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Every Day is a Winding Road
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Chapter 22
Abbey watched Jed conferring with Charlie in a corner of the debate prep room. She knew they were discussing the "tie issue". Four years ago in the first Presidential debate Jed had to borrow a tie from Josh at the last minute and she knew that her husband truly believed that it was that adrenaline high that had given him the edge in the debate. From then on the tie had been considered his lucky tie. Charlie had sent it out to be dry-cleaned and it had been ruined, thus leaving Jed on the most important night of the presidential election without his lucky tie. She had no doubt that her husband was consoling the young man so he wouldn't feel so badly.
"Could we have President Bartlet and Governor Ritchie to the stage please."
Jed turned to the staff wanting a last moment of privacy with Abbey to gear himself for the battle ahead. "Leo?"
"Yeah. Guys we're going to give them the room now."
The staffers all lined up with CJ at the front. They were a team and he was their leader. They'd helped him, prepared him, would be there to back him up, but ultimately it was all up to him now. He was their ace and tonight it was winner take all.
"Bring it boss," CJ grinned at him and bent to kiss his cheek.
Josh extended his hand with a cocky smile. "Nothing but strikes."
Sam followed with another extended hand. "Game on."
Last came Leo. He looked into Jed's face and thought of the preppy young man who had befriended him when he'd been a withdrawn, sullen teenager with a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. There had been bad blood between them this year, no doubt about it, but he was still his best friend and Leo was proud of that. He gave Jed a slow smile. "Just remember, there's no such thing as too smart."
Jed nodded and watched them all leave the room before turning to where Abbey had been hanging back leaning against the table. Their eyes met. A smile had started to curve on Abbey's lips when a loud crunching noise filled the room causing them both to turn to see that Toby was still in the room. It was Abbey's incredulous look that caused Toby to come forward.
"I just assumed you wanted to include me." He stood with the President's hand clenched in his, not saying another word. There was nothing left to be said. Toby knew Jed Bartlet had what it took to get the job done. He had the mental toughness, the sharp wit, the brilliant mind, the only question was whether he would use it or instead decide to protect himself in the cloak of being one of the "good old boys". Jed received Toby's message loud and clear, his eyes never wavering, and finally Toby left the room.
With the door finally shut Abbey moved forward, wondering if she was going to have the nerve to go through with this. "Well, it's in the bag." She told him. "You have someone to show off for."
"My daughter's are here?" A sweet smile of delight crossed his face.
Abbey noticed the light that sparked in his eyes with the news and was glad they had decided to surprise him. "Are you kidding? Ellie's wearing make up."
"Well, I don't approve of that."
"You understand she's 27, right?"
"I don't approve of that either. Remember the tie Josh had to give me at the last minute?"
"Yeah, I heard that happened. So, do you think there's any point in still having the debate?" That was Abbey, sarcasm at it's best, not allowing him to wallow in self-pity.
"There was a lot of juice in that tie. It was like in the last seconds. Just the energy getting me out on stage."
"Well…tough."
"Sir?" Charlie entered the room.
"Yeah." He turned back to Abbey. " I gotta go."
Abbey reached out to him, all teasing and sarcasm gone. "We'll do mushy later. So, for now, I've just got to say I love you SO MUCH my head's gonna fly off."
The staffers turned away at the intimate words wanting to afford the couple privacy. "But, more importantly," Abbey continued. "Game on, boyfriend! Let's go!"
Jed nodded. He thought quickly about kissing her but ditched that idea knowing he needed to have his wits about him. "Okay." He started to leave.
It's now or never Abbey-girl…Abbey took a deep breath and grabbed his elbow before he could get away. "By the way. I feel bad. I don't think I've done enough to help you prepare for this debate."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Jed asked with exasperation. Now was certainly not the time for a heart to heart.
