Midnight

by: Allison

Character(s): CJ, Danny
Pairing(s): CJ/Danny
Category(s): Romance
Rating: YTEEN
Summary: Sequel to Renewal

Christmas Mass at the Basilica was, as was to be expected, beautiful. CJ found herself getting completely lost in the music, with the extra musicians brought in to augment the organ, the choir, the incense, the glowing candlelight, the children falling asleep in the pews across the way. She gave up listening to the familiar words and looked around at her friends and coworkers - trying her very hardest to ignore the reporter on her other side. In front of them, the Bartlet family sat in an orderly row, conscious of their behavior in public as their father's role had taught them. Abbey Bartlet took her husband's arm at one point and didn't let go until she needed to lower herself onto the kneeler. Charlie looked a little faint - he was later to explain that the incense was making him dizzy. Judging from the choking sounds coming from behind him, Sam wasn't enjoying it much either. But despite the heavy smoke Charlie was smiling, and CJ was pretty sure that Zoe was holding his hand. Margaret's head was bent over the missal in her lap, the candlelight making her red hair glow like a halo. Leo spent most of the Mass watching Mallory and Sam and alternately scowling or smiling at his only daughter, but every now and then he would steal a glance at Margaret and smile to himself. The first time CJ caught him she watched curiously, not sure what it meant, but the second time she just met his eyes and smiled back. He had the grace to look a little embarrassed, but he just shrugged and turned his attention back to the missal in his hands.

When the offertory hymn began there was another scuffle down the row - for which CJ was grateful, because it gave her another reason to look down the other way and ignore the infuriating man who kept taking her hand. She was in danger of starting to enjoy it. It seemed that the row was a hymnal short and Sam somehow knew none of the words to "O Holy Night." With a sigh Leo passed his down. He knew most of the words by heart from years of singing, but he still had to look over Margaret's shoulder occasionally. Somewhere in the middle of the second verse she caught on and held the book out to the side so he could see it. He shook his head at her, but after a moment he reached out and helped her hold up his side.

"This is my favorite Christmas carol," Danny whispered from CJ's other side. He'd been watching her watch Leo and Margaret wondered what she thought she was looking at - but not enough to distract him from her.

To his delight she answered, brushing her hair back from her face. "Mine too," she whispered, "especially this part."

Danny had to agree with her. It was the part where the music and the singing were supposed to get louder and stronger and the words said, "Fall on your knees..." He'd always loved that idea, the angels coming in all the glory of heaven. He was a bit more jaded as an adult, but this part of the song still gave him chills. He smiled to himself when he saw CJ rubbing her arms. She had her sleeves pushed up over her elbows and the exposed skin was covered with goosebumps. Since it wasn't cold in the church, he imagined she had the same reaction to the music that he did. He reached out and took her hand, this time holding it so tightly that she couldn't pull away.

"About a thousand people back there, Danny," she whispered.

"And none of them are looking at us," he replied. "It's Midnight Mass. The ones who aren't asleep are singing. They're not staring at you."

"Danny..."

"CJ..." He copied her tone exactly, then dropped to one more serious. "It's Christmas."

She turned fully and looked at him. "Yes, it is," she said after a long moment. She squeezed his hand and he smiled at her. She had always loved that rarely-seen smile - not the smirk, because she saw that often enough, but the real smile. It was - devastating.

"Besides," he added, "these people have already seen us together."

"Not all of them. The holy day Mass wasn't exactly packed."

"Some though. That little old lady even thought we were sweet."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, even though she remembered very well.

"Nice lady. She's in the back with some grandkids."

She fought the ridiculous urge to actually turn around and look. "You are such a liar."

"Am not. I remembered her face."

She shook her head, but she didn't let go of his hand.

When the Sign of Peace came around CJ paused, leaning far enough back against the pew to watch the people around her. A little pleased flurry of noise from the congregation told her that most of them had been watching the President give his wife a very sweet kiss. They both hugged and kissed each of their daughters, their granddaughter, and the rest of the families. CJ hid a grin at the very formal look on Charlie's face when he shook the hand of the man who was simultaneously the President of the United States, his boss, and his girlfriend's father. It was a priceless moment. While Leo kissed his daughter Sam took refuge in shaking hands with the people in front of him - and then, very much caught up in the spirit, with all the people he didn't know in the row behind the staff. When he finally turned back to his own row, he found Mallory watching him with a highly amused look on her face. "Are you laughing at me?" he asked.

"Yup," she replied.

"May I ask why?"

"Because you're cute."

Well, he couldn't argue with that. As he hugged her he caught sight of CJ laughing at him behind Mallory. Not having a crush on CJ, he glared at her. She only laughed harder.

Meanwhile, after Leo had kissed both Mallory and Abbey and all the First Daughters and hugged his best friend, he turned to his assistant. Margaret held her hand out as she had just done to the women behind her (CJ, to her considerable surprise, got a friendly hug from the usually stoic Margaret). She was looking down at her hand, waiting for her boss to take it, and was therefore caught entirely off guard when he swept forward and hugged her. He brought one hand up to her hair and said, "Margaret."

"Yes?" she replied, bracing herself for his usual, "You're a good girl."

He surprised her again. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

Margaret was still reeling when a highly amused Danny - who, there being no luck in CJ's world, had seen the whole thing - reached over to shake her hand.

CJ leaned over to kiss Leo on the cheek, squeezing past a still-stunned Margaret. As she returned to her place Danny leaned forward over her shoulder and whispered, "So - Sam has a thing for Leo's daughter who just broke up with a hockey player, and Leo's assistant has a thing for him. I am getting such good gossip tonight."

She slapped her forehead in frustration but didn't make a move to get further away from him. "When the scandal papers pick this all up I'm going to blame the First Lady."

Then she caught her breath as his arms slipped around her waist from behind. She was caught and completely frozen, not knowing what to do with herself as he hugged her close to him. He leaned even closer and whispered, "Relax. Do you see my notebook out?"

She finally, awkwardly, covered his hands with her own and replied, "I guess not." The look on his face was hurt as she twisted out of his arms, but she only turned around so that she could hug him back. "Merry Christmas, and thank you for keeping me company." It was the holidays, after all.

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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