Mistakes -- Part 12
Characters: Jed/Abbey (here's the sweet ending so many of you wanted!)
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: Jed hopes he isn't too late to save his marriage.
Early the next morning, Jed left the White House. He knew what he wanted to do and he had to get it done before Abbey woke up. As his motorcade made its way through the streets of Washington, D.C., one image kept replaying through his head: his and Abbey's wedding day.
Flashback:
Abbey had been admiring her wedding gown in a full-length mirror in the bride's room. By all accounts, she looked even more gorgeous than usual. Her long, auburn hair was pulled back, with only a few pieces caressing the side of her face. Her strapless white gown fit her beautifully, drawing attention to her assets with a sweetheart neckline and Austrian crystals that cascaded around her waist. She didn't know it, but Jed snuck a peak when the door was left ajar by one of the bridesmaids. He didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful in all his life. How could he even think of not marrying her?
When it came time for him to walk down the aisle and prepare to greet his bride, Jed never made it. He had been wrestling with doubts for weeks. He hadn't told anyone, but Abbey knew. When she realized there was a problem, she headed upstairs to his room. Most brides would have been fuming, but not Abbey.
"Josiah Bartlet, what the hell is going on?" she asked.
"Abbey. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, just get your ass downstairs," she said, grabbing his arm.
"I can't," he replied, pulling away from her grasp.
"Look, I know you're scared."
"Who told you I was scared?"
"No one told me, you jackass. I know you. And I know that I'm scared too. I've never done this before either. But we'll walk each other through it and I don't just mean the ceremony. I mean the marriage, parenthood, everything."
Jed looked into her eyes and his fears melted. In his life, marriage would be forever. All the questions he had -- was Abbey the right one, would she be a good mother to his children -- faded away. He knew he could do whatever he wanted with Abbey by his side. He held his arm out and she wrapped hers around it as they walked out together.
"You know, the way you barged in here...isn't there some old wive's tale warning against that -- bad luck, or some such nonsense?"
Abbey stopped and turned to her fiance.
"Jed?" she said seriously, "don't make fun of the superstition."
"What, are the Gods of folklore now going to descend to Earth, creating a black cloud over the ceremony?"
"Seriously, don't make fun of the superstition."
"Abbey."
"If we're divorced in 30 years, I'll know who to blame."
"Believe me, Abigail, if we ever make it to the alter, nothing's going to break us up."
Present day:
Jed sat in the car, hoping he'd make it back to the White House before Abbey had a chance to continue packing. When they pulled up to the Residence, he ran to find Abbey. He opened the bedroom door and was shocked to find the bed was empty and had already been made. The suitcases were also gone. A wave of panic hit Jed until he ran into Abbey in the hall. He grabbed her and dragged her into the bedroom, sitting her down on the bed.
"Jed, I really don't have time for more discussion."
"It's not a discussion. It's a lecture. Just sit back and listen."
Abbey folded her arms and looked at him with anger in her eyes.
"Make it quick."
"You're the only woman I ever fell in love with. I fell hard, Abbey. I know the past few years have been difficult, but we've made it through difficult times before. I assumed we would this time. You threw me a curveball with Leo. I'm not asking for another apology. I'm just saying it frightened me. I felt things I had never felt before, things I don't ever want to feel again."
"It was a mistake," Abbey interjected.
"Please, let me finish," Jed continued. "I know it was a mistake. You're not the only one who's made them. I pushed you away when all I wanted to do was get close to you. When we were courting before we got married, you took my breath away. I didn't think I could feel that way ever again, but I was wrong. While you were pregnant, I fell in love with you all over again. I told myself it was just because you were carrying my child, but it was more. It was you. I was forced to look at you in a different way and I realized no matter what, I love you."
Jed stopped long enough to take a seat next to Abbey on the bed. He raised her head so their eyes met.
"I forgive you for everything, Abigail, and I'm begging you to please...forgive me," he said simply.
"I don't know. I have to think about it," she said with a smile. "Of course I forgive you," she continued after a slight pause, which caused Jed's face to turn pale for a moment. "Jed, I will always regret how much I hurt you. I am so, so sorry for everything I put you through."
Abbey's words were sincere. She knew that while she didn't cause the rift between them all by herself, she certainly made it much worse. For a man who valued his wedding vows so deeply, forgiving her was almost asking too much. She didn't have hope of reconcilliation when he first found out, but over the months, the baby had done something she wished had happened years earlier -- made them talk. They got to know one another away from politics for the first time since he was elected President. All the old feelings came back, for both of them, making her affair a bigger regret. How could she stay mad at him for his doubts when she's the one who gave him reason to doubt her? Even if he forgave her, it would still take a lot of marriage counseling to move past the hurt once and for all.
Abbey wanted to say more, but Jed cut her off. He took her ring off her finger, and replaced it with a new one, as he asked her to marry him all over again in a few weeks. He wrapped his arms around her when she said yes and they both collapsed on to the bed.
He layed her on her back and climbed on top of her, kissing her neck.
"I love you," she reminded him.
"I love you too," he replied, in between kisses.
"I'll never break another vow."
"Even the one where you promise to obey?" he asked, teasing her.
She pulled away slightly, causing him to stare at her before she continued. "Yeah, let's get rid of that one right now."
He continued unbuttoning her blouse.
"Jed?"
"No more talking," he told her gently, his kisses circling her breasts.
"Did the divorce papers ever go out?" she asked.
He pulled back, horrified. "Oh god. I left them on my desk. I bet Debbie sent them out when she came in."
"How long does it take for them to become finalized?"
"Several months."
"Maybe we should renew our vows next year too, just in case," she said as he began tossing her clothes over the bed.
