I do not own these characters, this may not be my first story that has been published, but I wrote the first many chapters on paper a little over a year ago, so can I please get some reviews. 😉
On the drive down to Dayton, CJ falls asleep, but unlike most males Danny asked for directions to her old family home. After he parks the car "hey, sleepy head we are here."
A groggy CJ asks, "how did you find the place?"
"I asked for directions."
"Wow, few men would do that." CJ leans into him to give him a light kiss on the cheek.
"When have I ever been like most men"?
"Never, that is why I feel in love with you."
"Exactly," Danny looks up "someone is waiting for us."
"That's just my brother John." Danny starts to unbuckle his seatbelt.
"Come on, I want to make a good impression." They get out of the car and walk to her brother, as CJ hugs her brother Hogan comes out onto the porch. "Well, how is the college student?"
"Fine," Hogan rolls her eyes, "so this must be Danny."
"Yes, it is, Hogan, John this is Danny Concannon. Danny this is one of my brothers John and his daughter Hogan." CJ starts to go inside "come on fish boy I am showing you my bedroom," John starts to interject "you are my boyfriend and we have spending almost every night together since Election Night."
"There better not be any hokey-pokey."
"John, I am in my 40s, and have been on my own since I was 18."
"Still you are my little sister."
"I am not that little anymore." Danny steps in between them use to being a peace maker. He puts a calming hand on CJ's shoulder.
John shakes his head "you must be pretty special for my sister to bring you here."
"Yes, he is. He waited patiently for me to be ready to date him."
"Ummm Danny is right here," CJ turns into him and kisses him.
"I know Danny," they all head inside and CJ shows him her childhood bedroom.
"So, this is what CJ Cregg use to be like," Danny asks as he walks around her room.
"Actually, a young Claudia Jean," Danny just looks at her, "I became CJ so I could be accepted in a male dominated work place. It helps that I grew up with brothers."
"Well, I can tell you that you can be feminine, you are fabulous at what you do, you are beautiful."
"Danny," she goes up to him and puts her arms around him "you are the world's most amazing boyfriend. I love you," she kisses him. They break apart and rest their foreheads together, but don't notice that Hogan enters the room as CJ steps away from Danny.
"Oh, don't stop making out on my part."
"We weren't making out Hogan Ellien Cregg, just gazing into each other's eyes lovingly."
"Ewww," Hogan says jokingly.
"Oh, really Hogan," CJ walks up her niece getting ready to tease her "who was that guy I heard you talking to on the phone and your eyes were all doe eyed like. Huh, who was he?" Danny steps back to watch the interaction.
"Well, he is my boyfriend."
"Just wait until there will be a day when you bring that special someone home to meet your dad and he be very protective of you, and meanwhile that someone will something really sweet and you may want to kiss in front of your dad. You will also think he is the one."
"How do you know that Billy isn't the one?" This makes Danny walk out of the room to give them some privacy.
"Come on sit down next to me Hogan,' CJ says as she sees that Danny has left the room and realizes that Hogan needs a good talk. "It seems that you need some Aunt CJ and Hogan time."
As Danny reaches the front room he sees another tall man with dark brown hair and green eyes must be CJ's other brother Harold. "So, you must Danny, my sister's boyfriend."
"Yes, I am and you must be Harold."
"Where is sister and niece?"
"Upstairs talking. I left when I noticed a turn to the serious."
"Okay, do you know when they might come down?"
"No, but where is the bathroom?"
"Two doors to your left."
"Thank you."
After Danny leaves for the bathroom John turns to Harold, "I am so glad that CJ is here."
"Especially since that woman left when Hogan was just a baby."
….Upstairs…
"Hogan how long have you been dating this Billy?"
"Two months."
"That is long time for college kids, but are you sure you want to say his is the one? How long did you know him before you two started dating?"
"One day."
"One day sweetie? That is long enough to know that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone."
"How long have you known Danny?"
"A little over 9 years, and was almost three years before we shared our first kiss."
"How did you know that he liked you?"
"You mean besides the constant flirting and how often he asked me out on a date/" Hogan just shakes her head yes, "when someone had the fact that Leo was in trouble, so Josh asked Danny if he knew anything. Danny didn't know much, but as a thank you Josh told Danny that I liked goldfish. That resulted in Danny getting me Gail."
"Danny has been in love with you for years."
"Danny wasn't in love with me then."
"If you say so, how was your first kiss?"
CJ smiles "amazing."
"When was it?"
"It was January 12, 2000 in my first office in the West Wing. I was originally in denial about my feelings, but when I saw Mandy flirting with him I knew I was just fooling myself. I also wasn't allowed to date him."
