Chapter 9
“Josh!” called a reported outside their campaign office. “What does it say about your integrity
that you’ve hired Toby Ziegler to consult on your campaign?”
“That I have some integrity.” Josh answered shortly. “Toby Ziegler has served his country for
years and is a valuable member of my staff. He made a decision to save the lives of the
astronauts in the Space Station at an incredible personal cost. President Bartlet has seen fit to
pardon him, and if President Bartlet is not holding that decision against him why would I?”
Four weeks out, and things were getting decidedly hot in the race for the Senate seat in
Connecticut. Josh was able to maintain a slight lead, but the debate was tonight, and he was
well aware how important his performance would be. The press, seemingly able to read his
level of anxiety pushed even harder, testing the theory that his PTSD would not be an issue in
the stress of being Senator.
“Congressman LeVoy mentioned in his speech today that you can’t have a true appreciation
for the transportation issues of a State you haven’t resided in for the last decade.”
“Is there a question somewhere in there, Karen?”
“You’ve only been a resident in Connecticut for the last 10 months. How do you know what the
greatest transportation needs of this State are?”
“I know I get stuck on I-95 every time I travel on it; we need to increase the number of cars that
highway can handle. I know that in the past 8 years Congressman LeVoy has purported to
Represent this State in Congress he has been unable to procure any Federal funds to help
with that process. I know he has been ineffective as a Congressman for the State of
Connecticut.”
“What else do you know, Josh?” Joe, another reporter, ribbed him.
“I know the Congressman ought to be resting his voice for tonight. He’s going to need all the
strength he can muster to try and keep up with me.” Josh shot them a smirk that his wife would
be quick to recognize. Toby called it his ‘circling shark’ look and begged him to keep it out of
the debate. However, the debate wasn’t until tonight, and Toby wasn’t around at the moment,
so…
Josh got in his car and headed home for some down time before the main event. Nate was in
the front yard with Josh’s mother and his baby sister; seemingly waiting for his arrival.
“Daddy!” Nate shouted as he hurled himself at his father.
“Nate man!” Josh returned the hug. “What are you doing out here, kiddo?”
“Running!” Nate demonstrated. Try as they might, neither Josh nor Donna had been able to
explain to their son that ‘running’ for the Senate didn’t involve any actual running at all. So Nate
practiced his ‘running’ constantly so he could ‘run’ with his dad. Josh shared a smile with his
Mom as Nate zoomed around the fenced in yard.
“Hello, beautiful.” Josh called to his daughter as he took her from his Mother’s arms. “How’s
Daddy’s girl?”
“Oh, I thought you were talking to me.” His Mom said haughtily.
“The word ‘beautiful’ applies equally to both of you.” Josh backpedaled as he kissed his Mother’
s cheek.
“You really are a politician now, aren’t you?” Ruth teased. “You’re kissing babies and flattering
old women; you’ve fallen into every cliché.”
“Thanks, Mom. Way to build up my confidence on this all important day.”
“Josh you’ve struggled with many things in your life, but confidence was never one of them.
Now if you were worried about shooting your mouth off before you took the time to think about
your response tonight…that I’d understand.”
“Don’t listen to her, Princess. They’re lies, all lies.” Josh told his daughter earnestly. “Where’s
Donna?”
“She went up with Liz to pick out what she should wear tonight. Do yourself a favor, child, and
tell her whatever they’ve chosen is perfect.” Josh laughed. That was a lesson he’d learned
already. “This one is about ready for her nap.”
“I’ll take her up. Hell. Maybe I’ll nap with her. I could use the rest.”
“Well Nate and I are going to ‘run’ to the park. So maybe you’d be better off laying this one
down in her crib and napping with your wife.” Ruth suggested with little subtlety. “Nathaniel and
I will be back in about an hour.”
“Ah-kay. Come with me, Miss Caitlin, and I will get you all tucked in for a nap.” Josh climbed the
stairs with his daughter babbling in his ear, presumably catching him up on her day. He found
her favorite blanket and her pacifier. Next, he turned on her lullaby music and laid her in her
crib. He rubbed her back for a couple minutes until her babbling ceased and sleep was
imminent.
He found Liz and his wife in their master bedroom choosing jewelry to go with the outfit that was
set out on the bed.
“Hi!” Donna called, surprised. “You’re home early. What do you think of this outfit for tonight?”
“I was really hoping for something indecently low cut so that everyone would be looking at you
instead of me tonight.” Liz tried to disguise her laugh as a cough.
“It will be perfect, Donna. I’ll see you before the debate unless you need something earlier?” Liz
turned the statement into a question.
“Thanks Liz.” Josh told her as he shut the bedroom door behind her. He turned the lock, a habit
he’d developed since their son learned to get out of his bed and into theirs at unexpected
moments. He walked over to where his wife was still fiddling with her accessories and began
unzipping her dress.
