Title: Blood Ties
Rating: I'm so bad at this...parts of it might get to R, so I'll say
that to be safe
Category: J/D love/angst yes the angst is back!!
Spoilers: none
Disclaimers: They aren't mine. They never will be. Blah blah blah

Summary: What if your family isn't exactly who you think they are?

Author's note: I do want to make a few assurances right from the
start. This story will
contain no character deaths. I promise. If anyone ends up getting
whacked, it will be
someone who deserves it. There will be no rape, no sexual assault, no
sexual abuse of
any kind. Parts of this story will deal with memories of the past,
and none of those things
will be present in the memories either!! Scouts honor. And any of you
that have read any
of my other stuff know---we are always headed for a happy ending!!

Feedback: As I've said before--not only does it make me do a little
happy dance--it
makes me write much faster!!!

A million thanks to Brandy, who made one joking comment that brought
this story
completely into view for me.

And special thanks to Juliet, for inspiring me to get this story
moving, for coming up with the
title, and for the million other things she does.




"I missed you today," Josh said, as he wrapped his arms around
Donna's waist, and
pulled her into his lap.


"I've been here all day," she sighed, as she laid her head on his
shoulder.


"You know what I mean," he answered with an exasperated sigh.


"I know," Donna said quietly, as she snuggled closer, "Things will
ease up around here
soon, and then we will have more time to spend together."


"I hope you're right," Josh said tiredly.


"Don't worry, I am," Donna said confidently.


"So, what did you do all day, while I was tied up with those idiots
from the Special
Prosecutor's office?" Josh asked.


"Oh," Donna squeaked, as she jumped up, "I have to show you."


Josh watched, as Donna disappeared from his office, and returned a
minute later with her
purse in her hand.


"Bonnie took me to pick up my car at lunchtime," she giggled
excitedly.


"I take it by the way you're carrying on, that your new toy is
completely installed?" Josh
grinned.


"Yes," Donna squealed, pulling her key ring out and showing it to
Josh. "Look."


"I see," Josh said, his smile widening, as he reached out and took
her keys. "A new
remote starter. Just what every girl wants."


"Don't make fun," Donna pouted, as she slid back into Josh's
lap. "This is going to come
in handy this winter. I'll be able to start my car, and let it warm
up before I go out and get
in it."


"If you say so," Josh chuckled. "Have you tried it out yet?"


"Yep, I tried it once at the mechanic's, and then Margaret, Bonnie,
Ginger and I went
down to the garage this afternoon, and I showed them how it works."


"So you were out playing with your new toy on government time? Is
that what you're
saying?" Josh teased.


"Well, you never know when this knowledge might come in handy," she
laughed, "Plus,
my boss was out of the office all day, so I got all of my work done
early, since he wasn't
around to bug me."


"You're very funny," Josh smirked, as he pulled Donna's head towards
him, and planted
a soft kiss on her lips.


"I try," she murmured into his mouth.


The sound of someone clearing their throat startled both of them.
Donna rose swiftly
from Josh's lap, and stood beside his desk.


"Don't you two ever do anything else?" CJ asked with mock seriousness.


"Why would I want to, Claudia Jean?" Josh asked, grinning from ear to
ear.


"You are truly nauseating," CJ replied, rolling her eyes. "And you're
going to have to
find the strength to tear yourself away, because Leo wants to see us
in his office,
immediately."


"If I must," Josh joked, standing up, and grabbing a stack of file
folders off  his desk.


He paused in front of Donna, and asked, "Are you leaving?"


Donna took one look at his puppy dog eyes, and said, "No, I'll wait
for you."


"Excellent," Josh said, as he headed out of the office to catch up
with CJ.








Josh walked dejectedly back down the hallway ninety minutes later. As
he entered his office, he saw Donna
sitting at his desk, head bowed over a pile of files, highlighting
all of the relevant
information. She looked up when she heard him.


"Things didn't go well?" she asked softly.


"You could say that," he sighed. "We barely made a dent. We're going
to head over to
Houlihan's, and continue this over dinner."


"Oh," Donna muttered, trying hard to hide her disappointment.


"I'm sorry," Josh said sincerely, as he stuffed the files into his
backpack.


"It's ok. I understand," Donna assured him.


"I really wanted us to get out of here early tonight, so we could
spend a little time
together, just the two of us," Josh complained.


"Me too," Donna agreed dejectedly.


Josh circled behind the desk, and wrapped his arms around her,
burying his head in her
hair.


"Hey, I know what we can do," Donna said, rubbing Josh's back. "You
come over to my
place after the meeting, and I'll give you a nice, long, relaxing
backrub. Get rid of all the
stress."


"Really?" Josh asked excitedly.


"Really." Donna smiled.


"It's a deal," Josh smiled in return, his mood brightening
considerably. "I'll walk you
out."


Donna gathered her things from her desk, as Josh leaned against the
doorframe and
waited. Even when she was performing the simplest, most everyday
tasks, he was
completely mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off her.


"Ok, I'm ready," Donna said, shutting off her monitor.


As they headed down the hall, arm in arm, they ran into Sam and CJ.
The four of them
walked to the parking garage, where they found Leo and Toby waiting
impatiently.


"Did you forget where the garage was?" Leo asked pointedly.


"Let's just get going, so we can get this over with," Toby grumbled.


"Have fun," Donna whispered in Josh's ear, unable to hide her
amusement.


"Gee, thanks," Josh answered, brushing a quick kiss across her
cheek, "I'll be over as
soon as I can."


Donna began to walk off, towards the other side of the garage, where
all of the assistants
parked. When she was about halfway to her car, Josh remembered
something.


"Hey, Donna," he yelled, "show everyone your new remote starter."


Donna grinned, as she pointed the device at her car, then pushed the
button.


The sound of the explosion echoed off  the walls of the parking
structure, as the members
of the senior staff were knocked backwards by the force of the blast.


"DONNA!" Josh screamed, as he scrambled to his feet and rushed
towards her burning
car, with Sam and Toby close behind.


Josh looked around frantically, and finally saw Donna, lying up
against another car, about
50 yards from where she had been standing when the blast occurred.


"Donna," he moaned, as he rushed to her side.


She was on the ground, half leaning against a red Ford. There was
blood soaking through
the hair on the left side of her head. Most of the left side of her
jacket had been seared
away by the fire. Josh could see blisters starting to form on her
neck and shoulder.
There was a tremendous amount of blood pouring from a cut on the left
side of her neck.
Josh ripped off his suit jacket and pressed it to the wound, in an
effort to stop the
bleeding.


Within seconds, the garage was flooded with Secret Service agents.
Leo was talking
animatedly with the head of the security detail, waving his arms
around and demanding
answers.


"An ambulance is on the way," CJ said breathlessly, as she came up
behind Josh.


He nodded, although he hadn't really been paying attention to what
she was saying. He
was completely focused on Donna, trying to send her every ounce of
strength that he
possibly could.


Donna's eyes fluttered, and she began to thrash around. Josh stroked
her hair, and tried
desperately to calm her down.


"It's going to be ok," he whispered in her ear. "We're going to get
you to a hospital.
You're going to be fine."


"Josh?" Donna said weakly, "What happened?"


"I don't know," Josh said, choking back tears, "but you just hold on.
Don't try to talk.
Help will be here soon."









"Is she dead?" the voice on the phone asked coldly.


"I'm not sure. The ambulance just left the garage. I think she might
still be alive."


"You IDIOT!! How could you have screwed this up?"


"It isn't that easy to detonate a bomb on the grounds of the White
House."


"If it was easy, anyone could have done it. I hired you because I
wanted results."


"And you'll get what you paid for. Don't worry."


"You see that I do. I want her dead as soon as possible. No mistakes
this time. Take her
out, before she has a chance to talk to the police."


"What could she possibly tell them? You said yourself that she isn't
even aware of how
much she knows. She doesn't remember what went on. She doesn't know
about...."


"Shut up, you idiot. Just do as I say! I haven't worked as hard as I
have, and come as far
as I have, just to have it all taken away."


"But nothing has happened in all of these years. What's different
about now?"


"Because she had to go to work in the White House. She had to get
involved with all of
these high-powered politicos. Sooner or later, someone is going to
take a good hard look
at her life. I can't let that happen. I can't afford to have too many
people asking
questions."


"Don't you think people are going to ask questions, when she suddenly
turns up dead?"


"Not if you do your job right, and make it look like some random
psycho."


"You can count on me."


"You had better be right, or the next car that blows up will be
yours!"










Josh sat in the waiting room, head buried in his hands, trying
desperately to come to grips
with the events of the last hour. Sam approached slowly, and sat down
beside him.


"I had Larry bring over a change of clothes out of your locker," Sam
said quietly, as he
handed Josh a fresh shirt.


"I'm ok," Josh said dazedly.


"I know," Sam said calmly, "You just need to change your shirt. That
one has....well,
it's dirty."


Josh's eyes filled with tears as he looked down, and saw that his
white dress shirt was
soaked in Donna's blood.


"What the hell happened, Sam?" he asked with a choked whisper.


"The DCPD and the Secret Service are working on that right now," Sam
said, placing a
reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.


"How could someone have gotten that close to the White House? And why
Donna?"


"We don't know," Sam said sadly, "but we're sure as hell going to
find out."


The sound of raised voices made both men look towards the other side
of the room,
where Toby and Leo were involved in an animated discussion with
various members of
law enforcement.


"I want those forensic results, on my desk, within 24 hours," Leo
demanded loudly. "No
excuses!"


"Yes, sir."


"I want to know how in the hell something like this happened," Toby
joined in.


"I understand, sir."


"I want all security doubled."


"It's already done, Mr. McGarry."


"Fine, then let's get this investigation underway. I want every
available man on this, and I
want hourly updates. Am I clear?"


"Yes, sir," the officers and agents said, as they headed for the door.


Leo and Toby crossed the room, and sat down opposite Josh and Sam.


"I'm going to put two agents on Donna at all times, until we find out
what's going on,"
Leo said.


"Do you think this was aimed at her, Leo? Isn't it possible somebody
made a mistake? Or
she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"


"Anything's possible, Josh. I'm just trying to cover all the angles."


"I know, and I appreciate it. I just can't understand...."


Josh was interrupted by the arrival of a young doctor.


"How is she?" Josh asked, springing from his chair.


The doctor motioned for Josh to sit down, and then perched on the
coffee table, facing
him. Leo and Toby moved to stand behind Josh, and Leo placed a
steadying hand on his
prot‚g‚'s shoulder.


"We have managed to stabilize her," the doctor said.


"Which means?" Josh asked anxiously.


"Which means that, for right now, her vital signs are holding steady."


"For right now?" Josh choked out.


"Ms. Moss sustained some serious second-degree burns, which can be
notoriously
destabilizing injuries, especially in the first 24-48 hours. We are
giving her iv fluids to
keep her hydrated, and high dose antibiotics to ward off the
possibility of infection."


Josh nodded silently.


"She also lost a tremendous amount of blood. In conjunction with the
burns, this could
lead to a serious case of shock."


"But she's going to recover, right?" Josh asked pleadingly.


"We've managed to close up the wounds on both her head and neck.
We're replacing the
blood she lost as quickly as we can. She has the best doctors and
nurses in the hospital on
her case. I have every reason to be hopeful, but the next 24-48 hours
will be critical."


"Can I see her?" Josh asked.


"She is drifting in and out of consciousness," the doctor said.


"That's ok," Josh said earnestly. "I just need to talk to her, to let
her know that I'm here."


The doctor looked at Josh sympathetically. "I'll send a nurse down in
a few minutes to
take you to see her."


"Thank you," Josh said gratefully.


As the doctor turned, and walked away, Leo's cell phone rang.


"McGarry," he snapped. "Okay. Fine. We're on our way."


He disconnected the phone, and shoved it back in his pocket.


"That was CJ," he said brusquely. "The press is all over this. I
guess it's hard to have an
explosion in the White House parking garage without someone noticing.
We need to get
back over there right away."


"Are you going to be ok here by yourself?" Sam asked Josh.


"I'll be fine," Josh said distractedly, "as soon as I can see Donna."


"Keep us informed," Leo said. "and call if you need anything at all."


"Thanks, I will," Josh whispered.








It was 20 minutes later, when Josh was finally allowed to enter
Donna's room. She was
lying on the bed, surrounded by wires and machines. The steady beep
of the heart
monitor seemed to be the room's only sound. There was an oxygen tube
running under
her nose, and multiple iv lines in her right arm. Her left upper body
was covered in bulky
bandages. She had a bandage along the hairline on the left side of
her head, and another
on her neck.


Josh moved to the side of the bed, and carefully took her hand in his.


"Hey, sweetheart," he said, with a forced cheerfulness. "This was a
heck of a way for us
to get some time together, away from work."


At the sound of his voice, Donna's eyes fluttered open.


"Josh?" she said weakly.


"Don't try to talk, angel," Josh said, as he stroked the side of her
face gently.


"What happened?" she asked, struggling to focus on his face.


"There was an explosion. We don't know any of the details yet, but
we're working on it."


"But why...."


"Shhhhhh, Donna. Don't you worry about it. We're going to find out
who did this. Leo
has most of the Secret Service and half of the DC Police Department
working on the
case."


"Why would somebody want to blow up my car?" she asked, as tears
began to flow down
her pale cheeks.


"I don't know," Josh said, as he wiped the tears from her face and
planted soft kisses in
their place, "but I assure you that we'll find out."


"Ok," Donna said, her bottom lip still quivering.


"That's it? No argument?" Josh teased, beaming as he saw a small
smile appear on her
face.


"Not right now," Donna said, "but as soon as I feel better...."


"I'll consider myself warned," Josh smiled, planting a soft kiss on
the tip of her nose.
"Now why don't you try to get some sleep."


"Are you going back to work?" she asked softly.


"Not a chance. I'm staying right here with you," he said, settling in
the chair at her
bedside.


"But you said that there was so much to do...." Donna began.


"No arguments, Donna, remember," he said, in a tone that made it
clear the topic wasn't
open for discussion. "I'm staying here with you. They know where I am
if they need me."


"Are you sure?" she asked, silently relieved that he wasn't going.


"Positive," he said reassuringly.


"Good," she said, squeezing his hand.


"Now you go to sleep, and I'll be here when you wake up."


"I love you," she sighed, as her eyes drifted closed.


"I love you too, Donna. Sleep well."








"Is it done?" the woman asked coldly, as she entered the room.


"No," the man sneered, his dark eyes glaring coldly out the window.


"I thought you said we could trust him," she accused.


"I thought we could," he said in a measured tone. "He claims it was
an honest mistake.
I'm going to give him a few more days, then I'm going to take matters
into my own
hands."


"Your own hands?"


"Yes."


"Do you think that's wise?"


"Why wouldn't it be? You and I have the most to lose, we seem like
the perfect choice to
take care of the situation."


"True, but if she doesn't remember anything, we might be going to a
lot of trouble for
nothing. We covered our tracks well. I'm sure that we have nothing to
worry about."


"Are you willing to take that chance. She is getting more and more
involved with
politicians. Her picture is turning up in more and more places, out
on the town with that
boyfriend of hers. It's only a matter of time until someone,
somewhere, makes the
connection."


"I understand that. But is taking care of it yourself a wise move?"


"Why wouldn't it be?"


"It might look suspicious."


"And it might very well be the perfect answer to our problem. I can
slip in easily and take
care of the problem. Who would ever suspect me, I mean..I am her
father."





Part 2



Josh hadn't left Donna's room for anything more than a shower, or to
take a phone call
from Leo, in two days. The hospital had been nice enough to move a
spare couch in, so
he had managed to get a few hours sleep here and there, always
keeping one ear open for
the steady beating of the heart monitor.


He had just closed his tired eyes and started to drift off when the
sound of a female voice
brought him back to reality.


"Good morning, Joshua."


"Good morning, ma'am," Josh said, springing to his feet. "I didn't
realize that you were
going to be coming by this morning.


"The President and I are very concerned about Donna," Abbey said. "My
planned
appearance in St. Louis this morning was cancelled due to inclement
weather, so I
decided to come by and see how both of you are doing."


"The doctor was just here a few minutes ago," Josh said, moving to
the bed and gently
taking Donna's hand in his. He seemed to forget that the First Lady
was in the room as he
gazed at Donna's face and slowly stroked her hair.


"And what did he say?" Abbey prompted with a smile, as she lifted
Donna's chart from
the slot at the end of the bed.


Josh tore his eyes away from Donna to look at the First Lady, but
kept a firm grip on her
hand.


"He said that he is very pleased with her progress, and that he
thinks she has gotten past
the most dangerous time."


"I agree," Abbey said, flipping through the pages attached to the
clipboard.


"They are still giving her a lot of painkillers though," Josh said
worriedly, "and so she
kind of drifts in and out most of the time."


"That's perfectly normal," Abbey said reassuringly. "In cases of
burns, the intense pain
can become a facet of the injury. It can take a toll on the patient
and makes stabilizing
their condition more difficult. It's sometimes best to keep the
patient sedated until the
body has time to heal itself a bit, and the pain can be managed
effectively."


"So this is normal?" Josh asked.


"Perfectly normal," Abbey assured him. "Now that they are certain
that her vital signs are
strong, the doctors will start slowly decreasing the pain killers."


"That's good," Josh nodded distractedly, his eyes returning to Donna.


"There's still going to be some painful rehabilitation," Abbey
warned. "Think of how bad
it is when you get a small burn on your finger, then imagine
something being 100 times
worse than that."


"I'll be there for her," Josh said resolutely. "I'll do whatever it
takes."


"I know you will, Josh," Abbey said softly as she squeezed his
shoulder.


