Leo and Jed are in Ireland, at a conference on civil war. Jed is mid-speech to the assembled guests.

Jed: "Together with former UN, EU and US leaders, I will be working on creating a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This was a central priority of my foreign policy during my time in office, and remains a priority now. My fellow former leaders and I believe the international community has a vital role to play in helping Israelis and Palestinians reach a lasting solution. We support the Arab Peace Initiative, originally proposed in 2002. This calls for normal, peaceful and secure relations between Israel and the Arab world, in return for Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, and a just solution to the refugee problem.

I am particularly proud to be joined in this effort by Ireland's own Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ireland's own history of civil unrest predicated on religious difference demonstrates the possibility for reconciliation. The peaceful co-existence of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is a testament to what can be accomplished through diplomacy, good governance and justly applied rule of law.

Thank you all."

Applause. Jed leaves the stage and meets Leo backstage.

Jed: "Felt good."

Leo: "Yeah. Back in the spotlight."

Jed: "I was referring to the speech, but if you want to suggest this is an ego trip…"

Leo: "Speech was great."

Jed: "Thank you."

Leo: "Of course, since I wrote part of it, my compliments are a little hollow."

Jed: "I take what I can get. Are we outta here?"

Leo: "Yeah. This was the last thing. We'll meet with Mary and the others in London next month."

On the plane

Jed: "Lakhdar's point about addressing the legacy of the Balfour Declaration was a good one."

Leo: (a little vaguely) "Yeah."

Jed: "That we all recognize it as a starting point, I mean. Addressing the colonial legacy there."

Leo: "Yeah"

Jed: "We should arrange some time just with him when we're in London. The Algeria parallels – I think we ought to look to him to provide some guidance."

Leo: (looking down at his phone) "Absolutely"

Jed: "Or maybe we should just nuke 'em…just sail a nuclear sub right up the Red Sea."

Leo: "Yeah"

Jed: "Leo!"

Leo: (snaps back in) "Sorry. Yes. Algeria. Yes."

Jed: "But not the part about a pre-emptive nuclear strike?"

Leo: "What?"

Jed: "Do you want to tell me what you would like to talk about? Since it's clearly not what I'm talking about."

Leo: "Sorry. I just…I was thinking about getting back to DC and some things I need to say. Or do."

Jed: "I'm assuming this is more than mentally reviewing a grocery list."

Leo: "Yeah… before we left, Annabeth…she said something and I didn't. She told me not to, but I could have later and I didn't, and then, you know, we left for Ireland and..." (he shakes his head and looks out the window)

Jed: "For the sake of my sanity, could we talk specifics here?"

Leo: (still looking out the window, and kind of vaguely tuned into Jed) "Maybe I should talk to Abbey, or…"

Jed: "Do you think I'm not capable of having a conversation with you about you and Annabeth? I am! I can talk about feelings. I'm a modern man."

Leo: (looks back at Jed) "This is a thing we're gonna do?"

Jed: "Yes. We are two men, Leo, and we are going to talk about your relationship. We can do this."

Leo takes off his glasses and looks straight ahead. Jed does the same, so they are not looking at each other.

Leo: "A few weeks ago, Annabeth told me that she loved me."

Jed: "Okay."

Leo: "And I was a little stunned in the moment, and then she told me she didn't want me to say anything because she thinks the only thing you can do in that moment is say I love you back and maybe you wouldn't mean it, so..." (he glances quickly over at Jed)

Jed: (still staring straight ahead) "So you didn't say anything."

Leo: "Right."

Jed: "And then you kept not saying anything."

Leo: "Right."

Jed: "But now you think you need to say something."

Leo: "Yeah."

Jed: "So can you…can you say the thing?"

Leo: "Can I say the thing?"

Jed: "Yeah. You know, could you tell her the thing that she told you."

Leo: "Feels like maybe you're not so comfortable with this conversation."

Jed: "That's not true. I can absolutely do this. He sits up straighter and looks at Leo. "Leo, can you tell Annabeth that you love her?"

Leo: "I think I call Abbey. Because I am sort of willing the plane into the ground right now."

Jed: "No! We are doing this! We've had wars and assassinations attempts and deaths and…we can handle this conversation."

Leo: "Okay."

They return to staring straight ahead.

Jed: "So, can you tell her you love her?"

Leo: "Yes. I could do that."

Jed: "And mean it?"

Leo: "Yes."

Jed: "So what's the problem?"

Leo: "The problem is that I am twenty years older than she is. I don't exactly have a stellar track record with relationships, and either I have always been comfortable testing the boundaries of ethical behavior, or my professional life has gotten me there. I'm a recovering addict, and my hobbies include sarcastic indifference and raining on parades. You think I should be within shouting distance of Annabeth Schott? I'm not even sure how I got here and now…"

Jed: "You think any of that is news to Annabeth?"

Leo: "What?"

Jed: "Do you think Annabeth is naïve or obtuse?"

Leo: "No, of course not."

Jed: "So then she knows all that and has made her decision about you."

Leo: "Doesn't mean I should let her."

Jed: "Happiness isn't for other people, Leo. You're allowed to be happy."

Leo: "At whose expense? I tell Annabeth I love her and we're together and then what? She wants kids? I become a father? At my age?"

Jed: "Does she want kids?"

Leo: "I don't know."

Jed: "Leo, it's not like your Methuselah. You're 58. Plenty of guys…"

Leo: "I don't want to be those guys."

Jed: "Okay."

Leo: "And then what if I have another heart attack only this time I don't come back. She's alone. I stick around and I lose her because she realizes I'm pretty miserable. Or, I stick around and I lose her because she realizes a younger guy could make her happier and give her a family. Or I don't stick around. I drop dead and then she's alone and I've done that to her when I could have let her find real happiness somewhere else."

Jed: "That's a lot of reasons."

Leo: "Yeah."

Jed: "Total bullshit reasons, but reasons."

Leo looks at him.

Jed: "Remember when we used to play poker? My first term – you, me, Toby, Josh, C.J., Sam?"

Leo: "Yeah."

Jed: "52 cards. 2,598,960 possible combinations. Cards get dealt. You look at your hand. Two pair. Not bad."

He looks over at Leo.

"Looking even better if your opponent keeps checking to give you the free play. But, your hand...it's not a royal flush. What if some other guy at the table has that?"

Leo nods.

"Odds of a royal flush? 4 out of 2,598,960. Lousy odds. So you bet, right? You bet on the solid likelihood that the guy next to you doesn't have a royal flush and that your two pair are gonna do the trick."

Looks right at Leo.

"Everything you just mentioned is possible. But, you're telling me that you want to fold on the guarantee of current happiness against the chance of future unhappiness. You're a better poker player than that, Leo. You love her?"

Leo: "Yes."

Jed: "Then bet the house, Leo. You're lucky enough to find someone to love, you bet the house."