Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites! Glad you're still reading, hopefully you won't be disappointed, I'm uploading this chapter, and the next today, so hopefully you'll enjoy them both. Thanks especially to AuggieDeeksNico ( u/321921/AuggieDeeksNico) for reading, checking, encouraging and enabling.

Thanks to Aaron Sorkin & John Wells for creating and nurturing such fabulous characters. I apologise for borrowing them, you'll get them back soon, sooner if you decide to create a Season 8! x

Donnatella Moss, Chief of Staff to the First Lady-elect. Now there's a mouthful. She takes a deep breath, maybe if she thinks of herself as the title for a while it will help her get used to her new role in the coming Administration. She knocks on the open door and walks through.

"Donna, you look fabulous, relaxed. Now, do you think someone can persuade my husband to whisk me away before things get really manic?"

"I don't think they can do the transition without the President-elect I'm afraid Ma'am."

"Donna!"

"Still not accustomed to it?"

"No."

Donna smiles widely, "Well, just think of it as exposure therapy, Ma-am. You're going to have to get used to it eventually, and it's better you slap me than the Spanish Ambassador."

Helen chuckles.

"Well, he can be a little lecherous, so it's possible he'll deserve it, but it wouldn't play well in the press, especially not for a simple 'Ma-aming'. I could always use the whole title, First Lady-elect?

"No."

"And be prepared, some day in the very near future, somebody is going to try calling you FLOTUS."

"Not that I condone violence Donna, but whoever coined that acronym really deserves a little pain. Let's stick with Helen for now, and Ma-am when you absolutely have to."

Donna giggles "Of course Ma-am."

"Did Josh come home this relaxed as well? I already knew you could calm him, but I didn't realise he could make you - giddy?"

Donna's surprised. She's not used to discussing her relationship with Josh. She's not used to being in a relationship with Josh, well, not this kind of relationship, not the kind that she can talk about, not the kind that people can ask her about without a cruel pitying smile.

Donna can't help smiling just remembering that she is in a relationship. The kind she can discuss. "I'm sorry, I was aiming for calm and sophisticated on my first day. I really did have a very nice vacation though. Josh was definitely in need of some time away, and so was I. It was very relaxing." Donna pauses, realising a model employee probably doesn't take a weeks holiday at the start of their employment or embark on a new, complicated relationship. "I – I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you any notice, and I hope my relationship with the President-elect's Chief of Staff isn't going to cause problems."

"Oh goodness Donna, I'm pleased for you both. Josh was a different man after you joined the campaign. So long as he makes you this happy then I'm happy." Helen's smiling. "Forgive me if I'm prying, but, you worked together, before, for a long time, did you never…?"

Donna grins, nobody ever mentions their long complicated history. So many moments destined to be ignored forever, well, until things changed.

Helen's eyes are wide, astonished.

Donna feels the need to explain her reaction. "Josh – Josh and I – has been a taboo subject for so long it feels strange, nice, being able to talk about it. No Helen, nothing ever happened. There were, moments, but we ignored them, everyone ignored them, we were both very professional…" Donna can hear herself continuing wondering why she hasn't stopped yet. "… too professional, it wasn't good for us towards the end. But we've had a lot of time to talk and now we're where we both want to be." She can feel herself blushing.

"It sounds like you took the scenic route into your relationship! You're going to have to fill me in on all the details one day over a bottle of wine. Matt and I were terribly boring in comparison, we met, fell in love and got married."

"That certainly makes it easier to explain, although I doubt it was boring. So, shall we talk about staff?"

"Certainly Donna, I understand the First Lady traditionally has quite a few members of staff."

"You'll have an office Ma-am, In the East Wing. We work separately from the President-elect and the West Wing, but in accordance with the Administration and its goals. Each First Lady is different and has her own ideas about what the role should be. But there are a few key staff positions that we should start with, Press Secretary, Social Secretary and a Director of Scheduling and Advance, are all positions any First Lady will need. I would suggest we also discuss a Director of Policy who will be able to help you craft and implement your own policy ideas."

"So, a Press Secretary to keep the baying media happy?"

"Yes, although we'll hear more from the polite Vanity Fair types than the baying Washington Post reporters."

As Donna leaves Blair House she reflects on her morning. She's pleased, they managed to discuss a number of names for the First Lady's staff, and they have appropriated one of Blair House's many sitting rooms as temporary office space. Donna is also hopeful that Helen has started to think about the type of First Lady she will become. With two small children, she won't want to take the long overseas trips that Mrs Bartlett used to promote the US and its ideals, but she will none the less be busy, hopefully starting with promotion of the Santos education plan.

