He Didn't Mean To Apologize: a Josh and Donna Ficlet

THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FROM "THE COLD" and will in fact make more sense if you are familiar with the spoilers or are reading this after you have seen the episode. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Thanks to Ceci for being my beta on this story.

I have no claim to any of the characters in the story but I wish I did.

Reviews would be nice. Donating a few seconds of your time would make a girl very happy.

"Donna?"

"Yes, Josh?"

"Can I talk to you about earlier?" He's unsure. The minute he says this, he thinks it may have been a mistake.

"I think we already did."

"See, that's what I want to talk about. When I apologized earlier, it wasn't what I meant."

"So, basically, what you're telling me is that you didn't mean to apologize?" She's indignant. His emotions have been inconsistent.

"Yes." She's shooting him a furious look and he backtracks. "I mean, no. I mean, when I said I thought what happened was inappropriate, I was trying to figure out if you thought what happened was inappropriate."

"What?" He's making very little sense and she wishes he'd just say what he means.

"Donna! I was… testing the waters." Now she's wishing that he hadn't wished that.

"I'm not some political test group. You can't ask me a few deceptive questions, take my temperature, read between the lines, and figure out how I'm going to vote!"

"Maybe that's why I'm so bad at this."

"Tell me what is 'this'?" She's goading him a little and she can't help it.

"This?" His voice just got higher. She's trapping him into saying what he almost said a thousand times before.

"This." Her eyes steadily meet his and she takes a step that moves her closer to him.

"Us." He says it without pause and she is caught off balance. She never thought he would.

"Us?"

"I wanted to know if you had ever considered an 'us' when I told you this afternoon, and since it obviously didn't go so well I'm going to try again." They both know something is about change. She can't help but banter a little. It makes things easier for them both.

"I didn't know that's what you were trying to say the first time, so maybe you might get a more favorable response this time."

"I might?"

"Yes Josh, you might." With that to boost his confidence, he takes a deep breath.

"Donnatella Moss, when I kissed you this morning it was about the farthest thing from a mistake that I could think of, and I don't see how it was inappropriate considering I've been restraining myself from doing that for God knows how long and I'm not even really your boss anymore, and I was just wondering if we could do it again and not just again, but often, because Donna what you really need to know is that I'm in love with you." He's babbling, but she doesn't care. To her, he couldn't have said it better, and what matters is that he said it. Suddenly their mouths meet and they're kissing with as much urgency, as much need, as if the world was about to end. She breaks the kiss. This won't wait any longer.

"You know I love you right?"

"It's becoming much clearer." He pulls her back to him. They're both glad that he un-apologized. They kiss and this time neither breaks apart.