Donna stood silently in her new office, stunned. She wondered if she covered well when she mistook the space for the First Lady's office. Probably not. Not a moment later, Annabeth came back into the room.

"Ready?"

Donna nodded, smiled, and headed off to her first official meeting as the Chief of Staff for the First Lady of the United States of America.

Sam came into the office to find Josh staring into space as he let out a heavy sigh.

"CJ says I probably won't ever see this as anything other than Leo's office."

Sam shrugged, "Maybe not. My office sure feels like yours."

The pair exchanged a brief, knowing glance. Inauguration Day feels surreal for any incoming administration, but the unique experience of doing it for a second time was unlike any other. You're simultaneously the new kid on campus and the 5th year senior.

There was a knock at the door, and Ronna appeared.

"Josh?" Jarred out of his introspection, he looked up to meet her gaze. "He's ready for you." Ronna retreated through the open door.

Sam took a deep breath, "Here we go."

Josh nodded, and walked into the Oval.

It had been a long first day and it was nowhere near over.

"Eight balls! Did we do this last time?" Josh exclaimed as he wrestled with his bow tie.

"Who can remember," Sam asked rhetorically, "I'll call the residence and make sure they're ready."

Exasperated, Josh yelled out to his new assistant, "ELAINE!"

Elaine reminded Josh of that temp he had when Donna quit. What was her name? She was tough: exactly what he needed. For the better part of a decade, he worried about what he would do without Donna as his assistant. She was tuned to him after all. She knew what he was thinking, knew what he needed before he did. But it turns out, having Donna in his life was not contingent upon her being his assistant: a realization that made him feel incredibly simple in his thinking. Donna helped him realize that he needed someone he could trust, that would keep him accountable to his schedule. Elaine was that person.

"ELAINE!" he called again as she appeared in the room.

"What did I say about the yelling?"

"Sorry."

"What can I do for you?"

"Can you call Donna's office and get her down here?"

Josh had no sooner finished his question when Donna strode into his office wearing a strapless red ball gown. She literally took his breath away. Elaine turned on her heels and went back to her desk.

Donna smirked at his gaping jaw. "Are you ever going to learn how to dress yourself?" she asked, walking towards him and reaching for his bow tie.

"Donnatella, you look incredible," Josh breathed, finding his voice. Donna made quick work of his tie and smoothed the lapels of his tuxedo jacket.

"You don't look half bad yourself."

He placed his hands at her waist and pulled her close to him, "I can't wait to take you home."

She smiled, "Leaving now would cause just a bit of suspicion."

"Fine. Here then?"

He kissed her urgently, his hands finding their way into her hair. Donna found herself loosening the tie she just fastened when Sam reentered the room.

"Okay we're ready to go, the motorcade- oh! Sorry!"

Donna smiled into Josh as they broke apart. "Hi Sam," she greeted her friend and re-tied Josh's tie.

"Listen, I'm sorry- we need a signal or something. Or I could knock. That's probably easier. Unless-"

Josh cut him off, "You said the motorcade's ready?"

"Yes." Josh started for the door when Sam stopped him, one hand stretched out in front of him as if he were directing traffic.

"What?"

"You have, um, lipstick…" Sam gestured to his own face. Josh immediately started randomly pawing at his face.

Donna laughed, picking up a tissue from the box on the desk and wiped the red lipstick from his mouth.

"There, I think we're ready now."

Donna had never felt more content that she did slowly swaying in Josh's arms at the eight and final ball. It had been an impossibly long day. Tired did not begin to describe her fatigue, yet she was invigorated by the sheer thought of getting to work the next day.

She relaxed into Josh's embrace thinking how much different this dance was from any other they'd shared. Sure, they'd danced together at countless state dinners over the last eight years. And a couple of times, drunk, in a Georgetown bar with the rest of Bartlett's senior staff. But they'd never danced like this. The freedom that came with not hiding how she felt was more empowering that she imagined it would be.

The President danced with the First Lady across the ballroom, and Helen caught Donna's eye, smiling knowingly. She nodded at her Chief of Staff and subtlety motioned her head towards the door. Donna raised her eyebrows in response, hoping to ask, "Are you sure?" Helen nodded, and whispered something to her husband. The two then walked hand-in-hand towards Josh and Donna.

"Hey," Matt Santos greeted and Josh and Donna stopped dancing.

"Mr. President." Josh immediately stood at attention. "Do you need something?"

"I need my Chief of Staff to go home."

"Sir-"

"No arguments. The First Lady and I will be making our exit soon. You two enjoy your night, and we'll see you tomorrow."

Donna smiled and mouthed a quick "thank you" to the First Lady who winked in response as she took her husband's arm, "Thank you both. We'll all get back to work in the morning."

Josh acquiesced, "Thank you, Mr. President."

A moment later Josh and Donna stood alone, staring intently into each other's eyes.

"About what we were starting earlier in your office," Donna suggested.

"Yes. Let's go." Josh took her hand and led her to the exit.

They arrived at Josh's apartment within minutes. He was surprised to find an agent posted outside of his door. "That'll take some getting used to," he thought to himself. The agent unlocked and opened the door. Josh and Donna entered the apartment, closing the door behind them. Unable to wait any longer, Josh eagerly kissed Donna against the front door. What came next was a blur of hands and mouths. They blindly stumbled together towards the bedroom, losing articles of clothing along the way.

Donna was startled awake just a couple of hours later, cuddled into Josh's side. She was briefly annoyed, knowing that he would be awake any moment as well. He needed his rest and to say he hadn't slept much during the transition was an understatement. Josh stirred and she realized that it was his cell phone that had woken them. She rolled over and rifled through the clothing on the floor until she found it, and wordlessly handed the phone to Josh.

"Josh Lyman," he mumbled groggily, listening for just a moment before his eyes jerked open and he sat up in bed. "I'm on my way."

He frantically picked up his discarded tuxedo, attempting to put it back on.

"Josh what is it?"

"Kazakhstan."

She got out of bed, slipping his abandoned undershirt over her head and went to the closet.

"I'm so sorry- I wish I could stay but they need me in the Sit Room."

Donna emerged from the closet, holding a clean grey suit and blue shirt, "Don't be ridiculous. The President needs you."

Josh realized he was attempting to put his tuxedo back on and dropped the pants to the floor, taking the clothes from Donna's hands and quickly getting dressed. She helped him with his tie and kissed him.

"I love you," he said as he came to the front door.

"I love you too Joshua." She kissed him quickly again, and just like that he was gone.

Donna padded back to the bedroom and climbed into bed, thinking if this was any other relationship, or if they had any other jobs, she'd be feeling selfishly abandoned right now. But she was content. She was in love with a man who served at the pleasure of the President. A man whose counsel and advice was so valuable to the leader of the free world that in times of crisis, he simply needed Josh at his side. She was immeasurably proud of him.

Josh leaned back in the car as his detail drove him back to the White House, thinking about how different his relationship with Donna was than any other he'd experienced. When the phone rang, she didn't roll over in passive aggressive silence. She got it. Sure he'd been with women who objectively understood in the past- at the time, Mandy and Amy knew he had important responsibilities to President Bartlett. Back then he could set his watch by the impending fight any time he was called away in the middle of the night. But Donna was different. For so many reasons she was different. He was so grateful for her. He only wished they started sooner: after Rosslyn, after Gaza, after the news of MS surfaced. Lacking a time machine though, Josh was just glad that he and Donna had found there way to one another at all.

The car came to a stop. Josh opened the door and got out to find Sam waiting for him.

"What's next?" he asked his Deputy as they walked into the building.