She's Got a Way

<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>Josh in his office on a late summer night- a song, and thoughts of Donna.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>*2003 Golden Coffee Cup Award Nominee</B></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>   |   <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Whole New Story"><U>A Whole New Story</U></A>   |   <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>   |   <B>She's Got a Way</B>   |   <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> She's Got a Way</div> <bR> <div> By Brandy</div> <bR> <div> Disclaimer: Really not mine. All the West Wing moments you recognize belong to Aaron Sorkin and his merry bunch. The song lyrics belong to Billy Joel, from his song "She’s Got A Way". Only a very tiny portion of this is mine. In this, I’m more of an arranger than a composer. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Spoilers: Everything and anything that happened  since the Pilot. </div> <div> The parts in this that were borrowed ;) from the Great and Mighty Sorkin come from the following episodes ( in the order they appear):</div> <div>   In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (part 2)</div> <div>   The Pilot</div> <div>   17 People</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>   Josh sat in his office one late night in mid-July, thanking whoever was responsible for the now smooth running of the air conditioning in the White House. The weather had been  unbearably hot, and the air conditioning had been on the fritz for the majority of the day. Those two circumstances were not conducive to a happy work environment. Of course, as Donna was also quick to point out, his bellowing didn’t do anything to make things any merrier. He couldn’t help it, he explained to her, he was from Connecticut, not the surface of the sun. With a sigh, and an expression that he had come to know as the ‘Josh, your reality train has jumped the track’ look, she said, </div> <div> " Yes, Josh, I’m well aware that you are hot and uncomfortable. You share that discomfort, believe it or not , with the eleven hundred other people in this building, including myself. Who, in addition to dealing with the heat, has had to endure the not so dulcet tones of your nerve-wracking bellows." </div> <div>   Josh sat there for a moment, looking properly chastised, finally saying, " Point taken. I’ll try not to yell anymore." </div> <div>   " Believe me when I tell you, everyone within the sound of your voice will be very appreciative." </div> <bR> <div>   With that, she walked out of his office, returning a few minutes later with a desk fan and a cold bottle of water. Wordlessly depositing the two items on his desk, she returned to her own. </div> <div>   A minute later, Donna was surprised to see a wadded up sheet of paper fly over her shoulder and land on her keyboard. Looking to either side of her, trying to discern who the culprit was, she smoothed out the sheet of paper and glanced down at it. Two words were written on the page.  "Thank You" .  With a smile, she turned, and saw Josh leaning in the doorway, a hint of a smile on his face as well. </div> <div>   " I figured I’d give you a break from the sound of my voice."</div> <div>   Donna laughed, shaking her head at him and simply said, " You’re welcome." </div> <bR> <div>   Thankfully, the air conditioning was fixed by early evening, and things calmed down a bit, but all in all it had been an exhausting day, and it wasn’t over yet.  In order to try to create an atmosphere that would help him concentrate on what he had left to finish,  he had turned down most of the lights in his office, leaving just his desk lamp on. He muted the sound on his television, which was always on when he was in the office, preferring to listen to music rather than the incessant babble of C-SPAN. As he was trying to focus his attention on  the memo Donna had prepared for him earlier- basically three-hundred pages of research on a new policy initiative pared down to thirty pages- he noticed her standing outside her cubicle talking to CJ. Donna’s back was to him, and she had finally decided it was cool enough to let her hair down. He liked her hair hanging down like that- it made her seem more carefree and relaxed. As Josh watched , he saw CJ laugh heartily at something Donna said. He liked hearing CJ laugh- especially now. Especially since those dark days right after Simon was killed. For a while he had wondered if he’d ever hear CJ’s throaty, infectious laughter again. They had all tried to be there for her, but more often than not it was Donna who managed to get a smile, or surprise a laugh, out of CJ. Each time Donna was able to do that, it seemed that CJ came back a little more to her old self. It really didn’t surprise him. Donna had a way of surprising reactions out of people, of getting them to do what she wanted, or