TWW FIC: On the Rough Open Sea
Title: On the Rough Open Sea
Author: shutterbug_12
Characters: CJ/Danny
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Only borrowing. Make love, not lawsuits.
Summary: CJ learns of Zoey's kidnapping. And so does Danny.
Author's Note: Commencement missing scene. 550 words. For ktmarie33 at ww_pumpkins. Feedback and concrit is love.
In the quiet, deserted press room, Danny tapped his pen on his notepad and eyed CJ. She sat beside him, her phone to her ear. For the last half-minute, no muscle in her body had moved. Flinched. Twitched. Not that he could see, anyway. The phone call equivalent, Danny mused, of a Medusa encounter.
Medusa. Madras. He hadn’t forgotten.
CJ hadn’t spoken since she’d answered her phone. "Yeah?" she’d said, her voice loaded with frustration. If he hadn’t heard the muffled voice at the other end of the line, he may have wondered if she’d faked the call to avoid his questions. Of course, he already knew the answer to one: "Does the President or his national security advisers fear attempts of retribution?"
Yes.
He scribbled the word beside his last written question before he snapped his eyes to her--blank, motionless--face. "CJ."
Her hand jerked into the space between them, her stiff index finger pointed toward the ceiling--a silent demand to shut up; shut up now.
His jaw tightened as he pushed an exhale through his nose. He scratched his pen across the top of his pad. Before his pen had traversed the entire page, CJ bolted from her chair and threw herself toward the corner door.
Danny leaped from his seat. "CJ!"
With her phone still pressed to her ear, she reached for the door.
"CJ, come on. CJ!"
She spun with a speed and force that nearly made him dizzy. "Yeah?" She hurled the word at him. Her hand closed her phone and shoved it inside her pocket. Her eyes found his for the first time since she'd opened her phone.
He blinked at her. "What’s goin’ on?"
Her focus flew around the room as she curled her hand around the doorknob with a bloodless grip. "Danny, I--I can’t. I can’t."
Danny’s heart hammered--fast and sudden--when she spoke, a waver in her voice. Panic.
She pushed a hand into her hair. "I have to--uh, it’s Zoey. Something’s happened. Something just happened."
He nodded. "Okay. It’s okay."
"Danny, you can’t--don’t tell any--"
"I won’t." He closed his notepad, sliding his pen inside the spiral wire, and stowed them both in his pocket. "I won’t."
"I have to do a briefing. I have to get ready."
"Okay." He tilted his head and tried to follow the path of her wide eyes. He wished she’d look at him.
"For an emergency briefing."
He stepped closer, within inches. "CJ."
"Yeah?" she asked. She shut her eyes tightly; her fist pressed against her forehead.
"Look at me." He waited until she met his eyes. Danny counted to three. "Take a couple more seconds," he said. "Get yourself together." He reached for her hand and squeezed. "It's okay."
"She just graduated," she whispered.
"I know," he said, softer.
"Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry, but you know that this--our talk? What we were--" She released his hand and drew a deep breath. "What we were just talking about?"
"Yeah?"
"It’ll have to wait."
He nodded. "I know."
"I have to go," she said, twisting the doorknob.
"I know," he whispered and stood, an anchor without a ship, as she turned and disappeared around the corner.
Author: shutterbug_12
Characters: CJ/Danny
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Only borrowing. Make love, not lawsuits.
Summary: CJ learns of Zoey's kidnapping. And so does Danny.
Author's Note: Commencement missing scene. 550 words. For ktmarie33 at ww_pumpkins. Feedback and concrit is love.
In the quiet, deserted press room, Danny tapped his pen on his notepad and eyed CJ. She sat beside him, her phone to her ear. For the last half-minute, no muscle in her body had moved. Flinched. Twitched. Not that he could see, anyway. The phone call equivalent, Danny mused, of a Medusa encounter.
Medusa. Madras. He hadn’t forgotten.
CJ hadn’t spoken since she’d answered her phone. "Yeah?" she’d said, her voice loaded with frustration. If he hadn’t heard the muffled voice at the other end of the line, he may have wondered if she’d faked the call to avoid his questions. Of course, he already knew the answer to one: "Does the President or his national security advisers fear attempts of retribution?"
Yes.
He scribbled the word beside his last written question before he snapped his eyes to her--blank, motionless--face. "CJ."
Her hand jerked into the space between them, her stiff index finger pointed toward the ceiling--a silent demand to shut up; shut up now.
His jaw tightened as he pushed an exhale through his nose. He scratched his pen across the top of his pad. Before his pen had traversed the entire page, CJ bolted from her chair and threw herself toward the corner door.
Danny leaped from his seat. "CJ!"
With her phone still pressed to her ear, she reached for the door.
"CJ, come on. CJ!"
She spun with a speed and force that nearly made him dizzy. "Yeah?" She hurled the word at him. Her hand closed her phone and shoved it inside her pocket. Her eyes found his for the first time since she'd opened her phone.
He blinked at her. "What’s goin’ on?"
Her focus flew around the room as she curled her hand around the doorknob with a bloodless grip. "Danny, I--I can’t. I can’t."
Danny’s heart hammered--fast and sudden--when she spoke, a waver in her voice. Panic.
She pushed a hand into her hair. "I have to--uh, it’s Zoey. Something’s happened. Something just happened."
He nodded. "Okay. It’s okay."
"Danny, you can’t--don’t tell any--"
"I won’t." He closed his notepad, sliding his pen inside the spiral wire, and stowed them both in his pocket. "I won’t."
"I have to do a briefing. I have to get ready."
"Okay." He tilted his head and tried to follow the path of her wide eyes. He wished she’d look at him.
"For an emergency briefing."
He stepped closer, within inches. "CJ."
"Yeah?" she asked. She shut her eyes tightly; her fist pressed against her forehead.
"Look at me." He waited until she met his eyes. Danny counted to three. "Take a couple more seconds," he said. "Get yourself together." He reached for her hand and squeezed. "It's okay."
"She just graduated," she whispered.
"I know," he said, softer.
"Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry, but you know that this--our talk? What we were--" She released his hand and drew a deep breath. "What we were just talking about?"
"Yeah?"
"It’ll have to wait."
He nodded. "I know."
"I have to go," she said, twisting the doorknob.
"I know," he whispered and stood, an anchor without a ship, as she turned and disappeared around the corner.