Previously: She sighed deeply, capturing his hand with hers before he could take it away. The plaintive expression in her eyes drew him in. "Don't go."

~*~
The pace of his heart beat picked up at the sound of those two words. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, be there for her, any way she needed him to be but he didn't want to be seen as taking advantage of her. He was there to protect her, from whatever was hurting her, and from herself if it came down to that.

"I'll be right in the next room, on the couch. I won't be far, CJ. You saw my place, it's small."

"Danny, please don't go."

Reaching over to caress her face, he whispered, "I'm right here." With that, he moved around the bed, climbed under the covers and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere." He hesitated, then added, "As long as you need me, and even when you don't, I'll be here for you."

~*~
During the night, she woke up several times. Between the weight on her mind and the pain in her knee, sleep wasn't as readily available to her as when her body was fighting off the effects of the alcohol. Finally, she gave up. She knew there was no way he was sleeping through her movements, "Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"You're awake, right?"

"Uh-hum." He moved to switch on the lamp located on the bedside table but she stopped him.

"Leave it off."

"Okay."

Struggling to sit up without jarring her knee too much, she finally succeeded just as he finished fluffing the pillows behind her. "The journey's been hard lately."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"Hey, you're a reporter. You go on assignments, some of them are out of town. I know that." Lowering her voice, "I don't expect you to be at my beck and call."

"I know you don't but that doesn't change that I feel like I should've been around and I wasn't. So, for that, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're here now." Reaching for his hand, "Thank you for coming to get me."

"You thought I wouldn't?"

Smiling, "No, I kinda figured you would."

"CJ, what's wrong?"

She laughed, a hurt chuckle. "You're kidding, right?"

"Talk it out. Say it out loud. Put it in anyway you're comfortable with but just tell me what the hell's got you so worked up that you drove from Manchester to Boston and got..." he sighed, "drunk enough to call me."

"I've often thought of calling you when I'm sober."

"But you never did."

"Yeah. I never did." She lowered her eyes, then raised them again. "He hid it from us. From all of us. And the only one who got to yell was Toby. Nobody else was allowed to react."

He didn't know what to say so he went with the obvious. "That wasn't fair."

"We were supposed to act as if nothing was wrong and you know what?" She pushed herself up further on the bed, forgetting about her knee momentarily. "Ouch, damnit!"

He rubbed the area surrounding her knee softly, murmuring soothing words.

"We got him elected and he didn't trust us." She shifted slightly, seeking comfort in his arms. "We worked so hard, right along side him we thought, and he knew he was sick and said nothing. He asked us to work for him, to be part of his administration, knowing he was sick, and said nothing. We stood by Leo when Lillianfield was trying to tear him down, we showed him we were a faithful group, and he said nothing. We were shot at, and nothing. All the ups and downs, and nothing. He didn't say a damn thing, Danny!"

Rubbing her shoulder, "I know. You all look like you're the walking dead since the announcement."

"It's hard to be told what to feel. To be so angry and expected to have to stuff it, ignore it, make believe we're not."

"Then allow yourself to feel whatever it is you want to. You're safe with me."

She chuckled again, sadder then before. "Easier said than done."

"I'll help you."

Kissing his cheek, "I know." She moved her arm further around him, pulled him closer, "I figured out what I'd like to feel."

"CJ?"

Moving to kiss him, she hoped he wouldn't move away. He didn't. Their lips locked softly at first, then increased in passion. When he groaned, she snuck her tongue in his mouth, bringing forth another moan. Remembering her knee and more importantly, her state of mind, he pulled away. "We can do this, CJ, but we gotta keep talking too." Pulling her head to rest on his chest, "We can kiss. We like to do that. But you need to talk. That's more important right now."

"I need to figure things out but I've already resigned, Danny."

"It doesn't have to be permanent. And if you really thought it was, you'd have gotten on that plane headed for Napa."

He felt her shrug. "Maybe."

"The hell with maybe, CJ, they'll take you back. You're good. They'd be idiots not to want you back."

Looking at him, she repeated, "Maybe."

"CJ, do you want to go back?"

~*~
End of part 5.