TITLE: One Night in Iowa
AUTHOR: Kansas J. Miller
PAIRING: CJ/Danny
RATING: PG-13
SPOILERS: Campaign-fic, pre-WH.
SUMMARY: Three days before the Iowa Caucus, the Bartlet campaign gets stuck overnight in one of their rural offices.
NOTE: I'm currently volunteering at my local Howard Dean campaign office (here in Newark, DE) which is a small house - pretty much the same office I have described in this story. A couple of nights ago, we had some out of town people - one of them an official, paid Dean for America staffer - sleep in the upstairs rooms overnight. So this is a piece of reality that I thought I'd throw our favorite gang right into Enjoy.
Thank you, Rhonda!
~*~
Three days. Less than seventy-two hours. Hundreds of cups of coffee would be consumed and hundreds of canvassers would head door-to-door across the rural state. Hundreds of phone calls would be made to hundreds of registered Democrats. Hundreds of news stories would be written about the candidates and hundreds of people would hopefully hear their messages. And when the caucuses began on Monday night, hundreds of voters would still remain undecided. It was the dead of winter, and this was anyone's race.
CJ Cregg wasn't a big fan of Iowa. She wished they were still in Manchester, but the New Hampshire headquarters was mostly empty, everyone eager to get on the road and rolling. As soon as the returns were in on Monday night, they'd be packing up, stopping in New Hampshire for a day, and then skipping out to let Hoynes and Wiley duke it out for second and third. Because it was the Governor's home state, winning there was a given, regardless of the results in Iowa. It was smarter to be in all of states voting next - South Carolina being the most visible - a week ahead of the other candidates.
But for the moment, they were stuck in Iowa these three days. As far as CJ was concerned, they'd already spent way too much time in middle America. Bartlet had headquarters in all ninety-nine Iowa counties, and most of them had been set up since last summer. They'd started out quietly, but they were slowly, steadily building popularity. Ninety-nine offices and all of the money they were raising was a good thing.
"Is he gonna be able to make it to the YMCA rally?" Josh Lyman shouted at CJ from across the room, cheaply partitioned so as to give the semblance of an office. The Iowa Bartlet for America headquarters in Des Moines was occupying a former Goodwill store, the walls stripped bare and the linoleum floor cold and hard. They had a windowed front, covered now in Bartlet signs, but the wide-open, echoing and sometimes drafty space made CJ wonder what some of the other ninety-eight offices were like. She glanced down at her schedule and then raised her hands up in the air, shooting Josh her wide eyes.
"We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago - where the hell is Leo?"
Toby Ziegler barreled through the storefront door, the bell chiming angrily behind him. "Governor's going straight from the soup kitchen to the Y, but someone's gotta run him another suit jacket. Leo just called."
Sam Seaborn slammed down the phone he'd had pressed to his ear for the better part of the last half-hour. He leapt up and ran around the partitions blocking off his card-table of a desk. "Trucker's gonna endorse!"
"Us?" Josh asked, his lips curling. Toby raised his brow as he and Josh circled closer to the desk that CJ had been using.
CJ jumped up at the grin breaking onto Sam's face. "We've gotta get this to the press as soon as we can."
Toby darted past CJ towards the makeshift closet they'd set up near the bathroom. "I'm sending his suit coat with a volunteer. Josh!" Toby called, turning and walking backwards. "Work with CJ on a media event, and Sam, coordinate with Senator Trucker's people. We'll want to get as many bodies as we possibly can at a rally!"
Sam nodded and spun back towards his card table while Josh got on his cell. CJ was already motioning for Carol. "I need you to get on the phone to all the volunteer coordinators across the state. Let them know we might need to caravan people to Des Moines as early as tonight."
Josh covered the mouthpiece of his cell as he heard CJ. He caught her eye, excitement and energy flashing in both pairs. "Oh, definitely by tonight!"
CJ nodded, shooing Carol off to work as the tall woman pushed a chair out of her way and headed quickly for the laptop station. It was time to type up their best press release yet.
~*~
Danny Concannon was pissed. Iowa in January was like standing in a vat of ice-water, with the added agony of cold wind whipping everywhere. A human body could turn into an icicle at a moment's notice at this rate. It must have been for pure torture alone that these campaign events were held outdoors.
His breath was freezing mid-air as he stood behind a huge crowd of Bartlet supporters. Burrowing his chin down so that half of his face was warmed by the scarf wrapped around his neck, Danny tried to listen to Governor Jed Bartlet. The crowd at the Polk County YMCA was impressive, maybe two hundred people by Danny's rough count, all enthusiastic, holding Bartlet signs. Danny's fingers were too cold to take notes, and in the rush to get to the rally, he'd left his tape recorder on the press bus, which was now God-knows-where. As more wind sharply bit through the layers of his coat, Danny hoped he'd remember enough to file an accurate report later. If not, he would just have to find a campaign representative for quotes.
Maybe, Danny thought mischievously, he could specifically seek out CJ Cregg. He'd only met her twice, but anytime they were in the same room, Danny found his eyes drawn to her - whenever she was on the press bus, his work was left untouched. Glancing around at the base of the dais and off to the side of the crowd, Danny scanned the staffers on hand. CJ was no where in sight; it looked like most of the senior aides were still at the Des Moines office.
Danny focused again on the Governor. No doubt the best orator he had ever seen, Bartlet was energetic as he once again ran through his stump speech. Only Bartlet, combined with the written talents of Toby Ziegler, could make his campaign speech new each time he gave it. The words never got tired, and neither did Bartlet. He was good - good enough to make two hundred people and a grumpy reporter forget about the cold.
Cheering drowned out Danny's thoughts, and he watched the Governor bound down from the dais, shaking every hand he could reach. Bartlet might not be the frontrunner here in Iowa - in fact, he was polling close to the bottom of the barrel - but as Danny watched the New England Governor work the crowd, he knew he was looking at something special.
~*~
"Fuck," CJ muttered, barely catching a stack of paper before they slid to the floor of the press bus. The bus lurched again as it followed behind the Bartlet Victory Express, the newest addition to the campaign. It was a beautiful bus, complete with beds in hidden places, a bathroom, and a decent kitchenette, plus enough technology to support what Josh had dubbed their 'state of the art media center' - two laptops and three cell-phone chargers that were now permanently fixed to the table-turned-desk.
