Chapter 5:

Donna arrived at the White House and made her way to Josh's office. She loved it there. The coziness, the disorganization, the look on Josh's face as he poured through piles of paperwork on the couch with Donna at his side. Those memories ran through her body and covered her in a quiet warmth. She just hoped those memories, like so many other things, weren't a thing of the past.

But as she opened the door to his office, she saw that he wasn't there.

"No doubt running around trying to put out some fire or another," she thought. And she meant that mostly figuratively.

The reconciliation would have to wait another day. Donna hated putting it off… again… but there was work to do and people to call and matters of state to attend to so she couldn't just hang around his office all day.

She made her way to the East Wing, a grumpy shuffle in her step. She opened the door and put up her coat, not even realizing someone was in there waiting for her.

"So… I was wrong," a familiar voice called out.

"No," Donna sighed, relief pouring through her body. Josh was sitting across from her desk, shirt a little more crumpled than usual. She made her way to the chair right beside him.

"While most of the time I would agree that you are wrong in any and all situations, in this one specific instance, you were not wrong."

"He just makes me a little crazy it all. After what he did to you. Having the nerve to even talk to you... Makes me crazy!

"I know. I think it made me a little crazy too."

What kind of doctor is he anyway?" Josh mumbled. "The kind that works with feet or treats colds or something."

"He's actually a cardiologist."

"Great, so even my mother would like him."

"Josh," Donna groaned. "Savor this moment because it probably won't come around again anytime soon… I'm sorry. You were right. I should have told you about coffee earlier. It meant nothing to me, but I should have been more sensitive about what it meant to you. But you have to know…"

Josh looked more anxious than usual as Donna took his hands in hers.

"There is nothing Andrew, or anyone else for that matter, could say or do that would make me leave you. I'm not going anywhere."

Josh's sigh of relief was audible. He closed his eyes for just a moment like he did, she noticed, when he was reading a particularly complicated military report. As if he was letting the ideas sink into him. After a moment, he looked back up at her, squeezing her hands softly.

"I know that. And I trust you. Implicitly! I do. I really do... It's just the pull of a great love, it can be alluring."

"Josh. That is by far the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say."

"Are you sure? Cause I did once suggest that the President may or may not have a secret plan to fight inflation and there was that other time I told Mary Marsh…"

"Josh."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Listen to me when I say this…" She grabbed his face with her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. After everything that they had been through. She needed him to hear this.

"The only great love I've ever had is you."

She smiled brightly at him as the weight of her words settled around him. In that moment, he thought he might not even care if he won another election again. This was all the happiness that he would ever need.

"So if any other ex's come around you just have to know I'm not leaving," Donna chuckled, breaking the silence.

"Are you sure because I do actually recall that you once went out with a New York Ranger and…"

"Josh!" Donna swatted him in the chest. She was shaking her head in disapproval, but the smile on her face told him she didn't mind his quips so much.

"I waited for you for a decade. I'm not going anywhere."

With that, Josh kissed her. Quick but tender. Work-appropriate, but the meaning all too clear. He packed up his papers and headed for the door, now officially late for his meeting with the finance guys.

But just as she was sure he was gone, he peaked back around the corner and gave her the devilish grin that she wouldn't have traded for all of the cardiologists in the world and said…

"For the record, you're my great love too."

The End.