***
"You know, these come down."
Danny glanced between him and CJ at the armrest she was trying to pull down to seperate them. He stilled her hand and shook his head. "We'll... ah, lose too much room that way."
She glared at him. "You like this, don't you? The whole love-seat thing?"
He grinned. "Yep. Leave it up." He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "I won't bite. Well, unless you want me to."
CJ sighed and pried his hand off her waist. She slid back over in the seat, but didn't go quite as close to the aisle as she had before. He grinned at her when he realized he had managed to get her closer to him, but she just rolled her eyes and looked back down at the papers in front of her.
***
"What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"I could feel you thinking something at me." CJ glared at Danny.
He grinned and leaned in close. "Want to join the Mile High Club?"
"Oh, great idea, Fishboy." CJ whispered back. "On a crowded airplane, great time to do that. I mean, really, let's forget about discretion and conflicts of interest. How about you go back there and wait for me?"
Danny smiled wider. "Ah, so your only problem is that this is public? Because if it is, when we get back to Washington-"
CJ stopped him with just a glare, then glanced over at Carol. "Good book?"
"I wouldn't need the book if you two would just talk louder." Carol answered, turning a page in the romance novel she had found in the magazine compartment on the back of the seat.
"You know, CJ." Danny studied the cover thoughtfully. "You'd look good in the outfit that woman is wearing."
"Or not wearing, as the case may be." CJ stared at the cover too. "How is it even covering anything?"
"Do you own any clothes that look like that?"
"Just lingerie."
"Are you wearing it now?" Danny asked quietly, touching her side so no one else could see him.
"That's for me to know." CJ answered carelessly, before remembering how the rest of the rhyme went.
"Ooh, I'll be sure to take you up on that."
"Hmm." Carol mused softly. "I'm pretty sure that's not anatomically possible."
CJ and Danny glanced at her, realizing she was engrossed in her book. CJ grabbed it from her. "Which part?"
Carol blinked. "Oh. That's my book." She sighed as CJ kept hold of the book. "Halfway down the left page."
CJ scanned it. "If she's double-jointed, it should be possible. Not very comfortable, of course." She handed the book back to Carol.
"Are you double-jointed?" Danny smiled innocently.
"You didn't even read the passage."
"Carol?" Danny held out his hand, but she slapped it away.
"Nope, my book. You can read it when I'm done."
"Great." He said cheerfully. "Something to look forward to."
***
"Still want to read the book?" Carol held it out to Danny.
He waved his pencil at her. "That's okay, I'm working on an article. Maybe later."
"CJ?"
CJ looked up from her planner and raised her eyebrow at Carol.
"I'll take that as a 'no'."
"C'mon, CJ." Danny urged her. "Pick up some pointers."
"You think I need pointers?" CJ asked him.
His head flew up, his eyes wide-eyed. "No, I... of course not, I was just... I was kidding, CJ."
"Good answer." CJ told him as she pulled out another file to input into her planner.
He glanced at Carol, who was listening amused, and mimed wiping his forehead.
"That was close." She whispered to him.
"Hey, I remember. Good in bed, right."
"I heard that. Get some work done."
Danny busied himself in work, missing the blush on CJ's cheeks and the grin that Carol shot them both.
***
"Is that road kill?" Danny whispered, poking his food with his spork.
"Creamed road kill." Carol agreed.
He groaned. "I will never complain about anything on Air Force One again."
***
"I can't believe they don't serve free alcohol on flights." CJ sighed. "What is the world coming to?"
"I've never gotten free alcohol on a flight." Danny protested.
"Guess you've been sitting in the wrong section of the plane." CJ told him.
***
"Where are my Twizzlers?" Carol searched all the pockets of her bag again.
"You ate them already." CJ reminded her.
"Are you sure? Guess I should have gotten more than four bags of them."
"It's beyond me how you go through them so fast." CJ stared at her. "How much licorice can one person really eat?"
"So CJ," Danny broke in. "Got any goldfish left?"
"Of course not." She stared at him for a moment. "I finished those last night."
***
"Are we almost there?" Danny asked.
"I don't know. What time does the flight land?" CJ looked at Carol.
"California time or DC time?"
