After making the date with Abbey to sail that evening, Jed had disappeared for the afternoon. Abbey was disappointed that he'd been gone, for she had felt slightly off guard since their conversation earlier in the day. She had hoped to have some sort of contact with him and re-establish some of their old rapport before he dropped his big news on her. But, that was not to be. He had returned very late in the afternoon, told her he'd been working on the boat, and gone straight into the shower.

While he showered, Abbey searched her wardrobe for an outfit to wear that evening. She couldn't believe that she actually felt like a teenager preparing for a date, a little nervous and a little excited. She shook her head, chastising herself for being silly. This was Jed after all, she thought, while dabbing perfume on her wrist. He certainly wasn't an unknown quantity. She would like to have chosen some sexy outfit guaranteed to knock him as off guard as she felt, but, they were sailing after dusk and evenings on the water could get pretty chilly. She finally chose a pair of slim fitting jeans and a cream colored sweater that had a zipper down the chest. She unzipped it partway down, revealing just a hint of cleavage, and smiled. She knew exactly what buttons to push when it came to her husband.

When she had finished dressing, she went out on the porch to wait for him. Jed found her leaning against the rail, her head resting against the beam. He stepped outside quietly, closing the screen door behind him. He tried approaching her silently, but Abbey had known the moment he had joined her on the porch. The scent of his bay rum aftershave had given him away. He stepped up behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, kissing the back of her neck. She hadn't expected that and felt her pulse race.

"Ready to go?" Jed asked.

"Yes," she said, taking a deep breath. As ready as I'll ever be, she thought.

****

It was dusk when they arrived at the harbor where the 'Abigail Anne' was moored. Jed took Abbey's hand as they walked over the docks toward their schooner. Abbey gave him a sideways glance with a soft smile. It had been a long time since Jed had simply wanted to hold her hand.

The 'Abigail Anne' was a 35 foot schooner, complete with a galley and two sleeper bunks. They had purchased it with the million dollars Jed received with his Nobel Prize. Abbey had insisted he purchase something extravagant, something he wanted but might not have purchased. They certainly hadn't needed the money. They lived very comfortably on their combined salaries, mainly thanks to the high six figures Abbey brought in as a much sought after surgeon. Both had family money, but that was all put in trusts for their girls. So, Jed had purchased the schooner, something the whole family would enjoy, and donated the rest of the money to various charities.

While Jed and Abbey boarded the schooner, their agents dispersed into several high powered cigarette boats and a Coast Guard cutter, which would follow them at a discreet distance while they sailed. Abbey had grown up on the water and was a seasoned sailor. She often took her turn at the helm, captaining the boat, but tonight Jed was the undisputed captain of their voyage. Abbey played first mate, helping him prepare the riggings to lift the sails as they left the harbor for the open sea. Once the sails were lifted and the wind caught them, Jed took his place at the wheel, and Abbey settled in next to him.

"So, why was Zoey babysitting tonight?" Jed asked. "I asked her, but she got a funny look on her face and said I should talk to you."

"I fired Hattie today," she said, opening a bottle of wine.

"You FIRED her? What did she do? Kick you out of the nursery?"

"No, she kicked you out. She told me about what happened with you earlier and asked me to help her keep you out of the nursery when the babies were sleeping. I mean, is that not the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? I guess we just had irreconcilable differences when it comes to child rearing, and, since the children in question are mine, she is leaving. What are you smiling about?"

"You," he said, grinning even more broadly, "my fierce lioness protecting us all."

"Well, why didn't you say something when she tossed you out on your ass?"

"It took me by surprise. And really, who am I, a mere man, to question you women and your baby schedules?"

"Schedules are important, but nothing is more important than a parent's love and interest," she said, leaning back on her hands and allowing the wind to blow her hair back from her face. She gave herself up to the power of the boat as it rocked up and down on the waves, the sea spray flying over the bow. Her neck was arched back so she could gaze at the moon and Jed thought, not for the first time, that his wife was just as elemental as the sea she loved. Sometimes calm, steady, and life sustaining, and other times, wild, tempestuous, and stormy. And always, always unpredictable and exciting. Even her eyes were the ever changing color of the ocean, moving from gray, to green, to blue, and every shade in between, at the whim of her mood.

While pretending to stare at the sky, Abbey's gaze kept falling on her husband. He stood relaxed and at ease at the helm, awash in the light of the moon wearing faded jeans and a navy cable knit sweater. His dark blond hair was windblown the way she loved it. Boyish and sexy. Damn was he a fine looking man, she thought, and felt a liquid rush of desire she was sure Jed must have seen when he caught her eye.

