![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Title: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio by Punk and Sabine
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Title: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio by Punk and Sabine
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Title: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio by Punk and Sabine
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Title: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio by Punk and Sabine
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Title: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio by Punk and Sabine
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Title: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio by Punk and Sabine
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (4426 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Website: Punk and Sab Fiction
Summary: You can never go home again, but sometimes you can go to Florida.
Review: Ten years ago, in Florida, Josh missed his chance with Sam, and he's always regretted it. Now Sam's fallen heir to a timeshare at a Florida resort, and he's somehow persuaded to take Josh along with him. When they arrive at their accommodation, however, it's to discover that there is only one bed, and Josh is going to have to sleep on the flimsy wicker couch. Naturally this doesn't improve Josh's temper, and nor does Sam's odd ambition of sleeping with a stupid girl - an aim, in fact, which he does very little to pursue.
Instead, it's Josh who ends up meeting somebody; he's on the verge of going home with a kid called Parker when Sam arrives and catches them together, and after that everything - quite unsurprisingly - starts to change.
This is a story that's been around a while - since 2001, in fact - and it's still one of my two or three all-time favourites in the Josh/Sam genre. It has a beautiful sense of place, and the characters of the boys ring very true; so do those of the non-speaking 'extras' who roll through the background - especially Donna, who has no direct speech but is very much a presence in the story.
There is nothing complicated or angsty here; this is a story about sweetness and second chances, making up for lost time and the power of friendship, and above everything else it's a story about the very great importance of never losing hope. That's probably why I keep going back and reading it; because doing so is always like opening up a fresh box of optimism. I can thoroughly recommend it for that reason alone.
Link: You and Me in a Rowboat to Rio (original version) and also on A03 at this page
Title: Rough Magic by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Title: Rough Magic by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Title: Rough Magic by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Title: Rough Magic by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Title: Rough Magic by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Title: Rough Magic by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, adventure, AU
Length: Long (approx. 22,000 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding and also archived on The Big Block of Cheese
Summary: Mandy disappeared on the day they shot Josh. Then Sam just vanished, leaving Josh lost and desolate. Josh had always put it down to the curse of the Bartlet Administration, but was there more to it than that?
Review: What we have here is one of the few pieces of fan fiction to make any serious attempt to explain the disappearance of Mandy Hampton between Series 1 and 2 of The West Wing, and to do it in the context of a Josh/Sam romance no less. In fact, Sam also vanished, shortly after Mandy, only to turn up in mysterious circumstances some years later in London.
Naturally the two cases are connected; so is the subsequent disappearance of Josh's friend CIA agent Mike Casper, and so is the murder of the Amaran Ambassador. There are secrets concealed here that some unscrupulous people will go to a great deal of trouble to protect - and Josh's and Sam's lives are therefore in considerable danger.
There is something incredibly appealing about Josh and Sam bungling their way haphazardly through a sub-James Bond-type spy adventure they are absolutely unequipped to cope with, yet as is so often the way of these things their rushing in where angels fear to tread provides the solution to the mystery and brings Leo crashing to their rescue like the entire Seventh Cavalry all rolled into one. Along the way there are some beautifully-imagined and described scenes and characters - Sam's house-mate Vic, for example, who takes it all in his stride - and the overall impression is incredibly satisfying.
If I'm being really picky, the story could have done with the services of a beta who knew the difference between 'passed' and 'past', 'draw' and 'drawer', 'mac' and 'Mac', and that 'Democrat' and 'Republican' take capital letters; such slips let the side down a bit, when the quality of the rest is of a high order. One good edit would have fixed all these, and it's a shame it didn't happen. This story, however, demonstrates yet again that most of the best West Wing fiction appeared in the very early days, when the relationship between Josh and Sam still looked as if it might be going somewhere. Rough Magic manages to retain that initial optimism, and to build on it to very good effect; it's an excellent tale, from one of the founder members of a very strong fandom, and I totally recommend it.
Link: Rough Magic
Title: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips by Julian Lee
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Title: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips by Julian Lee
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Title: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips by Julian Lee
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Title: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips by Julian Lee
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Title: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips by Julian Lee
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Title: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips by Julian Lee
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Slash, romance
Length: Medium (4,200 words)
Warning: None
Rating: PG-13
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: The Thwarted Invasion
Summary: "Josh. Seriously. I don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts. We'll be fine."
Review:
Amy's dumped Josh - or was it Josh who dumped Amy? - yet again, just when Josh has plans to spend the weekend at Chris Wick's family cabin in the Massachusetts backwoods. Rather than waste a good cabin, he prevails on Sam to accompany him instead - only, when they arrive, it turns out the place they've borrowed is not so much rustic as regal.
