Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: Back Home Again
Chapter 13
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Liz lied when Abbey asked her if she had missed a day of school; Jed and Liz quizzed Abbey to help her prepare for the medical boards
Summary: After a heart-to-heart to reassure Liz, Abbey confronts John
- - -
The only sound resonating through the Bartlet apartment was that of Jed and Abbey's light conversation as they prepared dinner together. Cautiously, around a corner leading into her room, Elizabeth's eyes bore into them ominously while the rest of her body was hidden behind the wall. Satisfied with the scene, she turned towards her doorway and with a finger over her lips to keep Mandy quiet, she directed her friend into parents' bedroom.
"Are you allowed to play in here, Lizzie?"
"Not by myself. But we're not gonna play. I wanna find the dress."
The white summer dress that Liz had developed an attachment for the minute her father bought it for her was still her choice for Mandy's party. Abbey had packed up the outfit, along with other summer clothes, and stored them in her closet to make room for more seasonable dresses in Liz's.
The two girls tore through the drawers and boxes Abbey had stored in the room., throwing out garments and whatever other random knickknacks clogged their path. They were momentarily distracted by several shopping bags filled with unwrapped Christmas presents, but once the initial surprise wore off, the search for the dress took precedence once again.
Out of an old, green suitcase pushed to the very back corner of the large walk-in closet, Liz finally found it. "Isn't it pretty?"
"Yeah," Mandy replied, a little less enamored than Liz. "Lets play with your new toys!"
Liz draped the dress over the bed and the duo rummaged through the shopping bags they had spotted earlier.
"Girls!" Abbey called out as they heard her footsteps approaching.
With toys spread out around them, Liz scurried to grab her dress before her mother walked in. "Hide!" she yelled to Mandy as she crawled under the bed.
Mandy stood motionless surrounded by the mess they had created when Abbey swung open the door.
"Hi," she greeted her in the sweetest five-year-old voice she could muster up.
Abbey scanned the room quickly, counting to one-hundred in her head to avoid an angry outburst.
"Hi," Abbey replied. "So where's your partner-in-crime?"
Mandy shrugged. "I did it myself?"
"I don't think so." Abbey looked under the bed and pulled Liz out by her arm.
"OW!" Lizzie screamed.
"That didn't hurt and you know it."
"It did so!"
"You know, I should send all these toys back to the store."
"Santa'll bring me toys."
"You'll have to count on him to bring you all your gifts this year," Abbey angrily warned. "I hope there are other things you want because you won't get any of these."
"I won't?"
"I'm taking them back."
Liz's eyes shined with tears at the threat. "Noooo!"
Abbey looked closely and turned her around to see what she was hiding behind her back. "What do you have in your hand?"
"Stop!" Liz shouted and ran from her mother's grasp, her fingers holding on tightly to the white dress.
"What's going on?" Jed asked after he overheard the commotion. "Lizzie?"
"Looks like the girls were having some fun in here," Abbey answered. "Anyway, I came to tell Mandy that her mother called and wants her home. Jed, can you walk her?"
"Sure. Come on, Mandy. Let's get your jacket."
Liz began to follow Mandy out of the room until Abbey grabbed her shoulders to stop her. "Oh no. You're staying here with me."
"I don't wanna stay with you!"
"Tough."
Liz shrugged Abbey's hands away and walked defiantly to the other side of the room. "It's my dress!"
She was obviously very upset though Abbey wasn't sure what sparked such sudden aggression and possessiveness. "Come here a second."
"Why?"
She saw the hesitation on the young girl's face as Liz stared at the floor. "Don't worry, I'm not going to take your dress away. I just want to talk to you."
Liz slowly approached her waiting arms. Abbey lifted her up and sat her on the bed then sat down beside her.
"What?" Lizzie asked her.
"You know you're not allowed to play in here with your friends. You know you're not supposed to go through my things. You know all that right?" Liz nodded, but refused to meet her stare. "Then why did you do it?"
With a shrug of the shoulder, she answered, "I don't know."
"I want a better answer than that. Your behavior has been inexcusable lately. You know the rules and you break them all the time."
"No I don't."
"Yes, you do. You lie to me, you try to play your dad and me against one another. Lizzie, it's getting to the point that I can't believe anything you say anymore."
"Is that why you want another baby?" Liz asked softly, clearly afraid of Abbey's response.
The question threw Abbey for a loop. "What? Where did that come from?"
"I dunno." The rebellion that seeped out of five year old transformed instantaneously to insecurity.
