Jed stood with his eldest daughter Elizabeth at the helm of the 'Abigail Anne'. He smiled at the image she made standing at the wheel, the sun shining in her brilliant coppery hair, Abbey's hair. Out of all their daughters it was Elizabeth who resembled Abbey the most. It wasn't just that they shared the same small, slender, curvaceous build, or the same auburn hair, or even the same sea colored eyes. It was the way a small dimple formed in their right cheek when they smiled. It was in the way their brows furrowed when they were angry, and their heads tilted to one side when they were listening intently. It was in the way they often stood with one hip out, in the posture of all mothers who had carried a baby on their hip.

He remembered the day Elizabeth was born in St. Mary's Hospital in London. Poor Abbey had been through almost 24 hours of sheer hell and was completely wiped out. He had sat by her bedside holding his tiny new daughter, just staring at the incredible miracle they had created, unable to believe that he was really a father. So full of fear and excitement and pride. Beth O'Neill had come in quietly to peer down at her tiny granddaughter, marveling to Jed that she looked exactly like Abbey had when she was a baby. He had looked at his pale, exhausted, sleeping wife, her hair still damp with perspiration, remembering how she had begged him to take his turn pushing their baby out, and he was overcome by a wave of love and compassion for what she had gone through for them. "It's only fair," he had responded, "after all, she is the one who did all the hard work."

In the years to come he had always found it ironic that the daughter who resembled him most in character was physically a close replica of her mother, while Ellie, the daughter who most resembled Abbey's character, shared more of his physical traits. Genetics were absolutely fascinating.

****

Leo sat to the left of Jed and his daughter, watching the antics of the Bartlets and the staff on the deck. Annie had turned the radio on and the strains of Jimmy Buffett filled the air. Abbey, in a patriotic red, white, and blue bikini top and matching sarong that was tied on the curve of her hip, was dancing to 'Margaritaville' with Josh, while Annie danced with Sam and her father. CJ was trying to get Toby to his feet, but he was looking just a tad green around the gills. Still, it was Abbey who Leo's gaze kept returning to. He couldn't keep his eyes off the sinuous way her shapely body moved to the music. The way her sarong opened to reveal a slender tanned leg and the way she tossed her head back exposing the delicate column of her neck, her long auburn hair spilling down her bare back. The way her breasts filled out the bikini top. When he got that far, he mentally chastised himself to cool it. He'd always found Abbey attractive, but other than that time quite a few years back, he had had learned to keep that attraction hidden. However, from the moment he had heard the Secret Service rumor about what she had done on a moonlight cruise with her husband, and ever since the day they had arrived and he'd heard the soft low moans, breathless urgent gasps, and sexy whimpers she made while having sex, he hadn't found it quite so easy to keep his eyes to himself. He knew things would be easier when they were back in the formality of the White House, but in this relaxed atmosphere he had to watch himself. He had a feeling from her questioning looks that CJ had seen more in his eyes than friendship last night. He needed to keep better control than that. What if it had been Jed that had caught that look in his eyes? He shuddered to think of how Jed would respond to the idea that his closest friend, and trusted Chief of Staff, had lust in his heart for his wife. He didn't want something like this coming between them personally or professionally. As his thought process moved to the President, his best friend, so did his gaze. The President was watching his lovely wife with undisguised delight. But, unlike himself, Jed had every right to have that look.

"Oh...I really don't feel well," Toby moaned. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Abbey stopped laughing and dancing, and immediately went into doctor mode.

"Don't look down at the water," she instructed him. "Look straight ahead at the horizon. We're almost at the island." Toby lifted his head to try and do so and felt his stomach heave.

"Oh, shit," he moaned and began to retch into the sea, causing everyone but Abbey to back off. Abbey simply continued to rub his back.

"Didn't you take the Dramamine I gave you this morning?" She asked, her tone slightly accusing.

"No."

"And why not?"

"Sam didn't."

"Sam has sailed before," Abbey said exasperated. "God, you guys and your male pride, you're all a bunch of jackasses."

"Don't yell at me, I'm sick," Toby groaned and began to heave again over the side.

"We're almost there, Toby, just hang on," Jed called out. Toby glanced over miserably at his boss who was bursting with vitality, his face tanned, his thick brown hair streaked by the sun and blowing in the wind and, in that moment, Toby wanted to assassinate him.

