AN: Thanks for the reviews last time. This chapter is a bit longer and has a bit more substance to it. I think I'm heading in one direction in this story, but you'll have to figure it out yourself.

Disclaimer: As always, The West Wing belongs to NBC, etc.

Part Two: Said and Unsaid Words

Cliff POV

"Wait, Donna," I call out to her as she walks away.

She pauses, obviously weighing whether or not to acknowledge me. She gently turns around and I carefully approach her.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have just been so crude. Do you want to get a drink and talk?" I ask her, trying to make amends for the pain I've obviously caused her with the brush off.

"Well… why not? This thing is boring me to pieces, anyway," she replies.

We quietly walk over to the table and both grab a drink. We head over to a quieter corner, obviously, for my sake, I didn't want our conversation to become public knowledge.

"So, CJ offered me a job," I announced to her.

She choked a little before answering, "She did what?"

"I know, kind of shocked me at first. Asked me to do Josh's old job," I told her.

"Are you kidding?"

I smiled and gave a brief chuckle. "Oh how I wish I wasn't."

"Are you going to take it?"

I gave her my best, you have to be kidding look, and she acknowledged my response.

"I figured as much," she replied.

"Listen, I just wanted you to know, I wasn't blowing you off back there, I just don't think it would be wise for me to let the whole world know that CJ Cregg is hounding me to take some job."

"Some job? Deputy Chief of Staff isn't some job," she muttered, quite angrily.

"I didn't mean to say it like that, my apologies. I just don't want to take the job because… well, the term is almost over, I think you can understand that," I explained.

"You have a chance to do some good, no matter how long of a time it maybe, and you don't want to?"

Hadn't thought about it that way, really at all. "Yeah, I just…" I paused for a second. "It's not where I want to be right now."

She didn't respond. We both sat in silence for moment, taking in the scenery.

Donna POV

Things around here had changed fast. Faster than I could ever imagine. Did it change this fast when I was here? I suppose it might have.

Cliff just told me that he got offered Josh's old job. The only thing that logically makes sense is that Leo must have told CJ to hire him. I just… can't believe it. As much as I owe to Cliff, I just don't know if I could see him as Josh. Did I just think that? Cliff as Josh? No, Josh has more… heart.

Then again, he knows when to do the right thing. He did a good thing with me, he's a good guy. He just was associating with the bad guys at that point.

This party is not as much fun as I imagined it to be.

"Well, I probably should be getting back to… my job, and such," I told him.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It was nice seeing you," he replied and walked away.

Where's Josh to tell me about my poor choice of men?

Josh POV

How could CJ possibly think that Cliff Calley, Cliff Calley who worked against us during the hearings, Cliff Calley who dated Donna, would make a good replacement for me? What is she thinking? No, she isn't thinking. What has happened to CJ? I mean first Toby, now her, I guess it was good I got out when I did.

"Josh," Leo calls out and I turn around to face the one person I still feel sane about.

"Did you hear that CJ offered Cliff Calley a job? My job!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, I told her to hire him," he replied.

I stopped a second. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, he's not a bad guy. He knows his stuff. He has the kind of… uncontrollable and unpredictable attitude you always had," the older man tells me.

"But Leo! It's… Cliff! You know, Cliff!" I stutter out with falling arms.

"Wow Josh, you should get yourself some grammar lessons. By the way, I think they're doing pictures soon, shouldn't you be concerned about, I don't know, maybe your candidate?" he tells me.

"Yeah, you're right, I should go," I tell him.

I give him a nod and head towards the Congressman. He's extremely chatty with what appears to be two major DNC donors. Now, that's the sight I want to see.

"Josh!" he calls out to me.

"Congressman, I think they are going to start the pictures soon," I inform him.

"Great! Hey, listen, It's been great talking to both of you, if you have any questions, feel free to give our offices a call or talking to Josh here," he tells the two gentlemen before walking away and leaving me alone with them.

"Josh Lyman, nice to meet you," I introduce myself. Here I go again…

CJ POV

I glanced around the room. Josh was talking with Leo, whereas I noticed Donna and Cliff Calley were engaging in conversation. That certainly raises some questions.

It certainly is odd to have everyone back here, in the same room. Everyone who used to play for the same team. Now, an election is tearing everyone apart. Josh and Donna, Josh and Toby, it seems that what once was a great group of thinkers we possessed has turned all against one another.

It appears that it's time to do the photo op. What I know Josh and Will were most looking forward to this evening. I wish that Josh and the President could speak with one another, but it seems I can't have a bias here. I have to do the right thing.

"Hey CJ," Annabeth surprises me.

