Disclaimer: The West Wing and it's characters are the
property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers and NBC. No
copyright infringement is intended.
Rating: G
Summary: CJ's parents come to Washington for a visit.
Author's Note: This story is part of my continuing
CJ/Toby series. It takes place after "Please Forgive
Me."
It was the first warm day of the spring. Since Meghan
had been indoors most of the winter, CJ decided to
take her out on the balcony to play. CJ took the phone
out with her, and was watching Meghan play when the
phone rang.
"Hello." CJ said. "Oh, hi Mom. How are you and Dad?
That's good. Meghan, she's fine. Yes she's getting
bigger. You're coming out here to visit? When? Okay,
yeah it shouldn't be a problem. Yes, I'm certain.
Love you too. Bye."
About an hour later, Toby returned home. He looked
for CJ and Meghan when he came into the apartment.
Seeing the open door to the balcony, he knew that they
were out there.
"Is she enjoying it?" Toby asked from just inside the
door.
"Yeah, she's having fun. You should come out." CJ
replied.
"No, thank you."
"I always forget you don't like being outdoors." CJ
laughed.
"No, I don't."
"I've always found it funny. The times you have been
outdoors with me you have enjoyed it."
"Yes, and if you want me to continue to enjoy those
times, they shouldn't be very frequent."
"And when was the last time?"
"I don't remember." Toby replied.
"Then you could come out." CJ said.
"No."
"Well, I'm going to bring Meghan in, since there is
something I need to talk to you about." CJ said
picking Meghan up and taking her into the apartment.
After CJ came in and shut the door, Toby asked her.
"What's going on?"
"My mom called." CJ replied.
"How are she and your dad?"
"They're fine. In fact, they are coming for a visit
in a few weeks."
"When exactly?"
"In three weeks. They are planning to stay until
Easter." CJ said.
"Okay, that's good. They'll get to spend some time
with their granddaughter."
"Yeah, they haven't seen her much."
"Yes and unlike my father, they actually live in the
same country." Toby said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CJ and Toby met her parents at the airport when they
flew in to Washington from California. It had been
months since CJ had seen her parents and she was
looking forward to the visit. She was the
quintessential Daddy's little girl. She had always
been close to her father, but her relationship with
her mother had never been the best.
"You're a little nervous aren't you?" Toby asked CJ a
few minutes before the plane landed.
"Yeah, I am." CJ replied,
"Why?"
"You know what my relationship with my mother is
like. I'm worried that we will get into it over
something."
"I don't think you will. It will be fine."
"Okay." CJ said as the plane was announced. "Here
goes nothing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"She's gotten so big." Eleanor Cregg exclaimed, later
at CJ and Toby's apartment, as she picked up Meghan.
"Well, Mom she is 17 months old, and the last time
you saw here she was nine months old." CJ said.
"I know. The photos show her changing, but it's not
the same as seeing her in person."
"I guess it's not."
"Now, you haven't had her baptism without inviting me
have you?" Eleanor asked.
"No." CJ replied.
"CJ, why hasn't Meghan been baptized yet?"
"Well, Mom..."
"Don't you start! Don't you dare tell me you have
been too busy!"
"Well I am." CJ muttered.
"What was that, Claudia Jean Cregg."
"You do know I don't exactly spend my days in
leisure. I have a job, a very demanding job I might
add. Although you might find it hard to understand I
*am* a very busy person."
"Don't back talk to me!"
"Does it count that I've already been through the
class!" CJ said. "If we are going to do this let me
have Meghan and I'll put her in the other room." CJ
said softly.
"No, I won't raise my voice again. We'll talk about
this calmly and rationally." Eleanor said.
"Okay."
"You've taken the class?"
"Yes."
"Then what is stopping you?"
"I haven't had the time to have it done."
"Easter is coming up." Eleanor said.
"And your point is?" CJ laughed.
"Easter would be a good time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Toby came home, he found CJ sitting on the
couch. He sat down beside her.
"I was beginning to think you didn't realize I was
here." Toby said
"Yeah, I realized it. Mom and I got into it today."
"What over?"
"The fact that Meghan has not been baptized yet."
"Okay, I told you when you took the class that it
wouldn't bother me if she were baptized."
"Yeah I know."
"What did you tell her?"
"I haven't had the time."
"CJ..."
