The First Cupid
Disclaimer: I own nothing, the characters belong to Aaron Sorkin and his minions, I am merely kidnaping them and corrupting them into depravity for my own amusement.
This story was written for a challenge by Sapho's Daughter, so really, it's all her fault, not mine:)
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"No, Toby, it's not gonna…" She trailed off as he glared at her and pulled her hand further towards him, just a little bit too rough.
"Just hold still." He muttered into his beard as he turned all his attention back to her hand, ignoring how she winced as he pushed just a little bit further in.
"No, you need move it the other way, it's gonna stick." Kate offered her advice as she leaned over the table, carefully observing the scene in front of her.
"I have done this before." Toby shot the Deputy NSA a quick glare over his shoulder, but she was too caught up in what was going on to pay him any attention.
"Ok Toby, just get it out, that hurts." CJ grumbled and scratched her neck with her free hand.
"It's really big." Kate stated before catching the look of annoyance from CJ. "Sorry." She mumbled and fought a blush, but even biting her lip couldn't force the grin on her face to retreat.
"Aha!" Toby held up his hands in victory, a rare smirk gracing his dark features.
"You got it?" CJ asked incredulously, snatching her hand back and observing it carefully.
"You should never doubt me CJ." He held up the tweezers in front of her and she bent forward, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the offending splinter that had been bugging her since they got on the plane.
"You're a lifesaver Toby." She smiled at him and rubbed her now splinter-free hands together.
"You okay?" Kate asked as she stretched out her hand for CJ's.
"I'm fine." She chuckled, but offered Kate her slightly reddened hand. "Just a splinter." Her voice dropped slightly as Kate carefully took her hand and rubbed her thumb over the blushing area where the tiny peace of wood had been imbedded a few seconds ago. They didn't see how Toby's eyes darted from one to the other, nor did they notice the person leaning in the doorway.
"How's her lifeline?" Abigail Bartlet's voice rang through the small office-decorated room that had been crammed between other vital flying-related spaces on the President's private air transport.
"Oh, Mrs Bartlet." It was somewhat unanimous, Kate starting the greeting, CJ catching up to her rather quickly, while Toby just muttered the last words half-coherently.
"Lifeline ma'am?" Kate asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. They'd all stood up at the sight of the First Lady but Kate was still holding on to CJ's hand. As Abbey turned down her gaze and nodded at their adjoining hands however, Kate quickly let go.
"My grandmother could read palms." The petite dark haired woman declared as she stepped into the room and took a hold of CJ's hand. "Or so she claimed." She smirked and sat down, pulling CJ down with her so they were sitting opposite each other. Kate and Toby weren't sure what to do, so they stood still, waiting for the awkwardness to wear off.
It didn't.
"Was that the same grandmother who thought bourbon was a universal cure for anything that hurt?" CJ smirked, but stretched out her hand to let the First Lady take a peak at her palm.
"Oh, no, this was the other one." Abbey grinned and started tracing a line on CJ's open palm. "And this, Miss Smartass, is your lifeline." She stated with a frown. "You need to cut back on your coffee." She added.
"My lifeline says that?" CJ couldn't help but lean over the desk to take a closer look at her hand. Maybe there was some writing there that was only visible right now.
"No, your doctor says that." Abbey confessed.
"I should go… do the thing." Toby pointed at the door but locked eyes with CJ as if asking his boss's permission to leave the room, only he was halfway to the door already.
"Yeah, I need to check in with State." Kate jumped on his tail and CJ looked longingly after them, silently wondering how the hell they could just leave her here and not take her with them. Why did she always have to take one for the team?
"Here's your love line…. Oh my…" There was no mistaking Abbey's gleeful expression, as if she'd heard Kate make a complete halt at the door. It was too late for her to turn and walk back in without it looking suspicious. So reluctantly she followed Toby out the door.
"What do you see?" CJ asked inattentively, her eyes still on the door.
"Your palm." Abbey stated simply as she let the Chief of Staff's hand go and leaned back in her chair with a shrug at CJ's surprised look. "I told you, my grandmother read palms, not me."
"You love this don't you ma'am?" CJ grinned.
"Love what?" Abbey asked innocently.
"Messing with me." She clarified.
"I really do." The First Lady smirked.
"So, what can I do for you ma'am?" CJ asked, her professional voice making its entrance as she leaned back, placing her clasped hands over her stomach.
"Actually, I'm going to do something for you." Abbey declared, sounding much too serious for CJ's taste.
"Oh?" She was a bit curious after all.
"Valentines Day is coming up…" Abbey started, sending CJ to her feet quickly.
