The West Wing - The Jackal 2/?
Title: The Jackal - Chapter 2
Pairing: CJ/Toby
Rating: Teen... to be safe.
Summary: After being admitted to hospital, Abbey meets and decides to adopt a fourteen-year-old girl. But there may be something more to this rogue orphan… can The First Lady help her? AU
--
Friday, October 13th
7:10am
--
“Good morning, CJ.” Carol smiled as she followed CJ into her office and sat down.
“Good morning.” CJ chirped, before she noticed Carol was sitting in her chair. “Have you lost your desk again?”
“No, it’s out there.” Carol waved a hand in the general direction of her desk.
“Then why are you sitting at my desk?”
“Because you weren’t, and your chair is comfy.” Carol answered with a smile. Before CJ could reply, she continued. “You’ve had two calls already this morning from your stalker.”
“Ben?”
“Yep.” Carol answered. “Donna wants to know if Josh left his tie at your place last night.”
“Yes he did, I have it right here.” CJ replied extracting Josh’s tie from her coat pocket.
“Ooh fun nite?”
“Donna and Toby were there too.”
“CJ, I didn’t know you were into that.” Carol grinned, she loved teasing her boss. There was just so much fun involved.
“Very funny.” CJ muttered. “If you’re done, get out of my chair.”
“Oh.” Carol stood up and walked towards the door. “And the First Lady has been strolling around the hospital at night. The press want to know what’s happening.”
“Don’t they always?” CJ muttered to herself as Carol left the room. The minute she sat down, her phone rang. “CJ.”
“Hey Ceej.”
“Yes, I have your tie.” CJ automatically said as she identified Josh Lyman’s voice.
“Thanks, but that’s not why I’m calling.”
“What have you done?”
“Nothing!” Josh protested. “Can you stop with the snide comments for a moment and let me finish speaking?”
“Sorry, go ahead.” CJ apologised, becoming more professional.
“This thing with the First Lady…”
“Could you please elaborate? I just got here. I don’t get what the ‘thing’ is.”
“I thought you did web searches before you came to work in the morning.”
“Well I didn’t this morning.” CJ groaned.
“Well the First Lady has been making trips around the hospital at night. She’s made a friend with a fourteen-year-old girl…”
“So what? Our First Lady is a paedophile?”
“No, the press is just interested.” Josh muttered. “Geez, CJ. What’s wrong with you today, PMS?” Without answering him CJ hung up the phone abruptly. Holding her head in her hands, she sighed.
“How you doing over there, Gail?” She turned to her fish who was busy swimming around and around in her bowl. “Yeah, same here.”
--
“CJ! CJ!”
“Woah, settle down!” CJ slipped a glance at her watch. “One more question and then we’re through.”
“CJ!”
“Sarah.”
“What’s the stand on the First Lady moving around the hospital at night? Isn’t that a little dangerous?”
“Sarah, are you trying to get our nations leading family attacked?” There were a few whispers and chuckles. “Anyone who’s ever been in hospital knows how boring it is to sit in a room for hours with nothing to do. If Dr Bartlet, I emphasise ‘Dr’, wishes to venture around the hospital at night, she’s entitled to. She does ensure she has security with her at all times.”
“But what about…”
“I’m sorry time’s up. I’ve got to be somewhere and you’ve all got to go write about how stunning I look today.” CJ smiled and walked off the podium.
“Very well done.” Carol congratulated CJ as she handed her a coffee.
“I want all the doors locked. Call the Military and get them to bomb the room.” CJ whispered to her as the walked quickly to her office.
“Then you’ll be dodging questions from press all over the world, about why the US Military bombed their own government.” Carol smiled. “Where are you supposed to be anyway?”
“What are you on now?”
“You told the press you had to be somewhere.”
“I lied.”
“You lied to the press?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to get out of there, and apparently it’s my job to lie to the Press.” CJ stopped in her doorway so that Carol wouldn’t follow her in. “How about next time, you get up in front of them and do my job?”
“It can’t be that hard. It’s just that time of the month.” Carol shrugged, sitting down at her desk.
“It’s not!” CJ whined, retreating into her office and slamming the door behind her.
“Yeah, it is.” Carol muttered and sat down at her desk.
--
Monday, October 23rd
10:35pm
--
“Abbey!” Alex’s face lit up as she saw her new friend.
“Hi.” Abbey smiled, walking slowly and holding onto a cane for support. “The trip seems so much longer without a wheelchair.”
“You have to use the cane now?”
“For the next few days.” Abbey admitted, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “They’re getting rid of me tomorrow. I have to spend the next week cooped up in the Residency at the White House.”
