Special thanks to Kalia, Kara, Daphy, and Jules for all the little tips along the way.
Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: The London Years
Chapter 20
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed and Abbey exchanged a little pillow talk after they physically reconnected
Summary: It's a new year and Jed and Abbey are up for a new adventure!
- - -
June 1971
It was a dark and gloomy room, this part of what would soon be Jed and Abbey's former flat in London. The only light filtering in came from behind the ivory curtains that had been left behind. Cluttered in the corner, several suitcases drew attention to the absence of all the furniture that had filled the flat just days earlier.
Elizabeth sat in the middle of the hardwood floors and slipped her small feet into two throw pillowcases. She stretched her legs and pulled on the satiny fabric to ensure they were securely in place before standing up and wobbling towards the opened front door. With her concentration devoted exclusively to the large sliding surface in front of her, she bent her knees in preparation.
"Don't you dare!" Abbey warned from behind with one hand on the toddler's waist to keep both her legs glued to the floor.
Liz twisted her head to greet her mother with a mischievous laugh. "Hi."
"Lizzie, it's even more slippery in here!" Jed called from one of the bedrooms.
She should have known her three-year-old wouldn't have come up with such an activity all by herself. This scheme had Jed's name written all over it. Abbey put her finger over her lips to quiet daughter as she crept towards his voice on the tips of her toes. In an instant, Jed had reached the open doorway and he came hurling towards her. Unable to stop, it was Abbey's frame that broke his glide.
"Oh God, Abbey!" He knocked her into the wall with a force even he couldn't believe. "Are you okay?"
She waved him off to peel herself off the plaster. "I think so."
"What the hell are you doing?
"I could ask you the same thing!"
"That was funny!" Lizzie yelled out to her parents once she realized neither was hurt.
Concern replaced Jed's initial surprise when he turned back to his wife. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she sniped with a hand to the back of her head. "What are you doing? I just waxed these floors."
"If you don't want us sliding then why are you waxing?"
"So this place will look like it did when we moved in. Not so you can slide around on your socks while my daughter cracks her head open on the floor."
"We were just having fun."
"Unsupervised fun. Don't tell me I have to get a sitter for you too."
He recognized her teasing and returned her smile. "We finished all the little chores you gave us to do. We had to find some way to pass the time."
"Mmm hmm," Abbey replied skeptically. "Lizzie, did you pack up all your toys?"
Liz nodded emphatically and toddled her way to her mother as Abbey reached down to pick her up. "Daddy helped!"
"You're sure we haven't left anything behind?"
"I double checked," Jed answered.
"Okay, then let's get these pillowcases off, huh?"
Liz kicked her feet when Abbey sat her on the countertop and attempted to unwrap her ankles. With a strong whimper, she fought to get down. Jed stood back and smiled as he witnessed the struggle between mother and daughter. Of course Abbey would come out victorious, but he knew with the stubborn streak she inherited from them both, Liz would never give up.
"I wanna slide!" she whined.
"Then Daddy will have to buy you an actual slide, Sweetie, because you're not going to slide here." Abbey's firm voice pretty much sealed the deal. She jerked the pillowcases off as Liz wiggled around, reaching for them. As soon as Abbey walked away to tuck them into a suitcase, Jed approached the little girl and dropped a small bag of candy in her lap.
Liz's whines soon turned into a laugh, grabbing Abbey's attention immediately. "What did you do?"
"I just calmed her down."
Liz held up the brown rectangular bag. "M&Ms!"
"You're bribing our child?"
Jed lowered his gaze, his mind racing to change the subject. "Did you know the inspiration for M&M's were came during World War I and that the first ones they were distributed to were American soldiers during World War II?"
"Jed..."
Before the next word left her mouth, he continued. "They were invented so we could send our GIs candy that wouldn't melt, Abbey. Think about that. Think about how patriotic a person would have to be to say 'hey, you know our soldiers out there in the battlefields risking their lives for the freedoms we enjoy at home…they deserve some candy. Now let's think of a way to get them some.' Isn't that incredible? If it wasn't for our brave men and women, we wouldn't be enjoying this sweet piece of Americana today."
