"Not a problem. It's Friday afternoon, I don't blame you."
"Well, it's my daughter's birthday and we've got the whole family coming down from New England. My wife's not going to be home till later, and she'll have my head if I'm not at home preparing for their arrival like royalty."
"I hear that, Representative. I won't keep you any longer. I'm rather familiar with spousal retribution myself."
"It's not day at the beach, huh?" Jed said, laughing.
"No, sir! Have a good weekend, Jed. Tell your daughter happy birthday for me."
"Will do, George, thanks."
Jed walked George out of his office and then stood in front of his secretary's desk.
"Sheila."
She looked up.
"I have been standing her for close to two minutes now," Jed said.
"Yeah."
"And, until just now, you had yet to acknowledge my presence," Jed said.
"I was waiting for you to say something."
"You're twisted, you know that, Sheila?"
"State your business, sir."
"I'm leaving."
Sheila stared at him in disbelief.
"All that just to tell me you're leaving?"
"Damn right."
"Well then, goodbye."
Jed rolled his eyes.
"Have a nice weekend, Sheila."
"You do the same."
"I'm gonna do my damndest," he replied with a sigh.
"Tell Ellie happy birthday for me!" Sheila called after him.
"I will."
"Why, Dr. Bartlet, nice of you to drop by," Olivia Westin said as Abbey entered her hospital room.
"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your voice, Mrs. Westin?"
"Possibly a little."
"How are we feeling today?" Abbey questioned.
"Well, I can't speak for you, Doctor, but I'm feeling quite satisfactory, thank you."
"Excellent."
"When do I have to go in for surgery?" Olivia asked.
"I'm not 100 certain you'll need to have surgery. I'm waiting on a few test results to return from the lab. After all, we'll see if it's neccesary to get you into the OR."
Olivia nodded.
"Doug came by to see me this morning."
"Well, that's good. You're very lucky to have such a considerate grandson."
"Yes, I am. You know, he transferred to Georgetown because I got sick and since I'm all alone here in DC he thought he should be around for me."
"Really? He sounds very special, Olivia."
"He is. But alas, all children come with eccentricities..."
"Meaning what exactly?" Abbey asked.
Olivia smiled warmly, mysteriously.
"We'll get into it another time. You have to go going soon, don't you, Doctor?"
"I do, but if you want to talk..."
"No, no. Go on. We'll talk another time," Olivia insisted.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Have a wonderful weekend, Dr. Bartlet."
"Thank you. You too."
"It'll be tough not to have a wonderful weekend sitting around in this hospital bed."
"I'm sorry, Olivia."
"Go home, dear. Go home to your family."
"Zoey, time check."
Zoey looked at the digital clock near her.
"Six minutes till Mommy gets home, thirty-six minutes until family."
"Ok. Liz, bring out the food and put it in the living room. Ellie, get four aspirins and a glass of water," Jed said.
"Four?"
"Two for Mom, two for me."
"Right."
"Zoey, just sit there and try not to make a mess."
"Kay!"
Jed heard Abbey's car pull into the driveway.
"She's early. Ellie! Hurry up with the aspirin!"
Ellie ran into the living room, handed her father the aspirin and the water, then sat quietly next to her sister. Jed popped two pills into his mouth, washed them down, and then waited for his wife to walk in the door. By the time Abbey walked in, Liz had placed all the food on the coffee table and sat with her sisters to wait.
"Hello!" Abbey called. "Oh. You're all in here."
"Hi, Mom."
"Hey, Mom."
"Hi, Mommy!"
"Aspirin, dear?"
"Ah! You're a life saver," Abbey said, taking the aspirin and swallowing it in one gulp.
"How was your shift?"
"Exhausting. How was your meeting?"
"Went pretty well, I think."
"Good. I'm gonna go change. How much time do I have?"
"About a half hour."
"Ok. Jed. Upstairs."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"We have thirty minutes."
"For...what?"
"The minute this family gets here marks the beginning of a weekend without sex. Need I say more?"
"I'm right before you."
"Atta boy."
"Guys, you realize we just heard that, right?" Liz asked.
"Yeah."
"So you're gonna go upstairs for a quickie while we sit down here and wait?"
"You're so bright, Lizzie."
"You guys are sick."
"Yes, we are. Nobody comes upstairs till we come down, understood?" Jed said.
"Gladly," Ellie said.
"With pleasure," Liz agreed.
"Why not!" Zoey wondered.
