She'd gone after him a few minutes later. CJ walked the few feet between them.
"So, you convinced Will to go after Donna?" She said bluntly. "The political mastermindwas you?"
"So you convinced Donna to leave Josh?" He countered. "The completelymistakenLove Dr. was you?
"Touché." She flopped down next to him on the couch. "We shouldn't have interfered?"
"Apparently Josh actually did know what he had in front of him the whole time?" Sam sighed.
"This is how we got here." CJ said softly.
"Got where?" He turned his head to her.
"So far apart." She kept looking straight ahead.
"That wasn't all." He said softly. "Not with me and Josh. He can't handle it when people leave."
"I think that's why Toby couldn't handle it when Josh left." She nodded.
"People move on." He watched her wince.
"Why does everyone keep-."
"Leo.. said it to me when I left. He said it to Josh when Donna left. Leo.." Sam explained.
"We took away the thing that kept him.." She paused before Josh's word.
"He couldn't stay here without her." Sam decided.
"Yeah."
"He wants me to come back. Work for Santos.." He faced CJ, turning his body towards her. "After everything he-."
"He's scared. He wants people he can trust. Why do you think he picked Leo? Toby's been helping him in the shadows.."
"I know." She winced. "We've.. I've been.."
"I can't-." She closed her eyes.
"I know." He said reluctantly.
"Everybody's been talking to him except-?"
"He misses you too." She choked out a sob as Sam said this.
"Is he alright?" She asked regaining her dented composure.
"Nah, he's Toby he'll never be alright." Sam tried to sound flippant and failed. "He's determined to go down with the ship." She nodded they sat in silence.
"You should go work for Santos."
"It was an olive branch and I snapped it in half." He sighed.
"He needs you."
"He needed her."
"Yeah."
"You didn't force me to go to Gaza, Josh." Donna spoke softly to his back.
"I put your name on the list. I got you a diplomatic passport. I offered you up to them like a prize." He muttered from the window. "Here have my whole world. Have the only person who is capable of making a whole being out of me. Have her."
"You got me back." She wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"And lost you again." He sniffed.
"I came back to you. Again."
"I -." He turned around and gripped her shoulders. "I didn't want you to need me. Not professionally. Not forever." She nodded. "I wanted us to leave together. I wanted you with me. We're a team."
"I shouldn't have believed it. I should have believed in you."
"I should have told you every day." He kissed her forehead and pulled her into him. "I will from now on. Every day. You're my-." He brought his face to hers.
"Humanity?" She chuckled.
"Love." He said breathlessly , kissing the fold of her eye where his mouth had been.
"Josh?" She felt his fingers under her chin as he lifted it.
"My Love."
"Joshua."
"Hey there you are." Will's voice brought them back from the moment. "The president wants to see us all in the residence."
"Will has horrible timing." Donna whispered to Josh. He smiled.
"How is he?" He asked, putting his hand reflectively on the swoop of Donna's back.
"Holding on." Will said grimly. "Did you see Sam?"
"Yeah." Josh sighed. Will winced, touching his glasses as he looked down.
"Look, Josh, I should have never told you-."
"It's fine Will." Donna murmured.
"How's the whole.. running the government thing going today?" Josh mused.
"I guess I can tell you now huh?" He tried to sound cheery.
"Guess so." Josh sighed again.
"Slow." He shrugged. "It was more yourday than ours.." Will picked up the pace.
"He means well." Donna said softly.
"Yeah." She stopped walking for a split second.
"Did you just say you loved me back there?"
He smiled at her nostalgically. It had been to long since there last White House walk and talk. He held the door open for her. "Yeah."
"I thought so."