(no subject)
Title: Say Cheese
Rating: T is for Trauma
Character: C.J. Cregg
Notes: For fuyu_ginga. I loev yew and I hope this hits some kinks.
Word Count: 2600
Disclaimer: I mark the territory sometimes but Aaron Sorkin's the alpha and has his marks all over it.
~
"I'm almost ready," C.J. calls out from behind the bathroom door and to her guest. The man, her guest, sits straight up on her sofa (so not to ruin his suit) and laughs mildly.
"You're fine, don't rush," he says and the words float through the air to and to her ears like honey. The complete opposite in tone to hers and it is oddly comforting.
"Have you ever been to a State Dinner? You could be an hour early and you'd still be late."
The man smacks his forehead with his palm in mock failure. "Ah, yes, that's right! I was a dignitary in a past life, right?"
He hears C.J.'s muffled laugh before telling him to shut up.
When she emerges from the small keep of her apartment bathroom, he stands, words stolen from him by her grandeur. The strapless crimson chiffon gown clings to her delicate skin and she self-consciously pulls the matching shawl up around her shoulders to compensate for the bare her hair leaves, now that it is sitting in a taut bun. He wants to capture all of it. Every blink her eyes make; every wave of the chiffon. He wants to keep the shine that is flung off her black stilettos (yes, the ones she has saved for this moment and this moment only). It's this that makes him reach for his black courier bag and it's this that compels him to take out his old Polaroid camera (the one C.J. can't believe a person could have but understands why he does).
She feels like she's getting ready for prom all over again but without the tears of being stood up.
"Adam," she sighs, though not at all agitated. She is his muse; the driving force for all his ingenious and she should know better then to act bashful.
"Say cheese," it's the way he says it that makes her give him the best smile, the comfortable one; the one full of trust and warmth. He believes it's the greatest moment he has ever captured. She smiled and cocked her head to the side exposing her shoulder and bun profile.
"You're beautiful," he repeats, examining the photo.
She laughs softly knowing she isn't that amazing.
"Come on," she says and cannot stop from linking hands with him.
~
Donna sits alone at a table with six name place holders. She can't stop from staring at the one across from her, the one next to C.J.'s. It's reserved for her date, whom she, Donna, has never met and honestly she rather not. She knows C.J.'s track record with men and what if Donna builds a friendship with this man and then later finds out he cheats on C.J. and breaks her heart. He not only goes on the long list of men not suitable for C.J. but Donna once again has to suppress the need to say 'I told you so' and guilt of having a friendship with a man that broke her friend's heart.
When she sees them enter together she stands out of curiosity but signals them over out of duty. When C.J. makes it over to "the fun table", they greet lovingly and C.J. sings the song of introduction.
"Adam, this is Donna Moss. Donna this is Adam Wright." She watches as they shake hands and exchange smiles and hellos before taking their seats.
"Where is everybody," C.J. asks and looks around to emphasize her confusion.
"Apparently our Honorable Guest ate some kind of fish or something that he was highly allergic to. Everyone's making sure he's okay." At C.J.'s wide eyes Donna adds, "Don't worry; they're keeping it pretty quiet."
It doesn't matter, C.J. thinks, either way she will probably be working. Knowing this she whispers it to Adam and in return he rests his hand atop hers and makes his understanding clear and loving. All the while Donna keeps a careful eye on the whole situation almost as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She continues to watch as Adam delicately kisses C.J.'s cheek, whispering something about getting drinks before leaving the two women. C.J. doesn't notice Donna's obsessive awareness; she's too busy watching her date fade into the crowd.
"How long have you been seeing him?"
C.J. turns around to face Donna and smiles broadly, "Almost a week." Donna smiles back, knowing that 'almost a week' in a C.J. love cycle is the equivalent to 'almost a month'.
"What does he do?"
"He's a photographer."
"Really," Donna's eyebrows go up a little. "For what paper?"
C.J. shakes her head, "He takes photos for a gallery."
"Is he any good?"
"Yeah, actually…" C.J. trails off reaching over and down to the seat next to her to retrieve the Polaroid in Adam's bag. "He took this before we left."
