Title: Taking Care - Of Friends.
By Jaye Reid.
Second story in the "Taking Care" Series.
Commenced: Apr. 23, 2002.
Completed: May 6, 2002
Spoilers: Season 1 - 3 to be safe - set one year into Bartlet's second term. Follows "Taking Care - Of Business."
Rating: PG13
Category: Josh/Donna
Disclaimer: The West Wing is owned by the brilliant mind of Aaron Sorkin and operated by the powers at Warner Bros. I make no money; I have no money... no point suing me. I'm here for the love of it. South Park people own South Park - if you even figure out the reference don't blink you might miss it, but I figured I should disclaim it.
Summary: "True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." - George Washington (1732 - 1799)
Archiving: 'Boulevard of Misdirection'
http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~jayereid/jldmmain.htm
Also, fanfiction.net and 'The National Library.' If anyone else wants it, just ask.
Author's notes: This is the second in the "Taking Care" series. Reading the previous story will help make sense of this one. Thanks to Christine for her information and hints for a section of the fic, Aim for "...what is the American word used for..." help and encouragement, Nancy also for said encouragement and of course the brilliant Bridget for her beta reading and deadline setting . Thank you to everyone who has sent feedback for the first part, and those who keep asking when this one would be finished.
~*~*~
"Donna?"
"Hey Sam. Josh has someone with him at the moment, but..."
"No I came to see you actually. I was wondering... have you found alternate accommodation yet?"
"No, I'm still on Carol's sofa."
"Well I may have a proposition for you."
"Sam, I'm not that sort of woman," Donna chuckled.
"No, not *that* sort of proposition! I wouldn't for a moment suggest..."
"Sam."
"You were making a little joke weren't you?"
"What sort of proposition Sam?"
"Well, I have a friend..."
"Oh that's never a good way to start a conversation..."
"No, honestly Donna. Totally and completely above board."
"Okay."
"She owns a townhouse, and she can't live there at the moment."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes why can't she live there?"
"Well, her circumstances changed."
"Where is this townhouse?"
"Georgetown. Actually only a few blocks from Josh."
"Sam, I can't afford to live in Georgetown."
"No, you see, that's the beauty of this, she doesn't want rent. She just wants someone to look after the place."
"For how long?"
"Well she won't be needing it while we're still in office, so I thought it would be perfect."
"It sounds too perfect. There has to be a catch? You and this woman Sam, I'm not going to have to worry about you having a lovers tiff and me ending up out on the street because you and I are friends?" Donna quizzed.
"Most certainly not."
"So, not one of your past girlfriends?"
"No. Actually we met through a friend of mine many, many years ago. As I said, this is completely above board."
"When can I go take a look?" Donna asked cautiously.
"Um... if you can get Josh to let you out for lunch, I can take you there. I have the keys."
"I'll ask and give you a call," smiled Donna.
"If I'm not there, just leave a message on my pager. I'm heading over to the Department of Agriculture for a meeting. I will be there most of the morning with any luck," he nodded.
"Thanks Sam."
"My pleasure."
~*~*~
"Hey Donna!" Sam called walking down the street. "Josh didn't give you a hard time about going out at lunch?"
"He didn't really, but I have to take him back lunch in exchange. Sam, is this really the place? I got the address right?" she quizzed looking up at the building.
"This is it. Sorry you had to meet me here, the meeting went long."
"How did it go?"
"Productive. So, really to take a look?"
"If the inside is anything like the outside... how could your friend not want to live here?" Donna questioned as they walked up the steps.
"Ah well, she doesn't have much say in it at the moment. Did I tell you there is a designated parking space and the place is partly furnished? I don't know if it will be to your taste."
"Well I don't have much in the way of furniture. All my stuff was packed up out of my old place on the weekend. The President organized for it to be stored. My last roommate had a lot of her own furniture, so I got rid of the stuff that was basically falling apart. I'll be happy with just about anything."
Sam fished the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.
"Living is downstairs, sleeping, bathroom obviously up," he stated leading her into the house. "There's a separate kitchen, the laundry is only small but functional. There's a space over here for a dining table. As you can see there is a solid wood mantle over the fireplace and a big picture window and seat in the living area... you could probably see that from outside."
"I could, but I didn't want to believe I had the address right so I wouldn't be disappointed if I was wrong. Sam, this place is... oh my God... is all this stuff meant to be staying?"
"Yes, what's here is here."
"Sam... that's a DVD player in the hutch. Can you believe it, after all these years I still haven't got around to buying one?"
Sam walked over and peered down at it. Yes, I believe that's what it says."
"Sam... the laundry? Firstly there is one... and second there is a washer *and* dryer. She really wants to leave this stuff here? This friend of yours... she must be loaded!"
"Let's just say she is comfortable. Look, I told her you would really like this place. Do you want to see upstairs?"
"I'm sold on this place already but hey, why not," she laughed.
Donna bound up the stairs. Sam sat down on the wide window ledge and waited.
"THERE'S TWO BEDROOMS," she called.
"YES."
"WOW."
Sam chuckled to himself and looked out the window. "YOU KNOW YOU COULD PROBABLY PUT A FLOWER BOX OUTSIDE THIS WINDOW," he called.
"SAM?"
"YES?" he called standing up as he heard her hurrying down the stairs again.
"Sam, out one of the bedroom windows, I could see... is there a little back garden? Does that belong to this place too?"
"Yes," replied Sam heading through to the laundry room. Didn't you notice the back door?"
"No, I... I was too busy marveling over the idea of being able to wash my clothes whenever I wanted and not have to worry about finding somewhere open late enough to do it."
"Well Ms. Moss, follow me then," said Sam with a grin.
Sam unlocked the back door and they stepped outside. "Look it's not big, but it's all paved and the fences around are high enough to give you some privacy. You might want to refrain from naked sunbathing however or you might give your neighbors a show from their upstairs window."
"I'll keep it in mind," she replied, trying to sound serious.
"Well?"
"When can I move in?"
"Whenever you want. As you can see the place is empty. Well as empty as it's going to be."
"Well I will have to see when..."
Donna's cell began to chirp in her bag. "Speak of the devil?" Sam asked.
"More than likely," she replied, fishing in to retrieve it.
"Hello O'master," she chimed. "...yes I thought you would. What do you want Josh?... Yes, I'm going to take it... it's gorgeous Josh... you won't believe how amazing it is... yes I'll be back soon... you want what?... burger and fries..." Donna raised her eyebrows at Sam and shook her head as he chuckled. "How about a salad?" Donna held the phone away from her ear as Josh whined about her suggestion. "Finished yet?... Joshua if you want me to get lunch then you have to put up with what I get, okay... see you soon Josh."
Donna clicked off her phone and returned it to her bag. "That man is impossible."
"And you wouldn't want him any other way, would you?" smirked Sam.
"Let's go Sam. I have to take his royal pain in the ass something for lunch."
~*~
"You're back," stated Josh as Donna waltzed through his doorway.
"It would appear that I am," she replied.
"Did Sam say how his meeting went?" Josh asked as Donna started unpacking the bag she was carrying.
"Well he said it was promising. Which is more than *you'd* be able to say if you took the meeting."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well the last time I brought you *this* for lunch you had no idea what it was," she stated setting a take out container in front of him. "So I would say that Sam would have been far better suited to a meeting on Agricultural reform."
"This is your way of telling me you bought me salad for lunch?"
"It would."
"And you do that because?"
"You're mother still thinks you need to eat your greens and so do I. And along with that, I know there is a very fine restaurant down off Water Street along the Washington Channel whose walls we won't be gracing anytime soon to get you greens."
"Yes," Josh sighed, "It was a very nice restaurant but I don't think I could feel comfortable going back there for awhile."
"No, so you will have to put up with me bringing you salad for lunch from Zeds, it was on the way."
"Zed's? There's no meat in this container Donna, and even though it's Ethiopian and they specialize in vegetarian, I *know* they have meat dishes on their menu."
"So do I Josh..."
"Donna," he whined.
"Eat your lunch Josh," smirked Donna as she headed back to her desk.
~*~
"Hi Joey," Josh heard Donna say from outside his office. Good, he thought, she's here. He tossed the scraps of his salad in the rubbish, untouched for the few hours since Donna had brought it back and began rifling through the mess of file folders on his desk, for the one containing the statistics he wanted Joey to go over.
He couldn't find it and realized he'd given it to Donna to retype a page after accidentally making notations down the side of it. He swaggered out of his office, but the sight before him stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Donna?"
"Joey's here," stated Donna with a smile nodding to Joey.
"I can see that. What were you just doing?"
"Ah... talking to Joey?" she said. It sounded more like a question than a statement.
"But I saw you... since when do you sign?"
"Since Junior high?" she replied using the same questioning tone.
"Junior high?"
"Yes Josh... I started Junior high and met a girl who became my best friend. Well, she was deaf."
"Oh... how come you never told me?"
"You never asked."
"I didn't know either," Joey added with a shrug and a smile.
Donna started signing to Joey, who laughed and signed back.
"Hey!" said Josh feeling left out.
Donna looked at Josh and then signed something back to Joey that made her laugh harder.
"Enough both of you! I *have* learnt a couple of those signs and I don't believe either of you were being nice towards me."
Joey shook her head and smiled. "Talk to me about stats." She stated and headed for his office.
"Where's Kenny?" Josh questioned as he caught her arm.
"They killed Kenny."
"No seriously Joey, where's Kenny?"
"Lost," she shrugged.
"I'll call the desk and see if we can get someone to find him," offered Donna with a chuckle at Joey's joke, before heading back to her desk to get the file for Josh.
"Unless you want to..." Josh started, nodding towards his office and wiggling his fingers.
"No, I've seen enough of those figures today," she laughed as she handed them over.
~*~
Josh followed Joey and Kenny out of his office, stopping off at Donna's desk as they left.
"Josh, I need to not work on Saturday," stated Donna.
"Huh? Saturday? These walls don't recognize trivial things like days of the week, Donna. This is the White House and we do important things within these walls."
"Yeah, like you and Sam playing baseball in the Roosevelt room with scrunched up paper and a ruler," she scoffed.
"Okay, so we do some not so important things here too. But what could possibly take a whole day?" he whined.
"Firstly, let me point out that as it is Wednesday, I am giving you plenty of notice. Secondly, it will take me a whole day to unpack my things at my new place before going to extreme effort to cook a very nice dinner so I can invite you, CJ, Sam and Toby over," she smiled.
"You're not just taking it to get of Carol's couch? So you really like the apartment?"
"Yes, I can't believe that I'm actually going to live there. Sam contacted the owner when we got back here and it's all systems go."
"So, it's nice?"
"Josh, it's basically a house. Me, living in a house. After all these years living in what you have always deemed is a crappy neighborhood, I am actually going to live somewhere that I would never be able to afford in a million years," she bubbled.
"And you said it's definitely all above board? I mean you're not paying rent for this *too good to be true* place."
"Sam assures me his friend is more than happy about me staying there."
"And you need all day to unpack?"
"Yes."
"And then we all get to come over and have take-out at your new place?"
"It will not be take out Josh. I will cook," she replied sternly.
"And you're telling me you can cook? Like a real meal?" quizzed Josh.
"Yes of course I can!"
"Okay... okay... it's just that, well I never knew you could do that," he replied.
"Well how do you think I survive Josh?"
"Like the rest of us. If it doesn't come in a cartoon with a phone number on it, or pre-packed in something that takes less than five minutes to zap, it..."
"Okay, I get the picture," she replied.
"Yeah, so *cooking*, well there's a novel idea," he smirked. "I wonder if it will catch on?"
"Around here I doubt it. So I can have Saturday off?" she asked hopefully.
"As long as you agree to come in for half of Sunday," he bargained.
"Okay."
"Okay? "That reply was a bit on the quick side Donna."
"Was it?"
"Yes. Tell me, were you planning on coming in on Sunday anyway?"
"Actually I was planning on a full day on Sunday, but since you have been gracious enough to make it a half day, I'm even happier," she smiled.
"Have you ever thought of taking up a job with the FBI as a negotiator there Donna? Because I'm sure they could do with your skills," he tossed at her as he headed back to his office.
"Yeah, and then someone like Mandy could send me into a situation and get me killed," she called back before she had time to think about her words and reel them back in. She watched Josh for a reaction, if there was one it didn't show in his gait, as she couldn't see his face. She shrugged and thought that perhaps he was finally immune to comments about past dalliances, before going back to her work.
~*~*~
"JOSH!"
"JOSH!"
"Must you bellow?" Josh grinned, as Donna hastily made her way into his office the next morning.
"Yeah, cute," she remarked.
"I am."
"Get over yourself Josh."
"Well technically if I tried, I think I'd do myself an injury because..."
"Josh!"
"Where have you been? Did I miss something important whilst I was at senior staff?" he asked thoughtfully.
"I've been across the road talking to payroll at the Administrative Office in the OEOB. I've been overpaid."
"And since you have been telling me, for too many years to count, that you need a pay rise. You are complaining because?"
"Because someone gave me too much money Josh! I don't know what is going on because when I spoke to them, they said it was correct. But it's not correct Josh... see here... this is the previous slip and this is from today," she added thrusting the paperwork at him. "Clearly today I have been overpaid."
"Or perhaps do you think for a very long time you might have been underpaid?" he quizzed.
"What? I don't understand?" she replied looking at the two payslips again.
"Donna, you've been given a pay rise. You really deserve it considering the level of work you do around here. You don't just assist me these days... I wish I could say that it was at my instigation but really it was the President and perhaps a little bit of Toby. You've virtually a junior senior staffer - if that makes any sense. Congratulations."
"You couldn't have told me?" she complained. "I went over to payroll and made an..."
"Well I would have told you. I didn't expect you to go to payroll and try and give the money back. I thought you'd come to see me about it first," he replied, feeling a little disheartened that she hadn't, but happy she'd once again taken her own initiative.
