A/N: This chapter picks up immediately after the previous one. I hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for continuing to show me (and my story) so much love!
As they walked back to their table, Abbey couldn't tear her eyes away from the silver ring on her finger, the tiny emerald stone sparkling in the light, and when she sat down across from Jed, she frowned, examining it more closely.
"Jed, why did you pick an emerald?"
She saw the fear flash in his eyes before he had even opened his mouth to answer, and quickly backtracked, hoping he hadn't misunderstood her question.
"It's gorgeous, I'm just curious."
He visibly relaxed, giving her a smile as he reached out to take her hand.
"Two reasons. One, it matches your necklace. Two, any time I see an emerald, I think of you, and I thought you would like something that was as unique as you."
Abbey smiled, but when it suddenly disappeared from her face, Jed frowned at the worry that took its place, certain she had changed her mind.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just…my parents are going to kill me."
Jed laughed, his amusement growing when she turned her confused gaze to him, and he shook his head reassuringly.
"No, they aren't. Did you really think I would propose to you without asking your father for permission? It's already been taken care of. Speaking of which, you might want to call your mother. I think she was even more excited about it than you were."
He conveniently left out the part where he had been so nervous calling her father that he had nearly dropped the phone more than once, but he didn't think it was necessary. Abbey smiled in relief, her eyes returning to the ring, and he ran his thumb over the back of her hand slowly, a smile of his own on his face.
"Jed, did you ask me to marry you just to shut me up about London?" she asked jokingly.
"If it had been that easy, I would have done it in the middle of you yelling at me," he replied with a laugh, "I would have saved myself a lot of pain."
She acknowledged this with a nod, and when he asked his next question, he couldn't help the amusement that crept into his voice, fighting the urge to laugh.
"When are you going to tell Millie?"
Abbey shook her head, a slightly devilish smile on her face.
"I'm not. I'm going to wait and see how long it takes her to notice the ring. So, if you tell Jeremy, make sure you tell him to keep his mouth shut."
"That reminds me, I owe him one. It was his book that I destroyed to hide the ring."
"I still can't believe that you, Jed Bartlet, willingly cut up a book," she said with a laugh.
"What better way to propose to the smartest person I know?" he quipped.
She had to admit, he made a very convincing argument.
Jed's steps had never been lighter than they were as he walked into his dorm room that evening, almost certain that this had been the happiest day in his life thus far, and he was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Jeremy laying on his bed, flipping mindlessly through a book as he nursed a glass of scotch. His friend gave him a puzzled look as he passed, confused by the ever-present smile on his face, and when Jed sat down on his own bed, Jeremy closed the book.
"What's with you, Bartlet? Did you make the Dean's List again? I hate to tell you this, but you're a nerd."
Jed laughed, rolling his eyes.
"I've known that my entire life. But no. I didn't make the Dean's List again. I don't think, anyway. They haven't posted it yet. It's just a really good day."
"Hm…I'm guessing you just left Abbey's room, so is it safe to assume you got laid?"
Again, he rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
"Actually, no. I just left the library if you must know. And for what it's worth, I haven't slept with Abbey in eight weeks. She did manage to break her ankle, after all."
Jeremy sighed.
"And that means you couldn't have sex? It was a broken ankle, not a heart attack. It would have been fine."
Deciding to let the matter drop, Jeremy reached for his drink, swallowing it slowly, still confused by his friend's extremely high mood, and when he could stand it no longer, he sat up, looking at him seriously.
"Did anything interesting happen today? You're not usually so happy that it can be seen from Mars."
Jed shrugged, doing his best to feign nonchalance.
"Went to class, attempted to study for my math exam, asked Abbey to marry me, made some revisions to an English paper—"
"Woah, wait. Back up," Jeremy interrupted, staring at him as though he'd just admitted to murder, "You asked Abbey to marry you? Did she say yes? What happened?"
"Well, she said she'd really rather hold out for Gregory Peck," he answered sarcastically, "Yes, she said yes. She isn't telling Millie just yet though, so keep it quiet for now. I hid the ring in that book you gave me. Hollowed out the pages and put it inside, right where it would be seen as soon as she opened it. Told her I needed her to help me look for something in the medical section of the library where we met, and when she opened the book, I asked her to marry me."
