Title: I Don’t Like Mondays

Pairings: Leo/CJ friendship

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Up to and including season five and any spoilers circulating for season six

Author’s Notes: As a big fan of CJ, the whole one night stand with John Hoynes sparked my interest. Throw in a love of all things Leo and this is what you get.

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It had been after three when Leo had finally fallen asleep, the effects of too many late nights and all-nighters during the administration still taking their toll. The phone ringing in the living room at six on Monday morning did not exactly make him happy.

He shuffled down the hallway and fumbled in the darkness for his cell phone. “McGarry.” He hoped his tone would put the caller off.

“Leo McGarry?”

“Yes. What can I do for you?” he asked with a sigh.

“We’d like your comments on former Vice President Hoynes’ interview last night,” the newspaper researcher said, used to getting to the point before the phone went dead. “Specifically his alleged relationship with CJ Cregg.”

Suddenly Leo wasn’t so sleepy. “Sorry?”

“Hoynes is saying that he had an affair with Miss Cregg.”

“I have to go,” Leo replied dismissively, confused by the call but for some reason positive it wasn’t a prank. “Goodbye.” In a haze Leo returned the phone to the counter top.

Unable to process things coherently without coffee and a shower, he padded to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot before heading into the bathroom.

The shower was freezing against his body, a shock enough to awaken him completely not that the call hadn’t brought him to a rude awakening.

Coffee in hand, he settled himself in his favorite armchair and dialled his best friend’s number.

“Jed, it’s Leo. CJ’s in trouble.” It wasn’t the most congenial greeting but then the morning wasn’t starting all that well.

“In trouble. She’s a little old to be in that sort of trouble.” Jed put his phone on speaker phone and motioned for Abbey to join him.

“Hoynes did a number, slandering you and me, but now he’s implicating CJ in an affair,” Leo explained patiently.

“An affair with who? Me?“

“With Him, Hoynes.”

Jed took a sharp intake of breath. “CJ and John?”

“Yes.”

“I always credited her with more taste,” Jed offered snidely. “So when? Where were we when this was going on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did she do anything illegal? Do we need to give Oliver a call?”

“I don’t know,” Leo reiterated. “The problem is we don’t know anything. I probably shouldn‘t have called you yet.”

“Well I’m awake now. And not knowing anything has never been a problem for us.”

“You could just call her,” Abbey suggested. “Or Leo could.”

Jed turned and glared at her. “Leo’s not that brave. And I can’t phone CJ and ask about her. . .” He waved his hands in the air.

“Sex life?” Abbey offered with a smile.

Jed’s face scrunched in consternation. “Can we not discuss this?”

“You want to over react instead?” she teased.

“Do you want me to phone Josh and Toby?” Leo asked over the line.

Abbey rolled her eyes.

Jed sighed. “No, I will.”

“Don’t you think they might already know?” Abbey asked, allowing her robe to drape open in the hope of distracting him. “Or maybe CJ would rather they didn’t.”

“Nonsense,” Jed stated unequivocally. “They’re attorneys. They might be able to tell us if we can sue.”

Abbey pulled the robe back around her. “Well, while you’re convening the war council, I’m going to phone CJ and make sure she’s ok.” She was also going to give her friend the heads up as to what the idiot boys might be up to, after all CJ was not going to be happy if she was the last to find out.

“Good,” Leo and Jed said in unison, neither really wanting to handle CJ, especially when it involved such a sensitive issue, better that it came from one of the sisterhood they concluded.

“Tell her it’s going to be ok,” Jed continued. “We have it in hand.”

Abbey rolled her eyes, the phrase “famous last words” vibrating around her head. Something told her CJ would be the one to do the handling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first time in nearly a decade CJ could finally go out and get drunk without worrying about who might be watching.

The constant ringing of the phone on Monday morning was making her regret the decision to choose that particular Sunday night to start. She tried to ignore the ringing of the phone, but each time it stopped, her cell would start. The person on the other end seemed reluctant to leave a message. CJ didn’t need to be a genius to know who was calling her. Finally, too quickly, she decided immediately, she snatched up the receiver. “Hello.”

“CJ, it’s Abbey.”

“My, we’re all getting an early start today,” CJ offered sarcastically, glancing at the clock.

“Are you ok, honey?” Abbey asked, her voice laced with concern.

CJ lowered herself down carefully onto the pillows. “Yeah, except maybe that second bottle of wine wasn’t such a great idea.”

“Hang over?”

“Either that or someone playing drums inside my skull,” CJ replied, trying to find a position where the room didn’t spin quite so much. “So any gossip?”

Abbey took a deep breath. “Leo called.” She waited for some response, when she didn’t hear anything she tried again. “He heard about Hoynes’ interview.”

CJ groaned audibly. “So what is he most pissed about? Getting woken up at 6am or the fact I’ve been an idiot?” She knew she sounded bitter but Danny showing up at her apartment last night with a copy of the interview and multiple bottles wine had done little to dispel her hatred of Hoynes. Now she had Leo’s disappointment to contend with, and that affected her more than Hoynes’ betrayal.

“He’s just concerned. We all are.”

“I know,” CJ admitted softly. “It’s just. . .” She struggled to find the words. “It was a mistake. It was private. I was just getting on with my life and now I’m gonna have to put up with speculations and questions. When is it ever gonna be over?”

