A/N: I present to you the next chapter of Hear it in the Silence! In which we see our favourite couple come to an understanding by way of our fun-loving slacker roommate, Jed and Abbey exchange Christmas gifts, and Jed makes a rare sexual joke. Enjoy!
Jed could hardly contain his excitement as he made a mad dash across the campus to Abbey's dorm room, his right hand clinging to the box in his pocket for fear of losing it, and he hardly paused to catch his breath before knocking on the closed door. He had deliberately waited until Abbey had left for her psychiatry appointment, not wanting to risk ruining his carefully planned surprise, and when Millie opened the door, she gave him a confused look.
"Jed, if you ran all the way here to see Abbey, I hate to tell you this, but she's not here."
He shook his head, looking at her seriously.
"I know. I came to see you."
"Well, I'm flattered, but—"
"No," he interrupted with a laugh, "I wanted to get your opinion on Abbey's Christmas present and that would kind of ruin the surprise if she sees it beforehand."
She stepped back, allowing him into the room, and as he closed the door, she looked at him warily, sitting down on her bed.
"Oh, god…it's an engagement ring, isn't it?"
"No," he answered seriously, "I told you before, neither of us is ready for that yet. Just look at it and tell me if you think she'll like it or if I need to go exchange it while I still have time."
He pulled the box from his pocket, handing it to her with a smile, and she eyed it dubiously, shaking her head before opening it.
"Are you sure it isn't an engagement ring?"
Jed rolled his eyes, laughing.
"It's not even a ring, Millie. Just open it."
Though she was still skeptical, Millie opened the box, her eyes widening as they landed on the gift, holding the box closer to her face to examine it.
"Oh, Jed…" she gasped, "It's beautiful! Abbey's going to love it!"
"You don't think it's too much?"
Millie shook her head emphatically, handing him the box and as he carefully placed it back into his pocket, she looked at him seriously.
"If she doesn't want it, I'm keeping it for myself."
Jed laughed, shaking his head, smiling at her as he stood.
"It's all yours."
"You have to accept the responsibility for what you do, for good or ill, and it's never easy. That's how character is developed. If you're going to make these tough decisions and stand by them, it takes a toll on you. It has to cost you something when you make a conscious decision, a moral decision, and if it doesn't cost you, then I think you're left to question its value. We're starting to separate ourselves from each other, and our politics are becoming almost dangerous. You always have to make sure that when you speak or send a message that it's not going to be turned against you. People are so frightened, and it's exhibited in so many really scary ways: how people are less compassionate, less patient with one another, less interested in being present to someone that they have the advantage over. We're seeing stuff in the country where people are not inspired to be more human, more compassionate, to be more loving, to have a better sense of humor and not take themselves, or their philosophies, so seriously. We've lost a sense of trust." Abbey paused as she looked up from the paper in her hands, her eyes meeting Jed's seriously, "Jed, this is incredible. I'm not sure about using the word "stuff" in that one sentence, but the rest of it is just amazing. How long did it take you to write this?"
"About ten minutes," he said, taking the paper back from her and making a mark with his pen, "What word would you use in place of "stuff"? I think you're right; I should change it."
"I think "moments" would work better. But really, it was just a suggestion. It's honest, it's eloquent, it's tragically beautiful…you should seriously consider being a writer, babe. You have a gift, and it would be a shame to not share it with the world in some way."
Jed nodded, writing her suggestion in the margin of his paper, and as he placed it on his bedside table, he frowned at the way she was looking at him. There was a seriousness, an intensity behind her eyes that hadn't been there moments before, and as he tossed his pen onto the table, she moved closer, reaching for his hand suddenly.
Jed…" there was a cautiousness to her voice that he didn't care for, "I know it isn't my place to bring it up, but I have to ask…what are you planning to do for the winter break? You're not going back to your father's house, are you? I don't want to pry, but I need to know that you'll be safe, and—"
"Relax, Abbey," he told her gently, "I'm going to spend time with Mrs. Landingham. I know she probably feels lonely around the holidays since her sons are overseas, and I've already written about staying. You don't have to worry about me, I promise."
