"God DAMN you to hell Abigail!" Marcus burst out. Lori came running from the kitchen just as the magazine he had been reading was flung across the room. She picked it up to see what had set him off this time. It was a "People" magazine cover proclaiming "THEY'RE ONE!" along with a picture of the Bartlet babies in their parent's arms. It was not a typical generically posed for shot. Instead, it showed the reality of what it was like to actually hold a baby. Little Aislinn Bartlet had her fingers in the smiling President's mouth while Nicholas held a handful of his mother's hair in his fist. The President and First Lady were smiling at each other over their babies heads, rather than looking into the camera which gave a much greater feeling of intimacy to the shot, as if the readers were actually witnessing a stolen family moment.

"What are you smiling about?" Marcus fumed.

"It's a cute shot." She watched his face tighten and his eyes glitter with animosity toward her. She was starting to regret her relationship with him more and more. The more closely she worked with the First Lady, the more she found it hard to believe that she had ever had an affair with Marcus. She and the President just seemed too wrapped up in each other for that.

"Its FAKE. She doesn't love him."

"I'm beginning to think that this has all been some kind of charade for you."

"A charade?"

"Yes. I think our whole relationship is some kind of charade. I think that you're still in love with the First Lady."

"So what if I am?" He challenged. He was pissed at Abigail and spoiling for a fight.

Lori looked at him with shock. She had done almost everything over the past few months because she had grown to love Marcus. She had felt sorry for what he had been through because of Abigail Bartlet and she had risked her job and her freedom for him, because she thought he loved her too.

"But you said you loved me." Her voice was weak and pitiful. He couldn't stand weakness. His Abigail was strong and defiant. She had refused to beg him, refused to bend to his will. Although he knew he would rectify that obstinate display of courage this time, he relished the spirited struggle she was sure to give him.

"I did didn't I?" he grinned. "Well, I guess you shouldn't believe everything your told."

"You SON OF A BITCH!" She flew at him with flying fists pummeling at his chest while he simply laughed at her.

"Look at you" He cupped her chin cruelly in his hand. "How could you think that I could love you when I have had Abigail? You aren't even in the same league with her."

"Yeah, well she doesn't seem to want you too much anymore, does she?" she snorted derisively.

"You listen to me you little bitch." He grabbed her by the throat. " She will want me again once I've spoken with her in person"

"Oh yeah, how do you expect to do that? " she choked.

"Just the way I've done everything else. With your dutiful help. I want to see her Friday night." He had long since planned on Valentine's Day being the day he was reunited with the love of his life.

"I can't," she tried to pull back out of his hold. "I can't get you into the White House. You KNOW that."

"But they won't be in the White House over the weekend, will they?" He moved his face in closer to hers.

"I won't do it. I don't know what you're up to but this isn't a game anymore. You're not just out to scare the First Lady as payback for your jail sentence, you're obsessed with her."

"You WILL let me in to see her this weekend."

"No, the game is over Marcus. I'm going to turn you in."

"Nice try sweetheart" he squeezed her neck harder. "But if I go down, you go down. You're in this up to your eyeballs. You're a traitor. The only way to save your ass is to help me from getting caught."

Lori stared up at him like a frightened rabbit. She was between a rock and a hard place and she knew it. Whatever decision she made would affect not only her, but also the entire First Family.

* * * *

"And then Muriel Vanderkellen has the NERVE to say to me," Abbey took a sip of her champagne and affected a superior snobbish look down her nose, ”Maybe the magazines would talk more about your agenda instead of your looks if you didn't flaunt things quite so much. You should try wearing pink. Mamie Eisenhower wore pink and she really was such a LADY. My GOD Jed, MAMIE EISENHOWER!" She laughed and took another sip of her champagne.

