Author's Note: Looks like the muse feels like coming out to play. For now anyway. Hopely it's sticking around for a while.

For anything else, see the first chapter…

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If The Whole World Would Stop Looking

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/-/-/ Three Weeks Later: On the Road; South Carolina /-/-/

It wasn't working. The "being friends" thing.

Danny sighed as he leaned back in the awkward bus seat. All their hours of driving was doing nothing for his neck and back. He had tried working- which only served to annoy his back farther- but gave up after thirty minutes of staring at a blank screen. CJ was three rows in front of him. He could hear her talking with the driver every once in a while and the people around her. He could hear her laughing. He loved her laugh; it was so whole and rich and lit up her face. It made her look younger- look more her age.

All he could do was think about her. His mind kept drifting back to her no matter what he did.

Danny rubbed his face, hoping vaguely that it might erase the dark circles from under his eyes and the exhaustion from his face. Hoped that maybe, with enough coffee, he could convince himself that he had actually slept at some point during the drive. But neither action had worked.

He had a hard time falling asleep at night. He blamed it on work. It was true that he spent the night working, but that was only because he spent so much of the day thinking about her that he never finished. He rushed through the night to complete it all, his mind still betraying him by thinking about her. On the rare nights he finished during the day, his dreams were haunted with taunting images of CJ. He couldn't escape her.

Danny yawned, muffling it with his fist. James glanced over at him from his window seat besides Danny. He was a restless passenger and James had been growing more and more annoyed with him as the hours dragged by. But James- and Danny envied this fact about him- was able to completely ignore everything going on around him when he worked. So he spent most of the journey typing. Danny didn't talk to him with the hopes that James would be able to ignore his restless taping and turning and sighing.

They spend a lot more time together since they talked. Not an excessive amount. They found each other at night, usually by accident- or, at least, that's what one would say to the other- and talk. Danny had a tendency of delivering coffee to her throughout the day. Some of the other reporters teased him for it, but they said nothing farther about it. He didn't know what CJ's coworkers said about it. She didn't tell him, he didn't ask. He wasn't sure if they even had time to notice.

The bus lurched suddenly. They spasmodically pulled through towns, meaning their speed slowed and suddenly there were traffic lights to obey. The bus started up again. Danny crossed his arms over his chest, not bothering to steady his body as they turned a sharp corner. He sighed.

He had no idea where they were…

Recently, CJ had taken to slowing her gait after briefing her gaggle of reporters. Danny would always take the opportunity to catch up with her. He'd ask some pathetic question to keep down Carol's suspicion. Half the time he wouldn't wait for an answer before complimenting the woman. After that, she'd leave them alone and the two had a couple minutes to talk about whatever. Those moments weren't time for anything of true importance or meaning. Just quiet banter or something of the kind.

Carol wasn't feeling well again- CJ had comment to him that her immune system sucked and when someone got something, anything, Carol would go down before long. Whenever this happened, CJ took pity on the woman and sent her with the others and she would accompany the reporters. Danny hadn't figured out if this was an insult of some sort to he and his fellow reporters, but he didn't mention it.

Sleeping quarters were in reality sleeping bags on the floor of whatever building they were working in or a spare couch in someone's house. Usually the reporters got the sleeping bags and people like Josh got the couch. CJ took a sleeping bag and set it up in her "office"- Carol got the couch that was always promised to CJ. He didn't know if she had done this since the beginning in order to be closer to "her reporters", or if it was a recent development in order to stay near "her reporter". He didn't ask; he didn't actually want to hear that it was the former.

The bus jumped and shook on the poorly paved road. Danny's body rocked uncomfortably with the odd rhythm. He was too tired to really notice, but it kept him awake. He shifted again, moved his head, sat up straighter, then slouched again. CJ's voice was talking softly again with the bus driver. He didn't know what she was asking- maybe how much longer or where they were- or if she was giving directions- though Danny was pretty sure she didn't have any more clue about where they were than he did- or if she was perhaps just talking.

They talked plenty. In stolen moments after gaggles or while getting coffee. After the work died down and people went to bed, Danny would find her or she would find him and they would talk. Sometimes she would give him a hand- purposely or accidentally- with his story. She never gave him anything she wasn't supposed to, she just had a way of curing writer's block. Sometimes he would get her mind off something that was bothering her, only to find her scribbling something down when he was talking. He was able to relax her before she went to bed- CJ once mentioned it was the only way she could fall asleep lately. Sometimes they sat in her office, sometimes in his cubical. Sometimes they walked around; sometimes they sat outside. Sometimes they ate a cold dinner; sometimes they drank poorly made coffee. Sometimes they talked; sometimes they talked about nothing.

The bus turned, creaking with its weight. Danny turned stiffly with the movement, not noticing in his stupor. The bus rattled and bumped along the road, slowly gaining speed as the houses disappeared once again. Danny turned his eyes to look out the window across the aisle.

