Abbey was already in bed when Jed walked in the room. She was propped up against her pillows reading Rosalynn Carter's autobiography.
"Hey," she called, looking up somewhat.
"Hey."
He walked into the bathroom and she heard the shower running.
Five minutes later, he emerged wearing a towel around his waist.
"Did you know," Abbey began. "That Rosalynn Carter has a fear of public speaking?"
"I did not," he answered, as he changed into boxers and a T-shirt.
"She's really an amazing woman."
"I'll bet."
He got into bed.
"So where were you?" She asked.
"Zoey forgot Brighton and Triscuit. I had to bring them over to Nicole's," he explained, not looking at her.
Brighton and Triscuit were Zoey's most beloved stuffed animals-Brighton was a teddy bear and Triscuit was a rabbit.
Abbey nodded.
"And Ellie got to April's all right?"
"Yeah."
"Did you talk to her first?"
"I tried to."
"What'd she say?"
"Nothing, she's fine," he said.
"Jed, what did she say?"
"She's angry at you."
"At me? Why!" Abbey exclaimed.
"I don't know. That's all she'd tell me. I gotta say though, I'm on the same page with her there."
"You're pissed at me too!"
He didn't say anything.
"Jed!"
Still nothing.
"Talk to me, damnit."
"What do you want me to say, Abbey?"
"I want you to tell me why you're pissed at…oh." It finally occurred to her.
"You've very perceptive this evening," Jed commented, sarcastically.
"You're mad about the shower. Jed, I know I promised but…what could I do?"
"How about NOT go to the shower?"
"I couldn't just not go, Jed. Laura Brenninger's one of my closest colleagues," Abbey protested.
"Yeah, you could have just not gone, Abbey. But you didn't."
"Jed, please."
"You know what? I don't even care. I don't care! I'm not fighting with you!" he exclaimed.
"No, damnit, if we're gonna get into this, let's get into it. Don't let me off the hook just because I'm carrying your child, because I know goddamn well that's what you're doing."
"That is not what I'm doing, Abigail!"
"Oh, yes, it is! And this isn't the first time. You're afraid that I'll hit you with the old 'Well, I'm the one carrying your goddamn child inside me.' And then you'll have nothing to rebut that with."
"God, Abbey. You can be so thick sometimes, ya know that?"
"Yeah, well. I'm right, aren't I? So go on, let me have it. Lay it on me. Yell all ya want, there ain't nobody in this house to hear you."
"I'm not gonna do this, Abbey."
"Go on, Jed, let it out. You know you want to. Just do it. Yell, scream, shout. Do it. You know it's not healthy to keep things bottled up ins…"
She was cut off.
"All right, FINE! You want me to lay it on you? How's this: these last few weeks I have done NOTHING but cater to your every need, be there whenever you needed me. The very picture of the perfect husband. And what the hell do I get? I get to stay home while you take my credit card out to play. I get to cook dinner. I get to drive the kids all over creation. I get to sit home on my ass doing nothing because my lovely and accomodating wife promised me an evening all alone, to ourselves. Come hell, high water, fire, tornados, or green witches on broomsticks! Quote unquote! Where do I fit into your life here, Abbey? You're at the hospital, you're out with Jenny, you're out alone with the girls, you're at showers, you're at parties, you're buying furniture. You're doing everything without me!"
He paused when he noticed her staring at him with tears in her eyes. He had been too harsh, too loud, too direct. He knew it. But he wasn't done yet. He had to get this out.
"When you came home that night, crying your eyes out over the unmentionable 'A' word, I was there. I listened to you all night. I held you while you were shaking, trembling, scared out of your mind. And I didn't even preach! Not once. You committed a mortal sin, and I didn't say anything about it! And then what happens? You run the hell away! You run away from me, the kids, the situation. And I'm left sitting worrying about you all night, so much, in fact, that our daughter ran away. Why? Because I was busy worrying about you, damnit! "
Her jaw dropped slightly and she gasped.