Donna delicately takes the photo into her hand. "Wow."
That's when Adam comes back with three glass filled with champagne. The women take the glasses and take a sip; it tastes smoother than it should to C.J. and she takes another quick swig before placing the glass on the table.
"You're really talented," Donna says handing the picture back to him. He gives her a quick smile and examines the picture before slipping it back into his bag. (Donna notes that the quick scan of his work wasn't in admiration of what he can do, but it seemed as though he was looking for smudges and any other signs of naïve handling.)
It's just a photo, she wants to snap but of course she doesn't and decides to ask questions instead.
"How long have you been a photographer?"
"About twenty years," he answers taking his seat. "There was of course a time when I'd gone to med school."
"Why'd you…" Donna leaves her sentence out in the open for him to finish. Not wanting to insult him if she said "drop-out".
"Drop-out? Turned out photography's more exciting than brain surgery," he laughs.
~
C.J. is too busy staring at her empty champagne glass to notice Toby, Sam and Josh approaching the table. She hears them muffle hello to Adam and Donna but she doesn't say hello back when they greet her. The room is spinning all around her and she knows her coordination is shot; so she stares at the glass. Adam knows what is going on and he keeps and eye on her and waits.
She slowly leans over and whispers that she needs to step out for some air. It's hard to form the words and it would concern her if she could think straight but the room is spinning faster. Donna watches her leave and says she'll go and make sure she's okay, but Adam stops her and goes instead.
"What'd you think of Adam?" Donna asks after he leaves.
Josh shrugs while Toby and Sam continue their conversation over the toast (which will turn into an argument soon).
"Why," Josh asks back not finding much interest in discussing who C.J. is seeing.
Donna opens her mouth to confess but shakes her head clear, "No reason" She pauses before departing to check on C.J.
~
Stepping outside she finds no one except a blank Polaroid that reads:
She's with me
~
They manage to get up to his apartment. C.J.'s mind continues to trip between clarity and fuzziness, the spinning now subsiding and leaving her tired. She inhales Adam scent and the corners of her mouth attempt to curl up in a smile; she's with him now, she's OK.
Once he shuts the door she leans against it, exhaling the awful feeling. It's quiet now and she likes it. She grabs Adam's hand and they look one another in the eye letting a second of silence go by before C.J. leans in to kiss him. It's a simple peck on the lips that turns into more than she can handle now. She tries to show him that by pulling back slightly but his hand is settled firmly on the back of her head and his fingers are loosening her bun.
"Hey!" She snaps and even though it is muffled by his lips it still carries its full effect and he moves back. A moment passes, air holding the same stiff anticipation a child feels when waiting for thunder to roll and lightening to crack.
She barely has time to blink before he pins her to the door and she hears the chiffon rip as she fights against his hold. The fuzzy edges of her brain overwhelm her clarity and all she can do is yell and avoid their faces touching. That is, before he cups a strong hand over her mouth and slings her to the floor.
She sees his panic before blacking out.
When she wakes she does not see him. Her head pounds as she stands and stumbles about his apartment. All is quiet. She finds her hand bag and picks it up, examining its contents; her cell phone isn't there. Putting a hand to her forehead she walks about the house, to hell with being stealthy.
He isn't in the kitchen and he wasn't in what appeared to be his bedroom. Angry, C.J. stares down the short hall and at the closed door on the left, across for the bathroom. Holding her breath she stomps into the room, flinging open the door. Her eyes strain out of their sockets as she sees the walls there are pictures everywhere, ceiling to floor. Her heart stops seeing that all the pictures were of her. A room dedicated to her. News articles, magazine interviews and most disturbing and abundant, the photos he took.
"Claudia Jean," Adam says triumphantly, coming up behind C.J. "I see you've found it."
"What the hell is this," she whirls around. She's scared but fear will be the last thing on her mind.
"Your room," he smiles. "Well, not your room really, more like a room of you." He walks into the center of the room as if giving an art show. "It's a work in progress. I'm hoping to fill this section," he motions to the wall across from the door, the very first one a person sees upon entering, "with pictures of us."
