Part 3

"Hey." Josh casually walked into Toby's office and sat down on the couch. "Why are your blinds down?"

"Keeps people from looking in." Toby mumbled as he typed on his laptop.

"My guy doesn't like you right now." Josh mentioned while looking around Toby's office. "It's too dark in here."

"I don't care."

"About my guy not liking you, or the fact that your office is too dark?" Josh finally looked at him.

"Take your pick." Toby looked up and glared. "Why and how are you in this building?"

"Why? Well, it seems you had an affair with the wife of my guy. And how? Well, Margaret still likes me." Josh smiled. "You know, I've been watching the news and it's quite possible you've slept with more women than I have."

"First of all, we did not have an affair. It happened a long time ago. Why is this such a huge story?" Toby asked exasperated.

"Matt Santos just won the nomination. The Republicans are going to pick up any information they can on him. Sadly, that includes his family. The fact that his wife was in love with President Bartlet's Communications Director back in the day makes people pay attention."

"Why?" Toby asked, honestly looking for an answer that would make sense.

"I heard she was here today." Josh changed the subject. "Annabeth can't get a silly ass grin off her face. Donna seems like she's in shock about something. And CJ...Well, she looks pissed off at everyone, and I'm too scared to go ask why."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Toby shook his head.

"They were watching through the window," Josh pointed out. "It wasn't an orgy."

"Shit!" Toby slammed his fist against his desk and ran out.

Washington DC. 2000

Toby paced nervously in front of the restaurant. He didn't quite understand why he was there. He told himself to cancel this thing for the past few weeks. But with the aftermath of the shooting, he didn't find the time to do anything.

She called him the night of the shooting to make sure he was alright. They talked for hours about everything, and nothing. She was trying to take his mind off of what had happened that night. He knew this, but didn't call her on it.

"Well, if it isn't Toby Ziegler." The familiar voice called out from behind him. He stopped pacing, and found himself smiling. He turned around and faced her for the first time in almost 15 years. "And he still looks the same. Well, you weren't bald last time we saw each other."

"We were also naked, I think." He said quietly.

"Oh, this lunch is going to be fun." She laughed as she took his hand and led them into the restaurant.

During their lunch, they caught up with each other. She showed him pictures of her children, while he commented about the new seat covers he got for his Dodge Dart.

"It's nice to see you finally won something." She joked as she began on her meal.

"Yeah. I can't seem to get people elected to the Senate or Congress, yet I can get a man elected President." Toby smiled. "That's what I get for working small time."

"Well, you found a good man." Helen smiled.

"So have you, it seems." He motioned toward the photos again. "Matthew Santos."

"He's a good guy, Toby. And I love him very much." She said quietly.

"That's good." He smiled reassuringly.

"I heard about you and Andrea...I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well...You win some, you lose some." He took a drink of his scotch. "It was for the best. We were not very civil with each other near the end."

"And now?"

"Well, she did bring me pie a few weeks ago." He smiled.

"You're still obsessed with pie, aren't you?" She laughed. "Apple and..."

"Cherry." He finished. "I am a fan of blueberry now too. I blame CJ for that."

"CJ?" Helen thought about the name for a moment. "The Press Secretary?"

"Yeah. Her mom made the best blueberry pie." Toby smiled at the memory.

"Her mom?" Helen smiled. "So, are you and her..."

"No." Toby said quickly. "We've known each other for a long time. I met her soon after you and I..."

"Rebound?" She blurted out.

"No. It wasn't like that." He explained. "Besides, we were always fighting about something. Even if I wanted more, we would have probably killed each other."

"Would have?" She questioned his phrasing.

"It's not like that." He repeated. By this time, he was playing with his tie and refusing to look Helen in the eye.

"Toby?" She leaned closer and spoke quietly. "Are you in love with CJ?"

End Flashback

CJ paced around her office, furious. All she could think about was Toby and Helen kissing in his office. Toby had promised her that he would fix this. That it was all in the past. And why in the hell did she call him her Toby! She cursed herself.

"CJ," Margaret walked in. "Toby is here to see you."

"Yeah." CJ waved her hands in the air and sat down on her couch. She watched him walk in, noticing an extra jump in his step. She glared.

Toby noticed the evil glare he was receiving and shut the door.

