DISCLAIMER: The characters
aren't mine they belong to NBC, Aaron Sorkin...blah blah blah.
WARNING: If you are not a CJ/Danny `shipper TURN BACK NOW.
This story takes place about 7 years into the future at the end of
President Bartlet's second term. Enjoy!
A NEW LIFE
CJ pushed her chair away from the desk and rubbed her
eyes tiredly. She needed to think. These press notes had to be done
before morning, but she kept drawing a blank. Her thoughts kept
wandering to the fact that in two days, her whole life was going to
change. In two days, President Bartlet would end his second term in
the White House and CJ and the people she had come to consider as
family would be leaving their jobs, quite possibly their whole lives
behind.
CJ took a deep breath and refocused her attention back on her
computer.
"Hey," Danny said as he walked into the den.
"Hey," CJ answered without looking up from her computer
screen.
Danny laid his hands on his wife's shoulders and planted a
light kiss on her cheek.
"How's it going?"
CJ sighed and reached over her shoulder for Danny's hand.
"I can't believe that in two days, its going to be over."
Danny moved to her side and smiled as he crouched down beside
her chair.
"Are you going to be okay?"
CJ wiped a way a few threatening tears and smiled weakly.
Danny brushed his thumb tenderly across her cheek and stood.
He squeezed her hand lovingly as he led her to the couch and
proceeded
to massage her shoulders.
"Danny, what am I going to do now? That job was my whole
life."
Danny turned CJ to face him.
"CJ. I promise you. You're going to be okay and you're going
to see that your life is still meaningful, and there's going to
be
something else that will fill that void."
CJ smiled. "Danny, I don't know what I'd do without you. I
love you."
"I love you too," he said softly as he wrapped his arms around
her and kissed her passionately.
CJ sighed and let Danny slip his tongue gently between her
lips. She moaned quietly as Danny lay her back against the cushions.
Just as CJ began to lose herself in her husband's kisses, her
thoughts were interrupted by a baby's cry.
As much as she hated to end this incredibly passionate moment,
CJ rested her hands against Danny's chest and pushed him away
slightly.
"Danny, please."
Danny ignored her and started planting light kisses on her
neck.
"Danny. The baby's crying."
Danny pulled away somewhat reluctantly and released CJ from
his embrace.
CJ smiled at the pouty expression and lightly kissed him.
"I promise, we'll continue this later," she whispered against
his lips.
Danny's expression brightened as he reached for her again.
But CJ was too quick for him and smiled over her shoulder as she
headed for the nursery.
CJ walked into the room and lifted her six-month-old daughter
out of the crib. In a few moments, Christina quieted down and fell
back to sleep. CJ gently placed the sleeping baby back into her crib
and watched her sleep, her arms resting on the railing.
CJ smiled as she smoothed out a bit of red hair on the baby's
head, totally unaware that Danny was watching her from the doorway.
"Coming to bed?" Danny asked as he walked toward her.
CJ turned towards him and nodded as she tried to stifle a
yawn.
Danny smiled as he moved to her side and like her, rested his
arms on the railing of the crib.
She's wearing you out, isn't she?"
CJ nodded in agreement. "Even before she was born, she was
making me tired."
Danny laughed. "Poor Sam. At least he did a better job than
Josh."
"Unfortunately, he decided to do his reports as if he was
reading out of the phone book."
Danny reached over and took CJ's hand in his.
"I never noticed. I was thinking of my beautiful wife and
baby.
CJ blushed. "Oh, Danny."
Slowly, Danny leaned over and captured CJ's lips with his own
in a tender kiss.
After they parted, Danny started towards their bedroom with CJ
close behind.
Two mornings later, CJ awoke with Danny's arms around her and
the sun shinning brightly through the window. Normally, she would
have been very happy, but this morning was different, and her gloomy
mood didn't go unnoticed by her husband.
Danny kissed her and reassured her that everything was going
to be okay before he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
After he had finished dressing, Danny walked into the kitchen
to find CJ sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. He walked
around behind her and placed his hand over hers.
"Okay?"
