A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful feedback! And coming in first with 9
out of 13 votes: Ending #1! (There's an emergency that calls Danny back to
the WH, and CJ finds out the identity of the other woman there.) Not to
worry, I will post Ending #2, possibly on Sunday or Monday.
Disclaimers in pt 1.
// indicates thoughts
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
CJ watched him leave and heard him say goodbye to Carol. She sat down and turned her chair to look out the window.
So he was spending the weekend with some woman. Why was this bothering her so much? She didn't know why she expected him to wait for her. No one else would have. It just....this was Danny. He seemed like the kind of guy who would do that if he felt something (or someone) was worth it. He made her feel like she was worth it.
"CJ?"
"Yeah?" CJ turned to face Carol, who looked at her with concern. "What?"
"Are you ok?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, why?"
Carol walked over and pulled a couple tissues out of the box on CJ's desk and held them out to her. CJ looked her in confusion until she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She brushed it away, only to find her face already wet.
"What did he say?" Carol asked as CJ wiped the tears away.
"Nothing. It was nothing."
"CJ..."
"Have a good weekend, Carol," CJ said, signaling the end of the conversation.
"Okay. You too, boss," Carol said, sighing. //Why do they keep doing this?// Shaking her head, Carol left.
After 15 minutes of looking at, but not really seeing the fishbowl, CJ finally snapped herself out of her funk. //Screw him,// she thought firmly. //There's no point in mourning over something that's never going to be.// She stood and started gathering paperwork to take home.
"Hey, CJ," Josh strode in.
"Hey, I thought you were gone."
"No, I am. I'm just a figment of your imagination come to haunt you." No reaction. "CJ? Carol told me you were really upset."
"I'm not." This was said firmly, almost harshly.
He tilted his head, eyeing her. "She said you were crying after Danny left. What happened?"
"Nothing happened, Josh." She looked up at him, and he saw that her eyes were slightly red and puffy. "I wish you two wouldn't ask me that."
Josh waited.
"He's spending the weekend with some woman he hasn't seen in a long time," she told him. "He said they're going to the zoo."
"Did he say who this woman was?"
"No. He didn't tell me her name, either."
The Deputy Chief of Staff looked at his friend sadly. "I'm sorry, CJ. Maybe..."
"It wasn't meant to be," CJ sighed, finished with shoving her stuff into her briefcase. "I'm going home and taking a long bath. See you Tuesday."
"Bye, CJ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2:14 am
CJ suddenly sat up, wide awake, gasping. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rocked.
No nightmare had ever scared her that horribly. In the dream, Danny had come back to her office and told her that he'd never meant anything he'd ever said to her. That it was all for a story and now it was all over every newspaper and TV station in the world. He'd laughed at her, mocking her for ever being that gullible and left. Then Leo and Toby had stormed in and yelled and fired her. The President suddenly appeared and told her how disappointed he was in her... and then she'd woken up.
She finally got her breathing under control, and took a drink from the glass on the nightstand. She lay back down and hugged a pillow to her chest. //It was just a dream,// she thought to herself, looking out the window. //Not real. Just a dream.//
It was a long time before she drifted off again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1213pm
The next thing CJ knew was her phone ringing. She fumbled for it, but knocked it off onto the floor, causing her to hang off the bed while she spoke.
It was Leo calling her back. There had been a bombing in the Middle East and she was needed.
All thoughts of the dream and Danny were shoved out of her mind as she raced into the shower.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"...and no one has claimed responsibility yet for bombing, but the casualty list is at 25 dead and 32 wounded. I'll have more for you in 30 minutes." CJ grabbed her binder and walked out of the room, ignoring the calls for more information.
"Messages," Carol handed them to her when CJ reached her office.
"Thanks." CJ opened the door to find another occupant: a little girl with a waist-length braid of black, wearing blue shorts and a white shirt and sneakers. Her head was resting on her hands as she watched Gail swim back and forth in her bowl.
The confused Press Secretary looked back at her assistant who just smiled and shrugged. "Hello," CJ said out loud.
The little girl turned to look at her, and CJ saw that her eyes were blue. "Hi."
"Are you lost?" CJ asked.
"No. I'm watching the goldfish."
"Oh."
"Is she your goldfish?" the girl asked.
"Yes." CJ walked around to her chair and sat down.
"What's her name?"
"Gail."
"She's very pretty."
CJ smiled. This girl was so cute. "Thank you. What's your name?"
The girl stood up straighter and said "Abigail Yvonne Ritter."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Abigail Yvonne Ritter. I'm Claudia Jean Cregg." She held out her hand over the desk and Abigail reached to shake it.
