Chesapeake

by: Allison

Character(s): Josh, Donna
Pairing(s): Josh/Donna
Category(s): Romance
Rating: TEEN
Summary: Donna's getting really fed up at Josh.

Josh hesitated outside the door to the apartment building, alternately looking suspiciously up at the second-floor window and glaring at the group of potential hoodlums standing on the corner. She had said she wasn't going out with him, but on the other hand he frequently couldn't tell when Donna was lying. He frowned and decided to play it safe. He had made sure to change the number on his speed dial when she changed apartments. He hadn't gotten around to telling her that he only changed it after accidentally greeting the new tenant of 3B - a large man named Lou - with, "Don't say a word, just tell me where my pants are." Lou had been terribly amused. Josh had been too mortified even to call Donna's new number, especially since he had tripped over the missing pants as he paced around his apartment trying to explain to Lou that his assistant had stolen his suit and taken it to the cleaners. He didn't think Lou had bought it. In fact, he was praying right now that he did not run into Lou on the front steps of this building. And it was taking Donna a very long time to pick up the phone. Josh began to sweat.

"Hello?" She didn't sound even remotely sleepy.

"Where were you?" he demanded. "The phone rang like nine times."

"In the shower," she said, sounding angry and defensive. Damn. This was not how he'd intended for this to go.

"Sorry," he apologized sincerely. "Look - I'm on your front steps. Okay if I come up?"

"You're on my front steps?" A shade went flying up just above him and a blonde head appeared behind the window. Josh waved sheepishly. "Hi," he said into the cell phone.

"Why are you calling from my front steps?"

He blushed. "I wanted to make sure you were - awake."

"You wanted to make sure I was alone."

"Same thing?" he tried.

"I don't make a habit of lying to you," she said. She sounded hurt. This was bad.

"Look, I was just trying to respect your privacy. I didn't mean anything by it. Can I come up, please?"

He heard her sigh on the other end. "Sure."

She opened the door looking unbelievably put-together for eight AM Christmas morning. She was wearing flannel pants and a light-colored T-shirt that Josh discovered to his great consternation he could almost see through. Her long hair was still damp from the shower, but her eyes were clear and wide-open and he smelled coffee.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked, peering past her into the new apartment. It was - small.

"What are you doing up?" she countered. "You don't have work, and it's not a holiday for you."

"You said I should call early," he reminded her, a little embarrassed. "Why are you up?"

She blushed faintly and tried to pretend she wasn't. "Waiting for you to call."

He spread his arms with a little smile. "Here I am."

"I see that." Not exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. She stepped back from the door. "Come in."

"Hold on." He reached behind him in the hallway and picked up the large red-wrapped cardboard box he'd set on the floor. "Merry Christmas," he said cheerfully, handing it to Donna.

She took the box gingerly and walked into the apartment, leaving him to follow her and close the door. "What is it?"

He sighed in mock frustration. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

She gave him a suspicious look, then set the box on her coffee table and examined it. She discovered that the lid came off and lifted it gently. Immediately her hand flew to her mouth and she stared into the box, speechless.

"I remembered what you said, about being lonely," Josh said, watching her reaction with a smile on his face. Her eyes widened and he added, "There's a note."

"Oh, Lord," she said, meeting his eyes. "You and your notes."

"Are you going to cry?" he asked jokingly, watching her slip his note out of its envelope. She didn't read it aloud, but he knew every word by heart. It had taken him an hour to get it exactly right.

"Donnatella,

Like I said last night, I know you're lonely sometimes and I know exactly how much of that is my fault. I was hoping this would help with some of the lonely times, but I also want to give you something else, something I probably should have given you long ago but was too unsure. I'm offering you my support, not just as your boss, but as a friend. I'm offering you not only the respect you deserve, but my company if you want it and also my love. One of the things I regret most about this past year is not letting you know how important you are to me, and I intend to change that. Merry Christmas, from both of us.

Love, Josh.

PS - His name is Chesapeake. The mother's owner named him, but I thought it was appropriate."

Donna lifted her eyes to meet his, and the tears started to spill over. "I knew you were going to cry," he said, smiling gently.

"You do this on purpose, don't you?" she accused, setting the note down and wiping furiously at her eyes.

"Yes," he replied.

She shook her head and grinned ruefully. "Now I'm going to have to hug you."

He tilted his head to the side and gave her a charming look. "I admit I was kind of counting on that."