She smiled in relief, leaning closer to kiss him, and when he pulled her to his side, her head fell onto his shoulder, mahogany hair spilling across his chest.
"You really think the paper is good?" he asked her, hoping she hadn't simply been being polite.
Abbey shook her head, her voice low and sincere as she answered.
"It's one of the most insightful and moving things I've ever read. Not that I ever doubted your ability before, but this just proves that you're going to do a lot of good for the world."
Jed smiled, and before he had time to second-guess himself, he stood suddenly, making his way over to Jeremy's side of the room, searching for the box he had carefully hidden among the mess of wrinkled clothing, mountains of books, and piles of unfinished coursework He could feel Abbey watching him as he finally located it, holding it as though it were his most prized possession, and when he sat down on the bed next to her, he reached for her hand.
"I know Christmas is still a week away, but since I won't be able to spend it with you, I want to give you your gift now."
Her eyes flickered to his at the sight of the box, and he knew she'd had the same thought Millie had, and he nodded encouragingly at her.
"Open it."
He had never seen her look so simultaneously excited and scared, and as she slowly opened the small box, it took all of his self-control not laugh at the shocked expression on her face. Her fingers shook as she lifted the delicate silver chain from the box, the tiny emerald glittering in the light, and as she held it in her hand, she shook her head slowly.
"Jed…how did you afford this?" she whispered.
"Sold a kidney on the black market," he quipped, "Don't worry, it didn't cost as much as you would think and believe it or not, I'm not in the habit of throwing money away. I've been saving it for something special, and I can't think of anything more special than you. Do you like it?"
"Are you insane? This is the most gorgeous gift anyone has ever given me! But, why an emerald? My birthday is in February, not May."
"It brings out your eyes," he said simply.
She held it out to him, lifting her hair, and as he hooked the necklace in place, he kissed the base of her throat, smiling when she turned to look at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Josiah Edward Bartlet, you are the most amazing man in the world," she said softly, running her fingers through his hair, "Has anyone ever told you that?"
"Only one person," he answered honestly, "and she's the only person who matters."
Abbey kissed him gently, her fingers still continuing their path through his dark hair, and when she pulled back, she gave him a smile that he was sure would be the death of him one day.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
She kissed him again, laying across his lap after they had broken apart, and when he noticed her fingers absentmindedly touching the necklace, he smiled. It didn't look like Millie would be wearing it anytime soon, from the looks of things.
Jed frowned at Abbey's request, though he knew she wasn't planning anything sinister, and when he closed his eyes as she had asked, he could hear her quiet laugh as she walked to the other side of the room.
"Don't look so scared, Jed. I just wanted your present to be a surprise. I'm not going to kidnap you and take you to an undisclosed location."
She was back by his side in seconds, her perfume giving away her proximity, and when he heard her voice low in his ear, he shivered involuntarily.
"Unless you want me to."
He felt her place a rather large box in his hands, and when she had given him permission to open his eyes, he resisted the childlike urge to shake it. Tearing off the paper, he wasted no time in lifting the board from the box and when he realized he was holding a chessboard, he smiled, though he was a little confused.
"A chessboard? You didn't need to do that; I still have the one under my bed that's perfectly usable."
Abbey shook her head.
"It's not just a chessboard. Look closer."
He hadn't even noticed the carefully wrapped game pieces resting in the bottom of the box, and as he slowly unwound the protective cloth, his eyes widened in surprise. The chess pieces were perfectly carved from sparkling glass, each one exquisitely crafted, and he swore as he held one in the palm of his hand.
"Shit…Abbey, where did you—how did—this is for me?"
She nodded, a brilliant smile on her face, and though there were a million different thoughts running through his mind at once, he simply couldn't piece them together in a way that would have made any kind of sense.
"I'm going to assume that your stunned silence means you like it?"
"If I thought you'd say yes, I'd ask you to marry me right now," he said seriously, unable to tear his eyes away from the pieces.
