A/N: Enjoy!
Jed couldn't have torn his eyes away from Abbey as she walked into his room even if he'd tried, and if he were being honest, he had absolutely no desire to. She was wearing a dress of the darkest blue, delicate silver threads mixed throughout the fabric that made it shimmer with even the smallest movement, high heels that made her legs look impossibly longer, and the necklace he had given her for Christmas was glittering against her skin, filling him with a sense of pride that he couldn't explain. She looked so stunning that he was severely tempted to cancel their plans and spend their entire evening in bed, but he quickly pushed the idea (however much he didn't want to) from his mind. He had promised Abbey an actual date for her birthday, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from giving it to her. Besides, he knew there was a very real chance that she might kill him if all her hard work went to waste.
He kissed her once when she stopped in front of him and as he let his eyes wander over her outfit, he whistled, giving her a warm smile.
"You look amazing," he told her honestly, "I hope you don't get self-conscious easily."
Abbey smiled then looked at him in confusion as she processed what he'd said.
"Thank you, and why?"
Jed smiled, kissing her cheek as he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Because everyone is going to be staring at you all night."
"Jed," Abbey laughed, shaking her head, "You're being ridiculous."
"Like hell I am," he replied, leading her to the door, "Babe, if you'd worn this dress the day we met, I would have pushed you up against a bookshelf in the middle of the library and kissed you until you forgot your own name."
Rolling her eyes, Abbey laughed, the amusement in her eyes apparent even in the setting sun.
"No, you wouldn't."
"Excuse me, madam, who are you to tell me what I would or wouldn't have done?" he asked in mock offense.
"Your girlfriend," she answered simply, "The same girlfriend that it took you two weeks to kiss because you were so nervous about it, I might add."
Jed stopped walking suddenly, turning to face her, and when he took a step closer, his hands on either side of the wall behind her, Abbey automatically took a step backward, effectively pinning herself between the wall and his body. He leaned closer, kissing her long and slow, his tongue tasting every corner of her mouth, and when he pulled back to look at her, he gave her a mischievous smile.
"Not nervous about it now, am I? I'm an incredibly fast learner."
"Damn right you are," Abbey said softly, "It's one of the things I love most about you."
Jed stepped away from her, resuming their journey down the hall, and when he glanced at her, he couldn't hide his amusement.
"Oh, yeah? What are the other things? Tell me everything you love about me."
Abbey burst into laughter, ignoring the looks of the other students as they passed, and when they reached the outside campus, she shook her head.
"This is my birthday weekend. Shouldn't you be telling me all the things you love about me? It's only fair."
He nodded at her, smiling knowingly.
"You're right. That was insensitive of me. I apologize. How about I spend our entire dinner telling you all the ways and reasons I love you? That should get me halfway through my list."
"Much better," Abbey said with a smile, "but for the record, I definitely think you should wear jeans more often instead of just on the weekends. It's one of the things on my list."
Jed frowned.
"I'm not wearing jeans," he pointed out.
"I know. I meant in general."
"Oh. Why?"
Abbey smirked, moving close enough to speak directly into his ear, her breath warm on his skin.
"Because your ass looks great in jeans," she whispered.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said with a laugh.
"See that you do," Abbey said softly, hooking her arm through his.
He knew, just from the tone of her voice, that she knew exactly what he was thinking, and he laughed quietly as they made their way to the edge of campus to hail a cab, he knew he had never loved her more.
As they sat in the restaurant, Abbey couldn't help but notice that it was a very nice establishment, making her wonder how Jed had managed to afford it, but she knew better than to mention it, knowing that he would never tell her even if she asked. It was nice to be able to enjoy an evening with him without the fear of Millie or Jeremy interrupting, and she found herself thinking about their hypothetical futures, wondering if they would still be as enamored with each other as they were now. She knew that most relationships cooled after the initial "honeymoon phase", but the romantic part of her was desperate to believe that this wouldn't happen to them, no matter how unrealistic it may have been.
