Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: On My Honor
Chapter 6
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: During a late-night card game, Abbey became concerned about Leo's excessive drinking and his sudden rebound the following morning
Summary: Jed and Abbey's spontaneous morning tryst doesn't go exactly as they hoped; Abbey convinced Jed to talk to Leo about his drinking
Author's Note: Thank you so much for the feedback!
In her short white terrycloth robe, Abbey walked across the hardwood floor of the master bedroom on her way to the three-mirrored Victorian vanity in the corner. She released her wet, springy curls from the towel on top of her head and delicately dabbed at the excess moisture on her face as she sat on the plush-cushioned cherry wood stool.
"I'm just saying..." she called out to Jed who was still shaving in front of the bathroom sink. "I didn't get anywhere and I think it's your turn."
"I didn't realize we were taking turns here," he replied.
"You know what I mean."
He stepped out, wiping away the remnants of the water and shaving cream. "He's not one of our daughters, Abbey. This is Leo. He's a grown man with his own life, his own career, and his own family."
"I'm not asking you to lecture him, Jed. Just talk to him." She watched him reach for a sealed garment bag and head back to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. "Jed?"
"What?"
"Acknowledge that I just spoke to you."
"I heard you."
"And?"
"I'll think about it."
Facing the mirror, Abbey ran a comb through her tangled tresses. "It's not that I'm saying he's an incompetent drunk. I'm saying he's on a dangerous road. I've never seen anyone drink that much without getting sick or, at the very least, feeling some affect of the alcohol the next day."
"I've been with him the last two days, Abbey. He hasn't had a drink since Saturday night."
"He spent most of the day yesterday with his Boston clients, so you don't know that. And even if it was true, being an alcoholic doesn't mean you drink every second of every day. It means that when you do drink, you overindulge."
"Thanks for the vocabulary lesson," he sarcastically replied.
She rolled her eyes, but ignored him. "What are you doing in there?"
"Changing."
"Why in private?" Jed had never been shy before.
"Because." Slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door. Dressed in brown cotton trousers and a white-buttoned shirt with little specs of brown, he presented himself to her.
His swagger was slightly different. Different, yet unmistakably Jed Bartlet. The familiar glow radiated from his face, energizing each and every step as he modeled the outfit in half-turns in front of the armoire. It even added a bit of vulnerability to the way he stood still and waited for her approval, his curiosity so genuine that she couldn't help but resist a laugh in favor of a sweet smile.
"That's your Brownie leader uniform?"
"Yeah, it looks okay, doesn't it?
"Better than okay." Her eyes wandered from his shoulders down to his toes as he strutted around the room. "You look like quite the outdoorsman."
"And check this out." He pulled on his shirt to reveal the brown embossed leather belt and silver-tone buckle. "Pretty nice, huh?"
"You know what's even nicer?"
"What's that?"
"You." She rose to her feet and pranced into his arms, immediately pushing aside a stubborn strand of hair that danced at his lashes. "I always love it when you're excited like this, but right now, I love it even more because I know how much it means to Ellie."
"It means a lot to me too. I had a lot of fun last weekend."
"I know. She told me all about the astronomy lesson and how you're going to help them earn their badge. You're a born teacher, Jed."
"Oh, Abbey, if you had seen their faces light up when we started talking about the stars...so full of life, so interested, so...I can't even describe it. It's the kind of thing that drew me to teaching in the first place."
"It doesn't surprise me that they were hanging on to your every word. You're absolutely charming when you're teaching."
"Just when I'm teaching?" He leaned forward and kissed her perky pink lips, then backed out of her hold and turned around. "Seriously, though, this thing isn't too tight? I don't want to look ridiculous."
Her gaze fell to his rear and the loose-fitting material that hid his sexy curve. "No, it could definitely stand to be a little tighter."
He spun around to face her. "I have a feeling you're not looking objectively."
"I'm never objective when it comes to you, Darling." She stepped towards him, once again, trapping him into an embrace as she clasped her hands around his neck. "You're always incredibly handsome to me."
"Now you're just trying to butter me up."
"Is it working?" She grabbed the hands he tried to resist wrapping around her waist and mischievously placed them along her hips.
