Clearing Clouds
Part 6
"How are we doing on 432?" the President asked, settling into his chair.
"Looks like we're up by 12," Josh said happily, standing in front of the desk, folder open to a list of senators that they could count on.
"Margaret should have the last minute changes. With Leo gone, I took a look at it and then gave her the final draft," the President informed Josh.
"Sir, you didn't by any chance make any major changes, did you?" Josh looked steadily at the Commander and Chief with concern.
The President frowned and his voice reverberated with sarcasm. "No, Josh, in answer to your question, I didn't go off the deep end and bankrupt the country with something completely trivial."
"Trivial?" It was Josh's turn to frown. "But you did make some changes, right?" Josh asked the question with trepidation.
"If you must know, Josh, I added in $1 million dollars to study how long people who don't humour their bosses keep their jobs." The President returned Josh's look with one of annoyance, but there was a twinkle in his eye.
Josh chuckled nervously. "I might be interested in seeing the results of that study."
The President let joviality creep into his voice. "I thought you might."
"Seriously, sir, there are no surprises?" Josh asked, hoping to get a straight answer.
"Josh, I left the bill just as it is. It's good. We've worked on it for weeks; got everything we could and got the language down to a science. You know I wouldn't make any changes. We're looking at doing a lot of good, providing competent and comprehensive medical care for people who don't have any hope of securing it on their own." The President grinned. "I wouldn't make any changes to something that works. You know I wouldn't want to have to deal with an irate Leo."
Josh closed the file and rested it on his lap. "Everyone I talk to asks about Leo. When is he planning on coming back?"
"If I would have let him, he would have come here from the hospital," the President answered.
"He really needs some rest. That kind of trauma can take its toll," Josh commented.
"Jenny said he slept five hours right in the middle of the day." The President looked concerned. "I want him to stay home at least another day."
"He has been kind of restless at night," Josh said, knowingly.
The President frowned. "He has?"
Josh hesitated. He figured the President would know. "I...I thought Leo or Jenny would have told you..."
The President's frown grew deeper. "Told me what?"
"Jenny said Leo had a nightmare about what happened. He woke up the house yelling for Laurie. Jenny had to sit up with him for a couple of hours before he could get back to sleep."
"No one told me he was having problems," the President said. "But they should have. I would have stayed with him."
Josh felt awkward. "I think that was the point, Mr. President. Leo knew you would want to be there for him and he was worried about your security."
"Huh, we'll see about that," Bartlet said, his eyes narrowing.
Josh cringed. Leo would kill him. "Mr. President, could you please not mention that I told you? I know he didn't want you or Abbey to know."
The President looked at him pointedly. "Don't worry, Josh. You told me what I should know. I won't give you up."
Josh knew the conversation would remain on Leo, but he wanted to shift it in another direction. "I saw Mallory last night. She came here to meet Sam for coffee. She's staying a few days with her parents. Leo can't do a lot with that bandage on his hand. Jenny just tries to keep it lying on a pillow so he doesn't bump it."
"When he gets back, I want to assign an extra junior staffer to his office to run errands. Margaret needs to be right there to do what he can't." The President made a note.
Before Josh could speak, Mrs. Landingham came into the office with a smile on her face. "Mr. President, your next appointment is here."
"Are we done Josh?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President."
"Thank you." As Josh left the Oval, Jed wondered who his appointment was. As far as he knew he didn't even have one. No sooner had he had those thoughts when he heard a familiar voice.
"Mr. President."
He turned and there she was holding a basket. "Abbey?"
Abbey closed the door behind her. "You have forgotten me already?"
He laughed as he approached her. "No, of course not. I'm just surprised to see you. Delighted, but surprised."
"Charlie told me you had a little spare time, so I thought I'd bring you lunch." Abbey held up the basket she had with her.
"Sounds wonderful." Jed was about to take her hand and lead her to his desk, but instead she took his and lead him to the middle of the room.
She let go of his hand. "Help me move these chairs."
With no hesitation, he moved one of the chairs as Abbey did the same with the other one. Then he watched as she took out a blanket and draped it right over the Presidential Seal.
"I need to forget just how powerful you are even if it's just for a short while."
"Actually, I'd like it if you thought of me more as an ordinary man...."
Abbey spoke up even before he finished. "But you're not."
Jed looked down slightly. "No, I'm not."
Abbey got up from the floor and walked over to him. "I think we should talk about that, but not now. Let's have lunch." She raised his head with one of her hands so their eyes meet.
"Yeah."
A short while later, after finishing off their food mostly while talking about her work, her children and general things, Jed looked at his watch. "How much time did Charlie say I had?"
"About 30 minutes which leaves us with..." She checked her own watch. "...12 minutes left."
"Want to talk about it? About me not being an ordinary man?"
