"Hi, Josh."
Josh peered up and standing in the doorway of his office was Andi. "Hi, Congresswoman."
"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes. "I just dropped by to give you this." She held up a familiar looking chain with an even more familiar looking ring dangling from it. He couldn't find any words let alone any air. "Donna dropped it on her way out of the restaurant the other night, I couldn't catch you guys in time, so I just figured I'd drop it off this morning."
"Um, thanks, Andi. I'll let her know." Josh had no idea how he was able to speak but he was glad for it.
"Where do you suppose she got a rock like that?" Andi asked curiously.
No response.
"She must be devastated if she thinks she lost it."
No response.
"You'll make sure she gets it?" Andi asked.
He nodded slowly and she disappeared out of his office. He looked down at the ring in his hand. How the hell was he supposed to give her the ring back?
He closed his door and picked up the phone.
"Hi, Josh," Sam greeted.
"Hi, yourself."
"What can I do for you? You sound agitated."
"I don't know what to do."
"What did you do now?"
"Why does everyone assume that I've done something wrong?" Josh whined.
"Because you usually do. What's going on?"
"When I left Germany I gave Donna the engagement ring I had wanted to give her for months and told her that I was going to get over her. Well we all know how well that worked out, so now we're finally getting back on our feet and Saturday we took a nap and when I woke up I saw the ring was on a chain that she wore around her neck. Well that night we went out with C.J., Toby, Andi and Danny and Andi stopped by this morning and brought me the ring saying that Donna dropped it in the restaurant on accident and now I have to figure out how to tell her that the engagement ring I gave her, that she wears around her neck all the time is now back in my possession."
"You're in quite a predicament."
"Thanks, Sam," Josh said sarcastically.
"I don't know what to tell you on this one, except maybe you could just propose to her and put yourselves out of your misery."
Josh opened his mouth to speak and the closed it again. Finally he said, "I can't do that."
"Why not? Are you afraid she's going to say no?"
"Not so much as I'm afraid she's going to say no."
Josh could hear Sam chuckling on the other end of the phone.
"This isn't funny, Seaborn."
"Josh, just go give it to her, tell her the truth. Andi found it. Whatever happens after that happens."
"Isn't that leaving a little too much to chance?"

"That's all it ever is, Josh."

Donna was sitting at her new desk, in her new office, chatting on her new phone. She scanned her office, she needed to decorate, and she just hadn't found the energy to go shopping. As her eyes traced across the room, they settled on the doorway, where Josh was leaning. He had a big smile on his face, a bouquet of flowers and a present.

"Your assistant told me that I could come on in. I think she's scared of me."

Donna smiled and held up her hand while she quickly ended her phone conversation. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, I swear. I just asked if I could see you, she got all flustered and told me to come on in."

"Maybe she was over come by your handsomeness."

"See I was going to say that, but I was afraid I would sound..."

Donna interrupted, "Vain?"

"I come bearing gifts and you're calling me vain?"

"That's right."

"Okay, just so we're clear. This is a nice office."

"Thank you."

"How's it going?"

"It' intimidating, but I like it. I think I'm going to do well."

"That's excellent." Josh approached her desk and handed her the flowers and set the present on her desk. Suddenly he was looking around the room as if he thought someone was watching him and he knocked off her stapler and jumped. "I'm sorry to just drop in on you like this, if you're busy, I can come back," he said nervously.

"Why are you acting weird all of the sudden?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Weird? How am I acting weird?"

"I don't know, one second you're handing me flowers and the next you're saying that you can come back later...what's up?"

"Open your present." Josh began pacing next to her. Donna eyed the rectangle box and then glanced over at Josh who ran his fingers through his already disarrayed hair.

