Disclaimer: One, two, buckle my shoe...

Spoilers: Up to No Exit. After the events of No Exit, CJ needs some reassurance about her relationship with a certain man.

Notes: This is my last story for a few weeks. I leave in the morning for vacation. Yes, I am driving from NY to Florida on Friday the 13th and all the weather reports are talking about evacuations, hurricanes, etc. This will be tons of fun! I have a nice, long story all ready for you guys when I get back in September (also a revamped website!), so I'll see you then! I'll have email access maybe twice, but no stories until I get back.

***

"CJ, do you have a minute?"

"Of course, Mrs. Bartlet." CJ motioned the First Lady to the couch in her office.

"For me, always?"

CJ smiled. "Something like that."

"Is there any problem with my going to the clinic? Is the press bugging you about it?"

"No, ma'am. They've been quiet." Her face fell into a worried expression. "Maybe too quiet, is there something I should know?"

Abbey shook her head with a smile. "No, no. Just something Leo said while we were locked in the residence."

"You were locked in with Leo? I was in here with Donna."

"Oh, that's fun. Donna's a sweet girl."

"Yeah..." CJ trailed off. "Mrs. Bartlet, can I ask you... never mind."

"CJ?"

CJ stood. "It's nothing, ma'am. Forget I mentioned anything."

Abbey stood and closed the door, then motioned for CJ to sit back down. "How about you forget the First Lady crap and tell me. Is it something about the clinic, I can take it."

"Nothing like that." CJ eyed her chair warily but finally sank into it. "You've seen Ben and I together, right?"

"The handsome man from a few days ago?"

"Yes."

Abbey pondered for a moment. "Yeah, I had a few glimpses. Why?"

"Donna said something to me... It's silly, I shouldn't have said anything."

"CJ? I have three daughters, I'm very good at getting information from other women."

CJ smiled. "Thank you for the warning. But I realized I need to deal with this myself. I have to... decide something and I should do that myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you anyway."

Abbey nodded. "If you do need to talk."

"Thank you again."

Abbey smiled at her and left CJ's office. She hesitated for a fraction of a second, only because she wasn't sure if she had enough time for another stop right now. Then she shrugged and walked off purposefully.

"Joshua."

"Hey, ma'am! How're you doing?"

Abbey smiled at him. "I'm fine. Have you seen Donna?"

"She's around here somewhere. Why, is she Canadian again or something?"

"I need her for a few minutes, for a special project."

Josh shrugged. "Okay. She should be back in a second, you can just grab her."

"Thanks, Josh. I'll have her back in a few minutes."

"That's fine."

Just then, Donna walked into the office. "Josh, here are the... oh, Mrs. Bartlet. Hello, how are you?"

"Fine, Donna. I need your help on something for just a moment. Why don't we go take a walk?"

Donna smiled widely. "Of course, ma'am."

She glanced at Josh, who waved her on, and she followed Abbey out of the room. They walked towards the outdoors and sat on a bench outside the Oval Office.

"Ma'am?"

Abbey held up a hand and waited for the area to be clear of all but Secret Service agents. "I heard you and CJ had a nice time stuck together the other night."

Donna's smile faltered. "Yes, ma'am."

"She mentioned something about Ben to me. What did you say to her?"

"What about Ben, ma'am?"

"Donna, drop the ma'am please."

Donna blushed. "I'm sorry, ma-"

Abbey laughed. "It's okay. CJ said something about seeing her and Ben together."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Abbey leaned towards Donna. "That doesn't help me, Donna."

She sighed and bit her lip. "I mentioned something... I think she's just wasting time with Ben. I think she really should be with someone else."

"Who?"

"Oh, no. I can't! If Leo or the president every found out..."

"That good?" Abbey thought back. "I heard something about an ex-con a little while ago."

Donna shook her head. "No, different guy. And I'm not sure if the ex-con is fact, it's just a story floating around right now."

"So if he's not an ex-con, what's the problem with the guy you want her to be with? Does she not want this guy, is that the problem?"

