C.J. moved to the podium to do the final Briefing of the day. She still hadn't seen Danny and had decided things would not be settled that day. But they'd have this out, C.J. wasn't going to be blamed for something out of her control.
She gathered her papers and her thoughts and started the session. Her glance swept the room and noted Danny's empty seat. Her first question came from the other side of the room. C.J. dispensed with it quickly and as she moved to take the next question, she noticed Danny slide into his chair.
Their eyes met and held. It was only an instant but long enough for them to reconnect. Their bond was forged even stronger. They wouldn't have been able to put it into words but this connection was through the heart and required no words.
C.J.'s attention was pulled away by the voices of other reporters. No one asked deep questions about the textbook debacle. Her plan was to let her counterpart over at Education handle it as a release if it didn't come up here. She was about to call the lid when an easily recognized hand shot up. "Yes, Danny?"
"C.J. is the President aware that the company that produced the textbook with more errors than the Baltimore Orioles includes a Vice President married to an Under Secretary of Education? The one who recommends textbooks?"
"Bingo news boy, that's my guy." C.J. thought. But her face never changed expression as she said aloud, "Danny, the President is aware of that and together with the Education Secretary has taken action. They have asked for and received the resignation of Under Secretary David Strauss. The company has been told to return any up front money for the books and to forfeit this government contract."
She took a follow up and then called the lid. C.J. was pleased Danny had figured things out, now she knew where he'd been. But she was surprised he'd been so willing to share his story with the others. They were frantically writing down his information now.
C.J. tried to catch his eye as she moved out of the room. But Danny was busy with his pager and moving to his desk. C.J. needed to busy herself. Leo and the President had to be told the complete story was out there and now would start to die.
************
The never ending stream of reports had C.J. adrift. They surrounded her at her desk and she was gamely swimming through them. The Goldfish swam nearby in sympathy. It was quiet now in this corner of the West Wing. She'd sent Carol on her way. Her dedicated assistant had another date with a Secret Service Agent. He was part of the First Lady's detail and had been attentive to Carol since Valentine's Day.
For a moment C.J. flashed back to Valentine's Day. She and Danny had made it quite an occasion: gifts, champagne and fun throughout the day. Then the magic of the night led to them becoming lovers for the first time. C.J. sighed, that had been an evening to remember and still savor. But there had been a lot of nights just as wonderful for them.
The knock on C.J.'s door jolted her back to this night. She called out, "Come in."
The door opened slowly as Danny edged his way in. He was carrying a small bag. "Hey."
"Hey" was her answer back. She waited, recalling Abbey's advice not to make it too easy on him. C.J. could see a torrent of emotions running through him. She felt them herself.
"Am I welcome?", he asked cautiously.
"Danny, my door is always open to the Press."
"Uh-huh." He saw she wouldn't make this easy. But nothing about this relationship with C.J. had been easy. "How about someone interested in pressing his lips against yours?"
"He might be very welcome."
"I see. Do you want to do the professional or personal first C.J.?"
"Your choice. I've got plenty of time and work to keep me here."
"Right. How about the personal part then first? It's the most important." Her eyes widened on those words. Danny pulled something out of the bag and set it on the desk. "This can serve as part of my penance if Gail agrees."
C.J. studied the small plastic item. It looked like wood planks with three holes, one large one flanked by two smaller ones. One side appeared hinged. "What is it?"
"A set of stocks. A reminder of the good old days of public flogging, punishment and humiliation. Seemed fitting."
"Do you think so? I hate to take Cupid out but..."
"We can save the stocks for the next time. Just in case I misread things, I'll get a clear signal if this is in Gail's bowl." He paused to take a deep breath. "I'm not proud of the way I behaved. I was childish, stupid and a jerk." He waited but she said nothing. "I see we're in agreement."
"We are. When did you have this revelation?"
"Right after I left you this morning."
"And it's taken you 12 hours to find me and apologize."
"Libby was right. Damn, I hate that."
"Right about what?"
"When we were in the men's room she said you wouldn't understand." Danny ignored C.J.'s startled look. "I wasn't avoiding you C.J., not really but I'll come back to that. I was digging for a story, searching for something to soothe my ego and my editor."
"You canceled with the First Lady."
"I had to meet a source and I had to think about things."
"Things?"
"The story that got away, the one I was working on and us."
"I think I want to hear about us."
"I was scared, C.J. My work has been the most important thing to me in this town for a long time. Now, that's changed. I needed to figure out if I was letting my work slide because of you, because you're on my mind constantly, because I want to be with you as much as I can be."
"What did you decide?"
"That you just make my life more full, that work was taking up too much of it. Do you remember in Belgium when you asked how I could be so wonderful and I told you I wasn't? Well, today you got a look at the not wonderful me. I hope it didn't scare you off but we now know that as this goes on, we'll have conflicts and disagreements. I just hope we, that I, handle them better than I did this morning."
"It's not always going to be perfect, huh?" C.J. looked at him intently. "So I guess I'll have to just really enjoy you when you are perfect. I'm glad you don't want to call it quits Danny. That would be the wrong thing to do, I realized just how wrong today as I thought about us."
