Title: Dulles to LAX, Indirect.
Chapter 9: The Last Reception of the Bartlet Administration.
Pairing: CJ/Danny
Author: Array
Email: array_
Rating: PG-13 (adult themes)
Disclaimer: They're all Aaron's
Author's Notes: Takes Place between Institutional Memory and Tomorrow
A/N This was the chapter that started me on the whole story.
The door to the apartment opens and a secret service agent enters. They wait in the hall. Danny has his over coat slung over his shoulder.
"All clear"
"Thank you,'
Inside he helps her off with her coat, kissing her neck and shoulder.
"Have I told you tonight how beautiful you are?"
"Only about eighteen times…. Can you unzip me?"
"Leave it on for a bit why don't you."
"You really like this dress don't you."
"I really like what's in the dress."
"You're sweet," she turns and kisses him lightly.
"Do you want a drink?"
"mmm okay… I'm taking off my shoes, though… " She kicks them off, then reaches up , pulls the pins out her hair, and shakes her head so it tumbles around her shoulders. She collapses onto the couch, her dress billowing around her like a dark cloud.
He brings her a glass of wine, offering it on one knee like a medieval page.
She laughs and takes it from him.
He's back in the kitchen pouring himself a scotch before she asks, "What's up with you tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you seem kind of… giddy, for lack of a better word"
He saunters back over to her, swirling the ice and scotch in his glass. "Hmmm… giddy.. that's a high school-ish kind of word… maybe it's true. I feel kind of high school-ish… kind of… you know… high. Where everything seems really great."
"You've been smiling like a Cheshire Cat all evening. What's up?"
He gives her a naughty look.
She laughs, "No, really. Your turn to talk"
"mmm…I'm not sure I'm ready to share this… it could get me in big trouble…" he's still smiling broadly.
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "More trouble than adding that scotch to the champagne you were drinking earlier? Come on! It's sharing time class…" She pats the couch beside her.
He takes a swallow of scotch, and sits down. He leans back against the cushions.
"So for the first time I'm at one of these things_"
"You've been to lots of these"
He holds up one hand. "Hear me out… For the first time I'm watching you…"
"I noticed"
"Well, I've always watched you," he smiles.
"And I've always noticed….."
"Yeah, but this time… when you walk past a group of people and all the guys turn and watch_"
"They do not!"
"Oh yes they do!"
"They don't!"
Oh yes…. They do….. Anyway, for the first time I didn't care."
"What do you mean?"
"'Cause I read ahead. I knew the ending. You and me. Here. My girl. My house. My bed." He takes another drink trying to gauge her reaction. "See that's possibly the part that's going to get me into trouble."
"You're so right!" there is an edge in her voice and he knows he needs to try and reclaim this. "Let me see if I can put another spin on it…"
She cuffs him lightly. "You're not the spin master around here writer boy!"
"Yeah, but I'm not so sure you'd spin it in the right direction, so give me a chance"
"Okay, go ahead" she's enjoying this now.
"What were you thinking about?"
"When?" she asks.
"During the thing."
"The budget… the memos I'm not getting…. Who I should be speaking to…"
"Yeah, I know….. You were working. But, when you caught my eye, or when we were dancing…"
"She looks down at her drink, and then back up into his eyes. He raises his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"Us. Tonight… now… or last night… hard to say really…"
"How did you feel?"
She looks at him and smiles.
"See what I mean?" he says.
She blushes.
He smiles. "It's not about possession, it's about joy."
"Or any other perfume brand?"
He laughs. "How'd I do. Am I out of trouble yet?"
"Almost…"
He smiles intimately at her. "You see, I'm really on such a high all I can manage to use as a reasonable excuse for that male possessiveness that just kind of sweeps over me is.. ..You are so beautiful…"
"You look pretty good yourself, buster."
"Yeah, well, thanks." He smoothes his lapels. "It doesn't really seem fair to me though."
She looks at him quizzically.
"Well… how did modern society come to this?" he asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Why is it that women get away with formal dress that consists of two pretty… and I do mean pretty… simple layers. Well, maybe three at the most, and men end up with at least five layers in a plethora of pieces… and I'm not even counting the cufflinks and collar studs, because I'm thinking that's the equivalent of jewelry… The only part of this ensemble that seems comfortable is the suspenders."
She laughs. "It all depends on your point of view."
"How so?"
"I prefer to think of it as gift wrapped in several layers and tied with a nice bow." She reaches across and undoes his bowtie.
He grabs both her hands, and kisses her gently.
"Wait"
"What for?"
"Cause there's one more thing I want to do," He reaches over to pick up the remote, turns on the stereo and gets up off the couch.
The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
He holds out his hand. "Dance with me"
It always leads me here
Lead me to your door
"I danced with you at the reception."
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has let a pool of tears
Crying for the day
"Yeah, but not the way I wanted to," he pulls her up and into his arms.
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way.
He holds her close, she wraps her arms around him and they slow dance, just barely moving to the music.
Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know
The many ways I've tried
"You're right. This is like high school." She puts her head down on his shoulder.
He kisses her hair. "See this is how I wanted to dance with you all night."
But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
It's how they will dance at their wedding reception in the summer to come.
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
It's how he will dance three years from now, late at night, with their sleepy, grumpy, six month old daughter snuggled on his shoulder.
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door.