They stood side by side, looking at Donna's sleeping form, and each
sent up a silent
prayer that they would be strong enough to help her through the
coming weeks.


"Leo asked me to tell you that he wants you in his office at 10
o'clock sharp for a
meeting with the FBI director," Abbey said after a few
minutes.


"Do they know something?" Josh asked hopefully.


"I'm not sure," Abbey said, "He just wanted me to make sure that you
got there on time."


Josh glanced at his watch and then back at Donna.


"I just don't want to leave her here alone," he said, the concern
readily apparent in his
voice.


Abbey looked at Josh and could see that he was obviously torn.


"It will be fine," Abbey said softly. "You go home, grab a quick
shower and a shave, then
head over to the White House for your meeting. I'll stay here until
you get back so Donna
won't be alone."


"Are you sure?" Josh asked, his tone full of relief.


"Positive," Abbey said as she settled herself into the chair next to
the bed.


"Ok," Josh said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."


"Take your time," Abbey said, pulling a book of poetry from her
bag. "Donna and I will
just catch up on our reading while you're gone."


"Thank you, Mrs. Bartlet," Josh smiled.


"You're welcome, Josh," she said with a wink.


Josh leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Donna's lips. "I love
you, Donna. I'll be
back as soon as I can," he whispered.








Margaret waved Josh into Leo's inner office the minute he arrived. He
felt slightly better
after a shower and a shave in his own apartment. As he entered the
room, he found Toby,
Sam, CJ, Leo and John Carpenter, the head of the FBI, already
assembled.


"How's Donna?" CJ asked immediately.


"She's doing well," Josh said as he took a seat on the couch next to
Sam. "The doctors
are very happy. They think she is definitely out of the woods."


"Excellent," CJ beamed, as all of the others in the room echoed in
agreement.


"So, do we have anything yet on who might have done this?" Josh
asked, casting a wary
glance at Leo.


"Well, we're getting closer," Carpenter said. "We've got a few good
solid leads."


"Such as?" Josh asked, turning his undivided attention to the FBI
Director.


"Well, we actually caught a break that the explosion occurred in an
enclosed area. It
allowed us a better chance to recover all of the bomb's components."


"Yeah, we were very lucky," Josh said sarcastically.


"He wasn't talking about Donna's injuries," Leo admonished. "He meant
in terms of
evidence."


"I know. I'm sorry," Josh said, scrubbing his face with his
hands. "Please go on."


"Our best piece of evidence is the timer," Carpenter said as he
pulled a forensics report
out of the folder in his hand and handed it to Josh.


"It's a very specialized device. It's attached to the ignition system
of a car and rigged to
detonate when the car is started."


"So this thing was planted inside the White House parking garage?"
Josh asked
incredulously.


"We don't think so," Carpenter answered. "We think there must have
been some sort of
malfunction."


"How so?" Toby asked.


"This is a specialized mechanism that puts the explosion on a time
delay. The car needs
to be started multiple times before the bomb will activate. The
theory being, that when a
car explodes, most people tend to think that the bomb must have been
planted fairly
recently. Delaying the explosion until after the car has been started
several times not only
gives the bomber a chance to get away from the scene, it puts
distance between the
planting of the bomb and the detonation, thereby shifting the blame
in a different
direction."


"So when was it planted?" Josh asked.


"As far as we can tell, it had to have been planted the same day it
detonated."


Suddenly, a thought struck Josh and his anger began to rise. "Are you
saying that the guy
who installed the remote starter is responsible?"


"No," Carpenter quickly assured him, "we investigated him thoroughly.
He's clean. In
fact, the poor guy almost had a nervous breakdown when I went to talk
to him, and
explained what had happened. He said that he has worked on Ms. Moss's
car since she
moved to D.C."


"Then what happened?" Sam asked. "How did the bomb get there?"


"The bomber probably didn't even realize that remote starter had been
installed. They
mostly prefer to have the explosion occur with the victim inside the
car. Our best guess is
that someone got onto the lot after the garage was closed and planted
the device.  The
owner told us that he keeps the cars inside a fence, but that there
is no alarm system. It
would have been easy for someone to get in."


"As far as our experts can tell, the device was set to go off after
the ignition had been
started 10 times. They found a small tracking chip that was probably
used to send signals
back to a receiver. That way, the bomber knew when the explosion was
getting close.
Since we know that Ms. Moss picked up her car that same afternoon, we
have to assume
that there was a malfunction."


"No, there wasn't," Josh said quietly, remembering something had
Donna had told him
right before the explosion. "Donna, Margaret, Bonnie and Ginger went
down to the
garage that afternoon to test it out. They must have started it eight
times."


"Oh my God," Leo said, glancing towards his outer office.


Everyone in the office was silent for a moment, contemplating how
different things might
have been if the assistants had pushed that button just one more
time. Finally, Josh asked
the question that had been burning in his mind for two days.


"Who? Who could have wanted to kill Donna?"


"Well," Carpenter said in measured tones, "judging by the
sophisticated device, I'd say
that it's likely this was a professional hit."


"What?" Josh screamed, jumping up from the couch and beginning to
pace around the
office.


"It has all the earmarks," the FBI Director said calmly. "If it had
exploded somewhere
out on the street, or in a parking lot, we never would have been able
to put all of the
pieces back together, and the perpetrator would have been home free.
We probably would
have written it off to some psycho."


"But why? Who could possibly want to hit Donna?" CJ asked.


"I have no idea," Carpenter said, moving a folder from the bottom of
the pile to the top.
Josh immediately recognized the seal on the front. "I pulled her FBI
file. There was no
problem with the vetting process. She appears to be completely clean.
In fact, the only
oddity at all in her file is a near fatal car accident when she was
15. She spent quite a bit
of time in hospitals and rehab centers, nearly a year in fact."


"Yeah," Josh said sadly. "She doesn't like to talk about it. All I
know is that she almost
died, and it was a long painful recovery process."


"Oh my God," CJ said, her breath catching her throat. "Do you think
that this has
something to do with that?"


"Probably not," Carpenter said. "It seems like a pretty run of the
mill, if tragic accident.
Two other people in the car were killed. Ms Moss's recovery seems to
have been, by all
accounts, miraculous and complete."


"Miraculous yes," CJ said, "but not exactly complete."








The phone rang in Donna's room, interrupting the First Lady in the
midst of reading
aloud from Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems That Celebrate Women by Maya
Angelou.
She closed the book and reached for the receiver.


"Donna Moss's room," she said quietly, as Donna began to stir a
little.


"Who is this?" the stern male voice on the other end of the phone
asked.


"This is Abbey Bartlet. And may I ask to whom I am speaking?"


"This is Gregory Moss. I'm Donna's father."


"Oh," Abbey said, wondering why Donna's parents weren't at their
daughter's bedside,
or at least enroute. "It's very nice to talk to you Mr. Moss. I
certainly wish it were under
happier circumstances."


"Yes," Donna's father answered dismissively, "that would have been
preferable."


There was silence on the line for a full 30 seconds, as an
unexplainable cold chill went up
Abbey's spine.


"You'll be happy to know that Donna is doing much better today," she
said, finally
breaking the uncomfortable silence. "The doctors say that she is out
of the woods."


"Well, that is wonderful news," Gregory Moss answered, although Abbey
couldn't help
but notice the disturbing lack of emotion in his voice.


"Will you be coming to D.C. to see her?" Abbey asked pointedly.


"We're not sure of our plans yet," Gregory answered defensively.


"Well, once you decide, please let me know," Abbey said. "My husband
and I would be
happy to make all of the arrangements for you."


"Thank you," Gregory Moss said coldly. "We really wouldn't want to
put you to any
trouble."


"It wouldn't be any trouble at all," Abbey assured him.


"Well, I'll be in touch then. Goodbye," he said, and hung up without
waiting to hear her
response.


Abbey sat back down in the chair and opened the book, trying to push
down the uneasy
feelings that she had gotten from Gregory Moss. She made a mental
note to talk to Leo
about it though, just in case.







"So, who were you talking to?" the woman asked anxiously.


"Abbey Bartlet," Gregory Moss hissed. "The First Lady is visiting our
daughter in the
hospital."


"And how is Donna?" the woman asked.


"Out of danger," he said, anger apparent in his voice. "That girl has
more lives than a
cat."


"What are we going to do next?" the woman asked worriedly.


"I need some time to think. It's not safe to travel to D.C. just now,
not with her
surrounded by people. Maybe we'll get lucky and Jenkins will find a
way to get in and
finish the job. If not, maybe we can convince her to come home for
her recovery. After
all, we helped her recover last time, didn't we?" he sneered.


"In a manner of speaking," the woman smiled.








"What do you mean 'not complete', CJ?" Josh asked nervously. "What do
you know that
I don't?"


CJ bit her bottom lip and tried to quickly decide just how much of
the secret Donna had
confided in her to reveal.


"I'm really not sure that it's my place to tell this story," CJ said
slowly. "Maybe we
should wait until Donna is feeling better and she can tell you."


"Tell us what?" Leo asked, his eyes narrowing.


CJ glanced around the room, her eyes finally locking with Josh's.


"Look," he said pleadingly, "if you know something that might help us
find out who did
this, you have to tell us. Donna's life is at stake here."


"I know that," CJ said, "It's just that I swore to Donna I would
never tell...."


"I understand how seriously you take a promise, but this is
different," Toby snapped. "If
you know something that could help Donna, I think you should tell us.
If you don't, we
might not be able to stop them the next time they try."


CJ's shoulders slumped as Toby's words sunk in. She knew that he was
right; she just
hoped that Donna would understand.


"It was just after Donna came back to the campaign," CJ began. "It
was really late at
night and we were in my room, drinking tequila and having some girl
talk. It was just one
of those silly, stupid conversations really. The kind that happen all
of the time."


"I told Donna about the first time I had ever had a drink, how I had
sneaked a sip of my
father's scotch when I was seven years old, and how it had burned in
my throat for hours.
I asked her about the first time that she ever tasted alcohol. She
hesitated, and I could tell
that she was trying to decide what to say."


CJ's mind drifted back to her memories of that night. It had been
such an innocent
question, yet Donna had seemed so thrown by it. Even though CJ hadn't
been as close to
Donna as she was now, she had known that there was a secret weighing
heavily on the
younger woman's mind.


"What, CJ? What did she say?" Josh demanded. When he saw the
confusion in CJ's eyes,
his voice softened, "Please tell me, is there something wrong with
Donna?"


"No," CJ answered, glancing around the room at the others, "it's
nothing like that."


"Then what?" Josh pleaded.


"Donna told me about the car accident she had when she was 15."


"Yes, she told me about that when I hired her."


"There was something that she didn't tell you though," CJ said, her
voice dropping to just
above a whisper.


"What?" Josh demanded.


CJ took a deep breath and continued.


"Donna suffered a severe head injury in the accident. At first the
doctors thought that
there was a chance that she would never fully recover, that she would
essentially be a
vegetable."


"Wow," Sam exclaimed.


"But obviously, she proved them wrong," Toby growled, "so what does
this have to do
with anything?"


"She did eventually wake up," CJ said, twisting her hands
nervously, "and most of her
brain seemed to recover, except for the fact that she had absolutely
no memory of
anything that had happened to her before the accident."


"What are you saying?" Josh asked incredulously.


"Donna told me that she has no independent memories of her life
before the accident. All
she knows is what her parents have told her. She said that they were
very patient in
helping her fill in the details, but she has never been able to
recover even one memory on
her own. Everything she knows about her early life is what she has
been told."


"So she remembers nothing?" Leo asked, shaking his head. "What about
other family
members, and school friends?"


"Donna said that both of her parents were only children. She didn't
have any aunts or
uncles. Her grandparents were all dead."


"Amazing," Carpenter replied.


"Her parents moved to Wisconsin as soon as Donna was able to travel.
They were afraid
that being around all of her old school friends and not being able to
remember anything
would be too frustrating for her. So they decided to give her a fresh
start."


"Wouldn't it have been helpful to be around her old friends?" Sam
asked.


"I don't know," CJ said. "I'm only telling you what she told me."


"Why didn't she ever tell me this?" Josh asked.


"She was afraid," CJ said softly, crossing the room and standing in
front of Josh.


"Afraid of what? Afraid of me?" he asked.


"No," CJ said soothingly, "she isn't afraid of you; she was never
afraid of you, Josh."


"Then what?" Josh asked, unable to hide the desperation in his voice.


"She was afraid that if anyone knew, they wouldn't want her working
on the campaign.
She was afraid that they would think that there was something
unstable about her, that
she couldn't be trusted."


"That wouldn't have happened," Josh insisted. "I would have
understood."


"I know that," CJ said soothingly, "but try to put yourself in
Donna's position. She had
traveled halfway across the country, she had very little money, and
she wanted the job as
your assistant so desperately, she was just so afraid that something
was going to foul it
up."


"But what about later, after the election?" Josh asked.


"The longer she kept the secret, the harder it was to tell it. Plus,
she was afraid of the
inevitable cracks about her personality quirks."


Josh shook his head in amazement. "So you are telling me that she has
absolutely no
memory of her life prior to the accident?"


"All she knows," CJ answered, "is what her parents have told her."


Josh looked across the room and saw Leo and John Carpenter exchanging
glances.


"What?" Josh said, suddenly catching on to the unspoken communication
between the
two men, "You think this might mean something?"


"You have to admit," Toby said, "it adds a new piece to the puzzle."


"It certainly does," Sam agreed.


"I'll need to talk to Ms. Moss as soon as she's up to it," Carpenter
said. "And I'd also like
to speak to her parents. Are they here in D.C.?"


"No," Josh answered distractedly, "they're in Madison, Wisconsin."


"Oh," Carpenter said, his voice of surprise, "I would have thought
that they would have
come here to be with Donna after the accident."


"Me too," Josh said, his mind racing as it tried to process all of
the new information.
"They've never come to D.C. once since Donna moved here."


"That seems a bit strange," Carpenter said, making a note on the top
folder. "I'll call
them in Madison and see if they have anything to offer. I'll get back
to you as soon as I
have anything else new."


"Thanks," Josh muttered distractedly.


"Are you ok?" Leo asked, coming around his desk and placing his hand
on Josh's
shoulder.


"Yeah," Josh said softly. "I just need to get back to the hospital."


"Go ahead," Leo said, "And call us if you have any news."


"You do the same," Josh said.


CJ caught up with him as he moved quickly down the hall towards the
exit.


"Josh? Are you ok?" she asked.


"I'm fine, CJ," he assured her. The look in her eyes struck a cord
deep in his heart. He
wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug. "You did
the right thing,"
he said. "Donna will understand, I promise."


"I hope so," CJ said tearily, pulling away and looking into his
eyes. "I hope that you
understand too, Josh. Why Donna couldn't tell you, and why I
couldn't."


"I understand completely," Josh smiled reassuringly. "It doesn't
change anything."








Josh slipped back into Donna's hospital room just as Mrs. Bartlet was
finishing up her
reading. Abbey filled him in on the call from Mr. Moss and then
slipped quietly out,
leaving Josh and Donna alone.


"Hey, Donna. I'm back," he said, leaning over and placing a soft kiss
on her cheek.


"Josh?" she said shakily, her eyes struggling to open.


"Yep, it's me," he said lovingly.


"Is everything ok?" she asked. "I woke up a little while ago and Mrs.
Bartlet said that you
had to go back to the White House."


"Everything is fine," he assured her, bringing her hand to his lips
and placing a kiss on
the palm. "There's nothing for you to worry about."


"Are you sure?"


"I'm positive."


"Have they found out who blew up my car yet?"


"Not yet."


"I don't know who...."


"Shhhhh, Donna. Don't you worry about it. We're going to find out
what happened. And
whatever it is, I'll be right here beside you all the way."








Gregory Moss pushed the button and stared at the answering machine as
he listened to
the message for the third time.


///// Mr. and Mrs. Moss, this is John Carpenter from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
I'm sorry to call at such a difficult time but I need to ask you a
few questions about the
explosion that injured your daughter. If you could get back to me at
your earliest
convenience, I would appreciate it. My number is 202-555-0965 ext
8131. Thank
you.\\\\\\\\


His eyes widened with rage as he turned to his wife. "This changes
everything. Get me
Jenkins on the phone. We need a new plan, and we need to eliminate
Donna as soon as
possible."




Part 3



Five days after the explosion, Donna was recovering nicely. Her vital
signs had
strengthened considerably and the doctors were slowly cutting back on
her pain
medication. She felt well enough to insist that Josh go home and get
a good
night's sleep in his own bed instead of keeping vigil on the couch
that had been
moved into her room. She was looking disgustedly at the breakfast
tray sitting
in front of her when the door opened slowly.


"Good morning, sunshine," Josh said as he entered the room, one hand
hiding
something behind his back.


"Morning yourself," Donna beamed.


"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.


"Better," she said sincerely. "What are you hiding behind your back?"


"It's a surprise," he teased.


"Tell me," she said eagerly, trying to look around his body to see
what it was.


Josh reached her bedside and leaned over to give her a good morning
kiss.
Donna lifted her uninjured arm and placed her hand on the back of
Josh's head,
deepening the kiss. As his tongue slid over her bottom lip, she
reached down
quickly and snatched the paper bag that he had been hiding behind his
back.


"HEY!" Josh said.


"Oooooooh, donuts," Donna squealed as she opened the bag. She
immediately
pushed the breakfast tray away and sat the bag on the table in front
of her.
"Thank you, Josh."


"You're welcome," he answered, sitting down beside her on the
bed. "Even
though you did trick me."


