Title: Insight
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Through S5
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, much as I wish.
Archive: Sure, but ask first. All my fics can also be found at the website I share with Sharon – see my profile for details. (I do need to update 'Insight' there though and I promise to do that asap)
Feedback: Always appreciated
Thanks: HUGE thanks to Jillian for her help with this part. Also continued thanks to everyone for the feedback, and further apologies for the delays.
Notes: Well, the ending is finally here, so I hope it's been worth the wait.
7/7
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"Glad to back to full strength, Josh?" Leo inquired as Josh hung back after Senior Staff.
"Yeah." Josh looked and sounded distracted and Leo regarded him closely.
"Do you need something?"
"No, I… Well, I feel kinda guilty," he admitted.
"Guilty?"
"Yeah, about Donna."
Leo was more than a little surprised. "Why?"
"The last couple of weeks she's… well, she's kinda had a promotion, you know? Her security clearance was increased, she got her own assistant, she helped out at meetings, and I mean that, she helped, she didn't just take notes. Now that my sight is fully back, I feel kinda guilty that she did all that and now she's gonna have to go back to the way things were."
"Are you asking me to give Donna a promotion"? Leo asked, his face impassive.
"No," he shrugged unconvincingly.
"What makes you think things are going to go back to the way they were?"
"What?" Josh asked with surprise.
"They're not going back to the way they were, Josh, I don't think that would serve any useful purpose."
"What do you mean?"
"Donna keeps her security clearance and her assistant. She can assist at some of your meetings when required, but I really want her to take some of the lower level meetings instead of you; I want you to concentrate on long-term issues, not the day-to-day arguments, Donna can handle those. I want her to come to you with opinions, not wait until you ask for them."
"She gives me her opinions at the moment," Josh pointed out, slightly hurt that Leo thought he didn't let Donna voice her thoughts.
"I know, but you and I both know that she has the ability to filter out the wheat from the chaff and only bring the important issues to your desk."
"Yeah."
"You're okay with this?"
"Yeah, of course I am," Josh nodded, "and Donna will be thrilled."
Leo smiled slightly when he noticed that Josh seemed more pleased about Donna being happy than any changes it might mean around the office.
"She'll need a new title," Leo commented.
"Right. What is it?"
"I'll leave that to you."
"You know I'm gonna let her come up with it herself, don't you?" Josh grinned.
"As long as it's not too outrageous."
"Does she get a raise?" Josh asked. Leo raised an eyebrow. "She's gonna ask," Josh defended.
"She'll get a raise," Leo confirmed, "but I don't have the details yet. We're effectively hiring someone else to do part of her current job, so I have to consider that."
"I know and, to be honest, she'd take the job even without a raise," he admitted. Leo raised both eyebrows this time and Josh hastily added, "But, she deserves a raise and forget I mentioned that she'd work without one, or at least, don't let her know I said it."
"I'll sort it out," said Leo with a grin.
"Thanks. Do you wanna tell her?"
"You want me to?" Leo queried with surprise.
"If you want," he shrugged.
"You can do
it."
"Thanks," Josh beamed, already picturing Donna's face when he told her.
"Just remember though, Josh, don't take all the credit, I already planned this," Leo pointed out with a devilish grin.
"I was gonna talk to you about it," Josh defended.
"Yes, but I beat you to it. Now, get out and let me know when Donna has a new title."
"Thanks, Leo," Josh said genuinely as he left.
---
"Donna, my office, now," commanded Josh as he breezed through the bullpen. Rolling her eyes, Donna gathered her pen and notepad and followed him into his office. "Close the door," he said as he settled himself into his chair.
"Josh?" prompted Donna after a few moments of silence. "Josh, are you okay?" she asked hesitantly, beginning to worry. Josh had been given the all-clear from the hospital the previous day, having completely regained his sight and he had been delighted at the news, working late to prove he was back to full-strength, but his silence now was concerning her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "I'm just wondering the best way to break some news to you," he said seriously.
"What's wrong?" she asked in alarm.
"You can't work as my assistant anymore," he said bluntly.
"What?! Why not? Have I done something?""No."
"Have you done something?"
"No! Why is it that people think the best punishment for me doing something wrong is to threaten to remove you as my assistant?" Donna just gave him a pointed look and he muttered, "Yeah, yeah, okay."
"Why can't I be your assistant anymore, Josh?" pressed Donna, obviously hurt.
"Well, technically you'll still be my assistant, except… you won't be."
"What? Josh, you're not making any sense."
"You'll still be working for me, but you'll more be working with me."
"I don't work with you at the moment?" she queried, completely confused.
"Yes, but… you're being promoted, Donna," he finally said, unable to keep up the pretense any longer.
"I am?" she beamed.
"Yes. I convinced Leo that you should get to keep your current security clearance and your assistant," he stated proudly.
"Really?" There was no disbelief in her tone, but Josh caved anyway.
"I did suggest it, but he'd already decided to do it anyway," he admitted.
"What kind of promotion am I getting? Do I just continue what I've been doing recently?"
"Kind of. As well as helping me out at some meetings, you'll also be handling some yourself, keeping them off my desk so I can deal with longer term strategy."
"Really?" she asked, full of disbelief this time, but with an underlying hopeful tone.
"Yeah, you deserve it Donna. It's been a rough few weeks and I honestly couldn't have got through them without your help."
