For notes and disclaimers, see Part 1.
Part 8
Toby was looking at the screen to his laptop and frustrated pressed the buttons on the keyboard and the second after he erased it. He didn't know what to write, he couldn't find the right words. He had written almost a whole page when he came to the conclusion that every sentence sucked, and erased it.
Ever since CJ had decided to take custody of Miranda Toby had done everything in his power to try to not bring up the past, but yesterday he couldn't stay quiet anymore. He just needed to get it out. He wasn't sure of what he wanted from her, or wanted her to say, but he wanted something. They hadn't talked to each other more than necessarily since the incident in her office yesterday morning. At morning staff, she had avoided to look at him and when she did, because Leo wanted to discuss something that they had taken care of last week, her eyes had been full with anger. He didn't regret his outburst, however, he did regret that he had hurt her. In a way, he had thought that it would feel better afterwards if he hurt her now, like she had hurt him then, but it didn't feel better. If anything, it felt worse.
"Toby?"
Toby looked up and saw Miranda sitting on his couch with her yellow bunny in her hand.
"How long have you been sitting there, pumpkin?" He asked softly. He looked at the time and walked over to the couch. "It's seven o'clock. Shouldn't you be home sleeping now?"
"I don't have to go to bed until eight o'clock. Sometimes eight thirty," Miranda said with a proud smile and Toby smiled back.
"Where's your aunt?"
"She's talking to someone on the phone. It was boring to wait for her so I left."
"Did she say you could leave?"
"She didn't notice," Miranda said with a mischievous smile.
"Miranda! You shouldn't do that. Your aunt is probably worried sick looking for you."
Toby looked out in the bullpen and sighed when he saw it was empty. That meant he would have to call CJ himself and tell her Miranda was safe.
"Can you tell me a story?"
"I'm no good at stories. I have to call CJ and tell her you're here."
When he dialed the number to CJ's office, he looked at Miranda.
"Toby, tell me a story!" she demanded.
"Pumpkin, just wait for a second, okay?" He said and covered the mouthpiece and then he heard CJ on the other line. "Hey, it's me. Miranda's in my office. Five minutes? Yeah, okay."
He hung up the phone and walked over to the couch and Miranda crawled up on his lap. She put one of her arms around his neck and played with his hair. The other hand held tightly in the yellow rabbit's ear.
"A story?" he said quietly and he could feel her nodding against his chest. "Okay, we'll see what I can come up with." He thought for a few seconds before deciding to take something from his own life. "Once upon a time there was this young boy. Tom, who loved a very beautiful and amazing girl. Her name was Sarah and every boy who met her immediately fell in love with her. Tom was a very lucky boy because for some reason, who no one understood, Sarah chose him. They did everything together and Tom truly believed Sarah was the love of his life and that nothing would ever split them up. However, things between Tom and Sarah changed. They began screaming at each other and saying mean stuff that they didn't mean. One day Sarah did something that hurt Tom and he decided to leave."
Miranda yawned and waited for him to continue the story. "How does it end?" She asked when he never did.
Toby sighed and kissed her softly on the head. "I don't know pumpkin. I don't know."
TBC.
Part 8
Toby was looking at the screen to his laptop and frustrated pressed the buttons on the keyboard and the second after he erased it. He didn't know what to write, he couldn't find the right words. He had written almost a whole page when he came to the conclusion that every sentence sucked, and erased it.
Ever since CJ had decided to take custody of Miranda Toby had done everything in his power to try to not bring up the past, but yesterday he couldn't stay quiet anymore. He just needed to get it out. He wasn't sure of what he wanted from her, or wanted her to say, but he wanted something. They hadn't talked to each other more than necessarily since the incident in her office yesterday morning. At morning staff, she had avoided to look at him and when she did, because Leo wanted to discuss something that they had taken care of last week, her eyes had been full with anger. He didn't regret his outburst, however, he did regret that he had hurt her. In a way, he had thought that it would feel better afterwards if he hurt her now, like she had hurt him then, but it didn't feel better. If anything, it felt worse.
"Toby?"
Toby looked up and saw Miranda sitting on his couch with her yellow bunny in her hand.
"How long have you been sitting there, pumpkin?" He asked softly. He looked at the time and walked over to the couch. "It's seven o'clock. Shouldn't you be home sleeping now?"
"I don't have to go to bed until eight o'clock. Sometimes eight thirty," Miranda said with a proud smile and Toby smiled back.
"Where's your aunt?"
"She's talking to someone on the phone. It was boring to wait for her so I left."
"Did she say you could leave?"
"She didn't notice," Miranda said with a mischievous smile.
"Miranda! You shouldn't do that. Your aunt is probably worried sick looking for you."
Toby looked out in the bullpen and sighed when he saw it was empty. That meant he would have to call CJ himself and tell her Miranda was safe.
"Can you tell me a story?"
"I'm no good at stories. I have to call CJ and tell her you're here."
When he dialed the number to CJ's office, he looked at Miranda.
"Toby, tell me a story!" she demanded.
"Pumpkin, just wait for a second, okay?" He said and covered the mouthpiece and then he heard CJ on the other line. "Hey, it's me. Miranda's in my office. Five minutes? Yeah, okay."
He hung up the phone and walked over to the couch and Miranda crawled up on his lap. She put one of her arms around his neck and played with his hair. The other hand held tightly in the yellow rabbit's ear.
"A story?" he said quietly and he could feel her nodding against his chest. "Okay, we'll see what I can come up with." He thought for a few seconds before deciding to take something from his own life. "Once upon a time there was this young boy. Tom, who loved a very beautiful and amazing girl. Her name was Sarah and every boy who met her immediately fell in love with her. Tom was a very lucky boy because for some reason, who no one understood, Sarah chose him. They did everything together and Tom truly believed Sarah was the love of his life and that nothing would ever split them up. However, things between Tom and Sarah changed. They began screaming at each other and saying mean stuff that they didn't mean. One day Sarah did something that hurt Tom and he decided to leave."
Miranda yawned and waited for him to continue the story. "How does it end?" She asked when he never did.
Toby sighed and kissed her softly on the head. "I don't know pumpkin. I don't know."
TBC.