Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: The London Years
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, and Aaron Sorkin. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)
Story Summary: The honeymoon is over for Jed and Abbey. While living in London so Jed could complete graduate school, they deal with the strains of raising a baby and try to get their troubled marriage back on track. Told through flashbacks.
- - -
Present-day July 1970
Abbey unzipped her dress and let it slide effortlessly down her body, her face devoid of any emotion. She shook her head, waving the strands of hair off her face, then bent over and picked up the dress, now gathered around her ankles, and tossed it on to the bed. She caught her reflection in the mirror, her foundation smeared and little traces of eyeliner and mascara still stained her face, evidence that she had shed a few tears on the way home. She grabbed her terrycloth robe, threw it over her arm, and headed to the shower.
The lukewarm water drenched her body and her fingers wrapped themselves inside her long strands of dampened hair. She closed her eyes, breathing in the steam, and with one large exhaling breath, she let out days worth of frustration. She turned around and looked up at the sprinkling water that splattered her face, cosmetically cleansing herself of any hint of emotional turmoil inside.
Once her shower was over, she wrapped herself in her robe and walked over to the nursery where Elizabeth still lay sound asleep. She bent over the crib railing to rest her ear on the baby's chest. With the reassuring sound of a heartbeat, Abbey could relax.
She headed back to her own room, picking at her hair with a comb on the way. A single photograph caught her attention. A single look made her remember. It was the look in his eyes on that day -- their wedding photo, framed in silver, sat in her bedroom. As she picked it up and stared deep into the eyes that made her fall in love, she allowed herself to get lost in the memories.
- - -
August 1967
When a newly-wedded Jed and Abbey arrived in London, full of hope and determination, they quickly found they had to make sacrifices. Instead of the spacious town home they had their eyes set on, they had to settle for a small one-bedroom flat. It had tiny den that Abbey joked was more like a closet, but Jed was determined to convert it into a nursery in plenty of time for the Baby Bartlet's arrival.
Days after moving in to their new home, only half the furniture had arrived and most of their clothes were still stored in suitcases. Jed sifted through his belongings in the living room while Abbey stood in the kitchen, rummaging through boxes.
Her eyes silently followed him as he crossed the room. She smiled at the way he cocked his head to the side in exhaustion. But her smile soon disappeared when he reached into his bag and put a cigarette in his mouth. Just as the tip made contact with the lighter he held in his other hand, a splash of water hit his face, jolting his body and causing the cigarette to fall out from between his lips.
"Abbey! What the hell?"
She put the empty glass back on the counter and bent down to pick up the wet cigarette. "Rule number one: no smoking in the house."
"You're going to hit me with rules?"
"Yes, I am. It's a disgusting habit and I think you should quit."
He reached in to grab another cigarette, but she took the pack out of his hand and slapped his fingers away when he tried to stop her.
"I did quit…in college."
"Yes and you started again as soon as we got married. What does that say?"
"It says that we've been married a week and you're already analyzing my every move."
"Smoking is bad for you. Haven't you read the Surgeon General's report?"
Jed sighed, realizing he wasn't going to win this argument. "No, Abbey, I haven't."
"The report states unequivocally that smoking is the prime cause of lung cancer, something they've suspected for three years. The FTC recommends changing the warning label on every pack of cigarettes from 'smoking might be hazardous to your health' to 'if you smoke, you'll die,' and when they do, there's going to be no excuse for anyone to be as clueless as you."
"Thank you. Now can I have my cigarettes?" Jed extended his hand with his palm up.
"Jed!"
Knowing she wasn't going to give them up, he grabbed them from her. "They're mine, Abbey. I need them to relieve the stress."
"What stress?"
"The stress that you're causing me right now!" he shouted.
Abbey glared at him then walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Jed threw the cigarettes into his bag and sat down on the bed, his frustration now hitting its peak. He glanced at the cigarettes, but didn't touch them. Instead, he stood up and continued to unpack. He had his back to her when she reentered the room a half hour later. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Hey. I'm sorry," he said, turning his head slightly to look at her.
"Shhh."
She ran her hands up and down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt and caressing his bare skin. Jed stopped unpacking and covered her hands with his own. "What are you doing?"
"Just trying to relieve your stress."
Abbey slipped his shirt off his shoulders and tossed it on to the bed. Still standing behind him, she reached around his hips and pulled on his belt buckle.
"Abbey..."
She could feel the hesitation in his body language. "Trust me," she whispered with her hot breath now saturating his back. "Rule number two: never argue when I have my mind made up."
