Things continued as they had for another few months before disaster hit.
"Jed?" Abbey questioned her husband as they lay in bed one evening.
"Yes?"
"Can we go down to Manchester soon?"
"You'll have to go alone, Abbey. I can't get away right now. Get one of the girls to go with you." Abbey sighed.
"Would you mind…"she trailed off.
"What?"
"Would you mind if I invited Claudia Jean?" she asked. "If she can take the time off, of course. It's just we get along so well, and it would be nice to get out of Washington."
"Well, of course I don't mind. I've told you, I'm glad you're friends with CJ. She's a good girl." Jed smiled lovingly at his wife, who still looked a bit down.
"I'm sorry, Abbey. I wish I could take you." Abbey kissed him delicately.
"It's okay, Jed. You're the President. I understand." She cuddled down in the bed. "I'll ask Claudia Jean tomorrow. We could leave tomorrow night and have a couple of days down there before the big party."
"Sounds good." Jed was already drifting off to sleep. "Night, Honey."
"Hey, Claudia Jean" Abbey accosted CJ in her office, closing the door behind her. "Guess what?"
CJ looked up from the paper she was writing and smiled. "What?"
"You and I are taking a couple of days off to go to Manchester." Abbey informed her.
"Now?!" CJ exclaimed. "But the speech…"
"Jed said it was okay. We have to be back for the event, obviously, but we're going to Manchester!" Abbey grinned. "You can take the days off, right? You must have so many stored up."
"I guess I can…" CJ thought about it for a few minutes. "They can always call me about what needs to be said, unless anything big comes up…And it's only two and a half days…" she paused. "Would we fly down?" Abbey nodded. "So I could get back fast if I needed to?" Abbey nodded. CJ sighed. "Okay. Let's do it."
"We can leave tonight after you cap?" Abbey asked.
"I'll have to run home for clothes and stuff, but yeah."
"Great!" Abbey was glowing and happy at the concept of getting out of Washington for a couple of days, and with CJ no less! CJ smiled at the excitement pouring off of her lover. She stood up and went over to her.
"Are you going to be able to get anything done today?"
Abbey raised an eyebrow at her. "Well I have to. It's not like I'll be getting anything done over the next few days." CJ laughed and kissed her.
"Good. Now, I have to prepare some statements. I can be ready to leave downtown by 10. Alright?"
Abbey grinned, kissing her. "Perfect." She pulled away and opened the door. "See you later."
"Bye." CJ shook her head in amusement and headed back to her desk. She had a lot to get done if she was going to be out of town for the next 48 hours.
Their time in Manchester was spent much as they had spent it before, and passed all too quickly. Before they knew it, they were packing up to head back to Washington.
It was a grand affair at the White House, and, as usual, things were in full swing. President Bartlet had given his speech, and the dance floor was now full of swirling couples, while other groups stood around the edges, chatting. Jed was talking to Leo, but really he was watching his wife and CJ talking with Sam over Leo's shoulder.
They touched, they smiled, and they glowed. His wife and CJ looked at each other as he and Abbey used to look at each other. Whereas the passionate love he and his wife had once felt had softened into more of a deep affection, he could recognise the look in her eye. And it was directed at CJ. He'd known about his wife's sexual tendencies, but…
"Leo, " he interrupted the other man's train of thought.
"Yes, sir."
"Does anything about CJ and the First Lady strike you as odd?"
Leo looked over for a moment, watching their interaction. "No, sir."
Jed frowned. "I need to speak with my wife."
Minutes later, Abbey walked into the Oval Office to find her husband standing at the window with his back to her, a drink in hand.
"Jed? Whatever is the matter?" she asked, crossing towards him, her arms outstretched. He turned towards her, the look in his eye stopping her where she stood. "Jed? What…?"
He looked at the ground, and then back at her. When he spoke, it was with a voice of cold dejection, which scared Abbey far more than his anger ever had. "Exactly how long have you been in love with my Press Secretary?"
Abbey's stomach dropped. The air around her roared, and she was afraid for a moment that she was going to pass out. "I…"
She found she couldn't answer. Slowly, she gained control of herself again. "A while" she answered weakly.
