The Necklace
By Paris
Disclaimer: The characters are Aaron Sorkin's and the belong to NBC. No money
is being made in the writing of this story.
Distribution: Anywhere, just give me the credit and let me know where it is
going!
Summary: There was something more to CJ's necklace in ITSOTG.
Author's Note: This is in CJ's point of view. This is just where I let my
mind wander to. Feedback is always grand!
Author's Note to Josh and Donna fans: Patience, patience!!
"Thanks, Sam," I say again as I turn to leave for my office. "You don't
know how much it means to me to have this necklace back."
I am so glad to have to have my necklace back. It certainly wasn't
anything priceless, but it has so much sentimental value to me. I don't know
if I could stand it if I had lost both this necklace and Josh in one night.
But, both are now fine.
I get back to my office and slump into my chair. I rub the star that
hangs from the necklace and let the chain slide through my fingers. There are
a few links broken, but nothing that is too horrible, that I can not get
fixed.
I am exhausted, the last forty-eight hours have been strenuous, I haven't
had much sleep, and my head still hurts from falling to the ground. I am
comforted by the fact that Leo came back from the hospital and to tell us
that Josh woke up and the fact that I once again have my necklace.
As I stare deeply at it, the necklace that means so much to me, memories
flood my mind.
Two years earlier
CJ Cregg's apartment
I am unpacking the maze of boxes that are flooding my apartment when the
telephone rings. I have to laugh, because I am actually unsure of the phone's
location. "I'm coming," I say as if the caller can hear me. "As soon as I
can find that darn telephone," I mutter under my breath.
The phone continues to ring as if it is laughing at my desperate search
for it. "Found you!" I say as I look over a pile of boxes in what will become
my living room. "Hello?" I answer the phone.
"CJ! It's Josh," the voice on the other line says to me.
"Hi Josh," I say.
"Are you busy?" He asks me.
"I don't know, Josh. Considering I have been in this city for a grand
total of ten hours, and have not even made a dent in my unpacking," I tell
him. "Don't you have unpacking to do?" I know that Josh arrived in Washington
only hours before I did.
"Sure," Josh tells me. "But here's what I figure, I am going to be here
four years no make that eight, I am still oozing with faith in Jed Bartlet,
so I've got eight years to unpack these boxes."
Men. "Great thinking, Josh," I say with sarcasm. "But it doesn't bother
you in the least that you are not making yourself at home in this city?"
"You really haven't been in politics too much, have you CJ?" Josh asks in
a half laugh.
"What do you mean by that?" I ask mildly offended.
"CJ, you are never going to see your home," Josh tells me. "Worry about
making your office homey, that's the only place that we're going to see in
eight years."
"Whatever!" I say not wishing to believe what Josh has just told me. "Did
you call for a reason or are you just trying to keep me away from my
unpacking?"
"No, surprising as it may seem I called for a reason," Josh says.
"Oh really?"
"Yes," Josh tells me. "Come have dinner with me tonight. Since you aren't
unpacked, I am sure you aren't planning to cook dinner, so let me take you
out."
I hadn't thought about dinner yet. I had had breakfast on the plane from
California, and kept myself busy through the afternoon. I hadn't even
realized that evening was approaching. "What did you have in mind?" I ask.
"Somewhere with candles and dancing," Josh tells me.
I laugh at him; "It's our first night in Washington, Josh."
"So," he says. "We should enjoy it."
"All right, all right," I agree.
"Great, I'll pick you up in an hour," Josh tells me.
"I'll see you then," I say as I hang up the phone and head back to the
boxes to look for something to wear.
It doesn't surprise me in the least that Josh and I are having dinner
together. We've been going out for dinner at least once a week since Mandy
dumped him during the primaries. Sometimes we go out with Sam and Donna, but
more times then not it's Josh and me together, two best friends trying to
find the place with the best culture of that area. We've eaten at little
grilles, cafes, and diners while touring the country with Jed Bartlet's
campaign. And now we are settling down in the city that we all hoped this
tour would end, Washington, D.C.
After digging through suitcases and garment bags, I have finally found a
dress that isn't wrinkled. It's a short sleeveless black sheath that shows
off my long legs a little. I continue to dig to find the rest of the things I
will be needing: pantyhose, a small purse, my make-up case and my black
shoes. Once everything is located I enter the bathroom to shower, changed and
put on some make-up. It really felt nice to be cleaned up; sure I was a
little more than jet lagged, but I was excited to be in Washington.
An hour and twenty minutes later Josh knocked on my door. I smiled as I
opened to door to my first visitor in Washington, DC.
