Author's Note: This story is unashamedly inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same title. Not even a little sorry about it. TSwift makes me feel things. Also, I'm not officially putting this in my Bartlet History because I have no idea where it would fit, but it takes place in the same universe as the rest of the series.

How You Get The Girl

"How about another drink, Jethro?" Abbey asked, stumbling over to the couch with a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand.

"Abbey," he growled in warning.

"What?" Her voice was louder than she had probably intended, but it made Jed laugh.

He reached over and took the bottle out of her hand. "You're drunk."

"What's your point?" She leaned over him to try to take the bottle back, but he held it out of her reach.

Jed just laughed and gave it back to her. "It's your place. If you want to get sick all over, that's up to you."

Abbey smiled and grinned at him as she took a long swig straight out of the bottle. When she saw the slight surprise pass over his face, she asked, "You want some?"

He thought for a moment before matching her smirk. "Yeah, sure. Pass it over."

They sat on the couch of her apartment for a while, passing the bottle of Jack back and forth and talking inanely about nothing in particular as the end of the year party went on around them.

"Where's Ron?" Jed asked, realizing that he had been sitting with another man's drunk girlfriend for almost an hour.

"He has a project due tomorrow, so he couldn't come," Abbey explained. "I'll see him tomorrow after he turns it in. But he has exams to grade for that class he TA's for. So I'll fly back to Boston with you tomorrow afternoon, and he'll be coming next week."

"You two have any plans for the summer?"

"Other than his birthday in July, no, nothing. I'm spending a few weeks in D.C. with my dad when he has that annual conference."

"Oh that's right, you were telling me that a while back, weren't you?"

She smiled. "Yes, I was. Nice of you to listen."

Jed didn't say the words fighting to escape his lips. He wouldn't tell her that he always listened to her, that anything and everything she said entered his mind and took ahold of him like a mystical spell.

If there had been an awkward silence following her comment, she didn't notice. Abbey was busy drinking. "Are you going to be spending all summer at your grandfather's farm?" she asked.

Jed was a little surprised that she remembered that. He couldn't have mentioned the farm more than once or twice in the six months since they had become friends. "Yeah, I help out whenever I can. My grandfather has people running the actual farm aspect of it, but an extra set of hands is always useful."

"Do you ride horses and milk cows and feed pigs?"

There was a dark twinkle in her eye that let him know she was teasing him. "We don't have pigs," he replied very seriously. "We do have cows, but I don't milk them. Not since I was really little and my grandfather wanted to punish me for something."

"But the horses?"

"Yes, I ride the horses. There's a big black one I love."

"What's his name?"

"Her name is Myrna."

Abbey cocked her head and furrowed her brow. "That's a strange name for a horse."

"Oh sure and Meniscus is a perfectly normal name for a cat."

"I was four when we got that cat! And when my mother said I could name him, I picked my favorite word. I had no idea what it meant, but I heard my father mention it when he was talking about a patient. It's still one of my favorite words. I loved that cat," she told him. Her voice was increasing in volume and some of the words were getting a little slurred.

"Yes, you told me that," he said, taking the almost-empty bottle of whiskey away from her.

"I did?"

"Yes, you did."

Abbey realized that he had taken the bottle again. "Hey, give that back!" She lunged at it and fell into Jed. She couldn't quite get up and began cackling loudly. Most of the sound was muffled in Jed's chest, where her face was currently pressed.

Jed felt his whole body shake with the force of her laughter. Something tightened in the pit of his stomach as he gently lifted her shoulders up and away from him. She was still laughing.

Millie Griffith, Abbey's roommate, came wandering over. "You two look like you're having fun," she commented.

"I always have fun!" Abbey announced. She flailed her arms with enthusiasm, accidentally hitting Jed in the jaw. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" She immediately sat up and gently touched the slightly red spot on his face. "I hit your face. And it's such a nice face." Abbey turned to her roommate. "Millie, doesn't Jed have a nice face?"

Millie laughed. Abbey had definitely had more than anyone was expecting. She was going to have an awful time packing tomorrow morning. "Yes, Abb, he's got a nice face."

Abbey beamed and looked back to Jed. "I like your face."

Jed felt more than his jaw turn red. "Well thanks. It gets the job done."

"Here, look at me, you two." Millie grabbed her camera and pointed it at Jed and Abbey. They looked over and smiled as Millie snapped the photo.

Abbey turned back to Jed. "I'm sorry I hit you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"Okay, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure!"

"Good." She grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Jed sat there in shock, but couldn't help but grin. Neither of them noticed that Millie had taken another picture of them.

Just then, another guest walked in. Millie greeted the newcomer. "Hey, look who's here! I thought you were busy with your project!"

"I just finished. I figured it was early enough for me to catch the party in full swing. And who am I to pass up an opportunity with the greatest girl in the world, huh?"

Millie walked over and said quietly, "She's bombed. I think you probably should have come earlier."

"Oh dear." He walked over to the couch where Abbey was sitting, her limbs in all different directions. "Abbey? You okay?"

Despite the fact that there were two of him, Abbey's eyes tried to focus on his face. "Ron! Hi!" She reached out to him, not really able to lift her head off the back of the sofa.

Ron smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Jed stood up immediately. He didn't say one word. He just walked out. Abbey was too drunk and too busy kissing her boyfriend to notice. Millie, however, saw the look on his face as he left. She frowned, feeling like she had just witnessed a very important tragedy in that moment. She went into her bedroom to put the camera away, making a mental note to get the film developed as soon as she could.