Three hours later, it was after midnight and most of the guests had retreated. The only people left were Jed, Abbey, Liz, Ellie, Zoey, and Julia. Technically, they had paid the hotel to clean up, but they didn't feel right leaving without at least helping a little. Zoey was sleeping in a chair, Ellie was eating leftovers of cake, and Liz was sitting in the corner ruminating.
"Hey, Abbey," Julia called, speed walking up to her.
"Yeah"
"Look over there," she said, pointing to Liz.
"Yeah"
"It's Liz"
"I know it's Liz, Julia, but what about her"
"Something's wrong with her." "It's been a long night, she's fine." "If you say so." Jed walked over to them, holding open a trash bag. Abbey threw in some soiled paper plates and napkins.
"Hey, look at Liz," Julia said to him.
"Jul, give it up!" Abbey insisted.
"What about her?" Jed asked. "She look ok to you"
"She looks a little tired but"
"You guys are jaded," Julia commented.
Before Abbey and Jed could respond, Liz walked over to the three of them.
"Mom, Dad, could I talk to you now?" Liz questioned, nervously.
"Sure, honey. Julia, will you stay here with Ellie and Zoey for a few minutes?" Abbey asked.
"Yeah, go ahead." Abbey, Jed, and Liz walked off to a little room near the ballroom. Jed and Abbey sat down on a couch and Liz stood in front of them.
"Are ya gonna sit down?" Jed asked her.
"Uh, no, I don't think so. I think I should stand," Liz answered.
Jed thought she seemed remarkably grown-up, but she was still his little girl and he didn't like the fact that she was wearing a mini-skirt and tank top- even if she was wearing a jacket over it. Her hair was a deep, almost brown, auburn color and it was cut so that it only reached her chin. She styled it so that it was uneven and flipped up at places, a more punk than oldschool look. Liz was your typical '80's teenager, complete with dark makeup and a plethora of punk accessories. Abbey couldn't stand the wait any longer.
"Sweetie, is this about the Global Youth Leadership convention?" She questioned, anxiously. "Uh, no, Mom…it's really not," Liz answered.
Jed looked over at his wife and almost laughed, but Abbey was clearly disappointed.
"Just tell us, Liz, the suspense is killing me," Jed said. "Um…yeah. Ok. Wow"
"Come on, Liz, just say it. It can't be that hard," Abbey said.
"You have no idea"
"Then tell us already"
"Ok, let me just give my speech first," Liz insisted.
Jed and Abbey sighed, but consented.
"I just want to say that I know this is hard and I don't expect you to be thrilled or anything. You can be mad, it's ok, I understand. I mean, I look around at Ellie and Zoey and see how young they are and then I think about me and I'm just…wow. I can't believe this is happening to me"
"Liz, you're scaring us," Abbey said, worry plain in her voice. "I know, I'm sorry, I just…can't find a way to come clean about this and just say it and be straight"
"You really need to try, honey, or we're both gonna have heart attacks," Jed said. "Ok. Let's just say…ohhh…" She moaned unpleasantly at the thought of having to tell her parents her secret. "Let's just say that Zoey is going to be the youngest aunt in the history of the world." Jed and Abbey held their breaths, then looked at each other. No. She couldn't mean that. They must have misunderstood what their sixteen-year-old daughter was trying to tell them. "I'm sorry, what?" Abbey said, in a daze.
"I said I'm…well, I'm…pregnant"
Her parents sat perfectly still, staring straight ahead, jaws hanging wide open in utter shock. They were speechless. "Guys, say something. Please." So many thoughts were swirling through their minds at that moment; it seemed impossible to coherently put together any kind of sentence. Then, Abbey tried to speak, but no words would come out. "Mom?" "Uh…I…you…you're"
"Yes. I am." "I…I don't…what!" Suddenly, Jed spoke, albeit quietly.
"I…I don't understand"
"You don't understand what, Dad?" Liz was trying to be as understanding as she could, given the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her parents.
"I don't understand how the HELL this happened!" Jed exclaimed. "I'm not gonna tell you how it happens, Dad, you know how it happens. You've got three kids for God's sake." "No, I don't understand how this happened to you"
"Jed…" Abbey said, with warning in her voice. But he continued.
"How could you let his happen, Elizabeth? You…you must have been fifteen when you…you…you know!" "Well, yeah. I mean, it wasn't something we planned"
"We? Who the hell is we!" Jed shouted.
"Come on, Dad, you don't think I could get myself knocked up on my own, do ya"
"Liz, this is really not the best time to show off your comedic flair," Abbey said, hardly looking at her daughter. "What the hell ever happened to abstinence!" Jed cried out, his anger obviously getting the best of him.
