Words On a Page

<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>Donna's thoughts after the events of " In Excelcius Deo"</B></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="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Erin Shelleys Two To Tango Series"><U>Erin & Shelley's 'Two To Tango' Series</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Donnas View"><U>Donna's View</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bleeding Ties, Coffee, and His Ex"><U>Bleeding Ties, Coffee, and His Ex</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rooting For the Underdog"><U>Rooting For the Underdog</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mind Games"><U>Mind Games</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Battle of Joshs Bullpen"><U>The Battle of Josh's Bullpen</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Control is Only a Property of Hairspray"><U>Control is Only a Property of Hairspray</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seven Bucks Is Seven Bucks"><U>Seven Bucks Is Seven Bucks</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Adventures of Nature Boy"><U>The Adventures of Nature Boy</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Strictly From a Fashion Point of View"><U>Strictly From a Fashion Point of View</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id96.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Two Hearts"><U>Two Hearts</U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Words On a Page</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First Thing Tommoorw Morning"><U>First Thing Tommoorw Morning</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sheer Force of Will"><U>Sheer Force of Will</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getting What She Deserved"><U>Getting What She Deserved</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rules,Rules, Rules"><U>Rules,Rules, Rules</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id119.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="New Girl in Town"><U>New Girl in Town</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="If At First You Dont Succeed"><U>If At First You Don't Succeed</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="He Likes Me. He Really Likes Me"><U>He Likes Me. He Really Likes Me</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getting Back Out There"><U>Getting Back Out There</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dont Name The Turkeys"><U>Don't Name The Turkeys</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thats What Friends Are For"><U>That's What Friends Are For</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Subterfuge,Loyalty Queasy Feelings"><U>Subterfuge,Loyalty & Queasy Feelings</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Interesting Developments"><U>Interesting Developments</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eating Out Of The Palm Of His Hand"><U>Eating Out Of The Palm Of His Hand</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Joey Lucas Is An Idiot"><U>Joey Lucas Is An Idiot</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Simple Things"><U>Simple Things</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id103.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ups and Downs"><U>Ups and Downs</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In Desperate Need of an Attitude Adjustm"><U>In Desperate Need of an Attitude Adjustment</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="I Hate That Damn Suit"><U>I Hate That Damn Suit</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="If Its Not One Thing, Its Another"><U>If It's Not One Thing, It's Another</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Average Person"><U>The Average Person</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Joys of Stamp Collecting"><U>The Joys of Stamp Collecting</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id138.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Its Always Darkest"><U>It's Always Darkest</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"><U>No Good Deed Goes Unpunished</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id140.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Someday My Prince Will Come"><U>Someday My Prince Will Come</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id141.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Implementing The Plan"><U>Implementing The Plan</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id142.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Best Laid Plans"><U>The Best Laid Plans</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hitting A Few Snags"><U>Hitting A Few Snags</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Good Friends Good Deeds"><U>Good Friends & Good Deeds</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id145.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What A Day"><U>What A Day</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Truth Consequences"><U>Truth & Consequences</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id157.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Phone Tag"><U>Phone Tag</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id158.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Sudden Stop"><U>The Sudden Stop</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Worst Day of My Life"><U>The Worst Day of My Life</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id160.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Correcting The Mistake"><U>Correcting The Mistake</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id161.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Character of an Honest Man"><U>The Character of an Honest Man</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id162.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Onward Upward"><U>Onward & Upward</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id163.