FF: The Reluctant President (15/?)
Title: The Reluctant President (15/?)
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day two of the Lyman administration.
Late Monday morning, President Lyman was reading a draft of his speech for the press conference when a knock came at the door.
Charlie poked his head in. "Donna Moss is here to see you, sir."
"Donna!" Josh exclaimed as he jumped out of his chair. He tried to convince himself to calm down a little. "Uh, sure, Charlie. Send her in."
A moment later, Donna entered the room and stood awkwardly near the door. "Hello, Mr. President."
"Donna. Please, don't . . ." Josh trailed off as he enjoyed just looking at her. "God, it's good to see you."
"You too." Donna looked nervous.
"You came."
"Of course I came."
"I wasn't sure . . . I'm glad."
"You were starting to say something before, Mr. President? Don't something?" Donna asked.
"Don't call me Mr. President," Josh finished.
Donna smiled. "Wouldn't that break Sam's rules?"
"Please," Josh begged. "I don't care about Sam's rules. I feel like I'm losing myself. I need to hear my name from someone other than my mother. I need to hear my name from YOU."
"I won't let you lose yourself, Joshua," Donna said softly.
He nodded slowly and took a hesitant step toward her. "Could I . . . stop me if I'm being totally out of line here. But I could really use a hug."
He looked so childlike and vulnerable that Donna could hardly believe he was now arguably the most powerful man in the world. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Of course. I would have, I just - well, I figured if I made any sudden moves toward you, I'd be shot." She looked nervously at the Secret Service agent who had entered the room with her and remained discreetly near the door.
"Oh, God." Josh turned to the agent. "You know I'm in no danger from DONNA, right? You can leave us alone."
"Uh, yes, sir," the agent said. "I mean, as far as we're concerned, Ms. Moss can be alone with you. But Mr. Seaborn said I should stay."
Anger flashed across Josh's face. "Just - hold on a minute, okay?" he asked Donna.
Donna nodded, and Josh stalked off in the direction of Sam's office.
"Sam!"
"Yes, sir?" Sam got up when he heard the President come toward his office.
"What the hell?"
"Uh - what, sir?"
"I hear that I'm not allowed to be alone with Donna and it's YOUR RULE?" Josh fumed.
"Oh. That. Yes."
"What the hell?" Josh asked again. "You can't possibly think she's any danger . . ."
"No!" Sam yelped. "She would throw herself in front of a bullet for you. Everyone knows that."
"So what's your problem?"
"Let's say someone gets that agent under oath sometime. What were you doing in the Oval Office with Ms. Moss? He doesn't know, because you asked him to leave. How long was it? About an hour. Could you have been - "
"SAM! Stop."
"Someone has to think about your reputation, Mr. President."
"I don't - "
"Someone has to think about HER reputation." Sam knew this would be the trump card.
Josh thought about this for a moment. "Fine. If I leave the door ajar, can I be alone with a girl, DAD?"
Sam chuckled. "Fine."
"I somehow thought being president would mean you'd actually listen to me."
"You did?" Sam cocked an eyebrow. "That was silly of you."
Josh smiled and shook his head as he headed back to the Oval Office.
"Go," he said to the agent in a tone that brooked no argument. "Leave the door open a little."
Once the agent had gone, Josh crossed the room and stopped just a few feet from Donna.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi." She smiled up at him.
That was all the encouragement he needed. As he pulled Donna into a hug, Josh finally felt like he could breathe again.
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day two of the Lyman administration.
Late Monday morning, President Lyman was reading a draft of his speech for the press conference when a knock came at the door.
Charlie poked his head in. "Donna Moss is here to see you, sir."
"Donna!" Josh exclaimed as he jumped out of his chair. He tried to convince himself to calm down a little. "Uh, sure, Charlie. Send her in."
A moment later, Donna entered the room and stood awkwardly near the door. "Hello, Mr. President."
"Donna. Please, don't . . ." Josh trailed off as he enjoyed just looking at her. "God, it's good to see you."
"You too." Donna looked nervous.
"You came."
"Of course I came."
"I wasn't sure . . . I'm glad."
"You were starting to say something before, Mr. President? Don't something?" Donna asked.
"Don't call me Mr. President," Josh finished.
Donna smiled. "Wouldn't that break Sam's rules?"
"Please," Josh begged. "I don't care about Sam's rules. I feel like I'm losing myself. I need to hear my name from someone other than my mother. I need to hear my name from YOU."
"I won't let you lose yourself, Joshua," Donna said softly.
He nodded slowly and took a hesitant step toward her. "Could I . . . stop me if I'm being totally out of line here. But I could really use a hug."
He looked so childlike and vulnerable that Donna could hardly believe he was now arguably the most powerful man in the world. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Of course. I would have, I just - well, I figured if I made any sudden moves toward you, I'd be shot." She looked nervously at the Secret Service agent who had entered the room with her and remained discreetly near the door.
"Oh, God." Josh turned to the agent. "You know I'm in no danger from DONNA, right? You can leave us alone."
"Uh, yes, sir," the agent said. "I mean, as far as we're concerned, Ms. Moss can be alone with you. But Mr. Seaborn said I should stay."
Anger flashed across Josh's face. "Just - hold on a minute, okay?" he asked Donna.
Donna nodded, and Josh stalked off in the direction of Sam's office.
"Sam!"
"Yes, sir?" Sam got up when he heard the President come toward his office.
"What the hell?"
"Uh - what, sir?"
"I hear that I'm not allowed to be alone with Donna and it's YOUR RULE?" Josh fumed.
"Oh. That. Yes."
"What the hell?" Josh asked again. "You can't possibly think she's any danger . . ."
"No!" Sam yelped. "She would throw herself in front of a bullet for you. Everyone knows that."
"So what's your problem?"
"Let's say someone gets that agent under oath sometime. What were you doing in the Oval Office with Ms. Moss? He doesn't know, because you asked him to leave. How long was it? About an hour. Could you have been - "
"SAM! Stop."
"Someone has to think about your reputation, Mr. President."
"I don't - "
"Someone has to think about HER reputation." Sam knew this would be the trump card.
Josh thought about this for a moment. "Fine. If I leave the door ajar, can I be alone with a girl, DAD?"
Sam chuckled. "Fine."
"I somehow thought being president would mean you'd actually listen to me."
"You did?" Sam cocked an eyebrow. "That was silly of you."
Josh smiled and shook his head as he headed back to the Oval Office.
"Go," he said to the agent in a tone that brooked no argument. "Leave the door open a little."
Once the agent had gone, Josh crossed the room and stopped just a few feet from Donna.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi." She smiled up at him.
That was all the encouragement he needed. As he pulled Donna into a hug, Josh finally felt like he could breathe again.