March - Bartlet Farm

In the twilight between sleep and awakening, Abbey Bartlet was falling. Holding Leo's hand as the medical flight chased the sunrise from Germany to New Hampshire, she wondered if they would ever make it home. Now, her fears were realized as she felt the plane careening out of the sky.

She awoke with a gasp.

Still coming into awareness, Abbey realized she wasn't strapped into a C-17 enduring a death spiral, the last in a series of harrowing events. When she opened her eyes, she noticed the sunlight dappling through the bedroom curtains. There was only one set like them, Abbey's mother having made them long ago and those curtains hung in the Manchester farmhouse.

They were finally home.

Leo was home.

Abbey rolled over to look at the man in question. Sometime in the night, Leo had pulled her into the crook of his arm. Exhausted from the twelve hour flight home and all that preceded it, they had both slept soundly until now. She quickly felt his cheek, realizing it had been hours since anyone had checked on him. He was warm, warmer than he'd been on the medical flight.

When Leo abruptly flinched in his sleep, Abbey understood the origin of her nightmare. He wasn't quite awake. But, Leo was uncomfortable either physically or emotionally, still fighting the demon that had almost irrevocably changed all of their lives forever. As Abbey moved, he turned toward her onto his side. She gently rubbed his back urging him to settle back into a peaceful sleep. Once she was certain Leo was resting easier, Abbey carefully got up and looked for her medical bag. He'd need his next round of meds soon.

They'd nearly lost both of them - Josh and Leo. It was a miracle they were all back on home soil, Abbey and Leo curled up together in their New Hampshire bedroom.

President Russell's bumbling plan to make political hay by taking out the leaders of the terrorist cell, which had killed his predecessor - Abbey's husband - was ill conceived from the beginning. Gone were the days of Leo and Fitz in the Situation Room feeding Jed the information needed to make clear decisions in highly complex military operations. The Russell administration was undisciplined. Sending the Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman, to Qumar to negotiate with Bahi terrorists had been the height of idiocy. Without proper protections in place, he had quickly fallen into enemy hands - the terrorists only too eager to make a very public spectacle out of his brutal execution when the time was right. Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, reached out to Leo. A former White House intern had returned home and was leading a Qumari rebel faction. With their families decimated by the Bahi, the rebels were willing to make the attempt to extract Josh Lyman. However, the rebels wanted asylum in the US. Having worked for Donna Moss, the rebel leader distrusted the current Russell administration and wanted back-up assurances from the former Bartlet administration Chief of Staff.

As a couple, the decision to have Leo accompany Fitz to Qumar had been both the easiest and hardest Leo and Abbey had ever made. There was never a question Leo would ever let Josh suffer at the hands of the Bahi. However, the possibility of losing yet another love to a terrorist was almost too much for Abbey to bear. She hid it as well as she could, understanding Leo would never be able to live with himself otherwise.

Leo had paid a price, though. They'd been able to extricate Josh from a hellish situation, one that was sure to be a source of post traumatic stress for years to come. But, a bullet had caught Leo in the back just before he'd been able to climb into the waiting helicopter. Two weeks at Landstuhl Military Hospital in Germany helped Leo turn the corner, but he was still fighting the remnants of a stubborn infection. The medical flight home had to have been grueling. Still, he'd said very little to Abbey about the pain he was in or the low grade fever that threatened to escalate. Abbey knew he was just happy to be headed home to New Hampshire with Josh in tow. Josh was a member of their family - his potential loss irreconcilable. For Leo, his injury was collateral damage to be resolved with time.

Abbey pulled the covers up over Leo's shoulder, just as there was a soft knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in," Abbey said, softly, as she pulled her robe around her.

The door tentatively opened. All Abbey needed to see was a distinctive mop of red hair to know it was none other than Leo's daughter, Mallory.

"Hey Abbey…" she whispered, moving closer to the bed. "Is he sleeping okay?" Mallory rested a hip on the bed and laid a soft hand on Leo's shoulder.