The End
Characters: Jed/Abbey (here's the sweet ending so many of you wanted!)
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: Jed hopes he isn't too late to save his marriage.
Early the next morning, Jed left the White House. He knew what he wanted to do and he had to get it done before Abbey woke up. As his motorcade made its way through the streets of Washington, D.C., one image kept replaying through his head: his and Abbey's wedding day.
Flashback:
Abbey had been admiring her wedding gown in a full-length mirror in the bride's room. By all accounts, she looked even more gorgeous than usual. Her long, auburn hair was pulled back, with only a few pieces caressing the side of her face. Her strapless white gown fit her beautifully, drawing attention to her assets with a sweetheart neckline and Austrian crystals that cascaded around her waist. She didn't know it, but Jed snuck a peak when the door was left ajar by one of the bridesmaids. He didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful in all his life. How could he even think of not marrying her?
When it came time for him to walk down the aisle and prepare to greet his bride, Jed never made it. He had been wrestling with doubts for weeks. He hadn't told anyone, but Abbey knew. When she realized there was a problem, she headed upstairs to his room. Most brides would have been fuming, but not Abbey.
"Josiah Bartlet, what the hell is going on?" she asked.
"Abbey. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, just get your ass downstairs," she said, grabbing his arm.
"I can't," he replied, pulling away from her grasp.
"Look, I know you're scared."
"Who told you I was scared?"
"No one told me, you jackass. I know you. And I know that I'm scared too. I've never done this before either. But we'll walk each other through it and I don't just mean the ceremony. I mean the marriage, parenthood, everything."
Jed looked into her eyes and his fears melted. In his life, marriage would be forever. All the questions he had -- was Abbey the right one, would she be a good mother to his children -- faded away. He knew he could do whatever he wanted with Abbey by his side. He held his arm out and she wrapped hers around it as they walked out together.
"You know, the way you barged in here...isn't there some old wive's tale warning against that -- bad luck, or some such nonsense?"
Abbey stopped and turned to her fiance.
"Jed?" she said seriously, "don't make fun of the superstition."
"What, are the Gods of folklore now going to descend to Earth, creating a black cloud over the ceremony?"
"Seriously, don't make fun of the superstition."
"Abbey."
"If we're divorced in 30 years, I'll know who to blame."
"Believe me, Abigail, if we ever make it to the alter, nothing's going to break us up."
Present day:
Jed sat in the car, hoping he'd make it back to the White House before Abbey had a chance to continue packing. When they pulled up to the Residence, he ran to find Abbey. He opened the bedroom door and was shocked to find the bed was empty and had already been made. The suitcases were also gone. A wave of panic hit Jed until he ran into Abbey in the hall. He grabbed her and dragged her into the bedroom, sitting her down on the bed.
"Jed, I really don't have time for more discussion."
"It's not a discussion. It's a lecture. Just sit back and listen."
Abbey folded her arms and looked at him with anger in her eyes.
"Make it quick."
"You're the only woman I ever fell in love with. I fell hard, Abbey. I know the past few years have been difficult, but we've made it through difficult times before. I assumed we would this time. You threw me a curveball with Leo. I'm not asking for another apology. I'm just saying it frightened me. I felt things I had never felt before, things I don't ever want to feel again."
"It was a mistake," Abbey interjected.
"Please, let me finish," Jed continued. "I know it was a mistake. You're not the only one who's made them. I pushed you away when all I wanted to do was get close to you. When we were courting before we got married, you took my breath away. I didn't think I could feel that way ever again, but I was wrong. While you were pregnant, I fell in love with you all over again. I told myself it was just because you were carrying my child, but it was more. It was you. I was forced to look at you in a different way and I realized no matter what, I love you."
Jed stopped long enough to take a seat next to Abbey on the bed. He raised her head so their eyes met.
"I forgive you for everything, Abigail, and I'm begging you to please...forgive me," he said simply.
"I don't know. I have to think about it," she said with a smile. "Of course I forgive you," she continued after a slight pause, which caused Jed's face to turn pale for a moment. "Jed, I will always regret how much I hurt you. I am so, so sorry for everything I put you through."
Abbey's words were sincere. She knew that while she didn't cause the rift between them all by herself, she certainly made it much worse. For a man who valued his wedding vows so deeply, forgiving her was almost asking too much. She didn't have hope of reconcilliation when he first found out, but over the months, the baby had done something she wished had happened years earlier -- made them talk. They got to know one another away from politics for the first time since he was elected President. All the old feelings came back, for both of them, making her affair a bigger regret. How could she stay mad at him for his doubts when she's the one who gave him reason to doubt her? Even if he forgave her, it would still take a lot of marriage counseling to move past the hurt once and for all.
Abbey wanted to say more, but Jed cut her off. He took her ring off her finger, and replaced it with a new one, as he asked her to marry him all over again in a few weeks. He wrapped his arms around her when she said yes and they both collapsed on to the bed.
He layed her on her back and climbed on top of her, kissing her neck.
"I love you," she reminded him.
"I love you too," he replied, in between kisses.
"I'll never break another vow."
"Even the one where you promise to obey?" he asked, teasing her.
She pulled away slightly, causing him to stare at her before she continued. "Yeah, let's get rid of that one right now."
He continued unbuttoning her blouse.
"Jed?"
"No more talking," he told her gently, his kisses circling her breasts.
"Did the divorce papers ever go out?" she asked.
He pulled back, horrified. "Oh god. I left them on my desk. I bet Debbie sent them out when she came in."
"How long does it take for them to become finalized?"
"Several months."
"Maybe we should renew our vows next year too, just in case," she said as he began tossing her clothes over the bed.
The End