A/N: I've known for a while where I want this story to go. But I had trouble figuring out how I wanted to get there in this chapter. After much thought and quite a few re-writes, it came together.

In Expecting Felicity, it comes out that Abbey and Jed wanted another child for a long time, but the timing never worked out. I decided to explore why they had a fourth baby in the midst of a presidential race and a serious medical diagnosis.

If you've been following these stories since I posted them, I lightly edited, Expecting Felicity and Fever to match the revelations in this chapter, and posted them at the end.

Happy Reading!

May 1998

New Orleans, LA

Abbey and Jed were at the Elms Mansion with the senior campaign staff at an event. While Jed, Leo, and the staff worked the room to elicit campaign donations, Abbey went off in her own direction, chatting with some guests.

"As I live and breath," A male voice with a southern drawl said from behind Abbey. "I didn't expect to see you here, Dr. Bartlet."

Abbey turned around to find Dr. Steven Bennet's eyes roving her body. He was a tall and handsome man with blonde hair and gray eyes. Like her, he was a cardiothoracic surgeon, her rival in fact. They both attended Harvard a few years apart and rose through the ranks quickly. His ego wouldn't permit him to acknowledge that she was equally as good of a surgeon as he was, if not better.

"I could say the same thing about you, Dr. Bennet," She replied, giving him a polite smile.

"Politics have always fascinated me and this event is a comparable who's who of it. Besides, it never hurts to network."

"No, I suppose it doesn't."

"Your husband is running quite the campaign. I suppose you'll be hanging up your stethoscope if he wins the White House?"

"I wasn't planning on it. I've balanced my duties as First Lady of New Hampshire with my career quite successfully."

"Perhaps. But I can't imagine you have that many pressing duties as First Lady of New Hampshire."

"You would be surprised."

"Oh? Is that the reason you haven't published recently?"

"No. I have other obligations on my time, such as seeing patients and performing surgeries, much like you do."

"Ah, I would have thought part of your time would be spent cozying up to the Harper Avery committee. You must be itching to repeat your success after winning for your Jane Doe surgery."

"To win once is a great honor, Dr. Bennet. I'm sure you'll find out one day," Abbey added coolly.

He believed, as did others in the surgical community, that her win wasn't legitimate. Since he was being an ass about it, she couldn't help but point out that he had yet to win. Jed's arm slipped around her waist from behind.

"Dr. Bennet," Jed said, standing next to Abbey. "I had no idea you were interested in politics."

"I am full of surprises," He replied, smirking.

Jed felt his jaw clench. He hated this man from the moment they met. He was arrogant, handsome, and didn't think very highly of Abbey, yet he wasn't above admiring her beauty.

"I haven't seen your name on the speakers list for the American College of Surgeons conference in October yet," Abbey pointed out.

"You will soon enough. I'm finalizing a presentation as we speak."

"I can't wait to see what you present."

"If you'll excuse us, Dr. Bennet, I need to steal my wife away." Jed removed his arm from around Abbey's waist and took her hand. They walked to another part of the room, "He's still a piece of work."

"No kidding," Abbey said. She squeezed his hand, "Don't worry, babe. I only have eyes for you."

Jed waited for Abbey to say something, anything. The logical part of his brain told him over and over again that the headline on the cover wasn't true. His irrational jealousy threatened to take over. He already hated Steven Bennet for being the condescending asshole he was toward Abbey. The idea that they had an affair that produced his daughter…it was nearly too much to bear.

Abbey looked at the cover and then at her husband, trying to form a response. Her first instinct was to ask if this was some sort of joke. The expression on his face confirmed it wasn't. As she opened her mouth to refute this allegation, Felicity started to cry. Abbey pulled Felicity into her chest protectively and stood up.

"I need a minute," Abbey said and rose with Felicity in her arms.

"Abbey," Jed said, watching her grab the diaper bag off his desk that he had kept in here since they arrived home from the hospital the day before.

Abbey didn't say anything. She left the room with Felicity and went to her office.

Jed rounded on his senior staffers, "Someone tell me who let this garbage go to publication."