"He was restless a few minutes ago, but he's settled back down," Abbey replied, taking Mallory's hand in hers. This had to have been rough on the young woman. Mallory was only months away from her wedding. For days, there was a question of whether Leo would survive to walk her down the aisle.

Mallory was distracted looking at her father's face, clearly looking for answers there. How was it after all he had been through - all the family had collectively been through - the war, a divorce, losing Jed … that this had to happen? Hadn't her father given enough? Abbey recognized the sentiment very well. She'd lived it.

"Abbey, President Russell is on the phone. He wants to talk to Dad," the young woman whispered nervously. "I don't want to wake him up."

Abbey felt the anger well up within. Not only did this president put Leo at risk - threatened their hard won life, one they had put together after almost insurmountable loss - Russell was now getting in the way of his recovery.

"Hon, stay here with him," Abbey said softly. "I'll take the call."

Making her way out into the hallway, Abbey took the cell phone from the Secret Service agent. She was careful to walk further away from the bedroom, just as a precaution. Abbey had a feeling she might raise her voice.

"Bob? It's Abbey Bartlet."

"Oh, Abbey!" President "Bingo Bob" Russell said smoothly. "How are you?"

"Not great." Abbey refused to call him, 'Mister President' and at least the current incumbent of the office was smart enough not to push it.

"Is Leo not doing well?" Russell cleared his throat. "I heard he was on the mend?"

Abbey squared her shoulders. "Leo is about as good as anyone would be after being shot in the back two weeks ago, put on a plane for a twelve hour flight and fighting a persistent infection."

"Well, I was hoping to speak with him and thank him," Russell continued. "The hospital in Germany didn't advise…"

Abbey cut him off, "I didn't advise it..."

She heard him draw in a breath. Clearly, Russell was making the mistake of trying to "handle" her and was surprised it wasn't working.

"Okay, Abbey, perhaps we should connect at another time," Russell replied. "Tell Leo I'll have some staff fly out to help him with the soft opening of the Library. I know that's coming up in a few weeks."

President Bob Russell had been trying to get his "in" for the library project for the last year. Through channels, Leo and Abbey had heard Russell wanted to be sure the Library did not celebrate the Barlet administration at his expense. Russell was insecure about the manner in which he came to the presidency, coming to office through assassination - not through a public mandate. With his people involved, they could help craft the message.

Abbey and Leo didn't see the connection and successfully kept the Russell communications team out of the project. The library had been funded independently through donations. The only connection was through the Democratic National Committee, and although a democratic incumbent was typically the presumptive nominee, the convention would come later in the summer. The primary race was growing closer between Russell and a dark horse candidate out of Texas, Congressman Matthew Santos.

"We have plenty of help, Bob, that won't be necessary," Abbey replied.

"Well, we don't want to have a delay," Russell ventured. "I can't imagine Leo will be back on his feet by then."

It was time to end this phone call before Abbey found herself raising her voice against a President of the United States. It's not like that hadn't happened before. The difference was she'd been married to a president and sometimes Jed Barlet listened to her. Bingo Bob would be a waste of time. He only had his own ambitious agenda in his sights.

"We have it covered," Abbey insisted. "I need to go. Leo needs me."

"I'd like to talk with him when he's ready."

"Well, you may be waiting a very long time. Good bye, Bob."

With that, Abbey hung up and shook her head. Physically, Leo would push himself. She didn't need Russell complicating his recovery with attempted manipulation. Soon, Josh and Donna would arrive and they could take the temperature of the library project.

This Barlet Presidential Library had been a conduit for those who loved Jed to channel their grief, the example of his leadership spurring hope for a brighter future. No one wanted the library opening to be delayed, but she wouldn't allow it to happen at Leo's expense.

In the meantime, Abbey needed to get some meds into Leo.

Mallory needed her father.

Josh needed his mentor and father-figure.

And, Abbey needed Leo in more ways than she could even say.