But CJ wasn't on the Victory Express; she was corralling the press in their lesser-equipped, much older bus that had definitely seen better days. She had less room to work on this bus, and just as she was contemplating throwing herself through the window, her cell phone rang.
"CJ Cregg," she sighed, looking out the window. The afternoon was growing later and colder. CJ knew the look of coming snow when she saw it, and the gray Iowa sky was not giving her much hope. This whole excursion was so last minute that *something* was bound to go wrong. She tucked her coat more closely against her body as she pressed the phone to her ear.
"CJ, it's Josh. The Guthrie County Marriott is going to let us use their ballroom, so we don't have to worry about the weather."
"Guthrie County has a Marriott?" CJ grinned skeptically. They were headed ninety minutes west of Des Moines into one of the most rural counties in the state at request of Senator Elvin Trucker. Approaching seventy, the Iowan had spent nearly thirty years in the Senate, and it was unbelievably lucky that they had received his endorsement, especially when everyone was throwing their money and weight behind Hoynes. They'd have gladly held their announcement event in a wheat silo, should that have been Trucker's request.
Josh snorted. "They have a Marriott. Sam isn't having much luck reserving rooms, though, so unless the roads are clear, we might end up sleeping on the bus or at the Guthrie headquarters."
"I'll give the press a heads up. How big is our headquarters there?" CJ asked, scribbling a note on her pad, her handwriting thrown when the bus again jolted into motion. All the stopping and starting was making CJ crazy. "Shit, Josh, is there a traffic jam up ahead or something?"
"Umm, I don't know. And Toby says that their headquarters is in a small, two-story farm house," Josh gulped.
CJ rolled her eyes. "Wow, we probably should have checked that out before herding all troops to Guthrie County, then, huh?"
"I need an assistant," Josh whined.
"Sometimes I think you need a lobotomy. I'm going to get on the phones to local volunteers. Maybe they'll be willing to house out-of- towners and staffers overnight."
"It's already three o'clock! That's not much notice," Josh pointed out helpfully.
CJ sighed heavily, motioning for Carol to head down the aisle of the bus. "Carol, get me the Guthrie County volunteer roster with phone numbers." Turning towards the window, CJ gave her attention back to Josh. "Tell Toby I'm making calls. Did we at least get a room for the Governor?"
Toby's voice replaced Josh's on the cell. "CJ, it's me. Find out exactly how many local volunteers might be willing to lend us their couches for the night."
CJ rolled her eyes in frustration. "I'll have to get off of the phone with you two goobers, first! Tell Sam he'd better try all the motels within reasonable distance, though. I really doubt we're going to be able to drive back tonight. This is a horrible idea."
"I'm having someone check the weather report," Toby groaned. "Call me when you know something."
CJ hung up her cell and tucked it into the pocket of her jeans. Standing up as the bus picked up speed, CJ headed up the aisle towards Carol, grabbed the phone sheet, and began making the calls.
~*~
The media was out in full force to cover a rare endorsement for New Hampshire Governor Jed Bartlet. The Marriott ballroom was packed with supporters and press, and more than a few television cameras. As she stood by the televisions in the lobby-turned-overflow room, CJ was excited to report that CNN, C-SPAN, and even MSNBC were carrying them live.
"Sam! Great job getting the word out!" CJ grinned, high-fiving the dark-haired communications aide. "Maybe when Iowa sees this, our numbers will start to look up."
Sam leaned against the television stand and watched as the crowd before Bartlet began to quiet down. He glanced at CJ and smiled. "We're doing all right."
CJ nodded. They were going to win New Hampshire regardless of their performance here in Iowa, and that would come with tons of press coverage, a little name recognition when they got to South Carolina, and all of the endorsements and money from Wiley. As CJ turned her attention to Senator Trucker's endorsement speech, she knew that this was just a start.
~*~
"Josh, I could thump you right now," CJ muttered, throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder as she tried to maneuver herself up the narrow staircase of the Guthrie County Bartlet headquarters.
From the small, wood-paneled lobby - functioning as a reception area for the office - Josh glanced up at the tall spokeswoman. His eyes were innocent. "What? I didn't build this house!"
Toby was back examining the small kitchen, just mere feet from where Josh stood. "They said the kitchen would be stocked. And there are bathrooms."
"I spoke with Pat Morrison, the office coordinator here. She said she'll be bringing by blankets and sleeping bags that some of the local volunteers have donated for the night." Sam was standing in the room off of the kitchen and lobby, a small space being used for phone banking. Three tables shoved next to the window were covered in voter lists, and the mail bins on the side wall were filled with Bartlet bumper stickers, campaign lit, mail waiting for postage, and completed call lists. Sam really liked the look of this small, folksy office - it was clear that a lot of good, hard work was being done here.
CJ was upstairs, but the walls in the old farmhouse were thin. "There are only three rooms up here! And we'll have to sleep on the floor," she yelled before appearing on the stairs. With a heavy sigh, she leaned over the railing to peer at Toby. "What are we doing with the press? Who's left?"
Sam looked out the window. Snow was falling steadily as the seven o'clock hour approached. The Governor, Leo, and Mrs. Bartlet were spending the night on the campaign bus, which would hopefully stay warm overnight. "Most of the people who came in for the rally have found places - volunteers are offering their spare beds, and some people found hotel rooms, though how is mystery that remains unsolved. A lot of the reporters decided to drive away from the storm, but Danny Concannon, Steven Newman, and Tracie Barnes are still with us."
CJ came down the stairs too quickly, her duffel taking out the neat stack of Bartlet for America lawn signs that had been leaning against the banister. The metal frames clanged loudly, unpleasantly, as they crashed to the wood floor. Cringing, as Josh and Toby tried to hide their smirks, CJ rolled her eyes and kneeled down with a sigh. Slowly and frustrated, she began to restack the signs, her duffel bag sliding off of her shoulder with a discouraged thud.
As CJ crouched on the floor, Toby, Josh, and Sam stood by and helpfully watched her. The first five signs that she'd stacked again slipped from their leaning spot against the banister, and Josh couldn't help but laugh aloud. "Wow, CJ, you'd make some campaign volunteer."
Before CJ could fire back an appropriate retort, the front door opened and let in a freezing draft from the porch. "Is this the Bartlet for America county headquarters?"
