TITLE: One of THOSE Days

AUTHOR: Micky Fine

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never will be.

SUMMARY: "This has definitely not been one of THOSE days." J/D

SPOILERS: Everything

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Once again THANK YOU for all of the very lovely reviews; they were so appreciated (hint!). This could potentially be the end of this fic but if I get enough demands for more I could extend it to 6 or possibly 9 (if you guys really want that much of it). Let me know. If this isn't the end, this fic is quickly heading into the land AU, as I don't really feel like including some of the latest developments although there may be bits and pieces I'll include. We'll see. As for this chapter, it will alternate between Donna and Josh's POV. Reviews welcome.

It's Sunday. For some it is a day of worship. For others it's a chance to get some work done around the house. For students it's a day to do last-minute studying. But for me it isn't any of those things because I have to go to work.

That's right, on a SUNDAY I am being forced by my boss, the evil dictator (otherwise known as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States), to come in on the weekend just because he has to be there. It may also have something to do with my minor break down three days ago, but I don't really want to go there except to say that the look in Josh's eyes when he cleaned some paint off my nose was enough to make me want to blush all over.

Anyway, since I have to go in on a Sunday it means I get to dress casually and because I want to punish Josh I am wearing my sexy jeans. I love these jeans, they hug in just the right places and when matched with a pair of tall, stiletto-heeled, black boots and a low v-neck t-shirt (in red, because we all know it's Josh's favorite color) I feel empowered and capable of defeating everything and seducing anything I don't defeat (namely Josh). It also helps distract me from the fact that feline Josh was sitting on my chest this morning.

--------

I hear the familiar sounds of Donna hanging up her coat, putting her purse in a drawer and booting up her computer so I am not totally unprepared when I hear her purr (because that is indeed what she is doing) at me from my office door.

"Good morning, Josh."

I look up and I think I bruised my chin when my jaw dropped. As I've previously mentioned, I have a thing for my assistant (some might call it love) and it is not merely because she is leggy and blonde but also because she has an impressive mind. But that's not what just made me the latest victim of Open Mouth Disease. She is leaning against the doorframe wearing these excessively feminine and seductive boots with the most amazing jeans I have ever seen. To top it off she's wearing a red t-shirt with a v-neck that reveals an alluring amount of cleavage. I love her for her mind. Really.

"Mor... Morning, Donna."

"Did your voice just crack there, Joshua?"

"Where?"

"Denial, Josh."

"I think I saw it in Egypt once."

"Right."

I now look at Donna not for the aesthetically pleasing reasons (I swear!) but to determine exactly how she's doing. After finding her soaked to the skin, sitting in a wrought-iron chair in the middle of a thunderstorm I think I have a right for being concerned. Especially seeing as I'm in love with her and all. I note that the circles under her eyes aren't as dark as they were yesterday and although she's still too thin she's starting to look more like herself.

"Josh."

"Yeah?"

"You're looking at me like my therapist does."

"And?"

"You're not my therapist."

"Ah, that's an issue for you, is it?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to tell me how you feel about that?"

"Shut up."

She rolls her eyes, smiles at me and then moves from the doorway to start organizing the files on my desk. I am suddenly enraptured by the simple act of her leaning over my desk and then I realize she's coming closer to me, her face is approaching mine...and then she smiles as she pilfers my mug of still hot coffee.

"Hey!"

"Do you have a problem, Joshua?"

"That's mine!"

Another voice now breaks in.

"Pointing at Donna and treating her like an object is very demeaning, Joshua."

"Well, Claudia Jean, if someone who refuses to bring you coffee then steals yours, what would you say?"

"Go to Starbucks."

"Some help you are."

"Hey, I'm a card-carrying member of the Sisterhood, I'm not about to betray it."

Donna grins and then leaves, closing the door behind her. She takes my coffee mug.

"That's not fair."

"I know,Josh, but I'm going to have to break it to you now, life is not fair."

"Thanks for that. You wanted to talk to me before I get started on that thing today?"

"Yeah, I got a message last night from Special Agent Greenfield."

"He talked to you instead of me?"

"There's a note in both your file and Donna's to brief the CoS first."

I feel a bittersweet smile cross my face. Leo's always looked out for my well-being and I guess he figured having Donna around helps keep me sane. He's probably right.

