A/N: Welcome to 2024, my loves! I feel incredibly old now (I'm not, but I feel it), so we're just going to gloss over the passing of time and simply say that I hope you all had a lovely holiday season! This one has something that I've wanted to include for a long time now, and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you SO much for your continued support and for taking time out of your busy lives to read my little story!
To put it in the simplest of terms and with as little fanfare as possible, Abigail Barrington was pissed. Not only had she somehow lost her favourite pen deep in the depths of her bag, but she'd also been studying nonstop just to keep her head above water in her studies, which was such a foreign concept to her that she had snapped at her friend and roommate on more than one occasion, creating a tension that normally didn't exist between them. To say nothing of the fact that she hadn't so much as touched Jed Bartlet in over a week due to their busy workload. She was almost certain that if they didn't spend significant time alone soon, she would lose her tenuous grip on sanity. Her frustration and bad mood were so severe that even Jed had been the recipient of more than a few harsh remarks, and as they walked back to her dorm room, he wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her cheek lightly.
"You did well on that last paper you handed in," he said, trying to lift her spirits.
Abbey rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she continued to search for her pen in the bottom of her bag.
"And do you know how many different versions of that same paper I had to write just to make it even halfway decent? I feel like every time I manage to make any kind of progress, there's always something that's just waiting to pull me back dow—son of a bitch!"
Jed frowned at her as she pulled her hand out of her bag, his eyes widening when he noticed the blood on her fingertips.
"What happened?"
"Found my pen," she muttered, "then proceeded to stab myself with it, apparently."
He reached for her hand, intending to examine the wound, but she pulled away from him, pushing open her door, shaking her head in irritation. Millie glanced up from her book as they entered and frowned at the sight of the blood on her friend's fingers, her voice concerned.
"Abbey, what happened to your hand?"
Abbey sighed, searching the room for the bag of bandages she always kept for such occasions, and when she finally located it, she made her way back to the door, the sarcasm in her voice so thick that Jed was sure it could have been cut with a scalpel.
"I decided that my life wasn't difficult enough, so I thought amputating my fingers would make me a better person after I overcome the challenges."
She slammed out of the room, leaving Jed to stare at Millie, more confused than he had ever been where Abbey was concerned, and he shook his head.
"Has she been like this all week?"
Millie nodded, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah. I hate to tell you this, Jed, but your girlfriend can be a real bitch sometimes. I asked her if I could borrow a piece of paper yesterday and you would have thought I was asking her for a lung with the way she bit my head off. I don't know what's going on with her, but she'd better snap out of it soon or you'll end up a widower."
Jed laughed, shaking his head as he sat down on Abbey's bed.
"Not married yet," he reminded her with a smirk, "Besides, you'd never kill Abbey. You love her too much."
"Not right now, I don't," Millie said in annoyance, "She's been so short-tempered lately and—hang on…Jed, you said not married yet. Does this mean you've been thinking about asking her?"
He shrugged, leaning back against Abbey's pillows, suddenly enveloped in the sweet scent of vanilla perfume, and he smiled as he considered his answer.
"Not any time soon, if that's what you're asking. The last thing either of us need right now is the added stress of an engagement."
"Damn," Millie muttered disappointedly, "Maybe that would have made her nicer."
Jed couldn't help the laugh that fell from his lips as Millie turned her attention back to her book, and as he waited for Abbey to return, he closed his eyes tiredly. She wasn't the only one feeling the stress of the year, and he really couldn't blame Abbey for losing her patience more easily. Things had been especially tense with Jeremy ever since the day he and Abbey had gotten drunk together, and Jed often found himself on the verge of snapping at him as well. Still, something had to give soon…didn't it?
As Abbey stood over the sink, carefully cleaning the puncture wound on her hand, she sighed as she felt the prickling of tears in her eyes, which only served to infuriate her further. Why was she about to cry over a silly little accident that wouldn't matter in the slightest in the next few hours? It was absolutely ridiculous, and as she finished placing the bandage around her hand, she blinked furiously to keep her tears in check. She had just taken a step back from the sink when the sharp pain ripped through her lower abdomen and she gripped the edge of the counter, taking several deep breaths to steady herself.
It struck her suddenly, the realization of why her emotions had been so incredibly intense over the last few days, and she swore softly as she felt the rush of blood between her legs. Of course she would have her period now. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she set about the task of finding a sanitary napkin, and after she had washed her hands again, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes cold.
