SN WIP: Deeds, Not Words

[out_there]

What do you mean, "My boss doesn't pay me to sit here and write fic"? Sure he does. Well, he has today. *g* He's been out at meetings and I've done nothing other than write out a little SN fic that came to me on the train this morning.

ETA: Oh, fun. I have data entry to do this arvo. Oh well. I can con my way out of not doing what I should have today... I hope. *g*

***

Title: Deeds, Not Words
Fandom: Sports Night
Disclaimer: Dude, they are so mine, except for all the characters, plots and settings that belong to Sorkin.

Notes:
1) Set pre-SN.
2) The title is a John Fletcher quote that just appeals to me.
3) Somehow my Casey-fic became All About Dan. This isn't really a bad thing.
4) Inspired by Dana and Casey banter. When Casey tells her he handled the divorce with aplomb, and she replies that there were some days when he couldn't even find the building. (I'm sure the quotes from S1, somewhere. I'll love anyone who can find the exact quote for me.)
5) Needs to be beta'd and may be anvilicious. Hence, all criticisms welcome. If something doesn't work, let me know. (And, yes, the sport reference is totally fictitious, so think of two sports that are played at the same time for me, 'kay?"


Deeds, Not Words

"But Dana, the twenties will be overloaded if we-" Dan stopped at the sharp trilling and fished his cell out of his pocket. Glancing down, he recognised the number and grinned. "Can I step out and get this? You don't actually need me here, right?"

"I've been telling people that for years," Dana said with a quick grin. "My rundowns would be so much smoother without you and Casey interrupting." The rest of the room laughed, but he could see the underlying tension around her eyes.

"You can't get rid of us that easily," Dan called out as he left the conference room. Through the glass wall, he could see her smile and then turn back to today's stories. The phone trilled insistently in his hand. "Hey, Casey."

"Hey." Casey sighed in relief, and Dan could hear traffic in the background. "Promise you won't laugh, Dan."

Dan could already feel himself grin. "Shoot."

"What's our address?"

"What?"

"What's our address? What's the address of our building?"

"Why?"

"I don't know it."

Dan snorted. It didn't count as a laugh. "We've worked here for almost two years and you don't know our address?"

"I know it, I just… I can't remember it. I'm getting a total mental blank here, Danny," Casey said tightly. He sounded worried and just a little panicked. It was a tone of voice Dan was getting used to hearing. These days, Casey only had two main modes: worried and freaked out, or angry and snapping at everyone. It was a barrel of fun for all concerned. "Total mental blank."

"You remember who you work for, right?" Dan asked, pacing the corridor.

"I normally walk from the apartment." Dan cringed. Casey had been living there three months, and it was still *the* apartment. Never his apartment or his place, and certainly not his home; it was the apartment. His home was where Lisa and Charlie lived.

"Didn't you walk in today?"

"Yeah."

Dan walked out of sight of the conference room, and leaned against the wall. "So why do you need the address?"

"I can't remember our building. I'm sure it's somewhere on this block, but honest to god Danny, I can't… I'm going insane," Casey sounded lost and confused, and it made Dan's chest ache. "I'm going absolutely insane. I've forgotten where I work."

"Where are you?"

"I don't know. I… I really don't know," Casey voice rose to a squeak.

Dan breathed deeply, and kept his voice carefree. "Walk to the nearest street sign and read it out."

"Okay," Casey said, and didn't need to see him to imagine the way that Casey would nod his head and set a stoic expression on his face.

When Casey read out the streets, Dan almost laughed. Casey was literally just around the corner. "Hey, there's a great coffee place on that corner. Mario's something."

"I see it."

"Hey, do you have a pen and paper?"

The wind whistled in the cell phone as Casey obviously searched his pockets. "Um…"

"Well, go into Mario's and borrow one. Hey, I'll call you back in a sec, okay?"

"Okay," Casey replied, vaguely confused and Dan hung up.

When he walked back into the conference room, everyone was discussing the thirties. Dana stopped mid-gesture, and looked up. "You're right. We'll switch the hockey and the baseball scores, and it'll give us an extra thirty seconds to play with."

"Sure," Dan said. "Hey, Casey says-"

"I take it that was Casey?" she interrupted, nodding at his cell.

"Yeah," he said with a grin, but the corners of her mouth tensed.

"When should we expect him to show today?" He knew she didn't mean to be harsh. Casey had been showing up late all week. To be honest, he'd been coming late for most of the month.

"He's on his way."

