Story: On My Honor
Chapter 18
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed and Abbey offered to chaperone Liz's school dance (chapter 10); Ellie asked Jed to help her learn more about a supernova; Mark confronted Abbey about Jed's press interview, then told Abbey he's leaving New Hampshire
Summary: Jed and Abbey have some fun at Liz's dance; Jed talks to Ellie about the future of his participation with the Girl Scouts
She felt like Cinderella.
Lizzie stepped back from the full-length mirror in her parents' room and held the ends of her party dress out to the sides. Each time she gradually moved the fabric towards the light, a luminous shimmer properly accented the midnight blue velvet. She released her hold and allowed the unrestrained hem to flow around her knees as she took her hands to the thick straps that covered her shoulders.
It was her first formal school dance so everything had to be perfect. Fortunately, Abbey understood. From the exhausting search for an expensive pair of nude pantyhose that would adequately conceal the little nicks she got from shaving her legs for the very first time that morning, to the countless attempts to roll every stubborn strand of hair with hot curlers that afternoon, Abbey had spent the entire day preparing her daughter for this affair.
Now, her legs looked flawless, her long tresses shined with chestnut waves and subtle spirals that framed the edge of her thirteen-year-old face, and as she slipped into a pair of clear one-inch-heeled shoes, Abbey gave her an adoring smile.
"What?" Lizzie asked, returning her mother's smile with one of her own.
"You just look so grown up."
"I am. I'm almost an adult, you know."
"I wouldn't go that far, Baby Doll, " Abbey replied, chuckling. "Ready to go downstairs?"
Liz hesitated. There was one thing left to do. "Ellie, do I really look okay? Be honest."
Ellie, who had been watching quietly from her mother's bed, jumped to the floor to answer. "I think you look like a princess, Lizzie."
Delighted by the response, Liz tilted her head to the side, then turned her appreciative glance from Ellie to Abbey. "Okay, I'm ready."
Downstairs, Jed paced the floor waiting for his wife and daughter while Zoey collected the plastic monkeys that had dropped to the floor when Mrs. Weaver tried to teach her how to play Barrel of Monkeys.
"Daddy pway?" the toddler asked as she lifted one of the game pieces and offered it to him.
"Oh, I can't play right now, Sweetie. We have to go soon. If you ask her nicely, though, maybe Mrs. Weaver will play with you again and if not, then ask Ellie."
Zoey stood then and wobbled over to her father. "I go too."
Jed squatted to her level and brushed her soft baby hair away from her green eyes. "I'm afraid you can't go this time. But tomorrow, I'll take you to the park. Deal?"
"Noooo." Whining, Zoey shook her head and bent her knees in a steady bounce.
"We talked about this, Zo, remember? I told you that Mommy, Lizzie, and I are going out tonight. You're going to stay here with Ellie and Mrs. Weaver." Jed tucked a finger under her chin to lift her head when she awkwardly looked to the ground. "We'll spend all day together tomorrow. Okay?"
With a reluctant nod, her head turned towards the stairs when her father gasped at the sight on the top landing. Lizzie's hand rested on the bannister. Her eyes scanned the room to find Jed and Zoey.
The hall lamp that was lit behind her brought out all the natural highlights in her hair. Her bangs had been pushed off her forehead, teased a bit to give it some body and a little more height. A small nest of brunette locks had been swept from the sides and twisted into a barrette that sat at her crown, revealing the elegant, understated glitter of the diamond stud earrings her parents had given her for her thirteenth birthday.
Jed's stare followed an imaginary path from her head to her toes as he examined the dress. Abbey had approved of a thicker strapped style as opposed to the spaghetti straps Lizzie originally wanted. The waist was slightly tighter than he would have chosen and he would have appreciated a longer length on the skirt, but he was pleased with the way Abbey had reconciled his conservative opinions with Liz's liberal ones.
"Wow. Lizzie, you're just...you're gorgeous."
"You like it?" Liz asked, holding out the sides and whirling around for his inspection.
"I really do." What was more important to him, though, was that she liked it. Her eyes sparkled on this night, probably more than they ever had before.
"Good because Mom and I shopped for eight hours for this."
He held out his hand to her and she began her descent down the stairs, Ellie and Abbey trailing behind. "All three of you look absolutely beautiful!"