"Like a charm." He pressed his lips to hers again and this time, she pushed her body into his until the backs of his knees hit the edge of the mattress and he was forced onto the bed. He reclined voluntarily, his playful yank inviting her to crawl on top of him.
"You'll talk to Leo?" she asked as her warm frame covered his and wet spirals of hair tickled his cheeks.
"You have a genuine mean streak in you, Abigail. You know I can't resist you like this."
Abbey frantically fingered the buttons on his shirt, snapping them apart as quickly as she could. Her palms invaded his flesh and little crescent indentations marked his chest as she circled around every pressure point that stirred the lust in his nether regions. "Why would you want to?"
Jed gasped as he surrendered to her manipulation and buried his head into the mattress, allowing her only a moment to roam his body. "Who said I wanted to?"
"You were much more willing last night."
"Last night..." he trailed off as her hands covered the bulge in his pants. "Last night, you played fair, without ulterior motives."
"Are you accusing me of taking advantage of you?" She seductively kneaded the muscles around his erection.
He took a deep breath and composed himself long enough to catch Abbey by surprise. He grabbed her shapely hips and rolled them both to the side, positioning himself on top after the whirl. "I'm not complaining."
They squirmed to the middle of the bed so their feet were no longer dangling off the edge. She wrapped her legs around him and hooked her ankles at his rear as her hands pulled on his neck to lower his face to her lips.
Jed's hot breath blasted through the drops of water that had trickled off her dark locks and on to her shoulders. Abbey spread a barrage of tender kisses across his cheeks as he maneuvered his way towards her ear. He stopped himself then. Relaxing a portion of his weight over her thighs, he raised his head to stare deep into her sparkling eyes.
"What?"
He cleared the damp bangs that covered her forehead. Wet hair cascading around her makeup-free skin always brought out her natural glow. "Nothing. Your hair's wet and you're just so beautiful."
His mouth suddenly covered hers as his hands worked the robe that still sheltered her from full-fledged exposure. With one tug on the belt, it opened and she felt his clothed lower body rubbing against her naked skin. His head dipped into her shoulder, grinding against her voluptuous breasts. She returned every kiss, succumbed to every touch, her back arching as familiar moans escaped from deep within her lungs.
His hands fell between their frames and nudged them apart as he unsuccessfully struggled to undo his belt, sitting up when it proved to be a futile attempt. Abbey entangled their fingers to help him release the buckle. Instantly captivated by the image engraved on the metal, her ragged breaths slowed to a deeper, more controlled rhythm.
"Abbey?" Confused by her sudden pause, Jed remained still
"Sorry, it's just..." She slipped her thumb under the buckle. "It's a Girl Scout. You have a Girl Scout on your belt."
"It's my uniform." He glanced down at the profile that defined the official Girl Scout logo.
"Yeah, but it makes you look so...virtuous...and it's giving me the creeps."
"What?"
"I mean, in this position, what we're about to do...I'm saying I'd just prefer that right now, in this situation, you didn't have a Girl Scout on your belt."
"I'm getting rid of the belt." He pulled on the end, forcing it to tunnel through the loops around his waist. "Better?"
"Much." She held out her arms to him, but he hesitated. "What's wrong?"
"You're right. This whole outfit has just gotta go."
"Jed, hurry up. We have to be quick."
"Isn't that my line?" He wiggled out of his pants, his sky blue boxers falling along with them. "Where were we?"
Abbey turned her head to give him better access to her neck as he continued the passionate assault down her body. Flipping the sides of the robe that was still snuggled around her, his hands slid under her hips and guided her up towards him. She defiantly resisted the urge, choosing instead to massage his anatomy with hers for a little longer. Sensing his patience rapidly declining, she relaxed in his arms and let him take the lead.
"What are you doing up, Pretty Girl? You wanna go downstairs with me?" Like a cold bucket of water, Lizzie's voice echoed through the room, startling both Jed and Abbey.
His defenses already low, Jed collapsed on top of his wife, trembling with confusion at the sound that ravaged their intimate encounter. "What the hell was that?"
"It's the baby monitor. She must be in Zoey's nursery," Abbey answered as she impatiently turned towards the nightstand and twisted the dial to lower the volume slightly. "There. Now where were we?"
"What if something happens?"
"It's not off. I just turned it down a little."
