A/N: Surprise! I'm updating a story I haven't updated in almost a year! I hope there are still a few people left out there to read it, haha.

Anyway, I love you all and hope you enjoy. Reviews welcome!

Disclaimer: Sadly, still working on the rights to these guys.

Rating: T

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"Donna?"

Looking up through her tears, she sees a pair of shoes. The shoes are connected to the lower half of a pair of jeans.

Ah. It was Josh.

He was standing a few feet away from her, and had obviously spotted her. In no mood to talk to him, she simply sniffles. Hopefully the fact that she was crying would be enough to scare him away.

"Donna, what are you... Oh." Crouched on the floor in front of her, he had brought himself level to her tear stained face. The look of panic on his own is almost enough to make her laugh. "Are you... Okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She sucks in a deep breath and attempts to wipe the tears from her face. She didn't want him to see her this way. So... Weak.

"No you're not."

"I'm fine, Josh. I'll be out in a minute, can you just... Go away?"

He looks as though he very much wants to obey her command. After a moment of indecision, he leans back and sits down. He attempts to maintain eye contact as he awkwardly rearranges his limbs. "What's wrong?"

Hearing real concern in his voice, tears once again begin to flow freely. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? I told you, I'm fine, it's just-"

"Is this about the way I've been acting?"

This stops her in her tracks. Because... Yes. It was a little bit about that.

It was about the fact that with the ground yanked out from beneath her, she had returned to the one place that she'd really felt at home. To the one person she had so desperately wanted to see. And he'd completely ignored her all week.

Sure, he'd spoken to her about work. He's asked her to hand him memos, or take calls, or whatever the hell else. But he'd spoken to her about very little else. Everything had changed. They didn't laugh anymore. They didn't bicker. He didn't look at her the same way.

He used to look at her like she was the sun breaking through the clouds.

Now it was as though she was just another staffer to him. Less than that, even. She'd spent the week retreating into herself a little bit more each day, her hope dissipating with every stony glance her way.

And add to it the fact that her hormones were shot to hell and that her nausea had prevented her from eating much aside from vending machine pretzels, and...

"You... Must... Think... I'm an... Idiot." She barely chokes out between sobs.

His eyes widen with panic. He reaches out a hand to touch her arm. "Hey, don't say that-"

"You must think... So little of me... For leaving, for coming back, for going back to that asshole, for-"

"Hey, shh. That's not true, I don't-" She's shaking violently, and he just desperately wants her to stop. She's tearing him apart with every word.

"And everyone else pretends but.. They think badly of me... Too! Everyone thinks I'm an idiot, and that I don't deserve to be here, and-" she breaks off into a fit of coughing, unable to continue.

"Oh, God. Okay, umm, let me get you some tissues-"

He leans forward over her to grab a box of tissues from CJ's desk. He imagines she'd chosen the room for its emptiness - CJ would be out all day with the Governor, taking questions.

He hands her the box, and she takes it resignedly. She wipes at her eyes and blows her nose, knowing what a mess she must look right now.

"Donna, listen to me. I know I've been a jerk the past few days, but I was just... It was just because... Never mind. It doesn't matter. But look, everyone is really happy to have you back, you know. You're great at your job, everyone loves you... Everyone missed you..." He trails off, unable to maintain eye contact. It was obvious how poorly equipped to deal with the situation he was, and how ill at ease he felt. That, and the fact that he wasn't quite sure if he'd forgiven her yet.

"You're just saying that."

He takes a deep breath and presses on. "Look, everybody makes mistakes. Honestly, it's not a big deal. It'll blow over, okay? In a few weeks, it'll be like you never left. Nothing will have changed, everything will go back to normal-"

"No, it won't."

"I'm serious."

"Josh."

"I'm sorry I was being an ass, I was just-"

"Josh, I'm pregnant."

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She just liked to watch them.

Leaning against the living room doorframe, Donna watches her husband and son with arms folded tightly to her body. They were playing with Legos.

"See, I'm building the millennium falcon."

"Whasdat?"

"It's a ship. It's a better ship than your ship, that's what it is."

"Nuh-uh. This is the Death Star."

"That's the death star, huh?"

