Josh picks me up the next morning at around 7:00. Our plane leaves at 9:00 and he wants plenty of time to get through security checks.

"Why, is there something in your luggage that you shouldn't be taking on a plane?" I ask.

"Ha, ha. No, it just take awhile when you aren't flying with the president."

He helps me with me bags and we take off to the airport. The security checks don't take too long, but I'm grateful we left early so I could have some time to sit before we got on the plane.

We board the plane and Josh grabs my hand as we begin to take off. He knows I'm not a good flyer, and it helps me to know he's there. I squeeze his hand as my stomach lurches and he squeezes back.

When we're off the ground and I've calmed down a bit Josh takes out a file and begins to read. I snatch the file from his hand. "No work," say groggily. I'm begginning to get little tired. The past few days catching up with me.

"Why not?" he whines.

"Because I say so."

"Donna..."

"Look, your the one who wanted to come, so you're going to follow my rules."

"Why can't I do work?"

"Josh," I say, "pretend this is a vacation. I mean, yeah we have to go to a funeral, and me and my family will probably be sobbing half the time, but that doesn't mean you have to work."

He smiles at me, and I go weak at the knees. Good thing I'm sitting down. "Okay," he says. He takes me hand again and draws circles on the back of it with his thumb. "You know I just want to be here for you. If you need anything at all, just tell me."

I smile back at him. "Okay."

I yawn. "you tired?" Josh asks gently. I nod and he puts his arm around me. "Just go to sleep."

"don't you dare do any work, Joshua."

"I wouldn't dare, Donnatella."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake up a few hours later when Josh gently shakes me. "Donna, we're landing, you gotta wake up."

I wake up too find my head resting on Josh's shoulder, and I'm not inclined to move it anytime soon. I'm pleased to notice that there's an actual book in Josh's hands, and not a file of some kind.

"Are you awake?"

"Yeah," I say, but I don't move my head.

The plane lands and we get off. josh carries most of my bags and his. He calls a cab and we wait for fifteen minutes. Josh keeps his arm around my shoulders. There's snow on the ground and I shiver, but not from the cold. I haven't been back to Wisconsin since the election. When I did come back I didn't want it to be a thing like this. Josh pulls me closer to him when he relises I'm shivering, and I don't mind a bit.

The cab drops us off at a nice hotel. "Josh, I can't afford this."

"That's why I'm paying."

"Josh, no. You don't have to."

"Donna, I want to." He takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. He then takes my hand and leads me into the hotel.

The clerk looks up and smiles at us. Before either of us can say anything the clerk says, "Oh, would you and your wife like the honeymoon suite."

I'm about to tell him that we aren't married, but before I can Josh just says, "No, wmy wife and I would just like ajoining rooms." The clerk smiles at us and gives us keys to our rooms an we walk away.

When we're no longer in hearing distance of the clerk I whisper harshly to Josh, "Why did you tell him we're married?"

"I didn't, he said it and I just didn't deny it."

"Josh, you said my wife and I."

"Hey, sometimes married couples get extra perks."

Gee, way to dash my hopes and dreams, there Josh. "Oh," is all I can manage to say.

We get up to our rooms and Josh comes into mine with me. "Do you want me to open you door, Josh?" I ask mockingly.

"No."

"Then why are you in here?" I ask a bit more harshly then I intended to. I must be little bitter about josh's 'married people get perk's' comment.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." he says. He sounds a little hurt.

I walk over to him and he immediatly slips his hands into mine. :"I'm sorry, Josh. I'm just really tired. I think I might lie down before we go to my sister's."

"Okay," he says and he kisses the corner of my mouth. He lets his lips linger for a little longer then he probably should, then he leaves the room.

I flop down on the bed and try to slow my racing heart. I pick up the phone and call my sister. "Marci."

"Donna, you sound a little out of breath, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..."

"What?"

"Nothing, we'll be there in a little bit, I think I'm going to take a little nap."

"Okay. Bye." She's about to hang up the phone, but I say, "Marce, wait."

"Yeah?"

"You know how you said we could wait a year then get together."

"Yeah?"

"I don't think we're gonna be able to make it through a year."

TBC