Representative Jed Bartlet, Senator Leo McGarry, and Congresswoman Jennifer McGarry were no exception. In fact, they sat as close to the stage as humanly possible. The students were seated on one side of the auditorium, with friends and family seated opposite them. Abbey sat in between Jed and Jenny, with Zoey on her lap, and Ellie sitting beside Jed, all of them dressed to the nines.
"Mommy, when is it gonna be Lizzie's turn?" Zoey whispered, impatiently, while the other names were called.
"Soon, baby doll," Abbey replied.
"I want it to be Lizzie's turn NOW!"
"Shh, Zo, it's almost Liz's turn."
"Candace L. Ballins. James M. Bannister. Michael J. Barnes. Elizabeth A. Bartlet."
Elizabeth smiled and stood when he name was called and started walking up to the stage. Both the Bartlets and the McGarrys were beaming as they clapped wildly.
Suddenly, through the roar of the crowd, a sinister voice shouted, "SLUT!"
Elizabeth stopped in her tracks on her way up the steps to the stage. The applause stopped and the room became silent as everyone turned to the back of the auditorium where the voice had come from.
Jed started to stand, but Abbey held him down, putting her hand in front of his chest.
A couple of boys in the back, including the one who had done the damage, began snickering, before noticing that the entire auditorium was focused upon them. A few teachers immediately walked toward them and lead them out of the auditorium.
The audience turned back to Liz, who was still standing frozen on the stairs. She saw the look of both disgust and shock on Mallory's face and decided she needed to continue on to the stage. She wasn't going to let this blatant act of disrespect hold her back from receiving her award. She took a deep breath, and walked on. As she did so, an overwhelming applause sounded from the audience. She grinned, tears brimming her eyes, as she accepted her award and took her place with the other award winners.
Jed and Abbey exchanged rueful glances before standing up and joining in the applause with everyone else.
After the ceremony, the Bartlets and the McGarrys went out for ice cream. Not one of them brought up the incident back at the school.
When they got home around 11pm, Jed put Ellie and Zoey to bed straight away. They didn't complain; they were exhausted. Abbey sat with Elizabeth on the couch while they waited for Jed to come back down. After a few minutes, he came down and sat in the chair across from Abbey and Liz.
"Looks, guys, I appreciate that you want to help, but I really don't want to talk about this. At least not right now. I'm tired."
"Liz, sweetie, we need to get this out in the open," Abbey insisted.
"Oh I think it's pretty out in the open now, Mom."
"How long has this been going on, Elizabeth?" Jed asked, seriously.
Liz shrugged.
"It's really not as bad as all that, I swear."
"Come on, Liz, it's bad. We were there. We heard it," Jed replied.
"Dad, I just…I really don't want to get into this. It's been a long night. I want to go to bed."
He looked at Abbey; she nodded, half-heartedly.
"Ok. Go on," he granted.
"Thank you. Goodnight, guys." She gave each of them a hug.
"Night, honey."
Elizabeth went upstairs, and Jed and Abbey were left alone.
"I can't take this," Jed said, with exhasperation.
"It's not you they're hurting, Jed, it's Liz."
"When someone hurts my family, they hurt me! You know that, Abbey."
"Yes, I know. But if Liz doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't have to. If she doesn't want to do anything about it, she doesn't have to."
He didn't say anything, he only looked distraught.
"I'm right, Jed. Tell me I'm right."
"You're right," he conceded, sighing. "I just…can't believe what happened tonight. I'm in shock."
"Me too," Abbey agreed, quietly. "I don't remember kids being so cruel when we were school."
"Well, I don't know about you, but we never had a pregnant sophmore at my school."
"We didn't either. At least not that I knew of."
"Oh, Abbey. I don't know what to do with this. I want to…protect her. I want to be her father but…"
"I know, babe. But she became an adult the moment the strip turned pink. She's got thick skin already, and it's only gonna get thicker as time goes on."
"She's still a baby, Abbey. She's my little girl."
She reached over and took his hands in hers.
"It's gonna be ok. Now, come on. Let's go to bed."
Elizabeth sat in front of her dresser and observed her reflection in the mirror. She looked older. Certainly not sixteen. She wouldn't have been surprised if she'd gained a few gray hairs after tonight's ordeal. She placed her award on the top of the dresser and gazed at it with a sad smile on her face.
"With every happiness, there comes a few sorrows."
She quietly laughed.
"Wise words for one so young, Liz," she said to herself.
She then looked over at the framed photograph of her parents that now sat next to the award. It had been taken eleven years earlier- Abbey was but a few months pregnant with Ellie. Liz compared her own face in the mirror to her mother's. Mallory was right; they did look almost to be the spitting image of each other. Abbey's features were a bit finer, her hair a bit darker, her smile more delicate.
Liz considered her mother for a moment. It was rare that she had just taken the time to stop and realize how truly incredible she was. To Liz, she was always just Mom, and was taken for granted like most others of her kind. But Abigail Bartlet was different, and it was only then that this occurred to Elizabeth. She was talented, ambitious, loving, intelligent, funny, and more beautiful than Liz herself could ever hope to be, at least in her own self-deprecating eyes. It was no wonder her parents were still together, Liz decided. Her father would be out of his mind to let her go.
"Ok, Mom," Liz said in a whisper, running her fingers over the glass that shielded the photograph.
"If I ever want to successfully emulate you, I'm going to have to be strong. Stronger. I won't disappoint you. I am going to have this baby and raise it the best way I know how- the way you did."
Abbey Bartlet had no idea her daughter admired her so. She'd never given her any indications that this might be so. But, if she had known how Elizabeth desired to emulate her, she never would have made her next move.