"We won," Josh murmured as he watched Donna stir from the floor beneath his coat.
"It's morning," she observed rubbing her eyes.
"You're very observant," he smirked. "Could you tell by the streams of light filtering in from the window?"
"Ha ha ha," she sighed pushing herself up from the floor and tugging the coat with her. "You missed your party," she observed from his appearance.
"How'd you guess?" he asked.
"You look a mess," she giggled taking in his appearance of wrinkled khakis and a long sleeved tee shirt. "You'd be dressed better had you attended the party."
"I think I had a pretty good time last night, all things considered," he said with a smirk. "I think you did as well."
"Really?" she asked with a sly grin as she scooted over to where he was seated and laid her head on his bent knees. Her hand began to lightly trace imaginary patterns on his thigh. "I don't recall last night being particularly memorable."
"Oh," he laughed. "I guess it was someone else screaming with pleasure last night...many, many times."
"Are you sure that wasn't you?" Donna asked as she moved in front of him directly and let the coat fall down a little.
Josh took in his new view and shook his head. "You don't play fair Ms. Moss," he said softly as he reached down and lifted her up to his lap and began to press kissed along her collar bone and up her neck until he reached her mouth.
"Josh," she moaned softly. "Josh," she sighed again. "I have to get ready."
"For what?" he asked breathlessly in between his devouring her neck.
"To go," she said simply. "I want to say goodbye to everyone."
"Go?" he asked. "You're still going to go?"
"Yes," she said forcefully as he removed his lips from her skin.
"After last night?" he asked.
"Last night was beautiful," she said as her hands framed his confused face.
"But not enough," he mused shaking his head.
"I have to think of me and of Olivia here Josh," she said sighing. "You knew that. God, I told you that."
"You did," he agreed. "You did, Donna, but then...but then we did and..."
"Josh..." she sighed. "Josh I have to do something for me...for Olivia...for us," she shook her head.
"Donna," he sighed as he pulled his coat back tightly around her exposed body. "Tell me how you're doing this for us again and I'm going to scream."
"It is for us," she insisted.
"Ahhhhhh!" he yelled and she jumped quickly off his lap.
"Hawaii is not Mars," she insisted.
"It might as well be," he told her.
"We have airplanes and stuff nowadays, Josh. We're not dependent on the horse and buggy anymore," she said as her eyes narrowed at him.
"I have a job to do Donna," he explained.
"With your best friend who is sure to be lenient on days off," she explained away.
"I won't do that to him. He's gonna be President in four years. I have a lot of work to do," Josh told her shrugging.
"Well...we'll visit," she smiled.
"It won't be the same," he sighed sadly.
"No," she shook her head. "It won't be. But it will be what it is. We're still a family," she offered.
"Hardly," he snorted.
"It's not perfect," she sighed. "But..."
"Nothing about us ever is perfect, is it?" he smirked sadly.
"Josh..." she started to cross the room toward him.
He raised his hand to keep her back. "Can you just not...right now...just don't try to make it better."
"But..." Donna tried.
"No, Donna," Josh insisted. "You do it all the damn time and right now...right now I just need you to just deal with the reality that is instead of looking through your rose colored glasses all the time."
"But Joshua," she sighed wrapping her arms around his fighting body.
His body stiffened under her touch. His arms did not return her embrace. "I love you," he sighed, shaking his head.
"I know," she cried as she buried her head in his shoulder.
"I love you and I love Olivia," he said sadly.
"We love you, too," she cried softly, tightening her grip on him.
"You're leaving today?" he asked, holding back tears.
"Yeah...this afternoon," she said into his neck.
"Say hello to your family and make sure you give Livvie a kiss for me, okay?" he asked.
"I'll see you before I go," she said sadly, shaking her head.
"No," he whispered, finally allowing his arms to encircle her trembling body. "I have to go to work," he told her.
"But Josh," she pleaded.
He pulled her body away from him so that he could get a good look at her. "Have a safe flight," he told her and kissed her softly on her trembling lips once. His thumbs forcibly wiped the falling tears from her face. He forced a last smile, which barely showed his dimples. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and shook his head. "Call me when you land in Wisconsin."
"But Joshua," she sighed as he walked out the door to his makeshift office.
---- Hours later – still at Headquarters ----
"Donna?" Sam asked coming in with Toby and CJ.
"Hey," she forced a smile and wiped her eyes fiercely. "I was just coming to find you guys. Congratulations! How was the party?"
"We missed you," CJ told her with a smile as they all sat down. "Where's Josh?"
"He had work," Donna smiled sadly.
"Always working," Toby shook his head.
"Hey guys," Lynne said coming into the room and not noticing Donna. "I just came from my place and she hasn't been back there..."
"That's because she's here," Sam offered nodding toward Donna.
"So she is," Lynne smirked. "Hi Donna."
"Hi Lynne," Donna laughed.
"So..." CJ began. "How are...things?"
"Things are the way they were," Donna shrugged. "My flight leaves in a couple of hours."
"You're still going?" Lynne asked as the others looked imploringly at Donna.
"Yes," she shook her head. "It's something I have to do."
