Author's Note: This chapter takes place during season five's "A Slow News Day." I thought CJ and Josh had some pretty good interaction in the beginning of the episode. Reviews are encouraged and appreciated.

"Unspoken Thoughts"

CJ was rinsing off her dinner plate. Of course it was nine o'clock at night, but she considered that an early. She felt like she could at least be thankful that a slow news day brought her what she would classify as an early dinner. She found herself daydreaming about things she usually had no time for, like men.

CJ indulged her imagination for a moment and thought about how suave the South American ambassador had been. Normally she wouldn't have found herself daydreaming about being a conquest for anyone, but there was something enchanting and debonair about that man.

She sighed as she loaded the dishwasher. Her thoughts turned briefly to Ben, who had continued to call. She had avoided each call successfully and deep down inside she felt like she couldn't seriously be interested in him if she wasn't interested in taking his phone calls. But, when she thought about it further, it was nice to know someone was interested.

In her most lonely times she thought of Danny, who occasionally called and made her smile. But she knew Danny wasn't an option. Nothing had changed since the day she met him. Still, there was always that lingering "what if" in her mind when she thought of him.

Finally, her thoughts turned to Josh. She didn't know why, but she felt like he was always there when she needed him. She could count on him and maybe most importantly, he was comfortable. There was never any need to explain with him. He understood exactly what she was going through because he was going through it too.

CJ was wiping down the counter top when she heard a knock at the door. She made her way down the hallway and looked through the peephole. She bit her lip to suppress a smile as she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Josh replied. He held out a flower to her, which she took, happily.

"What's this for?" she asked, moving aside so he could enter.

"An apology for a slow news day," Josh said.

"That's awfully sweet," CJ said closing the door behind him.

"I can be sweet sometimes," Josh replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

CJ smelled the flower deeply and said, "I think I might have been the one to tell you that. Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, I'm good," Josh said.

They walked into the living room and Josh sat in a high-backed chair while CJ sat on the couch. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked. "You didn't come all this way to give me a flower…especially one that you picked from the garden outside my front door."

Josh grinned. "No, I didn't," he admitted.

"So?" CJ prompted him.

"So I was feeling a little lonely. I wanted some company. Today was something else wasn't it?"

"That's one way to describe it," CJ replied. "How's Leo?"

"He's fine," Josh shrugged. "He wasn't thrilled that Toby did all this behind his back, but it all worked out."

"You're not too happy with Toby right now either."

"Toby and I are fine," Josh dismissed her.

"Really?"

"How is he anyway? He left kind of fast after the meeting," Josh replied.

"He's outwardly pissed, privately reveling in victory," CJ said.

Josh nodded and was silent for a moment. "I was kind of hoping we could revel in victory, privately," he said giving her an impish grin.

CJ smirked. "Really?"

CJ couldn't say she was surprised. In fact she was in complete accord with Josh's line of thinking.

"That is, if you're not being pursued by a South American ambassador or park ranger," Josh said.

"Oh, I'm being pursued by them, but it's nothing serious," CJ said. She stood up from the couch and walked over to Josh's chair. She swung her legs over him and took a seat, straddling his lap.

"You trying to make me jealous?" Josh asked as he wrapped his arms around her hips.

"Would I do that?" CJ asked as she ran her fingers through his hair gently.

Josh leaned forward and ran his lips softly down her neck. He felt her squirm on his lap and it made him want her even more. "Wouldn't you?" he asked.

They sat nose to nose for moment, their breath seemingly in sync. Neither seemed to be in any hurry to move things along any faster. There was something tantalizing about staring each other in the eyes.

"Are you jealous?" she asked before she began to tickle his earlobe with her tongue.

"Not at all," Josh replied in stilted breaths. "I'll just have to remind you why I have the edge on both of them."

He pulled back to get a look at her face and kissed her slow and sensuously on the lips. As his tongue grazed her bottom lip he reached under her blouse and gently massaged her breast causing her hips to buck.

"That's a start," CJ said before she leaned back a little and removed her blouse.

"I've got the edge on the ambassador then?" he asked slyly. "I've heard he can offer you cabbage."

CJ smirked. "He can," CJ confirmed as she pulled down on Josh's tie and started to remove his shirt.

"I'm assuming the park ranger can offer you the chance to pet a bear or something," Josh mused. He buried his lips into her neck and began to kiss down her collarbone as she continued to run her hands through his hair and around his neck.

"I wouldn't know," CJ panted. "I haven't called him back."

"Well, then there's some wiggle room," he replied.

CJ took his suggestion and rocked a little on his lap, which produced just the result she was looking for. "Yeah, there's some wiggle room," she said looking him right in the eyes.

