Author's note: I know CJ said she didn't want to "leapfrog" anything, but I don't really want to wait to find out what the story was behind the CJ/Danny hookup, so this is my version of those events. I mean no copyright infringement and these characters belong to Warner Brothers. Also, the rating was just precautionary. I didn't want to offend anyone just in case. As always, reviews are appreciated and encouraged!
Filling in the Blanks
Wednesday night, day after Election Day
CJ sat in her office and stared out the window into the lonely night. She tapped her pen lightly on the corner of her desk and noticed how quiet it seemed. It was never this quiet back in the old days. There was always someone around, something to do, phones ringing, people hustling, but it was all different now. Instead of listening to a rumble of activity she sat and looked out the window listening to the sound of her clock tick.
She glanced over at the chair across from her. It was the chair that Leo had so often occupied when he was Chief of Staff. It was a chair he would never sit in again. The news had hit her like a ton of bricks. Donna had called to tell her the horrible news not more than 24 hours ago and yet life had moved on. Santos had won the election. Leo, for all intents and purposes, had been elected Vice President of the United States and CJ had to deliver the devastating news of Leo's death to the president.
CJ listened to the clock tick slowly and she finally gave it attention it wanted by glancing over at it. It was 11 p.m. and the president had long since retired to the residence. CJ had sent Margaret home over two hours ago. At first Margaret had resisted. She said she felt more useful at work. She said she didn't go home until CJ went home, but she eventually gave in. CJ wanted her to get home to her little boy and spend a few precious hours with him before bed. So now CJ sat in her office, listening to the clock tick, alone, looking at life pass by outside the window.
She was about ready to turn away from the window and turn up the volume on her television when her phone rang loudly and shattered the relative silence of the office.
"CJ Cregg," she answered.
"How did I know I'd find you there?" Danny's voice said casually.
"You're an award-winning investigative journalist?" CJ ventured.
"I haven't done much investigating in quite a while," Danny replied. "I heard about Leo and I wanted to call to see how you were doing. I'm so sorry."
"Me too," CJ replied leaning her elbows on her desk. There was something about Danny's voice that made her feel at ease. It was as if he knew how lonely she felt.
"So, how are you doing?" he asked again.
"I'm about as well as well as can be expected," CJ finally replied. Then, as if it was an afterthought she added, "I had to tell the president."
Danny sighed audibly. "That couldn't have been easy."
"It wasn't as bad as I expected, but it'll always be my voice he hears. Years from now when he's thinking about Leo my voice will be the one he hears breaking the news."
He knew that she didn't need a response. It was just a thought she wanted to share. There were so many times when she spoke simply to verbalize her thoughts. She didn't expect, nor did she want, a response and Danny knew this was one of those times.
"So what are you still doing at the office?" Danny asked changing the subject.
"Contrary to popular belief the country doesn't stop running immediately following an election," she informed him. "What are you doing? Curled up with your police scanner?"
"The soothing voices keep me company on these cold, lonely nights," Danny quipped.
CJ smirked at his joke. It was the first time in a very long time that she felt a genuine smile creep onto her lips. Suddenly she missed this banter. She was talking to Danny, yet somehow she missed him.
"You leaving soon?" he asked. "You should go home and get some rest."
"I'm leaving soon," CJ affirmed.
"Be careful getting home," Danny said.
"I will," CJ replied. She waited a few beats before adding, "Hey Danny."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," she said.
She didn't need to explain her gratitude. She was sure he already knew.
"You're welcome," Danny replied. "Have a good night CJ."
"Bye," she said setting the phone back into its cradle once Danny had hung up the phone.
CJ glanced out the window again and sighed. She felt a shift in her head and her heart and she could tell her resolve was building. She quickly stood up, grabbed her coat and purse and exited the West Wing. Her determination strengthened as she made her way to her car. She took a deep breath as she put her key into the ignition. For better or worse tonight there was going to be a dramatic change in the life of Claudia Jean Cregg.
The knock on the door was urgent and unexpected. Danny stood up and made his way to the door as the person on the other side of the door knocked again.
"Coming," Danny said as he made his way over to the door. He unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door to see CJ standing in his doorway.
"CJ?" he said puzzled. The sight of her both shocked and pleased him at the same time.
"Hi," CJ said nervously.
"Hi," Danny said extending the word waiting for her to give him some indication of why she was there, not that he would trade her presence for the world.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
"Of course," he said opening the door and motioning for her to come in. "What's going on?"
"I was thinking," CJ said as she entered Danny's apartment. She surprised him by setting her purse on the hall table and removing her coat and placing it on top of her purse.
"What were you thinking?" he asked as he closed the door and turned to face her again.
