A/N: Do you even remember this fic, =)? Anyway, it finally is done.
Actually, I've finally come up with the end so now I can post. Most of
this, except the two last parts, I wrote when I first began to write fics
so that's my explanation if it's not that good. Everybody needs practicing,
right? I'm not really sure when this takes place but sometime in the middle
of the first season, maybe but there aren't any real spoilers. Oh, and
feedback is always welcome g.
Part 3
The party was in full swing. Toby was standing by the bar, having his second scotch. Leo was standing next to him.
"Shouldn't you be mingling?" Toby said sarcastically and took a zip of his drink.
He hated these kinds of events and the thing with CJ didn't make it any better.
"Shouldn't you?" Leo replied.
The President had just complimented Toby for the speech and everyone had been applauding standing when the President was done. Somehow, tonight that didn't make Toby happy. He was just about to order his third scotch, when Leo stopped him.
"What's the matter, Toby?" Leo asked when they were standing out on the balcony.
"Nothing's the matter, Leo." Toby said and smiled slightly.
"Is this about Andie?"
Toby laughed.
"Leo, honestly, this is not going to be a conversation with us talking about our ex-wives."
Leo didn't say anything more. Toby looked up and noticed that CJ was slowly approaching them. She looked more beautiful than ever wearing a white evening gown. Still, it was something wrong. Her eyes weren't as happy and sparkling as they used to be at these kinds of events, Toby noticed. She looked tired and sad.
"Leo, the President wants to talk to you." She avoided looking at Toby.
"Okay, thanks." Leo turned to Toby. "Take it easy with the drinks."
Toby didn't answer, just glared at Leo when he walked away. CJ and Toby looked at each other for a short moment. Then Toby turned around and leaned against the railing. A few seconds later CJ joined him. They stood there, next to each other for several minutes without saying a word.
"What's with the drinks?" CJ asked.
"It's nothing. I guess, Leo's afraid of me becoming an alcoholic."
"Well, are you?"
For the first time Toby turned to face CJ. He smiled slightly and she smiled back.
"I'm sorry," she said and they turned their eyes from each other to look at the view.
"It's okay. I mean, the chief of staff thinks I am so..."
"I didn't mean that, Toby."
Toby didn't say anything, just kept looking up at the dark sky. "I know."
"Toby, can't you look at me?"
Toby slowly turned to her. His heart hurt when he saw that she had tears in her eyes. He gently smiled at her, which made her smile slightly.
"You don't have to be sorry, CJ. There's no reason."
"This thing with me and Danny... It's nothing. I don't care about him."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I..." CJ stammered and looked down. "I don't know."
"Okay," Toby nodded slowly. "We better get back to the party."
"You go. I need some air."
Toby didn't say anything. He turned and walked towards the glass-door. Before opening it, he turned and looked at CJ's back. She was leaning against the railing, looking down. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
She smiled at him for a short moment and then looked down again. He took her hand in his, squeezed it and let it stay there until Josh called at them a few minutes later.
* * * * *
"Do you want to come in for a while?"
"No, no. I don't think that's a good idea."
"Okay."
She stepped out of the cab and walked up the stairs to the door. When she opened it, she heard the cab drive away. When she entered her apartment she realized he was the first man she had ever asked that question.
* * * * *
He walked into her office and closed the door. "I'm sorry about last night."
CJ looked up from her computer with her eyebrows raised.
"You're sorry? Why?"
Toby sat down in the couch and rubbed his temples.
"It's just... it's complicated, CJ."
CJ sat down next to him and looked confused at him.
"Toby, what in God's name are you talking about?"
"You. Me. Us. This. Everything! I can't deal with it. I'm sorry."
He rose and left her office. She looked even more confused than before. It only took a minute before she decided to go and ask him what the hell he was talking about. She slammed his door when she had entered his office.
"Toby! What the hell are you talking about?" she yelled. "You can't just walk into my office and start rambling words!"
* * * * *
"What's going on?" Sam asked.
He was looking out from his office. Josh just entered the bullpen with a file in his hand.
"Hey, Sam. What's up?"
Sam stepped out of his office and met him outside Toby's office.
"Um, I don't know."
Sam and Josh turned their heads to look into Toby's office. They saw him sitting by his desk looking down and CJ walked back and forth in the room throwing up her arms sometimes."
"It seems as if they're fighting," Josh said.
"You think?" Sam said sarcastically. "I just wonder about what. It hasn't been anything special this week... maybe it's because of CJ and Danny."
"Maybe. But if that was the case, shouldn't Toby be the one yelling?"
They didn't get the chance to say anything more because Toby walked over to CJ and he didn't look happy. They stood there, face to face, screaming at each other. Josh and Sam couldn't hear about what, though. Everyone else in the bullpen was now gathered with them looking into the Communications Director's office.
