Author's Note: I am so pleased to present Bartlet History 18, the story for which I've had in mind for at least six months. We can all thank Taylor Swift for this song and inspiring this creation.
The Story of Us
"Abbey, can you believe this? It's robbery! That's what it should be called. Absolute robbery from our children. This state has plenty of revenue, and I know a lot of that goes to our school districts. So why the hell are we paying an extra fee for school lunches? Where's the money going that last year our kids got lunch for free and this year it's not in the budget?!" Jed ranted as he paced back and forth.
With a loud sigh, Abbey looked up from her textbook. "Jed, it's twenty-five dollars. We can afford twenty-five dollars for the school year."
"It's twenty-five dollars per student, not per family!"
"Well, seeing as Ellie is only eighteen months old and therefore not going to public school yet, we only have to pay for Liz. That's just twenty-five dollars," she pointed out.
"But it's the principle of it! We're doing just fine, but not every family is as well off as we are. Everyone pays taxes, so why isn't everyone benefiting?"
Abbey tried not to smile. Her husband was rightly upset, but watching him get all fired up about unfairness was rather inspiring and endearing. "Jed," she said softly, trying to calm him down.
"I won't stand for this. None of the parents should!"
"Mhmm," she agreed, going back to her book.
"Abbey, are you listening to me at all?" he asked, pausing his tirade.
"Fees for school lunches. You're mad. I know. But I really need to study this, Jed," she replied, not looking up this time.
"You've been studying for the last six years straight."
"I'm supposed to assist in a transplant in two days. I need to study!" she told him, her voice raised slightly.
"Aren't you a resident now? Doesn't that mean something?" he asked.
She growled slightly, putting her book down. "Yes. It means that even more is expected of me. I can't make the same mistakes as I did when I was an intern. And it's even more important for me, seeing as I'm the only female surgical resident in my year. Doing what's expected of me isn't good enough! So believe me, Jed, that I do care about our children's education. But you've been whining about this for the past half hour. So go do something about it. Call the school district or the State Board of Education or something. Isn't Sheffield our representative? He's running for reelection. Go talk to him. Or run against him and fix it yourself. But do it somewhere else, because I need to study this procedure!"
Jed sat down beside his wife on the sofa. "Tell me how the procedure goes." He'd done this many times while she was in medical school. They both knew that if she could explain something in a way that science-challenged Jed could understand, it meant Abbey had mastered the concept.
Abbey smiled and began going through the process of transplanting a heart.
One month later, Jed Bartlet was in the midst of his first political campaign. He was running for a position on the State Board of Education. He had spoken to Hank Sheffield about his concerns about the appropriation of funds in the school districts, and Sheffield had not only brushed him off, but had minimized the issue while patronizing the Dartmouth professor. When Jed came home so angry that he'd slammed the ancient door to his den off its hinges, Abbey had practically forced him to run against Sheffield in the upcoming election. He'd gotten his name on the ballot one day before the cutoff. And he had just two months before the February primary election to convince the citizens of the Manchester area that he would make a better Board of Education member than Sheffield.
Jed was going all out, putting all his energy into his little campaign. He picked up Liz from school on the two days a week he wasn't teaching at Dartmouth so that he could talk to the teachers and other parents about their concerns. He introduced himself to everyone at Ellie's daycare, explaining his positions on the issues and asking for their votes. He got calls from political operatives who were interested in hearing what he had to say and somehow wrangled a campaign manager and a small staff.
Abbey, meanwhile, was so busy at the hospital that she barely came home for more than a few hours at a time. She called every day to say goodnight to her girls and to hear about Jed's day, but she was always called away for some emergency procedure or to tend to a patient. Thank goodness for Mrs. Wilburforce, making sure the house ran smoothly and the girls were properly looked after. Though throughout the chaos, Liz and Ellie never went a day without having dinner with one of their parents. If Jed had an evening event, Abbey made sure she was home, and if she was in surgery, Jed cancelled whatever he needed to in order to be with his daughters. It had been almost two weeks since the four of them had all had a meal together.
Things carried on in a very satisfactory manner. They had a system to deal with all the hectic things in their lives, and it ran quite smoothly. Everything was just fine.
And that's all it was.
Jed came home late from a speaking engagement one night late January to find Abbey already in bed. She tended to have early nights whenever she wasn't at the hospital; she took her sleep wherever she could get it. She heard the front door open and close and smiled softly to herself. She could hear him attempt to walk up the stairs quietly, something he never could quite manage. Abbey wanted to sit up and turn on the light to greet him when he came in, but she was just so tired. She couldn't quite manage to move. Instead, she fell into a deep sleep.
