TITLE: "I'll Take Boarding School for $200 Alex" (3/7)
RATING: A
CHARACTERS: Toby and the gang
SUMMARY: Piper and Toby go head to head
POV: Toby
TIMEFRAME: Continuation from In the Hands of a Stranger
***Six***
I was sitting in my office when Josh came bouncing in.
"Hey Toby are you busy?"
I glanced up at Josh who looked as if he hadn't slept in days. "If I was would it matter?"
Josh smiled, "I guess not."
"Then I'm not busy Josh. What's up?"
"I've got problems."
"When don't you Josh?"
"I went to Donna like you suggested."
"And?"
"And she likes me," Josh resembled a five year old as he said that.
"As much as that surprises me Josh, Congratulations. Donna is a great woman."
"Yeah she is."
"So why is that problem?"
"Oh that part isn't. It's the Amy part that is."
"What does Amy have to do with anything? I thought it was over between you two?"
"It is, It was, I mean it is for me but-"
"But?"
"She says she's not done with me yet."
"Josh, drama at this early hour is too much for me. What the hell are you talking about?"
"She still wants me."
"Why?"
"Excuse me but I happen to be a great catch."
"Trust me if I caught you I'd have no problems throwing you back." I kidded Josh.
"Ha ha very funny. This is serious Toby. I think she's stalking me."
"What makes you think that?"
"Because everytime I turn around there she is."
"Such as?"
"Well yesterday she was up at Capital Hill and today, today I ran into her downstairs."
"Has it occurred to you that her job takes her to these locations Josh? I hardly find them grounds for stalking."
"Well I wouldn't put it past her. She's freaking me out."
"You're freaking me out. Josh how do you meet these women? Is it some kind of God given gift that attracts you to every psycho in Washington?"
"I like a little danger in a woman. It's very erotic"
"Having a woman tell you that's she not done with you when you break it off, isn't my idea of erotic Josh. You need to talk to her."
"What? Again? No way."
"Well how else do you plan to get rid of her?"
Josh grinned at me. "Oh no, I'm not doing your dirty work."
"Come on Toby, I need help."
"I know Josh and there isn't enough Doctors available for what you need. But I'm not getting dragged into this. Nope, not going to happen."
"So what do I do?"
"Ignore her. You've done your part now go on with your life. I don't think she's capable of doing anything drastic so I wouldn't get too worried about it."
"And what if you're wrong?"
"Make sure you have your affairs in order and kiss your ass goodbye." I smiled at Josh who half smiled back.
Josh noticed Sam was in his office and decided to get his opinion. "You don't mind do you?" He asked me.
"Not at all. If you want to take Sam's advice over mine be my guest. I'm kind of curious as to what he would suggest relationship wise. Not many of us get the chance to fall in love with a hooker. If anyone can help you Sam's got the best chance."
"CJ must pray to the Gods above every day for you," Josh remarked sarcastically before he left to join Sam. I glanced to the photo of CJ, Piper and myself and smiled. I was one lucky son of a bitch if I do say so myself.
***2 hours later***
I was in the middle of a meeting with Congressman Dalton when Ginger interrupted. I excused myself and joined Ginger in the hallway.
"I'm really sorry Toby but Terri called from upstairs. There's a slight problem with Piper."
"Is she hurt?" I began to panic. Old nightmares were suddenly resurfacing.
"No no Toby it isn't anything like that. It's just that Terri said she was kind of, misbehaving I guess is the word."
"Well what words did she use exactly?"
"Let's just say you better get up there right away."
I sighed and dug my hands into my pockets and thought for a second or two. "Alright I need to explain this to Dalton. Please call Terri and notify her that I am on my way up there."
Ginger nodded and went on her way while I told Dalton of the emergency that had come up and apologized for having to reschedule our meeting. Luckily he was in a better mood than I was.
I made my way up to the daycare and I didn't hide my frustration at Terri when she approached me. "Mr. Ziegler I'm so sorry."
"I don't appreciate being hauled out of a meeting because you can't control a three year old Terri." I said rather rudely.
"That's not fair Mr. Ziegler and on top of that most three year olds don't act the way Piper does. Lately she's been acting like the spawn of the devil."
I flashed Terri a look. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Terri didn't answer me, she took her gaze down to where Piper was standing now with one of the volunteers. I glanced over at my daughter and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
There she was standing before me her hair chopped 4 inches shorter on the left than the right side. Her bangs were cut off completely and when I moved around Piper there was a big chunk of her hair missing from the back.
"Jesus Christ!" I screamed.
"Mr. Ziegler we didn't know-"
"It's your job to know," I yelled back at Terri. "For crying out loud I left her here with you in two pigtails. Now you're giving her back practically bald and the best you can tell me is you don't know!"
"We're sorry Mr. Ziegler. Piper said she had to go to the bathroom and when she came back this is how she looked."
"How did she get access to scissors? She's three years old." I had yet to lower my tone of voice. I was so pissed I could have spit nails. In two days CJ was dragging us to get a family photo done together. I didn't even want to imagine what her reaction was going to be.
"It's cut and paste day and I think Piper may have brought a pair into the bathroom with her."
"You think?" I asked sarcastically.
"Again Mr. Ziegler I am very sorry. I didn't think to check and make sure that she didn't have the scissors with her. Most children leave them at the table with them." Once she said that her expression changed on her face.
