A/N: This chapter has one of my favourite scenes (near the end) that I could not stop smiling about as I was writing it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Several things happen in this one, including (but not limited to) Abbey attempting to make a certain word less amusing to Jed, ice cream cones, and lost cigarette lighters.

Abbey couldn't contain her smile as she and Jed walked the nearly deserted streets late one Saturday evening, regardless of the fact that the ice cream cone she held in her hand made her feel more than a little juvenile. The trip off campus had been entirely spontaneous, to Abbey's surprise and delight, and while she knew they would have to return much too soon for her liking, she was determined to make the most of the two days they had alone together. When she felt Jed wrap his arm around her waist, she glanced at him, taking a careful bite from her ice cream cone, returning his smile easily.

It never failed to amaze her how they seemed to be able to read each other's minds at times, and when he kissed her cheek, she laid her head on his shoulder, her voice soft as she spoke.

"It's a shame we can't do this more often."

He nodded.

"Yeah, but just think, a few years from now, we'll be living in London, and we won't have to sneak away just to have time to ourselves."

"Sounds like someone is pretty confident about his admissions," Abbey said with a smile, "Unless you've already heard from them and just haven't told me yet."

Jed shook his head, laughing.

"No, I haven't. I just have a really good feeling about this."

He was silent for a moment and when he leaned down to suddenly lick her ice cream cone, she laughed, moving it out of his reach.

"Hey! Get your own ice cream cone, Bartlet!"

"Nah," he said lightly, "It doesn't taste the same."

Abbey frowned in confusion.

"How so? Unless you chose a different flavor, it would taste exactly the same."

He shook his head again, kissing her hair lightly as they approached an alleyway, his voice low in her ear.

"Not really, because mine wouldn't have touched your lips and this one has."

He leaned down to take a bite of the ice cream and she shoved it lightly in his face, covering his nose and mouth with the frozen treat, and he laughed as he shook his head.

"Very funny."

She stopped walking, kissing him hard, using her mouth and tongue to remove the remnants of ice cream from his face, and he pulled her into the darkened alleyway they had just reached, his hands on her waist. He could taste the ice cream on her tongue as they kissed, and when her free hand tangled in his hair, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"I was right," he said lightly as he pulled back to look at her.

"About?"

"That definitely tastes better when it's been in your mouth."

"Jed Bartlet, how did you just manage to take something as innocent as ice cream and make it sound so damn sexy?"

He shrugged.

"Just a natural talent, I suppose."

Abbey laughed, kissing him again, and when his body connected with the brick wall behind him, Jed lifted her slightly off her feet, his breath warm on her skin.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

He lowered her back to the ground, glancing around to see if they had been noticed, and when Abbey suddenly began laughing, he frowned, tilting his head curiously.

"Would you like to share with the rest of the class, Miss Barrington?"

"I was just thinking…do you remember the day you told me that you were giving up the priesthood?"

Jed nodded, unsure of where she was going with this.

"Well, when I told Millie what you'd done, she asked me when I was going to tell you something, and I just now remembered it."

"Oh? Do tell."

"From the day we met, even when I knew I shouldn't, even though I knew you were off-limits, all I could think about was shoving you up against a brick wall and kissing you until neither one of us could think straight."

"Hm…" he said thoughtfully, "and now that I'm no longer off-limits?"

Abbey smiled, slowly licking her way around her ice cream cone, fully aware of how intensely he was watching her, and when she took a step closer, he could feel the coldness of her lips on his skin as she kissed his throat.

"Let's just say that kissing you is only the beginning of what I want to do up against a wall," she murmured.

Jed drew in a breath that was less than steady, doing everything possible to remind himself of where they were, and he shifted his body just enough that he could look at her.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, I'd rather not be arrested tonight, babe."

Abbey shook her head, stepping back to look at him, a smile playing across her lips as she spoke.

"I didn't say it had to be this wall, Jed."