Before going up to their bedroom, Jed stopped in to check on his daughters. Elizabeth, now almost eight, was sleeping soundly, clutching her favorite stuffed animal, a duck named Quincy. Jed smiled as he softly kissed her forehead, remembering how the duck got his name. He had been telling her about all the Presidents one day, all of whom he could list in order, and John Quincy Adams had somehow struck her as funny. She loved the name. And thus, the duck named Quincy. Jed was mildly disappointed, as John Quincy Adams hadn't been a particularly good or interesting or effective president, but whatever made Lizzie happy was good enough for him.
He then went into Ellie's nursery. She was almost old enough for them to redecorate the room; she would be two in just a few months. It felt like just yesterday that Abbey was pregnant and manically trying to study for med school finals. And now Ellie was starting to walk and talk and be a real little person. Jed watched her sleep for a little while, giving a silent prayer to God to ensure her safety and thanking for this blessing.
Eventually, he went to bed. Abbey was fast asleep. He knew she would be, but he was slightly disappointed. She had left before he'd awoken that morning, so it had been an entire day since they'd spoken. He missed her. It was a silly thing to think, seeing as they slept beside each other every single day. But they were so busy. Since the day they met, he'd rarely made a move without consulting her. Not that he felt he needed her permission for things, but he liked having her input. He liked hearing what she had to say. He liked to listen to her. Hell, that's why he'd married her; he wanted to spend every day of his life with her as his partner in all he did. But it didn't feel like that much anymore.
He kissed her cheek after climbing under the covers with her. Eventually, things would calm down and they'd be back to the way things were before. Everything would be fine.
And so it went on. Jed's campaign schedule got even more intense, leaving Abbey alone with the girls more often than not. She began worrying that she'd fall behind at the hospital, so she was there as often as humanly possible. She even spent three straight days away from home once. Jed was so busy, he barely noticed.
One person in the Bartlets' life did notice, however, and began to worry. Millicent Griffith, Abbey's college roommate and maid of honor at their wedding, became concerned. She forced her best friend to go to lunch with her in Boston one day.
"Abb, what's going on with you and Jed?" she asked bluntly.
Abbey furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? We're fine. I mean, we're busy, sure, but we're fine."
"Are you sure?" Millie's tone betrayed her skepticism.
"Yes! He's got the campaign and he's perhaps a little overzealous, but you know Jed. He's going to do this the best that he can. And I'm a surgical resident, Millie! You know that means I'm not really entitled to a life outside the operating room. But I've got two daughters and a husband, so I'm making it work. Everything is fine," Abbey insisted.
Millie wasn't convinced, but she could tell that Abbey was just going to get angry and defensive if she pushed any further. She'd allow Abbey to live in denial for now.
"Oh, by the way, my parents are having an anniversary party in two weeks. On the tenth. Can you come?" Abbey asked, changing the subject.
"Sure. I love your parents."
Abbey smiled. "Great. Jed has a campaign event that night, so I don't even want to bother him with this. But I don't really want to go alone. Liz and Ellie are going to stay with Mrs. Landingham."
"Oh, is Jed's mother not available?"
"I didn't even ask, actually. But ever since Mrs. Landingham lost her boys in Vietnam last year, we try to see her more often. Ellie just loves her. And you know Ellie. She's quiet."
Millie nodded. "Yeah, she really only opens up to me and you."
"And Delores Landingham. Which I think is great for everyone involved."
"So does this mean I'm going as your date to your parents' anniversary party?" Millie asked, mirth dancing in her hazel eyes.
"Yes, it looks that way." Abbey tried to fake a similar amusement at the situation. But it was quietly destroying her that Jed wouldn't be there with her. She knew if she asked him to go, he'd try his best to come. It was better to let him do what he needed to do than have him stress about disappointing her and ending up doing just that. Yes, this would end up being fine.
Two more perfectly fine and satisfactory weeks went by. Jed spent all day in his study, on the phone with his campaign staff. Abbey left a note on the kitchen table telling him she would be at her parents' for the night with Millie, and she was taking the girls to Mrs. Landingham. She signed it with a heart and a wish of good luck. Abbey packed her gown into the car and put the girls in the backseat and headed out. She had wanted to say goodbye to Jed personally, but it was probably for the best that she didn't interrupt him.