"Did she cry? Did you?"
"She did. I was too nervous to even think about crying. I'm amazed that I managed to say anything at all. It was almost as bad as when I called her father to get his blessing."
"Damn…" Jeremy said softly, "I mean, I always kind of figured you two would get married one day, but it just feels a little surreal."
"You're telling me," Jed laughed, "I'm still in a state of semi-shock. We aren't planning to get married next week or anything, but it's a definite shift in the relationship."
"Duh, Bartlet. She's not just your girlfriend now. She's your fiancée."
As soon as the word fell from Jeremy's mouth, Jed smiled, unable to help the way his heart rate increased in excitement. He had a fiancée. This was really happening.
Abbey was practically bouncing on her feet in excitement as she dialed her parents' number, and as she listened to it ring, she tried to control her breathing, not even sure of how she was going to begin the conversation.
"Barrington residence."
"Hi, Dad."
"Abbey! Hi, honey, how are things in Indiana?"
Abbey laughed.
"Cold, but it's getting better. It's been raining a lot, though. I feel like I live in England."
"How is your ankle? Did it heal properly? No complications?"
"Dad, it's fine," she assured him, "It hurts a little when it rains, but I can live with that. I'm just happy I can walk again. I'm terrible on crutches. It would have been easier to just hop on one foot around campus. Anyway, I just wanted to call and say hi and to thank you."
"Thank me?"
She could practically see the confused frown on her father's face, and she bit back a laugh, doing her best to keep her tone light.
"Yeah. For giving Jed your blessing," she explained, "I know that's not a conversation that any father wants to have about his daughter but thank you."
"Jed's a good man, Abigail," her father said warmly, "It's obvious that he loves you and anyone can see that you love him just as much. All I want is for you to be happy and safe, and even with my limited interaction with Jed, I'm sure he'll do everything he can to make that happen."
Abbey smiled, a wave of love and admiration for her father washing over her, and she felt her eyes filling with tears as she tried to keep her voice steady.
"I love you, Dad. Is Mom home?"
James Barrington laughed, his voice warm.
"I love you too and no, she's out shopping for…I don't even know, to be honest. I'll be sure to tell her that you called."
"Thanks. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Sounds good, sweetheart. Tell Jed we said hello."
She hung up the phone, still so excited that she could practically feel her body buzzing, and as she made her way back down the hall to her room, she wondered how in the world she was going to keep from spilling her secret to Millie. God, she hoped that she would be observant for once in her life…
As hard as she tried, Abbey simply couldn't focus on the book in her hands, anxiously waiting for Millie to walk through the door. She glanced at the clock, sighing when she realized that only five minutes had passed since she had last checked, and she threw herself back onto her pillows, blowing her hair out of her face as it fell across her eyes. She counted to ten in her head, first in English, then French, fighting against the extremely strong urge to search the campus for her friend, a groan of frustration falling from her lips as the seconds ticked by.
What was taking her so long?
The door opened ten minutes later, Millie slowly kicking it open with her foot, and when Abbey noticed the mountain of books in her arms, she jumped up, making her way to the door in an instant.
"What did you do, check out every book in the library?"
She reached out to take a few from her, making sure to position her left hand directly in front of her eyes, and when Millie merely shook her head, Abbey fought the urge to scream in disappointment.
"No, I just realized that I have so much work to do that I'm going to be studying until I'm eighty. I guess that's what I get for picking such a difficult major. I don't know how you do it, Abs. Seriously, you're on a completely different level of commitment."
Abbey laughed.
"It's not as glamorous as it looks, believe me."
They walked to Millie's bed and when the blonde unceremoniously dumped the books onto the mattress, Abbey shook her head in amusement, handing her the stack she was holding.
"Thanks," Millie said, her eyes flickering to the ring for a moment, "Hey, where'd you get that? It's really pretty."
"Get what?" Abbey asked innocently.
"The ring you're wearing. Is it new? I think the only other ring I've ever seen you wear is the one your parents gave you for your birthday last year. Did something happen to it?"
She shook her head, walking back to her own bed and sitting down cross-legged as she answered.
"No, I still have it. I took it off when I showered and just haven't put it back on."
