Josh and Donna's Go To Guy

Please review! This is my first West Wing fanfic, and I would like to know what you guys think.

Chapter 2

Josh looked like hell. I excused myself from my meeting and prepared to do major damage control. After listening to Josh beg me forever, he said something that I couldn't forget. "Sam, come on. I've lost Leo, I'm losing Donna, please. I can't lose you too."

"Wait. How are you losing Donna? She's working for you again."

"Never mind. Just say you'll be my Deputy. I need you."

I couldn't say no, so I told him I would think about it. The fact was, I kind of wanted to go back to the White House. It was noisy, the pay was crappy, it was a great way to kill your personal life, but I loved it. I missed it.

On the other hand, I didn't want to be like Josh. I didn't want to live on Pepto Bismol. I didn't want to ruin my relationship with my fiancé. And I really didn't want to lose my hair.

I decided that I would go to the White House. I needed to go back. When I got there, I ran into Donna. She was across the room, talking to another woman (who I later learned was Ronna) when I saw her. I went over, her completely unaware that I was in the same room with her, and said, "I'm looking for Donna Moss. She's really beautiful, so she's not hard to miss."

"Oh My God! Sam!" She gave me the biggest hug I had ever had in my whole life.

"It's so good to see you!"

"You too."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story. Can we go somewhere to talk?"

So she took me into her temporary office and I filled her in on how Josh wanted me to be the Deputy Chief of Staff.

"Are you going to do it?" she asked.

"I don't know. Josh says he really needs me."

"He does. Josh isn't the same now. He needs you to help him."

There was something about Donna that was different, too. She wasn't the same as she used to be. Her optimism was gone. Her eyes were empty…

"Donna, Josh told me something that I didn't understand. He said he was losing you."

She tensed up. "Did he say why?"

"No. He just said to forget about it."

I waited a few seconds. When she didn't say anything, I said, "Please Donna. It's me, Sam. If something's going on with you, I want to know about it."

"A few weeks ago, something happened. We got the latest polls back, and they were good. Really good. I went to tell Josh, and he was thrilled. So thrilled, that… He kissed me, Sam. And I tried to let it go. I told him that it was gonna happen eventually. I tried to convince myself that it was nothing. But then, on election day… we… it became serious."

"Donna, you and Josh are together now?"

I didn't understand. This was a good thing, right? Obviously I was missing something.

"Maybe. I don't know. He's so wrapped up with the President and Leo dying…. And everything. I told him that he has 4 weeks to decide what we are. If he hasn't decided by then, I told him it wasn't meant to be and it's okay. Sam, I can't get hurt again. I can't. I've spent too long loving Josh and getting nothing…. That's why I left. I had to get away from everything."

By now she was crying. She was trying not to, but she couldn't help it. I went over, really close, and said, "Donna, Josh loves you. I know he does."

"How?"

"I've known since Gaza. Everyone knows that he loves you."

"Then why doesn't he want to be in a relationship?"

"Donna, Josh is like a brother to me. I love him dearly, but I don't understand him. In 4 weeks, if he hasn't decided to be with you, then he doesn't deserve you."

"I can't lose him again. I can't do this…" She couldn't talk anymore because she was crying too hard. I took her in my arms and I held her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You didn't come here to hear this."

"No, it's fine," I said.

"You know, I know that Josh needs you as Deputy, but I would really like you here too."

"We'll see."

Then I kissed her on her forehead, and then left her office. Man, I thought. Those two have serious issues. But Donna was right. She had spent way too long pining over Josh. He better not be stupid enough to let her go.