Lisa's TWW Fan Fic Archive Home
Post Ep | Romance | General | Drama
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A Wonderful Life ~ 22
"This has been so much fun. We should really do this every weekend." Jack smiled.
"That would be cool." Derek smiled back.
"I'm surprised my mom has let me stay this long."
"What time is it?"
"Almost six."
"Wow. Hey, they more time the better." Derek smiled and they went back to playing the game.
"Where is she?" CJ asked.
"She'll be here." Toby said while playing with Samuel.
"He likes this squeaky toy."
"Toby, that's the dog's." CJ said.
"We have a dog?" Toby asked.
"No, we had a dog. Remember, it ran away."
"No, I don't remember that. When was this?"
"Never mind." CJ smirked and went back into the kitchen.
"Did they call?"
"Mom and dad?"
"Yeah."
"Yes, they wanted to say good luck and that their plane took off tonight."
"That was nice of them to say goodbye." Toby said sarcastically.
"Yeah." CJ smirked.
One hour later.....
"Ah, I think she's here," Toby said when he heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll get it," CJ said, getting up. She walked to the door and opened it.
"Angela, hello. Come on in."
"Thanks. I'm sorry I'm so late. First, there was a huge line at the grocery store, then I got stuck in traffic."
CJ waved it off. "Don't worry about it." She smiled.
"I'll go get Jack."
"Thanks." Angela sat down on the sofa in the living room.
"Knock, knock," CJ said as she walked into Derek's room.
The two boys looked up. "Hey, mom," Derek said.
"Jack, your mother is here."
"Aw man!" The two said in unison.
CJ laughed a little, "Sorry, but she had to come at some point, right? Besides, Derek you have some studying to do."
Derek made a gagging sound. "Do I have to?"
"Yes you have to." She turned to Jack. "Do you have all of your things?"
"Yep. Thanks for letting me come over, Mrs. Ziegler."
"You're very welcome." She smiled and walked back downstairs, the two boys following her.
Angela was in the living room holding Samuel. "Ah, there he is." She smiled.
"Hi mom!" Jack went up to her and hugged her.
"Careful, I have a baby in my arms."
"Sorry."
"Here, let me take him," Toby said. Angela handed Samuel to Toby.
"Thank you," Toby said as he held the little boy in his arms. Samuel chose that moment to spit-up on Toby.
"What can I say, he loves me this much." Toby said sarcastically and
walked into the kitchen.
"Did you have fun?" Angela asked.
"It was great!" Jack smiled.
"I'm glad you had fun. We better get going."
"Ok, can we stop and get something to eat?"
"I can't, I have a date tonight."
"What am I going to do?" Jack asked as he got his coat on.
"What you always do." Angela smiled. "Thanks again CJ."
"No problem." CJ smiled.
"Jack." Derek whispered and saw Jack turn around with tears in his eyes.
"Bye Derek."
"Mom, is there anyway Jack can spend the night?"
"You have studying to do Derek."
"I'll study, I promise. Jack can hang out with dad or something."
"Derek..." CJ started but saw the look in Derek's eyes. "Ummm, Angela, if it's ok with you."
"Sure." Angela smiled. "Now I don't have to worry about getting home tonight."
"Yeah." CJ said, worried.
"Well, Jack, behave." Angela said quickly and ran out, without saying goodbye to Jack.
"That was strange." CJ said.
"No, it happens every night." Jack said. "Thank you Mrs. Ziegler. I didn't want to stay alone tonight."
"Oh, I'm sure your mom would have had someone there to watch you."
"She never does." Jack looked down.
CJ frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She always goes on a date around 7:00pm, and has me stay at home with my video games and homework. She figured that since I'm a 'big boy,' that I can stay home alone. I didn't mind it at first, but then I started to get lonely."
"You live in an apartment, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well do you ever go to a neighbor's apartment or go to a friend's apartment in the building?"
Jack looked up at CJ. "I live in a not so good part of town and the people in my building kind of scare me." Jack started to get more tears in his eyes. He looked down. "I'm sorry to be such a burden, Mrs. Ziegler."
"You're not a burden," Derek said, walking over to Jack. "Right mom?"
"Yeah, you're not a burden. You're always welcome here, okay?"
He looked back up at Derek and CJ and nodded. "Okay."
The phone then rang. "I'll get it," Toby said, emerging from the kitchen.
"Hello?"
"Toby, it's Leo."
"Hi Leo, what's going on?"
"We have a bit of a problem and we need you and CJ to come in."
"Can't you get Josh or Sam?" Toby whined.
"To be honest, the President needs CJ to come in to brief the press and he only wants the Communications Director to come in."
"Great." He mumbled. "Okay, we'll be right there."
"Thanks." Leo hung up.
Toby sighed and hung up the phone. "CJ, can I talk to you for a minute please?"
"Sure." CJ looked at Toby worried. "Boys, I'll be right back. Why don't you go play upstairs."
"Thanks mom." Derek smiled and took Jack upstairs.
"What's up?" CJ asked.
"That was Leo. He needs us to go in."
"Now?"
"Yep." Toby looked down. "Who should I call to watch the kids?"
"Josh doesn't live that far away, give him a call."
"Yeah." Toby quickly dialed Josh's number and told him to get over there right away and hung up the phone.
"He's going to think something's really wrong." CJ snapped and smacked a smirking Toby.
"Well, that means he'll hurry." He laughed.
"That was so cruel." CJ smirked. "Boys." She called from down stairs.
"Yeah mom." Derek ran down with Jack.
"Dad and I have to leave for a little bit, Josh is coming over."
"Great!" Derek smiled. "He let's us do anything."
"This is good." Toby said sarcastically to himself.
"I want you two to be good." CJ warned.
"We will." Jack smiled.
"What's wrong!" Josh barged in, causing everyone to jump.
"Your house is a lot more fun then mine." Jack whispered over to Derek
"This is nothing." Derek smiled.
"What happened?" Josh asked a laughing Toby.
"Leo called and needs us to go down there. You need to watch the rugrats."
"We're not rugrats." Jack defended.
"Yes you are." Toby grabbed him and starting tickling him.
"Stop..." Jack laughed.
"What about me?" Derek smirked and grabbed his dad's leg.
"Josh, the diapers are over here and the babies are sleeping."
"You want me to watch three kids?" Josh whined.
"Four, the boy Toby's throwing up in the air is Jack, Derek's friend." CJ smirked.
"This sucks. I thought something happened."
"Come on Toby." CJ grabbed Toby and ran out the door.
THE WHITE HOUSE. 30 MINUTES LATER
"Are they coming?" Leo asked Margaret again.
"My answer hasn't changed since the last time you asked me two minutes ago."
"I called them thirty minutes ago." Leo snapped.
"Sorry." CJ and Toby burst in. "Traffic."
"Whatever." Leo glared.
"What's up?" CJ asked while catching her breath."
"We have a bit of a problem with Senator Hamill." Leo said.
"Not again," Toby groaned. "Why do you need me here? I can understand CJ being here for a briefing but why me?"
"We have to have the President say something about it, and Sam's already working on something, so we need you to write something for him to say."
Toby sighed. "Fine."
"CJ, I need you to brief the press. Here's what I want you to say." Leo handed CJ a piece of paper.
"Thanks," CJ said as she headed off to the Briefing Room.
CJ AND TOBY'S HOUSE.........
"Come on Josh, please?" Derek said.
"No. No way are you guys going to do that," Josh said for the 15th time.
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"I just told you!"
"This isn't fair," Derek said.
"It's not safe," Josh said. He then went over to the babies who were starting to wake up.
"Psst," Derek said, "Come with me."
TBC...