"Why aren't you wearing a costume?" Donna asked, pushing Josh down into a chair so that she could tie the bowtie of his tuxedo.

"Joshua Lyman needs no costume," he replied smugly. She started to twist the tie into a bow and he obligingly tilted his head to allow her better access.

"You mean Joshua Lyman refuses to wear a costume," she corrected.

"That too," he smirked.

"Are you sure there's no way I can go?" she asked, not for the first time that week.

"I told you, I tried. I even asked the head of the DNC. There weren't any more tickets. Besides, if you went to the costume ball with me, you wouldn't get a chance to meet any of those political gomers you like so much anyway. You'd spend the entire night taking notes and setting up appointments," he said, as she gave a final tug on the tie and he stood up. "Am I ok?"

She looked him over and, finding no creases or marks, gave him a nod of approval. "And it won't just be politicos," she corrected him as she followed him out of his office and down the hall towards the North entrance.

"Donna, this is a DNC fundraiser, not a Hollywood premiere. There won't be any famous celebrities."

"I'm not talking about celebrities. There will be other men there, other rich, eligible men."

He grinned wolfishly. "And I know just how they should spend their money."

She huffed in annoyance. "Will you at least mention me if you meet any of them?"

He snorted. "That's exactly what I'll do."

"Really?"

"Yeah. How does 'Call my assistant Donna to set up a meeting' work for you?"

She ignored his remark, but continued to follow him. At the entrance of the building, he paused and turned towards her. "You ok for tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm going to stay here and work on the school voucher thing."

"Ok. Call me if anything urgent comes up. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow morning at six."

"Eight," she countered.

"Seven."

"Done." With a wistful smile, she watched as he got into the waiting limo and was driven away.

*****

An hour later, Donna was comfortably stretched out in Josh's office chair, reviewing the school voucher information. She pulled yet another dry report from the file and started to read.

After a few minutes, the words began to blur and she contemplated going down to the mess to look for a snack. A crisp apple might be just what she needed to help keep her awake. Barring that, she'd settle for some stale coffee.

She was in the midst of trying to remember what today's lunch special had been and whether the dessert offering had been appetizing, when Margaret popped her head in the door.

"She's in here," she said, motioning to someone in the bullpen.

Ginger appeared next to her in the doorway. "Good." She focused her attention on Donna. "Hurry! We have to get started."

Donna's glance bounced between the two women. "Started on what?" she asked.

Margaret came round the desk and pulled her from the chair. "Your costume for the ball."

"I'm not going to the ball," Donna told them, puzzled, as she followed them out of the office and towards the ladies' room.

"Yes, you are," Ginger corrected. "We've got it all taken care of."

Margaret yanked open the bathroom door and Donna was greeted by the sight of Bonnie and Carol setting up an assortment of accessories and makeup on the wide vanity counter.

Bonnie spotted her in the mirror and whirled to face her. "You're here! Good. Here's your costume." She grabbed a confection of tulle and lace off a nearby chair and pressed it into Donna's arms. "Go get changed."

Donna stared dumbly at them for a moment before finding her voice. "Guys, Josh tried to get me a ticket to the ball. There weren't any left. I can't go. There's no way they'd let me in."

The assistants exchanged grins and Donna looked at them quizzically.

"Don't worry about it," Bonnie assured her. "Sam has an extra ticket for you."

"Sam's here?" she asked, surprised.

"He flew in from California this afternoon," Ginger said.

"Why did I not know this?" Donna groused. "I can't believe he didn't call me."

"I think he was trying to fly in under the radar so that he could surprise everyone," Bonnie said.

"Then how did you know?"

"He, uh, called earlier this week, wanting to know Toby and Josh's schedules," she answered. She gestured to the gown Donna was still holding in her arms. "He'll be here in twenty minutes to pick you up. If you're going to ride over in the limo with him, we need to get started."

"But what about the school voucher thing? I promised Josh that I'd work on it," she said.

"It's all taken care of," Carol assured her. "Stop worrying and start changing."

"You really found a way for me to go to the ball?" she asked skeptically.

"Really. Sam's on his way right now."

Realizing that her friends were offering her a wonderful gift, she obligingly stepped into the nearest stall and changed from her plain grey business suit into the ice blue gown that Bonnie had handed her. The dress had a handkerchief hem that fell to her ankles and a snug-fitting bodice which clung to her curves. A pair of delicate wings were fastened to the back. It was graceful and feminine and she grinned at how beautiful it made her feel.

