Josh walked bleary-eyed into his and Amy's room with Toby at his heels.
"J?" she asked when she got a look at his puffy eyes.
"Not now," Josh ordered back.
"Josh," Toby called opening the door to the room without knocking.
"What the hell, Toby?" Amy yelped, wrapping the blanket more tightly around her body in bed. "A little knocking wouldn't kill you."
"No, it probably wouldn't," Toby agreed and walked past Amy and drug a chair in front of where Josh was sitting by the table. "What's going on, Josh?"
"Toby...just...can we just...not tonight. Okay?" he asked helplessly.
"No. I'm sorry. We will have to talk about this now. Josh, now. We're in the middle of a fucking campaign cycle. I can't afford to have you crack up now. Not after everything else these past few years. Sam can't afford it either. I need to know where your head is," Toby demanded.
"It's right here," Josh seethed.
"I don't believe you," Toby said plainly. "I can wait here all night," he said, settling back in his chair.
"We're not doing this here," Josh told him.
"Josh? Everything okay?" Amy asked, suddenly worried.
"Yeah...I just need to talk to Toby for a minute or two," he told her. "I'll be right back," he tried to smiled as he made his way to the door with Toby following him closely.
They made it down to Toby's room quickly and in complete silence. Toby pulled out a chair for Josh and sat down on his bed. "Okay," Toby said. "Are you okay?"
Josh looked at him for a long while before answering. Then he whispered, "Not at the moment, no."
"Am I calling Stanley?" Toby asked.
"I'll see him when I get back," Josh promised. "I'll call his office in the morning."
"You scared Donna tonight, Josh," Toby told him.
"I'm aware of that," Josh said coldly.
"You can't keep getting lost in yourself," Toby sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this whole thing quiet."
"I know, I know, I know," Josh cried, frustrated. "I just...I knew I needed to see her again...just to, ya know...see her. But then, once I did...I couldn't get enough. Then I...I just went a little over the edge. I don't even know what I was saying. All I know is one minute I was fine and then the next I was crying her lap like a blubbering idiot about how all of my loved ones abandon me or some shit like that. I think...I guess being near her fucks me up or something."
"She loves you, you know," Toby told his friend. "No matter what and in spite of even herself, that girl loves you and worries about you way too much," he smirked. "I have no clue what you did to deserve her, but I am glad that she's there for you."
"She's not though," Josh said. "Not really. She's here. In New freaking Hampshire with Michael and Zoey."
"Josh...would you like to be her friend again?" Toby asked him.
"I...I don't know if I could go back to just being her friend," he sighed.
"Would you like to find out?" Toby asked. "I really think having a friend in Donna would be good for your right about now."
"I...I...I just want to be happy again," Josh confessed.
"And you're happy when you talk to Donna?" Toby smiled knowing the answer.
"Yes," Josh said quickly.
"Then...be her friend. Don't throw your relationship with Amy in her face. Inquire about Michael, by his real name, every once in a while. Email her. Call her on the phone. Visit her. Be. Her. Friend," Toby said simply.
"I can try," Josh sighed. "It can't be worse than this, right?"
Toby laughed, "Probably not; no."
"Thanks, Toby," Josh said seriously.
"It's what I do," Toby replied. "Now get out of my room. I need to call Andie"
"I should call Donna," Josh thought out loud.
"No," Toby stopped him in his tracks. "You should get your ass back to your girlfriend and be a good boyfriend for once. Donna'll be around tomorrow."
"But we've got the day jam-packed," Josh said exasperatingly.
"Make time for your friend, Josh," Toby told him. "Call her before we start to pack up tomorrow night or something," he suggested.
Josh shook his head in agreement. "Night," he sighed.
"Yeah," Toby agreed.
By the time Josh got back to his room Amy was laying awake in the dark. He thought she was sleeping so he quietly got undressed and threw on a pair of shorts and hopped into bed beside her. "
"Hey," Amy whispered as he lay beside her.
