Part 6

******

She packed her clothes, zipping her suitcase.

"You ready?" she hollered down to him.

"Its still snowy," he called back up the stairs.

"It's melted enough. We can drive in it."

"Two days ago there was over a foot- now it's drivable?"

She set her bags by the foot of the steps and double-checked the locks on the back door and windows. "It's melting. It's above freezing today; the roads won't be ice-y."

"Donna- my rental's a coupe!"

She smirked. "Good. It's a manual- it'll handle better on the snow. It has a wider wheel base than some SUV's so it'll be less likely to flip."

"FLIP?!" he squealed.

"Josh- your voice. I know we've talked about the girly tone."

"Flipping cars?"

She shook her head at him. "You're from New England. They have snow there, Joshua. What, exactly, is the problem?"

He pulled his own coat on and grabbed his bags and nudged the door open with his foot. "Nothing. But you're driving."

"Fine."

*****

She tilted her head back against the headrest and breathed deeply, moaning slightly with her exhale.

He turned to look at her while unbuckling his belt. "What was that for?"

Donna regarded him with a twinkling blue eye. "The feel of DC tarmac," she teased. "Its good to be home."

He chuckled and leaned over, pecking her on the cheek quickly before grabbing their carry-ons from the overhead.

"What's your schedule for the rest of the week?"

She stood and took her coat from him and her bag. "I'm off until Thursday."

"So we have a whole day?"

"If that means that you're off till Thursday, too, then yes."

"Excellent; let the wooing begin. Tonight- pizza and beer. Tomorrow- the ballet."

She rolled her eyes. They didn't speak as they navigated the crowd off the plane.

"Its not necessary, you know," she said as they fell into step towards the baggage carousel.

He glanced at her as they walked. "We've been over it. I know."

"We also said only special events on birthdays."

"I'm ignoring that."

"Josh—" she wined but his lips brushing across hers silenced her words.

"Donna, would you let me spoil you?"

"No!" she said firmly. "You're officially unemployed until Santos declares his candidacy. Save your money. Hawaii in 6 months, remember? You're going to be taking me to the spa, and rock climbing, and kayaking, and horse back riding and all sorts of expensive fun stuff."

"No shopping?"

"Goes without saying."

"I figured."

"So save your money, Joshua."

He steadied himself with a deep breath. "Donna, I'm not exactly hurting, you know. I've got the trust my dad left - I never really used that and-"

It was her turn to silence him with a quick kiss. "So don't use it now. And not on me!"

"Who better to use it on."

She shrugged as she reached for her suitcase on the carrousel. "Save it for your kids."

"Kids?"

"You may have them someday. And they'll need braces and, if you're their father, therapy, and of course cars. Not to mention the college bills if the tax-credit for education ever gets thrown out," she said as she reached for his bag after setting her own at her feet.

"Since when am I having kids?"

"It could happen! Stranger things have happened."

"Since when am I even married."

"Joshua, don't tell me I have to explain this to you. A marriage license does not spawn a child nine months later. Marriage is not a requirement for reproduction."

"It is for me!" He hefted his bag and waited for her to do the same before they headed out of the airport.

She chuckled. "Good to know."

"I'm serious, Donna. I don't want us to suffer just because I'm officially unemployed for two weeks. Let me spoil you."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

Donna's voice was sharp as she spoke. "I don't want you to, Joshua!"

He was oddly silent.

"I don't want you to buy my love," she said, her voice slightly defeated. "Don't think that you have to do that."

"I suck at this, Donna."

"Oh trust me I know."

"No—I mean, I really suck at this, Donna," he said again. "I don't know how to … I don't know how to do this if you don't let me spoil you."

Donna paused in the middle of the airport, turning towards him. "Showing up in Madison was a really good start," she said sincerely.

"Huh," He said thoughtfully. "Figures the stuff that's a gut feeling is the stuff you like."

"And although we both know that buying tickets to Hawaii was really spoiling disguised as Christmas, it was also very good. And that required planning."

"Fair point."

Donna smiled slightly. "And letting me go home and get a nice warm bubble bath and freshen up would be nice, too."

"Oh." His face fell for the briefest of seconds before his false-bravado face came out in full force. "Had enough of me already, huh?"

"Not yet, no," she said, her voice lowering. "I just want to feel a little more …. pretty and a little less frantic-traveler before you come over for pizza, beer, and a night of poker and Mets games."

"Strip poker?"

She rolled her eyes. "Doubtful."

"Why not?!" he whined despite the intense teasing in his voice.

Donna smirked and resumed walking. "Because I don't want to kick your ass and embarrass you on our first date."

"Pretty confident there, Donatella. Did you major in poker for a semester?" he caught up to her in a matter of strides.

"Cute, Joshua. Very cute. Keep talking and you'll never see me naked."

"Shutting up now."

"That's what I thought."