~ ~ ~ ~ ~
California,
December 1997
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I can't believe you fell into the pool," Toby chuckled.
"I didn't have my contacts in and my glasses are broken!" CJ snapped.
Toby held up his hands to defend himself.
She left him alone in the living room. Five minutes later she returned with dry clothes on. She sat down next to him on the couch.
"So, tell me about the others on the campaign."
Toby sighed.
"What?"
"It's just. I haven't seen you in almost a year and."
"Toby! If someone offered you a job wouldn't you be interested about what kind of job it is?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm sorry. Leo brought Josh Lyman. He used to work for Hoynes. Josh brought a friend, a lawyer. Sam Seaborn, I think."
"You'd be my boss?"
Toby shrugged. "Technically but I don't think anyone could tell you what to do. Except for maybe Leo and the Governor."
CJ giggled a little but then turned serious. "Do you think we can win?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you really think I can do this?"
He looked up at her and nodded.
"Then I trust you. When do I have to be in New Hampshire?"
"As soon as possible. In a couple of days if that's possible."
"That can be arranged. How long are you staying here?"
"No time at all. I'm leaving tonight."
CJ smiled softly at him and placed her hand over his.
"So tell me. How's life? How's Andy?"
Toby sighed, obviously uncomfortable.
"Toby?"
"It's not the same anymore, CJ. All we seem to do is argue and the fact that we can't have kids isn't helping."
CJ gently hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Toby."
Then she suddenly realized something and she closed her eyes. If she moved from California she would leave Haley and Jackie behind. When Toby noticed that she stiffened in his embrace he let her go. He put his fingers on her chin to make her look at him.
"What?"
"If I go," she said silently. "Toby, I don't want to leave Haley and Jackie alone here."
Toby immediately felt guilty. He had left them nine years ago and he hadn't been at the churchyard very often since. He had only been there at the date of the accident every year. Sometimes he had met CJ but most of the times not. He knew CJ was there every week if not more.
"CJ, I understand you but. I promise you, they are safe here. Just because we'll, against all odds, move to Washington won't mean they're not with us." He sighed and looked away. "I haven't been here enough and I know you hate me for it but they are always in my heart, CJ. Nothing can ever take that away."
She smiled softly, with tears in her eyes. She leaned closer to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'm coming with you tonight."
"What about your things?"
"It's just things, Toby. What does Andy think of this, by the way? Us working together?"
"She understands."
CJ realized he wasn't going to say anything more about that. She rose and pulled him with her.
"What do we tell them? Are we letting them know about our past?"
"CJ, our past is *ours*."
She gently brushed his cheek. "Okay," she said softly. "So, do you want to go and say bye to Haley and Jackie?"
"Yeah," he said softly and put his hand on the small of her back as they left her house.
TBC.
"I can't believe you fell into the pool," Toby chuckled.
"I didn't have my contacts in and my glasses are broken!" CJ snapped.
Toby held up his hands to defend himself.
She left him alone in the living room. Five minutes later she returned with dry clothes on. She sat down next to him on the couch.
"So, tell me about the others on the campaign."
Toby sighed.
"What?"
"It's just. I haven't seen you in almost a year and."
"Toby! If someone offered you a job wouldn't you be interested about what kind of job it is?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm sorry. Leo brought Josh Lyman. He used to work for Hoynes. Josh brought a friend, a lawyer. Sam Seaborn, I think."
"You'd be my boss?"
Toby shrugged. "Technically but I don't think anyone could tell you what to do. Except for maybe Leo and the Governor."
CJ giggled a little but then turned serious. "Do you think we can win?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you really think I can do this?"
He looked up at her and nodded.
"Then I trust you. When do I have to be in New Hampshire?"
"As soon as possible. In a couple of days if that's possible."
"That can be arranged. How long are you staying here?"
"No time at all. I'm leaving tonight."
CJ smiled softly at him and placed her hand over his.
"So tell me. How's life? How's Andy?"
Toby sighed, obviously uncomfortable.
"Toby?"
"It's not the same anymore, CJ. All we seem to do is argue and the fact that we can't have kids isn't helping."
CJ gently hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Toby."
Then she suddenly realized something and she closed her eyes. If she moved from California she would leave Haley and Jackie behind. When Toby noticed that she stiffened in his embrace he let her go. He put his fingers on her chin to make her look at him.
"What?"
"If I go," she said silently. "Toby, I don't want to leave Haley and Jackie alone here."
Toby immediately felt guilty. He had left them nine years ago and he hadn't been at the churchyard very often since. He had only been there at the date of the accident every year. Sometimes he had met CJ but most of the times not. He knew CJ was there every week if not more.
"CJ, I understand you but. I promise you, they are safe here. Just because we'll, against all odds, move to Washington won't mean they're not with us." He sighed and looked away. "I haven't been here enough and I know you hate me for it but they are always in my heart, CJ. Nothing can ever take that away."
She smiled softly, with tears in her eyes. She leaned closer to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'm coming with you tonight."
"What about your things?"
"It's just things, Toby. What does Andy think of this, by the way? Us working together?"
"She understands."
CJ realized he wasn't going to say anything more about that. She rose and pulled him with her.
"What do we tell them? Are we letting them know about our past?"
"CJ, our past is *ours*."
She gently brushed his cheek. "Okay," she said softly. "So, do you want to go and say bye to Haley and Jackie?"
"Yeah," he said softly and put his hand on the small of her back as they left her house.
TBC.