Part 6
CJ looked at the time and decided she couldn't hide in her bedroom any longer. When she entered the dining room it was almost ten. She hadn't expected anyone to still be there but to her surprise she found everyone sitting comfortably around the table, well except for Toby of course. CJ snorted silently before sitting down next to Sam. She hadn't expected him to be here. He always ran after confrontations in his personal life.
"I guess someone overslept," Josh said and smiled.
CJ blushed slightly. "Sorry, guys. I guess the years of getting up at dawn finally paid off."
Abbey put her hand on hers and looked worriedly at her.
"Are you okay? I mean did you really sleep tonight?"
CJ shrugged and turned her attention to her breakfast.
"Yes, of course," she said lightly. "Shouldn't I?"
Abbey didn't say anything more, just glanced at Jed who smiled slightly at her. Suddenly CJ felt someone was starring at her. She looked up and noticed that Leo's eyes were on her. He looked sad and tired which only was reasonable but he also wore an apologetic look, a look CJ didn't understand. When she raised an eyebrow to question his look he looked back at his paper.
"So, what are you going to do today?" Abbey asked.
"I don't know, Ma'am," CJ hurried to say. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Abbey smiled. "CJ, you're here on vacation. I just want you all to rest and take it easy."
Leo looked over his paper. "You're forgetting you're talking to the former staff of the White House."
Abbey laughed a little.
"Well, I was thinking of go horseback-riding after breakfast," Josh said with a huge grin.
Abbey nearly choked on her juice and Jed even put away his paper after he'd heard what Josh said.
"Excuse me?" Abbey finally asked.
Josh shrugged and almost looked a bit embarrassed. "What? I've always liked horses and my two girls probably will as well."
"That's so cute." CJ smiled softly.
Leo grinned and waved with his hand in the air. "Oh, just tell them the truth Josh. You've always been a sucker for girlie things."
Josh snorted and sounded offended when he asked what Leo was talking about.
"You wanted to become a ballerina," Jed said, without looking up from his paper that he'd turned back his attention too.
"Thank you," Josh said sarcastically and then added, "Mr. President."
Jed glanced quickly at him over the paper then shook his head. Josh just grinned.
"Where's Toby?" Leo asked suddenly.
He looked at CJ when he asked but the question was directed to Jed and Abbey. Again, CJ was confused but also thankful for not having to ask.
"He's outside, taking a walk," Abbey said, a frown between her eyebrows. "I think he's been up all night."
"Well, Toby doesn't sleep," Sam said and almost sounded proud he knew that.
"I thought Toby hated the outdoors," Josh said slightly confused.
Abbey smiled and sighed. "He has kids now."
It became quiet around the table. The only sound came from CJ's fingers tapping against the table.
"You know, I always thought he and Andi got re-married after he left," she suddenly blurted out.
Everyone stopped with what they were doing and looked at her. Josh moved uncomfortably in his chair and Jed glanced over at Abbey who put her hand on CJ's arm.
"Honey, what are you talking about?" She asked worriedly. "Why did you think that?"
CJ shrugged and blushed. "I heard rumors and it made sense. He left D.C. and he left me. It just made sense."
"Ceej, you should have asked someone of us, who knew," Sam said softly.
CJ looked away and nervously fiddled with her hands. "I was too scared of getting an answer I wouldn't like."
Jed put away his paper and looked angrily at Leo. He slowly rose and excused himself. After a while Leo followed him and everyone looked confused at Abbey who smiled nervously.
"Listen, why don't you drive down to stable? Paul will help you with everything and we'll meet back here later for lunch around two."
Without waiting for them so say anything she left. Josh scratched his head and looked confused.
"Well, that was weird." Then he grinned. "So, you're coming with me?"
CJ and Sam looked at each other as if they were being punished but then CJ rose. "We might as well go with him otherwise he'll have broken bones when he comes back."
Sam smirked at Josh's protests. Josh protested until he noticed he was sitting alone in the dining-room. He quickly ran out in the hall and yelled for them to wait for him. When he opened the door he heard CJ call for him. He quickly turned around and noticed Sam walking up the stairs.
"Hey, I thought you were going with me!"
CJ smiled and walked over to him. "Well, Sam needed some other clothes than a suit and you might re-think what you're wearing as well."
Josh looked down at his suit and got it. He hurried up the stairs.
"Don't leave without me!"
CJ smiled as she walked over to the chair outside the library. The door to it was closed and she heard no voices from the room. She wondered what was going on between Jed and Leo.
*
Leo calmly sat in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. Abbey was leaning against the closed door glancing nervously at her pacing husband. When she couldn't take it anymore she walked over to him and made him stop.
"Jed," she whispered and nodded towards the chair next to the one Leo was sitting in.
Jed looked at her then closed his eyes and sighed. He slowly sat down in the chair and Abbey sat down on the stool facing them both just at the same time as someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Abbey asked loudly and Angela opened the door.
"I'm sorry, sir but Harry Richmond is on the phone."
Jed sighed. "Angela, tell him I have to call him back."
