Part Six
Minutes later, Toby lowered the phone after a quiet conversation with Leo, and turned to CJ and her father, whose arms were still around her.
CJ's fingers rubbed at the tear stains on her face. She shook her head, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she pulled away.
"I talked to Leo," he said, his words slow and cautious as he allowed his eyes to work upward and meet hers, "he thinks we should wait, until he identifies himself… does something, before we bring in Ron and the President."
"Makes sense," CJ replied, looking away and clearing her throat.
Toby nodded and his soon-to-be-father-in-law looked on curiously, watching the Jewish man shuffle his feet.
"Do you believe me, Toby?" Her words were whispered.
"How could I not?" he responded just as softly, "I know you."
Again, she nodded, "So, we wait?"
"Yes," he agreed.
"And what if he does something? I don't want my daughter hurt!" the elder Cregg asked, pacing the length of the room as CJ gravitated toward Toby.
"He won't," she whispered with quiet conviction, "He only came for me because we gave him reason."
"And opportunity. We won't do that this time, we won't," Toby added, voice gruff but eyes emotional.
Crinkling her brow, CJ sighed breathily and Toby urged her to sit. Slowly, the odd little procession made its way back into the living area, and Toby and CJ sat on the loveseat, leaving her father to stand near them, hands clasped, a frown upon his lined face.
"This will be big," she whispered, cocking her head and glancing at Toby, he mouthed a 'yes' and she added, "Bigger than both of us." This time, Toby looked at her with a confused expression. "He's not after me this time," CJ mumbled, "he's after us. He'll destroy you, Toby. He's… crazy," she shuddered, "crazy."
"No," he shook his head vehemently, "he won't destroy me and I won't let him hurt you again." A hand moved upward to touch her face, "We're going to be fine because we have to be. There's no other option, Claudia Jean."
Matthew and William exchanged concerned glances from their places at the opposite ends of the sofa. "CJ… what's going on?" William began, before seeing his father's urgent signal to not interfere.
With a quiet mutter, Toby dropped his hand from her face and turned to the two men. "We think he's back."
"He who?" William countered.
"Back?" Matthew interrupted, standing quickly, "What do you mean he's 'back'?"
"It's been almost three years," CJ replied, "but I know you haven't forgotten. They dragged the river for weeks…" Toby watched as her eyes clouded and she virtually slipped into briefing mode. "I could be wrong, I hope I'm wrong," her voice lowered, "But I'm not."
Toby's hand crept across the fabric of the loveseat and slid over hers.
"Let's try to enjoy Christmas, boys," she added, and barely caught the misty-looking glance her brothers and father exchanged. "I don't want to worry anymore than necessary. Stay here," the Press Secretary squeezed her fiancé's hand. "I have a few gifts left to wrap." And she slipped from the room, her step more world-weary than he'd seen in a while, perhaps since Rosslyn and the blood, or maybe Manchester, or possibly never, and he stared down the hallway even after she disappeared into their bedroom.
"Toby," Matthew started, "I'd ask how she is, but I can already tell," he paused for a moment and moved to sit in the recliner. "Take care of her, man."
The Communications Director chuckled, "CJ doesn't like being 'taken care of'."
"She's always been independent," William laughed.
"Stubborn, short-tempered," Matthew added, beginning to grin despite the thoughts running through his mind.
"Generous, loving…"
"Beautiful," Toby whispered, looking down at his hands.
"Yes," the older man smiled, "Thankfully she doesn't get her looks from me."
"She'll be fine," William gave in, "but I still don't like this." He turned to look at Matthew, who was staring at a plastic cage and the wire wheel that sat inside. "Matt?"
"I don't like it either," Toby muttered, recalling many times CJ'd done things he hadn't approved of, including turning in her resignation, playing scapegoat, turning herself over to a deranged criminal. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but grin: after all, that was his CJ. But just as his CJ was independent and terribly stubborn, she was very much in love with him and their child. No, he thought, she'd do nothing to endanger them, no matter what the cost.
"Uh, Toby?" William stood up, "is that, uhm, is that a rat?"
CJ stood in the doorway and chuckled, watching as Toby began to laugh. "It's a hamster, William," he spoke with a sort of cocky tone to his voice, one they'd all heard before.
"Yeah, Toby. It's a hamster," CJ replied, barely holding back a snort at his come-hither grin.
