After the Fall – Chapter 2
"Zoey, don't say one word."
"Are you?"
"I told you not one word."
"Well, in my defense ... it was two."
CJ folded her arms and rolled her eyes. And then all of sudden she was distracted by the message on the computer screen.
"Zoey!" she exclaimed pointing to Baby.
"Shut down now! Hurry!"
Zoey rushed over to the power switch and clicked it off.
"That was close."
"What was that?"
"A message you don't want to see too often. It means you've tapped into an illegal source. Usually happens when a government computer is involved. A few more seconds of connection and Baby as we know her – would be in the hands of the wrong people."
"Oh! So glad you were here when that happened."
"Yeah, it makes me even more sure of the decisions I've made, especially now that we know more about Samantha."
"How's that?"
"The baby and Matt…"
"So it is true then!"
"Would you keep your voice down? I don't want anyone to know."
"Even Matt?"
"Especially him."
"So it is his?"
She said nothing, but it didn't matter. Zoey knew by her silence the answer.
"When are you due?"
"After the fall, right before Christmas."
"Well, congratulations! I can't believe it! I'm going to be an aunt!"
"SSSHHH!"
"Sorry," she said lowering her voice again. "Does Gary know?"
"Yes, and he's really okay with it. He wants me to stay with him and his family. We've been, uh, becoming quite close lately. He and his family have been very good to me."
"Oh, CJ. I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you. Now promise me that you won't say anything to anybody."
"Okay, okay I promise. On one condition …"
"What's that?"
"That you'll promise to call me with all the details as you go along and you'll call me the minute you go into labor. If I have to put up with keeping this a secret I want first rights to spoil the child!"
She smiled. "You've got yourself a deal."
Matt enjoyed the meeting with the President... who wouldn't? Especially after he made him an offer he couldn't refuse: his own office, his own staff and his own expense account. It was the era of luxurious government spending and the primary topic on everyone's agenda seemed to be the Cold War.
"Can you start next week?"
"Next week?"
"We'll have someone to help you find housing and move. I wouldn't be demanding such a quick timeline but we've got some new developments. Time is of the essence."
The position came with perks, too. Oh, not the monetary perks - that wouldn't phase him anyway, but the social ones did. Anywhere he or Elizabeth wanted to go, they would be able to do so first class with the opportunity to meet some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world. Elizabeth would enjoy attending fundraisers with the other wives. She would love Washington life.
"Yes. Let me just call my wife."
CJ woke up the next day thinking about all the research her and Zoey found on Samantha. She really felt Gary was owed the truth, but would it be the right call? Would more information create problems or vice versa? She didn't want to jeopardize her new relationship by keeping any secrets from him.
She walked down to breakfast to a surprise.
On the table was a complete meal, all trimmed with a red rose. She looked around for someone to thank. She wanted to make sure it was for her.
Gary entered the room a few seconds later and saw her staring at the meal.
"Oh good. You're back!"
"Yeah, I got in late last night. I didn't want to wake you."
"I kind of wished you had. Then I could have given you a goodnight kiss."
She smiled and blushed a little.
"Is this all for me?"
"Yes. Do you like?"
"I love it. All my favorites! Did you do this all yourself?"
"Well, I had a little help. The boys and my mom … okay, I had a lot of help."
She laughed. "What's the occasion?"
"No reason."
"Well, it's very sweet. Thank you," she said, meeting his eyes as he pulled her close.
"How about that goodnight kiss now?"
He leaned in closer and placed his hands on her face and kissed her on the lips, gently at first and then more intensely as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Did you get everything accomplished in L.A. that you needed to?"
"Yes. Zoey was a great help."
"Zoey?"
"Yes, she's Matt's sister and Julia's adopted cousin. He left her in charge of Houston Investigations."
"Oh. Did you find out anything about Sam?"
"Yes."
He saw he seriousness on her face and instantly felt anxious.
"Well?"
"You might want to brace yourself."
He took a deep breath.
"Go ahead."
"We don't know all the details but is has something to do with the government and espionage."
"What?"
"It looks like she got involved in something very bad and very big."
"You're kidding! Well, I'll be."