"It wasn't a trick," Donna reasoned with a smile. "Actually, it was a
win-win
kind of thing. I got a kiss from sexiest man I know, and I got
donuts."


"Flattery will get you everywhere," Josh said as he leaned over and
kissed away
a dab of donut cream from Donna's lower lip.


"So did you sleep better at home in your own bed?" she asked.


"I guess so," he shrugged. "But that doesn't mean I didn't miss you."


"I missed you too," she assured him.


Josh took a deep breath and tried to gather the strength for what he
had to tell
her next.


"I stopped by the office on my way here," he said as nonchalantly as
possible.


"Is everything ok?" Donna asked, sensing something different in
Josh's tone.


Josh turned so that he was facing Donna, pushed the rolling tray away
from the
bed, and took her hands in his. "John Carpenter would like to talk to
you today,
if you feel up to it."


"Does he have any idea who blew up my car?" she asked haltingly.


"I'm not sure," Josh answered honestly. "He has a few possible
theories."


"Such as?" Donna asked.


Josh cleared his throat and looked directly into Donna's eyes. He had
been
putting off telling her that he knew about her memory loss, but he
couldn't wait
any longer.


"He wants to talk to you about the accident you had when you were
15," Josh
said cautiously, watching Donna's reactions closely.


"What does my accident have to do with anything?" she asked with a
touch of
panic in her voice.


"I'm not sure," Josh answered.


Tears began to flow down Donna's cheeks and her breathing became
ragged.
"Josh, there's something I never told you..." she began.


"It's ok," he said soothingly, wrapping his arm around her waist and
pulling her
closer, careful to avoid her burned shoulder.


"No, it isn't," she sobbed into his shoulder. "There's something you
should
know about the accident."


"I already know," Josh said softly, rubbing her back lovingly.


Donna pulled back and looked directly into his eyes. "But how?" she
asked.


"CJ told me."


Donna hung her head. She had wanted so badly to tell Josh the truth,
but the
moment never seemed to be right; now she was afraid that he would
hate her for
being dishonest with him.


"Don't be mad at her," he said, placing a hand on her chin and
raising her eyes
up to meet his, "She really didn't want to tell us. She was just
trying to help; she
was worried about you. We told her that we needed to know everything
there
was to know if we wanted to have a chance to catch the person who did
this."


"I'm not mad at her," Donna said softly, "I'm mad at myself."


"For what?" Josh asked incredulously.


"I'm so sorry," Donna sobbed, tears once again flowing down her
cheeks. "I
should have told you. I wanted to. It's just that at first, I was
afraid you would
think I was some kind of psycho, and after that, I couldn't figure
out how to
bring it up. It's not like my family ever visited me here or
anything. And it
didn't really seem to matter until I fell in love with you, and then
I knew that I
had to find a way to tell you but...." Her words were cut off as her
sobs became
more intense.


"Shhhhh, Donna. It's ok, I understand," he said, trying desperately
to calm her.


"I'm so sorry," she said, burying her head in his shoulder.


He rubbed her back for a few moments until her breathing returned
almost back
to normal, then he pulled back and locked eyes with her.


"It's really ok, Donna," he said, placing his hand against her
cheek. "I
understand. I'm just sorry that when you first came to work for me, I
wasn't
accessible enough, that you didn't feel comfortable opening up to me."


"It wasn't you, Josh. Honestly. I was just so afraid."


Donna looked down as the tears threatened to fall again.


"It's ok," he cooed softly. "It's all in the past now. Let's just
make a promise.
From this point on, no secrets. Is it a deal?"


"Deal," Donna said with a small smile.


They sat in silence for a few minutes, Donna's head on Josh's
shoulder, when
she suddenly remembered what had started the whole conversation.


"What could my accident have to do with any of this?" she asked.


"I'm not sure," Josh said. "I think that the FBI is just trying to be
thorough.


"I don't know how much help I can be," Donna sighed. "I don't
remember
anything until I woke up in a strange hospital a month later, and
didn't even
recognize my own parents."


"You mean you had no memory of them at all? Not even a flicker?" Josh
asked
with amazement.


"Nothing," Donna said. "They were complete strangers to me."


"Carpenter was going to look into the details of the accident," Josh
said. "I think
he just wants to talk to you about what came after. He thinks there
might be
some small piece of information that seems insignificant but might
help break
the case."


"Then I guess I should talk to him today," Donna said. "The sooner we
get this
figured out, the better I'll feel."


"Ok, I'll call him," Josh said.


"Will you stay here with me while he's here?" Donna asked uncertainly.


"Absolutely," Josh answered, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on
the tip of her
nose.








"DON'T TELL ME NOT TO WORRY!" Gregory Moss screamed into the
phone. "The Director of the damn FBI left a message on my answering
machine. I cannot afford this kind of scrutiny. NOT NOW!"


"I've found a way in," Jenkins assured him. "It won't be much longer
and she'll
be dead. I'll leave enough false leads around to make it look like
some kind of
political junkie gone mad. Just your everyday run of the mill psycho."


"You had better do it, and you had better do it fast," Moss
hissed. "Just
remember, you're hands are almost as dirty as mine. If I go down, I'm
taking
you with me."


"Don't worry," Jenkins spat, bristling at the threat, "I'll take care
of it."


"You do that," Moss demanded. "We buried the truth almost 15 years
ago when
we buried those people. Let's make sure it stays six feet under where
it
belongs."


"I'll be in touch as soon as it's done," Jenkins snapped.


Gregory Moss was left listening to nothing but the buzzing of a
disconnected
phone and the pounding of his own heart.








"Can I come in?" CJ asked timidly, peeking her head into Donna's room.


"Of course," Donna said, holding out her arm.


CJ crossed the room and wrapped Donna in a gentle hug, carefully
avoiding the
painful burns on Donna's left side.


"How are you feeling?" CJ asked.


"Better, thanks," Donna said cheerily.


CJ sat down in the chair beside the bed and began to wring her
hands. "I'm so
sorry, Donna," she said, the words tumbling out of her mouth, "I
didn't know
what to do. I tried to wait until you were awake so you could tell
Josh yourself
but...."


"It's ok, CJ," Donna said, reaching out and squeezing her friend's
hand. "Josh
and I talked about it. Everything is fine."


"Good," CJ said, the relief obvious in her voice. "He's just worried
about you.
He wants to make sure he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to
finding out
who is responsible for this. We all feel that way."


"How did the others react to the news?" Donna asked, half afraid to
hear the
answer.


"Everyone understands, Donna. They know what a difficult position you
were
in. They just want to get to the bottom of this whole thing so we can
get back to
normal."


"I want that too. I just don't know what my memory loss could have to
do with
this," Donna said.


"I'm not sure," CJ answered, "But it's best to check out every
possibility."


"I guess so," Donna agreed.


CJ looked around the room quizzically as if noticing something for
the first
time.


"So where's Josh?" she asked.


"He went to call Leo and set up an appointment with John Carpenter,"
Donna
said. "We're going to meet with him this afternoon."


As if on cue, Josh entered the room. "Hi, CJ," he said.


"Hi," CJ answered.


"Did you talk to him?" Donna asked, unable to wait any longer.


"Yes," Josh said. "The meeting is set for 4 PM."








Leo had joined Abbey for lunch in the residence, at her request. They
had
finished their meal, and adjourned to the living room with their
coffee.


"I can't exactly put my finger on it," Abbey said, continuing the
conversation
that had begun over lunch, "but there is something very strange about
Gregory
Moss."


"How so?" Leo asked.


"Think about it," Abbey insisted, "if Mallory was nearly blown to
bits, would
you be sitting half a country away?"


"No," Leo said forcefully, "I'd be on the first plane. No doubt about
it."


"Exactly," Abbey said. "But he seemed more interested in who was in
his
daughter's room than what her condition was."


"I agree it's strange," Leo said in a conciliatory tone, "but people
handle things
in different ways."


"I know that," Abby said, shaking her head, "but there was something
in his
voice, something I just can't verbalize."


"Well, if there is something there, Carpenter will find it."


"I hope so," Abby said. "For Donna's sake."


As Abby went to the sideboard to freshen her coffee, Leo's cell phone
rang. He
talked briefly and was hanging up just as Abbey returned to her seat.


"Good news?" she asked.


"Could be," he answered. "That was John Carpenter. Josh called and
said that
Donna was ready to talk to him."


"When?" Abby asked interestedly.


"Four o'clock," Leo said.








Leo and John Carpenter entered Donna's hospital room at precisely
4PM.
Donna was sitting up in bed looking nervous; Josh was sitting in the
chair
beside the bed.


"Hello, Donna. How are you feeling?" Leo asked, trying to put her at
ease.


"Much better, thank you," Donna answered.


"You remember John Carpenter, don't you?" he asked.


"Yes," Donna said, remembering the many times that she had run into
the FBI
Director in the west wing. "Nice to see you again, sir."


"I wish it was under better circumstances," Carpenter said.


"Donna and I just want to find out exactly what happened," Josh said,
standing
and shaking hands with Carpenter.


"That's what I want too," the FBI director assured him.


"Are you sure you feel up to this, Donna?" Leo asked in a protective,
fatherly
manner.


"I'm sure," Donna said, smiling at the concern in his voice.


"Let's get started then," Carpenter said.


Josh sat down in the chair next to Donna's bed, grasping her hand
firmly. Leo
and Carpenter seated themselves on the couch, which was on the other
side of
the room. Carpenter pulled a stack of folders out of his briefcase
and placed
them beside him on the couch. The look on his face said that his
investigation
had indeed turned up some new information, but he was going to let it
unfold in
due time.


"Donna," he began, "have you received any strange phone calls lately,
an
inordinate number of hang-ups?"


"No," Donna answered.


"Any strange packages or unexplained gifts?"


"No," Donna said again.


"Has anyone made any threats or made you feel intimidated in any way?"


"No."


"Can you think of anyone who might have had any reason, or who even
may
think they have any reason, to do this?"


"No," Donna said, with a desperate tone beginning to creep into her
voice.


John Carpenter looked at her, trying to decide in his own mind if she
was strong
enough to hear the information contained in the folders he had placed
beside
him.


"I want to ask you a few questions about your childhood," Carpenter
said,
deciding to approach the subject slowly.


"Ok, but I don't remember much," Donna said resignedly.


"I understand that," Carpenter said steadily. "What is the first
memory you have
after the accident?"


Donna took a deep breath and started speaking in a shaky voice. "I
woke up in
the hospital a month after the accident. Everything was foggy. I was
terrified. I
didn't recognize anyone."


"Your parents didn't look at all familiar?" Carpenter asked.


"No," Donna said quietly.


Josh tightened his grip on her hand.


"So how did you find out about your past?" Carpenter asked, trying to
broach
the subject as gently as possible.


"My parents filled me in," Donna said, sliding closer to Josh as an
uneasy
feeling began to creep up her spine.


"How did they fill you in?"


"What do you mean?" Donna asked.


"Did they show you pictures? Did they bring in your old school
friends? Were
there other relatives who shared memories with you? Home movies?
Anything
like that?"


"No," Donna said, beginning to wonder exactly where the conversation
was
headed. "My parents were both only children so I didn't have any
other
relatives. The accident happened in a town about 90 miles from where
I went to
school, so none of my school friends were close. My parents told me
that most
of my childhood mementos had been lost once when we moved."


"What about the other two people who were killed in the accident?"
Carpenter
asked.


"They were just two people who picked me up while I was hitchhiking,"
Donna
said sadly.


"Do you remember hitchhiking?" Carpenter probed.


"No, but my parents told me that I used to do it a lot."


"And how did you end up 90 minutes away from home?"


"I'm not sure," Donna said defensively. "I guess we'll never know
that, will
we?"


"I'm sorry, Donna. I'm not trying to upset you."


"I know. I'm sorry, please go on."


"Donna, I'm going to just get to the point and be honest with you."


"I'd appreciate that," Donna said, all the while wondering if she
really wanted
to hear what he had to say.


"I've been doing a little digging," he began, "and a few disturbing
inconsistencies have arisen."


Tears sprung to Donna's eyes and her hands began to shake. Josh left
the chair
and sat beside her on the bed, wrapping his arm securely around her
waist.
"What kind of inconsistencies?" he asked.


"I went back and looked at all of the records of your medical
treatment, and I
managed to track down and talk to several of the doctors. Are you
aware that for
the first two weeks that you were in the hospital, you were
classified as a Jane
Doe?"


"No," Donna said, her heart beginning to pound uncontrollably.


"Well, you were," he said. "The local police tried as hard as they
could to
identify you, but they had no luck until Gregory and Arlene Moss
showed up."


"What are you trying to say?" Josh asked.


"I'm just saying that from a strictly investigational point of view,
something
seems a bit strange."


"But everything checked out when Donna was vetted," Josh insisted.


"And everything about you checked out in my investigation too,"
Carpenter
said, looking directly at Donna. "I went back to the hospital where
you were
born, and I even managed to track down the doctor that delivered you."


"And?" Donna asked, her eyes wide with fear.


"He didn't have any personal recollection of you, but, lucky for us,
he kept his
own set of files on every patient he ever had."


Carpenter reached beside him, pulled a file out of the stack, and
opened it up.
"You were a perfectly healthy baby, nothing unusual about the
delivery. He
noted that you had a small red birthmark on the back of your neck."


"That's right," Donna said, pulling aside her long blonde hair to
show Carpenter
the mark in question.


"Are you saying that there was some doubt as to whether Donna was
correctly
identified?" Leo asked impatiently. "Don't you think that the Moss's
would
know their own daughter?"


"I have no doubt," Carpenter said assuredly, motioning towards the
bed, "that
this is Donna Moss. But there was another notation in this folder
that caught my
attention."


"What?" Donna choked out.


"Dr. Perkins noted that the only flaw in an otherwise perfect
delivery had come
when it was time to cut the umbilical cord. Apparently, your father
had some
trouble with the scissors."


"What do you mean?" Donna asked.


"He had some trouble cutting with the scissors, according to Dr.
Perkins,
because he was missing the first two fingers on his right hand."


"What?" Donna said angrily. "My father isn't missing any fingers."


"Dr. Perkins was quite adamant that his notes were correct. So I went
and talked
to a few of your elementary school teachers. One in particular
remembered you,
specifically because she lived across the street from your family."


The shaking in Donna's hands had now spread to her entire body. "What
are
you saying?" she sobbed, hanging on to Josh for dear life.


Carpenter looked at Leo, then at Josh, whose eyes were wide in
anticipation of
what Carpenter had discovered.


"What I'm saying is that....I'm 100% certain that you are indeed
Donnatella
Moss. I am, however, not at all sure who the two people were who took
you
home from the hospital."


Donna hadn't said a word after John Carpenter's revelation that the
people who had
masqueraded as her parents since the accident were not the real
Gregory and Arlene
Moss.


Leo had decided to put an end to the meeting and give Donna time to
process all of the
information she had received. He actually thought that they all
needed a little time to
process it, but Donna more than anyone. Leo walked Carpenter out,
hoping they could formulate a
plan for the best way to handle the situation.


Donna sat on the bed, wrapped in Josh's arms and sobbing
uncontrollably into his
shoulder. Her entire body was trembling, and her breath was coming in
huge, shuddering
gulps.


Josh was besieged by his own rush of shock and emotion over the
entire situation, but he
tried valiantly to keep control. More than anything, he wanted to
help Donna deal with
the news. He held onto her as tightly as possible and whispered over
and over in her ear,


"I'm here, Donna. We'll get through this together. We can handle
anything together."


After several minutes, she pulled back and looked desperately into
Josh's eyes.


"What do I do now?" she choked out, in a voice barely above a whisper.


"I'm not sure," Josh said, trying to sound as comforting as he
possibly could. "I think we
need to sit down with Leo, the FBI, and the DCPD, and try to figure
out where we go
from here."


"Ok," Donna said sadly.


Josh could hear the fear and sadness in Donna's voice and it broke
his heart. He couldn't
imagine what she must be feeling but he wanted to make sure that she
knew she wasn't
alone.


"Listen to me," he said, placing his palms against her cheeks and
wiping away her tears
with his thumbs, "We are going to get through this together. I know
that you must be
scared and confused. Please just remember that I love you, and a lot
of people love you,
and we will be here for you. We will help you through this."


"Listen, Josh," Donna said, tears beginning to fall again, "I
understand if this is too much
for you to deal with...."


"Stop that right now, Donna," Josh said sternly. "When I said I loved
you, I meant that I
love you not just when everything is going well, but when things are
at their worst."


"But I don't even know who I am," Donna sobbed. "Everything I thought
I knew is a lie.
The people who I thought were my parents aren't."


"I know," Josh said, laying back on the bed and settling her against
his chest. He
continued to stroke her back gently in an effort to calm her
down. "We'll get to the
bottom of this, I promise."


"Something has to be really wrong, Josh. I mean why else would my
parents...or
whoever they are...be pretending to be someone they're not? They must
be hiding from
something. What if it turns out that they are into something illegal?
What if I was
somehow involved?"


"Don't jump to conclusions," he said, although he had been asking
himself many of the
same questions.


"I'll lose my job," she sobbed.


"That's not going to happen," Josh assured her.


"It might," Donna wailed.


"I think that we just need to try to stay as calm as possible until
we have all of the facts,"
Josh reasoned. "We don't need to borrow trouble."


"Do you remember when you asked me why my parents never came to visit
me?" Donna
asked.


"Uh-huh."


"And I told you that is was because we weren't really that close?"


"I remember."


"I always thought that the fact that I didn't feel a strong
attachment to them was my fault.
I thought that I hadn't tried hard enough after the accident. That I
should have felt some
kind of connection to them because they were my parents. I've felt so
guilty for so long
about that."


