Disclaimer: West Wing is the property of John Wells and NBC, I merely take
the liberty to borrow them for a little bit.
Author's Note: This story if very nearly completed, but I will post it by chapters...that whole suspense thing you know. I also know there isn't anything in the show that would suggest that Josh and CJ would have a relationship, but this is fanfiction so it's a CJ/Josh story. Also, **very important**, this story takes place shortly after "Enemies Foreign and Domestic". The fact that I chose Saudi Nationals to be the terrorists is based on the events of that episode. I know this can be a sensitive subject, but I wrote this to expand upon the threats CJ received after making her comments.
Rated R for violence and some language
~~~Hurry Up~~~
"Hurry up CJ, we need to leave in ten minutes." Sam, her self-appointed date for the evening complained as she left the press room still in her business suit.
"Why am I always the last one to get ready?" She complained as she glanced at Josh and Donna talking down the hall already in their formal wear. She was not looking forward to the evening to come. The UN was having yet another formal dinner, which usually turned out to be a good time, but due to the atmosphere of the evening, the security was not tight enough for Leo or the President to be able to attend. The night was devoted to celebrating the determination of "The Common People". A few individuals from every country represented with the UN would be in attendance. CJ hated situations like that most because being the press secretary, second only to the President in visibility, those not well versed in the workings of the US government thought she had power and she that she could go on national television and change US policy. Consequently, she knew she would be spending her night listening to dozens of people pleading their cases to her, thinking they are making a dent in whatever policy they disagreed with.
Josh watched as CJ entered her office to change. Her hair was already done, and all she needed was a 'costume change' as he like to call it. He knew he was falling for her. He was Donna's date for the evening, but only to cover the fact that his heart belonged to CJ. They had both agreed that any relationship that would happen between the staff had to wait until the administration was not longer in office. There was no question in their minds that the administration was more important than their personal lives. They could not compromise their jobs by throwing love into the mix. There were some things that were just more important than love.
"Josh, are you with us?" It was CJ, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You looked like you were working on a secret plan to fight inflation." She mocked.
He smiled politely, "It's going to be a pleasant evening with you isn't it?" She gave her most innocent smile as she walked past him now wearing the most beautiful Armani gown with an open back he had ever seen. Josh held her gaze and repeated to himself, "Yep, a pleasant evening."
~~//~~
After dinner, the mingling was in high gear. Josh looked over at CJ who had been in the clutches of random people all night. She would listen politely as the individual would plead their case, and then she would politely tell them that 'That is a very unique perspective. You do understand that I merely say what I'm told to say by the President, and I have no real or perceived power. But I thank you for sharing your position on the subject.' At which most would walk away, annoyed at the time they had just wasted. Josh watched as another happy customer left CJ standing alone. Taking the opportunity, Josh snuck up behind her. He grabbed her arms quickly, but gently from behind and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "The Whitehouse has not taken a stand on banning cocktail weenies from parties. It's cruel and unusual punishment to expect your guests to eat them. They're messy, and small, and they stain your tucks..."
CJ would have jumped and tried to get out of the hands that held her had she not felt the love in their embrace. She smiled as she felt his breath on her neck. "That's a very unique perspective. You do understand that they happen to be one of the President's favorite hors d'oeuvres." She smiled and turned to face him, "And club soda will get that stain out of your shirt." CJ finished as she fingered the red spot on his shirt just behind his lapel.
Josh smiled until he realized how close they were and that he still had his hands on her arms. The moment would look intimate to anyone in the room.
Seeing the look in her friends eyes change from love to realization, CJ backed up quickly, running into the Saudi representative. She turned to apologize to the young man, "I'm sorry—"
The man quickly stopped her, "Don't apologize, we both know you're too good for that." He snapped angrily.
"I'm sorry, what—"
"You heard me, bitch." He hissed.
Josh could not take anymore, "Alright, that's enough."
By this time the exchange had attracted several people nearby. Sam and Donna came up behind Josh as several middle-eastern nationals came up behind the offended party. CJ recognized the potential encounter and tried to back away gracefully. Before she could go too far, a hand clamped down on her wrist painfully and drew her closer to the group off foreigners. Before anyone else could react, CJ was spun around to face her friends as she was held tightly against her attacker. Secret service began pulling out their handguns. Their progress toward the disturbance was halted once a steak knife was taken from a nearby table and pressed to CJ throat. "Everyone stop! Nobody move or I slit her throat!"
