The White House was in a partying kind of mood. This wasn't just the President's victory, this was also a moment for all of the staffers who had worked nearly around the clock for for over a year to finally let loose and celebrate. Alcohol flowed freely and talk was of battles won and lost, the emphasis being on the "won".

Abbey was chatting with Jordan and Millie when Jed came up behind her, his hand closing over her elbow squeezing gently to get her attention.

"You ready to blow this joint?" He asked.

It was well after midnight but it was rare that Jed wanted to be the first to leave a party. Abbey's eyes immediately grew troubled.

"Are you tired?" she asked with a worried frown.

"Hardly," he grinned. "I'm still pretty pumped, but I've had enough of this." He gestured to the room. "I think I'd like to finish this celebration in private."

"Really?" Abbey lifted an eyebrow. After finding out that Jed had been exhibiting some MS symptoms she'd been a bit worried about the intimate part of their celebration. She knew that during an episode it wasn't uncommon for a man to experience some total impotence or difficulty maintaining an erection. It hadn't happened to Jed yet but she hoped he wasn't setting himself up for a fall. Nothing would dampen his celebration or his psyche more than not being able to perform.

"Yes, really. Let's go." He took her hand and determinedly led her away from the party. Abbey waved and blew her friends a kiss as she passed them by on their way out of the room.

"I suppose she's lucky he didn't drag her out by her hair," Millie laughed.

"The President's a passionate man," Jordan grinned.

"Uh, yeah…you could say that. Testosterone is definitely in the air tonigh. I think every guy here is going to be looking to score tonight. You know how they are with the spoils of war and all."

Unaware of what they'd been discussing Leo came up to the two women. "Jordan, would you like to dance?"

Jordan looked at Millie and the two burst into laughter.

"What?" He asked, puzzled. "What did I say?"

****

Abbey was surprised when she opened the door to their bedroom. Jed had gone straight to the bedroom but she had gone to the nursery to check on the twins before returning for their celebration. She had expected her husband to remain true to form and pounce on her as soon as she walked in the door just as he had in the limo after winning the debate. She had not expected seduction, but that was exactly what the stage was set for. A fire burned in the fireplace, candles flickered around the room and soft romantic music played in the background. Jed stood before her in a silk bathrobe and leather slippers. It was quite a change from his usual sweats and T-shirt.

"You look very debonair," she kissed him lightly; as she began unbuttoning her jacket and untucking her blouse from her skirt.

"I do, don't I?" He grinned. "Would you like a Martini?" He moved to the cart.

"Yeah, but I feel a little overdressed. I'll change while you make me that drink."

"I'm all for that."

"I thought you might be." She left him to enter the bathroom.

"I don't want to intimidate you, but it turns out I'm the first Democrat in twenty years to make a clean sweep of the Plains states and I'm not just talking about Iowa and Nebraska."

Abbey poked her head back out from the bathroom. "Are you trying to turn me on now?"

"Yeah," Jed grinned sweetly.

"All right." She left him to go back in the bathroom.

"I won the Dakotas, the Badlands, the Black Hills. But, let's go down, way down, to the Deep South and the humid bayou of Louisiana and its nine electoral votes. What manner of man it must take to win the state, which, by the way, is the only one operating under the Napoleonic Code of France and I still don't know what that's all about, but back to me." He dabbed drops of the martini behind his ears knowing Abbey would find them.

"Hon," Abbey's head poked back out. "Is this like nerd hot talk?" She moved forward to take the martini he held out to her.

"Who's your commander-in chief?" Jed held the drink back until she answered appropriately.

"You are," Abbey gave him a sidelong coquettish look.

"Yes!" Jed touched his glass to hers in victory. "And do the ladies like him?" He continued, as Abbey took her drink and made her way back to the bathroom. "Oh yes. To the tune of 58%…"

A knock at the door interrupted the roll that Jed was on. "Yeah," he called out, as Charlie opened the door.

"I'm sorry, sir." Charlie had seen the First Lady enter the bedroom just moments before and had been hoping their celebration had not progressed to the point where he would draw his boss's wrath. He was gratified to see the President still in his bathrobe and the First Lady nowhere in sight.