With a swish of her skirts, she stepped out of the stall and was greeted with wolf whistles and clapping from her friends. Her grin widened and she executed a little curtsy.

"Thank you guys! This gown is beautiful," she said in awe. "I feel just like Cinderella."

"Then consider us your fairy godmothers," Bonnie quipped.

"How in the world did you manage to do this?"

"CJ knows this guy who's an up-and-coming designer," Carol explained. "We told him about your situation and the next thing we knew he had sent over this costume. The only thing is, he needs the dress back tonight so he can take it to another client early tomorrow. He wanted to know if you could have it back here by midnight."

"Of course," Donna readily agreed. What would it matter if she left the ball a little early? The important thing was that she was able to go at all.

"Sit," Ginger commanded as she pulled a stool away from the vanity.

"Do you mind a wig?" Carol asked.

"No. Why?"

"We just thought that with your fair complexion and blue eyes a dark wig would make you look more mysterious. And this way, no one will ever recognize you."

She pinned up Donna's blonde locks and then carefully set a cap of dark ringlets over them, adding a few more pins and a pair of decorative combs to secure it in place.

While Carol worked on her hair, Bonnie added a light sheen of glittery powder to Donna's cheeks to give her a magical look. They stepped back and admired their handiwork.

"Voila! You're all done," Carol announced.

"Not quite," Margaret corrected. She produced an elaborate mask decorated in tiny seed pearls and soft downy feathers, then carefully held it up to Donna's face, tucking the ribbons that secured it in place beneath the combs and some curls. "*Now* you're done."

Donna looked in the mirror and just stared at the transformation. Gone was the practical White House assistant; in her place stood an enchanting fairy. She twisted and turned, admiring how the fabric of her dress shimmered and clung to her curves. As she turned her head to admire the cut, she caught a glimpse of the glittering combs in her now dark hair and grinned. She really did look like a whole new person.

"Guys, this is absolutely perfect. Really. How can I thank you?"

"Just have a good time tonight," Margaret said.

"And share any interesting gossip," Ginger added.

v"I will."

They ushered her back out into the bullpen, examining her under the brighter light there and making sure that every last detail of her appearance was perfect.

It was in the midst of all the last minute fussing that Sam found her.

Like Josh, he had declined to wear a costume in favor of a simple yet elegant tuxedo. The only thing marring his appearance was his slack-jawed expression when he finally realized that the mysterious fairy was really Donna. "Donna? You look� Wow! You look incredible."

With an wide smile, she came forward and hugged him warmly. "Thank you, Sam. It's so good to see you. I've missed you."

"It's good to see you, too," he murmured emotionally, before turning away and greeting each of the other assistants, who were waiting patiently to say their own hellos.

By the time they were done, he had regained his composure and Donna took the moment to thank him for his gracious invitation. "Thank you for being my escort. I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure to invite you." He held out his arm to her. "M'lady's carriage awaits. Shall we go?"

She accepted it and allowed him to lead her to the waiting limo.

*****

'She looks ravishing', Sam thought as he admired her in the limo's dim interior. The other assistants had found the perfect costume for her, one that showed off her assets with subtle grace. She had always been classically beautiful, and the ice blue gown showed off her lithe figure perfectly.

She blushed under his scrutiny and the pink flush only seemed to enhance her delicate features. Even the slightly nervous look in her eyes couldn't detract from her beauty.

"Donna? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Maybe a little nervous," she admitted. "What if Josh sees me? I told him I'd be working on the school voucher thing tonight."

"Don't worry about Josh," Sam advised her. "He'll never recognize you in that outfit. And don't worry about the voucher thing either. Ginger and Bonnie will handle it."

She looked at him, perplexed. "Why are you all doing this?"

"Because you deserve to have a little fun in your life. You work so hard and it's time you were rewarded for that. Besides, I just happened to have the extra ticket and you're one of the most beautiful women I know in Washington."

"One of?" she asked teasingly.

"Well, there's Ainsley�" he couldn't help pointing out, embarrassed.

"So why didn't you ask her to go with you?" she inquired, not the least bit insulted by his faux pas.

"To a DNC fundraiser? I wasn't sure that would be a good idea. Let me rephrase my earlier statement � You are the most beautiful *Democrat* I know and I'm honored to be escorting you," he said earnestly.

She smiled at him. "I'm glad you're here."

