Author's Note: Please read and review! Reviews are helpful and appreciated. This take place between The Midterms and In This White House.
"Homecoming"
Winter was in the air. I could smell it. Well, maybe I couldn't smell it being as though I live in a bowl of water, but I could definitely tell. CJ took to wearing a thicker coat, the midterm elections had passed and my water felt a little chiller than usual, but it didn't matter to me. I was in my new digs. Well, I should say, CJ was in her new digs. We moved shortly after Leo paid CJ a visit, and just before the midterm elections, thought it took CJ a few weeks to get fully unpacked. When Leo said effective immediately, he meant it.
I can still remember the trek down the hallway. Carol and a couple of burley guys she called Lou and Joe came into CJ's office one day and got to work. Carol had things labeled and she started pointing here, there and everywhere as Joe and Lou got to work. Items and furniture started to disappear and at first I wondered if CJ had been fired because they moved so quickly, but then, everything in the White House moved quickly.
CJ wasn't around much on moving day. Her office, always slightly chaotic, would have been even more disjointed had she been there. I found out later that she had already set up shop in her new office. I tired to ignore the fact that I wasn't the first most important thing brought over from her old office. I suppose, looking back at it now, her computer and televisions were the most important, probably followed by the phone.
Finally Carol came back in with a cart and started loading it with briefing books and papers, pens and other items from CJ's desk. She bent down to peer into my bowl.
"Are you gonna be okay moving down the hall Gail?" she asked me.
"You bet," I replied. "I'm ready!"
"Okay, if you get nervous with all the movement just jump around or something," she told me.
"Please," I scoffed. "Danny brought me here in a plastic bag. I can take it."
With that said Carol placed me on top of the cart and started to push it into the hallway. What an adventure! I felt like I was in a parade. I had seen news stories on TV lately about preparation for a parade for a holiday called Thanksgiving. I'd never seen a parade before but I imagined that this was how it felt to be in one.
However, Carol may have been right about moving down the hall. The cart was kind of rickety and my water was sloshing quite a bit. My head was spinning as we hit yet another bump in the floor.
"Sorry Gail," Carol said. "We're almost there."
"You're talking to the fish?" a man said to Carol. I knew him to be Ed or Larry. Quite honestly I could never tell them apart.
"Yeah, I don't want to stress her out," Carol replied. "It's been a bumpy ride."
"I'm sure she's fine," Ed or Larry replied.
"CJ would kill me if anything happened to this fish," I heard Carol said. I can't really say I was paying close attention to her face when she said it because I was quite dizzy from the sloshing around. Why didn't she just carry my bowl?
"You're probably right about that," Ed or Larry replied.
Even in spite of my dizziness I smiled to myself. Everyone knew I was important to CJ. I never could quite figure out if it was because I was an attractive fish or because Danny gave me to her, but I was happy with the acknowledgement. Now I know I might sound a little vain or egotistical, but I was the only pet in the West Wing and that made me feel good. I felt like I had lived up to my potential and then some. I started out a lowly fish in a tank of fifty other fish and I ended up in the White House. So, please permit me to relive the memory with some joy because it meant a lot to me.
I felt Carol slow the cart down and we finally came to a complete stop as my water sloshed back and forth slightly. At that moment I vowed that life on a parade route was definitely not for me because I was quite happy to be stationary.
"Gail," I heard CJ's voice and saw a shadow coming toward my bowl. I tried to get my bearing so I looked good for her.
"You look good. Do you feel good? How was the trip?" she asked picking up my bowl.
"A little sick to my stomach," I said. "Food wouldn't be ideal right now."
"She looks okay," CJ said to Carol.
"It was kind of a bumpy ride down the hall," Carol informed her.
"Well let's get her situated in her new home," CJ said placing me on the corner of her desk.
Once the water settled down I took a moment to swim around. Carol had graciously swapped out the hospital bed in my bowl for a suitcase full of stuff. As fun as it was to swim around it, I found the new office to be much more fascinating. It seemed a lot lighter and I figured that because of the windows. They were bigger, as was the office. CJ had two couches now, a couple more televisions and a coffee table. She even had two guest chairs. Overall I felt that she had quite an inviting office now. I was very happy with the move and I wondered if she was too.
