Author's Note: This chapter takes place during Shutdown. The motivation is because of how CJ reacts to Josh taking the reigns and walking with the president to the Capitol.

"Inspired"

Josh sat on his couch drinking a celebratory beer and watching all the cable pundits pontificate about the president walking to the Capitol, being rejected and leaving. It had ended up being quite a coup for the White House. He felt good. When the day began he was still in the penalty box, but by the time it ended he was back. He'd retaken his former role in the administration.

He took another swig of his beer and checked the clock. It was almost eleven and he wondered if CJ might stop by. He had an inkling that she wanted to talk to him before they left for the day. It was odd that it was harder to talk privately with less people in the building. But, what she said to him, in a group setting, made him believe that she might drop by. He wasn't exactly waiting up for her, but Josh thought it would be nice to celebrate with more than a beer, alone in his apartment.

Almost on cue he heard a light knock on the door. He set his empty bottle on the table and walked over to the door. He looked through the peephole to see her standing there with a six-pack of beer in her hand. He smiled as he unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hi," he said.

She said nothing as she entered his apartment and gently closed the door behind her. She set the six-pack on the little table in the hallway and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a slow, deep kiss, which he eagerly returned. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she pulled her head back a little to look at him.

"You're back," she said, grinning.

"I was hoping you'd notice," he replied before he kissed her on mouth again.

"I'm hoping your walk to the Capitol didn't tire you out too much," she said.

"Did you have plans for us that require energy?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Absolutely," she said before she kissed him again quickly. CJ extricated herself from his arms and dropped her large shoulder bag on the floor. She pulled a beer out of the pack and handed it to Josh. She also took one for herself.

"First, a toast," she said removing the top from her beer. She held it up and said, "Here's to you finding your mojo and pulling off a spectacular media event."

She clinked her bottle against Josh's and took a swig. "I couldn't have done it without you," Josh said. "Getting all the cameras there was exactly what we needed."

"Sometimes it's like a dog with a bone," CJ shrugged. "I just throw out the tip and watch them scatter."

"Pre-empting Days of Our Lives was something. A hundred thousand soap opera-watchers hate you right now."

CJ smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay with that. Although Carol might not like wading through the hate mail for the next few days."

Josh took a sip of his beer. "You want to take your coat off? I thought you were staying a while."

"I am," CJ said. "I'm good for now."

"Okay," Josh said with a hint of confusion in his voice.

They moved into the living room to finish their drinks. CJ sat on the couch next to Josh and noticed his empty beer bottle on the table.

"Hey, you started without me," she said eyeing the empty bottle.

"Was I supposed to wait?"

"You didn't think I was coming over?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure," Josh admitted. "You didn't say anything and Toby said something about this guy Ben…"

CJ waved her hand in the air. "In victory and defeat, it's you and me right?" she asked. "I think we've had more than our fair share of defeats."

"I definitely like the victory part of our celebrations more than the defeats. But, who knows what's going to happen next? The Republicans are going to regroup and we still don't have any movement on a budget."

"Yeah, but they have to come to us now. We're in the power seat."

"We've always been in the power seat! We're in the White House."

"We're in agreement," CJ said.

"I don't know what's going on with Leo. There was no fight in him on this."

"I think it may have had something to due with the fact that he wasn't sure what to fight for. The president didn't really give him any explicit instructions."

"He wanted the deal Angela agreed to. Toby thought it was stupid that the president wasn't backing down too."

"That's why we need you," CJ said simply and sincerely.

"I'm glad you're here," Josh replied after a moment.

"You're lucky I came over at all. Who knows where things stand with you and Amy," she continued. "Although I should probably check, what's going on there?"

"Nothing," he assured her.

CJ gave him a look that said she wasn't entirely convinced. He looked her directly in the eyes and said, "Seriously. There's nothing going on there."

"Okay," CJ said. She set her half-empty bottle of beer on the coffee table. "Now you can open your present."

"My present?" Josh asked cocking one eyebrow.

CJ stood up from the couch and displayed her arms down her body like one of the models on The Price is Right. Josh's eyes lit up when he started to contemplate what she was trying to tell him.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Very," CJ said.

Josh put his bottle of beer down and stood up slowly. He reached his hands towards the belt of CJ's jacket. He couldn't quite believe that she had made the trip all the way his house wearing nothing but a spring coat. He slowly untied the belt and unfastened the buttons. He glanced into her eyes for a brief moment before he peeled back the shoulder of the jacket down her arm.

He found that she was wearing something; a very lacy, intricate lingerie outfit that hugged her in all the right places. Josh thought that this was even better than wearing nothing at all. She looked beautiful. He took a deep breath as he took in the sight.

