TWW Fic: In the Shadow of Disaster (CJ/Hoynes)
TITLE: In the Shadow of Disaster
PAIRING: CJ/Hoynes
RATING: pea.gee.xiii
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters!
NOTES: For dangerusliasons. She asked for CJ/Hoynes, after the shooting in Rosslyn. It's been a while since I've written this pairing... but, I tried :)
Everything had been happening so quickly.
There were too many external sights and sounds to process. With the acidic taste of adrenaline in his mouth and the panicked drum line of his heart, the activity around him wasn't making much sense.
We've got Bookbag.
Eagle's in Bamboo.
He hadn't been there with the gunshots and the screams and sirens. He had the chaos of the Secret Service around him, as they took him in Willow (his motorcade) to an undisclosed and secure location, but the chaos wasn't registering.
He didn't know what happened. He knew it was serious---he heard them talking about the President and his youngest daughter---but he couldn't remember where he had been or who else was with him.
One of the agents in the limousine had been talking about the hospital, but he didn't know who was there, hurt.
Princeton and Flamingo are on their way.
Hearing her code name made him blink and snap up his head.
"What about Flamingo?" he asked, speaking for the first time since he was snatched from the lobby of the White House.
"Sir, our priority is get you to the safe house and we'll have information on events once we arrive---"
"Tell me what happened to her."
He meant to inject enough unwavering command into his voice. He assumed he did because one of the fair-haired agents cleared his throat and spoke.
"Reports so far indicate she's fine. She was knocked down... but not seriously injured. Sir."
John sagged against the leather seats and let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding in his chest.
She was knocked down... but not seriously injured.
He knew he shouldn't be worried about her. Claudia was a capable woman---he wouldn't have been attracted to her if she wasn't---but even with the threat of a national security disaster, he couldn't stop worrying about her.
Of all the women in his life, she was the one who shouldn't have captured his heart---and the only one that really did.
The divide that had broken his marriage years ago damaged his heart. She had been the one, during a convention, that had started to repair that damage.
During the campaign, before Jed took the nomination, they had decided---in the aftermath of a debate---that it couldn't go any further.
During the campaign, after John was added to the ticket, they picked up where they left off. In the aftermath of every illicit encounter, they decided it was over---but they always found their way to each other.
He knew he should be more concerned with whatever had happened wherever the President was, but all he could think about was the fact that Claudia was going to be alright.
&&&&
After his security briefing, he asked for a phone.
The security detail was reluctant, but he finally did get the phone (and a secure line) for which he had demanded.
They connected his call to the hospital, and after he spoke with the shaken First Lady, he was able to speak with the President's Press Secretary.
She didn't speak at first. He could hear her rapid breathing, with a little hitch shaking it every time she paused to inhale.
"Claudia," he whispered hoarsely.
"Mr. Vice---"
She stopped short. The background noise around her died away.
"John," she murmured.
"Are you hurt?"
"I hit my head," she told him quietly. "Someone knocked me down when the shooting started."
"Thank God," he breathed, meaning the words with every inch of his soul.
Her voice was quiet when she spoke next. He imagined her cheeks flushing as she tucked an unruly curl of hair away.
"When are you going back?" she asked.
"Soon," he told her. "I think I have to descend into the Sit Room for a little while."
She sighed shakily. "Once we get a briefing on Josh... I'll probably be heading back, too."
"Josh?" he asked.
Claudia sniffled as she told him about what had happened to Josh. If he hadn't already been sitting down, he would have needed to after hearing about how he was shot and in emergency surgery that would last through the night. Josh had been his first, before he had been Jed's, and there were sentiments and memories that couldn't (or wouldn't) be erased.
As she finished her story, John felt the urge to hold her. He just needed to know she was real---more real than a voice in his ear.
"When you get back, we are taking a few minutes," he told her.
"John... we can't. It's... it's nuts."
"I know," he agreed, "but, I don't care."
She exhaled slowly. He wondered if the same acidic burn had been in her mouth, too, and if it would taste the same if he kissed her.
&&&&
The world---which had been spinning entirely too quickly for his liking---seemed to stop when he walked into the room where his 'poker games' were held.
His Claudia (because she was 'CJ' and 'Claudia Jean' to everyone else) was standing there, wearing the same clothes as she had in her most recent press conference, looking like a woman and a lost little girl all at the same time.
When the door closed, she looked up at him and managed a weak smile.
"See?" she said, splaying her arms, palms out. "I'm here. I'm still me."
He didn't think anyone would be the same after that night, but he knew that even if she changed, she would still be the woman who had captured his heart.
There would be others, but there would only ever be one of her---no matter how she evolved.
John slowly walked around the large table and extended one of his hands to her. She took the offer, weaving their fingers together before he tugged her into his body.
His arms wrapped around her body, molding her to him, and he pressed his lips to her temple.
Her body seemed to melt. The tension and bravado faded away into nothing and she sagged into his embrace. Each breath she took was shuddering through her chest. She clung to him after moving her hands from his hips to his chest.
"It's okay," he whispered.
"John."
She hadn't been prompting him. His name sounded like a confirmation of hope, like the end to a prayer at the Good Friday service---knowing Easter Sunday was around the corner.
She stopped shaking, but when she looked at him, he saw so many conflicting thoughts and emotions in her eyes. So many that he couldn't count or name them.
He leaned in and kissed her. His lips brushed hers gently, confirming that she was there with him more than the hug could. Then, he looked into her eyes and smiled.
"Claudia," he murmured. He drew her into another hug. "My Claudia."
She shuddered once more and then went still, resting her head upon his shoulder.
They had lives and responsibilities outside of that room. The sky could very well be falling down around them. But, for a few minutes, he was going to just be the man to her woman.
