Mistakes -- Part 4
Characters: Jed/Abbey and CJ
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but I love to play with them a little! Thank you to Aaron Sorkin, Warner Bros, and NBC!
Feedback is always welcomed!
Summary: The First Couple continue to live as strangers, until old memories come crashing back. Can Jed really let go of Abbey after the baby is born?
Month three:
Three months into her pregnancy, Abbey began to see slight changes in her body. It was nothing major, just things only an expectant mother would notice. Her clothes began to fit a little tighter, her waist wasn't as defined as it once was, and she finally felt like she had a life inside her. She thought back to the day before when she had gone maternity clothes shopping with CJ. The afternoon had taken an emotional turn when Abbey couldn't answer all the questions that CJ had.
"This one's really nice," CJ said, pointing out a wooden Victorian-style crib.
"Yeah," was all Abbey said as she walked by, looking at the clothes.
"I know that you want the perfect outfit right now, but pretty soon...I mean, come on, the White House isn't exactly furnished for an infant."
"We'll deal with that when the time comes," Abbey replied, knowing that when the baby is born, she won't even be living in the White House any longer.
"Why wait? Don't you want to just look around? I saw the most perfect..." CJ cut herself off when she saw tears begin to form in Abbey's eyes. "Abbey," she called. "Come on, let's go."
CJ led her out of the store and sat her down on a bench nearby. She hadn't seen Abbey so upset in a long time. Then again, she was pregnant. Were these tears of a happy pregnant wife, or the tears of a First Lady in constant personal turmoil, she wondered.
"I'm sorry, CJ."
"No, it's okay." CJ continued, after a brief pause, "what's going on, Abbey?"
Abbey told her everything. She confessed her relationship with Leo, something CJ already knew, but hadn't heard Abbey admit. She told CJ about her deal with Jed. She told her it was all in name only and that their marriage actually ended the day that Jed found out.
"It's over," she said to an unbelieving CJ.
"Just because he isn't speaking to you..."
"Isn't speaking to me? No, CJ, that isn't it. If he just wasn't speaking to me, I could deal with it, I'd know he'd get over it. There's so much anger in him, so much hatred in his eyes."
"The President could never hate you, Abbey."
"His eyes...those beautiful blue eyes," Abbey began, looking off into the distance. "That's what I fell in love with first, you know. I couldn't escape those gorgeous eyes. They're so expressive. I can see all the love, the warmth inside him. Lately, I don't even recognize them anymore. They're filled with bitterness and they scare me."
"Oh, Abbey. I'm sure that once some time has passed..."
"Yeah," Abbey interrupted, not wanting to hear CJ continue her thought. "Look, let's get going, okay? I need to get back," she continued as she got up and walked away.
Later that evening, Abbey began trying on the dresses she bought. She knew it was too early to need any of them, but she wanted to see them on her. She stood in front of the full-length mirror in the First Bedroom and played with her top, lifting it up to see if she could see her stomach getting bigger. What she didn't know was that Jed had entered the room moments earlier and was watching from a distance. The sight brought a smile to his face. He remembered the first time he had ever seen her do that.
Flashback:
Abbey was five months pregnant with Elizabeth. She had gained more weight than she expected and was very self-conscious of her figure. She used to spend hours just trying on clothes and wanting to hide her big belly. Jed didn't want her to hide it. He always knew she was gorgeous, but she looked even more radiant as a pregnant bride.
"If this is five months, what's going to happen when I hit my ninth month?" she asked him as he layed in bed, reading.
"I can't wait to find out."
"Jed, please be serious. I'm not even going to fit on our bed anymore."
"Then we'll get a new bed. We need one anyway."
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"That you're gaining weight? No, of course it doesn't. Abigail," he started as he climbed out of bed and headed towards her, "a pregnant woman is the most natural thing in the world. It isn't extra weight, it's a baby you have in there," he said, gently patting her belly. "And even if it wasn't, I don't care what happens to your body, I'll always know that I'm married to the most beautiful woman in the world."
"But..."
"Don't," he interrupted, putting his finger in front of her lips to silence her. "I love you and your big belly. I always will," he told her as he kissed her forehead, a thing he did when he wanted to express his love gently, not sexually. She loved when he kissed her there. It was always so sincere, like he was taking care of her. It used to send chills down her spine.
