"Are you out of your damned mind," Jed said with a combination of anger and astonishment. He stared at Leo for a long moment in complete shock. First of all, Leo did not ever talk to him that way, at least not since he had become President, HE was the one who was always throwing the expletives around. But most of all he just could not believe that Leo could, for one moment, entertain the idea of him screwing around on Abbey.

"I think it's a valid question," Leo said undaunted, however, it was clear from Jed's expression and tone that nothing of the sort had been going on. Most of the time he could read Jed like a book, and at the moment, there wasn't any guile in him at all.

"You think it's valid to question my fidelity to my WIFE? God Leo, you know me better than that. Have I ever strayed? You've been with me when I had many opportunities for an easy lay but not once did I cheat on Abbey. And while you're standing there so holier than though, weren't you the one who told me that if I did want a little quickie on the side Abbey never had to know."

Leo stared at him open mouthed, the pain in his eyes evident. They had made a pact when he had gotten sober never to bring up what went on when he was drinking. Jed had just broken that pact for the first time.

"I'm sorry," Jed sighed. The look on Leo's face began to deflate his anger just a bit. "I know I promised not to bring up any of that stuff again, but Jesus Leo, you really pissed me off with that one. You of all people know how seriously I take my wedding vows, and you know that Abbey is EVERYTHING to me. And yet you accuse me of doing it with Sammi, of all people. She's just a girl. She's Ellie's age. I'm old enough to be her father."

"If she's Ellie's age, she's a WOMAN, Jed, and she certainly does not see you as a father. She is a woman who wants you. We've all seen it. Don't tell me you haven't noticed. You aren't that immune."

"She's just got a little crush Leo. Just like the young coeds used to get when I was teaching. You know sort of a hero worship. They see an older, mature, debonair man, who seems to know everything about the world, and it makes the boys they're dating seem childish and immature."

"Debonair eh?" Leo grinned.

"I can be quite debonair when I want," Jed informed him. "Look, I've been through this quite a few times. I'm the President of the United States and I'm married. This GIRL is not going to try anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Leo muttered.

"So what exactly made you guys think I was messing around with her?"

"You've been taking off with her on these unscheduled trips and nobody but the Service knows where you are going. You came back in a better mood than you've been in since Thanksgiving and then I caught you lying to Abbey about where you had been."

"Well, I can tell you aren't a lawyer, Leo, because that's a whole lot of circumstantial evidence you just threw at me. Since it's obvious that I can't keep a secret in this place, I will ease your mind by telling you that Sammi and I have been accompanied by my whole entourage of agents and a couple of real estate agents."

"Real estate agents?" Leo asked puzzled.

"Yes, real estate agents. This summer Abbey was feeling pretty caged in and worried about raising the twins here in the White House without any freedom. She talked about wanting a getaway place close enough to DC so that we could go on the weekends and be a normal family like when we're in New Hampshire or Maine. Evidently quite a few Presidents have done this. JFK and Jackie had a farm in Virginia."

"You're looking for another farm?"

"Bingo. I've been looking at properties in Maryland and Virginia. Today I found the perfect place. It's a farm on a bluff overlooking Chesapeake Bay. You know how Abbey loves the water. It's got a huge porch and a barn for her horse. I just know Abbey is going to love it. It's going to be my Christmas present to her." The excitement and pleasure he was taking in this was apparent in both his eyes and his tone of voice and Leo felt quite chagrined. He had come in here accusing Jed of cheating on Abbey, when in fact, he was out eagerly searching for a gift that would fulfill her wishes.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because none of you can keep a secret. I didn't want you letting the cat out of the bag with Abbey. I want to surprise her. Sammi will be long gone before she gets back so I didn't worry too much about her coming along to help out."

"I guess I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions but I am going to stick by my earlier observation and tell you to watch out for her. That woman is up to no good."

++++

"Jed, I'm fine up here, really. I know I was upset when I first talked to you but nothing has happened since."

