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Chapter Text

“CJ! CJ!” Danny slapped her cheek lightly as he spoke with urgency.  He tried not to shake her so much so that he could possibly hurt her even more.  He struggled with shaking hands as he untied the gag around her mouth.  The only thing that was keeping him from over reacting was the fact that if someone found him here, he would be dead.  He ignored the pit of dread in his stomach as her head lulled weakly away from him.

He glanced to the door making sure that nobody had showed up.  Between the smell of mildew and sweat, he felt nausea creep up his throat.  He hastily swallowed it down as he saw just how badly she was being treated.  A bare mattress in a corner next to a bucket that he assumed was her toilet from the smell that assaulted his nose.  He prayed to an unseen God that somehow, in some way, CJ would be okay in the long run.

“Come on! CJ!” He hissed as he pulled her up, supporting all her weight, not that there was seemingly much.  He kept his eyes low as her feet dragged slightly.  He started to move as he heard a weak groan emit itself through her lips. 

The low buzz of the fluorescent lights from over head sounded louder to Danny than his footsteps and harsher to his eyes.  He paused briefly, hoisting CJ’s body back up to give him more stability.  The erratically flashing light bulb casted unnerving shadows that made his steps even more hurried. 

“Wake up!” He hissed angrily to the air as he dragged her around a corner.  He could feel the sweat rolling down his face rapidly.  He prayed that he was close to getting out of this hell hole.  He knew that CJ would want to just get home already if she was conscious. 

Danny stopped and looked around, holding his breath before he settled her onto the ground.  He wiped the sweat off his brows as he realized how gaunt her cheeks were. He realized then just how badly she was injured.  He noticed how badly split her eyebrow was. The crusted blood around her lip.  Danny felt his hands clench as he felt fury sweep through his body.  He wanted to kill the bastards that hurt her.

“I am going to get you out of here now,” He grunted as he positioned her body around his.  He stared straight ahead as he started moving as fast as he could.  He ignored how badly his legs burned as he turned another corner.  He gently pinned her against the wall as a moving light was coming towards them.  Danny could feel the grey cement walls closing in on them.

Danny could hear the blood rushing in his ears as his mind raced with a way to get past this.  He put her on the ground gently.  He was cursing himself for never taking a self defense class in his life.  His heart beat got louder and louder in his ears as he heard the foot steps get closer.  The single thought of this fucker being a person that hurt CJ made his stomach burn with anger. 

He clenched his fists as he felt his entire body tense up, all the way to his teeth clenching.  Briefly blinded by the light that shone into his eyes, made him wince entirely.

“Who the fuck are you?!” The unfamiliar voice questioned.

“Wrong question asshole.” He snapped. 

Chapter Text

C.J. sat at her desk, massaging her temples as she felt her headache spreading to her shoulders.

“Margaret?” She called out with a wince as she tossed the empty bottle of aspirin on to her desk.  She had never been so thankful that it was nighttime.

“I thought you might be out soon, so I already went and picked some up for you.  I think it is getting close to nine. “Margret said as she placed the medicine on the mahogany desk with a chilled bottle of water on her desk for her. 

“Thank you for the subtlety of telling me to go home,” C.J. responded with a weary smile.

“You may think that running yourself thin will show how dedicated you are to President Bartlett, but we all know that you are dedicated to him and to making sure that the world doesn’t implode.  So, it won’t hurt if you go home before midnight for once and indulge in a bubble bath.  After all the Middle East will still be here when you wake up!” Margret responded.

CJ paused for a moment, her fingers on the cap of her bottle.  She knew that Margret was right beyond all measure.  She stood, nodding, “You’re right Margret.  Go home and sleep well.  I am going to go and indulge in that bubble bath and some proper rest,” She acknowledged before she headed toward her coat. 

Margret’s eyebrows rose towards her forehead, momentarily caught off guard, “Okay…do you need anything else before I go?” She quipped.

C.J. smiled, “Just go enjoy that baby.” She answered as she pulled her coat on. 

Margret smiled widely with a nod of her head before leaving the room quickly.  C.J. smiled to herself gathering her things before alerting her agents that she was ready to.

“An early night?” Joe quipped as Aella joined their ranks.

“Yes.  Margret talked me into leaving early.” C.J. said with a stronger smile.  She couldn’t believe that her body was relaxing as she was leaving the office.  She knew she never gave Margret enough credit. 

“Any special plans for tonight?” He questioned as they headed to the car.

“Yes! A hot bath and a bottle of wine.  Both are going to be so relaxing, you have no idea. “She smiled before sliding into the car, thanking him.  She allowed herself to answer some emails on her way home, deciding to switch her phone to vibrate. 

She took the stairs to her home faster than normal before letting Joe check her apartment and entering herself.  She smiled before she locked the door, dropping her keys on the ledge.  She tossed her purse and jacket onto her couch as she walked towards her bedroom.  Soon enough her shirt, pants, and undergarments joined the floor as she ran her hot water.

She groaned as the hot water ran over her fingers.  It all felt so good.  She poured in some of her lavender bubble bath before tying her hair up and slipping into the gloriously hot water.  She could feel her body relaxing muscle by muscle as she sank further into her tub. 

***

C.J. stepped out of her haven, tying her robe tightly around her waist as she rolled her neck.  She opened the fridge, almost laughing at herself for expecting there to be food in it.  She pulled out her half drank bottle of wine and opened numerous cabinet doors before successfully finding a pack of crackers, some peanuts, and pulled down a glass for her wine. 

She walked to her couch, flicking on her television before stretching out.  She barely paid attention before stopping on her guilty pleasure movie.  Miss. Congeniality.  She knew that she would get shit from her guys if they knew how much she loved this movie.  She cozied herself further into her couch as she absentmindedly ate her peanuts. 

C.J. tried desperately to pay attention but instead, her thoughts drifted to Kazakhstan and Chairman Farad.  Something wasn’t sitting right with her and she didn’t know what it was, and it was beginning to bother her that she couldn’t figure it out.  She also couldn’t stop thinking about how Frost had warned her.  That this was a larger scale conspiracy that we weren’t piecing together.  She sighed heavily as she felt her tension headache returning. 

She easily polished off the rest of her bottle, setting her empty glass on the table in front of her, deciding to give up on paying attention to the television.  She stood, pacing around her living room before nearly jumping out of her skin from the knock on her door. She glanced at the clock before heading towards the door.  Who would be visiting her at eleven o’ clock at night? Then again…why hadn’t Joe called her to tell her that someone was here?

“Give me one minute please,” She called out.  She felt her stomach tighten as her fingers fumbled for her phone.  She had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she didn’t see any missed calls.  C.J. flinched violently as there was another knock at her door, with an even heavier hand than the first one.

“I…uhm will be right there!” She tried, but failed, to answer lightly.  She racked her brain desperately for a solution.  She took a deep breath…before realizing how silly she was acting before she thought it was probably Danny.  He could always talk off Joe’s ear. 

C.J. laughed at herself before shooting Danny a text. See you soon? She hit send before tossing her phone back onto her couch.  She quickly unlocked her door, placing her hand on her hip before she pulled the door open.

“Well Fish boy, you certainly…” Her words quickly died in her throat as she stared down the barrel of a gun. Her eyes swept the hallway, seeing Joe’s body laying in the middle of the floor with a deadly amount of blood surrounding his body.  C.J. felt as though there was a hole punched into her lungs.  She felt the room closing in on itself as she saw Aella’s body sprawled out in the hallway as well.  She saw her Aella’s shallow breathing and knew that she shouldn’t bring attention to it.  She felt as though her brain was shutting down as she stared at Joe again.  She didn't think that she had ever seen so much carnage in her life besides the assassination attempt. 

C.J. barely managed to pull her vision past the gun, “Let’s go.” A heavy accent hissed at her. She struggled to place it as her mouth opened and closed but none of her words came out.  She knew she should scream or fight, but she felt stuck to her spot.

She felt her body being yanked forward as she stumbled.  She felt the gun pressed into her lower back, near her hip, “You scream or make any sudden movements and I shot. Got it?” He questioned. 

C.J. felt as though her voice was stuck in her throat.  She honestly didn’t know if she could answer.  “Oh God,” She croaked as she stepped through Joe’s blood.  All she could think about was his five-year-old daughter that would no longer have a Dad.  She looked at Aella’s body praying that an ambulance would get here soon enough to save her.  She stumbled a few steps, realizing how slick blood was versus hardwood floors.  She swallowed the lump in her throat.  She didn’t know what to do to protect herself.  She swore that the walls were collapsing in on her as she started to see black around the corners of her vision.  She didn’t even realize that she had stopped walking.

“Keep going dumb bitch!” He hissed as C.J. begged her body to remember how to walk.  Instead, her mind remained blank as she stood in her spot. 