"Should have known, Abigail," she said quietly.
She shook her head as she left the bathroom, knowing she owed both Millie and Jed an apology, and she sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. Couldn't she ever catch a break this year?
Jed gave Abbey a strange look when she walked back into her room, confused by the clearly irritated look in her eyes, and as she fell onto her bed, she buried her head in her blankets.
"Abbey? What's wrong?"
"I hate everyone and everything in the world right now," she answered, her voice muffled by the bed.
Millie frowned.
"How is that different from the last few days, exactly?"
Though she knew she deserved the remark, Abbey still rolled her eyes, not caring in the least that neither of them could see her, and she sighed heavily as she turned onto her back.
"Millie, do you ever wish that you'd been born a man?"
"Not really," Millie answered after a few moments, "The only time I really feel like that is when I—oh…"
She trailed off, looking at Abbey understandingly.
"Sorry, Abs. Guess it's better than the alternative, though. At least you're not pregnant."
Jed, who had only been half-listening to the conversation, jumped up as soon as the word reached his ears, and he stared at them both, his eyes wide.
"Who's pregnant?"
Abbey caught Millie's eye, the teasing gleam in her emerald irises making the blonde smile, and when she nodded imperceptibly, Abbey moved closer to Jed, running her fingers lightly over his legs.
"Think about it, Jed. No offense to Millie, but we both know that out of the two of us, she's going through a bit of a dry spell."
The look on Jed's face was one that could only be described as pure panic, and Abbey burst into peals of laughter, her head falling onto his legs as she tried to catch her breath.
"Jed, honey, relax. No one is pregnant. It's just that time of the month. Though it is nice to see how you would feel about a pregnancy announcement. I don't think I've ever seen you look more like a deer in headlights in your life."
Jed shook his head, still trying to understand that she had been joking, and when he spoke, his voice was noticeably hoarser than it had been minutes ago.
"It's not that, it just…you have to admit that the timing would have been terrible. Both of us in school, no real money to speak of…it would have been a disaster."
Abbey, who still hadn't managed to stop laughing, fell into Jed's lap, her hair spilling over them in long waves.
"All you care about is money, Jed Bartlet! You don't care about our little Elizabeth or James! How can you sit there and tell our nonexistent child that money was the first thing that came to your mind?"
"Very funny, Abigail," Jed muttered, shifting under her weight slightly, "For your information, I would love our child no matter what. Even if the timing wasn't great."
"Well, that's better," Abbey said, raising up to kiss him gently, "but for what it's worth, I have absolutely no desire to have children right now. I can barely keep up with classwork, let alone a baby. I really would lose my mind."
"God help us all if Abbey Barrington ever really loses her mind," Millie said with a laugh, "No one in the world would be safe from the chaos."
Even as Abbey smacked his arm, Jed couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him.
No matter how hard she tried, Abbey simply couldn't focus. At least, not on what she was meant to be focusing on, and as she watched Jed reading in the library, accentuated by the setting sun from the window behind him, she shook her head in an attempt to clear it. He wasn't doing anything remarkably interesting, nor was he even aware of her staring, but as she watched him turn a page in his book, Abbey couldn't deny that she wanted to tear the book from his hands. She knew it was merely a result of her menstrual cycle increasing her libido, but she was so overcome with the desire to feel his hands on her body that she very nearly climbed into his lap in full view of anyone who happened upon them.
She bit down on her bottom lip to keep the frustrated groan from being heard, and as she tried to unsuccessfully turn her attention to her English paper, she soon realized that there was no way she was getting any work done. She knew she was being irrational, knew there was nothing that could be done about her sexual frustrations at the present moment (no matter how much she hated to admit it), but that knowledge wasn't enough to stop her from imagining what it would feel like to kiss him, to feel her body tremble from his touch, to have him inside her, to—wait.
Stop it, Abbey, she thought sternly, hoping she would listen to herself, You're being ridiculous.
Jed flipped through the pages of his book, turning them idly after finishing each one, keenly aware of the fact that Abbey was watching him, though he didn't have the slightest idea of why. After several minutes of pretending that he didn't feel her eyes following his every move, he finally glanced up at her, keeping his voice carefully light.
"You okay?"
"Hm? Yeah, why?" she asked, trying to pretend he hadn't caught her staring.