She backed away, beckoning him closer with a hooked finger, and as he followed her out onto the street again, she tossed her ice cream into a nearby trash bin. As they began walking in the direction of the small hotel they had reserved a room in for the weekend, Abbey leaned closer, reaching for his hand.

"After all, what's the use of having a hotel room if you don't take full advantage of it?"

As he glanced at her, Jed nodded, conceding her point. He'd always known that she was smarter than he was, and who was he to argue with such superior intellect?

Jed had never heard anything more captivating than the low moan that fell from Abbey's lips as he kissed her, her body pinned between his and the hotel room door. He slid his hands under her shirt as his tongue explored her mouth, and when Abbey's hands tangled in his hair, he smiled, unbuttoning her shirt quickly. He pushed it from her shoulders, the fabric falling to the ground in a whisper of silk, and he wasted no time in lifting her off her feet. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he searched his pockets for a condom and when he came away empty-handed, he stopped kissing her, looking at her seriously.

"I'll be right back."

"What?" she asked breathlessly as he set her back on the ground, "Are you kidding?"

He shook his head.

"Not unless you want to do this without protection."

Understanding flickered in her bright green eyes, and she suddenly smiled, shaking her head as she reached into the pocket of her skirt.

"Jed, wait!"

She held up her hand triumphantly, handing him the condom quickly, and when he tore it open with his teeth, she watched him appreciatively, reaching out to touch his cheek slowly.

"I will never get tired of watching you do that," she whispered, kissing him deeply.

He wasted no time in undressing, kicking the pile of clothing out of his way as he kissed her again, putting the condom on just before he lifted her off her feet, her hair tumbling around them in a vanilla-scented waterfall. He looked at her seriously, running his hand through her hair, his voice more ragged than he was used to.

"You sure about this? If you fall, you could get hurt."

She shook her head, kissing him hard.

"I trust you," she whispered, "You won't let me fall."

"You're putting an awful lot of faith in my knees, Abigail."

She laughed.

"And the longer we stand here talking about it, the higher the risk, so do you mind if I make a suggestion?"

"By all means."

"Stop talking, Jed."

He nodded, kissing her again, and as the last article of clothing fell to the ground, she moved her lips to his throat, making him shiver. When he was sure she was ready, he entered her, the angle driving him deeper than he'd ever been, and a low moan reached his ears as he moved. It didn't escape his notice that Abbey had braced herself using the door behind her, making it easier for him to support her weight and in spite of the slight difficulty, he couldn't deny that this was one of the most incredibly sexy things they had ever done.

He didn't know if it was their current position or the mere thought of doing something that he had never envisioned himself taking part in, but he moved faster than he ever had, his rhythm making Abbey's breath catch in her throat. She whispered his name as she moved her hands to his shoulders, and he kissed her hard, pulling her bottom lip between his teeth. His hips rolled against hers, and when Abbey's head slammed into the door behind her, a harsh gasp fell from her lips.

"Shit," she whispered, laughing breathlessly.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"I'm fine," she assured him, "Don't stop."

Though he wasn't entirely sure, he took her at her word, and as he repositioned her slightly in his arms, her grip on his shoulder tightened, another sharp intake of breath tearing from Abbey's throat.

"Right there, Jed," she whispered, "As hard as you can."

His hips slammed into hers, her hands pulling him in for a kiss so hard that he was sure his lips would bruise, and Abbey moaned into his mouth, her head falling back against the door as she fell over the edge. He wasn't far behind her, and when he lowered her, shaking, to the ground, she leaned against him, her breathing more than a little uneven. He reached out to touch her hair lightly, not wanting to hurt her, and he met her eyes slowly in the dark room.

"You sure you're okay? Sounded like it hurt."

Abbey laughed, shaking her head.

"I'm fine, Jed. Although, it would be very entertaining if I ended up with a concussion."

Jed frowned as he began picking up his clothing.

"How would that be entertaining?"

"Think about it: if I had a concussion and someone asked me how it happened, I could honestly say that I had been fucked so hard that it caused brain damage."