She had known for the better part of a year that she would never want to be with anyone else, knew she couldn't possibly love another man as much as she loved Jed, and though she was aware that everyone thought that way regarding their relationships, something told her that this time, it was true. She couldn't have explained how she knew, but she had learned long ago to trust her instincts when they told her something, and this was no exception. Still, each day brought them closer to graduation and while it was a still a year away, she found herself wondering more and more just what they were going to do when that day finally came.
Would they try to be accepted into the same schools? Abbey had always dreamed of going to Harvard medical school and though she knew Jed would never ask her to give up on that dream, would she be able to handle being so far away from him if he chose a different path? She had no idea what his plans were, hell, she didn't even know if he had any plans, and as she tried to clear the thoughts from her head, she could feel him watching her.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Damn him for being so perceptive.
"Just thinking about what we're going to do after graduation," she answered, glancing at him briefly.
He nodded, reaching for his water glass, taking a long drink as he thought.
"Any ideas?"
She sighed.
"I don't know. I mean, I've always dreamed about Harvard, but it's so hard to get accepted. I don't think I could handle that rejection," she laughed, "I'd be devastated."
Jed shook his head.
"They would have to be insane not to accept you. I've told you more than once that you're the smartest person I know. Believe it or not, I wasn't just saying it to get laid."
Abbey laughed, shaking her head as she looked at him.
"It worked though, didn't it? But Jed…what about you? You've had to completely re-evaluate your plans since you changed your major last year. Have you thought about where you want to study?"
"I have a few ideas," he said softly, "but that all depends on my GPA and how good of an admissions essay I can throw together before I graduate. I thought about studying in London for a bit. There's a great school there, and I've always wanted to travel abroad."
He hesitated a moment before speaking again and when he did, there was an apprehension in his voice that she wasn't used to hearing.
"You could come with me, if you wanted."
"You mean…like…live in London with you? I don't know, Jed. What about school?"
He smiled.
"Take a few years off, maybe actually relax for once in your life. Abbey, we don't graduate until next year. We don't have to have everything figured out today. Let's just enjoy our night and hammer out the details later if you want."
Abbey nodded, knowing he was right and that she was simply worrying needlessly, giving him a reassuring smile as she twirled her pasta around her fork.
"You know, Jed…you might be the only person in the world who has the ability to make my brain shut up. Can you teach me how to do that?"
Jed smiled, shaking his head.
"It's just one of the many reasons I'm amazing."
"Someone is incredibly sure of himself."
"Only when it comes to you, sweetheart."
It was killing him to not be able to tell Abbey why they couldn't sneak off to his dorm room that night after their dinner, but he knew Millie would never forgive him if he allowed her to miss the small party she had been planning. She had begged him to make sure that they returned to their room at half-past nine, and as he stole a glance at his watch, he smiled to himself. They had just enough time to make it, and when Abbey reached for his hand, he turned to look at her, a smile on his face.
"Good birthday weekend?"
"The best," she said, laying her head on his shoulder, "Thank you."
Jed leaned down, his lips brushing against hers as they walked.
"You're very welcome."
They had reached her dorm room now, standing in the hallway, and when Abbey turned to look at him, he knew from the look in her eyes exactly what she was going to say before she had even opened her mouth.
"How can I bribe you to make you stay tonight?"
He laughed.
"No bribe necessary. Although, if you wanted to write my next paper for me, I wouldn't say no."
"Jed Bartlet, you've never cheated on an assignment in your life and you know damn well there's no way you would do it now."
He smirked, nodding in agreement as he opened the door, and when he followed her into the room, he braced himself for the noise. He wasn't disappointed, and Abbey jumped as Millie and Jeremy shouted "happy birthday", sending her crashing into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Happy birthday, baby," Jed whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek, "I love you."
She smiled, turning to look at him, and when she stepped out of his embrace, Millie threw her arms around her, handing her a glass of champagne. Jeremy was next, giving her a quick kiss, and as he pulled her close, he wrapped her in a hug that she was almost sure would crush her.
"Happy birthday, doc! Do you feel any wiser now that you're older?"
