"So, what do you make of this whole hurricane deal?" CJ asked Abbey as the two lay side by side, sunbathing and listening to the radio.

"I wouldn’t worry too much about it." Abbey sipped from her pina colada. "Jed said it’s going to hit the Carolina’s or veer out to sea."

"But it could hit us, right?"

"I suppose anything is conceivable. And if it does hit Carolina and come up the coast we may get the remnants, but there won’t be much left of it by the time it gets to Maine. Don’t look so worried, my God, CJ, you grew up practically in tornado alley."

"Yeah, well tornado’s don’t give you much time to worry. By the time the siren is going off it’s too late to do anything but run to the basement for cover."

"Well, I grew up on the coast and we survived some pretty big blows. This far north the main concern is usually storm surge and this high up in the cliffs we never have to worry about being flooded out by the invading sea. In fact, Jed and I are going for a sail up the coast tonight. We’re going to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Bar Harbor and spend the night on the boat before coming home tomorrow."

"What’s this, another romantic night?" CJ teased. " Spending the night on the beach wasn’t enough for you?"

"We’re making up for lost time. It’s not often that I have Jed all to myself, I have to take him when I can get him."

"No pun intended?" CJ wiggled her eyebrows.

"That too," Abbey acknowledged with a tip of her glass and a saucy smile. "Actually what we’re really making up for is future lost time together. Time off is going to be in pretty short supply for the next four months until the election, especially since I’m not going to be allowed below the Mason Dixon line." A slight bitterness crept in to Abbey’s voice and CJ flushed. She had been in on the strategy sessions where the decisions had been made to keep Abbey in "safe" territory. She would be attending fundraisers all over the northeast and California, the heart of the liberal wing of the democratic party.

"Your role is going to be just as important, if not more so, than the President being on the campaign trail. You’re a star, Abbey, people are going to shell out the big bucks to meet you and hear you speak. You’re going to raise the money we need to keep campaigning."

"I know it’s important, CJ, it’s just going to be a rough few months." She glanced at her wristwatch and sat up. "I better get back. Jed’s probably just about ready to pull his hair out by now trying to get the twins down for their nap. Izzy hasn’t been feeling well and we gave her the afternoon off so he’s been on baby duty. I’m pretty amazed that he hasn’t buzzed me yet." She showed CJ the walkie talkie she’d brought with her down to the beach in case she was needed.

"I’ll walk back with you. I shouldn’t spend too much time in the sun." The two women packed their sunscreen and books into their beach bags, threw on their wraps, and made their way back up the winding cliff path. CJ lagged far behind the First Lady and Abbey had to wait for her at the top of the hill for her. As soon as CJ reached the top, Abbey turned to continue on toward the cottage.

"Abbey, for Gods sake, wait a minute. Let me have chance to catch my breath."

Abbey turned to see CJ bent over trying to catch her breath. "You’re out of shape, Claudia Jean."

"I work out on the treadmill every morning," CJ insisted. "Well, almost every morning. Well, one morning a week."

"It’s not the same as getting outside and hiking," Abbey told her, as the two continued on their way through the pine forest toward the cottage. "You should take me up on my invitations to come hiking, you never have, you know."

"If the way you climb up that path is any indication, I’d never be able to keep up with you." CJ nearly bumped into Abbey when the smaller woman stopped in her tracks. "Why’d you stop?"

"Ssshhh…" Abbey pointed to the hammock that lay between two pine trees at the edge of the lawn. Wearing just a pair of old faded khaki shorts, Jed was sprawled out on it sleeping. One arm was tucked behind his neck revealing a tuft of sandy colored hair in his armpit. She knew from experience just how silky that hair was. His other arm was curved around a sleeping Nicholas, who he held tightly to his side. Aislinn was sleeping face down on his chest and Abbey could see that she was drooling into his chest hair. There was a pile of Dr. Seuss books under the hammock attesting to the fact that reading time must have become nap time.

"What are you doing?" Abbey asked, while CJ was rummaging through her beach bag.

"That, is quite possibly the sweetest thing that I’ve ever seen. I have to preserve the moment." She pulled out a digital camera and started snapping pictures of the President and his sleeping toddlers. "God, wouldn’t the press love to have these photo’s."

