See Part One for disclaimers
-----------------
Donna left the courtroom after her deposition, her body rigid with tension and anger. She chastised herself internally, feeling like an idiot.
"Donna, wait up!"
The blonde looked over her shoulder at the courtroom doors to see Cliff approaching her. She actually felt herself tense more at the sight of him.
"What do you want?"
"Donna, I wanted to tell you, I just..I didn't know how," he stated, pulling her aside and out of the way of others milling around.
"You didn't know how to say, 'Oh, by the way, I'm working with the people who are trying to bring down a good man'," she replied angrily, her voice rising.
"Donna.." he started, laying his right hand on her shoulder.
She shrugged it off. "I *slept* with you. Hell, I *trusted* you, like I haven't trusted a man in a long time. How could you? I actually thought you were better than that. I guess I proved to myself once again how terrible my taste in men is," she stated in an angry whisper.
Cliff went to speak, but stopped when she held up a hand.
"Don't. Don't speak to me. Ever. Again." Donna turned away from him, leaving the speechless lawyer behind.
~ * ~
"Have you seen Donna?" Josh asked Sam, catching up with him as he passed Josh's door.
Sam looked beside him. "Isn't she doing her deposition today?"
"Yeah, but I thought she would have been back by now."
"Maybe she stopped to do some shopping?"
"She said she'd be right back after."
"And here she is," Sam stated as they passed through the front foyer.
Josh stopped in his tracks as a glum Donna entered the West Wing, leaving Sam to return to the communications bullpen alone.
"Hey."
The blonde glanced at her boss. "We need to talk," she stated, continuing to walk.
Josh strode along in silence with Donna. They turned in to his office and Donna shut the door once they were in there. She leaned against it.
"Do you remember Cliff, from Ways and Means?"
"How can I forget him? He's one of the prosecution lawyers for this sham of a trial," he responded angrily. "Why?"
"I was going out with him. He knows things..they asked questions..."
"You WHAT!?" he yelled.
"Josh, will you let me finish!" she shouted back. She took a deep breath. "I didn't know he was part of the prosecution, and he never indicated it to me, at any time."
"Okay...What did he ask?" Josh queried more quietly, leaning against the wall in an attempt to de-stress, closing his eyes.
"They asked me the questions they asked you, about the MS, how I found out. But..they asked some more personal questions. About a diary I have." She paused, looking to see Josh's reaction.
His eyes opened in surprise. "You keep a diary?"
"Yes."
"And there were incriminating details in there?"
"Not about the President."
"So, what's the problem?"
"I told them I didn't have one."
"Why?"
"I..I don't know how they knew about it. The only way was Cliff."
"So he's been in your apartment?"
She hesitated. "Yes."
Josh noticed her hesitation. "What are you not telling me?"
"The diary wasn't just lying about."
"So he rifled through your drawers?"
"Only way he could have found it."
"Then we need to call him on it. Illegal search."
"But *I* lied, Josh. I said I didn't have one. They can call me on that, can't they?"
"No. If they did, they'd be tipping their hand on knowing about it. It's very possible they'll use misdirection and ask some others if they keep a diary."
"So it's an impasse."
"Looks like it." Josh pushed himself off the wall to stand straight.
Donna moved to leave the office, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. She turned and looked at him.
"Did anyone see him going in to your apartment?" he asked gently.
"I don't think so," she replied quietly, "It was late."
Josh's jaw tensed noticeably. "Okay, if anything comes of this, we'll deal with it."
His hand slid off her arm, letting it fall to his side. She gave him a half-hearted smile.
"Okay." She turned again, opening the door, then looked back as she stood in the door. He was leaning against the wall once again. Her expression became worried. Last thing he needed right now was to have another episode.
She left the office and walked toward her desk, pondering what she could do to get him to relax.
"Donna Moss?"
Donna jumped at her name. "Yes?" She looked at the person who had called her. A delivery man. Flowers. This wasn't happening.
"Flowers for you."
"You might as well take them back, or throw them out. I'm not taking them."
The delivery man was surprised and didn't know what to say at first. "Um, okay," he finally replied. He then turned away from her and headed toward the exit.
Donna walked over to her desk, sliding into her, slumping slightly. "Everything has to be okay. Nothing worse could happen." She paused, sighing. "I hope."