"Ok, so what did he have to say?"

"That group he talked about before has been sending packages to Donna. So far the Secret Service has managed to intercept them but they wanted to issue a warning."

"What kind of packages?"

"Well, they all contain blonde, blue-eyed porcelain dolls. The first package was just a doll whose face had been broken. The second doll was covered in cow's blood. The third one contained 13 dead black widow spiders along with the doll. They get worse from there."

I am so angry and terrified at the same time that I can't speak for several moments.

"And the Secret Service still thinks these guys aren't a threat to her safety?"

"According to Special Agent Greenfield, they've never physically harmed anyone."

"Well I don't want Donna to be the first. And she doesn't need to be terrorized now, on top of all the other things she's going through."

"No kidding."

"Do we have to tell her about this?"

"Do you want her thinking she's in no real danger and opening a package one day that contains a doll and some C4?"

"DONNA!"

-------

After two hours of Josh hovering over me and managing to do very little preparation for his meeting this afternoon I had to escape and made my way down to the mess for some lunch, promising to bring him back a salad. He growled at that suggestion. While down here I ended up being corralled into lunch with Annabeth and CJ who are discussing the finer points of press handling.

"Donna? What do you think?"

"Sorry CJ, I wasn't really listening."

"You worried about the thing?"

"My fan club? Not really. I'm more worried about going insane with all of Josh's hovering."

CJ smirks and Annabeth is informed enough to not need to ask questions.

"Donna, considering the fact that I and a couple other members of the staff have to fight off a need to hover you can't expect Josh, with his minimal lack of self-control, not to. Especially when you think about all the stuff that you two have gone through and all the stuff he's had to deal with."

"I get that, but it's just weird being on the other side. I'm always worrying about him, I'm not used to him worrying about me."

"You should, I have a feeling Josh will be at it for a long time."

"I'll be at what?"

I turn and see Josh raising his eyebrow at us.

"Attempting to convince the world that the Republicans are not a real party."

"Well, that's true."

I watch him as he surreptitiously sneaks a cookie underneath a bowl of salad and then comes to stand by my chair.

"So, Donna, if you're done girl-talking you promised to prep me for that meeting in half an hour."

"Twenty minutes, Josh, your watch..."

"Sucks, I know. Cue cards?"

"54."

"24 and we're good to go."

"You always do that and then I have to skip over the interesting parts."

"Interesting but not necessary."

As we exit the mess, still bantering, I look over my shoulder to see CJ and Annabeth shaking their heads at us.

--------

Thanks to Donna and her cue cards I managed to phenagle a deal and get out of the mind-numbingly boring meeting over an hour earlier than expected. With great joy I snuck down to the mess and snitched a donut before heading back to my office. When I arrive, instead of my comely assistant sitting at her desk is one of the teeming masses of interns that mill around the West Wing. He regards me nervously and then hands me a post-it with Donna's "distinctive handwriting" scrawled across it. I give the intern a reassuring smile (I lose my temper at an intern ONCE and then they're all afraid of me) and head into my office attempting to decipher Donna's note.

There's Toby's name something that looks like "back" and "3:00 p.m." so I assume that Donna has gone for one of her inter-office training sessions. I'm about to head over to the communication department to brag about my latest victory when my phone rings.

"Josh Lyman."

"Mr. Lyman, it's Lara Cromley."

Lara Cromley is Donna's physiotherapist who works part-time for patients that she really feels are in need of her expertise. Donna charmed her in the first three minutes. Since Donna originally asked me to be her support net when she first started physio Lara has been under the impression that we are either engaged or on the verge of being so. This means that Lara gives me updates on Donna's recovery without Donna's knowledge, a way to reassure myself about Donna's recovery.

"Hey Lara, how's it going?"

"Fine, Josh, but I really think you should stop working on Sundays."

"You, my mother, Donna's mother and Donna seem to be of the same opinion. Unfortunately the American people get a little cranky if their government grinds to a halt."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Sounds good. Now, how's Donna doing?"

"Good, her mobility and flexibility are almost back to normal. You can tell her that she can stop using her cane at work altogether, although she should keep using it at home for at least another week or two."

"Ok. Wait."

"What?"

"You said Donna is just now supposed to stop using her cane at work?"