Abbey shrugged, tipping back her champagne glass, and when she emptied it, Millie wasted no time in refilling it.
"Yes, I'm ready to take over the world now," she laughed.
Jed stepped around her, making his way to Millie's desk, and as he began the process of cutting the cake, he couldn't keep his smile from his face. He was so unbelievably happy to be celebrating with the people who had become his family and when he handed out the pieces, he wasn't surprised to see tears shining in Abbey's eyes. He passed the cake around, taking a small bite of his own piece, and as he sat down on Abbey's bed, he gave Millie a warm smile.
Abbey made her way over to him, bouncing onto the bed, and when she handed him a glass of champagne, he accepted it with a smile.
"Catch up, boyfriend," she said jokingly, "You're two drinks behind."
As he wrapped his arm around her, kissing her hard, Jed couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy.
The wind was bitterly cold as Jed and Abbey walked back from the library, whipping through the coat she wore, making her shiver, and Jed moved closer, trying to shield her from it. They weren't alone on their walk from the library and as they neared the building that housed the girls' dormitory, someone crashed into Abbey from behind, roughly slamming into her side. Though Jed tried to keep her steady, she slipped on the wet ground, her ankle twisting under her weight, and a harsh gasp of pain tore from her chest. Jed heard the splintering crack of bone as she landed on the ground, and he immediately knelt next to her, his eyes locking on hers seriously.
"Abbey, are you okay?"
She was incredibly pale, her eyes bright with pain, and she took a shaking breath as she tried to speak.
"I'm fine," she said weakly.
He shook his head, holding out his hand to help her up.
"Hate to tell you this babe, but you definitely just broke your ankle."
Pulling her to her feet, he wasted no time in sweeping her into his arms, heading in the direction of the campus infirmary, hoping he wasn't making the injury worse.
"Jed, I'm okay," Abbey protested, though her voice lacked its usual conviction.
"Honey, even if I hadn't heard the bone snap, one look at you is enough for me to know that isn't true."
"Jed..."
He frowned, sensing that she wasn't going to let it go, and finally he stopped walking, glancing at her seriously.
"Okay. Have it your way."
He set her down on the ground, fighting the urge to roll his eyes when he saw her doing everything possible to keep her weight off her left ankle, and when she gingerly tested it, she immediately stumbled. She fell into his waiting arms and as she slowly raised her head from his chest, he realized he had never seen her look so pale, not even when she had given up sleeping the previous year.
"Abbey?"
"Okay, Jed," she whispered, "You're right. Happy?"
He nodded, lifting her back into his arms, placing a light kiss to her temple. Resuming his brisk pace, he carried her the short distance to the infirmary, ignoring the looks of passing students as he moved. They weren't his concern. The only thing that mattered at the moment was the (unbelievably stubborn) woman fighting to stay conscious in his arms.
A quick examination proved that Abbey's ankle was indeed broken and after binding it tightly to endure that it would be able to heal properly, she was on her way back to her dorm, now equipped with a pair of crutches that she was sure would drive her insane by the end of the day. She couldn't believe how close she had come to passing out as Jed had carried her across campus, and she shook her head as they walked.
"Do you know how difficult it's going to be to attend class now?" she asked in annoyance, "It will take me twice as long to get to each one."
Jed smirked, glancing at her in amusement.
"Maybe watch where you step next time."
Abbey smacked his arm lightly, rolling her eyes.
"Don't make me beat you to death with these crutches."
"Is that any way to thank the man who carried you all the way to the infirmary? You would have passed out on the ground if I hadn't been there."
Though she knew he was right, she didn't care for the reminder of her own weakness, and she sighed, glancing at him slowly.
"No," she said softly, "I'm sorry, Jed."
Jed frowned, turning to look at her, confused by the sadness in her tone.
"I was kidding, babe. I swear, I didn't mean anything by it."
She didn't answer, merely continuing her path down the hall to her dorm room, and when he opened the door for her, he could have sworn there were tears in her eyes. Millie jumped up at the sight of her friend, making her way over to Abbey as she walked into the room, staring at the crutches in disbelief.
