"Mmm�Jed?" Abbey rolled over in bed squinting at the clock by the bedside. It was well after 2 a.m. and her husband was just returning from situation room meetings.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to wake you." Jed partially closed the bathroom door to keep the light from spilling into the bedroom.

"No, it's okay. What's up? You wanna talk?"

"No, it's okay, you go back to sleep. We have another big day tomorrow." His voice was flat, tired. It had been a very long week.

Abbey leaned sleepily back against the pillows listening to her husband's bathroom activities. She heard the water running, the toilet flushing and the water running again. Then, finally, he came wearily into the bedroom wearing a pair of old sweats. As he crawled into bed gingerly, determined not to wake her back up Abbey snapped on the light beside the bed.

"Abbey?"

"Can you talk to me about it?" Abbey pressed herself to his side reaching a hand up to massage the tense muscles at the base of his neck.

"It's bad, Abbey."

"What is?"

"They're switching family members in Kundu."

Abbey stared at him blankly. "I don't know what that means, Jed."

The rebels are forcing men to rape their own family." Jed rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. "So, to keep from doing that people all over the country are moving into the homes of neighbors so the act won't happen between members of the same family."

"Oh, my God, Jed." Abbey's wide green eyes were filled the horror that his words brought to mind, a horror that was reflected in Jed's. "That is absolutely barbaric"

Jed nodded in agreement. "It's inhuman."

" It's also incredibly premeditated. I don't understand what they have to gain by that." In Abbey's experience rape was a violent act brought on by extreme emotional rage or disturbance or even the blood lust of war.

"Power. Pure and simple. They are able to exert their power that way. Now women�mothers� are standing in front of tanks trying to stop this from happening. Can you imagine?"

Abbey nodded. She could very easily imagine standing in front of a tank trying to protect her family. "Is�is there anything that we can do?" Abbey's question was voiced softly and with hesitation. There was an awful lot of horror in the world and as much as Jed might want to help, that wasn't always possible. She knew it would weigh heavy on his soul if this were one of those times. Violence of any kind was abhorrent to her husband, but sexual violence had touched his own family personally and it was very real to him in way that other violent acts were not.

"I've changed my Inaugural address. I'm sending troops in to Kundu. Will Bailey asked me today why an American life was more important than a Kundunese life. It shouldn't be, should it?"

"No." As a doctor all human life was sacred to Abbey.

"But to me it has to be. I'm the President of the United States. I have to do what's best for my country and the people of my country. But, Abbey, this country stands for something. It stands for freedom and democracy and it should stand for what's right and what's wrong. What's going on in Kundu is wrong. It's genocide and we can't ever allow something like that to happen again."

"Congress doesn't want you send them, do they?"

"No," he sighed. "They feel we should mind our own business. But, Abbey, if this were happening again in Germany or if it were happening in Belgium or anywhere in Europe Congress and the people of this country would be outraged. Because it's Africa there is apathy. It's just something that happens on the news. It shouldn't be that way. That's not the America I want to lead."

Abbey smiled tenderly and kissed his shoulder. "I'm going to be very proud to be sitting behind you during your Inaugural address while you tell country about the kind of America that you DO want to lead. And I'm going to be so proud to be the one holding the Bible while you take the oath of office."

Jed gave her a soft half smile and pulled her hand to his lips to kiss her palm. "Thanks for waking up with me. I feel a lot better."

"What's a First Lady for?" She reached over to shut of f the light.

"I don't know about all First Ladies but I don't know what I'd do without this one." He pulled her into his arms tucking her head against his chest and for the first time that day a feeling of peace descended over him. He was doing the right thing."

****

"Happy Birthday to you�Happy Birthday Nicholas and Aislinn�Happy Birthday to you."

Cheers filled the Kennedy center as a few thousand people finished singing to the Bartlet twins to help celebrate their second birthday. Nicholas and Aislinn were on hand to attend the "Children's Gala" with both their parents as part of their father's pre-Inaugural celebrations. They had watched song and dance numbers from the musical "The Lion King", watched skits done by "The Rugrats" "Spongebob" and "Sesame Street characters and had seen Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson sing "Beauty and the Beast". Now, with the President's remarks made and his children by his side on the stage the crowd was on their feet singing just to them.