"You have nothing to feel guilty about," Josh said. "None of this is
your fault."


"But you don't know that," Donna said, the fear evident in her
voice. "You don't know
what happened or how I ended up in that situation."


"I know that you were a teenager, and more than likely you had no
choice in what
happened to you."


"I'm so scared," Donna said, her sobs returning with a vengeance.


"I know you are," Josh said, as he fought back his own tears.


At that moment, he would have done anything to take away the fear and
pain that she was
going through, but he knew that this journey, no matter how
difficult, was going to be
something that she had to endure for herself. He could be supportive
and loving and
understanding, but he could never really feel the same things she was
feeling. His was a
pain of a different kind, the kind that comes from seeing someone you
love hurting so
much.


"Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Josh suggested quietly.


"Are you going?" Donna asked.


"Not a chance," he answered soothingly, "I'll be right here."


Donna snuggled a little closer and eventually her breathing evened
out slightly. Even
after Josh could tell she had fallen asleep, her breathing was ragged
and she
continued to sob softly.








Several hours later, Leo returned to the hospital. He opened the door
slowly and saw Josh
and Donna asleep on the bed. He wished that he could let them enjoy a
few more hours of
peace, but time wasn't a luxury that they could indulge in right now.
He cleared his
throat, and both Donna and Josh stirred.


"I'm sorry to wake you," Leo said.


"It's ok," Donna replied, sitting up and rubbing her hand over her
eyes. "Did you find out
anything new?"


"Not really," Leo said, "Right now we're concentrating a little more
on the security end
of things."


"What's the status?" Josh asked, sitting up but still keeping her arm
tightly around
Donna.


"Now that we know that this probably wasn't aimed at the President or
the First Family,
I'm replacing the two Secret Service agents on the door with two
members of the DCPD.
Access to this room will be completely restricted."


"Good," Josh said.


"Donna, I don't you to be alone. Either Josh, myself, or one of the
officers is to be
with you at all times."


"Ok," Donna said resignedly.


Leo could tell by looking at Donna's face the toll that the news had
already taken on her.
His voice softened as he spoke again.


"We're gong to get to the bottom of this, Donna. Please just try to
hang in there."


"I will," she answered resolutely.


"Do you have any idea when you're being released?" Leo asked.


"I'm not sure, why?"


"We'll need to arrange for guards at your apartment, and we'll have
to make sure that the
Secret Service is on extra alert once you come back to work."


At Leo's last words, Donna's head shot up and she looked at him
hopefully.


"What?" Leo asked, with a look of confusion on his face.


"Can I really come back to work?" Donna asked anxiously.


"Of course, " Leo said, "why wouldn't you be able to?"


"I was just afraid that with all of this going on, and with you
finding out that I lied to you
about my memory loss...."


"Donna," Leo said with complete conviction, "none of this is going to
affect your job in
any way. As soon as you feel up to it, we want you to come back to
work."


Josh's heart soared as he watched Donna smile for the first time in
hours.








Josh was sleeping soundly on the couch in Donna's room when he heard
a commotion
outside the door. He immediately looked over and saw that Donna was
still safely in bed,
although the noise was also waking her up.


"Stay right there," he said as he headed towards the door. Before he
got there, one of the
officers who had been stationed outside the door rushed in.


"What's wrong?" Josh asked anxiously as he crossed the room and stood
beside Donna.


"We apprehended a man outside in the corridor who appeared to be
trying to enter Ms.
Moss's room under false pretenses."


"What?" Josh and Donna asked in unison.


The officer stepped backward and placed his back against the door,
then spoke again.


"My partner and I noticed a man acting a bit strangely in the lobby
this morning. He
seemed to be paying special attention to the floor plan hanging on
the wall. About 20
minutes ago, we saw that same man dressed in scrubs, and wearing a
hospital ID badge.
When we attempted to stop him and ask him a few questions, he fled
into the stairwell.
We managed to stop him two floors down. He was armed with a high
caliber pistol."


"Who is he?" Josh asked.


"We're not sure," the officer said. "We placed him under arrest and
he is on his way
down to the police station."


"I want to go down there. I need to know what's going on. I need to
know who he is and
why he's doing this."  Donna said pleadingly.


"Donna," Josh said calmly, "let the police do their job."


"I'm trying to," Donna said, her voice rising on almost every
word, "I just want to know
what's going on. This is my life we're talking about. This is my
past. Please, Josh."


"Ok, let me call Leo and see what can be arranged."








Three hours later, Josh and Donna arrived at the police station
accompanied by a private
duty nurse. The doctors had reluctantly agreed to let Donna leave the
hospital for a few
hours, but only after she insisted that she would sign herself out if
they didn't.


They entered a room adjacent to the interrogation room, where they
found Leo talking to
the Chief of the DCPD.


"We've arranged for you to watch the questioning through a two-way
mirror," Leo said as
he led Donna to a stool in front of a large pane of glass.


"Thank you," Donna said as she settled herself in.


Josh stood beside the stool, his arm protectively around Donna's
waist. "Anytime you
want to stop," he said, "you just let me know."


"I will," she said with a small smile. Josh looked in her eyes and
saw fear, but he also
saw strength and determination.


"Have you found anything out about this guy?" Josh asked the chief.


"The name he gave us when we brought him in was Frank Jenkins. We
figured it was an
alias, so we ran his prints. It took less than 15 minutes for the
computer screen to light up
with a match. His real name is Scott Ward. He is wanted in at least
five states for
everything from forgery to bank robbery to murder."


"Any idea how he is connected to Donna?" Josh asked worriedly.


"Not yet," the Chief replied, but give us time. "The full resources
of both the FBI and the
DCPD are working on this."


Just then, the lights in the interrogation room flickered on and two
officers led Scott
Ward into the room and handcuffed him to the leg of the table. They
moved back and
stood on either side of the door. Several minutes later, John
Carpenter entered carrying a
folder.


"My name is John Carpenter and I'm with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation," the
Director said dryly as he sat down across the table from Ward.


"I know who you are," Ward mumbled.


"Excellent, and I know who you are also, Mr. Ward."


Ward's face flinched almost imperceptibly. He had hoped that it would
take the
authorities a while longer to learn his true identity. He had been
clean, or at least he
hadn't been arrested, for 13 years. He had hoped that any record of
his fingerprints, and
consequently his true identity, would be buried deep enough that he
might have a week or
two in which to make bail and slip away again. The fact that they had
already identified
him changed everything.


"I'd like to ask you what you were doing attempting to enter a room
at the hospital this
morning with a gun," Carpenter began.


Ward's eyes darted around the room quickly as he contemplated his
next move. He knew
that he was looking at some hard time, and he decided to try to get
himself the best
possible deal. He had information that the Feds wanted, and he
decided to use that to his
advantage. Finally, he looked at Carpenter and said,


"Let's not waste each other's time, ok? I can give you everything you
want to know
about that girl, who wants her dead, the truth about her accident,
and all of that crap..."


"But?" Carpenter asked with a raised eyebrow.


"I want something in return."


"I have to know what you have to offer," Carpenter said, proceeding
cautiously.


"I can offer you someone you've been after for a long time, plus a
lot of information that
you ain't gonna find anywhere else."


"I'm listening," Carpenter said.


"I want some assurances first," Ward demanded. "I give you all of the
details you want,
in return for minimum time on the federal level, medium security."


Carpenter glanced at the list of outstanding warrants in Ward's
folder. Several of them
were already past the statute of limitations. Among the ones that
were left, only one was a
violent crime and that was the murder of two bank tellers in Salt
Lake City.


"I'm not sure how much I can help with the murder charges from Salt
Lake, but I'll do my
best," Carpenter agreed.


"I robbed that bank in Salt Lake," Ward confessed, "but I didn't kill
those tellers. I can
give you the guy who pulled the trigger though."


"McWilliams?" Carpenter asked, sitting up straighter in his seat.


"The one and only," Ward smirked.


John Carpenter knew David McWilliams's file off by heart. He was
wanted for multiple
counts of bank robbery and murder. He and his wife had been involved
in a traffic
altercation that had left three motorists and two New Mexico police
officers dead. He was
also suspected in the murder of two cops in Wisconsin, although no
hard evidence had
ever been found.


"If you can give me McWilliams, we have a deal," Carpenter said.


"I want to see it in writing," Ward said stubbornly.


"You're going to have to trust me on this one. You have ten seconds
to start talking
before I call the Utah police and tell them that I have their
murderer."


"Fine," Ward said. "McWilliams and his wife are living in Wisconsin
under fake names."


Donna began to shake uncontrollably. Josh tightened his grip on her
waist, and Leo
stepped up to her other side and held her hand tightly.


"What names?" Carpenter asked, although he was fairly sure he already
knew the answer.


"Gregory and Arlene Moss."


"Oh God, oh God, oh God," Donna muttered over and over.


"How did they manage to get those identities?" Carpenter asked,
knowing full well that
Donna was watching. He didn't want her to be traumatized by anything
she heard but he
couldn't pass up this opportunity to get as much information as
possible.


"It was about six months after the Salt Lake City robbery. The heat
was really on because
Dave had killed those two tellers when he thought they were trying to
push the alarm. We
had split up to avoid getting caught."


"I was in California, and David and his wife Sally had headed for
Wisconsin. We had a
whole pile of money, but we couldn't spend any of it because we were
afraid the serial
numbers could be traced. We needed a way to launder it."


Ward stopped and looked at Carpenter.


"But I swear I didn't kill those tellers."


"Go on," The Director said impatiently.


"OK, so one day Dave calls me and he says that he found a perfect way
to launder the
money. He met a guy named Moss who owned a small car lot that did
some business over
the border in Canada. He figured he could use him to exchange the
bills."


Carpenter nodded and scribbled a few notes on the front of the
folder.


"Anyway, he tells me to come to Wisconsin right away, so I do.
McWilliams convinced
Moss that the money was totally clean, that it was all gambling
winnings that he was
trying to hide. He offered him a cut if he would take the money over
the border, exchange
it, and then bring it back. The guy had fallen on a few hard times
and he was just trying to
earn a few extra bucks to help out his family."


"Why didn't McWilliams take the money over the border himself?"


"He was afraid of getting stopped. They had lifted our pictures off
of the security tapes
and there were Wanted posters everywhere."


Josh, Donna and Leo were all staring in stunned silence at the scene
on the other side of the glass, trying to absorb every word.


"Ok, what happened next?"


"By the time I made it to Wisconsin, most of the money was already
exchanged. But
Moss was starting to get suspicious. He started to wonder if the
whole deal was legit, and
he told McWilliams he wanted out. McWilliams convinced him to make
one more run."


"When he headed for the border, Dave and I followed him. Dave had
instructed Sally to
tip off the cops as soon as we left. As we were following him, we
realized that there were
two other people in the car."


"Did that surprise you?" Carpenter asked.


"Yeah, I assumed he would be alone. Anyway, about 50 miles from the
border, the Feds
pulled the car over. We hung back and watched. The agents made Moss
get out and open
the trunk. Then they spotted all of the money, and right away they
threw Moss down on
the ground and cuffed him. They took the boxes of money out of the
trunk and sat them
on the side of the road. They made the other two people get out of
the car, and that's
when I saw that it was a woman and a teenage girl."


"All of the sudden, Dave said, "It's time," and stepped on the gas.
We pulled up and
stopped right behind the patrol car. The cops turned around and
pointed their weapons at
our car, and then Dave grabbed a semi-automatic off of the back seat
and started firing at
them."


Carpenters jaw tightened. "Keep going."


"Well, the cops seemed to realize that they were outgunned. They
couldn't make it to
their patrol car, so they threw the girl into the back of the car
Moss had been driving. It
was an old blue sedan that was registered to some guy that Moss was
doing the sale for.
The cops tried to get Moss and his wife into the car too, but they
couldn't."


"They took off down the road and McWilliams followed them. Ten
minutes later, we
heard a huge explosion. Dave came back and said the car had rolled
down a hill and
blown up, and everybody was dead."


"The woman started screaming and Moss looked like he was going to die
on the spot.
Dave told them that they would be blamed for the murder of those two
officers, because
they had been the ones the Feds had been chasing. He said that every
cop in Wisconsin
would be looking for them within minutes. They were just hysterical
though, because
their daughter was in that car."


"Dave told them to leave all of their ID and possessions', and make a
run for it. They
were in such a state of shock that they agreed. He told me to take
them and all of the
money in the boxes, and go as far north as we could into the most
remote part of Canada."


"And did they go?"


"Hell yeah. I went with them myself. I hid in the back seat and
pretended to be sleeping
when we crossed the border. They were like zombies the whole way,
they couldn't
believe what had happened and that their daughter was dead."


"It took me a couple of weeks to get them settled. I made sure they
had some money and
then I left. I told them that Dave and I would contact them, but that
they could never have
any contact with anyone in the States. They were so shocked that they
agreed."


Carpenter said, "But the officers that were killed thought that they
were stopping Mr.
McWilliams. The caller that gave them the tip used his name. The name
of Gregory Moss
was never mentioned."


"I know. Dave planned it that way. He wanted Greg Moss to think that
the Feds knew his
name. That would make him easier to control. After he got Moss and
his wife out of the
country, he and Sally just slipped into their identities. He
convinced Moss that if he ever
set foot in the US again, or even contacted anyone, the Feds would
arrest him."


Donna's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at Ward and
Carpenter. Her breathing
was rapid and shallow. Josh was very close to calling an end to
things, but he knew that
Donna would never forgive him. She wanted to know the entire truth;
he just prayed she
was strong enough to hear it. He and Leo exchanged worried glances
and then looked
back at the interrogation room.


"We left the patrol car abandoned on the road. The other accident
scene was about 15
miles away and the bodies were burned beyond recognition. Dave paid
some guy to
switch their dental records so they couldn't be identified. They just
got written off as a
couple of drifters in a stolen car. When the dental records didn't
match up with the
missing officers, the bodies were disposed of. Everybody was so busy
looking for the
cops that everything else just kind of slipped under the radar."


"I was heading through Canada with the Moss's and Dave and Sally were
laying low in
some out of the way fleabag motel. Everything was perfect, until Dave
found out that the
girl had been thrown out of the car and wasn't dead. He hadn't
bothered to check because
he was sure that all three had died when the car rolled down the
hill. She was really
messed up, but she was still alive. Dave went to the hospital and
gave them some story
about how he and his wife had been on vacation and that's why they
hadn't come sooner.
He claimed that he didn't know his daughter was injured. He knew he
had to get close to
her to make sure she didn't tell the cops anything."


"Then what?" Carpenter asked.


"They went to the hospital and claimed to be the girl's parents. The
Moss's didn't have
any other family; there was just the three of them. That's how come
Dave decided that
they would be the perfect people to steal identities from. They had
all of the picture ID's
doctored up and everything. By the time they arrived at the hospital,
nobody had any
reason to doubt that they were who they said they were."


"They wanted to be close by to shut the girl up before she talked.
But when she woke up,
low and behold, she didn't remember anything. Dave and Sally saw her
as the perfect
cover. So they pulled up stakes and moved to Madison with
their 'daughter'. Dave hired
a lawyer to handle all of the paperwork on the sale of the car lot
and anything that needed
to be settled. People just assumed that the memories were too painful
and that's why the
Moss's never came back."


"Everything was fine until the girl got a job at the White House and
her picture started
appearing in the paper with that boyfriend of hers. Dave figured it
was only a matter of
time till someone checked deep enough to find out the truth, and he
hired me to kill her."


Donna's fist balled up in rage and she slammed them against the wall,
causing a pain to
shoot through her burned shoulder. Her lips were moving, but she
couldn't make any
words come out.


"And where are the real Gregory and Arlene Moss now? Are they still
alive? Are they
still living in Canada?"


"Absolutely, I just saw them a month ago. They gave me a bouquet of
flowers to put on
their daughter's grave. It was the thirteenth anniversary of the day
they think she died."


Josh wrapped his arms around Donna as her knees began to give out.
She laid her head on
his chest. The sound of his heart pounding was the last thing she
remembered hearing
before everything went black.



The first things Donna saw when she woke up were Josh and Leo's
concerned faces
staring down at her. She was lying on a couch in the office of the
Chief of the DCPD with
a cool cloth on her forehead.


"Wh...what happened?" she asked groggily as she struggled to sit up.


"You fainted," Josh said with concern in his voice.


Suddenly, all of the memories of watching the interrogation came
flooding back. All of
the words that Scott Ward said raced through her mind.


"Oh my God!" Donna sobbed, "it wasn't a dream."


"No, it wasn't," Josh said sadly, as he wrapped his arm around her
shoulders.


"What do I do now?" Donna asked, her voice rising with panic.


Leo looked at Donna, and his heart broke. Her eyes were filled with
pain and confusion.
He couldn't even imagine what she must be going through at this
moment. He glanced
quickly at Josh and saw that he was barely hanging on to his own
tumbling emotions.


"I think you and Josh should head back to the hospital. This has been
a very stressful day
and you both need some rest. I'll call you there as soon as we have
any more
information," Leo said as soothingly as possible.


"I'm not sure that I can handle any more information," Donna gasped,
as she laid her
head on Josh's shoulder.


Josh kissed her lightly on the forehead as he began to stroke her
hair. "I'm right here,
Donna. We'll deal with this together."


"But I just can't believe it," she said as she began sobbing. "This
is unreal. These people
who I lived with, who took me home from the hospital after the
accident, not only aren't
they my real parents...they're killers!"


Josh wrapped his arms more tightly around Donna as her body was
wracked with sobs.
He fought valiantly to control his own emotions but couldn't stop a
few tears from
escaping his eyes.


