"Didn't we land at the Manchester airport?" Jordan asked Leo.

"Your point?" Leo asked. His hands were tight on the steering wheel as he drove the car he had rented down the dark, snowy, twisting country road.

"We've been driving forever, I thought the President lived in Manchester." Jordan gazed out the window at the dark thick woods that lined the road. "We appear to be in the middle of nowhere."

"We say the President lives in Manchester because everyone's heard of Manchester. But, technically the Bartlet farm is in Candia, which nobody outside of New Hampshire has ever heard of, because, you're right, it IS in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but woods and lakes and farmland out here."

Leo squinted as he saw the break in the woods that indicated the turn into the Bartlet drive. Jordan was surprised by how long they traveled down the driveway before she finally saw the warmly lit house in the distance. Every window in the large white farmhouse held a white candle and in the large picture window they could see a big green Christmas tree glittering with white lights and topped by an angel.

Leo parked the car among all the others that lined the driveway all the way to the barn and they stepped out of the car into the cold frosty night air. In the distance spotlights illuminated the pond and they could see dark figures skating and a bonfire sending orange flames skyward. From where they stood beside the car waiting for the Secret Service to give the okay to proceed they could hear the laughter and the skating music, a Strauss waltz, coming at them from the pond.

With the okay given they walked further down the driveway, the snow crunching under their boots. Jordan was puzzled by the sound of jingling bells that seemed to be coming from the woods. She was a hard driven career woman and not one to give in to flights of fancy or romance but even she was enchanted when she saw that the bells belonged to the harness on a farm horse that was pulling a large old-fashioned sleigh. Leo had been to Bartlet skating parties before and knew the sleigh was the method of transportation down to the pond.

"This is incredible," Jordan enthused, as Leo helped her into the sleigh then settled the blanket over their laps. "It's like something out of Currier and Ives."

"The President does love a grand display." He sat back and they enjoyed the gliding ride across the pasture snuggled up under the blanket their breath frosty clouds in the night air.

The festive atmosphere grew louder the closer that they got to the pond. As they disembarked the sleigh, they could hear Annie and her friends giggling uproarisely out in the middle of the pond as they cracked the whip. Those not on the pond skating stood around the bonfire and the smaller campfires sipping hot chocolate and watching Jed and Doug roast hot dogs on the end of sticks.

Jed's smile was not exactly genuine when he looked up to see his chief of staff and Jordan. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see the couple it was just that for a couple of glorious days he had been able to forget about Abdul Shareef. He had been able to forget that it was more than likely going to come out that he had been behind the assassination and that it was Jordan who was trying to legally keep him from being implicated. In his heart of hearts he knew that the majority of Americans would be behind the decision. However, it was not the majority of Americans that he was worried about, it was one American in particular. He turned his eyes toward the edge of the pond where Abbey was teaching their toddlers to skate using two small plastic chairs. It could still unexpectedly cause his stomach to clench when he thought about how his wife might react to the news. Even after all these years he wasn't sure if she would be able to accept what he had done, or more importantly, would if he would be able to accept her disappointment, her loss of faith in the man she thought that he was.

"Hot dogs?" Leo said, eyeing the stick Jed pulled from the fire with derision.

"Grab a paper plate and I'll roast one for you."

"I think I'll pass."

"You should go have a conversation with Francois, you two have a lot in common."

"Isn't his name Jean Paul?" Leo asked.

"I hope I don't have to know him long enough to worry about what his name is." Jed bit into the end of a juicy hot dog.

"That bad, eh?"

"It astounds me that a daughter that sprang from my wife's loins can have such poor taste in men."

"Just because he doesn't like hot dogs?"

"There are a lot of things he doesn't like. Roasting hot dogs over an open fire the way the savages did is just one of them. I have to admit I didn't realize the Native Americans had Fenway Franks on the menu, but Marcel seems to know it all. By the way, there's a lot of real food and desserts back up at the house if you get hungry"

Leo grinned and shook his head. He didn't know if he should pity Abbey and Jed or Jean Paul.

"Where is Mrs. Bartlet?" Jordan asked.

