Disclaimer: Despite my very best efforts, they continue to not be mine.

Author's Notes: Holy Hell. I am honestly sorry about how long this has taken to get posted. My internet went AWOL on me so I've not been able to post anything. Figures. Anyhow, this a funny (funny strange, not funny ha-ha.) little chapter that I felt was necessary to highlight the sub-story going on here: the relationship (friendship or otherwise) between Josh and Donna. Because that's really what this things all about when it comes right down to it. At any rate, I have chapter eight done and chapter nine is making good progress so I may just wrap this baby up within the next week. Keep watching for updates. Now, without further ado, let go on to chapter seven! Enjoy!

Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God.

I have decided that what I have to do from now on is stop assuming that things can't get any worse, because I almost always assume wrong.

I think recent events have illustrated that point quite nicely.

On my disturbingly long list of monumental screw-ups, last night just managed to earn itself a place in the top ten. That's right up there with the Diary Incident, Jack Reese and everything and anything related to Dr. Freeride. Thinking about it now, almost all of my Top Ten ended with Josh getting seriously pissed with me.

Which is why I am currently hiding in CJ's office and talking to Gail the 3rd.

"Gail," I say crouching down in front of the fishbowl, "I am looking forward to today about as much as I'd be looking forward to being thrown off of the Washington Monument. In fact, I think I'd rather be thrown off of the Washington Monument. At least that would put me out of my..."

"Donna, what the Hell?"

I stand up too fast and knock the desk so that Gail's bowl wobbles alarmingly before I'm able to steady it. Please, let's not make a bad day worse by killing the Press Secretary's goldfish.

"Hey CJ," I say, trying unsuccessfully to look dignified.

CJ raises her eyebrows at me, "Were you talking to my fish?"

"Um... Yes." I say, tugging uncomfortably at the hem of my suit jacket.

"Okay." CJ says giving me a bemused half smile, "Can I ask why?"

"CJ, I will never be a secret agent." I reply

CJ reacts to this non sequitur by looking at me as though I've completely lost my mind. "You...Donna, what on Earth?"

I walk past her and peek warily into the hall before shutting the door. Turning back to CJ, who looks understandably baffled I say, "Josh caught me."

This, CJ understands perfectly. Her eyes widen noticeably. "Oh my God, Donna, what happened?"

I shrug slightly and make a sheepish fluttering gesture with one hand, "I fell asleep."

CJ sighs enormously and leans against her desk, "Of course you did." She says, pressing the fingers of her right hand against her forehead, "What did he do?"

"Do you even have to ask?" I say.

"He's angry?" CJ asks although I'm sure she doesn't actually have to hear the answer.

I sigh and chew my lower lip, "To put it mildly."

CJ crosses her arms and gracefully arches one eyebrow, "Is he angry in an "oh my God I'm putting my assistant and closest friend through Hell and feeling damn guilty about it" way?"

It's my turn to raise an eyebrow. I'd never thought of it like that. Even so, replaying last night's events I have to answer, "I think he's just angry in an angry way."

CJ rolls her eyes in disgust, "You know what? I think you need to pencil me in some time with your boss."

I tilt my head to one side, "Okay, um... why?"

"Because I am going to kill him."

I shake my head vigorously, "No, CJ...."

"Donna, he's being a jack ass!"

"No, no CJ, he's not!" I protest, "He's under a lot of stress..."

"I don't give a dead rat's ass how much stress he's under!" CJ exclaims looking like she'd like to kill me.

I plunge on, ignoring the dangerous glint in CJ's eyes, the one that has made men three times my size want to run crying to their mothers, "You know how he hates to feel like we're coddling him."

"Dammit Donna!" CJ explodes, banging one hand on her desk for emphasis, "Stop defending him! He has no right to be angry with you and you bloody well know it! After everything you've done for him. Look at yourself! You look like the walking dead, how the hell can he even dare to be mad at you?"

The bad part is, I know she's right. I know she's right but I can't bring myself to admit it. "He was already suspicious after he walked in on all of us in Leo's office. He'd been stewing over that all day and..."

"For the love of God," CJ growls, "Donna, we weren't even talking about him. We were talking about you and your lunatic routine of self imposed vigilantism."

"Well I know that and you know that, but as far as Josh is concerned we were discussing him behind his back and it bothered him to think..."

"I don't understand how you put up with it Donna, I really don't." CJ says sinking down in her chair. "Anyone else would be out the door so fast..."

"I'm not leaving." I say sharply. "We've discussed this already."

CJ looks at me, an unreadable play of emotions in her face, "We have, yes." She says.

I can hear the unasked question in her voice: Why do you stay? I still don't understand. Why don't you leave? "You didn't see him with me after Gaza." I say softly.

CJ inclines her head to one side in a strangely bird-like fashion, "Sorry?"

"You weren't there and you didn't see so you don't understand." I say. "He needs me CJ."

CJ's face softens and she sighs, "It's true, he does. So one would think he'd show it a little better."

I nod, "Yes. I know. But that doesn't change the fact. I'm not going to leave him, I won't, CJ, I won't."

I stand to leave. It's getting late, Josh will be here by now and the last thing I need is to give him another reason to be pissed at me. At some point today, we'll have to talk, Josh and I. I have to explain to him why I did what I did.

Before I get all the way out the door, CJ calls my name, "Donna?" I turn around, "You won't leave, or you can't?"

I close my eyes briefly and swallow hard, "I little bit of both."

I had, of course, expected the day to be bad. I hadn't expected it to be nearly unbearable. Josh seemed to be going out of his way to be as surly and snappish with me as humanly possible. I did my best to ignore it, to just ride out the storm with the hope that by lunch, Josh would have forgotten all about being pissed off at me.

As usual, I was wrong.

Lunchtime has come and gone and I once again find myself standing in Josh's office feeling like a beaten - down dog with its tail between its legs. I'm beginning to get annoyed with the whole situation. Very annoyed.

"Governor Jacobs cancelled her meeting." I say to Josh's back. He is currently rummaging around in his filing cabinet and doing his best not to look at me. "Family emergency. She wants to reschedule for sometime next week. I told her I'd call her office with a time that's good for you."

Josh finds what he's looking for and returns to his desk without responding. I purse my lips and bite back the angry expletive that springs to the front of my mind. CJ's voice is somewhere in the back of my head telling me that no one in their right mind would put up with this. No one.

"Josh?" I say, "Did you hear what I...?"

"Yes Donna, I heard you." Josh snaps. "You are after all, standing three feet away."

"Well," I snap back, "It's hard to tell when you're acting like a spoiled three-year-old."

Josh looks at me and for a moment, that infuriatingly cold look he's been giving me all morning falters and I see a flash of – what? Guilt?

I take a deep breath, deciding to take advantage of the fact that he's briefly let his guard down. "Josh, look. We need to talk."

Immediately his face closes off again and I know I've somehow managed to make things worse, "Oh yes Donna, let's talk. Because there's absolutely nothing I'd rather be doing right now than listening to how fragile I am."

He gets up from his chair and storms past me. I watch him leave, teeth clenched so hard my jaw hurts.

Okay.

Okay, now I'm way past annoyed.

Now I'm just pissed.