The Ballroom of the hotel was awash with balloons, streamers and the most influential Democrats in the country as the party of three entered.

It wasn’t often that Abbey travelled to Washington to attend these things, instead preferring to stay in New Hampshire and at the Mansion. They were more Jed’s things, and he always returned full of stories and anecdotes which did even less for her than his usual array of trivia.

This time Leo had insisted they she come along, confiding that they needed to meet the competition and drum up support. Abbey still wasn’t convinced.

“So what’s it like?” Jed asked with a smirk.

“What’s what like?” Abbey’s eyes swept the room and she inwardly groaned. It was going to be a dreadful evening if Jed’s mood was anything to go by.

Leo nodded to various senators and turned back to his friends. “The point of tonight is to test the water. I want to see how many are willing to jump off Hoynes bandwagon and help us.”

“And why exactly am I here?” Abbey queried, wishing she was back at the farm. It wasn’t that she didn’t like parties, it was just that she had had better things that she could be doing, like paperwork, or treating patients. Wholeheartedly she supported her husband’s political career, not least because while he was campaigning, someone else was being forced to listen to his voice and not her.

“To make him look good.” It was true. His oldest friend’s political aspirations certainly wouldn’t be hindered by having a supportive, loving wife on his arms. “Did I mention you look beautiful tonight?”

If she knew anything about Leo, it was that he knew when to turn on the charm. “No.” She shot Jed a look. “You don’t think it’s too youthful, or too provocative?” Abbey shrugged and her black wrap slipped off her shoulders to give him more than a glimpse of her ample cleavage.

“As Mal would say - if you’ve got it flaunt it.” He gave her his most cheeky grin.

“You’re staring down the front of my wife’s dress,” Jed mock grumbled.

“You had your chance, gumdrop,“ she said referring to the hotel room and her failed attempts to seduce him. She hoped it wasn’t a sign of things to come.

“Do you two think you can stop doing that?” Leo groaned, glancing around the room and spying the person he’d brought Jed to meet.

“What?” Abbey grinned, brushing imaginary lint off his shoulder.

“Can we just get this over with?” Jed grumbled, feeling an all too familiar stirring in his groin.

Leo nodded, sighing in relief that they weren’t going to cause a scene. “The guy on the right, Stackhouse, you know. The other guy is Victor Compos. We need his help if we want to win California. Ready?” He strode across the room, hoping that his fledgling candidate would follow. If they could get him on board it would kick start their campaign and he could start hiring people, people he knew could get the next President elected.

******

He’d been watching her for the last few minutes. She was standing against the pillar, glancing around the room, with an almost wistful expression on her face. After a few more seconds he made a decision. Excusing himself from the group of men he’d been listening to for the last ten minutes, he headed across the room.

Her first thought was that he was good looking, the second was that he was at least fifteen years younger than her, the third was that Jed would be feeling the green-eyed monster if he saw them together. Then again Jed was engaged in conversation with what had to be the most pompous bunch of men she had ever met, hence why she had excused herself and gone in search of the bar. A glass of wine later, she’d found herself alone in a corner of the room.

“If you’re going to try out chat up lines you’re wasting your time,” Abbey said smugly, wondering why he looked so familiar, and hoping he‘d try anyway.

“Damn and I needed the practice,” he offered glibly. “How about I introduce myself? John Hoynes.”

“Ah. Abigail Bartlet.”

“Ah.” There had been speculation for days that a dark horse candidate was entering the race. His staff had finally discovered the name and a less than in depth biography. The woman that he had been admiring was the wife of his opponent, so much for a little harmless flirting. At least he could do a little fact finding of his own.

Abbey’s lips quirked upwards as she watched realization dawn. “That was your perfect seduction routine going up in smoke.”

“Dr. Bartlet, believe me if I was trying to seduce you, I’d be much more subtle and you wouldn’t refuse.” He paused and his grin widened. “I think I’ve just discovered what Leo’s secret weapon is,” he added, wondering whether, and hoping he hadn’t, gone too far.

She had the good grace to laugh. “Please call me Abbey.”

“John. May I get you a drink?”

“No, thank you, I’m fine,” she replied, raising her glass at him. She caught sight of her husband out of the corner of her eye and smiled.

“I amuse you?” John asked, bemused.

Abbey shook her head and took a lengthy sip from her wine glass, carefully considering her words. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Nor you I. Does your husband know what he’s getting you both into?”