Angela nodded and left. No one noticed she left the door slightly ajar.
"Jed, is there something you want to say to me?" Leo asked calmly.
Jed looked angrily at him. "As a matter of fact there is!"
Abbey quickly put her hand on his arm to calm him down.
Jed sighed. "You shouldn't have made me do it," Jed said quietly with his most bitter tone.
Leo looked away without saying anything.
"You shouldn't have made me do it," Jed repeated.
Leo quickly turned to him and his arms flew out on his sides. "It wasn't like I had any choice!" He calmed down and drank a sip of his water. "I didn't have a choice, Jed!"
"Yes, you had damn it! What harm would it have caused?"
"What harm it would have caused? I'll tell you that! The people was finally trusting you fully again after the MS-scandal. Sure, we were re-elected but let's not forget with a big question-mark at the end! Toby was CJ's boss. What would I have done? Made her a secretary for someone in the junior staff? Jed, you know just as much as I do that it wouldn't have worked. They would have brought their personal problems to the White House. You self noticed all the tension going on the last couple of months before he left."
Jed looked away and rubbed his temples. When he looked at his friend again his eyes were black.
"Aren't you just a bit a shamed?" He held up his thumb and indexfinger an inch from each other.
"I did what I thought was the best for the White House," Leo said almost inaudible.
Jed snorted. "It's always been about that, Leo. I'm glad a President only can sit for two terms. Otherwise you wouldn't have had Jordan and Mallory now."
Leo looked hurt but didn't say anything.
"You shouldn't have made me ask for his resignation," Jed said before rising.
He quickly walked towards the door and Abbey looked sympathetically at Leo. She rose as well and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll talk to him."
She quickly left the library but stopped out in the hall. Jed was just standing still looking at CJ who looked at him as well. She looked pale, hurt and shocked. It didn't take long for Abbey to realize CJ had heard everything they've just said. She took a small step towards her and put her hand on her lower arm and gently rubbed it.
"CJ, honey."
Josh and Sam loudly came down the stairs. They didn't notice something strange was going on.
"Are you ready to go, Ceej?" Josh asked and smiled with Sam next to him.
CJ slowly nodded and turned to Abbey.
"Honey, don't go. Stay here and we'll talk about this," Abbey begged.
CJ looked towards the door where Josh and Sam were waiting for her.
"Um, I have to go. I'm going horseback-riding with the guys."
She quickly left before Abbey got the chance to say anything else. Sadly, she turned to Jed who looked frustrated.
"Damn it!" He said loudly and hit his hand against the wall.
Tbc.
2003-03-01
CJ looked at the time and decided she couldn't hide in her bedroom any longer. When she entered the dining room it was almost ten. She hadn't expected anyone to still be there but to her surprise she found everyone sitting comfortably around the table, well except for Toby of course. CJ snorted silently before sitting down next to Sam. She hadn't expected him to be here. He always ran after confrontations in his personal life.
"I guess someone overslept," Josh said and smiled.
CJ blushed slightly. "Sorry, guys. I guess the years of getting up at dawn finally paid off."
Abbey put her hand on hers and looked worriedly at her.
"Are you okay? I mean did you really sleep tonight?"
CJ shrugged and turned her attention to her breakfast.
"Yes, of course," she said lightly. "Shouldn't I?"
Abbey didn't say anything more, just glanced at Jed who smiled slightly at her. Suddenly CJ felt someone was starring at her. She looked up and noticed that Leo's eyes were on her. He looked sad and tired which only was reasonable but he also wore an apologetic look, a look CJ didn't understand. When she raised an eyebrow to question his look he looked back at his paper.
"So, what are you going to do today?" Abbey asked.
"I don't know, Ma'am," CJ hurried to say. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Abbey smiled. "CJ, you're here on vacation. I just want you all to rest and take it easy."
Leo looked over his paper. "You're forgetting you're talking to the former staff of the White House."
Abbey laughed a little.
"Well, I was thinking of go horseback-riding after breakfast," Josh said with a huge grin.
Abbey nearly choked on her juice and Jed even put away his paper after he'd heard what Josh said.
"Excuse me?" Abbey finally asked.
Josh shrugged and almost looked a bit embarrassed. "What? I've always liked horses and my two girls probably will as well."
"That's so cute." CJ smiled softly.
Leo grinned and waved with his hand in the air. "Oh, just tell them the truth Josh. You've always been a sucker for girlie things."
Josh snorted and sounded offended when he asked what Leo was talking about.
"You wanted to become a ballerina," Jed said, without looking up from his paper that he'd turned back his attention too.
"Thank you," Josh said sarcastically and then added, "Mr. President."
Jed glanced quickly at him over the paper then shook his head. Josh just grinned.
"Where's Toby?" Leo asked suddenly.
He looked at CJ when he asked but the question was directed to Jed and Abbey. Again, CJ was confused but also thankful for not having to ask.
"He's outside, taking a walk," Abbey said, a frown between her eyebrows. "I think he's been up all night."
"Well, Toby doesn't sleep," Sam said and almost sounded proud he knew that.