"I think... I'm not sure, but she might be in love with him." Donna told her in a low voice.

"Really?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Abbey was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Donna's slip. "Who is it?"

"I can't-"

"Danny."

Donna stared at her, mouth dropped open. Carol is going to kill me, she thought desperately.

"It is?" Abbey thought about this. "So many comments make sense now. So, what are we going to do about it?"

"Do, ma'am?" Donna swallowed heavily, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"We need to get him back here, can you do that?"

"I could... I could get Josh to do it."

"We can't get Josh involved in this."

"There's a story that we're sure is about to leak, I can make Josh think it's his idea to get Danny back here to cover it. We need a friendly reporter to cover the story, help steer it in the right direction."

Abbey stared at her. "And you can get Josh to think it was his idea?"

"Of course."

"We're going to talk about the power you have over Josh a bit more deeply at another time. After we're done with CJ."

Donna blushed and looked down. "What happens after we get Danny here?"

Abbey smiled. "You leave that to me."

Donna smiled hesitantly, not sure she liked that idea.

***

Four days later, Donna was still a bundle of nerves. She had learned that the First Lady's plots were infamous around the White House, but nothing could ever be pinned on her. I'm going down, she moaned in weaker moments. I'm going to be the fall guy for Abbey Bartlet.

"Hey, Donna. He in?"

Donna's head shot up. "Danny!"

He grinned at her. "That's a good reaction, I hope everyone is so glad to see me."

"Of course. I mean, of course they will be. Glad to see you." Donna sighed. "Josh is in if you want to see him."

Danny nodded. "Thanks Donna."

She watched him walk into Josh's office, already thinking of ways to get out of the plan. Unfortunately, she had no idea what the rest of the plan was.

***

"So... is CJ around?" Danny casually slipped into the conversation after a few minutes in Josh's office.

Josh shrugged. "She should be, there's a briefing in less than an hour. Let's go see."

"That's okay, I don't want to take you guys away from your work."

Josh grinned. "What work? Let's go!"

Danny gulped. "Okay."

Josh didn't bother knocking before pushing open CJ's door. "Look who I found lurking around the White House!"

CJ held up one finger and finished reading the paragraph she was on. Danny stared at her, imprinting on his mind exactly how she looked. He had watched her on television, of course. But in person, he thought, she was even more gorgeous. He wished Josh would go away, then stopped the thought when he realized it wouldn't matter if Josh was there. He had heard rumors about her and some ranger.

She finally looked up. Her eyes grew wide for a second, but she quickly hid it. "Daniel. The prodigal son returns."

"Do I get a fattened cow?" He smiled at her.

"I'm afraid all I'm able to give you is a fat lip," she told him sweetly.

"Another time, perhaps."

"I have a briefing to prepare for. So if you don't need anything?"

"Oh, I need many things." Their eyes met for a moment. "But I guess you can't give them to me?"

"No comment." She smiled slyly at him. "Josh, get this clown out of my office." She finally looked at Josh. "And stay away from my fish!"

Josh looked up guiltily. "I was just-"

"For the last time, you cannot pet a fish! Get out of my office, both of you."

Danny grinned at her before grabbing Josh's arm. "Let's go, she obviously took her mean pill this morning." He glanced back to CJ and winked at her.

She narrowed her eyes and tried to glare at him, but her heart wasn't really into it. She watched them leave, then looked back down at her paperwork with a small smile.

***

"CJ?"

"Ma'am! Twice in a week."

"I'm sure that was said with the proper amount of enthusiasm." Abbey smiled.

"Of course. I just... was surprised to see you."

"What are you doing tonight?"

CJ smiled resignedly. "I don't know, ma'am. What am I doing tonight?"

Abbey smiled brightly. "Getting drunk with me. Jed is going to a function that you're not going to. The West Wing is going to be pretty empty."

"So, come get drunk with you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, ma'am. Sounds like fun. What time?"

"Ten sound good?"

"I can get some work done before I turn incoherent? Sounds great."

"See you then."