“Jed can handle himself, and Leo is more than a match for anyone,” she said, her smile widening. “Not that I can’t handle myself.”

John was pretty sure she could. There was something about the twinkle in Abbey’s eyes that told him her marriage was based on equality, she wasn’t anyone’s dull little hostess, unlike his own wife. Sandy was a home-maker and not the most entertaining conversationalist which was probably why she was such the perfect political wife. The woman before him was going to send ripples through the District, not least because no-one was going to be handling her.

“And now I’m boring you?” Abbey announced, breaking his reverie, one eyebrow raised.

He shook his head and gave her what he hoped was his most disarming smile. “So, Doctor, you’re a doctor of. . .?”

“Internal medicine and thoracic surgery.”

“What would you do if he won and you had to move into the White House?” John asked quietly. Of course as the polls stood at present it was an irrelevant question, but he wanted to find out what he was up against. Knowing your opponent was the only way to beat them.

Abbey looked at him incredulously. “It’s the twentieth century, John. Women work, raise families and support their husband’s political careers. One doesn’t cease because of the other.”

She was the slightest bit naïve, he decided, but part of him tended to believe she wouldn’t give anything up without a fight. In the few minutes he had been allowed to talk with her in private he had discovered much. She was intelligent, forthright and amusing, not to mention he found her attractive. She was the sort of woman every boy of sixteen wanted to meet, the woman who would teach them everything they needed to know and more. Of course he wasn’t sixteen and she was also the sort of woman he didn’t need to be flirting with in the middle of an election campaign.

Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to tell her she was wrong, that career woman weren’t perceived as good political wives, when he heard the clatter of heels behind him and turned to find Candy standing there.

“Excuse me, Sir. Congressman Webb would like a few minutes of your time,“ his assistant said quietly.

John raised an eyebrow, his annoyance at being interrupted barely concealed.

“New Hampshire, Sir.”

Abbey grinned and cocked her head to one side. “Say hello to Millie for me.”

That was one state he didn’t have a cat’s hell chance of winning and Abbey had pretty much told him how that conversation was going to go.

“I’ll be there in a second,” he said to the young woman and waited for her to scurry away before returning his attention to his companion. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

“You can be pretty sure of that.”

John smiled confidently. If the last few minutes were anything to go on, the campaign just got a hell of a lot more fun. “I look forward to it.” He nodded once before excusing him and heading across the room.

Abbey took a long sip of her wine, watching him schmoozing as he crossed the room. He had, she had to admit, a rather nice backside, but then so did Jed. Somehow she suspected it wasn’t their attributes that were going to get them elected. The fact was, despite the fact she had only known him a few minutes, she liked him, which meant the voters would too, and beating him wasn’t going to be easy.

*~*~*~*

For what seemed like the twentieth time in as many minutes, Abbey glanced down at her watch. The television continued to report from the Democratic convention, coverage of the speakers replaced by speculation about who would be the Vice Presidential hopeful.

If only they knew, Abbey thought bitterly, that there wasn’t one.

After John had stormed out, incredulous that Jed had kept the MS secret throughout the primaries, Jed had gone after him. That was almost an hour ago and her husband still hadn’t returned.

His staff had returned to the suite and were milling around, making phone calls and engaging in debate, all the while eyeing her suspiciously.

Abbey ignored them all and Leo’s concerned look. “I’m going to get some air,” she finally announced, walking towards the door.

Leo glanced up from his phone call and frowned.

“Don’t worry I won’t try to lose the detail this time,” she said with a sigh. Closing the door behind her, she paused, wondering where the most logical place would be to find her husband. He liked to be alone, outdoors mostly. On the farm he would drive the pick up as far from the house as possible and lose himself in thought. She suspected he was lost in thought somewhere now.

“Ma’am?”

“I’m going for a walk.”

The agents fell in behind her as she stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor.

After a few minutes wandering aimlessly, she found herself by the pool, searching the area for Jed. He was nowhere to be seen.

“He left,” came a bitter snarl from behind.

Abbey spun round and sighed. “John.” They had spoken once or twice since that evening a year ago, and had always gotten along well. In fact she had found herself liking him even more each time they met. Which had made the meeting in their suite so difficult but it had to be done. Jed deserved a fair chance at the election and hopefully they had given him that.

“Your husband is a real piece of work.”

She sighed and lowered herself onto a nearby sun lounger. “He did what he thought was best.”

