Part 5
"Thank you, sir."
"Thank you, Mr. President."
Jed hardly acknowledged them as they took their leave. He didn't see CJ looking at Leo with a fix-it look or the confused looks of Toby, Sam and Josh.
As CJ closed the door behind her, Leo decided to see just what was going on with Jed.
"What's your problem?"
Jed didn't move or bother to look at Leo. "It's over. I lost her." He chuckled slightly. "Can't really lose what I didn't have to begin with, now can I?"
Was he talking about Abbey? As if Jed had read his mind, he answered Leo.
"Abbey came by before. She made it perfectly clear that there can never be anything between us." Jed was sure he sounded as if he had given up and frankly, he had.
Damn. Leo had not expected that. Now he felt terrible. He knew how much Jed loved Abbey and he knew Abbey had very strong feelings for Jed. "It's my fault."
Now Jed spun around and looked at him. "Why do you say that?"
"I had a little talk with Abbey earlier." He saw Jed's eyebrows furrow and knew it was a sign that he was getting angry. "I told her how you felt about her and she knew I was not entirely comfortable with it."
"Why?" It was all Jed could get out. He couldn't understand why Leo would be so against his feelings for Abbey.
"It's my family, Jed. It....It was my brother's family." Leo looked down. He couldn't bear to look at Jed at this moment.
If Jed had felt any anger, it was all gone now. "Leo, I would never dream of trying to take your brother's place."
Leo looked up. "I know, I just....I don't know. I can't explain it. I want you to be happy and I want Abbey to be happy but..."
"...But it would have been so much easier if Abbey wasn't your brother's widow?" Jed finished for him.
"Yeah."
"I wish you would have told me this. It hurts that you can't come to me when you need to talk or need to say something, anything." Jed leaned forward to Leo.
"I know I can, this was just too sensitive." This was a tough situation for Leo. He didn't know what to say or do.
Jed braced himself. "Leo, I need to ask you something and I need your total honesty, OK?"
"OK." Leo agreed, wondering just what he was in for.
Jed hoped Leo would give him the answer he needed. "Do you want me to give up on Abbey?"
Leo looked at Jed and could see how serious he was. He remembered earlier when Jed had asked that very same thing and told him that even if Leo wanted him to, he was not sure he could give Abbey up.
Jed hated the silence. "The truth, Leo. I can handle it." Deep down he wasn't sure if he could handle it if Leo wanted him to give up Abbey.
It was just a reaction. He wasn't sure where it came from, but when he said it, he realized it was what he wanted. It was the truth. "No."
Jed didn't move. He wasn't sure Leo was telling him the truth. He didn't dare hope.
"I don't want you to give up on Abbey." It felt good and it felt so right to say that.
Leo was smiling at him and Jed knew he had told him the truth. He could always tell with Leo. "Thank you."
Jed got up and of course Leo did the same. They hugged each other and when Jed let go there was one more thing to say. "I would never take Lane's place."
Leo just nodded.
"Now you owe me a favor." Jed was already planning how to win Abbey over, but he needed Leo's help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abbey dragged herself inside with the groceries. Finally, a moment to herself! Laurie and Leah were with Jenny, so she could relax tonight. The phone started ringing and she cursed as she dropped some fruit on the floor. "Alright, alright.." She yelled out loud as the signals seemed to get more intrusive. She hurried over. "McGarry."
"You OK?"
"Leo, yeah, I was just getting in. I'm fine." She briefly wondered if he called because of her earlier visit with The President.
"I wanted to invite you to a poker game tonight."
The timing of this seemed awfully suspect. Sure she had been to poker nights since she left, but none of them with... "Will The President be there?"
"Yeah."
Yeah, this was way too suspect. "I don't think so, Leo."
"Abbey, he told me about your meeting and he has promised to behave."
"Jed Bartlet promising to behave? Good one, Leo." She heard him laugh as a response.
"Please Abbey, I already promised the others you'd be here."
Damn, why did he do that? When he begged, he sounded just like a little boy and it made it so hard for her to say no, impossible actually. "Fine, alright, but just because I want to see them and you, not The President."
"Duly noted. See you at the usual time."
Abbey hung up the phone. Damn Jed Bartlet and Damn Leo. She had a feeling she was being set up.
"Mission accomplished." Leo said as he turned to a smiling Jed.
"Wonderful." Jed was more than happy. Leo was on his side now. He had gotten his best friend back. Now all he had to do was win over Abbey. "You never told the others Abbey was coming tonight?"
Leo sighed. "It's the only way she would come over."
