On the Road with Danny Concannon: Thailand/DC

Title: "Connection"

Notes: Okay, I swear and people (who read it before The Supremes aired) can prove me on this, but I wrote this story in Feb, but have been holding on to it while I found an end etc.

Companion Piece: Well, I guess now The Surpremes 5.17

A MONTH AGO…..

CJ finished typing something on her laptop and leaned back in her chair. It was late and her brain was used to drifting lately. Ding, rang CJ's computer, causing her head to shift toward the screen to see an instant message pop up. CJ looked at the screen, not knowing the screen name, causing her face to turn into a one of concern and anger.

"Hey there beautiful." Said the box.

"Do I know you?" CJ answered. There was a moment while CJ waited for an answer to pop up.

"It's Danny." CJ cocked her head and smiled in disbelief.

"Danny? Where are you?" she typed. There was a pause before Danny's answer appeared.

"Thailand. Working on a story."

"What else would you be doing?" CJ leaned back in her chair and waited for an answer.

"Did you get my message?"

CJ perched her lips and thought before answering. She leaned in to type.

"Yes," She typed. "I got your message. I'll be sure to file that one under easy and regrettable attempts at humor."

"Didn't laugh huh?"

"No." she typed with out thinking.

"Even on the inside?"

"No." She smirked.

"Not even a little?"

"No." CJ smiled again.

"Ok."

"Just watch his show next week I'll show you who's a chicken," she typed with force.

"You're going on his show?"

"Of course."

"Do you even know the name of his show—?"

"The truth something—."

"Ok." There was a pause in the conversation. CJ smiled. She missed their banter even if this time it was written and not spoken. Another message from Danny popped in. "You know he's just egging you on. He does that because he knows otherwise, even if he asked, you'd never be on his show. He's trying to bate you."

"CJ," Toby called to her from the doorway. "He's ready for the thing—." CJ folded her laptop halfway down.

"Ok, I'll be right there."

Toby stood for a moment wondering why she wouldn't follow, but let it go.

"Yeah." And Toby walked off looking deflated, but he always looked deflated.

CJ folded up her laptop and noticed Danny had noticed she was gone.

'CJ?" She read hearing his voice in her head. "CJ? You there?"

"I have to go now Danny," she wrote.

"Yeah," He wrote. The word looked so lonely by it's self. "Good talking to you," popped up.

CJ smiled. She waited wanting to find the best thing to say. She lifted her fingers before deciding what to type. "Same here." She hit send and was about to close the window when Danny sent her one last response.

"Keep your head in the game CJ."

CJ smiled and closed her computer.

Danny shut his computer off and looked out the window at the white domed Capital building and turned out the light in his apartment.

IN THE PRESENT

Danny looked at CJ's screen name remembering the last and only time he had sent her a message. Things were so different between them since he left. Even just writing to her was hard. Loving CJ seemed to make him a better man, a more complex man, but a better one as well. That's why he had to lie to her the last time. He wasn't ready to see her yet.

This time actually in Thailand Danny decided he still needed time and turned off his computer. It was the mood he was in, he had called her before, but it was when he knew he would miss her. She had called him and he had loved their conversation, but it made him think of her too much. Too much water under the bridge, or was it only water? He'd come back, and he'd talk to her one day. But not today.

Besides he needed a goodnights sleep for tomorrow as he was off into nowhere's land with his guide. Danny didn't have time to mess himself up with it again, he was a man of the road, irresponsible, a journalist of the world. He missed being knee deep in politics. It was as if he had left two of his loves in Washington. Danny was unsure which he loved more. He tried to convince himself CJ had scared him too much, but it was all male vibrato, yet in so many ways they were both changed people as their relationship as a whole, for themselves, was now different. The connection was different and unknown to them even stronger.