“Fine, don’t listen,” He snapped lowly.  She felt pain blossom in her shoulder as she collapsed to floor, crying out in pain.  She swore that ever nerve in her arm snapped.  She desperately started to crawl to try to get away.  She barely made it to the elevator.  That was the last thing she saw before her world was sent into a pitch-black darkness.

Chapter Text

Danny sat back down, cracking open his second beer before taking a long drink, “Ahh,” He sighed softly before setting it down on his side table.  He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips as his phone lit up, alerting him that C.J. had texted him.  He was shocked to see how forward she was being but decided not to let it go to waste.  He stood, pulling on his jacket before answering back.

See you in 15. He answered before abandoning his beer and heading out.  He zipped his coat up against the brisk night air as he hailed a cab and promised a hefty tip to the driver if he got him there in less than ten minutes.  Needless to say, he had no problem leaving the driver with eighty bucks for his tip.  He breezed up the stairs, hitting the elevator button.  He rocked on his feet with excitement to see her face and possibly even kiss her. 

“Come on!” He muttered as he impatiently hit the button yet again.  He glanced around, hitting the button once more, before finally stepping into the doors and hitting the number three.  What was probably only a minute, felt like a thousand years to him.  He checked his phone for any more messages as he stepped out.  He felt his feet slip from underneath himself before he could even have a chance of stopping his body, he was sprawled out on the floor.

He could smell the blood before he saw it, his brain taking a second to even register what his clothes were covered in.  He felt as though he had been hit by a bus as he saw the two secret service agents lying in their own pools of blood.  He quickly stood, looking around.  He felt his legs wanting to give out as he saw C.J.’s door wide open.  Danny stumbled to the door, nearly running head first into the door frame before he frantically went from room to room, “CLAUDIA JEAN?! ANSWER ME!” He bellowed. 

He felt his heart pounding out of his chest as ran back to the hallway.  He saw his smeared hand prints that clutched her door frame.  He looked for two sets of footprints, but only saw one.  He checked for Joe’s pulse without any success. He saw the other agent.  He prayed that she survived for a lead as to what happened to C.J.  He felt his eyes widened as he felt a small puff of air escape through her lips.  He looked at her, “Hey! I need you to focus on my voice okay? I need you to breathe.  I need you to focus on my voice.  This is going to hurt. I am going to apply pressure to your wound.  Okay? I am calling for an ambulance now!”

He quickly dialed 911 before pressing down on her wound, hard.  He hoped to be save whatever amount of blood she had left inside of her body.  He felt a small flutter of hope as he watched the look of pain cross her face.

“911 what is your emergency?”

“My name is Daniel Concannon.  I was coming to see Claudia Jean Cregg, Chief of Staff for the White House.  Two of her agents have been shot.  I don’t know if there are more people around that are injured, but she is missing and there is a lot of blood.  One of them is most certainly dead.  The other one, a female, has a weak pulse.” He quickly got out.

“Okay, Daniel.  The ambulance will be there shortly along with police. Are you injured in any way?” She questioned.

He found that one annoying, “No!” He snapped, “However, if someone isn’t here soon, she will be dead.”

“They have been dispatched and will be there within five minutes.  Right now, I need you to keep pressure on the wound.  I need you to interact with her. If she stops breathing, you will need to do CPR. Do you know how to do that?” She questioned calmly.

“Yes, I know how to do CPR. I am hanging up now.” He responded, “Hey. Hey, you, what is your name?” He questioned gently. He watched as her eyes barely opened.

“Aella,” She weakly coughed out.

“Good, good Aella.  I want you to focus on my voice.  I know you are tired and you want to go to sleep but you can’t. Okay?” Danny quipped as he desperately tried to keep the fear out of his voice.

“Ye-Yes..” She coughed hard as blood started to run down her lip.

“Come on! Hold on! The Ambulance is here.” He nearly yelled as he watched her face get even paler. Something that he didn't think was possible. 

He heard the door to the stairwell slam open before he saw the EMT’s appear.  He stood, stepping back to let them get to work.  He looked at his hands, covered in blood.  He needed to get a hold of someone, anyone.  He needed to wash his hands. Danny slid down the wall as Aella was rushed away on the gurney.  He felt his mind racing in a thousand different directions.  However, his biggest concern was where CJ was. 

Danny wiped his hands on his pants, desperate to get the blood off his hands before he picked up his phone.  His phone felt as though it was a foreign object.  He was unsure of who he should call.  He took a deep breath before finally hitting the call button.  The ringing sounded louder in his ear as he forced himself to look away from the dead guy getting covered by a sheet.

“It is nearly midnight Mr. Concannon.  This had better be good.” The voice over the line hissed angrily. 

Danny licked his lips, trying to find his voice again.  He cleared his throat before finally answering, “Mr. President…Claudia Jean is missing.”

Chapter Text

Kate burst through the doors, running to the situation room.  She had slept maybe an hour and she looked rumpled at best.  She tied her hair into a bun before she scanned her hand.  She looked around at the table of generals, “How the fuck did this happen?!” She growled angrily.

Her eyes bore into Ron as he cleared his throat, “Whoever did this…was smart.  They must have done months of covert planning. “He stated as his eyes swept around the room.

“Well, no shit,” She snapped angrily as Jed walked into the room.

“Mr. President,” Everyone said in unison before he waved his hand, dismissing any formalities.  He sat down, exhausted.

“How in God’s name did they pull this off?” He said with furrowed brows as he looked at Ron pointedly.

“Sir,” He said before pulling up the area surrounding C.J.’s building, “We had other agents staking out her place here, here, and here,” He said pointing to the numerous locations, “All of those agents were found dead.” He said solemnly. 

Kate finally sat down, gulping down the glass of water she had poured for herself.  She stared at the screen as Ron droned on.  All she could think about was how C.J. was somewhere…possibly dead and taken by god knows who.  She fought to keep her emotions at bay.  They had no leads.  They had no plan and they had no idea if she was even alive. 

“Kate,” Jed said calmly as he leaned forward.

She looked at him hesitantly.  She felt too raw and unable to control her emotions.  This was not a side of herself that she liked to be seen.  She took a deep, but shaky breath, “Yes sir?”

“Has there been anything posted by any terrorist group owning up to this crime?” He said evenly as his eyes stayed calm.

She shook her head, “It is too early for that.  We have maybe another four hours, minimum, if anyone decides to come forward.” She answered after glancing at her watch.

Jed took his glasses off, running his hand over his face. A heavy silence settled into the room with a mixture of helplessness.  Everyone was at a loss for words.  No one knew where to go from here. Kate focused on the screen as she folded and unfolded her hands.

Her eyes snapped away when Ron cleared his voice, “Once Mr. Concannon is done with the police, I would like to speak with him.  Aella is in surgery as we speak.  She lost a severe amount of blood before Mr. Concannon showed up.  We won’t have any information until she is out of surgery and stable.  The latest update said she was in critical condition. The doctors still don't know if she will even make it through the surgery. ”

Jed nodded absentmindedly before looking up once more, “Kate, I want you to find out if there are any terrorist groups taking responsibility.  Ron, get me the names of all the dead Service Members.  I will be having quite a few phone calls to make in a couple of hours.  I know this is stressful on all of us.  C.J. is a part of our family.  However, to bring her home safely, we are all going to have to have our wits abo0ut us.  Am I clear?” He looked around as the heads in the room nodded.

“Nancy, I want you to look into all of her phone, text, and email records.  I want no stone left unturned.” He said seriously.

“Yes sir,” She said with a nod of finality before he left the room.

Jed walked out, hearing everyone move into action behind him.  He took deep breaths to steady his erratic heartbeat.  He felt as though another one of his children had been taken.  He ascended the stairs slowly before making his way to the oval office. He paused before his open door.  He didn't have any answers for anyone.  He could feel himself tensing up even worse.  His throat felt constricted and all he wanted to do was scream, but he couldn't. He had never felt so helpless.  At least with Zoey, he had some idea as to who was behind it. 

He watched Abbey turn to face him as he opened the door.  From the look on her face, he could tell that she was trying as hard as possible not to crack.  He knew how close her, and C.J. were.

“Please tell me you will get C.J. home safe and in one piece.” She said through a strangled voice as tears pricked her eyes.

“I will move heaven and hell to get her home safely,” He responded soothingly as he walked around the desk, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

“Jed…I can’t…I can’t loser her.” She stammered out as she clung to her husband.  The only other time that she had felt this small was when Zoey was taken. 

He soothingly rubbed her back, squeezing her tighter, “Considering the love that Danny has for her, I highly doubt that anyone will be able to stop him from finding her.” He said softly, “Let’s just hope that we get to them before Danny finds them.”  

***

Kate ignored the tight feeling in her chest of wanting to break down. She headed towards the bullpen, needing to find Will. She knew that he was going to get hit the most with questions. The last time something like this happened, C.J. handled it with grace and charm. To say Will had grace or charm was being polite. She knew that in reality, Will could start stammering over his words and loose the nerdy charm that he could cast over the crowd. Kate felt her hands clenching. She knew their jobs were dangerous, but seven agents were dead, and the lone survivor was barely holding onto life.