"You'd have managed, Josh," she said with a slight blush.
"Do you know how many people kept coming up to me asking if I needed help to go anywhere, Donna?"
"No."
"Once people got used to my condition, which was actually when I didn't need any help as I was also used to it, it was never-ending. Seriously, I could feel them hovering anywhere I went, just waiting for me to literally trip up."
"They just care, Josh."
"I know, but I needed my independence. You were the only one who realized that, Donna."
"Only after you pointed it out," she said quietly.
"No, you were trying to help me keep my independence from the start. I know I yelled when I was feeling sorry for myself, and I know I took it out on you, but you were the only one I trusted, Donna," he said seriously, his voice quavering slightly. "You were the only one that didn't keep asking me if I was alright. I mean, come on, did people seriously think I wouldn't yell for help if I needed it?" Donna looked at him and Josh replayed his words in his head. "That's exactly what I mean, Donna. If anyone should have doubted my ability to ask for help, it should have been you, but it wasn't."
"I know what your threshold is, Josh, I know what you can handle."
"Yeah, you know me," he agreed. "Anyway," he coughed, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "can I assume you want the promotion?"
"Damn straight! Do I get a raise?" she grinned.
"That's still in negotiation."
"Oh, okay," she said, disheartened.
"Don't worry, Donna, Leo's dealing with the raise, there'll be something in it, I just don't know how much."
"What's my job title?"
"That's also still in negotiation."
"Josh?"
"Yeah."
"Is there anything you do know, you know, anything that's not 'still in negotiation'?"
"If you'd stop being a smart-ass, I was about to tell you that the job title is up for negotiation between us."
"Us?"
"You and me."
"I get to pick my own job title."
"Within reason, yes. So, what job title do you want then, Donna?"
"I don't know, Josh, you've kind of sprung this on me, put me on the spot."
"You're telling me you don't have a list of possible job titles already made up?" he inquired dubiously.
"No, I don't, you're the one who makes lists, Josh."
"Well, put your mind to work and start suggesting some titles."
"Can't I just think about it for a while and let you know my choice?"
"No, because I have veto rights."
"Why don't you just come up with a title for me yourself then, since you'll probably veto anything I suggest?"
"Because it's more fun this way." At Donna's look, he added with a grin, "For me anyway."
"Alright, off the top of my head… Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff," she smiled.
"Deputy Dawg," replied Josh with a smirk.
"Adviser to Deputy Chief of Staff," retorted Donna.
"Adviser of useless factoids," said Josh challengingly.
"Senior Researcher," suggested Donna, only half-seriously.
"Senior Factoid Finder," shot back Josh, daring her to enter into a banter contest with him.
"Mopper Upper for Deputy Chief of Staff," said Donna with a proud grin. "For when he spills coffee and food everywhere."
"Food Stealer," replied Josh. "That's your way of mopping up, you eat my food and drink my coffee, the coffee I have to get for myself, by the way."
Donna rolled her eyes and stayed silent for a moment, trying to think of either a way to get him back for his comment, or a serious suggestion to get them back on track.
"Senior Adviser to Deputy Chief of Staff," said Josh suddenly, and seriously.
"You have another adviser?" smiled Donna.
"You want it or not?" he asked, but with a smile lighting his eyes.
"I'll take it," she beamed. "And, as your adviser, I advise you to sort out my raise if you want your new assistant to even consider ever bringing you coffee."
"No, not bringing me coffee will still be your job, Donna, I can't handle too much change," he smiled.
"Seriously, Josh, thanks for this, I really appreciate the opportunity."
"Like I said," he shrugged, "you deserve it."
"You know, I never thought I'd say this, but you being blind wasn't necessarily a bad thing."
"How do you mean?"
"It's changed you, Josh, you seem more willing to talk about things now, things you would normally bottle up." Josh dipped his head and Donna knew she shouldn't push things, but she needed to be sure he wouldn't go back to his old self. "Just remember, I'm not just your adviser at work, Josh, I'm here whenever you need me."
"I know, Donna," he said seriously, raising his head and smiling at her. "I agree it wasn't all a bad thing either, it's given me a new perspective. You'd think that being shot and nearly killed would have been enough of a wake up call to make me appreciate what I've got, but this has emphasized it even more. Things are going to change even further, but it'll take time."
"Thought you said you can't handle too much change?" she grinned.
"In small doses it's okay, besides, the changes I have in mind are going to have great benefits for me."
"Oh, and just what kind of changes do you have in mind, Josh?"
"Wait and see, Donna, just wait and see," he teased.
"As long as you can see it with me, I will," she smiled. "I'm gonna go make up some new 'Senior Adviser to the Deputy Chief of Staff' letterheads."
"Just don't waste too much paper trying to spell it properly," he quipped.
"You're never gonna let that go, are you?"
"I'll let it go the day 'insuccessful' becomes a word."
"I'll be outside typing up my letterhead and then my new job description if you need me."
"Uh, shouldn't I be writing your new job description?" Donna looked at him. "Yeah, okay, but I get veto rights on that too."
"Yes, Josh," she smiled, leaving his office and trying to wipe a huge smile off her face.
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The End
Okay, this chapter turned out a bit differently from the way I planned (as did the whole fic, to be honest), but I hope y'all enjoyed it anyway. That's it for this fic, so thanks for all the feedback and, when I get some time, I'll try and write some more of the WIP stuff I have on my website.