She threw his belt across the room and began tugging on his pants. With a few tugs, she pulled the pants and his underwear down over his hips. She placed the palms of her hands on his shoulders, her fingers probing his muscles and causing him to tilt his head back to release the tension.
With every moan, Abbey increased the pressure, her hands now working their way down his back and to his waist. She kneaded the skin gently and used her lips to add a sensuous touch to where her hands had just been. Her fingers continued to massage the tightness in his buttocks and his upper thighs and her tongue trailed down the length of his spine. She dropped to the ground, placing warm, wet kisses on the backs of his thighs.
"Oh, Abbey."
"Does that feel good?" she asked innocently.
Jed turned around to find her on her knees, wearing a crimson satin robe and staring up at him through her emerald green eyes. Her hair cascaded down the side and a light sprinkle of bangs brushed against the top of her lashes.
"God I love you," he said.
She grabbed his hand and lifted herself up. "Follow me."
She led him into the bathroom where she had filled the tub with lavendar bubbles and the rose petals he had given her on their first night in London. She carelessly slipped out of her robe and stood in front of him completely naked.
"Now?" he asked.
"Yeah. Get in."
Jed climbed in to the tub then reached out his hand to help Abbey. "Come on."
She resisted. "No. Sit down and lean back."
"You're awfully bossy, Sweet Knees."
"That's why you love me."
He did as he was told and once he leaned his head against the back of the tub, Abbey kneeled by the side, picked up a washcloth, and dipped it into the water. She stroked his chest with the wet cloth, her free hand tracing over the bubbles on his skin. Her hand slipped under the water and began cleansing his legs, her fingers grazing his penis manipulatively. With every squirm, her hand moved up a bit further until she was massaging his inner thighs.
"You can't tease me like this."
"Look at you, Sweetheart. I think right about now, I can do anything I want."
Jed grabbed her wrist playfully and Abbey used her free hand to continue the journey up and down his thigh, this time, rubbing the area that made him inhale deeply and start to let go. She knew he was ready. He put out his arms and she stepped into the tub, laying on top of him and rubbing her body on his. The bubbly water and flowers barely covered their bodies and the wet, slippery friction was enough to almost send Jed over the edge. She held on to him and slowly guided him into her entrance, letting out a moan herself when he was settled. As he moved inside her, she grabbed his head and kissed him hard and with each thurst, she tightened her hold until they both lost total control.
Afterwards, Jed stood in their bedroom and watched as Abbey unwrapped the towel from her body and began drying up excess moisture on her legs. She bent forward to rub the towel around her calves. With a side glance, she noticed he was watching her. She seductively pulled the towel up over her thighs and her hips, wiggling in between strokes. She knew what she was doing. He was worked up all over again and when she reached for a clean pair of clothes, he stopped her.
"What?" she asked.
"Why are you getting dressed?"
"Jed, I have to get back to work. We have a lot of unpacking left to do."
"I know and we'll do it. But why do we have to get dressed?" A wicked smile came over his face.
"Because we do," she said hesitantly.
"It's our own apartment, Abbey."
"We're in London now. It's a flat."
"Whatever. It's ours. Why can't we just stay naked?"
Abbey twirled her hair with her fingers as she contemplated her answer. "It would be uncomfortable."
"After what we did in there, you're going to stand here and tell me that you'd be uncomfortable if I saw you naked?" He approached her and wrapped his arms around her, grabbing her hips to pull her close. "I know every inch of your beautiful body."
"Jed."
"Rule number three: this flat is our sanctuary. No clothes allowed." Abbey laughed. "Think of it as foreplay for later."
"You want to go another round tonight?"
"Abbey, I want to go another round right now."
She raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Then what are you waiting for?"
"Permission."
He pulled her wet hair off her face and kissed her as he used his own body to push her over to the bed. She fell back onto the mattress and he climbed on top of her, holding her against him as he rolled over the sheets.
- - -
Present day
Abbey put the framed photograph on the bureau and sat down on the bed. She rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying fruitlessly to fight off the headache that was already pounding her. The sound of the ticking clock suddenly monopolized the room. As she lifted her head to glance at the time, she froze. It was almost midnight. In just a few minutes, it would be July 22, 1970, the day of her third wedding anniversary.
Her head snapped back at the crashing sound in the other room. "Jed?"
She ran out of the room in anticipation, but it wasn't him. The window had been left open and the storm brewing outside had caused the wind to violently shut the door on the entertainment set in the living room. Visibly rattled, she closed the window and turned to face the front door.
"Please come home," she whispered, hoping against logic that somehow, some way, he would telepathically hear her plea.
TBC