A Whole New Story

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="03fc8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B>Post-ep to  " Inauguration - Over There"</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>*2003 Golden Coffee Cup Award Nominee</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Smiles, Tears, & Happy Endings</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Smiles, Tears, Happy Endings"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brandys Stories"><U>Brandy's Stories</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Other Side"><U>The Other Side</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getaway"><U>Getaway</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deserved Recognition"><U>Deserved Recognition</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The End of These Days"><U>The End of These Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Moving On"><U>Moving On</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lessons Learned Shared"><U>Lessons- Learned & Shared</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="So, I Had This Dream..."><U>So, I Had This Dream...</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Perfect Plan"><U>The Perfect Plan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Incredibly Campy Road Trip From Hell"><U>The Incredibly Campy Road Trip From Hell</U></A>   |   <B>A Whole New Story</B>   |   <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Are Friends For? "><U>What Are Friends For? </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id218.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Walking The Wire"><U>Walking The Wire</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id219.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Foreshadowing, Omens Evidence of Other "><U>Foreshadowing, Omens & Evidence of Other Things in the Wind</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id222.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Up Against the Wall"><U>Up Against the Wall</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id223.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Sum Of My Fears"><U>The Sum Of My Fears</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id220.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Dance"><U>Our Dance</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shes Got a Way"><U>She's Got a Way</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Take My Hand"><U>Take My Hand</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May Perspective"><U>May Perspective</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How Bad Can It Get"><U>How Bad Can It Get</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Small Mistakes"><U>Small Mistakes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id182.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nightcaps"><U>Nightcaps</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id183.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crazy Boys"><U>Crazy Boys</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id184.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Need For Comfort"><U>A Need For Comfort</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Looking Back"><U>Looking Back</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id109.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Nature of Family"><U>The Nature of Family</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id210.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wistful Thoughts On A Snowy Night"><U>Wistful Thoughts On A Snowy Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Good Brother/Son/Friend"><U>A Good Brother/Son/Friend</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id111.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="When All Else Fails"><U>When All Else Fails</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Someone Like You"><U>Someone Like You</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Wish For My Friend"><U>A Wish For My Friend</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id188.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Unspoken"><U>Unspoken</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id189.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Brief Glimpse"><U>A Brief Glimpse</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id190.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sanctuary"><U>Sanctuary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id191.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contemplation"><U>Contemplation</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id192.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dirty Work"><U>Dirty Work</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id193.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Precious Moments"><U>Precious Moments</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id194.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Almost Normal"><U>Almost Normal</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id195.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Never Enough"><U>Never Enough</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id112.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The World According To Mark..."><U>The World According To Mark...</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart Cards, Flowers Sweet Stuff"><U>Heart Cards, Flowers & Sweet Stuff</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id185.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amazed"><U>Amazed</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Last Call of the Night"><U>Last Call of the Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Fortuitous Visitor"><U>The Fortuitous Visitor</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Loose Ends"><U>Loose Ends</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id225.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TeaSympathy Under the Mistletoe"><U>Tea&Sympathy Under the Mistletoe</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id229.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Not So Much Looking Good As Being Good"><U>Not So Much Looking Good As Being Good</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id230.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Moment of Truth"><U>The Moment of Truth</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id231.