Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Back Home Again

Chapter 21

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Previously: Kyle got physical after Abbey disputed his decision on two separate patients; Abbey prepared to take the USMLE

Summary: Liz has a confession; A New Hampshire legislator irks Jed; Abbey has a very special Valentine's Day present for Jed

- - -

Jed Bartlet was usually a man of many words, but at times, his gift for gab could be stunned into suppression, just like it had been tonight. Jed sat at the kitchen table with his newspaper laid out in front of him. Abbey took note of his glasses inching their way down his nose as his brows repeatedly moved, expressive of the different emotions that ran through him with every line he read.

Sitting at the other end while preparing Valentine's cards for her classmates, Liz's head was slightly raised and a soft giggle escaped her lips every time her father moaned with displeasure. In between the rampant sighs, pangs of guilt manipulated her own emotions, sparking an uneasiness in her that was caught by Abbey's intruding eyes.

"Lizzie?"

She looked up at her mother with her face scrunched, proof of her apprehension. "If I tell you something, will I get in trouble?"

Concern taking over, Jed dropped his newspaper just as quickly as Abbey dropped her pen. "What did you do?"

"I lied," Liz admitted softly. Her eyes glazed over one parent and turned to another. She had their undivided attention. "It's just...there were these boys at school who were making fun of this girl because she was fat. And they really hurt her feelings."

Abbey pushed aside the envelope she was addressing so she could prop her head on her hand. "They did?"

"Uh huh. They made her sad and she wouldn't even play at recess. So when we were at the playground, I told them that my Mommy's a doctor and she said that fat people are smarter than skinny people because their brains are bigger."

"Lizzie, I never told you that."

"I know."

"That's where the lie comes in, Babe," Jed whispered to Abbey, teasingly.

"I'm sorry. But they were really being mean..." Liz lowered her head and muttered, "and she cried."

Her daughter's distress evident in her posture, as well as in her voice, Abbey gently stroked her hair as a show of support. "So what happened after you told them that?"

"They stopped! And Jessica felt better because she played on the swings with me." Her gaze fell to her fingers which were still curled around a crayon. "Am I gonna get in trouble?"

Jed exchanged a glance with Abbey to reassure himself before answering. "No, not this time."

"How come?"

'Dangerous' was a pretty good term to describe the possible ramifications of sending mixed signals to a crafty young girl like Elizabeth. At her tender age, misconstruing their good intentions in favor of her own rebellion wasn't exactly out of character.

"Lizzie, lying is always wrong," Abbey started. "...but your heart was in the right place. You stood up for the other little girl and that's a really good thing." She responded to her daughter's smile with one of her own. "And you know what else?"

"What?"

"You came home and told us about it. And that tells me that you learned something. You're really trying, Sweetheart, and I'm very proud of you," she concluded with a hug.

"Yeah, what she said." Jed copped out and used Abbey's words to express his own as he approached Liz. "Only I'm going to add a kiss."

She laughed against the stubble that tickled her chin when he tilted her head to kiss her. After he finished, Abbey subtly handed Liz a small piece of chocolate from inside the box of candy she bought her as an early Valentine's Day treat.

"Hey!" Outrage seeped out of him as he spun towards mother and daughter. "You told me I couldn't give her candy until tomorrow."

"Yeah." She had told him that.

"But you just gave her candy."

"Yeah." She had just done that.

It was one of those situations that drove him out of his mind. Confusion set in at her nonchalant attitude surrounding her hypocrisy. "So?"

"I'm her mother," she replied simply as if she thought that reasoning would bode well with him.

Refusing to be outdone, Jed huffed his way into their bedroom and returned with a box three times the size of Abbey's. Abbey closed her eyes in sheer disbelief as he handed it to Liz.

"Here you go, Sweetheart. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Don't you dare!" Abbey warned with one hand on top of the box before Liz could open it. "You've already had some cookies and a slice of cake after dinner, not to mention the SMALL piece of chocolate I just gave you." The extra emphasis was for Jed's benefit, of course. She glared at him before continuing. "Tomorrow, she can have more."

"Okay." He conceded with an insincere nod and a dramatic sigh.