"Abs, are you okay? What happened?"
"Someone slammed into her on our way back from the library," Jed explained, "Broke the bone in her ankle when she hit the ground."
Abbey sank down onto her bed as soon as she was close enough, glancing at Millie slowly.
"Millie, could you give us a minute?"
Millie nodded, kissing her cheek before leaving them alone, and as Jed took a seat next to her, he knew he hadn't imagined the tears shining in her eyes.
"I really was kidding, Abbey."
"I know, it isn't that."
He waited for her to explain exactly what "it" was, but she didn't continue speaking, prompting him to move closer, nudging her lightly with his arm.
"You gonna tell me or make me guess?"
She sighed, shaking her head as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"You said it yourself: I would have passed out on the ground if you hadn't been there. Came damn close even with you there and I—Jed, it's just a broken ankle. Am I really so weak that I can't handle a broken bone? It's pathetic."
"Some people pass out at the sight of blood, some don't. I think you're being too hard on yourself, babe. I heard the bone break, it was a lot louder than I expected it to be, so I'm not surprised that it hurt like hell. And for what it's worth, you didn't pass out. I know you can't seem to wrap your head around this concept, but you don't have to be perfect. No one is, and if they claim otherwise, they're either lying or selling something. It doesn't mean you're pathetic and the day that anyone calls you weak is the day I become King of England. It's never going to happen."
Abbey laughed softly, still refusing to look at him.
"Do you think I'll ever reach a point in my life where I feel good enough?"
"You? Never," he answered with a laugh, "You're too much of a perfectionist. But you'll get to a point where you stop second-guessing yourself and you're going to be unstoppable. Don't worry, I won't let it go to your head, though. There's only room for one egomaniac in this relationship and I've already claimed that title. That's why I need you. You keep me grounded and from making too much of an ass out of myself."
She raised her eyes to his, staring at him as though she couldn't believe what she'd heard, and he frowned, more than a little confused.
"What?"
"You need me?" she asked quietly.
He ran his fingers through her hair, his eyes serious as they stared into hers.
"I need you like oxygen, Abigail," he whispered, "and God help me if you ever get sick of me and leave. I wouldn't know what to do without you."
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
He smiled, kissing her gently.
"Yeah, but I'll never get tired of hearing it."
Abigail Barrington was going insane, and no amount of distraction was doing anything to alleviate the restlessness she had felt every single day for the last seven weeks. Her broken ankle was nearly healed, though she still had an entire week before she would be cleared to use it fully, and as she sat on her bed, she ran her hand through her hair, pulling several strands loose in her frustration. Walking to class each day took her twice as long as it had previously because, in spite of her best efforts, she had never quite mastered the trick of using crutches well, and every time she made it back to her dorm room in one piece, she considered it a major success.
More than anything, she missed being able to walk around the campus with Jed, missed their discussions that often took place during these walks, ranging from politics to Shakespearean theatre, and while she knew they weren't limited to only talking while strolling the campus, it wasn't quite the same when they were in the confines of their rooms. She had been trying to stave off the boredom by reading various books over the past few weeks, and while she had made considerable progress, she was still close to screaming each time she finished one.
She sighed as she fell back against her pillows, picking up the next book from the large stack beside her bed, and as she opened it, she prayed that the next week would pass quickly. To her surprise and delight, she was intrigued by the very first sentence, and her eyes flitted across the page, reading more quickly than she had in days. She was so absorbed by the words that she didn't notice Millie returning from her afternoon class and when her friend laughed quietly at the sight of her, it fell on deaf ears.
She was only vaguely aware of the passing of time, not even registering the knock on the door when Jed arrived to study, and when Millie opened the door, he gave her a warm smile.
"Hey, Millie. How was class?"
"Don't ask," Millie said with a groan, "I think I fried parts of my brain trying to memorize my notes."
Jed laughed, nodding sympathetically.
"What about you, babe? How was your day?"
Abbey didn't answer and Millie shook her head as she sat down on her bed.
