For notes and disclaimers, see part 1. Note in the end.
Part 20
Toby opened his eyes and first he didn't understand where he was. Then he looked to the side and saw Miranda sleeping next to him with her arm around his belly. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead before he quietly climbed out of the bed. He looked at the time and saw that it was almost midnight. He sighed and left Miranda's room. Out in the hallway a few lights were still on. He walked to the living room to get his coat. When he was walking towards the door he felt a sudden urge to see CJ. He quietly walked towards her bedroom and opened the door. The light on her nightstand was still on. She was sitting in bed, leaning her head against the wall, sleeping. She still had her glasses on and a pile of papers next to her. Toby smiled and slowly walked towards the bed and sat down on it. He gently took off her glasses and gathered the papers and put them on the nightstand before turning off the light. He softly kissed her on the cheek.
"Toby?" She murmured.
He looked up at her and noticed that her eyes still were closed. "Yes, it's me," he whispered.
He could see her smiling and then she crawled down under the covers. Toby stayed on her bed for a while, just watching her while he caressed her cheek. Then he kissed her on the cheek one more time before forcing himself to leave.
* * * * *
CJ entered Leo's office as quiet as possible but realized it was no idea when everybody stopped talking and turned to look at her. "Hey," she said softly.
"CJ, I'm glad you could join us this morning," Leo said sarcastically, but CJ could hear the easiness in his voice.
"I'm sorry, sir." She sat down on the couch next to Josh. "It's just that. We overslept this morning. I haven't slept this good in months!"
"And why is that, if I may ask, Claudia Jean?" Josh smirked.
CJ hit him lightly on the arm. "No, you may not!"
Leo grinned but then turned serious. "Okay kids, back to work."
As they walked down the hallway after morning staff CJ gently grabbed Toby's arm and stopped him.
"Yeah?"
"Um, I just. Thank you for taking care of Miranda last night. I really needed to get to bed early."
Toby smiled. "Yeah, if 11.30 is early."
They slowly began walking down the hallway without saying a word to each other. When they reached the Communications Bullpen Toby turned to look at her. She blushed and looked at the floor.
"I was thinking maybe you want to come over tonight again. I know Miranda would like that," she said quietly.
He took a step closer to her and placed his hand on her upper arm. "And what about you?"
She looked up at him and Toby smiled when he saw her blushing.
"I would like that too," she said softly.
"Then I will see you later."
When CJ returned to her office, it wasn't until she had sat down behind her desk that she noticed who was sitting on her couch. She quickly rose.
"Ma'am!"
Abbey smiled and walked over to the door and closed it. "Claudia, Claudia, have a minute over for the First Lady?" CJ walked around her desk and sat down on the couch next to Abbey. "I guess," she said, suspecting this was something she wouldn't like.
"So, what's this I hear about you and Toby finally admitting your feelings for each other?" Abbey blurted out.
CJ jumped up as she said, "Ma'am!" and began pacing in her office, her hand to her forehead.
When she finally calmed down she took a deep breath and turned to Abbey. "Ma'am, where on earth did you get that crazy idea?"
"My husband," Abbey said simply.
CJ shrugged and covered her face with her hands. "Ma'am, there's nothing going on between me and Toby."
"Yet," Abbey added and smirked.
"Abbey." CJ said in a warning tone.
"Stop caring about things that don't concern me?"
CJ smiled slightly and sat down on the couch again. "Abbey, it's just that. Toby and I don't even know where we stand yet. Or I do, but I don't know where he stand so I can't."
"CJ," Abbey interrupted. "Can you honestly tell me that you have never noticed the way Toby's looking at you? CJ, the man adores you!"
CJ sighed. "Abbey, there was a time when. When we were together but," Abbey's surprised look didn't go unnoticed by CJ, "I did something and even if he has forgiven me I understand him if he never wants to be with me again."
"Tell me, when where you together?"
CJ smiled at the First Lady's curiosity.
"When we were young, in our early twenties."
Abbey almost gasped. "Sometimes I forget how long you two have known each other."
CJ shrugged and smiled. "Abbey, I loved him back then and I loved him when he left."
"Whoa, whoa? He left you? Is he crazy?"
CJ sighed. "Abbey, don't go there, okay? I'm not going into details with you. Just know that Toby wasn't the bad guy in this."
Abbey slowly nodded.
"Since he left me I never loved anyone else. I'm 42 years old and I have only loved one man in my entire life! How silly and stupid isn't that?!"
Abbey placed her hand over CJ's. "That's not silly and it's not stupid. If it's anything, it's beautiful! The only silly and stupid thing about it is thinking of all the years you two have been wasted. CJ, just think about all the time you've spent apart that you could have been together."
"I rather not," CJ said bitterly.
TBC.
A/N: As you may have noticed this fic is going to end soon. The only problem is I haven't come up with a good end yet. Suggestions are very welcome, =). But seriously, I'm going to try to come up with something good and I'll try to post again real soon. Thank you so much for all your kind feedback!