Something about hearing her swear so casually struck him as unbearably funny, and Jed began laughing harder than he had in weeks, shaking his head as he pulled on his shirt. Abbey gave him a strange look as he sat down on the bed, and when she had finished dressing, she frowned.

"What's so funny?"

"You," he said, still laughing, "I think I've only ever heard you say that word a few times, and I can't explain it, but it's incredibly amusing."

"Glad I could make you laugh," she muttered sarcastically, "Maybe I should start saying it more often around you. I'm sure I could find a way to make it less amusing."

Jed shook his head, still unable to control his laughter.

"I doubt it."

Abbey raised her eyebrow in question, rolling her eyes as she moved closer to him.

"What if I threatened to cut off certain body parts and shove them down your fucking throat?"

He considered this for a long moment, then shook his head.

"Nope," he replied with a laugh, "But, that could be because I know you're not really angry enough right now to mean it."

"Hm…" she supposed he had a point, and she rested her chin on his shoulder, "Fair enough."

She began running her hand slowly over his leg, trailing her lips along his jawline, occasionally letting her tongue trace patterns on his skin, smiling in the darkness when she felt his pulse skip under her mouth. The involuntary shiver that passed through him as she moved her hand along his inner thigh only served to fuel her further, and when she whispered his name, she let her lips brush lightly against his ear.

"Jed?"

He didn't trust himself to speak, so he merely looked at her, his eyes locking on hers in the darkness.

"I want you to tear off my clothing and fuck me so hard that I have bruises on my skin. Now, was that in any way amusing to you?" she whispered, so close that he could almost taste the vanilla perfume she wore.

"Abbey, I think that might be the most vulgar thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

"Oh?" she asked innocently, "And how does that make you feel?"

He pulled her into his lap, reaching for the buttons on her shirt, and as he undid them quickly, his mouth crashed onto hers, kissing her hard.

"Take your goddamned clothes off and I'll show you how it makes me feel."

As he waited for Abbey to finish her shower, Jed shook out a cigarette from his pack, pulling it between his teeth as he searched for his lighter. He frowned when he didn't see it on the bedside table, and he stood up, making his way to the bathroom, knocking lightly on the door.

"Hey, Abbey?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen my lighter?"

"No, and even if I had, I wouldn't tell you. Smoking is a disgusting habit, and you know it."

He laughed quietly, pushing the door open, and when the rush of cold air infiltrated the room, he heard Abbey's voice from the shower, her tone making it clear that she didn't appreciate it.

"Jed, are you insane? Close the door!"

The steam in the room was so thick that he could hardly breathe and as he walked closer to the shower, he shook his head.

"How have you not suffocated in here? It's so hot that I'm surprised you haven't suffered heat stroke."

"Hey, I don't judge your showers, don't you judge mine."

He set the cigarette he'd been holding down on the sink, and as he pulled his shirt over his head, he tried to keep his laughter at bay. Slipping out of the rest of his clothing, he quickly swept back the shower curtain, stepping in behind Abbey, and when he wrapped his arms around her, she jumped, a scream falling from her lips.

"Josiah Edward Bartlet, you scared the shit out of me! Jesus Christ!"

Jed laughed, kissing her cheek lightly, and when she turned to look at him, she smacked him on the arm.

"This is my shower, get out."

"Now, is that any way to talk to the man who just wants to help?"

"I've been showering by myself for quite some time now, Jed," she said, rolling her eyes, "I think I can manage just fine."

He smiled, reaching out to take the washcloth from her hand, and as he ran it slowly over her skin, he kissed her shoulder.

"Are you sure about that? I can be extremely helpful."

Abbey shivered in spite of the heat in the shower, and when she turned in his arms, she ran her fingers through his wet hair.

"Oh?" she asked quietly, "Well, in that case…I can't really say no, can I?"

She kissed him slowly, paying little attention to the water that cascaded around them, and by the time they exited the shower, it had long run cold, though neither one of them was even slightly aware of the icy temperature.