* * * * *
"I told you I was sorry about it! Plus, what do you care? It's none of your business!" CJ yelled.
"It's none of my business?" Toby yelled back. "It sure the hell is! I tell you when it's not my business, it's not when I'm no longer your boss, but as long as I am and he's a reporter and you're the White House press secretary it is my damn business, CJ!"
"Then you should have brought it up right after the news appeared in the paper! Plus, you work for the president of the United States and I've already had this conversation with him so I don't need you to lecture me!"
"You can't see him again, CJ," Toby said, now in a calmer voice.
"Toby, I told you last night he meant nothing to me. Why in God's name would I see him again?"
"Because I know you, CJ," he said quietly. "I know what you're like."
CJ eyes went black and she quickly turned around and started walking towards the door. Then she saw everyone through the blinds out in the bullpen, starring at them.
"What the hell..." she said quietly which made Toby look in her direction.
CJ opened the door and quickly walked out of the bullpen. Toby followed her but stayed in the bullpen.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" he yelled at them when they all starred at him.
* * * * *
She heard him snore against her shoulder. She wanted to throw up. Throw up for the disgust she felt over herself, for the disgust she felt over him. She tried to slide out of bed and his arms as quietly as possible. As she put on her clothes she kept hearing Toby's word over and over again; 'I know what you're like.' She opened the door quietly and walked out of the hotel-room. It was safer to check in at a hotel, than her leaving his apartment in the middle of the night. But she hadn't the energy to think of what was safe or what wasn't. After her fight with Toby she had called Danny immediately. He hadn't even bothered to ask if it would affect her job. She knew it would affect his job too, but not in the same terms as it would for her. She would get fired, he would get a promotion for screwing the White House press secretary.
When she stepped out of the cab outside her apartment he was there. He was there waiting for her. He was sitting on the stairs following every move she made towards him. She sat down next to him. She didn't dare to look at him.
"You were right," she said. "You do know what I'm like."
"I wish I was wrong, though," he said.
"Why are you here?"
"I just... I don't know CJ. Lately... I've been thinking a lot lately, about things I haven't allowed myself to think about earlier. But as I said earlier today in your office, it's complicated. So damn complicated."
"I've also been thinking a lot lately. About things I shouldn't be thinking about."
"Yeah, I know."
CJ wasn't even surprised that he knew. After all, he was the person who knew her best.
"Toby, I love you," she whispered still not looking at him.
"I know, CJ. And I love you", he said without looking at her.
He rose and left.
TBC.
Part 3
The party was in full swing. Toby was standing by the bar, having his second scotch. Leo was standing next to him.
"Shouldn't you be mingling?" Toby said sarcastically and took a zip of his drink.
He hated these kinds of events and the thing with CJ didn't make it any better.
"Shouldn't you?" Leo replied.
The President had just complimented Toby for the speech and everyone had been applauding standing when the President was done. Somehow, tonight that didn't make Toby happy. He was just about to order his third scotch, when Leo stopped him.
"What's the matter, Toby?" Leo asked when they were standing out on the balcony.
"Nothing's the matter, Leo." Toby said and smiled slightly.
"Is this about Andie?"
Toby laughed.
"Leo, honestly, this is not going to be a conversation with us talking about our ex-wives."
Leo didn't say anything more. Toby looked up and noticed that CJ was slowly approaching them. She looked more beautiful than ever wearing a white evening gown. Still, it was something wrong. Her eyes weren't as happy and sparkling as they used to be at these kinds of events, Toby noticed. She looked tired and sad.
"Leo, the President wants to talk to you." She avoided looking at Toby.
"Okay, thanks." Leo turned to Toby. "Take it easy with the drinks."
Toby didn't answer, just glared at Leo when he walked away. CJ and Toby looked at each other for a short moment. Then Toby turned around and leaned against the railing. A few seconds later CJ joined him. They stood there, next to each other for several minutes without saying a word.
"What's with the drinks?" CJ asked.
"It's nothing. I guess, Leo's afraid of me becoming an alcoholic."
"Well, are you?"
For the first time Toby turned to face CJ. He smiled slightly and she smiled back.
"I'm sorry," she said and they turned their eyes from each other to look at the view.
"It's okay. I mean, the chief of staff thinks I am so..."
"I didn't mean that, Toby."
Toby didn't say anything, just kept looking up at the dark sky. "I know."
"Toby, can't you look at me?"
Toby slowly turned to her. His heart hurt when he saw that she had tears in her eyes. He gently smiled at her, which made her smile slightly.
"You don't have to be sorry, CJ. There's no reason."
"This thing with me and Danny... It's nothing. I don't care about him."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I..." CJ stammered and looked down. "I don't know."
