Title: If I Could Turn Back Time (10?)

Author: Cheryl A

Rating: Teen

Genre: Angst/Romance (A/U)

Notes: The story is set right after the re-election in the fourth season, then goes off from canon there.

Feedback: I appreciate all the feedback I've gotten in the past. Please keep it up, it really motivates me and makes me glad that people are actually reading what I write! I especially want to know that my month hiatus hasn't caused all of you to loose all interest in the story.

A/N Sorry for the long delay, August was the busiest month of my life and the story had to be put on hold. But I'm back and fully intend on finishing the remaining chapters in a much quicker manner. Thanks for being patient!

Thanks again to my beta Elizabeth, she is the best!

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"Good Morning C.J!" Josh exclaimed, giving her a start, as they passed through the necessary security checks to enter the White House.

She turned around to see Josh grinning at her in a way she hadn't seen in recent months. She smiled to herself as she watched him desperately try to balance a tray of two coffee cups and a paper bag of some kind.

"Morning to you, too Josh." She politely replied, still confused by his abnormal behavior. She reached out to help him carry his paper bag before he spilt coffee all over the White House entryway.

"It's going to be a great, great day C.J! I can just feel it….fate is on my side today!"

"It's Friday the 13th Josh, fate is on nobodies' side… I once heard that people are twice as lucky to die on Friday the 13th than on any other day"

"Well Mi Amour you are wrong for once. Fate works in mysterious ways and I say once again that today is going to be a great, great day and nothing you say can kill my mood."

"Whatever you say Joshua." CJ smiled, it had been a long time since he had called her that. She wondered what precipitated this complete 180 in Josh's attitude, she couldn't even remember the last time she had seen him this happy and cordial.

She walked him to his office and placed the bag down on his desk and had a seat.

"So tell me, I just have to know. What's the special occasion Mister? What has you in such high spirits?" CJ asked. Her curiosity could not take it anymore and she needed to know what was going on.

"What CJ? Can't a man smile and be happy anymore? Is it suddenly a crime for him to bring one of his best friends a muffin for breakfast?" He answered as he reached in the paper bag and threw CJ a banana nut muffin, her favorite.

"Normally no, but when a man has spent the better part the last few months isolating his friends, wallowing in self-pity and snapping at everyone he cares about and then suddenly turns around and acts like he's the happiest, luckiest guy on the planet then it's a bit odd."

"You don't understand, I am the luckiest guy in the planet. I woke up this morning with a whole new lease on life. I'm telling you that I've changed CJ and I'm done screwing up and done with hurting the people I care about. I can't tell you how sorry I am about how I've been acting recently. I know I've been a complete jackass and royal pain in the butt."

CJ nodded in agreement as she took another bite of her muffin.

"I appreciate your apology, and yes you have been a pain in the ass, but we all still love you anyways."

"Thanks!" Josh felt relieved, as much as he wanted to fix things with Donna he also wanted to repair the rifts in his friendships with the people closest to him, Leo, CJ, Sam and even Toby.

"So how did you reach this wonderful epiphany you experienced this morning? Did you have some weird pre-Friday the 13th hallucinations in your sleep?"

Josh shook his head.

"No visits from ghosts in the middle of the night taking you to your past, present and ominous future, warning you to change now or else?"

Josh shook his head again, while CJ shot him that look she gives when she knows she's being lied to.

"Well, not exactly." Josh muttered.

CJ stood up straight, now very interested in the matter at hand. "See I knew it! Something must have happened to explain this return of the old Joshua! Not that I am complaining I'm certainly glad to have you back. But spill it! Tell me what's going on!"

Josh squirmed in his seat, unsure of how to begin and wondered if CJ would even believe him as recalled in his mind the strange events of yesterday that culminated with them all mourning Donna's death in his apartment.

Luckily they were interrupted by a knock on the door, it was Margaret.

"Sorry to interrupt you both but I have a message from Leo that he wanted me to deliver personally." Margaret said nervously, it looked to her as through she had interrupted something important and it was far too early for her to take one of Josh's angry outbursts.. How Donna still puts up with him, she could not understand.

For the longest time she had been sure Josh and Donna would eventually get together, after all she had always had a keen sense of these things. She saw how they looked at each other from the very start and always thought that something special was there. But after Donna accepted Jack's proposal and their friendship turned sour she realized she might have been wrong all along and they may not be headed towards the fairy-tale ending she felt they deserved to have.

Josh smiled at Margaret, "Good morning, Margaret! How are you today?"

Margaret felt her jaw drop and was taken aback by his happy greeting and his sunny attitude. "Umm.. good… I guess."

She looked over at CJ to see if she knew what was going on, but found that she just smiled right back at her with a look that said she didn't know what the heck was going on either.

"Well my dear, have a muffin. Today is going to be a great, great day. I know it, CJ knows it and now you know it too!" Josh said as he tossed another one of his muffins to Margaret.

"Are you ok Josh? I know it's Friday the 13th and all, but your acting really weird… and this coming from me." Margaret said blatantly.

Josh continued to grin, "Why does everybody keep asking me that? I'm fine! Can't I do something nice for my friends for once without any hidden motives?"

CJ and Margaret both shot him looks indicating they weren't buying his story.

They were interrupted by yet another knock, this time it was Carol.

"Oh my goodness… did you see that huge arrangement they just delivered to Donna's desk? That must be the prettiest arrangement of flowers I've ever seen!" Carol said excitedly. Margaret and CJ followed her out to the bullpen to see what all the commotion was about.