"Well, sir," CJ began. "It would appear that Mitchum Huntzberger authorized it. I'm still waiting on confirmation."

"What kind of organization is he running over there?"

"One that's focused on profits rather than substance," Toby said.

"Apparently," Jed grumbled. "Abbey has never had the best professional relationship with Steven Bennet. They have no personal one to speak of."

"The article relies heavily on the conference Dr. Bartlet attended at the end of October," CJ pointed out. "It lets the reader assume that Bennet is Felicity's father."

The assembled staffers watched the President's jaw tighten at the mention of Felicity's paternity.

"How do we dispute his claim without disclosing any more information?"

"We'll draft another statement that re-emphasizes the points we already made. Felicity is a long-awaited addition to your family. Dr. Bartlet's pregnancy was kept from the public due to health concerns, and any allegations of an affair are patently false."

"It opens a door though, CJ," Toby pointed out.

"Such as?"

"Felicity's health for one. The press wants to know why she was admitted to the hospital."

"It's a private family matter, Toby," Jed said. "No one needs to know."

"I agree with you, sir. But it doesn't change the perception that you're withholding information from the press and, by extension, the American people. To the world at large, Felicity simply appeared out of nowhere. And Dr. Bennet is taking advantage of that by filling in the gaps of the narrative the press has already written."

"So what would you suggest I do, Toby?"

"You could submit to a paternity test."

"Excuse me?"

"Toby, that's unnecessary," Donna interjected.

"It would shut down the paternity narrative and leave Dr. Bennet looking like a bitter and resentful man."

"Let me get this straight. First, you want to know why my wife kept our niece's medical records private, and now you want me to take a paternity test to prove that Felicity is my daughter? Do you have any idea what you're asking, Toby? Do you!?"

"Sir," CJ said, trying to calm the conversation before it became too heated. "I can only imagine what this is like for you. We're only trying to put an end to this media circus."

"By exposing intimate details about our family, CJ. That's what you're asking Abbey and me to do."

"Mr. President," Donna spoke up, "What you choose to tell the press and the American people are ultimately your decision. But we're all playing catch up here. It will help us come up with a better strategy if you let us in on what's going on."

"Abbey has taken flack for the Harper Avery Award since she won it. It started out mostly as jealousy among her fellow nominees, the men in particular. When it came out that the patient records were sealed, rumors started to fly that Abbey must have done something improper to win. You can draw your own conclusion as to what it was."

"You've been through this before," CJ said, looking at her boss.

"Yes, CJ, I have," Jed replied, looking at his press secretary and then at his communications director. "Dr. Bennet is simply the first person to accuse Abbey publicly of an affair. I have no plans to disclose information about private family matters just to mollify the press."

"Dr. Bartlet can't possibly be content with letting the press drag her through the mud like this," Donna said, frowning. "Or you for that matter, Mr. President."

"We're not happy about it, Donna. But Abbey's stance on telling Alex about her surgery or authorizing the Harper Avery committee to release the medical records hasn't changed in the last decade. I don't expect it to change now either, even with Felicity involved," Jed said and then looked at each of his staff in turn. "I will take this paternity test nonsense under advisement as a measure of last resort. But I want a better strategy than that first. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Everyone said in unison.

Abbey looked down at her little girl shifting in her wrap. She watched Felicity attempt to snuggle into her even more before settling down and closing her eyes again. They were spending time skin to skin after Felicity had been fed and her diaper changed. Abbey smiled, feeling slightly less overwhelmed than she had 45 minutes earlier. She never expected that taking care of Felicity would be the easy part, relative to the insanity being discussed beyond her office door.

The cries from earlier vanished almost as soon as they came in here. As soon as Abbey put Felicity in her wrap with only her diaper on, the baby was simply content to relax with her mother.

A knock sounded on the door, bringing Abbey out of her thoughts.

"Come in," She called.

Donna opened the door and closed it behind her, "I came to see how you're doing. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I have everything I need right here," She replied, indicating Felicity. "But I appreciate the offer, Donna."

Donna smiled at the sight of mother and child. She walked over and sat in a chair on the other side of Abbey's desk.

"There's something I want to ask you."

"Oh?" Abbey asked. "What is it?"