more importantly what they needed, just by the sheer force of her will. It had been like that from the beginning…</div> <bR> <div> <U>She's got a way about her</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I know that I can't live without her</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way of pleasin'</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But there doesn't have to be a reason</U></div> <div> <U>Anyway</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>She's got a smile that heals me</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know why it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I have to laugh when she reveals me</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way of talkin'</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But it lifts me up when we are walkin'</U></div> <div> <U>Anywhere</U></div> <bR> <bR> <div>   Josh  thought back to the first time he had seen her. She was standing in his office in the Manchester campaign headquarters, answering his phone, and reading his schedule- in short, acting like she had every right to be there. He had rushed into his office to grab something and had barely registered her presence until he was almost out the door. Then it hit him, and he turned around to see her scribbling a phone message for him. </div> <div>   </div> <div> <I>"Hi", he said, clearly confused as to who she was, and what she was doing in his office. </I></div> <div> <I> "Hi", she replied.</I></div> <div> <I>" Who are you?" </I></div> <div> <I>" I’m Donna Moss. Who are you?" </I></div> <div> <I>" I’m Josh Lyman." </I></div> <div> <I>" Ahhh…", she replied in understanding.</I></div> <div> <I>" Yes." </I></div> <div> <I>" I’m your new assistant", she supplied helpfully.</I></div> <div> <I>" Did I have an old assistant?"</I></div> <div> <I>" Maybe not." </I></div> <div> <I> " Who are you?" </I></div> <div> <I>" I’m Donna Moss. I came in to volunteer and the woman assigned me to you." </I></div> <div> <I>" Which woman?"</I></div> <div> <I>" Betsy?" she offered, clearly unsure.</I></div> <div> <I>" You mean Margaret?" </I></div> <div> <I>"Yeah." </I></div> <div> <I>" Who are you?"  </I></div> <div> <I>"I’m Donna Moss. I’ll be working as your assistant."</I></div> <div> <I>" I’m going to talk to Margaret."</I></div> <div> <I>" Actually, Josh- when I said I was assigned to you, I may have been overstating it a little."</I></div> <div> <I>" Who are you?" he asks as he walks through the campaign office, Donna following closely behind him. This was only the beginning in a long line of walking conversations they will have. </I></div> <div> <I> " I’m Donna Moss. I’m from Madison, Wisconsin…"</I></div> <div> <I> "When did your boyfriend break up with you?"  he asked, starting the first of many mid-conversation subject shifts.</I></div> <div> <I> " What makes you think my boyfriend broke up with me?" she asked in return, not missing a beat.</I></div> <div> <I>" Well, you’re too old for your parents to have kicked you out of the house…"</I></div> <div> <I> " I’m here because I want to work for Bartlet. I’m a college graduate with a degree in political science and government." </I></div> <div> <I> " Where did you graduate from?" he asked around a mouth full of popcorn.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Huh?" </I></div> <div> <I> " Where did you graduate from?"</I></div> <div> <I>  " Okay- when I said I graduated, I may have been overstating a little. I was a couple of credits short." </I></div> <div> <I>" From where?" </I></div> <div> <I> " University of Wisconsin." </I></div> <div> <I>"And you majored in political science and government?"</I></div> <div> <I> " And sociology and psychology…"</I></div> <div> <I>" Uh-huh." </I></div> <div> <I>" And biology for a while, with a minor in French…"</I></div> <div> <I> " Okay…"</I></div> <div> <I> " And drama." </I></div> <div> <I>"You had five majors and two minors in four years?" he asked, somewhat incredulous.</I></div> <div> <I> " Two year", she admitted reluctantly.</I></div> <div> <I> "Listen…"</I></div> <div> <I> " I had to drop out…I had to drop out." This was admitted with even more reluctance.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>By this time, after having made a circuitous tour of campaign headquarters, they had retuned to Josh’s office. He sat down behind his desk and Donna took a seat across from him. </I></div> <div> <I>  " Your boyfriend was older than you?" </I></div> <div> <I>" I think that question is of a personal nature..", she hedged.</I></div> <div> <I> " Donna, you were just answering my phone, reading my calendar and hoping I wouldn’t notice I never hired you", he pointed out. " Your boyfriend was older?" </I></div> <div> <I> " Yes."</I></div> <div> <I> "Law student?" </I></div> <div> <I>" Medical student." </I></div> <div> <I>" And the idea was that you drop out and pay the bills until he finishes his residency?"