"CJ, you briefed about the purpose of this Leno thing, right?" Sam whispered, leaning over so she could hear him.
"Yeah, everything's good."
"Ok. Mr. President?"
"Yeah."
"You spoke to the First Lady this morning?" Sam asked.
"Yes, Sam," Jed answered, exhasperatedly. "I spoke to her this morning, this afternoon, and about twenty minutes ago."
Knowing the episode had already been shot, Sam asked, "Did she give you a heads-up on the show?"
"No, actually, she avoided the topic. She said it went fine," Jed replied.
Sam squirmed uneasily in his seat.
"Fine?"
"Yeah, she said it was fine. What's the matter?"
"Sam's nervous," Josh explained.
"I'm not nervous!"
"Yeah, you are. He's nervous. He's convinced she's going to ruin us."
"And why would you think that?" The President asked, facetiously.
"Sir, with all due respect…the First Lady's a little… on the rebellious side," Sam said.
"If you had to choose who Mrs. Bartlet most resembled, would you say Sandy or Rizzo?" Josh said.
A unanimous "Rizzo" was the response.
"There, there," the President said, mockingly. "Do I look like Kenickie to you?"
"No, sir, but you don't look like John Travolta either," CJ said, laughing.
"Ok, I got one," Mallory said. "In a fight between Abbey and Darth Vader, complete with light saber and Abbey without one, who kicks ass?"
A unaninous "Abbey" was the response.
"What an appealing idea for foreplay," the President said, grinning.
They all covered their ears and groaned.
"Dad!"
"Sorry, but I had to find some way to get you to drop it. Apparently that's the way. I think my wife has been the subject of enough polls this week."
"Oh, shh! Shh, it's coming on," Leo said, turning up the volume for the huge screen in front of them.
The lights dimmed as The Tonight Show's theme began playing. They waited with bated breath to see what would happen next.
After the initial stand-up comedy that traditionally takes place at the beginning of the show, host Jay Leno walked over and sat down at his desk.
"Ok, everyone, we've got a great show for you today. Although we are without a musical guest due to time constraints, we've got one helluva guest to keep us busy for the next hour. She is a woman of innumerable accomplishments. Doctor, medical professor on staff at Boston College, mother of three, and she just happens to be the wife of the most powerful man in the world."
"You hear that?" Jed said, elbowing Leo next to him.
"Yeah, we heard, sir," Leo said, rolling his eyes.
"She has used her enviable position by advocating for women's lib organizations and against child labor, and spends much of her time overseas doing charity work and lecturing in the Middle East and South America."
"Rizzo, my ass," the President said, proudly, at the mention of his wife's many accomplishments.
"Dad, shh!" Ellie whispered.
"And this week Time magazine announced a poll asking 'Who's the Sexiest Lady of All Time?'" Jay said, holding up the magazine for the audience, and the camera, to focus on.
"Nice, huh? Anyway," he said, putting the magazine down. "Now don't try anything because not only is her lovely Chief of Staff, Amy Gardner, waiting backstage with a cell phone in hand ready to call the President at any momemt, but there are many large and well-equipped agents just yards away who could kick the crap out of Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. Come to think of it, my next guest could kick the crap out of Whitney Houston too."
"Could this night possibly have any more pop culture references?" Elizabeth commented.
"Shh! Liz!" Zoey whispered.
"She and I used to be friends when we went to high school together in Massachusetts and I'm embarassed to say I haven't seen her since, especially now knowing all that she's become."
Everyone in the room looked at the President, whose eyes had widened.
"I'm guessing your dad had no idea that…" Doug whispered to his wife.
"No," Liz said, quickly. "I highly doubt he did."
"Shh! Liz!" Ellie and Zoey said at the same time.
She shot them a dirty look.
"Oh, can it, the both of ya."
"Ok. Please welcome the First Lady of the United States of America, Dr. Abigail Bartlet!"