Taking Care (series)

by Jaye Reid

Friendships built between co-workers continues to evolve, they are all fighting the good fight, but some things never change... or do they?

6. Of Life

Title: Taking Care... of Life.

By Jaye Reid

Commenced: December 28, 2002

Completed: August 3, 2003

Rating: PG13

Spoilers: Season 1 - 4

Disclaimer: Owned by the brilliant Sorkin and WB. Not mine, never will be. I have no money, therefore I'm not worth suing. Borrowed for my own amusement.

Category: Josh/Donna

Summary: "...the circumference of life cannot be rightly drawn until the center is set." Benjamin E. Mays (1895 - 1984)

Archiving: "Boulevard of Misdirection"

http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~jayereid/jldmmain.htm

The National Library and Fanfiction.net

Authors Notes: I started writing this waaaayyy long ago, and of course, cannon has taken widely different paths to the way I was headed. I do however like to include cannon in my work, so you will see, although the timeline of this story is 2 -3 years ahead of what we see on the show, I have woven a bit of cannon into my timeline. It's just a bit further down the track! I have the next story in the series already partly written and I know the exact direction it will be taking. It will be out in a much shorter time than this one compared to the previous.

My sincere thanks to everyone who has emailed me privately, hassled me in JDchats for the next installment and to all those who voted "Taking Care..." as most Outstanding WIP & Series in this years Golden Coffee Cup awards.

Last but not least my highest recognition to three amazing women. Baby D who endures my addiction and Aim and Bridget whose talents I live in awe.

******

"Josh... I thought I might find you here," Donna mused, leaning against the doorframe of his office.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah... where have you been?" The glow of his desk lamp illuminating his face in the darkness.

"Well just because you don't want to socialize with your co-workers, doesn't mean that I have to be as mean spirited."

"How's the party going?"

"Well if you bothered to take a stroll over to the Residence you could find out for yourself."

"I want to finish..."

"Josh, I've been taking almost as many meetings as you lately. It seems like you are doing less and less these days and I was able to tie most things up to have the evening free."

"But..."

"For crying out loud Josh, it's New Years Eve. Forget the work. Come on, come to the party with me."

"Okay," he replied with a deep sigh as he closed the file folder on his desk.

"There should be snow. It's the end of December and there isn't any snow," he replied as he rounded his desk and set off beside Donna towards the residence.

"No Josh, and the weather forecasters aren't predicting any either."

"I miss New Year's Eve at home... there was snow when I was a kid."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better Josh, it was meant to be 33 deg. in Hartford today. No new snow either. Just like in Madison, although Mom and Dad said it was only going to be 15 deg. - and still no more snow if I was home anyway."

"It'll never snow in Florida."

"But Florida will never be home for you Josh."

"No."

"Why won't it snow?" grumbled Josh.

"Well for it to snow, the cloud temperature has to be at freezing or below. If the clouds are moisture filled, then snow crystals form. They then settle on dust particles and as the water vapor condenses, the crystals melt slightly, cling together and they become..."

"Snowflakes?" Josh queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes!"

"Donna?"

"It was rhetorical question before wasn't it... about why it wasn't snowing?"

"Ah huh."

"Okay then."

*

They entered the party and quickly found themselves in the middle of separate conversations. They caught glances from each other across the room, raising a glass or a nod in the others direction.

As the clock neared midnight, Donna looked around the room and failed to find Josh. She grumbled to herself of the punishment she would meter out if he had returned to his office to work.

"Toby, I was looking for Josh. You haven't seen him recently have you?" she asked, siding up to the Communications Director.

"Recently, no. I do believe he went out onto the balcony around half an hour ago with Samuel."

"Outdoors? Josh and Sam went outdoors in December?" Donna asked surprised.

"Well, it's almost January," offered Toby without expression.

"And that makes more sense?" Donna questioned.

"And anything Sam and Josh do together has ever made sense?"

"Okay. Thanks Toby."

"My pleasure."

Donna moved over to the French doors and could see the two figures silhouetted by the coach lights. The click of the door closing behind her alerted Sam and Josh of her presence.

"Hey Donna."

"Hi Sam. I was starting to wonder what happened to Josh. Toby informed me he was out here in the fresh air."

"Did you think I'd gone back to my office?" Josh questioned.

"I'm heading back inside," Sam said with a chuckle as he patted Josh on the arm. Something unspoken passed between the two men that made Donna feel uneasy.

"Josh?"

"Hmm..."

"Josh, what were you doing sitting out here?"

"We were just talking. I was just... I've been doing some thinking."

"About?" she questioned, stepping closer to him. He looked pensive and reflective.

"Everything."

"Josh... is everything okay? The last time you were like this... Josh? Josh is... is the President okay?" she asked worriedly.

"The President?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"Yes. Last time you looked so... so like this, I found out later the president was, well was sick."

"No... it's not the President."

"Well..."

"Donna come and sit with me," he offered, holding out a hand and leading her to a stone bench seat near the wall.

"Josh, you're scaring me," she said, pulling back.

"Please Donna... just... just come and sit with me," he coaxed.

"What's wrong Josh?"

"Well it's not necessarily something that's wrong. It's... it's something I should have told you a long time ago. I've let you believe something that hasn't been totally true," he spoke sincerely, encasing her hand in his.

"Josh... you had me worried there for a minute. I know and I understand why you didn't tell me," she said with a soft smile.

"You know?" he asked, with genuine surprise.

"Yes, Sam told me."

"Sam? Sam couldn't have told you. I just told..."

"Of course he... Josh?"

"What are we... what do you think we're talking about here Donna?"

"The house. The house where I live which is actually owned by one of your family trusts. I... I've known since I moved in. Remember, I had the plumbing work done because *someone* forgot to connect the outlet on the washing machine properly? I saw the account. It was easy to follow up whom the trust was registered to. That's what we're talking about here right? The fact you didn't tell me you owned... you're not talking about that are you?" she finished, shaking her head.

"No," he sighed.

"There's something you should have told me?"

"Yes."

"Will... will it affect us?" she hedged.

"It could." He replied, tilting his head to one side.

"Why haven't you told me before?"

"Because... because I wasn't sure how to do that."

"And you think you know now?" she asked.

"No."

"Then why are you..."

"Because I have to... because... you remember I had my check up last week?" Josh questioned.

"Oh God... what?"

"Donna, just stay calm okay... I need you to be calm..."

"You told me everything was okay," she accused, pulling her hand away from his and standing up.

"I told you the doctor felt there hadn't been any changes," he replied, trying to keep an even tone. He was not letting this deteriorate into an argument.

"But everything had been fine last time. You said that... what's wrong?"

"I need... they want me to go back in and have some surgery to fix a few things," he breathed, dropping his head.

"Surgery?"

"Yes."

"Heart surgery?"

"Yes, well no. Not exactly. They don't think the artery they patched is as strong as it could be. Over exertion could cause an embolism especially if I don't take closer care of my general health. Tests showed..."

"Test? Hang on a minute Josh," she interrupted, getting more worked up by the minute, "You never said anything the other week about tests? Why am I just hearing about them now?"

"Come on Donna, please calm down. The tests were done back in March. I've been hanging out since hoping the doctors would change their minds," he pleaded, standing and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"March! You've known that any over exertion could cause a major blow out of an artery since March!" she threw at him almost hysterically.

"Look..."

"No. You... You... in Paris, when you suggested... you knew..."

"Yes I knew, but..."

"I... if we had... it could have killed you!"

"Then I would have died a happy man," he tried to brush off flippantly. By the look on her face he quickly realized his brand of humor was the last thing that was going to work. "Listen Donna, you're blowing this all out of..."

"No! I... I can't deal with this... I can't deal with you at the moment. Just... you kept this from me. Me! I... I have to be somewhere else at the moment. Somewhere you're not," she said, her whole body shaking.

"Donna please..."

"Don't... just... don't Josh. I have to go... I have to go," she repeated as she pulled away from him and rushed back through the doors.

He wanted to run in after her, but the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene at the party. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, then counted to ten again. He didn't need the added stress. The doctors were unhappy enough with him at the moment for letting this wait so long. The surgery was scheduled for two weeks and they weren't letting him delay it any further.

He re-entered the room, and on quick investigation, realized that Donna was nowhere in sight.

"Did I just see Donna tear through here?" Leo asked, stopping his Deputy on the way to the hallway.

"Yeah," Josh sighed. "I just told her, you know..."

"About the surgery?"

"Yes," Josh nodded.

"On New Years Eve you chose to tell her? Do you think that was smart?" Leo questioned with a note of surprise.

"Well, it was that or propose tonight," Josh shrugged with a snort.

"And you think you chose the best of the two options?" Leo deadpanned.

"Probably not, but... I should have already told her," he volunteered.

"Yeah, on both counts I'd say."

"She was starting to notice I'm backing off with the workload while hers is increasing. I didn't want to reach the point were I'd have to lie to her. I can't lie to Donna. Hang on... you think I should have already asked her to marry me?"

"Ah, we'll leave that discussion for another day. I'm guessing she didn't take it too well."

"You guessed right. You see I told her something else about it that... well I haven't told you either."

"What?"

"I've known about this... the need for the surgery... I've known about it for a while now. I was hoping the doctors were going to change their minds," he shrugged.

"Some of the best doctors this country informed you that you required surgery and you thought you'd wait and see if they'd change their minds! For crying out... since when Josh. How long have you known?" he asked bluntly.

"Leo, please. I've... Donna walked away from me tonight Leo. I can't bear that I let you down as well. Phone me tomorrow, have a go at me then. Just don't tonight," he pleaded bitterly.

"How long Josh?" Leo questioned more sympathetically, placing his hand on Josh's shoulder and leading him into the empty hallway.

"Since last March," he barely whispered, choosing to lean back against the wall.

"March? Josh..."

"Don't Leo, please."

"I wasn't going to... we don't want to lose you Josh. This isn't as important as your health," he indicated to the walls that surrounded them.

"Donna is, and I've let her down."

"That's something you're going to have to sort out with her, son."

"I know... I know. Look, I'm gonna head home. I'll see you tomorrow, Leo."

"It's New Years, Josh. You don't have to come in tomorrow."

"I'm sure there will be something for me to do," Josh replied, pushing himself way from the wall.

