Chapter Seven

Donna walked into Josh's office. She saw him sitting with his head in his hands. He wasn't at his desk anymore but in a small chair against the wall.

"I got you something to eat?" Donna asked

"No, thanks I already ate.

"That was a bag of popcorn and a can of coke." She took the plastic container out of the bag and placed it on Josh's desk.

"I had them burn the hamburger. I actually went there myself and watched them do it."

"I'll have it later."

Donna paused before she spoke. "You know, it's ok to cry."

"I'm not crying Donna."

"I won't judge you."

"Donna, I'm not—"

"Ok." She began to walk out.

"Any news from Danny?"

"No. no. Nothing." Josh seemed worried as he approached Donna and the food.

"Is Danny in love with CJ?" Josh looked at Donna, not sure what to say.

"Yeah, I think so." He said sweetly.

"Does she? Love him, I mean."

"I can't speak for CJ but......." Josh took a moment. "Yeah." Josh thought of CJ and his eyes started to mist. He held it back, but Donna saw it.

"Why is it men only become the real men we want them to be when things get dire."

"'Cause real men step up to the plate?"

Donna smiled. "And real men get some sleep. Or read at least some memos. We have a country to run."

"No news from Leo."

"No." Donna watched as Josh took a bite of a pickle and then stared into space. "What?"

"I'm getting really worried about Danny. He was checking in every two hours. Now nothing. And the phone call before when he cut out."

"Bad reception—" Donna was comforting him. "He hasn't called back yet?"

"No—" Josh was deep in thought. "He hasn't checked in with me for about four hours." Josh thought for a moment. "Toby and I need to talk to Leo."

----

CJ lifted her head. She seemed that it was later, but she was unsure what had happened.

"Hey." Danny said softly as CJ rasied her head from his shoulder.

"I?"

"You feel asleep."

"Pete?"

"Hours ago. I didn't want to wake you."

"We really should—"He breathing was off.

""It's best we waited in case he came back."

"Oh." CJ looked distracted. "CJ?"

"I—I can't breathe." CJ leaned on her knees.

"Ok. CJ. Calm down." He sat up next to her.

"I can't—I—I.." She began to hyperventilate. "I'm—"

"Yeah."

"I'm—"

"If only we had a paper bag-"he looked around. CJ continued her heavy breathing.

"Just relax, you'll get over it."

"I just—I just—"

"Don't talk." Danny sat himself next to her and ran his hand over her back.
"It's just all hitting you. Your body was in denial." He rubbed her back making her breath smooth and subside. "There ya go." CJ lifted her head and took a large breath.

"You ok?" Danny looked at her lovingly with his concerned puppy dog face. She took a breath. "Yeah."

"Good." He left his hand on her back for a moment while their eyes met. After a moment Danny removed his hand from CJ's back. CJ took another breath as her eyes began to tear. "You ready to keep going?" he asked gently.

"In a minute."

"Ok." He rubbed her back again. "Anytime you're ready." CJ took her hand to her face, trying to suppress her tears. She leaned forward and Danny continued rubbing her back. "Anytime you're ready."

After a while, CJ sat up, and took Danny's eyes. Danny smirked, pretty sure they were sharing a moment. CJ covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm gonna be sick." CJ ran off.

"Yeah." Danny lowered her head. After a moment CJ staggered back.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Danny stood as he followed an unbalanced CJ, ready if she needed to be caught.

"You ok to travel?"

"Yeah?" She tried to pretend and as much as he could--Danny would humor her.

"We can't travel long. Once it's dark we should stay still."

"Sure." She took a breath and staggered to her left. 'How 'bout this way."

"That would be back toward the kidnappers."

"Yeah." He walked to her right. "This way right?"

"Yeah." He followed CJ.
After about an hour of walking, CJ slowed and then collapsed onto her knees.

"We can stop here." He fell to her level. "It's ok."

"No, no we still have some light. I can walk." She stood, shakily. "We could find a house—a car—"

"CJ. Stop pushing yourself. I just saved you from kidnappers."

"I saved you!"

"Ok, you just escaped from a life or death situation. You don't have to be Wonder Woman here."

"Good. I was hoping I could be Cat Woman."

