Author's Note: So, admittedly this story will probably serve to irritate all CJ/Danny and Josh/Donna fans. However, it has been sitting in My Documents for a while and it was time to share. Although I am a CJ/Danny shipper and a Josh/Donna fan, CJ/Josh stories are my guilty pleasure and I thought I'd pay back into the sub-genre. The reason behind this story is that in episode The Short List I found Josh and CJ's interaction in the teaser interesting and I decided to explore it. I've also found some other flirty moments between the two during the series and maybe I'll expand on those further eventually.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything related to The West Wing.

"Have you seen my necklace?" CJ asked as she fastened her earring into her left lobe.

"No, did you check the nightstand?" Josh asked walking passed her in a pair of slacks and a tight white undershirt.

"Yeah, it wasn't there," CJ replied inserting her other earring. "You see? This is what happens when I take it off."

"It was scratching my face," Josh pointed out.

"Maybe if you didn't bury your face in my neck you wouldn't have that problem," CJ retorted.

"I like burying my face in your neck," he said approaching her from behind and wrapping his arms low around her waist. He nuzzled his lips into the side of her neck and started to playfully nip at her soft skin.

"Josh," she giggled. She let herself enjoy his teasing for a moment before she said, "Stop, we have a very important day today."

"Hence we celebrated our victory last night," Josh said extricating his lips from her neck and slowly removing his hands from her hips. He gave her a light tap on the behind before walking over to the closet to retrieve a shirt.

"We prematurely celebrated our victory. You don't think we jinxed it do you?" CJ asked as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"No," Josh dismissed her. "He's gonna say yes. Who doesn't say yes to being appointed to the Supreme Court?"

"No one," CJ agreed.

Her comment got Josh thinking. "But what if you're right? What if we did jinx it? How could you let this happen?"

"How could I let this happen?" CJ scoffed. "You were the one who showed up at my office door offering to walk me to my car last night."

"So? How does that translate into us sleeping together?"

"That's your signal," CJ informed him.

"What? Offering to walk you to your car?"

"Yes," CJ sighed.

"How is that my signal?" Josh asked puzzled.

"How many times do you offer to walk me to my car?"

"Many times," Josh insisted. "I am nothing if not a gentleman."

CJ let out a loud gut-busting laugh and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you forgetting who you're talking to? I know you Josh. You offer to walk me to my car on the nights you'd like to do more than walk me to my car."

Josh pondered her comment for a moment and walked over to take a seat on the bed next to her. He buttoned his shirt while CJ pulled on her nylons.

"I don't do that, do I?" he asked.

"You do mi amour," CJ affirmed. "In victory and defeat you show up to walk me to my car."

"Hey," Josh said as he pulled CJ's hands in his to face her. "Are you okay with this…arrangement?"

"I wouldn't come home with you if I weren't," CJ said kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"I just don't want you to think that I'm using you," Josh continued.

"You are," CJ pointed out as she bent over to look for her shoe. "But I'm using you too. It's a mutual agreement we have here. Beside it's not like this happens all that often."

"Yeah but it sounds a little cheap when you say it like that."

"Hey, I didn't mean to get you thinking about this," CJ said sensing his conflict with the situation. "I was just pointing out that you come to office at the end of the day when you're interested in more than walking me to my car."

"I know," Josh nodded. "I guess I didn't know I had a pattern."

"I'm very perceptive," CJ informed him.

"What do you do?" Josh asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What's your signal?"

"I don't have one," CJ said.

"Come on there have been times when you've initiated our little sleepovers," Josh said.

"I don't think that's necessarily--"

"I got it," Josh said cutting her off before she had a chance to finish her thought. "You come by and get me to go out for a drink."

"I do not," CJ protested. "Most of the time I have to beg to be invited out with you guys for a drink."

"Yeah, but sometimes you drop by and ask me to go grab a drink, which inevitably turns into two or three. That's what you do. You work up your courage to ravish me by drinking."

"Oh please," CJ laughed as stood up to fetch her other shoe. "I work up my courage to ravish you? Do you have Harlequin romance novels stashed somewhere around here that I don't know about?"

"It's true," Josh said wagging his finger at her with a smile. "You need a couple of shots of courage before you ask me to come home with you."

"You're delusional," CJ said arching her back to put on her shoe as she walked over to the chair in the corner of the room.

"And you're awfully sexy in the morning," Josh said as he watched her move about the room.

"Stop," CJ said. "We have to put on our work faces or people will talk."

"No one has said anything," Josh replied.

