Part Five

After the last anecdote, Jed had gotten up to fix them some drinks. Sherry for her, scotch for him, their usual. When he was through, he saw that she had moved over to the couch rather than behind the desk. Without questioning it, he followed her example and sat beside her.

"You know something?" Jed asked. "Part of me is glad we lost Josh, Sam, Donna, Toby, etc when we did."

"Why?" Abbey asked out of genuine curiosity.

"It makes it a lot easier saying goodbye."

She reached over and took his hand, smiling reassuringly at her husband.

"And harder all the same," Abbey said.

"Yeah."

Suddenly, Abbey began to giggle profusely, causing Jed to turn and gaze at her with bewilderment.

"What?"

"I was just thinking about…do you remember, about four years ago, when Lilly sent me to Phoenix on our anniversary?"

"Oh, God," Jed muttered. "How could I forget? I had to surprise you a day early so that we could celebrate after all."

"Leo and CJ were such good sports." Abbey smiled fondly at the memory.

July, 2002

Silence enveloped the Oval Office momentarily. The President and Chief of Staff's conversation was at a standstill. Leo McGarry observed the President circumspectly as he appeared to float away from his present location to a place nowhere near Washington, DC. His eyes were vacant, his expression thoughtful. He had pulled off his glasses and placed them onto his desk.

"Mr. President."

It took a moment, but Jed Bartlet soon paid his Chief of Staff some attention. It had been nearly three minutes since a word had been spoken between them and the man with the lesser title was getting restless.

"Yeah."

"Sir, is everything all right? You're a little…dare I say…spacey this morning," Leo commented with concern.

"Yeah, it's just…nothing. Don't worry about it," the President insisted.

"You're sure?"

"It's just Abbey."

"Due respect, sir, but it's never 'just Abbey.' Usually when it's Abbey, it's very much Abbey on numerous levels," Leo replied.

"Yeah." Jed shrugged. "Right now, she's probably in the East Wing firing Lilly Mays."

"What? Why?"

"Oh yeah, do me a favor and re-hire her after Abbey tells her to pack her things, okay?"

"I take it Lilly is being falsely accused of something?"

"No, she's being rightly accused of something. Just not something worthy of terminating her job."

Leo frowned, frustrated by the ambiguity that surrounded their conversation.

"What's going on?"

"Our anniversary's next Saturday, the 27th."

"Yeah."

"Lilly's got her in Phoenix on Saturday," Jed explained ruefully.

"Ohhh. That's a problem."

"You think? Thirty-fifth anniversary, Leo."

"She can't cancel?" Leo wondered.

Jed shook his head.

"Apparently, this appearance is essential to the…something or other. You know."

"Right. And it has to be Saturday?"

"It has to be Saturday," Jed replied. "I pity anyone who crosses Abbey's path today, Leo. I really do."

"Well, you know, as your Chief of Staff, it's my job to develop solutions to your problems, right?"

Jed sat up straight and narrowed her eyes in Leo's direction with interest.

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Mr. President. CJ."

Jed nodded and stood from behind his desk.

"Send her in."

Charlie nodded and exited the room. Seconds later, he was replaced by CJ Cregg in the doorway.

"Claudia Jean! Come in, come in."

CJ approached her boss apprehensively.

"Yes, sir."

"What are you working on right now, CJ?" Jed questioned.

"Well, I was working with Toby on…"

The President shook his head.

"Not anymore."

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"When was the last time you went to the Pentagon City Mall?"

"Uh…about two weeks ago, Mr. President," CJ replied, highly confused.

"I think it's due time you went back, don't you?"

"Sir?"

"The agents have already secured the place. All you have to do is show up."

"Mr. President, it's entirely possible that I spaced out during an important part of this conversation, but why…is this happening again?" She asked.

"I want you to take the First Lady shopping."

CJ chuckled.

"She usually takes me, not vice versa."

"This is very important, CJ. She's not gonna know why you're doing this and she's going to grill you on it. Just tell her you're desperate for her fashion expertise on…whatever. She'll appreciate that."

"Then she'll be expecting me to actually buy something, sir."

"Right. I hadn't thought of that. You in the market for any designer clothes at the moment?"

"Don't worry about it, Mr. President." CJ smirked. "Whatever I buy, I'll just return tomorrow. Where can I find Mrs. Bartlet?"

"She should be in her office."

"Okay. How much time do you need?"

"CJ, how did you…"

"Leo told me. I think it's a great idea by the way."

Jed nodded.

"About two and a half hours. Think you can do that?"

"Two women in a mall for two and a half hours? Yeah, I think I can handle that. Fair warning, sir, the First Lady will probably end up buying ten times what I buy. She usually does."

"What else is new?"

CJ grinned and advanced toward the door.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, CJ!"

"Anytime, sir."

"I owe you one."

"I couldn't have planned that surprise without Leo's ingenius ideas," Jed said.

"And you couldn't have executed it without CJ's excellent powers of distraction."