"I just hate you being so far away. I'd feel much safer if you were home with me."

"You know, you were saying the same thing to me about this time last year," she smiled into the receiver.

"That was different, last year you were seven months pregnant and I was terrified you were going to go into labor with me hundreds of miles away."

"It's not all that different, Jed. Don't you think I can take care of myself?" She was baiting him now.

"Of course I know you can take care of yourself. I just feel better when there are two of us doing it. You are incredibly headstrong, Angel, and you tend to believe that you are indestructible."

"Well, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black," she laughed.

"I just feel safer when we're together," his voice took a serious turn.

"I know," she said tenderly. "I feel safer when I'm with you too, and I miss you so much my bones ache."

"My bones are fine," he grinned, "it's another part of my anatomy that aches when you're away."

"Yeah, I can guess what part it is," she smiled, "but it won't be aching for too much longer. Mom is doing much better. Her speech has improved incredibly. She barely slurs anymore and her left side is getting stronger. I won't be here much longer. You need to stay right where you are. Leo needs you right now more than I do."

"The hearings are going to be hard on him," Jed admitted.

"His sobriety is so fragile, Jed. We saw that at the debates. I'm really worried about how this will affect him."

"Me too."

"So you stay where you are. I'm fine and I'll be with you soon...," she paused and the bossy tone she had taken then softened, "and Jed, thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For not giving me a hard time about staying up here with the kids. I know it hasn't been easy not having us around, especially at this time of year. But this time with my mother has been very special for me. It's been so rewarding to finally be able to give something back to her after all she's done for me, for us."

"I know how important this is to you, Abbey."

"And that's why I love you so much." She knew a lot of men wouldn't have given that any consideration. "Are you going to give Leo a call before he leaves?"

"Yeah, I'll give him a call as soon as we hang up."

"Well, I'll let you go then. Give him my support."

"I will."

+++++++++

Jed lay in bed and gave the clock a glance. It was 3 a.m. and he had been tossing and turning for three hours now. His damn mind would not stop replaying watching Leo at the hearing earlier in the day. It had been tough having to watch his friend berated for something he hadn't even known about until it was much too late. He wasn't surprised at how fast they had brought Abbey into the equation, but he was dismayed. One day had revealed to him that Oliver had been absolutely correct in assuming what Republican strategy would be. They weren't going to go directly after him. There was enough compassion for him in the country that they couldn't be seen to kick a man while he was down. No, they knew how to bring him to his knees. They knew just where his weakness lay. It lay in his feelings for his wife, his children, and his friends. Those committee members might not like his policies or like him personally, but they knew that deep down he was a man of great integrity and was not going to let anyone take the fall for him. Because of that none of those on the subpoena list were safe.

First on the list to destroy was Leo. The world knew he was an alcoholic and drug abuser, what they didn't know was that he had relapsed just three short years ago. There was someone other than Jenny, Josh, Abbey, and himself who knew that though. Someone who had the power to expose all the sordid details. Someone on the committee. However, there was a way out. They had offered Leo deal, a deal he had passed on with disgust. Taking that deal would have meant not only betraying his President but even more importantly, his friend. Because of that loyalty, when the details emerged, Leo would be finished, he would never be able to work in this town again.