"Yeah but sometimes I wonder," CJ said pulling on her suit coat. "Toby sometimes gives me looks the day after. Danny makes comments about how relaxed I look."

"Really?" Josh said. "You know sometimes Donna seems quieter than usual the morning after. Sam caught me looking at you one morning and he gave me a weird look."

"Do you think they know?" CJ asked slightly alarmed.

"I don't know," Josh said. "I think Donna would say something if she suspected."

"I think Toby would too," CJ agreed. "If Sam knew he'd just let it go."

"What about Danny? Would he say anything?"

"Danny wouldn't and I'm not really sure I'd want him to anyway."

"What's going on with him?"

"Nothing," CJ said trying to hide a slight blush. "He's asked me out a few times."

"Why don't you go?" Josh asked.

"Because he's a reporter," CJ pointed out. "Can you say conflict of interests?"

"I guess," Josh said. "He's usually on our side though."

"Until the day comes when he's not and then I have to lie to him. A reporter and the Press Secretary can't date. It would undermine the integrity of the room."

"But you like him anyway," Josh pointed out.

"I," CJ sighed. "I think Danny is a nice man."

"That's all I'm gonna get?" Josh asked. "I thought we were better friends than that Claudia Jean."

"We are good friends and that's why you got a response at all," CJ replied.

"Fair enough," Josh said. "So, back to the original subject, you don't think we jinxed Harrison by celebrating a little early do you?"

"No," CJ shook her head. "That's just, I mean, us sleeping together has nothing to do with his response."

"You know what I'm thinking?" Josh said. "I'm thinking I want you in the room on the phone with me when I call him."

"How's that going to help?" CJ asked.

"I don't know. It's good mojo or something. We're the ones who might have jinxed him so we both have to be there when he responds to undo the jinx we might have put on him."

"That makes absolutely no sense," CJ said.

"I know," Josh replied. "It's either that or we both go outside and spit."

"I'll be in your office in an hour," CJ smiled.

She walked over to Josh and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she grabbed her bag and turned to leave the bedroom.

"Hey Claudia Jean?" Josh called.

"Yeah?" she said turning.

"This isn't some cheap fling. You're just more woman than I can handle."

CJ smiled and said, "I'll see you in an hour."

"Bye," he said as she walked out. He sat for a moment before shaking his head and smiling.

"Morning," Donna said as Josh walked into his office.

"Hey."

"You look rested," Donna said. "I thought today was a big day? I figured you'd be a wreck."

"I'm confident Donna," Josh said tossing his backpack on his desk. "There's no need to worry. Harrison is going to say yes. His confirmation is a lock."

"Uh-huh," Donna said sorting through some folders. "How come you weren't this confident yesterday?"

"I was confident yesterday," Josh denied her accusation.

"You paced around the office, yelled at three interns and spilled a cup of coffee on yourself just thinking about this morning," Donna reminded him.

"It was oddly endearing though wasn't it?" Josh smiled his impish grin.

"I don't know what you're on but you've achieved a level of Zen I haven't seen in you before," Donna told him.

"Hey Donna," CJ said as she stood in the doorway.

"Hey CJ," Donna said looking up for a moment before looking back at her pile of files. It was at that moment that Donna took a moment to glance from CJ to Josh and back again.

"Hey Josh," CJ said.

"Claudia Jean," Josh nodded. "You ready for the call?"

"You're sitting in on the call?" Donna asked CJ.

"Yeah," Josh answered for her. "CJ has been working with Harrison's people so I told her she could sit in on the call."

"How nice of you to give me permission," CJ said with a hint of knowing in her tone.

"You want me to put him through now?" Donna asked.

"Please," Josh said.

"Sure," Donna said gathering her folders and walking toward the door.

"Bye Donna," CJ replied as she walked passed her and out the door.

"Bye," Donna called absently.

CJ sauntered into Josh's office and picked through a few papers on his desk for a moment before speaking.

"Well that was weird," Josh said before she could speak.

"A little cold maybe?" CJ asked.

"She can't know," Josh whispered. "There's no way she knows."

"She knows you my friend. Were you being weird, aside from calling me by my full name?"

"I always call you Claudia Jean," Josh said.

"No, you usually only call me that when you walk me to my car," CJ whispered forcefully.

"Is that our new euphemism now?" Josh asked.

"Yes," CJ replied.

"What's wrong with calling you Claudia Jean? It's your name."

"You don't usually call me that though. Why do you use my full name when we're together anyway?"

"I don't know," Josh shrugged. "It kind of separates work you and friend with benefits you."

"So I'm two different people?"

"Sometimes?"

"Josh, Harrison is on line two," Donna shouted.

