CJ is pacing up and down the halls, trying to decide if going to see Parker again would be a bad idea. In the end she decides against it, going to sit down at her desk with her computer and try to learn some more about the boy's past. She has a bad feeling that, in the future, she will need to know about it. Her original searching brings up very little, a few articles here and there in the past about the teen's graduating and subsequent hiring at the White House, but that's it. Getting an idea, CJ types in the teen's birth name, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty for even knowing it. She doesn't want to know it so, sighing, she shoves it down in the back of her mind. I have got to know about this. She finds a few articles from when he would have been about twelve, which she knows is the year he graduated high school, as well as a few from when he would have been about ten, about the car crash he was in that had killed his mother. He had barely been injured, according to the articles, just some cuts and scrapes, but his mother had had her neck and back broken on impact. A car had shot through an intersection and hit the driver's side of the car. She reads on, noting that the boy had been set to go to Yale before he had vanished off the map at twelve, shortly after graduating high school. She sighs, giving up and going down to personnel to get his file before returning to her office with the very thin file. There isn't much ; his transcripts, resume, a bunch of recommendations from a ton of people. She slowly scans the transcripts, noting there is nothing between the point when he graduated and when he had started at Stanford, where he had gotten his prelaw and law degrees in only three years, passing the bar exam when he was sixteen. His address on all the forms changed several times, three times in his first year, once in his second, and four times in his third. She sighs, opens up her laptop, and starts searching looking up the addresses.
Toby is sitting across from Sam and Parker, both who have looks that makes it seem like they are nine year olds who had broken the window and were worried about getting into trouble. Toby sighs, trying in desperation to find a way OUT of this conversation. He was not looking forward to any part of this day. "Guys why the HELL DID NEITHER OF YOU TELL US!" He snaps. Parker flinches closer to Sam, trembling slightly whenever Toby raises his voice. Sam stands, causing both of the other men to look over at him in surprise. "Toby, it was none of your damn business, nor is it the world's business!" He snaps, his voice angry. "My life is none of their business, Toby! Neither is Park's!" Parker is watching him intently, not ready or willing to speak. Toby throws up his hands in pure frustration, unsure as to how his deputy and his deputy's deputy could be so STUPID. "You guys, it shouldn't matter. And in the grand scheme of things it DOESN'T it's not like you've broken any laws or guidelines but the fact of the matter is the media is going to want to make a spectacle out of you, Parker!" Sam spins around to face Toby, angrily snapping, "Both of us, Toby. I'm not hiding and watching him get ripped to pieces!" Parker sighs, standing and shoving his way between the two men, who are now only like a foot apart. Toby shoves him roughly and the teen cries out in absolutely terror, causing both men to look over at him. Sam gets it, you can see it in his eyes, crossing the room to crouch in front of Parker, who has taken refuge behind a box. "Toby, get the hell out." He snarls quietly. Toby starts to protest, but then he moves so he can see Parker's eyes and the words die on his lips. The teen is shaking violently, hands clutching the closest thing he had found that could be a weapon, a screwdriver from a toolbox that was on the floor, in both hands. His eyes are wild and terrified, but he isn't holding the knife in a way that would suggest "attack," he looks like he's ready for a beating. Toby turns out of the office, leaving Sam crouched in front of the boy even though he is almost concerned that Sam will get hurt. He sighs, starting towards CJ's office, desperate for some advice, and hoping that she had no more bad news to give him.
Sam stands in front of Parker but about five feet away, silently texting Danny. It's not that Sam can't help the teen, because he probably could, but it's Danny who knows how to, who can talk the teenager back to where he is in less than ten minutes, without making it worse. Danny is there two minutes later, pulling off his thick coat and crouching in front of Parker so he can slide the jacket over. The boy grabs it in one hand even as he moves backwards, having at some point lost the weapon, the jacket pressed against his face as he breathes in the smell of it. It's so unmistakably Danny that you can visibly see him relax, getting his head up so he can stare at Danny for a moment. Danny gets it, slowly moving forward and crouching down in front of Parker, who hesitates for a moment before grabbing onto him with both hands and burying his head in Danny's shoulder. Sam watches in silence, slumping down on a box for a moment when he realizes just how tired he is before standing up and slipping out through the doors, knowing that someone needs to talk to Toby and Parker is clearly not in any shape to.