"Nothing that can't wait. If I need you, I'll call you. So, unless you hear otherwise, the White House is off limits until the second, got it?" Leo grumped.

"Are you..."

"Get outta here before I change my mind," Leo growled.

"Okay... thanks Leo."

"Give her time Josh. She can't stay angry at you forever."

"I hope not. If she comes back here can you tell her I've gone home?"

"Sure son. Happy New Year," Leo offered, pulling his protégé into a bear hug.

"Thanks Leo, I... just thanks."

"Now, get out of here," he grumbled, patting Josh on the arm and giving him a push towards the hallway. "And don't, I repeat don't go back to your office and work."

"I won't Leo," Josh laughed. "Happy New Year."

"Yeah, you too. Goodnight Josh."

****

Josh tried Donna's cell phone and home phone on his way to his own place. He went past her house, and saw lights on, but decided to give her some space. He tried her again when he arrived home, but her cell went to voicemail and her home line was now giving a busy signal.

Slumping down into a lounge chair, he wondered how he was going to fix this.

**

Josh's eyes popped open as he heard the key turn in the lock. Disorientated for a moment, he realized he must have fallen asleep in the chair shortly after arriving home.

"Donna, what are you doing here?" he asked as the light in the hallway framed her silhouette before she closed the door and locked it behind her.

"There was a message on my machine from my mom when I got home for me to phone her. Mom's friend Marjory just died," she said shakily.

"I'm sorry... you knew her?" he asked, watching the tears start to pool in her eyes.

"Not well," she replied, shaking her head. "Marjory's husband Roy died two weeks ago," she added, bursting into sobs.

"Donna... honey... come here," he said, opening his arms to her. She crossed the darkened room and curled up in his lap, sobbing forcibly into his chest.

"Shoosh ... it's going to be okay," he cooed rubbing her back has he held on to her, before pulling her shoes off so she could curl up more comfortably. "Had they been in an accident or sick or something?" he asked gently.

"Roy had a heart attack," she sobbed.

"That's not good," he comforted, "and his wife... your Mom's friend... you're so upset... tell me what happened?"

"She just died."

"I know sweetheart, you told me that, but what happened?"

"She didn't want to live anymore," Donna sobbed.

"Oh. She... she did something? She took something..."

"No... no..." Donna replied softly as she shook her head. "She just... died. She... it hurt to much to be alive without him and she just couldn't... she missed him too much."

"And she... just died?" Josh quizzed.

"Her heart just broke Mom said," Donna barely whispered through the sobs.

Josh wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently. "It's okay sweetheart... I've got you. Everything's going to be okay."

"I don't want to be angry at you anymore," she whispered hoarsely. "I don't ever want to argue with you again. I don't want to be angry. I'm sorry I was angry," she sobbed harder again as she held on tightly to his shoulders.

"It's okay... we've been disagreeing with each other for years. It's okay... we always fix it."

"No, it's not... it's not okay," she replied, shaking her head quickly. "I was awful and I was angry and I wasn't fair. I just walked out and I knew it was you phoning and I just ignored it. I just let the phone ring until the machine picked up and then I didn't call you back."

"How about we just follow the old adage of not going to sleep angry, okay? Would that help?" he offered.

"In Paris I was wrong... I was so wrong. I'm so sorry... but I'm here now... honestly I'm here," she stated as she started sliding her coat from her shoulders. Josh helped her take it off but it was when she began unbuttoning her shirt that Josh put his hands over hers to stop here.

"Donna, what are you doing?"

"In Paris you wanted to," she started in shaky breathes between fitful sobs. "But I... I said no. I said... but I'm here now," she repeated again, trying to undo more buttons under the weight of his hands.

"No," Josh said firmly, taking her hands in his. "No... I love you too much... I will not have you offering yourself up to me like some sacrifice."

"It's okay Josh... really... I was wrong," she pleaded. "I... I understand what Marjory went through. When you were shot... well I was devastated... Josh, if anything ever happened to you... I couldn't. I know I couldn't make my heart keep going. I couldn't... it would die along with you."

"I love you," he stated, holding her hands tightly as tears of his own formed. "I love you so damn much it hurts... but you weren't wrong in Paris. It wasn't our time then... and the time isn't right now, either. And whether it's not our time yet because of the fear of political ramifications or because I'm an arrogant jackass, we'll know when it's our time, okay?"

"But in Paris," she continued with the self admonishment, "It was Paris and it was night and the city was so beautiful and you were so sweet and I... I..."

"You didn't want to Donna. You were right... we wouldn't have been able to just ignore it once we got back here. And that's okay. I'm still here aren't I? I didn't run away, or banish you?"

"Banish me?"

"Yeah, okay," he replied. "So banish isn't the right word."

"I'm sorry Josh."

"For what? There's nothing to be sorry for," he replied softly. "Absolutely nothing. And you know what?"

"What?" she asked with a sniffle.

He shifted her in his lap so he could see directly into her eyes. "When the time is right, I'm going to make sweet love to you all night long."

Donna smiled and sniffed and with her thumb, wiped the tears that had escaped his eyes and slipped down his cheek.

"I'll love you forever Donna... forever. No fight or angry words or distance or even death will ever change that. This is forever. You understand that? Forever."

"I understand," she replied gently as she kissed his cheek where the tears had stopped.

"Come on, you wanta go to bed?" he offered, sliding her off his lap before standing up and holding his hand out to her.

"But you just said..."

"I want to hold you Donna. Tonight when you left me standing on the balcony, I swear it felt like I was the loneliest man in the world. I just want to hold you, please?" he asked giving her his best pleading look.

"What if someone saw me coming over here?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Donna, it's... after three in the morning," he said, squinting at the clock on the VCR. "It's now New Years day. Do you think anyone is casing out your place or mine tonight?" he suggested.

"Probably not?"

"No. So..."

"You can hold me forever Josh. I'm not going anywhere," she said with a warm smile as she took his hand and let him lead her to his room.

****

They lazed around the next morning until Donna decided to head home to shower and change. Josh called by just after 1 to take her to lunch at Le Bergerie, their favorite French restaurant in Alexandria.

Josh let Donna order. He loved hearing the French language roll off her tongue. It made him regret the time spent in France was so short. Her smile to the waiter as she handed back the menu's faded when she noticed the serious expression on Josh's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Who says there's anything wrong? It's... nothing, not really," he shrugged, realizing she had given him the lead in to the conversation he needed to have with her.

"Josh..."

"The house, it's yours," he blurt out as he fumbled with the edge of his napkin before picking up a piece of the silverware and turning it over in his fingers.

"What?"

"The townhouse... your townhouse. If anything happens to me..."

"Josh, nothing is going to happen to you. Unless... you know something that you're not telling me, do you? You spent all of this morning convincing me how safe, how routine this surgery will be," Donna countered.

"Just... look, I know, it is. But if... well okay, not just with the surgery... if I was to walk out of here this afternoon and get mowed down by a lunatic cab driver, the townhouse, it would still be yours. I put it in writing... I wanted you to know that."

"But..."

"I worry okay," he interrupted, trying to explain why he felt he had to do this. He glanced around the room before dropping his head and leaning forward.

"I love you, you know that," he whispered. A smile dance across Donna's lips and when she nodded and he felt safe to continue. "You know I worry about things. And I don't want to worry about where you would be able to live and how you would be able to take care of things if something happened to me. So it's all in writing. The townhouse, there are some shares and money too. My Mom has plenty, she doesn't need it. She knows... she knows how things are between us."

"Okay," Donna replied.

"Okay? I've been trying to figure out how to tell you this and all you've got to say is okay?"

"Yes, okay. Get over yourself Josh," she grinned. "I... I don't know what to say, but I can see this means a great deal to you and I want you to know it means a great deal to me."

"I'm glad. Now, what did you order for me..."

***

***

"We won't have to sedate you this time will we Donna," the First lady quipped.

"Mrs. Bartlet..."

"Sedate you? Donna..." Josh sat up further in his hospital bed. He hadn't wanted to get into bed. It seemed bizarre to feel well yet be stuck in a bed wearing a hospital gown.

"Okay... I just put my foot in it?" She questioned to Donna.

"You weren't to know Ma'am."

"Donna... what? Sedate you... When?"

"The first time around Josh," supplied Mrs. B. "And on that note, I think I should go."

Thanks for taking the time to call by Ma'am," smiled Donna, although she wasn't looking forward to the obvious discussion that would take place after the First Lady left.

"Joshua, the surgeon's are the best we have in this country," she stated before pressing her lips into his cheek. "We'll see you up and around in no time."

"Thank you Mrs. B."

After Abbey Bartlet left, silence descended. Surprisingly it was Donna who broke it.

"It was fourteen hours of surgery Josh. Fourteen hours when we didn't know if you'd make it and then another 2 days before you were off the critical list. We just didn't know."

"And when you say 'we' did anyone else require medical intervention during..."

"No. No, just me."

"So when you say 'we'..."

"I was a mess Josh."

"You thought I might not make it?"

"Do we have to talk about this now Josh? Really is it the time and place..."

"Donna..."

"Okay," she sighed. "The doctors weren't giving us any guarantees."

"Do you really think I'd leave you?" he asked softly.

"Josh... you were shot. You had a bullet lodged inside you and it took a team of the most skilled surgeons there were, fourteen hours to remove it and repair the damage it caused... I really don't think you had a lot of say as to whether you made it or not."

"Did you know I had dreams... I'm certain I did. While I was under... you were in them."

Donna shook her slowly and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I remembered when you sat in my office after trying to hire yourself and you told me I might find you 'valuable.' At the time I kept thinking you were so pretty and there was no way you'd be able to put up with my crap... that when you found out this guy trying to run a political campaign was an egotistical lunatic, obviously an escapee from some asylum, you'd run off home or go work for Sam or CJ."

"Yet here I am."

"Yes... and I will never understand my total good fortune at this."

"Josh..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me it was that bad for you?" Josh clarified.

"I was having enough trouble understanding it myself Josh. I'd tried to convince myself for so long that what we had was merely a close working relationship and nothing more."

"I wish you had told me, that's all."

"It wasn't the sort of conversation topic to bring up Josh. You were recovering. I couldn't just, you know, slip in 'while you were in life saving surgery I was so distraught they had to sedate me'."