"I made you feel so alone, you felt something like this was necessary, Abbey? After everything?"
"I tried to tell you!" She cried desperately. "So many times, I tried to tell you. But you couldn't see, Jed!"
He nodded, nothing but sadness and resignation in his eyes. "Do you still love me Abbey?"
Tears started pouring down Abbey's face. She said nothing but nodded, looking straight into his eyes.
"Just not the way you love CJ." Abbey saw the knowledge sitting there in his eyes. She shook her head slowly.
"No." she whispered. "Not the way I love Claudia Jean."
"I just needed to know you still love me." He told her. She ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his chest. He let her.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed, over and over again. '
He echoed her words from a few days before, staring off into space. "I'm the President," He murmured "the most powerful man in the country. But I couldn't give you what you needed and deserved. I couldn't even see you desperately crying out for it, however bluntly you made it clear. I couldn't see you sinking into depression, because I was too wrapped up in myself. Now I understand."
Abbey couldn't stand how broken he sounded. "Jed!" she backed away and put her hands to his cheeks, pulling him until his eyes met hers. "Jed, I'm not going anywhere. You know that, don't you? I'm going to be here, by your side."
"But with CJ as your lover."
"Yes, Jed." The firmness in her voice told him that this was a fight he wasn't going to win. Abbey wasn't going anywhere, but neither was CJ.
"Alright," He sighed, resigned. "You're taking a mistress. Day was, that would've been my job." A quivering smile flickered across Abbey's face. He could still joke. That was a good sign. "Does anyone else know?" Abbey shook her head.
"No."
"Let's keep it that way. We're going to need to talk, the three of us. But not now. Now I need to be alone to think."
"Alright. Do you want me to stay at the residence tonight?" Abbey crossed to the door, attempting to collect herself on the way.
"No." was the simple reply.
"Abbey?" she turned at the sound of Jed's voice. "I love you."
Abbey almost broke. "I love you, too." Her voice cracked, and she left the room quickly, trying to keep tears at bay.
She found CJ pacing the hallway, as close to the oval office as she could get without being overtly conspicuous. She stopped abruptly as Abbey emerged through Charlie's office, fear and worry evident in her every feature.
Abbey burst into tears as soon as she reached her, collapsing into CJ's arms. CJ rocked her gently, lowering them both to the floor as she thought about a better place for them to go. She got Abbey to her office without running into anyone. All of the aides were at the party. They sat on the floor for a long time, Abbey cradled in CJ's lap and sobbing as the story fell out of her.
"It could have been much worse," She said eventually, when she'd quieted. "Much worse."
CJ nodded silently. They got to keep one another, she got to keep her job, Abbey got to keep her husband, and the President didn't have to face a public scandal. She had seen much worse outcomes in her imagination.
"How is he?" she murmured quietly, her cheek laying against Abbey's hair.
"Better than I would have thought. Very logical." Abbey smiled. "He says the three of us need to talk about how we're going to make this work. About how we're going to keep it quiet."
CJ's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Oh" was all she could find to say.
"Um…Can I stay with you?" Abbey asked quietly. "He doesn't want me in the residence."
"Of course. Let's go." CJ helped lift Abbey to her feet, and found a package of wipes in her desk to clean up her face.
CJ led Abbey to her car and helped her in. The other woman was in shock. Once home, she undressed her calmly, and found her a large t-shirt to wear, a toothbrush and facecloth so she could clean up a bit, and then tucked her into bed, changing herself before curling herself around Abbey and holding her close.
"We'll make this work, Abbey. I promise." She whispered gently. Abbey snuggled into her.
"I hope so."
CJ woke in the night to find Abbey sitting in her window seat, sobbing uncontrollably. She climbed out of bed and went to her, letting the other woman cry herself out against her. "I…didn't want…to wake you." Abbey hiccoughed.
"You should have, Ab." CJ chided. "We got into this together, and we'll get through it together too." Abbey smiled a little. "Let's get back in the bed." CJ suggested. "It's warmer."
Abbey nodded and let CJ tuck the blankets and herself back in around her. "Better?" CJ asked.
"Much." She sighed. "I'm going to be a mess for a while." She commented.
"I don't think you're the only one."