"CJ."

"Ok. Ok."

"CJ . . . . They didn't do anything---?" Danny asked somewhat afraid to bring up the subject.

"No, no. They just tied me to the chair—"Danny sat her down and he took her wrists.

"What are you doing?" She asked as Danny ripped the sleeve off his shirt.

"I'm bandaging your wrists CJ, they're really bad here."

"Oww—."

"Sorry, sorry." Danny took hold in a different place and ripped his sleeve in half.

"I can do that." She said feeling strange about being waited on. Danny handed her one of the strips and let her tie one wrist. After it was secured he did the other.

"We can start a small fire, but not for long. It could get us caught." CJ looked into Danny's eyes and smiled slyly.

"What? Where you in the boy scouts—."

"As a matter a fact I was---" CJ crackled with delight at Danny's remark.

"Ok, not funny."

"Sorry, sorry—"

"I mean I'm bandaging your wounds here. I found us a dry place for to sleep—"

"Oh my Captain, my Captain." CJ mocked Danny and laughed. Danny had a cross look on his face. "I'll find wood for the fire."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." CJ took a breath. "Wow, I needed that."

"I'm glad I could help." He looked CJ in the eye and she drowned in the deep blue pools. They shared a moment.

"So, do you know where we are?" CJ pressed her fingers on her wrist, flattening the fabric down.

"Truthfully?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know."

"Great. So it's dark, were lost, and there may be a man with a gun out here looking for us—"

'Did I mention bears—"

"Danny stop. Don't scare me."

"I didn't think anyone could do that." Danny had started a fire and sat next to CJ. CJ leaned forward into the warmth. She raised her hands and noticed how she was caked in mud.

"You're covered in mud there."

"Yeah." CJ took her shirt off to reveal her camisole underneath.

"You'll be cold."

"Better than being wet."

Danny noticed a line of dried blood running down from her neck.

"CJ?" He let two of his fingers check the back of her neck.

"Oww."

'What did they do to you?"

"It's fine now." She lowered her head and looked up again. "They hit me in the back of the head with a tire iron." She said with brazen hatred. "I'm lucky I have a strong head." She laughed. "I tried to get to my door, I think I opened it?---I don't know.—"

"That's why the door was open?" Danny was coaxing, making sure not to rile her, but give her the support she needed. "And then I couldn't get up. I don't remember how I got there? I don't remember falling, I just remember being on the ground. I thought—I was sure I was dead. I was sure I was. I remember hearing noise in the apartment? I remember praying they would take what they wanted and leave." CJ remembered trying to raise her head and not being able to. I could feel the blood running down my back." She brought her hand to her shoulder like she was reliving it."

"Do you know why they took you CJ?"

"The young one, Pete, said he liked how I looked. They watched me on TV." She laughed at it. "They wanted me so they just took me. They took me like I was an item in a store. Just something to put on their shelf. Next thing I remember I woke up here." She paused, and looked off into the darkness.

"How did you find me?

"One of your fans sold your goldfish pin. He must have thought it was real gold."

"And the police found it."

"I found it."

"You found it? Where?"

"I know some guys."

"You know some guys?"

"Yeah, Josh came along—"

"Josh?"

"You know that guy is obsessed with playing good cop/bad cop—"

CJ laughed in recognition. "Yeah." Her hair fell in front of he face and without thinking, Danny pushed it out of the way and over ear. CJ smiled to show him she liked it. "We should put the fire out and go to sleep."

"Ok." Danny looked awkward. "CJ, it's, um, it's going to get pretty cold—"

"Yeah." She paused for a second and then inched closer to him.

"You can use me as a pillow." He joked. CJ leaned toward Danny and Danny leaned forward to toss dirt over the fire. In the darkness, they moved closer to each other.. Their lips brushed and CJ lingered over the feeling. Danny ran his hand through her hair and to the back of her head to kiss her.

"Oww." CJ pulled away.

"Sorry, sorry." Danny moved his hands to her face, wanting to make it better. Their foreheads touched. "Let's get some sleep."

"Ok." CJ said in a rasp of a voice. Danny helped her find his shoulder and they layback, wrapping themselves in each other. He kissed the top of her head and laid his head next to hers.