"Abbey, stop it." Jed slapped her hand as she tried to add more spices to the big pot of chili that he had simmering on the stove. "You shouldn't be cooking for your own birthday party."

"Oh, give it up Bartlet. You just don't want me touching your precious chili." She smacked him sharply on the rear. Jed grabbed a dishtowel and wound it up to whip at her jean-clad legs. Abbey shrieked and danced out of his reach.

"OK, truce, truce," she laughed. Jed dropped the dishtowel to his side and with lightening speed Abbey pulled it from his fingertips to whack his rear again.

"Hey, that's cheating," he protested and tried to grab for the towel.

"Yeah, well I remember a certain someone who cheats when playing pool." She backed away from him lifting the towel up over her head.

"And we both know how fun that turned out to be." He grinned at her and moved forward, but he didn't go for the towel. Instead, he grabbed her tiny waist and lifted her up and over his shoulder.

"Jed, put me down!" Abbey squealed. Bent over his back she began to pummel his rear with the sides of her fists.

"You better be prepared to heal my sore butt tonight." He ran his hand suggestively over her soft rear.

Leo coughed uncomfortably and shook the newspaper that he was reading at their kitchen table.

"Are you planning on having us eat that chili tonight or letting it burn?" He asked.

Both Abbey and Jed stopped laughing momentarily, and then Abbey lifted her head from Jed's back to look at Leo. "Wouldn't be the first time we let something burn to have a little fun." Both she and Jed began to laugh again and Leo shook his head. Jed moved to set Abbey down on her feet just as the kitchen door opened.

"Are you two EVER going to grow up?" It was the teasingly disdainful voice of their eldest daughter.

"Now what fun would that be, Elizabeth?" Jed asked. To prove his point he spun Abbey around once before setting her back on her feet. He then turned around and opened his arms to hug his daughter. He got more than he bargained for when Annie came rushing in and threw herself at him so that he ended up with his arms filled with his girls.

"I've missed you Gramps," Annie tiptoed up to kiss his cheek.

"I've missed you too, Tinkerbelle."

"Grams" Annie rolled her eyes at Abbey.

"Jed we've discussed this. Annie does not want to be called Tinkerbelle anymore."

"Tough noogies." Jed pinched his granddaughter's cheek. "I'll still be calling her Tinkerbelle when she is thirty. Right, Princess." He turned to Elizabeth."

"Right, Papa dear." Elizabeth slid her arm around her father's waist. Annie pretended to scoff at them but secretly she loved it that special sort of unconditional love. It was kind of nice to know that no matter how grown up she got she could still come to this house and be her granddaddy's little Tinkerbelle. She looked at the smile her mother was beaming at him and with a small jolt she realized that her mom must feel the same way about coming home to be her daddy's princess. It was strange to think of her beautiful, totally competent mother sharing the need for that love. She turned to her grandmother who was eyeing them all with amusement. Abbey opened her arms to her, but Annie held back momentarily from those outstretched arms. She saw the look of hurt that crossed Abbey's face and felt a pang in her heart. She hadn't meant to add to the pain that her grandmother had been through recently. She walked slowly towards her and allowed herself be pulled into her embrace. At first she stood stiffly, but as her emotions took over she wrapped her skinny arms around Abbey squeezing her tightly and burying her face into her chest.

"Hey, what's all this about?" Abbey asked, as she stroked Annie's smooth long tresses. Jed gave her a puzzled look over their granddaughter's head.

"I'm just glad you're all right, " Annie choked.

"Annie's been very upset about what happened in Maryland, " Elizabeth explained. "I told her that you, dad, and the babies were fine but I don't think she believed me."

"Honey, you could have called me." Abbey cupped the girl's cheeks in her palms and gazed into hazel eyes that mirrored her own. "You know you can call me anytime you're worried or upset."

"I know, but I didn't want you to have to worry about me too."

"Well, as you can see, we're all fine." Jed rubbed Annie's back

"Besides, I worry more if I don't hear from you." Abbey admonished her. "Next time you call me."

