Author's Note:
In my CJ|D universe, Danny's mother is called Orlagh. He has four sisters. Maureen is the oldest.
Bartlet Family Farm, New Hampshire
Thursday, July 2nd 4pm
"They designed it to emphasize the acoustics and prevent other noises overpowering the orchestra."
"It's incredible that they let you see it," Donna said, trying to make up for the glazed looks from the other two people in the room with them.
"The core musical feature of the concert hall is a 1962 Cassavant organ purchased. Three thousand, two hundred and seventeen pipes. They purchased it from a church in the States."
"Wow."
"It weighs more than ten metric tons and it cost them four hundred thousand dollars to have it shipped to Jakarta and reconditioned."
"That sounds .. amazing."
She faltered slightly when Josh implored her with his eyes not to encourage him, but it was too late.
"The one thousand two hundred seats are dispersed right around the stage so that an estimated ninety seven percent of concert-goers can see all the performers. Imagine that!"
"Yes, imagine that!" Abbey said abruptly. "I am sure Jed and Josh have a lot to talk about before you go out to dinner. An apéritif before you go? Maybe you can help me set up on the porch? You can thank me later," she whispered as she ushered Donna out of the study. "If I have to hear him repeat how the layout of the hall reinforces the desire to provide an intimate setting between musicians and concert-goers one more time, I will not be held responsible for my actions."
"I thought you were on the tour with him."
Abbey gave her a long-suffering look.
"He conveniently forgets that part."
Meanwhile The Grand at the Bedford Village Inn
Bedford, NH
There was a tap at the bathroom door.
"Everything okay in there?"
"Look at this," CJ said in dismay as she dropped several strands of hair onto an already sizeable pile on the marble vanity. "I thought I was done shedding."
"The doctor said four months," Danny said as he came closer and rubbed her back. "You're almost there."
"I need to wash and blow dry it. It looks like straw that someone sat on."
"Why don't you come lie down for a bit, first? We have plenty of time."
"If I take a nap I won't sleep tonight."
"I'm sure I can think of ways to tire you out."
She looked up at him over her shoulder with her eyebrows arched as high as she could push them.
"We have one shot at a night of undisturbed sleep and you have sex on the brain?"
Danny shrugged unapologetically, and smiled when she reached up and pulled his face down to hers.
"That'd better be a promise," she whispered as her mouth met his.
The kiss caught fire immediately, bringing her up from the stool and into his arms.
"So not that this isn't nice," he said after a while, "but my mother's going to call in a few minutes and I don't want to get yelled at if we don't hear her."
"You mean you don't want to miss your four o'clock date with our daughter."
"We gotta keep the routine going as best we can, right?"
"Yeah yeah, I see how it is," she said in mock annoyance as she disengaged in one fluid motion. "Far be it from me to get in the way of your routine."
Danny grinned as he followed her into the bedroom and settled on the bed.
"God, I've lived in easy access blouses for so long I can't even remember what it feels like to wear a dress with a back zipper," she complained a few minutes later. "Which one do you like better?"
Danny looked up from his book.
"Huh?"
She toggled the dresses on their hangers.
"I don't know. You'd look good in a sack."
"This isn't helping."
"Why don't you call Donna and see what she's wearing?"
"You're useless."
"C'mere," he said as he patted the space beside him.
She resisted for a moment and then hung the dresses back up and dropped onto the bed with a huff. "If your mother calls and I'm asleep there'll be no wish fulfillment tonight."
Danny had to stop himself from laughing.
"So what's the deal with Will and Kate? I thought they were back together."
"They are."
"So why were they not standing together when President Bartlet arrived?"
"They enjoy messing with people's heads."
"Being on the National Security Council for so many years must affect the chemistry of the brain."
CJ snorted and then changed the subject.
"What were you and Toby talking about for such a long time at the reception?"
"Columbia."
"Are you still planning to do their summer journalism workshop next year?"
"Yep. He asked whether I wanted to be on the Board of Judges for the CSPA."
"CSPA?'
"Columbia Scholastic Press Association. They lost one of their judges last week. Someone he knows on the Board asked if he'd put in a word."
"Are you going to do it?"
"Seriously considering it."
"What would you have to do?"
"Take an in-depth look at four publications from different parts of the country over a period of five weeks."
"You could do that with your eyes closed."
Danny hemmed and hawed for a moment.
