TITLE: One of THOSE Days

AUTHOR: Micky Fine

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, nor will they ever be.

SPOILERS: Everything

SUMMARY: Donna has one of THOSE days. J/D

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the first part of what I see as being a three-part story. This first section is from Donna's POV. I know Annabeth is the deputy Press Secretary but I put her in here because I wanted some variation. All reviews welcomed.

It's gonna be one of THOSE days. I can tell already. When I wake up with Josh sitting on my chest giving me that mournful look, I always treat it as a harbinger of ill things.

I should specify at this point that the Josh sitting on my chest is not my boss, the Deputy Chief of Staff, but my cat. Thinking about the tale behind the feline Josh's name helps distract me from this feeling of impending doom that is slowly growing.

When Josh returned from the hospital in Germany he asked a real estate friend of his to go apartment hunting while he hung out at Camp David. After finding a nice place in a better neighborhood than my previous apartment Josh went to talk to my roommate, Carrie. She's a paralegal at a big firm in D.C. and makes about three times what I do but she refused to move into a different area without me because she says finding normal roommates in this town is next to impossible. I'd probably agree with her.

Josh told Carrie that he had found a better apartment for us that we could afford because he was giving me a raise. She was so thrilled she promised to name her first-born after him. Unbeknownst to him, when she said first-born she meant her newest batch of kittens. And as Carrie has a certain idea about Josh and I, she gave cat Josh to me. This story always puts a smile on my face and it helps me get out of my bed this morning to face the ill-fated day. It's only 6:30 a.m. and I'm already convinced this is not going to be good one.

I've been at work for over half an hour when Josh swaggers in. He had a breakfast meeting with some Republicans this morning and based on his walk (so I know his walk, don't judge me) I'd say he divided and conquered.

"Morning, Josh."

"Geez, Donna. I keep forgetting you can sneak up on me now."

"Josh, I've been off the crutches for two months and off my cane for six weeks. Think maybe you should have adjusted by now?"

"Maybe. You have something real for me to eat?"

"Define real."

"I had to pretend to eat an omelet this morning. They put vegetables in it, Donna."

"Don't whine. Here, eat this."

"I'm supposed to eat my schedule?"

"There's a bagel on top, Josh."

"It's multi-grain. I might as well eat my schedule."

"Josh, there's strawberry cream cheese on it, your favorite. And as to your complaint of the type of bagel, you may want to consider the fact that your diet, similar to your watch, sucks. You should think about preserving your heart, which has had enough problems without your cholesterol soaring, don't you think?"

"Ok, ok, I'm eating the multi-grain bagel. You've been spending too much time with CJ."

"Whatever. Staff in five."

He heads into his office and I follow, right on his heels. He turns around suddenly and we bump noses.

"Something else, Donnatella?"

"Well..."

"Donna why are you whispering?"

"Be quiet."

"'Kay, now why are we whispering?"

"If you're good and eat multi-grain and bran and vegetables all week I'll smuggle you a big chocolate chip muffin and some cookies on Friday."

"Donna, you're an angel."

"Don't ever forget it."

"Not likely."

"Staff in three."

I'm just about to discredit Josh (the feline) as a harbinger of doom when it starts. We suddenly are down eight votes on this bill we've been pushing to give aid to battered women. It's a great bill, the vote is tonight at 6:00 p.m. and we're down eight votes. Josh rushes off to the Hill to attempt a coup after which I'll have to send bouquets to half of congress as apologies. I love my job. Really.

As if that weren't bad enough I'm now rushing around the Communications Bullpen trying to get some stuff for Josh from Ginger who has suddenly disappeared. As I'm pacing and harassing a couple of junior staffers because I'm annoyed I suddenly collapse. And then I curl up into a fetal position because the pain that's coursing through my leg as a result of this sudden cramp is mind numbing. What doesn't improve the situation is that I happened to collapse at Toby's feet.

"That was graceful, Donna, want a hand up?"

I roll over catching a brief glance of his face before I'm on my other side staring at his tasseled loafers. I'm gritting my teeth in unbearable pain but the thought still runs through my head that I though only lawyers wore tasseled loafers. Guess not.

At this point Toby realizes that Josh has not rubbed off on me and I did not trip over my own feet but that I am in fact in a considerable amount of pain.

"Oh damn, Donna. C'mon, put your arm around my neck."

I manage to do as he says and then am hoisted up off the ground by the Communications Director and placed very gently on his couch. We look like the married couple crossing the threshold, a slightly disconcerting image. After ascertaining that I will not fall off the couch Toby heads back out into the bullpen.

