Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press

A/N: Sorry, I missed a day. Stupid day job for eight hours, and then rushed down to the city to see Bruce Campbell and get his autograph and new book, Make Love: The Bruce Campbell Way. Hehe. If you're a fan, you understand, if not, you prolly don't know who he is.

Anyways, this chapter was fun to write, and I hope it's fun for all of you to read. I've been overwhelmed at the number of people who are enjoying it so far. It makes me so happy!

Now for the fun part…I really like responding to the reviews you guys give me, and getting them makes me so happy! I had a minor accident tonight with the passenger side of my car and a pole, and finding two more reviews made my night a LOT better. Hehe. Thanks everyone!

Scififreakmi- CJ and Danny are so awesome J I concur.

Therese - Leo will lighten up, don't worry! I'm glad you enjoy the story!

Kursk - Josh and Donna's saga is on its way and being written by my friend Jen. It's pretty fun b/c we always want to steal each others fics and write our own stuff, so she's taking the lil AU I've created and developing their relationship. I got previews, and it looks really good! There are some cute moments in my story too though!

Westwingfan - I'm so glad you like it!

MaryKate113 - I 3 CJ and Danny, and I'm not sure why I latched onto that pairing, but I have a ton of respect for the Donna Josh relationship.

Caia - Hehe. Your review made me laugh. I forgot that I wrote the "flustered-Sam mode" part.

Netcord: It'll come out eventually. You just can't hide true love J

On with the show…

"Names. Damn Names and Sonograms"

CJ got a pretty good lesson in the weeks that followed on what pregnancy truly entailed. She was over getting sick, but instead had to spend lots of time running to the doctors, and she was still working full time.

She'd been cautioned to take it easy, as she was a little old for having a child. Her doctor kept her under a watchful eye, and CJ felt like she spent more time at the doctor's than in her office or the pressroom.

The pressroom had died down, and though a few stray tabloid reporters still tried to pry the identity of the father from her, she was left alone by the others.

Late one night after most of the staff had gone home, Danny headed into CJ's office, fully aware that she'd want to bite his head off for danger of being seen together.

CJ looked up with a mouthful of saltine cracker. "Whahagoovan?" She asked.

Danny broke into a smirk. "You know, they say that pregnant women are really attractive and beautiful, but you never realize how right they are until it's someone you love," he teased. "Are you gonna teach our kid manners like that?"

CJ swallowed and took a sip of water to wash the dryness down. "They help settle my stomach," she explained.

Danny looked down, feeling guilty that she had to go through all the pain of the pregnancy. He wanted to be there for her…more than he was. "You're still getting sick?"

CJ waved his concern. "Not for a few weeks now, but I got used to eating them every morning. I think I crave them," she smiled at him, loving his concern. "So what do you want?"

"That's what you said?" Danny asked, laughing. "You should know after all this time that all I want is you."

"Flirt," she shot, edging close enough to kiss him.

"You only call 'em like you see 'em," Danny swooned, kissing her deeply.

CJ wanted to tell him it was dangerous, and that they shouldn't be doing this, especially not where they were, but she couldn't help it. She needed to be with him more than anything else.

They made their way to the couch and stopped kissing for a minute. CJ seized the opportunity.

"I'm going for a sonogram tomorrow…I'm five months, and they can tell the baby's sex," she told him. "I want to know if it's a boy or a girl."

Danny's mouth hung in awe. Until then he'd only considered that it was a baby, not bothering about the sex. "I want to go with you," he said quietly.

"You can't," she replied, stinging when she saw his hurt expression. "Danny, you can't."

"I know…" he told her gently, stroking his hand over hers, which lay across her stomach. "I just had this vision of us being there and finding out together…and seeing our baby for the first time."

CJ was wholly sympathetic. She wanted him there as well. "I'll come see you as soon as I get back, and I'll bring you the pictures." It wasn't good enough though, and she knew it. They were going to miss one of those moments that should be spent together.

"Which do you want?" Danny asked, surprising her.

Truth be told, CJ Cregg hadn't bothered to think about whether the baby was a boy or a girl either. She was so wrapped up in the simple idea of a baby. "I don't know."

"What about names?" He asked. Seeing her sigh, he laughed. "Well we're going to need to think of some in the next few months. How about Danny if it's a boy?" He suggested, grinning.

CJ smiled sadly. "I don't think that would be too obvious, do you?"

Danny blinked. "You're right. We should name him after the President."

CJ laughed. "Josiah? You've got to be kidding me. I love the President…but I'm not naming my child after him."

"Okay, well we'll work on boys names. What if it's a girl?"

CJ frowned. She didn't have any good girl names either.

Danny was already off and running. "What about Claudia?"

CJ groaned. "Danny, I don't even go by my name. Why would I pass that agony onto my offspring?"

"Danielle…" he suggested, smiling. "What? It works!"

CJ couldn't suppress the little maternal feelings that welled up inside of her. She would have loved to name the baby after Daniel.

"We're both Irish Catholics," she began. "We need a good Irish name."

"Colleen," Danny said. It was the first name that came to mind.

CJ liked it. "Colleen Concannon," she drawled. "I love it."

Danny was silent a minute. "You're giving her my last name?"

CJ hadn't really thought about it when she said it. It only seemed natural that the baby should have her father's last name. She looked at Danny, who was looking at her with absolute love and adoration. She could tell it would make him happy. "It's her last name to have," she said quietly.

"Who says it's a her? I'm still holding out hope for a little Josiah Concannon," Danny managed with a straight face.

"We'll work on the boys names," CJ laughed, kissing the man she loved.