"Oh no!" She turned away from the brunette still seated by the much too oval desk. "No, no, no, no." She emphasised her stand with shakes of her head and arms waving in front of her face.
"CJ…" Abbey coaxed, sounding amused.
"No." She turned towards the First Lady again. "You're not setting me up with some random guy again." She placed her hands firmly on her hips before she remembered who they were. "Ma'am." She added sheepishly.
"CJ, why won't you just trust me? I make a great cupid." Abbey said with a sweet smile.
"Who is it?" CJ sat down, trying to sound less annoyed than she was. Blind dates were never a good idea, especially now. But it was the confident smile on the First Lady's lips that got her curiosity awoken.
"Not telling." She grinned evilly and looked extremely self-satisfied, something that was never good in these types of discussions.
"Not interested." She stated firmly.
"I know you are." It was the secret undertone and the confidence in which she spoke that made CJ relent.
"Abbey, I'm not sure this is a good…" She was cut off by the First Lady standing up and brushing off her hands against each other.
"It's settled then." She said matter-of-factly. When CJ couldn't form a vocal protest, Abbey simply grinned and walked out the door.
Ok, this was weird…
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"CJ, I'm telling you…" He was on a roll today.
"Yes, sir, outlawing marriage was a bad move." He frowned at how she always managed to recap his hour long history lessons into one simple phrase.
"Yeah, yeah, go away." He waved her off and she smiled.
"Thank you Mr President." She said before closing the door behind her with a deep exhale. Were all brilliant minds so… full of completely useless knowledge? The history of Valentine's day? She didn't even like the present day one.
"Ah, there you are CJ." She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, hoping her gesture would make her wake someplace less… frightening. But as she opened her eyes, Mrs Bartlet was still walking towards her, grin firmly in place. "Walk with me."
"Ma'am." She greeted as the First Lady gestured for her to fall in step with her away from the President's office towards the rarely used conference room in the front of the plane. "Where are we going?" She asked, glancing suspiciously over her side at her companion.
"Stop being so suspicious CJ dear, it doesn't become you." She advised before stopping mid pace and grabbing CJ's arm turning them face to face. "Now, let's see what we can do about this…" She said as she started adjusting the Chief of Staff's clothes, and CJ didn't protest out loud until the First Lady pulled her jacket off.
"Ma'am, what are you…" She trailed off as the woman in front of her started to unbutton the first three buttons on CJ's shirt. "Abbey, if you're trying to seduce me, this is a very odd way of doing so." She tried to hide the humours tone in her voice, but the tug on the corner of her lips might have given her away.
"Claudia, if I wanted you I would have you." Abbey stated simply, but something in her voice made CJ believe the older woman didn't really take no for an answer. Ever. Therefore she was extremely relieved when the First Lady stopped undressing her and dove into her purse to reveal a vintage looking powder box.
"Close you eyes." She ordered and CJ decided she was not feeling suicidal enough to refuse, but she did send Mrs Bartlet a glare before did as told.
As soon as her eyes closed, she could feel brushstrokes over her face, making her cough from the fine powder they released. She heard another box open, felt a few strokes of a new brush on her cheeks and neck and then her attire and hair was fiddled with again.
"Mrs Bartlet, why do I get the feeling that I'm about to get thrown into the volcano as a sacrifice to the heathen gods?" She asked as Abbey gave her permission to open her eyes again.
"Oh don't be silly CJ." She brushed her off as she grabbed her arm to make her follow her down the hall again. "They only sacrifice virgins down volcanoes." She didn't look at the Chief of Staff that had momentarily been knocked out of her socks.
"Hey!" She protested, but the First Lady paid her no attention.
"Now…" Mrs Bartlet stopped in front of the closed door to the conference room and if CJ wasn't worried before, the closed blinds over the windows would have taken care of that. "Smile." She ordered her husband's right hand as she opened the door and none too gently pushed CJ inside.
"What the… Abbey!" CJ protested as she was, quite painfully, manhandled into the room. She heard the door close and lock behind her before her phone started ringing. She checked the caller id out of habit more than anything before flipping it open.
"Ma'am, with all due respect… Let me the hell out of here." She said as calmly as she could muster into the phone.
"Manners CJ." Abbey scolded her on the other end. "We won't be landing for another four and a half hours and Jed has been kind enough to give you some personal time on this flight. He was a bit upset about your lack of enthusiasm at his speech about the history of this day, although I can't blame you. I'll be back to let you two out in a little while, until then there are a few bottles of water and… other refreshments. It's Valentines Day, I suggest you enjoy it my dear." The line when dead before CJ could protest.