Donna checks her phone messages, on the way into OEOB, apparently word is out that she has a new job and too many people in Washington have her phone number. She definitely needs an assistant, and a Press Secretary, at least half of the messages seem to be from the news magazines, probably keen to learn what the First Lady-elect is wearing to the First Lady's Christmas Party.

Donna smiles to herself, her own slinky slate grey dress is hanging in her new 'office' so she doesn't need to head home to change. She's looking forward to an elegant stress free White House Ball. Neither Leo's funeral nor Ellie's wedding were easy, even Josh at his most distracted or worried would always 'wake up' when she slipped some teasing elusive sexual reference into their banter, but he'd been so depressed about the floundering campaign, that at Ellie's wedding he'd hadn't noticed her throwing herself at him. At least it will be easier to get his attention this evening. With that elevating thought she enters the transition offices.

"Donna! Welcome back!"

"Ronna! How've things been?"

"It's been busy! And I thought it would all be easier after the campaign!"

"'Fraid not Ronna, this is it for the next four years, eight if we're lucky!" Donna spots Lou and heads after her. "Lou, do you have a moment?"

"Sure." She replies heading back into her office. "You're leaving us? Sure we can't entice you back? Josh wanted you as Deputy Press Secretary."

"Thanks, but no, it's better I don't work with Josh right now, I accepted the job with Helen Santos though, so I'll still be around if there's anything the First Lady-elect's office can help you with."

"Great! Can I start passing off press enquiries relating to Mrs Santos to you?"

"By the looks of my phone messages the press already know. We're hoping to hire a Press Secretary this afternoon though."

"Annabeth?"

"She's our preference, so hopefully."

"She'll be great, she's a bit too pixie like to represent the President Elect, but perfect for Helen."

"I just wanted to say thank you, for everything during the campaign, for hiring me."

"You're welcome, you were great at the job, that's all I needed. Just try and keep the First Lady-elect on message, and Josh calm and relaxed and things will be easier for us all."

Donna grins at the herculean task, and gets up to leave. "I'm not sure I'll manage either of those for long, but I'll try. Thanks again, for everything."

Donna wanders over to Josh's office "Otto, does Josh have a moment?"

"Yes, he's just going over briefing documents with Sam, you can go right in."

"Thanks." She knocks and enters. "Hello, I'm wondering which one of you lucky guys fancies buying me lunch?"

Josh flashes her his dimples as he looks up from the documents he's pouring over.

"Donna." Sam gets up to hug her. "I've missed you."

"Well, you shouldn't have sent me away then should you."

"Hey, I sent Josh, I just forgot he couldn't cope without you for a day, let alone a whole week. How was Hawaii?"

"Brilliant! We went whale watching at sunset, and on a trek through the forest, the waterfalls were to die for. And the beach, it was so peaceful, we sat staring at the ocean for hours drinking lethal blue cocktails, well I did."

Sam turns to check with Josh, who's trying not to turn puce.

Donna takes pity on him drawing Sam's attention again. "It was great, thanks, so, do you want to hear more about it over lunch? It looks like Josh is going to be reading for a week, so I'm at a loose end."

"Sure I'm free for half an hour, so long as Josh doesn't mind me taking you out on the town?"

Josh addresses Donna, "I'm sorry, I don't have time, too much to catch up on."

"I know, I'll see you this evening, do you fancy picking me up from Blair House and walking over to the White House together?"

"Sure, I'll see you later. And remember, Sam has a fiancée, so behave."

She smiles, "Oh, I think he's safe for now. I'll see you this evening."

Josh knocks at the door he's been directed to. "Donna?"

"Come in" she's on the phone "I'm sorry Connie, it's No Comment, you know how it works... Thanks." She finishes the call and puts the phone in her purse. "You're early, well, earlier than I expected, did Sam push you out the door?"

"Yeah, I think he was missing his fiancée."

"She's coming tonight? I can't wait to meet her, he was surprisingly coy about her at lunch. Still, I think he was keen to hear all about you enjoying Hawaii."

Josh is confused, didn't Sam tell Donna his fiancée is Ainsley Hayes?

She must have caught the odd look on his face. "Not another call girl?"

Josh laughs, "Nope, definitely not, I'm surprised Sam didn't tell you all about her."

She gets up from her chair and absentmindedly pulls on her shoes. How can he have forgotten how beautiful she is? She's always beautiful, but Donna in a ball gown is something that never fails to make his heart skip a beat. Or two. The dark grey, of this dress is making her skin more luminous, the slinky fabric hugging her breasts falls beautifully from her hips into a long full, flowing skirt that swishes when she moves. He looks up to her face, enveloped with soft blonde curls. She's tall, slightly taller than him in these heels. Stunning.

