"Tell me what she said again, Bruno." Jed set the file he was examining down and turned his full attention to his campaign manager.

"When she was asked about losing her medical license Mrs. Bartlet responded that right now she's just a wife and mother."

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Jed asked. "It's the truth. She's not out there performing surgery, or seeing patients, or even teaching. She's campaigning on her husband's behalf and raising two young children, hence she's just a wife and mother."

"Yes, it is the truth but it's the JUST that's causing a problem. Some stay at home mother's are planning to picket her because they feel it's condescending for her to make that kind of statement."

"You're kidding, right?" Jed peered over the top of his glasses.

"I wish that I were. The Republican's are all over this like a pig in shit. They're trying to say that Abbey Bartlet, brilliant surgeon and professor, is looking down her nose at women who are JUST wives and mother's."

"That's bullshit, Bruno. Abbey takes all of her roles, especially that of wife and mother very seriously. There were several times in her life when Abbey WAS a stay at home mom, including the first three years of Elizabeth's life. Her own mother was a stay at home mom and Abbey damn near worships the ground that she walks on. She doesn't think any less of any woman who made the choice to pursue family as their career, just as she doesn't think any less of any woman who made a career her choice over having a family. Abbey chose to do both, she doesn't think that makes her any better or any worse than any other woman out there."

"Good answer," CJ clapped after hearing the President's impassioned defense of his wife.

"It IS a good answer," Bruno agreed. "And you'll need to be ready with it because Janet Ritchie has already jumped into the fray."

"Janet Ritchie is involved."

"Yes, according to her being a wife and mother are the most rewarding roles that she's ever played and she and Abbey must have different ambitions."

"DAMN her. As if the fact that Abbey has an ambitious career makes her any less of a loving wife and mother. God, I HATE it when women do that to each other. Stay at home mother's feel that they are somehow less in society's eyes because they don't have a life outside the home, while women with careers and families are always torn over whether they are spending enough time within their home, and single mother's are just struggling every day to get by. When are they going to realize how much they have in common and band together instead of always tearing each other apart."

"When you feel guilty it's easier to lash out and try to make the other side look bad, "CJ attempted to defend the sisterhood. "Men never have to worry about that kind of guilt."

"Well, Janet Ritchie is going to be damn sorry that she lashed out at my wife."

"Sir, I don't think you need to worry," Sam said. "Anybody who has ever watched Mrs. Bartlet with Zoey or with Nicholas and Aislinn can see how much that she loves them. The American people know how much that she loves her family and what she has sacrificed for that family."

"How in the hell do we keep descending into this madness?" Jed asked with disgust. "This campaign is supposed to be about the economy, about health care, about terrorism and foreign policy but so far all anybody seems to care about are semi nude photo's my wife had taken for me as a gift and whether or not she loves her children. How does any of that effect the American public?"

"It doesn't," Bruno said. "Well, other than those pictures causing the blood pressure of every straight male in the country to sky rocket."

"And maybe a few gay ones as well," Sam grinned.

Jed gave a soft laugh, his anger deflating as Bruno had hoped. "Don't worry, sir. All of this is going to change with the debates. The debates will be about substance not fluff."

"I hope you're right, Bruno, but just in case, Charlie, get me Harry Nilsson on the phone."

****

"Harry, Jed Bartlet here." Jed sat back on the bed he was using while staying at the Saybrook Institute in North Carolina.

"Uh…Mr. President. Hello." Harry stammered.

"Listen, I have a favor to ask you."

Harry tensed wondering if he was about to get an earful over the sexy photos that he had taken of the First Lady. "Of course. Anything."

"You know my wife has been taking some pretty good hits for those negatives that you neglected to destroy."

"I'm aware of that and let me just say again how sorry I am about that."

"I know that she spoke with you and that you apologized for what happened, however, apologies aren't going to cut it anymore. Janet Ritchie has been after my wife ever since her husband announced his candidacy. I need some leverage to attack back the next time they go after Abbey."

"How can I help you with that?"

"I know that your partner is the one who gave the negatives to David Brenner who is the head of the RNC and that he in turn gave them to Janet Ritchie."