It was an emotion Abbey could associate with. For the most part she and Jed had returned to a normal life. He gave the odd speech, worked on his memoirs in the privacy of the farm, while she worked in a series of free clinics. They still had agents though and anytime they showed up at the Kennedy Center their picture would appear in the papers.Then there had been the tabloid stories about Annie’s underage drinking complete with photos of her next
to an obviously intoxicated man. The poor girl had only gone into the bar looking for a phone to call a cab and now she refused to go out at all. The lack of privacy never went away. The reporters never went away. “Do you want to stay at the farm?” she finally asked after a long silence. “You know you’re welcome.”

CJ shook her head before she remembered Abbey couldn’t see her. “No, thank you. Maybe when I have things figured out.”

“I don’t want to add. . .” It was Abbey’s turn to falter.

“Oh good God. He’s phoning Toby and Josh.” The urge to throw up was suddenly overwhelming.

“Jed says they have it in hand,” Abbey continued warily.

“Please, Abbey, I beg you, sit on them, smother them, do whatever you have to for me. I just need a few hours.”

“What are you going to do?” Abbey asked gently, not wanting to make things worse.

“Right now, throw up. Then a shower, tylenol, a few gallons of water then . . . That’s where it gets hazy,” CJ said, her voice low as she tried to fight off the headache.

“Do you want me to come over?”

CJ closed her eyes and debated lying. “No, I’ll be fine, and we’ll talk later.” The last thing she wanted was for Abbey to see the state of the house. After Danny had left and she’d finished the first bottle of wine she had pretty much wrecked the place. There were papers scattered all over the living room and broken crockery on the counter top where she had thrown a mug or two at the wall. It had made her feel better for a while but then she had concluded what she really needed was a second bottle of wine. In hindsight that had been a mistake. At least she hadn’t followed her second instinct and phoned Leo. Knowing him as she did, he would have driven straight over and tried to help. She couldn’t imagine sharing this particular secret with him.

“You sure?” Abbey asked again.

“Yeah.” CJ was beginning to wonder whether she had a violent tendency below her gentile exterior. Every time things got tough she tended to throw things, smash things and hit things. It probably wasn’t the most productive way of dealing with situations. “Thank you.” She dropped the phone on the floor and crawled to the bathroom, retching until her head hurt more than ever.

An hour later as she stepped out of the shower she was beginning to feel better. Her head was almost back to normal and she was thinking clearly. That was until she thought of her idiot boys and the endless possibilities of stupid things they could do. Suddenly crawling back into bed and staying there didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twenty fours on Leo still hadn’t heard from CJ. He suspected she was avoiding him, not wanting to burden him with her problems or embarrassed that her mistake was being so publicly debated.

Fed up of waiting and not willing to pressurise his best friend into talking he knew he had to do something. She had always been there for him, throughout his recuperation after the heart attack, and in the last few years frequently match making not to mention a little meddling to ensure he was the perfect boyfriend whenever possible.

He already had the outline of a plan, not very well formed but sometimes it was just necessary to be pro-active. Pulling on a jacket, he called a cab.

Leo didn’t bother making an appointment instead he turned up at the law offices of his former friend and waited.

Twenty minutes later, and the same page read over and over again, he was announced by a young woman and lead to Hoynes’ office.

“Leo.”

“John.” They shook hands,

“How have you been?” John asked, his voice laced with surprise.

“Fine,” Leo said, his voice slow and slightly on edge. “Until yesterday.”

He didn’t have to be a genius, John mused, to realize why Leo had suddenly turned up unannounced, it was just a little unexpected. The impromptu interview was bound to cause a few ruffles amongst the Bartlet clan but normally when things became a little dicey, CJ arrived full of threats and big words. This time, if the fact that certain congressmen were not returning his calls was anything to go by, the Bartlet men were taking an active interest in the situation.

“You’ve seen the interview?” He didn’t really need to ask but it seemed a good opening gambit.

“Not in full, but I still have a few friends in the media who like me to know when I’m being slandered,” Leo said cautiously.

“Technically it wasn’t slander. Just fact.”

Leo gave a hollow laugh. “Fact? Or your version of the facts? As I recall you always did like to put a certain slant on the truth.”

“Still taking the bullet, Leo?” John asked, his voice flat and emotionless. “Still Jed Bartlet’s puppet.” It was, he decided immediately, going to be the same argument they always had, John defending his corner and Leo playing speakerphone for the President.

“You have me all wrong, John. I respect my friends. I love my friends. We take care of each other.”

“CJ’s a big girl now.” He doubted she was as naïve as she had been that night he seduced her.

“I don’t mind you throwing stones at me, I do mind you implementing CJ in the bargain.”

“What bothers you the most? The fact she had an affair or the fact it was with me and not you?” John teased.

“It’s always personal with you, John. You seem unable to keep things professional.” Which he didn’t add was how they had ended up in the position they were now. Sleeping with a journalist had led to John’s secrets being front page news, his book had led to another attack on the President and that had finally brought the administration firmly in opposition to Hoynes.

“That’s actually quite funny coming from you. Josh left the administration to sleep with his secretary, Toby got his ex wife pregnant and you. . .”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Leo had his vices, but they had all been made public, they were also his past mistakes. And in no small part thanks to Jed and CJ.