He nodded. "I know."
She gave him a dazzling smile, the first she'd been able to muster at the White House all day. "Well you got your scoop. I guess I'm surprised you shared it with the Room."
"You thought that was my scoop? Great. If I fooled the brilliant C.J. Cregg, then I know I fooled everyone else. No, I've got something major."
"How major?"
"May I switch us back to professional, Ms. Cregg?"
"Yes, Mr. Concannon. Whatcha got?" The tone was businesslike but there was also curiosity in her voice. Her eyes twinkled as she pondered running her fingers through his hair and mussing it.
Danny caught that twinkle and leaned across the desk to give her a quick kiss. "Okay, now I can concentrate on the professional."
"Lucky you. Come on, give."
"I need to see the President or Leo or the two of them together."
"Danny, the lid's on about Education and other things."
"They'll want to hear this, trust me and they'll want to react to it."
"Okay." She reached for the phone. Before she could punch the button, she caught the look in Danny's eye. "What?"
"That's it? On my word you call Leo?"
"Danny I've trusted you with an awful lot already. Why wouldn't I believe you about this?" She punched the button. "Leo. Danny Concannon is here. He would like to speak with you and the President." C.J. paused to listen. "No sir, it's not about Education. He's got another story you'll want to know about." There was another lull. "I believe it would be in our best interests. Okay, 20 minutes. I'll tell him."
She hung up the phone and turned to Danny. He spoke first. "C.J. I heard. You didn't ask, I didn't give you any details, how can you know it's in your best interests?"
"Reporter's instinct."
"You're not a reporter."
"No. But I've got an instinct about a certain reporter and his ability."
Danny was touched. "Thanks. And since you didn't ask, your budget calls for a major jump in the funding for the U.S. Park Police."
"I know."
"Senator Hobbins, chairman of the Interior Committee publicly backed the provision."
"Uh-huh."
"Privately, he's crowing about attaching a rider that would instead cut the Park Police security budget for the Mall."
"Not good but we can probably get the funding restored on the Floor or get it next year."
"You may not have time before some disturbing facts come out that will make you look soft on security and defense. The Senator knows there's a report on counter terrorism ready to go. Not sure if you're aware that it's that close to release. It says the Mall and its Monuments are especially vulnerable to terrorist attacks. He's attempting to sit on the report until he gets the rider passed. The extra money goes back to his district for some pork."
"Danny, how did you...?"
"I won't say. But I will say, it didn't come from the White House."
"Good sources? Legit ones?"
"I have a memo with his notes and signature among other things."
"Other things?"
"Don't be greedy. That's all you get until you buy a paper."
"We get them here, it's a perk of my job." She was impressed by his work. "I'll walk you over to the Oval Office."
"Give me five minutes. I want to place my call to the Senator's office to start the ball rolling for his reaction. It ought to be good."
"No problem."
He stood up to go. "May I come over tonight? It'll be late."
"That would be nice. If I'm not around, I'm sure Mrs. Ellert will entertain you."
Danny ignored that. "Should I bring food? Pizza? Salad? Soup?"
"Yes." She was mesmerized by his eyes and smile. C.J. was already thinking about that bottle of wine she would ice and figuring they'd finish it in the bedroom.
"Which one?" He was enjoying looking at her, realizing her thoughts were somewhere else as she studied him. He thought he knew where that might be and planned to join her there. She was an incredibly sexy woman and just looking at her stirred his soul.
"Whatever. Surprise me." She forced herself to focus on the matter at hand, not the bedroom at home.
"No problem. It'll be awhile, so..." He snaked around her desk. Danny leaned down, pushed her head back on her chair. He kissed her and the report in her fingers slipped to the floor as she pulled him closer. Danny let the kiss get more intense for another few seconds and pulled back. "I think we steamed up your glasses." He tapped C.J. on the nose.
"It's okay, they needed cleaning." C.J. noticed his breathing was as uneven as hers. She started to take off her glasses with one hand while reaching for him with the other.
"No way. Control yourself or I'll be late for an Oval Office meeting with your boss." He eluded her grasp with a grin. But at the door he turned. He had a serious look on his face. "C.J., would you do something for me?"
"Of course."
"Are you taking reports home to read?"
"Probably."
"Save one to read for when I get there, nothing top secret of course."
"Okay." She agreed in a perplexed tone.
"I'd like to watch you read it."
"All right." More puzzlement.
"I'd like to watch you read it as you're wearing your glasses, your necklace, your perfume and nothing else." This image of her had pervaded some of his fantasies.
"Oh my." A blush invaded her face. She was stunned to find out that he thought of her that way. It was a new image for her to have of herself. She felt incredibly desired and feminine.
"Game?" His wicked grin was now back in place.
"Before or after dinner?"
"Your choice. Surprise me."
"Count on it."
Danny headed out the door but offered one more backward glance. "I'll be quick."
"I hope not." C.J. blushed anew even as the words came out of her mouth. She tried to go back to her report instead of imagining what reading a report later at home under Danny's watchful eye would be like.
####
