Title: Because You Loved me (1?)

Author: Cheryl A

Rating: TEEN (Adult themes)

Category: post episode for Transition

Spoiler Info: Everything up to Transition

Disclaimer: WB, NBC, John Wells, Aaron Sorkin etc and Celine Dion for use of her song title.I have no money and get no profit out of this.

E-mail address for feedback: permission: Sure

Notes: This is my very first fan fic. Any and all feedback would be great.

"Beep… Beep"

Josh groaned as strained to reach over to his alarm clock to shut it off before rolling over to his other side to greet the other occupant of his bed with some morning neck nibbling.

"mmm.. what time is it?" Donna grumbled still exhausted from the earlier night's adventures and trying to catch up with the jet lag from their Hawaiian escape.

"It's like 5:30am, I've already hit snooze twice" Josh stated as his lips continued its journey from Donna's neck to her shoulders.

"We better get up Josh, we have a long day ahead of us catching up with all that we missed all week. You have a 7:30am meeting with Santos and Goodwin and I have breakfast with CJ so I can explain to why I no longer need to be shacked up at her place."

Josh seemed to ignore her, and continued his kissing exploration of Donna Moss. "Just a few more minutes, I'm sure we can find an efficient use of that time."

"You're insatiable, you know that? This is why it was well past lunch time before I saw anything other than our hotel walls."

"And that's why you love me" Josh smiled as Donna gave him that look while Josh continued.

"Don't even act like you didn't enjoy our late mornings, I happened to remember you were quite content with out activities than prevented us from socializing with others and I don't remember hearing any complaints then."

Donna just smiled and pushed Josh off of her. "Get in the shower, we have to get going, we are going to be late."

"Why don't you join me?" Josh asked in his most seductive voice.

"Because, you know full well, there is no fooling me"

Josh shot her a look pretending not to know what she was talking about.

"We are going to end up right back here on the bed or we will be out of hot water. Either way we are going to be very late and I have no problem telling the president-elect that it was entirely all your fault since it appears your libido is only the only thing that exceeds the size of your ego!"

Josh smiled confidently and teased back in his most pompous tone, "I don't think he'll mind, I think he might be proud of me"

Donna just rolled her eyes as Josh continued, "Although I don't think I can top him breaking that bed back in Cleveland. Now that was embarrassing"

He looked closer at Donna, "Do you think we could every do that? That would be like an ultimate fantasy come true"

Donna just smiled back and took all her strength literally pushed Josh out of bed, trying her best to sound frustrated.

" Ughh.. Go .. Shower now… I want to be able to have time to look half way decent on my first day back".

"Fine" Josh said finally acquiescing as he got his last leg off of the bed and kissed Donna on the forehead and whispered, "But only because I love you and love it when you seek to control me".

"I love you too, now get going" as she pushed him again towards the direction of the bathroom.

Once she heard the shower going, she relaxed a bit and pulled the covers up as she lied in bed reflecting on the past week's events and how she never thought the day would come that she would be lying on a Hawaiian beach, with none other than Joshua Lyman.

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8 days earlier

Donna was returning from her meeting with Helen, where she had accepted the position as her chief of staff. She was talking to Sam on her cell phone about the offer and they finalized dinner arrangements for his first night back in town with the old gang.

"I can't wait to meet her tonight, she sounds lovely."

"Yes I know Josh is a bit nutty right now"

"I've been telling him to relax and take a vacation for years, but he never listens."

"Sam, if you can get him to go on vacation, I promise I will help relieve you of some of your wedding planning woes and take Sara shopping for wedding accessories so you don't have to."

"I'll see you tonight, 7pm at the Hawk and Dove I'll remind CJ, Danny, Charlie and Will as well."

She stopped at the mess to pick up a snack as she had not eaten today. Campaign life had equipped her stomach to function on a diet of low-fat yogurt, cheez-its and an energy drink. As she walked back in the transition office she could tell something was wrong, everybody looked tense and Josh was not in his office.

"What's going on?" Donna asked Ronna who was looking at her like a deer that was caught in the headlights.

"Umm.. nothing" Ronna said timidly, she knew how protective Donna was with Josh and didn't want to cause any problems or make Josh any angrier or who knows she might be re-assigned to some office in the basement.

"Don't lie to me, I can see something happened with Otto, he looks like his kitten just got killed." Ronna looked away as Donna spoke to her.

"It's Josh isn't it" Donna demanded as she turned to face Ronna, who nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Donna sat down at her desk and started to eat the yogurt she bought.