“Josh, it isn’t time to get ready yet. It’s hours before the debate and I don’t want to change until
right before we leave.” Donna chided him but he continued to move the zipper determinedly
downward. “Josh?”
“I’m feeling exceedingly stressed right now, Donnatella.” He gently pushed the straps of the
dress off of her shoulders and kissed the skin he uncovered there. “Do you remember how we
de-stressed during Election Day when we were running Matt?”
“I believe I might have a vague recollection of those events…”
“Then allow me to refresh your memory, Donnatella.” There was no bra under the dress to
impede his fingers from exploring her lovely chest, so Josh continued on his journey.
“Yes, I think it’s coming back to me now…didn’t it go something like this?” she asked as she slid
off his belt buckle.
****************************************************
Josh had given strict instructions that he was going to have a quiet dinner with his family before
the debate so he was more than a little surprised when his doorbell rang at 4:30 that afternoon
and opened it to find Mike Casper on the other side.
“Mike! What the hell are you doing here?” Josh exclaimed as he pulled his friend into the house.
“We all decided to come down for the big event. Matt Skinner and Chris Wick are about an hour
behind me. We figured you could do your thing and then we could go to one of your old Yale
bars to celebrate.”
“Yeah, that would make a great photo op. You could hold up the plaque the President gave you
in one hand and a Scotch in the other.” Josh suggested.
“Perfect.” Mike agreed. “Will the ball and chain let you out?…Hey there, Donna.” Mike teased
her when he saw her coming in with the kids in tow.
“The ball and chain would be happy to send him away until the election. Hi, Mike.” She hugged
the man who had become like a brother to her husband. “That was an incredible thing you did.
We’re all very proud of you.”
“Whatever.” Mike downplayed the incident. Because of his willingness to break ranks with the
Director, the FBI had made several arrests and stopped the vessel carrying the second wave of
explosives from reaching it’s destination in Houston. Mike had endured his 15 minutes of fame
stoically.
“Stay and have dinner with us.” Donna insisted. “Maybe you can get this man to calm down a
little. My methods of stress relief are exhausted as well as short lived.” She shared a smile with
her husband as Mike rolled his eyes.
“God, Donna, they’re getting so big.” Mike remarked as he hunkered down to meet Nate’s eye
level. “Nate, are you ready to cheer for your Dad tonight?”
“Yep. We all tooked naps…even Mommy and Daddy!” Nate shared and Mike chuckled.
“I bet they did.” Mike replied. “Have you taught your sister how to vote yet?”
“Babies can’t vote. Baby Caitlin can’t even run!” Nate explained.
“That is a problem. Well, maybe when she gets bigger.”
“Wanna see my Mets cards?” Nate offered and Mike took it as the serious question it was
meant as.
“Of course I do! Got any good ones?”
“Yeah, but Daddy holds ‘em for me. Daddy, can Mike see the good ones?”
“I don’t know Nate man, Mike may not treat them with the respect they deserve.”
“He could look with no touching like Baby Caitlin.” Nate suggested.
“Alright then.” Josh acquiesced. “Go and get them and we’ll take a look before dinner.”
They ate with all the chaos and disruptions with eating with two small children entails, but for a
single man with no kids of his own, Mike took it all pretty well in stride.
Just shortly before the debate Josh got a call from Sam. Sam had opted to stay by Ainsley’s
side, since she was due any minute, rather than make the trip to Hartford for the debate.
“I’ll be watching the live broadcast, so try not to do anything that would embarrass us, okay?”
Sam told him.
“And by us you mean…”
“Any people that know you.” Sam clarified.
“Got it. You realize that pretty much precludes me opening my mouth at all, right?”
“That might be best. Remember Lincoln’s quote? ‘Better to stay silent and be thought a fool’…”
“…’than to open your mouth and prove it.’ Yeah, thanks, Sam. Any other words of
encouragement before I run the gauntlet over here?”
“Yes…Game on, my friend.” Sam said intently and Josh hung his head as the words and the
meaning soaked through him.
“Thanks, bye.” Was all Josh could manage with the emotions threatening to choke him. He saw
Donna walking toward him with the cell phone to her ear.
“Here he is, Mr. President.” She said as she handed Josh the phone. Josh was a little perplexed
since he’d spoken to Matt Santos after dinner.
“Yes, Mr. President?”
“You haven’t started your tie on fire while you were sneaking a cigarette have you?” came the
laughing voice of Jed Bartlet.
“No, sir. Donna doesn’t let me play with fire.” Josh replied.
“Then you’re already a step beyond any advice I can give you, son.” Jed told him. “Be yourself,
but without the wise-ass retorts.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Toby said I have to remind you about not using your ‘circling shark’ expression during the
debate because you won’t let him near you right now. Why is that Joshua? Shouldn’t you have
your senior consultant within arms reach right now?”
