Part 11

Leo quickly looked her over as she held onto Ron's arm. "Are you OK?"

She smiled weakly at him. "I will be. How is Jed?" All she had been thinking of was getting to her husband.

"Not good." He replied honestly as the initial shock over seeing her wore off.

"So I've heard. I was not too thrilled when Ron told me what he had done. When he did I immediately demanded to see Jed. The doctors weren't happy that I'm out of bed, but I told them what better place was there to recover than The White House with my husband."

"I can imagine. I wasn't sure if Ron was fooling us or if you were really.... Leo let the sentence hang in the air.

"I want to see Jed." Not waiting for an answer she started walking and Ron kept her steady.

Leo stepped aside and watched in silence as Ron opened the door for her and they disappeared inside. He decided to wait so he could talk to Ron.

------

Pausing behind her husband who was sitting on the bed, she smiled at Ron, as a thank you and waited while he left as quietly as they had come. She could see the small shakes of his shoulders and she heard the sniffling. With effort she took a few steps around the bed to be closer to him. She wanted to reach out, but without help she could not bend, so she opted for the next best thing. "Honey?"

For a second Jed froze. He did not move and did not breathe.

Abbey understood his reaction. "Jed?"

Slowly, very slowly, he turned in the direction of the voice he knew so well. He saw her, but he was afraid to believe. "Abbey?"

She smiled at him and reached out a hand. "Yes."

He could not stop staring at her. He was afraid if he touched her she would disappear.

She sensed his hesitation. "It's OK. I won't go anywhere."

He looked down at her outstretched hand. He raised one of his to reach hers, but it was shaking so bad he was glad that she met him halfway. She took his hand and he felt the familiar flesh of her touch him. Still holding her hand in his he stood up on shaky legs. He looked her over again and again. The boots and the coat over what looked like a hospital gown. "You're...."

With her free hand she touched his face and gently brushed his tears away. "I'm fine."

The fact that his Abbey was really there finally started to sink in, he embraced her like he never had before. She was alive and she was back with him. That was all that mattered. "Oh God, I thought I'd lost you." He buried his face in her neck and tightened his embrace, not thinking clearly for all the emotions that coursed through his body.

Abbey felt the sharp pain, but did not say anything. She embraced him as well and felt the shaking of her husband, but this time he was shaking with joy. These tears she felt on her neck were also of joy. She tried to hold on, but all of a sudden the pain became too much for her. "Jed!"

He jerked back and for the first time really saw how pale she was. "Oh God, I'm sorry. Here." He guided her to the bed and helped her ease onto its edge, his arms securely around her so she would know she wasn't going to fall. Then he sat down next to her. He could not stop looking at her. "You're here." His voice was a whisper.

"Yes. A little bruised but alive." She did not want to ruin the moment, but she felt weak. "I really need to lie down."

Jed did not waste any time proceeding to help her lie down. With a little effort he managed to take her coat off. He also took off her boots and put them aside. After making sure she was comfortable, he covered her with a light quilt and sat down beside her. "I Just can't believe you're actually here." He stroked her cheek. "Please tell me this isn't a dream." A part of him was still afraid to believe this was real. To really believe his wife was alive.

Abbey took both of his hands in hers. "It's not a dream. It's real."

More tears were coming down his cheeks. "I thought I would never see you again. That I would have to tell the girls I had killed their mother..." He choked up and could not bring himself to say more.

"Listen to me. You were not responsible for what happened. It wasn't your fault." She drew him closer to her and soon her head was resting on his shoulder. "It's OK." She tried to console him, as his tears would not stop. "I'm home babe, I'm home."

------

Jed awoke with a start and at first wished he could go back to the wonderful dream he had just had. Then he found someone truly was next to him. As he gazed at her, he realized it had not been a dream at all. He smiled as he gently touched Abbey's face. He had barely believed it when she had walked in earlier, but she was real and next to him. He had never felt so blessed in his life. A gentle knock on the door made Jed leave the bed, but carefully as to not wake her up. Before opening the door, he looked back at Abbey and this time really smiled. He opened the door and greeted Leo. "Hey."

"How is she?" Leo peeked over Jed's shoulder at Abbey still asleep on the bed.

"Weak, but other than that she seems to be doing fine." Jed closed the door and the two men walked to a couple of chairs in the hall. "I still can't believe she's real."

As they sat down Leo smiled at his friend. "Yeah, I know. It seems unreal."

"I take it that it was Ron's idea?"

"Yes, but in all honesty he told me faking Abbey's death might be a possibility. However, when it all happened I did not know if it was his plan or if Abbey was really gone. I don't think he could tell me the truth. I saw you in so much pain and I might have..." Leo didn't need to finish the sentence.