"Do you like it?" CJ asked a little self-consciously. She had been a bit unsure of herself when she concocted this plan.

Josh swallowed hard. "You look amazing," he replied before he reached out and ran his hand down her side before he pulled her towards him. "This might be the best present ever."

"Yeah?" CJ asked as their lips moved closer together.

"Definitely," he said before he kissed her hard on the lips. It was a kiss of victory. If CJ was his reward for a good day's work then he was going to delight in his prize. Her coat dropped to the floor and CJ began to free Josh from his belt and pants.

Josh felt around the back of CJ's lingerie and couldn't seem to find anything but a whole lot of laces. His fingers fumbled for a moment before he felt CJ's hands cover his and lead him over to the side of the corset before she ran her hands through his hair gently.

"There's a zipper," she murmured in his ear. The feel of her breath in his ear aroused more than his aural senses.

"Thank god," Josh said with a little chuckle. With a quick unzip he freed her from the corset that constricted her.

"We're not gonna make it to the bedroom tonight," CJ observed as she pulled his t-shirt off and ran her nails down his chest.

"No," Josh agreed as he took a sharp intake of breath. He took CJ by the hips, picked her up and turned her towards the couch before he straddled and kissed her again.

They both lay on the couch a while later, exhausted and spent from such vigorous activity. CJ's breathing still hadn't returned to normal. She ran her fingers lazily over Josh's chest around the scar, which had faded considerably from what it once was, though it looked no less angry than before.

"Wow," CJ said.

"We've still got it," Josh grinned.

"Oh yeah we do," she said.

It was times like this when Josh loved being with CJ. He almost expected her to offer him a high five in celebration, possibly a chest bump, but that would inevitably lead to more amorous activities.

"So, how come you came over here tonight?" he asked. He knew CJ was happy to have him back in the fold of decision-making. She'd told him as much back at the office after he returned from his trip to the Hill with the president.

CJ laid her arm over his chest and rested her chin on her hand. "What can I say? Good politics impresses me. Great politics make me kind of hot."

Josh chuckled. "You're telling me we're here now because I practiced great politics today?"

"Josh," CJ said rolling off of him and onto her back next to him. "Today was…I don't even really know how to describe it. Today, when you went with the president to see Haffley and you ended up walking there…it was like old times. He was the leader I knew and you were the brilliant political operative taking a chance and having it pay off big."

"It could have backfired. Haffley could have had the meeting with the president," Josh reminded her.

"He could have, but we'd still have the visual of the president reaching out and trying to make it work. It was inspired."

"I inspired you today?"

"You did."

"It did kind of feel like the old days. Being on the outside looking in isn't a good feeling," he admitted.

"No, it isn't," CJ agreed. She'd been on the outside looking in on a few occasions. Granted, the circumstances were different, but they were such a close-knit team that when one of them was missing it just felt wrong.

"I'm glad you're back. Do me a favor and stay out of the doghouse from now on," CJ said. "It's just not the same without you in the room."

"I don't plan on doing anything to put me in the penalty box again," he said.

"Good."

"So, now, I have to ask," Josh said turning on his side. He playfully walked his fingers up and down CJ's side. "You drove over here wearing nothing but that little number and your jacket?"

CJ bit her lower lip. "I know," she said shaking her head. "It's a five minute drive and the whole time I just kept having visions of me getting pulled over for something and having to open my jacket for the police."

"I think he'd probably forget why he was pulling you over if he got a look inside that coat," Josh teased her.

"I'm glad it didn't come to that," CJ replied.

"I don't know," Josh ruminated aloud. "It might have been a really good story, provided the local newspaper had a photographer on hand."

CJ took hold of his hand with hers and intertwined their fingers. "I think Leo and Toby would definitely have something to say about that if I'd gotten caught. You'd never see me briefing again."

"Don't," Josh said brushing his finger against her lips. "I like the team the way it is. I mean, I liked it when Sam was around a little bit more, but, I like the team the way it is now."

"Me too," CJ agreed. She yawned a little.

"You brought a change of clothes for tomorrow?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," CJ replied. "I figured I'd need the clothes for tomorrow morning…or jail."

She gave him a large grin that made him smile in return. "I'm going in at six. Does that work?"

"Sure," she agreed as Josh settled himself into the crook of her neck. They were both fading fast, having spent much of their energy celebrating earlier.

"Thanks for coming over tonight," Josh said sleepily.

"Anytime mi amour."

They feel asleep fast, neither realizing how strange it was for them to feel so comfortable and content in each other's arm. Of course if they realized it, then they'd have bigger problems than working a national budget.

TBC