TITLE: The Law of Large Numbers

AUTHOR: Kansas J. Miller

PAIRING: CJ/Toby

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: Pre-Administration. At some point, they have to succeed.

SPOILERS: Vague for ITSOTG 2

NOTE: For Angie. Thanks to everyone who keeps sending the feedback. I really appreciate it.

~*~

She was wearing a man's white undershirt, but Toby thought that she had never looked more beautiful. The v-neck dipped against her tan skin, teasingly pointing to the valley between her breasts. The shirt fit her snuggly; it fit her perfectly, highlighting every dip and curve of her body. She was not wearing a bra.

Toby cleared his throat, shaking his head as CJ stopped talking and began to stare at him. He was sheepish as he admitted, "I wasn't listening."

CJ was on the couch across the room from him, her long legs tucked Indian-style under her body. She rolled her eyes and took another swig from the beer bottle. "I know you weren't."

Toby stretched out his arms and groaned. "It's been a long night."

"It's been a good night."

"We lost," he lazily reminded her. They were bordering on drunk and the hotel room was beginning to smell like liquor.

"Well, we also gained experience," CJ reminded him, her voice a sigh as she tried to be upbeat. Outside on the city streets, early morning traffic beeped and blared. It was dark in the room and CJ could not stifle her yawn. "Don't you think so?"

"One of these times my guy is going to win," Toby mumbled, standing up. He collected a few empty bottles and stumbled over to the trashcan. "We're going to get somewhere one these times."

CJ tugged at the messy pony tail she'd made with her hair. "You know, you have a really shitty attitude."

Toby spun around, his eyes wide. "Hey! I just said-"

CJ smirked casually. "You had the tone."

"What tone?"

"You know. The tone," CJ shrugged. Toby stood by the trashcan, staring down at the empty glass bottles. CJ sighed again, her breath breaking the silence. "Let's go to bed."

Toby did not move. A siren blared in the distance; New York did not sleep. Toby shook his head as CJ began to sit down on the king size mattress. "That's my side, " he protested.

She had slipped off her gray sweatpants and now her endless legs stretched out over the comforter. "Get over it."

Toby took a few steps closer, lingering in the doorway watching as CJ toed out of her socks. She raised her eyes, flirtatious and coy as she slid off of the mattress and stood. Six feet tall, lean, long, and slim. She reached her arms gracefully over her head as she pulled the snug undershirt off of her body. Toby couldn't take his eyes off of the lines of her body and he was embarrassed when he involuntarily sucked his breath in at the sight of her naked skin

Her breasts were firm, the nipples tight and puckered, enticing. Toby walked closer to CJ, their smiles mirror reflections. She put her fingers against his covered chest before he could reach out and touch her; she shook her head. "Take your clothes off."

Toby complied, undressing quickly. He often wondered why a woman like CJ would want him naked and in her bed. He wondered why, when she could have any man or woman who walked into the room, CJ wanted him. Leaving his clothes in a heap on the floor, Toby turned towards the bed and found CJ on top of the covers, her body glowing in the dim, shadowy light from the streetlamps.

"C'mere," she whispered, curling into Toby's embrace as soon as his skin touched hers.

Toby sighed, wrapping his arms around her bare back. He kissed CJ's hair; he held her against his chest, shivering when she put her lips on his neck. "What will you do now?"

CJ sighed heavily, her whole body rising and falling with the action of breathing. "I don't know - go back to California, I guess. I can probably find a PR position. You?"

Toby allowed his hands to roam her skin. CJ was beautiful, she was different. She was incredible. "There's a Presidential election in two years."

CJ chuckled softly against Toby's neck, squeezing him tighter. "You never get discouraged, do you?"

"Like I said, one of these times, we're going to get somewhere."

CJ's eyes had drooped closed. Her voice was drowsy. "If you keep trying, the law of large numbers pretty much assures that you'll succeed at some point."

Toby shushed her with a kiss to her forehead. "Go to sleep."

"You'll come and get me?"

Toby swallowed the lump in his throat. "I will."

She murmured and spoke no more. Toby stared into the November night, watching the numbers on the clock as they ticked by. CJ fell asleep right around three, and then Toby lost track. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, all too aware of her heart beating against his. They would go back to their own places in life for a while, and then Toby knew it would happen as it always did: he'd show up at her house, he'd tell her he'd found a candidate worth working for, and she'd be packing her things within the hour. Next time would be different, Toby told himself as he began to drift off, next time they might win. They only had to keep trying. *