Later that evening found Jed striding with purpose through the halls of the West Wing after escorting the Prime Minister and his wife out to their limo. He made a sudden detour when he noticed the light on in Josh's office. He quietly stood in the doorway, watching the younger man read through a file on his desk. After a moment Jed cleared his throat.

"Mr. President?" Josh began to stand but Jed entered the small room and urged Josh to keep his seat with a wave of his hands.

Josh shuffled the folder he was reviewing closed, "Is there something I can do for you sir?"

Jed shook his head. "No. I just…" He paused, eyes flitting over the cluttered office. He took a deep breath, "I just wanted to say thank you. There was a lot of pressure to go against me the other day. I know it was no small thing for you to disagree with Leo and I really appreciated your assistance over the past few days."

Josh shrugged, "Arguing with people is what I do best sir. You're the one who pulled the grand slam with the speaker."

Jed shook his head, "You helped. And I know it couldn't have been easy for you after we had locked you in the doghouse these past few weeks."

Josh looked the president in the eye, "I serve at the pleasure of the president, sir."

Jed chuckled, "Maybe, but I suspect you received some pleasure of your own. It seems to me that an epic fight with the Republicans is right up your alley, eh?"

"It was certainly…invigorating. Sir." Josh smirked in return.

Jed nodded and turned to leave when Josh halted him, "Sir? I wasn't the only one."

Jed frowned, "Hrm?"

Josh stood, "I wasn't the only one who...who believed in what you were doing. CJ did too."

A small, genuine smile spread across the president's face, "Did she?"

Josh nodded, "She called it leadership. She was willing to wait for you sir. Just thought you should know."

Jed nodded thoughtfully, his smile growing wider asd he left the room. "Thank you."

So, CJ had trusted him? He had wrangled control back from congress and now it seemed perhaps the rift between him and his staff wasn't irreparable. Perhaps there was still hope for this second term, perhaps he still had the opportunity to do everything he wanted to do while in office. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

By the time he returned to the residence he was feeling positively buoyant; riding the high of his legislative victory and secure in the mutual faith between him and his staff. There was just one piece of his life causing him consternation. One piece that was missing…and he wanted it back.

He leaned against the door frame of the formal sitting room and gave Abbey an appraising look.

Abbey leaned back in her chair, eyebrows raised; pleased by the assured air of her husband who had spent the last two days metaphorically tip toeing around her. "So you have a budget." She observed.

He grinned smugly in a way she hadn't seen in too long. "We do."

She fought back a grin of her own as she stood and left the room "So the negotiation went well?"

"I wouldn't quite call it a negotiation. A negotiation implies an equal give and take." His voice was right behind her ear and when she turned back she was startled not only by his proximity but also the intensity in his eyes.

She licked her lips and swallowed. She was unsure of playing this game with him. Not yet, it was too early, things were still too raw and they were still barely able to sleep in the same bed.

She was searching for the right thing to say to distract him back to safer ground when he peeled off his tie, still smirking in that dangerously self-satisfied way. Her eyes unwillingly followed his fingers as he popped the top two buttons of his shirt, exposing a triangle of skin and hint of hair. The familiar urge to touch him was back.

Thus far she had been able to restrain herself but in this moment he was too close, too confident, too much himself, and the air of his victory over whatever demons was too intoxicating and tempting.

Slowly Abbey watched her arm extend as if it was not her own, watched as her hand rested on his chest and, as if they were operating under their own volition, she watched as her fingers traced small circles on the exposed skin.

She felt Jed suck in a breath and hold it for a long moment. She matched his smug smile with a smirk of her own. "So…You got tough with the Speaker of the House?"

He seemed to remember to breathe again, "I did."

She kept her eyes focused on her fingers dancing on his chest, playing the next button open. She barely suppressed the gasp of surprise when he grasped her shoulders and maneuvered her the remaining few feet into their bedroom and slammed the door shut with his foot. As if they were dancing he deftly turned them until her back was against the wall and he pushed himself close enough that she could no longer see her hand on his chest without having to duck under his chin.

She caught her breath and gazed up into his smoldering blue eyes, "Asserted your control of the situation did you?" she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep her voice even.

She felt her cheeks flush as he pushed himself closer and his eyes dropped to her lips. "Yeah. I did."

Abbey brought her other hand up between them and began unbuttoning his shirt in earnest, teasing along the way. She smirked up at him.

"Showed him the most powerful man in the world?"

"Something like that." Nothing else was said as his lips crashed down upon hers with a voracious, hungry force.

In their nearly 40 year history their lovemaking had been as varied as their days. That night it was about forgetting the 5 months previous. Wordless and intense. Reclaiming control.

Much later found them both exhausted and not quite entwined but no longer with the entirety of the bed stretched between them. On the edge of sleep Jed suddenly reached across the void and grabbed her hand. "Stay. Please."

She opened her eyes and looked down at the entwined hands. After a beat she brought his hand to her mouth and gave it a kiss.

"Go to sleep Jed."