Jed sat back in his chair smiling and admiring the vision his wife made sitting across the restaurant table from him. She was absolutely radiant. Her loose, curling, deep auburn hair shone as bright as the fire that burned next to them. Her hazel eyes glowed softly in the candlelight that flickered over her lovely face. The diamond and ruby necklace he had given her to mark the day sparkled around her neck. The ruby drop fell enticingly into the V of her cleavage, which was revealed quite nicely by the low-cut scarlet red dress that she wore. But, it was more than her beauty that had bewitched him; it was the fact that her lively, vibrant personality was back. She was regaling him with impersonations from her incredibly dull Senators wives tea that afternoon. Her eyes were dancing, her hands were moving with affected gestures and he was quite simply enchanted.

"You know," she said gazing out the window at the marina and the dancing lights of the boats on the still water of the bay, "the view here is really lovely." "Yes it is" he agreed, but his glittering sapphire eyes had never left her face. Abbey smiled at him and bit down softly on her full lower lip. Her husband may at times have been an absent- minded professor but when he focused his undivided attention on her, he did so to the complete exclusion of anything else. It was incredibly intoxicating to feel that she was the center of this man's world. When she added his charming personality and boyish good looks to the equation the effect was absolutely devastating. It had been from the first moment she had met him and he had become the center of her universe. She still couldn't believe that he had rented out the entire restaurant and hired a small orchestra and singer so they could have a private romantic dinner.

Their gazes only broke when the waiter arrived with their meals. Without touching his lobster, Jed watched Abbey pick up her fork and spear a shrimp from the bed of shrimp scampi that lay over the linguini noodles.

"You are going to eat that tonight, not just play with it, right?" It was the closest they had come to discussing the forbidden topic of what had been going on the past few months, yet Abbey only smiled. She might grumble about it at times, but she did love how Jed looked out for her.

"Yes sir" she stated overly sweetly and popped the shrimp into her mouth. A few moments later she gazed at his plate. "How's the lobster?"

"Good. Would you like a bite?" He grinned at her predictability. Abbey could never make it through a meal without picking off his plate.

"Yes" she nodded.

Jed dipped a piece of the lobster meat into his butter and brought his fork to Abbey's lips. Abbey took the succulent sweet meat into her mouth and her eyes closed with pleasure as the melted butter poured over her tongue. Jed inhaled sharply and watched her intently. His groin tightened at the erotic vision she made. She got that same look when he slid deeply inside her.

"You're such a little sensualist." The words came out husky.

"You know it" she gave him a saucy grin and ran her tongue over her lips. "I like silk clothes and satin sheets. I like creamy chocolate and delicate whipped cream. I like rough chest hair rubbing against my breasts and...."

"Save those thoughts for later tonight Sassy, or I may not let you finish your meal."

Abbey gave a throaty laugh and motioned for another bite of lobster. This time she stole his fork so he would have to use his fingers. He lifted the butter-covered piece of shellfish to her lips but before he could pull his hand back Abbey grabbed it. She lifted it to her mouth and slid his index finger between her lips to lick and suck at the butter residue left there. Jed felt an instant electric reaction right from his fingertip to his penis, which, already half aroused, jumped to life.

"I thought I was supposed to be seducing you" he groaned running his now wet finger over her lips.

"Oh, you'll have your chance."

This was the easy part Abbey thought. The easy flirtatious sexuality they shared. It was what came later that made her nervous. It was not knowing how she would react when it was time to make good on all these promises she was making. She wasn't afraid of Jed hurting her. She was afraid of hurting him. She had never had to fake anything with him before, never faked an orgasm. If she didn't have one during intercourse, which rarely happened, Jed was very conscientious about making sure that she "finished". Now she was afraid that because of everything she might freeze up, go frigid for some reason and not be able to respond. He had already admitted that what caused his deepest pain was that he felt she couldn't bear his touch. Would he see his inability to arouse her as proof of that? She began to wonder if it would just be easier all around to fake it if it didn't happen than it would be to deal with the emotional consequences.

