11:17 A.M.
The Sheraton Hotel Room 126

"Daddy, Jed and the girls are downstairs waiting," Abbey called to her father, who was in the bathroom.
"I'll be out in a minute, cookie"
"I swear, you've got vanity like a woman, Dad. It's sad"
The door opened and he appeared before her, leaning against the wall.
"It takes time and effort to look this suave and debonair, Abbey"
She laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Are you ready yet"
"Not quite. I don't think I got a close enough shave this morning. Let me just go and do that," Nick said, ducking back into the bathroom.
"Daddy"
She groaned.
"I don't know how Nan puts up with you"
"It's one of the great mysteries of the world!" He called from inside the bathroom.
As Abbey walked over to the window, a picture frame caught her eye and she moved in the direction of the nightstand on which it sat.
"Daddy, I can't believe you bring framed pictures with you to a hotel!" Abbey called.
"Why not? I like to keep my loved ones close to me wherever I am"
"But…" She protested, sitting on the bed and picking up the frame. "Everyone in this picture was here this weekend. Well, everyone that could be here"
"Ah yes, but it's not like the old days, cookie!" "Yeah," Abbey whispered, running her fingers over the glass. "Which picture are you looking at, sweetheart?" Nick asked.
"Uh, this one of Michelle, Julia, Michael and me, from the 60's. From my engagement party"
"Good. That one's my favorite"
"Mine too," she said, quietly.
May 19th, 1967 Andover, Massachusetts The Bennett Household Living Room

"Excuse me! Can I have everyone's attention for a moment please?" Nick Bennett called, tapping on his champagne glass.
The commotion in the room quieted and everyone turned their attention to Nick, in the middle of the room.
"Thank you. Now. As you know, we're gathered here on this day to celebrate the engagement of my daughter, Abbey, to this fine young man over here, Jed Bartlet"
Everyone clapped. "As you can imagine, the thought of giving my little girl away to another man is absolutely harrowing to me. But, her happiness is my main concern, always has been, and the fact of the matter is, she's happy. And I suppose it could be worse, I could be standing here toasting Abbey and that burly football player she dated in high school, or the one who rode the motorcycle. Or worse, that dreadful fellow, Ron Erhlich"
Abbey rolled her eyes.
"Daddy, please"
"Anyway, before I embarrass Abbey any further, I would just like to mention exactly how much this wedding is going to cost me"
"Daddy!" Abbey cried out.
Nick shook his head.
"Please allow me to complete my toast, cookie, then you can dump your champagne on me, which I'm sure you won't hesitate to do"
"Fine." "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. Despite how much this wedding is costing me, I know it will be worth it just to see the look on my daughter's face when she says 'I do"
"Oh, Daddy," Abbey said, tearing a little bit. "And Jed, let me just tell you this. If you EVER hurt my little girl, ever, there will be no place on this earth where you will be safe from my wrath. Understood"
Jed swallowed, nervously.
"Y...yes, sir"
"That being said. I thank you all for celebrating with us. Enjoy the rest of the party"
"Uh, Dad, can I…" Abbey said, gesturing towards the microphone.
"Oh. Sure, cookie," Nick replied, handing her the microphone and sitting down.
"Thanks, Dad, for the touching display of your angry, protective side. I just wanted to take this time to, as my father did, thank you all for joining us tonight. Your blessing means so much to Jed and me. We're very grateful to have such a wonderful, supportive family. I know many of you are nervous, since Jed and I have only known each other a few months, and we're both so young. But you all know me, so you know that I wouldn't make such an important decision if I wasn't absolutely certain I was doing the right thing. Now, with that out of the way, I'd like to thank Dad and Nan for throwing us this party and for giving us the chance to have such a beautiful wedding. I love you guys. Again, thanks for being here. Have a great night!" All the guests clapped wildly for the bride-to-be. She smiled back at them cordially, then slipped into the kitchen. "Well, looky here, if it isn't the blushing bride," Julia commented, as she carried a plate of hors d'oeurves over to the counter and set it down. Michelle sat at the table, snacking on some carrots from the vegetable platter, and Michael was leaning against the sink, sipping from his glass of scotch.
"What are all you doing in here?" Abbey asked. "We're the catering team behind this magificent soiree," Julia said. "Oh, dear"
"What?" Michelle, then seventeen years old, asked. "I was just wondering who the hell put my three siblings in charge of preparing anything edible." Michelle threw carrot at her, which she skillfully ducked away from. Michael caught it and popped it into his mouth.
"Three's pushing it anyway," Julia said. "These two haven't done a damn thing but eat since we got into the kitchen"
"It's probably better that way," Abbey replied, sticking her tongue out at her brother.
"You say that now, but just wait. Someday I'll be a world-famous chef, cooking delicious dishes for celebrities and royality," Michael said.
