A/N: Sorry that this chappie has taken a while to post. I think that's it's mostly my nerves at having an actual fic out there for people to read. As always, I would appreciate feedback.

By the way…again as always, none of the characters are mine. They are property of people much more intelligent and successful than me. Except, I take credit for Kathleen Harris with help from my best friend and best editor, Holly. (Also, the best Spuffy writer on ff.net, Holly4.)

Chapter Three

Donna's pleasant mood had waned from her shopping success the night before. She brought in the items she wished to ship, along with the list of potential roommate candidates; top two names crossed off. Her only hope today was that one of the other four would make a better choice.

She muttered her morning greetings to CJ and her follow assistants. As
Margaret made a fresh pot of coffee, Donna played Show and Tell with her, Ginger, and Bonnie while bragging that she believed that lambs were the cutest thing for a little baby; duckies were a close second. She was content that today seemed to be going as normal.

She realized that she should never assume a day at the White House as such a common word.

When Josh walked in, he looked worse than he had in weeks. "Have you been drinking?" she couldn't help but ask as he made his way to his office.

"No." She believed that he might have just growled at her.

She eyed him incredulously before asking again. "Have you been drinking?"

He finally stopped and turned his body to face her. "No." This one was a bit less cold, but still a growl.

"Well...Has Toby invaded your body, because you're usually a little less of
an ass this early in the day."

He sighed and raked his free hand through his air as he tried to balance the bag on his shoulder with the other. "Yeah. Didn't have too much fun last night." She could tell that he was in the place that he wasn't sure whether he wanted to talk about it or not.

"Messages?" She said waving the pieces of paper in the air. "I can sing the 'Phone Messages' song for you."

"That's all right," He said as he turned to walk into his office once more. There was a ghost of a smile on his face that he struggled to keep hidden.

Donna grabbed what she needed, then followed him in. As soon as she witnessed him take his seat, she began. "What happened? Another fight with Amy? Did you come back here after you left last night?"

Josh gave her a narrowed look. "How do you know when I left last night?"

She shrugged. "I just...knew." She shook her head at her own lameness before she confessed. "I told the temp to call me. If you hadn't left before ten, I was going to come up here and kick you out."

He smiled, but shook his head. "You were right with the first guess." He sighed. "She started in again and I was just too tired to put up with it. I left and wandered around DC until about two o'clock in the morning."

His assistant arched a brow. "And you didn't drink?"

"No." His reply was almost disappointed. "I ended up going to the Pentagon Mall."

"Really?" That had been where she eventually turned to in the present buying process.

"Yeah." Now he began to grin as he reached for his bag.

"What?"

He was looking rather confident in his self. "Well, I was able to do a
little shopping."

She couldn't help but snicker at the thought of him shopping. This was from the man that made her pick do his holiday shopping from a mail-order catalogue. Her laughing stopped as she saw what he pulled out of the bag.

Josh laid an infant size Mets uniform on the desk in front oh her, cap included. He was pleased as she brought her hand to her mouth in shock and awe. Then, he went all the way and reached inside his bag for his second present; a stuffed donkey that was not only cute, but soft. He was a proud man.

"Josh." They were both afraid that she was about to break out in tears.

Now he was getting embarrassed. He never stopped to realize how much his thoughtfulness touched her. "Donna."

"Is this for the baby?"

The Deputy White House Chief of Staff couldn't help but laugh at her sometimes. "Naw. I thought that you could put this on the donkey and then do a puppet show at lunch."

"Shut up." She was still grinning.

"Yeah." His face betrayed him and embarrassment once again colored his features. He gestured for her to take the stuff nonchalantly. "I figure that you made me go to that stupid wedding, so it was the least that I could do."

"Thank you." Wait a minute. Made him go to that wedding?!? "I did not make you go to that wedding. I said that I was going and that I didn't have a date. You were nervous that I would end up staying too long so you volunteered to go so I would come back that same night."

"Oh, sure." His tone was sardonic. "Make it sound like it was all my doing. You were desperate for a date and you know it. Besides that, you wanted me."

The last words were probably the wrong choice. They happened to come out right as Leo stuck his head in the door. He rolled his eyes as he cleared his throat. The 'couple' in question turned and met his gaze with horror.

"I was just looking to see if you had a free moment, but Donna wasn't at her desk. I can come back."

"That wasn't what he meant. I don't want him. I never want him. In fact--"

She was cut off when the Chief of Staff threw his hand in the air. "Stop. Just stop. Let me know when you two are done with your little thing. There is a country to run, but I wouldn't want to get in the way of the flirtation." His eyes then looked down to the desk where he saw the stuffed animal and baby outfit. He recognized why both would be purchased by a certain blushing boy. "Josh?" He didn't sound happy. His own face was becoming red. "Please tell me that you didn't..."