Jed nodded. That was all right. Just as long as she showed up, that was what was important.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, Abbey is joining us tonight?" CJ said quietly to Leo as they walked towards the little poker room. She knew there had been tension between Jed and Leo and she suspected why.
"Yes."
CJ was sure her ex was up to something. "You're OK with..?"
"I'm fine." He smiled at her as he gestured for her to walk in first.
"CJ, hope you brought a thick wallet?" Josh winked at her as Leo and CJ seated themselves at the table.
CJ rolled her eyes. "No, it's empty. I thought I'd fill it when I clean you boys out tonight."
Charlie, Toby, Sam and Josh just chuckled slightly. "Yeah, yeah."
"Hello all." Jed entered the room. "Sit, sit." He seated himself on a chair. This had to work. It was all in the cards, well, so to speak.
Abbey braced herself. "Relax, it's just poker." She had a feeling she was deluding herself though. She walked with quick steps and heard the sound of laughter. Bracing herself, she walked inside. "Hi, guys."
"Abbey!" Almost everyone called out.
Josh got up and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Good to see you."
Sam did the same. "We had no idea you were coming tonight, but we're glad you did."
At this Abbey glared at Leo who just looked away. She could see The President trying to hide a grin at this.
"Abbey." Toby walked over and gave a quick peck on the cheek also.
Abbey smiled at CJ who smiled back.
"Are the girls with Jenny? I hope so, because I hope we're going to be here a while. I need to win some money." CJ flashed a big grin at her colleagues.
"Yes, they're with Jenny. They were going to make pizza and watch movies," said Abbey. "And that winning money sounds good, mind if I join you?"
"I'm the one who's going to be winning all the money," boasted Josh, plopping back down beside Sam.
Abbey looked over to The President who for some reason was beaming. "Sir."
"Abbey, glad you could come. Have a seat." He gestured for her to take a seat between Charlie and Leo.
"Hey, Charlie."
"Hi, Abbey." He smiled at her.
She turned to Leo on her other side. "Evening, pumpkin, I don't know how you got it so mixed up when you told me everyone knew I was going to be here."
Leo looked nervous, not knowing what to say.
Abbey knew she had him and smirked. "I'm going to have to speak to Jenny about this."
Jed decided to take Leo off the hook. "OK, let's play poker." Jed said as he finished shuffling the cards.
TBC....
"Thank you, sir."
"Thank you, Mr. President."
Jed hardly acknowledged them as they took their leave. He didn't see CJ looking at Leo with a fix-it look or the confused looks of Toby, Sam and Josh.
As CJ closed the door behind her, Leo decided to see just what was going on with Jed.
"What's your problem?"
Jed didn't move or bother to look at Leo. "It's over. I lost her." He chuckled slightly. "Can't really lose what I didn't have to begin with, now can I?"
Was he talking about Abbey? As if Jed had read his mind, he answered Leo.
"Abbey came by before. She made it perfectly clear that there can never be anything between us." Jed was sure he sounded as if he had given up and frankly, he had.
Damn. Leo had not expected that. Now he felt terrible. He knew how much Jed loved Abbey and he knew Abbey had very strong feelings for Jed. "It's my fault."
Now Jed spun around and looked at him. "Why do you say that?"
"I had a little talk with Abbey earlier." He saw Jed's eyebrows furrow and knew it was a sign that he was getting angry. "I told her how you felt about her and she knew I was not entirely comfortable with it."
"Why?" It was all Jed could get out. He couldn't understand why Leo would be so against his feelings for Abbey.
"It's my family, Jed. It....It was my brother's family." Leo looked down. He couldn't bear to look at Jed at this moment.
If Jed had felt any anger, it was all gone now. "Leo, I would never dream of trying to take your brother's place."
Leo looked up. "I know, I just....I don't know. I can't explain it. I want you to be happy and I want Abbey to be happy but..."
"...But it would have been so much easier if Abbey wasn't your brother's widow?" Jed finished for him.
"Yeah."
"I wish you would have told me this. It hurts that you can't come to me when you need to talk or need to say something, anything." Jed leaned forward to Leo.
"I know I can, this was just too sensitive." This was a tough situation for Leo. He didn't know what to say or do.
Jed braced himself. "Leo, I need to ask you something and I need your total honesty, OK?"
"OK." Leo agreed, wondering just what he was in for.
Jed hoped Leo would give him the answer he needed. "Do you want me to give up on Abbey?"
Leo looked at Jed and could see how serious he was. He remembered earlier when Jed had asked that very same thing and told him that even if Leo wanted him to, he was not sure he could give Abbey up.
