ACT IV
INT. CoS OFFICE, 5:47 P.M.

"Listen," Sam said as they re-entered the room after senior staff. "You need to talk to Donna."

"I did, Sam," Josh whined. "We're thinking about the interview, okay?"

"Not about that." Sam's tone got Josh's undivided attention. "Listen, I realize…I mean, that is to say, there's no decorum for this kind of occasion, so this is a little awkward. And I want you to take a few deep breaths before you have, like, an aneurism, OK? But…well…I think this is yours." He pulled the
pregnancy test out of his pocket and set it gingerly on the desk in front of Josh.

"Sam."

"Yeah?"

"I know we got a little crazy `long about the seventh inaugural ball," Josh said.

"Josh…"

"But if you're under the impression that I knocked you up somehow, you have a significantly different memory of the night than I do."

"Josh."

"Also, I think, the laws of nature."

"Josh," Sam leaned over the desk. "This was in the file you gave me."

Josh's brow furrowed. "What file?"

"The file with all your inbox materials, from this morning." Sam said. "This was in that file."

"How would that get in--"

"Did you take it home to work on it?"

Josh scowled. "Yeah…"

"Donna's been looking for a file all day."

Josh just watched him, not making the connection.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Josh, I think maybe you need to talk to Donna."

"Oh." Josh said, then it seemed to really hit him. "Ohhh. Oh, my… Ohhhhh."

"Yeah."

"Donna put that--"

"I'm pretty sure. Accidentally, or on purpose, and now she's experiencing remorse and trying to get it back."

"Donna's…"

Sam nodded sympathetically. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Oh."

"Yes."

CUT TO: 15 MINS. LATER

"Well," Sam broke the silence. "Look at it this way. You've got a whole new news hook for that interview now."

"I hate you."

"Join the club. Listen, do yourself a favor, okay? Don't jump to any conclusions. I'm in the doghouse right now myself because of that. If you figure out a way to approach the topic--gingerly--then I
think you should--"

Josh tuned Sam out completely as he watched a somewhat disheveled Donna coming down the hall, a large accordion file in her arms and a look of victory on her face. He pushed himself out of the chair.

"Go away right now."

Sam turned to follow Josh's gaze. "Gingerly, Josh."

"Go," Josh said, bolting for the door. He grabbed Donna by the elbow and pulled her into his office just as Sam left, shutting the doorto Margaret's.

"Is something the--"

"Just listen for a second, ahkay? You didn't have to…I don't know why you would think you have to drop hints like that. I don't know why you think that's a better option than just coming out and saying, `Josh, there's a thing.'; May be a thing. I don't know."

Donna sighed. "I just…it felt a little silly. I don't want to be one of those women who dictates that she'll have x and y and z done for her on this holiday, which is *completely* commercial anyway. I don't know…I wanted you to do what you wanted to do, because it was your idea."

"That's been a real highlight, but that's not what I'm talking about. I found the test."

"What test?"

"The pregnancy test. This pregnancy test." He scooped the box off his desk.

Donna swallowed, hard. "Where did you get that?"

Josh furrowed his brow. "Are you saying you didn't intentionally--" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Listen, I know this is…things are happening kinda fast. Or NOT, depending on who you talk to, and… I don't know if an interview's the answer to getting the press off our backs, and I don't know if I should take you literally when you tell me to ignore Valentine's Day, and I don't know why this always has to be so complicated. But I know that I wish you would have just *said* something."

"Josh--"

"Just listen for a minute. If you'd come to me, directly, I could have told you that I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of…I mean as a matter of fact, I kinda like the idea, terrifying as it is," he said. "I don't know how it would work with our jobs, but…oh, hell. We'll quit if we have to. I'll quit if I have to. But pregnant or not, flowers or not, loud sex within earshot of the agents or not, dinner at Kinkead's or not, I *want* to be in this thing. And I want you to be in it with me. And everything else, we'll deal with."

Donna smiled sweetly at him. "I really hate to do this to you after that," Donna said. "But that's not mine. I mean, thank you, really. But that's not mine."

Josh scowled. "So you're not…"

"No," Donna shook her head, but couldn't stop grinning at him. "But can you believe after that little speech you almost make me wish I was? Where did you get that?"

"Sam said it was…I don't understand. It's gotta be somebody's."

The door opened on cue. "It's mine," Margaret said, blushing.

"*YOURS? *" Josh and Donna fairly shouted in unison.