"I love you, but no," Abbey laughed, "Ask me in a few years and I might change my mind."
"Holding you to that," he said, glancing at her briefly, "But Abbey, where did you find this? It's the most stunning chess set I've ever seen in my life."
"It was my grandfather's," she explained, "I wrote to my parents and asked them if they would mind my giving it to you. No one was using it, and I knew you would give it the care and respect it deserves. Two weeks later, here we are, with you looking as though someone just handed you the Holy Grail."
Jed shook his head slowly, carefully placing the chess set back into the box, meeting Abbey's eyes as he moved it out of harm's way.
"This is even more precious than the Holy Grail. It came from you and that makes it worth more than anything in the universe."
He held out his hand, and when she took it, he pulled her down into his lap, kissing her slowly, his arms holding her carefully in place. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tongue finding his as soon as their lips met, and when she pulled back just enough to see his eyes, she smiled, her voice warm.
"Merry Christmas, babe."
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart. I love you."
Just as she leaned in to kiss him again, the door opened, though she ignored it, and when he heard Millie's voice from the doorway, he fought to keep from laughing.
"Jesus, would you two just get a room already?"
Abbey frowned, turning in his lap to look at her.
"Technically, we did, Millie. You just happened to walk into it."
Shifting off his lap, Abbey moved to sit beside him on the bed, and when her friend's eyes noticed the necklace glittering at her throat, she sighed dramatically.
"Damn, she liked it," she muttered, looking at Jed in amusement.
"What?" Abbey asked, looking between them in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"Millie called dibs on your Christmas gift if you decided that you didn't like it," Jed explained with a laugh, "I brought it by a few days ago to ask her opinion on it. She said you would love it, but on the off chance you didn't, she wanted it for herself."
Abbey rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face, and when she looked at Millie, there was no mistaking the teasing tone in her voice.
"Get your own boyfriend, Griffith. This one's mine."
Jed kissed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he did so.
"Damn right I am."
In spite of Jed's reassurance that he would be safe from his father over the upcoming break, Abbey couldn't stop the worried feeling that always seemed to be lingering in the back of her mind, and as she packed her own bag, she sighed, running her hand through her hair. Millie glanced at her, frowning at her obvious concern, and when the knock at the door drew her attention, she pushed Abbey's expression from her thoughts. After all, once Abbey decided on something, there was almost no way of changing her mind. Millie gave Jed a warm smile as he walked into the room, and when he noticed the folded stacks of clothing on his girlfriend's bed, he tilted his head curiously.
"You're packing already? We still have two days, babe."
"Just because you lack the ability to plan ahead doesn't mean all of us would like to leave things to chance. I don't want to forget anything important."
Jed laughed, shaking his head as he walked closer.
"Do you want help, or would you prefer it if I didn't?"
"I'd rather do this myself," Abbey said lightly, "It's faster and I know it's been done right."
"I feel like every woman in the universe has said something along those lines to their boyfriend before," Jed muttered, looking at Millie quickly.
Abbey couldn't contain her laughter at the rare sexual joke, still unused to it even after all this time, and she smiled triumphantly as she put the last of her clothing into the bag.
"If I had let you help, I'd still be hours away from being finished. This way, we have more time to spend doing other things."
"If you two are going to tear each other's clothes off, at least give me time to run for the door," Millie remarked dryly, "I can't think of anything more emotionally scarring than seeing my best friend and her boyfriend naked."
Laughing, Abbey lifted the bag from her bed, clearing a place for Jed to sit down, and when she joined him moments later, he kissed her cheek lightly. Millie seemed to sense that they weren't planning to engage in any explicit activities and felt safe enough to sit on her own bed, and when Jed looked at her curiously, she again noticed the concerned look on Abbey's face.
"So, what are your plans for winter break?"
It took Millie a few seconds to realize that Jed was speaking to her, and she smiled, leaning back against the wall.
"Doing as little as possible. I probably won't change out of my pajamas for at least three days. What about you?"
Jed shrugged.