"Birfday?" Nicholas turned to his mother.

"Yes, they're all singing for you and Aislinn's birthday. Remember, mommy told you when we get home we're going to have cake and ice cream?"

"Two" Nicholas looked at his hand making sure he had the right amount of fingers up then displayed them for Abbey. Daddy had been working on that with him.

"That's right, you're going to be two." Abbey applauded his efforts.

"Ice cweam!" Aislinn began hopping on one foot with excitement.

"Before we go home for ice cream, there is someone I think you both might like to meet." Jed took each child's hand and led them back stage. As they rounded the corner both came face to face with their idol. Jed watched with delight as their eyes widened and their jaws dropped open.

" 'PONGEBOB!" Nicholas burst out with excitement. He looked up at his father then pointed at the goofy faced yellow sponge standing before them. "Daddy, 'pongebob!"

"I see that," Jed grinned. "Would you like to meet Mr. Spongebob?"

Nicholas nodded still wide-eyed with awe. Aislinn wasn't quite so sure what to make of everything. She hung back clinging to her father's leg while Jed made the introductions then peered around his knee to watch her brother babbling away with Spongebob. It didn't take much coaxing from her parents after that to get her to move shyly forward to shake Spongebob's hand.

"Of course you know any birthday gift they receive this afternoon is going to pale by comparison to this moment." Abbey slipped an arm around Jed's waist as she watched her little ones innocent joy at meeting their favorite cartoon character.

"Yup, I think we just made their day.

****

Jed Bartlet lay in bed listening to the sound of his wife in the shower. It was the day of his second Inauguration and the sun had not yet risen. Typically, Abbey had gotten to the shower first, her excuse being that it took her a hell of a lot longer to get ready than it did for him. However, this morning it seemed that she had been in there forever. His eyes fell the video camera that was sitting on the chair. They had been using it the previous night to film the twins second birthday. The germ of an idea took hold and he got to his feet.

The hot water cascaded over Abbey's body and yet she was still only half-awake. It had been an incredibly busy week. There had been gala's every evening, brunches and lunches every day, situating the entire Bartlet and O'Neill clans that had come down for the festivities, and last night the children's small family birthday party. And, with all that had been going on it was only today that they reached the main event. She leaned her head back closing her eyes as she rinsed the conditioner from her hair and as she did so she felt cooler air penetrate her warm haven. She opened her eyes and gave a start as she saw a grinning Jed standing there with a video camera running as he filmed her showering.

"JED!" She gasped and pulled the shower curtain over to cover her breasts and nether regions. "What the hell are you doing!"

"I'm filming today for posterity. Tell me, Mrs. Bartlet, do you feel much differently about this, your husband's second Inauguration? Are there still any nerves?"

"Jed Bartlet, I am not going to stand here completely nude and discuss how I feel about your second Inauguration."

"Ah, come on Abs. It's just for me."

"Yeah, the last time I did something like that it came back to bite me on the ass. I'd rather not see this little interview on 60 minutes."

"I imagine the ratings would be through the roof."

"I imagine they would be. Now shut that thing off and hand me my towel, please."

****

As Jed shook his wet head and turned off the shower he heard the chatter of small children coming from his bedroom. Abbey had left the bathroom door open. The twins were up. Smiling, he slipped into a pair of boxers and opened the door to the bedroom. Still in her silk bathrobe, Abbey was trying to get Nicholas to put his slippers back on and as she looked over her shoulder at Jed her eyes widened with surprise.

"You're not wearing those today, are you?"

Jed gazed down at the Spongebob boxers the kids had gotten him for Christmas. "Why not?" he asked irreverently. "No one's going to see my underwear and I like the idea of sort of taking my family with me."

"Whatever floats your boat, babe." Abbey continued to look at him with a big grin on her face. She couldn't imagine what millions of American's would think if they knew that their President, the man who was standing before them giving a lofty, idealistic speech was wearing Spongbob Squarepants boxer shorts under his fitted trousers. It was a quirk to Jed's personality that she found very appealing and always had.