She always seems to come up from nowhere and scare the living daylights out of me. It's like having this mini version of me running around. It freaks me out how much shorter than I she is.

"Hey, are they getting ready to do the photo?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I've got Charlie watching to make sure that no one gets too chatty with the President," she answers.

"Good plan," I reply.

"Oh, and Kate got called out for a phone call from someone from State, I think there's gonna be a thing," she informs me.

"Great, just what the doctor ordered, a thing," I reply and take another slug of my champagne. There couldn't possibly be enough alcohol in this room.

"Hey CJ," another voice said as Annabeth walked away.

I turned around and saw a familiar face of sorts. "Donna, how are you?"

"I've been, better needless to say. Listen, why did you approach Cliff Calley to work at the White House?" she asks, coming out very frank.

I knew it. I knew something had happened between the two of them by the body language she possessed. How to answer this question? I feel like I can't be honest with her anymore, which is something that makes me nauseous.

"Well, he came in today about a thing, and Leo suggested that he would be a good replacement," I told her.

"Oh, gotcha. That's cool."

Here comes the uncomfortable silence. I didn't want to ask her, but the curiosity was killing me.

"Listen Donna, I saw the way you and Cliff were talking, and you obviously have something going on with him, so why don't you let me on your secret?" I ask her.

She almost stops breathing at that point. She takes a sip of her drink and looks away a second. Did she date him? It's quite possible, but I never heard Josh ranting about him, so obviously something else occurred.

"We had a thing, a little thing," she muttered.

"When?" I ask her.

"Ha, well, this is the funny part." She seemed almost afraid to talk to me. "Well, you know when Congress was investigating the President?"

"Yeah, I think I remember that part of our history pretty well."

"So, I didn't realize who he was working for, and Ainsley had set us up, but don't worry, we broke it off pretty quickly," she explained, stumbling over words, obviously afraid to discuss it.

Josh POV

I slipped away from the men the Congressmen had trapped me with. The photo op went excellent, that should help us, my opinion is every little bit helps. And that's a big little bit if I say so myself.

I glanced across the room. It seemed CJ and Donna were now having a very intimate conversation, almost speaking in hush tones. It never occurred to me that Donna might possibly have had a negative reaction to Cliff being here. No one besides me knew about what happened either.

Should I go over and talk with her? Make sure she's okay? She's a big girl now, I have to remember that. Although I miss her being around, I wish I would have listened when she wanted to talk.

It looks like CJ had to leave and Donna is all alone now. This is my chance; this is my chance to try to do something nice for Donna. Alright, now, don't act like an asshole.

"Donna," I gently placed my hand on her back and she gently turned around.

"Oh, hey Josh," she replied.

"Do you want to go get a drink downstairs? Just the two of us?" I asked her. It was probably best if we both got out of this room filled with people who I once thought were my friends.

She looked torn, but she answered, with a spry smile, "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"Don't worry, I'll be good."

Donna POV

Donna, what are you doing? Leaving the party to have a drink with your old boss? Oh, screw it. After that talk with CJ I needed something stronger than champagne to drink. I was temped to tell her about what really went down between Cliff and I, but I figured why let her in on my secret years after the fact. It didn't matter anymore.

Josh and I walked in silence and sat down in the bar. He ordered something, whereas I went straight for vodka and cranberry juice.

"Whoa," Josh muttered.

"Yes, Josh? Something to share with the class?" I asked him. He looked down at his glass and I looked away. Something was bugging him, but I almost seem too afraid to ask him about it.

"I saw you talking with Cliff Calley," he said, quietly and almost with a sad tone in his voice.

"Yeah… I found it very odd that he would be, you know, here," I answered.

"Yeah, CJ offered him a job," he replied.

"That's what I gathered."

"You okay?"

I took a sip of my drink and sat it down on the table. I glanced over him, our eyes met and I peered away.

"Nothing… it's just…" I paused.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and he tried giving me a comforting smile.

"It's… I mean, everyone is here again, but I feel like everything is so different, and I don't even know anyone anymore," I admitted.

He replied quite quickly with, "Yeah, I know. I've… I've been feeling the same way tonight. All day, I suppose. They weren't even going to let me in the building."

I gave him my best laugh and cracked a smile, "Oh really now?"

"Yeah," he replied, but quickly changed his mind about continuing that phrase.

We sat in silence for awhile. We both drank in silence and glanced over at one another occasionally. We had so much we wanted to say, but both too afraid. I know there was a lot on his mind, he had that expression when something was going on that was troubling him, but he didn't have enough nerve to talk about it.

So we sat and drank.


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