***

"Thank you." CJ nodded to the agent outside the residence. When she walked through the doors, she glanced at her watch. Right on time, she noticed. The place seemed empty, however. "Mrs. Bartlet?" she called.

A door opened and closed. Abbey appeared. "CJ, good. Why don't you go in there and wait for me?"

CJ glanced at the door to the First Lady's private study. "Where are you going?"

Abbey smiled. "I'll be right back. Go and wait. I don't want you leaving before I get back."

"Ma'am?"

"You're not getting out of this CJ. We're getting drunk, don't go running out on me. Promise, don't leave that room until I get back."

CJ nodded, a bit confused but used to Abbey's strange moods. All the way back to the Ouiji board of the first year, Abbey had been unpredictable.

Abbey nodded, satisfied with CJ's nonverbal promise. She walked out, leaving CJ alone. She shrugged, then pushed open the door to the study. She closed the door behind her and glanced around the small room.

"Now what," she muttered.

"Mrs. Bartlet?"

She jumped as a figure rose from a chair facing away from the door.

"Danny! Don't scare me like that!"

"CJ? What are you doing here?"

CJ smiled. "Off the record. Getting drunk with the First Lady."

Danny smiled back and answered CJ's question before she could ask. "She asked me to come discuss another book, I met her in the hall after I left your office earlier today."

"You're going to do another book? That's great."

Danny motioned for CJ to sit. "Well, we didn't get to discuss it yet. She ran off."

It hit CJ before it hit Danny. "Oh, no."

"What?"

"We've been set up."

"Set up? Like on a date?"

CJ nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"I thought you were dating..."

"Ben. I was." She looked up. "I'm not anymore."

He smiled. "Really? I mean, that's horrible. Want to talk about it?"

She laughed. "Your acting skills need some work."

"Why did you break up?"

"It's not any of your business."

"Really? Mrs. Bartlet seems to think-"

"Stop talking."

"CJ, I-"

"Stop talking." CJ lowered her head for a moment. "Donna."

"She's been acting weird."

"Who? Donna?"

"I saw her this morning, she seemed nervous talking to me. I thought... well, for a few minutes I thought maybe she had a crush on me."

"Just for a few minutes?"

Danny smiled. "It's pretty obvious she has a crush. But not on me."

CJ nodded. "That's one of those things we don't talk about around here."

"Okay." Danny agreed. "But back to you."

"I broke up with Ben and then Abbey and Donna got together and cooked up a little scheme. I wonder who else is involved in this. Carol was acting normally today. Margaret was acting a little weird, I wonder if she's involved or if it was just her normal type of weird."

Danny chuckled. "She is a hoot, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"You keep going off on these tangents."

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice that."

"Hey, guess what. I did. So, why did you and Ben break up? What does Donna have to do with it?"

She closed her eyes as she spoke, not wanting to meet his eyes. He took the opportunity to study her face. "She said something a few days ago. Doesn't matter what it was. It comes down to, I realized Ben isn't the guy I want to spend the rest of my life with. I was wasting time with him, I'm not sure why. So we broke up."

"Do you have a guy you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

She opened her eyes slowly, a lazy smile on her face.

His heart stopped as she stared at him. His mind screamed silently, praying desperately that the smile on her face was for him.

"Yeah," she told him quietly. "I have someone in mind."

"Does he want to spend his life with you, too?"

"I'm not sure." She bit her lip. "Does he?"

He pulled her off the chair and they collapsed in a heap on the floor. His mouth found hers but they were torn apart by the sound of the door opening.

CJ stood up quickly and tried to brush the dust off of her suit. Danny stood quickly and stood behind CJ.

"How are you two doing?" Abbey smiled knowingly at them.

"I... ma'am, I forgot something in my office. Why don't you and Danny finish your meeting? I'll be back up in a little while." CJ gave Danny's hand a quick squeeze and flashed him a smile. Then she hurried out, past a very pleased Abbey.

Danny watched her go, a dazed expression on his face.

"So, Danny." She waited until she had his full attention. "Would you be willing to consider leaving your job at the Post for a little while to work on this book?"

***

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