"You ready?" Josh asked CJ taking a deep breath.

"Let's do it," CJ replied. Just as he was about to pick up the phone CJ reached over squeezed his hand and added, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Josh said almost inaudibly as they both picked up a phone.

A little while later the deal was done and CJ and Josh jumped and danced around the office. Josh burst into the hallway shouting and CJ followed, each engaged in their own happy dance. They each walked down a separate hall until Josh turned and yelled, "Claudia Jean."

CJ stopped and turned toward him. She saw Josh approach quickly and throw his arms around her. He planted a little kiss on her shoulder.

"We did it," Josh said.

"Yeah," she beamed.

They separated and Josh made his way to the communications bullpen to tell Toby and Sam the great news. CJ walked out the other doorway, turned the corner and found Danny standing there.

"Good news?" Danny asked with a smirk.

"Danny? What are you doing back here?"

"Carol let me back," Danny said following CJ as she continued to make her way down the hall.

"Remind me to fire Carol," CJ said.

"You seem pretty happy," Danny said.

"It's been a good morning," CJ replied pleasantly.

"It's only eight-thirty. It's almost as if you got yourself a candidate for Supreme Court Justice," Danny fished.

"Do you really think I would tell you if we did?" CJ stopped to reply.

"Probably not," Danny conceded.

"So does everybody call you Claudia Jean around here or just Josh?" Danny asked once they started walking again.

"You heard that?" CJ asked.

"I'm just wondering if I should start quoting you as Claudia Jean Cregg or CJ Cregg is all."

"CJ is great," she told him.

"But Josh calls you Claudia Jean," Danny pointed out once again.

"He only calls me that when he's trying to get my attention or when he's very…happy," CJ stammered while she tried to stifle a grin. Happy was one word to describe Josh's feelings when he used her full name so it wasn't completely untrue.

"So Josh is happy and you're happy," Danny said still a step behind her.

"Yes," CJ replied.

"And now you're on your way to Leo's office," Danny deduced. "Is he going to be as happy as you and Josh?"

"Danny, does Carol let you back here just to tail me first thing in the morning?" CJ asked.

"Nah, she just likes me and my boyish charm," Danny replied.

"Goodbye Danny," CJ said stopping before entering Leo's office. "I'll see you at the briefing."

"So should I just fill in Harrison's name in my story on the appointee for Supreme Court Justice?"

"Bye Danny," CJ smiled.

"Bye CJ," he replied as he turned to walk in the other direction.

CJ watched Danny turn and walk away amiably before she opened the door to enter Leo's office and share the joy of their latest victory.

Josh paced back and forth in front of the door that separated his office and CJ's. He had just found out that Lillienfield had held a press conference to state that people at the White House were taking drugs and he had just been appointed drug czar by Toby. Aside from that unfortunate development he had to deal with the fact that he was almost impaled by a piece of his ceiling earlier.

"Josh," Donna said entering his office. "You're gonna wear a hole in the carpet if you don't stop pacing."

"Huh?" Josh said as if he didn't hear her.

"I said you're going to wear a hole in the carpet," Donna said.

"Well I can't sit at my desk Donna," he replied. "Did you mentally block the moment yesterday where I was almost killed by the sky falling on my head?"

"It wasn't that close," Donna informed him. "A light concussion might have been a possibility, but I highly doubt death was in the cards."

"Thanks so much for your concern," Josh replied sarcastically.

"What's going on? You have on stressed face."

"It's shaping up to be a day," he told her.

"I thought everything fell into place with Harrison?" Donna asked.

"It did. I've moved on," Josh said still pondering his current situation.

"Is this the Lillienfield thing? I thought you were okay with interviewing people?"

"I wouldn't say I'm okay with it," Josh said. "But there's something bigger going on here. I can feel it."

"Okay," Donna said skeptically.

"Is CJ done with her briefing yet?" Josh asked interlocking his fingers and resting his hands on his head.

Donna glanced at the television that was televising the briefing and listened for a moment.

"It sounds like she's wrapping it up," Donna replied. "Do you want me to get her?"

"No," Josh said. "It's not CJ I need to talk to right now. I'll be around somewhere if you need me."

At Mandy's suggestion that he talk to "whoever he talks to" Josh exited his office and made his way over to the Press Room. He hovered in the back of the galley and waited for the briefing to finish. He noticed how Danny followed CJ out of the room and he decided to walk out into the hallway to see where he went. It was Danny that he needed to speak to.

