1 Title: Stranger than You Dreamt it pt 4

Author: Harper Robedeaux

Rating: R

Category: J/D, Romance, and Drama

Summary: Josh and Donna discover that they have met before.

Author's Notes: I AM SO SORRY that these chapters have been so short. School's started back and this semester is more grueling than the last (man, last semester I had it SO easy…). So, forgive me?



8Present Day- Josh Lyman's Apartment8

The gang sat around in Josh's apartment, celebrating that the last of the subpoenas had been handed down earlier that day. Josh, Donna, CJ, Toby, Sam, and Ainsley sat around drinking and being jovial.

CJ had asked everyone in the room what the wildest thing they did in high school was. Even Toby laughed as Sam proclaimed that Laurie was not the first call girl he had slept with unknowingly. Slowly each of them told their tales. Then they came around to Donna.

"What about you, Donna," CJ asked.

"No, I really don't want to tell…" The people sitting around her would not accept that as an answer. Donna took a deep breath and began her tale.

"I was 16 and in marching band…"

"Oh shit, you're not gonna say 'one time at band camp', are you," Toby asked. Everyone in the room let out a chuckle, even Donna.

"No, Toby, I was on colourguard. But I played flute during concert season but that's irrelevant. Anyhow, my aunt had brought in her pretty good- looking boyfriend. So after half time I went walking around and ran into him. He was kind of pissed because he saw my aunt and her old boyfriend making out. So we had a delightful conversation… then I lied and told him I was 18. We went back to his car and got this-close to doing it before my aunt busted us."

The entire room was speechless with their mouths hanging wide open, especially Josh. Not only had he never expected this kind of behaiviour out of his assistant, but he had also come to the realization of when they had met before.

"Donna wins," CJ finally said. Everyone held their drinks up in toast to the new Queen of Wild Things. Donna stood up and said, "I'm going to go get some water," as she walking into the kitchen. Josh, seeing this opportunity to talk to her alone, seized it.

8 8 8

Getting water was not the actual reason Donna had left the room. She wanted to escape from their gaping stares and judgmental looks. She knew she probably shouldn't have told them that story, but she did anyway. She crouched down next to some cabinets and reflected on that night. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear the kitchen door creak open. But she did. She looked up to see her boss with a nervous smile on his face. He opened his mouth to speak to her but she silenced him.

"Josh, if you've come in here to tell me about my terrible taste in men then save your breath, and if you're in here to tell me about how disappointed you are, then save some more breath, cause you didn't know me back then."

Josh contemplated the sheer irony of the words she had just spoken and uttered with a content smirk on his face, "Actually that's not entirely true."

Donna looked up at him about ready to snap and said, "What do you mean…" She stopped herself in mid-sentence and looked Josh up and down. Yep, he had lost some hair and aged, but his eyes and smile hadn't changed at all. She had always wondered where she had seen that smirk before.

Donna's mouth hung wide open as the realization gripped her. She stood up and pointed. "IT WAS YOU!"

Josh stared down at the floor and nodded. He was afraid to look into Donna's eyes because he was afraid of the emotion that lied beneath. Was it of rejection and utter disgust? Probably, but alas he confronted his fears and looked at her face.

The said face was shock ridden. AN expression Josh could not easily read. She was not thrilled, nor angry, nor sad. She was just shocked. Donna herself did not know what to say. The two stood in silence for a while before Donna finally spoke up.

"Josh, I think she should just go our separate ways for tonight. I need to time to sort this out," Donna said as she quickly walked out of his apartment, leaving all the others present in a state of wonder, and Josh speechless.

8 8 8

Donna sat in the window of her apartment thinking about the events that had taken place earlier. How could she have gone all these years without remembering? She sat with her bowl of popcorn watching the rain fall down the window. "Oh, it's raining. How cliché," she thought to herself. The radio in the background was playing as thoughts swirled through her head. "Well, on the one hand this is the perfect opportunity to get what you want. Josh. But on the other hand he's your boss…" Donna growled as she threw down a piece of popcorn. Just as she looked out the window on the starry night she saw a beautiful woman with a handsome man walking down the street. Their arms were around each other. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Donna's heart ached at the beautiful scene laid before her eyes, so innocent, so… sweet. 'God I was that for myself…'

With that, Donnatella Moss got up and drove off to Josh's apartment.