Eavesdropping
Status: Complete
Category: Vignette, Character POV
Pairings: Josh/Donna
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: General Season Four and Season Five.
Season/Sequel:Sometime during Season Five.
Summary: Donna overhears something she wishes she hadn't.
Content Warning:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of Aaron Sorkin, NBC. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Author's Notes: This is just a piece of shmultz with very little, if any, plot. It was inspired by one of those e-mails I get sent every so often from friends. You'll probably recognise it as you read the story. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of it on me so I can't actually print it anywhere for you, but if I ever do see it again, I'll be sure to.
Once again it's late in the West Wing and once again I seem to be the only one left apart from Stanley the security guard and a few of his colleagues. Sometimes I wonder if my job's really worth all this hassle.
"Night, Miss Moss," Stanley tips his hat like the respectful Southern gentleman he is and leaves, with the jangle of his keys the only sound in the darkness.
"Night, Stanley," I call out after him.
The bullpen is kinda creepy at night. Usually it's a hive of activity theres always people running around and sheets of paper flying all over the place. At night it's quiet. Too quiet, really. Thank God my day's almost over.
I walk into Josh's office just to leave his schedule for the next day on his desk, not that he'll bother reading it. Besides, he'll probably change about twenty things on it after being in the office for only ten minutes.
I turn to leave, and finally go home to a nice long soak in the tub, when I hear them.
Voices.
Josh and Amy's voices to be more precise. Amy who he was meant to have broken it off with nearly three weeks ago, so God only knows what the hell shes doing here.
I'm just gonna walk on over to my desk, pick up my purse and jacket and be on my merry little way leaving Josh to fend for himself. Knowing my luck, and Josh's, he'll probably be back with her in twenty minutes and that's really the last thing I want to witness.
"Donna."
Oh my God.
That's my name!
Oh God, please don't let them be talking about that night that Zoë was kidnapped! Please!
I'm so shocked I can't move. Their voices seem to be getting closer so I slide in behind the door and pray for the best. If I'm lucky they'll walk right past and not even notice I'm here.
Yeah, and pigs might fly!
"Does this have to do with Donna."
"Donna! Amy, Donna has nothing to do with anything where you're concerned."
She must make some sort of gesture because Josh is still speaking and getting more and more aggravated.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What?"
"That face!"
"What face?"
"That one! That one right there."
"It doesn't mean anything."
"Oh come on Amy, if you got something to say why not just come out and say it."
"Fine."
She sounds terse and I strain a little to hear her.
"Are you in love with Donna?"
"What?" Josh's voice sounds quiet and disbelieving.
"You heard me."
"Amy." I know that tone of voice. It's the warning tone of voice, the one he gets when Republican's piss him off and he gives them one last chance to back down.
"It's okay Josh. It's not as if we're going out anymore and Donna is a very pretty woman, don't you think?"
"No." Sorry? What was that? Did he just say 'No'?
Okay, that's fine. I can deal with that.
So what if my boss doesn't think I'm pretty? So what if my...Josh doesn't think I'm...?
Okay, so this is what it feels like to have your heart ripped from your chest and shoved under your nose.
His voice sounds too steely and strong and sends my heart about ten feet southwards but the glutton for punishment that I am, I can't make myself move from this spot.
Amy snorts in disbelief. "You don't think Donna's pretty?"
"No," his voice is so honest it hurts. He's using his sincere voice, the voice he can't lie with. And it hurts me, hurts me a lot more than I thought it would.
"So it's just my imagination that you always think of excuses for her to stay around?" Amy demands, and through the crack in the door I can see her fisted hands planted on her hips, defiantly daring him to deny it. "You wouldn't want her around you all the time?"
"No." He swallows and sounds a little hoarse.
Bastard.
"Who exactly is it you're trying to fool, Josh? Are you telling me that if Donna walked through those doors right now," she points fiercely at the doors Stanley just left through, "and told you she was leaving, you wouldn't do your damndest to change her mind and make her stay? You wouldn't be distraught if she left you?"
"No."
It's at this point that I zone out. I've heard enough. What more was there to say, or should that be hear? Josh has made his feelings about me abundantly clear. He doesn't love me, doesn't find me attractive and wouldn't give a damn if I left.
I told Josh once that I thought he could find me valuable. And I thought he did.
I thought we were more then just boss and employee. I thought I was more then just his valued assistant.
Now I don't think I'm even that.
And I find it hard to believe because Josh and I... we have a connection.