He returned her smile. "So am I."

*****

All eyes were on them as they walked into the ballroom. Sam was pleased to note that every married man in the room, and a few of the married men too, were admiring the woman at his side. One man especially, couldn't take his eyes off her. Sam wondered vaguely if that man even noticed he was her escort.

With barely disguised pleasure at Josh's intent interest, Sam took Donna's hand and started to lead her towards the dance floor. He intended to enjoy at least some time in her company before she was whisked away from him.

They were halted halfway to the dance floor, however, by the arrival of Senator Wallington, dressed as a corpulent Napoleon.

"Sam Seaborn!" he blustered. "Good to see you! I didn't expect to see you here. Thought you'd have stayed out on the West Coast."

"It was a last minute decision to come," Sam explained.

"Well, it's good to see you. And who is this ravishing creature?"

"Senator, I'd like to introduce you to Don�Donoria, queen of all fairies."

The senator nodded sagely at him. "Prefer to keep her real name to yourself, don't you?"

"Yes sir."

"You look very familiar, young lady. Have we met before?" the senator asked as he peered intently at Donna.

She merely shrugged. "They say everyone knows someone in politics."

"That's true."

With a polite smile, Sam gestured toward the dance floor. "We were just about to dance. Would you excuse us?"

"Go right ahead." The senator moved away, and they proceeded to the dance floor, where they mingled amongst wizards and fairytale characters and historical figures.

After several songs, the band took a break and Sam offered to get them some refreshments. Donna declined any food but accepted a glass of refreshing champagne from a passing waiter. They located a quiet area in the corner of the room and began to catch up on all that had been happening since they'd seen each other last.

Their quiet time was interrupted, however, by the approach of Congressman Winter and his wife, dressed as George and Martha Washington. Sam and Donna made pleasant small talk with them for a few minutes before the band came back and struck up a slow song. Sam kindly asked the wife to dance, and Donna accepted the Congressman's offer to take a turn on the dance floor as well.

After the dance, Sam returned the Congressman's wife back to him and took Donna's hand to lead her back to the dance floor. He was stopped in his endeavor, though, by the sound of someone calling his name.

He grimaced when he realized it was Senator Philips, whom he had been hoping to avoid. The Senator from Nevada had called his office in California several times and Sam had been successful in dodging those calls. Now, however, there was no possible way he'd be able to avoid a conversation. He flashed an apologetic smile at Donna. "I'm so sorry, Donna, but I really need to talk to Philips for a minute. Will you be ok?"

"Go. I'll be fine." Smiling, she gave him a little nudge in the Congressman's direction. Sam left her with a frown of concern and hoped that the rest of the evening would proceed without any other distractions.

*****

From the far end of the ballroom, Josh watched, entranced, as Sam walked in with a beautiful brunette on his arm. She was tall and slim, her willowy figure highlighted by the pale blue gown she was wearing. Her pale cheeks were stained by a slight blush and her hair curled enchantingly about her face, which was partially hidden by a whimsical mask. He was instantly ensorcelled.

He had known that Sam had intended to come back to DC this week, had even made plans with him for a night out, but he hadn't realized that he would be attending the ball. He certainly hadn't known that he planned to bring such a beautiful date.

While Josh was eager to greet his best friend and catch up on all that had been happening, he was even more interested in the woman who accompanied him. Her presence at the ball surprised and intrigued him. He had to get a moment alone with her.

With that in mind, he made his excuses to the gypsy he had been chatting up at the bar and started to make his way towards the handsome couple, weaving between various groups of senators, congressmen and aides.

He was just passing one particularly gregarious group when one of its members grabbed his arm and pulled him into their conversation. Recalling Leo's request that he not piss anyone off tonight, he politely entered the debate about the recent EPA bill, but his attention remained fixed on Sam and his date.

After several minutes, he managed to extract himself from the conversation, only to find that the couple was engaged on the dance floor. He stood at the edge of the parquet floor and watched them twirl about, jealous that Sam got to hold such a beautiful creature in his arms and determined that he would have a chance to do the same later in the evening.

He had just decided later had arrived and was about to cut in on their dance when the Minority Whip approached him to ask about the upcoming vote on the tax bill. With some reluctance, he agreed to join the Whip and several other concerned congressman at the bar to discuss the bill.