"CJ" Abbey warned.

"Don’t worry I’m not gonna pass them on. These are for my own private album." Abbey let CJ have her fun before she stepped up to the hammock to gently try to awaken Jed without waking the children. She brushed her fingertips softly over his cheek. He moved a hand to try to swat her feather light touches away then grasped her wrist tightly without opening his eyes.

"Hey, Fifi" He murmured sleepily. "You better get out of here before my wife gets back from the beach. She doesn’t like other women messing around with her boy toy."

"Her, boy toy, eh?" Abbey grinned at the term.

"Oh, Abbey," his eyes opened in mock horror. "I can explain."

"Sure you can. So, tell me, Don Juan, you get a lot of action, do you, when you’ve got kids sleeping and drooling all over you?" Abbey stood beside the hammock, hands on her hips, flashing him a skeptical look.

Jed smiled and bent his chin to kiss the top of his daughter’s head. "I hear I’m pretty irresistible this way."

"Well, if you want confirmation of that you better get up and moving so we can head out for our sail."

"We can’t." His voice was laced with disappointment.

"What do you mean we can’t? What world crisis has erupted to ruin THIS evening."

"No world crisis. We don’t have a sitter. Izzy’s really sick and she’s staying at her sister’s and all of our family members have departed. "

Abbey nodded and CJ could see the same disappointment that had been in the President’s voice, cloud her eyes. "I could do it." The words came out before she knew what she was saying.

"What?" They both turned to look at her.

"I could baby-sit the twins for you. I’ll just spend the night at the cottage with them."

"You don’t know anything about kids," Abbey reminded her.

"No, I don’t. But, how difficult can it be? "

CJ didn’t miss the skeptical looks that passed between the President and the First Lady. "Oh, come on, I’m an accomplished woman. This is something that 12 year olds do. I don’t think there will be a problem" ****

"CJ Cregg, reporting for duty." CJ saluted the First Lady as she entered the Bartlet’s kitchen. Abbey had her head in the refrigerator.

"Good, you’re here. I was just putting the kids supper away." She held out two Tupperware bowls to show CJ before putting them back in the refrigerator. "You can just heat those bowls in the microwave, but make sure you test the food before you feed them, it gets hotter inside than it is outside. Make sure Nicholas eats his green beans, he likes them about as well as his father does. He’ll try to feed them to the dog."

"Do they feed themselves?"

"We’re working on it." Abbey flashed a rueful glance at Jed. "But if you don’t want a huge mess, you’ll want to help out. They eat about 5:00. If they want a snack a little later there are some graham crackers on the counter. Jed, show her."

Smiling at Abbey’s motherly concern, Jed made a big show of lifting the box to show CJ. "These, CJ, are graham crackers."

CJ smiled at the sarcasm in the President’s voice but the First Lady shot him a look that kept him from mocking her any further.

"They’ll need a bath before bed. Watch Aislinn, she likes to gnaw on the soap at times. I lined up their bubble bath and the baby shampoo on the tub and I laid their pajama’s over the rails of their cribs. Diapers are in the bin by the changing table."

"I need to put one of those on before they go to bed, right?"

Abbey flashed Jed a look of stunned panic.

"Kidding," CJ grinned. "I’m kidding."

"CJ, don’t do that to me." Abbey hit her lightly on the arm. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes, bedtime. They still get a bottle before bed." She pointed to the bottles on the counter.

"Do I have to heat it and, you know, check it on my wrist?"

"Not anymore, " Abbey smiled softly. CJ hadn’t been kidding, she really didn’t know anything about babies. "That’s only when they’re little babies. I usually rock them and read them a story while they have their bottles and you can put them down somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00. Nicholas has to have Tigger with him and Aislinn will need her blankie, neither will go to sleep without them. They may wake up in the night, sometimes they have bad dreams."

"What do kids that age have to be scared of?"

"Being baby sat by people who don’t know what they’re doing?" Jed was leaning against the counter reading Abbey’s very detailed list of instructions.