Walking back toward her, he pulls two Polaroids from his back pocket. "These are the latest installments." He hands them to her, "I call them 'Dazed' and 'Confused'."
Looking at them her stomach acid eats at her heart, they are photos of her after she passed out. Her hair is in disarray and her makeup is smeared; her anger knows no bounds. She gives the glossy images a dirty smirk before tearing them up.
"Where's my cell phone, you sonofabitch," she demands tossing what's left of the photos to the wood floor.
"Don’t worry about it. I called Donna and told her what happened." His voice takes on a tone of love and respect, something she finds sickening. Adam steps closer to her, almost embracing C.J. until she backs away.
"Yeah, everything except the drugging and the shrine. Go to hell." She turns to leave but Adam latches onto her wrist. When she tries to pull out of his grasp he holds tighter until she turns to look at him.
"So, I take it you don’t want to finish what we started last night."
"No, I want you to get the hell away from me." She stays cool. He's more afraid of you, than you are of him she thinks. She's seen the videos; or was that only for wild animals?
"Why must you always fight?" He says, frustrated. "I thought you liked me," he smiles softly.
"I did," C.J. says regretfully. "But this," she waves her arm around the room, "isn't what I like. What you're doing is -" she throws her hands up in the air, flustered. "I can have you thrown in jail!"
That seems to trigger something inside him. Something has snapped and he has pinned her shoulders against the wall. Looking her in the eye, he says nothing, just stares, mapping out a strategy. Claudia Jean would be his wife; he knows this and he has come too far to have her ruin her destiny as well as his.
C.J.'s phone rings breaking the contact. Adam reaches into his pocket and retrieves the device. He glances at it and then smirks.
"Donna," he says. He offers her the phone like nothing is wrong.
"Hello," C.J. answers upon opening the phone, her eyes burning holes into Adam. He can hear Donna's tone, and though the words are hard to catch he knows they are going a mile a minute. The uncertainty begins to settle in him once more and he exits. He's going to pack.
They could start a new life in Paris or Italy; maybe find a nice place in Canada. These thoughts rattle around in his brain as he begins to pack. They don't need too much, he concludes.
She hangs up quietly, sighing. Donna was a saint, she was amazing and C.J. was beyond grateful the young assistant trusts her intuition. There will be a raid of the house she thinks, it will be intense but-Adam grabs her wrist, forcing her to follow him. She's done and tired of being pulled around like he owned her.
"Adam!" She yells and wiggles free from him, putting some distance between them and the door.
He reaches out for her and she pulls away. "C'mon Claudia Jean, it's not safe here."
"Not safe for you," she says crossing her arms, "I'm fine here."
"C.J.," he pleads, "stop being so difficult."
"You're crazy!" Inside she is absolutely hysterical. She could have loved this man.
"C'mon! We have to go!"
She can't recall when exactly when this struggle became a fist fight but it did. She can't remember who takes the last swing but it wasn't her for she takes a blow to the head and is seeing stars. He picks her up and rushes her down three floors and out to his car. She can hear sirens as he starts the car.
They're going fast, way too fast, but it seems to be in slow motion and as if she was watching it instead of being part of it. Adam's talking to no one but him and she is strapped into the passenger seat as black cars and the shrill sounds of sirens follow them. If she closes her eyes tight enough she can think of soothing thoughts.
She opens her eyes once she hears Adam stop his one sided conversation. Only she wishes she had kept them closed.
~
Machines hum softly as Toby sits next to her bed. The curtains are drawn and the shades are shut. She's wired and bandaged and if it wasn’t for her length he would have a hard time believing this is his best friend. He's covered her feet with his coat (he knows how she hates her feet being) and squeezes his rubber ball in his palm, anticipating her to regain consciousness.
Adam died in the accident, leaving C.J. with a broken arm, cuts and more than a few bruises. Toby stands up when he sees her start to stir and it's a long while before she opens her eyes. When she does, they stare at one another until C.J.'s vision is finally distorted by tears. She would sob if she knew it wouldn't be painful, the anger and relief far too great.
Toby will stay, falling asleep in his chair while C.J. stays awake, everything playing in her mind like thousands of blurred, colorless photos.