"Dance with me" Jed said pulling her out of her musings. She smiled up at him and gave him her hand. The diamond in her engagement ring sparkled in the firelight and he felt a stab of possessiveness. This incredible woman was his. She wore his ring proclaiming their bond to the world. She stood in the tight red dress that fit her slender hourglass figure like a second skin. The strappy red stiletto four inch heels made her legs seem a mile long and caused her to fit almost perfectly against him as they danced face to face, chest to breasts, hip to hip.

"Lord John was right Abbey, "he murmured as his hands roamed over the bare skin of her backless dress. "You do have a body made for sin."

"We're married Tiger, nothing this body does with you is a sin."

Jed chuckled and his hand moved lightly over her cheek. "Ah Abs, I do love you to distraction."

"What do you love about me?" she asked pulling back to look into his eyes. Those deep cerulean eyes that could never keep any secrets from her. She had never seen eyes as vividly blue as her husbands, except in their son. They were a completely pure blue without a hint of green or gray and framed by long tawny eyelashes. They were eyes she could lose herself in and had on many occasions.

"You want a list?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Well, let's see," he teased. "I love that you feel free to use my razor on your legs right before I have a press briefing so I am covered in nicks. I love that you filled the glove compartment with unpaid parking tickets because you thought it was stupid to get a ticket when they should know that you were at the hospital for an emergency. I love that you think putting three dollars of gas in the car will get you to hell and back. I love that you steal food off my plate and clothes from my drawers. I love that it takes you an entire day to pack for a two-day trip. I…

"Jed" she pulled out of his arms. She was trying to glare at him but Jed could see amusement quivering on her lips.

"All right, All right. Let's see. I love the way your nose gets that cute little wrinkle when you laugh. I love the little dimple in your cheek when you smile. I love the way you can turn from ice to fire in the blink of an eye. I love that you look as natural with a baby on your hip as you do in hospital scrubs. I love that you leave lipstick on the collars of my shirts. I love that you are a completely remarkable mother to our children. I love that you sing while you cook. I love that you can make me crazy just wondering if you're wearing underwear or not. I love that our lovemaking is so intense for you sometimes that you cry. I love that you are the most beautiful, sexy, unpredictable, fascinating woman that I have ever met. I love that I remember what the air smelled like the first time that I kissed you. I love that I met you when I was 21 and didn't waste years searching for my soulmate. I love that we grew up together. I love that your face is the last one I see at night when I go to sleep and the first one that I see in the morning when I wake up."

Tears shimmered in Abbey's eyes at his romantic proclamations. Jed was not one to wax poetic about his love for her, his lust yes, but the love part came harder thanks in part to his wonderful upbringing, and that made his words extra special.

"Now what about me?” he asked. "What do you love about me?”

"Let's see" she sniffed still trying regain control of her emotions. "I love that it takes you 20 minutes to answer a yes or no question. I love that you paid all my unpaid parking tickets. I…"

"Abbey" he pinched her rear.

"OK, OK. I love this piece of hair over your forehead that never wants to stay slicked back. I love anything and everything about your chest. I love that you sing in the shower. I love that you can make me laugh just when I am about to cry. I love that you will read and absorb absolutely anything that is put in front of you. I love that you'll drop whatever you're doing to rub my back when I have cramps. I love that you cried when each of our children were born. I love that when you hold me in your eyes you make me feel like the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world. I love that you dress up as Santa for a group of orphans. I love that you would literally give the shirt off your back to someone in need. I love that you know how to braid a little girl's hair. I love the way that you cry out my name when we make love. I love that you are the most caring, intelligent, complex, sexy, man that I have ever met. And I also love that your face is the last one I see before I go to sleep and the first one that I see when I wake up in the morning."

Before she even finished the last sentence Jed's lips had descended on hers. His kiss was gentle and sweet and loving. A kiss of complete giving without asking for anything in return.

"Ready to go home?" he asked into her hair.

"Absolutely."

TBC...