Josh threw the morning Post down on his desk and bounced on the balls of his feet, relishing the nearly forgotten but deliciously familiar excitement that now coursed through his veins. "This guy...this guy could be the real thing, Donna. He could be the party's best hope to get elected next year. Bingo Bob's got nothing on this guy. This guy -- this guy makes you want to sing 'God Bless America' at the top of your lungs."

"He does," Donna said brightly, and he could tell she was feeding off his own euphoria, like she always did when they both believed strongly in something. It had been far too long, he realized, since either of them had felt this way.

"I have to..." He started racing through names in his head, mentally flagging some, discarding others. "I should find out who he's talking to, who he isn't talking to, make sure he's getting in touch with the right people, set up some meet and greets --"

"I think you should do more than that," Donna interrupted.

He stopped his mental scrolling and looked over at her. She was playing with her ID badge, a tell-tale sign that she was about to tell him something she wasn't sure he wanted to hear. "What do you mean?"

"I think you should go work for him yourself," she said. "I think you should run his campaign."

He blinked at her in surprise -- that was just about the last thing he'd expected her to say. "Are you serious?"

She swallowed; he watched the delicate play of muscles beneath the smooth column of her throat. "Yes. I am. I think you should hand in your resignation, leave this administration to run its course and start helping to build a new one." She took a steadying breath and met his startled gaze. "And I think that you're thinking it too."

"That's ridiculous," he said reflexively. "How can I --" He broke off, started pacing erratically around his office, all caged energy and frayed nerves, as she stood still and watched him circle her. "How can I possibly leave? They need me, here."

"You've already given them more than they've even asked for," she said. "You've given them everything you have, and sometimes more than that. You -- God, Josh, you almost lost your life."

"Donna --" he started, but she was on a roll, gaining strength and conviction with every word, and he wondered how long she had been thinking about this.

"It's time for you to get back to doing what you love most," she said. "And that's making things happen, changing the world. And okay, maybe that's more than a little hyperbolic, but...look. You know how much I admire the president. But a lame duck administration is hardly the best use of your talents, especially when that very administration has been shutting you out. You haven't been appreciated here in -- well, in far too long." She gentled her voice slightly. "Think of yourself, first, Josh, for once. Take this chance -- because I know you want it so badly you can practically taste it."

He rubbed his forehead with thumb and forefinger, his mind reeling with a million different reasons why he couldn't do what she was suggesting. And yet...if he was honest with himself, none of those reasons seemed compelling enough to defeat her argument. Not anymore. Except, maybe, for one.

"What about --" he started, not sure how to say it. He trailed off helplessly, the words stuck in his throat.

Somehow, she knew what he was trying to ask her. "I would go with you," she said simply.

He looked at Donna, at her steady blue gaze and her pale, beautiful face, and he did the only thing he could imagine doing at that moment: he kissed her.

It was a gentle kiss, an acknowledgment of things unsaid and the promise of more to come. Her lips were soft and warm and her hands caressed his face. Josh placed his hand against her neck and drank her in like cool water.

"Not as your assistant, though," she breathed when their lips parted.

"No, I -- I didn't even think that," he protested softly. He raised one hand to smooth her golden hair; it was thicker beneath his touch than he had imagined it would be.

"We do this as a team," she continued. "Together."

"Yeah," he agreed. "You and me." Not alone, he thought. That could take some getting used to.

"So...we're going to do this?" she prodded him.

"It looks that way." He sighed. "God, Donna, how am I going to tell them?"

"You'll figure it out," she said. "They might..." She hesitated. "They might not even be surprised."

"They might be relieved, you mean," he said dryly.

"I don't think I would go that far," she demurred. "They love you like a son, Josh. Both of them."

"That's exactly why this is going to be so hard," he muttered.

"I know." She paused. "Do you want me to find out if either of them has some time for you? Or do you want to talk to Toby and CJ first?"

"No, I -- I should tell Leo and the president first," he said. "Then I'll talk to the others. God, Toby's gonna kill me."

"Probably," Donna agreed.

The quickness of her response made him laugh, and the tension dissipated a bit. "I want to kiss you again," he said.

She ducked her head shyly. "Maybe that should wait for a little while," she said.

"But...you do want to, right?"

"Don't be an idiot, Josh," she said, but her affectionate smile and bright eyes softened her words. "I'm going to go make those calls for you, okay?"

"Okay." He watched her go, then began to think about he was going to spend the rest of his life.

End.