"Josh, what's going on?" She reached out and grabbed his hand so he would stop pacing and face her. She watched him reach into his pocket with his other hand and he pulled out something that fit in the palm of his hand. Donna sat back her in chair and watched as he opened his fingers revealing the chain and the ring that she had lost a couple of days ago. So many emotions were clouding her all at once. She was embarrassed, happy that someone had found it, and horrified that he had found it. She opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't form any words.

Josh started talking instead. "Andi stopped by this morning. She said that you dropped this at the restaurant. She asked me to stop by and give it to you."

Donna just stared at him.

"I wasn't exactly sure how to bring this back to you. I don't know how to take the fact that you're wearing this around your neck. Did Andi know what this was?"

Donna nodded quietly. He let out a heavy sigh. "Team Josh is apparently still active."

"Team Josh?" she asked.

"Long story."

"Anything like Team Toby?"

"Not such a long story."

"What do I do, Donna? I mean if you're going to wear this ring, shouldn't it be...what do I do?"

Donna looked up at him meeting his eyes for the first time. "What do you want to do, Josh?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"You know what I want, Donna, you're the one who didn't want this."

Donna felt like she had just been punched in the gut. The air was trapped in her throat; her heart was drumming against her chest. She wanted to scream that she loved him and that she wanted to wear the ring the way it was supposed to be worn, for the reasons it was supposed to be worn. No words came.

"I'm sorry I didn't expect this to be...I have to go." Donna watched him bolt from her office. The ring was slipping from her desk, she held her hand under it and it fell into her palm. She leaned forward resting her head against her desk.

"Ms. Moss?" Donna peered up.

"Morgan, I told you to call me Donna. What's going on?"

"Your eleven o'clock is here."

"Who is my eleven o'clock?"

"Mallory, what the hell are you doing in my office?"

"It's good to see you too, Josh."

Josh closed the door behind him. Usually if Mallory was looking for him, it usually had something to do with Leo and usually not something good. "What do you want, Mal?"

"Grumpy, aren't we?"

"Don't start naming seven dwarves, I'm fine."

"Did you give Donna the engagement ring back?"

Josh just stared at her dumbfounded. "How the hell..."

"I'm Leo McGarry's daughter what did you expect? I know everything there is to know. Not to mention that I've known you the longest besides my father."

"What does any of this have to do with..."

Mallory interrupted, "Josh, you're a good man with a big heart and you annoy the crap out of me the way a big brother is supposed to but you've been in love with Donna forever and she's been in love with you, why on earth would you jeopardize all of that just to save face."

"Mal, you're apparently not up on current events, she didn't want to be together."

"Yes she did."

"Then why did she tell me no?"

"Blockheads!" Mallory grunted.

Josh looked at her for a moment. "Have you been talking to Sam?"

Donna couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Sam Seaborn walk into her office. She grabbed her crutches and got up. Sam rushed to her side and helped her into his arms for a giant hug. "I can't believe you're here!" she squeaked. Emotions were tugging on her and she started to cry.

"Hey," Sam rubbed her back and talked in a soothing voice. "It's okay, what's going on?"

"He brought the ring to me and he's mad at me, and he brought flowers and why didn't I just tell him and I feel like all of this is my fault," she sobbed. Sam helped her back into her chair and he leaned against her desk, not leaving her side.

"Donna, I only got about half of that."

"Remember I told you I lost the ring."

"Yeah."

"Andi found it at the restaurant and gave it to Josh and told him to give it back to me. She knew what the ring was. Then he stopped by here this morning returned it sort of. He asked what he should do. I couldn't tell him what I wanted him to do and he left. He brought me flowers, Sam and a present which I don't have the heart to open."

Sam wiped away some of her tears with his thumb. "You two are a bunch of blockheads. How many more years do the rest of us have to watch this will- they-won't-they production?"

Donna couldn't help but laugh. "Tell me what to do, Sam, and I'll do it."

"Donna, you don't want to take romantic advice from me. I slept with a prostitute on accident, I tried dating Mallory and failed, I tried to tell Ainsely how I felt but before I could get the words out she started dating some other Republican lawyer."

