"Mr. President," Leo said, entering the Oval Office. "The Supreme Court just came back with a 5-4 verdict to uphold the sentence on Vernon Dexter." Jed merely looked at him over his glasses. "Did you hear me? You are going to have to make the decision again about a stay of execution."

"I am well aware of that, Leo," he said blandly.

Leo looked at him puzzled. The last time this had happened Jed had been agonized over the decision. He seemed to be perfectly content this time. Jed could see Leo was confused by his manner.

"Leo, this bastard raped and killed a federal agent. He deserves to fry."

Leo looked at him with surprise. He'd never heard Jed speak like that about the death penalty.

"What?" Jed asked, "You want me to feel sorry for this guy?"

"No. I just. I mean I know you despise drug dealers, and yet sending a murdering drug dealer to his death had you very troubled. This is an about face."

"Not really. Look Leo, maybe I'm looking at this too personally but this man raped and a murdered a federal agent. Do you know what Abbey's rapist got? 5-7 years. After what he did to her, that fucking bastard is walking around now free as a bird."

"I know," Leo said quietly. Now he knew why Jed was reacting this way. He was seeing this case in light of his own personal experience. His feeling of injustice at the relatively small punishment the man who hurt his wife had received.

"You think I'm taking this too personally, don't you?"

"I didn't say that."

"I can see from the way you're looking at me."

"I'm not going to sit and judge you. I only know a quarter of what you two went through. But, remember what you have said about being in this room. In this room you have to be the President, not Jed."

"Point taken Leo."

"Thank you, Mr. President," he turned to leave the room.

Jed grabbed a cigarette and walked outside to the portico to light it. He stood, leaning against a pillar, taking a drag, trying to examine his motives. Why was this case so cut and dried for him whereas his other chance to stay an execution had caused him such torment? This should be easier. He had already set his own precedence. He would not stay an execution unless there was more evidence found that would have affected the case. So, why the guilt? He knew why. In his heart, he wanted Dexter to pay the ultimate price for what he had done. But, if he were totally honest with himself, it wasn't Dexter he was picturing in that chair. It was Marcus Hughes, the man he had caught raping Abbey. The man he had almost killed with his own bare hands. The man who was walking around free and clear.

Sam, Josh, and Toby had been awaiting their chance to talk to the President about staying the execution.

"Not this time guys," Leo said.

"Come on Leo," Sam protested, "we deserve a chance to give our arguments."

"Not this time. It's personal this time. He'll need to figure this one out on his own."

***

Abbey returned to the residence later that evening to find Jed doing some work in his study. She was a little over five months pregnant now and definitely starting to show. It was different being pregnant with twins. She had started to show sooner, and was bigger than she normally was at this point. She had begun to wear the maternity clothes that had been specially designed for her and was very appreciative for, attractive maternity wear was not easy to find.

"I'm home," she said, putting her purse down.

"And did you do as I asked?"

"Yes, your majesty. I stood 15 minutes to give my speech, no meet and greet, and no receiving line. Lilly made sure I was in and out. What did you do, put the fear of God into her?"

"Pretty much. I told her to keep you off your feet, and that it was a direct order from the President."

"Oh..." Abbey gave a start, her hand going to her side. "There it is again."

"What is it?" Jed asked, concerned.

"Come here," she smiled, and as he approached her, she took his hand placing it on the side of her belly. "Wait a minute," she moved his hand lower, "there."

Jed felt it in that instant, a distinct tiny sharp push against his hand. One of his baby's was kicking him. Abbey smiled at him as their gazes locked.

"It doesn't get old, does it?" She asked.

"No, it's still amazing," Jed rubbed his hand softly as if trying to soothe the child within. Abbey eyed her husband sharply. Something wasn't right with him. In her excitement over the babies' movements, she hadn't noticed right away. Now she realized he looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Something that had, unfortunately, become a too familiar sight for her.

"Jed, what's wrong?" She asked. "Is there a situation?"

"Well, I haven't had to bomb anyone today. I just have another stay of execution to decide. You know Abbey, they really ought to warn you when you run for President, to remember that if you win, you will become a killer."