Abbey could detect a hint of sadness in his voice. "Not now." She hated for him to worry, so she decided to try and lighten his mood. She started clearing away the plates between them and putting them aside. "I had something else in mind."
"What?"
He didn't have a clue what she was talking about. She inched closer and gently started kissing his cheek.
"Oh."
The tone in his voice betrayed him once again. "Well, not exactly that, but a few kisses would be nice."
In response, Jed devoured her with kisses, on her neck, cheek and ears as they sat on the blanket over The Presidential Seal.
"Hey, my lips need some attention here, not that I'm complaining." Abbey purred slightly.
Jed drew back and stared into her eyes. "I love you."
Abbey was taken aback by this. "You do, don't you?"
He started playing with a loose strand of hair that fell on her face. "I really do."
She swallowed hard. There was no mistake in it, his eyes, his voice and his words. He really did love her, faults and all. She leaned towards him and kissed him.
In responding, he made them both fall to the floor. They continued their kissing, not noticing the door open. Hearing what seemed like a cough to get attention, they both looked up and saw a slightly red faced, although very smiling, press secretary.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." CJ had not been prepared for this. She didn't know they had gotten this close and she didn't understand why she felt so uneasy about it.
"CJ." They both chorused as they rose to sit up.
CJ hurried over to the desk. "Sir, I just need you to look these things over, so I'll put them here." She then proceeded to hurry out to leave them alone.
"Thank you." Jed was eager to get back to what he was doing, but to his surprise, Abbey got up on her feet and started heading after CJ.
Abbey turned to him. "I'll be right back." Then she closed the door behind her. She hurried after CJ down the corridor. "CJ, wait!"
Jed shrugged and got up from the floor. More time there and his back would pay the price. It suddenly hit him. Abbey never responded to him when he said 'I love you' to her. That didn't mean anything or did it? She didn't say it back! No, she would in time when she felt comfortable doing so. He was sure of it.
CJ continued on despite Abbey calling out to her and was soon in her own office. She seated herself on the couch with her head buried in her hands.
Abbey soon joined her. "CJ?"
CJ looked up. "I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to interrupt." What was wrong with her? Why was she having these conflicting feelings?
Abbey closed the door and remained standing. "You didn't. That's not why I followed you."
"Oh?"
Abbey took a deep breath. "CJ, you're still in love with your ex-husband, aren't you?"
TBC...
Part 6
"How are we doing on 432?" the President asked, settling into his chair.
"Looks like we're up by 12," Josh said happily, standing in front of the desk, folder open to a list of senators that they could count on.
"Margaret should have the last minute changes. With Leo gone, I took a look at it and then gave her the final draft," the President informed Josh.
"Sir, you didn't by any chance make any major changes, did you?" Josh looked steadily at the Commander and Chief with concern.
The President frowned and his voice reverberated with sarcasm. "No, Josh, in answer to your question, I didn't go off the deep end and bankrupt the country with something completely trivial."
"Trivial?" It was Josh's turn to frown. "But you did make some changes, right?" Josh asked the question with trepidation.
"If you must know, Josh, I added in $1 million dollars to study how long people who don't humour their bosses keep their jobs." The President returned Josh's look with one of annoyance, but there was a twinkle in his eye.
Josh chuckled nervously. "I might be interested in seeing the results of that study."
The President let joviality creep into his voice. "I thought you might."
"Seriously, sir, there are no surprises?" Josh asked, hoping to get a straight answer.
"Josh, I left the bill just as it is. It's good. We've worked on it for weeks; got everything we could and got the language down to a science. You know I wouldn't make any changes. We're looking at doing a lot of good, providing competent and comprehensive medical care for people who don't have any hope of securing it on their own." The President grinned. "I wouldn't make any changes to something that works. You know I wouldn't want to have to deal with an irate Leo."
Josh closed the file and rested it on his lap. "Everyone I talk to asks about Leo. When is he planning on coming back?"
"If I would have let him, he would have come here from the hospital," the President answered.
"He really needs some rest. That kind of trauma can take its toll," Josh commented.
"Jenny said he slept five hours right in the middle of the day." The President looked concerned. "I want him to stay home at least another day."
"He has been kind of restless at night," Josh said, knowingly.
The President frowned. "He has?"
Josh hesitated. He figured the President would know. "I...I thought Leo or Jenny would have told you..."
The President's frown grew deeper. "Told me what?"
"Jenny said Leo had a nightmare about what happened. He woke up the house yelling for Laurie. Jenny had to sit up with him for a couple of hours before he could get back to sleep."
"No one told me he was having problems," the President said. "But they should have. I would have stayed with him."
Josh felt awkward. "I think that was the point, Mr. President. Leo knew you would want to be there for him and he was worried about your security."
