A/N: I've changed this part. I didn't mean to post the other one so I
apologize about that. I just decided I had used car accidents a bit too
much. Again, I'm sorry. For other notes and disclaimers, please see part 1.
Part 17
"CJ, calm down. I'll take care of her."
CJ looked at Jenny and smiled. "I'm sorry. It's just me being silly. She likes you and you've watched her many times so I have nothing to worry about, huh?"
Jenny laughed. "You don't. Listen, have a good time at the fundraiser tonight, okay?"
CJ smiled and bent down to kiss Miranda on the cheek. "I'll come in to you when I come home and tuck you in, okay?" Miranda kissed her and smiled. "And, I'll also talk to Toby tonight and see if you can stay with him sometime, okay?"
That made Miranda smile hugely and hug CJ tightly.
"Okay, here's money if you want to go and rent a movie or something," CJ said and handed over a fifty to Jenny.
"CJ, I don't think we'll be renting movies for this much."
CJ smiled. "Just in case. Okay, see you later. Be a good girl now, honey."
She bent down to kiss her again and then she left.
* * * * *
CJ had her best fake smile on when she was dancing for the fifth time with another member of congress who should know where to keep his hands. She saw Sam talking to someone across the floor. She gave him the signal and the next second he was walking towards her.
"Excuse me, sir, but I need CJ for a while," Sam said to the older man who seemed irritated but let go of her.
"Thank you," CJ whispered when she was walking next to Sam away from the dance floor. "I hate these fundraiser-things."
Sam laughed. "No, you don't. That's Toby, remember?"
CJ forced on a smile. "Where is Toby by the way? I haven't seen him all night."
Sam looked down and his smile disappeared. "Probably at the bar."
CJ looked surprised even though she knew this was exactly what she should have suspected. "What? Why?"
Sam shrugged. "No one knows, CJ. He's been like that for almost two weeks now. No one knows how to reach him. We were actually kind of hoping you would notice and take care of it. But when you didn't no one wanted to say anything considering you have Miranda to think about."
CJ smiled and squeezed Sam's arm. "Thank you, Sam. I'll go and talk to him."
CJ nervously and slowly approached the bar. She stood behind him for a few seconds, not sure of what to do. Several times she opened her mouth but then closed it again.
"What do you want?"
His sudden voice made her jump back and she put a hand over her mouth to not scream out loud. Then she took a step closer and sat down on the stool next to him.
"How are you?" She asked quietly.
He sipped his scotch and avoided looking at her. "I'm doing fine, thank you. You?"
"Toby.," CJ said quietly, almost begging.
"What?" He snapped and suddenly turned to her.
CJ had wanted him to look at her, but now when she met his eyes she had to look away. She didn't have to ask anything more, everything was written clearly in his eyes. He was still hurt and upset about what she had said two weeks ago and he still couldn't stand looking at her.
"Miranda has been asking for you everyday," she said instead.
She almost saw Toby smile for a short while and his eyes become brighter. But just as fast as it had appeared, it disappeared.
"I was wondering if. maybe you would like to watch her some day? Maybe she could spend the night. I know she would want that."
"As much as I want to, I'm not her father, remember?"
"Toby.," she begun and raised a hand to place it on his shoulder but changed her mind. "I'm sorry for what I said. I really am. I was just."
"CJ!"
CJ turned around and saw Carol quickly walking towards her.
"Carol, what are you doing here? Are there any problems with the press?"
"Phone call," Carol said and held up her cell.
CJ looked uncomfortable at her, then at Toby who wasn't paying them any attention. "Can't it wait?"
"CJ, its Jenny."
It was something in Carol's voice that made her sense that something really bad was happening. She took the phone from Carol.
"Jenny?" She said almost in panic, which made Toby pay attention, but still not turning around. "Jenny, calm down. What? Is she okay?"
CJ was raising her voice and Toby turned around. Without reflecting on it he placed his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there for her. CJ turned to him while she was listening on the phone. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.
"Okay," she whispered. "Jenny, just calm down. I'm on my way."
She hung up the phone and looked up to find Carol, Josh and Sam in front of her.
"CJ, what's going on?" Josh asked worriedly.
CJ moved a hand to her forehead and her eyes were empty. "Um, it's Miranda. She's throwing up and Jenny says she has fever."
