Stuck With You
“Donnatella Moss!” He yelled. “You come back here!”
Donna froze in the doorway, wanting to run, but she forced herself to turn and face him instead.
“There’s no need to yell.” She told him.
“Isn’t there?” He demanded. “Were you trying to sneak out?”
“Dad, I didn’t…”
“Come back in here.” He ordered.
She sighed and duly trailed after him to his den.
“Now what’s this I hear that you’re changing your major again…”
“Dad…” She began wearily.
“Donna!” He exclaimed. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me!” She bristled.
“This is four times in a year Donna!”
“Dad, I just…”
“As if it wasn’t crazy enough that you turned down Harvard for Wisconsin…”
“We’ve talked about this, Dad.” She cut in firmly. He paused and looked at her. “I couldn’t go so far away.” She looked at him seriously. “Not while Mom’s sick. She needs me.” She touched his arm gently. “You need me.”
He sighed deeply.
“Sometimes sweetheart, it’s about what YOU need.” He told her softly.
“Yeah.” She said smiling. “And I needed to change my major again.”
He laughed.
“Politics and government?!” He smiled. “Is it because of a boy?”
“No!” She denied smiling. “You know I’ve always been interested…”
“Donna, you’ve always been interested in everything.” He cut in, then he sighed. “I don’t understand you sometimes honey.”
Donna frowned.
“What do you mean dad?”
He reached out to brush her hair back behind her ear.
“You seem to like playing the dumb blonde.” He looked at her concerned.
She sighed this time and reached out to take his hand.
“Not dumb.” She replied. “Just trying to be normal.”
“You’re not normal, sweetheart. You’re extraordinary,” He smiled. “Why do you try to hide it with being ditzy?”
“Dad…” She said warningly.
“Donna…” He mocked gently.
“Dad, people don’t like nerds.” She told him honestly. “YOU don’t like nerds! You didn’t want me to go to Harvard!” She smiled. “You rail against Ivy League liberals on a regular basis.”
He shook his head, smiling again.
“Can’t believe I raised a Democrat.”
She grinned.
“Whoops.” She replied.
He turned serious again.
“Donna, you don’t need to fit in here. You don’t need to dumb yourself down to fit in with your friends here. You should go out and find the place and the people you do fit in with.”
“I will dad.” She replied, just as seriously. “When Mom is better.”
He sighed.
“You’re a good girl.” He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.
—
“You’re doing what?!” He yelled.
“Calm down dad.” She said softly.
“You’re dropping out?! For that waste of oxygen?!”
“Dad, he’s not…”
“He’s okay with this?!” He was incredulous.
“Dad, stop freaking out!” She yelled back. “It’s just temporary.”
“Donna, you can’t drop out for this guy!”
“Dad, he needs me right now.” She tried to explain.
“Needs you? Using you more like!”
“Dad, I love him.” She insisted. “It’s just for a couple of years, while he finishes…”
“He asked you to do this?”
“We both decided.”
“Oh, Donna!”
“It’s just for a couple of years.”
“You can do so much better than him…”
“He’s what I want, daddy. He’s the life I want.”
He sighed deeply.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never more sure of anything.” She insisted.
He pulled her into a hug.
“Just a couple of years?” He asked.
“Yeah. Then I’ll get right back into it.”
—
“Where are you going Donna?” He demanded.
“Away!” She replied, as she threw some clothes into a bag.
“You can’t just leave.” He insisted.
“Try and stop me!” She grabbed the bag and headed for the door.
“Donna, I love you…”
“What’s her name, Paul?” She rounded on him. “While I’m working my fingers to the bone to get you through school… What’s the name of the woman you’re sleeping with?”
“Donna…”
“Or is it more than one? Are you sleeping your way through the…”
He grabbed her shoulders.
“You’re being irrational.”
“No, I think I’m finally waking up.”
“Please Donna…”
She broke out of his grasp.
“Go to hell, Paul.”
—
Donna shut the thin wooden door behind her with her foot and dropped her bag right there. Completely exhausted, she crossed the small motel room and let herself fall onto the bed. The springs groaned obscenely and it sagged alarmingly beneath her. She didn’t care.
She’d been driving for hours and all she really wanted to do was sleep.