"Don't bother," she advised him, "I don't think she even knows we're here. She's been reading since I got here."
He took a step closer to Abbey's bed, raising his voice slightly.
"Abbey, did you have a good day?"
"Mhmm…" she replied, not looking up.
"What are you reading?"
Silence. Jed winked at Millie, sitting down on the edge of Abbey's bed, watching her closely.
"You know, Abbey, I was thinking about running off to join the circus. Maybe as a lion tamer."
Millie fought to keep her laughter silent as he tried again, his voice louder.
"I'm also going to call your dad and tell him how good you are in bed."
"Okay," Abbey muttered, her eyes still glued to the book in her hands.
Jed slowly reached out to cover the pages with his hand, smirking when she jumped, and she looked at him in confusion.
"Did you hear anything I just said?" he asked.
Abbey frowned, thinking.
"Um…my dad called?"
"Close enough," he laughed, "How long have you been reading this?"
"A few hours, I think," she said, "That all depends on what time it is."
"It's ten minutes after six."
Abbey nodded, placing a scrap of paper in the book to hold her place, and when Jed leaned closer to kiss her, she smiled, feeling better than she had in days.
"Guess what, Jed?" she asked as soon as he had pulled away.
"What?"
"I have exactly one week until I am fully mobile again."
He smiled, looking at her seriously.
"I know. You've been marking every day off on your calendar. Millie will probably throw a party as soon as she has the room to herself."
"I definitely will," Millie cut in, making Abbey laugh.
"Millie can do whatever she likes," Abbey said, "As long as Jeremy is out of your room, I'll be happy. Jed, it's been almost eight weeks since I've touched you in any way other than casually, no matter how many times I tried to tell you that it would be perfectly safe."
Jed shrugged.
"Not taking any chances."
"It's a broken ankle, Jed. It's not like I had open heart surgery."
He laughed, kissing her lightly.
"You're cute when you pout."
"Oh, shut up," she snapped, rolling her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day, "You're not helping by sitting there looking like James Dean's twin brother."
Millie burst into laughter, earning herself a glare from Abbey's side of the room, and Jed merely shook his head, thoroughly amused by Abbey's annoyance. He leaned closer to her, kissing her cheek, and when he pulled away, he smiled.
"I promise I'll make it worth the wait, babe," he whispered in her ear, "You might want to invest in an oxygen tank."
She shivered slightly at his words, making him smile more, and when he heard Millie's voice from across the room, he feigned ignorance.
"Jed, I don't know what you just said, but I would bet all the money I have that it was something that would make even Jeremy blush."
"I accept checks from all major banking institutions," he quipped.
"Jed, I've been thinking," Abbey began, looking at him as they studied in her room one Tuesday evening.
"About me, I hope."
"Always," she laughed, "but to be more specific, I was thinking about what you said regarding convictions. In the paper you wrote a few months ago, do you remember?"
He nodded, making a correction on the paper in front of him, glancing at her as he waited for her to continue.
"Why do you think so many people have a hard time standing up for their convictions? Some people don't, obviously, but for some people, it's almost impossible for them to speak honestly because they're afraid of disturbing the peace. Would you say that's something that we're taught to fear or is it something in our brains that cause us to fear confrontation?"
Jed frowned as he considered her question, twirling his pen between his fingers.
"I think it's both," he said slowly, "For some people, it's part of their brain chemistry and for others, it's a learned behaviour. And in some, it could be a combination of both. For example, you probably wouldn't have trouble speaking your mind because your parents encouraged you to ask questions and think for yourself. I know you don't like to upset people, but you can stand up for yourself when you have to, and that's something your parents taught you by not demeaning you when you did it in your formative years. Someone like me, however…it's taken a lot of time for me to become comfortable with standing up for the things I believe in, because my father would hand out physical punishments like they were candy. It made me cautious, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, I'm finally starting to see that sometimes, you have to take the plunge. Why do you ask?"
"Just thinking about the book I was reading the other day," Abbey replied, "It was about the French Revolution, and I just couldn't imagine the courage it must have taken those people to risk their lives to stand up for what they believed in."