"Donna, you have to believe I would never have left you. I'm not going to leave you now either. This is a walk in the park apparently compared to last time."

"Mr. Lyman?" an orderly and a nurse appeared in the doorway.

"Yes. Time to get the show on the road?" Josh quipped.

"Something like that," the nurse smiled as she checked his identification bracelet.

Josh looked at Donna, her eyes glazed with unshed tears. "Hey, come here," he motioned, pulling her into a hug. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm not going to leave you," he whispered into her ear before she straighten up and stood.

"I know," she nodded, wiping the spilt tears from her cheeks.

"Would you like to walk down to theatre with us?" the nurse asked.

"I..."

"Donna?" came Sam's voice from behind the hospital staff.

"Sam my man," Josh sing-songed with a flourish. Take this woman somewhere and feed her for me."

Donna looked from Sam to Josh. "You organized Sam to come down here and get me?"

"Yes. Because I know you won't leave this damn place otherwise," he replied as the orderly moved around the bed, releasing the brakes from the wheels. "After the surgery I'm going to be out of it for awhile still. I don't think I'll be much into conversation."

"But I want to be here..."

"You want to be here and they will have to sedate you again? No way. Go. Sam my friend, take her to the Mall or somewhere there are girly shops after breakfast for me please."

"You expect me to go girly shopping with Donna? I don't even go girly shopping with Joey," Sam complained good-naturedly.

"I find that almost impossible to believe," Josh grinned back. "But if you expect to be my best man, you need to be able to do this for me."

"Best man? Josh are you and Donna..."

"No," chuckled Donna.

"Mr. Lyman, we really need to move you down to surgery."

"Please, can we have just a minute?" Josh asked. The staff looked at each other and nodded. "Okay Mr. Lyman, but then we really need to move you," the nurse instructed as they left the room.

Josh grabbed Donna's hand once they had left the room. "Donna, marry me?"

"Excuse me?" she stuttered in surprise.

"Um, please?"

"No... I mean yes... I mean I wasn't asking you to use manners and say please, I mean... Josh, was that a proposal?"

"Candlelight and a fancy restaurant would have killed you Josh?" came the laugh from Sam.

"I'm not that kinda guy," he replied before looking up at Donna again. "Donna?"

"Okay... yes, yes... you... yes," she nodded happily.

"Good... this is, this is just wow. I can't believe how much I've stressed over how I was going to do this and I just did it."

"You've stressed over this?"

"Some."

"You've stressed over asking me to marry you? Josh..."

"I wanted to find a time when you weren't pissed at me about something and work wasn't being a total drag. I thought about doing it New Years Eve at the party but..."

"Yeah... didn't turn out to be a good time for us."

"I love you," he stated earnestly.

"I love you too."

"I really don't think I need to be subjected to this, best man or not," Sam mused.

"We really need to get Mr. Lyman down to theatre," interrupted the orderly returning to the room.

"Make her eat," instructed Josh as the orderly locked the door open to move the bed through it.

"Will do buddy," Sam replied as he patted Josh on the shoulder as he was wheeled passed.

"You don't want me to walk to theatre with you?" Donna asked.

"No... no, go with Sam. Love you."

Donna gave him a soft smile and a wave, "Love you too."

Donna and Sam stood in the hallway as they watched Josh disappear out of sight.

"He'll be fine," Sam reassured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah... I know," she sniffed. "I just... Sam? I just got engaged." She smiled.

"I know, I was there. Congratulations," he grinned.

"Thanks."

"You know, this was probably the best way for him to do it." Sam suggested as they walked down the hallway towards the exit.

"Because?"

"Well this way, because he wasn't planning on it, you get to pick the ring," Sam replied. "I went shopping with him for your graduation present. The guy has no experience in shopping for jewelry."

*****

Sam leaned back in his chair to allow the waiter to remove the empty coffee cups and plates from in front of him.

"Before we go back to the hospital, do you think you could help me with something?" he questioned to Donna.

"Uh... okay. It won't take too long will it?" she answered, standing and pushing her chair back into the table. She wanted to get back to the hospital as soon as she could.

"It's just that... I believe I have incredibly good taste in jewelry, however I would appreciate a woman's perspective," he offered as he pushed the door open and headed out into the cool air.

"You're buying Joey a Valentines Day gift? Jewelry, you know that is fairly serious Sam. What did you have in mind? Pendant, bracelet..."

"Engagement ring," Sam interrupted with a smile.

Donna stopped walking and stared wide-eyed at him.

"Close your mouth Donna or the bugs will fly in," he said quietly, nudging her arm with his shoulder.

"Serious?"

"Yes," Sam nodded. "I love her and I'm going to do it. I just wish..."

"You wish what Sam?"

"I wish you and Josh... you've been crazy about each other for so long... but the chances... Josh only proposed a few hours ago, but the chances of you announcing that in the public arena are..."

"Sam... Josh and I are really happy that you and Joey are together. We don't begrudge you... Josh and I are going to spend our lives together. With any luck and good management that will be a long, long time. The time left at the White House is short compared to what we have ahead of us. I'm really happy for you Sam, so lets go look at rings."

*

"Sam, this is the third store," Donna complained as they entered another jewelers. The novelty of the shopping trip with Sam was beginning to wear off. "Please, I just want to get back to the hospital."

"I know, I'm sorry, but there wasn't anything I liked in the other two, and I promised Josh to keep you occupied," he remarked as he began to scan through the glass cases.

"I thought the ring set with diamonds and emeralds at the last one would have been perfect," Donna said with a shrug as she looked over his shoulder.

"I know, it was nice... but it didn't say 'Joey' to me," Sam replied.

"Sam, if they start talking to you, then you've been stressing over this wayyy too much," Donna chuckled.

"I know it's just..."

"Just what?" Donna questioned.

"That one," Sam said, pointing to a pillow of several rings.

"Okay... ohhh they're all nice, which one?"

"Second row, third ring... what do you think?"

"I think it's amazing," Donna replied, nodding.

Sam motioned to the assistant to open the case for them.

"It's a very exquisite ring," the sales assistant gushed.

"Yes it is," Sam agreed. "Donna, is it the one?"

"It's a beautiful ring, Sam. I think it's the one," Donna agreed, with a smile. "I think I might just cry. This is so wonderful."

"Yes, I'll take that one. I need it in a size 6."

"I'll check it for you, Sir."

The assistant placed the ring on a sizing gauge, sliding along the markings. "It will need to be resized, Sir."

"That's fine," Sam turned to Donna with a grin. "It's definitely the one."

*

"Do you think you can wait until Valentines Day to give it to her?" Donna quizzed as they traveled back to the hospital.

"I'm going to try. "I'll need to hire myself out for a little legal work to pay off my now huge credit card debt!"

"Did you charge Josh for the legal work you did for him the other week?" Donna questioned.

"Which legal work?" came the seemingly baffled reply.

"Don't play coy with me Sam. Josh told me last week that the townhouse is mine if anything ever happened to him. Along with some other things apparently. He wouldn't have any other lawyer handle the paperwork."

"He told you? I thought he wasn't going to."

"I think the stress of worrying about *me* worrying got to him."

"Well when you guys get together officially, what's his is yours anyway," Sam returned with a shrug.

"That... well, not necessarily bugs me," Donna began. "But..."

"What?" Sam questioned.

"Well yes, I won't have to worry about anything. What's his will be mine, but... but what can I really offer in return?"

"What can you... Donna..."

"I know, I know... you probably think it sounds stupid... but really..."

"Donna, answer me honestly... do you love Josh?"

"Sam... of course I do... you know that."

"And Josh loves you. Please realize that is all Josh needs from you."

****

Donna gently ran her fingers across Josh's brow as he continued to gain consciousness.

"I'm okay?" he questioned hoarsely, blinking against the light.

"Hey.... how are you feeling?"

"Steam roller... run over."

"They said everything went okay," Donna replied with a smile. "You know this time it will get better. You're going to be okay. Someone will come in and talk to you when you're more awake."

"Am awake. Still... feel... shit."

"Yeah, sure you're awake. You rest, I'm going to go call Leo so he can let everyone know you're okay."

"Hmm..." he mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.

****

Over the next few days, Donna divided her time between the hospital and the White House. She edited the information she passed to Josh each day, knowing the full story of certain events would make him want to climb out of his bed and cause physical harm to certain individuals.

And he was being difficult enough with the hospital staff.

On the fourth day when Donna dropped by, Josh was in a mood. Donna knew he was progressing well in his recovery and luckily there had been no complications from the surgery. All being well it was looking like an 8 to 10 day stay in hospital before the arduous 6-week home recovery. Thankfully it was looking like his mother was coming to the rescue with that one.

"Okay, I'm not going to play guessing games with you. What's wrong, Josh?" she questioned defensively crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, why don't you tell me?" he asked sharply. "I didn't think you wanted there to be secrets between us?"

"Josh, I have no idea what..."

"Leo called by," Josh interrupted. "Said he was glad I didn't get all worked up over the trash they printed in the Enquisitor yesterday. But you see..."

"Josh..."

"But you see Donna, it's very difficult to get worked up over something when you don't know about it."

"Did he..."

"No, he didn't tell me what said, only that it had been dealt with."

Donna sat on the edge of his bed and took his hand. "I didn't want you to get upset," she shrugged.

"Well, I'm upset. So, tell me what happened?"

"You remember the horrible trash written last Valentine's Day?" Donna began.

"How can I forget? Please don't tell me that poor excuse for a human being has reared his ugly head again?"

"Uh..."

"Yes? It was?"

"Yes. And he insinuated..."

"What?"

Donna sighed. "He insinuated I was working my way through the senior staff."

"HE DID WHAT!"

"Josh, please..."

"No! No, I will not... jeez, where the hell does this guy get off... How can he just make up..."

"Josh, he saw Sam and I..."

"You and Sam? He saw you and Sam? What? Where?"

"Josh... Calm down."

"Calm down? This moron saw you and Sam and he got the impression you were working your way through the senior staff? What the hell were you and Sam doing?"

"Joshua Lyman! Don't you ever, I mean EVER take that tone with me! Sam is your best friend and I'm... you asked me to marry you and now you are suggesting I would..." she pleaded angrily.

