Fandom:

The West Wing AU

Pairing:

C.J./Danny

Rating:

PG-13 for topic

Distribution:

How much do I owe you for hauling it off?

Spoilers:

Up to and including Full Disclosure, from which the series follows on

Email:

exfilia at livejournal dot com

Disclaimer:

if I owned them, they'd have a lot more fun

Warning:

mentions nonconsensual sex

Note:

Hoynes lovers should probably be hitting delete right about now.

"The place hasn't changed," said Mandy.

"Who let you in?" C.J. asked.

"Leo. He said to get you out of here."

"I can't leave. There's been a development."

"I heard. How's Amy?"

"Alive. The baby's fine. Ron Butterfield says she's already threatening his masculinity."

"That would take some doing," Mandy laughed.

"Some women are just born for that kind of thing."

"Yeah, and some of us... C.J., are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Probably."

"You're running for president?"

She should have hemmed and hawed a bit, but she didn't have the energy. "Yeah. You in?"

"Damned straight."

"Good. I'm announcing soon after the wedding. Where do you think?"

"You know anybody in Dayton? Or in California?"

"I know the gentleman from the 47th."

"Does the gentleman know...?"

"He's on board. It would have been him if he'd been born a month earlier, but he wasn't, so he says he's got my back."

"Right, who else is he going to endorse? Okay, I'll get with Sam and his people and we'll come up with a proposal."

"You're okay with this?" C.J. asked. "I mean, your health, and all?"

"The hair's almost grown back, C.J.; I'll be fine. And even if I weren't, there are worse ways to spend your last days than running the White House the way it ought to be run."

"Mr. McGarry?"

"Hi, Annie, come on in. I think you're grampa will be through in a minute."

"Cool, but actually we wanted to talk to you. This is Hogan, Hogan Cregg."

"Hi, Hogan. What can I do for the two of you?"

"How do you go about learning to fly?"

"How come you want...?"

"Because," said Hogan, "everybody in my family is in the Navy, and nobody at my high school gets that I want to do that, too. They talk like this is like jury duty, something you do if you can't get out of it. I say Annapolis and it's like I said Podunk Community College."

"You're in Annapolis?"

"Yes, sir. That's not the problem. I want to fly."

"What do your folks think?"

"My dad spends most of his time at sea."

"And your mom?"

"She's dead."

Leo felt himself frown.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but I thought your aunt said something about sisters-in-law?"

"Yeah, Aunt Tia's Uncle Cecil's wife, and Aunt Karen's Uncle Quentin's."

"Oh. I guess I didn't get that part. Annie, how did you get involved in this?"

"I'm not sure I am, but I'd like to take a couple of lessons and see. I know I don't want to live like my mom does, and Lieutenant Cregg makes it sound really exciting."

"Exciting isn't the word," Leo said. "Especially when they're shooting at you. They use real bullets, you know."

"That's why you limp, isn't it?" asked Annie.

"One reason."

"Somebody's got to do it," said Hogan, "and when it's your turn...."

"When it's your turn," said Leo, "it hurts like hell."

"Yes, sir," said Hogan, "but it's still your turn."

Leo had to hand it to the kid. She'd make a heck of a pilot if she got through training.

"All right," he said. "I got a buddy from Nam who runs a flight school. I'll talk to the president, and to C.J., but this is just lessons, all right? You're going to have to do a lot more than this to get where Julia Cregg is."

"Yes, sir," said Hogan. "Thank you, sir."

"You rock," said Annie, and kissed his cheek.