"Yes ma'am, " Annie grinned. It was Jed's grin, impish and playful. "Where are the babies, anyway?" she asked.

Abbey chuckled as she pushed Annie's strawberry blond hair back from her face. "I wondered how long it would take you to ask. They're in their playpen in the living room with your great grandparents and your aunts. Annie flashed her a dimpled smile and raced off to see them.

With everything settled down Leo sat back and allowed himself to be enveloped by the warmth of the Bartlet family. They talked non-stop and teased each other mercilessly; their laughter filling the room as Jed stirred his chili and Abbey and Elizabeth chopped garlic for the marinating barbecued wings. They sang along with the radio and tripped over the dog that, since his return from the vet, had become even more attached to Abbey shadowing her wherever she went. Jed and his "girls". Never was that man happier than he was when his clan of charming, lovely women surrounded him. He was completely devoted to them and loved them with a passion that was stunning in its intensity. Having Nicholas had just been icing on the cake.

Leo could see the pleasure that Jed was taking at having the "old" Abbey back. After the tension of the past few weeks, he too was enjoying seeing Abbey relaxed and enjoying herself. Cooking together with her family was obviously just the medicine she needed. He watched her flash Jed a smile as they heard the twins giggling in the other room while Annie sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to them. Nothing could match the healing balm of family. He had never truly appreciated how important that was. It was hard for him at this late a date to realize all that he had missed by not embracing family life when he had actually had a family. Since Jenny had divorced him he didn't even have the illusion of family. He had Mallory and he loved his daughter more than anyone on earth but it wasn't the same as a large warm family coming together like this. The hard part was that he had only himself to blame. Jenny had wanted all of this, all that Abbey had, and he had never been able to deliver. Contempt for his emotions filled him. Here he was hungering for Abbey and for this kind of family when he had never even given his family a chance at becoming this.

The clatter of something hitting the floor drew Leo's attention back to the present.

"What is this stick, Dad?" Elizabeth asked. She held out a long wooden ruler toward her father.

"Since we weren't at home I measured Nicholas and Aislinn's height on their birthday and now I can put it on the wall here."

"Why don't you just do it now?" Leo asked.

"Because it wouldn't be an accurate presentation of their height at one year." Jed looked at him as if he were daft.

"Aren't they one now?"

"They are fifteen months right now. I measure the kids on their BIRTHDAY'S. If I measure them today it shows how tall they are at fifteen months not 12 months."

"It's only three months difference…" Leo trailed off as he saw Abbey put her hand up to stop him.

"Don't even go down that path, Leo," she warned him. "You won't get anywhere. The kids get measured on their birthdays. End of story."

Jed grabbed the dishtowel again and teased her by wagging it towards her with a rakish wink.

"If you want that healing rubdown you better drop that towel." She flexed her fingers intimating the squeezing of a massage

Jed gave her a long look and thought of her straddled over him her fingers kneading his rear. He gave her a quick grin and tossed his dishtowel at her.

"I concede."

* * * *

With all their friends gone and just family left Jed relaxed in his recliner rocking Aislinn who wasn't feeling well. His father in law sat on the couch holding Nicholas while the baby drank his bottle and Leo sat just to his right. All three men were engrossed in a Celtics game on TV and Jed didn't notice Aislinn's discomfort until she spit her pacifier out and began to whimper and squirm against him.

"Dadda…dadda…" she whined.

"I'm right here, sunshine." Jed kissed the top of her tawny little head. "Daddy's right here."

"Dadda…" she suddenly gave a sharp cry and Jed knew exactly what was going to happen, but wasn't quick enough to prevent it from happening on him. Before he could move, Aislinn threw up all over the front of his shirt and began to cry.

"Oh Shit." Jed exclaimed.

"Sit" Nicholas mimicked.

"Hey, hey that's enough of that, sport." Jed gave his son a stern look then turned back to his daughter. "It's OK sweetheart, daddy isn't mad. I didn't mean to yell." He was trying to comfort his daughter and peel the shirt away from his chest. "ABBEY!" he bellowed.