Rating: T is for Trauma
Character: C.J. Cregg
Notes: For fuyu_ginga. I loev yew and I hope this hits some kinks.
Word Count: 2600
Disclaimer: I mark the territory sometimes but Aaron Sorkin's the alpha and has his marks all over it.
~
"I'm almost ready," C.J. calls out from behind the bathroom door and to her guest. The man, her guest, sits straight up on her sofa (so not to ruin his suit) and laughs mildly.
"You're fine, don't rush," he says and the words float through the air to and to her ears like honey. The complete opposite in tone to hers and it is oddly comforting.
"Have you ever been to a State Dinner? You could be an hour early and you'd still be late."
The man smacks his forehead with his palm in mock failure. "Ah, yes, that's right! I was a dignitary in a past life, right?"
He hears C.J.'s muffled laugh before telling him to shut up.
When she emerges from the small keep of her apartment bathroom, he stands, words stolen from him by her grandeur. The strapless crimson chiffon gown clings to her delicate skin and she self-consciously pulls the matching shawl up around her shoulders to compensate for the bare her hair leaves, now that it is sitting in a taut bun. He wants to capture all of it. Every blink her eyes make; every wave of the chiffon. He wants to keep the shine that is flung off her black stilettos (yes, the ones she has saved for this moment and this moment only). It's this that makes him reach for his black courier bag and it's this that compels him to take out his old Polaroid camera (the one C.J. can't believe a person could have but understands why he does).
She feels like she's getting ready for prom all over again but without the tears of being stood up.
"Adam," she sighs, though not at all agitated. She is his muse; the driving force for all his ingenious and she should know better then to act bashful.
"Say cheese," it's the way he says it that makes her give him the best smile, the comfortable one; the one full of trust and warmth. He believes it's the greatest moment he has ever captured. She smiled and cocked her head to the side exposing her shoulder and bun profile.
"You're beautiful," he repeats, examining the photo.
She laughs softly knowing she isn't that amazing.
"Come on," she says and cannot stop from linking hands with him.
~
Donna sits alone at a table with six name place holders. She can't stop from staring at the one across from her, the one next to C.J.'s. It's reserved for her date, whom she, Donna, has never met and honestly she rather not. She knows C.J.'s track record with men and what if Donna builds a friendship with this man and then later finds out he cheats on C.J. and breaks her heart. He not only goes on the long list of men not suitable for C.J. but Donna once again has to suppress the need to say 'I told you so' and guilt of having a friendship with a man that broke her friend's heart.
When she sees them enter together she stands out of curiosity but signals them over out of duty. When C.J. makes it over to "the fun table", they greet lovingly and C.J. sings the song of introduction.
"Adam, this is Donna Moss. Donna this is Adam Wright." She watches as they shake hands and exchange smiles and hellos before taking their seats.
"Where is everybody," C.J. asks and looks around to emphasize her confusion.
"Apparently our Honorable Guest ate some kind of fish or something that he was highly allergic to. Everyone's making sure he's okay." At C.J.'s wide eyes Donna adds, "Don't worry; they're keeping it pretty quiet."
It doesn't matter, C.J. thinks, either way she will probably be working. Knowing this she whispers it to Adam and in return he rests his hand atop hers and makes his understanding clear and loving. All the while Donna keeps a careful eye on the whole situation almost as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She continues to watch as Adam delicately kisses C.J.'s cheek, whispering something about getting drinks before leaving the two women. C.J. doesn't notice Donna's obsessive awareness; she's too busy watching her date fade into the crowd.
"How long have you been seeing him?"
C.J. turns around to face Donna and smiles broadly, "Almost a week." Donna smiles back, knowing that 'almost a week' in a C.J. love cycle is the equivalent to 'almost a month'.
"What does he do?"
"He's a photographer."
"Really," Donna's eyebrows go up a little. "For what paper?"
C.J. shakes her head, "He takes photos for a gallery."
"Is he any good?"
"Yeah, actually…" C.J. trails off reaching over and down to the seat next to her to retrieve the Polaroid in Adam's bag. "He took this before we left."
