TWW FIC :: "Diffusion" [CJ/Ainsley, CJ&Josh friendship, PG13]
Title: Diffusion
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Author's Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Pairing: CJ/Ainsley, CJ&Josh friendship
Rating: PG13 for language
Date: 3-4 March 2009
Word Count: 916
Written for: purimgifts 2009
Recipient: openended
Summary: Family is more than just flesh and blood.
Series: Get What You Need
Sequel to: all previous stories in the series
Warning: Established lesbian couple. Don't like it? Don't read it.
Spoilers (if any): Post-series.
Disclaimer: "The West Wing", the characters and situations depicted are the property of Warner Bros. Television, John Wells Productions, NBC, etc. They are borrowed without permission, but without the intent of infringement. This site is in no way affiliated with "The West Wing", NBC, or any representatives of the actors.
Author's Notes: This story is totally post-series. And my CJ muse? Yeah, she's a royal pain in the ass and wanted this story to be way longer than 1000 words. Maybe once the reveal is done, I'll go back and try to do that expansion… And yes, Rabbi Tuckman is a direct reference to Mel Brooks & Robin Hood: Men in Tights, because I could… *veg*
Inspirational Images Info: I found the images via Google, here, here, and here. No copyright infringement is intended.
Beta: ctorres & shatterpath
"Diffusion"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
"CJ? Is that you?"
I glance up woodenly to see Josh coming toward me. It's been two years since I last actually saw him, six months since we last talked. He doesn't really look any different. A little older maybe, a little grayer in what hair he's got left, but nothing major. That's more than I can say for myself.
"Hey, Josh," is all I can muster at the moment. "You're looking good."
"Which is more than I can say for you. What the hell happened to you? You look like you've been crumpled up in a pile of dirty clothes in a dorm room."
I snort softly and glance down at myself. I've dressed better, that's for certain, but I'm not as bad as he says. Am I? I try to answer him, but the words don't come immediately, so I simply shrug instead and let my gaze fall back to the floor tiles.
"Come on, let's get you outta here," he says softly and guides me out into the unusually bitter winds.
The late afternoon sunlight is blinding and I fumble for my sunglasses to hide the tears filling my eyes. I walk with him, following really, and don't pay any attention to where we are or where we're headed. All I know is that there's a familiar, safe presence next to me and I'm back in DC. How I got here from Ohio? No clue whatsoever.
"CJ? When's the last time you ate?"
I shake my head when the answer doesn't come immediately to me. "I don't know. What day is it?"
"It's Thursday, and if you can't remember, then it's been too long." We head into a deli that seems vaguely familiar and I wait aimlessly as Josh orders food for us. "Drink this," he orders gently as he sets a steaming cup of coffee in my hands. Once I've had a few sips, he continues his questioning. "Does Ainsley know you're here?"
Once again, I shake my head. "I didn't even realize I was going to come here," I admit honestly. "I just had to get away. Dad…"
"I heard. I'm so sorry."
I fight the urge to shrug again, instead taking in another mouthful of the hot coffee that is finally giving a sense of realness to my life again. "He didn't know who I was, who any of us were, anymore. It's probably been two years since there was even a glimpse of who he was in there."
Josh is about to say something, but is interrupted by the arrival of our food, and I nearly pass out from the heady aroma coming off the big bowl of beef barley soup set down in front of me. I don't even wait for the waitress to get her hands out of the way before I'm shoveling spoonfuls of the stuff into my mouth. For several long minutes, the only sounds that filter into my brain are those related to consuming food. And then, as if a switch has been flipped, I set down my spoon with a shaking hand and take several deep breaths to calm the frantic beating of my heart.
"CJ? You okay?" As soon as I begin to shake my head, his warm hand wraps around mine, followed relatively quickly by his other arm around my shoulders. "It's okay," he murmurs repeatedly until I don't feel quite so panicked anymore. He digs into his pocket and pulls out his Blackberry. "Call Ainsley, okay? She's worried sick about you. In fact…" He presses a couple of buttons, then hands it to me. "Here."
"Josh?" The sound of her voice through that little speaker gets the tears welling in my eyes again.
"Hey, babe," I reply thickly, nearly choking on the lump in my throat. All it takes is a split second for her to recognize my voice before her tirade washes over me, and I feel more settled in my skin. She only gets this worked up because she loves me. My dad may be gone, my step-mother may be a flake, my brothers may be idiots where anything regarding our family is concerned, but Ainsley will always be there for me. I still have to wonder how I managed to deserve her in my life. As the tears start anew, Josh takes the phone and starts a mini-debate with Ainsley before finally hanging up.
"She's gonna kick my ass when she gets here, isn't she?" I finally mutter.
"Nah!" he scoffs and lightly punches me in the shoulder. "She loves you more than anything, Ceej, and you know it. Yeah, she'll be pissed for a while, but it'll blow over." I nod slowly and take a couple more spoonfuls of my soup. "So, how the hell did you wind up in my synagogue? I thought Rabbi Tuckman was insane when he said the former Press Secretary was sitting there, staring off into space."
I consider it for a moment. "I guess it seemed appropriate somehow. I made it here on autopilot, so why not hit a place of worship I vaguely remembered?" And then I grin at him. "Besides, maybe I'll convert. I mean, you did save me after all."
"You couldn't give up chocolate for Lent. Do you honestly think you can give up shellfish for good?"
"Good point." I reach across the table to squeeze his hand. "Thank you, Josh. For everything. I don't think I say it often enough."
