Dirty Dealings

Part 12

CJ slipped quietly inside the Oval where Charlie said he would be. When she did not see him sitting at the desk working, she knew he may be thinking and not want to be disturbed. Then she saw him through the windows lining the portico, standing stiffly with his back to her. When she had seen him a little earlier, he had barely acknowledged her and she could tell something was bothering him. She wanted to find out what was going on. She opened the door cautiously, trying to gauge her ex-husband's mood before she spoke. Getting nearer, CJ could smell tobacco and sighed, his smoking always meant something was terribly wrong. "Sir?"

Jed did not even bother with pretence, knowing why she was out there. "Abbey is missing." He flicked his cigarette ash and moved to sit down on the bench.

CJ joined him, not able to hide her shock. "What?"

"Abbey is missing and we don't know anything." Jed was beyond frustrated. He let the last time he had seen Abbey play through his mind, how upset she had been and how he had wanted to stay with her. He tossed the cigarette in front of him, grinding it into the pavement with his foot to be sure it was out.

"So that's why you wanted to see us?" CJ gently rubbed his shoulder. "Abbey is tough. No matter what has happened she'll get through it." She did not know what else to say.

"Yeah." Abbey was tough, but she had been through so much already. He wished there was something he could do, anything other than just sit there.

"Do the girls know?"

"Leo and Jenny told them this morning." Jed took a deep breath as he stood. "We should go inside."

CJ stood and watched as he walked back into the Oval. His whole body was showing signs that he was a man in deep misery.

------

"Leah, you can get your bath first." As soon as they came through the door from the play, Jenny began the task of getting everyone ready for the next day. "I'll come up with you and we can pick out what you want to wear tomorrow."

"Can I have a glass of water first? I'm really thirsty." Leah raised her big, pleading eyes, looking for an excuse to stay downstairs with her Dad for just a little longer.

"Okay. A glass of water. Why don't you show your Dad the picture you drew of him while I get it."

"You drew a picture of me, princess?" Lane waited as she got the drawing out of her backpack and then lifted her onto his lap.

Leah held the paper up to Lane. "Miss Angel, she's my teacher, thought I was drawing a walrus, but I told her it was a picture of my Daddy."

Before Lane could respond, Leo and Laurie came through the door.

"You need to go upstairs and get started on it right now." Leo sounded slightly annoyed.

"I'll get it done!"

"Tonight, and then you show it to your Aunt Jenny."

"I can get it done in a few minutes. It's no big deal, Uncle Leo!"

"Then show me that." Leo didn't seem to be budging. Laurie rolled her eyes. "You are so impossible!"

"Laurie, upstairs."

By this time, Lane had stood. "What are you telling my daughter to do?"

"It's nothing. I'm going up now." Laurie disappeared up the stairs. The last thing she wanted to do was involve her father in her life.

"I'm waiting for an answer." Lane stayed where he was.

"Just drop it, Lane." Leo sat down at the desk to read some reports.

"Daddy, do you like my picture?"

Lane focused back on Leah, angered that Leo wouldn't answer him, but not willing to make a scene in front of his little girl.

"Here's your water. Drink it and then off to your bath," Jenny said, handing Leah a glass and then moving to sit near Leo at the desk. As Lane went back to talking with Leah, Jenny spoke quietly. "What was that about? You and Laurie don't usually argue."

"Laurie has a book report due tomorrow, one that she has to present in front of the class. When I went back stage after the play to pick her up, her teacher asked me what I thought about her presentation on Little Women. She assumed that Laurie had been practicing in front of us. Turns out play practice has kept Laurie from even starting on the report."

"That's not like her. She's usually right on top of her studies."

"Things have been so chaotic lately with Lane and now with Abbey being missing. I was too hard on her."

"Leo, the teacher always gives them two weeks to complete a book report presentation. Laurie could have asked for help. She's been upset, but she has to take some responsibility for herself, too. I'll make sure she gets it done. They only have half day tomorrow because of parent teacher conferences, so she'll have the morning to work on it."

"Did Abbey have a conference?"

"I called Laurie's teacher this morning and requested a change to an evening conference. Those aren't until next week. If Abbey...if things...one of us can go."

"Thanks, baby." Leo kissed Jenny lightly as the doorbell rang.

Jenny collected Leah who had finished her glass of water and took the little girl upstairs to get her ready for bed.

Soon Leo was on his way to the door and greeted Ron Butterfield who paved the way for a visit from Jed.

"How was the play?" Jed tried to lighten the mood as he met Leo at the door.

"It was great. We're going to be sending Laurie to Hollywood."

After a weak smile by both men, Jed got down to business. "So far the investigation has revealed nothing of Abbey's whereabouts and nothing about who may have taken her."

"So you're saying you know nothing? Am I surprised or what?" Lane had moved closer to the door.

The President grimaced. Another confrontation with Leo's jerk of a brother was not what he needed. "If you'll excuse us, this is a private conversation."

"Anything that is about my wife and family concerns me." Lane remained fixed where he was.

'His wife'. Jed gritted his teeth. "Leo, tell your brother to find somewhere else to be or I'll have the Secret Service find him somewhere."

"Leo, tell Jed Bartlet that you're going to tell me every word he said anyway." Lane crossed his arms and waited.

"Did you find my Mom?" The whole room turned from the confrontation to look at Laurie on the stairs.

