Title: Dark Depths
Author: Lucy Mars
Rating: PG-13-ish?
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. I'll play nice and return them when I'm done. Well...maybe not with Amy. ;]
*Post Night Five with a healthy dose of JoshandDonna-ness eventually. All you Amy lovers...run! ;]
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
Jumping at the sound of his phone ringing shrilly, Josh scrambled to his feet when he processed the sound. "Sorry." he said unable to look Amy in the eye as he tried to scoot past her long legs. "I've got to get that."
Pursuing her lips, Amy moved her feet so that Josh could pass by. "Yeah." she sighed.
Grabbing the phone roughly, Josh pressed it to his ear. "Yeah?"
"Josh."
"Toby?"
"Josh."
"Toby?"
"We've established that." Toby growled.
"I'm kind of in the middle of something here Toby." Josh sighed running his hands through his hair and stealing a glance at Amy's back. "Please don't tell me that I need to come in."
"You don't need to come in."
"Okay," Josh said warily, "than why are you calling me at 1 in the morning?"
"We're going for drinks. You coming?"
"Ah… Toby?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm in the middle of something." Josh repeated.
"So you're not coming?" Toby asked unnecessarily.
"Toby." Josh sighed.
"Fine."
"Okay."
"Yeah."
"Toby?" Josh asked playing with the phone cord.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you guys going out for drinks." Josh asked lamely as he watched Amy sit perfectly still on his couch. He knew that he should probably be rushing back to her so that they could finish their conversation, and you know, address what she'd said, but he couldn't seem to make himself hang up. If that wasn't a sign that something was wrong, than he didn't know what was.
"I think a better question would be why you're not rushing back to be ensorcelled." Toby said dryly.
"I'll talk to you later." Josh sighed hanging up before Toby could respond.
"Work?" Amy asked from her place on the couch.
"Yeah." Josh sighed making his way back to Amy. That wasn't lying. It was Toby calling from work…so technically it was work calling.
"Yeah?"
"Don't worry about it." Josh shrugged taking a seat on the couch but not right next to Amy. 'Hmm,' Josh thought looking at the distance between them, 'another sign that things aren't exactly what would be classified as good.'
---------
"He mad?" CJ asked leaning about Toby's door.
"More at himself." Toby said cryptically, "Donna coming?"
"Her cell started ringing on Josh's desk, I left a message on her machine and I paged her." CJ shrugged, "Hopefully she'll show."
"Sam's waiting." Toby said leading CJ out of his office.
"Did he yell?" CJ asked smiling at Toby.
"Nah." Toby smiled as he threw his phone at CJ. "Why don't you call him and see if he wants to come."
"You're an evil man Tobus!" CJ laughed flipping the phone open, "I knew there was a reason I loved you."
---------
Stumbling, Donna gasped in shock when she felt the rough hands grab her and pull her abruptly aside. She felt a scream climb her throat, but it died when a cold barrel roughly came in contact with her back. Stilling immediately, she felt her heart lurch painfully in her chest and fall to her stomach.
"Don't scream." the cold voice from behind her ordered, "Just do as I say and nobody gets hurt. Understand?"
Nodding blindly, Donna tried to form the words but she'd suddenly lost all power of speech.
"Understand?!" the voice demanded thrusting the cold barrel roughly against her shoulder and turning her around to face his detached eyes.
"Yes." Donna gasped feeling hot tears stinging her wide eyes. "Yes."
"Give me your purse." he demanded aiming the gun at Donna with cold eyes.
Untangling the strap from her shaking arm, Donna held it out fearfully and jumped when he grabbed the bag roughly.
"Your pockets," he hissed, "empty them."
Pulling out a pack of gum and some loose change, Donna quickly handed it over.
"Your jewelry." he demanded pointing his gun at her.
With trembling hands, Donna pulled off her ring and the watch that Sam had given her for her birthday.
"Necklace." he demanded tracing the chain with his gun.
Shivering at the feeling of the cold metal pressed against her bare skin, Donna fumbled with the delicate gold chain. Suddenly a cold hand pushed her hands away and snapped the chain off of her. Evoking a scream of terror from Donna.
"Quiet!" he yelled slapping Donna across the face.
Her balance already off, Donna fell to the ground when his cold hand and gun came in sudden contact with her cheek. Her face stinging, Donna looked up at him fearfully. She saw his dirty face staring back at her, and his disgusting leer. Her expression one of absolute horror, Donna managed to back away slowly. "That's all I have." she choked out through her sobs.
Sneering, he stuffed Donna's belongings into his pocket. "It's really not."
Backing away on all fours, Donna shook her head. "Please…no."
"Quiet!" he barked pointing his gun at Donna, "Just shut up!"
Whimpering in fear, Donna scrambled to her feet and looked around herself panicking.
"Don't even think about it!" he hissed pulling Donna violently against his dirty body.
Crying out in pain as his fingers dug into her flesh and bruised her, Donna struggled against him. "Just take my money and go." she pleaded.
"Oh," he hissed pulling Donna tighter against him and pressing his gun right against her stomach, "I'm going to take more than just your money."
Feeling her tears burn her eyes, Donna couldn't let him rape her. She wouldn't let him. Struggling against his grip, Donna felt his rough hands groping at her and she heard herself scream before she even realized what she was doing.
"Stupid bitch!" he yelled smashing the end of his gun against her temple.
Falling limply to ground, Donna felt his hands fall away from her and through the thick haze that had enveloped her she could hear voices yelling. Or was that her own voice, she wondered as the heavy black curtains fell over her eyes and her beeper began buzzing again on her belt.
---------
"So." Amy said shifting uncomfortably under Josh's gaze.
"Yeah, so." Josh echoed looking away from Amy.
