"Look at this CJ, tell me it's not magnificent." Strolling up the middle of the grand tree lined boulevard that was Notre Dame Avenue; Jed Bartlet stopped to gaze up at the Main Building. Sitting at the heart of the campus with it's famous Golden Dome topped with the glistening gold statue of the Virgin Mary and it's Gothic brick gables and spires, it was an imposing and architecturally stunning building, one that Jed had always thought deserved a much grander name than that of the Main Building. Directly to it's left was the equally gothic "Basilica of the Sacred Heart", which, with its spires and stained glass windows gave it the look of a medieval cathedral. At the peak of the highest spire was a gold cross to match the Main Building's Virgin Mary.

"It IS magnificent, sir" CJ breathed. "I can actually FEEL the seriousness that the Catholic religion is taken here."

"I felt that too, right from my first visit here. My father really wanted me to go to Dartmouth. I was a Bartlet and Bartlet's ALWAYS went to Dartmouth and I was sort of leaning that way, but the moment I stepped on this campus I knew that this was the place for me."

"Getting Ritchie to agree to debate you here was a real stroke of genius on your part. You really love this place, don't you?"

"This was where I was born," Jed said simply.

"What do you mean born? I thought you were born at Catholic Medical Center in New Hampshire."

"I mean spiritually. It was here the Jed Bartlet that you know was born. It was here at Notre Dame that I learned just what kind of a person that I wanted to be. The philosophy of this university has always been based on optimism and possibility and we were given a strong religious foundation that encouraged values like goodness, truth, and freedom. You've all wondered how easy it is for me to discuss my religious convictions in such a cynical day and age. It was because of this place, because I went to school in a place where it was not considered weird to have conversations about your soul. It was here that I discovered just who Jed Bartlet is and that discovery taught me how to be my own man and how to shape my own destiny. Of course it wasn't just the school that helped me with that," he faced her with a sweet little grin. "It was the fact that just down the road I met and fell in love with a woman who completely and irrevocably changed my life forever. Some of my happiest days were spent here with Abbey."

"Man, I wish you'd let me use some of this stuff in press releases," CJ sighed.

Jed smiled knowingly at her, slid his hands in his pockets, and continued to stride across the campus, his mind a thousand miles away. What he had not elaborated on to CJ was just what a refuge this college had been for him. It was the first time in his entire life that he had been out from underneath his father's thumb. He was no longer the headmaster's son, no longer worried about being under his father's stern, watchful eyes. It was here at Notre Dame that his horizon's had broadened, that he had realized his own future did not need to be tied into what his parent's wanted for him. It was here that he had truly learned how to love and how to let himself be loved. Loving Abbey had been the easy part; he had been infatuated, intrigued and halfway in love with her right from the first night he'd met her. However, allowing her to love him, to open up so completely to another human being had been emotionally very difficult for him. The birth of Jed Bartlet had not been easy; it had been fraught with pain and peril.

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry, CJ, did you say something?"

"I asked when the First Lady would be arriving."

"She's flying in from New Hampshire in a couple of hours. Why the hell is she in New Hampshire, anyway?" Jed turned from CJ looking back at Bruno and Leo who trailed far behind lost in conversation. "Why is Abbey campaigning in New Hampshire," Jed called back to them. "I thought we said that didn't look good."

"She's not campaigning, sir. She wanted to spend some time at the farm," Bruno called back.

"Yeah, so she said, bringing the kids to see their pediatrician and taking them on an autumn hayride and picking out some pumpkins at Charming Fair Farm."

"So you see she isn't campaigning."

"Except that Abbey would never take the children into the orchard to go apple picking that close to the road where all the reporters could take pictures of them, there are plenty of apple trees closer to the house. And, she probably would have made sure that Charming Fair Farm was closed down before bringing the twins on the hayride and letting them pick out pumpkins to decorate the porch. She didn't. The pictures have been plastered all over the papers. She's campaigning."

A wary look passed between CJ and Bruno. "Did you ever think she might be doing this for herself," CJ asked. She was grasping at straws right now. She knew Abbey WAS campaigning, in a low-key sort of way, AND she knew why.

