Donna smiled happily as the group made it's way to the National Zoo. She happily chatted to Winston and CJ about her grandparents' party. Josh was in deep conversation with Toby and Will - doing everything possible to say nice, endearing things about Will to Toby. Toby wasn't biting yet and usually grunted or rolled his eyes, but Josh was trying and that was all Donna had asked.

"Why are we going here again?" Josh asked loudly, earning a laugh from Sam.

"Because Donna wants to look at the monkeys?" Sam asked.

"That's reason enough," Winston chimed in.

"Donna hates monkeys," Josh muttered.

"Huh?" CJ asked as the others turned from Donna to Josh for confirmation.

"I said she hates monkeys," Josh said again. "It's not a secret or anything."

"You hate monkeys?" Winston asked, confused. "How can you not like monkeys? Everyone loves monkeys!"

"When I was little...." Donna started. "There was an incident...in the monkey house and it...it's stupid," she laughed.

"A monkey stole her banana when she was 7 or something," Josh answered for her. "It was swinging, she was eating, and there went her banana. She was scared and pissed and she's never really been comfortable with monkeys since then. And, no, Donna," Josh said with a grin. "It's not stupid."

Donna smiled at him and then looked back at everyone else. "Yeah...so my banana was monkey-napped," she said. "And as to why I wanted to come to the zoo...I just knew it was going to be a nice day out and I thought we'd all have fun if we came here," she answered as they pulled into the parking lot.

"I'm sure we'll have a great time, Donna," Toby answered her and got out of the car.

"I didn't know you hated monkeys," Winston whispered to Donna.

"No big deal. No one knows that story, really," she smiled.

"Why did Josh?" CJ asked, suddenly as they walked in to the entrance.

"Huh?" Donna asked.

"If no one knows...why did Josh?" she asked. "He's nosey and constantly butting into my life," Donna offered.

"Okay," CJ smiled. "That works I suppose," she said as she looked questioningly at Sam and Toby.

"Josh is quite the bastard," Sam laughed.

"Whatever," Josh laughed.

"So...where to first?" Will asked, eagerly.

"Wherever you want," Donna smiled.

Josh led the way and the group made its way throughout the zoo.

Toby designated himself event photographer after Will decided they needed pictures. CJ offered up her digital camera to him and everyone happily posed at the different exhibits.

Then they walked by the Monkey House. Donna stopped. "So...I'm going to go grab a hot chocolate or something and maybe something to eat," she told everyone. I"ll wait for you over there," she pointed to the concession area not too far away.

"We don't have to go in," Sam told her.

"I like the freaking monkeys," Toby admitted. "They're the only animal in this damn place with any character."

CJ laughed loudly, as did everyone else except Will. "I enjoy monkeys as well," Will told Toby.

"Kiss ass," CJ smirked.

"You guys go on," Josh told the group. "I think I can get Donna to buy me a coffee."

"Not likely," Donna smirked.

"Honey," Winston stopped her. "You want me to come with?" he offered.

"Go see your monkeys," she told him. "I'm a big girl," she sighed.

"And I'll watch out for her," Josh told him. "And she will buy me coffee," he promised, following her over to the concession area.

Toby led the way into the Monkey House and Will and Winston followed closely behind him. CJ hung back a bit with Sam and they glanced back at Josh and Donna's retreating forms in concern. "There's no problems, right Sam?" CJ asked. "No," Sam said. "Winston's cool with it. The chick hates monkeys and Josh craves coffee...especially if Donna'll give it to him."

"Okay," CJ sighed. "Onto to the apes!"

----

"Hi," Donna smiled when she returned to the table Josh grabbed with her chocolate only.

"Seriously?" Josh asked in disgust when she sat down and had no coffee for him. "I mean...would a cup freaking kill you?" he asked as he got up and got his own coffee while Donna toyed with her whipped cream.

He came back fairly quickly. "How long you think we have?" he asked with a grin as he parked down right next to her.

"Joshua," she sighed. "You suck at the deceit."

"I do not," Josh protested. "I am a damn good liar," he boasted.

"And you're proud of this?" Donna asked.

"Aren't you?" he asked with a quick smirk as his hand raised to her lips. "You have a little," he paused and wiped her lips with his fingers, "whipped cream there," he finished and licked the remnant off his fingers while never losing contact with her eyes.

