For notes and disclaimers, see Part 1.
Part 6
***** One Week Later ******
CJ asked Toby to take Miranda to her office and stay with her there while she went to talk to the President.
"CJ, you're back!" Jed said happily, when she entered the Oval Office.
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry about what happened."
"Thank you, sir. Listen, I need to talk to you."
Jed motioned for her to sit down. "CJ, I've talked to Leo and I know what you're trying to do. CJ, I hope you realize I won't let you resign."
"Mr. President, with all due respect, I can't stay here, as much as I want too. Things are changed now. I can't work 20 hours a day anymore."
"CJ, I'm not stupid. After all, I am the President of the United States. I understand things are changed, but the truth is I can't afford to lose my press secretary, which is why you're going to get every help you need from me."
"Mr. President."
Jed raised a hand to stop her. "Just hear me out first, okay?" She nodded slowly. "You'll only take care of the most important things. The rest, Henry will take care of. We will set up a room for Miranda in the residence and you can have her in your office as much as you want to. From now on, you'll take all your meetings in the Roosevelt Room, Toby's office, in here, wherever. You'll have lots of assistants who will help you take care of Miranda and if that's not enough we'll hire a nanny."
CJ sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that it would be heard to refuse this offer. "Mr. President, as thankful as I am, I don't want Miranda to grow up with a nanny. She needs safety now. She just lost her family and she needs stability. I can't shuffle her around to twenty different people."
"CJ, it won't be twenty different people. It won't just be *people*. It'll be your friends who immediately will love Miranda. Come on, at least give it a try. I'll even let you keep your salary even though you won't have as much work as before."
CJ couldn't help laughing. "Well, who could resist an offer like that? Okay, we'll try it, but if something goes wrong you have to promise me that you will accept my resignation."
"CJ, are you ordering me to do something?" Jed asked and did his best to sound angry.
"Sir. I didn't mean to. I just need you to understand that."
"CJ, it's okay. I was just joking. About the ordering we'll see about that."
"Sir!"
"CJ, I can assure you, you will like this arrangement." He smiled softly. "So, when do I get to meet the beauty?" "I'll bring her by later today or tomorrow. She's with Toby now."
"Then you better hurry off to save her."
When CJ entered her office, she found Miranda sleeping in Toby's lap. Toby was leaning his head against the couch and his eyes were closed, so he didn't see her. She smiled and kicked him gently at the wrist. He opened his eyes and looked first at CJ then at Miranda and he blushed.
"I wish I had my camera here," CJ said and grinned.
"Yeah, you wish," Toby groaned. "What was I supposed to do? She was really sleepy and."
CJ sat down on the couch and placer her finger on his lips to silence him. "Toby, you don't have to explain. I think it was really sweet of you. And I promise not to tell anyone."
Toby blushed even more and decided to change subject. "How did it go with the President?"
CJ smiled softly, while she was softly moving away Miranda's hair from her face. "Let's just say he gave me an offer I don't think I'm going to be able to resist."
TBC.
Part 6
***** One Week Later ******
CJ asked Toby to take Miranda to her office and stay with her there while she went to talk to the President.
"CJ, you're back!" Jed said happily, when she entered the Oval Office.
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry about what happened."
"Thank you, sir. Listen, I need to talk to you."
Jed motioned for her to sit down. "CJ, I've talked to Leo and I know what you're trying to do. CJ, I hope you realize I won't let you resign."
"Mr. President, with all due respect, I can't stay here, as much as I want too. Things are changed now. I can't work 20 hours a day anymore."
"CJ, I'm not stupid. After all, I am the President of the United States. I understand things are changed, but the truth is I can't afford to lose my press secretary, which is why you're going to get every help you need from me."
"Mr. President."
Jed raised a hand to stop her. "Just hear me out first, okay?" She nodded slowly. "You'll only take care of the most important things. The rest, Henry will take care of. We will set up a room for Miranda in the residence and you can have her in your office as much as you want to. From now on, you'll take all your meetings in the Roosevelt Room, Toby's office, in here, wherever. You'll have lots of assistants who will help you take care of Miranda and if that's not enough we'll hire a nanny."
CJ sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that it would be heard to refuse this offer. "Mr. President, as thankful as I am, I don't want Miranda to grow up with a nanny. She needs safety now. She just lost her family and she needs stability. I can't shuffle her around to twenty different people."
"CJ, it won't be twenty different people. It won't just be *people*. It'll be your friends who immediately will love Miranda. Come on, at least give it a try. I'll even let you keep your salary even though you won't have as much work as before."
CJ couldn't help laughing. "Well, who could resist an offer like that? Okay, we'll try it, but if something goes wrong you have to promise me that you will accept my resignation."
"CJ, are you ordering me to do something?" Jed asked and did his best to sound angry.
"Sir. I didn't mean to. I just need you to understand that."
"CJ, it's okay. I was just joking. About the ordering we'll see about that."
"Sir!"
"CJ, I can assure you, you will like this arrangement." He smiled softly. "So, when do I get to meet the beauty?" "I'll bring her by later today or tomorrow. She's with Toby now."
"Then you better hurry off to save her."
When CJ entered her office, she found Miranda sleeping in Toby's lap. Toby was leaning his head against the couch and his eyes were closed, so he didn't see her. She smiled and kicked him gently at the wrist. He opened his eyes and looked first at CJ then at Miranda and he blushed.
"I wish I had my camera here," CJ said and grinned.
"Yeah, you wish," Toby groaned. "What was I supposed to do? She was really sleepy and."
CJ sat down on the couch and placer her finger on his lips to silence him. "Toby, you don't have to explain. I think it was really sweet of you. And I promise not to tell anyone."
Toby blushed even more and decided to change subject. "How did it go with the President?"
CJ smiled softly, while she was softly moving away Miranda's hair from her face. "Let's just say he gave me an offer I don't think I'm going to be able to resist."
TBC.