CJ looked up to see Danny Concannon, standing with his overnight bag and an inane grin. She snorted, frustrated at the weather, the lawn sign mess she'd made, and their apparent overnight accommodations. "No, Nimrod, that big red banner out there that says 'Bartlet' in capital letters is just the newest in decorating trends."
Josh bit his lip to keep from laughing again, and Toby stepped forward. "Shut the door, Concannon! It's eight degrees out there!"
Danny let the heavy green door slam shut before he stopped to peruse the rustic, makeshift office. "Nice place."
Sam walked from the phone banking room into the main foyer. "Where are Steve and Tracie?"
"They decided to brave the drive back to Des Moines, but I think they're crazy," Danny said, dropping his bag to join CJ on the floor. She rolled her eyes as he began to help her stack the last of the lawn signs. "I wouldn't take my chances on the roads at the rate this stuff is coming down."
CJ stood up and wiped her hands. "Join the club. I'm going to see about making some coffee. And if a single one of you complains about *any* of this, I swear to God, I'm gonna say 'I told you so'."
The men watched CJ walk through the narrow hallway into the kitchen before turning curiously to one another. CJ was in a mood that everyone could relate to - it had been a long day - eventful - but now they had effectively stranded themselves in Guthrie County. With campaign workers like Carol, Margaret, and all of the other paid staffers taking beds at scattered local homes, the senior aides were happy to take lesser accommodations. But sleeping at the office was going to be quite the adventure, and there was nothing they could do but try to make the best of it.
~*~
A few of the local volunteers brought to the office some sleeping bags, home-cooked food, and more than enough Styrofoam cups filled with coffee. CJ had taken over organizing the donations, striking up some pleasant conversation with the Iowa volunteers. They were all in awe, impressed to have the campaign big-wigs right there in their own, humble county office. CJ was caught off-guard to realize that *she* was known to these small-town people. Having only worked in California, Leo and Toby had been taking a gamble when they'd brought her on-board: CJ hoped she'd continue to be worthy of the 'graduation day' Toby had offered her.
"We're on the eleven o'clock news!" Sam cried, a bit too excited at that development.
CJ finished wrapping the remains of what had been a delicious tuna casserole. Putting it in the refrigerator, she shut the door and darted out to where the sole television sat. "Nice. I expected that, though."
Sam grinned. "I told Leo we needed to get new polling results."
"CNN/Gallup is going to have one out by tomorrow night that should include reaction from tonight." Toby said from where he sat at one of the phone banking tables, his head leaned back against the wall.
"We did very well today. We need to keep reminding people of this endorsement," Josh decided, momentarily pausing his typing. He sat with the one laptop they had amongst them, now banging away an e-mail to Leo.
"It's our biggest, yet," CJ sighed. It was getting late and she was tired. Stretching her long arms, she let out a deep breath. "Listen, I think I'm going to head upstairs and try to get some rest."
Toby nodded and Sam waved at her. "Go right ahead. I'm probably going to keep my eyes on the news until at least midnight."
CJ yawned as she headed for the stairs. The guys could work into the night if they had to, but she could not function without sleep. As tired as she was today, CJ needed her rest, even if *was* in a sleeping bag on a wooden floor in Iowa.
~*~
The staircase turned where it met the wall and led into a short but narrow hallway. On the right was the house's second bathroom, and to the left was the first room. Further down, two rooms sat across from one another. Each was relatively bare, only a desk, a lamp, two chairs, and cell phone chargers in each. CJ figured that the local volunteers had been using these rooms to phone bank or complete office work. The first room on the left looked good to CJ, so she stepped inside, her eyes squeezing shut as she yawned yet again.
"You joining me?"
"Oh, shit!" she jumped, her eyes jolting wide open. "Danny! You scared me silly!"
Danny was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall with papers spread out around him. He grinned up at the campaign spokesperson; she looked sleepy, and with her hair tousled and make up slightly smudged from the long day, Danny thought she'd never looked sexier.
"Sorry," he shrugged, scooping up his paper into a neat stack. "So, are you?"
CJ leaned against the door frame. "Am I *what*?"
Danny raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Joining me?"
"You wish," CJ smirked. She was usually quite unskilled at deciphering what men were thinking, but it didn't take a genius to see that Danny Concannon had a little crush. Around him, CJ always put forth her best gruffness: she knew she had some kind of attraction to Danny, too. It was undeniable, but that was one mistake this campaign was *not* going to make. She frowned at the reporter. "There are two other rooms up here, so thanks, but no thanks."
Danny's smile was wide as CJ backed out of the room and headed across the hall to one of the others. He heard the lamp switch on next door, and through the wall, he could hear her arranging a sleeping bag on the floor. Oh well, he thought to himself with a smirk, maybe he'd get lucky later in the campaign. Hopefully, they had a long race ahead of them.
~*~
It was two in the morning by Danny's illuminated digital watch. He'd heard Sam shut off the television an hour earlier, but no one had come up the stairs yet. A short, quiet trip down the stairs twenty minutes ago had revealed the sleeping status of the three male campaign staffers. Josh's cheek rested against his closed laptop, Sam had parked his sleeping bag right next to the heater, and Toby had his eyes closed, his head still leaned against the wall.
Danny had spread out his sleeping bag in the front room, and hearing no sound from the woman next door, he'd tried to get some sleep. Even though the house had heating, it still felt drafty, and Danny found himself restless, uncomfortable, sleepless. Sitting up for the third time since his trip downstairs, Danny finally threw aside the sleeping bag and stretched out, standing up again.
Creeping out into the hallway, Danny turned left towards CJ's room. The door was cracked open, and a peek inside revealed a tall woman curled into a ball. CJ had the sleeping bag and accompany blanket tucked tightly around her body - Danny thought she looked cold.
Stepping into the room, the door creaked loudly, causing CJ to shift a bit underneath her bedding. Danny stopped and watched her pull the blankets even closer around her. Her wavy hair partially covered her face, but Danny could see her dark eyelashes against pale skin. The bright moonlight reflected off the white snow as it shone through the window, illuminating the room. Danny decided to take a chance with another step closer to the sleeping woman.
"CJ," he whispered loudly, crouching down by her shoulder. "CJ!"
CJ shifted again, this time cracking an eye open. At sight of Danny, she shot up, her hands flying to tame her curly hair. "Danny! What the hell!"
Danny's hand reached out to calm her. Squeezing her shoulder, he caught her gaze with his. "Shhhh. I just wanted to tell you that it's warmer in my room. That's where the heater is."
