A/N: I want to be very clear up front: I never intended to write another chapter on this. I'm grumbling as I write this. I tend to end stories when I have nothing else to write and despite many protests to continue story lines beyond, I tend to stick with my original decision. However. As one reviewer pointed out to me, I did not mark it complete. And as a result, I had to do it. I just had to do it. My conscience told me it was required.

Larry Claypool, General Counsel for Freedom Watch, read the various newspapers and internet reports for anything done by the White House which could be actionable.

He had spent a lot of time in the last several years filing lawsuits and submitting Freedom of Information Requests as regards goings on there. As far as he was concerned, the whole place was filled with morally-corrupt, communistic traitors, who hated freedom and wanted to waste the money of taxpayers.

He selectively ignored the fact that his efforts had wasted more taxpayer money than anything the White House staffers had done.

His latest direct effort had been the scandal of Congresswoman Andrea Wyatt having two children out of wedlock with White House Communications Director Tobias Zachery Ziegler and the Congresswoman had failed to inform the voters during the campaign.

Unfortunately, the liberal judges appointed by those communist bastards and approved by the traitorous Rinos in the Senate had finally thrown out his perfectly reasonable lawsuit on the behalf of those disenfranchised voters.

As he continued to comb through the newspaper stories and internet reports, his phone rang. He picked it up. "Claypool speaking," he muttered into the phone as he carefully reviewed one story.

"Mr. Claypool. Mary Marsh, Christians for Moral Government."

Larry immediately concentrated. "Mary. I haven't heard from you for a while."

"I know. After Caldwell was intimidated by Bartlet, I found that I could no longer work with him. But I've been keeping an eye out. And I have something for you."

Larry Claypool was almost giddy, but he kept it calm. "Oh?"

"I have reliable reports that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman," Larry was amused by the utter disdain with which the name was said, "recently spent a weekend at the Four Seasons here in DC. And he wasn't alone."

"Really? Who else stayed there?"

The voice on the phone actually was giddy as Mary Marsh said, "His assistant: Donna Moss."

This was exactly what he had been looking for. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. And I have a reliable witness that it was fully paid for by Leo Thomas McGarry, White House Chief of Staff, and President Josiah Edward Bartlet."

"How reliable?" he asked urgently.

The answer was smug. "He provided physical copies of the receipts."

Larry felt better than he had for a long while. "You and I should have lunch together."

"Definitely."

Josh Lyman was actually feeling quite nervous as he escorted his date for the night to the table. Donna was looking around at the very romantic and very expensive restaurant with a bit of a star-struck look.

Once he had seen her initial reaction to where she had been brought, Josh only barely could restrain himself from yelling out, "Who da Man?" He only stopped himself because Donna would have immediately deflated his ego – which he was actually okay with.

She provided a very valuable check on him getting inappropriately enthusiastic. Though he would have to admit, if pressed, that she was utterly adorable as she did such things.

The two ordered dinner. When she saw the menu she said, "Where are the prices?"

He gave her his most dimpled smirk. "You don't worry your pretty head over that. I asked you. This is a date. It's my job provide the most enjoyable experience possible and to take care of all the details."

She looked at him and said, "I thought we agreed to split costs."

"Yeah. No. Not this time. It's my treat. And you get what you want. And I'll get what I want. I'll even get the most expensive drinks if I decide to."

"No you won't – at least not more than one. You have a sensitive system." Her face showed how dismissive she was of such a claim. The waiter had to interrupt their flirtatious bickering. Not because it was inappropriate. But because the other diners present were being distracted by the discussion and had started watching them (and snickering) rather than paying attention to their own dinners and dates.

Donna blushed as she noticed. Josh just flashed his dimples all around.

The dinner was excellent. And when desert came, Josh ordered the 'special desert.'

Donna looked at him suspiciously. "Special desert? What is this 'special desert'?"

He grinned. "You'll see when it comes."

"Josh?" she said querulously. "This better not be a special joke that you cooked up when you called Sam."

Josh looked at her incredulously. "How did you know I called Sam?"

She rolled her eyes. "Who is you Assistant? Who handles your phone calls?"

"But I didn't even ask you to help get the call through!" he said.

