Hi, so here is my first big story for this fandom and it's part one of a two part series! I hope that you enjoy this chapter and this story.
Now I love Danny/CJ. I love the character of Danny, I love how CJ and him got their happy ending at the end but there was always just something about Toby/CJ. The two of them just had such a connection and so this little monster of a plot was born.
This will cover Seasons 1-4 and will not be episode specific, certain episodes will be skipped. Dialogue will not be the same. If that's something you look for in a story then please don't start because you won't get it here.
Also in my West Wing Universe Sam doesn't leave and Ainsley joins full time.
Pairings are CJ/Toby (eventually) Josh/Donna, Sam/Ainsley, Jed/Abby.
Disclaimer-Nothing but Jacob is mine.
And on a side note, I like so many other Fanfiction Authors no longer receive notifications via email about reviews/PMs etc. So if you do send any it might be a while, if ever before I get back to you. Please keep that in mind for it is not intentional-If anyone has a fix please let me know.
There will be a second part that follows this...eventually. Each series should cover about seven chapters some chapters several episodes. Flashbacks included when needed.
Also I do not do Private Messaging anymore, any questions stick them in a review and I will get back to you next chapter note.
Also please be aware of a bit of a time jump between these chapters.
Also after much thought and consideration I have decided not to include Mandy in this story. She's there for like one Season and misses half of the episode and while she was an okay character played by a very good actress her disappearance and everything that follows is just too hard to write. So no Mandy. Ever.
This does contain a discussion about abortion, I am a pro-choice woman and I think we all know that CJ is the same from episodes where abortion is mentioned etc, or certainly that is what I think. If you don't like you don't have to read.
Some triggers for this chapter because of the Lowell Lydell part. Also for the very first Christmas episode which was just outstanding in so many ways.
Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.
Perhaps Love
Chapter 3-Forest For The Trees
It's Christmas, the West Wing want to put a guy on the bench, a Congressman says the staff are all on drugs, Toby's coat gives a Marine the send off he deserves and CJ battles for a hate crimes legislation when the victim reminds her too much of her own son. Time jump and multiple episodes for this one.
Stepping into the White House for Christmas was a thing that Jake didn't think he would ever get used to and he only partially celebrated it. His parents tended to celebrate Christmas at his Mom's with something that usually started out as a homecooked meal and ended up as take out with red wine and beer and then he spent Hanukkah at his Dad's. The last time they had been on the campaign and Josh had come as well and the three of them had listened to the prayers before Josh had made a hasty retreat.
But walking into the White House to see the giant tree and the lights and the music and the singing and everything else was still something that Jake didn't think he would get used to.
He saw his Mom speaking to a teacher who had about a hundred and ten school children crowded around her who were all chattering and laughing and he winced. Eventually his Mom got them under control (if she could handle a load of reporters straight after election night then she could handle this with her eyes closed Jake knew) and he managed to cross the room to see her.
When she saw him though she wrapped him in a long hug.
"Mom?"
"Just let me hug you Jake. Please just…just let me hug you for a second and then I want you to tell me that you know that no matter what your sexuality is you know I will burn the world down for you"
Aha.
Yeah Jake had no idea what to make of this.
"Mom?"
"Just…just give me a moment" she said carefully. "Please just…just let me hug you Jake"
"Okay Mom" he said wrapping both of his arms around her. It was the day after school had finished and he didn't have a bag with him only an half empty coffee cup that he had thrown in the trash because security were not massive on him bringing in strange things (or they pulled faces which was security talk for not massive on him bringing in strange things) so it was easy to wrap his arms around his mother and try and tell her how much he loved her. And he did. Whatever had spooked her didn't change the fact that he loved her.
"I know you love me no matter what Mom" he said into her shoulder. "And by the way, I'm pretty sure I'm straight"
That was true but over the last year and a half he had no chance to date. Besides…Jake despised labels.
"Yeah" she said finally into his hair. "But you know that It doesn't matter to me or your father right?"
"Very aware Mom"
"Good" she said pulling back and wrapping both her hands around his face. "Good"
"What happened?" he asked as they began to walk back to her office.
