Disclaimer - Only borrowing these characters for some fun. Ok so the
characters won't think it's fun.
Pairing - Josiah/Abigail, Leo/Jenny, and who ever is paired along the way.....
Background: Sequel to Clearing Clouds.
Rating: God Q. Wish I knew. Let's go with PG-13.
Author: Karin 'N' loveleomcgarry (angel_of_dreams4@hotmail.com // kcornettoh@aol.com)
Feedback: "If you like it you do and if you don't you boo." - J.R.R. Tolkien
Dirty Dealings
"Leo, I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear how it would be better if Jed and I broke up."
"Abbey..."
"Stop it!"
~Later that day~
"Leo, I'm trying to understand why you keep doing this, but it doesn't make any sense. You told me you were fine with Abbey and I dating, so I have to say I'm getting very frustrated with you."
"Yes, sir."
~Two days later~
"I told you they are not going to break up. I've tried for two weeks and I cant, no, I will not do it anymore."
"Well, Leo, we really didn't think it would work, did we? Now it's time to move on with the next step of our plan."
"Your plan."
"Of course."
~The following day~
"Leo, I'm warning you. Either you stop this or I'm cutting you out of my life."
Leo froze.
"I can't make the girls stop seeing you, but if you don't stop this I, myself, want nothing more to do with you."
Leo understood where she was coming from and realized it was time to stop. If Abbey didn't want to see him, then it would only be a matter of time when Jed would get caught in the middle, not to mention the girls. He nodded sombrely. "I'm sorry."
Abbey's anger let go of her. "You keep saying that, but why?" His behaviour the last two weeks had been unpredictable to say the least. "You seem fine when we all meet, but when you're with me or Jed alone you keep asking us to break up."
Leo didn't know what to say. The last two weeks had been horrible. He couldn't bear the looks he got from Jed and Abbey. Damn his brother! Not to mention that he couldn't talk to Jenny. Oh Jenny, he hoped she would forgive him.
It wasn't hard for Abbey to see there was something weighing heavily on Leo, but he wouldn't open up to anyone. Not to her, Jed or even Jenny. "Leo?"
"I have to go!" He couldn't take this. First her anger and then the look that said 'I want to help you. Tell me what's wrong.' He hurried out of her house and slammed the door behind him. He didn't intend to do that, but he had to get away from her. The worst part was when Abbey would discover Lane was alive and Leo still had to continue betraying her to help Lane. He didn't have a choice and he prayed they would understand that. He needed to protect them. His brother was more dangerous than they could ever imagine.
Abbey was getting tired of this. This scene seemed to have happened over and over again. It had and no matter how much she tried, Leo wouldn't open up to her. He wouldn't open up to Jed either. Her thoughts were interrupted by the telephone. She went and picked up the receiver. "McGarry. Hi. What? Oh. Yes, I can come over, but Darryl I think you need to get her to a real...... I know but I'm not that kind of a doctor. Yes, OK. Bye." She hung up. She had to put a stop to this today. The woman needed help from a real psychiatrist. Even though Abbey had agreed to talk to her if she needed it since she had known her brother for a long time, this wasn't right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darryl followed Abbey to the front door. "She is very upset that you can't talk to her anymore."
Abbey motioned for him to follow her outside. She waited until he closed the door behind them. "I'm going to tell you something and for now you cannot tell Andrea what I'm about to tell you."
He nodded.
"First let me say I only agreed to help you talk to her because you are a friend of mine. But I didn't expect her to be this bad. She's obsessed and needs real help." She paused briefly. "And, the public doesn't know yet, but I am dating The President."
Darryl's eyes widened. "You?"
"Yes, and so there is another reason. It wouldn't be very wise for me to talk to someone who is obsessed with Jed Bartlet, don't you think?" Abbey hoped he would understand as she really wanted to help, but she didn't have this kind of training.
"I understand and I won't tell her."