She grinned herself. "Special powers." She then asked, "What did you talk about?"

He smirked. "That was private between my and my friend."

"Josh?"

His smirk just became more prevalent.

Finally, the waiter brought the tray over. He carefully placed the dessert wines down first, then the dessert for the man, and then the final plate. It had a particular construction.

Donna started saying, "I don't know why you got yours first." She was heckling him, adorably. "I mean …." She looked down at the dessert and sounded a small gasp. She looked at Josh.

He grinned. "Come on. Open it."

She took her hand and reached for the small box made out of hardened icing. Inside was a pillow of strawberry cotton candy. On top of the fluff was a small ring. She looked back at Josh, shocked.

Josh slid off his chair onto one knee. "Look," he said a bit more seriously. "We've been avoiding things for too many years. There's no one who knows me better than you and no one who knows you better than me. This is it for me. It's you or no one, for me. Would you marry me?" He was very sincere.

Finally, her inability to breathe calmed just enough for her to gasp out, "Yes."

He smiled shyly as he carefully reached over and picked up the ring and then reached for her hand and slid it on. With that, she squealed and then kissed him.

There was much applause from around them, which finally distracted them (it took some effort).

They thoroughly enjoyed splitting his dessert. Donna wanted to save her dessert forever; it wasn't an uncommon request for the creation to be boxed back up by the request of the bride-to-be. (It was made of sweets that kept longer for just that reason.)

As they left the restaurant completely distracted, they suddenly were confronted by a man wearing a trench-coat snapping pictures of them.

Josh and Donna looked at each other. Donna's face morphed from the initial shock to a small smirk of her own which mirrored the one that came over his face. Both looked at the photographer and started posing. After allowing him to take several pictures until he realized that they weren't running, Josh said, "Can you make certain you send copies of those to the White House? I've got a lot of friends who'll want to see them."

Donna said, "And my parents too! Thanks!"

The man looked at them in shock and then ran off without saying anything. Josh and Donna just snickered together.

Two days later the PI came into the office for Freedom Watch and went directly to Larry Claypool's desk. He dropped the envelope on the desk and then said, "This is the last time for me. Next time, get someone else." The man turned and walked out.

As he walked down the street, he glanced at the blue mailbox which contained the envelope containing the other copies of the pictures. That envelope was addressed to Joshua Lyman at the White House and contained extra copies for Donna Moss to send to her parents. It also contained a copy of the negatives.

Claypool hadn't been paid for exclusive copies.

Larry Claypool had called normal "clients" that agreed to be the interested party for actions that his organization took.

With glee he completed the FOI filings and subpoena requests to investigate the scandalous affair. He then drafted a letter to the White House demanding that Joshua Lyman be fired along with Donna Moss.

Being a "normal action" the FOI request went through easily. A few days later he received official answers back. The FOI information was provided with little effort but the letter from the White House Counsel didn't even attempt to placate. It was a legalese answer basically saying, "No. Go away."

But the White House did verify that the Chief of Staff and the President did pay for a weekend at the Four Seasons for Lyman and Moss.

And then the request submitted to the court came back. Instead of certified copies, the request had been denied.

He immediately filed an appeal.

However, at this point he knew he had a cover up. He called a reporter who worked the White House. "Hello. This is Larry Claypool at Freedom Watch."

"Mr. Claypool. How can I help you?" the voice came back.

"I think I have a story you want to investigate. I have written and photographic evidence of personal impropriety by two high-level White House Staffers. I just thought you might want the exclusive." Larry was feeling rather smug as he spoke.

The voice was skeptical. "Are you sure? We've seen these things before … McGarry pretty much skated when the whole Valium thing came up and even Bartlet lying to us about MS didn't work out the way it should have. How bad can it be?"

"I have evidence of an inappropriate affair between a staffer and his assistant. And it's still going on now."

"Really?" The voice sounded intrigued. "Okay. Now I'm interested. Which staffer?"

Schadenfreude was a German word which didn't have an exact English translation, the closest approximation being "shameful joy at someone else's misfortune." However, it was the closest approximation to what Larry Claypool felt as he answered the question. "White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman."

There was a pause on the phone as the reporter considered this. "Lyman and his assistant, Moss?" The tone was neutral.