Next on their malicious agenda would be Abbey. It was already apparent that they were trying to paint her as some evil, scheming woman, so power hungry and intent on getting her husband elected President she would lie and manipulate and cover up in order to achieve this goal. They would tell the American people that the Bartlets knowingly hid the knowledge of Governor Bartlet's disease just so he could reach his lifelong goal of becoming President. They wouldn't listen to Abbey tell them that wasn't how it started at all. It had not been his lifelong goal to become President. He had gotten involved in politics at a local level to make things better in his community, but he still saw himself as a professor. But, as he got more involved, he found that he enjoyed helping people and getting things done and he seemed to have a knack for it which made his political career flourish. Sure he had toyed with the idea of being President. Every politician did. But he had never really seriously thought of running, did not hunger for the power of being President. Leo had changed that. Leo had convinced him that what he had to say was worth hearing and, in spite of the fact that everyone knew he didn't have a snowballs chance in hell of winning, he could add a valuable voice to the debate. He would lend his voice to those who were voiceless, the poor, the weak, the ill, the disenfranchised. If nothing else he would pull that pseudo-Republican John Hoynes back to the left. Nobody was more shocked than he was when he developed a loyal following, began to rise in the polls, and started winning in places he wasn't supposed to win. At that point it was too late to disclose anything about the MS. He had weakened Hoynes to the point that, if he had let him have the nomination, the Democrats never would have won the White House. And, he had begun to taste victory. He began to want to be President in a way he had never felt before. Abbey had been by his side from the start. She saw how his need to speak out had gradually changed to a need to implement the ideas and programs that were becoming so close to his heart. She had kept quiet and treated him, believing it when he told her he didn't have a chance to win. It had all started out as a bit as a lark and she wanted to afford him his place on the national stage. She believed in him so strongly, believed he deserved to be heard. Later, as he started winning, she was strong in her belief that this disease would not affect his ability govern, and equally strong in her belief that most people who didn't understand the disease would not agree. She had gone along with him because she loved him and that love knew no bounds. Nobody would believe Abbey could care less if he was President, Governor, or professor. They would destroy her personal reputation as well as her professional one.

"Dammit," he swore, getting out of bed. He certainly wasn't going to fall asleep dwelling on the way his wife and friends would be damaged because of him. He made his way to the bathroom and turned the spigot on to fill a glass with water. While he drank the cool liquid he glanced up at his reflection in the mirror staring deeply into his bloodshot, weary eyes, while remembering comments his staff had made to him over the past couple of days.

Idealistic Sam, who Jed knew, held him up on a pedestal. Sam looked up to him maybe more than anyone else on the senior staff did. His father had already disillusioned him, so finding out about the MS had been particularly hard on him. It had shattered the illusions he had about a man he respected above all others. So when it was Sam that brought up the fact that he didn't think it was right to be casual with the truth, it had hurt Jed to the core.

As he moved to the window to stare out over the city, Toby's words came back to haunt him. 'When the falls all that's left, it matters a great deal.' When the falls all that's left, Jed mused. He knew exactly what Toby was getting at. How he dealt with this would be a test of what kind of man he was. He stepped out on to the balcony and lit a cigarette. He took a deep long drag and looked up at the sky.

"You happy, you old bastard?" He asked looking up at the sky. He knew somewhere in the afterlife his father was having a good laugh over the trials he was now facing. He leaned his elbows on the railing, tiredly hanging his head with defeat. He felt a desperate need to talk to Abbey, to hear her reassuring voice. But, a glance at his watch nixed that idea. He wasn't going to call and wake the whole house. Instead, he stubbed his cigarette out and moved back inside hoping to get at least a couple hours of sleep before morning.

+++

"You look like hell," Leo told him the next morning.

"Yeah, well, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"You can't let this get to you," Leo said. "This hearing is going to be a long haul. We're going to be under siege for a while to come."

"Yeah," Jed said distracted, knowing it might not be as long as Leo thought.

"Sir," Sammi said entering the room, "the First Lady is returning your call."

"Thanks," he looked to Leo, "I have to take this." He lifted the receiver. Leo nodded and discreetly left for his office.

"Hey babe," Jed said, putting the phone to his ear.

"Hey yourself. Dad said it was really important that I call you right back."

"Yeah, did you have a nice walk with the twins and your Mom?"

"We didn't stay out long, it's too cold. But that isn't why you called, is it?"

"No."

"Jed, am I going to have to pull this out of you? You sound tired. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just felt that you should be the first to know that I've decided to accept a congressional censure."

"You're going to take the censure?" She said, stunned. "Why?"

Jed smiled at the question. He knew that would be her response. She trusted him enough to make his own decisions where he knew others would try to convince him this was not the right path. That is, as long as his reasons were valid.

