Connected

Part 5 - Watching The Moon

"So you know what you should do?" Will asked Josh.

"What?"

"Ask her out."

"He's right," Toby agreed from the other side of the darkened cabin.

"No. What I should do is stop telling you two anything."

"Well, maybe," Will agreed. "But you just spent the last hour telling us how you feel. So do something about it."

"It's not that simple."

"Sure it is."

Josh sighed. "Toby, tell him it's not that simple."

"It's not that simple," Toby agreed.

"Thank you," Josh said.

"Why?" Will asked.

"Nobody knows Josh better than Donna," Toby continued.

"Ah," Will smiled, "I can see how that would be a problem."

"Excuse me!" Josh squealed. "That's not why it's not simple. Why would knowing me well be a reason not to..... yeah, okay forget I asked that. What you both need to do is stop thinking of us as Josh and Donna and start thinking of us as White House Deputy Chief Of Staff and his assistant."

"Okay," Will agreed. "Go on."

"Can you imagine what the press'd make of us dating?"

"We've faced tougher problems than that," Toby pointed out. "The President and MS. Leo and drink and drugs. Sam and a call girl. You and Capital Beat. You and secret plans."

"Communications director getting his ex-wife pregnant," Will added. 

"Thanks," Toby grunted.

"What if she said no?" Josh asked.

"Then it'd provide entertainment for the rest of us," Toby smiled.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"Yes," Toby agreed.

"You should ask her this weekend. It's romantic here in the woods," Will stated.

"Romantic?" Toby asked.

"This is your first stay here isn't it?" Josh asked. "Camp David is not romantic. And I'm not asking Donna on a date while we're here. For a start, where would we go?"

"The President's barbeque tomorrow?" Will suggested.

"Is this the reason you've not had a date in two years?" Josh asked him.

"I have. It's just that she proved to be insane," Will protested.

"Rather like Amy," Toby added.

"Yes. And there's another reason I'm not asking Donna out while we're here. Amy already thinks there's something going on between us."

Will laughed. "You know, when I first met the two of you, I thought there was. I thought maybe it was a secret affair," he said. "But I asked Sam and he laughed."

"Sam laughed?" Josh bristled.

"Yes. At the irony of my question apparently."

"What irony? I don't...."

"The irony of you and Donna being the only ones it was a secret from," Toby supplied.

"Oh."

"Why do you care what Amy thinks?" Will asked.

"I thought she was dating Gary Fletcher?" Toby added

"She is."

"And you don't care?"

"Why would I?"

"Because when you found that Mandy was dating Lloyd Russell, you weren't too pleased," Toby pointed out.

"Mandy?" Will asked.

"Josh's ex from the first campaign."

"Didn't she work at the White House for a while?"

"I think that's some kind of plot," Josh told them. "I stop dating someone and the White House employs her."

"It's happened twice in five years, Josh," Toby pointed out.

"I've only had two ex-girlfriends in five years."

Toby returned from a meeting to find Josh sat in their cabin reading some papers, but there was no sign of Will. "Where'd Will disappear to now?" he asked 

"Gone to find Charlie and get more details on his cousin, who Will took quite a liking to in the Hawk And Dove the other night," Josh smiled.

"I never thought I'd say it, but he's worse than Sam." Toby sat down and watched Josh for a second. "I wanted to ask....." he trailed off and, to Josh's surprise, looked embarrassed.

"Ask what?"

Toby tried a different approach. "Andi and I have decided that the twins shouldn't be raised in one religion."

"Andi and you have decided that?" 

"It seems fair.  As long as they learn both cultures and religions they can decide when they're older which they want to follow."

"If any," Josh couldn't help but add.

"Yeah," Toby reluctantly agreed. "But they're still going to need...... Will you...." Toby hesitated and sighed. "Would you be Huck's godfather?"

Josh stared at Toby wondering if he heard right. "Me?"

Toby looked like he wanted to the ground to open up right now and shallow him whole. He'd been meaning to ask Josh for over a week. When Andi said that she'd choose Molly's godparents and he could choose Huck's, it was a surprisingly easy choice, but the actual asking had proved to be a lot harder. "Yeah. I mean, I understand if you don't want to, but......"

"Don't want to? God, Toby, it'd be an honor. Thank you." Josh was genuinely touched and quite alarmed to feel tears at the back of his eyes.

"I've asked CJ to be godmother. We want you to be kvater and Christian style godparents."

"I have no idea what a Christian godparent does, but okay," Josh grinned and walked over to Toby, who stood and hugged him.