"I have to figure out whether I have the kind of time it would take right now. Each evaluation takes several hours to complete. There are scorebooks, very detailed criteria. Although he did say it was a five week commitment any time between now and Christmas, so it may be do-able if I can get through the preliminary work for the new book by October."
"Does it pay well?"
Danny laughed out loud.
"It's an honorarium, CJ."
"Of?"
"$50 per publication."
"Enough to keep our daughter in diapers for a month then .."
"Pretty much."
The open laptop on the bedside table announced an incoming Skype call and Danny leaned over and pulled it onto his lap.
Orlagh Concannon appeared on the screen, nestling a restless Imogen against her chest.
"Hi mom. How're you doing?"
At the sound of her father's voice, the baby pulled herself slightly away from her grandmother's body and tried to turn.
"Good, but this little one is desperate for her nap."
Danny smiled and reached for his book again.
"Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain nineteen thousand, seven hundred and ten feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa," he began. "Its western summit is called the Masai Ngje Ngi, the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude."
His mother's eyes widened in horror.
"You're not reading Hemingway to the baby," she said indignantly as she covered an exposed little ear.
"He was a respected journalist."
"That story is full of guns and death and cussing, Danny, and .. you're messing with me, aren't you?"
Danny chuckled, set the book aside in favour of another one, and started over.
"On the outskirts of a tiny little town .. was a neglected garden. In the garden stood an old house, and in that house lived Pippi Longstocking."
CJ shifted closer and laid her head on his chest.
"She was nine years old, and she lived there all alone," Danny continued as draped his arm around her and began to run his fingers through her hair. "She had no mother or father, which was actually quite nice, because it meant that no one could tell her that she had to go to bed just when she was having the most fun. And no one could make her take cod liver oil when she would rather eat sweets."
"She's asleep," Orlagh whispered after a while.
Danny's eyes dropped to CJ.
"This one's out, too. Thanks for coming out to watch the baby, mom."
"You're welcome, pet. You know, Maureen was like this. I would hold her for hours, trying to get her to settle. Nothing. Your father would read to her for five minutes and she'd be out like a light. He read the back of the cereal box to her one time, just to prove that it didn't matter what he read her, the show off. How's Claudia holding up?"
"She's doing great."
"The first time away is always tough, Danny. Be gentle with her. What time are you going to dinner?"
"Seven."
Orlagh glanced at the clock on the nursery wall.
"I'll call again as soon as she wakes up so that Claudia can see her better."
Bartlet Family Farm 6pm
Donna watched Josh pace back and forth in the guest room.
"How'd it go with President Bartlet?" she asked as she sifted through the five outfits she'd brought with her.
"Good."
"I'm surprised he was feeling up to making the trip."
"Apparently he couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the Aula Simfonia Jakarta," Josh said with a slight roll of his eyes.
"So you had a good conversation?"
"Yeah."
"Josh, what's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Who are you expecting?"
"Sam."
"Well I hope he doesn't call in the middle of dinner."
A look came over his face that she knew too well.
"No. We are not cancelling an hour before we're supposed to meet them. "
"If this thing blows up I'm gonna have to bow out."
"Josh, we're not cancelling. They can get by without you for a few hours. There are perfectly qualified people whose job it is to deal with crises, and I'm sure Sam has the situation under control."
She walked towards him and removed the phone from his hand.
"Listen to me," she said as she massaged his shoulders. "Go take a hot shower. We'll spend some nice, quality time with old friends, and then if something happens and you really want to go back tonight we'll make that happen after dinner."
Josh turned round, ready to deliver a retort. It died on his lips the moment he saw the empathy and love in her eyes. Instead he drew her into a hug and inhaled her scent; tightening his grip as he acknowledged to himself that the way she held him and dug her chin into his shoulder in moments like these grounded him in ways nothing else could.
"Hot shower, huh?" he said after the emotion of the moment had subsided.
"Yes."
"Relaxing .."
"Yes."
"Care to join me?"
"Sure .. but I'm wearing a shower cap."
Josh wrinkled his nose and pulled back to look at her.
"Is that to avoid any funny business? Coz .. you could wear a paper bag over your head and I'd still find you irresistible. You know that, right? A shower cap isn't going to deter me in any way."
"We don't have time for funny business, Josh. But I'll wash your back for you. How's that?"