what to do, it being your thing." Josh looked slightly embarrassed by his lack of an actual plan beyond calling Mike.

"My thing?" Mike laughed at his friend's discomfort. "Okay I'll do some ringing round and see what I can find out. Did you call Donna?"

"Not yet. I thought she might try to stop me."

"You should call her man, she could come here. I'm going to make some calls."

Josh watched Mike go into his living room and got out his cell phone.

"Hey."

"Hey, any news on Danny?"

"No nothing. CJ is going spare. She's blaming herself."

"It's not her fault. Donna I'm at Mike's."

"Mike's why?" Her tone showed she had her suspicions.

"I….I want to do something. I asked him to help find Danny."

"I guess he agreed if you're there?"

"Yes he did. Perhaps you and CJ could come over so we can talk about what we can do."

"Yes that's a good idea and I really need to see you. I miss you."

"I know babe, me too. See you soon?"

"Okay."

"Donna?"

"Make sure you're not followed."

Donna bit back her sarcastic response when she realised he was serious. "We will."

"We're having visitors?" Mike asked as he came back into the kitchen.

"Donna and CJ."

"Ooo double date, goody." Mike made eye contact with Josh, "So what you with CJ and me with Donna?"

"What buddy, you scared of CJ?" Josh queried not playing into Mike's hands.

"God yes but then Donna's scary too."

"All women are scary Mike, all women."

"Ain't that the truth." Mike sighed.

The room was quiet and dark. He could hear rustling outside but no traffic or people noises. He was sat on what he presumed to be a wooden floor. His right wrist was handcuffed to something on the wall slightly above him, his left was free but his feet were tied at the ankles and appeared to be attached to the floor. He was stiff, cold and thirsty. He didn't remember how he got here. He had been at home, answered to door, was pushed inside felt a sting and then woke up here. He didn't know how much time had passed. He was alive so they probably just wanted him out if the way as he wasn't worth anything to ransom. Who and why? He felt around with his free hand and encountered a bottle of water. Using his teeth he managed to open it and drank gratefully. Danny leaned his head back on the wall, closing his eyes he gave a deep sigh trying to calm his fear.

CJ and Donna arrived bearing a Chinese takeout.

"What no beer?" Mike whined in an almost Josh like manner.

"No this is serious, no alcohol." Donna scolded.

"Hey Josh is the only one to get drunk on two beers." Mike smirked at his friend.

"It takes more than two." Josh muttered as he drew Donna in for a deep kiss.

They sat round the kitchen table eating Chinese and pooling all their information about Danny's last known movements. It was established that he was on the trail of the person who had sent the photo to the paper. Mike's contacts had even discovered that Danny had been trying to track down the ISP address for the origin of the email containing the photo. They had all assumed it was a print, however it turned out it had been sent as a digital image.

"Surely they would have checked the source for something like this?" Josh was stunned they had printed such a damning picture just supplied by email.

"The Editor is away. The guy covering wanted to make a name for himself and couldn't believe his luck. He just went ahead and wrote a story to go with the picture." Mike explained shaking his head.

"So you think that Danny found out who it was and that's why he's disappeared?" Josh needed to know.

"I think that's probably what happened, yes." Mike answered looking at CJ who had paled visibly.

"Do you think he's okay?" Donna's voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Look I can't say, however I would think if this is to do with the election they will just keep him out of the way until then." Mike tried to sound reassuring.

They sat in silence each deep in thought Josh and Donna holding hands with Josh absently stroking hers with his thumb. CJ looked at them and then made eye contact with Mike.

"We'll give you guys some privacy to talk. Are you staying here Donna?" Mike asked as he and CJ stood.

"No I'm going back with CJ." CJ shot her a grateful look before turning and going into the living room with Mike.

"I wish you'd stay here, but I understand why you're going back to CJ's." Josh said as he pulled Donna into his lap.

"I can't leave her alone with Danny missing and it would look so bad if I was found here with you. It wouldn't help anyone."

"I don't know I think it might help me." Josh wriggled under Donna and kissed her neck.

Laughing, Donna put her head back to give him better access. "Josh?"

"Mmmmm."

"Josh?"

"What?"

"We have to stop. You know we do." Josh pulled away to make eye contact and sighed.

"I know, I know." He looked down then back up to Donna. "I have the ring here but with Danny missing it doesn't seem right." Donna pressed her fingers to his lips to stop him as she could see he was torn.