He took a much softer, gentler approach this time. The fire that fueled his desire had already been extinguished, leaving him to rebuild the momentum as he raced against the clock. He ran the tips of his fingers along her inner thighs, stopping at her center to invade the depths of her femininity. Just as he predicted, the moans that erupted from her sweet lips as she writhed beneath him, sweating in ecstasy, was enough to launch him on the path towards the climax they both needed.
He banished everything else from his mind and leaned back to position himself, his fingers now anchoring her hips as her pulse raced in preparation for what was coming.
"Are you bringing her downstairs, Liz?" Though quieter, Leo's voice was just as disturbing as Lizzie's had been. Jed tried to ignore it. His wavering concentration in jeopardy, he tightened his grasp on Abbey.
"Lizzie, can I hold her?" Ellie asked.
"She's too heavy for you, El."
"You know what, I can't do it!" It was pointless. Defeated, Jed exhaled sadly and released his hold.
"It's not going to happen."
"No, it's not. Not this morning." He fell to her side and adoringly wrapped her damp curls around his fingers as she cuddled up closer to him, their hearts beats lagging in frustration.
"Hang on a sec." Abbey turned away from him, snatched the baby monitor off the nightstand, and hurled it at the wall before squirming into his arms again. "Okay."
"You should have thought of that 10 minutes ago." Jed winked at her.
Outside the door, Leo pressed his ear to the frame and knocked lightly. "Is everything okay in there?"
"Yeah," Jed called out to his friend. "We're fine, Leo."
"We heard a crash or something."
"Everything's fine. We'll be out soon." He locked eyes with Abbey. "Tonight?"
"Tonight," she confirmed as she lifted her head to steal another kiss.
Several minutes later, the duo made their way downstairs, Jed dressed in gray slacks and a royal blue dress shirt, the same color as Abbey's tight silk ribbed sweater that she wore with a pair of form-fitting black pants. Her sexy doctor pants, Jed called them as he admired the way they gripped the swells in her hips and followed a slim line down to her calves.
He trailed just a step behind her, watching her closely as she sped up the pace and walked right past her usual detour - Zoey's nursery - just in time to interrupt the scene playing out downstairs.
"El, after I pass to you, you pass to Uncle Leo, he'll throw to me and we'll race to the sink." Lizzie fired the ball towards her little sister, her eyes widening when her mother intercepted it.
"Let's not and say we did," Abbey looked sternly at herughter. "What did I tell you about basketball in the house?"
Lizzie sighed. "That the ball stays in my room and doesn't leave my hands until I'm outside."
"And you are..."
"Inside." Liz unclenched her teeth. "Okay, okay."
Smiling, Abbey tossed her the ball. "When I get home tonight, I'll play you."
"Really?" It didn't matter that Abbey really wasn't good at playing basketball or that her awkward throws always seemed to land anywhere except the basket. Liz just enjoyed spending time with her mother.
"As long as you don't mind teaching me a few tricks."
"I don't mind at all!"
Abbey had to admit she was touched by the way Lizzie's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Lizzie, herself, was surprised that a simple basketball game would make her so happy. It was something her teenaged friends didn't understand - quality time with Mom. But then, none of her friends had a doctor for a mother.
Her marriage wasn't the only thing that felt the burden of Abbey's long hospital hours. Her relationship with her daughters occasionally suffered as well.
"Mommy, will you play with me too?" Ellie tugged on Abbey's arm to get her attention.
"I'll play you tomorrow night, Goldilocks. Tonight, you have a Scout meeting, don't you?"
"That's right," Jed interjected. "I need to get some use out of that uniform, so don't disappoint me and tell me we're not going."
"We're going," Ellie giggled.
Feeling left out in her play pen, 21-month-old Zoey called for her father. "DADDY!"
"Oh, Sunshine, we didn't forget about you." Abbey reached for the baby before Jed could get to her. "Thanks for bringing her down, Lizzie."
"I didn't plan to, but when I checked on her, she stood up in her crib as soon as she saw me."
"Yes, we know." There was more than just a hint of irritation in Jed's response, provoking a laugh from Abbey.
"Zoey's just lucky to have a big sister who takes such good care of her." Abbey passed Zoey off to Jed when she extended her tiny arms towards him. "There you go. You get to be with Daddy while I start breakfast."
"Uncle Leo already made breakfast," Lizzie informed her.
