Title: Ambitious or Stupid Author: Vanessa (torresvenessa@yahoo.com) Characters: Toby, CJ, Leo Category: Romance Pairing: CJ/Toby Spoilers: "And It's Surely to Their Credit" and "In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen, Part II" Rating: G Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and I will go as far as to say that I don't own the ideas since many of the ideas are drawn from other stories, and life experiences (so don't sue me if anything sounds familiar). Notes: This is my first completed fic. . . I am currently in the middle of another fic and while writing that one, I got the idea for this one but because this idea is a Toby POV, it didn't fit into my work in progress. "By the way, you are a beautiful woman and no one around here has ever assumed you are either ambitious or stupid," I told her, somewhat shocked that I had revealed so much to her out loud. "Toby?" "Yeah?" "It took two years," she said. "It took me two minutes," I wanted to say. I should have told her that anyway. Within two seconds of seeing her I thought she was beautiful. Within two minutes of talking to her I realized she was intelligent, witty and would go far in life. In those first two minutes, I also realized that for her, it didn't matter how high a position in the party she obtained. What mattered most to CJ was that she was helping the party, but more specifically, that she was helping the American people. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Who did you have in mind? I asked him. "I want CJ Cregg." "I know her," I said. "Do you think you could talk her into working for us?" "I think so," I responded. "She's making over $500,000 a year where she's at right now." "Money isn't everything to CJ. I can get her to quit." "How?" "I'm going to appeal to her sense of duty, to her love of helping others and making a positive difference in the lives of American people." "And you think she'll buy that?" "Yeah." "Okay, don't come back without her." "When I come back from California Leo, I will be accompanied by your new Press Secretary." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "CJ, Jed Bartlet's very impressed with you. He likes the work you did with that girl's group with the stupid name." "Emily's List?" "Yes." "That girl's group with the stupid name?" "Yes." "Emily's List. Early Money is Like Yeast, it helps raise the dough." "I get it." "They raise money for women candidates. Early Money is Like Yeast, it helps raise the dough for the candidates." "I really do get it." "Bartlet's impressed with me?" "Very impressed and one of the big keys to his game plan is bringing you on as Press Secretary." "He's never heard of me, has he?" "No." "Toby." "I'm here on instructions from Leo McGarry." "McGarry wants me?" "Yes. Come join the campaign." "How much does it pay?" "How much were you making before?" "$550,000 a year." "This pays $600 a week." "So this is less?" "Yes." "Toby, does he know I've only ever worked statewide? Does he know I've never worked on a national campaign? "Yes. It's graduation day." "You really think I can do this?" "Yeah." "Is Jed Bartlet a good man?" "Yeah." "Toby?" "Yes." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - By telling her that Jed Bartlet was a good man, I had persuaded her to leave an industry where she could easily make half a million dollars a year. By telling her that Jed Bartlet was a good man, I was telling her that he would help the American people. Therefore, if she took the job working for and helping Bartlet, she would be helping the American people. I knew she would be a magnificent Press Secretary because she was the smartest woman I had ever encountered. She also had a unique ability to command a room, a skill that would be plenty useful in a room filled with reporters. Unlike myself, CJ knew how to think before she spoke so that her emotions were rarely revealed, another skill that would be useful with the press. Despite the proposed position as Press Secretary, the level of the position meant nothing to CJ. I could have been offering her a position as Aide to the Personal Assistant to the Press Secretary and she would have accepted it knowing that she would be helping Jed Bartlett help the American people. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "It took two years," she said. "It took me two minutes," I wanted to say. I should have told her that anyway. Within two seconds of seeing her I thought she was beautiful. Within two minutes of talking to her I realized she was intelligent, witty and would go far in life. In those first two minutes, I also realized that for her, it didn't matter how high a position in the party she obtained. What mattered most to CJ was that she was helping the party, but more specifically, that she was helping the American people. "It took me two minutes to fall in love with you," I desired to tell her. "It took me two minutes to fall in love with you because you were not ambitious or stupid," but of course I didn't tell her that either.