Bouncing Back

by: Rhonda and Evelyn

Character(s): The Women of the West Wing
Pairing(s): Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley
Category(s): Humor, Romance, Post Ep
Rating: TEEN
Disclaimer: They're not ours and never will be.
Summary: Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There
Spoiler: Red Haven's On Fire
Feedback: Greatly Appreciated
Authors Note: This is a sequel to Bouncing Inaugural Balls. Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy!

"Hey, CJ! Wait up." Danny jogged to catch up with the long-legged Press Secretary. "I don't stink or anything."

"Can't stop," she called over her shoulder, the light from her newly acquired flashlight flickering. "There was a report of snakes out here earlier."

Huffing, he managed to join her on the trail back to the cabin areas. He grinned at her. "You know how early reports are - they're often wrong."

"You could have told me what was going on instead of scaring me with wildlife." CJ paused at a fork in the trail, then took the left turn, hoping that she'd picked the trail to the cabin she was sharing with Andi and not one that circled her back to where they'd met up with the guys. The snake may have been a ruse, but the skunk was real.

"I was sworn to secrecy by Charlie. He didn't want Amy or Jean-Paul finding out the fire alarm was false."

"Like I was going to tell her anything? Since when have I been Amy's best buddy?" CJ stopped again to catch her breath. The trail had been mostly uphill and her new boots were pinching.

"Next time I'll tell you, okay?" Danny didn't really think she was angry with him, she just didn't like not knowing something first. He lightly punched her upper arm to get her attention.

"You do that, Fishboy." She glanced at him and couldn't keep back a smile. With twigs in his hair and grass-stains on his new shirt and pants, he looked all of ten years old.

They resumed their march up the hill, neither paying a lot of attention to the trail once Danny had managed to catch her hand in his.

"So you've got the evening off. Wanna do something?"

"Like what?" CJ asked.

"Swimming?"

"Too cold for me, even if the pool's heated."

"Skeet shooting?" He tugged on her hand, bringing them to a stop.

"In the dark? No, thanks."

"Bowling?" He grinned and slid one hand around her waist, pulling her against him. "There's a two lane bowling alley here."

"I don't want to break my other nine fingernails." She wrapped her arms around his neck, using the hand that wasn't holding the flashlight to rake the twigs out of his red curls. "We don't want another glue incident do we?"

Danny grinned and began swaying with her, as though they were dancing. "I didn't mind all that much having you attached to me." He tried to execute a little dip, but almost dropped her.

"Careful," she warned, looking up at him, the back of her head a few inches off the ground. "I don't want you throwing out your back, especially not until you've met the high expectations I have for you."

Danny blushed and righted them. "Hey, there's a recreation room with a juke box. We could drink some beer and you could teach me to jitterbug."

"What makes you think I know how to jitterbug?" she quipped, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I just figured. I heard you were... good... on the dance floor." His hands had slipped to her hips, pressing her lower body tight against his.

CJ took a deep breath as she felt his body's response to her nearness. "Well, I am and I do."

"I like the sound of that but we should probably have at least one real date first."

She giggled, an image of Danny sliding a ring on her finger flashing through her mind.

"So, it's a date?" He kissed the side of her neck, working his way across her cheek and finding her mouth.

After several long seconds, they stopped for air.

"Okay, but I want to change my shoes first, maybe take a quick shower." She reluctantly stepped back from him.

"I'll do the same and then come by your cabin - we can walk over together." Danny wrapped one arm around her waist and they started back up the trail.

"Let's not tell anyone else where we're going," CJ suggested, stopping to steal another kiss. "It'll be just you and me, alone. We'll keep the lights off and just dance to the music all night long."

"Uh, CJ?" Danny hated to interrupt her mood, but he'd just noticed the wooden barrier across the trail in front of them.

"Yeah?" She smiled at him, her fingers brushing down the front of his pants.

Of all the times to have to tell her. He just couldn't win. "I think we took the wrong trail."

