Disclaimer: These characters belong to Warner Bros Television and so forth. A few are my own creation.

ON THE ROAD WITH DANNY CONCANNON: O3'04

A Trave log: DEC-MAY

"Some folks are born made to wave the flag, ooh, they're red, white and blue.

And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief", oh, they point the cannon at you,

Lord, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, It ain't me, it ain't me,

I ain't no fortunate one, no,"

FORTUNATE SON John C, Fogerty

This series covers Danny Concannon and the reason's he's not at The White House: Season Five

On The Road With Danny Concannon: New York

Title: "Denise Demarco"

Spoilers: None

Companion Episode: None

"Hey, Danny," Barry's assistant said in her New York Brooklyn tones, as she entered her boss's office. She paused to take a look at the reporter sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on another.

"Hey, Denise," Danny said without looking at her, his eyes glued to his television broadcast of CJ's press conference, and his fingers preoccupied in a bag of cheetos.

"Barry said I could use his office," Danny spoke as he popped a cheeto in his mouth. "Oh come on," Danny yelled at the TV with the food still in his mouth. "Don't ask that!" Danny swallowed and laughed. "She's totally playing you." Danny laughed again.

"Don't you have your own office?" She teased him setting her box of files on Barry's desk.

"Yeah, it's in Washington." Danny threw another cheeto in his month. "Yeah right!" he yelled at the screen.

"So, why are you here all the time." Denise put her finely manicured fingers on her hip causing her large green bracelet to fall forward.

"I'm a reporter Denise."

"Well, I don't see you do' in any reportin'-"

"I'm waiting on a lead, a guy's supposed to call me."

"And that's why you've been hanging around - for like a month—."

"Come on Denise, you know you like having me around -"

"Better than having the boss around," she smirked. "I have to organized some papers for him, ya mind I do it in here? My desk's too small."

"Nay, Nay go a head." He waved her off still watching the TV. Danny popped another cheeto in his month.

Denise began to open the files and placed the papers on her boss's desk. She looked up at the TV to see what Danny was watching.

"You like watch this show twenty four seven- what...? You got a crush on her or somethin'?" She spoke sarcastically not knowing she had hit the nail on the head.

Danny stopped eating and swung around to look at her.

"You do, don't you," she said satisfied she had struck a nerve with him.

Danny said nothing and looked back at the TV. Denise smirked and walked around the desk to Danny.

"Who is she?" Denise said slyly taunting Danny and taking another look at the TV.

"You don't know who she is? That's CJ Cregg."

"CJ Cregg? Sounds like a man. That's a women's name - who's CJ Cregg?"

"It stands for Claudia Jean-"

"What, she southern?"

"- She's the White House Press Secretary—" Danny couldn't believe how ill informed she was.

"Oh," Denise felt embarrassed. "Oh yeah. I see a little White House behind her." She pointed toward the TV.

"You know, Denise you work for the man who runs the New York bureau of the Washington Post—maybe you should, I don't know, read it once in a while—"

"Funny, Funny." Denise went back to her work, but couldn't keep the idea off her mind. "So how ya know her?"

"I'm a White House correspondent."

"So, why aren't you there?"

"Because my story's here?"

"But you just said you're a White House Reporter?"

"I go where the stories are—"

"Ok, that makes sense—" she said sarcastically to herself. "So, what she doesn't dig ya, huh?"

"What?" Danny turned his head to ask her.

Denise walked over to Danny again. "Dig ya? She's not in ta ya?"

Danny looked back at the screen. Denise walked closer to Danny and stood in front of his feet. Danny was mesmerized by CJ on the screen.

"Unrequited and all that?" She looked at his face.

Danny didn't say anything at first. "She's The Press Secretary. I'm a reporter—." Danny was finding ways to answer the question without lying. It was hard to lie about CJ. Still he wanted to protect her. He of course had not problem with the idea of having a relationship with CJ, but he knew CJ did.

Denise wasn't buying it as she saw Danny's fixation on the screen. "No one looks at a women like that with out they're being more—."

