A few months passed, much in the same as they had. Jed traveled the world, prevented international crises, and fought to pass legislation that would better the nation.

Abbey was busy with work, her growing daughters, and the arrival of her new permanent houseguests—her parents. Abbey excelled at chairing the White House committee and Abbey and Jed's meetings were always professional, though each secretly felt more excitement than was probably normal in the days and hours leading up to their meeting.

Abbey was running late to meet the President. A statement that not many people could utter. Her shift had run long, and the emergency surgery she had attended to at the last minute hadn't gone the way she'd hoped, but she needed to put that out of her head. She was a professional. And as a professional, she was pushing work aside, ignoring the exhaustion from the fifteen hour shift, and five hour surgery, and the peeling back on of the stockings and the skirt suit, and the trek into DC during afternoon rush hour to meet with the President when all she wanted to do was go home and curl up on the couch with her girls and watch a movie was proof that she was a professional woman.

As Charlie led her into the Oval Office, she was feeling better. She'd put her mood aside and would quickly and efficiently present last week's meeting points to the President. She'd be out of here in half an hour. And besides, after the day she'd had, it would be nice to see Jed…the President…and banter with him…and see his smile…she means get her mind off everything else…in a clearly professional manner…

But that's not what she got. As Charlie knocked on the door, the President snapped, "What?" in a tone that she hadn't heard before.

"Dr. Barrington is here to see you sir," Charlie patiently, but cautiously replied.

"Yeah, fine." Bartlet replied, not looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

Charlie ushered Abbey into the room, shooting her an apologetic and worried look as she left.

"Mister President."

"Dr. Barrington."

"Is this a bad time?"

"Now what would make you think that?"

"No reason. But if you're not in the mood—"

At that, Jed stops and glares at her. "Not in the mood? If I'm not in the mood. I'm the President and this is our allotted time to discuss your committee, so here we are. What do you have for me?"

"Universal child care. We believe that—"

"That will never pass the Senate."

Shocked at his reaction, Abbey quickly finds her footing, "All due respect Mister President, but we believe that universal childcare could garner more support if positioned as—"

Jed snaps back, "All due respect, but I know how to position it. It'll still never pass. And it will sink any chance we have of passing actual, important, life changing legislation for the average American woman. I know you're not familiar with political negotiations—"

That's enough for Abbey, "Maybe not, but I'm familiar with the average American woman."

Jed comes right back, "Really? I never would have guessed."

Frustrated, Abbey claps back, "And I never would have guessed you'd be like every other politician. Encouraging an open dialogue to discuss the important issues, and immediately shutting them down when they aren't political gold."

Jed raises his voice, "I'm just being realistic."

Abbey meets him with equal measure, "What happened to no matter the political requirements. Present the issues facing the people."

Now in a full blown argument, Jed replies, "That's when I thought you understood the scope of the situation."

Eyes blazing, Abbey replies, "Oh, I understand."

"No you don't. You know what, I don't have time to explain this to you."

Abbey's voice raises in response, "You know what jackass, no one asked you to. And you may be the President, but you're not the only one with a busy schedule."

Full on yelling, Jed starts "What gives you the right—"

"Mister President. Can I see you for a moment?"

Abbey and Jed both turn to see Leo standing in the doorway between his office and the Oval.

Jed follows Leo into his office, where Leo quickly shuts the door.

Jed turns to him, "What do you need, Leo?"

"Well, you've gone through everyone who works for you. And everyone who respects you. I didn't know who else you could get mad at, so I was afraid the American people might be next. Oh by the way, when we're done here. You're going to apologize to Abbey. Might also want to send her some flowers."

Looking upset, Jed glances down and nods.

Meanwhile in the Oval Office, Abbey has gathered her bag, walking out the door. Charlie follows after her. "Dr. Barrington. I'm sorry."

Without slowing down, Abbey turns to Charlie lightening her tone, "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"He didn't mean it. It's just that he's had a hard day."

"Yes, I quite know what that's like, but I don't work here, so I do not need to stay here and deal with it."

And with that, Abbey left.

Having finished his argument with Leo and his anguish over Morris' death and the need for a proportional response, Jed heads back into the Oval Office to apologize to Abbey, only to find himself alone.

"Charlie." Jed calls out, drawing into the room both Charlie and Leo.

"Yes sir?"

"Where's Dr. Barrington?"

"She left, Mister President."

"Left? Why?"

Charlie shoots Leo a look. Jed catches it.

"Damn," Jed proclaims while lightly slamming his hand against the chair.

Mrs. Landingham knowingly enters the room. "Mr. President, your five oclock is here."

Acceptingly Jed nods, "Thank you, Mrs. Landingham, please send him in."

In back to back meetings for the rest of the day, and then giving his speech to the American people on the United State's proportional response. Jed wasn't free until after eight pm.

Arriving back in the residence, Jed sat on his bed and then glanced at the folder Abbey had left in his office earlier in the day. Perusing through, he sighs, nods his head, and closes the folder picking up the phone, dialing.

"Hi, it's me."