“Did you want Toby anywhere near you before your debates, sir?”
“Fair point…Listen, you’re going to do just fine, Josh. Leo and your Dad are looking down on
you right now and laughing their asses off.” Jed chuckled.
“No doubt, sir.”
“He’s going to try to bait you, set off the infamous Lyman temper, but you’re too smart to fall for
that, right?”
“Well, we’ll see, sir.”
“Good luck, Joshua, we’ll talk to you when it’s done.” Jed promised.
“Thank you sir.” Josh answered as he handed the phone back to Donna. Lou was still imposing
the ‘no cell phone for Josh’ rule.
“I don’t know what to say.” Donna admitted as she stood in front of her husband.
“I really don’t think there’s anything left. I have heard every kind of advice and every worn out
cliché I could possibly hear.” Josh smiled.
“Then I’ll just say I love you.” Donna kissed him as Lou signaled him to head for the stage.
*****************************************
Title: On the Run
Author: Cathy Miller (www.cathyswestwing.com)
Category: Future Fic
Disclaimer: Just borrowing from Sorkin who is busy with studio 60 right now.
Feedback: Pretty please?
Chapter 10
“What Mr. Lyman doesn’t understand, is that we have a different set of values here in
Connecticut.” Congressman LeVoy stated.
“If by we, you mean Republicans, I assure you that I have a perfect understanding of our
different values.” Josh replied.
“That’s not what I-“
“While you and your Republican colleagues have been collecting a paycheck from the
taxpayers of Connecticut, you’ve also been collecting a paycheck from the gun lobby, the
Industrial lobby, and the gaming industry. Those aren’t the values that I was raised with here in
Connecticut, sir.”
“Businesses pay taxes in Connecticut too, Mr. Lyman. They have every right to be represented
by their Congressman.”
“They certainly do. The problem occurs when you get paid for representing them separately
than you get paid for representing every other citizen in the State. The only reason it’s even
legal in the first place is that Republicans in Congress have blocked every attempt to reform
campaign finance laws. It may be legal, but it certainly isn’t ethical.”
“I’m not going to stand here and be lectured to about ethics by the mastermind of Jed Bartlet’s
plan to dupe the American people about his debilitating disease.” Ted LeVoy scoffed.
“I thank you for what I’m sure was meant as a compliment. I’ll be certain to remind my wife that
I’m considered a mastermind, but I wasn’t even among the first of the senior staff to be told
about PRESIDENT Bartlet’s M.S. and that was days before he announced it on National
television.”
“Do you really expect the voters to believe that? You hardly have the reputation for being the
last to know, Mr. Lyman. I was hardly on the hill a week before I heard how I’d have to be
careful not to get in the way of Bartlet’s Bulldog.”
“It took a week? I was really counting on it getting around faster than that.” Josh joked. “I spent
countless hours and endless meetings cultivating that reputation. And a large part of that
reputation involved two things; keeping my word, and moving heaven and earth to pass
legislation I believed would help the American people.”
“Let’s turn to another subject.” The moderator suggested. “One of the marked differences
between you both is your position on gun control. Can you briefly state what your position is on
this important issue? Congressman, if you’ll begin?”
“I am, and always have been a supporter of the second amendment. Every law abiding adult in
the State of Connecticut has the right to bear arms as far as I’m concerned, and upon that
right, the Government shall not infringe. Now I understand that Mr. Lyman experienced gun
violence, and that is tragic, but that is not a good enough reason to deny other responsible
citizens the right to carry a legally registered firearm.”
“Mr. Lyman?”
“I experienced gun violence? No, Congressman, I was the victim of a senseless shooting by
racially motivated bigots. Would that we could make that illegal…First of all, let’s read the
ENTIRE second amendment, shall we? Not just the parts that the Congressman and the NRA
like best. It reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the
right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” If any adult in Connecticut
wants to bear arms to protect themselves as part of a well armed militia, I’ll be happy to walk
them down to the recruiting office as soon as we’re done here. Absent that, if we’re going to
find a compromise on this issue, and I agree that we must, it going to have to come in the form
of safeguards for our society; background checks, safety classes, and the elimination of certain
weapon systems off of our streets.”
“Are you referring to ‘waiting periods’ Mr. Lyman?” the moderator clarified.
“That is surely at the heart of any gun control measure. Law enforcement needs adequate time
and equipment to sufficiently search individual backgrounds to ferret out mental health issues
or previous illegal activity. In the 10 years that Congressman LeVoy has served in the House of
Representatives he has yet to vote for a single measure that would safeguard the lives and
welfare of the people of Connecticut in terms of gun control.”
“That’s because I don’t believe the Government has the right to interfere with this particular
Constitutional right.” LeVoy stated forcefully.
