Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, just an idea, but trust me you can't get anything from that! Leave me to live in fiction

Summary: Donna starts working for the White house as the Press secretary. She had no idea that her first statement will have to be about her getting a job without proper education. She tells them a story. And Josh watches…lousy summary, just give it a chance.

Thanks to: kursk – you're reading my mind. I will use more of Leo in the future as well, but I think he said in this chapter just enough for now.

Miss jasadin – Well, I hope this was fast and long enough for you.:) I'm trying to split my chapters so they all have small cliffhangers; and the only reason why last was a bit short. Watching WW, I realized that Helen really has a bad opinion of Josh. And that's not surprising, considering how he acts. So, this is a good way of putting Josh under a different light.

Simanis – Well, I hope this answers your question.:)

Dietcherryemma – I didn't think you were rude.:) I always thought (and still do) that education is not sign of intelligence, so this was the way to proving that. And I think that was proven through Donna's character in WW as well. Can't wait for your new review! Thanks!

Juwist – Thanks for your compliment! I really tried to capture them and I'm glad you think I did!

And thanks to: Shanj, Roy Reny, Kala and Jack as well!

Chapter 4 – Who would've known…

Santos headquarters

Leo stood there smiling and watching faces of his co-workers. They all looked like fishes, all wanted to say something, but didn't know what exactly. All of them, except Josh, who was still shocked about what Donna said. He hurt her too much. And he kept hurting her over and over again. Just like she hurt him. Like it was a routine. He never expected her to thank him, especially not on TV, better yet, to thank him for her life after everything that happened. That job almost took her life. But, after all, she was always a better person than him. He always thought that. And that was the only thing that hasn't changed even after she left. He felt something shifting inside him. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with a sense of pride. He was so proud of her. She stood there, where even he failed badly, and she won them over with her sincerity. Just like she won him all those years ago. He didn't lie to her; he really did miss her every day, every hour, every second.

Santos looked from Leo to Josh to his wife and back to Leo.

"Don't tell me? You have a crystal ball hidden in your office? How the hell did you know they will leave this be? This is something they should be all over it. Like hyenas. "

"No crystal ball. Just common sense." – Leo said . He always had a good hunch. He was good at reading people. The office got smaller with every minute.

"Seriously, you hired her knowing she didn't finish college? How far did she get?" – Santos turned around to face Josh who was very quiet.
He coughed a little and not looking at anyone, simply said:

"She hired herself."

"And thank God she did." – Leo added as he patted Josh on the back. Josh simply smiled to the old man. He knew what he was thinking, just how many times Donna saved his life, in more ways that just one. But that was all a part of his old life that he had. He thought it was behind him.

"OK, look." – Edie said thinking about consequences – "I still think we need to have a statement ready. One of our biggest programs is education. We can't have people think our campaign manager doesn't care about that." – she thought for a second coming up with the plan. – "We can say she was assigned to you, no arguments. Let them question someone who hires assistants there."

This statement only resulted with Josh giving her a dirty eye. He was ready to jump into his pattern of yelling, but Leo stopped him.

"Like I said, they will leave this be. There will be no questions from the press."

"With all do respect, sir, but…" – Edie tried to find the right words. – "how can you be sure?"

"I agree, Josh." – Santos started. – "We need to be prepared."

"Look, congressman. If I get the question, I'll answer it. I don't need to prepare." – he calmed himself. He wasn't ready to have another "incident over Donna", this time on front of the Congressman. – "But, I agree with Leo, I don't think I'll have to answer any questions." – Josh said as he looked down at his hands. – "I never did before."

Leo shot him a knowing glare, but didn't say anything.

"Sorry, Josh, but sometimes you're not the most reliable person in front of the press…wait, what do you mean "before"? Before what?"

Leo saw that Josh was becoming uncomfortable. He was a master of deceptions, after all. And they never busted him for it. Not the Press, not his friends. However, this was no time the usual performance of ignorance. Santos deserved to know the truth, still not the entire truth. He wasn't sure if even Josh knew the entire truth.

"What he means is that Donna worked for Josh for over 6 years and if they wanted to ask something they would." – Leo said, but another thought went through his head - "And they probably did, just not out loud. God knows, we all did."

Santos was getting angrier by the second. Josh and Leo acted like they had a secret brotherhood, and he and everyone else were out of the loop.

"Maybe they were without any stories than, but this is different. This girl practically just called him her savior."

"God, honey, sometimes you can be so stupid…" – Helen thought covering her mouth so no one could see she was smiling. She was getting the picture. A few pieces were still missing, but she will find them. She shared a look with Ronna who caught her smiling.

