I don't know where this idea came from, but here we have it.
CJ was headed back to her office after a successful 5pm briefing. Carol was muttering alongside her, flicking through a series of transcript notes to be typed up. She had a killer headache, nothing out of the ordinary, and all she wanted was to relax, the day taking its toll. Heading into her office, a wave of dizziness suddenly overcame her and the room became black as her knees gave way.
"CJ you have Sam on line - oh my god, CJ!"
Carol entered the office to find CJ passed out on the floor. She rushed back to her phone, "she'll have to get back to you."
She dialled the intercom again. "Could I get the First Lady please?"
"Hello ma'am, can you come to CJ's office please. She's passed out and I'm worried. Yes. Thank you ma'am."
Abbey Bartlet came striding towards Carol. "What happened?"
"She had her briefing, she did great. We came back and I was working until Sam called, and I went to tell her, but she was just passed out there."
"Okay thank you for calling dear. Get her some water and I'll see to her."
CJ was now awake albeit groggy and curled up on her floor; she attempted to rise as she saw the First Lady enter her office.
"Stay there, dear. Can you get onto the couch?" the First Lady offered her hand to help CJ shift herself. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." CJ sighed.
"Well you're probably suffering from exhaustion, but I sent Carol for water. Thank you dear." Abbey smiled at Carol as she passed a cup of water over to CJ, who sipped slowly.
"Let me know if you need anything." Carol walked out, leaving CJ and Abbey alone.
"When did you last eat, CJ?" Dr Bartlet enquired.
"I haven't eaten yet, I was in a rush this morning and I was in a meeting over lunch."
"I'll have Carol get you a bagel." She stepped outside to Carol, leaving CJ fiddling with her hands on the couch.
"Carol, I'm going to give CJ a check-up. But could you get her a bagel from the mess and also, fetch Donna on your way back here."
"Yes, ma'am." Carol nodded and headed off.
The First Lady went back to CJ and gave her a quick check up.
"Definitely exhaustion. I'm going to have Donna take you home and Carol can handle the rest of your day. I'll inform Jed so you have nothing to worry about. You're going to rest and get plenty of sleep, and make sure you eat. Then hopefully by tomorrow you'll be good as new, but if you feel worse, give me a call okay?"
Carol entered the office, Donna in tow. "Here's your bagel, CJ."
"Are you okay, CJ?" Donna asked, worried
"Thanks Carol. Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine." CJ nodded.
"Donna dear, could you take CJ home please? Carol, I'm sure I can trust you to handle her schedule, her deputy can do any other briefings."
Both women nodded and Carol walked out to her desk. Donna remained and fetched CJ's coat and briefcase. "Anything else you need, CJ?" CJ shook her head and stood up.
"Thank you ma'am," she smiled at the First Lady and followed Donna out of the door.
"As long as you're okay sweetie" Abbey smiled and headed out herself.
"Carol, if anyone asks I left early to catch up okay?" CJ asked as they passed Carol's desk.
"Okay, call me if need be, CJ." Carol called back as they left.
"Here we are." CJ said as Donna drove up to her apartment. "Thanks Donna."
"I'll come up, settle you in." Donna smiled, her caring side kicking in.
"Okay." The women headed up to CJ's apartment, and CJ let them in.
"Do you want me to get anything before I leave?" Donna asked as CJ dropped her briefcase on the couch and hung up her coat. Donna observed the apartment and noticed it was covered with papers and files of various colours and sizes, scattered across the living area and even the kitchen table.
"No I'm fine thanks Donna, thank you for bringing me. You better head back; I imagine Josh will be beside himself without you." CJ grinned from the bedroom door.
"Yeah he will, I better go. Bye CJ, feel better soon!" she left and CJ locked the door before heading back into the bedroom and drifting into sleep.
Donna in the meantime drove back to the White House.
'Wow, CJ had a messy apartment.' She thought to herself 'Papers strewn everywhere, so crazy. But no, it's not my place to say. She's a busy career woman; God knows I barely have time to clean. How come there was so much?'
Donna walked into the West Wing, heading back to Josh's office.
"Hey Donna, CJ okay?" Josh called out.
"Yeah, she said she's feeling better now." Donna responded, shuffling papers on her desk.
"Good, can you get me my Berryhill meeting notes for tomorrow?" he shouted.
"Yeah Josh, sure." She paused for a moment. "Josh?"
"Yeah?" he popped his head around the office door.
"Is CJ seeing anyone?" she pondered.
"You interested?" he smirked playfully.
"Shut up Josh." Donna snapped. "No, I was just asking."
"We're not two cheerleaders in homeroom, Donna. I don't know the ins and outs of CJ's love life. Surely as a fellow gal, you'd know the scoop before me?" he replied.
