Title: Speechless
Author: Kristi
Disclaimer: If I owned them, I'd find other things for Josh to spend
his time on. ;)
Summary: A small '17 People' post-ep from CJ's POV
Note: This is my first complete Josh/Donna fic so please be gentle.
Constructive thoughts always welcomed. Also, I need a beta reader, so
if anyone wants to volunteer I'd love you forever and ever!
Archive & Feedback: Hell yeah, mo fo!
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I had just gotten back from my week long trip to Napa for my father's
70th birthday and instead of unpacking my suitcase, I decide to go
into the office and find out what PR disaster awaits my return on
Monday morning. It is rare when I see the West Wing this quiet, with
the lights off and the floors polished, minus the scuff marks created
by the hustle and bustle of staffers. Walking towards my office I
notice that there is one person still in the building, something that
is not totally off for government workers, but catches you off guard
nonetheless.
He always spends the night in his office. He can be found some
mornings asleep at his desk or hungover on his couch, but tonight I
find him sitting at her desk, leaning all the way back in her chair,
and staring at this beautiful arrangement of flowers.
"Josh?"
Never taking his eyes off the flowers Josh waves at me, "Hey CJ, how
was your trip?"
I cross my arms and lean against the partition. "Fine. My father was
happy I was able to make it home for a few days."
"That's good," he replies, still lost in thought.
I smile, finally understanding his fascination with the bouquet on
Donna's desk, "Josh, is it April already?"
He grins sheepishly and runs his fingers through his hair, "Yeah. I
don't think she wanted the flowers."
"Well I could have told you that, Fulbright Scholar."
He looks over at me with a confused look on his face, "What the hell
are you talking about?"
"Donna never wanted anything except to be with y . . . with us."
I think I'm still suffering from the Curse of Bast, or whatever the
hell her name is, because I almost told Josh my theory about Donna's
feelings for him. Josh wouldn't understand why Donna and I confide in
one another, because that female solidarity thing totally escapes him.
Besides, what Josh doesn't know won't hurt him, and Josh most
definately does not need to know that Donna and I routinely
have "Girl's Night Out" and that his name comes up frequently in
conversation, wether Donna means for it too or not.
All I have to say is this . . . boy, are they stupid.
"Josh is there something you're neglecting to tell me?"
He gives me a strange look, but then nods his head.
"You wanna talk about it?" I ask him, going over to sit on top of
Donna's desk.
"We were talking about our anniversary." Their anniversary? How cute
is that?
"And?"
"And she told me the real reason she left Dr. Freeride was because
she was in an accident and he stopped for a beer on the way to pick
her up from the hospital."
"Ah . . ." This was not news to me. One night, Donna had told me the
entire story of why she left Dr. Freeride and why she didn't want
Josh to know the truth.
Josh leans back further in the chair and lets out a really big
sigh. "Yeah. She told me to remember that SHE left HIM."
"Donna is a smart woman, Josh. She made a mistake going back to him
and she doesn't want you rubbing that mistake in her face every year."
"Yeah," he clears his throat nervously before continuing, "I told her
that if she was ever in an accident that I wouldn't stop for a beer."
I smile at that, because it is such an incredibly non-Josh thing to
say. Josh isn't intentionally mean, he just manages to put his foot
in his mouth on a consistant basis. By admitting that he wouldn't
stop for a beer . . . Well, he might as well have taken out a
billboard on the mall that says 'Josh Lyman has feelings for Donna
Moss.'
"What did she say?"
Josh is staring off in space again.
"Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"What did Donna say, when you told her you wouldn't stop for a beer?"
He hesitates, "She said that if I were ever in an accident, she
wouldn't stop for red lights," and then he smiles, as if he is
remembering everything about that moment and saving it forever.
"That must have made you feel really good."
"Yeah," he gets out of the chair and starts to walk toward his
office, but not before stopping and turning around, "You know CJ, she
is the only person I have ever met that can leave me speechless."
"I know, Josh." I wish that I could tell him more, but I can't
because this is something that they have to work out on their own.
He smiles at me and walks over the the desk where I am sitting and
kisses me on the cheek, "G'night Claudia Jean."
"Night, mi amore."
As I leave the bullpen I look over at the bouquet, noticing the
simple beauty of the arrangement. Donna may have had the last word
tonight, but that simple tradition of flower-giving speaks volumes to
anyone paying attention.
And for the first time ever, I find myself hoping that Josh will have
the last word one day and be able to render her utterly speechless
with those three words that I know are already in his heart.
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