“That must suck.”
“Big time. But if I didn’t put up a fight I’d still be in here for another week.” Abbey smiled as Alex laughed. Then there fell a strange silence. Abbey could tell there was something bothering her young friend. To be honest the look in Alex’s eyes reminded her of CJ, when the Press were asking questions she didn’t want them to. “What’s the matter, Alex?” she asked cautiously, not wanting to intrude on the girls thoughts.
“I’m leaving too.”
“Well, that’s a good thing. You don’t want to be in here all your life.” Abbey quipped, but silenced herself quickly.
“You haven’t read my chart have you?”
“No. I thought about it once or twice.” Abbey admitted. “But I decided you’d tell me in time why you were here.”
“I’m an orphan.” Alex began. “This is my last stop before they send me back to the orphanage for the last time.”
“But what about the family you were with?”
“I’m too much of a hassle.” Alex explained slowly. “I talk back to my elders… I speak my mind without thinking it through… I’m a pretty feisty kid…”
“Sounds like someone I know.” Abbey smiled to herself, thinking of the one and only spirited Press Secretary. “And so they didn’t want you, because of that?”
“I’m too much of a handful. Besides…” She was becoming nervous as she spoke and began to rub her wrists through the winter skivvy she was wearing.
“Let me see…” Abbey carefully reached forward. At first Alex pulled away, not wanting to bring another adult into her web of hysteria. But Abbey had taken a different tone to what Alex was used to. It wasn’t a doctor wanting to see a patient, it was a mother caring for her child. Carefully Alex slid the sleeve up her arm, revealing several scars up her wrist.
“And to think, I’m actually in here for pneumonia.” Abbey’s head shot up to look at her. “I’m joking. I had my appendix removed.” Alex smiled.
“Not very deep, and not the right direction.” Abbey said softly, running her thumb over the scars.
“It wasn’t suicide.” Alex quickly told her. “Suicide never even crossed my mind.”
“Oh?”
“Of course not. My mission in life is to have a family… I guess it’s the same for all orphans. I wouldn’t want to kill myself.”
“Then why cut yourself?” Abbey asked curiously, but trying not to poke too much.
“In all honesty, I don’t know, maybe it was just to get away from the family I was with.” Alex shrugged. “But now that the people at the orphanage know… I just don’t want to go back.”
--
Chapter Three
--
Pairing: CJ/Toby
Rating: Teen... to be safe.
Summary: After being admitted to hospital, Abbey meets and decides to adopt a fourteen-year-old girl. But there may be something more to this rogue orphan… can The First Lady help her? AU
--
Friday, October 13th
7:10am
--
“Good morning, CJ.” Carol smiled as she followed CJ into her office and sat down.
“Good morning.” CJ chirped, before she noticed Carol was sitting in her chair. “Have you lost your desk again?”
“No, it’s out there.” Carol waved a hand in the general direction of her desk.
“Then why are you sitting at my desk?”
“Because you weren’t, and your chair is comfy.” Carol answered with a smile. Before CJ could reply, she continued. “You’ve had two calls already this morning from your stalker.”
“Ben?”
“Yep.” Carol answered. “Donna wants to know if Josh left his tie at your place last night.”
“Yes he did, I have it right here.” CJ replied extracting Josh’s tie from her coat pocket.
“Ooh fun nite?”
“Donna and Toby were there too.”
“CJ, I didn’t know you were into that.” Carol grinned, she loved teasing her boss. There was just so much fun involved.
“Very funny.” CJ muttered. “If you’re done, get out of my chair.”
“Oh.” Carol stood up and walked towards the door. “And the First Lady has been strolling around the hospital at night. The press want to know what’s happening.”
“Don’t they always?” CJ muttered to herself as Carol left the room. The minute she sat down, her phone rang. “CJ.”
“Hey Ceej.”
“Yes, I have your tie.” CJ automatically said as she identified Josh Lyman’s voice.
“Thanks, but that’s not why I’m calling.”
“What have you done?”
“Nothing!” Josh protested. “Can you stop with the snide comments for a moment and let me finish speaking?”
“Sorry, go ahead.” CJ apologised, becoming more professional.
“This thing with the First Lady…”
“Could you please elaborate? I just got here. I don’t get what the ‘thing’ is.”
“I thought you did web searches before you came to work in the morning.”
“Well I didn’t this morning.” CJ groaned.
“Well the First Lady has been making trips around the hospital at night. She’s made a friend with a fourteen-year-old girl…”
“So what? Our First Lady is a paedophile?”
