"Where are you going?"

"Out." He didn't even so much as look at her, grabbing his coat as he slammed the door behind him.

Donna stared at the napkin in her lap, the silence in the tiny apartment deafening. When she'd gotten back together with Paul he'd promised things would be different, but nothing had really changed. She worked, cooked and cleaned. He'd come home, eat a quick dinner, leave his dishes on the table and then be back out the door again. If she dared ask where he was headed it was always the same answer. He'd tell her how busy he was, and that he just needed some time. He'd accuse her of nagging him to stay home and leave in a huff. It had been like this all those months ago and she'd refused to let herself see the truth in it all. There was, she determined, someone else. There were more signs than his foul temperament. She'd seen a few overly friendly emails, watched him step away from her when he took calls and smelled someone else's perfume on his clothes.

But she had continued on- working two jobs and barely scraping by with their mounting bills, his fondness for expensive beer and tuition costs. This time though, something was different. She felt... stronger. Like she knew something was missing. Taking their dishes to the sink, her dinner mostly uneaten, she bit her lip and stared blankly out the window, deep in thought. She unconsciously grabbed at her necklace, the one she hadn't removed since Josh placed it around her neck.

That, she supposed, was the difference. It was her indifference to Paul's antics.

She'd never intended to move back in with Paul. She thought she needed to start a life away from him, and she'd planned to. But when she'd arrived back in Wisconsin from her vacation her plans changed. Her sister had taken a new job and would be away for a while. She'd offered Donna the key to her house, telling her to make herself comfortable, but Donna declined. Half the reason she wanted to move out there to begin with was to spend time with her sister. So she'd hung around Madison for a few days, taking her time while deciding what she wanted to do, and she'd eventually bumped into Paul. He'd sweet talked her back into their old situation, and here she was- alone in their apartment for the thousandth time.

She hasn't told Paul about Josh. Why would she? He hasn't asked, presumably because he didn't want to admit to his extracurricular activities while they were apart.

There had been a few times over the last weeks when she'd really thought about Josh's parting words to her. He found her valuable. He may even love her. But more than those words, his actions spoke to her. He respected her. Paul certainly didn't. She'd even thought about leaving again- but where would she go? She'd dreamed of trying something new- Reinventing herself into the woman she'd wanted to become.

But, Donna sighed, Josh didn't really know all about her life, did he? Her lack of education, especially as compared to his prestigious degrees. Her crummy job and her strange quirks. Sure, he may have found them to be endearing to begin with, but after a while he'd probably become annoyed with her, just like Paul.

She had to admit, she thought about Josh. About how she felt when she was around him- so empowered, so loved. She'd wanted to call him- she'd even done some discreet research online. She couldn't find him, per say, but a stroke of luck lead her to a man that Donna was certain was Josh's father. She'd pulled his information up when she'd looked for Josh on the Connecticut Bar Association listing. Noah Lyman's firm in New York made no mention of Josh as an employee but as soon as she saw a photo of the older man she knew they had to be related. It wasn't much, but it was something. She'd jotted down the name and address on a small piece of paper and tucked it safely in her purse. She'd daydreamed about getting in her car and just driving- taking the leap. But then the sensible side of her kicked in- what would she say? 'I need to find your son. We met on a trip and I'm crazy about him but he didn't give me his phone number...' it was one hell of an opener, she rolled her eyes at herself. Still, she could dream.

Their time on the island was the perfect week, she told herself, clinging onto that thought as she returned to scrubbing dishes in their chilly apartment on a cold, gloomy Wisconsin night.

A/N: so I guess this was a long way of telling you that between stories 1 and 2 of this series Josh took a job with Bartlet and Donna went back to Paul. I suppose I could have just said that instead of writing to chapters, but where's the fun in that!?

Also- Yes, Donna is a strong, independent woman. But maybe not so much before she left Paul? Cause he's pretty much awful. Just pointing out that I'm not so much changing the character as highlighting a portion of her personality that evolved greatly (even on the show.)

ANYWAY, hope you enjoyed it and are ready for round 2! Let me hear your thoughts/requests/musings.