The West Wing - "The Jackal" - Chapter 7
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Summary: The weekend is planned, and CJ gets her mouth swabbed.
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Thursday, November 3rd
8:05am
“Is that all?” Jed asked. He was becoming bored as the conversation turned to what everyone would be wearing at, or who they were taking to, the upcoming fundraiser.
“Yes Sir.” Came the reply from everyone, but as they got up to leave he stopped them.
“That’s all for the work side of things.” He walked over to his desk, while his staff desperately prayed that they weren’t going to hear about the great National Parks of the world again. “Mrs Landingham, send them in please.”
“Yes, Mr President.” She replied through the intercom. Josh frowned and looked at Sam, who simply shrugged. Catching CJ’s eye, he raised an eyebrow. CJ looked at her feet for a moment, readjusted the folder in her arms and glanced at Toby. Of course, Toby, being the man he was made no eye contact with anyone else in the room and just rocked back and forth on his feet with a very bored expression gracing his face. They all turned as the door opened, and Alex walked in followed by Abbey.
“This early in the morning and you’re already turning heads.” Abbey quipped, hugging Alex around the shoulders lightly. It was obvious to CJ that Alex wanted nothing better then to just go back to bed. Her cheerful disposition was purely show in order to be polite, and respectful towards the people in her company. She knew because she’d done it so many times when she was a child. “Alex needs a place to stay over the weekend, from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. So I thought this would be a brilliant opportunity for everyone to get to know her a bit more.”
“The plan is that I spend a few hours with each of you.” Alex summed up. “The rest of the First Family is going to be deciding on whether they like the idea of having me around or not.”
“That’s not true and you know it.” Abbey frowned, moving to sit on the edge of Jed’s desk. “Does anyone have a problem with this arrangement?”
“I have a… uh… dinner thing on Saturday.” Sam stuttered and everyone looked at him. “It’s a pretty special thing… so… uh… yes. I’m not good for Saturday night.”
“You and Ainsley will have great kids.” CJ laughed. “With your stuttering and her weird speech pattern, they’d be so hard to understand.”
“I didn’t say it was with Ainsley, isn’t it possible that I…”
“No!” Everyone replied.
“Saturday morning, I can’t do.” Toby spoke up, still not making eye contact with anyone.
“Toby, I’d like to go to Temple with you.” Alex spoke up, but still very quiet. “If you don’t mind, I’m very interested in learning about different cultures.”
“How did you know I go to Temple?” Toby asked suspiciously.
“Abbey told me, when we were discussing this whole arrangement.” Alex shrugged, glancing at Abbey. “Please Toby, I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”
“I’ve got Saturday morning.” Toby sighed, finally bothering to sit down. Knowing what was coming he looked up at CJ. “What about you?”
“What about me?” She asked defensively.
“When are you free to hang out with Alex, Claudia Jean?” He asked her in a rather teasing manner, although feeling like they were in a custody battle. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“I promised my brother I would visit him this weekend.” CJ informed him. “I’m leaving after my last briefing on Friday and returning Saturday night. Alex can stay at my place then if she wants.” She looked over at Alex who just shrugged and nodded. CJ turned her attention to Abbey who frowned slightly before continuing with the plans. After half an hour the weekend for Alex had been completely laid out and everyone was free to go about their day. As CJ left the Oval Office she felt as though the air around her was the same fresh air in her hometown. It was suddenly so much easier to breathe, and she resisted the urge to run and hide in her office. It was all going to take time.
~
“CJ.” Abbey called out as she hurried after her. “I need to get a swab of saliva from you.”
“Ew.” CJ replied as she walked past Carol and handed her notes over.
“I’ve already got one from Alex. I marked it ‘AJ’, and I’m going to mark yours ‘Jean’.”
“A lot of thought went into that.” CJ muttered as Abbey closed the door to the office.
“Actually it did.” Abbey replied, deciding to ignore the bitterness in her friend’s voice. “Jed and I couldn’t decide whether we’d just put ‘Jean’ or go completely out of the way and use ‘Gail’. But we ran the risk of Danny catching on to that, right?” She raised an eyebrow with a sly smile.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
“Open wide.” Abbey said, as though she was a dentist talking to a small child. She pulled a swab out of her pocket and pushed it up through the lid. Reluctantly CJ opened her mouth and Abbey rubbed the swab against the inside of her mouth a few times. “Not painful at all. You can have a lollipop.” Abbey smiled as she tucked the swab safely inside its tube and tapped the lid shut. Out of her other pocket she pulled a bright red lollipop.
“I’m not a child Abbey.” CJ groaned, moving to sit down at her desk.
“Are you kidding me?” Abbey placed the lollipop on CJ’s desk. “Anytime Jed gets me to look at any of the Senior Staff, you always get lollipops. You’ve even argued with Toby and Josh when they both got red lollipops and you got a green one.”
“It was just a game.” CJ shrugged.
“You threatened Josh with the removal of certain body parts if he didn’t hand it over.” Abbey replied. She watched CJ shuffling papers around on her desk. “You even had one when I gave you a sedative to ease the pain when you got root canal done.”
“Please don’t go there.” CJ sat down and rested her head in her hands. “Saturday night is going to be so much fun.” Her sarcastic tone was not missed by the First Lady. Not missing a beat, Abbey used the baby routine again.
“Mrs Landingham might give you a cookie, if you ask nicely.” To her relief CJ looked up and grinned.
