A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than usual, but hopefully, it makes up for the long wait between updates. It covers a lot of ground in terms of Abbey and Jed's family and professional lives. Abbey is still recovering and struggling from what she's gone through. And it's against that background that we see that something from her professional past is coming back to haunt her. There's also lots of discussion about parenting Felicity versus parenting her sisters.
The short story I'm writing is still in progress, and it'll be posted at some point soon.
Happy Reading!
The first Wednesday after Felicity's birth started like any other day in the White House. Staffers moved about occupied with the business of the American people. In the Mural Room, Toby watched as staff members of the White House Personnel Office brought boxes of vetting materials into the room. They were mostly from the campaign used to comb through the First Lady's life just like they did for the President. When they left, Toby went over to the stack of boxes and searched until he found everything related to her professional life. He brought the materials back to the sofa and settled in to pour over it.
Josh poked his head in an hour later, "What are you doing in here?"
"Amy mentioned to CJ that there might be something about Dr. B's professional life that started these rumors. So, I'm looking over everything that was pulled for vetting during the campaign."
"A former patient or disgruntled family member doing this, to get back at the First Lady, is an awful lot of work."
"She's one of only five women to win the Harper Avery Award so far. It's like the Stanley Cup of surgery."
Josh took a seat beside him, "Why don't I remember that?"
"When we were vetting the First Lady and the President, we were looking for anything controversial or problematic. Her accomplishments didn't meet those criteria, so we skipped over them."
Files were spread out on the table. Josh grabbed one and started to read through it, joining Toby in the search.
"It says here that ten surgeons were nominated in 1989. Dr. B, another woman, and eight men in her nomination letter. She was nominated by Dr. Andrew Howell for her extraordinary contribution to cardiothoracic surgery."
"Does it say why?"
Josh frowned, "Sort of. Listen to this…. "As part of his nomination, Dr. Howell has provided the committee with the chart of patient Jane Doe as evidence of innovation in your area of specialty. The case will be reviewed by the committee, but its specifics will remain private, per Dr. Howell's request."
"That explains why there's nothing on the Harper Avery Foundation website except a description of the surgical technique. It did mention pediatrics, which is strange considering she doesn't operate on children. There's a much more detailed story included for award winners before and after."
"I'd track down Dr. Howell and find out why he nominated her in the first place. It sounds like the details around why Dr. B won the award were kept private. If I were one of those other nine nominees, I might be upset. Maybe even jealous."
Toby set the file down, "So in other words, Dr. B did have something controversial in her past, and we missed it."
"Toby, Abbey Bartlet is one of the most famous women in the world. Something was bound to come up."
"Speaking of fame, did you, Sam, and Leo come up with a legal solution for the President yet?"
"He has grounds for a civil suit," Josh admitted. "But Dr. B wants nothing to do with it. Daily Insider Magazine is owned by the Huntzberger Media Group. Cease and desist is the best option we have."
"The President must be pleased with that one."
"It's his marriage. Dr. B and Felicity are going home today. If they want to move forward, we'll probably know today or tomorrow."
"I better get moving then. Once the press is told that Dr. B is being discharged, they're going to start asking questions about Felicity's paternity and the affair."
"I'll track down some of the names on this list and see if CJ and Sam have time to help find the rest."
"Thanks, Josh."
"The sooner we get back to business as usual, the better it will be for everyone."
Jed and Abbey arrived home from the hospital later on Wednesday morning. While Abbey settled in the informal living room with her mother and sister to relax, Jed went to his study with Felicity. Getting an all-clear from Abbey's physicians wasn't easy. They wanted her to stay another day. But they discharged her in the end. Felicity's release was a battle.
Originally, Jed wanted Felicity to stay if that would help the doctors find what caused her to become so unstable early Monday morning. His position shifted when it became clear that Felicity's medical team wouldn't consider releasing her until Friday. The idea of leaving his daughter in the hospital and continuing to rely on family and on Donna and Charlie didn't sit well with him. Abbey was also vehemently opposed. She was ready to sign Felicity out once she was cleared for discharge.
With Abbey and Felicity home, Ellie and Zoey returned to Baltimore and Washington respectively to start school. They would come back on Friday. Emily and Sandra planned to stay through the following week or longer. This meant that they would have a very full house come the weekend. Jed welcomed the change in pace. With her family around, maybe Abbey would be able to take her mind off the press concerns until she needed to deal with them.