Abbey shook his hand and for a moment she thought she noticed some movement behind the curtain in the living room window. Deciding she imagined it, she shrugged it off and left.
"Thank you, Mr. President," Leo clipped as he headed for the office door.
"Thank you, Leo," The President replied in much the same tone.
Mrs. Landingham rolled her eyes and looked upward as if asking for patience before she rose from her desk. Stepping in front of the open door, she was almost bowled over by Leo in his haste to leave. Nodding to his apology, she took his hand and held it firmly in her own. Without a word and leaving no room for argument, she led him back into The Oval Office.
Upon their entrance, the President looked up from the papers he was holding and frowned. "What did you need, Mrs. Landingham?"
Her mouth set in a thin line to avoid responding to his snip, she marched to the desk with Leo silently in tow and reached for the President's hand.
"I don't have time for foolishness!" The words burst from Jed's mouth before he thought.
Mrs. Landingham paused and gave him her most serious look. "I assure you, Josiah Edward Bartlet, that you are going to listen to what I have to say!" Her eyes narrowing, she reached out her hand and clasped his, half pulling him out of his chair. Steadily she moved toward one of the stripped couches, letting go of their hands simultaneously. She pointed to the couch and waited somewhat impatiently as they both sat and looked up at her. "NOW!" Mrs. Landingham paused for effect. "One of you start talking and tell me why my boys are fighting."
Leo looked guiltily at the floor. Mrs. Landingham knew that look well. She had seen it many times before when Leo had thought he had failed someone. The first time had been when Leo had admitted to her that although he had gone without lunch at the boarding school for a month, he didn't have the money to buy his sister the skates she wanted for her birthday. And seeing it now, it convinced Mrs. Landingham that the current argument between the men was serious and that she should try to be understanding.
"Jed?" Knowing she would get nothing from Leo voluntarily, she decided to see what the other had to say, sure that over the passed few days it had been his voice she had heard, demanding an explanation or saying he wasn't going to listen anymore.
"He wants me to break up with Abbey!" Jed's voice boomed with displeasure and irritation. "He can't give me one good reason, but he won't shut up about it. When he can get one of us alone that's all he wants to talk about. I can put up with it, but it's upsetting Abbey!"
Mrs. Landingham didn't miss the flinch from Leo at the revelation that his behaviour was hurting Abbey. She lowered her voice. "Leo, will you tell me why you don't want Jed and Abbey together?"
Leo looked up, but his eyes were everywhere but on her. "I just...I know how hard it will be for Abbey with the lack of privacy and increased security..."
"Leo." Mrs. Landingham spoke firmly, making it clear that she did not believe a word. "If you won't tell us what's wrong, we can't fix this."
The words burned in Leo's mouth, trying to force their way out. To tell his best friend and Mrs. Landingham that his brother was alive and was about to bring a reign of terror down on them that could destroy all their lives. But Leo had no choice, he could either tell them and save his friendship or he could stay silent and save their very lives. Leo bit his lip and looked down, trying to ignore Mrs. Landingham's eyes he could feel on him.
"See, he can't tell us any reason why Abbey and I shouldn't be together. I just don't understand it. He knows I would never hurt Abbey and he knows that I love her girls." Jed was shaking his head in frustration. "And if he's worried that the girls won't need him anymore, he shouldn't be, because he knows they'll always need their Uncle Leo."
Mrs. Landingham studied Leo intently, clearly seeing that as always his only goal was to protect Jed and that it was breaking his heart to have his best friend angry with him. She reached out her hand and gently placed it on top of Leo's which were clasped in front of him. "You'd tell us more if you could?"
Leo nodded and rose from the couch, trudging out the door.
"And he walks out on our conversation once again." The President leaned back on the couch.
Mrs. Landingham wanted to be clear on the facts. "You've talked to him about this, I mean really talked, not just snapped at him when he tells you that you shouldn't be involved with Abbey."
"Talk to him! I have talked to him, Abbey has talked to him, Jenny has talked to him. He just withdraws from all of us. He's in a constant state of nervous agitation that I just can't seem to break through," Jed explained, running his hand through his hair.