While this was mostly true, the main reason she hadn't put the ring back on was because she had wanted the engagement ring to stand out, and she fought against smiling as she realized it had worked better than she'd expected.
"So, when did you get that one?"
"Today," she replied lightly, "My fiancé gave it to me about an hour ago."
"Oh. Well, it's really pre—your what?!" Millie shrieked, as soon as she realized what Abbey had said, "Jed proposed? And you weren't going to tell me? Abigail Ann Barrington, how could you keep this a secret?"
She bolted across the room, grabbing Abbey's left hand, her face inches from the ring as she examined it intently. She threw her arms around her best friend, hugging her so tightly that Abbey nearly winced in pain, and when she kissed her cheek, she couldn't stop smiling.
"Abbey, it's beautiful! How did he ask you? Was it sweet and romantic and perfect? What am I saying? This is Jed we're talking about, of course it was! Details, woman! Details!"
Abbey laughed, nodding her head at the bed, waiting until Millie had sat down before answering, smiling as her friend continued to stare at the emerald ring.
"He asked me in the library. Apparently, he got an old book from Jeremy and hollowed out the pages. The ring was inside it when I opened it, and he got down on one knee, right there where we first met, and…god, Millie, it was the most incredible experience. I started crying right there in the middle of the Reference section. It was everything I could have asked for and more."
"Okay, now for the real question: are you going to invite me to the wedding?"
Abbey burst into peals of laughter, hugging Millie as she rolled her eyes.
"What the hell kind of stupid question is that? Obviously."
"Oh my god, Abbey, I am SO happy for you! See, I told you that you'd be the future Mrs. Bartlet!"
Abbey smiled, but it faded as a sudden thought occurred to her, and when Millie noticed the change in her expression, she frowned, looking at her worriedly.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Millie…what if I'm not ready to be his wife? I don't mean 'not ready' as in 'don't want to', I mean…what if I mess something up? What if I don't have what it takes to be a good wife? I'm not a terrible cook, but I'm not fantastic in the kitchen, and what if—"
"Abbey, you could burn dinner every night and Jed would pretend that it was a gourmet dish. He didn't ask you to marry him because he wanted a housekeeper. He asked you because he loves you and wants to spend the rest of his life with you. Don't overthink it like you do with everything else. It won't be without its problems, but if anyone can make marriage work, you two can."
Abbey nodded slowly, knowing she was allowing her anxiety to overpower her logic, and she shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts.
"You're right, I'm just…it's a big change, you know? I guess I panicked for a second."
"Do you honestly think Jed would ever let you go one day without reminding you that he thinks you're the most amazing person to walk the earth?"
As she considered Millie's words, she knew that her friend was right. The one thing she could always be sure of was Jed's love for her. The world could crash and burn, and she knew she would never have any reason to doubt him.
The moment his door had closed behind them, Jed wasted no time in pushing Abbey up against it, her legs wrapping around his waist as he kissed her, and when he pulled her hair free from the clip she'd placed it in that morning, it cascaded around them both, a whisper of vanilla in the air. Her fingers wound into his hair as he supported her weight, the emerald ring glittering even in the dim light, and when she tore her mouth away from his, their eyes met.
"Bed, now," she whispered breathlessly.
He nodded once before kissing her again, carefully carrying her the short distance to the bed, and when she landed safely on the mattress, she laughed. Her hands pulled his shirt over his head in record time, tossing it carelessly across the room, and when he kissed her, she pulled him down to the bed with her, a small smile on her face.
"Jed?"
"Yeah?"
God, she loved the ragged tone of his voice…
"Eight weeks is too long. The next time I tell you that it's safe, you're damn well going to listen to me."
He nodded, kissing her hard.
"Yes, ma'am."
Making quick work of the shirt she wore, Jed was just preparing to slide her skirt down her legs when a loud crash in the hallway made them both jump, exchanging a confused glance.
"What the hell was that?" Abbey asked.
He frowned, shaking his head.
"No idea."
"Should we investigate?"
"Do you really want to?" he asked, looking at her knowingly.
"Hell, no."
He kissed her again, his fingers finding the zipper of her skirt easily, and when it fell to the ground, she hooked her leg around his waist, a smile on her face.