Part 20
Toby opened his eyes and first he didn't understand where he was. Then he looked to the side and saw Miranda sleeping next to him with her arm around his belly. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead before he quietly climbed out of the bed. He looked at the time and saw that it was almost midnight. He sighed and left Miranda's room. Out in the hallway a few lights were still on. He walked to the living room to get his coat. When he was walking towards the door he felt a sudden urge to see CJ. He quietly walked towards her bedroom and opened the door. The light on her nightstand was still on. She was sitting in bed, leaning her head against the wall, sleeping. She still had her glasses on and a pile of papers next to her. Toby smiled and slowly walked towards the bed and sat down on it. He gently took off her glasses and gathered the papers and put them on the nightstand before turning off the light. He softly kissed her on the cheek.
"Toby?" She murmured.
He looked up at her and noticed that her eyes still were closed. "Yes, it's me," he whispered.
He could see her smiling and then she crawled down under the covers. Toby stayed on her bed for a while, just watching her while he caressed her cheek. Then he kissed her on the cheek one more time before forcing himself to leave.
* * * * *
CJ entered Leo's office as quiet as possible but realized it was no idea when everybody stopped talking and turned to look at her. "Hey," she said softly.
"CJ, I'm glad you could join us this morning," Leo said sarcastically, but CJ could hear the easiness in his voice.
"I'm sorry, sir." She sat down on the couch next to Josh. "It's just that. We overslept this morning. I haven't slept this good in months!"
"And why is that, if I may ask, Claudia Jean?" Josh smirked.
CJ hit him lightly on the arm. "No, you may not!"
Leo grinned but then turned serious. "Okay kids, back to work."
As they walked down the hallway after morning staff CJ gently grabbed Toby's arm and stopped him.
"Yeah?"
"Um, I just. Thank you for taking care of Miranda last night. I really needed to get to bed early."
Toby smiled. "Yeah, if 11.30 is early."
They slowly began walking down the hallway without saying a word to each other. When they reached the Communications Bullpen Toby turned to look at her. She blushed and looked at the floor.
"I was thinking maybe you want to come over tonight again. I know Miranda would like that," she said quietly.
He took a step closer to her and placed his hand on her upper arm. "And what about you?"
She looked up at him and Toby smiled when he saw her blushing.
"I would like that too," she said softly.
"Then I will see you later."
When CJ returned to her office, it wasn't until she had sat down behind her desk that she noticed who was sitting on her couch. She quickly rose.
"Ma'am!"
Abbey smiled and walked over to the door and closed it. "Claudia, Claudia, have a minute over for the First Lady?" CJ walked around her desk and sat down on the couch next to Abbey. "I guess," she said, suspecting this was something she wouldn't like.
"So, what's this I hear about you and Toby finally admitting your feelings for each other?" Abbey blurted out.
CJ jumped up as she said, "Ma'am!" and began pacing in her office, her hand to her forehead.
When she finally calmed down she took a deep breath and turned to Abbey. "Ma'am, where on earth did you get that crazy idea?"
"My husband," Abbey said simply.
CJ shrugged and covered her face with her hands. "Ma'am, there's nothing going on between me and Toby."
"Yet," Abbey added and smirked.
"Abbey." CJ said in a warning tone.
"Stop caring about things that don't concern me?"
CJ smiled slightly and sat down on the couch again. "Abbey, it's just that. Toby and I don't even know where we stand yet. Or I do, but I don't know where he stand so I can't."
"CJ," Abbey interrupted. "Can you honestly tell me that you have never noticed the way Toby's looking at you? CJ, the man adores you!"
CJ sighed. "Abbey, there was a time when. When we were together but," Abbey's surprised look didn't go unnoticed by CJ, "I did something and even if he has forgiven me I understand him if he never wants to be with me again."
"Tell me, when where you together?"
CJ smiled at the First Lady's curiosity.
"When we were young, in our early twenties."
Abbey almost gasped. "Sometimes I forget how long you two have known each other."
CJ shrugged and smiled. "Abbey, I loved him back then and I loved him when he left."
"Whoa, whoa? He left you? Is he crazy?"
CJ sighed. "Abbey, don't go there, okay? I'm not going into details with you. Just know that Toby wasn't the bad guy in this."
Abbey slowly nodded.
"Since he left me I never loved anyone else. I'm 42 years old and I have only loved one man in my entire life! How silly and stupid isn't that?!"
Abbey placed her hand over CJ's. "That's not silly and it's not stupid. If it's anything, it's beautiful! The only silly and stupid thing about it is thinking of all the years you two have been wasted. CJ, just think about all the time you've spent apart that you could have been together."
"I rather not," CJ said bitterly.
TBC.
A/N: As you may have noticed this fic is going to end soon. The only problem is I haven't come up with a good end yet. Suggestions are very welcome, =). But seriously, I'm going to try to come up with something good and I'll try to post again real soon. Thank you so much for all your kind feedback!