"What time is my watch on?" CJ glanced at it, trying to remember when she had last re-set it.
"What time does it say?" Carol looked at her watch.
CJ told her.
"AM or PM?" Danny asked flippantly. Both women fixed him with a glare and he sunk into his seat. "Forget it, when we get there... we'll get there."
"Wow, and they pay you to write." CJ decided she didn't care what time they landed.
***
"Last chance for the Mile High Club, I think we're nearing DC." Carol whispered to both of them.
"Carol!" CJ hissed. "Why do you have to say things like that?"
Carol grinned. "Just to see your face turn that color."
"Great." CJ muttered. "Everyone's a comedian." She went back to her magazine as Carol mouthed 'I tried' to Danny. Danny sputtered and CJ looked back up at him.
"Wow... that just.... my drink... it just... went down the wrong pipe."
***
"We're landing!" Carol stared out the window. "DC looks so nice."
"I think DC is on the other side of the plane." Danny tried to look out the window.
CJ smiled as she gathered her papers together. Danny and Carol began to do the same. Carol offered her book to Danny. "Last chance."
He shook his head and smiled. "That's okay."
She shrugged and put it back with the magazines. "The next person can have a fun trip."
They waited until the 'Seatbelt' light went off, then jumped up to make their way off the plane and through the terminal.
"Well, it's dark out, we at least know it's nighttime." Danny smirked at Carol.
"I should go home and change before going to the office." Carol looked at her outfit and shrugged. "Oh, well."
"No, Carol." CJ told her. "You go home, I'll go in and call you if there's anything I can't deal with."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Carol shook her head. "How about I'll go in with you and we'll check the work situation. If there's not too much-"
CJ covered her mouth to stop laughing.
"-I'll go home."
"If you go in, you'll never get out of there." CJ reasoned with her. "If I don't go in, I'll have fifteen phone calls every hour."
"Okay, okay." Carol relented. "Danny?"
"I need to file my story, might as well check out what's been going on at the White House anyway."
"Think we can find a cab?" Carol asked as they pushed their way out of the airport.
"Just show some leg." Danny suggested.
"I doubt the cabby's here will pull over for that, not like they haven't seen it before."
"Oh." Danny shrugged. "I meant for me, make my waiting here a bit more pleasant."
Carol grinned at him. "Maybe later."
CJ flagged down a cab and motioned Carol over. "Here, take this one."
"You sure it's a good idea for you to walk into the White House with just Danny?" Carol asked her seriously.
CJ glanced at her. "I really don't know. But let me deal with that, you go home and get some clean clothes and a real shower... not in that order."
Carol smiled. "If you're sure?"
At CJ's nod, she ducked into the cab and waved as it pulled away from the curb.
CJ flagged down another cab. "C'mon, Danny. Next stop, White House!"
"I could get my own cab." Danny looked a bit worried.
"Don't worry. I'll kick Toby's butt for you if he says anything." As he still hesitated, she grabbed his arm. "It's silly to take two cabs, let's go."
They sat silently in the back of the cab, watching the scenery go by. With their jobs, they didn't have much time to simply watch DC go by, and they both grabbed the opportunity.
"You can stop outside the gates here, we'll walk in." CJ told the cabby as they neared the White House, not wanting to deal with security if they went any closer.
The cab stopped and CJ thanked him. Danny managed to be quicker than her and paid the cabby, also handing him a generous tip. They watched the cab drive away, then turned to look at the White House.
"Well," CJ finally broke the silence. "Back to reality."
"Or as close to reality as this is."
"Danny..."
"CJ?"
"I had fun." CJ admitted. "This mini-vacation, it turned out to be a lot of fun. I just... thanks."
Danny smiled and grabbed her arm. "Let's go inside."
She pulled her arm away and smiled sadly. "Sorry."
"Don't be."
The walked together into the White House and managed to make it to the lobby without being caught by any of their co-workers.
"I guess this is it." CJ sighed as she looked at the building with new eyes.
"Wait. You never told me rule number two."
"That's because you didn't break it." she told him, smiling slightly. Then she turned and walked down the hallway towards her office, leaving him to find his way to the Press Room.
***
