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Gail: From Behind the Glass By Paris
The door opened and I heard CJ take a deep breath as if gaining nerve. In walked a smiling bearded man. "CJ, I can't thank you enough!" Toby Ziegler smiled. "Toby?" CJ questioned she seemed both relieved and on edge that the bearded man was not Danny Concanon. "We talked," Toby beamed. "Andrea and I talked." "That's terrific Toby," CJ said happy for her friend. "What did she say." "After we discussed our feelings over and over again, we finally decided to try it again on a trial basis. We want to be together, but we love our work. Andrea and I are going to prioritize differently, you know setting some time aside for each other," Toby explained. "What we should have done a long time ago. I think we have a chance to be happy together again. We never stopped loving each other, breaking up was the dumbest thing I have ever done." "I sincerely wish you the best," CJ smiled looking up for a moment as she was fishing through a pile of papers. "Will you excuse me for a moment, I need to get a transcript from an earlier briefing." "Of course," Toby said to her. "I'll be back," CJ said. "I am sure you will be, being that this is in fact your office," Toby agreed. CJ left the room and Toby beamed. "You know you are my absolute favorite animal in the entire world," Toby said hovering over my tank. "I mean if Mandy ever wants some goldfish for the National Zoo, I am her man, or if the Advisory Council for the Humane Treatment of Goldfish need to do some lobbying, I Toby Ziegler am there man." @Toby you are a riot!@ "For being the greatest pair of ears in the world, and just being the greatest animal," Toby said to me, "I think you deserve a whole lot of fish food. Too bad you don't eat pie, Andie gave me some more homemade pie." @Andrea bakes?@ "When I say homemade, I don't mean her homemade pie. God, Andrea is a horrible cook. I mean, I did the cooking. She had a constituent bake her a pie again." @You cook?@ He sprinkled some fish food in my bowl and left the office with a new spring in his step. @Rest and relaxation, maybe? Some rest for the problem solver of this institution? No, of course not, cause CJ is here again.@ "I'm back," she announced as if expecting Toby to be in the office. @Just me, sorry about that, CJ. When is Danny coming.@ "Carol," CJ called. "Didn't you tell Danny Concanon to come and meet me back here?" "Yes, I did, CJ," Carol told her boss. "But I can see if he is coming." "Would you please?" CJ asked with hope and a little giddiness to her voice. @A little nervous there CJ?@ She started to pace. I hadn't seen her this nervous since moments before the State of the Union Address. "Knock, knock," Danny Concanon said from the doorway of CJ's office. "Hey Danny," CJ looked up. "You wanted to see me?" Danny reminded CJ after a moment of awkward silence. "Yeah, I know," CJ told him unsure if she wanted to start the conversation. Danny sat down on CJ's sofa, and stared at his hands, after another moment of CJ pacing he got up and moved towards her, "Look CJ, I have some things to get done, and if this can wait, you know, I should probably come back later." At the prospect of Danny leaving, CJ jumped and seemed to regain the composure that I know her to have, "Look Danny," CJ started. "You've asked me out a number of times." "Two hundred forty seven," Danny said. "What?" CJ asked a little off guard. "I have asked you out two hundred and forty seven times," Danny spit out the number with ease. "You are keeping count?" CJ looked at him. "Yeah, I guess I am," he said as if he hadn't taken notice to it. "But of those two hundred forty seven times, you said yes, once." "That was a business dinner, Danny," CJ reminded him. "A business dinner, which ended with dancing in the romantically light candlelight of one of DC's finest restaurants," Danny began to describe their business dinner as CJ had called it. "Not to mention the fact there was a period of time in which you would grab me periodically to kiss me." CJ blushed, "The thing is Danny," CJ went on with a shyness that was totally out of character for her. "If you were to say, ask me out again, I would without a doubt in my mind take you up on that offer. If you were to take me into your arms again, I would kiss that bearded face of yours, Danny." I don't think that either realized that they were practically in each other's arms as CJ whispered Danny's name. They seemed so comfortable together. There was tenderness and passion in each of their eyes. "CJ," Danny said in a husky voice. "If you would be in the mood to eat something around dinner time, I would love to dine with you." "Daniel Concanon," CJ looked at him with a sly smile, "Are you asking me out?" "Yes," he said a smile appearing on his face. "Yes, I am." "I would like very much if you would accompany me to dinner tonight," CJ told him. "I would like it very much if you would accompany to dinner every night." "CJ," Danny said his face only inches away from hers. "Are you saying yes to the two hundred and forty eighth time I am asking you out?" CJ pressed her lips against Danny's and the reporter had his answer. When they did separate, Danny smiled proudly, "I'll see you tonight." "Good bye, Danny," CJ smiled. Danny was heading out the door when he stopped in his tracks and turned around. He walked towards me and smiled, "Hey Gail, I told you today was going to be the day." @You sure did, Danny.@ "You doubted me, but I knew," Danny told me. @I did doubt you, but that is because you tell me every morning that it'll be the day that CJ will say yes.@ "Now your mommy and your daddy will be together," Danny cooed. @What makes you think that I call you mommy and daddy?@ "What makes you think that you are Gail's father?" CJ demanded of Danny. "And why are you talking to my goldfish?" "Because I talk to Gail all the time," Danny answered the second question and then, "Well, I thought that since I was the one that gave you Gail, that you know it'd be cute if you were the mommy and I was the daddy." "Danny get out!" CJ said. I could tell she was freaked out by Danny's whole goldfish logic. "Are we still on for tonight?" He asked. "If you get out now, and promise me not to confuse my goldfish." "All right," Danny left the room. "See you tonight." @Now, CJ that wasn't very nice. Sometimes, you've got to let Danny have his own pretend little world, cause he's a little strange.@ "That man," CJ sighed. @Oh, but you love him!@ "Hey CJ," Leo yelled from the hall as he began entering the room. "The President cancelled the staff meeting for tonight. Apparently he forgot his anniversary and is trying to make it up to Mrs. Bartlet." @That means you and Jenny can have an evening together.@ "The President forgot his anniversary?" CJ asked in a laugh. "The man doesn't remember everything," Leo sighed. "So underneath that whole powerful man shell, is actually just a dumb human man?" CJ questioned. "I don't know if I'd go so far as to call him dumb," Leo told CJ. "I mean the Secret Service is all around this place." "So Leo," CJ started conversation, "What are you going to do with your night off?" "I have dinner plans with me estranged wife," Leo said. CJ smiled, "Good luck to you." "Thanks CJ," Leo smiled. "I'm off." CJ looked at her watch, "I should probably go find Danny." @All right. Go! Have fun tonight!@ CJ began to pack her things, "let me get you fed before I leave." She opened the fish food container and made a face. "I never understand how this container is full in the morning and nearly empty at the day's end." @I can blame this one on Josh. He's been eating my food! Well, I mean, so have I cause, when I work hard people tend to reward me.@ "All right," CJ smiled and sprinkled a little food into my bowl. "Don't work too hard tonight!" @I don't plan on it. Today was busy for me. I saved the President's marriage, I helped Sam to realize which woman he wanted, I helped the possible restoration of the McGarry marriage, I got Josh and Donna together, I got Toby to talk to his ex-wife, oh yeah, and I got you and my daddy together!@ "Good night, Gail!" CJ called. @Good night!@
The End
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