"I'm thinking that I don't want to talk tonight," CJ replied.
Before Danny knew what was happening CJ approached him quickly and placed her hands on his face. She took his face in her hands and kissed him forcefully on the lips. She let her hands roam through his hair and finally settled them on his chest as she tugged at his sweatshirt. She could feel his heart beat faster as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body to his with an urgent need. It had been years since their lips met and the passion that had once been there had not only remained but intensified.
"I'm thinking that I like your train of thought," Danny said breathlessly as he pulled his face back to look CJ in the eyes. He took hold of her waist and pinned her back to the wall as he kissed her again and let his hands probe her body over her suit coat.
"Me too," she replied pawing his sweatshirt as his lips grazed her ear. The sensation of his wet tongue and hot breath on her neck sent a shiver down her spine and she lifted her leg to wrap it around his waist. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she took in his scent.
Danny felt CJ's hands roam to his waist and she started to run her nails along his exposed skin as she lifted up his sweatshirt. She kissed his neck lightly as she removed his shirt and threw it to the floor all the while he felt his need to have her increase.
"Okay," was all Danny managed to replied before he started walking forward and taking CJ by the hips to guide her toward the bedroom. He fumbled to remove her jacket while she toiled to remove his belt. They struggled to make their way between kissing, touching and removing articles of cumbersome clothing. By the time Danny lay CJ backwards on the bed they were both in a state of semi-dress and arousal.
CJ pulled Danny down on top of her and expertly started to unbutton his jeans as he unzipped her skirt and unfastened what seemed like the hundred tiny buttons on her blouse. Once he freed her from the silky material he gently kissed down her jaw line and proceeded down her neck. His coarse beard tickled CJ's neck and she giggled in pleasure and desire as he made his way down her chest until he finally unhooked the last article of clothing that separated their upper bodies from full contact.
Danny took a moment to steal a glance before CJ pulled him closer to give his boxer shorts a quick pull and soon they were thrown across the room along with her skirt. The years of fantasy and wondering were about to come to fruition and CJ felt her need for Danny increase exponentially.
"Danny," she moaned as she felt his hands clasp her hips tightly and pull her toward him.
He ran his hand gently down her body as she wrapped her arms around his neck awaiting the release that would come. Danny caught her eyes and looked directly into them and CJ felt as if he was memorizing not only her body, but part of her soul. She could tell he was getting ready to ask her the question that she knew was inevitable because Danny was nothing if not a gentleman. He meant too much to her to allow him to verbalize it and so she preempted his inquiry.
"Yes," she nodded returning his gaze with the same intensity.
He saw the look in her eyes and was silently grateful that she hadn't changed her mind. CJ always had a tendency to be slightly impetuous when it came to their relationship, not lately, but in the past, and he didn't want her to change her mind now. He leaned in and kissed her deeply as he took her hand and intertwined his fingers tightly with hers before the pent up passion of seven years was released in one glorious moment.
CJ and Danny both broke apart to catch their breath and enjoy the moment. After catching her breath CJ leaned over and took Danny's cheeks in her hand to pull his mouth to hers and she kissed him delicately and in repeated succession before he rolled on his side to face her. He brushed the hair out of her face and ran his palm over her arm and traced her silhouette. It was as if he was memorizing the moment for fear he'd forget.
CJ said nothing as she scooted closer to Danny so that their bodies made light contact. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck and draped her free arm over his chest, making little figure eights with her finger on his shoulder. Danny wrapped his arm around her body and ran his hand gently through her hair as their breathing settled into an even rhythmic pattern, as if there hearts took identical beats. He wanted to speak but there was something that told him now was not the time. He lay with CJ in arms enjoying the silence.
A few hours later Danny woke and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light of the bedroom. He turned his head to see CJ slumbering peacefully next to him. She lay on her stomach and her exposed back looked so beautiful and serene in the low light. It took all he had not to reach over and run his hand down her back in an effort to remind him that she was real and this had happened. Instead he smiled to himself and rolled over to get back to sleep.
Hours later he awoke again to the sound of the water running in the bathroom. He turned to see that CJ wasn't in bed next to him and he felt a momentary pang of yearning. He had wanted to wake up next to her. He got out of bed and threw on his boxer shorts as he made his way to the bathroom.
"Morning," he said as he pushed the door open a crack.
"Oh, I didn't want to wake you," CJ replied buttoning her blouse.
"It's okay," Danny said.
"I'm running late," CJ said almost sheepishly. "I have a meeting with the Joint Chiefs at seven-thirty."
"You'll make it," Danny said glancing at the clock behind him.