"Well you've been busy and I didn't want to bother you," she replied.
"Ha! I thought bothering me was part of your job?" he laughed.
"So this is *my* money? What am I going to do with it?" she thought out loud.
"Put it to a college fund?" he suggested.
"I don't have kids Josh, so I'm certainly not going to start saving for their college years yet," she chuckled.
"No, I mean yours," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "Didn't you want to go and finish your Poli-science degree one day?"
"Once upon a time I did... but really Josh, what could I learn that I haven't in the time here? It would be a waste of time and money. I've learnt more here in the White House than I could ever learn sitting in a lecture or out of a book."
Josh nodded, she was right. He doubted there was much she could learn. In reality she could probably *teach* a class and know more than a book learnt lecturer.
"Okay, so now that we have figured out the source of your added income, do you think you could make some sense of this report for me. I keep reading it over and over and the words are beginning to run into each other," he said, handing her a file.
"You want index cards?"
"Please."
"How many do you want?"
"Well, I want it broken into environmental and economic factors for and against, along with precedents on past decisions. Let's try for say ten cards?"
"Ten!"
"Okay ten, but no more than twenty."
"Sold."
~*~
"DONNA!"
"What do you need Josh?" came her reply as she wandered through the open doorway.
"I can't find the notes on the thing."
"The FEC thing, the minimum wage thing, the transportation thing, the..."
"Okay, I'll be a little more specific, the NPS thing. Do you know where it is?" he asked tiredly.
"On my desk."
"And what pray tell Ms. Moss is it doing on your desk?"
"Remember, index cards? You asked me to get some more information on it for you this morning?"
"And have you?"
"Information is fairly hard to come by Josh," Donna pouted. "I really think I am going to have to do a more thorough check."
"And to do that it would require, let me guess... a field trip to the park?" he questioned.
"Sounds like a brilliant idea," she replied brightly.
"Donna, you'll try anything to get to Hawaii," Josh laughed.
"But it's on Maui and they have amazing beaches, wonderful food, not to mention 28,655 acres of National park, of which 19,270 of that is still wilderness," she listed.
"And they are asking for another 1,850 acres to be added to the 28,655," stated Josh.
"And going there would be the best way to ascertain whether it would be in the best interests of all to do that," she replied.
"Donna..."
"Why can't we just give them the approval? It's only another 1850 acres," she asked.
"But if we just say yes without going into it properly - because it only looks like a small addition, then the other fifty-five will all want a little addition, before we know it, the whole of the United States is one big National Park."
"I'll get the file. You're no fun Joshua."
"Then you haven't got to know the real me," he tossed back with a smirk. "Hey what time is the meeting tomorrow?"
"With Senator Kaimana?"
"Yes, Mika'ek. I haven't seen him since before the administration."
"You know Senator Kaimana?"
"We crossed paths a few times when I was working for Brennan. He's native Hawaiian, but he did spend a fair amount of time in Washington back then."
"You have a one o'clock lunch reservation at DC Coast," she informed him, "And if you get the chance I really like their pan seared Jumbo Lump Crabcake."
"Donna, I'm meeting with a Senator, I'm gonna be surrounded by politicians and lobbyists who are probably going to want a word or two as well... and you want me to add bringing you back lunch to the list of things I have to do?"
"Well, technically by the time you get it back here, it's going to be after lunch, so I can just reheat it for my dinner," she grinned. "Besides, you are always telling me how well you multi-task."
"I'll see," said Josh non-committally.
"When my mother used to say *I'll see* it meant *I'll wait until your father is here so he can back me up when I say no*," Donna recollected.
"How about... I'll try?"
"That's more like it! And you should listen to me this time Josh, have the house salad and perhaps the spice crusted tuna. Do *not* get the beef, even though it is grilled. Normally it would be fine, but when it's a business lunch you eat too quickly and you end up with indigestion. You do not want a lump of un-chewed beef sitting heavy in your stomach; swimming in the creamed spinach and fries they serve with it. Your sensitive stomach doesn't seem to only apply to alcohol."
"Since when did you start channeling my mother?" he replied in wonder.
"Get you the file and cards?" Donna grinned and headed out of his office.
"Thank you."
~*~
Saturday evening arrived quickly and the senior staff arrived at Donna's at the same time, having followed Sam the short drive from the White House.
"She lives here?" questioned CJ, "seriously? This is better than my place!"
"Wait until you see inside," replied Sam nodding to Josh.
They rang the door buzzer and within seconds the door flew open and the smiling face of Donna Moss greeted them.
"What? Are you psychic... that was quick," joked Josh.
"I saw you guys coming down the street from one of the upstairs windows," she shrugged, "but if you'd prefer to go with the psychic theory... well I could always pretend."
"I can smell... is that..."
"It's a baked dinner, yes Sam. I told you I could cook," she replied stepping aside and letting them in.
"You told *me* you could cook," stated Josh as they followed Sam into the lounge.
"I told Sam too," she replied.
"You had time to go shopping *and* unpack?" Josh questioned.
"I went to the Eastern Markets and got everything," she replied. "I actually managed to do that *and* answer my cell every five minutes because you needed something," she snorted.
He sighed dramatically and then grinned. "Well, that's the price you pay for a whole day off."
"Did I miss anything today?" she quizzed.
"Nothing that won't wait until tomorrow," Josh replied.
"Hey what... you guys..." Donna complained when she noticed they were all carrying wrapped packages.
"Well we are housewarming," stated Sam holding a brightly wrapped package. "So, you know..."
"You shouldn't have..."
"Well we did, so come sit with us woman and we can give them to you," cajoled CJ.
Donna sat down on an old tapestry covered ottoman as CJ and Josh commandeered the couch and Sam and Toby the wide window ledge.
"Okay, who goes first?" Donna asked brightly.
"Well we come bearing gifts from the Commander and Chief and his wingman as well, so I think theirs should be first," offered Toby, stepping half way across and holding out a carry bag.
Donna stood and took the bag from him. "They didn't have to do this. In fact none of you had to do this... I'm sure I'm not the first assistant to move house during this administration."
The visitors all exchanged the same looks as Donna took the gift from the bag. She may not have been the first assistant to move *during* their time at the White House, but she was the only one who had to move *because* of the administration.
"You might want to be careful," instructed Toby. "They asked me to carry it so I think it could be breakable."
"I could have carried it," stated Josh.
"You *so* could not have," laughed Donna.
"I freely admit it was a good idea that I didn't," offered CJ. "I have a history with breakables."
Donna put the card aside and tore at the wrapping to reveal a mint green box. "Yes I bet it's breakable."
"You know what it is?" quizzed Sam.
"What is it but not what it is," she replied.
"Yeah and like that makes as much sense as anything you usually say," scoffed Josh, for which he received a whack on the arm from CJ.
"Well, the label says *CW* so it's from Crystal World. So I know it is crystal, and breakable, but not what sort of piece."
"Oh I've seen some of their stuff over at the OEOB, it's adorable. Come on open it then," instructed CJ.
"Adorable CJ?"
"Shut up Toby."
Donna flipped the lid back and carefully unwrapped something in tissue paper. It was a mirror, and she gently placed it on the coffee table in front of her before removing the gray foam packaging.
"Donna..." whined Josh.
"I'm being careful," chastised Donna, removing yet another piece of foam.
"Ohhh..." she exclaimed with the glee of a small child on Christmas morning as she looked into the box.
She delicately removed a crystal sculpture of the White House and placed it on top of the mirror on the coffee table before reaching to the card.
"Our house is your house," she smiled as she read the card out loud.
"Well if the card isn't in Latin, the President didn't write it," joked Josh.
"Actually, it *is* in Latin, I just translated it for you," she grinned back.
"My turn," stated CJ handing over her large parcel.
"Oh, well it's soft," said Donna as she put the parcel on her lap and tore at the wrapping.
"Wow... CJ, this is just lovely, thank you," she announced.
"I was hoping you'd like it. It's from the Indian Craft Shop over at the Department of the Interior building. All the rugs are hand made. This is a Stockbridge Munsee one. I know you like bright colors."
"Munsee CJ? As in Stockbridge Munsee tribe of Wisconsin who decided to camp out in the foyer on Thanksgiving a few year ago?" Toby quizzed.
"They make beautiful rugs," replied CJ pointedly.
"Just checking," he replied.
"It's perfect, thank you," smiled Donna.
"My turn?" questioned Sam.
"Hang on... I just want to check on dinner," she stated jumping up from the place.
"Do you need any help?" Josh called.
"As if you'd know the difference between sautéing and steaming," she called back with a laugh in her voice.
"Well don't say I didn't offer," he replied as they waited for her return.
"Well he can at least do the dishes," joked CJ.
"Or I could just put them in the dishwasher," Donna replied when she returned to her seat.
"Seriously? You have a dishwasher... Spanky, do you have any more friends like the one who owns this place?" CJ continued turning to Sam.
"I have many friends CJ," replied Sam before turning to Donna. "Here I hope you like it."
"It's ticking Sam," smirked Donna as she took the brightly wrapped box with decorative gold bows from him. "And I know where to put it right?"
"I hope so," he grinned.
"Is there an inside joke?" quizzed CJ.
"Well... when I looked at this place earlier in the week, I mentioned to Sam it was a shame I didn't have a nice clock to put on the mantle," she stated as she unwrapped the paper.
"So I found a nice clock," added Sam as they watched Donna remove it from the box. "It's genuine jeweled Swiss movement, it should last beyond a lifetime."
Donna stood and took her new clock to the mantle above the fireplace. She moved a few ornaments and a photo to place it in the center. "Perfect!"
"Here," said Toby reaching across and handing her his contribution. "It's a sculpture and it's heavy."
"Toby! You're not supposed to tell her what it is before she opens it!" chastised CJ.
Toby merely shrugged as Donna ripped away the wrapping. "If you don't like it... I found it over on R Street NW in a gallery... I wasn't sure what sort of style you wanted for your new place."
"Toby, I love it. If you looking around, you can see my tastes are varied" she replied stepping over and giving him a peck on the cheek as she held the smooth stone bear sculpture in her hands. She placed it near the window on the ledge between Toby and Sam.
"I see that," he replied, embarrassed by her show of affection.
"So, only mine to go," Josh replied as she took her seat again. "And I must say, as your boss I am slightly miffed that I go last here."
"Get over it Joshua," she stated. "It's a picture to hang on the wall?"
"Ah, perhaps she really *is* psychic!" he replied handing over the gift.
"Well... it's large and flat and now that I have it, I can feel the edge of the frame," she sassed.
"Ah well you are partly right... it's sort of a picture."
"Okay," she replied with a puzzled expression as she started to gently lift the tape from a corner.
"What the problem Donna? You opened all the others in milliseconds. This place looks like a recycled waste paper depot," Josh whined.
Donna started on another piece of tape. "Could it be that I am messing with your mind?" she questioned.
"Donnatella..."
"Joshua..."
"Children..." interrupted Toby. "As cute as your little routine is, I would like to eat dinner before we have to leave the White House."
"..'kay." she laughed and began to rip at the paper.
"Josh?" she said quietly as the picture was revealed.
"Yes?"
"This is... this is the one... the one we..."
"Yes," he smiled, speaking softly. "At the National Postal Museum, you can get poster prints of famous or notable stamps... I thought well, since it was far more to do with you than it was me... I thought you might like it."
"This is Marcus Aquino, the former resident commissioner of Puerto Rico?" Toby asked. "From the stamp assignment I palmed off to you during our first term?"
"Yeah, but Donna did all the work... She's the reason this guy's was put on a stamp."
"I don't know what to say," replied Donna.
"I say dinner must be nearly ready," stated Toby. "Do you need any help, because I honestly *do* know the difference between steaming and sautéing."
"I'll help you hang it up later," Josh offered as they all stood.
"Thanks," Donna replied with a smile as she headed for the kitchen.
"Hey, is the table new?" Sam called. "I know it wasn't here, and you didn't have this before did you?"
"No it was delivered this morning, I ordered it online. With not having to pay rent, I figured I could handle maxiing my Visa a little this month," Donna called back.
"You bought furniture over the net?" questioned Josh as she entered the room and placed two steaming bowls of vegetables on the trivets in the middle of the table.
"Yes, like you'd give me any time to go out and buy anything during working hours when the shops were open. They have very nice color pictures of the furniture and the sizes. It was really very easy."
"It's a nice table Donna," offered CJ. "You chose well. You might have to give me their details, I need a new bed."
"Sure," she replied as she headed back to the kitchen.
~*~
"This has been really nice," said CJ as she stretched her long legs out in front of the sofa. "We really should do this more often."
"What, make Donna cook for us so we eat properly once in awhile?" Sam joked.
"Well that too," laughed CJ. "But this, getting together somewhere other than a smoky bar and just be ourselves."
"Well as much as I would offer my place as the next get-together venue, you'd probably get cheese on toast for dinner," Sam continued.
"Hey I don't mind you all coming over here if I get the day off to prepare a meal for you," Donna replied, as she leant forward from her ottoman and placed her empty wine glass on the coffee table.
"Hey, part of today was to unpack. Don't think you'd get a whole day off to cook," Josh protested.
"It would be worth your while to at least give me half a day," replied Donna as she headed for the kitchen. "Your mother would stop hassling you to eat right."
"Your mother does that too?" CJ asked.
"Yeah, and then she gets in Leo's ear... AND DONNA'S," he called.
"Well we would be nicer to you too if Donna cooked for us once in awhile," laughed CJ.
"Hey Donna, I thought you said you'd unpacked everything?" questioned Josh as he bent down at the end of the sofa to pick up his empty wine glass.
"I have," replied Donna from the kitchen.
"Well what about this box?" he questioned dislodging the lid.
"Which box?" she replied as she walked to the doorway, stopping there and drying her hands on a towel.
