"Donna," Josh called from outside, "Where'd I leave my jacket?"

Looking up from her desk, Donna shrugged. "I don't know. It's not on the chair?"

"It's not on the chair." Exasperated, Josh turned to his secretary, throwing up his hands. "Aren't you supposed to keep track of things?"

"Do you ever find yourself lacking, Joshua?"

"All the time. Will you please help me find my jacket?"

With a deep sigh, Donna craned her neck over a stack of paperwork, peering down towards the shelves. "Rachel, where's Josh's jacket?"

Rachel gestured vaguely with one hand, not turning around. "It's on the floor behind the desk. Over there. See?"

"Oh." Stepping over a few oddly placed boxes, Josh crouched down to the floor and retrieved the misplaced garment. "Ah. Yes. Well." Suddenly, he spun around, and looked at Rachel, forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Do I know you?"

Again, the girl didn't look up. "Nope."

"Ah. Ok. I have a meeting?" Josh looked at Donna for confirmation.

"Yes," Donna agreed.

"Ok. I'm off. Wait, where'd I put my-?"

"GO!" Getting halfway out of her chair, Donna started towards him. Blinking, Josh departed quickly. "Honestly," murmured Donna, shaking her head in frustration. "Well. That went well, actually. We showed him who's boss. Rachel?"

"Mmmm." Finally rising, Rachel smiled at Donna. "I see what you mean, now. He needs all the help he can get, doesn't he?" Then she chuckled. "Seems kinda odd that they let someone like him work in the White House."

"Oh, he's good at his job," Donna assured her quickly. "He's just...absent minded."

"Very." At Donna's troubled look, however, Rachel relented. "I'm sure he's good at something," she conceded, raising eyes to the sky. "He just needs a little push, right?"

"Right." Donna looked very relieved. "Anyway, he didn't seem to have any problem with you helping out here."

"Didn't seem to?" Rachel was amused again. "He barely noticed my existence! Of course, that could be a good thing, but...maybe when he pulls it together, he'll realize that I'm not exactly an employee." She paused. "He does occasionally pull it together, right?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Donna assured her, very quickly. "Occasionally. You know. But anyway," she went on, before Rachel could voice doubts, "He probably won't object. Like you said, he needs all the help he can get. You're...uh, mature for you age, so maybe he won't notice."

Rachel snorted. "Seems unlikely, doesn't it?" When Donna nodded glumly, Rachel sighed. "It doesn't matter, though. I'm only going to be here for another week, and then I'm off again."

Donna stopped pushing papers around for a minute, and slowly turned to look at Rachel. "...What?" She asked, startled.

Rachel blinked. "Didn't you know? I did tell you. I'm only here for a month, and then...I'm going to live somewhere else." In truth, Rachel thought, unhappily, she didn't know where else she was going to live. She didn't really have anywhere else to live. But the Grump-the name she'd given to Toby Ziegler, her present caretaker-didn't seem to like her very much at all. He never really talked to her, beyond 'how was your day' and 'be back later.' And occasionally 'go to bed, it's late.' So she had to go somewhere else.

Rachel didn't voice any of this to Donna, however. Much as she liked Donna, the woman seemed...well, overly talkative. Gossipy. And the last thing Rachel wanted was for Donna to go attacking Toby about not being a good enough father-figure or whatever. He wasn't her father, anyway. That brought a quick pang, but Rachel had learned to suppress those. Her father was happy, now, and she would cope. She would go soon, wherever she had to, and both she and Toby would probably be the best for it.

"Oh," Donna murmured. "I forgot. Has it really been three weeks?"

"Yup!" Rachel poked at the buttons on her watch as she spoke, and then looked up again, satisfied. "Actually, there's eight days left before I go, but that's pretty close to a week."

"Pretty close," Donna concurred quietly. "Well," and she recovered herself, smiling slightly, "It'll be a shame to be deprived of my helper."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage," Rachel replied cheerfully, glancing at her watch again. "Actually, it's time for me to go, I think. Thanks!" Giving a little wave, she started out the door of Josh Lyman's office, towards Toby's, where Mr. Ziegler might or might not have been, she didn't know. Even as she did so, however, Donna called after her.

"Rachel! Hey, do you think...do you want to come shopping with me tomorrow? Josh gave me a bit of time off in the evening, so that I could get something for the Seiman Dinner next week. CJ Cregg is coming too...do you think Toby would let you go?"

Rachel grinned wryly. "Anything to get me out of his way. You sure you want me tagging along?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," Donna assured her.

"Ok, then!" Rachel waved again as she departed, tossing back over her shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow! Bye, Donna!"

* * * * * * * * * * *

Toby Ziegler was draped across his desk, trying to keep his eyes open, when Rachel returned to the office, whistling to herself.

"Stop that," he ordered by way of greeting, and she obediently did so, with a soft sigh.

"Hi," she said, sitting down in her usual chair, and drumming her fingers on her knees as she watched him. "Are...you done yet?" She asked, hesitantly.

Toby shook his head. "No...I won't be done for a while." Then he looked up. "I'm going to have to ask you to go somewhere else, for now...we're having a meeting in here." Sorry, thought Toby. He was usually telling her to stay in the office, he realized. Ironic.

"Oh." Rachel shrugged. "Ok...I'll...just go back to Josh's office, then." She started out of the chair, but Toby stopped her, reaching a hand out to grab her arm.

"Hey, could you just...I don't know, find something to do? Josh needs to get some work done, too."

Toby watched how that registered on Rachel's face, and saw that she was mildly hurt by that statement. Damn, he thought. He hadn't meant it that way. It was just...didn't she realize that this wasn't a playground? This was the White House, for god's sake. Then again, he had dragged her here. She hadn't chosen to be with him.

"Sorry," He muttered, but she was already wandering down the hall by the time he looked up to reason with her. Shaking his head, Toby picked the pen back up off his desk. One more week, he thought. Then, maybe, she'll be happier.

Somehow, though, that thought didn't make him feel any better.