Kate rounded a corner, knocking on Will’s door heavily. It was mere seconds before he answered and from the look on his face, she could tell that he already knew what was going on. She stepped in, closing the door behind them before sitting on his couch.

“There isn’t much of anything to go on. We won’t be releasing the names of the agents. Not until the President contacts their families. We will pronounce Aella DuBois as dead to protect her from any further attacks in the near future. We have no clue as to took C.J. Whoever did it had to have had an inside man. There was no way that they could have tricked the secret service the way they did.” Kate’s eyes flickered to his phone as another line lit up. She realized how cold she sounded and felt relief that she didn’t have to deal with the press.

“The press already got wind of this. Do we know who will be holding her chair until we bring her home?” He quipped with his pen poised over his legal pad.

Kate shook her head. She hadn’t even thought of that yet. She glanced at her watch. She knew how important the first twenty-four hours were. She felt herself shrinking into the couch as she struggled to breath. She felt so angry at everything. She forced herself to focus on Will as he took notes.

“How in the hell did the press already get wind of this? It happened less than two hours ago!” She quipped; frustrated.

“Who made the call C.J. is missing when only one agent was left barely alive? Plus, there is crime scene tape around C.J.’s building with a coroner’s van, ambulances, and police. It isn’t hard to put two and two together, especially if someone has a police scanner.” He answered as he twisted his pen between his fingers.

She looked up, wishing that she was saying any other name than the one that was about to come out of her lips. She knew that it was going to give Will even more of a headache with the speculation that was going to occur. She swallowed hard, stabilizing her nerves before finally answering, “Daniel Concannon.”

She watched the pen slip from between his fingers before he cleared his throat, “Okay…okay…so…an ex White House correspondent. The one that has been rumored to have been sleeping with CJ since she was the Press Secretary was the one that stumbled upon the scene?” Will stood, pacing behind his chair trying to process all the information that he was receiving.

Kate’s eyes followed him before standing, “I have to go. You know how to reach me if you have more questions that I could possibly answer. Okay?” She took his curt nod as a response before leaving.

She stopped in her office, taking off her rumpled clothes. She opted for a pair of crisp black slacks and a white button-down shirt that was wrinkle free. It felt as though she was putting a new suit of armor on. She rolled her shoulders back, begging her body not to get any tenser. She pulled her blazer on as she headed for the elevators. She answered her buzzing phone, “I am on my way now.” She answered before leaving her office.

Chapter Text

C.J. slowly opened her eyes.  She felt the pain that blossomed from her shoulder all the way to the base of her neck.  She prayed to God that by some miracle it was all just a bad dream.  She quickly realized that her prayers were not answered as her body rolled when the vehicle came to an abrupt stop that caused her body to go rolling.  She groaned as her head hit something.  She stared upwards, seeing that the sun was starting to peak through.  She had a chance then.  Someone would see her. 

She looked around, realizing that she was in a commercial vehicle of some sort.  She didn’t know how soon the vehicle would be moving again.  She desperately tried to keep her fear at bay as she realized just how bad her situation was. She moved her wrists cursing the fact they used handcuffs.  She rolled herself onto her stomach, using her feet to push herself towards the back windows.  She bit back a groan as she felt how much pain her body was in. 

She rolled onto her back again, heaving as she pushed herself up.  She felt a spur of hope as she saw all the cars around her.  She squeezed her eyes shut as she banged her head against the window.  She opened her eyes as she made eye contact with a woman.  She hoped that this citizen would realize how much danger she was in.  She nodded as she watched this person pull her phone out and make a call.  She felt her eyes widen as he body flew backwards as the traffic started to go again.  She screamed against her gag as she kicked at the divider between herself and her attackers.  She felt tears running down her cheeks as she felt the tires rumble underneath her face.

***

 C.J. flinched against the wall as she heard a door close somewhere.  She had managed to break the duct tape around her ankles by landing into a squatting position against one of the walls, just like Ron had showed her how to do.  She kept her feet together as she heard the lock clicking open.  She looked up, seeing two ski masks this time; one was carrying a limp body.  A muffled scream escaped her throat as she realized they tossed a dead body next to her.

She realized this person looked so much like her.  They were almost the same height and build.  The hair color matched hers perfectly.  She pressed herself into the side of the van, trying to get as far away as possible.  She knew she had given her legs away, so she started to kick frantically as they both reached for her. 

“Stop struggling!” One of the men hissed as he got a hold of her ankle. 

She felt her throat burning as she still screamed.  She felt his grip tighten on her body as she snapped her hips, kicking him against the side of his head.  He stumbled backwards clutching where his ear would be.  She knew that she had aimed properly as she tried to injure her other attacker. 

“You fucking bitch,” He snapped, “You are going to pay for that.” She felt her stomach sink as she looked at him hard.  She knew that voice from somewhere. 

She briefly forgot about her other attacker when she felt his hands pin her ankles down, pulling her towards him.  She could feel the metal burn the back of her thighs as her robe rode upwards. She squeezed her eyes shut as her body came to a stop.  She opened her eyes as she felt a heavy weight on her chest.

“This is going to only hurt a little bit.  I promise.” Sneered what she assumed to be the leader of the two.

She watched as he pulled out a knife, cutting open the robe from her shoulder to her elbow.  She screamed, shaking her head violently as she screamed no.  She watched as his eyes only grew brighter with excitement.  CJ felt as though someone was running a pin over her skin before she felt a searing pain.

This was worse than anything she had ever imagined.  She could feel her entire tense up as she desperately tried to move away from him.  She started at the ceiling of the van as she started to taste how salty her mouth gag was getting.  It felt like every nerve in her body was attached to a white-hot iron prod. She closed her eyes, focusing on breathing as the pain refused to go away.  

“Come on, get her body into the plane.  We have to go before anyone sees us.” He growled. 

Chapter Text

Abbey looked up as Danny came walking into the residency.  Ron was standing beside the couch as Jed poured himself another bourbon.  Jed welcomed the slight burn from the alcohol.  It was something that he, in a sense, needed right now. 

“Danny,” She said softly as he stood in front of everyone.  He was unsure of how to react to everyone as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

He gave a wan smile, “Dr. Bartlett.  Mr. President,” he said with a tense nod. 

“Jed, please,” He corrected before he signaled him to sit, “You know Ron Butterfield, the head of Secret Service.  Do you need anything to drink?” He questioned as he held up the decanters of bourbon.

Danny shook his head as he looked around.  In all the time that he had covered the White House, he had never been inside the residency and truth be told, it was beautiful.  He felt awkward and hopeless in his own skin.  He didn’t like how this felt.  He stared at the thick drapery, not making eye contact with anyone.

“I know how you feel Danny,” Abbey said softly as she stood, crossing over to him, “Have a seat.” She said gently as she guided him to the sofa, sitting besides him.  

Danny watched as Jed sat across from them, taking a long sip of his bourbon before finally talking, “We have minimal leads.  Aella is out of surgery and in the ICU ward.  We don’t know when she will be awake, and time is not on our side.  I know that is not something you want to hear, but it is all that I can do for now.  I wish I could tell you we had more information, but we don’t.” Jed said solemnly.

“I am sorry, but how can you say you know how I feel? The woman that I love is missing and I don’t even know if she is alive.  Let alone if she knew how much I love her.  I mean, excuse me, but you have no idea how I am feeling.  Especially when I am being told that you have no information as to how you are going to get her back.” He quipped as his hand clenched into a fist. He could feel his nails digging into his palm as a heavy silence settled into the room. 

It felt like an eternity had passed before Ron cleared his throat as three sets of eyes landed on him, “We are doing everything that we can Mr. Concannon.  You were the last one to speak with her.  There aren’t many leads and there aren’t any terrorist groups claiming responsibility.  I wish that there was more I can tell you, but that is all I can tell you.”

Danny felt as though his heart was being ripped into a million pieces as he shot skywards, “You are telling me that the most qualified fucking people on the Earth, who can tell you if nuclear weapons are being moved in the fucking Middle East, is telling me that you can’t find one of the most important people to this administration?! Please tell me how you are qualified to do your damn job!” He spat, not realizing that he had taken a couple steps towards Ron.

Jed stood, coming between the men, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room, “Danny. Sit down now.” He commanded as he nudged him backwards. It took a moment before Danny finally listened and sat down next to Abbey again.

She cleared her throat looking from Jed to Ron, “Can I have the room please?” She questioned as she moved to sit on the table in front of Danny.  Jed squeezed Abbey’s shoulder, kissing her on the temple before walking out with Ron. 

Danny looked everywhere except Abbey.  The shame of his outburst reddened his cheeks more than his anger had.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had an outburst like that, let alone the last time that he felt so many emotions in such a short span of time.  He was exhausted from his adrenaline rush, and considering that it was now daylight. 

