Disclaimer: Not mine...

Notes: This came from a discussion with soft lite about camping and CJ... and Toby...

***

"I'd like a room." She sighed as she fanned herself, glad for the air conditioning in the motel lobby.

"Me too."

She glanced over and her eyes grew wide. "What are you doing here?"

Toby grumbled, "Escaping from my crazy wife."

The desk clerk cut in. "Do you two want a room? Or two rooms?"

"Two rooms," CJ replied. "Connecting?" She glanced at Toby, who shrugged in acceptance. "It'll be just like old times."

Toby thought back to almost ten years previously, when they had just started on the campaign trial. It had taken a little while, but they had all gotten used to the closeness and almost total lack of privacy.

They accepted their keys and walked slowly to their rooms.

"You didn't tell me," Toby remembered. "What are you doing here?"

"Escaping from my crazy..." she hesitated before finishing. "Fiancé."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Took him long enough." Toby thought about it. "It's been almost six months since we left office."

"He's proposed every day since the inauguration. I just accepted three days ago."

"Congratulations." He smiled at her.

She smiled shyly back. "You're the first to know."

"Have you thought about... you have to call President Bartlet and Leo and tell them."

"And Josh and Donna." She listed. "Sam, Carol. I'm thinking of having a party with everyone and announcing it. Although..." she glanced sideways at him. "It's nice to talk one-on-one like this."

He took her key and opened her door for her. He followed her into the room and looked around. "Much better than a tent." He fell onto the bed.

She looked at him in surprise as she sat on one of the chairs and propped her feet up on the bed. "You were camping too?"

"You were camping?" He asked.

They stared at each other in shock for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"Danny took you camping? Or was it your idea?"

"I think you know me well enough to know the answer to that." CJ sighed. "He saw this great brochure and decided we needed to get away from it all."

"You, without a cell phone?"

She laughed. "I know, crazy huh? What about you?"

He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "With the twins... well, I managed to convince Andy we needed our phones."

"Andy dragged you camping." CJ flinched. "That might be my fault."

"What?" He stared at her.

"I ran into her a few weeks ago and we had coffee. I mentioned the camping and told her the name of the campground." She glanced at him. "Sorry."

He sighed. "It's okay. But since when are you and Andy on such good terms? I didn't think you two got along?"

CJ stared into space. "We... we're okay now. We sorted some things out."

"Care to elaborate?"

CJ considered it. She had actually asked Andy why they didn't get along when they ran into each other that day. Andy had admitted it was because she felt Toby had a crush on CJ. When CJ assured her Toby was in love with her, and her alone, Andy had seemed to thaw. Years of misunderstanding the relationship between CJ and Toby had left it's toll, but at least they could sit still long enough to have a cup of coffee together.

"CJ?"

She roused herself. "No, I'm going to plead the Fifth." Besides, she admitted, it was possible Toby did have a tiny crush on her. Didn't need him knowing she and Andy had discussed it.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Toby broke into her thoughts again.

She made a face. "I had a burnt piece of meat that at one point might have been a steak."

"Sounds delicious." He stood up. "Let's go find some dessert."

She followed him out of the room, visions of ice cream in her head.

***

"Congresswoman Wyatt?"

Andy turned. "Yes?"

Danny smiled. "I'm sorry, you probably don't remember me."

"You look vaguely familiar." Andy sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't place you."

"Danny Concannon."

"CJ's boyfriend." Andy smiled. "Of course."

"Going camping?" He glanced at the two bags at her feet.

She held up her cell phone. "Trying to get reception. Toby took off with the car."

Danny laughed. "And CJ took off on foot. I thought she'd be back before long, but it's been a few hours and I can't find her."

"Let's team up then." Andy smiled. "My cell phone and your car."

"Sounds good." Danny nodded and grabbed her bags to lead her back to his campsite. "Is this all your stuff?"

"We hadn't unpacked everything, the rest is still in the car."

They came into sight of Danny's site, where everything was already packed.

"Done waiting for CJ to show up?"

Danny smiled sheepishly. "She wasn't having fun. I decided when she showed up, we'd head for the nearest hotel."

"She sounded like she was looking forward to it." Andy watched him stow her bags in the trunk before getting into the passenger seat.

"She told you about this?" He got in and started the car.

"It's where I got the idea," Andy admitted. "And I figured it was a big enough place that we wouldn't run into each other."

Danny stopped at the entrance to the campground. "Which way do you think Toby went?"

Andy pointed left. "We saw a motel on the way here, he'd probably head there."

Danny nodded. "We saw the same one, I'm sure. I think CJ would head that way too."

As they got closer to the town, Andy suddenly sat up straighter. "I have reception," she cheered before punching her speed dial.

"Toby? Where are you?" She glanced at Danny with a small smile. "I was right then. I figured that's where you would go. Did you call my mother and check on the twins?" She stifled a laugh. "Don't call her that! No, you don't need to come get me, Danny Concannon is giving me a ride." She glanced at Danny again. "Oh, she's there? Small world."

Danny breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ice cream? Okay, we're on our way." She hung up. "They're eating ice cream at the little store next to the motel."

Danny nodded. "Great. So, now that that's out of the way, we can move onto the important stuff. What's CJ told you about me? Anything interesting?"

Andy laughed and decided she liked this guy. She'd have to tell CJ to hang onto him.

***

"Andrea." He greeted her as she walked into the ice cream shop.

"You left me without a car."

"I was coming back for you," he shrugged.

She glanced at CJ and Danny, who now had their arms around each other. Danny, ever helpful, was helping CJ remove the ice cream that had gotten on her face. Andy shook her head in amusement as she watched them kiss. "Get a room."

CJ pulled out her motel key, never breaking contact with Danny.

Andy laughed.

"We have a room too," Toby told her.

"Why don't we go home instead?" Andy suggested. "The twins are away for the weekend."

Toby smiled. "Sounds great." He handed CJ his key. "Here, have two rooms. Since I know Leo cautioned you about sleeping with reporters."

CJ laughed as she separated a bit from Danny and accepted the key. "Right. Let's exchange the luggage. I think Danny would like... a tour of my lovely motel room."

Danny tightened his arm on her waist and guided her towards the door. Toby headed up to his room to get his bag while Danny put Andy's bags in her car.

"Ready?" Toby asked Andy.

She nodded, then gave CJ a quick hug. "Call me when you guys get back."

CJ nodded, a bit dazed at the difference in Andy. "Okay. Maybe we can do dinner next weekend?"

"Sounds great." Andy smiled, then turned to Danny. "Thank you, you're my hero."

Danny chuckled. "No problem, Congresswoman."

"Andy," she corrected him.

He nodded his acceptance. "Andy."

"Come on, Andrea." Toby growled at her, pulling her towards the car. She got in and rolled down her window. "Let's not do this again, CJ."

Toby started the car and they drove away.

"So," Danny stared at CJ. "Dinner next week should be interesting."

CJ sighed. "I'll talk to him, he'll be nice. I told him about the engagement."

Danny smiled. "Really?"

"Let's go inside, we have two rooms up there."

He hooked an arm around her waist in response and guided her towards the door.

***