"Um, this one," Josh replied with a puzzled tone as he looked at the contents of the box, before looking up at her.
Donna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Could you please leave that box alone Josh?"
"Um, okay," he replied slowly as he slid the top back across. "Um... I..."
"Just forget it," Donna replied and walked back into the kitchen.
"Josh?" CJ quizzed gently with a raised eyebrow.
Josh shook his head.
"Who wants coffee?" came Donna's call from the kitchen.
After seeing the look on Josh's face, CJ glanced at Toby and Sam who were back sitting on the window ledge. The message she conveyed was very clear.
"No thank you Donna," called Toby. "I... err, have to get going. Wonder boy here and I have some work to finish off."
"Now?" quizzed Donna returning to the doorway and looking at her new clock on the mantle. "I know we keep crazy hours but..."
"Thank you for dinner, it was lovely. The first home cooked meal I've had since... well I'm not sure since when," smiled Sam as he reached for his coat on the back of a chair and began putting it on.
"Thank you for coming and thank you for the lovely gift," returned Donna with a smile. "And you too Toby. It was very thoughtful and you didn't have to."
"My pleasure," replied Toby giving his famous half second smile before returning back to the man everyone was used to seeing.
"Claudia Jean, Josh... we'll see you both in the morning," stated Toby as he and Sam headed for the door.
"Yes, goodnight... actually I'm going to bail too. I have to get my hair cut in the morning before I come in. Thank God I can get an appointment on a Sunday morning," smiled CJ. "Joshua?"
"I might take Donna up on her offer of coffee. It's not like I hear *that* very often," he laughed.
"Just for that Joshua, you can pour your own!" replied Donna with a chuckle.
"Ahhh you see what I have to put up with?" he laughed as he headed across the room to the kitchen.
Donna showed her friends out.
"Bye," she called and closed the door.
"Donna... do you want to talk about that box?" Josh asked as he stood in the doorway.
"Not really."
"Donna... I think we should."
"Why?"
"Well, I'd like to talk about it."
"Go for it Josh, knock yourself out. I'm going to make coffee." She said brushing past him.
"Okay," he replied, "I'll talk about it."
He walked over to the side of the couch and dragged the box by the lid. He sat down and placed the box on the floor in front of him. Flipping the lid off once again, he looked inside.
"The gutter tabloid article?" he questioned as she removed the piece of paper torn from the paper. "You want to keep this?"
There was no response from Donna in the kitchen, just the sound of coffee being prepared. He sat the piece of paper aside and looked back into the box.
"Well I'm guessing this should be familiar," stated Josh taking an ID badge from the box and turning it over in his hand a few times. "*Bartlet for America - Josh Lyman.* I must say I hated that pre-administration photo of me. I don't know why you'd want to keep one of these?"
Donna was now standing in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe. "That's the one you handed me on my first day."
"But after you got your own, you gave me mine back," he said with a puzzled expression. "I remember we made a big joke out of it, no one would think you were me anymore."
"I ordered you a new one. So I guess if you want that one back for your own memorabilia collection..."
"Donna... you know I was forever losing mine. I lost count how many times I had to get you to organize me a new one. If this holds some sentimental value to you... then you should keep it."
"Okay."
"Now, c'mere and tell me about the rest of this stuff?"
Donna sighed and realized Josh was going to go through it whether she liked it or not. She knew all it would take to stop this dissection of her life would be to yell and take the box away, but what would that achieve?
She crossed the room and sat on the floor in front of him, the box between them.
She peered into the box and took out another ID badge. "This is my one and *only* Bartlet for America ID," she said, holding it up.
Josh took it from her and looked from the photo on it and back to Donna.
"Yes, I've gotten old," she replied.
"Well technically of course you have, but I don't think you have aged at all," smiled Josh as he put it with the news clipping beside him.
"Oh, very smooth," Donna laughed.
"I didn't say it to sound smooth," he corrected, "I said it because I believe it to be true."
Donna smiled and reached back into the box. "Well, I think we both remember this," she said as she handed him a brown hardcover book.
"Ah, the diary. I thought you'd get rid of it?" he questioned as he put it on the couch.
"I don't know. I was going to but then I realized that it couldn't be called into question again. It doesn't have any more entries, I just put it in the box."
"What else have you got in here?" Josh asked.
"Oh you know, the typical trinkets I guess. A White House key chain, a pen."
"What's with the bar napkin with a phone number or something written on it?" he asked as he leant forward and looked in.
"Not a phone number Josh she grinned as she took it out. Big numbers... remember my friend with the dot com... the one you suggested would go belly up?"
"I never said *belly up*"
"You say that now because he made his fortune, sold it all for a massive profit and can basically do whatever he wants these days," she smirked.
"Okay, but what's with the..."
"Well that would have been my starting salary."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously Josh."
"And you stayed? Hell Donna, he was offering you this much when I couldn't even offer you a title bump... and you stayed?"
"Do you remember what was happening in the White House at the time?" she questioned.
"Ahh... not really."
"Price, the journalist... remember?"
"Yeah, that was then?"
"Yes. After... I watched his wife, and I kept thinking... it reminded me again how fragile life really is. I realized I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to be anywhere else."
Josh gave her a small smile and took the paper from her hand and placed it on the couch beside him.
"There's a casino chip in here Donna... that isn't your lucky one from our evening in Las Vegas during the re-election campaign when CJ won all that money is it?"
"It certainly is," she laughed.
"CJ won all that money and set it up at the bar... my God we got so wasted that night. I don't think I had been so sick in my life before then," he remembered.
"I think we bought all the Advil in Vegas the next day," she laughed.
"Okay... so what are all these?" he asked as reached into the box again and began to remove bundles of booklets.
Donna tried to stop him from taking them out, but she was too slow. "They're just from Balls and official functions. Clippings, programs etc," she replied reaching for the lid of the box to put it back on.
"Hey, I haven't finished yet," he protested, trying to stop her.
"There's nothing else of interest in the box Josh," she replied hastily.
"I beg to differ... I know there is more in there... let me see."
"Josh..."
"No way Donna," he laughed, trying to wrestle the lid from the box. "If you've got something embarrassingly funny in there I want to see it."
"Josh... no!"
Donna's fingers slipped and with the box almost empty it was light enough for Josh to snatch it up and pull it out of her reach. "Come on Donna... where's your sense of fun."
"Please Josh," she begged desperately.
Her tone made Josh stop and take notice. He suddenly realized that she wasn't playing along. He thought she was just joking around with him, but he could see she was deadly serious.
Josh placed the box on the floor between them again. Donna was looking anywhere other than at him.
"Donna? Hey, I'm sorry... I thought we were just having a bit of fun."
"I just..."
"There's something in this box that you don't want me to see? What could be so... what could *possibly* be so terrible that you don't want me to see?"
"It's... you're going to think I'm some sort of freak. I can't bare you thinking I'm some sort of weird sicko... They gave it to me... I never meant to keep it... it just happened and then it was too late and I didn't know what to do with it so I just stuck it in the box and pretended it wasn't... but it's in the box and now..."
"Donna, you're not making any sense. What ever it is, it can't be that bad... honestly. Now... if you trust me, can I see what this is and save you from whatever guilt trip you are taking?"
Donna shrugged her shoulders, but still refused to look at him.
Josh slid the lid back and looked into the box, removing one last booklet for a function he'd long forgotten before turning his attention back to the box.
"It's just another one of my ID badges," he said with a shrug. "But why is it in a plastic bag and why does it have mud or dirt or..."
He stopped when he noticed the GW hospital insigma on the plastic bag.
"Blood."
"Yes," she replied quietly.
"This is the ID I was carrying the night... at Rosslyn?"
"When they found out I was your assistant, they handed me your wallet and that," she replied, still looking at her fingers as she twisted them together. "I don't remember much, it's all a bit hazy... but I think it was Leo... he saw them give you're things to me and he offered to look after them. I gave him the wallet, but... you're badge... it had your name and picture on it and... and... your blood should have been inside you and not on your credentials. And I felt so helpless and I couldn't do anything but wait and pray that God wouldn't be so cruel to take you away when there was so much life you still had to live. So much good you still had to do. When you came out of surgery... when they finally made me go home and sleep... I still had the plastic envelope with your ID... I kept meaning to return it to you when you were better, and then so much time had gone and I thought you would think it was strange I hadn't already given it back... I didn't know what to do with it... so I just kept it."
"Donna?"
"Yes?"
"Donna, look at me... look at me," he repeated gently as he reached out and tipped her chin up so he could see her face. The movement tripped a tear down her cheek, and it took all his composure not to lose it. "Donna I do not think you are morbid, strange or whatever the hell else you were worried I would think. You are Donna Moss and you hold my life together. If this is what helped you hold it together that night - if your prayers are the reason I am still here, then I am forever in your debt."
"I should have given it back," she said softly.
"You've kept it safe for me, I'd like you to continue keeping it safe for me. Will you look after it for me?" he smiled.
"You don't want it back?"
"You've done a good job of looking after it all these years, why mess with perfection?" he smirked.
"Like us?" she added quietly.
"Yes, like us. Now," he started with a smile and deep breath, "I do believe you were making me coffee?"
"If you put everything back in the box and can get the lid on, then I'll make you coffee," she replied with a smile.
"I promise I'll do a good job of it," he responded as she stood up.
"I'll make the coffee," she replied, wiping the tears with her fingers.
"Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Trusting me... with all of this," he said, waving at the compilation of their life together on the sofa beside him.
"No one else I would rather trust it to," she smiled.
~*~*~
"Sam?"
"What's up Josh?" he replied, looking up from his computer.
"Can we talk... you know, man to man?"
"And you are inferring that one of us is a woman any other time we talk?"
Josh closed the door and leant against it.
"What's troubling you my friend, because you look troubled?" Sam questioned and closed the screen of his laptop, giving Josh his full attention.
"Well since Donna moved into the townhouse last week, you've been spending a lot of time with her."
"Josh... if you remember it was..."
"Yes, yes... I know, but... you were at her place again last night?"
"What? Are you *spying* on her?"
"No, I... well it's on my way home so I just... you know, I like to know she's okay and well... it was fairly late last night... and I saw your car and..."
"Josh. How long have you and I been friends?"
"Forever," he sighed, dropping is chin.
"Right. And you love Donna?"
"Sam, you know I... here within these walls I can't say I..."
"Yes or no Josh?"
"More than breathing."
"Poetic Josh... very nice. And do I know how you feel about her?"
"Yes."
"And you think with this knowledge I would... I would... do *whatever* it is you're trying to imply I was doing at her place?"
"Sam, I'm not implying or saying, or... hell I'm just so... so..."
"Josh, calm down. You're just one jealous, possessive guy, madly in love with a woman who you cannot openly show your affection. The thought of her spending time with anyone else..."
"Look, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to accuse you or Donna, it's just... yes I'm a jealous bastard and to see your car there... it was just eating me up because we can't be together."
"I assume the *we* you refer to is you and Donna because, I'm sorry, you're just not my type," smirked Sam.
"Yeah, yeah... funny."
"You haven't said anything to Donna about this have you?" Sam quizzed.
"No, I've been kinda avoiding her because I haven't trusted myself not to say anything," Josh replied
"Wise move. And I will warn you now, that you may see my car parked in the vicinity of Donna's again in the future. And you should reassure yourself there is nothing untoward going on."
"Again?"
"Yes, she is helping me with something," Sam added.
"Something?"
"Yes."
"And you're not going to tell me what this something is?" Josh asked, his curiosity sparked.
"Not if I can avoid it."
"Trust me Sam, you can't avoid it - spill."
"I really don't think..."
"I could ask Donna?"
"She won't tell."
"Why do you say that?"
"She promised."
"Come on Sam, you and me, we're friends."
"Yes we are Josh. So much so that only a few minutes ago you virtually accused me of..."
"Look, I'm sorry alright... I've already admitted that I'm wound a bit too tight when it comes to Donna... and when I'm like that I can't think straight."
"She's teaching me to sign," Sam mumbled.
"She is? Why?"
"When you mentioned the other day she could sign, I asked her if she could teach me some."
"You still haven't told me why?" Josh quizzed.
"Because..."
"Sam."
"Because I want to ask Joey Lucas out to dinner, and I thought - as much as I like Kenny - it would be too bizarre having him there."
"Wow!"
"Listen, please don't say..."
"Hey I won't. You like Joey?"
"What's not to like? She's very smart, beautiful, funny..."
"She can lip read you know."
"Yes, I do know that. I just wanted to know a bit more than the few words I can sign."
"So, you're serious here?"
"I think I could be," smiled Sam. "So please don't say anything. Joey might not even be interested."
"When are you going to ask her?"
"She'll be back in two weeks with the polling data completed. I thought then."
"So, I should expect to see your car at Donna's a fair bit in the next few weeks. Can I like crash the lesson once in awhile? Donna and Joey were talking about something the other day, and even though I caught a few of the words, I think I'm going to have a need to learn more myself."
"You'll have to ask the teacher," smiled Sam.
"Okay."
"So are you going to her place tonight? I could come by and bring something if she is okay with it?" Josh questioned.
"Might I suggest an offering of cake - chocolate perhaps wouldn't be out of order?" Sam suggested.
"I'll talk to Donna," Josh grinned.
"So, you won't say anything about Joey? I mean if she says no, I don't want to look like an idiot."
"I won't... but I assume Donna knows? I can say something to her can't I?"
"Yes she does. I guess it's okay," Sam shrugged.
"Okay... good then. And you won't say anything to her about what I said... about me being, you know, jealous?"
"I don't think Donna would be anymore comfortable talking about your relationship."
"We don't *have* a relationship."
"Yes and that's why I can see she wouldn't want to discuss it either. So if we're finished here, I have to get back to this thing for Toby. I have to give him twice as many paragraphs so there is something left once he goes through it with his red pen."
