Disclaimer: see Ch. 2! – sigh

a/n: I'm enjoying this – thank you for the kind reviews – I strive to continue to be worthy.

Blame Aristotle

Ch. 3

Inner Voices and a Sounding Board

Josh is at the airport… .still. And Donna has a talk with Leo.

A layover in Atlanta was bad enough – now we're waiting for the flight crew? Why?

Aristotle, are you still dogging me? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Josh sat in the gate area, his backpack at his feet. Oblivious, for the most part, to the commotion that surrounded him.

But all too aware of the turmoil in his mind.

'Leo told me to find the next "real thing". I think I have – twice.

Santos didn't exactly kick me out of the house. He invited me in, listened to what I had to say. And I really think he is up to the challenge. He still has to convince his wife that it is a challenge he's ready to take on, but I know he can do it. Hell, I helped Bartlet get elected twice (!), we survived the MS revelations, Rosslyn, and everything else. I know I can get Santos elected, I know it.

Santos is the "real thing" - I can feel it.

It won't be easy, I know that. But I love a good fight – bring it on.

'Ahhhh, but can you go into that fight without a team, without help? Without Donna?" his inner devil queried.

Donna – the earlier call – I should call her. She deserves better treatment than this. I can't give her a good reason for blowing off our meeting. She actually blocked out time in my schedule for the meeting, that alone tells me that it was important to her. I need to face her, I know that. Before everything falls apart.

But how do I explain myself to her? What can I say in my defense of my actions? Can I even begin to defend my actions?

'Fat chance' DevilBoy shot back. 'Especially since you've benefited for the most part from everything she's ever done for you. Did you ever really express your gratitude in any tangible way? Or did you just bask in the glory of the results without a second thought?'

I thought I had, once or twice.

'Hah!! Did you ever ask her about what she went through after Rosslyn? Did you tell her how much her rules actually helped keep you from overdoing things? Why couldn't you take her seriously about her desire to expand her capabilities, how could you ignore that? DevilBoy wasn't going to let up apparently.

I'm scared of losing what we have.

'If I were you, I'd just be worried about losing her period, STUPID!!!!'

What if it's too late? I mean, the temp said she's got a new job….

'Your point please? You're going to let that decide this? You ARE dumber than you look!'

Hey, who's side are you on anyway?

'Figure it out, dumpkiss.'

When I get back to DC, I'll call her…

'Why wait?'

Because it's going to take most of the flight to figure out how to get her to listen without throwing something at me.

'Fair point.'

Same day, Josh's apartment

Donna couldn't find him – so far, her contacts at the West Wing didn't have the information she needed. She had called almost everyone she could think of. Except for…

Leo. LEO. The man Josh thought of as a father, she hadn't called him.

Reaching for the phone, she prayed that he was home.

"Hello?"

"Leo, it's Donna – I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, Donna – what's up? Leo already had a pretty good idea, though.

"This is going to sound weird, but do you know where Josh is? I can't reach him at the office and he isn't answering his cell." Donna waited for his reply, scared to hear the words.

"Donna, I don't know for sure. Say, Josh told me you took a new job? What's the gig?" Leo asked.

"I was asked to join the Vice-President's campaign – and I agreed." Donna held her breath – this was touchy territory. Hell, it was a downright minefield.

"Donna, are you serious? " Leo had known something like this could happen. Dammit Josh!! What were you thinking?

"Leo, I know what you're saying, but believe me, I have to do this! I can't stay in Josh's shadow forever. I need to grow, I need to…" Donna's voice fell off…

"You need to show Josh you can be his equal?" Leo ventured.

"Not his equal, necessarily. I need to prove that I'm more than just a secretary."

"Donna, believe me when I say this, for the last few years you have definitely been a helluva lot more than "just a secretary" to Josh."

"But it wasn't for me – I loved my job and the people in the West Wing – I need to get out from under Josh's, umbrella , and see what I can do, myself. Can you understand that, Leo?" Donna prayed that he would.

"Yes, Donna, I do understand. And I'm proud of you, with everything that you've endured since you walked into the Manchester office. You've hung in there when others would have given up. You have earned the right to move on – I just wish you didn't feel you have to leave this Administration to do it." Leo paused.

" I want you to be sure about this, Donna. You know what you have to do, don't you?" He waited, waited for her to admit the truth out loud to herself.

" I have to talk to Josh, I know. I know that we have to get it all out into the open, I just don't know how…."

"Donnatella Moss, you are smart enough to know what's in your heart, right? You are the best thing that ever happened to Josh, and I know what I'm talking about here. Do you know what happened when we got word of the attack on the CODEL?" Leo asked.

"No, no one's said anything about that day. Why?" Donna responded.

"Andie had managed to reach Toby, and she told us you had been put into the ambulance, and that was all she knew. Josh stood in the bullpen, trying to comprehend the enormity of what had just happened. To look at him, you'd have thought that his soul had been violently ripped from his very being. He got a little better once he was able to find out your condition, and he spoke with your parents, too. But he didn't keep it together for long, Lord knows he tried. After awhile, all the questions about your condition pushed him too far. When he snapped, I realized that he needed to be in another place, and soon, or we were gonna have a real problem on our hands. So I told him that if he felt he needed to be elsewhere, he had my blessing. He didn't think twice, Donna. He left me standing outside the President's office and headed straight to the airport. Straight to Germany."

"Leo, what are you getting at?" Donna was almost afraid to hear his answer.

"Donna, do you really have to have me explain it to you?"

"Donna?" Damn, please tell me she didn't hang up.

Donna swallowed hard, knowing she needed to answer him.

"I'm here, Leo. You're right, I know that. I have to talk to Josh. Before it's too late."

"That's a girl. You two have gone through too much together to let this end badly. Where are you right now?"

Donna gave a shuddering little sigh, then chuckled. "Would you believe that at this moment, I'm sitting in Josh's apartment?"

"As a matter of fact, Donna, yes, I would." Leo replied. "Have you had anything to eat today?"

"Uh, maybe, to tell the truth, I don't really remember, Leo."

"Donna," oops, she thought, wrong answer there.

"Don't worry Leo, I'll raid his refrigerator – there's bound to be something around here that's edible." Donna said.

"Edible!? – in Josh's kitchen? Donna are you crazy?" Leo exclaimed.

"Quite possibly, Leo. Why else would I be in this mess?" Donna countered with a small laugh.

"Take care of yourself, Donna. Call me anytime if you need something, anything. Promise me?

"Leo, I couldn't,..." Donna spluttered.

"DONNA! Leo thundered. "YES YOU CAN – now promise!!"

"OK, Leo, I promise." Donna replied – didn't sound like she had much choice.

"Good, call me tomorrow, 'kay? Leo asked.

"G'night Leo"

"G'night Donna."

Leo replaced the receiver thoughtfully. That gal's got guts, that was certain. She was quite something, that Donna.

Josh, my boy, you had better be on your toes when you get home.