"He looks like fucking William the Conqueror," he muttered. Abbey stifled a laugh, trying to remain sympathetic.

"Let's go below deck where you can lay down," she said, grabbing a bucket and leading him down. She had him stretch out on her and Jed's bed and began to run a cool compress over his forehead. The compress flew to the other side of the bed when he had to make a quick lunge over the side to retch into the bucket she had placed on the floor. When he was finished and lying back down, Abbey crawled onto the edge of the bed with one knee, leaning over his chest so she could reach for the compress. Toby cracked an eye and realized just how close his face was to the barely clothed breast of the First Lady of the United States.

"Uh Mrs.Bartlet...you...your..." Abbey looked down and saw what he was referring to.

"For goodness sakes, Toby, I'm a doctor," she said, grabbing the cloth and straightening up.

"You may be a doctor, but you are also a woman and..."

"What's going on in here?" Jed asked with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You getting fresh with my wife, Toby?"

"I'd sure try to, sir, if I could lift my head."

"I'm sorry about all this, but you should have taken the Dramamine."

"Thanks for telling me that, sir, because I haven't heard that one yet," he groaned sarcastically, then turned to look at Abbey. "Can a person die of seasickness?" Toby asked.

"No," Abbey smiled sympathetically, "but they sure can feel like they're going to."

****

Once the 'Abigail Anne' was anchored, the men were able to help Toby up on to the deck. As they prepared to depart from the boat, a laughing Ellie and Zoey anchored the 'Zellie' next to them.

"Well, they look like they're having fun," CJ commented, "I always wished that I had a sister. Ellie and Zoey are pretty close, aren't they?"

"They have their moments," Abbey smiled. "It wasn't always that way. I remember when I was out to here pregnant with Zoey," she placed her hand far out in front of her stomach, "Jed and Ellie had their hands on my belly feeling her kicking and moving around. I think it finally dawned on Ellie that there really was going to be a new baby. She looked up at us and asked how we were going to get the baby out. Jed went into his usual sputter and stutter and..."

"Now be nice Abigail," Jed warned, coming up behind her, "I did have the difficult task of being the only male in a house full of girls." Abbey bit her lip to keep from smiling as she thought of all the teasing that he had endured, mainly from her, because of that very fact. Poor Jed, all that hemming and hawing and stalling he did when the girls asked him some innocently embarrassing question. Being the father of three daughters had really been a true learning experience for her husband.

"I'm always nice, Jed. Now, as I was saying, I could just see Jed going into a huge clinical lecture about where babies come from with my little four year old."

"But I didn't do that, did I?"

"No, you didn't, sweetheart," Abbey said, placating him with a rub on the forearm, "I was also impressed that you didn't give her your usual embarrassed mumble and tell her that maybe she should talk to her mother about that."

"What did you say?" Sam asked him.

"I just told her that I would have to bring Mommy to the hospital to get the baby. Then she crawled up on my lap and whispered in my ear, in this serious little voice, 'Daddy, please don't bring it home, you can just leave it there.'"

They all laughed and Jed turned to watch Ellie climbing the ladder onto the boat, remembering how those words had damn near broke his heart. To think that his little girl would believe that he would stop loving her just because they were having another child had hurt. He knew it was foolish but sometimes, despite how Ellie had fallen in love with her baby sister, he wondered if she had ever forgiven him for not doing as she asked and leaving the baby at the hospital. He felt he had never been able to give Ellie all that she needed from him, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

****

"Why does he always get to be a captain?" Toby grumbled from where he sat on a piece of driftwood. He was feeling much better now that Abbey had pumped him with ginger ale and his feet were on solid ground again.

"He gets to be captain because he is the President," Leo explained calmly.

"He looks awfully relaxed over there," Sam said, causing them all to turn to eye their boss who was busy putting up the volleyball net with his son-in-law.

"There is no way possible that he found some Olympic beach volleyball ringer and brought him here to play," Josh said.

"I wouldn't put it past him to find out that he had one stowing away under the bed," Toby's voice was resigned. "If he did, I hope the guy was under the bed where I was puking."

"You guys ready to pick teams?" Jed called out.

"Anytime you are," Toby called back.