"Yes. I even have pictures of them coming out of a high-priced DC restaurant hanging all over each other."

Larry heard a sigh over the phone. "Damn. I thought you had something new. Lyman and Moss? That's old news."

"No. There were rumors and now there's proof."

"Doesn't matter. No one cares. Call back when you have something that anyone will care about." Click.

Larry looked at the phone handset in shock. Didn't his reporter contact realize how important this was? He shook his head and started listing out phone numbers for different reporters who might be more amenable.

He was shocked to find that he couldn't interest any reporter in the matter, no matter how much they hated Democrats or the Bartlet White House.

He just didn't understand it.

It was even worse the next day. He turned on CSPAN and watched the scheduled morning briefing – always an opportunity for them to be caught in a lie.

One of the questions caused him to really pay attention. "Rumors have spread regarding a private relationship between Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman and his assistant. Would the White House care to comment?"

Larry Claypool felt glee as he watched Craig react to the question. However, the reaction was quite … bland. "The White House doesn't comment on the personal lives of its employees. However, personally I was informed that as of last week, Mr. Joshua Lyman of Connecticut and Ms. Donnatella Moss of Wisconsin are now engaged to be married." Cutting off several shouts she said, "No. A date hasn't been announced. I'm sure they'll accept the good wishes of anyone who's interested in passing them along. And God knows we're happy that they've finally resolved whatever issues prevented them from taking care of this sooner. If you want more information, you'd have to ask them – when they aren't working. It just isn't something that has much bearing on their positions."

There was a pause and then Craig added with a snark, "Or not much anyway. Personally I'm glad that someone has finally taken control of Josh's leash." There were snickers all around in the press room.

And then … nothing. No one asked any more questions. No one delved deeper into a possible scandal. It was treated as a minor, unimportant matter that had little bearing on the nation's politics.

Claypool just didn't understand why it was so unimportant.

Josh returned to his office from Senior Staff. After a test run, it was decided that Donna didn't actually need to attend Senior Staff and that it was more efficient to handle matters as they had been for the last several years. Truly nothing had changed, the exception being that many White House staff members felt more free to address things to Donna Moss and allow her to decide what should and shouldn't be handled by Lyman personally.

Overall, Josh Lyman actually became much more bearable because the stupid shit that he had formerly pawned off to Donna after getting upset about it was often now handled without him ever having to get involved. It was cleaner, faster, and much less stressful all around.

Toby Ziegler was even heard to have commented that things sent to Josh's area were more quickly dealt with and passed back without him having to get annoyed to prod them along. Leo had even written a nice letter for her personnel file as an acknowledgement of her good work.

Bill Sneeps and Gary Lawson and their Senate friends were even quietly complimented by the Minority and Majority leaders of both houses. Since their accidentally submitted law, both Republican and Democratic members of Congress had experienced a much easier time getting things in and out of the White House regarding matters that required them to do so.

Many Republicans even expressed regret that it hadn't happened years earlier, regardless of how much they despised Lyman politically – he was too good at what he did to slip things in which they wanted to pass quietly.

Donna Moss and Joshua Lyman had been invited to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with Josh's mother. Josh Lyman loved his mother but utterly despised Florida – there were too many Republicans and it was always contentious during elections.

Donna Moss had also had her own parents calling to visit them during Thanksgiving. But she had just gotten Josh into her bed and didn't want to spend a whole weekend playing "innocent" with her family about.

Upon listening to his erstwhile son bemoan the possibility of being forced to visit dairy land or the geriatric Mecca, Leo McGarry smirked and said, "You're missing the obvious."

Josh looked at him and said, "Obvious? What's obvious?"

Leo, still smirking, said, "Me and your dad went way back. I know exactly the kind of trust fund he left for you. It's not the kind of thing we ever bring up because a lot of the people around us aren't as well off. But this is exactly the kind of thing I think he'd want you to spend money on: Bringing your families together to speed up the process of grandchildren. You can't deny that Noah would have been over the moon about you getting married."

Josh considered that for a long moment and then said, "Okay. How would I work this?'

The extra people visiting even caught the attention of Jed Bartlet. "Josh? What's this I hear about your mom and Donna's parents visiting over Thanksgiving?"