"Yeah."

"It doesn't look like it."

"It's gonna kill your ship."

"How's it gonna do that?"

"With death beams."

"Alright, fair enough. But I'm just gonna add on some shields, see, and-"

"Cheater!"

She watches Peter laughing, sprawled on the rug, Josh smiling as he sits beside him and ruffles his hair. Warmth fills her chest as she watches her family. She thinks about how much she loves this - how much she loves him. And she thinks about how different this is from last time.

Last time, she'd felt so lost and alone. Now, she felt secure. She felt wanted. She felt loved. And everything was different.

Thinking about the scared twenty-two year old girl crying on the floor of a campaign office, she feels indescribably lucky. Tears well up in her eyes, blurring the idyllic scene before her.

Josh glances up at her with a smile, and she returns it. Seeing her tears, his expression dissolves into one of worry.

"Hey, Peter? Why don't you go hang out in your room for a bit?"

"Why?"

"Because, if I'll recall, there are quite a few Legos on the floor in there."

"But dad-"

"C'mon. Up. You can come back and destroy my ship later."

"Fine."

Josh stands and pulls Peter to his feet, pushing him in the direction of his room. "Atta boy."

With Peter reluctantly stomping toward his bedroom, Josh turns his attention to Donna. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She shakes her head, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Nothing. Honestly, nothing."

"I don't believe you."

He steps closer to her and places his hands on her arms, but she simply collapses into him. She buries her head in his chest, and wraps her arms tightly around his waist.

"Okay. Hey, it's okay." He runs a hand up and down her back slowly, trying to understand the situation. "It's okay. Come on, tell me what's up."

She pulls back an inch to give him a watery smile. "It's a good thing. I promise."

"It... Is?"

"Yes. Happy tears."

"Happy tears?"

"I've got some news for you."

"Happy news?"

"Josh, I'm pregnant."

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"You're... What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"No. Hold on. You're... No. You're what?"

"I'm pregnant, Josh."

"You're not. You can't be-"

"Knocked up? With child? It's Roy's, I'm only a few weeks along, but yes. I'm pregnant." For some reason she finds the look of shock on his face to be irritating beyond belief. Why couldn't he just accept it?

"You're... Pregnant." He says slowly, his eyes out of focus. "You're pregnant."

"Yes. Now you're getting it."

He finally looks at her, the strangest expression on his face. "Wow."

As quickly as he'd angered her, she is once again driven to tears. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her. He hadn't voiced any judgement, yet, but she knew what he was thinking.

"And now you're back to... Thinking what an... Idiot I am!" She chokes out, her brief composure shattering.

Josh's look of astonishment vanishes, to be replaced by a familiar panic. "Hey, no, wait-"

"And I know I wasn't thinking, but I... I... I'm so sorry, Now I'm just-"

"Donna, what are you talking about? You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"And you're... Probably thinking... That I'm a real slut... And once everyone else finds out-"

This accusation snaps something inside of him. He grabs her arm tightly. "Donna. Donna, look at me. I wouldn't use that word to describe anyone. Especially you. Now, c'mon. Calm down."

"Calm down? How can I calm down when-"

"Take deep breaths."

Looking at him with a lost expression, she sputters slightly. "What?"

"I'm serious. Take some deep breaths. Calm down. Yes. Good. I'll, umm, get you some water. Yeah. Just keep breathing."

Any progress she had made toward calming down is undone as he makes to stand. She seizes his sleeve. "Where are you going?"

He looks down at her. He takes in her tear stained face, running nose, and wild hair. He tries, at that moment, to distance himself from the situation. A young aid on the campaign was pregnant, and now he would help her through it. He would help her get back on her feet, he would do a good deed, and he would put it out of his mind. It wouldn't be a big deal, for him.

But he just can't look at her that way. He can't look at her with any kind of distance. Because she was Donna. And because seeing her this way was breaking his heart.

He knows that it will be a big deal for him. It won't be an issue of a couple weeks, or even a couple months. He would be there for her, for however long she wanted him. Because he simply couldn't stay away. Two months had killed him - any more than that was out of the question.

She'd made some mistakes. But who hadn't?