"Both of them, loyal to the end."

Both Jed and Abbey shuddered at the word 'end' and exchanged pensive, sad glances.

"And Sam…" Abbey trailed off. "Sam was a trooper. Perpetually the last to know, but unconditionally loyal."

"And one helluva writer too."

May, 2002

"You know, I gotta say, Mrs. Bartlet, this feels a little illicit."

Sam Seaborn followed close behind the First Lady through the Residence. The lights in the hallway were significantly dimmed and instead of agents posted in the doorways, all Sam could discern were dark silhouettes of heavily armed men. There was not a single one, Sam realized, that could not kill him in less than five seconds. He picked up his pace, determined not to be left behind with these killing machines.

"What feels illicit?" Abbey questioned.

Sam's hands dove into his pockets nervously as he continued to expertly shadow the First Lady.

"Roaming the hallways of the Residence with the First Lady so late at night. I'm just saying, it's pretty shady."

"Sam."

He heard the admonishment in her voice and quickly deflated his sarcasm.

"Yes, ma'am."

They halted in front of the closed door that lead to the presidential bedroom. Sam took inhaled confidence, then exhaled it just the same. Abbey averted her eyes from his and chuckled.

"Sam."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can I get you a Xanax or something? Some scotch? You're looking a little flushed."

"No, thank you, ma'am."

"Okay." She opened the door. "Come on in."

Abbey held the door open and beckoned for him to walk inside the bedroom. Though his vision had become a little on the blurry side in the last few minutes, he managed to distinguish a chess board set up in the middle of the room, beside the couch.

"You…summoned me here to play chess?"

"You were the only one not running around like a chicken with its head cut off. CJ's wigging out, Toby's pissed at the world, Josh is staging a nutty as usual, and Jed and Leo are in the Situation Room. Is it any wonder I chose you?"

"No, ma'am, I suppose not."

"Sit down."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sam took a seat on the couch in front of the chess board and Abbey sat down on the floor on the opposite side. Sam reckoned that was the first time he had ever witnessed the First Lady of the United States sitting on the floor, not that he was objecting.

"I heard about what you did for Dr. Millgate a few months ago, what you said to Senator Enlow."

Sam shrugged self-deprecatingly.

"Dr. Millgate was a professor of mine in college. I did what I could."

"You did good, Sam."

"You've been keeping up with the super conductor…collider…you know?"

Abbey laughed and nodded her head.

"I try to."

Things got quiet for a few moments as each player carefully mapped out their strategies and rustled up a sly subterfuge or two. They moved their pawns circumspectly, certain to see the whole board. It was a theory that both Abbey and Sam had learned from the master, and a theory neither of them would ever forget. As he had that night playing chess with the President, Sam attempted to apply the theory to the context of reality. Still, as he stunned the First Lady by capturing her queen, he could not outline, in his head, a reason why she would have invited him to compete against her in the first place. It wasn't that he suspected her of ulterior motives, at least not in so many words, but the First Lady had a tendency to distance herself from the staff if at all possible. Not because she disliked them in any way, Sam knew, more because she prefered not to get wrapped up in their world. It wasn't her world. She didn't want it to be. Her admiration for her husband and each member of his staff was immeasurable but her desire to emulate them was entirely absent.

See the whole board.

"Mrs. Bartlet?"

Without looking up from the board, Abbey replied, "You're not forfeiting the game yet, are you, Sam?"

"No, ma'am, I plan to see this one through. I was just wondering…is there anything you wanted to…talk to me about? I just get this feeling that…"

"I was bored, Sam," Abbey said, definitively. "You were available. You looking for a better excuse than that?"

"Yes, ma'am. I am."

Eyeing him carefully, Abbey moved her rook.

"Check."

Sam glanced down in surprise. She had just taken his bishop. Clearly, he had not given her enough credit when it came to the game. He must have momentarily forgot just who she was married to.

"Nicely played, Mrs. B."

"Now that you mention it," Abbey said. "There is something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Sure, wait until it's my turn, then drop the bomb on me," Sam laughed. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"I want you to tell me what's going on."

Sam narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"I…beg your pardon, ma'am?"

"Leo's acting a little skiddish and my husband can barely look me in the eye. What's going on, Sam?"

"Mrs. Bartlet, please believe me when I tell you, I have no idea."

"Sam, come on."

"You're right. Something's going on. I just…have no earthly idea what it is."

"You're serious," Abbey said, in disbelief.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm starting to get the feeling that if they haven't clued me in already, they're not going to. So I'm afraid I can't be of any help to you."

"Then we're through here."

Sam nodded stoicly and stood up. Abbey laughed and gestured for him to sit down again.

"I was kidding."

"Right. Of course."

"You think I'm letting you out of here before I kick your ass, you're crazy," Abbey remarked.

"I don't doubt it, ma'am."

"I never thought I'd say this," Abbey began. "But I'm really gonna miss them all."

Jed smiled sadly.

"You and me both."