"Josh," she whispered. "Stop..."

"I know," he sighed. "But you don't really want me to, do you?"

She moved her head from side to side as a ghost of a smile formed on her lips - as brief as it was, the smile reached all the way to her eyes and Josh felt like he was the happiest man on Earth in that instant. "They'll be here soon," she told him instead.

"I know," he whispered. "I'm glad you dragged us all to the zoo, Donna."

"Why?" she asked.

"We don't get to do this much, ya know? Just all be together without work hanging out there all the time," he told her. "Even if I have to make nice with Winny."

"Can I tell you a secret?" she asked quietly.

"Always," he answered.

"I invited everyone so I could spend time with you," she smiled. "I wanted to see you outside of work when we weren't being all undercover-like. I just wanted to be with you in public and have no one be suspicious of our motives. Hence Winston's presence," she explained.

"You're so...sweet I guess would be the perfect word for you," he decided. "You're so damn sweet."

"You can be at times as well," she told him.

"Are you sure you hate monkeys," Winston asked as everyone made their ways to the table. "The exhibit was great!"

"He's not lying," Toby agreed. "Damn fine monkeys."

"It smells weird in there," Will sighed.

"That's because monkeys are wild animals," Toby answered sarcastically.

"Got it," Will rolled his eyes.

"Children," CJ sighed.

"Fight nice!" Sam ordered.

"Can I take a picture?" Will asked grabbing the camera from Toby. He pointed the camera at CJ and Josh and Toby and Winston and got them all laughing. Then he moved it over to Josh and Donna who were laughing hysterically at Sam's picture poses. "Perfect," Will smiled looking at the display.

Toby went to get food for everyone and CJ and Sam dragged up another table and they all sat down and ate.

"It's getting late," Winston remarked as he looked around. "It'll be dark soon."

"We should probably get going," Toby agreed. "I told Andie I'd stop by tonight...visit with the kids," he said.

"How are they doing?" Will asked.

Toby sighed and looked around and Josh nudged him a little with his arm and nodded. "Fine," Toby sighed. "They're doing just fine, thank you."

"Good," Will smiled.

"Okay kiddies," CJ laughed. "Let's move along!"

----

Everyone was exhausted on the way home - so no one noticed how Josh gave the driver directions that somehow allowed for Donna and him to be the last ones in the car.

"Smooth move," Donna remarked as they dropped off Will. "No one even noticed."

"They're tired and preoccupied. It was too easy."

"Uh huh," she smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for doing that though."

"Are you kidding?" Josh asked. "A little bit of plan gives me alone time with you. It was worth taxing my brain."

"So...all this was to be alone with me, huh?" she asked as his hand ran through her hair.

"Deceit...it's a beautiful thing," he whispered.

"It is, isn't it?" she asked as she shifted herself upwards and placed a kiss on his mouth. "Care for company this evening, Joshua?" she asked softly.

"Well...I just saw everybody, and it is getting late," he said with a smirk.

"I was thinking more like a one on one type of thing," she told him. "But...I know you're tired, since you are significantly older and much more in need of rest than I."

"Watch your mouth there, Miss Moss," he laughed as he kissed her firmly. "I am quite the night owl."

"Interested in testing that little theory out?" she asked.

"On you? Any night of the week," he whispered.

----

CJ was getting ready for bed and decided to check out her digital camera shots from the day. She began sorting through an downloading the keepers on her laptop to show off at the office. Many were the standard. Toby took standard touristy photos of everyone that they'd all undoubtedly hate. But then, as she recalled, Will took the camera. And there were a whole different brand of pictures. There were random shots of people laughing and talking - paying no attention to the camera. There were some of her and Toby making fun of Sam. Some of Sam arguing with Winston about random policies that they disagreed with each other on. But the most interesting were of Donna and Josh - some of them laughing, some of them sharing looks when they thought no one was looking, and others with Josh or Donna talking to someone else while the other just watched. It was - unusual and not according to the plan. CJ had to call Sam - Toby was with his kids. "Sam?" she asked timidly when he answered.

"What's wrong, CJ?" he asked.

"I just saw something...some pictures...is it possible that we've missed something that Will might have figured out with the Josh and Donna situation?" she asked.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"He took some pictures which could be very telling if you look at them a certain way," CJ explained.

