Josh had spent most of the morning on the hill in meeting after meeting trying his best to strong arm the Congress in voting his way about the trade agreements. Fighting with several people with the situation hanging around his neck made it difficult to focus. Everything became dyre and he was just about to suit up for another meeting. He was close to getting his way, there was only a few people left on his list, but his sleep deprived and recovering head cold state had made it difficult to function. He pushed out some cold medicine form a foil plat eand swallowed them with Malox and coffee. His shoulders shook when he coughed. "Ugh" He grunted. He looked at the TV in office, in the momentary lull of activity.

"…President Bartlet's administration is now coming apart at the seams…" The news reporter was saying on the TV "..further allegations of scandals from inside the white house when several junior staffers released a very aggressive and what some would call traitorous remarks on a website. This is coming just after another debacle of rumors of failed trade negotiations by Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman and Senate Majority Leader John Bradford. Bradford and Lyman have clashed on many issues, this current one just being the newest in a long history of political battels."

Josh scowled at the TV in his office. "Great…just great." He pulled his shirt off and rummaged around for a clean shirt in his office. He threw things about and was getting increasing frustrated. His office had fallen into some disarray given the state of affairs and with his assistant not there to look after him, Josh had become quite hopeless as an adult.

"Donna! Wheres my clean shirts?" But then there was dead silence. His heart dropped when he remembered she wasn't there. He had become quite used to her always being there, and hated himself for taking her for granted. There was a part of him who wanted to tell her that he wasn't the kind of person people have for boyfriends, that he was truly broken and unfixable. We wished he could say that he didn't really take her for granted, and that she meant the world to him, and that he would go to the end of the earth for her if she had asked him, but he had never said any of those things. Instead he had shouted at her, and treated her like a servant, like she was beneath him. Always moving away from her when things got close, because he had a fear of commitment or fear of … whatever. His leaned against the closet door wishing like crazy she was out there waiting for him like she always was. .

And then, there she was. Leaning on the door frame just outside his office with her arms folded looking very smug indeed.

Josh bolted upright and simply stared at her. "Hey." He breathed. "Your'e here." He suddenly found he didn't know what to do with his hands, or how to address her. Something had changed between them, but now it had become uncomfortable and awkward. He kicked empty energy drink cans and coffee cups out of the way of the closet door and in by doing so knocked over a pile of documents. In frustration he yanked the shirt off the hanger angrily and wacked himself in the face with the hanger.

"Ahwwccchh." He recoiled pathetically with a limp shirt in one hand and the other over this eye.

Donna sighed in pity. "Come're" He hobbled over. "Your'e a mess Josh. You need to get some sleep." She looked up at him in concern as she helped him button his shirt.

"Yeah I know." He said in apology. He found her couldn't look at her, so he focused on his buttons.

She tried to pick lint of his rumpled jacket in vain, looking up into his face.

Josh smiled down at her. "You came back."

Donna's eyes met his. "I just had some stuff I had to pick up."

"So that's it? Youre just gunna leave? leave me?" He said indignantly.

"Looks like it." She turned coldly placing items in a box from her desk.

"So …. Uh …" He leaned up against the filling cabinet. "Do you ….." His stupid brain wouldn't work properly. "Need a reference or something?"

Donna glared at him. "No. Im fine .thank you. sir."

"Ok" He simply gazed at her, and his natural instinct kicked in. "Well…thanks for the shirt." He said turning

"No problem." She said icily.

His phone buzzed. Glad for the distraction he glanced down at it. "Im sorry…I …Have to take this."

"Sure…Go ahead." Josh turned on his heel and stumped down the hallway. Donna watched him, wishing she could say all the things she wanted to say. That she would do anything for him, that over the years things had changed between them, that she was no longer just his secretary that she was no longer just his colleuge, or his girlfriend… theirs was a relationship on a visceral understanding, and true deep love between them. But she couldn't say any of that. Because he Josh, her boss. Even though things had changed between personally, the world hadent changed. And she was going to be his asstanty forever; and enough was enough.

"Yes Congressmen Carter –you know I don't have to tell you we need youre support on this…." He said rubbing his exhausted face. "Yes sir, I know that – the rumors are completely unfounded trust me…." He said every so often checking to make sure Donna was still there. "Yeah…" He listened carefully and then visably bristeled. "Listen Jerry, if you don't do this for us, Im going to have some serious words to a certain financial advisor you don't want me to name…." He growled. "You willing to take that chance? Try me!" His voice rising. "I assume you read the SAO about this report, and how if in so uncertain terms paints a very unfriendly picture of your - " He grinned evily. "Good man! I knew we could count on you. Thank you Congressmen," He clapped his phone shut, and whirled around. "Yeah! That's how you do it baby!"