Disclaimer: they aren't mine.

Author's note: Enjoy! Josh and Donna's POV

Then Everything Changed

Chapter 14

Donna and I are in the elevator. Neither of us can speak. I don't know what is messing me up more, her entire dinner conversation where she pointed out the fact that every gomer she let worm his way into her pants calls her up for booty calls or the fact that Blarney Boy is coming to town. Who am I kidding it is Blarney Boy? I hated him the most, only because there really wasn't a reason to hate him. HE never hurt Donna, or used her like the others. He was nice, honest, he just got to be with her first. HE GOT THERE FIRST WITH MY DONNA! I really hate this guy.

I always have and always will LOATHE Amy Garnder. I have never hated anyone with every fiber of my being. I strongly disliked Joey, but I could respect her abilities. I hated Mandy, she was shrill and hard to take, but AMY was the worst. It wasn't just a few dates with her: she stuck around! Then SHE started working on MY Turf. Now SHE wants to talk to me. She's probably going to call him, J. That's not a name, it's a letter! How freaking long is this elevator ride?
"So Blarney Boy is coming tomorrow, are you excited?"

"His name is Colin and not really. Your lovely ex-girlfriend will be here tomorrow, you wanna make the same mistake for a third time?"

"No, I have already seen her during the election and I f…."

Cough Cough. We both turn our heads.

"I just wanted to remind you that we are here and that normally people don't fight around us until 72 hours of protections."

"Thanks, Jackson." She mutters.

"Well, I didn't want you to make an ass out of yourself, Ms. Moss. I really don't care about Mr. Lyman he's going to make an ass out of himself anyway."

"Thanks." The elevator doors open.

"Yankee and Maple Leaf are on the move."

I can't even look at her, but as she passes a picture in the hallway I can see her reflection. She's a shade of red only reserved for her fights with me. I am in for a lovely evening. Damn key card why won't you work. Donna pushes me aside and opens the door on the first try.

"Maple Leaf is in for the night, maybe." I am sure to glare at him as I walk in.

"Finish your statement: 'I have already seen her during he election and I ffff' what did you do Josh?"

"I fired her!"

"Oh." She is on the other side of the hotel room near the window; I am still at the door.

"What about Blarney Boy, you gonna be able to keep your hands off him too?"

"Yes, I can exercise restraint."

"Not according to your dinner conversation. God this is the worst day of my life."

"THIS, THIS is the worst day of your life. You. King tragedy himself. This is the worst it has ever been?" She screams, well maybe I overstated a little.

Here we are screaming at each other. Over stupid and trivial things, I guess it's the little things that can kill a relationship. I turn to leave; my hand is on the icy doorknob. I hate the doorknob, this one and everyone that's in Donna's hotel room. It the only way to leave, and I hate leaving her. But if I stay I could say something stupid.

"You're leaving." Her voice quivers. I don't even need to look at her; I know what her face looks like: wide-eyed, pale and the early forming of a pout. If I look up, I'll stay. If I look at her, I'll end up hurting her. Instead I stare that this hateful doorknob.

"I can't deal with this right now."

"So you're running away?" My hand leaves the doorknob just to rub my head. Stop turning around. Oh God I turned around. Ok stare at her feet. Stop moving up her body. Stop staring at her legs, her long stunning legs. Or her stomach. Ok stop at the breasts. Every man loves breasts. Ok Eyes Stay there. Focus on the breasts. No don't move on to the neck. Ok seriously, stop at the lips, those pouting… too late. Her face is right there, pouting lips, bambi eyes, her forehead is all creased. Yep I looked. Now I have to stay.

"No. I am not going to run away. I just need to know." What, what do I need to know? "I need to know what we are." Yes. Labels I like Labels!

"Ok let's figure it out."

"Sure, we are two very intelligent people. I have two ivy league degrees."

"I got a 1490 on my SAT."

"You got a what?"

"I don't think this is what we should be talking about. We have established that we are smart. Time to prove it. What are we?"

Silence.

"I don't know."

"Me either." I admit.

"Maybe we should think about what we are not?"

"Huh?" I have not clue what this woman is talking about.

"If we can figure out what we aren't then we should be able to figure out what we are."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"One; you are not my boss."

"I'm not?" This is news to me.

"No, Leo is my boss. I am not your assistant."

"I can agree with that."

"We… um…. Er… we aren't working at the White House."

"True."

"Um that's all I've got."

"Well, now it seems like a waste of 1490 score doesn't it."

"Well at least I didn't pay for two Ivy League schools. Let's try to focus"

My mind is reeling, Colin and Amy in one day. I won't be able to get through the day if I don't know where I stand with her. I can't have Colin breathing…. Oh god. My stomach beings to knot.

"Donna, you guys broke up right?' She looks confused. I couldn't keep an eye on him while she was away. I am not the kind of man who breaks up a relationship. Well I am. But this is different.

She's rolling her eye, that's a good sign.

