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Toby sat in the dimly lit hospital room, his infant daughter sleeping soundly in his arms. Andy was propped up in the bed, half asleep with Huck on her lap. She refused to let go of him, despite the fact that her chin continued to droop down to her chest every few minutes, followed by a quick jerk upwards. Toby had long since given up on trying to get her to put the baby down and sleep.
After all, he understood all too well why she wouldn’t be prepared to relinquish these precious moments with their children. Their first few days with the twins had been tainted with fear and heartache and the hellish experience of watching their worst nightmare unfold right before their eyes. Now that the president’s daughter was safely ensconced in a hospital room just a few floors above their own, surrounded by security, a monumental weight had finally lifted from the shoulders of the entire nation, Toby and Andy included.
The relief of bringing Zoey Bartlet home didn’t alleviate the sheer terror that had accompanied their first days of parenthood, however. Which was why they had not yet managed to bring themselves to take advantage of the hospital’s nursery and get some rest, choosing instead to cling to their babies, unable to shake the irrational fear that the only safe place for their children was in their arms.
Molly made a small fussing noise, one tiny arm slipping free of her swaddle.
“Shh,” Toby murmured, shifting her slightly and adjusting her swaddle, tucking the corner of the blanket back in. “It’s okay, sweetie. Dad’s gotcha.” He stared down at her perfect little face, trying to memorize every detail as he stroked a calloused finger against her unbelievably soft cheek. “Daddy’s here.”
He looked up to see Andy gazing tiredly at him, a fond smile on her face.
“What?” he asks, chuckling self-consciously. She opened her mouth to reply when a knock on the door interrupted him. “Yeah?”
Fluorescent light from the hallway filled the room as a member of the Secret Service opened the door, stepping halfway into the room. Toby immediately began to stand at the sight of him, gently placing Molly into her cradle. He’d been wondering if the president would stop by, given that his daughter was currently residing in the same hospital. He’d doubted it, figuring the man would be unlikely to want to leave her bedside unless absolutely necessary, but-
“Mr. Ziegler, Congresswoman, Zoey Bartlet is here. She’d like to come in.”
Toby’s head snapped over to look at Andy, who’s shocked expression matched his. A moment later, her mouth snapped shut and she nodded at him, giving her permission.
“Yeah,” he said gruffly, rubbing at his beard. The agent stepped aside and then Zoey Bartlet filled his place, entering the room.
His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight of her, at the bruises on her face and the arm that was in a sling and the way she clearly favored her left foot. Even more chilling was her general demeanor; the way she seemed to curl in on herself, the haunted look in her eyes. Rage welled up inside of him at the wrongness of it all, the unfairness, the cruelty. Toby hadn’t spent much time with his boss’s youngest daughter, not like Charlie or Josh or CJ, but he knew her well enough to know that she was kind, smart as a whip, and wholly, entirely undeserving of what she’d been forced to endure.
“Zoey,” he greeted, not entirely sure what to do with his hands, how to stand.
“Hi, Toby,” she replied softly, managing a shaky smile. “Congresswoman.”
“Oh, please, sweetheart,” Andy said immediately. “Call me Andy. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” That’s right, Toby remembered. They had never actually met before.
“You too.” Zoey shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry to just drop by like this, I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“It’s fine.” Toby cleared his throat, trying to figure out the right words to say. “Is there something you need?”
“No, no.” Her eyes darted between the babies, a tiny bit of light creeping into them, easing that haunted look. “I just… I was right upstairs, and my dad told me you’d had the babies and that you were still in the hospital, and I just thought…” She trailed off awkwardly, tucking a limp piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry. You guys probably don’t want visitors right now-”
“Would you like to meet them?” It made sense. Something good - after having just returned from what had to be a hellish experience, of course the young woman would look for something good. And holding a baby, as it turned out, was a very, very good thing. Based on the smile that spread across Zoey’s battered face, he had said the right thing.
“Are you sure? I can come back another time-”
“I’ll probably be discharged tomorrow,” Andy countered, jerking her head to indicate that Zoey should step further into the room instead of hovering by the door. “Come say hi. This is Huck.”
Zoey stepped forward slowly, wonder on her face as she reached out her uninjured hand and laid it lightly on top of the small bundle.
“Hi, Huck,” she breathed. “He’s so small.”
“Didn’t feel that way,” Andy said drily, and Zoey chuckled.
“Look at his little hat,” she cooed.
“Turns out babies come with them,” Toby deadpanned. “In case you didn’t know.” Zoey shot him a look, and he couldn’t quite tell if that meant she was amused or very much not amused.
Molly began to fuss again, clearly unhappy about being left out of all of the attention-getting. Toby reached out a hand to soothe her, marveling at how his hand and his daughter were nearly the same size.
“Wanna hold her?” he asked Zoey. She looked over at him, her eyes wide.
“Well, I don’t know if I… I mean-” she gestured to the sling holding her injured arm.
“We’ll get you set up. C’mere.” She obeyed, sitting in the chair he had been occupying. Andy passed him a pillow from the bed and he stuck it under her good arm, resting it on the armrest. “Good?” he asked. She nodded.