“Don’t worry I’m saving it for the next book,” John offered calmly.

“Believe me when I say this, John. Publish it and by the time I’ve finished you won’t even have a career playing celebrity golf,” Leo said, his tone firm. “We’ll publish every mistake and every screw up you ever made.”

“How long have you been screwing her, Leo?” John asked snidely. He had often wondered why the inexperienced press secretary had suddenly become Chief of Staff, of course it was also the sort of innuendo that would sell his next book.

Leo shook his head, a small smile making it’s way across her face. “If there was anything between CJ and I, it wouldn’t be screwing.” Which was again down to respect and the love he felt for her and because he knew they would never be anything but friends.

“She’s very good.”

“Which is why you should watch yourself. You’ve underestimated her, John, once, don’t do it again.”

“She always did your bidding.”

“Leo’s grin widened. You’re doing it again. Paying me a compliment. CJ served at the pleasure of the President, she didn’t do anyone’s bidding. When this is all over, when she’s done her thing, I’m thinking of naming a day after her - the CJ Cregg bite me day or even the CJ “Fuck with me” and see what happens day.”

John leaned back against his desk. “Very poetic, but I notice you’re the one here throwing threats around. Where is our dear CJ?”

“When you play at this level, John, you keep the hard hitter in reserve,” Leo growled, turning and making his way to the door.

“You know, you really should tell her how you feel,” John called after him, his smirk still firmly in place.

Leo had intended to take John Hoynes to task, to make him see what he was doing to CJ. He’d failed and now things were probably going to get worse. Groaning he hailed a cab and called Jed in the knowledge it was going to take a little more than his own persuasive charms to get the job done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo rang the doorbell for apartment 2B of the brownstone and waited for CJ to buzz him up.

“CJ,“ he said, almost breathless after climbing the stairs and waiting as she opened the door in a sweatshirt and pyjama bottoms.

“Hey,“ she kissed him perfunctory on the cheek.

Once they were seated, CJ cast him a steely gaze. “You shouldn’t have done that. Leo,” she said, her voice laced with disbelief. “It isn’t your problem.”

Leo moved closer to her on the couch. He didn‘t need her to explain. Abbey had obviously gotten there first.

“Do you realize the consequences? What if he goes to the media? What if Hoynes uses this against you or the President?” She wasn’t sure which one would be worse except she would walk through fire through either of them.

“You think I care about that? Jed and I can take care of ourselves. And we’re not going to sit back and let him try and ruin you, to sell another book. Family takes care of family.”

CJ wanted to argue with him that she could take care of herself but she really didn’t have the strength for the fight that would ensue or to deal with the sympathetic look he would shoot her. The last few days were beginning to take their toll on her. First there had been Danny’s visit, then lots of well meaning, and some not so well meaning, phone calls, finally had come the speculation. Now she had to contend with her friends good intentions. She could only hope that Josh and Toby had yet to do anything stupid, or verging on illegal come to that “It’s a two day story, Leo.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, asking a silent question, in disbelief.

“Or a week, at most.” CJ hoped she sounded confident because deep down she knew that there was more to come. “That’s if. . . “

“Abbey is sitting on Josh and Toby, and Donna for that matter.” He’d taken it upon himself to have a sit down, albeit on the phone, conversation with Josh, advising him in the strongest terms not to seek the help of Sam’s special friends.

CJ let out a sigh of relief.

“When was the last time you ate something?” Leo asked quietly.

She shrugged. Food hadn’t been first and foremost on her mind. She had barely eaten since Danny had given her the news, she only drank because a small voice at the back of her mind, which sounded remarkably like Abbey, nagged her to.

“Thought so. I’m going to organise dinner, then we can watch something inane.”

“How do you know I don’t have plans?” she asked softly.

“Because you haven’t set foot outside this door in the last twenty four hours. Correct me if I’m wrong.”

CJ smiled at him. “When did you learn to read me so well?”

Leo pretended to consider it for a moment. His friendship with CJ had developed over a period of many years until one day he had woken up and realized she was the person he confided everything in. “Sometime in the last century. So I’m guessing you have nothing edible in the fridge. . . Chinese it is. . .” He wandered into her kitchen and removed the menu from the refrigerator door. “Usual?” Leo didn’t wait for an answer and began to dial the all too familiar number.

“So what do you want to watch?” CJ called from the living room.

“You pick. But nothing romantic and soppy.”

CJ placed the DVD in the machine and sat back on the couch, curling her legs up underneath her as she waited for him to join her. During the brief few months they had shared a house while Leo had been recuperating this had become an all too familiar ritual, one she missed in all honesty when he had moved back to the hotel. These days quiet nights in together were far and few between.

“Food will be here in twenty minutes,” he announced, throwing his jacket over the arm of a chair and settling himself beside her. “We should do this more often.”

Silently she nodded, her hand lightly covering his for the briefest of moments. “What I should have said earlier was thank you.” She removed her hand and pressed play on the remote control, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Leo continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye, the smallest smile creeping across his face. She didn’t deserve any of it, but there was something in the sparkle of her eyes that told him she wouldn’t go down without a fight, and he was more than willing to go to bat for her, whatever it took.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an enjoyable evening, watching movies, eating take out and talking about anything but her situation, Leo decided it was time to head home. It was after midnight when he called a cab and kissed CJ good night.