"Yeah," he answered back.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I will be," he told her.
"Can I help?" she offered.
"No," he told her honestly and rolled over to go to sleep.
"Okay," she whispered knowing that this had everything to do with the inordinate amount of contact that he'd had with Donna the last couple of days. She sighed and rolled over as well. She knew that their relationship wasn't what he wanted or even needed at this point. She was a challenge to him. He liked arguing with her more than he enjoyed sleeping with her. Once she figured that all out...she became increasingly more aware of his habits and tendencies. Upon investigation she came across a guy who knew a guy who told her that his friend's cousin was a reporter who had a juicy story of a White House Senior-staffer screwing his secretary and that the story got squashed by the higher-ups and it was buried under paperwork. She knew that Josh had a thing for Donna. She accused him of that many times during their previous two attempts at a relationship. After the second time they broke up, Josh seemed unusually content. He and Donna were leaving the office before 11 PM on some days. If she paired that up with the rumor from the guy's friend's cousin or whatever, she thought, it seemed to jive. She was just with him now out of habit. Out of habit and for lack of a better word, desperation. It's hard to meet people with shitty hours like me, she often thought. Josh was easy. He was predictable. Their relationship was comfortable and politically sound. She hated it. She waited till she knew he was asleep and then she rolled back over and kissed his head and smiled softly at him. He looked like a little boy, she thought. His eyes were still puffy from crying and his hair was out of place. He looked nothing like hard ass Josh Lyman, political specialist. If his enemies could see him now they'd die, she thought. She made up her mind. She'd help him through whatever it was he needed - then she was out of there. She was going to go find herself love, not just a warm body to keep her company in the wee hours of the morning. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes. They had a busy day ahead of them.
Donna didn't say much to Zoey on the way home. She'd managed to stop crying and compose herself by the time they'd reached her apartment.
"You need me to come up?" Zoey asked her friend.
"No," she sighed. "I'm just going to call Michael and then hit the bed. I have class tomorrow all day."
"I took off cause the family's leaving after tomorrow," Zoey told her. "I want to tag along to all of their stops. They're not getting back in town till like 11 or something tomorrow night," Zoey informed her. "So...maybe if you need to call Josh....you should do it in the morning or something?"
"I said all I needed to say to him tonight," Donna told her. "I'm fine," she insisted.
"Why do you both torture yourselves?" Zoey asked.
"Good night, Zoey," Donna told her with a firm smile as she exited the car and jogged up her steps.
Zoey sighed as she watched Donna disappear into her building. She picked up her phone and called Toby's room.
"Yeah?" he asked into the phone.
"Is Josh okay?" Zoey quickly asked.
"He will be...eventually," Toby told her. "How about Donna?"
"I don't know," Zoey told him honestly. "She didn't really want to talk about it."
"I told Josh that he should try to make nice with Donna. Do the friends thing for the time being," Toby explained. "He misses her. He knows that she's not available as anything other than a friend right now and I think that he's okay with that more or less. He just needs her, you know? They've always had that weird kind of connection," Toby continued.
"I know," Zoey agreed. "I think it would be good for the both of them."
"Okay, kiddo," Toby smiled. "I gotta sleep. I'll see you later on?"
"Yeah," she confirmed. "I'll be hanging out with you guys all day."
"Okay," Toby smiled. "Night."
"Night," she smiled and hung up the phone.
Donna got to her apartment and jumped in the shower. She just wanted to forget everything. She wanted to be Donna Moss, college student/waitress again. She was good at that. No stress. No big problems. No past memories. She liked that Donna. This Donna...this Donna was a different story. She had allowed herself to get swept up in it again. In a few short days she had managed to let Joshua Lyman charm his way back into her life and that sucked. It sucked because she was so weak that she let it happen, she thought. She just let herself go back to being that girl again. She wanted to take care of him. She wanted to help him. And God help her she wanted to kiss him. But he'd be gone in a day or so, she thought. He'd be gone and she'd be able to readjust into her life with Michael...as Donna Moss: college student/waitress. She closed her eyes and let the hot water fall over her body and she had the sudden to sleep. She dried off and lay in bed and quickly drifted off to sleep. She was woken up by the sound of her ringing phone. She glanced at the clock - it read 2:47 AM. She reached for it, "Hello?"