"I told you, we didn't plan it"
"Don't give me that bullshit, Elizabeth, that's no excuse"
"I know it's not an excuse but"
"Who is he"
"Who is who?" Elizabeth asked.
"Who do you think"
"Oh. Ben Silverman"
"You've gotta be kidding me. You have GOT to be KIDDING me! His son-of-a-bitch father is one of the Republican Senators on the Hill. Jesus Christ," Jed said, losing control. He hardly even knew where he was anymore. His head was spinning.
"Jed, don't"
"Where are your morals, Elizabeth Bartlet? I thought you said you were going to abstain"
"Mom wasn't a virgin when you guys got married!" Liz exclaimed, finally getting angry herself. "Well, your mother wasn't brought up in the church like you were. I practiced abstinence until I got married"
"I'm not you, Dad!" "No. You most certainly are not"
"Jed"
"WHAT"
Abbey patted his hand and stood up.
"Come on, let's go home"
"I am not leaving this room until this is resolved!" He protested, stubbornly.
"Jed, this is a problem with no solution. We're not going to get anywhere with this. Let's just go home, cool down, and we'll all sit and talk about this in the morning when we've had a chance to gather our thoughts." Liz nodded.
"I think that's a good idea," she said.
"Fine," Jed agreed, reluctantly, standing up.
"There we go. Come on," Abbey said, putting her hand on his shoulder and leading him out of the room.
When they re-entered the ballroom, Elizabeth trailing far behind, they found Ellie and Zoey sitting with Julia, ready to go. "Hey, Julia," Abbey whispered to her sister. "Do me a favor and drive Liz home for me"
"What about the other girls"
"I'll take them with me. Jed's gonna take his car"
"Why can't either of you take Liz?" Julia asked.
"Just…please take her, Julia. I don't think I can see her right now," Abbey admitted. "Just drop her off at our house and ask her to go to straight to her room"
"Ok, sure, whatever you want. You'll tell me tomorrow"
"Yeah," Abbey answered. "Tomorrow"
"Ok. Liz, come on." Abbey walked over to Ellie and Zoey and told them to go wait in the car, and they complied without question. They could tell something was up. Once they were gone, Abbey approached Jed and put her hand on his arm.
"You drive your car home and just blow off some steam. I'll take the girls with me so you can have some time to yourself to think. We'll talk about this when you get home"
"Ok," he agreed, softly.
"Ok," she smiled, reassuringly, then left.
"Yeah"
"Look over there," she said, pointing to Liz.
"Yeah"
"It's Liz"
"I know it's Liz, Julia, but what about her"
"Something's wrong with her." "It's been a long night, she's fine." "If you say so." Jed walked over to them, holding open a trash bag. Abbey threw in some soiled paper plates and napkins.
"Hey, look at Liz," Julia said to him.
"Jul, give it up!" Abbey insisted.
"What about her?" Jed asked. "She look ok to you"
"She looks a little tired but"
"You guys are jaded," Julia commented.
Before Abbey and Jed could respond, Liz walked over to the three of them.
"Mom, Dad, could I talk to you now?" Liz questioned, nervously.
"Sure, honey. Julia, will you stay here with Ellie and Zoey for a few minutes?" Abbey asked.
"Yeah, go ahead." Abbey, Jed, and Liz walked off to a little room near the ballroom. Jed and Abbey sat down on a couch and Liz stood in front of them.
"Are ya gonna sit down?" Jed asked her.
"Uh, no, I don't think so. I think I should stand," Liz answered.
Jed thought she seemed remarkably grown-up, but she was still his little girl and he didn't like the fact that she was wearing a mini-skirt and tank top- even if she was wearing a jacket over it. Her hair was a deep, almost brown, auburn color and it was cut so that it only reached her chin. She styled it so that it was uneven and flipped up at places, a more punk than oldschool look. Liz was your typical '80's teenager, complete with dark makeup and a plethora of punk accessories. Abbey couldn't stand the wait any longer.
"Sweetie, is this about the Global Youth Leadership convention?" She questioned, anxiously. "Uh, no, Mom…it's really not," Liz answered.
Jed looked over at his wife and almost laughed, but Abbey was clearly disappointed.
"Just tell us, Liz, the suspense is killing me," Jed said. "Um…yeah. Ok. Wow"
"Come on, Liz, just say it. It can't be that hard," Abbey said.
"You have no idea"
"Then tell us already"
"Ok, let me just give my speech first," Liz insisted.
Jed and Abbey sighed, but consented.