Josh collapsed back into his pillows and closed his eyes. "No... no. I'm not... I love you. I trust you. I trust Sam. I'm just... I want to know things. I don't want to be kept out of the loop. I truly, honestly love you and I want to protect you from this sort of crap. I can't protect you if I don't know about it."

Donna reached forward and ran her fingers over the worry lines on Josh's forehead. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"I'm a big girl Josh. I can look after myself. I'm not the naïve, gullible woman who stumbled into your office all those years ago."

"Donna, I never thought of you as naïve or gullible. You were full of ideas and ideals. You were a breath of fresh air to all of us. You still are."

"You don't have to protect me to show how much you love me Josh. I know that you do."

"Tell me what happened?" Josh asked, calmer.

"It was after breakfast on the day of your surgery. Sam told me, and I know he would prefer to tell you himself, but under the circumstances, that's not going to happen."

"Sam? He hasn't been in. I thought he might have called by but..."

"He's in California. He had to go see Joey."

"Why?"

"Because Sam told me he was going to ask Joey to marry him. He was planning to propose on Valentines Day. He'd been looking for a ring and since you told him to keep me occupied he decided to get my opinion."

"Sam and Joey? That's great. Buy why couldn't he have told me?"

"Josh, you'd just proposed to me and we both know we can't do anything until were out of the White House. Sam can and he feels bad that me have to wait and he doesn't."

"He shouldn't feel like that," Josh frowned and then grimaced as he tried to shift his body up the bed to make himself more comfortable. "He and Joey, I'm really happy for them."

"I know. I told him that. But you know Sam, sometimes I think he has a bigger guilt complex than you."

"I don't have..." Josh began before stopping after the pointed look from Donna. "Okay, okay... What was reported?"

Donna snorted. "Reported is a fairly loose term for what was in the tabloid. Basically Sam and I were seen in the jewelers and it was inferred he was buying the ring for me. Of course, it stated, that I was apparently working my way through the senior staff. CJ and I were joking that we had better be careful not to be seen out in public in future."

"I'm glad you can joke about it," scoffed Josh.

"It's trash. We all know it's trash and the mainstream reporters all know better."

"So, Sam has gone to see Joey because?"

"Well the article mentioned engagement rings, so he figured before Joey heard about it, or well you know... not *heard* about it, but..."

"Yeah, I understand..."

"Yes, well he's moved the plan forward. He's taking her to dinner tonight."

"So Leo is just letting him go to California to have dinner with Joey?"

"I think they lined up a couple of meetings out there was well. The guy in the 47th District in Orange County is up to his second or third heart attack. It's Sam's old stomping ground and he's considering nominating for the seat at the next election. The Congressman is going to retire at the end of his term - that's if he lasts that long."

"Sam is looking at a Congress seat? That's big."

"I think he's more focused on whether Joey says yes," Donna chuckled. "We're waiting to hear."

"She... she wouldn't turn him down would she? I mean, you've been talking to her..."

"I don't think she'll say no," Donna added with a smile.

"So, the mainstream press? Have they picked up the garbage yet?"

"CJ thinks they have. All being well, CJ should be able to tell them at tomorrow morning's briefing that Sam Seaborn and Joey Lucas are announcing their engagement. Or well, CJ is announcing it for them. This will then allow the softball to be pitched, more than likely from Danny regarding the trash paper report. CJ can laugh it off with the facts, making the Enquisitor, once again look stupid."

"So, this is done?"

"Yes Josh."

"You didn't need my help."

"I know you enjoy these battles, but this was one I could deal with. Admittedly with the help of CJ and Sam, and I figured you needed to focus on getting better so we can get you home."

"I want to go home Donna," Josh whined on cue.

"I know you do," she offered softly, running her fingers down his cheek. "A few more days and you can leave the hospital."

"Have you heard from Mom?" he asked. "Is she still coming?"

"Yes, she's still coming. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

"Look I know she's getting on, but she wants to do this. It will be nice to spend some time with her."

"She actually mentioned you might like to go away somewhere for a few weeks. Some place in New Jersey."

"New Jersey? Stone Harbor?" he suggested.

"Yes, I think that's where she said, come to think of it."

"We have a house there," Josh replied.

"Really? I haven't heard you mention it before? Is this new?"

"No. We've been going there since I was a kid. Well I haven't been there for a while. It's on the bay. There's a huge deck on the water. We let it out over summer to some friends of Dad's from the firm so this time of year it's just empty. Mom would have moved there instead of Florida but some of her friends moved to Florida and well, I don't think she really misses the cold whether that much."

"So you want to go there? I can give your mother a call?"

"Would you like to come up for a few days?" he asked. "I know it will be really cold and I know you are taking on a huge workload for me while I'm away, but I think you would really like it. I'd really like to spend some time with you away from here."

Donna rewarded him with a huge smile. The thought of spending time with Josh away from Washington was appealing. "Well, if they release you as planned on Tuesday, I'm actually cleared from Wednesday to Sunday. Leo thought you might like me to help you get settled if you're anything like you were last time."

"I wasn't that bad last time," Josh defended.

"No, you were worse," she scoffed.

"So, we can head up there Tuesday?" Josh asked with all the eagerness of a child.

"No, Tuesday you are staying at my place so all your friends can come over for dinner and see that you are actually alive," Donna remarked, standing and then smoothing the bed linen around him. "Now, I'm heading back to the office. I have a meeting with Congressman MacLean about the updated sections to Education bill about the funding for maintenance of government schools and then Ed and Larry along with someone from Senator Shields office about the gridlock they believe will be caused if the changes to the Traffic act are not met with approval. So, depending on how they go I may or may not be back this evening."

"Donna, after the meeting with Senator Shields' minion - go home. Get some rest, you're doing so much," Josh said, reaching and grabbing her hand. He rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "You, Donna Moss, are an amazing woman and I am in awe of the fact that you are willing to be my wife."

"You can be such a... such a..."

"Pain in the ass?" he grinned.

"Yes," she smiled. "And then you are the most incredibly sweet man I know."

"Just don't let that get out..."

*****

They released Josh from the hospital after the 10 days, and he was more than keen to see the outside world again. The journey to Donna's house wasn't as bad has he anticipated, however he wasn't looking forward to the three and a half hour car journey to Stone Harbor the next day.

"I feel like an invalid propped up here on the sofa, Donna," Josh whined again as Donna disappeared into the kitchen to check on dinner.

"Tough!" she called, for more than the first time before the doorbell rang and she came bustling back through the lounge. "I'll get it, don't you move," she instructed.

"Humph! As if I can get out from under all these blankets. With the heating turned up so high I'm gonna melt under them Donna," he continued to complain.

She threw him a glare and he decided to stop complaining considering reinforcements - for Donna at least - were arriving.

The evening proceeded peacefully. They talked about work, they talked about football, they talked about the smack down on the tabloid CJ was able to deliver when Joey agreed to marry Sam and they talked about Toby's impending fatherhood. Josh joined everyone at the table for the meal although retired back to the sofa soon after. He had not spent as much time sitting up, and he found his head beginning to swim. CJ gave him a worried glance, but he brushed it off, telling her he was feeling much better than he actually looked.

"I brought you a gift mi amore," CJ said with a grin, pulling the ottoman up nearer to where Josh was now voluntarily propped back on pillows and under blankets.

"You shouldn't have CJ, it's not like, you know, I nearly died or anything this time," he shrugged.

"Don't talk like that Josh!" exclaimed Donna from the table.

"Sorry," he offered, knowing how much Donna hated him mentioning anything related to death and his health. He turned his attention back to CJ to avoid any further chastisement from Donna. "Where's my present?"

CJ reached down to her shoulder bag that was sitting on the floor beside the sofa. "Here, I hope this is useful over the next few weeks," she said, tossing the package to him.

Josh ripped at the wrapping like a child looking for candy. His actions made Sam and Donna laugh.

"A woolly hat, scarf and... and gloves?"

"Will the hat actually fit on his head?" Toby questioned dryly.

"Don't mock the hat," CJ stated pointedly.

"I don't think Toby was as much mocking the hat as he was Josh's head," chuckled Sam.

"Hey, still in the room and see, it does fit!" Josh grumbled, pulling the hat onto his head. Unfortunately for him, lying back on the pillows had mussed up his hair somewhat, and it stuck out at bizarre angles from under the edge of the hat. Fortunately for the rest of the room, it provided them with several minutes of one-liners and entertainment.

***

After everyone had left, Donna loaded the dishwasher whilst Josh channel surfed.

"You're going to wear the remote out, Josh," Donna stated, switching the kitchen light off and leaning in the doorway.

"I'll buy you a new one," he replied off-handedly.

"Like everything else you've bought me?" came the words from her mouth before she could stop them.

Josh stopped changing channels and looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing... nothing, I... I shouldn't have said, just nothing."

"No, it's not... come and sit over here," he instructed, switching the television off.

"Josh, really, I..."

"Here, sit, now," he interrupted.

Donna moved silently to the ottoman that was still beside the sofa. At the same time Josh, with a pained grimace, swung his feet off the sofa so he was sitting directly in front of her.

"Like everything else I've bought you?" he questioned, lifting her chin so she was looking at him.

"I didn't mean..."

"Yes you did. Donna, do you feel uncomfortable that I... I'm not trying to buy your love Donna."

"I didn't say you were Josh. I would never think that of you Josh - never."

"But still..."

"I don't have anything to give you Josh. I'm just a college drop out who walked into your life and..."

"Stop. Stop right there, not another word. How can you think, how could you possibly..."

"Josh..."

"No. You have nothing to give me? You think... Donna, you have given me the most important thing I could have ever wanted. Forget all the other things you do. Forget how much of a role you have played in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, of the Chief of Staff... forget the intrinsic part you have played in the whole being of the White House, of the government and the running of this country..."

"Please Josh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean it. I... I..."

"Believe me when I tell you that you bring more to me than anyone else ever could. You bring me the want... the *need* to live. I look at you and I want to live forever. I want to be wherever you are. You get me through the nights. You're the one who made me hang on when all I wanted to do was close my eyes and wait for Joanie and my father to come and get me. You were the reason Donna. You are the reason for my continued breath, every day."

"Josh..." Donna barely whispered as her eyes filled with tears.