"Yeah."

"What would happen if she were to have stopped using it before?"

"Well, if she were to take breaks from any serious labor for at least an hour a day she would have frequent severe muscle cramps. If she didn't take any breaks at all it could cause some real damage to the tissues in her knee and possibly strain her hip joint."

I am suddenly very angry and quickly hang up with Lara before I hurt the messenger.

"DONNATELLA MOSS!!!"

I barrel out into the bullpen and glare at the intern who is quivering in Donna's desk.

"Is she in Toby's office?!?"

I can hear myself growling similar to an angry Fred Flintstone but I really don't care as the intern manages to nod. I storm off towards the Communications Bullpen with staffers hurrying out of my path when they see me coming.

Donnatella Moss is so in for it.

As I approach Toby's domain I can see Donna just leaving Annabeth's office and heading over to Toby's. I feel my anger wither just a little when I see her in her jeans, boots and that ever so alluring top. My anger disappears altogether when I see her suddenly collapse.

--------

I ended up having to take my time-out in Annabeth's office today because Toby was busy writing a speech for the Screen Actors' Guild for our trip to California in three months. With so little for me to do he shipped me off to Annabeth, to sit on her couch and go through several political blogs on his laptop. We learned our lesson after Josh's little fender bender.

After spending my requisite hour of no physical labor I head over to Toby's office to return his laptop and to tell him that I'm heading back to Josh's office. Just as I near the threshold my leg muscle suddenly cramps and I end up falling down, clutching my leg and hissing out a breath in pain. Toby, hearing the wonderful thud that I just made, heads to his doorway where his tasseled loafers suddenly enter my sight line.

"You all right, Donna?"

"Yeah, it's not that bad. If you could just give me a hand up I should be able to stretch it out."

I look up at Toby to see him looking off towards the entrance of the Bullpen with a strange look on his face. I crane my neck in that direction and see a very familiar pair of sneakers quickly approaching.

"Crud."

"Toby. Donna."

Josh sounds very uptight and just a little angry. I start to worry. I think he knows something.

"Hey Josh, if you could just give me a hand up I'll take a breather on Toby's couch and be back in your office in ten minutes."

He gives a brief bark of laughter and I see an unfamiliar look in his eye. I'm unable to study it though because he suddenly sweeps me up off the floor and begins to carry me off to what I'm assuming will be his office. I give Toby a pleading look over Josh's shoulder but Toby only shrugs.

"Josh."

"Donna."

"I can walk."

"Really? 'Cause it sure didn't look like it when you were lying on the floor in front of Toby's office."

"It was just a mild leg cramp, Josh. It's not a big deal."

"Oh, this is SO big deal."

"Josh."

"We're going to have this discussion in my office."

"Josh..."

"My office."

"Fine, but do you think you could maybe put me down? I feel like Doris Day at the end of 'Pillowtalk'."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to have my way with you when we get back to my office."

"Well, that's disappointing."

Josh shoots me a look and glances around to make sure no one heard what I was insinuating back there. Apparently no one did, which I'm grateful for, but I'm even more grateful that he didn't drop me.

We finally arrive at his office, a fact for which I am extraordinarily thankful. I don't think I can take another one of those strange looks. CJ and Annabeth are going to take turns twisting the thumbscrews when they find out about this.

Josh sets me down very gently in the guest chair and then closes both of the doors in his office with a bit more force than necessary. I study him as he sits behind his desk, stands up and paces, taps his fingers on the window and then returns back to his desk. I'm startled when he suddenly starts talking.

"So, Lara phoned a little while ago."

"Lara? My physiotherapist?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Ok, well, thanks for taking the message. I guess I should go return her call."

I brace my hands on the armrests but halt at the sound of his voice.

"DON'T get up."

"Ok. Josh, what's going on? Did Special Agent Greenfield come by again? Did something else happen?"

"No, Donna, what happened was I talked to your physiotherapist."

"Ok."

"About you."

"Oh, and I thought you were discussing Mike Piazza."

"And your recovery."

"Can she really disclose that information to you? Isn't that some sort of violation of doctor-patient privilege?"

"I wouldn't really know."

"Kind of ironic that you went to law school and all and you can't determine what a violation of..."