He watched CJ and Danny make their way through the hallways and he noted how they turned abruptly to make their way back to the Press Room. He stayed concealed in groups of people as he watched them interact. It was clear that Danny was attempting to flirt with CJ and he could tell that she was holding herself back. There was something about the look on her face that told him she wanted to say yes to whatever Danny was proposing.

Josh doubled back and watched as CJ grabbed her folder off the podium and dismissed Danny. However, he also saw how she took great care to walk a little sexier than usual as she took leave of him. He finally got Danny's attention and the two men grabbed their coats to walk outside away from the prying eyes of the White House.

"So I was thinking of keeping this conversation casual until we got outside," Josh said as he threw on his coat.

"Okay," Danny agreed. "I assume we'll be going on record about something eventually?"

"You know what they say about assuming Danny," Josh said as they exited his office and made their way into the hallway. "So, are you getting anywhere with CJ?"

"Getting anywhere?" Danny asked surprised that Josh broached the subject.

"You've asked her out right?" Josh asked.

"I, yeah I have," Danny replied still surprised by Josh's question. "Did CJ tell you I asked her out?"

"Yeah," Josh replied with a grin.

"She tell you anything I could use?" Danny asked.

"Not as such," Josh replied deciding against revealing the information that CJ had shared with him the previous morning. Although Josh firmly believed that CJ had strong feelings for Danny regardless of her protests.

"Bummer," Danny replied. "So I highly doubt you're out here with me to talk about CJ."

"Maybe not," Josh said as they walked.

"Josh," Danny started to say.

"Hold on," Josh said as they walked farther away from the White House.

The two men made their way down the street and Josh was able to pick Danny's brain for what or who Lillienfield was after with his drug speech. Danny gave Josh a good idea for a lead and he turned to go back to work. Before he left he decided to tell Danny that CJ liked Goldfish. It was an odd comment and he wasn't quite sure why he decided to share it with Danny. It almost seemed like a small reward for helping him come up with a theory on Lillienfield. Maybe it had something to do with the way CJ suppressed a smile when she was talking to Danny. He couldn't really be sure.

Josh made his way back into the White House and stood in the doorway that separated his office from CJ's. He watched her as she read several documents at once and marveled at her ability to multi-task.

"Hey," CJ smiled as she looked up from her desk. Her glasses were perched on the end of her nose making her look like a librarian from 1943. She removed her glasses and gave Josh a look when he stood silently in the doorway.

"What's going on?" CJ asked.

Josh paced a few times back and forth and finally entered her office shutting both doors.

"It's Leo," Josh said.

"What's wrong with Leo?" CJ asked.

"The whole Lillienfield thing," Josh started to explain. "It's not the funny laugh we all thought."

"What is it then?"

"It's a witch hunt," Josh replied calmly as he took a seat in a chair on the other side of CJ's desk. "He's after Leo."

"Leo's alcoholism isn't exactly a secret," CJ replied putting down the paper she was reading.

"I know, but I think there might be more to it," Josh whispered. "I have to talk to him."

"Yeah because that'll be easy," CJ said.

"Tell me about it."

CJ sighed audibly. "Remember how happy we were yesterday morning?" CJ asked. "Why does that feeling always seem so fleeting around here?"

"I don't know," Josh replied.

"So how did you come up with this anyway?"

"Actually it was Danny," Josh answered her.

"Danny?"

"We were talking and he got me thinking that Lillienfield was looking for someone bigger than some high-ons in the mailroom."

"Danny shared his theory about this with you?" CJ asked.

"Sure, why wouldn't he? He's always been on our side CJ."

"I know," CJ said shifting in her chair. "I'm just a little surprised. I didn't know you two talked."

"Danny and I talk," Josh replied. Sensing her weariness he added, "But not about you. Much."

"Much?"

"Yeah," Josh smiled.

"Great, I feel much better now," CJ replied wryly.

"So are you here for a while?" Josh asked changing the subject.

"Now that you told me about Lillienfield I am," CJ replied. "I'll have to be ready for whatever happens.

"'Kay," Josh nodded. "Come over before you leave?"

"Okay," CJ said setting aside the paper and starting to work on her new task.

"I guess the one bright spot is the Harrison nomination," Josh said before he opened her door again. "We didn't jinx it after all."

"One less thing to worry about," CJ replied.

"Yeah," Josh smiled.

"I'll knock before I leave," CJ told him.

"Good," Josh replied opening the door and walking back into his office.

Hours later CJ squinted and realized that her clock said it was almost eleven. The phone on her desk rang loudly and she sighed as she picked it up.

"CJ Cregg," she said.

"Hey," Danny said.