"Jed," she said shocked, "you are not a killer."

"Tell that to the people who are killed because of bombs I ordered dropped. Tell that to the men who die in an electric chair because I said to let it happen."

"Jed, you didn't say that. The courts did. You are upholding the law."

"But, with one word, I could stop it."

"Do you want to stop it? I mean I know how you feel about these death penalty cases. How bad..."

"No, I don't," he interrupted her. "Not this time. And that is what bothers me. I want the guy to burn in hell."

"You do?"

"His name is Vernon Dexter, and he is guilty of raping and murdering a female federal agent who was undercover investigating his drug ring."

"Oh," Abbey said softly, and turned away. "You're thinking of Hughes aren't you?" She could never refer to him by his first name. That would make him human and he would never be human in her eyes. When she remembered how strong and overpowering he was, how helpless she had felt as he was able to tear her clothes off despite her fighting with everything she had, he was just an animal in her memory. When she remembered the pain and her absolute terror and disgust as he had begun to rape her, she also had to remember what was going through her mind at that time. Jed had asked her once if she was afraid Hughes was going to kill her. No, that wasn't what she was worried about. What she was worried about was Jed. What was Jed going to think? Would he believe she hadn't fought hard enough? How would he react? Would he blame her? Would he ever want her again? And then Jed was there, in the same room while that animal was inside her and she had seen a look in her husband's eyes that she had never seen before and had never seen again. Complete and utter pain and rage. "You're thinking about how much you wanted to kill him."

"How can I not, Abigail? When I think of what he did to you. How much I wanted to kill him. What we went through after and having to deal with knowing that he is out there living his life. It's a bitter pill to swallow."

"He did serve his time, Jed"

"Not damn near enough. They should have locked him up and thrown away the fucking key."

"I agree, Jed. When I think that I could bump into him on some rope line somewhere it terrifies me. I have the best protection in the world, and just the thought of his face sends me back to that mass of fear that I was that night."

"That's what I'm talking about," he burst out angrily, hating the idea that Abbey was still scared after all these years. "I want Hughes dead. I want HIM to pay. So am I making Dexter pay for what Hughes did to you?"

"No. You're making him pay for what he did to that federal agent. You're making him take the punishment the court and a jury of his peers imposed on him."

"I hate this, Abbey. I hate being in charge of life or death situations. It never gets easier."

"I know, baby," she said, and began to massage his neck and shoulders from behind. Her fingers ran through his thick hair and rubbed his temples. "What you need to do, Jed, is to take us out of the equation. If I had never been raped what would your decision be?"

"I wouldn't grant the stay. There has not been any compelling new evidence to make me deem the courts were wrong."

"Then, there you have it. I know it is especially hard for you because most of your staff is against the death penalty."

"That has never bothered me before. I've had to make plenty of decisions they haven't agreed with. I guess this time though, I was afraid they might think I wouldn't grant the stay out of a need for revenge."

"Jed, they know you better than that. You're reasoning has not changed since the last time. You are NOT a wishy washy man. They know that," she said as she moved to sit next to him on the couch.

"I do know they realize I have to uphold the law of the land as much as they would like to abolish that law."

"Jed," she said, pulling his head into her lap so she could massage his temples easier. "You also need to remember that what Hughes did to me did not destroy us. It didn't even come close. Look at where we are. We're in the White House, we've been together forever to quote CJ, we have three great kids, and these two little babies squirming around inside of me. If you had killed him, we would have none of this and that would have destroyed me."

"Nothing could ever destroy us, Abbey," he said, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "If everything we've had thrown at us over the past three decades has not done it, than I know nothing ever will."

And thus Jed's decision was made. He did not grant the stay. Instead he sat with Abbey watching the clock tick down, and while he didn't have Father Cavanaugh present to hear his confession, he kneeled with Abbey to recite the decades of the rosary. Yes, he thought, someone should really remind you as you run for President that one way or another, if you win, you will become a killer. And, especially if you are a religious man, you will take that guilt with you to your grave.

TBC...