"What happened, tell me everything. I want to know" as Ronna and Otto pulled their chairs up next to her and recounted the whole ordeal with the missing blackberry and how Sam went in and talked to him, how they weren't sure what went on, but that they saw Sam leave and then Josh left shortly after and neither of them have been seen since.

"How did you ever do it, Donna?" Ronna asked incredulously once she and Otto had finished their story.

"After today we all decide you should deserve an award to have put up with Josh for the last 8 years".

Donna smiled at the statement, and then looked at Otto, who still looked shook up, and she felt so bad, she offered him a sweet smile and placed her arm on his shoulder to offer reassurance as she spoke.

"He didn't mean it you know? Josh just gets very Josh-y sometimes and misdirects his anger and frustration. Don't take it personal"

"I know" Otto said, "I was trying to do everything right and everything was coming out wrong, I didn't know who Congressman Graden was at first, he said I "sassed" him, I asked him why he doesn't like the intercom, and then of course the straw that broke the camel's back, I deprived him of his blackberry for 10 whole minutes. He acted like the world was going to end"

Donna laughed, "Believe it or not it is going to be ok" as she tried to reassure these new insecure staffers.

"When I first got in the White House I thought their was a nuclear missile silo underneath the capital" and she proceeded to recount the "Bambi" story which brought smiles and laughter all around as they couldn't believe Donna managed to pull that prank on Josh and not be kicked to the curb.

"See Otto, Josh may try to act all suave and collected now, but 7 years we were all just as clueless as you. Don't worry too much about Josh and I'm sure all your hard work in the campaign is going to pay off and you won't find yourself anybody's assistant. Also if I know Josh, he's feeling really bad right now so I'm sure he'll find a way to make it up to you. When I was Josh's assistant I had a tab with the floral shop around the corner where they knew me by voice for all the times I had to call and order flowers to assistants of congressmen whom Josh unwittingly ripped their heads off for no reason other than misdirected anger and Josh being Josh."

Otto breathed a sigh of relief and with that they were interrupted by Bram who was walking in with a package and a card.

"I have a present for you" as he handed the box to Donna

"And I have something for you." as he handed the envelope to Otto.

"Hopefully I'll be somebody more in this administration than the mail boy" Bram muttered.

"Don't we all" Otto said as he opened his envelope.

To Otto surprise it was a card from Josh,

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'Otto,

Sorry about today, you are a great asset to this administration. We will talk seriously about what you role will be in the future, I'm sorry I yelled. Here's a gift certificate to take Lou out to dinner on my behalf, tell her that Josh says getting a life is not so bad.…

Josh'
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"Wow!" Otto said stunned at Josh's gesture.

Everybody focus then turned to Donna who was still busy trying to open the box that was taped shut. When she opened it she was stunned to see a cute Teddy bear with swimming trunks wearing an orange lei. Accompanied with the bear was a book "Curious George goes to Hawaii." Ronna, Bram and Otto looked at each other with a confused look as to the content and meaning behind Donna's package. Donna smiled as she opened the cover to the book to see the familiar scribbles of Josh's handwriting.

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' Donnatella,

You have always been there for me through the last few months and I don't think you understand how much that means to me. I have never been happier than I am with you, even if my recent behavior, which I'm sure you would have heard about by the time this reaches you, doesn't reflect it. Everybody is right, I need to get a life and become less monomaniacal. So I'm taking you with me to Hawaii for a week for that trip that I promised you long ago, as that's what boyfriends do for the girl that they love.

Josh

P.S I would have gotten you flowers but I figured they would have died by the time we got back… and I wouldn't want you to take that as a sign of the future of our relationship or anything.. because it's not... so that's why I got you a bear instead.. at least Teddy bears last forever.. well unless we get a dog… umm.. nevermind..'

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Donna let a few tears fall down her cheek as she was genuinely touched by his words and gesture. She smiled as she realized that he couldn't end his letter without sounding so Josh-like, conflicted about what to say when in a relationship to best express how he feels. She completely forgot she was surrounded by curious campaign staffers.

"Well… what did he say?" Ronna said both enthusiastically and impatiently.

"Umm… Otto you are going to have to wait at least a week before you get to talk to Josh about your future."

A groan was heard from Otto's direction

"That's because Josh and I are going to be vacationing in Hawaii for the next week!" Donna smiled as Ronna gave her a congratulatory hug before Donna grabbed her purse and took off running to the door to pack…

Preview for Chapter 2: Josh reflects on the events of the past week and comes to a decision about what he should do about his grandmother's solitaire diamond ring that has been sitting in his desk drawer for almost 6 years.

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