Felicity shifted in the wrap carrier he now wore her in. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, his nose touching her soft hair. Since Sunday night, he'd been running around nonstop. This wasn't necessarily different from the day-to-day demands of his job. Standing here inhaling his daughter's sweet scent, joy, and relief spread through his body. His wife and daughters were alive and well. Whatever came next, Jed silently reminded himself that this was all that truly mattered.
"Sir?"
Jed looked up to see Charlie standing in the doorway.
"Yes, Charlie?"
"Your next meeting is in five minutes."
"Okay," he said with a nod. "Charlie, come here for a minute."
Charlie walked into the room and over to his boss. He watched Jed carefully extract Felicity from the navy-blue fabric of the wrap he wore. Before Charlie had an opportunity to protest, Jed put Felicity in his arms. Instead of freezing this time, Charlie held her in his arms. She still felt too light in his arms. Felicity's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him sleepily. Then Felicity smiled at him.
"Is that a smile?" He asked, feeling his heart melt a little.
"It's supposedly a reflex. But given how vocal Felicity has been about her opinions, I take them at face value. She likes you, Charlie."
"Well, back at you, Felicity."
"It's an awesome responsibility, being a parent. But it's the best job in the world, even when it seems impossibly difficult."
"Even better than being President?"
"Some people might disagree with me," Jed admitted. "You have to fight for it more than anything else. No amount of policy positions or popular votes will win your kid over. And it's often the most thankless job. You can't beat these little moments, though. They stick with you even years later."
Charlie witnessed the President taking in those small moments first hand when he thought no one was watching. He knew, for instance, that his boss made it a nightly habit to read to Felicity before she was born. He continued the practice now, too. There were also the conversations. Even though Felicity couldn't answer him, Charlie caught him talking to her and telling stories about her sisters, mostly.
Felicity's expression changed from happy and relaxed to one of intense concentration. Jed took her back from Charlie.
"Charlie, let Leo know I'm running a few minutes late," He said, indicating Felicity. "I have some business to take care of."
"Yes, sir," Charlie said and went into the smaller room adjoining the study where a phone and desk had been set up for him to do as his boss asked.
Jed smiled down at his daughter, "You can't throw Charlie into the deep end, just yet, lovebug. Daddy, on the other hand, is a pro."
Abbey, Emily, and Sandra were chatting in the informal living room when Charlie entered the room with Felicity in his arms. Abbey smiled.
"You got over your hesitation, I see," She observed.
Charlie looked a little sheepish, "Yes, ma'am. Felicity won me over."
The women laughed appreciatively. Charlie went around to the oversized chair Abbey sat in and put Felicity into her outstretched arms.
"What is the President up to, Charlie?"
"A meeting with the President of France. He pushed it back a few minutes because Felicity needed a diaper change."
"Isn't that nice of him?" Abbey said, looking down at her daughter.
"I still don't understand how you managed to train Jed so well," Emily said, looking at her sister from where she sat on the sectional beside their mother as Charlie left the room.
"I never had to, Emily. He's always been good about taking care of the kids. We would have never made it past Ellie if he wasn't."
"Your father also impressed upon Richard and Jed the importance of taking care of your family in every way."
"I think I could count the number of diapers Richard changed for Lorelei and Alexandra."
"Perhaps. But I don't know of many fathers who can say they helped set their daughters up for success the way Richard has with Alexandra."
"He is so proud of her and Lorelei too," Emily said and paused. "Of course, Lorelei would never know that."
"A visit to Stars Hollow might help," Abbey said gently.
"Lorelei has made it clear that we're not welcome there."
"She's never said that, Emily."
"And just how many peace summits have you tried to have here or in Boston?"
"It doesn't mean you stop trying, Emily," Sandra interjected. "I'll let both of you in on a little secret. You will never stop being a mother, no matter how old your children are."
Abbey suppressed a smile watching her sister's lips press into a thin line. Lorelei was a sore subject, certainly. But Emily wasn't about to contradict their mother because she was seldom wrong about anything when it came to their family.
"We're aware, mom," Emily replied. "It's hard not to be in Felicity's presence."
Sandra looked over at her granddaughter fondly, "I would say that I hope the worst of this nasty business is behind you and Jed, Abbey. But I fear it's only the beginning."
"Please tell me you're going to press charges against that woman," Emily practically spat. "What she did was unforgivable."