"Okay, thanks Sam."
"Thank you."
~*~
"Donna!" said Josh as he headed down the hallway back to his office, spotting his assistant walking towards him.
"Where were you? Have you forgotten you have to be out of here by three or you will miss you're appointment?" she chastised.
"Donnnnnaaa..." he whined.
"You're going Josh. Do I need to get President Bartlet to issue a direct order?" she continued as she walked beside him back to his office.
"No, because he's already given me a direct order. How else do you think I agree to a six monthly check-up?" he scoffed.
"You need to look after yourself," she reprimanded.
"Going to the doctor isn't looking after myself. All he is gonna do is tell me that I should cut down on red meat, increase my vegetable intake and exercise because it's the reason my blood pressure is high and my cholesterol levels are blown off the charts. How is getting a lecture looking after myself?" he questioned as the reached his office and he slumped into his chair.
"Well if you actually *did* some of the things he tells you to do..."
"Yeah, yeah... I've heard it all before Donna. I haven't got time to think about these things. When we're out of here, then I'll have time to do those things."
"If you don't, they'll be carrying you out of here in a box long before our eight years are up!" she said angrily. "But what the hell Josh, it should provide us with a little bit of entertainment around here. At least I wouldn't have to listen to you yell my name across the building again."
"Donna I..."
"Oh just shut up and go to your appointment that is apparently a total waste of time. I'm going to... to... go somewhere you are not!" she snapped as she stormed out of his office, almost running into Toby in the doorway.
"Donna are you..."
"I'm fine thanks Toby, I'm just... going somewhere else!" she interrupted.
"What did you do this time?" said Toby bluntly.
"Complain about having to go to a medical check-up every six months because I was lucky to survive a bullet and the fallout afterwards," Josh shrugged blankly.
"Twice in her life she's been faced with the thought of losing you. I think on both occasions she would have sold her soul if it guaranteed your survival," stated Toby in his usual brisk manner.
"But I made it. She didn't have to," replied Josh.
"Here's a bit of free advice for nothing Josh. And I don't say it because I necessarily like you, but I like Donna. I've seen you're idea of how you should live. It's the same as the rest of us, too little sleep, enough take-out to half fill the Grand Canyon... but you my friend have the dubious honor of being the only one of us who has been hit by a bullet. You try even harder to keep ahead of us because of this. You don't have to prove any sort of super-strength to us Josh. We know you are more than capable. Slow it down, if nothing but to humor Donna. She's right. If you don't, you risk being carted out of here in a box. And I don't think Donna can have too many bargaining chips left to keep you here next time."
"I'm not old enough to have to worry about these things Toby. I shouldn't have to yet," replied Josh sadly.
"No, you're not - it's just another one of life's cruel jokes my friend. So face reality and deal with it," Toby replied brashly.
"Did you want something Toby?" Josh questioned.
"You didn't hear a word I..."
"I did Toby... honestly I did. I heard every word. I've got to hang around or the bastards will have won. I won't let them win. I won't let them beat me. I'll try Toby, okay?"
"Good, although it's not me you should be telling this to," Toby replied.
"Yeah, I know. But I've got to get going," Josh stated, standing and grabbing his backpack. "I've got a doctors appointment and I should hurry or I will be late."
"Wise move," replied Toby, following him out of his office.
~*~
Josh pressed the buzzer and waited impatiently. When the door opened, Sam rather than Donna greeted him.
"Is she still mad at me?" Josh asked cautiously as he walked inside.
"I wouldn't say mad, just..." Sam, like most was at a loss to define anything between Josh and Donna, whether it was good or bad.
"Joshua."
"Hey Donna, I ahh... I was going to ask if it was okay to come over but since my schedule was clear for the rest of the day I didn't see the point in going back to the office after my appointment," he offered.
"I finished up some things but when it got to six, I figured I might as well leave. Next time could you phone and let me know so I can go?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure... sorry," he replied pensively.
"Josh... you okay?" she asked, his tone concerned her.
"I'm fine... you're stuck with me for awhile longer," he grinned. "Have I missed much of the lesson?"
"Not too much... well not anything that you need to know," Donna grinned.
"Like what? What wouldn't I need to know?" he asked defensively.
"Well unless you are planning on asking Joey out too... there are things you need not worry about knowing," added Sam.
"Hmm, you're right. Perhaps there *are* things I don't want to know," Josh laughed.
"Josh?"
"Yes?"
"Whatcha got there?" Donna asked, pointing to the Dean & Deluca carry bag.
"It's an Apple Galette flan for supper if that's okay with you," he replied, holding out the bag to Donna. "It will need heating. They're made by hand from organically grown fruit in California apparently, frozen and then sent out."
"You're very informative tonight Joshua," grinned Donna, taking the bag from him.
"I wanted something with fruit - they just told me about it," he replied.
"I thought I said chocolate?" asked Sam, furrowing his brow.
"You told him to bring something?" said Donna, surprised.
"Hey, he's crashing our lesson, he can bring supper," Sam smiled.
"After my appointment today, I figured if I want supper I should bring this instead of chocolate cake," Josh replied.
"Josh..."
"No honestly Donna, I'm fine. But I have to start looking after myself a bit better that's all," he stated as he sat down.
"Okay. I'm just going to go put this in the oven and we can do some more," she replied before disappearing.
"Toby got through to you?" Sam questioned quietly.
"How do you..."
"After you and Donna had *words* or perhaps it would be better if I say after *Donna* had words with you... I saw Toby who was almost ready to strangle anyone who got in his way," Sam offered.
"Yeah well, between Toby, the doctor and that annoying little voice in the back of my head that I have been trying to ignore..."
"The one that sounds surprisingly like Donna's voice?"
"Yeah, that's the one," Josh chuckled. "Well there are things I still want to do that would be impossible to do if I were like... dead. So if I want a chance to do them it's time to play by the rules."
"What rules?" Donna asked, walking back in and catching the end of Josh's sentence.
"Monopoly," stated Sam before Josh had a chance to think of something. "Did you know he cheats?"
"I... well... I don't have to when I play scrabble," stated Josh, deciding that as lame as Sam's excuse was, it was better than nothing. Because nothing was the sum total of what he'd thought to say.
'I don't ever think I've seen Josh play either," said Donna. "You don't strike me as a board game person Josh."
"We don't let him because he cheats," added Sam.
"Okay, enough of this conversation," said Josh, rolling his eyes. "Masterful teacher, teach us something!"
"This is going to be unbearable," Donna signed to Sam.
"I'm not sure what the last word was but I can only guess the sentiment behind it and I agree," Sam said out loud, before signing "Yes."
~*~
"Good morning Josh."
"Samuel. Has my assistant managed to find her desk yet?" Josh asked. He leant as far as he could to see out the doorway, although even if she had been at her desk, he wouldn't have been able to see her.
"That's why I'm here. She's going to be running a little late this morning," offered Sam, resting his hands on the back of the visitor's chair.
"And you are privy to this information bec..."
"Don't go there Josh! I left before you did remember? She phoned me this morning with a problem at her apartment."
"Problem? What's wrong? Why would she phone you and not me if she has a problem? She's my assistant."
"Josh this isn't the time to be allocating ownership - and if you did, she'd cause you great injury I'm sure. If you remember correctly, I am the go between her and my friend who owns the apartment."
"What happened? Is everything okay?"
"There was a plumbing problem. Apparently she put some clothes in the washer this morning and the next thing she knew there was water flooding everywhere. She managed to find the mains, which I have to say is pretty amazing because I wouldn't have been able to, and shut it all off before calling me."
"So..."
"So I told her not to worry and I would contact a plumber - which I did. She was waiting for them to arrive, so she will be in after they have looked at the problem."
"Okay, so it's being fixed. That's good."
"Yes, and my work here is done," grinned Sam as he backed his way to the door. "I'll see you later today?"
"Yeah... I... I want to go over the transportation briefing with you. I spoke to Senator Shields yesterday and we might want to rework it a little," sighed Josh.
"I think I have some time free around two this afternoon. It will all depend on how my meeting with Senator McKinnon goes."
"On the...?"
"Yeah, and I heard a whisper that she and a couple of others might want to add a rider to it."
"It can't have a rider attached, it has to go through at it stands, or it *won't* go through," blustered Josh.
"Preaching to the converted here Josh," added Sam. "But besides, we have a couple of months to show them the error of their ways."
~*~*~*~
"Sam, are you busy?"
"Hey Donna."
"Samuel?"
Sam looked up form his computer and removed his glasses. "What can I do for you?"
"I have the account from the plumber," she stated handing the piece of paper over.
"Josh told me you'd called and it was an outlet pipe on the washer not connected properly. He mentioned it after staff this morning."
"Yes, I thought the washer looked new, but I didn't realize it was brand new," she said, sitting down in the visitors chair opposite him.
"Well..."
"I've been helping you learn sign language Sam."
"Yes you have, and I'm sure I have told you how grateful I am about that."
"You have, but that's not the point."
"It isn't?"
"No."
"Then..."
"I've been helping you, yet you've been holding out on me," she continued pointedly.
"Oh?"
"Sam don't play innocent. I know Sam. You didn't think I would find out?"
"But... you know?"
"Yes."
"Just so I can be certain, we're talking about..."
"Yes, my current residence."
"Um... have you... you've come to me first, right?"
"Yes."
"How did you find out?" Sam questioned.
"The account for the plumber was made out to the trust company. I mean really, you didn't think I would be curious? It was a simple check to see whom it had registered as its directors and beneficiaries. You're still licensed so I'm guessing you handled all the legalities."
"Yes I did."
"And when you said the owner was a female friend, an old acquaintance - I had asked you if she was an old girlfriend. How could you let me ask that?"
"You asked it and I answered it truthfully. I told you I met her through a friend and there was definitely no chance of a 'lovers tiff' as you put it."
"We were talking about Josh's mother!"
"And I believe we still are," he added.
"But Josh is behind this isn't he? He organized all of this?"
"He did, although I must say his mother was all for it as well. It's not like she was worried about spending the money. She said it would eventually be Josh's anyway. And she worries about you almost as much as Josh does."
"But why... he didn't have to..."
"Donna, come on. After the other week with the dinner disaster... you know for certain exactly how he feels... we all do now and it's terrible that this is the way it has to be played out because of some gutter journalistic trash. When we realized it probably wasn't going to be safe for you to live at your old apartment, he started contacting the realtors. He wanted to do this for you, and going through the trust company and the story about you looking after the place was the best way. If you paid rent, it would be declared on his income to not only you, but to all and sundry who read it. How would that have looked?
"But if anyone finds out..."
"No one will snoop. No one has any reason or inkling to snoop," Sam stated.
"I did."
"Okay, no one *else* will snoop."
"But..."
"Donna. Let him do this for you. It's important to him. There's no hidden agenda - he just wants to help. Do you really think he'd keep it a secret, go through all of this if he wanted praise or reward?"
"No, he wouldn't. He'd be crying for bagels and kegs."
"Exactly," smirked Sam.
"So the fact that the place is partly furnished..." she began.
"Some of the stuff is from Connecticut. The bookcase, the hutch the bigger things were in storage. Honestly you'd realize now it wasn't a coincidence that nothing you owned doubled up with things already there," Sam added.
"So..."
"He feels really bad about the washer not being connected to the outlet properly. I was supposed to help him when it arrived, but I was busy on the Hill. He thought he plugged everything into the right places," Sam chuckled.
"Well he makes a much better politician than white goods installer," Donna laughed.
"I think so too. But above all, I think he makes a much better friend," Sam offered seriously.
"Yes, he does," Donna, replied thoughtfully. "Sam, don't tell him. I don't want him to know that I know. Not for now anyway. Maybe when... when I find the time is right, I'll tell him myself."
"I can do that," Sam smiled. "So this conversation we just had, didn't really happen?"
"No."
"Okay then... so... hey Donna, can I help you with anything?"
"No, just dropped by with the account for you," she smiled as she turned around. "I'll be going now."
~*~
"Hey I've been looking for you, where'd you go?" bounced Josh as Donna returned to her desk.
"I had to take the plumbers account to Sam. He said he would organize it with the owner," she replied. "You know you have to be on the Hill in half an hour?"
"Yes, just getting organized to go now," he replied, still hovering around her desk.
"What do you need?"
"Um, I've forgotten where I put the file on the NTA," he replied.
"Did you look under "T" in the file?" she asked, looking up at him.
"No, why would I do that?"
"Because it would stand to reason that a file on the National Transport Agenda would be filed under 'T' for transport," she replied.
"But if that was the case, wouldn't it be filed under 'N' for National?" he questioned as he started slowly walking backwards to his office.
"If I used that logic, then the 'N' section would take up most of your filing cabinet instead of half a drawer," she replied, shaking her head.
"Oh, yeah... I guess there are a few things that start with the word 'national' around here," he called.
"I think there might," she smiled to herself.
"Hey found it!" he replied half a minute later as he bound out of his office, still trying to shove the folder into his backpack.
"Give that here!" Donna complained. "You'll wreck the folder."
Josh dumped his backpack on her desk and handed over the folder.
"What would I do without you?" he smirked.
"I think we've had this conversation recently," she replied as she zipped the bag up. "Go do good!"
"Yes Ma'am! Hey I'll be back near lunchtime so I was thinking I might get..."
"Sounds good," she smiled.
"With or without?"
"Without," she nodded.
"Are you sure?" he questioned as he began walking backwards, "Because I'm only getting the vegetables."
"Really?"
"Yes really."
"Okay then - with."
"Do you want a small or large..."
"Oh, only small."
"Okay."
"Okay," she repeated. "Switch your pager to vibrate," she called as he began to walk away.
"Already have. You'll let me know..."
"Yes, half an hour before you need to wind it up," she finished.
"We're a team Donna," he called with a dimpled smile, before disappearing around the corner.
"That we are," she smiled to herself.
