TITLE: "Today Must Be My Birthday" (1/3)

RATING: A
CHARACTERS: Piper and the Gang

SUMMARY: Toby volunteers at Piper's school

DISCLAIMER: The characters used from the West Wing do not belong to me; they are the property of Aaron Sorkin.
FOLLOWS: Queendegarten

**ONE**

I was sitting at the breakfast table having my morning coffee while I waited for CJ to finish feeding Keegan. Piper was still upstairs getting herself ready for school. It was a Folgers's commercial kind of moment. Peace and quiet.

"I's all done Daddy."

I swear I heard a director off in the distance calling "Cut! That's a wrap." A deep voice booms from above me to inform those of us that are parents, "Who are you kidding? Didn't you know that you only get five minutes if you're lucky to yourself? Shake it off because we now bring you back to your regularly scheduled life; already in progress."

I really hate when that voice speaks to me. Piper was standing before me all dressed and energetic to begin another day at school.

I have to admit that since she has started kindergarten she has been a completely different child.

I think that telling her that if she's bad she can't attend school is also a big factor in that. You've got to love the ability to blackmail your own children.

Piper handed me her hairbrush, "Can I has pigtails today Daddy?"

She turned herself around and backed up towards me so that I could do her hair. I've been doing it quite often now for her since Donna took the time out to show me how to do pigtails, ponytails and I can even manage a sloppy French braid.

Luckily Piper doesn't have the stamina to stand still that long for me to have to do it often enough. I divided her hair and held it up for my own benefit to make sure that they were even. "Hit me baby," I said to her as I waited for her to hand me her hair accessories.

"Ow," she cried out as I wound the elastic around her hair for the third time.

"Too tight?" I asked her trying to see her face.

She nodded her head, "I'm sorry Piper." I tried to loosen it so that it didn't hurt as bad and then I continued on to the next one. The colour of her first pigtail was red. The one she handed me for the second one was pink.

"Honey, these don't match."

"Yes they does."

I held her hair in my hand but pushed her slightly forward so that I could see her outfit. She was wearing a white blouse with a red jumper. No pink that I could see.

"You're wearing red and white sweetie. So unless your shoes are pink, I don't see a match of any kind."

Piper turned as best as she could considering I still had her hair gathered in my left hand and whispered, "My underwears are pink."

I smiled at my daughter, "Gotcha," I said nodding my head. Case closed there.

CJ came running into the kitchen searching around frantically. "What are you looking for?"

"Uh Keegan…."

"YOU lost Keegan?" Piper asked with her jaw practically hanging from the floor.

CJ looked at Piper and smiled, "No sweetie. Keegan broke my glasses. I'm looking for my old pair."

I didn't look at my wife for reasons unbeknown to me. I always like looking at my wife. But I kept my focus on Piper's hair but I did say, "In my office. Second drawer on the left side."

"What?" CJ asked spinning around to me. "What are my glasses doing in your office?"

"You asked me to fix the frame because it was bent."

"Oh you fixed them," CJ replied with glee.

I sighed, "No."

"No?" She repeated.

I should have looked at her sooner. Atleast that way she would have a kind picture of me still fresh in her mind instead of the bad one she was no doubt forming now.

"I forgot."

"You forgot, Toby! I asked you to fix them and you promised me you would."

"I promised no such thing. You didn't even remember asking me to fix them."

"Yes I did."

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did," she argued raising her voice.

I released Piper who went running out of the room. I stood up and placed my hands on my hips, "Oh yeah, When?"

CJ looked taken back but she strongly stood her ground and lied, "Last month."

I made the sound you would hear in a game show if you buzzed in and the answer was incorrect, "Shall we try that again?"

"Two months?" CJ said asking and guessing at the same time.

"Try over ten months."

"Ten months!" CJ cried out.

"It was shortly before Keegan was born."

"You've had them for ten months and you still haven't fixed them?" She yelled back at me.

Now how did I end up the bad guy in all of this is what I want to know? I gulped and replied; "I'll fix them now while you continue to get ready."

I left the kitchen immediately but I could hear her voice as I made my way to my office. I bet the people in Canada heard her voice as well.

**TEN MINUTES LATER**

"Okay Mrs. Poyton is here and Piper is in the car," CJ said as she gave me a quick kiss before she scrambled out the door.

"You won't be long right?"

"No. I just have a meeting that I have to attend to and then I'll be there."

"Promise?"

"Toby I promise. You'll be fine until I get there."

"And you're not going to tell anyone about this right?" I asked her with trepidation in my voice.

"I won't tell a soul Toby. Now you better get going. I'm already running behind as it is and I have to fight traffic," she had opened the driver door of the van and threw in her briefcase. I was just exiting our house.

