A couple of weeks had passed since Molly's injury occurred and she'd mastered child-size crutches as opposed to the wheelchair Andi begged her to use.
"Honey, you'll fall if you slip with them and we can't have you breaking the other leg too," she would warn.
Toby tried to get her to use the crutches, since he figured she should try and become more active as soon as possible.
One afternoon, he was sitting at work about to leave to pick up Molly and Huck from school, Andi being tied down in a vote, when his phone rang.
"Toby Ziegler," he answered monotonously.
"Toby? Hi, it's Carol." Carol was working as CJ's assistant again; she had jumped at the offer when CJ was in need of a new assistant when back in the area.
"Hi Carol, what's up?" he didn't find it strange to be called by her in the middle of the day.
"CJ fell down the stairs, we're at the hospital."
"She what?" Toby asked in shock.
"She fell down the stairs and she can't walk."
"Jesus, is she there?"
"She's getting seen to by the doctor." Carol exclaimed.
Toby rubbed a hand over his beard, "I need to get the twins from school."
"I'll bring her home when we're done," Carol told him sympathetically.
"Thanks, Carol."
"Bye, Toby."
Toby and the twins were back at home: Toby preparing them dinner while they sat on the couch doing their homework.
He was worried as Carol hadn't brought CJ by yet and it was getting late.
The doorbell rang around 5 though and he nearly gasped when he opened the door.
"Hey, Tobus." CJ was sitting in a wheelchair, purse on her knee and leg in a cast. Carol was standing sheepishly behind her.
"What did you do?" he asked, opening the door wider so Carol could wheel her into the hallway. "Did you get up the steps okay?"
CJ nodded before starting, "I thought that taking the stairs while carrying boxes at work would be some good exercise. Would've been a wise idea to wear flats."
"Apparently so," he observed.
"Yep, I broke my leg."
"Just like Mol," he commented.
"Just like Mol," she repeated wistfully.
"Are the women in my life trying to tell me something with these broken legs?"
"We're not, Pokey." She said and then her face grew into a small grin, "Oh they're here aren't they?" she asked, in relation to the twins.
"Yeah." Toby confirmed and turned to Carol, "Carol, thank you so much for looking after her. I can handle her now."
"No problem at all. Call me tomorrow, CJ." Carol smiled.
"Thanks, Carol. See ya!" CJ beamed, "Now come on, wheel me in to the kids."
"Already demanding…" Toby muttered.
"Why hello children!" CJ exclaimed as Toby wheeled her into the living room.
"Oh my god, CJ! What did you do?" Huck gasped as he moved towards her, earning a laugh from CJ.
"You sound too old, kid. I broke my leg, Mol we're like twins." She smiled.
"You got a bright cast too!" Molly beamed from her spot, "Daddy, move her here."
Toby wheeled CJ to the couch, "You want help getting on it?"
"No Toby I'll jump on no problem," she deadpanned.
"C'mere." He helped her shift onto the couch beside Molly, whose cheek she kissed affectionately.
"Does it hurt? It hurts doesn't it?" she questioned CJ.
"Like a bitch," she chuckled but Toby glared at her warningly, "Sorry, real bad."
"Daddy do we have ice cream for CJ?" Molly asked her father, wanting to repay CJ for the ice cream she had been given.
" There's some in the freezer, but you two need your dinner first before you go near it."
"Fine," the twins huffed in unison.
"I hope that doesn't apply to me too," CJ pouted playfully.
"Like I'd ever try to come between you and ice cream."
After dinner, Huck sat reading on the floor while Molly and CJ watched cartoons on the couch.
"I can't believe you broke your leg after me," Molly said to her while sipping at milkshake.
"You and me both, honey." CJ replied, "Your dad's going to end up demented with us two hobbling about the place."
"Who said he isn't already?" Toby spoke from the armchair, peering up from his laptop.
"Lighten up, Tobus. We're delightful," she grinned.
"Sure." He replied airily and resumed his work.
"We should have crutches races when your leg's a bit stronger." Molly suggested to CJ.
"No you're not," Toby spoke up again, not looking up this time.
"Wheelchair races are the way forward, dear," CJ told her, "Much more fun."
"Okay." Molly sang before yawning, "I'm tired."
"Me too." CJ whined, "C'mere sweetie."
She wrapped her arms around Molly, who did the same in response, and they leaned into each other as to find a comfortable napping position.
Toby admired what became their peacefully sleeping forms after mere minutes, throwing a blanket over the pair as they slept. He adored how much Molly loved CJ, and vice versa, and moments like this made him incredibly thankful for them.
Huck had gone upstairs and came downstairs later on to find CJ and Molly still asleep and Toby still watching them from his spot.
"Awwww." He gushed, noticing them.
"Shhh, don't wake them," Toby whispered and gestured for his son to sit on his knee.
Toby and Huck watched them for a while before Toby had an idea.
"Huck, go upstairs and get the digital camera would you? It's on my desk in the study."
"Okay, Dad." Huck muttered and hopped off to go back upstairs.
In the meantime, Toby managed to put his cell on silent and take a picture of the pair for his wallpaper.
Huck returned with the digital camera which gave Toby another idea: "Sit there." He motioned to the floor next to them and Huck grinned broadly as Toby took a photo – this one to be his wallpaper.
They then took several pictures of the pair sleeping, an adorable vision.
CJ began waking up a few minutes later.
"Whoa, hey." She mumbled, noticing Huck was reading on the floor right beside her.
"You rested?" Huck asked her quietly, trying not to wake the still sleeping Molly.
"Yeah. You can sit up here." She patted the small space next to her, where he sat up and she smiled at his conscious effort to avoid her legs. "I won't break, Huck."