"Don't... don't *ever* doubt your importance to me. I love you damn it... I love you with everything I have in my being. Now, look what you've made me do," he complained jovially as he swiping the back of his hand over his eyes before brushing at the tear trickling down her cheek.

"I love you too," she whispered, before leaning forward and softly kissing him.

"You know I'm never going to get tired of hearing that," he smiled as their lips parted.

"Good. Now, come on, it's late. You need to get some sleep," she instructed pulling the blankets off him.

Josh kicked his legs back up onto the sofa and waited for Donna to dump the blankets back down over him. She looked curiously down at him as she began to fold them up.

"What? I'm not making you sleep on the sofa Josh. I hardly think you will get a comfortable nights sleep on there."

"Oh, okay. I've slept on worse you know. Actually this sofa is much more comfortable than the old one you had."

"The old one actually belonged to my room-mate," Donna replied, tossing the last of the blankets folded on to the ottoman.

"Well, I'm just saying, it would have saved you the trouble of making up the spare bed," he shrugged as he shuffled towards the stairs.

"I didn't. You're sleeping in my bed."

"Donna, I'm not kicking you out of your own bed."

"No, you're not," she replied, giving his arm a gently push when he stopped.

"Then..."

"I'll try really hard to control myself Josh."

"Donna..."

"I promise, you've recently had surgery. I would be crazy to try anything with you not in peak condition," she smirked.

"Peak condition?"

She sighed as he stopped and blocked the bottom of the stairway. "I just want to be close to you Josh."

"Yeah?" he asked, a smug grin spreading across his face.

"Yes," she replied, realizing she had unleashed the insufferable ego manic side of him.

"You know Donna, it has been 10 days. I might not be as far from peak condition as you think."

"Well that's not what the doctor says. He said you shouldn't resume that sort of physical activity for some time."

"What? You asked?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and once again stopping on the stairs.

"I might have enquired," she smiled shyly.

"Well, it's not like I've done anything for so long to think about resuming, so I guess I should follow Doctor's orders?"

"I think so," she countered, giving him a nudge to move.

"So, this bed of yours..."

"It's a big bed Josh, just move."

"Moving... I'm moving," he complied.

****

****

"Joshua, is that you?" his mother called, hurrying from the kitchen to the front door.

"Yeah it's us Mom," he called back tiredly as he shuffled through the door.

"Where's Donna?"

"She's getting the bags. And before you tell me that I'm not much of a gentleman, she wouldn't let me carry anything more than my backpack," he replied, heading for the lounge.

"Are you sure you don't want to lie down?" his mother questioned.

"Please don't fuss Mom," Josh whined. The pain pill he took before leaving Washington was wearing off. "I spent 10 days in hospital basically lying down. Well other than the PT torture."

"I'll go help Donna then," she replied.

"No need," came Donna's voice as she kicked the door closed.

"Oh my dear child, put the bags down there. They must be heavy," Maya Lyman proclaimed, meeting Donna in the doorway and giving her a hug as she dropped the bags.

"No, not too heavy, we've become very experienced in packing," Donna replied, hugging her back.

"You have, I haven't packed for myself in years. Hey, I didn't get a hug," Josh complained looking back over his shoulder at the women.

"Joshua don't be such a kvetch," his mother chastised. "And you admit that Donna is better at something than you? My son has a failing?"

"Mom..."

"Oh I will have to mark today on the calendar," she continued to sass, smiling to Donna.

"Now I know where he gets his sarcasm from," Donna chuckled, collapsing in the chair beside Josh.

"No, Papa was worse," Josh said, looking up at his mother.

"I haven't heard you refer to him as Papa for a very long time," Maya said softly.

"Well I don't have Ralph Jonstone and Peter Millar to beat me up anymore when I do," Josh shrugged.

"Those boys," Maya complained, shaking her head, "never any good."

"Do you know what ever became of them?" Donna queried.

"Ah Ralph... I think he finished high school. Didn't he go and work in his father's dry-cleaning business?" Josh answered, looking to his mother for confirmation.

"Yes," Maya nodded. And that Millar boy - he got in trouble with the law."

"Yeah, I remember something about that," Josh agreed.

"His poor parents, he was in and out of jail for years. Drove his mother to an early grave that boy. He's dead now you know. Tried to rob a store and was hit by a pickup truck when he was running away."

"What goes around comes around," Donna said with conviction.

"Or he should have taken more notice in Driver Ed," scoffed Josh.

"They had Driver Ed way back then?" Donna smirked.

"Ha, ha. Funny girl," Josh drolled.

"I am making lunch," Maya stated as she rose from her chair. "Just soup and bread. I need to do some shopping, but my Joshua can be a little fussy so I thought I would wait until you were here."

"We can go shopping when Josh has his nap," Donna suggested.

"I'm not a baby, I don't need a nap," he complained trying to get out of the chair and in the end having to look to Donna for help.

"No, of course you don't," Donna nodded, humoring him. "Maya, would you like some help?"

"No, almost done. Why don't you go upstairs and freshen up. Joshua, you too."

Josh and Donna headed back to the stairs, Donna picking up their bags along the way.

"You're in the main room right Mom?" Josh called as they reached the top of the stairs.

"No, I thought you might want it," she called back.

"Okay," he bellowed back. "This way," he pointed and Donna followed him down the hall to a bedroom, dropping his bag on the bed and hers on the floor.

"Wow," said Donna, admiring the view of the bay as she pushed the drapes open.

"Yeah it's nice. Not the open ocean view you'd get if the house were a few streets over. Mom and Papa felt it was safer for us kids to be on the bay. The bay is nice."

"Well, you wouldn't get tired of waking up and having that view," Donna remarked.

"Wouldn't know," he shrugged, "this was always Mom and Papa's room."

"Oh... okay, well... which room is mine?" she asked, walking back from the window and picking up her bag.

"Hang on, I'll ask Mom," said Josh, stepping back out into the hallway and protectively placing his hand over his chest. It unexpectedly hurt when he yelled last time, and he wanted to avoid the pain. It didn't stop him from yelling as he figured it would hurt more to traipse down and then back up the stairs.

"Mom? Which is Donna's room?" he called.

"I just told you," she yelled back.

"Mom?" he questioned, not as loudly.

"I just told you Joshua," she began coming out of the kitchen and looking up to him. "You can have..."

"You said I was in the main room, you didn't say Donna was," he remarked.

"Oh... well... I... not that I necessarily condone with things young people do these days, but I just assumed you and Donna... I thought the separate addresses were more for appearances than anything else."

"Well..." he hesitated, was he really having this conversation with his mother? "It's okay Mom. We can share a room. I mean... we have before... not that we've, you know... *done* anything other than sleep you understand..."

"Joshua..."

"Yeah, okay," he said blushing slightly. This conversation made him feel like he was 16 and had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been.

"Lunch is ready," she replied, without further discussion, before turning back to the kitchen.

Josh returned to the room. Donna was still standing beside the bed.

"Guess what? We're sharing the bed," he announced.

"I... I heard," she stumbled. "Oh my God Josh, she thinks we're sleeping together!"

"Well, technically we do," he shrugged, as he unzipped his bag on the bed.

"No, not like that!" she complained, taking a swipe at his arm. "Oh, how can I face her? She thinks we're having sex!"

"Donna, last time I checked we were adults, over the age of consent. Other people our age in relationships are usually having sex."

"Since when are we like normal people?" she snorted.

"Yeah, never. That should have been Mom's first clue. Come on you think she's going to treat you any differently now because we're *not* having sex?" he asked.

"No, I guess not."

"It's getting cold!" came the call from downstairs.

"Come on Donna, it's getting cold. I think my Mom realized from the look on my face that she over assumed. It will be fine, Donna. Unless you want another room? There are plenty."

"No, it's okay. I can keep a closer eye on you," she replied tossing her garment bag on the bed and following Josh downstairs.

******

After lunch, Josh had a discussion - albeit uncomfortably - with his mother on the status of his relationship with Donna. The whole idea of them not doing anything whilst they could cause a scandal for the administration was obsolete since the morning he proposed and she accepted. But that was followed immediately by his surgery and it wasn't as if they could take their relationship to the next level since. Donna unpacked their things whilst he had the discussion.

Maya noted these circumstances didn't make her son happy. She suspected Donna felt the same way. They were sacrificing so much and she hoped President Bartlet realized just how much.

Having only left the hospital 24 hours prior, by the time they finished their talk, Josh was more than ready for painkillers and the sleep he said he didn't need whilst they did the domestic chore of grocery shopping in nearby Avalon.

"I didn't know what you or Joshua would want to eat, so I thought it wise to wait until you where here," Maya offered as they strolled along the store aisles.

"It will be good for him to have something that doesn't come out of a take-out container," Donna chuckled.

"I hear you cook for Joshua and your friends on a regular basis," Maya commented.

"Only once a fortnight or so. It depends on what is happening at the White House. Many of our dinners are cancelled at the last minute because something comes up," she said with a shake of her head.

"And I hear that is when you make a delivery run so they still eat properly," Maya smiled, patting Donna's hand that rested on the shopping trolley.

"I have to go in anyway to help Josh, so really it isn't that much of a trouble. I've taken to keeping a stash of microwavable Tupperware containers at the ready," she laughed.

"You're a good girl Donna. My son loves you very much."

"I... I know. I love him too. It's just this is what we have to do at the moment. We may not like it..."

"It's alright dear. Joshua explained to me earlier why things are as they are."

Donna nodded, still feeling the need to explain herself.

"It's just that... this is the most important thing Josh will do - it's what he's always wanted. I won't be the reason he doesn't do it anymore."

"Donna, my dear, dear girl. What my Joshua has always wanted is for someone to love him the way you do. And the most important thing he will ever do is provide me with grandchildren," she chuckled. "Helping the President and Leo run the country? Not so much."

Donna laughed. "I promise we will give you grandchildren. One day, I promise."

"I'm getting old."

"I know, you tell that to Josh all the time. Don't start on me too," Donna continued to laugh.

****

Maya and Donna were still joking when they carried the groceries inside. They were surprised to find Josh out of bed and pacing.

"Donna! Where have you been!" he exclaimed as they entered the room.

"Josh, what's wrong? Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" Donna worried.

