Rating: G Disclaimer: I'm a little teapot, short and stout...

Summary: Post-Ep for "No Exit"

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"Stay in this room, we're in lockdown."

The door shut on a shocked face. "Damn!"

"Who's there?" A voice called from the darkened back of the press room.

He whirled around, shocked anyone was there. "It's Danny. Who's there?"

"Danny!" Katie stumbled out from the back of the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I just got back. Shouldn't you be at the hotel?"

She held up a pile of folders and sighed. "Forgot a bunch of stuff. I leave tomorrow for a story and left all my research here when we went to the dinner."

Danny smiled. "Too focused on your new dress?"

Katie grinned and gracefully twirled. "You like? I must say I was the best dressed reporter there tonight."

"Well, aren't you always?"

Katie nodded. "Yes, that's true."

"I missed you."

"It's been pretty boring here without you. Does... everyone... know you're back?"

"When do you leave for the story?"

Katie glanced at her watch. "Twenty minutes ago."

"Fine, we're off the record." He waited while Katie nodded, a small smile on her face. "CJ doesn't know I'm back. I was about to go see her. But now..." he gestured to the door.

Katie sighed and sat down, pulling her legs up so she could stretch out over a few of the chairs. "Now you're stuck with me."

"And I'm thrilled!" Danny grinned and threw his stuff on the floor before flopping down next to it.

"Don't look up my dress." Katie warned him and he laughed, shifting his body to sit next to her. He leaned on the chair her head was on, not facing her.

After a few moments of silence, Danny sighed. "How is she?"

Katie was silent for a moment, then quietly answered him. "Gail is fine."

He thought about this for a few moments. "And CJ is not."

"CJ... she has a boyfriend."

Danny slid down to the floor and looked up at her. He closed his eyes to her sympathetic look. He whispered, "I didn't know... I didn't think..."

Katie watched the pain flit over his face and wished she could say something to help him. She looked around the room, trying to think and trying not to invade on his thoughts.

"Is she..." Danny began in a whisper, then stopped to swallow. "Is she happy?"

"I don't know." Katie looked back at him, meeting his now open eyes. Looking at him, she knew she couldn't lie to him even if she had wanted to. "She's not our CJ, there's something... off."

Danny stood up and abruptly walked up to the podium. He stopped, staring at the spot CJ would normally be. "Maybe I shouldn't be here." he mused aloud. "Maybe it was wrong, she seems to have moved on."

Katie quietly sat up, watching him run his fingers over the podium. "Call her."

He turned around slowly. "No."

"Danny."

"I would just make her life difficult again. Mess it up. This is good, she's moving on."

"Danny."

"Katie."

She stood up and glared at him. "Call her. I've been working with you two for a few years now and you're both driving me crazy. There's something there and you're both too stupid to do anything about it."

He stared at her, his mouth open. "We'd be stupid to do something about it, Katie."

She sighed and dropped back onto the chair, deflated. "I just... I hate seeing you like this." She looked up and met his eyes. "And I hate seeing her like... that." She gestured to the podium behind Danny, staring through him as if she could see CJ standing there. "I need to get out of here, out of this White House. It's dragging us all down."

"They had such high hopes." Danny whispered.

Katie looked at him sadly. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Danny laughed sharply. "Has it gotten that bad?"

She stood up and walked around for a moment. "Unofficially, I hear things. Stick around, you'll see what I mean. Everyone walks around like they're in a dream. They're just going through the motions of living. I don't know if they even like each other anymore. I can't stand it anymore."

The door opened and they both glanced up. "We're clear. False alarm."

Danny glanced at his watch as the door shut. "Pretty long for a false alarm."

He and Katie stared at each other for a moment before Katie broke the silence. "Are you going to go see CJ?"

He looked at the podium. His hand reached out but he pulled it back. He looked back at Katie. "No. She's moved on, if she really wants me she can call me. She has a boyfriend, I can't step on that for a pipe dream. Can I drive you to the airport?"

Katie stared at him for a moment. "Train station. And I bet she'll be in here to give a briefing soon."

Danny walked down from the podium. "I'll call her later."

"Is that a promise?"

"No."

Katie sighed, wishing she could take back her words about CJ having a boyfriend. She picked up her things. "Let's go."

Danny nodded and picked up his briefcase, following her out the door.

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