Running the country never got easier, Sam realized as he stared out of his window onto Pennsylvania Avenue. It was raining today, he observed. Today was the day of Michael's funeral. He was being flown up to New Hampshire later to make his appearance and attempt to support Donna...and Josh, he assumed.

His best friend had not been doing well. Josh was distant...often withdrawn. He was at work by 6 AM every morning and he was still there most days way after 10 PM. Donna had returned to New Hampshire almost as soon as she was released from the hospital with Michael's body to make the proper arrangements. When she left - he suspected another part of Josh died. Sam sighed and recalled when Donna had originally left - Josh was a mess and he didn't really get over it. Then, after years, Josh and Donna saw each other and Josh seemed better somehow. Sam figured that even though she seemed committed to Michael during that time, Josh was still a large part of her thoughts. And then - things seemed to have gotten worse before the holidays but then after Christmas, Josh and Donna were Josh and Donna again. And everyone was so happy at his Inauguration.

Now Josh was reliving Roslyn nightly in his dreams - that much Sam was sure. With this latest shooting - Sam wasn't sure how Josh would manage. No, that's not right, he thought shaking his head. Really he was unsure on how Josh would manage without Donna. And if he was honest - he didn't know how Donna would survive this ordeal all alone in New Hampshire.

Sam slumped in his desk and buzzed Josh's latest assistant, Candy, on the phone. "Is he in?" he asked.

"No...he hasn't been here all morning, Sir," she told him.

"Have you tried his cell? His pager? His apartment?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"Yes," Candy said with a sigh. "It went to voice mail; he never called back; I left a message," she answered him in order.

Sam slammed down the phone. "Shit!" he yelled and banged his desk.

"Hey," Mallory exclaimed walking in. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know where Josh is," he told her. "No one's seen him all morning and it's very late for him," he said glancing at his watch. It's almost noon."

"Maybe he slept in?" Mal offered, trying to be helpful.

"He helps me run the fucking country," Sam yelled. "He's not afforded that luxury."

"Sam," Mallory said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Stop," she commanded. "You're just worried; you're not mad at him."

"I know," he sighed. "And I should be both," he told her.

Kathy buzzed him. "Mr. President? Zoey's on the phone," she told him.

He answered immediately. "Zoey? Is Donna all right?" he asked.

"She's doing as well as can be expected. But it's not her I'm worried about," Zoey told him. She knelt down on the cushion by the picture window and sighed as she watched Josh pace past her parents' front porch for the hundredth time. "Josh is here."

Sam put her on speaker phone so Mal could hear her. "Josh's there? Is he okay?"

"I don't know," she told them. "He just paces in front of the door. He's been here for 4 hours now - just pacing and mumbling to himself."

"He came early for the funeral," Mallory offered. Has he seen Donna?" Mal asked.

"Nope. She's here. He hasn't knocked. He just walks and mumbles," Zoey sighed. "Has he been okay?"

"We think the PTSD is affecting him more prevalently lately," Mal explained. "Toby's called Stanley and he'll be here next week on stand-by."

"Good," Zoey smiled. "He needs to get help soon."

"We'll be there soon," Mal told her.

"What's he wearing?" Sam asked, suddenly.

Zoey looked again. "Sneakers, jeans, and a Harvard sweatshirt," she said. "Shit! He must be freezing. I didn't really look at his clothes before now," she sighed sadly.

"He left from here last night. He didn't even go home," Sam accused. "He was wearing that yesterday to work. I yelled at him for not looking more professional. Zoey - get him inside please. Try and get his act together for the funeral. Donna has enough to worry about. "We're leaving now," he told her. "We'll handle this when we land."

"Okay guys," Zoey said. "I'll see you soon," she said and hung up. She grabbed a coat for herself and a blanket for Josh and headed out into the snow for him.

Donna heard the door and she looked out her window in time to see Zoey and Josh arguing over the blanket and coming inside. She smiled and decided to go down and drag him in herself.

The two of them stopped their bickering when Donna cleared her throat from the doorway.

"Donna," Josh whispered.

"Sorry we bothered you," Zoey told her. "This bonehead wants to get frostbite."

Donna smiled a little. "Come in. I'll make you some coffee," she told him and turned and walked back inside without giving him a second look.