Both Josh and Donna caught Leo's line of gaze and began to adamantly protest. "No!" Josh, as the man, won for the loudest. "It's for her sister!"

"You didn't knock her up, did you?" One could never be too sure with this kid, Leo had learned.

"No!" Donna screamed; Josh was too horrified to speak. "Josh has slept with no one in my family." She then emphasized. "Including me!"

McGarry had to grin. They've got it bad. "All right. Now that this is settled, can we get back to work please?"

"On it," Josh said with a firm nod. His boss cleared out and his assistant was quickly following. As she was about out the door, gifts in hand, she turned back to whisper.

"Thank you, Josh."

He smiled. "Well that kid has to learn about America's two greatest things somehow. I doubt it will be by anyone born in Wisconsin." She gave him a look, but still had enough of her smile in it to be non-threatening. "You're welcome and I'll cover the shipping."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just put all your stuff and mine together and I'll cover the cost."

She really hoped this was the beginning of a good day. She forgot what they felt like.

*~*~*

"Hi. May I speak with Kathleen Harris?"

"This is she."

"Hi. My name is Donna Moss and I believe that my roommate might have contacted you about an opening."

"Oh yeah," the woman stated, finally realizing who Donna Moss was. "I heard that you are looking for a new roommate and I have always wanted to get into DC. Currently, I'm living in Maryland."

"This sounds good, then. I just have a few little questions to ask and feel free to ask me anything."

"Sure. I already know how much rent is though."

"Great." Donna was really pulling for this one. The others she had a nagging feeling that they wouldn't work, but with this one she felt she had found the one. "So, what do you do?"

"I'm an architect. The job sounds great, but around here it can get kinda hard to find work. I friend of mine and I own a business. Things are getting good, but its been a rough start."

Architect, good. Rough start, bad. Donna could live with this. It sounded like the woman knew what she was talking about. "That's understandable. How are your hours? I sometimes get in really late but I always try and be quiet."

"Oh that's fine. If I ever get in late, I'll do the same. I have to get up pretty early though."

Perfect. Someone who won't be grouchy when Josh calls at five in the morning. "That's more than fine. I usually have to be at work at seven or eight."

"You know, I wasn't really told what it is you do. I know you work at the White House. You're not like the Vice President or anything are you?" She laughed. "I watch a little CNN, so I just wondered."

"Oh, I'm nothing. Just an assistant." She said the statement just in time to look up and meet Josh's disapproving expression. "Kathleen? Can you hold on just a sec?" She then pulled the phone away and covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

"You are so more than 'just an assistant'." He used his last words to mock her tone.

She rolled her eyes but decided not to verbally comment. "Can you give me just a couple minutes? I know it's personal, but I really need to find a new roommate before Saturday and she sounds so much better than the other candidates."

"What? What about the current roommate? She wasn't still mad about my calling her boyfriend a shmuck, was she?"

She shook her head and smiled. Boy, she was for a while. "No. She learned to ignore you like I have." She continued before he could reply. "Just a minute more. Please." She flashed him the sweetest of smiles.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But when someone walks by, I'll just let them know that you're not working."

"You do that." She then turned her attention to the phone once more. "Kathleen? Sorry. Where were we?"

"General interview questions."

"Yes yes. So, I believe that we talked about employment, so let's move right on to upkeep. I'm not the tidiest person, but I just like to get an idea of your general preference."

"Well, my last place was generally clean, but I always had my moments."

"Last place?"

"Currently, I'm living at a friends. There was an accident at my last place."

"Donna?" Josh was now on the line. "Sorry to bother, but I was wondering if you had the memo ready for the President? He keeps on asking when Dona will have it done for him?"

She rolled her desk chair back to give him a glower as he sat in at his desk. He meant to make her pay for the 'just an assistant' remark. "Just a moment, Josh. Sorry Kathleen. My boss gets impatient at times."

"Just an assistant, eh?" Harris was sounding impressed.

Josh wouldn't go away though. "We like to call Donna our Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff. She helps me, Leo McGarry and the President out all the time. We don't know what we'd do without her. By the way, Josh Lyman."

"Kathleen Harris."

Great. Now they're flirting. "I'll have that for you in a moment, Josh."

"Okay. Nice to meet you, Kathleen. Bye."

"You too, and bye." Josh sounded as though he had hung up, but Donna could see that he remained listening on the line.

She mouthed a few choice nicknames before addressing Kathleen for another time. "Sorry. I believe you were telling about the accident at your last apartment."

"Oh, it's nothing important. It sounds worse than it really is. There was a fire."

"Oh no! Was everyone all right?"

"Yeah…It was really nothing. Learned a valuable lesson- never practice flame throwing in the house."