"Jeez Josh I was only wondering." She muttered.
"Any reason?" he asked, seemingly more interested now.
"It's silly, never mind." She dismissed the thoughts that were in her head.
"Go on, enlighten me." He sat on her desk expectedly.
Donna sighed and began rambling. "She had so much stuff at her place, I don't know. I thought you were messy but it was weird, so unlike CJ. I know I shouldn't pry."
"And you think this means she's seeing someone? She's probably just fed up of all those briefings and threw all her notes about in desperation or something." He chuckled.
"Not quite Josh, but yeah it's nothing." Donna went back to work, thoughts on the matter not quite ceasing.
A few hours later, Toby made his way through the West Wing, bumping into Josh.
"Oh hey Toby, how was it? Are they on board?" He enquired regarding Toby's attempt to sway several hesitant House Democrats into supporting the administration's latest Health Reform bill.
"We got all but Richardson but I think he's hiding something under his belt. I'm gonna have Ginger set me up another meeting with his office for tomorrow." Toby responded.
"Great, man. Let me know if you need any help with him." Josh patted him on the back and headed back into his office.
Toby made his way through the Communications bullpen and into his own office, collapsing into his chair.
"Ginger!" he yelled, his assistant quickly coming to the door.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"Get CJ on the phone would ya?" he asked.
"She left already." Ginger told him, surprised at the softer than usual tone Toby had used.
"What? Okay. Do I have anything else today?" he enquired.
"No that's about it." Ginger called, having gone to check his schedule at her desk.
"I'm gonna take off then. Get Sam to call me if he needs me." Toby packed up his stuff and headed out, leaving Ginger in shock at the fact her boss was leaving before midnight for once.
"CJ, I'm home." Toby called out through their apartment. After dumping his stuff, he walked into the bedroom to find CJ curled up on the bed.
"Hey, why'd you leave early?" he asked, taking off his jacket and tie. "And I drove you this morning, how'd you get back?"
She barely stirred. "Donna drove me."
"Why?" he wondered.
"She was forced to." CJ sighed.
"By whom?" Toby's tone became more inquisitive.
"The First Lady." She almost whispered.
"Why, CJ?" he was worried now.
"I passed out." She mumbled.
"What?!"
"It's nothing." She shrugged.
"You could've called me!" he said, exasperated.
"Oh yeah, drag you back from your big meetings on the hill?" she replied, voice dripping in sarcasm.
"Yes." He said simply.
"I was fine, Toby." She countered.
"You passed out!" he cried.
"Toby, I'm fine! Donna brought me home and I've been sleeping. I'm fine." She assured him.
"You know how I worry about you." He sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms.
"Yes Tobus, but I'm fine." She kissed him before laying her head on his chest, dozing back into sleep almost instantaneously.
The next day
"Ginger!" Toby bellowed from his office.
"Yeah?" she popped her head around his door.
"Have you seen my preposterous, complicated blue file for the G8 preparations?" he sighed.
"Not on your desk?" he shook his head. "I'll have a look out here."
"Thanks, Ginger." He nodded.
"Hey Sam!" Ginger called as Sam walked into the bullpen. "Have you seen Toby's G8 folder?"
"The extravagant one right? I chose it myself you know. Toby has blue, I have red, Josh has green and CJ has purple." He beamed proudly.
Ginger rolled her eyes. "Cute, Sam. But have you seen it?"
"Nah sorry." He said apologetically and headed towards his office.
Donna walked by, causing Ginger to jump.
"Oh, hey Donna. You know the G8 files? You haven't seen Toby's blue one by any chance have you? He lost it and no-one can find it around." She asked.
"No, sorry Ginger. I've had enough hassle trying to keep Josh from destroying his in frustration. Where did Sam even find them?! Blue did you say?" Donna replied, the last part added quickly as she caught her breath slightly.
"God knows, you know what Sam's like." Ginger chuckled. "Thanks anyway, let me know if you hear anything." She called as Donna walked off. Ginger headed back into Toby's office.
"Hey Toby, I've asked about and no-one's seen it."
Toby had a mini epiphany. "Shoot! I think it's at home." He observed Ginger's face, worrying she'd be sent to fetch it. "I'll go back for it at lunch, thanks Ginger."
"No bother, boss." She shut the door on her way out.
Meanwhile in Josh's office
Donna returned from the bullpen. "Hey Josh, seen Toby's G8 folder?"
"Nah. I don't know how he could lose it though, they're the most ridiculous folders ever." He replied.
"Yeah," Donna smiled. "Now that I think about it though, I do recall seeing a blue one at some point. Oh where was it? I ought to have mentioned that to Ginger." She trailed off.