"Why wasn't it allowed?"
"He was the Senior White House Correspondent and I was The Press Secretary. I was told to be less friendly with him by both Leo and Toby at that time
"So, your love with Danny was forbidden for a long time."
"Yeah, we were the poster child for Romeo and Juliet politics style."
"At least none of you committed suicide to be together."
"No, but almost killed our careers though."
"What?"
"We stole kisses here and there and almost got caught."
"How did it happen, your first kiss I mean?"
CJ gets a faraway look in her eyes, "
"So, Mallory, Leo's daughter, went up to kiss Sam because he wrote a memo defending Leo. During their second kiss, I saw Carol and asked her if Danny was still in the Press Room and if he was tell him to go to my office. When I got to my office I knocked on the door."
"Really, wow, Aunt CJ."
"We then flirted for a little while like we did all the time. I admitted that I had feelings for him. You know how I over talk when I'm nervous,' Hogan shakes her head yes "well, he grabbed the back of my head and we kissed for a good thirty seconds. After we separated I grabbed Gail's bowl, he made a comment, so I put her bowl down, then I walked into the door." CJ laughs, "when I got out I bit my lip and walked away."
"So, I guess, he is going to be my uncle?"
"Maybe, one day, but just so you know some guys may treat you horribly, while others may treat you like you are the most special things to them."
"I know, but shouldn't date around first, to see what I want and like in a guy?"
"Yes, of course you should, but remember not all girls are the same. Someone beyond wonderful will come along. If it is anything like Abbey Bartlet, Donna Moss, and me that guy will frustrate you most of the time. That guy will most likely come on along when you least expect it."
"I know Aunt CJ, I don't need the sex talk."
'This isn't the sex talk this is the love talk. We had that talk before your prom," CJ knocks her shoulder against Hogan's. "Come on we should head on down."
"Why, are you afraid that dad and Uncle Harold are scaring him off."
"Oh, no, if he wasn't scared off by the former President who still has ties to government agencies, my brothers can't scare him off." They hear laughing floating up the stairs and CJ knows that her brothers are telling Danny embarrassing stories about her.
"Well, if he stays after the stories that they are telling then he probably is a keeper."
At this point they are far enough down the stairs to hear, "so, are you sure that you want to marry my sister?" CJ stops Hogan from going into the living room.
"Yes, I'm sure. I have been in love with your sister since before Rosslyn." Hogan looks at her aunt to see her smiling and pulls her farther up the stairs.
"Are ready to marry him Aunt CJ?"
"Hogan I am a woman in her late 40's, who has been in love with same man for 5ish years. As Toby says Danny has been one of my closet personal friends for 8 years, it's not like a picked someone up from the bar last night." They walk into the living room and CJ sits next to Danny and whispers in Danny's ear "so, what kind of embarrassing stories did my brothers tell you?"
"Oh, not much, twirler flamingo," he puts his arms CJ and looks around to see if there are any pictures of her when she was little as CJ's family looks a happy and comfortable she with Danny.
"Danny, do you want to meet our Dad," John asks.
"I think he would like to meet you," points out Harold.
"Well hopefully Dad remembers that one Christmas that Danny went to his nursing home dressed as Santa, and made sure that his nurses gave him the ham that I sent." CJ's brothers sit there with their mouths open shock and Danny turns his head to wondering how she knew.
"Danny. Thank you, but why did you do it," Hogan asks aloud, since both her dad and Uncle won't say anything.
"I wanted to do a Christmas present for CJ, that would make her happy. We were still on the outs at this point, so I knew it had to something that she wouldn't be there for. So, I called Josh Lyman and he told me about your guys' dad."
"And I found out when I called the nursing home, that a red-haired man came dressed as Santa to visit him. I then sent Dad Danny's book about Abigail Bartlet with a letter." Everyone thinks about any moment that they shared with Talmidge Cregg. Around 6:30 they eat some dinner. Hogan tells her dad that she is dating boy from college, which like most dads he overreacts when his little girl tells him this. CJ then proceeds to tell him that Hogan is in her early 20s and is old enough to have a serious relationship, and told her that any guy she goes with should treat her like a princess.
A few hours later everyone goes to bed, John and Harold notices that Danny goes into CJ's room, they may not like it, but they know that he is going to ask for her hand in the coming months.
….The Next Morning…
Danny wakes CJ up by kissing her lightly on the lips "mmm, good morning."
"We should get up, so we can go see your dad." CJ looks at Danny and smiles surprised that he isn't nervous about seeing her dad this time as her boyfriend. As they get up and start to get dressed there is a knock on her door, she goes up to open it up a little bit.
