TITLE: Exact Change Chapter Four
AUTHOR: The Little Cat
SPOILERS: I will spoil all of it.
DISCLAIMER: I own none of it.
NOTES: Sorry, work ate my brain, and my muse was so busy trying to save it she had no time for writing. I've been doing my research, but I cannot figure out the names of CJ's brothers. I made them up, so if I'm wrong, forgive me.
Leo McGarry picked up the phone in his office. Or rather, in CJ's office. It was comforting to be back, but to also be aware that it would end soon. It helped keep the stress in perspective.
"McGarry."
"Hey, Leo."
"Toby." Leo glanced at the clock. "It's five AM."
"I figured you'd be there already. Old habits die hard."
"Indeed." The two men were silent for less then a beat before Leo spoke again. "How's our girl?"
Toby glanced over at CJ, who was shuffling through her childhood home with grace, avoiding boxes and bags due to be taken to charities, Archimedes the cat on her heels, making tea for herself and Toby. "She's doing as well as she can be. She needs to sleep pretty badly."
"I bet. Tell her it's an order from the office of the temporary Chief of Staff."
"I'll do that……are you sure you are alright Leo? Because if you need me back…."
Toby was not even permitted to finish the thought. "Don't even think of it Ziegler. You take care of her."
He swallowed, not entirely comfortable with Leo accepting so openly the relationship he and CJ had, unspoken as it was. "Thanks Leo. I will."
Leo hung up the phone, grinning. Boy, did Toby have it bad. It was apparent after CJ's rather hasty departure that morning. The President had finally ordered him onto a plane, his exact words being along the lines of: "And I don't care if you say all the flights are booked, I happen to have access to more than one mode of air transport, I'm sure one of them is also more than capable of getting your stubborn ass to Ohio." Toby had admitted defeat rather quickly, allowing Leo and Charlie to deal with the AMA and lobbyists sending Foosball tables.
After hanging up with Leo, he wandered into the kitchen, where CJ was filling up mugs of tea. Her hands were shaking slightly, though Toby suspected it was from exhaustion more than nerves. Still, he had to ask.
"CJ. Are you…uncomfortable with me here?"
She turned to him, handed him a mug. Looked at him levelly. "Your Honour, I motion that the last question be stricken from the record on account of its absolute silliness." She smiled, tight-lipped and tired.
"Consider it done." He sipped from the warm mug. Earl Grey. "CJ, you have got to sleep."
"I know." She placed her mug in the sink. "While you were on the phone with Leo, I moved your bag into the guest room. Upstairs, third door on the right. There are towels on the bed."
"Thank you."
"I'm going to try and sleep, I guess." She sighed heavily, leaning against the counter. "Toby….."
"Yes."
She shook her head, not looking at him. "Nevermind. I'll see you in the morning."
He watched her go upstairs, then put his mug in the sink and followed. He found the guest room, changed out of his suit into sweatpants and a t-shirt, and was about to turn out the light when he heard it.
He could hear her sobbing through the wall.
He crept quietly from the room, down the hall to the next room, and listened at the door. It was definitely her. It was muffled, into a pillow perhaps, but tore at his chest nonetheless. After a gentle tap at the door, he swung it open and observed the scene.
CJ. All six feet of her beautiful frame curled up as tight as she could go, her face streaked with tears. She looked up at him. Silent.
He walked over to her bed and lowered himself behind her. His arms went around her, grasping her hands. He kissed her cheek, murmured into her ear as she cried. She slowly began to breathe deeper, regular. He stayed behind her, not moving. His breath moving strands of her hair, tickling his cheek. When he was sure she was asleep, he gingerly began to loosen his arms, intending to make his way back to the guest room. He stopped, surprised when her grip on his arms tightened.
"No. Stay. Please." She tilted her head. Eyes shining in the dark.
"Alright." He settled back around her, listening to her breathe. This is how he fell asleep.
When CJ awoke the next morning, she was not surprised to find herself alone. She glanced at the clock, it's numbers reading eight AM. Four hours of sleep. Not too shabby. She had not expected Toby to last the night in her bed.
She thought of how funny it was, the fact that as many times that they had slept together, they had never actually slept together. It was the classic "friends-with-benefits" situation. Their sex was always intoxicated, quick, and usually something that would make a porn star blush. It was purely an exercise in stress relief, a way to forget a particularly crappy day. It was always fucking. It was never making love. It was something that CJ depended on. If it became more than that, she would be lost.
Who am I kidding? she thought to herself. I am lost. I'll just never let it show. He's my best friend. Clamping down quick on that train of thought. It was too early in the morning, on what was sure to be an exhausting day, to wax poetic about the best-friend-come-booty-call that she had unfortunately fallen in love with. She ran her fingers through her tousled hair, threw a sweatshirt on over her tank top, and wandered downstairs to the kitchen.
She entered the kitchen to find Molly and Toby sitting at the kitchen table. They were chatting quietly, looking up upon her entrance. CJ cringed, realizing that Molly had awoken to find a strange man in the house.
"Molly, I'm so sorry. This is Toby, he flew out here to see me…."
Toby looked at CJ, a grin touching his face. "We established that about fifteen minutes ago, when she walked in here and found me rifling through the cupboards for coffee filters."
Molly piped up. "I was gonna take him out with an umbrella from the hallway, but then he turned around. I recognized him from the press briefings."
"A fact for which I am eternally grateful." Toby finished up.
CJ snorted with laughter, despite the pounding from behind her eyes. All of the crying she had done in the last twenty-four hours was catching up with her. She poured herself a cup of coffee, making her way to the table to join Molly and Toby. She sat and reached for her purse, lighting a cigarette. Toby frowned.
"Do not lecture me, professor Ziegler."
"I just don't want to be the one to help you quit again."
"I'm not off the wagon, I'm just taking a trip from it for a few days. It's not like when I get back to the White House I'll have time to fit smoke breaks into my day."
Molly swallowed the last of her coffee and stood. "CJ, I spoke to the lawyer. He expects us there for one PM."
"Paul and Bill will meet us there. I know they got a hotel nearby. I told them that they could stay here, but they thought it would be a bit much." CJ flicked her cigarette into an empty soda can. "I need to clean up before anyone sets foot in here. What time are the movers coming, Molly?"
"I arranged for them to pick everything up at eleven." The movers would pick up all of Tal's belongings and take them to a nearby shelter. A few things CJ kept, including his watch, but she had no need or use for his clothes, books and other personal items.
Toby looked between the two women. "May I offer a suggestion? You two get ready for the lawyers. I'll clean up here, make sure everything is in order for when you get back."
"You aren't coming with us?" CJ asked.
Toby shifted uncomfortably. "If you want me to, I will, but it seems to me that this is a time for family."
CJ considered this, and realized Toby was right. She may want to be near him, but he had done enough for her already and would undoubtedly do much more over the next couple of days. She smiled. "Alright. Thanks."
Toby nodded, smiling back.