"Ginger, call C.J. and tell her to get over here."

"I'm pretty sure she's a little busy right now what with us being down eight votes and all."

"Just tell her DDCoS."

"Ok."

Of course, now Ginger shows up. Toby re-enters and closes the door behind him.

"Want some aspirin?"

I manage to nod. He offers me two and I swallow them down with the glass of water he hands me afterwards. I'm grateful for the soft and understanding tone he's using right now. It's really a comfort not to be yelled at for not telling people I really should be using my cane.

"Think you can talk yet?"

"I'm getting there."

"You really have to stop collapsing around me. It'll get back to Andi and then I'll be in for it."

I manage a weak grin as I attempt to ward off a blush. I've done this once before in a situation almost identical to this one. I had just herded Josh off to a meeting in the Roosevelt Room after our first walking banter session since I had got back and I was heading back to my desk when I collapsed. Right at Toby's feet. That was the beginning of my time-outs.

I am now forced to spend at least an hour every day on either CJ's or Toby's couch to relax and give my leg a break. To keep Josh from realizing what was actually going on CJ came up with the idea that I should be given more variation in the type of work I do because everyone knows I'm too smart (her words, not mine) to spend the rest of my life working as Josh's assistant. Personally, I think if Mrs. Landingham, who was one of the most brilliant women I have ever met, could do it so can I.

I'm brought out of my reverie when the door suddenly bangs open to reveal CJ in all her glory looking somewhere between frazzled, irate and concerned. I must give her points for managing to incorporate all three into one emotion that I've dubbed frirned.

"Donnatella Moss, how many times have I told you..."

"CJ."

"Tobus?"

"Shut the door."

"Right. Let's try this again. Donna, how many times have I told you to listen to your physiotherapist and use your cane?"

"I do listen to my physiotherapist and I go for 45 minutes five times a week. She said it was fine for me not to use my cane."

"For short periods of time, Donna. You don't use it at all."

"CJ if I use my cane Josh will get all weird and send me home at three in the afternoon and then drive you all insane."

"Good point, but is keeping Josh normal more important than your recovery?"

"CJ, I'm recovering fine and my priorities are just where they should be."

I think I may have been a little abrupt there but CJ gets what I'm saying and backs off. From the sudden change of the look on her face I can bet she's about to offer to get me some warm liquid but is instead interrupted by her cell phone.

"CJ Cregg."

"Hey, Josh."

"You got 'em?"

"Really!"

"Oh I could kiss you right now if I didn't think that..."

"Fine, not going there. Where are you?"

"Ok, talk to you soon. Come by Toby's office. Bye."

"Donna you better sit up and attempt looking normal 'cause Josh is at the gate and he's on his way up."

I immediately sit up and somehow manage to straighten out my leg without a significant amount of pain. I then give thanks for fast-acting aspirin and mentally promise to write letters praising this miraculous product. Meanwhile, during this great feat, CJ and Toby have managed to scrounge up the folder I was looking for originally and plop it into my lap. Then we begin talking about it so that when Josh comes in he won't notice how white my knuckles are from clutching the armrest. Misdirection, it's worked before.

Josh waltzes in (this is a different walk from his swagger, which implies that he's thinking "I'm da man". So I know how he thinks and how it reflects in his walk, don't judge me) and immediately starts exulting about his latest victory. At this moment he reminds just a little of Peter Pan crowing about his great deeds while completely ignoring Wendy. Guess who's Wendy?

"Donnatella, we are going to lunch."

"What?"

"I am taking you to lunch to celebrate my victory over evil Republicans. Twice. Do you know what that means?"

"I get dessert?"

"You get dessert. Now c'mon, grab your coat and we'll go."

"Josh it's 1:30 in the afternoon, did it ever occur to you that I may have had lunch already?"

He now turns to C.J. and Toby.

"Did she have lunch?"

"Nope, unless you count a glass of water and some aspirin."

I glare at Toby and then turn demurely to Josh who is suddenly looking concerned.

"You alright?"

"Fine, just a little headache. Been concentrating too hard. You're right lunch will be fun. Let's go."

And with that I astound CJ and Toby by standing up and swiftly striding from the room. Behind me I can hear C.J. telling Josh to make me eat food with lots of grease because I've been looking a little too thin lately. I then hear Toby tell him to make sure I don't walk too far today. At least they're not complete traitors. They could have told him that fifteen minutes ago I was lying on the floor.

