PART 9
"I remember this place," Creed mentioned as Toby pulled over to the cemetery.
"Yeah," Toby nodded and got out. "You ready?"
"I think so," Creed nodded as Toby walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door for him.
"Come on," Toby took Creed's hand and they began walking over to the same spot they were at two years ago.
"Who should we see first?" Creed asked.
"It's up to you," Toby whispered.
"Can we see dad?"
"Sure," Toby walked Creed over and they stood next to David's grave.
"It seems different," Creed whispered. "Is that wrong?"
"No," Toby rested his hand on Creed's shoulder. "I can leave you alone for a minute."
"No, I want you to stay," Creed looked up.
"Okay," Toby nodded and kneeled down.
"Do you think he's looking at us right now?" Creed asked.
"Yeah," Toby smiled weakly.
"Hi dad," Creed laid half the flowers in his hand on David's grave. "I know we haven't been out here for a while. But we're still thinking about you," Creed felt his eyes tearing up. "Uncle Toby is taking really good care of me," Creed looked over at Toby and smiled.
"He's proud of you," Toby said, rubbing Creed's head.
"Really?" Creed asked.
"I can sense it," Toby smiled.
"I miss him," Creed began to cry.
"I know," Toby let Creed wrap his arms around him and Toby hugged him. "I do too."
"I should put these down for mom," Creed mentioned, wiping away some of the tears and letting go of Toby.
"Go ahead," Toby nodded.
"Are you going to come with me?" Creed asked.
"Uh, yeah," Toby said, reluctantly. "I'll stand in the back though."
"Okay," Creed gave Toby a worried look, and then walked over to Rachel's grave. He put the flowers down and said a silent prayer. "I miss you mommy."
While Creed said his final goodbyes, Toby turned away. He hated knowing the truth about Rachel. He wanted to be able to be there for Creed, but he couldn't let himself to walk any closer to her grave without feeling anger and hostility.
"I think I'm ready," Creed nodded.
"Okay," Toby smiled weakly and grabbed his hands. "We can stop by again before we leave in two days."
"That would be good," Creed nodded. "Are you okay?" Creed asked, looking up at Toby.
"Yeah," Toby nodded and looked down. "How about you?"
"I'm okay too," Creed nodded. "I know they're watching me."
"They are," Toby smiled and helped Creed in the car. "Lets go get something to eat."
"Okay," Creed said. As Toby got in and started driving away, Creed looked out the window and said once last goodbye to his parents. He felt the tears fall from his eyes, but knew his Uncle was feeling the same way.
PART 10
THE WHITE HOUSE
"CJ, Leo needs to be briefed on what's on the agenda today," Carol mentioned while digging through her desk. "CJ?" She looked up and into CJ's office. "CJ?"
"What?" CJ asked, shaking her head. "Sorry."
"What's wrong?" Carol asked, walking in.
"Moran called after midnight last night," CJ moaned.
"Why did he call so late?"
"I asked him to call when he got in. I guess the airport was booked and traffic was a mess."
"Is everything okay with them?"
"Yeah," CJ nodded.
"Then why are you sounding distant?" Carol asked.
"I'm not," CJ smiled weakly and stood up. "It's just quieter then it normally is."
"Yeah, cause Josh in on the hill," Carol joked.
"Yeah," CJ looked around and stood silent for a minute.
"CJ, are you sure you're okay?" Carol asked again.
"I'm fine," CJ nodded and started to gather some papers together. "Leo needs to be briefed?"
"Yeah," Carol nodded as CJ began to walk out.
"Then I shall go brief him," CJ nodded and walked over to Leo's office.
"Hey Carol," Donna walked by. She noticed Carol staring straight ahead. "Carol?"
"Hmm?" Carol looked over. "Sorry."
"Everything okay?"
"Something's up with CJ. But I'm not sure what."
"Did she say anything?"
"She said Toby called last night to let her know they got in okay."
"Maybe she just misses the little mister. God knows Josh does. He doesn't have anyone to play poker with," Donna rolled her eyes and walked away.
"Or maybe she misses Toby?" Carol whispered to herself and went back to work.
BROOKLYN
"What about this?" Creed held up a necklace full of beads.
"Why do you want to wear that?" Toby asked.
"It's not for me silly. I told Aunt CJ I would get her something," Creed smiled.
"Oh," Toby smirked. "Well, maybe she would want something a little bit smaller," Toby took the over sized necklace Creed was holding. "This thing would go down to her stomach."
"Good point" Creed nodded for Toby to put it back. "Maybe you should get her something."
"I'll bring her some shampoo from the hotel room," Toby smirked.
"What about that?" Creed asked, ignoring Toby's last comment.
"It's a ring," Toby looked over. "A very expensive ring."
"Money doesn't mean anything when it comes to the people you love," Creed smiled widely.
"There," Toby grabbed a small, gold necklace. "How about this?"
"CJ would love that from you," Creed smiled. "It's a heart."
"I meant a present from you," Toby glared. "I'll get her soap or something."
"Uncle, I swear, you bug me so much," Creed rolled his eyes. "She loves you."
"No she doesn't," Toby said, putting the necklace up to buy it.
"You love her."
"No I don't," Toby glared as he paid the clerk.
"Fine," Creed gave up. "But when you're 90 years old and on your death bed, wishing you would have told CJ about your love, don't come running to me," Creed shook his head.
"For one thing, if I'm lucky, I'm not going to live to be 90, and second, we're just friends."
"You say that, but is that your heart talking?" Creed asked.
"What have you been watching?"
"Last weekend when I spent the night over at Aunt Ainsley's house, I overheard her say this to some other women that were there."
"You're not going to Ainsley's house anymore," Toby moaned as they walked out of the store.