“Best for himself, yes,” John snapped.

She didn’t need this. When Jed had first announced, or rather when he and Leo had ambushed her, that he wanted to run for President, she had been less than thrilled. Her love for her husband and the knowledge that he would make a great President had led her to agree, albeit with some conditions. Part of her still hoped he’d lose in November and they could return to the Farm, spending whatever time they had together.

The agents blended into the background as Abbey stared up at the younger man.

“I’m fifteen years younger than him. I entered the primaries with a 48 point lead,” he snarled, pacing up and down before her. “Next thing I know McGarry is poaching my staff and I’m being offered the VP ticket. He concealed an illness.”

“All of which has nothing to do with his MS. It was the way he spoke, his ideas, his liberalism that won him the nomination. And Leo didn’t poach your staff. Josh left because he liked what Jed had to say, because he felt he wasn’t being listened to where he was. They all stayed because they think he has a chance. Jed’s MS isn’t who he is.”

“What if he gets sick? What if he collapses in the middle of a security briefing?” John prompted, studying Abbey’s face for signs that she was lying.

That was the least of her worries. “Do you honestly think that matters to me?”

It was John’s turn to shrug. From the little research his staff had done on Dr. Bartlet, he still knew very little about her. She had an M.D. from Harvard, was board certified in internal medicine and thoracic surgery, and had been practicing medicine for twenty-four years. That and the fact she was mother to three girls were the only things his staff had deemed relevant. There was much more he was sure. “What does matter to you?”

Abbey turned away and shook her head. “That one day my husband will die and I’ll have to tell my daughters that despite how great a doctor I am, I couldn’t save him.”

There was a lump in his throat as he crossed to sit on the lounger beside her. Silently, he took her hand and held it tightly in her own. “Tell me about MS.”

“What?” Her face scrunched up in confusion as she turned back to him. She wasn’t sure if he wanted ammunition to sink Jed’s campaign or he wanted to know the facts before he threw his towel into the ring.

“I’m guessing he’s in remission so tell me what we can expect when he’s not.”

For the first time in over an hour she felt in control. This was what she had trained for, not politics or playing hostess, but as a doctor. Putting her faith in the man before her, she said in an almost inaudible voice, “Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Jed has relapsing-remitting. It began as numbness, pain in his leg and blurriness about six years ago. He has regular injections of Betaseron which reduce the frequency of attacks.”

“When was his last attack?”

Abbey looked around furtively. They were sitting outside, inside were hundreds of people, press, politicians, Jed’s staff. Anyone could overhear at any minute, not to mention see her holding hands with her husband’s opponent, all things the press would have a field day with. She stared at their hands and John pulled away.

“A while ago,” she said softly. Not long enough.

He suspected she was holding back on him but as her wide brown eyes locked with his, his anger began to subside mildly. “What are attacks like?”

“They vary depending on other factors -stress, fever - symptoms range from numbness, raised temperature, fatigue to paralysis, lose of vision and cognitive function. Which is when it’s likely to turn into secondary progressive. “

“Oh Abbey.”

“Which is why he needs you as Vice President,” Abbey stated firmly, running her fingers lightly over his forearm. “You’re the first and last choice.”

John groaned audibly. “I don’t want second chair. It should be me tomorrow night accepting the nomination. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

She blinked at the passion in his voice. “You’ll have your chance in four years, John. He’s a one term President.”

At her admission, he looked at her surprised, “I’m sorry? One term?”

Abbey shrugged. “It’ll be your name on the ticket in four years and you’ll have his full support.” They had a deal.

“How do I know I can trust him?”

“You can but you also have my word. This is your chance. My husband is a good man, John. You won’t suffer because of him,” Abbey offered gently.

They slipped into a comfortable silence, her fingers still lightly caressing his arm.

Whatever he decided, John knew his life was going change. If he took the ticket he didn’t want to be a puppet, which was most likely what would happen but it would give him chance to make further allies and prepare for the next election. If he refused there was no guarantee he would get a shot in four years. There wasn’t really a choice, if he ever wanted to be President he had to accept the Governor’s offer.

Abbey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He had to accept. As much as Jed wouldn’t admit it, he needed John. The campaign team had argued back and forth for hours over possible candidates and every time it came back to the man beside her. Leo had explained the reasons why they would make a good team, all of which involved electoral math and Texas, then Josh and Toby had joined in and she’d pretty much switched off.