"Lowell Lydell died"
"Did I know him?"
"No honey you didn't, he was a seventeen year old kid who was stoned to death by thirteen year olds who tied him to a tree and threw rocks at him while reciting bible verses"
Jake stopped dead.
"Jesus Christ" he said in disgust. "Please tell me those freaks are gonna rot until they hit forty?"
"Oh believe me, the President has made it very clear he expects them to be tried as adults and we are taking a long hard look at their parents as well but…but I…I don't know I just…I thought of you when I saw that he had been killed and I didn't…I didn't…I don't know what's going to happen next"
"Hate crimes?"
"Leo doesn't think—you know what I am not going to speak to you about policy"
"Good, especially cause I might have to drug test you"
"Have you been listening to your father?" she asked as he entered her office and she shut the door.
"Only the last two months since the thing got announced, that and the never ending pressure to put Mendoza on the bench. Seriously Ma when all of this is over I think he needs to go snorkelling or something"
"Hon you get a picture of your Dad in a snorkel and I swear you will make enough to go to whatever college you want"
Jake laughed and he leaned back watching her and he noted the bags under her eyes.
"Are you okay Mom?"
"I'm fine Jake I just…I'm just looking forwards to the holidays. I feel like we all need a break. Did you pick a take out place this year?"
"I thought you were cooking?"
"Well if your interested the President—"
"Oh no. Ma the last time we went for dinner there we got a history of the Holy Lands and then a rendition of it again in Latin"
"Yes but you passed your history paper"
"Please! I make one comment that I am thinking about making my history paper about the Crusades and he practically frogmarches me to his library"
"Yes you did give him a fun Christmas. I think even Mrs Bartlett hasn't seen him that happy in a while"
"Not really encouraging for the leader of the free world" Jake said as his Mom shifted through some files.
"So takeout"
"Glad to see we've given up the pretence of you cooking this year—"
"Cheeky"
"What about Sushi?"
His Mom didn't even look up from her file.
"Is your intention for your father to spend Christmas hunched over my toilet?"
Jake rolled his eyes but happily conceded the point. She was right after all.
"How about Thai?"
"Thai? Oh that sounds nice, well done Jake"
His parents, Thai food, wine, beer and pyjama's all while watching crappy re-runs of whatever black and white Christmas movies before they got to the good stuff (Star Wars). Yeah…that was Jake's Christmas.
And it was good that the West Wing didn't derail that.
In truth not even the campaign had derailed that. The second that he had popped on the first Star Wars the small hotel room he'd been staying in had been filled with the senior staff and their assistants including Leo who had told a disgruntled soon to be Mr President that they just don't make classics like this anymore Governor and Ginger, who had gained employment simply because she'd had the foresight to order Chinese for everyone.
"Where is Dad?"
"Oh he got a call from the DC police. Something about his coat and a homeless person he's been out the office all day"
Jake nodded and went to grab himself another coffee. Margaret at Christmas tended to bring in gingerbread and he reckoned if he put on the starving orphan routine he'd get at least a piece if not a warm one.
"You want to talk about what is bothering you?" Toby asked her that Christmas as Jake in flannel bottoms and a Yale jumper that he had picked up during the campaign started loading the DVD player for the first Star Wars.
"No" she said clearing away the take out boxes. "You?"
"No" he said quietly.
She paused and then she turned. This was Toby, this was Toby, the father of her child. If she was going to have this conversation with anyone then it was going to be with him. It had to be with him. He was the only one who understood it.
"I keep thinking of Lowell Lydell. I think of him and I look at Jake and I see—"
"You see Jake?"
"You don't? Whenever something like this happens you don't—"
"Course I do" he said softly pouring her another glass of wine. "CJ you think the second I didn't get that news that the kid had been tied to a tree and beaten with rocks that I didn't immediately want to pull Jake out of wherever he was and tell him that I loved him no matter what?"
"I did one better" she said taking the glass. "I asked him if he was gay"
"Seriously?"