"Yeah." Jed nodded. "I guess I should be mad at him, but I can't really blame him for protecting Abbey from me. That's what I wanted." He looked over at the closed door which he knew Abbey was resting behind. "So I take it I'm no longer a threat to her?"

"Ron said the chip is what caused you to act the way you did. It sent out signals that were transmitted to your brain with disturbing images of Abbey in them. Some complicated thing. I'm not really technical, but that is the basis of it, so yes, the threat is over." Leo hesitated. "At least from you."

"Yeah, but I can protect Abbey from him. Do we know why he did it?"

"No, Ron is interrogating him, but so far he hasn't said anything." Leo stood. "Listen you don't have anything today that cannot be pushed back a day, so if you want to be with Abbey..."

Jed stood as well. "I appreciate that, thanks."

Suddenly they were interrupted by a piercing scream. Jed immediately bolted for the door. "Abbey!" As the agents opened the door he ran through them. He saw Abbey saw lying back on the bed holding her stomach and she was clearly in pain. He rushed over to her side. "Abbey?"

Leo stood by the door in case he was needed.

She opened her eyes when she noticed Jed was at her side. "I'll be fine. I just moved a bit too much."

Jed was not sure if he believed her. "Why don't I call a Doctor?"

Abbey shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Really..."

He stroked her arm as he looked up to the three men at the door. "I think we'll be alright. Thanks guys."

A chorus of "Yes, Mr President" was uttered and soon the door was closed and they were once again alone together.

"You sure you don't want me to call someone?" He carefully seated himself on the bed next to her.

"No, it's ok."

"What happened?"

"I just had a nightmare and woke up when I tried to sit up. Did it too quickly which my stitches reminded me of."

Jed did not want to ask the next question but he had to. "What was it about?" When she did not answer he knew. "Me?" He looked away not being able to face her.

Abbey could see how much of this he blamed on himself. "Yeah but none of this is your fault. Someone played games with your mind, used you as a tool..." Still not looking back at her she reached for one of his hands. As soon as she touched his he turned towards her. "It's not your fault."

He knew deep down she was right but the nagging guilt would not let him go.

Abbey turned his hand over and ran a gently finger over his wrist, over the red line. "We've both been hurt."

Seeing what action he had taken earlier to himself brought other unpleasant memories. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No, but you wanted to protect me. How can I not love you for that?" She brought his hand to her mouth and gently kissed the scar. "We will heal."

Jed swallowed the thickness in his throat as she brought his hand back on the bed. "You too? Abbey, they said I..." He took a deep breath before he continued. "..that I stabbed you twice and I saw al the blood."

"I lost a bit of blood yes but they cut's were not that deep. I got stitches and fluids and will be ok although a bit weak for now."

Jed nodded sadly. "I can still remember when they told me you were gone. I lost it. I thought my life was over..." Images of that very moment flashed through Jed's mind. All he knew was that he never wanted to experience something like that ever again.

Abbey patted his hand lightly. "So I heard."

"I should be mad at Ron for this but can't blame him for wanting to protect you."

"Ron did say that he thought if Richard heard I had died, and apparently Richard was outside the chapel when they told you, he would slip up."

"Well I don't know if he did but I did not wait around to find out."

Abbey's eyes narrowed wondering what he was talking about. "What do you mean?"

Jed halted wondering just how much they had told her. "I left the White House."

"What do you mean left?" When he did not answer she tried to sit up but failed. "What do you mean?"

He knew there was no way she was going to let him out if this one. "I ditched the agents."

"What?!" Again, she was trying to sit up and even pain was not going to stop her. She grimaced as she tried.

Jed quickly stood and helped her while regretting bringing the subject up. When he had gotten her to sit straight he sat beside her once again.

Abbey could not believe what she had heard and yet it shouldn't have surprised her but anger her it did. "So, what the hell you think you were doing?"

"I had to do something." He did not know why he felt the need to defend himself. "You were dead and I felt like the world was falling apart. I had to do what I thought was best."

"Which was?"

"Find this guy who caused all this."

"Richard?"

Yeah, him."

Jed tried to calm down while he saw Abbey doing the same. "I had to find out why." At that moment he remembered his own theory.

Abbey saw the change in his face. "What?" Did you find out why?"

"No."

"Then why the face?"

"Abbey, this is a stupid question but I have to ask. I really don't know why but I have no other alternatives." She nodded to him and he took it as a go ahead. "Did you... did you and Richard have an affair?"

TBC.......