"Ahh…bby" Nicholas repeated, trying to imitate his father's bellow. Well it was better than shit Jed thought. Just as Leo was moving to take Aislinn, Abbey appeared in the doorway with Max right behind her.

"What are you yelling about in here?" she asked. "Can't you ever just call me like a normal person?"

"Mama." Aislinn whimpered and stretched her arms out to Abbey who took her from Jed.

"Your daughter just threw up all over me." Jed grimaced and quickly moved to discard his soiled shirt.

"MY daughter," Abbey lifted a brow at him.

"MY sweet, angelic daughter would never throw up on her dear old dad."

"Ahh…bby" Nicholas grinned at his mother.

"He just said my name," Abbey smiled. Jed knew she wouldn't be smiling for long if she found out what else he had just learned. But, maybe the boy wouldn't give him away.

"Sit" Nicholas laughed. Damn, Jed took a deep breath waiting for the outburst.

"Why does he want me to sit?" Abbey asked as she began to strip Aislinn out of her sleeper.

"Sit…sit…"

"Nicholas, enough," Jed hissed at his son.

"He's not telling me to sit, is he?" Abbey's eyes narrowed.

"Sure he is. He wants his mom to sit with him."

"Josiah, did you curse in front of this child?"

"Ah Abbey, give me a break. Aislinn had just thrown up on me. It was an instant…" Jed was cut off by Michael's sharp intake of breath at seeing the angry red scar that ran down the top of Jed's arm. Jed looked down to see what had caused his father in law to react with such consternation. When he had stripped off his shirt he had totally forgotten what that would reveal. Abbey had taken the stitches out of his stab wound the previous week, but it was still a nasty looking scar at the moment.

"What the hell happened to you, son?"

"Nothing," Jed lied. "It was just an accident. I…"

"Bullshit, that scar was not made by an accident. It…"

"Sit…sit…" Nicholas mimicked again.

"OK guys, let's try to keep it clean around the kids." Abbey glared at the two men she adored. "Elizabeth, Zoey, " she called out to her remaining daughters. "Could you please clean the kids up and put them to bed. Your dad and I need to talk to your grandparents."

"OK Mom." The girls took the twins with Leo close on their heels. He felt totally out of place being in the middle of the family discussion he knew was coming. Beth and Emily approached the living room with puzzled looks.

"Josiah" Emily gasped softly when she saw her son's arm.

"It's all right, Mom. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"You two kids better come clean with us right now, " Michael said sternly. Abbey almost had to chuckle at her husband, the President of the United States, being treated like a recalcitrant child. "Jed, every time you nick yourself with a razor it's on the six o'clock news, how did this happen to you without anyone knowing?"

"Because nobody does know. Nobody but Abbey, some of my senior staff, and the head of my secret service detail."

"What happened to you, Josiah," Emily laid her fingers on his forearm. Jed was touched by the intimacy. His mother was so rarely touchy/feely it was almost worth getting stabbed to get that kind of reaction from her.

"I was stabbed."

Gasps of surprise and horror filled the room.

"Who?" Michael asked tightly. "Who did that to you?" But, he had known who it was before he had asked the question. There was only one person that it could be. His mind rebelled at the image of his daughter's rapist and for one brief moment he didn't want to know how it had happened. He didn't want to hear what that that bastard had done to Abbey. Deep in his heart Michael prayed that his son in law had been wounded protecting or defending his daughter and not in vindication for something unspeakable that had been done to her.

Beth saw her daughters eyes fill with tears she knew who it was as well. She moved to sit beside Abbey on the couch and took her daughters hand for moral support. Jed held her other hand.

"Marcus Hughes." Jed said flatly.

Although Beth had known what he would say she still felt a wave of pain and anger. "You told us nothing more happened than what you told the press. You lied to us." Her tone was one of angry betrayal. Then she turned to look into her daughters pale face. She thought about the headlines of those tabloids intimating that things had gone further than the White House was admitting. Abbey watched the alarm rise in her mother's eyes and the way her fingers moved to cover her mouth.

"Abbey…" Her daughter's name came out as an agonized whisper and Abbey knew exactly what she was thinking. She heard her father choke back a groan of dismay.