TBC
"I remember this place," Creed mentioned as Toby pulled over to the cemetery.
"Yeah," Toby nodded and got out. "You ready?"
"I think so," Creed nodded as Toby walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door for him.
"Come on," Toby took Creed's hand and they began walking over to the same spot they were at two years ago.
"Who should we see first?" Creed asked.
"It's up to you," Toby whispered.
"Can we see dad?"
"Sure," Toby walked Creed over and they stood next to David's grave.
"It seems different," Creed whispered. "Is that wrong?"
"No," Toby rested his hand on Creed's shoulder. "I can leave you alone for a minute."
"No, I want you to stay," Creed looked up.
"Okay," Toby nodded and kneeled down.
"Do you think he's looking at us right now?" Creed asked.
"Yeah," Toby smiled weakly.
"Hi dad," Creed laid half the flowers in his hand on David's grave. "I know we haven't been out here for a while. But we're still thinking about you," Creed felt his eyes tearing up. "Uncle Toby is taking really good care of me," Creed looked over at Toby and smiled.
"He's proud of you," Toby said, rubbing Creed's head.
"Really?" Creed asked.
"I can sense it," Toby smiled.
"I miss him," Creed began to cry.
"I know," Toby let Creed wrap his arms around him and Toby hugged him. "I do too."
"I should put these down for mom," Creed mentioned, wiping away some of the tears and letting go of Toby.
"Go ahead," Toby nodded.
"Are you going to come with me?" Creed asked.
"Uh, yeah," Toby said, reluctantly. "I'll stand in the back though."
"Okay," Creed gave Toby a worried look, and then walked over to Rachel's grave. He put the flowers down and said a silent prayer. "I miss you mommy."
While Creed said his final goodbyes, Toby turned away. He hated knowing the truth about Rachel. He wanted to be able to be there for Creed, but he couldn't let himself to walk any closer to her grave without feeling anger and hostility.
"I think I'm ready," Creed nodded.
"Okay," Toby smiled weakly and grabbed his hands. "We can stop by again before we leave in two days."
"That would be good," Creed nodded. "Are you okay?" Creed asked, looking up at Toby.
"Yeah," Toby nodded and looked down. "How about you?"
"I'm okay too," Creed nodded. "I know they're watching me."
"They are," Toby smiled and helped Creed in the car. "Lets go get something to eat."
"Okay," Creed said. As Toby got in and started driving away, Creed looked out the window and said once last goodbye to his parents. He felt the tears fall from his eyes, but knew his Uncle was feeling the same way.
PART 10
THE WHITE HOUSE
"CJ, Leo needs to be briefed on what's on the agenda today," Carol mentioned while digging through her desk. "CJ?" She looked up and into CJ's office. "CJ?"
"What?" CJ asked, shaking her head. "Sorry."
"What's wrong?" Carol asked, walking in.
"Moran called after midnight last night," CJ moaned.
"Why did he call so late?"
"I asked him to call when he got in. I guess the airport was booked and traffic was a mess."
"Is everything okay with them?"
"Yeah," CJ nodded.
"Then why are you sounding distant?" Carol asked.
"I'm not," CJ smiled weakly and stood up. "It's just quieter then it normally is."
"Yeah, cause Josh in on the hill," Carol joked.
"Yeah," CJ looked around and stood silent for a minute.
"CJ, are you sure you're okay?" Carol asked again.
"I'm fine," CJ nodded and started to gather some papers together. "Leo needs to be briefed?"
"Yeah," Carol nodded as CJ began to walk out.
"Then I shall go brief him," CJ nodded and walked over to Leo's office.
"Hey Carol," Donna walked by. She noticed Carol staring straight ahead. "Carol?"
"Hmm?" Carol looked over. "Sorry."
"Everything okay?"
"Something's up with CJ. But I'm not sure what."
"Did she say anything?"
"She said Toby called last night to let her know they got in okay."
"Maybe she just misses the little mister. God knows Josh does. He doesn't have anyone to play poker with," Donna rolled her eyes and walked away.
"Or maybe she misses Toby?" Carol whispered to herself and went back to work.
BROOKLYN
"What about this?" Creed held up a necklace full of beads.
"Why do you want to wear that?" Toby asked.
"It's not for me silly. I told Aunt CJ I would get her something," Creed smiled.
"Oh," Toby smirked. "Well, maybe she would want something a little bit smaller," Toby took the over sized necklace Creed was holding. "This thing would go down to her stomach."
"Good point" Creed nodded for Toby to put it back. "Maybe you should get her something."
"I'll bring her some shampoo from the hotel room," Toby smirked.
"What about that?" Creed asked, ignoring Toby's last comment.
"It's a ring," Toby looked over. "A very expensive ring."
"Money doesn't mean anything when it comes to the people you love," Creed smiled widely.
"There," Toby grabbed a small, gold necklace. "How about this?"
"CJ would love that from you," Creed smiled. "It's a heart."
"I meant a present from you," Toby glared. "I'll get her soap or something."
"Uncle, I swear, you bug me so much," Creed rolled his eyes. "She loves you."
"No she doesn't," Toby said, putting the necklace up to buy it.
"You love her."
"No I don't," Toby glared as he paid the clerk.
"Fine," Creed gave up. "But when you're 90 years old and on your death bed, wishing you would have told CJ about your love, don't come running to me," Creed shook his head.
"For one thing, if I'm lucky, I'm not going to live to be 90, and second, we're just friends."
"You say that, but is that your heart talking?" Creed asked.
"What have you been watching?"
"Last weekend when I spent the night over at Aunt Ainsley's house, I overheard her say this to some other women that were there."
"You're not going to Ainsley's house anymore," Toby moaned as they walked out of the store.
TBC