Abbey stood in front of her middle daughter's bedroom door, listening. When she didn't hear anything, she decided she had better make her presence known and tapped tightly on the door.
"What."
"Ellie, it's me. Can I come in?"
"Okay."
Abbey slowly opened the door and walked in. Ellie was sitting on the floor, leaning against her bed, with her knees drawn up to her chest.
"Hi, honey."
"Hi."
Abbey moved over to her and sat on the floor next to her.
"Do you want to talk?" Abbey asked.
"Do you?"
"It's up to you."
Ellie looked away.
"Sweetie, it's okay to be upset with me and Dad. We were wrong. You have every right to be upset."
"I'm not upset."
"Come on, Ellie. I told you it was okay, you don't have to pretend you're not mad."
"I'm not mad. I'm more like…sad."
"Talk to me, honey."
"You dropped everything when Zoey couldn't find Brighton and Triscuit, but you didn't even notice when I wasn't here."
Abbey put her arm around her.
"I know, baby."
"Why? I don't get it."
"It's not you. You haven't done anything wrong. It's just that tonight…has been very stressful, and very unexpected. That's no excuse, I know, but it is the truth."
"I know. That's why I'm not mad."
"Dad's gonna come up and talk to you soon and you can hear it from him, all right?"
Ellie nodded.
"You know neither of us would ever do any deliberately to hurt you. Ever. Do you know that?"
Ellie nodded again.
"We love you so much, sweetie. More than you could ever know."
"Sometimes…" Ellie began.
"What, El?"
"Sometimes it feels like you love Liz and Zoey more than me," she said, quietly.
"Eleanor Emily Bartlet, don't you ever think that! No! That is absolutely not true, at all."
"Okay."
"Ellie, look at me. If you ever feel left out, talk to us. Please. We don't ever want to make you feel that way."
"Okay."
"Okay," Abbey said, smiling at her daughter. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mom."
"Good girl. You wanna come down?"
"Not yet."
"Okay. I'll send Dad up then."
"Kay."
"Hardest job there is," Talia said.
"But the most rewarding," Evan added.
"Absolutely," Talia agreed. "Jed?"
"Oh, yeah. Definitely the most rewarding."
"Well, we're working on it," Becky said, shyly.
"We want to wait until I finish med school," Steve said.
"Seeing the way you are with Ellie, I'm sure you'd make a great mother, Becky," Jed commented.
"Thank you, Jed! I appreciate that. Ellie…Ellie's a great kid."
"She really is," Jed agreed. "We're very proud of her."
Jed looked up to see Abbey descending the stairs after her discussion with the aforementioned Ellie.
"Everything all right?" He asked.
She approached the couch where he was seated and sat down beside him and he put his arm around her.
"Yep. You should go talk to her soon though."
"Okay."
"Abbey, we were just discussing the joys of parenthood," Evan said.
"Fantastic topic," Abbey said with a weary sigh.
Talia eyed her suspiciously.
"I thought maybe you'd like it."
"Really, Talia. Why's that?"
"Well, being that you and Jed are such experts and all."
Abbey sat up straight.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Abbey…" Jed said, warningly, moving a hand to her shoulder and pulling her back to lean on the couch.
"I'm merely commenting on the events of late," Talia said, coyly.
"I suggest you expand on that before I…"
"Abbey."
"I just suggest you expand on that," Abbey rephrased, tersely.
"You know. The Ellie fiasco."
"Talia, please," Evan said, pleadingly.
"I beg your pardon!" Abbey exclaimed, jerking up again.
"Abbey, she's not worth it," Jed whispered.
"Are you even in the same room with us, Jed? Did you HEAR that?"
"I heard it."
"Now, now, before you get all worked up," Evan began. "I'm sure all Talia is getting at is that…today wasn't the best day for the two of you as parents."
"I swear to God…" Abbey said, teeth clenched.
"Abbey!" Jed held her back once more.
"This is coming from two people who barely spend fifteen minutes with their children a day! At least we don't have to hire a nanny to take care of our children!" Abbey exclaimed.
"After today's disaster, maybe you should!" Talia retorted. "I bet they'd be a lot better off."