"For herself?"

"To show the world that she really is a great mother, that she's never turned her nose up at that side of herself."

Jed thought back to all of the mother/children pictures he had seen of his wife and the twins lately and reluctantly had to agree that it made sense. He didn't like that she felt she had to do that, but he did understand. Abbey was a complicated woman, but what most people would never know was just how much her family meant to her. They saw a beautiful, stylish, successful, professional woman but they would never know the sacrifices, the missed job offerings, the passed over medical conventions, the sheer organizational skills that it took to make sure that she was not only true to herself as a woman with a career but also sure that her children were never slighted. The closeness that still existed between Abbey and their older daughter's was a testament to the strong bond that she had built with them over the years. And, the fact that when Nicholas or Aislinn awoke scared and crying in the middle of the night they called out for mommy, not Izzy, only proved the loving seriousness with which she had accepted the role of mother. A role that she had been forced to accept at the tender age of 21, but one that she had embraced with every atom of her being from the moment she became suspicious about Elizabeth's conception, to the day she was born, and forever after. Abbey was, at heart, a mother.

****

"Abbey, are you almost ready?" Jed sat on their bed at the Morris Inn, waiting for his wife to come out of the bathroom where she was changing out of her First lady clothes into the jeans and sweater she had pulled out of her suitcase.

"I'm just brushing my hair and my teeth. I'll be out in a minute. Why are you in such a rush?"

"Because there's a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it."

"Just what do you have planned?" She poked her head out of the bathroom, a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. Only Abbey actually listened to the dentist and brushed three times a day.

"Just a little trip down memory lane today and tonight. Then tomorrow we'll go to mass at the Basilica, then to the football game, and then it's debate time."

"They aren't pitching a fit over you going to the football game rather than going over debate prep?"

"Oh, they are. I'm just ignoring them. I mean, come on, it's the MICHIGAN game."

"Whatever were they thinking?" Abbey set her hands on Jed's knees and gazed innocently into his eyes. "I mean it's not like you're running for President or anything."

"Very funny. Look, we haven't been back to a game since I became President, Michigan is in town and I already have to be here. Of course I'm going."

"Of course."

"Look, are we going to sit here and jaw all day, or are we going to step out on campus."

"Lead the way."

****

Abbey and Jed walked along the campus paths hand in hand, much as they had for the almost year and a half they had dated there. It was a crisp, cool, autumn afternoon, the trees ablaze with color. Sweeping nostalgia filled them both as they walked past the dormitories each had lived in. Both had resided in dorms on "God Quad" known as such because of each dormitory's proximity to the Basilica. Separate dorms of course, for even today Notre Dame did not allow for co-ed housing. They paused for a moment in front of Walsh Hall where Abbey and Millie had roomed together, two of the first 365 women who had been allowed to get their education at the formerly all male school.

"Do you know how many times I sat out here staring up at that window waiting for you?" Jed asked.

"Do you know how many times I sat up there staring out the window looking for you?"

"We were a couple of moonstruck kids, weren't we?" He grinned, pulling her hand up to kiss the back of her fingers.

"I guess we were." They continued to stroll on past the French chateau-like Sorin Hall that typically housed the cream of the academic crop and where the future President Bartlet had resided.

"Not much has changed, has it?"

"I suppose not, just a little older, a little wiser."

"You're still that sexy little red-headed spitfire that I fell in love with. You really haven't changed much at all."

"Of course I have," Abbey laughed. "My hair was longer."

"So was mine."

"My hips are bigger."

"Yeah, well you're boobs are bigger too. You don't hear me complaining."

"They may be bigger but they don't stay up quite so nicely anymore."

"Hey!" Jed turned to her affronted. "Don't pick on my girls. Thelma and Louise are a couple of my best pals and they are absolutely perfect." He stepped back and surveyed her with appreciation. She was still slender, her waist tiny, but now there were gentle graceful curves. "You were almost too skinny back then, I love the way your curves filled in so nicely."

