~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The White House,
Mars 2003
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"CJ, can you tell us anything about the article in The Times today?" Chris yelled.
"Chris, if the Times haven't changed dramatically since I read it, this morning, to being a one article newspaper, I'm going to need you to be a bit more specific," CJ said, doing her best to smile.
"The article about you and Toby Ziegler."
CJ swallowed and looked down at her papers. When she looked up she noticed Toby in the back of the room.
"The White House don't comment on the personal lives of the staff," she said, only looking at Toby. "And that's a full lid. Have a nice evening."
As she walked out of the Pressroom, Carol did her best to keep her pace towards CJ's office.
"CJ, the President wants you in the Oval."
"Surprise, surprise."
As she walked towards the Oval Office Josh caught up with her. He looked expectantly at her but she didn't say anything. When they came to Charlie's desk he looked at her with eyes that reminded her of a lost boy.
"CJ," he said slowly. "You could have. you should have."
She put her hand on his chest. "Josh, not now. Okay?"
"The President's ready to see you now," Charlie said and sat down behind his desk, his eyes asking CJ too many questions.
Toby, Sam and Leo were already there. The President was pacing in front of his desk. He made a gesture to CJ and Josh to sit down. It was quiet in the Oval Office, quieter than any of them were used too. The senior staff was nervously shifting in their chairs, looking at each other, looking at the President. Even Leo seemed a bit uncomfortable but CJ noticed the looks he gave Toby.
"How was your trip to Chicago, Mr. President?" Sam asked finally.
Everyone turned to look surprised at him. CJ couldn't help but smile a little.
"My trip to Chicago, Sam?" Sam nodded. "It was great! Fantastic, to be honest. I haven't enjoyed a fundraiser that much since. well, since ever. But then, at the flight home I get this call and I get this newspaper and all of a sudden my people, people of my own starts to ask me questions about two senior staffers. 'Mr. President, is it true?' 'Mr. President, did you know about this?' 'Mr. President, why didn't you say anything about it?'" He sat down in one of the chairs and looked angrily at each one of them in the room.
"Mr. President, is there anything you want us to do? I mean, me and CJ," Toby said nervously.
CJ could tell he wanted to pace and smiled slightly.
The President turned to look at Toby. "Funny that you of all people should ask that, Toby. I just. Explain to me why you lied to me, to us!" He angrily gestured at Leo, Josh and Sam.
"We wanted to."
"Because the past is ours," CJ interrupted and smiled softly at Toby.
The President took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. "Leo."
Leo rose. "Yeah. Sam, Josh."
Josh and Sam looked a bit awkward at the President before following Leo to his office. When Leo had closed the door the President rose and began pacing again.
"Mr. President," CJ said. "Can you please say something?"
The President sat down again, this time next to Toby on the couch. He looked at CJ across the table then turned to look at Toby.
"Is it all true? Everything the article says."
CJ swallowed. "Yes it is, sir."
He looked down at the floor and then back at CJ.
"I'm so sorry," the President said slowly.
Toby looked questioningly at him. "Mr. President?"
"CJ, Toby, I can't even imagine how it must have been to lose your children."
Toby and CJ looked surprised at the President. Then CJ looked away and blinked away her tears. Toby immediately walked over to her and covered her hand with his.
"It's okay," he said quietly.
"I just don't understand," the President said. "How could you not trust us, trust me, enough to say anything about this?"
"Sir, when we first joined the campaign. It took an election for us to get to know each other so well as we do today and then it was already too late to tell you about it. We just, it's none of anyone else's business."
"But, Toby, I'm not only your boss I am also your friend!"
It was quiet again in the Oval Office. Then CJ looked up at the President.
"What do you want us to do, sir? Do you want me, us, someone to resign? What do you want us to do?"
The President smiled slightly. "That's totally up to you two. I'm not letting you go, though. If you want to tell the press about it, do so. If not, don't. Many people are going to have questions but even more people want the answers to those questions." The President paused briefly. "And to be honest with you, I'd also like to know what happened. But as I said, it's entirely up to you two." He put on his glasses. "Get out of here now. I have work to do."