Margaret chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment. "I'm not pregnant, Josh, so there's no need to worry. I thought I might be, but I'm not. You're not gonna have to deal with me going out on maternity leave in a few months." To the stunned silence in the room, Margaret continued, "I guess at some point this morning I accidentally dropped…" she looked at the floor. "Sam's on at Kinkead's at 9, and *you*," she nodded to Josh, "have your evening Kazakhstan briefing in the sit room."

Donna turned to look at Josh. "Go. I'll catch up with you later."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

He wanted to kiss her goodbye, hug her goodbye, something. But Margaret was still in the doorway, so Josh started down the hall, feeling somewhat disconnected from his body, before turning
around. "Were you just *standing* there eavesdropping?" he turned and stared at Margaret.

"I have excellent hearing," Margaret said. "You're due in the sit room."

Josh took one last look at Donna, who nodded and waved him out the door before turning to Margaret. "You cannot talk fast enough right now. I want every detail."

EXT. DC GROCERY STORE, 9:13 P.M.

Josh smiled to himself as he slid his change back into his wallet. The note he'd received a couple hours before was folded and tucked in the bill compartment. He'd been well into the Kazakhstan briefing when one of the guards had handed him the slip of paper. He opened it to find Donna's characteristic scrawl.

* "I'm going home to get things cooking for the evening. And I'll start dinner, too. Look serious while you read this." *

It had taken every ounce of his mental discipline to focus on the briefing.

Adding to his joy had been the paperwork to reassign his Secret Service detail, which had been waiting when he'd arrived back at his office. He'd signed it with an almost giddy feeling and left the
building without the guards for the first time since inauguration. It felt like being let out of prison. He was so happy, he'd actually walked.

He'd had to settle for stupid supermarket roses…this time of night, that was all that was left. But once he told her the story behind it, he hoped it wouldn't matter. He'd come to an important realization while he was sitting in the sit room, waiting for his pulse to slow to a normal rate again. It had never really been his style, but he felt like turning over a new leaf. And he was going to do it tonight. Supermarket roses, and a silly charm bracelet instead of something from Tiffany's. He'd followed Sam's advice and gone, but nothing there had quite…felt right. This would have to do. She'd
be thrilled with anything he got her, of course. Donna had a way of treating a scone like the world's best present. But for their first Valentine's Day, and for what he was about to do, he just wanted it
to--

He'd been so lost in thought, he was completely unprepared for the shove from behind that sent him into a side alley. Strong hands held his face against the cold brick as a dull roaring filled his ears.

"You have a beautiful girlfriend, Mr. Lyman," a gruff voice said into his ear. "Beautiful, scared, but alive. If you want her to remain that way, I suggest you listen carefully." To punctuate his point, the man shoved Donna's open wallet in front of Josh's face. "Do I have your undivided attention?"

"Don't hurt her," Josh heard himself whisper shakily.

"That depends on you," the voice said. "Turn around. Slowly." The hands released him.

He felt sure his knees were going to buckle, but he began turning, very slowly, fighting a sudden surge of bile in his throat and a rush of blood in his ears, willing himself to keep it together.

When his eyes fell on a placid Ron Butterfield, he had to lean against the wall to stay upright. He fought for words, but none would come.

"She's fine. She's at your apartment. I set the whole thing up. You want to get mad at somebody, get mad at me."

Josh bent at the waist, rested his hands on his knees, and looked up at him. "What the HELL was THAT?"

"Leo hated the idea of the detail at first, too," Ron said. "He didn't think he was anything special, and he'd been Labor Secretary."

Josh swallowed, heart still pounding in his ears.

"I told him what I'm about to tell you. A terrorist doesn't see you as Josh Lyman, regular guy. A terrorist sees you as someone with access. You're a tactical advantage. And they'll manipulate you any way they can. The detail isn't to protect you from would-be assassins, Josh, so much as it is to keep you from finding yourself in the situation you just thought you were in. Having to choose between the safety of someone you love and the security of your country. The President has to be protected for all threats, external and internal. The only way I can protect him from you, his closest adviser, is by making sure you're never in that position. In peacetime, there could be more leeway, but while we've got troops in Kazakhstan… People will use the people you love to get to you, Josh. Can you honestly tell me that if that had been a real situation, that there's anything you wouldn't have at least seriously considered doing? You'd die for your country, Josh, I've no doubt of that. But you wouldn't let someone you care about die for it."

