I do not own the characters or the song.
….
It is their first Valentine's Day together as a couple and out of The White House. Danny's disappointed that his editor for the book he is working on is making him do more research on the 13th and his is afraid that he won't make it home to CJ on time. The Bartlets invited CJ to the farm, so she wouldn't be alone on her first Valentine's Day of being in a committed adult relationship. "Thank you two for inviting to your farm. I was looking forward to celebrating this holiday for the first time since I have been out of college."
"No problem CJ, we know that it must be hard not being able to celebrate today with Danny." Abbey says as she hugs CJ hello. They all sit down Abbey and Jed on a love seat and CJ on the couch. They both notice besides the fact she isn't going to be with Danny in a few days, she is showing evidence of severe happiness. "You look happy."
"I am, I never thought I would be able to be in a relationship that I share with someone like I share with Danny. He helped me find my faith again after I lost it in the past few years."
"You lost it?"
"Sir, you noticed that everyone left us when things got tough. After Toby left Danny started calling me again, and he more or less proposed to me on the second dinner after he told me that he didn't want to be a reporter again." As CJ is telling them this they realize how much everyone's leaving affected CJ too. She is about to say something when her phone goes off with a ringtone singing Danny Boy "excuse me that is Danny." She goes off to talk to Danny in private. "Hello Danny."
"Hi, Babe, how are you?"
"Good how about you?"
"Wishing I could spend the holiday with you."
"Danny, you have to do your job. I'm fine I am with the Bartlets."
"Did they say something about how beautiful you must be right now." She looks at her jeans and t-shirt not really thinking that she looks great at that moment knowing Danny would say how great she looks no matter what she is wearing. "Honey, someone is on the other line, stay right there I am going to tell them I am talking to my girlfriend." CJ doesn't realize that Danny is actually calling one of the Bartlet's cell phones to tell them that his interviews for his book are finished and that he is wanting to surprise his CJ on Valentine's Day. After he hangs up from them he gets ahold of CJ again. "So Ceej, what do you have planned for later today?"
"I don't know? I may take Abbey out shopping, or play chess with The President."
"Ok, that is good have fun with them babe."
"You have fun with your book too Fish boy."
"Oh, I will, love you more than you can understand."
"Love you too." They hang up and CJ just takes a moment to think how much her life has changed in the short month that she has been out of The White House, and that she is getting a decant nights sleep. When she goes out she notices that her hosts are smiling Abbey with the biggest one. "What are you two smiling about" CJ asks as she approaches the couple.
"I have an idea, how about I take you out shopping tomorrow, so you can pick up a little something when you and Danny can have some more private time together."
"I do not need to know that the person I look at as a daughter has been having sex."
"Do you remember that time when CJ had to tell you that she was great in bed."
"I did not really know Tad at that point in time, but I know Danny and want to hurt him for touching CJ."
"Oh, yeah and you know that all of our daughters have had sex. See Liz has three kids, Ellie is pregnant and you caught Charlie sneaking out if Zoey's room back in The White House Residence."
"I know."
"Also, CJ is older than the three of them and lives with Danny in California." CJ is not going to tell them that she has been sleeping with Danny since November 9th.
"I know that, I was like that when I saw Charlie sneaking out of Zoey's room." CJ is sitting down by the time they stop talking about the people they feel are their daughters are sexually active.
"CJ is happy with Danny now Jed, aren't you happy about that?"
"Of course, I am." CJ starts to notice a smell coming from the kitchen.
"Umm guys there is a smell coming from the kitchen." Abbey gets up to run to the kitchen to check on their dinner."
"So, Claudia Jean, how is your new job going?"
"We are in the process of scouting out places to start building the roads."
"How different is it?"
"I get home at a good time, able to take off weekends, so I can spend time with Danny and get to know our neighbors."
"That is good. Do you think you two will get married?"
"I hope so." He looks in CJ's eyes to see a different kind of happiness. This one is coming from having fulfillment in both her professional and personal life.
