A/N: This co-written story is set in the Fizzyverse. It reimagines events in the West Wing episodes "What Kind of a Day Has it Been?" and "In the Shadow of Two Gunman Parts I and II" as the characters go through a seemingly normal day that turns their world upside down in a New York minute. The story is set in May 2000 because we agreed that it was strange that the show skipped three months between 1x21 and 1x22 storywise.
Happy Reading!
The master suite was dark and quiet at just after 6:00 in the morning. Jed snored softly on his side of the bed, still asleep after getting into bed mere hours ago. Felicity slept beside him in the middle of the bed, snuggled up next to Abbey's pillow. For the moment, father and daughter slept peacefully, unbothered by the demands of the Presidency waiting for Jed beyond the bedroom door.
Felicity shifted, beginning to whimper as the sunlight peeking through the heavy drapes woke her up. Jed was startled awake by her movement, but relaxed when he saw who had woken him.
"Hey, there." Jed smiled, picking up his youngest daughter. "Good morning, lovebug."
Felicity gave him a grin. Jed took note of her tiny, sparse white teeth in the dim light. He reached over and flipped on the lamp. Just then, he noticed Abbey coming in from the master bathroom.
"You're up." She greeted.
"Yes, I am. I'm surprised this one didn't get up with you," he replied, tickling Felicity's side.
She giggled and then rested her head on his shoulder before turning her focus on Abbey.
"She was still asleep when I got up."
"Hi mama," Felicity said and yawned. She blinked several times in succession, trying to push her sleepiness away.
"Hi, sweet girl." Abbey smiled, picking her up and holding her close.
Jed climbed out of bed. "So when do you head off?"
Abbey was taking a day trip out to Pennsylvania to speak to the local DAR chapter. She would also be touring a few additions to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
"Wheels up at 8:30."
"It's a shame," Jed replied, crossing over to Abbey. "You know how wet hair turns me on."
"I'm aware, handsome. Maybe if your town hall wraps up on time, we can take a shower together," Abbey suggested with a little smirk. Then she took Felicity into her nursery next door to change her diaper and get her dressed for the day.
Jed put on his robe just as there was a knock on the bedroom door. He opened it and stepped aside for the butler, who wheeled a table in with their breakfast and the morning papers. He set the table up and arranged the papers for the President before quietly departing.
He picked up a small plate in the middle of the table and put together a few small bites from his plate and from Abbey's for Felicity to chew on if she wanted to. Unlike their other children, she had very little interest at six months and was just starting to want to try different food. While Felicity still preferred milk, she ate any food offered to her.
He walked into the nursery and found Abbey feeding Felicity in a comfy, oversized chair similar to the one in their master bedroom in New Hampshire. Abbey looked up and smiled.
"I put some food together for her," Jed said, proffering the plate. "If she wants it."
"Thanks," she said, taking the plate and placing it on the side table by the chair.
"Who's watching lovebug?"
"Donna and Charlie are splitting duties today."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Leo poked his head in. "Sorry to interrupt, sir. But there's a situation in Iraq."
"Give me 20 minutes, Leo," Jed called before turning back to Abbey. "That's my cue. I thought you were going to take Donna with you?"
"I was. But it's going to be hard enough on Felicity not to see me until tonight. Since she's so used to being with Donna and Amy, I thought it might be easier on her and you if Donna stayed behind."
Jed nodded, "Smart. Are you sure you're ready to leave lovebug behind?"
"No. But you're here, so I'm sure everything will work out."
Abbey kissed Felicity's forehead tenderly and stroked her hair as she continued to nurse. The look of pure and total love she received in return told Abbey everything she needed to know. Felicity didn't take kindly to anyone intruding on their bonding time, except for Jed. He just stood and watched them for a few minutes, in awe of their blessings. All the worry, all the anxiety before Felicity was born had been absolutely worth it.
One of Felicity's hands reached out in Jed's direction after a moment, searching for his hand. He took it and kissed it gently, holding it in his own. She liked to hold his hand when she was snuggled up with Abbey. He had come to learn that it was Felicity's way of including him. For a minute, Jed briefly considered blowing off the demands of the world and spending time with his wife and daughter until Abbey left. He knew from experience that sweet things like wanting to hold his hand wouldn't last for long. Reluctantly, he let Felicity's hand go after a while and kissed them both goodbye. Then he left the room and got dressed so that he could go downstairs and start another day.
