"Are you crazy?" Sam asked him.
"Possibly," Josh answered as he shrugged on his jacket and tossed some money down on the bar counter before walking toward the door.
"Well," Sam sighed as he fell into step behind him. "It's good," he reasoned.
"I know it's good," Josh answered.
"You're sure this will work?" Sam asked.
"Not in the least," Josh chuckled.
"You're drunk," Sam said.
"I never said I wasn't," Josh answered.
"I'm calling CJ," Sam decided.
"I'll kill you with my bare hands," Josh told him as they hailed a cab.
"You're joking, right?" Sam asked for clarity.
"I'm not really sure," Josh answered honestly as he slumped in the backseat.
"Great," Sam answered with a smirk.
Within fifteen minutes they were at Sam's condo and Josh was passed out on the sofa in the side room. Sam made himself some coffee and called CJ on the phone. "CJ?" he asked when she picked up.
"Sam? Is everything alright?" she asked, trying to get her bearings.
"Fine, why?" he asked.
"Cause it's like 4 in the morning here on the east coast there, skipper," she said reminding him of the time difference between DC and California.
"Sorry," he said shaking his head. "I didn't even think. We just got in," he explained.
"We?" she asked.
"Josh and I," he further explained.
"Why is Josh there with you?" she asked.
"He just showed up here earlier," Sam said. "He's a little drunk and randomly threatening to profess his undying love for Donna. I thought you should know, though. You know, for scandals and stuff," he sighed.
"A lot's happened, Sammy boy," CJ sighed. "Donna's not here anymore," she told him. "She left about a year ago," CJ explained.
"Why didn't anyone ever mention it?" Sam demanded. "I talk to you guys all the time."
"Josh just kinda pretended that she didn't quit," CJ shrugged. "It was weird at first, but eventually we all just ignored things. We shouldn't have – we know that now, but what can you do?"
"Where is she?" Sam asked.
"Funny thing," CJ laughed.
"Why's that?" Sam asked.
"She's in California," CJ smirked. "Hence Josh's arrival."
"Ah," Sam nodded knowingly. "She been here long?"
"She's getting married soon," CJ explained. "Her fiancé is from Sacramento or something I heard."
"How's Josh doing with that?" Sam asked.
"Not too good I assume," CJ snorted.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Did they ever...."
"Yeah," CJ smiled. "They did," she nodded.
"And then she left? Just like that?" Sam asked.
"There were rumors. Stories. I think maybe some damning photographs," CJ sighed. "It would've killed the Administration and Josh's future. So, Donna did what she could and left. She packed her stuff, gave Leo her notice and got the hell out of town. She took a job with a guy she met a couple of years ago with some internet company or something. She's doing good," CJ explained.
"And getting married," Sam nodded.
"Yep," CJ sighed. "And Josh is not handling it well at all."
"He loves her," Sam shrugged.
"He does," CJ smiled in agreement.
"What's the big deal?" Sam asked.
"She got a substantial raise right after they started sleeping together. Now...they kept it quiet from us and what not, but the paper trail is not a promising one, I can assure you," CJ sighed.
"She deserved the raise," Sam argued.
"Agreed," CJ sighed. "But what can you do? Where's Josh?" CJ asked, changing the subject slightly.
"Hold on," Sam smiled walking to where he deposited Josh. "Let me see if he's awake or not," he said. "Josh?" he asked.
"What's wrong?" CJ asked when Sam was quiet for a moment.
"He's gone."
"What?" CJ asked.
"He's gone," Sam repeated evenly.
"Gone in what sense?" she asked, now sitting up in her bed.
"Gone in the sense that he was here and now he is not here. Thus, my saying that he is in fact gone," Sam insisted. "Where would he go?"
"You got a pen?" CJ asked as she reached for her address book to help Sam out.
At Donna's Apartment
She heard a knock on the door and she knew she shouldn't answer it. It was late. But, she found herself going toward the door handle all the same. She opened it and stared.
"Donna," Josh whispered.
"Josh," she said still looking at him with as little emotion as possible.
"You're here," he murmured.
"So are you," she tried to joke as she opened the door further, inviting him in.
"I came to visit Sam," Josh tried to explain.
"Right," she nodded. "You didn't see a wedding invitation lying around?" she asked.
"I might have," he admitted.
"Josh," she sighed.
"You're getting married?" he asked, his voice rising six decibels.
"In two weeks," she confirmed.
"To this idiot?" he asked, picking up a picture from the table of Donna and Tom.