"I just want to say that I know this is hard and I don't expect you to be thrilled or anything. You can be mad, it's ok, I understand. I mean, I look around at Ellie and Zoey and see how young they are and then I think about me and I'm just…wow. I can't believe this is happening to me"
"Liz, you're scaring us," Abbey said, worry plain in her voice. "I know, I'm sorry, I just…can't find a way to come clean about this and just say it and be straight"
"You really need to try, honey, or we're both gonna have heart attacks," Jed said. "Ok. Let's just say…ohhh…" She moaned unpleasantly at the thought of having to tell her parents her secret. "Let's just say that Zoey is going to be the youngest aunt in the history of the world." Jed and Abbey held their breaths, then looked at each other. No. She couldn't mean that. They must have misunderstood what their sixteen-year-old daughter was trying to tell them. "I'm sorry, what?" Abbey said, in a daze.
"I said I'm…well, I'm…pregnant"
Her parents sat perfectly still, staring straight ahead, jaws hanging wide open in utter shock. They were speechless. "Guys, say something. Please." So many thoughts were swirling through their minds at that moment; it seemed impossible to coherently put together any kind of sentence. Then, Abbey tried to speak, but no words would come out. "Mom?" "Uh…I…you…you're"
"Yes. I am." "I…I don't…what!" Suddenly, Jed spoke, albeit quietly.
"I…I don't understand"
"You don't understand what, Dad?" Liz was trying to be as understanding as she could, given the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her parents.
"I don't understand how the HELL this happened!" Jed exclaimed. "I'm not gonna tell you how it happens, Dad, you know how it happens. You've got three kids for God's sake." "No, I don't understand how this happened to you"
"Jed…" Abbey said, with warning in her voice. But he continued.
"How could you let his happen, Elizabeth? You…you must have been fifteen when you…you…you know!" "Well, yeah. I mean, it wasn't something we planned"
"We? Who the hell is we!" Jed shouted.
"Come on, Dad, you don't think I could get myself knocked up on my own, do ya"
"Liz, this is really not the best time to show off your comedic flair," Abbey said, hardly looking at her daughter. "What the hell ever happened to abstinence!" Jed cried out, his anger obviously getting the best of him.
"I told you, we didn't plan it"
"Don't give me that bullshit, Elizabeth, that's no excuse"
"I know it's not an excuse but"
"Who is he"
"Who is who?" Elizabeth asked.
"Who do you think"
"Oh. Ben Silverman"
"You've gotta be kidding me. You have GOT to be KIDDING me! His son-of-a-bitch father is one of the Republican Senators on the Hill. Jesus Christ," Jed said, losing control. He hardly even knew where he was anymore. His head was spinning.
"Jed, don't"
"Where are your morals, Elizabeth Bartlet? I thought you said you were going to abstain"
"Mom wasn't a virgin when you guys got married!" Liz exclaimed, finally getting angry herself. "Well, your mother wasn't brought up in the church like you were. I practiced abstinence until I got married"
"I'm not you, Dad!" "No. You most certainly are not"
"Jed"
"WHAT"
Abbey patted his hand and stood up.
"Come on, let's go home"
"I am not leaving this room until this is resolved!" He protested, stubbornly.
"Jed, this is a problem with no solution. We're not going to get anywhere with this. Let's just go home, cool down, and we'll all sit and talk about this in the morning when we've had a chance to gather our thoughts." Liz nodded.
"I think that's a good idea," she said.
"Fine," Jed agreed, reluctantly, standing up.
"There we go. Come on," Abbey said, putting her hand on his shoulder and leading him out of the room.
When they re-entered the ballroom, Elizabeth trailing far behind, they found Ellie and Zoey sitting with Julia, ready to go. "Hey, Julia," Abbey whispered to her sister. "Do me a favor and drive Liz home for me"
"What about the other girls"
"I'll take them with me. Jed's gonna take his car"
"Why can't either of you take Liz?" Julia asked.
"Just…please take her, Julia. I don't think I can see her right now," Abbey admitted. "Just drop her off at our house and ask her to go to straight to her room"
"Ok, sure, whatever you want. You'll tell me tomorrow"
"Yeah," Abbey answered. "Tomorrow"
"Ok. Liz, come on." Abbey walked over to Ellie and Zoey and told them to go wait in the car, and they complied without question. They could tell something was up. Once they were gone, Abbey approached Jed and put her hand on his arm.
"You drive your car home and just blow off some steam. I'll take the girls with me so you can have some time to yourself to think. We'll talk about this when you get home"
"Ok," he agreed, softly.
"Ok," she smiled, reassuringly, then left.