"The President mentioned that this isn't the first time you've been through something like this. He said something similar happened after you won the Harper Avery award. Why didn't you say something?"

"Medicine is a lot like high school. Despite the titles and years of medical education, nothing spreads faster like gossip. In the grand scheme of things, letting people talk was a small price to pay."

"You saved Alex's life. There shouldn't be a price."

"Donna, I was only one of two women in my cohort when I started my residency. There has always been a price to pay for being one of the first to do something. I would do it all over again if I had to for my sister, for Alex, and our family."

"CJ and Toby are still going over the interview with the President. It conveniently ties into stories the press has reported on. So far, he has agreed to a re-statement of the information that has already been released. Will you reconsider your decision to keep Alex's medical records sealed?"

"No, I will tell Alex when she is ready, not because it's politically or personally convenient for me. The public isn't going to particularly care about an award I won over a decade ago as it is."

"That's true. But staying silent isn't an answer either. If you don't respond to Dr. Bennet's claims with substance, the press, and the American people will believe his story over the truth," Donna countered. "We should talk about how you want to introduce Felicity to the rest of the world."

"Is "never" an option?" Abbey asked with a fiercely protective look in her eyes.

"I know we agreed to wait until we go back to Washington. But it's something to consider given the overwhelming interest in the three of you."

"I'll give it some thought and talk with Jed," She conceded. "Do you have an idea in mind?"

"A short interview on TV came to mind. Nothing hard-hitting. We would get someone you're comfortable with and make sure the questions allow you both to get the correct information out to the public."

Abbey sighed and considered Donna's words. The last thing she wanted to do was appear on television. It went against the entire reason for this vacation. Jed needed time off, and so did she. Abbey needed this time to start her postpartum off by not worrying about the way she looked or her work. Factoring in her surgical recovery on top of being postpartum made her relish dressing up for a TV interview even less. And yet, she couldn't deny that Donna was right. The timetable they set just after Felicity's birth for her introduction to the world was looking increasingly unrealistic.

"Come up with a plan with CJ. Give me a list of shows and interviewers as well as a timeline."

"I'll get on it right away," Donna said, writing Abbey's requests down on the notepad inside her portfolio.

"Good. I'm going to take Felicity upstairs and get ready for bed. Let me know if you make any more headway with CJ, Toby, and Jed tonight."

"I will. Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

"No, Donna. You're doing more than enough already."

The pair finished their impromptu meeting. Donna went back to Jed's study and Abbey went upstairs. On her way there, she checked to see how Emily, their mother, and Alex were doing. They were sitting on the sofa together watching their movie. Abbey smiled as she watched her sister stroke Alex's head, which rested on her lap. Under Emily's high standards and expectations for her younger child, there was a deep love and affection too, if only in private moments. Any desire she might have had to talk with her sister and mother about the magazine vanished. It could wait until morning.

14 Months Earlier

June 1998

Abbey turned off the light in the kitchen and walked out, hearing chattering teenage girls on the back deck as she headed up the stairs on the night of Zoey's graduation and after. She walked into her bedroom and shut the door just as Jed came out of the bathroom.

"Everything in order downstairs?" Jed asked.

"Yes, Liz, Ellie, Alex, and Emily made sure the house got put back together. It was nice. I stood back and watched."

"You deserve it. I still can't believe Zoey is done with high school. I swear, she just started kindergarten yesterday."

Abbey smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Time flies doesn't it?"

"We're going to be empty nesters soon."

"Not for a year yet."

"It'll be here before we know it," He pointed out. "Strange to think about."

"We could get a dog."

"Dogs aren't nearly as fun without kids around to enjoy them."

The disappointment in Jed's eyes was apparent as he said it. Until a few days ago, he was certain that Abbey was pregnant. For weeks, she felt nauseous, moodier than usual, and her breasts were sore. Abbey was fairly certain her birth control caused her symptoms, which is why she stopped taking it. Between the campaign and her work schedule, she hadn't been able to see her doctor until earlier this week. Abbey confirmed her suspicions and learned some new information along the way.

"What if we had another baby?"

"You said it would be next to impossible at this point."