"Yes, I gave Mrs. Bartlet that information. I was surprised that you didn't expose the Ritchies involvement right away."

"We didn't do it because my wife was very hesitant to expose your, uh, personal life. If we expose the Ritchie's we'll have to do it at your expense. Neither of us likes the idea of embarrassing innocent people, which is why we haven't moved forward. We figured everything would blow over, and really, the pictures coming out have actually helped us in some polls. People have more sympathy for Abbey."

"Then why the change of heart?"

"Because the mud is starting to fly pretty damn thick and I'm getting sick to death of it. I have a pretty good hunch that things are only going to get worse once it's time for the debates."

"I see. Well, what do you want from me?"

"Your permission to throw Janet Ritchie's involvement back in Rob Ritchie's face if I need to."

"You certainly don't need my permission for that, sir."

"I know I don't NEED your permission. I'd like your permission. As I said the idea of hurting innocent people doesn't set well with me, but then neither does watching my wife take all these hits."

An overwhelming sense of respect for Jed Bartlet took Harry over. This man was the President of the United States, he could have very easily destroyed his enemy's image by leaking the photo information, and instead he sat on it waiting for permission so that another person wouldn't be hurt.

"I came to terms with my homosexuality decades ago, sir. The fact that I didn't do as the First Lady asked and destroy the negatives myself may hurt me professionally, but that's my own fault, isn't it? I think the person you have to worry about embarrassing is David Brenner. He's so far in the closet he'll have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the light. The head of the Republican National Committee having an affair with a male fashion photographer is going to destroy him."

"Probably, but I don't give a damn about David Brenner at this point. I really could care less about his sexuality, although I know that won't be the case with the other members of his party and constituency. What I care about is what he did with those photos. He made his bed and now he's going to have to lie in it."

"You do what you have to do, sir. I'm behind you and Mrs. Bartlet all the way and if you need somebody to corroborate your story, you tell the press to come and speak with me."

"Thank you, Harry."

"No, thank you, sir, for having the decency to speak with me about this."

****

"You know I remember camp being more fun than this," Jed said, as they moved into the afternoon session of prep. "When do we get to go canoeing and sing around the campfire?"

"When you stop giving answers like 'bite me' to the questions that you're asked," Leo told him. There was nothing humorous in Leo's tone. The two had just come from a situation room meeting where Jed had all but ignored any of Leo's input. Jed knew that Leo was pissed about that. Leo had gotten very used to Jed accepting his advice and acting upon it almost without question. Leo was the one with the White House experience, the military experience, but Jed was no longer a novice. He was a brilliant man, an incredible politician and a born leader and he could feel himself growing into the job. He didn't need Leo's advice quite so much anymore, or maybe need was the wrong term. Maybe he didn't always want Leo's advice or maybe it was just that he wasn't accepting it at face value anymore.

Jed didn't know when the relationship had begun to change with his chief of staff. He didn't know whether it was a natural evolution or if it was because of his shifting personal relationship. He did know that ever since the truth had come out about Leo's feelings for Abbey and how he had acted upon those feelings nothing had been the same. He no longer blindly trusted the man and he had begun to wonder if there would always be that edge to their personal relationship.

Then again, maybe it wasn't the loss of trust between the two. Maybe the change had come when Leo had convinced him to have a man killed. Ordering the hit on Shareef had gone against everything that Jed had believed in and that act still weighed heavily on his soul.

Or maybe it was just that he was moving into the adulthood of his Presidency. Leo was only a year older than Jed was but ever since they'd become friends at prep school he'd always seemed much older. Life had forced Leo McGarry to become street smart and wise beyond his years, while Jed had been sheltered and far more innocent. He'd relied on Leo's experience and savvy very much in the first year of his Presidency, had relied on it even more while he was recuperating from the shooting in his second year. But now he was like a teenager trying to assert his independence. He didn't need Leo quite so much anymore and like any parent that was hard for Leo to accept.

Maybe this small chasm was a combination of everything that had happened over the first term of his Presidency. He still relied on Leo's advice. Still turned to him to help make decisions but never again would he do so blindly. Never again would he accept without questions. Never again would he play the part of protégé. The role was his now and he was embracing it for all it was worth. Leo was simply going to have to step back and learn to accept his own new role. To see that Jed not only WAS the President, he had BECOME the President and like any good parent he was going to have to accept Jed's independence if he planned to continue on in his role of best friend and advisor.

