Jed awoke, reaching out for his wife, frowning when he found the spot next to him empty. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and saw that her clothes were still strewn about the room. Well, she might have been gone from his arms, but at least she was still not dressed, he mused. He slipped on his boxers and left the cabin to find Abbey. It didn't take long to locate her. She was seated at the table in the galley wearing only a t-shirt and her underwear. His t-shirt, to be more precise. He admired how it rose up over her hip exposing one long shapely leg. She was eating a bowl of chocolate mousse, her hair loose, curly and rumpled. He smiled wondering how someone could look so sexy, and yet, so utterly adorable in the same instant.

"I thought I was supposed to wake you," he said, entering the room and kissing the top of her head.

"I woke up hungry. I never did get to finish my supper."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not at all," she gave him the languid look of a cat who had just licked the cream.

"Didn't think so. I know I've said this before, but I miss seeing you like this at the breakfast table," he said, accepting a bite of mousse from her spoon.

"Somehow I don't think this is quite the appropriate attire for breakfast at the White House."

"Maybe not," he agreed, "but I'm sure the stewards would love it. We'd get their votes for sure. Vote for Jed Bartlet," he boomed, "and get 4 more years of Abbey Bartlet half naked at the breakfast table."

"Jed," she shook her head her with a half smile. "You know I really wish this boat had a shower."

"You can shower back at the cottage."

"I know...it's just...well, I don't want to meet back up with the service like this."

"Like what?" He asked puzzled.

"I smell of sex," she said slowly as if he were addle brained.

"You smell of me," he said huskily and Abbey felt an erotic chill down her spine.

"Yes, I do. And I'd appreciate the service not all knowing that."

"We can clean up, you know. Let's go for a swim."

"I didn't bring a suit."

"Who needs suits?" He wiggled his eyebrow suggestively, causing Abbey to laugh.

"I think the service got enough of a show earlier, Romeo. I'm not going skinny dipping."

"You like going skinny dipping. Remember?" He said, seductively running a finger over her full bottom lip.

"I remember," she swallowed, "but that was before I carried an entourage."

"You're no fun," he grumbled, accepting another bite of mousse. "You know, we can swim in our underwear. Your panties and that silky top thing..."

"The camisole," she supplied him with the term.

"Yea, those are more modest than some of your suits."

"Are you saying my suits are immodest?"

"I am saying some of them are positively an invitation to sin and I love every last one." Abbey's very feminine laughter filled the night air.

*****

"How is it?" Abbey asked, looking down at her husband, who was treading water below her.

"It's nice. Come on in." Abbey looked to her right and her left, then dropped her towel, and jumped in the water next to Jed. She surfaced with a loud shriek.

"You son of a bitch! It's freezing!" She cried, splashing him.

"That's what you get for making me jump in first. Come on Abbey, it's the North Atlantic, when have you ever known it to be nice?"

"You have a vindictive streak in you, Josiah," she said, her teeth chattering.

****

Meanwhile, on the Coast Guard cutter, the agent in charge of watching the 'Abigail Anne' was approached by several other agents who had heard Abbey's shriek.

"What are they doing now, Brad?" One of them asked with a slight smirk. Abbey had not been far off the mark when it came to the agents flocking to see the First Lady in action.

"They're swimming. In their underwear," the agent named Brad grinned at the others, thinking how lucky he was to have pulled this duty tonight. Hearing the laughter and splashing, the others all picked up their binoculars to look at the boat, hoping for some kind of encore performance.

"Why are there six of you watching the boat?" Ron Butterfield asked sternly. "This is the second time I've had to break you all up tonight."

"But sir, the First Lady is..."

"I don't care what the First Lady is doing. Your jobs are to protect the President and First Lady, not play peeping toms into their private life. Now, I want all of you but Brad to get back to your posts. NOW."

"Lucky bastard," the others grumbled walking away and Brad smiled, focusing his binoculars back on the schooner. As Ron went back to his commandeering post, it was all he could do not to lift his binoculars. After hearing Brad call out what was going on the deck of the boat earlier, he had instinctively focused his binoculars on that deck. Never would he look at Abigail Bartlet in the same manner. He'd always thought the President was a lucky man to have such a hot little wife, now he knew for a fact that he most certainly was. But, he was a also a professional, and he had been angry with himself for intruding on what should have been a private moment between husband and wife. He vowed to try to give them as much privacy he could within the realm of such heavy security. Damn, he'd been serving in the Secret Service through four Presidencies and he had never had any dilemmas like this before. Jed and Abbey Bartlet were definitely not the typical Presidential couple.