Leo opened the apartment door and flicked the light switch. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he made out the figure on the couch. It was the last thing he needed though not the most unexpected.

“Hey.”

“You’re home,” she offered bitterly.

“Yeah.” He suddenly wished he’d taken up CJ’s offer of her couch.

“Margaret called. What’s going on?” Beth wrapped her arms around her middle and leaned forward. His assistant had been less than forthcoming on the phone and when she had been unable to contact Leo, Beth had guessed where he was.

Leo leaned over the couch and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Is it about CJ?”

He shook his head. “Beth, it’s just a family thing.” He knew the minute the words left his mouth that he was in trouble.

“We’re back to that. I’m not part of the family. You and I are nothing serious. I’m the naughty little secret.”

Leo rubbed his temples and not for the first time wondered why he bothered. “That’s not what I meant.” Sometimes for a woman in her forties she acted like a teenager, and he didn‘t have the patience for it tonight, not when there were more pressing matters in his life.

“No, but that’s what you think. Why didn’t you hook up with CJ?” she asked bitterly, the age old fight once more rearing it’s ugly head. At first she had tried to be friends with the other woman, knowing how highly Leo regarded his friend, then as Leo had excluded her more and more from that side of his life she became laced with jealousy.

“Because we’re friends, Beth. Good friends and we don’t, and never have had that sort of relationship,” Leo sighed, not willing to explain, or try to understand the nature of his relationship with CJ.

“Well obviously the family think you should.”

It was predictable that she should bring it up again. Beth had come into his life unexpectantly through a friend of a friend. They had dated a few times before he had introduced her to Abbey, then the rest of the family. The family had liked her, been genuinely happy for him but still he kept them separate, for reasons even he couldn’t comprehend.

“Maybe I should just go.” She took a step towards the door. When he didn’t move, she picked up her purse and opened the door.

For once he didn’t go after her. It had been a long day and the last thing he wanted was another fight. It was all they seemed to do these days, of course neither of them were getting any younger and more than set in their ways. It was Jenny all over again. He’d lost her to the job, losing Beth because of the family seemed a natural conclusion. This time it was going to be easier to walk away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the Bartlets had left office Abbey had bought a small townhouse in the heart of Georgetown. She had wanted to be close to her friends and have somewhere she could stay anytime she was in town. In the intervening years she had made me a safe haven for her family and held dinner parties that left the guests more than a little worse for wear the next day.

CJ was a regular visitor, their discussions often going on long into the night resulting in her spending many a night in the spare room.

This time it didn’t feel so safe and CJ knew it wasn’t going to be fun filled, as she stood on the stoop waiting for someone to answer the door. In truth she had been avoiding Abbey’s calls, not wanting to hear her concern or have the inevitable conversation that awaited her behind the door. It was only the sound of the former President’s voice on her answer phone that changed her mind and brought her to their door.

The snow had started to fall over night, casting a layer of white powder over the roof. In a few days it would be December and everyone would be preparing for Christmas.

CJ shivered, pulling her coat more tightly around her as she waited. Finally the door opened and she took a step back.

“Hey CJ,” Toby greeted, opening the door wide, his hands hovering by his sides as he resisted the urge to hug her. “I’m sorry.”

“That bad, eh?” she asked quietly, suddenly aware that what she had been dreading was about to come true.

“Full house!” He didn’t need to explain further.

“Aunt CJ,” Molly called, running into the room, leading wet foot prints in her wake, her nose red. “Come play ball.”

“Not now sweetie,” CJ said softly, gently stroking the child‘s cheek. “Maybe later.”

“But Uncle Josh’s aim sucks.”

CJ chuckled and shook her head. “Unfortunately it does, but you have to give him points for trying.”

“Yeah?” Molly didn’t sound convinced as she retraced her steps.

Toby led the way deeper into the house.

“Is this an intervention?” CJ asked, half heartedly as she scanned the room and her face fell. “You’d better get Josh in here.”

Abbey took a step towards her and CJ raised her hand in warning. The last thing she needed was pity and comfort, all she really needed was to get through the next hour or so. Abbey hovered and finally sent Toby in search of Josh.

When everyone was seated and CJ was standing before them, much like she had in the Press Briefing room, her coat discarded, she began. “Twenty years ago when I wasn’t Press Secretary or Chief of Staff, just a mere mortal I went to a fundraising dinner. The alcohol was flowing and I was trying to make a good impression, gather a little support for my candidate. I got drunk, as people are prone to do from time to time, especially when they’re bored. Although that’s not an excuse,“ CJ stressed, her eyes moving from person to person. “I met a guy I liked. He seemed cute, entertaining, sexy, and interested in me. To cut a long story short I went to his room. . .,” she trailed off as her cheeks tinged pink. “An hour later I took a cab home.” CJ wasn’t going to go into details, not in front of the boys, not that she could remember much about what exactly happened in the Senator’s room.

“Is that a dig, CJ?” Josh asked. “He was that quick?”

Abbey shot him a look that left him in no doubt she didn‘t appreciate him cracking jokes.

“Do I regret what happened? Yes. Was it a mistake? Yes. Did it have any effect on my service to the Bartlet administration? No.” CJ stared at her shoes.