"It's very nice to meet you, too," she said. Abigail suddenly got a thoughtful look on her face, then her eyes widened. "Are you Miss CJ?"
//Miss CJ?// "What do you mean, Abigail?"
"Miss CJ who works at the White House for the President." The little girl was practically bouncing with excitement. "Uncle Danny told me about you."
"Uncle Danny?" It was all clicking into place.
"Yeah, Uncle Danny works here too."
//Ah, hah.// "Abigail, is your Uncle Danny's last name by any chance Concannon?"
Abigail nodded. "Uh, huh. He's a newspaper reporter. He told me all about you."
Fighting the urge to laugh, she said, "what has Uncle Danny told you?"
"He said that you're very smart and funny. And he thinks you're beautiful," she added shyly.
"He does?"
Abigail nodded, smiling. "And he said you like Goldfish. Not the fish fish, but the fish to eat."
"The crackers?"
"Yeah." Abigail came around the desk, and CJ saw that she wore a Winnie-the- Pooh shirt. //"She's a big Winnie-the-Pooh fan."// "I like them too. I eat them all the time." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little baggie with Goldfish inside. "Would you like some?"
Thoroughly charmed, CJ said "Sure." She pulled a chair over for Abigail to sit on, and they had a snack.
"Uncle Danny told me that you called him and asked to spend the weekend with him," CJ said, surprising herself that it wasn't too much of a stretch refer to Danny as an uncle.
Abigail nodded. "I haven't spent the weekend with him in *forever*."
CJ giggled. "How old are you, Abigail?"
"I'm four. Do you like my godfather, too, Miss CJ?" Abigail asked.
"He's your godfather?"
"Yeah. When Mommy and Daddy need to have some Mommy and Daddy time, I sleep over at Uncle Danny's and we have macaroni and cheese and watch Winnie-the- Pooh and Disney movies. We go to the zoo, too, if it's not really cold or rainy."
"It sounds like you really like spending time with him," CJ said.
Abigail nodded. "Do you like him too?"
"Yes, I do." CJ smiled fondly.
"That's good. I like you, too." Abigail leaned forward, and motioned for CJ to lean closer. "Do you want to know his nickname?" she whispered, hand near her mouth.
"Okay," CJ whispered back.
"It's Lion. Because he told me that was my first word to him. I thought he looked like a lion. And my nickname is Mouse because I was really quiet when I was little."
CJ thought a minute. "He does sort of look like a lion, doesn't he?"
Abigail grinned and giggled, which caused CJ to giggle, and that made Abigail laugh harder. Soon the two were cracking up.
"Abby! Abby Mouse!"
Abigail turned to the door. "I'm here, Uncle Danny!"
Danny came in, looking frantic. He saw his goddaughter and relaxed. "Thank God. Did Mr. Lyman bring you back here?"
"Uh, huh. He was very nice."
CJ smiled at Danny. "Hello, Uncle Danny. Abigail's told me so much about you."
"She has, has she?" Danny put his hands on his hips. "What have you told Miss CJ about me, Mouse?"
"Stuff." Abby giggled. "And we had some Goldfish."
"Excellent. Mouse, why don't you go and share them with Miss Carol so I can talk to Miss CJ?"
"Okay, Li0n." Abby put her arms around CJ's neck and hugged her. CJ hugged her back. "It was nice to meet you, Miss CJ."
"It was nice to meet you, too, Abigail." CJ waved back at Abby as she left the room.
"So, I see you met the other woman."
She looked up at Danny. "What do you want to talk to me about, Lion?"
Danny smiled. "The fact you didn't pick up on my little Winnie-the-Pooh reference, there, Flamingo. I thought that was a dead giveaway."
"Yeah, well, I don't expect to understand every word that comes out of your mouth." CJ instantly regretted how harsh that came out.
He sighed. "I deserved that. And I think I deserved Josh coming over in the middle of the night banging on my door and yelling at me for making you cry." He held her gaze. "I'm sorry, CJ."
"Did you think I wasn't sincere when I asked you to dinner?" CJ asked, feeling a little vulnerable.
"I did think you were," Danny said gently. "And I definitely wouldn't have turned you down..."
"If you hadn't planned this weekend already," she finished.
Danny nodded.
"Josh really came over and banged on your door?" CJ smiled.
"He woke Abby up, which stopped the yelling."
"Sorry about that."
"It's not your fault. I never meant to make you cry, CJ." They looked at each other silently for a minute.
"CJ, it's time," Carol interrupted.
CJ snapped out of it, and shook her head. "Okay." She looked at Danny. "I have to go do this."
"Okay." He moved so she could get up. "CJ..."
"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him.
"Abby and I didn't get to see all the animals before this thing happened. Maybe after it all dies down, you can join us," he suggested.