Abbey smiled and ran a hand over his cheek staring deeply into his beautiful baby blue eyes. They were the same eyes that she had fallen in love with when she was only 19 years old. They had a few lines beside them now but that only added character and depth to his incredibly handsome Irish face. "You've aged pretty damn well yourself."

"Look, we're here."

"The Grotto." Abbey sighed. They had made their way around Corby Hall and now stood at the entrance to a cave known as the Grotto, or more formally, The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Outside the shallow cave high up in the rocks were statues of the Virgin Mary and St. Bernadette, while inside there were hundreds of flickering burning candles and a wrought iron railing used to kneel in prayer.

"Remember the night that you took me here when my mother called to tell me my grandfather had died?" Abbey asked, squeezing his hand with the memory.

"Of course I do."

"You brought me here and we lit candles for his soul then we sat on the bare ground and you held me in your arms and let me cry for nearly an hour."

"You needed to grieve."

"Yes, I did. You knew me so well, Jed. Right from the start."

"I loved you."

"Other boys had said that to me before, but you were the first one that I knew meant it."

"Because I wasn't trying to get into your pants when I said it?" Jed scowled. He and Abbey didn't have any secrets. He knew that she hadn't slept with any of those boys, but he also knew that that wasn't from a lack of trying on their part.

"Partially," she laughed softly at his reaction. "But mostly because you always put me and my feelings first. That was when I knew exactly what it meant to love somebody. You were a man, Jed, they were still boys."

They made their way out of the Grotto and across Holy Cross drive as dusk settled over the campus. They strolled along St. Mary's Road and stood among the Sycamores on the small island of land that divided St. Joseph and St. Mary lakes. They stood side by side arms wrapped around each other's waists gazing out at St. Mary's, watching the lights of the campus reflect romantically on the clear sheet of water.

"God, do you remember how many picnics we had here?" Abbey chuckled.

"Yes, I do. Bologna and cheese, Frito's, Hostess Twinkies and beer."

"Oh, God, don't remind me" Abbey groaned.

"Hey, don't pick on the Twinkies."

"I know, I know, pathetically enough, when you have a world renowned chef working for you, Twinkies are still your comfort food."

"They bring back good memories. Do you remember that this was the first place that I ever saw you in a bikini?"

"Uh, yes," she laughed. "I thought your eyes were going to bug out of your head."

"Well, I'd never seen anything so damn sexy in all my life. You in that little black bikini with the tiny white polka dots gave me an erection that lasted a week."

"You've always had a thing for black bikini's, haven't you?"

"Only if you're the one wearing them."

"Did you know that day was the moment I knew it was only a matter of time until I slept with you."

"You never let on."

"What was I supposed to say? Oh my God, Jed, the way that you look at me is making my bones melt. I was a good Catholic girl; we'd only been dating three months before we'd had to split up for the summer. I wasn't ready for all that I was feeling, emotionally AND sexually. But, I knew that I wanted you. I watched you sitting there in your swimsuit, the sun dancing in your dark gold hair and over the tanned planes of your face. I watched the water beading up in your chest hair and dripping down into your belly button and you have no idea how badly I wanted to touch you. How much I wanted to lay my hands against your chest and run my fingers over your flat stomach. You have no idea how much that line of hair that ran from your navel into your swimming trunks intrigued me. I spent nights lying awake tossing and turning wondering what you would look like naked."

"I had plenty of those nights myself. I had more erotic dreams after I met you than I'd had all through puberty."

"It's amazing that we held out as long as we did."

"We almost didn't. Don't you remember Christmas break when my parents walked in on us."

"Oh, man," Abbey moaned. "I thought I was going to DIE. 10 more minutes and the deed would have been done. I don't know what was worse, them walking in on us, or your dad finding the condom that we were going to use and giving it back to us for future use. My God, Jed, he looked at me as if I were a whore."

"You don't know how badly I wanted to hit him right then. You were so amazing, Abbey, so brave. The way that you just thanked him and took it from him tucking it into your pocket was so great. But, after he left the room and I saw your eyes fill with tears I realized just how embarrassed you were and how hurt by the way that he perceived you, and THAT was when I wanted to strike him."

