One of my favorite little timeline things is that when CJ and Danny make it clear that they hooked up (presumably for the first time) without Any words a week earlier on Wednesday, they say that the day of Leo's funeral. Which makes last Wednesday night the night after Leo died. Like, the first real bit of free time CJ had after his death, she went and sough out Danny to say Nothing but have sex with him.
Which is such a fascinating thing and I've posted before about that as a thing CJ has done before (with the guy from high school as a reaction to her father's Alzheimer's). And it's great Danny was there and that while she has this response of, seeking out sex to cope with such heavy grief, that's (as far as we see on screen) consistently with someone trustworthy.
But, with zero intention of diminishing Danny here but just as a fun little AU thought game, it also makes me think of which other characters could have been that person for her in that moment. Because there are a bunch of options actually and they all provide something Just a little different.
There's Kate, who's right there at the White House when the news about Leo breaks, and who's not as emotionally involved with Leo and this administration but has still been a very solid person for CJ to work with and could absolutely be such a good and trustworthy person to have this with. (Similarly, Kate is a really good option when it comes to CJ potentially doing a similar thing when Toby confesses to the leak.)
Similarly, Cliff Calley is kinda forgotten about after season 6, but he is technically still CJ's DCOS and he has a longstanding... not a close relationship but definitely a respectful working relationship, with Leo. He and CJ have some serious tension in season 6 which is fun. He can be there.
Carol's there, and Carol loves CJ, CJ trusts her so much. Carol has worked for CJ long enough to potentially expect this, especially if you place it in the context if an existing crush or romantic history between them. Carol isn't about to leave the White House after Leo's death without checking on CJ. (In that same vein, while CJ/Margaret doesn't do much for me, and I don't think Margaret is the type for this. If you do? She's right there and grieving a lot too that night.)
Andy is having just one hell of a night, too. We never find out if she won or lost her election, but it's a big night either way. Placed in the context of a longstanding history between them, she's a very safe choice here, and there's a 50/50 chance she's expecting the call. (This goes double so in the context of any kind of Leo & Andy shared sobriety headcanons; in which case this really really hits her, too, and CJ is a nice distraction from a bottle of wine she can't open.)
Can't mention Andy without mentioning Toby. I'm not too much of a cjtoby girly, but if there is ever a night to get really truly messy with it? Oh. Toby is getting this news either from the news or from Donna, maybe. Maybe from Andy. Depending. CJ and Toby haven't spoken since the leak and she doesn't want to, but she also didn't technically want to see Danny until the inauguration either; this is a special night. This isn't forgiveness. But he's still a special person to her, they have this relationship, and he's there.
There are more options, surely, but. Finally. In a really heavy way. There's Mallory, too.
Who's just lost her father. With CJ as this daughter-figure to the dad Mallory lost; this longstanding friendship (and you can add all the potential other history to it that you want), the challenge in CJ having seen so much more of Leo in her day to day life than Mallory got the chance to due to the work they do. The resentment in that, the grief. The fact CJ holds her father's title right now. That shared grief and the unfairness of it all. There really is very little comfort in this one, but god it's cathartic as hell, and that counts for something too.