"You just seem like there's something on your mind. I don't think I've seen you take any notes in the last half hour. Just wondering if there's something wrong."
He really hoped, given the way her mood had been so volatile the last few days, that she wouldn't take his question the wrong way, and when she shook her head, he couldn't deny the relief he felt.
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just tired."
She didn't add that the reason she was so tired was because of the unusually painful cramps she'd been experiencing over the last week, but she seriously doubted Jed would want to be privy to that information. Hell, it was her own body, and even she didn't want to know about it. Jed gave her an understanding smile, reaching out to run his thumb along the back of her hand, and it took everything in her power to keep from kissing him. He didn't seem to notice anything strange about her behaviour, or if he had, he hadn't mentioned it, and Abbey sighed, letting her head fall onto his shoulder.
"Jed, let's call it a day," she said, her voice betraying her exhaustion, "If I have to sit here in this library for one more minute, I'm going to scream."
He considered her for a moment then nodded. If he was being honest, he was more than a little exhausted himself, and as they began to gather their supplies, he wondered how they were going to get through the year if every day was going to be as difficult as the rest had been thus far. Abbey all but dragged him from the library, desperate to be away from anything that could have been considered educational, and when she pulled into the shaded area just on the other side of the building, he wondered what she was planning. It didn't take him long to find out, her hands pulling him to her by his shirt, and as she kissed him, his fingers found her waist.
"Abbey, are you insane? We're right behind the library! Anyone could walk by and see us!"
Abbey laughed, kissing him again as her hands tangled in his hair.
"Jed, live a little! No one cares what we're doing as long as we aren't having sex in public."
The way she was kissing him suggested that she wished they could do exactly that, and when he pulled away to look at her, he frowned at the way her eyes had grown suddenly darker.
"As much as I love kissing you, I don't particularly want to have the entire school watching."
"So, let's go back to your room and…damn it!"
Jed stared at her in confusion, shaking his head.
"What?"
"I just remembered that we can't have sex right now. Not unless you've got an extremely strong stomach."
As her meaning clicked in his head, Jed paled considerably, shaking his head as he took a small step backward.
"Abbey, I love you, but…no."
She laughed, reaching for his hand as they started walking again, and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Relax, babe. That's definitely not something I want to participate in, no matter how much I want to tear your clothes off right now."
Rolling his eyes as Jeremy threw open the door to their room, Jed sighed, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the annoyance he felt at the way they couldn't seem to even hold a conversation anymore, and when he finally broke the silence, there was no disguising the irritation in his voice.
"Could you possibly make a little more noise? I don't think they heard you in Russia."
"Surprised you're even around to notice. Shouldn't you be out protecting your little damsel in distress girlfriend?"
"Excuse me?" Jed asked, his voice carefully light, "Abbey's not a damsel in distress by any definition of the phrase."
"You sure about that?" Jeremy spat, "Because you sure as hell seem to think she needs protection from me and the big bad liquor companies."
"I already said I was sorry about that and—"
"No, you didn't!" Jeremy snapped, "Abbey apologized for you and said she was sorry you took your anger out on me. All you said was that you might have overreacted, which you did, in case you were wondering. Never once did you say you were sorry for acting like an overprotective asshole! Abbey and I are friends, whether you like it or not, and we don't always need you hovering over us. Did she overdo it that day? Yeah, but we've all done it. Except perfect Jed Bartlet, of course. I swear, Jed…you wouldn't know how to let loose if you tried!"
Jed was silent for a long moment before nodding, his eyes sincere as he looked over at his friend.
"You're right. I'm sorry for the way I acted and for the things I said. I was worried about Abbey, and I should have never taken it out on you."
For one horrible minute, Jed was sure that Jeremy wasn't going to accept his apology, but when he suddenly smiled and held out his hand, he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Jeremy clapped him on the back, hugging him briefly, and as he kicked off his shoes, he gave his friend a devious look.
"Jed…let's have some fun."
In all his life, Jed had never been so afraid of such simple words.
Eyeing the bottle in Jeremy's hand with trepidation, Jed slowly reached for it, taking a small drink, fighting the urge to cough as the liquor burned a path down his throat. Even breathing was slightly painful, and as he passed the bottle back to his friend, he shook his head incredulously.
"How did Abbey drink an entire bottle of this?" he gasped.
Jeremy laughed, taking a long drink.
"Your girl's a force to be reckoned with, Bartlet. I wouldn't want to be on her bad side."