Josh followed her in arguing how he didn't want any coffee and Zoey shook her head. "Whatever," she shrugged and followed Josh in.

Zoey waited a few moments before going into the parlor, where Josh and Donna were. When she entered, Josh was on the couch, curled up and asleep. Donna was sipping hot chocolate with her legs tucked under her body.

"Hey," Zoey whispered.

"Hey," Donna replied. "Did you want some hot chocolate or some coffee or something?" she offered.

"No," Zoey smiled. "What's going on?"

"He needed to sleep," Donna said matter-of-factly. "He'll be fine once he wakes up."

"He looked tired," Zoey mused.

"He hasn't slept in days," Donna told her. "He mentioned it before he crashed."

"Why is he sleeping now?" Zoey wondered.

"Cause...he needs sleep," Donna reasoned. "I guess he just needed to feel safe and he does here."

"Or he does with you," Zoey corrected.

"Regardless," Donna dismissed her. "I have to get a shower. When he wakes up - send him up. He'll need to get ready if he's coming later."

"Of course," Zoey told her. Zoey smiled as she watched Donna put down her cup and then wrap another blanket around Josh's still shivering body and smooth his hair back. Josh seemed to calm under her touch. Zoey shook her head in awe. "Donna?" she asked as Donna started up the stairs.

"Hmmm?" she asked turning around to face her friend.

Zoey smiled and sighed. "Nothing," she shrugged. "You're just an amazing person. You're taking care of a man who has been an ass to you more times than I care to count and you're the one who needs the care. How do you do it time and time again without getting more and more pissed off at him?" she wondered.

"Him being here...that was his way of taking care of me, I guess. He just didn't know what to do," she smiled. "And I like feeling needed...so Josh needing me helps, I guess," she shrugged. "You have to get Josh, I suppose," she mused, with a smile.

"And you get him? After all these years?" Zoey asked.

"I always got Josh. Josh always got me. It's that simple. Time can't change some things, I guess," she shrugged. "Send him up when he wakes up," Donna told her and then she turned and continued running up the stairs.

Zoey shook her head again and smiled at Josh. He looked like a little boy even though he was completely middle-aged. She grabbed a magazine and began reading. A short time later, Sam, Mallory, Gabriella, Leo, CJ, and Toby arrived at the Bartlet Farm and they let themselves in quietly. They eventually found Zoey sitting with a sleeping Josh in the parlor.

"Hey," Sam whispered kissing her cheek. "He okay?"

Zoey smiled at them all and waved. "He needed sleep, according to Donna," she informed them. "He wouldn't come in one minute and then the next thing I knew he was laying her fast asleep. Donna's an amazing woman."

"That she is," CJ smiled. "Score one for the Sisterhood!"

Mallory smiled. "Where is Donna?"

"She's getting ready right now upstairs. Josh is to be sent there when he wakes up," Zoey told them.

"I brought him a suit," Toby offered, holding up a garment bag.

"Donna will be ecstatic," Zoey told him.

"My parents and Leo are already at the funeral home, dealing with the mundane details so Donna doesn't have to," Zoey explained. "We've set up guest rooms on the east end of the house for you all so you can get ready there and sleep over if you need to or whatever."

Josh stirred a bit and his eyes fluttered open. "When did you all get here?" he asked groggily.

"A little bit ago," Sam explained.

Josh drug himself up to a standing position. "I beg your pardon, Sir," he said to his friend.

"Josh," Sam sighed. "Are you okay?" he asked, clearly worried.

"No," he answered with tears in his eyes.

"Is he awake?" Donna's voice traveled down the stairs.

"He's on his way," Zoey shouted back up. She then turned to Josh. "Be okay for five minutes and get your ass up there and see Donna," she ordered. "Toby brought you a suit."

"I'll be okay," Josh promised Sam with a bit of a sad smile. "I promise that I'll be okay, Sir," he said as she grabbed the garment bag and walked up the stairs to Donna.

"That's unhealthy," Toby commented as they all stared after Josh.

"I'm changing the baby," Mallory announced.

"I'll show you to your rooms," Zoey told the group and led through the massive farm house.

"Hey," Donna said to Josh as he approached her room.

"Donna," he smiled at her. "Toby brought me a suit," he said dangling it in his hand.