"But I'm wearing my pajamas," Ellie replied.
"Even in pajamas, I have the best looking family in the world." He helped Ellie down then took Abbey's arm. "And a wife who's so hot, all the other chaperones are going to be green with envy."
"Not tonight," Abbey said. "All eyes are going to be on our daughter tonight."
Blushing, Liz laughed. "I just hope Jeff likes the way I look."
That's when Jed saw it, the little bit of color that outlined her lips. He squinted as he approached his daughter. "Are you wearing make-up?"
"No," Liz insisted, unconvincingly. She amended her answer rather quickly when she saw Abbey's glare. "It's just chapstick with some gloss."
"Abbey?"
"It's lip gloss, Jed. That's it. No blush. No foundation. No powder. Nothing but lip gloss."
"I don't like it."
"You don't like anything that suggests she's growing up, but she is. I think the color is great on her. It's subtle enough that you didn't even notice it at first."
"I think it looks pretty, Daddy," Ellie added.
"I do too," Abbey agreed. "Don't you, Jed?"
He looked at Abbey, then at Ellie, then at Liz. All three donned the same triumphant expression and Jed was left with only one possible response. "Yeah, it's pretty, but I really hate that I'm outnumbered in this house."
"I hate it too, Darling," Abbey offered, a gleeful smirk betraying her words as she slid her hand into the crook of his arm.
"I can see just how much," he teased. "Just wait until Zoey grows up to agree with everything I say. Then, you'll know what it feels like."
"I'm sure I will. In the meantime, shall we?"
"Yeah, we still have to pick up Jeff," Lizzie reminded them.
"That's right and I'd love to have a little talk with him on the way over." Jed wickedly rubbed his hands together, a gesture he used frequently used to playfully irk his oldest daughter.
"Dad."
"I just want to make sure he knows what happens if he gets too close."
"What happens, Daddy?" Ellie asked.
"Nothing, El," Liz answered.
"Your sister turns into a pumpkin," Jed corrected.
With Jed and Liz bickering in the background, Abbey grabbed her camera to take a few pictures. "Okay, okay, enough. I want some great shots before we go."
"Dr. Bartlet?" Mrs. Weaver interjected. "Why don't I take one of the whole family?"
"That would be lovely. Thank you."
Abbey picked up Zoey and ushered Ellie over to the stairs. The seven-year-old hopped onto the second step just behind Liz while Abbey and Jed took their places on either side of their daughters. Of course when the camera actually flashed, Zoey's head was turned towards the beads that adorned her mother's black dress, distracting Abbey from the lens, Jed focused on the disruption between his wife and youngest daughter, and Ellie was trying to find a step high enough so she could be seen over the top of Liz's teased hair.
Only Lizzie smiled for the photo, seemingly unaffected by the disturbance around her.
Once they were finished, Jed helped Liz and Abbey with their coats, then opened his arms to his both his girls. "Let's get this show on the road."
Ellie raced Zoey to the window to watch as they boarded the car and drove away. Soon, Zoey's concentration wavered and she found her way back to the toys she had pulled out of her toy box. Ellie joined her, plopping down on the floor to help retrieve the plastic monkeys.
"I'll play with you," she told her little sister.
"Okay, but I win."
"You haven't won yet. We have to play first. And anyway, you don't even know how to play this one."
"Daddy says I win when I pway." Zoey furrowed her brows as if pleading with the older girl to give her what she wanted.
She knew she was being manipulated, but without a second thought, Ellie nodded. "Okay, you win."
Zoey clapped her tiny hands and got up to distract herself with the silver Slinky that Mrs. Weaver was holding. Ellie observed the way she quickly changed her mind, then shrugged and devoted her own attention to the chain of monkeys.
At the dance, Liz guided Jeff as far away from her parents as possible. In a corner by the punchbowl, they mingled with another couple for several minutes until Liz urged him to the dance floor. His arm bent at the elbow, his right hand held hers. His touch was stiff and his feet barely moved, a direct result of the nerves that bungled his mind and rendered him silent.
"What's he doing now?" Abbey asked from across the room.
Jed peeked over the top of her head. "He's doing the same thing he was doing a few seconds ago. Standing there and swaying his hips."