"I see signs of a lot of guilt," said Mrs. Landingham. "Whatever is going on, it's hurting him terribly. That's why I didn't press him any harder. He's being hard enough on himself."
"What's wrong with him? Do you have ANY idea?" Jed looked up at Mrs. Landingham like she was his last hope.
Mrs. Landingham shook her head. "He's definitely struggling with something."
"I can't take much more of it. It's like he doesn't care about MY happiness anymore. He just wants his way! He wants Abbey and me apart and he's not going to stop until he pushes us too far." Jed sighed. "I tell you something; he just better not force me to choose!"
"That's what this means to you!" Mrs. Landingham sounded almost scolding. "It's only about YOU?"
The President stared at her, noting the sharpness in her voice. "From my vantage point, I'm the one who's going to lose big time if he gets his way. You see it another way? I'd really like to hear your take on it. Leo is one of the people that's most precious to me in this entire world, you of all people know that, but he's making it really hard right now to remember that I love him."
Mrs. Landingham seized upon this opportunity to make her point. "Think about your best friend, Jed. Leo's never once in his life thought about himself before he thought about you."
Jed paused and let the last forty some years play out in his mind. Mrs. Landingham was right. Leo was always right there for him. Jed sighed. "You think he has my best interest at heart? Why won't he open up to me? He knows he can tell me anything. I can deal with anything but silence."
"That's the question you have to answer." Mrs. Landingham rose, patted the President's hand and returned to her own desk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Did Mrs. Landingham straighten Leo out?" Abbey leaned back against the President's chest.
The President nuzzled his lips through Abbey's hair. "No, she told me to listen to my best friend."
"She wants you to break up with me?" Abbey abruptly sat up and whirled around.
Jed smiled tenderly at her. "No, she wants me to put Leo in a position where he's forced to tell me what's really going on." The President locked eyes with Abbey and confirmed that they were going to have to get to the bottom of what was really going on.
TBC......
Pairing - Josiah/Abigail, Leo/Jenny, and who ever is paired along the way.....
Background: Sequel to Clearing Clouds.
Rating: God Q. Wish I knew. Let's go with PG-13.
Author: Karin 'N' loveleomcgarry (angel_of_dreams4@hotmail.com // kcornettoh@aol.com)
Feedback: "If you like it you do and if you don't you boo." - J.R.R. Tolkien
Dirty Dealings
"Leo, I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear how it would be better if Jed and I broke up."
"Abbey..."
"Stop it!"
~Later that day~
"Leo, I'm trying to understand why you keep doing this, but it doesn't make any sense. You told me you were fine with Abbey and I dating, so I have to say I'm getting very frustrated with you."
"Yes, sir."
~Two days later~
"I told you they are not going to break up. I've tried for two weeks and I cant, no, I will not do it anymore."
"Well, Leo, we really didn't think it would work, did we? Now it's time to move on with the next step of our plan."
"Your plan."
"Of course."
~The following day~
"Leo, I'm warning you. Either you stop this or I'm cutting you out of my life."
Leo froze.
"I can't make the girls stop seeing you, but if you don't stop this I, myself, want nothing more to do with you."
Leo understood where she was coming from and realized it was time to stop. If Abbey didn't want to see him, then it would only be a matter of time when Jed would get caught in the middle, not to mention the girls. He nodded sombrely. "I'm sorry."
Abbey's anger let go of her. "You keep saying that, but why?" His behaviour the last two weeks had been unpredictable to say the least. "You seem fine when we all meet, but when you're with me or Jed alone you keep asking us to break up."
Leo didn't know what to say. The last two weeks had been horrible. He couldn't bear the looks he got from Jed and Abbey. Damn his brother! Not to mention that he couldn't talk to Jenny. Oh Jenny, he hoped she would forgive him.