"You are going to regret EVER having said that!" Abbey shouted, trying to break free from Jed's grasp holding her down. "Lemme at 'em, Jed, I swear to God, in the name of all that is holy I am going to…"
"Oh!" Talia said, with a mock gasp. "Or maybe we should ask your daughter's opinion. Being that she's sitting right over there on the stairs."
Everyone immediately turned to see where Talia Silverman pointed. Ellie Bartlet stood on the bottom step, watching and listening, almost with horror.
"Ellie. Sweetheart," Abbey said, holding her hand out to her.
Ellie walked over to took her hand, standing behind the couch she sat on.
"You're Ben Silverman's parents?" Ellie asked Talia and Evan.
"Yes," Evan answered, hesitantly.
"And…you're giving MY parents a hard time?"
Talia and Evan remained silent.
"Sure, my parents make mistakes. Everyone does, they're no exception. But at least they have raised me and my sisters to know right from wrong."
"So have we," Talia repied, defensively. "Our boys know right from wrong, and a lot more."
"Really? Is that why your son refuses to have anything to do with my sister from now on? Is that why he wants you to write her a check and walk away? Yeah, you raised him well, all right."
"Ellie, honey, you don't have to do this," Abbey told her.
"If you ask me, Ben's just following your example. I don't think you want anything to do with your kids either. That's why you have a nanny, so you don't have to deal with them. Some parents you are."
"Young lady, that is really not your place to say," Evan admonished.
"You should be glad I stepped in just now. Cuz if I hadn't, my mom would have kicked you into the middle of next week. And don't even think she wouldn't. I've seen her do worse. If you're not careful, I will too," Ellie said, holding up two fists.
Jed immediately stood up and walked over to her.
"Okay, Rambo, that's enough. Come on."
He lead her away from the crowd and up the stairs.
Abbey grinned.
"That's my daughter."
When they reached the top of the stairs, Jed stopped and kneeled in front of his daughter.
"You did good back there, El."
"Yeah, well, they deserved it."
"Yes, they did. Mom and I appreciate you sticking up for us, you know. Especially after what happened today."
Ellie looked down at her shoes.
"I really am sorry about that. Do you believe me?"
"Yes," she replied, quietly.
"I would never do anything like that on purpose. Never."
"I know."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Dad."
Jed smiled.
"I'm gonna go back downstairs now, and start setting up for dinner."
"Dad, it's like 8 o'clock."
"Better late than never."
"Okay. I'm gonna go see what Liz, Zoey, and Mallory are up to."
"Okay."
He kissed the top of her head, then headed back downstairs. Ellie smiled inwardly to herself and started in the direction of Elizabeth's room.
"On the floor, McGarry."
"I'm not sleeping on the cold basement floor!" Leo protested.
"Well, you're not sleeping with me."
"Come on, Jenny."
"Out of my way," Jenny said, throwing his pillow off the couch.
"I've been sleeping here for days now, you can't just come in here and kick me out. You kicked me out of my own house, you're not gonna kick me off this couch."
"Watch me."
"Fine. At least give me that extra blanket then."
Jenny threw him the blanket then plopped down on the couch, exhaling deeply. Leo spread out his blanket on the floor and positioned his pillows, then sat down, indian style.
"You know, it's only 8 o'clock," Leo said.
"That's nice, Leo."
"Have you eaten?"
"No."
"Me either."
"Do you suppose Mallory will throw us a piece of raw meat or something?" Jenny asked, sarcastically.
"Wouldn't put it past her."
"Think Jed and Abbey have noticed we're gone yet?"
"Doubt it. They're a little preoccupied right now," Leo replied.
"Yeah. Why are the Silvermans here anyway?"
"Damned if I know the real reason. Supposedly to discuss Elizabeth."
"Of all the boys for Liz to hook up with, he had to be the son of Evan and Talia Silverman," Jenny commented, with a sigh.
"From what I hear he's not treating her too hot either."
"That's what Abbey tells me, yes."
"Damn."
"What?"
"I feel like we're hostages, or stuck on some island somewhere," Leo said.
"That's because we might as well be," Jenny agreed.
"Jen?"
"What," Jenny said, a certain reluctance in her voice.
"I'm sorry."
"I know," she replied, softly.
TBC.