“No, that’s because you’ve accepted over $280,000 from the NRA as well as the gun
manufacturers here in Connecticut; Colt and Mossberg. That was during this election cycle
alone. But that’s just my opinion; we’ll let the good people of Connecticut decide whether or not
their opinion might not be swayed with a $280,000 argument.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m going to ask you again to hold your applause.” The moderator
interrupted. “Rebuttal, Congressman?”
“Only that I find it interesting Mr. Lyman would have us all submit to a mental health check when
he himself has hidden his own mental illness.”
“Hidden it? I beg to differ. I have done nothing but talk about it since I announced my candidacy
and I’ve been subjected to a host of increasingly personal questions about my mental health
directly from your campaign so you know it.” Josh paused. “I read a wonderful bio on you in
Time a couple months back. In it, you were quoted as saying that you were unable to work or
concentrate without a large cup of coffee in the morning. You went on to say that when you first
came to Washington you didn’t drink coffee at all, but now you’ve graduated from a small cup to
a large cup each and every morning. Is that true?”
“I confess; I need my coffee.” LeVoy smirked. “So what?”
“It might interest you to know that psychiatrists tell us addictive substances induce pleasant
states or relieves distress and that continued use of the addictive substance induces adaptive
changes in the brain that lead to tolerance, physical dependence, and uncontrollable craving. It
seems you suffer from the mental illness known as addiction. Have you disclosed that,
Congressman?”
“Are you equating addiction to coffee with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?”
“No, nor am I equating checking for mental illness in people who want to handle deadly
weapons with the struggle I had to recover from attempted murder. This is far too serious a
subject to try to distract voters with emotional manipulation.”
“We have one more question, gentlemen. The final question for our debate tonight is about
national security. Obviously, the tragedy in Maine and the near tragedy in Texas has made all
Americans come to grips with our vulnerabilities as a nation. Would what you do as Senator to
ensure the safety of your constituents in Connecticut as well as the rest of the Nation? Mr.
Lyman?”
“One of the most critical duties that any Senator performs is to help ensure the safety of the
American people. To accomplish this, we need a multi-pronged approach. As Deputy Chief of
Staff and subsequently as Chief of Staff to the President of the United States I have had
extensive experience working on these critical issues.
As Senator, I would work to enact legislation that holds foreign Governments responsible for
the terrorist acts of its’ citizens. It’s past time that we get some partnership on this issue with
countries who call themselves our friends.
We are now in the 21st century and we still have State ID cards that any determined college kid
can forge. We need a National ID card. Our law enforcement agencies have to be able to share
information and communicate more effectively with one another. These are all achievable
goals; we simply need to elect the officials who have the skills and the tenacity to bring them to
fruition.”
“Congressman LeVoy?”
“Those remarks sound suspiciously like more big spending Government programs to me. What
we need to do is streamline the Government we already have. We are the greatest nation in
the world, but the direction that President Santos and the Democrats are taking us in make us
look weak to our enemies; to those that would try to do us harm.
As Senator I would work with my fellow Republicans to increase security in the areas where we
are most vulnerable.
What Mr. Lyman did in both Democratic administrations, was to debate and negotiate us right
into treaties that weakened our long term security in exchange for short term peace.”
“Excuse me, Congressman, but there is nothing I am more proud of than the peace treaties I
was privileged to be a part of. I can tell you that the first step to any lasting security is candid
and open communication with all nations we share this planet with. Please don’t tell me the cost
of negotiation and debate; my wife was the sole survivor of the bombing in Gaza, sir.”
“You mean your ‘senior assistant’ was the sole survivor, don’t you?” LeVoy taunted and there
was a moment of stunned silence. Donna held her breath while Josh formed his response.
“Donna, was the sole survivor of that terrorist act, and when it first occurred I wanted nothing
more than to bomb the people responsible back to the stone age. But President Bartlet taught
me a very valuable lesson about not reacting emotionally to politically motivated actions. He
stopped and took a breath while the Republican led Congress railed on him for not
commanding a counter strike. He gathered information and took care of those who had been
killed and injured while Republicans called him a coward. Then he sat down and accomplished
what you and your colleagues called the impossible; he brokered peace in the Middle East.
That is what political leadership should be about. That’s the man I learned it from. And that is
indicative of the kind of leader I will be in the Senate.”
“Yes, President Bartlet may have accomplished a temporary peace, but to do so he
compromised and negotiated instead of striking out at our enemies and showing them we are a
force to be reckoned with.” LeVoy countered.
“Acting as ‘a force to be reckoned with’ is a last resort option. The very fact that it’s the first
trick you pull out of your bag should give voters something very serious to think about.” Josh
replied.
“Thank you gentlemen, we now come to your closing statements. Congressman LeVoy, you will
go first.” The moderator instructed.