Unfortunately, however, it's also an old house in an isolated location, and some of the stories they've been told about its history are disquieting to say the least. When they try to settle down for the night, it very soon becomes apparent that nobody is going to get a great deal of peace and quiet. Of course, they don't actually believe in ghosts - but then again, Josh is haunted by the spectres of his unhappy past, by mistakes he's made and opportunities he's missed. Unable to sleep, he shows up in Sam's room with an armful of blankets and proposes to sleep on the floor - but Sam, of course, is soft-hearted and can refuse Josh nothing, so before long they're sharing a bed.
Julian Lee has a very light touch with Sam and Josh; there are no great tragic revelations, no declarations of undying love, just a little gentle nudge from the supernatural to push them towards a time and a place where they can remember what they once were to one another, and what they could be again. This story fits into the space between 'Posse Comitatus' and 'The California 47th' - i.e. the first half of season four - which is just about the last opportunity in The West Wing canon when something of this sort could have happened between Josh and Sam. They are not the wide-eyed optimists of the earlier seasons, and therefore it is possible to imagine that even at that late stage they could just have made it work together after all; here, Julian Lee captures this elusive prospect beautifully - and almost makes a believer out of me!
Link: I Don't Believe In Cheese Nips
Greetings, epic_reccers, I'm Fi, theficklepickle, and I'll be here on Saturdays from now on. My first rec, in keeping with the silly/humorous theme, is an absolute classic! Enjoy!
- - - - -
Title: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, Humour
Length: Medium (3600+)
Warning: None
Rating: Very mild slash - almost PG
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, there aren't any meetings, and Josh has to kiss Sam.
Review:
Let's be fair, I don’t think anyone would attempt to classify this story as anything but fluff. The plot has Sam and Ginger, at a White House staff Christmas party, selling kisses for charity - specifically, for a 'Fund For Distressed Donkeys'. The story revolves around who buys kisses, from whom, whether or not they pay for them (Toby? Toby!) and why. In the midst of all the mayhem, it's refreshing to see Leo being his usual curmudgeonly self and the President being safely absent; as Toby rightly points out they are 'laying the groundwork for some expensive and highly publicised sexual harassment suits' - not to mention, in Josh's words, 'sexual confusion and the end of civilisation'.
Of course, many of the characters - the women, at least - are certain that the person Sam would like to be kissing is Josh, and many of them also believe that Josh and Sam are a couple and that Josh is probably jealous. This would seem to locate the date of the action as early in The West Wing's continuity, round about the time of Bartlet's first Christmas in office or mid-way through the first season. As dedicated viewers will realise, the relationship between Josh and Sam was not quite as clear-cut later as it was then.
Well, naturally, Sam and Josh do eventually get to kiss - but not until Sam has had too much to drink and fallen asleep on Toby's couch. Toby, in despair, appoints Josh to drive Sam home - Josh has not been drinking - and the inevitable happens. It’s just one kiss, but it's enough to change things between them. The next time they kiss, however, they are awake and sober and more or less in command of their senses, and both aware that they have been building up to it for some considerable time.
Jackie Thomas has a light and sure touch with Josh and Sam. In fact, in the early days of The West Wing, she had me fully convinced that they were a couple. It was scarcely her fault that later developments in the series made Sam a less appealing character and effectively rendered most of her work 'alternate universe'. The Fund For Distressed Donkeys retains a lot of the initial optimism of this wonderfully diverse fandom and is a reminder of how much fun things were before MS, shootings and various other complications intervened to drive the characters apart.
Link: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys
- - - - -
Title: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, Humour
Length: Medium (3600+)
Warning: None
Rating: Very mild slash - almost PG
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, there aren't any meetings, and Josh has to kiss Sam.
Review:
Let's be fair, I don’t think anyone would attempt to classify this story as anything but fluff. The plot has Sam and Ginger, at a White House staff Christmas party, selling kisses for charity - specifically, for a 'Fund For Distressed Donkeys'. The story revolves around who buys kisses, from whom, whether or not they pay for them (Toby? Toby!) and why. In the midst of all the mayhem, it's refreshing to see Leo being his usual curmudgeonly self and the President being safely absent; as Toby rightly points out they are 'laying the groundwork for some expensive and highly publicised sexual harassment suits' - not to mention, in Josh's words, 'sexual confusion and the end of civilisation'.
Of course, many of the characters - the women, at least - are certain that the person Sam would like to be kissing is Josh, and many of them also believe that Josh and Sam are a couple and that Josh is probably jealous. This would seem to locate the date of the action as early in The West Wing's continuity, round about the time of Bartlet's first Christmas in office or mid-way through the first season. As dedicated viewers will realise, the relationship between Josh and Sam was not quite as clear-cut later as it was then.
Well, naturally, Sam and Josh do eventually get to kiss - but not until Sam has had too much to drink and fallen asleep on Toby's couch. Toby, in despair, appoints Josh to drive Sam home - Josh has not been drinking - and the inevitable happens. It’s just one kiss, but it's enough to change things between them. The next time they kiss, however, they are awake and sober and more or less in command of their senses, and both aware that they have been building up to it for some considerable time.
