Title: There was Friendship (1/1)
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue
Rating: Fluff
Summary: Sequel to In the Beginning
A/N: This is a three parter, as it ended up turning out in my head.
There will be one more installment of this.

Donna blew through the front door of the staff's rented house in New
Hampshire and dropped down in a chair next to Josh at the table. Take
out cartons and beer bottles were strewn all over the table and Sam,
CJ, Toby, and Josh were having a late night strategy session. They
had won the primaries and Hoynes had accepted the governor's offer to
run as vice president. They had a bigger budget now, that included a
large staff at their disposal and a jet liner funded by the DNC. They
were discussing where was best to spend the money and where they were
likely to lose anyway.

"You're done?" Josh asked her as she leaned over and picked up his
beer.

"Yup, you're all set." Donna confirmed. "Everyone you need to talk to
is lined up for the fundraiser. You can knock them all down in one
night."

"Thanks."

"What are you eating?" Donna asked leaning over and peering through
the take out cartons in front of him. "Oooh! Shrimp with walnuts!"
She picked up the carton as Sam, CJ and Toby regarded her with
interest. "And a California roll."

"You're not eating my last California roll."

"I stayed late tonight for you." Donna reminded narrowing her eyes at
him. "Everyone else was going to the bar to relax and let off steam,
but I stayed behind for you. I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I meant, of course you can have my last California roll. I saved it
just for you." Josh quickly amended. Sam dropped his head and
chuckled.

"Well manipulated, Donna." CJ complimented as Donna leaned over and
absconded with the last California roll.

"Thank you." she replied digging a fork into the shrimp with
walnuts. "Do any of you guys know Joe?"

"Joe who?" Sam asked.

"From Advance." Donna replied.

"No, I haven't met him yet." CJ replied taking a sip from her
beer. "Why?"

"He asked me out."

"Joe from Advance asked you out?" Josh asked. Donna passed him back
the shrimp with walnuts and picked up the lo mein in front of him, as
he started to pick at the shrimp with walnuts again.

"Yeah. I was just wondering if anyone knew him."

"You don't want to be having a campaign fling, Donna." Josh warned.
CJ and Toby glanced at each other and Sam grinned into his beer.

"Who says it's a fling?" she replied. Her eyes were wide and
innocent. "It could turn into something more."

"It won't. Look what happened with me and Mandy. I was dating her
when I worked for Hoynes. She came to work here and it all turned to
shit. I can't hold a conversation with her without wanting to choke
her." Josh countered.

"Maybe Joe's just Donna's rebound guy." CJ said throwing her hat into
the ring. "There's nothing wrong with a rebound guy. Sometimes a girl
just needs a one night stand to get over a bad breakup."

"Donna's too classy for a rebound guy and some cheap one night
stand." Josh shot back.

"I don't know about that." Donna scoffed. "I'm a woman with needs."

"See." CJ said gesturing to Donna, who didn't notice Josh's glare
because she was digging for the chicken in the lo mein.

"Fine. I'll tell Leo in the morning to fire Joe for Advance." Josh
replied.

"Well, that's overreacting." Donna replied.

"No, Donnatella, it's called winning." Josh retorted. "You sleep with
Joe from Advance, he's going to tell the rest of the Advance guys
that you're an easy girl on the rebound. You'll get a crappy
reputation you don't deserve."

"First of all," Donna said poking him with her fork. "I just said he
asked me out. I didn't say I was going to sleep with him, CJ brought
that up, and that's how we got on the subject of one night stands.
You're jumping to conclusions."

"Oh sure, it was a real hard conclusion to draw, what with `I don't
know about that, I'm a woman with needs!'"

"I said that to piss you off."

"Well, it worked."

"Okay." Toby said speaking for the first time since Donna
arrived. "As riveting as Donna's love life, or lack thereof is, and
Josh's jealousy over it, can we get back to work, please?"

"Jealous!" Josh squeaked. "I'm not jealous; I'm just looking out for
her."

"Fine, whatever." Toby said. "I for one would like to get back to,
you know, running for president."

"Fine." Josh huffed. Then he turned back to Donna again, "Don't go
out with Joe from Advance."

"Fine." she snapped back picking up the beer and mumbling "Big baby,"
into it before taking a sip. She grabbed the beer and stormed out
onto the front porch. Josh rolled his eyes and stood up and followed.

"You know," CJ said. "maybe Donna should work for me."

"Why?" Toby asked looking over a packet of budget projections.

"He likes her, I think." CJ replied looking towards the door Josh and
Donna just left.

"Josh is more professional than that." Toby said.

"Yeah, but what CJ's saying is if Donna didn't work for him, he
wouldn't have to worry about that." Sam piped in.

"CJ, you're not poaching Josh's assistant." Toby said. "And
everyone's staying out of it."

Josh walked out onto the porch and sat down on the front steps next
to Donna. "I'm only following my beer." he announced taking the
bottle from her to take a sip. She sighed and looked down at the
steps.

"I also want to point out that I said that I thought you were too
classy to do something like that." he said. "I think that bears
repeating."

"Yeah."

"You'll meet someone someday, Donna." Josh said. "But I promise you,
Joe from Advance is not looking for a meaningful relationship out of
a campaign. Plus, someone in your job, and the job you'll have in the
White House, is held to a higher standard. Do you really want people
questioning how you got your job?"

"Joe from Advance didn't hire me."

"No, I did." he said. "But if you slept with Joe from Advance..."

Donna's head snapped up when she realized what he left
unsaid. "They'll say that?"

"Some will." he nodded. "And those that don't know you will probably
believe it. You're too good a person for that. Besides, you came here
to find your confidence and start over, right? You assured me that
wouldn't interfere with your work."

Donna smiled at the memory. "That's the coward's way out." she said
still smiling.

"Maybe." he shrugged. "But if that's what I have to do to win this
one, so be it. I do what it takes to win, you should remember that."

"Yeah."

"You need a ride back to the hotel?" he offered.

"No, I have my crappy car." she said standing up and walking down the
stairs.

"You should get rid of that crappy car."

"I'll sell it when we get to Washington. I won't need a car there."

"How are you going to get to work?"

"Don't they have subways and buses?"

"Yes."

"Maybe I'll meet a nice bus driver." she joked.

"My heart, Donna! My heart!" he laughed turning back towards the
house as she headed off into the opposite direction towards her car.

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