Story [The West Wing] Junior (Matt Santos/Helen Santos, Josh/Donna - fluff)

Title: Junior
Author: Briannakin
Fandom: The West Wing
Timeframe: Post-Season 7 (in the middle of the Santos Presidency)

Notes: I was asked to write something happier and fluffier since I was mean and killed off Charlie, so this is what I came up with. This is actually kinda a sneak peak at my plans for my 2017 Dear Diary Challenge/me trying to figure out if I can write a long-fic based on the American Presidency/First Lady despite my lack of knowledge in the area (IF I HAVE COMPLETELY SCREWED SOMETHING UP, TELL THE CANADIAN, PLEASE). As this event may appear in a DDC, I’ve left some details out on purpose (mainly names).

I do plan on making my DDC accessible to non-viewers of TWW, but I’m not sure this vignette will be, nor do know how to make it so because this is mostly just me having fun (because I just needed random fluff).




Donnatella, Chief of Staff to First Lady Helen Santos, strode into the Residency of the First Family of the United States. Donna’s blonde hair was straight down, resting on her shoulders. She wore a simple grey sweater and black dress pants. Despite knowing her boss’ current condition would mean a very light work-load for the next few months, she still made sure to dress the part of a senior White House staff member.

Donna nodded to one of the secret service agents posted outside of the President’s Bedroom before knocking on the dark wood door. She could hear one of the room’s unhappy occupants. Rumours around the house had it that there had been an argument here this early morning.

The reply was a hoarse, “Come in!”

Donna opened the door to see the elaborately decorated room, a mess. Clothes and blankets were strewn across glass lamps and fine wood furniture. She stepped over an article of clothing that was most definitely the President of the United State’s underwear.

In the corner of the darkened room was Helen Santos in a padded rocking chair. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun and she wore pink pyjama pants with a US Naval Academy sweatshirt that looked big enough that it probably belonged to Matthew Santos’. Her eyes were tired, with large black bags underneath them. The reason for the bags, the mess and Donna’s presence was on Mrs. Santos’ chest. A three-week-old, baby wrapped in white blankets, wailed and screamed.

“You can scold me for not hiring a nanny for him later. Matt’s sister is still in Texas at her friend’s funeral,” Helen said with a brief sigh. She had not hired any nannies for her now three children, but the president’s oldest sister, Maria had moved into the White House to help with the children. It had been an acceptable arrangement when it had just been Peter and Miranda, the Santos’ older children. But the birth of the youngest Santos child had come just before the death of Maria’s best friend, which had stranded Helen alone as the soul care-taker of her children for a few days. “Peter and Miranda are at school and I just need an hour to sleep and to maybe clean up. I don’t know if I will be able to sleep if he’s with someone I don’t completely trust. Do you mind taking him?” she asked, gesturing to the child.

“Of course not, Ma’am!” Donna exclaimed, finally feeling useful after days of simple duties and preparing for Thanksgiving festivities in the White House. She quickly crossed the room and lifted the bundle of blankets out of his mother’s arms. She looked down and cooed at the wrinkly dark face framed with whips of dark brown hair. The child was somehow the spitting image of his father, right down to the small dark eyes, curved lips and strong jaw. He even had the same expression when they were displeased, which the child always was. “I’d love to take care of Junior!”

“His name isn’t Junior. You people do realize this?” Helen asked with a sigh as she got up.

“We know, and we all love his name, but he just is so much like the president.”

“Unfortunately,” Helen mumbled. “Thanks to them I know why only one other woman was dumb enough to have a baby while their husband was president. Frances Cleveland and I will go down as the most idiotic women in history. I wonder how often she fought with old Grover.” She reached the bed and sat down on the edge of it. “I just fed the baby and he’s clean. He just wants someone to walk with him.”

“I got him. Perhaps we will find someone important to annoy,” Donna cooed to the child as they reached the door.

* * *

“And this is the west wing were your Dad works,” Donna told the child. He had stopped crying, but had yet to fall asleep. Instead, his small eyes seemed to be glancing around. It was unusually quiet in the bullpen, but unsurprising given the upcoming holiday. “Have you been around this place yet?” she asked, wondering if either parent had brought the child into the wing.

She bounced down the hall, past unfamiliar faces, until she reached a familiar one: Margret, the Chief of Staff’s secretary. How Joshua Lyman had convinced Margret to stay even though the woman swore she was only sticking around to help with the transition between administrations, Donna did not know.

“Is he alone?” she asked.

Margret nodded in her usual efficient manner. “He’s just doing some paperwork, but asked not to be disturbed.”

“All the more reason to see him.” She marched past Margret’s desk and whispered to the child, “And this is where the big bad man works,” as she opened the door.