"Shh it's okay. You're right it's not the right time. We can wait. We have our whole lives to look forward to." Donna replaced her fingers with her lips her tongue demanding entry. Josh allowed her in, holding her tightly to him. Eventually the need for air was overwhelming and they parted eyes locked.

"I love you." Josh whispered.

"I love you too, so much."

"Do you really think we'll be okay?" Josh needed reassurance the last couple of days had been a blow to his confidence and he was feeling insecure. Something he could only truly show to Donna. She made him feel safe.

"Yes we are going to be fine babe." She reached out and stroked his cheek before kissing him chastely on his lips.

FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION:

"Josh you have to stay here. You can't come." Mike was getting exasperated by Josh's stubbornness.

"I'll stay in the car Mike. I have to come. I got Danny into this. Please Mike." Josh begged Mike with his words and his eyes.

"Oh god Josh! Okay but you have to stay in the car. Promise?"

"I promise."

Mike had received information regarding the possible whereabouts of one Danny Concanon very late last night. Josh had wanted to leave immediately but Mike wouldn't rush into it. He spoke to his boss and he agreed there was enough evidence to presume a kidnapping and consented to an official operation. It was now 4am and they were just joining the rest of the team

"Mike who's the guy in the car?" Mike's boss didn't approve of taking civilians on any operations.

"He's Josh Lyman. He's the one who originally brought Danny's disappearance to our attention. He's promised to stay in the car."

"Lyman? The Whitehouse guy screwing his secretary is here? Mike he can't be here."

"Please Sir? He'll stay in the car."

"He's your problem Mike. At least as he's in disgrace I won't have the President on my ass if anything happens to him." Mike heaved a sigh of relief as his boss stalked away.

"You better stay in this car Josh. I'm putting my job on line by having you here." He told him as he got back in the car.

"Mike I will. I promised didn't I?"

"Yeah okay. Let's roll." Mike said as they drove off in convoy following the SUV with four armed agents inside.

"Leo we have to talk about this."

"No we really don't."

"The photo was a fake Leo. Think about it. Josh and Donna wouldn't do that to you, to the President."

Toby, Sam and CJ were trying to get Leo to see sense. Danny's disappearance and Sam and Toby's return to the Whitehouse had given them the opportunity to open the dialogue again. The pictures of Josh leaving his apartment in today's papers, headlines reading, 'Disgraced DCOS Flees in Shame', added to their cause.

Leo sank down into his chair sighing he ran his hand through his hair. Looking at the three Senior Staffers in front of him he saw their desperation for him to believe them, to believe Josh. He felt so bad about the way he had dealt with this but he had been so disappointed and personally hurt that Josh would disrespect him and the President in that manner. Deep down he knew Josh would never do that, but sex does funny things to a guy, just look at the way he got caught up with Amy Gardener.

"Okay what do you think happened?" He sighed.

Relaxing the staffers explained what they thought had happened. Soon they were joined by the President who listening intently exchanged troubled looks with Leo.

"Where are Josh and Donna now?"

"Donna's at my place and Josh is at Mike Casper's." CJ filled them in.

"We'll get them brought in and sort it out from here. We have to protect them." Leo picked up the phone on his desk.

"About time." Sam's muttered words brought a glare from Leo but he didn't reprimand the speechwriter perhaps acknowledging the truth of the utterance.

Leo finished arranging the escorts in for Josh and Donna. "CJ would you call them and let them know what's happening? I don't think they'll want to hear from me at the moment. We'll go next door and wait."

"Sure." CJ stepped out of the room.

She returned the same time as Ron Butterfield came in to the Oval office.

"I got hold of Donna but not Josh." CJ explained.

"Where the hell is he?" The President asked.

"I think I can help a little on that front Sir." Ron stepped forward.

"What's going on Ron?"

"Well Sir. It appears Mr Lyman accompanied Agent Casper on an interagency operation early this morning. They were acting on information received regarding the location of Danny Concanon. The agents secured the building leaving Mr Lyman in the car. When Agent Casper returned he wasn't there. Mike just thought he had wandered off to see what was happening, which is not unexpected behaviour in Mr Lyman's case. Then he saw the car. The window had been broken and there was blood on the seat. Ron paused allowing the information to sink in. "We believe the whole thing was a ruse to get Mr Lyman out in the open and take him."

The door opened and in walked Donna who after looking round asked, "Where's Josh?"

TBC

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