"Hey, CJ we better head out soon."
"Ok, John, Danny and I are almost ready," she closes the door, "so, are you ready to my Dad as a boyfriend, and not as someone who is in disguise?"
"Of course, I'm ready, and remember I did take off my Santa beard."
"Yes, I remember. Did I ever thank you for what you did that for me and my Dad?"
"No, I didn't do it to get one. Come on, honey we probably should go down, everyone is waiting for us." As everyone gets to the nursing home, they see Talmidge reading Danny's book. When he looks up he barely recognizes his family, but recognizes Danny from the picture on the book. The nurse shows them all to his room and sets up Talmidge in his chair and notifies him that he has some visitors, and as she leaves the room she informs the group of how he has been doing.
"You are the author of this book, and the man my little girl loves, and wants to spend the rest of her life with."
Danny steps forward a little bit, "yes, I am, and I love her too."
CJ walks out of the room and Hogan follows her "where is she going?"
"CJ probably has to use the bathroom, and Hogan is going to show her. Dad, Danny has a question to ask you."
"Tell him to ask before my memory goes." Danny leans in front of his hopeful future father in-law.
"Sir, as you said before your daughter loves me and I love her, I have loved her since the late 90's. I was wondering if I could have your blessing to ask CJ for her hand in marriage."
"First of all, my daughter is her own person, second my memory isn't to top form anymore, so if this part is so have you asked people who knows my little angle?"
"Yes, I know that CJ is her own person, and can make her own decisions. I was raised by two Irish-Catholics who told me when you are ready to ask a girl to marry you, you better ask her father first. So, I also asked her surrogate father and mother Jed and Abbey Bartlet, then I asked her sons last night."
"Okay, you have my permission."
"Thank you, sir I promise that I will never hurt your daughter," CJ and Hogan enter the room both CJ and Danny look at each other with a big smile on their lips and love in their eyes. Just like Danny's family the other night, CJ's family realizes how happy they are together, CJ and Danny will always try to make each other happy.
"CJ how about you take Danny out on the town?"
"That seems like a wonderful idea, come on Danny." They walk around Dayton for few hours. They stop at a little store to buy their lunch, and go back to the house to grab a blanket for a little picnic. CJ takes him to little patch of green.
"So, this is the place that you took all of your boyfriends to as a young woman?"
"Yeah, like many guys wanted to date the tallest girl in the class. I only had one serious boyfriend while in High School."
"Well, those boys were stupid. Their loss is my gain."
"Danny, I love you; you are super sweet." They start to eat some sandwiches and feed each other some grapes, after they are done eating they both lay down with CJ's head on Danny's chest, "I am feeling really cheesy about now. I don't think I have ever laid my head on a guy's shoulder after having a perfect picnic and watch the clouds go by."
"I told you that we would get good at new things," Danny looks down at CJ as she looks up at him and they share a chaste kiss. "We have achieved a new level of cheesiness my dear." CJ let's out a full belly laugh, "I love it when you laugh like that. I remember you laughed like that when I gave you Gail." He rubs her arms "so, what do you see?"
"Hmmm, I see many things. I see a Press Podium, a bunch of reading memos, some candlelit dinner dater, dresses, a beautiful wedding dress, and a little baby," CJ is trying to drop more hints that she is ready for anything that their future may bring them.
"Wow, Ceej you sure do see a lot."
"Of course, I do, I see our past, present and future," she looks at him with her green eyes shining with the love she feels for him.
"Our future together," he rubs her arms a little bit.
"Mhmmm," they continue to watch the clouds and CJ starts to fall asleep when a shadow comes up to them.
"CJ Cregg the saddest girl in Dayton falling asleep on a guy's chest. I never thought I'd see this when I ran into you for our high school reunion a few years ago."
"Huh," CJ starts to open up her eyes more thinking she heard Marco's voice. "Marco is that you?"
"Yes, it is, and you look happy. Happier than I have ever seen you."
"That is because I am happy and that is because of my boyfriend here Danny Concannon. Danny, this is Marco Arlens one of the guys I dated in high school."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Arlens," Danny stick out to shake the man's hand.
"Likewise, Mr. Concannon, you take care of CJ here." Marco looks at CJ, "it's good you finally found someone to put a smile on that face."
"I know." Marco leaves the couple and they resume their cloud watching and cuddling.
"So, you met my ex, and I met one of your exes on this trip."
"Yep," CJ lets out a little sigh of remembrance as she sits up and gives Danny a little kiss. "I think we should head on back."
"Our plane does leave early tomorrow morning."
"Are we going home?"
"Yes, we are. Carol should be there by Monday, right?"
"Yep, and the offices should be set up."