What Else?

Chapter 2: "Girl Talk and Secret Messages"

Author: amandasarmada

Rating: T

Summary: Takes place a few days after Institutional Memory. C.J./Danny.


Friday, January 12th, 2007

A few minutes after eleven C.J. entered Danny's apartment, her secret service detail nodding their good-byes as they stepped away. The morning after they'd decided to move to California she'd found a key waiting for her next to the coffee mug Danny had started leaving out for her, and she'd been taking advantage of it every day since.

"Danny?" Her voice drifted curiously through the apartment.

"In here," he called back, and she followed it into the second bedroom Danny had converted into a home office.

"Hey," he said, glancing up at her and smiling from his spot behind his note-strewn desk, his fingers poised on the keyboard. She strolled over, bending down to plant a kiss on him.

"How was your day?" Danny asked casually, looking back at the screen.

"Brutal. Fun though," C.J. said smiling. "I pissed off several old white Republican men, so I'd consider it a productive day."

"That's my girl."

"By the way," C.J. said, her voice betraying the forced casualness. "I thought maybe, since I was planning on spending the night here until you leave – if that's okay with you, I mean - I should just bring a bunch of outfits over. Leave some stuff here. Do you think there's room in your closet for me to keep them here? I figured since you'd already started packing..."

Danny stared at her from his computer, then stood abruptly, catching her off-guard.

"I just thought it made sense, keeping some of my stuff here," C.J. began uncertainly.

"Come on," Danny said eagerly, pulling her by the hand into the hall and across to his bedroom. She watched as he slid open his closet door, then pushed his suit jackets over to one side. "And here – I already started making room for you to have a drawer." He opened his dresser, and she saw that it did indeed have only a couple sweaters left in one of the drawers. "I was working on it last week, before we knew about California. I got distracted while I was doing it, but-" he picked up the neatly folded shirts, carrying them over and placing them on the upper shelf of his closet. "I was getting tired of tripping over your overnight bag," Danny explained, trying to sound light. "You just let me know, whatever space you need. We'll make it happen."

C.J. grinned at him, walking forward and kissing him again. This one was longer, and his arms wrapped around her, before he lifted one hand to set on the side of her face, his other drifting down to take her hand.

"Hmmm," C.J. sighed, smiling as they broke away.

"Hey Danny?" She breathed a moment later.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the key."

Danny lowered his right hand back down to wrap her more closely into his arms, kissing her until they started making their way over to the bed.

"Not a problem."


Sunday, January 14th, 2007

C.J. rolled sleepily over in her bed, still disoriented, and felt her body brush up against the man beside her.

"Good morning," Danny murmured, bending his head to plant a kiss on her forehead. C.J. opened her eyes slowly, drowsy. She smiled.

"G'morning," she replied, pushing forward to kiss him lightly. "What time is it?"

"Five forty-five."

C.J. sighed, sitting up and stretching. "I'm gonna hop in the shower. You can join me if you want, but keep in mind it takes me twenty minutes just to blow-dry my hair and I need to be out of here in an hour."

Danny bolted up, following her into the bathroom in his pajamas. She giggled as she turned to face him, and he kissed her happily, helping her take her camisole off and dropping it on the floor. She tugged insistently at his sweatpants, and he stepped out of them seamlessly. C.J. laughed at the sight of him in his boxers and Notre Dame sweatshirt, helping him pull it off as he pulled the boxers she'd borrowed off her lanky frame.

"I'm really gonna get used to this," C.J. murmured, pressing her body against his.

"I don't think I ever will," Danny whispered back honestly. She smiled, pulling away for a moment so she could get the water going.


A little over half an hour later C.J. was sitting at Danny's kitchen table, Danny's bathrobe hanging loosely off her narrow frame, the top of a fresh camisole just visible underneath.

"So what's the plan for today?" Danny inquired, reaching across the table to hand her a plate of scones before seating himself across from her.

"It's a light day, actually. Paperwork in the morning, then I have to turn down more job offers from some more persistent bidders, who seem to be less familiar than most normal adults with the word 'no'." C.J. stood, taking a few steps to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the next room. "Then I have a meeting with Josh at eleven. He wants me to go over some documents with him and consult with Vinick, give him a rundown on some policy initiatives I'd set in motion. I don't think it'll take more than an hour," she assured him, correctly interpreting the glimmer of concern on his face.

"Okay," Danny replied complacently. "Did you want to grab lunch afterwards? I'll do you one better than a hot dog vendor this time." Danny was smiling lightly, but C.J. winced at the memory.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. I have plans with Kate afterward, we're going to grab a coffee," C.J. explained apologetically, rummaging around as she spoke, trying to get ready.

"More work stuff?" Danny asked – his tone was casual, but there was a definite strain there.

"No," C.J. said smugly. "We're going to sit around and gossip about you. I told her about California. We're hoping my afternoon stays free for a couple hours, we want to maybe do some shopping if neither of us is called away."