"I, uh, just came to say I'm leaving for the day." Toby said, bouncing on his heels. He refused to meet her stare. "Annabeth called a full lid and I broke Cliff's thumb."

CJ refused to smile at his joke. She wanted to strangle him. She wanted to smack him. She wanted to kiss him...What he hell?

"Fine." She nodded. What the hell was the matter with her? She asked herself silently. Maybe it was all the Toby sex stories that were plastered all over the news that day. Maybe it was the fact that Annabeth was now mooning over him. Maybe it was because he looked too damn adorable right now with his hands in his pockets and his feet kicking the air.

"Earth to CJ." Toby waved his hands around. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"You said you were leaving. And you broke Cliff's thumb."

"I meant after that." Toby questioned. "I asked if you wanted to grab a late dinner. But if you're still pissed at me..."

"I'm not pissed at you. I just thought...I didn't think there was anything I didn't know about you." She shrugged.

"Well, the same went for me until I found out about Ben." Toby replied.

"Ben was a mistake. Helen wasn't." She looked at him for clarity.

"No, she wasn't." He nodded his agreement. "I don't regret what we had. We loved each other. Now, we love others...I mean, she loves someone else." He corrected.

"So she's going back with Matt?" CJ asked, almost surprised.

"She was never going to leave Matt." He looked at her confusingly. "What made you think that?"

"Nothing." She said, a little too quickly.

"You were watching us from Annabeth's office." Toby remembered and leaned against her desk, covering his face with his hands.

"I wasn't..." She defended. "Annabeth was the one looking. I was listening through a glass." She mumbled.

"What is this, high school? A glass?" He looked at her astonished. "And Donna came in where?"

"Donna came in near the end." CJ shrugged in embarrassment. "It was stupid. I was just curious. Then you kissed her..."

"We were saying goodbye." Toby defended.

"That sure as hell wasn't a goodbye kiss, Toby. You and I went our separate ways more than once, and we never kissed like that."

"We never kissed at all. We were never together." Toby mentioned. "I have to admit CJ, I'm really confused here."

"Look..." CJ stood. She started walking toward him when the door adjacent from her office to the Oval Office burst open and the President and the First Lady fell in. Both holding a glass against their ears. "Mr. President? Mrs. Bartlet? CJ looked over astonished.

Abbey and Jed both hurried to their feet. Toby shook his head in amazement, while CJ stood glaring at the first couple.

"Good evening CJ. Toby," Abbey smiled. She raised her glass toward them. "It seems we're out of water in the Oval office and we thought you might have some."

"Oh honey, that was weak." Jed shook his head and went back into his office.

"Shut up, Jethro." Abbey mumbled. "So, how's it going in here?" She eyed both CJ and Toby.

"We were having a discussion, actually." Toby mentioned.

"And we were done." CJ nodded and grabbed her coat. "Good evening Mrs. Bartlet." CJ nodded at her and walked out.

Abbey and Toby watched her leave, and turned to each other. Toby smiled shyly.

"Six times?" Abbey smirked. "What's your secret?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" Toby moaned and started walking out. "I'm not having a sex talk with you."

"Fine, ruin it for me." She joked while he walked away.

OUTSIDE

CJ got into her car and sat back. What the hell was the matter with her? All day, all she could think about was Toby. Even when she was being briefed in the situation room. Why did she care what he did in his past? She didn't even know him then.

"CJ." Toby banged on the passenger side door window. CJ screamed and put her hand against her chest. "Sorry." Toby mumbled while she started her car, and pushed the button to lower the window.

"Are you trying to kill me?" CJ snapped, trying to regain her normal breathing. "Don't scare me like that."

"I thought you saw me coming." Toby shrugged.

"Well, I didn't."

"I guess not." Toby looked around. "Can I come in there, please?"

"No." CJ glared at him. "I'm going home."

"Can I come with you?" Toby blurted out. "I mean, can I come over so we can talk. You're pissed at me about this, which I understand. But we need to talk about it."

"You kissed her. You kissed a married woman." CJ said, wide-eyed. "The woman married to the Democratic nominee for President. Are you stupid?"

"It was a mistake."

"Yes. It was." CJ said quietly. "I need tonight to cool off."

And with that, she drove away.

TBC