Sacrifice

Ch 5: A Reason to Sacrifice

It was as if she had slapped him in the face. Leo bolted upright. A look settled on his face that Abbey had seen only a few times and it was never directed at her. He was angry, no strike that, he was pissed. 'Of all the times to mention 'Him'', Leo thought, 'this was not the time.'

He snarled, "I don't care."

Then louder, "I don't care, let him find out."

Leo thought about all the sacrifices he had made to help Jed; to ensure his friend's legacy, his happiness. And what did he get in return? Lies, that's what he got. Lies and humiliation.

"I've given everything that I can to that man. I've sacrificed my time, my marriage, my reputation for him. And still you ask this of me. Why did you come here Abbey?"

When no response was given he continued.

"Was it out of love or pity?"

Abbey gave him an incredulous look and exclaimed, "What?!"

"You heard me. You and I both know these committee hearings are not about getting at the truth but about winning. The Republicans are a pack of wolves and we are all being paraded before them as raw meat. You know what's going to happen to me when they reconvene after the holidays. I'm gonna get chewed up and spit out for my relapse and his relapse at the debate."

Having sat there and listened to Leo's rant of self-pity Abbey decided she had heard enough. The mentioned of Jed's relapse jolted her into speaking.

"Leo", she interjected, "You can not blame Jed for this. Yes, you can blame him for the MS scandal and for the hearings but everyone already knew about you being a recovering addict. So that's no huge revelation, but what's going to kill you is your relapse not Jed's. That is not Jed's fault." Looking him straight in the eye she stated coldly, "he didn't force you to drink Leo."

There it was, that coldness fueled by self-righteousness that Abbey was so known for. Many people, be they friend or foe, Leo included, had felt the chill of the First Lady's cool stare and quiet distain or disapproval. It was part of her defense mechanisms and when used correctly was a great weapon. It was also something Leo had seen through and worked hard to get around long ago. Now its return elicited nothing more than bitterness from him.

He thought of what he could say or do that could shatter that self-righteous wall Abbey was so good at throwing up whenever she felt something was not worth the stress caused by dealing with it. Leo matched her cold stare with his own and spat out, "No, he didn't drive me to drink, Abbey. You did."

Abbey sat there in stunned silence, the cold stare replaced with wide eyes. Having the desired effect he hoped for Leo continued. "Do you know how I felt when you ended it again? God, Abigail you have no idea the power you had, you still have, over me. Seeing you and knowing you're not mine, that you're his, and that I can never have you again. It's like dying over and over again.

And why can't I have you? Is it because we are far apart?

No.

Is it because you don't love me?

No.

It's simply because he met you first."

Shaking her head Abbey contested, "Leo. You know it's not that simple."

"Oh but it is Abigail. He's not a better friend. He's not a better lover. He doesn't understand you the way I do. He obviously doesn't cherish you, because if he did you would not be here with me."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" she screamed.

"No. I'm gonna say what I want. I am tired of tip-toeing around, playing second fiddle to that liar because he had the good luck of meeting you first."

"It was not luck Leo. It was fate"

"Fate, luck, same thing ..."

"No it is not the same thing and you know it. Don't cheapen my marriage just because you are angry at Jed."

"That's it. I don't want to hear you say his name to me again", Leo demanded. "Not here, not now, not ever!"

"Good lord Leo. Stop it. Would you please just stop and listen to yourself", she implored. "You have the audacity to speak of his love for me as being second rate and expect me to just..."

Leo cut her off by saying, "No, you stop! You sit here in my bed and have the nerve to tell me I have no right to talk about your relationship with 'Him' like I'm some stranger. I know you Abigail, better than anyone. And I know that part of the reason you came here tonight is that deep down you know I am the better man for you."

"No. No, that's not true."

"Yes. Yes it is."

"No!"

"Then why Abigail, why are you here? I'll ask you again. Is it love? Pity? Lust? Guilt?" Just then a thought hit him. "Or maybe it's out of spite?"

"Spite?"

"Yeah. Spite. Oh come on. You mean to tell me it never crossed your mine? Like I said earlier, you know what these hearing are for. You know what's going to happen to me and you also know that sooner or later they will come after you. The medical boards are going to suspend your license, Abbey. But before that happens, Congress is going to portray you as a power-hungry liar who conspired with her husband to defraud the American people."