"Okay," Toby nodded slowly. "We better get back to the party."
"You go. I need some air."
Toby didn't say anything. He turned and walked towards the glass-door. Before opening it, he turned and looked at CJ's back. She was leaning against the railing, looking down. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
She smiled at him for a short moment and then looked down again. He took her hand in his, squeezed it and let it stay there until Josh called at them a few minutes later.
* * * * *
"Do you want to come in for a while?"
"No, no. I don't think that's a good idea."
"Okay."
She stepped out of the cab and walked up the stairs to the door. When she opened it, she heard the cab drive away. When she entered her apartment she realized he was the first man she had ever asked that question.
* * * * *
He walked into her office and closed the door. "I'm sorry about last night."
CJ looked up from her computer with her eyebrows raised.
"You're sorry? Why?"
Toby sat down in the couch and rubbed his temples.
"It's just... it's complicated, CJ."
CJ sat down next to him and looked confused at him.
"Toby, what in God's name are you talking about?"
"You. Me. Us. This. Everything! I can't deal with it. I'm sorry."
He rose and left her office. She looked even more confused than before. It only took a minute before she decided to go and ask him what the hell he was talking about. She slammed his door when she had entered his office.
"Toby! What the hell are you talking about?" she yelled. "You can't just walk into my office and start rambling words!"
* * * * *
"What's going on?" Sam asked.
He was looking out from his office. Josh just entered the bullpen with a file in his hand.
"Hey, Sam. What's up?"
Sam stepped out of his office and met him outside Toby's office.
"Um, I don't know."
Sam and Josh turned their heads to look into Toby's office. They saw him sitting by his desk looking down and CJ walked back and forth in the room throwing up her arms sometimes."
"It seems as if they're fighting," Josh said.
"You think?" Sam said sarcastically. "I just wonder about what. It hasn't been anything special this week... maybe it's because of CJ and Danny."
"Maybe. But if that was the case, shouldn't Toby be the one yelling?"
They didn't get the chance to say anything more because Toby walked over to CJ and he didn't look happy. They stood there, face to face, screaming at each other. Josh and Sam couldn't hear about what, though. Everyone else in the bullpen was now gathered with them looking into the Communications Director's office.
* * * * *
"I told you I was sorry about it! Plus, what do you care? It's none of your business!" CJ yelled.
"It's none of my business?" Toby yelled back. "It sure the hell is! I tell you when it's not my business, it's not when I'm no longer your boss, but as long as I am and he's a reporter and you're the White House press secretary it is my damn business, CJ!"
"Then you should have brought it up right after the news appeared in the paper! Plus, you work for the president of the United States and I've already had this conversation with him so I don't need you to lecture me!"
"You can't see him again, CJ," Toby said, now in a calmer voice.
"Toby, I told you last night he meant nothing to me. Why in God's name would I see him again?"
"Because I know you, CJ," he said quietly. "I know what you're like."
CJ eyes went black and she quickly turned around and started walking towards the door. Then she saw everyone through the blinds out in the bullpen, starring at them.
"What the hell..." she said quietly which made Toby look in her direction.
CJ opened the door and quickly walked out of the bullpen. Toby followed her but stayed in the bullpen.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" he yelled at them when they all starred at him.
* * * * *
She heard him snore against her shoulder. She wanted to throw up. Throw up for the disgust she felt over herself, for the disgust she felt over him. She tried to slide out of bed and his arms as quietly as possible. As she put on her clothes she kept hearing Toby's word over and over again; 'I know what you're like.' She opened the door quietly and walked out of the hotel-room. It was safer to check in at a hotel, than her leaving his apartment in the middle of the night. But she hadn't the energy to think of what was safe or what wasn't. After her fight with Toby she had called Danny immediately. He hadn't even bothered to ask if it would affect her job. She knew it would affect his job too, but not in the same terms as it would for her. She would get fired, he would get a promotion for screwing the White House press secretary.
When she stepped out of the cab outside her apartment he was there. He was there waiting for her. He was sitting on the stairs following every move she made towards him. She sat down next to him. She didn't dare to look at him.
"You were right," she said. "You do know what I'm like."
"I wish I was wrong, though," he said.
"Why are you here?"
"I just... I don't know CJ. Lately... I've been thinking a lot lately, about things I haven't allowed myself to think about earlier. But as I said earlier today in your office, it's complicated. So damn complicated."
"I've also been thinking a lot lately. About things I shouldn't be thinking about."
"Yeah, I know."
CJ wasn't even surprised that he knew. After all, he was the person who knew her best.
"Toby, I love you," she whispered still not looking at him.
"I know, CJ. And I love you", he said without looking at her.
He rose and left.
TBC.