(no subject)
Title: Lessons in Social Studies
Author: Christine
Fandom/Pair: The West Wing, J/D
Spoilers: All of series, esp. S7
Rating: G
Disclaimer: They belong to Sorkin, Wells, etc, but certainly not me.
Notes: Much thanks to Bex and Leli for the much needed input.
do. Mexico's on fire. Why help them? Because we can.'>
~~~
"Hey, you're still here," Josh said.
Donna looked up from where she was curled up on his office couch, reading. "Margaret said they were finishing up soon."
He grimaced. "They were. But now there's another thing and - I'm not gonna be able to get out of here for at least another two hours." He grabbed a folder from his desk. "I just came back to get this." He glanced over at the book she was reading. "What's that?"
Marking her place with a finger, she flipped the book closed and showed him the cover.
"My old eighth grade social studies book?" he asked, his lips tilting up in the beginnings of a smile.
She nodded. "It's good at the basics."
He raised an eyebrow, smirking at her. "Aren't you past the basics by this point? Because I've gotta say -"
"Not for me," Donna interrupted with a snort. "For the First Lady."
Josh sighed, looking from the door to Donna then back again. "Donna… This is the first time the President's had to deal with an international crisis and I need to be there -"
Of course. She should have known - Josh wanted to fix this for her.
Even after all this time, he still wanted to fix things for her, never realizing that years ago he had given her all the tools she needed to fix things for herself. He'd taught her all the things she'd needed to know about politics- now it was the time for her to pass that knowledge on to others, without his help, no matter how tempting it was.
Meeting his eyes with a steady gaze, she told him, "I'm not asking you to fix this."
He wasn't very successful in hiding his surprise. "You’re not?"
She offered him a wry smile. "No."
"Because I would, if you needed me to," he offered, sounding almost disappointed.
Shaking her head, she smiled softly at him. "I know - and you're a great teacher - but I can fix this on my own."
"Okay." He started for the door, but stopped before he'd gone more than three steps. "You have to find something she can take on as a pet project," he said as he turned back to face her.
"I know."
"Something she feels passionately about," he continued, warming to the subject. "Something that the public will relate to -"
"I know."
"Something important but still small enough so that she feels -"
"Josh!"
He stopped short, startled by her outbusrt. "What?"
She lowered her voice. "I know."
"Okay." He shot another anxious glance at the door, but instead of heading towards it, he walked over to where she sat and picked up her stockinged feet to sit on the couch next to her.
"You have to push her, Donna," he instructed, as he picked up one foot and started absently massaging it. "She's not used to this place. You're the one who's going to have to guide her, show her what she can do with the power that comes with the title of First Lady."
"I know," Donna repeated, holding up the old text book. "That's why I thought maybe I'd start with this. She's so reluctant to take control of any issues that come her way. I was thinking if I could talk her through the basics, maybe…"
"Maybe?" he prompted.
"Maybe she'd start to feel more comfortable with the idea of picking an issue."
"Are you?" he asked, concern evident in his voice as he slid his hand across her foot and pressed a thumb against her arch.
She frowned at him, confused. "Am I what?"
"Comfortable with her picking an issue?" he asked seriously.
"Yes," she said, her voice steady and certain. She was ready for this, had been since the day she'd had the courage to walk away from her job at the White House to embark on a political journey of her own making. She had Josh to thank for that, too, though she knew he didn't see it quite that way.
He raised a brow at her, looking an endearing mixture of worried and proud. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she repeated. "I want her to be good at this. I want us to be good at this. I want people to remember her the way they remember Eleanor Roosevelt. Or how they'll remember Dr. Bartlet. As a First Lady who was willing to fight for the rights of others on issues that effect everyone - children's welfare, family healthcare, assistance to the poor and indigent…"
Josh nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Then find a way to make it happen."
"I will. It's just… it's going to take some time."
"There's still another forty-six - or god willing, ninety-four - months to go," Josh said, rubbing her instep. "You'll think of something."
There was a brief knock on the door connecting to the outer office and then Margaret poked her head in. "They're ready in the Sit Room for you, Josh," she said.
"I'll be there in a minute," Josh told her. She nodded, acknowledging his answer, and then closed the door behind her as she retreated back to her own office.
Josh glanced back at Donna. "You going to be okay?"
"Yeah." She looked towards the door. "Go. They're waiting for you."
He reluctantly set her foot back down on the couch and got up. "You're sure?"
She nodded and he shot her one last assessing look before leaving the room.
Was she going to be ok? Absolutely. After all, she'd had the best teacher possible and now she was ready to pass on all that she had learned, one small lesson at a time.
