When they got home, CJ collapsed on the couch. After
putting Meghan to bed Toby came in and sat down beside
her.

“Tired?”

“Exhausted actually.” CJ said quietly.

“Come here.” Toby said
.
CJ moved until she was resting against Toby. He
rubbed her shoulders. “Is that better?” He asked.

“Yeah., much better. It’s been such a long day.”

“It’s only going to get worse this week.” Toby said
gloomily.

“You really are worried about ‘Meet the Press’,
aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to do it. Do you remember what a
disaster my last meeting with Mary Marsh was?”

“Yes, the New York Jews comment, and everything
else.”

“Then you can see why I really don’t want to do this.
She will make me angry and I’ll end up looking like an
idiot on national TV, instead of just to the White
House staff.”

“Don’t let her bait you. That’s what Sam, Josh, and
I will tell you tomorrow. Now, I don’t want to talk
about it anymore tonight.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Truthfully, I’d rather just lay here in silence and
feel your arms around me.”

“That can be arranged.”

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

The rest of the week went quickly. Much of it was
spent preparing Toby for his appearance on Meet the
Press. Josh, CJ and Sam spent a good part of their
time trying to prepare Toby.

“You can’t say that on national TV!” Josh exclaimed
about Toby’s latest absurd remark.

“Why the hell can’t I?” Toby said.

“Because it’s absurd. Can’t you even see that it is
absurd?” Josh asked.

“In a nutshell, that is the position of this
administration.”

“No,” CJ said, “in a nutshell that is the position of
Toby Ziegler, a senior member of this administration,
and it is said in the most condencending manner
possible.”

“I’m not being condescending!”

“Yes, you are.” Sam said.

“Sam and CJ are right. You can’t be condescending on
TV, take it from someone who has done it. It’s not a
good idea.” Josh said.

“You do understand this is Mary Marsh we are talking
about?”

“Yes, we understand that.” CJ said. “We know you
don’t like her. Josh and I were there so we know
exactly why you don’t like her. But you can’t let her
get to you, especially on national TV. If you let that
happen *it* will be the story. You’ll give her even
more airtime than she is already getting.”

“That woman infuriates me.” Toby said.

“I can think of someone else that infuriates you at
times.” CJ said.

“Okay, guys. It’s late and I know you two want to go
home. We’ll pick this up in the morning.” Sam said.

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

“You wouldn’t have been talking about yourself a few
minutes ago, would you?” Toby teased CJ after Josh and
Sam had left.

“What made you think that?”

“The someone else who infuriates me at times
statement.”

“Oh, that.” CJ said.

“Yeah, that.” Toby said. “I don’t know how that is
supposed to help.”

“How do you keep from losing your temper with me?”

“That would not work with Mary Marsh.”

“Why?”

“She’s not the woman I’m married to, the mother of my
child, and she certainly is not the woman I’m
hopelessly in love with.”

“Oh, really.” CJ said as she put her arms around
Toby. She then kissed him.

“We should go home.” He said after a minute.

“By all means. Oh, the feeling is mutual.” CJ
replied.

“What?” Toby asked

“The hopelessly in love part.” CJ said.

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

Although Toby was not happy about it, Sunday finally
came. When he came into the kitchen that morning to
make some coffee, he found that CJ was already making
it. He walked up behind her and put his arms around
her.

“Good morning.” She said turning to kiss him.

“This would be the only good thing about this
morning.” He said.

“What would be?” She asked.

“Holding you.” He said and then kissed her.

“It will be fine. It’ll be over with in a few hours.”

“You think we could call and say I’m sick? It might
work.”

“Leo would send Mrs. Bartlet to see how you are.”

“We don’t have to answer the door.”

“Nice try.” CJ laughed. “She’d have the secret
service break the door down.”

“I really have to go.”

“Yes, you do.” CJ said. “It will be okay, just don’t
let her bait you, don’t say anything stupid or
condenscending.

“Yeah.”

“I’m serious!”

“I know you are.” He said.

“Are you going to listen to me then?”

“Yes.”

