For notes and disclaimers, please see part 1.
Part 13
Ginger stuck in her head in Toby's office. "CJ called and asked if you had time to watch Miranda for an hour. Two at the most."
"What do I have?"
"Nothing until 4 p.m. which makes you free for the next three hours. So, that's a yes?"
Toby nodded and Ginger left. He was worried about Miranda and the way CJ treated her. He didn't know how to bring this up with CJ yet, but he knew he had to, soon. Now, he took every chance to spend time with Miranda. He just wanted her to feel loved, something he was unsure she felt with CJ.
"Toby?"
Toby looked up and saw Sam walking towards him.
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking of the press conference the President's going to hold tomorrow for the victims in Egypt and what he should open with." He paused briefly. "Toby, I can't come up with anything good." He looked beat and fell down in a chair.
"I don't believe that," Toby said quickly. "Listen, in two hours I want to have it on my desk and if there's something I don't like about it, you know I'll tell you."
Sam sighed. "It's just so hard, Toby. Maybe the President should write it himself."
"Maybe," Toby nodded. "But we're at least going to give him a draft."
Sam nodded and turned when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He immediately looked happier and picked up Miranda. "Hey, sweetie! What brings you here?"
"I'm going to be with Toby!" Miranda said and smiled. "Fun, huh?"
Sam looked a bit surprised but then turned to Toby with a huge grin. "Yeah, I believe so."
"Get out," Toby said in his normal voice.
"Aww, come on! I think it's cute!" Sam pouted.
"Sam, a draft in two hours. On my desk."
Sam nodded and looked serious for a while but in the door he turned and grinned again. Toby walked over to the couch and sat down next to Miranda who immediately leaned against him.
He bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Hey pumpkin."
Toby looked at the toys she took out of her backpack.
"Hey, where's your yellow bunny?"
Miranda looked down. "I lost him. He's been gone for almost a week. I was looking after him when we were going to school. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find him. And CJ kept screaming that it was time to go. I looked after him when I got home too, but he's gone."
Toby lifted her up on his lap and smiled gently at her. "Do you want to go to a toy store and buy another. another one of those.?" He put up his hand in the air and waved around with it in search for the right word. "Stuffed animals?"
Miranda smiled brightly and nodded.
"Okay, let's go."
Toby wasn't sure where the toy stores was so he had to ask an amused Ginger before he left with Miranda. When they were in the toy store he couldn't help buying her everything she wanted. Miranda was looking at the dolls when Toby's cell phone rang.
"Yes?"
"Toby, it's 3.30," Ginger said. "You do remember your meeting at 4, right?"
"Damn it! Just keep him busy or something before I get there."
He hung up the phone and looked over at Miranda. He almost hadn't heart to tell her they had to leave.
They made it exactly back in time. Bonnie was waiting for them in the lobby. She took care of Miranda and the paper bags with stuffed animals, dolls and other toys. She looked amused at Toby.
"What?" He asked a bit annoyed.
Bonnie smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. He's waiting for you in your office. I'll take Miranda to CJ's office."
Toby nodded and waved discreetly at Miranda before hurrying off to his office.
Tbc.
Part 13
Ginger stuck in her head in Toby's office. "CJ called and asked if you had time to watch Miranda for an hour. Two at the most."
"What do I have?"
"Nothing until 4 p.m. which makes you free for the next three hours. So, that's a yes?"
Toby nodded and Ginger left. He was worried about Miranda and the way CJ treated her. He didn't know how to bring this up with CJ yet, but he knew he had to, soon. Now, he took every chance to spend time with Miranda. He just wanted her to feel loved, something he was unsure she felt with CJ.
"Toby?"
Toby looked up and saw Sam walking towards him.
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking of the press conference the President's going to hold tomorrow for the victims in Egypt and what he should open with." He paused briefly. "Toby, I can't come up with anything good." He looked beat and fell down in a chair.
"I don't believe that," Toby said quickly. "Listen, in two hours I want to have it on my desk and if there's something I don't like about it, you know I'll tell you."
Sam sighed. "It's just so hard, Toby. Maybe the President should write it himself."
"Maybe," Toby nodded. "But we're at least going to give him a draft."
Sam nodded and turned when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He immediately looked happier and picked up Miranda. "Hey, sweetie! What brings you here?"
"I'm going to be with Toby!" Miranda said and smiled. "Fun, huh?"
Sam looked a bit surprised but then turned to Toby with a huge grin. "Yeah, I believe so."
"Get out," Toby said in his normal voice.
"Aww, come on! I think it's cute!" Sam pouted.
"Sam, a draft in two hours. On my desk."
Sam nodded and looked serious for a while but in the door he turned and grinned again. Toby walked over to the couch and sat down next to Miranda who immediately leaned against him.
He bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Hey pumpkin."
Toby looked at the toys she took out of her backpack.
"Hey, where's your yellow bunny?"
Miranda looked down. "I lost him. He's been gone for almost a week. I was looking after him when we were going to school. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find him. And CJ kept screaming that it was time to go. I looked after him when I got home too, but he's gone."
Toby lifted her up on his lap and smiled gently at her. "Do you want to go to a toy store and buy another. another one of those.?" He put up his hand in the air and waved around with it in search for the right word. "Stuffed animals?"
Miranda smiled brightly and nodded.
"Okay, let's go."
Toby wasn't sure where the toy stores was so he had to ask an amused Ginger before he left with Miranda. When they were in the toy store he couldn't help buying her everything she wanted. Miranda was looking at the dolls when Toby's cell phone rang.
"Yes?"
"Toby, it's 3.30," Ginger said. "You do remember your meeting at 4, right?"
"Damn it! Just keep him busy or something before I get there."
He hung up the phone and looked over at Miranda. He almost hadn't heart to tell her they had to leave.
They made it exactly back in time. Bonnie was waiting for them in the lobby. She took care of Miranda and the paper bags with stuffed animals, dolls and other toys. She looked amused at Toby.
"What?" He asked a bit annoyed.
Bonnie smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. He's waiting for you in your office. I'll take Miranda to CJ's office."
Toby nodded and waved discreetly at Miranda before hurrying off to his office.
Tbc.