"I'm beginning to think the only people that have are going to walk out of this administrative as a couple are the President and Dr. Bartlett and if we're lucky Danny and C.J."

"You and Josh will get there, you just have to stop being afraid of your feelings."

"Oh, is that all?" she laughed.

The day was over and everyone was meeting at a local bar. Donna arrived a little later than she had anticipated and everyone else was there. "Hi, guys!" she greeted as she hobbled her way over to the large group on her crutches. Josh and Sam immediately got up to help her into a chair. She was tired and didn't feel the need to say she could do it on her own. She was grateful for the help. She felt a zing when Josh's hands snaked around her waist when she wobbled a little, she tried to ignore it and sit down. Donna scanned the table. Everyone was there greeting her. It had been a very long time since all of them had sat down at the same table. Josh sat on one side of her and Sam was on the other, next to him was Mallory then C.J., Danny, Charlie, Toby, and Andi.

"Donna, you're looking good," Charlie complimented.

"Thanks, Charlie." Donna smiled.

"Sam, how are things in California?" Danny asked.

"Sunny." Donna was looking at Sam when she noticed that his hand slowly slipped off the table, then she saw Mallory's shoulder shift slightly and then she looked down into her lap almost like she was blushing. Donna smiled to herself; they were holding hands. She wondered if that was what had brought Sam back to DC. Donna shifted her attention back to the conversation. They were discussing old times. Soon the evening was full of laughter, teasing and people getting up and down to get the next round of drinks.

"The one time I mess up in front of the press and no one forgets it," Josh whined. "It was your fault for baiting me!"

"Josh, you never need baiting to act like that," Donna replied.

The entire table erupted in laughter just as Josh, C.J., Charlie and Toby's pagers went off. Sam looked down at his belt out of habit and kind of felt sad that he was no longer in the loop.

"We gotta go." C.J. stood up and Danny kissed her good-bye. Toby, Charlie and Josh were saying their quick good-byes.

"Can I call you tonight?" Josh whispered to Donna. She nodded and he quickly kissed her on the cheek and ran out the door behind the others. Mallory, Sam, Danny and Donna all sat quietly for a moment.

"Do you miss it, Sam?" Danny asked. "I do. Quite a bit actually, but I like what I'm doing now." "I know exactly how you feel," Donna interjected.

Donna was nearly asleep when the phone rang. She answered the phone keeping her eyes closed. "'lo?"

"I woke you didn't I?"

"S'okay," she murmured.

"I'm sorry about this morning. I shouldn't have run out on you like that," Josh said quietly.

"It's all right, Joshua, I understand."

"You seem to be in this holding pattern that is about to drive me crazy."

"Uh uh," Donna agreed.

"What should we do? I think we should agree to be friends or agree to be more than friends, because this in-between stuff isn't working."

"Let's go out to dinner tomorrow."

"I'm confused." Donna chuckled, "I don't want to be friends, Joshua, let's go out to dinner tomorrow. Let's start at the beginning like we should've a long time ago." Her voice was still heavy with sleep but she was sincere and almost giddy.

"Really?" Josh sounded ecstatic.

"Truly."

"What time should I pick you up?"

"Seven-thirty."

Josh hung up the phone with a huge smile on his face.

Toby wandered into his office. "We're in the middle of a situation and you're smiling like a fool."

"Donna and I are going out on a date. She doesn't want to be friends, we're going on a date."

"About time," he muttered and wandered off again.

"Did I just hear you right? You and Donna are going on a date?" C.J. peered into his office.

"Jesus! Leo's right you need a bell," Josh replied.

"When are you going on your date?" "Tomorrow night barring any national emergencies."

"Just don't screw up, Joshua."

"Yes, ma'am."

C.J. glanced down the hallway. "Hey, Sparky, wait up!" She charged after Toby leaving Josh to revel in his glee.