"What the hell is this?" Jed eyed the paper Leo had handed him upon entering the Oval Office.

"I thought under the circumstances it would be better if I just leave." Leo couldn't believe that this was happening to him. This job meant everything to him and losing it actually hurt worse than when Jenny had asked him for a divorce. Handing Jed that piece of paper was the hardest thing that he had ever done in his life.

"I happen to agree with you," Jed said coldly. "There is nothing I would like more right now than to tell you to pack your things and get the hell out of here but I can't do that."

"You can't?"

"No, I don't have that luxury. I have to think as the President of the United States. The upcoming summit is important to this country. We have a lot at stake and you are involved in it up to your eyeballs. I need you in Finland, end of story."

"Look, Mr. President…Jed, I think that we should clear the air before we go. Let me explain a few things."

"I've heard all the explanations I need, Leo. As far as I'm concerned you are my co-worker, nothing more, nothing less. I don't know how that's going to work but I'm willing to give it a try at least through the summit."

"Jed, come on we've been friends for too long to let something like this…"

"DON'T push me, Leo" Jed slammed his fist down. "It took a lot for me just to get to this point and not fire you right away. I didn't betray our friendship, you did that all on your own so don't you DARE try to play on that bond now."

Leo stared at him at a loss as to how to get through to him. He had never seen Jed quite this hard and cold before. "You obviously still feel very strongly about this, do you really think that we can work together?"

"I don't know," Jed sighed. "Like I said, I'll give it a try. What about you, are you willing to go to Finland under these circumstances."

"I serve at the pleasure of the President."

The old joke did not bring a hint of humor to Jed's stony eyes. "It's hardly a pleasure right now."

"I'll go to Finland with you, sir." The words were stated coolly as employee to boss. Never in his life had Leo felt like more of a subordinate. Jed had always treated him like an equal even though they both were aware of where the real power lay. Now he was just another underling.

"And I'll keep this for future use if things don't work out." Jed slipped the resignation into his briefcase just as there was a knock on the door to signify the arrival of the TV crews.

* * * *

It was Easter Sunday and Abbey stretched out a sleepy hand recognizing immediately that Jed was already up, although not for long as his side was still warm. Her hand moved up to his pillow in search of something. A soft smile curved on her lips as she felt the item she was looking for. In all the years that they had been married Jed had never forgotten to leave her a little memento to commemorate this special anniversary. She brought the single white rose to her nose inhaling softly. It had always been a white rose, white to signify the purity of the day that she had given him her virginity and he had asked her to marry him. She laid the rose on her pillow and started to doze off back to sleep her mind a jumble of memories from the hayloft. Memories of a girl not yet a woman, a girl filled with nervous anticipation and healthy raging hormones, a girl who's heart fairly overflowed with the love and wonder of finally becoming Jed Bartlet's woman in every tangible way.

"Mama…BUNNY!" Abbey jolted awake as something soft hit her on the shoulder.

"Don't THROW it at her Nicholas," Jed stifled a laugh at Abbey's startled expression.

Abbey picked up the blue stuffed bunny that she and Jed had put in Nicky's Easter basket the night before then looked down into the grinning face of her son.

"Why is he always throwing things at me?" She looked up at Jed with bewilderment.

"You got me" he laughed softly. "It's probably an attention thing since he has to fight this little munchkin here for all his Mama's attention."

Abbey smiled at her daughter who was still half-asleep in Jed's arms. She was clutching her pink bunny tightly under her chin.

"Did you get a bunny too, precious?" Abbey asked her. Aislinn smiled and nodded snuggling back into Jed's warm chest.

"Bunny," Nicholas reached out a hand as he tried to climb up onto his parent's bed. Abbey reached down to help him up but held the stuffed toy out of his reach.

"I'm going to give you your bunny back but you have to promise me something. You have to stop throwing things at me, OK?

Nicholas nodded solemnly at her all big blue earnest eyes that never failed to cause her heart to melt with love. In looking into her beautiful little boy's eyes it was so easy to see the child her husband must have been. She handed Nicholas his bunny back and he promptly tucked it into his chest and flipped over onto his back so he could press up against her to cuddle. Abbey smiled with maternal warmth and began to stroke his fair hair. Jed sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at the love emanating between mother and son.

"We have to start getting dressed for church, " he said softly.

"I know," she sighed. "Just give me a couple more minutes with him."

Jed nodded as he kissed the top of his daughter's head. He knew exactly how she felt. If there was anything that they had learned over these past few years it was that moments like these were precious and needed to be savored and cherished. It all went by much too fast.