****

Back in the cabin, Abbey stood in her dripping wet underwear, her wet hair slicked back, her nipples, hardened by the cold, straining against the silk camisole.

"I'm freezing," she said, shivering.

"Yeah you are," Jed grinned, moving to her with a towel. As he wrapped it around her body, his mouth moved to her neck, nuzzling and warming her blood.

"Jed," she ran her fingers through his wet hair. "This is defeating the whole purpose of that frigid swim."

"Fuck the Service," he said, his voice thickened by desire.

"I'd rather fuck you," her eyes caught Jed's and he began to laugh.

"That can definitely be arranged," he pulled her tightly against him. "Most definitely."

*****

It was just as Abbey had feared. As soon as she and Jed stepped off the boat, they were joined by the agents. There was nothing overt in their looks. There wasn't any snickering or smirking, but Abbey knew they had seen everything. It was in the way she saw one agent give Jed a pat on the back as he helped them off the boat. It was in the way the shy agents would look at the ground uncomfortably when she talked to them and the way the more bolder agents gazes lingered on her longer than usual. It was in the way their eyes moved almost imperceptibly up and down her body with frank admiration in their glances. She refused to squirm or blush in their presence. She hadn't done anything wrong. Instead, she met their eyes boldly with cool glances of her own, until they were the ones to look down at the ground, embarrassed at the way they had invaded her privacy.

Abbey turned from them, took the hand Jed offered her and walked away with her back ramrod straight, her head held high. It was that defiant gesture that made the agents admire her even more.

****

Back at the cottage Abbey peeked into Zoey's room to see her daughter sleeping soundly.

"We're home," she said softly and kissed her forehead.

"Mmmm, hi Mom," Zoey murmured sleepily, "did you have fun?"

"I did. Go back to sleep sweetheart," she pushed the hair off Zoey's face and watched her daughter curl back up under the blankets. She unplugged the baby monitor and took it from Zoey's nightstand.

Jed finished locking the cottage and found Abbey rearranging blankets over Aislinn and Nicholas. He joined her, placing his arm around her waist, and they both watched their offspring sleeping sweetly. Aislinn was hogging the crib as usual, arms and legs stretched out, her little mouth pursing as she comforted herself with little sucking motions. Nicholas was also predictably sucking his little fist. The pacifier Zoey had given him had been thrown by his feet. Abbey leaned over, removing Aislinn's arm from Nicholas' chest. The baby girl gave a little whimper and blinked her big gray eyes sleepily at her parents. Then, with a sigh, she went back to sleep.

"I'm glad you fired Hattie," Jed whispered, "or we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble right now." Abbey smiled at him and, after a few more moments, they left the twins to sleep and went to their own room. Abbey plugged the monitor in the wall by their bed and started to undress. She was taking off her earrings when she saw Jed lifting the receiver of the phone.

"Jed, who are you calling at this hour?" She asked.

"Leo. I told him I was dropping out of the race. I need to tell him that scenario is off."

"It's almost 2 in the morning."

"Your point?"

"My point is that it is a little late for a phone call. He might be a tad pissed to be woken up for news that could wait until tomorrow."

"Abbey, this is Leo. He is still awake and brooding over my decision. I can almost guarantee it. Remember, he gave up everything for his job." Abbey thought again of poor Jenny.

"You're probably right," she said, watching him punch Leo's number in the phone.

"Hello," Leo answered.

"Hi Leo. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Mr. President. Do you know what time it is?"

"I believe my wife just told me it is about 2 a.m. I told her you would still be awake."

"Just barely. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Leo. Does something have to be wrong for me to call one of my oldest friends in world?"

"You talked to Abbey, didn't you?" Leo sighed.

"Yup. We went on a wonderful, romantic, moonlight sail and we did a lot of talking."

"Did you talk about..."

