Title: "The Jackal"

Disclaimer: Not mine-belongs to NBC and Warner Bros Television

"Did I ever tell you about that man who changed my life," Danny heard the first line of Dana Bryant's voice on the radio and a smile came to his face. Reaching for the volume control on the car radio, he turned it up. Ever time he heard The Jackal, on the radio, he couldn't help but think of CJ. He saw her in his mind's eye as her lips rounded around the words and her eyes glowed. She had this amazing look in her eye when she did it. Dana Brandt laughed and Danny was amazed how it sounded so much like CJ. Was it that they had the same laugh, or had the song become just that synonymous with her to him.  Sometimes he felt the laugh was haunting him as it trailed off in the song and in his mind the bass line sent waves of rhythm through his skull. He couldn't help but bob his head at certain points as he drove along the highway taping his fingers occasionally on the sterling wheel. Danny ran his fingers along the wheel as he turned the corner. The wind blew through his hair as he drove along, top down, relaxing in the breeze. Maybe he would take his time and just listen to the song:

"I haven't seen him in a looong time. The man was so fiiine, he could get any good girl into trouble…Can you guess what his name was?…Well…The Jackal." Dana laughed, but Danny only saw CJ " The Jackal...say...The Jackal...The Jackal… say the Jackal." She laughed again.

In his mind, he found himself sitting in The Upper White House Press Room, alone, in the dark except for one light, smoking a cigar. He sat at the front of the long table ashing his cigar on a small tray near the end of its edge, moving to the music, watching the act in front of him. The act he always dreamt of, a private Jackal showing just for him. He saw CJ as he always had seen her do it, only instead of peering in from the back he had an up front show. She lowered her eyes and become the character, having fun, mischief flashing behind her eyes. Danny smiled watching the show that was only for him.

"And stereophonic speakers, though he really didn't need them.

 When they called him…" The base line played. "The Jackal..say. The Jackal… The Jackal..say. The Jackal."

Dana crackled, making Danny laugh in his car, all the while thinking of CJ's laugh. How amazing and full-hearted it was and one of many reasons he loved her. The music ran into his body like cool lightening.

"When women asked, 'is you a proud Cat?' He said 'Oh dear, I'm more that that. I'm the roanest of the roan. And in case you, hadn't known, they call me The Jackal!'

Danny stopped at a light.

"Served the 18-year bid, first Riker's Island, then they hid him in the state penitentiary. Said the charge was Grand Larceny. That was 1975, and today, if he's still alive, he'd be living in the park. Hm. The brother whose claim to fame was that they called him The Jackal. Say…The Jackal."

The end of the music played off its familiar rhythm as Danny drove down the road and smiled. The jazz music swelled and Danny found himself that night waking up from the dream, a faux simile of his daydream that day. He smiled up at the ceiling while in bed and placed his hands behind his head.

"The Jackal, Say, The Jackal." Ran through his head.

"AHH!" CJ woke up in a panic. She was dreaming about Danny again. During the dream, she enjoyed it, but it still scarred her when she woke up. She didn't want to get Danny out of her system, but what was she to do. Just when she thought she was finally over it, he'd come back in some way. Some way back into her life. She couldn't seem to let him go. She heard the faint sounds of the Jackal as she realized her radio alarm must have been set on the alarm setting. Set wrong. She still had an hour to sleep before work. CJ smiled slyly at the thought of Danny before stopping herself and slamming her pillow over her head with a loud. "AHH!" in frustration.

In his bed Danny tried to get back to sleep hoping this time in the dream, CJ might take something off. In her bed CJ hoped she'd go back to the dream and put something on. Either was the case.

"Did I ever tell you about that man who changed my life," ran in CJ's head.

And the music played off…..