Donna had a habit of hugging him, when she did hug him, spontaneously and rather forcefully, but this time was different. Instead of flinging herself on him she stepped closer slowly and wrapped her arms gently around his neck. He slipped his arms carefully and deliberately around her waist and pulled her closer, cradling her head against his chest with one hand and resting his chin on her shoulder. After a silent moment he pulled her even closer, holding her tighter, and kissed the side of her forehead so lightly she almost thought she'd imagined it.

For what seemed like an eternity neither wanted to move. Finally Donna, with a tiny sigh of regret, pulled back and whispered, "Thank you."

He knew she wasn't only talking about his gift, but it was safer to react as if she were. "You're welcome."

She reached down into the box and lifted out a tiny blue-grey kitten, barely old enough to leave its mother. She held it up in front of her and laughed as it scrutinized her thoughtfully. "Hey there, little guy," she said, touching its nose with her fingertip.

"I think he likes you," Josh said, smiling and reaching over to rub the kitten's head. "And as an extra added attraction, he doesn't hate me."

"He fits in my hand," Donna exclaimed in wonder. "Look."

Josh stepped closer to facilitate petting the kitten, coincidentally slipping his free arm around Donna's shoulders in the process. "So you like each other?"

"I think it's love," Donna said, laughing, as the kitten licked her thumb.

"Good." He hugged her closer to him for a brief moment and then said, "Well, it's eight-thirty and you were going to go to church at nine, weren't you?"

She looked at him in amazement. "You remembered that?"

"I do listen to you occasionally," he teased. "I'll get going and let you change and bond with this little guy."

"Chesapeake, huh?" she asked, touching her nose to the cat's. "You're right, it does seem appropriate."

He squeezed her arm quickly. "I'll talk to you later."

"Josh?" she called as he turned to leave.

"Yeah?"

She paused for a second as if reconsidering and then plunged forward. "Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?"

"Dinner?" he echoed stupidly.

She nodded. "It's just, I'm going to cook anyway, and I know you're Jewish and all but it is Christmas and I really don't feel like being alone . . ."

"I'd love to," he interrupted. "What time?"

"Seven?"

He nodded. "I'll be here." Then he left her crooning to the kitten and returned, whistling, to his car. He grinned and waved to the potential hoodlums as he drove past.

By the time seven o'clock rolled around Josh was again standing on Donna's doorstep, holding a bottle of red wine and looking nervously up at Big Lou's window. Thankfully Donna let him in quickly and ushered him back into the apartment, where he was greeted with a tiny cry from Chesapeake. "Hey there," he said gently, scratching the kitten under the chin. It purred and pawed at his arm. "You want to be picked up? Okay." He scooped the kitten into his arms and handed Donna the bottle of wine. "I think this cat is going to be spoiled."

"You bet," Donna said cheerfully. "Does red wine go with turkey?"

He shrugged. "Maybe?"

"It does now." She left him in the living room and returned to the tiny kitchen.

"Anything I can do?" he called, wandering after her with a handful of kitten.

"Like I'm letting you anywhere near my kitchen," she replied.

He leaned against the counter, stroking the cat and watching her arrange things. She had either left her church clothes on all day or changed for him, he couldn't decide which, but she looked lovely in a long black skirt and simple dark green shirt that made her fair hair glow. She had the same look of concentration on her face that she often wore at work, and he smiled at how adorable it made her look, and how young.

Finally she turned around and acknowledged him staring at her. "What?"

"Just watching," he replied comfortably. "You look nice."

"Thank you," she replied easily. Whatever tension there had been between them seemed to have dissipated slightly - Josh wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. "I see you found the pants I had cleaned."

He tried hard not to blush. "Um, yeah. I found them."

"And you didn't even call me to ask where they were. I'm impressed, Joshua."

He had to hide his face. Fortunately she didn't seem to notice.

Dinner was a relaxed affair. They managed to cover numerous topics, including high school, college, family, and vacations, without ever touching sensitive subjects like personal relationships. The kitten rubbed against their feet and made them laugh, and they drank exactly two glasses of wine each before Donna pointed out that they had to work the next day and she did not want Josh passed out drunk on her couch. By ten o'clock he was gathering his coat and she was walking him to the door, and he was counting his blessings that the evening had been so uneventful. Friendship, appreciation, and closeness he was ready to give her, but earlier they had seemed to be hovering on a brink that scared him.

His fear seemed unnecessary. At the door she hesitated for a moment before hugging him, but it was a friendly gesture and less emotional than their embrace earlier that morning. He smiled and told her he'd see her in the morning, and once more returned satisfied to his car.