Leo sat down on the couch beside Donna and placed his hand gently on
her back. "Listen
to me, we are going to get this straightened out," he said with a
tremendous amount of
conviction.


Suddenly, Donna's back stiffened as she pulled away from Josh. "My
parents," she
gasped, "I mean my real parents...they're still alive."


"We'll find them," Josh assured her.


"They think I'm dead," Donna said, her voice rising with anger. "For
thirteen years they
have thought that I was dead."


Donna's eyes widened with fear as a thought crossed her mind.


"What if they are in danger? What if McWilliams finds out that we are
on to him? What
if he tries to do something to shut them up?"


"That's not going to happen," John Carpenter said from the
doorway. "I'm taking all the
necessary steps to insure their safety, as well as yours, until
McWilliams and his wife are
in custody."


"Such as?" Leo asked.


"I've arranged for Ward to make a phone call to McWilliams. He is
going to tell him that
the plan has been delayed, but that everything is still proceeding as
planned. He is going
to say that he just needs a few more days to finish things up."


"Then what?" Josh demanded.


"We're drawing up warrants on all of the new information we received
today. We need to
get Ward's statement typed up and signed. It will take us a while to
get the new warrants
prepared, then we will arrest McWilliams and his wife."


"How long?" Donna asked fearfully.


"Forty eight hours at the most," Carpenter answered evenly.


"Until then," Leo chimed in, "we double your guard, Donna, just to be
on the safe side."


"Thanks, Leo," Josh said sincerely.


"No problem," he replied. "Now I want you two to get back to the
hospital. Donna, I
want you to get some rest."


"Good idea," Josh said as he stood up and held out his hand, gently
pulling Donna up
beside him. "Call us as soon as you have anything new."


"I will," Leo assured them.








"What do you mean it's not done?" McWilliams yelled into the
phone. "You told me that
it would all be over this morning!"


"Look," Ward said in measured tones, keeping his eyes glued to the
FBI Director sitting
across the table from him, "you want this done right don't you? You
told me to make it
look like some psycho political junkie, so that's what I'm doing. You
have to give me a
chance to set up a false trail of evidence. Everything is under
control. It will be another
day, two at the most."


"You had better be right, or so help me God I'll take care of you
myself," McWilliams
growled.


"That won't be necessary," Ward hissed back, "I'm handling things.
And remember, if
you had taken the time to make sure the girl was dead the first time,
we wouldn't be in
this mess now."


Carpenter had instructed Ward to try to get McWilliams to talk about
the events of 13
years ago. He wanted as much evidence as possible to take to court.
He had wanted
David McWilliams behind bars for a lot of years, and he wasn't going
to blow this golden
opportunity.


"You're right," McWilliams said in a surprisingly conciliatory
tone, "I should have
finished both her and the Moss's off a long time ago when I had the
chance. They should
have found five dead bodies on that road but it didn't happen that
way. So now I'm
counting on you to help me. We're a team again, just like the old
days."


"Just like the bank in Salt Lake," Ward said.


"Just like that," McWilliams agreed. "So I'm giving you two more days
and I'm counting
on you to take care of things for me."


"Don't worry, I will," Ward said.


"Fine. Call me when it's done," McWilliams said just before he hung
up.


Ward sat listening to the dial tone on the other end of the phone,
wondering what was
going to happen when his old partner found out that he had been
ratted out.


Halfway across the country, David McWilliams placed the phone on the
table and turned
to his wife.


"Something wrong?" she asked nervously.


"I'm not sure," he said distractedly. "but I think we need to find
out."


"What do you mean?" she asked.


"They always say if you want something done right, do it yourself,"
he answered. "And
that's what I plan to do. Throw a few things in a suitcase. We're
going to Washington to
visit our daughter. I'll kill her myself, then I'll take care of my
old partner too."








"How are you feeling?" Josh asked as he got Donna settled back into
her bed at the
hospital.


"I'm not really sure," she sighed. "I keep waiting to wake up and
find out that this has all
been a bad dream."


"I wish I could tell you that was going to happen, but I can't," Josh
said as he sat down
next to her on the bed.


"I just can't believe this," Donna sighed, tears welling up in her
eyes again. "Everything I
thought I knew about my life is a lie."


"Not everything," Josh corrected. "You know that I love you, and that
I'll be here with
you every step of the way. That's something you can count on."


"Thank God," Donna said as she laid her head on his shoulder, "I
don't know what I'd do
without you."


"You'll never have to find out," he promised.


"I have parents somewhere that I have absolutely no memory of," Donna
said, trying
desperately to grasp the concept.


"How do you feel about that?" Josh asked.


"It feels really strange," Donna said, "like I've been living someone
else's life for as long
as I can remember and now I have to chance to get my own back and
it's scary and
exciting at the same time."


"I can imagine," Josh said.


"Ward said that my father wasn't really a bad person. He said that he
just got caught up
in something he didn't understand."


"I'm sure that's true," Josh said quietly.


"Do you really think so?" Donna asked hopefully.


"Ward has no reason to lie," Josh said soothingly.


"I can't even imagine what it's going to be like to see them," Donna
said, her eyes
glowing.


"I'm sure it will be intense," Josh said. "They have spent the last
13 years believing you
were dead. This is going to be quite a shock for them. But it will be
the best possible kind
of shock."


"Thirteen years," Donna said, "that's a long time."


"Yes, it is. But you have to try not to focus on what happened in the
past, you need to
look to the future. You and your parents are going to have a long
time to get
reacquainted."


"I can't wait to see them, but I'm kind of nervous at the same time.
Will you be there
with me?"


"Absolutely."


"Josh, can I ask you a favor?"


"Anything, you know that."


"I'm worried about how my parents...my real parents, I mean...are
going to find out
about all of this. I don't want the FBI descending on their doorstep.
You know what I
mean?"


"I'll talk to Leo about it. I'm sure we can make arrangements to
handle it as gently as
possible."


"Thanks," Donna said, planting a soft kiss on his lips.


"First thing's first, though. We need to make sure that the
McWilliams' end up in jail
where they belong. It feels kind of strange referring to them that
way. I keep starting to
call them your parents."


"I know, it's weird isn't it?"


"It is for me, so I can only imagine how you must feel."


"Well, it's not like we were ever really close."


"I know, but you did consider them your family for the last thirteen
years."


"It's a lot to try to deal with," Donna sighed. "Are you sure you
want to head down this
road with me?"


"I'd head down any road with you," Josh smiled.


"I love you," Donna said, placing her hand on the back of his head
and pulling him in for
a passionate kiss.


"I love you too," Josh whispered as his lips met hers.








By the time Leo arrived back in the west wing, the senior staff was
assembled in the Oval
Office and the late afternoon staff meeting was in progress. He
entered quietly through
the door that connected his office to the President's. The President
finished his thought
and then yelled for his aide,


"Charlie."


"Yes, sir," Charlie asked, poking his head in the door.


"Please tell Abbey that Leo is back and ask her to join us if she's
free," Jed said.


"Yes, sir," Charlie said as he disappeared back out the door.


"Abbey wanted to be kept informed about any new developments," Jed
explained. "She'll
have my hide stuffed and mounted if I leave her out of the loop on
this one."


The members of the staff chuckled softly as they looked expectantly
at Leo.


"So is there anything new?" Jed asked.


"Quite a bit," Leo said seriously, "Maybe we should wait for Abbey."


Right on cue, the First Lady entered the office and crossed to sit
beside her husband.


"What did you find out, Leo?" she asked, getting right to the point.


"It's amazing," Leo said, shaking his head with disbelief. "I'm still
having trouble
processing it all."


"What is it?" Abbey asked, the concern growing in her voice.


"Is Donna okay?" CJ chimed in worriedly.


"Physically, she's fine," Leo assured them, "but emotionally, she
took a big blow today."


"How so?" Toby asked, his protective side beginning to come out in
full force.


"What happened, Leo?" Sam asked worriedly. "Please tell us!"


"I'm not sure where to start," Leo said, grasping for the right words
to explain the
situation.


"I've always found the beginning to be as good a place as any," Jed
said.


"Well," Leo began, "it all dates back to Donna's accident thirteen
years ago."


The staff listened in shocked amazement as Leo revealed all of the
details that had come
to light in the interrogation of Scott Ward. He told how Donna's
father had accidentally
become entangled in an illegal money-laundering plot, and how he had
tried to get out
when he became suspicious.


He recounted Ward's story of what happened on that country road the
day of Donna's
accident. He told how the Moss's had been tricked into believing that
they would be held
responsible for the deaths of the two troopers.


His voice cracked when he told how McWilliams had come back from the
crash sight and
told the Moss's that Donna was dead. How in their shock and grief,
they had agreed to
leave everything behind and spend the rest of their lives hiding out
in a remote area of
Canada.


He recited all of the crimes that David and Sally McWilliams were
wanted for, ranging
from petty theft and forgery to multiple counts of capital murder. He
described how the
McWilliams' had slipped into the identities of Gregory and Arlene
Moss, knowing that
the Moss's would never return to the United States.


Every eye in the room was damp as Leo detailed what had happened when
David
McWilliams found out that Donna was alive, how he had planned to kill
her before she
could talk to the police, but then realized that she had absolutely
no memory of anything
that had happened before the accident.


"So you see, she was the perfect cover," Leo said sadly.


"Unbelievable," Toby said.


"I knew that there was something evil about him just from talking to
him on the phone,"
Abbey said angrily.


"You were right as usual," the President said.


"What is being done now?" the First Lady demanded.


"Federal arrest warrants are being drawn up for the crimes that Ward
described, as well
as for the attempt on Donna's life. Added to the other outstanding
charges, it should be
enough to put both of them away forever."


"How long until they are behind bars?" Toby asked.


"Carpenter says 48 hours at the most."


"Well, I won't rest comfortably until that happens," Abbey stated.


"Why now?" Sam asked. "Why would they decide to kill Donna after all
of these years? I
don't get it."


"May I?" Toby asked Leo.


"Be my guest," Leo replied.


"Donna was the perfect cover for them She was who she said she was,
and that helped
legitimize their position as her parents. Hell, Donna breezed right
through the vetting
process. That must have pleased then very much. She was squeaky
clean, and they were
squeaky clean by association."


"Exactly," Leo said, nodding his head in agreement.


"If Donna had made a career as a faceless government employee,
everything would have
been fine. But then she fell in love with the Deputy Chief of Staff
and her picture began
appearing in the news. All of the sudden, she became a liability. If
someone were to see
that picture, someone that knew the real Gregory and Arlene Moss,
their entire charade
could be destroyed."


"Sadly, that's exactly right," Leo said. "So they decided to kill her
before that happened."


"How is Donna taking this?" CJ asked.


"I think she's in shock to tell you the truth," Leo said, "but she is
doing her best."


"And Josh?" Sam asked.


"About the same," Leo answered.


"Is Donna up for visitors?" Toby asked.


"I think the support of her friends might be just what the doctor
ordered," Leo smiled.


"Great," CJ said, "let's all head over there tonight as soon as we
can get things wrapped
up here."


"Great idea," Sam said. "I can be ready to go in a couple of hours."


"I have to head out to New Orleans in about half an hour," Abbey
said. "Please tell
Donna that I'm thinking about her and that she should feel free to
call me if she needs to
talk."


"I'll tell her," Leo said.


"Then let's call this meeting to an end, so that you can all finish
up the things you need to
do and get over to the hospital," Jed said.


He was met with a chorus of "Yes, sir," as the staff members all
headed back to their
respective offices.








It was 8PM by the time that Leo, CJ, Toby and Sam managed to get away
from the White
House and make their way over to the hospital.


Josh and Donna were sitting on the bed watching CNN when they heard a
knock on the
door.


"Are you up for visitors?" CJ asked, poking her head into the room.


"Of course," Donna smiled.


CJ opened the door and the entire senior staff poured into the room.


"You all came!" Donna said excitedly.


"Of course we did," Sam said, brandishing two large brown paper
bags, "And we
smuggled in some Chinese food."


"Excellent," Josh said.


"You guys are too much," Donna smiled broadly.


"That's what friends are for," CJ said.


Within minutes, Sam had dashed off to the vending machine and
returned with an
armload of sodas while the others had unpacked all of the food. Josh
was fixing Donna a
plate when the phone rang. He took very little notice of the
conversation until he heard
the panic in her voice and saw the look of terror on her face. She
tried to place the
receiver back in its cradle, but she missed and it crashed to the
floor.


"What is it?" Josh asked, moving immediately to her side.


"That was my par...er...the McWilliams'. They are at JFK in New York,
about to get
on a connecting flight to Dulles. They will be here in a couple of
hours," she said, as her whole body began to shake.
"Oh, God," Josh said softly as he wrapped his arms around Donna,
trying in vain to calm
her shaking.


"What am I going to do?" she said in a panicked tone that nearly
broke Josh's heart.


"The first thing we're going to do," Leo said, taking control of the
situation, "is call John
Carpenter and let him know what is going on."


He moved over to Donna's bedside where she sat with her head buried
in Josh's chest.
Her tremors didn't seem to be subsiding at all, and her sobs were
absolutely
heartwrenching. Josh stared at Leo with a look of complete
helplessness.


"Can you tell me exactly what they said?" Leo asked in as soothing a
tone as possible. He
placed one hand softly on Donna's back and the other hand firmly on
Josh's shoulder,
trying to give each of them the support they desperately needed.


"He said that they had decided to come here and see how I was doing.
They are at JFK
and are just about ready to board a flight to Dulles. They said that
they would see me in a
couple of hours," Donna said, taking deep breaths and trying to
control her sobbing.


"Ok," Leo said calmly, "CJ, you and Sam head back and get ready to
deal with the press.
When this arrest goes down we are going to need to issue a statement
immediately. Just
the facts though, we answer no questions about Donna's personal
connection to this
case."


"Gotcha," CJ said, slipping effortlessly into Press Secretary mode.


Josh threw Leo a grateful look as he continued to hold tightly to
Donna, stroking her back
in an attempt to calm her.


"Toby, you and I will head over to see Carpenter and coordinate
things from there."


Toby nodded.


"Josh, you stay here and keep an eye on Donna. We'll be back as soon
as we have a plan
in place."


"What plan?" Josh snapped. "I want them picked up before they get
anywhere near this
room. Do you understand me? Donna isn't going to be a decoy in this!"


"I agree," Leo said adamantly. "I just meant that I'll call you as
soon as we have a clearer
picture of what is going on."


"Fine," Josh said.


"Did they mention a flight number or any other details?" Toby asked
Donna.


"I don't think so," Donna said. "I'm sorry, I was just so shocked to
hear that voice that
I...I should have paid closer attention."


"You did fine," Toby assured her.


Sam and CJ each approached the bed and gave Donna a reassuring pat on
the shoulder.


"I'll be back later," CJ said softly.


"You hang in there," Sam said, directing his comment to both Josh and
Donna.


"Thanks," Donna said, raising her head from Josh's chest, and trying
but failing to
manage a small smile.


Toby was already dialing his cell as he and Leo headed for the door.


"Let us know immediately if you hear anything else," Leo reminded
them.


"We will. And you keep in touch," Josh returned.


"It's almost over now," Josh cooed into Donna's ear as he pulled her
back to his chest,
"It's almost over now."








"Did she buy it?" Sally McWilliams asked as her husband hung up the
pay phone.


"Hook, line and sinker," he sneered. "Good thing hospital telephones
don't have caller
ID."


"You're right," Sally smiled wickedly as she turned around and saw
George Washington
Memorial Hospital looming less that a block away. "What do we do now?"


"Now, my dear, we put our plan into action. We have to take advantage
of the element of
surprise."


"You're sure all this is necessary?" she asked.


"I'm sure," he hissed. "I could tell by the tone in Ward's voice that
something is going
on. These people are up to something and I'm not going to let them
get the jump on me.
They aren't expecting us for another two hours. Lets give them a
little surprise. With any
luck, Donna will be dead by nightfall, and then we'll be on our way
to Rio."








Now that the news had had a while to sink in, Donna's heart rate was
beginning to return
to normal and her sobs were subsiding. She lifted her head up off of
Josh's shirt, which
was soaked with her tears, and placed her forehead against his.


"I'm sorry..." she began.


"Stop it, Donna!" Josh said. "You have nothing to be sorry for."


"I didn't think I had any tears left," she said, reaching for a
Kleenex on the table beside
the bed.


"Well..." Josh said, indicating the front of his shirt, "apparently
you do."


That brought a small smile to Donna's tear stained face, and Josh
leaned over and planted
a soft kiss on her cheek.


"I know how hard this has been on you," he said, "but you have been
handling it like a
real trooper. You have nothing to be ashamed of."


"Well, it's only because I've had you with me every step of the way."


Before Josh could tell Donna that he would always be with her, no
matter what, the sound
of a shrill alarm split the air.


"What's that?" Donna asked anxiously.


"I'm not sure but I'll check," Josh said, "You stay right here."


Before Josh got more than five steps away from the bed, the door flew
open and one of
the guards stepped in, followed by a cloud of smoke.


"What's going on?" Josh asked worriedly.


"There's a fire on this floor somewhere," the guard answered. "The
corridors are filling
with smoke. They are evacuating all of the patients."


"How bad is it?" Donna asked, sliding out of bed and pulling on her
robe.


"We're not sure," the guard answered. "but the smoke is getting
pretty thick, so we
should get going now."


"Ok," Josh said, pulling Donna tightly to his side as they followed
the guard out the door.








"Are you absolutely positive?" the DCPD police chief barked into the
phone. "Fine. Get
as many officers as you can spare over there immediately. I want you
to find Ms. Moss
and Mr. Lyman as soon as possible and make sure that they are safe."