“These are serious times in our country and they require a different direction than Mr. Lyman
and his Democratic Presidents have taken us in. We need men and women in the Senate who
will stand up and show our strength to our enemies, who will not negotiate us into weakened
positions.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you know me. I have represented you in the House of Representatives
as a tough, focused individual who makes sure that your voices are heard in the Nation’s
Capitol. A vote for me in November will ensure that we take our country in a different direction
from the one we are currently heading in. Thank you.”
“Mr. Lyman?”
“Well, I agree with the Congressman on one point; these are very serious times in our country.”
Josh began.
“Oh, dear God, he’s gone off the speech.” Toby whispered as he put his head in his hands. “I
can’t watch.”
“So you need to choose your next Senator carefully. He should reflect your ideals, your views,
and your values. He should not use the politics of personal destruction to score cheap political
points and he should not need to prove his strength by using force instead of diplomacy.
Your next Senator needs to be an individual experienced in working with diverse people and
who is passionate enough about his beliefs and ideals to fight tooth and nail for them.
I sincerely hope, that after what you’ve heard and seen tonight, you can see me in that role. I
hope that I’ve earned your vote on November 7th. Thank you.”
“Our thanks to both candidates and the League of Women Voters who sponsored our debate
tonight as well as our audience of voters who took the time to hear the candidates speak.
Thank you and good night.” The moderator barely got the last words out of his mouth before
the applause started and the candidates were joined by their spouses on stage.
Flashing lights from what seemed like a hundred cameras exploded in front of Josh so it took
him a moment before his vision cleared enough that he recognized one of the photographers
currently standing not 10 feet in front of him and Donna.
Colin Ayers.
*************************************
Title: On the Run
Author: Cathy Miller (www.cathyswestwing.com)
Category: Future Fic
Disclaimer: Just borrowing from Sorkin who is busy with studio 60 right now.
Feedback: Pretty please?
Chapter 11
Jesus Christ, Colin Ayres was standing in front of him.
Josh had just begun to feel his body relax and then he saw Ayers and his whole body tensed.
Donna felt his hand tighten around her waist and looked up at him with a curious expression as
Josh’s gaze slid to Congressman LeVoy. Josh caught the smug expression on LeVoy’s face
before he turned it back toward the cameras. By this time, Donna had noticed what, or rather
who, had caused her husband’s tension.
She kept a smile on her face as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “He’s trying to upset you
and knock you off your game.” She advised him. “Wave and smile and we’ll go have a beer with
your pals.”
“I’d rather take care of-“
“I know, but you can’t right now.” She pulled on his arm and led him off stage where they were
surrounded by congratulatory staff and friends. Josh managed to pull it together enough to fool
most of the people around him, but he kept his radar tuned to the exact location of Colin Ayers
at all times. Ayers was keeping a bit of distance between them at present but he never stopped
clicking away with his camera and it was starting to get to Josh.
Just as they were reaching the exit, Colin made his move and approached Donna.
“Miss Donnatella. How about an exclusive for old time’s sake?” Josh gritted his teeth at the use
of his wife’s full name. Donna froze for a second, and that was the only cue Mike Casper
needed before he stepped in between them.
“You’re going to need to step back now.” Mike instructed.
“Seriously?” Colin scoffed and directed his response to Donna. “You’ll walk alone with me
through the streets of war torn Gaza, but you need to be protected from me whilst I try to take
your picture?”
“Things are different now.” Donna said simply.
“I’ll say.” Colin remarked as his gaze cut to Josh who was literally biting his lip. Donna and Matt
Skinner kept him moving and got him into their waiting car even as reporters started asking
Colin questions about his relationship to the Lymans.
“Did LeVoy do that?” Donna asked intently once the three of them were in the car. “Did he
seriously bring Colin here to try and shake things up?”
“Yep.” Josh replied shortly.
“I think what you need right now Josh, is a distraction.” Matt began.
“Are you going to tell me how I killed in the debate?” Josh asked with no humor.
“It was a load of liberal bullshit…” Matt told him. “No, I need to tell you something about our
good friend Mike Casper.” That got Josh’s attention. “He’s been reassigned to the Detroit Field
Office.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
“I am not.”
“The President just gave him a special commendation!”
“And the Interim Director just gave him a commemorative plaque; right before he handed Mike
his transfer papers. I believe he even said something about needing Mike’s special skills in
Detroit.”
“What a load of shit.” Josh summarized.
“Come on, you knew there was a good chance that he would get the bureaucratic shuffle for
crossing the Director. You just can’t DO that and not have career path repercussions.”
“I thought with the obvious endorsement of the President…”
“No Director wants an agent who feels comfortable enough to go over their head to the
President hanging out too close to them…even an Interim Director.”
‘God damn son of a bitch!” Josh practically shouted and the driver turned around to see what
caused the outburst. Josh ignored the driver as Donna smiled wanly at him. Donna knew her
husband’s black mood had a lot more to do with Colin Ayers than Mike Casper. But since he
could do something about Mike and he was helpless to fix things with Colin, Josh chose to
concentrate on Mike at present. Josh held his hand out and Donna didn’t even pretend not to
know what he wanted. She just handed him his cell phone and watched her husband go to work.