“You should go on Taylor Reid and say that,” Josh suggested, tossing the ball at Molly and watching as it sailed past the child’s head and Abbey caught it. “Argue it was a one night thing and you regret it.”

Abbey rolled her eyes in response.

“Or you could just tell them it was a long time a go and it’s none of their business,” Toby growled, fully aware of how much she regretted the incident. “It’s nobody’s business but yours.”

“Or you could say nothing, publish your book one day and let that speak on merit,” Leo suggested, his eyes never leaving her face, waiting for her to look at him. He hadn’t slept much the night before and it wasn’t entirely because of his telephone conversations with Beth, but because he felt useless.

Abbey leaned back in her seat. “I’m with Leo. You’ve done nothing wrong. Why give them the satisfaction of making it a bigger story?”

“But to them it is a big story,” Josh argued. “With everything else. . .” he trailed off as Donna kicked him. “Ow.”

“It’s a non story,” Toby grumbled. “If we’re going to start dissecting people’s sexual history then we should. . .”

“Daddy.”

The argument went on around her as CJ crossed the room and settled herself on the couch beside the President, focusing her attention on him. “You haven’t weighed in, Sir, Jed.”

Silently he took her hand in his holding it against his leg. “Claudia, I love you. You know that. But you’re being attacked and when someone does that to a member of my family we fight back. It doesn’t mean you have to, I can take care of it. You have the right to be heard. But I respect you enough to do what you believe is right. And whatever you decided I‘ll support you, I‘ll even stand beside you.”

She stared back at him.

“That being said,” he smiled. “I agree with Josh, and you know how much that pains me, you should go public with your side of the story. Although maybe not Taylor Reid.” He remembered the various times she had appeared on the talk show and the aftermath.

Lightly, she kissed his cheek before rising to her feet. “Come on, Molly, that’s go play ball.”

Molly grinned and hurried to get dressed in her outer wear.

Leo rose to his feet, “CJ?”

CJ buttoned up her coat. “I don’t know what to do, just that it’s running my life, and that to me isn‘t living.” She followed the youngest outside leaving her friends to debate amongst themselves.

Twenty minutes later, out of breath and calmer than she had been when she walked out, CJ returned to the living room. “I’ve made a decision but I’m going to need help.” She could do it alone but they were family and for once in her life she was going to accept help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you sure you want to do this?“ Leo asked for what seemed like the tenth time that morning. He’d given up trying to talk her out of it days before, but ever since he’d picked her up from her house he had been worrying about her.

CJ allowed the make up artist to apply more foundation and smiled up at him. “We’ve discussed this. I need to get my story out there.”

“You could just talk to the Washington Post.”

“Yeah, cause I really want to sit down with Danny, and you know with my luck that’s who it would be,” CJ shook her head and the make up artist frowned at her. “Sorry.”

“What about The View? Four women chatting amongst themselves.”

CJ didn’t want to wait until Monday, it was bad enough that they couldn’t find her a spot until Friday, because apparently she wasn’t the only hot story out there, and she didn’t really feel like a warm and fuzzy chat. No, it was perfect, an interviewer who would push and prod and hopefully go too far and make himself look like an idiot. “Leo, you’ve done your thing now you need to let me do mine,” she said softly.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked quietly, picking up a hair brush and putting it back down on the counter top. Toby had prepped her, Jed had pulled strings to get her on the show and Josh, well he’d done his part by keeping his mouth shut.

“Being here is enough.” In truth without him CJ wasn’t sure she could have made it through the last few days.

“You’re on in five,” a young woman announced, sticking her head around the door. “Mr. McGarry, you can take a seat in the audience.”

“Wish me luck,” CJ said nervously, rising to her feet and smoothing down her pant suit.

“Bring it on, kiddo.” Quickly he pressed his lips to her cheek then left.

The studio was hot, the lights oppressive as CJ settled herself in the visitors chair, crossing her legs and clasping her hands in her lap.

“Ok?” the reporter asked, giving her a false smile and not waiting for the answer. “I’m joined this morning by CJ Cregg. CJ?”

“Hey.”

“I’m going to get straight to the point. Former Vice President John Hoynes has alledged that you had an affair with him.”

“So I’ve read,” she said, her face forming a strained smile.

"Since you're here, can we assume that there's more to the story than a few simple allegations?"

"Were the things he said allegations or accusations? I've not even heard the entire soundbite, but from the pieces I've heard..."

Before CJ could finish, the over-eager interviewer interrupted. This was an interview of a lifetime, in that CJ Cregg had been the face of the Bartlet administration, and then the Chief of Staff, breaking as many gender stereotypes as anyone could ever have imagined.

"In his statement, John Hoynes said, and this is the direct quote, that: 'For all the times they nearly choked the nation with their righteous shouts of moral leadership, I have never in my life met a group more rife with personal demons; a President with a concealed disease, a recovering alcoholic/drug addict leading the charge, and a woman with whom I had an affair, but that didn't seem to stop her from shouting from the hill tops about moral outrage...And those are just the demons I had personal knowledge of. The three most powerful people in the Bartlet administration were no angels themselves, no matter what image they offered to the country at the time.'"