Danny knew he was caught. "You can't tell Barry?—"

"She likes you—?" Dense had a huge smile on her face and hit Danny in the arm. "I won't tell anyone." She paused, sitting on the edge of the chair Danny had his feet propped on. "Why aren't you together?" she whispered. Danny opened his month not knowing how to get out of this one. "If you tell me I won't tell Barry?"

There was a moment of silence as Danny thought of his predicament. He was stuck.

"Ok, Fine." Danny lowered his head and back up again feeling weary. "Close the door."

Denise did what she was told and closed the door causing the room to loose some of it's light.

"So you together? Not together? What's the scoop?" She walked closer to Danny as she spoke.

Danny looked at CJ on the screen and back at Denise. "We're not together."

"She said no."

"She said no—"

"Why?"

"Because it's a conflict of interest—"

"-Because you're trying to get the goods on the people she's protecting-."

"Well, not in so many words-." Danny stopped for a moment. "But I guess something like that—"

"-Wow, how romantic—."

"It's not as romantic when you're in it."

"So, what? She told ya to get out of her face? She won't speak to ya?"

"No. We're good friends. We're good friends."

"It's too much for ya, huh? That's why you're here?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Maybe that's part of it—I don't know. Maybe somewhere deep in side. But I go where the stories are. When I need to I'll be back."

"So I guess not being a reporter is out of the question? Like, you could take a job like Barry's."

"I'm a reporter - it's who I am. I can't sit by and watch people getting the stories—" He looked at CJ on the TV. "It's just not in me."

"But you love her." She paused, as Danny said nothing. "Don't ya?"

Danny took a moment as he gazed at CJ and than looked at Denise "Yeah," he said softy. "Yeah I do."

"Talk about your conflict of interest." Denise joked it off.

"Yeah. Tell me about it," Danny said sarcastically looked back at the TV.

"You're really a sweet guy, ya know that?" She smiled sweetly.

"Thanks..." Danny took it as a compliment but its sounded to him as much of a complement as, "I just want to be friends."

"No, really. I mean that." She stood up. "I thought that ever since I met you. You got those eyes. Those nice guy eyes. I've met a lot of jerks - pretty much dated them all - so I know what I'm talkin' about. You got that sweetness. You'd treat a girl right."

"Well, thanks." Danny looked up at the 5'8 Denise and her short shirt, which made her legs look even leggier than they were. She had a look on her face Danny wasn't sure how to take. She walked over to the window leading into the outer office and closed the blinds.

'Is there a glare on the television?" she asked pursing her lips.

"Yeah, that's good thanks."

"She's cute?" Denise walked closer to Danny.

"Yeah..." Danny looked at the TV.

Denise walked between Danny and the second chair causing his legs to fall to the floor.

"So, you're not with her and she can't be with you, right?"

"Yeah?" He looked up at her. " Denise—"

"Shh..." Denise put her finger to his lips. "Did I mention I though you were pretty cute yourself?"

Denise leaned in and kissed Danny. Danny didn't put up a fight. She pulled back and Danny placed his hands on her thighs. She kissed him again, climbing on top of him, her fingernails spreading over the back of his head. But Danny stopped. He heard CJ's voice. Permeating through the television speakers he heard CJ's laugh, and her speech, and he stopped.

Denise knew what was wrong. She knew, but she was still disappointed. She lifted her head just enough to show the television, and CJ' face, between them and Danny's lowered head.

Denise looked over at the TV and back at Danny. She leaned back. "You really do love her don't you?"

"I'm sorry—"

Denise kissed him on the forehead and lifted her legs off Danny. She walked toward the desk shifting her skirt down to its original position.

"I can do this outside." She took the box off Barry's desk and walked toward the door.

"It's not you Denise-" Danny looked her in the eyes as she reached the doorway.

"I know. I have a killer body, Danny... so it's got to be you." She smiled and Danny knew it was ok. "You stay in here all you want. I'll be outside if you need anything. And Danny—?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry - you and Claudia Jean's secret is safe with me."

She walked out and closed the door

Danny lowered his head covering half the television from view. He leaned back in his chair, feeling frustrated with himself and heart broken, revealing the screen, leaving the final word as usual to CJ

"And that's a full lid."