Sweet Revenge
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Abbey invited Emma back to the Residence for lunch, hoping to learn to like her. Emma had fantasies about killing Abbey, but decided Abbey would suffer more if Jed was the one who was hurt.
Summary: It's two months later and Jed and Abbey grieve together as Emma reveals a bit of her past to CJ, then schemes to get her new boss in trouble
Jed woke up knowing it was a somber day. He didn't expect to find Abbey already awake and in the shower. He hoped they could just pull the covers over their heads, cuddle for several hours, and block out the rest of the world. That's what he wanted to do, that's what he wished they could do. But today wasn't the day to avoid the world. It was a day he dreaded, a day that last year, nearly killed him with grief -- it was Zoey's birthday, the second one since her death.
Jed reached over to pick up his wrist watch from the nightstand. As he put it on his wrist, reaching under to grab the clasp, he paused in thought. All his memories of Zoey came flooding back. It was overwhelming and caused him to sit back on the bed and bury his face in his hands as he sobbed.
When Abbey turned off the water, she heard her husband's faint cries in the bedroom. Throughout their marriage, she had only seen Jed cry a handful of times. It was a sound she always hated, a sound that always stung her to her core.
She wrapped herself in her bathrobe and opened to door to see him curled up in the fetal position on the bed, his face turned away from her. She approached the bed and without him even realizing she was out of the shower, she layed down behind him, wrapping him in her arms.
"I love you, baby," she said as she gently kissed the top of his head.
Jed turned himself around to face her, pulling her tightly into an embrace. He buried his face in her neck as she stroked his head and joined him in the tears. It was the first time they had grieved for their slain daughter together.
When Abbey held him that morning, all of Jed's doubts were immediately erased. Sure, they were working on getting their marriage back, but part of him always wondered if Abbey could ever truly and completely forgive him for Zoey's death. That morning, he finally knew the answer -- she already had forgiven him. It was a big step on the road to forgiving himself.
Meanwhile, the press office was busy as usual. As CJ scrambled around trying to get ready for her mid-morning briefing, Toby snuck up behind her, discreetly directing her to her office where they could be alone. The problem was, they weren't exactly alone. From her desk, Emma could hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
"There's something you should know just in case it comes up in the coming months," he told her.
"That sounds ominous."
"Look, the only people know about this are the President and myself. We don't want anyone else in on it and the only reason I'm telling you is so that you can keep an eye on the press and give us fair warning if..."
"Toby, what is it?"
"It's about Social Security."
Toby went on to tell CJ his plan to fix Social Security so the Baby Boomers wouldn't be left out in the cold when they retired. But the American public always went crazy when anyone dared to suggest changes to the federal program, so Toby thought it would be safer to circumvent protocol and go straight to the President, instead of channeling his ideas through Leo. He was taking a chance going to CJ, but he trusted her and so did Jed.
Once he explained the ins and outs of what he planned to do, he left her with a briefing book, outlining his strategy. CJ put the binder on her desk, promising to read it later and discuss it with him further the next day.
As they left her office, Carol handed CJ vacation notices that were piling up on her desk. CJ took the papers and after briefly shuffling through them, dropped them back on Carol's desk.
"Is there a problem?" Emma asked, sensing her boss's frustration.
"It's not even Thanksgiving yet and everyone's putting in for Christmas vacation. I'm going to have to deny some of them." CJ looked up at her deputy. "So let me guess, you want to go back to New England to spend the holidays with your family?"
"No, I can work."
"You're not even going to ask?"
"No. I don't really have plans," Emma replied. "Christmas isn't exactly a day I want to celebrate."
"Why?"
"My fiance and I were supposed to get married on Christmas morning last year."
"Supposed to?"
"Yeah. He was killed the night before," she answered softly.
"I'm so sorry. How..."
"He was hurt in a car accident in Boston. He probably would have made it, except..."
"Except what?"
"He needed surgery and the surgeon was high on drugs during his operation."
"Oh my god!" CJ exclaimed. "Emma, did you take legal action?"
"She was an important person, with connections. She never paid for it."
"Is she still practicing medicine?"
"She's doing a lot of things."
"I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry," CJ offered.
"That's okay. Karma's a boomerang."
With that, Emma walked away, leaving CJ with an incredible feeling of sadness for her.
Later that evening, Jed and Abbey returned to the Residence after placing flowers on Zoey's grave. Somehow, over the course of the day, their mourning turned into a time to cheerfully share fond memories of their youngest daughter. Perhaps it was hearing the voices of Liz and Ellie earlier that afternoon that reminded them to thank their blessings for ever having had Zoey in their lives in the first place. Or maybe it was just that now that they could mourn together, it wasn't quite as difficult as it had been the year before.
Abbey began to get undressed as Jed turned down the sheets. In doing so, he found a pill bottle hidden behind the headboard. He looked at it for a second, knowing it wasn't his. He turned to his wife, who had her back to him as she put on her satin nightgown.
"Abbey?" he called out to her.
Abbey turned around to face him, quickly realizing that she had some explaining to do.
Back in the press office, CJ packed up her things as she and Carol began to leave, not realizing they weren't alone. Emma was still at her desk and now that everyone was gone, it was time to make her move.
She entered CJ's office and picked up the binder Toby had given her. After glancing over a few pages, a sinister smile came over her face. She reached for CJ's rolodex, tore out what she needed, and made her way to the fax machine. Emma dialed the number on the index card and took the pages out of the binder. Slowly, she fed them into the fax one by one, knowing that in the morning, Toby's secret plan would be front page news in The Washington Post.