"Me 'pongebob too." Nicky turned hopeful eyes toward his mother.

"Not today, kiddo. We're not quite ready for that yet. You need to wear your pull ups today."

"Pease, Mumma." His eyes implored her to let him emulate his father.

"Tell you what. I'll look and see if we have any Spongebob pull ups left, okay?"

Nicholas nodded a dimple forming as he smiled.

"I'm going to go dry my hair," she said to Jed. "Can you keep an eye on them for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

"Daddy, me wan nonie." Aislinn reached up to tug on his hand ready to drag him to the kitchen. Jed's gaze snapped quickly to Abbey wondering if she had caught the exchange. She had.

"Uh, I don't think your mother was planning on doughnuts for breakfast."

"No, she wasn't," Abbey said from the bathroom doorway. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't load them up with sugar this morning. It's going to be hard enough to keep up with them today."

"Okay, you heard mommy, no 'nonie's today."

Abbey had to chuckle at the twin looks of betrayal that were turned Jed's way.

****

By the time Abbey came out of the bathroom Aislinn was kneeling at Jed's feet tangling his shoelaces into knots while Jed talked on the phone. She looked up from her work to beam a big smile at her mother.

"Mumma, I hep daddy." The pride in her efforts was unmistakable and Abbey bit her cheek at the rueful gaze that Jed gave his feet.

"I see that and you did a marvelous job. But, it's time for Izzy to give you two a bath while Mommy and Daddy finished getting dressed for church."

"Wanna go chooch." Aislinn's lower lip pouted out and Nicky was quick to join her.

"No. We already discussed this. You can't come to church with us but if you're good for Izzy you can come and watch daddy speak and see the big parade. Okay?"

"We be good." Nicky took Aislinn's hand and pulled her along toward the door. Abbey chanced a quick glance at Jed and he gave her a tender smile his eyes still on their children who were walking hand in hand. His fist moved up to tap his heart with the love that he had for them.

****

Father Thomas Callahan stood at the pulpit of the National Cathedral at the interdenominational Inaugural morning church services. "I've known Josiah Bartlet since he was an altar boy for me at Holy Trinity. I married he and his wife Abigail and I've baptized all of his children. I spoke here four years ago when this extraordinary man was elected President for the first time. I spoke then of his intelligence, of his compassion, of his humanity. Today, I'd like to honor Abigail Bartlet as well. As someone who has watched this couple grow and mature, watched the strength they take and receive from the other I can tell you that having Abigail by his side has helped Jed become the man and the President that he is today. Abigail�Abbey," Tom smiled and gazed down affectionately at Abbey in the front pew. "America should be proud and honored to have a First Lady who truly is a helpmate to the President, a woman who not only exhalts with him in times of joy, but helps in times of crisis and comforts in times of great sorrow."

Tom nodded toward the First Couple as he moved to take his seat with the other members of the clergy while the haunting strains of a cello filled the Cathedral and singer Josh Groban stood before the congregation his inspirational voice filling the hallowed halls.

"When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be."

Abbey felt Jed's hand close over hers. She turned slightly and noticed the shiny brightness of tears in his eyes. She looked quickly back to the altar, her own eyes swimming dangerously. As the beautiful song continued to grow to it's crescendo and the Washington Choir added their amazing vocals Jed squeezed her hand tightly as if to control his emotions and she knew that she could not look at him. She knew the TV cameras were on her. Taking deep breaths and swallowing past the lump in her throat Abbey kept the tears at bay. It was her wedding rings that did her in. The moment she felt Jed twisting her diamond engagement ring and gold wedding band she blinked and a tear trickled slowly down her cheek.

As the song ended Jed lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed the rings he'd been toying with. Only C-Span was showing the service live but that one small loving gesture was one of the Inaugural moments that would be played over and over on the nightly news.

