Getting To Know You
Chapter 14
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Abbey took care of a sick Jed during a three-day trip to Indiana
Summary: Abbey sees a different side to John Bartlet and begins to understand why Jed can't get along with is father
Jed sat on his bed, mesmerized by the little hand on his clock as the seconds passed. In just a few hours, he knew Abbey would be knocking on the door. The previous night, they spent a quiet, respectable Thanksgiving with her parents and this evening, they would be dining with his. Just the thought of it was enough to peak Jed's anxiety. With great trepidation, he remembered the disaster of their last dinner with his family. This time would be much better, he vowed. No matter what, he was determined get along with his father.
The seconds melted into minutes and the minutes into hours until he finally heard her pulling up in the driveway. He sprinted down the stairs and opened the front door before she was completely out of her car.
"Excited much?" she asked, laughing at his boyish charm and the grin that was plastered across his face.
"I'm just happy to see you. How was the drive?"
She gave him a kiss on the lips. "It was good. Here, I brought cheesecake."
"You don't have to bring something every time you come over, Abbey."
"Chocolate cheesecake is your favorite. I just wanted to surprise you."
John and Diane stood in the doorway, ready to greet Abbey with open arms. Her mind was immediately put at ease by the relaxed smile that dominated John's features. This wouldn't be like last time, she hoped. This would be a smooth, enjoyable evening over a wonderful meal.
"You look great tonight by the way," Jed whispered into Abbey's ear as the family sat down to dinner.
"Hey, you two, no lovey dovey talk at the dinner table," John teased.
Jed and Abbey looked at each other and shared a laugh so subtle, they were the only ones who could even hear it.
"Abbey, how are your parents?" Diane asked.
"They're great, thanks. We were kind of hoping that we could get the two families together at some point."
Jed looked at her with a puzzled expression. "We were?"
There was no small amount of apprehension visible in his quizzical stare. He worried about how his father would fare sitting next to James Barrington. John Bartlet could be one hell of a jerk when he wanted to be and Jed feared a bad impression might cause a rift between him and Abbey.
"We. My parents and I," she told him, noticing the way his lips curved into a frown. "It was just a thought."
"And it's a good one," Diane added.
"Definitely," John said as he locked eyes with his son's. "Tell your father to give me a call and we'll set something up."
"Great!"
Diane's gaze fell from her son's. It was obvious John had struck a nerve. "So, Abbey, what are your plans for Christmas?"
Strike two. Jed shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Oh, my family usually goes all out for Christmas. We may go skiing in Killington this year." She turned to face Jed. "In fact, I was hoping you'd join us."
"I..." Jed began.
"Jed, you haven't told her?" John asked.
"Told me what?" Abbey waited seconds for a response, but Jed just pursed his lips together. "Jed?"
He looked down at his plate in an effort to buy time while he gathered his thoughts. John didn't wait for his son. "He's going to London over Christmas."
"London? London, England?" she asked, assuming she misunderstood.
"That's the one."
She tried to make eye contact, but he avoided her intrusive stare. "What's in London?"
"He's practically been accepted to the London School of Economics," John told her.
Diane nudged her husband gently. "Sweetheart, let Jed tell her."
"Jed had an opportunity to tell her and he's just sitting there. What's the matter, Son? Are you afraid to tell Abbey?"
Abbey hadn't stopped looking at him. Why was he so quiet, she wondered. This was a life-altering possibility for both of them. Why wasn't he jumping in, trying to tell her the details himself. "Jed?"
"It's true," Jed said softly still unable to look at her. "I'm meeting with the Dean and some of the professors over the holiday."
John noticed Abbey turning her attention to her dinner, absent-mindedly moving the food around the plate with her fork. "You should have told her, Jed. You've always been such a pathetic coward."
As if a lightening bolt had just struck her, Abbey's head shot up. She couldn't believe the cold tone in John's voice when he called his own son a coward in front of her. Jed's hand was quivering and she could sense the tension that penetrated the room. She was upset, there was no doubt about that. But her feelings now took a backseat to Jed's. She wrapped her hand around his and laced their fingers to get his attention.
"This must have been what you were trying to tell me earlier. I'm sorry I cut you off." It was a harmless lie, one she told to take the heat off him. "We'll talk about it later."
Jed was impressed and stunned at the same time. He knew she was angry. She had to have been. But her anger was sidelined by her feelings for him and that, to him, was unbelievable. No one had ever cared about him that much. No one had stood up to his father in an effort to protect him. Abbey's emotions were written all over her face and Jed turned to her, desperately trying to memorize every feature at that exact moment.