"She's going to lose her job, Em. And I'm sure there will disciplinary action from the nursing board as well. As much as I would like to press charges against everyone who tries to get close to Felicity, the last thing we need is a war on the press narrative. CJ is busy enough as it is."
"Has the Secret Service determined which outlet was going to pay her?"
Abbey shifted Felicity in her arms and prepared to feed her, "Yes, they did. Daily Insider Magazine offered a $500,000 reward for a photo. It's a part of the Huntzberger Media Group."
The temperature in the room dropped several degrees at the mention of Mitchum Huntzberger's company. He was well known for pushing the publications and properties he owned to produce results and to not care about the consequences.
"That certainly complicates matters," Sandra said grimly. "Mitchum Huntzberger is one of the most arrogant men I've ever come across."
"To say nothing of ruthless. It's little wonder Logan wants anything to do with the family business," Emily added.
"Jed is adamant that we should sue both the publication and the parent company. He wants it to serve as a chilling effect for anyone else who dares to invade Felicity's privacy again."
"You don't feel the same way," Sandra observed, watching the way her daughter held Felicity.
"No, I don't. After everything we've gone through, a lawsuit would compound this situation. The photographers aren't going to stop trying to get pictures of Felicity, and suing Mitchum isn't going to help to protect her. It will start a war, and I wouldn't put it past him to use Alex as a human shield just because he can."
"Lovely image, Abigail," Emily said, glaring at her sister.
"You know better than anyone what I'm getting at, Em."
"All it would take is a few well-placed whispers from Shira to cancel orders from Alex's clients," She concluded with a resigned sigh.
"Exactly," Abbey replied. "She doesn't deserve to get caught up in this any more than Felicity. To say nothing of what Mitchum could put in print about my family."
"What do you want to do, honey?" Sandra asked.
"I want to focus on my recovery and taking care of Felicity," She said honestly. "If that means depending on the Secret Service to protect us and staying here, so be it. I don't have the energy or the desire to fight anyone or anything right now. A cease and desist order is as far as I'll go. I told Jed as much before we were discharged."
Sandra went over to Abbey and kissed her temple tenderly, You should rest. When you're feeling up to it, let's get you up to bed. I'm sure that Jed will be happy to take Felicity while you sleep."
Abbey nodded wearily, "I think that would be wise."
Abbey's gaze returned to Felicity, who looked at her with such love in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to enjoy time with her daughter and forget everything else for a while, including dealing with rumors. The thought of leaving Felicity to sleep didn't sit well with her, but knowing Jed would have her helped ease her worry.
CJ stepped up to the podium in the briefing room in the early afternoon for her first press briefing of the day.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Late this morning, The First Lady was discharged from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She will continue her recovery at home under the supervision of Midwife Sheila Mason and the support of White House medical staff traveling with the First Family. The President and the First Lady appreciate the prayers and well-wishes for her recovery.
President Bartlet has a light schedule and intends to spend most of the next few days with his wife and family. Questions?"
"CJ! CJ!" Reporters said, her name seeming to come from every person in the room.
"Chris?"
"CJ, there's been information coming out the Felicity Bartlet was also admitted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock around the same time as Dr. Bartlet. Can you confirm that?"
"Yes, Felicity was admitted for observation. She returned home with her parents this morning. Danny?"
"Do you have any more information about the arrest the Secret Service made at the hospital on Monday?"
"The Secret Service is still investigating the incident. But I can tell you that an individual was arrested and detained by an agent assigned to Felicity at the hospital because they presented a threat to her security."
Murmurs rose up from the assembled reporters.
"CJ! CJ!"
"Tara?"
"It's come out that Dr. Bartlet was in a secured unit for her safety. Presumably, Felicity was in the same place. Has the Secret Service determined how her security was threatened to begin with, and if so, what happened?"
"Yes, the Secret Service does know how Felicity's security was threatened. I can't comment any further on the matter because it gets into details of protection. Fran?"
"How did the President and First Lady react to this news?"
"They were understandably upset and concerned. The President is having ongoing discussions with the Secret Service about how best to protect his family. Will?"
"Is the President still planning to go on his first foreign travel tour next month, and will the First Lady accompany him?"
"No changes have been made to the President's travel schedule as of right now. The First Lady is expected to accompany him as planned. David?"
"Will the first photos of Felicity be released ahead of the tour?"
"Nothing has been decided about photo releases yet. Jen?"