"Yes, we broke up." That's odd wording.

"HE broke up with YOU? What man does that? Who flies from Gaza to Germany to break up with someone? Now I have to kick his ass tomorrow!"

Her thumb and index finger pinches the bridge her nose.

"No, Josh I broke up with him."

"Why did you do that? He was a nice guy. He flew from Gaza to Germany to be at your bedside, who does that?" Why the hell did I just say that?

"Because the man who flies from Gaza to Germany pales in comparison to the man who flies from DC to Germany and beats him there!" She shouts. Then everything changed.

"Oh." Smooth, Lyman, smooth. "Well, I guess that's something."

She smiles that glorious smile. "I guess that is." I think we are on a roll. I take a step forward. So does she.

"You know, Amy hates you."

"Gee thanks."

"She hates you because she thinks I would rather be with you then her."

"Yeah?" I love that smile.

"Yeah, and you know what?'

"What?"

"She was right."

"Well, I guess that's something"

"Yeah I guess it is." One more step for me and she matches it.

"I think you should know I have broken up with every man I have ever dated since I started working for The Bartlet for American campaign."

"I wonder why that is?"

"Once I knew what a real man could be, they weren't good enough. So I waited and wasted time."

"Well, I guess that's something." I think I am beaming.

"Yeah I guess it is." We take two more steps. She's nearly at arms length.

Now I am confessing things, words that have never been said aloud to anyone. "I have a list of all the good and bad things that have happened to me. You, Donnatella are on both lists more then anyone else. Interestingly for every time you make the bad list there is a corresponding spot on the good list. So according that that one piece of paper, you are the most important person in my life."

"I guess there's that." Her voice has changed, softer, sexier. I run my fingers up the length of her arms. My hand rests gently at her neck.

"You are the only one who says my name right. You are one three people on this planet I allow to say my name. The other two happen to be my father and the Commander of the Free World. But you are the only one who can say it and make my heart stop beating and my stomach flip."

"Well, that's something." Her fingers are running through my hair and mine have made their way to her cheek. I notice how closely she is pressed against me.

For once, we are alone. No George. Just us. I love it.

Her eyes, I really don't know what words to use to describe them. Every emotion she feels is revealed in her eyes. Right now, they are filled with something, I have never seen before, and yet so recognizable. It's The Look. Impossible to describe and powerful to feel, and in this Look I know she feels the same way. Our eyes are mirroring each other. "Donnatella, I l…"

Her lips stop my words. She knew, I didn't have to say it.

Now I have kissed her before, mostly on the forehead or cheek, once in a drunken state I think I kissed her neck but we never talk about. We always stayed at arms length, tangoing around any real issues. Every time we made contact we could convince ourselves it was platonic. Knowing full well, it wasn't, but too afraid of change, social pressures, or true happiness.

There had been many nights I longed just for a sweet taste of her lips. And now I am finally kissing her. It's a good kiss. Soft, sweet just the right amount of pressure, we're very good at kissing. I should tell her.

Instead I am going to continue the kissing.

This time harder, mouths are opened wider. Everything about this kiss is more. More passion more intense. The more I kiss her, the more I need her.

Our tongues dance together, our hands explore each other. I gently lead her to the bed. She loosing my tie, and pulling off my jacket.

My fingers slide down her back, searching for the zipper to her dress. I slowly start to pull it down.

Hmm. The kissing seems to have stopped.

She freezes and pulls away. I open my eyes, just to see her begin to water up.

"Please. Stop." She begs.

"No no no no no." I whisper. God how could I have done this too her? How could I forget? "I'm sorry… I know you wanted to take it slow. Sorry."

"I just can't right now."

"I respect that. Please tell me why." I start to beg, my brain can't handle any more confusion or mystery with her.

"You won't like the answer." I keep her in my arms but my eyes stay steady with hers, not letting her break our connection.

"It's fine. I need to understand why."

"Do you believe in a vindictive God?"

"Do you?"

"Yes." She wants to pull away, one arm holds squeezes the other hand is firmly on her face. I am not letting you go.

"Why?"

"I had sex with Colin and the next day my car blew up." That I wasn't expecting.

"Huh?" Way to sound supportive. "You think your car blew up because you had sex?"

"You don't need to sound so condescending about it. But yes. Because I wasn't have sex with who I should be. So therefore I was being punished. Worst of all I associate sex with the car explosion and all the months of pain. I need to take it slow."

That makes sense, at least in Donna World. In my world it means I have wait. Then she whimpers, "I am so sorry."

I kiss her again. "You have nothing to feel sorry for. You did nothing wrong. Can we still do the kissing?"

She smiles. "Yeah. I like the kissing."

"We are very good at it."

"Yes, we are. Are you sure you are ok?"

"Of course, but I want you to talk to Stanley about it ok?"

She nods, and we continue the best make-up sessions of my life.

Donna Moss is now my girlfriend.

I like labels.