Where We Go From Here

Title:

Title: Back Home (1/1)
Author: Michelle K. (CageyGrl@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG-13
Archive: If you have some of my other stuff, feel free to have this too. New archives - drop me a line first.
Pairing: Donna/Leo
Summary: Going back to D.C. after a day in N.Y. (sequel to 'A Hotel In New York')

Disclaimer: So completely not mine. I mean is there really a chance that AS would write this?

Notes: Next installment in the "Where We Go From Here" series. Previous installments are:

"Unexpected," "In Need," "Afternoon and Night," "Keeping Secrets," "Just the Touch of Your Hand,"
"This Woman," "This Man," and "A Hotel In New York."

Written in Donna's POV.

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Flying on Air Force One is an incredible experience, even on short trips like this. Maybe it's because so few people will get to be here. Maybe it's because I'm still a little amazed that I get to come along for the ride, even though I've been working with these people for three years. Or maybe there's just...

"What were those statistics again?" Josh inquires, effectively cutting off my reverie.

"Josh?" I say as I look up at him. He's sitting across from me with his 'I'm going to prove you wrong' face.

I had plied him with New York crime statistics when I first saw him in the morning. One, because I know them. And, two, because he would've suspected something if I hadn't.

But, as it is with Josh, this is now becoming a thing.

"Well," I begin. "According to a report Time magazine published last year, crime declined in all of the city's 76 police precincts. Murder dropped by 39%; auto theft fell by 35%; robberies are down by 33%; and burglaries decreased by 25%."

"Are you sure Time magazine is correct?" he asks.

"I would assume so. But you can cast dispersions on the credulity of Time if you wish."

"That good-for-nothing rag," CJ, who is sitting next to me, says with a grin.

"It is a year old report," Josh retorts.

"And all current data shows that crime is still on a downward trend," I say. So muchormaormation has been culled from reading anything and everything. "And arrests are up," I add.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better about you wandering around in the middle of the night?"

"I'm just saying," I reply with a noncommittal shrug.

"When I lived in New York, I was mugged four times," Sam pipes up from his seat next to Josh. "This time, I wasn't mugged once. Granted I lived there for a couple of years and the trip lasted a day..." He's silent for aent.ent. "You know, I don't think my contribution to this conversation is that vital."

"You're always vital, Slappy," CJ tells him.

"Slappy?" Sam says incredulously.

"I got tired of Spanky."

"Okay."

"But, Donna," Josh says, his voice a tad whiny, "I don't care if crime is down or not, you shouldn't go walking around at all hours of the night."

"Nothing bad happened, Josh," I say. "You shouldn't be so upset over nothing. And, anyway, I've taken self-defense classes."

Yes, this is true. It was at my mother's insistence - she called me, quoting unfavorable facts about D.C. crime. (It's from her that I've received my love for trivia.) She said that if I was going to run away from home, I should at least make sure I was able to protect myself. And although I don't think I technically ran away from home since I hadn't lived there for a few years, she did have a point about protection.

"So, you could kick my ass?" Josh says after a moment.

I nod. "I think so."

"I'll get off your back, then," he says with a smile.

"Good idea."

"Where did you go last night, anyway?" CJ asks. "Just curious."

Now comes the time to truly lie through my teeth. This is becoming my least favorite part.

"Well," I begin. "I just walked for a few blocks. Stopped at Starbucks for a Café Mocha." I shrug.

"You could have done that in D.C." Josh says.

"You could've done thnywhnywhere," Sam pipes in. "I've even heard tell of a town in Texas that has two Starbucks right across from each other."

"Yeah." Josh nods. "At least you could've done something more exciting. Like go to a club or something."

"First you want me *not* to leave the hotel. Now you think I should've gone to some strange club?"

"I never said I was consistent."

I narrow my eyes. "Self-defense classes."

"I'll shut up now."

"Good idea."

CJ speaks again. "Well, next time, I think you should stay in your room. If only so Josh won't end up bothering me."

She gives me an odd look for a moment. I don't know what it means, but it reminds me of the look she gave me the night of the fundraiser. I never found out what that look measo Iso I'm still clueless about this one.

