Title: After Manchester

Author: Rhonda Dossett

Character: CJ/Danny

Rating: G

Spoilers: Manchester II

Disclaimers: They're not mine and never will be.

Feedback: Greatly Appreciated

Note: A little different ending for Manchester II

The man in the barn was not the man she thought he was.

The pretense was gone, the facade had crumbled.

Like a fool she had given up everything for him.

Sacrificing time and love, she'd held no other higher.

Standing in that dusty barn she saw his hidden face.

Shouting platitudes, he saw the recognition in her eyes.

It took an eternity but in that instant, she withdrew her blind

allegiance. Too late he reached out to draw her back, to bind her

with his need.

Gazing at him one more time, she thanked him.

He didn't understand for what, he didn't understand goodbye.

Putting one foot in front of the other, she left that barn, that life.

Cutting the ties, she tossed her pager, turned her cell phone off.

Smiling, she drove past the security gate,

And made her long delayed, great escape

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CJ held the phone close, so she could hear.

The noise from the bar had gotten louder. Some football game

was on the televison set and apparently a great number of the

bar's patrons were fans.

"Danny?" CJ clutched the phone tightly.

"CJ! CJ, is that you?" Danny held his breath, afraid she

wouldn't answer.

"Yeah, it's me," she softly replied. "It's me."

"I can't hear you very well," Danny shouted. "Where are you?

Do you realize everyone's going nuts looking for you?"

Concentrating on his first question, she calmly said, "I'm in

a bar. It's kind of noisy."

He frowned into the phone, unsure of what was wrong. "CJ,

what's going on?"

When the silence stretched too long, he added, "You missed the

announcement yesterday."

In a monotone she replied, "I saw it on televison. He did a

good job."

Incredulous, Danny exclaimed, "You just disappeared! I think

the President's got the FBI looking for you."

Her voice breaking, CJ explained, "I couldn't do it any

more Danny."

Afraid now, he pleaded, "Where are you? I'll come get you."

"I don't want to come back," she simply said.

Swallowing hard, he spoke very slowly, "Okay, just meet me

somewhere so we can talk. I want to see you."

"I don't want to be a story, Danny."

Insulted, he declared, "You know me better than that."

Sobbing now her words were indistinct. "I thought I knew him

better than I did."

"CJ, tell me where you are." He couldn't keep the urgency out

of his voice.

Shaking her head at the phone, she explained, "I don't want to see

anyone yet."

"Since when have I been just anyone?" he joked, hoping to

sway her. "CJ, you must have called me for a reason."

Pausing she weakened, "You have to promise to come alone."

"Sure, if that's what you want," he pledged, starting to breathe

again.

With bitterness lacing her words, she replied, "What I want

doesn't exist, it never did."

"CJ, I still exist. Do you want me?"

"More than anything," she sighed.

Emd part 1