She was greeted with silence. "Hello?" she tried again.
Still nothing. She could, however, hear light breathing on the other end. "Josh?" she asked, quietly.
Josh sat on the floor of his hotel room with his back pressed up again the bed he was just in with Amy. He was holding the phone to his ear...just listening to the sound of her voice.
"Josh?" she whispered again. Still nothing, she thought. "Good night, Joshua," she tried instead. "I'm going to sleep now. So should you. You'll be cranky in the morning. I'll call Sam and make him refer to you as 'Deputy Downer' for the entire day if you don't get some sleep now," she warned.
He smiled at her quirkiness and sighed into the phone.
Donna smiled at that. "I'm hanging up after you, Joshua. So...hang up," she told him. "Good night," she said.
He smiled and hung up the phone and got back in bed.
Donna looked at the phone for a moment before she hung up. She had class in less than 7 hours and she had to sleep and cram for a test still, she thought. She huffed and rolled over and closed her eyes. It's never gonna end, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning came and with it, Michael found his way over to Donna's for breakfast before her first class. "Morning, sunshine," he said as he breezed in with coffee and bagels. "How was your night?"
She forced a smile and checked her make-up one last time before leaving her bedroom. She was pleased that she managed to cover up the bags under her eyes. "It was fine," she said. "Oooh! You brought coffee," she cooed. "You're my hero!"
He laughed and kissed her cheek before sitting down to join her for breakfast.
"Did you finish your papers?" she inquired.
"Yes...they took forever," he labored. "Those kids are so damn long- winded."
"Did Zoey do good?" she asked.
"It's well, funny girl," he laughed. "And yeah...she'll be happy with her grade."
"Yay!" Donna cheered as she put cream cheese on her cinnamon raisin bagel. "So I have class this morning," she told him. "And then I have to do a paper. Then I have the afternoon shift at the pub and then I am back at the library for the rest of the night," she whined.
"Poor baby," he sighed. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Not really," she smiled. "But thank you so much for offering."
"You're friends are leaving soon?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning," she confirmed. "I'll call Mallory and the girls maybe later on. But...I think I've said my goodbyes to everyone else."
"You'll miss them," he smiled at her, verbalizing what she was thinking.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I allowed myself to get wrapped up in it again," she laughed. "I tried so hard to just ignore their visit...I have been pretty good about separating myself now from what I was then."
"Maybe you shouldn't," he spoke up, surprising himself more than her.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Maybe you should allow yourself to remember that time and your friends," he told her. "I mean, I've never seen you so happy. You were laughing and smiling more than I think I've ever seen," he admitted. "I'm sorry that I can't make you happy like that," he sighed. "But if your friends can do that for you, then maybe you should be friends with them."
Donna looked at him and smiled sadly and sweetly. He was really trying to do what was best for her, she thought. She got up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered. "Thank you so much for saying that."
"I just want you happy, Donna," Michael smiled at her.
"Thanks," Donna whispered. "I have to get ready go," she said quietly.
"You'll think about what I said?" he asked. "Maybe when they all get home...you know, you can give them a call or something."
"Yeah...that might work," Donna giggled. "Lock up on your way out, for me baby?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Michael obliged.
Donna's day dragged. From school to the computer lab to work to the library. Throughout the day she called CJ, Mal, and the rest of the girls on their cell phones to say goodbye. While on the phone with them, she managed to send her love to Sam, Toby, and the President and First Lady.