"Visiting my sister. I might stop by and see my brother if he comes home. Last I heard, he hadn't decided. He's got a girlfriend now, so he might spend the holiday with her family."
Abbey glanced at him, her eyes troubled.
"Are you sure trying to see Jonathan is a good idea? If you're in a public place, maybe, but going to your father's house could be risky."
Jed sighed.
"Abbey…"
"I'm just saying that it has the potential to be dangerous. Every time you're alone with your father, he finds some stupid reason to hurt you, and—"
He knew she was only speaking from a place of concern, but Jed couldn't stop the annoyance that flared up at Abbey's words, and he looked at her seriously.
"And if he does, I can handle it. I know you're worried, and I appreciate that, but—"
"Of course I'm worried, Jed! You say you can handle it, but I've seen the bruises! Or did you forget that? Or maybe you've forgotten what happened over the summer. Who's to say that one day he won't get so angry that he does irreparable damage? Worst-case scenario, he could kill you. You might think I'm exaggerating, but it happens."
"And if he kills me, then I'll be dead, and you can feel better knowing that you were right, and I made a stupid decision. That's what you're really worried about isn't it? How your life would be affected if something happened."
He never knew what made him say it, didn't even mean it, but it came out of his mouth before he had even realized it, and Abbey shook her head, her eyes locking on his seriously.
"No, I'm worried about you, and—"
"Save your breath, Abigail, I don't want to hear it," he snapped, standing up so quickly that it caused her to slip on the bed, "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you lecture me on how to deal with my own father. Unlike you, I'm pretty much an expert at it, and contrary to popular belief, not everyone has a perfect home environment like you! So, spare me your concern and advice. I've got it under control. I'm not a helpless kid."
He was by the door before she could so much as blink, and he pulled it open, glancing at Millie once before moving.
"Sorry for the disturbance, Millie."
"Jed—"
He stormed out of the room, cutting off Abbey's words with the closing of the door, and as she sat in stunned silence, she could feel Millie's eyes on her, watching her warily.
"Abbey? Honey, are you okay?"
She didn't speak, couldn't speak, and as she felt her eyes fill with tears, Abbey wondered how this had turned so disastrous in so little time.
The last two days on campus were more tense than either Jed or Abbey could ever remember them being, with each dealing with the aftermath of their fight in their own way. Abbey spent her time in bed, speaking to no one as she tried to think of a way that she could fix the situation, and each time Millie attempted to engage her in conversation, she felt as though she were merely speaking to the air.
"Abbey, there's only a few hours until we leave. Why don't you just go talk to Jed? You can work this out, you always do."
Abbey shook her head, her eyes red and glassy.
"He doesn't want to talk to me, Millie. You heard him, he doesn't want to hear it."
"He was just upset," Millie told her gently, "We all say things we don't mean when we're angry at least once in our lives. I'm sure he's calmed down by now."
Abbey sighed, feeling the hot tears cascading down her face as she blinked. Why couldn't the next two hours move faster? Every minute spent in this room only served to remind her of the argument, and she was almost certain it would drive her insane if she didn't get away soon.
Walking on eggshells around Jed Bartlet was not a feeling that Jeremy was accustomed to, and to say that the last two days had been uncomfortable would have been a massive understatement. He had no idea what had happened between him and Abbey but based on the way his friend had angrily crashed into their room that night, he could only guess that it had been bad. He sighed as he watched Jed throw the last of his belongings into his bag, and took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't about to make the biggest mistake known to man.
"Jed, are you okay? You've been kind of...on edge for the last few days. Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine," Jed mumbled.
"Yeah, uh-huh. Sure, you are. Bartlet, you've been acting like a pissed off teenager since you had that fight with Abbey. I'm a slacker, not stupid. What happened?"
"She's been lecturing me about my father for the past few weeks, telling me it would be risky to even see my own brother over the holidays. Like I don't already know that! I've been dealing with my father my entire life, it's not like this is a new situation."
"She lectured you? That doesn't sound like Abbey. What exactly did she say?"
