Title: Can’t Tell Me Nothing

Pairing: Leo/CJ

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Nothing specific, though anything in season six is fair game

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Part One

“Margaret said I would find you here,” Leo announced softly, closing the portico door behind him and shivering in the cold night air.

“He’s asked me to marry him.” CJ turned slowly to look at him, her face neutral despite the low lighting. “Just before I made an excuse and came back here.”

“Congratulations.” He was an expert at concealing his emotions too, it came with the territory.

“I didn’t exactly give him an answer.” What she actually did was stare at the ring open mouthed, grab her purse and mumble something indecipherable. She did have the good manners to at least text him and apologize.

“What do you want me to say?” he asked, walking towards her and staring into the distance. Their friendship was a strange one and more than once he’d been honest and they’d ended up in a fight. These days he tried to gauge her reaction before he spoke.

CJ sighed audibly. “Is there any reason why I should say no?” There was and always had been a pretty large one, that had nothing to do with the man in the Oval Office who had been watching her from the window since she’d come outside. Even less to do with a fear of commitment.

“I think it’s great.” Which probably sounded pathetic, or at least it did to his ears. “You deserve to be happy.” Best friends, his daughter told him, were supposed to be supportive and happy for you, and pick up the pieces afterwards. If the look of disappointment he caught in the corner of her eye was anything to go by, he’d somehow gone wrong.

“We all deserve to be happy,” she offered, still not looking at him. “Sometimes you just grab the easiest way to happiness.”

Leo allowed himself a small grin. “In my experience marriage is not an easy way to happiness.” Which was the crux of his problem, an overwhelming fear that to love again would lead to marriage, and marriage to failure.

“Marriage can work for some people.”

Misreading her mood, he lightly touched her arm. “Yes, it can. And I think it will for you. If it feels right don’t be scared to go for it.”

“Thank you, Leo.” Just as she needed to give Tommy an answer, she needed to find a few answers for herself. Tonight she had one of them. “I should check in with the President and go find my boyfriend.”

“Goodnight, CJ,” he called after her.

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Part Two

“You’re an idiot,” Margaret announced, appearing from nowhere and perching on the bench.

He practically jumped out of his skin. “It isn’t the first time you’ve told me that.”

“Well this time, you’ve surpassed yourself.” Her former Boss wasn’t blind and he certainly wasn’t stupid, it was more that at times he needed gentle guidance, and she was the person to give it to him.

“What exactly have I done?” he asked, fully aware that he was about to get a lecture.

“What haven’t you done?”

Sometimes Margaret’s penchant for exaggeration surprised even him, tonight he had some inkling as to what might be causing the look of frustration on her face. “We haven’t got time to list all my mistakes.” Not that he didn’t doubt she kept a list of them somewhere just for these occasions. Of course he never mentioned her mistakes, as he had yet to mention her blossoming figure.

“You’re letting your best friend marry the wrong man.” For her it would always be a case of Leo being the right man but it never being the right time. Now she had a baby on the way and for once missed opportunities weren’t so foremost on her mind.

“She loves him.” Not that a weak answer like that was going to get him out of it.

“Idiot.” Banging their heads together seemed a little too easy, and she didn’t think the President would sanction her idea of drugging them both and locking them in the basement. Instead she would have to rely on them coming to their senses.

“Now what?”

“CJ ability to love extends well beyond rational thinking. And loving someone and being in love are two very different things.” Margaret placed a protective hand on her belly. She had learnt more about love since the little blue line appeared in the window than she ever thought possible. “She’s loved Toby for almost twenty years but I don’t think she’s ever considered marrying him.”

“Tommy is different.”

“Because unlike you he’s able to admit his feelings?”

Leo glared at her but didn’t deny that she was telling the truth. It would have been pointless anyhow.

“We have ten months left.”

“What’s that got to do with CJ getting married?”

Margaret sighed, her patience wavering. “She won’t marry him until we’re out of office. It gives you ten months to figure out how you feel, to actually tell her and maybe, you know, get your head out of your ass.”

“Margaret!”

“Well. I don’t want you spending the rest of your life living with regrets,” she offered softly, her face revealing her constant concern for him.

“You’re a good girl.”

She rolled her eyes. “My mother sees it differently.”

Leo leaned down and placed a light kiss to her forehead. “So you’ve never been conventional, I still love you. You should get some rest.”

“Yeah, I’m heading home.” Struggling to her feet, she righted herself. “I know you think I worry too much, but for once you should listen.” Without waiting for him to answer she disappeared into the building.

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Part Three

Leo found himself sitting in the morning staff meeting staring at CJ. There was something different about her, but then he thought that might be because she was finally getting the happiness she had craved for so long.