"This is stupid." Amy declared getting up. "It's late and I am going to go home and sleep."
"Wait." Josh said stopping Amy, "You don't want to talk about…you know…it?"
"It what?" Amy asked irritated by Josh's behavior.
"About what you said." Josh stuttered.
"If you can't say it J., than I'm going to have to question your maturity."
"About, you know, me suppose…suppose…me being in love with you and not Donna." Josh stammered.
"Are you in love with Donna?" Amy asked.
"No." Josh answered to quickly.
Shaking her head, Amy tried to move past Josh. "You're lying."
"How do you know?" Josh challenged blocking her.
"I have an assistant too Josh, but I don't buy her flowers for our anniversary. Hell, I don't even know when she started working for me. I'm sure she doesn't remember either." Amy yelled glaring at Josh, "We don't go out for drinks together, we don't have inside jokes, we don't banter, and I sure as hell don't care who she dates."
"We're friends." Josh repeated lamely.
"Yes, you've pointed that out many times."
"So what?" Josh asked feeling his temper rise, "You're telling me that I can't be friends with Donna?"
"If somebody offered Stacy a job that was a good opportunity for her, I would completely support her if she decided to leave."
"Donna's not leaving me."
"Do you see what I mean?" Amy asked waving an accusingly finger at Josh.
"What?" Josh asked confused, "What did I do?"
"Why do you see it as Donna leaving you and not Donna leaving the White House?" Amy asked watching Josh intently.
Feeling his mouth go dry, Josh looked up at his ringing phone and back at Amy. "I'll be right back." Josh told her just before he fled the room.
---------
Throwing his head back and laughing, Sam shook his head at Toby and CJ after hearing what they'd been doing to Josh. "You guys must really hate Amy Gardner."
"We're doing it on principle Spanky." CJ defended holding up her drink.
"What happened to the sisterhood CJ?" Toby asked grinning at CJ over the rim of his glass.
"I appreciate what she does for women," CJ said, "but damn, that doesn't mean I have to like her. She treats Josh like dirt and I hate that 'Special J.' crap."
Laughing, Sam nodded his head in agreement. "She's also that this lockjaw thing going on."
"You noticed that too?!" CJ asked slapping Sam on the arm, "Doesn't it drive you crazy?"
"There's not much about Amy Gardner that doesn't drive me crazy." Sam said sipping his bear, "And this relationship isn't about anything more than a chase. For both of them."
"That's what I told Donna." CJ said nodding her head in agreement.
"And what's Donna's theory on Josh and Amy Gardner?" Toby asked curiously.
"She thinks that Josh is in love." CJ frowned looking up at the door and expecting to see Donna magically appear.
"He has been strutting around a lot lately." Toby pointed out.
"Not his usual strut though." Sam added.
Raising an amused eyebrow, Toby smiled at his deputy. "Spend a lot of time analyzing Josh's strut there Sam?"
Rolling his eyes, Sam drank his beer. "I don't know, it just seems forced. Like he's doing it on purpose."
"Sam…" Toby laughed.
"No, no." CJ said jumping in, "Sam has a point."
"Oh god," Toby groaned, "CJ's had to much to drink already. She's agreeing with Sam."
"Shut up." CJ said hitting Toby, "Sam, I think that you have a point. So you think that there's trouble in paradise?"
"How about I find out?" Sam asked digging his cell phone out.
Exchanging a quick looking with Toby, CJ burst out laughing and nodded. "Do it Spanky!"
---------
Sighing, Josh resisted the urge to grab Amy and shake her. After the call from CJ, they'd just been sitting on his couch. Amy wasn't talking to him after he'd gotten off the phone. It'd been 15 fun filled minutes of, "Amy…" and "Don't talk to me." Not exactly a record for them, but Josh had a feeling that they were going to set a new record tonight.
The sound of the phone ringing echoed through the quiet apartment.
"I am going to answer the phone. If you have an objections you should voice them now." Josh said getting up. The only reaction he got was a cold glare. "Okay." Josh said making his way into his kitchen. "Hello?"
"Hey Josh!"
"Sam?" Josh asked listening to the loud background music, "Where are you?"
"Having drinks with CJ and Toby. Want to join us?"
Groaning, Josh hit his head against the wall. "Sam, I've already told Toby no. I told CJ no. What made you think that I was going to say yes to you?"
"I'm feeling lucky tonight?"
"Sam, to much information."
Laughing, Sam smiled at CJ and Toby. "Trouble in paradise Josh?"
Listening to the sudden laughter from CJ and Toby, Josh shook his head, "You guys are so wasted."
"We're really not." Sam pointed out sound very sober but giddy. "We just got here."
"Donna there?" Josh found himself asking suddenly.
"No, she's not. Maybe later. We keep paging her, but she's not replying."
"You think she's okay?" Josh asked feeling a knot form in his stomach.
"I'm sure she's fine. So you coming or not?"
"Not tonight Sam. Bye."
"You never answered my question!" Sam protested.
"I know Sam." Josh laughed, "Night." he said hanging up the phone. Turning around, Josh jumped when he found Amy standing right behind him. "Jesus!"
"How's Donna?" Amy asked careful to keep her voice neutral.
"That was Sam." Josh pointed out needlessly.
"I know."
"Donna isn't even out with them."
"Where do you think she is than?"
"I don't know." Josh said shrugging uncomfortably. "I thought that you weren't talking to me."
"I changed my mind." Amy said challenging Josh to challenge her.
"Okay." Josh said looking around uncomfortably, "So now what?"
Pinning him against the wall, Amy kissed Josh soundly.
'Okay,' Josh thought as Amy kissed him, 'Donna is the queen of misdirection and Amy is the queen of mixed signals.'
---------