Everyone stood as Jed entered the Situation Room.
"Good morning, Mr. President," Admiral Fitzwallace greeted.
"Morning. Is the pilot still alive?"
"He had an ACES II 0/0 ejector seat abroad."
"NATO command in Brussels says the AEGIS system on the North Dakota picked up a tracking signal on the south peninsula on the Fao Peninsula, south of Basra." An Army officer told the room.
"He's in the middle of nowhere." Jed mused. Ever since his new little one had entered his life, he had even more of a soft spot for the young soldiers and pilots he was sending off to war.
"Yes sir," Fitzwallace confirmed. "We're running through extraction scenarios to get him out now. He's maintained radio silence to avoid being found."
Jed took a seat at the head of the table and listened to Fitzwallace and the rest of his military advisors explain what the options were for getting this 26-year-old pilot out alive.
Meanwhile, Donna was working at her desk, scribbling some notes on a memo for Abbey, while gently pushing Felicity's swing with her foot. Just then, she was interrupted when she glanced at her young charge and found her in tears.
"Dada," Felicity whimpered.
Despite having the world's busiest father, Jed typically spent time in the morning with his daughter, and he read her stories at night. Last night, he had gotten away just long enough to say good night to Felicity and that was it. As young as Felicity was, she tended to notice her father's absence more often than not. It was one of the main reasons why Abbey took the baby with her. Felicity was used to doing everything with her mother or being close by.
Donna smiled at her, picking her up and holding her in her lap. "I know you want your daddy. It's okay. You'll see him soon."
"Want him now." Felicity cried.
"Why don't we go on a walk, all right?" Donna suggested, hoping to distract Felicity. "We can go see Charlie in the West Wing."
"Cha-ee?" Felicity perked up, but only slightly. Charlie was warming up to taking care of Felicity on his own, but only partially. Donna figured she could kill two birds with one stone: a change of scenery for Felicity, and a chance for Charlie to practice babysitting.
Charlie was sitting at his desk finishing up paperwork while the President was in the Situation Room. Donna and Felicity came into the outer office. Mrs. Landingham smiled at them.
"You're going to have your hands full today," she said to Charlie and Donna. "We're going to have to make some extra time for the President throughout the day. Donna, are you heading out with the First Lady to Philadelphia?"
Charlie smiled at Felicity, but he felt a little nervous too, seeing tear tracks on the baby's face. Tears were never a good sign of how the day was going to go. Felicity tended not to cry terribly often and when she did, it was usually because she missed her mother or her father or both.
"No, Felicity and I are staying behind today," Donna explained. "I thought maybe Felicity could use a change of scenery, and maybe some time with Charlie." She looked at Charlie. "Or maybe Charlie could use some time with her."
"The expression on Felicity's face says otherwise," Charlie pointed out. "I know just how late the President finished last night, and I don't think Felicity was up when he went to bed."
Charlie reached for Felicity anyway and scanned his desk for something to read with her. The entire senior staff had taken to following the President's lead on reading to Felicity. While they did read books together, they frequently read position papers, policy briefs, and anything non-classified together as well. It was one way the President could do his work and spend time with his daughter too. Felicity loved being read to, and even the driest policies held interest for her.
"So, you'll watch her?" Donna asked, hopefully. Charlie looked at the baby and held his arms out, his hand gripping a memo he had just found.
"I be good," Felicity confirmed and waved at Donna. Her sadness was forgotten as she settled into his arms.
Charlie settled into his chair and began to read the latest policy memo the President received on funding for something currently being considered in the Senate. It just passed the House, and he was expected to sign it soon.
About 20 minutes after Donna left, Jed came into the outer office with Leo. Felicity looked up from where she sat on Charlie's lap and grinned.
"I want dada," she declared.
Jed turned at the familiar voice. "Hey! There's my little lovebug!" He swept her up into his arms and kissed her.
"Dada." Felicity babbled happily.
"Where's Donna?" Jed asked Charlie.
"She wanted to finish up some work," Charlie explained. "I'm just watching Felicity for a while."