"Thank you," Toby smiled. "And I'm sure the President will be more than happy to fill you in on your role."

"This is a nightmare," Donna announced as she flopped onto Josh's bed.

Josh looked up from the desk. "What is?"

"This trip. A nightmare."

"Dare I ask why?"

"Do assistants normally accompany their bosses to Camp David?" Donna asked in a slightly strange voice.

"You know they do. You're sharing a cabin with Margaret. Last time we came Carol....."

"I wasn't asking you, I was quoting her."

"Her?" Josh asked.

"Amy." Donna managed to make that one word sound like the anti-Christ.

"Oh her. When did you have the pleasure?"

"She cornered me this morning when you were all meeting with the President. She thinks I'm here 'cos you're here."

"You are."

"No. I don't mean as your assistant. I mean she think I'm here with you."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Josh asked, before he had time to stop himself.

"I think it may be a misuse of Government funds."

"True," Josh agreed. "So you're not having fun then?"

"I was until then. You?"

"I'm having a very strange time. The president's decided to have a barbeque tonight, which has to be the most bizarre state dinner in history."

"At least it's not chili," Donna pointed out.

"Yeah well I think feeding Jed Bartlet's chili to the prime minister of Great Britain may be a form of regicide."

"That'd be if he fed it to the Queen," Donna laughed. "But I get your point."

"Then," Josh continued, "Toby's asked me to be Huck's godfather."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Josh grinned.

"I didn't realize that was a Jewish custom."

"Kind of. It's called Sandek in Hebrew or, if you want to impress him with your Yiddish, Kvater. Luckily it's not the same as a Christian godfather and I won't be responsible for his spiritual upbringing," Josh smiled. "Then I made a decision about something I've been trying to work out for some time."

"Sound's ominous."

"Maybe. You see I was wondering, and I understand if you think I'm insane, but I was wondering, when we get back to Washington, would you like to go for a drink or a meal or a movie or something?"

Donna tried to look nonchalant, just in case he didn't mean what she hoped he meant. "We do that all the time."

"I don't mean as friends or colleagues."

"Ah, you mean like a date."

"I do mean that, yes."

"Me and you? Go on a date? Together?"

"What do you think? Am I insane?"

"Completely," Donna smiled. "And I'd love to go on a date with you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent," he grinned.

"But I thought after that night we'd agreed it wouldn't work, with our jobs and everything?"

"I know we did. But that was the best Saturday night and Sunday morning I can remember. Call me selfish, but I want more of those."

"Me too, only without Toby interrupting us."

"Definitely," Josh agreed.

"So this'd be like a secret relationship?"

"For now, would that bother you?"

"I'd want to tell everyone, but I can keep a secret in the interest of national security," Donna smiled.

"Joshua," CJ called through the trees. "My fellow godparent."

"Claudia," Josh grinned. "We're going to have a godchild. How do you feel?"

"Flattered. You?"

"Shocked. I can't believe he's asked me. I know he was unlikely to stick to tradition and ask his father, but I'd have thought he'd have chosen his brother."

CJ smiled as she and Josh walked to the President's cabin. "He did."

"There's two godfathers? Is that a Catholic thing 'cos Andi's....?"

"There's only one godfather, you," CJ told him as they entered the President's cabin and walked to the study.

Josh stopped and stared at CJ for a second before a slightly bashful, yet extremely happy, smile spread across his face.

CJ smiled back, "You two have come along way in the last five years. I always knew you'd become friends."

"Ah it's the godparents," Jed smiled as CJ and Josh entered the study. 

"Mr President," Josh smiled nervously.

"Mr President," CJ echoed Josh's words and mirrored his expression.

Leo laughed, "They know you too well, Sir. I think I might just go and see.... "

"No, Leo, stay. I just want to make sure they know what duties godparents have."

"That's what they're afraid of," Leo grinned.

Jed smiled and motioned for CJ and Josh to sit down. "You'll be relieved to hear that I can only spare five minutes. CJ, you're a Catholic so you should know what your duties are, Josh on the other hand.... " he turned his attention to his deputy chief of staff.

"CJ's going to fill me in, Sir," Josh tried.

"Good," Jed smiled, though he was still keen to carry on with one of his favorite pass times, tormenting his staff. "You know you're going to be responsible for the child's spiritual upbringing?"

"Yeah, I think that may have been Toby's idea," Josh smiled. "I may not be his ideal Jewish role model, but anything's better than nothing."