"I did think that. But since you were so convinced I was pregnant, I told my doctor that we were seriously thinking about trying again. So, we added an AMH test to the blood work she ordered, and the results came in yesterday."

"Is that a fertility test?"

"Yes. It gives a rough estimate of how many eggs I have left. The result is higher than average, and my other test results look good. My doctor is concerned about my age, but given that I'm in good health otherwise, there's no reason why we can't try. As long as we temper our expectations."

He grinned, "What prompted your change of heart?"

Their multiple attempts to have another baby over nearly two decades stopped after Jed's diagnosis. But their discussions never stopped. Not long after the campaign started, Abbey and Jed started talking about it again more often. Their daughters came about in similar circumstances. The more hectic their lives became, the more they wanted Liz, Ellie, and finally Zoey.

Abbey smiled back at him, "I thought about what's next for us if you don't win this race. You'll be term-limited out of the Governorship. As much as I love my work, I'm ready to take a step back from being on-call and working long hours constantly. I don't want to have any regrets."

"Neither do I," Jed agreed, holding Abbey close. "I'm ready to try again."

"So am I, under one condition."

"What's that?"

"This stays between us. Your staff has to know far too much about us as it is, and the girls will think we're certifiable if they find out, not to mention the rest of our family."

"Deal," Jed replied. "It'll be our little secret until there's something to tell."

"If there is something to tell," Abbey pointed out. "We have to temper our expectations, remember?"

"Or we could just have fun," He suggested. "We always forget about that part at some point."

"That's true," Abbey admitted, a smile lighting up her eyes. "We do our best work when we're having fun."

"Let's focus on trying to have fun, then. Everything else will follow."

Abbey leaned in and kissed her husband as a show of agreement. Jed returned it. The passion between them grew, fueled by their long-held desire. The wistfulness caused by Zoey's graduation and a frantic campaign that seemed destined to end in disappointment was replaced by hope for their post-political future./

Toby and CJ stayed into the early hours of the morning, trying to prepare their boss for what to expect come dawn. Donna sat in for Abbey after she went upstairs with Felicity. By the time CJ and Toby left for their hotel, where the White House standing rooms available for the senior staff, it was almost 2:30 in the morning. Jed bid Donna and Charlie goodnight before they all headed upstairs to bed.

His fury over Steven Bennet hadn't faded one bit. But as Jed ascended the stairs, he forced himself to compartmentalize it for Abbey. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel like it was her fault or to be upset. She was already going through enough as it was.

When he reached the master bedroom, it was dark, illuminated only by a tiny nightlight glowing faintly attached to the headboard just above Felicity's baby nest. Jed went into the bathroom with his pajamas to change and brush his teeth. When he was finished, Jed went back into the bedroom and tossed his clothes in the hamper near his dresser. As he got into bed, Felicity started to fuss.

"Hi sweet pea," He whispered, taking her in his arms and kissing her forehead. "What are you doing up?"

"Jed?" Abbey whispered. "It's 2:30 in the morning."

"We were coming up with a response until late. Toby and CJ just left for their hotel. It looks like we weren't the only ones up late," He said, kissing Felicity's cheek.

"I was beginning to think you might not come to bed. Lovebug has been looking for you."

"How could you tell?"

"She's been fussy since she woke up around 12 to eat and hasn't wanted to settle. You forgot to say goodnight."

Abbey sat up in bed and turned the nightlight up a bit brighter, so they could see and took a sip of the water she kept on the nightstand. She saw Jed smile to himself.

"Don't worry, I intend to remedy that. Go back to sleep. I'll give Felicity a bottle."

"I can feed her, you're on diaper duty."

"Okay," he agreed. "I didn't mean to sound accusatory earlier. If that's why you left, I apologize."

"I left because Felicity was upset, Jed. It had nothing to do with what you said at all," Abbey replied. "I won't deny that it's overwhelming."

Jed retrieved the basket of diaper-changing supplies from their place by his nightstand and changed Felicity while Abbey prepared to feed her. Once everything was set, the three of them settled in bed.

"Did you tell your mom and Emily?" Jed asked after a while.

