Chapter Two

Washington, D.C.
7:31 am

"I can't reach!" Zoey Bartlet exclaimed, hopping up and down in front of the open refridgerator.

"Darling, you don't need to reach. It's on the bottom shelf."

Catherine Bartlet walked past her granddaughter to the cabinet beside the fridge. She opened it, looked around, then tried to reach up as far as she could, but the top shelf was still out of her reach. Having happily realized that the blueberries were indeed on the bottom shelf, Zoey retrieved them. She stood in front of her grandmother, watching with a childish confusion as she tried to reach the top shelf.

"Grandma, what are you doing?"

"Trying to get the chocolate chips. They're on the top shelf. I don't know how your mother survives in this kitchen, because she's much shorter than I am."

Zoey nodded in accord.

"Mommy's a munchkin."

"Yes, she is," Catherine said, smiling.

"I think even I'm taller than her."

"Wouldn't surprise me, honey."

Elizabeth trudged her way into the kitchen, her eyes barely open.

"What's going on?"

"Oh!" Catherine cried, spinning around. "Elizabeth, perfect timing."

"What?"

"Come over here, and get the chocolate chips on the top shelf."

Liz sighed and walked over to the cabinet to do as she was told.

"You couldn't get that yourself?"

"You're at least two inches taller than I am, Liz."

"Wow," Liz commented. "What is it with this family and short people?"

"Chocolate chips please," Catherine demanded, holding her hand out. "And I'm afraid I'm responsible for the dreaded shortness in the family. But not just me. Your grandfather too."

"Grandpa!" Liz asked, surprised. "Isn't he like…six foot one?"

"Your other grandfather, Nick. He's five foot six."

"Pop's a munchkin just like Mommy!" Zoey squealed.

"Well, I'm sure that's where she got it at least," Catherine replied.

"So, what are you guys doing?" Liz questioned, lifting herself up to sit on the counter.

"We're making breakfast. Off the counter, young lady."

"Dad always lets me sit on the counter."

"I don't care. Off," Catherine ordered.

Elizabeth reluctantly complied, hopping off the counter.

"So, Grandma," Liz said, moseying around the kitchen while Catherine and Zoey were hard at work. "Are you going to visit Grandpa when we go home for Christmas?"

Catherine glared at her.

"No."

"But you haven't seen him for months, not since you left."

"Which was exactly the point of leaving him."

"It's Christmas!" Liz exclaimed.

"Yes, and it was also Christmas last year when he decided not to come home until New Year's."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, dear."

"Grandma!" Zoey shouted.

"What, Zoey?" Catherine said, returning her attention to her. "Oh, my lord in heaven."

Catherine and Elizabeth both stared at Zoey, wide-eyed and completely lost for words. The seven-year-old was covered, almost from head to toe, in pancake batter, and the occasional chocolate chip.

"Looks like we've got more than just two babies in this house," Liz said, finally.

Jed sat on the edge of the bed beside his sleeping wife. He was already dressed and shaved, and very proud of himself. He watched with an adoring smile as she stirred a little, on the verge of awakening.

"Abbey," he whispered.

"Mmm."

"You have to get up, hon. We've got a lot to do."

He began to rub her back gently, which only made her inclined to continue sleeping longer. He laughed as she tried to bury herself under the covers again.

"Abbey, my mother is downstairs cooking breakfast with the kids. If we don't get down there soon, I'm afraid the house will go up in flames."

"Mmm."

"Abbey, it's ten o'clock! You really have to get up."

Her eyes fluttered open quickly.

"Yeah," Abbey mumbled, yawning. "Okay."

She threw the covers off, swung her legs over the edge, and stood up. She took one look at the clock on her bedside table and shot her husband an irritated glare.

"Jed, it's 7:57."

"Oh." He grinned, sheepishly. "So it is."

She shook her head, moseyed into the bathroom and Jed heard the sink water running.

"You slept right through the baby's six o'clock," Jed called out to her.

Just as Abbey was about to bring the toothbrush to her mouth, she stopped and put it down, watching as her cheeks blushed in the mirror.

"Did I?" She replied, nonchalantly.

"Yeah. You must have been in a deep sleep or something, because she was screaming."

"Huh. How 'bout that."

"It was almost like you were pretending to be asleep."

Abbey spit the toothpaste out into the sink and coughed a couple of times.

"What?"

"Nothing," Jed said. "I'm just talking."

"Where's Lane now? Is she asleep?"

"She's downstairs in the play pen with Annie."

She poked her head out of the bathroom to look at him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"They're barely two weeks old, Abbey. I don't think they're ready to get into a tiff about makeup and boys just yet."

The Bartlets gathered around the kitchen table, enjoying the elaborate breakfast that Catherine and the kids had prepared. Zoey had been cleaned up for the most part, save for a few spots in her hair where the batter wouldn't come out easily. Jed and Abbey were going to question their daughter's appearance, but decided that it was better if they were just kept in the dark about this one.

"Mom, what time are we leaving?" Ellie asked.

"2:45," Jed replied.

Abbey glanced over at him fleetingly, then turned back to her food.

"Are you Mom?"

He shrugged.

"You were too slow."

"Explain to me again why we're having the christenings in New England," Catherine said.

"That's where the family is, Mom," Jed answered. "If Johnny and Michelle are going to be Lane's godparents, we don't want to make them travel all the way to DC."

"Yeah, and if we deny them the right to be godparents yet again, I think they'll skin us alive," Abbey said.

"Leo and Jenny are my godparents," Zoey announced.

"Very good, honey."

"Millie and Scott are mine," Ellie chimed in.

"We have such intelligent children," Jed said to Abbey, laughing.

"Speaking of which, Liz, have you decided who Annie's godparents are going to be yet?" Abbey asked.

"Mallory, for sure."

"Is Mallory coming?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah, Mallory, Leo, and Jenny are all going home to New England for Christmas too."

"What about a godfather, Liz? I'm thinking Marlon Brando, how 'bout you?" Jed asked.

"I don't know. Can Amy be godfather?"

They all laughed heartily.

"I'm serious!"

"Well, I don't know," Abbey replied, honestly. "Jed?"

"Beats me." He looked at his mother. "Mom?"

"Uh. Well, I don't know for sure either. I suppose we can ask Father Cavanaugh when we get there," Catherine said.

"Okay. And I don't see why we have to drive all the way up there anyway. Why can't we just fly into Boston?" Liz said.

"Because it's not exactly a piece of cake to fly with two infants, Lizzie," Abbey replied. "Especially the way Laney cries."

"Yeah, what's up with that anyway? Annie's not half as bad."

"She never cries for me," Jed said, smugly.
"Or me," Catherine said.

"Me either," Ellie added.

Abbey avoided their eyes and continued eating.

"Yeah, I don't think she likes you, Mom," Liz said, jokingly.

Abbey threw her fork down, hitting her plate and creating a loud, crashing noise. She stood up and pushed back her chair.

"Enough!" She shouted.

She pushed her chair in forcefully and stormed out of the kitchen. They listened as she stomped up the stairs and heard her bedroom door slam. They all exchanged nervous glances.

"What was THAT about!" Liz questioned.

"Well, kids," Jed said. "Looks like your mother just threw a tantrum."

"And you wonder where Zoey gets it," Catherine said.