"That's what friends are for."
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Author's Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Pairing: CJ/Ainsley, CJ&Josh friendship
Rating: PG13 for language
Date: 3-4 March 2009
Word Count: 916
Written for: purimgifts 2009
Recipient: openended
Summary: Family is more than just flesh and blood.
Series: Get What You Need
Sequel to: all previous stories in the series
Warning: Established lesbian couple. Don't like it? Don't read it.
Spoilers (if any): Post-series.
Disclaimer: "The West Wing", the characters and situations depicted are the property of Warner Bros. Television, John Wells Productions, NBC, etc. They are borrowed without permission, but without the intent of infringement. This site is in no way affiliated with "The West Wing", NBC, or any representatives of the actors.
Author's Notes: This story is totally post-series. And my CJ muse? Yeah, she's a royal pain in the ass and wanted this story to be way longer than 1000 words. Maybe once the reveal is done, I'll go back and try to do that expansion… And yes, Rabbi Tuckman is a direct reference to Mel Brooks & Robin Hood: Men in Tights, because I could… *veg*
Inspirational Images Info: I found the images via Google, here, here, and here. No copyright infringement is intended.
Beta: ctorres & shatterpath
"Diffusion"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
"CJ? Is that you?"
I glance up woodenly to see Josh coming toward me. It's been two years since I last actually saw him, six months since we last talked. He doesn't really look any different. A little older maybe, a little grayer in what hair he's got left, but nothing major. That's more than I can say for myself.
"Hey, Josh," is all I can muster at the moment. "You're looking good."
"Which is more than I can say for you. What the hell happened to you? You look like you've been crumpled up in a pile of dirty clothes in a dorm room."
I snort softly and glance down at myself. I've dressed better, that's for certain, but I'm not as bad as he says. Am I? I try to answer him, but the words don't come immediately, so I simply shrug instead and let my gaze fall back to the floor tiles.
"Come on, let's get you outta here," he says softly and guides me out into the unusually bitter winds.
The late afternoon sunlight is blinding and I fumble for my sunglasses to hide the tears filling my eyes. I walk with him, following really, and don't pay any attention to where we are or where we're headed. All I know is that there's a familiar, safe presence next to me and I'm back in DC. How I got here from Ohio? No clue whatsoever.
"CJ? When's the last time you ate?"
I shake my head when the answer doesn't come immediately to me. "I don't know. What day is it?"
"It's Thursday, and if you can't remember, then it's been too long." We head into a deli that seems vaguely familiar and I wait aimlessly as Josh orders food for us. "Drink this," he orders gently as he sets a steaming cup of coffee in my hands. Once I've had a few sips, he continues his questioning. "Does Ainsley know you're here?"
Once again, I shake my head. "I didn't even realize I was going to come here," I admit honestly. "I just had to get away. Dad…"
"I heard. I'm so sorry."
I fight the urge to shrug again, instead taking in another mouthful of the hot coffee that is finally giving a sense of realness to my life again. "He didn't know who I was, who any of us were, anymore. It's probably been two years since there was even a glimpse of who he was in there."
Josh is about to say something, but is interrupted by the arrival of our food, and I nearly pass out from the heady aroma coming off the big bowl of beef barley soup set down in front of me. I don't even wait for the waitress to get her hands out of the way before I'm shoveling spoonfuls of the stuff into my mouth. For several long minutes, the only sounds that filter into my brain are those related to consuming food. And then, as if a switch has been flipped, I set down my spoon with a shaking hand and take several deep breaths to calm the frantic beating of my heart.
"CJ? You okay?" As soon as I begin to shake my head, his warm hand wraps around mine, followed relatively quickly by his other arm around my shoulders. "It's okay," he murmurs repeatedly until I don't feel quite so panicked anymore. He digs into his pocket and pulls out his Blackberry. "Call Ainsley, okay? She's worried sick about you. In fact…" He presses a couple of buttons, then hands it to me. "Here."
"Josh?" The sound of her voice through that little speaker gets the tears welling in my eyes again.
"Hey, babe," I reply thickly, nearly choking on the lump in my throat. All it takes is a split second for her to recognize my voice before her tirade washes over me, and I feel more settled in my skin. She only gets this worked up because she loves me. My dad may be gone, my step-mother may be a flake, my brothers may be idiots where anything regarding our family is concerned, but Ainsley will always be there for me. I still have to wonder how I managed to deserve her in my life. As the tears start anew, Josh takes the phone and starts a mini-debate with Ainsley before finally hanging up.
"She's gonna kick my ass when she gets here, isn't she?" I finally mutter.
"Nah!" he scoffs and lightly punches me in the shoulder. "She loves you more than anything, Ceej, and you know it. Yeah, she'll be pissed for a while, but it'll blow over." I nod slowly and take a couple more spoonfuls of my soup. "So, how the hell did you wind up in my synagogue? I thought Rabbi Tuckman was insane when he said the former Press Secretary was sitting there, staring off into space."
I consider it for a moment. "I guess it seemed appropriate somehow. I made it here on autopilot, so why not hit a place of worship I vaguely remembered?" And then I grin at him. "Besides, maybe I'll convert. I mean, you did save me after all."
"You couldn't give up chocolate for Lent. Do you honestly think you can give up shellfish for good?"
"Good point." I reach across the table to squeeze his hand. "Thank you, Josh. For everything. I don't think I say it often enough."
"That's what friends are for."