No matter how many times she looked at it, Abbey couldn't keep from smiling each time her eyes landed on her engagement ring, still hardly able to believe it was real. She was saddened by the thought of returning to campus later that evening, and as she laid on the bed in the hotel room, she tried to remind herself that at least she would get to see Millie. Her attention was pulled from her thoughts as Jed began to wake from his sleep next to her, and when he noticed the slightly sad look in her eyes, he frowned.

"Abbey? What's wrong?" his voice was thick with sleep.

She sighed as he rose up to look at her, and when he reached for her hand, he realized that she was almost crying. He ran his fingers through her hair, moving close enough that she was practically sitting in his lap, and he kept his voice soft, not wanting to startle her.

"What is it, honey? Talk to me."

"It's nothing. I just…this weekend has been so amazing, and it's going to be over soon. I hate that we can't spend time like this whenever we want. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I don't want to be anywhere near you, but it's been nice to just be able to be together without the stress of class, or wondering when one of our roommates will walk in…"

She paused, looking at him seriously.

"I'm being stupid, Jed. Just ignore me."

Jed shook his head, kissing her softly.

"You're not being stupid, baby. And I couldn't ignore you if I tried. I completely understand what you meant, and just think about it this way, after we're married, you'll probably be so sick of me that you'll try to smother me in my sleep."

Abbey laughed, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

He smiled, kissing her temple.

"Yeah, but it's always nice to hear it again."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too."

He kissed her one final time before swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, and as he pulled on his clothing, he frowned when something small fell onto the floor with a soft thud. He bent to pick it up, and when he realized what it was, he glanced at her, a smile on his face.

"Found my lighter."

Abbey rolled her eyes, sighing as she begrudgingly hauled her body out of the tangled sheets.

"You keep smoking, and I might smother you in your sleep before we get married."

A quiet laugh was her only answer.

From the moment that Abbey walked into her dorm room, she could tell that something was wrong, and the look on Millie's face was all the proof she could have ever needed. She looked at her seriously, frowning when her friend grabbed her by the arm, taking great care to make sure the door was closed securely behind them before speaking.

"Where have you been?" Millie asked her urgently.

"I went to the library after my Anatomy class. Why? What's going on?"

"Haven't you heard the news?"

Abbey frowned again, shaking her head.

"What news? Oh, god…the President wasn't shot, was he? I can't go through that again."

Millie shook her head, her eyes locking onto Abbey's.

"No. Abbey, they're going to reinstate Professor Howson. He appealed to the school board, and they decided that he's going to be allowed back. Apparently, because of his background and credentials, and combined with the fact that it was a first-time offense—Abbey? Do you need to sit down? You look like you're about to faint."

Indeed, she felt more than a little dizzy, but Abbey shook her head, taking a step back, her hand reaching blindly for the door.

"Abbey?"

"I—Jed. Millie, I need to talk to Jed."

Her hand finally found the doorknob and she threw it open, not sparing so much as a glance for her friend as she fled the room. She didn't stop running until she reached Jed's door, knocking loudly, not realizing in her anxiousness that she was dangerously close to hyperventilating, and when the door opened, she didn't wait to be invited in. A quick glance showed that Jeremy was the only one in the room, however, and she turned to face him as he shut the door, her voice frantic.

"Where's Jed?"

"He went to take a shower. You okay, doc? You don't look so good."

"I need to talk to Jed," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

"He shouldn't be too long. Is there anything I can do to help? Whatever it is, I'm sure—"

"He's coming back," Abbey could hear the panic in her own voice and hated herself for it, "Howson. They're reinstating him on the faculty."

"What the hell?" Jeremy said slowly, "How the hell could they do that? After what he did to you—"

"You think I don't know that?" she practically screamed, "Can you imagine the type of grudge a man like that will hold? He's going to find a way to make my life miserable because I reported him, and God knows what he'll do if he follows me on campus. He's already grabbed me more than once, and that was before he was suspended. He'll find me, Jeremy. Or he'll find Jed, and I—"

She stopped speaking, no longer able to fight against her tears, and Jeremy moved closer, pulling her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Even if he did find Jed, you and I both know that he wouldn't stand a chance. He threatened you, and that makes Jed the most dangerous enemy he has on campus."