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Control Choices"><U>Control & Choices</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anniversaries AdoAnnie"><U>Anniversaries & Ado-Annie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The NonOccasion Occasion"><U>The Non-Occasion Occasion</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Interlude"><U>Interlude</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Misdirection Understatement"><U>Misdirection & Understatement</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meeting, Damn Depositions Rules"><U>Meeting, Damn Depositions & Rules</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Realizations Revelations"><U>Realizations &Revelations</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Liberating Quality"><U>A Liberating Quality</U></A></div> <div> A Whole New Story</div> <div> by Brandy</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Inauguration night ~ Josh’s office-</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh was behind his desk, feet up on one corner of it, while Donna perched on another corner of it skimming over some notes she was putting together for Josh to give Leo. She was still in her ball gown and he was still in his tux, but her heels had been discarded under a chair and his tux jacket was hanging behind him.</div> <div>  They were operating on dual levels that evening. On one level they were keeping tabs on the situation in Kundu and reporting to Leo, who was, in turn, reporting to the President. On another level they were doing their best to keep up the illusion that nothing unusual was going on by putting in appearances at several different balls. So far, Josh and Donna hadn’t been able to get to any of the balls. Leo had. CJ had made a couple of appearances. Of course the President and the First Lady had made their obligatory  appearances at all eight balls, but never  for as long as they would have liked. Josh had been to the one he was at when Danny showed him the newspaper piece. The article that had started all the hubbub, but  that hadn’t been for very long, and he had spent most of that time on the edge of the ball, missing Donna. </div> <div>   </div> <div> Josh looked up from the file he had been skimming, and observed Donna, perched on the corner of his desk as she glanced over the notes in her hand.</div> <bR> <div> She really did look amazing.</div> <bR> <div>  It wasn’t the first time he had noticed how beautiful she was, but tonight…tonight was different somehow. Tonight he saw her in a different light, in a different way. Tonight it wasn’t a fleeting glimpse- something he could dismiss or pretend he hadn’t seen. Before he had seen her beauty within, and at other times he had noticed her outer beauty.  But tonight it all came together. In one moment he saw all the things that had always been there, and all the things he had tried to pretend weren’t there with absolute clarity.</div> <div>  He realized then that was why he had wanted to be ‘the good cop’. It was why he wanted her to know that he had been the one to hit her window with the snowball first. It was why he had offered her his arm in a rather courtly fashion to escort her to the balls. It was why he cringed a little inside when she called him ‘boss’, and then bounced back by saying that she was going to have to sit on ‘somebody’s’ (meaning his) lap. He was further encouraged by the saucy little half-smile she gave him as she said "okay" , clearly showing that she knew he meant his lap. It was why, on the way back to the ball, Josh had informed her that from now he would only answer to ‘Wild Thing’ when she addressed him. She had laughed, and quite typically rolled her eyes and said only, "Wild Thing, huh?"</div> <bR> <div>   "You got it. It has a certain fitting ring to it, doesn’t it?"  Josh replied with an arrogant little smile. </div> <bR> <div>   Danny, hearing Josh’s new name directive to Donna, piped up and said, " Hey- how come you get to be ‘Wild Thing’? I made some pretty righteous throws back there. I should have an appropriate sobriquet," Danny asserted with a challenging little grin at Josh. </div> <bR> <div>   " Only after following my superior example. Besides- you were back-up… a relief pitcher. You don’t get a nickname," Josh asserted. </div> <bR> <div>   " I’m not sure that’s fair," Danny grumbled in response. </div> <bR> <div>   And so it went, until Toby told them both to shut-up and realize that the institution of baseball wasn’t suffering either of their absences.</div> <bR> <div>    Finally, Donna looked up from her notes and noticed the expression on Josh’s face. </div> <bR> <div>  " What put that look on your face?" she asked with a bemused smile.</div> <bR> <div>  " Just thinking…" he hedged. </div> <bR> <div>   " About?" she prompted. </div> <bR> <div>   " Things," he counter stepped. </div> <div>   </div> <div>   " Let me guess- you were reliving your earlier pitching glory. Thinking maybe you should have made that shot at the Majors after all?" she asked, clearly taking her usual enjoyment at teasing him.</div> <bR> <div>   " Well, I was quite impressive. You don’t get the name ‘Wild Thing’ for nothing." </div> <bR> <div>   " Josh, you gave yourself that name. I’m not sure it counts for quite as much when it works that way." </div> <bR> <div>   " Still… I stand by my claim to the name. And do I really need to remind you that you should start addressing me correctly?" </div> <bR> <div>   " As ‘Wild Thing’?" Donna asked, with an arched brow and a distinct twitch to her lips. </div> <bR> <div>   " Yes." </div> <bR> <div>   With mischief dancing in her eyes, and nibbling on her bottom lip to keep from laughing, Donna decided to play along. </div> <bR> <div>   " Well… if you really want me to, I will. But I have to ask- are you going to get your hair cut in that punk razor style, and start ripping the sleeves off your suit jackets so that you can better show off the rippling muscles of your deadly pitching arm?" </div> <bR> <div>   Josh smiled along with her at the mental picture she was conjuring.</div> <bR> <div>   " Well… I don’t know about the haircut or the ripped sleeves… although- you really think my arm muscles ripple?" </div> <bR> <div>   At that, Donna finally gave into the laughter she had so far held at bay. </div> <bR> <div>   " Hey… come on. That’s not nice. I’ll have you know that I have very impressive biceps."  