Jed accepted the bottle again, experimenting with a larger mouthful, and as he swallowed it, he found he had a newfound respect for not only Abbey, but Jeremy as well. It was smoother the second time around, however, and he smiled as he leaned back slightly on his bed.
"Gets easier the more you drink it, doesn't it?"
Jeremy nodded.
"Yeah, but we need to be careful. The most you've ever drank is a few beers and Communion wine. This is a hell of a lot stronger than that. Don't need you ending up like Abbey the last time she was here."
The mention of Abbey's name made Jed smile, and he took another drink, swallowing the amber liquid quicker than Jeremy had anticipated.
"We should go see Abbey and Millie!" Jed said, reaching for his shoes slowly as he felt a strange tingling sensation in his fingertips.
Though he had originally planned to make sure Jed stayed safe in their room, Jeremy couldn't deny that the chance to see a drunken Jed Bartlet around his girlfriend was not one that came around often. He would have to be a fool to pass that up. He nodded, pulling on his own shoes, and as they carefully made their way out of their dorm room, Jeremy knew that he would never forget this night as long as he lived.
"Ugh…Millie, I feel like my uterus is trying to kill me."
Millie laughed as Abbey laid face down on her bed, trying (and failing) to find a comfortable position, tossing and turning for the hundredth time that evening.
"I know the feeling, Abs. It's like we're being punished for not being pregnant."
Abbey groaned, the sound muffled by her pillow, and shook her head in frustration.
"It's basically a horror film every month. Uterus wants baby, uterus doesn't get baby, so uterus seeks bloody revenge."
"You know, I would actually watch that movie. Hey, you should write a script and—"
The knock on the door made Millie pause, and Abbey groaned again as she raised herself up from the bed, rolling her eyes as she made her way to answer it. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Jeremy Clenden and Jed Bartlet standing on the other side, looking more than a little disheveled as they waited for her to speak.
"What's going on? Is everything okay?"
Jed smiled as soon as he realized that she was standing in front of him, and when he moved to kiss her, Abbey couldn't have stopped him even if she'd tried. He backed her into the room, his hands on her waist, and when Jeremy followed them, closing the door, she tore her mouth away from Jed, her confusion evident.
"What the hell is wrong with him?"
Jeremy held up the half-empty bottle of scotch, and Abbey swore, untangling herself from her boyfriend's arms as she glared at him.
"Jed, are you insane? You can't drink half a bottle of scotch! You're going to be so sick in the morning!"
Jeremy laughed as Abbey led Jed over to her bed, thoroughly amused by the way Jed's eyes never left her as she moved.
"Calm down, Abbey. He didn't drink that much. Probably about two glasses worth, if that. I drank the rest of it."
Abbey nodded in relief as Jed toppled into her lap, and she laughed quietly as she ran her fingers slowly through his dark hair.
"Well, Millie, you finally got your wish to see Jed drunk."
"Abbey, you're the prettiest girl I know!" Jed said from his position on her lap.
Abbey laughed, shaking her head.
"I would hope so. I'm your girlfriend."
"That's awesome!" he exclaimed.
"And it's every bit as entertaining as I expected," Millie replied with a laugh.
Jeremy made his way to Millie's bed, sitting on the edge, and when he passed her the bottle, she shook her head, a smile on her face.
"No, thanks. I want to be completely sober for every minute of this."
He laughed, offering the bottle to Abbey, his amusement only increasing when she rolled her eyes.
"No. Someone has to make sure Jed doesn't kill himself. What on earth possessed you to get my boyfriend drunk in the middle of the week?"
"That's me! I'm her boyfriend!" Jed said suddenly, raising his head from Abbey's lap slightly, pointing to himself excitedly.
Abbey couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped her as she shook her head, her fingers still running through his hair. He moved closer to her, running his hand clumsily over her legs, making her incredibly thankful that she'd chosen to wear pants instead of a skirt that day, and when he spoke again, there was no disguising the slur in his voice.
"You've got amazing legs, baby. Millie, doesn't Abbey have mamazing legs?"
Millie stared at Jed for a moment before exchanging an amused glance with Abbey and nodded slowly, trying to keep her voice steady through her laughter.
"Yeah, Jed. She sure does."
Jeremy tipped the bottle back, trying not to choke as he began laughing, and Jed stood suddenly, nearly falling in his haste to get to Abbey's record player. He turned it on without a word and when he pulled Abbey to her feet, she gave him a puzzled look.