****

Between debate prep and situation room meetings Jed was intellectually and physically exhausted. His advisors had gotten a break for supper and singing but he and Leo had been in meetings right through the evening meal and then it had been right into the last debate session, which ended well after 10 PM. His steps were heavy as he made his way up the stairs, however, as reached the top and turned down the hall toward his bedroom and saw Abbey's secret service detail standing outside the bedroom door his heavy tred lightened and he quickly finished the trip.

"I think I'm in for the night, boys," he grinned at his agents.

"Good night, sir."

Jed nodded as he opened the door. It would be now.

Wearing baggy silky pajama's, her curly hair rumpled, Abbey lay propped up by pillows on the bed. She had obviously fallen asleep waiting for him to return for her glasses still lay perched on her nose and her book was lying open over her breasts. She looked soft and feminine and utterly adorable. It was amazing how just seeing her could cause his mood to lighten and the pressure within him to dissipate.

He lay down next to her on the bed reaching a tentative hand out to remove her glasses.

"Hmmm…" Abbey stirred at the touch, unconsciously moving closer to him. Tenderness tightened his chest and caused his eyes to sting. Dear Lord, how he loved this woman.

"Abbey, I'm back." He ran his index finger down the bridge of her nose. She blinked her eyes sleepily a slow smiling curving her lips as she saw his face just inches from hers.

"I've been waiting for you." Her voice was husky with sleep and her own innate sensuality.

"I can see that." He removed the book from her chest and scooted closer to her. One hand trailed lightly over her cheek and before Abbey was even completely awake his lips were on hers, soft, gentle, welcoming. She liked letting him kiss her like this, waking her up so sweetly and tenderly that it made her heart swell with the love she held for him. He kissed her a long time like that, not asking for anything in return until his hand slid under her pajama top to press lightly over her lower back and she arched into him with a sigh, shuddering as she felt the hard heat of his desire. At that point control on both sides snapped and suddenly they were kissing as if they meant it, as if they would devour each other. Abbey's mouth opened asking for more and Jed complied, his tongue invading her with sensuous expertise, his hands sliding into the waistband of her baggy pajama bottoms to cup and knead the soft bare flesh of her luscious little butt. With a soft moan into his mouth, Abbey's arms tightened around his neck and she began to rock feverishly against him.

"Jed…please…" she yanked his shirt up, her fingers working at the button of his jeans. "I'm on fire…"

""Don't worry, babe." He pulled back slightly to work at the fly of his pants. "I'll take care of it."

And, being a man of his word, he did.

****

"I'm not going to get in trouble for this, am I?" Abbey asked, as she nibbled along Jed's chest, the aftershocks of their lovemaking still quivering through their bodies.

"Trouble?" Jed's chest was still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "I don't think we've had to worry about that since we were sneaking around having sex in my father's car just after graduation. God, I couldn't keep my hands off of you then and I can't keep my hands off of you now."

"Ha ha. That wasn't what I meant. I was wondering if you were like a boxer getting ready for a fight, you know, no sex, nothing to distract you. And, by the way, let's not make it sound like I was jumping into your car to have sex with you every night of the week. ONCE, Jed, one time after we were engaged I snuck out of the house and let you have your way with me in the back seat of your car."

Jed didn't remind her that the only reason they hadn't done it again was because a few days later she had found out that she was pregnant from their first encounter which had been without the benefit of protection. "Really? All this time I thought you were having your way with me."

"Very funny," she rolled off of him.

Jed chuckled then settled back against the pillows pulling Abbey toward him. She snuggled up to him throwing her legs over his thighs and laying her cheek against his torso.

"I'm going to lose New Hampshire," he told her. The words may have been matter of fact but the monotone voice held a wealth of hurt.

"Maybe."

"No maybes about it. They told me it's out of reach."

"We'll see."

"Leo's pissed at me"

"He'll get over it."

"I don't know. Things are changing between us. I'M changing. I question his advice now."