“You should go find your husband and I need to speak to my wife,” John sighed. He wasn’t looking forward to telling Sandy that he was going to join the Bartlet ticket. She hated politics and it was only the thought of being First Lady that had gathered her support. Second Lady didn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Abbey smoothed down her skirt as she rose to her feet. “But you’ll tell Jed yes?”

He shrugged non-commitally. He needed time to think and to make Jed squirm, there was certainly no reason to make it easy for him. “He’ll have my answer by morning.”

“Thank you.” Lightly she reached up and kissed him on the cheek before scanning the vicinity for her agents.

As he watched her walk away, John ran his fingers over the area she had kissed. He wasn’t a man for older women, or other men’s wives, but there was something about Abbey that told him she was going to be able to twist him around her little finger. Something else told him she could also be a very good friend and ally.

*~*~*~*

It had been probably the worst twelve hours of the Administration and that was saying something with the year they’d had.

Airports were in lockdown, the roads were snarled with traffic and every secret service and FBI agent had been called in to take part in the assassination investigation. In the situation room the military and NSA were debating what action was needed, whether they would end up going to war over events they hadn’t predicted.

The President was in hospital recovering from surgery and Josh Lyman was still in recovery. The coming hours were going to be critical.

John had just finished in the Situation room for the third time in as many hours and would be needed in another hour for a meeting with Leo. Instead of going back to his office or even to the Observatory, not that there was anyone there waiting for him, he had decided to make a visit to an old friend.

“Abbey,” he called softly through the open doorway.

Her wide eyes looked up at him as she struggled to contain the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks. She shook her head gently, looking past him to the agents standing sentry.

John pulled the door closed behind him as he stepped into the room. “I was in the situation room and I thought I’d stop by and check on you. How are you holding up?”

“They tried to kill my husband and Josh is fighting for his life,” she choked, swiping her eyes as the tears finally fell.

His arms were around her shoulders pulling her against his chest in seconds.

Half-heartedly she tried to fight him, finally giving in and clinging to his jacket as her tears began once more in earnest.

John held her tightly, resisting the urges that coursed through his body. What she didn’t need was a love struck teenager, and around her that was how he felt. Ever since that night by the pool when she had shown him a vulnerable side he hadn’t expected, he’d been drawn to her. At dinners he sought her out, an unexpected friendship developing.

His fingers drew lazy circles on her back as her body shuddered. “Let it go,” he whispered against her hair, forgetting for once about propriety and how it would look if anyone was to walk in.

When she finally stopped crying and pulled back her eyes were red-rimmed and her hair ruffled. He continued to hold her as she ran her fingers through her hair and swallowed.

“I’m sorry.”

Releasing her momentarily, John went to the cabinet and pulled her a glass of water. Only then remembering where they were - the Presidential bedroom. “Is water okay, or would you like something stronger?”

Abbey shook her head and took the drink from his outstretched hand. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled between gulps. “Did you need something?”

“I wanted to see how you were, whether you needed anything. I thought you might need someone to talk to. . .”

“I had to tell them about the MS.”

“Because of the anaesthesia?”

She nodded mutely.

“The President is going to be okay, though? They removed the bullet?” John asked, sinking onto the bed next to her.

“They’re both stable. It’s just . . .I. . .” Her hand started to shake and John took the glass from her hand, placing it carefully on the floor. Gently he took her hands in both of his and held them against his knee. “He’s alive, Abbey. From what I hear he’ll be home in a few days. It’s going to be fine.”

“We don’t know that yet,” she said, her voice barely audible. She couldn’t voice her fears not to anyone.

His thumb gently caressed her knuckles as he waited for her to continue. “There’s no one else here but you and I, Abbey. Right now I’m your friend, not Vice President, not the guy everyone around here likes to hate. . . “

“I don’t hate you,” she said quickly, turning to look at him. Something in his eyes took her by surprise, a gentleness she didn’t associate with him.

“I guessed that by the fact we’re sitting in your bedroom,” he offered with a reassuring smile.

She found herself returning the smile, squeezing his hand. The smile disappeared rapidly. “He, Jed, could get an infection, a fever even, and an attack right now would have consequences.”

“He’s not going to get an infection, not with the best doctor in the country looking after him.” He couldn’t bare to see her cry, didn’t want to think what would become of her if Jed took a turn for the worse. Quickly, he changed the subject. “ Are Ellie and Liz coming down?”

