"You did great." Josh hugged Donna as she entered Mrs Bartlett's suite
after the press conference. "I'm proud of you."
"That goes for me too." Abbey agreed. "You were very good."
"I was just doing my job. It's easy when you're telling the truth." Donna said with a smile.
"Ma'am do you think I could steal your Chief of Staff for the rest of the evening?" Josh asked.
"Josh, Mrs Bartlett and I have to..." Donna started.
"Of course. She deserves the night off. Go and have fun Donna. Josh take one of the agents with you. I've got a few extra and I'm not planning on doing anything other than talking to my husband this evening."
"Can you ask him to ask Toby to have the polling data faxed to me when it's done?" Josh asked.
"Josh, you're supposed to be having the time off and learning about Louisiana." Donna reminded him.
"I have been, but this is a very important poll and I need the information before we get back to the White House."
"Go ahead and get out of here." Abbey instructed. "And have fun."
~ ~
"We're going to a bar?" Donna asked as they entered a small town bar miles outside the city. The Agent they had brought with them was dressed like them in casual clothes.
"I thought you deserved a drink for today." Josh said with a smile.
"Josh you have a sensitive system. You can't drink a lot I can't have the cameras picking up a picture of you drunk around the first lady."
"One beer then I'll stick to soft drinks I promise."
"Fine. Orange Juice for you Tom?" She asked the agent.
"Miss Moss I really shouldn't drink when I'm on duty." Tom replied.
"Tom, it was your night off, your only here because Mrs B wanted some one to come with us just in case. Orange juice won't hurt you, sit down and keep Josh company. No politics talking." Donna warned.
"Yes ma'am." The agent sat with Josh at a table in the back, but with clear sight to all the exits.
"Two beers and a orange juice please." Donna said to the old bar man.
"Of course." He opened the bottles and placed them in front of her and filled a glass with orange juice. "I recognise you." He said as he returned with her change. "Your Mrs Bartlett's new Chief of Staff Donna Moss, the one the Governor accused of sleeping her way into the White House."
"That would be me." Donna admitted actually liking the fact that she'd been recognised outside Washington.
"I don't think you did. The Governor is a jumped up jerk who couldn't lead a scout troop half a yard without getting lost."
"Thank you." Donna said with a smile.
"I like the First Lady and the President. They're good people, tell them Johnny Tompkins says so."
"I will. Can I ask you something?" Donna said sitting on a stool.
"Of course Miss. You can ask Johnny anything."
"Do you think I should have gotten this job. I mean I don't have a college degree, I just joined the campaign because I was inspired by a speech the President gave, I got lucky being able to keep up with Josh and getting to work in the White House, like I did coming down here with the First Lady."
"I'll think you'll do fine. You look like you believe in what you're doing. I don't know much about Washington politics but you'll do." He winked at her.
"Thanks."
"Donna what's taking so long?" Josh said coming up to her.
"I'm just talking to Johnny here. He's not a big fan of the Governor." Donna informed him.
"I recognise you too. Do you work in the White House too?" Johnny asked. Donna bit her lip to hide a smile.
"Josh Lyman, White House Deputy Chief of Staff." Josh held out his hand.
"Johnny Tompkins." Johnny shook it. "You're the one who got shot a while back."
"We don't like to talk about that." Donna quickly covered not quite sure how Josh's PTSD would cope with the mention of it.
"Maybe not, but I'm glad you made it. You people do good work at the White House. Shame if something tragic happened. We need people who want to do good work running the country and the President is a good man."
"That he is." Josh agreed.
"Enjoy your drinks and don't let the Governor ruin you impressions of Louisiana. It's a great state."
"That it is and that's exactly what I'll be tell the President when I debrief him on everything I learnt about the Louisiana." Josh said with a smile. "Come on Donna, Tom is getting parched over there." Donna slid off her seat and handed Josh his beer.
"See I told you some of the South supported us." Donna said with a smile. "Here you go Tom." Donna handed him the glass.
"Thank you ma'am." Tom replied.
"Tom, give it a break. I know it goes against protocol but just stick with Josh and Donna for tonight okay?" Donna pleaded.
"Yes ma'am." Tom said with a smile as he took a sip of his drink.
"Why exactly did Mrs B want Tom to come along?" Josh whispered to Donna.
"Josh, you've had an agent and an intern trailing you all day. " Donna informed him.
"Why?"
"Josh, you're a liability while you're down here. The press corps isn't the ones we deal with on a daily basis, I didn't need another 'secret plan to fight inflation' by you making an off hand remark or an actually commenting to them."
"You think I'm a liability?" Josh questioned.
"You're not a liability per se Josh, just a pain in the neck when you get angry, didn't you notice the huge dent in your bank account for flowers for the assistants you offended or your mother's plane ticket. You have a tendency to say more than you should."
"Donna." Josh started.
"Josh, you know you do it. You're good at you're job as long as you're anger is kept in check. We're going to dance Tom, keep an eye on your drinks."
"Yes ma'am."
~ You're my angel You see me through Believe in me I believe in you Fill my heart From your loving well You're my angel
Pick me up When I'm feeling down When I stumble on shaky ground Oh you're my answer When I can't tell You're my angel
Oh you take up to heaven With you spread your loving wings When I am weary And way behind When I am clearly Out of my mind Oh when I find I'm in my own hell You're my angel Oh you're my angel ~
"You know you're my angel Donna." Josh whispered to her.
"That's sweet Josh. But can we keep this away from the public eyes. Just until we worked out everything." Donna asked.
"Whatever you want." Josh replied. "Whatever you want."