"I'm really not one for volleyball," Leo began. He knew just how competitive Jed and the male members of their staff could be. "I think I'll just sit with a nice glass of lemonade and..."

"You're playing Leo," Jed said in a voice that brooked no objections. "I'll pick first." His eyes dared Toby to argue with him, but Toby merely shook his head. He had played enough games with Josiah Bartlet to know that arguing with him was like batting your head against the wall. "I'll take Elizabeth," Jed said, surprising them.

"I'll take Josh," Toby said.

"CJ," Jed pointed. CJ turned and stuck her tongue out at Sam.

"CJ!!" Sam exploded, "You're picking CJ over ME!!"

"She's taller than you. Even if she sucks, she can block the ball."

"Well, thank you, Mr. President. I think there might have been a compliment in there somewhere."

When Jed picked Ellie over Jay, Toby and Josh began to exchange truly puzzled looks.

"How the hell does he think he's going to win with a bunch of girls?" Josh asked snidely.

"Women, Josh," CJ said, overhearing the remark. "We're a bunch of women."

Abbey took her place in the back line and served the ball over the net. Josh hit it up to Sam whom, not wanting to hurt one of the girls, sent it lightly over the net. Ellie hit the ball up to Liz who leapt in the air and slammed the ball down in an incredibly hard spike.

"What the hell was that?" Josh breathed.

"Don't patronize us, BOYS," Elizabeth grinned smugly while getting high five's from her teammates.

The kid gloves were off and, on Abbey's next serve, Josh jumped and attempted to spike the ball back but CJ blocked the spike sending the ball back over the net, just out of reach of Sam's diving hands.

"That's another point for us, BOYS," CJ gloated.

"We're aware of that," Toby said sharply.

The next time, the ball went to Zoey who hit it up for Ellie so she could replicate her sister and spike it back over the net. Toby and Josh glared at Jed, who shrugged innocently.

"Who knew a bunch of girls could be so good?" Jed asked.

"Oh, I think you did,' Toby said. "Somehow the master hustler took us in again."

"I resent that comment. I am the President, not a hustler."

"All due respect, sir," Josh grumbled, "you are a hustler."

"No, I just took my job as captain seriously. Think about it. CJ went to school on the coast of California, what are the odds that she would have played some beach volleyball?"

"Pretty good, I'd say," CJ said, slapping his hand.

"What about Liz, Ellie and Zoey?" Sam asked.

"Well, they have a played a little bit," Jed conceded. "Elizabeth," he put an arm around his eldest daughter's waist, "played first string at Dartmouth, and Ellie," his other arm went around his middle daughter's waist, "played for Stanford as an undergrad."

"What about Zoey?"

"They taught me everything I know," Zoey's smile was one of pure mischief.

"He did it again," Toby groaned, "he hustled us."

"The term is outmaneuvered, BOYS, outmaneuvered. Now let's serve the ball so the Bartlet babes can teach you all about the agony of defeat."

****

With the game over and everyone hot and sweaty, they all began to peel off any layers of clothes they had left on over their suits to go for a swim. Jed pulled off his sweat soaked, gray Fighting Irish T-shirt, and looked at his staff puzzled when everyone went quiet. He looked down to see what they were staring at and realized it was the first time anyone had seen the scars on his torso that the bullets had caused. He had been too far away to see them the other day when he was wearing only a towel over his birthday suit. The faded white scars stood out starkly against his deep tan. Especially disturbing to the staff was the long one that ran across his chest where they had had to cut him open to get his heart pumping again. For a moment they were all plunged back to that horrible day when gunshots had sent them running for cover and they had had almost lost the President, their friend. CJ's recollection was particularly horrific, having been in the limousine with the bleeding, dying President who was choking on his own blood, while trying to say his wife and daughter's names.

"Hey," Jed called out in an overly bright voice, trying to lighten the mood, "last one in gets to have 2 activists on Big Block of Cheese day!" He turned to run into the water with the staff and family not far behind.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Leo gasped upon hitting the icy cold Atlantic. "This water has to be 50 degrees!!"

"Actually, today it is a balmy 56," Jed grinned, diving into a wave.

"How the hell do you swim in this everyday? It's frigid."

"For crying out loud Leo, you grew up in Boston, not Miami. First you bitch about how cold it is in the winter in New Hampshire, now the water is too cold. There isn't a huge temperature difference between Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. When did you become such a hot house rose?"