"Damn it!" She was about to think up horrible plans of revenge as the backdoor to the room was opened and someone was shoved inside, much in the same manner CJ had been a minute ago.
"Ma'am, what…" She heard the surprised protest before Abbey's voice took over on the other side of the door.
"Have fun." She called in a sort of sing-song voice.
"Kate?" It couldn't be. CJ's eyes sought out the form on the other side of the large conference table, a difficult task to manage since all the lights seemed to have been permanently turned off somehow. But she'd know that voice anywhere.
"CJ? Is that you? What's going on?" The Deputy NSA seemed to have collected herself and was now searching the room for any sort of indication as to why she was there.
"I'm afraid the First Lady is having some fun with us." CJ replied as the truth of her statement dawned on her. Abbey knew, and she was trying to hook them up. The Chief of Staff really wished the good Dr Bartlet would start doing her homework before playing Dr Love. Had it ever occurred to her that Kate was straight?
"Rum and coke." She heard Kate say from somewhere across the table.
"What?" She took a step forwards, squinting carefully in hopes to see her current roommate.
"There are drinks on the table, rum and coke, beer and… some kind of long drink. Smells fruity, vodka, grenadine, grasshopper I think?" She could hear Kate sniffing the glasses and she couldn't help but smile at the situation. The First Lady had locked her in a conference room on Air Force One with the Deputy NSA and a tray full of drinks on Valentines Day.
"You sure know your liquids Commander." CJ teased, taking a few more steps in the direction of Kate's voice.
"A must for any good CIA agent." She teased back. "So what do we do?"
"Well, first… where are you? I can't talk to you when I don't know were you are." She was fumbling around in the dark, wondering what twisted plans the First Lady had for this lack of lighting.
"Right here, on the other side of the table. Just follow my voice." Kate instructed and CJ did as told, stepping carefully so she wouldn't trip on her way.
"So what would I be looking at if I slapped the President's wife upside the head with a two-by-four?" She asked conversationally.
"I don't think you'd do too well in federal prison." Kate replied and CJ was sure she could hear a smile on her lips.
"Oh common, I bet they'd love me." She said, sidestepping a dangerously placed box of what she guessed to be Xerox paper.
"Yeah, my point exactly." Kate agreed and CJ couldn't help but think there was a little serious undertone in her voice. "You're just not the kind of girl who'd enjoy being swapped for a pack of smokes." And the teasing tone was back.
"Oh I don't know. Depends on whom that pack belonged to." She countered. "Where are you?" She was getting frustrated with this whole scenario. If she was going to be locked up in a room alone with Kate Harper, which wasn't such a bad place to be, she at least wanted to be able to see her face.
She could hear Kate clearing her throat and when she spoke it was from around the same height as the table. She was sitting down.
"I'm right here." Came her reply. CJ wasn't prepared for the way Kate's voice had dropped slightly, and she certainly wasn't prepared for how it would affect her knees that wobbled and made her trip over. "Shit!" She fell, but landed quite pleasantly…
"Um, CJ… I think you're sitting in my lap." Kate blushed deeply as she whispered. CJ could just barely make out her face as she found herself, true enough, sprawled across Kate's lap, their faces an inch apart and Kate's arms wrapped around her to prevent her from falling.
"Sorry…" CJ whispered back, but didn't move. She'd caught Kate's eye and couldn't seem to look away. Instead she mover her arm from her side to touch the silky smooth skin in front of her, only she was interrupted by a loud thud and something wet covering her hand.
"God damn it!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet as she stood the knocked over beer bottle on its right end again. God, why was she such a klutz?!
"You okay?" Kate's slightly dazed voice asked behind her.
"Yeah, I'm… yeah." She stuttered slightly as she wiped her hand on her pants, the only thing she could find and turned to face the blonde.
"Look, we're obviously going to be here for a while, we should just relax and, you know… hang." She could hear the awkwardness in her voice at the odd choice of words and she momentarily forgot that the Commander had just, maybe unknowingly, turned her down.
"Hang?" She couldn't help but make a little fun of her.
"Or we could tip beer bottles." Touché.
"She really sucks at this." CJ muttered to herself as she gently brushed past Kate, wondering why the woman turned in unison with her instead of moving away.
"Excuse me?" She asked confused.
"Mrs Bartlet and her plans." She explained, but refused to go into further detail.
"You know what she was planning?" Kate asked, taking a step forward, diminishing CJ's concentration significantly. She was not going to tell her, she wasn't interested, she was not going to tell her, she was not…
"You're telling me you don't?" She couldn't help but turn so they were facing each other, trying very hard to ignore the heat from the Commander's body which was quite difficult as there wasn't much room between them anymore.
