Shipper Manifesto: Donna Moss/Josh Lyman (The West Wing)
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Donna Moss/Josh Lyman
Blurb: I was really tempted to just post quotes from the series and just let the dialogue between these two speak for themselves. And I will!
However, I will just say that the thing that I love about these two, is the fact that they build their relationship on absolute mutual respect, trust and sincere appreciation for each other. They were stuck in an untenable situation (he was her direct superior and they worked in the White House which frowns upon scandal) and yet, their love for each other is so wonderfully obvious. She helps him and he helps her. They provide perspective for each other and there were times when I honestly believed it was simply knowing that the other was going to be at the office got them going in the morning.
Now, on with the quotes!
Josh: Victory is mine, victory is mine. Great day in the morning, people, victory is mine.
Donna: Morning Josh.
Josh: I drink from the keg of glory, Donna. Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land.
Donna: It's going to be an unbearable day.
[In response to Josh's earlier speech to Donna about why the government does not issue refund checks for each person's portion of the budget surplus.]
Josh: Donna? How much were the sandwiches?
Donna: $12.95
Josh: I gave you a twenty.
Donna: Yes, as it turns out, actually, you gave me more money than I needed to buy what you asked for. However, knowing you, as I do, I'm afraid I can't trust you to spend the change wisely. I've decided to invest it for you.
Josh: That was nice. That was a little parable.
Donna: I want my money back.
Josh: I can hold my liquor.
Donna: No, you can't.
Josh: I can drink with the best of 'em, Donna.
Donna: You can't drink with any of 'em, Josh.
Josh: I'm a politician, okay? I can drink.
Donna: You have a very sensitive system.
Josh: I wish you'd stop telling people that. It makes me sound like an idiot.
Donna: You're gonna have two drinks and spend the rest of the weekend sleeping it off.
Donna: So, I'm being used.
Josh: Yes.
Donna: As a dupe.
Josh: Yes.
Donna: How am I supposed to feel about that?
Josh: How do you usually feel about that?
Donna: My value here is that I have no value.
Josh: You have enormous value to me. You have absolutely no value to Eastern Europe.
Donna: I have an excellent sense about these things.
Josh: Actually, you have no sense about these things. You have no vibe, you have terrible taste in men, and your desire to be coupled up will always and forever drown out any sense of self or self-worth that you may have.
Donna: You're a downer, you know that? I'm calling you Deputy Downer from now on.
Donna: I grew up on a farm.
Josh: You grew up in a condo.
Donna: I grew up near a farm. And I was cute and I was peppy. And I always did well on my 19th Century English Literature midterm until you came along and sucked me into your life of crime!
Josh: Hey, I'm not the-
Donna: White collar crime boy! You know what they do to a girl like me on the cell block? I've seen those movies.
Josh: Yeah, me too.
Donna: I bet you have.
Josh: Look-
Donna: Sell my farm girl ass for a carton of Luckys.
Josh: I'm just saying--if you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for a beer.
Donna: If you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for red lights.
Donna: You called Russell a cowpoke. You said the President avoided him in the halls. You hummed "These Boots Are Made For Walking" every time the press mentioned his name.
Josh: Yeah, but I won.
Donna: It was my job, Josh. You're not used to me being in a position of authority. I'm sure that's uncomfortable.
Josh: I've got an airplane hangar out there filled with 500 strangers looking to me for direction. I've got a candidate who doesn't trust any of them, and frankly, neither do I. And if you don't think I[breath hitches] miss you every day....
Donna: [She gets up and starts to leave the office trying to hold back her tears] Thank you for your time....
Santos: Tell Josh to chill.
Donna: Josh, chill.
Josh: Did you just tell me to chill?
Donna: It would appear so.
Josh: Is it somehow not clear that I'm your boss?
Donna: Congressman's recommendation.
Josh: Oh.
Donna: To which I heartily concur.
Josh: Yeah, I don't think you tell me to chill.
Donna: I wanted to scream it everyday for eight years.
Josh: Whatever inhibition prevented you, summon it.
Josh: So last night was nice. Nice. It was really nice. On the nice scale it was way up there in terms of... you know, niceness.
