Post-ep for Hartsfield Landing

"Hey," Abbey said timidly as Jed entered the bedroom. Her husband had been having trouble sleeping to the point where Leo had suggested a psychiatrist come talk to Jed, so she was worried about his mood as he came in.

"Hi," Jed said gloomily not looking at her as he loosened his tie. He walked off to the closet, and she could hear him rummaging around in there. Normally, Jed had a lot to say at the end of the day, filling his wife in on the successes and setbacks of the day. His silence bothered her. Abbey knew her husband had trouble expressing his deeper emotions in words. While she read his mind very well so that he didn't have to go into long explanations of what troubled him, she at least needed context in order to help him.

He shuffled back into the bedroom, this time clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt. He riffled through the stacks of books on his night table, still not saying anything.

"Jed?" She asked softly as he settled himself onto the bed.

"Yeah?" he asked, putting on his glasses to read a biography on Galileo.

"Honey, what's wrong?" She asked, placing a hand on his.

He sat silently for a moment, sighing, but twining his fingers with hers. "You know this thing with Toby?"

"Yeah," Abbey replied gently. "Did he make another crack about your father?"

"No. We played chess." He paused. "No one talks to me about my father. I don't like talking about it. Even you and I have only had one—albeit long and intense— discussion about him in all our years of marriage." He sighed again. "My sleeplessness, my desire to continually achieve, this election… Toby thinks it's all tied to my father. Anyway, I came back at Toby with something like the strike against me is that no one likes the smartest kid in the class."

Abbey looked at him squarely. "And you think it's a flaw to be as smart as you are?"

"My father certainly thought so," he said with both bitterness and sadness.

"Look at me, Jed." He turned to face his wife. "You are smart. I mean not as smart as I am…"

He chuckled, and she continued. "Your gift is your brain. It's nothing to be ashamed of. A nitwit like Ritchie may appeal to people who bash academics, but you're the one I want with the nuclear launch codes. And aside from your incredible brain, you are loved by many. Don't ever forget that."

"Okay," he smiled a little.

"Besides," she said more lightheartedly, "your intellect is one of the things I find absolutely irresistible about you." She bent to kiss his neck.

"Really?" He smiled again, tilting his head to kiss her mouth. After a moment, he broke away and cupped her face in his hands. "Abbey, thank you."

"Always, Jethro," she whispered.

The End