********************************************
Josh had ignored his call waiting the first 3 times he heard it beep through; he knew who it was
and he didn’t want to talk to him. By the time it beeped through the fourth time, he resignedly
answered it.
“Yep.”
“Do not, do not, do NOT ruin the news cycle of the day with a fist fight over some stupid Irish
picture taker.” Toby implored him.
“How do you know-“
“He’s on CNBC shooting his mouth off about his close relationship to Donna and the bonding
the two of you did in Germany.”
“My head may seriously explode here.” Josh laid his head back against the seat. “I manage to
keep it together through the entire debate, and now we’re going to lose the news cycle to this
two-bit, fortune seeking asshole?”
“Not if you don’t let him. He is a NON story. Do you hear me?’
“I also heard you tell me he’s shooting his mouth off on CNBC.”
“Any questions you get when you exit your car, get pivoted back to ‘anyone who watched the
debate tonight saw there is a clear difference between where I want to take this country and
where Ted LeVoy has already taken us’. Got it?”
“Are you coming over here?” Josh asked him. Here, was the Marriot Hartford, where they were
holding a post debate reception.
“I think not.” Toby instantly replied. “Keep your head in the game. Shamrock boy is old news.
You already won fair maiden.”
“Yep.” Josh said as he shut the phone and handed it back to Donna.
“I’m sorry…” she said quietly.
“Don’t.” He opened his eyes and looked at her as the intensity of his voice made her shiver.
“Don’t you dare go there. That’s not who we are; blaming each other for past relationships.”
Matt Skinner had to turn away from the intensely personal moment. He really should have
gotten in the other car.
Donna looked at her husband’s earnest expression and gave him a quick kiss. “You did good
tonight. I am very proud of you.”
“They liked your answer on gun control.” He offered.
“I know how to do my research.” Donna bragged a bit. “Let’s call Nate and say good night.”
“Not now. I can’t…just, not now. I’ll wake him when we get home.”
“But that won’t be until tomorrow.” Donna argued and Josh looked perplexed. “I booked us a
room here tonight. Your Mom is staying at the house anyway…”
“God, I love how your brain works!” Josh gave her his first genuine smile since he spotted
Colin. He leaned in and kissed her with a little more fire until Matt cleared his
throat…repeatedly.
“And they worry about homosexuals and public displays of affection.” He muttered.
“Not my people.” Josh countered. “That would be Ted LeVoy’s ilk that you’re referring to. You
know it’s not too late, Matt, you can come over from the Dark Side.”
“In your dreams.” Matt responded laughing.
“I assure you my dreams are much more pleasant, and no one in them looks remotely like you.”
Josh said as he pulled Donna closer to him. Donna dug her phone out again and put it on
speaker so they could both say goodnight to their children.
***************************************************
“Josh! Are you pleased with your performance in the debate tonight?”
“I’m pleased the voters got a true picture of where we each stand on the issues facing us.”
“Donna, are you going to be posing again for Colin Ayers?”
“Who?” she asked playing dumb.
“The Photgrapher, Colin Ayers.”
“Oh, him. It’s been quite a few years since Gaza, and I didn’t leave there under the best of
circumstances. Most of it is a blur.”
“He said you posed for him in Gaza.”
“He’s the one who seems to be interested in poses.” Donna responded. “Although I thought
Ted LeVoy also did a fairly good job posing as an elected official this evening.
“So you believe your husband won the debate tonight?”
“Without a doubt, and the voters are going to second my opinion 4 weeks from tonight.” Donna
offered.
“Thanks everyone.” Josh smiled as they entered the rented ballroom to schmooze with the
contributors and supporters.
“Nice pivot there, Donnatella.” He complimented her as they were engulfed with people who
wanted ‘a word’ with the candidate and/or his wife. Soon, they separated to share the wealth.
When he got to the table shared by Mike Casper, Chris Wick, and several lovely campaign
volunteers, Josh stopped briefly.
“Nice smack downs tonight.” Chris congratulated him. “I’m assuming the well thought out ones
were Donna’s?”
“You wouldn’t be far off.” Josh replied. “When are you heading back to D.C.?” he looked
around at his friends and was careful not to let his gaze linger too long on Mike. After a little
digging, Josh had found out Mike was taking some of his much accumulated sick leave before
he reported to his new post in Detroit, but since Mike hadn’t actually told Josh that news yet,
Josh really didn’t feel like he could bring it up.
“First thing tomorrow.” Chris replied and then smiled at the woman pouting next to him. “Well,
maybe not FIRST thing tomorrow.” He amended.