"You did though." He commented back, met with a small chuckle.
It seemed Huck had joined in with the sleeping when Toby returned from uploading his photos onto his desktop computer as he noticed his son nestled in CJ's other side the way Molly had continuously been resting.
He was shaken out of his thoughts as the doorbell rang, which surprisingly didn't wake any of the others.
"Hi," Andi smiled when he opened the door, "Sorry I'm late we ran over."
"Did it pass then?" he asked regarding the major farming bill due to pass the House.
"Yeah," she nodded, "247."
"Good," he replied, "Come look at this."
Toby guided her into the living room where CJ and the twins were still fast asleep.
"Why is CJ wearing a cast?" she asked him with concern.
"She fell down the stairs at work, broken leg."
"Good grief," she uttered under her breath.
"Please tell me you took a photo," Andi then whispered to which Toby nodded with a warm smile. "I don't want to wake them."
"Molly and CJ have been like that for an hour or so now, Huck joined them earlier." He mentioned.
"God it's the sweetest," she gushed but then decided to ease them out of sleep gently.
Andi moved to Huck first, "Huck, you awake there buddy?"
"Hi," he murmured, "Is it time to go?"
"Yeah, go fold up your sister's wheelchair in the hall, I'll carry her to the car." she whispered and he diligently obeyed.
She moved round to Molly's side of the couch, "Molly sweetheart, time to go,"
"Huh?" she sleepily opened her eyes, adjusting to the light, "But CJ's still sleeping,"
"Leave her be, she'll be exhausted after the day she's had," Andi told her daughter and extended her arms to pick her up.
"Wait," Molly unfolded herself from CJ's arms and kissed her cheek before Andi could lift her.
Huck came in and followed suit with the kiss before hugging Toby. "Bye, Dad."
"See ya later, buddy," Toby said before leaning to Molly, "see you sweetie,"
"Bye Daddy," she smiled and kissed him.
It was another hour before CJ woke but when she did, she was completely startled to be alone.
"Toby?" she called out, noticing he wasn't around.
He came down the stairs at her voice and found her groggy on the couch.
"Well hello sleeping beauty," he chortled.
"Where are the kids?" she asked.
"Home," he told her, sitting beside her.
"I missed them leaving?" she asked sadly.
"Yeah, we had to pry them away from you though." He laughed softly and she smiled to herself at the comment.
"What time is it?"
"After eight." He told her.
"Wow, these painkillers must've knocked me out then." She moaned, resting her head on his shoulder, "I'm still exhausted."
He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her head, "Do you want me to carry you to bed?"
CJ began laughing quietly, "Are you sure you're capable? I'm hardly dainty,"
"You're perfectly manageable," he stated in defence.
"You're such a charmer," she said dryly.
He shut her up with a kiss, to which she lazily responded, hands twined around his neck.
"How are we going to get you up then?" he wondered, "Why are you so tall?"
"Born this way, baby." She grinned and he rolled his eyes.
"Painkillers are definitely working. I'll just hoist you over my shoulder." He joked.
"That's no good for my supposedly elevated cast." She complained.
"C'mere." He got up and bent down slightly towards her, "Arms around my neck, I'll get your waist, good leg around my back and other one out?"
"Okay," CJ held onto him, and let her good leg co-operate with Toby picking her up.
He had her in his arms off the couch and gazed into her eyes, "Okay?"
"Painkillers are wearing off," she whined and he began padding across the living room.
"Watch the doors," he mentioned, "those legs of yours are deathly."
"Toby you don't complain when they're around your neck, I wouldn't start now," she teased.
He somehow managed to climb the stairs and then gracefully drop her onto their bed once upstairs.
"Will you bring my wheelchair up? They didn't give me crutches so I'll need it for the bathroom and stuff," she asked of him.
"Sure," he replied.
CJ was settled on the bed a few minutes later and Toby brought her up some cocoa.
"You're being sweet," she commented.
"It's possible you know." He contended while he changed into pyjamas.
"I know, it's nice." She smiled, sipping at her drink. "Will you help me get my skirt off?"
"Happily," he grinned.
"Come on, I can't have sex like this." She whinged.
"I know, I know. We're going to have to work around your injury."
"I think we'll cause more injuries than we started with," she quipped.
"All in good time," Toby chuckled as he helped her sit up and unzipped the skirt.
Pulling it off, he kissed his way down the exposed skin. "Even with a shockingly bright mile-long cast, you've still got the best legs in DC."
CJ fingered his hair lightly, "You know, talk like that's not going to help the abstinence."
He moved up to kiss her lips, "You're right."
It took a while, but the couple found a comfortable sleeping position: one that at least, would enable CJ to drift off peacefully.
She lay on her back, propped up on pillows the way Molly had been, with Toby's arms snaked around her waist and his body curved into her side much like the way she usually was into his.
"I don't like this," she moaned.
"Is it still painful?" he wondered sympathetically.
"So bad," she moaned again.
"Babe…" he kissed her temple and hugged her waist tighter.
"I'm basically an invalid."
"You'll cope. Molly has."
"I know, but she's a healthy 9 years old whereas I'm a lanky middle-aged woman."
"You're still fit as hell though," he commented, a double meaning.
"I told you, no sex."
"I'm making you feel better, which is something I don't do often, so enjoy it while it lasts," he murmured, breath hot in her ear.
"Okay, Pokey." She hummed.
Toby could tell by her breathing when she was close to sleep, "Love you, Ceej."
The only reply was further peaceful breathing, so he simply shifted closer and dozed off into sleep alongside his wife.