“Sam, what do you think?” Toby asked

“Do you care what I think?” Sam asked dryly.

“No, I was just trying to be nice.”

“That’s what I thought, I was just checking.”

“Damn,” CJ said drawing a look from the two of them.

“What?” They asked in concert.

“I forgot to do something. I have to go. Are we done?”

“No.” replied Toby. CJ shot him a look of urgency.
“But we can finish later.” he concluded.

“Thank you!" she shouted back to him as she ran out of the Press Room.

Sam turned to Toby, “What was that about?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

Toby picked up his notebook and followed Sam out of the Press Room.

“It’s seven o’clock.” Sam said as he looked at his watch.

“Yeah, which means what?” Toby asked as they walked back to the
communications bullpen.

“I have to help Josh with something.”

“What, do you have to help him with?”

“It’s personal!” Sam shouted as he ran ahead to his office “See ya
tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Toby replied. “Why does everyone dessert me?” he thought to
himself as he walked into his office.

Back in her office CJ sat once again transfixed to the picture of the
three kids on her desk She had tried to pick up the phone several
times, but put it back each time. “Oh, the hell with it,” she thought
“I’m calling.”

She picked up the phone and this time she dialed the number. On the
other end, a young woman said

“Hello.”

“Hi Susan, It’s Claudia Jean”

“CJ!” She woman on the other end sounded like she found a long lost
friend, and maybe she did. “I thought you forgot. If you did I would
have understood. I mean, with the job and all.”

“I’ve been busy, I’ll give you that. The day is winding down here now
so I thought that I would give you a call.”

“I’m glad you did Claud.”

“Sue, how are the kids this year?” CJ asked with concern in her voice.

“Well, with the trial finally over and the bastard getting what he
deserved they...” She corrected herself, “We have begun to heal, but it’s been a long process.”

“Suz, You don’t have to remind me about that.
I remember as if it were yesterday.”

“CJ, please don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.
In fact you saved the kids, and for that, I could never
repay you. If it weren’t for you my kids and I might be dead right now.
I begging you, please whatever you do don’t blame yourself.
I would ask if you want to talk to them but they’re all in school right
now, I’ll tell them you called and thanks again for checking in.”

“No problem, call if you need anything, and send the kids my love.”

“I will, see you soon CJ, bye.”

“Bye, Suz.” The line went dead before CJ hung up the phone. She was so
preoccupied that she didn’t hear the soft tap at her door. When she
looked up, Toby was standing in front of her.

“Toby! You scared me”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Who is Suz?”

“What?”

“Who is Suz?”

“You were listening to my phone conversation?” She asked surprised at
him.

“Didn’t mean to.” He said as he sat in a chair in front of her desk.
“Who is she, CJ?”

“She was my College roommate and still is my friend.”

“I see.”

“Wait there is more”

“You don’t have to tell me anymore, you didn’t even have to tell me
that.” Toby began to get up out of the chair.

“Wait! I want to tell you. I’ve kept this to myself long enough.
Susan met this guy when we were juniors in college.
They hit it off, then she got pregnant, and then married. After they
were married they had two more kids; I’m the Godmother to all of them."
When she finished that statement Toby had a shocked look on his face.
“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what? Oh, sorry. So What happened?”

CJ continued. “Anyway he came home one night drunk and beat Susan and
the kids. They came and stayed with me; he came looking for them.
When he knocked on my door Susan pleaded with me to take the kids and
hide. She said that she was going to end it here and now. I took the kids to
my landlady's apartment, down the fire escape and through her kitchen
window. She let Eddie in I heard them fighting and called the police.
When they got to the apartment they were still fighting; he pushed her
through my sliding glass door. One of the cops pulled his gun because they couldn’t stop Eddie. Before
the cop could shoot, Eddie pulled his own gun and killed the cop.
His partner shot Eddie but didn’t kill him. To make a long story short,
his was convicted of murder and child and spousal abuse. The kids had to
testify. They also had no mother for four months,she was in and out of
hospitals. I took care of her and the kids, as best I could.” CJ now had
tears in her eyes, “I was the one they sat next to in the court room
when they heard what would happen to their father, because they wanted
to be there and their mother couldn’t.”

“What happened to him?” Toby asked putting a supportive hand on CJ’s
arm.

“He got the death penalty. I really have no position on capital
punishment, but I can’t say I’m sorry.” Tears once again began
to gather in her eyes as she thought about the kids... not for him,
but the kids, her best friend, and the pain he put them through.”

“CJ.” Toby spoke softly. “Let’s get outta here.”

“Where are we gonna go?”

“I don’t know. How about a drink.”

“Okay, Georgetown?”

“Fine.” He replied as he put an arm around her and guided her out the
door.

“Leo, thanks for today.” Liz said as she finished the last of her
Chinese takeout.

“Well, you’re welcome. Sorry I’m not much of a cook.”

“That’s okay.” she replied with a giggle

“Why don’t we throw the plates out and sit down and talk?” He suggested.

“Sounds good.” Liz got up and collected the empty containers, and
plates, and threw them in the garbage can.

Then she followed her brother into the living room and sat next to him
on the sofa. He put a comforting arm around her.

“So,” he began “Hey before, you said this year was especially hard,
Why?” Liz began to cry when Leo asked the question.

“Lizzy?” Leo asked calmly but with concern.

“I’m sorry.” she whaled.

“It’s okay. What is it?” Leo responded, tightening his hold on his kid
sister.

“Well first Jason came home and said “Mom, I want to fly planes, like
you said dad did. “And then two days ago I got a letter from one of his
high school buddies, asking if he wanted to help with the reunion that
is coming up.” Liz began to sob again. She buried her head in Leo’s
chest.

“Well,” he began, the reunion thing isn’t that bad.”

“I know.” she said still sobbing. “I called and when Fred, his friend,
picked up the phone, he apologized for having sent it.”

“So, that’s not really what’s bothering you. It is what Jason said.”
Leo replied looking up at a picture of his nephew that he kept
on top of the television set, next to one of Jenny and Mallory.

“You got that right, Le” Tears now falling down her face again. Before
Leo responded he lifted her head up and gently wiped away a tear.

“No more tears, Okay?” He said wiping away the last one.

“Okay.” She said with a little smile.

“Jason is nine years old, Liz this is what boys his age are supposed to
do at his age. It’s what I did. If he still wants to do it at eighteen
then we’ll talk.” He said with a smile.

“I don’t want to loose him, like I lost Robbie. I don’t want another
visit like the one from you nine years ago.”

“That sounds fair. Ya know it occurs to me that if Robbie were here now
he would kick both of our asses because of our somber behavior.
I don’t think that the Captain McConnel I knew would want us to be
crying about him nine years later, when we had no control over what
happened in the first place.”

“What do you want to do?” Elisabeth asked picking her head up off his
shoulder.

“Let’s go have a drink.”

“A drink! You can’t have a drink Le.” she said seriously.
“Relax, I’ll have a soda or something. Come on you need to
drown your sorrows. Let’s go.” Leo got up off
the sofa and helped his sister up, pushing her out the door.

They headed for Georgetown.