That wasn't the end of it. She knew that, but she could pretend she didn't as she walked away to give him a chance to spoil their daughter. He watched her alter her focus slightly, giving him an opportunity to slip his fingers inside the heart-shaped box and pull out a Cherry Royale for Liz.

"So what were you reading that got you so worked up?" Abbey asked, collapsing onto the sofa.

"Elliot Roush again. He's a complete imbecile, Abbey."

"What did he do now?"

"It's what he wants to do. He's fighting new legislation which would repeal the sodomy laws in the state."

"Jed..." she tilted her head towards Liz, who was as attentive as ever.

"She has no clue what it means."

"Still."

With a softer voice, he persisted. "Anyway, if he's going to fight it, he's going to fight it, but what I hate is his excuse for trying to rid himself of the impression that he's a homophobe."

"He's citing the Church?"

"Absolutely. Claiming that his Bible condemns homosexuality and, therefore, so should the rest of the world."

"Give me a break." The outrage was mutual. "The Bible doesn't legislate what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own bedroom."

"Of course it doesn't! And these laws aren't even restrictive to just homosexual couples. New Hampshire didn't repeal their sodomy laws against heterosexual couples until just last year. I'm sure he fought that legislation tooth and nail because God forbid Elliot Roush not have a say in what happens in every bedroom in America."

Abbey was unresponsive as she tried to remember Roush's previous political maneuvers. "Is this the same man who fought Roe versus Wade with protests staged all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, then came back to New Hampshire after it passed to work behind the scenes to restrict it using the state Constitution?"

"The very one. You see why I'm so riled up?"

"Exploiting religious doctrine for his own political gain...that just furiates me! Hasn't he ever heard of Separation of Church and State?"

"Apparently not." Jed handed her the newspaper, pointing to the article regarding Roush. "And who the hell are these constituents who keep electing him to lead? They obviously can't be trusted to vote."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Jed Bartlet was not a man to surrender his own beliefs to those of someone else. "I'm going to write him a letter and the phrase '1930s Germany' will figure in prominently. You want to help me, Lizzie?"

Liz looked up as pieces of chocolate and gooey cherry dripped from her lips. "Huh?"

Abbey's serious expression wiped Jed's smirk from his face. "You're like a little boy. If I give her chocolate, you have to give her chocolate." She may have known he was going to do it, but it was fun teasing him.

"Well, yeah."

His free admission brought a smile to her face. "Now you get to clean her up."

"Come on, Lizzie, after we wash you up, you can help Daddy with a letter."

"On the typewriter?" she asked with enthusiasm.

"Yep, on the typewriter."

The manual typewriter Jed used for his professional correspondence always fascinated Elizabeth. As a toddler, she would sit in his lap and press the keys he pointed to. That was how he first introduced her to letters and taught her how to read. Typing her father's keys and watching them appear to form words on the paper in front of her had motivated her to pursue books like Cat in the Hat so she could eventually flaunt her own capabilities. Sure, it was a slower, more tedious process for him, but it was worth the effort to teach Liz to appreciate the written word.

And now, she was still his little helper, sitting beside him and typing out the words while sounding them out all on her own. She wasn't just getting a reading lesson. She would be learning about life and politics and the importance of defending one's convictions at the same time. And in the Bartlet family, a lesson learned was a lesson shared.

- - -

The next day was a special one for Jed and Abbey. Throughout the year, they never missed a moment to remind themselves of their special Valentine, but on a day that was devoted to love, theirs shined in remarkable ways. This year more than any other.

When Jed returned from work, he was amazed by the transformation in the apartment. The home was entirely lit by candles. Soft music played in the stereo and as he approached to hear the lyrics, his heart raced with the vibrations.

In This Life.

It was the song they danced to for the very first time as husband and wife. Abbey had popped in a cassette and looped the song four times.

He looked towards the dining table which had already been set. The crystal plates sparkled with tiny red and pink hearts and a small gift wrapped present sat on Jed's chair, a big box of assorted chocolates underneath.

On top of everything else lay an official letter from the National Board of Medical Examiners. He picked it up to see that Abbey had highlighted her USMLE score for his inspection. From what he had read about the scoring system, hers -- a 240 -- was in the top percentile, as was her standing. The message "I couldn't have done it without you. Love, A" dominated the bottom of the form and made him chuckle with pride, not because of her misdirected gratitude, but just simply because of her.

