Later that week, as they lay spooned together in bed Josh asked, "Why don't you start planning the nursery?" With Donna confined at home, it seemed at times that their late night conversations were the only time they had to be together. Josh tried to make it home for a few hours each evening to spend time with Donna, but it didn't always work out that way.

"No," Donna told him. "Not yet...just not yet."

"Okay," Josh agreed before softly kissing the nape of her neck. "Donna, Ken Ingersoll came to see me today. He's not going to run again." Ingersoll was the senior Senator from Connecticut, and Josh knew Donna would understand what his visit meant. She was quiet for so long though that Josh was afraid he'd somehow made her angry. "Donna?"

Finally she turned to face him. "I guess that means we need to start house hunting," she said with a small grin. "Your mom and I can start looking over the internet. Once I'm cleared to get out of this damn bed, we can drive up there on the weekend and go look at some of the better prospects."

Josh grinned back. "You sure?" he asked. "Campaigning with a new baby is going to be tough."

"Josh, you and I both love a good campaign. How could our baby be any different?" she asked.

He was relieved to hear her speaking of the baby in the future. Donna still had trouble letting herself believe that their baby was going to make it, but he knew that this child was just as much of a fighter as his or her parents. Their baby would make it. At least looking for a house for them in Connecticut would keep Donna from being too bored with her enforced bed rest. Two weeks later Donna's doctor finally allowed her out of bed, but she refused to let her return to work. Donna was more than a little angry when Josh supported the doctor's orders.

"I'm bored!" she pouted. "I want to go back to work."

"Donna, you can't," the doctor had told her. "Working at the White House is too stressful for you right now."

"I'm not a house wife. I will never be a house wife," Donna argued.

"How about a student then?" Josh suggested. "You only have five classes left, Donna. Why don't you take them all this semester? Would going to classes be too stressful for her?"

"I wouldn't think so," Dr. McFadden agreed cautiously.

"You could graduate before the baby's born," Josh cajoled his wife. Since just after the election, Donna had been working to finish her degree by taking one or two evening classes a semester including summers. Josh had always been supportive of her finishing her education, even before they had become a couple. Now she was within reach of her bachelor's degree in political science from Georgetown. She had planned to take time off work to spend with the baby and finish her degree, but Josh knew if he made a run for Senate there wouldn't be time after the baby was born for that.

"Who's going to cover for me?" Donna asked Josh.

"Mary," Josh answered with a long-suffering sigh. "She's found someone to train to handle me."

"Alright," Donna finally agreed. Josh could tell that the idea of finally being able to finish her degree was growing on her. "What about driving up to Connecticut? Josh and I need to look for a house."

"Surely you could put that off..."

"No," Donna said. "We need to establish residency, Becca."

"Okay," she said clearly puzzled.

"Josh is going to be running for Senate, Becca" Donna explained. "We need to establish residency there soon or he won't be eligible."

"Take it easy," Dr. McFadden warned her patient. "But I don't think it would be too much for you. Wait a week though. Okay?"

Donna nodded easing herself off the examination table so that she could put her own clothes back on.

"We're invited to dinner now that you're allowed out of bed," Josh told her. "Do you feel up to it?"

"As long as I don't have to eat chili," Donna replied with a happy laugh.

Donna was greeted with hugs from everyone when she stepped into the White House for the first time in almost three weeks. Everyone was aware that Donna and the baby still weren't out of danger so the conversation at dinner than night stayed confined to gossip about co-workers and the business of the government. No one wanted to upset Donna, and they knew from Josh that she still had trouble talking about the baby. After dinner the First Lady banished all the men to another room with orders to go watch television. It was just the release Donna needed.

"I miss you all so much," she sobbed softly.

"Well now that you're allowed out of bed you'll just have to come visit us," CJ told her. "And Josh will let us come visit."

Donna laughed a bit. "Yeah, he's been getting revenge for 'the rules'," she admitted.

"He's worried about you," Ainsley told her. "We all are."

"I'm doing better," Donna assured them.

"It scares Josh that you won't talk about the baby," CJ told her cautiously.

Donna brought her gaze up and looked at the women surrounding her. Every one of them had such a serious expression on her face. "Oh God," Donna cried. "It didn't even...I..." she tried to explain.

"It's alright, Donna" the First Lady told her coming to her rescue. "We understand. As long as you don't talk about it it seems like you can ignore that anything is wrong."

"Yeah," Donna agreed.

"Talk to us, Donna" CJ begged.

"I want this baby so much," Donna sobbed as she rested her hand on her abdomen. "And I'm so afraid."

"You're going to make it, Donna" CJ told her. "You are the strongest woman I have ever known. You and Josh have survived more shit than any two people I have ever met. God couldn't be so cruel."

"Besides," the First Lady told her, "this baby's already proven how tough he or she is."

Donna smiled. "Hopefully, he or she will enjoy campaigning," she told them.

"Campaigning?" CJ asked.

"Ingersoll approached Josh a couple weeks ago," she told them. "Josh and I've talked about it. We're going to run."

"Is Josh going to resign?" Ainsley questioned her.

"It's a little early for that," Donna replied. "We haven't really talked about it much yet. Josh won't officially announce his candidacy until after the baby's born."

"You know you have our support," the First Lady told her.

"That goes for all of us," Ainsley told her.

CJ reached over to squeeze Donna's hand where it rested in her lap. "And that doesn't go just for the campaign," she reminded her friend.