On The Road With Danny Concannon: Washington: Two Hours in D.C.

Title: "Jokes"

Companion Piece: None

"Want to hear a joke?" Margaret asked Danny.

"Sure?"

"If a news story has legs." Margaret paused for a moment as a smile crept to her face. "Why is it always on the same page?"

"Ha." Danny paused saying it like the word it was and not the felling. "Funny." He shook his head in agreement with himself.

"You've heard it?" Margaret was deflated.

"Yeah." He said confidently. Danny was sorry to disappoint her but he'd heard all the print jokes. "Sorry."

"How about the one-."

"Black and white and read all over?"

"Yeah." She was deflated.

"Heard it." Danny thought to himself who hadn't.

"Damn it!" Her body shook.

"Sorry."

"How about, "Don't get ink on the furniture."

"One of my personal best."

"You tell that joke?"

"On occasion-"

'What's the response?"

"Usually groans."

"Oh." Margaret wasn't happy.

"Once I was denied a cookie."

"Huh?"

"Mrs. Landingham."

"Oh." She made her mouth make the same shape as the sound.

"Will Leo be ready for me soon, I have to catch a flight?"

"Yes, he's just on the phone."

"Is he on the phone or did he tell you to tell me he's on the phone?"

"I can't answer that?" she looked guilty sitting down at her desk.

"Uhh-ha—"

"Do you know any good jokes?"

'I got a ton."

"Are they funny?"

"I like to think so."

"Can I hear one?"

"I really can't give out that kind of information out." Danny smiled slyly.

"I see." Margaret said flatly.

After a moment Margaret went back to her work and Danny kept an eye on her for a moment before looking out towards the door.

Danny started to count to himself using his fingers.

"Five, four, three, two—"

"Danny!," Leo opened his office door. Danny stood. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He extended his hand for Danny to shake. "You know how it can be around here? How much time do you have?"

"I have a flight—." Danny knew Leo was putting it all thick.

"Yeah, we'll get you out in time for that-."

"Come in, Come in—" He waved him in. "You should say hello to CJ before she leaves, she and The President's wheels now at eleven forty should be back by twelve, I'm sure he'd love to see you too."

"I can't I have an eleven flight," he said entering the office.

"Too bad." Leo gave Margaret a look and walked in closing the door. "Don't worry we'll have you out before your flight. How have you been, Danny," was the last thing heard as the door was shut.

Danny walked into Carol's empty office and saw sight of Gail swimming in her bowl. CJ's door was conveniently open as if she was just gone for the moment and not on Air Force one returning from Russia.

He moseyed footed himself in as if he had just been gone a few days and not almost a year. He looked over the desk and stood motionless where he had first kissed CJ. He walked over to the couch and sat himself down leaning himself forward and holding his hands in front of him. He took a moment taking in the room before standing up again with a release of air. He took in another breath and looked over her desk again setting his eyes on Gail. Gail the wonder fish who seemed to be able to survive all the odds of fish dome and live long past anyone would have ever thought. He ran his finger along the bowl and turned around leaning his hands against the edge of CJ's desk. He looked at his watch and knew it was time for him to go. Danny reached into his inner jacket pocket and lifted out a small folded piece of paper. He reached behind him and with a slight swivel he placed the note on the center of CJ's desk and with his back to the desk walked out; not looking back. He couldn't look back.

"I swear to god Carol!" CJ bustled her way, coat covered, dragging her purse almost, into her office with Carol close in toe. 'If I ever! I mean EVER try to get into a bet with The President." CJ threw her purse on the coach and her bag on the floor as she passed the threshold. "Kill me! Stop me first, but if I do it again kill me. Make it quick. Hit me over the head with a few of the plates in the China Room, or better yet one of the Vermeer's, but make sure I never do it again. I don't care if it's a bet on my natural hair color, or my grandmothers' maiden name. Make sure they commit me first before I ever get caught up in a bet with that man!"

"You should know. I don't have to tell you that. He knows everything." Carol framed herself in front of the doorway after having dropped off her own things at her desk.

"The Ohio national song!" CJ ripped her coat off her shoulders with force where it lay on her arms.

"You still shouldn't have bet him you know more lyrics then he did!"

"I'm from Ohio I didn't think it was possible I could lose!" CJ noticed something. In the air, she smelled something.

"Like I said, the man knows everything."

"Do you smell that?"

"What?" Carol looked at an Intern who handed Carol CJ's messages.

"I don't know. It smells like…" She smiled. "Nayy." CJ shook it off as her faces soften with seriousness.

'What?" Carol looked up from the notes.

"Nothing?" CJ was sure she was wrong as she sniffed one more time before throwing her coat on the coat rack.

"Okay, Leo wants to see you in his office when you get settled. No hurry."

"Which means come as soon as I get in okay?" CJ rounded her desk.

"Hogan called."

"Yeah, she called my cell on the plane. Next." CJ turned on her television sets, as Carol looked at the next few messages.

"PBS called?" Carol was surprised.

"PBS?" So was CJ.

"PBS?"

"Sure, they don't want a donation?" CJ made it into a joke.

"Didn't say."

"Okay, we'll call them back after lunch?" CJ sat herself down at her desk.

"Call Leo, tell him I have to finish a few things and I'll be right over."

"Okay." Carol exited the office and CJ took a look at Gail.

"How ya doin' there Gail. Long time always see." CJ leaned back in her chair and took a breath before her sight caught Danny's note.

CJ's face turned to puzzlement as she recognized the handwriting. She cocked her head and squinted her eyes slightly taking the folded note to her hand. CJ knew who is was from as she looked at the kind lines of her name written on the front. She just didn't know how it got there. She was about to ask Carol when she knew Carol would have no idea too. CJ bit her lower lip and flipped open the flap of the note with the same hand she held it with.

Sorry. Missed you.

~Danny

CJ smiled and then a look of aguish came over her face. Carol popped her head in and CJ fingered the paper to below her hands to hide it from view.

"Leo said to come now." Carol said, her head dangled in the doorway.

"Yeah." CJ said somberly. She knew Leo would say that.

Carol disappeared. CJ looked at the note and smelled it taking in Danny's sent. After a moment she slowly ripped the paper into two pieces hearing the tear of the paper as she went. She then did the same the other way making the two pieces four and the four pieces eight. She held the pieces on top of each other and brought them to her noise breathing them in. She brought the papers away from her noise and looked at them again before raising them to her forehead and leaning into them pressing them against her head. She took a breath not wanting to cry. CJ took the papers looking at them one more time noticing the last tear read Danny's name. She looked at the name and smiled.

CJ walked over to Gail's bowl and reached in taking a small treasure chest from the bottom of the bowl and pulling it out, shaking it as it hit the air to loosen the wetness. CJ placed the chest next to the bowl and opened it with her left hand revealing a small locket at the bottom on the same case. CJ took the locket out and took the papers from the note and placed them at the bottom of the chest and replacing the locket on top of the papers. She closed the chest with only one of her left fingers. CJ then took the chest and sent it gliding down to the bottom of the bowl.

Carol popped her head in again. "He called again."

"I'm coming. I'm coming." CJ took a Starbucks napkin off her desk and dried her hand as she walked.

"Want to hear a good joke?" CJ asked her in all perkiness as she hit the door way.

"Sure." CJ rolled up the napkin and a made a basket in the garbage next to her desk. "I could use a good joke." She looked at Carol and Carol smiled half-cocked seeing the sadness in her eyes. "Shoot."