Sweet Revenge
Chapter 19
Previously: Jed and Abbey realize that Emma had switched Jed's medication, but Abbey stops him before he takes it. Annie's hallucinations worry her grandparents. Annie and Jed hear Abbey screaming from the First Bedroom.
Summary: Jed rushes to help Abbey. Jed and Charlie talk briefly about the night of the murder. Charlie becomes suspicious when he learns Annie's having nightmares.
Annie sat bolt upright as Jed quickly stood up after hearing Abbey's hysterical scream. Jed ran out of the room and raced towards their bedroom, instructing an agent to stay with Annie along the way. Another agent was already in the First Bedroom and Abbey was standing out in the hall.
"What happened?" Jed asked, grabbing his wife's hands.
"Jed!"
"Are you okay? What happened?" he repeated.
"I...nothing, I was just being silly."
"Abbey, what's going on?"
"I thought I saw her. I thought she was hiding under the bed."
"What?"
"I dropped my necklace on the floor and when I reached down to pick it up, I could have sworn Emma was under the bed. She was just laying there, staring at me, Jed. Her eyes were so cold, so vacant."
Jed hugged her tightly. "Honey..."
Abbey put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "I know!" She walked around him, not able to look at him. "I guess Annie just scared me. That's all."
Jed entered the bedroom, instructing the agent that everything was okay now. The agent assured him there was no one under the bed.
"Thank you," he replied as he turned Abbey around and ushered her back into the room. "Please keep an eye on my granddaughter," he whispered to one of the other agents on the scene.
Once inside, Jed approached Abbey from behind and put his hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing them. "You know she's not here. She's dead. We found her body. There was an autopsy."
Abbey turned around. "Is Annie okay?"
"She's fine. I'll go say goodnight to her in a few minutes. Abbey, what happened?" Jed asked as he closed the bedroom door to give them some privacy.
"I told you what happened."
"Yeah and I'm down the hall trying to convince our 16-year-old granddaughter to see a therapist. Meanwhile, you're having the same trouble she is."
"What do you want me to say, Jed?"
"Has this happened before?"
"No. I mean, not usually. I don't hallucinate." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm having nightmares too."
"Abbey, why didn't you tell me?"
She saw his features soften with an obvious display of concern. "It's not what you think. It's not like your nightmares, or Annie's. Mine are different. I keep dreaming about Emma's mother. About what she must be going through."
"It's not the same thing."
"She lost her child!"
"It's not like Zoey. It's not, Abbey."
"A child is a child. Emma's mother..."
"Emma's mother was a drunk who never took care of her! That's why Emma had the problems she did."
"I never talked to her. Her daughter took her last breath right in front of me and I've never talked to her."
Jed's eyes were filled with compassion and concern for his wife. "I don't think you should."
Abbey paused for a moment and looked at her husband. He was right and she knew it, despite the fact that everything about what they were doing seemed so wrong.
"Okay," she said softly.
"Abbey, you can't talk to her mother. You're the last person she'd want to talk to, considering. You understand that, don't you?" he asked her.
Abbey nodded, but she kept her distance from Jed as she walked over to the dresser to finish changing. Jed began to leave the room to go check on Annie and say goodnight, but he stopped when she called him back.
"Jed?" She waited for him to turn to face her. "I really thought I saw her. I really thought she was under the bed."
Jed grabbed his cane to help him kneel to the floor and look around. He stood back up and lovingly assured her that there was no one under the bed.
After he left to see Annie, Abbey climbed into the bed, but left the light on. Had she been rattled that much that she was now hallucinating like Annie? She was seeing ghosts hiding under the bed. She felt a presence in the closet even though she felt perfectly safe when Jed was in the room with her. She wasn't dealing with this well and she knew that. She was losing control and she wondered when and how she'd finally reach her breaking point and if Jed would be strong enough to carry her through it.
The day after New Year's, Jed took a break in his schedule to talk to Charlie. He was the only person who was there the night of the murder that Jed had yet to question. The truth was, he was afraid to talk to Charlie. Abbey had told him that Charlie was the only person awake when she left the house that night. Jed was worried about what Charlie had seen, but he didn't want to influence what he told the police. Now that the police questioning was over, it was time to find out what Charlie knew.
"I need to know what you saw or heard on Christmas Eve," Jed told him.
"Nothing, Sir."
"Charlie, you've never lied to me before."
Charlie couldn't dispute that. He had never lied to him before. But now was different. He couldn't tell Jed the truth because he wanted to forget the truth. He wanted to forget that he ever saw the President and the First Lady that night, that he suspected the President of killing Emma and the First Lady of helping him cover it up.
"I'm not lying to you this time either," Charlie finally said.
Jed knew he was holding back, but was reluctant to press the issue. Instead, he nodded and simply said, "okay."
When Debbie interrupted to tell Jed he had a call, Charlie quietly left the office without another word. As he closed the door behind him, he ran into CJ.
"Is he in there?" CJ asked.
"Yeah, but he's taking a call."
