[home]

[3rd person pov]

It was a dark, stormy night.

Okay, so it wasn't that stormy.

Hell, it wasn't that dark either.

So, it was a fairly dark, reasonably blustery mid-winter evening.

And all through the White House not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.

Actually that too seems to be a lie since the majority of the West Wing staffers were still working hard for their Government salaries.

Apart from Sam and Josh who were exceedingly bored, but had been told that they weren't allowed to leave before they'd met up with Leo for a late evening meeting on something very fascinating and governmental.

"I'm bored," said Sam as he sat down on the chair in front of Josh's desk.

"I'm also bored," complained Josh. And they sat there contemplating their boredom for a good ten minutes.

"I'm still bored," said Josh.

Sam thought hard. What could they do to occupy themselves between now and seven o'clock, which was a good two hours away. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to him.

"Let's go play hide and seek!" He suggested excitedly. And all the readers thought, what the hell, I thought this was supposed to be a serious programme about political issues and the running of the White House. Yeah, well, maybe next time.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Exclaimed Josh as any attempt at characterisation went to pot. He calmed down and stopped jumping up and down as he remembered that he was Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House. "Haven't we got better things to do? I'm sure I had some actual work to do, some polls to go over?" He thought for a minute. "Hell, I've not had any better offers all day, let's go play."

It was decided that Sam could hide first since he came up with the idea.

Josh counted to fifty. He was supposed to count to a hundred but he couldn't really be bothered since that would take double the time.

"Ready or not, here I come!" He chanted. He exited his office, and wondered briefly where the hell his assistant had gone to before the searching commenced in full.

He spent five minutes looking, people eyeing him suspiciously as he delved into filing cabinets and drawers and closed them again. And with Toby looking up at him and threatening to kill him with just a look of his eyes if he even dared to speak.

Then there was a loud shriek from the ladies bathroom. Donna's voice could be heard from the bullpen, shouting "Sam! What the hell are you doing?"

Ah ha, thought Josh, my first clue. He approached the ladies bathroom. He knocked three times on the door. "Everything alright in there?" He asked, proud that he was able to seem as though he had no idea what was going on.

Donna opened the door, dragging Sam along with her. "I found him in one of the stalls," she commented icily. "Either of you care to explain?"

Josh thought for a minute. "Sam, what have I told you? If you need the bathroom, you use the *men's*" he sighed. Donna didn't look convinced.

"What's really going on?" She asked, not quite so harsh.

They managed to get her into Josh's office without too much fuss.

"We're playing hide and seek!" Exclaimed Sam. Josh expected Donna to really start yelling at them, for surely they had more important things to do.

"Really! Can I play?" She asked, as the characterisation went from non-existent to worse.

"Sure!" Josh exclaimed, happy in the knowledge that Donna wasn't going to yell at them. "It's our turn to hide!"

He grabbed her hand as Sam turned round, covered his eyes, and began to count to a hundred.

"Where can we hide?" Asked Josh.

Suddenly Donna had a plan. "I know! Follow me!"

It was ten minutes, many unrecognised corridors and stairwells later when they finally found themselves somewhere that Josh didn't recognise. Donna opened a door and ushered Josh in.

It appeared to be a closet.

"Where the hell are we?" Josh asked as Donna shut the door after her.

"The President's closet!" She squealed excitedly.

"How on earth did you know where to find this?" Josh asked, all of a sudden worried that Donna had been having illicit meetings with the President in here. Or even worse, Leo.

"I was looking for Mrs. Bartlet's underwear," she told him. And she didn't laugh. He wondered what messed up, alternate universe he had been placed in this time.

"Excuse me? Why were you looking for Mrs. Bartlet's underwear?"

"Because the President asked me to," she explained.

"The President asked you to look for Mrs. Bartlet's underwear?" He asked, incredulous.

"Yes," she replied. "Is that a problem?" She asked.

"No, not at all. Just wanted to make sure I'd got the story straight," he replied.

They sat there for a further ten minutes before either of them spoke again.

"So, did you find them?" He asked.

"Find what?" She asked.

"Mrs. Bartlet's underwear?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Oh," he replied.

A further ten minutes.

"What were they like?" He asked.

"Mrs. Bartlet's underwear?" She asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"You really want to know?" She asked.

"Not really," he said.

"Then why did you ask?" She asked.

"Couldn't think of anything else to say," he said.

"Oh," she said.

Another ten minutes.

"Sam isn't going to find us here, is he?" He asked.

"Probably not," she replied.

"Then why did you bring me here?" He asked.

"Seemed like a good thing to do at the time," she replied.

"Oh," he said.

Another ten minutes.

"Does it seem like defeat if we go back to the West Wing now?" He asked.

"I don't know," she replied.

"I'm bored," he complained.

"So am I," she complained.

Yet another ten minutes.

"Want to find something to do to pass the time?" he asked.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Like this," he said, kissing her.

"Okay," she replied, kissing him back.

Another ten minutes.

Actually, we'd better leave them a little while longer.

Another ten minutes.

"Well, that was certainly different to our normal Friday afternoon schedule," she said, starting to put some of her clothes back on.

"Huh?" He asked.

"Want to try again?" She asked.

"Uh huh," he replied.

Another ten minutes.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" The President asked as he opened his closet.

"We were searching," Donna said, quite happily.

"Wha' she said," Josh mumbled incoherently.

"For what?" The President asked suspiciously.

"Mrs. Bartlet's underwear. I asked Josh to help me," Donna explained.

"Ahh," The President replied. "Good luck!" He said, closing the door.

Another ten minutes.

"I think we should be getting back," she said brightly, getting her clothes on again.

"Okay," he murmured, eyes closed. "Jus' min't."

A further ten minutes.

They exited. And returned to the West Wing.

"Where did you get to?" Asked Sam, "I couldn't find you anywhere!"

"We were looking for Mrs. Bartlet's underwear," Donna happily provided.

"And you didn't think to invite me?" Asked Sam, pouting.

"Maybe next time," Donna replied.

"Wanna go home," Josh said, exhausted.

"Excellent idea!" Donna exclaimed, "Sam, tell Leo that Josh had to go home after searching for Mrs. Bartlet's underwear. He'll understand."

"Okay," Sam replied.

And Donna took Josh home and they all lived happily ever after.

THE END

[home] [fanfic] [all fanfic] [stand alones] [finding the funny] [feedback]