"Getting hungry?" he asked as they cruised around the tip of land that held the lighthouse.

"Oh yeah," she sighed, then blushed when she realized Jed had meant for food, not him, and threw back his head with a deep masculine laugh.

"I'll anchor in the cove at Barren Island and we'll have supper."

"Should I go down and..."

"No," he cut her off, "I took care of it."

"You cooked supper?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That look wounds me, Red. Don't worry, it isn't chili or barbecued steaks. Tonight's supper is catered, courtesy of the Lighthouse Inn."

"Well, that's ok then," she grinned saucily.

****

The setting for their supper was perfect. They were anchored in a secluded cove and Jed had set the table on the deck complete with white linen, candles, and flowers. Soft, romantic music played in the background.

Abbey had finished her lobster bisque and was merely pushing her grilled shrimp Caesar salad around her plate. Now that the time had drawn near for real communication, both had become tentative and unsure. Their conversation had centered on safe subjects like the weather and the kids. There was tension and a world of hurt laying between them, an invisible barrier that neither seemed able to break through.

Oh damn, why did this have to be so hard? Abbey wondered. Why couldn't she ask him straight out what decisions he had made? Because she was scared, that's why. Whatever his decision was, it could affect the rest of her life. She watched him take a bite of food, drink from his wind glass, seemingly unconcerned with the turmoil laying between them. Dammit, he owed her an explanation. She began to wonder if he thought that he could ignore everything that had happened. That he could wine, dine, romance, and seduce her, assuming that all would be forgiven. Could he actually be that dense? She swallowed past the lump in her throat and Jed saw her eyes go shiny with tears.

"Abbey?"

"I can't do this anymore, Jed. I can't pretend everything is all right between us," she pushed her chair away from the table and stood up, turning away from him to lean against the deck rail looking toward the island.

Jed took a deep breath remembering the words he had spoken to Leo when Leo had told him Jenny wanted a divorce. You're the man. FIX IT. It was time to heed his own advice. He got to his feet and moved to his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders. He gently turned her to face him, his heart melting at the evidence of her tears.

"Oh Abbey," he sighed sadly and ran his thumb over her cheek to wipe away her tears. "I was wrong and I'm sorry. I should have spoken with you before making the decision to run again. And, I shouldn't have blown up at you at the farm when you left me."

"I didn't leave you," Abbey said stunned. "My God Jed, the whole reason I was so upset about you running again was because I was afraid of losing you. Why on earth would I just let you go?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But it sure felt that way. I have never felt more empty than I did going back to the White House alone. I was just being so damned stubborn because I felt guilty and you know when I feel guilty, I get angry. I wanted so much for you to be behind me and it really hurt that you weren't."

"Just when haven't I been behind you, Jed? I put off medical school to follow you to London and give birth to your daughter. I've carried six of your children in my body and buried one. I have taken time off for every baby, every campaign. I worked and took care of the girls without you for much of the time while you were in Congress. I cut back my schedule when you became Governor, so I could perform the duties of the Governor's wife, and I gave up my whole profession when you told me you wanted to be President. I don't think any of that constitutes not being behind you."

"You're right. I'm sorry," he said chagrined, and lowered his gaze.

"Don't be sorry. It certainly hasn't been a one way street by any means. You only worked as a part time professor to take care of Elizabeth while I went to medical school. You cut your classes back when I was pregnant with Zoey and had all those months of bed rest. You were a rock getting me through those dark weeks after we lost Peter. You've gone to dozens of medical conventions with me, even though they bore the hell out of you. While other Congressman stayed in DC, you flew home every weekend to be with me and the kids. When all your advisors wanted you to run for the Senate, you chose to run for Governor instead so you could be home with us for good. We've both made sacrifices, Jed. That is what marriage is all about."

"You've given up so much more than me. I saw that at the farm when I watched you riding over the fields. You gave up your freedom, your profession, your home, your lifestyle. It wasn't fair of me to assume you would want that for another four years. I should have stuck to our deal. I tried. I really did. But, the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't quit. Jesus, Abbey, quitting would mean this damn disease beat me. I would lose a part of myself. That part that is vital, and energetic, and that feeling of doing something so important, something bigger than myself. And for what? To go home and sit on the porch, watching the kids play, waiting to see if I become an invalid."

"I know that now, Jed," she said softly. "I've watched you these past few months and I've pretty much gotten over the fact that you are running again. What I can't get over is the fact that you made that decision without me. You totally left me out of the loop and that HURTS. You sat behind closed doors with your senior staff working out the pros and cons and I wasn't even in the equation. I didn't matter a damn to you," her voice trembled with pain and bitterness.