"Okay, I'll wait." CJ noticed his nervous demeanor and couldn't help but wonder how Charlie was dealing with the aftermath of the murder. "So are you finished with the police?"
"Yeah, for now."
"Charlie, everyone who was there is still recovering from the whole thing."
"I'm fine," he said bluntly.
"I'm just saying if you need to talk..."
"I'm fine, CJ. Really."
"Okay." She paused to look at him frantically filing things away, as if he was trying to avoid talking to her or looking at her. "I just got back from talking to Mrs. Bartlet. The poor thing has been up with Annie almost every night this week. She's still having nightmares."
"Who?"
"Annie."
Charlie stopped his filing and finally turned to look at her. "Nightmares about what?"
"About Emma. About that night."
"Annie wasn't at the farm that night. She was at her friend's."
"Yeah, but it still happened. Whether she was there or not, it scared her."
Charlie approached CJ. "Where is Mrs. Bartlet?"
"At her office."
"Where's Annie?" he asked.
"In the Residence, I assume." CJ sensed his agitation. "Charlie, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Tell the President I'll be right back," Charlie said as he ran out of the office.
When Charlie arrived in the Residence, Annie welcomed him in. She began to chat with him about day-to-day things, but realizing he didn't have much time, Charlie moved past the small-talk phase.
"So what kind of nightmares have you been having?" he asked her.
"Who told you?" she wanted to know.
"It doesn't matter. I just need to know what you dream about."
"Why?"
"I'm just curious, that's all. I think a lot of us are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Thinking he could be going through the same thing, Annie became more comfortable with him. "Are you having nightmares too?"
"Sometimes. What are yours like?"
"I see her. She's got blood on her clothes and she's just walking around with her gun."
"Where were you that night?" Charlie blurted out.
"You know where I was."
"Were you in Boston? Really?"
"Charlie, why are you asking me all these questions?"
Charlie walked closer to Annie, almost completely closing off the space between them. "Annie, did you see what happened that night? Did you see who killed Emma?"
As Abbey walked in, she saw a speechless Annie staring at Charlie, unsure what to say.
"What's going on?" Abbey asked, rushing to stand beside her granddaughter.
"Nothing," Charlie answered.
Abbey wasn't satisfied with his answer and was anxious to find out what Annie had to say. "Where's Jed?" she asked Charlie.
"He's still in the office."
Abbey took a deep breath. "Well then maybe that's where you should be too, Charlie."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Charlie quickly left as Abbey turned her attention towards Annie.
TBC
Chapter 19
Previously: Jed and Abbey realize that Emma had switched Jed's medication, but Abbey stops him before he takes it. Annie's hallucinations worry her grandparents. Annie and Jed hear Abbey screaming from the First Bedroom.
Summary: Jed rushes to help Abbey. Jed and Charlie talk briefly about the night of the murder. Charlie becomes suspicious when he learns Annie's having nightmares.
Annie sat bolt upright as Jed quickly stood up after hearing Abbey's hysterical scream. Jed ran out of the room and raced towards their bedroom, instructing an agent to stay with Annie along the way. Another agent was already in the First Bedroom and Abbey was standing out in the hall.
"What happened?" Jed asked, grabbing his wife's hands.
"Jed!"
"Are you okay? What happened?" he repeated.
"I...nothing, I was just being silly."
"Abbey, what's going on?"
"I thought I saw her. I thought she was hiding under the bed."
"What?"
"I dropped my necklace on the floor and when I reached down to pick it up, I could have sworn Emma was under the bed. She was just laying there, staring at me, Jed. Her eyes were so cold, so vacant."
Jed hugged her tightly. "Honey..."
Abbey put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "I know!" She walked around him, not able to look at him. "I guess Annie just scared me. That's all."
Jed entered the bedroom, instructing the agent that everything was okay now. The agent assured him there was no one under the bed.
"Thank you," he replied as he turned Abbey around and ushered her back into the room. "Please keep an eye on my granddaughter," he whispered to one of the other agents on the scene.
Once inside, Jed approached Abbey from behind and put his hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing them. "You know she's not here. She's dead. We found her body. There was an autopsy."
Abbey turned around. "Is Annie okay?"
"She's fine. I'll go say goodnight to her in a few minutes. Abbey, what happened?" Jed asked as he closed the bedroom door to give them some privacy.
"I told you what happened."
"Yeah and I'm down the hall trying to convince our 16-year-old granddaughter to see a therapist. Meanwhile, you're having the same trouble she is."
"What do you want me to say, Jed?"
"Has this happened before?"
"No. I mean, not usually. I don't hallucinate." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm having nightmares too."
"Abbey, why didn't you tell me?"
She saw his features soften with an obvious display of concern. "It's not what you think. It's not like your nightmares, or Annie's. Mine are different. I keep dreaming about Emma's mother. About what she must be going through."
"It's not the same thing."
"She lost her child!"
"It's not like Zoey. It's not, Abbey."
"A child is a child. Emma's mother..."