Jed nodded, looking at her seriously.
"Have you ever heard the story the Irish tell about the dead man and Saint Peter?"
Abbey shook her head, trying to remember if it sounded familiar to her.
"I don't think so. What is it?"
"After his death, a man arrives at the gates of Heaven, asking to be let in. Saint Peter says 'Of course, just show us your scars'. The man replies 'I have no scars'. Saint Peter says 'What a pity. Was there nothing worth fighting for?'. We have to fight, not just for ourselves, but for those who will come after us. After all, someone fought for us once."
Abbey smiled, giving him a look he couldn't quite identify.
"Josiah Bartlet, you are one of the best men I've ever known in my life. I am so damn proud of who you've become, and I can't wait to see what you're going to do for the world."
"Thank you," he said sincerely, "but first, I have to finish writing this damn paper."
She laughed, tossing a crumpled piece of paper at him, and he picked it up, throwing it back at her. They continued to launch the ball at one another for several minutes, and when Millie walked into the room, she tilted her head in confusion as she closed the door.
"You two look like you're getting a lot of work done," she said sarcastically.
Abbey tore another sheet of paper off, crushing it with her hands, and tossing it expertly at Millie's head, laughing when it bounced off her blonde hair.
"Come on, Millie, you're only a young college kid once!"
Millie threw it at Abbey, rolling her eyes indignantly when Jed blocked the ball with his hand, and she sank onto her bed in frustration.
"That's cheating, Bartlet."
"I never claimed to play fair."
Jed tossed the paper ball back at Millie and as they spent the next twenty minutes pelting each other with scraps torn from a notebook, a feeling of almost desperate love crashed into him, one that he couldn't have explained even if he'd tried.
Abbey had never been so happy to walk in her life, and as she made her way to the library, she realized just how much she had taken the ability for granted, vowing to never make the same mistake again. She breezed into the Reference section feeling lighter than she had in weeks, leaning down to kiss Jed on the cheek as she passed him, and he gave her a strange look as she slid into her seat across the table.
"You're in an extremely good mood," he remarked.
She nodded.
"I am," she replied with a smile, "You never realize how much you miss walking until you can't do it anymore."
"You never lost the ability to walk," he reminded her.
"True, but it's not the same as having total use of both legs. I'm so happy I feel like running a marathon."
Jed laughed, shaking his head as he continued to write, and when she glanced at the papers in front of him, Abbey frowned, looking at them curiously.
"What are those?"
"Admissions forms," he answered, not looking up.
"For?"
"London School of Economics."
Abbey stared at him, her good mood vanishing in the span of three seconds, and though she tried to speak, she found that her vocal cords simply refused to cooperate. Jed didn't appear to notice the change in her demeanor, still filling out the forms on the table, and when he finally raised his eyes from the pages, he frowned.
"Abbey, why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong?"
"You're filling out admissions forms for a school in England?"
"Yeah," he said, still not realizing just how upset she was, "I figured since we graduate next year, it couldn't hurt to go ahead and send it in. The worst they can do is send me a rejection letter."
"Right," she said shortly.
She stood suddenly, shoving her chair back from the table, not sparing him even a single glance as she gathered her books, her voice cold as she spoke.
"Good luck."
She was gone before he had time to truly register what had happened and when his mind finally caught up to the events, he wasted no time in following her, hoping he could reach her before she made it too far. As soon as he had exited the library, he broke into a run, catching up to her halfway to her dorm, and when he called her name, she ignored him, walking faster.
"Abbey, what's wrong?"
"Don't you have admissions forms to fill out, jackass?" she snapped.
She kept walking, refusing to look at him, and it was only when he grabbed her arm that she stopped, turning to glare at him more angrily than she ever had in her life.
"Let go."
"Not until you talk to me. Why are you so angry? Everything was fine a few minutes ago."
He steered them away from the crowds of students, not wanting to cause a scene in the middle of the campus, and though she didn't fight him, she jerked her arm free of his grasp as soon as he had come to a stop behind the Psychology building.