"Hi, Dad!" chirped a familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Zoey walking into the Outer Office.
"Zozo!" Felicity said gleefully, reaching her arms out.
"Fizzy!" Zoey echoed, gently taking her. "You having fun?"
"Yeah!"
"Hey Zoey," Charlie said, smiling now that she was here and Felicity was noticeably happier.
"Hi, Charlie. I hope my sister wasn't giving you too much trouble."
"No more than usual," he replied before mouthing, "She wants your mom."
Zoey looked back at her sister, who gave her a sweet smile.
"Zozo and dada?" Felicity asked with hope in her eyes.
"I have to get back to work, lovebug," Jed told her, tweaking her nose before kissing her cheek, making her giggle. "But I'll see you soon."
"You can hang out with me, sissy," Zoey told her, bouncing her gently.
"Ah-kay," Felicity said, with a tiny bit of sadness in her voice. "Bye-bye."
"Bye-bye." Jed waved. He turned to head back into the Oval.
Felicity sighed and rested her head on Zoey's shoulder as she watched the door close. Mrs. Landingham quietly watched the exchange, and then made a note on her to-do list to find time in the President's schedule as soon as possible. She knew Felicity could only be so patient before everything ended in tears.
"We could take a walk to the mess," Charlie suggested. He also didn't like seeing Felicity so sad. It never ended well for anyone.
"I think that's a great idea," Zoey replied, kissing the top of her sister's head and holding her close. "Let's go."
Zoey and Charlie took Felicity down to the Mess, where Zoey got Felicity a cup of apple juice, her favorite. But Felicity continued to whine for her parents.
"Come on, Fizzy." Zoey cooed, holding the cup. "Just a little sip."
"Mama." Felicity cried. "Daddy."
"I wonder if I should call my mom." Zoey sighed as she cuddled her whimpering sister. "She usually doesn't miss her this much."
Charlie shrugged.
"Might not be a bad idea. She'll be in Pennsylvania until tonight," Charlie added.
"Oof," Zoey winced. "I don't think my mom has left Felicity for the entire day before. Maybe we will call mommy," she said to her sister before pulling out her cell phone.
Zoey dialed and put the phone to her ear, waiting for her mom to pick up. She hoped she was doing the right thing for her sister and not putting her in between her parents' busy schedule.
In Philadelphia, Abbey was taking a minute to herself in a private room to pump since Felicity wasn't with her. When her older children were little, time like this was a welcome reprieve when she was working long hours and lessened the guilt she felt being away from them. This was an altogether foreign experience, sitting here without Felicity. She was Abbey's reprieve from being First Lady and the spotlight that came with it. They had their share of challenges on the road and at home. But nine months in, Abbey had no regrets about the way she and Jed chose to raise Felicity despite criticism from the public, press, and their family.
Her cell phone rang, and she picked it up from where it sat on a table beside her. "Hello?"
"Hey, Mom, it's Zoey."
"Hi, Zo! Is everything alright?"
"Well, it could be better. Felicity's really missing you."
"Oh?" Abbey fought to keep the distress out of her voice. This was what she had been worried about.
"I thought maybe it might help Felicity if she heard your voice."
Abbey put a little more cheer in her voice. "Well, sure, sweetheart. Put the phone up to her ear."
After a minute, she heard her baby's gurgling voice. The fact that it was mixed with whimpers made her stomach drop. "Hi, baby!" She greeted.
"Mama?" Felicity asked, confused.
"Yes, it's Mama," Abbey replied. "I love you, baby."
Felicity smiled, clearly cheered up by this. But she started to look around, clearly trying to see if Abbey was in the room or somewhere nearby.
"I see you, mama?" Felicity asked, trying to ask in her own way where her mother was. It was very confusing to her to hear Abbey but not see her.
"I'll be back soon, lovebug. I miss you so much."
Zoey came back on the phone, "I think it helped, mom. Maybe now Felicity will drink some of her apple juice."
"I'm glad it helped. Give your sister a bottle if she doesn't want the juice. Has she seen your dad today?"
"For a minute. He had to get back to work."
Abbey sighed, "I'm sure he's busy," she said, working to keep the irritation out of her voice. The regret she had about leaving Felicity behind intensified. "Can you stay and spend some time with Felicity?"
