TITLE: Revelation
AUTHOR: Jacinta
SUMMARY: Leo makes a discovery about his deputy
CHARACTERS: Leo and Abbey
EPISODE: Post Inauguration Part II
RATING: G
DISCLAIMER: They belong to others with more money than me.
Leo notices Abbey's amused, maternal expression and follows her gaze. He's expecting to see Zoey and the French boy, but the dance floor's pretty crowded and he can't spot them. "Who are you watching with that mothering expression?" he asks, as he joins her.
Abbey laughs, "Those two," she indicates the dancers, but Leo can't tell who she talking about. "They dance so well together, they're perfectly in tune. You know, I often think that about them. They're two parts of the same," she smiles. "They have this way of being together, even though they're not actually together. Haven't you ever noticed how connected they are?" Abbey sees Leo's dumb expression and laughs. "You have absolutely no idea who I'm talking about do you?"
Leo surveys the dance floor again, but he has to admit, "Abbey, I really haven't got a clue."
"I know," she agrees, "I wouldn't worry about it, neither have they. At least I don't think they have. They've been doing this dance for as long as I've known them," she sees Leo's puzzled look, "Not this dance," she smiles, indicating the musicians. "I mean, they've been dancing around each other. They bicker and argue, something I swear they do simply for the fun of it." She's quiet for a moment as she watches her favorite non-couple. "They have this way of being completely together, like they're the only ones in the room, even in a crowd of people." She smiles, "It's small things that you notice about couples you know."
"It is?" Leo asks, wondering just how much the First Lady has had to drink and whether CJ's going to have to spin this in the morning.
"Yes of course it is. The way they look at each other. The way they can communicate without actually speaking. The way he puts his hand on the small of her back when they walk together. The way one knows they other's mood, or more precisely, they way, when he's happy, she's happy and when he's tired and upset, she does everything she can to help him, and vice versa."
Leo studies the dancers and tries to decide which couple Abbey's talking about, but there's a lot of people out there, and he knows most of them, so that's not an easy task. He's spotted CJ and Danny, but he can't see Abbey getting all maternal over Danny. Now if Sam were still here, she certainly gets that way with him and with Josh. He's about to ask Abbey who the hell's she talking about, when he sees them. How had he not seen that before? Christmas suddenly makes sense now. Oh my God!
Abbey takes a sip of her Champagne and glances at Leo, wondering what he would think if he knew who she was talking about. He's staring at the dance floor and the expression that just passed across his face lets her know that he's worked out who it is. "You have to admit they look good together," she tells him.
Leo doesn't take his eyes off Josh and Donna. "How long?" he asks Abbey.
"About four years I'd say," Abbey replies.
"Do you think they've ever..... ?"
"No," Abbey sadly shakes her head.
"They both date other people."
"Yes, I know. But there's a good reason why those relationships don't work."
"I never realized." Leo's still in shock. "Who else knows?"
Abbey laughs, "Well Josh and Donna are in denial. CJ knows, and I think Sam has known for some time, I'm not sure about Toby. Zoey certainly knows."
As the dance comes to an end, and the couples separate, Leo watches Donna take Josh's hand as they pass through the people milling around the edge of the dance floor. They walk to a table, sit down and start to talk in that animated yet intimate way they have. It's strange that he's never associated intimate with Josh and Donna before. Josh says something to her, she smiles and replies and he laughs. Soon they've been joined by the others - Toby, CJ, Danny, Will and Charlie, but as Leo watches from across the room he can still see the intimacy. He doesn't understand how he's never seen it before, because they aren't acting any differently to normal.
"You can see it now can't you?" Abbey asks.
"How did I miss it before?" Leo wonders.
"I didn't see it until Zoey pointed it out to me," Abbey admits, "Then it was so glaringly obvious," she smiles.
"Yeh."
Abbey studies Leo, "You wish you didn't know?"
"He's her boss, Abbey, it'd be, well difficult...... "
"He's knows that," Abbey assures him.
"He went and got her," Leo comments. "She wasn't going to go to any of the balls," he tells Abbey.
"The quote," Abbey guesses.
"It wasn't her," Leo answers. "So he got in a cab, with Toby, Will, Charlie and Danny, and went her got her."
Abbey laughs, "Did he take them for moral support?"
"Probably," Leo grins. "I can't believe I've not notice before now." Suddenly so much makes sense. The more Leo thinks about it, the more everything seems to fall into place. As he watches Josh and Donna he decides that Abbey's revelation has made the inauguration night even more special. True, a relationship between them would undoubtedly cause problems, but that's for another day.