"Wow." was CJ could muster up as she admired the gorgeous arrangement of the most perfect pink tulips and roses she had ever seen.

"This must have cost a fortune!" Margaret exclaimed as she bent down to smell their sweet scent.

"Donna is such a lucky girl to have Jack! My boyfriend would never do something this romantic." Cathy said forgetting that Josh was around.

"Who said these flowers are even from Commander Wonderful?" Josh said in a tone that definitely caught the attention of the three ladies.

"Joshua Lyman, I'll be damned!" CJ smiled widely. She couldn't believe that perhaps Josh had finally found the courage to take some action about his feelings for Donna. Suddenly it all started making sense to her and she began to understand the true reason behind his mysterious good mood.

"Damn, the envelope is sealed." Margaret said disappointedly.

"Excuse me ladies, I'm sure Donna would not appreciate you snooping through what seems to be a very special and personal gift. I'm sure you all have much work to do today as do I."

They reluctantly moved away from Donna's desk and retreated to their own areas.

"Leo wants to see you in 10 minutes Josh… well at least that what he sent me to personally tell you about 10 minutes ago." Margaret exclaimed before she went back to gossiping with Cathy.

"Also we're not done talking Buster… you still have some explaining to do." CJ also called out before disappearing down the hall.

As Josh made his way back to his office to find his notes to meet with Leo, he remembered he needed to make some changes to ensure that Donna gave him the right information today. He went back over to her desk and poked around until he found the two identical red folders, one containing her briefing notes, which true to her word she had meticulously prepared and the one containing her wedding plans, which if Josh had his way today, would never come to be. He tucked the wedding folder safely in her top drawer and placed the other red folder to the right of the flowers so that she could easily find it when he asked for it later.

He stopped to take one last look at the flowers before heading over to Leo's office. They were very beautiful if he said so himself and he prayed that Donna would like them and that everything would go his way.

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Donna didn't even have a chance to set foot in the West Wing before she was mobbed by Margaret, Cathy and Ginger.

"Oh my God Donna you need to go straight to your desk." Margaret said eagerly wanting her to reveal her mysterious Romeo.

"It's so big that she can probably see it clear across the room." Cathy replied as Donna struggled to keep up with the pace of her very excited friends. She was very confused about what was going on.

"Don't spoil the surprise, let her see for herself." Ginger insisted.

'Surprise?' Donna thought. She immediately thought back to Josh's strange call to her this morning. He hadn't seemed like himself on the phone, something was different about his voice. He seemed so happy and relieved just to hear the sound her voice. It was almost as she had been given a glimpse back to the way things used to be between them, before everything had changed. Since he did mention he would have a surprise waiting for her, she figured that must be what her friends were going on and on about.

When they finally reached her desk, Donna was immediately taken aback. She covered her mouth in awe, overwhelmed by the sight in front of her. Suddenly she understood why the other girls were so excited and eager for her to come to her desk. This arrangement was the most beautiful gift she had ever received, each pink tulip and rose was perfect.

When Josh had mentioned a surprise this morning she had been certain it would have been something bad like a reassignment or some large, boring project for her to do that would make her life miserable. But she would have never guessed that Josh would do something this nice, and dare she say it, romantic for her especially given the way things had been between them lately.

"Well…. Aren't you going to open the card? We have been on pins and needles wanting to know who's responsible for this!" Margaret said impatiently.

Donna smiled and carefully removed the small card hidden amidst all the flowers.

'My Dearest Donnatella,

Please take this small gesture, as the first sign of my intent to repair the damage I have single-handedly caused our relationship. You're my best friend and I haven't treated you as such. I'm so sorry for the pain I have put you through and I hope that you'll allow me the opportunity to make it all up to you. I care about you deeply and value what you provide to me both professional and personally, you are my better half.

Love,

Joshua'

Donna struggled to hold back the tears that she felt pooling in her eyes. She was touched both by Josh's gallant gesture and the kind words he wrote to her. Her mind was racing as she tried to process what this all meant? Was he truly serious about what he had said? Was he finally ready to settle down into a real relationship with her, was that what he wants? But more importantly after everything she has been through was that was even what she still wants?

She looked down at her engagement ring as thousands of conflicting emotions and thoughts raced through her mind. Sure this was really nice for Josh to do and she definitely wanted their relationship to go back to at least to the way it used to be, but was it too little too late for them romantically? Should she throw away her safe, secure future with Jack and take another chance with Josh? Could she open her fragile heart again to him after he had hurt her so deeply? What if he did it again?

Donna's thoughts were interrupted by the incessant tapping of Margaret's foot.

"Well are you going to tell us who sent you the flowers or not?"

"Yeah was it your Prince Charming Jack, or some other guy trying to sweep you off your feet?" Cathy asked.

Donna could not help herself as a huge Cheshire grin swept across her face as she revealed her secret admirer to her eagerly waiting friends.

"It was Josh… he was the one that sent me the flowers." Donna said excitedly as her smile was met by matching smiles from her friends who couldn't be happier for her.

"Finally! It's about damn time he got off his ass and did something! I always knew it! I have a sense about these things!" Margaret exclaimed as the rest of girls giggled and grinned in response. Standing there next to her beautiful flowers, laughing and smiling with her friends, Donna felt all her lingering doubts about Josh and whether or not she still wanted a relationship with him slowly fade away.