Mistakes -- Part 6
Characters: Jed/Abbey
Rating: R
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: During Abbey's fifth month of pregnancy, Jed's coldness began to subside. He was realizing how much he still loved her, but old feelings stopped him from forgiving her.
Month five:
Jed hadn't been working as much lately. His entire outlook had changed. He began taking off a few hours in the middle of the day and he convinced Abbey to do the same so they could share their lunches together. He went with her to every one of ther doctor's appointments. Their future was definitely looking brighter.
When Abbey caught a mild cold, Jed stayed by her side. He even took two days off work, moving essential meetings to the Residence so he could be down the hall from his wife. He spent those days fawning over her and the baby.
"I don't need a babysitter, you know," she said at one point while laying in bed.
"Yeah, well, you've got one, so enjoy it," he replied.
"Jed, I'm really okay. You should go to work."
"Abbey, you're carrying my baby and you're sick. I want to be here."
"That's what this is really about, right? You're concerned about the baby?"
Jed sat in silence. Of course he was concerned about the baby, but he was more worried about Abbey, though he couldn't admit that to her -- he wasn't ready. Abbey took his silence as the answer she feared. She turned her back to him and pretended to fall asleep.
Once Abbey was feeling like her old self again, neither one of them mentioned that conversation. He never told her she was his main concern and she never admitted how hurt she was by the discussion. Instead, they moved on. She'd come home from her office and some nights, he'd already be there, ready to have dinner. After one such night, they retired to the bedroom. Sensing Abbey was stressed out from work, Jed offered to rub her back. He sat behind her on the bed and began massaging her shoulders. She groaned with pleasure. He extended his hands down her back, reminding her of a night during her second pregnancy with Ellie.
Flashback:
Abbey had doubled-up on her courseload at med school to make up for the semester she'd have to take off to give birth to Ellie. Jed had cut back on the classes he was teaching so he could watch Liz and take care of the house while Abbey was off studying. It was an arrangement that worked out for them, despite the fact that they rarely saw each other.
Abbey had come home late. As soon as Jed saw her pull up, he put Liz in her play pen so he could give Abbey his undivided attention. He greeted her with a kiss as she opened the door.
"How's Lizzy?" she asked as she headed to the play pen. She bent down, giving Liz a kiss.
"She misses her mommy."
"Her mommy misses her too," she replied as she walked over to the couch, flinging her jacket over the arm, then headed upstairs to change her clothes. Jed followed.
"I've been thinking. Maybe you should cut back on your classes. Drop a few of them, just for now."
Abbey stopped walking and turned around to face her husband. "We've been through this, Jed."
"I know, but look at yourself. You're tired, you're cranky, I know you haven't been sleeping."
"I haven't been sleeping because I have midterms next week."
"it can't be good for you, or for the baby."
"I'm not going to hurt our baby," she shot back sternly.
"That isn't what I meant, Abbey, and you know it. I'm just concerned."
She continued walking to their bedroom, unbuttoning her shirt along the way.
"I'm fine. I just want to get through med school. The sooner the better."
"What's the rush? Look, you're going to be a fantastic doctor. I don't want you to kill yourself getting there."
"Did you call Liz's pediatrician?" she asked, changing the subject.
Jed rubbed his forehead, remembering the one thing she had asked him to do.
"No, I forgot. I'm sorry."
"Damn it, Jed!" she exploded, "I told you how important it was to ask him before changing the dose of her antibiotic! Now what am I supposed to do?"
"I said I was sorry. You're not the only one getting ready for midterms. I had to teach four classes, pick up Liz from the sitter, go grocery shopping..."
"Nothing is more important than Lizzie."
"I never said otherwise," he said as he turned to walk away. Abbey grabbed his arm to stop him.
"I'm sorry. I know you're working so hard. I didn't mean to blow up at you." She looked at him for a second, then continued, "drop a class or two, huh?"
"You can pick it back up after the baby is born."
She nodded as he walked her downstairs, promising her a back rub on the couch, where they could play with Liz before dinner.
