Sweet Revenge
Chapter 13
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed and Abbey leave for New Hampshire early after Emma threatens Abbey's safety.
Summary: Christmas Eve starts out as a warm holiday party, but ends with a grisly discovery.
The Bartlet Christmas celebration was well underway. It only took minutes for the whole family to slip into a cheerful holiday mood. The Christmas tree was already up and now it was time to put up the ornaments. It had been a Bartlet tradition for everyone to have their own ornament, complete with a glittery inscription of his or her name.
This year, as the kids and grandkids hung their ornaments, Jed handed Charlie a beautifully wrapped present he wanted him to open right away. When Charlie tore open the paper and opened the box, he saw a gorgeous aquamarine ornament with sparkling flecks of silver. Across the base was his name.
"You're an official part of the family now," Jed told him as he hugged Charlie and urged him to place the ornament on the tree.
The happy moment came to an end, however, when Abbey opened the last box of decorations to find Zoey's ornament sitting there, alone in its display. She picked it up and looked at it, her fingers tracing the letters in her name. She pulled it up towards the tree, but when her hand began shaking, Jed's hand covered hers to steady it as they hung the ornament together. Once it was up, Jed pulled his hand off hers and put his arm around her to pull her in to an embrace. She rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.
The evening was filled with present-wrapping and Christmas carols. Pretty soon, the farm had been turned into a Winter Wonderland, ready for the magnificent holiday celebration. But there was still uneasiness in the air. Jed and Abbey hadn't had a moment alone since Abbey had told him the truth about Emma. He wanted to talk to her, he needed to talk to her.
As the family cleared the table after dinner, the argument that had been brewing all night between Annie and Elizabeth was hitting the boiling point. The debate had been gradually working Jed's nerves for hours.
"I said no," Liz kept telling her daughter.
"Come on. I'll be home first thing in the morning! I promise."
"Annie, your mother said no," Doug interrupted.
"Dad, please."
"It's Christmas Eve and you're going to spend it with your family," Liz repeated to her stubborn 16-year-old.
"But Jennifer goes back to college next week. I never get to see her anymore."
"Why does it have to be tonight?" Abbey asked, amused by the scene of a persistent teenager giving Liz the same kind of trouble Liz used to give Abbey.
"Because she's only in town tonight. Tomorrow, she goes to see her father in Hartford."
"She's not exactly in town. She's in Boston," Liz said, looking at Abbey.
"Please," Annie begged.
"She said no!" Jed screamed. "For God's sake, stop acting like a spoiled brat! You're spending Christmas Eve with your family!"
Everyone was stunned into silence. Jed had never exploded like that in front of his grandchildren. He never even raised his voice to them before, even if a little yelling was deserved.
Annie ran into her room, frightened by his outburst. Liz followed her.
"Jed, outside, now," Abbey ordered as she ushered him out the door. She closed the door behind them, making sure they were alone, before she began. "You're mad at me. Don't take it out on Annie."
"You're damn right I'm mad at you! Why didn't you tell me about Emma before we left?"
"For the same reason you didn't tell me you lured me to the farm to protect me from her threat."
"How could you go see her behind my back, Abbey?"
"I'm sorry, Jed. I didn't realize I needed your permission."
"You know what I mean."
"I didn't know she was a crazed lunatic until a few days ago."
"You should have told me the second you knew who she was," he insisted.
"Right, because you're so good at keeping me in the loop," she replied with sarcasm. She wrapped her arms around her waist, shivering from the cold. "Let's go in. We can talk about this later, in private."
"You go ahead. I'm going for a walk."
"Jed..."
"I need some air, Abbey."
"At least take your coat. It's starting to snow," she said as she walked inside and returned with his coat and gloves.
"Keep everyone inside and keep the door locked," he told her.
He slipped on his coat and walked away from her. The past few weeks had been difficult enough and now, armed with this new information, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to keep his family safe, but he wasn't sure what kind of person he was dealing with. What kind of psychopath worms her way in the way she did, only to manipulate her victims for months before actually zeroing in on them, he wondered. He was usually good at keeping evil at bay, and now, the evil was in his own house. If Emma was as sick as he really feared, there was no telling how she would hurt Abbey. It was a thought that made him cringe.
Hours later, with Annie on her way to Boston and Ellie, Liz, Doug, and Gus tucked into bed, and Jed still not back, Abbey became concerned. She told Charlie she was going to go look for him, but Charlie offered to go instead. Knowing what kind of mood Jed was in, she quickly shot down that idea. She was the one he was upset with and she was the one he should face. Despite Charlie's attempt to keep her in the house, she grabbed her coat and gloves and headed out the door.
When she didn't return right away, Charlie took off after her. He knew she was an independent woman, but he wasn't completely oblivious to danger that Emma posed, though he didn't know about the latest threats. He wandered the grounds looking for her and eventually found both her and Jed. He was stunned by the sight before him.
Jed sat on the cold, snow-covered ground. Right beside him was Abbey, who sat in a state of shock, mesmerized by the bloody scene. Charlie didn't need to hear any words to know what had happened. It was quite obvious by the amount of blood from the battered body and the First Couple's reaction that Emma Bradford was dead.