"I have a vague idea." Kate admitted. She bowed her head down and then did that thing that made CJ's stomach flutter, the thing were she tilted her head to the side and looked up, her hair falling into her eyes. "Is it working?" She asked coyly and the tingle in CJ's stomach ventured south.
"You tell me…" She hadn't noticed how low her voice had gotten or how she'd tilted her face so their lips were inches apart.
"I think I'll need to try something first…" Her voice was husky as she peaked up through the blonde tussles, her face gravitating towards CJ's who was all too mesmerized by the slight twinkle in the blonde's eyes and the way her lips slightly parted as she leaned upwards slowly.
"Please do." She breathed before her lips tentatively touched Kate's, insecure nibbles that made her head buzz and her hand reached up to tangle in the silky blond. She could feel arms wrap around her, pulling her closer and as her confidence grew her tongue darted out, tasting the woman's lips, making her moan softly and grant her access as she traced it across her bottom lip.
She deepened the kiss, groaning from somewhere deep in her throat as she felt Kate's body melt into her own, hands started to wander and CJ found herself completely forgetting where and who she was. She didn't care, all that mattered was right there in her arms, kissing her senseless, making her body react in the strangest of ways. It was the way the blonde moaned into their kiss that made her knees weaken, it was how demanding her tongue was that made the brunette whimper and her body shiver. It was the gentle yet urging caresses along her sides that made CJ forget the world outside. She'd known for some time now that she had feelings for the woman in the sit room, but it wasn't until now she realised just how badly she wanted her.
"CJ…" She breathed her name as they broke for air, and CJ couldn't help herself but bent down to taste the creamy skin of Kate's neck, alternating between kissing, nibbling and sucking, determining which brought out the most reaction from the blonde. "Oh god…" That was the spot.
She wanted nothing more than to touch her, feel her, finding out what her name sounded like when moaned from Kate's lips as she came crashing down.
But she realised she was fooling herself; there was one thing that she wanted more than that. She just wasn't sure it was what the woman in her arms wanted.
She moaned as slender fingers moved up her back, over her sides to gently graze the underside of her breasts, making her arch back and forcing her to relinquish her attack on Kate's neck.
"Oh god… Kate… Wait." She couldn't believe she was actually speaking those words, especially since the woman in question was now trailing soft kisses down her collarbone, making her skin, her whole body ache for her.
"What's wrong babe?" Kate asked between kisses, her breath bouncing of the skin on CJ's chest, forcing her to pull back to get her hormones under some form of control. She had, however, not let the pet name escape her.
"I can't do this…" She whispered, the look on the blonde's face breaking her heart and forcing her to continue as quickly as possible as Kate's body made a move to turn away from her. "Not yet." She added as she reached up and gently stroked Kate's cheek. "I have a three date rule." Her face broke into a soft smile as the woman in front of her wrapped her arms around her and placed her head on her shoulder.
"Three date rule huh?" She whispered making CJ shiver as her lips brushed up against her neck as she spoke.
"Uh-huh…" Her voice was unusually high pitched which she knew was mostly because Kate's fingers were now drawing patterns on her lower back.
"Any room for negotiation?" She asked, before softly biting on CJ's earlobe, making the brunette whimper slightly.
"M…Maybe…" She stuttered.
"Then I think you'd better ask me out." The blonde coaxed coyly as her tongue started tracing a path from CJ's shoulder to her ear.
"Uhm…" She couldn't think, much less produce words out loud. "Please?"
"Please what?" Kate smiled as she looked up at the Press secretary turned Chief of Staff, the woman who was never at a loss for words.
But CJ took her chance as Kate momentarily gave up her attack on her neck, to regain some leverage. Using her height to her advantage, she backed the blonde up to the table behind her, placing her hands on either side of her to hold her in her place.
"Go out with me, tonight." Her voice was stronger than she would have thought, but it quickly vanished again as Kate -former CIA spy she reminded herself- reversed their positions, pinning CJ to the table and effectively making sure the height difference wasn't an issue anymore.
"That all depends…" She husked as she pressed her body against the one that was so close to a sturdy pine table it couldn't move. "Are you looking for a date for tonight…?" She paused briefly to kiss the hollow of the brunette's neck. "Or is it more?" She finished, locking gazes with the woman pinned in front of her, but using her current position to slip her thigh between CJ's legs.