"You mentioned that Felicity Bartlet was hospitalized for observation on Monday. On Saturday, you stated that Felicity was perfectly healthy. So, what happened in between?"
"The details of what happened are a private family matter. Felicity is doing well and that is what is important."
When CJ left the podium 90 minutes later, her mind was exhausted. Most of the questions had to do with Felicity or Dr. Bartlet. The Bartlets made it clear that they didn't want anything made public about Felicity's time in the hospital. Dr. Bartlet already issued a statement about her hospitalization to spread awareness about pulmonary embolisms in pregnant and postpartum women. But trying to make sure she answered questions honestly without sounding like there was something to hide wasn't easy.
"Hey CJ," Toby said, falling into step beside her as she came down the hall from the briefing room.
"Hey, Toby. I heard you've been busy in the Mural Room most of the day."
"I have, and I think I found something."
"Please tell me it has everything to do with something else and not why Felicity was in the hospital."
"It does. The award Amy told you about yesterday has controversy around it."
"What kind of controversy?" CJ asked warily.
"For starters, Dr. Bartlet didn't want to be nominated."
"From my research, most surgeons go out of their way to get one."
"Yes, they do. I'm sure Dr. Bartlet has her reasons. But regardless of what they are, her nomination and win left other surgeons with a bad taste in their mouths. Some feel like the award was handed to her."
CJ raised an eyebrow, "I have never gotten the impression that Abbey Bartlet ever had anything handed to her professionally."
"That's what some people are saying. Others don't believe it. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is the surgery itself. Part of the nomination process is reviewing the medical chart of a patient who has had the procedure. After the awards are announced, other surgeons can request information about the procedure and the patient who had surgery for educational purposes. Only the nominating committee has never made the information available. It's highly irregular."
"So where does that leave you?"
"I'm still working through the list of nominees. The person I can't wait to talk to is Dr. Andrew Howell. He's the physician who nominated Dr. Bartlet and submitted the Jane Doe patient chart to the nominating committee. I hope he'll tell me why he submitted the nomination, to begin with."
"We could ask Dr. Bartlet for the story."
"I plan to. But you said it yourself. Jealousy makes people do strange things."
"True. Keep me posted on what you find."
"Will do."
By mid-afternoon, the Bartlet household had returned to business as usual. Abbey was upstairs in bed. Although she put on a good show after returning home from the hospital, it was clear that she was still recovering from birth and major surgery. Jed continued working from his study, taking meetings by phone, while Felicity slept on his chest in the wrap he wore. Sandra and Emily went into town to go antiquing. While he was in his meeting, Charlie left the President to check in with Donna, since they were effectively staffing the President and Dr. B alone.
"Hey Donna," Charlie said, entering the dining room. Donna sat at one end of the table going through paperwork with a pitcher of iced tea next to it.
"Hi Charlie," She replied, looking up at him. "How are the President's meetings going?"
"Good so far. He's surprisingly efficient when it comes down to it. Usually, he likes a little friendly chit-chat. But today he's booking through his schedule."
"Dr. B went upstairs with Emily's help about 30 minutes ago. So, I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying to cut out early to get back to her."
"What are you up to?"
"Checking over the list of baby gifts that have come in. Amy's had to take over the process completely."
"The President asked me how many gifts came in so far."
"About 200 and that's just from foreign dignitaries and heads of state."
Charlie raised an eyebrow, "They're going to have to send a lot of thank you cards."
"Yes, they certainly are. I talked to CJ a little while ago too. Toby pulled Dr. B's files that were used for vetting during the campaign. He might have found something to tie back to some of the rumors the press is spreading."
"That sounds promising, but it might only add one problem on top of another. I overheard the President tell Leo that he's ready to sue Mitchum Huntzberger."
Donna's eyes widened, "Oh, that's not good. He must have something to do with the photo the nurse tried to take of Felicity."
"It's going to make things awkward for certain with the family connections."
"Not to mention messy. I read up on him after the DAR Ball, and he's not the type of man you want to be on opposite sides with."
Charlie took in Donna's expression, "This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, isn't it?"
"It looks that way. We're going to have to help the President and Dr. B through this however we can."
"No one can ever say this job is boring," He said, sitting down across from Donna.
Charlie grabbed one of the empty glasses sitting beside the pitcher and poured himself a glass of iced tea.