Abbey quickly pulled out a pair of scissors and with her adrenaline pumping like crazy, she sliced his tie in two. "Just cause." She stared at the bottom half of the tie she was now holding in her hand with surprise and shock. She'd actually done it.
The look on Jed's face as he stared down at his chest was not one of surprise it was one of absolute horror. His wide, stunned eyes moved up to look at his wife taking in the sly grin that crossed Abbey's face.
"Oh, my God, you're insane. Are you…? You're insane!" He turned from her as he began undoing the knot in his tie. "Charlie!"
He began heading for the door, turning back once with incredulity to see Abbey still standing there. She was reeling a bit from the fact that she'd had the guts to go through with her plan but when Jed turned back around she dangled the tie saucily and gave him an evil little laugh. His face tightened and his eyes narrowed promising retribution and he turned to race out into the hall.
"Josh, we need your tie," Charlie said, as they all began striding toward the stage.
"What the hell?" Josh asked.
"Take it off!"
"What happened?" CJ asked.
"My wife cut it off with scissors," Jed told them.
"Why?" Josh asked.
Jed glanced back at where Abbey was now rushing to catch up with them. "I don't think we have that kind of time." Adrenaline was rushing through his veins now as Sam worked to slip the tie around his neck and they all went tumbling through the door that lead to the stage. Abbey caught up with them as they approached the edge of the stage and she began to work frantically at straightening her husband's tie.
"Ladies and gentlemen, President Josiah Bartlet of New Hampshire, and Governor Robert Ritchie of Florida."
Abbey was smoothing Jed's collar as he was announced then turned away to let him go. She never saw him lift his hand high up behind her only to bring it down hard, smacking her sharply on the rear.
"Oh!" Abbey was startled by the slap and glanced up quickly to see Jed was already on his way to the stage. A sexy, secret smile curved across her lips as she tucked her hair back behind her ear. It was definitely getting very hot in here, she thought.
****
Behind the cameras Abbey quietly made her way toward her seat. As she passed Janet Ritchie she saw the woman lean down to whisper something to her daughter Brenda, the Ritchie's only child, then the two gave her a look that could only be described as malevolent. Abbey sighed as she took her seat between her own three lovely, poised daughters. There were plenty of moderate, perfectly nice Republican's out there but it was the ultra conservative fanatics like Janet Ritchie, a woman who lived her life so far on the Christian right that she couldn't find her way to the middle even with a map, that gave them a bad name. Janet Ritchie didn't even really know her, but for some reason hated her with a passion simply because she didn't agree with Janet's narrow view on the way people should live their lives.
Abbey sat back listening to the end of what Jed was saying. " You think states should do the governing wall-to-wall. That's a perfectly valid opinion. But your state of Florida got 12.6 billion in federal money last year---from Nebraskans, and Virginians, and New Yorkers, and Alaskans, with their Eskimo poetry. 12.6 out of a state budget of 50 billion, and I'm supposed to be using this time for a question, so here it is. Can we have it back, please?"
Laughter and cheers filled the room. Abbey chanced a glance across the aisle at Janet Ritchie flashing her a smug smile of pride, telling the other woman with that one look that she had all the confidence in the world that her husband was going to kick Janet's husbands ass.
****
As they moved into the section of the debate where the candidates could question each other directly things were going well, almost too well. The President was offering up so many strikes that Josh had starting making little cards with "K's" on them, and Rob Ritchie continued to whiff at every bat. Toby, Josh, and CJ were nearly giddy with excitement over the President's performance. Things were going even better than they had dared hope. This was the Jed Bartlet they knew. The Jed Bartlet they wanted the world to know. He was brilliant and erudite, relaxed and humorous and he was making Ritchie look like a fool. Only Leo's stomach still held butterflies. He could see the look on Ritchie's face. The man was tired of striking out. He had nothing to lose and a man who had nothing to lose could be very dangerous indeed.