"I thought we had an understanding with regard to tonight and interruptions, Charlie. I thought we were men."

"Yes, I'm sorry, but Sam said…"

"Sam needs to see me?"

"Yes, sir."

"It's like, what, 1:00 in the morning?" Jed gave a slight frown of worry.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, let's send him in."

"Good evening Mr. President," Sam entered the room.

"Good to see you."

Sam missed the sarcasm completely. "I hope I'm not here at a bad time."

"No, what would make you say that?"

This time the sarcasm was not lost on Sam and his eyes quickly scanned the romantic atmosphere of the room, the candles and firelight and music. "Actually it looks as if I couldn't have picked a worse time."

"No, no, you could have," Jed assured him, knowing exactly where he wanted to be in the next half-hour. "And I'm not going to take any chances, so let's do it now."

"Horton Wilde won in the 47th."

"I know."

"There's going to be a special election."

"Yeah."

"And, uh, to make a long story short, you might be asked first thing tomorrow if you're endorsing me."

"Am I?"

"Well, I'm not really running."

"Then I'm behind you 100%"

"Look…"

"Man, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I made a promise to the widow in a moment of…"

"Hello, Mr. President…" the sound of the First Lady's sexy baby doll voice had both men turning to see her standing in the doorway wearing just a silk pajama top and red high heels, her martini in her hand. It was obvious she hadn't heard Sam's entry.

"Hey, Mrs. Bartlet" Sam tried to cover his discomfort, after all he'd intruded in worse situations, namely when she'd been giving birth to the twins.

"Oh, my God." Abbey rolled her eyes with irritation.

"Yeah, look, honey, Sam stopped by."

Abbey mustered a fake smile. "Hi, Sam."

Sam ran appreciative eyes up the First Lady's remarkable shapely legs. "Hi," his voice was warm, and Jed picked up on the slightly husky tone.

"Eyes front, mister," he demanded.

Sam's eyes immediately snapped back to the President and within a minute he was gone.

"Okay, now where were we?" Jed made his way back to his wife.

"You sure you don't want to wait to see who's coming next?"

"Nobody's coming next. I told Charlie to keep everyone out."

"Well, he's done a good job so far." Abbey shook her head, sat down on the couch and crossed her slender legs, knowing how her husband would react to that move. She noted with feminine pleasure that his eyes were now glued to her legs and she stretched out so the silk top would ride higher up to reveal much of her thighs. As if pulled by a magnetic force, Jed took a step toward her but before he reached the couch there was another knock on the door.

"Damn," he swore.

"See, I told you there would be more visits."

"I think that's the snack I ordered," he said.

Abbey pulled a couple of throw pillows over her lap to keep herself fairly discreetly covered while the steward pushed in a cart loaded with Jed's elegant little snack.

"As you can see we've moved on to the caviar course," he told her.

"I love caviar," Abbey flung the pillows off her lap at the stewards departure.

"I know how you do. Stoli Cristall, the most elegant of vodkas." He handed Abbey a glass and they both sipped the alcohol. Abbey could feel a definite tingle and delicious lethargy in her limbs by now. She was definitely getting a little buzzed.

"The caviar itself is a product of my advice at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. We passed a much more stringent bill against the poaching of Caspian Sea sturgeons.

"This is Oklahoma caviar?"

California white sturgeon from the Stillman Sea Farm in Elverta. Only the best."

Abbey shivered as if turned on. "Stop, it's getting hot in here."

Jed started to hand her a plate with caviar. "Oh, I think you're going to find…"

There was another knock at the door. "Excuse me," he turned from Abbey toward the door and, resigned, Abbey grabbed the pillows to cover herself, yet again. Maybe they would have been better off if Jed had just pounced on her when she'd first entered the room she thought crossly.

Jed opened the door to see Charlie again. "Good evening, Mr. President."

"How you doing?"

Charlie could see that the President was starting to get irritated. "I'm fine, thank you, sir. I'm sorry, but Leo needs to see you.

"Okay, anyone else?"

"Yes, sir, then Toby."

"Yeah. You're young Charlie. Don't you want to be having fun right now?"

"Yes, sir, but I work for you."

"I get that a lot."