"Agreed. I expected things to happen when Felicity arrived, but the frenzy surrounding the pictures of her is worse than I ever could have imagined."
"It's only been a week but to hear the press tell it, the President and First Lady are hiding Felicity."
Donna shook her head, "I'll have to talk to CJ and Amy again. We'll have to find a new way to communicate that they need privacy."
"Have you talked to Leo yet?"
"Not since this morning, why?"
Charlie took a sip from his glass, "The President seems tired. I know you worked on the schedule with Leo. But maybe he could use some more family time?"
"I'm sure he could. I'll ask Leo about giving the President actual time off and see what we can come up with," Donna said, making a note on the legal pad on one side of her. "I heard you held Felicity today."
"The President put her in my arms before I had a chance to think about it. Felicity smiled at me, sort of."
"Aww, she likes you, Charlie."
He laughed, "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."
"After what happened this morning at the hospital, I would."
"I felt bad for those doctors."
Felicity made her feelings about being in the hospital known earlier in the day. She wouldn't let the doctors or nurses do much of anything without crying loudly. No amount of comfort helped, either.
"I'm surprised Dr. B could show such restraint while the medical team tried to explain why they wanted to keep Felicity."
"If looks could kill, I think they would have been dead."
"I agree. At least they're safer from photographers here on the farm. Ron Butterfield pulled out all the stops when we came back."
"Maybe we'll get lucky and this next week will be the vacation that the President and First Lady hoped for," He offered.
Donna shared Charlie's wish that the rest of their time here in New Hampshire would go off without another major incident. The last few days had been harrowing and stressful for everyone. It would be nice to have some peace and quiet. But she had a feeling that they weren't going to get it.
The sound of Felicity's cries haunted Abbey in her dreams, making it difficult to get the real rest she needed for her recovery. In sleep, the guilt and the worry she felt but didn't allow herself to show plagued her. Just as Abbey was starting to wake up from her nap, she heard soft snuffling sounds. She opened her eyes to find Felicity laying in her baby nest in the middle of the bed.
"Felicity…" She said softly and watched as the little girl turned her head and focused her blue eyes in her mother's direction.
Abbey pulled the nest over so that they were side by side. Felicity's little hand reached out toward her. She captured it in her own and kissed the spot where the IV had been not even 24 hours earlier. Seeing her children hooked up to medical equipment wasn't any easier for Abbey than it was for any other parent. In some ways, it was worse. Thankfully, Liz, Ellie, and Zoey had avoided serious illnesses or injuries so far. For that, she was grateful. After everything with Alex, then Jed, and now Felicity, she had enough of seeing people she loved in the hospital.
She was grateful to the teams of medical professionals that saved her life and supported her daughter when she needed it. Watching Felicity be continually examined and tested on that first day, only for her doctors to come up with nothing, was frustrating and physically painful. She hurt just thinking about it. Felicity regarded her with a serious expression that seemed to ask, "Mom, are you okay?"
"What did we do to deserve you, hmm?"
"I wonder what I did to deserve you from time to time myself," Jed said, breaking into the conversation. He carried quite possibly the largest bouquet of white roses she'd ever seen through the open bedroom door with him.
"Jed, what is all of this?" Abbey asked, tracking his progress across the room.
He set the arrangement down on her vanity, which stood against the wall across from her side of the bed, "Just a little something to say how amazing I think you are."
"You must have bought all the white roses in Manchester to create that arrangement. It's lovely."
"Only the best for the most beautiful woman in the world," He said, walking over to the bed and kissing his wife.
Abbey returned the kiss, "I don't feel particularly beautiful at the moment. But thank you."
"I still think you're perfect. Felicity will back me up. Won't you, sweetheart?" He asked, looking at their daughter. "One week ago today, she came into our lives because of you."
"It was a joint effort on our part," Abbey replied, feeling herself getting emotional.
"You did all the heavy lifting," He pointed out. "And then some. So, I think a little celebration is in order. What do you think about dinner and a movie?"
"That sounds heavenly."
"I sent Charlie into town to pick up dinner from the Foundry," He said, referring to a relatively new restaurant in Manchester they wanted to try on a future date night.
"I would say you shouldn't have. But it's going to be a while before we'll be able to go out to dinner without the world's press following our every move. So, it's perfect. Why don't you tell Donna, she has the night off? She's been working non-stop. Charlie too."
"One step ahead of you. They're out together picking up dinner. I told them to take the night off after they come back. Since Emily and your mom are still out, it only seemed right."