"I have to stop at the store. Somewhere between work and this morning my nylons ripped. Any ideas on how that might have happened?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"Go without 'em," Danny said smiled. "It's much sexier."
"I'm sure the Joint Chiefs will appreciate that," she said walking out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
"Any thoughts on where my left shoe is?" CJ asked looking around the room. "I keep losing things this morning."
"Hallway," Danny reminded her following her out of the bedroom. He watched her move effortless about the hall picking up her suit coat and shoes until she got to the hall table where she left her coat and purse.
"I hate to rush out," CJ said feeling sorry that she had to leave.
"You have a meeting," Danny replied.
"Well," CJ said taking a breath.
"Well," Danny replied.
They stood for a moment not saying anything, just looking at each with goofy half-grins to let each other know that everything was okay if not surreal. It was CJ who looked at her watch and let her eyes go a little wide.
"Okay, then," she said. "I really have a thing I need to get to."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Danny reminded her.
"Yeah," CJ replied. His statement made her remember a few cold realities. "Okay."
"Okay," Danny said.
He watched her as she picked up her coat and walked out his door. He wondered for a moment if this was going to be the last memory he had of CJ Cregg. They hadn't said much of anything the night before. They were simply two people with a lot between them coming together, for what Danny hoped would not be the last time.
Friday night, after the funeral
"I really appreciate you letting me stay here CJ," Donna said as they entered her apartment.
"No problem," CJ replied as she closed the door behind them. "Like I said, we might have to do some digging, but I'm fairly certain there's a bed in the guest room, possibly Jimmy Hoffa as well. It's been a while since anyone's slept over in the guest room. Not that anyone has slept over at all. The beds haven't been used much lately, not they should be used more often."
CJ stopped herself before she started babbling even more incoherently. Donna gave her a strange look as they made their way down the hall. CJ clicked on the light in the guest room and took stock of the disarray of the room.
"It's not so bad," Donna said entering the room.
"Actually it's much better than I remembered," CJ replied.
The two women set about moving items from the bed and the floor onto the table and dresser.
"So I noticed you and Danny talking," Donna said casually. "He's been in town a while."
"Yeah," CJ replied a little self-consciously.
"I hope I didn't interrupt anything when I walked over before," Donna said.
"Interrupt what?" CJ played coy.
"I don't know," Donna said. "You two just seemed to be having a disagreement of some kind."
"Really?" CJ said in pitch slightly higher than she wanted. "No, we were just catching up. Two old friends catching up is all that was."
"Okay," Donna replied unconvinced.
CJ's mind wandered to Danny as a natural result of the conversation and CJ decided to get a feel on how long Donna might be staying.
"So, how long do you need to stay?" CJ asked. "Not that I want you to go or anything. I just wondered how long the treasury lady had your apartment."
"She's got it until the end of the month," Donna replied. "But I don't expect to stay here. I'm hoping to find a cheap motel or something. It's just, you know, working on a campaign isn't exactly a money-maker."
"You don't have to stay at a cheap motel," CJ said gulping. "Stay here."
"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out," Donna replied.
"I'm positive. It's been a while since I've had company."
"Only if you're sure," Donna said again.
"Of course I'm sure," CJ forced a smile. It was true that she would like to have the company, but now she would be forced to deal with the Danny issue. "I'll get you a key."
CJ busied herself with putting some items in the closet when she heard Danny's voice ringing in her ears, "Donna can stay at your place because you'll be with me."
"Um," CJ said suddenly half-turning. "There are some nights when I don't actually come home. Sometimes I stay at the office. There's a couch. I just wouldn't want you sending out the search parties for me or anything."
"Sure," Donna nodded skeptically. However, her comment struck a nerve. If she was going to stay with CJ then it might be best to have an alibi set up for her whereabouts if she didn't come back one night.
"You know," Donna said in a tone that was shakier than she wanted, "I might stay with a friend or two a couple nights. I've been out of town so it's good to catch up."
"Sure," CJ nodded. "Of course."
"Okay," Donna said looking around the room. "Well it looks pretty good."
"I'll get in here and deal with this a little more efficiently tomorrow," CJ said. "Good night."
"Good night," Donna replied. "Thanks again CJ."
"You're welcome," CJ replied as she shut the door behind her and walked to her bedroom.
CJ tossed her purse on the bed and removed her suit coat. She looked at her own bed and thought about how lonely it looked and how she wished she could be in Danny's bed at that very moment. She continued to get ready for bed and placed her cell phone on the night stand in case there were any emergencies in the middle of the night. Just as she climbed into bed her cell phone rang. She swore audibly until she looked at the caller ID.
"What if Donna had answered the phone?" she said immediately as she picked up the phone.
"I called your cell," Danny reminded her.