Minutes later, Toby lowered the phone after a quiet conversation with Leo, and turned to CJ and her father, whose arms were still around her.
CJ's fingers rubbed at the tear stains on her face. She shook her head, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she pulled away.
"I talked to Leo," he said, his words slow and cautious as he allowed his eyes to work upward and meet hers, "he thinks we should wait, until he identifies himself… does something, before we bring in Ron and the President."
"Makes sense," CJ replied, looking away and clearing her throat.
Toby nodded and his soon-to-be-father-in-law looked on curiously, watching the Jewish man shuffle his feet.
"Do you believe me, Toby?" Her words were whispered.
"How could I not?" he responded just as softly, "I know you."
Again, she nodded, "So, we wait?"
"Yes," he agreed.
"And what if he does something? I don't want my daughter hurt!" the elder Cregg asked, pacing the length of the room as CJ gravitated toward Toby.
"He won't," she whispered with quiet conviction, "He only came for me because we gave him reason."
"And opportunity. We won't do that this time, we won't," Toby added, voice gruff but eyes emotional.
Crinkling her brow, CJ sighed breathily and Toby urged her to sit. Slowly, the odd little procession made its way back into the living area, and Toby and CJ sat on the loveseat, leaving her father to stand near them, hands clasped, a frown upon his lined face.
"This will be big," she whispered, cocking her head and glancing at Toby, he mouthed a 'yes' and she added, "Bigger than both of us." This time, Toby looked at her with a confused expression. "He's not after me this time," CJ mumbled, "he's after us. He'll destroy you, Toby. He's… crazy," she shuddered, "crazy."
"No," he shook his head vehemently, "he won't destroy me and I won't let him hurt you again." A hand moved upward to touch her face, "We're going to be fine because we have to be. There's no other option, Claudia Jean."
Matthew and William exchanged concerned glances from their places at the opposite ends of the sofa. "CJ… what's going on?" William began, before seeing his father's urgent signal to not interfere.
With a quiet mutter, Toby dropped his hand from her face and turned to the two men. "We think he's back."
"He who?" William countered.
"Back?" Matthew interrupted, standing quickly, "What do you mean he's 'back'?"
"It's been almost three years," CJ replied, "but I know you haven't forgotten. They dragged the river for weeks…" Toby watched as her eyes clouded and she virtually slipped into briefing mode. "I could be wrong, I hope I'm wrong," her voice lowered, "But I'm not."
Toby's hand crept across the fabric of the loveseat and slid over hers.
"Let's try to enjoy Christmas, boys," she added, and barely caught the misty-looking glance her brothers and father exchanged. "I don't want to worry anymore than necessary. Stay here," the Press Secretary squeezed her fiancé's hand. "I have a few gifts left to wrap." And she slipped from the room, her step more world-weary than he'd seen in a while, perhaps since Rosslyn and the blood, or maybe Manchester, or possibly never, and he stared down the hallway even after she disappeared into their bedroom.
"Toby," Matthew started, "I'd ask how she is, but I can already tell," he paused for a moment and moved to sit in the recliner. "Take care of her, man."
The Communications Director chuckled, "CJ doesn't like being 'taken care of'."
"She's always been independent," William laughed.
"Stubborn, short-tempered," Matthew added, beginning to grin despite the thoughts running through his mind.
"Generous, loving…"
"Beautiful," Toby whispered, looking down at his hands.
"Yes," the older man smiled, "Thankfully she doesn't get her looks from me."
"She'll be fine," William gave in, "but I still don't like this." He turned to look at Matthew, who was staring at a plastic cage and the wire wheel that sat inside. "Matt?"
"I don't like it either," Toby muttered, recalling many times CJ'd done things he hadn't approved of, including turning in her resignation, playing scapegoat, turning herself over to a deranged criminal. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but grin: after all, that was his CJ. But just as his CJ was independent and terribly stubborn, she was very much in love with him and their child. No, he thought, she'd do nothing to endanger them, no matter what the cost.
"Uh, Toby?" William stood up, "is that, uhm, is that a rat?"
CJ stood in the doorway and chuckled, watching as Toby began to laugh. "It's a hamster, William," he spoke with a sort of cocky tone to his voice, one they'd all heard before.
"Yeah, Toby. It's a hamster," CJ replied, barely holding back a snort at his come-hither grin.