(Untitled)
Favorite Characters: ABBEY ABBEY ABBEY!, Jed, CJ, Toby, Andy, Josh, Leo, Annabeth, Donna, Will.
'Ships that sail for you: Abbey/Jed, Abbey/CJ, CJ/Toby, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andy.
Friendships and platonic relationships: Well...any really.
Tell us, what stories are you just dying to read? So many ( Read more... )
'Ships that sail for you: Abbey/Jed, Abbey/CJ, CJ/Toby, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andy.
Friendships and platonic relationships: Well...any really.
Tell us, what stories are you just dying to read? So many ( Read more... )
“He’s really been gone for a long time,” she says quietly.
They fly out to Dayton the next morning. Everyone gathers at the house after the funeral: Tal’s colleagues and students, neighbors, even old friends of Tal and C.J.’s mother. There are mountains of food and the whole house bustles with activity like it hasn’t in years, not since C.J. and her brothers squabbled over the dinner table.
C.J. steps out onto the porch for a moment and a breath of fresh air. She squints at the man moving down the sidewalk and turning up the path to the house. “Toby?” she finds her voice as he mounts the porch stairs. He gives her one of his patented sheepish looks and pulls her in for a long hug. As her arms wrap around his shoulders, she feels her breath hitch and the tears start to well up in her eyes.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs, holding her longer. His hand slips into his pocket for a second, pulling out a handkerchief.
“You’re an old soul, Toby Ziegler,” she sniffles. “My dad always carried a handkerchief.”
“They come in handy,” he gives her a small smile, knowing she needs it.
“Why-how did you know?”
“Danny,” he says simply.
“You didn’t have to come,” she tells him.
“Yeah,” he nods. “I did.”
A few minutes later, as if on cue, Danny emerges from the house. “Thanks for coming,” he nods to Toby, shaking his hand.
“Of course.”
“How are ya? How are the twins?”
After everyone leaves, C.J, Danny, Toby, her brothers, and her niece, Hogan, all sit out on the porch together, listening to C.J. and Toby tell stories about the awful New York campaigns they worked on and Danny and C.J. arguing about how the press room prank wars were more vicious than the senior staff prank wars.
Even though it’s late, Toby stays, helping C.J. clean up the kitchen. She pours herself a glass of wine and offers Toby some. “Oh, wait, my dad had the really great bottle of Scotch that he was saving for a special occasion.” She laughs as she walks towards the pantry. “I’m not exactly sure when that was going to occur, because I think he’s had this bottle since I was about twenty.”
“Maybe for your wedding day,” Toby teases.
“Haha,” she says sarcastically as she returns with the bottle, which she hands to him. “Here,” she tells him. “Take it.”
“I can’t, C.J.”
“You’re the only person I know who drinks Scotch,” she replies. “He’d want you to have it.” Toby nods and takes it out of her hand. “Is it a good year or whatever?”
“Yeah. It’s an expensive bottle of Scotch.”
“You gonna open it?”
He shakes his head. “Not right now.”
“You want some wine?”
“Sure.” He watches her pour a glass, hand it to him. He watches her lean back against the counter and take a sip of hers. “I can’t believe Hogan.”
“I know,” she says, smiling. A real smile. She’s always been proud of her niece. “All grown up, right?”
Toby nods. “She hasn’t graduated already, has she?”
“No, it’s her senior year.”
“What’s she studying again?”
“Nineteenth-century English literature. I think she did it just to piss off my brother.”
“She’ll be fine,” Toby tells her. “She’s a smart kid.”
“Yeah,” C.J. nods, tucking her chin to her chest for a second. “I think she wants to teach. Like Dad.” She looks back up at him.
Toby doesn’t know what to say. He reaches over and takes her hand. C.J. looks down at it for a second, then gives his hand a squeeze.
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“Call me if you need to talk,” he says. She nods.
“Toby?”
He’s reaching for the door handle, but he stops, turns back towards her.
“There’s something I haven’t told-only Danny knows...” She’s hesitant.
“What?”
“I...I’m pregnant.”
The street’s quiet until Toby’s voice breaks the silence. “Congratulations.” He takes a breath. “You should tell them.”
C.J. knows she should, but it doesn’t feel right somehow, making an announcement of such joy after everything. Maybe she’s hesitant because she wishes her father were still here to hear it.
Toby, who has always been able to read her easily, draws her into another hug. “He would be so happy for you.”
She nods, letting out a long sigh. It hurts, though. Her father never really got to meet Danny and now his grandchild would only hear stories about him, would never get to sit in his lap, or hear him play the piano.
Toby kisses her on the cheek before he gets into the car with his (Tal’s) bottle of Scotch. C.J. watches his tail lights as he pulls down the street, takes a breath, and walks up the block, back to the house.
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Thank you anon! ♥
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