"We know that she visited the U.S.S.R. before she joined the Peace Corps in Ghana. We think that's where she became affiliated with the KGB."
"The KGB?" he said, trying to process the information."Well, I guess that would explain a few things," he stated, the duress playing out on his face. He made a quick decision it wasn't going to affect his plans.
"Hey, you know what? How about after breakfast we take the rest of the day off? We could spend some quality time together just you and me, huh? What do you say?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"Hmm … how about Vegas?"
"As in Las Vegas?"
"Yeah. Are you up to it?"
"Well, I guess. As long as I don't have any airplane food on the way there…"
One month later …
Matt's secretary greeted him with the morning paper and his messages which he glanced over quickly.
"When is my first meeting?"
"It's supposed to be in about ten minutes, but Agent Geraldi called to say that he's running a little late."
"Okay. Well, I'll be in my office waiting for him. Let him in as soon as he gets here."
"Will do."
Matt, who was still getting used to his new job, noted that it was rather nice to be treated like a member of the Washington aristocracy. It was also nice to not always be on the run so much and have an office job for a change. The computers were even better than his trusty Baby, loaded with tons of top-secret information.
He sat in his desk chair and leaned back scanning the messages again. They all seemed like they could wait. So he thought reading the paper with his morning coffee was in order. He started perusing it, putting aside the society section and going right to the sports.
After a few minutes he looked at the clock - his guest still wasn't here. Still looking for something to do, he decided to open the mail which contained a letter was from Zoey. He figured it was some kind of note or bill about a case she worked on, but as he opened it he found a small newspaper clipping from the San Francisco Chronicle. "Thought you'd like to see this," was written on another piece of paper attached to it.
It was a photo of CJ.
He studied the photo carefully, noticing that she looked radiant in the small black and white print. He smiled as he read the details about her wedding, unaware that a tear had formed in his eye.
"Agent Geraldi is here, Mr. Houston."
But he didn't hear her.
"Mr. Houston?"
"Oh, sorry. Yes, send him right in."
Matt folded the clipping and tucked it into his shirt pocket.
"Good morning, sir."
"Ah, good morning, and you can drop the sir. It's just Houston," he said, standing to greet him.
"Oh, okay, sir."
Matt sighed. Government officials didn't seem to know how to relax.
"So what have you found out about our double agent?"
"Not too much except that we think she's still in the U.S.S.R. somewhere."
"You think?"
"Yes, we've had a hard time trying to track her trail for years. Sometimes we can't tell if she's helping the communists or us. We know she has a weakness for her family back in the states. Every once in a while when her trail goes completely cold, we send out a surveillance crew, making sure she's not trying to get in contact with them."
"Okay, well how recently have you done that?"
"A couple of weeks ago, that's why we think she's in the U.S.S.R. somewhere. It may take a few more of our agents and a few months, maybe years until they establish themselves there, to know for certain."
"Well, I'll talk to the president about securing the finances we need to do just that. I'll let you know what he says after I meet with him this afternoon."
As Matt said goodbye to his guest, he got a sudden urge to jump on a plane and become a double agent. He daydreamed about the adventures he could have faking a Russian accent and smooth-talking some half-witted KGB agents. If CJ were sitting in the room right now she would have looked at him sideways, made some remark about him being crazy and then offered to book a flight for him. Those were obviously the good ol' days. If he mentioned any such notions to his wife, she would have protested or cried. Ah, but it was good to be married, he thought… really. He loved Elizabeth. He just needed a little more time to get acclimated to this new lifestyle and then he'd be fine.
Five months later …
CJ was having one of those days where she felt pressed to get the house in perfect order. Little things that she used to ignore were getting to her. Like the overgrown plants with the brown leaves and the boys' wrinkled clothes left sitting on the dryer. With swift movement and cat-like reflexes she managed to straighten and clean the entire upstairs in under two hours. She was nesting. Her baby was due any day now.
Onto the main floor...
