AN Hello! I was trying to write part 2 for my other JD story but this came to mind instead... I didn't really proofread this so uh read at your own risk

Josh knew he should have listened to Marla. That was a sentence he had gotten used to hearing in his head for the past ten months. Marla had been his assistant for a year now- the longest run he's had with one. The first month she was there he practically ignored her. But Marla was not a woman you ignored. A month and a half later, he tried to fire her. She had laughed and then asked him if his parents were only children.

"Excuse me?" He had said.

"You heard me. Did you have any aunts or uncles?"

"I- what?! Sure. I had an aunt."

"Was she one of those doting ones?"

"Marla, I'm sure there's a reason you're wasting my time."

"Here's the thing. You're a man child. You don't need a mother. You need an auntie. So I'm stayin' and you should get used to it."

He fought against it- firing her a few more times-futilely for about two weeks before giving in. Now he didn't see how he got by without someone as efficient running his office. This particular evening the reason for his Marla was right inner monologue was an upset stomach. Marla had warned him to eat before he left on Air Force One. Sure, they had food on board but more to Josh's appetite, they had M&M's- which Marla knew he'd end up downing as opposed to nutrients with protein and carbs.

Josh is making notes on the Republican tax plan furiously when CJ shakes him and informs them they're landing. He feels conflicted about seeing Sam. On one hand, there's the potential to hurt his campaign. On the other, he's excited to see his best friend again. And he wanted to know what Sam meant last night when they were on the phone.

"Listen, Scott Holcomb is a wet mop but you do look good up there." Josh said.

"Thanks. It'll be nice to see you guys again." Sam replied. And then added cryptically, "And there might be another face who will be excited to see you."

When Josh pushed for more information, Sam had skirted around him artfully before telling him he had to go. Now Josh was trying to figure out who the hell Sam could have been talking about. He hoped it wasn't Mandy. The DNC did send Scott Holcomb- they might make two bad decisions.

But once wheels touched down, he was too busy to think about it. It wasn't until halfway through the first day that he thought about it again. He made a mental note to mention it to Sam. An hour later, the mental note was rendered mute.

He heard a familiar peel of laughter. He hadn't heard it in a long time but he knew it immediately. He turned and saw the back of a blond head, talking to CJ.

"Donnatella Moss." He greeted, unable to resist grinning.

"Joshua! Can you believe Donna is working on Sam's campaign!? Why did you ever let her go?" CJ says before Donna has even fully turned around. Her heart thumps looking into his dimpled face. He looks tired but he also looks like Josh.

"I really don't know." Josh replies to CJ but doesn't take his eyes off of Donna.

She knows she shouldn't be shocked to see him. Hell, she'd been preparing for this mentally all week. But seeing him in person was a whole other can of worms.

"Hi." She finally says, wanting to hit herself for not being able to form a more coherent response.

"Well, I'll just leave you two to catch up." CJ said and went to go find Toby.

"So come here often?" Josh jokes. She laughs a little before biting her lip, not sure whether to tell him the whole story or not.

"I've been working the communications department. Media management stuff." She tells him.

"California is a long way from Wisconsin." He comments.

"It is." She pauses and breaks eye contact for the first time since turning around. "It's kind of a long story."

"I've got time." He says and it takes about a nanosecond later for someone to yell his name.

"Sounds like you don't." She says, looking back up at him.

"Well, yeah. I'm a very important man. But tonight. Maybe. If you wanted- to, um, go to dinner and catch up."

"Are you asking me on a date, Josh Lyman?" She asks, feeling a little more confident.

"One could call it that, if, ya know, they wanted."

"Hmm… well, I'll have to make a few calls, I'm a very busy woman, you know. But I think I can pencil you in."

"Good." He's still smiling like a fool and he can't resist it as he goes to hug her. He whispers in her ear, "Don't disappear this time, Donnatella."

"I won't." She promises.

During dinner in the hotel restaurant, they never make it around to the subject of why she left and what she's been doing since and how she got to California. They talk about everything else though. Neither of them really were hungry enough for a dessert but they didn't want it to end so they split a piece of tiramisu.

The waiter brought the check and Josh felt his stomach drop. He'd be wheels up in Air Force One after tomorrow's morning rally. He didn't want to say goodbye to Donna.

"So… there are a couple of things we didn't get to." Josh mentions as casually as he can. Donna sighs a little and he thinks of that noise in a very different context, from what feels like a lifetime ago.

"That's true…"

"Do you want to, uh, come up?" he asks, feeling nervous. She looks at her watch and panics a little.

"Josh, I want to. Trust me but-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"No, it's not what you- I mean, I'm not turning you down. Maybe just a raincheck? It's just, it's really late and… I just have to get home." She feels herself deflating a bit and she's not able to tell him the whole truth… again.

"Of course, wouldn't want to deprive you of your beauty sleep." Josh jokes but she doesn't miss the hint of rejection in his eyes. The waiter saves her from replying by bringing the check back. Josh signs it and then they're getting up. And she does something impulsive.

She kisses him. And it doesn't take long for him to kiss her back. It feels like a million little electric shocks in the best possible way. She just wants to meld her body to his and not let go. But she can't so she pulls away.

They're both a little breathless.

"Uh…" Josh mutters intelligently. Fulbright scholar, that he is.

"Yup."

"What just…"

"I still have to go. But if you're ever in California again, I'm your first call." She hugs him and they hold on longer than they should. He kisses her cheek. And the ride up to his hotel room is lonely.

"Sooo…" CJ begins the next morning. "Joshua, did you have a nice time last night?" CJ looks at him expectedly over the table.

"CJ…" Josh says, rubbing his hand over his face. He didn't get much sleep last night and when he did, he couldn't get the feel of Donna out of his dreams.

"Wait… Did you go out with Donna!?" Sam asks.

"You! Why didn't you tell me she was here?" Josh accuses.

"I thought this would be more entertaining." Sam smiles. "So did you guys get the chance to talk everything out?"

"Uh, not really. We talked about, ya know, everything else. But not the, um, touchy ones."

"Wait, so she didn't tell you…" Sam trails off.

"Tell me what?"

"Oh. God. It's not really my place, Josh."

"Sam." Josh glares at him.

"She, uh, well she's a mom." Josh feels himself go white.

"How old is the kid?" He manages to croak out.

"Five and-" Josh doesn't hear the next part of what Sam says because he's bolted through the door.

"You don't think…" CJ begins.

"Honestly? I don't know. I didn't want to ask." Sam says.

Josh meanwhile was scanning the Seaborn campaign war room for a blond head of hair with a lot of explaining to do. The puzzle pieces were coming together. Five years ago, Donna and him had slept together. They were together for a few weeks and then, she left. To go back to her boyfriend. Or at least, that's what she'd said. He knew now she had been pregnant. And now he had to know if the kid was his.