"I didn't get to spend my summers playing in the sun and surf, rich boy," Leo grumbled. The staff all stopped splashing each other and turned to look at the two men with wide eyes. At the White House Leo very rarely talked to the President as his friend, without showing respect to his office. They held their breath waiting for Jed's reaction, but this must have been a familiar refrain between the two because Jed merely started to laugh.

"You forget, poor boy, I know all about those nights on Revere Beach. Don't tell me you never got to have any sun and surf."

"Well, on that note, I am going to leave you polar bears to your balmy water and go sit in the sun," Leo grinned.

"Make sure you put on more sunscreen, Leo," Abbey called out.

"Yes, ma'am," Leo smiled gently. Her concern for all who were around her was just one of the many reasons he cared so much for Abbey. It wasn't just her looks that drew his attraction. Hell, if the polls were correct, most of the men in the free world admired the First Lady's looks. It was more than that for him. He had known her almost as long as he had known Jed. Had admired the passion she brought to everything she did. Had admired her intellect, her fiery spirit, her sassiness and, God help him, the way she dressed to kill. He admired the openness and ease she had with her own sexuality and relationship with her husband. He admired her strength and the way she was Jed's equal in every way. He admired her caring and loving nature, that was extended to all to whom she was close, but, most especially, to her family. He admired the fierceness that was in her when she was guarding her husband's health, or her children's privacy. He admired what an incredibly wonderful mother she was. The way she had always held and cuddled her children to her and the closeness they still shared. And, most of all, he was envious of the way she looked at her husband when she thought no one was watching. A look that said, no matter what happens, you are the only man for me. Jed was one of the luckiest men on earth to have a woman like Abbey look at him like that. But, Leo couldn't begrudge him for any of it because he also knew that Jed was very aware of just how lucky he was and reciprocated his wife's appreciation in every way that mattered. His eyes were drawn to the water upon hearing Abbey give a loud shriek. He moved to the edge of his chair, but sat back with a rueful smile when he saw Jed pop up from underwater to pull her into his arms.

"Watch your hands, buster," Abbey said, feeling Jed's hands grasp her buttocks to pull her closer to him.

"No one can see where my hands are, they're underwater," he said, kissing her forehead and giving her rear a squeeze.

"Well I guess we're safe, even you couldn't get it up in 50 degree water."

"56, Abigail, and are you daring me to try?"

"Forget I said a word," she placed her arms between their stomachs to ease any intimate contact.

"I can't forget it, you just impugned my manhood. Did you really think I could let you get away with that?" he asked, while running the pad of his thumb over her full bottom lip.

"Not really," she gave a resigned sigh as he covered her lips with his, his tongue probing for immediate entrance that was at first denied, and then given, as his wife's lower body pressed harder into his.

"Look at the two of them," Josh said, causing Sam to turn and look at the President and his wife who were wrapped in each other's arms, kissing in the waist deep surf. "This is pathetic. We are single males in the prime of our life, so why is HE the one getting all the action?"

"He's the one who has a girl," Sam said logically.

"He told us we could bring any significant others."

"So why didn't you bring one?"

"Cause I don't have a girl."

"Me neither. Like I said, he's the one who has the girl."

"He certainly does," Josh sighed deeply, watching the First Lady grip the President's shoulders tightly. Damn, he needed a woman. Preferably a woman who looked and kissed like Abbey Bartlet.

****

Jed inhaled deeply as he pulled the lobsters, steamers, and corn from the pit in the sand where they had been steam cooking. There was nothing like an old-fashioned clambake. He looked around at the group of people who surrounded him, looking for driftwood for a late night campfire. His family, and the people who had become some of his closest friends. It was moments like this that he missed more than anything when he was in Washington. When he was at the White House, there was no escaping that he was the President. The only time he was truly free to just be a man was in his bedroom in the Residence with Abbey. And, even then, there was always the chance that he would be pulled away from her arms and back into the maelstrom that came with being the most powerful man on earth. He loved his job and was wearing the cloak of power with more confidence every day, but he was also a human being. And at this time, in this moment, he was relishing just being a husband, a father, and a friend.

CJ and Abbey heard a strange, very loud, very off-key singing voice coming from behind some blueberry bushes at the edge of the beach.

