Part 9

"Can I take another trip please?" Josh moaned as he got out of the meeting.

"Sorry, I'm next." Donna smiled. "The President wants to see you and Toby before you leave tonight. And Leo wants to see you now."

"Yeah." Josh put down some papers on his desk and started to walk out.

"You okay?" Donna asked as she followed him to Leo's office.

"Yeah, I'm tired for some reason."

"Josh, you're always tired." Donna smiled.

"Go away." Josh grinned as he got to Leo's office.

"Hey Margaret."

"Hey Josh, welcome back. He's in there with Toby, go on in."

"Thanks." Josh smiled and walked in.

"Hey, welcome back Josh." Leo greeted his deputy.

"Thanks."

"So tell me, how's Sam?" Leo asked the two men.

"I think he's going to be okay." Josh said.

"Me too. He's strong." Toby added.

"That's good to hear. Listen, tell him to take his time. I know how much you need family at times like these."

"We will." Josh nodded.

"Good. How'd the meeting go?"

"Lovely." Josh mumbled.

"Isn't it great to be back?" Leo smiled.

"I don't want to answer that." Josh and Toby said together.

"Go back to work." Leo waved them out of his office.

"Yeah." The two men stood and walked out.

"Did you talk to Sam last night?" Josh asked Toby.

"Yeah, he said he was going to try to get back next week."

"He said that to me too. Did he sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, he did."

"Yeah, I thought so too." Josh smiled and started walking away.

"Josh." Toby stopped him.

"Yeah."

"I asked CJ out for pizza tonight after work." Toby confessed.

"It's about damn time Toby."

"Don't start. I just told you this so you will get off my back."

"But Toby, it's so fun." Josh laughed as he literally jumped on Toby's back.

"Get off of me you lunatic." Toby tossed him off.

"It's right you know." Josh nodded.

"What?"

"You and CJ."

"Yeah, yeah." Toby patted Josh on the back and walked away.

OVAL OFFICE

"Hey Charlie, he wanted to see us before we left." Toby mentioned when he entered with Josh.

"Yeah, I'll tell him you're here." Charlie walked in and told the President. "Go on in." He said while walking out.

"Thanks." They said together and entered.

"Toby, Larry and Ed were killing me." Jed said seriously.

"Yes sir, I think that everyone felt that way." Toby smirked.

"And I don't even want to start on Bruno." Jed looked at Josh.

"Yes sir." Josh laughed.

"Have a seat. I just want to tell you how proud I am at you two." Jed smiled as they sat down. "I know how much it meant to Sam that you two were there."

"It meant a lot to us too, sir." Toby added.

"I bet it did."

"Yeah, it felt good to help someone close to you." Josh mentioned.

"How's he doing?"

"He's doing good. He's had a lot of support." Josh said.

"Yeah, you tell him he's in my thoughts, okay?"

"Yes sir."

"Now go home and get some sleep. You two look exhausted." Jed ordered.

"Yes sir." The said together and walked out.

"Sleep, huh?" Josh smiled as they exited the office. "Not for you." He laughed.

"Shut up. It's just dinner." Toby rolled his eyes when Josh started elbowing him.

"Yeah." Josh looked down, his whole demeanor changing. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Do you feel different at all?"

"Like how?"

"I don't know, just different. I feel more light."

"Yeah, I feel different too and I can't place why or what."

"We helped Sam." Josh said.

"Yeah, we did."

"See ya tomorrow." Josh said while walking off.

"Hey Josh?" Toby yelled.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you come with me and CJ."

"What? On your date?"

"It's not a date smart ass. You can bring Donna."

"Sure." Josh smiled. "Thanks."

"Yeah. Hurry, I'm hungry."

"Oh, now you're starting in on the food." Josh joked as he went to get Donna.

Toby watched Josh rush down the hallway and he looked around. Josh was right. Something had changed. Maybe it was the way he looked at life. Or the way he was looking at things differently then he did before. But he knew that he would never forget this trip. After all, they were the 'Senior Staffers'.

The End