"Josh?" Zoey called walking down the hall of their Washington, DC headquarters. "Josh! We need to comment on the legislation that the Republicans put forth today," she insisted.
"Yeah," he nodded. "What do we think?" he asked.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"How the hell should I know?" he asked, clearly aggravated. "I can't even remember where I live, let alone what the hell the legislation is about," he spat out through gritted teeth.
"You look like you can't remember where you live," Zoey giggled as she took in his appearance. "When was the last time you went home?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said, absently riffing through the mounds of newspaper clips on his desk.
"You don't know?" Zoey asked, coming in and pushing a mound of something off of his visitor's chair and sitting down. "When was the last time you ate anything?"
"I...." he paused. "I ate something yesterday."
"What?" she pressed.
"A muffin or something," he decided.
"A mini muffin?" she asked. "That's it? A freaking mini muffin?"
"It was something," he told her. "I'm busy. I'm running for President," he reminded.
"You'll be dead before your name appears solely on the ballot in the "D" column," she told him.
"Shut up," he said shaking his head.
"That's not an acceptable answer," she told him.
"I don't care," he said.
"How much coffee have you had?" she asked instead.
"I don't know," he shook his head. "Some," he told her.
"Right," she nodded. "This has got to stop. How did you used to live during campaigns? Cause you sure as hell didn't win by living like this. It's not good," she told him forcefully. "I'm bringing it up at Staff," Zoey huffed and shoved herself out of the seat.
"Zoey," he said getting up to grab her arm. "I'm fine," he tried to convince her.
"But that's just it," she sighed looking at his face. "You're not. You haven't eaten, you don't sleep. You drink too much of everything," Zoey touched his cheek. "I'm worried about you."
"I'll get it together," Josh tried to convince her.
"You need a break," she told him. "You need to get out of this circus."
"I'm campaigning," he reminded.
"So?" she asked. "Go campaign," she through her hands out behind her. "Campaign away from anywhere near here."
"Josh," Will said, poking his head in the office. "Sorry, Zoey," he smiled at the Press Secretary. "Josh, there's going to be press conferences and hearings on the California Energy Crisis the next two weeks. You should be out there. You can hit Oregon and Washington and Arizona and Nevada while you're in the area," he told him.
"Perfect," Zoey beamed. "Campaigning away from here," she smiled triumphantly.
"Are you sure?" Josh asked.
"Absolutely," Will and Zoey said together.
"Hey, Josh," Sam said joining the group. "I think you need to get yourself to California, my friend. There're gonna be some hearings and stuff on the Energy thing out there..."
"He's going," Will interrupted Sam before he could go into great detail.
"Great," Sam smiled.
"I'll make the arrangements," Zoey smiled.
"It'll be fine," Sam smiled as he watched Josh cringe when Zoey and Will left the room.
"Donna's in California," Josh whispered to Sam.
"So?" Sam whispered back. "Why are we whispering?" he asked, hushed.
"I think she's volunteering for us," Josh said.
"So?" Sam asked again. "That doesn't mean you'll see her or anything like that," Sam sighed. "It's a big state."
"I want to see Donna," Josh said simply.
"Okay," Sam nodded.
"That's not a smart move," Josh acknowledged.
"I'd probably agree with you," Sam nodded again.
"But if she's helping out with the campaign, then a little contact would be normal," Josh reasoned.
"Josh," Sam sighed. "The Presidential candidate doesn't make himself available to any happy-go-lucky volunteer," Sam reminded.
"But it's not just a volunteer. It's Donna," Josh sighed.
"That doesn't make a difference," Sam tried to explain.
"It does to me," Josh huffed.
"You're acting like a child," Sam told him.
"So?" Josh asked, indignantly.
"You just love to prove my point, don't you?" Sam laughed. "Seriously," Sam said, clearing his throat. "Just leave the Donna thing alone."
"We're friends," Josh protested.
"Fine," Sam nodded, not wanting to argue anymore. "Just...don't screw this up for us, Josh. Don't," Sam sighed, giving up the fight. "Please don't."
"I won't," Josh smiled as he got up.
"Where're you going?" Sam asked.
"To pack. And eat, and maybe get a shower and some new clothes," Josh pondered as he breezed out the door.
"He's gonna screw this up," Sam muttered as he watched his friend run down the hallway.
----Two Days Later----
"I need you to call over to the Senator's office and ask him for a copy of his schedule – for here and in DC. Then, once you get it," Donna continued, "fax it over to Zoey Bartlett at the DC Headquarters for her information. And you're going to do that for the other Senator and the Congressmen here as well," Donna directed Maddie, a fellow volunteer at the California Headquarters. She sighed as she plopped herself down in a chair and grabbed a drink from her water bottle.
