Author: Michelle K. (CageyGrl@yahoo.com)

Rating: PG

Archive: If you want it, you may have it. Just tell me
first, please.

Summary: A question can change everything.

Disclaimer: Characters from "The West Wing" don't
belong to me. Instead, they are the sole property of
Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No
copyright infringement is intended and I am making no
money from this story.

Notes: Answer to Mary's 'That Thing You Do' challenge.
Written in Donna's POV.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't believe how lonely I feel. It's not just
because I don't have a boyfriend. It's not just
because of my pathetic lack of a social life. These
things I could handle, if only there was hope that
*that* special man could notice me.

And, yes, I'm talking about Josh Lyman.

I don't know how long I've known that I'm in love with
him. It seems like a sudden realization. But,
honestly, I feel that I've always known it in the back
of my mind. Since that day I first met him and he
accepted me as his assistant.

But I knew it for sure the night he was 'hit.' The
thought of losing him tore me apart. It still does.

I love him.

But he doesn't think of me that way. He thinks of me
as a friend. And now he's out having lunch with
another woman.

---

~ One Hour Earlier ~

I'm sitting at my desk when he breezes out of his
office.

"Cancel all my meetings, Donnatella!" he declares
happily.

"Excuse me? Why am I doing that?" I ask.

"I have a lunch date. With an old girlfriend. Who
probably still loves me," he proclaims with his own
brand of pompous flare.

"Ah hah," I say. I hate this woman already. "Why do
you want me to cancel all your meetings?" I can
already imagine what's going through his head but I
don't want to admit it.

"Think about it," he says with a grin. "Can you
imagine? I checked my voice mail, and there was a
message from Marie. I called her hotel, and we set up
a date for today."

"I really don't think I can cancel all your meetings."

"Meetings can wait."

"But Marie can't?"

"No."

"Okay," I say slowly. "When was the last time you've
seen her?"

"Ten years ago. Ours was a torrid romance, and it
shall burn with fire again! This I decree!"

"Josh, you're talking like an idiot."

"I know," he says without losing any of his bravado.
"How do I look?"

Incredible. He usually looks incredible, despite his
penchant for letting his suits get wrinkled.
"Alright," I answer instead.

"That's good enough for me," he declares.

He's about to trot away when I say, "Josh, you have a
spot on your tie."

He looks down. "Oh, damn it."

"I put some extra ties in your lower left drawer.
They're all spotless as well as being less ugly than
the one you're wearing."

"Thanks, Donna," he says as he reenters his office.
"You're a great assistant. And a great friend."

Oh, yes, this is perfect. He's declaring me to be his
*friend.* And I'm helping him look good for *Marie*.
Whom I'm sure is evil. Very evil.

This sucks.

---

And that is what led me here. Sitting in Josh's
office, staring out the window, and feeling horribly
depressed. I'm only happy that I'm not crying.

See? I'm not that pathetic. I might be horribly
depressed that I don't have Joshua Lyman's love, but
I'm not *crying* over it. I'm okay. For the moment.

The sound of the door opening and closing makes me
jump out of my seat. "Josh!" I yell. "Don't you
knock?"

"Not when it's my office," he declares are he eyes me
suspiciously.

"Oh. Yes. Yes, it is," I stammer.

"What are you doing?"

Wallowing in my self-pity. "Just getting away from the
noise for a few minutes."

"Okay."

"How'd it go with Marie?"

"She's married."

"Oh, really?" I say, trying to seem uninterested. In
my heart, I'm doing somersaults. Depraved Marie is
taken!

"It's all for the best, anyway. It didn't work out
before, it wouldn't have worked out now."

Satan Marie didn't have a chance! "Then why'd she want
to see you again?"

"Her husband's looking for a job. She thought I could
put a good word in for him."

Marie's also a moron. "Oh. That's kind of idiotic."

"I know."

"I'm sorry, Josh."

"It's not your fault," he says with a smile. "And,
anyway, it's not that bad."

"Okay. I should tell you, I did cancel all your
meetings today and rescheduled them throughout the
week. Do you want me to call them all back and move
them back to today or leave them as they are now?"

He stares at me for a minute. "I'll think about it."

"Okay." I'm about to leave, when he speaks again.

"Why can't I have a successful romantic relationship,
Donna?" he asks me quietly.

"It just hasn't happened yet. You will, Josh. You'll
find love," I reply. Hopefully that love will be with
me.

"The best relationship I've ever had has been with
you...and you could never think of me that way."

I don't say a word. I can't disagree with him...but
I'm too scared to assent. That could change
everything. Not to say I don't want it to change...I
do. But I don't know that he wants it.

He looks at me. "Are you okay, Donnatella? When I came
in, you looked dismal. Now you look pale on top of
that."

"I'm fine. I always look pale, anyway," I declare in a
faux cheerfulness. "It's my alabaster skin."

"Uh huh. Donna..." He stops suddenly. "Never mind."

"What is it?"

"Donna, can I ask you a question?" He moves closer to
me. I feel his fingertips softly caress my cheek.

I can barely breathe. But I can nod my head to signify
'yes.'

"When was the last time you were decently kissed? I
mean, really, honestly good and kissed?"

"I don't remember," I answer truthfully. "I don't know
if I ever have been." How in God's name did this
happen?

He moves his face closer to mine, until we're only an
inch apart.

"You're not doing this just because you're depressed
about your love life, are you?" I ask. "About
Marie...and Mandy...and Joey?"

"No. Are you just doing this because you're depressed
about your love life?"

"The only thing that depresses me about my love life
is that you're not involved in it," I blurt out.

He looks surprised. Then happy.

And then, he kisses me. One of those slow, languorous
kisses that turns your legs to jelly. One of those
kisses that could last forever. One of those kisses
that you *want* to last forever. One of those kisses
that make you forget you've ever been kissed before.

His lips part from mine. It's silent for a moment
before he says, "I love you, Donnatella."

"I love you, Joshua," I reply. And I can't wait until
Josh kisses me again.

So, *I* kiss him.

THE END