"No," Abbey sighed, stroking Felicity's arm. "They'll find out in the morning. Donna thinks we're going to have to introduce Felicity to the world before we go back to Washington."

"She mentioned the interview in our meeting. I'm not thrilled about it. But it's either that or I take a paternity test."

"Let me guess, Toby's idea?"

"If it wasn't for CJ, there's a good chance I would have punched him," He said, watching their daughter, who looked completely at peace with her parents around her. "Three daughters are ours, no questions asked. The fourth one I have to prove is mine."

"You don't have to prove it to me or the girls, or our families for that matter."

"I know I don't. It still bothers me, though. No one's questioning if you gave birth."

"I would hope not," Abbey replied, giving him a sharp look. Then she considered his words. "The photos of us getting on Marine One last week dispelled any doubts on that front. There's no mistaking I'm postpartum because I didn't bother hiding it. "

"You looked gorgeous," He said, kissing her temple.

"Tell me that again when you see my scar."

"My opinion of you will never change, Abigail. I love every part of you, especially your lovebug scar."

Abbey looked down at Felicity and felt the pull of the invisible string between them. She had a strong bond with each of her daughters, and her love for them expanded and deepened as she got to know them. She loved each of them from the moment she knew they existed. But it wasn't until they were born that their bonds started to form. Not so with Felicity. Their bond started developing before birth. Abbey knew Jed would say the same, even if his bond with Felicity wasn't the same.

"I would do it all over again if I had to. Lovebug is worth all of this aggravation and more."

"I agree. My only objection is that we're going up against Steven Bennet. I know you would never sleep with him in a million years."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, babe."

"I'm on your side, Abbey. No matter what happens with this insanity."

"Remember that once the news breaks in the morning," She reminded him. "The cable news pundits are going to have a field day with this. Not to mention, I'm going to have to explain this to my mother."

"What is there to explain? It's not true."

"No, but I should tell her the truth about what we were up to. She deserves that, at least since Emily already knows."

"Is your mother going to be the end of the list? I'd rather not have everyone knowing our business."

"If there's anything my mother hates, it's scandal, especially with her social connections. I'd rather tell her and get it over with."

"Too bad those connections can't take Huntzberger down a few notches. The nerve of him trying to go through Alex to get to us."

"Jed, he wasn't trying to go through Alex. Mitchum used her as a messenger. What she told us today was a warning about the upcoming interview."

"All we asked for was two weeks of privacy, and we couldn't get through one," He sighed. "CJ mentioned setting up an interview to air on Sunday night. The word live was being bandied about."

"We'll see about that. It's awfully soon considering I'm still healing."

"I told CJ the same thing."

"I don't know how I feel about having a television crew around Felicity, either."

"We can say no," He reminded her.

"It doesn't feel like we can. The longer we try to hold on to our privacy, the quicker it's being taken away."

The resigned tone in Abbey's voice made Jed want to tell his senior staff to forget everything and take his family where the press couldn't find them. As far as he was concerned, this vacation had gone to hell. The only silver lining to it was having Sandra, Emily, and now Alex here. They provided a much-needed sense of normalcy around here, just like the girls did.

"I'm tempted to whisk you off where no one can find us, like when we went to Block Island the summer after Ellie was born."

"You taught Liz to swim at the beach that summer," Abbey remembered with a fond smile.

"I did. It was so quiet and peaceful at night there. Remember those nights we spent together after the girls went down? It took years before we had alone time like that again."

"It's one of the very few times I was able to tan topless on vacation without anyone around."

"And I got to benefit from it," He replied with a wolfish grin. "Naptime took on a whole new meaning on that trip."

"Of course you remembered that," Abbey replied, rolling her eyes. "Block Island is a lifetime away. We could never get away with doing something like that now."

"Do you regret not having the post-political life we planned?" Jed asked, watching Felicity's eyes start to grow heavy.

"No. We might not be having this question had it not been for election night."

"I can't argue with that logic."

"Lovebug's ready to go back to sleep," Abbey said, watching their daughter try to stay awake.

Jed took Felicity into his arms when she finished eating, and he burped her while Abbey stored the extra milk she collected and put it in the mini-fridge hiding in her nightstand.