"What's going on?" Leo demanded before the chief had even hung up the
phone.


"Apparently there is a fire over at GW. Several floors are being
evacuated."


"Any injuries?" Toby asked.


"It's too early to tell," the Chief answered, "but I'm dispatching
every available man over
there just in case."


"We need to locate Josh and Donna as soon as possible," Leo barked.


"My officers are on it," the Chief said.


Suddenly, John Carpenter burst into the room, yelling into his cell
phone.


"Dammit, how did this happen?" he screamed. "Get over there and set
up a perimeter
right away. I'll be there in 15 minutes."


"What now?" Toby asked, alarm apparent in his voice and on his face.


"The McWilliams' left JFK on a flight for Dulles over three hours
ago. They must have
already been in DC when they called Donna's room."


"Oh, God," Leo said, feeling his stomach drop, "do you think they had
anything to do
with the fire?"


"Fire?" Carpenter asked quizzically.


"There's a fire over at GW," Toby blurted out, "They are evacuating
patients as we
speak."


"Get Lyman on the phone," Carpenter said as the four men began moving
towards the
door, "Fill him in on what's happening and tell him that we'll be
there as soon as we
can."


Leo held the phone to his ear, counting rings as they headed out of
the building on
something close to a dead run.


"No answer," he said as he slammed his phone shut and slid into the
back seat of
Carpenter's car. "We better move!"








"My partner went down to pull the car around front," the guard
informed Josh and Donna
as they made their way down the smoke filled corridor. "We're going
to get you out of
here and take you to headquarters for the time being."


Donna was clinging tightly to Josh's side. They were both squinting
their eyes against the
stinging smoke, and Donna was beginning to cough violently.


"Good idea," Josh said, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and
placing it over
Donna's mouth and nose to try to help her breath more easily.


The officer pushed open the door to the stairwell, and Josh was glad
to see that the smoke
wasn't nearly as thick in there. They began descend towards the
ground floor as quickly
as possible.


As they rounded the bend in the steps, an arm came seemingly out of
nowhere and
clubbed the officer on the back of the head with an iron pipe. Josh
and Donna both froze
in shock as a man moved out of the shadows.


The scream stuck in Donna's throat as she began to back away, her
eyes filled with terror.
Josh didn't need an introduction; he had seen a picture of this man
on the desk in
Donna's cubicle.


He was holding a handgun, pointed directly at them. Josh quickly
moved in front of
Donna, shielding her from McWilliams as much as possible.


"That's very noble, Mr. Lyman," the man snarled, "but if you think I
would hesitate for
one second to kill you, you are sadly mistaken."


"You leave him alone!" Donna screamed, finally managing to find her
voice. "Josh
doesn't have anything to do with this. I'm the one you want, let him
go."


"I'm not going anywhere without you," Josh said adamantly.


"Please," Donna sobbed, "I can't let anything happen to you because
of me."


"Shut up!" McWilliams shouted. "This is all very touching but
completely pointless. I'm
here to kill both of you."


"Josh hasn't done anything to you," Donna screamed.


"Nothing could be further from the truth," McWilliams hissed. "If he
had followed the
rules like a good boss and not fallen in love with his secretary, we
wouldn't even be here.
Sally and I would be back in Wisconsin playing the roles of Gregory
and Arlene Moss
and no one would be the wiser."


"As soon as pictures of the two of you as a happy couple started
appearing in every
newspaper in the country, I knew that it was only a matter of time
until we were found
out. My only mistake was in not killing you myself to begin with."


With those words, McWilliams began trying to push past Josh to get to
Donna.


"You leave her alone!!" Josh said, fighting to keep his body between
Donna and the man
who was intent on ending her life.


"Have it your way, Mr. Lyman," McWilliams said, pressing the barrel
of his gun against
Josh's head. "You go first. It will just be a little bonus for me
that Donna has to watch the
man she loves die."


Suddenly, there was a commotion at the top of the stairs and
McWilliams was
momentarily distracted. Josh took of advantage of this to push the
man's arm away and
grab Donna. He was about to pull her down the stairs when he heard
voices yelling, and
then the sound of gunshots filled the air.


Josh immediately pushed Donna to the floor and covered her body with
his, while he
wrapped his arms around her head. He sent up a silent prayer for her
safety as bullets
ricocheted off the walls all around them.


As quickly as the gunshots had started, they stopped. Josh lay
perfectly still, continuing
to protect Donna as much as possible until he heard the familiar
voice of John Carpenter
saying that both suspects were in custody. Only then did Josh raise
his head.


His immediate concern was for Donna.


"Honey, are you ok?" he asked, leaning over and stroking the hair
away from her face.


"I think so," Donna answered haltingly, the terror still clearly
evident in her eyes. "Are
you ok?"


"I'm fine," Josh assured her. He stood up slowly and leaned down to
help her up.
She winced from the pain in her shoulder as she struggled to get to
her feet.


"You're hurt," Josh said worriedly.


"No," Donna assured him, "I just fell kind of hard on my sore
shoulder."


"We'll get a doctor to look at it right away," Josh insisted.


At that moment, John Carpenter came up from the stairs from the
landing below them.
"Are you two alright?" he asked.


"We're fine," Josh said.


For the first time, both Josh and Donna noticed the police moving
David McWilliams
down onto the landing below.


"Is he d..dead?" Donna stammered.


"No, just wounded. He'll live long enough to face trial for all of
his crimes, and so will
his accomplice,"
Carpenter said, indicating Sally McWilliams, who had been stationed
on the landing one
floor up acting as a lookout.


Donna looked up, and the woman whom she had thought of as a mother
for the last
thirteen years fixed her with a venomous stare.


"You bitch!!!" Sally screamed. "This is all your fault. We should
have killed you all
those years ago when we had the chance."


"That's enough," Carpenter yelled to one of the officers. "Get her
out of here."


"Donna, are you ok?" Josh asked quietly.


"Can we please just get out of here?" Donna asked, her voice
quivering with emotion.


"Anything you want," Josh said.








Several hours later, Donna was settled in a room on a different floor
of the hospital. She
had begged to be allowed to go home, but both Josh and the doctors
felt that it would be
better for her to stay in the hospital for a few more days.


"I still think I'm well enough to be discharged," Donna insisted as
she towel-dried her
hair. She had showered three times in an effort to get rid of the
smell of smoke.


"Are we going to go through this again?" Josh asked. "I told you that
I talked to the First
Lady and she agreed that you should stay for a few more days, but if
you want me to
insist she come down here and tell you herself..."


"Calling the First Lady is cheating," Donna pouted.


"You work with what you have," Josh smirked.


There was a soft knock on the door, and then Leo poked his head in.


"Can I come in?" he asked.


"Of course," Donna smiled.


"What's the news?" Josh asked.


"It's very good as a matter of fact," Leo said. "There were no major
injuries to report and
the damage to the hospital is mostly minor, largely smoke and water
related. Everything
should be back to normal in about a week."


"Thank God," Josh and Donna said in unison.


"So I guess we can put this one in the win column. Donna is fine, and
both the
McWilliams' and Scott Ward are in jail for a long time," Leo said
happily.


"Actually, there's still one more thing," Donna said nervously, as
tears welled up in her
eyes.


"What?" Leo asked with concern.


"My real parents are still out there somewhere," Donna said quietly.


"We're going to find them," Josh said reassuringly. "We're going to
let them know that
you are still alive."


"I'm so sorry," Leo said apologetically. "With everything else that
has been going on, I
completely forgot about them. I'm very sorry, Donna."


"That's ok," she sighed. "It's really not your problem; it's mine."


"Don't say that. We all want to help you," Leo said. "And to that
end, I'm going to call
John Carpenter and see if he has made any headway on finding out the
exact location
where they have been living."


"Thanks, Leo," Donna said.


"My pleasure," he answered as he slipped out into the hallway.


Josh moved to sit behind Donna on the bed and began running a comb
through her wet
hair.


"What are you thinking about?" he asked after a few moments of
complete silence.


"I'm just worried about how my parents are going to find out," Donna
said as the tears
began to flow down her cheeks. "If a bunch of federal agents show up
on their doorstep it
might frighten them, or make them run, and then I'd never get a
chance to see them."


"I'll talk to Carpenter," Josh insisted. "I'll make sure that it
doesn't happen that way."


"Will you?" Donna asked hopefully.


"I will," Josh assured her. "I'll make sure that this is handled
tactfully, and I'll arrange
for you to see your parents as soon as possible."


"Thank you," Donna said, turning around to face him and rewarding him
with the first
full wattage smile she had managed since the explosion in the parking
garage.


"You're welcome," Josh beamed as he planted a kiss on the tip of her
nose.


"Just make sure that whoever goes there to talk to them understands
the situation. I don't
want them to misinterpret things."


"Would it make you feel better if I went there and talked to them
myself?" Josh asked.


"Would you do that?" Donna said hopefully.


"I would do anything for you," Josh said.


"How was I ever lucky enough to find you?" Donna asked, wrapping her
one good arm
around the Josh's neck.


"The luck was all mine," he smiled as he pulled her towards him for a
deep and
passionate kiss.


Leo approached Donna's hospital room, nodded absently to the guards,
and pushed the
door open slowly. As he entered, he saw Donna sleeping on the
bed,curled up on her side,
with Josh sitting next to her in a chair.


"Hey," Josh whispered, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He indicated the
door, and he and Leo
slipped quietly into the hallway.


"She only managed to fall asleep a little over an hour ago," Josh
explained. "I don't want
to do anything to disturb her; she really needs the rest."


"You look like you could use a little sleep yourself," Leo said.


"I'm fine," Josh said dismissively. "Did you find out anything new?"


"Quite a bit actually," Leo answered.


The two men moved down the hallway and took a seat in a deserted
waiting
room. Leo removed a folder from his briefcase and handed it to Josh.


"Carpenter ran a complete background check on the real Gregory and
Arlene Moss," he
began. "It seems like everything Ward said is true. By all accounts,
Greg Moss was a
good man who just made an error in judgment and ended up in way over
his head."


"He's sure?" Josh asked.


"He's positive," Leo said with a degree of certainty that was
unmistakable. "Let me give
it to you in a nutshell. Gregory and Arlene Moss were high school
sweethearts who
married when she was 17 and he was 19. Immediately afterwards, he was
drafted and
did two tours of Vietnam. He was discharged after he lost two fingers
and part of his
hand in an enemy attack. He came back home and, within a year, Donna
was born."


Josh nodded, listening to every word Leo said, while at the same time
looking intently at
the information in the file that Carpenter had provided.


"They settled down on a farm in Wisconsin and were, by all
appearances, leading a
normal, happy, middle-class life. Unfortunately, a few years of bad
weather and crop
failures in the mid-eighties spelled disaster. They held on as long
as they could, but
eventually the farm was seized and sold."


"They moved around some in the years that followed. Greg Moss was
basically just
looking for a way to support his wife and teenage daughter. He ended
up in Northern
Wisconsin running a little car lot, and trying desperately to make
ends meet. Suddenly
David McWilliams appeared with what looked a fairly legitimate
opportunity to make a
few extra dollars, and Moss jumped at it."


"Fairly legitimate?" Josh asked, cocking his eyebrow.


"Moss was convinced that all he was doing was laundering some of
McWilliams'
gambling winnings. A bit ethically questionable I agree, but hardly
something to put you
on the Most Wanted list."


"The poor guy was in an awful position. He had moved his family five
times in three
years trying to find steady work. He had a teenage daughter who was
smart as
a whip, and he was staring four years of college right in the face
with no idea how he was
going to pay for it. I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same
thing in his position."


"As soon as he started to realize that the money wasn't from gambling
winnings, he tried
to get out. That's when McWilliams set up the whole plan to steal his
identity."


"I just need to make sure, Leo," Josh said adamantly. "Donna has been
through a lot
these last few weeks. I'm not going to let anyone else hurt her. I'm
not sure she could
take it. I just need to make sure that her real parents are the kind
of people we think they
are."


"I'm worried about Donna too," Leo said, "but I am also looking at
this as a parent. I
can't even imagine what these people have been going through for the
last thirteen years.
I'm sure that it's been Hell."


"I'm sure you're right." Josh agreed.


"They're good people, Josh. They just got caught up in a horrific
nightmare."


"I guess you're right," Josh sighed, scrubbing his face with his
hands. "I'm just being a
little overprotective."


"Completely understandable," Leo smiled, grasping Josh's shoulder
firmly. "That's what
men do for the women they love."


"I do love her," Josh smiled.


"I know," Leo answered, "and that's why I've arranged for you to
accompany Carpenter
to Canada to bring Donna's parents back."


"Carpenter is going personally?" Josh asked suspiciously.


"He wants a chance to explain the situation to them, but his motives
aren't completely
altruistic. He also wants to get statements from them about what
happened that day on the
highway when the troopers died. They are the only other people
besides the McWilliams'
and Ward who know what happened."


"This is going to be a lot for them to handle." Josh said.


"It certainly is. Are you sure you want to be the one to tell them?"


"I'm sure," Josh nodded. "What time do we leave?"


"You're booked on a flight out of Dulles in two hours," Leo said.


"Ok, I just need to say goodbye to Donna, and then run home and grab
a few things."


"I'll call Carpenter and let him know that you'll meet him at the
airport."


"Good," Josh said as he stood and headed back down the hall towards
Donna's room.
Suddenly he turned back, "Um, Leo," he faltered, "I was wondering if
you could do me a
favor..."


"Yes, Josh," Leo chuckled. "I'll watch after Donna while you're away."


"Thanks," Josh smiled as he headed back towards Donna's room.








As Josh slipped back into the room, he saw that Donna was awake.


"Hi there," he said cheerily.


"Hi yourself," she answered. "Is everything ok?"


"Everything is fine," he smiled. "Actually, better than fine." He
hesitated for a moment
and then continued. "Leo came by to say that John Carpenter is flying
up to Canada today
to talk to your parents."


"Really?" Donna asked, her voice full of nervousness and excitement.


"Yep," Josh answered. "And I'm going to go with him to make sure that
everything goes
smoothly."


Donna's face broke out into a huge smile. "Thank you," she said as
she threw her arms
around Josh's neck. "I'm so glad that you are going to be there."


"I told you I would," Josh said, burying his face in her hair.


"I know you did. I'm just...I don't know...scared and anxious and
excited all at the
same time. And I'm worried about..." Donna stopped mid sentence.


Josh pulled back and looked into Donna's big blue eyes. "Worried
about what?" he
asked.


"It's been so long," Donna sighed sadly. "They might wonder why I
haven't contacted
them. They might not understand everything that happened. They might
think that I
abandoned them," she said, as tears began to fill her eyes.


"They won't think any of that, Donna," Josh said, stroking her back
soothingly. "They
will just be happy to find out that you are ok. And I'll explain the
rest to them."


"Thanks," Donna whispered, placing a soft kiss on Josh's lips.


"You're very welcome," he answered, pulling her into his arms and
holding her tightly,
trying to alleviate some of her anxiety.


"When are you leaving?" she asked.


"I have to run home and grab a few things, then meet John Carpenter
at the airport in an
hour or so," he answered.


"Ok," she sighed, "you better get going then. You'll call me?"


"I promise," he smiled. "As soon as I know anything."


"And you'll hurry back?" she asked.


"I won't stay away a minute longer than is absolutely necessary."


"I love you," Donna said softly.


"I love you too," Josh answered as he placed a soft kiss on the tip
of her nose.









The First Lady entered Donna's room, preceded by two rather large
Secret Service
agents. As soon as they were convinced that the room was clear, they
dropped back and
stood by the door.


"How are you feeling, Donna?" Abbey asked.


"I'm fine, ma'am," Donna answered. "I didn't realize that you were
coming by today."


"Well, Leo told me that Josh left for Canada this morning, so I
decided to come by and
see if you needed some company."


"Thank you, ma'am," Donna said softly.


"It's just us girls, Donna. Please call me Abbey."


"Yes, ma'am...um Abbey," Donna sputtered.


"Leo filled me in on everything that happened when I was out of town.
Are you feeling
ok?" Abbey asked.


"I'm doing the best I can," Donna said earnestly. "To be honest, I'm
still trying to get
used to everything. It's a lot to adjust to."


"I'm sure it is," Abbey agreed. "And I understand that Josh is
bringing your parents back
from Canada with him."


"I guess so," Donna said, biting her lip nervously, "if they want to
come."


"What do you mean by that?" Abbey asked. "It's going to be the
happiest day of their
lives when they find out that you are alive. Why wouldn't they want
to come?"


"I don't know," Donna said, fighting back tears. "It's just all
happening so quickly, and I
know that I'm scared and confused, and I've had time to let this all
set in. They are going
to get it all tossed in their laps, and I'm just not sure how they
will react."


Abbey sat on the edge of the bed. She took Donna's hand and looked
directly into her
eyes.


"Listen to me, Donna. I'm speaking to you as a mother now. Your
parents are going to be
ecstatic when they find out that you're alive. Whatever else
happened, all of the
unpleasant memories and the years that have passed between then and
now, those things
aren't going to matter."


"I'm sure that they never would have left the country if they had
known you were alive.
They would have stayed and faced whatever consequences came their
way. Their grief
and despair over thinking you were dead was undoubtedly a large part
of what made
them take off."


"You really believe that everything is going to work out?" Donna
asked desperately.


"I've read the file," Abbey said soothingly. "Your parents weren't
criminals. They just
trusted the wrong people. They've paid an awfully heavy price for
that, and so have you.
It's time that all three of you find a little peace."


"I hope you're right," Donna said.


"Aren't I always?" Abbey teased.