She seemed to have visitors pop in and out all day and I suddenly began to wonder about Danny. Would he know that she moved her office? Would he be able to find us? I hadn't seen him since a few days after the shooting, which was quite a while ago. He seemed to be lying low since then. I'd seen him on TV during the briefings, but he didn't stop by as much. I wondered if it was because he was embarrassed because he had shared so many feelings with CJ. But, regardless of why, I did miss him. I wondered if CJ did too.
CJ was sitting on the floor behind her desk organizing files when I saw a shadow in the doorway. I turned and was elated to see someone I hadn't seen in a long time. Josh.
"CJ?" he called.
"Josh?" she asked as she leaned around her desk to look in the doorway.
"In the flesh," he said as he walked into the office slowly.
CJ stood up quickly and walked over to him. She leaned in like she wanted to give him a hug but then thought better of it.
"Hugs are…" she asked.
"Allowed and encouraged," Josh nodded as he put out an arm.
CJ hugged him lightly and I could tell she was taking special care to avoid hitting his chest in any way.
"I thought you weren't coming in until next week," she said after she let him go.
"I thought I'd get a jump on things," he said taking a seat on one of CJ's two couches.
Josh glanced around the office and took it all in. I could see that he was sizing the office up and noting that CJ's office now seemed to be larger than his.
"So I'm the one who gets shot and you're the one who gets the office big enough for two couches," he told her.
"Life's funny like that isn't it?" CJ asked giving him a smile and taking a seat in the chair across from him. "Though now you'll get that mini fridge you've always wanted."
"That's a definite bonus," Josh smiled. "It's gonna be kind of weird having a hallway where you used to be."
"Maybe for a little while," CJ replied. Something flashed in her eyes and I wondered if she was thinking about how weird the last few weeks were for her when Josh wasn't there. For the most part everyone seemed to finally be coming to terms with it, but it was rough for a while.
"I'm gonna have to shout down the hall when I need something from you now," he said.
"Or you could maybe try taking a short walk," CJ replied. "You know, keep your ticker in working order."
"I'm still a feeble man CJ," he said with an impish grin. "I may need to shout for a while."
She smiled at him and just shook her head as he continued to look around her office.
"Still coveting my office aren't you?" she asked.
"A little bit," he admitted. "Trying to understand why Leo moved you and not me."
His tone was mocking and sullen and I couldn't help but giggle. I really missed Josh not being around for a few weeks.
"Well I think there was too much dominance at one end of the building with you and me next to each other," CJ said. "It threw off the Feng Shui."
"But now that we're opposite each other won't our energy create a magnetic effect on the people in between?"
CJ contemplated it for a moment. "I think we should feel bad for Carol and Donna," CJ agreed.
"Now Sam should have been moved over here to balance out the energy," Josh suggested.
"No, Toby definitely needs Sam to balance out the other side of the building," CJ said. "How do you know so much about Feng Shui anyway? Did you read up on it in between studying up on psychics at Cal Tech?"
"Physicists," he replied emphatically.
"Yeah, well you should have just been happy with the acknowledgement in my briefing instead of being so picky," CJ said.
"You said psychics," Josh said in a louder tone. "Psychics and physicists are two completely different things!"
CJ started to laugh a little at his reaction. Judging by his animated response, I guessed that she could only imagine what his initial reaction to her gaffe when he was in the hospital.
"Do I hear yelling in here?" Donna's voice came from the hallway.
I heard her footsteps clicking quickly toward the office. CJ and Josh were about to get in trouble. I could feel it. Donna entered the office with her hands on her hips.
"I thought we talked about this," she said to Josh.
"Donna," he started to protest.
"No," she cut him off. "I have not spent the last four weeks running back and forth between here and your apartment, running interference on visitors and monitoring your phone calls to have you collapse of a heart attack over psychics."
"Physicists," he corrected her.
"Whatever!"
Josh sat for a moment and I could see the wheels spinning in his head. He was trying his damnedest to come up with some excuse for his yelling. I had to laugh. It was obvious who wore the pants in that relationship.