On the outskirts of town, Abbey sits cuddled in the midst of her three daughters. All three girls are eating popcorn and laughing at the television. Abbey lovingly runs her hands through Ellie's hair. Nick sits in the chair across the way reading the paper, occasionally glancing up at the television and rolling his eyes at the ridiculous antics onscreen. Katherine sits in the other lounge chair, a book abandoned in her lap. She looks from her husband to her daughter. Abbey, while enjoying being surrounded by her family, is clearly distracted. While silently making eye contact and debating whether to speak to Abbey or press her on what might be wrong, a car is heard pulling up outside. The doorbell rings, and Nick gets up to answer it.

He walks back into the room saying, "Abbey, it's for you."

Confused, Abbey gets up and walks to the doorway where she finds Jed standing there, holding flowers.

"What're you doing here?" Abbey whispers, not wanting to draw the attention of the rest of her family (and knowing her father will keep their visitor a secret).

"I was hoping we could talk." Jed replies.

Clad in black leggings, cozy socks, and an oversized Harvard sweatshirt, Abbey slips her feet into the nearest boots and walks out onto the porch.

Still in his suit, Jed fidgets a bit, "if I had known we were going casual, I would have changed."

Abbey shoots him a look.

"Sorry, I was joking. Look, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. That was uncalled for."

Jed tries to hand her a bouquet of flowers, but Abbey shakes her head, pushing her hair back when it falls in front of her face.

"I don't need flowers."

"I was having a bad day, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Abbey stands, arms crossed, waiting for him to continue.

"If it makes you feel any better, you weren't the only one I took it out on."

Abbey raises her eyebrow at him, "Yes, I gathered that from your quivering staff."

"Sometimes, being the President—"

Abbey sighs. "All due respect, I don't need a speech about how hard it is to be the President. You are right. You shouldn't have taken it out on me, but you also shouldn't have taken it out on the people who work for you. They bust their asses 24/7 and don't deserve to be at your whims. And neither do the American people."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that your mood today entirely changed your position on this committee. The committee that you started, asked me to chair, and assured all of us was politically independent. Truly about what was best for us. I get it. Being Chief of Surgery has its own bad days, one of which was today, but you don't see me taking it out on those around me. Of course as a woman, I'd be deemed unfit for the job if I even tried."

"I didn't mean to—"

Abbey waves him off, "Oh please, you were itching for a fight before I even arrived."

Jed looks down and nods knowingly, "Yeah, I was." He glances back up, "You called me a jackass."

Abbey grins, "Yeah, I did."

He smiles back, "And you were right."

She locks eye contact, "Yeah, I know."

She motions to the porch swing and continues, "So do you want to talk about it?"

Jed shrugs, "Not really."

She sits down on the swing, "Well, I'm here to listen, but it's up to you, Mr. President."

He sits down beside her. "I don't know if you saw my address earlier this evening."

"I did."

"Morris had a wife and a newborn daughter. He was there to help. He volunteered. And he was gunned down. And I'm supposed to offer a 'proportional response?' To not want justice for Morris and the others. To not want to avenge his death? To keep it professional just because I'm the President? His wife is now a widow and his daughter will never know her wonderful father."

He stares ahead, and waits for her to respond. As they both slightly rock on the swing in silence, he turns to her. "Well?"

"Well?"

"Well, are you going to respond?"

"I will if you want my advice. I know I'm not familiar with political negotiations."

"Again, I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it."

Sighing, Abbey continues, "Yes."

"What."

"Yes. That's your role. As the President. To avenge his death. To seek justice. To want to help his family. But the answer to all of that isn't through more violence, more death. None of that will bring him back. It won't help his wife and his daughter. His wife, in addition to her grief, loss, and aching heart, is facing a thousand thoughts through her head: how to financially support her daughter as a single mother, how to keep or get a job while taking care of her daughter without a husband, how to be emotionally available for her daughter when she is in such emotional turmoil. More violence and death doesn't solve that. You know what does? Universal childcare, equal wages for equal work, universal healthcare…"

Jed looks down at his feet, still rocking the swing, "Everything you suggested today that I immediately dismissed."

They swing in silence. Finally, Jed continues, "I read the proposal you left. It's good. Politically savvy. It has potential. You're good."

Abbey shrugs, "Sometimes, sure. And sometimes, I don't have a clue. The point is, I'm human and so are you. Our emotions drive what we do—it's what makes us think, and care, and react under pressure. But it also can get us into trouble."

Jed nods, "You're very good at this."

Abbey rolls her eyes, "Hey, I have three teenage daughters. The emotions speech is on constant rotation in this household."

Jed looks at her, deep into her eyes, "But it's more than that. You knew what Morris' family needs."

Abbey shrugs, "What can I say? I'm just an average American woman."

Jed shakes his head, "You're anything but average."

Abbey turns away at this, wrapping her arms around herself. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"Truthfully, I'm a doctor. I've seen it many times before. Delivering news to wives or husbands that surgery didn't go the way we expected. Or complications developed. And I see the pain in their eyes. The aching hearts, but also the very real realities immediately bubbling to the surface. 'How do I do this alone?'"

"But it can be done?"

"Sure."

"Sure? How do you know?"

Abbey kicks her feet out in front of her, now looking down at her own feet, "Well, I did it…Not perfectly, but I did it."