"If you even think about stopping for anything other than an emergency, I'll kill you slowly, with shallow little cuts of an extremely sharp knife."
"I'll remember that," he said with a laugh, "Have I ever told you that you're sexy when you threaten my life?"
Abbey nodded.
"Might have mentioned it, yeah. Now stop talking and kiss me, Jed."
"God, I love you," he whispered, kissing her as he unhooked his belt.
The remainder of their clothing landed in a pile on the floor, and Jed let his hands roam over the expanse of her skin, trailing his lips along her throat, taking great pride in the way her breath caught. He ran his hand slowly up her leg, his touch light along her inner thigh, and when he slid his fingers into her, she gasped, her grip on his arm tightening. He touched her slowly, wanting to make the moment last, and as he twisted his fingers expertly, Abbey bit down on her bottom lip, almost hard enough to draw blood.
Though he would have normally drawn out the torture of bringing her close to the edge, his own need was too strong to ignore, and he quickly withdrew his hand, reaching for the box of condoms, opening one with his teeth. Abbey watched him intently as he did this, which struck him as odd, and when she noticed the questioning look on his face, she smiled.
"I can't explain it, but watching you do that is so sexy," she said with a smirk.
He laughed quietly, carefully putting it on, and when he kissed her again, he ran his tongue slowly over her bottom lip. He could feel the indentations caused by her teeth, which he took immense pleasure in, and he swept his tongue into her mouth, simultaneously entering her, causing her to moan into the kiss. As his hips rolled against hers, he moved his hands to her breasts, never once breaking the kiss, and it took everything in him not to smile when he felt her body jerk beneath him.
Abbey's hands touched every part of him she could reach, her fingers trailing over his chest, tangling in his hair, and raking down his arm, dangerously close to drawing blood when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, only serving to fuel him farther. His teeth lightly scraped over her pulse, feeling it race under his lips, and when she whispered his name, he ran his tongue along the shell of her ear. He moved his hand between her legs, remembering how intensely it had broken her the last time he'd done it, and as his hips moved faster, he let his touch turn carefully rough.
Her breath was short and fast, making her wonder for a moment if she was going to end up hyperventilating, but as Jed kissed her again, Abbey quickly realized that she couldn't have cared less. She knew that it wouldn't be long before she fell over the edge, not with the way he was touching her, and she gripped his arm tightly, her fingers slipping on his sweat-slicked skin. She couldn't have stopped the moan that fell from her lips even if she'd tried, though she did consider it an impressive feat that she had managed to keep the volume low, and when she felt the beginnings of the orgasm building, she kissed him hard, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth. A wordless cry fell from her throat as the climax crashed into her with a force she hadn't prepared for, and her fingers slid down his arm as her body jerked against his. She knew he had joined her when the ragged whisper of her name reached her ears, and as she collapsed on the bed, he gave her an almost-arrogant smile.
"Told you I'd make it worth the wait."
She nodded, still trying to catch her breath, and he kissed her forehead, his own breathing labored.
"I love you," he said quietly, his voice rough.
"I love you, too. God damn, Jed…if I thought I could handle it, I'd tell you we're not finished yet," she said breathlessly.
"What? Why?"
"Do you have any idea how sexy you sound right now?"
He laughed, rolling his eyes jokingly, and when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, his eyes locked on hers, both reaching the same conclusion. They moved quickly, scrambling to locate their clothing, and as Abbey zipped up her skirt, pulling her underwear on last, she frowned as she realized that he still hadn't put his shirt on.
"Jed, where's your shirt?"
"How should I know? You were the one who threw it across the room," he reminded her.
"I didn't hear you complaining," she snapped jokingly.
"You're not helping, Abigail."
She laughed, leaning down to look under the bed, though she had no idea how it could have possibly ended up there, and she frowned when she didn't see it. The door opened moments later, Jeremy frowning when he walked into the room, and he shook his head.
"Hey, did you guys see the hole in the wall outside?"
Abbey shook her head.
"No. What happened?"
"The guy that lives in the room across the hall got really drunk and started a fight with his roommate. Shoved his head into the wall. There's blood all over the wall, on the carpet, it's pretty gross, actually."
"Oh my god, is his roommate okay?" Abbey asked, her eyes wide.