Next to the letter was a drawing. The charm of the amateur heart drawn around the words "I love you Mommy and Daddy," brought tears to his eyes. He wasn't sure what touched him more -- the fact that Liz had created such a lovely picture or the fact that Abbey had incorporated it into their evening.

He sensed the romantic scene was just a prelude for what lay ahead. The beauty of the decorations couldn't hold a candle to Abbey, whose flame radiated from every inch of her body as she framed herself in the bedroom doorway. His eyes moved from her stiletto heels to the sheer pantyhose above. The hem of her black, spaghetti-strapped dress stopped just above her knee. A red scarf belted her at the waist and added a splash of color to her middle, not that he could focus on that when her sweetheart neckline accentuated every curve of her cleavage.

Auburn locks danced just past her shoulders and her passionate green eyes locked into his before she began speaking. "What took you so long?"

"Had I known...wow. I can't believe how gorgeous you are."

"Lizzie's at my parent's until tomorrow." She sauntered towards him seductively, taunting him with every move. "We have the whole evening."

"Let's skip everything else and go straight to bed." He couldn't resist not pulling her in for a kiss.

Just as quickly as he grabbed her, she pulled out of his liplock and braced herself for what was coming. "We will. But first, I have a surprise for you."

"Abbey, please. We'll do gifts later."

"This is kind of important," she insisted.

His impatience getting the best of him, he tore open the box with full force and pulled out a calendar. At her urging, he flipped through the pages until he landed on September to see the twenty-fourth day of the month had been circled with a red pen. Still unaware of the significance, he looked to her for an explanation. "I don't get it."

"Remember not to make plans for that day."

"Why?"

"Just thought you'd want to be there when I have our baby." The calendar slipped through his fingers. Once again, he was struggling with words. "Jed, I'm pregnant."

They had been trying to conceive for months, so it wasn't a complete shock, but tonight of all nights, that wasn't the phrase he was expecting to hear. "Wh...when?"

"New Year's Eve."

His voice caught in his throat before he could respond. Last time she delivered this news, uncertainty plagued his conscience. This time, it was pure joy that kept him silent. Abbey took a few cautious steps towards him, startled when he grabbed her in his arms and spun her around.

"Oh God, Abbey. I'm...I can't even talk." He set her back down, his hands still trembling and his face beaming with happiness. "Really? You're sure?"

"I'm sure." She cast aside the chocolates and stood behind him when he fought to keep his balance by holding on to a chair and slowly gliding down. "Maybe not tonight, but at some point, we need to discuss some of the logistics."

"Like what?"

She leaned forward to nuzzle her face to his neck, her warm breath beating down on his skin. "Like I was thinking with two kids, we might want to look into buying a house."

"A house is good," he agreed.

"Maybe not here."

"Where?"

"The suburbs? Some place outside the city, maybe even outside Massachusetts. Lizzie's almost six. She needs a backyard, a place to play without us having to worry about her."

It was an uphill battle for him, fighting to concentrate on her words rather than the wonderful image of her holding another baby.

Her hands dug into his muscles, gently massaging them. "Thanks to you, my USMLE score is going to really help me get in to just about any hospital I want."

He jumped to his feet and cupped her face in his hands. "I love you so much. I don't care where we live."

"We still have time to figure it all out. But tonight, let's just celebrate."

With a nod at her suggestion, he sealed his response with a kiss. Before he could pull himself away, her hands gripped the back of his head, forcing him to press his body harder into hers.

They would soon tell Liz to expect a little sibling. Eventually, they would debate the merits of a move. But tonight, their only goal was to wrap their minds around the idea of change. In several months, Abbey would begin her fourth year of medical school and prepare for graduation. Jed would apply for a position with a new university closer to wherever she would complete her residency. And in seven short months, they would welcome the newest Bartlet into the world.

Abbey reminded herself of the words that echoed through her mind on New Year's Eve. As something wonderful ends, something even better begins. She struggled to believe it at the time, but now she really considered the possibility. It might very well be true.

The End

To be continued in Endings and Beginnings