"No. No, what I need is for you to take your cell phone with you when you go out. I couldn't contact you," he panted holding up her phone.

"Joshua, sit over here and calm down," his mother instructed, taking him by the arm and leading him to a stool at the kitchen bench.

"Josh I..." Donna began.

"You could have called me on my cell Joshua if there was something wrong," his mother chastised.

"Nothing was wrong. Wait... you have a cell?"

"Yes Joshua. I've also given you the number. You have phoned me from your cell before. I believe Donna may have added it to your contact list, hmm? Do you need something for the pain?" she continued, placing a glass of water in front of him.

"No... yes," he decided, and Donna quickly raced upstairs to get the painkillers.

"You're a silly boy to work yourself up like this over nothing," his mother scolded, once Donna was out of the room. "You shouldn't talk to Donna like that. She doesn't have to be here you know. She doesn't have to be in your life. You work yourself up like this and you won't have to worry about waiting until you are out of the White House, she'll bury you before this term is over!"

"I know Mom... I'm... I'm sorry."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to," she sighed.

"Here they are," Donna said hurriedly as she bound down the stairs, opening the pill bottle as she did.

"Thank you," he offered apologetically as he took the tablets from her and washed them down with the water.

"Are you supposed to take them with food?" his mother asked, holding out her hand to Donna and inspecting the drug details on the bottle.

"Yes he is. We bought some cinnamon buns. He could have one of those," Donna replied, not game enough to talk directly to Josh after his angry outburst.

Maya retrieved the Kohlers Bakery bag and passed him a bun to eat.

"I don't think I can eat all of this," he said, shaking his head after taking a bite. "These cinnamon buns were huge when I was a kid, and they still are."

"Eat what you can then," his mother instructed.

"Donna?"

"Yes Josh?"

"There was a phone call. Ah... Toby called you. He wants to discuss the add-ons with review of HR 728? I... I couldn't help him. I don't know anything about it," he offered dejectedly.

"We had another meeting last week about a couple of additional changes to our original alterations. We decided we needed them to avoid Congressmen Fenshaw, MacLean, Burrows and Keller attaching a rider," she sighed, reaching for her phone.

"It's the education bill on..."

"Yeah," Donna nodded as she waited for her phone to connect to Toby's direct line.

She changed her weight from one foot to another while she waited for Toby to pick up.

"Toby... yes it's me Donna... yes I got your message... yeah he was," she said.

Josh surmised they were discussing the minor nutty he had on the phone with Toby when he realized Donna had left her cell at the house.

"Okay who is causing problems...You're kidding... ohhh damn! Yes... yes..." she continued, rolling her eyes as she listened to Toby complain about another errant member of congress. "Well what is his number, I'll give him a call? Yes, I'm sure... hang on I'll get something to write it down. Hang on Toby," she said as she fished in her bag for a pen and scrap of paper. "Go ahead."

Josh started pulling groceries out of the shopping bags and placing them on the bench whilst his mother put them away as he waited for Donna to finish her call.

"Okay, thanks Toby. I'll give you a call and let you know what's happening," Donna finished, clicking her phone closed.

"Problems?" Josh asked casually.

"Yes. I need to make a call. Is there..."

"You can make the call from the study," Josh interrupted.

"A holiday house has a study?" Donna asked surprised.

Josh smiled. "My father was a lawyer, his friends who sometimes came here with us were lawyers, the ones who still come here from the firm are and I'm a politician... the house has a study."

"Okay, thank you. I will find it where?"

"Other side of the stairs and to the right," Josh pointed.

"I'll be a few minutes. That's if I can even get Burrows to take my call," she grumbled.

*

Josh continued to help his mother unpack and put away the shopping, all the while glancing in the direction of the hallway.

"Oh for goodness sake Joshua, go eavesdrop on her before you drive me crazy," his mother complained.

"Mom, I don't eavesdrop, I..."

"Go."

"Okay," he breathed as he headed for the study. Donna was facing the window with her back to him, so he leant against the doorframe while she spoke.

"No... no... Congressman... Congre... Congressman Burrows! Look I understand your concerns. It's not as if we haven't already discuss... yes... yes... I'm fully aware of that. But if you think I'm going to allow these amendments necessary on HR 728 to be railroaded by your... no... no... you are! You're allowing uninformed judgments lead you blindly instead of the actual facts and figures Congressman. What... no, they aren't the figures... No they're not the correct figures, I know, I have been studying the figures for weeks now. They are not the correct figures. What is the date on the... those figures are outdated by 3 years Congressman. I had the updated figures faxed to your office last week along with the report from the budget committee... okay, I will have them faxed... no, better still, I will bring them personally. When can I do that? Tomorrow? I... I'm not in Washington at the moment Congressman. Yes, I can get back by late afternoon. Yes... I will see you then Congressman Burrows... yes, thank you," she groaned after the Congressman hung up the line. She swung the chair back around to find Josh standing in the doorway grinning.

"You're allowing uninformed judgments lead you blindly instead of the actual facts and figures?" Josh queried with a smirk.

"Josh..."

"You... *you* won't let the amendments be railroaded? They're fighting words Donna."

"I know. I probably let him get to me too much, but I'm not. I'm not letting him or his free lunch 'we can do whatever we want because we think we can' buddies stop these amendments go through," she complained.

"Wow."

"What?"

"You're... you do some serious ass kicking don't you?"

"I learnt from the best."

"Thank you."

"I was talking about Leo."

"Funny girl. So, you have to go back?"

"Yes. I'll drive back late tomorrow morning. It will give me some time to go over some details with Toby prior to my meeting."

"So you will still stay tonight?"

"Yes. I... I just don't know if I will make it back depending on what happens with this meeting tomorrow. I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry," Josh shrugged shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Not like plans we've made haven't been changed because I've had to meet with someone or fly somewhere at the last minute."

"Yes, but that's you Josh. You're the Deputy Chief of Staff for the President of the United States of America."

"And you're the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff for the President of the United States of America. And at the moment along with a small army of merry men, you're also covering my job."

"I really wanted to spend some time with you," she replied, meeting him in the doorway.

"It happens. It's the job, we know it happens," he sighed wrapping his arm around her.

"How are you feeling? Do you want to go and lie down again?"

"Yeah, come out on the deck with me. We can bundle up and there's an outdoor beach lounge," he suggested.

"Only if you wear your woolly hat CJ gave you," she grinned.

"If I must... at least the others aren't here to grouse me over it," he complained.

*

Half an hour later Maya braved the cold late afternoon air to wander out onto the deck herself. She found them curled up together on the lounge, tucked away in a corner out of the wind, and virtually buried under a ton of blankets and rugs.

"Are you alright under there?" she joked.

"He's asleep," Donna whispered as she looked down to Josh resting on her arm. "We're fine. I'll give him a little longer before I wake him up."

Maya took one of the other chairs and sat down near them, smiling at the way her son slept peacefully in Donna's arms.

"Tell me again why I don't have grandchildren?" she asked wistfully.

Donna smiled. "It hasn't been our time yet."

"So much love needs to be shared."

"I know. I want to. You have no idea how much I want to have children with this man," she replied, almost tearfully.

"I do understand. Just as much as I wanted to have them with his father," Maya nodded before standing.

"Thank you," Donna smiled.

"No, thank you for loving my son," she replied. "I'm going back inside. Don't stay out for too long. I don't need you getting sick."

"We won't," Josh mumbled.

"You..." Donna began, surprised he was awake.

"I want you to have my children too. Now let me sleep for a little longer, okay."

"Sometimes you're impossible Josh," she sighed, pulling his hat down over his forehead.

*

Josh and Maya waved Donna off late the next morning. She promised to phone when she arrived back in Washington.

And so the weeks followed. Donna had to take more meetings after she met with Congressman Burrows and hadn't been able to return to New Jersey afterwards. She and Josh communicated via the phone on matters of state and their lives for several weeks. It was the longest time they had been separated, and they had not been prepared for the way they would feel the loss. Josh enjoyed advising her on questions she posed, and equally as proud of who she had become when she called and told him of things she had done without his intervention or suggestions. Leo also kept Josh informed of Donna's progress at the higher level and was impressed at her knowledge.

"She learnt from the best," Josh joked. "Sounds like you don't miss me at all."

"We always miss you Josh," Leo gruffed. "I don't have anyone to yell at."

"You can't yell at Sam?" he quizzed.

"Nah... not as much fun. So, how are you?"

"Better Leo. I'm back in Washington next week. I thought I could come in and you know, at least find out what's been happening while I've been away."

"Have you cleared it with Donna?" Leo quizzed.

"Well... not yet, but..."

"Clear it with Donna. She's carrying more pull around here these days Josh."

"Yeah, I know. I have to make an appointment to just speak with her during the day," he tried to sound jovial.

*****

Maya Lyman only needed a slight refresher course in the PT routine set out for Josh. Her years of nursing and Josh's previous recuperation quickly flooded back. It had been for this reason only, that Josh's surgeons had allowed him to stay away from the mainstream, hospital based physical therapy.

"Have you had enough yet?" his mother asked as he placed the weights back onto the floor.

"I'd had enough half an hour ago," he complained, "but you wouldn't let me stop."

His mother threw a towel at him. "But yet you were able to manage another half hour, Joshua. Look what you have achieved. What time did Donna say she would be here?" she questioned, heading back into the kitchen to check on dinner.

"She should be here soon. I actually thought she might have been here by now," he answered, following his mother into the kitchen as he wiped his face and neck with the towel.

"Well I'm sure if she was delayed she would have called," Maya replied, noting the concerned look on his face as he reached for the small bottle of painkillers.

"Yeah, I guess. Hey!" he exclaimed as his mother grabbed the pill bottle from his hands.

"You are not in real pain, Joshua."

"But..."

"Joshua, you have not needed to take one of those for two weeks now, and even then it was because you tried something you shouldn't have. Pain from your therapy does not qualify as pain for painkillers. It's a good pain. It's a 'you're getting stronger pain' it is not something you need these for. It will also go when Donna gets here. Do you think I want to see you get hooked on these like Leo did? Do you know how hard it was for him to get off these things? You're going to rattle for the rest of your life from all the other pills you are going to have to continue to take as it is. Do you want to add these to the list?"