Josh was never so happy that CJ was wearing a skirt and he took full advantage of the fact that it was hiked up higher than usual because she was straddling him. His hand crept up her thigh and under the fabric of her skirt. His fingers caressed her lightly as if he was teasing her slowly.

"Josh," she sighed contentedly.

The sound of his name on her lips seemed to embolden him and CJ's legs squeezed tighter together and Josh felt his yearning grow.

"Claudia Jean," he whispered as her nails ran down his chest and he felt her tug at his pants.

Her lips covered his with a need that neither had felt in quite some time. Their tongues and lips rubbed against each other as they pawed at one another's bodies.

"I want you Claudia Jean," Josh said standing up and picking her up with him, which was no easy feat in and of itself.

CJ had her arms around him as he started walking both of them to the bedroom. She kissed him deeply before she replied, "I need you mi amour, now."

Later on Josh found himself falling asleep in the nook of CJ's neck. It was where he liked to lay after they'd been together. There was something comforting about how well he fit in the nook. If he thought about it any further he might concern himself with the meaning of it all, but he rarely did.

CJ was lazily running her hands through Josh's hair and starting to doze herself. She loved that being with Josh could make her feel relaxed and sated. She never wanted for a good night's sleep after one of their sleepovers. But, unlike Josh, this thought weighed on her.

"Josh," she said sleepily.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"How come you came over tonight?" she asked.

"We won, sort of," he said.

"So we were celebrating," CJ finished the thought that Josh had left floating in the air.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Josh sensed there was something CJ wasn't saying and so he propped himself up on an elbow and looked her. "What?" he asked.

"What?" she asked.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing," CJ said.

"CJ," Josh prodded her.

"I was curious," she replied.

"About what?" he smiled.

"You've mentioned Ben, the park ranger a few times," CJ said. "I just wondered if…"

"If?"

"Nothing," CJ dismissed the thought. "It was stupid. Forget it."

"No, seriously, what?"

"I was wondering if you keep bringing up Ben because you really are jealous; because maybe, somewhere deep inside, you want me for more than just a night here and there. Because maybe it's time we finally sit down and think about what this thing is between us. Because when I'm with you I feel good," CJ thought about that response and realized it would be foolish to ever verbalize those thoughts.

"I haven't called Ben back," CJ said completely changing the subject.

"And?"

"And you're teasing me about it and Carol is pushing him on me…I was just wondering if I come across as a lonely spinster." CJ glanced at him to see if he was buying the line. She'd deflected the truth enough in the press room to know that her poker face gave nothing away.

"No," Josh chuckled. "Come on CJ. I was just teasing you because he's a park ranger. I just don't see you as the dating a park ranger type."

"Oh yeah, then what's my type?" CJ asked.

Josh thought about her question for a minute. CJ definitely needed someone who could hold his own. She wasn't the clingy girlfriend type so she needed someone trustworthy. It wouldn't hurt if he was in politics. Actually, the more Josh thought about it, the more he fought the instinct to jokingly reply, "Me."

He finally replied, "The cabbage ambassador, definitely."

CJ laughed that loud, happy laugh that Josh hadn't heard in a while. "See, you agree," Josh said as she finished laughing.

"I'd never want for cabbage," CJ said wiping her eyes.

"Never," Josh agreed.

They lay there in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, but they were both thinking the same thoughts. Thoughts that had long lay dormant. CJ wondered, however briefly, why they never just went for it. They were comfortable and happy together most of the time. Did they fear losing the working relationship if something happened?

Josh hadn't confronted his actual feelings for CJ in years. Yes, he loved her. They were friends first and foremost. That was the number one rule of their arrangement. But, every so often, like tonight, he let his mind wander to a place where they were actually, truly together and it was nice.

Their individual thoughts scared them both and suddenly the companionable silence seemed to be loaded with unspoken meaning, which made them both a little unsettled. Josh quickly broached a subject to fill the void. "So, you really can't work anything in with the press about how we helped on Social Security?" he asked.

"I could, but who'd believe me if both sides denied it?" CJ replied, happy for something to fill the silence. "Plus, I'm not going to be the one to derail whatever fragile peace the parties have worked out for the moment."

"Yeah," Josh agreed. "What time are you going in tomorrow?"

"Six," CJ replied.

Josh gave her a look that indicated he wasn't planning on going in that early. "Sorry," CJ replied. "I've got to meet with Leo on this before the gaggle."

"Six, it is," Josh said, resigned.

His voice sounded drowsy and he placed a small peck on CJ's shoulder before he lay back down in the bed beside her. The awkward moment faded and Josh was happy to settle into a pleasant slumber. It took CJ a little longer to fall to sleep though. Her mind was elsewhere, even if only a little while.

TBC