CJ woke early the next morning to sunlight streaming through her window directly into her face. She sat up and looked around at the scattered and crumpled press briefings and sighed. She should get to work on those. Climbing from her bed she gathered them up and attempted to straighten them into something of a neat pile before rummaging through her bag for something to change into. She pulled her now-messy hair back into a pony-tail, grabbed her press briefings, and headed to the kitchen in search of coffee.
No-one else appeared to be up yet, so CJ searched through the cupboards until she found the coffee and put it on to brew while she poked the fire back to life. Then she settled on to the couch and started back to work.
Some time later, once she had gotten through everything, and was enjoying her coffee while wondering how Carol was surviving back at the West Wing by herself, Donna wandered into the kitchen. "You beat me." She grinned, pouring herself a mug of coffee.
"I did." CJ smiled back at the younger woman, who made her way over to join her on the couch. "What time were you guys debating until last night?"
"I think I gave up and went to bed somewhere around 2." Donna sighed. "I have no idea about the rest of them."
CJ shook her head. "Those boys."
Donna nodded. "Indeed."
Abbey wandered in next, happy to see that coffee had already been prepared. "Morning, girls." The CJ and Donna whipped around.
"Ma'am" Donna smiled politely.
"Ab…Ma'am." CJ spoke, tripping over what she was meant to call the woman who she had been kissing only a few hours before. Abbey winked at her, pouring herself a mug of coffee and setting the machine up to brew another pot.
"Wouldn't want the boys to come down and find we'd drank all the coffee."
"No, ma'am." They agreed politely as Abbey settled herself beside CJ, her hand slipping behind CJ's back out of Donna's view.
"Did you sleep alright, Claudia Jean?" Abbey asked her gently.
"Yes, thank you." CJ smiled at her, blushing a little. "The fire was wonderful." She lowered her gaze from Abbey's face and into the coffee cup in her lap.
At that moment, Josh, Toby and Sam burst into the kitchen, arguing. Abbey quickly slipped her hand from around CJ so they wouldn't see.
"We're heading back down." Josh announced. "Sam, Toby, the President, Me. Donna and CJ if they want to come." He nodded to them. "President Bartlett thought you'd want to stay, Ma'am." He directed to Abbey.
She nodded. "I do."
Donna frowned. "We just got here."
"I know, but the President has a meeting he has to get to in Washington. Leo phoned late last night." Josh explained. "And we need to get this speech done." He smiled at her. "You can stay with the First Lady if you like."
Donna shook her head. "You won't survive without me while writing a speech."
Josh grinned. "True."
"CJ?" Toby questioned the Press Secretary.
"If I'm not needed, I think I'll stay. I need to get my car back anyway, and I can keep Mrs. Bartlett company." CJ responded, looking at them in turn. "Will you need me?"
"I shouldn't think so." Toby responded. "We can always fly you if something comes up."
"Great." Josh concluded, cup of coffee in hand. "Then as soon as the President is ready we can head out."
"I should get my stuff together." Donna exited the kitchen, followed by the three men.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Claudia Jean." Abbey smiled happily. "Won't that be fun?"
"I'm sure it will." CJ smiled back, taking Abbey's hand.
It was the most relaxing 24 hours CJ or Abbey had had in a long time. Freedom from real life. Freedom to be free with one another where no-one would find out.
They took a long walk around the grounds as soon as the cars carrying the posse back to Washington were out of sight. Walking hand in hand, laughing at silly jokes, taking moments to kiss gently, and one particularly immature incident where they made a pile of leaves and jumped into it together, laughing as they fell, tangled up in one another.
Lunch was a picnic on the living room floor. They moved the table from the centre of the rug and stole the pillows from the couch, creating a nest on the rug in which they passed the entire afternoon. CJ lay back, her head on Abbey's chest as she leafed through a fresh set of press briefings from Carol. Abbey was relaxed, happy simply to sit and run her fingers through CJ's hair.
"You still have leaves in your hair." She murmured, wrapping her arms around CJ's waist.
"Mmm…" CJ replied, distracted as she prepared a few last comments to send back to the West Wing. Finally she removed her glasses and turned slightly in Abbey's embrace to look up at her. "So do you, my dear." She reached up and picked one out, pausing to stroke Abbey's cheek.
They moved so they were lying down, side by side, looking hungrily at one another. Abbey moved in first, attacking CJ's mouth roughly, her hands everywhere: up CJ's shirt, down her pants, exploring, and CJ responded in kind.
Abbey gasped, her hand pulling at CJ's hair. CJ's head was between her legs, her tongue flickering, plunging, her teeth teasing gently, and all of it Abbey was finding absolutely brilliant. "God, CJ!" she exclaimed, her back arching. "Have you done this before? Fuck!" She was almost there. "Yes!" She breathed as she came. "Oh, yes!"
CJ peered up at her from her position between Abbey's legs. "To answer, no, I haven't."
"Well you're bloody brilliant at it! God, I haven't felt like that in…" Abbey trailed off. "Well, a long time, anyway."
CJ moved up to lie beside her, lying back on a pile of pillows. "Have you?"
"Have I what?" Abbey asked, turning to look at her.
"Done this before. With a woman, I mean."
"Once or twice" Abbey blushed. "I was…experimental…in my youth." She ran her fingertip from CJ's throat down to her clitoris. CJ shivered.
They lay there for the rest of the afternoon, under a blanket Abbey had procured from somewhere, just enjoying being lazy and in one another's company.
"How do you feel about a bath before dinner?" Abbey inquired, looking up at CJ from where she was snuggled into her side.
"Is it a big bath?" CJ questioned.
Abbey smiled. "Huge."
"Then wonderful."
"Come on then." Abbey got up, taking the blanket with her.
CJ curled up and whimpered. "Mean." She pouted.
"The sooner you get up, the sooner you can be in the bath." Abbey pointed out, wandering in the direction of the stairs.
"You could have shared the blanket." CJ grumbled, and followed her lover towards the bathtub.
They stayed in the tub until it began to get cold before investigating the food situation in the kitchen.
Supper ended up being a simple affair of salad, pasta, and a rather nice bottle of red wine. With a pair of candles on the kitchen table, the effect ended up being rather lovely. They talked a long time, of their pasts, their interests, trading entertaining stories until both of their eyelids began to droop.
"Time for bed, I think." CJ yawned.
"Agreed." They began gathering things off of the table to stack them in the kitchen sink. "We'll deal with the mess in the morning." Abbey decided. "Lets go to bed."
They slept in CJ's bed, CJ too uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in the bed Abbey shared with her husband.
Entwined in one another, they fell asleep. But, just as she dropped off, Abbey murmured "I don't want to go back."
CJ stroked her hair gently, kissing her neck. "Me neither."