Jed sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Yeah? Well, I didn't want to spend my last few days on campus with an angry jackass, but here we are. Spit it out, Bartlet. What did she say?"
"She said that it would be risky to go to his house and if I wanted to see Jonathan, I should stick to public places."
Jeremy frowned, treading carefully with his next words.
"That doesn't sound like lecturing. It sounds to me like she's worried because she knows how dangerous your home life is."
"She's treating me like a child," Jed snapped, though it sounded weak even to his own ears.
Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Jeremy looked at his roommate, shaking his head slowly.
"I know it might feel like that because you've been dealing with this for your entire life but try to see it from her perspective. This is still a relatively new situation for her, and she loves you. You know damn well that when you love someone, your brain tosses logic out the window, and it sounds to me like she was just offering you a compromise where you could see Jonathan and still stay out of harm's way. She knows how much your brother means to you, but she doesn't want your love for him to override your own self-preservation. Even you have to admit that you sometimes make rash decisions when it comes to the people you care about."
He stared at Jed, daring him to deny it, and when he said nothing, Jeremy continued.
"She's not treating you like a child. She's treating you like someone who is scared and who loves you more than anything else in the world. And since I know you've already done it, how did you manage to put your foot in your mouth this time? What stupid thing did you say to her just because you're pissed off at your father?"
Jed sighed, unable to look at his friend, keeping his eyes on his shoes instead.
"I told her that if my father kills me, she could cheer herself up by knowing that she'd been right. That she wasn't worried about me, just the way her life would change. Then I told her I wasn't going to listen to her lecture me when I was the expert in this situation. Kinda slammed the door on her when she tried to talk to me."
Jeremy whistled, the sound low and quick, staring at Jed as though he were a stranger.
"You screwed up big time, man. What made you snap like that? At Abbey, of all people?"
Jed frowned, trying to think of a way to articulate his thoughts, and shook his head. In truth, he'd been asking himself that same question ever since he'd left Abbey's room, and he still wasn't any closer to understanding it.
"I guess…I don't like being told what to do, even if it comes from a good place. Especially not when she doesn't have the experience in this that I do. Of course I know that my father is a bastard and that he's dangerous when he gets angry, I don't need her to remind me. I've dealt with this my whole life, does she think I'm stupid and would deliberately risk my father hitting me?"
"You know damn well that Abbey doesn't think you're stupid. She's not telling you what to do, she's offering suggestions because she knows that your emotions cloud your judgment sometimes. And you know she worries about you every time you get anywhere near New Hampshire. It has nothing to do with her, she's afraid for your safety, not the state of her dating life. You want to know what I think? I think that no matter what your father does, you're going to spend the rest of your life trying to make him proud of you. And because Abbey is an extremely smart woman, she knows that trying to tell you that would be like talking to a brick wall. She knows you won't ever really give up on that, so all she can do is pray that you're safe whenever you're around him."
Though he knew his friend was right, he didn't like having his faults laid out so clearly before him, and Jed stayed silent. It was easier to be angry. Angry at Abbey, angry at Jeremy, at the entire universe, no matter how useless his anger happened to be. Still, he didn't like the way he'd left things with Abbey, and as he glanced at the clock on the wall, he swore quietly. He would have to run if he had any hope of catching her before she left the campus. He bolted from the room, not even bothering to grab a jacket, and as he watched him go, Jeremy shook his head.
"Idiot," he muttered.
Jed fought to catch his breath as he knocked on Abbey's door, the cold air tearing through his lungs painfully, and when it swung inward, it took him several seconds to convince his vocal cords to cooperate.
"Millie, is Abbey here? I need to talk to her."
Millie's face fell and he knew what her answer was before she had even opened her mouth.
"She's not here, Jed. She left about twenty minutes ago. I'm really sorry."
"Do you have the Barrington's phone number?" he asked almost desperately, "Maybe I can call her and apologize."
"Yeah, come on in. I'll write it down for you. You know, you were kind of an ass, Jed. She was just trying to help."