"It's true. I took the class during my maternity
leave. You know how hectic things have been."
"What did she say."
"She didn't like it. Of course I was getting a little
angry. She then mentioned Easter is coming up."
"She thinks that would be a good time?"
"Yeah?"
"I just don't know." CJ said.
"Why not?"
"It's so close. I don't know if I can get everything
finished by then."
"What do you need to do?" Toby asked.
"I need to chose the godparents for one thing. Then I
have to ask them and hope they say yes."
"That shouldn't be too hard." Toby said.
"It shouldn't?!"
"No, you should ask the Bartlets."
"I should ask the President and First Lady."
"Yes, you should."
"That is a good idea." CJ said.
"I thought you would think so."
"Thank you." CJ said and kissed him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Carol." CJ said in her office the next day.
"Yes, CJ?"
"Can you please inform the President and First Lady
that I would like to talk to them later today. Just
whenever it is convenient for them."
"Okay."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Good afternoon CJ." Jed said when she came into the
Oval Office later that afternoon.
"Good afternoon, sir, Mrs. Bartlet." CJ said and sat
down on the couch.
"What's going on CJ?" Abbey asked.
"Well, I have a major favor to ask of you." CJ said.
"Okay, and what would that favor be?" Jed asked.
"Well, you know my parents are in town. My mother has
been after me to have Meghan baptized. And I've
decided to have it done on Easter Sunday."
"That's great. If you can stand the Secret Service
circus, then Jed and I will be there."
"Well, I was hoping you would be. See I was hoping
that you would be Meghan's godparents?" CJ asked.
"I think I can say that I speak for both of us," Jed
said, "when I say we would be honored.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you busy?" CJ asked Toby.
"No, come in." Toby said.
"They said they would do it." CJ said sitting down on
the edge of his desk.
"The Bartlets said they would be Meghan's
godparents?"
"Yes."
"Okay so you're going to have it done on Easter."
"Yeah I think so. Hey do you think I should tell my
parents?"
"You're thinking of just having them go to church
with you and spring it on them?"
"I could do that."
"Don't you think they would realize that something
was up?"
"When?"
"When they see that I'm going to church with you. And
when they see that you have Meghan dressed up."
"You have a point."
"I always have a point." Toby replied.
"Shut up." CJ said as she got up.
"Hey, I'm the only one allowed to say that!"
"No, you're not."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hi, Mom. Dad." CJ said as she answered the door.
"Come in."
"Where is Meghan?" CJ's father, Alexander asked.
"She's with Toby in his office." CJ replied.
"You think he would mind if I went in there?"
Alexander asked.
"No, of course not Dad. Go on in." CJ replied.
"I guess we could sit down." CJ said to her mother
after her father had left the room.
"I guess so." Eleanor replied.
"I have something to tell you." CJ said.
"What?" Eleanor asked.
"I have scheduled Meghan's baptism for Easter
Sunday."
"Really that's great." Eleanor said. "So who did you
ask to be the godparents?"
"The Bartlets." CJ answered.
"That's who I thought you would ask."
"You did?"
"Yeah, they were the obvious choice."
"Okay."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After attending church services on Easter Sunday,
everyone went back to the White House for dinner.
"I've always known Meghan is a good baby," Jed said,
"but she really proved it to me today."
"How?" Toby asked.
"She didn't cry a lot when the priest dunked her head
in the water." Abbey said.
"No, she didn't." Eleanor said.
"She really is a good child." Toby said picking
Meghan up.
"Yes, she is." Abbey agreed. "We should probably stop
singing her praises because if we don't she will get a
very large ego."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After everyone had eaten, Toby found CJ standing next
to a window. He walked up behind her and put his arms
around her waist.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"You've been very quiet today."
"I guess I'm just wondering if I'll end up having the
same type of relationship with Meghan that I have with
my mother."
"You and your mother are from two very different
generations. She's never worked outside the home, not
that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that. You
have built a career, which is a very important part of
your life. Your mother loves you. The two of you are
just so much alike that you clash."
"You're right. You know I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"That if we were to have another child, that child
could be raised..."
"Jewish?" Toby said finishing her sentence.
"Yeah."
"Well, since we both know it is very unlikely that we
will have another child, I don't think that is
something we will have to worry about."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just saying."
"I know." Toby said and kissed her. "We should go
back and join the others."
The End