"CJ started it," he finally replied putting on his best hand caught in the cookie jar face as he pointed at CJ.
"I didn't start it," CJ shook her head. "I swear."
It was clear for a moment that they both feared Donna when she was in protective mode.
"What's going on here?" Sam said standing in the doorway. He surveyed the scene and noticed that Josh was sitting on the couch.
"Josh," he smiled. "I thought you weren't back until next week?"
"I came back early," he said. "Get a jump on things."
"But he's going to be going home if he doesn't keep his voice down," Donna reminded him.
"It was CJ's fault," Josh said again. Apparently this was the story he was sticking with come hell or high water.
"Was not," CJ muttered under her breath.
"Was too," Josh murmured back.
"Hey!" Donna said. "You see. This is why Leo moved CJ's office."
CJ seemed to nod and shrug in agreement as Josh went back to looking around CJ's office.
"You're pretty much moved in," Sam observed.
"A few more files and it's finally done," CJ sighed.
"I'm getting a mini fridge," Josh offered to Sam.
"Hey, good deal," Sam replied.
"It's black and shiny," Josh informed Sam.
"Stocked with beer?" Sam asked.
"Imported and domestic," Josh said.
"It's good to know I'm replaceable with a mini fridge," CJ interjected.
"Don't worry, the mini fridge's place in my heart isn't that big…yet," he shot her a smile.
"Remind me again why I missed you," CJ replied.
"Hey, are you guys ready for the Nimbala visit?" Josh asked them changing the subject.
Donna seemed satisfied that Josh was calm again and I could tell she was getting ready to leave.
"Yeah," Sam said. "I'm working on a few remarks. Are you in on the meetings?"
"Yeah, me and Toby," Josh said.
"I'm gonna go," Donna said quickly. "Shout if you need anything. Lord knows you have the lung capacity."
"If you'll recall, my lung was collapsed," Josh said. "Obviously I'm back baby!"
"You're lucky you haven't driven Donna crazy yet," CJ informed him after Donna left.
"She deserves one hell of a Christmas present," Sam agreed.
"Excuse me, I am the model patient," Josh said.
CJ, Sam and I both erupted in giggles. Poor deluded Josh. He really thought he was a joy to be around in his recovery. The rest of us knew better.
"What?" he asked as we all laughed.
"Whatever you say mi amour," CJ said.
"Of course you're a model patient," Sam chuckled.
"Okay, that's it," Josh said standing. "I'm done. I have very important work to do."
With that Josh turned his head and took his leave of the office where he was being mocked.
"It's good to see you," CJ called after him.
"We're glad you're back buddy," Sam said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Josh said with a wave of his hand as he walked away. But, I could see when he turned his head that he was smiling.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
A few hours and two briefings later CJ was back at her desk wading through some notes on some country in Africa. I couldn't tell which one, but I noticed a map before it was pushed under a pile of papers. She was making a few furious notes when another visitor hovered in her doorway.
"Nice digs," he said leaning his shoulder against the doorway.
CJ looked up immediately and tried not to break out into a grin. She sat up and pushed her chair back from the desk a little.
"Thanks," she said.
"Two couches now," he observed as he entered.
"Well I entertain a lot of people," she said in a tone that I detected as flirting.
"Hopefully not too many," he said taking a seat across from her.
"No, not too many," she said. "Just the special ones."
I was happy to see Danny again. This was the first time I'd seen him in her office since the night of the shooting. As I mentioned before, he seemed to be lying low. That wasn't to say they hadn't talked, but I wasn't there to witness it.
"Good," he said.
"I'm glad you're glad," she replied.
"So," Danny said leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over another. "Your briefings today have been…you seem perkier."
"Am I not usually the princess of perk?" she asked.
Danny suppressed a grin. If he hadn't have been able to tell before, it was clear now that she was in a very good mood.
"No, you definitely are," he corrected himself. "There's just slightly more perk and pep today. You seem peppier and perkier than usual."
"I am," she confirmed.
"Because Josh is back or because you've got this nice new office?" Danny asked.
"Maybe a little of both," CJ replied. "The unpacking is finally done. A change of scenery never hurt anybody."