"I know," he groaned, holding his head in his hands, "I was just angry at the whole damn situation, and she happened to be the closest target. It just got away from me."
He took the small piece of paper she handed him, placing it carefully in his pocket, and looked at her seriously.
"You think she'll forgive me?"
Millie shrugged.
"I don't know. She was pretty upset. She was still crying when her parents picked her up, but she just told them that she was happy to see them. Don't know if they bought it, though."
Jed sighed, running his hand through his hair as he thanked her for the number, praying that he hadn't just ruined the best thing he'd had in his life.
As much as Abbey usually loved Christmas, she simply didn't have the emotional capacity to fake her enthusiasm as she spent her winter break locked in her old bedroom at her parents' house. She knew her parents suspected something (they weren't stupid, after all), but she merely shrugged each time one of them tried to broach the topic with her, not willing to risk a complete breakdown in front of them. Even Kate had noticed a difference in her behaviour and kept her distance, for which Abbey was profoundly grateful, even though it made her feel incredibly guilty. She knew she was ruining the holidays for everyone, but she just couldn't stop replaying the fight with Jed in her mind, remembering the way he had angrily stormed from the room without so much as a single glance.
When dawn broke on Christmas morning, Abbey merely stayed in her bed, unwilling to move from the warm blankets, and it was only when the sun had brightened the entire day that her mother knocked lightly on her door.
"Abbey, honey, you should at least come to breakfast. We're going to open gifts soon."
Sighing, Abbey swung her feet over the edge of her bed, shivering in the chill of the morning, and as she made her way down the hallway, she heard the phone ring. Paying it little attention, she didn't even notice when her father said her name, looking around only when Kate tapped her on the shoulder.
"Phone for you, Abbey."
Her heart immediately leapt, and she made a mad dash for the living room, nearly tripping over the Christmas tree in her haste.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Abs! Merry Christmas!"
Though she was disappointed that it hadn't been Jed, Abbey was still overjoyed to hear Millie's voice, and she smiled, though somewhat sadly.
"Hi, Millie. Merry Christmas to you, too! How's your break going?"
"Not bad. My parents won't stop asking me when I'm going to find a man, though. I considered pretending to date Jeremy just to shut them up."
Abbey laughed, even though the mention of Jeremy was enough to make her think of Jed, and she felt another wave of sadness wash over her.
"By the way, have you heard from Jed?"
"No," Abbey said softly, "I know he probably hates me right now, but I hope he's safe."
"Abbey, Jed Bartlet couldn't hate you if he tried. He's probably been busy trying to avoid his father."
Despite the fact that she knew Millie was likely right, Abbey couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and as she exchanged a few more pleasantries, she tried to keep her tears in check. This was going to be a brutal holiday.
Jed held his breath as the phone rang in his ear, praying that God would be on his side when he finally managed to speak to Abbey. He had missed her so much over the holidays and after he had enjoyed a nice breakfast with Mrs. Landingham, he had jumped at the chance to call, hoping he wouldn't be interrupting time with her family. He knew the Barrington family was close, certainly closer than the Bartlet clan, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin their Christmas.
"Barrington residence, Kate speaking."
"Hi, Kate. May I speak to Abbey, please?"
"Sure. Hold on one second."
He heard Kate yell Abbey's name, and when he heard a slightly annoyed sounding "What?" from a voice he knew as well as his own, he couldn't stop the smile that flickered across his features.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Abbey."
"Jed. Hi. I didn't expect to hear from you."
There was a coldness to her voice, a guarded tone behind her words, and he knew, without a doubt, that she was still angry.
"I know," he said softly, "I got your number from Millie, I—I just needed to hear your voice. I needed to tell you…I was out of line. I was angry and I shouldn't have taken that anger out on you. It was wrong and I'm sorry."
There. He had apologized, had offered her the proverbial olive branch, he just hoped like hell she would accept it. She was silent for a long moment and more than anything, Jed wished he could see her.
"You didn't give me time to explain," she said finally, "I wasn't trying to lecture you or control your life, I just wanted to make sure you didn't do something reckless because you wanted to see Jonathan."