"Danny?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's me," he smiled. "I was wondering if you'd given any thought to my proposal."

"What proposal was that?" CJ asked with a tiny grin on her lips.

"You, me, basketball, no notebook, no quotes," Danny reminded her.

"Danny, she said. "You know I can't."

"Why?"

"For a myriad of reasons, which I've shared with you," she said.

"Yeah, I've heard your reasons. None of which were that great by the way," he replied. "I just don't get the sense that it's really how you feel."

"Danny," CJ said.

"Yes Claudia Jean?" he asked playfully. Her full name on his lips caused her to pause. Lately it was only Josh using her full name and it was under decidedly different circumstances. A pang of guilt shot through her.

"Did you call for anything in particular?" she asked changing her response.

"Nothing deadline-related if that's what you mean," he said.

"I'll see you tomorrow Danny," CJ said cutting him off.

"Are you sure that--"

"Good night Danny," she said hanging up the phone before he got in another a word. She looked at the phone for a moment as if she was apologizing to it.

CJ squinted and pressed the skin between her eyes with her fingers. She saved her document and turned off her light as she pulled her coat on. She walked by the door between her office and Josh's and knocked quietly.

"Come in," he called.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey," he said biting his lip.

"So how come you're sitting huddled in the corner over there?" CJ asked as she entered his office. "You're not in the early stages of going fetal are you?"

"Did you happen to notice the huge chunk of ceiling missing from my office?" Josh asked pointing over his desk. "I wasn't going to take the chance of sitting there when it almost killed me once this week."

"It fell on you?" CJ asked.

"Not so much on me, but on the desk," Josh replied in tone that dripped with sorrow for his plight.

"So you decided to sit in the corner instead of over at your desk," CJ said again.

"Note the missing ceiling," Josh replied pointing again.

"Right, but the ceiling over your desk is gone," CJ pointed out. "Don't you think you're taking a chance by sitting where there's more ceiling that could potential fall and hit you on the head?"

Josh looked up the ceiling and hole and then turned his head back toward CJ sensing her point.

"Why did you stop by again?" Josh asked with a tiny grin.

"Just checking in before I left for the night," CJ replied. "Nothing is going to blow up with Lillienfield overnight right?"

"No," Josh assured her. "We're going to have to have a conversation about it though."

"Okay," CJ said with an air of finality, but it was clear she didn't want to leave.

"What's up?" Josh prodded.

CJ debated about whether to say anything, but finally decided she needed to get things off her chest. "Danny just called me."

"Can I surmise that it wasn't work-related?"

"No, it wasn't."

"Danny is a nice guy."

"Josh," CJ said

"We're friends, right?" Josh cut her off.

"Bosom buddies, who occasionally see each other's bosom," CJ said flippantly with a grin.

Josh smirked in response, but then adopted a serious face. "But, seriously, we're friends first and foremost right?"

"Of course," CJ said. "We're the best kind of friends."

"Then, as a friend, can I ask you why you're so anti-Danny?" Josh asked.

"I'm not anti-Danny," CJ admitted. "That's the problem. It's never going to work and I know that, and yet there's a part of me that just…wonders."

"So the other night was the last time for a while wasn't it?" he asked.

CJ glanced behind her and noticed the open door. She stood up and closed it so no one could hear their conversation. "Someone could have heard that," she said.

"It was an innocuous statement," he replied. "Someone would have to really reach for it to make the leap. Besides, there's no one out there."

"Except Donna," she corrected him.

"She didn't hear anything," he assured her. "Getting back to my original question, I must be right if this has turned into a closed-door conversation."

"I feel guilty," CJ shrugged.

"Because of Danny," Josh finished for her.

"Maybe," CJ admitted.

"It isn't like we're together every night," Josh said. "In fact, aside from the other night, it hadn't happened in a while."

"At least three months," CJ said.

"At least," Josh agreed.

"It's a good arrangement though."

"It's an excellent arrangement. But, one that I'm willing to give up so you can find yourself a man. After all, I'm the one who ended it for Mandy."

"Yeah, that was a mistake," CJ chuckled.

"Tell me about it," Josh laughed as well. "You know you don't have to come in here and give me the break up conversation CJ."

"I know," CJ shrugged. "I just thought I should tell you where my head is at."

"I appreciate that," Josh said. "Just stop by and ask me to grab a drink whenever you feel like it. Single status preferred of course."

"I will," CJ nodded, standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow mi amour?"

"Bright and early," Josh nodded.

He watched CJ walk out of his office and shook his head. He'd never had a friend like CJ before and he didn't think he'd ever find someone quite like here again.