The end of story 2.
By Jaye Reid.
Second story in the "Taking Care" Series.
Commenced: Apr. 23, 2002.
Completed: May 6, 2002
Spoilers: Season 1 - 3 to be safe - set one year into Bartlet's second term. Follows "Taking Care - Of Business."
Rating: PG13
Category: Josh/Donna
Disclaimer: The West Wing is owned by the brilliant mind of Aaron Sorkin and operated by the powers at Warner Bros. I make no money; I have no money... no point suing me. I'm here for the love of it. South Park people own South Park - if you even figure out the reference don't blink you might miss it, but I figured I should disclaim it.
Summary: "True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." - George Washington (1732 - 1799)
Archiving: 'Boulevard of Misdirection'
http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~jayereid/jldmmain.htm
Also, fanfiction.net and 'The National Library.' If anyone else wants it, just ask.
Author's notes: This is the second in the "Taking Care" series. Reading the previous story will help make sense of this one. Thanks to Christine for her information and hints for a section of the fic, Aim for "...what is the American word used for..." help and encouragement, Nancy also for said encouragement and of course the brilliant Bridget for her beta reading and deadline setting . Thank you to everyone who has sent feedback for the first part, and those who keep asking when this one would be finished.
~*~*~
"Donna?"
"Hey Sam. Josh has someone with him at the moment, but..."
"No I came to see you actually. I was wondering... have you found alternate accommodation yet?"
"No, I'm still on Carol's sofa."
"Well I may have a proposition for you."
"Sam, I'm not that sort of woman," Donna chuckled.
"No, not *that* sort of proposition! I wouldn't for a moment suggest..."
"Sam."
"You were making a little joke weren't you?"
"What sort of proposition Sam?"
"Well, I have a friend..."
"Oh that's never a good way to start a conversation..."
"No, honestly Donna. Totally and completely above board."
"Okay."
"She owns a townhouse, and she can't live there at the moment."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes why can't she live there?"
"Well, her circumstances changed."
"Where is this townhouse?"
"Georgetown. Actually only a few blocks from Josh."
"Sam, I can't afford to live in Georgetown."
"No, you see, that's the beauty of this, she doesn't want rent. She just wants someone to look after the place."
"For how long?"
"Well she won't be needing it while we're still in office, so I thought it would be perfect."
"It sounds too perfect. There has to be a catch? You and this woman Sam, I'm not going to have to worry about you having a lovers tiff and me ending up out on the street because you and I are friends?" Donna quizzed.
"Most certainly not."
"So, not one of your past girlfriends?"
"No. Actually we met through a friend of mine many, many years ago. As I said, this is completely above board."
"When can I go take a look?" Donna asked cautiously.
"Um... if you can get Josh to let you out for lunch, I can take you there. I have the keys."
"I'll ask and give you a call," smiled Donna.
"If I'm not there, just leave a message on my pager. I'm heading over to the Department of Agriculture for a meeting. I will be there most of the morning with any luck," he nodded.
"Thanks Sam."
"My pleasure."
~*~*~
"Hey Donna!" Sam called walking down the street. "Josh didn't give you a hard time about going out at lunch?"
"He didn't really, but I have to take him back lunch in exchange. Sam, is this really the place? I got the address right?" she quizzed looking up at the building.
"This is it. Sorry you had to meet me here, the meeting went long."
"How did it go?"
"Productive. So, really to take a look?"
"If the inside is anything like the outside... how could your friend not want to live here?" Donna questioned as they walked up the steps.
"Ah well, she doesn't have much say in it at the moment. Did I tell you there is a designated parking space and the place is partly furnished? I don't know if it will be to your taste."
"Well I don't have much in the way of furniture. All my stuff was packed up out of my old place on the weekend. The President organized for it to be stored. My last roommate had a lot of her own furniture, so I got rid of the stuff that was basically falling apart. I'll be happy with just about anything."
Sam fished the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.
"Living is downstairs, sleeping, bathroom obviously up," he stated leading her into the house. "There's a separate kitchen, the laundry is only small but functional. There's a space over here for a dining table. As you can see there is a solid wood mantle over the fireplace and a big picture window and seat in the living area... you could probably see that from outside."
"I could, but I didn't want to believe I had the address right so I wouldn't be disappointed if I was wrong. Sam, this place is... oh my God... is all this stuff meant to be staying?"
"Yes, what's here is here."
"Sam... that's a DVD player in the hutch. Can you believe it, after all these years I still haven't got around to buying one?"
Sam walked over and peered down at it. Yes, I believe that's what it says."
"Sam... the laundry? Firstly there is one... and second there is a washer *and* dryer. She really wants to leave this stuff here? This friend of yours... she must be loaded!"
"Let's just say she is comfortable. Look, I told her you would really like this place. Do you want to see upstairs?"
"I'm sold on this place already but hey, why not," she laughed.
Donna bound up the stairs. Sam sat down on the wide window ledge and waited.
"THERE'S TWO BEDROOMS," she called.
"YES."
"WOW."
Sam chuckled to himself and looked out the window. "YOU KNOW YOU COULD PROBABLY PUT A FLOWER BOX OUTSIDE THIS WINDOW," he called.
"SAM?"
"YES?" he called standing up as he heard her hurrying down the stairs again.
"Sam, out one of the bedroom windows, I could see... is there a little back garden? Does that belong to this place too?"
"Yes," replied Sam heading through to the laundry room. Didn't you notice the back door?"
"No, I... I was too busy marveling over the idea of being able to wash my clothes whenever I wanted and not have to worry about finding somewhere open late enough to do it."
"Well Ms. Moss, follow me then," said Sam with a grin.
Sam unlocked the back door and they stepped outside. "Look it's not big, but it's all paved and the fences around are high enough to give you some privacy. You might want to refrain from naked sunbathing however or you might give your neighbors a show from their upstairs window."
"I'll keep it in mind," she replied, trying to sound serious.
"Well?"
"When can I move in?"
"Whenever you want. As you can see the place is empty. Well as empty as it's going to be."
"Well I will have to see when..."
Donna's cell began to chirp in her bag. "Speak of the devil?" Sam asked.
"More than likely," she replied, fishing in to retrieve it.
"Hello O'master," she chimed. "...yes I thought you would. What do you want Josh?... Yes, I'm going to take it... it's gorgeous Josh... you won't believe how amazing it is... yes I'll be back soon... you want what?... burger and fries..." Donna raised her eyebrows at Sam and shook her head as he chuckled. "How about a salad?" Donna held the phone away from her ear as Josh whined about her suggestion. "Finished yet?... Joshua if you want me to get lunch then you have to put up with what I get, okay... see you soon Josh."
Donna clicked off her phone and returned it to her bag. "That man is impossible."
"And you wouldn't want him any other way, would you?" smirked Sam.
"Let's go Sam. I have to take his royal pain in the ass something for lunch."
~*~
"You're back," stated Josh as Donna waltzed through his doorway.
"It would appear that I am," she replied.
"Did Sam say how his meeting went?" Josh asked as Donna started unpacking the bag she was carrying.
"Well he said it was promising. Which is more than *you'd* be able to say if you took the meeting."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well the last time I brought you *this* for lunch you had no idea what it was," she stated setting a take out container in front of him. "So I would say that Sam would have been far better suited to a meeting on Agricultural reform."
"This is your way of telling me you bought me salad for lunch?"
"It would."
"And you do that because?"
"You're mother still thinks you need to eat your greens and so do I. And along with that, I know there is a very fine restaurant down off Water Street along the Washington Channel whose walls we won't be gracing anytime soon to get you greens."
"Yes," Josh sighed, "It was a very nice restaurant but I don't think I could feel comfortable going back there for awhile."
"No, so you will have to put up with me bringing you salad for lunch from Zeds, it was on the way."
"Zed's? There's no meat in this container Donna, and even though it's Ethiopian and they specialize in vegetarian, I *know* they have meat dishes on their menu."
"So do I Josh..."
"Donna," he whined.
"Eat your lunch Josh," smirked Donna as she headed back to her desk.
~*~
"Hi Joey," Josh heard Donna say from outside his office. Good, he thought, she's here. He tossed the scraps of his salad in the rubbish, untouched for the few hours since Donna had brought it back and began rifling through the mess of file folders on his desk, for the one containing the statistics he wanted Joey to go over.
He couldn't find it and realized he'd given it to Donna to retype a page after accidentally making notations down the side of it. He swaggered out of his office, but the sight before him stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Donna?"
"Joey's here," stated Donna with a smile nodding to Joey.
"I can see that. What were you just doing?"
"Ah... talking to Joey?" she said. It sounded more like a question than a statement.
"But I saw you... since when do you sign?"
"Since Junior high?" she replied using the same questioning tone.
"Junior high?"
"Yes Josh... I started Junior high and met a girl who became my best friend. Well, she was deaf."
"Oh... how come you never told me?"
"You never asked."
"I didn't know either," Joey added with a shrug and a smile.
Donna started signing to Joey, who laughed and signed back.
"Hey!" said Josh feeling left out.
Donna looked at Josh and then signed something back to Joey that made her laugh harder.
"Enough both of you! I *have* learnt a couple of those signs and I don't believe either of you were being nice towards me."
Joey shook her head and smiled. "Talk to me about stats." She stated and headed for his office.
"Where's Kenny?" Josh questioned as he caught her arm.
"They killed Kenny."
"No seriously Joey, where's Kenny?"
"Lost," she shrugged.
"I'll call the desk and see if we can get someone to find him," offered Donna with a chuckle at Joey's joke, before heading back to her desk to get the file for Josh.
"Unless you want to..." Josh started, nodding towards his office and wiggling his fingers.
"No, I've seen enough of those figures today," she laughed as she handed them over.
~*~
Josh followed Joey and Kenny out of his office, stopping off at Donna's desk as they left.
"Josh, I need to not work on Saturday," stated Donna.
"Huh? Saturday? These walls don't recognize trivial things like days of the week, Donna. This is the White House and we do important things within these walls."
"Yeah, like you and Sam playing baseball in the Roosevelt room with scrunched up paper and a ruler," she scoffed.
"Okay, so we do some not so important things here too. But what could possibly take a whole day?" he whined.
"Firstly, let me point out that as it is Wednesday, I am giving you plenty of notice. Secondly, it will take me a whole day to unpack my things at my new place before going to extreme effort to cook a very nice dinner so I can invite you, CJ, Sam and Toby over," she smiled.
"You're not just taking it to get of Carol's couch? So you really like the apartment?"
"Yes, I can't believe that I'm actually going to live there. Sam contacted the owner when we got back here and it's all systems go."
"So, it's nice?"
"Josh, it's basically a house. Me, living in a house. After all these years living in what you have always deemed is a crappy neighborhood, I am actually going to live somewhere that I would never be able to afford in a million years," she bubbled.
"And you said it's definitely all above board? I mean you're not paying rent for this *too good to be true* place."
"Sam assures me his friend is more than happy about me staying there."
"And you need all day to unpack?"
"Yes."
"And then we all get to come over and have take-out at your new place?"
"It will not be take out Josh. I will cook," she replied sternly.
"And you're telling me you can cook? Like a real meal?" quizzed Josh.
"Yes of course I can!"
"Okay... okay... it's just that, well I never knew you could do that," he replied.
"Well how do you think I survive Josh?"
"Like the rest of us. If it doesn't come in a cartoon with a phone number on it, or pre-packed in something that takes less than five minutes to zap, it..."
"Okay, I get the picture," she replied.
"Yeah, so *cooking*, well there's a novel idea," he smirked. "I wonder if it will catch on?"
"Around here I doubt it. So I can have Saturday off?" she asked hopefully.
"As long as you agree to come in for half of Sunday," he bargained.
"Okay."
"Okay? "That reply was a bit on the quick side Donna."
"Was it?"
"Yes. Tell me, were you planning on coming in on Sunday anyway?"
"Actually I was planning on a full day on Sunday, but since you have been gracious enough to make it a half day, I'm even happier," she smiled.
"Have you ever thought of taking up a job with the FBI as a negotiator there Donna? Because I'm sure they could do with your skills," he tossed at her as he headed back to his office.
"Yeah, and then someone like Mandy could send me into a situation and get me killed," she called back before she had time to think about her words and reel them back in. She watched Josh for a reaction, if there was one it didn't show in his gait, as she couldn't see his face. She shrugged and thought that perhaps he was finally immune to comments about past dalliances, before going back to her work.
~*~*~
"JOSH!"
"JOSH!"
"Must you bellow?" Josh grinned, as Donna hastily made her way into his office the next morning.
"Yeah, cute," she remarked.
"I am."
"Get over yourself Josh."
"Well technically if I tried, I think I'd do myself an injury because..."
"Josh!"
"Where have you been? Did I miss something important whilst I was at senior staff?" he asked thoughtfully.
"I've been across the road talking to payroll at the Administrative Office in the OEOB. I've been overpaid."
"And since you have been telling me, for too many years to count, that you need a pay rise. You are complaining because?"
"Because someone gave me too much money Josh! I don't know what is going on because when I spoke to them, they said it was correct. But it's not correct Josh... see here... this is the previous slip and this is from today," she added thrusting the paperwork at him. "Clearly today I have been overpaid."
"Or perhaps do you think for a very long time you might have been underpaid?" he quizzed.
"What? I don't understand?" she replied looking at the two payslips again.
"Donna, you've been given a pay rise. You really deserve it considering the level of work you do around here. You don't just assist me these days... I wish I could say that it was at my instigation but really it was the President and perhaps a little bit of Toby. You've virtually a junior senior staffer - if that makes any sense. Congratulations."
"You couldn't have told me?" she complained. "I went over to payroll and made an..."
"Well I would have told you. I didn't expect you to go to payroll and try and give the money back. I thought you'd come to see me about it first," he replied, feeling a little disheartened that she hadn't, but happy she'd once again taken her own initiative.
