Author: Regency
Title: CJ's Hidden Talents
Season/Spoiler/Season: This is sequel to "A Time For Joshua…Cregg?" There will be a sequel, hopefully.Pairing:
CJ/ Joshua's Dad
Warning: There's a bit of cursing here.
Author's Notes: There will be 2 versions of this story as its main purpose is to explain the absence of Josh's dad. There
will be the socially correct according to those on "The West Wing" version and then, there will be the RL-correct version
as it would probably happen in D.C. , according to me, anyway. Which version this is, remains to be seen. The stories will
branch off from here. They will either differ greatly and go in way different directions or they'll run the same path and
merge near the middle or the end. Or one will thrive and the other will die. It's all up to you.
Summary: CJ's got a hidden talent that she accidentally lets slip to the press. In trying to explain it, she lets a bit
more slip to the press and somehow by the end her son just might have planned a visit to the President's farm in New Hampshire
this weekend. How the hell?
Disclaimer: See part one.
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CJ's POV
Great a press conference early in the morning. I am overjoyed. Can't you hear it in my voice? Yeah, well, I've never been
the enthusiastic type, anyway, so you ain't missing much. And to top that, Josh is feeling very poorly today, again. It's
disconcerting to see him in so much discomfort. I'm actually contemplating calling Abbey to my place this evening to check
him out. This is how desperate I am. I've always feared being labeled as a bad mother by her. Even though, she doesn't even
know I have a child.
Okay, back to the moment at hand. "Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, let me warn you, all of you, I'm exhausted
and feeling quite bad. Don't, I repeat, don't screw me around. Now, let's begin. As far as I know, there is absolutely no
wars in progress as we speak and I don't think the President has offended anyone yet, today. So, anything, I should know about?"
Several hands shot out in response. Oh, no, what'd I miss in this morning's paper? " Katie J.?" There's a new Katie in town.
Katie N. had better work on getting her hand up faster.
"CJ, is it true that President Bartlet has four daughters, not just three?" Yeah, I'm not taking that one. The President
shouldn't come to work today and should keep TV off at all times. The First Lady's gonna love this.
"Take that up with the President. Darren?" Wait a minute. That's not Darren. He looks a bit like him, but nope, there's
something different. It looks like he's struggling to understand me. I catch a flash of blue and can just make out the hearing-impaired
symbol on his badge. Why the hell is he sitting way back there if he can't hear? He looks miserable. Okay, CJ, time to do
your good deed for the day.
I step down form the podium and walk to the back of the room where the Darren-look-alike is seated and stop to stand beside
him. "You have a question?" He narrows his eyes, struggling to read my lips. Well, let's make it easier on all of us. I start
by carefully positioning my hands at the eye-level so that they catch his attention. I sign slowly at first, but slowly get
my rhythm back. A gorgeous grin grows on his face and he signs back to me just as carefully, understanding that I'm out of
practice. I answer him back in silence, still. He grins again before signing, "thanks." I sign back, "no problem." With two
strides, I'm back at my place behind the podium.
"Okay, guys. Any other questions? Carla?"
"CJ, when'd you learn sign language and why?"
"Because, my husband was…wait a…why am I telling you this? We do not discuss the private lives of the West
Wing Staff, senior or otherwise. Any others?"
"CJ, why weren't you here yesterday? There was no scheduled absence on the agenda?" Danny. Who the hell else?
"We've been over the whole private lives of Staffers thing already, but in case that's too big for you all; stay out of
my private life. My life is my business. I was absent yesterday, because of a family illness. If there are no other questions,
tata for now." I step off the podium and out the door as quickly as possible, which with my legs is pretty damn quickly.
Yeah, watch that get around. Good lord, so much for no one going to war, damn. At least they don't know I have a son…yet.
Or that technically we weren't married or even together when our son came into this world. That didn't stop me from being
named wife in his will or stop him from giving our son the name he believed was deserving of him. Joshua Josiah-Gailen Cregg-Rhyden.
He loved the President as much as I do and would've been just as dedicated had he been offered a job here. He said that if
we'd had a girl we would have named her Jocelyn Samantha-Abigail Cregg-Rhyden. I had no arguments. Well, until I met Joshua
Lyman. Then, I was fairly certain I wouldn't be bringing my infant son into the spotlight with him as a role model.
So I have a few hidden talents like, you know, wife (kinda), mother, sign-language translator, and of course, as was proven
last night, nurse. Yep, now for CJ's secret's. Can anyone say Joshua Josiah-Gailen Cregg-Rhyden? Try that five times fast.
Hell, I tried it one time slow and it threw me for a loop. So much for yelling out his full-given name when he gets
in trouble. He'd better just stay out of trouble before I have to embarrass myself trying.
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