"I know," he said again, "I tried to apologize the last day on campus, but I missed you by twenty minutes. I really am sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," she answered quietly, "I shouldn't have tried to force myself in your life where I wasn't needed."
"I need you in every part of my life, Abigail," Jed said seriously, "I just…it's a difficult subject and situation to be in and I didn't…you know I didn't mean what I said, right? I know you aren't selfish enough to be more concerned with your dating life than my well-being. I don't even know why I said it, it's the farthest thing from the truth."
"You're damn right it is," Abbey said, but there was a warmth in her voice now, "I love you, Jed, and I don't want to even think about you getting hurt."
"You do?" he was so relieved that he nearly dropped the phone, "You don't want to tell me to go to hell?"
"Oh, no…I definitely do, and I will," Abbey laughed, "but that doesn't mean that I don't love you. But, for the record, you were a jackass."
He laughed, no longer caring what she said as long as she kept talking to him.
"I was," he agreed, "and I promise I'll make it up to you when I see you in a few days. As long as you have no objections, that is."
"No objections from me, Bartlet. Anyway, tell your sister I said 'Merry Christmas'. I have to go, I'm sorry."
"I'll tell her. Have a great day, baby. I love you."
Her voice was so warm that he could practically feel it through the phone when she answered.
"I love you too, babe."
Abbey wasted no time in throwing herself into the arms of Jed Bartlet as soon as he was close enough to reach, and as he lifted her slightly off her feet, he could see the slightly amused expressions on both James and Lorraine Barrington as they unloaded her bags from their car. He was beyond pleased to see the emerald necklace still glittering at her throat, making him feel more relieved than he could have ever put into words. He kissed her lightly before setting her on solid ground, and as he held out his hand to her father, he gave him a bright smile.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Barrington. It's good to see you again."
"You as well, Jed. How was your holiday break?"
"It was very good, sir. I spent the time visiting my sister. How was your Christmas?"
James Barrington smiled, glancing at his wife.
"It was lovely, as soon as Abbey finally stopped wandering the house like a ghost of Christmas past. I believe we have you to thank for improving her mood, so thank you."
Lorraine Barrington hugged him lightly as he gave her a smile, and when he heard her voice low in his ear, he kept his face carefully neutral.
"Don't worry, all couples fight once in a while."
He acknowledged her words with another smile, reaching down to pick up Abbey's bag, frowning slightly at its weight.
"Abbey, did you bring back your parents' entire house?" he asked jokingly.
"No, I smuggled Kate into my luggage," she quipped.
He laughed, keeping a respectable distance as she threw her arms around her parents, her smile brighter than the December sun.
"I love you," she said softly, "and I'll be sure to write every two weeks."
After a few more hugs and handshakes, Abbey waved happily as her parents drove down the winding path, and as they began walking in the direction of her dorm room, she raised her eyebrows questioningly. There was a hint of playfulness behind her smile as she spoke, and when she reached for his free hand, he smiled at the feeling of her fingers entwined with his.
"So…" she said slowly, looking up at him with an expression that could have only been described as wicked, "just how do you plan on making up for being such a jackass over the last few weeks?"
He smiled as he raised her hand to his lips, kissing it gently, holding it there longer than was strictly necessary.
"I have a few ideas," he replied cryptically.
"Oh?" she asked innocently.
Jed nodded, kissing her once as they walked.
"Let's just say that I hope you don't plan on breathing much tonight, Miss Barrington."
Abbey smiled as his meaning sank in, and she moved closer, her voice low in his ear.
"I'm sure someone at this university has an inhaler I can borrow."
A/N: Fun fact for anyone who is interested: Jed's "paper" was lifted verbatim from The West Wing Weekly podcast episode featuring Martin Sheen called "4.00 President Bartlet Special (featuring Martin Sheen)". Everything that Abbey read in Jed's paper was a direct quote from the incredible Martin Sheen himself (and yes, it took a while to transcribe because I was so touched by his words).