He snaps back into the moment. "I'm sorry I couldn't join you for lunch."

"I know."

"I really was busy. I wanted to."

"It's okay Josh, I know. How was your day?"

"Good" his eyes light up, "of course nobody asked me to rub suntan lotion into their long, long legs, so, you know, it's all relative."

"That's not part of your job Josh, not even if the President-elect asks!"

She picks up her shawl and walks towards him reaching for her coat.

"Are you ready for this Josh?"

Is he ready for this? He should be, it's certainly been long enough coming. Even if he isn't he's not ready to lose Donna again. "Yeah," he kisses her, "But don't let them gang up on me!"

The lights, the music, the alcohol. Donna happily entertaining their companions with useless Hawaiian trivia. He's mesmerised.

"… the Aloha State, it's from the Polynesian alofa, which means love, or compassion, or sometimes mercy, of course they're really all the same thing, which explains why they just had one word."

"So, Donna," Matt Santos teases her "Did you find mercy in the Aloha State?" He means love.

Her eyes flicker to Josh, and she smiles, "Maybe just a little, compassion."

Helen fixes her husband with a firm stare. "It wouldn't hurt us to visit."

"I'll see if I can get Air Force One to land next time we're over the Pacific. Being the President may come with some perks."

Donna's back to her trivia. "There's actually a long history of Presidential layovers in Hawaii after visits to Asia and the Pacific. It's a great place for a vacation."

Abbey and the President have emerged from the crowd, "Except Jed doesn't believe in vacations that don't require a coat and snow boots. Helen," she leans in for a kiss, "hopefully you'll have more luck persuading your husband to take some time off in a hospitable part of the world. Could I borrow you for a moment, I'd like you to meet Veronica Tockington from the Women's Caucus."

As Josh watches the First Ladies retreat across the room he's vaguely aware that the President has launched into a National Parks lecture.

"… it was the first National Park in a US Territory, and of course, later split into two separate parks. There are more endangered species in the Haleakalā National Park than any other park in the United States. It's a unique biosphere, with many endangered species. Are you planning a visit Matthew?"

"No, I'm not planning any visits just yet, Donna was just telling us about her vacation."

"Sunrise from the volcano is spectacular. Make sure they let you see it if you take a trip. Did you get to the National Parks Donna?"

"I'm afraid not Mr President, although there were some beautiful waterfalls on the forest trails, and the scenery was spectacular."

"And how was your vacation Josh? Where did you end up?"

Josh wishes the President didn't enjoy torturing him quite so much, and wonders why he can't summon more swagger. "Hawaii." He's grimacing.

"That's a coincidence. Did you bump into one another?"

Josh can see Donna's slight smile at the President's feigned innocence and choice of words. Experience tells him that President Bartlett can draw things out for maximum embarrassment. "We went together Sir. I took Donna to Hawaii."

"You took an assistant with you to Hawaii? I thought the point of a vacation was to get away from work."

"No Sir, I took Donna with me to Hawaii, and there was no work. We're …"

"You're…?"

"You're not making this easy Sir." Josh is bemused by the comforting smile the President gives Donna. He just has to say it. Just has to say it. "We're dating."

"You're dating! And when did you finally realise that there was nobody more qualified to fill your heart than the lovely Donna?"

He's pleased he can answer this question, "After your inauguration Sir. The second one." Ok, so that wasn't a great answer. "I didn't manage to tell her for quite some time though. We've only very recently started dating."

"Goodness Josh, it's lucky your political reflexes are faster than your romantic ones."

Josh can feel Donna's warm smile comforting him, he reaches for her hand and draws her over to him. "We got there in the end."

The President leans forward to kiss Donna. "Well Donna, I know I don't need to tell you to look after Josh, but make sure he does his fair share of the looking after. Remember, the 82nd Airborne work for me."

He can feel the swagger return, and can't help himself. "Not for long Sir."

The President fixes him with a stern gaze, waiting while he squirms. "I may be the out going President, but I like to think I'll still hold enough sway around here after I'm gone to keep an eye on you. And if that doesn't work then I'm sure Abbey and the girls, will have something to say to you."

Josh is trying to ignore the suppressed laughter coming from the President-elect, one President commenting on his love life is really one too many. "Of course Mr President. And I fully intend to look after Donna, we've spent too long getting here."

"Good. I'm pleased you have one another. These aren't easy jobs, you need someone to hold, someone to ground you, someone to love."

Josh is still absorbing the President's response when Donna replies "Thank you Mr President, now, do you mind if he whisks me away to the dance floor?"

"Be my guest Donna."

"Thank you Sir."