By the time he had worked his magic on them � a task that took far longer at the bar than it would have in his office -- and was able to excuse himself, Sam and his date had long since left the dance floor. He scanned the room and finally located Sam speaking with Senator Philips, but his date was nowhere to be seen.

Another careful search of the ballroom revealed her standing by the doors to the terrace, holding a glass of champagne and chatting amicably with several aides and interns.

She turned her head to speak to one of the young men, and he saw the glitter of jewels winking in her hair. When she turned back, he realized that the jewels were actually a decorative bauble holding the concealing mask across her face. Part of him wished that he could approach her and remove the intrusive mask to reveal her beautiful face, but another part of him recognized her need to remain mysterious.

He continued to watch her, entranced, as she gestured animatedly with one of her hands and laughed at something someone had said. He imagined her bubbly laughter and was determined to make her laugh with him at some point in the evening.

With that in mind, he made his way over to the group and lightly tapped her on the shoulder just as the band struck up a slow, romantic tune. "I believe this is my dance," he announced.

She turned to him in surprise and, with a slight catch in her voice, asked, "Really? I don't recall promising it to you."

"Sam asked me if I would stand in for him," he lied.

She eyed him skeptically. "*Sam* asked you to dance with me? Why do I doubt that?"

"You're right. He didn't. In fact, I haven�t talked to him all night," he admitted, giving her his most charming smile. "But I saw you walk in with him and I simply couldn't resist meeting you. Let me start over. Would you care to dance?"

Smiling at him, she agreed and he took her glass from her and handed it off to one of her admirers. Lightly grasping her elbow, he led her out onto the terrace and away from the gaggle of young men. His pointed glare in their direction was enough to send them scampering off, giving them even more privacy.

She took his proffered hand and they began to dance.

"I don't believe we've met before," he said. "I'm Josh Lyman."

"I know who you are," she said.

"Really? I guess my reputation precedes me," he smirked.

"It certainly does. I hear you're completely arrogant and ruthless in politics."

"Damn straight!" he boasted.

"I've also heard you like challenging women," she added.

"Yes," he grudgingly agreed, the smile in his eyes letting her know that he wasn't at all insulted by her comment. "But only challenging women who dare to sass me while I'm dancing with them."

She chuckled and nestled into his embrace. "Good."

With her soft body pressed close to his, Josh decided that she felt even better than she looked. He peered down at her dark curls and had to resist the impulse to tilt her head up and kiss her. Instead, he pulled her just a little bit closer.

As the band finished the song, she reluctantly pulled away from him. "I really should go find my date."

"Sam? Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be busy for the next few hours. Philips cornered him and is probably talking his ear off about HR287."

"That's probably an even better reason why I should go find him."

She started to leave, but he held tightly to her hand. "Stay. Just for another song," he cajoled. He'd spent the entire night trying to find some time alone with her. There was no way he was letting her go that easily after just one dance.

He was gratified when she turned a soft smile up at him and whispered, "Ok."

*****

She knew that she should go, that she shouldn't give in to his soft, seductive voice. He didn't know who she really was; he thought she was a stranger, some randomly attractive woman who posed a challenge to him. But she'd dreamed for so long of being in his arms and having his full attention that she readily agreed to stay and damned the consequences.

He twirled her around the terrace and pulled her back into his arms. Instead of swaying her in time to the soft music, though, he stood still, gazing down at her with an odd expression on his face.

Before she had a chance to figure out what it meant, he was lowering his mouth to hers. His lips were warm and firm as he brushed them against her mouth and they were both amazed at the jolt of electricity that passed between them at the contact.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue darting out to trace the outline of her lips, and stealing inside as she parted them. She was sure she could taste the traces of whiskey that clung to him and wondered what she tasted like to him.

His talented tongue twined with hers and she encouraged him, winding her arms about his neck. She couldn't get enough of him, his taste, his feel, his scent. She clung to him and he grasped the back of her head, pulling her even closer. She moaned at the intimacy.

The moment was cut short, though, as she vaguely noted the sound of a grandfather clock chiming the hour.

She tore her lips away from his. It couldn�t possibly be chiming the time she thought it was. She had to make sure. "What time is it?"

She reached for his wrist and pushed his tuxedo jacket and shirt up his forearm so that she could read the time on his watch. The pale face read six minutes past twelve. Even as she smiled at the dependable inaccuracy of his watch, she inwardly groaned as she realized she had to go. She looked at him with chagrin. "I need to leave. I promised I'd be back by midnight."