"Yes Ma. I know. It just..."

"Go have a hot shower. It will make you feel better. And don't be too long because Donna might like some hot water left for a shower when she gets here," she instructed, pointing her finger at him.

"Yes Mom," he said, suitably chastised because he knew she was right.

****

Josh could hear his mother's and Donna's laughter floating up from downstairs as he stepped from the shower. But it was a third voice that surprised him. Quickly toweling dry and dressing he headed down.

"Sam, what are you doing here?" he questioned, entering the kitchen to find Sam and Donna sitting on stools at the bench whilst his mother leant back against the sink.

"Yeah, nice to see you too buddy," Sam snorted.

"No... I didn't mean... it's great to see you, but..."

"Donna has been working herself into the ground these past two weeks while we got HR 728 pushed through and I didn't like the idea of her making the drive by herself," Sam shrugged, explaining his presence.

"Sam... I'm not that bad," she tried to joke, but Josh could see the weariness in her features.

"So, you missed the turn off onto 55 and we had to detour via small back roads because?" he left his sentence unfinished for her to try and answer.

"I was taking the scenic route," she countered.

"Scenic route my..."

"Samuel..." Maya interrupted.

"Sorry. You were not taking the scenic route, you were so tired you missed the turn off," he suggested.

"Hey Donna," Josh said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder, their eyes finally connecting and the rest of the room disappeared.

"Hey yourself," she said with a smile, leaning her cheek down onto his hand.

"Drive okay?" he continued.

"I missed a turn off," she offered, going over the conversation they'd just had.

"Decided to take the scenic route, eh?"

"Yeah, something like that she smiled. I let Sam take over the driving from there."

"That's okay... you're here now. I missed you."

"When did you miss me the most?" she asked with a soft smile.

"All the time."

********

After dinner was eaten and the dishes cleaned up and put away, Maya excused herself to retire to her room to read. Josh made Sam and Donna coffee and herbal tea for himself. The doctors had suggested he cut back on his coffee intake, but knowing it would be almost impossible to ration himself without feeling deprived, he felt it would be easier to give it up completely.

If Leo could give up booze, he could give up coffee.

"So, what have I missed?" he questioned as they sat, Donna curling up next to him on the sofa. They had avoided 'work' talk at dinner.

Donna looked to Sam, who nodded. "It's not like he won't hear when he gets back," Sam stated.

"What?"

"Well... you know the great Toby plan with Andi and the gorgeous house he found in Maryland?"

"Well, yes and no. I don't know what the house looked like, but I did know about his plan," Josh frowned, wondering were this was leading as neither of his companions were smiling.

"Trust me, it's a beautiful house. I've seen pictures," she replied.

"Well anyway," Sam said, picking up the story. "He took her there this morning..."

"And she said no," Josh guessed, and they nodded the affirmative to his theory.

"Yeah. He's really cut up about it. Said she didn't want to marry him again and that was it."

"Poor guy. Is she going to let him see the kids when they're born?" Josh asked.

"I don't think she has a problem with any of that," Sam continued. "She just doesn't want to marry him, or you know, live under the one roof with him. Toby said the other day he would understand if this didn't work out. He said he wasn't the easiest person to live with and she already knew that. But he's obviously disappointed anyway."

"It's too bad," Josh shrugged, trying to hide a yawn.

"Tired?" Donna asked, reaching across and running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, a bit. I should get as much sleep as I can," he joked. "After next week sleep will be a distant memory again."

"Not too quickly I hope," Donna chastised.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Josh asked the both of them, deciding misdirection was his best defense.

"Well... I've brought plenty of work with me," Sam responded. "I really need to get this speech finished and I didn't think you guys would want a third wheel."

"Forget the work, it will be there when you get back," Josh complained. "I was thinking we could go down to Cape May tomorrow."

Sam snorted. "The work might, but my job might not."

"It really has to be done?" Donna questioned.

"Afraid so," Sam nodded.

"Well... at least take over the study," Josh offered, stifling off another yawn.

"The view alone will drive me to distraction for half a day," Sam laughed.

"No, I think my mom's baking will distract you more if you stay," Josh disagreed, pointing towards the kitchen.

"I might turn in," Donna said, pushing herself out of the sofa. She knew there was no way Josh would go to bed whilst everyone else was still up.

"I could keep you company?" Josh offered with an impish enthusiasm. "I can do that."

"I couldn't imagine you being very good company," Sam scoffed.

"He's okay," Donna defended with a grin. "Am I still sleeping with you, Josh?"

"Sure, if you want. Close your mouth Sam and goodnight," Josh smirked without looking at Sam to confirm whether or not his mouth was agape.

"I never... I didn't say a thing Josh," Sam replied.

"Night Sam," Donna called. "Josh, are you coming upstairs?"

"In a minute. I've got to take a couple of pills," he said casually. It was something they all had to get used to. Donna nodded and headed up the stairs.

"What are the pills?" Sam questioned.

"Metoprolol. They're what's known as a beta-blocker. I've been told to take them as needed," Josh explained as he headed to the kitchen, filling a glass with water before emptying a tablet from a brown vial on the counter.

"And what do they do?" Sam continued to question, figuring the more he knew about his friends medical condition, the more he might be able to help in the case of an emergency. "Are you having chest pain?"

"No... no. They limit the heart rate. If you're going to increase your heart rate dramatically, then they recommend taking one of these first," he replied, taking the pill and washing it down with the water chaser as he walked back into the lounge.

"But you're going to bed. How is that going to increase your... ohhh... okay," Sam nodded, finally adding two and two together. "But I thought you and Donna weren't..."

"I know. We haven't, but we might... if she's... we might... and I would just prefer to be prepared in case we do, you know," Josh faltered, deciding this really wasn't the conversation to be having, even with Sam. It was beginning to rival the conversation he had weeks earlier with his mother.

"Okay well... I have no reason to go upstairs at all since I'm in the guestroom downstairs... I think I might just go do some writing then," Sam added, appearing to be just as uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation.

"I'm just gonna... 'night buddy," Josh grinned heading for the stairs.

"Night."

*

"Finally I have you alone," Josh sighed as he closed the door behind him.

"You've wanted to get me alone?" Donna replied in her best, staged seductive voice that made both of them laugh.

"Yeah," he continued to chuckle. I went shopping with Mom the other day and I bought you a present. I wanted to give it to you."

"What, you couldn't give it to me when we were downstairs?" she questioned, kicking off her shoes before unzipping the overnight bag sitting on the bed.

"No... I didn't want to. And do you think I could get some attention here, hmm?"

Donna turned to him and rolled her eyes at his exasperated expression. She stopped rifling through her bag and sat on the bed, giving him her full attention. "You're starting to sound like your mother. Did you realize that? This isn't going to be like the moose meat again is it? I mean what is New Jersey most famous for?"

"Will you just shut up for half a minute? Here," he stated, handing over the package.

"What is it?" she asked, just looking at it.

"Well if you'd damn well open it you'd find out," he countered.

"Okay... okay. Keep you're pants on," she groused as she tried to find the edge of the tape on the wrapping.

Josh bit back an innuendo filled reply and chose instead to sit on the bed beside her whilst she slowly unwrapped the gift.

"If you don't like it I want it back rather than you selling it on Ebay," he deadpanned.

"You know that wasn't me," she complained, ripping off one layer of paper to find another. "What is this? Have you spend the past 5 weeks wrapping a packet of chewing gum with 2000 layers of paper?"

"Just quit the complaining and keep going. There's only another layer I think."

Donna kept unwrapping until she came to an unmarked white box.

"Open it." Josh encouraged.

"Okay..." she smiled, flipping the lid open, only to find yet another box surrounded by scrunched up tissue paper. "Josh?"

"Mmm yes?"

"There's another box inside the box."

"Yes."

"And it's a very small box."

"It appears so."

"And... it's the sort of box that jewelry is usually found in."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to open it and find out if that's what's inside," he smirked.

"I... I don't know if I can."

"Oh," the word was laced with disappointment.

"Ohh... no... not like that... I want to but..." she stumbled, her eyes welling with tears as she spoke.

"Donna, open the box," Josh whispered.

"Okay," she replied shakily. She removed the box and forced the stiff hinges to open. "Oh... it's beautiful. It's... just beautiful," she said softly running one finger over the brilliant cut diamond.

"Well you're supposed to wear it rather than just look at it in the box," he groused softly, taking the box from her hands and removing the ring. "Here, give me your finger."

Donna held out her hand and Josh had to hold it steady from shaking as he gently slid the ring on her finger, having to push it slightly to get it over her knuckle.

"There. Now you're stuck with me," he joked.

She scoffed softly. "I think I've always been stuck with you."

"True... very true," he agreed before turning serious. "Donna... I... come to bed with me."

"Well we're in here aren't we," she said with a smile before leaning over and kissing him soundly on the mouth. "I was looking for my pajamas when you came in."

"I don't want you in pajamas... I don't want you in anything. I want to make love with you. I want to now, and I don't want us to have to ever think about stopping. I can't pretend... I can't have you lying next to me anymore and not be able to show you how much I love you."

"Josh... you've had major surgery and..."

"Donna, if you don't want to, just say so. If you're tired or you want to wait... then I guess we wait. But if you want to, it's okay. I'm feeling okay and I've already taken my pills, you know... just in case you wanted to," he explained in a rush. He knew the pills had side effects and one of them was lethargy. He wasn't sure how they would kick in if they did this.

"Josh... I want to... I'm just a little scared," she said softly.

"I promise I'll be gentle," Josh smirked.

Donna rolled her eyes again. "Not like that you moron. I'm... are you sure you're ready?"

"Donna, I don't know what you assumed, but I'm sorry... I'm not a virgin."

"Josh! You are impossible, you know that!"

"But in some twist of fate you love me anyway," he chuckled.

"Yes I do, but..."

"Look, I promise," he said solemnly, holding up one hand. "If I feel any twinges or pain I'll tell you and we can stop."

Donna put her hand up and laced her fingers with his. "And I can always think of other things we can do."

"Can we do the other things as well anyway?" he questioned suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

"You think you're capable?" Donna asked with a laugh.

"Hmm... you'll be surprised by the extent of my capabilities."

"Well you better show me," she replied, reaching over and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Sounds like a plan, Donna."