“You were great tonight, Mr. Lyman.” Chris Wick’s companion gushed.
“Thanks.” Josh answered amused. “Try to keep these guys in line for me, will you ladies?”
“Sure.” The one next to Mike answered seriously, batting her eyes at him. Josh turned to move
on to the next table and found Donna glaring at him.
“What?” he asked innocently. “I’ve already agreed to go to your hotel room with you. Would you
prefer to slip me your key to make it more clandestine and sexy?” He asked directly into her ear.
“Have you been drinking already.” she asked curiously.
“Nothing but H2O, I swear.” Josh raised his right hand.
“Come say ‘hi’ to the O’Reilly’s. They want to compliment you on your performance.” Josh
raised his eyebrows and wiggled them at her a little. “In the debate, you idiot. What are you,
12?”
“If I were twelve, we’d be breaking several laws here in Connecticut. Do we have to say ‘hi’ to
the O’Reilly’s? I’m really not feeling warm towards people of Irish descent at the moment?” Josh
murmured then put on his game face and shook hands with the O’Reilly’s. “Thanks so much for
your support. I’m so glad you could join us tonight.”
******************************************
When Josh and Donna returned to their home shortly before noon the following day, there was
a crowd of reporters waiting for them.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Josh asked her.
“And if I’m not, you’re going to what? Drive around the block a few times?” Donna scoffed. “I’m
as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Josh! Do you think the 4 point bump in the overnight polls is enough of a buffer to guarantee
you the Senate seat?”
“The only poll that matters is the one on November 7th.” Josh answered automatically.
“Do you have any comment about the statement from Colin Ayers about his relationship with
your wife?”
“As much as I’d prefer to believe that Donna never dated any other man before me, I’m afraid
that’s just not true.”
“Has he shown you the pictures he’s unveiling on Larry King tonight?” Another reporter asked.
“Our brief ‘hello’ last night is the first and only contact we’ve had with Mr. Ayers for years.”
Donna replied trying to cover the shock she was feeling. He was unveiling pictures?...On Larry
King? She didn’t dare make eye contact with Josh, so she just kept walking toward the front
door. She could feel her husband close behind her, but didn’t look back at the swarm of
reporters; afraid her face was aflame with embarrassment.
Josh fielded a couple more soft ball questions and followed his wife inside. Donna was already
engulfed in a hug from their son. Ruth Lyman was giving Caitlin a bottle which Caitlin promptly
pushed away when she heard her parents’ voices. Donna took her daughter in her arms as
Nate ran to greet his Dad.
“Daddy, daddy, you did good!” Nate said enthusiastically. “I saw you on T.V.”
“Yeah?”
“Grandma said you did, too. She said you left your wise ass at home. How come you didn’t
bring it with?”
“Mother!” Josh protested. “What did you teach my impressionable son?”
“I was on the phone with Judy and she remarked about how composed you were and I
responded-“
“I know how you responded. Now my son is repeating how you responded. There’s like a million
members of the press all around us today and this is what you’ve got him saying?” Josh
practically shouted and Nate looked up at him confused about why Daddy was mad that
Grandma said he did a good job.
“Calm down.” Ruth directed. “He’ll forget all about it before dinner. You always did.”
“Uh-huh.” Josh said unconvinced. “Donna, can I speak to you for a minute in private?”
“There’s something you need to say to me you can’t say in front of your Mother and children?”
“There are lots of things I say to you that I wouldn’t say in front of my Mother or my children.”
“Can’t it wait? We just got home.” Donna whined making faces at her baby daughter. “I want to
finish feeding Caitlin.”
“Now…please.” Josh insisted and turned to go to his home office. When Donna joined him
there he closed the door with a bang.
“Your mom was just joking with her friend, Josh.”
“That’s not what I- I need to ask you something and I want you to take a minute to think about
the answer before you respond; keeping in mind that I love you and what was in the past, is in
the past.”
“I don’t think I like where this is going.” Donna muttered.
“Are there any…pictures of you, that Colin might have, that could prove…embarrassing?”
“What?” Donna asked not believing her ears.
“I’m not judging. You were both single adults at the time. I just have to know, for the campaign,
if you-“
“What? Posed nude for a foreign photojournalist while I was on a Government assignment in a
war zone?” Donna said with a quiet intensity that made Josh flinch.
“That’s not what I meant.” He said hurriedly when he saw tears gathering in her eyes.
“It’s exactly what you meant. It’s exactly what you said.” Donna’s volume was rising.
“No, I didn’t say you ‘posed’. It’s just that you told me you slept with him in Gaza and he’s a
photographer. It’s not like, out of the realm of possibility, that he might have snapped a couple
pictures.”
“While we were in bed?” Donna asked for clarification. “I assure you that while we were in bed,
he was much too busy to be taking pictures of any kind.”
Josh felt like he’d been slapped.