"It's time for night nights," Jed said quietly to Felicity. "Goodnight stars. Goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere."

Jed and Abbey had goodnight rituals for each of the girls growing up. This one was Zoey's. It used the last words from Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon. Every time Jed said goodnight, he kissed Felicity, first on the forehead, then the nose, and finally on the cheek. He grabbed her baby nest sitting near the bottom of the bed and put it back in its place by the headboard before placing her in it. She fell back to sleep easily enough. Abbey turned the nightlight off so that it was softly glowing again.

"Thanks, handsome," Abbey said, yawning.

"I love you, sweet knees," Jed said, reaching for her hand and squeezed it in the dark.

"I love you, too."

Sleep came for Jed quickly. But not so for Abbey. She laid in bed for a while, listening to the steady breathing of her husband and child. In all their talk about Steven Bennet and what they should do, Abbey knew she should have corrected Jed's assumptions about what happened between them. But not in the middle of the night. It would have to wait until later.

The press briefing on Friday was pushed back to early afternoon. Sam was temporarily in CJ's office until she returned from Manchester with Toby. Carol was helping Sam prep for the briefing, and he was taking advantage of the TV set up in the office to keep up with the latest news developments. Since Scope Magazine hit the stands early that morning, it seemed to be the only thing every news outlet could talk about. There were even rumors floating around that Steven Bennet had been booked on a primetime cable news show already.

Sam didn't let any of that distract him. He was focused on making it through the press briefing in one piece and not letting down the President, Leo, or CJ.

"Hey Sam," Came a voice from the doorway.

Sam tore his gaze away from the TV screen, where he was watching a cable news host question a guest who knew Dr. Bennet and Dr. Bartlet, and saw Danny Concannon standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Danny. Can I help you?"

"I was looking for CJ. actually. She called me last night and wanted to know if I could find anything concrete about the First Lady having an affair. I tried to call her back, but she didn't pick up."

"Oh. Well, she's in Manchester with the President, Dr. Bartlet, and Toby. I'm briefing the press today. I'd like to hear if you found anything."

"Okay," Danny said and stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him. "I talked to a few reporters who wrote about an affair in their work. Until now, there hasn't been enough information to write a full story. Most of them received tips from employees at hotels. One was contacted by someone who worked at a lingerie boutique in Seattle, who saw the First Lady in the store.

He pulled a piece of paper out of the notepad in his hands, unfolded it, and handed it to Sam.

Sam took it and read the paper, "Who are these people?"

"They're pseudonyms the First Lady used. I've confirmed that someone checked in under them at three hotels in Boise, Seattle, and Charlotte so far."

"How do you know the First Lady was the one who used them?"

"They match up with eyewitnesses other reporters talked to. They all said they saw the First Lady check into the hotel. The details were all similar. It was for one night only, and she didn't have luggage with her. One person said she wasn't wearing a wedding ring when she checked in."

Sam looked at the paper again and noticed that dates were included next to the names. He noted they were all during the campaign. He looked back at Danny.

"So they definitely saw her. If I had to pull them into court, their ID of the First Lady would hold up."

"Yes."

"Thanks, Danny. When I talk to CJ, I'll tell her that you came through. Let me know if you end up finding any more names."

"I will. Good luck today, Sam."

"I'll need it."

Danny left the room and Sam closed the door behind him. He walked back to CJ's desk and sat down in the chair. He turned his attention back to the television, his eyes fell on the news chyron.

"First Lady Abigail Bartlet Had Affair with Colleague."

He stared at it for a long time before reaching for the phone on CJ's desk. His fingers stood poised above the buttons, preparing to dial. Sam hesitated, not because he wasn't prepared to do his job. Rather, he paused because the moment he made that call, it would potentially throw a bomb into the middle of a happy and loving family.

A/N: Expecting Felicity's first chapter has new flashback material added to it. Including how Abbey tells Jed that she's pregnant. A small portion of Fever was rewritten to match the history, and minor reference changes were made in chapters 2 and 6 of Expecting Felicity.

Thanks for reading! Chapter 8 is in the works.