"Good," Donna smiled. "I was worried we'd have to make the sweatshirt work. Go," she said. "Get it on so I can fix you."

"You've been gone a while," Josh told her. "I can dress myself now," he informed her.

Donna laughed. "I've seen you at things. My help is definitely needed."

"Whatever you say," he smirked and disappeared into an open room across the hall. He reappeared a little while later and said, "Well?"

"Come here," she ordered and he smiled as she went right for his tie.

"I can totally make the clip-ons work," he told her.

"Uh huh," she agreed as she tied his tie and straightened it. She looked at him for a long while - just looked. He looked so scared and so small. He was dying inside and she knew it. She remembered how it ate away at him - day by day. She could help him, she thought. It was too late to save Michael, but Josh could be okay. He just needed help. Helping her, she assumed, was a way for him to help himself and she was only too happy to oblige. "Thank you for coming Josh," she told him honestly and wrapped her arms around his body.

His arms encircled her as well and he placed a kiss in her hair, "No, Donnatella," he whispered. "Thank you."

She hugged him tighter and her body began to tremble and she cried - really cried. It was the first time she cried since at the hospital, she recalled. Josh just held her and stroked her hair and she continued to cry. Josh's eyes filled up as well, but he refused to give in. He needed to be strong for Donna.

He moved them to the bed and he set her down and pushed her hair back from her damp cheeks and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Whatever I can do for you Donna," he whispered as he looked her directly in the eyes.

"I'm just so sad...and mad," she confessed. "Why did this happen to him? We had this whole little life planned. We were gonna get married and have children and get a house," she sniffed.

"It's not fair," Josh said.

"No," Donna said. "It's not fair. I don't deserve this."

"No, you don't," he whispered. "You deserve all the happiness in the world," he told her.

"Why can't I have it?" she asked in a small voice as Josh guided her head down to a pillow on the bed. She curled up on her side to face him.

"Maybe it's still out there," he mused, running his fingers through her blond locks. "Maybe your happily-ever-after is just around the next corner," he mused, trying to sound hopeful.

Tears continued to fall down her face and her eyes looked up at him with so much emotion he almost burst into hysterical tears. "No," she whispered. "My happily ever after is being buried in two hours. I'm not getting the fairytale, Josh," she whimpered as her eyes fell closed, but the tears still came.

Josh didn't know what to say. He got up from the bed and moved to a chair near it. He held her hand and smiled sadly at her. She was so upset, he thought. But she never looked more perfect to him. He shook his head, realizing how sick he was to think anything of the sort. But she did look beautiful. Sure, he mused, her make up was a mess. He laughed a bit because she did look like a bit of a raccoon. But her hair was splayed flowingly across the pillow which was cased in a cranberry-colored fabric. The dark color contrasted perfectly with her fair skin and hair. Her lips were coated with a rosy shade of glass that picked up the pinkish hue in her cheeks. She wore a simple black dress - long sleeves, belted with a slight flare at her hips. The skirt bunched up around her knees from her current position. She wore black hose and simple black pumps. On her dress lay a black hat with a little black netting on it. He smiled picturing her with it on - very Jackie O, he thought. She was gonna be the death of him, he swore to himself. And God help him, he was going to love every moment of it. In that moment, he knew that she had to come back to Washington with him. She needed to help people to keep her mind of things - she just as well said that earlier and countless times before. And who the hell needed more help than him? He'd be seeing Stanley, no doubt, more frequently once he got home, he figured. He'd need someone to talk to - someone he trusted with his life and his deepest secrets - he needed Donna. And damnit, he hoped that a little part of her needed him too. After the day, he mused, he'd talk to her. He'd make her see that she had to come back to work with him...as friends. He needed his friend Donna back and he suspected that she could use a friend, too.

CJ and Toby approached the door to Donna's room slowly, unsure as to what they would find when they actually entered. "We've got to get her to the service," CJ murmured to Toby as they knocked lightly on the partially closed door.

Toby sighed and pushed it open. Donna lay curled up on the bed and Josh stared at her intently from a chair. "Josh?" Toby whispered. "Didn't you hear us knocking?"

Josh was torn from his vigil and looked at Toby and CJ. "Does she need to get up?" he asked, ignoring the question.

"We should get going, yes," CJ confirmed, glancing briefly at Toby as Josh sat on the bed and brushed back Donna's hair and whispered softly to her to wake her up.