"Huh, we'll see about that," Bartlet said, his eyes narrowing.
Josh cringed. Leo would kill him. "Mr. President, could you please not mention that I told you? I know he didn't want you or Abbey to know."
The President looked at him pointedly. "Don't worry, Josh. You told me what I should know. I won't give you up."
Josh knew the conversation would remain on Leo, but he wanted to shift it in another direction. "I saw Mallory last night. She came here to meet Sam for coffee. She's staying a few days with her parents. Leo can't do a lot with that bandage on his hand. Jenny just tries to keep it lying on a pillow so he doesn't bump it."
"When he gets back, I want to assign an extra junior staffer to his office to run errands. Margaret needs to be right there to do what he can't." The President made a note.
Before Josh could speak, Mrs. Landingham came into the office with a smile on her face. "Mr. President, your next appointment is here."
"Are we done Josh?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President."
"Thank you." As Josh left the Oval, Jed wondered who his appointment was. As far as he knew he didn't even have one. No sooner had he had those thoughts when he heard a familiar voice.
"Mr. President."
He turned and there she was holding a basket. "Abbey?"
Abbey closed the door behind her. "You have forgotten me already?"
He laughed as he approached her. "No, of course not. I'm just surprised to see you. Delighted, but surprised."
"Charlie told me you had a little spare time, so I thought I'd bring you lunch." Abbey held up the basket she had with her.
"Sounds wonderful." Jed was about to take her hand and lead her to his desk, but instead she took his and lead him to the middle of the room.
She let go of his hand. "Help me move these chairs."
With no hesitation, he moved one of the chairs as Abbey did the same with the other one. Then he watched as she took out a blanket and draped it right over the Presidential Seal.
"I need to forget just how powerful you are even if it's just for a short while."
"Actually, I'd like it if you thought of me more as an ordinary man...."
Abbey spoke up even before he finished. "But you're not."
Jed looked down slightly. "No, I'm not."
Abbey got up from the floor and walked over to him. "I think we should talk about that, but not now. Let's have lunch." She raised his head with one of her hands so their eyes meet.
"Yeah."
A short while later, after finishing off their food mostly while talking about her work, her children and general things, Jed looked at his watch. "How much time did Charlie say I had?"
"About 30 minutes which leaves us with..." She checked her own watch. "...12 minutes left."
"Want to talk about it? About me not being an ordinary man?"
Abbey could detect a hint of sadness in his voice. "Not now." She hated for him to worry, so she decided to try and lighten his mood. She started clearing away the plates between them and putting them aside. "I had something else in mind."
"What?"
He didn't have a clue what she was talking about. She inched closer and gently started kissing his cheek.
"Oh."
The tone in his voice betrayed him once again. "Well, not exactly that, but a few kisses would be nice."
In response, Jed devoured her with kisses, on her neck, cheek and ears as they sat on the blanket over The Presidential Seal.
"Hey, my lips need some attention here, not that I'm complaining." Abbey purred slightly.
Jed drew back and stared into her eyes. "I love you."
Abbey was taken aback by this. "You do, don't you?"
He started playing with a loose strand of hair that fell on her face. "I really do."
She swallowed hard. There was no mistake in it, his eyes, his voice and his words. He really did love her, faults and all. She leaned towards him and kissed him.
In responding, he made them both fall to the floor. They continued their kissing, not noticing the door open. Hearing what seemed like a cough to get attention, they both looked up and saw a slightly red faced, although very smiling, press secretary.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." CJ had not been prepared for this. She didn't know they had gotten this close and she didn't understand why she felt so uneasy about it.
"CJ." They both chorused as they rose to sit up.
CJ hurried over to the desk. "Sir, I just need you to look these things over, so I'll put them here." She then proceeded to hurry out to leave them alone.
"Thank you." Jed was eager to get back to what he was doing, but to his surprise, Abbey got up on her feet and started heading after CJ.
Abbey turned to him. "I'll be right back." Then she closed the door behind her. She hurried after CJ down the corridor. "CJ, wait!"
Jed shrugged and got up from the floor. More time there and his back would pay the price. It suddenly hit him. Abbey never responded to him when he said 'I love you' to her. That didn't mean anything or did it? She didn't say it back! No, she would in time when she felt comfortable doing so. He was sure of it.
CJ continued on despite Abbey calling out to her and was soon in her own office. She seated herself on the couch with her head buried in her hands.
Abbey soon joined her. "CJ?"
CJ looked up. "I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to interrupt." What was wrong with her? Why was she having these conflicting feelings?
Abbey closed the door and remained standing. "You didn't. That's not why I followed you."
"Oh?"
Abbey took a deep breath. "CJ, you're still in love with your ex-husband, aren't you?"
TBC...