"Very funny, ha ha ha. This isn’t exactly brain surgery here. I think I can handle two 18 month old children." She peeked around the corner to where Aislinn and Nicholas were seated on the floor leaning against Max while they watched 101 Dalmations. "Look at them, they’re little angels."

"We’ll remind you that you said that when we get home tomorrow," Jed told her, as he moved into the room to kiss the kids goodbye with Abbey right on his heels.

"You two be good for Auntie CJ." Abbey got down on her knees to kiss each child’s upturned face. "Mommy and Daddy will be back tomorrow."

Both children watched their parents leave with solemn, wide eyes, but CJ was gratified to see that there weren’t any tears.

"See, we’re gonna get along just fine." CJ grinned and sat back to watch the movie with them. The sound of the screen door banging shut against the frame drew Aislinn’s eyes to Nicky’s and both faces began to scrunch up dangerously.

"MOMMMMYYY!!!!

****

It was a wonderfully indulgent late afternoon on the "Abigail Anne". Abbey, slathered in suntan oil, lay sunbathing on the deck watching the spectacular craggy coast of Maine pass her by. Jed sat at the helm listening to a Red Sox game on the radio and watching Abbey. She was wearing the much vaunted black string bikini that barely covered the strategic parts of her and was somehow more tantalizing that way than if she were sunbathing nude, or so he tried to tell himself. How he had ever gotten himself such a little sexpot for a wife was a question he still asked himself to this day. God had definitely been smiling upon him the day that he set Abigail O’Neill right smack in the middle of his path.

Only a few more lazy summer days, he thought to himself. Already, he was anticipating the convention, could feel himself growing antsy for the fight ahead. He was ready for it. Ready to win back his countrymen, ready for four more years and the chance to accomplish everything he’d ever dreamed of accomplishing. He knew it was all well within his reach. With Abbey beside him he could do anything. His eyes fell back to his wife as she leaned back on her elbows, arching her breasts toward the sun, her head tilted back. Yes, he was ready for the fight, ready for the days, and even weeks, that they would spend apart, and he knew that she was too. But, he would miss this; miss waking up with her every morning and spending the day playing with she and their children, miss making love to her deep into the night with the breeze from the ocean drifting through their bedroom window, miss dancing with her in the sand under the stars and cooking meals with her. He would miss being simply the Bartlet family upon their return to being the "First Family".

"Jed," Abbey turned to him, pushing her dark sunglasses up into her hair. "Are you going to turn into Frenchman’s Bay or are you kidnapping me to Canada?"

"What, oh, yeah…" Jed squinted at the coastline realizing his mistake. He’d been so lost in thought he’d almost missed the bay entirely.

Once safely anchored inside the harbor they went below deck to dress for dinner. As usual it took Abbey much longer than it took Jed, and by the time she made it back on deck he was already pouring them each a pre-dinner cocktail. He gave a long appreciative wolf whistle when he saw her standing on the deck in her three inch stiletto’s and a simple spaghetti strapped black sheath that skimmed sensuously over her curves, dipping generously to reveal the tops of her breasts. Her fiery hair was loose and sexy and bouncing at her shoulders.

"You like?" She purred, moving sensuously forward to take the glass that he was holding out to her.

"I like."

"You don’t look so bad yourself." The days in the sun had streaked Jed’s now longer, dark bronze hair with bright gold and red highlights. He was ruddy cheeked and healthy, his skin lightly tanned and the deep royal blue shirt that he wore brought out the softness in his baby blue eyes. He often told her that he first fell in love with her smile, for her, it had been his eyes. Paul Newman had nothing on her husband when it came to having the most gorgeous, heart melting, bluer than blue eyes. But it was more than just the color that she had fallen in love with. The phrase "the eyes are the window’s to the soul" had to have been referring to Jed Bartlet. Every emotion that he felt played out in those eyes, whether they be a glittering sapphire with desire or icy with anger, and all she had to do was look deeply into them to know exactly how he was feeling.

"Abbey…"

She realized he had been holding her drink out to her and she had yet to take it. She took the glass from his hand, inhaling the scent of his bay rum aftershave. She stepped in closer to rub her cheek softly against his freshly shaven jaw.

"You smell yummy."

