For notes and disclaimers, please see part 1.
Part 12
CJ was waiting in the hallway with her briefcase in one hand and in the other Miranda's backpack.
"Miranda!" she yelled for the fifth time in two minutes. "We're going to be late!"
She forced herself to smile slightly when she saw Miranda walking towards her.
"I can't find my yellow bunny", Miranda said and her lip shivered.
CJ looked at the time and sighed. "Do you have to bring the bunny with you? I bet no other kid brings stuffed animals to school."
She immediately regretted what she had said when she saw that tears were beginning to form in Miranda's eyes, but then it was already too late.
She sighed and tapped her forehead, obviously irritated. "Have you looked everywhere?"
Miranda nodded slowly without looking up at her aunt.
"Honey, if you've looked everywhere and you haven't found it it's probably gone." She paused briefly. "Listen, we really have to go now." When Miranda didn't move CJ became irritated. "Come on!"
Miranda slowly walked towards her and took her backpack that CJ held out for her.
"You know, Miranda, you have to remember where you put your things." CJ sighed once more before shuffling Miranda out of the apartment in front of her, totally oblivious that Miranda was silently crying.
* * * * *
CJ tried to concentrate on the facts Carol had given her on Egypt, but it was hard with Miranda playing on her office-floor. She looked up and tapped her pen against the desk. Then she looked down at her papers again and did a last effort to try to concentrate, but she couldn't. She rose quickly and leaned her hands against the desk.
"Miranda!" She said loudly. "Must you play in here? And if you have to play can you please do so quietly?"
Miranda looked up at her for a brief second before looking at her dolls again. She silently began playing with them again and without knowing how, she soon began talking and laughing loudly to herself. This time she didn't get a warning. She just heard CJ coming closer behind her and when she looked back at her dolls they were gone. She rose and looked at CJ behind the desk.
CJ sighed frustrated and held up the dolls. "Didn't I just say, please play quietly?" She opened a drawer and put the dolls in it. Then she sat down in her chair.
"Can I please go to Toby?" Miranda whispered.
CJ just waved with her hand, busy with her papers, and Miranda took that as a yes. Quietly she left the office. Miranda had quickly learned the way to Toby's office. She didn't notice that when she walked through the hallways, people were starring confused at her. When she reached the Communications Bullpen it was full of people running around and no one seemed to notice her. She walked towards Toby's office and noticed that Toby wasn't alone. Sam and Josh were sitting on his couch and Toby paced the room nervously, tapping his left hand on his forehead.
"What do we tell the press?" Josh asked.
Toby sighed. "Tell them we have everything under control."
"Shouldn't CJ be here for this?" Sam suddenly said.
"I'm going over to her," Josh said. "She said she needed to stay with Miranda."
Toby walked over to his desk and leaned against it. Then he noticed Miranda in the door and he immediately walked over to her and picked her up. He didn't notice Josh and Sam looking amused at each other.
"Hey pumpkin," he said quietly. "What are you doing here?"
Miranda put her arm around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Aunt CJ just yelled at me," she whispered.
Toby looked serious at her. Then he turned to Sam and Josh.
"Josh, can you please go and tell CJ what we just discussed and also tell her Miranda is with me. Sam, you start work on the President's first words after a possible attack."
Sam and Josh nodded and left without another word. Toby closed the door and then walked over to the couch and sat down on it with Miranda in his lap. He lifted her up and turned her so that she was facing him.
"Why was CJ yelling at you?"
"I think I disturbed her when she was working," she whispered. "I was playing with my dolls and. She took them."
Toby tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled softly. "She was just busy. You see, we have this situation in Egypt and we all have a lot to do."
"But you aren't yelling at me," Miranda interrupted.
"That's true," Toby said quietly.
Miranda leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I don't think aunt CJ likes me very much."
Toby didn't know what to say. He would never admit it to anyone but since CJ decided to take care of Miranda, he had silently wondered why she did it, if it was because of guilt or because she really loved Miranda.
He kissed Miranda on the head and held her tighter.
