See part one for the disclaimer and other important information.
“Steve,” C.J. acknowledges.
“Has the president demonstrated any signs of changing his mind about endorsing Mark Perry?’
“No, the president is still firm in his belief that Perry does not have the American people’s interest in mind. That’s it for now guys. I’ll see you at the five o’clock briefing.”
No one really notices that C.J. has cut the briefing a little shorter than usual--only Carol is a little suspicious when C.J. runs straight to the bathroom. Luckily for C.J. one of the deputies distracts Carol before she can think too much about it.
Inside the bathroom, C.J. is starring at a toilet bowel, wondering when the last time it had been cleaned. She would have put this off to food poisoning if it had ended last week. She knows that her mother had problems with morning sickness. It was one of those facts that her mother liked to share when she felt C.J. was being ungrateful. The home pregnancy test has been sitting in her bathroom for two days, but she hasn’t had the courage to use it yet. Denial is working well for C.J.
C.J. sighs and pulls herself off of the floor. She washes her mouth out and checks to make sure she’s presentable before heading back to the office.
“Carol get me Mark Perry’s campaign manager. I want to know where the press keeps getting the impression that the President is going to change his mind.”
“Sure, boss. Peter dropped these off. It’s the budget for the new Homeland Security Bill.”
“Thanks—just what I wanted.”
“Anytime—do you want some coffee? I was headed over there anyways.”
“No thanks,” C.J. flashes a smile before ducking into her office.
***
The little plus sign is starring C.J. in the face. Her first response is to make a doctor’s appointment, but that would mean talking to Carol. Before she can tell anyone, she has to talk to Leo and she really doesn’t want to do that. Any other woman could have this baby and only be scorned by the little old lady living down the street. The political area has much different standards. After Leo and the MS scandal, the administration doesn’t need anything else. Leo is going to yell and after that it’s going to be months of carefully balancing the press. C.J. just wants a few moments more to savor the idea of being a mother. It is a desire that C.J. hasn’t had since graduating college. The concept of being a career woman has worked just fine, but the longing has really just been hiding under the surface.
***
“Margaret, does he have a minute?”
“Yeah, but just a minute. He has a meeting.”
“Thanks.”
“Margaret, I’m coming--just hold your horses.”
“Leo…”
“C.J.,” he stops in mid-stride, “Margaret’s been antsy all day.”
“Okay…I need to talk to you.”
“Talk fast”
“I’m pregnant.”
“We’ll deal with it at staff,” he thinks for a moment, “I’m happy for you, but the administration really doesn’t need this right now.” He moves closer to the door, “Margaret move staff up to noon and cancel my 12:30.”
“Leo?”
“Yes, I have a good reason.”
“Okay—Congratulations C.J.”
Leo shakes his head and leaves C.J. standing in his office.
***
“Leo, I’m supposed to be meeting with Brookheimer. What’s going on?” Josh asks as he enters the office.
“He’s not here yet,” Will informs him.
“Does anybody have any idea what’s going on?” Toby asks again, sounding incredibly grumpy.
C.J. and Leo pick that moment to enter the office.
Leo very bluntly exclaims, “C.J.’s pregnant—we need a game plan.”
Jaws drop at the news and none of them can speak.
“Hello, I’m still in the room.”
“We’ll throw you a baby shower later.”
“We’re going to have right wingers all over us the moment this breaks.”
Josh adds, “We need a controlled leak to the press.”
Leo then asks the biggest question of them all, “What about the father? This isn’t going to do us much good if he gets out there first.”
Josh and Will try to speak, but C.J. get there first, “I’m not exactly sure who the father is.”
Josh and Will look shocked, then at each other, and then at Toby. He shrugs a little. They realize what really happened.
“No, there wont’ be a problem,” Josh begins.
“No, Toby?” Will continues.
“Of course not.”
“I don’t want to know. This is worse than a soap opera. C.J. set up the leak.”
“Why don’t we run this through the first ladies office? Turn it into a women’s issue,” Will suggests.
“It’s good idea. Congress isn’t going to mess with such a large population of voters.”
“C.J.?”
“I’ll talk to Abbey.”
“Okay, let’s move on.” Leo looks expectantly at this staff.
C.J. puts her glasses on and read her notes, “The Real Intellect of the Bartlet Administration will hit the shelves in two weeks—the press has the full copy now.”
“Can’t we just make fun of it like the last one?”
“Unfortunaly, even I can’t make jokes out of this. The only funny part is my name. I already tried that. It obviously didn’t work,” C.J. pauses and then continues with an idea, “Why don’t we simply state what she did do. She was a White House staffer who worked in the communications department. She in no way had access to accomplish her claims.”
“C.J. sweep it under the rug.”
“Environmental Bill 847 has been pushed up,” Josh states, starting the new topic.
Will once again clarifies, “The one that practically repeals the Endangered Species Act of 1973?”
“I think we need to keep that,” Leo responds sarcastically.
“We should get something together to counter it.”
“I want to see numbers.”
Margaret knocks on the door, “Senator Rodgers is here.”
“Guys go”
TBC
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