"Wow," Josh said, "CJ you look great."
"Thanks Josh," I smiled. "You clean up pretty well yourself." He was
wearing a clean suit and tie.
"Are you ready?" He asked me.
"Yes, since you told me you would be here twenty minutes ago," I gave him
a sarcastic frown, "Aren't you the one that has lived in this city before."
"Yeah, but it's been awhile," Josh tells me.
I roll my eyes, and he leads me to his parked car. Josh smiles and opens
the car door for me. "So I made reservations at this great little place with
candle light and dancing," he grins.
"Sounds great," I tell him. "Josh are you okay?"
"Yeah, sure fine," he says keeping his eyes on the road. He doesn't look
fine. He looks ill or maybe it's fear in his eyes.
When we enter the restaurant, the hostess smiles and says, "Mr. Lyman
it's so good to see you are back in town. We have your table ready." She
looks at me and after a moment she says, "I see we are bringing a new girl to
dinner. You should have gotten rid of that last one long ago."
Josh gives the woman an uneasy smile, "Mandy," he tells me.
I have to agree with the hostess he should have gotten rid of Mandy long
ago. We are seated at a corner table with a large window over looking the
Washington cityscape. The hostess smiles and gives us our menus.
"This is gorgeous, Josh," I have to admit the man has good taste.
"Yeah, I love the view," he shares.
"You used to bring Mandy, here, huh?" I inquire.
"Yes," he sighs looking down at the menu. "But that's history."
I know it is, but he is still hurt because of the break up, but perhaps
the sadness in his eyes is the hurt of a son at the loss of his father.
Mandy broke up with him only a week after his father died.
The waiter brings a bottle of the house wine for the return of their
Joshua. "You really have these people fooled."
Josh grins, "Of course, I am a politician, that's what I do best."
I had to smile, Josh really knows how to put me in a good mood, but as I
was smiling I took a long look at him. I hadn't noticed how dark the circles
under his eyes had gotten or how thin he seemed. "Josh," I said in a much
more serious tone, "How are you?"
He looks at me strangely. "What are you talking about? I am fine."
"Josh," I say giving him an evil eye. I know he isn't fine. "If you need
to talk about anything, I am here. I am always here. I mean, whether it's
about your dad or about Mandy or anything."
"I know," he tells me and looks down at the menu and after a moment he
looks up at me again. "CJ?"
"Yes, Josh?"
"When my dad found out he had cancer, he wrote us each a letter and put
them with his will," Josh starts to tell me. His words are slow. "I was
rereading my letter on the plane today and it really really got me thinking."
"You want to tell me what he had to say?" I ask, not knowing if Josh will
share or not.
"He started off by telling me how proud he was of my achievements," Josh
says, "but he went off track to tell me how much his relationship with my
mother meant to him. The next fourteen pages are telling me how to know when
I have found the right woman."
I look at him and I am unsure with what he is trying to tell me.
"CJ, the thing is," Josh looks down at his hands, which are intertwined,
in his napkin. "What with the Bartlet administration and all, my prime years
of finding a mate will be shot."
I try not to laugh, but it's so hard.
"I know this is going to sound hokey, but hear me out," Josh tells me
with a sheepish grin on his face. "CJ, if by the time Jed Bartlet leaves the
White House neither of us are in a relationship, would you think about
marrying me? CJ, my father always told me that I should marry my best friend,
and that's what you are. There's no commitment now, but give it eight years."
"Josh?" I say in disbelief. He really did catch me off guard on this one.
He reaches into his coat pocket. "In eight years if we aren't in a
relationship?" I ask to make sure of the terms.
"Yes," he says.
"Yes," I answer him. I have to admit having Josh as a back up doesn't
seem like the worst thing in the world. I could spend the rest of my life
with him.
"CJ," Josh says as he places a box on the table. "This is for you."
"Josh? What is it?" I ask him, but I am really asking myself, why on
earth is Josh Lyman buying me what appears to be jewelry.
"It's a necklace," he informs me. "It has a little star on it, because
Claudia Jean, since Mandy dumped me and since my father died I have realized
that you are my shining star."
"It's beautiful," I say when I open the box.
"Wear it as a promise to me," Josh says as he walks to my chair and puts
it on for me.
"What if we do find ourselves in relationships Josh?" I ask.
"If that's the case, it's a promise that we will become best friends with
the third and fourth party," Josh smiles proudly at his thought. "I mean, if
I don't marry you, I want you to be my wife's best friend and take her out to
lunch and shoe shopping."
"Shoe shopping?" I spit out laughing at him.
