FF: The Reluctant President (16/?)
Title: The Reluctant President (16/?)
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day two of the Lyman administration.
When he finally felt compelled to release her from the hug, Josh led Donna to one of the sofas in the Oval Office. She sat there carefully, next to him but maintaining a few inches of space between them. Josh couldn't bear to stop touching her, so he held one of her hands in both of his. She hadn't objected to this, so he figured that was a good sign.
"So . . . where's your little guy?" He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Now that he had gotten used to the idea of Donna with a baby, Josh couldn't wait to meet him. "You didn't bring him?"
"He's at the house with Danny and Frances." Donna met Josh's eyes reluctantly. "I - I wasn't sure if you'd want to see him."
"Of course I do!" Josh said quickly. "Why wouldn't I - "
"I meant . . . I don't know, bringing a baby to the White House. And it's not like you've spent a lot of time around kids . . ."
"More since Frances was born, actually," he told her. "But no, I definitely want to meet him."
"Okay." Donna smiled.
"His father, on the other hand . . ."
"No," Donna said. Her voice was quiet but firm. "He's a good man. Don't hate him, Joshua. He doesn't deserve that."
"Why not?" Josh demanded. "You're alone with his baby, aren't you?"
"Yes . . ."
"From where I'm sitting, there's no evidence that he's a good man."
"Well, you don't know the whole story," Donna said, eyes flashing.
Josh immediately realized his mistake. "I - I'm sorry. Please, the last thing I want to do is argue with you. We can drop it."
"You don't even want to know what happened?"
"Ah - If you want to tell me, then of course. But you don't have to tell me." Josh hoped that was the right answer.
Donna shrugged. "I guess I might as well. I'm already HERE."
"Huh?"
"He offered to marry me," Donna said. "He WANTED to marry me."
"So why didn't he?"
"Because I said no."
"But - why?"
"It didn't seem fair."
"To whom?" Josh wondered if this conversation was as confusing as it seemed, or if he was just exhausted. Maybe both.
"To anyone."
"Donna . . ." He was practically begging now, but he didn't care. She couldn't possibly be saying what he thought she was saying. Could she?
"It didn't seem fair," Donna repeated, practically whispering now. "I didn't think it was fair to marry him when I was in love with someone else."
Josh was convinced his heart had entirely stopped beating. "Donnatella . . ."
"Sam said some things," she interrupted. "When he was trying to get me to come out here, he said some things."
"Okay . . ."
"They worked. I'm here. But - I'm not going to hold you to them."
"What?"
"This is your out, Josh. I'm giving you a chance to take it back."
Josh considered claiming that he didn't know which of Sam's statements she meant, but he decided that the time for obfuscation had passed.
"I don't want to take it back," he stated clearly.
"Oh."
"Yeah." Josh grinned at her. He couldn't help it.
"So."
"So."
"Now what?"
"Now - " he started, but he was cut off by a knock at the door.
Sam stuck his head in. "I'm sorry, Mr. President, but we really need to go over some of this speech if we're going to have it ready in time."
Josh smiled ruefully as he and Donna stood up. "Apparently, now I go to work, and you . . . Oh. You go dress shopping with my mother and CJ."
"What?" Donna asked, startled.
"I'd like you to sit with my mother at the speech tonight, and you'll need something for the funeral, too. I don't know if you brought anything . . ."
"No, nothing that formal."
"So it's clearly time to go shopping." Josh hesitated at the uncertain look on Donna's face. "You like shopping . . ."
"Yes. But - formal dresses are expensive."
"Oh! Don't worry about that."
"Josh . . ." she protested.
"You're only going because I asked you to. I'm not going to ask you to buy your own dress."
"Mr. President," Sam said from the door. "Are you sure . . ."
"What would you suggest, Sam?" Josh asked, annoyed.
Sam shrugged. "Never mind. I was going to offer, but then it would just look like we were trying to cover something up."
"It would," Josh agreed.
"We're not trying to cover anything up, are we?" Sam asked.
"No." Josh pulled Donna in for a quick hug. "We're definitely not trying to cover anything up."