Donna: Be still and listen to me. I don't know what this is. And you don't, either, which is perfectly fine and understandable. Whatever the buildup, it's all happened amid absurdly heightened emotional circumstances: the election, Leo's death. There's been... not a moment to so much as... take a breath, much less figure any of this out. And now this roller coaster's plunging into the transition, with its time-pressure demands and then the inauguration, and it's hit the ground running, and the first hundred days and, before you know it, the midterms and the new Congress, and then we're running again and four years becomes eight, and... we've never had the talk. And you can lose that look of panic in your eyes. We're not going to have it now; we don't ever have to have it. But there's a window. I'd say four weeks. If we can't get it together in that time to figure out what we want from each other, then clearly it's not worth the trouble. While last night was lovely, I've already called a cab. You should put on some coffee, and I'll see you at the office.
Fic Rec #1: Crash into Me Series
Author: Pix
Link: http://westwingfanfic.jen-m.com/alphaauthor.html#p (You need to scroll down and find Pix, then click on the first story in the series: Best Served Cold)
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, mild language, mild violence, death of non-canon characters
Why This Must Be Read: This series is just gorgeous. It is equal parts intelligent, sweet, funny, heart-breaking, and wonderful. Donna is smart and competent and so very genuine. Josh is so very Josh. And the thing that I love the most about this fic, apart from the spot-on dialogue and touching romance, is how the female characters are so supportive of each other and they talk. Set aside a rainy Sunday afternoon and read them all!
Fic Rec #2 Unpublished Corrections
Author: BlackEyedGirl
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/100590
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: This is post-series and shows how much Donna has learned about dealing with the press and dealing with the absurdity that must be having a relationship whilst being in politics. It is funny, clever and very well-done. There’s also a Daily Show reference which had me in stitches.
Fic Rec #3: The Mollyverse
Author: Jo and Ryo
Link: http://fwf.healthyinterest.net/molly.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Yes. I am reccing kid!fic. I am reccing incredible kid!fic. This is funny, intelligent and you will love Donna and Josh and their adorable little girl, Molly. Wait until they go to Disney World. You’ll be laughing at Josh Lyman in the Happiest Place on Earth. You should also read everything these two have ever written.
Fic Rec #4: Donna the Vampire Slayer
Author: Nomad
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/42216/chapters/55222
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, mild language and violence
Why This Must Be Read: I’m going to give you two sentences that should intrigue you enough to go over and read this: Donna is a vampire slayer. Toby is her Watcher.
It is fantastic and Nomad has seamlessly worked it into the Buffy universe. The scene where Josh realizes that Slayers have a very limited life-span still gets me.
Fic Rec #5: Toby’s Favorite Elephant
Author: coffeeplease
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2429643/1/Tobys_Favorite_Elephant
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Donna and Josh don’t actually appear in this story, but it has Toby explaining their relationship to Matt Santos. It’s touching and funny and I always love reading about a favourite couple from another’s point of view.
Fic Rec #6: The Two Donnas
Author: rosa_acicularis
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/206981
Rating/Warning(s): teen,
Why This Must Be Read: It’s Donna and Donna! It’s a crossover with Doctor Who that makes me smile, laugh and clasp my hands to my chest in delight. I mean, Donna Noble temping for Josh Lyman? Oh, the possibilities.
Fic Rec #7: Scenes from the End
Author: Yvi
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/86585
Rating/Warning(s): teen, apoca-fic
Why This Must Be Read: It’s apoca-fic and it’s done very well. The world may be ending, but they still have that wonderful back and forth. It’s touching and despite the setting, an extremely warm fic.
Fic Rec #8: The Contingency Memos
Author: apocryphile
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/175460
Rating/Warning(s): PG-rated
Why This Must Be Read: This is post-series and it’s Josh and Donna being Josh and Donna while still doing their jobs, which are Chief of Staff’s to two very important people. It’s sweet and serious and lovely. Oh, and they totally make out a little in Donna’s office.
Fic Rec #9: Heartburn
Author: ygrawn
Link: http://national-library.net/stories/ygrawn/heartburn.htm
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, mild angst, mild language
Why This Must Be Read: This goes AU from the scandal with the President. It’s honest and raw and the dialogue is so very, very them. And oh, the ending. I’m still in a daze of happiness.
Fic Rec #10: Loophole
Author: Speranza
Link: http://trickster.org/speranza/cesper/Loophole.html
Rating/Warning(s): Adult, smut, language
Why This Must Be Read: This story is hot. It’s hot and conflicted which is how Josh and Donna’s relationship can be summed up most of the time.