“Are you done with your anger?” Abbey questioned as she crossed one leg over the other, looking at him with a gentle but fixed stare.

“No,” Danny said truthfully, “I don’t understand how something to this extent could be coordinated so well to the point that we are left like sitting ducks.  I don’t understand how we don’t know anything.”

“Danny what do you do for a living?” She quipped.

Danny felt his eyebrows furrow together as he tipped his head to the right, “Excuse me?” He questioned.

“Danny.  What do you do for a living?” Abbey questioned again as she leaned forward, clasping her hands in her lap.

“I am an investigative journalist.” He answered slowly.

“What do you find?” She questioned as she watched his face intently.

“Stories…” He responded slowly.

“How long have you been a journalist?”

“Over ten years.” He answered easily.

“How do you write those stories Danny? Are you biased? Do you throw people under the bus when they give you exactly what you need?” She quipped as she watched a flick switch on somewhere in his mind.

“Are you telling me to do what I think you are?” He questioned.

“Danny…when Zoe was taken, I wanted to kill every bastard that had come close to her.  I wanted to destroy everything in my path because someone took my daughter.  I was consumed with fear and anger and what if’s. Now, someone has taken C.J. from us and we have no clue who did it.   You don’t have time for that.  I know you would move heaven and hell if C.J. is hurt or dead.  Honestly, I would prefer it not to be the latter of the two.  I know that Ron must run an investigation by the books, but you are not law enforcement. I am not encouraging you to break the law.  I am telling you to reign in your anger and use it wisely.  I am telling you to take care of yourself mentally and physically before you start this story.” She said slowly, “Use your connections.  Do you understand what I am saying?” She quipped as she stood.

It was clear to Danny that Abbey had thought this through before she decided to bring him to his senses.  “Basically, you want me to use my back-alley sources to find C.J.” Danny questioned slowly as he looked up at her.

Abbey gave a curt nod, “I will be giving you information to help you.  If you ever tell anyone that I told you anything, I would say you are a liar.  I want my C.J. home, safe. Do you understand?”

Danny nodded, not feeling as powerless as he stood, “You do know you could possibly get in a lot of trouble for helping me with this.  That is something that I tell all my sources before I move forward.  Also, are you sure about this?” He said seriously.

“I know you won’t betray my trust,” She said evenly.  That was one of the few things that she new she wouldn’t have to question.  Was she sure that she should be doing this? She knew it was wrong, but this wasn’t her first time breaking the law.  Secondly, she would not let another loved one go missing into the night yet again without trying to use her power for good.

Danny took a deep breath, before pouring them both a drink of bourbon in separate glasses.  He handed one to Abbey before finally saying, “So help me god, if I get to these people before the Secret Service or anyone, I will not be kind.  I will fight to get her home and I don’t care who I would have to hurt in order to get her back home.” He said before drinking his bourbon in one swift movement.

Abbey couldn’t help but feel the corners of her mouth twitch upwards, “Do not fail me,” She said seriously, but evenly before she took a healthy sip from her own bourbon.

Chapter Text

Kate and Ron got out of the motorcade at the same time.  She had no reports of any of the terrorist groups claiming responsibility for C.J.’s disappearance.  She walked briskly towards the scene of the crime.  The silver moving van matched the description that the woman had given them.  The main difference now, was that the van was black from being burned with a body of a woman in the trunk.  As the smell of burnt flesh and burnt metal filled her nostrils, she turned away feeling the small amount of food that she had managed to consume fight its way to come back up. 

She gripped her knees tightly as she stared at the gravel.  She knew that this wasn’t good one way or another.   She knew that it was either C.J.’s body in there or not.  The fact that they were in the country side of Maryland made her stomach clench even more.  She stared at the rubber that was burned onto the black top.  She knew that if C.J. had been flown out of the country, that this story wouldn’t have a good ending.  It wasn’t the first time that she was dealing with an abduction case like this.  But this was personal.

“Are you okay?” Ron quipped as various people moved around them, collecting evidence to give them answers soon.

Kate looked at him, swallowing down a lot of emotions.  She new that the sleep deprivation was getting to her.  She knew that all the caffeine she had consumed was finally getting to her, and yet she found herself nodding her head.  She straightened herself, smoothing out her jacket.

“So,” She said as she walked with Ron towards the three spots of burned rubber, “Clearly there was a landing here as well as a take-off. Whoever took C.J. couldn’t have been a native to Maryland.  Whoever took her, we are looking for a small plane. Nancy said that C.J. didn’t have any death threats or hate mail that was plausible to this.  The word is out, and people know what they are looking for.” Kate said confidently.

Ron nodded, before pulling his cell phone out and placing a call, “Yes, this is Ron Butterfield, head advisor of the Unite States Secret Service.  I need you to tell me what kind of plane has taken off from Charlie Oscar Alpha Sierra Tango air base.  I need to know if you know where they were headed and what time they left.”

Kate wanted to deny herself the feeling, but she couldn’t.  She could feel the small amount of hope started to slowly develop in her veins as she headed back towards the car to meet up with Nancy and figure out where to go from here.

Danny clicked off the television before grabbing his coat and running out the door.  He knew the owner of that small airport base.  He knew that he would be able to get some sort of information that way.  He felt determination fill his veins as he walked towards the door.  For the first time he would be a step ahead of the people who were running the investigation. 

Chapter Text

C.J.’s head lulled as she felt the exhaustion in her body.  She was struggling to keep her eyes open.  All she knew in this moment was that she didn’t like this feeling.  Her stomach twisted as she felt the hunger pangs.  She stared down at her robe, dirty with dried blood and dirt.  She saw the blood that was caked to her feet and felt somewhat grateful that she didn’t have any food in her stomach.  She looked around at the dim room.  There were no windows here and the light buzzing over head was making her feel even sicker.  She jumped violently as the door as suddenly flung open, banging against the wall with too much force.  It took her half a second to realize that she still had her arms cuffed behind her back. 

She looked up, into the face of her attacker.  If it were under different circumstances, she might have thought that he was handsome.  But this was not one of them.  She stared deeply into his deep brown eyes before he spoke.

“Do you have any idea where you are Ms. Cregg?” He questioned with a heavy accent that sounded slightly Middle Eastern but also South African. 

C.J.’s throat felt drier than Death Valley.  She shook her head, opting not to talk. She watched as his brows furrowed.  Before she could even react, she felt the sting of his hit.  She blinked hard as she saw stars swimming in her vision.  She coughed hard , tucking her chin into her chest, feeling the tears fall down her face as she tried to make herself smaller than what she truly is.

“When I ask you a question, you answer me with your voice.” He snarled, his lip curling upwards, “Now let’s try this again. Do you know where you are Ms. Cregg?” He quipped.

“No…No I…I don’t,” She stammered as she kept her eyes on the ground.  She stared at his black tennis shoes, opting not to make him angry any further. 

“Do you know an agent named Frost? Works for the NSA.” He said calmly before adding, “I am going to take the handcuffs.  If you try to hurt me like you did with my transporter, I will not hesitate to remind you that you that you are not important here.” He said simply as he grabbed her chin, pulling her face up, "I do like my women fiesty," He winked. 

C.J. swallowed the bile that was rising in her throat, "You couldn't handle me at my best," She snarled.  She swallowed the scream that wanted to erupt through her throat.  She gingerly pulled her arms forward, staring at her bruised wrists.  She was in so much pain all over again but she refused to show it.  

He scowled, pulling her up by a fist full of her hair, "You think I could not handle you? Do you not see where you are?  You are my captor and you will not be found until I release you.  When that happens, you will be dead." He snarled, baring his teeth. 

C.J. could feel her fear creeping into her veins as she realized just how honest he was being, but she refused to back down.  Something inside of her refused to let her give up, "That's what you think." She hissed. 

He scoffed before throwing her onto the mattress.  The smell of urine and body odor filled her nostrils as she felt his hands flipping her body over, "You stupid American's think that you can do whatever you want, to whoever you want and think you can walk away without a single cut on you body." He hissed, his face dangerously close to C.J.'s as he held her arms pinned over her head. 

"You are breaking a law." She snapped as she struggled against him. 

"I am making things right.  There is a difference." He laughed. 

"Get the fuck off of me," She snapped, spitting in his face. She saw the way that anger lit up his eyes in a way that terrified her. She had never seen such raw anger in a man that was aimed towards her. 

"You are going to pay for that." He growled lowly.  He wrapped his hands around her throat as their noses touched, "You think I cannot handle you at your best? I am handling you at your worst.  You are pathetic and weak. There is nothing more than that to you.  You hide behind wit.  You are nothing more than an empty pail.  You do not belong here.  Do you understand that?  You belong six feet under.  Now answer my fucking question.  Do you know agent Frost?" 