"Yeah. I'll even go to the town hall tonight."
"Would you? That would be great. Hopefully, she can get some time with your dad tonight, too."
"Hopefully."
"Is everything else alright, Zoey?"
"Charlie and I are having a bit of a disagreement. He found some statistics I think he should give to Dad to mention in the town hall, but he doesn't want to bother him."
"Well, keep working on him, honey. I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Okay. I should get back upstairs. Donna'll be looking for us. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Zo. Bye."
"Bye."
Abbey hung up the phone and placed it back on the table. She was glad to hear that Zoey was pushing Charlie out of his comfort zone. Hearing Felicity whine like that over the phone like that didn't sit well with her. Having had so much time between raising Liz, Ellie, and Zoey and now Felicity, Abbey didn't like to willingly sacrifice her time anymore. She had already done it in the name of building her career. While she loved her work, it came at the expense of missing out on time with the girls. Felicity would only be little for so long. Time had already flown by, as it was wont to do. As she sat there waiting, Abbey started to reconsider how much time she really wanted to spend away today.
Zoey hung up her phone and tried to get Felicity to drink her apple juice. Striking out once again, she took her sister back upstairs.
"It's not as simple as you think," Charlie pointed out as he walked back with him. "Being his daughter and working for the President are two different things."
"I know they are, Charlie. But you shouldn't be afraid to talk to him about things like this. He wants to hear what other people think."
"I'm not Josh, CJ, Sam, or Toby."
"No, you're you and the person who spends more time with my dad than I do. He values your opinion just as much as anyone else. Right, Fizzy?"
"Yeah," Felicity said to her sister, slightly less upset than before.
They decided to walk over through the West Wing, in case Donna would be looking for them near the Oval. They approached Josh's office.
"I don't have the same relationship with your father that you have, I don't have the same relationship that the staff has," Charlie told her.
"I don't think it's out of line for you to put your two cents in," Zoey replied.
Josh walked past them. "Hey, guys. You can keep fighting in a second."
"I also don't think it was out of line for me to stick up for you since you were clearly chicken."
"Zoey, I work in a building with the smartest people in the world."
Just then, there was a crash as Josh sat where his chair should be.
"Who are also just people," Donna added, coming up to them. "Josh, are you okay?" She called.
"Just peachy," Josh said, struggling to his feet.
"What happened to your chair?"
"My new assistant took it somewhere for repairs."
"I'll have one of the interns bring down a chair from the First Lady's office. We ended up with an extra one."
Josh gave her a thumbs-up in response.
"Donna!" Felicity said happily, only slightly garbling the "N" sound.
"Hi, Felicity!" Donna said, rubbing her back, but not making any moves to take her from Zoey just yet. "You having fun with Zoey?"
"Zozo," Felicity said, patting her sister's face.
"How has she been?" Donna asked Zoey.
"Really missing my mom. But she got to talk to her a little, so that helped."
"That's good."
Just then, Felicity's head drooped down onto Zoey's shoulder. "Getting tired, Fizzy?"
"I can go put her down." Donna offered, reaching for her.
"Thanks, Donna," Zoey replied, gently transferring her sister.
Donna took Felicity into her arms and pulled a pacifier out of her pocket. Felicity wasn't a big fan of pacifiers in general, and never had been. But she would take them occasionally, like now. Donna offered it to her, and she took it, sucking on it contentedly. Then the two of them headed back up to Donna's office for a bottle and a nap.
"Hey Zo," Alexandra Gilmore called, walking toward Zoey and Charlie with a leather satchel bag in one hand and a black garment bag in the other. As usual, she was dressed impeccably and exuded confidence.
"Hey Alex, what are you doing here?"
"Dad and I came down to do a walk-through of the house before the inspections start."
Alex would be attending Georgetown with Zoey in the fall. As of two weeks ago, she became the unofficial owner of a spacious home in the Georgetown neighborhood, though it wouldn't be hers until they closed after her 18th birthday in June. She saw it as a good investment and the only way she would be able to live and have space for her work. Zoey would be living there too. The two would be living out their childhood dream to finally live and go to school together in the same place.
"Alex, let me ask you something," Charlie said as they walked.