As she was leaving the library by cab around 2 AM she felt an overwhelming urge to just drive by the hotel that everyone was staying at one last time. Once she was there...she told the cabby to go and got out. She wandered around and noticed a computer light on inside the Headquarters. She tried the door and let herself in. She found Josh sitting on a couch near a desk in the corner. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.
"I could ask you the same question," Josh retorted. "In fact, since I work here and you...like...don't," Josh started to argue, then he stopped. "Why are you here?" he asked instead.
"I...um...I saw the light on....and...I just..." she started to ramble.
"Donna...it's 2 o'clock in the fucking morning," Josh said accusingly. "What the hell are you doing out at this hour alone?"
"I was at the library...doing homework. I took a cab here and when I saw the light on, I just asked the cabby to leave," she told him honestly.
Josh smiled. "Did you get your homework done?" he asked cockily.
"Yes, I did," she laughed. "Thank you very much."
"Good girl," Josh told her. "You know? I am very proud of you, Donna," he told her.
"Yeah?" Donna asked.
"Of course, Donna," Josh said. "You're doing what you always wanted to do. You're doing it on your own terms just like you wanted. I think you're amazing," he breathed.
Donna smiled. "I think you might be a little bit biased," she whispered through her tears.
"Maybe," he said honestly with a smirk. "But who the hell cares, right?"
"Thank you Joshua," Donna told him. "I appreciate that so much."
"You deserve that and so much more, Donna" Josh said, looking in her eyes.
"I'm proud of you, too, you know," Donna smirked.
"Yeah?" Josh asked. "For what?"
"For being you. For running the country with President Bartlet and soon with Sam," Donna said. "You've had many obstacles, Josh. You are a great man and you're destined to do great things," Donna whispered through her tears.
Josh smiled at her. "Thanks," Josh said surprised at her outburst. "I...uh..I don't really know what to say."
"I don't want you to say anything," she smiled. "I just wanted you to know that I admired you."
"And I admire you," he answered.
They both smiled at each other. "You leaving?" he asked suddenly.
"Should I?" Donna asked.
"I wish you wouldn't," he told her.
"Okay," she smiled as she got up and joined him on the couch.
"Toby says I should try to be friends with you," Josh told her
"Yeah?" she asked as she settled herself against him as he put his arms around her. "And what do you think?"
"I'm not sure it's possible for me to just be friends with you, Donna," Josh told her honestly.
"Can you give it a try, Josh?" she asked.
"You want to be friends with me?" Josh asked a little shocked.
"I miss you too much not to want to try. In fact, Michael encouraged it," Donna told him.
"So you want me to agree with your Republican boyfriend?" he asked with a grin.
"I want you in my life," Donna corrected him.
"I love you too much not to try, Donna," Josh whispered as he pressed a kiss in her hair.
"I'm tired," Donna murmured, curling into his body closely.
"Sleep Donna," Josh whispered into her hair as he ran his fingers through it, lulling her to sleep.
Soon after she fell asleep, he followed after her.
The next morning, Donna woke up. Alone. She was curled up with a pillow on a couch in the Headquarters. Alone. Josh had wrapped her in a blanket and left her with a watch and a note.
She opened her eyes and focused on Zoey's eyes staring at her.
"What happened?" she asked Donna.
"Nothing," Donna answered sitting up and looking at the watch and note. "He left?"
"About an hour ago...he didn't wanna wake you. He said he'll call you later," Zoey said, shocked. "You guys are talking now?"
"He wants...we want to try to be friends," Donna explained. "We talked last night."
"What's the note say?" Zoey asked noticing Donna staring at it with Josh's father's watch.
"It says, 'Time will tell, Donnatella,'" Donna smiled at Zoey.
"That is his Dad's watch?" Zoey asked, knowing the answer. Josh loved that watch.
"Yeah," Donna sniffed. "I always loved this watch."
"You gonna be okay?" Zoey asked.