"When were you planning on telling me, Jed?" she asked, her voice louder than he was used to, "Were you just going to wait until you'd been accepted? Or maybe you were just going to call from London. If you planned on telling me at all, that is."
"Abbey—"
"This affects me, too! I know it's your life and your education, and I would never tell you that you couldn't do something, but you should have at least discussed it with me! I know I'm not your wife, but I thought this meant something to you. I thought I meant something to you."
The pain in her voice was palpable, and he visibly winced, shaking his head as he tried again.
"Of course you do, Abbey! We can make this work, I promise. Just give me time to—"
"You didn't even ask me how I would feel about it! It's not about making it work, Jed. You didn't even stop to consider that maybe I wouldn't want to be in a long-distance relationship, you made the decision without me, without so much as a simple 'Hey Abbey, I'm thinking about doing this, what do you think about it?' That's part of being in a relationship, you work things out together and try to do what's best for both people."
Though he knew she was right, he couldn't focus, his mind too caught up on one specific thing she had said, and he stared at her in disbelief.
"You don't want to try to make it work long-distance?"
"No, Jed. I don't," she answered honestly, "Not seeing someone for who-knows-how-long isn't exactly my idea of a good time. I don't want to be in a relationship with a pay phone."
He sighed, looking at her seriously.
"Look, can we go somewhere and talk about this like two rational people? I don't want to have this discussion in full view of anyone who happens to walk by."
"Fine."
The walk back to Abbey's dorm was icily silent, but Jed could feel the anger radiating from her as she walked, her steps brisk. They were thankfully alone in her room, something that he was profoundly grateful for, and when she made no move to sit, Jed closed the door, preparing himself for the fight he was sure was about to happen.
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be in a relationship when you never see the other person?" she asked, "Do you know how much of a strain it causes? Because let me tell you something, I do. I've been there, done that, and I have no desire to go through it again. But I'm getting ahead of myself. That's not why I'm pissed at you."
"Oh, please tell me why you are, then," Jed muttered sarcastically, "Because up until now, I was under the impression that you were in a good mood."
"You didn't talk to me, Jed! Maybe you don't remember what you said to me on my birthday, but I do. You said we could work out the details later. We. As in, both of us. You decided that my opinion wasn't important enough to consider and you didn't even give me a chance to come up with some kind of solution. How would you feel if I'd done something like this without even mentioning it to you? You'd be pissed, too. Don't even try to deny it."
"I might not even be accepted, you know."
Abbey rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
"That isn't the point, and you know it, Josiah Bartlet," she snapped, "I thought we were a team, but either you didn't agree, or you're a bit fuzzy on the definition of the word. Which is it? Because I have a dictionary right here."
"Abbey—"
"No. You don't get to talk. Not yet. Let me make this very clear: I'm not angry about you wanting to go to school in London. I knew it was something you were thinking about. I'm angry because you made a huge decision without even giving me a chance to talk it over. Do you know how insignificant that makes me feel, to know that you didn't even stop to think about how this would affect me or what it would mean for us? Do you care at all? Or is this just about what you want and your future? Because if it is, then tell me now. If I mean that little to you, I think I deserve to know."
Her voice broke as she finished speaking, and when he looked at her, he noticed that her hands were shaking, hitting him like a ton of bricks.
"I haven't sent the admissions forms, Abbey," he said quietly, "I was filling them out so that I would have them if I did decide to submit them. I haven't made up my mind yet, and even if I decided on a different school, it would be good practice in admissions."
He moved closer, wanting to touch her but not daring to, and he looked at her seriously, his voice soft.
"Abbey, please look at me."
Her eyes flickered to his for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. He could see the tears, dangerously close to spilling over, and he took his chance, reaching for her hand.
"I want you to listen to me," he said softly, "I know you're angry and I understand why, but you couldn't be more wrong if you think you're insignificant or that you don't mean more to me than damn near anything in the world. You're right that I should have discussed it with you and I'm sorry. I made a mistake there and I won't do it again, because it would kill me to lose you. You mean more to me than any education, more than money, hell, you mean more to me than the church. I am so sorry, Abbey. Please believe me."