Jed had never seen it coming. He'd been prepared for questions about his wife's medical license or for Ritchie to use his daughters to make a point but he was not ready for Rob Ritchie to turn to him with the damning accusation that started innocently enough with a tired old topic.
"I think the American people deserve a President who is not going to lie to them at every turn. A President with morality and integrity. That President is NOT Jed Bartlet. First we had the discovery that the President and his wife covered up the fact that he has Multiple Sclerosis…"
"That's old news Rob," Jed scowled.
"Maybe, but I'm just pointing it out to show that you have a pattern of covering things up. Or, do you deny that last spring when a man broke into your home in Maryland that there was another cover up? We as Americans were told by YOUR press secretary that you arrived at the house with the Secret Service and they were able to disarm the intruder."
"What's your point?"
"My POINT is that you knew the man stalking your wife was in the house with her and instead of staying safely in the White House you demanded the agents take you with them to Maryland. Isn't it true that, despite the danger, you went into a room where a crazed man held a knife to your wife and got yourself stabbed in the process?"
A gasp filled the room. The Bartlet staffers closed their eyes feeling the game they'd been winning by double digits getting ready to go into extra innings. Abbey stiffened and felt her daughters grip each of her hands supportively.
Jed paused for a moment trying to keep a reign on his temper but the blue fire burning in his eyes was unmistakable as he turned to glare at Rob Ritchie. "Yes, when I found out that the man who had raped my wife, the man who had been stalking her and threatening her for months, had broken into our home where she was alone with our two youngest children YOU BET I wasn't going to be left behind at the White House. You mean to tell me that if a man was holding your wife at knife point, and your child was at risk that you would stay SAFELY hiding away at the White House?" His words were dripping with contempt.
"Well…" Ritchie stuttered. The tables had been turned on him and this was not part of the script. He didn't know what to say. "I…I would have let the service do their job."
"Well, let's just hope that Mrs. Ritchie never has to count on you if she's in need."
Soft nervous laughter filled the room.
"But you covered it up." Ritchie sounded almost petulant.
"Yes, I did, and with good reason. I wasn't ashamed of what I did, I was afraid members of the secret service were going to get into trouble. I forced them to allow me to go with them. I'm not ashamed of that. My wife and children were in danger. That piece of human waste threatened to kill my one-year-old son and he threatened to rape and kill my wife. What kind of man hides out while his family is being attacked?"
Ritchie's face was turning red. This wasn't going how he'd planned. Things were getting turned around and he was the one who was looking bad.
"And as far as morality goes, don't you DARE stand there and preach morality to ME," Jed went on the attack. " Does a MORAL person talk out of both sides of his mouth? Because that is what you and your wife have been doing for over a month now. You've gone on record saying how badly that you feel about the pictures my wife posed for going public and that it should have nothing to do with the campaign. If that's the case than why is it that YOUR WIFE is the one who released them in the first place."
Another startled gasp filled the room, this time all eyes were on Janet Ritchie.
"You're grasping at straws now."
"Am I? You wanted to involve our wives, why don't we let them come up here and debate, I'm sure Abbey's up for it."
Laughter again filled the room and Abbey rolled her eyes.
"Of course we aren't going to do that because none of that should make any difference in this campaign. Its mudslinging at it's worst and you've been tossing it at my wife from the get go. The negatives to those pictures were supposed to have been destroyed. They weren't. Instead, the assistant to the photographer gave them to a man that you know VERY well. David Brenner. David in turn gave them to your wife and the next thing you know they were all over the Internet. Grasping at straws? I don't think so. I think it's time that we pick this campaign up out of the gutter and start talking about something that means something to the American public, things like education and the economy, NOT the hemline of my wife's skirts."
A huge cheer erupted in the hall and the Bartlet campaign breathed a huge sigh of relief. Their man had waded his way through the minefield without taking any major hits. He'd been left not only standing but also victorious.
****
With the debate over CJ was busy overseeing the "spin" when Danny approached her.
"I'd like to speak with the President or the First Lady," he said.