"You sure you want to go out to dinner?" He ran a hand up her soft arm.

"Yeah, I’m starving."

"For food?"

"Yes, for food," she shook her head.

"Hey, you can’t blame a guy for trying."

****

It had taken CJ almost a half hour to console Nicholas and Aislinn after their parents departure. Telling them that their Mommy and Daddy were going to be home tomorrow, until she was blue in the face, seemed beyond their comprehension, and did, at times, seem to make them cry even harder. When reasoning didn’t seem to get her anywhere she finally turned to making funny faces at them. Much to her surprise she started to receive some watery smiles and even a few little giggles. Inflated with triumph, she moved them into their high chairs for supper.

"You know guys," CJ said, as she placed their plastic bowls and sippie cups in front of them. "I can’t remember the last time that I ate at five o’ clock. Hell, I…oops…heck, I can’t even remember the last time that Iate before eight o’clock. Your dad’s a bit of a slave driver, you know."

Nicholas grinned at her, milk and mashed potato dribbling down his chin.

"Oh, you think that’s funny, do you, Mr.Bartlet?" CJ smiled and wiped his chin. Then, hearing Aislinn giggle she turned to watch the pretty little girl rub her weary eyes with hands covered in butternut squash. "And you, Miss. Bartlet, are a disgrace. You are the President’s daughter. You should be setting an example for toddlers all over the world. I’m sad to say that these unladylike manners could get you into trouble in the future. Right now you’re on the top of the world, kiddo. You’re a media darling, the cover of "People" and "Parents" but if it gets out that you have the table manners of a little heathen, to quote your mother, it will be a scandal of a huge magnitude. I don’t know if you’ll ever recover…" As CJ rattled on Aislinn mashed a fistful of potato’s into her mouth and Nicholas leaned over the side of his high chair to give Max a handful of green beans.

"Well, I see you two like taking my advice as well as your parents do."

****

Abbey and Jed shared an out of the way table by a large window that overlooked the lovely sea cove and the marina. Their arrival had created quite a stir and it had, as usual taken them both several minutes to get used to having all eyes in the restaurant on them. But now, as their attention centered on each other they were able to tune out the rest of the people present. It had always been that way between them, they had always been able to focus in on one another to the exclusion of anything else. While the sun began to set and Jed sipped his scotch and Abbey her margarita, they listened to the jazz ensemble that was playing on the outdoor patio and watched the big yachts coming in to dock.

"This is so nice, Jed. You know I how much I love our family, but it’s a real treat to be able to get away. Just the two of us."

Jed smiled and reached a hand out to cover hers where it lay on the table. ‘I can’t remember the last time that I’ve felt this relaxed, this good."

"It’s been a rough couple of months," she admitted. "You’ve been pretty preoccupied."

Jed nodded, sipping his scotch through a throat that was closing. "Well, you know the convention, the summer campaign."

Abbey nodded, but she knew it was more. Much more. Knew that it had something to do with that morning that he had arrived in Maryland, needy and desperate. He hadn’t been himself for several weeks after that day, and there were times that she would still catch a haunted look in his eyes.

"Is there anything else? Anything you want to tell me?"

Now was his chance, he thought. He could come clean. Tell her everything. He stared for a long while into her shining green eyes. He saw love in those eyes, love and trust and compassion.

"I…uh…Oh here’s our waitress."

Abbey let out the breath she had been holding, sure that he’d been about to tell her what had happened to create such inner turmoil within him.

"Well, doesn’t this look good." Jed eyed his big juicy prime rib as the waitress walked away.

"Jed, what were you trying to say." She wasn’t going to drop it. He stared at that lovely face again and knew in an instant that he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t admit to her what he had done, because he couldn’t bear to see the love for him in her eyes replaced by anger and recrimination, disappointment and disgust. He couldn’t bear for her to turn away from him, and most of all, he couldn’t bear for her to believe that he was no longer the man that she had married.

"Oh, it was nothing, just convention stuff. Let’s not ruin our evening talking politics."

"Amen." Abbey began to pick at her haddock but deep inside she knew, knew there had been more that he was about to say, knew that he was holding back. But, maybe he was right. Maybe this was not the night for this talk. Tonight he was not the President, he was her lover. Her handsome, charming, witty, and oh so sexy lover.

