Bouncing Back

by: Rhonda and Evelyn

Character(s): The Women of the West Wing
Pairing(s): Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley
Category(s): Humor, Romance, Post Ep
Rating: TEEN
Disclaimer: They're not ours and never will be.
Summary: Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There
Spoiler: Red Haven's On Fire
Feedback: Greatly Appreciated
Authors Note: This is a sequel to Bouncing Inaugural Balls. Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy!

"We were looking for a quiet place to work on the medicare bill," the Deputy Chief of Staff explained as he emerged with his assistant from the closet.

The West Wing women glared at him, his candor compromised by the peach-colored lipstick on his neck.

"I needed to make a secure phone call to my mom," he offered up alternatively, believing that an appeal to motherhood was always a good fallback position.

Still not a word from Abbey, Zoey, CJ, Andi, Debbie, and Ainsley who lowered their gazes to the zipper on Josh's pants. His eyes immediately flew to the region below his belt.

"Made you look." CJ laughed.

"Give it up, Josh," Donna advised, smiling in amusement at his reaction to the teasing. "We were doing exactly what you thought we were doing," she admitted with a satisfied grin to the sisterhood, straightening out her sweater and flipping back her hair. "We had a little unfinished personal business to deal with and I'm sure you'll all be relieved to know that Josh's skills aren't limited to the political arena."

"You go girl," Zoey whispered, offering the blonde assistant a high five, wishing she'd had a few more minutes with Charlie. Actually, she could have used another hour - Charlie was very conscientious about doing a thorough job.

Josh looked around the room for support. "Where's Toby...and Danny... and Charlie... and Will? Where the hell are the men?"

"Can't slip anything past you, Sherlock," Abbey snorted.

"I'm pretty sure grizzlies are not native to this area," Will mused, watching the hologram rear up on its hind legs fighting off the wolves - also holograms. Toby was mixing and matching the images with the skill of a veteran film-maker.

Mac chuckled. "Hey, goat boy, I doubt the two up in the tree know their zoology as well as you do."

"I never did hear that goat story," Danny commented, glancing over at Will. "I'm glad to see you've moved on to dating women."

Will frowned. "I don't think I care for the implication that..."

"Shush. Listen to this," Charlie whispered, hitting another button on his transmitter. An unearthly wail filled the night air.

Apparently Toby took the cue since the hologram animals chased each other off into the trees.

"What did I miss?"

Danny and Will yelped in surprise as the President shouldered himself in between them on the ground. "Leo called me at the last minute and I had to deal with a problem in Angola or maybe it was Antigua. I can't believe they couldn't hold off for a few hours on their coup so I could see this."

"You missed the bear and the wolves," Charlie answered. "But we haven't shown the witch yet."

"Good." Jed Bartlet grinned at the men next to him. "The witch was my idea."

"Where are the men?" Andi repeated, rubbing her stomach and wishing she had a few of the antacids that Toby was carrying. "I need to get my hands in Toby's pants."

The women all turned and stared pointedly at her rounded stomach.

"In the pockets." Andi giggled. "Antacids."

"We'd all like to know where they are and exactly what they're up to," CJ complained, remembering with regret how she had almost gotten exactly what Donna had gotten. She wondered if there really were any snakes out by the pool, other than the two-legged kind that is.

"Let's go find them," Abbey commanded. "I'm not sure exactly where they are, but I've got a pretty good idea of what they're doing."

"Would it have anything to do with the fact that the French demon and the she-devil from Hell aren't here?" Debbie quietly observed, tossing Andi a roll of Tums. Toby had supplied her with part of his emergency stash for instances just like this.

"Jean-Paul?" Zoey exclaimed. "I forgot about him."

"Well that's progress," her mother breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go. I think this might be fun."

"Which way?" Josh demanded, more than ready to get out of the women-filled room. He felt distinctly out-numbered.

"Not so fast, lover boy." Abbey whirled around to face the Deputy Chief of Staff. "You're not going anywhere."

"Why not?" and the distinctive whine of the boy from Connecticut could be heard throughout the room. "Are you still punishing me for..."

"You bet," Abbey answered smugly. In fact she blamed him not only for the funding problem, but for her hiring Amy in the first place. Josh drove her to it when he taunted her that day in his office about her nephew's competence. Her nephew might be an idiot but he was family.

"But I said I was sorry again... and again... and again," he moaned. "And I've been tortured for weeks by a woman who would be more than happy to have me sing soprano in the White House glee club. I wanna go too."

"I didn't know there was a White House glee club ," Ainsley interjected. "I love to sing. Especially show tunes. Has anyone seen Chicago yet?"

"I've been there many times," Andi responded, popping several of the brightly colored antacids into her mouth. "Mostly the airport though."

"Not the town, although I like the town very much. I mean the movie. You know the one with Richard Gere?"

Andi shook her head from side to side. "Nope. I haven't seen it yet. Toby doesn't like musicals."