TBC.
"CJ, can you tell us anything about the article in The Times today?" Chris yelled.
"Chris, if the Times haven't changed dramatically since I read it, this morning, to being a one article newspaper, I'm going to need you to be a bit more specific," CJ said, doing her best to smile.
"The article about you and Toby Ziegler."
CJ swallowed and looked down at her papers. When she looked up she noticed Toby in the back of the room.
"The White House don't comment on the personal lives of the staff," she said, only looking at Toby. "And that's a full lid. Have a nice evening."
As she walked out of the Pressroom, Carol did her best to keep her pace towards CJ's office.
"CJ, the President wants you in the Oval."
"Surprise, surprise."
As she walked towards the Oval Office Josh caught up with her. He looked expectantly at her but she didn't say anything. When they came to Charlie's desk he looked at her with eyes that reminded her of a lost boy.
"CJ," he said slowly. "You could have. you should have."
She put her hand on his chest. "Josh, not now. Okay?"
"The President's ready to see you now," Charlie said and sat down behind his desk, his eyes asking CJ too many questions.
Toby, Sam and Leo were already there. The President was pacing in front of his desk. He made a gesture to CJ and Josh to sit down. It was quiet in the Oval Office, quieter than any of them were used too. The senior staff was nervously shifting in their chairs, looking at each other, looking at the President. Even Leo seemed a bit uncomfortable but CJ noticed the looks he gave Toby.
"How was your trip to Chicago, Mr. President?" Sam asked finally.
Everyone turned to look surprised at him. CJ couldn't help but smile a little.
"My trip to Chicago, Sam?" Sam nodded. "It was great! Fantastic, to be honest. I haven't enjoyed a fundraiser that much since. well, since ever. But then, at the flight home I get this call and I get this newspaper and all of a sudden my people, people of my own starts to ask me questions about two senior staffers. 'Mr. President, is it true?' 'Mr. President, did you know about this?' 'Mr. President, why didn't you say anything about it?'" He sat down in one of the chairs and looked angrily at each one of them in the room.
"Mr. President, is there anything you want us to do? I mean, me and CJ," Toby said nervously.
CJ could tell he wanted to pace and smiled slightly.
The President turned to look at Toby. "Funny that you of all people should ask that, Toby. I just. Explain to me why you lied to me, to us!" He angrily gestured at Leo, Josh and Sam.
"We wanted to."
"Because the past is ours," CJ interrupted and smiled softly at Toby.
The President took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. "Leo."
Leo rose. "Yeah. Sam, Josh."
Josh and Sam looked a bit awkward at the President before following Leo to his office. When Leo had closed the door the President rose and began pacing again.
"Mr. President," CJ said. "Can you please say something?"
The President sat down again, this time next to Toby on the couch. He looked at CJ across the table then turned to look at Toby.
"Is it all true? Everything the article says."
CJ swallowed. "Yes it is, sir."
He looked down at the floor and then back at CJ.
"I'm so sorry," the President said slowly.
Toby looked questioningly at him. "Mr. President?"
"CJ, Toby, I can't even imagine how it must have been to lose your children."
Toby and CJ looked surprised at the President. Then CJ looked away and blinked away her tears. Toby immediately walked over to her and covered her hand with his.
"It's okay," he said quietly.
"I just don't understand," the President said. "How could you not trust us, trust me, enough to say anything about this?"
"Sir, when we first joined the campaign. It took an election for us to get to know each other so well as we do today and then it was already too late to tell you about it. We just, it's none of anyone else's business."
"But, Toby, I'm not only your boss I am also your friend!"
It was quiet again in the Oval Office. Then CJ looked up at the President.
"What do you want us to do, sir? Do you want me, us, someone to resign? What do you want us to do?"
The President smiled slightly. "That's totally up to you two. I'm not letting you go, though. If you want to tell the press about it, do so. If not, don't. Many people are going to have questions but even more people want the answers to those questions." The President paused briefly. "And to be honest with you, I'd also like to know what happened. But as I said, it's entirely up to you two." He put on his glasses. "Get out of here now. I have work to do."
TBC.