"Well, I'm sorry about that," I say.

I'm a little sick of the endless conversations that are springing from what I did last night, but I don't regret doing it. Leo is my boyfriend. I think I'm within my rights.

I was thinking of going back to Leo's room after Josh left. But then the sensible part of me, which had momentarily taken flight, returned. What if Josh locked himself out of his room again and returned to seek my assistance once again? What if I fell asleep and didn't awake until after everyone else had risen?

There would be no way out of that one. And I don't want the revealing of our relationship to involve embarrassment. I'm very anti-embarrassment myself. It sometimes sneaks up on you when you least expect it, but I do try to avoid it at all costs.

But I don't regret a few moments with him.

I'd like more of them myself.

"I'm sorry that Josh was inflicted on you," I continue with a sympathetic nod to CJ.

"Josh shouldn't be inflicted on anyone," Toby answers from his seat a little bit away from our gathering. He was sleeping, but I guess he isn't anymore.

"Hey," Josh protests.

"Sleeping Toby, Hidden Insult," Sam quips.

"Wide Awake Sam, Obvious Idiot," Toby replies.

"Hey," Sam says.

CJ turns her attention to Toby. "What? Are you going to pick on me next?"

Toby stares at her for a moment, then shakes his head. "I don't have a problem with you," he replies.

"Good," CJ responds with a nod. "Because I'm not in the mood to say 'Hey' in an outraged way."

It's a few seconds later that Leo appears. He's been meeting with the President for most of the ride, which I had expected. He looks around at us. "Good morning," he says with a nod.

A mix of "Morning" and "Hi" is the response he receives. I, for the record, say "Hi."

Our eyes meet for a moment. I feel suddenly and strangely self-conscious, so I look at my skirt as I flick off an imaginary piece of lint.

He looks at CJ. "He wants to talk to you."

"I didn't say anything about Notre Dame," CJ replies quickly.

"I didn't say you did. Do you have a guilty conscience or something?" Leo says slyly.

"No," she says nervously. "And if I did, I was coerced. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

CJ gets up and walks away. Leo takes her vacated seat.

I make sure not to lean in too close to him. He's just a guy in a seat next to mine. Just a guy. A guy who's just there. Uh hum.

"How are you?" I ask Leo, also known as just a guy.

"I'm doing alright," he answers. "And yourself?"

"I'm good." I feel his knee brush against mine. It doesn't seem intentional, since his leg shifts away quickly, almost by reflex. But then, his knee is against mine again. It's the most minimal of contact, but it's still something. "Don't have any complaints," I continue matter-of-factly, trying to treat this exchange like the small talk that it's supposed to be.

"You had complaints before," Josh points out.

"Well, I thought you were done picking on me at this point," I retort.

"I wasn't *picking* on you Donna. I was just saying..." He turns his attention to my...to Leo. To the guy who's just a guy. "What do you think about a young woman walking the streets of New York at all hours?"

Sam nudges him. "That's sounds like you're asking his opinion on prostitution," he says.

"Okay. Rephrase. What do you think about Donna walking the streets at night?"

Sam begins to say something, but Josh stops him.

"Another rephrase." Josh thinks for a moment. "Do you think that Donna should be allowed to roam the streets of New York late at night? Considering that even if crime is down, it can't ever be eradicated completely. And that I was locked out of my room because of her roaming."

Leo shifts a little in his seat, but he's completely nonchalant as he makes his point. "Well, it's not her fault that you can't manage to hold onto a keycard. And I think she can take care of herself."

"She's taken self-defense classes," Josh says, with a faint hint of sarcasm.

"I know," Leo replies.

Josh stares at him for a moment, and I think he's surprised that Leo would know something about me that he didn't know until about five minutes ago.

Leo seems to sense that Josh is confused because he quickly states, "Margaret took the classes with Donna. She was blabbing about them a while ago."

Josh seems satisfied by this. "Well, I still stand by what I sai
"
"You usually do," I reply.

Leo glances at me, then moves his gaze to Sam. "So, you talked to Beasley yesterday?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We return to the White House right after we land. It is a weekday, after all. Well, Saturdays and Sundays can be work filled too. But that's not the point. The point is that there is work to be done.