* * * * * * * * * * *

On December 31st, to make up for forcing the staff to come in, the White House threw them a quiet, private New Year's Eve party between ten in the evening and one AM. The President and his family, the senior staff, their assistants, and their families and guests milled pleasantly around the decorated rooms, sharing champagne and waiting to ring in 2001 together. Sam Seaborne and CJ Cregg stood off to one side near the bar, arguing about whether this was actually the start of the new millennium or not. Toby Ziegler was seated on a sofa actually having what looked from afar like a civil conversation with Ainsley Hayes, of all people. Leo McGarry's assistant Margaret had escaped the cluster of assistants and was talking animatedly to Leo about something in which he was pretending to show an interest, because he really did love Margaret and it was a holiday. President Bartlet was reveling in the company of both his wife and two of his daughters. The only people conspicuously absent were Josh and Donna, and they were stapling.

Literally. No office euphemisms here. They were stapling. Senator Hardigan was prepared to introduce a new White House-supported bill at the opening of Congress, but he wanted to be able to read it immediately. Josh had been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time - right in Leo's line of vision - when this news was delivered, and therefore he and Donna were saddled with the task of compiling the proposed legislation.

They were almost finished by dinnertime, and by working straight through they managed to be only an hour late to the party. On their way down the hall, still talking excitedly about the bill they had just spent hours organizing, they were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Josh! Donna!"

They stopped together in the middle of the hall and turned to find Washington Post reporter Danny Concannon standing behind them.

"Hi, guys," he said casually.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" Josh asked suspiciously.

"Nice dress, Donna," Danny said.

"Thanks."

"Danny, what are you doing here?" Josh repeated.

"Surprising CJ," Donna guessed immediately.

Danny ignored Josh and turned to his eager assistant. "Want to help?"

"Harassing CJ, maybe. Bothering her. Torturing her," Josh listed dryly.

"What can I do?" Donna asked after whacking him in the arm.

"Send her to her office at midnight," Danny said deviously.

Donna beamed and was clearly about to gush with emotion. Josh clapped his hand over her mouth. "If I promise to help, will you please refrain from remarking how sweet that is?" Donna nodded behind his hand, her eyes sparkling.

"Good." He released her and turned to Danny. "If CJ decides to murder you, I'll help her hide the body," he warned.

"Fair enough," the reporter laughed.

Josh gave Donna a little shove on the back. "Go on ahead, I'll let him into CJ's office."

After she was gone and the two men were wandering back down the hall, Danny stopped Josh and asked, "So what's up?"

"What's up?"

Danny nodded. "With you and Donna. I mean, since I met you you've been connected at the hip, but you seem more so lately."

Josh glared at him. "Donna's my assistant. She assists. That requires that we be seen together occasionally."

Danny stopped again and looked at him seriously. "Off the record?" There was a long pause and finally Danny asked, "Are you okay, Josh?"

Josh nodded.

"Is it Donna?"

He paused, then nodded again very slowly.

A look of comprehension passed over Danny's face and he nodded in response. "I see. Nothing really has happened between you - but you think it might?"

Josh opened and closed his mouth a few times, having difficulty finding words. "I don't know," he finally stammered. "I'm afraid something might happen - I'm afraid it's already too late, it's already happening..."

"You're afraid?" Danny repeated. "Of what?"

"Danny, think - having an affair with my assistant? And even if it wasn't a horrible idea professionally, what if -"

"What if you mess up and you lose Donna?"

Josh sighed. "Exactly. Plus - I'm not really even sure that I have feelings for her. I know I love her - a lot - but I don't know if I love her that way."

Danny leaned against the wall thoughtfully. "Well, first of all, it wouldn't really be just having an affair with your assistant, would it?"

Josh gave him a confused look.

Danny rephrased. "If you were to have a relationship with Donna, would you characterize it as an affair?"

"No," Josh admitted. "That sounds kind of cheap."

"Of course it does," Danny replied. "Second of all, you'd have the press on your side. Me. Plus everyone else loves Donna too. It wouldn't be so bad."

"Is there a third thing?" Josh asked tiredly.

"Yeah, come to think of it," Danny replied. "How often do you get a shot at something really good?"

"Not often," Josh conceded, thinking of Mandy Hampton and Joey Lucas, among others.

Danny nodded. "Then if Donna and you are good together, you have to go for it. You don't want to know what it's like to suddenly find yourself without her, if she's the one you want." He smiled a little sadly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go lie in wait for CJ."

"She's not going to change her mind easily," Josh warned, and they both knew he meant CJ this time.

"I know that," Danny replied, "but midnight gives us an excuse, and we both need something to tide us over."

"Until when?" Josh asked, feeling the other man's sadness.

Danny smiled. "Reelection?"

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

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