"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been one week since my last confession." Abbey crossed herself, kneeling on the hard stone floor. She had come again, alone, to make this penitence.

"Would you care to confess, my child?" the calm, male voice on the other side of the partition asked her gently. Abbey nodded silently.

"Yes, Father." She whispered. She remembered the moment perfectly.

"You can say it you know. It's not like I haven't heard it before." Abbey caught CJ's head swerving up to watch the interaction with eyebrows raised.

"Your husband's a son of a bitch, Mrs Bartlet." Josh returned. Abbey's lips turned upwards slightly at the edges as she saw CJ raise a hand to her mouth to cover her grin.

Then she bit into Josh with the full force of her attitude, entering her role as the protector of her husband, finishing with a flick of her hair and "In the meantime, if you want to kick someone, kick me." She winked at CJ as she went by. CJ grinned back.

She had watched CJ with lowered lids from the sidelines as the tall woman laughed and danced with the rest of the team, joking and grinning and hugging everyone in sight. She couldn't help but be captured by the tall woman with hair falling from the twist at the back of her head as she was spun around by Sam on the dance floor. There was no way you could call Claudia Jean Cregg graceful, Abbey thought to herself, but there was definitely something about her. Something different.

She approached CJ later in the night, once her husband had gone off after Josh at the airport. They were both in dress clothes by then.

"Enjoying yourself, Claudia Jean?" her eyes sparkled as she looked up at the younger woman, who was radiating with the excitement of the moment. CJ smiled down at her.

"Yes, Mrs Bartlet, I'm having a great time." CJ surveyed the crowd from beside the stage.

"I haven't really gotten a chance to speak with you." Abbey pointed out. "We should do something about that."

"We should." CJ nodded, hair springing loose of her clip again. She brushed it behind her ears in frustration. Abbey reached up and tucked a piece behind her ear, then paused in surprise at the motion. "Thanks." CJ smiled at her again, as Sam came up to them.

"Any news on when the Governor is coming back?" he asked urgently.

"Leo will have him back in time, Sam." Abbey informed him "Don't worry." Sam wandered off in the direction he'd come, looking for Toby. Abbey looked back up at CJ. "Join me for dinner tomorrow." She invited. CJ looked surprised.

"I…we might be busy." She stumbled.

"It'll be fine." Abbey smiled. "No-one will mind. Us girls have got to stick together around here, Claudia!"

"Alright then." CJ acquiesced. Mrs. Bartlet made a good point.

"Besides," Abbey added conspiratorially, "we'll be in California. I'm sure you know some good restaurants." CJ nodded.

"I do."

"Well then, it's settled. We're having a girls' night. You and me."

"Okay." CJ agreed. "Sounds good."

They had ended up at a small restaurant near CJ's old home.

"I always liked this one." CJ admitted as they climbed out of the car. "It's delicious food, and kind of cosy."

Abbey looked around at the courtyard, with lights winking in the tall trees. "It looks lovely." She replied. The place suited CJ to a tee.

Soon they were settled with a bottle of wine and a gigantic dish of paella between the two of them. "The seafood here is divine." CJ informed her, passing her the serving spoon.

Abbey watched, enjoying herself as she watched CJ attacking the shellfish. "You like seafood?" she asked, taking a sip of her wine.

CJ nodded, swallowing. "I do." She smiled.

They had talked for a long time, that night, and Abbey had felt by the end of the evening that Claudia Jean Cregg had the true possibility of becoming not only the closest friend she had had in a long time, but also something of a crush.

"Thanks, Claudia." She had murmured, slipping her hand into the other woman's as they headed back to the hotel, and leaning her head on the taller woman's shoulder. Even then she had been feeling the pressure of her husband's campaign, his impending disease, and the distance that had been growing between them even in his role as Governor. Claudia's easy awkwardness made Abbey feel at ease, somehow in this two-faced world of politics she was ever being pulled into.

Surprisingly, the other woman didn't seem bothered by Abbey's affection. On the contrary, she let Abbey stay leaning against her until they arrived at their destination.

"See you later, Abbey." She smiled, wandering off in the direction of the bar.

"Thanks again, Claudia Jean." Abbey replied, heading for her bedroom to think over the evening.

It wasn't until much later that she would recognise the 'something' that Claudia Jean invoked in her was lust.