"Shoot."
"CJ and Josh were arguing earlier about whether or not the President should take his coat off for the Town Hall. What do you think?"
"I think you should take this," Alex said, handing Charlie the garment bag. "It's the suit I made for the town hall."
"That's not an answer," He said, taking the garment bag. "You're the fashion expert."
Alex paused in thought. "Why does it matter?"
"Youth and vitality vs. old and stately."
"Coat off." She responded. "It gets hot under stage lights over time. The suit will help keep him cool, but if he's genuinely hot, he should take the jacket off, so he doesn't pass out."
"Thanks, Alex," Charlie called as the pair of them walked off. He broke off and headed to the Oval.
Alex rolled her eyes, "Sometimes I wonder if anyone thinks logically when having those debates."
"Maybe I should use the same logic with Charlie. He thinks he shouldn't tell dad about these youth voting stats he read about because he's not senior staff," Zoey replied.
"Of course, Charlie should. Just because he doesn't have the same level of experience or education as the senior staff doesn't mean Uncle Jed won't listen. He values honesty and different viewpoints."
"I told Charlie that. But he says it's different because I'm his daughter."
"If they only knew how many times we've had to hear the same lectures about national parks and other factual gems," Alex smirked, giving her cousin a knowing glance.
Jed was sitting in his office in relief after getting the news that the pilot was safe. He had just gotten off the phone with the young man, expressing the thanks of a grateful nation for his service.
He checked his watch. Felicity would be down for another hour, then he wanted to spend some time with her. He missed his little girl.
Mrs. Landingham appeared at the entrance to the Oval Office. "Sir, Mrs. Bartlet's on the phone."
Jed's eyes widened. "Is everything alright?"
"Seemed so."
"Thank you." Jed crossed over to the phone. "Abbey! How are you?"
"Well, I could be better." She sighed.
"Are you alright?" Jed asked, growing concerned. "Did something happen?"
"I'm fine," she reassured him. "Everything has been going smoothly. But I'm starting to regret agreeing to this day in the first place. I just talked to Donna, and she had a terrible time getting Felicity down for a nap. She cried herself to sleep."
"Oh, boy." Jed sighed. "I heard her crying out in the Outer Office when I was coming back from the Sit Room."
"The Sit Room?"
"Everything's fine now. All systems are go for the town hall and a nighttime softball game with me and our lovebug."
Abbey chuckled. "I hope I'm included in that equation."
"You bet, Sweet Knees."
"Now, you say that Felicity was crying earlier?"
"Yeah. And I haven't been able to spend as much time with her as I usually do."
Abbey sighed. "Zoey called me earlier, and she was upset then, too."
Jed winced on his end of the phone, "I'm in for a meltdown, aren't I?" He said.
The last two days had been hectic, and he barely had time to eat and catch a few hours of sleep. But Felicity didn't know that. All she knew was that her daddy was gone. When Abbey had Felicity, Jed knew his absence wasn't nearly as conspicuous. He was able to pop in whenever his schedule allowed and not feel like a bad father.
"Yes," Abbey concluded. "But if it's any consolation, I spent half my day today wondering why I was able to work 24-hour shifts away from our girls but not from Felicity. I'm seriously considering cutting the day short."
"That's not the worst idea." Jed mused. "Come with us to the town hall. You can snuggle with Felicity all you want and listen to me tell college students how important it is to vote. The Museum of Art will understand."
"Why is it so much harder for me to leave Felicity? I can't even keep a full day of commitments."
Jed sat back in thought. "I think it's because of everything we went through to get her here. We decided to bring another child into this world, a world where her father is the leader of the free world. And I think it's because of that, we've felt more of a need to protect her from everything." He paused. "Look, Abbey. You're not a bad First Lady for choosing your baby over your job. And you are most certainly not a bad mother, though I have a feeling that's where this is coming from. You make the decision that you think is best for you and best for Felicity."
"We did go through a lot to bring Felicity into the world, Jed. I struggled today because I thought I could go back to splitting my time between work and my child like I did when the girls were young. But I'm just not built for it any more physically or emotionally," Abbey admitted.
There was a minute of silence on the phone as Jed waited anxiously. Finally, he heard her voice.
