"Abbey."
She gasped softly, startled at hearing his voice.
"Jed?"
He cleared his throat before speaking, trying to rid the emotion that he knew would lace his voice so obviously.
"How are you?" Jed asked, casually.
Abbey was genuinely surprised by the nonchalance. That's what he had to say to her? 'How are you'? She would have been grateful for a 'What the hell is going on!' But she took it in stride and matched his nonchalance.
"Just fine. How are you? I heard that you…" She trailed off, knowing he would be able to interpret her ambiguity.
"Yeah. It was no big deal."
"You're all right then?"
This time she wasn't able to hide the concern in her voice, and she knew he noticed it. He was sincerely touched by it, but his determination not to let it show prevailed.
"I'm fine."
"Do you want me to…"
"No. There's nothing you can do."
"Well, I could…"
"Listen," Jed said, loudly, overlapping her usually timid and weak voice. "The reason I had Leo put you on the phone. I heard Millie was with you. It's important that I speak with her. Could you put her on the phone please?"
He was touched by her concern, but at the same time, it angered him. If she so obviously cared for him, why had she done this? Why had she sacrificed their marriage? It seemed downright hypocritical to Jed. As much as he loved her, he couldn't let her walk all over him. Jed Bartlet may be a whipped man, but he's not spineless either.
This caught Abbey completely off-guard. Her husband's cold, aloof tone sent chills down her spine. This wasn't the same man she had left over a month ago. She was responsible for it. She had thought, even if only for a fraction of a second, that she was ready for a reconciliation. She had considered telling him to rip up the separation papers, that she was coming home on the next plane. But not now. No. He had shown her that a reconciliation was not an option anymore. He didn't want her.
"I…" She couldn't object. She would have to comply without question, unperturbed. "Of course. I'll just go get her."
"Thanks," Jed replied, gruffly.
Abbey carefully placed the phone down on the table and stood still for a moment, reflecting on the past minute or two. Opportunity had just knocked on her door, and she had ignored it. And when it knocked on Jed's, he simply told it to go away. She shook herself out of her reverie and walked into the next room, where her daughter and her best friend were waiting.
"Millie."
They both looked up and saw her standing in the doorway, looking a little stunned.
"How'd it go?"
"He'd like to speak to you."
"Who? Leo?"
"No," Abbey replied. "Jed."
London, England
"Guys, I'm just going down the hall," Zoey Bartlet said, gesturing for her agents to stay put.
She walked briskly around the eleventh floor of the hotel, with her cell phone pressed to her ear.
"Come on, Liz, answer. Answer!" She whispered, urgently.
"Hello?"
Close enough. Not Liz, but Annie.
"Hi, Annie."
"Aunt Zoey!"
"How are you, honey?" Zoey asked.
"I'm okay. How are you?"
"Fine. Listen, I'd love to talk with you but I really need to discuss something with your mother. Is she around?"
"Yeah, hold on I'll get her," Annie said.
"Thanks."
"Aunt Zoey?"
"Yeah."
"What's going on with Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Um, I think you'd better ask your mom about that, Annie."
"Fine. Hold on."
Zoey waited, rather impatient at that, for a minute or two before her oldest sister picked up the phone.
"Zoey?"
"Liz."
"What's going on? You sound terrible," Elizabeth observed.
"Thanks for that. And I'd like to ask you the same thing."
"What?"
"What the hell's going on there!" Zoey exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?"
"Mom just got off the phone with Dad, and now she's in her room and won't speak to anyone!"
"Wait a second. Whoa there. Mom and Dad…talked? Like, to each other? On the phone?"
"Yes! Next thing I knew, she was putting Millie on the phone and locking herself in her room. Tell me what happened."
"Zoey, just because I'm in the U.S. doesn't mean I know what's going on everywhere in the country. I'm in Manchester, remember? Dad's in Washington."
"Oh. Right. I'm sorry. I just…I don't know. I don't understand what's going on."
"You didn't hear them talking?"
"Millie and I were in the next room. Mom called to talk to Leo, and apparently Leo put Dad on the phone," Zoey explained.
"And then he wanted to talk to Millie."
"Yes."
"Well, damn," Liz muttered.
"That's what you have to say?"
"Yeah. What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know."
"How are things with Oliver?"
"Liz!" Zoey exclaimed.
"What!"
"I have to go call Ellie. She's left me about five voicemails in the last two days."
"You haven't spoken to her!" Liz said.
"No…"
"Well…good luck."
"Why?"
"Ellie's got some…news for ya, sis."
"Great."