(no subject)
Title: Back to the Beginning
Author: Christine
Pair/Rating: J/D, PG
Spoiler: None really, but set post-series
Disclaimer: They belong to Sorkin, Wells, etc.
Notes:
1) Bex rocks my world. Though I'm probably making *her* rock in despair.
2) It's the birthday of one on my favorite fannish people and she had mentioned long ago wanting to see something with Josh going back to CT. This isn't really what she wanted, but it is a little CT thing that I hope she likes just a little bit.
~~~
"Why aren’t we there yet?" Josh complained, craning his neck to see around the front seat and look out the windshield of the chauffeured car.
"Because it's rush hour and there's traffic." Donna said dryly.
He drummed his fingers impatiently against his knee and willed the car to move faster. "I don't like waiting. I'm not good at waiting."
She snorted. "No kidding."
"And that's another thing," Josh continued. "Why did we have to get driven in a town care? Couldn't we have just rented something inconspicuous when we deplaned?"
"Right. I'll get on Avis to open a branch at Bradley Air Force Base right away so you can show up in a Honda next time."
"There's no need to be snarky, Donna."
"There isn't?"
"No," he huffed.
"Good, because I was starting to think you'd lost your sense of humor."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"Why are you so tense?" she asked. "You've done this a million times."
"A hundred," he corrected, fidgeting with his tie. "In front of starstruck freshmen at Georgetown. This is… It's my alma-mater, Donna! What if I don't live up to their expectations?"
"You're the White House Chief of Staff. And you've put not one but two different presidents into office. I hardly think you'll fail to meet their expectations," she said.
"I could! They could all be republicans. Or have parents who are republicans. In Congress! Or, you know, something. Something worse." He gulped and Donna bit back a laugh.
"You really think they're all going to be a bunch of democrat-hating fascists?"
"They could be!"
She rolled her eyes, thankful he couldn't see her in the dimness of the car. "Josh… it's a speech to a group of very smart, very civic minded Yalies. You'll be fine," she soothed, stroking her hand down his jacket-clad arm.
"Just fine?" he yelped turning his head to glare out the side window.
"Fantastic. Exceptional. First-rate. Top-notch. Or whatever other superlatives your normally over-inflated, monomaniacal, yet for some reason overly paranoid ego needs to hear to make you believe tonight will be fine."
"Gee, thanks." The car rolled to a stop and Josh swallowed again. "We're here."
"You'll be fine," she repeated.
"I better be," he muttered.
"You will be."
"Yeah." Hand on the door handle, he paused and glanced over at her, smiling for the very first time in the last hour. "You gonna wait backstage for me just like old times?"
"Couldn't stop me if you tried," she said, smiling back at him.
"Good. Then let's go get this done."
~End~
Author: Christine
Pair/Rating: J/D, PG
Spoiler: None really, but set post-series
Disclaimer: They belong to Sorkin, Wells, etc.
Notes:
1) Bex rocks my world. Though I'm probably making *her* rock in despair.
2) It's the birthday of one on my favorite fannish people and she had mentioned long ago wanting to see something with Josh going back to CT. This isn't really what she wanted, but it is a little CT thing that I hope she likes just a little bit.
~~~
"Why aren’t we there yet?" Josh complained, craning his neck to see around the front seat and look out the windshield of the chauffeured car.
"Because it's rush hour and there's traffic." Donna said dryly.
He drummed his fingers impatiently against his knee and willed the car to move faster. "I don't like waiting. I'm not good at waiting."
She snorted. "No kidding."
"And that's another thing," Josh continued. "Why did we have to get driven in a town care? Couldn't we have just rented something inconspicuous when we deplaned?"
"Right. I'll get on Avis to open a branch at Bradley Air Force Base right away so you can show up in a Honda next time."
"There's no need to be snarky, Donna."
"There isn't?"
"No," he huffed.
"Good, because I was starting to think you'd lost your sense of humor."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"Why are you so tense?" she asked. "You've done this a million times."
"A hundred," he corrected, fidgeting with his tie. "In front of starstruck freshmen at Georgetown. This is… It's my alma-mater, Donna! What if I don't live up to their expectations?"
"You're the White House Chief of Staff. And you've put not one but two different presidents into office. I hardly think you'll fail to meet their expectations," she said.
"I could! They could all be republicans. Or have parents who are republicans. In Congress! Or, you know, something. Something worse." He gulped and Donna bit back a laugh.
"You really think they're all going to be a bunch of democrat-hating fascists?"
"They could be!"
She rolled her eyes, thankful he couldn't see her in the dimness of the car. "Josh… it's a speech to a group of very smart, very civic minded Yalies. You'll be fine," she soothed, stroking her hand down his jacket-clad arm.
"Just fine?" he yelped turning his head to glare out the side window.
"Fantastic. Exceptional. First-rate. Top-notch. Or whatever other superlatives your normally over-inflated, monomaniacal, yet for some reason overly paranoid ego needs to hear to make you believe tonight will be fine."
"Gee, thanks." The car rolled to a stop and Josh swallowed again. "We're here."
"You'll be fine," she repeated.
"I better be," he muttered.
"You will be."
"Yeah." Hand on the door handle, he paused and glanced over at her, smiling for the very first time in the last hour. "You gonna wait backstage for me just like old times?"
"Couldn't stop me if you tried," she said, smiling back at him.
"Good. Then let's go get this done."
~End~