"You're going to be talking about me?" Danny repeated, a hint of wonder in his voice.

"You don't think I can do Girl Talk?"

Danny smiled. "I don't think there's much you can't do. Okay – well, have fun then." He felt at ease. He was pretty sure Kate liked him, from the little interaction they'd had, and he privately thought any inclination C.J. had to talk about her feelings was a good thing.

"I'll try not to be home too late. Maybe eight or nine, depending on what comes up," C.J. said, a twinge of worry in her voice. "Sorry about lunch – Kate and I've gotten to be friends, and I want to spend some time with her before we leave. I'm hoping to get with Donna and Carol at some point in the next few days too," she added.

"There's no need to explain. You ladies enjoy yourselves," Danny said softly, holding a scone up to his mouth to try to hide his smile.

"Do you think you can cut out early tonight? I know there's a lot to cover right now, but-"

"I'm going to try to make it home by nine," Danny reassured her. "I'll need some time tonight to finish packing, but I think we can squeeze in some quality time."

"Good," C.J. said, coming up to him for a kiss. "I'm gonna miss you."

"It'll only be a few days," Danny said smiling, but he let himself sink into her kiss as he leaned across, knowing that this time tomorrow he wouldn't be able to.

"So I'll see you back here around nine?" C.J. asked breathlessly, trying to hide the grin breaking out and feeling the sparks rush through her.

"Sure," Danny said easily, watching her get up and put the plate in the sink with a matching smile on his face.

She either hadn't realized it, or she was pretending not to, but either way, Danny had. She'd called his place "home."

Maybe it was just thoughtless slip, maybe it didn't mean much - but it meant something.


That afternoon.


"So, this guy – he must really be somethin'."

C.J. sipped her coffee, faltering a bit under Kate's well-honed stare.

"He's...great. Danny and I have known each other a long time," C.J. remarked, a little smile easing the lines on her tired face.

"And?" Kate pressed, hearing the catch in her voice.

"And that makes things really complicated," C.J. said earnestly. "I don't want to rush things, but it's really hard not to - you know - be swept away by him. Especially given our circumstances. We've been wanting to get together for eight years. It'd trip anyone up. And he's charming, and so good at this stuff, and I...care about him...a lot."

"Why don't you want to rush things?" Kate asked, looking up at her as she sipped at her straw.

"You don't really – get it," C.J. said diplomatically. "You've been married. I've lived with a guy exactly once, and it was for six months and in college. It doesn't really count as a grown-up, serious relationship. 'Dinner' usually consisted of eating cereal out of the box."

"Oh, Ceej," Kate laughed, nibbling on a fry. "It doesn't get any easier, really. I'd be anxious about living with a guy too, and I've been married twice. But at some point, you just have to kind of...take the leap. I've watched you guys together. He's nuts about you," Kate said earnestly. "And I asked around about him, everyone says he's a really good guy. You've known him for years. You trust him, right?"

"Yeah, absolutely," C.J. declared, knowing the answer without having to think about it.

"Do you love him?" Kate asked bluntly.

C.J. fixed her eyes on her plate. "Ah." She paused. "Well. I haven't told him."

"That wasn't an answer." Kate laughed lightly to soften her words.

C.J. sighed, looking somewhat uneasily around the diner. "Don't tell anyone."

"I'll guard it like a state secret," Kate said dryly.

C.J. gave her a Look, but it slipped back into the small smile.

"C.J.?"

"Yeah," C.J. replied heavily.

"If you love him, you should tell him," Kate said gently. "He's earned it."


The conversation had lightened considerably since lunch, to C.J.'s slight relief. They were strolling through a department store that had gradually become C.J.'s favorite spot for retail therapy over the years, in part due to its relative proximity to the White House.

"This would look amazing on you," Kate persuaded, pausing and pulling a sheer blue number C.J. would have had to be brave to go for even when she was in college.

"Oh my god, Kate," C.J. laughed. "Here, you should try this one," she said dismissively, holding up a little red dress for Kate to inspect.

"Yes," Kate said approvingly, taking the dress from C.J.. "But no, I'm serious. It's not 'trashy,' it's just...daring. And you could get away with it for pretty much anything, it's not really formal."

"You think? And here I'd been thinking about wearing it to the inauguration."

"You're gonna try this on," Kate said distractedly, putting the blue dress over her arm. She started flipping through the rack again. "So," she continued, her tone changing to business. "Eight years of unresolved sexual tension? That must have been...you know. Pretty explosive when things finally happened."

"Kate!" C.J. exclaimed, laughing.

"What? I work 80 hours a week. I'm feeling vicarious."

C.J. grinned in spite of herself, taking another look at the blue dress.

"It's been...kind of world-shaking, to be honest," C.J. admitted. Kate's eyebrows rose eagerly.

"We've always had amazing chemistry. And when we actually get together..." C.J.'s voice drifted off. "It's good," she finished.