"Teaching the kids how to skate." Jed pointed to where Abbey patiently skated backwards coaxing the two children, mere lumps in their snowsuits, to step forward holding on to their chairs.

"Aren't they a little young?" Jordan asked. "They haven't even been walking all that long."

"This is New Hampshire, Jordan," Jed said. "Here you learn to skate pretty much as soon as you learn to walk."

"Why are they using chairs. Don't they have those double bladed skates?"

"Double runners?" Jed asked incredulously.

"Run, Jordan, run now and run fast," Leo urged her.

"What?" Jordan looked puzzled.

"You don't want the lecture on the evils of double runners. Run"

Laughing, Jordan headed toward the pond to visit with Abbey, the President's voice following her from behind.

"Double runners cause a false reliance on…." His voice faded off as Jordan got closer to the pond and the skating music got louder. The Strauss waltz had been replaced by some kind of hip-hop music that the teenagers on the pond favored. Even Nicholas and Aislinn seemed to get into the swing of things bending their little legs to the music. She had never been a kid person but the Bartlet twins were just as cute as buttons with their hats on and their hoods pulled tight. The only part of them that was exposed to the frigid air was their rosy red cheeks and big eyes sparkling with the excitement of the evening. Jordan watched the First Lady skate circles around the toddlers stopping to pick them up when they fell and offering laughter and words of encouragement as they progressed at a snails pace. It was no wonder the President was afraid to tell his wife about his involvement with Shareef. She didn't know Abbey Bartlet well enough to know how she would react to the news, although from what she did know about the woman it was easy to see that she would be strong enough to deal with a blow to the image she held of her husband. Jordan had been watching the couple together for some time now and the strength of the bond that they shared had been clearly evident, surely it could withstand the unsavory but necessary death of a terrorist. Still, watching mother and children laughing and skating she realized that it might be truly difficult to take that kind of chance with his family.

"KIDS! HOT DOGS!" Jed shouted from one of the fires.

"Hut gog!" Nicky shouted with glee and left his chair to head to his father.

"Wait a minute kids…" Abbey tried to get them to slow down. It was a losing battle.

"Me too!" Aislinn tried to catch up to her brother who was walking precariously in the stiff plastic black skates that kept his ankles from turning. Unfortunately she was a little too fast and when he fell to the ice she couldn't stop her own pink and white "Barbie' skates from continuing on and she wound up tripping over him and falling into a heap with him on the ice. Jed was at their side almost as fast as Abbey but they needn't have worried. By the time they got to them the kids were giggling hysterically and once their parents got them on their feet they started taking turns pulling each other down in a sort of winter Olympic ice wrestling contest shouting "Agin, agin." The contest didn't end until each parent picked up a child and carried them off the ice.

While the children were munching contentedly on their hot dogs Liz approached with a little boy around kindergarten age. He was trussed up as formidably as Nicholas and Aislinn were and it was hard to see more than just his little face.

"Dad, Mom, this is Gus," Liz placed a hand on the little boys head. "Gus, these are my parents, Jed and Abbey."

The little boy stood silently sucking on his mitten while Aislinn moved protectively closer to her mother wrapping her arms around Abbey's leg as if to warn the boy not to get too close to HER mother.

"Hi, Gus." Abbey smiled warmly and knelt in the snow to greet the small boy. "Do you like hot dogs?"

Gus turned wide eyes up at Liz. "It's okay, sweetie. Tell them if you want a hot dog or not."

Gus continued to suck on his mitten but he did manage a nod.

"One hot dog coming right up." Jed dropped a roasted hot dog into a bun and handed the paper plate to the boy. "Eat it fast, young man, it's going to get cold awfully fast. When you finish that you can have a nice cup of hot cocoa."

Gus nodded again and accepted the plate.

"MY daddy." Nicholas clutched on to Jed's leg much the way Aislinn was doing to Abbey.

Jed smiled reassuringly at his son and patted him on the head. 'Yup, I'm your dad, all right. But we can all be friends with Gus, can't we?"

Aislinn and Nicholas didn't look too sure about that.