"How did you know I'd be alone?"
"I'm an investigative journalist remember? I know things."
"Lucky guess," CJ taunted him.
"Maybe," Danny replied.
"What are you doing?" CJ asked him.
"Laying here in my great big bed all alone," Danny said. "I was wondering if you had Donna tucked in yet? Maybe you might want to sneak over here and keep me company."
"You have your police scanner to keep you company," CJ cracked.
"You're much better company. This was gonna be a really good night."
"Yeah it was," CJ said sighed.
"I mean spectacular, the thing that inspires men to write poetry and love songs."
CJ chuckled softly for fear Donna would hear her. "Is that so?"
"It's so," Danny said. "I was thinking that since we're not not talking tonight, that maybe we might want to have a conversation."
"It was so nice to not talk though," CJ reminded him.
"I know," Danny said. "But I think it would be even better if we talked now and made up for lost time by not talking later."
"Danny," she started to protest.
"This isn't just sex to me," Danny blurted out.
"I know," CJ replied.
"I don't want you to think that," he said.
"I don't want you to think I used you."
"I wasn't complaining," Danny reminded her.
"I know that too," CJ sighed. "I just, I don't know what this is and if we talk we have to define it."
"It's been defined," Danny said.
"As what?"
"As me and you," Danny replied. "You said it yourself tonight. You said, 'This has been on hold for seven years.' That statement means a lot more than casual sex."
"I guess," CJ said not realizing that was what she said. The statement did jog her memory though and she knew it was true. Whatever this was it had been between them since the beginning.
"Because you've always been secretly in love me," Danny said trying to be playful. "You can only lie to yourself for so long."
"I'm not secretly in love with you," CJ insisted.
"Maybe not yet, but you want my body."
"I think that's a two way street pal."
"I never said I didn't want you and your body," Danny said. "Why'd you come over the other night?"
"Danny," CJ protested.
"Look, here's the thing, I know what's going on in my head. What I don't know is what's going on in yours."
"I came over because," CJ started taking a breath. "I came over because I was lonely. I was sitting alone in my office for the fifth night in a row thinking about how lonely I was and how there was absolutely no one in the world I had to talk to. I was sitting in my office thinking of Leo and how he was so young and then you called. You called and your voice was so caring and so you. I realized then that you've always understood me better than anyone and that's a pretty scary prospect. I thought about all the other times you've called and been there and even though I was talking to you I missed you and I wanted to see you. I was happy talking to you for that brief conversation. After we hung up I just felt that void again. When you called it was like part of me that I forgot existed woke up and I wanted to be with you."
"Wow," Danny replied.
"Yeah," CJ said feeling embarrassed. "And then I went to your place and you opened the door looking all scruffy and attractive."
"And you just had to have me," Danny finished for her.
"Something like that," she grinned
"That," Danny started, "is a better answer than I ever hoped to get."
"Yeah? Then why were you so insistent about tonight?"
"I was worried," Danny admitted. "I felt better after we talked in your office but then I wasn't sure if you were inside your head and talking yourself out of this. The whole time we were together I kept hoping that you weren't going to change your mind."
"I'm not going to change my mind," CJ said firmly. "Right now things are just very uncertain."
"But you're certain about us," Danny said.
"Is there an us?"
"There is to me. I don't want to pressure you into anything. I just want you to know where I stand."
"I think you've always made your intentions pretty clear," CJ said recalling the old days when Danny would stop by to flirt with her.
"And you've always put me off in the past so imagine my surprise when you showed up to take advantage of me."
"You were ripe for the taking."
"I've said it before, I'm not complaining," he said with a smile in his voice. "I just want to be sure that there'll be a repeat performance of Wednesday."
"I think we need to give the poets and songwriters something to write about don't you?"
"Please tell me Donna is staying at a hotel tomorrow," Danny pleaded.
"She's not," CJ smiled. "But, I did tell her that I sometimes sleep at the office."
"Can't you just tell her?" Danny suggested.
"I could," CJ admitted. "But honestly I kind of like it being just the two of us for a while."
"I can live with that," Danny said. "Just as long as I don't spend too many nights in this bed alone."
"What are you doing tomorrow night?"
"Aside from having very impure thoughts about you?" he replied wickedly.
"How about if we make those dreams a reality," CJ replied with a grin.
"Hey, now that we can talk, can I just tell you how pleasantly surprised I was that you're a thigh-high kind of woman?"
"Stop it," she giggled.
"No, really I didn't think you had in you."
"I'll see you tomorrow night," she smiled.
"I'll leave the door unlocked."
"Good night Danny," she said.
"Good night Claudia Jean," he replied.
And so it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
The End.