“No, the press is just interested.” Josh muttered. “Geez, CJ. What’s wrong with you today, PMS?” Without answering him CJ hung up the phone abruptly. Holding her head in her hands, she sighed.
“How you doing over there, Gail?” She turned to her fish who was busy swimming around and around in her bowl. “Yeah, same here.”
--
“CJ! CJ!”
“Woah, settle down!” CJ slipped a glance at her watch. “One more question and then we’re through.”
“CJ!”
“Sarah.”
“What’s the stand on the First Lady moving around the hospital at night? Isn’t that a little dangerous?”
“Sarah, are you trying to get our nations leading family attacked?” There were a few whispers and chuckles. “Anyone who’s ever been in hospital knows how boring it is to sit in a room for hours with nothing to do. If Dr Bartlet, I emphasise ‘Dr’, wishes to venture around the hospital at night, she’s entitled to. She does ensure she has security with her at all times.”
“But what about…”
“I’m sorry time’s up. I’ve got to be somewhere and you’ve all got to go write about how stunning I look today.” CJ smiled and walked off the podium.
“Very well done.” Carol congratulated CJ as she handed her a coffee.
“I want all the doors locked. Call the Military and get them to bomb the room.” CJ whispered to her as the walked quickly to her office.
“Then you’ll be dodging questions from press all over the world, about why the US Military bombed their own government.” Carol smiled. “Where are you supposed to be anyway?”
“What are you on now?”
“You told the press you had to be somewhere.”
“I lied.”
“You lied to the press?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to get out of there, and apparently it’s my job to lie to the Press.” CJ stopped in her doorway so that Carol wouldn’t follow her in. “How about next time, you get up in front of them and do my job?”
“It can’t be that hard. It’s just that time of the month.” Carol shrugged, sitting down at her desk.
“It’s not!” CJ whined, retreating into her office and slamming the door behind her.
“Yeah, it is.” Carol muttered and sat down at her desk.
--
Monday, October 23rd
10:35pm
--
“Abbey!” Alex’s face lit up as she saw her new friend.
“Hi.” Abbey smiled, walking slowly and holding onto a cane for support. “The trip seems so much longer without a wheelchair.”
“You have to use the cane now?”
“For the next few days.” Abbey admitted, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “They’re getting rid of me tomorrow. I have to spend the next week cooped up in the Residency at the White House.”
“That must suck.”
“Big time. But if I didn’t put up a fight I’d still be in here for another week.” Abbey smiled as Alex laughed. Then there fell a strange silence. Abbey could tell there was something bothering her young friend. To be honest the look in Alex’s eyes reminded her of CJ, when the Press were asking questions she didn’t want them to. “What’s the matter, Alex?” she asked cautiously, not wanting to intrude on the girls thoughts.
“I’m leaving too.”
“Well, that’s a good thing. You don’t want to be in here all your life.” Abbey quipped, but silenced herself quickly.
“You haven’t read my chart have you?”
“No. I thought about it once or twice.” Abbey admitted. “But I decided you’d tell me in time why you were here.”
“I’m an orphan.” Alex began. “This is my last stop before they send me back to the orphanage for the last time.”
“But what about the family you were with?”
“I’m too much of a hassle.” Alex explained slowly. “I talk back to my elders… I speak my mind without thinking it through… I’m a pretty feisty kid…”
“Sounds like someone I know.” Abbey smiled to herself, thinking of the one and only spirited Press Secretary. “And so they didn’t want you, because of that?”
“I’m too much of a handful. Besides…” She was becoming nervous as she spoke and began to rub her wrists through the winter skivvy she was wearing.
“Let me see…” Abbey carefully reached forward. At first Alex pulled away, not wanting to bring another adult into her web of hysteria. But Abbey had taken a different tone to what Alex was used to. It wasn’t a doctor wanting to see a patient, it was a mother caring for her child. Carefully Alex slid the sleeve up her arm, revealing several scars up her wrist.
“And to think, I’m actually in here for pneumonia.” Abbey’s head shot up to look at her. “I’m joking. I had my appendix removed.” Alex smiled.
“Not very deep, and not the right direction.” Abbey said softly, running her thumb over the scars.
“It wasn’t suicide.” Alex quickly told her. “Suicide never even crossed my mind.”
“Oh?”
“Of course not. My mission in life is to have a family… I guess it’s the same for all orphans. I wouldn’t want to kill myself.”
“Then why cut yourself?” Abbey asked curiously, but trying not to poke too much.
“In all honesty, I don’t know, maybe it was just to get away from the family I was with.” Alex shrugged. “But now that the people at the orphanage know… I just don’t want to go back.”
--
Chapter Three
--