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day two of the Lyman administration.
When he finally felt compelled to release her from the hug, Josh led Donna to one of the sofas in the Oval Office. She sat there carefully, next to him but maintaining a few inches of space between them. Josh couldn't bear to stop touching her, so he held one of her hands in both of his. She hadn't objected to this, so he figured that was a good sign.
"So . . . where's your little guy?" He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Now that he had gotten used to the idea of Donna with a baby, Josh couldn't wait to meet him. "You didn't bring him?"
"He's at the house with Danny and Frances." Donna met Josh's eyes reluctantly. "I - I wasn't sure if you'd want to see him."
"Of course I do!" Josh said quickly. "Why wouldn't I - "
"I meant . . . I don't know, bringing a baby to the White House. And it's not like you've spent a lot of time around kids . . ."
"More since Frances was born, actually," he told her. "But no, I definitely want to meet him."
"Okay." Donna smiled.
"His father, on the other hand . . ."
"No," Donna said. Her voice was quiet but firm. "He's a good man. Don't hate him, Joshua. He doesn't deserve that."
"Why not?" Josh demanded. "You're alone with his baby, aren't you?"
"Yes . . ."
"From where I'm sitting, there's no evidence that he's a good man."
"Well, you don't know the whole story," Donna said, eyes flashing.
Josh immediately realized his mistake. "I - I'm sorry. Please, the last thing I want to do is argue with you. We can drop it."
"You don't even want to know what happened?"
"Ah - If you want to tell me, then of course. But you don't have to tell me." Josh hoped that was the right answer.
Donna shrugged. "I guess I might as well. I'm already HERE."
"Huh?"
"He offered to marry me," Donna said. "He WANTED to marry me."
"So why didn't he?"
"Because I said no."
"But - why?"
"It didn't seem fair."
"To whom?" Josh wondered if this conversation was as confusing as it seemed, or if he was just exhausted. Maybe both.
"To anyone."
"Donna . . ." He was practically begging now, but he didn't care. She couldn't possibly be saying what he thought she was saying. Could she?
"It didn't seem fair," Donna repeated, practically whispering now. "I didn't think it was fair to marry him when I was in love with someone else."
Josh was convinced his heart had entirely stopped beating. "Donnatella . . ."
"Sam said some things," she interrupted. "When he was trying to get me to come out here, he said some things."
"Okay . . ."
"They worked. I'm here. But - I'm not going to hold you to them."
"What?"
"This is your out, Josh. I'm giving you a chance to take it back."
Josh considered claiming that he didn't know which of Sam's statements she meant, but he decided that the time for obfuscation had passed.
"I don't want to take it back," he stated clearly.
"Oh."
"Yeah." Josh grinned at her. He couldn't help it.
"So."
"So."
"Now what?"
"Now - " he started, but he was cut off by a knock at the door.
Sam stuck his head in. "I'm sorry, Mr. President, but we really need to go over some of this speech if we're going to have it ready in time."
Josh smiled ruefully as he and Donna stood up. "Apparently, now I go to work, and you . . . Oh. You go dress shopping with my mother and CJ."
"What?" Donna asked, startled.
"I'd like you to sit with my mother at the speech tonight, and you'll need something for the funeral, too. I don't know if you brought anything . . ."
"No, nothing that formal."
"So it's clearly time to go shopping." Josh hesitated at the uncertain look on Donna's face. "You like shopping . . ."
"Yes. But - formal dresses are expensive."
"Oh! Don't worry about that."
"Josh . . ." she protested.
"You're only going because I asked you to. I'm not going to ask you to buy your own dress."
"Mr. President," Sam said from the door. "Are you sure . . ."
"What would you suggest, Sam?" Josh asked, annoyed.
Sam shrugged. "Never mind. I was going to offer, but then it would just look like we were trying to cover something up."
"It would," Josh agreed.
"We're not trying to cover anything up, are we?" Sam asked.
"No." Josh pulled Donna in for a quick hug. "We're definitely not trying to cover anything up."