Danny thought it would be easier when he asked it. He asked to be friends because he didn't want to loose her. It was unthinkable, unbearable. But seeing her so often and talking with her all the time, but not being able to touch her, to know she was so far off-limits, was far worse. It hurt, almost physically, but he couldn't break away from her. Didn't want to.

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"Urgh," CJ groaned softly, hands raised above her head, stretching her arms and back as she stepped onto the black pavement. Stifling a yawn, she turned around, rubbing her eyes, and looked up the stairwell as reporters shuffled out after her.

Rubbing her temple, she glanced around herself. They were parked in the back of the parking lot to some restaurant- CJ was sleeping when they decided where they were going- and hadn't seen the sign when they pulled in. It didn't matter; she was so hungry she couldn't care less what they put in front of her.

She looked back, nodding sleepily at Chris as she walked past her. CJ's eyes scanned over the crowd, quickly counting that nine were already out. She continued her counting for a moment before she yawned, throwing her off. She tried to restart her count but shook her head, deciding against it.

She rubbed her face again, repeatedly. It was late, but she didn't know exactly what the time was. Somewhere around ten.

"Everyone's off, Miss Cregg."

CJ spun around to see the bus driver standing behind her, closing the door behind him. "Thanks, Ray," she smiled. "I'll be in in a second." Ray nodded, paused a moment before walking down the same path all the reporters took just moments before.

"Where's everyone else?"

CJ gave a start, snapping her head around to see Danny behind her. "Danny," she scolded, exhaustion leaking from her voice.

"Sorry." Danny stuffed his hands in his pockets, glancing away before turning back to look at CJ's half opened eyes. "So where's everyone else?"

CJ just shrugged, this time not able to suppress her yawn. He smirked but she didn't notice. "The Governor wanted to stop somewhere else." Danny just nodded, not saying anything. CJ looked over at him, amused to find his hands in his pockets. She had come to like the stance, for he looked like a little schoolboy. But also because she had realized that it was something few others ever saw. Danny held a natural air of confidence that seemed to splinter around her, sometimes shattering entirely. He put his hands in his pockets when he was shy or nervous, and his hands were often in his pockets when they were alone together.

"We just going to stand here all night?"

"You can go in if you like and wait in a mile long line."

"Point taken." CJ smiled at him, turning away to avoid laughing. She brushed back the hair that had fallen in her eyes. When she turned back to look at him, she found him staring at her. She blushed, casting her eyes down while desperately hoping it was too dark to notice. Her head dipped and the same lock of hair fell back into her eyes.

"Yeah, much better out here." Danny's soft words vibrated in the still air. CJ carefully raise her head, shocked by what she heard in his voice. Their eyes locked. Raw emotions startled her. She wasn't sure she wanted to analyze what she saw- wasn't sure she could forget the look of desire- but she couldn't force herself to look away.

She tensed when his hand rose to her face, watching with a wary gaze as it reached up to brush the stray strands of hair behind her ear. His hand slid around to cup her chin. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, making its escape attempt echo in her ears. Her lungs released a shaky breath just as he stepped closer, filling in the small gap between their bodies. CJ's mind shouted to back away or stop him, but it seemed her heart blocked the message for her eyes fluttered closed just as his lips softly captured hers in an intoxicating moment of ecstasy.

For just a brief moment, surprise manifested in her stiff lips and in the way her shoulders tightened. But the surprise passed and she softened under his light touch. She surrendered herself to him, allowing herself to relax into the moment. Her hands ran up his chest; she wove them through his curly hair and pulled him hard against her. Danny dropped his hands from her face to her hips. He cradled them for a moment before wrapped them around the hollow of her back.

They stood like that even after they broke away for air, resting their foreheads together as they just stood, breath mixing, as they grew farther and farther lost in their own thoughts. Danny was the first to break out of his thoughts, recalling with a start where they were.

"How long do'you think that line is now?"

"Donno," she slurred, her eyes falling closed as she stifled a sigh. "Probably short. We should… go eat."

"Not really hungry for food."

"Oh, shut up," she said with a laugh, dropping her forehead to his shoulder.

"Sorry. You walked into that one."

"I did."

CJ dropped her hands from his neck, letting them run along his arms, as if afraid he might disappear if she let go. After a minute, she stepped back and Danny let his hands dropped to his sides. CJ smiled- he stuffed them back into his pockets.

"Shall we?"

"We shall."

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/-/-/ Eight Days After Second Kiss: Buffalo, New York /-/-/

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Danny yawned as he walked along the hall. It wasn't late, but he hadn't slept much the night before. His article had been giving him some trouble and he hadn't managed to finish it until early that morning.