</I></div> <div> <I>" Yes." </I></div> <div> <I>" And did you?" </I></div> <div> <I> " Yes." </I></div> <div> <I>" Then why did Dr. Freeride break up with you?"</I></div> <div> <I>" What makes you think he broke up with me?" she asked a little indignantly.</I></div> <div> <I>  A look passed between them, while Josh debated  the best way to answer her question. Actually, he was trying to find a way to tell her that he thought she wasn’t the type to break a promise. But how could he possibly know that based on their short, and slightly bizarre, conversation. Instead, he chose to change topics- yet again. </I></div> <div> <I> " Donna, this is a campaign for the presidency, and there’s nothing I take more seriously than that. This can’t be a place for people to come to find their confidence and start over." </I></div> <div> <I>  " Why not?" </I></div> <div> <I>"  I’m sorry?" </I></div> <div> <I> " Why can’t it be those things?" </I></div> <div> <I>  " Because-"</I></div> <div> <I> " What? Is it going to interfere with my typing?" she asked reasonably. </I></div> <div> <I>Okay… he had no good answer to that. </I></div> <div> <I>  " Donna, were picking up today and going to South Carolina. If you want to stay in the Manchester office-"</I></div> <div> <I>  " I want to come to Charleston." </I></div> <div> <I>  ‘Why doesn’t that surprise me’, he thought.</I></div> <div> <I>  " I can’t carry you, Donna. There’s a lot of guys not making the trip."</I></div> <div> <I>  " I’ll pay my own way." she offered in a determined and hopeful way.</I></div> <div> <I>  " With what?" </I></div> <div> <I>  " I’ll sleep on the floor. I’ll sell my car. Eventually you’ll put me on salary." </I></div> <div> <I>Her passion and determination simply blew him away. It occurred to him that she might be just what the campaign needed- what he needed. Still, he had to try one last time to caution her. </I></div> <div> <I>  " Donna…" </I></div> <div> <I>  " Look, I think I can be good at this. I think you might find me valuable", she said, and Josh couldn’t help but hear the conviction in her voice. That was his first lesson in the impervious nature of Donna Moss. Once she had set her path in a direction, she was unstoppable.</I></div> <div> <I>  Just then the phone rang, and with a smile and a sigh, Josh nodded towards it.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Go ahead." </I></div> <div> <I>She picked it up and as she said the words," Bartlet for America, Josh Lyman’s office", he pulled his own I.D badge from around his neck and handed it to her. She accepted it with a wide smile, never breaking conversational stride with the person she was  talking to. </I></div> <div> <I> He didn’t quite know how it had happened- but he was sure he just made one of the best decisions of his life.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>   Josh looked up to see Donna standing in his doorway, arms folded in front of her, regarding him with a slight smile. </div> <div>   " Hey …" </div> <div>  " Hey, yourself. Where did you go?" she asked.</div> <div>  " What do you mean?" </div> <div>  " You looked like you were about a million miles away." </div> <div>  " Nah, not that far- just a few years", he replied, smiling a little at the confusion on Donna’s face at his cryptic answer. They really had rubbed off on each other over the years.</div> <div>   " Having trouble concentrating?"</div> <div>   " No. Not really. Yeah- maybe just a little", he finally conceded.</div> <div>   " I did index cards. You want me to go over it with you?" </div> <div>   " No, that’s okay. What are you doing?" he asked. </div> <div>   " I was gonna’ go down to the Mess and grab something to nibble on. You want something?" </div> <div>   " An iced coffee would be nice." </div> <div>   " Nope. Sorry. Any other requests?" </div> <div>   " You won’t even bring me coffee if it’s iced?" </div> <div>   " Does it have coffee in it?" </div> <div>   " Well…yeah", Josh answered in his  ‘duh, what do you think?’ voice.  </div> <div>   " Then I guess you have your answer, don’t you?" she replied cheekily.</div> <div>   " Fine- then bring me a Yoo-hoo, if it’s not too much trouble. Please", he replied sarcastically.</div> <div>   " A Yoo-hoo? What are you- twelve?" she asked with a smirk.