Charlie stepped away and as Leo approached Jed gave a quick look back to make sure that Abbey was covered up properly. That look was not lost on Abbey. Her husband had not checked when it was Charlie or the steward but Leo was still a whole other ballgame.

"Good evening, sir."

"Yes?"

"You look sharp."

"Thank you."

Leo looked past Jed to see Abbey on the couch her bare legs crossed, her lap covered with pillows. He could see right away that he was intruding on a romantic evening between the two.

"Hey, Abbey."

"Hi, Leo." Abbey tried to sound unconcerned but if Leo was dragging her husband away to the situation room she was going to twist his balls off. Evidently that wasn't the case. She tuned out most of their talk but her ears perked when Jordan was mentioned.

"Jordan still here?" Jed asked.

"Yeah."

"All right. Have a good night."

Leo knew exactly to what his friend was referring. Jed wanted him to get laid, as if making love to Jordan would erase any of the feelings that he had for Abbey. Leo immediately brushed those thoughts away as uncharitable. Jed might have an ulterior motive but ultimately Leo knew that his friend just wanted him to be happy. It wasn't Jed's fault that he was so full of insecurities. It wasn't Jed's fault that he was terrified if he made love to Jordan he might unconsciously call out Abbey's name when he climaxed for it was her name that he cried out when he was all alone with only his own hand able to give him release from the sweet torture of sexual need.

Abbey's impatience grew stronger as Toby replaced Leo at the door.

"Good evening, sir."

"Hi."

"Good evening, Mrs. Bartlet." As Sam and Leo had done before, Toby took in the First Lady's state of undress. She did have mighty fine legs. "That's a lovely housecoat you're wearing."

"Thank you," Abbey smiled sweetly and took another sip of her vodka. If Jed's staff didn't stop interrupting them she was going to move very quickly from tipsy to drunk.

"Listen, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Is this anything that could possibly wait until tomorrow?"

"Of course it is, Mr. President. I'm sorry." Toby was embarrassed at having interrupted the President's personal romantic celebration for news that definitely could have waited until morning, but all at once he couldn't stop. He had to tell him. "Really, I stopped by cause I hadn't told you that Andy's pregnant. It's twins, and of course, I'm the father."

"Well, that's great. Well done. See you tomorrow." Jed closed the door eager to get on with seducing his wife."

"Jed!" Abbey was appalled by his behavior. "Toby! Get in here," she called out, and, jumping to her feet began belting a robe around her waist. Jed reluctantly re-opened the door and Toby entered the room.

"I was this close," Jed told him reproachfully.

"Andy's pregnant?" Abbey at least seemed to be thrilled by the news.

"Yeah, it's, uh, twins, a boy and a girl, just like yours."

"That is the most wonderful news." She cupped his head in her hands and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to cry."

"You should marry that girl, Toby," Jed said sternly.

"I'm doing my best, sir."

"How far along is she?" Abbey asked, more interested in the pregnancy at the moment then the state of Toby and Andy's relationship.

"End of May. I have a picture."

Abbey eagerly took the ultrasound picture from him.

"Wait a second," Jed's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "End of May?"

Abbey turned to sit and gaze at the picture. She was a veteran at deciphering ultrasounds and sonograms by now and she was looking at tiny limbs and large hearts. "Oh boy, this is going to…"

"Hang on," Jed halted her enthusiasm. "I'm doing the math in my head. Yeah, end of May? Why didn't you tell us until now?"

"Jed," Abbey chastised him, still gazing at the picture as only another mother could, seeing not a fetus but a baby. "He doesn't need a reason."

"Yeah, but he's got one."

"The truth is, I don't, sir. At least not a good one. I was intimidated by your Catholicism."

"Really?" Jed said with surprise. His faith was an integral part of who he was but he never thought that he'd been judgmental or intractable with others because of it. "It's my Catholicism, Toby. It works for me."

"And me," Abbey added.

"And her. Did you break any laws?"

"No, sir."

"Then, a blessing on your house young man. Mazel Tov."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, ma'am."

As Jed escorted him out of the room Toby gazed at the cart. "Is that caviar there?" He asked.

"Not really, no" Abbey sighed.

"Let's go." Jed ushered the man out then turned back to his wife.

TBC...