ACT THREE
INT. MARCUS WHITMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER, ROOM 401

For the benefit of the evacuees, Sam and Ainsley agreed to share a room on one condition: It had to have two beds. Sally Peyton provided them with a junior suite with two queens and a sofa.

It had been three hours since the volcano erupted, and neither Sam nor Ainsley had been able to make an outside call. They'd tried cell phones and land lines with no success. Sam even tried sending an e-mail from the business center, but it didn't go through.

"I'm sure Lauren's worried sick," he said, pacing in front of the TV in their room.

"Would you please stop moving so much? You're blocking the television," Ainsley replied.

He looked at her, then at the TV. "They're not reporting anything new."

Ainsley huffed. She walked to the window and watched the ash start to fall on the cars in the parking lot.

Sam came up behind her. "It almost looks like snow."

"As we told you in the 9 o'clock hour," the news reporter explained in the background, "the volcanic ash could easily get into the electrical systems, which will short-circuit the connection." The camera panned back, showing a gymnasium packed with evacuees. "I'm at Davis High School on Sixth Avenue here in Yakima, and this, I'm told, is one of the few places that still has power. There are already wide reports of outages throughout eastern Washington and northern Oregon. I'll turn it back to you in the studio, Henry."

"It's almost surreal," Ainsley whispered.

Sam rubbed her upper arm. "Yeah."

She covered his hand with hers. "I'm ready for this whole thing to be over."

"Me, too." He squeezed her arm.

Sam's ringing cell phone startled him. He bolted to the dresser on the far side of the room and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Thank God!" Lauren exclaimed. "I've been so worried."

"Lauren!"

Ainsley turned her back to their conversation and watched the ash fall to the ground.

CUT TO:
INT. WEST WING CORRIDOR, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

As Donna turned the corner toward Josh's office, she ran smack into Bram.

"Whoa!"

"Sorry about that. I was just..." Bram bent down to pick up the papers he'd dropped. "Damn it!" He put the tip of his thumb into his mouth. "Papercut. My second one tonight."

Donna placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "You should slow down."

He stood upright. "I can't. I was an hour late to this thing, and now I'm playing catch up."

"Walk with me." She led him down the corridor back to the Operations bullpen.
 
"I really need to get this report to Josh," he tried, still intermittently sucking on his cut thumb.

"He's still in with the President," Donna replied, taking a seat on the sofa that Sam had brought in last week. "Sit."

"Seriously, Donna, I'd love to chat but I've got a call sheet that's a million miles long, and I've made like four so far," Bram pleaded.

"It's ok to stop for a break every once in a while, you know."

"Not according to Josh." The words slipped out of his mouth before he had time to process exactly who he was talking to. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's ok, Bram." Donna grinned. "You think I don't know how difficult he can be at times? I've lived with it for nearly a decade."

This made Bram smile. He finally took a seat next to Donna. "I've never seen someone work that hard in my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hard worker, but Josh, especially when we were campaigning, is like a machine."

"He does get into a zone sometimes," Donna replied with a fond sigh.

"Is that what you call it?"

Bram found it strange that Donna would be attracted to a man like Josh, but there was no denying the attraction. He wasn't one to observe the dynamics between couples; however, when it came to Josh and Donna, Bram could tell in an instant that there was something there. He enjoyed dating and being the young Lothario around town, but he ultimately wished that a woman would look at him the way Donna looked at Josh.

She put a hand on his arm and smiled. "Josh has high expectations for himself and for everyone around him. There's nothing he takes more seriously than serving the President."

"I take it seriously, too." Bram shrugged. "But I'm also trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to have a life outside of this place."

Donna flashed back to the conversations she and Josh had had over the past five months about what it meant to have a life.

"I know it's hard, Bram. Believe me I know." She put a hand on her chest. "There are going to be times like tonight when everything needs to be put on hold because of your job. You'll leave the building, shaking your head and wondering why on earth you chose this path."

Bram paid close attention.