"That's not such a bad thing." She traced her fingertips teasingly over his chest.

"Maybe not. He's always hated that I have to weigh things out in my mind before I make a decision. That I don't jump right in with both feet."

"Jumping right in with both feet can be a pretty dangerous thing to do, especially when you're the President. Maybe that's why you're the President and Leo's your chief of staff."

Jed nodded threading his fingers through Abbey's silky hair. His silence on the matter caused Abbey to lift her chin to gaze up at him. "You're worried about your motivation." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I hope I'm not acting this way because of you…because of finding out how he feels about you."

"It's going to take time, Jed. Finding out about Leo's feelings, and about how he acted on those feelings tore at the very foundation of your friendship. You completely, blindly trusted him to always be looking out for your best interests and then you found out that he wanted to have sex with your wife and would have betrayed you if your wife hadn't been such a pillar of virtue." She grinned impishly up at him and stuck her fingertip in his belly button.

Jed gave a soft laugh and tugged at a strand of her hair. "I guess you're right. A part of me would like to go back to the way that it was, but another part of me likes who I'm becoming."

"You've always been a great man, Jed. Now you're well on your way to becoming a great President. I'm sure that there has to be some jealousy on Leo's part. We all know that it was HIS dream to be President and for four years he's been able to live sort of vicariously through you. Now maybe you don't need him so much. That has to be hard on him. This job…" Abbey broke off as Jed's stomach rumbled with hunger.

"Jed, did you eat supper?" she asked.

"I have a Snicker's bar in my pants pocket," he said sheepishly.

"Sorry, but contrary to their commercials Snicker's bars are not an alternative to a meal." She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Naked, she began wandering around the room to find her pajamas and bathrobe. Jed lay back enjoying the show until she turned on him. "Get your ass out of bed, Bartlet. We're going to get something to eat."

"I'll just call down and have something sent up."

"Jed, it's after 11, this isn't a hotel. We're not waking up some poor cook because you decided to skip a meal. I'm sure we'll be able to find something." She tossed his jeans to him and set forth toward the door. Jed did as told. He might be able to question Leo's authority over him but he'd never question Abbey's. Questioning Abbey's advice came with too high a price. The loss of recreational activities with his delicious little wife was not something that he would ever take a chance with.

****

Abbey stood at the refrigerator in the kitchen of the Saybrook Institute. "We've got some definite possibilities here," she told him. "Mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, cheese, butter, eggs. I can whip us up some pretty good omelets." She turned from the refrigerator with her arms full of vegetables. "Could you grab the eggs for me?" Jed nodded.

After setting the ingredients on the counter and tossing some butter into a skillet, Abbey turned to get the eggs from Jed and was confronted by the delectable sight of her husband's jean clad butt as he leaned into the refrigerator looking for the carton of eggs. Slowly, quietly, she made her way up behind him and slid a hand between his parted legs to cup gently over his balls. She didn't expect quite the reaction that she got. Jed gasped and jumped at the feel of the hand on his crotch and the carton of eggs dropped to the floor splattering egg whites and yolk everywhere.

"What were you doing?" He whirled on her. "You scared the hell out of me."

Abbey couldn't help but softly giggle at his response. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to jump out of your skin."

"You grab my balls and don't expect me to jump out of my skin?"

"Not like that. We better clean up this mess."

"Or maybe you should finish what you started." Jed grabbed her wrist and placed her hand back over his crotch, grinding it into him. Abbey felt him burgeoning under her fingertips and she gave him a soft squeeze in response. Jed's eyes closed, a contented sigh sliding past his lips. He felt her working his fly and slipping her hand inside his pants. Felt her warm fingers delving through the thicket of hair at his groin.

"You aren't wearing any underwear" she whispered against his neck, as she took his penis into her hand and began stroking the satiny hardness, feeling his pulsing heart beat in every ridge.

"You only gave me…the pants" he groaned out, his fingers digging into her shoulder as she began to work him harder and faster, running her palm over the tip of him so she could use the wetness of his emission to increase her speed and friction. Jed groaned softly as she squeezed him, milking every ounce of pleasure out of him.

"Oh, Lord, babe..." he choked, the near pain of release building deep in his belly. "You're too damn good at this."