She closed her eyes and tried but, despite feeling bone deep tired, her mind was still too full of thoughts to let her drift off. She had thought that just getting her car and driving and driving would clear her head but it hadn’t.
Giving up on sleep, she sought something to drive the thoughts from her head. Her eyes alighted on the TV and she dragged herself to her feet to turn it on.
“…on the campaign trail. John Hoynes is the Democratic front runner going into the New Hampshire Primary but…”
Donna frowned at the TV. It had been anticipated for weeks that Hoynes would be running but Donna didn’t much like him. She always thought that he seemed a little sleazy. Totally the ‘chase your secretary around the desk’ type. Certainly not Presidential material to her mind. Right now she was especially sick of womanisers.
Donna realised that she was thinking about it again. She forced her attention back onto the TV.
“Governor Bartlet is an outside bet to say the least. He’s a shoe in to win New Hampshire but it’s hard to believe that he’ll take anything beyond that. Josh Lyman is…”
Bartlet? Donna searched her memory. Oh yeah, Josiah Bartlet. She loved his name. Governor of New Hampshire. Old family. Founding fathers OLD. Nobel prize winning economist. Fascinating man. She’d read his book.
Interesting that he was running… Her mind started spinning. All thoughts of Paul were forgotten as a crazy idea took hold instead. She soaked in the TV coverage, hunting for more as the night went on.
She eventually fell asleep with the TV still on.
Next morning she went out in search of newspapers. Over coffee and toast (all she could afford), she read every bit of the election coverage she could get her hands on. One name kept jumping out at her, again and again. Josh Lyman, the Bartlet campaign’s political director. Someone last night on the TV had mentioned him too.
Josh Lyman. Political wunderkind. Harvard. Yale Law School. Fulbright Scholar. Jumped ship from Hoynes to join Bartlet’s campaign. That definitely sounded like a point in his favour as far as Donna was concerned. One of the op ed’s called him Bartlet’s secret weapon.
She discovered that she was in Shinrock, Ohio, which actually put her a fair way into the journey she’d need to take to get to the campaign HQ in Nashua, New Hampshire. She bought herself a map and worked out the rest.
12 hours later, she pulled up in front of the building. It was quiet but there were still people around and she discovered that Bartlet was doing a town hall that night. She went straight over to watch.
Donna hadn’t seen many politicians speak live but she knew immediately that this was something special. The guy was so real, so genuine. There was nothing sleazy or phoney in the way he talked. This was the right thing to do. She could feel it in her bones. She wanted to help him. She really wanted this guy to win!
—
Donna clutched the campaign badge tightly as she watched him leave.
Well that had been interesting!
To be honest she wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened. She’d come in here to volunteer and then she’d spotted the sign for his office. The phone had been ringing and there was no one around, so she’d just answered it.
So that was Josh Lyman. Not at all what she’d been expecting. She’d expected older and smoother; not young, cute and a bit scruffy. Although he was sharp. She winced remembering how quickly he had her number about Paul.
She hadn’t expected to immediately like him, to feel such a desire to work with him. She couldn’t believe that she’d told him so much, that she’d actually begged in the end.
Still, something had worked because he’d taken a chance on her.
She looked around the office. Moving today. Okay, that was the place to start. She could start getting this mess organised as she packed it for the move. Boxes, she needed boxes…
Donna headed out of the office to search. Almost immediately she collided with a large warm body.
“Oh god, I am so sorry.” The man exclaimed.
“That’s okay, no bones broken.”
The extremely good looking dark haired man looked down at her curiously.
“Hello.” He said brightly. “I’m Sam Seaborn. Are you new here?”
She nodded.
“I’m Donna Moss.” She told him. “I’m Joss Lyman’s new assistant.”
He frowned.
“Josh has an assistant?”
“He does now.” She smiled.
“He hired an assistant?” Sam was still frowning.
“I’m a volunteer.”
Sam carried on frowning, and she was starting to wonder if he was an idiot. She decided to go for practical.
“Look, do you know where I can get some boxes for the move to South Carolina? I need to pack up.”
“Sure.” Sam replied. He visibly pulled himself together. “This way.” He led her to a red haired woman.
