RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER/NOTES/etc.: See introduction
SUMMARY: The longest journey begins...
January
"Happy new year." Toby said softly as he slipped his arms
around his wife and rested his fingers on her bulging tummy. She
smiled and leaned back into him.
"To you too." She whispered as she closed her eyes. "Again."
"How do you feel?" He asked softly.
"I feel good." She assured him. "Very good. Best I've felt in a
long time."
"That's good." He said as he kissed her neck. "You gonna rest?"
"Why should I rest? I feel great." She replied as she turned
and rested her head against his chest. He smiled and placed his hand
on her stomach. Suddenly, a small jump beat against his hand and he
pulled back.
"Oh, wow." He said softly. KD laughed.
"Oh, my God. Toby, she kicked." She said softly.
"Yeah, he did." He replied softly as he put his hand on her
stomach again. He smiled as he felt another kick. "This is so
amazing." He whispered.
"It truly is." She whispered with her eyes slightly closed. "It
always is. It was before." She added weakly. Toby kissed her forehead.
"Things are going to be okay. No matter what." He promised her.
She looked at him and smiled.
"Somehow, I believe you." She whispered. "Thank you, Toby, for
being such a wonderful person." He smiled and kissed her deeply.
"I had a good example to follow from." He whispered back.
"Okay, you two. Break it up." Josh said as he came into the
room. "You guys can't just make-out wherever you want to in this
House of ours."
"Well, we figured since you people are always late anyway, we
wouldn't have anything to worry about." KD retorted.
"Besides, we're used to you walking in on us." Toby added. "So
we figured, why break habit?"
"Toby, are you being playful?" Josh teased.
"Never." Toby retorted quite seriously.
"Okay, everyone. Let's look at the polls." Leo said as he
walked into the mural room with Sam right behind him.
"No, let's not. Let's talk about Sam and Mal's wedding on
Sunday." Josh replied playfully. Sam blushed furiously.
"A January wedding, Sam. I never would have pegged you as
such." KD teased.
"Well, we had to compromise." Sam retorted playfully. "She
wanted November, I wanted May, we settled on January."
"Interesting choices in any case." Leo murmured.
"It's better than an elopement or a spur of the moment
wedding." Sam replied.
"Hey." KD said before sticking out her tongue. "I'm quite happy
with spur of the moment."
"Your circumstances were special." Josh said with a grin.
"And CJ and Danny are holding their "official" wedding in
June." KD added. "So we're all just as good as you are, Mr. High and
mighty."
"Hey, now, let's not get hostile." Leo insisted.
"We're just playing, Leo." Josh replied.
"Something you kids are always doing. Can we look at the
numbers now?" Leo asked as he held up some papers.
"They say what they've been saying for weeks. Joss is winning
the Democrats. Mathis is winning the Republicans. Green party is
probably going to end up nominating Eric Young. Independents are
leaning towards Jake Brickenhouse." KD recited from her memory the
latest poll results.
"Okay." Leo paused. "Good. Any questions, anybody?" He asked.
"Yeah, when are the Zieglers gonna tell us if they have boys or
girls?" Josh asked.
"We don't even know, Lyman." Toby retorted.
"The baby just kicked." Katy said with a soft smile. Everyone
smiled. Leo couldn't help but grin. Toby looked at him and then
jerked his head. Leo moved over and hesitantly put his hand on KD's
stomach. He grinned as he felt a soft kick.
"Whoever that was is going to be a hell of a soccer player." He
said softly.
"What, does he have a football scholarship in his future?" Josh
teased.
"Men. Always convinced pregnant women have boys on the way." CJ
said as she walked into the room.
"See, now that's what I'm saying!" KD added.
"Odds have got to be in our favor, don't they? I mean women are
dominating this planet, aren't they?" Josh asked.
"That's right and don't you forget it." KD retorted.
"Right on." CJ added. Everyone looked at her. "What?"
"Right on?" Josh repeated.
"Yeah?" CJ asked. "It's a perfectly okay saying."
"Yeah, for sixteen-year-olds." Sam said.
"Not so." CJ retorted.
"Can we stop arguing about CJ's diction and talk about our
president's chances of being re-elected? Maybe talk about the issues
he's getting creamed on or that might be addressed during his
campaign?" Leo asked.
"Where's the CREEP? Isn't this their job?" KD teased.
"We're on the CREEP." Leo reminded her.
"True, but still..." She paused with a playful smile. "I'm
ready to go home and nap." She said finally, too tired to be
difficult. Toby smiled weakly and held her close. She snuggled into
him contentedly.
"You want to go lie down?" Leo asked worriedly.
"Yeah, okay." She said with a weak smile and then let Toby lead
her away.
"I said this was going to happen. They can't help with re-
election if they're always worried about her health." Josh pointed
out.
"Josh! She's having twins. Show some compassion for crying out
loud." CJ retorted.
"I'm just saying, maybe we should let them off of the hook and
recruit someone else for this purpose. Or we can count them as one
member and get someone to take the vacant spot." Josh replied. "I
realize that they're worried about her and that she needs to rest, so
can't we replace her or something?"
"You're insane." CJ exclaimed.
"Like Donna, or Mandy or Ainsley Hayes or someone." Josh
exclaimed.
"Mandy might be able to help us out. Her business has been
slowing down." Leo pointed out.
"Mandy also left us in a time of great turmoil." CJ retorted.
"Doesn't make her a bad politician. Call her, Josh." Leo said.
"Me? I can't call her." Josh exclaimed.
"Why not?" Sam asked.
"Cause I haven't seen her in so long. I mean, she doesn't know
I'm married." Josh started.
"Josh, the whole country knows you're married. The only way she
could not know that you're married is if she's been chained up in a
dark dungeon with her eyes and mouth taped shut and giant earmuffs on
her head for the past six months." CJ retorted sharply. Josh paused.
"True, but still-" He started.
"Sam, could you call her?" Leo asked.
"Yeah, I will." Sam replied with a nod.
"Anything else?" Josh asked.
"Plenty." Leo exclaimed.
The Longest Journey -
January - Part 2
|