Abbey shook her head. “I told them not to. . . I need to get back to the hospital. . .” she trailed off and smiled up at him weakly.

“And I need to meet with Leo.” John released her hands and rose to his feet. “I’ll be in my office later if you need anything.”

Abbey stood and griped his arm to steady herself. “Thank you.”

He shrugged. “Anytime. And I mean it. If you want to talk call me, I’m a good listener.” Gently he leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek, revelling in the floral scent of her perfume. “Take care.”

She smiled at him warmly as he crossed the room and opened the door.

Their eyes met as he turned back to look at her and his heart leapt at the sadness he found there. He desperately wanted to go back and pull her into his arms again, removing all sense of fear she had but that wasn’t his place. All he could do was offer and hope she would come to him.

Abbey waited until the door clicked behind him before she headed to the bathroom. More than anything she needed to be strong, for Jed and for his staff. Her own emotions would have to remain in check but for just a second she’d given way to them, and she felt mildly better. One day she would thank John and return the favor, but for the time being she was needed somewhere else.

*~*~*~*

Abbey hit the rewind button again and glared at the screen. However many times she’d watched it, she still couldn’t believe it. Jed had gotten up in front of millions of people, not just in America but around the world, and announced he was running. It was bad enough at the State of the Union when he’d kicked off his campaign and she’d sat in the auditorium and watched, stunned. They’d had a deal then and he’d broken it.

Once again he’d gone back on his word.

By the time he’d returned from his Press conference the night before she’d been asleep, at least she had let him think that. Words failed her for once and her anger was too raw. He’d left early this morning and she’d once again pretended to sleep. She would have to talk to him soon but as yet she couldn’t think of what to say, or maybe there was too much to say.

As she watched CJ announce the President and whisper something to him, Abbey stiffened. Jed had decided in a matter of minutes that he would run again, which meant that she wasn’t the only one who had found out by way of the media.

Nearly four years before she had told John that her husband would only stand for one term, she had given her word and he had agreed to stand as Vice President because of it.

Throwing the remote onto the chair, Abbey slipped her pumps on and crossed to the door. “Bill, I need to go out for a while.”

“Yes, ma’am. Where are we going?”

She considered where he would be. It was seven and on any normal day he would probably still be in his office, today she decided he would probably want to be alone and have headed home. “The Observatory.”

Her lead agent nodded and mumbled into the microphone. Within minutes she was being shepherded into the waiting car and being driven through the streets of Washington. Yesterday she had been holding her husband as he’d buried Delores, last night she had gone on national television as her husband announced he had a degenerative illness. Today she was so angry at him she couldn’t bear to be in the same room as him.

The car pulled up at the gates of the Observatory and the agents checked her through.

Abbey followed the steward down the hallway and waited as he knocked on the door to the Vice President’s private study.

The door opened and John appeared in the doorway.

Her eyes swept over his appearance, the tight fitting black sweater and cords as his eyes betrayed his surprise and the slightest tinge of anger.

“Abigail?” He waved the steward off and stepped back to allow her entry into his private domain. Once the door clicked shut behind them, he turned to face her. “Your husband sent you to lie to me again?” he asked bitterly.

“I’ve never, not once, lied to you,” she offered calmly. “I’m here now because I suddenly thought about how you were feeling.” On numerous occasions in the last few days she’d been worrying about her friends, CJ, Leo, now John. Except John was the only one she’d thrown caution to the wind for. “Is Sandy here?”

John sighed and shook his head. “She’s in Texas, keeping the home fires burning.” She couldn’t understand why John was so upset. So he wouldn’t get to run for another four years, it was only time and it would mean they could spend more time doing the things they enjoyed, travelling, riding the rapids, and being on the ranch, she had said. John hadn’t even bothered to try and explain.

“I thought you might want to talk.”

“What is it this time?” His anger was more than palpable as he stared at her. “In four years he’ll give me his unconditional support. Or maybe there’s some bill you want me to support, one that will make this crisis disappear. Tell me what it is you want to talk about,” he scoffed.

“You aren’t the only one who’s angry,” Abbey yelled, taking a step towards him.

John’s eyes widened as she advanced on him. “He didn’t discuss it with you first?”

“When he left for the Press Conference he was all set to resign. The media is a wonderful thing,” she sighed bitterly, continuing to advance on him.

“Abbey?” He moved to take a step back, finding himself pressed against the door.