Jed hated the silence. "The truth, Leo. I can handle it." Deep down he wasn't sure if he could handle it if Leo wanted him to give up Abbey.
It was just a reaction. He wasn't sure where it came from, but when he said it, he realized it was what he wanted. It was the truth. "No."
Jed didn't move. He wasn't sure Leo was telling him the truth. He didn't dare hope.
"I don't want you to give up on Abbey." It felt good and it felt so right to say that.
Leo was smiling at him and Jed knew he had told him the truth. He could always tell with Leo. "Thank you."
Jed got up and of course Leo did the same. They hugged each other and when Jed let go there was one more thing to say. "I would never take Lane's place."
Leo just nodded.
"Now you owe me a favor." Jed was already planning how to win Abbey over, but he needed Leo's help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abbey dragged herself inside with the groceries. Finally, a moment to herself! Laurie and Leah were with Jenny, so she could relax tonight. The phone started ringing and she cursed as she dropped some fruit on the floor. "Alright, alright.." She yelled out loud as the signals seemed to get more intrusive. She hurried over. "McGarry."
"You OK?"
"Leo, yeah, I was just getting in. I'm fine." She briefly wondered if he called because of her earlier visit with The President.
"I wanted to invite you to a poker game tonight."
The timing of this seemed awfully suspect. Sure she had been to poker nights since she left, but none of them with... "Will The President be there?"
"Yeah."
Yeah, this was way too suspect. "I don't think so, Leo."
"Abbey, he told me about your meeting and he has promised to behave."
"Jed Bartlet promising to behave? Good one, Leo." She heard him laugh as a response.
"Please Abbey, I already promised the others you'd be here."
Damn, why did he do that? When he begged, he sounded just like a little boy and it made it so hard for her to say no, impossible actually. "Fine, alright, but just because I want to see them and you, not The President."
"Duly noted. See you at the usual time."
Abbey hung up the phone. Damn Jed Bartlet and Damn Leo. She had a feeling she was being set up.
"Mission accomplished." Leo said as he turned to a smiling Jed.
"Wonderful." Jed was more than happy. Leo was on his side now. He had gotten his best friend back. Now all he had to do was win over Abbey. "You never told the others Abbey was coming tonight?"
Leo sighed. "It's the only way she would come over."
Jed nodded. That was all right. Just as long as she showed up, that was what was important.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, Abbey is joining us tonight?" CJ said quietly to Leo as they walked towards the little poker room. She knew there had been tension between Jed and Leo and she suspected why.
"Yes."
CJ was sure her ex was up to something. "You're OK with..?"
"I'm fine." He smiled at her as he gestured for her to walk in first.
"CJ, hope you brought a thick wallet?" Josh winked at her as Leo and CJ seated themselves at the table.
CJ rolled her eyes. "No, it's empty. I thought I'd fill it when I clean you boys out tonight."
Charlie, Toby, Sam and Josh just chuckled slightly. "Yeah, yeah."
"Hello all." Jed entered the room. "Sit, sit." He seated himself on a chair. This had to work. It was all in the cards, well, so to speak.
Abbey braced herself. "Relax, it's just poker." She had a feeling she was deluding herself though. She walked with quick steps and heard the sound of laughter. Bracing herself, she walked inside. "Hi, guys."
"Abbey!" Almost everyone called out.
Josh got up and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Good to see you."
Sam did the same. "We had no idea you were coming tonight, but we're glad you did."
At this Abbey glared at Leo who just looked away. She could see The President trying to hide a grin at this.
"Abbey." Toby walked over and gave a quick peck on the cheek also.
Abbey smiled at CJ who smiled back.
"Are the girls with Jenny? I hope so, because I hope we're going to be here a while. I need to win some money." CJ flashed a big grin at her colleagues.
"Yes, they're with Jenny. They were going to make pizza and watch movies," said Abbey. "And that winning money sounds good, mind if I join you?"
"I'm the one who's going to be winning all the money," boasted Josh, plopping back down beside Sam.
Abbey looked over to The President who for some reason was beaming. "Sir."
"Abbey, glad you could come. Have a seat." He gestured for her to take a seat between Charlie and Leo.
"Hey, Charlie."
"Hi, Abbey." He smiled at her.
She turned to Leo on her other side. "Evening, pumpkin, I don't know how you got it so mixed up when you told me everyone knew I was going to be here."
Leo looked nervous, not knowing what to say.
Abbey knew she had him and smirked. "I'm going to have to speak to Jenny about this."
Jed decided to take Leo off the hook. "OK, let's play poker." Jed said as he finished shuffling the cards.
TBC....