The West Wing - Because That's the Way It's Always Been
Title: Because That’s the Way it’s Always Been
Written For:
teungawaka2003
Fandom: The West Wing
Characters: CJ, Andy/Toby
Prompt: #049 Tradition
Word Count: 981
Rating: PG
Summary: When Toby spends his first Christmas with Andy as a married couple, CJ realises she may have lost more than she thought.
A/N: Andy’s quite evil in this… sorry for people who love Andy, but I love her too so don’t get angry with me. This is a sad Christmas fic, because not everyone has a happy Christmas.
--
It was almost midday on Christmas Eve, and CJ was fiddling with her clock. Surely the time was wrong. It had to have some kind of bug on it that was making it too fast. But as she walked around the house it was all the same. Her cell phone, 11:46. Her oven, 11:46. Her alarm clock, 11:47. The television, 11:47. Running into her bathroom she grabbed her wrist watch from the side of the bath, 11:47. She sat on the edge of the bath and sighed. If he was stuck in snow he would have called her. Toby had never been late, and she was sure it was her time to host their annual event. Grabbing her keys off the counter, CJ rushed down to the garage.
Christmas carols played through the radio and she began to hum along as she drove carefully to his house. She didn’t know what he was up to but she wasn’t playing games. Her brow furrowed as she pulled into his driveway. Lights were on and she could hear music playing inside. As she got out of the car, the front door opened and she looked up to find Andy standing there. She was wrapped up in a Yankees jersey, in an attempt to fight the cold that was spilling into her house.
“Hey CJ,” She called out. “Get your butt inside, it’s freezing!” She moved back as CJ made a mad dash for the door.
“Hey Andy, Merry Christmas.” CJ smiled, giving her a hug.
“You’re freezing, CJ,” Andy scolded, unable to help herself. She took CJ’s coat and hung it in the closet. “Toby, we’ve got a visitor!” She yelled up the stairs.
“Thank God, I was wondering where Toby was.” CJ sighed.
“He’s been here the whole time,” There was a confused look in Andy’s eyes. “Actually he’s been here all week, I can’t get rid of him.”
“You’re trying to get rid of your husband already?”
“Yeah well,” Andy shrugged, leading CJ into the kitchen. “It’s Christmas and I can’t wrap presents for him if he’s in the same room as me.
"Which reminds me…” Andy disappeared into the living room and returned with a Christmas present and placed it on the counter in front of CJ.
“Oh damn, I left yours at home.” CJ cringed as she remembered the two presents sitting under her tree. She’d planned on giving them to Toby.
“It’s not even Christmas yet, CJ, don’t worry.”
“CJ, what are you doing here?” Toby asked as he walked into the kitchen, confusion in his eyes.
“I could ask you the same question,” CJ looked between Andy and Toby before realising neither of them knew what she was talking about.
“Toby, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ starts at half past twelve and lunch is ready. Not to mention the ‘Laverne & Shirley’ marathon starts at four this afternoon.”
“You watch Laverne & Shirley?” Andy asked Toby, slightly amused by the idea.
“Christmas, I forgot.” Toby replied simply, unable to look CJ in the eye.
“You forgot?” She asked, shocked by his admission. “It’s only something we’ve done for the past thirteen years, and you forgot?”
“What’s going on?” Andy asked, very confused by their conversation. Toby refused to say anything except to mumble something about scotch and disappear into the dining room.
“Every year, for thirteen years we’ve spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with each other,” CJ began to explain. She played with the corner of her present as she spoke. “We have lunch while we watch ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and then we fall asleep watching a marathon of either Laverne & Shirley, or Cheers. Next morning, we exchange gifts, we amuse each other with weird presents we’ve received for the year and then we spend lunch and dinner with my family.”
“Well, CJ, you didn’t honestly think that would continue once either of you got married did you?”
“Honestly yeah,” CJ replied, feeling stupid that she didn’t just stay at home and call him instead. “Because that’s the way it’s always been, Andy - me and Toby against the world.”
“He’s not yours any more CJ,” Andy told her quietly, knowing that if Toby heard her he’d charge in and put a stop to it. “I don’t care what you do every other day but Christmas he should be with his wife and family, not his best-friend.”
“Fine,” CJ stood and slipped the present into her bag. “But, Andy, believe me when I say if you push me away then you’ll push him away too.” Before Andy could think of some witty retort CJ had gone, and Christmas was ruined.
--
She didn’t listen to the radio on the way home. The happiness in the voices of children singing backup to big name talents, she could not bear to hear. Pulling into the garage she sat in her car for a moment, her eyes straying to the present in her bag. She didn’t want to open it, she didn’t care what they’d bought her. Grabbing the bag, she locked her car and headed upstairs.
There was a note stuck on her apartment door to remind her of the Christmas Party on the roof, in an instant it was crumpled up and shoved in her pocket. Once inside she fell against the back of the door, focusing on her breathing. Pulling out the Christmas present she’d been given, she allowed her handbag to drop to the floor as she tore off the wrapping paper. The instant she saw it she knew Toby had chosen it. A silver photo frame with minimal detail except for a shooting star in the corner, and a photo of them on their first Christmas together. Staring at the photo, CJ slipped down the door.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, cold and alone, and smashed against the clear glass.