"Well you've been busy and I didn't want to bother you," she replied.
"Ha! I thought bothering me was part of your job?" he laughed.
"So this is *my* money? What am I going to do with it?" she thought out loud.
"Put it to a college fund?" he suggested.
"I don't have kids Josh, so I'm certainly not going to start saving for their college years yet," she chuckled.
"No, I mean yours," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "Didn't you want to go and finish your Poli-science degree one day?"
"Once upon a time I did... but really Josh, what could I learn that I haven't in the time here? It would be a waste of time and money. I've learnt more here in the White House than I could ever learn sitting in a lecture or out of a book."
Josh nodded, she was right. He doubted there was much she could learn. In reality she could probably *teach* a class and know more than a book learnt lecturer.
"Okay, so now that we have figured out the source of your added income, do you think you could make some sense of this report for me. I keep reading it over and over and the words are beginning to run into each other," he said, handing her a file.
"You want index cards?"
"Please."
"How many do you want?"
"Well, I want it broken into environmental and economic factors for and against, along with precedents on past decisions. Let's try for say ten cards?"
"Ten!"
"Okay ten, but no more than twenty."
"Sold."
~*~
"DONNA!"
"What do you need Josh?" came her reply as she wandered through the open doorway.
"I can't find the notes on the thing."
"The FEC thing, the minimum wage thing, the transportation thing, the..."
"Okay, I'll be a little more specific, the NPS thing. Do you know where it is?" he asked tiredly.
"On my desk."
"And what pray tell Ms. Moss is it doing on your desk?"
"Remember, index cards? You asked me to get some more information on it for you this morning?"
"And have you?"
"Information is fairly hard to come by Josh," Donna pouted. "I really think I am going to have to do a more thorough check."
"And to do that it would require, let me guess... a field trip to the park?" he questioned.
"Sounds like a brilliant idea," she replied brightly.
"Donna, you'll try anything to get to Hawaii," Josh laughed.
"But it's on Maui and they have amazing beaches, wonderful food, not to mention 28,655 acres of National park, of which 19,270 of that is still wilderness," she listed.
"And they are asking for another 1,850 acres to be added to the 28,655," stated Josh.
"And going there would be the best way to ascertain whether it would be in the best interests of all to do that," she replied.
"Donna..."
"Why can't we just give them the approval? It's only another 1850 acres," she asked.
"But if we just say yes without going into it properly - because it only looks like a small addition, then the other fifty-five will all want a little addition, before we know it, the whole of the United States is one big National Park."
"I'll get the file. You're no fun Joshua."
"Then you haven't got to know the real me," he tossed back with a smirk. "Hey what time is the meeting tomorrow?"
"With Senator Kaimana?"
"Yes, Mika'ek. I haven't seen him since before the administration."
"You know Senator Kaimana?"
"We crossed paths a few times when I was working for Brennan. He's native Hawaiian, but he did spend a fair amount of time in Washington back then."
"You have a one o'clock lunch reservation at DC Coast," she informed him, "And if you get the chance I really like their pan seared Jumbo Lump Crabcake."
"Donna, I'm meeting with a Senator, I'm gonna be surrounded by politicians and lobbyists who are probably going to want a word or two as well... and you want me to add bringing you back lunch to the list of things I have to do?"
"Well, technically by the time you get it back here, it's going to be after lunch, so I can just reheat it for my dinner," she grinned. "Besides, you are always telling me how well you multi-task."
"I'll see," said Josh non-committally.
"When my mother used to say *I'll see* it meant *I'll wait until your father is here so he can back me up when I say no*," Donna recollected.
"How about... I'll try?"
"That's more like it! And you should listen to me this time Josh, have the house salad and perhaps the spice crusted tuna. Do *not* get the beef, even though it is grilled. Normally it would be fine, but when it's a business lunch you eat too quickly and you end up with indigestion. You do not want a lump of un-chewed beef sitting heavy in your stomach; swimming in the creamed spinach and fries they serve with it. Your sensitive stomach doesn't seem to only apply to alcohol."
"Since when did you start channeling my mother?" he replied in wonder.
"Get you the file and cards?" Donna grinned and headed out of his office.
"Thank you."
~*~
Saturday evening arrived quickly and the senior staff arrived at Donna's at the same time, having followed Sam the short drive from the White House.
"She lives here?" questioned CJ, "seriously? This is better than my place!"
"Wait until you see inside," replied Sam nodding to Josh.
They rang the door buzzer and within seconds the door flew open and the smiling face of Donna Moss greeted them.
"What? Are you psychic... that was quick," joked Josh.
"I saw you guys coming down the street from one of the upstairs windows," she shrugged, "but if you'd prefer to go with the psychic theory... well I could always pretend."
"I can smell... is that..."
"It's a baked dinner, yes Sam. I told you I could cook," she replied stepping aside and letting them in.
"You told *me* you could cook," stated Josh as they followed Sam into the lounge.
"I told Sam too," she replied.
"You had time to go shopping *and* unpack?" Josh questioned.
"I went to the Eastern Markets and got everything," she replied. "I actually managed to do that *and* answer my cell every five minutes because you needed something," she snorted.
He sighed dramatically and then grinned. "Well, that's the price you pay for a whole day off."
"Did I miss anything today?" she quizzed.
"Nothing that won't wait until tomorrow," Josh replied.
"Hey what... you guys..." Donna complained when she noticed they were all carrying wrapped packages.
"Well we are housewarming," stated Sam holding a brightly wrapped package. "So, you know..."
"You shouldn't have..."
"Well we did, so come sit with us woman and we can give them to you," cajoled CJ.
Donna sat down on an old tapestry covered ottoman as CJ and Josh commandeered the couch and Sam and Toby the wide window ledge.
"Okay, who goes first?" Donna asked brightly.
"Well we come bearing gifts from the Commander and Chief and his wingman as well, so I think theirs should be first," offered Toby, stepping half way across and holding out a carry bag.
Donna stood and took the bag from him. "They didn't have to do this. In fact none of you had to do this... I'm sure I'm not the first assistant to move house during this administration."
The visitors all exchanged the same looks as Donna took the gift from the bag. She may not have been the first assistant to move *during* their time at the White House, but she was the only one who had to move *because* of the administration.
"You might want to be careful," instructed Toby. "They asked me to carry it so I think it could be breakable."
"I could have carried it," stated Josh.
"You *so* could not have," laughed Donna.
"I freely admit it was a good idea that I didn't," offered CJ. "I have a history with breakables."
Donna put the card aside and tore at the wrapping to reveal a mint green box. "Yes I bet it's breakable."
"You know what it is?" quizzed Sam.
"What is it but not what it is," she replied.
"Yeah and like that makes as much sense as anything you usually say," scoffed Josh, for which he received a whack on the arm from CJ.
"Well, the label says *CW* so it's from Crystal World. So I know it is crystal, and breakable, but not what sort of piece."
"Oh I've seen some of their stuff over at the OEOB, it's adorable. Come on open it then," instructed CJ.
"Adorable CJ?"
"Shut up Toby."
Donna flipped the lid back and carefully unwrapped something in tissue paper. It was a mirror, and she gently placed it on the coffee table in front of her before removing the gray foam packaging.
"Donna..." whined Josh.
"I'm being careful," chastised Donna, removing yet another piece of foam.
"Ohhh..." she exclaimed with the glee of a small child on Christmas morning as she looked into the box.
She delicately removed a crystal sculpture of the White House and placed it on top of the mirror on the coffee table before reaching to the card.
"Our house is your house," she smiled as she read the card out loud.
"Well if the card isn't in Latin, the President didn't write it," joked Josh.
"Actually, it *is* in Latin, I just translated it for you," she grinned back.
"My turn," stated CJ handing over her large parcel.
"Oh, well it's soft," said Donna as she put the parcel on her lap and tore at the wrapping.
"Wow... CJ, this is just lovely, thank you," she announced.
"I was hoping you'd like it. It's from the Indian Craft Shop over at the Department of the Interior building. All the rugs are hand made. This is a Stockbridge Munsee one. I know you like bright colors."
"Munsee CJ? As in Stockbridge Munsee tribe of Wisconsin who decided to camp out in the foyer on Thanksgiving a few year ago?" Toby quizzed.
"They make beautiful rugs," replied CJ pointedly.
"Just checking," he replied.
"It's perfect, thank you," smiled Donna.
"My turn?" questioned Sam.
"Hang on... I just want to check on dinner," she stated jumping up from the place.
"Do you need any help?" Josh called.
"As if you'd know the difference between sautéing and steaming," she called back with a laugh in her voice.
"Well don't say I didn't offer," he replied as they waited for her return.
"Well he can at least do the dishes," joked CJ.
"Or I could just put them in the dishwasher," Donna replied when she returned to her seat.
"Seriously? You have a dishwasher... Spanky, do you have any more friends like the one who owns this place?" CJ continued turning to Sam.
"I have many friends CJ," replied Sam before turning to Donna. "Here I hope you like it."
"It's ticking Sam," smirked Donna as she took the brightly wrapped box with decorative gold bows from him. "And I know where to put it right?"
"I hope so," he grinned.
"Is there an inside joke?" quizzed CJ.
"Well... when I looked at this place earlier in the week, I mentioned to Sam it was a shame I didn't have a nice clock to put on the mantle," she stated as she unwrapped the paper.
"So I found a nice clock," added Sam as they watched Donna remove it from the box. "It's genuine jeweled Swiss movement, it should last beyond a lifetime."
Donna stood and took her new clock to the mantle above the fireplace. She moved a few ornaments and a photo to place it in the center. "Perfect!"
"Here," said Toby reaching across and handing her his contribution. "It's a sculpture and it's heavy."
"Toby! You're not supposed to tell her what it is before she opens it!" chastised CJ.
Toby merely shrugged as Donna ripped away the wrapping. "If you don't like it... I found it over on R Street NW in a gallery... I wasn't sure what sort of style you wanted for your new place."
"Toby, I love it. If you looking around, you can see my tastes are varied" she replied stepping over and giving him a peck on the cheek as she held the smooth stone bear sculpture in her hands. She placed it near the window on the ledge between Toby and Sam.
"I see that," he replied, embarrassed by her show of affection.
"So, only mine to go," Josh replied as she took her seat again. "And I must say, as your boss I am slightly miffed that I go last here."
"Get over it Joshua," she stated. "It's a picture to hang on the wall?"
"Ah, perhaps she really *is* psychic!" he replied handing over the gift.
"Well... it's large and flat and now that I have it, I can feel the edge of the frame," she sassed.
"Ah well you are partly right... it's sort of a picture."
"Okay," she replied with a puzzled expression as she started to gently lift the tape from a corner.
"What the problem Donna? You opened all the others in milliseconds. This place looks like a recycled waste paper depot," Josh whined.
Donna started on another piece of tape. "Could it be that I am messing with your mind?" she questioned.
"Donnatella..."
"Joshua..."
"Children..." interrupted Toby. "As cute as your little routine is, I would like to eat dinner before we have to leave the White House."
"..'kay." she laughed and began to rip at the paper.
"Josh?" she said quietly as the picture was revealed.
"Yes?"
"This is... this is the one... the one we..."
"Yes," he smiled, speaking softly. "At the National Postal Museum, you can get poster prints of famous or notable stamps... I thought well, since it was far more to do with you than it was me... I thought you might like it."
"This is Marcus Aquino, the former resident commissioner of Puerto Rico?" Toby asked. "From the stamp assignment I palmed off to you during our first term?"
"Yeah, but Donna did all the work... She's the reason this guy's was put on a stamp."
"I don't know what to say," replied Donna.
"I say dinner must be nearly ready," stated Toby. "Do you need any help, because I honestly *do* know the difference between steaming and sautéing."
"I'll help you hang it up later," Josh offered as they all stood.
"Thanks," Donna replied with a smile as she headed for the kitchen.
"Hey, is the table new?" Sam called. "I know it wasn't here, and you didn't have this before did you?"
"No it was delivered this morning, I ordered it online. With not having to pay rent, I figured I could handle maxiing my Visa a little this month," Donna called back.
"You bought furniture over the net?" questioned Josh as she entered the room and placed two steaming bowls of vegetables on the trivets in the middle of the table.
"Yes, like you'd give me any time to go out and buy anything during working hours when the shops were open. They have very nice color pictures of the furniture and the sizes. It was really very easy."
"It's a nice table Donna," offered CJ. "You chose well. You might have to give me their details, I need a new bed."
"Sure," she replied as she headed back to the kitchen.
~*~
"This has been really nice," said CJ as she stretched her long legs out in front of the sofa. "We really should do this more often."
"What, make Donna cook for us so we eat properly once in awhile?" Sam joked.
"Well that too," laughed CJ. "But this, getting together somewhere other than a smoky bar and just be ourselves."
"Well as much as I would offer my place as the next get-together venue, you'd probably get cheese on toast for dinner," Sam continued.
"Hey I don't mind you all coming over here if I get the day off to prepare a meal for you," Donna replied, as she leant forward from her ottoman and placed her empty wine glass on the coffee table.
"Hey, part of today was to unpack. Don't think you'd get a whole day off to cook," Josh protested.
"It would be worth your while to at least give me half a day," replied Donna as she headed for the kitchen. "Your mother would stop hassling you to eat right."
"Your mother does that too?" CJ asked.
"Yeah, and then she gets in Leo's ear... AND DONNA'S," he called.
"Well we would be nicer to you too if Donna cooked for us once in awhile," laughed CJ.
"Hey Donna, I thought you said you'd unpacked everything?" questioned Josh as he bent down at the end of the sofa to pick up his empty wine glass.
"I have," replied Donna from the kitchen.
"Well what about this box?" he questioned dislodging the lid.
"Which box?" she replied as she walked to the doorway, stopping there and drying her hands on a towel.