"Well not in so many words but I may have used the words, burn down the world"
Toby snorted into his glass of wine in surprise and potentially shock to boot and then he looked up at her and then he looked around at Jake who was skipping through the trailers to get to the menu with a determined look on his face that told CJ they were going to have to sit and watch all three of the films even though history showed that she would lose interest after one and Toby would fall asleep after the second one.
"What did he say?"
"He said no" Jake said coming up behind them.
"Seriously!" Toby said at the exact moment CJ clutched her heart. Jake rolled his eyes at his parents reaction.
"Kid never do that in front of the secret service they will shoot first and ask questions later" she said taking a sip of her wine in order to get herself under control.
Jake rolled his eyes again.
"I don't know what's gotten into you this Christmas but I am as straight as the day is long, I just…I just hate labelling people. Everyone should be who they are and be able to do whatever they want and government should help them do it, hell government should encourage them to do it!"
He waves his arm in the air and CJ looked at Toby and thought never before had she seen a stronger resemblance to father and to son than in this moment.
"You know you have a point Jacob"
"Course I do Dad" Jake said going back to the couch. "Films about to start you too"
"Let's take Hate Crimes to him after the break" CJ whispered. Toby turned to look at her and he sighed. She could see what was warring in his eyes and she knew that the politics of the situation were getting in the way of his heart.
"I'll take it to Sam and Josh and then we can go to Leo" he said finally.
"Good"
"So you never said what the police wanted you for Dad" Jake said as they came back. He took the ice cream bowl from CJ and she too turned to look at Toby whose smile had suddenly become very strained.
"A Marine died wearing a coat that I gave to the Good Will, a Vietnam vet and he died homeless having won medals and…everything…so I used my name and arranged a military funeral for him"
There was a pause as Jake turned to look at his father and CJ turned to look at the man that she had chosen to have this child with. This wonderful, beautiful, larger than life man who had done the impossible and all because he couldn't leave behind the forgotten.
"Wow Dad" Jake said softly. "That's incredible"
"What did the President say?"
"Asked me what would happen if after this all the homeless vets came out the woodwork"
"What did you say?"
"I said one can only hope"
Oh Damn Him.
CJ thought stupidly like some lovesick teenager just discovering her first crush that she had never loved him more. She didn't know what was shown on her face but she thought she saw him blush at the look she was giving him. Already she suspected that if he opened another bottle of wine he was not going to be going home tonight.
"That's incredible Dad" Jake said softly and then despite the wine and the ice cream and CJ's couch that she really could not afford to get cleaned the two of them managed a pretty decent hug. CJ reached behind him and took his hand and Toby looked at the two of them and smiled that soft, lovely smile that she knew was reserved for the two of them and for moments like these where the door shut behind them and they were a family, CJ, Toby and Jake and not the White House Press Secretary and the White House Chief of Communications and they could leave politics and party lines and the press corps and Danny at the door and they could just be a family even if they were not together.
"Alright" Toby said thickly and she knew, she just knew just by looking at him that the President was going to get a memo on the Hate Crimes law when he came back (in fact knowing Toby he was going to get the memo first thing before he'd even had chance to have his first cup of coffee).
"Alright Jakey get the film on before you Mom falls asleep"
"Still can't believe you fall asleep just as they destroy the Death Star—everytime Mom!"
"I still can't believe that you told Sam and Josh that, you know I had to fight down Death Star jokes all week. It was a minor miracle that nothing leaked to the press"
She grinned at him and felt her heart heave with love for him and she knew that Toby felt the same.
"Put the film on Jake so we can enjoy this purgatory bit of Christmas"
Jake ignored them and pressed play with a manic expression taking his bowl of ice cream and sticking his spoon in her mouth.
CJ took her wine and took another sip and she saw Toby do the same. Outside the snow was falling and they were still holding hands.
And that night…Toby didn't go home.
If Jake saw his father throw some blankets and some pillows on the couch to make it look like he had slept there when he most certainly did not comment on it.
But that didn't mean, that it didn't happen.
It was Christmas, after all.
And there you are, I hope you enjoy and I will do my best to bring you the next one sooner rather than later.
Next Chapter-Jake is caught in the middle of his parents fighting as the US is caught in the middle of Pakistan and India. Lord John comes to town and the President collapses.