CJ froze as she felt the cold metal dig into her throat. Her eyes locked with Josh's, his fear was evident. The man tightened his already painful hold across her chest compressing her diaphragm to the point where her breathing became labored. Her friends flinched with her as the knife began to draw blood. CJ began to get tunnel vision and heard her captives shouting, but could make none of it out. She saw secret service lay their guns down, and several more people rushed in behind them to grab the weapons. Suddenly the hold on her was gone and she fell to her knees trying to return her breathing to a normal rate. Josh jumped forward to help her but was rewarded by a gun leveled in his face. CJ looked up at him and subtly nodded him off. She heard movement behind her and was unprepared for the pain in her scalp as someone grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up and pushed into a chair.
As she began to tune into their hushed tones she soon learned that the man's name she initially ran into was Khalid, but he was clearly not in charge. A man they called Waleed was issuing orders making her realize that this was a planned takeover. Suddenly a news camera was wheeled in from the pressroom. They wanted the attention of the entire nation.
"Are we on the air?" Khalid asked.
The camera man was clearly nervous, and merely nodded.
Waleed began talking, "Good evening America. We have taken control your UN dignitaries and government officials. We will announce our demands in one hour, but first our brothers have been insulted by a female and we will have a public apology." Waleed ushered the camera to CJ. "Apologize for your comments about the traditions of Saudi Arabia!"
He shouted and she jumped. CJ felt a gun pushed painfully into her back. She knew she should swallow her pride and apologize. It was her job after all to speak on a moments notice, and provide the requested information without anyone knowing she had not exactly provided the requested information. Her resolve however was strengthened when she thought about the schoolgirls that had recently died due to the "religious police". She glared at Khalid as she understood his earlier comments. She instantly looked to Josh knowing full well that these could be her last words spoken, but also knew that they would be meaningful. She broke eye contact with Josh to look at the camera.
Josh knew instantly that CJ was not about to apologize. He wanted to yell at her that now was not the time to be a hero. He saw the gun aimed at her back, and knew from the previous encounter with Khalid that he had an explosive temper.
"Alright, I'm sorry you have no free press, or an elected government, and I'm sorry your religious police spend more time beating women than stopping women from being raped. I'm sorry—" Her words were suddenly stopped by a brutal punch to her face.
Waleed instantly stepped in front of the camera. "Mr. President..."
TBC...
Author's Note: This story if very nearly completed, but I will post it by chapters...that whole suspense thing you know. I also know there isn't anything in the show that would suggest that Josh and CJ would have a relationship, but this is fanfiction so it's a CJ/Josh story. Also, **very important**, this story takes place shortly after "Enemies Foreign and Domestic". The fact that I chose Saudi Nationals to be the terrorists is based on the events of that episode. I know this can be a sensitive subject, but I wrote this to expand upon the threats CJ received after making her comments.
Rated R for violence and some language
~~~Hurry Up~~~
"Hurry up CJ, we need to leave in ten minutes." Sam, her self-appointed date for the evening complained as she left the press room still in her business suit.
"Why am I always the last one to get ready?" She complained as she glanced at Josh and Donna talking down the hall already in their formal wear. She was not looking forward to the evening to come. The UN was having yet another formal dinner, which usually turned out to be a good time, but due to the atmosphere of the evening, the security was not tight enough for Leo or the President to be able to attend. The night was devoted to celebrating the determination of "The Common People". A few individuals from every country represented with the UN would be in attendance. CJ hated situations like that most because being the press secretary, second only to the President in visibility, those not well versed in the workings of the US government thought she had power and she that she could go on national television and change US policy. Consequently, she knew she would be spending her night listening to dozens of people pleading their cases to her, thinking they are making a dent in whatever policy they disagreed with.
Josh watched as CJ entered her office to change. Her hair was already done, and all she needed was a 'costume change' as he like to call it. He knew he was falling for her. He was Donna's date for the evening, but only to cover the fact that his heart belonged to CJ. They had both agreed that any relationship that would happen between the staff had to wait until the administration was not longer in office. There was no question in their minds that the administration was more important than their personal lives. They could not compromise their jobs by throwing love into the mix. There were some things that were just more important than love.
"Josh, are you with us?" It was CJ, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You looked like you were working on a secret plan to fight inflation." She mocked.
He smiled politely, "It's going to be a pleasant evening with you isn't it?" She gave her most innocent smile as she walked past him now wearing the most beautiful Armani gown with an open back he had ever seen. Josh held her gaze and repeated to himself, "Yep, a pleasant evening."