Present day:
Jed couldn't remember the last time he felt that close to her. It wasn't just since he found out about her affair with Leo. The turmoil began long before that. The distance had been part of their lives since he announced he was running for reelection. He always felt that she never really forgave him for that. He lived with it, but he secretly wished they could have it out once and for all, so they could move past it.
As he looked at her touching her stomach in the mirror, he couldn't help but want to join in.
"Can I feel?" he asked as he approached her.
"You scared me. I didn't know you were there."
"Can I touch?"
Abbey nodded as Jed reached out his hand and slowly caressed her bare stomach.
"It's not getting any bigger yet, you know," he teased.
"To me it is."
"Of course it is. And let me guess, you bought out the store this afternoon, thinking you're going to end up as big as a hippo, didn't you?"
"Don't I always?"
"This one's a boy, I'm sure of it!" he said enthusiastically.
"You said that with Liz, Zoey, and Ellie too.'
"Yeah, well, this time, I'm right. A father knows when he's about to have a son."
They exchanged smiles for the first time in, what seemed like, ages. It was also the first time Jed had touched her since the whole Leo thing came out. It wasn't much, just a little pat on the belly, but it was better than nothing. It was enough to bring a tear to her eye.
After that day, it became a nightly ritual -- Jed began touching her stomach, looking for any slight change. To her, it was cute. He'd come home from the office, she'd lay down on the bed and lift her shirt up just a few inches and he'd rub her, talk to the baby, and listen for any movement whatsoever. It was exactly what he had done with the girls. She was relieved that at least that part of their marriage wasn't completely destroyed by her mistake. But just like a bucket of cold water, when it came to going a step further, he'd pull away.
While he was listening for the baby, Abbey put her hand on his head, just twirling his hair around her finger. He looked at her for a second before taking her hand in his to get it off his head. He put her hand down on the bed and got up and walked out of the room, claiming he had some reading to do. It drew Abbey out of the fantasy world and back into reality -- a reality that had her and Jed still at odds. He was still disgusted with her and she knew had it not been for the baby, the divorce would be in full swing right now.
TBC
Characters: Jed/Abbey and CJ
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but I love to play with them a little! Thank you to Aaron Sorkin, Warner Bros, and NBC!
Feedback is always welcomed!
Summary: The First Couple continue to live as strangers, until old memories come crashing back. Can Jed really let go of Abbey after the baby is born?
Month three:
Three months into her pregnancy, Abbey began to see slight changes in her body. It was nothing major, just things only an expectant mother would notice. Her clothes began to fit a little tighter, her waist wasn't as defined as it once was, and she finally felt like she had a life inside her. She thought back to the day before when she had gone maternity clothes shopping with CJ. The afternoon had taken an emotional turn when Abbey couldn't answer all the questions that CJ had.
"This one's really nice," CJ said, pointing out a wooden Victorian-style crib.
"Yeah," was all Abbey said as she walked by, looking at the clothes.
"I know that you want the perfect outfit right now, but pretty soon...I mean, come on, the White House isn't exactly furnished for an infant."
"We'll deal with that when the time comes," Abbey replied, knowing that when the baby is born, she won't even be living in the White House any longer.
"Why wait? Don't you want to just look around? I saw the most perfect..." CJ cut herself off when she saw tears begin to form in Abbey's eyes. "Abbey," she called. "Come on, let's go."
CJ led her out of the store and sat her down on a bench nearby. She hadn't seen Abbey so upset in a long time. Then again, she was pregnant. Were these tears of a happy pregnant wife, or the tears of a First Lady in constant personal turmoil, she wondered.
"I'm sorry, CJ."
"No, it's okay." CJ continued, after a brief pause, "what's going on, Abbey?"
Abbey told her everything. She confessed her relationship with Leo, something CJ already knew, but hadn't heard Abbey admit. She told CJ about her deal with Jed. She told her it was all in name only and that their marriage actually ended the day that Jed found out.
"It's over," she said to an unbelieving CJ.
"Just because he isn't speaking to you..."
"Isn't speaking to me? No, CJ, that isn't it. If he just wasn't speaking to me, I could deal with it, I'd know he'd get over it. There's so much anger in him, so much hatred in his eyes."