Jackie Thomas has a light and sure touch with Josh and Sam. In fact, in the early days of The West Wing, she had me fully convinced that they were a couple. It was scarcely her fault that later developments in the series made Sam a less appealing character and effectively rendered most of her work 'alternate universe'. The Fund For Distressed Donkeys retains a lot of the initial optimism of this wonderfully diverse fandom and is a reminder of how much fun things were before MS, shootings and various other complications intervened to drive the characters apart.
Link: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys
Greetings, epic_reccers, I'm Fi, theficklepickle, and I'll be here on Saturdays from now on. My first rec, in keeping with the silly/humorous theme, is an absolute classic! Enjoy!
- - - - -
Title: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, Humour
Length: Medium (3600+)
Warning: None
Rating: Very mild slash - almost PG
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, there aren't any meetings, and Josh has to kiss Sam.
Review:
Let's be fair, I don’t think anyone would attempt to classify this story as anything but fluff. The plot has Sam and Ginger, at a White House staff Christmas party, selling kisses for charity - specifically, for a 'Fund For Distressed Donkeys'. The story revolves around who buys kisses, from whom, whether or not they pay for them (Toby? Toby!) and why. In the midst of all the mayhem, it's refreshing to see Leo being his usual curmudgeonly self and the President being safely absent; as Toby rightly points out they are 'laying the groundwork for some expensive and highly publicised sexual harassment suits' - not to mention, in Josh's words, 'sexual confusion and the end of civilisation'.
Of course, many of the characters - the women, at least - are certain that the person Sam would like to be kissing is Josh, and many of them also believe that Josh and Sam are a couple and that Josh is probably jealous. This would seem to locate the date of the action as early in The West Wing's continuity, round about the time of Bartlet's first Christmas in office or mid-way through the first season. As dedicated viewers will realise, the relationship between Josh and Sam was not quite as clear-cut later as it was then.
Well, naturally, Sam and Josh do eventually get to kiss - but not until Sam has had too much to drink and fallen asleep on Toby's couch. Toby, in despair, appoints Josh to drive Sam home - Josh has not been drinking - and the inevitable happens. It’s just one kiss, but it's enough to change things between them. The next time they kiss, however, they are awake and sober and more or less in command of their senses, and both aware that they have been building up to it for some considerable time.
Jackie Thomas has a light and sure touch with Josh and Sam. In fact, in the early days of The West Wing, she had me fully convinced that they were a couple. It was scarcely her fault that later developments in the series made Sam a less appealing character and effectively rendered most of her work 'alternate universe'. The Fund For Distressed Donkeys retains a lot of the initial optimism of this wonderfully diverse fandom and is a reminder of how much fun things were before MS, shootings and various other complications intervened to drive the characters apart.
Link: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys
- - - - -
Title: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys by Jackie Thomas
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Categories: Romance, Humour
Length: Medium (3600+)
Warning: None
Rating: Very mild slash - almost PG
Author on LJ: Unknown
Website: Wayfinding
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, there aren't any meetings, and Josh has to kiss Sam.
Review:
Let's be fair, I don’t think anyone would attempt to classify this story as anything but fluff. The plot has Sam and Ginger, at a White House staff Christmas party, selling kisses for charity - specifically, for a 'Fund For Distressed Donkeys'. The story revolves around who buys kisses, from whom, whether or not they pay for them (Toby? Toby!) and why. In the midst of all the mayhem, it's refreshing to see Leo being his usual curmudgeonly self and the President being safely absent; as Toby rightly points out they are 'laying the groundwork for some expensive and highly publicised sexual harassment suits' - not to mention, in Josh's words, 'sexual confusion and the end of civilisation'.
Of course, many of the characters - the women, at least - are certain that the person Sam would like to be kissing is Josh, and many of them also believe that Josh and Sam are a couple and that Josh is probably jealous. This would seem to locate the date of the action as early in The West Wing's continuity, round about the time of Bartlet's first Christmas in office or mid-way through the first season. As dedicated viewers will realise, the relationship between Josh and Sam was not quite as clear-cut later as it was then.
Well, naturally, Sam and Josh do eventually get to kiss - but not until Sam has had too much to drink and fallen asleep on Toby's couch. Toby, in despair, appoints Josh to drive Sam home - Josh has not been drinking - and the inevitable happens. It’s just one kiss, but it's enough to change things between them. The next time they kiss, however, they are awake and sober and more or less in command of their senses, and both aware that they have been building up to it for some considerable time.
Jackie Thomas has a light and sure touch with Josh and Sam. In fact, in the early days of The West Wing, she had me fully convinced that they were a couple. It was scarcely her fault that later developments in the series made Sam a less appealing character and effectively rendered most of her work 'alternate universe'. The Fund For Distressed Donkeys retains a lot of the initial optimism of this wonderfully diverse fandom and is a reminder of how much fun things were before MS, shootings and various other complications intervened to drive the characters apart.
Link: The Fund For Distressed Donkeys
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