"Yeah," Josh tells me looking hurt. "Isn't that what women do?"
"I have never gone shoe shopping with a group of friends Josh," I tell
him. I don't tell him the real reason is because I am self conscious of my
large feet.
"And when I die," Josh continues, "You and my widow can set up the Joshua
Lyman Memorial Foundation."
"The Joshua Lyman Memorial Foundation?" I am still laughing from the shoe
bit, but now I am laughing much harder. "Where will the money go?"
"I haven't decided what charity will be blessed with my generous
contributions, yet," Josh says with a sarcastic snobbery. "It will be in my
will."
"That's good to hear," I tell him. "What will you and my husband do,
while I take your wife shoe shopping?"
"Watch football and down some beers," he says point blankly.
"Josh," I say in near laughter once again. "Your system is so delicate
you can't even down one beer."
"Now, that's not true," Josh argues.
"It is so," I tell him. "I even told your assistant to keep an eye on you
at parties and other functions, because your system can't handle alcohol,
Joshua."
"You didn't," he challenges my comment.
"But I did," I answer truthfully.
"Claudia!" He whines.
"Joshua!" I whine back in a mocking tone.
"You don't understand," he tells me. "Donna, my assistant is the type of
woman who won't let me forget that I can't handle a beer."
I start to laugh; "You shouldn't forget it."
"Can I take your orders?" The waiter asks.
Three days after the shooting
Leo gave me the day off. He told me that I needed to get some rest and
that I should go to visit Josh if I feel up to it. I am pretty sure that Leo
thinks my fall that night was more serious then it actually was, but I am
glad for the break.
I decide to sleep in. It's something that I haven't done in ages. When I
finally do decide to get up I take a nice hot shower and eat a leisurely
breakfast. I had a billion errands that I could be running, but it was my
mental health day, and I planned on using it to regain what little sanity I
may have left.
When I finished breakfast I put my dishes in the sink, grabbed my car
keys and headed out. Carol had given me the name of a jeweler who may be able
to fix my necklace. That was my first mission of the day, after that I
planned to visit Josh.
After getting lost a third time, I found the small jewelry shop, when I
walked it a small woman with snow white hair welcomed me in, "Good morning,"
she smiles.
"Hi," I say.
"I have this necklace with a broken chain," I explain. "I mean, I am sure
if you can't fix it I can buy a new chain, but I just thought.."
"Oh no dear," the woman smiles. "Jack will take a look see at it. Jack,
darling," the woman called.
A man about the same age as the woman walks in from the back room. "What
is it, Lynn?"
"This nice woman has a broken necklace chain," the woman, whose name
seemed to be Lynn replies.
"Let me see," Jack reaches out his hand I carefully place my necklace in
his hand. He examines it and after a moment says, "This'll only take me a few
minutes, if you'd like to wait."
"Sure," I tell him.
He took my necklace to the back and Lynn went back to reading a
newspaper. That was something I hadn't done since the shooting. There hadn't
been time, or perhaps I had no desire.
e
Lynn looked up from her paper and gasps, "Jack, come here a minute."
"I am almost through, Lynn," Jack shouts.
"No, now Jack," Lynn says with more force.
Jack walks in from the back room with a pair of glasses perched on the
tip of his nose and a pair of pliers in his hand. "What is it, Lynn?"
She shows the man the front page of the newspaper, "It seems as if we
have a bit of a celebrity in our midst, dear. I knew she looked familiar."
"I'll be damned," Jack says. "You are CJ Cregg, Bartlet's Press
Secretary, aren't you?"
"I am," I admit them.
"Dear," Lynn says in a warm voice. "My husband and I have been praying
for you since the shooting. How is everyone? How's that friend of yours Josh
Lyman?"
"We are all managing," I tell her. "Josh is going to be okay, in fact I
was going to visit him after I get my necklace fixed."
"It's an honor to have you here," Lynn smiles. "Jack and I are very
supportive of the Bartlet administration. It was such a horrible thing that
happened."
I didn't want to dwell on the shooting. I wanted to get my necklace fixed
and I wanted to see Josh. "Thank you ma'am," I reply.
"Good as new," Jack says as he emerged from the back room.
"Thank you so much," I say. "How much do I owe you?"
"It's on the house," Lynn says. "Any member of the Bartlet administration
is welcomed here."
"Thank you," I reply.
"Miss Cregg," Jack says. "Could we have your autograph?"
I don't get asked very often for things like my autograph and I certainly
don't believe I am a celebrity, but these elderly couple is so cute, I don't
want to disappoint them. "Of course," I smile and sign a piece of paper they
give me.