Twenty-five minutes later, Jed and Abbey emerged from their bedroom, both a little flushed. Abbey was wearing a white spaghetti-strap maternity shirt with a light purple knee-length skirt. Her hair was held up off her neck by a clip, with a few strands loose. Jed wore a t-shirt that said "Proud Nobel Laureate" on the front and "aka King of the Nerds" on the back. It had been a gift from his loving wife when he won the Prize back in '84.
When they moseyed down the stairs, they were shocked to find that their first cluster of guests had arrived early.
"Michelle!" Abbey exclaimed.
Michelle and her husband, Dallas Brady, both stood from their positions on the couch next to the Bartlet girls.
"Hey there, sis."
"You're early!"
"Did we catch you...in the middle of something?" Michelle asked, wryly.
"No, no. I was just..."
"Changing?"
"Yeah."
Michelle laughed.
"Come here."
She pulled her into a tight hug. Dallas and Jed shook hands firmly, like men. When Michelle released her, Abbey turned to Dallas.
"Hi, Dallas."
"Dr. Jekyll."
"Hilarious, as always," Abbey said, sarcastically, hugging him.
"Josiah Edward."
"Michelle Lynn."
They both laughed and then hugged.
"How ya doin', Baby Bennett?" Jed asked, using the nickname he had for her back when he and Abbey were courting.
"Not too bad, Old Man Bartlet."
"Hi, kids!" Abbey cried, hugging all four of Michelle and Dallas' children.
"So," she said, turning back to her little sister. "I thought Dad and Nan were coming with you."
"Nope, they're coming on their own."
"Why?"
"I don't know!"
"Who do you suppose will be the next to arrive?" Jed asked.
"Probably your pain-in-the-ass brother, Jed," Michelle speculated. "He was tailgating us for miles on the highway."
Jed laughed.
"That's Johnny all right."
They heard a couple of car doors slam and waited to see who would come through the door. It was not John Bartlet, Jr., as expected, but rather John Bartlet, Sr. and his wife, Catherine. Abbey grinned and gravitated towards them.
"Abigail!" John cried out. "You are an absolute vision, my dear."
Jed smiled and shook his head with bewilderment. Abbey had stolen his father's heart, much like his own, from the very beginning, and had quickly become the daughter he never had.
"Oh, thank you, John," she replied, hugging him tightly. "You look rather nice yourself."
"Pregnancy looks good on you, Abbey. Always has."
She smiled at him gratefully before turning her attention to his wife.
"Catie, you look fabulous!"
"You always were a charming little liar, Abbeykins."
Abbey smiled at her nickname and hugged her mother-in-aw.
"You, however, look just as beautiful as you did twenty years ago," Catherine said.
"Oh, I don't know about that."
"Well, you have put on a little weight," Catherine joked, with a wink. "How much longe till I have a new grandchild to spoil?"
"About two and a half months now."
John walked over to his son.
"Josiah."
"Dad."
"You're looking well."
"As are you."
"House needs painting, son."
"Yeah...I have to do that at some point."
"Responsibilities, Jed, responsibilities."
"Uh, sure, ok."
"Jed! My darling boy."
Catherine walked over, kissing and hugging her son incessantly.
"Mom, you're embarassing me."
"Oh, please. Abbey couldn't care less. She knows you're a little Mama's boy."
"That's true!" Abbey said.
"Catherine!" John snapped, causing her to immediately back off. "Go say hello to your children."
"See. He likes you better than he likes my mother and I combined," Jed whispered in Abbey's ear.
"Shh! He'll hear you."
"Let him hear."
Abbey grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side.
"Jed, I swear, if you start something with your father on our daughter's birthday, so help me God, I'll..."
"I'm not gonna start anything, but if he does..."
"He won't."
"He's already started with my mother. And it'll only get worse when Johnny gets here."
"Jed, please. Please."
He sighed.
"All right, I'll keep the peace."
"Thank you."
"Abigail, you are a VISION, my dear," Jed mocked his father, cruelly.
"Jed, stop it!"
"Pregnancy looks so GOOD on you, Abbey."
"Jed."
"I'm appalled by his nerve, Abbey, I really am. Doting on you like that, then completely disrespecting Mom and me."
"Jed!" Abbey whined.
"I'm sorry! He just pushes all my buttons. I can't help it."
"I know, sweetie, I do. But please, please, just keep it civil. For me. And for Ellie."
"Ok."
"I love you," she said, firmly, reassuringly, as she stood on her tip-toes to kiss his forehead.
"Good to know somebody does."
She shook her head.
"Uh uh. None of that. This is the part where you tell me you love me and we smile and return to our guests."
Jed smiled reluctantly.
"I love you."
"Ok. Let's go."
"...into the fires of everlasting hell..."
"Jed!"
"That was my last one!"