Piper was already strapped into her seat and she was stretching herself over to the horn on my car which she honked twice. I stuck my tongue out at her as I made my way to the car.

I opened the door and Piper yelled, "Let's go Daddy. Let's go!"

"I'm coming. Hold your horses you," I got into the car and started the engine and pressed the button to roll down Piper's window a bit.

"Say goodbye to your mother."

"Bye mommy I'll see you soon right?"

Piper waved and CJ waved back and blew her kisses, "I'll be there as fast as I can sweetie. You be a good girl and make sure your father stays out of trouble."

"Oh I will mommy I can do that."

"I know you can baby," CJ blew me a kiss and then backed out of our driveway. I followed behind her.

"Isn't this fun Daddy. You're coming to school with me."

"It sure is sweetie."

"Why are you coming again though?"

Good question I wanted to say but I knew why. I was going to be one of the parents volunteering for "Fun Charity Day". The better question is how did I wind up being the one in the dunking booth?

***TWO***

CJ was doing a quick run down the hall towards Josh's office when she thought she spotted Sam in one of the conference rooms. She stopped suddenly and took a few steps backwards and peeked into the room.

"Sam?"

Sam glanced up at CJ and smiled, "Hi CJ."

"What are you doing in here?"

"It's the quietest place I could find," he clicked his pen shut and placed it on top of his notepad.

"But you don't work here anymore…..do you?"

Sam chuckled, "I know I don't but I was in town and I thought I would drop by. You know see some old friends. That sort of thing."

CJ glanced around the large empty room. Sam caught on to what she was thinking and cleared his throat, "I haven't yet visited with anyone yet."

Now it was CJ's turn to smile, "You're supposed to be bunking at Josh's aren't you?"

Sam hesitated but finally answered, "Yeah."

CJ nodded as she was now understanding why Sam was in this room all alone in the quiet. Something he would never have gotten if he was at Josh's place.

"Hey," CJ said quietly. She turned to look behind her to make sure nobody was around and then she closed the door and walked towards the table. "Do you feel like getting out for a couple of hours?"

"Hmm, I don't know CJ. I really have to get this done. It was supposed to be drafted yesterday but I had a problem with my flight and…"

CJ cut him off, "Piper's school is having a charity run with the parents as volunteers. With my personal input he was mysteriously volunteered to be the schmuk in the dunking booth and well…I just thought…"

Now it was Sam cutting off CJ, "I'll drive," he grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.

CJ left Sam after giving him the directions to Piper's school and continued on her way to Josh's office. Donna wasn't at her desk and CJ was afraid that she had missed him but was happy when she did find him sitting in his office.

"Joshua," she said as she bounced happily into his room.

"I didn't do it."

"How much do you love me?"

Josh glanced up at his friend and grinned, "Is this one of those trick questions that can cost me a slap to the head?"

"No."

"Good because I really don't like those kind. I always seem to get them wrong," he winked at CJ.

"I've got a secret," CJ confessed.

"Oh even better. Those are the kind that give me a couple slaps to the head. CJ you know I can't keep a secret to save my life."

CJ grinned at Josh, "That's exactly what I'm counting on."

She leaned over and began to explain to him what Toby was doing today and Josh started to laugh. He spun around in his chair and smiled, "Today must be my birthday."

Now that she had Josh and Sam, Sam being a bonus, CJ made her way to Charlie. She knew Josh would tell pretty much everyone else that CJ didn't make it to and for once she liked Josh's big mouth.

Charlie was putting files away when CJ came around the corner. She stood in front of his desk and ran her fingers along his desk.

"Do you like it?" Charlie asked as he watched CJ running her hands along his desk.

"Yes," CJ admitted.

"Good, and no you can't have it."

"I don't want it. I want to invite you somewhere."

Charlie looked around the area and then back at CJ, "Uh CJ I like you and all but I also like my teeth. And although I know I can take Toby easily, another part of me realizes it would take two shots: One for him to knock me and the other would be my ass hitting the floor."

"Relax Charlie. I'm not propositioning you for a date. Piper's having a charity at her school."

"So it's not me you really want but my wallet?"

CJ shook her head a little and smiled as she said, "That works for me."

Charlie sighed and asked, "How many chocolate bars do I have to buy?"

"I'm sure they'll have those available if you'd like but that's not what I want from you. Toby's a volunteer at her school."

"I'm not buying him?" he asked with panic in his voice and CJ laughed. "It's not one of those raise a lot of money and win Toby for a date kind of thing is it?"

"God no!"

Charlie took a seat behind his desk, "Okay then I'm listening."

"They have a dunking booth…" CJ let the statement sink into Charlie and she gave him some time.