"Take care, dear," Lynn says as I am leaving. "You and your friends shall
stay in our prayers."
"Thank you," I say and leave.
Traveling to GW was one thing, but getting in was a totally different
issue. If dealing with security was the only issue, it wouldn't have been too
big of a problem. I had my White House ID Badge, and anyone who works for the
White House has a general idea that the six-foot tall woman is roaming the
halls of the west wing, because she belongs there. My biggest obstacle were
all of the flowers and candles and the crowds that were spread out around the
hospital for the President and Josh.
I finally got through the doors and a nurse pointed out the way of the
ICU. I peer through the window to see Donna sitting on a chair next to very
conscious Josh. I take a deep breath and enter.
"CJ!" Josh says with a smile on his face.
"Hey, how are you?" I ask walking towards his bed.
"I almost died," he tells me as if it is proving his manhood.
"Yeah, I know," I say and kiss his forehead.
The very rumbled and overly tired Donna Moss looks a little uncomfortable
and says, "Josh, CJ, I think I am going to run down and get some coffee. I'll
be back."
"All right," Josh says. When the blond leaves the room he smiles, "She
hasn't left since I was brought in."
"I could tell," I say. Her clothing looked slept in and it looked as if
she hadn't put make-up on in days.
"They let you out of the loony bin?" Josh asks of the White House.
"Yeah," I smile. "Leo thought that I needed a mental health day. I bumped
my head pretty hard and haven't gotten much sleep. He thinks that my injury
was a lot worse than it actually was. He told me to take the day off to sleep
in and visit you."
"Well isn't he nice," Josh tells me. "It's a pleasant surprise."
"That's good to hear," I say, sensing that he isn't in as bad of shape as
we all thought.
"How are you CJ," Josh looks at me with concern.
"Me?" I ask. I instantly find this odd. Josh is the one lying in the
hospital bed. He is the one that almost died.
"Yeah," he says. "How are you holding up?"
"I am okay Josh," I reason with him. "You are the one that almost died."
"You don't have to remind me," he tenses up. "I am serious CJ. I heard
you hit your head pretty hard. I mean, not just physically either. Are you
okay?"
"Josh," I start wanting to say one thing, but end up telling him the
truth. "When I saw Toby's face and I knew it was you on the ground, a piece
of me went numb. I thought I had lost you forever. And right then and there I
thought a part of me died. I am better now that I know you are okay. I am
better now that I have gotten some sleep. Now that I have gotten rid of the
headache that I have had since I hit the pavement."
"CJ," Josh says in a comforting voice.
"It's okay," I tell him. "Everything is going to be okay. You are going
to be okay, and eventually life will settle down in the White House."
"So they can't survive without me, huh?" Josh smiles slyly.
"It's been challenging," I smile.
"What's going on with everyone?" Josh asks with concern.
I am tempted not to tell him. He doesn't need to be worrying about us.
The problem is, Josh knows me too well. He can read the expression on my
face, "Claudia Jean, tell me."
"It's a lot of little things," I start. "I am worried about Toby and
Charlie the most. They are both ready to snap. There are just a lot of things
going through everyone's mind, and it isn't a comfortable thing for any of
us. Don't worry about us, though. We'll manage. Worry about getting healthy
so you can come back and join us at the nut house."
"I am not giving up without a fight," Josh tells me. "I'll be back before
you all miss me too much."
The truth is I already miss him at work. He's really the life of the
party at the White House. His antics keep the morale up, and Josh only after
a few days is sorely missed.
"I am back," Donna Moss announces with a cup of coffee. Despite the
caffeine in her system now, she looks exhausted and emotionally drained. I
can see the look of concern in Josh's eyes. It's really quite sweet. I can't
remember a time when Josh had a look quite that sincere in his eye.
"Josh, I should really let you get some rest," I tell him.
"All right," he agrees.
I lean over and kiss his forehead again, "promise me you'll take care of
yourself and get better soon."
"I will," he smiles.
I turn to leave, but because of the movement I feel my necklace shift as
if it is telling me something, "Donna," I say, "It looks like you need a
break. Can I take you out to lunch? I also need to buy a pair of shoes, maybe
you can help me pick something out."
Donna looks at Josh, who smiled and nodded to me. He understood what I
was doing. "Donna, I am not going anywhere. Go with CJ."
"All right," she agrees. "I guess a couple of hours won't hurt."
I smile and follow Donna out the door, knowing how lucky I am that I am
having lunch and going shoe shopping with Donna instead of setting up the
Joshua Lyman Memorial Foundation. He may be in love with another woman, but
he is still here.