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

When Toby arrived at the studio, Mary Marsh was
already there. He was directed to a chair across from
her and sat down.

“Good morning Mr. Ziegler.” She said.

“Mrs. Marsh.” Toby replied.

“It has been a long time.” She said.

“Yes, it has.”

“I understand congratulations are in order.”

“For what?” Toby asked, wondering what she was up to.

“Your marriage and the birth of your daughter.”

“Yes,” Toby allowed himself the smallest of smiles at
the thought of CJ and Meghan, “that has happened
since we last spoke.”

“How old is your daughter?”

“Fourteen months.”

“Rumor around town is that you are a proud and doting
father.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and also that you are a devoted husband. Most
people who know you in the political world can’t
believe that you could be so different.”

“I see.”

“Yes.” It was a moment before she spoke again. “ I
don’t like sitting across from someone for 15 minutes
without speaking, so I hope you didn’t mind that I
spoke.”

“No.”

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

The interview had gone well so far, CJ thought as she
watched it. Meghan was fascinated by seeing her daddy
on TV, she kept pointing at the TV and saying Daddy.

“Yes, sweetheart, that’s Daddy on the TV. He’ll be
home soon.” CJ said as Meghan pointed to the TV. “Shh,
Mommy wants to hear what Daddy is saying.”

From the TV she could hear Toby speaking about how
the Constitution prohibited religious expression in
connection with the government. Mrs. Marsh was now
talking about how 8 in 10 of the adults in some states
wanted the Ten Commandments posted. From the look on
Toby’s face CJ knew they probably had trouble.

“Eight in ten.” Toby said. “Eight in ten adults
support this.”

“Yes, according to the polls they do.” Mary Marsh
said.

“What do you think of that Mr. Ziegler?” The
moderator asked.

“What do I think, well to begin with I think the
Constitution is clear on this subject. It doesn’t
matter if it’s 10 out of 10, it’s unconstitutional.
Those who think otherwise should read the constitution
and try to understand it. I hear you can find a copy
at amazon.com.”

CJ, who was on the couch watching it unfold, reached
for the phone. As she was reaching for it, the phone
rang.

“Hello, yeah Leo I’m watching it. How the hell should
I know what happened. Yeah, I’ll be right there. I
know we have *a lot* of damage control to do. Yeah,
I’ve got Meghan. Mrs. Bartlet will watch her okay.
Yeah fifteen minutes. Bye.”

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

Toby walked into the storm brewing in Leo’s office an
hour later. Leo, Sam, CJ, and Josh were already there.

“Where’s Meghan?” Toby asked CJ.

“With Mrs. Bartlet.”

“How many times did we tell you not to lose your cool
with her?” Josh asked.

“A number of times.”

“Why the hell did you do it then?” Leo asked.

“She provoked me.” Toby said.

“You should have know better.” CJ said.

“Yeah really.” Sam said.

“CJ, is the press corps here?” Leo asked.

“More are arriving every minute.”

“Great, you’ll have to do a briefing.” Leo said.

“Yeah, I know.” CJ said.

“Explain it, if you can.” Josh said.

“There’s not much to explain.” CJ said.

“Yeah, I know, but do the best you can. Why don’t you
go do that now? We’ll finish up in here.” Leo said

“Okay.”

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

CJ glanced out over the press corps and saw that most
of the regulars where there. She begun to take
questions. Things went well at first, but then it
quickly went downhill.

“Yes, Jeremy.” CJ said.

“CJ do you feel that there is a good explanation for
Mr. Ziegler insulting the beliefs of the majority of
Americans?”

“I think the explanation and intentions of Mr.
Ziegler’s statements are self explanatory.” CJ said
and then left the podium.

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

CJ had gone to the residence to check on Meghan after
the briefing. Sitting and playing with her daughter
helped her to calm down. What had happened could be
fixed and it was work not personal so CJ was okay.
She went back to her office to work. She had not been
in there five minutes when she heard the door slam
shut. She looked up and saw Toby walking in.

“What the hell was that out there?!!" Toby shouted.

to be continued...