“Margaret, this is Donna Moss.” He introduced. Oh, this was Margaret. “She’s looking for some packing boxes.” Margaret smiled at her. “She’s Josh’s assistant.”
The smile faded and was replaced by a look of confusion as she turned to Sam.
“Josh has an assistant?” She asked. Donna wasn’t sure whether to groan or laugh.
“Apparently so.” Sam replied.
“Oh.” Margaret said, the smile returned. “My sympathies.” She said to Donna, touching her arm lightly.
It was Donna’s turn to frown. Sympathies?
“Margaret is Leo McGarry’s assistant.” Sam explained. Donna nodded, she knew exactly who Leo McGarry was. “She’s also co-ordinating the campaign office logistics, so she’ll be able to help you with anything you need.”
Donna thanked Sam and he wandered off, looking back once more with that frown back on his face.
Margaret turned out to be friendly and helpful, although she too kept looking at Donna with an odd little frown when she thought she wasn’t looking.
Donna returned to Josh’s office and began sorting and packing. For someone who was supposed to have an incredible mind Josh Lyman was incredibly disorganised. She sat at the desk and started making piles.
Donna looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching. The gruff looking man paused, frowning, in the doorway when he saw her sitting there.
“Can I help you?” She asked pleasantly.
“Where’s Josh?” He asked.
“He’s in with media until 4:30.” She replied. “Can I do anything for you?”
“Who are you?” He frowned.
“I’m Josh’s assistant.” She said brightly.
“Josh has an assistant?” The frown grew deeper.
Donna laughed.
“Yes, and I’m it.”
“Okay.” He said warily. “I need the notes Josh made on daycare tax credits.”
“Right.” Donna said and began flipping through one of the piles she’d made. She pulled a sheet of paper out two seconds later, stood up, crossed to him and handed it over. He looked surprised.
“You knew where they were.” He said. “Josh would have had to take the place apart to find these.” His mouth quirked as if he was suddenly amused.
“Yes, I’m Josh’s assistant, it’s gonna be my job to make sure we can find things.” Donna replied, smiling. She extended her hand. “I’m Donna Moss.”
He took it.
“Toby Ziegler.” He smiled back at her. “Communications.” He held up the notes. “Thanks for these.”
“You’re welcome.” She replied. He left, after looking back once with a puzzled look on his face.
Donna went back to sorting.
A few hours later, she looked up again at the sound of footsteps approaching – feminine heels this time.
“Hi.” A pleasant female voice began and Donna saw a very tall woman with short wavy hair standing in the doorway. The woman was smiling.
“Hi.” Donna replied. “Are you looking for Josh?”
“You’re his new assistant?” The woman asked, the smile still firmly in place.
Donna stood up and went over to her. She extended her hand.
“Yes. I’m Donna Moss.”
The other woman took it firmly.
“C.J. Cregg.” She introduced herself. “Campaign Spokesperson.”
“Nice to meet you.”
They looked at each other for a long moment. C.J. was still smiling. Donna frowned.
“You’re not going to express surprise that Josh has an assistant are you?” Donna asked. “It’s just that I’ve been dealing with that all day and it’s getting tiring.”
C.J. outright grinned at her.
“I can imagine that it would be.” She said. “People are just a little surprised.”
“I’m getting that. Oh no, I’m not being gossiped about am I?” Donna groaned.
“Afraid so,” C.J. said ruefully. “But Toby and Margaret are sticking up for you. You’ve made quite an impression on your first day.”
“A good one?” Donna asked tentatively.
“A very good one.” C.J. reassured her. “And around here, the sisterhood sticks together.”
“The sisterhood?” Donna smiled.
“Hell yes!” C.J. grinned again. “We’re surrounded by men who not only are some of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, but also know it. Unfortunately.”
“Oh.” Donna frowned. That didn’t sound good.
“Oh, no,” C.J. cut in. “Don’t get me wrong… They’re also the sweetest bunch of idiots you’ll ever meet.” She looked at Donna, assessing. “Especially Josh.”
“Oh.” Donna said again, smiling now.
“You just have to make sure that you don’t let them use their little dimpled smiles to walk all over you.” She said confessionally.
“I’ll remember that.” Donna replied grinning.
“Remember what?” Josh appeared from behind C.J. “You’re not corrupting my new assistant, are you C.J.?” He lounged against the wall.