"That isn't how it happened, Abbey. It was just me and Leo. I told him I wasn't running again and he told the staff. They were as surprised as you by my comments at the press conference. But, they were there for me whether I ran or not."

"I was there," her voice was barely a whisper.

"I know baby," he ran his hand over her cheek, "I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you before I went out there. But, I'm not a quitter, Abbey. I can't quit on the country, I can't quit on myself. But it was selfish and I didn't give you a say in how you would spend the next five years. I don't want to lose you and I certainly don't want you to be miserable."

"You won't lose me. It's not the five years that bothers me. It won't be easy with 2 energetic toddlers running around, but I can handle that. I was scared. I am scared. I'm scared of bullets riddling your body again and spending another horrific week with you lingering between life and death, or, worse yet, being killed this time. I'm scared of the MS rearing it's ugly head again...I"

"Sssh," he placed his fingers on her lips. "Now that I've told you why I wanted to run again, I'm going to tell you why I've decided to drop out of the race."

"What?" Abbey stared at him in shock.

"You were right. We can tell everyone that after further consultation with my doctors I decided that I should not run for re-election."

"But, what about everything you just said about why you couldn't quit?"

"I couldn't quit because of the MS or because it might be too hard. Those were the wrong reasons. I can quit for you. I can quit to do what is best for my family."

"You'd give it up? For me?" She asked the tears welling in her eyes. In that moment Abbey realized all she needed to know. What she had lost sight of over the past few months. It was the knowledge that she meant more to Jed than anything else. That she hadn't lost him to the Presidency, and she knew now that with that knowledge she would be able to share him.

"I'd do anything for you Abbey. Don't you know that by now?" He cupped her cheek in his palm.

"I'd begun to wonder," she choked.

"I'm so sorry I was such a colossal ass," he said, pulling her into his arms and burying his face in her hair.

"And I'm sorry I wouldn't listen to you in the beginning. I just didn't want you to blame me."

"This is my decision, Abbey. I'll never blame you."

"You're right. You won't blame me because you aren't dropping out of the race."

"Abbey."

"I don't want you to quit. My not wanting you to run really didn't have a hell of a lot to do with me. I may have given up a lot but look what I've gained. I have traveled all over the world. I've gotten to meet some incredibly fascinating, talented, and important people. I've had tea with the Queen of England and sat barefooted dining with the Emperor of Japan. I've met the Dalai Lama and stood talking to young people about democracy in the middle of Red Square. I've had the chance to make a difference in an extremely broad way."

"I'm glad those trips had some redeeming qualities," he grumbled, remembering all those nights alone in his bed while she was off making a difference.

"They did," she smiled, running a hand over his arm. "I realize taking all that away from you would be more detrimental to your health than being President is. I don't want to see this disease beat you. One of the things I have always loved so much about you is that you never back down from a fight or challenge. I don't want you to back down from this one. And I certainly can't think of anyone I would rather vote for than Jed Bartlet."

"Abbey," he said, his voice now choked.

"Sssh," she placed her fingers on his lips this time. "Not another word. Let's not let this moonlight and music go to waste. Hold me in your arms, Jed, and dance with me."

"With pleasure, ma'am." He pulled her into his arms and she tucked her head into its customary spot under his chin. "You're an amazing woman, Abigail Bartlet."

"I'm married to an amazing man," Abbey closed her eyes, resting dreamily against Jed's chest, while listening to the strains of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra and feeling her husband's heart beat under her cheek. She smiled as Jed began to croon softly in her ear, along with Sinatra, the words to 'Moonlight Serenade',

The stars are aglow, And tonight, how their light, sets me dreaming, My love, do you know, That your eyes are like stars brightly beaming, I bring you and I sing you, A moonlight serenade.

Abbey's heart overflowed with love for this man. This man who could make her feel so safe and loved and cherished. But, soon, what started out as an innocent romantic dance turned in to a rising desire. Abbey felt Jed growing hard against her belly. He had never been able to last very long slow dancing with her. She looked up at him with a sly smile.

"Do you have any other recreational activities planned for this evening, Mr. President?" She asked innocently.

"Right now I'd just like to make it to second base," he said. "I've been dying to do this all night." He reached out a hand and unzipped her sweater almost to her belly button exposing her rose colored camisole. How lucky he was to have found a woman who loved sexy, utterly feminine lingerie. He traced the silky edge of the thin camisole before cupping her breast, feeling her nipple harden against his palm.

"You're a temptress, Abigail Bartlet. You knew I'd be dying to get that zipper down all night."

"Can I help it if I know my man?"