Donna delicately takes the photo into her hand. "Wow."
That's when Adam comes back with three glass filled with champagne. The women take the glasses and take a sip; it tastes smoother than it should to C.J. and she takes another quick swig before placing the glass on the table.
"You're really talented," Donna says handing the picture back to him. He gives her a quick smile and examines the picture before slipping it back into his bag. (Donna notes that the quick scan of his work wasn't in admiration of what he can do, but it seemed as though he was looking for smudges and any other signs of naïve handling.)
It's just a photo, she wants to snap but of course she doesn't and decides to ask questions instead.
"How long have you been a photographer?"
"About twenty years," he answers taking his seat. "There was of course a time when I'd gone to med school."
"Why'd you…" Donna leaves her sentence out in the open for him to finish. Not wanting to insult him if she said "drop-out".
"Drop-out? Turned out photography's more exciting than brain surgery," he laughs.
~
C.J. is too busy staring at her empty champagne glass to notice Toby, Sam and Josh approaching the table. She hears them muffle hello to Adam and Donna but she doesn't say hello back when they greet her. The room is spinning all around her and she knows her coordination is shot; so she stares at the glass. Adam knows what is going on and he keeps and eye on her and waits.
She slowly leans over and whispers that she needs to step out for some air. It's hard to form the words and it would concern her if she could think straight but the room is spinning faster. Donna watches her leave and says she'll go and make sure she's okay, but Adam stops her and goes instead.
"What'd you think of Adam?" Donna asks after he leaves.
Josh shrugs while Toby and Sam continue their conversation over the toast (which will turn into an argument soon).
"Why," Josh asks back not finding much interest in discussing who C.J. is seeing.
Donna opens her mouth to confess but shakes her head clear, "No reason" She pauses before departing to check on C.J.
~
Stepping outside she finds no one except a blank Polaroid that reads:
She's with me
~
They manage to get up to his apartment. C.J.'s mind continues to trip between clarity and fuzziness, the spinning now subsiding and leaving her tired. She inhales Adam scent and the corners of her mouth attempt to curl up in a smile; she's with him now, she's OK.
Once he shuts the door she leans against it, exhaling the awful feeling. It's quiet now and she likes it. She grabs Adam's hand and they look one another in the eye letting a second of silence go by before C.J. leans in to kiss him. It's a simple peck on the lips that turns into more than she can handle now. She tries to show him that by pulling back slightly but his hand is settled firmly on the back of her head and his fingers are loosening her bun.
"Hey!" She snaps and even though it is muffled by his lips it still carries its full effect and he moves back. A moment passes, air holding the same stiff anticipation a child feels when waiting for thunder to roll and lightening to crack.
She barely has time to blink before he pins her to the door and she hears the chiffon rip as she fights against his hold. The fuzzy edges of her brain overwhelm her clarity and all she can do is yell and avoid their faces touching. That is, before he cups a strong hand over her mouth and slings her to the floor.
She sees his panic before blacking out.
When she wakes she does not see him. Her head pounds as she stands and stumbles about his apartment. All is quiet. She finds her hand bag and picks it up, examining its contents; her cell phone isn't there. Putting a hand to her forehead she walks about the house, to hell with being stealthy.
He isn't in the kitchen and he wasn't in what appeared to be his bedroom. Angry, C.J. stares down the short hall and at the closed door on the left, across for the bathroom. Holding her breath she stomps into the room, flinging open the door. Her eyes strain out of their sockets as she sees the walls there are pictures everywhere, ceiling to floor. Her heart stops seeing that all the pictures were of her. A room dedicated to her. News articles, magazine interviews and most disturbing and abundant, the photos he took.
"Claudia Jean," Adam says triumphantly, coming up behind C.J. "I see you've found it."
"What the hell is this," she whirls around. She's scared but fear will be the last thing on her mind.
"Your room," he smiles. "Well, not your room really, more like a room of you." He walks into the center of the room as if giving an art show. "It's a work in progress. I'm hoping to fill this section," he motions to the wall across from the door, the very first one a person sees upon entering, "with pictures of us."