"Most children?" I repeated to her as a question.
"I-"
"Are you implying that my child is too much for you to handle? Because if that is so I can gladly arrange your removal of this position."
I didn't mean to be so cruel and I wasn't mad at Terri mostly. She couldn't have known that Piper would have done this, but right now I was just so angry. I made her upset and she began to cry which made me feel terrible.
"I'm sorry Terri. I didn't mean that."
"It's okay Mr. Ziegler," she said wiping her tears away.
"No, it's not okay. Please accept my apology for Piper's behaviour and for my own." I turned my attention back to Piper and pointed at her. "You, come with me." Piper blinked and looked up at the volunteer for help. "She can't help you now Piper. Don't make me repeat myself."
Piper slowly walked towards me. I have never laid a hand on my child and I swear I never will. But I will be honest in telling you that I had to seriously restrain myself from giving her a slap on her tiny hands. A punishment that I had been given many times as a small child, although knowing my parents would have been somewhere else had I pulled this stunt.
***Seven***
Piper followed me back to my office and when Sam approached us he let out a huge gasp at Piper's appearance. "My God Toby what did you do to her?"
"The day isn't over yet Sam. You haven't seen nothing yet." I kept walking until we were in my office. "Sit down," I commanded Piper who obliged.
I went to my desk and leaned against it while she was getting comfortable on my sofa. "Why did you do this Piper?"
She wouldn't look at me. She was staring at her Barbie running shoes and watching them move back and forth. "I'm waiting Piper." Still she didn't respond. That's one thing I can't handle, being ignored.
"Piper, please stop staring at your feet and look at Daddy when he's talking to you." Piper's eyes looked up into mine. "Can you tell me why you did this?"
"Did what?"
"You know what Piper. Why did you brutalize your hair?"
"What does balitalize mean?"
Okay maybe that's too big a word for her, I decided to try something easier. "Why did you cut your hair Piper?"
"It was too long." I threw my hands up in the hair on the verge of hysteria.
"Since when do you get to be the judge on the length of your hair?"
"It's my hair," she countered me.
"I beg your pardon but you're three years old. THREE! You do not make those kind of decisions on your own. Do you understand me?"
"No," she answered point blank.
"No?"
"Nope."
"Well then, why don't you tell me what part you're having troubles with?"
"How coz it's my hair and I can't cuts it?"
"Because I said so."
"That's not fair. You can cuts your hair why can't I?"
"What hair do you see me cutting Piper?" This wasn't going anywhere. "Besides I'm an adult and I can do what I want."
"I want to be an adult then too."
"You can't be."
"Why not?"
"Because I said so that's why!"
"You always sez so. You're not fair."
"Life isn't fair Piper. But it doesn't mean you're allowed to just go and chop off your hair. You're mother is going to go nuts when she sees you."
"No she won't. Mommy will like it because she loves me."
"You want to bet on that one?" Piper started crying.
"Piper, I need you to talk to me. I can't help you unless you talk to me."
"I doesn't want to talk to you anymore. You're mean."
Hearing her say that about me broke my heart. I never meant to come across as mean with her. I knelt down in front of her and took her small hands into my large ones.
"Why do you think I am mean to you?"
"You're always yelling at me."
"You're always bad," I didn't mean to say it like that. Piper began to cry harder. There was a knock on my door. "Not now," I shouted.
The door opened and CJ gasped at the back of Piper's head. She had yet to see the rest. "What the hell happened?"
CJ closed the door and stepped further into my office. "Why is she crying? What did you do?"
Why am I always assumed to be the bad guy? What did she think I was doing? Playing barber? "I didn't do anything. She did this herself."
CJ went to Piper. "Piper, why did you brutalize your hair baby?" Piper continued crying.
"Try something else. She doesn't understand that word as I have already discovered."
"Okay," CJ said calmly. "Baby, what made you cut your hair?"
Piper sniffled. "I doesn't know."
"Yes you do," I said. CJ gave me a dirty look. "What?" I asked CJ.
"I'm not talking to you. Right now I am talking to Piper, and I want Piper to tell me the truth." CJ emphasized the word truth. Piper looked at me and then back at CJ.
"Does you still love me mommy?"
"Of course I do sweetie. What would make you think that I wouldn't still love you?"
"Daddy said you don't love me anymore," Piper cried harder. I wasn't expecting this. CJ stood up and slapped my shoulder.
"Why would you tell her that?"
"I didn't!"
"Yes you did. Tell the twoofs. You said wanna bet?"
I laughed which made CJ more irritated. "What's so funny?"
"I said you were going to be mad at her and she said you loved her. And I said want to bet on that? But I was talking about your being mad at her. I never told her you wouldn't love her anymore."
"Toby, she's three. Despite what you and many others believe she is still just a child. And she can't always comprehend what you are trying to say to her. How else is she supposed to interpret that. Jesus Toby." CJ bent over and picked Piper up.
"How about you and me go and try to fix your hair up?" she asked Piper.
"Okay," Piper replied.
CJ turned back at the door and winked at me. "You and I will talk later."
Sam was standing outside the door when CJ left with Piper.
"Sam, why is when my daughter does something wrong I'm the one who gets punished?"
Sam looked at me in bewilderment that I might expect an answer.