Title: Big Picture Summary: A missing scene from The Supremes Note: I loved this episode but I had a problem with Josh totally drunk 'gesticulating wildly' in one scene and moments later perfectly lucid interrupting Senator Pierce and CJ singing. I think *something* had to occur in between. Sentry. That was the job he'd given her for the evening. That's okay, if he was going to put her Mother's cats on the Supreme Court the least she could do was stand guard. And since everybody she was supposed to be watching was already in the building and playing nicely, Donna figured that she was no longer needed on lookout. She started to wander to where the action was and that's when she found him at the door of the Roosevelt Room. When Josh saw her he brightened and waved. He started towards her, but stumbled slightly when he tried to walk. "Josh!" Donna whispered urgently when she was almost to him, "What's going on? What's wrong with you?" She studied him intently. "Donatella…" Josh stopped in front of her and tilted his head, "Did I tell you that you look really pretty tonight?" Donna looked at him through narrowed eyes before realization dawned, "Oh my God. You're drunk!" "Yes." He nodded hard once. "Josh, how did you get like this?!" Donna grabbed his arm and immediately started steering him back towards his office. "Senator Pierce kept pouring. So I kept drinking." He looked back, "Hey where are you taking me?" "Coffee. You need hot black coffee. And you need it right now." "I have to go talk to Senator Pierce right now." He struggled in vain to turn back towards the Mural Room. Donna held tightly on to his arm as they moved through the bullpen, "Nope, we have to try to sober you up first. Quickly." When they reached his office she sat him in his chair, "Stay here I'll be right back with the coffee." "But you don't bring me coffee…" His eyes were wide. "I always bring you coffee when you're drunk." He shook his head defiantly, "I'm never drunk and you never bring me coffee." "See you don't remember that I do bring you coffee, because the only time I do it is when you're drunk. Stay." She ordered as she left his office. When she returned moments later she handed him the coffee and the muffin he'd given her earlier in the week. "What's this?" He asked squinting at the baked good before taking a sip of the coffee. "It's the muffin from the other day." "So it's like a week old?" He grimaced eyeing it disdainfully. "No more like three days and it's been wrapped up. What do you care? You're drunk and we need to put something in your stomach to sop up the alcohol." She replied as she peeled the saran wrap off the muffin. "Hey, why didn't you want it? I bought it for you." He twisted his head to glance up at her. She'd crossed to his side of the desk and was now leaning back against it directly in front of him. "You bought it for me?" She asked unable to hide a grin, "I thought you didn't like it." "Why would I buy it if I didn't like it?" He shrugged taking a bite. With his mouth full of muffin he repeated, "I bought it for you." She couldn’t help it she blushed. It was stupid, she knew. All he did was buy her a stupid muffin, but the small gesture made her feel unabashedly happy. Thankfully he was still too drunk to notice her blush. Besides now he was staring into his coffee mug, "This coffee sucks." "Yes." She nodded, "I think it was brewed during the Lassiter Administration. Drink it anyway." He complied. She went over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Resuming her place leaning against his desk she directed, "Drink some water too." Donna twisted the top off and took a swig before handing it to him. "Et tu, Brute?" He looked at her sadly. "What?!" Donna choked on her mouthful of water. "I didn't expect this from you… but here you are feeding me old pastries, bad coffee and drowning me in liquid…" Donna laughed, "Josh I realize you're drunk, but what the hell are you talking about?" "Senator Pierce said I should have someone taste my food with Ryan around." "Let me guess that's going to be my job." She gave a theatrical sigh. "I don't like him." Josh said sounding more serious and more sober than he had since she found him outside the Roosevelt Room. "Who? Senator Pierce?" Donna asked. "No, Ryan." Donna raised her eyebrow at him. "He's a schmuck. But I meant what I said to him." "What was that?" Donna asked studying the desk. His eyes bored into her, "You are invaluable to me. You know that right? Big Picture, small picture, cat pictures… all pictures." She finally looked up and into his eyes. Her breath caught at the intensity she saw there. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, they were interrupted at that moment by Toby entering Josh's office. "Josh, you gotta get in there, Mulready's on his way to the Oval and CJ and the Senator have just started in on American Pie. We’ll be done with the confirmation hearings before they get all the way through that song." Josh and Donna immediately transferred their gazes away from each other and to the Communication Director. "Right, I'm going." He headed to the door before looking back, "Donna?" She breathed in deeply before she turned to face him, "Yeah?" "Thanks," His voice was low. Donna smiled in return; he was gone before she whispered, "Anytime." The End. |
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