Leo's day seemed to be going a little smoother. When the President arrived in the office, he seemed to be in a better mood than the night before. Whatever had transpired between him and his wife had seemed to ease the tension in his mood. He was easier to get along with and didn't snap at the Senior Staff if they had a meeting with him. He didn't even avoid eye contact with Toby.

Margaret had scheduled a two pm meeting with the First Lady in the Residence. Abbey had told Margaret that she didn't want it in Leo's office and she would explain it to Leo when she saw him. That led Leo to believe even more that it was going to be about the President. Luckily, Jed had several meetings in a row that Leo could make excuses for not attending so he shouldn't be missed.

At two pm sharp he knocked on the bedroom door and heard "Come in." He walked in, turned and closed the doors, and went over to where Abbey was sitting by the fire. He gave her a peck on the cheek and sat down facing her.

"Want some coffee?" she asked pouring herself a cup.

"Yes, I would love some." He waited as she poured him a cup and then settled back. He knew she didn't beat around the bush so it wouldn't take long to get to the core of the meeting.

"Abbey, before we get started, I just want to say what a change in the President I saw this morning. He was a little more relaxed than over the past couple of days. You being home has really made a difference."

Abbey smiled. "Leo, has Jed shared any of the reasons for his behavior these past few days?"

"No. Says its private. It's personal and he doesn't want to talk about it."

"It is. And I'm not going to divulge it either. Has Toby shared what happened?"

"No. He's as shut mouth as the President."

"Leo, please use Jed. It's us talking, Okay?"

"Okay."

"Anyway, Jed shared with me last night he hasn't slept the past two nights and last night was number three. Now I understand that two of those nights were partially Situation Room stints but he didn't sleep either before or after. Only after we talked last night, or should I say this morning, did he get a couple of hours of sleep. We did talk about why he's been sleepless and I know that it's a problem that's not so easily solved. It's a problem that goes back a long time and Toby brought it back to the surface in a very abrupt way."

"Abbey. I…"

"I'm not finished yet, Leo." Abbey paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "Anyway, what I'm about to tell you is extremely confidential. I'm only telling you because of the position you hold in relation to the position that Jed holds. But if he decides to do what I asked of him, it will need all of us who love him very much to encourage him to follow through. Do you understand me?"

Leo nodded. Abbey knew he would do anything to help Jed.

Abbey took a deep breath and plowed ahead. "I asked him to see someone. Of course, he tried to make a joke about it. Then he turned it into a political impact. But then he said he would consider it. We are going to talk more about it tonight. If he agrees, then it has to be someone who is absolutely sworn to secrecy and who can come at a moment's notice. Someone who can handle someone who might be in total denial or might want to avoid the subject altogether. If this got out, especially after how the MS problem was mishandled, then it really would signal the end of Jed's political life. Now, at first I wasn't happy about running for reelection…"

"Not at all," Leo interrupted.

"I deserved that, Leo. Anyway, I'm behind him now. One hundred percent. So, I want this handled correctly. And very discreetly. I'm not telling the girls at all until Jed is ready. And I don't think the Senior Staff should know. But you're in charge of that. Again, I just put that thought in his head this morning. We have some more talking to do. He hasn't agreed to it yet., But I wanted you to start looking for someone. It has to be someone who can come here. Someone who can meet with him at odd hours after most of the staff has gone home. I would think somewhere here in the Residence would give them the privacy they would need. It would just be the two of them. Okay, I've had my say. What do you think?"

"I have just the person."

"Well that didn't take you long."

"Abbey, whatever he's bothered about, I am concerned for him. And I only want him to come to terms with it. If he doesn't want to share it, fine. But he needs to share it with someone. I'm glad you knew about it but as you said, it might take a professional to help him heal, especially if it's been going on a long time. Did Jed ever tell you about Josh and the problems he had after Rosslyn? The PTSD?"

"I seem to remember something about it. Didn't he punch out a window in his apartment or something?"

"Yes. We brought in a psychiatrist, a trauma specialist, from California to help him. He only met with him a few times then he turned him over to a local psychiatrist for follow-up but I swear he saved Josh's life. He's extremely good and very discreet. I think he would be perfect for Jed."

Abbey thought about it. Jed's circumstances could be thought of as trauma. Childhood trauma she guessed. "Are you sure he's discreet? You know we can't take any chances of this getting out."

"Abbey, I would stake my life on this guy."

She trusted Leo. She trusted Leo with Jed's very life. "Well, he hasn't said yes Leo. And when he does, I don't want to give him much time to back out. What would you suggest?"

"I need to call Stanley and see if he's available. Now, I won't tell him it's for the President. That wouldn't be smart. I will have to bring Josh in on it in case Stanley calls him thinking we're calling him for Josh."

"I… I… I…" Abbey said hesitantly.

"Abbey, Josh can get crazy but he can be discreet. He totally respects the President and would do anything he can to help him."

"I do NOT want Toby to know what's going on. Is that clear?"

"Clear. Call me later and let me know what Jed agrees to. In the meantime, I'll start the ball rolling." Leo stood up. "Abbey, this is the best thing for Jed. And for everyone. We all love that man and hate to see how he's hurting. We want him to get better and this is how we're going to do that. Don't you agree?"

Abbey stood and kissed Leo on the cheek. "I do, Leo. I love him so much and it kills me when he's hurting. I'm trusting you to help him. And anybody else who can. I just want my husband back with no more pain." A single tear slowly eased down her cheek.

Leo turned and walked out before he too lost his emotions. That single tear was a powerful sign of the love for one man. Jed Bartlet. From all the people who loved him.