"Who in God's name is that?" Abbey asked.

"Someone who is destroying a perfectly good Rolling Stones song," CJ answered. The singing got louder the closer they got, and as they rounded the bushes, there was Toby Ziegler with an armful of driftwood and a strained look on his face.

"I can't get no satisfaction, cause I tried and I tried and I tried and I tried, I can't get no..."

"Uh Toby..."

"Jesus Christ!" Toby exclaimed, dropping his armful of wood. "Don't sneak up on a guy like that."

"Well, if you hadn't been singing at the top of your lungs you would have heard us approaching," CJ gave him a smile that told him just how odd she thought he was.

"Just why were you making all that racket?" Abbey asked.

"I beg your pardon, ma'am, but that wasn't racket, I was singing. Singing to keep the bears away."

"The bears?" Abbey asked, puzzled.

"Yes the President and Zoey said there were..." Toby's eyes moved from Abbey to a grinning Jed, Zoey, and Leo who were now standing behind Abbey and CJ. It was obvious they were trying very hard not to burst into laughter.

"There are no bears, are there, sir?" Toby rolled his eyes.

"You fell for the oldest one in the book, my friend," Leo smiled, slapping him on the back, while the others finally burst into laughter.

"Let me get this straight," CJ said, "you were singing for the bears?"

"No, I wasn't singing FOR the bears," Toby said exasperated. "I was singing to keep them away. According to the President and his daughter, this time of year the bears come down for the berries and if you sing really loud, they will stay away from you."

"Jed," Abbey scolded, shaking her head at her husband's little boy mischief making, "you know, I really didn't need a son with having you around. I can only imagine what it will be like when Nicholas gets older and I have two of you."

"Obviously it was a lie," Toby stated.

"It wasn't a lie, Toby," Jed said affronted.

"Technically it wasn't, but in spirit it was," Abbey said. "If we were on the mainland what they said would be true, but, we're 23 miles out to sea, just how did you think the bears would get here?"

"Et tu Abbey," Toby shook his head.

****

With their lobster and steamer feed finished and the sun having set, the group sat around the campfire on the beach. Annie was toasting marshmallows and making s'mores for everyone. Jed sat on a big driftwood log with Abbey sitting between his legs on the sand. Her head lay sleepily against his knee and he ran his fingers through her hair while they all talked into the evening. CJ watched Leo again, but he was not looking at the First Couple tonight. In fact, other than a few surreptitious glances, he seemed to be studiously avoiding looking at the two, which to her was even more suspicious. She wondered just what the hell was going on with him.

"Couldn't we just say there is an emergency on the mainland?" Toby was asking.

"Toby, we are not calling Marine One out here to pick us up," Jed said. "Buck up, you'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say, you're the goddamn old man in the sea."

"I resent that, I am not old."

"Gramps, you want another one?" Annie asked, placing a s'more in his hand.

"Thanks, Annie," Jed said, but before he could get the graham cracker concoction to his mouth, Abbey had swiped it from his hand. "Hey, that's mine, go get your own."

"It was yours, now it belongs to someone else," she handed it back to Annie. "You've already had two, and with all that butter with the lobster and steamers, I think you've done enough damage to your cholesterol and digestive tract for one evening."

"You know, Dr. Bartlet, I could fire you," he sulked.

"You could fire me as your doctor, but you're stuck with me as your wife, so either way you're out of luck. Now, back to you, Toby. As long as you took the Dramamine, you should be fine for the sail home."

"And you can take some tomorrow before we go back on the boat fishing," Jed informed him.

"Fishing," Toby's eyes bugged out. "I am NOT going fishing tomorrow."

"Sure you are. The blues are running and we are going to have an all guys day. Me, Jay, Leo, Josh, Sam, and you."

"Count me out. I never want to see another boat again."

"Do you really want to be left out of the loop?" Jed asked, knowing he had him with that one. CJ pounded the last nail in the coffin with her innocent observation.

"You can stay with me and Abbey and the girls, and have tea in the gazebo."

"And help with the babies," Abbey added, " I haven't taught you how to change your goddaughter's diaper yet." Toby's shoulders slumped. He was between a rock and hard place.

"8:00 am, Toby?" Jed asked.

"Yes, sir," he said, placing his head in his hands in defeat.

TBC...