Series: Snapshots of the Past
Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: The Nobel Laureate
Chapter 32
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed had a few surprises in store for Abbey, including a midnight cruise up the coast of Sweden and a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise
Summary: Abbey realizes how much she'll miss Jed if he wins his election; Liz sees an ugly side of her Uncle Jack
Author's Note: Though they're not all that relevant to the chapter, here's a list of who the characters who are mentioned actually are. Most were brought up in other stories in this series and many are characters who have been mentioned on the show.
Adults:
Kate - Abbey's sister
Bob - Kate's husband
Jack (for new readers) - Jed's brother (his actual name is John, like on the show, but we gave him the nickname Jack)
Kellie - Jack's wife
Kids:
Mallory - 8 1/2 years old (Leo and Jenny's Mallory)
Chloe - 10 years old - Millie's daughter (fyi, on the show, her name is Cleo, but a mistake on my part led to naming her Chloe several stories ago, so that's what her name remains in this series)
Tommy - 2 years old - Millie's son
Bobby - 11 years old - Kate's son
Max - 9 years old - Kate's son
Brad - 10 years old - Jack's son
After the hot-air balloon ride high above a small village in the Swedish countryside, Jed and Abbey returned to the steamboat for a cocktail luncheon. In honor of Jed's Nobel Prize, the couple was offered first-rate accommodations as they dined at the Captain's table, and later, they cuddled up on the deck outside their cabin and took in the beautiful rainbow of colors that sparkled off the waters of the sea at twilight.
"Are you cold?" he asked when she inhaled deeply.
"No," she said, holding on to his arms which reached out from behind her and protectively crossed at her waist. "I'm just thinking I don't want this day to end."
"I don't either." He held her tighter and whispered, "But we have to go get ready."
"I know."
Jed moved then and held out his hand to her. If he could, he would have extended their excursion. As much as he loved the family and friends who traveled all the way to Europe to watch him receive his award, he treasured this time alone with Abbey. When they originally booked their trip to Sweden, he worried they'd be too busy to enjoy the legendary romance of a Scandinavian vacation, but it was his brother Jack who urged him to find a moment to sneak off with his wife.
The day of the traditional laureate dinner at the prime minister's private residence sounded perfect. They would have had to travel up the coast anyway and since he assumed the other laureates hadn't planned a morning of ballooning in the area, he was fairly confident they'd have a somewhat private cruise, away from the press and the fanfare of being one of the country's most popular visitors.
That evening, Jed sat on the bed in their cabin, leaning forward to slip into his shoes. He was so distracted that he never even noticed Abbey framed in the bathroom doorway until he saw the tip of her heels brush the floor beside him. Slowly, his eyes followed her smooth, silky legs all the way up to the hem of her burgundy velvet dress to the swell of her hips and the narrow curve of her tiny waist.
Before he could look any further, she sat down on his lap and curled her arms around his neck. "I think I forgot something."
"What's that?"
Abbey lifted his chin and kissed him. "To say thank you for last night and today."
"It was my pleasure."
"I can't remember the last time you and I had a chance to just get away by ourselves."
"It's been a while." Years, actually. Her hospital residency hadn't allowed for much time off, so any free time she had was used for family vacations, usually camping out at the national parks with their daughters.
"I missed us. Don't get me wrong, I love all the great things we do with the girls every year, but...you and me...I missed that. It's nice just being able to enjoy each other."
"I feel exactly the same way."
"We won't have many days like this, will we? Just as I'm finishing my fellowship, we're making plans for you to move to Washington." She lowered her head sadly.
"Hey." Her reaction surprised him. "Look at me."
"That came out whiny, didn't it?"
"Abbey, honey, I thought you wanted me to run."
"I do. It's just that today, it hit me. I realized what it all means."
"It means if I win - and that's a huge if - but if I win, I'll be moving to Washington. Are you okay with that? Tell me the truth because if you're not, there's still time to reconsider."
It melted her heart how much he cared about her feelings. "No, Jed. I meant it when I said I want you to run."
"You're sure?"
"Of course I am."
"Then what is this all about?"
It was difficult to explain without giving him the impression that she wasn't behind him one-hundred percent. She wanted this for him with every fiber of her being, but today she had him all to herself and she remembered how good that used to feel. For fifteen years, they worked so hard to establish themselves and a part of her had always held on to a ray of optimism that once they had, they could enjoy the success together.
But now that they had both risen to the top of their professions - he as a Nobel Laureate and she as a soon-to-be attending physician, board-certified in thoracic surgery - there was still much more to do and many more sacrifices coming their way. She just needed time to get used to that.
"Abbey?" Jed called out to her again.
"I know it sounds somewhat silly. We're sitting here as grown adults and I'm telling you this, but...I am so incredibly proud of you." Jed chuckled softly, but Abbey held him tight and looked right into his eyes. "I'm serious. You have amazing ideas and the intellect and passion to follow them through. It's no wonder the prize committee selected you. It's no wonder the House democrats want you. None of that surprises me."
"You're feeling pretty sentimental tonight."
"I guess I'm just reminiscing."
"About us?"
She nodded. "About our life together, the road we took to get here."
