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.

"Sir, are you sure you won't run?"

"I think everybody who's ever tempted to run for president ought to have to do what I did just once, and think what if it was their kid. No, Bruce, I ain't running for nothing. I thought you knew that."

"A new candidate just filed."

"What about it?"

"It's Paul Bostitch."

"The closet nazi?"

"There's no proof...."

"Look at his lily-white staff. Listen to his wife and daughters try to hold a conversation. What in hell makes that fool think he can get elected dogcatcher?"

"He got elected to Congress, sir."

"Look from where. It takes more than a red enough neck to win a presidential election."

"'The moral decrepitude in the Democrat White House,'" read Bruce, "'demands an American renewal, a return to the laws of God and the American way of life that put us where we are today.'"

"That sounds pretty good, till you see it works out to wanting to come back up the same road and turn the White House into a whorehouse again."

"Don't say that in front of him, sir, or I guarentee it'll wind up in his stump speech. He talks about 'sheltering our women from circumstances that expose them to temptation.'"

"So if you don't want to be raped, don't work in the White House? Bruce, the guy that's dogcatcher now could get elected president before this fool!"

"You might want to look at his polling numbers, sir."

"Shit."

"What in hell are you trying to pull?"

"I'm trying to save my ass!"

"Well you're not going to do it by putting mine on the block! One more stupid stunt like that and it's going to be you they pull out of a pond!"

"Mrs. Bartlet, thank you for seeing us on short notice. I'm Detective Harris, and this is Detective Chitterly. We're from the D.C. Metro Violent Crimes Unit."

"Detectives, this is Antonia Guzman from the White House Council's office. How can we help you?"

"Ms. Guzman is acting as your attourney?"

"Is that a problem?"

"We just wondered why you felt like you needed a lawyer."

"Two D.C. Metro detectives asked to speak to me and wouldn't say why. It seemed like a natural thing to ask for legal advice. Do you have a problem with Toni being here?"

"No, ma'am, of course not."

"Then perhaps we could get on with this."

"Yes, ma'am. You're acquainted with Amy Gardner."

"She worked for me until recently."

"How recently?"

"Seven weeks ago Tuesday."

"How did she come to leave you?"

"She resigned for personal reasons."

"Can you elaborate a little?"

The First Lady beckoned, and she and her lawyer held a whispered conference.

"We have some concerns," said Guzman in a pronounced Brooklyn accent, "about Ms. Gardner's privacy."

"I think we can dispel those," said Chitterly. He took an eight by ten photograph from a manila envelope and laid it on the desk in front of Mrs. Bartlet. The First Lady looked at it, biting her lip.

"Recent," she said, her voice flat and professional. "She's clean, and she doesn't appear dehydrated. She's alert enough to look into the camera and focus. I don't see a great deal of bruising."

"You sound like you've seen pictures like this before."

"I've seen the real thing. I used to work in an emergency room."

"Yes, ma'am. What do you make of these marks on her breasts?"

"Bite marks. Usually an indicator to question the patient about sexual abuse."

"Our people said the same thing," said Harris. "Now if you would, please ma'am, when was the last time you saw Amy Gardner?"