"We'll be in the hall," Toby said, clearing his throat and dragging CJ out with him.

"What is wrong with you?" CJ asked, jerking her arm free.

"Let's just give them a minute," Toby suggested.

"But Josh...he's getting too reattached," CJ warned.

"He's not getting anything," Toby informed her. "He's never been unattached from Donna. And, as much as I'd like to say otherwise, he needs her to get through this. They have a bond that none of us have been able to replicate and I don't venture that we try now. He needs her. She needs him. They'll hold each other up if need be," he told her.

"And what if she can't save him from himself?" CJ asked. "I mean...she has enough on her plate right now. How unfair of us to throw Josh to her for saving!"

Toby smiled. "She wants to fix Josh. He, apparently, has a fixable quality to him," he explained. "Andie told me," he smirked. "Women eat it up. And for whatever reason, Donna gets him in a way that none of us ever has...not even Leo," he smiled. "They'll fix whatever is wrong...together."

"Wow," CJ smiled. "That was a whole lot of nice you just spewed," she smirked.

"Uh huh. Don't spread that around," he smiled slightly. "Get a move on you two," he called into the room. "We'll meet you out front." Toby followed CJ down the stairs and nodded to the others. "They'll be right out. Give them a second," he instructed.

Donna had gone into the bathroom to fix her face once Josh had woken her up. She came out with her hair pulled back and all signs of tears gone. She smiled sadly at Josh, "How do I look?"

"Perfect," he told her, with a sincere, sad smile. "Too perfect to have to go through all of this."

"Thanks," she answered and straightened his tie and smoothed his suit. "Ready?"

"If you are," he answered, offering her his hand.

She threw her body into his and her hands reached across his body and grabbed his left hand. So, his right arm encased her shoulders and hugged her close. "Come on," he whispered.

"Ride with me?" she asked hoarsely.

"Where else was I gonna ride?" he asked. "I flew in last night and took a cab here. I have few options for transportation," he tried to joke, earning a jab in the ribs as he escorted her down the stairs, to the limo, to Michael's funeral.

The funeral was short. Donna couldn't handle much more than that. Everyone cried. Donna could barely make it through the eulogy. Josh sat still most of the time. He tried to focus on the mounds of work that would undoubtedly be on his desk when he got back to the office. He tried to remind himself that he should call his mother. He tried to think of anything other than about death. Death brought him back to the shooting and that was jumbled in his head with Roslyn. That scared him. He needed help. And that was yet another thing that he didn't want to think about.

After the burial, everyone was invited back the Bartlets' for dinner. The house was buzzing with remembrances and the usual political buzz that had occupied this place for decades. Donna smiled to those wishing her well. Maxine, her boss, told her to take off as much time as she needed. Her professors, who were friends with Michael, offered her extensions on all of her papers and tests. Michael's family smiled at her and told her that she could still visit with them on the holidays. It was surreal. She couldn't breathe - so she left.

She ran from the farm house back to the stables. There was a fresh coat of snow on the ground and the wind was biting cold. She figured the stables would block a little of the wind chill. She sat on a rickety old stool and pet her favorite horse - Trey. She felt tears drip down her cheeks again when she recalled the time she and Michael went riding last summer. Trey nuzzled her a bit when her petting slowed and she quickly resumed, frantically wiping away her tears. "Sorry, buddy," she whispered. "My life is just a big freaking mess. I don't know what I'm gonna do now...I guess that would be again," she sighed. "I thought I was finally on the right track, ya know? And then...wham! I'm back at square one. I don't know what I'm gonna do," she cried.

"Come home, Donnatella," Josh whispered from just outside the stall.

She turned and wiped her face again and stared at him. "What?" she whispered.

"Well, first, put this on," he insisted, wrapping her in his coat. "Then come home," he said - as if it was as simple as pie.

"Josh," she focused on him more clearly. "I am home."

"No you're not," he said plainly. "What do you have here?"

"Friends," she stated.

"I'll make Zoey move to Washington," he informed her. "I'm powerful - I can do that."

"A job," she listed.

"I'll give you a better one - one with shitty hours and low wages and tons of satisfaction," he countered.

"School," she tried again.

"I'll enroll you in online classes or something and then you'll finish and you can educate yourself while working," he smiled.