</div> <div>   " Go away." </div> <div>   She left, her laughter trailing behind her, and Josh couldn’t help but smile. It was an old familiar dance- but it was theirs. He never expected her to actually bring him coffee, but he never tired of trying to find new ways to ask. Coffee was just another one of those ‘things’ they had. It was just understood- she didn’t bring him coffee. Well, except for this one time…</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCCFF" FACE="Arial" ><U>She comes to me when I'm feelin' down</U></FONT></div> <div> <U>Inspires me without a sound</U></div> <div> <U>She touches me and I get turned around</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way of showin'</U></div> <div> <U>How I make her feel</U></div> <div> <U>And I find the strength to keep on goin'</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a light around her</U></div> <div> <U>And everywhere she goes</U></div> <div> <U>A million dreams of love surround her</U></div> <div> <U>Everywhere</U></div> <bR> <div> He had just returned from the Senior staff meeting and the discussion of the minor lapse in judgment he had displayed while  on ‘Capitol Beat’ with Mary Marsh. Not feeling that he had relived the event sufficiently, he began watching the tape of  the show- rewinding and playing over and over again precise instant when the wheels came off that particular wagon. Donna chose that moment to walk into his office and comment on his fashion sense. As he was turning to reply that his choice of ties was the least of his problems, he noticed her put his coffee cup- with coffee in it-  in front of him. Donna brought him coffee. This was unheard of. This just wasn’t done. This was, in fact, so unprecedented that he had a fleeting urge to call the Situation Room to find out if they were about to be nuked into oblivion, and Donna had somehow found out before him. Instead he decided to ask his concerned, non-coffee bringing yet otherwise able, assistant just what the hell she was doing. </div> <bR> <div>  <I> " What’s that?" he asked.</I></div> <div> <I> " It’s coffee." </I></div> <div> <I>  " I thought so."</I></div> <div> <I>  "I brought you some coffee."</I></div> <div> <I> " What’s going on , Donna?" </I></div> <div> <I> " Nothing’s going-"</I></div> <div> <I> " Donna-" </I></div> <div> <I> " I brought you some coffee", she repeated.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Close the door." </I></div> <div> <I> Donna closed the door, as instructed, then turned back to Josh.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Donnatella Moss, when did you start working for me?" </I></div> <div> <I>  " During the campaign."</I></div> <div> <I> " And how long have you been my assistant?" </I></div> <div> <I> " A year and a half."</I></div> <div> <I> " And when was the last time you brought me a cup of coffee?" </I></div> <div> <I>  Donna stood there, looking like she was trying to remember, when they both know the answer to the question already.</I></div> <div> <I> " It was never. You’ve never brought me a cup of coffee."  Josh said, putting an end to their little pretense. Making a show of looking unappreciated, Donna retrieved the cup. </I></div> <div> <I>" If you’re going to make a big deal of it-" she said and turned to leave.</I></div> <div> <I>" Donna, if I get fired, I get fired."</I></div> <div> <I> " Do you think he’s gonna do it?" </I></div> <div> <I> " No", Josh replies after a moment of hesitation.</I></div> <div> <I> Just then there’s a knock at the door. </I></div> <div> <I>  "It’s Toby", Toby calls out from the other side of the door.</I></div> <div> <I>  " You won that election for him. You and Leo and CJ and Sam." </I></div> <div> <I>  " Open the damn door!" Toby calls out again. </I></div> <div> <I>  " And him", Donna declares just before opening the door to a very impatient Toby.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Thanks for the coffee", Josh calls after her as Toby walks in.</I></div> <div> <I>  " You’re welcome", she says as she’s passing by Toby. </I></div> <div> <I>  " Donna brought you coffee?" Toby asks, the shock and surprise that bit of information elicits very obvious. </I></div> <div> <I>  " Shut up!" Donna shouts back to Toby, clearly having heard his question. Josh can’t help but smile at that. Everyone knows about Donna’s refusal to bring him coffee, but it’s nothing anyone comments on. It’s just understood.-like the rotation of the earth, and the tides . It just is. </I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> ************************************************************************************</div> <bR> <div>   Donna returned and deposited the Yoo-hoo he had requested on his desk.  She placed a nice, shiny apple next to it. He looked at the apple questioningly, then back to her.</div> <div>   "What, no peanut butter?" </div> <div>  " Eat the damn apple, drink your Yoo-hoo, and read your memo like a good boy so we can get out of here."</div> <div>   " Still seeking to control me , I see", he replied to her bossiness with a smirk.</div> <div>   " It’s a dirty job, Josh,  but somebody’s got to do it", Donna replied airily as she swept out of the room.