Jed grinned at the term. He couldn't think of anyone else's man he would rather be than the sexy woman standing in front of him.

"So, what do you say," he asked, "safe at second?" He rubbed his thumb across her nipple.

"Oh yeah, safe at second," she sighed arching into his palm. Jed pulled her back into his arms, covering her lips with his in a deep, open mouthed kiss. Abbey responded heatedly, allowing his tongue to stroke hers, causing the kiss to deepen instantly from sweet tenderness to tearing passion. Jed's hands moved under her sweater to run up and down the soft expanse of her back. He lifted the sweater higher and higher, breaking his kiss only when he pulled the sweater over her head. With the sweater gone, Abbey grabbed his jean clad rear, pressing his erection harder into her belly.

"Abbey," he groaned against her mouth.

"Mmmm," she murmured, her lips moving to the hollow of his throat while her hand moved to his groin, cupping him. She carefully began to work at his zipper and gently slipped her hand inside to stroke his satiny hardness. He pulsed and grew even harder under her ministrations. She lifted his sweater to press kisses over his belly, then slid down to her knees taking his jeans and boxers with her. Once he was free, she leaned forward and ran her tongue from the base of him to his tip. She continued to run her tongue down the length of him again and again, licking as if he were an ice cream cone.

"Oh Christ Abbey," Jed moaned, leaning back against the deck rail. This was not what he had planned. He had wanted to pleasure her first, but he sure as hell wasn't going to stop her. He moved a hand down to tangle in her hair urging her to take him fully into her mouth, but she continued to torture him. She lapped him like a kitten and took just the tip of him between her lips, pressing her hands against his thighs when he tried to slide in. She flicked her tongue against the tip of him over and over. Holy mother of God, was she good at this, Jed thought gasping for air. Too good. That hot sweet mouth of hers was driving him insane. She could make him do what no one else could. Beg. And beg her for more he did, until she finally relented. She gently cupped his testicles in her hand and took him deeply into her mouth. Jed closed his eyes and groaned, giving himself over to the sensation of being engulfed in the warm wet depths of Abbey's mouth. When he re-opened them, he took in the erotic sight of his wife, on her knees in the moonlight, wearing only her jeans and the wispy camisole, her fiery hair spilling over her bare shoulders and his thighs while she was sliding him in and out of her mouth. She began to rake her fingernails lightly over his hips and thighs and he began to moan her name with more and more urgency, until, with a primitive deep groan of her name, he came.

When it was over and he was trying to catch his breath, Abbey soothed him with kisses over his thighs until he lifted her chin.

"Jesus, woman, that was incredible."

"I take it I get the Presidential seal of approval," she flirted.

"You're gonna get more than that," he said with a wicked grin as he began to pull his boxers back on. "But, let's go below deck to the bunks. Nobody but me is going to see the way you look when I make you scream for it." It took a moment for Jed's words to sink in, then Abbey looked at him with mortification.

"Oh my God, the Secret Service," she cried, blushing furiously. "I completely forgot about them."

"Abbey," he tried to calm her.

"Don't Abbey me. I just gave you a blow job in front of over a dozen Secret Service agents. God, I'll never be able to face them. Why didn't you stop me?"

"Darlin', when you take me in that sweet little mouth of yours I can't even remember my name, never mind the fact that we have agents watching us. Don't worry, if any of them at all was looking, it was probably only one. They do have jobs to do."

"Can you possibly be that naive? If one was looking, they all were," she said sarcastically. "If the guy's gaping mouth didn't do it, then I'm sure him calling out hey the President is getting a blow job right on the deck would have brought them all over with their binoculars. They are mostly all men after all. You're all suckers for free porn." She realized that she was still standing there in her camisole and looked out toward the boats she couldn't see in the dark. "Let's go below deck," she took Jed's hand, tugging him along.

"I'll follow you anywhere, Irish."

****

Once below deck, in their bunk, Jed's hands were all over Abbey trying to remove her clothing.

"How can you think about sex after what just happened?" She asked, still embarrassed.

"I assure you I can, and so will you," he took her earlobe between his lips and nibbled with his teeth, while running his fingers over her belly at the waist band of her jeans. He knew these twin assaults would quell any protests. Before she knew what was happening, Jed had laid her back on the bed. Her camisole had already been discarded and tossed in the corner with his boxers. Then, while he continued to nuzzle her neck, he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. He cupped her warmth through the denim and smiled when she sighed and squirmed against his hand. She lifted her hips so he could slide her jeans down over her legs to join the rest of their clothing strewn about the room.