"I wanted to strike him a few times myself over the years."

They both laughed then Jed looked down at his watch. "We better get going. We have dinner reservations.

"Where?"

"Where do you think?"

"Well, let's see. You're in a bit of a nostalgic mood here so I'd have to say the "Tea Garden".

"Give the lady a gold star."

****

They could have dined at the Morris Inn; it had a first class dining area with white linen napkins and an elegant atmosphere and it boasted a clientele that included all former Presidents back to Eisenhower along with famous writers and entertainers, and even a pope. But Jed hadn't wanted to dine at the Morris Inn. The Inn was not for students, it was for parents and that was where he had dined when his parents came to visit. He wanted to remember the places that had eaten with Abbey and one of their favorites was the restaurant where they had gone on their first date.

The "Tea Garden" was a small hole in the wall that catered to the college crowd. There was nothing fancy or elegant about this Chinese restaurant.

"Still the same tasteless red and gold wallpaper with the dragon heads" Abbey said, as they were seated in the restaurant that had been kept empty for their visit.

"Still the same tacky plastic pineapple candle holders," Jed grinned. The restaurant's decor was decidedly cliché, however, as Jed and Abbey had learned, they served the best General Gao's chicken in South Bend and after their first date the two had become frequent visitors.

"What do you remember most about sitting here on our first date?" Abbey asked him, as she sipped her Mai Tai.

"I remember looking into your eyes and wondering if I was going to be able to get the nerve up to kiss you good night. What about you?"

"I remember holding your hand for the first time and anticipating what it would be like when you kissed me good night. Do you remember that we were here when I first told you that I loved you?"

"I believe you told Ron, not me," he grinned ruefully. "And you were pissed."

"You're right, I did" she laughed. "And I WAS pissed." Her mind wandered back quickly to that night, to the jealous encounter between Jed and Ron that had angered her so much she had lashed out at Ron with the fact that she was in love with Jed, something she hadn't even told HIM yet. "But I did tell you more nicely later that evening." She was quiet then remembering Jed's response. The tears that had filled his eyes and the knowledge that nobody had ever told him they loved him before.

"Yes, you did." His hand covered hers acknowledging the same memory. "This was also the place that on that same night I struck a man for the first and one of the few times in my life."

"Avenging my honor when Ron said those nasty things about me," she nodded.

"I don't know how you could be friends with him again after he called you a cocktease in front of the entire restaurant." Jed's scowl was so petulant and little boyish that Abbey had to chuckle.

"Because I knew that he was hurting. He was embarrassed in front of his friends and hurt by the fact that I was choosing you over him so he lashed out at me the only way he knew how. It was the only way that he could save face. He apologized to me later and I forgave him. I felt sorry for him. Just because I didn't love him, didn't mean that he didn't really love me. I never realized just how much he had loved me until after I broke up with him."

"Would it have made any difference?" Jed asked tightly, wondering if history might have been re-written if Ron Erlich hadn't messed things up for himself.

"No." She laid her hand over his. "Because no matter how much Ron loved me he couldn't make me love him. He couldn't before I met you, and certainly not after. But let's not spend our evening wasting time talking about Ron."

"Okay, I'm more than happy to change the subject. So, who do you think is going to win the game tomorrow?"

****

It was another cool autumn day, the football stadium humming with excitement as the pre-game entertainment had finished and they waited impatiently for the football team to burst out onto the field. The President and First Lady sat under their own personal faded navy blue and gold "Fighting Irish" blanket and sipped hot coffee from a thermos just as they had when they were students here. Only this time their seats were much better.

A huge cheer erupted as the Notre Dame banner was carried out onto the field with the players in their navy and gold uniforms following close behind. Jed and Abbey Bartlet were on their feet cheering and singing along with the crowd as the marching band struck up the cords of "The Victory March", the most famous football fight song ever.