"Yes," Donna laughed, feeling more relaxed than she had in quite
awhile, "as a matter of
fact you are."


"That's the spirit," Abbey smiled. "Now I have an idea. Lets call CJ
and see if she wants
to round up some of the other girls and get over here. We'll order
pizza, and I'll bribe one
of the agents to run out and smuggle us in a few beers. We'll have a
nice relaxing girls
night while we wait for Josh to call."


Are you sure?" Donna asked unsurely. "Do you really have the time to
spend here with
me?"


"I always have time for my friends," Abbey smiled. "Besides, I didn't
become some sort
of robot when I became First Lady. I still like to let my hair down
once in awhile. It's just
that no one invites me to girls night anymore."


"Well, we'll just have to change that," Donna said brightly.


"Excellent," Abbey intoned. "I'll go convince Rocky to go buy us
beer. It will make me
feel like I'm in high school again, trying to get someone else to buy
alcohol for me."


Donna laughed, "I'll call CJ and then order the pizzas."
Josh and Carpenter rented a car at the airport, and headed out
immediately for the
house where the Mosses were living. They figured it to be about a two
hour drive from
the airport in Montreal.


They made excellent time, and found the town more quickly than they
had expected. As
they were getting closer, Carpenter asked quietly, "Are you ready for
this?"


"Let's do it," Josh said.


Ten minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of a small, well
kept-home with no
neighbors as far as the eye could see. There was a nondescript blue
sedan in the driveway
and laundry hanging on a clothesline in the side yard.


As the men got out of the car, they saw two people coming around the
side of the house.


Josh froze.


The woman walking towards him was the spitting image of Donna, only
older. She had
the same bone structure and the same piercing blue eyes. She was
accompanied by a
well-built man with tanned skin and weathered features.


Josh's eyes traveled immediately to the man's hand. His heart started
to beat faster as he
saw that he was missing two fingers.


These were Donna's parents. There was no doubt it.


Mr. Moss regarded them suspiciously. "Can I help you?" he asked.


Josh suddenly remembered his promise to Donna to make sure that
things were handled
as gently as possible. Before Carpenter could open his mouth, Josh
stepped forward and
said, "Hello. My name is Josh Lyman and this is John Carpenter. We're
here to talk to
you about David and Sally McWilliams."


"Who exactly are you?" Gregory Moss asked as he took a step forward
and placed
himself between his wife and Josh.


"I work at the White House," Josh said steadily, "and Mr. Carpenter
is Director of the
FBI."


A look of complete resignation crossed Gregory's face as he put his
hands out in front of
his body.


"I knew this day was coming," he said softly. "I won't give you any
trouble. But my wife
had nothing to do with this. Please leave her alone."


"I don't think you understand..." Carpenter began.


Josh interrupted him saying, "Would it be possible for us to go
inside and talk?"


"Of course," Arlene said shakily, unable to hide the fear in her
voice, "right this way."


Soon the four of them entered a small but cozy living room. "Can I
get you something to
drink?" Arlene asked nervously.


"No, thank you," Josh said. "I think we should just talk."


Donna's parents perched on the edge of the couch, while Josh and
Carpenter pulled the
rooms two chairs over to face them.


"I won't give you any trouble," Moss said again, the resignation
clear in his voice.


Josh shot Carpenter a glance that clearly said, 'Proceed with
caution'.


"I don't think you understand, sir," Carpenter said quietly, "I'm not
here to arrest you.
Quite the opposite in fact. I'm here to tell you that you have been
the victim of a terrible
misunderstanding."


"There is no warrant out for your arrest, or for the arrest of your
wife. The FBI was never
looking for you in conjunction with what happened to the troopers
that day in
Wisconsin."


"What are you saying?" Gregory asked, a stunned statement crossing
his face.


"I'm saying," Carpenter continued, "that you were duped by David and
Sally
McWilliams because you had something they wanted. An arrest free
background. They
needed to find new identities for themselves, and you just happened
to be the unlucky
people they chose."


"But I was taking the money across the border..." Moss said.


Josh cast a glance at Arlene Moss and saw a myriad of emotions
crossing her face all at
the same time. Relief, anger, confusion, sadness, and then pain. He
could tell by her
statement that she was reliving the events of that fateful day in
her mind.


"We have both Mr. Ward and the McWilliams' in custody," Carpenter
said. "We know
exactly what went on that day. We also know about the events that led
up to it. If you are
guilty of anything, Mr. Moss, it's bad judgment. Nothing worse. There
are no charges
pending against you in the states, and none will be filed. You're
free to return to America
whenever you wish."


"I can never go back there," Gregory Moss said as tears pooled in his
eyes. "Not after
what I did."


"What do you mean?" Josh asked.


"I killed my daughter that day, Mr. Lyman. I deserve to be punished,
and to never be
forgiven."


Josh was stunned by the depth of self-loathing that he saw in
Gregory's eyes. The man
had clearly been punishing himself relentlessly for every moment of
the last thirteen
years.


"Mr. Moss..." Josh began, but he was cut off.


"I should never have allowed Donna to go with me that day. I should
have known that it
wasn't safe. But she wanted to go because she had never been to
Canada. She thought it
would be fun and interesting to cross the border."


Josh couldn't help but smile, thinking that that would be exactly the
kind of thing that
Donna would still consider fun. Even though her memory of her
childhood was gone,
parts of her personality had obviously survived intact.


Arlene Moss placed her arm around her husband's shoulders as tears
began to course
down her cheeks. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered. "you had no
way of knowing."


In an instant, Josh realized that everything Leo had said about
Donna's parents was true.
They were two people who had been caught up in a nightmare, through
very little fault of
their own. Their mistakes had been benign, yet they had suffered more
in the last thirteen
years than anyone could imagine.


Josh cleared his throat, then moved across the room and knelt in
front of the Mosses.


A lump rose in his throat as he looked at the emotion on their
faces. "Mr. And Mrs. Moss,"
he said, "you have been the victims of a lot of misinformation in
this situation, and it has
caused you a lot of pain."


"Mr. Lyman, I deserve any and all pain..." Gregory began.


"Please let me finish," Josh interrupted. "Ward and McWilliams told
you a great many
lies that day, and on all of the days since, but the worst thing they
ever did was to tell you
that Donna was dead."


Arlene Moss clutched her husband's hand convulsively. "What are you
saying?" she
asked. "And how do you know our daughter's name?"


Josh reached out and took the Moss's clasped hands in his own. "I
know because Donna
wasn't killed in the accident that day."


"You don't know what you're talking about," Gregory cried. "Our
daughter is dead. We
heard the explosion. We drove past and we saw the car burning. Donna
is gone."


"No," Josh said quietly, "Donna was thrown from the car, She wasn't
in it when the fire
started. She did suffer a severe head injury though. The truth is
that Donna has absolutely
no memory of her life before the accident, but she is very much
alive."


"Oh my God," Arlene Moss sobbed. "Are you sure?"


"I'm positive," Josh said.


"Why are you saying this?" Gregory Moss shouted. "Donna is dead. Ward
told us many
times. We gave him flowers, and he said that he would put them on her
grave."


"Ward was lying to you," Josh said softly, reaching into his back
pocket and pulling out
his wallet. He slowly slipped out a picture of he and Donna that was
taken at a State
Dinner the year before. He handed it the Mosses. They both stared at
the picture with
wonder in their eyes.


"Donna was lied to also. When she woke up after the accident, she
didn't remember
anything. David McWilliams had stayed close to her bedside,
determined to keep her
from talking to the police. When he realized that she didn't remember
anything, he saw it as an opportunity. He and Sally took Donna home
from the hospital
and assumed the role of her parents."


"Oh my God," Gregory Moss said, clearly stunned. Then both of Donna's
parents
collapsed in hysterical tears. Josh didn't even try to hold back his
own emotions as he
watched the Mosses clinging to each other and staring at the picture.


"She's alive," Gregory Moss said as he traced the outline of Donna's
face with his finger.
"She's really alive."


"Yes, she is," Josh smiled.


"Is she alright?" Arlene asked. "Did the McWilliams' mistreat her?"


"She's fine," Josh hurried to reassure them. "She is in the hospital
in DC right now or she
would have been here herself. She is anxious to see you."


"The hospital? What's wrong with her?" Gregory Moss asked, panic in
his voice.


"A few weeks ago, McWilliams decided that she was too big a threat to
his secret, and he
hired someone to eliminate her. They put a bomb in her car. Luckily
she
wasn't in it when it exploded. She suffered some fairly serious
injuries, but she is
recovering nicely."


"When McWilliams came to DC and tried to finish the job himself, he
was arrested. With
the evidence we already have, and with your testimony about what
happened that day, he
will be in prison for the rest of his life."


"But Donna is ok? You're sure?" Arlene asked.


"I'm positive," Josh said. "I talked to her right before I left."


"And she wants to see us?" Gregory asked.


"Yes!" Josh answered emphatically. "From the minute that she found
out that the McWilliams' weren't
her real parents, and that you were still alive, she has been making
plans to see you."


"When can we see her?" Gregory asked eagerly.


John Carpenter had been standing back watching the situation unfold
in front of him. "As
soon as you're ready," he said, "we can get a flight back to
Washington."


"Lets go," Gregory Moss said.


"Don't you need some time to get ready?" Carpenter asked.


"Our daughter is out there, the daughter we have thought was dead for
the last thirteen
years. What could possibly be more important than that?" Gregory Moss
asked.


"I'll call the airport," Josh chimed in excitedly.









Thirty minutes later, they were all four back in the rental car and
driving towards the airport.
Gregory and Arlene Moss were still in a state of shock, but there was
a definite
difference. The pain and agony in their eyes had been replaced by
happiness and
anticipation.


"Why now?" Gregory asked. "Why did this all come to a head now?"


Josh turned from his position in the passenger's side of the front
seat and faced the
Mosses who were riding in the back.


"I'm afraid that's partly my fault," Josh said, his voice becoming
quieter.


"How so?" Arlene asked, reaching up and placing her hand on Josh's
shoulder in a move
reminiscent of Donna.


"You see," Josh said, "I'm very much in love with your daughter."


"And?" Arlene prompted him.


"And, in my position, Donna and I attend quite a few high profile
functions. The Press
picked up on our relationship, and our picture started appearing in
newspapers and on
television. McWilliams was afraid that someone who had known Donna,
possibly even
the two of you, would see us and would uncover his scheme."


"It wasn't your fault," Arlene said as she rubbed Josh's shoulder.


Josh stared in amazement at the woman sitting in the backseat. He
wondered how, after
everything she had been through in the last decade plus, she was
there to offer
comfort to him, even though she had only known him for a few hours.
Now he knew
where Donna got her compassionate personality. He placed his hand
over Arlene's and
said, "Thank you."


John Carpenter sat back and listened as Josh, Gregory and Arlene
chatted animatedly for
the entire drive to the airport. They continued right on through
boarding and the entire
flight back to Dulles.


Josh filled Donna's parents in on how she had had hired herself as
his assistant, and the
years they had spent working together in the White House. The Moss's
eyes shone with
pride as Josh told them what an invaluable part of the Bartlet
administration their
daughter was.


Gregory and Arlene regaled Josh with stories of Donna's childhood,
including her time
on the farm. They told stories of a happy, open, loving child..very
much like the adult
woman that Josh had fallen in love with.


There had always been a pall cast over Donna's childhood in the
version told by
the McWilliams'. Josh was certain that their tales of difficulty and
rebellion had only
added to the insecurity that Donna felt in her late teens and early
twenties; the kind of
insecurity that led her into a relationship with a loser like Dr.
Freeride. The stories he was
hearing now were completely different, and he couldn't wait for Donna
to get a chance to
hear them for herself.


Josh had decided not to call Donna and let her know they were on
their way until they
landed. He didn't want her to have too much time to get nervous.


When the plane set down at Dulles, they all headed for the exit.
Gregory and Arlene had
been in such a hurry to see Donna that they had declined to take the
time to pack luggage.
They, like Josh and Carpenter, had simply thrown the bare essentials
into a carry-on.


As they headed for the parking lot, Carpenter turned to Gregory. "I'd
like to set up an
appointment for you to come in and give your statement as soon as
possible," he said.


"Ok," Gregory Moss said, "as soon as we've had a chance to see Donna."


"Take your time," Carpenter said. "I'll call in a few days and set
something up."


"You're not coming to the hospital?" Josh asked.


"No, I'm headed back to the office. Give Donna my best though."


"I will," Josh said, reaching out and shaking Carpenter's
hand. "Thanks for all of your
help."


"My pleasure," Carpenter smiled.


As Carpenter walked away, Josh led Donna's parents across the parking
lot to his car. As
they got in, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the hospital.
Within a minute, he was
connected with Donna's room.


"Hello," the soft voice on the other end of the phone said.


"Hi, beautiful," Josh said. "How are you feeling?"


Gregory and Arlene Moss smiled at each other in the back seat.


"I'm fine," Donna said. "How is everything there?"


"Well, everything here is fine. But here may not be exactly where you
think here is."


"Could you be a little less clear?" Donna laughed.


"I doubt it," Josh answered lightly.


"Let me try again," Donna said. "Where are you?"


"I'm in the parking lot at Dulles right now, on my way over to the
hospital."


Josh heard silence on the other end of the line. In her hospital
room, Donna's mood
crumbled.


"Donna? Are you ok?" Josh asked.


"Did something go wrong?" Donna sobbed.


"No, quite the opposite," Josh assured her. "I'm on the way over to
see you, and your
parents are with me."


"Really? Oh my God, are you serious? They're here in D.C.?"


"We're on our way. We'll be there soon."


Donna said goodbye and hung up the phone. Her heart raced with
anticipation. She
couldn't believe that she was actually going to see her parents..her
real parents..in just a matter of minutes.








By the time Josh opened the door of Donna's hospital room, she was
perched on the edge
of her bed, her heart about to burst out of her chest.


She stared at Josh, her eyes wide with anticipation. Josh pushed the
door open wider and
Gregory and Arlene  stepped in behind him.


For a moment, everything in the room was still. No one moved, it
almost felt like no one
breathed. If this had been a movie, all of the memories of Donna's
childhood would have
come flooding back to her in one joyous moment when she saw the faces
of her parents.


That didn't happen.


What Donna got was something much, much better. It was a feeling of
peace and
contentment that she couldn't ever remember feeling before.


She couldn't remember anything specific about these people who stood
before her, but
the love and comfort that they had once shared sliced through all of
the pain and
confusion, and found its way directly to her heart.


She knew that these people were her parents. She felt a connection
that couldn't possibly
be denied. She flew up off of the bed and into the waiting arms of
Gregory and Arlene
Moss.


They didn't exchange any words, as there were none that seemed to fit
the moment. Tears
were streaming down everyone's faces as the three clung to each
other. Josh stood back
and watched, tears on his cheeks, happy that Donna had finally been
reunited with her
family.


After a few minutes of tears and hugging, Donna pulled back slightly
and extended her
arm to Josh. He stepped forward and allowed himself to be engulfed in
the Moss family
huddle.


After more hugging and a few more tears, Arlene Moss spoke.


"So, Donna, Josh has been filling us in on everything about you," she
said.


"Oh no," Donna smiled as she rolled her eyes, "what in the world has
he been telling
you?"



It had been two weeks since Donna's parents had arrived from Canada.
During that time,
they had spent every available moment with their daughter, telling
her the real story of
her childhood, and catching up on everything that had happened since
the accident.


Josh joined the three of them on their walks down memory lane
whenever possible. He
was thrilled to see Donna happier than she had been in the entire
time he had known her.
It was as if some piece of her life, a piece that she hadn't even
known was missing, had
somehow slipped into place.


Josh managed to escape the west wing early on a Friday night, for a
change, to join
Donna and her parents for dinner.


"I'm just saying, honey, that I don't really like this neighborhood,"
Gregory Moss said
patiently. "I just don't think it's safe."


"Daddy," Donna sighed with mock exasperation as she began clearing
away the dishes
and carrying them to the kitchen.


"I've been telling her that since the first time I ever laid eyes on
this place," Josh said.


"Then give me a raise so I can afford something better," Donna
retorted with a smile, as
she sat a tray of dessert pastries down on the table.


"I'll help you find something better that you can afford on what I
pay you now," Josh
smirked.


"What you need is a place in a safer neighborhood," Donna's father
said sternly.


"With security, preferably a doorman," Josh added.


"Excellent," Gregory said as the two men suddenly put their heads
together and began
making plans for finding Donna a new apartment.


"Do they even know that I'm sitting right here?" Donna asked her
mother.


"I doubt it, dear. They appear to be bonding," Arlene answered dryly.


Donna rolled her eyes, but inside her heart soared to see Josh and
her father getting along
so well. The men moved into the living room, continuing to make plans
for finding a new
apartment, while Donna and her mother finished clearing the table.


As Donna entered the living room she asked, "So do I still live here,
or should I start
packing?"


"Actually," Josh said, "We're going to take a look at the Real Estate
section of the Post
on Sunday morning and get a better idea of what's available."


"Sunday morning?" Donna asked.


"Yeah," Josh answered, "I was just telling your Dad that Leo gave me
four tickets for the
baseball game in Baltimore. We figure we can look at a few places on
the way to the
stadium."


"Oh, I haven't seen a baseball game in years. Who's playing?" Arlene
asked.


"It's an inter-league game between the Orioles and the Mets," Josh
said.


"I knew the Mets had to be involved in there somewhere," Donna
laughed.


"Your father was always a Dodgers fan," Arlene said, "Ever since they
played in
Brooklyn. He even stuck with them after the move to Los Angeles."


"So, you root for the Dodgers?" Donna asked.