Walking back toward her, he pulls two Polaroids from his back pocket. "These are the latest installments." He hands them to her, "I call them 'Dazed' and 'Confused'."
Looking at them her stomach acid eats at her heart, they are photos of her after she passed out. Her hair is in disarray and her makeup is smeared; her anger knows no bounds. She gives the glossy images a dirty smirk before tearing them up.
"Where's my cell phone, you sonofabitch," she demands tossing what's left of the photos to the wood floor.
"Don’t worry about it. I called Donna and told her what happened." His voice takes on a tone of love and respect, something she finds sickening. Adam steps closer to her, almost embracing C.J. until she backs away.
"Yeah, everything except the drugging and the shrine. Go to hell." She turns to leave but Adam latches onto her wrist. When she tries to pull out of his grasp he holds tighter until she turns to look at him.
"So, I take it you don’t want to finish what we started last night."
"No, I want you to get the hell away from me." She stays cool. He's more afraid of you, than you are of him she thinks. She's seen the videos; or was that only for wild animals?
"Why must you always fight?" He says, frustrated. "I thought you liked me," he smiles softly.
"I did," C.J. says regretfully. "But this," she waves her arm around the room, "isn't what I like. What you're doing is -" she throws her hands up in the air, flustered. "I can have you thrown in jail!"
That seems to trigger something inside him. Something has snapped and he has pinned her shoulders against the wall. Looking her in the eye, he says nothing, just stares, mapping out a strategy. Claudia Jean would be his wife; he knows this and he has come too far to have her ruin her destiny as well as his.
C.J.'s phone rings breaking the contact. Adam reaches into his pocket and retrieves the device. He glances at it and then smirks.
"Donna," he says. He offers her the phone like nothing is wrong.
"Hello," C.J. answers upon opening the phone, her eyes burning holes into Adam. He can hear Donna's tone, and though the words are hard to catch he knows they are going a mile a minute. The uncertainty begins to settle in him once more and he exits. He's going to pack.
They could start a new life in Paris or Italy; maybe find a nice place in Canada. These thoughts rattle around in his brain as he begins to pack. They don't need too much, he concludes.
She hangs up quietly, sighing. Donna was a saint, she was amazing and C.J. was beyond grateful the young assistant trusts her intuition. There will be a raid of the house she thinks, it will be intense but-Adam grabs her wrist, forcing her to follow him. She's done and tired of being pulled around like he owned her.
"Adam!" She yells and wiggles free from him, putting some distance between them and the door.
He reaches out for her and she pulls away. "C'mon Claudia Jean, it's not safe here."
"Not safe for you," she says crossing her arms, "I'm fine here."
"C.J.," he pleads, "stop being so difficult."
"You're crazy!" Inside she is absolutely hysterical. She could have loved this man.
"C'mon! We have to go!"
She can't recall when exactly when this struggle became a fist fight but it did. She can't remember who takes the last swing but it wasn't her for she takes a blow to the head and is seeing stars. He picks her up and rushes her down three floors and out to his car. She can hear sirens as he starts the car.
They're going fast, way too fast, but it seems to be in slow motion and as if she was watching it instead of being part of it. Adam's talking to no one but him and she is strapped into the passenger seat as black cars and the shrill sounds of sirens follow them. If she closes her eyes tight enough she can think of soothing thoughts.
She opens her eyes once she hears Adam stop his one sided conversation. Only she wishes she had kept them closed.
~
Machines hum softly as Toby sits next to her bed. The curtains are drawn and the shades are shut. She's wired and bandaged and if it wasn’t for her length he would have a hard time believing this is his best friend. He's covered her feet with his coat (he knows how she hates her feet being) and squeezes his rubber ball in his palm, anticipating her to regain consciousness.
Adam died in the accident, leaving C.J. with a broken arm, cuts and more than a few bruises. Toby stands up when he sees her start to stir and it's a long while before she opens her eyes. When she does, they stare at one another until C.J.'s vision is finally distorted by tears. She would sob if she knew it wouldn't be painful, the anger and relief far too great.
Toby will stay, falling asleep in his chair while C.J. stays awake, everything playing in her mind like thousands of blurred, colorless photos.