</div> <div>   Josh laughed at that. Some things never changed. No matter what else went to hell around him, he could always count on Donna to be there. Ever since that day she had appeared in his office, she had been there- constant, steady, caring, challenging, humorous, impervious to his moods and bluster, yet tuned to his needs and vulnerabilities. She was so many things to him all at once, some they acknowledged in their own unique way. Others  they just skirted around- coming so close to acknowledging, before quickly skittering back to their familiar patterns of banter and jokes and denial. They went places in each other’s lives that they didn’t allow anyone else to go. They were closer and more in tune than any ten married couples he knew. Except for one thing … one place-that with all the teasing and tempting and desire and complicated dancing around they did- they had never had the courage to go. Oh, they had been close- so close at times that the only thing separating them was the line they had yet to cross. As always, whenever one of them had gotten a little too close, the other threw some side-step maneuver into the mix- tactically diffusing the situation for the time being. If he was really honest with himself, he had to acknowledge that it was just that- a delay. Nothing more. It was simply there- like the knowledge that they could count on each other without fail…</div> <bR> <div> <U>She touches me and I get turned around</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a smile that heals me</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know why it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I have to laugh when she reveals me</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way about her</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I know that I can't live without her</U></div> <div> <U>Anyway</U></div> <bR> <bR> <div>   It was April. It was their anniversary. The anniversary of when Donna had come to work for him. Only it wasn’t really. Well, according to Donna it wasn’t- but it really was. He had marked the occasion by sending flowers. A big, beautiful bouquet of flowers. Flowers that he had picked out himself for the occasion. He was a man of occasion. It was their anniversary, and being a man of occasion, he sent flowers. Only Donna didn’t quite see it that way…</div> <bR> <div>   <I>" How you doing?" Josh asked Donna , falling into step with her as she walked around distributing memos on various desks.</I></div> <div> <I>  " I’m doing fine." </I></div> <div> <I> " Did you get the flowers I sent?" he asked with a wide smile anticipating her joy at his thoughtful gift.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Yes, I did." </I></div> <div> <I>‘Hmmm- I’m not feeling a lot of joy here- maybe she didn’t like them..’ Josh thought, deciding  he better ask to make sure. </I></div> <div> <I> " Did you like them?" </I></div> <div> <I> " They were very pretty." </I></div> <div> <I>‘Hmmm- still no apparent joy’, Josh observed to himself, somewhat confused, but undeterred.</I></div> <div> <I>  " You know why I sent them?" </I></div> <div> <I>  " I know why you think you sent them." </I></div> <div> <I>  " It’s our anniversary."</I></div> <div> <I>  " No, it’s not."</I></div> <div> <I>  " I’m the kind of guy who remembers things like that." </I></div> <div> <I>  " No, you’re the kind of guy who sends flowers to be mean. You really are the only person I ever met who could do that."</I></div> <div> <I>  " I’m quite something." </I></div> <div> <I>  " Yes." </I></div> <div> <I>  "I sent them to mark an occasion- "</I></div> <div> <I> " Are we really going to do this every year?" </I></div> <div> <I>"…for I am a man of occasion."  </I></div> <div> <I>" I started working for you in February, this is April, and you’re an idiot." </I></div> <div> <I>" You started working for me once in February, then you stopped for a while- "</I></div> <div> <I>" Yes." </I></div> <div> <I>" Then you started working for me again in April. That’s  the one I choose to celebrate, because it wasn’t followed by you not working for me, but rather going back to your boyfriend- and how in comparison to that and him you can call me mean is simply another in a long line of-"</I></div> <div> <I> " Oh, shut up! Honest to God- do you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?" </I></div> <div> <I> " No….No…"</I></div> <div> <I>  </I></div> <div> ‘Honestly’, Josh thought, ‘what did she expect me to say? I mean, really- how long has this woman known me anyway?’</div> <div>   After a few attempts at explaining himself, he decided to leave her to her irrational and unreasonable irritation. She followed him though and asked him where he was going. He explained about the lack of funny in the President’s remarks for the Correspondents Dinner. He teased her a little, she told him she hated his ’breathing guts’, but eventually she came along to help. </div> <div>   Things were going  quite well for a while. Donna was jotting down dead audience jokes in case the President tanked with his scripted remarks. There was enough Chinese take-out to satisfy the appetites of Josh, Donna, Sam, and of course the indivisible duo- Ed and Larry. Everything was going along swimmingly until Ainsley arrived and asked Donna about her lovely bouquet of flowers. </div> <div>   <I>" Donna, who gave you those beautiful flowers on your desk?" </I></div> <div> <I> A perfectly innocent question, but one that earned Josh an ‘I’m gonna get you for this, buster’ look from Donna. </I></div> <div> <I>  " I did. Me. I gave her the flowers", he said , hoping to bring a quick end to the flower discussion.