"When you're all finished with your hot dogs Izzy can take you up to the house and you can watch a movie before bed," Abbey told them.

"Wudof?" Aislinn asked. She and Nicholas had watched "Rudolph" several times since arriving in New Hampshire.

"What do you think, Gus?" Abbey asked. "Would you like to watch Rudolph with Aislinn and Nicholas?"

Gus nodded and munched on his hot dog.

A little later when the three little ones had been bundled off to the house for a movie, Abbey found Liz staring out over the ice. She came up behind her running a hand over her arm.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey, yourself."

"So, how long is this Gus staying with you."

"Forever, I hope. I've been working with he and his mother at the home for battered women that you got me involved with. His mother OD'd and his father is going to jail. I just couldn't let him be placed into foster care."

"But? I hear a but in there."

"Doug isn't sure about the whole thing. He wants his own baby. His own son."

"I take it the babymaking isn't going well."

Tears welled in Elizabeth's eyes. "Try not at all. You have no idea what it's like, what I go through month after month every time I get my period."

"I think I have an idea."

"No, mother, you don't," Liz snapped. "The most you ever had to wait was a few months. It's been years for me."

Abbey didn't say a word, just continued to run a hand up and down her daughter's arm. She knew Liz wasn't really lashing out at her.

"I'm sorry," Liz sighed. 'That was a really bitchy thing to say. It's not your fault that you and daddy are fertile."

"Doug still refuses to be tested?"

"I'm working on it. But, you know, I'd be happy with Gus. I'd love to have Doug's baby but I can love this child too. It's Doug who's obsessed with having his OWN baby.

Jed stood behind the tree not wanting to interrupt the mother/daughter conversation but he hadn't been able to help overhearing most of what they were talking about. He heard the pain in Elizabeth's voice and if he could have he would have given Doug a swift kick to the ass. Instead he approached the young man who was still roasting hot dogs for their guests.

"Gus is a cute kid," Jed said.

"I guess so." Doug shrugged noncommittally.

"But he's not yours."

"Excuse me?"

"You want your own child, a child of your flesh and blood."

"Yes, I do."

"And yet, you refuse to get tested and find out just what kind of fertility problem you and Liz are dealing with."

"I'm sorry, Jed, but I don't see where this is any of your business."

"It's my business because you're making my daughter miserable. Just what is the big deal about taking a half hour out of your day to go to the clinic and jack off into a cup."

"You don't know anything about it."

"I know that if it would ease my wife's mind and take away her pain I'd be down there in heartbeat."

"Are you telling me that having a son wasn't important to you? You were still trying in your 40's for Gods sake. "

"For you're information we were NOT trying. You think I couldn't have had a son sooner? After we lost Peter who do you think it was that told Abbey no more babies? I did. As soon as she was recovered from the miscarriage Abbey was ready to try again but I couldn't watch her go through that pain and grief again. We stopped trying after Peter. Nicholas and Aislinn were an accident. A beautiful, wonderful, magnificent, accident."

"Of course, no jacking off in a cup for Jed Bartlet." Doug's tone was bitter. He had always resented Jed Bartlet's power and the hold that he had on Elizabeth and Annie. Liz and Annie damn near worshipped him, and the fact that his virility had recently produced two perfect little beings while he was in probability shooting blanks had only increased the bitterness.

"What exactly does jacking off into a cup cost you?"

"Everything," Doug said softly, his own misery apparent.

"Excuse me."

"It could cost me everything. Don't you think I know that it's probably my fault we haven't been able to have a child? Liz had Annie, it's doubtful there is anything wrong with her plumbing. But, if I don't get tested I don't have to know for sure."

"And you think that makes you more of a man? It doesn't, Doug. It makes you far less of one. So what if you are shooting blanks? Sperm count is not what makes a man. I know you want your own child. I can't blame you or fault you for that. I know the miracle of watching my wife's body change as she swelled up with our child. I know the miracle of watching her struggle to give our child life. I know the miracle of watching the woman I love nursing my child at her breast. I know the miracle of seeing my eyes looking back at me in the eyes of my child. But there is far more to being a parent than that. There is cuddling a child in your arms to comfort them during a storm. There is sitting up with them all night long when they're sick. There is watching them take their first steps, and go to their first day of school. There is cheering them on and taking them out for ice cream after little league games. There is sitting at night at the dining room table helping them do their homework. You HAVE all of that with Annie. YOU are her father and it's just a shame that you are too selfish to see that."