Josh makes a lot of comments about my self-defense ability. He jokes that we should start our own fight club. When I tell him that he is no Brad Pitt and I am no Ed Norton, he fake sulks for a while at what his perceives to be an attack on his looks. I really meant that he and I don't have the muscular bodies or self-loathing that the characters in the movie had. But, if I did explain what I really meant, he'd just ignore the self-loathing part and tell me how his suits hide his muscles.

"I'm telling you, Donna, I'm ripped. You just can't see it through the clothes."

And as much as I like Josh, I don't need to hear him talk twenty-four hours a day. Especially when I know what he's going to say.

I see Leo once for the rest of the day. It one of those saying 'Hey' while passing in the halls kinda things where I try to glance at him as if I didn't just have sex with him less than twenty-four hours ago. It's more for my own benefit than that of others - because I don't think anyone really would notice if I looked at Leo as if he were a three-headed monster.

You know, because there are more important things than how I look at Leo. At least to people who aren't me. Okay, I'm starting to make little sense. I'll just move away from this point.

I arrive home at a little after midnight. My roommate isn't home; she's usually at her boyfriend's place. Except when they're fighting that is. Which, as she's told is is growing more and more frequent. If they didn't have such a volatile relationship, I'd have to find a new roommate.

I change and climb into bed. I can't quite sleep, but I try to close my eyes. It's easier to sleep when I'm with Leo, for some reason. He makes me...I don't know, calmer. But I try, doggedly, for another hour or so. I'm about two-thirds awake when the phone rings.

"Hello?" I say, trying to keep any sleepiness from my voice.

"Did I wake you?" a voice asks from the phone. He doesn't identify himself, but I still know who it is.

"No. I was trying to, but I wasn't quite succeeding. Are you home?" I ask.

"Yeah. Just got in a few minutes ago. I just wanted to say goodnight," Leo says. "So, how was your day?"

"Not bad. Except for Josh trying to coerce me into starting a fight club."

"Fight club?" he says incredulously.

"Yep. He also challenged me to a rumble."

"Rumble?" he says in the same questioning manner.

"He was calling my fighting abilities to question."

"Rumble?" he says again.

"Rumble. But I don've ave a gang, so I had to refuse."

"So Josh *does* have a gang?"

"Well, he says that Sam has his back. He says that Toby is in, too, but I think that Toby just grunted and he took it as a yes." I pause. "You want to be part of my gang?"

"This is the weirdest conversation I've ever had," he says, his voice good-natured and gruff at the same time.

"Well, I think it would be. But you still didn't answer my question."

"Yeah, I'll join your gang," he says haltingly.

"That's all I was looking for. So, how was your day?" I ask.

"Alright. I had a two-hour meeting with William Hunt."

"You can't stand him," I say.

"Nah, I can't. And, strangely enough, he challenged me to a rumble too."

"And now you've got me to watch your back." A moment of silence, and I decide to ask about something that I've been wondering since yesterday. "Leo, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"You knew I had the keycard...I mean, did it occur to you that I might use it? Just out of curiosity."

He pauses. "In the back of my head, maybe."

"You didn't seem that surprised."

"At this point in my life, I'm not easily surprised."

"Yeah, well...we probably shouldn't have done that," I say.

"We definitely shouldn't have done that," he returns, and I can picture the faintly guilty smile on his face.

I smile in response, partly at the still fresh memory, partly at picturing his face at his moment. "No, we shouldn't have. Especially since Josh was doing nothing but bugging me all day. I *could* kick someone's ass," I assert.

"I don't doubt it," he replies.

"Well, you shouldn't."

He chuckles softly. "Is that a threat?"

"No. Unless you're planning on crossing me."

"Well, I was going to, but now that I know the consequences..."

"I knew those classes weren't a waste of money."

"Donna, I'm gonna go now...I just wanted to say--"

"Goodnight," I interrupt him.

"Yeah. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I say.

I close my eyes and try to go to sleep. And, somehow, his voice still fresh in my head, it's easier to drift away.

THE END