"Good?" Kate pressed.

"Danny's just very...attentive," C.J. said quietly, a blush crawling across her cheeks. She wasn't usually so modest, but she felt flushed again even thinking about it. "And when we're actually touching each other, it's...kind of wonderful," she admitted. "There's fireworks. And when he looks at me...I just feel warm all over."

"God, C.J., I wanted sordid details, not a bunch of mush," Kate teased, grinning as C.J.'s blush grew.

"Come on," C.J. said grinning, tugging Kate's arm towards the dressing room.


That evening.


C.J. made it back to Danny's at a quarter to nine, and found him setting the table for dinner. He turned and smiled at her as she entered.

"How'd it go with Kate?"

"Good," C.J. said breezily, setting down the bag containing her picks from the shopping trip that afternoon.

"She convince you to confess your undying love for me?" Danny asked, smiling to himself.

Her face burned, and she turned away with a chuckle, not wanting to give away how close his guess had been.

"What would you do if she did?" C.J. asked lightly.

"Probably take ya in a manly fashion. I'm thinking about doing that anyway though." He came over and planted a kiss on her, pulling away after a minute, grinning.

"I got Italian, that okay?"

"Sure," she said easily. "You need any help with that?"

"Nope. Sit down," Danny smiled, holding a chair for her.

C.J. obliged, looking at him and marveling, first at the realization again that she was going to miss him when they'd be apart for less than a week, and then at the thought of getting to spend almost unlimited time with him afterwards.

"Well, eat up. I've got an early flight tomorrow, and there's some stuff I want to take care of before we go to sleep." Danny grinned at her from across the table.


One week later.


Friday, January 19, 2007

[CJ!] 5:27 PM:

I sold my car.

[Danny FishBoy] 8:27 PM:

Wow!

You excited?

[CJ!] 5:28 PM:

A bit sad - it's the end of an era.

[CJ!] 5:28 PM:

But yes. I'm counting the hours.


Sunday, January 21, 2007

C.J. rolled out of bed at 5 o'clock, rubbing her eyes. It'd been only a few hours since she'd put her head on the pillow, but thankfully she could count on a long nap on the plane.

After a quick shower she double-checked her carry-on for all the necessities, before tiptoeing into the hall in her robe and slippers, picking up her copy of The Washington Post and carrying it into the kitchen, not noticing the words "SPECIAL EDITION" printed under the header. C.J. munched on a bagel and sipped at her coffee as the started to rifle through it, thinking of Danny and smiling. She skimmed the articles speculating about Bartlet's last few days in office, skipped the sports section entirely, and only then did she notice a small article with the byline "by Danny Concannon" on the Opinion page.

Spreading the paper out, she started reading, curious.


OUTGOING CHIEF-OF-STAFF STUNS AT INAUGURAL BALL

It's no secret among Washington's elite that C.J. Cregg has a knack for dazzling onlookers at White House functions, and last night proved to be no exception. Over the past eight years, Cregg has earned acclaim not only for her monumental contributions to public policy and her unwavering dedication to improving her country, but also for her ability to captivate a room with her natural good looks and gorgeous apparel. Nevertheless, Cregg outdid herself last night on her last formal occasion as Chief-of-Staff, when she showed up at President Santos's Inaugural Ball decked out in a slinky little black number that perfectly accentuated her amazing figure.

Reporter Danny Concannon expressed his regret at being unable to attend the event, explaining that he is currently in Los Angeles preparing for Miss Cregg's arrival later today. "I saw photos posted online though, and C.J. looked incredible." It's obvious from talking to the seasoned journalist that he's completely smitten with Miss Cregg. "I'm hoping she lets me see her in it in person sometime soon. She owes me a dance, at any rate. I'm thinking 'The Jackal.'"


Laughing, C.J. grabbed her phone, glancing at the time. It was a truly ungodly hour in California. All the better, she thought to herself, smirking.

[CJ!] 2:32 AM:

Danny, what on earth is this?!

[Danny FishBoy] 5:33 AM:

Whatcha talking about gorgeous?

[Danny FishBoy] 5:33 AM:

I'm not awake yet you're gonna have to fill me in

[Danny FishBoy] 5:34 AM:

Is there a problem with your flight?!

[CJ!] 2:34 AM:

The paper, Danny.

[Danny FishBoy] 5:35 AM:

Oh! I had a friend make a special copy for you.

[Danny FishBoy] 5:35 AM:

You gonna pack that dress?

C.J. grinned to herself.

[CJ!] 2:36 AM:

I'll see what I can do.

[CJ!] 2:36 AM:

Go back to sleep. I'll see you this afternoon.

[CJ!] 2:37 AM:

You know, you're awfully cute for a nimrod.

[Danny FishBoy] 5:38 AM:

ccfii

[CJ!] 2:38 AM:

You're already back asleep, aren't you?

...

C.J. smiled, heading into her bedroom for the last time to get ready for the day.