</I></div> <div> <I>  " What’s the occasion?" Ainsley asked.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Nothing", Donna replied.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Our anniversary", Josh replied almost at the same time, quite unable to help himself.  </I></div> <div> <I>  " Our *not* anniversary", Donna clarified.</I></div> <div> <I>  " Donna doesn’t like to talk about it", Josh explained, hoping to put an end to the glares he was getting from Donna. </I></div> <div> <I>  " I really don’t." </I></div> <div>    That really should have been the end of it, But unfortunately Sam chose that moment to exercise the spokesman in him, and share the whole sordid tale of Donna leaving the campaign to go back to her free-loading boyfriend with everyone in the room. </div> <div>  It was a little tense for a while, with Donna taking out her irritation with Josh on Sam, and when Sam shot back, Josh got the smack that Sam  should have. When Josh complained that Sam had been the one being mean , Donna justified her actions by saying , " He was being you!" </div> <div>    It was only later, when Donna came to find Josh in his office, that things actually got settled between them. She decided it was time to give him a little gift that he didn’t deserve. He made a slightly bawdy joke about catholic school uniforms and after she asked him to ‘shut up and stop being him’ for a minute, she explained the way things really had been. She explained about the car accident, and Dr. Freeride stopping for a beer instead of coming to her right away. She explained how everything became clear to her in that one moment. She told him that she came back- not because her boyfriend  dumped her, but because she chose to. She made it clear to Josh that she left Wisconsin and the ex-boyfriend, so he should stop remembering that.</div> <div>  <I> " What I remember is that you took me back when you had absolutely no reason to trust me again, and you didn’t make fun of me, or him, when you had every reason to."</I></div> <div> <I>  " Donna…"</I></div> <div> <I>  " You’re going to make fun of him now, aren’t you?" </I></div> <div> <I> " No." </I></div> <div> <I>  " Because that’s why I didn’t tell you in the first place ."</I></div> <div> <I>  " I’m not going to make fun of him." Although, even as he was saying it, he was thinking, ‘Yeah, I really am.’</I></div> <div> <I>  " Good." </I></div> <div> <I>"But what kind of a dumpkiss-" </I></div> <div> <I> " He was supposed to meet some friends of his, so he stopped on the way to tell them he couldn‘t." </I></div> <div> <I>  " And had a beer?!" </I></div> <div> <I>  " Does this make you feel superior?  Yes… you are better than my old boyfriend." </I></div> <div> <I>  ‘Well that, at least, is nice to know’, he thought. Still, he wanted to make sure she knew without a doubt that he would never, ever do anything so unforgivable as abandoning her when she needed him. </I></div> <div> <I>  " I’m just saying- if you were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for a beer", he said, hoping she would do that thing she always did where he was concerned and read between the lines , hearing all the things he didn’t say mixed in with the stuff he did. </I></div> <div> <I>  " If you were in an accident I wouldn’t stop for red lights", she said, and walked over to where he was standing. " Thanks for taking me back." </I></div> <div>   He stood there watching her for a minute, hoping fervently that he wasn’t the only one who meant more than he was saying. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>  He sighed heavily when he remembered that night. It seemed like both a very short and a very long time ago. So much had happened since then. Almost too much to think about. Mrs. Landingham, the MS announcement, the hearings, the censure, Donna getting involved with Calley, the diary, Amy, the threats against CJ, Simon being senselessly shot and killed… and that didn’t even take into account the multitude of things great and small that came to his attention each and every  day. Through it all, Donna had been there. There was a part of him that knew better than to question his incredibly good fortune, but another part of him couldn’t help but wonder why she did it all-why she stuck with him through everything. Was it just the job, or was there something else that kept her hanging in there with him? It couldn’t be just gratitude, could it? No- that couldn’t be right. If they tallied up the score sheets regarding who owed who more, they would