"Emma's mother was a drunk who never took care of her! That's why Emma had the problems she did."
"I never talked to her. Her daughter took her last breath right in front of me and I've never talked to her."
Jed's eyes were filled with compassion and concern for his wife. "I don't think you should."
Abbey paused for a moment and looked at her husband. He was right and she knew it, despite the fact that everything about what they were doing seemed so wrong.
"Okay," she said softly.
"Abbey, you can't talk to her mother. You're the last person she'd want to talk to, considering. You understand that, don't you?" he asked her.
Abbey nodded, but she kept her distance from Jed as she walked over to the dresser to finish changing. Jed began to leave the room to go check on Annie and say goodnight, but he stopped when she called him back.
"Jed?" She waited for him to turn to face her. "I really thought I saw her. I really thought she was under the bed."
Jed grabbed his cane to help him kneel to the floor and look around. He stood back up and lovingly assured her that there was no one under the bed.
After he left to see Annie, Abbey climbed into the bed, but left the light on. Had she been rattled that much that she was now hallucinating like Annie? She was seeing ghosts hiding under the bed. She felt a presence in the closet even though she felt perfectly safe when Jed was in the room with her. She wasn't dealing with this well and she knew that. She was losing control and she wondered when and how she'd finally reach her breaking point and if Jed would be strong enough to carry her through it.
The day after New Year's, Jed took a break in his schedule to talk to Charlie. He was the only person who was there the night of the murder that Jed had yet to question. The truth was, he was afraid to talk to Charlie. Abbey had told him that Charlie was the only person awake when she left the house that night. Jed was worried about what Charlie had seen, but he didn't want to influence what he told the police. Now that the police questioning was over, it was time to find out what Charlie knew.
"I need to know what you saw or heard on Christmas Eve," Jed told him.
"Nothing, Sir."
"Charlie, you've never lied to me before."
Charlie couldn't dispute that. He had never lied to him before. But now was different. He couldn't tell Jed the truth because he wanted to forget the truth. He wanted to forget that he ever saw the President and the First Lady that night, that he suspected the President of killing Emma and the First Lady of helping him cover it up.
"I'm not lying to you this time either," Charlie finally said.
Jed knew he was holding back, but was reluctant to press the issue. Instead, he nodded and simply said, "okay."
When Debbie interrupted to tell Jed he had a call, Charlie quietly left the office without another word. As he closed the door behind him, he ran into CJ.
"Is he in there?" CJ asked.
"Yeah, but he's taking a call."
"Okay, I'll wait." CJ noticed his nervous demeanor and couldn't help but wonder how Charlie was dealing with the aftermath of the murder. "So are you finished with the police?"
"Yeah, for now."
"Charlie, everyone who was there is still recovering from the whole thing."
"I'm fine," he said bluntly.
"I'm just saying if you need to talk..."
"I'm fine, CJ. Really."
"Okay." She paused to look at him frantically filing things away, as if he was trying to avoid talking to her or looking at her. "I just got back from talking to Mrs. Bartlet. The poor thing has been up with Annie almost every night this week. She's still having nightmares."
"Who?"
"Annie."
Charlie stopped his filing and finally turned to look at her. "Nightmares about what?"
"About Emma. About that night."
"Annie wasn't at the farm that night. She was at her friend's."
"Yeah, but it still happened. Whether she was there or not, it scared her."
Charlie approached CJ. "Where is Mrs. Bartlet?"
"At her office."
"Where's Annie?" he asked.
"In the Residence, I assume." CJ sensed his agitation. "Charlie, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Tell the President I'll be right back," Charlie said as he ran out of the office.
When Charlie arrived in the Residence, Annie welcomed him in. She began to chat with him about day-to-day things, but realizing he didn't have much time, Charlie moved past the small-talk phase.
"So what kind of nightmares have you been having?" he asked her.
"Who told you?" she wanted to know.
"It doesn't matter. I just need to know what you dream about."
"Why?"
"I'm just curious, that's all. I think a lot of us are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Thinking he could be going through the same thing, Annie became more comfortable with him. "Are you having nightmares too?"
"Sometimes. What are yours like?"
"I see her. She's got blood on her clothes and she's just walking around with her gun."
"Where were you that night?" Charlie blurted out.
"You know where I was."
"Were you in Boston? Really?"
"Charlie, why are you asking me all these questions?"
Charlie walked closer to Annie, almost completely closing off the space between them. "Annie, did you see what happened that night? Did you see who killed Emma?"
As Abbey walked in, she saw a speechless Annie staring at Charlie, unsure what to say.
"What's going on?" Abbey asked, rushing to stand beside her granddaughter.
"Nothing," Charlie answered.
Abbey wasn't satisfied with his answer and was anxious to find out what Annie had to say. "Where's Jed?" she asked Charlie.
"He's still in the office."
Abbey took a deep breath. "Well then maybe that's where you should be too, Charlie."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Charlie quickly left as Abbey turned her attention towards Annie.
TBC