"Jed, what are—"
"Dance with me. Please?"
Though she'd never been much for dancing, especially when in the company of other people, one look at the hopeful expression on his face was all it took for her to nod, smiling when he spun her around the room. Considering his state of extreme intoxication, he still danced perfectly, taking great care not to crash into any of the furniture in the room, and when he kissed her, Abbey could taste the remnants of scotch on his tongue, further cementing this as one of the strangest days she'd ever had in her life. As the song they were listening to ended, Jed held his hand out to Millie, and when Abbey shrugged, she accepted it, dancing with him as Abbey moved to sit next to Jeremy.
"What brought this on?" she asked quietly.
Jeremy sighed.
"We finally hashed out the fight and I told him he wouldn't know how to let loose if he tried. Guess he took it as a challenge. I knew you wouldn't want to miss the first time and when he suggested stopping by, I couldn't resist. You've got to admit, he's hilarious when he's plastered."
Abbey laughed, nodding as Jeremy took another drink, her eyes following Jed and Millie, prepared to step in should they fall.
"Yeah, he is."
"I think I want a dog," Jed said as he dropped Millie's hand, looking at Abbey seriously.
She frowned.
"Jed, you can't get a dog. There would be no way to take care of one, not to mention it's not allowed anyway."
He shook his head, sitting on her bed slowly, falling onto the pillows with a sigh.
"Not now," he clarified, his words still slurred, "I mean later. You know, a few years from now, after Abbey and I get married. Abbey loves dogs, you know."
Abbey threw her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as she walked back to her own bed, sitting next to him and smiling when he curled up on the mattress.
"Yeah," she agreed softly, "I know Abbey loves dogs. What kind do you want?"
Jed frowned, thinking hard, and when he finally shook his head, he closed his eyes tightly.
"Dunno. A big one. What're the ones with the fluffy hair?"
Jeremy burst into laughter, earning a glare from Abbey, and she reached over to trail her hand lightly over Jed's arm, an amused smile on her face. Could this seriously be the same man who had made the Dean's List the previous year?
"Lots of dogs have fluffy hair, Jed," she said softly, taking great care to speak slowly and use small words, "Poodles, Huskies, Border Collies, there's also—"
"I'll just let Abbey pick. She's so smart, and pretty. I can't wait to marry her."
Abbey glanced at Millie and Jeremy, silently warning them not to speak, and kept her voice carefully light.
"You're going to marry Abbey?"
"Yep," Jed replied confidently, "but don't tell her. I love her so much and I want everything to be perfect, 'cause that's what she deserves."
Abbey leaned down to kiss his hair softly, giving Millie and Jeremy a stern look as she made her way to the door.
"Watch him. I'm going to get a glass of water so maybe he won't have such a massive hangover in the morning."
Millie nodded, turning her attention to Jed as he buried his head in Abbey's pillow, laughing quietly as he closed his eyes.
"I think Jed just accidentally proposed to Abbey," she said with a smile.
Jeremy shrugged, swallowing another mouthful of scotch.
"Nah, he said a few years from now. Besides, he won't remember anything in the morning. Hell, he didn't even realize he was talking to Abbey."
Abbey walked back into the room, a large glass of water in her hand, and when she noticed Jed curled up in her bed, she shook her head slowly.
"Is he even conscious?"
"Good question," Jeremy admitted.
She sat down on her bed, lightly shaking Jed awake, and when his eyes finally focused on her, he smiled, rising up just enough that he could hug her.
"Hey, babe. Where'd you go?"
Abbey held out the glass of water, making sure he had a firm grasp on it before releasing it, her eyes serious.
"Drink this. It will help you feel better."
"I feel fine," he said, kissing her hand to prove his point.
"Yes, but you won't tomorrow, and the water will help. Come on, honey, drink the water."
He did as she asked, and as he pulled her into his arms, she could tell that the effects of the alcohol were beginning to lessen, making her feel slightly less concerned. He buried his head in her shoulder, taking a deep breath, and smiled, kissing her skin lightly.
"You know, I say my prayers every single night before I go to sleep, and do you know what the first thing I thank God for is?"
Abbey shook her head, forgetting entirely that they weren't alone in the room, and Jed smiled again as he raised his head to kiss her.