"Not anymore," Gregory answered, as Arlene rolled her eyes. "I can
not, in good
conscience, root for any team that would trade Mike Piazza."


Josh and Donna's heads both snapped up at the mention of Piazza's
name.


"You like Mike Piazza?" Josh asked reverently.


"Definitely," Gregory beamed. "Do you?"


"Don't ask," Donna snorted. "Josh once flew all the way to Florida to
see the Mets play
an intra-squad spring training game, just to see Mike Piazza."


"Sounds like fun," Gregory said, as both his wife and his daughter
rolled their eyes.


"I hate it when she does that," Josh and Gregory said in unison, and
then all four broke
out in peals of laughter.







Josh pulled a few strings to get Donna's father a position with the
Veterans
Administration and, after a short trip back to Canada to sell their
home and resolve their
affairs, Gregory and Arlene had settled into a small, comfortable
home in the Virginia
suburbs. They were enjoying their new life, making new friends and
spending as much
time as possible with Donna and Josh.


The sound of the phone ringing at 3:00 AM jarred both of them from a
sound sleep.
Gregory's heart was pounding as he snatched the phone off the cradle.
Calls that came at
3:00 AM were rarely good news.


"Hello," he said, trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep from his mind.


"If you don't want that daughter of yours to end up dead for real
this time," the gruff
voice threatened, "you'll forget about testifying."


"What.." Gregory began, but he was cut off by a click on the other
end of the line,
followed by the monotone buzz of the dial tone.


"What is it?" Arlene asked, frightened by the look of fear on her
husband's face.


"They threatened Donna. They said that if we testified, they would
make sure she was
dead for real this time."


Arlene put her hands over her face and began to sob. "This can't be
happening," she
cried. "Not again."


"Shhhhh," Gregory said as soothingly as he could possibly
manage, "I'll take care of this.
I'm not going to let anything happen to Donna. I'd sooner die myself."


Suddenly, Arlene Moss felt an inner conviction like she had never
experienced before.
"We can't let this happen, Gregory," she said definitively, "and we
can't handle it
ourselves. We let these people call the shots once, and we lost
thirteen years. We're just
now getting out lives back..getting our daughter back. I'm not
willing to gamble all of
that away."


"I won't let that happen. I promise," Gregory said with more
conviction than he actually
felt.


"We need help," Arlene insisted. "We can't handle this alone."


"You're right," Gregory agreed with a resigned sigh, "I'll call Josh
first thing in the
morning and see what he thinks we should do."


"Thank you," Arlene said softly.


"I'll do anything to keep my family safe," Gregory said. "I'm not
about to run away and
repeat the same mistakes I made last time."






By the time that Josh arrived at John Carpenter's office, Donna's
parents were already
there.


"I got here as soon as I could," he said.


"Where's Donna?" Gregory asked.


"She's safe, don't worry. I gave Leo a heads up on what's happening.
He put her to work
on a project that will keep her buried in paperwork all afternoon. He
promised to make
sure she doesn't leave the White House."


"Good," Gregory said.


"Are you planning on trying to keep this from her?" Carpenter asked
skeptically.


"Only until I have a little better idea of what's going on," Josh
said.


"Well, I have a few ideas," Carpenter said, sitting down at his desk
and sorting through a
variety of files and faxes.


"Care to enlighten the rest of us?" Josh asked.


"We've been keeping track of McWilliams' visitors, mail and phone
calls. I'll save you
all of the details, but we believe that he is in contact with a man
named Alfred Vargas.
They had some dealings together back in the old days. We believe that
Vargas may be
trying to help McWilliams out of fear that McWilliams will offer up
details of Vargas'
own crimes in order to get a lesser sentence."


"Well, I guess it's true that there is no honor among thieves,"
Arlene said.


"So what do we do about it?" Gregory asked. "How do we keep Donna
safe?"


"We don't believe that he would dare make a move before the trial,"
Carpenter said.
"That would be counter-productive for him. But I am going to
recommend that Donna,
and all of you in fact, take a few extra precautions in terms of
safety."


"It's done," Josh said. "Whatever we need to do, I'll make the
arrangements."


"But how are we going to stop these people?" Arlene asked, the
frustration clearly
evident in her voice.


Gregory placed his arm tenderly around his wife, "We'll find a way to
fix this," he
assured her.


"Actually, we need to smoke Vargas out," Carpenter said. "Next time
he calls, we'd like
you to keep him talking. Open up a dialogue."


"What makes you think he'll call again?" Gregory asked.


"He's trying to intimidate you," Carpenter said. "He'll call you
again and again, right up
until the trial. He needs to scare you, to keep the pressure on."


"Well, he's certainly doing a good job so far," Arlene said, no
longer able to keep her
tears at bay.


Josh reached over and squeezed Arlene's hand supportively. He wanted
to make this
whole situation disappear as soon as possible, for Donna's sake as
well as her parents.


"Do you have a plan?" Josh asked quietly.


"I do," Carpenter said exhaling slowly, "but it's not without risk."


"I won't allow Donna or Arlene to be put in harm's way," Gregory
insisted, "but I will do
whatever it takes, no matter the risk, to bring this to an end."


"Are you sure?" Carpenter asked.


"Positive," Gregory said.


"Just how dangerous is it?" Josh asked, wondering how he was going to
get Donna to go
along.


"We'll minimize the risk as much as possible. I really believe that
we can take care of it
with no one getting hurt."


"What do you want me to do?" Gregory asked.


"The next time he calls, we'd like you to set up a meeting. Tell him
that you want
assurances that your family will be safe, and also that you want
money to keep quiet."


"Money?" Arlene asked.


"Yes," Carpenter continued. "We need to find a reason to force a face
to face meeting. If
we can get him on tape handing you money to buy your silence, we can
arrest him,
hopefully tie him to McWilliams, and add him to the list of people
who won't be
tasting freedom for a long, long time."


"I'll do it," Gregory said without hesitation.


"But.." Arlene began.


"No buts, darling," Gregory said. "I'm going to do this for us. For
you, Donna, and me.
We can't live with this hanging over our heads forever. We've already
lost too much
time."


"You'll keep him safe?" Arlene asked Carpenter tearily.


"I'll take every possible precaution," the FBI Director assured her.


"Now all we have to do is find a way to break this to Donna," Josh
said, a small frown
creasing his face.







Breaking the news to Donna that her parents were receiving threats
against her life, and
that her father was going to participate in an FBI sting operation,
went about as badly as
Josh had anticipated.


Donna asked repeatedly if there was any other way to handle the
situation, and even went
as far as begging her father to reconsider. But Gregory was resolute
in his decision, and
eventually Donna acquiesced.


She then set to work on John Carpenter, seeking his guarantee that
every last detail would
be planned perfectly and that no unnecessary risks would be taken. He
assured her that he
would give the plan his personal attention.


As Carpenter had predicted, the calls continued to come on a daily
basis. Gregory Moss
began by insisting on having some sort of assurance that his family
would be safe. It was
only after a week or so that he brought up the issue of a payment for
their silence.


At first the caller seemed taken aback, but he quickly agreed to the
terms. After another
series of phone calls, they agreed to meet in front of the courthouse
on the morning of the
hearing to make the exchange. Gregory Moss assured the man that once
the money had
changed hands, neither he, Arlene, nor Donna would say anything
incriminating about
the McWilliams'.







The day of the hearing finally arrived, and Gregory Moss stood
nervously on the
sidewalk outside of the courthouse. John Carpenter had insisted that
the meeting be set up
in a public place.


The FBI had commandeered a small office on the ground floor that they
were using as a
command center. John Carpenter was there, as were Josh, Donna, and
Arlene. They were
all nervously awaiting the arrival of the mysterious caller.


There were half a dozen agents stationed in the immediate vicinity of
where the exchange
was to take place. Everything was in place, as a man wearing a black
leather jacket
approached Donna's father.


"This is it," Carpenter said expectantly.


Everyone in the office gathered around the small receiver, which was
broadcasting every
word being said on the sidewalk outside.


"Mr. Moss?" the man said.


"Yes, I'm Gregory Moss."


The man reached in and pulled an envelope from his inside jacket
pocket. "This is the
amount we agreed on," he said.


Gregory's palms were sweaty, and he prayed that his voice wouldn't
crack and betray his
fear. He began to recite the words that he and John Carpenter had
practiced over and
over.


"I want to be clear that this isn't about the money," Gregory
said. "It's about the safety of
my family. I still need your assurance that nothing will happen to my
wife or daughter."


"Listen up," the man said menacingly, "the hearing starts in 30
minutes and I don't have
time to play any more games with you. Here's the deal. You take this
money, and you
and your family develop convenient memory loss about anything you
ever knew about
David and Sally McWilliams. But if you double-cross me in any way,
your daughter and
your wife will be dead so fast it will make your head spin."


"We got it," Carpenter yelled into the microphone on the
receiver, "Move in!"


The agents swarmed quickly, and Alfred Vargas was taken into custody
without incident.
Gregory Moss was escorted the ground floor office and into the
waiting arms of his wife
and daughter.


"Nice job," John Carpenter said appreciatively.


"Piece of cake," Gregory said with a nervous smile. "Now let's go
upstairs and make sure
that the McWilliams' spend the rest of their lives behind bars.







Josh, Donna, Gregory, and Arlene sat on a bench outside of Courtroom
#1. They passed
the time with small talk, trying to think of anything but their
upcoming testimonies, until
the court clerk opened the door and summoned Arlene. She took a
breath and stood up on
shaky legs.


"Are you going to be ok?" Gregory asked.


"I'll do my best," she said, trying desperately to put on a brave
face.


Gregory and Donna weren't allowed to enter the courtroom since they
hadn't given their
testimony yet. Josh looked into the worried eyes of both Donna and
her father and made a
decision.


"I'll go in with her for..you know..moral support," he said.


"Thank you," Gregory sighed, the relief obvious in his demeanor.


"Thanks, Josh," Donna said, trying to blink back tears.


"Are you going to be alright out here?" he asked her.


"I'll be fine," she said, somehow managing a small smile. "I'll see
you inside."


Josh entered the courtroom, tossing one last supportive glance to
Donna over his
shoulder. He took a seat in the third row as Arlene Moss was sworn
in.


The prosecutor slowly walked her through the events of the day that
the troopers died in
Wisconsin. Arlene recounted the details as best she could, including
driving past the
flaming car and believing that her daughter was dead inside. Even
now, even knowing
that Donna was alive and safe, these memories were still almost
unbearable for her.  


The shocked look on the faces of the McWilliams', along with their
defense attorney,
clearly showed that they were not aware that the payoff had actually
been a setup. They
had been expecting the Mosses to claim that they knew nothing about
that day in
Wisconsin.


David's face turned beet red as he began to seethe with anger.


"This was supposed to be taken care of," he hissed to his attorney.


"I thought it was," the attorney hissed back. "I have no idea what
went wrong."


Several times during her testimony, Arlene made eye contact with
Josh, and he tried to
give her an encouraging smile, anything he could to help her through.
Sooner than
expected, it was over.


The prosecutor had kept his questioning blessedly short, and the
defense attorney was
completely unprepared to cross-examine her. Instinctively, he knew
that there was little
to gain by attacking Arlene Moss on the stand. If necessary, he would
save that for the
actual trial.


As Arlene was excused, she walked back the aisle and took a seat next
to Josh. He
squeezed her hand and whispered, "You did great!"


As soon as Arlene was settled in her seat, the court clerk called in
Donna's father.


Josh worried momentarily about Donna being out in the hall alone, but
he knew that she
thought it was more important that he be inside the courtroom to
support her parents.


Donna's father's testimony was somewhat more combative. While the
prosecutor walked
Gregory Moss through the events of that day slowly and deliberately,
much as he had
done with Arlene, the defense attorney was a little more aggressive
in his
cross-examination, thinking on his feet and trying to discredit
Gregory Moss in any way
possible.


He concentrated on the fact that Gregory had been laundering money
for David
McWilliams at the time of the incident. He tried to paint Donna's
father as an accomplice
in whatever happened that day. He even insinuated that Mr. Moss had
been attempting to
steal the money in question from McWilliams and that he had, in fact,
been the one to
murder the officers.


Gregory Moss had been prepared by the government's lawyers for these
kinds of tactics,
and he managed to keep his temper in check. He glanced in the
direction of Josh and
Arlene several times. Their presence helped him to focus on what was
important.


No matter how the defense attorney badgered, Gregory Moss didn't
change his story one
bit. 'That's the advantage of telling the complete truth,' he
thought, 'No matter how
many times you get asked a question, the answer is always the same.'


After a few more futile attempts to shake his story, the defense
wrapped up their
questioning. Gregory Moss was excused, and moved back to sit beside
Josh and Arlene.


Josh's chest tightened as he heard the clerk call Donna's name. She
looked at Josh as
soon as she came through the door and he could see the nervousness
and fear in her eyes.
He smiled at her as she took her seat in the witness box, hoping to
calm her down.


The prosecuting attorney quickly established that Donna had
absolutely no memory of
what happened the day of the accident. Instead, he asked her about
the years that she had
spent believing that the McWilliams' were her parents. He didn't ask
her any questions
about the car bomb, or the attack in the stairwell. Those issues
would be decided in a
separate trial. The prosecutors had decided to try the McWilliams'
first for the murder of
the two police officers, since that was a capital offense with a much
stiffer sentence
attached.


Donna answered every question, her voice getting stronger and more
confident as she
went. When she was asked to identify the people who had masqueraded
as her parents,
she pointed decisively at David and Sally McWilliams, refusing to
cower under their
frosty glares. The prosecution finished their questions, and Donna
took a deep breath as
the defense attorney stood up to take his turn.


She glanced quickly into the gallery, gaining strength from the
presence of Josh and her
parents. She looked defiantly at the defense attorney as if daring
him to try to break her.


He asked her a series of questions about the time after her accident.
He asked whether the
McWilliams' had gotten her all of the necessary medical help she
needed, whether they
had fed and clothed her, and provided her with a safe environment.


She answered each question with a curt "I guess you could say that."
Finally realizing
that he wasn't going to get anything from her, and knowing that he
would have another
chance to break her at trial, the defense attorney closed his
questioning.


David McWilliams was incensed. "What do I pay you for?" he hissed.


"This is just the preliminary hearing," the lawyer whispered. "We
didn't actually think
that we were going to have to worry about these three people. I need
some time to
formulate a new strategy. We'll have another chance at trial."


"I don't care," McWilliams said with barely contained fury. "It's all
her fault that I'm
here to begin with. I want you to take her down!"


During the exchange, the prosecutor had informed the judge that he
had no further
questions and Donna had been excused. She stood up and started to
walk towards the
back of the courtroom.


David McWilliams looked up at her, his eyes burning with rage.


"You bitch!" he screamed. "You should be grateful to me. I could have
killed you years
ago, but I didn't. I let you live and this is how you repay me!"


Both Josh and Gregory rose to their feet as Donna held her ground and
glared at
McWilliams.


"You only let me live as long as it suited your own purposes," Donna
said with a shaky
voice. "But now I have my life back, my real life back, and there is
no way that I am
going to let you ruin it."


With that, Donna turned and walked steadily towards the back of the
courtroom.


"I hate you," McWilliams screamed after her, but Donna was oblivious
to his anger as
she received a warm yet firm embrace from her parents before walking
into Josh's open
arms. She smiled softly as she realized that she finally knew what
home felt like.






Josh and Donna dropped by the Moss's house for a Sunday afternoon
barbecue a week
after the preliminary hearing. The mood was light despite the fact
that they all knew that
there would be more testimony before the ordeal could be completely
put to rest. They
had each faced their demons, and with the help of the people who
loved them, they had
made it through.  


As the burgers were cooking, Gregory Moss pulled out the Real Estate
section and began
to scan it for apartments.


"You can stop doing that, Daddy," Donna said with a smile.


"No, I can't," her father insisted. "I won't be happy until you are
out of that
neighborhood."


"Actually," Donna said with a sly smile, "I found a new place."


"Really?" her parents asked in unison.


"Is it in a better neighborhood?" Gregory asked suspiciously.


"It's in Georgetown," Donna said slyly, "and that's a very good
neighborhood."


"Does it have a doorman?" Gregory asked, noticing for the first time
that Josh was
having trouble hiding a smile also.


"No," Donna giggled, no longer able to contain her excitement, "but
it does have one
very protective roommate."


Unable to wait any longer, Donna pulled her hand out of her pocket
and revealed a
beautiful diamond solitaire. "Josh and I are getting married," she
squealed.


Donna's parents screamed with happiness and enveloped the newly
engaged couple in a
huge hug.


"When's the big day?" Donna's mother asked.


"We haven't set a specific date yet," Donna said, "but we want to get
married in
Connecticut. We want to have a quiet ceremony, away from DC, and then
we'll throw a
larger reception here in town afterwards."


"Isn't Connecticut within driving distance of Boston? Maybe you can
check the schedule
and see when the Mets are playing at Fenway Park," Gregory Moss
suggested. "Then we
could make a night of it, have your bachelor party at the game, and
get to see Piazza too."


"Excellent idea," Josh said, as Donna saw the wheels start turning in
his head.


"You're not planning our wedding date around a baseball game," Donna
said sternly.


"It can't hurt to check the schedule," her father said innocently.


"You are impossible," Arlene said, as she sat down beside her husband
and wrapped her
arm around his shoulders.


Donna looked at her parents and smiled broadly as Josh pulled her
down into his lap. "I
guess we got a happy ending," he whispered in her ear.


"The happiest," Donna said, as she planted a kiss on his lips.


THE END



E-Mail me at:kuebsr@yahoo.com