"Donna brought her boyfriend, CJ," Sam reminded. "If there's an attraction there it's defiantly one-sided on Josh's part. Donna's got better taste - and I can say that because he's my best friend."

"Kay," CJ sighed. "Maybe we should talk to Will, though," CJ suggested. "Just to be safe, I mean."

"I guess...if we need to down the line. At the moment, I think we're all good," Sam smiled. "Sleep, CJ," he laughed. "You're gonna make me paranoid like you with your crazy-talk."

"Night," she smiled and hung up.

----

Donna and Josh made it to his condo in the nick of time.

"Josh," Donna moaned as they fell into the living room. "This needs to happen...now."

"Really, Donna?" he cracked. "I kinda thought we'd talk first," he muttered as he tossed their coats aside and his hands made their way down the buttons of her cardigan. "Why are there so many buttons?" he asked.

"Rip," she moaned as she pulled his sweatshirt over his head. "Rip them now!"

"Your wish is my command," he smiled broadly as he tore her sweater from her body and his mouth trailed its way down her creamy white skin. "You're so damn beautiful," he whispered against her body.

"Less talk, Josh," she hissed as her hands made their way to his pants.

"Does the couch work for you?" he asked as they fell on it and made the most passionate love they each had ever experienced.

Basking in the afterglow, Donna smiled at Josh and curled up close to his body in front of the couch where they now lay. "You're gonna be unbearable at work, aren't you?"

"Why's that?" he asked, smirk already in place.

"Joshua," she purred as her teeth nipped his ear. "Deceit is very sexy," she reminded him.

"No grinning or strutting," he answered kissing her soundly on the mouth. "I'll tell Will," Josh decided. "It'll help to gloat about this to someone."

"We'll tell Will," Donna amended. "I know how you boys tend to embellish things like this. I don't want him to think this is a casual thing and I don't want him to think less of me because he's met my boyfriend."

"I don't think less of you," Josh offered.

"I should hope not," Donna laughed.

"Wanna go to bed?" he asked nodding to the bedroom.

"I have to get up early," she said with a groan. "We," she changed her mind. "We need to be up early."

"Why we?" Josh asked as he trudged to the bedroom with her on his back, wrapped in a quilt.

"I have no car and I'm not calling a cab at that hour to take me home to change for work," Donna said. "So you're going to drive me."

"Am I really?" he asked.

"Joshua," she murmured in his ear. "I'd be very grateful."

"I'm in," Josh relented quickly. "Let's get to sleep," he sighed as they snuggled into bed and her head found its place just beneath his chin.

"Tell me we can do this, Josh," Donna whispered when he thought she was asleep.

"Do what?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"This, us, the deception plan," she murmured. "Tell me it'll all work out and we won't cause problems for everyone that we love and that we won't get fired and that we'll get to be happy."

"Okay," Josh smiled and placed a light kiss on her hairline. "We can do this," he promised. "We'll make it all work."

"Yeah?" she asked, sniffing back tears.

"We have to," Josh reasoned. "After being this happy with you, I can't go back to not being happy with you. It's that simple. And I'm spoiled that way," he smirked.

"Okay," she said simply and buried herself further in his embrace.

"That's it?" he laughed.

"I believe you," Donna smiled. "We should sleep," she told him and kissed his chest.

"Good night, Donnatella," he whispered.

"Night, Josh," she murmured as she drifted off to sleep.

He sighed and listened for her breathing to even out. He hoped what he was promising was possible. He honestly couldn't handle the disappointment that would be in her eyes if it didn't work the way she wanted.

----

The next morning, Josh and Donna arrived for work early – before most anyone else, with the exception of Will. Will had been arriving as early as possible the last few weeks in an attempt to win Toby over.

"Go and talk to him," Donna hissed as they passed Will's office and saw him reading over some briefing notes.

"Now?" Josh asked. "I was thinking of bragging later in the day – you know – to cut down on the grinning and strutting."

"Yes," Donna reasoned. "And earlier it seemed like a viable option, but at the moment, the strutting is unbearable and I think talking to Will might be the only way to save our plan."

"Come on," he sighed. "You can be here to discuss the actual plan with me – and then I get to brag alone," he smirked.

She kissed his cheek and dragged him into Will's office. "Morning, Will," Donna chirped and took a seat.

"Can we, ah, talk to you a minute?" Josh asked, closing Will's door.