"Rally sons of Notre Dame,
Sing her glory and sound her fame,
Raise her Gold and Blue.
And cheer with voices true,
Rah! Rah! For Notre Dame.
We will fight in every game,
Strong of heart and true to her name.
We will ne'er forget her,
And will cheer her ever,
Loyal to Notre Dame.

Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky,
What though the odds be great or small,
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
ONWARD TO VICTORY!”

Like the Star Spangled Banner played for Olympic champions, this was the song that caused tears to sting in the eyes of every Notre Dame alumnus and Jed and Abbey Bartlet were no exception. Lumps were present in their throats as they watched the Irish Guard in their bright red jackets, plaid kilts and black bearskin shako's line up to present the colors for "America the Beautiful" and the "Star Spangled Banner."

"This is what it's all about," Jed turned to his senior staffers, as he sat back down for the start of the football game. His face was beaming with enthusiasm and pride. The staffers were all there except for Josh and Bruno who were busy with debate prep, Leo getting glares from all around as he proudly displayed his Michigan State collared sweatshirt. "It's more than just a football game, it's the sense of history and tradition. Back in…"

"Mr. President," Sam interrupted what he was sure would be a long-winded history of Notre Dame. "They're getting ready to kick off."

Stopped in mid-lecture, Jed turned quickly back around to cheer on the start of the game.

Part way through the gridiron battle with Jed and Leo ribbing each other about their respective teams Millie turned to grin at Abbey. "This is just like old times, isn't it?"

"You have no idea." Abbey felt Jed's hand squeeze her knee under the blanket in acknowledgement of her words then continue moving higher up her thigh to cop a feel just as he had on those cold autumn home games when they were students. Nope some things never changed.

****

"Jed, are you almost finished in here?" Wearing only a black silk slip, Abbey stepped into the bathroom to see her husband standing at the sink with a towel wrapped around his hips. He was just rinsing his face from his shave. He was in an ebullient mood; the Fighting Irish having defeated their arch rival Michigan State.

"Just one more minute and it's all yours. Have you seen my deodorant?"

"Never let'em see you sweat," Abbey grinned, as she handed him the old spice scented deodorant that he favored.

"I'll do what I can." He lifted an arm and began liberally applying the Speed Stick.

"You nervous?" She asked nonchalantly, while pulling make up out of her cosmetic case.

"Me, nervous, nah." He turned to squeeze the toothpaste onto his toothbrush.

"You shouldn't be, you know. You're going to kick Ritchie's ass tonight."

"Course I am, never any doubt." It was said with a mouthful of toothpaste.

"There's just one thing that you have to remember. Toby wanted me to remind you."

Jed looked at her with a questioning frown.

"Don't let your temper get the better of you. DO NOT let him get you riled up. HE may be stupid but I'm sure his staff has done their homework. They're going to know what your weaknesses are and a huge one is us, your family. He may bring me up; he may talk about my medical license. He may ask you as a Catholic if you would condone Zoey having an abortion, or if Aislinn were kidnapped, molested and killed if you would want her killer to get the death penalty or simply a life sentence."

"You think I'm just going to stand there and take that kind of shit. No man in America would expect me to stand there stoically and allow that. Look what happened to Dukakis." He spit into the sink

"I don't expect you to stand there stoically. I just don't want you to let him rattle you with that. You know your convictions, you know the answers but if you let your emotions about your family take control of you you're apt to threaten to bomb his house."

Jed laughed at that one. "Abbey you're priceless." He leaned over and gave her a kiss full of toothpaste. Abbey ran her tongue over her lips.

"Mmm…minty." She gave him a saucy grin, then glanced down at her watch. "Less than 2 hours until the debate. You better get your butt moving, Bartlet."

"So, any bets on tonight's outcome?" He asked.

"I think Rob Ritchie is going to rue the day he ever agreed to stand on a stage and debate Jed Bartlet. I have complete confidence that you, my darling," she tweaked his nose. "Are going to completely annihilate him."

Jed grinned, his chest puffing up with pride. Abbey believed in him and there was no way he was going to let his woman down, no way at all. Rob Ritchie didn't stand a chance.

TBC...