Abbey jumped at the opening of the door, but she didn't look up, still trying to control her breathing.

"Abbey? What's going on? Why are you crying?"

Jeremy looked at Jed over the top of Abbey's head, his eyes angry as he answered for her.

"The school has decided to reinstate Howson. He's going to be teaching here again."

Jed swore, slamming the door behind him, and as soon as he was near enough, he reached out to touch Abbey's shoulder, prompting her to look at him. She stepped away from Jeremy, falling into Jed's chest, and he hooked his arm under her legs, lifting her into his arms easily. Walking the short distance to his bed, he sat down carefully, holding her as tightly as he dared, trying (and failing) to control his anger as he felt her tears dampening his shirt.

"Are they out of their god damned minds?" he asked quietly, "How could they do this?"

Jeremy sighed as he sat down on his own bed, shaking his head in confusion.

"I have no idea."

"First t-time offense," Abbey answered weakly, her words muffled by Jed's body, "and he's got an otherwise perfect record."

"That's bullshit," Jed's voice was angrier than he intended, making Abbey flinch, "Sorry, baby. I just…I can't understand it. That's not a valid reason. He assaulted you, he followed you around the fucking campus—"

"Jed…" Jeremy's voice was soft as he interrupted, "I know you're pissed, but I don't think now is the time."

Jed nodded, knowing he needed to keep his anger under control, and he kissed Abbey's temple, brushing her hair out of her face so he could see her eyes.

"Try not to worry, Abbey. If he tries to get to you, he's going to have to go through me to do it."

"And me," Jeremy added, "We're not letting you out of our sight, doc. We'll even get Millie to follow you to the bathroom."

Abbey laughed weakly, wiping her hand under her eyes, shaking her head.

"That's not necessary," she replied, "There's always some other girl in there. Privacy doesn't exist in a girls' dorm bathroom."

"Okay, but we're still walking you to every class," Jeremy said firmly, "Because if anything happens to you, I don't even want to imagine how badly Jed would snap. He'd probably go on a killing rampage, and I'd rather not risk that. Besides, you're family and no one fucks with my family."

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Abbey smiled, burying her head in Jed's shoulder, closing her eyes tiredly.

"I hope you realize that this means you'll have to get up early most days. I have a lot of morning classes."

Jed shrugged, kissing her slowly.

"I think I can manage. I'll just do what you do and drink so much coffee that it could kill a small dog."

True to their word, Jed and Jeremy walked Abbey to each class she had, though it was Jed more often than not, and on one of the occasions that it happened to be Jeremy, he glanced at her as they walked, unsure of how to word his question.

"Hey, Abbey? How did you decide that you wanted to be a doctor? I mean, I'm a year away from graduation and I still have no idea what I'm going to use my degree for."

She smiled, looking at him thoughtfully.

"I've always wanted to be a doctor. I know a lot of people are uncomfortable with blood, organs, basically anything under the skin, but it's fascinating to me. There's an entire ecosystem under our skin, and without it, we cease to exist. Everything has to work together just perfectly, or the entire thing could collapse. It's incredibly delicate and intricate, and…I don't know how to really explain why I love it so much. And believe it or not, I've seen the way you examine the buildings on campus when we pass by them. Have you ever considered architecture? I think you could do very well designing buildings."

Jeremy frowned, looking at her seriously.

"You noticed that?"

Abbey laughed, nodding.

"I do pay attention, you know. Try not to worry, though. You have the rest of your life to figure out what you want to do."

As they came to a stop outside Abbey's Psychology class, Jeremy smiled, kissing her cheek.

"You're one hell of a smart woman, doc."

"I didn't make the Dean's List because of my looks," she quipped.

"True," he conceded, "but if it was based on looks, you'd still be at the top."