Catching him looking, she cocked her head to one side and smiled.

He grinned back, oblivious to the looks they were earning themselves from the other occupants in the room.

Jed cleared his throat. “Is there something you would like to share with the class?”

Both heads shot around to look at the President.

“You know I don’t like to be left out of things.”

“Tommy’s asked me to marry him,” CJ said, her voice lacking in confidence. When she had turned up at his apartment last night she had said yes with enthusiasm. Later as he had slept she had began to fret. Over breakfast reality had set in as they discussed plans. “We’re only telling close family and friends for now.”

“Congratulations,” Jed said, moving to hug her, his eyes drifting to his friend.

Once everyone had showered her with love and the meeting had broken up, Leo was left alone with his oldest friend.

“CJ’s getting married then?” Jed said, leaning against the desk, his eyes never leaving his friend’s face.

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“At least one of us is making plans for after the administration.”

“What you gonna do? Throw her a bridal shower?”

“Don’t you start.” Although he knew it was only the start of it, once Abbey found out his torture would be continuous.

“Is she pregnant?”

“No.”

“Just wondered why she was rushing into it.” Jed shrugged, nonchalantly.

“What am I? Her father? You want to know something, ask her.”

“Yeah, really, don’t think those feelings you’ve been having about our CJ are fatherly.”

“Sir.”

“You realize there’s nothing actually wrong with her dating this one. I can’t stop her this time.”

“I’ve never asked you to stop her dating anyone,” Leo protested.

“No, that’s right. You just whined every time she was getting any, or looked like she might.”

“It wasn’t appropriate for the Press Secretary to date a reporter.”

“Lord Marbury? Ben? Her agent?” Jed gave him a knowing look. “You have to admit that it was getting to be a bit of a habit.”

“I don’t have to admit anything,” Leo moaned. In truth he hadn’t liked any of CJ’s previous beaus, not because they were wrong for her or weren’t nice guys, just that the thought of CJ with anyone upset him.

Jed shook his head and dropped into his chair. “Get used to it, Leo. In a few months we’re going to be watching our CJ walk down the aisle.”

As much as it hurt him to think she was finally lost to him, Leo knew he had to support CJ. As he left the office he fleeting wished he had the courage to tell her how he felt, but then it had taken him almost nine years to admit it to himself. He didn’t think he had that much time left.

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Part Four

CJ had insisted they have lunch as was their weekly habit but firstly she needed to stop off. It wasn’t until they arrived at the Bridal Shop that Leo realized what they were doing.

“Wouldn’t you rather take Carol or Hogan?” he groaned as she pushed him inside.

“No, I’d rather take my Best friend.”

The room was full of gowns and the assistant was soon handing her six or seven dresses and bundling her into a small cubicle.

CJ appeared seconds later, her suit discarded, wearing an ivory gown. “A bit too much?”

Leo glanced up and nodded, the dress was something out of the civil war, with far too many ruffles and fuss.

Swinging the hooped skirt she headed back inside, only to appear a few minutes later. “And?”

“You’re not seventy.” The dress covered practically every inch of skin and although it fitted like a glove it did nothing to enhance her figure.

When she appeared for the third time, his jaw dropped. And a pang of jealousy shot through him. “That’s the one.” It didn’t escape his notice that she was giving him a pretty eyeful of her back.

“Not too revealing?”

The fact that every man in the church was going to thank him, wasn’t something he could tell CJ. “No.”

“The split goes pretty high.”

Until that moment he hadn’t noticed her legs. Gulping, he gave her a grin. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it sweetheart.”

“The only problem is I’m not going to be able to wear a bra,” CJ complained, adjusting the bodice to increase the small cleavage she had.

That was definitely more information than he needed to know.

“Are you actually blushing, Leopold?” CJ turned once more and gave him a cheeky grin. “Guess you don’t want to see the outfit I’ve picked out for the wedding night.“

He knew then that once she was married he would never be able to see her again. It was one thing to covert your best friend, another to want another man’s wife.

“I was kidding.” Although secretly she wondered if he would approve of the little silk number Abbey had convinced her to buy.

“So are you going to get it?” he asked, looking anywhere but at her and trying to control the images rushing to his lower regions.

CJ shook her head. “Nah, honey, we still have another two boutiques to visit yet.”

Leo groaned as she disappeared to get dressed.

“Not today though. I love too much to put you through that.” She smiled to herself. “We’ll go for lunch, my treat.”

“Then you can drop me off by the Basin. I have a few things to do.” It was hard enough working with her every day before she announced her engagement, now it was almost impossible to be near her. The reality was she would be Tommy’s wife before he knew it and he wasn’t sure he could carry on as before. The time had come to make a few decisions about his own life.

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