C.J. stayed quiet, staring at him just as hard.  She would be damned if she was going to say anything more.  She realized what she was risking but she knew that she would rather die than betray her country and that was more than she could say for this jack ass. 

"Fine, don't talk," He said, leaning back slightly, "This just means I get to have more fun."  

C.J. saw black swim into the corner of her eyes as her head snapped left.  She tasted the metallic tang of blood trying with all her might to focus back to this guy.  She felt her nostrils flare, spitting in his face again, feeling a small amount of pleasure when disgust took over his features.  That was the last thing she remembered before the second hit.  

She woke up slowly, feeling as though her head was split into two pieces.  She stared blinked against the harsh white light, letting her eyes adjust before she saw a shirt and pair of pants in the center of the floor.  She crawled across the floor, her arms begging her to stop using them.  She looked around, hoping there were no cameras before pulling on an old shirt that two sizes too big for her.  She took a deep shuddering breath, checking her body for any signs that she had been violated.  It was the first time she felt relief since she had been taken.  She pulled the flooding pants up a little higher past her hips before returning to the bed. 

She winced as the odors assaulted her nose again.  She wouldn't admit it, but she was grateful for the fact that she had something soft to lie on.  She ran her finger across the brick, before realizing some one had managed to carve tallies into the wall.  One, two, three, four, five, six.  Six was the last mark.  Six days was how long a person had lived here.  She could feel her tears spill over her cheeks before she even tried to stop them.  She briefly wondered how long she had been here. "Someone...find me please," She hoarsely whispered. 

Chapter Text

Danny sat on the airplane, feeling nervous.  He had gotten all the information that he needed.  Would he find C.J.? Would he find her alive? Would he be able to tell her how much he loves her? He hoped so.  It didn’t matter that he was crossing numerous time zones to find her.  He was going to save her and bring her home.  He swore that to himself as he buckled his seat belt for decent.

***

Aella was laying in bed, in and out of consciousness.  She was finally out of the woods.  She was in a lot of pain still, but she had heard of all her friends that were now dead.  She felt tears threatening to fall as she thought about Joe.  She slowly pushed herself up, feeling the pain ripple through her body yet again.  She huffed in annoyance, because she hated feeling as though she was the weakest person ever. 

She looked up when she heard knocking.  She looked at Kate standing there, smiling at her, but her face was filled with a sort of pity.  Aella wanted to throw up.  She hit the pain medicine button.

“How are you feeling Aella?” She questioned gently as she waited to be allowed in.

Aella signaled to the chair but was honestly thinking of a response.  It was a moment before she answered.  “Like death,” She answered honestly before dropped her eyes to the scratchy hospital blanket, “I did everything I could ya know. I tried to fight them.  I had just shown up to relieve Joe, and they shot me.  Somehow not hitting their target like they needed to.”

“Hey,” Kate said softly, taking her hand, “What happened is not your fault.  You tried your best to save C.J. but you were also badly wounded.  You are lucky to be alive.  We have some leads, honestly, I just need to know what you witnessed exactly.”

Aella looked at her, “I feel as though I let everyone down,” She admitted as her body seemed to collapse into itself slightly.

Kate sniffed hard before choosing her words carefully, “You were found a bit of a ways from C.J.’s door.  There is nothing that you could have possibly reacted to. Your gun was all the way down the hall almost.  We think it was kicked.  You were caught off guard and you know it.  However, whatever you saw or heard, can help to save her.  We have a very promising lead and right now, all I am focusing on is bringing her home safe and your recovery because both of you are very important in your own ways.  Do you understand that?” She questioned gently.  Kate gently squeezed her hand, waiting patiently for her response.

She nodded solemnly before finally asking, “Well, what are your questions?”

Kate felt excited with everything that she just found out as she scanned her palm for the situation room.  She sat down, facing Nancy and Ron, “Well…I have some good news,” She announced, fighting to keep her smile off her face.

“What do you know?” Nancy quipped as she leaned back into her chair. 

“They weren’t Americans.  They were people with thick accents that knew what they are doing.  That means that they could be transporters.  Especially with the way that they ran their operation.  Agent Aella said that they were able to communicate with looks before C.J. answered the door. This helps to point us in the right direction.  She said the gunman had a tattoo on his forearm.  It was a tally count. I am guessing that it could possibly be the amount of kills this person has had.”

Kate watched as a visible shudder went through the room.  She cleared her throat after giving the room a moment.  She briefly glanced at Jed before Nancy stood to speak.  A map appeared behind her with a line of where the plane had traveled, “The last that we heard about the plane was that it landed in South Africa.”

“We are currently working with CNN International to get word around through different couriers.  This is the easiest way we can get the word around without attracting too much attention.  We are working many back channels.” Fitzwallace said with a slight nod of his head. 

“Okay. What’s the next step in bringing our Claudia Jean home?” Jed asked. 

“Once we find out where she is, we send in the seals and bring her home safe.” He responded with a firm nod. 

Jed took a deep breath and nodded. He appeared to be picking his words carefully before he spoke, “Do we have an answer yet as to why she was taken?”

“Sir, excuse me, but I have a question for Kate.  Kate…you said they had tallies for a tattoo?” She questioned.

“Yes,” Kate said firmly, taking a sip of her water after wards. 

“We are not dealing with what we think we are.  We have been watching this group for a while.  They are mercenaries.  I know you thought it was an assumption that they were not American’s, but Kate you were right.  They aren’t but they are dangerous.” Nancy said heavily, looking around the room.

Kate cleared her throat, “Sir…I don’t know if this of any significance, but about a week before hand, she was approached by NSA Agent Frost who ended up retiring a few days after approaching her.  He told her about how many highly placed government officials in the Middle East had been systematically assassinated.  He found the pattern, but we didn’t think anything major of it.  The only reason why I approach this topic is because when I called Frost and left a voicemail, he never answered back.” Kate said gently.

Jed took a deep breath, “Find Frost and get him here now.”

Chapter Text

Danny finished off the last of his water, tossing the empty bottle into the trash bin.  He checked his surroundings before walking into the café to meet his old friend Adiel.  He was thankful of the fans that were circulating the stale air around the café.  He sat at a table in the back, ordering two rooibos.  He had barely finished ordering before he heard his name being shouted. 

“Danny, you red headed lobster!” Adiel grinned before hugging his old friend, “What brings you back to South Africa my friend?” He quipped before leading Danny to sit at a table that allowed them a cooling cross breeze from the fans.

Danny smiled genuinely for the first time in days, “I wish I could say that I come on better news.” He responded honestly, “But I need your help,” He answered in a low, but serious voice. He ducked his chin down slightly, finally pulling off his sunglasses. 

Adiel nodded, “Okay…what is it that you need? Is it a story? More corruption that Africa faces?” He questioned, "That is never ending here.  You came to the right spot!" He answered jubilantly. 

Danny shook his head, “Do you remember that night that we drank all that witblits? And I told you about Claudia Jean Cregg?” He quipped as he sat back in his seat as the drinks were delivered.  His eyes scanned the room to make sure that no one was listening.  He knew just how dangerous his situation was and he was going to bet that C.J.’s would get worse if her kidnappers got wind of someone looking for her on their own.

He watched as Adiel’s smile nearly cracked his face into two, “Are you two married and a baby on the way?” He questioned as he raised his glass in cheers. 

Danny admired his friend's smile as he scratched the back of his neck.  He cleared his throat before answering him finally, “Claudia was kidnapped.  She is no longer the press secretary.  She is the Chief of Staff to the President.  The Tallies took her.” He said with a measured voice.  He watched as Adiel’s dark complexion lightened significantly.

“Danny, I cannot help you with this,” He answered gravely as his entire face became stern. 

“Don’t tell me that.  The love of my life is injured, and scared, and lost.  I know that you know the most about the Tallies.  You know that I would never jeopardize you.  As a matter of fact, I can make sure that your citizenship for the states gets pushed through even faster than you think.  I will make sure that you and your family to the states faster than you count to one hundred.” Danny fought to keep his voice steady and knew he was barely succeeding.  He knew that he would have to fight to have it done, but he stayed silent as he sipped his tea.  He knew that his friend needed a moment to chew over what he had just said.  It felt like an eternity.

A heavy silence settled between them as Danny kept himself from fidgeting.  He could see Adiel fighting with himself as to whether or not he should answering his questions.   Danny took another sip of his drink, wanting to break his one rule of journalism.  To shut up.  He glanced at his watch.  What only had been two minutes felt like a thousand years before he heard Adiel release a sigh.  

“Do you have a picture of her?” He questioned.

Danny pulled one out from his sack, pushing the picture of a smiling C.J. across the table.  Adiel picked it up, examining it carefully, “I saw her.” He said solemnly, not making eye contact as he pushed the picture back across to him.

Danny felt as though his stomach had dropped to his feet.  He leaned forward, ignoring his drink “How?”