"Um, this one," Josh replied with a puzzled tone as he looked at the contents of the box, before looking up at her.
Donna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Could you please leave that box alone Josh?"
"Um, okay," he replied slowly as he slid the top back across. "Um... I..."
"Just forget it," Donna replied and walked back into the kitchen.
"Josh?" CJ quizzed gently with a raised eyebrow.
Josh shook his head.
"Who wants coffee?" came Donna's call from the kitchen.
After seeing the look on Josh's face, CJ glanced at Toby and Sam who were back sitting on the window ledge. The message she conveyed was very clear.
"No thank you Donna," called Toby. "I... err, have to get going. Wonder boy here and I have some work to finish off."
"Now?" quizzed Donna returning to the doorway and looking at her new clock on the mantle. "I know we keep crazy hours but..."
"Thank you for dinner, it was lovely. The first home cooked meal I've had since... well I'm not sure since when," smiled Sam as he reached for his coat on the back of a chair and began putting it on.
"Thank you for coming and thank you for the lovely gift," returned Donna with a smile. "And you too Toby. It was very thoughtful and you didn't have to."
"My pleasure," replied Toby giving his famous half second smile before returning back to the man everyone was used to seeing.
"Claudia Jean, Josh... we'll see you both in the morning," stated Toby as he and Sam headed for the door.
"Yes, goodnight... actually I'm going to bail too. I have to get my hair cut in the morning before I come in. Thank God I can get an appointment on a Sunday morning," smiled CJ. "Joshua?"
"I might take Donna up on her offer of coffee. It's not like I hear *that* very often," he laughed.
"Just for that Joshua, you can pour your own!" replied Donna with a chuckle.
"Ahhh you see what I have to put up with?" he laughed as he headed across the room to the kitchen.
Donna showed her friends out.
"Bye," she called and closed the door.
"Donna... do you want to talk about that box?" Josh asked as he stood in the doorway.
"Not really."
"Donna... I think we should."
"Why?"
"Well, I'd like to talk about it."
"Go for it Josh, knock yourself out. I'm going to make coffee." She said brushing past him.
"Okay," he replied, "I'll talk about it."
He walked over to the side of the couch and dragged the box by the lid. He sat down and placed the box on the floor in front of him. Flipping the lid off once again, he looked inside.
"The gutter tabloid article?" he questioned as she removed the piece of paper torn from the paper. "You want to keep this?"
There was no response from Donna in the kitchen, just the sound of coffee being prepared. He sat the piece of paper aside and looked back into the box.
"Well I'm guessing this should be familiar," stated Josh taking an ID badge from the box and turning it over in his hand a few times. "*Bartlet for America - Josh Lyman.* I must say I hated that pre-administration photo of me. I don't know why you'd want to keep one of these?"
Donna was now standing in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe. "That's the one you handed me on my first day."
"But after you got your own, you gave me mine back," he said with a puzzled expression. "I remember we made a big joke out of it, no one would think you were me anymore."
"I ordered you a new one. So I guess if you want that one back for your own memorabilia collection..."
"Donna... you know I was forever losing mine. I lost count how many times I had to get you to organize me a new one. If this holds some sentimental value to you... then you should keep it."
"Okay."
"Now, c'mere and tell me about the rest of this stuff?"
Donna sighed and realized Josh was going to go through it whether she liked it or not. She knew all it would take to stop this dissection of her life would be to yell and take the box away, but what would that achieve?
She crossed the room and sat on the floor in front of him, the box between them.
She peered into the box and took out another ID badge. "This is my one and *only* Bartlet for America ID," she said, holding it up.
Josh took it from her and looked from the photo on it and back to Donna.
"Yes, I've gotten old," she replied.
"Well technically of course you have, but I don't think you have aged at all," smiled Josh as he put it with the news clipping beside him.
"Oh, very smooth," Donna laughed.
"I didn't say it to sound smooth," he corrected, "I said it because I believe it to be true."
Donna smiled and reached back into the box. "Well, I think we both remember this," she said as she handed him a brown hardcover book.
"Ah, the diary. I thought you'd get rid of it?" he questioned as he put it on the couch.
"I don't know. I was going to but then I realized that it couldn't be called into question again. It doesn't have any more entries, I just put it in the box."
"What else have you got in here?" Josh asked.
"Oh you know, the typical trinkets I guess. A White House key chain, a pen."
"What's with the bar napkin with a phone number or something written on it?" he asked as he leant forward and looked in.
"Not a phone number Josh she grinned as she took it out. Big numbers... remember my friend with the dot com... the one you suggested would go belly up?"
"I never said *belly up*"
"You say that now because he made his fortune, sold it all for a massive profit and can basically do whatever he wants these days," she smirked.
"Okay, but what's with the..."
"Well that would have been my starting salary."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously Josh."
"And you stayed? Hell Donna, he was offering you this much when I couldn't even offer you a title bump... and you stayed?"
"Do you remember what was happening in the White House at the time?" she questioned.
"Ahh... not really."
"Price, the journalist... remember?"
"Yeah, that was then?"
"Yes. After... I watched his wife, and I kept thinking... it reminded me again how fragile life really is. I realized I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to be anywhere else."
Josh gave her a small smile and took the paper from her hand and placed it on the couch beside him.
"There's a casino chip in here Donna... that isn't your lucky one from our evening in Las Vegas during the re-election campaign when CJ won all that money is it?"
"It certainly is," she laughed.
"CJ won all that money and set it up at the bar... my God we got so wasted that night. I don't think I had been so sick in my life before then," he remembered.
"I think we bought all the Advil in Vegas the next day," she laughed.
"Okay... so what are all these?" he asked as reached into the box again and began to remove bundles of booklets.
Donna tried to stop him from taking them out, but she was too slow. "They're just from Balls and official functions. Clippings, programs etc," she replied reaching for the lid of the box to put it back on.
"Hey, I haven't finished yet," he protested, trying to stop her.
"There's nothing else of interest in the box Josh," she replied hastily.
"I beg to differ... I know there is more in there... let me see."
"Josh..."
"No way Donna," he laughed, trying to wrestle the lid from the box. "If you've got something embarrassingly funny in there I want to see it."
"Josh... no!"
Donna's fingers slipped and with the box almost empty it was light enough for Josh to snatch it up and pull it out of her reach. "Come on Donna... where's your sense of fun."
"Please Josh," she begged desperately.
Her tone made Josh stop and take notice. He suddenly realized that she wasn't playing along. He thought she was just joking around with him, but he could see she was deadly serious.
Josh placed the box on the floor between them again. Donna was looking anywhere other than at him.
"Donna? Hey, I'm sorry... I thought we were just having a bit of fun."
"I just..."
"There's something in this box that you don't want me to see? What could be so... what could *possibly* be so terrible that you don't want me to see?"
"It's... you're going to think I'm some sort of freak. I can't bare you thinking I'm some sort of weird sicko... They gave it to me... I never meant to keep it... it just happened and then it was too late and I didn't know what to do with it so I just stuck it in the box and pretended it wasn't... but it's in the box and now..."
"Donna, you're not making any sense. What ever it is, it can't be that bad... honestly. Now... if you trust me, can I see what this is and save you from whatever guilt trip you are taking?"
Donna shrugged her shoulders, but still refused to look at him.
Josh slid the lid back and looked into the box, removing one last booklet for a function he'd long forgotten before turning his attention back to the box.
"It's just another one of my ID badges," he said with a shrug. "But why is it in a plastic bag and why does it have mud or dirt or..."
He stopped when he noticed the GW hospital insigma on the plastic bag.
"Blood."
"Yes," she replied quietly.
"This is the ID I was carrying the night... at Rosslyn?"
"When they found out I was your assistant, they handed me your wallet and that," she replied, still looking at her fingers as she twisted them together. "I don't remember much, it's all a bit hazy... but I think it was Leo... he saw them give you're things to me and he offered to look after them. I gave him the wallet, but... you're badge... it had your name and picture on it and... and... your blood should have been inside you and not on your credentials. And I felt so helpless and I couldn't do anything but wait and pray that God wouldn't be so cruel to take you away when there was so much life you still had to live. So much good you still had to do. When you came out of surgery... when they finally made me go home and sleep... I still had the plastic envelope with your ID... I kept meaning to return it to you when you were better, and then so much time had gone and I thought you would think it was strange I hadn't already given it back... I didn't know what to do with it... so I just kept it."
"Donna?"
"Yes?"
"Donna, look at me... look at me," he repeated gently as he reached out and tipped her chin up so he could see her face. The movement tripped a tear down her cheek, and it took all his composure not to lose it. "Donna I do not think you are morbid, strange or whatever the hell else you were worried I would think. You are Donna Moss and you hold my life together. If this is what helped you hold it together that night - if your prayers are the reason I am still here, then I am forever in your debt."
"I should have given it back," she said softly.
"You've kept it safe for me, I'd like you to continue keeping it safe for me. Will you look after it for me?" he smiled.
"You don't want it back?"
"You've done a good job of looking after it all these years, why mess with perfection?" he smirked.
"Like us?" she added quietly.
"Yes, like us. Now," he started with a smile and deep breath, "I do believe you were making me coffee?"
"If you put everything back in the box and can get the lid on, then I'll make you coffee," she replied with a smile.
"I promise I'll do a good job of it," he responded as she stood up.
"I'll make the coffee," she replied, wiping the tears with her fingers.
"Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Trusting me... with all of this," he said, waving at the compilation of their life together on the sofa beside him.
"No one else I would rather trust it to," she smiled.
~*~*~
"Sam?"
"What's up Josh?" he replied, looking up from his computer.
"Can we talk... you know, man to man?"
"And you are inferring that one of us is a woman any other time we talk?"
Josh closed the door and leant against it.
"What's troubling you my friend, because you look troubled?" Sam questioned and closed the screen of his laptop, giving Josh his full attention.
"Well since Donna moved into the townhouse last week, you've been spending a lot of time with her."
"Josh... if you remember it was..."
"Yes, yes... I know, but... you were at her place again last night?"
"What? Are you *spying* on her?"
"No, I... well it's on my way home so I just... you know, I like to know she's okay and well... it was fairly late last night... and I saw your car and..."
"Josh. How long have you and I been friends?"
"Forever," he sighed, dropping is chin.
"Right. And you love Donna?"
"Sam, you know I... here within these walls I can't say I..."
"Yes or no Josh?"
"More than breathing."
"Poetic Josh... very nice. And do I know how you feel about her?"
"Yes."
"And you think with this knowledge I would... I would... do *whatever* it is you're trying to imply I was doing at her place?"
"Sam, I'm not implying or saying, or... hell I'm just so... so..."
"Josh, calm down. You're just one jealous, possessive guy, madly in love with a woman who you cannot openly show your affection. The thought of her spending time with anyone else..."
"Look, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to accuse you or Donna, it's just... yes I'm a jealous bastard and to see your car there... it was just eating me up because we can't be together."
"I assume the *we* you refer to is you and Donna because, I'm sorry, you're just not my type," smirked Sam.
"Yeah, yeah... funny."
"You haven't said anything to Donna about this have you?" Sam quizzed.
"No, I've been kinda avoiding her because I haven't trusted myself not to say anything," Josh replied
"Wise move. And I will warn you now, that you may see my car parked in the vicinity of Donna's again in the future. And you should reassure yourself there is nothing untoward going on."
"Again?"
"Yes, she is helping me with something," Sam added.
"Something?"
"Yes."
"And you're not going to tell me what this something is?" Josh asked, his curiosity sparked.
"Not if I can avoid it."
"Trust me Sam, you can't avoid it - spill."
"I really don't think..."
"I could ask Donna?"
"She won't tell."
"Why do you say that?"
"She promised."
"Come on Sam, you and me, we're friends."
"Yes we are Josh. So much so that only a few minutes ago you virtually accused me of..."
"Look, I'm sorry alright... I've already admitted that I'm wound a bit too tight when it comes to Donna... and when I'm like that I can't think straight."
"She's teaching me to sign," Sam mumbled.
"She is? Why?"
"When you mentioned the other day she could sign, I asked her if she could teach me some."
"You still haven't told me why?" Josh quizzed.
"Because..."
"Sam."
"Because I want to ask Joey Lucas out to dinner, and I thought - as much as I like Kenny - it would be too bizarre having him there."
"Wow!"
"Listen, please don't say..."
"Hey I won't. You like Joey?"
"What's not to like? She's very smart, beautiful, funny..."
"She can lip read you know."
"Yes, I do know that. I just wanted to know a bit more than the few words I can sign."
"So, you're serious here?"
"I think I could be," smiled Sam. "So please don't say anything. Joey might not even be interested."
"When are you going to ask her?"
"She'll be back in two weeks with the polling data completed. I thought then."
"So, I should expect to see your car at Donna's a fair bit in the next few weeks. Can I like crash the lesson once in awhile? Donna and Joey were talking about something the other day, and even though I caught a few of the words, I think I'm going to have a need to learn more myself."
"You'll have to ask the teacher," smiled Sam.
"Okay."
"So are you going to her place tonight? I could come by and bring something if she is okay with it?" Josh questioned.
"Might I suggest an offering of cake - chocolate perhaps wouldn't be out of order?" Sam suggested.
"I'll talk to Donna," Josh grinned.
"So, you won't say anything about Joey? I mean if she says no, I don't want to look like an idiot."
"I won't... but I assume Donna knows? I can say something to her can't I?"
"Yes she does. I guess it's okay," Sam shrugged.
"Okay... good then. And you won't say anything to her about what I said... about me being, you know, jealous?"
"I don't think Donna would be anymore comfortable talking about your relationship."
"We don't *have* a relationship."
"Yes and that's why I can see she wouldn't want to discuss it either. So if we're finished here, I have to get back to this thing for Toby. I have to give him twice as many paragraphs so there is something left once he goes through it with his red pen."
"Okay, thanks Sam."
