(no subject)
Title: The Perfect Gift
Author: Christine
For: dianora2 and leftofcenternyc (sorry, ladies, you have to share!)
Fandom/Pair: West Wing, J/D
Spoilers: IED, I&I
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin, John Wells, etc. own it all, not me
Note: Bex beta'd. And then beta'd again. And then dared me to add the footnote because I said it would be easier to end like that even though I knew I couldn't because it was a ficlet and not a roleplay entry. So... Bex = Goddess. That is all. *g*
~~~~~
"Ronna!"
She showed up in his doorway, her frustration with him barely hidden. "Yes?"
"What did you get your girlfriend for Christmas?" Josh asked.
She looked at him questioningly. "That's kind of personal, isn't it?"
"Just… I need to get Donna a Christmas gift," he explained, running a hand through his hair and blowing out a breath. "And I need some ideas."
Ronna's expression instantly brightened. "Oh! That's easy, Get her a sweater. Or maybe a nice holiday pin." She paused to reconsider, wrinkling her nose as she shook her head. "Maybe not a pin. But a sweater might be nice. Or gloves. Maybe a pretty scarf? They have some great ones at Pendleton's."
"Yeah, I'm not sure that's the sentiment I'm trying to convey," Josh grumbled.
"Well, what have you gotten her in the past?"
"An old, rare German book," he answered promptly. "And one year I got her some socks."
Ronna's face scrunched up. "You got her socks for Christmas?"
"They were cute socks! And her feet get cold easily."
She looked doubtful. "Still…"
"It's a long story."
"I'm sure it is," she said, soothingly. "But if she liked those things, I'm sure whatever you decide on this year will be just as appreciated."
Josh sighed and looked despondently back at the catalogs scattered across his desk. "Yeah. Thanks, Ronna."
"You're welcome," she replied, heading back out the door. "And good luck."
"Yeah. I'm gonna need it."
*
He picked up the phone and dialed, hoping at least one person in his world would have an idea on something personal and meaningful to get Donna for Christmas.
"I need help, Sam."
"Well, that much is obvious."
"I'm serious," Josh complained. "It's only two days until Christmas and I have no idea what to get Donna."
"I suppose it's too early to suggest a ring?" Sam questioned, laughter evident in his voice
Josh let out a snort.
"Right, ok. No ring. How about some other type of jewelry? A diamond pendant, earrings -"
Josh shook his head. "No."
"Soaps or lotions in her favorite scent?"
"You know, I'm really amazed you managed to get any woman with this kind of gift giving approach," Josh grumbled and when Sam started to sputter, he quickly added, "This is Donna we're talking about. It needs to be more personal."
"Hey, I'm trying. She's not the love of my life, you know."
"No, that's Robin," Josh agreed. "So what did you get for her?"
"Robin?"
"No, Donna. I want to know what you got Donna. Of course Robin!" Josh exclaimed, exasperated.
"Roses," Sam answered promptly. "To be delivered to her office tomorrow morning, a gift certificate to Circe, and the complete collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books for beneath the tree."
Josh let out a whistle. "That's a good gift."
"Yeah."
He could hear the affection in Sam's voice and smiled. "But that still doesn't help me with Donna."
Sam tried again. "What's her favorite book?"
"The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing."
"Josh…"
Josh grinned. "Seriously, it's in the most prominent place on her bookshelf. I checked. "
"I think maybe that has more to do with the person who gave it to her than the book itself," Sam suggested.
His grin got wider. "You think?"
"Down, Josh. I can see your smug smile from here, and I'm not even in the same building as you at the moment," Sam warned. "Hey, why not get her something to do with skiing?"
"Because despite her ridiculous obsession with the sport, she doesn't actually know how to ski."
"You could take her somewhere and teach her."
Josh was doubtful. "We just got back from Hawaii. And Inauguration is barely a month away."
"Yeah, that might not be such a good idea," Sam said distractedly. Josh could hear shuffling of papers and some muted voices in the background. "Listen, I've gotta go. Mulready just walked in the door. Good luck with the gift search."
"Yeah, thanks."
*
"Mom."
"No."
"But… I haven't even asked you anything yet," Josh complained sulkily.