“Not at all, mi amore.” C.J. replied with a smile at him. “Just welcoming her to the sisterhood.”
“Now I’m scared.” Josh laughed, but it instantly faded as he looked at his desk. “What the hell have you done?!” He demanded.
Donna bristled.
“I’m organising and packing.” She stated.
“I won’t know where anything is!” He exploded.
“You mean you did before?” She snorted.
“Yes!” He shouted. Donna refused to be cowed.
“That’s not what Toby said.” She countered.
“You talked to Toby?!” His voice had gone strangely high pitched. She thought again how cute he looked, but then thrust it aside.
“Toby was very impressed that she could find the notes he needed.” C.J. cut in from the doorway. She was smiling.
Josh glared at her.
“Stay out of it.” He warned her.
“Don’t be so rude.” Donna told him firmly. He spun back to look at her and gaped.
“What?!” He finally said.
“I said, don’t be so rude.” She replied calmly.
“I…” He began, looking confused.
“There’s no need to yell.” She cut him off. “Not at me, and definitely not at C.J. I’m just doing what an assistant does Josh. I’m sorting your papers.”
He stared at her, gobsmacked.
“Okay.” He said finally.
“Okay?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Okay.” He replied nervously, agreeing.
C.J. snorted a laugh and they both turned to her.
“This is gonna be delightful!” She said, and she walked off.
“C.J!” Josh called after her warningly, and they could hear her laugh again as she carried on going.
He sighed and turned back to look at her, then at his desk. He winced.
“What is all this?” He asked, softly now.
She went over to the desk and started motioning.
“I’ve been trying to group things together that seemed to go.” She explained. “I hope I’m getting it right but I’ll work it out as we go on.”
His mouth quirked a little but he said nothing. He just watched her and she felt incredibly self conscious under his gaze.
“I’m going to try and work out a system for your files and I’ll be grading everything that comes in based on how urgently you need to see it…” He was still staring at her. “What?” She asked nervously.
“Oh, nothing…” He replied, smiling.
“Nothing?” She smiled back. “Not a word, not a comment.”
“You seem to have it all in hand.”
“Well, not quite yet.” She replied sheepishly. “But I’ve only been here a few hours.”
“And in that time you’ve won over Toby, Margaret and C.J. That’s not a bad days work!”
“I met some guy named Sam as well.” She smiled.
“Oh no!” His laugh was a groan too. He raked his hand through his hair. “I’ll never hear the end of this!”
She looked at him questioning.
“Sam’s my best friend.” He told her. “He’s our speechwriter.”
“Oh.” Donna said.
“Yeah.” He winced theatrically.
“You’re not regretting hiring me, are you?” She asked, nervous again.
“You hired yourself.” He pointed out, smiling.
“Does that mean you can’t fire me?” She teased, her confidence growing again.
“Would I be able to if I tried?” He laughed. “I have a feeling you’d be impervious.”
“True.” She smiled.
“I’m not sure if you’re insane, or if I am!” He admitted wryly.
She laughed, then frowned.
“Isn’t it time for your meeting with finance?”
He checked his watch.
“Fifteen minutes.” He said.
She checked her watch.
“Four minutes.” She said.
“What?” He demanded.
“Your watch is wrong. Four minutes.”
“No!” He exclaimed, looking at it again.
“Go.” She told him.
“You’re fired.” He told her firmly.
“No.” She replied just as firmly. “Go!” She ordered and shoved him out.
—
It was dark outside when Donna sank down into the bus seat, tiredness finally taking over from the adrenaline she’d been running on all day.
Around her the rest of the campaign staff were talking, laughing and joking. She lazily watched them and smiled. They all talked a mile a minute and it was thrilling to think that she was a part of this now. For the millionth time today she thought to herself that she’d definitely done the right thing coming here. It felt like home already.
Someone flopped down into the seat next to her and she looked over to see that it was Josh.
“Hey.” He smiled at her and leaned in to say softly. “Nice job in how fast you got everything packed.”
“Thanks.” She smiled, feeling a little shy. His arm was pressed up against hers and it was sending strange little tingles through her.