She straightened and dusted every single photo on the mantle, taking time to gaze at the wedding photo of her and Gary taken only four months earlier. Gary had impulsively taken her to Vegas for a day of gambling and shows. By dinner time he had proposed marriage. She thought he was crazy, he said he was crazy about her, she asked if he was sure, he said he had never been more sure in his life and voila! Now she had her own family, complete with two step-sons, a wonderful live-in mother-in-law and a baby on the way.
Her life had taken a 180 degree turn the day she left Matt. It must have been the right decision for now she found herself happy… very happy. She thought she lost everything, not realizing that she was about to embark on the most wonderful time of her life. A very kind man befriended her just when her life seemed to be falling apart at the seams. They fell in love, and it was easy. All those years she wasted time practically bashing her head against a brick wall, searching for true love with Matt. She almost felt like she should thank Truman Masters and Frizz Face. If they hadn't come along, she might still be wasting time pining way for Matt.
She often thought about him … it was only natural since they had spent so much time together over the years. She daydreamed about his reaction to the pregnancy news, picturing him being so elated that he'd grab her around the waist and swing her around the room in celebration. But, alas, that wasn't meant to be – for so many reasons. She had to concentrate on the positive and let go of the past. On many levels she had the best of both worlds: a great husband, a wonderful home, security and a baby who represented years of her love for her best friend.
She peered into the nursery, formerly the guest room, and smiled. Everything seemed to be in order, right down to the duck-motif wall clock and the hand-made quilt her mother-in-law made. Ah, but no, not everything was picture perfect. She noticed a small piece of fabric sticking out of a drawer and bent over, intending to push it out of view. But as she did she felt a rush, lost her balance and went stumbling towards the floor. She caught herself from injuring anything "important" and landed right on her tush.
"You klutz," she said to herself. If she had a nickel for every time she bumped or tripped during her pregnancy she could start her own conglomerate.
She braced her arms on the floor searching for a way to get up but no luck. She stretched over for the corner of the dresser unable to reach the top of it. She was stuck. Stuck like an upside down whale on a beach.
She needed help and knew that Carlotta was somewhere.
"Help! Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"
She amused herself so much with that line that she felt a surge of liquid from beneath her. "Oh, great. Is anyone there?" she called out. It was a pregnant woman's worst nightmare: being away from a bathroom when you need it most.
A few seconds later Carlotta appeared in the doorway and saw her on the floor.
"Oh, my. What happened to you?"
"I fell."
"Yes, I can see that. Didn't anybody ever tell you not to fall when you're nine months pregnant?" she laughed as she lent a hand.
"Guess I missed that lecture. Oh, well, no harm done. I landed on my bum," she said brushing her hands along her thighs.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks so much for coming to my rescue. I don't know how long I would have sat there feeling so dang stupid."
"Okay, well I'm glad you're …"
All of a sudden Carlotta stopped what she was saying and pointed to the floor.
"No, you're not!"
CJ's eyes widened. "Is that my water? My water broke?"
"I'm calling Gary."
She put her hands on her abdomen. "I'm going into labor?"
Carlotta came back in the room with the portable phone giving it CJ. She took the phone and tried to soothe her husband, a.k.a. doctor-I've-been-through-this-three-times-I-know-what-to-do. All those months of lectures where he told her to just rely on him, he'll help her through it ... no problem. Now she was the one calming him down as she went to change her clothes and grab her suitcase.
"Okay, okay, calm down … yes I know, okay … " her words trailed.
Matt sat in his office practically bored to tears. His mind drifted off to his best friend and her requests to leave her alone. All his phone calls and cards to CJ over the past seven months went largely unanswered, except for a formal thank you for his donation to The Center. He wanted to talk to her, to see her. He knew that she couldn't cut off contact with everybody - she cared about her friends too much to do that. He often wondered if Chris or Zoey had been secretly keeping him out of the loop.
He had a break from his duties for a day so he thought he'd take advantage of one of the perks of his job: flying cross-country in a personal jet. He would be back home in time for dinner. No one would ever miss him.
First order of business was to stop by the office in L.A. and check in with Zoey. She seemed to be on an important call when he stepped off the elevator. Her eyes grew wide when she saw him, her voice shook as she started covering her words as if she was talking in code. Before she ended her phone call he heard her say something about a hospital.