Present day:
He still knew how to give the world's best back rubs. She pulled away slightly, only to turn towards him and give him a kiss on the lips. He was pleasantly surprised by this. He couldn't deny what was happening. He wanted to be angry with her. He had every right to still be angry with her. She cheated on him. But deep down, he knew he still loved her.
Realizing she got no resistance, Abbey moved her lips closer to his and began kissing him again. He returned the kisses and put his hand behind her head to draw her face closer. This went on for only a few minutes before Jed remembered. The images of Leo doing the same thing to his wife flashed before his eyes. As Abbey's lips moved to his neck, he imagined her mouth on Leo's body, moving down towards his manhood. He physically pushed her away.
"I can't," he said, as he stood up.
"Okay," she replied with sadness in her eyes.
"Abbey, it's just too soon."
"I said okay," she repeated, pulling the covers up and crawling underneath.
Jed made his way to the couch, turning out the light and lying down.
"I think I'm going to start looking for divorce lawyers tomorrow," he told her.
Abbey was frozen. She knew that part of him still wanted a divorce, but every now and then, she'd forget -- she'd allow herself to forget. All she wanted was to remember how things used to be. "Won't the press catch on?"
"No, I'll keep it quiet, under another name. Josh is going to help me."
"You already spoke to Josh?" she asked as she sat up in bed.
"Yes, today," he replied sitting up to meet her gaze.
She was speechless. She thought they were moving forward, that they at least had a chance at reconcilliation. All the while, he was planning the end of their marriage.
"It's still all about the baby. That's the only reason we're still speaking, isn't it?"
Jed ignored her.
"We'll work something out -- something we can both agree to," he started. "Both financially and custodial."
"Custodial?" she asked.
"Yeah. We'll figure out some kind of custody plan for the baby, visitation, the whole nine yards."
They both layed back in their respective beds. After several minutes of silence, Abbey couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Jed?"
"Yeah?"
"You're not taking my child away from me," she said calmly.
They both stared at the ceiling, reflecting on what their marriage had become.
TBC
Characters: Jed/Abbey
Rating: R
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: During Abbey's fifth month of pregnancy, Jed's coldness began to subside. He was realizing how much he still loved her, but old feelings stopped him from forgiving her.
Month five:
Jed hadn't been working as much lately. His entire outlook had changed. He began taking off a few hours in the middle of the day and he convinced Abbey to do the same so they could share their lunches together. He went with her to every one of ther doctor's appointments. Their future was definitely looking brighter.
When Abbey caught a mild cold, Jed stayed by her side. He even took two days off work, moving essential meetings to the Residence so he could be down the hall from his wife. He spent those days fawning over her and the baby.
"I don't need a babysitter, you know," she said at one point while laying in bed.
"Yeah, well, you've got one, so enjoy it," he replied.
"Jed, I'm really okay. You should go to work."
"Abbey, you're carrying my baby and you're sick. I want to be here."
"That's what this is really about, right? You're concerned about the baby?"
Jed sat in silence. Of course he was concerned about the baby, but he was more worried about Abbey, though he couldn't admit that to her -- he wasn't ready. Abbey took his silence as the answer she feared. She turned her back to him and pretended to fall asleep.
Once Abbey was feeling like her old self again, neither one of them mentioned that conversation. He never told her she was his main concern and she never admitted how hurt she was by the discussion. Instead, they moved on. She'd come home from her office and some nights, he'd already be there, ready to have dinner. After one such night, they retired to the bedroom. Sensing Abbey was stressed out from work, Jed offered to rub her back. He sat behind her on the bed and began massaging her shoulders. She groaned with pleasure. He extended his hands down her back, reminding her of a night during her second pregnancy with Ellie.
Flashback:
Abbey had doubled-up on her courseload at med school to make up for the semester she'd have to take off to give birth to Ellie. Jed had cut back on the classes he was teaching so he could watch Liz and take care of the house while Abbey was off studying. It was an arrangement that worked out for them, despite the fact that they rarely saw each other.