CJ cringed at the words. "Firstly I should tell you that I'm here today to speak for myself, not for former President Bartlet or former Chief of Staff Leo McGarry. What I can say is that I have never met two people with a greater sense of duty to their country, and that I find the swings the former Vice President took at them incomprehensible. The President’s health crisis and Leo McGarry's personal battle with alcohol and drugs are not news, which begs the question, why did he bring up the 'relationship' between him and I? Whatever his reasons, I should clarify that what he called an affair was not a long lasting relationship. It was an error in judgement on both of our parts, and happened only once, as we realized the gravity of our actions. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. If I knew then what I know now, I can only hope that I would make different decisions, but what it all comes back to is that we can't change the past. We've all done things that were better left undone, and we all pay the price."

“While in office you were often known as the moralistic voice of the Administration, how does this square with committing adultery?“

“I did something I deeply regret, as have so many women, and I have personal knowledge of the hurt it can cause.”

“Of course you were the White House Press Secretary while John Hoynes was Vice President, and when his affair came out.”

CJ could see where the interview was going, and she wasn’t going to play along.

“Or should I say one of his affairs. . .”

“I can’t comment on John’s relationships, affairs or mistakes. I’m sure he has his own demons.”

“But obviously he did make mistakes while in office?”

She chuckled hollowly, “The records are sealed for twenty-five years, so the nation will have to wait.”

“Can we go back to the affair?”

CJ sighed audibly. “It was hardly an affair. Barely an interlude.”

“Are you in the habit of having one night stands with colleagues?”

It was predictable, CJ mused, that the interview would turn into a fishing expedition. “In point of fact at the time of the incident John and I weren’t colleagues. There seems to be a misapprehension that the alledged relationship,” she smiled. “Took place while I was working for President Bartlet when in fact it took place some years earlier. My colleagues, my friends were unaware it even took place until Hoynes decided he needed to sell another book.” CJ took a deep breath and counted to ten. She had always been taught not to throw stones if you lived in glass houses and everyone she knew lived in a glass house. President Bartlet had drilled it into her the previous evening that she was better than that.

“It was that terrible?” he chuckled and then his face fell as he realized that the interview had gotten out of his grasp.

“I don’t publicise my mistakes,” CJ said with her first genuine smile of the interview. “I don’t think anyone does. And it definitely wasn’t something worth bragging about.” She silently apologized to Jed, but if it dented Hoynes’ ego for a second it was worth it.

The interviewer raised an eyebrow. He wanted to ask the question again but something in the glint of CJ’s eye told him it would end up in a battle and he wouldn’t win.

“Well thank you for joining us today, CJ.”

“I’d like to say it’s been fun. . . “ she trailed off as the interviewer indicated it was time to take a break.

“Thank you, CJ.”

She smiled at him, and removed her microphone.

“You didn’t have to take the high road, it’ll come out.”

CJ stared him down. “Exactly.”

“You did good, kiddo,” Leo said as she came off the sound stage.

“You know I’m not a kid, right?”

“You’ve just proved that.” He took her arm and handed her her coat

CJ leaned down and kissed him on the lips. “I’m in the mood for celebrating.”

“What did you have in mind?” he asked, a little taken back, but glad to see the old CJ coming back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It only took Leo a few minutes to realize that CJ’s idea of celebrating wasn’t going to work. The minute they entered the restaurant he could feel a hundred pairs of eyes staring at them, their expressions a mixture of surprise and awe.

As they ordered he couldn’t fail to hear the hushed conversations going on around them and although he doubted it, he hoped she hadn’t noticed.

CJ smiled at him while they ate and he almost thought it would be alright except her smile didn’t reach her eyes and she refused desert, and CJ never refused desert.

She still didn’t want to go home and although her next suggestion seemed crazy he went along with her, just because she tugged his arm and told him not to be a spoilsport. He was also mildly relieved she hadn’t suggested they go dancing, after all he could imagine the morning headlines if they were seen out together.

“CJ?” Leo asked, after they had walked in silence for what seemed like forever, their feet leaving trails in freshly lain snow.

“Yeah?” she asked absently.

Leo ducked his head to look at her. “Am I that boring tonight?”

“Sorry?” CJ stopped and turned to him.

“What’s on your mind?”

She looked at him, giving him a rare smile. “That obvious, eh?”

He nodded, his stomach fluttering as he continued to study her face. “I’ve been holding your hand for the last twenty minutes.”

CJ glanced down at their gloved hands but she didn‘t release him. If anything she needed to have him close, if only for a few more hours. The Tidal Basin had been her idea, a false bravado that being in public was the way to go, now as she stood there with him, she realized it wasn’t going to be so easy.

Sometimes he wondered how he missed it, or whether in a small part of his brain he‘d been suppressing his feelings for her for years. As she stood by the water‘s edge, perfectly framed in front of the DC skyline, he couldn‘t help but notice how beautiful she was.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?” he asked hesitantly when he noticed her nibbling her bottom lip as she always did when she was nervous.

“You’ve been a good friend, the last week.” She hesitated. “You’ve always been a good friend and I know what you’ve sacrificed trying to protect me.”

“CJ?”

“I can’t stay here anymore.” There she had said it - that was the easy part.

“We can go somewhere else?” Somewhere warm he hoped, that wasn’t in the middle of a snow storm, and would have coffee.

If only she thought, he could go with her but she had demons to disperse and a life to start over, and taking her best friend with her wasn’t going to help.