She was silent for so long that Jed was certain he had caused irreparable damage, but she hadn't pulled away from him, so he had a small amount of hope.
"I'm still pissed at you," she told him bluntly, "but I believe you."
Even though he knew she was still angry, he couldn't help the relieved smile that spread across his features and when she looked at him, he knew that she had already begun the process of forgiving him. It wasn't complete, but it was enough. He moved closer, pulling her into his arms, and when he kissed her, he could tell she was smiling.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," she said softly, "but you're still a jackass."
The days following their fight were slightly tense, and Jed knew that the main reason behind this tension was Abbey's fear that he would send in his admissions form and be accepted, though she would never admit it. As he sat on his bed trying to decide if he really wanted to travel to an entirely different country just for the sake of education, the door opened, breaking his concentration, and he smiled at Jeremy as he walked into the room.
"Hey."
"Hi," Jeremy answered, looking at him curiously, "have you just been sitting here staring at nothing all day?"
Jed laughed.
"No, believe it or not, some of us actually use our brains for thinking. But hey, while you're here, I have a question for you. Do you have a book that you don't care about? As in, destroying it?"
Jeremy frowned.
"Probably. My grandmother sends me all kinds of books that I was planning to donate. Why?"
"Mind if I take one? It's for a good cause, I promise."
"Sure. Are you planning a protest or something? I'm pretty sure if you burn a book you don't really care about, it doesn't count."
"No," Jed replied with a laugh, "I can't explain right now, but just trust me."
After a few moments of searching, Jeremy found one, tossing it to him carefully, and as Jed flipped it open, he smiled. This would do quite well, he thought. Or so he hoped.
"Thanks."
"Don't say I never gave you anything."
The next day in the library, Jed mindlessly flipped through the large notebook he had brought with him, sighing as he studied the vast array of numbers written on the page. They were beginning to blur together, making his eyes burn, and when Abbey joined him at the table, she frowned in concern.
"What's wrong?"
"I hate mathematics," he muttered, "When am I ever going to use this?"
"This particular subsection of mathematics? Probably never. Basic mathematics? Pretty frequently, so you might as well get used to it," she replied with a smile.
He sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, standing up and making his way to the medical section of the shelves, pulling out the book he had taken from Jeremy.
"Hey, Abbey?"
"Hm?"
"Since my eyes have decided that they're protesting my studying for the foreseeable future, could you look at this and tell me which page starts the chapter on the laws of attraction?"
"Sure."
She joined him moments later, taking the book from him, and he fought the urge to laugh at the look of concentration on her face. He had always found her determination endearing, and now was no exception. But God, he hoped he hadn't just majorly messed up. Her eyes widened when she opened the book, a soft gasp of shock falling from her lips, and when she lifted the small emerald ring from the hollowed-out pages, she merely stared at him as though she'd never seen him before.
"Jed…" she whispered, "What—is this—"
He smiled, looking at her seriously, pulling the ring from her fingers and kneeling on the ground in front of her.
"I told you the other day that it would kill me to lose you and I meant it. I don't ever want to be in a world without you, and I can't imagine my life without you. You drive me insane, in the best possible way and I'm not saying we have to make plans right now, but I love you more than life itself. I can't think of a better place to ask you this than in the very spot where we first met, so...will you marry me, Abigail?"
Even from the ground, he could see the tears in her bright green eyes, and when she nodded, he stood up, hardly having time to blink before she threw her arms around him, kissing him harder than she had in days.
"You bet your ass I will," she said with a laugh, not even caring about the tears falling down her face.
He smiled, reaching for her hand, slipping the ring onto her finger, and as she kissed him again, he lifted her slightly off her feet, feeling happier than he could ever remember.
"I love you, Jed."
No matter how long he lived, Jed knew he would never get tired of hearing her say those three words.
A/N: You're welcome! (Oh, and thank you for sticking with me this far!)