Josh said, the laughter in his voice letting her know that he didn’t take too much offense at her laughter. </div> <bR> <div>   " Oh, Josh - I know… and the pitching arm to prove it. I suppose you want me to dress in a little cheerleader outfit and chant, ‘Wild Thing- you make my heart sing…you make everything groovy…’ Is that it?" </div> <bR> <div>   " Hey- if the spirit moves you, I’m certainly not going to stop you," Josh replied with an anticipatory grin at the picture she was giving him. </div> <bR> <div>   " Dream on, snowball boy," Donna replied , then broke out laughing again. Josh couldn’t help but join her. </div> <bR> <div>   It was in the midst of their shared laughter that Leo walked into Josh’s office. </div> <bR> <div>   " Hey … this looks like a fun group," Leo said, and although he was tired and practically numb with anxiety over the military operation that was getting under-way in Kundu, he couldn’t help but smile at the pair before him. </div> <bR> <div>   " Hi, Leo. Josh was just explaining why we should all refer to him as ‘Wild Thing’ from now on," Donna said, her expression a mixture of mirth and innocence. Josh was trying very hard not to blush as he cringed in his chair behind her. </div> <bR> <div>   " Wild Thing, huh?" Leo asked struggling to contain his own amusement. </div> <bR> <div>   " Yes, he seems to be pretty firm about it." Donna replied, trying valiantly not to laugh. Leo decided it was about time to get them both out of the office, and let them blow off some steam before they got any sillier. </div> <div>    " Yeah… well, I’ll have to give that some thought." then turning to Josh, he asked, " Is that the stuff  I asked you to put together?"  </div> <div>   </div> <div>   " Yeah… uhmmm, Donna has some notes too," he said , going over to hand the file to Leo and retuning to stand beside Donna. </div> <bR> <div>   Leo glanced over them quickly, and then turned to Donna. " You have something to add?" </div> <bR> <div>   " Just some stats to back up what Josh had. I highlighted the most relevant ones," she replied as she handed him the documents she had been going over. It suddenly occurred to her that this was the first time she had seen Leo since she took the blame for the quote in Danny’s article. She immediately began to regret her irreverent attitude when he came into Josh’s office. Of all the times for her to include Leo in their teasing and joking… Just then Leo looked up from the notes she had given him and saw the worried expression on her face. </div> <div>   " Okay, these look good. I’ll brief the President, and then we’ll just have to wait and see. In the mean time, you guys can get out of here. Go drink some punch , dance a little, have some fun while you can. This is the last one of these for us. Might as well enjoy it." </div> <bR> <div>   They both thanked him and turned to gather their things when Leo, on his way out, turned back and handing the file in his hand to Josh said,  " Josh, do you mind dropping these off on my desk? I want to talk to Donna for a minute." </div> <div>   Donna stopped in the middle of slipping her feet into her pumps, and looked over her shoulder from Leo to Josh, her eyes wide. Josh looked from Leo to Donna, and with a quick reassuring smile for her, he said, " Sure Leo." Then to Donna, " I’ll meet you in the lobby." </div> <bR> <div>   She could do nothing but nod, and as soon as he was out the door, she turned to Leo. She stood there, with held breath, waiting for whatever was to come.</div> <div>   </div> <div>   " I think you know I was pretty upset when I heard that you had made that remark in Danny’s article. That you had, in fact, volunteered yourself before you were even asked." Leo began, his brows furrowed in annoyance. </div> <bR> <div>   " I know, and I’m really sorry, Leo…" Donna began, but Leo promptly interrupted her.</div> <bR> <div>   " So you can imagine how angry I was when I found out that you were taking the blame for someone else’s lapse in judgment. I mean- do you realize what that could have cost you? " </div> <bR> <div>   " I know, Leo, and again, I really am sorry. I just… I was trying to… it was…" Donna trailed off, unable to find the words to properly rationalize to Leo what she had done. </div> <bR> <div>   " It was really dumb, is what it was," Leo finished gruffly, and seeing Donna’s expression grow even more dismal, his expression and his voice softened as he continued, " It was dumb- but it was classy."</div> <bR> <div>   Donna gave him a tentative smile when he said that. Classy was high praise from Leo. </div> <bR> <div>   " Josh told me that you had this idea in your head that Jack’s career was more important than yours. Tell me you don’t really believe that." </div> <bR> <div>   " Well, I didn’t exactly put it that way, but-" </div> <bR> <div>   " Donna, don’t ever doubt your value here. Don’t dismiss the importance of what you’ve accomplished, and never ever think that you or what you do should come second. Not to Jack Reese- not to anyone." </div> <bR> <div>   " I’ll remember that…and Leo- I really am sorry." Donna said, relieved that Leo wasn’t truly angry at her.</div> <bR> <div>   " Don’t worry about it." Leo said as he helped her on with her coat. "You’re a good girl, Donna. Now go have some fun. That’s an order." </div> <bR> <div>   " Yes sir," she replied, a full and genuine smile on her lips. </div> <bR> <div>   Leo watched her walk away to join Josh, and with a little smile, thought that maybe they were both finally getting it together.</div> <bR> <div>   " About time…" he muttered under his breath as he returned to his office. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>    Donna caught up with Josh in the lobby, and slipping her arm through his, said, " Come on Wild Thing, take me to the ball." </div> <bR> <div>   Smiling at her, noticing once again how amazing she looked, he replied, " Absolutely." </div> <div>  </div> <div> As they walked out, Josh glanced back at her, and unable to resist, asked, " Say, Donna… about that cheerleader outfit…you don’t suppose there’s any chance…" he trailed off with  suggestive tilt to his brow.</div> <bR> <div>   " Hmmm, I don’t know Josh. Take me dancing first, and if I’m suitably impressed with your skill on the dance floor- well… we’ll just have to see what happens," Donna replied with a saucy grin. </div> <bR> <div>  " Oh baby, you got a deal," he replied and began to whistle a tune as they walked. Donna began to chuckle when she identified it. It was, of course, ’Wild Thing’. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The End  </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>