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“You are such a cynic.” Donna accused him with a smile.
“The word is pragmatist.” He corrected, smiling too.
They were sat at opposite ends of the couch. The baby monitor was on the table next to them. Next to it were candles. Them and CNN (on mute) provided all the light in the room.
“It had to happen,” She said naughtily. “Da man has become The Man.”
“Hey! I’m the man who, not that long ago, ran a campaign for the plucky insurgent!”
Donna laughed.
“What?” He looked put out.
“You’re not a plucky insurgent now though, Josh. You’re the height of the Establishment.” She gestured around the, not ostentatiously wealthy, but more than comfortable front room of their townhouse. “We’re the Establishment!”
“We are not ‘the Establishment’.” He scoffed.
“We had two Presidents at our wedding!” She reminded him.
“Okay, so maybe we are.” He admitted reluctantly. “We’re cool though.”
She looked at him squarely.
“You are not cool, Joshua.”
"I am too!" He protested. “I am the height of Establishment cool.”
“Is this because you like to loose your tie like Tony Bennett?”
“And other stuff!” He insisted.
“Tell me.” She said, folding her arms across her chest.
He sat there looking thoughtful. She raised her eyebrows at him. He frowned.
“Just admit it.” She goaded.
“I’ve got it!” He exclaimed and she looked at him, questioning. “You.” He replied.
She melted and smiled.
“Really?” She asked.
He grinned naughtily.
“Yeah. Young, hot wife… I’m the envy of the town.”
“Joshua!” She exclaimed and threw a cushion at him.
He caught it, still grinning.
"Especially after you flashing everyone at the Swedish dinner…”
"Oh… you!" She exclaimed.
She reached forward to grab another pillow, but he reached forward too and grabbed her hands.
“You had your shot.” He told her. “My turn.” He started tickling her. She screamed and tried to wriggle away. They fell off the couch in a heap; the game just carried on the floor.
They didn’t notice the door open or the agent enter with his gun drawn. He lowered it when he saw them.
“Is everything alright, sir?” He asked.
Josh looked up startled. Donna stopped moving underneath him and looked up from under his arm.
“Malcolm, right?” Josh said, as he disentangled himself and stood. “You’re new.” He held out a hand to help Donna to her feet. She was blushing.
“Yes sir.” Malcolm replied.
“Well, Malcolm, I know you’re supposed to come running if you hear screams but, sometimes you... don’t need to.”
“No, sir, I have to.” He said in a monotone.
“Malcolm, there are screams and there are screams.” Josh argued.
"No, sir." He shook his head.
“Yeah, but…” Josh tried again.
“You’re doing a great job, Malcolm.” Donna cut in firmly. “We’re fine, thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He left.
Josh sank down onto the couch and rested his head back with his eyes closed.
“He’s gonna ruin all our fun.” He complained.
Donna joined him and put her hand on his knee.
“Then we’re just going to have to be,” She ran her hand up his thigh and he raised his head to look at her. “Very, very quiet.”
Her hand roamed higher. He sat up sharply, turned and kissed her.
The sound of the baby starting to cry came through the baby monitor.
They broke the kiss reluctantly. Josh groaned.
“Your turn.” Donna said perkily.
“Isn’t it about time for a feed?” Josh asked.
“Not quite yet.” She replied.
“Yeah, but if you do it now, then you can come back and finish what you started.”
She was smiling even as she rolled her eyes.
“Alright.” She said as she stood up. She gave him one last smile as she left the room.
He sat back and turned the sound up on CNN.
“…Graves today accused the President of playing the race card on Prison Reform. Citing the President’s comments on the number of black youths going to prison for minor drug offences under three strikes laws, Congressman Graves accused the President of wanting to let dangerous hoodlums back onto the nation’s streets…”
“Minor drug offences!” Josh yelled at the TV. “And who’s playing the race card?!”
He sat back, fuming already, and carried on watching.
Donna came back fifteen minutes later to find him pacing.
“I shouldn’t let you watch television.” She commented wryly as she sat down.
“Who are these people?” He exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the TV. “I’ve always enjoyed fighting Republicans, but you can’t fight with people this stupid. It’s like they don’t even understand the argument. They’ve just memorised the talking point of the day and a few bullet points from a memo!”
“Josh, sit down before you give yourself a heart attack.” She ordered softly.
With a deep sigh, he flopped down onto the couch beside her.
“They’re sucking all the fun out of it.” He complained.
“Really?” She scoffed. “All the fun?”
“Most of the fun.” He admitted with a smile. His face fell again. “We’ve been through this so many times.”
She nodded.
“You have to keep raising the discourse.” She acknowledged.
“President Bartlet tried that, and succeeded a few times… Matt’s trying it.” He sighed. “But every time we seem to come back to the same impasse.” He rested his head back against the chair.
"We try again.” She said simply.
He turned his head without lifting it to look over at her.
“Josh, most people aren’t stupid. They’re just busy trying to live their lives… raise their families. Some of them are uninformed, some are misinformed. We just have to keep trying to reach them.” She pointed at the TV. “You know as well as I do that those people don’t represent the majority of people. They’re an extreme point of view that just shouts louder than everyone else.”
“People listen to the people who shout loudly.”
“Ignore them and talk louder. We have to stop letting them set the agenda.”
He smiled.
“You’re an idealist.” He accused softly.
“No, I’m a pragmatist.” She corrected with a smile.
He sighed.
“Sorry.” He said softly, reaching out a hand to rub her arm.
“What for?”
“For spoiling the mood.”
She laughed and shook her head.
“You haven’t.” She replied, looking steadily at him.
“Our son all feed?” He asked, looking steadily back at her.
She nodded.
“I’m all yours.” She responded silkily.
“Then you better get over here.” He replied.
“Very coolly done.” She smiled as she moved into his arms.
“I know!” He grinned. “I’m still da man.” He said softly before he kissed her.