"Any conversation that starts out with 'Mom' instead of hello means you want something," she said to him.
"I really don't think that's true," he argued, fiddling with the pen in his hand. "But in this case… fine. Yes, I need something."
"What?"
"Christmas is in two days and -"
"Ah. You need a gift for Donna."
Finally. Someone who got it. He stopped twirling the pen. "Yes."
"I can't help you with that."
"Mommm…"
"Just get her something from the heart and you'll be fine," his mom answered.
He sighed into the phone. "Thanks. That's very helpful."
"Honestly, Josh. You'll think of something. I know you will."
*
"A copy box?" Donna asked, incredulous.
"No, not just a copy box," Josh assured her.
She shook the box. Nothing. "An empty copy box," she corrected, frowning
"No. Well, yes. Sort of."
"You got me an empty copy box."
"Look, I wanted to get you something special," he said, getting up and pacing in front of the sofa where she sat. "Ronna suggested gloves. Sam said jewelry - and you know, I'm not completely ruling that out for the future - but that wasn't right either."
"And a copy box was?"
He ignored her question. "Then I thought about giving you a key because it seemed symbolic. But that was stupid and besides, you already have one. So then I thought of this," he finished proudly.
"Yes, an empty copy box."
"But it's not empty!" he protested. "Look inside!"
She reached over and lifted the lid. Sure enough, it wasn't completely empty. At the bottom, were two photographs - one from the first campaign and the other of the two of them at the airport in Hawaii. She looked up at him. "I don't understand."
He came over and sat down next to her. "Not just my box, or your box, but our box," he said earnestly. "It's kinda empty now, but…"
"You were hoping we could fill it together?"
"Yeah."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for my Christmas present. I love it."
He glanced over at her nervously. "You mean that? You really like it?"
"I really like it. It's the perfect Christmas gift." she said as she crawled into his lap and kissed him long and lingeringly. "And now you get to unwrap your gift."
Wrapping his arms tighter around her waist, he grinned at her. "I think I'm going to like my gift."
She smiled widely at him. "I think you are, too." *
*And then they had all the sex and orgasms
Author: Christine
For: dianora2 and leftofcenternyc (sorry, ladies, you have to share!)
Fandom/Pair: West Wing, J/D
Spoilers: IED, I&I
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin, John Wells, etc. own it all, not me
Note: Bex beta'd. And then beta'd again. And then dared me to add the footnote because I said it would be easier to end like that even though I knew I couldn't because it was a ficlet and not a roleplay entry. So... Bex = Goddess. That is all. *g*
~~~~~
"Ronna!"
She showed up in his doorway, her frustration with him barely hidden. "Yes?"
"What did you get your girlfriend for Christmas?" Josh asked.
She looked at him questioningly. "That's kind of personal, isn't it?"
"Just… I need to get Donna a Christmas gift," he explained, running a hand through his hair and blowing out a breath. "And I need some ideas."
Ronna's expression instantly brightened. "Oh! That's easy, Get her a sweater. Or maybe a nice holiday pin." She paused to reconsider, wrinkling her nose as she shook her head. "Maybe not a pin. But a sweater might be nice. Or gloves. Maybe a pretty scarf? They have some great ones at Pendleton's."
"Yeah, I'm not sure that's the sentiment I'm trying to convey," Josh grumbled.
"Well, what have you gotten her in the past?"
"An old, rare German book," he answered promptly. "And one year I got her some socks."
Ronna's face scrunched up. "You got her socks for Christmas?"
"They were cute socks! And her feet get cold easily."
She looked doubtful. "Still…"
"It's a long story."
"I'm sure it is," she said, soothingly. "But if she liked those things, I'm sure whatever you decide on this year will be just as appreciated."
Josh sighed and looked despondently back at the catalogs scattered across his desk. "Yeah. Thanks, Ronna."
"You're welcome," she replied, heading back out the door. "And good luck."
"Yeah. I'm gonna need it."
*
He picked up the phone and dialed, hoping at least one person in his world would have an idea on something personal and meaningful to get Donna for Christmas.
"I need help, Sam."
"Well, that much is obvious."