"The President could never hate you, Abbey."
"His eyes...those beautiful blue eyes," Abbey began, looking off into the distance. "That's what I fell in love with first, you know. I couldn't escape those gorgeous eyes. They're so expressive. I can see all the love, the warmth inside him. Lately, I don't even recognize them anymore. They're filled with bitterness and they scare me."
"Oh, Abbey. I'm sure that once some time has passed..."
"Yeah," Abbey interrupted, not wanting to hear CJ continue her thought. "Look, let's get going, okay? I need to get back," she continued as she got up and walked away.
Later that evening, Abbey began trying on the dresses she bought. She knew it was too early to need any of them, but she wanted to see them on her. She stood in front of the full-length mirror in the First Bedroom and played with her top, lifting it up to see if she could see her stomach getting bigger. What she didn't know was that Jed had entered the room moments earlier and was watching from a distance. The sight brought a smile to his face. He remembered the first time he had ever seen her do that.
Flashback:
Abbey was five months pregnant with Elizabeth. She had gained more weight than she expected and was very self-conscious of her figure. She used to spend hours just trying on clothes and wanting to hide her big belly. Jed didn't want her to hide it. He always knew she was gorgeous, but she looked even more radiant as a pregnant bride.
"If this is five months, what's going to happen when I hit my ninth month?" she asked him as he layed in bed, reading.
"I can't wait to find out."
"Jed, please be serious. I'm not even going to fit on our bed anymore."
"Then we'll get a new bed. We need one anyway."
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"That you're gaining weight? No, of course it doesn't. Abigail," he started as he climbed out of bed and headed towards her, "a pregnant woman is the most natural thing in the world. It isn't extra weight, it's a baby you have in there," he said, gently patting her belly. "And even if it wasn't, I don't care what happens to your body, I'll always know that I'm married to the most beautiful woman in the world."
"But..."
"Don't," he interrupted, putting his finger in front of her lips to silence her. "I love you and your big belly. I always will," he told her as he kissed her forehead, a thing he did when he wanted to express his love gently, not sexually. She loved when he kissed her there. It was always so sincere, like he was taking care of her. It used to send chills down her spine.
Present day:
Jed couldn't remember the last time he felt that close to her. It wasn't just since he found out about her affair with Leo. The turmoil began long before that. The distance had been part of their lives since he announced he was running for reelection. He always felt that she never really forgave him for that. He lived with it, but he secretly wished they could have it out once and for all, so they could move past it.
As he looked at her touching her stomach in the mirror, he couldn't help but want to join in.
"Can I feel?" he asked as he approached her.
"You scared me. I didn't know you were there."
"Can I touch?"
Abbey nodded as Jed reached out his hand and slowly caressed her bare stomach.
"It's not getting any bigger yet, you know," he teased.
"To me it is."
"Of course it is. And let me guess, you bought out the store this afternoon, thinking you're going to end up as big as a hippo, didn't you?"
"Don't I always?"
"This one's a boy, I'm sure of it!" he said enthusiastically.
"You said that with Liz, Zoey, and Ellie too.'
"Yeah, well, this time, I'm right. A father knows when he's about to have a son."
They exchanged smiles for the first time in, what seemed like, ages. It was also the first time Jed had touched her since the whole Leo thing came out. It wasn't much, just a little pat on the belly, but it was better than nothing. It was enough to bring a tear to her eye.
After that day, it became a nightly ritual -- Jed began touching her stomach, looking for any slight change. To her, it was cute. He'd come home from the office, she'd lay down on the bed and lift her shirt up just a few inches and he'd rub her, talk to the baby, and listen for any movement whatsoever. It was exactly what he had done with the girls. She was relieved that at least that part of their marriage wasn't completely destroyed by her mistake. But just like a bucket of cold water, when it came to going a step further, he'd pull away.
While he was listening for the baby, Abbey put her hand on his head, just twirling his hair around her finger. He looked at her for a second before taking her hand in his to get it off his head. He put her hand down on the bed and got up and walked out of the room, claiming he had some reading to do. It drew Abbey out of the fantasy world and back into reality -- a reality that had her and Jed still at odds. He was still disgusted with her and she knew had it not been for the baby, the divorce would be in full swing right now.
TBC