"I'll be right back." He speaks reassuringly, wanting the desperation in her eyes to subside. "I'm just going to get some water, I'll be right back."

"Don't leave me here, alone."

"I'd never do that. You've gotta believe me when I say that I would never do that."

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"You're... You're..."

He stares at her, his eyes slowly beginning to shine. The light in them was one that she had been feeling for the past fifteen minutes, ever since seeing the results of the test. "Yes."

"Pregnant?" His voice has dropped to a whisper, and his hands come up to either side of her smiling face.

"Yes."

His grin is delirious. "You're serious?"

"I really am."

"And it's mine this time?"

"I think there's a pretty good chance, yeah."

He laughs, tearing up a little. "That's great. That's amazing. That's... Oh my god."

"Couldn't think of another synonym?"

He pulls her back into a tight hug. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"We're... We're... Having a baby."

"We are."

"Together."

"I should hope so."

"I'm... I'm so..."

She runs one hand up and down his back. "I know. I know."

Everything felt different, this time. Looking at the results of the test the first time, she'd felt a dull sinking feeling. Followed by panic. She'd left the man she was with, knowing that he was unfit to raise a child, and every waking moment was consumed with worry. About her future. About their future.

And after all of that... she'd had a wonderful, amazing, and beautiful child. This time, there is little that she fears.

"The first one was yours, too, you know."

He pulls back to look at her for a moment. "I know, Donna."

"I know that maybe he didn't start out that way, but-"

"I know." He gives her a small smile.

"Mommy? What's wrong?"

They both turn, surprised, at the sound of Peter's voice. Donna breaks away from Josh and treads over to Peter. "Oh, nothing's wrong, baby. At least, not with me. Your dad, on the other hand? He's getting very emotional. It's all pretty dumb, don't worry about it."

Crouched beside her son, she casts a smirk over her shoulder at her husband. Josh returns it with a mock glare, hastily wiping at his eyes.

"She's lying."

"Why are you emotional and dumb, dad?"

"Well..."

"He's just thinking about how badly your Death Star is going to crush him later."

Peter laughs. "Oh. Okay."

Josh walks over to stand behind them, his arms folded. "You get all that stuff cleaned up?"

"Yupp." Peter giggles.

"Well then. Prepare for defeat, kid."

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"So... What are you going to do?"

Donna looks up from her water glass in surprise. "That's really a question you want to pose to a pregnant woman who's only just calmed down?"

Josh shrugs. "I'm just asking."

He'd brought her the water, and she'd taken a few minutes to collect herself. They'd sat in silence as she slowly dried her tears, slowed her breathing, and gathered her disjointed thoughts. And then they'd sat in silence a little bit more. It may have been just what she needed, but it was killing him.

"I... I don't know, Josh. What do you mean?"

"Well... What do you want? Are you going to go through with this?"

"With what?"

"With... The pregnancy."

She stares at him. "I - of course I am. Of course. I hadn't even thought- yes. Yes, of course I will."

He holds up his hands in defense. "Okay. Hey, I was just asking. Sorry."

She shakes her head, flustered. "It's okay... It's okay. It's just that... Wow."

"What?"

"Well... I'm really going to be a mom." She smiles almost surreally. "I'm... I'm actually having a baby."

Josh gives her an odd look. "Yeah. I guess you are."

"Oh, God. I need a plan. I need to be responsible, I need to have money, and a doctor, and a place to live." She gestures animatedly. The look of panic, which had only just been banished, returning to her face in full force. "I need to-"

"Hey, slow down." He shakes his head slightly as if to clear it. "Let's just talk it through for a minute."

"Where do we start? There's so much to consider, I don't know, I just-"

Perhaps a bit selfishly, he starts with the question that is most pressing to him. "How about this: do you want to keep your job here, or-"

"Yes." She interrupts firmly. "Yes I do."

"-or move back with your parents, or...?"

Donna smiles slightly, shaking her head. She takes one of those deep breaths that had worked so well for her before. "I don't want to do that."

"Well... okay."

"What?"

"It's just that... This is a demanding job."

"I know. Believe me... I know. But it's a job I believe in. And it's a job I'd like to keep doing for as long as I can."