Josh sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair wondering how on earth he ended up talking about him and Donna in front of the Congressman and his wife. Not to mention Edie and Ronna who didn't say the word the entire time. She met Donna twice, and even than she could feel the tension between them. But, she decided to keep her mouth shut. Leo on the other hand had no problem talking about it. Josh was like a son to him, and he knew Donna was a big part of keeping him sane.

"Although, this is not a secret, I think Josh's life was not that public during his stay at the White house. Not to the public at least. Donna is to thank for that as well. She kept them off Josh for the entire time he was recovering from a gun shot wound when he was shot in Rosslyn. She stayed with him for three months helping him recover and they never asked a question. Hell, she even kept us away! He was not aloud to do any business until she said so."

"Yeah, the rules…" – Josh muttered.

He stopped to look at Josh who was obviously remembering those moments. He never felt more helpless as than. Donna got him through that. He looked at Santos who was looking at Josh with a strange look on his face. It was obvious that he forgot about Josh being shot twice. Helen looked just surprised as her husband.

Although she was a politician's wife, all she remembered about Rosslyn was that the President was shot. Just like most people. Josh was just a name in the press. And they forgot that.

He had a completely different role now. They never looked back on the time he was in the White house. They've placed him behind the title of the Deputy Chief of Staff, but they never thought about what that included.

"Three months without work…" – Helen questioned that fact. – "He must've drove that girl crazy. I don't know a person here who would dare to take work away from Josh." – her thoughts were interrupted by Leo.

"Just as they never questioned the reasons behind Josh's actions when he left the States in the middle of the crisis to fly across the world to be by her side when she was injured in Gaza. For Christ sake, he threatened to kill everyone in the Middle East."

He again stopped seeing Josh's hurt and discomfort. And Josh never remained quiet so long. The worst facts of his life were presented for the first time in front of these people. He didn't want their pity. He didn't want them knowing that part of his life. They were no part of it. And he remembered his outbreak in the Oval office. He really crossed the line there.

"Anyway, there's no story there." – Leo concluded. – "Not a political one anyway."

Josh sent him a glare of warning not to go there.

"Well…" – Santos started. – "I guess this is it than. Josh, promise me that this won't be a big deal. You all sound so sure, but I can't help not to expect the worst. It is a surprise you weren't part of a sex scandal as it is. Or at least a political one. Seriously, you threatened to kill everyone in the Middle East? That should've ended up on the cover of all papers!"

Josh felt more stupid by every minute. He was a brilliant political mind; however this turned him into an irrational, crazy man.

"That was because I said that in front of the President and not the Press." - he muttered.

"Yeah, screamed was more like it" – Leo added.

Santos raised his eyebrow but decided not to ask anymore questions.

"This is one of those situations where less information is more preferable." – he thought. However, Helen was gaping not hiding her surprise.

"He yelled at the President, he left his job…this is not Josh I know. What happened to him?" – Helen questioned herself.

"There'll be no problem, sir." – Josh wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible shifted from one leg to another. – "No problem at all."

"She's not working for him anymore. There is no conflict of interest now." – Ronna chipped in knowingly causing Leo to smile. He liked the girl. She wasn't a part of the group who pretended to be blind like they all did. Josh on the other hand looked like someone threw a bucket of cold water on him as the words echoed in his head.

"What interest?" – his voice hit the higher note causing Helen to smile again. She found the entire situation amusing. For the first time since her husband decided to join this circus and she planned on enjoying herself as long as she could.

"Well, we have a lot of work to do. Let's go everybody. Josh looks like he's going to throw us out anyhow." – Santos announced to the room trying to light up the atmosphere what was the sign for everyone else to leave as well. Ronna was the first one out.

Leo glanced at Josh who was staring at the carpet. He shook his head and grabbed the door wanting to close it.

"Leave them open." – Josh said quietly.

He smiled at the younger man.

"Welcome back, kid."

Josh slowly sat back in his chair looking at the TV screen. The press conference was over. He didn't have to see the rest to know she did great. He remembered seeing her tuck her hair behind the ear when she started her statement like she always did when she was nervous. He was so mad at her, so blind from anger that he forgot those little things. For the first time since she left he felt mad at himself.

His head hit the desk as he covered his ears to block out the rest of the world. Somehow he knew that wouldn't be enough. The fact was proven when he heard a little cough. He looked up and Helen Santos was standing leaning at the doorframe.

"I though you left for lunch. Did you want something?"

"No, no, I just left my purse here." – she grabbed it from the chair and headed for the door. She turned around and looked him in the eyes, not saying anything.

"What?" – Josh asked feeling very uncomfortable.

"Nothing…just…who would've known? You actually had a heart once."

She gave him a little smile and left.

AN – In the next chapter: what happens at the same time on Donna's side.