Josh and Donna looked at one another with wide eyes. "Y-You set the building on fire?" She hoped that it was someone freak that had lived down the hall.

"Technically the torch did, but I guess I am the one to blame." Donna was amazed how flippant the woman sounded. She had burned down people's homes by practicing a circus act. "Don't worry. I practice that outside. That's why knives are always better. Can't burn things."

Just stab things to death. "Umm…I guess you like to…" She didn't want to say 'be a circus reject.'

"Juggling is a hobby of mine." Josh was glad he was muted because he couldn't hold in the laughter anymore. "What are your hobbies, Donna?"

Not that, was all she could think. "I like to…read. Listen to music. Write memos." Her hope was lost with this candidate. "I really have to go now. Josh will need that memo soon."

She quickly ended the conversation. As soon as the phone was on the receiver, she laid her head on her desk in defeat.

"Flame throwing?" Josh said practically running out of his office. "She learned a lesson, there?" He was laughing so hard that tears were on the verge of forming. "Knives!?! The lunatic lady juggles knives!!"

Donna looked up with eyes that were about to form tears for another reason. "I have until Saturday, Josh. Sadly, she was better than Julie. Julie likes her cats. She wanted to bring them. All fourteen of them."

"Fourteen? And I was thinking two was bad." It dawned on him. "Is she taking Tequila?"

"The cat's name was Fluffy and yes."

"But I…" He didn't want to admit, but he liked that cat. Every time he would go over there, the kitty would always let him yell at him if Josh rubbed his ears. The moniker was given after Josh gave the cat a sip one particular drunken evening.

"I know." Donna was going to miss the cats too. Almost more than the roommate. At least she didn't juggle sticks of fire.

"Where did you get these people?"

"I asked her to give me a few names. She obliged."

Josh arched a brow. "Donnatella. Do you remember the parties? Last year. Superbowl. When I left there was someone with a lampshade on their head."

"I know." It was her turn to growl. "I just don't have that many options."

"Who's next?"

"Her name is Dawn. I think I might start running FBI profiles."

"Good luck, but we have work to do."

And work they did.

*~*~*

It wasn't until about seven thirty that night that Donna was able to try and reach the next name on her list. She was still at the office, but Josh currently in with the President and Donna had finished everything until Josh came back with more work.

She dialed the number and crossed her fingers. It rang twice before she heard. "'Ello?"

"Hi." She was hesitant but continued. "I'm Donna Moss in Washington and I was told that a Dawn--"

"You the bird with the open flat? Yeh, 'll get 'er."

"Bird?" She had to ask.

The man sighed and seemed really annoyed with the observation. "Woman. Girl. Chit. Lady. Bint. Take your soddin' pick. Dawn!"

Okay. Donna was just hoping this wasn't a sign of things to come. "Sorry," a much more feminine and much more American voice said moments later. "I'm Dawn."

"Is he a friend of yours?" That was rude and Donna regretted it the moment it came out.

The other woman laughed sympathetically. "He's my brother-in-law. Let's just say, he's a colorf… he's an interesting guy."

"I can imagine." She giggled a little. "Oh, I'm Donna."

"Nice to meet you." Dawn paused. "Well, I guess, nice to talk to you for the first time."

They both hesitated before laughing. What was one to say in a phone conversation?

From there, the girls discussed their backgrounds and previous living experiences. Donna was pleased to know that aside from Dawn's hesitance in discussing much about her sister's job and life in general, there wasn't a thing that she didn't like. The only exception could be found in the fact that Dawn was still in college and Donna at times had bursts of feeling old and unaccomplished.

When Donna looked at her clock again, it was eleven thirty. "Wow. I should probably get off, Dawn."

"Oh? You're still at work. Are you gonna be in trouble?"

Donna had to snicker. She was in too good a mood to care. "It'll be fine. Oh and by the way, since it was never clearly stated, would you like to be my new roommate?"

"Really?" The younger woman nearly shrieked with joy. "Of course!"

"Great. Everything should be moved out by Friday."

"Saturday morning then?"

"Perfect."

Donna had three days of celebration ahead. One of her biggest stresses was finally solved. She now had a roommate. A roommate that she already felt closer to than her current one. Things couldn't get any better than this.

"Donna?" Josh was out of his office as soon as she placed the phone on the hook. "What the hell was that?"

He was annoyed. She looked down to see that at one point, he must have handed her something. She couldn't help it though. She giggled. "My new roommate."

Josh sighed in aggravation. Donna normally did her job efficiently. He didn't like this time she was not. But, honestly more of his aggravation was directed to himself. He shouldn't like it so much when she giggles. "I still need a memo."

She looked down at the file. Oops. It looked a little on the national security side. She took a breath and got to work. She knew things couldn't get better.