“I was working the airport and I should not have seen it, but she was being dragged from an airplane into a car.  I do not think she stayed long in South Africa.  They were sandy colored men.  Their accents were so mixed.  I do not know where they are from.  But my guess? She is somewhere in Israel.” He said finishing his sentence solemnly, not making eye contact.

“Adiel…I need you to be honest with me.  How injured was she? If...I mean if she was injured.” He questioned slowly.

“She was in a robe. Blood and dirt was caked to her skin.” He responded, actively avoiding eye contact.

Danny looked at him hard, "Adiel...please, I need you to be honest with me and tell me if she had any serious injuries." He fought to keep his voice even.  He understood how emotion could end up shutting down an interview. 

Adiel took a sip of his drink before he finally answered, "Her face was bruised and...she has an injury to her arm.  I saw that her robe was cut from here to here," He dragged his fingers from is shoulder, stopping just above his elbow.  

Danny closed his eyes, taking two deep breaths before pushing his investigation forward, "How do you know they were from Israel?" 

“They spoke Hebrew and English.” He said as he pushed away his nearly full cup of tea.

Danny pulled cash out of his pocket, laying it on the table, “I promise you that you will get a call soon for your citizenship.  Okay? Is there anything else that you know? I wish I could stay longer but I am on a time crunch.” He said gently.

Adiel nodded before grabbing his arm, “Daniel, they drove their regular black BMW.  I know that does not help but that means that she went to the other airport.  The one I took you to when the riots took place.  Okay? You will find more information there.  Ask for Delmain.” He said before releasing Danny’s arm.

Danny knew what he just asked of from Adiel and gave him a hug, “I will take care of you,” He promised before leaving.

Danny sat in the airport as he waited for his plane.  Adiel had been right and Delmain, although very hesitant, did talk to him after nearly an hour of work.  The Tallies had taken C.J. and god knows if he could get there in time.  He knew that if she was still in their grasp, he would need the help of the Seals to even think of getting out of the building alive.  He adjusted his duffle bag across his body before he finally boarded his plane.  He buckled his seat belt before closing his eyes and praying to God that C.J. was still alive.

Chapter Text

C.J. woke up to find two bottles of water and some rice next to her bed.  She had slept fitfully and woke up numerous times to realize that this wasn’t a dream.  This was a horrific truth that she now had to face.  She stared at the food as her stomach begged for food.  She was hesitant before she finally started to shove the rice ravenously into her mouth.  She felt sick as she placed the empty dish back onto the ground.  She cracked open the water bottle, gulping down half of it quickly.  She looked at the way dried blood was crusted around her wound.

She grabbed her robe, ripping off a piece of fabric, and soaking it in water.  "Fuck!" She hissed as she gently dabbed at her wound, trying to keep it clean.  She couldn't remember the last time she had been in so much pain.  After cleaning her wound as best as she could, she tossed the soiled fabric across the room.  Seconds after she placed the empty bottle back onto the ground, the door opened to reveal her attacker.

She moved backwards from him and pressed her body back into the wall.  She didn’t know what he wanted but she felt scared the moment he stepped through the door.  She knew fro the way that she reacted, that he knew.  She took a deep breath, feeling the brick scratch the back of her arms slightly.  She knew that she might not get an answer, but she needed to know, "What is your name?" 

He seemed to ponder her question with patience before he started talking, “It is not as if you will be leaving alive."  He said as he dragged a chair close to the mattress, sitting down heavily.  "My name is Dvir.  It is honestly such a shame that I am going to have to kill you.  If we had met under different circumstances, I would have loved to have shown you a night out on the town the way a real man would."  

C.J. felt her anger explode before she could even stop herself, “You are meaning to tell me that you know how to treat another human being decently?! In case you don’t realize where you are, I slept on a mattress that smelled like piss and I am injured by your men. You are not-“

Her words were cut as Dvir pulled her up by a handful of hair, pinning her against the wall with his hand wrapped around her throat, “You realized that my people were planning a coup with the help from Frost?  Then Frost went rogue.  You interfered and now you are going to die just like those other officials.  I am more of a man than you any of the men that you have met over your life time.”

C.J. gasped for air as she clawed desperately at his hands.  She saw stars forming in vision as she struggled to pay attention to him.  She kicked desperately before she finally felt the pressure off her throat.  Her thoughts were filled with Danny, she was barely processing what he said about Frost, "I know what love is.  You...you have a very masochistic view of what love is.  You are wrong! Frost would never betray his country!" She coughed out. 

Dvir pinned her body against the wall.  She could feel the brick scratching roughly into her skin as he shifted his weight, "Where is Frost? Did you have any  connections with him before we got to you?" 

C.J. felt tears prick her eyes despite how annoyed she was, “I…I don’t know. Okay?! I swear to God I don’t know!” She answered honestly.

Dvir stepped back, watching the way she collapsed into the mattress, "Enjoy your last water bottle, who knows when you will get another one," He sneered. 

"You are a fucking sick man," She spat.  She decided in that moment, that she would not go down without a fight.  She knew how badly her injuries were and her body felt as though she had been hit by a bus.  But the last thing she would ever do is go down without a fight.  She felt her anger boil up before she stood and threw her entire body into him.  She felt proud that she caught him off guard.  She pivoted, running towards the door.  

"Get back here you bitch!" He screamed after her, running to catch her.  C.J. ran around a corner, begging to God that she could find a staircase.  She felt her body begging her to stop.  She looked around, seeing another corner to turn and headed for it.  The fluorescent lights buzzing over head was giving her hope that she would find her way out.  She glanced over her shoulder, seeing no one. 

"Freeze." Said a steady voice.  She looked at a man, towering a couple inches over her as her body skidded to a halt.  She looked at the gun pointed at her. 

C.J. slowly raised her arms before saying, "Okay...okay...look...please...if you get me out of here...I can...I can help you!" She stammered. 

"Bargaining with my own man? You fool," Dvir said as he walked towards her scowling. 

C.J. turned, feeling fear ice her body over as her lungs heaved for air.  She had never seen such dead eyes from another human being. "I...God...please...just let me go home," She pleaded, "I don't know anything." She added. 

 “Now you have a God?” Dvir laughed, “God forgot you.” He hissed as he punched her hard in the rib cage.  He smirked as he heard a crunching sound. 

C.J. doubled over in pain, groaning before she felt herself being dragged back to the room. 

Chapter Text

Abbey struggled to answer her cellphone as the shrill ring filled the bedroom.  She knew Jed wasn’t asleep next to her, because she didn’t feel any extra warm, “Hello?” She answered groggily as she burrowed under the sheets further. 

“Abbey, wake up please,” Danny urgently responded.  

“Danny?!” She shot up, feeling as though she was wide awake, “Where are you? It’s six in the morning here!” She chided.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Bartlett. I forgot about the time difference.”

“Time difference?” Abbey quipped as she threw her blankets off, pulling a robe over her pajamas. She rubbed her face to make sure that she was awake. 

“I am in Tel Aviv.” He answered her question before her brain could even process what he was saying.

“Now, why the hell are you there?” She said.  The last update she had gotten was that C.J. had been sighted in South Africa a couple hours ago.

“My resources are faster.  I know where C.J. is at.  I am staring at the building right now.” He answered calmly.

“Danny…Do not. I mean it. Do. Not. Do anything stupid.” She said firmly as she slid her feet into slippers.  She half jogged towards the front of the residence, signaling the Secret Service to follow her.

“Abbey.  I am not doing anything stupid.  I am going to go into that building and save her.”

“Danny! Do you hear yourself?! You are delirious! How much sleep have you gotten? How hydrated are you?! You are talking about going into a place where mercenaries, none the less, the Tallies are! They are one of the deadliest forces there are!” She chided as she slid into the back seat of the car.

“How long is it going to take the Seals to get here?! Ten hours minimum? Who knows if C.J. even has ten hours left! My sources told me that she was injured.  God knows how much worse it has gotten for her! I mean what if…what if she was- “

“Danny! Snap out of it! She wasn’t! She would have fought tooth and nail before anyone laid a hand on her in that fashion.  You and I both know how strong C.J. is and I know she will fight to get herself free. Do you hear me Danny?” She quipped.

Danny took a deep breath, exhaling heavily before he finally answered, “Yes…I know.  I know that you are right.  I just…I need to get her out of there Abbey.  Do you understand? And with that, I need your help.”

Abbey stood in front of the glass doors of the White House.  She stared at her husband, pacing his office.  She realized he was lost in thought and that there was no way that he would notice her right now.  She stepped away, into the shadows, but keeping her eyes on Jed, “What are you thinking Danny?”

“I need the Embassy to be ready for me.” He said honestly.

“Is there anything else?” She quipped.  She knew a man in love.  She knew how a man reacted when someone they love was taken from them.  She had seen it happen.  She never forgot how she felt.  She waited patiently for Danny to answer.

“I have a friend.  Adiel Fiji.  He and his family are trying to get citizenship here. If he hadn’t told me the information that I needed, I would have never gotten here.  I need you to push through their citizenship.” He answered solemnly.

