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.

"You're gonna have to give him a job, I guess," said Danny, and stole one of C.J.'s fries.

"What did he tell his editor?"

"That he was in an ethical dilemna that he couldn't talk about and that he was leaving as of right then."

"And the editor said...?"

Danny went back for another fry, and C.J. moved them to the other side of her desk.

"You're denying me food?"

"I'm starved, Danny, for food and information. What did Mitch's editor say?"

"That he was full of crap, and who was he dating."

"I thought Mitch was married."

"So did Mitch. No, really, he is. His wife works for the Water Department."

"She's the clerk at the window?"

"She's their in-house engineer. They won't have to put the kid in public school, even if Mitch stays home, but...."

"But he'd make a hell of a Press Secretary."

"I thought Will...."

"Will's getting Toby's job, and Toby's going to be Chief of Staff. We'll leave Josh where he is. He's too damned good at it."

"And he'll probably run for office at midterm."

"Pessimist."

"Carol could do it."

"Not yet. She's not ready. We'll move her up to deputy, though."

"What about Leo?"

"I have plans for Leo."

Danny smelled a story. Maybe he couldn't write them any more, but he could still uncover them.

"I'm just asking," he teased. "You have everything all mapped out. I know you asked Leo to stay. What are you going to do with him?"

"Some things, my love," she said, "even you don't get to know." She leaned forward and kissed his nose, and while she was at it, Danny stole back the fries.

Nothing Tracy told the redheaded deputy made any difference. They drove slowly back up the same country road, slowly enough not to disturb the child lying on the seat. There were no handles on the insides of the back doors, and there was a glass partition between Tracy and the deputy.

She was simply too stupid to live. That was probably a good thing, because when the deputy turned her over to Bernard....

"Three, this is Dispatch."

The deputy picked up the mike and thumbed the switch.

"Go ahead, Dispatch."

"We have a change of plans, here, David. Take the two of them to County General. Somebody'll meet you there."

"You want me to take a kidnap suspect and her victim to the hospital and meet 'somebody?' Anybody in particular?"

"Somebody from the White House, a Mr. Butterburr, or something. They say the girl knows him. And she's not a suspect any more."

"Well, lah di dah."

The deputy set the mike back in its holder and looked back at Tracy.

"Told you," she said.

"Damned if you didn't."

"Are they going to do anything about Amy? The mother? She didn't look too good."

"Don't look like nobody's telling me nothing," the deputy said, and drove on. Two miles down the road, just past the house, they met three sheriff's cars doing about ninety with all their lights flashing, but no sirens.

"They won't catch him," Tracy said. "He's good."

"So are we, Missy," he told her. "So are we."