A Good Brother/Son/Friend

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="03fc8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B>Leo passes on some good advice and a few insights to Josh. Post-ep for " Holy Night" and a follow-up to </B></div> <div> <B>'Wistful Thoughts On A Snowy Night'.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>*2003 Golden Coffee Cup Award Nominee</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Smiles, Tears, & Happy Endings</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Smiles, Tears, Happy Endings"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brandys Stories"><U>Brandy's Stories</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Other Side"><U>The Other Side</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getaway"><U>Getaway</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deserved Recognition"><U>Deserved Recognition</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The End of These Days"><U>The End of These Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Moving On"><U>Moving On</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lessons Learned Shared"><U>Lessons- Learned & Shared</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="So, I Had This Dream..."><U>So, I Had This Dream...</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Perfect Plan"><U>The Perfect Plan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Incredibly Campy Road Trip From Hell"><U>The Incredibly Campy Road Trip From Hell</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Whole New Story"><U>A Whole New Story</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Are Friends For? "><U>What Are Friends For? </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id218.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Walking The Wire"><U>Walking The Wire</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id219.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Foreshadowing, Omens Evidence of Other "><U>Foreshadowing, Omens & Evidence of Other Things in the Wind</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id222.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Up Against the Wall"><U>Up Against the Wall</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id223.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Sum Of My Fears"><U>The Sum Of My Fears</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id220.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Dance"><U>Our Dance</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shes Got a Way"><U>She's Got a Way</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Take My Hand"><U>Take My Hand</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May Perspective"><U>May Perspective</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How Bad Can It Get"><U>How Bad Can It Get</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Small Mistakes"><U>Small Mistakes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id182.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nightcaps"><U>Nightcaps</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id183.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crazy Boys"><U>Crazy Boys</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id184.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Need For Comfort"><U>A Need For Comfort</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Looking Back"><U>Looking Back</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id109.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Nature of Family"><U>The Nature of Family</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id210.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wistful Thoughts On A Snowy Night"><U>Wistful Thoughts On A Snowy Night</U></A>   |   <B>A Good Brother/Son/Friend</B>   |   <A HREF="id111.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="When All Else Fails"><U>When All Else Fails</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Someone Like You"><U>Someone Like You</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Wish For My Friend"><U>A Wish For My Friend</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id188.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Unspoken"><U>Unspoken</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id189.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Brief Glimpse"><U>A Brief Glimpse</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id190.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sanctuary"><U>Sanctuary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id191.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contemplation"><U>Contemplation</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id192.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dirty Work"><U>Dirty Work</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id193.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Precious Moments"><U>Precious Moments</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id194.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Almost Normal"><U>Almost Normal</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id195.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Never Enough"><U>Never Enough</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id112.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The World According To Mark..."><U>The World According To Mark...</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart Cards, Flowers Sweet Stuff"><U>Heart Cards, Flowers & Sweet Stuff</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id185.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amazed"><U>Amazed</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Last Call of the Night"><U>Last Call of the Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Fortuitous Visitor"><U>The Fortuitous Visitor</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Loose Ends"><U>Loose Ends</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id225.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TeaSympathy Under the Mistletoe"><U>Tea&Sympathy Under the Mistletoe</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id229.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Not So Much Looking Good As Being Good"><U>Not So Much Looking Good As Being Good</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id230.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Moment of Truth"><U>The Moment of Truth</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id231.