* * * *

From the desk in his office Leo caught the sight of movement outside of his window. He stood and moved to that window to get a better look at what was going on out in the garden. He watched Jed take off his suitcoat and throw it over one of the benches near the swing set while little Aislinn tugged at his pant leg for him to pick her up and put her in the baby swing. Leo couldn't help the wistful smile that crossed his face. Aislinn was so absolutely angelically adorable. She was wearing a pink seersucker Easter dress with a white button up sweater and her blond wispy curls were pulled into pink plastic barrettes. She was obviously the apple of her daddy's eye as evidenced by the big smile on his face as he placed her in the swing, belted her in, and began to push her. Aislinn laughed kicking her chubby little legs so excitedly she kicked off one of her tiny patent leather shoes. As Jed bent to pick it up he was nearly tackled by Nicholas who had come toddling across the lawn to launch himself at his father. Jed pretended to fall over taking the giggling little boy with him. They wrestled for a few moments then stopped as they acknowledged someone's approach. Leo turned his head to see who they were looking at. The smile fell from his face and a fist of pain clenched over his heart. It was Abbey and she looked absolutely lovely in a cherry colored suit, the skirt cut a good couple of inches above the knee. A chuckle rose in his throat at that. The more the religious right complained about the length of the skirts that she wore into a house of worship the shorter Abbey's seemed to become. She could be very perverse that way. A colorful matching hat dangled from her fingers and the sunlight danced in her copper curls. Everything about her was as bright and vivid as her personality. He watched her bend to examine her little boy's pants for grass stains and Leo bit his lip with mirth as she did the same for her husband. Jed tried to brush her off but after receiving a stern look he took the hat from her fingers and flung it over toward the bench where his coat lay, then lifted her into his arms and placed her in the large swing next to the baby swings. Abbey threw her head back and laughed as Jed began to push her higher and higher.

The smile again fell from Leo's face to be replaced by one of anxious fear as he watched Nicholas Bartlet, unhappy at being ignored by his parents, start to climb up the steps of the slide. He started to dart forward to rush outside and warn them of the danger Nicholas was in when Jed noticed the boy halfway up the stairs and raced forward to pluck him off. Upset that his plans had been thwarted, Nicholas began to cry. Jed spoke to him for a few moments and suddenly he was nodding and smiling again. Abbey hopped off the swing and kicked her Blahnik heels off so she could climb up the steps of the slide behind Nicholas and keep him from falling backwards. Jed waited at the bottom to catch the now gleeful toddler.

Leo sighed, his fingers reaching out to touch the cool pane of glass. Two days ago he might have gone out and joined them for a few moments. In fact he would have been having Easter dinner with them. Now he didn't dare approach them. He wanted so badly to speak with Jed again and explain himself better. He wanted to clear the air with Abbey. However, Jed had made it very clear that morning that he was not to push the issue. If he did so, he might no longer have a job.

* * * *

Later that evening while Jed did some work in his study Abbey eyed herself in the mirror with dismay. She had allowed each child one piece of chocolate from their Easter baskets and somehow she had ended up with melted chocolate in her hair and on her face, her neck and her chest. The two little squirts didn't look much better.

"OK troops I think the three of us are in desperate need of a bath." She laughed as she received two chocolate grins in response. She ran the water, threw in a little Sesame Street bubble gum scented bubble bath, and began to strip them down.

* * * *

"Abbey," Jed called out as he entered the residence. "Where are you?"

"We're in the bathroom, Jed," She called back.

Jed entered the room his tired repose becoming an amused smile as he saw all three happily ensconced in the bathtub. Aislinn was standing and was in the process of dumping a cup full of water over Abbey's head while Nicholas ran his boat up her arm.

"You three look like you're having fun," he remarked.

"Care to join us?" Abbey asked. "I'll let you play with my rubber ducky." A teasing wiggle of her eyebrows accompanied her flirtatious words.

"I thought you'd never ask," Jed grinned and began to peel off his clothes.

* * * *

"The President needs to be told."

Leo looked at Nancy and at Fitz. He couldn't believe this was happening. Not today. Not on the day that Jed had given Charlie off so he could spend the holiday with his sister. "You're sure this can't wait until the morning briefing?"

Fitz gave Leo a strange look. He'd never been reluctant to get the President before. "Leo, is the President OK?"

Oh God Leo thought, now they are all going to be thinking that Jed is re-lapsing. This is exactly how rumors got started. "No Fitz the President is fine. If you think this is serious enough to bring it to his attention I'll go up and get him."

"I think it's serious enough. I think it's serious enough to effect the entire summit."

* * * *

Leo knocked at the door to the residence. He knocked and he knocked and he knocked. He knocked longer than he ever had before. Finally he turned the doorknob and entered the room. He frowned at finding it quiet and empty, then he heard splashing and laughter, feminine, masculine and childish coming from the half open door to the bathroom. Oh God he nearly groaned to himself. They were all in the bathtub together. He didn't even want to slightly dwell on what kind of images that brought to mind.

"Mr. President," he called out.