****

Standing on the dais on the West Portico of the Capitol in front of hundreds of thousands of people Abbey stood holding the family Bible. There had been a huge mess up with which Bible to use and Abbey had finally just grabbed she and Jed's personal Bible. It was the worn Bible that recorded their marriage, the births of their children and the deaths of their child and Jed's father; the Bible both she and Jed turned to when needing guidance and solace. Now she held it while surrounded by her three elder daughters two of whom held her two youngest children in their arms. Her husband stood before her his left hand setting on that worn Bible his right hand held aloft as he took the oath of office.

"I Josiah Daniel Bartlet do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Abbey smiled proudly, kissed Jed's cheek and squeezed his hand before she and her children returned to their seats. Once seated she was thankful to be able to slide her hands back into the elegant faux fur muff that was more than just a lovely accessory to her outfit. Just because her husband was hatless and gloveless on the bright, sunny, but frigid January noon, didn't mean that she needed to freeze her butt off as well. As Jed got the crowd to quiet and took his place behind the microphone Abbey leaned down and pointed toward him.

"Nicky, Ash, look. Daddy is going to speak right now. She knew they were probably far too young to remember this moment but she wanted so badly for them to see all that their father had accomplished. To see just what a great man he truly was. Deep in her heart she hoped that later in life they might retain some small niggling of a memory of the day when their father became the President of the United States for the second time.

It was all so different this time around. Last time there had been so many worries. She had a daughter still in high school that wanted to finish her senior year at home. She was still closing up her medical practice and leaving her life as a physician behind. She had just spent two months packing for a move into a house that she had only visited once and that visit had been incredibly uncomfortable and incredibly brief. For the first time in her life she was not part of moving her family into a new residence and she could only sit and hope that while Jed spoke the movers were making a seamless switchover. Most of all there had been worries about the unknown. She hadn't any idea of what being a First Lady would entail and she hadn't any idea of how Jed would respond to having the weight of the world thrust upon his shoulders. Never in her wildest of dreams would she have imagined that within his first year of office she would get pregnant and give birth to the twins who were seated beside her playing with their mittens, their cheeks rosy and their eyes bright with excitement. Only in her most horrible nightmares would she have imagined that in that same year her husband would be shot twice and hover for days between life and death. Never in her heart would she have believed that she would be sitting here four years later watching her husband make another Inaugural Address.

But, at least this time she could sit back and enjoy his speech. She had turned the White House Residence into a home, she knew exactly what her position would entail, and she knew that her husband was absolutely suited for the job of highest office in the land. It was a much more confident woman who sat on the dais today than the woman who sat there four years ago had been.

After his speech Jed was able to join his family to watch the Inaugural Parade which was what the children had been waiting for all day. Abbey was thankful for the hot air blowers that kept them warm while watching. She knew her husband would have nixed the idea, would have frozen his balls off rather than give in to creature comforts, but he had caved in because of the children. They hadn't wanted Nicholas and Aislinn in the cold for over two hours and the children had been looking forward to the parade ever since they'd been told about it. So, the hot air blowers were a compromise.

Jed enjoyed the parade immensely. The hard part of his day was over. The much-anticipated speech had been given and now it was time to enjoy the day, at least for a little while before he was ushered back into the situation room. The cameras enjoyed focusing in on him pointing out floats and putting each of the children on his shoulders at times. They enjoyed focusing in on the First Lady wiping runny noses and the Bartlet's elder daughters laughing with their young siblings. It was rare to see the Bartlet twins candidly on television so the networks took advantage of that while they could.

****

Jed hadn't been back in the White House three minutes when Leo told him they had to have a meeting about Kundu. He sent Abbey and the rest of their family up to the Residence to prepare for the evening of Inaugural balls and then made his way to the meeting. It was well over an hour later when he returned to the residence. There were people all over the place, his mother, his brother and wife, his in laws and their families, and they were all preparing for the night's festivities. He made his way quickly to the sanctuary of his bedroom only to realize right from the start that it was no sanctuary. Aislinn stood outside the bathroom door completely naked her blanket in one hand and a bottle hanging from the other. There were garish lines of pink lipstick all over her cherubic face and slashes of eyeshadow that could only mean she had gotten into her mother's make up.