It wasn't hard for Abbey to see there was something weighing heavily on Leo, but he wouldn't open up to anyone. Not to her, Jed or even Jenny. "Leo?"
"I have to go!" He couldn't take this. First her anger and then the look that said 'I want to help you. Tell me what's wrong.' He hurried out of her house and slammed the door behind him. He didn't intend to do that, but he had to get away from her. The worst part was when Abbey would discover Lane was alive and Leo still had to continue betraying her to help Lane. He didn't have a choice and he prayed they would understand that. He needed to protect them. His brother was more dangerous than they could ever imagine.
Abbey was getting tired of this. This scene seemed to have happened over and over again. It had and no matter how much she tried, Leo wouldn't open up to her. He wouldn't open up to Jed either. Her thoughts were interrupted by the telephone. She went and picked up the receiver. "McGarry. Hi. What? Oh. Yes, I can come over, but Darryl I think you need to get her to a real...... I know but I'm not that kind of a doctor. Yes, OK. Bye." She hung up. She had to put a stop to this today. The woman needed help from a real psychiatrist. Even though Abbey had agreed to talk to her if she needed it since she had known her brother for a long time, this wasn't right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darryl followed Abbey to the front door. "She is very upset that you can't talk to her anymore."
Abbey motioned for him to follow her outside. She waited until he closed the door behind them. "I'm going to tell you something and for now you cannot tell Andrea what I'm about to tell you."
He nodded.
"First let me say I only agreed to help you talk to her because you are a friend of mine. But I didn't expect her to be this bad. She's obsessed and needs real help." She paused briefly. "And, the public doesn't know yet, but I am dating The President."
Darryl's eyes widened. "You?"
"Yes, and so there is another reason. It wouldn't be very wise for me to talk to someone who is obsessed with Jed Bartlet, don't you think?" Abbey hoped he would understand as she really wanted to help, but she didn't have this kind of training.
"I understand and I won't tell her."
Abbey shook his hand and for a moment she thought she noticed some movement behind the curtain in the living room window. Deciding she imagined it, she shrugged it off and left.
"Thank you, Mr. President," Leo clipped as he headed for the office door.
"Thank you, Leo," The President replied in much the same tone.
Mrs. Landingham rolled her eyes and looked upward as if asking for patience before she rose from her desk. Stepping in front of the open door, she was almost bowled over by Leo in his haste to leave. Nodding to his apology, she took his hand and held it firmly in her own. Without a word and leaving no room for argument, she led him back into The Oval Office.
Upon their entrance, the President looked up from the papers he was holding and frowned. "What did you need, Mrs. Landingham?"
Her mouth set in a thin line to avoid responding to his snip, she marched to the desk with Leo silently in tow and reached for the President's hand.
"I don't have time for foolishness!" The words burst from Jed's mouth before he thought.
Mrs. Landingham paused and gave him her most serious look. "I assure you, Josiah Edward Bartlet, that you are going to listen to what I have to say!" Her eyes narrowing, she reached out her hand and clasped his, half pulling him out of his chair. Steadily she moved toward one of the stripped couches, letting go of their hands simultaneously. She pointed to the couch and waited somewhat impatiently as they both sat and looked up at her. "NOW!" Mrs. Landingham paused for effect. "One of you start talking and tell me why my boys are fighting."
Leo looked guiltily at the floor. Mrs. Landingham knew that look well. She had seen it many times before when Leo had thought he had failed someone. The first time had been when Leo had admitted to her that although he had gone without lunch at the boarding school for a month, he didn't have the money to buy his sister the skates she wanted for her birthday. And seeing it now, it convinced Mrs. Landingham that the current argument between the men was serious and that she should try to be understanding.
"Jed?" Knowing she would get nothing from Leo voluntarily, she decided to see what the other had to say, sure that over the passed few days it had been his voice she had heard, demanding an explanation or saying he wasn't going to listen anymore.