CJ returned his smile. "It's a date," she said and walked out before he could register what she had said.
The End
Disclaimers in pt 1.
// indicates thoughts
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
CJ watched him leave and heard him say goodbye to Carol. She sat down and turned her chair to look out the window.
So he was spending the weekend with some woman. Why was this bothering her so much? She didn't know why she expected him to wait for her. No one else would have. It just....this was Danny. He seemed like the kind of guy who would do that if he felt something (or someone) was worth it. He made her feel like she was worth it.
"CJ?"
"Yeah?" CJ turned to face Carol, who looked at her with concern. "What?"
"Are you ok?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, why?"
Carol walked over and pulled a couple tissues out of the box on CJ's desk and held them out to her. CJ looked her in confusion until she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She brushed it away, only to find her face already wet.
"What did he say?" Carol asked as CJ wiped the tears away.
"Nothing. It was nothing."
"CJ..."
"Have a good weekend, Carol," CJ said, signaling the end of the conversation.
"Okay. You too, boss," Carol said, sighing. //Why do they keep doing this?// Shaking her head, Carol left.
After 15 minutes of looking at, but not really seeing the fishbowl, CJ finally snapped herself out of her funk. //Screw him,// she thought firmly. //There's no point in mourning over something that's never going to be.// She stood and started gathering paperwork to take home.
"Hey, CJ," Josh strode in.
"Hey, I thought you were gone."
"No, I am. I'm just a figment of your imagination come to haunt you." No reaction. "CJ? Carol told me you were really upset."
"I'm not." This was said firmly, almost harshly.
He tilted his head, eyeing her. "She said you were crying after Danny left. What happened?"
"Nothing happened, Josh." She looked up at him, and he saw that her eyes were slightly red and puffy. "I wish you two wouldn't ask me that."
Josh waited.
"He's spending the weekend with some woman he hasn't seen in a long time," she told him. "He said they're going to the zoo."
"Did he say who this woman was?"
"No. He didn't tell me her name, either."
The Deputy Chief of Staff looked at his friend sadly. "I'm sorry, CJ. Maybe..."
"It wasn't meant to be," CJ sighed, finished with shoving her stuff into her briefcase. "I'm going home and taking a long bath. See you Tuesday."
"Bye, CJ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2:14 am
CJ suddenly sat up, wide awake, gasping. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rocked.
No nightmare had ever scared her that horribly. In the dream, Danny had come back to her office and told her that he'd never meant anything he'd ever said to her. That it was all for a story and now it was all over every newspaper and TV station in the world. He'd laughed at her, mocking her for ever being that gullible and left. Then Leo and Toby had stormed in and yelled and fired her. The President suddenly appeared and told her how disappointed he was in her... and then she'd woken up.
She finally got her breathing under control, and took a drink from the glass on the nightstand. She lay back down and hugged a pillow to her chest. //It was just a dream,// she thought to herself, looking out the window. //Not real. Just a dream.//
It was a long time before she drifted off again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1213pm
The next thing CJ knew was her phone ringing. She fumbled for it, but knocked it off onto the floor, causing her to hang off the bed while she spoke.
It was Leo calling her back. There had been a bombing in the Middle East and she was needed.
All thoughts of the dream and Danny were shoved out of her mind as she raced into the shower.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"...and no one has claimed responsibility yet for bombing, but the casualty list is at 25 dead and 32 wounded. I'll have more for you in 30 minutes." CJ grabbed her binder and walked out of the room, ignoring the calls for more information.
"Messages," Carol handed them to her when CJ reached her office.
"Thanks." CJ opened the door to find another occupant: a little girl with a waist-length braid of black, wearing blue shorts and a white shirt and sneakers. Her head was resting on her hands as she watched Gail swim back and forth in her bowl.
The confused Press Secretary looked back at her assistant who just smiled and shrugged. "Hello," CJ said out loud.
The little girl turned to look at her, and CJ saw that her eyes were blue. "Hi."
"Are you lost?" CJ asked.
"No. I'm watching the goldfish."
"Oh."
"Is she your goldfish?" the girl asked.
"Yes." CJ walked around to her chair and sat down.
"What's her name?"
"Gail."
"She's very pretty."
CJ smiled. This girl was so cute. "Thank you. What's your name?"
The girl stood up straighter and said "Abigail Yvonne Ritter."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Abigail Yvonne Ritter. I'm Claudia Jean Cregg." She held out her hand over the desk and Abigail reached to shake it.
"It's very nice to meet you, too," she said. Abigail suddenly got a thoughtful look on her face, then her eyes widened. "Are you Miss CJ?"
//Miss CJ?// "What do you mean, Abigail?"