He seemed oblivious to it, and she was grateful for that. She certainly didn’t need that sort of complication right now, so she was just going to ignore it.
Suddenly she yawned. He chuckled.
“How long since you last slept?” He asked.
“I caught some last night.” She replied, unable to suppress another yawn. “In my car.” She admitted.
“This probably won’t be much more comfortable than that.” He replied wryly. “But you should try to get some more. It’s gonna be busy from here on out.”
“In that case,” Yawn. “You probably should too.”
“Maybe later.” He replied.
“You shouldn’t neglect,” Yawn. “Your circadian rhythms.”
Without realising it, she laid her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He tensed for a moment, then relaxed.
“My circadian rhythms?” He sounded amused.
“Mmhm. You should keep a consistent pattern of sleep, and,” Yawn. “Take a walk every morning.” Yawn.
“I should, huh?”
“Uh huh.”
“Donna?”
“Yeah.”
“Go to sleep.”
“Okay.”
And she did.
—
“Where the hell are you?” Her dad yelled at her. She held the phone slightly away from her ear and laughed.
“I’m in Charleston!” She said happily.
“What are you doing in Charleston? We’ve been worried sick.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to call before. It’s been so busy.”
“You left in the middle of the night… Paul said you were hysterical.”
“Paul’s an idiot, dad. He was cheating on me.”
There was a deep sigh on the other end of the line.
“Are you okay?” Softly now.
“Yeah dad.” She smiled. “I’m great, in fact.”
“What are you doing in Charleston?”
She drew in a deep breath, not sure how he was going to react.
“I’m working on Governor Bartlet’s campaign.”
“You’re what?!” He yelled.
“Dad…”
“You’re working to get that lily livered liberal…”
“Dad.” She cut in firmly. “He’s a good man.”
Silence.
Finally: “You’re happy?”
“So very happy.” She said.
“Is it a boy?” She could hear the laughter in his voice.
She rolled her eyes.
“Oh yeah, totally.” She replied, laughing. “A very very hot boy.”
She felt a tingle up her spine and turned to see Josh watching her.
“My dad.” She mouthed at him pointing at the phone, feeling a little embarrassed but not sure why.
He smiled back at her, turned and left.
—
Donna stood at the back of the staff meeting. For the zillioneth time she felt so happy to be here.
They were all talking strategy and she felt massively out of her league as she tried to follow their discussion. C.J., Toby, Sam and Josh were putting forward some new ideas. Leo was moderating and Governor Bartlet was listening but he looked distracted.
No, he looked nervous and uncomfortable. He hadn’t looked that way on stage when she’d first seen him. He’d looked so confident then. He’s not ready, she thought. He’s panicking. She was surprised at herself. She really shouldn’t be thinking this way about their candidate. She certainly shouldn’t be wanting to go over there and hug him.
Suddenly Governor Bartlet and Josh were arguing. She could see Josh’s frustration at the situation as the Governor took his own doubts out on him.
Leo jumped in and ended the meeting. The Governor stalked off. Donna watched Leo share a few quiet words with Josh and lay a calming, fatherly, hand on his shoulder. Josh wasn’t having it. He walked off, fuming, towards his office. Donna followed him.
He threw himself down into the chair and raked a hand through his hair.
“You okay?” She asked.
He blew out a long breath.
“He just doesn’t listen.” He said, resting his elbows on the desk and putting his head into his hands.
Donna instinctively moved to stand behind him and put her hands onto his shoulders. He jerked and looked up at her.
“What’re you doing?!” He asked, his voice raising into that high pitched tone she was coming to recognise.
“You seemed tense.” She replied. She rubbed his neck, massaging.
He made a small contended sound and looked away. He relaxed a little under her hands, so she ploughed ahead, massaging a little harder. His muscles were very tense. His skin was warm through his shirt.
“That’s nice.” He sighed and relaxed a little more.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on him.” She said softly.
He snorted a laugh.
“You giving me campaign advise? Two weeks you’ve been here. Mmmm, yeah, that’s a good spot.” He leant into her hands.
“He’s panicking.” She said.
“Panicking? How can he be panicking?”
“He’s running for President!” She exclaimed. “Of course, he’s panicking. It’s just become real.”
There was silence for a minute as she massaged his neck, his shoulders and he hung his head, lost in his thoughts.