A few hours later, Abbey was happily sitting with Millie eating the chicken dinner her parents had catered for the event. Her mother came by to say hello. "Abbey, honey, you look beautiful!" Louise Barrington gushed.
Abbey beamed. She knew how good she looked in the red strapless gown. But being praised on her appearance was always nice. "Thanks, Mom. You look lovely," she said, complimenting her mother on the violet dress she had chosen for the occasion.
"Thank you. But I'm still a bit jealous that you've been able to keep your figure. You know, I looked like that once upon a time, before I had you and your sister. How you've had two children and managed to stay so gorgeous is beyond me."
"Oh, I don't know, Mrs. Barrington," Millie commented, "You're looking pretty good for having been married for thirty-three years."
Louise laughed. "That's kind of you to say, Millicent. I'm glad you could join us. Though I'm sorry Jed couldn't come, Abbey."
Abbey just shrugged. She had already told her parents that Jed had campaign commitments. She didn't need to tell them she hadn't even informed him of the event.
Midway through dinner, the door to the rented ballroom opened loudly. And standing there was Jed Bartlet, straightening the tie on his suit. He scanned the room for a moment before he saw his wife. His whole expression brightened when he found her. God, she looked good. Even though he had been hurt that she hadn't told him about her parents' party, he hoped that by showing up, they could have a special night together. It had been so long since they'd had time for just the two of them.
He walked over to the table where Abbey and Millie were sitting. "Would you look at that, two of my favorite women looking utterly beautiful. Aren't I lucky?" he said in greeting.
Abbey was shocked he had showed up. She stood from her seat to receive his kiss on her cheek. "What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.
"It's your parents' anniversary party. I should be here."
"What about your fundraising dinner?"
Jed shrugged. "I took care of it. It's more important that I'm here."
Abbey felt a warming sensation in her chest at those words. It was nice to hear that he prioritized her family, even if his actions usually proved otherwise. "I'm glad you came," Abbey admitted.
Millie shifted her gaze between the two Bartlets. "Jed, why don't you sit down in my place," she offered.
"Oh no, you finish your dinner, Mill. I'll go greet the happy couple," Jed replied. He went over to where Dr. and Mrs. Barrington sat to give his good wishes for their anniversary.
Millie returned her attention to Abbey. "It's good that he came."
Abbey shrugged. Yes, it was good he came. But even when he was there, it didn't feel like he was there. Something was off between them. "Well, Jed's always been a very considerate person," Abbey said flatly.
"Abbey…" Millie began with concern.
"We're fine!" Abbey insisted.
Unbeknownst to everyone else, Dr. Jim Barrington had been watching his daughter and her husband very closely. When Jed came over to greet them, he allowed his wife to fawn over their son-in-law in excitement of his arrival. But Jim had other plans in mind. "Jed, what do you say we go find the bar?"
"Sounds good to me."
The two men left the ballroom and wandered the halls of the hotel to find the main bar. Jim tactfully began his questioning. "You've been very busy lately, Jed. How's the campaign going?"
"It's going very well. I've got my name on the primary ballot. The New Hampshire Primary is in just a few days, but I'm confident I'll make it through this season and have all summer to campaign for the general election."
"That's gotta be hard work."
Jed nodded. "It's work worth doing. The schools in our area are very good but aren't being managed properly. I can do something about it, so I'm going to try."
"That's great. We all knew you had greatness in you," Jim said with a smile. "I'm glad you were able to come tonight. Abbey said you had a fundraiser that you couldn't miss."
"I did, yeah. But actually, Abbey never told me about this party."
"I'm sure she didn't want to bother you or see you stretch yourself too thin."
Jed took a sip of his whiskey. "Yeah."
Jim had some of his own drink before getting to the real reason for asking Jed to join him. "I have to say I'm a little worried about you. You and Abbey, I mean. I watched you two when you came in tonight. I've seen you greet my daughter many, many times. And there was something off tonight."
As the two men sat side by side at the dark mahogany bar, Jed took a deep breath, secretly thankful that someone had noticed and actually said something about it. "We've just been busy," Jed said weakly.
Jim shook his head. "Jed, you once promised me that you would make sure my daughter would always be safe and happy and loved. I had no problem giving my blessing to you that day, because I saw the way she looked at you and the way you two interacted. And it wasn't just young love. Every time I've seen the two of you, it's still been there. You an Abbey hit the lottery together. The love between you was palpable, Jed. You must know that. But lately…"
"I know. We haven't had that in a while," Jed agreed. "But I don't know what to do about it. Maybe our great love story was only meant to be great for a time. We're still happy and committed to each other. We've got Liz and Ellie. Maybe this is what we are from now on."