CJ made her appointment early the next day so that she could go straight to work afterward. She was surprised the night before when Toby asked to accompany her.

"It means a lot to me that you're here," CJ told him, as they sat in the waiting room.

Toby was acting his usual self and was uncomfortable with the whole situation. He just had this feeling that CJ would need someone to come, and he volunteered. "Just don't make a big deal out of it, okay?" He grumbled, hating his soft side.

CJ nodded, knowing him well.

"I'm only here because he couldn't be," Toby explained.

"Well it's very sweet," CJ mused.

Toby frowned. "Do you have to keep saying that?" He growled, but his face softened, looking at her. "I know how much you wanted him here."

CJ bit her lip. "I really did, but I'm glad you came."

Toby looked at her tenderly. "Me too."

The nurse called CJ inside and set her up for the sonogram. Toby looked away uncomfortably as they hiked up CJ's shirt and covered her in gel.

As soon as they got a picture CJ looked at the screen. "Is that the baby?" She asked incredulously. The nurse nodded. "Toby…look!" CJ told him, completely awed.

Toby turned around to see the image of the baby CJ was carrying. For a man who came off so bitter and hostile, lately there was nothing that softened him more than the subject of babies. It had happened with Andy, and it happened now. All he could do was breathe a soft, "Wow…"

"She's beautiful, and perfectly healthy," they were told.

"She?" CJ asked excited. "It's a girl?" Another nod. She looked at Toby with a broad smile on her face. "I always wanted a girl…I just never knew it until now. Hello there, little Colleen," she cooed to her abdomen.

Toby looked like a proud parent as well. "CJ," he told her as they cleaned her up and handed him the pictures, "you're going to be a spectacular mom."

"I know…" CJ replied, fighting off the hormone driven tears that welled up in her eyes. She looked at Toby and knew that it wasn't just his comment that was getting her worked up. "I wish he could have been here," she cried softly.

Toby's fingers found hers and intertwined through them, giving her a tiny squeeze of reassurance. Next, Toby did something that was completely out of character, by leaning over and kissing CJ softly on the forehead.

"CJ, if the press bugs you tomorrow, or ever, just tell them I'm the father," he enjoyed the look of shock in her eyes for a moment. "I mean, I already knocked up an unmarried congresswoman, so I have a prior offence and all."

She laughed through her tears. "Thank you, Toby."

Toby stopped laughing and his expression turned serious. "I'm really proud of you for doing all of this."

They left for the White House, arriving together at the West Wing before lunchtime.

"Go into my office, CJ," Toby instructed. "I'll be right back with Danny."

CJ smiled and did what she was told. She couldn't wait to tell Danny. "Toby…" she began, wanting to thank him.

"I know," he said, cutting her off. "It's nothing."

Danny had been unable to get anything done all morning, waiting for CJ to get back. He was worried that she'd have too much to catch up on, or a meeting, or something, and he'd never get a chance to see her. Even if she did nonchalantly inform him about their baby in the hallway, it wasn't what he wanted. Danny had stayed at bay for the past five months, hardly seeing or touching the woman of his dreams, and he was near breaking. He needed to be alone with her or he was going to go crazy.

Toby walked up to his desk, and Danny perked.

"I need you to come to my office, okay?" Toby said it as more of a command than a question.

"Okay…" Danny replied, a little surprised. He didn't know that Toby went with CJ, and he was afraid he'd done something to piss Toby off. He followed grudgingly.

Danny was happily surprised to see CJ leaning against Toby's desk. The blinds were all pulled, and Toby shut the door behind him. He looked from CJ to Danny and back again, with neither moving or speaking.
"Okay guys, how about you pretend you're in love and having a child together, and act like it…ready? Go." Toby joked dryly.

"Danny, the baby is fine. She's healthy, and the doctors feel the pregnancy will go well," CJ told him, beaming as she held out the pictures to him.

"She…" Danny breathed, amazed by the pictures and by CJ. She looked absolutely beautiful. "It's a girl," he said happily.

CJ smiled and welled up again. "Yeah…" She said emotionally.

Danny looked up at her, and saw her crying. He went to her immediately and had his arms around her, kissing her softly. "Colleen Concannon," he echoed as CJ had the night before.

Toby coughed uncomfortably from the corner to get them to halt their affections. Danny's hand dawdled over CJ's arm as they pulled apart.

"I remember you saying her name was Colleen before," Toby stated, "but I didn't know she was getting Danny's last name."

"Is that a problem?" Danny asked, hoping it wasn't. He really wanted the baby to have his name. He wanted CJ to have it too, for that matter.

"It'll be on the birth certificate," Toby pointed out.

CJ looked at him without flinching. "I don't care if they find it," she told him, truthfully. When Toby opened his mouth to protest, she silenced him. "I'm not going to hide it after she's born. Colleen Concannon will have her father's name, and she'll have her father." She looked at Danny, who felt as though he were in an argument out of his power.

"Whatever…" Toby muttered. "As long as you know what you're doing."

"I do," CJ grinned at Danny.

Toby excused himself to give them a minute alone, cautioning them. "Just make sure you don't stay in there all day, cuz you know, eventually I need to do some work."

Danny laughed after Toby was gone. "He always that carefree?"

CJ shot him a look that said 'don't go there.' She picked up the sonogram and looked at Danny. "We're going to have a little girl," she told him, as if every time she said the words it was something new.

Danny kissed her. "What do you think he'd do if we did it in his office?" He asked slyly.

CJ fought off her laughter as she told him no and came up with a reason to leave. Truth be told, she thought the idea was hysterical.

To be continued…

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