"Donna, Lara told me that you could stop using your cane at work this week. She also said that you should still be using it at home. Now, to my knowledge you haven't been using it at either for the last six weeks."

I'm silent as I watch several different emotions cross Josh's face. There's a strange mix of anger, concern and something else I can't identify. He speaks again but his tone is much softer.

"Donna, why did you stop using your cane?"

"Well, Josh, it's pretty uncool to be using a cane when you're only in your twenties."

"Please be serious."

"You treated me different. You treated me like an invalid, like this fragile object that couldn't deal with you on a regular basis. You wouldn't let me walk with you. You were worrying about me and feeling guilty and I was worried that it would cause some sort of spiral and that I would somehow cause another episode and..."

"Donna, for the love of all that's holy you could just worry about yourself right now! You get blown up and somehow manage to survive multiple compound fractures and a collapsed lung. Then by some miracle that I am unbelievably grateful for, you manage to survive a pulmonary embolism, the same thing that killed my father."

Josh let's out a big gasp of air after nearly shouting all of this speech. I stare at him dumbstruck.

"Donna, I know you feel uncomfortable when I worry about you, but I don't think you realize that I always have. I've worried about you since the first day you wandered in and started answering my phone in the campaign office. It's just, since the explosion, I've let my concern show a little bit more than usual to keep you from doing anything stupid. Guess that backfired a bit, huh?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Yeah. I need to ask you some stuff now and then I have something else I want to discuss with you."

"Ok."

"Question one: do you take at least one hour breaks from walking at least once a day?"

"Yes, that was the reason for the inter-office training. Toby, Annabeth and CJ all have..."

"Couches. I get it, very sneaky."

He narrows his eyes at me and shakes his finger in a way that makes me giggle. His face then becomes serious again.

"The reason you fell just now, was that muscle cramps?"

"Yeah."

"How many times have you done that?"

"Fell?"

"Mm-hmm."

"At work or at home?"

"Both."

"Once at home, three times at work."

"Where?"

"At work?"

He nods.

"Same place all three times: right in front of Toby's office."

"So that rumor about Toby carting you into his office like something out of Harlequin..."

"Was pretty much true."

"Anything else I should know about?"

"I like my eggs sunny-side up."

"Funny."

"No, that's all the important stuff when it comes to my health. Now what was the other thing you wanted to talk about?"

He now stands up from behind his desk, walks over, crouches down in front of me and clasps my hands in his. Thank you sexy jeans!

"Donna..."

"Yeah?"

"Could you maybe not talk for a bit here while I say this?"

"Ok."

"Ok. Donna, when we were in Germany..."

"Wasn't that a great vacation? I really loved the bit with the morphine."

"Donna, didn't I just ask you to..."

"Sorry, continue."

"Thank you. As I was saying, when we were in Germany I realized that there have been some points during our relationship when I have taken you for granted."

I can feel the moisture in my tear ducts.

"I know there have been times when I've been truly and unforgivably horrible to you but I want to say right now that I have always appreciated you from day one and that you were right way back when you said you thought you could be valuable. You've been so right in more ways than I think either of us could have imagined."

"That's very sweet, Josh, but unless you want me to cry..."

"I'm not finished. After spending so much time with you I've realized that you are this amazing gift that God must have sent to me. You put up with me on my worst days and you've stuck by me when things look grim. And I think somewhere along the way I grew far more attached to you than any other boss has ever been attached to his assistant. I started feeling jealous when you went out on dates and I always silently cheered when the latest gomer screwed up. I wasn't quite sure why. But then, a couple years ago, that Christmas you went away with Commander Wonderful I realized why I had been doing the things I'd done and feeling the way I had. It was because..."

I am forced to interrupt for the sake of my own sanity.

"Josh, are you really sure that you..."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Donnatella Moss, I love you."

The tears that have been building up during this amazing speech suddenly spill over, but before I can wipe them away Josh has beaten me to it, using the pad of his thumb to remove them ever so gently.

"Jo..."

My voice cracks and I have to swallow before I try to speak again.

"Josh, are you sure? I mean, I nearly died a few months ago and I know you have this fear of losing people your close to and maybe you're just feeling this way in some kind of backlash…"

"Donna, don't you believe what I said?"

