After tonight part 1.

By Clare

This is my fist Sam/Donna West Wing fic. It starts during the 20 hours in LA fundraiser just after Josh sees Joey after that I’ve pretty much rewrote that episode. So enjoy and remember feedback makes me write faster.

Donna sighed and downed the rest of her glass of champagne. Josh had told her to stop drinking just before he'd gone off to flirt with Joey Lucas. It wasn't fair she'd concluded. Here she was all dressed up for him and the only time he'd paid any attention to her was when she'd been momentarily star struck by David Hasselhoff. Oh well, at the least the champagne was still flowing she thought as she set off in search of another glass.

***

He couldn't believe it. He hadn't seen or heard from Lisa since he'd joined the Bartlets presidential campaign, yet there she was across the room hanging off the arm of her soap star fiancée who he couldn't remember what show he was in let alone his name. Sam had always let people believe the reason Lisa had left him was the campaign in truth she'd left him at the alter for an actor and in Sams opinion, a bad one at that. So that's how he came to be sitting at a bar on his fourth whisky and still not feeling the least bit happy.

"Champagne please." Sam looked across at the leggy blonde and it took a moment for his blurred vision to clear long enough for him to see it was Donna.

"Hey Donnatella." She looked at Sam who looked about as bad as she felt. She smiled at the barman before accepting her drink and sitting down on the stool next to Sam.

"Only Josh is allowed to call me that." She chided softy and Sam didn't miss the sadness that he saw I her eyes when she said Joshs name. He watched as she took a gulp from her drink before asking "What's he done now?" And swallowing some of his own drink which he was now starting to feel a little giddy from after drinking all four drinks in such quick succession. Donna sighed again before answering.

"He's off flirting with Joey Lucas." She thought quickly that maybe telling Joshs best friend that she was upset by this was probably a bad idea but the thought disappeared quickly as she took another mouthful of champagne. Sam had now finished his and motioned for another and waited for Donna to continue. "I got all dressed up tonight and he didn't even notice.

He took a moment to take in Donnas appearance. She wore a simple black dress that reached her knees and contrasted nicely with her now slightly tanned alabaster skin. "Well in my opinion you look gorgeous." He smiled at her again before asking "Yu feel like dancing?"

Donna looked at him surprised. Sam had never been much of a dancer. The few dances he'd been forced into over that years balls had resulted in severe injury to his partners feet. No one ever danced with Sam Seaborn twice.

"No. I think I'll pass. But I do want ice cream. You wanna go find an ice cream parlor?" She downed the rest of her drink before standing up and swaying slightly. "Sure, why not." He to finished his drink and stood offering Donna his arm and together they left the party.

***

"...and then I just sorta... fell." Donna dissolved into giggles as Sam finished telling how he'd fallen off a boat while talking to a major player in the Democratic Party, who the Bartlet campaign had been desperate to get money out of. Which sufficed to say they didn't get.

"Okay Donna? It really wasn't THAT funny...Donna? Yeah, okay, fine. Have a laugh at my expense." Sam looked down at his half melted chocolate ice cream then chanced a look at Donnas face. Then he too started laughing. Once they'd calmed down Donna took a bite of her coconut ice cream and saw Sam staring at her. "What?"

Sam shook his head before replying, "Nothing. Come on it's after one, We've got to catch a plane in 2 hours." Both finished their ice cream before rising from the steps they were sat on and headed back in the direction of the hotel. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so miserable tonight?" Sam took a deep breath before answering.

"My ex- fiancée was there with her new guy and it just threw me a bit that's all." Donna stopped walking and turned looking him in the eye. "Lisa?" Sam just nodded. "That sucks. During the primaries when we all went to Wisconsin? I saw my ex with the girl he was cheating on me with."

"Doctor Free ride? Josh never mentioned it."

"I never told him. Both he and CJ had this protective thing already going on and they probably would have beaten him senseless...Not that I'd would have minded but it might have looked bad you know? Press secretary and Chief of staff of the Bartlet campaign attack un armed doctor." She finished with a little laugh and they continued to walk back to the hotel in silence until they reached the lobby where they found Josh waiting for them.

"Where the hell did you two go! I've been looking everywhere!" Donna rolled her eyes and walked strait past him heading for the desk where she grabbed her key card. "Sam and I went for ice cream." The two men followed her Into the elevator and Sam had to hold back a smirk as Josh carried on. "I was worried sick about you Donnatella, No one knew where you'd gone and Margaret made me promise to keep you out of the way of strange men!"

"Okay Josh? First your not my mother, second since you looked around and realized Sam was gone to then you should have been able to figure out I was with him and there for not with strange men and by the way, I know that's just you talking and not Margaret." Donna finished her little rant and stepped out of the elevator and stopped by her door. "Now, have you both packed?" Sam and Josh nodded sensing that assistant Donna was now in charge.

"I've just gotta shower and change my suit so I'm gonna go back to my room. I'll meet you guys in an hour in the lobby. See ya later." Sam walked into his room and then closed the door. He'd surprised him self by having such a great time with Donna and hoped that it wasn't just the alcohol talking and that maybe they could go out again when they got home. He smiled to himself and headed for the shower.

Mean while, Donna had discovered that when Josh said he had packed, he had in fact put all his clothes on the bed and left it for Donna to do, so instead of being able to take a shower like she wanted to, there she was having had to change quickly and now she was packing Joshs clothes which considering that they were there for under 24 hours, he had way to many of. While Josh continued to rant about her leaving the party until she snapped.

"For gods sake Josh! You were busy with Joey and you really don't need me to hold your hand for that! I was bored, Sam was bored and I wanted ice cream so we left. And now you can finish your own damn packing!" With that she walked out and slammed the door leaving Josh open mouthed while she headed for Sam's room.

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