"Yes, Leo. I gave Abbey my Presidency," he said, placing an arm around Abbey's waist and pulling her close.

"And...?"

"And she gave it back to me," he stroked her cheek, tears filling his eyes. Abbey swallowed past the lump in her throat, pressing her forehead into Jed's chest. Leo was stunned into silence for a few moments on the other end.

"Wow," he said finally, "I didn't expect this. That is one incredible lady you have there, Jed."

"You aren't telling me anything I don't know," he said, stroking Abbey's silken hair. "Well, I'll let you go. Get some sleep, Leo."

"Yes, sir. Oh, by the way, tell Abbey thank you. From me and the staff."

"I'll do that."

****

Jed slept later than he had planned and Abbey was already up and gone. She was in the kitchen spooning baby cereal into Nicholas' mouth, while Aislinn was tucked in her arm nursing.

"You look like you could use a little help," he said, "what do you want me to do?"

"Could you clean Nicky up so I can finish feeding Aislinn?" she asked, slipping a finger in her daughter's mouth to break her suction so she could place her in her baby seat for her turn with the baby cereal.

"Sure," Jed said, grinning down at his tiny son, who had baby cereal smeared across his cheeks and chin and on the small fist he was sucking on. "You sure did make a mess buddy," he said, lifting him into his arms. "Don't you know, young man, that the food is supposed to go in your mouth, not all over your face?"

"Nicky, you just tell your daddy it's only your second meal of solid food and you are doing just fine, aren't you sweet boy," she kissed the top of his head as Jed approached her to watch Aislinn. He chuckled as his daughter allowed the cereal to dribble down her lip so that Abbey had to scoop it off her chin and back into her mouth.

"Don't worry, bud. Your sister doesn't have any better table manners than you."

Nicholas, always intrigued by his father's deep voice, regarded him with wide eyes. Father and son's identical blue gazes locked. After a moment, Nicholas reached his hands up to touch his father's face.

"Abbey," Jed groaned, "look what your son just did to me." Abbey glanced at him and laughed. Nicholas had smeared sticky baby cereal over Jed's cheeks and lips.

"So, he's my son, is he?"

"MY son would never treat his father with such disrespect. Would he?" Jed teased, tickling the baby under his chin and getting a squirm and a toothless smile in response. "Boy, this stuff still tastes like paste," he said, licking the cereal off his lips.

"What did you expect? You know it has to be bland for their stomachs."

"Well, I'm looking forward to fruits."

"If I remember correctly, your favorites were plum and tutti frutti," she smiled. "Now, if I could only get you to eat green beans."

"Never! So, darlin', are you going to clean me up?" he asked, nudging her arm.

"You're a big boy now Jed, I think you can handle it. If you would get your butt moving and clean Nicky up, you wouldn't have this problem."

"We're going, we're going. Boy Nicholas, your mom is awfully bossy," he turned to walk toward the sink and Abbey whipped him on the rear with the burping rag she had been wearing over her shoulder.

"What's all this?" Jed asked, seeing a picnic hamper on the counter by the sink.

"I thought we'd spend the day on the beach and have a picnic."

"Alone?"

"Us and two babies. Don't forget, I fired the nanny."

"Guess that means breaking out the baby tent. Do we even still have it in the shed?"

"We got a new one at my baby shower. It's on the porch, I've been using it."

"Ok, but don't forget, I told Zoey that I'd play tennis with her later this afternoon. Have you heard from Liz? When is she bringing Annie over?"

"Her friend Isabelle is bringing her in a couple days, then Liz and Jay will join us next week. Liz wants me to interview Isabelle for the nanny position. She was Annie's preschool teacher and, from what I hear, all the kids adored her. She has a master's in child psych and is certified in CPR."

"Well, if she has Liz and Annie's seal of approval I'm sure she'll be great. I promised Annie a few rounds of mini golf, and Zoey and I want to repaint the 'Zellie' before Ellie gets here. I want to surprise her. She has been working so hard in school."

"Med school is a bitch," Abbey sighed, watching her daughter place her sticky hands in her wispy blond hair. "But, Jed, please remember this is a VACATION. Try to relax."

"Like I said," Jed smiled conspiratorily at his son, running a cloth over his face, "bossy."

TBC...