"They aren't spinning tonight."
"You know why I want to talk to them. That was quite a bombshell that Ritchie dropped. Did the President really get stabbed?"
"Off the record?"
"For now."
"When Mrs. Bartlet broke away from Marcus Hughes he tried to stab her in the back. The President jumped forward and took the knife in the upper arm. It required 18 stitches. The First Lady did it herself."
"Jesus…" Danny's eyes widened with disbelief. "Why was the President even in there?"
"Why do you think?" CJ asked, sarcastically. "Marcus Hughes had been stalking his wife and threatening to punish her for months. He was a rapist. He'd already raped her once."
"And he was going to try it again," Danny nodded his comprehension.
"Yeah, he damn near succeeded. Probably would have if the President hadn't been there. He saved Abbey's life. This was personal, Danny, very personal. There's a lot you don't know. A lot that happened in the past that led to him NEEDING to be there."
"The story is out there now, CJ. The whole thing needs to be told. Let me be the one to do it. Please."
"I'll talk to the President and First Lady. That's the best I can do right now. It's a sensitive subject."
"I'm a sensitive guy."
"Well, Abbey does trust you. I'll talk to them and let you know later.
****
Backstage as Abbey and Jed made their way along the hall that was bustling with the activity of spin doctors, they bumped into the Ritchie's who were trying to leave as well.
"Fancy meeting you here." Rob tried to laugh but it was very forced. He took in the steely look on Jed's face, and the coolness in Abbey's eyes. "Look, no hard feelings, okay?"
"No, there are hard feelings, Rob." Abbey said, then turned to look at Janet Ritchie. "What do you say, Janet. Jed suggested we debate. You up for it?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Didn't think so. I just need to ask you what kind of pleasure that you got from releasing those pictures of me."
"I took pleasure in YOU having to face the embarrassment for posing so shamefully."
"Embarrassment? Do you honestly think that I was embarrassed? Honey, I was nowhere near embarrassed. Yes, I was upset because those photos were supposed to be a very private gift for Jed but there was NOTHING shameful about them, you shriveled up old prude."
"How DARE you speak to me that way!" Janet's face was almost purple with anger.
"Oh, I dare, all right. I've been holding this in for a very long time, but the gloves are off now. Janet, you're nothing but a tight-assed jealous cow. You released those pictures because you've been envious of the media attention that I get right from the get-go and you could only WISH that somebody would actually WANT to look at a picture of you posing the way that I did. Who knows, maybe if you weren't such an uptight little prig your husband would actually try to look down YOUR dress instead of looking down mine the way that he does every time we meet." She turned to Rob whose face was flushing quite nicely with guilt. "Cat got your tongue, Rob? I know YOU didn't have a problem with those pictures, did you? You finally got a better look at me."
Abbey turned on her heels and headed for the exit with a grinning Jed following her. They left Janet Ritchie staring open-mouthed and in shock.
"Wow, she really IS a ball of fire," said Al Stevens, Ritchies campaign manager to Brian Williams his press secretary. "Can't blame old Rob for staring at her chest."
"And, if rumors are to be believed," Brian said. "She even swallows."
Coming up behind them and listening to the conversation Leo had taken as much as he could. Instinctively defending Abbey, he pulled his arm back and punched the younger man right in the jaw. Brian fell back against the wall in shock.
"What'd you do that for," he moaned.
"That's the FIRST LADY you're talking about, you filthy little son of bitch!" Leo grimaced at the pain in his knuckles. "Don't you EVER talk about her that way again."
"You're not going to get away with this. Dammit I have to go on TV in a few minutes. How would you like me to tell Ted Koppel about the President's right hand man's temper tantrum."
"Go right ahead and tell him, but be forewarned. Two can play that game and I'm sure it will be quite a shock for him to find out exactly what you were saying that caused me to punch you. I have a hunch most people will think that it was justified."
TBC...