"You graduated from Northeastern with a degree in physics, Michael. You can't even fry an egg," Abbey quipped.
"Are you mocking my degree in physics, little sister"
"No, I'm mocking your non-existent cooking skills, big brother"
"See, calling me big brother just doesn't sound half as good as me calling you little sister"
"Tough." "Oh, Abbey, I wanted to tell you…loved your speech," Julia said.
"I barely said anything at all"
"Yeah, but you were a good match for Dad's"
"That's just twenty-one years of practice. I've learned how to fight off Dad. We all have. Now I just have to teach Jed"
Michelle sighed, dramatically.
"I can't believe you're getting married, Abbey." Abbey leaned over her and grabbed a carrot.
"Me neither"
"I always thought Michael would be the first of us to get married, honestly," Julia said. "Me? For God's sake, why?" "Well, I didn't figure on it being a marriage of any great longevity, I thought you'd meet some floozy in a bar, tie the knot with her in Vegas, and have it annulled three weeks later"
Abbey and Michelle burst out laughing.
"Don't worry, I'll get you back," Michael warned. "Oooh, I'm scared!" "You should be! I can be a vengeful man, Julia Marie Bennett. You'll see"
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll go all Einstein on me and write an equation for my death," Julia replied.
Michael nodded.
"That's exactly what I'll do." "Ok, that's enough of that. It's my engagement party, please shower me with attention," Abbey said, coyly. "Like you haven't gotten enough attention today," Michelle said.
"Or in the last twenty-one years," Julia added. "What's that supposed to mean!" Abbey demanded.
"It means, little sister, that since the day you were born you have been cherished unlike any other. And now that you're getting married…why, none of us stand a chance!" Michael answered, mocking her slightly.
"I've never heard a bigger exaggeration in my life," Abbey said. "Then you don't get out much," Julia responded. "We all get our fair share of attention. We happen to be brilliant scholars, I'll have you know," Abbey argued.
"Not the high schooler," Michael said, nodding in Michelle's direction. "She's too young to be a scholar"
"Maybe not, but I'm still a genius," Michelle insisted.
"That you are, grasshopper, that you are." "See? We're a family of geniuses. We grew up showered with attention, that's just the way it goes"
"Yeah, but we're not you, Abbey," Julia said. Abbey sighed.
"Oh, children, let us stop for I am growing weary of this conversation." "Abbey the ambitious one," Julia continued, despite Abbey's efforts against it.
"Abbey the feisty one," Michael said.
"A title which was unfairly bestowed on Abbey, I might add, as I happen to be pretty damn feisty myself," Julia argued.
"Don't forget Abbey the pretty one!" Michelle said.
"No, no. Michelle, you're the pretty one. Abbey's the beautiful one," Michael corrected her.
"What's the difference?" Michelle asked, indignantly.
"There's a difference"
"And what about me, jackass!" Julia exclaimed. "I guess I'm just the unrecognized beauty of the Bennett clan, hmm"
"You're Julia the attactive one"
"Ok, Michael, you've officially lost your mind because there is no difference between pretty, beautiful, and attractive," Julia countered. "Are you an English major?" Michael replied, pointedly.
"No, but neither are you"
"I am!" Michelle said.
"Not yet, you're not, short stuff," Michael answered. "Hey! Don't call me short stuff. I'm seventeen, but I'm still taller than Abbey!" "Everyone's taller than Abbey," Julia agreed. Abbey groaned and hopped up to sit on the counter.
"You petty children bore me to tears"
"Children? You're the second youngest person in the room!" Michael exclaimed. "By age. But by maturity"
"Oh, stuff it," Julia said.
"Oook"
"Hey," Michelle said. "What do you think Mom would say if she were alive"
"Say about what"
"About Abbey's wedding. About Jed." "Mom wouldn't be giving me a hard time about it like you three are," Abbey answered.
"Are you kidding? Mom would never rest! This wedding would be her reason for living," Michael objected. Julia laughed, cynically.
"Then maybe if Abbey had gotten married four years ago, she'd have lived"
Abbey frowned.
"That's terrible thing to say, Julia." "I know. I'm sorry. I take it back." "I, for one, think Mom would have loved Jed," Michelle piped in.
"Mmm, yes. I think she would have. Mom always loved a good brown-noser," Michael said.
"Michael!" Abbey exclaimed. "Jed is not a brown-noser. He's just a genuinely nice guy, which is more than I can say for you." "You've hurt me deeply"
"Good. You bad-mouth my fiancee again and I'll do a lot more than hurt you"
"Ohhhhh!" Michelle cried.
"She told you!" Julia said. "Eh, she's all talk"
They had all burst into convulsions of laughter when Jed entered the kitchen, tentatively.