In the bathroom Abbey jumped and her hands instinctively moved to cover her bare breasts as if she thought Leo might actually enter the room. Jed scowled at the protective move she made and he felt his anger rise. How dare Leo interrupt this intimate time that he was sharing with his family?

"What are you doing here, Leo?" He called out. Leo could tell from his tone that he was clearly pissed off.

"Sir, you're needed in the situation room."

"And they just HAPPENED to send you to come and get me?" Jed snorted and started to climb out of the tub. He knew the staff was desperate to mend the rift between he and Leo.

"You gave Charlie the holiday off, sir." Jed knew that he was right, that he was being irrational but it still irked him that it was Leo interrupting his family time. He stepped out of the bathroom wearing just his terry cloth robe and frowned when he saw the flicker of a grin on Leo's face.

"Can I ask why you are smiling? I was having a good time with my family in there. I don't think it's funny to…"

"Sir," Leo interrupted. "When you get dressed you might want to take that crown off your head."

Jed quickly reached a hand up and flushed at finding the lei of plastic flowers Aislinn had been trying to fit over his head still sitting there. "Aislinn was…" Jed started to explain then stopped abruptly. "Never mind. I'll get dressed and meet you down there." He turned and Leo knew that he was dismissed. He heard Abbey laughing with the kids again on the other side of the door and could feel Jed's eyes burning into his back. He willed himself not to turn, and instead continued on out the door. In the past he would have waited outside to brief Jed as they walked together down to the situation room. However, today he knew that would not be a good idea at all. Frustrated by what a mess this all was, Leo began to wonder how long that he could work this way. He had promised to stay until after the summit but if this was the way that things were going to be for the rest of Jed's tenure than that resignation that he had tendered was going to have to go into effect. Not only did it hurt to have his best friend treating him with the coldness of an arctic blast, he was also walking on eggshells around the mans family AND he wasn't able to do his job to the best of his ability. All of those were pretty good reasons to get the hell out.

* * * *

"Hey CJ, you got a minute?"

CJ glanced up uncomfortably to see the First Lady in her doorway. She had no way of knowing if Abbey was pissed at her for not going to her first with the photo or not. 'Yeah sure…uh, come on in."

"Don't look so nervous," Abbey smiled. "I'm not here to rip your head off."

"You're not?"

"No. I was upset at first. But I thought about it and I know that your work for Jed has to come before our friendship."

"Believe me. I WANTED to go to you first. The LAST person I wanted to go to was the President."

"I can't imagine why?" Abbey feigned ignorence.

"Have you seen Leo's black eye?" CJ gave her a rueful smile.

"No, I haven't seen Leo since this all happened. I have a feeling that he is keeping a wide berth around me."

"I'm sure he must be uncomfortable."

"I'm sure he must be fearing for his life. Knowing my husband he probably threatened to do him in if he comes near me."

"That could be," CJ chuckled. "He can't keep you guys from seeing each other forever."

"No, he can't. At some point Leo and I will have to clear the air. I'd like to do it sooner rather than later but I know that it is just too raw for Jed right now. Once he cools down a bit I'll see about talking to Leo. I'm assuming you've been told the whole story about what happened?"

"Yes. I'm sorry ma'am. I should have known that there was some explanation. To be honest I truly couldn't believe that you would be involved with Leo but I didn't give you enough of the benefit of the doubt."

"It's OK, CJ. I'm really not here to berate you about that. I'm here because I want to know if you know who gave Danny that picture."

"I don't. Danny refuses to tell me anything except to say that it is someone who has a lot to gain by tearing you down."

"Well that certainly narrows the field. Have you explained everything to Danny yet?"

"No. And for the record, he didn't really believe it anymore than I did. That's why he gave us a shot at explaining before going with it."

"He really is a sweet guy, CJ. When are you going to loosen up and see where this relationship could go."

"There is no RELATIONSHIP," CJ insisted.

"Oh come on, girl. That man has the HOTS for you and I KNOW you've got the hots for him."

"That isn't exactly the basis of a lasting relationship."

"It doesn't hurt," Abbey smiled.

"Is that all, ma'am" CJ grinned in spite of herself.

"No. I need to know when you are going to talk to Danny."

"Probably on Air Force One tomorrow on the way to Finland. You know that once he returns that photo whoever gave it to him is just going to turn around and go to a tabloid. They won't have the scruples to dig and find the true story. I need to try to come up with some kind of damage control. No matter how you look at it, it's bad. Even if we clear you of any wrongdoing we are going to do it at Leo's expense. He is going to come off as a drunken bum and you know that the American public will probably be demanding his resignation."

"I'd like to try to avoid all that."

"Uh, yeah Abbey, me too," CJ's voice was tinged with a bit of sarcasm.

"Hear me out. I have a plan to find out just who gave that picture to Danny and when I do they won't DARE show it to another living soul."

CJ's eyes widened with interest. "I'm all ears."

TBC...