"Is she helping to loosen him up?"
"Why don't you turn around and look?"
"Because I don't feel comfortable spying on her!"
"But it's okay for you to ask me to spy on her then report back to you?"
"You're her father. It's expected. Besides, you don't seem to have any objection."
"I don't know about it being expected, but you bet your ass I have no problem spying on my daughter and her so-called date." Jed flung his arm around Abbey's waist and spun her around twice on the way to the dance floor.
"What are you doing?"
"Just work with me here."
"I'm trying."
Her hands snuggled under his jacket, she waltzed around his every step. He rotated them slowly across the floor, allowing a few minutes to pass before they were side-by-side with Liz. Jed didn't concede to Liz's annoyed sigh, nor did he flinch when she protested by pushing her hand against Jeff's to move away from her parents.
Instead, he followed them. "Hey, Lizzie. How's it going?"
"Dad!"
"You made us promise no pictures, so I just want to make sure you're having a good time."
"We're having a great time, Mr. Bartlet," Jeff replied.
"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I like you, Jeff."
"Thank you, Sir."
Abbey tightened her hold around Jed's waist. "And now that your curiosity has been satisfied, we'll leave you guys alone..." She pointed a stern glare towards her husband. "Won't we, Honey?"
With no choice but to agree, Jed led the way towards chaperone corner of the gymnasium, leaving Jeff and Lizzie to resume their dance. Liz rolled her eyes, but Jeff didn't seem to mind the intrusion. In fact, it was a welcomed break from the stress of pretending he knew how to dance.
Meanwhile, far enough away from prying eyes, Abbey lifted her hand and lightheartedly swatted Jed's shoulder. "That wasn't nice."
"Hey! Speaking of not nice..."
She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. "You shouldn't have interrupted them like that."
"I like messing with her. It's a father-daughter thing."
"Mmm hmm. Did you have fun messing with her?"
"I did. Thank you for asking." He peered over her head again, suspicious by another glimpse at Jeff and Liz.
"What is it?"
"I can't tell."
Abbey turned around to see what had captivated her husband's attention. Jeff had stepped back, away from Liz. His lips were moving and his hands fluttered down at his side. Timidly, he seemed to be asking her a question and when he stopped talking, Liz smiled and nodded. Jeff leaned in apprehensively, pulling himself back immediately as his mouth barely touched the corner of hers.
It wasn't clear to either Jed or Abbey whether he was aiming for her lips or her cheek, but they didn't question it. Jed chuckled at the shy, youthful way Jeff retreated when it was over and Abbey simply turned a loving glance to her husband.
"That was cute," he said.
Prompted by the endearing kiss Jeff had just given her daughter, Abbey warmly cuddled up to Jed's chest as one song faded into another. "Do you remember your first school dance?"
"I never went."
"Why not?"
"I didn't know how to dance until after we were married, remember?"
"Yeah, but you danced with me when you met me."
"That's only because I didn't want to risk you finding someone else at that party." Jed closed his eyes and inhaled the strawberry scent of her hair. "Do you remember your first dance?"
"I do. I wasn't much older than Lizzie. His name was Bobby Johnson. The cutest boy I thought I'd ever meet."
Jed relaxed his hold and pulled back to look at her. "Really?"
"Little did I know the cutest boy I'd ever meet wouldn't even cross my path until New Year's Eve 1965." Abbey pushed herself into his embrace once again and Jed held her tighter this time.
"You have no idea how much I love you."
"I think I do, but it's not nearly as much as I love you." His hands slipped down the back of her black beaded dress, finding the sexy slope of her rear. Instantly, Abbey propped them up above her hips. "Hey, G-rated hands. It's a junior high dance."
"We're married. It's allowed."
"Yes, but if you restrain yourself here, you'll be amply rewarded tonight," she promised, cautiously calling out to him when Jed groaned something inaudible. "Jed?"
"Will you wait up for me?"
"Why? You have other plans tonight?"
"Ellie's telescope came today. I want to assemble it when we get home and give it to her tonight."
"She'll probably be asleep by then."
"I'll wake her," he said. "I've been waiting four weeks, Abbey."
His features glowed with excitement and with a spring in his step, he remained entangled in her arms as they danced in their own little corner of the room. Abbey laid her head on his shoulder, the slant of her face meeting his neck and sending pulsating shockwaves through him every time her hot breath tickled his skin.