"No" Abbey shook her head. "We didn't lie to you about that. He didn't rape me again. He came pretty damn close, but thanks to Jed he didn't"

"Actually it was Abbey's quick thinking that helped her to get away," Jed stated gallantly. In their press and parental versions they had glossed over what had been done to Nicholas. Now, Abbey did the same, but Michael caught the omission right away.

"How did Hughes get you to the bedroom after he shot Max? Why did he stop threatening the children?"

The room was dead silent and it was obvious that Abbey didn't want to answer the question.

"Its OK, babe," Jed encouraged her. "They aren't going to judge you. Tell them."

Abbey took a deep fortifying breath. "Because I went with him." Her eyes were downcast and the words were spoken so softly that nobody could hear what she said.

"What did you say, honey?" Beth asked. She lifted Abbey's chin and smoothed her hair back from her face much as Abbey had done earlier when comforting Annie.

Abbey cleared her throat before continuing on. "I said I went with him. He stopped threatening the children because I told him I would go with him and I would do whatever he wanted as long as he didn't hurt my babies." Abbey's eyes scanned the room looking for recriminations and condemnation. Instead all she saw was pain and compassion. Even Emily's eyes were surprisingly devoid of criticism. She felt Jed's hand squeeze hers tightly for support and felt her mother shaking beside her. Before even looking at her, Abbey knew that she was crying. Michael turned to his wife who was now stroking their daughter's shoulder. Beth's eyes were overflowing with tears and he knew that she couldn't speak. "That was a very brave thing to do," Michael said finally, his voice husky with emotion.

"BRAVE?" Abbey snorted. "I wasn't brave at all. I was completely scared to death. It was hardly courageous of me to give myself up to him. I didn't know how I was going to SURVIVE what he was going to do to me.

"Abbey, before this happened what was your greatest fear? I mean other than Jed or the kids being sick or injured." Michael knelt in front of his daughter and gently rubbed her knee.

Abbey sat quietly for a moment, then took a shuddering breath. "Going through what I went through in Boston all over again. Marcus Hughes finding me and doing that again."

"And that is exactly what happened. Your greatest fear came to pass and you didn't panic, you didn't freeze. You did what you had to do to save yourself and the children. Of course you were scared. True courage is facing something and dealing with it even though you are scared to death. There is no courage without fear."

"You kept those babies alive by sacrificing yourself," Beth said. "You bought the time needed for the cavalry to arrive. Do you know why you did that?"

"Because that's what mother's do." Abbey gave her mother a watery smile. It was an old joke between the two.

"But that still doesn't explain how Josiah got stabbed." Emily turned again to look at that awful scar marring her sons arm.

"He got it saving my life."

"Abbey," Jed protested.

"You did Jed." Abbey skipped over what Marcus had been doing to her and simply spoke of Nicholas calling for her on the baby monitor. "I was able to break free but as I started to run away Marcus tried to stab me. He would have gotten me right in the back of the neck, but Jed jumped in front of me and took the knife in his arm.

Nobody seemed to know what to say in those first few moments after Abbey's shocking words. Beth was the first to rise to her feet and approach her son in law. How dear he was to her. She had fallen in love with him almost as quickly as Abbey had and over the years he had become more than just her daughter's husband, he had become her son.

"Marrying you is the smartest thing that my daughter has ever done." She ran a loving hand over Jed's flushed cheek and kissed his forehead.

Michael approached with an outstretched hand. "When you came to me and asked me for Abbey's hand in marriage you told me that you would take care of her and protect her with your own life. You do know that I didn't require proof of that, don't you?" He teased.

"Well, I thought I'd better keep my end of the bargain," Jed chuckled.

"Seriously son, how do I thank you for my daughter's life?" He looked down at the lovely, poised woman that Abbey had become and tugged softly on a cinnamon colored lock of hair the same way he had when she was child. "There isn't any way possible for me to do that."

"There isn't any need for you to do it," Jed assured him. "Having Abbey by my side for the rest of my life is all the thanks that I need."