"I'm serious," Josh complained. "It's only two days until Christmas and I have no idea what to get Donna."
"I suppose it's too early to suggest a ring?" Sam questioned, laughter evident in his voice
Josh let out a snort.
"Right, ok. No ring. How about some other type of jewelry? A diamond pendant, earrings -"
Josh shook his head. "No."
"Soaps or lotions in her favorite scent?"
"You know, I'm really amazed you managed to get any woman with this kind of gift giving approach," Josh grumbled and when Sam started to sputter, he quickly added, "This is Donna we're talking about. It needs to be more personal."
"Hey, I'm trying. She's not the love of my life, you know."
"No, that's Robin," Josh agreed. "So what did you get for her?"
"Robin?"
"No, Donna. I want to know what you got Donna. Of course Robin!" Josh exclaimed, exasperated.
"Roses," Sam answered promptly. "To be delivered to her office tomorrow morning, a gift certificate to Circe, and the complete collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books for beneath the tree."
Josh let out a whistle. "That's a good gift."
"Yeah."
He could hear the affection in Sam's voice and smiled. "But that still doesn't help me with Donna."
Sam tried again. "What's her favorite book?"
"The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing."
"Josh…"
Josh grinned. "Seriously, it's in the most prominent place on her bookshelf. I checked. "
"I think maybe that has more to do with the person who gave it to her than the book itself," Sam suggested.
His grin got wider. "You think?"
"Down, Josh. I can see your smug smile from here, and I'm not even in the same building as you at the moment," Sam warned. "Hey, why not get her something to do with skiing?"
"Because despite her ridiculous obsession with the sport, she doesn't actually know how to ski."
"You could take her somewhere and teach her."
Josh was doubtful. "We just got back from Hawaii. And Inauguration is barely a month away."
"Yeah, that might not be such a good idea," Sam said distractedly. Josh could hear shuffling of papers and some muted voices in the background. "Listen, I've gotta go. Mulready just walked in the door. Good luck with the gift search."
"Yeah, thanks."
*
"Mom."
"No."
"But… I haven't even asked you anything yet," Josh complained sulkily.
"Any conversation that starts out with 'Mom' instead of hello means you want something," she said to him.
"I really don't think that's true," he argued, fiddling with the pen in his hand. "But in this case… fine. Yes, I need something."
"What?"
"Christmas is in two days and -"
"Ah. You need a gift for Donna."
Finally. Someone who got it. He stopped twirling the pen. "Yes."
"I can't help you with that."
"Mommm…"
"Just get her something from the heart and you'll be fine," his mom answered.
He sighed into the phone. "Thanks. That's very helpful."
"Honestly, Josh. You'll think of something. I know you will."
*
"A copy box?" Donna asked, incredulous.
"No, not just a copy box," Josh assured her.
She shook the box. Nothing. "An empty copy box," she corrected, frowning
"No. Well, yes. Sort of."
"You got me an empty copy box."
"Look, I wanted to get you something special," he said, getting up and pacing in front of the sofa where she sat. "Ronna suggested gloves. Sam said jewelry - and you know, I'm not completely ruling that out for the future - but that wasn't right either."
"And a copy box was?"
He ignored her question. "Then I thought about giving you a key because it seemed symbolic. But that was stupid and besides, you already have one. So then I thought of this," he finished proudly.
"Yes, an empty copy box."
"But it's not empty!" he protested. "Look inside!"
She reached over and lifted the lid. Sure enough, it wasn't completely empty. At the bottom, were two photographs - one from the first campaign and the other of the two of them at the airport in Hawaii. She looked up at him. "I don't understand."
He came over and sat down next to her. "Not just my box, or your box, but our box," he said earnestly. "It's kinda empty now, but…"
"You were hoping we could fill it together?"
"Yeah."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for my Christmas present. I love it."
He glanced over at her nervously. "You mean that? You really like it?"
"I really like it. It's the perfect Christmas gift." she said as she crawled into his lap and kissed him long and lingeringly. "And now you get to unwrap your gift."
Wrapping his arms tighter around her waist, he grinned at her. "I think I'm going to like my gift."
She smiled widely at him. "I think you are, too." *
*And then they had all the sex and orgasms