"Dunno," Jeremy replied, "They took him to the infirmary."
"Guess that explains the loud crash we heard earlier," Jed remarked.
Jeremy stared at him, his eyes taking in his bare chest and disheveled hair and shook his head slowly.
"You heard it?"
"Yeah, it was about twenty minutes ago. Give or take."
"Huh. Hey Bartlet, what happened to your arm? Did you fall?"
Jed frowned, unsure of what he was talking about, but when he glanced at his arm, he fought the urge to burst into laughter. Bright red scratches were clearly visible on his skin, and he shrugged.
"Nothing."
"Uh-huh," Jeremy said disbelievingly, "and you really expect me to believe that? Maybe if you weren't standing in the middle of the room without a shirt and you both didn't look like you've just survived a tornado."
Abbey smirked, crossing her legs gracefully.
"Fair enough. We can't hide anything from you. We just had amazing, mind-numbing sex. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Not really," Jeremy admitted, "That's not something I want to picture if I can help it. Besides, it couldn't have been that good."
"Tell that to Jed's arm," Abbey quipped.
"Would the two of you shut up and help me look for my shirt?" Jed snapped, thankful to have an excuse to not look at his friend, "Damn, Abbey, did you have to toss it into the abyss? I really liked that one."
"Sorry, babe," she said, her tone implying that she wasn't, "To be fair, it's your fault. If you had listened to me eight weeks ago, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry."
Jed muttered something unintelligible under his breath, making Abbey laugh, and as he finally gave up the search, he returned to his own bed, sitting down next to her in defeat.
"So, doc, let me see that ring," Jeremy said, giving her a smile.
Abbey stood quickly, holding out her hand, and as he looked at it, Jeremy whistled, nodding his approval.
"Very nice, Bartlet. How'd you swing that one?"
Jed shrugged.
"Been saving up for a while. And actually, it wasn't as expensive as you'd think. It wasn't cheap, but I didn't have to commit murder to afford it."
"Does anyone know what caused the fight out in the hall?" Abbey asked Jeremy, walking back to Jed's side of the room.
He shook his head.
"I don't think so. It's not really surprising, though. You live with someone long enough, you'll eventually have at least one fight."
Abbey laughed.
"True. Jed and I fight all the time and we don't even live together."
"Yet," Jeremy added with a smile, "If you manage to keep from killing him within the first year, you'll have my lifelong respect, doc. He's so stubborn sometimes that I think he's alive simply because someone told him he wouldn't be, and he survived out of spite."
The truth of his words couldn't be denied, and Abbey laughed, ignoring the offended look Jed shot her, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Oh yeah, because living with you is like winning a million dollars," Jed muttered dryly.
"Stop it, both of you," Abbey chastised them gently, "You love each other like brothers, and you know it."
Neither one of them offered a rebuttal, and when she moved to kiss Jed lightly, she gave him a warm smile.
"I should really get back to my room. I have a paper to write, and I'd like to shower sometime before class tomorrow. I'll see you after three?"
Jed nodded.
"Yeah, I'll meet you in the library after your appointment."
She smiled, waving at Jeremy as she passed, and just before she reached the door, she turned, looking at Jed happily.
"Have a good night. I love you."
"You, too, babe. I love you, too."
As the door closed behind her, Jeremy shook his head, laughing quietly.
"You two are so in love it makes me want to drown myself."
Jed ignored the remark, moving to lie back on his bed, and when something flew across the room, landing on top of his head, he jumped in surprise.
"What the hell?"
"Found your shirt."
Wrapping her jacket more securely around her shoulders, Abbey made her way into the office, taking the chair on the opposite side of the desk, offering Dr. Harris a warm smile. He returned it as he opened the file sitting on top of the smooth surface, and he reached for a pen, preparing to take notes. She was always immensely curious about what those notes said, but she didn't have the courage to ask, knowing that he likely wouldn't tell her even if she had.
"Good afternoon, Abbey. How are you?"
"I'm really good, actually," she said with a smile, "I feel like things are finally starting to get better, and for a moment there, I wasn't sure if they would."
"That's good to hear. The last time we spoke, it was just after the death of Jed's father. How is he handling that loss and how have you been handling the aftermath?"