“Danny, please…can you just give me five minutes? I can talk to Jed and see if we have any SEAL teams stationed in Pakistan or Egypt or any where close to you.” She begged, “What if you die?”

“Then I die knowing that I fought to save the woman I love.”

“Damn it Daniel Concannon.  You are so damn stubborn. “She snapped.

“C.J. tells me the same thing.” He answered calmly, feeling a smile twitch the corners of his mouth upwards briefly.

“I am going to tell Jed where you are and how you found out.”

“Ahkay,” He nodded, even though she couldn’t see.

“Please…just…be safe.  I don’t want to bring you home in a casket.” She said softly, as she walked towards the doors. 

“Just call me if there is a seal team…if not, I will be saving her in six hours.” He said seriously.

“I will be doing everything I can.” She answered before she hung up.

She took a deep breath, stuffing the phone in the pocket of her robe before she pulled open the doors.

“Jed, Daniel Concannon found C.J.” She announced. 

 ***

Danny could feel his exposed skin tingling as he stared at the three-story house.  Calling this building a house was being modest.  It was a creamy white mansion that probably had a basement of horrors.  The place where C.J. was.  He felt his stomach churn as he chugged yet another bottle of water.  He stared at the fenced balconies that had women lazing around drinking something in scant clothing.  In another life, he probably would have found those women beautiful.  However, he felt his stomach churning in anger. 

He knew that C.J. was there, injured and scared.  He took a deep breath, knowing that he was going to have to find a way to get into the protected house.  He briefly wondered why the women on the balcony wasn’t banding together to save a woman in danger but shoved the question away before he could feel himself get angry. 

He tossed his empty bottle into a nearby bin before lifting a camera to his face, taking pictures of everything in sight from various people walking around, to many of the house.  He walked closer, taking pictures of the palm trees that surrounded the house.  He was nearly on the lawn as someone walked towards him.

“Sir! You are going to have to take your photography elsewhere!” A very strong looking man called as he appeared from around the wall of bushes.

Danny noticed that he had gotten the attention of people around him as well as the women sitting on the balcony.  He pushed some of his curls out of his face before he held his hand out, “My name is Jared Colbert and I work with The Post International.  It’s an American Newspaper.  I am here just taking pictures of every day life of Israeli citizens and I was wondering if I could talk with those two beautiful women.  It appears as though they know what a good life is.”

Danny saw that he piqued this person’s interest, “If you don’t mind, I would love to have a quote from you as well.” He added smoothly.

“The Post International?” He questioned suspiciously.

“Yes!” He said and held out a badge that had a picture of him with reporter; The Post, International Correspondent above his head.  Grateful for once that this particular badge didn’t have his name on it.

“You may get a quote from them.  Come in,” he said, stepping back to let him enter the premises fully.  

Chapter Text

"How far out are the Navy Seals?" Bartlett questioned as he paced the situation room. 

"Twenty minutes and counting sir," Nancy answered as Fitzwallace was on a phone call. 

"I am going to have those bastards bombed to hell," He hissed under his breath, running his fingers through his already messy hair. 

"Sir, how many people will they be rescuing?" Fitzwallace  questioned as he turned to look at him. 

"Two.  C.J. and that boneheaded reporter Daniel Concannon," He sat heavily in a chair before asking "Does anyone have a cigarette?" 

***

Danny had watched the code that the butler had punched in.  The guy was stupid enough to trust a reporter, American nonetheless.  That was his own damn fault.  Danny killed the engine on his black car before closing the door as quietly as possible.  Earlier he had used his charm to get the girls to give him a tour.  It wasn't hard to figure out where the off limits place was, because the girls avoided the door like it was the plague.  He rolled his neck, taking a deep breath before punching the code in, leaving the gate open just enough. 

He walked through the grass as quietly as he could.  He felt as though his breathing could wake the dead.  It wasn't long before he was padding through the kitchen.  He took a deep breath as he got closer to the basement door. "Lady Luck, I need you on my side," He murmured before opening the door.  He felt a chill race down his spine the further he descended into the basement.  He glanced around a corner before slipping further into the shadows.  

Danny held his breath every time he heard someone come close to him.  He knew he could be killed if he was found, he didn't know how he would be able to talk his way out of it this time.  He felt like half his life was taken up as he checked every room.  He stared at the last door in the hallway that this was C.J.  He took a deep breath and yanked the door open.  He inhaled sharply, seeing C.J.'s body on the bare mattress with a bare fluorescent light buzzing over head.  He shut the door behind himself as he was hit with a rancid smell.  He looked at the sole bucket in the corner of the room as well as the two empty water bottles.  He kneeled on the mattress, "Claudia Jean! Wake up!" He said, lightly tapping her cheek with the back of his hand.  

He heard her groan.  He felt is throat constrict as he saw how badly she was hurt.  She had a bruise around her neck as well as one of her eyes swollen shut, "Fish boy?" She groaned without opening her good eye.  He saw how badly her arm was cut and gingerly pulled her up. 

"Yes it's me, now come on.  Up!" He said as he pulled her close, hooking her good arm around his shoulders, "I am getting you out!"  

"Fuck!" C.J. hissed as she felt him tighten his arm around her broken ribs. 

"I know everything hurts, but come on.  I have to get you out of here!" He said as he pulled her along.  He could feel her limp with every other step they took.  He looked around as they walked.  He felt completely lost and prayed that some how they would get out of here alive.  He turned a corner, freezing as heard someone coming.  He gently set C.J. on the ground, "Don't say a word," He whispered. 

Danny felt frozen to his spot but he waited as someone got closer to them.  He felt briefly blinded as a light was shone into his eyes, "Who are you?!" A heavy accented man asked him. 

“Wrong question asshole,” Danny snapped before his knuckles connected with his cheek. He saw the guy stumble back a few steps before he took off running.  He grabbed his gun off the floor before he pulled C.J. back against his body as he carried her body closer to freedom.  Danny knew he was going to be caught within a matter of minutes if he didn’t get her soon. 

C.J. groaned as her head lulled onto his shoulder, as her feet managed to work about every other step if she was lucky by this point.  She was beyond exhausted and the pressure that Danny was applying to ribs was causing her to go in and out of consciousness rapidly as her body was overloaded with pain. 

“Shh, we will be out of here soon,” Danny said gently as he kept the fear out of his voice. He lowered C.J. on the bottom step before hooking his arms underneath her arms, laboriously dragging her up the stairs.  The gun was close to her chest as the door he had entered was kicked in.  He looked up, pointing the gun at a group of armed men as he barely kept his hold on C.J.  

"Daniel Concannon?" A strong male voice asked.

He felt relief flood him as he realized this was an American, "Yes!" He answered. 

"Come with us.  We are here to get you out." He said.  Before Danny could even respond, one of the guys was down, picking up C.J. as if she was a sack of flour and not an adult human being. 

Danny felt a warmth of safety enter his body as he moved with them.  That was quickly gone as shots were fired at them. He ducked his head as someone yanked him and C.J. away from the group. 

"I have a car!" Danny announced as he ran with this stranger that carried C.J. 

"We saw! Let's go!" He screamed as more gunshots were heard.  He yanked the door open as C.J. was loaded into the backseat. "Go to the Embassy and do not stop anywhere else!" 

He got into the driver’s side door, squealing loudly to get out of there.  He ducked his head as bullets shattered his rear window.  C.J. let out a horrific scream as Danny sped around a corner. "I know you are in pain, but we are almost safe!" 

He felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he blew through a red light.  He felt panic set in as he prayed he was going to the right direction of the embassy. He grabbed his cellphone from the middle console as he weaved in and out of traffic, as he called the Embassy.

“I am almost there.” He said rapidly as the well-lit building came into his view.  He saw the gates opening with the armed guards standing ready to deal with any one that still might be following him.  He pressed down on the gas even harder, making it to safety seconds later. 

Chapter Text

Danny held C.J.’s hand as the plane landed. He heard her sharp intake of air, knowing how much it hurt her to have her body jostled that way.  In another sense, he was happy that she was allowing him to be close to her, “We have to stop by my office and then I want to go home,” C.J. said softly.   

“What do you need from your office? I can get it for you.” He said softly. He hadn’t missed out on the fact that she was saying they were going together.

C.J. shook her head, “I just have to go and get it.  Okay? Then we can go home,” She said as the unfasten seatbelts sign came on.  She easily undid her seat belt, squeezing his hand tightly for a second as she felt his thumb soothe her skin. 

“Ahkay, I already have a car waiting for us.” He replied as C.J. turned to face him.

“Thank you,” She murmured before planting a chaste kiss on his lips.  She grinned as she saw the shock spread through his face briefly.

He grinned to himself as he pulled their luggage down from the overhead bin and walked out onto the tarmac with her.  C.J. felt her lungs squeezing tightly as she realized that it wasn’t as busy as it should have been.  She looked around before she saw that the reason being was Abbey and Jed Bartlett were standing right in the center of the seating area. 