Pairing: Donna Moss/Josh Lyman
Blurb: I was really tempted to just post quotes from the series and just let the dialogue between these two speak for themselves. And I will!
However, I will just say that the thing that I love about these two, is the fact that they build their relationship on absolute mutual respect, trust and sincere appreciation for each other. They were stuck in an untenable situation (he was her direct superior and they worked in the White House which frowns upon scandal) and yet, their love for each other is so wonderfully obvious. She helps him and he helps her. They provide perspective for each other and there were times when I honestly believed it was simply knowing that the other was going to be at the office got them going in the morning.
Now, on with the quotes!
Josh: Victory is mine, victory is mine. Great day in the morning, people, victory is mine.
Donna: Morning Josh.
Josh: I drink from the keg of glory, Donna. Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land.
Donna: It's going to be an unbearable day.
[In response to Josh's earlier speech to Donna about why the government does not issue refund checks for each person's portion of the budget surplus.]
Josh: Donna? How much were the sandwiches?
Donna: $12.95
Josh: I gave you a twenty.
Donna: Yes, as it turns out, actually, you gave me more money than I needed to buy what you asked for. However, knowing you, as I do, I'm afraid I can't trust you to spend the change wisely. I've decided to invest it for you.
Josh: That was nice. That was a little parable.
Donna: I want my money back.
Josh: I can hold my liquor.
Donna: No, you can't.
Josh: I can drink with the best of 'em, Donna.
Donna: You can't drink with any of 'em, Josh.
Josh: I'm a politician, okay? I can drink.
Donna: You have a very sensitive system.
Josh: I wish you'd stop telling people that. It makes me sound like an idiot.
Donna: You're gonna have two drinks and spend the rest of the weekend sleeping it off.
Donna: So, I'm being used.
Josh: Yes.
Donna: As a dupe.
Josh: Yes.
Donna: How am I supposed to feel about that?
Josh: How do you usually feel about that?
Donna: My value here is that I have no value.
Josh: You have enormous value to me. You have absolutely no value to Eastern Europe.
Donna: I have an excellent sense about these things.
Josh: Actually, you have no sense about these things. You have no vibe, you have terrible taste in men, and your desire to be coupled up will always and forever drown out any sense of self or self-worth that you may have.
Donna: You're a downer, you know that? I'm calling you Deputy Downer from now on.
Donna: I grew up on a farm.
Josh: You grew up in a condo.
Donna: I grew up near a farm. And I was cute and I was peppy. And I always did well on my 19th Century English Literature midterm until you came along and sucked me into your life of crime!
Josh: Hey, I'm not the-
Donna: White collar crime boy! You know what they do to a girl like me on the cell block? I've seen those movies.
Josh: Yeah, me too.
Donna: I bet you have.
Josh: Look-
Donna: Sell my farm girl ass for a carton of Luckys.
Josh: I'm just saying--if you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for a beer.
Donna: If you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for red lights.
Donna: You called Russell a cowpoke. You said the President avoided him in the halls. You hummed "These Boots Are Made For Walking" every time the press mentioned his name.
Josh: Yeah, but I won.
Donna: It was my job, Josh. You're not used to me being in a position of authority. I'm sure that's uncomfortable.
Josh: I've got an airplane hangar out there filled with 500 strangers looking to me for direction. I've got a candidate who doesn't trust any of them, and frankly, neither do I. And if you don't think I[breath hitches] miss you every day....
Donna: [She gets up and starts to leave the office trying to hold back her tears] Thank you for your time....
Santos: Tell Josh to chill.
Donna: Josh, chill.
Josh: Did you just tell me to chill?
Donna: It would appear so.
Josh: Is it somehow not clear that I'm your boss?
Donna: Congressman's recommendation.
Josh: Oh.
Donna: To which I heartily concur.
Josh: Yeah, I don't think you tell me to chill.
Donna: I wanted to scream it everyday for eight years.
Josh: Whatever inhibition prevented you, summon it.
Josh: So last night was nice. Nice. It was really nice. On the nice scale it was way up there in terms of... you know, niceness.