"Um," Will looked confused. "Did I do something?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Josh answered. "But it's still early yet – you still could."

"Okay," Will waited.

"So," Donna smiled. "Do you...I don't know...think you might maybe know something that you probably shouldn't know?" Donna asked.

"I don't know," Will answered.

"My head is going to hurt by the end of this conversation, isn't it?" Josh asked no one in particular. "Donna? May I just say it and then we can discuss it?"

She sighed. "Fine."

"Will, I am secretly seeing Donna," he told him. "It hasn't been that long, but we can't tell anyone because of the scandal and the losses of employment that the telling would entail," he explained.

"Donna – aren't you dating Winston?" Will asked.

"Yes, technically," Donna answered. "But it's for appearances sake and I am phasing him out."

"The phasing out was my idea," Josh added with a grin.

"Great!" Will smiled at Josh and then focused back on Donna.

"So no one else knows?" he asked and then glanced back at Josh. "No one?"

"CJ, Toby and Sam might have suspected in the beginning – but we've managed to throw them off the scent," Josh told him. "Dinner the other night, Donna's dating the Republican, the zoo yesterday – all expert parts of our plan of deceit."

"Okay," Will sighed. "You should probably work on the whole deception thing thought. You're both not so great at it."

"Really?" Donna asked.

"Constantly making moony eyes at each other and practically making out in your office," he nodded to Josh. "It's not the best way to tackle the art of secrecy."

"I told you," Donna hissed and glared at Josh.

"Fine," he sighed. "We'll work on it."

"Okay," Will smirked. "Why are you telling me, exactly?" he asked.

"We figured you thought something and we thought we could trust you," Donna smiled. "You're a good guy."

"I am," Will agreed.

"Josh's gonna need someone to confide to keep the strutting to a minimum," she further explained.

"I'd be honored," Will smiled at both Josh and Donna.

"I'm gonna go," Donna smiled. "Talk amongst yourselves," she told him. "Thanks, Will, for being so great about this whole thing," she smiled and bent down to press a kiss on Josh's cheek. "You have staff at 8," she murmured. "Make sure you're not late!"

"I'll see you soon," he murmured back and smiled at Will. "So-you'll keep this quiet?"

"You and Donna both look really happy," Will said. "I'm glad about that – you're both good people."

"Thanks," Josh smiled.

"So," Will smirked. "Did you ah...sleep with her yet?"

"Thank goodness you asked," Josh smiled. "I needed to tell somebody," he laughed. "Yes – last night in fact," he gloated.

"Congratulations," Will smiled sincerely. "You both look really happy," he observed.

"I think we both are," Josh sighed. "For the first time I think we both really are."

"And you're sure that this would be frowned upon?" Will asked. "I mean – it hasn't affected your work or anything like that."

"It'd be a public relations nightmare," Josh explained. "And this Administration doesn't need another scandal. CJ and Toby have both mentioned it in passing and Sam's hinted as well. It wouldn't be good for anyone."

"Except you and Donna," Will mused.

"Yeah," Josh smiled. "Except us."

"So, you've decided to embark on deceiving everyone for a while," Will surmised.

"Until we're out of office," Josh decided.

"That's like two years," Will said, surprised.

"Donna thinks deceit is sexy," Josh tossed out.

"Right," Will smirked. "You two don't honestly think you can keep this up for six months let alone two years, do you?"

"Um...yes?" Josh asked.

"No," Will told him with a shake of his head. "You need to come up with a solution or something soon. You'll slip up and then it'll be worse."

"I'm very intelligent," Josh protested.

"I bet," Will smiled.

"I got a 760 Verbal on my SATs," Josh threw back.

"You're brilliant," Will smiled. "Donna's smart as well," Will added. "But you two are not going to manage being quiet about your relationship for any great length of time. You can't be in the same room together without showing your feelings."

"We can work on that," Josh sighed. "I know we can."

"Uh huh," Will smiled. "You're welcome to try."

"Thanks," he answered dryly.

"Cheer up," Will laughed. "You slept with Donna last night," Will reminded him as they got up to go to Staff.

"I did," Josh smiled.

"No grinning," Will slapped him upside his head.

"I wasn't it!" Josh laughed.

"Yeah – you're gonna make it two years!" Will laughed as the two of them arrived at Leo's office.