Disclaimer: Same as before

Author's notes: This chapter is very dialogue heavy, but it does contain one of my original ideas for the story. There has been a lack of Ned and Bram in the story, mostly because I keep forgetting them, hense the joke later in the chapter. Enjoy this chapter.

So after a long day and very little sleep, we wait for the final event of the day. Both Leo and Matt are given speeches at a black tie fundraiser here in the city of brotherly love. We are in a holding room, one of the nicer ones I've been in. It's me, Leo, Matt, Will, Bram and Ned, milling around. The women are coming a little later, after Helen's speech and they get their nails done or something. This is the campaign's first black tie event, so all non West Wingers are excited.

To pass the time I decide to call Toby. I hold my martini, but it's really just for show. My feet are resting on the 18th century coffee table, waiting for Donna to come here and tie my bowtie.

"Toby, my friend I have wonderful news."

"What Josh, I am in the middle of something here."

"I am in love with Donna."

"I know." He knew? How could he know? I didn't tell anyone.

"Toby I just made a major discovery here, some enthusiasm would be nice."

"You just figure it out? Seriously?"

"Well. No. But you should be excited for me."

"Yay" (very flat and lackluster display) "What more do you want from me?"

"TOBY I AM IN LOVE WITH DONNA! I AM GOING TO CONFESS MY UNDYING LOVE TO HER TODAY."

"AND I AM TELLING YOU, I READY KNOW!"

"How? Did she tell you?"

"You've been in love with her for years. Everyone knows it. CJ, Charlie, Will, Leo, the President, all the Secret Service, the Senate, the House, everyone in the press corp. EVERY BODY KNOWS!"

"Then why the hell didn't someone tell me?"

"WE THOUGHT YOU KNEW! Hell, I thought you were going to comeback from Germany engaged. I lost fifty dollars on that one."

"Engaged?" I choke out.

"Listen I am going to give you some advice. Don't hurt her."

"I would never do that."

"I am serious."

"So am I"

"She's the best of all of us. Josh, I will crush you if she sheds one tear on your behalf. And I am the least of your problems. CJ will castrate you and Sam, well I won't go into any details but it isn't pretty."

"Gee thanks for your vote of confidence."

"Just setting the record straight." Silence filled the conversation.

"I love her, Toby."

"Congratulations." He hangs up the phone.

"Hey Will, guess what?"

"You love Donna?"

"Yep."

"Five hours ago it was endearing. Four hours ago it was cute. Three hours ago it is sweet. Now it's annoying so shut-up."

"Isn't your date with Kate tomorrow?"

"Kate Harper?" Leo questions. Leo arrived here this morning, he is sticking around tonight and flying back to DC with us in the morning. "She's out of your league."

"Donna's out of Josh's league and you aren't giving him a hard time."

"Yeah but Kate is WAY out of your league."

"I have a plan: I am not going to tell her." Will's confession of his little plan does not go as he expected.

"She created Peace in the Middle East. She stopped the US from invading Canada. You think that she isn't going to notice?" Leo is now just a little outraged.

"That's what I am hoping."

"Good luck with that one."

I get up and start to pace around the room. Waiting and I do not get along.

"Your bow tie isn't tied." Ned points out.

"I know."

"Josh, is the reason why we haven't done any black tie events because Donna wasn't here to tie your bow tie?"

"You know what, Ned, you aren't aloud to talk any more."

"That's fine, I don't talk all that much to begin with."

"And I am eye candy," States Bram. I roll my eyes and lean against the far wall, waiting for Donna to come. You know because staring at the door will make it open. Hey it's opening. Maybe I have psychic powers.

Helen is the first to enter, she looks nice, but not enough discuss. Ronna's next to enter, again I don't care how she looks. Donna finally enters, with Jackson in tow. "CJ I have to go." She hangs up the phone. "Wow don't you guys look fancy!" The room gets brighter with her smile.

I have seen Donna at her best and at her worse. I have seen her in nearly 30 different dresses. This one blows them all away. It is a soft peach color with that silkily see through stuff, over the dress. Her hair is up in some fancy style, with little wisps infront of her face. She is radiant, and I feel like I've fallen in love with her all over again. Ill sweep her in my arms and kiss her fervently I'll..

"OWWW" Sharp pain fills me knee. Fire shoots up my spinal cord. Everyone stops.

"Who the hell puts a coffee table there?" I hate this stupid coffee table. Damn you.

"A coffee table in the middle of a room, near two chairs and a couch? Someone must stop this insane interior designer." Will chuckles.

"JOSH!" Donna crosses the room to come to my aid. "Go get some ice." She commands Will, who shrugs and takes his time walking over to the bar.

Matt is cracking up.

"I am sorry, I laugh whenever someone hurts themselves."

Jackson's voice follows suit. "I laugh whenever someone makes an ass out of themselves."

My sweet protective Donna glares at him. "What happened?" She turns her attention to me. My god she is beautiful, I am lost in very aspect of her being.