Jim put his hand on Jed's shoulder. "If that's true, it'll be a real tragedy. Both you and Abbey are truly extraordinary people, and you deserve to have that great fairytale romance, a story for the ages. I really thought you had it. But I guess if you're resigned to settle for what you've got, Abbey will learn to settle too." Dr. Barrington stood up from the bar and went back to the ballroom.
Jed was left alone at the bar with his thoughts. His mind played back the words he had spoken. His pathetic attempts to justify what had happened. They would be fine? What kind of life was that? Jed Bartlet had always had plans for his life, to be happy enough in whatever he ended up doing. But Abbey had made him see that there was something more, something better. She hadn't let him be satisfied with 'happy enough.' No, Jim was right. Abbey was extraordinary. And she had helped him see how great he could be. It was up to him to make sure she was never just 'happy enough.' She had given him everything. And because of it, he refused to allow their love story to devolve into a generic marriage. Because, frankly, there was nothing generic about their relationship. They were extraordinary. And now it was time to recapture what had made their story so incredible.
Abbey sat at her table with Millie, trying not to stare when her father left with Jed, or when her father had come back alone. But she couldn't ignore Jed's return to the ballroom. He had a look on her face that made her feel like she was about to break out into hives. She quickly turned her attention to Millie and tried not to ball up her dress in her fists.
"What's wrong?" Millie asked, slight panic etched into her kind features.
"Jed just came back and he looks like he wants to do something drastic. Like he's lost his mind. Which probably means he wants to talk to me."
Millie tilted her head in confusion. "You don't want to talk to him?"
"Frankly, no. What good would it do? He's busy. I'm busy. Nothing is going to change that any time soon. Certainly talking isn't going to make things better."
"So you admit things aren't great?"
Abbey chuckled mirthlessly. "It's killing me."
"Would you dance with me?"
Abbey looked up to see her husband holding his hand out to her. His wording didn't elude her. He asked if she would dance with him, not if she would like to dance with him. He was doing much more than asking for a dance.
She nodded and stood up. She allowed him to take her hand and lead her to the dancefloor where the band was playing a slow swing tune. Half a dozen couples were swaying to the music.
Jed began to lead Abbey in a dance, which she followed just as they had done many times before. But her gaze was elsewhere. She didn't speak a word to him.
The silence was deafening. It made Jed want to start shouting just to drown out how loud the quiet actually was.
"Talk to me, honey."
Abbey looked into his blue eyes, so dark with pain. She felt like she hadn't looked into those eyes in such a long time. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
"Abigail," he begged quietly.
Abbey raised her eyebrows at the use of her full name, something he didn't do often. But she said nothing.
"I feel like I'm dancing with a brick wall." Before Abbey could protest, he continued, "I wish I knew how to get through to you. It's never been like this before. There's nothing wrong, but we're not us anymore, Abb. Not like this. This isn't us. Cordially going through our lives like we're any two people in the world? Is that really all we are now? Is what we had over?"
It took everything in her for Abbey to not tell Jed that she'd never leave him. Because that wasn't what was going on. She knew exactly what he was talking about. She'd felt the same way for months. "We'll never be over, Jed. Not until the day we die. We can't let that happen."
"I agree."
"We're just so…I don't know. Busy isn't the right word. We are busy, but it's more than that. This is the first time we've ever been doing completely separate things. You're not involved in my surgical residency, and I'm not involved in your campaign. And that's not a criticism, that's just a fact. I don't know how to fix that, Jed."
The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile. "I think we should find a way to try."
Abbey let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Like she was exhaling for the first time in a very long time. "I've missed you so much."
Jed pulled her closer against him as they continued to dance. "Maybe that should have been a clue. Missing a person you see every day."
Abbey clutched at his suit jacket, as though holding him closer would bring back everything they'd lost. "I want to fix us," she whispered, her breath hitched as she struggled not to cry.
He pulled away just enough to kiss her. What started as a soft peck of comfort quickly turned into a deep, passionate promise for their future together.
On the other side of the dancefloor, Jim and Louise Barrington were sharing their own dance. Louise saw her daughter and son-in-law and was surprised at their lack of decorum. "Jim, what happened when you took Jed outside?"
Dr. Barrington smiled and led his wife in the opposite direction. "Just a little bump in the road. Their story is back on track now."