Abbey had come home late. As soon as Jed saw her pull up, he put Liz in her play pen so he could give Abbey his undivided attention. He greeted her with a kiss as she opened the door.
"How's Lizzy?" she asked as she headed to the play pen. She bent down, giving Liz a kiss.
"She misses her mommy."
"Her mommy misses her too," she replied as she walked over to the couch, flinging her jacket over the arm, then headed upstairs to change her clothes. Jed followed.
"I've been thinking. Maybe you should cut back on your classes. Drop a few of them, just for now."
Abbey stopped walking and turned around to face her husband. "We've been through this, Jed."
"I know, but look at yourself. You're tired, you're cranky, I know you haven't been sleeping."
"I haven't been sleeping because I have midterms next week."
"it can't be good for you, or for the baby."
"I'm not going to hurt our baby," she shot back sternly.
"That isn't what I meant, Abbey, and you know it. I'm just concerned."
She continued walking to their bedroom, unbuttoning her shirt along the way.
"I'm fine. I just want to get through med school. The sooner the better."
"What's the rush? Look, you're going to be a fantastic doctor. I don't want you to kill yourself getting there."
"Did you call Liz's pediatrician?" she asked, changing the subject.
Jed rubbed his forehead, remembering the one thing she had asked him to do.
"No, I forgot. I'm sorry."
"Damn it, Jed!" she exploded, "I told you how important it was to ask him before changing the dose of her antibiotic! Now what am I supposed to do?"
"I said I was sorry. You're not the only one getting ready for midterms. I had to teach four classes, pick up Liz from the sitter, go grocery shopping..."
"Nothing is more important than Lizzie."
"I never said otherwise," he said as he turned to walk away. Abbey grabbed his arm to stop him.
"I'm sorry. I know you're working so hard. I didn't mean to blow up at you." She looked at him for a second, then continued, "drop a class or two, huh?"
"You can pick it back up after the baby is born."
She nodded as he walked her downstairs, promising her a back rub on the couch, where they could play with Liz before dinner.
Present day:
He still knew how to give the world's best back rubs. She pulled away slightly, only to turn towards him and give him a kiss on the lips. He was pleasantly surprised by this. He couldn't deny what was happening. He wanted to be angry with her. He had every right to still be angry with her. She cheated on him. But deep down, he knew he still loved her.
Realizing she got no resistance, Abbey moved her lips closer to his and began kissing him again. He returned the kisses and put his hand behind her head to draw her face closer. This went on for only a few minutes before Jed remembered. The images of Leo doing the same thing to his wife flashed before his eyes. As Abbey's lips moved to his neck, he imagined her mouth on Leo's body, moving down towards his manhood. He physically pushed her away.
"I can't," he said, as he stood up.
"Okay," she replied with sadness in her eyes.
"Abbey, it's just too soon."
"I said okay," she repeated, pulling the covers up and crawling underneath.
Jed made his way to the couch, turning out the light and lying down.
"I think I'm going to start looking for divorce lawyers tomorrow," he told her.
Abbey was frozen. She knew that part of him still wanted a divorce, but every now and then, she'd forget -- she'd allow herself to forget. All she wanted was to remember how things used to be. "Won't the press catch on?"
"No, I'll keep it quiet, under another name. Josh is going to help me."
"You already spoke to Josh?" she asked as she sat up in bed.
"Yes, today," he replied sitting up to meet her gaze.
She was speechless. She thought they were moving forward, that they at least had a chance at reconcilliation. All the while, he was planning the end of their marriage.
"It's still all about the baby. That's the only reason we're still speaking, isn't it?"
Jed ignored her.
"We'll work something out -- something we can both agree to," he started. "Both financially and custodial."
"Custodial?" she asked.
"Yeah. We'll figure out some kind of custody plan for the baby, visitation, the whole nine yards."
They both layed back in their respective beds. After several minutes of silence, Abbey couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Jed?"
"Yeah?"
"You're not taking my child away from me," she said calmly.
They both stared at the ceiling, reflecting on what their marriage had become.
TBC