Abbey tucked a strand of stray hair behind Liz's ear, urging the young girl to face her. "Lizzie, look at me, Sweetie."
Liz turned her eyes to her mother, a few tears now glossing them and trickling down her wet lashes. "What?"
"Why did you just ask me that question?"
"Because you said you don't believe me. I lie and I break your rules."
Abbey's heart broke at the anguish in her daughter's voice. She didn't realize her words had cut Lizzie so deep. "You have lied to me and you do break the rules, but what I left out was how much I love you. You misbehave sometimes and I get angry. No matter what, though, I think I'm luckiest mother in the whole wide world for having the opportunity to raise the most precious little girl God ever created. The only reason I want another baby is because I love you so much that I want another you."
"You do?"
"You bet I do. Don't you still want a little brother or sister?"
"Yeah. But I don't want her to have my dress. It's mine!" The serenity she felt just moments earlier was replaced by renewed vulnerability.
"Of course it is. I would never take something away from you to give it to someone else."
"That's not what Grandfather said..." she cut herself off immediately and covered her open mouth with the tips of her fingers.
"What?" Sensing Liz shutting down, Abbey shifted her body to face her directly. "Lizzie, when did you talk to your grandfather about this?" It wasn't enough to garner a reply. "Do you mean Grandpa?" Still no response from a strong-willed Liz. "Elizabeth, you won't get in trouble. I promise. But I need you to talk to me. Is it your Grandpa who told you that?"
She shook her head reluctantly. "No."
Abbey sighed. It was Jed's father. "When did you see your grandfather? At Thanksgiving?"
"After. He picked me up from school and took me to his house."
"The day your teacher said you were absent?"
"Yeah."
Abbey tried to hide the sound of fury and alarm that naturally manipulated itself into her voice. "What did he tell you?"
"He said if I had a little sister, I'd have to share her with you and Daddy and that you would take my clothes and toys and give them to her."
She ran her hands over the back of Liz's head lovingly. "No, Angel, that isn't true. I would never, ever take your things from you. If we have another little girl, I may ask you if I can give her some of your old toys and clothes that you don't play with anymore or that you've outgrown - like all those dresses you used to wear last year that don't fit anymore. Remember those?"
"She'd look pretty in them."
"Yes, she would. And they may fit her someday. But I wouldn't take anything of yours without your permission. Ever. You believe me?" A wave of relief washed over her when Liz nodded.
"Yeah."
"Did your grandfather say anything else?"
"No."
"What did you guys do?"
"We played Candyland and had ice cream."
"That's all?"
"Yeah."
"You're not lying to me?"
"No, Mommy. I promise."
"Okay. Now as for this dress..." Liz had loosened her grip, allowing Abbey to gently take it from her and hold it up. "...you can't wear it to the party, but what if we go hang it up in your room, just so it's there. Does that sound like a good idea?"
"Yeah!" Lizzie's enthusiasm had returned.
"Okay. But first...Lizzie, has your grandfather picked you up from school any other time?"
"No."
Abbey cupped her chin to lift her head. "You know you're not allowed to see him. Your Dad and I have told you that."
"I know."
"And we've also talked to you about getting into other people's cars and going places without telling us where you are."
"But he wasn't a stranger."
"I don't care. From now on, you don't go anywhere without checking with me or your father." She let out a deep breath of frustration and continued. "But I did tell you you wouldn't get in trouble and I meant it." Abbey tweaked her nose as she finally saw a smile emerge on her face. "Just don't do it again, okay?"
"Okay."
She prepared to stand, but drew herself back at the look of hesitation on Liz's face. "What is it?"
"Are you gonna send all my toys back?"
Her eyes browsed the room once more. Despite the mess, punishing Liz after the heartfelt words they just shared wasn't an option. "No. But you can't play with them until Christmas...and you're going to help me clean up this room."
Liz jumped into her arms, wrapping her hands tightly around her neck as they both fell backwards onto the mattress. Abbey kissed her cheek before rising back up, and with that kiss came another awkward glare.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Daddy about Grandfather." It was almost a whisper, said with obvious trepidation.
"Do you think it's fair to keep secrets from your father?" Surely Liz wouldn't want to purposely keep Jed in the dark, she figured, especially since he's never been very strict with her.
"No."
"Then why are you asking me to?"
"Because Grandfather will be mad at me." The sound of defeat and sadness in her voice melted Abbey's heart as she contemplated how to handle the situation.