“Would you be panicking?” He asked eventually.
“If I was running for President?! Hell yes!”
He chuckled.
—
The rain was just starting as they got out of the car. They’d taken the last space in the car park, which was some distance from the door to the hall where the Governor was speaking tonight. They were late because they’d gone off to see some potential donor that Josh needed to smooze. It had gone well, Josh had been surprising charming. It was a whole different side to him that she hadn’t seen before.
Josh dashed around the car, slammed the door and grabbed her hand, pulling her along at a run towards the building.
The rain increased at a rapid rate, soaking them through instantly.
They were both laughing as they reached the porch. A broad grin was still on Donna’s lips as he came to an abrupt stop and she slammed into him. His arm went around her waist to steady her and her hands landed on his biceps. Everything changed in an instant as heat exploded between them.
Their soaked clothes felt like no barrier at all and too much of barrier at the same time. Donna’s smile died as she looked up into his eyes and saw the naked desire that had appeared in them. His arm tightened on her waist.
Time stopped, everything was forgotten.
She saw his gaze move to her mouth and couldn’t seem to stop her own moving to his. They had both been panting from the run through the rain but now it seemed to be impossible to breathe.
The moment stretched and stretched, but then they were moving, tumbling towards something that felt so inevitable… faces turning towards each other… lips raising, lips lowering… So close, still so far…
Cheers erupted from inside the building and reality crashed back in. They sprang apart.
They stood there in silence for a long moment as they collected themselves.
“Donna…” Josh began, imploring. He reached for her.
She sprang back a little more.
“No.” She said, surprised at the sound of her own voice.
She turned quickly and walked inside.
—
Donna’s thoughts were a roller coaster. This was not what was supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to… to… what even was this?
This was not why she was here. Dammit, she’d finally done what her dad was always telling her to do. She’d found the place and the people where she felt like she fit, just being herself. She could finally let something of her nerd streak show, because they were all kind of nerds too.
She didn’t need the complication of… of… Whatever this was.
She loved working with him. He treated her like an equal. He teased but he never spoke down to her. She’d thought that they were becoming friends. Oh, she’d known that she was attracted to him. Of course she was. He was smart and cute and funny. But she was a grown woman, she could be attracted to someone and not have it be a thing. Especially as the attraction didn’t seem to go both ways. He’d been nice and friendly, but he’d not given the impression that he liked her that way. Not until out in the porch… In the rain… with that look in his eyes as if he wanted to devour her.
Oh god. That look in his eyes. Had her eyes looked like that too?
What on Earth was she going to do?
He had a girlfriend. Mandy, the crazy woman.
Oh god. She’d so nearly kissed him. He had a girlfriend! And he was her boss!
What on Earth was she going to do?
—
Donna paused before she stepped out of the door, wary of being back out on the porch.
Josh hadn’t said a word to her all night. They’d stood as far apart as they could as they watched Governor Bartlet speak. During the grip and grin they’d moved around the room keeping the distance. Donna had finally ducked out before it was over, needing some time to herself before she faced him again.
She summoned up her courage and walked out. It had stopped raining, so she stepped out into the car park. She couldn’t stand to be on that porch.
Footsteps behind her made her tense, and she panicked a little. He’d followed her.
“Donna…” A voice said her name, but it wasn’t his. She spun around.
“Paul?” She demanded. “What are you doing here?”
“Donna, I’ve been such an idiot!” He said sincerely. “Please come home.”
“Paul,” she began wearily. This was the last thing she needed tonight.
“No, listen to me!” He insisted, coming closer. “I’ve come all this way… I love you. I need you.” He took her limp hands into his.
There was no heat, no fire. His eyes burned with something but it wasn’t…
“Please come home.” He said again, drawing her into his arms.
She let him pull her closer. He kissed her. She let him. It felt safe. It felt easy. She kissed him back.
After a moment he pulled back, grinning.
“Donna!” He exclaimed and hugged her.
She let him.
She closed her eyes and let her head rest on his shoulder. This was easy. This didn’t confuse her. Not like…
When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was Josh standing in the porch. She couldn’t read his expression. He just watched them for a long moment. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t just push Paul away and run to him… to explain that this wasn’t… she wanted… she didn’t know what she wanted…
Josh turned and went back inside.
