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.

"Good God," said Sam, peering over C.J.'s shoulder into the press compartment on board Air Force One. "Are we going to be able to get off the ground with that many people back here?"

"It's a 747, Sam," said Leo.

"It's wall to wall, is what it is," said Sam. "And what is that clip that keeps playing on the movie screen?"

"Katie's cat," C.J. said. "It used to be a running joke in the press room."

"That is one ugly cat!"

"Ain't that the truth?" boomed a voice from behind them.

"President Walken," said Leo, "welcome aboard."

"Thanks, Leo. Have you seen that cat? That thing is bigger than my dog."

"No, sir, I don't believe I've seen it."

"Come look at it, Leo," said Sam. "It's got teeth, like, out of Jurassic Park and when it looks at the camera and snarls... oogh!"

Leo followed Sam out of the compartment, and C.J. started to fall in behind.

"C.J., where's your dancing bear?"

She turned back and smiled up at Walken.

"You mean Danny?" she said. "He's in the back. They're having a kind of airborne wake."

"He was the one, wasn't he?"

"Sir?"

"The one we had to screw out of the Shareef story. The one we tried to screw, anyway."

"Yeah, that... that was Danny."

He chuckled.

"I was so far out of my depth...."

"You did okay."

"You helped. I was telling some people the other day, you helped."

"Thank you, sir. I know I tried."

"C.J., talk to me."

"Sir?"

"Be straight with me."

"I've always tried...."

"You running?"

"Sir?"

"Are you running for president?"

She laughed out loud.

"Okay," he said, "now was that at the idea or the temerity of the question?"

"It's the concept that you'd be the one to suggest such a thing."

"Ain't nobody said nothing to you?"

"No, sir, and while I have been known to be kept out of the loop at times, I really have to think...."

"You ain't never run for nothing before, have you?"

"Senior class president?" They laughed together. "Seriously," she said, "wouldn't I know?"

"Probably," he said. "So if this was to happen, you'd, what, gut the military and empty the jails and bankrupt the country putting condoms in every kindergarten classroom?"

"No, sir, I'd start with..." She stopped and looked into his eyes, which had gone very serious.

"You have an answer ready?" he asked.

"I wouldn't phrase it that way, but I've known what my dream agenda would be since halfway through the first term."

"Yeah."

"This is scary."

"Tell me about it. They got any booze at the wake?"

"To be looking at that cat for this long," she said, "they'd have to." She let him steer her into the rear compartment and toward the cooler in the aisle.