It was his last coherant thought. Abbey heard his breath quicken. She felt his belly and thighs tighten and his penis seemed to swell to twice its size in her hand just before he exploded in climax.

"Abbeeeyy…" he bit out her name on a low deep moan as he ejaculated into her hand.

Abbey continued to stroke him, gently now, soothingly. "Every time I do that I know exactly why it feels so good when it happens inside of me," she murmured, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Something's burning in the kitchen…"

Jed and Abbey heard the voices just in the nick of time to break apart. Abbey quickly turned to the sink tossing Jed a paper towel to cleanse himself and Jed went down to his knees on the floor to zip himself back into his pants. By the time the members of the senior staff and the campaign staff entered the kitchen Abbey was washing her hands in the sink and Jed was cleaning the egg mess off the floor.

"What's burning in here?" Toby asked.

"Just some butter." Abbey glanced down at Jed trying not to smirk. "We're making omelets."

"Omelet's? That sounds good, count me in." Josh said.

"Mmm…me too," Sam added.

"What are you all doing in here," Leo asked, as he entered the room.

"Mrs. B is making us all omelets," Josh grinned.

Abbey rolled her eyes at Jed. "You better get out some more eggs, babe." She told him. "Be careful this time."

"You want me to tell them WHY I dropped the eggs?" He whispered, as she handed over the cartons.

"Not unless you want me to tell them why the front of your jeans are wet."

Jed looked down at the dark damp spots that decorated the crotch of his pants and flushed a deep shade of red, which caused Abbey to chuckle. "Here," she handed him an apron. "Put this on and start chopping up the green peppers."

"You gonna give Julia Child a run for her money?" Toby asked, upon seeing the President turn toward them with an apron tied around his waist and a cutting board and green peppers in his hands.

As all the men began to laugh, Abbey turned on them. "Yes, he is. And you're all going to join him. Just because I'm the wife and mother here doesn't mean I'm going to do all the work. Toby you start chopping the mushrooms, Sam you dice the tomatoes and Leo, you can pour the orange juice."

Bruno sat back watching them all scatter to do Abbey's bidding.

"Don't think you're out of this Bruno," Abbey said seeing the smug look on his face. "You can grate the cheese."

"Guess she told you" Sam laughed.

While Abbey stood at the stove flipping fluffy omelet's, idea's, arguments, taunts and laughter filled the room and she realized just how much she'd missed all of this. How much she'd missed the easy camaraderie and bantering exchanges of intelligent, witty people, people who truly cared about each other. Things had changed so much since she and Jed had moved into the White House. Governors didn't really live at the Governors mansion in East Concord, especially Governors who only lived a 20-minute commute away. Bridges House was used for teas and functions and in the past, if the rumors were true, to house a mistress or two, but the Governors and their families did not live there. So, the intellectual center of Jed's governorship had been their kitchen table at the farm. That had not been the case with the Residence. The Residence kitchen was rightfully a place for Jed to unwind with family only, no politics, and she had been adamant on that. Still, it was easy to see how she could come to view these people who took her husband away from her so often as the enemy. It took evenings like this to remind her that they really were a family. They gossiped, bickered, resented, and made up just like any other family.

Abbey slid an omelet onto a plate and made her way to where Jed sat at the head of the table, king of his domain. As she placed the plate in front of him, he was in a heated exchange with Toby over the debate forum. Without missing a beat Jed caught her wrist kissing her palm.

"Thanks, babe." He continued on with his argument but as Abbey's hand lay on his shoulder squeezing gently, he raised his hand to squeeze her fingers a smile of affection passing between the two. It was easy, unconscious and noticed by all because it was so uncontrived and genuine. Jed pushed his chair out and pulled Abbey down to sit on his lap.

"They're all worried about the debate forum," he told her. "Expectations are incredibly high for me. Too high. Ritchie is such a moron all he has to do is speak in a complete sentence and it will be a victory for him."

"Well, what are the odds of Rob Ritchie actually being able to speak one complete sentence?" Abbey asked.

They had been expecting a pep talk not humor and it took them all a moment before everyone began to laugh.

"I guess we'll find out in two weeks, won't we?"

TBC...