****

"All right you two, we better get you out of this tub before you get all pruned up." CJ was kneeling on the floor beside the tub. She was soaking wet from both trying to wash the toddlers, and from getting splashed by them. She’d been trying to get them out of their bath for the past 10 minutes but both were having too much fun playing with all their toys in the warm water and neither of them wanted to get out for bed.

She turned to reach for a towel and by the time that she turned back Aislinn had a bar of soap in her mouth. "Oh, honey, no!" CJ panicked and took it away from her. "That’s not good for you." She grabbed the plastic cup she’d used to wash their hair, filled it with cold water, and poured it into Aislinn’s mouth.

"Okay, Aislinn, spit." CJ imitated how she wanted her to rinse. Aislinn spit the water out and with it a big bubble formed on her lips. Nicky’s eyes lit up and with a mischievous smile he slapped at his sister’s face to smash the bubble, hitting her hard across the mouth. Aislinn’s bottom lip quivered and by now CJ knew the signs and braced herself for the howl that was only seconds behind.

"It’s okay, sweetie. Nicholas didn’t mean to hit you." CJ lifted the sobbing little girl out of the tub and wrapped her in a warm towel. "Nicholas," she turned to the little boy. "You need to be careful, you don’t hit your sister in the face." Nicky’s bottom lip began to tremble, as much from having hurt his sister, as from the reprimand. CJ closed her eyes wearily letting the two cry until they calmed down. When Aislinn’s sobs had finally turned to hiccups, she set the little girl on her feet to begin patting her dry. As soon as the towel left her body Aislinn took off out the door with a gleeful shriek.

"Aislinn!" CJ pulled Nicholas out of the tub, set him on the floor, and took off after his wayward sister. "Running around naked as the day you were born is MUCH more scandalous than your unladylike table manners." She caught the child at the end of the hall and scooped her into her arms. "YOU are going to cause problems little girl."

CJ made her way back to the bathroom with Aislinn in her arms. As she stepped through the doorway her jaw nearly hit the floor. Sitting naked on the carpet, Nicholas was pouring the entire bottle of bubble gum scented Sesame Street bubble bath onto Max.

"Goggy baf" He grinned proudly up at CJ and began patting the dogs soapy fur with his chubby hands. Max gave her a baleful look, not exactly thrilled with his "doggy bath".

"I know exactly how you feel, buddy," CJ commiserated. She needed a drink. BADLY. She wanted a drink and then to curl up in bed with a good book. But, now she had to rinse the dog and she still had to get the kids to sleep. Why on earth anyone chose to be a parent was absolutely beyond her comprehension at this point.

"I can’t believe your mother chose to do this FIVE times. I always thought she was such a SMART woman."

Both Aislinn and Nicholas peered at her with sweet angelic little faces. "That butter won’t melt in my mouth look is not going to work with me anymore." Her finger wagged in their faces. " I’m ON to you two. Remember that."

****

Abbey and Jed left the restaurant, forgoing dessert, which they planned to have later on the boat. They walked past the flaming torches that lined the path to the restaurant, then strolled along the docks hand in hand, breathing in the salt air, listening to the gulls and the soft music that came from the restaurant and several of the yachts moored in the harbor. The night air had turned chilly and Abbey wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples formed hard little peaks against the fabric of her dress and she ached for Jed’s big warm palms to cover them. She was very aware of the instant he noticed them, saw the spark kindle in his eyes and she felt that spark all the way from her nipples to her groin.

"I’ll warm you up when we get on board," he promised.

True to his word it took Jed only seconds once they were on board for him to pull her hips toward him. "God, I love your breasts, Abbey." The almost reverant words were spoken as he covered the soft mounds just as she had wanted him to and began to nuzzle along her cleavage. "You have no idea of how sexy you are to me."

"I think I do." Her fingers began to thread through his hair, then she pulled his head back.

"What?" He looked puzzled.

"They’re all yours, lover boy, but we’re going to do this BELOW deck this year."