"All right. I'm coming home. I'll be home before you leave for the Town Hall."
Jed smiled. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Sometimes you have to make family a priority. And this is one of those times. I'll tell the Secret Service, and give the Museum Director my regrets."
"Sounds like a plan," Jed told her. "Should I ask Donna to come tonight? Just in case?"
"Just in case." Abbey agreed. "You never know if there'll be anything I need to do."
"I'll let her know then. In the meantime, I'll go spend time with Felicity until you get here."
"If she's in a bad mood, snuggles, and a bottle should suffice. Keep the interruptions to a minimum and tell lovebug she can spend as much time with her bobbies as she wants."
Jed grinned despite himself, "I hope the same goes for me, hot pants."
Abbey rolled her eyes on her end of the line, "You didn't spend some of the day feeling like one of our dairy cows."
Jed's smirk faded, "I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"It's not your fault. Today went exactly as I expected, except for feeling like a part of me was missing."
"I know the feeling. Listen, you don't have to leave Felicity again unless you're really ready. It doesn't matter what anyone says. I agree with whatever you want to do."
"Thank you, babe. I'll see you soon. I love you."
"I love you too, Abbey."
Jed hung up the phone and felt lighter than he had for most of the day. The feeling lasted for a few minutes, and then he remembered the upset baby girl he was going to have to soothe.
"Mrs. Landingham! What do I have left on my schedule?"
Mrs. Landingham appeared in the doorway, "I blocked off the next couple of hours before the town hall for Felicity."
"Were you in cahoots with Abbey?"
"No, sir. One look at that little girl's face this morning told me that this would be the best use of your time," she said, smiling.
"Thank you, Mrs. Landingham," Jed said gratefully. He knew that spending some time with Felicity was just what the doctor ordered.
He walked through the Portico and up to the Residence. In the master suite, Felicity was conked out in her travel crib set up at the foot of Abbey and Jed's bed. She hated being in it. Donna and Charlie put her in it for naps because they were terrified she would roll off the bed.
Sneaking into the master suite, Jed found his little girl fast asleep, clutching her pacifier. Donna was in a chair by the coffee table, typing on her computer.
She looked up, startled. "Mr. President!" She said, standing up.
"Hey, Donna. How's she doing?"
Donna smiled softly. "Finally asleep. She'll be glad to see you when she wakes up. I had a hard time getting her down."
"Yeah, that's what Abbey told me."
"You spoke to the First Lady, sir?"
"Yes, I did. Care to join me? We have a couple of things to discuss."
"Of course," Donna said. She set her computer down on the coffee table and took one more look at Felicity in her travel crib before they stepped out into the hall and walked over to the West Sitting area with the President.
"The First Lady is cutting her day short. She's flying back shortly and will be back here before the town hall so that she can join Zoey, Felicity, and me. I don't expect that we're going to do anything differently. But we would like you to come to the town hall, just in case Abbey is needed for something to keep Felicity occupied."
"I would be happy to, sir. What else happened? Did something go wrong on the trip I should know about?"
"No, no," Jed reassured her. "Just some homesickness on both Abbey and Felicity's parts."
Donna nodded understandingly, more than a little relieved. She adored Felicity with all her heart, but she knew that sometimes all Felicity needed or wanted was her mother. "Of course, sir."
"Thank you, Donna. The motorcade will be leaving around 7, all right?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President."
Just then, a sad wail erupted from beyond the Master Suite door. Felicity was heading for a meltdown.
"Donna!" she cried from the other room.
Jed gestured to the door. "May I?"
Donna smiled. "Of course, sir."
Jed walked over and opened the door before stepping inside. Felicity was sitting up in the crib with real tears rolling down her cheeks. Her little face lit up when she saw that her dada was there.
"DADA!"
"Hey, lovebug!" Jed smiled. He picked her up and brought her into the nursery, where they settled into the oversized chair. Jed put his feet up on the ottoman that went with it, and Felicity snuggled into him. His day began to drain away as the chair supported his tired body. "Mama will be home soon."
"Mama?" Felicity perked up, looking at him.
"Yes, Mama. We'll see her in just a little bit."
It had already been quite the day. But Jed was more than ready to enjoy the evening with his wife and his daughters. After all, it was just a town hall.