He quickly got her message, "For a fee anyone off the street can dunk his ass?" He asked with excitement.

"Yep," CJ said as she nodded.

"Oh man this is good," Charlie made a teepee with his fingers and smirked at CJ. "This is really good."

"Can I count on you to come out?"

"I just have to make a stop at the bank and I'll be there."

"I'm not sure of the cost. I didn't read the entire sheet that Piper brought home. I only found out he was in the dunking booth yesterday."

"CJ if I have to take a loan out it would well worth it."

CJ tapped the desk and pointed to the Oval Office, "Is the President in?"

"Yes he's in there with Leo."

"Good. That's two birds with one stone."

"For dunking Toby I'm thinking you'd only need a pebble to get their attention."

"You know where her school is right?"

"Yeah I think I can find my way. It's just down the street from your house right?"

CJ nodded, "Yeah. Toby will be in the gymnasium. It's too cold to have it outside."

"When does it start?"

CJ glanced at her watch, "In about a half hour. They were doing some other stuff before they setup the dunk tank."

Charlie turned his computer off, "Well for once I'm very happy I came in on a Saturday."

CJ said goodbye to Charlie and knocked on the Oval Office door. She waited until she was given permission to enter.

"Good morning CJ," both the President and Leo addressed her.

"Good morning Mr. President, Leo."

"CJ I was just asking Leo this and he didn't know. Perhaps you do. Where is Big Bend National Park located?"

CJ glanced at Leo for help but he just rolled his eyes and looked away from her. She was on her own.

"Uh Sir…I'm not very good with parks."

"I'm not asking you to draw it for me CJ. You do know the states can I presume that much?"

"Yes Sir."

"Well then out of the fifty that we have, pick one."

CJ drew a big breath and guessed, "Wyoming?"

"Wyoming? Grand Teton National Park is in Wyoming. CJ you disappoint me," The President sighed sadly.

CJ glanced back at Leo, "Don't look at me. I picked Oregon. Turns out Crater Lake isn't just a city it's also a National Park and apparently it's lovely."

"Don't mock me Leo," the President warned. Leo laughed without fear while CJ tried to stifle hers.

"The answer by the way is West Texas."

CJ tossed her hands up in the air, "That was my next guess Sir."

Bartlet glared at CJ knowing she was pulling his chain. He decided to let it slide and asked, "What brings you by? Is there a problem I should be aware of?"

CJ thought about forgetting the entire idea but then figured she was here so why not? "No Sir, there isn't a problem. The reason I came by is…."

Suddenly she didn't have the guts to ask them to come. She stood there while they both watched her. The President looked at Leo but he too didn't have a clue as to what was wrong with CJ.

"CJ is this going to take long? Should I have lunch ordered in?"

"I'm sorry Sir," she took another big breath and then laughed. "Boy I didn't think this was going to be difficult but suddenly I feel so foolish."

Bartlet's expression took on one of sympathy as he came to the conclusion that CJ was in financial difficulty and was having a problem confronting him for help. "Do you need money CJ?" he asked softly.

Leo sat forward on the sofa. The concept hadn't occurred to him that CJ and Toby could be hurting for money. He felt terrible all of a sudden. Of course it was possible. With a new house and a new baby and a growing four year old now in school.

CJ was shocked at what the President had asked and her practically screamed out, "NO!"

"Oh my gosh Mr. President no that's not why I'm here."

"Okay then," he said not completely satisfied.

"Piper's having a charity at her school that will begin shortly and Toby is there with her now."

"And you're afraid he's going to get stuck in her desk again?" Bartlet asked. He took a second to reflect back on the story that CJ had told him and he smiled. He thought it was so funny and yet so true to Toby's personality to have happened.

"Not quite Sir. Toby is volunteering."

"Our Toby?" Leo asked surprised.

CJ glanced Leo's way, "Yes. I am as well. But he thinks I have a meeting here and that I'll be there when it's over."

"What meeting? With whom?"

"Nobody Leo. I lied."

"Ooh I'm liking this already," Bartlet chimed in. "If you're lying to Toby then it must be for a good reason. One in which he doesn't benefit from I assume. Let me guess, he's the guy having pies thrown at him. Well I'm in then."

The President slapped his hands together and rubbed them. The idea of throwing a pie at Toby was making him all giddy inside.

"Close….he's in a dunk booth."

"Toby?" Leo asked once more.

Bartlet smiled at CJ, "Today must be my birthday. Did I just hear you say that Toby is going to be sitting all by his lonesome in a dunk tank just waiting for someone to drop his ass into cold water?"

"You did," CJ said with her eyes twinkling.

"Grab your coat Leo. You're driving," Bartlet ordered.