"First of all, it was the Spanish Civil War that inspired the Mars Company, not World War I." She chuckled at the mixture of amazement and disbelief on Jed's face. "You're not the only one with a brain full of useless trivia."
"You're making it up."
"No, I'm not. You can look it up if you want."
"Don't think I won't."
"And secondly, I'm every bit as patriotic as you are and while I was incredibly moved by that touching, yet ill-informed and inaccurate tribute to our national flag, Lizzie barely has teeth. I don't want her rotting them with sugar."
"They're baby teeth. They're going to fall out anyway."
"Not to mention the fact that she hasn't had lunch yet."
Completely oblivious to her parent's disagreement, Lizzie extended her arms to dangle the little brown pouch in front of Abbey. "Open."
"Lizzie, Sweetie, how about instead of M&M's, Mommy buys you a big turkey sandwich at the airport?"
"No, I want M&Ms."
She shined her mother those pretty blue eyes that shined with a twinkle Abbey couldn't resist. Reluctantly, Abbey conceded, opening the bag and taking out a small handful of the hard-shell candy.
"Next time, Jed…"
"Next time, I'll feed her first," Jed agreed as he pulled Liz off the counter. "Come on, Lizzie, let's go wait for the cab."
"I'll take a final look around," Abbey replied.
As Jed carried the suitcases outside, the sound of the door closing inspired Abbey's trip down memory lane. A smile dominating her features, she remembered their first night in the flat and the argument they had while unpacking, their first Christmas as Jed surprised her with her family and friends, the first time they brought Lizzie home from the hospital, the first time they slept in separate beds following a fight.
These walls had seen so much, for they had been a witness to the struggles husband and wife faced in the first four years of their marriage. They had seen the tears, heard the cries, felt the apologies. And in the end, they had sheltered the happiness and joy of two lovers connecting like never before, of best friends building a family on a foundation of mutual trust, respect, and adoration.
Because of the rough times they experienced during their years in London, Jed and Abbey learned lessons that would forever affect their marriage and when they walked out of that tiny flat and boarded a plane back to the United States, they knew they weren't the same people they had been in 1967. The good times had strengthened their bond. The bad times had taught them the importance of compromise and communication. Together, they entered adulthood. They learned to be parents. And eventually, they became partners, equal in every way.
As Jed walked in, he quietly laid a hand on Abbey's shoulder. It jarred her a little, bringing her out of her daze as she put her hand on top of his. "Hey."
"Sorry," Jed replied. "I just wanted to tell you that the cab is waiting. Lila's outside with Lizzie."
"When is she going back?"
"Next week. Tom's picking her up in New York."
"They're going to try again?"
"I think so." Jed wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Abbey took a deep breath, a twinge of comfort filling her heart the moment he touched her. "Have I told you today how proud I am of you, Doctor Bartlet?"
"Only about a dozen times. I never get tired of hearing it though."
She turned in his embrace to steal a quick kiss.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
They broke the kiss, but Jed kept Abbey in his arms. "What is it, Angel?"
"I want to sit next to you on the plane."
"You're going to sit right in between me and Daddy, okay?"
"Let's go!"
"I think she's excited."
"I think we all are," Jed replied. "Ready to see New England, Lizzie?"
Jed picked her up and threw her in the air, an act that still made Abbey nervous.
"All right, from now on, you don't get to hold Liz anymore."
"Aw, she loves it!"
"One day, you're going to throw her up and she won't come back down."
"Basic physics, Abigail. What goes up..."
"Don't preach to me about science."
"Gravitational pull will..."
"Do yourself a favor, love of my life, and shut up now."
Jed kissed her cheek as she looped her arm through his and led him out the door.
To Be Continued in Back Home Again