CJ squeezed his hand gently. “I’m moving away, Leo.”

His face fell, his eyes suddenly losing their shine. “Why?”

“Because I can’t stay here anymore. I’m not saying it’s going to be different anywhere else but at least I’ll be trying. I go out here everyone knows my name. You saw them in the restaurant. What am I supposed to do? Never eat out? Live on take out? Spend my life alone because everyone knows I slept with John Hoynes?” She wasn’t going to cry in front of him, she couldn’t, it would be admitting how desperately she needed him.

“People will forget soon enough.”

“I’m about to lose my job, Leo. I haven’t been to work all week. Besides how can I handle the media when I’m the story?” CJ swallowed and looked away.

“You don’t think people will see how strong you are, how much you’ve learned from your mistakes.” It was easy enough to say but in truth all he wanted to do was keep her safe. “You’re shivering, sweetheart. We need to get you home.”

“Leo?”

“We can talk about this tomorrow.” Or next year, as far as he was concerned. Leading her quickly, they headed back to the car. Leo started the engine and turned the heat up high. Soon colour was returning to her face and they were pulling up at her apartment.

“You coming up?”

Leo shook his head. As much as he wanted to spend whatever time he had left with her, tonight he was afraid he would say too much or maybe that he couldn‘t make the inane conversation they enjoyed so much.

“Thank you,” CJ said softly, lightly brushing her lips against his cheek.

“Anytime sweetheart.” He waited until she disappeared into the apartment before he drove away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo opened the door to his apartment and padded into his bedroom. Undressing in the dark he piled his clothes neatly on the chair and pulled on his pyjama bottoms and a robe.

He wondered if it was a sign of old age that he needed a glass of warm milk to help him sleep, but as he poured the contents of the saucepan into a mug and switched on CNN, he knew that even that wouldn’t have the desired effect.

CJ had been his friend for nearly fifteen years, in the last five his best friend, and he had always expected to grow old with her. The revelations of the last few days hadn’t changed his opinion of her, if anything they had made him realize just how hard she punished herself for her mistakes and how easily she forgave them for theirs.

Her announcement was having hitting him harder than he expected. Beth’s leaving had barely registered on his emotional scale but idea of CJ living somewhere he couldn’t see her everyday convinced him that Beth had probably had a point - he did love his best friend.

At four am he still lay on the couch, the sports headlines playing mutely on the television as he tried to figure out how things could have gotten so out of hand. When did his emotions go on cruise control? He'd had feelings for her for as long as he could remember, and although they were sometimes buried a little deeper, they were there. Somewhere along the line he had just resigned himself to having the feelings and never acting on them but the idea of not having her near seemed to change things.

Saturdays he usually drove over to Jed and Abbey’s when they were in town. This weekend he didn’t feel much like company and the inevitable conversation he would have with Abbey if he appeared on the door step looking tired and miserable. In all probability Abbey already knew he had feelings for CJ, and that would only make him feel worse.

Instead Leo hung around, or rather hid out in, his apartment, doing the crossword or rather picking it up and tossing it down again. He called Jed and claimed that he was following through on something to help CJ, and listened to the inevitable lecture that he should keep CJ in the loop. By the afternoon he had picked up the phone fifteen times and dialled her number, only to return the receiver to it’s cradle. He knew how many times because it was the only thing he could concentrate on other than CJ announcing she was leaving.

A part of Leo was hoping she would call him, but then he still wouldn’t know what to say, so he was trapped in his apartment, thinking about his best friend and encapsulating himself in a circle of depression.

By the time the nightly news came on common sense was prevailing, or at least he began to think more like a friend than a love struck teenager. Whatever his personal feelings or motivation, CJ was having a difficult time and she needed her friends to support her, the least he could do was give her a hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Nine

“Hey Leo.” CJ allowed herself a small smile. She’d been waiting for him to call, knowing that it would take him a day or so to summon up the courage.

“See caller ID takes all the fun out of it.”

“Out of what?”

“I was going to do the heavy breathing thing,” Leo joked.

CJ smiled to herself. “Go ahead.”

“Nah, you’d probably think I was having another heart attack,” he mused out loud. “Whatya doing?”

“Standing in the middle of my apartment wondering where to start,” she replied wistfully. “I don’t remember having this much stuff.”

“Want a hand?”

“You serious?”

“Give me twenty minutes to get dressed and I’ll be over.” Not that he needed to get dressed. He’d been up for hours, showered and dressed, looking for an excuse to drop by her apartment, not that he ever needed one before, but things were different now.

“OK.“ She dropped the phone back on it’s cradle. Twenty minutes would give her enough time to run out to Dean and Delucca and grab a little shopping. The least she could do was feed him, not that she actually could, but a little rye bread, pastrami and roast beef wouldn’t strain her talents and she could always order in for dinner. Throwing her coat on, she headed out of the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo rang the bell and stamped the snow off of his shoes.

“It’s open. Come on up,” CJ’s voice crackled over the intercom almost immediately.

She was waiting for him when he reached her apartment. “ Thank you for doing this.”

Kissing her on the cheek, he made his way into the apartment. “You’re most welcome. So where are we starting? The bedroom?”

“A little forward there, Leopold.”

“I’m running out of time,” he replied, not completely in jest.