"Good. They deserve it."
"Speaking of time off, I talked to Liz earlier. When I mentioned our dinner plans, she offered to come over and spend time with Felicity. Ellie and Zoey have been hogging their sister, so she wants to take this opportunity to spend time with her."
"It sounds like you might be the next Pony Pal, lovebug," Abbey said jokingly to Felicity.
Jed groaned, "Too soon, Abigail."
"It's been 15 years, Jed. How is that too soon?"
"You weren't the one who went to six different stores for nearly three weeks looking for those damn ponies," He grumbled.
"You found them eventually and made the girls Christmas," Abbey pointed out.
"That's true. It also gave me something to commiserate with Doug over when he was driving himself crazy trying to find a Furby for Annie last Christmas."
"There's a silver lining."
"I'm not sure if I would go that far. But it was something," He admitted.
A little over an hour later, Jed and Abbey were curled up on their bed watching Notting Hill and enjoying dinner together. Liz arrived not long after Donna and Charlie returned from town. The three of them took charge of caring for Felicity downstairs while they were up here.
"This kind of reminds me of how we met."
"Yes," Abbey said, watching the scene. But she seemed distracted.
Jed paused the movie, "Are you feeling ok? Maybe it's time for more pain medication."
"No, no, it's not that. I'm thinking about Felicity."
"She's probably asleep."
"I'm sure she is," Abbey sighed. She didn't say anything for a long time. "Every time I fall asleep, I hear Felicity crying."
"Would that have anything to do with why you pushed for the discharge today?" He asked gently, pulling her into his arms.
"I couldn't stay any longer, Jed. There were too many people and too many hands on Felicity. I felt like I had no control over anything."
Jed ran his fingers through her hair to comfort her, "And now?"
"I've been worried that Felicity will wake up looking for me for the last twenty minutes," She admitted. "And I shouldn't be. She's with Lizzy and I know she's fine. But it's hard for me to be away from her."
"I still haven't told you what happened while you were in surgery and then recovering."
"If you tell me Felicity stopped breathing, Jed—"
"No. After the medical team worked their magic, Felicity proved her lungs were working just fine," He assured her. "I couldn't do anything to make her happy. Everything I did with Felicity before I went to see you wouldn't fly. She just cried and didn't stop unless she was eating or asleep. I know she did the same thing to Ellie and Liz. But I'm her father. Until that night, I naively assumed that I knew everything possible about calming baby girls, considering how many we've had around us." Jed chuckled softly, "Felicity turned it upside down. It was like the first time I took care of Lizzy alone all over again. I didn't know what to do."
Abbey relaxed for the first time since her admission, feeling, "I thought I was prepared, too. For the nights of no sleep, the crying, the feeding struggles, not being able to put her down….and I'm not."
"Every child is different," Jed mused. "I think you were right all along. Felicity needs more time."
"And I'll gladly give it, as long as I never have to listen to her cry like that ever again."
"I second that. Do you want me to go get Felicity?"
"I'll wait until after the movie. If something is wrong, Liz will bring her up."
Jed resumed the movie, and they settled in to finish watching it. The worry and apprehension she felt didn't go away completely. But admitting her feelings and finding out from her husband that they both felt both prepared and not prepared at all, helped ease those feelings and settle her mind. When the end credits rolled an hour and a half later, Liz's footsteps on the stairs followed by sounds of Felicity fussing saved Jed from making another trip downstairs.
"Don't worry, peanut," Liz could be heard saying as she reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall, "We'll find mom and dad, you'll see." She opened the door to the master, which was only partially closed. "Are we interrupting?" Liz asked from the doorway.
"Your timing is perfect," Abbey assured her. "We just finished the movie."
"And not a moment too soon," Jed added, watching his daughters enter the room.
"I was hoping you would say that because I bought Felicity a new outfit that I want you to see," Liz replied with a little smile.
Hearing Abbey and Jed talking, Felicity's fussing lessened. Liz brought her sister over to their mother first and set her in Abbey's arms. Felicity was wrapped loosely in a light blanket, and she had a white onesie on underneath it. Abbey opened the blanket to look at this new outfit, and she laughed appreciatively, ignoring the discomfort it caused her. She passed Felicity over to Jed, so he could do the same.
"Congratulations, sweetheart," Abbey said, reaching up to embrace Liz.