CJ groggily looked around the mostly-empty room before letting her sleepy eyes land back on the bearded reporter. "Where are Josh, Toby, and Sam?"
Danny stood up and offered CJ his hand. "Sleeping downstairs. Come on. Let's set you up next to the heater. You're freezing."
Squeezing her hand in his, Danny helped CJ up with one arm before reaching down to gather her sleeping bag, blanket, and pillow with the other. CJ let herself be led into the next room; she was half-asleep, but she was more than aware of the warmth and affection coming from Danny's hand on hers.
In the adjacent room, Danny laid CJ's bedding out next to his, a spot that was undeniably warmer than where CJ had been sleeping. She allowed Danny to help her back down and under the sleeping bag and blankets. He tucked the material gently around her shoulders as her head burrowed down against the pillow. The grogginess and exhaustion overtook her again quickly, and because she was so tired, CJ was nearly asleep again by the time Danny laid down beside her.
~*~
It was maybe an hour later that CJ stirred again, this time waking to find herself toasty and warm. Her back was pressed up against Danny's chest, and she felt his arm tightly around her waist. She sighed with contentment and snuggled closer into his warmth, not sure why she wasn't panicking at his proximity.
"Danny," she murmured, shivering pleasantly as she felt his beard scratch lightly against her neck.
"Are you warm enough now?" he whispered, his fingers lightly grasping her hip through her jeans. "I was worried."
CJ shifted, turning her body until she was now face to face with the reporter. His arms encircled her waist, his embrace tightening. She smiled as her sleepy eyes focused on his. "I'm sure you were. You did a pretty good job of getting me to join you, I see."
Danny averted his gaze momentarily before grinning at the press expert. "You were cold," he explained, humor in his eyes.
"Oh, yeah," CJ breathed, pulling herself even closer to Danny. Their chests were pressed up against one another, and it seemed like heat of a different sort might be building. "I'm sure you were only concerned with my body temperature."
"I'm concerned with your temperature, all right," Danny said huskily. He felt his heart rate increase as he walked his fingers up CJ's back. As his hand reached the back of her head, he sank his fingers into her hair and went for it; bringing her mouth to his, their lips seared together in a kiss hot enough to make them forget all about the Iowa cold. CJ deepened the kiss immediately, her own arms wrapped tightly around Danny. His tongue gently pushed apart her lips, and dancing his tongue around with hers, Danny couldn't help but groan at the smooth feel of her mouth.
"Danny," CJ moaned, the slick heat of his mouth coupled with the soft bristles of his beard a pleasure overload. "Danny!"
They parted at CJ's insistence, and she found herself clutching his shoulders, staring at his lips. He moved to kiss her again, but CJ's hand caught his beard, stilling his movements. "Danny, we can't," she said softly.
Danny held tight to CJ's waist, searching her eyes as he waited for her to move away. When she didn't, he sighed and stroked her lower back. "I know. I'm sorry."
CJ let out the breath she'd been holding, her heart still hammering from the intensity of their kiss. "It's not that I don't want to, Danny, it's-"
He stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Shh. It's okay. I understand. I shouldn't have started this."
Taking a deep breath of air, CJ pulled away from the reporter, sat up, and gathered the blanket around her shoulders. Standing up, her head reeling and her heart pounding, she wordlessly collected the sleeping bag and the pillow. Silently, she found herself rushing from the room, aimlessly heading down the stairs, tears pooling unannounced in her eyes. She'd never felt so much in just one kiss before, and it was overwhelming all of CJ's emotions as she realized just how inappropriate kissing Danny really was. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, this time careful not to knock over the lawn signs, CJ swallowed the huge lump in her throat as she threw her sleeping bag down near Sam. She'd just have to make it through a few more hours, and then they'd be on their way, out of Guthrie County forever.
~*~
As six o'clock hit Iowa, the Bartlet Victory Express pulled away from the Guthrie County Headquarters, volunteers and staffers waving and sending them off towards Des Moines. The roads had been pretty well-cleared by early plow-and-salt crews, and CJ felt reasonably certain that they would make it back to the State HQ in one piece.
With the Governor spouting trivia and snowfall facts, Josh and Sam ignoring him in favor of tracking the early morning news on the Internet, Toby dutifully pouring coffee with Leo and Abbey, and all the rest of the campaign staffers working hard and getting busy, CJ was the last to settle down on the bus. With the wheels rolling and the vehicle picking up speed, CJ dropped her duffel near the door and threw herself onto one of the side- seats.
"Did you get any rest last night, Claudia Jean? You look very tired," Abbey noted, handing the tall woman a cup of steaming black coffee.
Glancing at the back of the bus, CJ caught Danny's eye. He was riding back to Des Moines with them, and sitting unobtrusively near the laptop center. Their eyes met, and a short, knowing smirk was passed between them. CJ quickly turned her attention back to the candidate's wife. CJ knew she looked amused. "Oh, Mrs. Bartlet. You know how this campaign has been. It's always something keeping us awake."
Abbey Bartlet was perceptive, and she quietly glanced between CJ and the red-headed reporter, who was now trying to hide his goofy smile. Abbey's face broke into a grin as she caught a whiff of something interesting brewing. With a wink, she couldn't help but agree. "That's right, CJ, it's always something."
"Thank you for the coffee, Mrs. Bartlet," CJ said politely, forcing a smile. Standing up to head towards the back of the bus, CJ hoped Abbey Bartlet wouldn't get too many crazy matchmaking notions in her head.
Passing Danny on her way to joining Josh and Sam at the laptops, she looked down to find the reporter grinning at her inanely. Not stopping to exchange words - they most definitely, most certainly would *not* be discussing their late-night kiss - CJ instead extended her hand and 'accidentally' slapped the back of Danny's head.
"Oops!" Smiling innocently as she sat down with her colleagues, CJ caught Danny's glare.
She laughed pleasantly, her voice light as she tried to shrug off the fact that there had been something between them last night when they had kissed. But there was no way it could happen - with two days left until Iowa voted and nine months of hard campaigning ahead of them, CJ knew that having anything beyond a professional relationship with Danny Concannon was completely out of the question. But as she tried to focus on what Josh and Sam were discussing, CJ knew it was going to take her quite some time to erase the memory of what she and Danny had briefly, but pleasantly, shared the night before on a wooden floor in Guthrie County, Iowa. *
AUTHOR: Kansas J. Miller
PAIRING: CJ/Danny
RATING: PG-13
SPOILERS: Campaign-fic, pre-WH.