most definitely come out in Donna’s favor. </div> <bR> <div>   He didn’t let himself think about this sort of thing very often. Thinking about his feelings for Donna- what they really were to each other- was like playing with fire. Of course, he had taken chances before- made decisions  based on nothing more than a gut feeling that it was right. It was just such a decision that had started the chain of events that led him to where he was right now. That chain of events had brought Donna into his life. If for no other reason than that, he couldn’t regret the decision he had made that October night in Nashua. </div> <div>   He looked up then to see Donna standing in his doorway, an indulgent smile on her face as she shook her head slightly.</div> <div>   " What?"</div> <div>   " You’re never going to finish that here. You’re head’s not in it", Donna observed as she came in and sat down across from him.</div> <div>   " What makes you say that?" </div> <div>   " I’m tuned to you, Josh. I thought I explained that." </div> <div>   " Well, regardless of where you think my head may be, I have to get this done before I meet with Leo tomorrow morning", Josh said with a heavy sigh.</div> <div>   " Fine. We’ll go over it together. I’ll get my index cards, we’ll go to ‘Gio’s’, order a nice big greasy pizza with everything on it, and we’ll get this thing done."</div> <div>   " Hold on, you are encouraging me to eat a big greasy pizza? Are you feeling okay? Has the heat finally gotten to you. You’re always pushing that healthy crap on me", Josh said with a teasing grin. Although he had to admit, a pizza from ‘Gio’s’ sounded awfully good right about now . Especially if he could share it with Donna and be entertained by the sight of her trying to keep strings of mozzarella from dripping down her chin. </div> <div>   " These are dire circumstances, Josh. Besides- just this once won’t kill you, I’m sure."</div> <div>   " Okay", he said with a grin. Good fortune could only be questioned for so long.</div> <div>   " I want extra olives. Lots and lots of olives", Donna declared as they walked out of his office, Josh following close behind her.</div> <div>   " Fine- but just on your half. I don’t like them on my pizza. They look like little eyes", Josh replied with a bit of a shudder.</div> <div>   " You are a strange, strange man, Joshua Lyman."</div> <div>   " It’s part of my charm", Josh replied, unfazed at her observation. </div> <bR> <div>  As they made their way out into the warm summer night, Josh thought that sometimes it wasn’t wise to over think the good things that came your way. Sometimes you just had to follow where they led and hope everything would work itself out in the end. For right now, that’s what he intended to do. He was just thankful that Donna was with him for the journey.</div> <bR> <div>                                                        The End</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <U>She's Got a Way</U></div> <div> <U>By Billy Joel</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>She's got a way about her</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I know that I can't live without her</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way of pleasin'</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But there doesn't have to be a reason</U></div> <div> <U>Anyway</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a smile that heals me</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know why it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I have to laugh when she reveals me</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way of talkin'</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But it lifts me up when we are walkin'</U></div> <div> <U>Anywhere</U></div> <div> <U>She comes to me when I'm feelin' down</U></div> <div> <U>Inspires me without a sound</U></div> <div> <U>She touches me and I get turned around</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way of showin'</U></div> <div> <U>How I make her feel</U></div> <div> <U>And I find the strength to keep on goin'</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a light around her</U></div> <div> <U>And everywhere she goes</U></div> <div> <U>A million dreams of love surround her</U></div> <div> <U>Everywhere</U></div> <div> <U>She comes to me when I'm feelin' down</U></div> <div> <U>Inspires me without a sound</U></div> <div> <U>She touches me and I get turned around</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a smile that heals me</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know why it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I have to laugh when she reveals me</U></div> <div> <U>She's got a way about her</U></div> <div> <U>I don't know what it is</U></div> <div> <U>But I know that I can't live without her</U></div> <div> <U>Anyway</U></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>