"Dinner is saved," announces Abbey as she comes in the room they get up to go eat dinner CJ doesn't realize that her friends are planning how to get her out away from the farm for a few hours so she can be surprised when she sees Danny sitting on the porch. They eat dinner and after they are finished eating CJ and The President play a game of chess.
"You know that you are going to lose CJ."
"I am not so sure about that sir."
"Call me Jed." They continue playing with CJ admitting defeat. "Why do you look tired CJ?"
"Well, in these past few weeks I have been going to bed at a good time and waking up after 5 am. On weekends, which I have off spend it with Danny with our training on how to make a relationship work."
"You need training?"
"I haven't had a relationship this committed since college, and he has had one since then. We both needed to learn how to share our life with someone else." She stands up as Abbey brings in a drink for the each of them.
"Sit down CJ, we all deserve a night cap."
"I kind of feeling a little Jet Leg."
"We are three hours ahead from California CJ," Abbey says while shaking her head "the only thing I would accept if something is going on with your job or if you are planning to call Danny." Which CJ smiles at that point. "Go call your boyfriend."
"Ok" she heads to the room she is staying in and gets her phone out of her pocket to call her lover. After they are finished talking she wishes that she had a slightly hairy chest to lay her head on while her fingers played with red curls. She falls asleep holding her pillow trying to pretend that it is Danny. She wakes up to Abbey knocking on her door. "One second."
"Wake up CJ, I am taking you shopping so you can have something special to wear when Danny comes home."
"I already have something special for him that I am going to wear. I got it the other day."
"Do you have a dress to wear?"
"I have a lot of dresses that he hasn't seen me wear."
"Don't you want a new one" CJ starts to look at her friend very suspiciously.
"Abbey, are you not telling me something?" She just shakes her head no.
"You need to get dressed we are going to get you a Vera Wang."
"No, anything but that. Danny knows why I don't want to buy one ever again and is ok with it." She gets up dressed in her new old Notre Dame shirt that was Danny's.
"Nice sleep shirt."
"It's Danny's he gave it to me when we started sleeping with each other months ago."
"Months ago?"
"Back in November."
"I knew it, you had a smile and a little pep in your step." CJ just starts to blush. "CJ I am glad that you two have been together for long enough." After CJ is finished getting dressed she heads down the stairs to grab something to eat, then both CJ and Abbey leave to go shopping with Abbey telling Jed that she will pick up something else for dinner. "So, CJ, are you really happy?"
"I can't remember the last time I was this happy certainly not the last few years in The White House." Abbey pulls out a dress and hands it to CJ she just looks at it.
"Try it on. I think your little redheaded former reporter will become speechless when he sees this on you."
"He also really likes me in jeans, and I mean really likes me."
"Why?"
"I think it is how they hang on my hips." She starts to smile and shake her head thinking of how her boyfriend sometimes becomes tongue tied when she wears jeans.
"We should buy you some jeans then."
"Ok, Abbey what's up?"
"Don't you want to celebrate this day when Danny comes home?"
"Abbey, this is my first Valentine's Day with Danny, of course, I want to do everything couples do around that time." Abbey looks at CJ.
"How is he?"
"Amazing at everything. I know what you mean and I am not answering to that. That is between the two of us."
"What about kissing?"
"Well, we shared our first kiss before The State of the Union in 2000."
"How was it?"
"I ran into the door afterwards, and let's not forget how he kissed me Christmas Eve those many years ago dressed up as Santa and that is how I recognized him." Abbey looks at CJ knowing that her friend has found her forever." They continue shopping for a few hours when Abbey gets a text letting her know that CJ's surprise is there.
"We should get going CJ." They head to the car and as they reach the house CJ sees two guys sitting on chairs one with flowers.
"Is that Danny?"
"Maybe you should see for yourself." CJ gets out of the car and sees that the guy sitting next to the former President is indeed her boyfriend. They meet half way up the drive way where she flies into his arms and starts to kiss him. His arms are around her careful of the flowers in his hands.
"When did you get here?"