"What kind of mischief have you been up to?" He asked stepping towards her.

Aislinn looked up at him with solemn eyes. "Mumma mad" she informed him.

"I'll just bet she is." Jed could hear Abbey muttering in the bathroom and figured he better help out. Just as he bent to pick Aislinn up she proceeded to pee on the floor. Panda sniffed at the puddle and before Jed could stop her the puppy had squatted and started to pee as well.

"Okay, enough, enough, no more pee." Jed started to move to the bathroom and as he did he saw his son peek around the corner his face and hair covered in shaving cream. Oh Lord, he thought with a sigh, Abbey must be fit to be tied.

"Nicholas Bartlet, you get your little butt back in this bathroom right now." Abbey followed her son out of the bathroom. She was barefooted and wearing just a short full slip. A few hot curlers were hanging limply from her auburn hair. It was amazing just how sexy his wife looked even when she was frazzled and Abbey was definitely frazzled. When she saw him standing there her eyes flashed with indignation.

"Two minutes. I swear to God, I left them for TWO MINUTES and they got into my cosmetic bag and into your shaving cream.

"Me save" Nicholas patted his foamy cheeks.

"You got a ways to go before you're shaving, buddy." Jed couldn't help but grin.

"If you so much as think about laughing, Jed Bartlet, you're going to be dancing funny tonight."

"Wouldn't dream of laughing," he assured her, then turned a stern eye toward the children. "Okay you two. You have been VERY naughty this afternoon. Aislinn you know you're not allowed to go in mommy's bag of make up and Nicholas I've told you several times you cannot touch daddy's shaving cream. Now I want you both to MARCH into that bathroom and set your little butts in the tub so we can clean you up."

Aislinn and Nicholas immediately turned and headed contritely back into the bathroom. Abbey watched them with a shake of her head wondering if she could figure out how to deepen her voice into Jed's authoritative tone so they would listen to her just as quickly. She knew she could terrify Jed's staff with just a look but her children were an entirely different matter altogether.

Jed followed his offspring into the bathroom pausing as he passed where Abbey stood with her arms crossed over her chest; green eyes still glinting fire. "By the way, sweet um's, love the sexy curlers." He reached out and gave one a little tug. As frazzled as she was Abbey could only laugh. Then, in a better humor she joined him to get the kids cleaned up for the evening ahead.

****

"I'll be ready in just a few minutes," Abbey poked her head into the chaos that was their living room.

"Take your time, dear." Jed sat fully dressed and seemingly unconcerned by all the activity as he read his newspaper.

"I'm serious. It's only going to take Armand a few minutes to do my hair." Abbey ushered her hairdresser into the bedroom.

"Sure, sure." Jed knew just how long Abbey's "few minutes" usually were. He'd learned long ago that a few minutes was usually closer to a half hour when it came to his wife preparing for an evening out and he'd learned that it was less stressful to occupy himself than it was to get frustrated with her.

"I'm telling you," she pointed a finger at him. "A few minutes."

Jed simply nodded her way as he continued to read his paper. He grinned to himself as heard the door slam with her frustration.

"You do know how to push her buttons," Beth shook her head at her son in law.

"It's up to me to keep her on her toes." Jed set his paper in his lap with a mischievous grin. Beth had to resist the urge to tousle his hair the way she would Nicky's.

"And it's such a fine job you do."

Jed glanced up as Aislinn and Nicholas came running into the room laughing and shrieking.

"Okay you two. Let's settle down and keep things to a dull roar in here."

Nicholas stopped chasing Aislinn and picked his trusted stuffed Tigger off the floor where Aislinn had thrown it after hearing her father's voice. She knew she was not allowed to touch Nicky's Tigger and he was not allowed to touch her blankie. Pulling the stuffed toy protectively to his chest Nicky made his way over to his where his father sat in his favorite chair.

"Up." He demanded.

"Please." Jed corrected him.

"Up, pwease."

Jed nodded and lifted the little boy onto his legs. Nicholas immediately curled up his lap his thumb planted firmly in his mouth.

