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.

"What are we going to call her?" asked Donna.

"I thought maybe Amy would have some ideas," said Josh, "but she didn't even know me. She doesn't know her own name, much less...."

"You could name her after your sister."

"I couldn't call her that. It would be too weird. I thought maybe Abigail."

"Then you'd have to call her by the whole thing or else she'll be getting confused with either the First Lady or C.J.'s fish. How about Amelia?"

"No. I mean, I'm not going to lie to her about where she came from, but I don't want it to be the very first thing she hears. Maybe when she gets to, you know, grad school."

"You're sure you want to name her after somebody?"

"It's kind of a tradition."

"Your mother? Amy's mother? Josh, you're running out of women to name her for."

Eyelids flickered.

"Amy?"

Eyes opened, and glanced around until they met Abbey's.

"Hi," she said. "Do I know you?"

"You used to. It's okay. You've been through a lot."

"I wish I could remember."

"I'm glad you can't. It couldn't have been fun."

"I don't remember anything at all."

"Stressing on it won't help. Really, it won't."

"So what do I do?"

"Relax and let the people who love you take care of you and your baby."

"I have a baby?"

A tall man slid into the chair across the red checkered tablecloth.

"Mr. Vice President," she said. "Won't you sit down?"

"Now, don't be catty, Mandy," Hoynes said. "I just wanted to say I hope you're feeling better."

"I was," she said.

"Retract the claws," he told her. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing, but friends of mine...."

"...have nothing to do with what's between you and me."

"There is nothing between you and me."

"Well, if you're feeling left out, we could...."

"You know, I think I'd rather swim in the lasagne vat in the back."

"You can't beat me, Mandy. You might as well join me."

"I beat cancer. I can beat you."

"You think? What are you going to use for a candidate?"

"There's a lot of talk in the White House about the dogcatcher from Podunk."

"And that's what you're going to beat me with?"

"Mr. Vice President, I could beat you with the guy that lost to the dogcatcher from Podunk. Now, if you don't mind, here comes my canneloni."

"Mallory," her father said, "did you not tell me that C.J.'s brother...."

"I was wrong."

"You heard?"

"That he's married? I am such an idiot."

"It's okay. There'll be somebody."

"There doesn't have to. I don't need a man to validate me."

"I want you to have everything...."

"Well, maybe I don't."

"I know you're hurting."

"How?"

"'Cause being alone hurts! You think I don't know that?"

"Daddy...."

"It's hell when you can't touch somebody you want to care about, Mal. I know what it means when someone you love can't love you back."

"Mom loved you."

"What?"

"Mom. She tried so hard, so long, until...."

"Until I got so wrapped up in...."

"She loved you. Quentin never even knew I was thinking about him. It's a different thing."

"Yeah. Look, I got a thing...."

"Okay. I'll see you soon, though?"

"Yeah, sure, soon."

The agent on Amy Gardner's door watched the First Lady and her detail vanish into the elevator, and so didn't see the man in scrubs approach from the opposite direction.

"Time for her painkiller," he said. "It's my first time with the security. What do I need to do?"

"I need to see a picture I.D.," said the agent, "and you sign the form here and put down what you're doing. Right."

Bernard thanked the young man and walked past him into Amy's room.

"Amy Gardner is awake," C.J. told the press room, "but very disoriented, and of course she's got a long recovery ahead of her. Josh Lyman will be looking after their little girl, at least for a little while."

"I thought he was getting married."

"Yeah, Donnatella Moss is very supportive. She went baby shopping a couple of days ago. She's on board."

"With her fiancee raising another woman's baby?"

"The baby didn't do anything to bring this about, Chris. Donna thinks she deserves the best possible life from now on."

"Does 'she' have a name?"

"Leonie. Leonie Joan Lyman."