The big, long, involved fic that actually requires a plot

Things had been troubled between them and Josh had been worried that things would end badly.

Then he had met Laura and it seemed as if life was falling into place. They had married a year after they met and soon Laura was pregnant with Henry. They�d appeared to be the perfect family until that fateful car crash had ended Laura�s life.

~~~~~

�Josh? Josh!� Donna entered the house full of enthusiasm. Peeking her head into their shared office, she noticed that it was empty. She repeated the process in each subsequent room with the same results.

Finally ending up in the kitchen, she spied her grandmother in a chair by the wide French doors, watching four year old Henry playing with his friend Marie in the backyard.

�Hi, Nona,� she greeted with a kiss to the woman�s wrinkled cheek. �Where�s Josh?�

�Out with that woman,� her grandmother answered. �What�s all your shouting about?�

�I have some great news,� Donna confessed, her cheeks pinking in excitement. �But I really need to talk to Josh first.�

�Eh, I�m an old woman. You can tell me. I won�t go babbling to any of those politico types you�re always talking to.�

�Funny you should say that. Those political types are exactly what I have to tell Josh about. Pinkerington has decided it�s time.� Mark Pinkerington, her boss for the past two years, was a well known lawyer. For years he had played an active role in local politics but lately he had been considering a move to something state-wide. Just that morning, he had called Donna into his office to announce that he had decided to make a run for Congress. His only obstacle was finding someone to run the campaign. Knowing Donna�s connections in Washington, he had asked if she could recommend someone. She had immediately thought of Josh.

�I know he was reluctant to get back into politics full swing after Laura died; he wanted to be home for Henry. But Henry starts kindergarten next year and it�s time for Josh to get back into the game. I think this could be good for him.�

�What did you want to tell me about?�

�Never mind. It�ll keep.�

~~~~~

( Donna on phone with CJ as she packs for WI. )

�OK. But how many of those dates turn into a second or third date?�

�Some.�

�And fourth dates?� CJ persisted. There was a telling silence on Donna�s end of the phone.

�CJ, we tried dating once. It didn�t work.�

�Dating? Is that what you called it? Josh was traveling all over the place, trying to find a new candidate to start prepping for a run in 2010. You were alternating between living in Wisconsin with your family and California working with Sam. That wasn�t dating, that was a disaster waiting to happen.�

�Whatever. The point is that we make better best friends than lovers.�

"Except for the fact that you *are* in love with him.�

�CJ,� she sighed. �It doesn�t matter what I think. He�s marrying Elena.�

�It *does* matter.�

�Are you OK, Donna?�

"You don�t know about Laura. When she died in that car accident, Josh was in the midst of filing for divorce. He loves you."

~~~~~

�Josh, I�ve gotta go. Dennis is here,� she told him.

�Dennis?�

�Dennis Cartwright,� she replied. �He�s been helping me with Mom.�

She could almost see his brows knit together as he put it all together. �Dennis? Dennis Cartwright? FREERIDE?�

�Don�t call him that.�

�Donna, this is the guy that used you to get through med school. This is the guy who begged you to come back and then ignored you. What the hell are you thinking?� he shouted.

She cringed at the tone of his voice. �I was thinking that he�s been very helpful. I think we�ve finally-�

�I need to go,� Josh cut her off.

~~~~~

Mom is lucid at times and keeps talking about love and Josh.

Josh agrees to marry Elena.

Donna comes back to town once mom is settled. Nervous around Josh bcz of things her Mom and CJ said.

Donna and Elena � play date for Henry. Walking through down town. Elena tells her about the pending engagement and need to buy a ring. Donna is devastated, but doesn�t confront Josh. Worry about her living arrangements and mom.

Josh and Elena. Fighting over wedding, where to live, child care.

Josh keeping in constant contact with Donna in WI. Wondering to himself why they didn�t work.

Henry and Nona � Doesn�t like Elena. Why can�t he marry Donna?

Grownups are complicated. Donna loves you, we�ll always be here for you.

Josh listens to conversation. Starts to think more about past with Donna.

Donna comes back. Moving out, possibly going back to WI permanently. No reason for her to be here. This isn�t her family.

Josh gets angry, defensive

~~~~~

�I can�t believe you�re going back to live with Freeride!� he shouted. �Did history teach you *nothing*?

�Yes! It taught me that I can�t be with you. And what do you care, anyhow? You�re marrying Elena,� she yelled back at him. �And for the record, I�m *not* going to be with Freeride, he was simply helping me make decisions about my mother.�

�I am marrying Elena,� he echoed hollowly. Then the meaning of the rest of her words registered. �Wait � you�re not going back to Freeride?�

�No,� Donna sighed. �He�s happily married with three kids. He was just helping with my mom.�

Josh pulled her to him and hugged her tight. �God, Donna, why do we keep doing this to each other?� he murmured into her hair.

~~~~~

CJ/ Josh conversation. She rips him a new one. Josh brings up CJ/ Toby/ Andi. That was different. Tells Josh he needs to start letting Donna in, really into his life.

"I made a lousy husband," he said as he took another long pull on his beer.

"Maybe it wasn't just you," CJ consoled. "Did you ever consider that Laura made a lousy wife?"

"CJ�"

"No, Josh. You're forever beating yourself up, blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong. Well guess what? It's not all your fault!"

"It was. The marriage fell apart because of me."

"No! The marriage fell apart because you *both* expected something different than what you got," she corrected.

"Laura was a good mother," Josh said quietly.

"Yes, she was. But she was also a power hungry bitch at times." Josh recoiled at her words. "Listen, I know you don't talk want to talk badly about her because you want Henry to remember her as kind and good and loving. And she was. To *him*. But the two of you? You didn't belong together. You were like oil and water."

"It wasn't that bad."

"No, maybe not. But it still doesn't mean you should have stayed together. And besides, your heart always belonged to someone else."

"CJ, please don't start with the Donna thing again," he groaned, "not tonight."

She stood up and dusted off her slacks. "Ok, not tonight, mi amor. But think about what I said."

Josh watched as she headed back into the house. Did he blame himself for the failure of his marriage? He'd known within months of marrying her that he and Laura should never have made there bond permanent. But Henry was already on the way, so he decided to make the best of a bad situation.

"Do you love her?"

Josh looked at her, stricken. "Of course I love Donna, CJ. How can you ask that?"

She smiled sadly. "Elena. Do you love Elena?"

He had the grace to look ashamed. "I� She's very important to me. She'll make a wonderful politician's wife."

"That's not what I asked."

"It's the answer you're getting," he lashed back at her, his anger starting to emerge.

She rose to her feet.