"I thought Toby hated the outdoors," Josh said slightly confused.
Abbey smiled and sighed. "He has kids now."
It became quiet around the table. The only sound came from CJ's fingers tapping against the table.
"You know, I always thought he and Andi got re-married after he left," she suddenly blurted out.
Everyone stopped with what they were doing and looked at her. Josh moved uncomfortably in his chair and Jed glanced over at Abbey who put her hand on CJ's arm.
"Honey, what are you talking about?" She asked worriedly. "Why did you think that?"
CJ shrugged and blushed. "I heard rumors and it made sense. He left D.C. and he left me. It just made sense."
"Ceej, you should have asked someone of us, who knew," Sam said softly.
CJ looked away and nervously fiddled with her hands. "I was too scared of getting an answer I wouldn't like."
Jed put away his paper and looked angrily at Leo. He slowly rose and excused himself. After a while Leo followed him and everyone looked confused at Abbey who smiled nervously.
"Listen, why don't you drive down to stable? Paul will help you with everything and we'll meet back here later for lunch around two."
Without waiting for them so say anything she left. Josh scratched his head and looked confused.
"Well, that was weird." Then he grinned. "So, you're coming with me?"
CJ and Sam looked at each other as if they were being punished but then CJ rose. "We might as well go with him otherwise he'll have broken bones when he comes back."
Sam smirked at Josh's protests. Josh protested until he noticed he was sitting alone in the dining-room. He quickly ran out in the hall and yelled for them to wait for him. When he opened the door he heard CJ call for him. He quickly turned around and noticed Sam walking up the stairs.
"Hey, I thought you were going with me!"
CJ smiled and walked over to him. "Well, Sam needed some other clothes than a suit and you might re-think what you're wearing as well."
Josh looked down at his suit and got it. He hurried up the stairs.
"Don't leave without me!"
CJ smiled as she walked over to the chair outside the library. The door to it was closed and she heard no voices from the room. She wondered what was going on between Jed and Leo.
*
Leo calmly sat in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. Abbey was leaning against the closed door glancing nervously at her pacing husband. When she couldn't take it anymore she walked over to him and made him stop.
"Jed," she whispered and nodded towards the chair next to the one Leo was sitting in.
Jed looked at her then closed his eyes and sighed. He slowly sat down in the chair and Abbey sat down on the stool facing them both just at the same time as someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Abbey asked loudly and Angela opened the door.
"I'm sorry, sir but Harry Richmond is on the phone."
Jed sighed. "Angela, tell him I have to call him back."
Angela nodded and left. No one noticed she left the door slightly ajar.
"Jed, is there something you want to say to me?" Leo asked calmly.
Jed looked angrily at him. "As a matter of fact there is!"
Abbey quickly put her hand on his arm to calm him down.
Jed sighed. "You shouldn't have made me do it," Jed said quietly with his most bitter tone.
Leo looked away without saying anything.
"You shouldn't have made me do it," Jed repeated.
Leo quickly turned to him and his arms flew out on his sides. "It wasn't like I had any choice!" He calmed down and drank a sip of his water. "I didn't have a choice, Jed!"
"Yes, you had damn it! What harm would it have caused?"
"What harm it would have caused? I'll tell you that! The people was finally trusting you fully again after the MS-scandal. Sure, we were re-elected but let's not forget with a big question-mark at the end! Toby was CJ's boss. What would I have done? Made her a secretary for someone in the junior staff? Jed, you know just as much as I do that it wouldn't have worked. They would have brought their personal problems to the White House. You self noticed all the tension going on the last couple of months before he left."
Jed looked away and rubbed his temples. When he looked at his friend again his eyes were black.
"Aren't you just a bit a shamed?" He held up his thumb and indexfinger an inch from each other.
"I did what I thought was the best for the White House," Leo said almost inaudible.
Jed snorted. "It's always been about that, Leo. I'm glad a President only can sit for two terms. Otherwise you wouldn't have had Jordan and Mallory now."
Leo looked hurt but didn't say anything.
"You shouldn't have made me ask for his resignation," Jed said before rising.
He quickly walked towards the door and Abbey looked sympathetically at Leo. She rose as well and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll talk to him."
She quickly left the library but stopped out in the hall. Jed was just standing still looking at CJ who looked at him as well. She looked pale, hurt and shocked. It didn't take long for Abbey to realize CJ had heard everything they've just said. She took a small step towards her and put her hand on her lower arm and gently rubbed it.
"CJ, honey."
Josh and Sam loudly came down the stairs. They didn't notice something strange was going on.
"Are you ready to go, Ceej?" Josh asked and smiled with Sam next to him.
CJ slowly nodded and turned to Abbey.
"Honey, don't go. Stay here and we'll talk about this," Abbey begged.
CJ looked towards the door where Josh and Sam were waiting for her.
"Um, I have to go. I'm going horseback-riding with the guys."
She quickly left before Abbey got the chance to say anything else. Sadly, she turned to Jed who looked frustrated.
"Damn it!" He said loudly and hit his hand against the wall.
Tbc.
2003-03-01