"It's been an incredible journey."
"It has. And it's far from over. This is the Nobel Prize, Jed. It's a stepping-stone to anything you want."
He cupped her chin with his palm. "The only thing I want - I mean really want - is you by my side, always."
"You got it."
Abbey kissed him a soft kiss, one that led to another and then another, her mouth making its way down his face and into his neck as she repositioned herself in such a way that she was straddling him. He held her by her hips and arched his head, surrendering himself almost entirely to the passion she stirred within him until he glanced at the clock and snapped back into reality.
"Abbey."
"Hmm?" She unbuttoned one button of his shirt.
"Sweetheart, as much as I want to do this," he mumbled. "Honey, we can't."
"Why not?"
"We have to be there on time."
Abbey paused. She straightened his collar and wiped the lipstick off his face and neck. "You're right. We can't keep the Prime Minister waiting."
Just as quickly as Jed realized what she said, she covered her mouth with her hand. "How did you know?"
"I didn't." She stood up. "Let's go."
He followed her. "Oh no you don't. Tell me what you know about tonight."
The side of her lips curving slightly, Abbey gave him only the hint of a smile. "When you were taking a shower, I talked to a few of the other passengers. They told me that we just happen to be in the hometown of Prime Minister Olof Palme and since you pointed out the mansion from the balloon, I put two and two together."
"You weren't supposed to do that." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You were supposed to be completely oblivious to the elegant dinner party we're going to. Or at the very least, you were supposed to feign ignorance until we got there. I was counting on dodging your questions all the way over and now I can't do that."
"My apologies for screwing up your plan. I truly am sorry."
"No you're not."
"No, I'm not." She chuckled. "You've been having fun with me since last night. It's my turn now."
"You have something up your sleeve?"
"Maybe."
"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone."
"You'll think twice next time." Abbey looped her arm through his as they walked out together.
"How many times did I tell you not to play on the railings? How many times did I tell you to leave the girls alone?"
Jack yanked his son's arm to drag him into the suite as Liz watched with wide-eyed amazement.
She knew the kids had been playing around. The boys had been trying to scare the girls - first, by telling them that the spirits of former Nobel Laureates haunted the Grand Hotel; then, by making up wild tales of cursed stairwells and elevators in the lobby. Ellie, Mallory, and Chloe dismissed those stories, but later, when Max and Bobby claimed someone was out on the balcony of Leo and Jenny's suite, they reluctantly took a peek.
They opened the drapes and saw Brad's face, covered in black plastic, pressed up against the glass. The trio ran out of the room, screaming hysterically. Jack, who heard the ruckus from next door, left to investigate the masked intruder. To his bewilderment, he found Brad trying to escape discovery by climbing over the balcony railing.
Everyone assumed Jack would respond with a lecture or maybe even a laugh about kids being kids, but instead, he rushed Brad back to his own suite in an angry rage no one expected.
Liz had been talking to Kellie, but the two of them jumped to her feet the second they heard the voices looming closeby. Stunned silent by Jack's tone, Liz remained grounded to her spot, unable to move and unwilling to look away.
"You could have killed yourself out there!"
"I was careful!"
"I don't give a damn how careful you were! Why the hell did you get up there?"
"Because I didn't want you to know I was on the balcony," Brad somberly confessed.
"Why?"
"Because I was messing with the girls and I knew you'd be mad."
"So what were you going to do, jump off the building?"
"I thought I could climb from their balcony to ours and come inside before you found out."
"That's ridiculous."
"It is not! I've seen people on TV do it!"
"I don't care if you saw the President of the United States do it, Brad! I've told you a hundred times you do NOT climb those railings!" The ten-year-old tried to walk away. "I'm not finished talking to you!"
In an effort to stop him from leaving, Jack tugged on Brad's arm. Brad fought back, struggling to get free, but as his father grabbed a hold of his sweatshirt to forcefully pull him back to where he was standing moments earlier, he lost his balance and hit the wall.
"JACK!" Kellie shouted as she rushed to Brad's side.
"Brad..." Jack tried to console him. "I didn't mean to..."
"Leave him alone!" Kellie ordered her husband before turning her attention to her son. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah."
"Do me a favor and go wait in the bedroom," Kellie suggested. When he left, she turned to face Jack. "What's the matter with you?"
His breath ragged from losing his temper, Jack paced around himself. "He's out of control."
"No, he's not," she replied. "You're the one who's out of control. He's a little boy."
"That's an excuse?"
"For running around? Yeah, it's an excuse."
"That's not what he was doing. He was purposely taunting the girls and in the process, he could have gotten himself killed. Why aren't you the least bit concerned about that?"
"I am. He shouldn't have done it, but if you want him to listen to you, then you're going to have to use a different approach, because I won't allow you to get physical."
"I was just trying to stop him from walking away."
"You shoved him!"
"I did NOT shove him! I barely even touched him. I was just trying to talk to him and he wasn't listening to me."
"I'm only going to tell you once, Jack. There's something wrong. I don't know what, but you've changed. You never used to lay an angry hand on your son. If you felt he deserved a spanking, it was always after you had calmed yourself down."