There was a strange pause. Danny looked down at the floor quickly and then back at CJ. If I didn't know better I'd have said he was hiding something.
"No, a change of scenery never hurts," Danny said. His eyes, normally expressive, had a look of guilt in them. I wished I could have read his mind at that moment.
"Also I have two couches now," CJ continued. Did she really not notice that he seemed to be hiding something? "Maybe I'm getting more sleep."
Danny smiled at her. It seemed whatever was weighing on his mind had passed. He had pushed it into the far corners of his mind and I couldn't tell what he was thinking anymore.
"You should get more sleep," Danny said. "Not that you need it."
"Well thank you," CJ said blushing slightly. "Flattery will get you everywhere."
Danny stood up suddenly and walked over to the wall to check out CJ's office decorations. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked at a few pictures on her wall.
"Did you need something?" CJ asked. I could tell by her tone that she was finally starting to become curious about Danny's visit, though he seemed to be acting quite normal by all usual standards.
"Need?" he asked. "No."
"Want?" she asked as I could practically hear the gulp in her voice.
"Want?" he chuckled. "Aside from wanting to bask in your perky peppiness?"
"Ah, well basking…you're not the only one who'd like to bask in my perk," she giggled as she finished her thought.
"What the hell are we talking about again?" Danny laughed.
"I honestly have no idea," CJ replied with a smile.
Danny went back to moving along her walls and checking out the items she had hung there.
"Yeah," Danny said. "I just wanted to check out the new office is all."
"None of the stuff on the wall is new," CJ said. Then as an afterthought she said, "You haven't been by in a while."
"No, I guess I haven't," he said. "You miss me?"
"No," CJ though I immediately knew she was lying.
"Too bad I was going for the absence makes the heart grow fonder thing," he informed her.
"I've seen you in the briefing room everyday," CJ pointed out.
"So you're telling me there's a flaw in my logic?"
"Maybe a little one. I was wondering if you, maybe, regretted the last thing you might have said when you stopped by my office," CJ ventured.
I was surprised that she was bringing up the conversation. It obviously meant more to her than she cared to admit, but I kind of knew that already anyway.
"No," Danny said confidently. "I just thought you might need some space."
"As opposed to your usual hovering?" she joked.
There is was. That was the sarcastic, joke-deflecting emotion CJ I had come to know. For a moment I thought she might be going soft on me, not that it would have hurt her.
"Yeah," Danny said absently.
"Hey are you okay?" she asked finally.
"I'm great," he said, but by this time I knew full well there was something on his mind. "I had a meeting today."
"An interesting one?"
"You could say that."
"What kind of meeting was it?"
"A meeting at the paper," Danny said.
"Is The Post reorganizing?" she asked.
"No, nothing like that," he said.
"Were you in trouble?" CJ asked ironically. The thought of Danny, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist being in trouble was a funny thought.
"Not yet," Danny chuckled.
"Danny," she said.
"You know what? It wasn't a big thing," he said finally turning to look her in the eyes. It appeared he had changed his mind. Whatever he had been about to share wasn't going to be verbalized.
"It was just a meeting."
"About what?" she asked.
"Nothing really. Just telling you about my day," he shrugged.
"Danny," she said getting ready to press him further.
"CJ," Carol said walking into her office. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've got Leo on line three. He says it's important."
CJ didn't look at Carol. I thought that was odd. She just looked at Danny who returned her gaze. It was as if they were in a mental stand off. CJ stared at him hoping to read his mind and Danny stood stoic, making sure she couldn't guess the true nature of his meeting.
"Yeah," CJ replied still not looking at Carol. "Thanks."
Carol walked back out to her new desk.
"I have to get back to work," she told Danny.
"Okay," he smiled at her as he made his way toward the door.
"Danny?" she said.
"CJ, you have Leo on line three," Carol yelled through the window. CJ's phone started to beep.
"Get to work," Danny said. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah," CJ said as she picked up the phone. "What's up Leo?"
CJ talked to Leo for a moment before she picked up a folder and left her office. That left me to ponder what that conversation had been about. It was clear to me that Danny was hiding something. I think it was pretty clear to CJ at that point as well. The mysteries of human nature never ceased to amaze me.
TBC