"Jesus, Abbey…I'm sorry. I…"
She shook her head.
"No. You're right," she whispered.
"No, that was uncalled for, I shouldn't have…"
"You're right. About all of it. I was wrong."
He did a double take. Did she just say…
"You were wrong?"
"Yes, I was wrong. And I'm sorry. I haven't been treating you fairly," Abbey admitted.
"It's okay," he said, quietly.
She reached over and took his hand.
"I am so sorry, Jed."
"I know. It's okay, I forgive you."
Abbey smiled, then leaned in and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again, leaning her forehead against his and closing her eyes.
What could he say to that? She had him wrapped around her finger. One kiss from Abigail Bartlet and he was done. He kissed her again, this time as proof that he truly had forgiven her.
"Jed."
"Yeah?"
She put down her book down on the nightstand, finally.
"You know, we haven't discussed this yet."
"Discussed what?"
"The baby."
He looked at incredulously.
"Which baby."
She glanced down at her stomach.
"This baby."
He grinned and turned on his side to look at her.
"What about 'this baby'?"
"Well, we haven't talked about it…at all. We've spent so much time discussing Liz…" Abbey answered.
"What do you want to discuss?"
"Anything. Everything. I mean, haven't you been thinking about it?"
Jed felt horrible-he really hadn't thought about their baby at all. He'd been so concerned with Liz and her baby. In fact, there'd been times that he had actually forgotten Abbey was pregnant.
"Abbey…"
"Jed, it's okay. I know."
"I'm sorry."
"I know. But…haven't you even thought about…the sex?"
He chuckled.
"Oh, I love the sex. That part I do know."
"The gender, Jed!" She said with a laugh.
"Oh, right."
"Don't you…kind of wish for a boy?" She asked, timidly.
"Abbey. Honey."
"I'm serious."
"Abbey, whether this child is boy, girl, or beast, I don't care. I don't."
"Well you know what I think?"
He smiled at her.
"What do you think?"
"I think it's a boy. It feels like a boy."
"Come on. Now really. Can you imagine us with a boy?"
She blushed.
"No. But I know it would make you happy."
"Abbey, our girls make me happier than anything. You make me happier than anything. Having a son could never change that."
Abbey sighed.
"God, why are you perfect?"
"It's a gift, toots."
"A little conceited, are we?"
"Maybe just a little," Jed answered with a smirk.
"I'm sorry about tonight, ya know."
"I know you are."
"I'll make it up to you," Abbey promised.
"I know you will. But how…"
"Well, for starters, I could do this…" She ran her fingers across her chest and down past his stomach.
"Abbey."
"Mmm hmm?"
"Before we…you know. I have something I wanna say."
"Really? Something more important than…this? Why, I declare! This is a first," Abbey said, pulling her hand away.
"I wanted to talk to you about all the stuff you bought."
"Today? We just went clothes shopping."
"No, yesterday. The furniture. For the baby."
"Yeah, what about it?" She asked.
"Do you really think that was wise?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"What was wise?"
"Buying all that furniture. You know, so soon."
She frowned; he hesitated before continuing.
"Say what you're gonna say, Jed."
"It's just that...you've already had previous two miscarriages and now…well, you're not exactly a spring chicken anymore."
Abbey glared at him.
"I mean, do you really think it's wise to be doing this already?"
"You have a really remarkable way of ruining a good thing, buddy."
"Abbey, I'm just trying to be realistic here."
"Well, I don't wanna hear it!"
"I just don't want you to set yourself up for failure! That's all," Jed said.
"For failure. For failure! I don't believe you!"
"Abbey! Listen to me. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Well, gee, I appreciate that but I'm just fine, thank you."
"Abbey, you know that I…"
"Now you listen to me, Jed. I am going to have this baby. We are going to have this baby. No more miscarriages. I can feel it. This is it. I'm forty-one, damnit, and this is our last chance. It's gonna happen."
"Okay." He smiled reassuringly.
"Now." She grinned. "Where were we…"
TBC.