Her arms slid up the front of his sweater and crossed behind his neck. It didn’t even occur to her what she was doing until seconds before she did it. “You said if I ever needed a friend. . .” she trailed off as she reached up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

John sighed as she increased the pressure, his hands pushing her away even as she deepened the kiss. His hands slid around her back and moved up and down her spine.

The kiss lasted merely seconds before he pulled back and stared at her, unable to break the contact they shared.

Abbey’s chest heaved breathless as she found herself standing in his arms, a lost look in her eyes. She wasn’t sure what she had been planning when she’d left the residence, to talk maybe or to make Jed hurt as much as she did, she wasn’t sure, now that she was here she knew exactly what she needed, the kiss had made her feel something, for the first time in twenty-four hours the anger was pushed to the back of her mind.

“Abbey? I’m not. . .”

“Why is it that the men in this administration insist on talking so much?” she asked with a sigh. “Haven’t you just wanted to do something without thinking about it?”

He’d certainly thought about doing it, in the biblical sense that was, with Abbey, it was just not the sort of thing you did as Presidential hopeful and not with the President’s wife. If it had been someone else, someone who wouldn’t remember her Catholicism in the morning and be consumed with guilt and regrets he may still have been tempted. As his mind ran through the implications he failed to notice Abbey slip out of his arms and drape her jacket over the back of the couch.

“You’re thinking about it again, John,” she whispered, returning to his side and running her hand down his chest.

“You really don’t want to do this. . .” John started even as his fingers entwined with hers. “How about a drink?”

Abbey closed her eyes briefly before opening them to stare up at him. “Have you had a drink?”

His swallow and the slight glaze in his eyes told her he’d thought about it.

“Do you want one now?” Gently she moved to stand before him, her hand reaching up to his face, cupping it gently.

“No. But I can get you one.”

“I don’t need a drink. I need you.” She blushed slightly at her admittance and moved to step back.

John released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her hard against him. His free hand reached up to cup her face, lightly caressing her cheek as he kissed her hard on the lips. Right then he wanted her more than he had ever wanted a drink. One kiss and he was already addicted.

Abbey relaxed into the kiss, her fingers slipping beneath his sweater, and caressing the smooth skin she found there. “Um.”

His hand moved from her face to tangle in her hair, his arousal growing as her hand brushed over his chest, gently teasing his nipple.

“Make love to me,” she mumbled against his lips, her breath catching as she felt his erection grinding against her stomach.

John’s tongue tangled with hers as months of pent up frustration came to the fore. He wanted nothing more than to make love to her, to use his anger at Jed, to get some sort of revenge, but it was wrong and Abbey didn‘t deserve it.

Abbey slipped a hand between their bodies and ran her fingers over his belt buckle, pulling gently at first, then more frantically as he let out a low moan. Anger, loneliness, and a moment of lust led her to pull at his pant fastening. Her hand made contact with flesh and she jumped.

Something had changed, John knew. Abbey’s hands stilled and she was backing out of his embrace.

“Abbey?”

Her eyes widened in fear and she glanced at his open pants and her own dishevelled appearance. “I need to go.”

“Abbey?” he repeated, stepping towards her.

She waved her hand at him, grabbing her jacket and moving towards the door.

John moved his fingers over his fastening. “Are you. . .?”

The door handle in her hands, Abbey turned to look back. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I love my husband. . . I let my anger. . .I’m sorry, John.” Quietly she closed the door behind her.

John ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. He’d let his emotions get the better of him, taken advantage of Abbey’s feelings and ruined their friendship. For the second time that day he wanted a drink. Events of the last half hour stopped him. He wasn’t sure what he’d do with a few beers inside him and as always, the Administration came first.

*~*~*~*

“Ma’am,” Lily called softly from the doorway.

Abbey looked up and smiled, her eyes wandering to the bouquet in her Chief of Staff’s arms. “Wow.”

“They were delivered to the East entrance with your personal mail code, ma’am.”

It didn’t take her a second to work out who they were from. A dozen long stemmed yellow roses, hand wrapped, no, it definitely didn’t need the handwritten card to tell her they were from the Vice President.

“I need to make a call. Can I have the room, please?” she asked softly, debating what to say even as she picked up the phone.

After that night in the Observatory they had barely seen each other. There had been the odd function where they had greeted each other perfunctory if a little awkwardly. For most of the fall though she had been in Manchester, or laid up with a sprained ankle while he was off campaigning He had sent a get well card, vague and hardly personal. Now, out of the blue, he had sent her flowers.