"Miss CJ who works at the White House for the President." The little girl was practically bouncing with excitement. "Uncle Danny told me about you."
"Uncle Danny?" It was all clicking into place.
"Yeah, Uncle Danny works here too."
//Ah, hah.// "Abigail, is your Uncle Danny's last name by any chance Concannon?"
Abigail nodded. "Uh, huh. He's a newspaper reporter. He told me all about you."
Fighting the urge to laugh, she said, "what has Uncle Danny told you?"
"He said that you're very smart and funny. And he thinks you're beautiful," she added shyly.
"He does?"
Abigail nodded, smiling. "And he said you like Goldfish. Not the fish fish, but the fish to eat."
"The crackers?"
"Yeah." Abigail came around the desk, and CJ saw that she wore a Winnie-the- Pooh shirt. //"She's a big Winnie-the-Pooh fan."// "I like them too. I eat them all the time." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little baggie with Goldfish inside. "Would you like some?"
Thoroughly charmed, CJ said "Sure." She pulled a chair over for Abigail to sit on, and they had a snack.
"Uncle Danny told me that you called him and asked to spend the weekend with him," CJ said, surprising herself that it wasn't too much of a stretch refer to Danny as an uncle.
Abigail nodded. "I haven't spent the weekend with him in *forever*."
CJ giggled. "How old are you, Abigail?"
"I'm four. Do you like my godfather, too, Miss CJ?" Abigail asked.
"He's your godfather?"
"Yeah. When Mommy and Daddy need to have some Mommy and Daddy time, I sleep over at Uncle Danny's and we have macaroni and cheese and watch Winnie-the- Pooh and Disney movies. We go to the zoo, too, if it's not really cold or rainy."
"It sounds like you really like spending time with him," CJ said.
Abigail nodded. "Do you like him too?"
"Yes, I do." CJ smiled fondly.
"That's good. I like you, too." Abigail leaned forward, and motioned for CJ to lean closer. "Do you want to know his nickname?" she whispered, hand near her mouth.
"Okay," CJ whispered back.
"It's Lion. Because he told me that was my first word to him. I thought he looked like a lion. And my nickname is Mouse because I was really quiet when I was little."
CJ thought a minute. "He does sort of look like a lion, doesn't he?"
Abigail grinned and giggled, which caused CJ to giggle, and that made Abigail laugh harder. Soon the two were cracking up.
"Abby! Abby Mouse!"
Abigail turned to the door. "I'm here, Uncle Danny!"
Danny came in, looking frantic. He saw his goddaughter and relaxed. "Thank God. Did Mr. Lyman bring you back here?"
"Uh, huh. He was very nice."
CJ smiled at Danny. "Hello, Uncle Danny. Abigail's told me so much about you."
"She has, has she?" Danny put his hands on his hips. "What have you told Miss CJ about me, Mouse?"
"Stuff." Abby giggled. "And we had some Goldfish."
"Excellent. Mouse, why don't you go and share them with Miss Carol so I can talk to Miss CJ?"
"Okay, Li0n." Abby put her arms around CJ's neck and hugged her. CJ hugged her back. "It was nice to meet you, Miss CJ."
"It was nice to meet you, too, Abigail." CJ waved back at Abby as she left the room.
"So, I see you met the other woman."
She looked up at Danny. "What do you want to talk to me about, Lion?"
Danny smiled. "The fact you didn't pick up on my little Winnie-the-Pooh reference, there, Flamingo. I thought that was a dead giveaway."
"Yeah, well, I don't expect to understand every word that comes out of your mouth." CJ instantly regretted how harsh that came out.
He sighed. "I deserved that. And I think I deserved Josh coming over in the middle of the night banging on my door and yelling at me for making you cry." He held her gaze. "I'm sorry, CJ."
"Did you think I wasn't sincere when I asked you to dinner?" CJ asked, feeling a little vulnerable.
"I did think you were," Danny said gently. "And I definitely wouldn't have turned you down..."
"If you hadn't planned this weekend already," she finished.
Danny nodded.
"Josh really came over and banged on your door?" CJ smiled.
"He woke Abby up, which stopped the yelling."
"Sorry about that."
"It's not your fault. I never meant to make you cry, CJ." They looked at each other silently for a minute.
"CJ, it's time," Carol interrupted.
CJ snapped out of it, and shook her head. "Okay." She looked at Danny. "I have to go do this."
"Okay." He moved so she could get up. "CJ..."
"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him.
"Abby and I didn't get to see all the animals before this thing happened. Maybe after it all dies down, you can join us," he suggested.
CJ returned his smile. "It's a date," she said and walked out before he could register what she had said.
The End