SUMMARY: Three days before the Iowa Caucus, the Bartlet campaign gets stuck overnight in one of their rural offices.
NOTE: I'm currently volunteering at my local Howard Dean campaign office (here in Newark, DE) which is a small house - pretty much the same office I have described in this story. A couple of nights ago, we had some out of town people - one of them an official, paid Dean for America staffer - sleep in the upstairs rooms overnight. So this is a piece of reality that I thought I'd throw our favorite gang right into Enjoy.
Thank you, Rhonda!
~*~
Three days. Less than seventy-two hours. Hundreds of cups of coffee would be consumed and hundreds of canvassers would head door-to-door across the rural state. Hundreds of phone calls would be made to hundreds of registered Democrats. Hundreds of news stories would be written about the candidates and hundreds of people would hopefully hear their messages. And when the caucuses began on Monday night, hundreds of voters would still remain undecided. It was the dead of winter, and this was anyone's race.
CJ Cregg wasn't a big fan of Iowa. She wished they were still in Manchester, but the New Hampshire headquarters was mostly empty, everyone eager to get on the road and rolling. As soon as the returns were in on Monday night, they'd be packing up, stopping in New Hampshire for a day, and then skipping out to let Hoynes and Wiley duke it out for second and third. Because it was the Governor's home state, winning there was a given, regardless of the results in Iowa. It was smarter to be in all of states voting next - South Carolina being the most visible - a week ahead of the other candidates.
But for the moment, they were stuck in Iowa these three days. As far as CJ was concerned, they'd already spent way too much time in middle America. Bartlet had headquarters in all ninety-nine Iowa counties, and most of them had been set up since last summer. They'd started out quietly, but they were slowly, steadily building popularity. Ninety-nine offices and all of the money they were raising was a good thing.
"Is he gonna be able to make it to the YMCA rally?" Josh Lyman shouted at CJ from across the room, cheaply partitioned so as to give the semblance of an office. The Iowa Bartlet for America headquarters in Des Moines was occupying a former Goodwill store, the walls stripped bare and the linoleum floor cold and hard. They had a windowed front, covered now in Bartlet signs, but the wide-open, echoing and sometimes drafty space made CJ wonder what some of the other ninety-eight offices were like. She glanced down at her schedule and then raised her hands up in the air, shooting Josh her wide eyes.
"We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago - where the hell is Leo?"
Toby Ziegler barreled through the storefront door, the bell chiming angrily behind him. "Governor's going straight from the soup kitchen to the Y, but someone's gotta run him another suit jacket. Leo just called."
Sam Seaborn slammed down the phone he'd had pressed to his ear for the better part of the last half-hour. He leapt up and ran around the partitions blocking off his card-table of a desk. "Trucker's gonna endorse!"
"Us?" Josh asked, his lips curling. Toby raised his brow as he and Josh circled closer to the desk that CJ had been using.
CJ jumped up at the grin breaking onto Sam's face. "We've gotta get this to the press as soon as we can."
Toby darted past CJ towards the makeshift closet they'd set up near the bathroom. "I'm sending his suit coat with a volunteer. Josh!" Toby called, turning and walking backwards. "Work with CJ on a media event, and Sam, coordinate with Senator Trucker's people. We'll want to get as many bodies as we possibly can at a rally!"
Sam nodded and spun back towards his card table while Josh got on his cell. CJ was already motioning for Carol. "I need you to get on the phone to all the volunteer coordinators across the state. Let them know we might need to caravan people to Des Moines as early as tonight."
Josh covered the mouthpiece of his cell as he heard CJ. He caught her eye, excitement and energy flashing in both pairs. "Oh, definitely by tonight!"
CJ nodded, shooing Carol off to work as the tall woman pushed a chair out of her way and headed quickly for the laptop station. It was time to type up their best press release yet.
~*~
Danny Concannon was pissed. Iowa in January was like standing in a vat of ice-water, with the added agony of cold wind whipping everywhere. A human body could turn into an icicle at a moment's notice at this rate. It must have been for pure torture alone that these campaign events were held outdoors.
His breath was freezing mid-air as he stood behind a huge crowd of Bartlet supporters. Burrowing his chin down so that half of his face was warmed by the scarf wrapped around his neck, Danny tried to listen to Governor Jed Bartlet. The crowd at the Polk County YMCA was impressive, maybe two hundred people by Danny's rough count, all enthusiastic, holding Bartlet signs. Danny's fingers were too cold to take notes, and in the rush to get to the rally, he'd left his tape recorder on the press bus, which was now God-knows-where. As more wind sharply bit through the layers of his coat, Danny hoped he'd remember enough to file an accurate report later. If not, he would just have to find a campaign representative for quotes.
Maybe, Danny thought mischievously, he could specifically seek out CJ Cregg. He'd only met her twice, but anytime they were in the same room, Danny found his eyes drawn to her - whenever she was on the press bus, his work was left untouched. Glancing around at the base of the dais and off to the side of the crowd, Danny scanned the staffers on hand. CJ was no where in sight; it looked like most of the senior aides were still at the Des Moines office.
Danny focused again on the Governor. No doubt the best orator he had ever seen, Bartlet was energetic as he once again ran through his stump speech. Only Bartlet, combined with the written talents of Toby Ziegler, could make his campaign speech new each time he gave it. The words never got tired, and neither did Bartlet. He was good - good enough to make two hundred people and a grumpy reporter forget about the cold.
Cheering drowned out Danny's thoughts, and he watched the Governor bound down from the dais, shaking every hand he could reach. Bartlet might not be the frontrunner here in Iowa - in fact, he was polling close to the bottom of the barrel - but as Danny watched the New England Governor work the crowd, he knew he was looking at something special.
~*~
"Fuck," CJ muttered, barely catching a stack of paper before they slid to the floor of the press bus. The bus lurched again as it followed behind the Bartlet Victory Express, the newest addition to the campaign. It was a beautiful bus, complete with beds in hidden places, a bathroom, and a decent kitchenette, plus enough technology to support what Josh had dubbed their 'state of the art media center' - two laptops and three cell-phone chargers that were now permanently fixed to the table-turned-desk.
