In Passing

by: Cath

Character(s): Josh, Donna
Pairing(s): Josh/Donna
Category(s):
Rating: YTEEN
Summary: He sees her for the first time in seven years, and he thinks how much more beautiful she is now.

He sees her for the first time in seven years, and the first thing that comes to mind is how much more beautiful she is now. He thinks that maybe it's because she looks so much happier, she smiles widely at the man who walks with her and the two small children that skip ahead. She's walking towards him, but he doesn't think that she has seen him. He thinks that maybe if he were to hide behind a tree, he could go a few more years without having to see her again. But there are no trees nearby in the park, and he decides that there are worse things that he could do than to talk to her.

He remembers the day that she left. The Bartlet administration has been over for a few years now, but she left before that, in a haze of confusion and misunderstanding.

He looks at her again, and surmises that the man she is with is her husband, they hold hands. The children look like her, but they have their father's light brown hair. She really does look content, and whilst he is glad that she finally found someone who could make her happy, a small part of him is upset that it wasn't him. He's not in love with her now, he knows that, but he doesn't like that there are some things in life that he couldn't succeed at.

They are almost meeting before she spots him, and she calls out. "Joshua? Is that you?" she asks, and he doesn't know what to say, but he smiles in greeting.

"It's been a long time," he says eventually, noticing that her husband is looking at them curiously whilst he tries to keep one eye on his children.

"David, this is Joshua Lyman, I worked with him at the White House. Joshua, this is David Green, my husband," she introduces them, and they shake hands. Her husband quickly makes apologies before he departs, following his children who have run on ahead.

"How are you?" she asks him as they walk together following after her husband.

"I'm fine," he says. "You look good. Your children?" he asks, pointing ahead where David is now trying to play soccer with them.

"Yeah. Katie and Joshua, they're four," she tells him. She looks at him. "David's grandfather was called Joshua," she says, as he realises that he must look as shocked as he felt. He relaxes immediately, trying to convince her that he didn't believe that she would name her child after him, but she smiles and obviously doesn't believe him.

"They look like you," he says.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she replies, and he notices that the corners of her mouth are beginning to curl into a smile. He thinks that she should have smiled more before; it makes her look younger, more alive. But he doesn't tell her. They stand there in an almost awkward silence for a while, just looking at her husband and children, and he recalls that the last time he saw her they weren't exactly on speaking terms. He doesn't know how to talk to her now, it's been too long for any sort of reconciliation and they can never be friends again.

"So, what are you doing now?" he asks.

"I'm working for a congressman," she replies.

"Here? In DC?" he questions, curious to know how she has managed to stay out of his way for the past few years.

"No, in Pennsylvania. We're here for a vacation." He notices that her gaze rarely moves from the twins and her husband.

"Gone for a tour of the White House yet?" he asks.

"We're going this afternoon," she replies.

There is yet more silence, and he almost laughs when remembering how much they used to talk.

"How's your wife?" she asks him almost suddenly, and he's puzzled as to how she knows about his getting married. He asks her, and she gives a mysterious smile.

"I have my sources," she informs him. He doesn't doubt it. "She's a braver woman than I could ever be," she says. He doesn't reply, but grins in spite of himself. He knows all of this.

"I'm still not sure how I ever convinced her to marry me," he says. Actually, he is sure, and it involved a lot of assistance from his friends, a cunning plan, some ice cream and several aborted attempts at a dinner in an expensive restaurant. He doesn't know, however, why she agreed, but he'd not change it for the world.

"She's a lucky woman," she says without looking at him and for a moment he thinks over what could have been. He's not sure that they would have been happy staying together, but he doesn't say this.

"As is David. A lucky man, that is." And he actually means it; he's over the jealousy that she managed to meet someone who wasn't him.

He looks at his watch. "Speaking of my wife, I've got to go." He says, realising how late he is.

"Sure you don't want to go on the White House tour with us?" she asks him.

"I can't. Donna..." he starts.

"Go to your wife," she interrupts, "Tell her hello for me."

"It's been nice to see you, maybe we could do it again sometime," he suggests.

She laughs, and he decides that the life she has now is far better than anything he could have given her. "Maybe," she replies, and he thinks they both know that it will never happen. He gives her a quick hug, and says goodbye once again before continuing to walk in the direction he was originally headed.

He walks only a short distance before he spots his wife sitting on a bench. She sees him almost immediately and he laughs at the way she glances less than subtly at her watch. He also notes that she chooses not to comment on it immediately.

He greets her hello, giving her a quick kiss. "You're late, Joshua," she chides him. He smiles inwardly, realising only too late that there was little chance of her not saying anything.

"Interesting story," he says. "I met an old friend." He notices with amusement her curiosity.

"An old friend?" she asks.

He gives her more clues. "Someone from the White House." She looks puzzled, and this only serves to amuse him more.

"I give up," she says eventually.

He tells her, and he notes the way her eyes widen almost in fear when he mentions her name.

"Mandy!" she exclaims. "You met Mandy! And you actually, y'know, talked to her in a civilised manner?" she asks him.

"She even invited me to go out with her," he says, teasing her. He laughs when he sees her eyes grow even larger than he thought they could get.

"She did what?" she barely keeps her voice below a shout.

"Yeah, for a tour of the White House with her husband and children." He continues to laugh, and he sees that her level of anger decreases as she becomes almost embarrassed. "Jealous?" he asks, and he knows that she is.

"Never," she states adamantly. And he decides that he loves her far more than he ever loved Mandy. He thinks that he loved her more than Mandy even when they were going out. Retrospectively, he knows that it was one of the reasons that they split up.

"She sends her regards," he says, trying to get some sort of a reaction from her.

"She knows about us?" she asks.

"I think everyone knows about us. Before we knew, even," he says, remembering some of the strange questions he had been asked from people he barely knew about their relationship.

"So she's not pining away after you then?" she asks, smiling and he thinks that she will always be far more beautiful than Mandy.

"Of course she is. There are many women in DC who would love to be in your position," he tells her, grinning widely.

"And people say you have a large ego, Joshua," she says smiling back at him.

"I love you too, Donnatella."

THE END

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