—
“Dad!” Donna exclaimed as he came into her room at the hospital.
“Donna.” He smiled as he came to hug her. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
“I thought Paul was coming to get me.” She said as she feebly hugged him back.
“He didn’t come?” He stepped back.
“Oh, he did.” She replied. “He’s gone.”
“What’s happened?”
“Oh dad.” She started crying. “I’ve made a horrible mistake.”
He pulled her back into his arms and stroked her hair.
—
“Dad, what are you doing?” She asked as he came into the room and dropped her bag next to the couch were she was lying. Her bandaged foot was propped up on cushions.
“I’m gonna drive you back to join Bartlet’s campaign.”
“Dad!” She exclaimed. “I can’t go back…”
“Yes you can.” He said firmly. “I’m sick of you sitting here looking like a wet weekend. I’m gonna drive you back there.”
“Dad, you can’t!”
“I can.” He insisted as he sat down next to her. “Donna, that was the happiest I’ve heard you in years.” He stroked her hand. “Every call, you sounded… So alive. Then you came back here with Paul, but you looked… Dead. You said you were happy, but all the fire’s gone away.”
“I can’t go back.” She insisted. “I burnt that bridge.”
“So rebuild it.” He said firmly.
“I can’t…”
“Hey, I didn’t raise you to quit that easily.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Is it this Lyman guy?”
“It’s not what you think…”
“You think he’ll be pissed? Turn you away?”
“Yes.” She said softly.
“Don’t let him.”
“Dad…”
“I understand more than you think.” He replied with a smile. “Are you in love with him?”
“Dad!”
“You’re acting like…”
“No, I’m not in love with him.” She insisted. “I was only there a few weeks!”
“Doesn’t always take long…” He smiled.
“No dad.” She smiled. “I’m not in love with Josh Lyman. It’s just…” She sighed. “I talked him into letting me onto the campaign once. I… I didn’t live up to what I said I’d do. He’s got no good reason to trust me again.”
He squeezed her hand.
“I read up on him.” He admitted sheepishly. “And Bartlet too.”
“Oh dad!” She laughed and squeezed his hand back. “You’d like him.”
“Lyman or Bartlet?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Bartlet.” She said firmly.
“No I wouldn’t.” He said shaking his head but he was laughing. “What about Lyman?”
“Oh you’d really HATE Josh!” She laughed. “He’s everything you hate!”
“Must be something good about him… If you like him.”
“I do like him.” She admitted honestly. “And Bartlet too.” She smiled.
“Then get your ass up off this couch and let’s get you back there.”
She looked at her hands for a long moment. Finally she looked up.
“Okay.” She said simply.
—
Donna was incredibly nervous as she walked into the campaign HQ in Pierre, South Dakota.
They’d come second in South Carolina and, just as they’d predicted, Wiley had dropped out. The campaign had now moved on. Donna hoped against hope that they hadn’t moved on so much that she’d been left permanently behind.
Just then Margaret saw her and exclaimed “Donna!”. She ran over and threw her arms around her. “Thank goodness you came back!” She said as she let her go.
“Is Josh here?” Donna asked warily.
“He’s in his office.” She gestured to towards a corridor leading off from the main room. “Down there.”
“Can I..?”
Margaret smiled reassuringly.
“Go on through.”
Donna nodded her thanks and started off down the corridor. There was an open door at the end. She drew a deep breath and went to stand in the doorway. He was hunched over his desk writing something.
“I said I didn’t want to be disturbed,” He began forcefully. “unless the building is on fi…” He looked up and the words stopped.
Their eyes met and they stared at each for what seemed like forever.
“Oh thank god.” He said finally, earnestly, his voice slightly breaking on the words.
Their eyes stayed locked for a moment longer. Donna wasn’t sure what to do next. The silence stretched.
Finally, he looked down and closed his eyes for a moment. He looked back up and grinned at her. Then he leapt up.
“Thank god you’re back. There’s a pile of stuff on the desk. Get right on it. Busy day.”
And he walked out.
Donna stared at his retreating back open mouthed. Okay. That was that then.
She looked back at the messy desk and winced.
“Great.” She laughed.