Leo shook his head. "You really think that's why he chose you? You're not the only Jew he knows."

"Yeah," CJ agreed. "And like you said, you're not the ideal Jewish role model," she grinned. "He chose you 'cos you're his friend."

"Okay," Josh looked extremely embarrassed.

"Leave him alone," Jed smiled. "Now Josh, Catholic godparents are responsible........"

Josh was on his way to Leo's cabin, when Charlie and Will caught him up.  "So did you ask her?"

"Ask who what?"

"Did you ask Donna out?" Charlie persisted.

"Who said I was going to?"

"Will," Charlie grinned.

"Hi," Will smiled nervously.

"Why would you tell Charlie something like that?" Josh asked.

"I thought we agreed last night that you were going to? It's been eight months, it's about time you made a move."

"Made a move?" Josh asked.

"Eight months?" Charlie asked at the same time. "It's been five years."

"It hasn't been anything. Now leave me alone."

"Sorry," Will sighed. "Did she say no? 'Cos I know that can hurt."

"She didn't say no."

"She said yes," Charlie grinned.

"I_didn't_ask_her."

"Okay," Charlie smiled. "But you're going to?"

"No."

"Josh," Leo called.

"Thank God for that," Josh muttered. "Meetings to attend, got to go," he said as he escaped Will and Charlie.

Leo smiled at the look on Josh's face. "You look stressed."

"Being harassed."

"About?"

"Will, Charlie and Toby think it's about time I asked Donna out on a date."

'They're not the only ones,' Leo thought as he and Josh enter his cabin.

By 10pm the day's meetings were over and the staff from both countries were relaxing. The barbeque was in full swing, luckily the president wasn't doing the cooking, although he had threatened to show the chef the best way to grill steak. Josh spots Donna talking to a guy he recognized as being a British aide. He walked over and interrupted. "Sorry, I need to borrow Donna for a minute." He lead her away with a grin,

"What are you doing? He's a nice guy, he was telling me about this little village he's from in Yorkshire."

"Yeah that's great," Josh said. "I want to show you something." He placed his hand on the small of her back and steered her away from the party.

"We can't just disappear, people will notice."

"No they won't. We'll be five minutes. There's like a hundred people here. I want to show you something," he repeated.

"Really?" Donna grinned.

Josh laughed, "Maybe later. For now I just wanted to show you the moon."

"The moon? I've seen the moon before."

"Yes, but normally the sky's brightened by the city lights. From the woods behind the camp it looks completely different."

Donna followed Josh through the woods, Secret Service agents let them through the security after seeing their id tags. Soon they were stood in a small clearing, looking up at the moon and the stars. Donna had to agree, it was beautiful. Josh put his arms around her shoulders and she leans back against him. He rested his chin on her head and she took hold of his hands. She slowly turned around to face him, placed her arms around his neck and kissed him, gently at first, but he responded with passion. Just as his hand strayed to her breast she pulled away.

"Sorry," Josh said.

"Don't be, I want you do that, but not here, it'd be wrong."

"I know," Josh reluctantly agreed, then he grinned. "Everyone's at the barbeque, so my cabin's empty."

"You don't think we might be missed if we're away much longer?" Donna grinned.

"Yeah," Josh sighed. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"To tomorrow night then."

"Where have you been?" CJ asked Donna.

"I left something in my cabin."

"Leo's been looking for Josh, he seemed to disappear about the same time you did." CJ gave Donna a searching look.

Donna recovered quickly, "He's over there talking to Toby," she nodded in Josh's direction.

"Right. What did you forget?"

"When?"

"In your cabin," CJ prompted.

"My wallet."

"You think there might be something you want to buy?"

Across the other side of the barbeque Josh was getting the same grilling. "Your cell phone?" Toby asked.

"Yes, I left it my cabin."

"Show me."

"What?"

"Show me your cell phone," Toby demanded.

"I, err...... "

"Maybe you left it in the woods," Toby suggested.

Josh sighed, "You saw us?"

"Yes. What do you think you're doing?"

"Last night you and Will said...... "

"We said you should ask her out, not take her into the woods and........."

"Don't finish that thought," Josh instructed. "We were looking at the moon, okay."

"The moon?" Toby smiled.

"Yeah," Josh looked a little embarrassed. "It's really clear from here."

"That's because there's no interference from the city lights," Toby absently replied."Did you ask her then?"

"Yes I did, and she said yes."

"Good," Toby smiled. "Are you going to tell Leo and CJ?"

"No, not yet."

"Brave," Toby commented.

That's All For Now