"You. I've been in love with you since that day we met in the library, and you threw that book at me."
Abbey laughed, her voice indignant.
"I didn't throw it at you. I dropped it, and it just happened to land on your foot. And you're drunk, Jed. You have not been in love with me since that day."
"Shows how much you know," he quipped, "And then at that party, you jumped all over me for smoking, which I'm still not giving up, but it was worth it to see your eyes lit up by the lighter flame. Those burning emeralds set my entire universe on fire and I wouldn't change it for the world."
His poetic words, when combined with a significant decrease of slurring, told her that he was beginning to sober, and she untangled herself from his embrace, tossing Jeremy a look over her shoulder.
"Help me walk him back to your room. The last thing we need is for him to pass out on the way."
Jeremy nodded, giving her a mock salute.
"You got it, doc."
As they passed Millie, she leaned close to her friend, her words a low whisper in Abbey's ear.
"Abigail Barrington, you are one lucky woman."
Abbey smiled as they left the room, her arm wrapped around Jed's waist. She certainly was.
After helping Jed into his bed and sending Jeremy for another glass of water, Abbey sat down on the edge of his mattress, running her fingers through his dark hair, her touch gentle.
"I think you might have a point, baby," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him, "I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you that day in the library, too. From the moment you smiled at me as you handed me that book, I knew I would never forget the way it made me feel. I never stood a chance."
She turned when Jeremy opened the door, smiling at him in thanks when he handed her the glass of water, and when she set it on the bedside table, she glanced around curiously.
"Do you have a piece of paper?"
He tossed her an empty notebook and as she picked up a pen from Jed's table, she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she wrote a few quick sentences. She folded it carefully, propping it up against Jed's lamp, and after she kissed him softly, she turned off the light.
"Go to sleep, baby. I love you."
"Love you, too," Jed murmured, already half asleep.
Turning to Jeremy, Abbey shook her head, laughing quietly as she made her way to the door, handing him back his notebook.
"Thank you for what might just have been the most entertaining night of my life."
He laughed, hugging her gently.
"Don't thank me just yet. Let's wait and see how he deals with the hangover."
"Good point," Abbey conceded, "Come find me if you need any help tomorrow."
"Will do. Night, Abbey."
As she walked back to her dorm room, Abbey didn't think she had laughed that hard in months.
When his eyes finally opened the next morning, Jed didn't know which was worse: the pounding in his head or the dryness in his mouth that refused to leave. He groaned quietly as he sat upright, blinking in the bright light, and as he noticed the glass of water sitting on his bedside table, he reached for it almost desperately. He frowned when he realized that Jeremy was nowhere to be seen, but the mystery was solved moments later when the door swung open, and Jeremy gave his friend a warm smile.
"Morning, Bartlet. I'm surprised to see you awake before noon, to be honest. Thought for sure you would sleep until tomorrow."
Jed shook his head, instantly wishing he hadn't, the pounding almost strong enough to make him vomit.
"What the hell happened?"
"You got drunk, we hung out with Millie and Abbey for a while, and then we came back here where you promptly proceeded to pass out. Gotta say, man, you're fun when you're wasted."
Jed searched his memory, vaguely remembering Abbey being in his room, and frowned in confusion.
"Abbey was here?"
Jeremy nodded.
"Left you a note."
Following Jeremy's finger, Jed's eyes narrowed at the piece of paper on his bedside table, and when he unfolded it, sure enough, Abbey's neat handwriting stared up at him in black ink.
Jed,
My choice would be a Border Collie. Make sure you drink the water and take some aspirin.
Love,
Abbey
P.S. You set my entire universe on fire, too.
Jed was beyond confused at the mention of a dog, and when he turned to look at Jeremy, he passed him the note, hoping he could shed some light on the situation.
"Why did she mention a Border Collie?"
Jeremy burst into laughter as he handed him the note back, not even needing to read it to know what he meant, and he sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling his shoes on.
"You decided that you wanted to get a dog. And apparently you want one that has fluffy hair and is big. So Abbey suggested a few different breeds and you told her that you would let her decide because she's smart and pretty."
"Makes sense," Jed said as he reached for his water glass, taking a drink, "She is smart and pretty."
Timing his moment perfectly, Jeremy waited until he was sure Jed had a mouthful of water then gave him a serious look.
"And you told Abbey you were going to marry her."