He currently had nothing to do and was searching out CJ. She hadn't been in with the others, but Josh had mentioned she might be somewhere in the back. So that's where he was, glancing into all the unused back rooms. Well, they weren't unused, but often emptied of people.

Danny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Months ago he was sure of his relationship with CJ: she was the press secretary and he was the one looking like an ass in front of her. Clear cut. Then he went and kissed her. Well, actually they kissed each other, it wasn't all his fault. They didn't talk much the next week and then they were friends. He could live with that one- on the outside, anyways- but he knew where he stood with her. Then, one week ago, he did the next stupidest thing he could think of: he kissed her… again.

Now he wasn't sure where they stood after the first kiss until they talked it out, this time he was less sure. They hadn't spoken about it since. They hadn't kissed again since, but nothing had changed. Last time she had avoided him- or at least it seemed that way. Last time things felt strained for a little while, tension was so thick throughout the air, and yet they still enjoyed each others company. She opened up just a measure more to him and allowed far more touching than he would have thought she might.

This time things just remained the same. She didn't avoid him, in fact they spent the same amount of time with each other as before. There wasn't any more sexual tension then normal. Things weren't strained. She didn't even want to talk about it or scold him or remind him they were just friends. He expected all these things, but she gave him none.

Not that he was complaining, he was just confused. He no longer knew where they stood. Before they were friends who happened to like each other and had shared a kiss once. Now… now they were friends who happened to like each other, had shared two kisses, and may or may not have been heading somewhere.

Things were comfortable before. He wanted more but he was content with what he had. And then he went and messed them up, for good or bad, he didn't know.

Ten minutes into his search, he stopped. CJ was leaning against the side wall, sitting with her legs brought almost up to her chest. She had a stack of paper resting on her thighs, an elbow resting on her knee and the connecting hand propping up her head. Danny stood there a watched for a moment, smiling at the way her hair had fallen over her face.

"Hiding?"

CJ's head shot up at his voice, startled. "No… just looking for some quiet."

"Oh. I could," Danny gestured behind him, moving to leave, "go if you want."

"No," CJ shook her head, setting the papers aside. "Sit down."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Danny glanced over his shoulder down the hall. It was about noon and the 'Bartlet for America' headquarters had been buzzing with activity for hours. He crossed the short length of the room and slid down the wall to sit next to her. His shoulder brushed against hers, but she didn't move to break the contact.

"What are you working on?"

"Work." Danny nodded understandingly at the tone. He never tried to trick her into telling him something. Not that he would write it. Danny was only ever on-record with her when they were working or when he said he was. CJ knew that, but she was still hesitant to talk too openly about work with him. He understood. Didn't really want to talk about that anyway.

CJ leaned against him, swinging her legs to bump against his. Danny let out a soft chuckle, bumping her legs back.

He opened his mouth, ready to say something but stopped when CJ leaned against him again, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled, bringing his cheek to rest against her hair. He closed his eyes, breathing in the fruity sense of her shampoo. His smiled widened when he felt something on top of his hand. He cracked his eyes opened, watching as CJ's thumb gently caressed the back of his hand.

They stayed like that for a long while, not caring who was just down the hall from them. It was a rare moment for them when she would open up to him. A quiet, intimate moment that he wished he could live in forever. But such a moment could never last and Danny knew it, which was why, after a short time, he broke the silence.

"I heard someone say something about pizza for everyone."

"I'm not a big pizza person."

"Oh, come on, CJ," he teased, "it's New York. You've gotta try some."

"There's a difference?"

"Yeah!" he said too loudly, but it didn't matter when CJ broke into a fit of laughter at the outburst.

"Okay," she said, trying to catch her breath, "If you say so."

"I do say so."

Danny smiled and stopped talking, deciding instead to focus on the softness of her skin against his, of the way her gentle touch set fire to his nerves.

"I think I hear footsteps. Someone's probably looking for you."

"Or you."

He didn't say anything. He however did put on an exaggerated pout when she removed her hand and stood up. She laughed at the face, but shook her head and offered a hand to help him up. Had the footsteps not been growing steadily louder, Danny might have been tempted to pull her back down onto his lap. Instead, he grabbed the papers she had forgotten on the ground, took her hand, and lifted himself off the ground.

"Thank you," he said just as CJ held her hand out for the papers. A mischievous smile appeared and Danny put them behind his back, out of her reach. CJ tried to reach behind him to grab them, but Danny stepped away. He laughed, and so did she for a moment before pinning him with a serious glare. He gave one last chuckle before handing them over.

"Thank you."

"CJ?" Both CJ and Danny looked over at the door where Josh Lyman had stuck his head in. "Lunch is here."

"Thanks."

"Hey, Danny."

"Josh," he replied with a nod of his head. Josh stayed in that position for a moment before pushing himself off the doorway and moving back down the way he came. "We going?"

"I guess."