TITLE: The Fundraiser

AUTHOR: Brandy B

SUMMARY: After the Andrea's fundraiser Toby goes home to CJ

DISCLAIMER: If I owned them, I would have money to go out and do something
instead of sitting at my computer and playing with them :) Not making any
money, but don't sue, it wouldn't be worth the effort.

ARCHIVE: If you tell me where.

FEEDBACK: Always appreciated, never required

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Toby kicked off his shoes and loosened his bow tie as soon as he walked into his apartment. "Why do those things always take so long?" He was about to launch into a tirade about the rubber chicken that never failed to be inedible at fundraising dinners, when he noticed that his intended audience was sleeping in the middle of the bed.

"Wonder where you expect me to sleep," he muttered under his breath as he began unbuttoning his tuxedo shirt. Toby sat down on the corner of the bed and gently traced the curves of CJ's face. "God you are beautiful," he whispered.

The corners of CJ's face turned up slightly as she began to stir. "How was it, tonight?" She asked softly.

Bringing his mouth down to capture hers in a kiss, Toby had no intention of answering the question, but C.J. pulled away. "Well?"

Toby sighed, "the chicken was overdone."

"It always is." Knowing how he felt about the food at fundraisers CJ grinned, a little. "I told you to eat before you left."

"And one day I am going to learn to listen to you." Toby smirked, "one day."

"Which is Zeigler for 'no time in the near future'." CJ rolled her eyes moved closer to him. "How was Representative Wyatt?"

"Andy was fine; she loves that sort of thing, hobnobbing for her cause. She should have been a lobbyist."

"I am sure you had a good time." The coldness in CJ's voice was anything but subtle.

"CJ…" Toby sighed, "don't."

"She still has a thing for you." CJ pouted.

"No, she doesn't. She is practically engaged to that… that Dodger…" Toby shuddered at the thought.

"Everybody thinks you still have a thing for her," CJ winced.

"What do you think?" Toby asked softly as he felt her began to stroke his left hand.

"They think this is hers." CJ mumbled as her fingers ran over his wedding ring.

Toby smirked. "You know the truth, CJ. You were there when I got it, remember? You were the beautiful redhead standing across from me at the alter?"

CJ bit her lip in an effort to hide her smile. "You think I would forget our wedding? Never."

"So what is this about, tonight? All these questions about Andy? You, me and an Atlantic City Elvis impersonator may be the only people who know we are married, but…"

"She was flirting with you," CJ pouted.

"Yeah? When?" Toby grinned. Honestly, he never knew when women were flirting with him. He flirted naturally, it was unconscious he couldn't stop flirting if he tried, and he couldn't see flirting with a radar detector.

"You'll look good in your tux…" CJ changed her voice to mock Toby's ex wife.

"What was she going to say, CJ? She was trying to get something from me."

"That is the point, Toby, you are always trying to get something from one another, and you do it by flirting."

Toby rolled his eyes dramatically. "Are you jealous of her?"

"Well… When… Well…" How could he expect her not to be jealous when he bought Andrea breakfast, she brought him pie, she complimented him on his clothes, she invited him places? "She is still a part of your life, Toby. NOBODY knows we are married, we have two separate apartments, on totally different sides of the city, we work one hundred hours a week, and never do anything at the office… I can't walk into your office and kiss you, you can't rub my shoulders when I have a bad day… we can't do anything because nobody can know we are married…"

"CJ, you knew that…"

"When we were married, of course I did…" she sighed. "I just…"

"Honey…" Toby stopped, they never called one another pet names, if they started at home they would slip and do it at the office. "CJ, we agreed when we were married, I am your boss. It wouldn't look right; hell, it isn't right… I…"

"Wait, are you saying marrying me was a mistake?" Anger and tears flashed in her eyes. "Is that what you think?"

"I never, CJ, I never said that," Toby stumbled to find the right words. "Marrying you was the second best thing I did that day."

CJ choked back a laugh; she was still far too angry to admit Toby was funny. "Remind me next time I get married not to do it on Inauguration Day."

Toby shrugged. "You would have preferred attending one of those loud, crowded, inaugural balls?"

CJ shrugged. "We went to one of those, remember?"

Toby kissed her softly as he let his mind wander back to that night. Everybody had been amazingly giddy for weeks after the election, and it all culminated in that event. The campaign staff had been invited to parties all over the city, but agreed to only make appearances at one or two. They had run the country the next day, after-all.

The champagne was good and free. CJ, Toby, Josh and Sam triumphantly told campaign war stories to anybody who would listen, but the President left to put in an appearance somewhere else, Josh and Sam followed. Suddenly, CJ and Toby were all alone, in a room full of people. Toby couldn't quite remember how they started dancing, it was all a hazy blur of adrenalin, but when they kissed…

"Leaving was the best thing we ever did," she whispered between increasingly hungry kisses. Three years ago kissing had been an extraordinarily bad idea, there was press all around. Deciding it was best to cool off, they left the ball to take a walk in the brisk January weather. They walked all the way back to her apartment, hand in hand… that wasn't at all dangerous. When he suggested a drive, she jumped at the opportunity. It was better than staying at her place, if they stayed near a bed they would undoubtedly sleep together, that COULDN'T happen…

"It was the most impetuous thing we ever did," he reminded her. "God, how did we decide to work off energy by playing black jack?"

"Atlantic City, that was one hell of a drive," she remembered out loud, "and by the time we got there, I was so ready to give my life to you…"

"And we did, but if anybody found out, CJ… I love you, I am not going off with Andrea Wyatt or anybody else. I meant every word I said to you that night, but sometimes I have to play the game with her." Sadness flashed over his eyes for a second, "like sometimes you have to play it with Danny. At least, I never pull Andrea into corners for long steamy kisses."

CJ blushed. "He was on to us, Toby. I had to prove I was single. It was the only way, short of seeing somebody publicly. We don't have enough free time to date other people."

He smiled and kissed her passionately. "I don't stop you from flirting with Danny, because I trust you…"

CJ nodded as she undid his belt, "I know, I love you."