Well, she thought, as she waited for his assistant to pick up, it was her Birthday and they were friends, even if she‘d done everything she could to wreck it. Of course, she‘d neglected to invite him to her party, which looking back seemed silly but at the time had seemed the easiest way to avoid a difficult conversation.

“Janeane, it’s Abigail Bartlet. May I have a word with the Vice President?” Abbey asked before the assistant could say a word.

“If you give me a second, ma’am, I’ll check that he’s free.”

Her fingers toyed with the ribbon on the bouquet as she waited to hear his familiar drawl.

“Happy Birthday, Abigail,” he said by way of greeting, settling back in his desk chair.

“The flowers are lovely, thank you.”

“I’m from Texas, what else could it be but yellow roses,” his smile translated to his voice. “Yellow roses are also a sign of everlasting love.” He took a breath. “In this case, friendship. I wanted you to know that I’m here if you ever need to talk.”

“John, I. . .”

“You were upset, it’s forgotten. You love your husband.”

“Things are better. He’s trying,“ she said softly, by way of explanation, for what she wasn‘t sure.

“I apologize for my behavior that night,” he started. “I would have said it sooner but you went to New Hampshire, then it seemed we were always in a crowd and the moment. . .”

Abbey laughed weakly. “Can we just agree that it was a mistake? Two friends finding solace at a bad time.”

“Yes,” he agreed, wanting to put it behind them and move on. He had missed her over the intervening months - her smile and way she seemed to understand him, when so many others didn‘t. “Did you have a good party?”

Her voice faltered. She hadn’t invited him, as much because of what happened that night as his relationship with Jed, now she wished she had. “It was okay. Lots of people. I got drunk.”

“I think that’s allowed once in a while,” he chuckled.

A moment of silence hung between them.

“I take it you heard about the Medical Board,” Abbey said finally.

The assistants talked, mostly because they needed to talk about their jobs and the only people who could be trusted were other assistants. Lucky for him, Janeane was friendly with Margaret, who was the fountain of all knowledge.

Abbey’s decision should have surprised him more than it did, except she had put herself second to her husband’s career longer than he had known her. He didn’t agree with her playing sacrificial lamb, but it wasn’t his place to tell her that.

“I heard. I also heard it was your decision.” John ran his fingers across the newspaper photograph in front of him of Abbey leaving the hearing.

“Some friends made me see that putting my career on hold for a few years wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I can still get involved in health care, in fact I can probably do more as First Lady than as a doctor. And there are a few programs I’m going to be lobbying for. . .child immunizations, juvenile diabetes. And I made a decision to give Jed treatment, I should take the punishment.”

“Even if it means sacrificing the one thing that matters most to you?” John asked, surprised.

“My career isn’t everything,” she stated resolutely. “There is Jed, my family, my friends.”

“True.”

“My career will be there is four years,” she added, taking a deep intake of breath, the scent of the roses wafting through the air.

He could only hope his would be, he’d seen the figures, he knew that the electoral math wasn’t good. “Well I’d let you treat me.”

“That instills me with faith. Look I have to go, lunch with the girls. . . Maybe we can. . .” she trailed off, not really sure whether they could meet up, whether he would want to.

“Sure, anytime,” he smiled. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you,” she managed to say before she replaced the receiver, her smile reaching her eyes for the first time in weeks.

*~*~*~*

It had been a good day for the Administration, a long one and one in which Abbey had barely taken her eyes off of her husband. Of course there was a crisis brewing across the world and he had had a minor fit about the missing bible, which for as long as she’d known Jed wasn’t unusual. The most important thing was that Jed had been sworn in as President for his second term without the slightest hint of an attack. His MS, which had frightened him so much on election day, had remained dormant ever since.

The Balls had been going on for hours in hotels all across town. Abbey wasn’t even sure how many she and Jed had attended, only that for once everyone had looked happy.

Of course there was something going on somewhere. For once she wasn’t going to worry about that, instead enjoying the time with her husband and friends.

The staff had all but disappeared a little while ago only to return looking even more relaxed than before, if a little covered in snow. Tomorrow there were going to be hangovers, and she knew exactly who would be suffering the most. She made a mental note to visit Josh as early as possible, after all she was entitled to a little fun now and again.

Jed and Leo looked pensive, the latest crisis weighing heavily on their minds, but at least she had been allowed a dance or two with her husband. His whispered words of love had been all she needed to hear and she had held him that little bit tighter because of them.