"Huh?" She looked around in confusion, swinging the flashlight in all directions. "Shit."

Suddenly they were plunged into darkness.

"Uh, CJ? Did you just turn your flashlight off?"

"Sure, Fishboy. We're lost in the middle of the woods at night. What else would I do?"

"Dead batteries?"

"Yes, dammit!" she exclaimed, slapping the flashlight into his hands. "There goes our evening."

He shook the light, hoping it would turn back on. "Well, looking on the bright side - we're alone and I can sing if you still want to dance in the dark with me."

"Danny?" Her voice was a little higher in tone that normal.

"Okay. You can do the singing."

"Are there really snakes out here?"

"Donna?" Josh Lyman stepped out onto the patio of the New Laurel Lodge looking for his girlfriend. He scanned the terrace which was lit only by the bright full moon and the multitude of stars that dotted the dark sky. He stood breathless for a moment as he gazed at the glimmering beams of light that reflected off her blonde tresses. Donna was curled up on a chaise lounge, her knees tucked close to her chest. He crossed to her and knelt down in front of her. "You okay?"

"Never better," she smiled, brushing the back of her hand along his cheek. "I finished making those calls you needed and decided to get a breath of air and enjoy this glorious night for a few minutes. How about you?"

He motioned her to scoot forward and he sat down behind her on the chaise, pulling her back against him, his arms around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. "Everything's set. FEMA is moving into Georgia and the ambassador from Antigua is meeting with Leo in the morning, but at this point, order has been restored."

"You did good, Josh," she said softly.

"*We* did good," he whispered in her ear, following it with a gentle kiss. "I couldn't do it without you." He was quiet for a moment, then chuckled, "but apparently, you can do very well in undercover operations without me."

"I've learned from the master." She giggled.

"Taking the photo of Mandy I had on my dart board for the slide show was brilliant."

"Don't worry. I've put a new picture up."

"Let me guess who?" He laughed, pressing her tight against him.

They were quiet for a moment, enjoying the surrounding beauty. Donna voice's was so quiet that Josh had to strain to hear it. "I was proud that you convinced Leo to arrange that funding for the women's shelter."

"Abbey thinks I did it to make up to her," he said ruefully.

"But I know you would have done it anyway," she answered, turning to face him. She gave him a sweet kiss, then added, "That's what I love about you."

He smiled. "I love you so much, Donnatella. You make me want to be a better person. I want you to be proud of me," he said, searching her face for understanding.

"Always, Josh," she reassured him, bringing her lips to his for a kiss that began slowly, gently, then deepened until they finally broke apart breathless. The grins on their faces mirrored each other. Donna settled back, her head on Josh's chest, his arms tight around her.

"It's so beautiful up here. Without the lights and smog of the city, you can see a million stars, each one just waiting to grant a wish," Donna whispered.

"I don't need the stars," Josh insisted, brushing his lips on top of her head. "I got my wish when I got you.

"You think he'll be safe?" Zoey asked, waving her arms towards the forest where her ex-boyfriend could still be heard alternately cursing and praying in French. She and Charlie were slowly walking back to Aspen Lodge, reluctant to give up this time alone together.

"You worried about him?" Charlie wondered, irritated with the young woman in front of him.

"Not at all. Just a little concerned about my cell phone," she smiled, reaching out to touch the Presidential assistant's arm.

"What's your cell phone got to do with it?" he asked, not quite mollified.

"My sorry excuse for a boyfriend borrowed mine tonight, but since he hasn't called in the French Foreign Legion for help, I'm guessing that he's lost it somewhere," she grinned.

"I thought I heard a splash from the pond that's on the other side of the tree he scrambled up. Cell phones seem to be at risk with these two idiots." Charlie laughed, remembering the flavorful stew made with Josh's phone.

"It's insured and easily replaceable," she paused and stared deeply into the brown eyes of her knight in shining armor. "In fact I probably won't even miss it - or him."