The room quieted as Emily rose to her feet and stood before Jed. She reached a tentative hand out and shivered as she ran a finger up the long scar. Jed looked up into her eyes with bewilderment. He had been sure that she would criticize him for being foolish and not letting the secret service handle everything.

"You're a hero, Josiah, " she said softly. "A real hero."

Abbey had been holding her breath awaiting her mother in law's reaction and at the gently spoken words she released it in relief. Oh, thank you Emily, she thought as she closed her eyes briefly, thank you for giving this moment to him. For the first time ever her heart swelled with love for her mother in law. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes, not because of Emily's words, but because of the look of shocked adoration that crossed Jed's face. All his life he had needed and yearned for parental affirmation and finally, FINALLY, his mother was giving that to him. Her insides ached from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, just as she always did when she was confronted with the tangible evidence of her husband's lonely childhood. It hurt her so much to see the little boy inside the man that she loved. The little boy who had been ignored at best, and abused at worst. A little boy always striving to be the best in the hopes that it would make his parent's love him, or in his mother's case express the love she held for him. A little boy who ached to be tucked in with snuggles and kisses, rather than the just the prayers for his soul. It was so easy to see that boy inside her husband, especially now with the emotion blazing from his beautiful blue eyes.

"Thank you, mother." He smiled at her warmly and stood as if to pull her into his embrace. Instead, Emily kissed him stiffly on the cheek. Abbey sighed. Oh well, she thought, Rome wasn't built in a day. One day Emily would finally be able to let go of all that reserve and just be herself. Today had been a damn good start.

* * * *

"So, did you enjoy this party a little more than your first one?" Jed was lying back on the bed watching Abbey brush her hair before bed as he asked.

"Yes, " she admitted. "Not to mention how nice it is to be home." She put her brush down and climbed into bed next to him snuggling up to his side. No matter how nice Harmony Point was, and she really did love it there, this old New Hampshire farm would always be home to her. This was the house that's walls held the echoes of her life. Of crying babies and giggling little girls. Of voices raised in anger and doors slamming shut. Of the loud moans of lovemaking and even louder groans of childbirth. This was the house who's halls still reverberated with the sound of little running feet and through who's open windows she could still hear Jed laughing and the girls shrieking as he threw them into the icy cold pond. This was the house where she could stand on the porch and still hear the crack of the bat and see before her all those family softball games they used to have. She had come to know a love here of such overwhelming magnitude it could still consume her at times. Coming back here was like wrapping herself in an old worn favorite quilt and reveling in the comfort. After what had happened this past week to her career it was nice to come home and wrap herself in that quilt of memories and to look forward to all the new memories that they would make.

To that end Abbey heard her youngest daughter whimpering on the monitor. Both she and Jed paused for a moment to see if the whimpers would turn into screams. When they didn't Jed continued on.

"You didn't get a chance to talk to your father about your medical license tonight."

"No, I'm sure he'll corner me tomorrow."

"You don't want to talk to him?"

"Not particularly. I hate the thought of him being disappointed in me."

"Abbey, he's not going to be disappointed in you. I'm sorry about taking my shirt off tonight. I know you didn't want to get into all that. If your dad hadn't seen my damned arm you wouldn't have had to get into it all."

"Jesus Jed, don't apologize. Don't ever apologize for this." She lifted her head and began to run her lips softly up the scar. She couldn't help but view it as a badge of honor. "You saved my life."

"That's what husband's do," he mimicked her earlier response to her mother.

"Not all husbands…

"Maa…ma…Maa…ma" Aislinn's whimpers did finally turn to cries for her mother and Abbey could hear that Izzy was having trouble settling her down.

"I better go." Abbey stood and belted her robe around her waist. She began to pad barefoot down the hall toward the nursery and bumped into Leo as he came up the stairs carrying a midnight snack back to his room.