Jed and Abbey turned their attention to Leo. Standing in the corner of the room, he had purposely faded into the background as he observed the family interaction. "Just some eggs and toast."
"You didn't have to do that," Abbey responded.
"You guys were running late. I figured I could help out. I hope that's okay. I know you enjoy cooking together."
"Today, cooking probably would have been a disaster because of the time, so thank you. That was very nice, especially since it's my first day back at work after a week of the chicken pox."
"Yeah, way to get her out of the house faster." Jed lightheartedly confronted Leo. "If I needed your help, I would have asked for it."
Leo grinned. "Like you ever ask anyone for help."
"Ignore him, Leo. He's just cranky because he didn't get what he wanted this morning." Abbey led them towards the kitchen table.
"And why is that?" Jed challenged, pulling up a chair directly across from her. "I'll tell you why..."
"Honey." Abbey tilted her head towards Lizzie and Ellie, each sitting beside Jed, and Zoey, still cradled in his arms. "Maybe you want to put Zoey in her high chair?"
"She doesn't like her high chair. She likes it when I hold her." Jed cherished the fact that Zoey was Daddy's little girl. She was as attached to him as Lizzie was when she was a baby. As attached as Ellie was to Abbey. As attached as he wished Ellie had been to him.
"I know she likes it when you hold her, but it's harder for you to eat that way."
"I'll be fine, won't I, Zoey?" All it took was one look for Zoey to smile at him. "Was this how Mallory was with you?"
"All the time," Leo answered. "When she was a baby, I couldn't go anywhere without her or else she'd throw a tantrum."
"Sounds like Lizzie," Abbey replied. "That's exactly how she was when Jed was in grad school. I was the one home with her all day, but she belonged to him."
"When did I grow out of it?" Lizzie asked.
"You haven't," both Jed and Abbey responded. Ellie gave her mother a silent look of support.
"They always have their favorites." Leo's laugh changed abruptly. His smile turned into a frown and he quickly lowered his head to his plate. "Mallory grew out of it, that's for sure. She's one-hundred percent Jenny's now."
Abbey turned an expressive eye towards her husband. He caught the signal immediately. "Leo, what time are you going to be done with your client?"
"Early afternoon probably."
"We haven't spent much time together. I'll be home around four and Ellie and I aren't leaving until 5:30. We'll catch up over dinner?"
"That depends. Are you cooking?"
"Yes." Jed glared at him.
"Is he any good?" Leo asked Abbey.
"Compared to me? What do you think?"
Under the table, Jed pinched her foot with his toes. "I'm a gourmet chef compared to you."
"Eh, I'll give him a chance," Leo agreed. "He has to be better at it than I am."
"How high is that bar?" Abbey teased, amused by the disgruntled look Leo shot her way.
"I'm beginning to understand why Jed enjoys giving you a hard time."
"I knew you would," Jed replied with the triumphant smirk he directed at his wife. "Everyone comes around to my side eventually."
The breakfast table discussion buzzed from topic to topic. From Jed and Abbey's trivial banter to Lizzie's basketball tryouts to Ellie's ideas for her Space Exploration Badge to Zoey's check-up which was quickly approaching, Leo involved himself as much as possible. Seemingly upbeat, his cheery disposition was enough to alleviate Jed's concern, at least temporarily.
It wasn't until hours later that it hit him. Jed returned home, ready to broach the sensitive conversation in hopes of offering help and support. He prepared dinner by himself and set the kitchen table for Liz and Ellie while he waited for Leo in the formal dining room, a more private, appropriate setting for what Jed had in mind.
As the minutes passed without any sign of Leo, it became obvious he wouldn't make it home before Ellie's Scout meeting. Perhaps he was just running late, Jed thought. Or maybe he was caught in the relentless rush-hour traffic between Boston and Manchester. Maybe the case that had lured him out of Chicago was more complicated than he originally explained.
Or maybe it was something else.
Jed used every excuse as a reprieve, desperately searching for a reason as to why he hadn't heard from Leo. But, eventually, even Jed had to chip away at the stubborn optimism that skewed his judgment. A few calls to Leo's Boston office went unanswered. Not because he wasn't there, but because, as Jed finally realized, avoidance wasn't just a character flaw of his. It was also one of Leo's.
TBC