Summary: The weekend is planned, and CJ gets her mouth swabbed.
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Thursday, November 3rd
8:05am
“Is that all?” Jed asked. He was becoming bored as the conversation turned to what everyone would be wearing at, or who they were taking to, the upcoming fundraiser.
“Yes Sir.” Came the reply from everyone, but as they got up to leave he stopped them.
“That’s all for the work side of things.” He walked over to his desk, while his staff desperately prayed that they weren’t going to hear about the great National Parks of the world again. “Mrs Landingham, send them in please.”
“Yes, Mr President.” She replied through the intercom. Josh frowned and looked at Sam, who simply shrugged. Catching CJ’s eye, he raised an eyebrow. CJ looked at her feet for a moment, readjusted the folder in her arms and glanced at Toby. Of course, Toby, being the man he was made no eye contact with anyone else in the room and just rocked back and forth on his feet with a very bored expression gracing his face. They all turned as the door opened, and Alex walked in followed by Abbey.
“This early in the morning and you’re already turning heads.” Abbey quipped, hugging Alex around the shoulders lightly. It was obvious to CJ that Alex wanted nothing better then to just go back to bed. Her cheerful disposition was purely show in order to be polite, and respectful towards the people in her company. She knew because she’d done it so many times when she was a child. “Alex needs a place to stay over the weekend, from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. So I thought this would be a brilliant opportunity for everyone to get to know her a bit more.”
“The plan is that I spend a few hours with each of you.” Alex summed up. “The rest of the First Family is going to be deciding on whether they like the idea of having me around or not.”
“That’s not true and you know it.” Abbey frowned, moving to sit on the edge of Jed’s desk. “Does anyone have a problem with this arrangement?”
“I have a… uh… dinner thing on Saturday.” Sam stuttered and everyone looked at him. “It’s a pretty special thing… so… uh… yes. I’m not good for Saturday night.”
“You and Ainsley will have great kids.” CJ laughed. “With your stuttering and her weird speech pattern, they’d be so hard to understand.”
“I didn’t say it was with Ainsley, isn’t it possible that I…”
“No!” Everyone replied.
“Saturday morning, I can’t do.” Toby spoke up, still not making eye contact with anyone.
“Toby, I’d like to go to Temple with you.” Alex spoke up, but still very quiet. “If you don’t mind, I’m very interested in learning about different cultures.”
“How did you know I go to Temple?” Toby asked suspiciously.
“Abbey told me, when we were discussing this whole arrangement.” Alex shrugged, glancing at Abbey. “Please Toby, I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”
“I’ve got Saturday morning.” Toby sighed, finally bothering to sit down. Knowing what was coming he looked up at CJ. “What about you?”
“What about me?” She asked defensively.
“When are you free to hang out with Alex, Claudia Jean?” He asked her in a rather teasing manner, although feeling like they were in a custody battle. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“I promised my brother I would visit him this weekend.” CJ informed him. “I’m leaving after my last briefing on Friday and returning Saturday night. Alex can stay at my place then if she wants.” She looked over at Alex who just shrugged and nodded. CJ turned her attention to Abbey who frowned slightly before continuing with the plans. After half an hour the weekend for Alex had been completely laid out and everyone was free to go about their day. As CJ left the Oval Office she felt as though the air around her was the same fresh air in her hometown. It was suddenly so much easier to breathe, and she resisted the urge to run and hide in her office. It was all going to take time.
~
“CJ.” Abbey called out as she hurried after her. “I need to get a swab of saliva from you.”
“Ew.” CJ replied as she walked past Carol and handed her notes over.
“I’ve already got one from Alex. I marked it ‘AJ’, and I’m going to mark yours ‘Jean’.”
“A lot of thought went into that.” CJ muttered as Abbey closed the door to the office.
“Actually it did.” Abbey replied, deciding to ignore the bitterness in her friend’s voice. “Jed and I couldn’t decide whether we’d just put ‘Jean’ or go completely out of the way and use ‘Gail’. But we ran the risk of Danny catching on to that, right?” She raised an eyebrow with a sly smile.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
“Open wide.” Abbey said, as though she was a dentist talking to a small child. She pulled a swab out of her pocket and pushed it up through the lid. Reluctantly CJ opened her mouth and Abbey rubbed the swab against the inside of her mouth a few times. “Not painful at all. You can have a lollipop.” Abbey smiled as she tucked the swab safely inside its tube and tapped the lid shut. Out of her other pocket she pulled a bright red lollipop.
“I’m not a child Abbey.” CJ groaned, moving to sit down at her desk.
“Are you kidding me?” Abbey placed the lollipop on CJ’s desk. “Anytime Jed gets me to look at any of the Senior Staff, you always get lollipops. You’ve even argued with Toby and Josh when they both got red lollipops and you got a green one.”
“It was just a game.” CJ shrugged.
“You threatened Josh with the removal of certain body parts if he didn’t hand it over.” Abbey replied. She watched CJ shuffling papers around on her desk. “You even had one when I gave you a sedative to ease the pain when you got root canal done.”
“Please don’t go there.” CJ sat down and rested her head in her hands. “Saturday night is going to be so much fun.” Her sarcastic tone was not missed by the First Lady. Not missing a beat, Abbey used the baby routine again.
“Mrs Landingham might give you a cookie, if you ask nicely.” To her relief CJ looked up and grinned.