"Abbey!" He grabbed her arm to keep her balance. Barefoot, devoid of make up, her hair slightly disheveled from lying down and yawning sleepily, Abbey was even more irresistible to Leo than usual. Her bathrobe was only belted loosely and without her heels he was able to peer down into the cleavage her low cut silk nightgown revealed. He could see where the light, sun kissed freckles on her chest ended at the top of the creamy swells of her breasts. His urge was to pull her small frame into his arms and nuzzle into her tousled curls. To run his lips over the slender white column of her throat and slide his hand inside the top of that silky nightie to knead and caress the soft mounds of her breasts. He could almost feel his thumb gliding over her nipple and wondered just how responsive she would be to that. Would it instantly harden as he suspected or would she take more coaxing?

"Leo?" Abbey looked at him puzzled. He was staring at her as if he was in a daze.

"Maa…ma!" Aislinn's cries suddenly filled the hall and Leo jumped back as if he had been touched by fire. Guilt filled his eyes and his face turned red with embarrassment. Abbey was oblivious as to why he was reacting so skittishly.

"Leo, honey, is something wrong. You're awfully jumpy tonight."

"No…I'm fine…just tired I guess…I…"

"Maaaa…maaaa!

"I better get in there before she wakes up the whole house. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Go take care of Aislinn."

Abbey turned to enter the nursery. Instead of leaving right away, Leo watched her from the doorway for a moment.

"Sssh…It's OK, little peach blossom. Mama's here. No need to get your knickers in an uproar." She took Aislinn from Izzy's arms and began to pace with her juggling her up and down soothingly. "My goodness do you have a set of lungs. You sound just like your daddy when you bellow like that." After a few moments Aislinn began to calm and her cries turned to sniffles. Abbey carried her to the rocking chair and slipped a pacifier into her mouth. She smiled gently down at her daughter as the baby snuggled into her chest. One small hand pushed at her breast with the remembered comfort of nursing there. Abbey tucked her daughter's head under her chin and began tenderly pushing the wispy sweat dampened curls off her forehead while humming softly to her. She was the picture of motherly devotion and it didn't take Aislinn long to settle down. Leo couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Leo?" Jed's voice startled him and Leo jumped back smacking his head against the doorframe. "I didn't mean to scare you, are you all right?"

"Y…yes I'm fine." Leo rubbed the back of his head.

"What are you doing out here?" Jed peered around him to see what he had been looking at and smiled at the sweet sight of his wife rocking his daughter to sleep. His smile turned to puzzlement and he turned back to give his friend a perplexed look. Why had Leo been watching Abbey soothe Aislinn?

Leo regained his wits and quickly worked to get himself out of the jam he had placed himself in. "I was just getting a midnight snack." He gestured down at the sandwich on his plate. "I saw Abbey go into the nursery and I wanted to say good-bye since I probably won't see her in the morning before I leave."

"I thought you were going home with us the day after."

"I decided to go back a day early and get some work done before my boss gets back." Leo tried to grin, but every emotion other than fear and guilt were very forced at the moment.

"Guys, ssh…" Abbey placed a finger over her lips to them and placed a now sleeping Aislinn back into her crib. Jed slowly moved to her side and Leo watched him tenderly lift the covers over his daughter and give her rump an affectionate tap. Abbey slipped an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder as they both gazed lovingly down at their child. Leo felt a lump rise in his throat and he turned to head toward his bedroom thankful that he had decided to leave a day early.

Jed kissed his pointer and middle fingers and pressed them to Aislinn's forehead then turned back around to convince Leo to stay another day. Upon seeing the doorway empty, he gave a confused look to Abbey.

"What do you suppose has gotten into him tonight?" he asked.

"Beats me?" Abbey shrugged. "Maybe it was seeing Jenny and Jeffery again. That can't be easy for him, although I would think he'd be getting used to it by now.

"I can't imagine that he could ever get used to seeing his wife with another man."

"She's not his wife, Jed," Abbey reminded him.

"I know, " Jed sighed, "but it's still hard not to think of them as a couple."

"For me too. But, Jenny's moved on. I wish Leo would. I want to see him happy. I haven't seen Leo happy; in I don't know how long. I don't know what's holding him back."

Jed opened the door to their bedroom and led Abbey inside. "I wish I knew, " he said as he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. "I wish I knew."

TBC...