"Of course," Donna smiled. "I have to get home. Michael'll be worried."
"Not now," Josh ordered back.
"Josh," Toby called opening the door to the room without knocking.
"What the hell, Toby?" Amy yelped, wrapping the blanket more tightly around her body in bed. "A little knocking wouldn't kill you."
"No, it probably wouldn't," Toby agreed and walked past Amy and drug a chair in front of where Josh was sitting by the table. "What's going on, Josh?"
"Toby...just...can we just...not tonight. Okay?" he asked helplessly.
"No. I'm sorry. We will have to talk about this now. Josh, now. We're in the middle of a fucking campaign cycle. I can't afford to have you crack up now. Not after everything else these past few years. Sam can't afford it either. I need to know where your head is," Toby demanded.
"It's right here," Josh seethed.
"I don't believe you," Toby said plainly. "I can wait here all night," he said, settling back in his chair.
"We're not doing this here," Josh told him.
"Josh? Everything okay?" Amy asked, suddenly worried.
"Yeah...I just need to talk to Toby for a minute or two," he told her. "I'll be right back," he tried to smiled as he made his way to the door with Toby following him closely.
They made it down to Toby's room quickly and in complete silence. Toby pulled out a chair for Josh and sat down on his bed. "Okay," Toby said. "Are you okay?"
Josh looked at him for a long while before answering. Then he whispered, "Not at the moment, no."
"Am I calling Stanley?" Toby asked.
"I'll see him when I get back," Josh promised. "I'll call his office in the morning."
"You scared Donna tonight, Josh," Toby told him.
"I'm aware of that," Josh said coldly.
"You can't keep getting lost in yourself," Toby sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this whole thing quiet."
"I know, I know, I know," Josh cried, frustrated. "I just...I knew I needed to see her again...just to, ya know...see her. But then, once I did...I couldn't get enough. Then I...I just went a little over the edge. I don't even know what I was saying. All I know is one minute I was fine and then the next I was crying her lap like a blubbering idiot about how all of my loved ones abandon me or some shit like that. I think...I guess being near her fucks me up or something."
"She loves you, you know," Toby told his friend. "No matter what and in spite of even herself, that girl loves you and worries about you way too much," he smirked. "I have no clue what you did to deserve her, but I am glad that she's there for you."
"She's not though," Josh said. "Not really. She's here. In New freaking Hampshire with Michael and Zoey."
"Josh...would you like to be her friend again?" Toby asked him.
"I...I don't know if I could go back to just being her friend," he sighed.
"Would you like to find out?" Toby asked. "I really think having a friend in Donna would be good for your right about now."
"I...I...I just want to be happy again," Josh confessed.
"And you're happy when you talk to Donna?" Toby smiled knowing the answer.
"Yes," Josh said quickly.
"Then...be her friend. Don't throw your relationship with Amy in her face. Inquire about Michael, by his real name, every once in a while. Email her. Call her on the phone. Visit her. Be. Her. Friend," Toby said simply.
"I can try," Josh sighed. "It can't be worse than this, right?"
Toby laughed, "Probably not; no."
"Thanks, Toby," Josh said seriously.
"It's what I do," Toby replied. "Now get out of my room. I need to call Andie"
"I should call Donna," Josh thought out loud.
"No," Toby stopped him in his tracks. "You should get your ass back to your girlfriend and be a good boyfriend for once. Donna'll be around tomorrow."
"But we've got the day jam-packed," Josh said exasperatingly.
"Make time for your friend, Josh," Toby told him. "Call her before we start to pack up tomorrow night or something," he suggested.
Josh shook his head in agreement. "Night," he sighed.
"Yeah," Toby agreed.
By the time Josh got back to his room Amy was laying awake in the dark. He thought she was sleeping so he quietly got undressed and threw on a pair of shorts and hopped into bed beside her. "
"Hey," Amy whispered as he lay beside her.