"Well that makes the night a success," he joked. "I wasn't sure what it was going to take to peel that royal leech off you."

Zoey smiled, then looped her arm through Charlie's and started up the path. "You did all this for me?"

"Well for you and to preserve your father's presidency." Charlie chuckled. "Did you know that he threatened to kill Josh if he left him alone with the French parasite?"

"Ouch."

"Are you done roaming the world and sampling foreign fare?" Charlie demanded.

"I'm only interested in the home grown product in front of me," she answered seriously.

"Sometime soon you're going to have to explain to me what you saw in that guy." Charlie solemnly brushed a leaf off her shoulder. "While you're at it, maybe you could also explain why you dumped me in the first place."

"You know why," she answered walking ahead of him again, her eyes focused down on the trail. "I didn't want anyone else I cared about getting hurt because of me."

"Zoey!" Charlie grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. "Josh getting shot was not your fault, you know that."

"It felt like it," she softly answered, crossing her arms and looking anywhere but into his face. "It still does when I'm home from school and I see the faces of the people who were there that night. If I close my eyes, I hear the gun shots and the screaming. I hear the Secret Service Agents shouting and I ..."

"Stop it," Charlie ordered, folding her into his arms. "It's over. You need to stop running long enough to heal."

Zoey raised her head from his chest and met his gaze. "I don't want anyone to hurt you, Charlie. I couldn't bear it."

"I can take care of myself," he assured her framing her face with his large hands. "Are you going to stick around long enough for me to prove that to you?"

When she finally nodded in agreement, he lowered his mouth to hers.

"There you go," Mac grumbled, pointing towards CJ's cabin. "Maybe you two should just stay put for the rest of the night. Safer that way."

"Thanks, but I could have found..." Danny grudgingly started, only to be interrupted by a more grateful Press Secretary.

"I'm very glad that you and Whiskey found us. Even though I'm confident Danny would have gotten us back eventually, I'm happy we didn't have to wait until he could find the North Star, a flowing river, and whatever that green stuff he was searching for on the trees."

Danny jerked opened the cabin door. "Hey, the nature channels always tell you to follow the river to civilization. And I told you that moss only grows on the north side of trees. We could have used that to orient ourselves and..."

"It was on all sides of the trees you were hugging," she protested, following him into the cabin.

"Have a good night," Mac called after them, shaking his head in amusement at the couple's antics and whistling for Whiskey. Stroking the dog's silky head, he mumbled, "Come on girl, let's leave those two alone. They're made for each other."

"Everything okay?" Abbey mumbled, as Jed crawled into bed with her. She'd fallen asleep reading while he was with Josh saving the world.

"Just fine," the Leader of the Free World whispered, spooning with his wife, pulling her back against him, his arm around her waist.

"Where's Zoey?" the First Mother wanted to know.

"Last I spoke to her, she said something about proving that made in America is her first choice," he smiled. "I didn't press her on how she planned to make that point."

"Mmmm, I don't think I want to know," Abbey agreed. "Any updates on the demon spirits of the woods?"

"I understand from Ron that the tree huggers are still butt to bark," he murmured, moving his hand slowly, gently under his wife's short nightie. "You know, sweet knees, that you're going to have to replace Cruella de Vil. Do you already have someone picked out from your sewing circle?"

She snatched his hand from its intended target and dropped it back onto his hip.

When she turning to face him, he caught the steely glare from her flashing eyes.

"Sewing circle?"

"I meant The Women's Caucus of which you proudly serve as chairperson." He backpedaled fast.

She nodded, smiled and turned back around to snuggle back against him. "Damn right, cupcake. But I don't think I'll have to look that far for my next Chief of Staff. As Dorothy once remarked, 'there's no place like home'."

"One of the women from Kansas?" Jed's curiosity was piqued.

"Definitely a Midwesterner, someone with capable hands." She smiled. "How about the rest of the crew? All present and accounted for?"