"About 20 minutes ago, I love you and didn't want us to spend our first Valentine's Day without each other."
She looks in his eyes "what about your interviews?"
He moves some hair out of her eyes "finished early and wanted to surprise you." He kisses her softly on his on the lips.
"This is wonderful." He takes the flowers out from behind him "they're beautiful."
"Just like you; you though have more beauty than these flowers could ever have. I love you Claudia Jean."
"I love you too Daniel Robert." Both Bartlets look at each other at hearing Danny's middle name, but look back at CJ and Danny to see how bright their faces are.
"I have dinner to cook, and I think CJ has some clothes to share with Danny."
"Come here Fishboy," she takes his hand and takes him upstairs. She shows him her new jeans which Danny takes her into his arms and kisses before asking here to wear them tonight. They go downstairs to see if dinner is done cooking. As they reach the bottom step they see Abbey and the former President locked in an embrace. "Come on we should go out back."
"You two will do no such thing dinner is almost done."
"Okay, mam."
"Call me Abbey, Danny," the two couples go and sit on the couches Danny puts one of his arms around CJ's shoulders as she leans into him.
"So, Danny, how is life, asks the former President."
"Pretty good, especially with having this amazing woman in my life," he kisses CJ's cheek which makes her blush.
"Claudia Jean, you don't need to blush, Danny is expressing his feelings."
"Oh, she knows my feelings for her and has known for many years." CJ looks at Danny with a smile.
"You know how I feel about you too Danny, remember how you know how to make me the most flustered." Jed knows that what he said those many years ago, doesn't ring true anymore and wonders when they got together.
"How long have you two been together?"
"We became an official couple two weeks before we left The White House." Jed raises his eyebrows in question. "We were kinds of together since November 9th."
"The day after we lost Leo."
"I needed some human connection that night." She looks at Danny as she reaches her hand to hold Danny's that is around her shoulders "thank you for being there for me when I needed you the most."
"You never need to thank me."
…..A few hours later…
Both CJ and Danny are dancing outside to the music that Danny brought with him. He starts to sing along to Marry Me a Little from Company. "Marry Me a Little. Love me just enough." CJ has her head on his shoulder and starts to look up in his eyes and sees that those blue eyes are sparkling "I'm Ready, Let's talk."
"Yes," she says looking into his eyes.
"Huh" CJ takes his hands to bring him behind the trees.
"Yes, I will marry you Danny, it would be an honor to be your wife." She then she pushes Danny on the ground and lays on top on him and kisses him on the lips for a long time eventually they are lying side by side making out like teenagers until they hear whistle which makes them break apart.
"You two may want to stop just in case my husband comes along this way."
"Hi, Abbey." CJ stands up and offers her hand to Danny. "We probably should go in to tell you two something."
"Really? What is it?" CJ just shakes her head and start toward the house with both Danny and Abbey behind her.
"Hi, Sir."
"Claudia call me Jed."
"Danny and I have an announcement." She says as Danny and Abbey enter the house.
"Go ahead."
"Danny and I are engaged."
"Since when?"
"About 5 minutes ago, we were dancing and he was singing along to Marry Me a Little, and I said yes." Both Jed and Abbey look for a ring.
"I wasn't planning on proposing yet. I have a ring back at home."
CJ looks at him "you already have a ring?"
"Of course, I have a ring back in California. I have had the ring for a long time." She looks at him with surprise in her eyes.
"How long have you been planning to propose to me?"
"For a long time. CJ, I have in in love with you for many years." After hugs and congratulations are said to the new happy couple they go and call their families. CJ's brothers tell Danny he better treat her right as she is hugging him. Danny's sisters scream their joy for their brother who is finally getting married to the girl he has been talking about nonstop for over 10 years. When they get back to California Danny presents CJ with a ring that has been in his family for years, but has been updated to fit her unique qualities. CJ tears up when Danny presents her the ring when she wears it to work the next day Carol who has come with her to work for the foundation screams and hugs CJ and gets out a camera to take the picture, so they can send it to their buddies on D.C.