"He's on his way?" Dana stared at him but didn't say anything else.

"He stopped at Mario's."

Dana raised a shapely eyebrow. "Mario's?"

Natalie leaned towards Dana. "You know it. It's that little coffee place with the great cappuccinos."

"And they serve it with those little chocolates?"

Natalie nodded. "Yeah, that's the one."

"Oh," she said, and then turned back to Dan with a wary expression. "Why is he at Mario's?"

"He wanted to buy everyone a drink, to apologise for how he's been lately."

"Oh." Dana hid her smile by ducking her head and pushing her hair back.

Dan grabbed his pad of paper and struck a waiter's pose. "So, what does everyone want?"

"Short black," said Kim.

Elliot grinned. "Caffè latte."

"Caffè mocha," added Will.

"Espresso," said Dave.

"Um…" Chris hesitated. "Hot chocolate."

Natalie grinned. "Iced coffee. Dana?"

"Cappuccino. And tell him to bring up the little chocolate."

"I'll make sure he does," Dan replied. "But, considering Casey's co-ordination, I think I might go give him a hand carrying it up."

Dana grimaced, probably thinking of her white skirt and last week's Casey-caused coffee stain. "That's a good idea."

Dan ducked out of the conference room, and had his cell in his hand before the door had shut. He barely heard the ring tone before Casey picked it up. "Casey?"

"Dan?"

"Do you have a pen?"

"I have a pen. I have paper. But if getting to the office is going to be complicated, just give me the address and I'll call a cab."

Dan laughed. "Don't be such a wuss."

"Fine."

"Write this down. One short black, two caffè lattes, one caffè mocha, one espresso, one hot chocolate, one iced coffee and two cappuccinos. Got it?"

"One short black, two caffè lattes, one caffè mocha, one espresso, one hot chocolate, one iced coffee and two cappuccinos."

"Yeah," Dan said as he walked to their office. He waited for the question.

"Um, Danny, this looks more like an order list than directions," Casey said hesitantly. "Is it some sort of mnemonic?"

Dan sniggered. "No. It's a list of what you're going to order." He grabbed his jacket from the coat rack, and headed to the elevators. "It's twenty past twelve, Casey. They're going to get busy. You'll need to start lining up now."

"Why do I need to line up now?" Casey was starting to sound worried again.

"So our order will be ready by the time that I get there."

"You're coming here?" Dan could hear Casey's smile. There was a weaselly part of Dan that murmured that it was kind of pathetic for Casey to sound so pleased. He felt traitorous for even thinking it.

"Yeah. I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Cool."

"Ten minutes," Dan said again, and then hung up as the elevator dinged. The ride down was uneventful, just Dan stretching his neck and staring at the metallic walls, tapping his cell against his thigh. The weather outside was crisp and a little windy, but there wasn't a hint of the forecasted rain.

When he got to Mario's, Casey was still waiting for his order. "Hey."

Casey grinned. "Hey. We're waiting on the cappuccinos." Of course, as he said that, the disposable cups appeared. "Oh. Thanks." Casey smiled at the waitress, and started patting down his pockets for his wallet.

Dan already had cash in his hand. "Here." The girl took it quickly and the cash register clanged.

Casey looked uncertain. "Oh, I thought I was…"

"You can pay me back later," Dan said as he pocketed the change, and then picked up a cardboard tray of drinks.

"Thanks." Casey picked up the other tray and followed him outside.

The doors opened, and Dan squinted as wind gusted in his face. "Not a problem, Casey."

"No," Casey mumbled at the tray in his hands. "I meant, thanks. For coming down. For not laughing when I called."

Dan looked across and caught Casey's eye. "Not a problem."

"What did you tell Dana?"

"I told her you decided to buy everyone coffee."

Casey raised his brows. "She said okay?"

"She said to make sure you bring her little chocolate with her cappuccino." They walked with the leisurely pace of two guys with a legitimate excuse to avoid work.

"Where are we going?"

"Around that corner," Dan said, nodding his head at it. "It's the right block. You're just on the wrong side of it."

"Oh." Casey grimaced. "I just… I don't know why… I just didn't recognise it."

"It's okay, Casey."

"I've walked the same route for months, and suddenly, I just… didn't recognise anything," Casey said, looking miserable. "I looked up and I was totally lost. I could have walked out of Manhattan, for all I knew."

Dan swallowed. If he'd had a free hand, he would have squeezed Casey's shoulder. "You couldn't have."

"I think I could."