"Um, I thought there was a dog." A DOG? WHAT DO I SAY THINGS LIKE THAT? The rest of the room erupts in laughter.

"A dog?" She is trying so hard not to laugh in my face, her shoulder start to shakes a little bit.

"Um yeah, I thought that picture over there was a dog."

"The one of George Washington?"

"Um he looked like a poodle."

The room's laugher raises a decimal. The only thing worse then feeling like an ass is the tremendous amount of pain shooting through my leg. Will hands Donna the ice and she lifts my pant leg up to see the damage. A deep indentation on at my knee, a small cut starts to bleed. I promptly look away.

Finally Leo saves me. "I think we should get going, the Congressmen and I have speeches to give." Donna defiant stare at Leo takes me back, she was so sweet and concerned a second ago. "Donna, I am sure we are leaving him in good hands."

"Yes, Leo." Did the room just get a little colder?

Everyone walks out, leaving us and Jackson.

"Jackson can you give us the room?"

"Sure thing Ms. Moss. Try not the let the ottoman give you any lip Mr. Lyman."

She presses the ice to my wound, God ice is cold. Really how did I get a 760 on my SAT? Ice is cold. Come on.

There is a complex explosion of sensations on my leg, the intense pain, the bitter ice and the fire touch of Donna's hand. I prop my leg back on to the coffee table from hell.

"Donna, you look amazing." She blushes a little and we make eye contact, her smile is melting the ice.

"Thank you. You look very James Bond, yourself."

"I sure James Bond never got his ass handed to him by a coffee table." Her laugher fills the room.

She turns away from my gaze and focuses her attention back on the ice. "Josh, I need to talk to you about something."

The list of things this could be is endless: the explosion last night, our undying love, our unborn children we are going to have in a few years, the election, where are we going to spend the holidays.

"Anything."

"Ronna and I were talking while we were getting our nails done." Instinctively I look down at the nails, peach and matching the dress. "She mentioned she thought it was amazing how forgiving you are."

"Well, I am pretty amazing."

"A poodle?"

"It was the wig."

"Anyway, she was saying that you were very forgiving, she um implied that, maybe, you wouldn't forgive me because…."

"Donna, get to the point."

"Did I cost you Chief of Staff?"

"What?"

"Did you get passed over Chief of Staff because of me?" I was not expecting this. She's always throwing me curve balls. I could sugar coat it, I could gloss over it, there is a lot of things I say or do, but instead I tell her the truth.

"Yes." She bits her lower lip, pools of tears begin to form in her eyes, and her forehead creases. "Leo made the right call. If given the choice between running the country and taking care of you, I would have chosen you. Sure it stung my ego, but if I was Chief of Staff, we never would have happened. It's been a crazy few months but I wouldn't change it for anything."

She blinks and the tears run down her face, I quickly wipe them away so she wouldn't mess up her make-up. "How could Leo do this to you? Why would he ask me to… wait did you say you would choose me over the country?" Her shame shadowed by the new enlightenment.

I am smiling so much my cheeks are staring to get sore. "Yep. Do you know why?"

"For the reason you won't tell me now?"

"Why can't I tell you now?"

"Does your knee still hurt?"

"Yes."

"Do you still feel like an ass?"

"Yes."

"Then it isn't the perfect moment now is it?"

"Well, then don't eat too much tonight. I am taking you out to a very upscale super posh restaurant, where they have a chocolate moose thing that you can eat the bowl, and I am going to tell you there."

"Really?"

"I even made the reservation myself."

"REALLY?" She doesn't need to sound so shocked. Sure Will helped me pick out the place and Matt found the phone number, but I called.

"That's the sort of stuff I do."

"So, your not mad at me? I made you lose Chief of Staff and then I walked out on you?"

"It hurt, I needed to lick my wounds, but what we have now is so much better then what we would have had at the White House. Donnatella, the minute you grabbed my hand and asked me to stay was the minute I forgot all that pain."

She ties my bow tie without being instructed to. No one but Donna can tie this for me. When ever someone else does this, I feel like I am choking.

She rolls on top of me, kissing me. My hands support her, well, really they are touching her thighs, thanks to the uber sexy slits on her dress.

We continue to kiss and touch for a while, we've missed all of Santos' speech. She pulls away before it gets to hot and heavy, which logically I don't blame her for, but physically it is going to take me a few minutes before I can walk in public.

She pulls a band aid from her purse, and explains she has to keep them with her, "Strappy shoes." I guess they hurt her feet or something. She removes the ice. My leg is burning cold and she breathes on my gaping wound sending freezing heat waves over my body.

Yeah, it's going to take me a few minutes to leave here. She gets up to leave, to work to party and raise lots of money. She lingers in the door way, waiting for one of us to say something. Last night she said she knew what I was feeling and therefore I didn't have to say it, so instead I say:

"Donnatella, I know you."

"I know you too, Joshua." When she leaves I am left with my afterglow. Tonight will be the best night of my life.