Donna: Be still and listen to me. I don't know what this is. And you don't, either, which is perfectly fine and understandable. Whatever the buildup, it's all happened amid absurdly heightened emotional circumstances: the election, Leo's death. There's been... not a moment to so much as... take a breath, much less figure any of this out. And now this roller coaster's plunging into the transition, with its time-pressure demands and then the inauguration, and it's hit the ground running, and the first hundred days and, before you know it, the midterms and the new Congress, and then we're running again and four years becomes eight, and... we've never had the talk. And you can lose that look of panic in your eyes. We're not going to have it now; we don't ever have to have it. But there's a window. I'd say four weeks. If we can't get it together in that time to figure out what we want from each other, then clearly it's not worth the trouble. While last night was lovely, I've already called a cab. You should put on some coffee, and I'll see you at the office.
Fic Rec #1: Crash into Me Series
Author: Pix
Link: http://westwingfanfic.jen-m.com/alphaauthor.html#p (You need to scroll down and find Pix, then click on the first story in the series: Best Served Cold)
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, mild language, mild violence, death of non-canon characters
Why This Must Be Read: This series is just gorgeous. It is equal parts intelligent, sweet, funny, heart-breaking, and wonderful. Donna is smart and competent and so very genuine. Josh is so very Josh. And the thing that I love the most about this fic, apart from the spot-on dialogue and touching romance, is how the female characters are so supportive of each other and they talk. Set aside a rainy Sunday afternoon and read them all!
Fic Rec #2 Unpublished Corrections
Author: BlackEyedGirl
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/100590
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: This is post-series and shows how much Donna has learned about dealing with the press and dealing with the absurdity that must be having a relationship whilst being in politics. It is funny, clever and very well-done. There’s also a Daily Show reference which had me in stitches.
Fic Rec #3: The Mollyverse
Author: Jo and Ryo
Link: http://fwf.healthyinterest.net/molly.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Yes. I am reccing kid!fic. I am reccing incredible kid!fic. This is funny, intelligent and you will love Donna and Josh and their adorable little girl, Molly. Wait until they go to Disney World. You’ll be laughing at Josh Lyman in the Happiest Place on Earth. You should also read everything these two have ever written.
Fic Rec #4: Donna the Vampire Slayer
Author: Nomad
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/42216/chapters/55222
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, mild language and violence
Why This Must Be Read: I’m going to give you two sentences that should intrigue you enough to go over and read this: Donna is a vampire slayer. Toby is her Watcher.
It is fantastic and Nomad has seamlessly worked it into the Buffy universe. The scene where Josh realizes that Slayers have a very limited life-span still gets me.
Fic Rec #5: Toby’s Favorite Elephant
Author: coffeeplease
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2429643/1/Tobys_Favorite_Elephant
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Donna and Josh don’t actually appear in this story, but it has Toby explaining their relationship to Matt Santos. It’s touching and funny and I always love reading about a favourite couple from another’s point of view.
Fic Rec #6: The Two Donnas
Author: rosa_acicularis
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/206981
Rating/Warning(s): teen,
Why This Must Be Read: It’s Donna and Donna! It’s a crossover with Doctor Who that makes me smile, laugh and clasp my hands to my chest in delight. I mean, Donna Noble temping for Josh Lyman? Oh, the possibilities.
Fic Rec #7: Scenes from the End
Author: Yvi
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/86585
Rating/Warning(s): teen, apoca-fic
Why This Must Be Read: It’s apoca-fic and it’s done very well. The world may be ending, but they still have that wonderful back and forth. It’s touching and despite the setting, an extremely warm fic.
Fic Rec #8: The Contingency Memos
Author: apocryphile
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/175460
Rating/Warning(s): PG-rated
Why This Must Be Read: This is post-series and it’s Josh and Donna being Josh and Donna while still doing their jobs, which are Chief of Staff’s to two very important people. It’s sweet and serious and lovely. Oh, and they totally make out a little in Donna’s office.
Fic Rec #9: Heartburn
Author: ygrawn
Link: http://national-library.net/stories/ygrawn/heartburn.htm
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, mild angst, mild language
Why This Must Be Read: This goes AU from the scandal with the President. It’s honest and raw and the dialogue is so very, very them. And oh, the ending. I’m still in a daze of happiness.
Fic Rec #10: Loophole
Author: Speranza
Link: http://trickster.org/speranza/cesper/Loophole.html
Rating/Warning(s): Adult, smut, language
Why This Must Be Read: This story is hot. It’s hot and conflicted which is how Josh and Donna’s relationship can be summed up most of the time.