"Toby likes Catherine Zeta-Jones, though," Josh said with a grin. "He thinks she's hot."

"Hot?" Andi asked, her face reddening as she looked down at the body Toby had compared to a "mini-van."

The women turned as one and glared at Josh.

"Uh. Shouldn't we be going? Out? To look for the guys?" Josh stammered, realizing that he'd just put his life in danger.

"Nope. *We're,* as in you and us, are not going anywhere," Abbey announced, then added, "besides the agent just told me that Leo called and insists that you need to handle something in Antigua. I understand that the President blew him off."

"I don't get to have any fun." Josh all but stamped his foot, his bottom lip curling up to almost touch his nose.

Donna punched him not so lightly on the arm.

"Ow, that hurt," he whimpered, then looked chagrined as he caught a glimpse of his girlfriend's face. "I'm going to call Leo. Enjoy yourself."

Josh sighed dramatically and headed for the bank of phones against the wall.

"Will you quit complaining in French? In fact just shut up. You're giving me a headache."

Amy readjusted her grip on the trunk of the tree she was hugging, and glanced down at the cell phone she'd dropped in her climb up the tree. It was still there. The wolves and the bear seemed to be gone. But now some crazy woman in a white sheet was dancing around the area between the lean-to and their lofty perch.

"I'm not speaking to you. I'm praying to God to save me from the evil that lurks nearby. I know a witch when I see one and I'm surrounded by them. Surrounded, I say. Brutal witches scratching and clawing at me, trying to claim my soul." The French Prince paused in his melodramatic oratory long enough to rub at the sap which was staining the cuff of his designer jacket.

"What do you mean by that?" Amy snapped. "I only slapped you because you were hysterical, you greasy little wimp. I'm sure the Secret Service wouldn't have left us here, if you hadn't insulted that agent's haircut."

"Physical violence is the mark of an uncivilized people. So are Super Cuts."

Amy ignored him, her mouth dropping open as the wailing woman suddenly rose 15 feet into the air, facing her for the first time. "Oh, my God. I didn't even know she was dead."

Jean-Paul huffed, "I'm sure he's not listening to you."

Up the hill, Jed Bartlet was laughing at the expression on Danny and Charlie's faces. They had just gotten a good look at the witch's face too.

The bushes parted and a positively jovial Toby returned to the group. "Whose idea was it to use Mandy Hampton's image for the witch?"

"Wait a minute. I have to go to the bathroom," Andi announced as they started to leave the cabin. "The babies take turns dancing on my bladder."

"I need a little snack anyway," Ainsley pointed out. "It's been almost an hour since I..."

"I think I need to change my shoes." CJ pointed to her heels. "Maybe I should get out my new boots. I packed them just in case. Does anyone know if there are really snakes in this area?"

"What kind of boots did you buy? Black snake-skin boots are so hot, " Zoey said focusing in on the fashion issue. "I've been looking for some that . . ."

"Catherine Zeta-Jones isn't that hot," Andi mused out loud. "At least I don't gain weight in my face when I'm pregnant."

"Do you know that some people actually eat snakes?" Ainsley commented. " I personally haven't tried it, but I've heard that it tastes like chicken. Doesn't fried chicken sound good? With some mashed potatoes and gravy. I like the white gravy, not the..."

"Two minutes ladies or we'll miss the whole slide show," Donna declared, interrupting Ainsley's food fantasy.

The women stopped in their tracks and stared at the blonde assistant who was smiling like the cat who'd swallowed the canary.

"You know when, where and how, don't you?" Abbey exclaimed, wondering why she was surprised that Donna knew what was going on. Donna seemed to have her fingers on the pulse of everything that was going on in the Administration. Abbey found her eyes drawn to those capable hands.

"Maybe," Donna answered mysteriously, beginning to feel a little anxiety about her minor role in tormenting the First Lady's employee, even if the woman was Josh's ex. She also felt a little self-conscious about the First Lady's sudden fascination with her hands. Maybe her polish was chipped?

Sliding both hands behind her back, Donna crossed her fingers that she was talking to Abbey the woman and not Abbey the wife of the most powerful man in the world.

"But...but...but how did you know that I'd want to get rid of... er include my chief of staff in this mission?" Abbey finally asked, raising her eyes to those of Josh's assistant, completely aware that Donna had hidden her hands as though trying to hide her role in what was happening.

"I have faith in you Mrs. B," Donna said hesitantly. "And," she fought the urge to bring her hands from behind her back and slap them over her mouth before she got into more trouble, "if you hadn't come to your senses soon, then I was prepared to take matters into my own hands."

Abbey smiled at the irony of Donna's statement.

Donna grinned in relief that the First Lady didn't seem angry at her frankness. But maybe she'd better keep one finger crossed, just in case. "Now, we'd better hurry. We don't want to miss the main event."

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9a | 9b

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