Broken Bones
CJ and Toby are married but after a couple of years in New York they decided to move back to DC in order to be closer to the twins.
It's helpful too given that CJ is considering running for a seat in the House of Representatives, all in due time.
It's also convenient for Josh who wants to poach Toby as a new Santos advisor when he's not busy teaching at GW University.
It's AU in that CJ didn't marry Danny beforehand or have a child with him as seen in 7x01.
The background is pretty irrelevant as it's basically domestic fluff but I wanted to make it clear.
Toby was sat in his study, having only just arrived home from work at GW, when the phone rang.
"Hello," he answered.
"Toby, hi, Molly's had an accident," Andi was on the other line sounding anxious.
An awful feeling rose in his stomach; ""What happened?!" Toby growled in frustration down the phone.
"She fell off her bike and landed funny. I took her to the hospital and she's broken her leg." His ex-wife told him.
"Oh god. Is she okay?"
"She will be, she's pretty shaken up." Andi told him.
"I'm coming right over, are you back home?"
"Yeah," she replied, "See you soon."
Toby stopped at the mini-mart around the corner from Andi's to buy his daughter candy and the cutest toy he could find before arriving at the house.
Andi greeted him on his arrival. "Hi, Toby."
"Hi," he said, "Where is she?"
"She's in the living room, Huck's been looking after her bless his heart."
"Okay," Toby nodded and wandered along Andi's hallway where he bumped into Huck who emerged from the kitchen.
"Hi dad!" He beamed.
"Jeez you gave me a fright, hi son." Toby scooped him up in his arms, "How you doing?"
"Sad for Molly." He explained, leaving Toby wondering how he had such sweet children.
"She'll be fine, she's a fighter." he told his son and Huck merely nodded into him.
He was about to head into the living room with him when Huck started pulling at his jacket.
"Let me down please Dad, I need to go finish my get well soon card."
"Sure," Toby placed him down with a kiss to the head and watched him run upstairs.
Toby walked into the living room to find Molly; she was sitting on the couch with her bright pink cast outright in front of her on an ottoman, playing with her teddies and watching the television.
"Hi, Daddy!" She lit up when he entered the room and his heart broke a little when he noticed the evidence of her crying.
"Hi Molly!" he murmured, sitting down beside her to give her a big hug and kiss. "What on earth happened to you, sweetie?"
"I fell off my bike." She pouted.
"I heard," he said, "Does it hurt?"
"Yeah," she nodded sadly.
"C'mere baby," he wrapped his arm around her daughter and squeezed her, eliciting a giggle, "I see you went for the bright cast,"
Molly grinned as they observed her fluorescent pink leg cast, "I want it to be pretty."
"What are we going to do with you?" He chuckled and hugged her close before remembering the carrier bag he'd left in the hallway. "One minute, hon."
He quickly returned; "I got these for my brave girl."
Molly opened the bag to see the small plush lion and a small box of candy and beamed, "Thank you!"
"You've had a rough day," he smiled.
"It really hurts, Daddy." The quiver in her voice broke his heart even more.
"You're a fearless gal though," he held up the lion playfully, "like this one here. Zieglers are tough."
"I know," she near sobbed and buried her face in his chest.
Toby sat holding her for a while, playing with her hair, until his cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket.
"Hello?" He answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.
"Are you still at work? Where are you?" CJ asked.
"I'm at Andi's, Molly broke her leg." He sighed.
"Oh my god is she okay?" she panicked.
"It really hurts." He echoed his daughter's words.
"Oh bless her. Is she there? Put her on." CJ urged.
Toby handed the phone to Molly, "It's CJ."
Molly's face lit up again as she put the phone to her ear. "Hey, CJ!"
"Have you been out trying to give your old dad a heart attack?" CJ chuckled to her step-daughter.
"I couldn't help it." Molly uttered.
"I know baby. Does it hurt?"
"So much," she whined.
"Do you want me to come see you with some ice cream?" CJ soothed.
"Yes please." Molly said perkily.
"Chocolate chip or cookie dough?"
"Cookie dough!" she sang.
"Okay see you soon, love you Mol."
"Love you too CJ." Molly replied and handed the phone back to Toby.
"You never tell me you love me on the phone." He commented to CJ.
She snorted in response. "Don't go all soppy on me. I'll see you soon."
"You're coming over?"
"Of course I am!" She announced, "Your poor daughter needs the love of a good carton of ice cream and her favourite step-mom."
"I hope you don't intend on giving her the entire thing, I already bought candy." He warned cautiously.
"No I'm going to eat it too." She commented.
"There'll be none left for her though." He quipped.
"Shush." CJ murmured. "Won't be long."
"Bye." He muttered and hung up.