Jed felt honesty was the best approach. "No, Laurie, we didn't find her yet, but I promise you we're not going to give up."

"Where do you think she is?"

"I don't know," Jed replied. "But I've got people checking and rechecking every place there is. I'm going to bring her back to you and to Leah."

"I just want my Mom home." A tear rolled down Laurie's face.

"Now we can't cry, that won't do any good. Your Mom would want us to pull together and be strong for each other. And that's what we're going to do. She's really going to be proud of us when she gets back."

"I'll try." Laurie spoke, but was losing the battle with her tears. She flew down the rest of the stairs, passed Lane who had stepped forward to hug her and straight into Jed's arms. "I know you'll find her, Jed. You love my Mom."

Jed swallowed to keep his voice even. The day he had longed for had come. Abbey and her girls counted on him and loved him and he wouldn't let them down. He would stand up and protect them as his own. "That's right, I do love your Mom. And I love you and Leah. I'll do anything I have to do to get your Mom back here. And you know your Mom, she's staying strong because she has so many people who love her and are praying for her. And wherever she is, all she's thinking about is getting back to her girls."

A scowl distorted Lane's face as he glared at Jed Bartlet holding his daughter. He would make him pay for this one.

"Now dry those tears." Jed smiled at her as Laurie wiped away her tears.

"Mom missed my play. She spent hours sewing my costume and was the first one in line to buy tickets. She's going to be so disappointed."

"Not to worry." Jed was thankful he could give her at least some good news. "Uncle Leo was at your play with his video camera so we won't miss a minute. Your Mom and I can spend a whole evening enjoying it when she gets back."

"I got everything," Leo agreed. "From the opening curtain to the last bow. Your Mom and Jed won't miss a thing."

"Thank you, Uncle Leo." Laurie gave him a hug and kiss.

"You're welcome, baby."

Jed rubbed Laurie's back and gave her an encouraging smile. "Will you go and check on Leah for me. I need to talk to Uncle Leo."

Laurie nodded her head and quietly went back upstairs.

"Can we talk in the kitchen?" Jed gave Lane a backward glance as he lightly pushed Leo into the kitchen to update him on the search for Abbey.

------

CJ savoured the last bite of her cheesecake and set the empty plate beside the pile of papers scattered across her living room floor. She had brought work home. Knowing she would not be able to sleep until her friend was found, she had decided to let the time benefit someone by answering the pile of letters she had received over the last month. There were compliments about how good she did her job and questions from kids wondering what it was like to work for the President. She was writing back to a six-year-old who wanted to know if she got to eat lunch with the President when her phone rang. "Hello." CJ put down her pen and took off her glasses.

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing." CJ perked up. "Is there news about Abbey?"

"No. I just called to see what you were doing."

"Didn't you think I might be in bed, Josh?"

"It's just 2:00 a.m." Josh sounded nonchalant.

"We have to sleep sometime. This job doesn't allow it very much."

"Were you sleeping?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem with me calling?"

"Is there a point to this, Joshua?"

"No, I'm just...you know..." Josh hesitated. "What do you think happened to her, CJ?"

CJ settled back against the couch. "I don't know, but wherever she is, they have to find her fast. The President is not taking this well at all. And I don't blame him, none of us are."

"I think we all know that after Senior Staff."

"Josh, I'm going to lay down now."

"See you in the morning, CJ."

"Things are going to look up, Josh."

------

After the usual Secret Service procedures, the President came to the door.

"Hey, Jen." The President kissed her.

"Good morning, Jed." Jenny took his coat and turned to the closet. "Leo's in the living room. One of the dogs knocked over a vase of flowers and he's trying to clean them up before I find out."

The President smiled. "You love that, don't you?"

Jenny smiled. "Yeah, he's about as good at keeping things from me as Leah is."

Jed ventured to the living room. He watched Leo soaking up water off the carpet with a towel. "Need some help."

Leo jumped and his eyes shot to the President. "Would you stop sneaking up on me?" Then suddenly Leo's eye got wide. "Is there news about Abbey?"

"No, Leo, relax. The Secret Service is questioning the doctors Abbey works with at the hospital about the possibility of a disgruntled patient, but so far nothing. I just came by to see about the girls."

"Jed!" Leah had come down the stairs in search of Jenny or Leo to fix her hair. "Did you bring Mommy home?"

"Hey, pumpkin." Jed gave her a big hug. "No, Leah, listen to me, I haven't found your Mommy yet, but I promise you it won't be much longer. I came by just to see you and Laurie, to see how you were doing."

"Do you like my new dress Aunt Jenny got for me?"

"Yes, you look like a princess."

"That's what Daddy said. He came by to eat breakfast with me."

Jed's face turned sour. He couldn't stop his glare at Leo. "Were you just going to stand there and not mention that?"

"Sir, Lane has been coming for breakfast..."

Before anyone could say anything else Jenny hurried over and picked Leah up in her arms. "Let's me and you go in the kitchen and find some cookies."

Jed controlled himself until he saw that Jenny and Leah were out of sight. "What's the plan? You were going to let him take Abbey's girls while she's missing?"

"GET OUT! Get out of my house!"

"Leo." The President stood straight, almost confused.

Leo's eyes did not leave the President. "I get it, Mr. President. I screwed up. But I'm not going to stand here and let you imply that I might let my brother take advantage of the situation and disappear with the girls. I won't take that from anyone, NOT EVEN FROM YOU!"

TBC....