TBC.
Part 12
CJ was waiting in the hallway with her briefcase in one hand and in the other Miranda's backpack.
"Miranda!" she yelled for the fifth time in two minutes. "We're going to be late!"
She forced herself to smile slightly when she saw Miranda walking towards her.
"I can't find my yellow bunny", Miranda said and her lip shivered.
CJ looked at the time and sighed. "Do you have to bring the bunny with you? I bet no other kid brings stuffed animals to school."
She immediately regretted what she had said when she saw that tears were beginning to form in Miranda's eyes, but then it was already too late.
She sighed and tapped her forehead, obviously irritated. "Have you looked everywhere?"
Miranda nodded slowly without looking up at her aunt.
"Honey, if you've looked everywhere and you haven't found it it's probably gone." She paused briefly. "Listen, we really have to go now." When Miranda didn't move CJ became irritated. "Come on!"
Miranda slowly walked towards her and took her backpack that CJ held out for her.
"You know, Miranda, you have to remember where you put your things." CJ sighed once more before shuffling Miranda out of the apartment in front of her, totally oblivious that Miranda was silently crying.
* * * * *
CJ tried to concentrate on the facts Carol had given her on Egypt, but it was hard with Miranda playing on her office-floor. She looked up and tapped her pen against the desk. Then she looked down at her papers again and did a last effort to try to concentrate, but she couldn't. She rose quickly and leaned her hands against the desk.
"Miranda!" She said loudly. "Must you play in here? And if you have to play can you please do so quietly?"
Miranda looked up at her for a brief second before looking at her dolls again. She silently began playing with them again and without knowing how, she soon began talking and laughing loudly to herself. This time she didn't get a warning. She just heard CJ coming closer behind her and when she looked back at her dolls they were gone. She rose and looked at CJ behind the desk.
CJ sighed frustrated and held up the dolls. "Didn't I just say, please play quietly?" She opened a drawer and put the dolls in it. Then she sat down in her chair.
"Can I please go to Toby?" Miranda whispered.
CJ just waved with her hand, busy with her papers, and Miranda took that as a yes. Quietly she left the office. Miranda had quickly learned the way to Toby's office. She didn't notice that when she walked through the hallways, people were starring confused at her. When she reached the Communications Bullpen it was full of people running around and no one seemed to notice her. She walked towards Toby's office and noticed that Toby wasn't alone. Sam and Josh were sitting on his couch and Toby paced the room nervously, tapping his left hand on his forehead.
"What do we tell the press?" Josh asked.
Toby sighed. "Tell them we have everything under control."
"Shouldn't CJ be here for this?" Sam suddenly said.
"I'm going over to her," Josh said. "She said she needed to stay with Miranda."
Toby walked over to his desk and leaned against it. Then he noticed Miranda in the door and he immediately walked over to her and picked her up. He didn't notice Josh and Sam looking amused at each other.
"Hey pumpkin," he said quietly. "What are you doing here?"
Miranda put her arm around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Aunt CJ just yelled at me," she whispered.
Toby looked serious at her. Then he turned to Sam and Josh.
"Josh, can you please go and tell CJ what we just discussed and also tell her Miranda is with me. Sam, you start work on the President's first words after a possible attack."
Sam and Josh nodded and left without another word. Toby closed the door and then walked over to the couch and sat down on it with Miranda in his lap. He lifted her up and turned her so that she was facing him.
"Why was CJ yelling at you?"
"I think I disturbed her when she was working," she whispered. "I was playing with my dolls and. She took them."
Toby tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled softly. "She was just busy. You see, we have this situation in Egypt and we all have a lot to do."
"But you aren't yelling at me," Miranda interrupted.
"That's true," Toby said quietly.
Miranda leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I don't think aunt CJ likes me very much."
Toby didn't know what to say. He would never admit it to anyone but since CJ decided to take care of Miranda, he had silently wondered why she did it, if it was because of guilt or because she really loved Miranda.
He kissed Miranda on the head and held her tighter.
TBC.