She couldn't believe this… Kate Harper was asking her serious questions with her thigh pressed so close to her crotch that asking her to think coherently was a completely and utterly ridiculous thing to imagine. Her mind had surrendered power to her body, a decision that never bore promising consequences. She couldn't help thinking this woman had some serious interrogation skills. She'd have to remember that.
"More." She gasped, her hips thrusting towards Kate's leg on their own accord by now and her breath turning so ragged she was suddenly thankful there were oxygen tanks on board.
"Then I accept." She whispered, leaning in to claim CJ's lips as her own, forcing the Chief of Staff to lean backwards from the urgency of her attack.
The wouldn't have heard the earth shatter beneath their feet at this moment, but the intrusive illumination of the room by six fluorescent lights turned on at the same time, made them jump and break apart instantly.
"Damn I'm good." They heard the self-satisfied voice of Abigail Bartlet speak from the doorway. "CJ, your presence is required by the President who is currently threatening to beat Toby's head in with his laptop." She informed the Chief of Staff who was currently in the process of straightening her attire while casting glances at the Deputy NSA who was busy in the same fashion. "I will tell him to expect you in ten minutes." She said with a smirk, and for the first time in her career, CJ didn't object to the extra minutes. Instead she sighed in relief as the First Lady closed, but didn't lock, the door.
"You should get going." Kate told her softly, reaching over to fix the brunette's hair.
"You like Italian?" CJ asked, taking hold on the other woman's hands to get her full attention.
"Are you cooking?" She asked, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"I'll have you know I'm an excellent cook Commander." She defended herself, placing her hands on her hips as she spoke.
"Is that what you're gonna call me in bed Claudia?" Kate husked making CJ swallow hard.
"It is kind of sexy." She admitted with a blush.
"So your idea of dirty talk would be military strategies then?" She teased.
"Well, I do think you should go over that forced depletion with me one more time." CJ purred with a smirk.
"Mm…" Kate wrapped her arms around her. "You're right, from your lips that is sexy." She mumbled her gaze fully fixed on CJ's lips.
"The leader of the free world is waiting for me." CJ voiced with regret, but still let her arms snake around Kate's waist.
"And I'll be waiting for you at nine." She smiled as she pulled away, letting her hands rest on CJ's hips for just a moment longer. "With desert." She added with a wicked grin.
"You're killing me Katherine." She stated with a smile.
"Mm, not yet baby, not yet." She purred softly, briefly touching her parted lips to CJ's before pulling away and heading for the door. "And this weekend I'm cooking, I hope you like take out." She said as she looked over her shoulder, smiling softly. It would be the picture of innocence if she hadn't let her eyes rake lustfully over every curve of Chief of Staff's body.
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"CJ!!" His voice could carry though deserts and cordilleras when he was in a mood. But for once it didn't bother her a bit.
"Yes, Mr President?" She was smiling and it made him stop in his tracks for a second or two. When he continued, his voice had lost some of its edge.
"Talk to Toby, I wouldn't have a problem throwing him off the plane, but for some reason the Secret Service aren't too thrilled with the idea. I told them to spend five minutes with him and see if they felt the same way but…" He trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'll have a word with him sir." She agreed, trying her best to suppress the seemingly glued on smile on her face, but to little avail.
"You seem to be in a good mood." He offered, apparently feeling slightly better now that he'd gotten the Toby-issue passed along.
"Well, sir, I seem to have located my appreciation for this day at last." She told him, and as he nodded his head in a sign that he accepted her explanation, she made her way towards the door.
"I take it Abbey's plan worked then?" She turned around so quickly she almost fell over her own feet. The President was grinning into the papers he was pretending to read and CJ knew he'd been involved in the scheme.
"You knew sir?" She asked and bit her lip as he looked up from his papers and removed his glasses.
"CJ, I spent countless of hours locked in rooms with the two of you and I would like to think of myself as a reasonably intelligent man." He sighed and returned his gaze to his papers. "I had no idea. Matters of the heart is my wife's department, I just do as she tells me." She stood there for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. "Was there anything else?" He asked.
"No sir. Thank you Mr President." She quickly made her way out the door and closed it behind her.
Well, embarrassment aside, she was off in a few hours and she had a date to prepare for. There was only one thing she needed and she knew exactly who could provide her with it.
"Hey, Ed!" She called at the man walking towards the other end of the corridor. He turned with a surprised expression, but stopped as she made her way towards him.
"I'm Larry." He corrected her.
"Sure, whatever." She waved him off. "That thing you cooked for Josh's birthday party…"
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Thank you so much for reading, and please, feel free to push the pretty little button on you left to make me smile:)