But CJ wasn't on the Victory Express; she was corralling the press in their lesser-equipped, much older bus that had definitely seen better days. She had less room to work on this bus, and just as she was contemplating throwing herself through the window, her cell phone rang.
"CJ Cregg," she sighed, looking out the window. The afternoon was growing later and colder. CJ knew the look of coming snow when she saw it, and the gray Iowa sky was not giving her much hope. This whole excursion was so last minute that *something* was bound to go wrong. She tucked her coat more closely against her body as she pressed the phone to her ear.
"CJ, it's Josh. The Guthrie County Marriott is going to let us use their ballroom, so we don't have to worry about the weather."
"Guthrie County has a Marriott?" CJ grinned skeptically. They were headed ninety minutes west of Des Moines into one of the most rural counties in the state at request of Senator Elvin Trucker. Approaching seventy, the Iowan had spent nearly thirty years in the Senate, and it was unbelievably lucky that they had received his endorsement, especially when everyone was throwing their money and weight behind Hoynes. They'd have gladly held their announcement event in a wheat silo, should that have been Trucker's request.
Josh snorted. "They have a Marriott. Sam isn't having much luck reserving rooms, though, so unless the roads are clear, we might end up sleeping on the bus or at the Guthrie headquarters."
"I'll give the press a heads up. How big is our headquarters there?" CJ asked, scribbling a note on her pad, her handwriting thrown when the bus again jolted into motion. All the stopping and starting was making CJ crazy. "Shit, Josh, is there a traffic jam up ahead or something?"
"Umm, I don't know. And Toby says that their headquarters is in a small, two-story farm house," Josh gulped.
CJ rolled her eyes. "Wow, we probably should have checked that out before herding all troops to Guthrie County, then, huh?"
"I need an assistant," Josh whined.
"Sometimes I think you need a lobotomy. I'm going to get on the phones to local volunteers. Maybe they'll be willing to house out-of- towners and staffers overnight."
"It's already three o'clock! That's not much notice," Josh pointed out helpfully.
CJ sighed heavily, motioning for Carol to head down the aisle of the bus. "Carol, get me the Guthrie County volunteer roster with phone numbers." Turning towards the window, CJ gave her attention back to Josh. "Tell Toby I'm making calls. Did we at least get a room for the Governor?"
Toby's voice replaced Josh's on the cell. "CJ, it's me. Find out exactly how many local volunteers might be willing to lend us their couches for the night."
CJ rolled her eyes in frustration. "I'll have to get off of the phone with you two goobers, first! Tell Sam he'd better try all the motels within reasonable distance, though. I really doubt we're going to be able to drive back tonight. This is a horrible idea."
"I'm having someone check the weather report," Toby groaned. "Call me when you know something."
CJ hung up her cell and tucked it into the pocket of her jeans. Standing up as the bus picked up speed, CJ headed up the aisle towards Carol, grabbed the phone sheet, and began making the calls.
~*~
The media was out in full force to cover a rare endorsement for New Hampshire Governor Jed Bartlet. The Marriott ballroom was packed with supporters and press, and more than a few television cameras. As she stood by the televisions in the lobby-turned-overflow room, CJ was excited to report that CNN, C-SPAN, and even MSNBC were carrying them live.
"Sam! Great job getting the word out!" CJ grinned, high-fiving the dark-haired communications aide. "Maybe when Iowa sees this, our numbers will start to look up."
Sam leaned against the television stand and watched as the crowd before Bartlet began to quiet down. He glanced at CJ and smiled. "We're doing all right."
CJ nodded. They were going to win New Hampshire regardless of their performance here in Iowa, and that would come with tons of press coverage, a little name recognition when they got to South Carolina, and all of the endorsements and money from Wiley. As CJ turned her attention to Senator Trucker's endorsement speech, she knew that this was just a start.
~*~
"Josh, I could thump you right now," CJ muttered, throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder as she tried to maneuver herself up the narrow staircase of the Guthrie County Bartlet headquarters.
From the small, wood-paneled lobby - functioning as a reception area for the office - Josh glanced up at the tall spokeswoman. His eyes were innocent. "What? I didn't build this house!"
Toby was back examining the small kitchen, just mere feet from where Josh stood. "They said the kitchen would be stocked. And there are bathrooms."
"I spoke with Pat Morrison, the office coordinator here. She said she'll be bringing by blankets and sleeping bags that some of the local volunteers have donated for the night." Sam was standing in the room off of the kitchen and lobby, a small space being used for phone banking. Three tables shoved next to the window were covered in voter lists, and the mail bins on the side wall were filled with Bartlet bumper stickers, campaign lit, mail waiting for postage, and completed call lists. Sam really liked the look of this small, folksy office - it was clear that a lot of good, hard work was being done here.
CJ was upstairs, but the walls in the old farmhouse were thin. "There are only three rooms up here! And we'll have to sleep on the floor," she yelled before appearing on the stairs. With a heavy sigh, she leaned over the railing to peer at Toby. "What are we doing with the press? Who's left?"
Sam looked out the window. Snow was falling steadily as the seven o'clock hour approached. The Governor, Leo, and Mrs. Bartlet were spending the night on the campaign bus, which would hopefully stay warm overnight. "Most of the people who came in for the rally have found places - volunteers are offering their spare beds, and some people found hotel rooms, though how is mystery that remains unsolved. A lot of the reporters decided to drive away from the storm, but Danny Concannon, Steven Newman, and Tracie Barnes are still with us."
CJ came down the stairs too quickly, her duffel taking out the neat stack of Bartlet for America lawn signs that had been leaning against the banister. The metal frames clanged loudly, unpleasantly, as they crashed to the wood floor. Cringing, as Josh and Toby tried to hide their smirks, CJ rolled her eyes and kneeled down with a sigh. Slowly and frustrated, she began to restack the signs, her duffel bag sliding off of her shoulder with a discouraged thud.
As CJ crouched on the floor, Toby, Josh, and Sam stood by and helpfully watched her. The first five signs that she'd stacked again slipped from their leaning spot against the banister, and Josh couldn't help but laugh aloud. "Wow, CJ, you'd make some campaign volunteer."
Before CJ could fire back an appropriate retort, the front door opened and let in a freezing draft from the porch. "Is this the Bartlet for America county headquarters?"