Jed turned sadly and made his way over to the sleigh where he had something hidden. He grabbed a bottle of butterscotch schnapps and approached Abbey who was now standing alone by the edge of the pond watching the ice skaters in their parkas and scarves.

"Would you like a little nip?" He asked.

Abbey eyed the bottle with delight. One of her favorite toddy's. "Oh, absolutely" she held out her cup of hot chocolate and Jed poured a generous portion of the liquor into her cup. Abbey took a sip closing her eyes in pleasure. Jed knew that look very well; it was a look that made his jeans tighten no matter when she gave it. "Oh, Jed, that is sooo good," she sighed.

"Hey, babe, people are going to start to wonder what I'm doing to you over here."

"There's nothing wrong with having a few chocolate orgasms."

"I prefer the real thing."

"Of course you do, you're a man. You don't appreciate the sensual pleasure of chocolate. It's all about sex for you."

"And don't you forget it."

"Would you ever let me?" Abbey chuckled. She sipped her cocoa again then looked down to see that her husband had his skates on. "Are you planning to actually do some skating?"

"We haven't skated tonight he told her."

"You've been busy holding court."

"Well, I think our guests can survive without their host and hostess for a little while. Besides I think they're playing our song."

Sure enough, a smile touched Abbey's lips as the loud pulsing beat of the hip-hop music was changed in favor of the familiar strains of "Somewhere my Love". "Dr. Zhivago was one of her favorite movies. It was also the first movie she and Jed had seen together and "Lara's theme" as the song was also known, was the music that played in the musical jewelry box Jed had given her for their anniversary one year.

Jed linked his arm with Abbey's and together they glided out onto the ice. They had skated together for years and their connection seemed effortless. After a couple of laps around the ice Abbey moved in front of Jed and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. As they glided more slowly now Abbey rested her head back against Jed's shoulder reveling in his warm embrace. It seemed to be a magical night. The woods were dark and mysterious around the pond, the stars bright and clear in the cold dark winter sky, the moon shining off the snowy hills and Jed singing softly in her ear.

"You'll come to me out of the long-ago. Warm as the wind, soft as the kiss of snow. Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then. Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again"

Jordan and Leo stood together by the bonfire staying warm. Their eyes fell to the first couple skating romantically to the beautiful music oblivious to the watchful eyes of their guests.

"They look so happy," Jordan said. "He hasn't told her yet, has he?"

"No."

"Why not? I don't understand. We all know that he did the right thing. I'm sure the public will rally behind him if his involvement comes out."

"Yes, WE know that he did the right thing, but HE'S still not sure. Jed Bartlet is a complicated man. He has some very high moral standards and he's had to go against his own personal beliefs more times than I can count since he has become President. He doesn't care what the public thinks about what he did. Jed Bartlet answers to two beings, God and Abigail, and I don't think he's sure if either of them would understand what he did."

"I still think he's wrong. Abbey's love for him is obviously incredibly strong. Look what she's given up for him to realize his dreams. That's not a woman who wouldn't understand a difficult decision like that."

"I happen to agree with you." Leo did agree with Jordan, but there were things that she didn't know. Things in Jed's past that came back to haunt him in situations like this. Growing up, disappointment meant conflict, anger, and the withholding of love and Leo knew that was tough for him to shake. He had watched Jed time and time again work tirelessly not to disappoint people and that was not always a positive thing in their profession. Leo knew Jed couldn't risk that with Abbey and he wouldn't, not until he absolutely had to.

****

"Mumma…mumma…"

"Hmmm…?" Abbey pushed at Jed's arm that lay heavy across her chest.