"Oh, Lizzie. No he won't."
"Yes, he will! He will. I know he will. Please don't tell Daddy. I'll never do it again. Please."
- - -
John Bartlet had always been a complex man, living in self-induced denial about all the things in the world that never quite met his expectations. As a young boy, his older brothers never missed a chance to gloat about their superior intellect and criticize his inferior accomplishments. It was just one of the idiosyncrasies of the family dynamic he was forced to accept.
He attempted to excel at academics, but always remained a step behind his siblings. He married a decent woman, one who never challenged the core drive and motivation that propelled him to success, albeit somewhat lackluster when compared to the rest of his family.
When John and Diane were blessed with their first son, Josiah, he finally felt he had reached the pinacle of personal prosperity-- a son to carry on the family name, a son to look up to him and love him unconditionally. But something snapped in John's psyche when his young heir was pegged a genius. Immediately, the silent torment he felt in the shadows of his three brothers came raging back inside him and with it, came the feelings of unworthiness that dominated his childhood and would now contour his relationship with Jed.
Suddenly, the strive for excellence and the competitive qualities Jed showed as a boy were condemned - both verbally and physically - by a resentful John. That's where it all went wrong. That's where, in the midst of horrific nightmares and sleeplessness, he'd often find his mind wandering. He couldn't explain his actions of the past any more than he could clarify the triggers of the present that ignited the fire within him every time he tried to reconcile with his adult son. It was that lack of explanation and failure to comprehend the inner demons battling his soul that directly contributed to his lack of remorse.
Abbey tried continuously to pardon John's prior actions, but every time she looked into her husband's eyes and reflected on the fear those eyes once held because of his father's intimidation, any notion of forgiveness was cast aside. And now, John had crossed a very dangerous line. He had threatened the sanctity of her family -- he had lured her young daughter into a web of deceit, filling her mind with lies that only sparked self-doubt and encouraging her to betray her parents' trust in favor of protecting him.
She was angry and he was about to find that out.
"Abigail?" He stepped back, allowing her to enter his house. "This is a surprise."
"This won't take long. I just came to tell you to stay away from my daughter." Her voice cracked slightly as she struggled to control her temper.
"She told you."
"Yes, no thanks to you. You had no right to see her. You had no right to take her out of school!"
"I didn't force her. She came with me voluntarily. She wants to see me. She wants to spend time with me."
"She's five. She'd be happy spending time with a hole in the wall if it paid her any attention. You tried to manipulate her, telling her that if she has a little sister, she won't get to keep her clothes or her toys, that I would rip them out of her hands and give them to our other child."
"That isn't exactly what I said."
"She tells a different story. Jed told you he wasn't comfortable with you seeing her."
"Jed was wrong to keep her from me. I care about her. All I want to do is get to know her."
"As long as Jed isn't comfortable with it, neither am I, which means you're out of luck."
He grabbed her arm as she tried to turn away. "Please talk to Jed. You're the only one he'll listen to."
"Forget it!" She shrugged furiously out of his hold. "If you want to see her, you're going to have to appeal to your son yourself, and after he finds out what you did, I doubt you'll get anywhere." The visible despair visible on his face didn't alleviate her anger. "The next time you pull a stunt like that with Lizzie, it won't be just Jed you'll have to fear. It'll be the cops as well. Just fair warning."
- - -
By the time Abbey arrived back home that night, Liz had already been tucked into bed. Jed had fallen asleep with his head resting on top of the papers he had been grading at the kitchen table. She put an arm around his shoulder and bent forward to kiss the back of his neck.
He stirred slightly then lifted his head. "Hi."
"I'm sorry I woke you."
"That's okay. Where did you go?"
"Just had an errand to run." Her answer fell just short of complete honesty. "Let's go to bed."
She helped him to his feet and held tightly to his hand as they walked into their bedroom.
"What time do you have to get up in the morning?"
"Early. I'd like to drive Lizzie to school." It was the only way she could make certain John didn't get to her. She also had visions of talking to Liz's teacher and administrators about notifying her the next time the young girl missed class. "Can you pick her up during your lunch hour?"
"From school? Why don't you want her on the bus?"
"It's the last day before Christmas vacation. I'd just prefer we take her."
Without further question, he gave her a quick kiss and agreed to her request. "Night."
"Good night."
Abbey rolled onto her side, her back facing Jed as her mind raced with the angry images she knew she'd see once she finally told him the disturbing news about his father.
TBC