Her eyes drifted around the room, looking for her family.

Liz and her husband were in a corner of the room, practically in each other’s laps. Jed had been concerned when their eldest daughter had married in her teens but the marriage had worked and the couple seemed as much in love as they had when they made their vows. Ellie was laughing and giggling with Mallory, no doubt up to no good, while Zoey danced with her new boyfriend. That was one relationship she hoped wouldn’t last but then she had always had a soft spot for Charlie.

Her children were happy and safe and right then for Abbey that was enough.

Elsewhere Leo and CJ were deep in conversation. There had been a time when she thought they would get together, but it hadn’t come to be. Maybe now that things had settled down she could try once more to find CJ a nice guy. Her friend deserved to go home to more than an empty house after a day working for her husband.

Her eyes finally fell on a table to the side of the dance floor. The Vice President was chatting to a congressman she vaguely recognized while his wife sat quietly at the table.

Without hesitation, Abbey walked purposefully across the room and paused at his table. “Good evening, Sandy. You look lovely.”

The Texan blonde smiled warmly. “Thank you ma’am. You look wonderful yourself.”

Abbey’s eyes drifted to the two men standing, chatting, beside the table. “Have they been at it long?”

At the sound of her voice, John turned and his face lit up. His eyes drifted over her deep burgundy gown and back to her face. “Good evening.”

“John. All work and no play makes you a dull boy,” she said softly.

He shook his head and grinned. “Would you like to dance, Mrs. Bartlet?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” she replied casually, extending her hand and nodding to his wife.

The companion excused himself, smiling warmly at the two women, before disappearing into the never ending throng of people.

Holding Abbey’s hand firmly in his own, John led her the few steps to the dance floor, waiting for her to push the sheaves of silk behind her before she stepped into his arms. Silently, he wrapped one hand around her waist, pulling her flush against his body, then entwined the other with hers and held it against his heart.

Abbey reached up and rested her free hand against his shoulder.

As the strains of a new song started up they began to move together.

“You look stunning, Abbey,” he whispered against her ear. “Jed is a lucky man.” His fingers splayed against her back, the fitted bodice leaving little to the imagination.

“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” John Hoynes in a tuxedo was definitely eye candy enough for any woman. Abbey relaxed and leaned into his touch. It was easy she concluded to be with him, their friendship in tack, despite her momentarily indiscretion.

John pulled her closer to his body, moving to the music as he took in the scent of her hair. “This reminds me of when we first met.”

“Except we didn’t dance then.”

“And your husband wasn’t watching me like a hawk,” John chuckled.

Abbey glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “Nah, he’s just contemplating what he wants to do with me later.”

John suppressed the blush that threatened to cover his neck. Jed wasn’t the only one debating what he’d like to do to her, especially not in that gown. “Are you, by any chance, using me to make your husband jealous?”

“Me? Jealous? Nah. Horny, yeah,” she smiled sweetly. “It’s working.”

It was definitely working, between her, CJ Cregg, and damn that woman had a great body too, and Josh’s assistant, every guy in the room was horny.

He smiled to himself and wondered briefly if the President and Leo had decided on the wrong strategy. Instead of sending Josh in to argue policy on its merits they should send the women in. The men would be so distracted they wouldn’t care what legislation they passed.

“What are you thinking?” Abbey asked, frowning as he seemed to disappear into his thoughts.

He pondered telling her the truth, but it wasn’t the time for that, and hell their relationship hadn’t recovered that well. “That in four years this will all be for me,” he offered, willing it to be true.

“Ah. . .” she shook her head. “That’s the John I know and love.” She hoped he’d run in four years and that he’d win. If the last four years had taught her anything, it was that he was a good man with a good heart. All he needed to do was make people see that. “So will you dance with me in four years?”

There was no doubt of that. John released his hold on her and nodded. “But for now you need to dance with your husband.”

Abbey glanced back over her shoulder and shook her head. Jed was pouting, that much she could see through the mass of people, and if she kept him waiting too long he’d start to sulk, which was never good.

Gently, Abbey reached up and brushed her lips over John’s cheek, before he released her from his arms.

It was a simple, innocent gesture. They both knew it. A gesture between friends - a friendship that would weather whatever was thrown at it. Theirs was a relationship built on mutual love, respect and a willingness to loan more than a shoulder to lean on when times got tough.

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