"Yeah," he answered back.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I will be," he told her.
"Can I help?" she offered.
"No," he told her honestly and rolled over to go to sleep.
"Okay," she whispered knowing that this had everything to do with the inordinate amount of contact that he'd had with Donna the last couple of days. She sighed and rolled over as well. She knew that their relationship wasn't what he wanted or even needed at this point. She was a challenge to him. He liked arguing with her more than he enjoyed sleeping with her. Once she figured that all out...she became increasingly more aware of his habits and tendencies. Upon investigation she came across a guy who knew a guy who told her that his friend's cousin was a reporter who had a juicy story of a White House Senior-staffer screwing his secretary and that the story got squashed by the higher-ups and it was buried under paperwork. She knew that Josh had a thing for Donna. She accused him of that many times during their previous two attempts at a relationship. After the second time they broke up, Josh seemed unusually content. He and Donna were leaving the office before 11 PM on some days. If she paired that up with the rumor from the guy's friend's cousin or whatever, she thought, it seemed to jive. She was just with him now out of habit. Out of habit and for lack of a better word, desperation. It's hard to meet people with shitty hours like me, she often thought. Josh was easy. He was predictable. Their relationship was comfortable and politically sound. She hated it. She waited till she knew he was asleep and then she rolled back over and kissed his head and smiled softly at him. He looked like a little boy, she thought. His eyes were still puffy from crying and his hair was out of place. He looked nothing like hard ass Josh Lyman, political specialist. If his enemies could see him now they'd die, she thought. She made up her mind. She'd help him through whatever it was he needed - then she was out of there. She was going to go find herself love, not just a warm body to keep her company in the wee hours of the morning. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes. They had a busy day ahead of them.
Donna didn't say much to Zoey on the way home. She'd managed to stop crying and compose herself by the time they'd reached her apartment.
"You need me to come up?" Zoey asked her friend.
"No," she sighed. "I'm just going to call Michael and then hit the bed. I have class tomorrow all day."
"I took off cause the family's leaving after tomorrow," Zoey told her. "I want to tag along to all of their stops. They're not getting back in town till like 11 or something tomorrow night," Zoey informed her. "So...maybe if you need to call Josh....you should do it in the morning or something?"
"I said all I needed to say to him tonight," Donna told her. "I'm fine," she insisted.
"Why do you both torture yourselves?" Zoey asked.
"Good night, Zoey," Donna told her with a firm smile as she exited the car and jogged up her steps.
Zoey sighed as she watched Donna disappear into her building. She picked up her phone and called Toby's room.
"Yeah?" he asked into the phone.
"Is Josh okay?" Zoey quickly asked.
"He will be...eventually," Toby told her. "How about Donna?"
"I don't know," Zoey told him honestly. "She didn't really want to talk about it."
"I told Josh that he should try to make nice with Donna. Do the friends thing for the time being," Toby explained. "He misses her. He knows that she's not available as anything other than a friend right now and I think that he's okay with that more or less. He just needs her, you know? They've always had that weird kind of connection," Toby continued.
"I know," Zoey agreed. "I think it would be good for the both of them."
"Okay, kiddo," Toby smiled. "I gotta sleep. I'll see you later on?"
"Yeah," she confirmed. "I'll be hanging out with you guys all day."
"Okay," Toby smiled. "Night."
"Night," she smiled and hung up the phone.
Donna got to her apartment and jumped in the shower. She just wanted to forget everything. She wanted to be Donna Moss, college student/waitress again. She was good at that. No stress. No big problems. No past memories. She liked that Donna. This Donna...this Donna was a different story. She had allowed herself to get swept up in it again. In a few short days she had managed to let Joshua Lyman charm his way back into her life and that sucked. It sucked because she was so weak that she let it happen, she thought. She just let herself go back to being that girl again. She wanted to take care of him. She wanted to help him. And God help her she wanted to kiss him. But he'd be gone in a day or so, she thought. He'd be gone and she'd be able to readjust into her life with Michael...as Donna Moss: college student/waitress. She closed her eyes and let the hot water fall over her body and she had the sudden to sleep. She dried off and lay in bed and quickly drifted off to sleep. She was woken up by the sound of her ringing phone. She glanced at the clock - it read 2:47 AM. She reached for it, "Hello?"
