Birthday Month Fic #30: West Wing: A Real Team
Title: A Real Team
Fandom: West Wing
Genre: Romance, humor, AU, post-admin
Rating: G
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Feedback: Yes, please!
Timeline: When Josh and Donna return from their trip in "Transition."
Note: This is AU in that Leo is alive and well, and Donna has not yet accepted a job in the Santos administration.
Josh had been back at work in his temporary office for barely an hour when Leo came in.
"So, you're back. How was the trip?"
"It was great," Josh said vaguely.
"That's it?" Leo asked. "Your first vacation in years and all you can say is that it was great?"
Josh looked up at him and shrugged. "Donna's putting all the pictures in some kind of online slideshow. We'll tell you all about it when that's ready. Right now I'm more interested in knowing why you haven't hired a chief of staff yet. Can't you people get anything done around here when I'm gone?" he teased.
"Yeah, well, I had an idea about that I wanted to run by you," Leo said as he sat in one of the visitors' chairs.
"Okay."
"We've been concerned about differentiating ourselves from the Bartlet administration, right?"
"Right . . ."
"And it's no secret that there's been no love lost between President Bartlet and either of his vice presidents. So what if we emphasized the fact that in this administration, we're a real team, and the President's office and my office are very close?"
"Close how?" Josh asked warily.
Leo looked at him steadily. "Well, wouldn't it be a kick if my chief of staff were married to the President's chief of staff?"
The utter shock on Josh's face transformed into skeptical interest. "We're taking office in a month. Weddings generally take a long time to plan," he said slowly.
"Who says you need to plan a wedding?" Leo shot back.
Josh just stared at his mentor for a long moment, and then drew a thin chain out from under the neckline of his shirt and began playing with the plain gold ring attached to it. "How did you know?" he finally asked.
"After all these years, you think I don't know how you think? You figured that if you couldn't get Donna to marry you in Hawaii, of all places, she never would, and that it was your best chance for years of getting through a wedding ceremony without being interrupted by some crisis."
Josh narrowed his eyes at the older man. "Plus my mother called you," he accused.
"Plus your mother called me," Leo conceded. "Congratulations, son. You're good for each other."
"Really?" Josh asked suddenly. "I mean, obviously, she's good for me, but . . ."
"You're good for her too," Leo assured him. "Now, what do you say to me hiring her?"
"We want kids. Soon," Josh blurted.
Leo shrugged. "So we get her some good deputies. We work around it."
Josh thought for a minute. "Well, as chief of staff, I completely approve; she'd be great at the job. As her husband, there's no way I'm going to speak for her on this. And I certainly hope you're not going to suggest to her that your job offer has anything to do with our marriage."
Leo grinned. "Good boy. You're learning quickly. I'll get Margaret to call her and set something up."
"I'll call her," Josh offered eagerly.
"Great," Leo chuckled. "See you later."
After Leo had left his office, Josh picked up the phone and dialed his home number.
"Hello?" Donna answered. Just the fact that she was answering his home phone - because now it was HER home phone too - made Josh happier than he cared to admit.
"Hey, it's me."
"Oh, hey." She sounded surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"I am. Leo wants you to come in and meet with him."
"And you called to schedule this?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Don't you and Leo have at least fifteen secretaries between you?"
"Ah, I guess."
"Are they not capable of scheduling meetings?" Donna teased.
"I'm sure they are."
"So you're scheduling this one because . . ."
"Because I wanted to hear my wife's voice." Josh carefully took the ring off the chain and slipped it onto his finger.
Fandom: West Wing
Genre: Romance, humor, AU, post-admin
Rating: G
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Feedback: Yes, please!
Timeline: When Josh and Donna return from their trip in "Transition."
Note: This is AU in that Leo is alive and well, and Donna has not yet accepted a job in the Santos administration.
Josh had been back at work in his temporary office for barely an hour when Leo came in.
"So, you're back. How was the trip?"
"It was great," Josh said vaguely.
"That's it?" Leo asked. "Your first vacation in years and all you can say is that it was great?"
Josh looked up at him and shrugged. "Donna's putting all the pictures in some kind of online slideshow. We'll tell you all about it when that's ready. Right now I'm more interested in knowing why you haven't hired a chief of staff yet. Can't you people get anything done around here when I'm gone?" he teased.
"Yeah, well, I had an idea about that I wanted to run by you," Leo said as he sat in one of the visitors' chairs.
"Okay."
"We've been concerned about differentiating ourselves from the Bartlet administration, right?"
"Right . . ."
"And it's no secret that there's been no love lost between President Bartlet and either of his vice presidents. So what if we emphasized the fact that in this administration, we're a real team, and the President's office and my office are very close?"
"Close how?" Josh asked warily.
Leo looked at him steadily. "Well, wouldn't it be a kick if my chief of staff were married to the President's chief of staff?"
The utter shock on Josh's face transformed into skeptical interest. "We're taking office in a month. Weddings generally take a long time to plan," he said slowly.
"Who says you need to plan a wedding?" Leo shot back.
Josh just stared at his mentor for a long moment, and then drew a thin chain out from under the neckline of his shirt and began playing with the plain gold ring attached to it. "How did you know?" he finally asked.
"After all these years, you think I don't know how you think? You figured that if you couldn't get Donna to marry you in Hawaii, of all places, she never would, and that it was your best chance for years of getting through a wedding ceremony without being interrupted by some crisis."
Josh narrowed his eyes at the older man. "Plus my mother called you," he accused.
"Plus your mother called me," Leo conceded. "Congratulations, son. You're good for each other."
"Really?" Josh asked suddenly. "I mean, obviously, she's good for me, but . . ."
"You're good for her too," Leo assured him. "Now, what do you say to me hiring her?"
"We want kids. Soon," Josh blurted.
Leo shrugged. "So we get her some good deputies. We work around it."
Josh thought for a minute. "Well, as chief of staff, I completely approve; she'd be great at the job. As her husband, there's no way I'm going to speak for her on this. And I certainly hope you're not going to suggest to her that your job offer has anything to do with our marriage."
Leo grinned. "Good boy. You're learning quickly. I'll get Margaret to call her and set something up."
"I'll call her," Josh offered eagerly.
"Great," Leo chuckled. "See you later."
After Leo had left his office, Josh picked up the phone and dialed his home number.
"Hello?" Donna answered. Just the fact that she was answering his home phone - because now it was HER home phone too - made Josh happier than he cared to admit.
"Hey, it's me."
"Oh, hey." She sounded surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"I am. Leo wants you to come in and meet with him."
"And you called to schedule this?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Don't you and Leo have at least fifteen secretaries between you?"
"Ah, I guess."
"Are they not capable of scheduling meetings?" Donna teased.
"I'm sure they are."
"So you're scheduling this one because . . ."
"Because I wanted to hear my wife's voice." Josh carefully took the ring off the chain and slipped it onto his finger.