"Manhattan's an island. I'm sure you would have stopped when your feet got wet." Casey smiled the same tight smile he'd been wearing for months; the one that appeared when he thought he should laugh, the one that only fooled you if you didn't look closely. The one that made Dan itch to call Lisa, to ask her how she could do this to Casey and still sleep at night. "You've got a lot on your mind."

Casey chuckled mirthlessly. "It's not like I'm running the UN. I'm just going through a divorce."

"It's a divorce, Casey. It's a big thing." Dan stopped outside the doors to their building.

"They happen everyday. Look at the stats. Every damn day someone gets divorced. It doesn't stop the world. It doesn't even…" Casey stook his head, and suddenly seemed to realise they'd stopped walking.

"You want to talk about it?" Dan asked gently. "We've got a lot of good caffeine, it's a nice day. We could go sit somewhere and enjoy the weather. Just tell Dana we had a coffee-related mishap."

Casey ducked his head, hiding behind his too-long fringe. "No. I… I really *don't* want to talk about it." When Casey glanced up, Dan could see how hard Casey was working at holding this together. Casey's eyes were begging him not to ask.

So he didn't. "Sure."

"I just want to do our show, and forget about courts and papers and custody."

Dan forced himself to smile. "But maybe try not to forget where you work, okay?"

Casey nodded, but kept his eyes on the cups in front of him. "Okay."

Dan pressed the button for the elevator and the silence between them was uncomfortable. Or it was uncomfortable for Dan, who just felt out of his depth. He didn't know how to help Casey without talking and Casey just didn't seem able to talk about it. It made him feel useless and emotionally impotent, watching Casey go through hell, watching Casey so hurt, frightened and angry, and not being able to do anything about it.

"So…" Dan said when they got into the elevator, but couldn't think of anything more.

"So." Casey responded with an almost normal smile. "Dana said it was okay for us to get coffee?"

"Yeah."

"Because I'm thinking we should offer more often. It's a nice walk."

"Don't get your hopes up. This is a special coffee run."

"How is it special?"

Dan sighed. "I told her it was to apologise for the way you've been acting lately." He waited for Casey's reaction. Personally, his money was on Casey exploding into bad temper, and coffee stains on the elevator carpet, but glaring silence was another strong possibility. Casey was many things at the moment, but emotionally stable was not one of them.

Instead, Casey just said, "Huh."

Dan watched him cautiously, but the doors opened and people got on. There were some things you didn't say in front of other people. (Being miked didn't count.)

There were still other people on the elevator when it got to their floor but by that time, Casey seemed lost in his own thoughts. Natalie was bouncing, and holding the door to the conference room open for them. He led Casey through to the conference room, and announced, "We have returned with the sacred caffeine."

"Just pass it over, Dan," Elliot said as he reached over and grabbed a café latte from the tray. Dan rolled his eyes.

Casey placed his tray on the table and then stood at the back of the room, watching while everyone sorted out their drinks. These days it wasn't unusual for Casey to stand back from the crowd. Dan picked up the second café latte and wandered over to Casey. "Here," he said, and passed it to Casey.

Casey blinked, and then looked down at the cup. "Thanks. I just... Thanks."

"Hey, Casey?" This time, Dan could lean forward and grip Casey's shoulder firmly. "Not a problem."

Casey smiled slightly, and was about to say something, but Dana's voice suddenly cried out, "What happened to my chocolate?"

When Dan turned around, Dana was glaring at the empty tray, and Natalie was guiltily looking at a wrapper in her hand. Fishing his own chocolate out of his pocket, he threw it at her. "Catch!"

She caught it easily and grinned. "Thanks, guys." Then she frowned and said suspiciously, "Why was it in your pocket?"

"I didn't want to drop it on the way over," Dan said, and smiled at Natalie. Natalie silently mouthed "Thank you!" at him and he nodded at her. When he turned back to Casey, Casey was watching him with a careful expression.

"You're a good friend, Dan."

"I like to think I have my charms," he replied flippantly, but Casey looked serious.

"I know I haven't been acting like it, but..." Casey looked over Dan's shoulder at whatever Dana was doing now. "I appreciate it."

Dan forced himself not to twist around and follow Casey's line of sight. "You do?"

"Yeah." Casey dragged his gaze back to Dan. "It's really... *good*... to know that there's always someone I can call."

Dan beamed. Casey didn't say that stuff easily, but he meant the hell out of it when he did. "Always, Casey."