CJ looked up to see Danny Concannon, standing with his overnight bag and an inane grin. She snorted, frustrated at the weather, the lawn sign mess she'd made, and their apparent overnight accommodations. "No, Nimrod, that big red banner out there that says 'Bartlet' in capital letters is just the newest in decorating trends."
Josh bit his lip to keep from laughing again, and Toby stepped forward. "Shut the door, Concannon! It's eight degrees out there!"
Danny let the heavy green door slam shut before he stopped to peruse the rustic, makeshift office. "Nice place."
Sam walked from the phone banking room into the main foyer. "Where are Steve and Tracie?"
"They decided to brave the drive back to Des Moines, but I think they're crazy," Danny said, dropping his bag to join CJ on the floor. She rolled her eyes as he began to help her stack the last of the lawn signs. "I wouldn't take my chances on the roads at the rate this stuff is coming down."
CJ stood up and wiped her hands. "Join the club. I'm going to see about making some coffee. And if a single one of you complains about *any* of this, I swear to God, I'm gonna say 'I told you so'."
The men watched CJ walk through the narrow hallway into the kitchen before turning curiously to one another. CJ was in a mood that everyone could relate to - it had been a long day - eventful - but now they had effectively stranded themselves in Guthrie County. With campaign workers like Carol, Margaret, and all of the other paid staffers taking beds at scattered local homes, the senior aides were happy to take lesser accommodations. But sleeping at the office was going to be quite the adventure, and there was nothing they could do but try to make the best of it.
~*~
A few of the local volunteers brought to the office some sleeping bags, home-cooked food, and more than enough Styrofoam cups filled with coffee. CJ had taken over organizing the donations, striking up some pleasant conversation with the Iowa volunteers. They were all in awe, impressed to have the campaign big-wigs right there in their own, humble county office. CJ was caught off-guard to realize that *she* was known to these small-town people. Having only worked in California, Leo and Toby had been taking a gamble when they'd brought her on-board: CJ hoped she'd continue to be worthy of the 'graduation day' Toby had offered her.
"We're on the eleven o'clock news!" Sam cried, a bit too excited at that development.
CJ finished wrapping the remains of what had been a delicious tuna casserole. Putting it in the refrigerator, she shut the door and darted out to where the sole television sat. "Nice. I expected that, though."
Sam grinned. "I told Leo we needed to get new polling results."
"CNN/Gallup is going to have one out by tomorrow night that should include reaction from tonight." Toby said from where he sat at one of the phone banking tables, his head leaned back against the wall.
"We did very well today. We need to keep reminding people of this endorsement," Josh decided, momentarily pausing his typing. He sat with the one laptop they had amongst them, now banging away an e-mail to Leo.
"It's our biggest, yet," CJ sighed. It was getting late and she was tired. Stretching her long arms, she let out a deep breath. "Listen, I think I'm going to head upstairs and try to get some rest."
Toby nodded and Sam waved at her. "Go right ahead. I'm probably going to keep my eyes on the news until at least midnight."
CJ yawned as she headed for the stairs. The guys could work into the night if they had to, but she could not function without sleep. As tired as she was today, CJ needed her rest, even if *was* in a sleeping bag on a wooden floor in Iowa.
~*~
The staircase turned where it met the wall and led into a short but narrow hallway. On the right was the house's second bathroom, and to the left was the first room. Further down, two rooms sat across from one another. Each was relatively bare, only a desk, a lamp, two chairs, and cell phone chargers in each. CJ figured that the local volunteers had been using these rooms to phone bank or complete office work. The first room on the left looked good to CJ, so she stepped inside, her eyes squeezing shut as she yawned yet again.
"You joining me?"
"Oh, shit!" she jumped, her eyes jolting wide open. "Danny! You scared me silly!"
Danny was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall with papers spread out around him. He grinned up at the campaign spokesperson; she looked sleepy, and with her hair tousled and make up slightly smudged from the long day, Danny thought she'd never looked sexier.
"Sorry," he shrugged, scooping up his paper into a neat stack. "So, are you?"
CJ leaned against the door frame. "Am I *what*?"
Danny raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Joining me?"
"You wish," CJ smirked. She was usually quite unskilled at deciphering what men were thinking, but it didn't take a genius to see that Danny Concannon had a little crush. Around him, CJ always put forth her best gruffness: she knew she had some kind of attraction to Danny, too. It was undeniable, but that was one mistake this campaign was *not* going to make. She frowned at the reporter. "There are two other rooms up here, so thanks, but no thanks."
Danny's smile was wide as CJ backed out of the room and headed across the hall to one of the others. He heard the lamp switch on next door, and through the wall, he could hear her arranging a sleeping bag on the floor. Oh well, he thought to himself with a smirk, maybe he'd get lucky later in the campaign. Hopefully, they had a long race ahead of them.
~*~
It was two in the morning by Danny's illuminated digital watch. He'd heard Sam shut off the television an hour earlier, but no one had come up the stairs yet. A short, quiet trip down the stairs twenty minutes ago had revealed the sleeping status of the three male campaign staffers. Josh's cheek rested against his closed laptop, Sam had parked his sleeping bag right next to the heater, and Toby had his eyes closed, his head still leaned against the wall.
Danny had spread out his sleeping bag in the front room, and hearing no sound from the woman next door, he'd tried to get some sleep. Even though the house had heating, it still felt drafty, and Danny found himself restless, uncomfortable, sleepless. Sitting up for the third time since his trip downstairs, Danny finally threw aside the sleeping bag and stretched out, standing up again.
Creeping out into the hallway, Danny turned left towards CJ's room. The door was cracked open, and a peek inside revealed a tall woman curled into a ball. CJ had the sleeping bag and accompany blanket tucked tightly around her body - Danny thought she looked cold.
Stepping into the room, the door creaked loudly, causing CJ to shift a bit underneath her bedding. Danny stopped and watched her pull the blankets even closer around her. Her wavy hair partially covered her face, but Danny could see her dark eyelashes against pale skin. The bright moonlight reflected off the white snow as it shone through the window, illuminating the room. Danny decided to take a chance with another step closer to the sleeping woman.
"CJ," he whispered loudly, crouching down by her shoulder. "CJ!"
CJ shifted again, this time cracking an eye open. At sight of Danny, she shot up, her hands flying to tame her curly hair. "Danny! What the hell!"
Danny's hand reached out to calm her. Squeezing her shoulder, he caught her gaze with his. "Shhhh. I just wanted to tell you that it's warmer in my room. That's where the heater is."