“Well it’s not as if you haven’t had plenty of opportunities,” she retorted, only slightly in teasing. “Anyway I have boxes in the spare room and lunch in the fridge, so what do you say we get started?”

An hour later they had cleaned out her spare closet, their first two boxes packed and a mountain of clothes in garbage bags that CJ had decided to discard.

“I wish someone would explain to me why women need two closets and only ever wear a third of the clothes they own,” Leo grumbled, returning from the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

“Yeah, ‘cause spending two years in a hotel room, and wearing a new shirt practically every day is normal?” she threw back, removing a box from beneath the spare bed. “Oh, I found the Christmas decorations.”

“When have you ever put a Christmas tree up?”

CJ pondered it for a moment. There had been a ten foot tree in the White House and as she practically lived there there seemed little point in having a tree at home. In the years since she had been on her own, or working. “Yeah, guess I don’t really need them.” CJ threw them in the to discard pile.

As she moved on to the next room, Leo placed the box on top of her clothes. Whatever the past, this year he was determined she would have a tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had worked all day, side by side, finally getting some organization into her life, stopping only for a brief lunch until early evening.

Leo poured them both a glass of ginger ale and followed her into the living room.

“I guess you need to go?” CJ asked hesitantly, not really wanting the day to end.

Leo shook his head. “Nah. I was thinking we could get dinner.” He took a sip of his drink. “After all you owe me for my labour.”

CJ smiled faintly, “I’d like that. What about Beth?”

CJ was the person he confided everything in. They had no secrets, at least he thought they hadn’t until her one night stand came out. In the last few days he hadn’t been completely honest with her either, but he wasn’t sure if it was because she had so much going on or because he wasn’t sure what his reasons were.

“We broke up.”

“Oh?” CJ said, taken by surprise. “When did this happen?”

“Tuesday,” he shrugged. “Well, early Wednesday Morning.”

She slapped him on the arm. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.”

“Why?”

“Why am I telling you or why did Beth finally see sense?” he asked with a cheeky grin.

CJ glared back at him. “I’m ordering dinner and you are going to tell me everything. . . And yes, I mean everything.”

He wanted to remind her that she had as yet to tell him everything, but the glint in her eye stopped him, and he shrugged in surrender.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Chinese from their usual restaurant, and idle banter, they settled themselves on the sofa.

“You could stay,” she offered, avoiding his eyes, the single glass of wine she had allowed herself over dinner loosening her tongue.

“So could you,” he replied, ducking his head to look at her face, and earning himself a small smile.

“It’s my apartment, I’m staying.”

“CJ.” He hadn’t meant to sound exasperated, but she was pushing his emotions to the limit.

“Stay, Leo.”

There was something in her voice that made him wonder if she was asking for something more.

“I’m going to get changed.” CJ closed the bedroom door and took a deep breath. They had done this a thousand times - dinner, movies, just talking even - but tonight it felt different, final evven, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for it to be final. Rifling through her drawers she searched for a pair of pyjamas, something not too sexy, but not too boring either.

He was still sitting on the couch when she reappeared, wearing a red satin pair of pyjamas.

“Do you mind if I get comfortable?” he asked, suddenly finding himself unable to swallow.

It was now or never, CJ decided. “Do you want me to help?” she asked, fluttering her eyelids and trying to be coy.

“What did you have in mind?” The room had suddenly gotten warmer and there was something in the way she was leaning towards him that had his breath catching in his throat. “CJ?”

Clarity was a wonderful thing, CJ decided as they stared at each other, the boundaries of friendship slipping away. “Well we could stop pussy footing around and actually go to bed,” she offered, hesitancy slipping into her voice at the last second.

“You mean you’re tired of my foreplay?” he grinned, reaching for hand and squeezing it.

CJ took a deep breath. “I could never tire of you. I just think it’s time we took it to the next level.”

Rising to his feet, he tugged her up with him. “Are you sure?”

She nodded silently, leading him to the bedroom. She paused at the bedroom door. “You’re my best friend, Leo, and I love you, but if this. . .”

Leo decided she talked too much, and that it was about time she found out exactly how good his foreplay really was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo glanced at the clock. It was six am Monday morning. He smiled as an arm snaked across his chest.

“Morning,” she whispered, shifting position until her head was on his chest. “Do you need to go?”

He bit his tongue, not wanting to spoil the moment by asking what was on his mind.

“Leo?” CJ asked quietly, the slightest hint of concern in her voice.

“I can stay a while.”

“Oh.”

“We could go back to sleep, have a late breakfast, maybe this afternoon go and buy a tree,” he suggested kissing her head.

“A tree’s a big commitment. It needs watering, and decorating. . .” she said cryptically.

“Then I guess I’ll be staying a while longer.” He grinned against her hair.

“In that case, maybe I could too.” CJ had known from the second he had kissed her that she couldn’t leave him. Making love with him had only made her wonder why she hadn’t realized her feelings for him sooner.

Leo lifted her chin with his fingers and kissed her firmly on the lips.

“Of course, if I’m going to stay I expect you to show me that heavy breathing thing,” CJ whispered, her hand slipping lower on his torso.

“That can be arranged,” he breathed as her fingers closed around him.

Monday mornings were never going to be the same, they both decided as Leo pulled the comforter up over their heads, and all thoughts of sleep slipped from his mind.

The End