"He's been acting up a lot more lately."
"I don't care. He's still a child. You're letting him provoke something inside of you that I've never seen before. It scares me how you react to him. You fly off the handle. You lose control."
"I don't lose control."
"Yes, you do. And it concerns me that you're denying it because I wonder if it's only the beginning. If you don't at least acknowledge it, I'm afraid you're going to morph into the almighty John Bartlet right in front of our eyes."
"What the hell are you talking about? Comparing me to...that's not fair, Kellie."
"What is fair? Me stepping aside while you tear into Brad, pretending I don't notice the way your mother used to do?"
"Don't you dare..." He turned a pair of steely eyes on her, brimming with such hostility that Kellie hesitated for a moment. "Don't drag her into this."
"Fine. Then you tell me how to handle this situation. I know you love Brad and I believe you when you say you don't mean to hurt him, but you're bigger and stronger than he is. A month ago, you slapped him across the face and he fell down on the ground. Tonight, you grabbed him and shoved him...you did shove him, whether you meant to or not, you did. You're lashing out at him physically. I'm worried about you. And I'm worried about him too."
"He tries my patience."
"He's a kid. Deal with it. If you don't, then the older he gets, the more he doesn't follow your rules. the more you're going to turn into your father. I won't stand by and let that happen."
"It's not going to happen. I just grabbed his arm."
"Too hard! You don't know your own strength." She crossed the room, her hand rubbing her forehead. "If you don't do something about this, Jack...if you don't learn to control your temper...I won't allow my son to be raised the way you and Jed were."
"Are you threatening me?"
"You can interpret that however you wish."
Never in her life had Elizabeth Bartlet felt more blessed to have a father like Jed. While he rebelled against John's legacy, Jack had apparently fallen victim to it. She looked on curiously as Jack speechlessly battled his wife's final words, his expression holding no small amount of contempt when she turned her back and walked away from him.
It reminded her of that fateful night when she first learned of Jed's relationship with her grandfather, the night she had been eavesdropping through her bedroom window. Jack's tone tonight was every bit as sharp as John's was that night. His voice, even his hand gestures reeked of similarity.
She turned a watchful eye to her Uncle Jack and when his gaze met hers, she instinctively took a step back. She wasn't certain if her apprehension was fueled by fear or by disgust at the fact that he reminded her of someone she was hoping to forget.
Jack was shocked to see her standing there. "Lizzie."
Liz subtly shook her head. "I'm going to go to bed now if that's okay."
"Elizabeth, let me just explain something to you..."
"You don't have to. It's none of my business."
"This isn't how we normally are. Kellie didn't mean what she said."
"It's okay. Really. My parents are going to be back first thing in the morning?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'm going to go to bed then."
"I'd prefer we talk before you tell your dad what happened tonight."
"I don't really wanna talk. I just wanna go to bed. I can stay with Uncle Leo or my Aunt Kate if that'll make things easier here."
"You don't have to go." He could see her trepidation. "I'm not like that, Lizzie. Lashing out physically - that's not me. I can't believe Kellie even said it. You know me. You've known me your whole life. We haven't seen each other as much as some families, but you've spent enough time with me to know I don't usually blow up like that." She didn't answer. "Right?"
"I guess."
"Kellie was upset. She had a right to be because I was wrong, but she didn't mean what she said, especially the part about your grandfather. My dad may not have been a saint, but he was a disciplinarian. What she said was a little harsh, don't you think?"
Turning away, Liz avoided telling him that she knew the truth about John Bartlet. "I don't wanna be in the middle."
"I'm not making you choose sides, for crying out loud!" He walked around her to force her to look at him. "I just want to know if you agree!"
Lizzie didn't know how to respond to his outburst. While she had seen her own parents lose their tempers from time to time, it was never like this. She loved and respected this man standing before her, but she had witnessed an ugly side of him tonight and in the back of her young mind, she couldn't help but draw upon the resentment she had for her grandfather. Justified or not, she was frightened.
"I don't know," she said, her voice breaking ever so slightly. "Can I just go to Leo and Jenny's? I wanna check on Ellie to make sure she's not still scared."
Jack moved out of Liz's way. "I didn't mean to upset you, Lizzie. If you'd be more comfortable sleeping somewhere else, I'll help you move your stuff. But I know you and Kellie were planning to stay up all night and watch movies like you did last night. If you still want to do that, you can. I'll stay out of your way."
"I think I'd rather stay with my sister."
Jack nodded. "Just one more thing, okay? I admit I shouldn't have reacted the way I did tonight. I lose my cool sometimes, but this won't happen again. It was an isolated incident."
He meant that with all his heart. If only it was that easy. There was a war brewing inside Jack and as he fought to reclaim the peaceful man he knew he could be, he, too, wondered if he was headed down the same troubled path his own father had taken.
There was a kind of torment present in his eyes. Elizabeth saw it swimming in a shallow of layer of tears that never made it past his lashes. It was clearly defined, his remorse, and had it not been for the disturbing glimpse she got into John Bartlet's world, she may have believed him. But she couldn't, not as long as she knew that her grandfather's menacing influence had poisoned yet another generation.
TBC