"Mumma…bubba…bubba…"

Abbey felt little fingers tugging at her hair and turned her sleepy eyes to see her bright-eyed son. "Nicholas, you need to go to sleep."

"No seep…Bubba…"

"Nicky, come on. Mommy's tired. You want to come up with daddy and me and go to sleep."

"No seep, BUBBA!" he insisted his lower lip starting to quiver with what Abbey was sure was going to be a nice loud wail if she continued to ignore his demands.

"Okay, okay. I'm getting up." Abbey swung her legs over the side of the bed and threw her robe on not bothering to belt it.

"Abbey?" Jed questioned sleepily as he felt his wife rise from the bed.

"It's okay. Nicky's thirsty. I'm getting him a bottle." She lifted the boy onto her hip and started off to the kitchen. As she rounded the corner she found Jean Paul prowling down the hall.

"Jean Paul," Abbey's guard immediately went up and she eyed the young man suspiciously. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Clearly caught off guard Jean Paul stuttered surprised to find the First Lady wandering around barefooted down the halls at 2 a.m. with Nicholas in her arms. His discomfort turned to appreciation as he took in her sexily mussed hair and the fact that her opened bathrobe exposed her flannel pajama bottoms and nipples that were straining against her tank top. He'd heard that you could see how well your girlfriend would age by looking at her mother and if Zoey aged only half as well as her mother she would be would be one hot babe.

"You weren't heading to my daughter's room, were you?" Her eyes narrowed and she fought the urge to close her bathrobe as she saw the glint of interest in his eyes as they lay fixated on her chest. It was then that she remembered Jed's words about her daughter's boyfriend finding her "hot".

She ignored her discomfort with his perusal, for, at the moment she was more concerned with what he was doing up and about at this hour. She would, however, be more pissed if Jean Paul were actually heading in the right direction for Zoey's room.

"Mumma…bubba" Nicholas impatiently hit her on the shoulder with a small fist.

"Just a minute Nicholas," she said sternly, her glare still centered on Jean Paul. The young Frenchman squirmed with discomfort. The First Lady definitely had a formidable glare.

"No…No of course not. I was going to the kitchen to get a drink."

"Well, you're going the wrong way. Why don't you follow Nicholas and me, we're headed that way to get him a bottle." Abbey's tone was sarcastic, she knew very well that Jean Paul knew the way to the kitchen.

"Yes, yes of course." He bowed and ushered her to lead the way.

"Just so you know," she turned back over her shoulder. "If it had been my husband who caught you out wondering around the halls in the middle of the night you'd probably be sipping that drink through a fat lip."

"So Zoey has told me," Jean Paul gave her a wry smile.

"Zoey is a smart girl. Steer clear of her bedroom."

Uncomfortable under Abbey Bartlet's scrutiny, Jean Paul swallowed a glass of orange juice in record time then quickly departed with a good night.

Abbey watched his retreating form as she poured milk into a bottle ignoring the way Nicholas tugged at her pajama bottoms with impatience.

"Mooommmy!" Nicholas cried out watching the milk overflow the bottle and spill over on to the counter.

"Damn," Abbey muttered under her breath as she reached for a sponge. Her mind was not in filling the bottle; it was in what exactly Jean Paul de Bourbon was doing wandering the halls of their home at 2 in the morning. She seriously doubted he had been heading to the kitchen, and yet Zoey's room was down an entirely different hall so it was doubtful he was trying to sneak his way into her bedroom.

It wasn't a question she could share with her husband she thought ruefully as she handed Nicholas the bottle he'd been begging for. He grabbed it from her and began greedily sucking as she lifted him back into her arms to take him back to his crib.

She hadn't been pulling Jean Paul's leg; there were strict rules about having boyfriends in their house, the biggest one being no hanky panky. If Jed thought for one minute that Jean Paul was trying to get Zoey to break that rule there would be hell to pay and that was something it would be nice to avoid. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, her parents and Jed's mother were staying over and Ellie was arriving. She sincerely hoped that Jean Paul would stay put in his own room. She certainly didn't need any fireworks on the holiest night of the year, not with a houseful of family to witness it all.

TBC...