She was greeted with silence. "Hello?" she tried again.
Still nothing. She could, however, hear light breathing on the other end. "Josh?" she asked, quietly.
Josh sat on the floor of his hotel room with his back pressed up again the bed he was just in with Amy. He was holding the phone to his ear...just listening to the sound of her voice.
"Josh?" she whispered again. Still nothing, she thought. "Good night, Joshua," she tried instead. "I'm going to sleep now. So should you. You'll be cranky in the morning. I'll call Sam and make him refer to you as 'Deputy Downer' for the entire day if you don't get some sleep now," she warned.
He smiled at her quirkiness and sighed into the phone.
Donna smiled at that. "I'm hanging up after you, Joshua. So...hang up," she told him. "Good night," she said.
He smiled and hung up the phone and got back in bed.
Donna looked at the phone for a moment before she hung up. She had class in less than 7 hours and she had to sleep and cram for a test still, she thought. She huffed and rolled over and closed her eyes. It's never gonna end, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning came and with it, Michael found his way over to Donna's for breakfast before her first class. "Morning, sunshine," he said as he breezed in with coffee and bagels. "How was your night?"
She forced a smile and checked her make-up one last time before leaving her bedroom. She was pleased that she managed to cover up the bags under her eyes. "It was fine," she said. "Oooh! You brought coffee," she cooed. "You're my hero!"
He laughed and kissed her cheek before sitting down to join her for breakfast.
"Did you finish your papers?" she inquired.
"Yes...they took forever," he labored. "Those kids are so damn long- winded."
"Did Zoey do good?" she asked.
"It's well, funny girl," he laughed. "And yeah...she'll be happy with her grade."
"Yay!" Donna cheered as she put cream cheese on her cinnamon raisin bagel. "So I have class this morning," she told him. "And then I have to do a paper. Then I have the afternoon shift at the pub and then I am back at the library for the rest of the night," she whined.
"Poor baby," he sighed. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Not really," she smiled. "But thank you so much for offering."
"You're friends are leaving soon?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning," she confirmed. "I'll call Mallory and the girls maybe later on. But...I think I've said my goodbyes to everyone else."
"You'll miss them," he smiled at her, verbalizing what she was thinking.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I allowed myself to get wrapped up in it again," she laughed. "I tried so hard to just ignore their visit...I have been pretty good about separating myself now from what I was then."
"Maybe you shouldn't," he spoke up, surprising himself more than her.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Maybe you should allow yourself to remember that time and your friends," he told her. "I mean, I've never seen you so happy. You were laughing and smiling more than I think I've ever seen," he admitted. "I'm sorry that I can't make you happy like that," he sighed. "But if your friends can do that for you, then maybe you should be friends with them."
Donna looked at him and smiled sadly and sweetly. He was really trying to do what was best for her, she thought. She got up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered. "Thank you so much for saying that."
"I just want you happy, Donna," Michael smiled at her.
"Thanks," Donna whispered. "I have to get ready go," she said quietly.
"You'll think about what I said?" he asked. "Maybe when they all get home...you know, you can give them a call or something."
"Yeah...that might work," Donna giggled. "Lock up on your way out, for me baby?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Michael obliged.
Donna's day dragged. From school to the computer lab to work to the library. Throughout the day she called CJ, Mal, and the rest of the girls on their cell phones to say goodbye. While on the phone with them, she managed to send her love to Sam, Toby, and the President and First Lady.