"Thank you."
~*~
"Donna!" said Josh as he headed down the hallway back to his office, spotting his assistant walking towards him.
"Where were you? Have you forgotten you have to be out of here by three or you will miss you're appointment?" she chastised.
"Donnnnnaaa..." he whined.
"You're going Josh. Do I need to get President Bartlet to issue a direct order?" she continued as she walked beside him back to his office.
"No, because he's already given me a direct order. How else do you think I agree to a six monthly check-up?" he scoffed.
"You need to look after yourself," she reprimanded.
"Going to the doctor isn't looking after myself. All he is gonna do is tell me that I should cut down on red meat, increase my vegetable intake and exercise because it's the reason my blood pressure is high and my cholesterol levels are blown off the charts. How is getting a lecture looking after myself?" he questioned as the reached his office and he slumped into his chair.
"Well if you actually *did* some of the things he tells you to do..."
"Yeah, yeah... I've heard it all before Donna. I haven't got time to think about these things. When we're out of here, then I'll have time to do those things."
"If you don't, they'll be carrying you out of here in a box long before our eight years are up!" she said angrily. "But what the hell Josh, it should provide us with a little bit of entertainment around here. At least I wouldn't have to listen to you yell my name across the building again."
"Donna I..."
"Oh just shut up and go to your appointment that is apparently a total waste of time. I'm going to... to... go somewhere you are not!" she snapped as she stormed out of his office, almost running into Toby in the doorway.
"Donna are you..."
"I'm fine thanks Toby, I'm just... going somewhere else!" she interrupted.
"What did you do this time?" said Toby bluntly.
"Complain about having to go to a medical check-up every six months because I was lucky to survive a bullet and the fallout afterwards," Josh shrugged blankly.
"Twice in her life she's been faced with the thought of losing you. I think on both occasions she would have sold her soul if it guaranteed your survival," stated Toby in his usual brisk manner.
"But I made it. She didn't have to," replied Josh.
"Here's a bit of free advice for nothing Josh. And I don't say it because I necessarily like you, but I like Donna. I've seen you're idea of how you should live. It's the same as the rest of us, too little sleep, enough take-out to half fill the Grand Canyon... but you my friend have the dubious honor of being the only one of us who has been hit by a bullet. You try even harder to keep ahead of us because of this. You don't have to prove any sort of super-strength to us Josh. We know you are more than capable. Slow it down, if nothing but to humor Donna. She's right. If you don't, you risk being carted out of here in a box. And I don't think Donna can have too many bargaining chips left to keep you here next time."
"I'm not old enough to have to worry about these things Toby. I shouldn't have to yet," replied Josh sadly.
"No, you're not - it's just another one of life's cruel jokes my friend. So face reality and deal with it," Toby replied brashly.
"Did you want something Toby?" Josh questioned.
"You didn't hear a word I..."
"I did Toby... honestly I did. I heard every word. I've got to hang around or the bastards will have won. I won't let them win. I won't let them beat me. I'll try Toby, okay?"
"Good, although it's not me you should be telling this to," Toby replied.
"Yeah, I know. But I've got to get going," Josh stated, standing and grabbing his backpack. "I've got a doctors appointment and I should hurry or I will be late."
"Wise move," replied Toby, following him out of his office.
~*~
Josh pressed the buzzer and waited impatiently. When the door opened, Sam rather than Donna greeted him.
"Is she still mad at me?" Josh asked cautiously as he walked inside.
"I wouldn't say mad, just..." Sam, like most was at a loss to define anything between Josh and Donna, whether it was good or bad.
"Joshua."
"Hey Donna, I ahh... I was going to ask if it was okay to come over but since my schedule was clear for the rest of the day I didn't see the point in going back to the office after my appointment," he offered.
"I finished up some things but when it got to six, I figured I might as well leave. Next time could you phone and let me know so I can go?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure... sorry," he replied pensively.
"Josh... you okay?" she asked, his tone concerned her.
"I'm fine... you're stuck with me for awhile longer," he grinned. "Have I missed much of the lesson?"
"Not too much... well not anything that you need to know," Donna grinned.
"Like what? What wouldn't I need to know?" he asked defensively.
"Well unless you are planning on asking Joey out too... there are things you need not worry about knowing," added Sam.
"Hmm, you're right. Perhaps there *are* things I don't want to know," Josh laughed.
"Josh?"
"Yes?"
"Whatcha got there?" Donna asked, pointing to the Dean & Deluca carry bag.
"It's an Apple Galette flan for supper if that's okay with you," he replied, holding out the bag to Donna. "It will need heating. They're made by hand from organically grown fruit in California apparently, frozen and then sent out."
"You're very informative tonight Joshua," grinned Donna, taking the bag from him.
"I wanted something with fruit - they just told me about it," he replied.
"I thought I said chocolate?" asked Sam, furrowing his brow.
"You told him to bring something?" said Donna, surprised.
"Hey, he's crashing our lesson, he can bring supper," Sam smiled.
"After my appointment today, I figured if I want supper I should bring this instead of chocolate cake," Josh replied.
"Josh..."
"No honestly Donna, I'm fine. But I have to start looking after myself a bit better that's all," he stated as he sat down.
"Okay. I'm just going to go put this in the oven and we can do some more," she replied before disappearing.
"Toby got through to you?" Sam questioned quietly.
"How do you..."
"After you and Donna had *words* or perhaps it would be better if I say after *Donna* had words with you... I saw Toby who was almost ready to strangle anyone who got in his way," Sam offered.
"Yeah well, between Toby, the doctor and that annoying little voice in the back of my head that I have been trying to ignore..."
"The one that sounds surprisingly like Donna's voice?"
"Yeah, that's the one," Josh chuckled. "Well there are things I still want to do that would be impossible to do if I were like... dead. So if I want a chance to do them it's time to play by the rules."
"What rules?" Donna asked, walking back in and catching the end of Josh's sentence.
"Monopoly," stated Sam before Josh had a chance to think of something. "Did you know he cheats?"
"I... well... I don't have to when I play scrabble," stated Josh, deciding that as lame as Sam's excuse was, it was better than nothing. Because nothing was the sum total of what he'd thought to say.
'I don't ever think I've seen Josh play either," said Donna. "You don't strike me as a board game person Josh."
"We don't let him because he cheats," added Sam.
"Okay, enough of this conversation," said Josh, rolling his eyes. "Masterful teacher, teach us something!"
"This is going to be unbearable," Donna signed to Sam.
"I'm not sure what the last word was but I can only guess the sentiment behind it and I agree," Sam said out loud, before signing "Yes."
~*~
"Good morning Josh."
"Samuel. Has my assistant managed to find her desk yet?" Josh asked. He leant as far as he could to see out the doorway, although even if she had been at her desk, he wouldn't have been able to see her.
"That's why I'm here. She's going to be running a little late this morning," offered Sam, resting his hands on the back of the visitor's chair.
"And you are privy to this information bec..."
"Don't go there Josh! I left before you did remember? She phoned me this morning with a problem at her apartment."
"Problem? What's wrong? Why would she phone you and not me if she has a problem? She's my assistant."
"Josh this isn't the time to be allocating ownership - and if you did, she'd cause you great injury I'm sure. If you remember correctly, I am the go between her and my friend who owns the apartment."
"What happened? Is everything okay?"
"There was a plumbing problem. Apparently she put some clothes in the washer this morning and the next thing she knew there was water flooding everywhere. She managed to find the mains, which I have to say is pretty amazing because I wouldn't have been able to, and shut it all off before calling me."
"So..."
"So I told her not to worry and I would contact a plumber - which I did. She was waiting for them to arrive, so she will be in after they have looked at the problem."
"Okay, so it's being fixed. That's good."
"Yes, and my work here is done," grinned Sam as he backed his way to the door. "I'll see you later today?"
"Yeah... I... I want to go over the transportation briefing with you. I spoke to Senator Shields yesterday and we might want to rework it a little," sighed Josh.
"I think I have some time free around two this afternoon. It will all depend on how my meeting with Senator McKinnon goes."
"On the...?"
"Yeah, and I heard a whisper that she and a couple of others might want to add a rider to it."
"It can't have a rider attached, it has to go through at it stands, or it *won't* go through," blustered Josh.
"Preaching to the converted here Josh," added Sam. "But besides, we have a couple of months to show them the error of their ways."
~*~*~*~
"Sam, are you busy?"
"Hey Donna."
"Samuel?"
Sam looked up form his computer and removed his glasses. "What can I do for you?"
"I have the account from the plumber," she stated handing the piece of paper over.
"Josh told me you'd called and it was an outlet pipe on the washer not connected properly. He mentioned it after staff this morning."
"Yes, I thought the washer looked new, but I didn't realize it was brand new," she said, sitting down in the visitors chair opposite him.
"Well..."
"I've been helping you learn sign language Sam."
"Yes you have, and I'm sure I have told you how grateful I am about that."
"You have, but that's not the point."
"It isn't?"
"No."
"Then..."
"I've been helping you, yet you've been holding out on me," she continued pointedly.
"Oh?"
"Sam don't play innocent. I know Sam. You didn't think I would find out?"
"But... you know?"
"Yes."
"Just so I can be certain, we're talking about..."
"Yes, my current residence."
"Um... have you... you've come to me first, right?"
"Yes."
"How did you find out?" Sam questioned.
"The account for the plumber was made out to the trust company. I mean really, you didn't think I would be curious? It was a simple check to see whom it had registered as its directors and beneficiaries. You're still licensed so I'm guessing you handled all the legalities."
"Yes I did."
"And when you said the owner was a female friend, an old acquaintance - I had asked you if she was an old girlfriend. How could you let me ask that?"
"You asked it and I answered it truthfully. I told you I met her through a friend and there was definitely no chance of a 'lovers tiff' as you put it."
"We were talking about Josh's mother!"
"And I believe we still are," he added.
"But Josh is behind this isn't he? He organized all of this?"
"He did, although I must say his mother was all for it as well. It's not like she was worried about spending the money. She said it would eventually be Josh's anyway. And she worries about you almost as much as Josh does."
"But why... he didn't have to..."
"Donna, come on. After the other week with the dinner disaster... you know for certain exactly how he feels... we all do now and it's terrible that this is the way it has to be played out because of some gutter journalistic trash. When we realized it probably wasn't going to be safe for you to live at your old apartment, he started contacting the realtors. He wanted to do this for you, and going through the trust company and the story about you looking after the place was the best way. If you paid rent, it would be declared on his income to not only you, but to all and sundry who read it. How would that have looked?
"But if anyone finds out..."
"No one will snoop. No one has any reason or inkling to snoop," Sam stated.
"I did."
"Okay, no one *else* will snoop."
"But..."
"Donna. Let him do this for you. It's important to him. There's no hidden agenda - he just wants to help. Do you really think he'd keep it a secret, go through all of this if he wanted praise or reward?"
"No, he wouldn't. He'd be crying for bagels and kegs."
"Exactly," smirked Sam.
"So the fact that the place is partly furnished..." she began.
"Some of the stuff is from Connecticut. The bookcase, the hutch the bigger things were in storage. Honestly you'd realize now it wasn't a coincidence that nothing you owned doubled up with things already there," Sam added.
"So..."
"He feels really bad about the washer not being connected to the outlet properly. I was supposed to help him when it arrived, but I was busy on the Hill. He thought he plugged everything into the right places," Sam chuckled.
"Well he makes a much better politician than white goods installer," Donna laughed.
"I think so too. But above all, I think he makes a much better friend," Sam offered seriously.
"Yes, he does," Donna, replied thoughtfully. "Sam, don't tell him. I don't want him to know that I know. Not for now anyway. Maybe when... when I find the time is right, I'll tell him myself."
"I can do that," Sam smiled. "So this conversation we just had, didn't really happen?"
"No."
"Okay then... so... hey Donna, can I help you with anything?"
"No, just dropped by with the account for you," she smiled as she turned around. "I'll be going now."
~*~
"Hey I've been looking for you, where'd you go?" bounced Josh as Donna returned to her desk.
"I had to take the plumbers account to Sam. He said he would organize it with the owner," she replied. "You know you have to be on the Hill in half an hour?"
"Yes, just getting organized to go now," he replied, still hovering around her desk.
"What do you need?"
"Um, I've forgotten where I put the file on the NTA," he replied.
"Did you look under "T" in the file?" she asked, looking up at him.
"No, why would I do that?"
"Because it would stand to reason that a file on the National Transport Agenda would be filed under 'T' for transport," she replied.
"But if that was the case, wouldn't it be filed under 'N' for National?" he questioned as he started slowly walking backwards to his office.
"If I used that logic, then the 'N' section would take up most of your filing cabinet instead of half a drawer," she replied, shaking her head.
"Oh, yeah... I guess there are a few things that start with the word 'national' around here," he called.
"I think there might," she smiled to herself.
"Hey found it!" he replied half a minute later as he bound out of his office, still trying to shove the folder into his backpack.
"Give that here!" Donna complained. "You'll wreck the folder."
Josh dumped his backpack on her desk and handed over the folder.
"What would I do without you?" he smirked.
"I think we've had this conversation recently," she replied as she zipped the bag up. "Go do good!"
"Yes Ma'am! Hey I'll be back near lunchtime so I was thinking I might get..."
"Sounds good," she smiled.
"With or without?"
"Without," she nodded.
"Are you sure?" he questioned as he began walking backwards, "Because I'm only getting the vegetables."
"Really?"
"Yes really."
"Okay then - with."
"Do you want a small or large..."
"Oh, only small."
"Okay."
"Okay," she repeated. "Switch your pager to vibrate," she called as he began to walk away.
"Already have. You'll let me know..."
"Yes, half an hour before you need to wind it up," she finished.
"We're a team Donna," he called with a dimpled smile, before disappearing around the corner.
"That we are," she smiled to herself.
The end of story 2.