"Hey, Zoey. How's it goin'?"
"Hey, uh, Matt. Sorry. Can't talk now. Gotta run and uh … meet a client. It's urgent."
"Oh, do you need my help? I could come along if you'd like."
"Uh, no that's okay. She asked me to meet her alone."
"Well, it sounds a little suspicious. How about I follow you from a distance, just in case."
"No, that's okay… really. It's urgent but not risky, I assure you. Great to see ya! Bye!"
He started wondering about the conversation he just had.
"Urgent but not risky, huh ..."
It might have been wishful thinking but something in his gut told him she was talking to CJ. He went over to the phone and pressed the star feature and retrieved the number. "San Francisco Memorial..." was all he needed to hear.
He was familiar with this town … or least familiar with all the major hospitals there. He went out to the patio and immediately started the chopper. He was going to see CJ come hell or high water.
Within minutes of arriving at San Francisco Memorial Hospital he spotted Zoey. Without making his presence known he watched her as she boarded the elevator to the fifth floor. Matt took the stairs to the same floor and when he opened the door to the hall, he noticed it was the maternity ward. Was CJ having a baby?
He watched and waited for an opportunity until everyone near CJ's room seemed to be occupied or distracted. Then he walked in as quietly as he could, afraid his pulse would give his presence away for it was beating so loudly with anticipation. He looked past the curtain and finally saw her. CJ!
She was sound asleep and looked down right angelic as she laid there. He moved quietly to her bedside and sat down. He was so glad to see her that for a moment he didn't care about the possible repercussions of sneaking into her room.
All of a sudden Zoey entered the room holding a baby in her arms. Her smile changed to shock when she looked over towards the bed.
"Matt! What on earth are you doing here? How did you …" she said in a loud whisper.
"I had to see her."
"She doesn't want you here."
"Yeah? Well, I think that's ridiculous. I see you've been keeping her condition a secret from me."
"She made me swear on the saints not to tell you."
"Look, I don't want to argue with you here, now. Is that her baby?"
"Yes, and Gary's downstairs grabbing a bite to eat. He'll be up here any minute!"
"Boy or girl?"
"Girl. Now will you get out of here!"
"I'd like to hold her. Can I please?"
She didn't budge.
"Look I won't say anything to CJ. I'll never tell her you let me. Please? Can I just hold her?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, all right but, if …"
He carefully scooped up the bundle of joy in his arms before she could finish warning him.
"She looks a lot like CJ, doncha think?" Zoey said, trying to guide his opinion. But, Matt was too busy enjoying the moment to respond. He smiled and gently rocked her as he walked around the room, marveling at this tiny angel. Zoey couldn't help but smile at the sight of her brother with his newborn daughter.
He gently pressed his finger into her palm, in awe of how small, fragile and beautiful she was. Zoey kept checking CJ's face looking back and forth between them. Thank God she was still sleeping. She worried for how long.
"Matt, if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here before Gary comes in ... or worse, CJ wakes up!"
He knew in his heart she was right. CJ would not like the fact that he went against her wishes. Had he been on better terms with her he might have protested.
The baby started to fuss and fearing that she'd wake her, he reluctantly handed her back to Zoey. He looked at her one more time before starting for the hall.
"Wait just a New York minute," Zoey said.
Matt heaved a sigh. "What?" he said, as he turned to face her.
She saw his face and abruptly changed her tone.
"Are you okay?"
"Why? Do you care?"
"Of course I care. Matt…"
"Then why Zoey? Why didn't you or she tell me?"
"She just didn't want a lot of people to know."
He sighed. "She still hates me, doesn't she?"
"She doesn't hate you. I think she just wants to protect her child."
They heard Gary's voice coming from down the hall.
"You better go, be off like a prom dress!" Her curt response was her best defense at the moment. If she had to watch his wistful expression any longer she might have cried herself.
As he turned to leave Zoey looked up at the sky waiting for a lightning bolt to strike her down for lying. This Matt-CJ thing was beginning to stress her out and she had only recently come to know them. What about all the other people in their lives that had know them for years? She wondered if she could start a support group.