~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The White House,
Mars 2003
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As CJ and Toby walked through the hallways towards her office they noticed everyone stopped what they were doing and they looked curiously at them. Toby put his hand on the small of her back, as it would give her strength.
Toby closed the door to her office and leaned against his. "Safe." He tried to smile.
CJ sat down behind the desk. "I can't believe this is happening. And now! Why would anyone write that story now? It just don't make any sense."
Toby sat down on the couch. "CJ, don't waste your time thinking of that. What we have to decide now is what we're going to do about the whole thing."
A single tear ran down CJ's cheek. "I just, it's a trespass in our personal lives, Toby. It's just, wrong!"
Toby walked over to the desk and leaned against it, looking down at her. He was just about to say something when someone knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" Toby said.
Josh stuck in his head. "I'm sorry. Toby, Andy's on the phone."
Toby looked at CJ, not sure if he wanted to leave her. But he realized he had to talk to Andy. He owed her an explanation.
"Here we go," he said quietly to himself. "Don't leave her alone," he said to Josh before leaving.
Josh slowly walked into the office and closed the door. He nervously rolled on his heels before taking a small step towards the desk. He tried to make CJ look at him but she had buried her face in her hands. He walked around the desk and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Claudia Jean," he whispered.
She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry."
Josh shook his head. "No, I am. I shouldn't have asked you all those questions before. It's none of my business."
She took his hand. "It is, though. You, you are like a brother to me and I didn't tell you because I don't trust you, because believe me, I do." She sighed. "It's just. it's a hard thing to talk about."
Josh didn't say anything. CJ smiled and opened the bottom drawer in her desk. She handed Josh a photo. Josh held the picture as if it was made of glass.
"Is this.?"
CJ closed her eyes and nodded. "That's Haley, our eldest. We don't. I don't have any pictures of Jackie except for this."
She gave him a piece of paper with the picture from an ultrasound. Josh studied the pictures for a long time without saying anything.
"Josh.?" CJ looked worriedly at him and put her hand on his arm.
He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "CJ, they are beautiful."
She swallowed and gently rubbed his arm. "I know."
Toby groaned. He had been on the phone with Andy for five minutes now and she had told him how much she hated and despised him for lying to her. So far, he hadn't been able to say a thing.
"Andy!" He yelled when he was tired of her ranting. "Can you listen to me? Just for a minute? Please?"
"Your minute has started."
Toby took a deep breath and rubbed his temple. "Andy, you're an intelligent woman and I know that you understand why I chose not to tell you. Was it a cheap thing of me to do? Of course and I've regretted it every day but." He trailed off not knowing what more to say. "Toby, you should have told me. Now I'm sitting here with my big stomach with your babies. Do you realize how weird this is going to be? Do you realize what the press will say?"
"Andy, I, I don't care about the press."
"No, but you should care about CJ."
She didn't say it angrily or even bitterly. It almost sounded friendly.
"And you should care about the twins," she continued softly.
"Yeah," he murmured.
"Toby, I've had my minutes of yelling now. I'm not angry, just disappointed. But I've always known there was something more between you and CJ than just a couple of dates. Toby, there still is."
"Andy, don't go there."
"Yeah, okay." He could hear her smiling. "I'm going to let you go now."
"Andy, I am really sorry."
"I know."
Without another word she hung up the phone.
TBC.
As CJ and Toby walked through the hallways towards her office they noticed everyone stopped what they were doing and they looked curiously at them. Toby put his hand on the small of her back, as it would give her strength.
Toby closed the door to her office and leaned against his. "Safe." He tried to smile.
CJ sat down behind the desk. "I can't believe this is happening. And now! Why would anyone write that story now? It just don't make any sense."
Toby sat down on the couch. "CJ, don't waste your time thinking of that. What we have to decide now is what we're going to do about the whole thing."
A single tear ran down CJ's cheek. "I just, it's a trespass in our personal lives, Toby. It's just, wrong!"
Toby walked over to the desk and leaned against it, looking down at her. He was just about to say something when someone knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" Toby said.
Josh stuck in his head. "I'm sorry. Toby, Andy's on the phone."
Toby looked at CJ, not sure if he wanted to leave her. But he realized he had to talk to Andy. He owed her an explanation.
"Here we go," he said quietly to himself. "Don't leave her alone," he said to Josh before leaving.
Josh slowly walked into the office and closed the door. He nervously rolled on his heels before taking a small step towards the desk. He tried to make CJ look at him but she had buried her face in her hands. He walked around the desk and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Claudia Jean," he whispered.
She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry."
Josh shook his head. "No, I am. I shouldn't have asked you all those questions before. It's none of my business."
She took his hand. "It is, though. You, you are like a brother to me and I didn't tell you because I don't trust you, because believe me, I do." She sighed. "It's just. it's a hard thing to talk about."
Josh didn't say anything. CJ smiled and opened the bottom drawer in her desk. She handed Josh a photo. Josh held the picture as if it was made of glass.
"Is this.?"
CJ closed her eyes and nodded. "That's Haley, our eldest. We don't. I don't have any pictures of Jackie except for this."
She gave him a piece of paper with the picture from an ultrasound. Josh studied the pictures for a long time without saying anything.
"Josh.?" CJ looked worriedly at him and put her hand on his arm.
He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "CJ, they are beautiful."
She swallowed and gently rubbed his arm. "I know."
Toby groaned. He had been on the phone with Andy for five minutes now and she had told him how much she hated and despised him for lying to her. So far, he hadn't been able to say a thing.
"Andy!" He yelled when he was tired of her ranting. "Can you listen to me? Just for a minute? Please?"
"Your minute has started."
Toby took a deep breath and rubbed his temple. "Andy, you're an intelligent woman and I know that you understand why I chose not to tell you. Was it a cheap thing of me to do? Of course and I've regretted it every day but." He trailed off not knowing what more to say. "Toby, you should have told me. Now I'm sitting here with my big stomach with your babies. Do you realize how weird this is going to be? Do you realize what the press will say?"
"Andy, I, I don't care about the press."
"No, but you should care about CJ."
She didn't say it angrily or even bitterly. It almost sounded friendly.
"And you should care about the twins," she continued softly.
"Yeah," he murmured.
"Toby, I've had my minutes of yelling now. I'm not angry, just disappointed. But I've always known there was something more between you and CJ than just a couple of dates. Toby, there still is."
"Andy, don't go there."
"Yeah, okay." He could hear her smiling. "I'm going to let you go now."
"Andy, I am really sorry."
"I know."
Without another word she hung up the phone.
TBC.