"We have always found the wisdom and strength to come together as one nation." President Bartlet's poise and leadership strikes me in my heart as I'm watching him on the TV. "To widen the circle of opportunity…" I feel a sense of pride about working for this incredible man. I feel Josh rustling beside me and I'm reminded again how grateful I am to Josh for giving me this chance, to be here. Most days, Josh is the thorn in my side. Especially today, he's been in Peak Josh mode (I mean really! The man just yelled at a room full of strangers about whether they have accents. Tact, Joshua, tact.) But right now my annoyance is drowned out by a sense of warmth.

"God bless you and God bless the United States of America!" I immediately feel the tension leave Josh's body beside me. I feel a certain release of nerves myself. We were all high strung leading up to this speech.

"Woohoo!" Josh yelps, clapping. I stand with him, knowing that any second he'll come down from the soap box of glory and be in business mode for polling. "Up there is where this President eats! It's his place of business! Yes! He did well." Ah, apparently not at this second though.

"Yeah!" We do our little back and forth about whether Joey Lucas is supposed to have given me specific instructions to have given him. I don't love his tone but I'm riding a high of excitement at this moment! Nothing will bring me down! I am the Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff to the President and the President is a great man.

"Josh Lyman, you have the cutest butt in professional politics." Okay, maybe that could bring me down. I glue my smile in place but I need not have bothered. Neither Joey or Josh are paying attention to me. Of course.

Okay. Except for the gum comment. That swept Josh's attention to me. Purely for gloating purposes. I take back what I said earlier. Josh Lyman is many thorns in my side.

Later when Josh is doing his Josh thing and being generally irksome, I realize that there's no way Joey can handle him. I can handle him. Look, even now, he keeps looking at me in crisis mode. I'm like a human stress ball for Josh. Okay, I don't love the comparison either! But I know how to deal with Josh in a mood. Joey doesn't! She's not resistant like I am. She can't bounce back from Josh tantrums like I can!

"And we'll get dragged down by a news cycle that won't end." He throws his leg up on the chair next to him. God, he's attractive. Maybe that's why I said what I said next.

"You should ask her out." WHAT. WHY. NO. BAD DONNA.

"I'm sorry?" He knows exactly what I said so I double down.

"You should ask Joey out. Tonight could be the night."

"The night to do what?" Jesus, does he need me to spell it out for him? The night to make her forget about Al Keiffer, you jackass. To sleep with her and do the whole gloating floating man routine tomorrow.

"To ask her out." I say because I'm sure as hell not going to tell him to screw her- at least not out loud.

He tells me to go get a donut but I can see he's thinking about it. Maybe he's just uncomfortable having sex thoughts around me. That's depressing.

I know it may seem like I'm in denial of my feelings but I haven't been for a while. Since the shooting. It became painfully clear that my feelings for Josh were beyond what was appropriate or returned.

It takes me a little bit to shake myself out of those thoughts. I can't be thinking about this now. It's distracting and if I get distracted, even Josh in all his oblivion when it comes to women, will notice that something is up. Have to keep up Operation Peppy Sassy Assistant Pal. There are many reasons I'm not a higher up in the military. My inability to create good operation names is one of them. It might lack poetry or brevity or cleverness but it gets the point across… to me.

I find him on the couch reading Vogue magazine. Oh, Joshua. Trying his very best to keep himself entertained. Operation Peppy Sassy Assistant Pal can help! We do the whole bit and I am glad when he stops me from having to ask Joey out for him as I so gallantly offered. I tune out their bantering about when the early numbers will be ready. My ears peak up at Kenny saying…

"You're an egomaniac who needs to know the public loves you." She's read him all wrong. Listen, this is not some ranting of a woman in love, dying to protect her man's reputation. I know Josh is an egomaniac! I've witnessed it more than anyone! But right now his tantrum isn't about that. It's about him feeling responsible. He's been sent here to watch over the polling and he wants to bring back good news. He wants to know the information so he can start a strategy. He wants to do a good job. He wants to do his job. Period. Josh Lyman is not the kind of man to lounge around reading Vogue magazine, waiting on someone else.

Oh no. The power just went out.

Josh is going to lose it.

Later when I get off the phone with the electric company, I'm doing a great job with Operation Peppy Sassy Assistant Pal. Til Joey Lucas does her slide and bump into Josh thing. Ugh. She's both charming and aggravating.

Josh walks away to talk to Sam.

"Hey, Donna, you okay?" Joey asks me. I look up in surprise.

"What? Of course! I'm used to this Josh-"

"I don't mean about Josh being impatient. Just… if there's anything going on between you and Josh. It's just harmless flirting us, you know." Joey informs me.

Nerves bubble up inside me.

"Trust me, nothing is going on with me and Josh. I'm all for you two! I've tried to tell him to ask you out! You guys would be- you would have fun. I'm all for fun. I really might lead us all in song." I ramble, trying to stick the verbal landing with a joke. Then I remember Joey wouldn't have heard my conversation with Sam and Kenny wouldn't have signed a background conversation with her. Joey gives me a knowing smile and walks off. Apparently I haven't been doing a great job hiding my feelings. Or maybe Joey just has a sixth sense about this. Yes, that's definitely more plausible. I am great at hiding my feelings for Josh.

I'm a little freaked out by my conversation with Joey. I try to focus on pestering Josh. Not for the sake of Operation Peppy Sassy Assistant. Just because it's fun and distracting and the power is out and Josh is frustrated and maybe a little bit sexy when he gets that Donna I am humoring you and not happy about it voice.

I'm on the phone with Sam again when Josh yells at Joey. Oof. Maybe I pushed him a little too far with the looting, getting on nerves joke.

After his phone call with Sam, he walks over to me and speaks quietly.

"Something's happening. I have to go back. You'll stay here?" I appreciate that it's phrased as a question even though we both know it's not.

"Okay. Do good." I say, not knowing what the situation is but if it requires Josh's immediate return it's bound to be important.

"Just. Keep me informed. The second- the second you know anything-" He places his hands on my shoulders so I know to take him seriously. As if I wasn't before.

"I'll call you." I tell him quickly. I've been at this job for a little while. I know to take it seriously. Not that I'm particularly looking forward to the rest of the night with Joey, worried about if she'll corner about my feelings for Josh. Josh nods and starts to turn away but steps closer to me after a second.

"I'm not going to ask her out so no need for your mischief tonight, 'kay?" He adds. His tone is amused but something in his eyes tells me he's trying to say more. I'm not sure what to make of it.