"Okay," Toby shook his head and got up. "I have to go to work as well." Toby hugged Donna tightly and pressed a small kiss on her cheek. "Take care of yourself and that beautiful little girl."
"Don't work too hard," she whispered and smiled as he walked out of the room.
"How's Josh?" Sam asked.
"Sam!" CJ yelled and slapped his arm. "It's not always about Josh."
"Thanks CJ," Donna laughed. "He's upset. And he's working," Donna shrugged. "Go check on him." Then her cell phone rang and she turned away to answer it. "Hello?"
"I just wanted to let you know he's okay," Will said on the other end of the line.
"Yeah?" Donna asked, mouthing 'it's Will' to the room.
"He's a little drunk, but he's fine," Will assured her. "I found him in his office with some of Toby's scotch stash. But he's home now...still with the scotch...but home."
"Thank you," Donna smiled.
"Take care of yourself, kiddo," Will smiled. "Call me when you're settled."
"Visit me soon," Donna ordered.
"Yes ma'am," he smiled and hung up.
"Will's with Josh," Donna told the group.
"He'll be okay," Lynne assured her.
"You'll take care of him?" Donna asked Lynne suddenly, and it was if no one else was in the room.
"Of course," Lynne assured her.
"We all will," Sam piped up.
"Yeah," CJ echoed. "I'm going to miss you Donna," CJ sighed. "I'm sorry I was such a...such a bitch before," CJ said, slightly embarrassed.
"Thanks for that, CJ," Donna sighed as she got up to hug her friend.
"Be careful and take care of yourself," CJ told her.
"Do you have a ride to the airport?" Lynne asked.
"Sam?" Donna asked looking at Josh's best friend.
"I can do it," Sam told her.
"Sam's my ride," Donna smiled.
"I'll miss you," Lynne hugged Donna tightly. "Who would've thought that?"
"I know," Donna laughed. "I'll miss you too."
"You ready to get going? We gotta go pick up your stuff," Sam said to Donna with a smile.
"Yeah," she shook her head. "I'm ready to go home."
Sam laughed and shook his head.
"What?" she asked as they got into the car.
"It's just you used to call DC home," he said. "It's just hard to get used to I guess."
"I'll visit," Donna promised.
"I know," Sam smiled. "You know he really does love you."
"I know," Donna smiled sadly. "I love him."
"I know," Sam shook his head. "That's why I am having such a hard time figuring you two crazy people out."
"We've got terminal bad timing," Donna offered.
"Yeah," Sam shrugged. "Maybe that's it," he laughed a bit.
"I just have to be me for a little while," Donna shrugged. "It's something that I need to do for me and for Livvie. I need to be responsible and on my own for a while and then...and then who knows...ya know?"
"Yeah," Sam shook his head.
---- Nighttime ----
"Hey," Sam smiled as Will let him in to Josh's home.
"She got off okay?" Will asked.
"Yeah," Sam assured him. "She'll call here later on to let everyone know that she's landed. How's he doing?"
"He's drunk," Will shrugged. "Lynne's with him."
"Okay," Sam sighed. "How's she?"
"She's being supportive," Will said shaking his head.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "I just hope...I hope Josh doesn't...you know...confuse her or anything. I know how much she cares for him and I know how needy he can be at times."
"Lynne can handle herself all right," Will assured him.
"I hope so," Sam nodded and went to grab a slice of pizza from the box in the kitchen.
---- In Josh's bedroom ----
"She left me," Josh mumbled as Lynne's hands ruffled through his hair.
"She just went away for a little while," Lynne sighed.
"I'm unlovable," he muttered.
"You're ridiculous," Lynne laughed. "I love you."
"Yeah," Josh sighed. "Have I mentioned you have a great ass?" he asked.
"Many times, loverboy," she laughed, removing his roaming hand from her ass and pushing up on his chest to get herself off the bed and out of his arms.
"Take a nap or a cold shower," she told him. "I am going to grab some pizza," she smirked.
---- In Josh's living room ----
"How's he doing?" Will asked.
"He's in the groping phase of his drunkenness and I just...I had to get out there for a minute," Lynne said, forcing a smile.
"You okay?" Sam asked, with a worried look.
"I just needed a minute," she shrugged.
"He doesn't need a babysitter," Will told her.
"I promised Donna," Lynne shrugged.
"I don't want to have you hurt," Sam told her.
"You're sweet," Lynne smiled.
"So I've been told," Sam smirked and offered her a slice of pizza.
The three of them grabbed their pizza and some beers and plopped in front of the two televisions in the living room – one tuned into CNN and the other to C-SPAN. They were mindlessly watching what was going on in the world when the phone rang.
"Yeah?" Will asked as he lunged for it first.
"I'm here," Donna's voice chirped.
"Safe and sound?" Will asked.
"Yes," she smiled. "I'm at my mom's and we're set to go home tomorrow afternoon."
"Good," Will smiled. "How's my little Olivia?" he asked.
"Perfect," she sighed. "She's a perfect little girl."
"Okay," Will smiled. "You wanna talk to Josh?"
"He's probably passed out by now," Donna shrugged. "Just tell him we're okay and that I'll call when we get home."
"Okay," Will sighed. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Yeah," she smiled and hung up.