"Tom's not an idiot," she told him.
"He is too," Josh insisted.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because," he said indignantly. "Because I said so."
"Josh you're acting like you're twelve," she sighed.
"Don't marry him," Josh said, his voice now lower and much more in check.
"Why?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Because," he shook his head. "Because," he said again as he slumped himself down on the sofa in heap.
"Did you drink much tonight?" she asked, joining him on the cushions.
"A little," he admitted, putting his face in his hands and scrubbing them over his eyes.
"You should go to bed," she told him. "I'll call Sam," she said, reaching for her phone.
"No," he said, sitting up completely and reaching for her hand. "Please don't."
"Josh," she said shaking her head. "This," she sighed. "This is not good. It's not good for you or for me," she explained.
"You should come back to me," he told her as his hand framed her cheek.
"Josh," she said shaking her head as her eyes pooled with tears.
"You should. It'll be like before. Like when you left me a million years for the Doctor guy. Dr. Freeride," he said, smiling at himself for remembering.
"No Josh," she said shaking her head. "It's not the same."
"But," he sighed. "But it has to be," he told her.
"It's not," she said simply. "Things don't always work that way."
"I'm going to be President," he told her.
"Yeah?" she asked with a smile.
"In five years," he told her. "In five years I'm going to run for President of the United States. And I'm going to win."
"Okay," she smiled.
"Will you come back to me then?" he asked hopefully.
"Josh," she giggled. "In five years I'll be married. Who knows? Maybe you'll be married too," she said.
"In five years, Donna," he said, bring his other hand up to frame her face entirely. "I'm going to be President."
"Okay, Joshua," she smiled.
"You're getting married," he said, looking down at her engagement ring.
"I am," she agreed.
"But right now, you're not married," he observed.
"Josh," she warned.
It was too late. His mouth was upon her own and her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck. "Just this time," he whispered into her ear as her nails ran over his scalp. "Just this one last time before you're gone."
She knew it was wrong. It was betraying Tom. Tom had been so good to her. Betraying him was the last thing that she ever wanted to do. But Josh's mouth just felt too good on her skin. His hands knew her body too well.
"Just tonight," she whispered in agreement. "It's goodbye," she told him.
"Whatever you say," he moaned as their clothes began to pile up on the floor.
Sam found the address that CJ had given him. He noted that there was a dim light coming from the front room, but that the rest of the house was dark. He knocked. No answer. He tried the door and was surprised that it easily coasted open. He gasped when he came into the house fully. Josh and Donna were entangled on the floor amidst blankets and strewn pillows and magazines.
"Damn," he muttered, turning his head away.
"Sam?" Donna asked, picking her head up from Josh's chest.
"Donna," he whispered and smiled. "Sorry to interrupt. I was just looking for Josh. I guess I found him. I'll go now," he said, turning for the door.
"Wait," she insisted getting up and wrapping herself in a blanket. "Don't go," she said and grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen.
"I thought you were getting married?" he asked.
"I am," she nodded. "In two weeks."
"And Josh knows this?" he asked.
"He does," she confirmed.
"And you slept with him because?" Sam asked.
"It was more or less a goodbye kinda thing," she sighed.
"He loves you, Donna," Sam said with a smile. "He was telling me tonight that he was going to make you fall in love with him and that you two would finally be happy. Then he passed out, I call CJ and she tells me you ran away from DC and fell in love with a doctor who lives in California. I had a hell of a night," Sam rambled.
"He made me fall in love with him already," Donna smiled remembering all of the months they had spent together before the pictures surfaced. "But it's different now."
"How?"
"I'm marrying Tom," she smiled. "And Josh's career is taking off. We'll both have what we've always wanted."
"You're sure?" Sam asked.
"Yes," she smiled. "Definitely."
Josh heard noises from the kitchen and saw Sam and Donna talking. He got himself dressed and made his way toward them. "Sam?" he said. "Can we go?" he asked.
"Uh...sure," Sam said, confused. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute," Sam said, starting to leave.
"No need. "We're done, right?" he asked Donna.
She looked at him and took a deep breath. "Sure," she said.
"Good," he nodded. "Have a good wedding," he said. "And thanks for tonight. It was good," he said, trying his best to sound like a bastard.
"It wasn't bad," she nodded as her eyes fought back the urge to spill over. "See ya, Sam."
"I'll talk to you soon, Donna," Sam promised, looking at her sadly as Josh pushed passed him and stalked toward the door.