Title: Rescued by Fate
Characters: Jed, Abbey, Liz, Doug, Annie
Category(s): Angst
Rating: MATURE
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Sorkin, Wells, NBC and others. I am only playing with them a little bit.
Summary: Something tragic happens to Annie and Abbey has to relive a part of her life.
Author's Note: Occurring in the last spring of the Bartlet administration.
Chapter 1
"Jed, can you believe Annie is already 16 and her prom is tonight? It just seems yesterday that she was born."
"Hell, Abbey. It seems like yesterday that Liz was born. How come the years are passing so fast?"
"They do that dear." Abbey gave Jed a quick kiss and went to change her clothes for bed.
"They certainly are. Are we old, Abbey?"
Jed continued to act like he was reading, but he was really thinking about his daughter's own prom. Well, Zoey's prom. Liz didn't go to hers. And Ellie, being Miss Independent, thought the prom was too girlish and refused to attend either year. Jed knew from what Abbey had told him that Ellie had left a string of very disappointed boys behind, but she didn't care. She was going to be a doctor like her mom and didn't need a man.
Well, one look at Abbey and Jed knew every woman needed a man. No more than Abigail Ann Bartlet. And he was very grateful that he was her man. He said a silent prayer that she would continue to want him.
Abbey returned from the bathroom dressed only in his pajama top. "I'm not too old for what I have in mind. Are you?"
He knew instantly that tonight he would get lucky. If only his daughters understood that feeling. Oh hell, well maybe not Zoey or Ellie. And Liz probably understood already about getting lucky. She had two children.
"You look beautiful, Annie." Doug was the proud father, snapping pictures of her and her date. Tom was eighteen years old and a senior that Annie had only recently met, but was in love with. At least those were her words. He and Liz had met Tom's parents and they had given their permission for this particular date. They seemed like good people. He was a lawyer and she was a nurse. Solid professions.
He looked over at Liz and knew she was fighting back tears. This was such a special occasion in Annie's life and Liz wanted her to remember this all her life.
After many pictures, Doug and Liz kissed their daughter goodnight and wished them well. Annie had been given permission to extend her curfew to three am, after the prom and the traditional breakfast. She was ecstatic about this one time permission. Usually she had to be in at midnight on a non-school night. Annie was eager to prove to her parents that she was grown and capable of doing adult things. And this night would be the first step.
Although an agent was going to accompany the couple, Liz and Doug had specially requested that she keep her distance as much as possible. They both wanted Annie and Tom to have fun like regular teenagers.
"I feel so lonely."
"I understand." Liz and Doug were sitting in the den after the couple had left for the dance.
"Our little girl is growing up."
"Yeah. Too fast."
"We still have Gus."
"Yeah, but he's not Daddy's little girl."
Liz laughed at that remark. "No, Doug, He certainly is not that."