TBC
Chapter 13
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed and Abbey leave for New Hampshire early after Emma threatens Abbey's safety.
Summary: Christmas Eve starts out as a warm holiday party, but ends with a grisly discovery.
The Bartlet Christmas celebration was well underway. It only took minutes for the whole family to slip into a cheerful holiday mood. The Christmas tree was already up and now it was time to put up the ornaments. It had been a Bartlet tradition for everyone to have their own ornament, complete with a glittery inscription of his or her name.
This year, as the kids and grandkids hung their ornaments, Jed handed Charlie a beautifully wrapped present he wanted him to open right away. When Charlie tore open the paper and opened the box, he saw a gorgeous aquamarine ornament with sparkling flecks of silver. Across the base was his name.
"You're an official part of the family now," Jed told him as he hugged Charlie and urged him to place the ornament on the tree.
The happy moment came to an end, however, when Abbey opened the last box of decorations to find Zoey's ornament sitting there, alone in its display. She picked it up and looked at it, her fingers tracing the letters in her name. She pulled it up towards the tree, but when her hand began shaking, Jed's hand covered hers to steady it as they hung the ornament together. Once it was up, Jed pulled his hand off hers and put his arm around her to pull her in to an embrace. She rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.
The evening was filled with present-wrapping and Christmas carols. Pretty soon, the farm had been turned into a Winter Wonderland, ready for the magnificent holiday celebration. But there was still uneasiness in the air. Jed and Abbey hadn't had a moment alone since Abbey had told him the truth about Emma. He wanted to talk to her, he needed to talk to her.
As the family cleared the table after dinner, the argument that had been brewing all night between Annie and Elizabeth was hitting the boiling point. The debate had been gradually working Jed's nerves for hours.
"I said no," Liz kept telling her daughter.
"Come on. I'll be home first thing in the morning! I promise."
"Annie, your mother said no," Doug interrupted.
"Dad, please."
"It's Christmas Eve and you're going to spend it with your family," Liz repeated to her stubborn 16-year-old.
"But Jennifer goes back to college next week. I never get to see her anymore."
"Why does it have to be tonight?" Abbey asked, amused by the scene of a persistent teenager giving Liz the same kind of trouble Liz used to give Abbey.
"Because she's only in town tonight. Tomorrow, she goes to see her father in Hartford."
"She's not exactly in town. She's in Boston," Liz said, looking at Abbey.
"Please," Annie begged.
"She said no!" Jed screamed. "For God's sake, stop acting like a spoiled brat! You're spending Christmas Eve with your family!"
Everyone was stunned into silence. Jed had never exploded like that in front of his grandchildren. He never even raised his voice to them before, even if a little yelling was deserved.
Annie ran into her room, frightened by his outburst. Liz followed her.
"Jed, outside, now," Abbey ordered as she ushered him out the door. She closed the door behind them, making sure they were alone, before she began. "You're mad at me. Don't take it out on Annie."
"You're damn right I'm mad at you! Why didn't you tell me about Emma before we left?"
"For the same reason you didn't tell me you lured me to the farm to protect me from her threat."
"How could you go see her behind my back, Abbey?"
"I'm sorry, Jed. I didn't realize I needed your permission."
"You know what I mean."
"I didn't know she was a crazed lunatic until a few days ago."
"You should have told me the second you knew who she was," he insisted.
"Right, because you're so good at keeping me in the loop," she replied with sarcasm. She wrapped her arms around her waist, shivering from the cold. "Let's go in. We can talk about this later, in private."
"You go ahead. I'm going for a walk."
"Jed..."
"I need some air, Abbey."
"At least take your coat. It's starting to snow," she said as she walked inside and returned with his coat and gloves.
"Keep everyone inside and keep the door locked," he told her.
He slipped on his coat and walked away from her. The past few weeks had been difficult enough and now, armed with this new information, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to keep his family safe, but he wasn't sure what kind of person he was dealing with. What kind of psychopath worms her way in the way she did, only to manipulate her victims for months before actually zeroing in on them, he wondered. He was usually good at keeping evil at bay, and now, the evil was in his own house. If Emma was as sick as he really feared, there was no telling how she would hurt Abbey. It was a thought that made him cringe.
Hours later, with Annie on her way to Boston and Ellie, Liz, Doug, and Gus tucked into bed, and Jed still not back, Abbey became concerned. She told Charlie she was going to go look for him, but Charlie offered to go instead. Knowing what kind of mood Jed was in, she quickly shot down that idea. She was the one he was upset with and she was the one he should face. Despite Charlie's attempt to keep her in the house, she grabbed her coat and gloves and headed out the door.
When she didn't return right away, Charlie took off after her. He knew she was an independent woman, but he wasn't completely oblivious to danger that Emma posed, though he didn't know about the latest threats. He wandered the grounds looking for her and eventually found both her and Jed. He was stunned by the sight before him.
Jed sat on the cold, snow-covered ground. Right beside him was Abbey, who sat in a state of shock, mesmerized by the bloody scene. Charlie didn't need to hear any words to know what had happened. It was quite obvious by the amount of blood from the battered body and the First Couple's reaction that Emma Bradford was dead.
TBC