Title: Dulles to LAX, Indirect.

Chapter 2: Waiting for Results

Pairing: CJ/Danny
Author: Array
Email: array_

Rating: PG-13 (adult themes)
Disclaimer: They're all Aaron's

Author's Notes: Companion Episode: Election Night II

The Virginia fourth has been declared, and he's driving back to Washington when he hears the news. His car seems to steer itself onto the bridge, past the Performing Arts Centre and on to Pennsylvania avenue.

She's at her desk staring blankly at the TV coverage, the sound so low she can barely hear it. It's hard enough dealing with the running banners announcing Leo's death at the bottom of the screen. The phone rings in the outer office, causing the light to flash on the phone at her desk, but she doesn't pick it up. A few moments later her blackberry rings. She looks at the call display, and decides to answer.

"Hey"

"I just heard…… You doing okay?"

"Yeah… No… I don't know."

"Who's there?"

"No one…. Well, Kate, Will, Charlie… but not right here….I sent Margaret home…. It just all seems too much."

"You want some company?"

"Danny I can't…"

"You don't have to….Here…. I'll just give the phone to Pete and you can tell him to let me in."

"Where are you?"

"In the lobby."

"Danny… I …"

"C'mon. I'm done. The races I'm dealing with have been called. I'll leave my laptop here if you want."

"No. It's okay. I'll call from my desk. Then he knows it's me."

***********

She's waiting in the hallway, leaning against the wall when he comes around the corner.

"Hey," he says softly.

She looks at him mutely. He brushes her hair back with one hand and pulls her forward into a hug. They stand silently for several minutes before she starts to pull away.

"I can't…" she begins by way of explanation.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. If we stay like this for any longer I'm going to fall apart, and I can't do that tonight. I'm still waiting for results to take to the President."

He looks at her sadly. "C'mon" he says, "Let's go watch together."

*******************

He's sitting on the floor with his laptop on the coffee table, writing. She's almost asleep in the corner of the sofa. He looks up at the TV and nudges her. "Hey, C.J. They've called the second Maine for Velosky. We've taken back the house."

She opens her eyes. "I'm not asleep. I'm still listening….Hey… did you say we?"

He looks back at her. "I'm pretty sure I said the democrats.."

"Uh uh, Partisan Boy. You said we!" She grins at him, and nudges him with her foot. "So much for journalistic objectivity."

"Well, I'm off the record… and you'd better be too…" he smiles back.

" Hey! They've called Texas for Santos."

They watch in silence for a moment.

"Do you wish you were there?"

"Where? With Josh and Santos? Not at all. It would be excruciating."

"Have you talked to Josh?"

"I talked to Donna."

"How's she doing?"

"Calm. Controlled. Worried."

"How's he doing?"

"I think she's holding him together with both hands." She looks down at him, and realizes his computer is running. "What are you doing?"

He holds both hands in the air. "Nothing about this… Checking some blogs… Working on a memorial, that no one's asked me for yet, but I know they're gonna. Reading the obit."

"It's already done?"

"It's standard procedure. We have them all on file. It was redone when he left the Whitehouse two years ago, then updated when he joined the ticket. They just tweaked it a little."

"Is mine done?"

He meets her eyes and nods briefly. She puts her head in her hands.

"I told you. It's standard procedure. There's one for me too." He pushes himself up onto the sofa beside her and puts his arm around her. "Being a survivor is a terrible burden to bear," he says quietly, as her eyes fill with tears.

"God he was so hard on me. I loved him, but it felt like I could never get it right. He was so exactly like my dad. No matter what, it was never good enough…. But I could never have done these last two years without him… I wouldn't be Josh right now for any price."

"Well that's a relief," he teases gently, "I mean I like Josh and all, but he's not exactly my type..." but she hardly hears.

"I never really understood why he chose me for Chief of Staff. Why not Josh? Or Toby?...well, no.. I know why not Toby. But why not Josh?"

"Bartlett wasn't Josh's guy."

"Yeah he was."

"No. He's a good man, and the real thing, but he was Leo's guy. And Toby's guy...well maybe not. Maybe no one is Toby's guy. He is your guy, alright, but Josh isn't there yet."

"You don't think Matt Santos is Josh's guy?"

"Not really."

"Well then, who is?"

"Not sure yet. But I've known Josh for more than fifteen years….. Josh will find him"

**********

"You want to pack it in? They're not going to call Nevada or Oregon until the bitter end."

"I can't. I have to let the President know… and I'd never be able to sleep anyways."

"Who said anything about sleeping?"

She rolls her eyes at him.

"No. I meant did you need to go home and have shower, change… whatever."

"I have all that stuff here. I'll just stay. You go if you need to though."

He shakes his head. "I'll wait with you."

They sit watching as the results roll in. Oregon goes to Santos, and she can only imagine the tension at Santos headquarters. She sighs and puts her head on his shoulder. He hugs her a little closer.

"Come over to my place tonight."

"Tonight's pretty well done Danny,"

"At the end of the day, I mean."

"I can't Danny. I'll be exhausted."

"We don't have to do anything. Come so you can sleep. Come so we can talk. Come so you won't be alone."

She kisses him gently. "You're sweet."

He starts to kiss her back, but gets distracted by the election coverage. "Hey, they've called Nevada for Santos… Wow… I guess that's the ball game!" He turns back to her and grins. "Josh is going to be insufferable!"

She puts her head back on the sofa and sighs, "I know."