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California,
May 1989
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"CJ, you have a visitor," Mary said over the intercom.
"Who is it?" CJ asked.
"He says his name is David Ziegler."
"Oh my god," CJ whispered. "Let him in."
She met David at the door and he hugged her tightly.
"Hey, Claudia," he said quietly.
She walked back around her desk and sat down against it. "It's CJ now," she said in her most professional tone.
David raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What?"
"Yeah, it's CJ Cregg now. Not Claudia or Claudia Jean, just CJ."
David nodded, obviously surprised by his former brother in law's coldness.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"
"Work. I just thought I'd go and check how you were. It was so long ago since we heard from you. We've been worried."
She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Yeah, I can imagine. I'm fine, thank you very much."
David smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I can tell." He looked around in her huge office.
"How's Sarah and the kids?" She asked politely.
"They're fine."
CJ swallowed but forced herself to ask him. "And Toby?"
David looked uncomfortable. "He's. actually we don't have that much contact anymore."
"Why not?"
"Claudia. CJ, after he left you I honestly couldn't stand looking at him. I despise him for leaving you at a time when you needed him the most."
CJ took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "David, both you and I know that all Toby could do was to leave. If he had stayed with me it had killed him. And I probably hadn't started a new life either. It was for the best."
David shrugged. "Still, we miss you."
CJ smiled and for the first time David recognized her as she was before.
"I appreciate that you still care for me but you can't let me come between you and Toby."
David didn't say anything.
"CJ, Mr. Collins is here," Mary said over the intercom.
"Just give me a minute."
CJ rose and David did the same.
"I was hoping we could have had lunch", he said quietly.
She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, my schedule is full this week. Maybe some other time."
David nodded. "Yeah. If you ever come to New York you know where to find us."
David hugged her gently. CJ opened the door for him and he left. She took a deep breath and noticed Mr. Collins waiting in a chair.
"Excuse me, Mr. Collins, could you just give me a couple of minutes?"
He nodded. CJ returned to her office and closed the door. She put her hands over her face and took several deep breaths. One single tear ran down her cheek. Angrily, she wiped it away and took a look at herself in the mirror before letting Mr. Collins in.
TBC.
"CJ, you have a visitor," Mary said over the intercom.
"Who is it?" CJ asked.
"He says his name is David Ziegler."
"Oh my god," CJ whispered. "Let him in."
She met David at the door and he hugged her tightly.
"Hey, Claudia," he said quietly.
She walked back around her desk and sat down against it. "It's CJ now," she said in her most professional tone.
David raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What?"
"Yeah, it's CJ Cregg now. Not Claudia or Claudia Jean, just CJ."
David nodded, obviously surprised by his former brother in law's coldness.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"
"Work. I just thought I'd go and check how you were. It was so long ago since we heard from you. We've been worried."
She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Yeah, I can imagine. I'm fine, thank you very much."
David smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I can tell." He looked around in her huge office.
"How's Sarah and the kids?" She asked politely.
"They're fine."
CJ swallowed but forced herself to ask him. "And Toby?"
David looked uncomfortable. "He's. actually we don't have that much contact anymore."
"Why not?"
"Claudia. CJ, after he left you I honestly couldn't stand looking at him. I despise him for leaving you at a time when you needed him the most."
CJ took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "David, both you and I know that all Toby could do was to leave. If he had stayed with me it had killed him. And I probably hadn't started a new life either. It was for the best."
David shrugged. "Still, we miss you."
CJ smiled and for the first time David recognized her as she was before.
"I appreciate that you still care for me but you can't let me come between you and Toby."
David didn't say anything.
"CJ, Mr. Collins is here," Mary said over the intercom.
"Just give me a minute."
CJ rose and David did the same.
"I was hoping we could have had lunch", he said quietly.
She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, my schedule is full this week. Maybe some other time."
David nodded. "Yeah. If you ever come to New York you know where to find us."
David hugged her gently. CJ opened the door for him and he left. She took a deep breath and noticed Mr. Collins waiting in a chair.
"Excuse me, Mr. Collins, could you just give me a couple of minutes?"
He nodded. CJ returned to her office and closed the door. She put her hands over her face and took several deep breaths. One single tear ran down her cheek. Angrily, she wiped it away and took a look at herself in the mirror before letting Mr. Collins in.
TBC.