CJ looked up at him then reached to the floor for her
briefcase. "Yeah." She took a deep breath before she spoke again.
"Well, might as well get this day over with, right?" She stood and
kissed Danny lightly.
Danny held her by the arms and smiled boyishly. "It's going
to be okay. Right?"
CJ nodded.
"Good. I'll see you later. Love you."
Danny leaned in and gave her a deep kiss before he watched her
leave.
Later that afternoon, Danny drove over to the White House with
his baby daughter in tow.
As he walked down the halls of the West Wing, Danny smiled to
all the familiar faces he had seen for the past eight years, and felt
a pang of the sadness that CJ was feeling. Danny spotted Jed Bartlet
walking toward him.
"Is that my beautiful goddaughter?" he boomed as he walked
past the offices.
Danny smiled. "Good afternoon, Mr. President," Danny greeted
as the President fussed over the baby in his arms.
"Listen, how about letting me take her for a while. Besides,
I don't think she doesn't get to spend enough time with her
Uncle
Jed," he cooed as he lifted the baby into his arms.
Danny passed the sleeping infant over reluctantly. "Okay,
just be careful with her."
The President passed Danny a strange look and laughed.
"Danny, I've raised three daughters. I think I can handle this."
"I understand. She's your baby. Don't worry, I'll take
good
care of her for you. Now you go help CJ."
Danny smiled in agreement as the President turned and started
back towards the oval office.
He continued down the hall and knocked on CJ's door.
"Come on in."
"Hey," he greeted her as he'd always done. "How are things
coming in here?"
"Just about done," CJ answered as she carefully placed some
pictures in a box.
"Yeah, here take this would ya?" CJ asked as she held out the
goldfish bowl.
"CJ hold on," Danny said, replacing the fish bowl back on the
desk. "Slow down, relax. You've spent eight years of your life
here."
"Danny," she interrupted. "I've been thinking about what you
said last night and you're right. My life is still meaningful.
I've
got a beautiful daughter and the most wonderful husband any woman
could ever ask for. Thank you."
Danny leaned against the desk and pulled CJ into his arms.
"When did you realize this?"
"The other night while I was watching Christina sleep."
"And the part about your wonderful husband?"
CJ smiled at him. "Let's just say that I realized that the
other night too," she whispered near his ear.
Danny smiled as he wrapped his arms around CJ and kissed her.
"Am I interrupting something?" Jed Bartlet questioned from
the doorway.
CJ pulled away from Danny and smiled. "No. Danny would you
take the baby down to the car? I'll be down in a second."
"Sure," he said as he took his daughter from the President.
After he left, Jed smiled.
"Well, I guess this is it."
CJ smiled sadly. "Yeah."
The President put a reassuring hand on CJs arm and smiled.
"Thank you CJ. You know we wouldn't be here without you."
CJ smiled as the president pulled her into a friendly hug.
"Thank you Mr. President. Its been a pleasure working for
you."
Jed pulled away and nodded.
"We'll see you and Danny at the anniversary party next month,
right?"
CJ nodded.
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, my wife is looking for me."
Jed said as he turned and left the office.
CJ looked around her office one last time as she lifted Gail's
fishbowl from the desk before turning off the light and locking the
door for the last time.
EPILOGUE
Two weeks later, Danny arrived home late and noticed all the
lights were off. He decided that CJ had gone to bed and started back
towards the bedroom. As he walked down the hall and removed his
coat,
Danny peaked into the darkened nursery and discovered CJ sitting in
the rocker, feeding the baby a bottle.
Danny stood in the doorway and watched silently for a moment
before he spoke. "You know, you look really good like that."
CJ looked up and smiled. "If you had told me I was going to be
doing this eight years ago, I would have told you that you were
crazy."
"You did."
"I did?"
"Yeah."
"But then you brought me a goldfish."
Danny crouched down beside the chair. "Yeah, that was pretty
sweet of me wasn't it?"
CJ smiled at him, then turned her gaze to the baby.
"And eight years ago, I never would have believed that I could
ever be this happy. Thank you."
Danny leaned close and smiled. "You're welcome," he
whispered just before he kissed her.
THE END
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