"Well, he had a few really bad days," she admitted, "and it was so hard to see him in pain knowing that I couldn't do much to help, but he seems to be doing better now. He's worked through a lot of the resentment he had against him, and I think that's helped, but I know there will always be a part of him that tries to rationalize the way his father treated him. I mean, no one wants to believe that their parent did an absolutely terrible job, do they?"
He smiled at her words, shaking his head in agreement.
"No, I wouldn't think they would. And you? How are you handling it?"
"It made me appreciate my own parents, that's for sure. I'm just relieved that he's smiling again. I was pretty worried for a while."
"I imagine so. Have there been any other major developments or events in your life since our last appointment?"
She nodded, smiling as she spoke.
"Jed asked me to marry him two days ago. I didn't think I could be happier than the day he first told me he loved me, but I was wrong. He proposed in the library, right where we met, and I've basically been walking on air ever since."
"Congratulations. This does bring up the question of your post-college plans, however. Have you discussed what you're going to do after you graduate?"
Abbey nodded, though her smile faded slightly.
"We had a pretty big fight about it, to be honest. He's planning on applying to the London School of Economics, and I don't know how I feel about it. Please don't misunderstand me, I want him to do whatever he feels is right, but I'm just worried about what that will mean for my education. I was going to apply for Harvard medical school and pray like crazy to be accepted."
"You can still do that, Abbey," he reminded her, "If it's something you're passionate about, then don't give up on that, but remember that you have options. It doesn't have to be an either/or situation. You could try to make the relationship work long-distance, or if that isn't something you want, either you or Jed could consider taking time off while the other continues their schooling. From what you've told me and what I've observed, you and Jed are both intelligent people, and I have no doubt that you can work together to find a solution."
She considered this, thinking over the proposed solution of taking time off, and when she finally spoke, there was a nervousness in her voice that she hated with a passion.
"I have actually been thinking about taking time off," she said quietly, "I've never done anything with my life except plan for the future and I've gone from one educational institution from the next after finishing. I've never really just stopped to appreciate my life as it is at the present moment and it kind of makes me sad. Is that normal?"
"For someone with your intellect and ambition, yes. It's more common than you would think, and I think you've just made a profound statement about your life, whether you realize it or not. If you are constantly looking to the future, you run the risk of missing some of the most important moments of your life, and it might be a good thing for you to step back and just breathe for a bit. You've always equated your worth to your professional success, or academic success in your case, but you've never stopped long enough to consider who you are on a personal level. Does that make sense?"
"It does," she admitted, "Dr. Harris, I think you might have just changed my entire outlook on life."
He laughed.
"Happy to help."
As they moved to another topic, Abbey couldn't help the way her mind kept returning to the idea of taking time to focus on herself, and when she left the office forty-five minutes later, she knew she needed to find Jed.
After sliding into her chair, Abbey watched Jed as he begrudgingly pulled out the notebook he reserved for his mathematics class, smiling in amusement at the look of annoyance on his face. His intense dislike of the subject was oddly endearing to her, and when he noticed her looking at him, he frowned, wondering what she could possibly find so entertaining.
"What?"
She laughed.
"I've just never seen anyone who hates a subject as much as you hate mathematics, Jed. Why do you hate it so strongly?"
"How much time do you have?" he asked, rolling his eyes at the notebook, "The only good thing about it is statistics. Everything else is irritating."
She waited a moment before speaking, allowing him to forget his irritation, and when she took a deep breath, she was surprised by how nervous she felt. What was wrong with her?
"Jed?"
He glanced at her to show that he was listening, and she pushed her nervousness aside, looking at him seriously.
"At the risk of starting the third world war, can I—can we talk about something?"
Jed must have sensed the nervous twisting of her hands, hidden in her lap, and he stopped reading, his eyes meeting hers instantly, fearing the worst.
"You've changed your mind about marrying me," he said quietly.
"What? No!" she answered, shaking her head emphatically, "Of course not! What would make you think that?"
"You sounded worried, like you're afraid I'm going to get pissed off. What else could you want to talk about that could have that result?"
"I want to talk about London," she said softly.
"Okay," he replied slowly, "What about it?"
