~ ~ ~

"I hear Donna had a victory this morning." Sam said leaning against the bullpen wall.

"How often have you convinced a Democrat let alone a Republican who was wavering on a bill without giving them anything?"

"Never. Nobody gets anything in this town for nothing."

"Donna does apparently. Do you want me to get her?"

"Yeah, do you know what she wants to talk to me about?" Sam asked.

"Only something to do with the First Lady. Did you know Leo gave out cards with guidelines on how longs meetings should last when we first got to the White House?"

"Yes, Cathy has one. Now Donna."

"DONNA, SAM's HERE."

"STOP BELLOWING JOSHUA." Donna said coming to the door. "Danny's going back to the press room before CJ's briefing. I'll be back in an hour." She informed him. "Come along Sam."

"Bye Josh."

~ ~ ~

"Josh is Donna in?" Toby asked three hours later.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Does she have a few hours free?" He stated.

"Her schedule is empty."

"Good." He stepped to the door. "Donna."

"Hello Toby."

"Well done with Skinner." He congratulated her.

"Thanks. What can I do for you?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting with three Republicans who are adamantly against the new Health Care Bill we're working on in ten minutes. I need you to sit in on the meeting with me. Sam was going to but he's working on something for the First Lady which he said to ask you about. Josh says you have time."

"Let me just save this and I'll be right with you."

"Where's Danny?" Toby asked.

"He's in the press room writing up his notes. Josh." She said hitting the intercom. "I need the file on the Health Care Bill. It's on your desk. I'll collect it on my way out."

"What no yelling?" Toby asked.

"We've been yelling but I thought I should try to teach him something while I have the power. Let's go." Donna got up from behind the desk and headed to the door. "The file?" Josh held it out to her.

"Do good in there!" He smiled.

"And you keep working on those index cards."

"Okay, what did you do with Josh?" Toby asked as they made their way to the Roosevelt Room."

"He's been trying to condense the Education report onto index cards all day, while having to deal with the rest of my job. I think he's gained a certain appreciation for assistants. So why do you really want me in this meeting?"

"I need you to sit in so you can tell Josh about the meeting as we're bound to have many meetings with these congressmen before the bill passes."

"Okay." Donna said as Toby opened the door for her.

"Congressmen, you all know Donna Moss, Josh Lyman's assistant. She'll be sitting in on this meeting as she's cover Josh's job today while he learns about the role of assistants in the White House."

"It's nice to see you all again Congressmen." Donna said cheerfully.

"You too Miss Moss." The Congressmen all shook her hand.

"Okay, lets start." Toby said as she began to debate the benefits of the bill and who it would help and the Congressmen debated why they were against it. Donna sat back and listened to their arguments every now and then make a note of something she should tell Josh on a piece of paper. Some of the Congressmen's arguments seemed to stem from the fact that they were Republicans and therefore disagreed with everything Toby said because he was Democrat.

"Congressmen." Donna said startling herself that something came out of her mouth.

"Yes Miss Moss." Congressman Timolovi asked.

"Would you mind if I asked a question?"

"Go ahead." He said sitting back in his chair, Toby looked at her questioningly.

"I know I'm just an assistant and I don't have a voice in anything remotely connected to government. I know I'm only acting as Deputy Chief of Staff today because Josh is being punished for being Josh. So my question isn't the role of Government to do what best serves the people? To make the country better so that our children can have better lives and live in a better world than we do?"

"Err, yes." Congressman Taylor replied.

"So shouldn't you as members of Congress want what's best for the people and despite partisanship, despite the fact that you're Republicans and this White House is Democrat shouldn't we work together to provide the best for the people. This bill provides additional funding for rural hospitals and inner city hospitals to provide better quality health care for people who need it. People who can't afford quality health insurance, people who rely on Medicare, these people don't live in good conditions, in nice houses with air conditioning and cable TV. This people live in homes with rats and bad sanitary conditions, which means that they have a higher chance of illness. We want these people to know that when they go to the hospital they can get the help they need. One in five children is born into poverty and this bill means that hospitals will be able to provide them with the health care they need. Republicans and Democrats need to work together on this bill to help the people, to do what you were elected to do, to make the country a better place. You can do that by voting yes to this bill and not arguing that it doesn't fit with Republican policy. It's a good bill and it helps people." Donna closed her mouth, not knowing where that had come from.

There was a pause while everyone was shocked.

"She's right. We should work together to help the people." Congressman Zetman sighed. "This bill is a step in the right direction." The other two Congressmen nodded in agreement.

"You have our votes for this Health Care Bill." Congressman Taylor added.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting with you Congressmen." Toby said shaking their hands. Toby and Donna stepped out into the hall. "You're amazing." Toby picked her up and spun her around.

"Toby, put that young woman down." A voice came.

"Sorry Mr President." Toby said putting her down. "Do you think we could fire Josh and give Donna his job permanently?"

"Performing more miracles Donna." He inquired.

"No sir." Donna said.

"She just convinced three Republican Congressmen that we very against the new Health Care Bill to agree to vote for it, in ten minutes when I had been arguing with them for an hour and a half."

"Is this true Donna?" Jed asked.

"They're going to vote for the bill yes. But I only pointed out the obvious that both you and they were elected to help improve the lives of the people in this country and at the moment the best way they could do that was to ignore partisanship and vote for this bill because it provides better health care for people who need it."