"But it's worth it." Donna had a gleam in her eye. "The 16-hour days, the overnight trips, the State Dinners. It's all worth it in the end because ultimately, you're making this country a better place."

He nodded.

"I know you're in it for the long haul," she continued. "So it's important to stop every once in a while and, you know, breathe."

This earned Donna a full smile. "It's kind of weird, venting to my boss' girlfriend."

Donna blushed any time someone referred to her as Josh's girlfriend. This time was no different.

"I'd like to think I can separate myself from that role every once in a while." She smiled.

"I'll tell Josh you said so," Bram joked.

"You want both of us to be in the dog house?"

He grinned. "Seriously. Thanks, Donna."

"No problem." She stood and walked toward the door. "Now it's off to find your deranged, slightly neurotic boss."

Bram laughed, appreciating Donna's wisdom and fine sense of humor.

CUT TO:
INT. CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

When Donna finally made it to Josh's office, she was five minutes late for the governor's press conference.

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Is it on?"

Josh nodded and motioned for her to join him.

He was leaning against the desk, legs crossed at the ankles, eating the other half of the sandwich Donna had made for him that morning.

"Want a bite?" he asked around a mouthful of turkey. He extended the sandwich to her.

"Is that leftover from lunch?" she asked.

Josh nodded.

"You just ate chili rellenos a few hours ago." Donna propped herself up on his desk, mirroring his position.

"I wasn't a fan." He swallowed, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "But don't tell Mrs. Santos."

She smiled. "I won't."

The television was positioned directly in front of them.

"The governor's press secretary is recounting the first few minutes of the eruption, then Governor Baldwin will speak," Josh said, throwing the heel of his sandwich into the garbage can.

They sat in silence as they watched the press secretary give details about the eruption.

"Dr. Kenzie, who will deliver his remarks after Governor Baldwin, reports that the pyroclastic flow could cover anywhere from 100 – 250 square miles," the press secretary said. "We have no way of knowing the amount of damage to people, homes, or businesses at this time."

The longer Josh listened, the more frustrated he became. He felt the strongest desire to tell the person he trusted most in the world about what happened earlier that day.

"I warned him," he said unable to hold it in any longer.

Donna turned toward him. "Warned who?"

"The President." He looked at his lap, then back up at her. "A scientist came here earlier today and told me about the possibility of Mount St. Helens erupting. I tried telling the President, but he wouldn't listen."

"I don't understand." Donna stared at him in disbelief. "Why wouldn't he listen to you?"

Josh shrugged. "Because the head of the USGS assured him there was nothing to worry about."

"But this guy, this scientist, had proof that the volcano was going to blow?"

He nodded. "There were a few other scientists who knew the eruption was imminent, but it wasn't enough to convince Lyle or President Santos."

Donna's face dropped.

"Lives may be lost tonight because the President didn't trust me." Josh swallowed a bitter taste in his mouth.

She tilted her head. "You did exactly what you were supposed to do, Josh. Don't doubt that."

He put his elbows on his knees. "Now I've got Lou breathing down my neck."

"Lou? Why?"

"She thinks I'm hiding something from her." He put his head in his hands.

Suddenly, it dawned on Donna. "Even though the President didn't trust you, you're protecting him," she said in a quiet voice.

Josh sat up slightly and looked her in the eyes. "There's more."

"What do you mean?"

"He called me a liar." His voice came out low and gravelly.

Donna raised her eyebrows and felt a wave of protectiveness rush over her.

"I didn't tell him that Toby'd sent Kaplan. The President did some digging. Found out that Hubert Kaplan and Toby's brother were roommates in college." He lowered his head. "He called it a lie of ommision."

"Josh," she said in a whisper.

He put his elbows on his knees again and stared at a seam in the carpet. "I thought he was going to fire me on the spot."

Donna was glad that Josh wasn't looking at her face because she imagined it looked like she'd just been slapped. Her cheeks were red and her mouth hung open. She felt tears stinging her eyes, but she dared not blink. She couldn't have been more affected by this news than if it'd happened to her.