Josh didn’t even bother looking up. All could be seen was his forehead and greying hair. “What?”

“Someone wanted to visit.”

At Donna’s voice, he looked up. “What the hell is that?”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s Junior.” Donna sat down on one of the couches as Josh went back to work.

“Don’t let the first lady hear you call him that. She hates it when anyone calls him that.”

“Well, I think it’s cute.”

“Well, don’t get any ideas.”

“What? About baby names? I thought you of all people would like the name Joshua Lyman, Junior.”

“About babies.”

Josh was then interrupted by loud screeching. The child was not pleased with the lack of movement. Josh sighed, put down his pen and rubbed his temple. “Donna, there’s a reason why the baby doesn’t come -.”

Josh was interrupted again, this time by the other door in Josh’s office opening. The President of the United States entered. Matthew Santos grinned when he saw his son. “No one told me we had a visitor.” He then picked the child out of Donna’s arms and began bouncing around. The baby instantly stopped crying. “Did you finally escape Mommy?”

“The first lady got Peter and Miranda off to school and saw an opportunity to get some sleep. I was just wandering around with him.”

The president nodded as he placed the pacifier clipped onto the baby’s onesie into the child’s mouth. “I can look after Junior for a bit.”

Donna nodded. “Just don’t let the first lady hear you call him that.”

President Santos laughed, then retreated back into his office.

“He’s not going to get anything done,” Josh grumbled as soon as the door closed.

“What does he have to do? You said this morning that most the hill is gone already for Thanksgiving.”

“Reading briefs. And he has to pardon a turkey later.”

Donna rolled her eyes. “Ah, the excitement of the west wing. I can’t say I miss the fast pace of it now that I’m in the east wing.”

* * *

Mathew Santos bounced his youngest son around the Oval Office, hoping to get the child to fall asleep. “Yeah, you should take a nap for Daddy. So I can hold you while I do some work and we can let Mommy sleep.” Matt kissed the wispy black hair. “I know it might not seem like it right now, but your mom and I really do love each-other. Neither of us is exactly happy with our current sleeping arrangements, I know I really don’t like sleeping in the other bedroom, then sneaking back into change and kiss you and Mommy good morning. She’s just worried about me, and wants to give you a somewhat normal childhood without a dozen nannies. And the death threats against you two simply scare me, so I want you and her sleeping in the safest place. But I swear, as soon as I’m done with this place, we are all going to take a nice long vacation.”

As his father rocked and bounced him, the child fell asleep. Carefully, Matt sat behind his desk, and began to work as he held the child to his chest. There he stayed for the better part of two hours while the President quietly worked and took calls.

Finally, the door to his office and Helen Santos appeared. Looking fresh from a shower, she wore a red sweater and a pair of black pants. A green receiving blanket was thrown over her shoulder. “Can’t believe I had to get dressed to get my son,” she murmured as she entered, shaking her head at the peaceful scene.

Matt let out a soft, “Oh,” before pushing back from his desk. “You should have told me you were up. I would have walked him back to the residence.”

Helen shook her head. “It’s fine. Donna offered when I called her asking her where she got off to with our offspring. I figured a walk would be good for me.”

“Did you have a nap?” he asked as he got up.

“Yeah,” she paused as she sat down on one of the couches. “I’m sorry for yelling at you this morning, and for kicking you out of the room for making too much noise getting ready.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “You were tired. It’s forgotten.”

At the movement, the child in the president’s arms woke and started crying. Helen sighed and took the baby. “He’s probably hungry.”

“Well you should feed him and let me help for once,” he replied, sitting next to her and helping her adjust her sweater.

“Don’t you have some important business to do?”

“I have to pardon a turkey in an hour,” he deadpanned.

She shook her head.

“Things are quiet around here, too quiet probably. So if you want me to do anything, today is the day.”

“Yeah, get the secret service to change their code-name for our youngest child. It seems that everyone is now calling him Junior. I can’t imagine why,” she said sarcastically.

Matt pretended to be innocent. “Me neither. I shall get right on that.”

 

How did I miss this for two days?? Bad mav! Bad!

YAAAY! It was so fluffy and I loved it.

She stepped over an article of clothing that was most definitely the President of the United State’s underwear.
I literally LOLed. Just the mental image of Donna and her unflappability after dealing with Josh for so many years just making note of it in her head and stepping over it.

“I got him. Perhaps we will find someone important to annoy,” Donna cooed to the child as they reached the door.

And this is where I said… 'oh god, she’s going to go annoy Josh with a baby and it’s going to be GLORIOUS!' I wasn’t disappointed!

I loved all the talk of the President having to pardon the turkey, that's always cracked me up and it was used to great affect here!

I can't wait for the diary!