He froze, realizing what he'd said, quickly backtracking.

"Don't tell Jed I said that. I didn't mean—I just meant that you're an attractive woman and…damn, I really should shut up now."

Abbey laughed, shaking her head.

"I knew what you meant. And thank you."

God, she couldn't wait to tell Jed…

As Jed laid on his bed flipping mindlessly through a book, he found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his thoughts from returning to Howson, fresh anger surging through him as he remembered the direct aftermath of his assault on Abbey. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep himself from seeking the older man out and warning him to keep his distance, and he sighed as he realized that doing so might have unforeseen consequences not only for himself, but Abbey as well. The last thing she needed was him making the situation worse.

He quickly lit a cigarette, desperate for anything that would calm the racing thoughts in his mind, and as the smoke filled his lungs, he closed his eyes. He knew he didn't need to be concerned about her in the present moment, knew she was with Millie in their room, but it still bothered him that there was even the slightest chance of danger. Still, he knew that if he didn't do something to calm down, he would lose his mind and so he was waiting patiently for Jeremy to return, fully prepared to prank him for complimenting Abbey that morning.

What was the point in having a roommate if he couldn't tease him every so often?

He heard the telltale sign of Jeremy opening the door, and he took a long drag from his cigarette, waiting until he was sure that the door had closed behind him before exhaling.

"One of these days, they're going to install smoke alarms, and then we'll both be in trouble."

Jed said nothing, merely opening his eyes slowly, and when Jeremy noticed the expression on his face, he frowned.

"What's wrong? You look really mad about something."

"I thought we were friends, Jeremy," he said, keeping his voice carefully quiet.

"We are. What are you talking about?"

"Friends don't betray each other. Did you think I wouldn't find out about what you said to Abbey? I should have known that you were too close to just be friends."

Jeremy shook his head, looking at him seriously.

"Jed, I don't know what Abbey told you, but—"

"Abbey didn't tell me anything," he lied, fighting against his every urge to laugh, "Someone saw you outside her Psychology class and they were a good enough person to give me warning. How long has this been going on?"

"Jed, you don't really think that—"

"You kissed her, Jeremy! You can't deny it, people saw you!"

"On the cheek! I swear, I would never—ask her yourself! You have to believe me—"

"Oh, I have to? Since when do I have to believe something just because you say it's true?"

With every passing moment, Jed was coming dangerously close to dropping the entire act, but this was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up, and he stood quickly, shoving his way past his roommate.

"Wait, where are you going?"

He could hear Jeremy running to catch up to him, and as he made his way across campus, he prayed that Abbey would go along with the joke. He knocked on her door, biting down on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing when Millie opened it, and she gave him a worried look as he stood in the hall.

"Jed, what's wrong?"

"I need to talk to my fiancée, if you don't mind."

She stepped back to allow him in and when Abbey noticed them standing in the room, she frowned.

"Um…what the hell is going on?"

"You tell me," Jed said, looking at her, silently begging her to realize he was joking, "How could you do this? How could you just throw the last two years away like they meant nothing?"

Abbey shook her head, thoroughly confused, glancing between Millie and Jeremy, hoping they could shed some light on what was happening.

"Jed, what are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Abigail," he snapped, walking closer to her.

He chose his steps carefully, making sure to angle his body in a way that kept his face hidden from Jeremy, and he gave her a brief smile. He knew from the way she tilted her head that she understood at once, and she took a small step back.

"Jed…just calm down and let me explain."

"Why, so you can try to talk your way out of this? I don't want to hear your bullshit excuses!"

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!" Millie asked, "Jed, whatever is wrong, yelling about it isn't going to—"

"Jeremy kissed Abbey," Jed replied shortly.

"What?!"

"It didn't mean anything, Jed!" Abbey said, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly.

He jerked away from her, shaking his head, his voice as cold as he could make it.

"Don't fucking touch me, Abigail."