"Good work Donna, and well done with your meeting with Congressman Skinner this morning as well. Abbey also wanted me to say thank you for getting Sam involved in her pet project."

"I'm just doing my job sir. If you'll excuse I need to get back and see if Josh has finish trying to make index cards on the Education report." Jed nodded. Donna left them.

"Mr President I'm serious about giving her Josh's job. She's not patronising, she hasn't offended anyone and she's going to get a Health Care bill passed that is going to help millions of people."

"We can't give her Josh's job Toby. It's Josh's job, I'll talk to Leo and see what we can come up with. Nice work by the way."

"Yes sir." Jed headed back towards Leo's office, the secret service agents trailing him.

"Is he busy?" He asked Margaret. She quickly rose to her feet.

"No sir."

"Thank you." He knocked an entered.

"Mr President." Leo stood to his feet.

"Donna convinced Timolovi, Taylor and Zetman to vote for the Health Care Bill."

"Really? Good for her, she's having a good day."

"Toby wants us to give her Josh's job. I know that's not feasible, couldn't we promote her or give her a raise."

"We can't promote her she's not qualified; she doesn't have a degree so she can't get that big a raise."

"I'll mull it over. We have to do something."

"I know sir. This is why she was chosen to act as Deputy C.O.S. I'd like nothing better than to give her more responsibility but I think Congress would have a problem with it."

"I'll think about it. Thank you." He used the door to enter the Oval Office.

Twenty minutes later he yelled for Charlie.

"Yes Mr President."

"Charlie, I need Donna Moss's college transcript."

"Sir, she didn't finish college so I."

"Personnel will have a transcript of what she passed, while she was at college if they can't help you get the Secret Service or the FBI to get it for you. Then once you have I need you to get me the Dean of Georgetown on the phone."

"Did Zoey?" He started.

"Zoey didn't do anything. But I need to talk to him. Transcript first."

"Yes sir."

~ ~ ~

"Josh, I need three memo's Donna has written you in the last two years, two on political strategy which are longer than 3000 words and a memo on the political state of another country, which is as long as possible." Charlie said.

"Why?"

"The President would like to see them as soon as possible."

"Again I ask why?"

"He's the President he doesn't have to give an explanation for his actions but he'd like the memos within the next hour or so he told me when he asked me to ask you for them."

"I wouldn't know where she keeps those memos. Hang on DONNA."

"Josh, as I have asked you countless times not to yell today." She said coming out of the office. "What did you want?"

"Where do you keep a copy of all the memos you write for me?"

"They're backup onto a disk and sent with a hardcopy to OEAB on Saturdays. What did you need a memo on?"

"The President needs to see one of them." Josh said after Charlie shot him a look.

"There is a list with a brief description of topic and word count and the code for the disk it's stored on the hard drive. Hang on." She lent over the computer and taped in a few keys and brought the document up. "There you go. Was there anything else?"

"No. Thank you."

"Good because I've almost finished reorganising your desk, so you can find things."

"Donna, the President said to say well done on the meeting on the Health Care bill again. He says you should be proud of yourself."

"Donna, what happened at the meeting? You just said it went okay." Josh asked turning to look at her.

"She didn't tell you?" Charlie asked.

"Obviously not. Donna?"

"They're going to vote yes to the bill."

"Because." Charlie prompted. Donna glared at him.

"Because I pointed out an obvious fact that the bill was good for the people and should be put down because of partisanship."

"You convinced three Republican's who never agree with us to vote yes to one of our bills?" Josh asked. Donna nodded. "You're amazing." He picked her up and spun around.

"I'm getting a lot of that today. Can you put me down your back?" She yelled.

"I don't know, that could count as sexual harassment Josh." CJ said leaning against the bullpen wall.

"At least the President was around this time?"

"This time?" CJ asked.

"Toby decided to pick me up and spin me around outside the Roosevelt room, the President was walking by at the time. But I have to say I like being called amazing."

"You did well today getting the votes and giving nothing away. Do you want to go out and get a drink as soon as I call a full lid?" CJ asked.

"She can't get drunk, I need her in early tomorrow so that I can get all the work done I didn't get done today." Josh stated.

"Thank you Joshua, I can speak for my safe. I love too."

"Josh, we need the President needs those memos before six thirty."

"Which ones do you need?" Donna asked.

"Two 3000 or more word memos on political strategy and one on the political state of another country that you've written in the last two years." Donna scanned down the list and wrote a few numbers on a piece of paper. She grabbed the phone and dialled the extension for OEAB.

"Hi Flora it's Donna. I need you to send over some of the disks from the box of Josh's memos. There are three of them reference numbers JL1234, JL0578, JL0978. We needed them in the next thirty minutes if possible.. Thanks Flora and say hi to Kara for me. Yeah, I'm sure Josh will have me over there looking for something again soon. Yeah bye." She turned back to the group. "They're be here in thirty minutes. You just need to load the disks and access these files and print them."

"How do you do that?" Josh questioned.

"Organisation and knowing the people over at OEAB helps as well I spend enough time over there. CJ let me know when you want to leave. Charlie if the President wants any more memos let me know and Josh do something. I'm going down to the mess to get something to eat." She walked off leaving them.

"She really is amazing." Charlie said. "I have to get back. Bring those memos over when you're done." Charlie headed back towards the Oval Office.

"That she is." Josh agreed.

"You should read the article Danny wrote it's good." CJ said.

"Can I?"

"Not until tomorrow like everyone else. Like Donna said do something"