Jed coughed as he struggled to keep from spitting the water from his mouth, staring at Jeremy, silently begging him to admit that he was joking. When he did no such thing, Jed carefully swallowed the water, trying to find his voice.
"What?" he asked weakly.
"You said, and I quote, 'She's so smart and pretty. I can't wait to marry her'. Then when Abbey asked if you were going to marry her, you said, 'Yep.'. To Abbey, I might add. You're not the most observant about who you're talking to when you're drunk."
"Oh, god…" Jed muttered quietly, "What did she say?"
"Nothing," Jeremy began laughing again, "Because you told her not to tell herself. Because, again, you didn't even know you were talking to her. It was the highlight of my life."
The pillow that smacked Jeremy in the face was inevitable, really.
Abbey couldn't hide her shock when she walked into her room and found the single red rose resting on her desk, turning to glance at Millie as she picked it up.
"What's this for?"
"Your fiancé left it for you, Mrs. Bartlet."
Abbey rolled her eyes at her words, only just having noticed the accompanying note, and as she scanned it quickly, she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.
Abbey,
Since I have no way of knowing if I made an ass of myself last night, I hope this makes it better. If there's no need for an apology, then keep it because it's as beautiful as you are.
Love,
Jed
PS. You could also file it away for future arguments.
She sat down on her bed, remembering the way Jed had reached for her even in his most drunken state, remembering the eloquent words he had used to tell her how much she meant to him, and as she held the rose up to inhale the sweet scent, she smiled. The more she considered it, the more she began to imagine what her life would be like if she were to one day be married to Jed. There were no downsides that she could see, and as she placed the rose back on her desk, she heard Millie's voice from her own bed.
"Penny for your thoughts."
Abbey smiled.
"Just thinking about what Jed said last night," she replied honestly, "I've never seen him ever look that happy before."
"I have," Millie said, looking at her seriously, "Every time he looks at you. Abbey, even when he's drunk beyond all belief, you were all he cared about. That man would die for you. I would kill to have someone look at me the way Jed looks at you or to say the things he said to you last night. I think you might have to get used to the idea of being Mrs. Bartlet."
Abbey shook her head, smiling as she crossed her legs and reached for her notebook.
"No, I don't. I have to get used to the idea of being Doctor Bartlet. I think I can live with that."
Jed couldn't remember the last time he had been so nervous around Abbey, but as they walked back from the library, it took everything he had to control the shaking in his hands. He knew it was a result of having little to no recollection of the things he'd said to her two nights ago, but he couldn't help it. She hadn't mentioned the evening at all except to thank him for the rose, something which struck him as odd, but he knew better than to question it, knowing she would come to him about it in time.
"Jed?"
Well, it looked like that time had finally arrived.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
Abbey rolled her eyes, smacking his arm playfully.
"Smartass. I was just going to ask you if you meant what you said the other night."
Jed laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked.
"Which part, babe? I don't remember even walking to your room. I'm sure I said a lot of stupid things."
"Well, you did mention wanting a dog and asked Millie if I had amazing legs, though it didn't really come out that way," she laughed, "But I was referring to the part where you said that you thank God every night for me before you go to sleep. Do you really do that?"
"Every single night," he replied seriously, "First thing on my list."
"Why?" Abbey asked softly, "I'm just one person. I'm not that special."
Jed stopped walking, staring at her as though she'd gone insane, and shook his head.
"You might be just one person, but to me, you're everything. And I do actually remember saying that. I also told you that your eyes set my world on fire the night we met. It's absolutely true, and don't you ever forget it. I love you more than anything in the world, and that is never going to change."
Abbey smiled, slightly surprised by the tears she felt in her eyes, and when Jed noticed them, he frowned, worried that he had somehow upset her.
"What's wrong, honey?"
"Nothing," she said, reaching out to touch his cheek gently, "It just hit me suddenly that I'm the luckiest woman in the world. I love you, Jed Bartlet."
He leaned down to kiss her, pulling her close to his body, running his hand through her hair slowly.
"I love you too, Abigail Barrington."
"Sure it isn't Bartlet?" she quipped jokingly, laughing as she kissed him again.
All things considered, Jed had to admit that he deserved her teasing, and as they started walking again, he found himself repeating the name over in his head, smiling to himself as he reached for her hand. Yes, he could definitely get used to calling her Abigail Bartlet.
A/N: Sending you all so much love! Be kind to yourself and be kind to others.