Jed began to run his lips over her ribs to her stomach, pausing to dip his tongue into her belly button. It was his turn to torture her, and to accomplish that he began to trace his tongue along the edge of her lacy panties. Abbey parted her legs for him but he ignored what she wanted, instead, moving back up to nuzzle the underside of one breast. He knew better than to go near the nipple but soon, very soon they would be his again to tease, to arouse and to suckle. Abbey arched her back as he continued to lavish attention on her breasts. Jed stilled her by placing a hand on her stomach. That hand slipped lower under her panties to touch her intimately. She was wet to his touch and he knew just how much she wanted this. Abbey's thighs parted wider and she thrust up against his fingers. Jed took the hint this time and his lips and tongue worked on her belly while he removed her panties. He pushed her legs even further apart, rubbing his rough shaven cheek against her smooth inner thigh. Abbey moaned at the sensation. And, when his tongue replaced the stroke of his fingers, she cried out his name with a gasp, nearly arching off the bed. Jed got down to business alternating the use of his tongue and lips and when he began a soft suction, she raked her fingers through his hair.

"Oh God...Oh God...Oh God..." she was whimpering now. her head thrashing on the pillow, her hips thrusting upward to Jed's mouth.

"Hey," Jed said stopping. He rested his chin on her pubic bone, just below the tiny scar of Zoey's birth, and looked up at her. "I'm doing all the work here, not God. Of course, if you are promoting me, that's another story."

"Shut up Jed," she groaned in frustration, "come on babe, don't stop."

"That's better," he grinned and bent down to flick his tongue over her sensitized flesh, at the same time he slid a finger inside her. Abbey cried out and he felt her legs quivering, her belly tightening, her whimpers turning to urgent, deep, ragged moans. It was at that point that he stopped.

"Jed...no baby," Abbey cried, "don't stop...I'm almost there."

"I know," he gave a deep chuckle. That was exactly why he had stopped. He wanted to watch her come. Abbey gasped as Jed's fingers replaced his mouth, stroking with the same rhythm. Her fingers ran through her hair and gripped the pillow behind her and her breath came in short gasps as she arched and cried out Jed's name when she shattered in orgasm. It had been a long time since Jed had brought his wife such sublime pleasure and he took great satisfaction in watching her. He left his fingers on her for a few moments feeling the electrical pulses that continued to send shock waves through her body.

Before Abbey could even finish coming down from her orgasm, Jed slid deep inside her. She cried out, gripping his shoulders, every nerve still stretched taut. She didn't think she could take much more of this agonizing pleasure, but instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, responding to him as he kissed her deeply and they had the erotic experience of tasting the other on their tongues. Soon she was caught up in the rhythm he was creating with his deepening thrusts, and it wasn't long before they were both heading over that cliff again, their gasps and moans and pleading cries filling the tiny bunk.

Jed lay heavily on top of her. He was still inside her, his lips tenderly moving on her chest and neck, his hand stroking her cheek, as they both tried to regain their breath. Abbey liked the feeling of his weight pressing her into the bed. But too soon he looked up into her face.

"I'm crushing you," he said and started to withdraw from her.

"No," Abbey cried, "don't leave me yet." She wrapped her legs back around him to keep him exactly where he was. She didn't want to lose this feeling of being as close to him as humanly possible, not yet anyway.

"Ok then," he said, but rolled on to his back so that she lay sprawled over him. Her long soft hair was fanned over his chest and shoulders and he buried his face in its sweet fragrance. He inhaled deeply the scent of Abbey, honeysuckle, lily of the valley, and sex.

"I thought you might have cut this off," he said, twirling a long strand of hair on his finger.

"Why?" she asked, kissing the tip of his chin.

"Because you know how much I love your hair long."

"So?"

"So, don't play little miss innocent with me. I seem to recall a time that you got pissed at me not long after Elizabeth was born. Your hair was down to your ass and you cut it all off to spite me."

"I thought you were going to cry," Abbey smiled at the memory.

"It was a mean thing to do."

"I was a still a child then. I am not child anymore."

"No, you're not," he said admiringly, "you're all woman. God Abbey, I am so glad we got all this cleared up."

"Jed," she laughed, "sex has never been one of our trouble areas."

"I guess not," he admitted with a husky laugh.

"Lord, I feel like a limp rag doll," she yawned, rubbing her cheek against his chest hair.

"Me too."

"I can assure you, you are not limp."

"Won't be long now," Jed smiled against her forehead.

"I don't want to go back. I want to stay here all night in your arms," she said sleepily.

"We can steal a few more hours," he kissed the top of her head. "Go to sleep baby."

"You'll wake me in an hour?" She asked, knowing his internal clock worked better than hers.

"Oh yeah, you can count on it."

TBC...