She flinched as though he'd slapped her and for a moment, he was almost sorry he'd said it, but when he saw the hint of a smile on her face as she turned away, he knew she hadn't meant it. He just hoped Jeremy hadn't noticed. Jeremy took a hesitant step closer, his voice low as he spoke, almost as though he were afraid of him.

"Jed, I swear to God…it meant nothing. It was just a kiss on the cheek, you've seen me do it a hundred times. Abbey's like my sister, I could never think of her in a romantic way. No offense," Jeremy added, glancing at her briefly, "All I said to her was that she was attractive and smart. Those are facts, and I promise you, I didn't mean anything by it. I would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship or hurt you like that."

Jed could feel Millie's eyes on him, waiting to see how he would respond, and he took a slow breath, praying for the strength to keep from laughing. One look into Abbey's eyes was almost enough to break him and he shook his head once. This would never work if either of them smiled, and he hoped that they could pull it off.

"Give me the ring," he said slowly.

Abbey's eyes met his and she shook her head, her voice shaking with what Jed knew was barely repressed laughter.

"Jed…please don't do this."

"You don't really expect me to still marry you after this?" he asked, "I'm not asking you again: give me the ring, Abigail."

She slipped the ring off her finger, dropping it into his hand, and he glanced at her once before he turned to storm out of the room, slamming the door in mock anger. Jeremy stared at Abbey in shock as she stood in the middle of the room, and when he took a step towards her, she shook her head.

"Abbey, I—"

"Don't," she whispered, "Please, just…don't."

She ran from the room, closing the door behind her and when she saw Jed standing a few doors down, she beckoned him closer as she listened intently at her door.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Millie asked.

"I..I have no idea," Jeremy answered, his confusion clear in his voice.

"Did you really kiss Abbey?"

"Just on the cheek, Millie. I swear! I've never thought about her that way!"

Abbey threw her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, and Jed nodded his head to the right, requesting that she follow him. When they were far enough away, he kissed her hard, holding her tightly in his arms.

"You were fantastic, baby," he whispered, "You really would have been an amazing actress."

"Me? Jed, I thought something was seriously wrong for a moment there! You were great!"

"Well, should we go tell them that they've been severely pranked?" he asked with a laugh.

"We'd better," she said lightly, "I thought Jeremy was going to cry."

He wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked back to her room, and when she walked through the door, she kept her voice light as she looked at Jeremy and Millie.

"Why do you both look like someone just kicked a puppy or a small child?"

Millie stared at them both, feeling as though she were losing her mind, and when Jeremy suddenly spoke, she realized that he was just as confused as she was.

"What the hell is going on?"

Jed burst into laughter, his arm securely around Abbey's waist, and when she began laughing as well, her head fell onto his shoulder. Jeremy's eyes widened as he realized that they had been joking, and he shook his head as Jed tried to speak through his laughter.

"You really think I didn't know that you only kissed her on the cheek? Come on, Jeremy, I know you're not interested in Abbey and even if you were, neither one of you would have acted on it."

"How did you even know about it?"

"Abbey told me," he answered simply, "You mess with me all the time, and this was my chance to finally have payback."

"You knew about this?" Millie snapped, looking at Abbey, "You let me think your entire relationship was over just for a joke?!"

Abbey shook her head, holding up her hands in surrender.

"I had no idea he was going to do this. I thought he was seriously pissed off when he showed up. I got sucked into this just as badly as you did in the beginning."

Jed smiled, kissing Abbey lightly, nodding at Millie.

"It's true, Millie. I just got incredibly lucky that Abbey figured it out, otherwise I really would have ruined our entire relationship."

"Speaking of which, give me my ring back," Abbey said, holding out her hand.

He slid the ring back in its proper place and Abbey smiled, still incredibly amused by the shocked look on Jeremy's face.

"Let me get this straight…" he said slowly, "Everything you said to me after I got to our room was just part of a joke? You're not mad about anything?"

"Nope," Jed answered with a smile, "Not so fun when it happens to you, is it?"