"Oh, I want to believe it, trust me. I think that you believe it right now but what about next month when the press is hurling slanders at us and your career is being threatened?"

He suddenly gets The Look on his face. It's the same look he gets when he's about to pummel Republicans or when he needs two more votes for a bill. Before I realize what is happening, he's pulled me out of both my chair and his office and into the bullpen where I see several staffers and I note out of the corner of my eye that Toby, CJ and Annabeth are wandering with purpose into the bullpen. I am distracted from their questioning looks when Josh suddenly starts to shout.

"Hey, everybody! Listen, I've realized how important Donna is to me and I've just told her that I love her! And I just wanted to let you all know that I'm always going to love her!"

Before I can get outraged at Josh he suddenly sweeps me up and kisses me full on the mouth. It's a rather breathtaking kiss. In the background I can vaguely hear applause.

--------

I just kissed Donnatella Moss!

And it was amazing!

Compared to everything I had ever imagined (hey, I'm in love with her, ok?) this was a billion times better.

Of course, it was prematurely ended when Donna somehow managed to pull away and drag me back into my office. I should probably be a little grateful for that because I happened to see CJ out of the corner of my eye and she didn't really look too happy about my public announcement of love. But I really don't care.

I kissed Donnatella Moss!

"Are you stupid?!?"

"760-verbal baby."

"The first thing you say after you kiss me is that?"

"Well, I wanted to say wow but your question about my stupidity forced me to point out my brilliance."

"Yes, well, Mr. Brilliant you just announced your undying love for me in front of five members of the White House Press Corps, not to mention many junior staffers who have no real scruples about making some extra money to give a quote in a sleazy tabloid."

"Can't really care about that right now because I just kissed Donnatella Moss."

I notice her anger fade a little bit so I quickly sidle up to her in those very sexy jeans, put my arms around her, bend my head and my lips come in contact with...her hand.

"Donna!"

"Yes, Josh?"

"I love you!"

"Yeah, I got that and while the feeling is mutual, kissing is not yet allowed."

"What do you mean?"

"Donnatella Moss' Rules of Dating."

I suddenly feel slightly less romantic.

"Please say they aren't like the rules from after the shooting."

"Well, they are going to limit you a little bit so I suppose you would find them similar to those rules."

"But Donna that kiss was...well, it was amazing. Can you honestly say you don't want to do that again right now in the privacy of my office? No audience."

I see a new smile cross Donna's face that is so delectable and I realize that she is smiling because of me. Because she kissed me. I am so da man!

"Stop smirking."

"What!"

"Yes, I agree with you the kiss was great..."

"Ah, ah, ah, amazing."

"Amazing but that still doesn't change the rules."

I now start to sulk in the visitor's chair.

"Ok, what are the rules?"

"No kissing until at least the end of the first date."

"That's it?"

"No, that's the first rule and until we get to the end of the first date you don't get anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because there are some pretty explicit rules and if I tell them to you now, you'll just want to skip ahead."

I start to grin and am slapped on the arm.

"Hey!"

"You were leering at me."

"You were the one who hinted at the explicit rules."

"That may be but if you don't stop leering at me you won't get past rule one."

"So, first date, huh?"

"No, not yet."

"What do you mean not yet?"

"You haven't asked me out yet."

"Oh. Donna Moss, you would be willing to join me on a date next Saturday evening?"

"I would be delighted, Josh."

"And you'll wear that red dress?"

"No."

"No?"

"I won't wear the red dress until our third date."

"Is that part of the rules?"

"No, it's to keep the wheels from falling off the relationship wagon on our second date. If I wear the red dress on the third date, you'll want to come back for more."

"Donna, I'm always going to want to come back for more."

She smiles.

"I should go home now, it's been quite a day."

"You need a ride home?"

"Nah, I'll be all right."

"Ok."

She's about to leave when something dawns on me.

"Donna."

"Yes, Josh?"

"You said the feeling was mutual."

"Yes I did."

"Care to elaborate?"

The most luminescent smile I have ever seen crosses her face.

"I love you, Josh."

"I love you too."

When she opens the door I call out to her.

"Donna!"

"Yeah?"

"Love those jeans too."

The same grin she gave me when she snitched my coffee this morning crosses her face again and this time I find it even more attractive.

This has definitely not been one of THOSE days.

End Part Three