After lunch with Josh where he made me eat both French fries with gravy and New York cheesecake I'm feeling pretty good and thinking that maybe the vile part of the day has passed with us finding the sufficient number of votes. It turns out I'm wrong when Annabeth comes to my desk and asks me to follow her to her office.

"How are you feeling today, Donna?"

"Fine thanks. What's up?"

"Well, I wanted to show you this before I told Josh so that you're not in shock and he's not raving and ranting and giving death threats..."

"Show me what? Something from the papers?"

"Um, yeah. Do you know a Colin Ayers?"

"Yeah."

There's a great sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach right now.

"Well, he gave some photos from the incident in Gaza to a British magazine who was writing an update on how the explosion has affected world relations. They also do a sideline on you."

"Can I see the photos?"

"Sure."

She hands me a glossy magazine flipped open to the aforementioned pages. For the main story there are just generic photos of the Suburban upside down, spurting flames with emergency personnel and other members of the codel milling around. These don't surprise me as I've seen the footage before. But then I get to the sideline story about me. It's really not a sideline; it's a full spread of two pages with photos of me from here in Washington and photos Colin took before and just prior to the explosion. While these photos don't bother me it's the next few images post-explosion that makes the air in my lungs disappear in a swift whoosh. There are images of me, hanging upside down within the Suburban, unconscious. More of emergency personnel pulling me out where you can see my femur poking out unnaturally from my skin. And then photos of them packing me into an ambulance. When I manage to regain control of myself I look up at Annabeth.

"You ok, Donna?"

I try to focus but concentration is a little difficult right now with these images glaring up at me.

"I'll be fine."

"Good. Now I have a slightly difficult question to ask."

"Shoot."

"Some of the press corps have been asking if you're willing to give an interview or make a comment?"

A familiar male voice comes from behind me.

"No."

I'm still a little too shocked to speak and so I listen distractedly as they begin to argue.

"Josh..."

"No, Annabeth! Do you see what he did? He didn't help, he took pictures to sell to the papers!"

"Josh..."

"We agreed after the accident she wasn't going to give any interviews. We said it would look like some sort of ploy to sell the peace treaty. Not to mention how traumatic it would be for her. What's changed?"

"Josh, time has passed, things have quieted down. Maybe it's time for her to give her side of the story."

"No."

At this point, I've regained my voice and manage to start speaking very softly.

"I'll do it."

Josh looks at me like I've lost my mind. Annabeth turns to me in surprise.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. One condition: it'll be an exclusive. And it has to be with Danny Concannon."

"I think I can arrange that. I'll get him to come see you after the vote tonight."

I nod, stand up and head back to my desk in a slight daze. I don't realize until Josh places his hand in the small of my back that I'm still clutching the magazine in my hands. He slowly pries it from my grasp and steers me into his office. He pushes me into a chair and sitting across from me begins to speak softly.

"Donna?"

"Mmm."

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean if those photos are enough to freak you out do you think Danny asking a whole bunch of questions about the whole thing will be any better?"

"I need to do this, Josh. I've been hashing this out with that woman from ATVA for two months now. I think it's time I told it to someone else."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because the stuff you want to hear I don't know. I don't remember the accident or many of the events before or after. I talk to the ATVA therapist to make sure I don't end up like you."

Josh smiles at that but still looks concerned.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"If you want you can sit down with me when Danny comes by you could."

"Yeah, I want."

The look in his eyes when he says that to me is enough to make my heart flutter and a slight flush to rise to my cheeks (my boss is an attractive man and when he gives you that penetrating look it's enough to make anyone's heart flutter, don't judge me). To cover this up, I stand and turn to head back out to my desk.

"Donna?"

"Yeah?"

"You can leave the magazine here with me."

"Josh, feeling guilty isn't going to fix anything. You can't fix this."

"I know."

The look in his eyes says something different but I hand over the magazine anyway.

"Donna Moss, you are looking particularly fine this evening."

"Thanks Danny, a good victory will do that for you."

"Ah."

"C'mon in to Josh's office. Is it ok if he sits in on this?"

"It's fine, as long as you're comfortable."

We enter into Josh's office where the two men exchange greetings before we all settle down.

"Donna, before we start this thing do you mind me asking you one question before we start?"

"On or off the record?"

"Off."

"Sure."

"Why me?"

I smile.

"Because you played bad cop and threw snowballs at my window."

Danny smiles and out of the corner of my eye I see Josh starting to get that smug look on his face. That look is why my cane sits in my closet behind that red dress I bought ages ago.

"So Donna, do you know Colin Ayers?"

End Part One