"That woman's determined to fatten you up." He related to Molly once off the phone.
"It's called comfort food, Daddy." She told him innocently, clearly quoting CJ.
Toby shook his head in bemusement. "Yeah."
CJ arrived 15 minutes later with the promised ice cream and a pack of sodas.
"Hey guys." She said softly, "How's my favourite girl?"
Molly smiled, "A bit better."
"Good girl," CJ dumped the bags on the coffee table before hugging Molly tightly.
"Look at that fabulous cast, ey?" she gasped, kissing her. "I had a boring white one when I broke my arm as a kid. Handling the pain?"
"I'm being brave." Molly told her and CJ glanced at Toby who merely shrugged.
"I bet you are." CJ sat down beside her, hugging her close. "How about we watch one of your movies?"
"Okay!" Molly responded. "Can we watch Shrek?"
Toby tried to suppress his groan, failing and earning a steely glare as CJ replied. "Of course we can sweetie. Toby honey, go get us some spoons would ya?"
"Yes, ma'am." He muttered and walked off into the kitchen.
He came back in minutes later with a tray holding the sodas, the tub of ice cream and 2 spoons.
"No ice cream for you, Daddy?" Molly wondered as she picked up one of the spoons.
"No, I'm making myself some noodles."
"Noodles, why?" CJ asked, taking the carton off the tray.
"Can't a guy fancy some noodles?" he defended.
"I married a freak," she muttered under her breath to Molly, and the pair began giggling.
"I can hear you, y'know," Toby grumbled, "I guess I'm putting in the DVD too?"
"Yes, Daddy," Molly and CJ chorused.
They were an hour into the movie when Molly fell asleep, but CJ and Toby continued to watch the adventures of Shrek.
Andi popped her head around the door, having been dragged into card-making with Huck. "Guys, I'm going to pick up the portable wheelchair for Molly from the hospital. I'm taking Huck with me."
"Okay, see ya." Toby muttered, not turning away from the screen.
CJ smirked as she watched him engrossed in the movie, "I didn't think you were a fan of Shrek."
"It's one of the better animated features they like." He told her pointedly.
"Yeah, yeah." She chuckled.
Molly's head was still resting on CJ's shoulder in slumber when the movie ended.
"Toby, I need to pee." She groaned.
He guided his daughter's head to his own shoulder to allow CJ to move and she nodded in gracious thanks on her exit.
"Mom?" Molly stirred, eyes opening.
"She went to get your wheelchair sorted, honey." Toby told her quietly.
"No, CJ?" she responded, and Toby failed to hold back the smile forming at his lips because neither of the twins had called CJ 'Mom' before.
"She went to pee," he said.
Molly didn't respond but once CJ returned she suddenly became alert. "Can we watch something else?"
"Sure, Mol. What do you want to watch?"
"Finding Nemo?"
"Okay," CJ grinned, "I love that movie."
"How old are you again, Ceej?" Toby spoke up.
"Shut up and find the movie, Pokey." She smiled.
After Finding Nemo, Molly was completely out in sleep. Toby carried his daughter to bed, followed by the ever-fussing CJ.
"What are you doing?" Toby asked her as she organised the pillows on Molly's bed.
"Plumping up her pillows, a girl's gotta be comfortable." She responded nonchalantly.
"So I've learned," he grumbled, fully accustomed to CJ's awkward sleeping positions. "Are you done? My arm's numb."
"There." CJ patted the bed and Toby eased Molly onto the covers, watching her leg and propping it on one of the pillows; CJ draped blankets over her sleeping figure.
"Sleep tight, honey." Toby kissed Molly's head, brushing hair out of her face.
CJ kissed her goodnight too and after saying goodbye to a still-awake Huck and Andi, they returned home.
Once at their house, they went straight to bed and lay relaxed, cuddling.
"I hope Molly's okay," CJ mumbled.
"She will be. She's turning into a klutz just like her step-mother," he said plainly.
"Hey," she jabbed his chest, "None of that."
"Actually, you know something?" Toby began softly.
"What?" she muttered.
"Molly called you Mom earlier." He grinned.
"What?" CJ quietly repeated.
"She asked where 'Mom' was, and I said out at the hospital, and she said, 'No, CJ?'"
"You're kidding," she smiled.
"Not at all," Toby murmured, "She loves you so much."
CJ swallowed the developing lump in her throat, "God I love her, Huck too."
"I'll never be over how great you are with them."
She moved her head to his chest, half nuzzling him; this to avoid meeting his eyes which were prickling with tears. "Jesus, you Zieglers are out to get me aren't you? I'm sick of you lot making me emotional."
He kissed her hair gently, "We wouldn't have it any other way, Ceej."