Without giving him a chance to speak, she dropped his wrist and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for the dance. It was everything I dreamed it would be."

And with those final words, she fled.

*****

Carol stopped by Donna's desk early the next morning, eager to hear all the gossip about the ball. "So? Did you have a good time?"

"It was amazing! My only regret is that it ended so quickly. Did CJ's guy get the gown ok?"

"Um-hm. He picked it up bright and early this morning." She hesitated and then added, "When he called to thank me, he mentioned that one of the jeweled combs was missing from the bag. Do you know what might have happened to it?"

Slowly, she shook her head. Her mind flashed to how Josh had cupped the back of her head when they had been kissing. It was possible the comb had fallen out then. Or maybe she had dropped it in Josh's office when she came back to the White House to get changed. She hoped it was the latter, otherwise she would never find it.

She looked apologetically at Carol. "Can you give me about an hour? I think I know where it might be but I need a little time."

"No problem," Carol responded. "He just asked us to send it to him whenever we get the chance. Apparently, he has an extra one that his other client can use."

"Thanks."

As soon as Carol left, she hurried into Josh's office and began a thorough search. She had laid the costume across the desk the night before and placed the wig and accessories on top. Had one comb been knocked away from the pile as she'd carefully put all the items back into the garment bag?

She looked about carefully, but the comb wasn't anywhere near the computer and there was nothing but some dust and photos on his crowded bookshelves. Maybe it had fallen to the floor. She scrambled to her knees and was just peeking beneath his computer desk when she heard footsteps entering the office.

"Good morning, Donnatella!" Josh greeted her cheerily. She jumped to her feet, flustered to have been discovered creeping around, and he peered at her curiously. "What are you doing?"

She grabbed a pen and held it aloft. "Just picking this up."

"Oh, ok then. Who do I have on my schedule today? I am in a great mood and I'm ready to do some negotiating. I'd even be willing to compromise with some Republicans."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you and what have you done to my boss?"

"Can't a guy be in a good mood?" he asked, his dimples flashing and eyes twinkling.

"Yes," she answered slowly, her gaze continuing to scan the floor for the jeweled comb. She glanced at him briefly. "But you're usually not in such a good mood after one of these fundraiser things."

"I am too!" he protested.

He started to go into detail about the previous night, but Donna barely paid attention because of her preoccupation with what she hoped was a surreptitious visual search of the office.

Josh managed to capture her full attention, though, when he stopped talking and came around the desk.

He held out his hand to her, revealing the missing comb in his palm. There was an amused glint in his eyes as he asked, "Have you, by any chance, been looking for this?"

She stared at him, embarrassed to realize that her search had been so obvious. Then she really noticed what he was showing her.

"I� I must have lost that last night, when I was in your office reading," she stammered.

He clucked his tongue at her. "Donna? You didn't leave it when you were doing the thing. You lost it later, at the ball, as you were running away."

"What? No, I wasn't even at the ball," she lied.

"Donna, you can't deny you were there. I spent half the night staring down at the things as we danced. They glittered among all those dark curls," he told her, adding, "You look good as a brunette, by the way."

She could barely choke out her next question. "You knew?"

"How could you possibly think I wouldn't? Besides the fact that you arrived with Sam -- and there's no way I could have mistaken you for Ainsley -- I would have known you, Donna, no matter what you wore or what color your hair was. Or even if your beautiful eyes were concealed by a mask. I know *you,* Donna."

"So when you kissed me�" She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure. "When we kissed, you knew it was me?"

"What do you think?" he asked, a smug grin firmly in place as he took a few steps closer to her.

"So it wasn't an accident." She instinctively moved nearer and he closed the short distance between them.

"It wasn't an accident," he answered huskily, right before his lips touched hers, ending all conversation.

*****

Sam was passing by Josh's office, on the way to meet Toby for breakfast, when he caught the very end of their conversation. With a satisfied smile, he continued on his way to Communications where he was greeted by two very anxious assistants.

"Well?" Ginger prompted.

"Did it work?" Bonnie demanded

"It worked," he replied smugly.

"And�?"

"She was the belle of the ball," Sam told them.

"And Josh? What did he think?"

"He couldn�t take his eyes off her."

"Sam! Tell us what happened," Bonnie ordered.

He relented and told them the rest. "They danced, he kissed her, and� I believe, he is kissing her yet again in his office right now."

A triumphant whoop could be heard throughout the halls of the West Wing.

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