"Abbey, I don't like the idea of you going down to your office today," Jed said, while tying the laces to his sneakers.

"Jed, Mia said a couple days of bed rest. It's been four days. I am going crazy just sitting around in here. I promise I will just sit at my desk and clean up some paperwork."

"I'm going to talk to Lilly and make sure you don't do anything more strenuous than sit at your desk."

"Don't you dare, Jed. I am not 12 years old. You are NOT going to check up on me," Abbey said angrily.

"Watch me Abigail," he slammed the bedroom door on his way out and began to make his way down to the exercise room for his rehab session.

Abbey made her way to the East Wing, seething with anger, and trying to tell herself her husband was not being a total jackass, Jed was just acting this way because he was on edge. They were supposed to get the amnio results today, and neither one had gotten a moment of sleep the night before. It was why she wanted to go to the office so badly today. If she sat around doing nothing all day, she would go crazy worrying about all the possible conditions her babies could have.

Meanwhile, Jed was trying to work off some of his tension in rehab on the rowing machine. Every inch of his chest, abdomen, and back screamed in protest with every pull of the oars and that damn Dr. Kent kept telling him not to use his thighs so much. Well dammit, his thighs were the only thing that didn't hurt.

"Mr. President," Josh said entering the room.

"What the hell are doing here, Josh?" Jed asked angrily wiping the sweat from his forehead. Damn, he didn't want anyone to see him struggling with these activities. He didn't want them to see his weakness. "This room is off limits to all staff but Leo."

"Well, Leo is in a meeting and I..."

"OFF LIMITS, Josh!" He burst out.

"Yes, Mr.President," Josh said, backing out of the room.

***

Later in the Oval Office it was Sam's turn to be chewed out.

"Sam, I don't have time for this crap," Jed said, slapping down the paper he had been reading. "Don't show me another version of this speech until it is FINISHED!"

"Yes sir," Sam said, glancing at CJ who shrugged. Nobody knew why the President was in such a foul mood.

Abbey had been planning to see if Jed had time to have lunch with her when she heard Jed's angry voice and saw Sam come out of the office muttering under his breath. He was looking down at the speech in his hand and nearly bumped into her.

"Oh, sorry ma'am," he said, embarrassed at having been caught muttering about the President by his wife.

"It's OK, Sam," Abbey smiled. "I've heard more than one person refer to my husband as a son of a bitch. I may have even used the term myself."

"Well...uh...yes ma'am," Sam stuttered. CJ was biting her lip to keep from laughing at his discomfort.

"I know how he can be," Abbey continued, "but, Sam, go easy today. Give him a break. We have the amnio results coming back today and he's terrified. We're both on edge." Sam smiled at her reassuringly and squeezed her forearm.

"I take it he doesn't have time for lunch?" she asked.

"No ma'am," CJ could see the same haunted look in Abbey's eyes that the President's had had today. "But I have time. Would you care to have lunch with me?"

"Sure. We haven't done that in a while."

They decided to have lunch in the dining room at the residence.

"You know," CJ said, "I am sorry about before, you know in the bathroom. I didn't mean to pressure you about going public with your pregnancy."

"I know," Abbey said. "I understand. You were tired of passing on bad news."

"I was so afraid I was going to have to walk out there and tell them the President had died without breaking down. Anyway, I didn't realize the whole history. I know most of that stuff came out in the press exposes during the campaign but it's all so cut and dry in black in white."

"Yes, but to actually talk about it makes it more real. You know, for that first year after it happened, I thought about him all the time. All those little moments we weren't going to have. The first smile, the first tooth, the first time he crawled or pulled himself up, the first time he said mama or dada, his first steps," Abbey cleared her throat, obviously still emotional as she was flooded with memories of the child who had never had a chance to live. "Then it starts to get easier. I'd only think about him at the milestones. Come March as his birthday approached I would feel the pang of his loss. Oh, he'd be two today just entering his terrible twos. He'd be five today so he would be starting kindergarten. He'd be nine today so he would just be starting Little League. He'd be thirteen today. My God he'd be a teenager. And always, this tight feeling would bind my chest and it was as if I was reliving that day I delivered him knowing he would not be alive. It's funny, I wouldn't think of him all year and then, bam, there it is again. All the pain, not as sharp, but still there."