"I've been thinking about it, and I discussed it with Dr. Harris today…I think you should send in the forms."
It was clear he hadn't expected this, and he shook his head slowly, sure he had misheard her.
"What about Harvard? You've always dreamed of going there and if you gave that up because of me, I could never—"
"Jed, stop," she interrupted gently, "I'm not giving it up, I'm just postponing it for a while. And it isn't because of you, not entirely, anyway. Dr. Harris thinks that it would be good for me to take a break from school and figure out who I am when I'm not trying to be everything for everyone. He made a lot of really good points, and I think he's right. You can go to school in London, and I can…I don't know, maybe I'll take up knitting. It doesn't matter, really. I can still study a little, and who knows? Maybe taking a little time off will keep me from short-circuiting my brain."
He was silent for a long time as he processed this turn of events, and when he held out his hand, she took it, his thumb absentmindedly moving over the ring on her finger.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," she said with a smile, "I've been giving it a lot of thought, and this is what I want to do."
He raised her hand to his lips, kissing it softly, and smiled, the look in his eyes making her sure that she had made the right decision.
"If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do."
She felt as though an intense weight had been lifted from her, and as he returned his attention to his notebook, she smiled in relief. They studied in silence for several long minutes, though Abbey found her thoughts wandering to their potential life in London, and she fought the urge to laugh as she realized that she hadn't comprehended a single thing she'd read. She supposed it didn't really matter, she was already sailing through the class, and she was so lost in her musings that Jed's voice caused her to jump, regardless of how soft it was.
"Knitting, huh?" his amusement was clear in his tone.
"Shut up, Jed."
His quiet laughter was the best sound she'd ever heard, and Abbey knew she would never stop doing everything in her power to hear it as often as she could, for the rest of her life.
After he had mailed his admissions forms, Jed found himself lost in thought as he walked back to his dorm room. He was immensely nervous, excited, and happy, but underneath it, there was still the lingering feeling of guilt as he realized that Abbey had essentially put her own life on hold for his. He believed her when she'd said she had various reasons, but he couldn't help but feel as though her main motivation had been for his education, and he sighed as he strolled across the campus. It hit him suddenly that this must have been how she'd felt when he had announced his intention to abandon the priesthood, and it gave him a deeper understanding of the day she had shown up in his room and all but threatened to leave the relationship behind.
He hadn't understood how she could have possibly done such a thing if she cared about him, but now that their roles were reversed, it made perfect sense. He knew it would be pointless to try to change her mind, and the last thing he wanted to do was risk another fight, knowing that once Abbey had decided on a course of action, it would have taken an act of God to deter her. Besides, he trusted her. If she thought this was the best option, he saw no reason to doubt her.
Jed frowned when he heard the sound of someone calling his name, and when he realized it was Jeremy, he gave him a smile as he came to a stop.
"Did you actually go to class today?" he asked with a laugh as he pulled out his cigarettes.
"This may come as a surprise to you, Bartlet, but I do actually apply myself. Not too much, because…well, I don't want to be a complete nerd, but enough to keep from being kicked out."
"Uh-huh," Jed replied, lighting his cigarette and taking a long drag, "If you say so. You heading back to the room?"
Jeremy shook his head.
"No, I need to take a book back to the library."
"Do you know which building it is?" Jed asked jokingly, "It's right next to the Psychology building, it has big glass doors, it's the one with all the books on shelves."
"You're an ass, Jed."
He laughed as Jeremy walked away, blowing the smoke from his cigarette away from himself, and when he heard someone else walk up behind him, he ignored it, taking another drag off the cigarette.
"Those things will kill you, you know."
Her words instantly threw him back to that night over a year ago and he smiled, turning to look at her as she fell in step beside him, a small smirk on her face.
"Yeah, I know," he replied, remembering the way she had looked at him as he'd said the same words that night.
He threw his left arm around her shoulders, taking great care to keep the smoke away from her, and she shook her head in mock annoyance.
"One of these days, Jed, I am going to break you of that disgusting habit."
"Don't hold your breath, baby," he said, taking another drag, "It keeps me marginally sane and makes me more pleasant to be around."
"In that case, you should smoke three packs a day," she quipped, laughing as he finished the cigarette.