—
“Donna!” He exclaimed. “If you wanted fries, you should have ordered fries!”
“Stolen fries taste better.” She replied and shoved the fries into her mouth.
He made a grumbling noise and she rolled her eyes.
The pattern had been reset and it felt like putting a pair of comfortable slippers back on. Neither of them had brought up either her absence, or that almost kiss. They just carried as before; working hard, teaching, learning, bantering and building a friendship.
Now here they were, with the rest of the campaign staff, in a diner somewhere in Vermont, after a hard day on the trail. Leo and the Bartlet’s were off in a secluded booth but everyone else was sprawled at the tables eating and talking.
“Ooh, a jukebox!” Sam jumped up and went to scan the song titles.
“Nothing too cheesy!” C.J. yelled after him and he just grinned back at her.
“He’s going to pick the cheesiest thing on there now, isn’t he?” She groaned.
“The absolute worst.” Josh grinned at her.
Donna stole another small handful of fries.
“Hey!” He chastised. She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Mature and witty.” He rolled his eyes.
“Get over it.” She deadpanned and ate the fries.
He opened his mouth to reply but the place was suddenly filled with music. He snapped his mouth shut.
C.J. groaned again.
“Sam!” She chided.
Sam walked back over towards her with cheeky intent written all over his face. C.J. backed up a little in her seat and scowled at him.
He over acted, lip synching with the song.
“We’ve had some fun, and yes we’ve had our ups and downs. Been down that rocky road, but here we are, still around.”
C.J. was obviously amused but still pretended that she wasn’t.
“We thought about someone else, but neither one took the bait. We thought about breaking up, but now we know it’s much too late.” He carried on, clutching his chest dramatically.
C.J. grinned. Then she joined in, mugging it up just as much as him.
“We are bound by all the rest. Like the same phone number. All the same friends. And the same address.”
Sam pulled her to her feet and they started dancing. Everyone had by now turned to looked at them, clapping and cheering them on.
Leo leant out of the booth to see what was going on. He grinned and shook his head.
“Yes, it’s true, (yes it’s true) I am happy to be stuck with you.”
Sam and C.J. lip synced as Sam spun her around.
“Yes, it’s true, (yes it’s true) I’m so happy to be stuck with you. ‘Cause I can see, (I can see) that you’re happy to be stuck with me.”
Somewhere in there people started singing along dopily instead of just lip synching, and all over the place people were pulling each other to their feet and joining them in the dancing. Even Toby was dragged to his feet by Ginger.
Donna watched, grinning. She saw the Governor stand up and actually crack a smile as he watched his staffers blowing off steam. His wife joined him, putting her arms round his waist. He bent down and kissed her briefly.
“We’ve had our doubts, we never took them seriously. And we’ve had our ins and outs, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Donna looked over at Josh. He was watching the others with a grin too. C.J. yelped as Sam spun her a little took fast. Josh laughed and, as he moved, he caught Donna watching him. He smiled at her.
“We thought about giving up, but we could never stay away. Thought about breaking up, but now we know it’s much too late.”
His lips quirked into a half smile. He looked away with a wry grimace but held out a hand to her across the table.
“And it’s no great mystery. If we change our minds.”
She took his hand and he pulled her out of her seat. They moved into a loose, friendly, embrace.
“Eventually, it’s back to you and me.”
They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment as they started dancing. They smiled. Suddenly he pushed her away and spun her around. As she came back in they were both laughing. They carried on dancing.
“Yes, it’s true, (yes it’s true) I am happy to be stuck with you.
Yes, it’s true, (yes it’s true) I’m so happy to be stuck with you.
‘Cause I can see, (I can see) that you’re happy to be stuck with me.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Donna could see that the Bartlet’s were dancing too now. Leo hadn’t joined in but he was grinning broadly.
She turned her attention back to Josh. At the same moment they finally joined in with the singing.
“We are bound by all the rest.
Like the same phone number.
All the same friends.
And the same address.”
They mugged it up, overacting just like everyone else.
“Yes, it’s true, (yes it’s true) I am happy to be stuck with you.
Yes, it’s true, (yes it’s true) I’m so happy to be stuck with you.
‘Cause I can see, (I can see) that you’re happy to be stuck with me.”