"It felt like everything I'd worked so hard for was getting flushed down a drain," he said in a low voice. "The President was this close to firing me."

"He wouldn't do that, Josh." She quickly recovered. "He wouldn't fire you for talking to Toby."

Josh slowly sat up. "He came pretty damn close."

Donna noticed the redness in his eyes and wondered if it was from exhaustion, stress, or holding back tears. It had to be a combination of the first two, she decided. Josh wouldn't cry over something like this. He'd be angry or even hurt, but he wouldn't cry.

She shook her head. "Why are you still protecting him?"

He clenched his jaw. "Because he's the President of the United States."

Leave it to Josh to protect the office, not necissarily the man.

"One of the things I love about you is your loyalty, but it can get you into trouble sometimes. Huge trouble," she said.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered.

Donna rubbed circles on his back. "Trust your instincts."

"How do I get *him* to trust my instincts?" Josh asked.

"I think you might've just earned his trust without having to say a word."

Josh opened his arms. Donna slowly moved in front of him and put a hand on his cheek. She rested her forehead against his as he let out a long sigh.

"He'll come around, honey," she whispered.

It was rare for either of them to use terms of endearment for each other, but when it happened, it always made them smile.

"Honey?" Josh asked, signs of a smirk forming.

"I was going for sweet," Donna admitted.

He put both hands on her face and pulled back. "You succeeded."

They shared a long but chaste kiss, then Donna sat with her back on Josh's chest as his arms encircled her waist.

They watched the rest of the press conference, until a knock on the door startled them.

"Yeah?" Josh asked.

Margaret poked her head in. "Sam's on line one."

Donna hopped up from her position in Josh's lap, and he turned around to pick up the phone.

"Sam?"

"Josh!" He sounded relieved. "I've been trying to call you all night."

"So have we! Hang on. I'm going to have Donna put us on speaker phone."

"Don't hang up on me," Sam pleaded.

"That's why I'm going to have Donna do it, buddy." Josh grinned.

She rolled her eyes and hit a few buttons on the phone. "Sam?"

"Hi, Donna." Sam's voice sounded so close.

"We've all been worried about you." She raised her hand to her chest.

"We're doing ok," he responded with a little trepidation in his voice. "The ash is falling pretty steadily, but we're safe at the hotel."

"I'm so glad," Donna said, moving next to Josh.

"Were you on the ground when it erupted?" Josh asked.

"We were in a cab. There was an earthquake about ten minutes before we arrived at the hotel," Sam began. "By the time we made it into the lobby, there was already a live feed on TV."

"Wow," Josh said under his breath.

"How's Ainsley?" Donna asked.

"Hanging in there." He sighed. "She was a little freaked out at first, but I think she's calmed down in the last hour." Donna pictured him rubbing his neck.

There was a long pause, and then Sam spoke. "We're sharing a room."

Josh and Donna looked at each other with nothing less than shock registering on their faces.

"You're sharing a room with Ainsley?" Josh asked in a high-pitched voice.

"The hotel manager asked us if we'd be willing to bunk in order to accommodate the evacuees." Sam sounded convinced. "I didn't tell Lauren."

"Have you spoken to Lauren?" Donna asked before Josh had an opportunity to enquire about Sam's sleeping arrangements.
 
"Yeah. I just got off the phone with her a few minutes ago. I'd been trying to get a hold of her just as often as I was trying to call you guys."

"She came to the White House earlier," Donna admitted.

"Really?" Josh and Sam asked simultaneously.

Donna nodded. "She'd left a couple of messages for me at work, but I hadn't been back to my office, so she came here. She was incredibly worried, Sam. I told her that I was certain you were ok."

"Thank you." Sam sounded a little relieved and more than a little concerned. He didn't expect his fiancée to show up at the White House.

"Is there anything we can do on this end?" Josh asked, pulling Donna to him.

"I don't think so," Sam said. "I doubt we'll have our meeting with the Superfund clean-up lawyers tomorrow."

"No kidding." Josh laughed. "You can reschedule it."