"Okay I've lost interest now." He said, turning to his computer.
Donna thought hard to herself as she walked out to her desk and suddenly it hit her.
"Yesterday, CJ's messy apartment, coffee table covered in work, blue folder balanced at the top of the pile. Oh my God." Donna was muttering under her breath, struggling to hide her shock at what she seemed to have worked out.
"Josh." She declared, walking back into his office.
"Yeah?" he didn't look up.
"Oh, nothing." She said quickly, it seemed she couldn't quite bring herself to reveal what she thought she had uncovered yet.
After a couple of meetings that morning, Toby headed towards CJ's office.
"Hey, you." He said as he walked in, closing the door behind him.
"Oh, hey." She looked up before returning to reading her report
"You still feel okay? Not gonna pass out like yesterday?" he asked, sitting on a chair in front of her desk.
"I'm good." She smiled back.
"I left my G8 folder at home, I'm going back for it at lunch. Anything you need?" he asked her.
"No thanks. Good luck finding it though, the apartment's resembled a bomb site recently." She chuckled.
He snorted in response. "I think I left it out on the coffee table the other day, should be still there."
"Yeah. Oh, my car's free from the shop tonight, so can you drop me off there later? I'll get takeout, meet you at home?" the report was now abandoned.
"Sure" Toby smiled. "I'll get out of your hair now." He turned to leave.
"C'mere, kiss me first." CJ teased.
Toby turned back and stepped closer to her. "Carol could walk in."
"Oh calm down, I won't jump you." She grinned.
"Fine." He sighed in defeat, albeit liking the sound of that, and closed the space between them, kissing her deeply.
"See? No harm." She winked as they pulled away.
"Yes but I'll get too used to this here, and not that I don't like kissing you every chance I get –" CJ cut him off with another quick kiss.
"I know, Pokey. We'll get ourselves caught." She kissed him again. "Now off you go, see you later."
"Yeah." Toby walked out, waving his hand airily in his typical manner.
"Oh hey, Donna." He muttered, bumping into Josh's assistant.
"Hey Toby, where you headed?" she wondered, noticing his coat was on.
"Home, left my G8 folder." He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Yeah I heard. Well see ya." She waved and walked off, a thought suddenly occurring to her.
"Josh! I'm heading out for lunch, you want anything?" Donna shouted into his office, grabbing her purse.
"Nah I'm going to the mess with Sam." He hollered back.
"Okay bye!" she called. Her pace quickened as she left the White House and went to find her car.
"Now let's go and suss out Toby." She mused out loud as she got into her car, double checking her recollection of the route to CJ's - and well, as she hoped to soon discover - Toby's.
Donna slowly drove the route CJ had instructed the previous day, not wanting to make herself obvious as a stalker should Toby notice her car the whole way.
As she turned onto CJ's street, Donna decided to park a few houses down as her designated spot of observation.
She took out the sandwich she hadn't had time to eat at breakfast and cringed at what felt like a very creepy thing she was doing.
She saw Toby's car parked outside the apartment and figured he'd already gone inside, the driver's side being empty.
A few minutes had passed when Toby came out of the apartment, blue folder in tow. Locking the door behind him, he was heading back to his car.
"Yes!" Donna yelped gleefully.
Toby's car started up and began driving in the other direction, leaving Donna thankful she didn't have to duck and hide her nosy self.
"Now I need some more evidence." She said to herself as she drove back, deciding to pull into a bakery a few blocks from the White House since the sandwich hadn't really filled her up.
Donna walked into the bakery, a place she had frequented many times before. Stepping in the queue she was pleasantly surprised to find the subject of her investigation further along the line.
"Hey Toby." She smiled, waving slightly.
"Hi" He waved back. "Grabbing lunch?"
"Yeah, sandwich didn't quite do it today. You?"
"Pie. These guys do the best pecan pie." Toby gestured to the counter as he placed his order.
"Two pieces?" she mused, noticing his order.
"Sees me through the day." He responded quickly.
"I see. Well see you back at work." Donna replied as Toby walked out the store.
"Yeah. See ya, Donna." He nodded, hands occupied with two bags.
Donna ordered a bagel and cupcake for herself and a muffin for Josh who would no doubt complain of hunger at some point around 3, and drove back to the White House.
As soon as she was back in the West Wing, she made a point to walk by CJ's office. As expected, CJ was tucking into a large slice of pecan pie. She also noticed Toby sitting on the couch in her office; he had completely finished his pie, the box discarded beside him.
'This is interesting.' Donna thought en route back to Josh's office, grinning as she placed the muffin on his desk.