As she was leaving the library by cab around 2 AM she felt an overwhelming urge to just drive by the hotel that everyone was staying at one last time. Once she was there...she told the cabby to go and got out. She wandered around and noticed a computer light on inside the Headquarters. She tried the door and let herself in. She found Josh sitting on a couch near a desk in the corner. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.
"I could ask you the same question," Josh retorted. "In fact, since I work here and you...like...don't," Josh started to argue, then he stopped. "Why are you here?" he asked instead.
"I...um...I saw the light on....and...I just..." she started to ramble.
"Donna...it's 2 o'clock in the fucking morning," Josh said accusingly. "What the hell are you doing out at this hour alone?"
"I was at the library...doing homework. I took a cab here and when I saw the light on, I just asked the cabby to leave," she told him honestly.
Josh smiled. "Did you get your homework done?" he asked cockily.
"Yes, I did," she laughed. "Thank you very much."
"Good girl," Josh told her. "You know? I am very proud of you, Donna," he told her.
"Yeah?" Donna asked.
"Of course, Donna," Josh said. "You're doing what you always wanted to do. You're doing it on your own terms just like you wanted. I think you're amazing," he breathed.
Donna smiled. "I think you might be a little bit biased," she whispered through her tears.
"Maybe," he said honestly with a smirk. "But who the hell cares, right?"
"Thank you Joshua," Donna told him. "I appreciate that so much."
"You deserve that and so much more, Donna" Josh said, looking in her eyes.
"I'm proud of you, too, you know," Donna smirked.
"Yeah?" Josh asked. "For what?"
"For being you. For running the country with President Bartlet and soon with Sam," Donna said. "You've had many obstacles, Josh. You are a great man and you're destined to do great things," Donna whispered through her tears.
Josh smiled at her. "Thanks," Josh said surprised at her outburst. "I...uh..I don't really know what to say."
"I don't want you to say anything," she smiled. "I just wanted you to know that I admired you."
"And I admire you," he answered.
They both smiled at each other. "You leaving?" he asked suddenly.
"Should I?" Donna asked.
"I wish you wouldn't," he told her.
"Okay," she smiled as she got up and joined him on the couch.
"Toby says I should try to be friends with you," Josh told her
"Yeah?" she asked as she settled herself against him as he put his arms around her. "And what do you think?"
"I'm not sure it's possible for me to just be friends with you, Donna," Josh told her honestly.
"Can you give it a try, Josh?" she asked.
"You want to be friends with me?" Josh asked a little shocked.
"I miss you too much not to want to try. In fact, Michael encouraged it," Donna told him.
"So you want me to agree with your Republican boyfriend?" he asked with a grin.
"I want you in my life," Donna corrected him.
"I love you too much not to try, Donna," Josh whispered as he pressed a kiss in her hair.
"I'm tired," Donna murmured, curling into his body closely.
"Sleep Donna," Josh whispered into her hair as he ran his fingers through it, lulling her to sleep.
Soon after she fell asleep, he followed after her.
The next morning, Donna woke up. Alone. She was curled up with a pillow on a couch in the Headquarters. Alone. Josh had wrapped her in a blanket and left her with a watch and a note.
She opened her eyes and focused on Zoey's eyes staring at her.
"What happened?" she asked Donna.
"Nothing," Donna answered sitting up and looking at the watch and note. "He left?"
"About an hour ago...he didn't wanna wake you. He said he'll call you later," Zoey said, shocked. "You guys are talking now?"
"He wants...we want to try to be friends," Donna explained. "We talked last night."
"What's the note say?" Zoey asked noticing Donna staring at it with Josh's father's watch.
"It says, 'Time will tell, Donnatella,'" Donna smiled at Zoey.
"That is his Dad's watch?" Zoey asked, knowing the answer. Josh loved that watch.
"Yeah," Donna sniffed. "I always loved this watch."
"You gonna be okay?" Zoey asked.
"Of course," Donna smiled. "I have to get home. Michael'll be worried."
