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.

She found him by a window, which was not surprising since two walls of the ballroom were glass. He faced away from the whirl of dancers, watching the dark Potomac roll through the night.

"Leo, this is beautiful."

He looked at C.J., the diamond ring glinting against her chocolaty chiffon gown, and couldn't help grinning.

"You're beautiful," he said. "You're the bride. This is just window dressing."

"This is spectacular. Danny's walking around with stars in his eyes."

"I knew there was some reason he hasn't seen what he's getting into."

"You think it's going to be a problem? With... you know?"

"I think you should quit worrying. You're head and shoulders above the last guy on the problem front, unless there's something you aren't telling us."

"I thought we didn't make height jokes about... him."

"You don't. I'm 5'8". I'm allowed. Are you ready to do this?"

"Just about. Let me get Danny."

"He was dancing with Mandy Hampton."

"Oh, God, someone else I should ask to be a bridesmaid!"

"C.J., they don't get to be bridesmaids if they work for Republicans."

"I can't have Ainsley?"

He grinned.

"Do you remember when I first told you the president wanted to hire her?"

"If I can't have Ainsley you're going to hear me make that much noise again. This is a bipartisan wedding." The music ended. "Okay, getting Danny."

"Hello," said Ellie. Toby choked on a salmon puff. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He swallowed and gulped his drink.

"Fine," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"Anyone ever tell you you take after your mother?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Doctor mode can be uncomfortable for those of us on the receiving end."

"Yeah, well, I think I get the discomfort-inducement from both parents."

"I think I'm going to preserve my employability by refraining from comment."

"I heard my dad gave you a hard time in California."

"That's in my job description."

"I heard he made you go out with Donna Moss the night you were photographed."

"You make poor Donna sound like a sentence of death. Also it was the night before, which was kind of the point."

"Yeah. Do you know why he did that?"

"No."

"Are you just being a gentleman, or...?"

"Eleanor, one of the few things I've never been called by anyone who knows me is a gentleman."

"Donna told my dad I thought you were cute."

"Why?"

"I think it's the beard, and the eyes."

"No, why would Donna tell...?"

"'Cause she's the one I told. I was really only teasing...."

"Oh."

"No, I mean teasing Donna. It was so sweet what you said about the pink tux and making C.J. happy, and... anyway, I told her you reminded me of someone I used to like."

"And she told the president, or someone else who told him. You can see his point, you know. Divorced father of twins recently at the center of a major scandal, not known for sweetness of temper. I wouldn't want my daughter to date me."

"Oh."

"Still, it was a shoddy way to treat poor Donna."

"Yeah, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. So, do you want to dance, or something?"

"She has become a liability," said Bernard.

"Deal with it."

"It would be possible to simply refrain from further contact."

"She's seen your face."

"I am not important."

"Yes, you are. What you are, what you always were, it's the whole point."

"I don't know what to say."

"Oh, Bernard, what you do is infinitely more important than anything you could say."

"Thank you." He looked away, collected himself. "What about the other one?"

"Shortly, Bernard, very shortly. Be thinking of how you'd like to do it."

The band played a fanfare, and Mallory clapped her hands.

"Everyone! My dad has something he wants to say!"

"You'd think that had never happened before," said Leo. "No, I just want to be the first to offer a toast to the bravest man on earth, someone who's faced the president and me and Toby and Josh and probably a good many of you and told us all to do our worst, and to the lady who's special enough to inspire him: Danny and C.J., ladies and gentleman!" He gulped his Perrier to cheers, and applause, and then the sound of every beeper in the room going off at once.