TITLE: The Yankee Cap. (1/1)
AUTHOR: Melissa Orr
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, never will.
NOTES: I wrote this quickly, if it's bad, that's why.
SPOILERS: Everything through the third season.
PAIRING: CJ/Toby friendship
FEEDBACK: I would love some.
"CJ," Toby knocked on the open door slowly. "Where's Simon?"
"He had to go make sure the Pressroom was safe," CJ looked up and lowered her glasses. "I told him every reporter in there's crazy."
"He should be here," Toby said sternly and walked up to her desk. "I haven't seen you for a while."
"I saw you this morning in the meeting," CJ smirked at Toby seriousness.
"You know what I mean," Toby glared. "I tried calling last night," Toby shrugged and started pacing, a habit that he got himself into when he got nervous.
"I was having dinner with my niece," CJ mentioned as she gathered up her notes and stood.
"Oh," Toby nodded. "How is she?"
"She's fine," CJ smiled. "She wanted me to tell you the Yankees suck."
"She's going down," Toby growled.
"How much money did you lose last year to her?" CJ asked.
"Lets just say I had to take out a loan to pay her," Toby moaned. "I still can't believe they lost to the World Series last year."
"Yeah, you were moping for about three weeks," CJ grinned as she walked over to the door.
"That's because I owed your niece three hundred dollars," Toby whined.
"Yeah, and she spent all that money in the same week," CJ smiled and started to walk out.
"I have something for you," Toby spoke up.
"Toby, I have the briefing," CJ mentioned.
"It will only take a minute," Toby shrugged.
"CJ," Carol walked back in. "Simon said it looks good."
"Hold on," CJ said and walked back into her office and shut the door. "Now what?"
"Here," Toby reached in the bag he was carrying and took out a baseball cap.
"Why do you have your Yankee cap with you?" CJ smirked.
"My father bought this for me when I was six years old," Toby explained.
"I know, you told me," CJ nodded. "Toby."
"It has a history," Toby ignored CJ and went on. "It didn't really give me good luck, but it held something significant."
"What?" CJ asked.
"It made me feel safe," Toby looked down, waiting for CJ to start laughing. "When I carry it with me, I feel like I'm going to be okay."
"What are you talking about?" CJ shook her head in confusion.
"When my father gave me this hat, he told me that when I wear it, I'll be invisible to the people out there who were mean to me," Toby mentioned. "I told you about my problems at school."
"Yeah," CJ nodded.
"Well, I came home everyday with a black eye or a bloody nose because I was different from the other kids. When my father bought this hat for me, it made me feel that I had someone looking over my shoulder and protected me."
"Didn't you get beat up through high school?"
"Yes, but that's not the point," Toby glared. "The days I wore this hat, no one touched me."
"Okay," CJ shook her head. "Have you gone around the bend with Josh?"
"CJ, I'm being serious," Toby snapped. "This hat helped me get through tough times. It was like, every time I wore it, or every time I held it, my father was with me. So I knew I was going to be protected."
"So, you want me to take the hat so I can feel your father with me?" CJ asked, grinning.
"No," Toby walked over to her. "I want you to take the hat so you will have me with you. So I can protect you," Toby looked down at the hat and started pacing again.
"That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard," CJ smiled and took the hat. "Thank you Toby."
"I didn't want to be all emotional or anything," Toby shrugged. "Look, I know you have Simon, and I know that he'll protect you. But I can't be with you all the time, so this way, part of me always can."
"I'm going to be okay," CJ whispered.
"I know," Toby smiled weakly. "You don't have to wear it or anything, just keep it with you."
"I will," CJ smiled.
"CJ," Carol walked in. "Leo wants to know why you're not doing the briefing?"
"Crap!" CJ looked at the clock. "I have to go."
"I'll be in my office," Toby nodded at CJ.
"Thank you," CJ kissed him on the cheek quickly and ran off.
"What's going on?" Carol smirked over at Toby.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Toby moaned and walked off.
"Sorry," CJ rushed in and took her place behind the podium.
"Running a little late?" One reporter asked.