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Control Choices"><U>Control & Choices</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anniversaries AdoAnnie"><U>Anniversaries & Ado-Annie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The NonOccasion Occasion"><U>The Non-Occasion Occasion</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Interlude"><U>Interlude</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Misdirection Understatement"><U>Misdirection & Understatement</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meeting, Damn Depositions Rules"><U>Meeting, Damn Depositions & Rules</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Realizations Revelations"><U>Realizations &Revelations</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Liberating Quality"><U>A Liberating Quality</U></A></div> <div> A Good Brother/Son/Friend</div> <div>    Leo walked past Josh’s door on his way out of the building, assuming that, as usual,  he was the last to leave. He quickly found out that his assumption was wrong. Josh was still there, in his office, his back to the door, gazing out his window at the snowy night. </div> <div>   With a sigh, Leo set his  briefcase on the floor, and leaned in the doorway, watching his deputy in the dim light of the room. Josh was so preoccupied, he didn’t even realize he was no longer alone with his thoughts. Not that Josh’s preoccupation surprised Leo- he’d been noticing it all night long. Finally getting tired of loitering in Josh’s doorway, Leo walked into the room and took a seat, speaking as he did. </div> <div>   "Have you forgotten where your home is or are you waiting for an official escort?" </div> <bR> <div>   Josh turned, startled at Leo’s presence. </div> <div>  </div> <div>   " When did you get here?" Josh muttered, shaking off the fog of his thoughts. </div> <bR> <div>   " About four years ago- how about you?"  Leo quipped in return. That remark got a hint of a smile out of Josh. </div> <bR> <div>   "Is that all. It seems like five at least." Josh replied, getting up and going through the motions of getting his things together to leave. The truth was- he was in no real hurry. At least here he could feel close to Donna. </div> <bR> <div>   Leo watched his actions closely, and decided that he would go against his better judgment and speak his mind after all. Of course he wasn’t going to take the most direct route- that would make the whole conversation pointless. </div> <bR> <div>   " I saw Toby with his father earlier." </div> <bR> <div>  " Yeah." Josh  said, waiting to hear where Leo was taking this  side-ways thread of conversation. </div> <div>   </div> <div>  " You have anything to do with that?" Leo asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer. </div> <bR> <div>  " Why would you think that?" Josh asked, playing along. </div> <bR> <div>  In reply Leo gave him the look that clearly said, ‘I know everything and if I don’t, I make it my business to find out.’ With that,  Josh  shrugged and said , " Yeah. His dad called and asked if I would help and I did." </div> <bR> <div>   " I can’t imagine that went over too well at first," Leo remarked. </div> <bR> <div>  " You could say that. I wasn’t sure who Toby was more pissed at- his father for being here, or me for arranging it." Josh  replied, thinking back to the conversation they had in the hallway when Toby made it clear that he had over-stepped  the bounds of friendship. The thing was- Josh didn’t think that was true. He thought what he had done was exactly what a friend should do. Not to mention, he knew things that Toby didn’t. Things he was glad Toby didn’t know. Things he wished he didn’t know. </div> <bR> <div>   " You did a good thing, Josh." </div> <bR> <div>   "You think so?" </div> <bR> <div>   " Yeah- I do, and so do you or you wouldn’t have done it. It was long past time for those two to work things out. Pretty soon it might have been too late." Leo said, hoping Josh would realize the significance of that last remark. </div> <bR> <div>   " Yeah…sometimes chance and opportunity get away from you, or you don’t see it… then all you’re left with is regret." Josh remarked, feeling depressed and down despite his earlier conviction that he would find some way to let Donna know how he felt about her without messing up what they had now. The thing that really bothered him- the nagging persistent doubt in the back of his mind was, would it matter to her? He had a feeling it had at one time- but did it still?</div> <div>   Leo watched the emotions playing across Josh’s face and could read his thoughts as if he had spoken them aloud. Inwardly grimacing at the idea of advising his deputy to do what he was about to advise him to do, he sighed with barely restrained impatience and said, " Yeah- that can happen, but in your case you still have time to go for it. That is, if you don’t sit here for the rest of the night trying to talk yourself out of at least trying" </div> <bR> <div>  " Okay- what’s that supposed to mean?" </div> <bR> <div>   That question earned Josh another patented Leo McGarry ‘look’. This time it was the , ‘Do I look stupid to you?’ look. </div> <bR> <div>   " It’s complicated, Leo." </div> <bR> <div>  " So? What isn’t in our lives?" Leo pointed out. </div> <bR> <div>   " What if I’m too late? What if she doesn’t feel the same way?" </div> <bR> <div>  At that, Leo shrugged and sighed, "Then you gambled and lost- but isn’t that better than being too scared to sit at the table in the first place?" </div> <bR> <div>   " I guess. I’d just hate to lose her. At least now I have her as a friend…" </div> <bR> <div>  " You keep screwing around and you won’t have that. Josh, we’ve got another for years here. After that, we’re all going to go our separate ways - not that being here is any guarantee. Look at Sam. He’s moving on already. You really think that the job is the only thing holding Donna here? And before you answer that, remember that I know she‘s had some pretty tempting offers. " </div> <bR> <div>  " I’d like to think it’s more than that…" Josh remarked, not sounding terribly confident. </div> <bR> <div>   " I’d lay money that it’s a lot more than that, but you two have been doing this crazy dance around each other for so long, and then you and Amy….look, just talk to her, and put us both out of our misery." Leo finished on  a note that said he was tired of talking about it. He got up then and gathered up his briefcase from where he had left it. Pausing by the door, he looked back at Josh and said, " Josh, I’ve known you for a long time. You’re a good son. Given the chance you would have been a very good brother. You are and always have been a good and loyal friend. Despite all your quirks and foibles, the people who care about you do it for a reason- you’re a good person. It’s time to be good to yourself. Take a chance. It will be a new year soon. Don’t you want to start it out right?" Leo asked with a  pointed look in Josh’s direction. </div> <bR> <div>   " Yeah… yeah, I do. Thanks, Leo." </div> <bR> <div>   " You’re welcome. Now let’s get the hell out of here." </div> <bR> <div>  " Okay." Josh  replied with a shrug, and gathering his coat and his backpack, followed Leo out the door. </div> <bR> <div>  As they walked toward the northwest lobby entrance, Josh asked, " Hey Leo, help me think of someplace more exclusive than the Washington Inn to go for New Year’s Eve." </div> <bR> <div>   Leo didn’t even bother turning around to look at Josh as he replied, " You’re killing me, Josh- you know that? You’re just killing me."</div> <bR> <div>   " Hey- I’m just taking your advice…" </div> <div>   </div> <div>  " Just killing me…" Leo muttered as Josh followed behind him with a grin on his face and a bounce to his step as they stepped outside into the dark, snowy night. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>      The End</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>