"I don't have anything in Washington anymore, Josh," she tried to explain. "I've grown up," she smiled. "It's not like before. I don't need you to make me me," she tried to explain.

"But I need you to make me me," he said. "I don't think I can do this by myself."

"I don't know if I can either," she confessed. "I was willing to try."

"I'm not," he said plainly. "I'm going home - now," he told her.

"But everyone else is staying tonight, I thought," she replied, confused.

"Yeah...well, I'm going - now," he said again.

"My flight leaves in an hour and a half. My cab's waiting," he smiled, confidently at her. "Come home, Donnatella," he whispered before turning and leaving.

Donna slowly walked up to the front of the house and saw the taillights of Josh's cab going out to the main road. He left his coat, she mused, hugging it closer around her.

Two Secret Service agents came out of the front door, signaling the President's imminent arrival. Donna smiled when he appeared next to her. "Josh left," she whispered.

"I heard," Sam smirked. "He just called."

"He wants me to go back to work for him," Donna said, staring out at the property.

"He mentioned that," Sam smirked. "Funny - being President and all - I thought that I'd do the hiring and stuff."

She laughed a little. "I don't know what to do," she confessed. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Do what?" Sam asked.

"Live," she answered honestly. "It just doesn't seem fair. Why should I get to keep going when Michael's life was cut so short?"

"It's just the way it is, sometimes," Sam explained. "Maybe you just need a little help. God knows Josh does."

"Did you call Stanley for him? He needs to talk to him," Donna told him.

"Toby did it," Sam smiled. "I don't know if Josh's gonna make it alone this time," Sam mused.

"He'll be fine," Donna smiled. "He just needs support is all."

"Donna - we don't know how to help him anymore," Sam told her.

"He's too dependent on me," Donna protested as she felt a vibration in the pocket of Josh's jacket.

She pulled out the blackberry and read the attached message --- When you come home - bring my coat. It's freezing!

She shook her head. "This man is hopeless," she sighed, putting it back in the pocket and finding a plane ticket with a post-it note reading "HOME."

"So, Mr. President," she sighed. "Can I have a job?"

Sam smirked and shook his head to fight back an actual laugh.

"Can I hitch a ride?" she asked quietly, fighting back tears.

"Go on," he nodded to a limo by the side of the house.

"I'll see you in Washington, Mr. President," she smiled through her tears and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. She jogged to the awaiting car, clutching the jacket to her body. She leaned up to the driver, "I need to go to the airport." She smiled slightly and handed him her ticket so that he knew what gate to go to.

She laid back in the car and closed her eyes. This was right, she thought. She'd go home, as Josh so simply put it. She used to New Hampshire to forget Josh....so why couldn't she use Washington to forget Michael? No, she thought...she couldn't forget Michael. Hell...forgetting Josh hadn't been a simple task, she laughed bitterly. But she moved on. And she'd do it again...with help, she thought.

She moved into the terminal slowly just as they announced last call. She saw Josh tooling around the door to the plane delaying his entrance as long as possible. She smiled. She missed their banter. She missed his bellowing. She missed his sweetness. She missed his sincerity. She actually missed working twenty-hour days. "You forgot your coat," she smiled making her way to his side and tossing her boarding pass to the ticket-taker.

"Donna," he smiled at her. "You came."

"You needed your coat," she smirked. "I couldn't fathom hearing you bitch cause you had the flu or something because of the lack of coat situation."

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling more fully.

"I wanna go home," she smiled at him.

"I'm so glad," he told her honestly.

"I...I just don't know what else to do, really," Donna told him. "I just don't know anymore..." she trailed off. "But I know I can't do it alone and I hate worrying about you - which is what I'll end up doing, ya know. Wondering if you've talked to Stanley...if you're having the nitemares..."

"Thank you for caring," Josh told her, guiding her to their seats.

"Um...where am I going?" she asked, sitting down. "I mean..I don't have a home there anymore," she recalled.

"I rented you an apartment. Nicer neighborhood than you had before....but I think you'll adjust," he smirked. "You need to be at your desk tomorrow morning at 6 AM," he told her. "I have a lot of work to catch up on."

"We're gonna be okay," she whispered laying her head on his shoulder. "I promise."

"I believe you," he whispered back.