~End~
Author: Christine
Fandom/Pair: The West Wing, J/D
Spoilers: All of series, esp. S7
Rating: G
Disclaimer: They belong to Sorkin, Wells, etc, but certainly not me.
Notes: Much thanks to Bex and Leli for the much needed input.
do. Mexico's on fire. Why help them? Because we can.'>
~~~
"Hey, you're still here," Josh said.
Donna looked up from where she was curled up on his office couch, reading. "Margaret said they were finishing up soon."
He grimaced. "They were. But now there's another thing and - I'm not gonna be able to get out of here for at least another two hours." He grabbed a folder from his desk. "I just came back to get this." He glanced over at the book she was reading. "What's that?"
Marking her place with a finger, she flipped the book closed and showed him the cover.
"My old eighth grade social studies book?" he asked, his lips tilting up in the beginnings of a smile.
She nodded. "It's good at the basics."
He raised an eyebrow, smirking at her. "Aren't you past the basics by this point? Because I've gotta say -"
"Not for me," Donna interrupted with a snort. "For the First Lady."
Josh sighed, looking from the door to Donna then back again. "Donna… This is the first time the President's had to deal with an international crisis and I need to be there -"
Of course. She should have known - Josh wanted to fix this for her.
Even after all this time, he still wanted to fix things for her, never realizing that years ago he had given her all the tools she needed to fix things for herself. He'd taught her all the things she'd needed to know about politics- now it was the time for her to pass that knowledge on to others, without his help, no matter how tempting it was.
Meeting his eyes with a steady gaze, she told him, "I'm not asking you to fix this."
He wasn't very successful in hiding his surprise. "You’re not?"
She offered him a wry smile. "No."
"Because I would, if you needed me to," he offered, sounding almost disappointed.
Shaking her head, she smiled softly at him. "I know - and you're a great teacher - but I can fix this on my own."
"Okay." He started for the door, but stopped before he'd gone more than three steps. "You have to find something she can take on as a pet project," he said as he turned back to face her.
"I know."
"Something she feels passionately about," he continued, warming to the subject. "Something that the public will relate to -"
"I know."
"Something important but still small enough so that she feels -"
"Josh!"
He stopped short, startled by her outbusrt. "What?"
She lowered her voice. "I know."
"Okay." He shot another anxious glance at the door, but instead of heading towards it, he walked over to where she sat and picked up her stockinged feet to sit on the couch next to her.
"You have to push her, Donna," he instructed, as he picked up one foot and started absently massaging it. "She's not used to this place. You're the one who's going to have to guide her, show her what she can do with the power that comes with the title of First Lady."
"I know," Donna repeated, holding up the old text book. "That's why I thought maybe I'd start with this. She's so reluctant to take control of any issues that come her way. I was thinking if I could talk her through the basics, maybe…"
"Maybe?" he prompted.
"Maybe she'd start to feel more comfortable with the idea of picking an issue."
"Are you?" he asked, concern evident in his voice as he slid his hand across her foot and pressed a thumb against her arch.
She frowned at him, confused. "Am I what?"
"Comfortable with her picking an issue?" he asked seriously.
"Yes," she said, her voice steady and certain. She was ready for this, had been since the day she'd had the courage to walk away from her job at the White House to embark on a political journey of her own making. She had Josh to thank for that, too, though she knew he didn't see it quite that way.
He raised a brow at her, looking an endearing mixture of worried and proud. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she repeated. "I want her to be good at this. I want us to be good at this. I want people to remember her the way they remember Eleanor Roosevelt. Or how they'll remember Dr. Bartlet. As a First Lady who was willing to fight for the rights of others on issues that effect everyone - children's welfare, family healthcare, assistance to the poor and indigent…"
Josh nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Then find a way to make it happen."
"I will. It's just… it's going to take some time."
"There's still another forty-six - or god willing, ninety-four - months to go," Josh said, rubbing her instep. "You'll think of something."
There was a brief knock on the door connecting to the outer office and then Margaret poked her head in. "They're ready in the Sit Room for you, Josh," she said.
"I'll be there in a minute," Josh told her. She nodded, acknowledging his answer, and then closed the door behind her as she retreated back to her own office.
Josh glanced back at Donna. "You going to be okay?"
"Yeah." She looked towards the door. "Go. They're waiting for you."
He reluctantly set her foot back down on the couch and got up. "You're sure?"
She nodded and he shot her one last assessing look before leaving the room.
Was she going to be ok? Absolutely. After all, she'd had the best teacher possible and now she was ready to pass on all that she had learned, one small lesson at a time.
~End~