"You know," Jed pulled the boy's thumb out of his mouth and examined the wet pruned digit. "If you keep sucking this thumb at this rate there's not going to be anything left of it by the time you're three."

"Two," Nichoas told him holding up his two fingers as he'd been taught.

"I know you're two now but your thumb might be gone by the time you turn three if you don't keep it out of your mouth."

"No, daddy." Nicholas shook his head negatively and put his thumb right back into his mouth. Jed shook his head with a smile, then looked up to survey the room while he cuddled his son. Aislinn was dancing with the interactive Elmo she had gotten for her birthday wearing a pretty emerald satin dress with a black velvet sash around the waist and a matching black velvet headband holding back her white blond curls. She looked like a toddler version of Alice in Wonderland. Liz, Ellie, Zoey, and Annie were running around half dressed zipping each other's gowns, fixing clasps on necklaces and giving advice on hair and make up.

Jed loved women. He truly loved everything about them. He loved their warmth and compassion, their softness and their strength, their openness and their capacity for giving and he even enjoyed their vanity. But most of all he loved their laughter, especially on nights like these when it filled his home as surely as the gentle fragrance of their perfumes. He loved the sweet little girl giggles of Aislinn and the more sarcastic guffaws of the teenaged Annie. He loved the teasing laughter of Elizabeth, Ellie and Zoey as they went at each other as only sisters could. He loved the soft, gentle sound of loving laughter that came from Beth has she calmly helped her granddaughters through each hair crisis. And most of all he loved the throaty, sexy laugh of his wife. Women. He didn't always understand the mysteries of the gender that surrounded him but he did love them with all of his heart and he would never cease to be amazed by the wonder of them all.

"Sir?" Leo made his way through the madness of the Bartlet residence to find Jed in his formal wear bouncing Aislinn on his knee. "Trot trot to Boston, trot trot to Lynn, watch out Aislinn you don't fall in�" Jed dipped his daughter backward finishing the rhyme before looking up at his chief of staff.

"What's up, Leo?"

"Agin, daddy, agin." Aislinn squeezed Jed's cheeks in her pudgy hands.

"Ssh� daddy's talking to Uncle Leo right now."

"We need you in the situation room"

"What about the balls?"

"You'll still make it to the balls. We just need to give you a quick update on Kundu before you leave."

"Okay, let me just tell Abbey I have to go."

****

Ellie stood in the doorway of her parent's bedroom to see how much longer her mother was going to be. She smiled as she saw Abbey seated at her vanity table stroking her eyelashes with mascara while Aislinn watched her intensely. She'd been like that once, sitting on the floor of her parent's bedroom back home watching her mother prepare to go out with her father for the evening. It had all been so fascinating to see just what her mother did with eyeshadow and blush and lipstick. She remembered the warmth she'd felt when she saw the look in her parent's eyes as her mother adjusted her father's tie and fixed his cufflinks. Even then she had known that the look was one of love. Even then she had known there was an intimacy to that look that left her out. Later, even after her parents had left Ellie would sometimes linger in their bedroom comforted by the mingling scents of her father's Bay Rum and her mother's floral perfume. Even now, as an adult the scent was oddly comforting as she watched her mother spritz the delicate skin of her wrists, her neck and, much to Aislinns giggling delight, her cleavage.

"Me too," the little girl begged dancing at her mother's feet. Abbey bent and gave her a spritz of perfume. As she placed the perfume back on the table Nicholas came barreling in the room and Abbey had to grab him before he bashed headlong into her vanity table.

"Nicholas, SLOW DOWN."

"Panna chase me." Abbey looked up to see the little Sheltie puppy in hot pursuit of her son. She was less concerned with that than she was of the smudge on Nicky's face.

"Honestly, Nicholas, I don't know HOW you can get dirty in the house." Abbey licked her thumb and rubbed it over the spot.

" 'Top it�" Nicholas squirmed away from her. "�'Top it, Mumma.

"Mom, are you about ready?" Ellie called from the doorway.

"Yeah" Abbey gave the kids one last survey. "Is your father back yet?"

"No, I guess we're supposed to meet him downstairs."

"Okay, let's go."

TBC...