"That's not true and you know it."

"Yes, I know it, but the public does not. And you know that politics is about the perception of the truth, not truth itself."

"Leo", Abbey called him in a defeated whisper, causing him to look at her.

Softly he questioned, "Abigail, do you love me?"

"Of course I do. Would I be here if I didn't?"

"Then show me. Be here with me. All the way", he begged.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded, "I am Leo. I..." With a searing kiss that took her breath away, he cut her off. His hands began to roam all over her body in a frantic quest to rekindle her desire. Leo mumbled, "Just be here with me."

"I am"

"Here... with me," He repeated

"Yes," she sighed when his hand cupped her breast. They lied back down on the bed. Pushing away the tangled sheet that separated them, they wanted to be as close as possible to each other. Leo climbed on top of Abbey, pressing his full weight onto her. The feel of his skin, the warmth of his body, made her so ready for him. "Leo. Please", she moaned.

"My Abigail." he moaned as he entered her.

"Yes", she responded.

Looking deep into her eyes, he slowly began to move, gradually picking up his pace. As he moved in and out of her Leo closed his eyes and told her, "You are my Abigail.

Every bit of you. You're mine. My Abigail. You're my Abigail and mine's alone. No one else's."

Abbey was so caught up in the sensation of being back in Leo's arms, in making love to him again, that she was only half-listening until he said, "You're his wife. You're his Abbey, but you're my Abigail." He kept repeating it like it was his mantra. His repeating of this mantra began to worry her. Looking into his eyes in hopes of reconnecting with him, Abbey noticed they seemed distant, like he saw her but didn't recognize she was there.

"Leo" she said, but he gave no response to having heard her. So she said louder, "Leo", but he kept going, repeating his mantra. Something had snapped in Leo the moment he entered Abbey. Maybe it was the pent-up longing or lust, or maybe the tension from their recent argument moments prior, or maybe just the frustration of the past seven or eight months. Whatever it was he could no longer hold it in, and tonight he was going to let it all out.

At first Leo mumbled, "You are mine, god dammit, every fucking part of you." He grew louder as he asserted, "I love you. Don't you know that?" And even louder when he declared, "I would die for you." He continued, "Would he do that? Would he sacrifice everything, including his life for you? No, he wouldn't. He expects you to make all the sacrifices. He wants us all to make sacrifices, be sacrifices, so he can keep his precious office."

The angrier Leo became the faster and harder he pounded into Abbey. They had moved beyond making love into a realm of incredible passion and desperation. It scared Abbey, but she did not want to stop. Suddenly, Leo halted and pulled out of her. Before she could protest, he grabbed both of Abbey's legs and flipped her over onto her stomach. Grabbing her hips, he pulled Abbey onto her knees, and then entered her with one swift movement. Immediately, he started fucking her at his earlier frantic pace as he started back on his rant.

"No more sacrifices. He can sacrifice me, but not you. I won't let him. I will protect you. Cause that's what you do for the people you love. You don't send them blindly to slaughter. You warn them." He paused before asking, "Why didn't you warn me Abigail?" Why don't you love me?" He bellowed.

"I do," cried Abbey.

"You hide your love for me from everyone, from 'Him', from me. Are you ashamed of me? I'm not ashamed of you or my love for you. So let him find out. I want him to know." He paused before finally saying what he had wanted to say since the first time they made love. "I need for him to know", Leo pleaded.

Abbey was pretty far gone, but the desperation in Leo's voice broke through her passion fogged mind. She couldn't form the words to answer his questions or to ease his insecurities. So she did the only thing she could think to do. While Leo repeated, "Let him know. You are my Abigail." Abbey moaned, "Leo", then reached back and lifted her hair from her neck as an invitation. Needing no further prompting, he sunk his teeth into Abbey's neck. She cried out as he sucked on her neck, intermingling kisses with bites.

Having left several passion marks on her neck, he whispered into her ear. "You're my Abigail. Always." He repeated this statement until they both reached climax and stilled. As Leo pulled out of her then turned to lie on his side facing away from Abbey he remarked, "Now he'll have a reason to sacrifice both of us."

tbc