At least I thought we did. Others seem to think we do. CJ drops subtle warnings every so often, so she obviously thinks there's more to our relationsip. How could we have all gotten it so wrong? So horribly wrong?
He moves into the office and kicks the door shut after him without even looking around. He stares out the window, his shirtsleeves rolled up and his hands on his hips. He looks up at the ceiling, I wouldn't mind so much if it fell on him now, and sighs tiredly. I don't think I've ever heard him sound so tired before.
I don't know what to do. Should I yell at him, hit him, throw that damn coffee pot at him?
But for what?
Just being his assistant?
That's my job, it's what I'm paid to do.
Would Margaret attack Leo for saying what Josh just did?
Maybe I should just leave.
Maybe I sh-
"Donna."
When did he turn around?
I don't know what to say to him and now he's panicking.
I think I'm crying.
Well tough, I don't care anymore, and neither does he evidently.
He comes over to me and grabs my upper arms, rather forcefully there Joshua.
"I'm going home," I whisper, barely, cos my voice is all shaky and 'emotional' as Josh would say. But dammit I'm angry and I hate him!
I so don't.
"No, wait!"
I manage to squirm my way out his grip and get about half a foot when he grabs my upper arm again.
"Donna, Donna please. Just, just let me explain, okay? And if you still, if you still wanna leave then, okay."
"What's there to say Josh? I heard you. Are you going to tell me what you said to Amy was a lie?"
"No."
Well I didn't think I could feel any worse. Got that wrong.
My eyes fill up with tears but I don't care, why is he doing this to me!
"Donna, don't, don't cry." He brushes a thumb against my cheek and I pull my head back angrily. I don't want him touching me.
He sighs and his grip loosens.
"I don't think you're pretty Donna. I, I think you are the most gorgeous, amazing, beautiful person I have ever had the privilege to meet."
"Wh-what?" I cant really see him properly what with the blurring of tears and all so I wipe at them because this could be the most important conversation I've had in my entire life. "B-but Amy...?"
"Asked me if I thought you were pretty, and I didn't lie to her." He smirks down at me. "Besides, you think I'm really going to tell Amy how I feel about you, before I even tell you?" he scoffs but I can't say I'm completely satisfied.
Hes being incredibly infuriating.
"I don't quite...?" I'm still not sure if I want to kick him or kiss him, but I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. For the time being.
He sighs again, and doing his best not to roll his eyes at me.
"I don't want you around me Donna. I need you around me, it's not something I have a choice about, and if I did, I'd still have you around me. And if you left me," his grip tightens on my arms again and his eyes look incredibly tormented, "I wouldn't stay here pining after you cos I'd just pack everything up and follow you. I need you to share this with me," his arm juts out encompassing the whole room. "Politics is, is something I love and it's an incredible high, but without you to share it with...it's nothing. I need you Donna. You're my rock, you keep me grounded when I go off on one of my half-baked schemes or get just a little overzealous with yet another victory over the Republicans."
My eyes widen. Is Josh admitting that hes wrong sometimes?
"Where's my Dictaphone when I need it?" I say in a tone of amazement.
He grins down at me. "That was a once in a lifetime occurrence Ms Moss, and without proof nobody's ever gonna believe you."
I shake my head. "So what you're trying to say here Joshua is...?"
He sighs and frowns looking down at me. "You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"
I smile charmingly up at him and he whines like the child he can be sometimes.
"Donna! You know I'm no good at these things."
"Too bad Joshua. You should have thought about that before you opened that big hole you call a mouth and gutted me like a fish."
"Gutted you like a fish!" he smirks down at me.
"Joshua!"
"All right, okay." He takes a deep breath. "Donna, you are the best person I have ever met and the only one I can see any future with. And I...I love you."
I think my heart just melted!
"Even if you are an insolent assistant and completely abandon your duties."
Okay not feeling so melted anymore.
"Brining you coffee was not in my contract Josh."
"I'm just saying. Margaret brings Leo coffee."
"Do you want Margaret to be your assistant?"
"No."
"Well then stop complaining! Besides, you love me."
I grin stupidly up at him and he scratches the back of his neck, wincing.
"Is this gonna come up every time you do something I don't like?"
"Yes."
"Huh. Okay, but I better be getting something in return."
He wraps his arms around my waist. He's got nice, warm, strong arms.
"You get me."
I get a flash of a cocky grin before he puts his lips to better use.
Finis
© 2005 Copyright held by the author.