"Jed!" Julia cried.
"Sorry…did I interrupt a moment of sibling bonding?" "You're not interrupting anything, baby, come on over here," Abbey beckoned, from the counter top on which she sat. Jed walked over to his fiancee, kissed her lightly on the lips, then stood with his back to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. Michael sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Nothing like young lovers to make me sick to my stomach"
Julia snickered and Michelle shoved another carrot into her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"You're just jealous of me, Michael"
"You're right," Michael replied, with a roll of his eyes. "I wish I had a guy like Jed too." Julia burst out laughing.
"Well, that would explain a lot." "Oh, hold your tongue, Ophelia"
"Bite me"
"Hey, hey, hey, not in front of the fiancee!" Abbey pleaded.
"Nothing I haven't seen before," Jed replied, honestly. "At least when you guys fight, you're kidding around. It's a refreshing change from my house." "Who says we're kidding around?" Michael shot back.
"Michael," Abbey admonished. "Yeah, he can really bite me," Julia insisted.
"And she can really hold her tongue"
"And the both of you can really excuse yourselves from my engagement party if you can't behave," Abbey replied, calmly. "Oh, I'm so out of place in this family…" Michelle said, dramatically. "Shut up, short stuff, you're just as fucked up and Freudian as the rest of us," Michael retorted. "I'm not Freudian!" Abbey objected.
Jed chuckled.
"Excuse me, do you have something to say, young man?" She inquired. "Nope. Nothing at all, dear"
Michael rolled his eyes.
"You two make me sick"
"We didn't even do anything!" Abbey exclaimed. "You breathed"
"Oh, shut up, and stop being so goddamned morbid all the time"
"It's what I do, Abbey. I'm an enigma. I wear black and go around muttering obscenities under my breath"
Abbey shook her head, exhasperatedly.
"No, you don't"
"Well, I could start"
Abbey sighed and looked at Jed.
"You sure you wanna get shackled to this completeply delusional family"
"As long as you're part of the package," he answered. "That's beautiful," Michael said, sarcastically. "You know what? I've just about had it with you tonight, Michael! What the hell is wrong with you!" "Nothing, I'm just tired of sitting around watching you toy around with your goddamned boyfriend"
"That's fiancee to you, buddy," Abbey corrected him, angrily. "Do I look like I care"
"Michael, don't do this," Julia pleaded, softly. "No! Why the hell shouldn't I! All I'm…" He stopped when Abbey looked up at him, tears fresh in her eyes. "Jesus. Oh, God, Abbey, I'm sorry." She shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. Jed, who's back was still leaning into her, immediately turned and was surprised by her tears. Abbey didn't cry that often. Michael started towards her, his expression apologetic.
"Abbey, I'm so sorry. Please don't"
Jed pushed him away.
"Abbey? Honey, are you ok"
She nodded quickly, shaking off her tears.
"I'm fine." "Abbey, listen to me, I'm so…" Michael began.
"Just back the hell off her for a second, will you!" Jed shouted.
"Jed," Abbey warned, quietly.
"Now, you look here, pal. I was her brother long before you were her fiancee, you don't tell me to back the hell off her, all right! I know what I'm doing. You don't make the decisions around here"
"Michael"
"Well, then you'd think if you've been her brother so long and you know what you're doing…you'd think you'd have enough sense to keep your mouth shut instead of making her cry!" Jed shouted back.
"Jed"
"You don't know! You don't know what we've been through of the past four years, you don't know what Abbey's been through, ok! We lost our fucking mother and had her replaced by some jackass feminist hag, and"
"Hey!" Michelle protested. "Don't you talk about Nan like that!" "Michelle, don't get into this," Julia whispered, for her little sister's own good. "No, why shouldn't she? Let's all get into this! Let's all scream and fight and call each other names! Jed apparently has no trouble joining in! He's just one of us now!" Michael shouted. "Enough!" Abbey cried, through her now-drying tears. "Michael, stop persecuting Jed, for the love of God. And Jed, just let Michael be, please! There's a whole crowd of people out there, probably listening to every word of this. I don't know what the hell is up your ass, Michael, but I don't want it at my engagement party. So either knock it off or get out!" Michael glared at her for a moment, not so much out of anger, but out of betrayal. He shook his head in disbelief, then stormed out the door. Julia leaned against the counter and dropped her head in her hands. Michelle squeezed her eyes shut and began whispering soothing words to herself. Abbey's eyes filled with water again, and she put her head on Jed's shoulder, allowing the tears to flow freely from her eyes. Jed put his arms around her and lifted her off of the counter top. The four of them took a few minutes to gather themselves before returning to the party in the next room. Little did they know, the next day, Michael would enlist himself, voluntarily, in the United States Army. Weeks later, he would be shipped off to Vietnam.