Written For:
teungawaka2003
Fandom: The West Wing
Characters: CJ, Andy/Toby
Prompt: #049 Tradition
Word Count: 981
Rating: PG
Summary: When Toby spends his first Christmas with Andy as a married couple, CJ realises she may have lost more than she thought.
A/N: Andy’s quite evil in this… sorry for people who love Andy, but I love her too so don’t get angry with me. This is a sad Christmas fic, because not everyone has a happy Christmas.
--
It was almost midday on Christmas Eve, and CJ was fiddling with her clock. Surely the time was wrong. It had to have some kind of bug on it that was making it too fast. But as she walked around the house it was all the same. Her cell phone, 11:46. Her oven, 11:46. Her alarm clock, 11:47. The television, 11:47. Running into her bathroom she grabbed her wrist watch from the side of the bath, 11:47. She sat on the edge of the bath and sighed. If he was stuck in snow he would have called her. Toby had never been late, and she was sure it was her time to host their annual event. Grabbing her keys off the counter, CJ rushed down to the garage.
Christmas carols played through the radio and she began to hum along as she drove carefully to his house. She didn’t know what he was up to but she wasn’t playing games. Her brow furrowed as she pulled into his driveway. Lights were on and she could hear music playing inside. As she got out of the car, the front door opened and she looked up to find Andy standing there. She was wrapped up in a Yankees jersey, in an attempt to fight the cold that was spilling into her house.
“Hey CJ,” She called out. “Get your butt inside, it’s freezing!” She moved back as CJ made a mad dash for the door.
“Hey Andy, Merry Christmas.” CJ smiled, giving her a hug.
“You’re freezing, CJ,” Andy scolded, unable to help herself. She took CJ’s coat and hung it in the closet. “Toby, we’ve got a visitor!” She yelled up the stairs.
“Thank God, I was wondering where Toby was.” CJ sighed.
“He’s been here the whole time,” There was a confused look in Andy’s eyes. “Actually he’s been here all week, I can’t get rid of him.”
“You’re trying to get rid of your husband already?”
“Yeah well,” Andy shrugged, leading CJ into the kitchen. “It’s Christmas and I can’t wrap presents for him if he’s in the same room as me.
"Which reminds me…” Andy disappeared into the living room and returned with a Christmas present and placed it on the counter in front of CJ.
“Oh damn, I left yours at home.” CJ cringed as she remembered the two presents sitting under her tree. She’d planned on giving them to Toby.
“It’s not even Christmas yet, CJ, don’t worry.”
“CJ, what are you doing here?” Toby asked as he walked into the kitchen, confusion in his eyes.
“I could ask you the same question,” CJ looked between Andy and Toby before realising neither of them knew what she was talking about.
“Toby, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ starts at half past twelve and lunch is ready. Not to mention the ‘Laverne & Shirley’ marathon starts at four this afternoon.”
“You watch Laverne & Shirley?” Andy asked Toby, slightly amused by the idea.
“Christmas, I forgot.” Toby replied simply, unable to look CJ in the eye.
“You forgot?” She asked, shocked by his admission. “It’s only something we’ve done for the past thirteen years, and you forgot?”
“What’s going on?” Andy asked, very confused by their conversation. Toby refused to say anything except to mumble something about scotch and disappear into the dining room.
“Every year, for thirteen years we’ve spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with each other,” CJ began to explain. She played with the corner of her present as she spoke. “We have lunch while we watch ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and then we fall asleep watching a marathon of either Laverne & Shirley, or Cheers. Next morning, we exchange gifts, we amuse each other with weird presents we’ve received for the year and then we spend lunch and dinner with my family.”
“Well, CJ, you didn’t honestly think that would continue once either of you got married did you?”
“Honestly yeah,” CJ replied, feeling stupid that she didn’t just stay at home and call him instead. “Because that’s the way it’s always been, Andy - me and Toby against the world.”
“He’s not yours any more CJ,” Andy told her quietly, knowing that if Toby heard her he’d charge in and put a stop to it. “I don’t care what you do every other day but Christmas he should be with his wife and family, not his best-friend.”
“Fine,” CJ stood and slipped the present into her bag. “But, Andy, believe me when I say if you push me away then you’ll push him away too.” Before Andy could think of some witty retort CJ had gone, and Christmas was ruined.
--
She didn’t listen to the radio on the way home. The happiness in the voices of children singing backup to big name talents, she could not bear to hear. Pulling into the garage she sat in her car for a moment, her eyes straying to the present in her bag. She didn’t want to open it, she didn’t care what they’d bought her. Grabbing the bag, she locked her car and headed upstairs.
There was a note stuck on her apartment door to remind her of the Christmas Party on the roof, in an instant it was crumpled up and shoved in her pocket. Once inside she fell against the back of the door, focusing on her breathing. Pulling out the Christmas present she’d been given, she allowed her handbag to drop to the floor as she tore off the wrapping paper. The instant she saw it she knew Toby had chosen it. A silver photo frame with minimal detail except for a shooting star in the corner, and a photo of them on their first Christmas together. Staring at the photo, CJ slipped down the door.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, cold and alone, and smashed against the clear glass.