Josh sees in her eyes the characteristic idealism that he'd so sorely missed. He smiles, relieved. "Good."

"Do you doubt my abilities?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Good."

"See? Look at you go. You've already got one thing decided."

She rolls her eyes. "You mock me."

"No, I'm serious! That's enough to build a game plan on."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He makes an attempt at a reassuring smile. "Hey... is there any chance you want to have this conversation at, you know, a coffee shop? Or a restaurant? Or any place with... Chairs?"

She shakes her head. "I like it here."

"On the floor?"

"I feel safe."

"Ah-Kay." He continues to watch her. "So... you'll stay with the campaign. You'll find a doctor here, and see them when you're not traveling. And then, when you can't travel anymore, you'll work from here."

"Sounds like you've got a game plan."

"I'm making it up as I go."

"Does that work for you, generally?"

"Oh yeah. It's the best course of action."

"Okay. Glad you know what you're doing."

"You don't like the game plan?"

"I like the game plan. I do." She looks down at her hands, twisting a tissue. "And... I'm glad I've got someone to help me make one."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, good. I'm pretty good at winging it."

His dimpled smile is very slowly starting to make this - all of this - seem okay again. "Hey, would it be okay, if... If..."

"If what?"

"If we maybe just kept this between us? For now?"

"Oh. Yeah. Okay, sure."

"I mean, I know that people will have to know eventually-"

"You mean when you're the size of a blimp?"

"You're a jerk."

"I know."

"Well, good."

"But, yes. I'll keep it to myself for as long as you want me to."

"Thank you."

"And Donna?"

"Yeah?"

"You can do this, you know. I know that you can."

She tries, once more, to keep the tears at bay. "Thanks, Josh."

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"Plenty of important people we could name it after."

"Definitely."

"Reagan, for one."

"That's a good one. Sigmund Freud."

"Donald Trump."

"Ayn Rand."

"Maggie Thatcher."

Donna considers this. "I rather like the name Maggie, actually."

"...Well, we'd just tell people we named her after a relative of yours."

"For all they know, I could be related to Maggie Thatcher."

"Fair enough."

"So. Seriously."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Okay. Shoot."

It was about eight o'clock, and they'd just gotten Peter to sleep. They were on the couch, Donna slumped back against the arm with her legs across Josh's lap. They watch the news without really watching it.

"I think that you should name it."

Josh looks up in surprise. "Wait... What?"

"Yeah. I think you should name it. Within limit, of course."

"I... I don't understand-"

"I named Peter. And it's just that... After all that you've done for us... I think that you should get to do it this time around."

A slow grin spreads across his face. "That's, umm, a big responsibility."

Her lips curl up in a smile. "I'll help you."

"Okay... Okay. Wow. Thank you."

"Yeah. Of course."

He smiles to himself, hands resting lightly on her shins. After a few moments, his smile becomes a smirk, and he attempts to lighten the tone of the conversation. "How about Chewbacca?"

"And if it's a girl?"

"Chewbacca."

"Sounds good."

His grin fades slowly, his expression once again becoming thoughtful. "Hey, what do you think... Of Noah? You know, after my dad."

Donna watches his profile, carefully turned away from her so as to appear as though her answer is of little importance to him. "I like that."

"Yeah?"

"I really do."

He chances a glance her way, and she gives him a reassuring smile. "And if it's a girl... Maybe we could call her Joanie."

"After your sister?"

"I mean, her name was Joann. But, yeah."

"I like that too." Donna shifts to sit beside him, taking one of his hands. "I think those are great names."

"I mean, just ideas, but..."

"We can talk more about it later." She gives his hand a squeeze. "At any rate... Are you excited?"

He turns to look at her. "Of course."

"This is so much different than last time."

"In a good way?"

"Yeah... I think so."

"Yeah. I agree."

"It's good to, you know, have you. Roy wasn't involved much, thankfully, really-"

"You had me last time too, you know."

She gives him a sideways glance. "I know."

He smiles. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I like this way better, but-"

"Yeah. I get it."

"Right."

"I love you, you know."

"I do know."

"Good."

"I love you too."