The noise level behind them grew quieter, and Dan took it as a sign to sit down. Leaning back in his seat, with Casey beside him, he suddenly felt as if this might be possible. That Casey might get through this without too much permanent scarring, that the show might survive these bad times. That maybe he was helping, even without talking.

Dan couldn't have stopped his goofy grin if he tried. "So, Dana, what are we doing with the twenties?"

The End

Comments

[sajee.livejournal.com]

*hugs fic and never lets it go*
I am kidnapping your Dan and running away to Mexico where we will open a bar and spend our days drinking margaritas and shouting at the tourists. That is how wonderful your Dan is.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

I am kidnapping your Dan and running away to Mexico where we will open a bar and spend our days drinking margaritas and shouting at the tourists. That is how wonderful your Dan is.

*cracks up* Babe, that's got to be one of the most original pieces of feedback I've had in a while. *hugs you*

And you know my Dan would enjoy that trip to Mexico (but maybe keep him far away from international borders when intoxicated, 'kay?).

[sajee.livejournal.com]

It wasn't particularly helpful feedback but I did *love* your Dan in this fic. Casey was also gorgeous and lost and pathetic (but with reason.... *gasp* it's something you don't see a lot of in my other fandoms i.e. 'why should I justify why this character would act like this? He just does, ok!')
So, yeah, Casey can come to Mexico too but somehow I don't think he'd be as good at shouting drunkenly at the tourists as Dan.

re-reading the paragraph above = sentence of doom. sorry.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

It wasn't particularly helpful feedback but I did *love* your Dan in this fic.

It made me totally giggle and beam! That's great feedback. *g*

Casey was also gorgeous and lost and pathetic (but with reason.... *gasp* it's something you don't see a lot of in my other fandoms i.e. 'why should I justify why this character would act like this? He just does, ok!')

Heh. I shouldn't be nasty, but yes, it doesn't happen in every fandom. *loves SN fandom* There's a ridiculously wonderful level of quality in this fandom.

So, yeah, Casey can come to Mexico too but somehow I don't think he'd be as good at shouting drunkenly at the tourists as Dan.

Well, no. But he can speak Spanish, so when you and Danny are too wasted to order more drinks, Casey can help. Plus, I think it'd make Danny a lot happier to have Casey around. They work better as a pair.

(Okay, now I'm picturing them drunkenly making out at the back of some grotty Mexican bar. ... Not a bad mental image. Not at all. *g*)

re-reading the paragraph above = sentence of doom. sorry.

Hee! Don't worry about it. I have quite a few sentences like that myself. (The ones where you look at them and feel you should apologise for butchering the English language like that.)

[sajee.livejournal.com]

yay! I made someone laugh! go team me.

I maintain that SN is the most consistent fandom that I'm into. The quality is normally really high and I think that people just seem to be more interested in the characters than the smut. Not that we aren't into the smut (it is all about the smut) but SN fic always seems a litle more believable. (I guess that's what I get for reading RPS, though.)

But he can speak Spanish, so when you and Danny are too wasted to order more drinks, Casey can help. Plus, I think it'd make Danny a lot happier to have Casey around. They work better as a pair.
Yes, good point about the spanish. Even though I'm learning, I think it would be better to have him around. And I couldn't keep Dan and Casey apart. It would just be cruel.

(Okay, now I'm picturing them drunkenly making out at the back of some grotty Mexican bar. ... Not a bad mental image. Not at all. *g*)
Woop! Bunny. hee.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

(I guess that's what I get for reading RPS, though.)

*bites tongue until the urge to be snarky passes*

*deep breath* SN fandom just rocks. I'm generally into FPS, Smallville and West Wing are my other mains, but SN has a shockingly high quality value. The number of dodgy SN fics I've read I could probably count on one hand, and there's probably another ten or so that could have been improved with a bitch-beta, but generally? The stuff that appears is top quality.

I've read far more dodgy stuff in WW, even though it's a Sorkin fandom, it's a larger fandom, and... *shrugs* I don't know. I don't know why the quality in SN is so high, but it is, and it makes me a super-happy reader.

(I don't suffer badfic easily, so that's probably a big reason why I'm so in love with SN fandom. I can hit "random fic" on the archive, and nine times out of ten, it'll be a good fic.)

And I couldn't keep Dan and Casey apart. It would just be cruel.

Indeed. Regardless of how much they complain about the other driving them crazy, without the other person, they'd just... drive everyone else crazy. *g*

Woop! Bunny. hee.

Argh!

*shakes bunny off her leg*

*bunny digs it's teeth in*

Argh!