"He wants me to break up with Abbey!" Jed's voice boomed with displeasure and irritation. "He can't give me one good reason, but he won't shut up about it. When he can get one of us alone that's all he wants to talk about. I can put up with it, but it's upsetting Abbey!"
Mrs. Landingham didn't miss the flinch from Leo at the revelation that his behaviour was hurting Abbey. She lowered her voice. "Leo, will you tell me why you don't want Jed and Abbey together?"
Leo looked up, but his eyes were everywhere but on her. "I just...I know how hard it will be for Abbey with the lack of privacy and increased security..."
"Leo." Mrs. Landingham spoke firmly, making it clear that she did not believe a word. "If you won't tell us what's wrong, we can't fix this."
The words burned in Leo's mouth, trying to force their way out. To tell his best friend and Mrs. Landingham that his brother was alive and was about to bring a reign of terror down on them that could destroy all their lives. But Leo had no choice, he could either tell them and save his friendship or he could stay silent and save their very lives. Leo bit his lip and looked down, trying to ignore Mrs. Landingham's eyes he could feel on him.
"See, he can't tell us any reason why Abbey and I shouldn't be together. I just don't understand it. He knows I would never hurt Abbey and he knows that I love her girls." Jed was shaking his head in frustration. "And if he's worried that the girls won't need him anymore, he shouldn't be, because he knows they'll always need their Uncle Leo."
Mrs. Landingham studied Leo intently, clearly seeing that as always his only goal was to protect Jed and that it was breaking his heart to have his best friend angry with him. She reached out her hand and gently placed it on top of Leo's which were clasped in front of him. "You'd tell us more if you could?"
Leo nodded and rose from the couch, trudging out the door.
"And he walks out on our conversation once again." The President leaned back on the couch.
Mrs. Landingham wanted to be clear on the facts. "You've talked to him about this, I mean really talked, not just snapped at him when he tells you that you shouldn't be involved with Abbey."
"Talk to him! I have talked to him, Abbey has talked to him, Jenny has talked to him. He just withdraws from all of us. He's in a constant state of nervous agitation that I just can't seem to break through," Jed explained, running his hand through his hair.
"I see signs of a lot of guilt," said Mrs. Landingham. "Whatever is going on, it's hurting him terribly. That's why I didn't press him any harder. He's being hard enough on himself."
"What's wrong with him? Do you have ANY idea?" Jed looked up at Mrs. Landingham like she was his last hope.
Mrs. Landingham shook her head. "He's definitely struggling with something."
"I can't take much more of it. It's like he doesn't care about MY happiness anymore. He just wants his way! He wants Abbey and me apart and he's not going to stop until he pushes us too far." Jed sighed. "I tell you something; he just better not force me to choose!"
"That's what this means to you!" Mrs. Landingham sounded almost scolding. "It's only about YOU?"
The President stared at her, noting the sharpness in her voice. "From my vantage point, I'm the one who's going to lose big time if he gets his way. You see it another way? I'd really like to hear your take on it. Leo is one of the people that's most precious to me in this entire world, you of all people know that, but he's making it really hard right now to remember that I love him."
Mrs. Landingham seized upon this opportunity to make her point. "Think about your best friend, Jed. Leo's never once in his life thought about himself before he thought about you."
Jed paused and let the last forty some years play out in his mind. Mrs. Landingham was right. Leo was always right there for him. Jed sighed. "You think he has my best interest at heart? Why won't he open up to me? He knows he can tell me anything. I can deal with anything but silence."
"That's the question you have to answer." Mrs. Landingham rose, patted the President's hand and returned to her own desk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Did Mrs. Landingham straighten Leo out?" Abbey leaned back against the President's chest.
The President nuzzled his lips through Abbey's hair. "No, she told me to listen to my best friend."
"She wants you to break up with me?" Abbey abruptly sat up and whirled around.
Jed smiled tenderly at her. "No, she wants me to put Leo in a position where he's forced to tell me what's really going on." The President locked eyes with Abbey and confirmed that they were going to have to get to the bottom of what was really going on.
TBC......