"Mainly because it's the right thing to do."

"But you were so ready to fight. What changed everything?"

"Watching Leo up there in front of those smug self righteous bastards and thinking about everyone else who would have to face them."

"Josiah Bartlet, you better not be accepting that censure just to keep me from having to testify."

"I am."

"Jed, dammit I'm a big girl. I can..."

"Not just you, spitfire. You and Liz and Ellie and Zoey and CJ and everyone else who doesn't deserve to have to go through this."

"We're all ready for this Jed. Don't underestimate the strength in our girls."

"I'm not, but this is wrong, Abbey. CJ, Toby, Sam, Josh, none of them should be racking up the lawyer bills that are growing as we speak. They're innocent, but by the time the committee is through with them, their reputations will be completely tarnished. And, it's not just that. If this hearing drags on for month after month, which I am sure the Republicans will try to do, I'm not going to be able to get anything accomplished. No matter what else I want to get done, all the press is going to want to talk about is the hearings. This may be my last year in office, I want to get some things accomplished, and I don't want to spend the whole year talking about this."

"All valid reasons, Jed, but what's the real reason?" Jed was silent for a few moments. It was uncanny how Abbey could always cut through all the bullshit and see right into his soul.

"Because in my heart I know what I did was wrong. My motives were not evil by any stretch of imagination, but even if it meant losing the White House for the Democrats, I should have come forward. We always taught the girls to take responsibility for their actions. I haven't been doing that. It's time that I accept responsibility for making a mistake. I need to accept the blame and move on."

"You need to confess and be given absolution."

Again, there she was cutting right through it all, knowing his psyche better than he did.

"Is that so wrong?"

"No, it's a part of who you are, who you have always been and always will be."

"Do you think my accepting the censure makes me a quitter, Abbey?"

"No," she said softly. "I think it's one of the bravest damn things you've ever done. You could fight this and most probably win, but you're right, at what cost? I know what it would do to you if you came out of this pretty much unscathed while everyone around you was torn to shreds. And I know that if you don't do this, you'll carry the guilt with you the rest of your life."

"Leo will try to convince me not to do it."

"I know. He'll feel that he's responsible and he won't want this blot on your Presidency. But, he doesn't know you as well as me."

"Nobody knows me as well as you."

"And that's why I can accept what you're doing. You are doing what is best for YOU, Jed, along with what is best for everyone else, your administration and the country. You're right, it's time for this to end and for us all to move on."

"You still have the medical board."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Jed hung up the phone feeling light years better about his decision. Abbey had understood exactly how he felt. Now it was time to make Leo understand.

++++

Despite knowing that he had made the right decision, it was not easy for Jed to accept the congressional censure. It was just another slap in a face that had been slapped too many times. Going back to the empty residence didn't help matters. He didn't feel he had anything to return home for so he ended up staying very late working in the Oval Office.

Sammi entered the office late one evening to see the President staring into space. He looked so tired and so lonely and so heartbreakingly attractive that all her plans to seduce him fell to the wayside and she knew tonight would be the night. She wanted to bury her hands in Jed Bartlet's thick hair and feel his mouth on hers. She wanted to kiss away his pain and loneliness and she wanted to feel him pounding away inside her right here in the Oval Office. Just the thought of how forbidden it all was made her pulse race. Jed Bartlet was a married man, he was the most powerful man in the world, and this was the Oval Office.

"Sir," she approached him, "I need your signature on these." She placed a pile of papers in front of him. Jed began to peruse the papers with a lock of hair falling onto his forehead. Sammi reached out a finger to push the hair back into place. Jed's head snapped back at her touch and he frowned at her. Before he could utter a word, Sammi shocked him by sitting down right on his lap. She pressed her lips to his, her tongue pushing its way into his mouth. She crushed her breasts into his chest at the same time that she ran her hand knowingly across his crotch and gave a soft squeeze.

TBC...