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="AnnMargaret Has Nothing On me"><U>Ann-Margaret Has Nothing On me</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wheres Dr. Beckett When I need Him?"><U>Where's Dr. Beckett When I need Him?</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id165.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Even Nice Guys"><U>Even Nice Guys</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Smell of BenGay In The Morning"><U>The Smell of Ben-Gay In The Morning</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id167.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Just Like the Swallows"><U>Just Like the Swallows</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id168.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Struttin My Stuff"><U>Struttin My Stuff</U></A></div> <div> Words On a Page</div> <div> by Shelley</div> <bR> <bR> <div> I am the assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States </div> <div> and he is a very busy </div> <div> man. Part of my job is to simplify things for him as much as I </div> <div> possibly can.</div> <bR> <div> He doesn't have time for the little details. As I said, he's a very </div> <div> busy man.</div> <bR> <div> Hence my Christmas list. </div> <bR> <div> Don't look at me like that. </div> <bR> <div> I did it as a favor to him. </div> <bR> <div> I mean it. </div> <bR> <div> Follow my logic here.</div> <bR> <div> I provided Josh with a perfectly good list of all of the things that </div> <div> I wanted for Christmas. </div> <div> I know that this isn't exactly his holiday, but I thought the whole </div> <div> thing was pretty self-</div> <div> explanatory.</div> <bR> <div> You see, I was simplifying things for him. Saving him the trouble of </div> <div> agonizing over what </div> <div> to get me.</div> <bR> <div> Yeah, I know. I can't picture him agonizing over it either. But a </div> <div> girl can dream can't she?</div> <bR> <div> I even gave him a theme. Skiing.</div> <bR> <div> I thought it went without saying that the ski boots, and ski parka, </div> <div> ski goggles, etc... really wouldn't be </div> <div> of much use without the skis.</div> <bR> <div> I'm not sure Josh took my list seriously.</div> <bR> <div> I know he's preoccupied with everything that's going on with </div> <div> Congressman Lillienfield </div> <div> and the way he is coming after Leo. It's all that Margaret has been </div> <div> able to talk about for </div> <div> the last couple of days.</div> <bR> <div> She's really worried. We all are. But it's hardest on Margaret </div> <div> because she </div> <div> spends so much more time with Leo than the rest of us.</div> <bR> <div> Anyway, I decided to ask Josh what was going on. I knew that he </div> <div> wouldn't tell me </div> <div> anything substantive, but I wanted a little something to take back to </div> <div> Margaret. Something </div> <div> that might help ease her mind a little.</div> <bR> <div> And for the record, I do not have a "you just killed my hamster" </div> <div> face. </div> <bR> <div> I have one face. This is it. What you see is what you get.</div> <bR> <div> Josh thought I was trying to guilt him, but I wasn't. I was merely </div> <div> pointing out that if one of </div> <div> us were in trouble, any one of us, Leo would be the first one there </div> <div> to help.</div> <bR> <div> But I wasn't trying to guilt him. I think maybe his own conscience is </div> <div> doing that.</div> <bR> <div> So he spent part of the afternoon on a shopping outing with the </div> <div> President, and then came back </div> <div> and scurried into his office carrying a package.</div> <bR> <div> And it wasn't even close to big enough to be a pair of skis.</div> <bR> <div> A little later on, he came out of his office and handed me my gift, </div> <div> then he leaned against </div> <div> the doorframe while I opened it. </div> <bR> <div> Talking to Danny, looking down the hall, anything to avoid actually </div> <div> looking at me when I </div> <div> opened it. That's the way Josh is when he gives gifts.</div> <bR> <div> So anyway, I open the package and I see--The Art and Artistry of </div> <div> Alpine Skiing by </div> <div> Heinrich Beckengruber.</div> <bR> <div> OK. Interesting choice.</div> <bR> <div> At least he stayed on theme. </div> <bR> <div> Then he tells me that it has a molted calf cover and original drab </div> <div> boards. It really is quite </div> <div> a beautiful book.</div> <bR> <div> And then he hits me with the kicker. He says that he wrote a note </div> <div> inside.</div> <bR> <div> OK, it's just not like him to do something like this. </div> <bR> <div> So I open the book and I read the amazing words he wrote to me..just </div> <div> for me. I can't help it, a person can't read something like that </div> <div> without starting to...</div> <bR> <div> But he tells me not to get emotional. To try to maintain some kind of </div> <div> decorum.</div> <bR> <div> Forget it. An inscription like that deserves a hug.</div> <bR> <div> It really deserves something more like...</div> <bR> <div> Never mind.</div> <bR> <div> It's just that so often Josh seems insensitive and unfeeling, then he </div> <div> writes something like he </div> <div> wrote in my book and I know that he is exactly the opposite of that.</div> <bR> <div> Now everytime that I get mad at him for taking me for granted, I'm </div> <div> going to think about that inscription and it's going to ruin my whole </div> <div> anger buzz.</div> <bR> <div> And when I hugged him, and he whispered in my ear that he meant what </div> <div> he wrote, I just </div> <div> about melted.</div> <bR> <div> As soon as he left my cubicle, I opened the cover and reread those </div> <div> amazing words.</div> <bR> <div> And now I know that everything is going to be alright. Lillienfield </div> <div> won't get a chance to </div> <div> hurt Leo. </div> <bR> <div> Josh won't allow it.</div> <bR> <div> A man who would write something like he wrote to me is never, ever </div> <div> going to let down a </div> <div> friend.</div> <bR> <div> It really is going to be a Merry Christmas after all.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>