"Well, then, let’s go." He nearly yanked her arm off as he dragged her below deck to their tiny cabin.

****

Finally, after rinsing the dog off in the bathtub and toweling him dry, and getting the kids into diapers and pajama’s, CJ was able to sit down. She ran around the White House everyday, yet she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt quite so exhausted. No wonder 12 year olds did this, they were the only ones with enough energy to keep up with it all. She gave a weary sigh as she sat back in the big rocking chair with a twin tucked under each arm. Both were sucking sleepily on the "bubba’s" that they had demanded as soon as she mentioned bedtime. Their heads fell heavy against her breasts and some deeply maternal instinct sprang to life within her. They were so sweet like this, so innocent, and they smelled so damn good, of baby shampoo, baby powder, and milk. Suddenly, the chaos and the tears from earlier in the evening didn’t seem to matter anymore. What mattered was the way Nicholas and Aislinn lovingly snuggled into her, trusting her to take care of them. What mattered was the soft sucking noises they made as they drank from their bottles and how they would point chubby little fingers toward the pictures in the book she read to them. What mattered was how they would look up at her with big round eyes and smile around the nipples of their bottles. What mattered was how those little smiles made her heart flip flop and the way they transported her back in time to the night that they were born.

Every time the door had opened to the birthing room she had been able to hear Abbey groaning and crying out in agony. When it was over, she’d asked Abbey about the birth, about why she would go through something like that more than once. A soft maternal smile had curved on her lips as she gazed down at the brand new baby she had just given birth to. She’d admitted that in the throes of transition labor she had sworn that each baby she was birthing was going to be the last. But, then when it was over and she held her newborn in her arms the way that she was doing at that moment, something inside her clicked, and while she would never completely forget the god awful pain, she was able to put it into perspective and take heart from the fact that it was all worth it. What had she said? "One day of pain is worth it for a lifetime of joy." Seeing how wiped out Abbey was, and remembering the tortured cries, CJ hadn’t understood or believed a word she had said. Now, looking down at the two little towheads who had fallen asleep against her chest, she did.

"Now I know why your mom did this five times." She kissed the top of each silky blond head. "I think I might even like having one of you for myself." That thought gave her a small jolt. She had thought she was passed all that biological clock stuff. Hers was ticking down pretty fast and she’d pretty much convinced herself that she was okay with not having kids. It wasn’t like she even had any "father" prospects in mind. Unbidden, the image of herself chasing a naked little red haired child down the hall as she’d chased the blond Aislinn earlier, flashed before her. Only this child ran straight into her father at the end of the hall. Danny. It was Danny. Aw hell, she thought to herself, why did it always come down to Danny?

****

Abbey lay naked curled up to Jed’s side. She was still toying with his chest hair and he was still running his fingers up and down her spine. Neither had quite caught their breath yet.

"It’s been so long since we’ve spent an entire night on the boat" Abbey’s lips pressed lazy kisses around Jed’s nipple.

"Mmm…Too long," He murmured sleepily. They lay quietly then, feeling the gentle up and down swells of the sea and listening to the bell buoys clanging in the distance and the sound of water sloshing up against the boat. It didn’t take long for their satiated bodies to be lulled to sleep.

After a restful night on the gently rocking boat, they were up early the next morning to cook breakfast together in the tiny galley, Abbey wearing just one of Jed’s t-shirts and Jed wearing just his boxers. It had been a very long time since they’d had the privacy to cook half naked together and they were having a good time, laughing and singing along with the radio.

Ron Butterfield heard their laughter as he made his way below deck. He was thankful for the fact that they were up and cooking and not doing the horizontal tango as many of his agents had bet they would be doing.

"Mr. President." There was no door to the galley, nothing to knock on, so when Ron noted their lack of clothing he turned to look away while he spoke. Jed immediately stepped in front of Abbey, despite the fact that she was dressed far more discreetly than he was, and his eyes began to search for his robe. He was out of luck, neither of them had brought any other clothes to the galley with them.

"You may as well come in, Ron. I don’t have anything to cover myself up with."

"I’m really sorry to intrude on you like this, sir, but, we have a bit of a problem. We need you to head back to Windy Point. Now."

TBC...