The way Abbey took the bullet for Jed made John's skin crawl. He was convinced Diane never would have done the same for him and it was seeing Jed have something he had never known that made him sick to his stomach.
"You know, Abbey, Jed is very lucky to have you," he told her. "Not many girls would be okay with this."
"Not many girls have a boyfriend as wonderful as your son," she replied as she squeezed Jed's hand.
"Who's ready for dessert?" That was the way Diane usually handled conflict between her husband and her son. She changed the subject and moved on to other things.
"I'll help you," Abbey offered as the two women left the table.
After a few awkward minutes of silence, John finally spoke up. "Well, I've got to give you credit." He waited for Jed to look at him before he continued. "You managed to do the impossible. She's blindly devoted to you. How did you brainwash her?"
"We love each other."
"Yeah, well, you better hold on to her. What are the chances that you'll find someone else to take pity on you the way she has?"
"Abbey doesn't pity me."
"She did tonight. She pitied the fact that you were about to be lectured by your father in front of your girlfriend. You're delusional if you think there's any other reason a girl like that would have lied for you the way she did."
Jed rolled his eyes. "Go to hell," he mumbled.
"Excuse me?" John raised his voice, alerting Abbey and Diane that another argument was brewing.
"Should we go out there?" Abbey asked.
Diane shook her head. "John doesn't like it when I interfere."
Abbey was speechless. John and Jed were tearing each other apart and Diane's answer was to ignore it as if it wasn't really happening. She stepped closer to the door and listened carefully.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" John shouted. "I'm your father and I deserve respect. You think you'd be anywhere without me guiding you?"
"You've never guided me, you've only insulted me and cut me down!" Jed returned.
"That's how you see it because you can't think for yourself! You can't take care of yourself! If it wasn't for me, you'd be living on the streets of Indiana, begging for money to complete school. On your own, you're a worthless loser -- in relationships, and in life!"
Abbey gasped. John wasn't just screaming at Jed. He was degrading him. The first time she had met John Bartlet, he was absolutely charming. Tonight, he was unbearably cruel. Despite Diane's refusal to step in, she had to do something to save Jed from his father's wrath. She left the kitchen and walked into the dining room carrying the cheesecake she brought for dessert.
"I hope you're ready for cheesecake." Her interruption silenced both men.
Jed stood up. "I've lost my appetite."
"Jed, come on, it's your favorite," she pleaded.
"Let him go. You'll learn this is what he always does when he can't handle the heat. He runs away from problems he doesn't have the guts to solve." John's tone was sharp and unforgiving.
"Jed." Abbey reached for his hand, but he shrugged out of her hold and headed towards the door.
"You deserve better, Abbey," John replied loud enough for Jed to hear him just before the slam of his exit.
Fathers were supposed to be supportive and loving. Abbey couldn't imagine what it was like for Jed to have lived with a father who didn't know that, who seemed to get some kind of joy out of making his own son feel inadequate. She grabbed her jacket and ran after him.
Jed stopped dead in his tracks as he heard her voice calling for him. "I just need a minute."
Abbey turned from him and started to walk back into the house. Unable to leave him like this, she paused. "I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"Abbey, if you came out here to defend him, I don't want to hear it. Please go back inside."
"I didn't come out here to defend him." She walked beside him and turned towards him. "I came out here to tell you that I'm on your side. Always. No matter what."
Her words were so comforting that he allowed the first tear to cloud his eyes as he breathed a sigh of relief. When he heard her footsteps nearing, he was worried about what she'd say, how he'd respond, if they would have a fight on top of everything else. But instead, Abbey took his hand and held it tight as she walked him back to the porch.
"I can't go back in there," he told her.
"You don't have to." She cleared his face of a stray tear. "Let me go in and get my keys and we can go for drive."
She turned from him and entered the house. He heard the echo of her thank yous, but it only took her a few minutes to say goodbye and grab her purse before she ran back out. She draped his jacket over his shoulders and led him to her car.
The drive was a quiet one, but she didn't push him. Jed needed time to reflect on the evening before sharing his thoughts with her. And that was probably for the best since she was still shell-shocked by John's revelation.
Why wouldn't Jed have told her about moving to London? What had he been waiting for? Would this mean the end of their relationship? She pushed her questions to the backburner. At some point, she would have to have a long talk with him, but not right now. Right now, the most important thing to her was him. Their confrontation could wait until she found a way to heal his bruised ego and repair his wounded heart.
TBC