The toasts had been made and dinner served. After dinner drinks were being served as the hundred or so invited guests mingled with each other. The President was escorting the Prime Minister of Norway around to introduce him to various Congressional leaders who could assist him in getting his funding interests through Congress.

Since the Prime Minister was single, Abbey was on her own. She spotted Speaker Haffley and walked over to him just to say hello. "Mr. Speaker, how are you doing?"

He turned and smiled as the First Lady walked up to him. "Mrs. Bartlet, you look stunning tonight."

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is just something I had in my closet."

"Well, Mrs. Bartlet, you certainly have a well-stocked closet," he replied sarcastically.

"Yes, I do. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask you something."

"Certainly, Mrs. Bartlet. Go right ahead."

Leo, across the room from the pair, looking up from the conversation he was involved in with a senator, saw the First Lady and the Speaker deep in conversation and quickly realized that it could only lead to trouble. He excused himself and tried to work across the room in time but half way there he saw Abbey's smile leave her face. He was too late.

Abbey turned sharply and headed towards her husband. She tried to fix a smile on her face for the sake of international peace and was eventually successful. But she wasn't sure it was going to last.

Abbey walked up next to Jed and waited for a pause in the conversation. When there was, she motioned to him and pulled him to the side. "Jed," she whispered, "how much longer? I'm really tired and I've got a long day tomorrow."

He looked at her, "Do you feel ok?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired." Considering the setting, it was not a place she could tell him she was angry as hell.

"Well, I need about thirty minutes more. Why don't you go on upstairs and I'll give your regrets to our guests?"

"That's fine. I'll see you upstairs."

"Great."

Abbey turned and walked out without saying anything else, the swish of her dress the only sound. Jed looked at her back, trying to determine why her mood had changed so fast. But then it was Abbey he was thinking about. And her moods were the story of legends.

Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back to his conversation.

After saying goodbye to his guest, Jed made his way to the Residence. It had taken over two additional hours to finish the conversations with everyone that wanted to speak with the Prime Minister and he was glad that Abbey hadn't waited for him. But he knew that she was probably already asleep and he wouldn't get his second dessert.

"Good night, Guys." Nodding to his Secret Service watch, he opened the bedroom doors to a dim light coming from the bathroom signifying that Abbey was indeed in bed already asleep. He discarded his jacket, kicked off his shoes, and made his way to the bathroom. Changing quickly into his pajamas, he brushed his teeth, clicked off the light and made his way to the bed. Sliding into the covers, he turned to face Abbey's back and quietly slid his arm over to draw her close. But she uncharacteristically wiggled out and moved closer to her edge of the bed.

"What the hell?" he whispered in the dark.

"Not tonight. I'm tired," came a whisper back.

"Abbey? You're awake?"

"Sort of. Just not tonight."

Jed was both shocked and surprised. What was she mad about? "You want to talk?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. Later."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No. Go to sleep."

"Okay." Knowing from past experience that he was going to go lose this battle, he turned away from her and closed his eyes. It was late and he would just have to wait on her to thaw and talk with him in her own time. He only hoped that it he wouldn't catch a cold from the wait.