The End!
PAIRING: CJ/Hoynes
RATING: pea.gee.xiii
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters!
NOTES: For dangerusliasons. She asked for CJ/Hoynes, after the shooting in Rosslyn. It's been a while since I've written this pairing... but, I tried :)
Everything had been happening so quickly.
There were too many external sights and sounds to process. With the acidic taste of adrenaline in his mouth and the panicked drum line of his heart, the activity around him wasn't making much sense.
We've got Bookbag.
Eagle's in Bamboo.
He hadn't been there with the gunshots and the screams and sirens. He had the chaos of the Secret Service around him, as they took him in Willow (his motorcade) to an undisclosed and secure location, but the chaos wasn't registering.
He didn't know what happened. He knew it was serious---he heard them talking about the President and his youngest daughter---but he couldn't remember where he had been or who else was with him.
One of the agents in the limousine had been talking about the hospital, but he didn't know who was there, hurt.
Princeton and Flamingo are on their way.
Hearing her code name made him blink and snap up his head.
"What about Flamingo?" he asked, speaking for the first time since he was snatched from the lobby of the White House.
"Sir, our priority is get you to the safe house and we'll have information on events once we arrive---"
"Tell me what happened to her."
He meant to inject enough unwavering command into his voice. He assumed he did because one of the fair-haired agents cleared his throat and spoke.
"Reports so far indicate she's fine. She was knocked down... but not seriously injured. Sir."
John sagged against the leather seats and let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding in his chest.
She was knocked down... but not seriously injured.
He knew he shouldn't be worried about her. Claudia was a capable woman---he wouldn't have been attracted to her if she wasn't---but even with the threat of a national security disaster, he couldn't stop worrying about her.
Of all the women in his life, she was the one who shouldn't have captured his heart---and the only one that really did.
The divide that had broken his marriage years ago damaged his heart. She had been the one, during a convention, that had started to repair that damage.
During the campaign, before Jed took the nomination, they had decided---in the aftermath of a debate---that it couldn't go any further.
During the campaign, after John was added to the ticket, they picked up where they left off. In the aftermath of every illicit encounter, they decided it was over---but they always found their way to each other.
He knew he should be more concerned with whatever had happened wherever the President was, but all he could think about was the fact that Claudia was going to be alright.
&&&&
After his security briefing, he asked for a phone.
The security detail was reluctant, but he finally did get the phone (and a secure line) for which he had demanded.
They connected his call to the hospital, and after he spoke with the shaken First Lady, he was able to speak with the President's Press Secretary.
She didn't speak at first. He could hear her rapid breathing, with a little hitch shaking it every time she paused to inhale.
"Claudia," he whispered hoarsely.
"Mr. Vice---"
She stopped short. The background noise around her died away.
"John," she murmured.
"Are you hurt?"
"I hit my head," she told him quietly. "Someone knocked me down when the shooting started."
"Thank God," he breathed, meaning the words with every inch of his soul.
Her voice was quiet when she spoke next. He imagined her cheeks flushing as she tucked an unruly curl of hair away.
"When are you going back?" she asked.
"Soon," he told her. "I think I have to descend into the Sit Room for a little while."
She sighed shakily. "Once we get a briefing on Josh... I'll probably be heading back, too."
"Josh?" he asked.
Claudia sniffled as she told him about what had happened to Josh. If he hadn't already been sitting down, he would have needed to after hearing about how he was shot and in emergency surgery that would last through the night. Josh had been his first, before he had been Jed's, and there were sentiments and memories that couldn't (or wouldn't) be erased.
As she finished her story, John felt the urge to hold her. He just needed to know she was real---more real than a voice in his ear.
"When you get back, we are taking a few minutes," he told her.
"John... we can't. It's... it's nuts."
"I know," he agreed, "but, I don't care."
She exhaled slowly. He wondered if the same acidic burn had been in her mouth, too, and if it would taste the same if he kissed her.
&&&&
The world---which had been spinning entirely too quickly for his liking---seemed to stop when he walked into the room where his 'poker games' were held.
His Claudia (because she was 'CJ' and 'Claudia Jean' to everyone else) was standing there, wearing the same clothes as she had in her most recent press conference, looking like a woman and a lost little girl all at the same time.
When the door closed, she looked up at him and managed a weak smile.
"See?" she said, splaying her arms, palms out. "I'm here. I'm still me."
He didn't think anyone would be the same after that night, but he knew that even if she changed, she would still be the woman who had captured his heart.
There would be others, but there would only ever be one of her---no matter how she evolved.
John slowly walked around the large table and extended one of his hands to her. She took the offer, weaving their fingers together before he tugged her into his body.
His arms wrapped around her body, molding her to him, and he pressed his lips to her temple.
Her body seemed to melt. The tension and bravado faded away into nothing and she sagged into his embrace. Each breath she took was shuddering through her chest. She clung to him after moving her hands from his hips to his chest.
"It's okay," he whispered.
"John."
She hadn't been prompting him. His name sounded like a confirmation of hope, like the end to a prayer at the Good Friday service---knowing Easter Sunday was around the corner.
She stopped shaking, but when she looked at him, he saw so many conflicting thoughts and emotions in her eyes. So many that he couldn't count or name them.
He leaned in and kissed her. His lips brushed hers gently, confirming that she was there with him more than the hug could. Then, he looked into her eyes and smiled.
"Claudia," he murmured. He drew her into another hug. "My Claudia."
She shuddered once more and then went still, resting her head upon his shoulder.
They had lives and responsibilities outside of that room. The sky could very well be falling down around them. But, for a few minutes, he was going to just be the man to her woman.
The End!