The End
-----------------
Donna left the courtroom after her deposition, her body rigid with tension and anger. She chastised herself internally, feeling like an idiot.
"Donna, wait up!"
The blonde looked over her shoulder at the courtroom doors to see Cliff approaching her. She actually felt herself tense more at the sight of him.
"What do you want?"
"Donna, I wanted to tell you, I just..I didn't know how," he stated, pulling her aside and out of the way of others milling around.
"You didn't know how to say, 'Oh, by the way, I'm working with the people who are trying to bring down a good man'," she replied angrily, her voice rising.
"Donna.." he started, laying his right hand on her shoulder.
She shrugged it off. "I *slept* with you. Hell, I *trusted* you, like I haven't trusted a man in a long time. How could you? I actually thought you were better than that. I guess I proved to myself once again how terrible my taste in men is," she stated in an angry whisper.
Cliff went to speak, but stopped when she held up a hand.
"Don't. Don't speak to me. Ever. Again." Donna turned away from him, leaving the speechless lawyer behind.
~ * ~
"Have you seen Donna?" Josh asked Sam, catching up with him as he passed Josh's door.
Sam looked beside him. "Isn't she doing her deposition today?"
"Yeah, but I thought she would have been back by now."
"Maybe she stopped to do some shopping?"
"She said she'd be right back after."
"And here she is," Sam stated as they passed through the front foyer.
Josh stopped in his tracks as a glum Donna entered the West Wing, leaving Sam to return to the communications bullpen alone.
"Hey."
The blonde glanced at her boss. "We need to talk," she stated, continuing to walk.
Josh strode along in silence with Donna. They turned in to his office and Donna shut the door once they were in there. She leaned against it.
"Do you remember Cliff, from Ways and Means?"
"How can I forget him? He's one of the prosecution lawyers for this sham of a trial," he responded angrily. "Why?"
"I was going out with him. He knows things..they asked questions..."
"You WHAT!?" he yelled.
"Josh, will you let me finish!" she shouted back. She took a deep breath. "I didn't know he was part of the prosecution, and he never indicated it to me, at any time."
"Okay...What did he ask?" Josh queried more quietly, leaning against the wall in an attempt to de-stress, closing his eyes.
"They asked me the questions they asked you, about the MS, how I found out. But..they asked some more personal questions. About a diary I have." She paused, looking to see Josh's reaction.
His eyes opened in surprise. "You keep a diary?"
"Yes."
"And there were incriminating details in there?"
"Not about the President."
"So, what's the problem?"
"I told them I didn't have one."
"Why?"
"I..I don't know how they knew about it. The only way was Cliff."
"So he's been in your apartment?"
She hesitated. "Yes."
Josh noticed her hesitation. "What are you not telling me?"
"The diary wasn't just lying about."
"So he rifled through your drawers?"
"Only way he could have found it."
"Then we need to call him on it. Illegal search."
"But *I* lied, Josh. I said I didn't have one. They can call me on that, can't they?"
"No. If they did, they'd be tipping their hand on knowing about it. It's very possible they'll use misdirection and ask some others if they keep a diary."
"So it's an impasse."
"Looks like it." Josh pushed himself off the wall to stand straight.
Donna moved to leave the office, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. She turned and looked at him.
"Did anyone see him going in to your apartment?" he asked gently.
"I don't think so," she replied quietly, "It was late."
Josh's jaw tensed noticeably. "Okay, if anything comes of this, we'll deal with it."
His hand slid off her arm, letting it fall to his side. She gave him a half-hearted smile.
"Okay." She turned again, opening the door, then looked back as she stood in the door. He was leaning against the wall once again. Her expression became worried. Last thing he needed right now was to have another episode.
She left the office and walked toward her desk, pondering what she could do to get him to relax.
"Donna Moss?"
Donna jumped at her name. "Yes?" She looked at the person who had called her. A delivery man. Flowers. This wasn't happening.
"Flowers for you."
"You might as well take them back, or throw them out. I'm not taking them."
The delivery man was surprised and didn't know what to say at first. "Um, okay," he finally replied. He then turned away from her and headed toward the exit.
Donna walked over to her desk, sliding into her, slumping slightly. "Everything has to be okay. Nothing worse could happen." She paused, sighing. "I hope."
The End