Toby paces around CJ's office, stopping so he can lash out at the wall every few steps before collapsing onto the couch with a groan. CJ finally looks up from her computer. "Oh hello, Tobias. I take it that didn't go well?" Toby groans softly in response, before muttering, "I think I messed up, Claudia Jean. Sam and I were fighting like we do and the kid shoved between us to get us to stop and I shoved him." CJ"s head shoots up and Toby can tell in a moment that she knows something she isn't saying but he's too angry at himself to ask her what's going on. CJ finishes what she is googling with a sigh, moving to sit next to Toby, who scoots over to make more room for her. "Toby, I didn't get much from his file, but the kid's medical exams eliminates any chance that he's had an easy life." Toby opens his mouth, to ask something, but she gives a sharp shake of her head, her eyes firm and stubborn. "No, Toby, you're going to have to ask him yourself." He nods, deflating slightly as he rests against the back of the couch. A moment of silence passes before Sam is entering the room, standing awkwardly on the other side, bright green eyes locked intently on Toby. He looks pissed off at the world. "Firstly, Toby, I swear to god if you ever lay a hand on him again I will end you." Toby opens his mouth to say something but Sam cuts him off sharply. "He's fine, d-a mutual friend has him. He will be fine. No thanks to YOU." Toby nods, leaning back against the couch. "Cj, how is the press looking?" CJ sighs. "I have a briefing in an hour but I need the kid to do a press conference tomorrow almost definitely, Sam. And someone needs to talk to the president." Toby is watching Sam intently, seeing the nervous way Sam's hands are fidgeting. He quickly unbuttons his shirt, loosening his tie so he can show the scars on his chest. "It'll have to be me too, CJ." He turns away to sit in a chair in front of the desk as he unbuttons his shirt, hands shaking violently as he does so. "P-please don't start yelling." Sam whimpers. CJ sighs, moving to sit on the other side of the desk. Toby stands behind Sam, resting one hand on the back of the chair to make sure his smaller brother knows he is there. Sam visibly relaxes. CJ just sighs. "Samson why on earth...never mind, I know why, but I just wish...ok. I'll put both of you up tomorrow. Ok?" Sam nods sharply, looking relieved that CJ wasn't going to yell. "I'm going to go work with the kid on our opening thing, ok? Unless you need something, Toby." Toby shakes his head so Sam nods, hurrying out of the room. Toby sighs, slumping onto the couch, suddenly hit with exhaustion. CJ chuckles softly. "Take off your shoes and sleep, Tobias." Toby nods, doing just that as he shifts to lay more comfortably. "Thank you, CJ."
Sam is walking slowly back towards Parker's office, his steps calm and steady. Josh stops him a few steps away from the door, one hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Sam turns to glance at him, a question in his eyes. "I'm buying pizza. Do you or the kid want any?" He questions quietly. Sam shrugs, not missing how Josh had made sure to say that he was buying pizza, and wondering, not for the first time, how much of his financial situation his best friend knew about. "Yea, sure. I'll have cheese, Parker likes black olives on top. If you don't mind not discussing anything, I'm sure Danny would love to sit down and have some black olive pizza, too" Josh wrinkles his nose and Sam snorts in agreement. "We'll come by in like twenty minutes?" Sam questions, taking Josh not commenting as him agreeing Danny could be there. Josh just shrugs, then nods. "Sure. See you then." They part, Sam ducking into the office to find Parker and Danny sitting on the boxes, both with their computers open writing god knows what. Sam pulls out his and sits next to them, realizing the other men are working on the opening remarks for the press conference tomorrow. "Danny i swear to god if you leak this…" Sam wants to say, but he doesn't because he doesn't need to because Danny won't. He isn't in reporter mode, not here and not now he's here to help them and Sam knows it just as much as Parker does.
They quietly file into Josh's office, and Parker grins for the first time in hours when Josh passes him and Danny a box of pizza. All four sit in comfortable silence, chomping down on pizza and filling their stomachs for what was, for some of them, the first time in quite a long time. "Thank you for the pizza, Josh." Parker mutters softly, eyes still on his grease-covered fingers. Josh smiles slightly. "You're very welcome, Parker. I figured you could use some good, fat-filled, greasy food." The smaller boy giggles softly, leaning back so his head is resting against the wall, a content smile on his face. The peace is broken moments later when Toby slams his way in, taking in the scene and locking his eyes on Danny. "WHAT is he doing here?"