He carefully threw the cigarette into a nearby trash bin, raising his eyebrow at her as he did so.
"Are you implying that I'm not a complete and total delight to be around all hours of the day?"
"Yeah," she deadpanned, "I am."
Allowing her to walk a few more steps, Jed waited until he was sure she wasn't paying him much attention and he moved quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist. He threw her over his shoulder, smiling at her shriek of laughter, and as he spun her in a circle, she closed her eyes to keep from getting dizzy.
"Jed! Put me down!" she laughed, shaking her head when he began walking in the direction of his dorm room.
"Not until you apologize for that grotesque assassination of my character," he replied, "I'm an absolute joy to be around, and you know it."
"Jed!"
"Are you going to apologize?"
"No," she said lightly, "You're a jackass quite often, and I'm standing by that statement."
"Technically, you're not standing at all, babe."
"Oh, shut up," she began laughing again, frustrated that she couldn't see his face, "Just put me down before you end up dropping me."
"You're not nearly as heavy as you think you are, so no. I told you what it would take."
He had reached his dorm now, ignoring the looks of the several students he passed, and Abbey merely shook her head, rolling her eyes. As he threw open his door, he finally placed her on the ground but pinned her between the door and his body, his eyes locking on hers slowly.
"Still not going to apologize?"
She shook her head, holding his gaze unwaveringly, and he moved closer, placing light kisses along the base of her throat, smirking when he felt her shiver. He trailed his lips slowly over her skin, keenly aware that she had stopped breathing, and when he let his mouth lightly brush against hers, he pulled away as soon as she tried to kiss him. He knew he wasn't playing fair, but he had never claimed otherwise, and when he brushed her hair to one side, he felt her draw in a shaking breath.
Jed moved his lips to the other side of her throat, letting his tongue taste her skin, and when she attempted to capture his mouth with her own, he pulled back again, smirking when she sighed in frustration.
"Damn it, Jed. Are you going to let me kiss you or not?"
"Not until you apologize."
He continued to kiss her skin, never once allowing her to kiss him, and when he ran his tongue along her collarbone, he smiled.
"All it takes is two simple words," he murmured against her skin.
"No," she answered softly, "Deal with it."
He laughed quietly, still kissing her skin and he stepped closer, close enough to feel her shaking as she stood in front of him. His lips ghosted over hers and she again tried to kiss him, another annoyed sigh escaping her when she failed.
"Jed…"
"Are you going to say it?"
She shook her head, closing her eyes in a desperate attempt to ignore the sensation of his mouth on her skin.
"No," she replied, though her voice had lost its conviction.
He had to admit, he was more than a little impressed with her resolve, though he knew she wouldn't be able to stand it much longer, and he smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Come on, baby," he whispered, feeling her shiver as his breath washed over her, "It's two little words."
"Jed?"
"Hm?"
"Fuck off."
He shook his head, letting his hand move slowly over her body, fighting against the urge to laugh. God, he loved her.
"Not those two words."
Jed brought his lips to her throat again, dragging his teeth carefully over her pulse point, and a soft gasp reached his ears, making him smile as he continued his actions. He slid his hand down her legs, moving between her thighs, and when he brushed his fingers over her through her clothing, she moaned quietly.
"Just say it, Abigail," his voice was a low whisper, "This can all be over."
"Jed…please, for the love of God…"
Her voice broke as he kissed her throat, his hand moving from her legs to tangle in her hair, and he suddenly felt a little guilty for continuing to torture her. Only a little, though.
"I'm sorry," she whispered finally, so softly that he almost missed it.
Almost, but not quite.
"What was that, baby? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."
"I'm sorry, okay? I'm so very sorry, now please, Jed…please let me kiss you."
He looked up, bright blue eyes meeting smoldering green, and he kissed her hard, his tongue tasting every corner of her mouth, his hand still wound into her long hair as it fell around her shoulders. When he finally stopped, he gave her a teasing smile, touching her cheek lightly.
"That wasn't so difficult, was it?"
"I hate you, Jed Bartlet."
He kissed her again, a low moan falling from her lips, and she pulled him closer, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly, making him smile somewhat arrogantly when he looked at her again.
"No, you don't."
A/N: Love it? Hate it? Let me know!