"Donna needs a detail too, then. And my mother. If they'll try to get to me through--"

"We can't protect everyone who knows someone who knows the President. We really *don't* have the resources for that. But we monitor them, and we investigate all threats. If something started brewing, we'd get into it. Don't worry."

"Don't worry!" Josh barked a harsh laugh. "You scare the living hell out of me and then tell me not to worry." He sobered. "Have there been threats? Since the magazine? Has Donna received threats?"

Ron shrugged. "There are always threats any time someone gets increased media coverage."

"I want a detailed report of every--"

"That's not how it works, either. You know that. There's a difference between threats and credibles. You'll hear about any credibles. The others will just make both of you crazy."

Ron bent and scooped up the long-forgotten flowers and placed them in Josh's still trembling hands, along with Donna's wallet. "If you'd give this back to her for me, I'd appreciate it. She doesn't know how I was gonna use it, by the way, so you don't have to…you and I are the only people who know what happened here. If anyone else ever finds out, it will be because you told them."

Josh stared at the wallet. "The paperwork…I signed the waiver for the detail to be reassigned before I left."

Ron quirked his mouth at him slightly. "I never received it. Rodney has the car waiting at the curb. Have a good night, Josh."

INT. JOSH'S APARTMENT, 10:02 P.M.

"Hey," Donna called from the kitchen when she heard the front door open. "I was beginning to think you'd been hung up. I believe, in about ten minutes, there will be lasagna. It actually looks pretty edi--" she rounded the corner to find Josh standing, shell-shocked, just inside the front door.

"Ron?" she asked as she came to stand toe-to-toe with him.

Josh nodded wordlessly and pulled her wallet from his coat pocket.

"He scared you straight?"

Another nod.

Donna wrapped her arms around his shoulders, then pressed a kiss to his temple. "Don't take this the wrong way, Josh, but good."

Josh wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I want you to promise me that you're careful. I don't want you walking home alone after dark."

"I don't when it's late."

"And I want you reporting every piece of mail you get. Every e-mail. Everything. Immediately. Promise me."

"I do."

"Donna, if something happened to you, I couldn't--" he buried his face in her hair, hugging her even tighter. "Promise me you will make *sure* nothing will happen to you."

"I'm careful, Josh. I am." She pulled away from him. "You promise me you aren't gonna try to ditch the detail again?"

He shook his head.

Her eyes traveled down to the now-flattened flowers in his arms. "What's that?"

"Oh," he held out the bouquet. "It's something I've been trying to give you since Germany."

"Since Germany?"

He nodded. "Things kept…getting in the way. It…I didn't know if I should say something then, I mean, you were in pretty bad shape, and then things started happening fast, and they just…kept happening. And before I knew it, we were barely speaking."

"I don't think I ever told you," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. "I don't think I ever told you how much it meant to me that you came."

"I knew."

"Doesn't matter," she said. "I opened my eyes, and…and everything hurt, and I didn't know where I was, or what was wrong with me, but then there you were, and everything was okay. Once I knew you were there, I felt like everything would be okay. Thank you."

"I didn't have a choice," Josh said. "I had to come. I had to see you with my own eyes, had to know how you were. And then, after all that happened, I couldn't bring myself to say it."

"What?"

"That I loved you," he blurted.

Donna stared at him, unsure her hearing wasn't playing tricks on her. "You loved me? In Germany?"

"I forget how long it is I've loved you," he said with a sheepish grin. "But I wouldn't deny it any more in Germany. I couldn't. Anyway," he nodded at the roses in her arms. "Those are long overdue, but I just wanted to…I don't know, I…well, I guess I just wanted you to know that."

She leaned up and kissed him tenderly, lazily, running her fingers into his hair.

"Do you get that I love you, too?" she whispered, forehead leaned against his when they parted for air. "Do you understand, in no uncertain terms, that I've loved you for…well, forever, I guess?"

He nodded, pressing his lips to hers again.

She looked down at her roses. "You did pretty good today," she said. "Do you want your Valentine's present now?"

He shook his head. "I got a note that you had something cooking."

"Three more minutes."

"Cut the oven off," he whispered against her lips.

"And then what?"

"And then, we'll give Rodney a show he won't soon forget," he grinned.

She smiled. "Say it again."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. "I love you, Donnatella Moss."

Donna smiled. "I love you too, Ginger Snap."