Everyone just looked at her for a short moment. Then she felt someone's hand on her arm.
"Come on, let's go," Toby said softly.
TBC.
Part 17
"CJ, calm down. I'll take care of her."
CJ looked at Jenny and smiled. "I'm sorry. It's just me being silly. She likes you and you've watched her many times so I have nothing to worry about, huh?"
Jenny laughed. "You don't. Listen, have a good time at the fundraiser tonight, okay?"
CJ smiled and bent down to kiss Miranda on the cheek. "I'll come in to you when I come home and tuck you in, okay?" Miranda kissed her and smiled. "And, I'll also talk to Toby tonight and see if you can stay with him sometime, okay?"
That made Miranda smile hugely and hug CJ tightly.
"Okay, here's money if you want to go and rent a movie or something," CJ said and handed over a fifty to Jenny.
"CJ, I don't think we'll be renting movies for this much."
CJ smiled. "Just in case. Okay, see you later. Be a good girl now, honey."
She bent down to kiss her again and then she left.
* * * * *
CJ had her best fake smile on when she was dancing for the fifth time with another member of congress who should know where to keep his hands. She saw Sam talking to someone across the floor. She gave him the signal and the next second he was walking towards her.
"Excuse me, sir, but I need CJ for a while," Sam said to the older man who seemed irritated but let go of her.
"Thank you," CJ whispered when she was walking next to Sam away from the dance floor. "I hate these fundraiser-things."
Sam laughed. "No, you don't. That's Toby, remember?"
CJ forced on a smile. "Where is Toby by the way? I haven't seen him all night."
Sam looked down and his smile disappeared. "Probably at the bar."
CJ looked surprised even though she knew this was exactly what she should have suspected. "What? Why?"
Sam shrugged. "No one knows, CJ. He's been like that for almost two weeks now. No one knows how to reach him. We were actually kind of hoping you would notice and take care of it. But when you didn't no one wanted to say anything considering you have Miranda to think about."
CJ smiled and squeezed Sam's arm. "Thank you, Sam. I'll go and talk to him."
CJ nervously and slowly approached the bar. She stood behind him for a few seconds, not sure of what to do. Several times she opened her mouth but then closed it again.
"What do you want?"
His sudden voice made her jump back and she put a hand over her mouth to not scream out loud. Then she took a step closer and sat down on the stool next to him.
"How are you?" She asked quietly.
He sipped his scotch and avoided looking at her. "I'm doing fine, thank you. You?"
"Toby.," CJ said quietly, almost begging.
"What?" He snapped and suddenly turned to her.
CJ had wanted him to look at her, but now when she met his eyes she had to look away. She didn't have to ask anything more, everything was written clearly in his eyes. He was still hurt and upset about what she had said two weeks ago and he still couldn't stand looking at her.
"Miranda has been asking for you everyday," she said instead.
She almost saw Toby smile for a short while and his eyes become brighter. But just as fast as it had appeared, it disappeared.
"I was wondering if. maybe you would like to watch her some day? Maybe she could spend the night. I know she would want that."
"As much as I want to, I'm not her father, remember?"
"Toby.," she begun and raised a hand to place it on his shoulder but changed her mind. "I'm sorry for what I said. I really am. I was just."
"CJ!"
CJ turned around and saw Carol quickly walking towards her.
"Carol, what are you doing here? Are there any problems with the press?"
"Phone call," Carol said and held up her cell.
CJ looked uncomfortable at her, then at Toby who wasn't paying them any attention. "Can't it wait?"
"CJ, its Jenny."
It was something in Carol's voice that made her sense that something really bad was happening. She took the phone from Carol.
"Jenny?" She said almost in panic, which made Toby pay attention, but still not turning around. "Jenny, calm down. What? Is she okay?"
CJ was raising her voice and Toby turned around. Without reflecting on it he placed his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there for her. CJ turned to him while she was listening on the phone. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.
"Okay," she whispered. "Jenny, just calm down. I'm on my way."
She hung up the phone and looked up to find Carol, Josh and Sam in front of her.
"CJ, what's going on?" Josh asked worriedly.
CJ moved a hand to her forehead and her eyes were empty. "Um, it's Miranda. She's throwing up and Jenny says she has fever."
Everyone just looked at her for a short moment. Then she felt someone's hand on her arm.
"Come on, let's go," Toby said softly.
TBC.