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.

"We got the bomb report back," said Leo.

"What bomb?" asked Josh.

"Tybee Roads?" said Toby.

"Katie broke ranks," said C.J., "and published anyway. We don't need the bomb."

"So," said Leo, "you think we should leave the it in place, what, as punishment for the entire southern half of the eastern seabord because Katie got out of line?"

"Not," she said.

"So we're looking at, what?" asked Toby. "A threat to human safety, environmental stability and economic developement?"

"No kidding," said Leo, "but the Air Force still doesn't want to go get it."

"Too dangerous?" asked Josh.

"That's not what the Air Force says, but that's what I think. There's a guy with some numbers that hint that it might crack the Floridan Aquifer if it blew."

"The Floridian Aquifer?" C.J. asked.

"Floridan. Eighty-two thousand square mile artesian aquifer under a layer of clay, and it's the clay they're worried about."

"If the bomb blows up," she said, "and cracks the clay, then what?"

"It's an artesian aquifer. It's under pressure. Break the clay seal, and water supply systems that depend on the naturally pressurized water stop working."

"In how much of Florida?"

"All of it. Also southern Alabama and Georgia and South Carolina."

"And we," said Josh, "we're just leaving a bomb that could do that lying there?"

"It's more likely to blow up if we try to move it."

"What are the other options?" asked Toby.

"Not many. The officer I spoke to says 1) we don't know where it is, 2) it's not dangerous anyway and 3) it would cost too much to recover it."

"Does this person drink water out of the Floridan aquifer?" C.J. asked.

"Those are excuses," said Toby, "not options."

"Options: either we leave it, we go get it, or we defuse it in place. This is all after we find it, of course."

"What does the president think?" asked Josh.

"That it will take longer to develop a plan than he has in left in office."

C.J. laughed.

"Call Bob Russell," she said. "If this isn't a ready-made campaign issue, there's no such thing."

"Charlie," said Danny.

"The president's just starting senior staff."

"That's actually good, because I needed to talk to you. Somebody said something about a temp working for me who was giving you a hard time?"

"She was trying to get me to confirm inappropriate allegations."

"Which temp, and what allegations?"

"Am I going to get a reputation as a snitch, here?"

"I hope not. I hope she never knows, or at least that she doesn't find out until we know who she's working for and what their agenda is."

"Have you always thought in that many circles, or did you get that way when you were a reporter?"

"Reporters, Charlie, are the soul of candor. Except me. I was born this way."

"You're going be fun to watch."

Danny grinned at him.

"So talk to me, so I can get on with it."

"You're not allowed to walk on air in here," called Donna. C.J. laughed at her. "Seriously, you're supposed to keep at least one foot in contact with an inanimate object at all times."

C.J. was pulled in in spite of herself.

"An inanimate object?"

"Floor. Sofa. Desk, even. You can't just float along in midair, though."

"Do the walls count? Or the ceiling?"

"Low on the walls, or the ceiling from above. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"C.J., when you say nothing like that, the wooden furniture sprouts leaves and threatens to spring into bloom."

"Oak doesn't bloom."

"Cherry does. What's up?"

"Donna, I haven't told anybody yet, and I'm not sure how to go about it."

"Is this something that could get you indicted?"

"No."

"Could you lose your job?"

"Not any more."

"Is it going to break someone's heart?"

"Probably dozens of groupies, but I don't care."

"Groupies?"

"Newspaper groupies. Press fans."

"This is about Danny?"

"Okay, I'm just going to say it."

"That would be good."

"We... I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Say it. It's like it's a wonderful secret, and if I tell anybody it'll all blow away."

"C.J....."

"We're engaged."

"And?"

"What do you mean, and? I just got engaged! That's a big deal!"

"Yeah, but you and Danny have been going to be engaged as soon as you could since the beginning of the first term. Is this supposed to be a surprise?"

C.J. felt her eyes fill with tears.

"It was for me. It was special."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You got a ring, and all?"

C.J. held up her left hand, and Donna grabbed it.

"Hey, look, everybody!" she called. "C.J.'s engaged!"