"It must be very hard for you, ma'am," CJ said, tears of sympathy in her eyes.

"CJ, you're my friend in here. Please, no ma'am, I'm just plain old Abbey. I've always hated ma'am. I actually prefer Doctor," she smiled. "But yes, it is hard, as much for Jed as it is for me. After it happened I sort of fell apart for a little while and he was left to pick up the pieces. He never really got to grieve until much later. I just want you to understand why we might be a little crazy about this pregnancy. I can talk to you about it. Jed won't be able to and he may come off like a jackass. When he does, just remember he's going through the same emotions I just explained to you, but, he's a man."

"Yes, and we all know how good they are at expressing how they feel," CJ rolled her eyes. "But, in spite of the pain that you went through, you are very lucky. You have three beautiful, intelligent daughters and now twins on the way. I'm telling you, I really feel my biological clock ticking down."

"Well, all you have to do is look and me and you will realize you still have more time," Abbey laughed.

"You’re very lucky," CJ said wistfully. "You have been with the same guy forever and he really loves you. I travel with him so I KNOW. You're never alone. Not really. You have someone to help make decisions, someone to lean on, someone to share all your hopes, fears and dreams. Now you share these lives that are growing inside you. By the way, I saw the picture of the babies. The President was showing it to the Prime Minister of France," CJ laughed, remembering the scene while Abbey shook her head with a smile. "You really are blessed."

"We know that, CJ. We are also blessed with good friends. I don't think I ever got the chance to really thank you for helping Zoey in the limo."

"Oh, I didn't do anything," CJ said. "She's a great kid. She was upset but she wasn't hysterical."

"You kept her from getting that way. You made her feel everything was going to be OK."

"Well, I'm glad I gave her that impression because, inside, I was not so sure. I was a mess."

"I remember being like that myself," Abbey said ruefully.

*****

"What is going on here today, Mr. President?" Leo asked. "What is bugging you?"

"What is bugging me!" Jed asked incredulous. "You want to know what is bugging me!?!"

"I asked, didn't I?" Leo asked, unflappable as usual.

"Well, let's see, my wife is pissed at me because I don't want her to go to work, my staff just comes and goes during my rehab session when I specifically made that room off limits except to you. Then, Sam brings me this half written speech. I tell you, Leo..."

"What's really bugging you, Jed?" He asked bringing Jed up short. Leo never called him Jed unless he knew it was a personal matter. Jed took a deep breath.

"We're expecting a phone call any time now from Abbey's obstetrician with the amnio results. Any minute now the phone is going to ring and I may find out that my babies have Down's Syndrome, or Spina Bifada, or Anencephaly, which means his or her brain is missing."

"I'm sorry," Leo said, putting a hand on Jed's shoulder. "I didn't realize how serious this could be. You have a right to be upset. Those things could really happen?"

"Yeah," Jed said tightly while running a hand through his hair.

"You should go be with Abbey."

"I have..."

"You have nothing on your schedule I can't clear. Go be with your wife."

Jed nodded and grabbed a briefcase full of work and headed for Abbey's office where Lilly informed him Abbey was in the residence. On the way up he bumped into CJ who was on her way back to work.

"How are you?" CJ asked sympathetically.

"I'm doing OK. CJ, about earlier..."

"It's fine," CJ said, shaking her head, "I understand." She put her hand on his arm. "My prayers are with you both."

"Thank you," he patted her hand and continued on. As he opened the door to the sitting room, Abbey was just moving to answer the ringing phone. Jed saw her shaking hand reach for the receiver and he moved to her side placing an arm around her waist.

"Hello. Yes...yes it is," she answered, then turned to Jed mouthing it's Mia. "Yes...yes...you're sure...there's no mistake. I understand...yes...well thank you...yes, I'll see you Tuesday," she hung up the phone and turned to Jed, her hazel eyes pooling with tears.

"Abbey?" Jed asked, his legs going weak. "Tell me."

TBC...