Title: Arms Length
Synopsis: Josh talks to Leo and Donna, post Benign Prerogative.
Characters: Josh, Leo and Donna
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Up to S5, Benign Prerogative
"Donna okay?"
Josh looked up and found Leo stood in the doorway to his office. "Yeah, she's..." he began and then sighed. "She's upset. She met with his parents, spoke to his sister...." he trailed off and shrugged. "She's gone to the mess with Margaret. I'm gonna take her home in a while."
"It's kind of ironic really," Leo commented.
"Donavan?" Josh asked and Leo nodded his reply. "Donna thinks so too. If his parents hadn't come here we'd never have known who he was and he'd have got a pardon. Donna feels bad, she feels responsible."
Leo considered telling Josh to look after Donna, but there'd be little point -- of course he was going to look after her. "We're all done here, you can go home."
"Waiting for Donna."
"See you tomorrow then." Leo turned to leave the office but Josh called him back. "Yeah?" Leo prompted.
"I spoke to Mal a couple of days ago."
Leo waited for Josh to elaborate, when he didn't Leo asked, "She okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine, enjoying her new job."
"Good." Leo watched Josh questioningly.
"She mentioned Jenny....."
"It's fine, Josh, honestly."
"Yeah? Mal thought....."
"I knew she was dating, it's been over four years. It's fine and it's not really my business anymore."
Josh nodded quickly. He had been unsure whether to say anything, but he and Leo have been getting along better the last few weeks and Mallory had been worried.
"Is Mallory alright with it, does she like him?"
"It's not like she's gonna have to live with him," Josh deflected the question.
"That's a no then?" Leo asked, with a small smile.
"She thinks she could have done better than Howard," Josh replied, not trying too hard to keep the feeling that she was right out of his voice. In truth Mallory had confided that she had always had a faint hope her parents would get back together, deep down she knew it wasn't going to happen, but the hope was there anyway.
Leo smiled, a real smile that reached his eyes. It was a good feeling to know that not only did Abbey and Jed think Jenny was making a mistake, Mallory agreed with them and, from the look on his face, so did Josh. Not that he wanted to get back with Jenny, but still, it was a good feeling. "Go and find Donna and take her home, make sure she's okay. Goodnight."
Josh found the mess deserted, apart from Donna sat on her own in the corner, with a vending machine cup of coffee. "I thought you were with Margaret?"
Donna looked up, startled out of her thoughts. "Yeah, she went, I told her I'd be right behind."
"You lied."
"I work in the White House," Donna replied, without a trace of humor.
Josh sat across from her. "You tried to help, you helped 35 other families. You saw them all tonight, all reunited, and that's down to you."
"I think it's down to the president."
"No," Josh shook his head. "After you spoke to him in the Oval Office, he agreed that everyone on the list should be pardoned, all 35, not just 5 or 6."
"Didn't help Donavan," Donna replied. "I'm sorry, I'll snap out of it, I won't be in a pissy mood all week."
"It's OK, we've worked together a long time, I'm use to you," Josh smiled, waiting for the sarcastic comeback, but Donna carried on staring a the cup she was holding. "Donna," he said, suddenly serious he waited for Donna to look at him. "Don't ever learn how to keep things at arms length. Don't do that, don't change. Too many people would miss you."
Donna looked at Josh as he watched her intently. "Josh," she began.
"Let's go home," Josh cut her off. He stood up and held out his hand. Donna let him pull her up and followed him out of the mess, keeping hold of his hand until the reached they main stairwell.
That's All