Josh eyes widened as he answered without emotion. "We're being invaded from cowland and sugarland. It's going to be a nightmare. With all kinds of girly and romantic things as our mothers start involving themselves in planning our wedding."

Bartlet grinned. "There comes a time in every man's life when they just have to admit defeat and placate the women. I know. I spent years living with four girls." Josh looked horrified. "Besides: Won't this make your future wife happy?"

Josh sighed and put on a harried pout. "Yes. Unfortunately."

Jed watched the man who he considered a son – something he shared with his Chief of Staff. Finally he said, "Let's make it a bit easier. We're not getting the girls in over Thanksgiving – they won't show up until the tree-lighting on the weekend. Tell them the President of the United States is inviting them to have Thanksgiving dinner at the White House."

Josh immediately wanted to protest – the President would enjoy colluding with his mother to make him squirm. But he also knew it was a lost cause. "I'll talk to Donna and see what she thinks."

"You do that. Buck up, Josh. It can't be all that bad."

Josh Lyman looked at his boss with disgust. "A Jewish mother getting involved with her son's wedding? It will be just as bad or worse than I can imagine."

He left the Oval Office to the sound of the President's laughter.

Claypool had no interest in Thanksgiving – he wasn't married (his wife had divorced him) and he was far too invested in making trouble for the White House to have a personal life.

And so it was the day before Thanksgiving and, by chance, he had stumbled across Mrs. Ruth Lyman and Mrs. Catherine Moss at a café near the White House. It was only by chance that he recognized Ruth Lyman (he had studied his prey).

He sat nearby. The two women were discussing their children and their romance. Finally Lyman's mother said, "We should start talking about the wedding."

"What do you want to talk about?" the very suburban looking woman said.

"Well, we should talk about where it might happen and how many guests. I'd like to see them have a big wedding."

"How many from your side? Our family could have anywhere from twenty to fifty – depending on where and when. If the wedding is here, we would have to plan because most of our family lives in Wisconsin."

Ruth nodded. "Well, as far as direct family it's just Josh and me, his mother. But I can't imagine Leo not coming – we're old friends. I guess, from what I hear, it will be most of the White House staffers."

"Will the President come?" Catherine Lyman asked nervously.

Ruth nodded and grinned. "Yes. He'll insist. He'll probably want to argue with your husband about giving Donna away but you just smack him down. Or ask Abbey Bartlet to make him back off. She'll keep him under control."

Catherine Moss didn't appear to believe Ruth Lyman but she appeared to agree.

Larry Claypool was almost disgusted to having to listen to the inane conversation (inane as far as he was concerned). He really needed to stay in case ammunition came up. But it was very annoying.

Ruth Lyman said, "And we might need to invite a few members of Congress."

Catherine Moss looked flabbergasted. "Why? He doesn't even work for them."

Ruth looked at Catherine incredulously. "Didn't Donna tell you how they got together?"

Catherine said, "Not really. She just said that they finally decided to bite the bullet and admit their feelings. We've been kind of waiting for it for six years."

"Me too. But you'll have to see the Act of Congress which forced them to confront their feelings and admit it to themselves. I sent fruit baskets when I heard."

Catherine Moss was shocked. "Act of Congress? What are you talking about?"

Ruth snickered. "I have a copy of it framed at home. It was Republican and Democratic congressmen who got together and passed a law to lock them into a room and make them talk about it. The law explicitly removes all normal reasons which would make it a scandal. And besides being passed by both the Senate and the House and signed by the President, the Supreme Court even weighed in. The whole thing is rather unbelievable. And quite funny. A 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court to get two White House staffers together in addition to 95 percent of the US Congress backing it. It's never happened in history and will probably never happen again."

Suddenly the two women were interrupted by the sound of a body hitting the floor nearby. They looked over and saw a man on the ground twitching uncontrollably.

They had later found out the man, despite being in his early fifties, had suffered a massive stroke for some reason and would be hospitalized for months.

Ruth resolved to talk to her son. Too many people in Washington DC didn't take care of their health. She knew that her son's fiancé would be a valuable ally in helping to get him to start eating and sleeping properly.

She wanted her son healthy enough to give her many grandchildren.