"Aunt in training," Jed read off the onesie. He grinned. "You're going to have someone to play with, lovebug."
Liz hugged her mother, "Thanks, mom."
She went over to Jed, and they also hugged, "Congratulations, honey," He said, hugging her tight.
"I wanted to tell you sooner," Liz said, looking at both of her parents. "With everything that's happened, I hope it's welcome news."
"It is the best news I've had this week," Abbey declared.
While congratulations were being exchanged, Felicity settled down and was content to spend time being shared between her parents and older sister as they talked about the next Bartlet grandchild on the way. For the time being, thoughts of the press, the Presidency, and lingering fears took a back seat. Tonight they celebrated all the good things in their lives, unaware that much worse things were around the corner.
Mitchum Huntzberger prided himself on pushing all the properties that his company owned to be their very best. He regularly scheduled meetings with each of the editors or project heads every other week to find out what was in the pipeline for their next issue or release. His meeting on Thursday morning was no exception. The editor of Scope Magazine was waiting in his office, ready to update him on the status of the next issue that was set to go to press later that day.
"Mr. Daley," Mitchum said, striding into the room. "How is the next issue coming?"
"I have an update on the Abigail Bartlet story for you."
"Excellent," He said, taking a seat behind his desk. "Week before last, you mentioned needing to verify a few final facts."
"That's right. We wanted to verify that our source was actually in the same place as the First Lady. We were able to place them both at the hotel and multiple people saw them together."
"Do you have any lingering questions about the story? Anything that makes you think the story good enough to publish?"
"On the contrary, everything I've seen on the story shows a side that deserves to be told. Abigail Bartlet won one of the most coveted awards in the field of medicine, and no one knows why. Every Harper Avery award has the medical file of a patient associated with it. The medical files aren't available for public consumption. But doctors can request to see them for educational purposes. Most requests made for the "Doe" file associated with Dr. Bartlet's award have been denied. Those who have seen it refuse to talk about it."
"So there is a story to be told here."
"More than one, by the looks of it."
Mitchum looked satisfied, "Good. Send it to print. I want this to hit the stands early. If Jed Bartlet wants to fight the press, let's bring him into the war."
"Yes, boss," Daley said and left the room.
"Mr. Huntzberger?" His secretary said, coming into the office.
"What is it. Vickie?"
"Miss Gilmore is here to see you."
"Send her in."
Vickie disappeared. Alexandra Gilmore walked into his office not long after. She carried a large white shopping bag emblazoned with her business logo on it.
"Hello, Mr. Huntzberger," Alex said, giving him a charming smile.
"Alex. I wasn't expecting you to personally deliver my order."
"I had a free moment before school, and I like delivering orders when I'm able to."
Alex set the bag on the desk. As she did so, a familiar logo caught her eye off to one side of an envelope. It was for the law firm Jacobs-Stedding. She knew it well because the firm handled some of her business affairs when she started. They still handled most of her family's personal legal needs.
"That's a very solid business decision," He agreed. "I heard your aunt was hospitalized this week. Is she doing better?"
"Yes, she is," She replied politely. "I'll be heading to Manchester tomorrow for a visit."
"I'm glad to hear it. It would mean the world if you would give your aunt and uncle my regards and best wishes for your Aunt's recovery."
"Of course."
"And one more thing," Mitchum said, retrieving the cease and desist letter from his desk and holding it up, "Remind them that this is simply business. No one who works for me wants to endanger Felicity in any way. In fact, I think we can reach an agreement for access. Pass that along to them, won't you?"
Alex gave Mitchum another smile, tinged with steel, "I'll be sure to pass on your regards and best wishes to my family, Mr. Huntsberger. As I'm sure you are aware, media requests for the President and First Lady of the United States go through the White House Press Secretary," She said and took out a notecard. She wrote the number for CJ's office and handed it across the desk. "I'm sure CJ Cregg would be happy to speak with you regarding your business matters."
"Pity. I was hoping that you would put in a good word with your Uncle for me. You two seemed very close when we were at the National DAR ball."
"We are. But I don't presume to speak for the President of the United States," Alex said lightly before checking her watch. "I should go to class. Have a good day, Mr. Huntzberger."
Alex turned and left the office, feeling a sense of foreboding. She knew she said the right things. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a cost to refusing Mitchum Huntzberger's request, unaware of what was about to hit newsstands.
Thank you for reading this installment. A new chapter will be posted soon!