"Does that feel good?" she mumbled after he squirmed slightly.
"You know exactly what you're doing to me."
She did. And she enjoyed every second of it. Behind his stunning good looks, dazzling personality, and impeccable charm, was a spirit so mesmerized by his three daughters that a surprise four weeks in the making invigorated him with a certain boylike quality.
He couldn't wait to assemble that telescope. The recent tension that surrounded his relationship with Ellie was fading and he hoped this gesture would close the gap between them. It was no secret that he had to work harder when it came to his middle daughter. The natural bond that existed between him and Liz, wasn't as obvious with Ellie. To him, his passion for astronomy was the one thing he shared with Ellie and he was willing to hold on to that for as long as he possibly could.
So when they arrived home later that evening, Jed changed out of his suit and pulled on a pair of sweats. Just as Abbey had warned, Ellie had fallen asleep in front of the television by the time he was ready to unveil the gift, so he quietly crept into the family room and kneeled down beside the sofa.
"Hey," he whispered softly. "Ellie."
"Daddy?" She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why are you waking me up?"
"Well because, first of all, this isn't your bed. And secondly, I want to show you something outside. Here." He held out her coat and helped her put it on. "What is it?"
"Just come on."
Hand-in-hand, they walked out the front door, but Ellie broke the hold as soon as she noticed the black and silver telescope that sat on the wooden porch with its nose aimed just above the railing. Suddenly, her exhaustion disappeared and she ran towards it, ripping the red ribbon from the top.
"Is it mine?"
"Yes, it is. It was a birthday present, but they were out when I went to buy it."
"Thank you!"
"Look right there." He lifted the end just enough for her height. "What do you see?"
Ellie removed her eye from the lens. "Nothing. Just sky."
Jed looked up to the heavens. "Yeah. It's cloudy tonight, isn't it?" Ellie nodded. "We can start tomorrow night."
"Start what?"
"Don't you want to observe the stars so you can see a supernova?"
"Yeah!"
"Okay then." He laughed at the way she jumped up and down before he turned from her to sit on the swing. "Come here a second."
She climbed up next to him. "What?"
"Are you still mad at me for the badge ceremony?"
Ellie shook her head. "No."
"Your mom told you not to be, didn't she?" She lowered her head in a silent admission and Jed nodded. "That's what I thought."
"She said I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at me."
"Yeah, well, I don't think that's true. Do you?" Again, Ellie shook her head, verifying what Jed already knew. Saddened by her truthful reply, he took a deep breath. "Yeah."
"But I'm not mad at you anymore and it's not even because Mommy told me not to be."
"It isn't?"
"Uh uh. It's okay that I won't get my badge because I didn't earn it like the other girls. But I want to earn it so I can get the badge in March."
"That's great, Ellie." She never ceased to make him proud.
"I can't wait!"
"You know, Miss Shelly's going to be back in January, so there really won't be any need for me to lead your troop after that. Is it okay with you if I step down?" His emotions teetered precariously as he waited for her to answer. With everything inside him, he wanted her to say 'no, it isn't okay.' He wanted her to ask him to stay.
But she didn't.
"Okay." Call it fear of rejection or simple pride. Though she didn't want him to quit, she didn't fight him. After all, it was his idea and in her mind, that alone made it obvious he no longer wanted to be part of her troop.
"Okay."
Several minutes of silence passed between them before Ellie looked up at him to ask, "Will you still help me learn about the stars?"
"You bet I will!" Jed draped his arm around her as he picked up the astronomy book he had set down on the swing. "That we can actually start tonight. If you're not too tired, that is."
Ellie shook her head. "I'm not tired at all."
He helped her onto his lap and held the book out in front. She read one page and he read the next, making their way through the pages at such a rapid pace, they completed most of the book in less than an hour. And when they were nearly finished, it was Jed who started to show signs of sleepiness. His eyes already closed, he leaned back against the frame of the house while Ellie curled up on the other side of the swing and continued to read.
They were still battling the few hurtful misconceptions that manipulated their relationship, but deep down, there were some things Jed and Ellie had in common. Their love for astronomy was just one of them.
The End
To be continued in Checkmate