"Shut up," CJ glared. She looked down and realized she was still holding Toby's Yankee cap in her hand. She smiled briefly and then put it on. "Any questions?"
The End
"CJ," Toby knocked on the open door slowly. "Where's Simon?"
"He had to go make sure the Pressroom was safe," CJ looked up and lowered her glasses. "I told him every reporter in there's crazy."
"He should be here," Toby said sternly and walked up to her desk. "I haven't seen you for a while."
"I saw you this morning in the meeting," CJ smirked at Toby seriousness.
"You know what I mean," Toby glared. "I tried calling last night," Toby shrugged and started pacing, a habit that he got himself into when he got nervous.
"I was having dinner with my niece," CJ mentioned as she gathered up her notes and stood.
"Oh," Toby nodded. "How is she?"
"She's fine," CJ smiled. "She wanted me to tell you the Yankees suck."
"She's going down," Toby growled.
"How much money did you lose last year to her?" CJ asked.
"Lets just say I had to take out a loan to pay her," Toby moaned. "I still can't believe they lost to the World Series last year."
"Yeah, you were moping for about three weeks," CJ grinned as she walked over to the door.
"That's because I owed your niece three hundred dollars," Toby whined.
"Yeah, and she spent all that money in the same week," CJ smiled and started to walk out.
"I have something for you," Toby spoke up.
"Toby, I have the briefing," CJ mentioned.
"It will only take a minute," Toby shrugged.
"CJ," Carol walked back in. "Simon said it looks good."
"Hold on," CJ said and walked back into her office and shut the door. "Now what?"
"Here," Toby reached in the bag he was carrying and took out a baseball cap.
"Why do you have your Yankee cap with you?" CJ smirked.
"My father bought this for me when I was six years old," Toby explained.
"I know, you told me," CJ nodded. "Toby."
"It has a history," Toby ignored CJ and went on. "It didn't really give me good luck, but it held something significant."
"What?" CJ asked.
"It made me feel safe," Toby looked down, waiting for CJ to start laughing. "When I carry it with me, I feel like I'm going to be okay."
"What are you talking about?" CJ shook her head in confusion.
"When my father gave me this hat, he told me that when I wear it, I'll be invisible to the people out there who were mean to me," Toby mentioned. "I told you about my problems at school."
"Yeah," CJ nodded.
"Well, I came home everyday with a black eye or a bloody nose because I was different from the other kids. When my father bought this hat for me, it made me feel that I had someone looking over my shoulder and protected me."
"Didn't you get beat up through high school?"
"Yes, but that's not the point," Toby glared. "The days I wore this hat, no one touched me."
"Okay," CJ shook her head. "Have you gone around the bend with Josh?"
"CJ, I'm being serious," Toby snapped. "This hat helped me get through tough times. It was like, every time I wore it, or every time I held it, my father was with me. So I knew I was going to be protected."
"So, you want me to take the hat so I can feel your father with me?" CJ asked, grinning.
"No," Toby walked over to her. "I want you to take the hat so you will have me with you. So I can protect you," Toby looked down at the hat and started pacing again.
"That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard," CJ smiled and took the hat. "Thank you Toby."
"I didn't want to be all emotional or anything," Toby shrugged. "Look, I know you have Simon, and I know that he'll protect you. But I can't be with you all the time, so this way, part of me always can."
"I'm going to be okay," CJ whispered.
"I know," Toby smiled weakly. "You don't have to wear it or anything, just keep it with you."
"I will," CJ smiled.
"CJ," Carol walked in. "Leo wants to know why you're not doing the briefing?"
"Crap!" CJ looked at the clock. "I have to go."
"I'll be in my office," Toby nodded at CJ.
"Thank you," CJ kissed him on the cheek quickly and ran off.
"What's going on?" Carol smirked over at Toby.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Toby moaned and walked off.
"Sorry," CJ rushed in and took her place behind the podium.
"Running a little late?" One reporter asked.
"Shut up," CJ glared. She looked down and realized she was still holding Toby's Yankee cap in her hand. She smiled briefly and then put it on. "Any questions?"
The End