"Sounds more like a promise to me."

***

Waking naked and in Josh's arms the next morning felt like the most natural thing Donna had ever done. She ran a hand through the hair on his chest, mindful of the still angry looking scar tracking down it. Thankfully the surgeon's traced their original line and Josh would still only have the one surgical scar rather than something that resembled railway tracks. As she pressed a kiss into his shoulder, a hand reached up and stroked her cheek gently.

"Morning," came the sleepy voice.

"Yeah, I think it is," she replied. She could see light creeping into the room from around the drapes, but she wasn't at all interested in moving from her current position to look at the clock beside the bed.

"Let's stay in bed all day," he mumbled, trying to pull Donna closer.

"As good as that sounds, I don't think that is an option while we're here," Donna sighed.

Josh rolled back on his side to glance at the clock. He pulled Donna with him rather than surrender her. "Urgh!"

"What?"

"If we're going down to Cape May for lunch, we better get moving. It's already after ten," he sighed.

"We've slept half the morning," she replied.

"That's because we spent half the night making love," he smirked his trademark 'I'm so the man' grin before kissing her.

"Well come on Casanova... time to move!"

***

Josh found some sweats and stumbled, still fairly disheveled, down the stairs for some breakfast whilst Donna had a shower. His new regime of pills meant he was now forced to eat breakfast, as taking most of them on an empty stomach was not recommended. After his post-op check-up he was hoping to cut back on half the medication he was taking.

Josh showered whilst Donna drank coffee, marveling to Sam how Josh seemed to have give up the brown murky liquid without any noticeable side effects. She mused that his mother had perhaps suffered through the withdrawal period, and wondered if he was going to manage to keep off the caffeine when he returned to work. Sam, for his part, expressed great surprise at Josh's ability to select Donna's engagement ring, noting it must have cost the price of a small nation before Maya admitted that she had supervised the shopping trip.

Josh and Donna spent a lazy afternoon in Cape May. Lunching at 'The Waters Edge' restaurant, Donna was still surprised that Josh seemed to be finally heeding the advice he'd been ignoring for so long about his diet. When he ordered the grilled chicken sandwich instead of the Taverns own half-pound burger she held back a comment and decided to support him by ordering their reportedly famous veggie sandwich. After lunch they wandered hand in hand through various souvenir shops and little antique markets, enjoying the anonymity they weren't privy to in Washington.

Afternoon showers made them flee back to the car, and they found a place to park and watch the ocean roll into the shore while they talked about everything and nothing.

"You know we're fogging up the windows just sitting in here talking," Josh smirked. "We could, you know, have a better reason for fogging them up."

"We could also turn the engine on and run the heater and the defogger for a little while to fix that problem," she smiled back.

"My idea was more fun," he offered.

"I have an idea that beats both of them," she replied, turning the key to start the engine.

"And that would be?"

"Going back to Stone Harbor and watching the ocean from there. It would be more comfortable and there would be coffee and by now, warm cookies," she grinned.

"Well, I agree wholeheartedly with the comfort factor but I'm steering clear of coffee and limiting my cookie intake," he replied, fastening his seatbelt.

"You're really serious about this monitored diet aren't you? You're not going to have a blow out the first week back at work? I know you're way too used to grabbing food on the run and not heeding much attention to it's nutritional content."

"You know Donna, you freakishly sounded like Margaret with all that talk about nutrition... can you not do that please?"

"I'm just trying to be encouraging."

"You are, and you always have been. Turn down this street. I just have to give a bit more thought at the beginning of the day to where I am when I need to eat. The pills I have to take at the moment all require food so I'll probably need help organizing my schedule to suit. Next street to the right. Once I'm off most of them, the pills I will *continue* to take will probably need to be with food too."

"Firstly, you'll need to give it more thought at the beginning of the *week* rather than of the day... and you will *definitely* need by help scheduling it. How far along here before I need to turn again?"

"I dunno. About 2 mile."

"Okay. So, from now on lunch meetings I organize for you will not revolve around places where suitable food is not available."

"Since when have you *ever* organized lunch meetings where I didn't have to eat food you deemed healthy?"

"I've let you out to play once in a while for a treat," she grinned.

"You make me sound like a 3 year old."

Donna gave him a pointed look.

"I am not," he whined.

She gave him another look, and he re-evaluated his statement.

"Okay, sometimes - when provoked I might add - oh... next intersection up here..."

"Left or right, Joshua?"

"Left. Anyway, as I was saying, sometimes when I'm provoked..."

"What like Senator McCluskey?"

"That was different," Josh defended.

"Oh well then... what about Congresswoman..."

"So was that," he interrupted.

Donna snorted. "You don't even know who I was going to say! Callahan. I was going to say Congresswoman Callahan from the Minnesota tw..."

"I knew you were talking about her and that was different. That woman just... just..."

"Didn't agree with you?" Donna suggested.

"Yeah. There should be a law against Democrats who don't agree with me."

"Well see if Toby has time to deal with that one when he's finally abolished Congress," she laughed.

"How's he going with that by the way?"

"Still no luck. It seems Congress like their jobs and are not keen on joining the unemployment queue."

"So anyway, those people where different."

"Yes, and you didn't see the inside of the steak house for quite sometime after those incidents, did you?"

"I ah... you..."

"See... behave like a good boy and you get to go out for treats!" she smiled.

"You, Donna Moss, are just plain mean sometimes," he sighed and shook his head.

"Would you want me any different?"

"No."

**

On arrival back at the house, they took up residence once again on the outdoor lounge. It was still tucked into a sheltered corner of the deck. Josh didn't admit to her that he had gone out there often in the weeks after she left, for no other reason than to remember how good it had felt to be curled up in her arms. To have listened to Donna tell his mother how much she wanted to have children with him.

"What do you want me to do about this?" Donna questioned, untucking her arm from under the blankets and holding up the hand with her engagement ring.

"It's up to you Donna," he shrugged. "It's a symbol of my love. But if you're not wearing it, well... it doesn't change the fact I love you."

"It's just that... it's a beautiful ring and Sam was right this morning, it must have set you back a fortune. Those two facts will not go unnoticed by others within the White House. Questions will be asked, suggestions made and past experience has shown, we really don't have to *do* anything and lies are told about us anyway."

"Donna if you..."

"I want to wear the ring! I really want to, but if by wearing it, your job is harder...."

"Donna... I don't want to tell you what to do. If my job is harder, well then my job is harder."

"Perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?" he asked as she shifted molded her body closer into his.

"Perhaps if I wear it on a chain around my neck. I mean, I'm still wearing it," she suggested.

"If you feel more comfortable, then by all means," he offered evenly.

"I wouldn't, but..." she protested.

Josh could see she was torn. "Look... wear it around your neck on a chain. If later you want to put it back on your finger then do so."

"You won't be upset?"

"Donna..."

"Okay, you won't be upset," Donna smiled and snuggled even closer.

Josh wrapped his arms around her and kissed her mussed hair. "Love you," he whispered.

"Love you too," she replied.

***

The next morning they waved goodbye to Maya who was staying at the house for a few more weeks before returning to her home in Florida. My mid afternoon they arrived back in Washington, dropping Sam at his brownstone before heading to Josh's apartment.

"Do you want to stay tonight?" he asked as they put away all his clothes.

"As much as I would like, I have a breakfast meeting and staying in bed with you would be far too tempting," she grinned.

"Well, you know... it's going to happen. There are going to be mornings where the last thing we are going to want to do is get out of bed and go to the White House," he stated, and then looked shocked when he realized what he had said.

"Yeah..." Donna exclaimed almost breathlessly when she too realized what he had said and noted the surprise on his face. "Now there's a statement I never thought I'd hear pass your lips."

"I know... even through the bad stuff, I've never not wanted to be there. But... but you know... I think it will happen," he continued, still surprised by these thoughts.

"See. See this is why we've resisted. Maybe..."

"No. Don't take it back Donna. Don't even suggest that we shouldn't have, because we have and I know for absolute certain it wasn't a mistake for us," he declared, shaking his head.

Donna could see Josh was working himself up and it was the last thing she wanted. "No Josh... it wasn't a mistake," she said trying to give him her brightest smile. She rounded the bed to where he stood and wrapped her arms around him. "Ominia vincit amor."

Josh's forehead creased in a frown. "You know you've spent way too much time in the company of the President."

"Love conquers all things. And the President didn't teach me that one. It's something I've always known," she smiled. "One year, ten months and 15 days, not that I'm counting of course."

"You're truly an amazing woman Donna Moss."

"And you're becoming a sap! I'm going to leave you to get ready for tomorrow. I'm sure the President's attack dog is around here somewhere."

"You don't want to stay for dinner?" he asked hopefully.

"I'd love to," she said smoothing down the creases on his shirt as she stepped back, "but I have to prepare for my meeting in the morning."

"Okay, well... thank you. You know for everything for coming to get me," he offered with a hint of disappointment.

"Josh, please don't be disappointed. I'm not the meek girl who would let someone control her life anymore. She disappeared when you took a chance on me all those years ago. I can't just drop everything, I won't. And I don't think that's the kind of woman you want in your life."

"I just want you as you. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to guilt you. You should go and prepare for your meeting. I'm going to see if I can find any food in this place," he grinned.

"Your refrigerator is restocked, I love you and I don't want to see you in the office before 10 in the morning," she laughed, kissed him and then headed for the door.

"I have a feeling the President has issued an order that they will not let me in unless it's 10:00 am or later," laughed, walking her to the door.

"Will you be okay tonight?" she asked seriously after she had pulled her coat and gloves on.

"You doubt my ability to..." he stopped when he saw how serious she was and he abandoned his smart mouth remark. "I'll be fine Donna. I'm assuming the food in the refrigerator is healthy, I'll have an early night and if something happens - which it won't - I have all the emergency numbers plus you and Sam on speed dial."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You'll call me in the morning? Like you always do?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes. Bye," she said with a soft smile and kissed him gently.

"Mmm... see you later," he said with an equally happy grin as their lips parted.

Josh stood at his window and sighed as he watched her walk down the street to her car and disappear out of view. Tomorrow everything would be back to normal.

Whatever normal was.

But he was wrong...

The end...

Stay tuned for Taking Care... of the Future.