“C.J.!” Abbey said enthusiastically, walking towards her as she took her hands into her own, “My God, I am going to give you a check up myself! Make sure those German doctors know what the are doing! How do you feel? Your bruising has gone down significantly! I am so happy to see that!”

Abbey smiled, walking away with C.J. as the secret service followed them.  Danny swallowed, hoping to coat his dry throat as he suddenly realized he was left alone with Jed, “Sir I- “

Jed cut him off with a wave of his hand as he walked towards him, “I don’t even want to hear it.  I know how you went behind my back.  Accepted the help from my wife.  Fought with my wife and broke numerous laws.  But you know what? You brought C.J. back home to us.  I am furious because you didn’t listen to me.  But my god I am so happy that you chose to defy me.” He said with a half smirk.

“I wouldn’t have gotten out of there alive if I didn’t have the help of the Navy Seals.” Danny admitted as he briefly cast his look downwards.  He ignored the fact that there were a lot of people milling around them.  He heard the noise of the cameras taking their pictures.

“Come on,” Jed said as he lead them away.  Smiling and waving, shaking hands as he walked away with Danny.  He followed Jed, carrying the luggage.

Once they were in the motorcade, Abbey and C.J. in one car and Danny and Jed in another Danny felt his nerves settle a bit.  Jed poured himself a neat whiskey, offering one to Danny.  Danny accepted graciously, feeling as though he was in an important role in the God Father. 

“Daniel.  You brought home C.J. safe and sound.  You moved heaven and hell to bring her back,” he paused, taking a sip of his whiskey before he continued, “I am beyond thankful for that! I am awarding you with the Presidential Award of Freedom. You deserve it.”

Daniel smiled but shook his head, roughly swallowing the alcohol down, “Thank you but no thank you sir. I just…I don’t deserve it.  Okay? I was just doing everything in my power to bring the love of my life home.  That is all.  Also I was just wondering if Abbey told you about Adiel Fiji.” He quipped.

Bartlett felt himself smiling widely, “He is on his way over as we speak.  He risked everything to help you get C.J. here.  It is the least that I can do.  Now, how do you think C.J. would feel about having some chili tonight?”

Chapter Text

C.J. woke up screaming, thinking she was still in Israel, being held by her captors.  Danny flicked on the bedside lamp before pulling her into his arms, feeling her body shake against his.  He soothingly rubbed her back as she started to cry, “Shh, its okay.  I am here.  You aren’t there anymore.  It’s okay.  Just let it all out.” He said softly.  It had been nearly two years since all of this had happened and he felt his heart break as her breathing was starting to slow down.  He was happy that the terrors were no longer an every night thing, but now when they were more scarce it broke his heart for her even deeper. 

It was another ten minutes before either one spoke, “I’m sorry,” C.J. murmured in a strangled way, feeling even more pathetic. 

Danny closed his eyes, feeling her pain in those two words, “Don’t be sorry for feeling emotional. You know I am here for you to help you in any way that you need me to.” He said softly.

“I just feel so…so weak and pathetic. So, so pathetic.” Her words were barely audible as she exhaled heavily against his chest.  “I thought that the night terrors would be done by now.”  She felt his hand go up and down her back in a steady rhythm as he stayed quiet. 

“You are not any of those things C.J.” He said softly. 

“I don’t want to go back to sleep,” She admitted.

“Then we won’t.” He said softly, “Come on. I think there is still some ice cream left.  We could watch whatever you want.  Even if you want to watch The Wizard of Oz again,” He said soothingly.

C.J. wiped away her tears, looking at him, “You sure do know how to make a woman feel good Fish boy,” She responded with a wan smile as she looked up at him.

Danny smiled, “Why don’t you pick the movie and I will get the ice cream and wine.” He responded endearingly before kissing her forehead.

C.J. nodded as she rose from bed, pulling on one of his sweatshirts over her black camisole.  She wrapped her arms around her waist as she walked out, feeling Danny’s eyes on her.  She had never felt safer.  She knew what he went through to get her back.  She found out how Abbey had aided him.  She had never felt so grateful for either of them.  She pulled open the refrigerator, opting for wine without ice cream and poured two glasses. She sat down at their table as he appeared from around the corner.

“I don’t want to watch television,” She said softly.

“Then what do you want to do?” He asked gently as he stood in front of her.

C.J. didn’t hesitate as she grabbed his shirt, feeling his warm mouth over his.  This wasn’t like their first kiss. It was better.  It wasn’t filled with teeth knocking, and unsure hands.  She felt one of his hands on the back of her head and the other, cupping her face as her fingers threaded through his hair.

C.J. slowly pulled away, breathless smiling at how red his cheeks were.  She was sure that her own cheeks were just as red.

“I want to talk,” She said breathlessly.

“Ahkay,” He said before pulling his chair to be close to hers.

C.J. threaded her fingers with his, focusing on his hands.  This was easier, “My therapist told me that it was important that I talk about this with you.  She said that it was important that I don’t keep this bottled up.”

“Okay,” Danny said softly, squeezing her hand.

“When I was…taken…. I thought it was you at the door.  That you had managed to talk Joe into letting you surprise me.  I thought that it was you.  That’s why I texted you.  I wanted to catch you off guard. But…but when I opened that door, it wasn’t you.  I had never been so wrong in my life.” She said thickly. She could feel Danny waiting patiently for her to continue.

She took a deep shuddering breath, feeling like a fool for crying already, “When they took me, I didn’t care about the bodily harm that I knew would eventually come.  I just.  I just knew that I wanted to get back home to you.  I had to figure out a way to get back home to you.” C.J. finally looked up to see Danny smiling softly at her.

“You thought of me?” He questioned gently, inviting her to continue.

“Yeah,” She gently scoffed, “I thought about you.  I was so scared that I would never get to see you again.  I was so scared that I would never get to hug you again, or worse, kiss you.” She smiled as she leaned forward, giving him a quick, but chaste kiss as she felt his beard gently scratch against her chin.

“You can grab me and kiss me all that you want,” He said softly, “Why don’t we go sit on the couch, so you can be more comfortable.” He said gently. 

Danny grabbed their wine before walking out to their living room with her. They settled onto the couch, with C.J. laying her head on his chest.  She closed her eyes as she listened to his even breathing and steady heartbeat. 

“You were who I was thinking of.  You were the person that kept me going as I lived in that hell hole.”  She felt Danny run his hand up and down her back, silently encouraging her to go on. “I thought that when they put me on the plane, I was never going to see you again.  I hadn’t told you something that I have been wanting to tell you for a very long time. “

Danny adjusted their bodies, pulling her chin up, “You don’t have to say it.  I know,” He said softly.

“Danny, I love you.” She said softly as she watched his face light up. 

Danny swore that in that moment, he had never felt so alive. It was as though everything was right in the world, “I wouldn’t have let you die until I made sure that you knew how much I love you.” He said softly.

C.J. felt as though her smile was going to crack her face in two. Her therapist was right.  It was time to let her emotions out for him. 

“C.J. I want to do something with you that I haven’t had the chance to do before.” He said softly.

“What’s that?” She quipped before adjusting her body even more, searching his face for an answer.

“Wait here. Okay?” He said softly.

“Okay…” She said in confusion as she slowly sat up. 

Danny disappeared for a moment before coming back.  He smiled nervously as he sat next to her, clicking on his radio.  Yo-Yo Ma filled the silence in his apartment.  He took a generous sip of his wine before looking at her.

“When you were taken, I thought that my world had ended.  I thought that I would never get to see you again.  I thought I would never hear you laugh or see you perform The Jackal ever again.  I thought that I would never get to hug you or kiss you ever again.  I got angry.  I got so pissed because I thought, who the hell had the right to take you from my life. Then I thought, no one.  You survived Rosslyn and you were safe when someone shot at the White House.  I decided then that I would be damned if someone thought they were going to take the best thing out my life.” Danny smiled as C.J. intertwined their fingers.

“I promise you can have all the performances of The Jackal that you want, “She answered with a slight laugh.

He gently kissed the palm of her hand before looking at her, “I decided that I never wanted to feel that way ever again. I never wanted to feel so helpless or so alone again.  I promised myself that when I got you home safe and sound, that I would make sure you knew how loved you are every minute for the rest of your life.  I promised that I would make sure that you were safe for the rest of your life.  I promised myself that you would never feel so alone ever again.” Danny took a deep breath before continuing, “What I am saying is, Claudia Jean Cregg…will you marry me?” Danny asked as he pulled out a simple but beautiful diamond ring.

C.J. felt shock fill her entire body.  For once, she didn’t have a smartass response.  She looked at the ring before finally looking at Danny, realizing that she still hadn’t answered, “Yes…yes! Yes!” She smiled as he slid the ring onto her finger.