"Go to hell, Bartlet. That was…hell, I can't even be mad at you," Jeremy said, starting to laugh, "That was impressive. Didn't know you had it in you. You too, doc. You really had me going for a minute."

Abbey glanced at Millie, noting that she had been unusually silent, and she smiled at her hesitantly.

"Millie, I'm sorry you were caught up in the middle of this."

"It's fine," she said with a small smile, "I'm just trying to figure out how we can convince Jed to go into acting. That was seriously impressive. Especially with some of the things he said. I didn't think Jed could say something so hurtful to you."

"I did think I went a bit too far for a second," he admitted, "When she jumped away from me, I was worried."

"Hey, if you're going to do it, you have to commit," Abbey said with a laugh, "but if you ever seriously say something like that to me, we're going to have a major problem."

"I could never."

Abbey couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, and she unconsciously moved closer to Jed as they walked into the library, trying to tell herself that she was just being paranoid. If he noticed anything unusual, Jed gave no indication, and as she sat down at their table, she took a slow breath. Jed disappeared into the stacks, grabbing various books from the shelves, and as she glanced around, Abbey blinked hard.

"You're being ridiculous, Abigail," she whispered to herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a slight movement, and when Jed placed several books on the table, she very nearly screamed, jumping when she realized he was right beside her.

"Hey," he said gently, "you okay, babe?"

She shook her head, looking at him apologetically.

"No," she said softly, "Jed, I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I can't be here. Can we please leave?"

One look at the serious expression on her face made him nod, and as he picked up the books, he kissed her cheek.

"Give me two minutes," he whispered.

When he returned, she wasted no time in walking towards the door, not even needing to glance behind her to know that he was following her. As soon as they stepped out of the library, Jed pulled her to a secluded area behind the building, looking at her seriously as she leaned against the brick wall.

"What happened?' he asked softly.

"I know it's stupid, but I feel like someone was watching me. God damn it, Jed! I had finally, finally gotten my life back together, I felt safe enough to walk to class alone again, I was sleeping again and now…now I'm right back where I started. How could they do this? Even if he doesn't do anything to me, there's nothing stopping him from doing it to another girl. This isn't right!"

"I know," Jed said gently, "but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe from him."

"You shouldn't have to, Jed! He should have never been allowed to come back, but these things happen all the time and no one cares because it isn't happening to them! If these things happened to rich white men, we wouldn't even be having this discussion! Am I supposed to just accept the fact that I have to be afraid of being assaulted just because I'm a woman? I shouldn't have to be escorted to class just to feel safe!"

She was shaking so badly that he could see it even from a distance, and she looked up suddenly, her voice deadly serious.

"Give me a cigarette."

He couldn't have been more shocked if he'd tried, and he stared at her, waiting for her to retract the statement.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Abbey, you don't smoke," he reminded her, though he couldn't have explained why.

"Damn it, Jed, just do it!" she snapped.

Still unsure, Jed phished out his cigarette pack, handing one to her wordlessly, and when he passed her the lighter, he could hardly believe what was happening. Her hands were shaking too badly for her to work the lighter and when he reached out to gently take it from her fingers, she fell against his chest, her tears staining his shirt. He held her as she cried, the cigarette now forgotten between her fingers, and when she slowly raised her head to look at him, he felt his heart shatter.

"I don't want to be scared anymore, Jed," she said quietly, her voice breaking.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered, running his hand over her hair gently.

Her tears slowed after a few moments and when she handed him the cigarette, she wiped her hand under her eyes, a weak smile flickering across her features.

"You can have that back."

"Thanks," he said with a small laugh.

"Turns out that not even extreme emotional distress is enough to make me willingly smoke a cigarette."

"No, just your own stubbornness when trying to make me stop."

"Yeah," she agreed, watching him as he put them back in his pocket, "Jed?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for ruining the day."

Jed laughed.

"The only way you could ruin a day is by not existing, sweetheart."

"Remember that the next time I piss you off."

"No promises, babe."

A/N: Poor Abbey. I'm a terrible person (but I can live with that, it's fun!).