"I think Eros, the god of love, has been pretty busy in these woods," he murmured, once again sliding his hand under her nightgown.

"I don't think it's Cupid's arrow that I need to worry about," she whispered, turning to face her husband and capturing his lips with a deep kiss.

"I think I need more practice," Danny said, his voice muffled by the blanket covering his head. I lost the beat."

"Well, okay. Just once more though," CJ sighed, tugging him upwards in the bed. "At some point we'll want to try this standing up and with music."

Danny grinned at her as he arranged their arms and legs to suit him. "I have to warn you I'm a slow learner."

"Good," she whispered, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I don't want you to miss a step."

"Don't you ever sleep?" Debbie asked the man who was standing under the tree smoking a cigar.

She'd gotten up for some aspirin for her pounding head and happened to see him on the patio outside her bedroom window.

"Not that much anymore," he responded. "It seems like the older I get the less sleep I need, either that or I just don't like remembering."

"Dreaming? You mean you don't like dreaming?"

He shrugged. "Same difference. My dreams are filled with the past, most of it not so pretty."

Debbie tightened the belt on her long robe as she moved to stand near him. Reaching out she plucked the cigar from his hand and took a long puff.

"Hey," he exclaimed, startled by her actions. "I thought you didn't smoke."

"I didn't say that," she replied. "I said I didn't like smoking."

"You're a complicated woman, Ms. Fiderer," he said with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around her narrow shoulders.

"Damn straight," she retorted, taking another puff and blowing a smoke ring in the night air.

She didn't understand why the humans were still up in the tree or why the tall man with the gun kept watch over them. Whiskey stopped next to the bush where the little man with the glasses had been sprayed. She'd tried to warn him, but like most humans he hadn't listened. Raising her nose in the air she took a sniff. Time to go back to her master. The skunk was back.

Amy took a deep breath and tried to affect a reasonable tone. "I'm going to try to reach my cell phone. It would be a big help if you'd shut up your crying long enough for me to get to the ground and back up again. I need to be able to hear if the bear comes back."

"And what about the witch?" Jean-Paul screeched. "Have you forgotten her? It's no use. We're doomed. I should never have come to this country, never left my native land to walk among the savages."

Amy wiped her hand across her dirt-smeared face. The little wimp never let up. "I'm not afraid of Mandy Hampton, alive or dead. If she shows up again I'll kick her scrawny ass all the way back to the high-priced PR firm she bankrupted. Now anything 8 feet tall and wearing fur, I respect. So I need you to SHUT UP before I rip off your head and spit in the hole!"

Jean-Paul whimpered once more but quieted when he saw her climbing towards the limb he was crouched on.

"Now that we've reached an understanding," Amy growled, changing her direction of movement to downward, "maybe I can get us a ride out of here."

Sliding down the bark, she ripped the pocket off her jeans on a branch, mumbling, "I'm gonna bill Abbey Bartlet for that and for every minute I spent listening to that idiot boyfriend of her twit daughter."

Finally reaching the ground, Amy carefully glanced around. It was dark, but the clouds had finally cleared, leaving the light from a full moon to pierce the woods. No bulky shapes were hiding in the bushes that she could see. No sounds other than an occasional sniff from the wimp up in the tree.

On her hands and knees, she began sweeping her hands over the ground, searching for the cell phone she'd dropped earlier. Just as her fingers closed over it, she smelled something awful - something dank and pungent and... Raising her head she came face to face with a little black and white creature with glowing eyes.

"Did you hear something?" a drowsy Abbey asked, rolling over and nudging her sleeping husband.

"Nah. Go to sleep. Everything is fine." Jed hid a smile against his pillow as he lied to his wife. He'd recognize that scream anywhere. Ron would probably be dragging the two miscreants out of the woods and sticking them in a car headed back to D.C. any minute now.

Sighing in pleasure, Jed shut his eyes. Life was good.

The end.

Sequel: Rebound

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9a | 9b

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