Title- Crossing Party Lines
Author- Just A Drummer
Rating- PG
Archive- Sure, just tell me first kay?
Spoilers- None that I know of…
Summary- The first date of a Republican/Democrat couple.
Author's Notes- I only own these characters in my dreams, so don't blow
a pop a few veins over this.
*This is a little different than your normal R/D couple story. I wrote this at some hideously late/early
time. (2 am, you make the call if it was late or early.) I don't know if this couple has been done
before (probably, but I've never seen anything). I get in really strange moods at 2 am, and this idea just came to
me. What would happen if these two got
together? Oh, and just be warned- a
normally temperamental character becomes nice (for just one night, don't start
puking all over my wonderful story.)
Ok, I'll just quit rambling and let you read!
Chapter One
"A Few Visits and A Seemingly Good Idea"
CJ Cregg wandered down the long basement corridor that led
to Ainsley Hayes's office. She was
looking for someone, anyone really, who wasn't busy at the moment, because,
frankly, she was bored. Gail the
Goldfish hadn't provided adequate company, and everyone, from Toby to Donna was
busy.
Ainsley's door was open, and Ainsley was sitting at her
desk, not doing much of anything.
CJ knocked lightly on the open door and let herself
in. "Ainsley?"
Ainsley jumped a little.
"Oh, hi, CJ. Do you need
something?"
"Are you busy?"
"Not at the moment.
Why?"
"Because no one upstairs has even a few free minutes and
I'm quite frankly bored."
"I've got a few."
Ainsley took a big sip of her bottle of Fresca. "You're welcome to hide out down here for a
while."
"Thanks. Gail was
asleep, I think. She was floating at
the top. That's how fish sleep, right?"
"CJ, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but fish
float when they're dead."
CJ's eyes widened.
"I killed Gail?" she shrieked.
"That's the fish you got from that reporter Danny
Concannon, right?"
CJ nodded glumly.
"And I killed her! He's gonna be
mad."
"Buy a new goldfish that looks like Gail. He won't know the difference."
"Are you sure?"
"It's worked for me.
But I guess my boyfriends were a little stupid as well."
CJ sighed. "Danny's
defiantly not stupid. But maybe he
won't notice. It's worth a shot
anyway. Thanks."
"Not a problem."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Like?"
"Like what you were thinking about when I came in. You looked like a love-struck teenager."
Ainsley blushed hotly.
She had been hoping CJ hadn't noticed.
"Let me guess. It's
a guy."
Ainsley just nodded sheepishly.
"Do I know him?"
Another Ainsley nod.
"Democrat or Republican?"
Ainsley hesitated.
"Democrat," she replied finally.
That surprised CJ.
"Democrat? Ainsley Hayes, the
most Republican woman I know, going for a Democrat. That's something I never thought I'd hear."
"CJ!"
"Sorry. OK, would
you just like to tell me now so I don't have to play 20 questions to get the
answer?"
"I'll say it's someone upstairs."
"Like Senior Staff?"
Ainsley nodded.
"Sam? It's gotta be
Sam."
"It's not Sam."
CJ's eyes widened.
"It's not Sam?"
"No. We're just
friends."
"OK, so it's not Sam.
I'm pretty much ruling out Leo.
Is it… Toby?"
Ainsley's face crumpled.
"Defiantly not Toby.
That leaves… Josh? Is it Josh?"
Ainsley's face turned about five shades of red in a matter
of seconds.
"Seriously? Because
I don't think that's a bad thing at all, if that's the reason for not telling
me right away."
"I know it's not a bad thing. But, we have barely said anything to each other the whole time
I've been here. We're opposites. And I don't think he likes Fresca."
CJ smiled. "I don't
see any reason why Josh would not think you're attractive. And you just have to give him a chance. He's a great guy, just… loud,
sometimes. And egotistical. But otherwise he's great."
"He hates Republicans."
"Not ALL Republicans, that I know. Just the Republican members of Congress and
quite a few other ones running around Washington and the rest of the country."
"I'm sure he'd hate me."
"I think you two would seriously get along."
"You think?"
"I do. Just tell
him easy on the Republican jokes. 'Cuz
you know he's gonna make at least a few."
"I guess. CJ,
promise me you won't say anything to him.
Or anyone."
"I won't, not unless you say it's okay."
"It's defiantly not okay."
"Fine, I won't say anything! But it's not a big deal, really."
"We've already covered that, CJ."
"Covered what?"
asked someone from behind CJ. She
turned and saw Sam standing there.
Ainsley freaked.
"How much of that conversation did you just hear?" she
asked quickly.
"Just that you two
already covered something."
Ainsley breathed a loud sigh of relief.
"Did you need something, Sam?" CJ asked Sam.
"Yeah. CJ, Leo's
looking for you. Something about our
Cuba thing leaked to the press, and he's incredibly NOT happy."
"Shit."
"Yeah."
"Guess that means I gotta go, Ainsley."
"Bye, CJ."
CJ turned to leave.
"Come walk with me, Samuel." He
followed.
"How did you know I was down here?"
"Cathy saw you come down."
"And how much of that conversation did you really hear?"
"Enough to know that Ainsley's got it bad for Josh."
"Shit."
"Actually, that makes me happy."
"Why?"
"Because Josh has it bad for Ainsley, that's why."
CJ broke into a smile.
"Come, Samuel, I have an idea…"
Sam casually strolled into Josh's dark office. Josh was sitting at his desk, head down, and
sleeping.
"Josh!" he exclaimed loudly, trying to wake his friend.
Josh sat straight up.
"What?" he asked.
"Have a nice nap?"
"It doesn't qualify as a "nice" nap if you dream about
budget reports."
"Ick."
"Was there a real reason for you stopping by?"
"Actually, there was.
I was going to tell you that you have a date tonight at that new Italian
restaurant."
Josh looked at him strangely. "I do? When did this
happen? And with who?"
"Whom, Josh. Whom."
"Fine, whom then?"
"It's a blind date, Josh.
I can't tell you."
"Let me get this straight.
You set me up on a * blind * date?
What is Toby doing to your poor head?"
"CJ had a hand in it as well. You, seven-thirty, Ramone's.
Got it?"
"Can you tell me anything about my date?"
"She's attractive."
"Sam, I've dated many, many attractive women. And nothing has turned out for the best,
obviously."
"This one will.
Trust me."
"You know, when you tell me to trust you, that scares me."
There it is, folks, Chapter One.
I hope you enjoyed it enough to read on when I post the next one! And if you decide to take thirty seconds to
review, I thank you!