A/N Song - You're my Angel by Brooks and Dunn
"That goes for me too." Abbey agreed. "You were very good."
"I was just doing my job. It's easy when you're telling the truth." Donna said with a smile.
"Ma'am do you think I could steal your Chief of Staff for the rest of the evening?" Josh asked.
"Josh, Mrs Bartlett and I have to..." Donna started.
"Of course. She deserves the night off. Go and have fun Donna. Josh take one of the agents with you. I've got a few extra and I'm not planning on doing anything other than talking to my husband this evening."
"Can you ask him to ask Toby to have the polling data faxed to me when it's done?" Josh asked.
"Josh, you're supposed to be having the time off and learning about Louisiana." Donna reminded him.
"I have been, but this is a very important poll and I need the information before we get back to the White House."
"Go ahead and get out of here." Abbey instructed. "And have fun."
~ ~
"We're going to a bar?" Donna asked as they entered a small town bar miles outside the city. The Agent they had brought with them was dressed like them in casual clothes.
"I thought you deserved a drink for today." Josh said with a smile.
"Josh you have a sensitive system. You can't drink a lot I can't have the cameras picking up a picture of you drunk around the first lady."
"One beer then I'll stick to soft drinks I promise."
"Fine. Orange Juice for you Tom?" She asked the agent.
"Miss Moss I really shouldn't drink when I'm on duty." Tom replied.
"Tom, it was your night off, your only here because Mrs B wanted some one to come with us just in case. Orange juice won't hurt you, sit down and keep Josh company. No politics talking." Donna warned.
"Yes ma'am." The agent sat with Josh at a table in the back, but with clear sight to all the exits.
"Two beers and a orange juice please." Donna said to the old bar man.
"Of course." He opened the bottles and placed them in front of her and filled a glass with orange juice. "I recognise you." He said as he returned with her change. "Your Mrs Bartlett's new Chief of Staff Donna Moss, the one the Governor accused of sleeping her way into the White House."
"That would be me." Donna admitted actually liking the fact that she'd been recognised outside Washington.
"I don't think you did. The Governor is a jumped up jerk who couldn't lead a scout troop half a yard without getting lost."
"Thank you." Donna said with a smile.
"I like the First Lady and the President. They're good people, tell them Johnny Tompkins says so."
"I will. Can I ask you something?" Donna said sitting on a stool.
"Of course Miss. You can ask Johnny anything."
"Do you think I should have gotten this job. I mean I don't have a college degree, I just joined the campaign because I was inspired by a speech the President gave, I got lucky being able to keep up with Josh and getting to work in the White House, like I did coming down here with the First Lady."
"I'll think you'll do fine. You look like you believe in what you're doing. I don't know much about Washington politics but you'll do." He winked at her.
"Thanks."
"Donna what's taking so long?" Josh said coming up to her.
"I'm just talking to Johnny here. He's not a big fan of the Governor." Donna informed him.
"I recognise you too. Do you work in the White House too?" Johnny asked. Donna bit her lip to hide a smile.
"Josh Lyman, White House Deputy Chief of Staff." Josh held out his hand.
"Johnny Tompkins." Johnny shook it. "You're the one who got shot a while back."
"We don't like to talk about that." Donna quickly covered not quite sure how Josh's PTSD would cope with the mention of it.
"Maybe not, but I'm glad you made it. You people do good work at the White House. Shame if something tragic happened. We need people who want to do good work running the country and the President is a good man."
"That he is." Josh agreed.
"Enjoy your drinks and don't let the Governor ruin you impressions of Louisiana. It's a great state."
"That it is and that's exactly what I'll be tell the President when I debrief him on everything I learnt about the Louisiana." Josh said with a smile. "Come on Donna, Tom is getting parched over there." Donna slid off her seat and handed Josh his beer.
"See I told you some of the South supported us." Donna said with a smile. "Here you go Tom." Donna handed him the glass.
"Thank you ma'am." Tom replied.
"Tom, give it a break. I know it goes against protocol but just stick with Josh and Donna for tonight okay?" Donna pleaded.
"Yes ma'am." Tom said with a smile as he took a sip of his drink.
"Why exactly did Mrs B want Tom to come along?" Josh whispered to Donna.
"Josh, you've had an agent and an intern trailing you all day. " Donna informed him.
"Why?"
"Josh, you're a liability while you're down here. The press corps isn't the ones we deal with on a daily basis, I didn't need another 'secret plan to fight inflation' by you making an off hand remark or an actually commenting to them."
"You think I'm a liability?" Josh questioned.
"You're not a liability per se Josh, just a pain in the neck when you get angry, didn't you notice the huge dent in your bank account for flowers for the assistants you offended or your mother's plane ticket. You have a tendency to say more than you should."
"Donna." Josh started.
"Josh, you know you do it. You're good at you're job as long as you're anger is kept in check. We're going to dance Tom, keep an eye on your drinks."
"Yes ma'am."
~ You're my angel You see me through Believe in me I believe in you Fill my heart From your loving well You're my angel
Pick me up When I'm feeling down When I stumble on shaky ground Oh you're my answer When I can't tell You're my angel
Oh you take up to heaven With you spread your loving wings When I am weary And way behind When I am clearly Out of my mind Oh when I find I'm in my own hell You're my angel Oh you're my angel ~
"You know you're my angel Donna." Josh whispered to her.
"That's sweet Josh. But can we keep this away from the public eyes. Just until we worked out everything." Donna asked.
"Whatever you want." Josh replied. "Whatever you want."
A/N Song - You're my Angel by Brooks and Dunn