“Look, you’re the one who got involved with someone you’d only known for four days. Don’t get
all high and mighty with me just because it’s coming back to haunt you now.”
“It’s not coming back to haunt me, Joshua. You’re afraid it will haunt YOU and your precious
campaign!” Donna accused.
“Excuse me, Donnatella, but you’re the one who started us down this path. I said ‘no’ right up
until the time YOU announced I was running and refused to let me retract it.”
“Go to hell, Josh Lyman!” Donna ordered and whipped the door open to leave her husband
standing in the middle of his office alone. Josh had to admit that while her exit line wasn’t
exactly original, it was quite effective.
Ruth Lyman watched her daughter-in-law storm upstairs and heard the bedroom door slam
shut upstairs. She paused, weighing the pros and cons of going to talk to Josh versus going to
talk to Donna. Considering her son was pretty pissed at her for the ‘wise ass’ comment, Ruth
decided Donna was the safer bet. Just to make sure she wasn’t denied entrance though, she
brought Caitlin upstairs with her after turning on a movie to keep her Grandson occupied.
Ruth knocked lightly on the bedroom door. “Donna, can I bring Caitlin in? She’s fussing a little
and I think you’d have a better chance of calming her.”
Donna opened the door and Ruth took in Donna’s shaking shoulders and tear stained face.
“Your son’s an ass, Ruth.” She said quietly and took Caitlin from her mother-in-law.
“And by ass, you don’t simply mean a Democratic symbol, right?” Ruth teased.
Donna let out a shaky laugh. “No.”
“Donna, the last thing I want to do is try to act as a go between with you and Josh. But I would
like you to remember how much he loves you and will need your forgiveness for whatever
stupid thing he just said to you.”
“He accused me of posing naked for Colin Ayers in Gaza.” Donna said softly. “How could he
think I’d do something like that?”
“Oh, Donna, I’m sure he doesn’t think that. He’s tired, stressed, and upset by the presence of
someone he thought he’d never have to see again.”
“All he cares about is whether or not I did something that will tank his campaign.”
“That statement I KNOW is not true.” Ruth told her vehemently. “Is Josh guilty of speaking
before he thinks? Frequently, but there is nothing and no one he cares about more than you
and your children. You know that, too.”
“I sure don’t feel it right now.” Donna told her.
“Welcome to marriage, child.” Ruth replied. “If I had a dime for every time I wanted to kick Noah
Lyman to the curb….Josh is just like him. He has more passion, tenacity, and loyalty than any
other 10 men, but he doesn’t always use the brain God gave him in his personal relationships.”
“You got that right.” Donna agreed.
“I would just like you to keep in mind that he kept control of his mouth throughout a nationally
televised debate with a Republican for two hours last night, and that’s not even counting Colin’s
surprise appearance and the party afterwards. Given how long he’s kept everything tamped
down, it is any wonder that Vesuvius blew just now?”
Donna gave another watery chuckle.
“It was a rare show of restraint on his part.” Donna admitted. “Should I go talk to him?”
“Hell no, let him suffer for awhile by himself. Then he can come to you, grovel a little, and
promise to make it up to you with another trip to Hawaii while I get to stay with my Grandkids.”
“I don’t know…can you handle three kids by yourself?”
“Of course I can handle…3 kids did you say?” Ruth asked for confirmation. Donna nodded.
“I’m pretty sure, but I didn’t want to take the test yet.” Donna told her. “Plus, I didn’t know how I’d
get a test with the press following me around right now.
“Oh, Donna, that’s wonderful!” Ruth cried as she pulled Donna into a hug. Then a thought
occurred to Ruth. “My son said those thoughtless things to you when he knew you were
pregnant? I’ll kill him myself.” Ruth said determinedly.
“No, no. I haven’t told him yet, either.” Donna replied hastily. “He may be an ass, but he doesn’t
have a death wish.”
“Okay then, I’ll only subject him to a little of the silent treatment.” Ruth decided. Just then Josh
opened the bedroom door.
“Mom, will you excuse us for a minute?” Josh asked his Mother, but didn’t take his eyes off of
Donna.
“I don’t know Josh, the last time you spoke to Donna alone it didn’t turn out too well. Maybe I
should stay here and interpret for you.”
“Mom….” Josh finally met his Mother’s eyes and Ruth saw enough humility there to feel she
could trust him in this.
“I’m going to make a quick trip to the drugstore, Josh. Do you need anything?” Josh saw Donna
do a double take and shake her head ‘no’ to something. There was obviously some underlying
message here, but Josh hadn’t a clue what it was.
“What do you need at the drug store?” Josh asked suspiciously.
“Crazy glue.” Ruth answered without hesitation. “Now that the debate is over and you’re ahead
in the polls, I thought I’d super glue your mouth shut so you couldn’t blow it in the final weeks
before the election.” Ruth called over her shoulder as she left.