TBC
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Abbey invited Emma back to the Residence for lunch, hoping to learn to like her. Emma had fantasies about killing Abbey, but decided Abbey would suffer more if Jed was the one who was hurt.
Summary: It's two months later and Jed and Abbey grieve together as Emma reveals a bit of her past to CJ, then schemes to get her new boss in trouble
Jed woke up knowing it was a somber day. He didn't expect to find Abbey already awake and in the shower. He hoped they could just pull the covers over their heads, cuddle for several hours, and block out the rest of the world. That's what he wanted to do, that's what he wished they could do. But today wasn't the day to avoid the world. It was a day he dreaded, a day that last year, nearly killed him with grief -- it was Zoey's birthday, the second one since her death.
Jed reached over to pick up his wrist watch from the nightstand. As he put it on his wrist, reaching under to grab the clasp, he paused in thought. All his memories of Zoey came flooding back. It was overwhelming and caused him to sit back on the bed and bury his face in his hands as he sobbed.
When Abbey turned off the water, she heard her husband's faint cries in the bedroom. Throughout their marriage, she had only seen Jed cry a handful of times. It was a sound she always hated, a sound that always stung her to her core.
She wrapped herself in her bathrobe and opened to door to see him curled up in the fetal position on the bed, his face turned away from her. She approached the bed and without him even realizing she was out of the shower, she layed down behind him, wrapping him in her arms.
"I love you, baby," she said as she gently kissed the top of his head.
Jed turned himself around to face her, pulling her tightly into an embrace. He buried his face in her neck as she stroked his head and joined him in the tears. It was the first time they had grieved for their slain daughter together.
When Abbey held him that morning, all of Jed's doubts were immediately erased. Sure, they were working on getting their marriage back, but part of him always wondered if Abbey could ever truly and completely forgive him for Zoey's death. That morning, he finally knew the answer -- she already had forgiven him. It was a big step on the road to forgiving himself.
Meanwhile, the press office was busy as usual. As CJ scrambled around trying to get ready for her mid-morning briefing, Toby snuck up behind her, discreetly directing her to her office where they could be alone. The problem was, they weren't exactly alone. From her desk, Emma could hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
"There's something you should know just in case it comes up in the coming months," he told her.
"That sounds ominous."
"Look, the only people know about this are the President and myself. We don't want anyone else in on it and the only reason I'm telling you is so that you can keep an eye on the press and give us fair warning if..."
"Toby, what is it?"
"It's about Social Security."
Toby went on to tell CJ his plan to fix Social Security so the Baby Boomers wouldn't be left out in the cold when they retired. But the American public always went crazy when anyone dared to suggest changes to the federal program, so Toby thought it would be safer to circumvent protocol and go straight to the President, instead of channeling his ideas through Leo. He was taking a chance going to CJ, but he trusted her and so did Jed.
Once he explained the ins and outs of what he planned to do, he left her with a briefing book, outlining his strategy. CJ put the binder on her desk, promising to read it later and discuss it with him further the next day.
As they left her office, Carol handed CJ vacation notices that were piling up on her desk. CJ took the papers and after briefly shuffling through them, dropped them back on Carol's desk.
"Is there a problem?" Emma asked, sensing her boss's frustration.
"It's not even Thanksgiving yet and everyone's putting in for Christmas vacation. I'm going to have to deny some of them." CJ looked up at her deputy. "So let me guess, you want to go back to New England to spend the holidays with your family?"
"No, I can work."
"You're not even going to ask?"
"No. I don't really have plans," Emma replied. "Christmas isn't exactly a day I want to celebrate."
"Why?"
"My fiance and I were supposed to get married on Christmas morning last year."
"Supposed to?"
"Yeah. He was killed the night before," she answered softly.
"I'm so sorry. How..."
"He was hurt in a car accident in Boston. He probably would have made it, except..."
"Except what?"
"He needed surgery and the surgeon was high on drugs during his operation."
"Oh my god!" CJ exclaimed. "Emma, did you take legal action?"
"She was an important person, with connections. She never paid for it."
"Is she still practicing medicine?"
"She's doing a lot of things."
"I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry," CJ offered.
"That's okay. Karma's a boomerang."
With that, Emma walked away, leaving CJ with an incredible feeling of sadness for her.
Later that evening, Jed and Abbey returned to the Residence after placing flowers on Zoey's grave. Somehow, over the course of the day, their mourning turned into a time to cheerfully share fond memories of their youngest daughter. Perhaps it was hearing the voices of Liz and Ellie earlier that afternoon that reminded them to thank their blessings for ever having had Zoey in their lives in the first place. Or maybe it was just that now that they could mourn together, it wasn't quite as difficult as it had been the year before.
Abbey began to get undressed as Jed turned down the sheets. In doing so, he found a pill bottle hidden behind the headboard. He looked at it for a second, knowing it wasn't his. He turned to his wife, who had her back to him as she put on her satin nightgown.
"Abbey?" he called out to her.
Abbey turned around to face him, quickly realizing that she had some explaining to do.
Back in the press office, CJ packed up her things as she and Carol began to leave, not realizing they weren't alone. Emma was still at her desk and now that everyone was gone, it was time to make her move.
She entered CJ's office and picked up the binder Toby had given her. After glancing over a few pages, a sinister smile came over her face. She reached for CJ's rolodex, tore out what she needed, and made her way to the fax machine. Emma dialed the number on the index card and took the pages out of the binder. Slowly, she fed them into the fax one by one, knowing that in the morning, Toby's secret plan would be front page news in The Washington Post.
TBC