She'd been volunteering at Josh's Campaign Headquarters since she'd seen him at the fundraiser. She loved it. The kids were able to come with her when she was there in the evenings and early mornings and she was able to delve into the politics of it all while her kids spent time with the nanny. It wasn't at all how she saw her life ten years earlier, but it seemed to work for the moment, so she decided to go with it. She loved her husband, but his work took him away a lot more than she liked. Dating at world-traveling doctor was much different than dating a politician. With political junkies she could at least contribute to the conversations. With Tom, she just couldn't. And with his speeches and volunteer work, he was rarely ever home. It was to the point that the kids barely missed him when he wasn't there. But, doing this gave her a sense of purpose. She felt smart again. She felt useful. But she always felt badly about that. Because her kids needed her. Julian and Gwen were almost three. They needed her and she loved that she could be there for them. But they provided her with a very limited stimulating conversation. Working on the Campaign – that made her feel important and substantial again.
"Donna," Maddie said, coming into her cubicle.
"Yeah?" Donna asked, snapping out of her self-pitying mode.
"Phone call," she told her. "Someone from the main office."
"Donna Moss," she said into the receiver, smiling at how easily she slipped right back into her maiden name. She'd hyphenated with Tom's last name 'Jameson' for a while, but now that she was doing this, the 'Moss' just flowed easier.
"Donna, it's Will," the voice said warmly.
"Will! How are you?" she asked excitedly.
"I'm good," he smiled. "I just wanted to warn you about Josh," he said, cutting to the chase. "I was supposed to call you yesterday, but we were so busy and I just kinda forgot to do it, so I'm trying to just get it out of the way now," he rambled.
"Donna," Maddie said via the intercom. "Mr. Lyman is here to see you."
"Will?" Donna asked calmly. "Are you calling to tell me that Josh might drop by?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "Might is the operative word, 'cause he also might not," he shrugged to himself.
"I gotta go," she smiled. "He opted to come," she told him. "And he's here now. I gotta handle this before the staff here starts asking questions."
"Tell me what happens," he said as he hung up.
"Send him in, Maddie," she called back through the intercom.
She took a deep breath and concentrated on her computer screen, determined not to make him think she was overly excited to see him, although she missed him terribly and seeing him made her extremely happy.
"Donna," he smiled as he stood in her doorway smiling at her.
"Josh," she said, looking away from her screen. "What's going on? Do you need something while you're in town?" she asked.
"I'm here for the energy thing," he told her.
"You're here for that?" she asked for clarity, "or are you in California for that."
"In California," he nodded.
"You're here for what, then?" she asked.
"To see you," he smiled, dimples and all and she found it difficult to keep her cool façade going.
"Why to see me?" she asked with a grin. "I am but a lowly, unpaid volunteer for the great Lyman for President Campaign," she giggled.
"You are lowly," he decided. "Too lowly to be worthy of my presence," he said, about to push himself up out of the chair. "Shall I get out of your hair, then?" he asked.
"Sit down," she laughed, shaking her head.
"Good," he smirked. "How's Tom and the children?" he asked, deciding to be polite for once.
"Tom's in Morocco, I think," she said pondering. "He's giving a lecture or something like that. Gwen and Jules are great. They're speaking in almost full sentences now and I really find it amusing, 'cause they're so cute."
"They're almost three, now, right?" he asked, continuing to be polite.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Great," he smiled. "Maybe I can meet them one of these days?" he asked.
"Maybe," she nodded.
"Where are they now?" he asked, noticing it was the middle of the day.
"They're with the Nanny," she told him. "I leave them with her when I'm here for long periods of time."
"So...you're here a lot?" he asked.
"I like to volunteer," she shrugged.
"They gave you an office," he observed.
"I'm the smartest one here most of the time," she smiled proudly. "And I know most of the players," she shrugged.
"I'm glad you're on my team," he told her.
"I'm glad I am, too," she said, shaking her head.
"I wanted to come and see you," he told her honestly.
"Why?" she asked, surprised at his admission.
He shrugged. "Sam told me to not pop in here."
"And yet, here you are," she laughed.
"I don't take direction well," Josh nodded.
"I know," she smiled.
They sat in a relatively comfortable silence for a few minutes until Josh cleared his throat.
"Can I take you to lunch?" he asked.
"What?" she asked, startled by his boldness.
"I'm hungry," he reasoned. "I thought I could interest you in food. You used to be giddy with the idea of a free lunch," he recalled.
"Things change, Josh," she told him.
"We don't," he told her honestly.
"We did," she reminded him quietly.
"You still like to eat, right?" he asked, shaking his head with a grin.
She smiled and shook her head yes.
"Good," he laughed. "Get up and let's go get food."
"I really should finish up here and then I told Melissa," she began.
"The Nanny?" he asked for clarification.
"Yes," she nodded. "I told Melissa she could leave around 3 or so," she explained.
"Great," he smiled. "Finish up," he told her. "I've gotta go make some calls," he nodded past her little door space to an office that looked official. "Can I use that office?"
"Yeah," she nodded with a grin.
"Great," he smiled. "So I'll go make my calls, you finish your work, we'll go and relieve Melissa of her duties and then we'll all go for a late lunch, early dinner kinda thing."
"All of us?" she asked with a smirk. "Did I say you were meeting my children today?" she asked.
"You said maybe I could one of these days," he reiterated. "Today is a day," he reasoned.
"You're so sure of yourself aren't you," she laughed.
"You gotta eat," he reminded her.
"I do," she shook her head.
"You work, I'll call, then we'll leave," he gave her the breakdown of the early afternoon.
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she laughed.