~~//~~
After dinner, the mingling was in high gear. Josh looked over at CJ who had been in the clutches of random people all night. She would listen politely as the individual would plead their case, and then she would politely tell them that 'That is a very unique perspective. You do understand that I merely say what I'm told to say by the President, and I have no real or perceived power. But I thank you for sharing your position on the subject.' At which most would walk away, annoyed at the time they had just wasted. Josh watched as another happy customer left CJ standing alone. Taking the opportunity, Josh snuck up behind her. He grabbed her arms quickly, but gently from behind and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "The Whitehouse has not taken a stand on banning cocktail weenies from parties. It's cruel and unusual punishment to expect your guests to eat them. They're messy, and small, and they stain your tucks..."
CJ would have jumped and tried to get out of the hands that held her had she not felt the love in their embrace. She smiled as she felt his breath on her neck. "That's a very unique perspective. You do understand that they happen to be one of the President's favorite hors d'oeuvres." She smiled and turned to face him, "And club soda will get that stain out of your shirt." CJ finished as she fingered the red spot on his shirt just behind his lapel.
Josh smiled until he realized how close they were and that he still had his hands on her arms. The moment would look intimate to anyone in the room.
Seeing the look in her friends eyes change from love to realization, CJ backed up quickly, running into the Saudi representative. She turned to apologize to the young man, "I'm sorry—"
The man quickly stopped her, "Don't apologize, we both know you're too good for that." He snapped angrily.
"I'm sorry, what—"
"You heard me, bitch." He hissed.
Josh could not take anymore, "Alright, that's enough."
By this time the exchange had attracted several people nearby. Sam and Donna came up behind Josh as several middle-eastern nationals came up behind the offended party. CJ recognized the potential encounter and tried to back away gracefully. Before she could go too far, a hand clamped down on her wrist painfully and drew her closer to the group off foreigners. Before anyone else could react, CJ was spun around to face her friends as she was held tightly against her attacker. Secret service began pulling out their handguns. Their progress toward the disturbance was halted once a steak knife was taken from a nearby table and pressed to CJ throat. "Everyone stop! Nobody move or I slit her throat!"
CJ froze as she felt the cold metal dig into her throat. Her eyes locked with Josh's, his fear was evident. The man tightened his already painful hold across her chest compressing her diaphragm to the point where her breathing became labored. Her friends flinched with her as the knife began to draw blood. CJ began to get tunnel vision and heard her captives shouting, but could make none of it out. She saw secret service lay their guns down, and several more people rushed in behind them to grab the weapons. Suddenly the hold on her was gone and she fell to her knees trying to return her breathing to a normal rate. Josh jumped forward to help her but was rewarded by a gun leveled in his face. CJ looked up at him and subtly nodded him off. She heard movement behind her and was unprepared for the pain in her scalp as someone grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up and pushed into a chair.
As she began to tune into their hushed tones she soon learned that the man's name she initially ran into was Khalid, but he was clearly not in charge. A man they called Waleed was issuing orders making her realize that this was a planned takeover. Suddenly a news camera was wheeled in from the pressroom. They wanted the attention of the entire nation.
"Are we on the air?" Khalid asked.
The camera man was clearly nervous, and merely nodded.
Waleed began talking, "Good evening America. We have taken control your UN dignitaries and government officials. We will announce our demands in one hour, but first our brothers have been insulted by a female and we will have a public apology." Waleed ushered the camera to CJ. "Apologize for your comments about the traditions of Saudi Arabia!"
He shouted and she jumped. CJ felt a gun pushed painfully into her back. She knew she should swallow her pride and apologize. It was her job after all to speak on a moments notice, and provide the requested information without anyone knowing she had not exactly provided the requested information. Her resolve however was strengthened when she thought about the schoolgirls that had recently died due to the "religious police". She glared at Khalid as she understood his earlier comments. She instantly looked to Josh knowing full well that these could be her last words spoken, but also knew that they would be meaningful. She broke eye contact with Josh to look at the camera.
Josh knew instantly that CJ was not about to apologize. He wanted to yell at her that now was not the time to be a hero. He saw the gun aimed at her back, and knew from the previous encounter with Khalid that he had an explosive temper.
"Alright, I'm sorry you have no free press, or an elected government, and I'm sorry your religious police spend more time beating women than stopping women from being raped. I'm sorry—" Her words were suddenly stopped by a brutal punch to her face.
Waleed instantly stepped in front of the camera. "Mr. President..."
TBC...