CJ groggily looked around the mostly-empty room before letting her sleepy eyes land back on the bearded reporter. "Where are Josh, Toby, and Sam?"
Danny stood up and offered CJ his hand. "Sleeping downstairs. Come on. Let's set you up next to the heater. You're freezing."
Squeezing her hand in his, Danny helped CJ up with one arm before reaching down to gather her sleeping bag, blanket, and pillow with the other. CJ let herself be led into the next room; she was half-asleep, but she was more than aware of the warmth and affection coming from Danny's hand on hers.
In the adjacent room, Danny laid CJ's bedding out next to his, a spot that was undeniably warmer than where CJ had been sleeping. She allowed Danny to help her back down and under the sleeping bag and blankets. He tucked the material gently around her shoulders as her head burrowed down against the pillow. The grogginess and exhaustion overtook her again quickly, and because she was so tired, CJ was nearly asleep again by the time Danny laid down beside her.
~*~
It was maybe an hour later that CJ stirred again, this time waking to find herself toasty and warm. Her back was pressed up against Danny's chest, and she felt his arm tightly around her waist. She sighed with contentment and snuggled closer into his warmth, not sure why she wasn't panicking at his proximity.
"Danny," she murmured, shivering pleasantly as she felt his beard scratch lightly against her neck.
"Are you warm enough now?" he whispered, his fingers lightly grasping her hip through her jeans. "I was worried."
CJ shifted, turning her body until she was now face to face with the reporter. His arms encircled her waist, his embrace tightening. She smiled as her sleepy eyes focused on his. "I'm sure you were. You did a pretty good job of getting me to join you, I see."
Danny averted his gaze momentarily before grinning at the press expert. "You were cold," he explained, humor in his eyes.
"Oh, yeah," CJ breathed, pulling herself even closer to Danny. Their chests were pressed up against one another, and it seemed like heat of a different sort might be building. "I'm sure you were only concerned with my body temperature."
"I'm concerned with your temperature, all right," Danny said huskily. He felt his heart rate increase as he walked his fingers up CJ's back. As his hand reached the back of her head, he sank his fingers into her hair and went for it; bringing her mouth to his, their lips seared together in a kiss hot enough to make them forget all about the Iowa cold. CJ deepened the kiss immediately, her own arms wrapped tightly around Danny. His tongue gently pushed apart her lips, and dancing his tongue around with hers, Danny couldn't help but groan at the smooth feel of her mouth.
"Danny," CJ moaned, the slick heat of his mouth coupled with the soft bristles of his beard a pleasure overload. "Danny!"
They parted at CJ's insistence, and she found herself clutching his shoulders, staring at his lips. He moved to kiss her again, but CJ's hand caught his beard, stilling his movements. "Danny, we can't," she said softly.
Danny held tight to CJ's waist, searching her eyes as he waited for her to move away. When she didn't, he sighed and stroked her lower back. "I know. I'm sorry."
CJ let out the breath she'd been holding, her heart still hammering from the intensity of their kiss. "It's not that I don't want to, Danny, it's-"
He stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Shh. It's okay. I understand. I shouldn't have started this."
Taking a deep breath of air, CJ pulled away from the reporter, sat up, and gathered the blanket around her shoulders. Standing up, her head reeling and her heart pounding, she wordlessly collected the sleeping bag and the pillow. Silently, she found herself rushing from the room, aimlessly heading down the stairs, tears pooling unannounced in her eyes. She'd never felt so much in just one kiss before, and it was overwhelming all of CJ's emotions as she realized just how inappropriate kissing Danny really was. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, this time careful not to knock over the lawn signs, CJ swallowed the huge lump in her throat as she threw her sleeping bag down near Sam. She'd just have to make it through a few more hours, and then they'd be on their way, out of Guthrie County forever.
~*~
As six o'clock hit Iowa, the Bartlet Victory Express pulled away from the Guthrie County Headquarters, volunteers and staffers waving and sending them off towards Des Moines. The roads had been pretty well-cleared by early plow-and-salt crews, and CJ felt reasonably certain that they would make it back to the State HQ in one piece.
With the Governor spouting trivia and snowfall facts, Josh and Sam ignoring him in favor of tracking the early morning news on the Internet, Toby dutifully pouring coffee with Leo and Abbey, and all the rest of the campaign staffers working hard and getting busy, CJ was the last to settle down on the bus. With the wheels rolling and the vehicle picking up speed, CJ dropped her duffel near the door and threw herself onto one of the side- seats.
"Did you get any rest last night, Claudia Jean? You look very tired," Abbey noted, handing the tall woman a cup of steaming black coffee.
Glancing at the back of the bus, CJ caught Danny's eye. He was riding back to Des Moines with them, and sitting unobtrusively near the laptop center. Their eyes met, and a short, knowing smirk was passed between them. CJ quickly turned her attention back to the candidate's wife. CJ knew she looked amused. "Oh, Mrs. Bartlet. You know how this campaign has been. It's always something keeping us awake."
Abbey Bartlet was perceptive, and she quietly glanced between CJ and the red-headed reporter, who was now trying to hide his goofy smile. Abbey's face broke into a grin as she caught a whiff of something interesting brewing. With a wink, she couldn't help but agree. "That's right, CJ, it's always something."
"Thank you for the coffee, Mrs. Bartlet," CJ said politely, forcing a smile. Standing up to head towards the back of the bus, CJ hoped Abbey Bartlet wouldn't get too many crazy matchmaking notions in her head.
Passing Danny on her way to joining Josh and Sam at the laptops, she looked down to find the reporter grinning at her inanely. Not stopping to exchange words - they most definitely, most certainly would *not* be discussing their late-night kiss - CJ instead extended her hand and 'accidentally' slapped the back of Danny's head.
"Oops!" Smiling innocently as she sat down with her colleagues, CJ caught Danny's glare.
She laughed pleasantly, her voice light as she tried to shrug off the fact that there had been something between them last night when they had kissed. But there was no way it could happen - with two days left until Iowa voted and nine months of hard campaigning ahead of them, CJ knew that having anything beyond a professional relationship with Danny Concannon was completely out of the question. But as she tried to focus on what Josh and Sam were discussing, CJ knew it was going to take her quite some time to erase the memory of what she and Danny had briefly, but pleasantly, shared the night before on a wooden floor in Guthrie County, Iowa. *