Toby carefully scooped his daughter up and placed her into Zoey’s lap, helping her get comfortable and making sure she was secure. Zoey let out a soft little sigh, staring down at the baby in awe.
“Hi, sweetie,” she murmured, clearly trying to keep as still as possible to avoid jostling her. Molly’s tiny mouth opened in a little yawn, her face scrunching up and a small squeak emanating from her. Zoey let out a quiet, delighted laugh. “Okay, that was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Tell me about it,” Andy chuckled from the bed, rocking Huck in her arms. “Every single thing they do is almost enough to make me forgive them for labor.”
“Not quite sure I’m there yet,” Toby grouched, flexing his hand - which Andy had very nearly broken while pushing not one but two babies out. She shot him a pointed look, and he raised his hands in surrender, not prepared to go down that path again. Zoey’s gaze flicked between the two of them, amused, before she returned to staring down at the little girl in her arms.
“Does she have a name?” Zoey asked, and something in Toby’s stomach curdled. He looked over at Andy, who looked just as apprehensive as he felt.
He hadn’t anticipated this particular conversation when they’d decided to name their daughter after the young woman who’d died trying - and failing - to protect Zoey. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced down at his shoes, shifting from foot to foot.
“Yeah,” he replied quietly. “Her name is Molly.”
Zoey’s eyes met his immediately, the soft smile on her face fading. He stared back, unflinching. Her lips parted in surprise, and he heard the slightest intake of breath escape her as she looked back down at the baby. No longer was her expression full of awe, but was instead riddled with grief and guilt. She pressed her lips together firmly, and he could tell without even really being able to see her face that she was trying desperately not to cry.
He looked away, sitting on the foot of the bed and turning his attention to Andy and Huck. Even if he’d known what to say to her at that moment, he felt that she needed a minute to herself. A minute alone with Molly.
The clock on the wall ticked on and on and on, the only sound in the room beside Andy's heart monitor.
“I thought it was a nightmare.” Zoey’s voice was flat and quiet, almost monotone, when she finally broke the silence. It startled Toby anyway. “When they dragged me out of the club, I was so drugged up and so scared…” She shook her head, and he saw a few tears leak free, dropping onto his daughter’s swaddle. “I thought it was a hallucination. Some horrible image my mind came up with to torment me - which it did. The whole time I was there I just kept seeing-” She broke off again, her voice cracking.
Toby hoped she wouldn’t continue speaking - at least not until he’d had the chance to go get her father or mother or Charlie. He was woefully out of his depth here.
“I just kept seeing Molly on the ground with a bullet in her h-head.” An image flashed through Toby’s mind: Josh, staring pleadingly up at him with a bullet in his chest, blood staining his shirt and his trousers and his hands.
He and Andy stared at each other, both desperately trying to figure out what to say.
What the hell did one say to something like that? In the face of something so horrific, happening to not only Zoey but also Molly - two young women, barely out of college, the both of them.
Zoey sniffled hard, wiping at her face with her sleeve. “I’m sorry, this is so- you just had babies, I shouldn’t be-”
“It’s fine,” they both replied in unison, Toby’s voice perhaps a little higher pitched than normal. Andy, thank god, sounded far more reassuring.
“It’s fine, Zoey,” Andy repeated. “You’ve been through something terrible. It’s okay if you need to talk about it.” He could tell she meant it, too. Toby nodded in agreement, and tried very, very hard to mean it as well.
But she shook her head, wiping at her face one final time. She adjusted Molly’s hat, making sure it was secure.
“I’m glad that you named her Molly,” Zoey said, her voice still a little thick. “She was kind, and brave, and could throw a fully grown man over her shoulder.” They all laughed, grateful for the moment of levity. “If Baby Molly grows into half the woman that I knew, then I think she’s got a very bright future ahead of her.”
“I think so, too,” Toby agreed gruffly. Zoey flashed a small, watery smile at him. The haunted look in her eyes hadn’t gone anywhere, but the smile seemed genuine.
Molly’s arm slipped free of her swaddle once again, her hand reaching out and making grabbing motions. Tentatively, Zoey placed her thumb within reaching distance, and Molly’s minuscule fingers wrapped around it with surprising surety. Zoey laughed wetly, and she leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the baby’s forehead.
“Welcome to the world, Molly.”
Toby couldn’t help but think that it sounded almost like a warning. They were all entering a brand new world, not just the newborn babies, and it was scarier and even more daunting than the previous one had been.
They remained in silence after that, basking in the glow of these little beings and hoping that it was enough to clear away the shadows. Toby risked a glance at Zoey, and he knew that despite the serenity on her face as she rocked the baby, the darkness of what they’d experienced would linger for a while yet.
Toby reached for Huck, Andy passing him over with a kind of natural smoothness he was sure he’d never master. Clumsily, he took hold of his son and pulled him close to his chest. For now, at least, his children were safe.
For the rest of his life, Toby would do whatever it took to ensure that they remained that way.