Abbey stood in the foyer milling around with the rest of the staff and their family members while they waited for Jed to return from the situation room.

"Oh, Abigail, Aislinn just looks like a little Princess," Emily was saying. " I'm glad you went with the emerald dress. She has your eyes and it really brings out the green in them."

"Well, thank you, Emily." Abbey flashed a lifted brow at her own mother. It was rare that Emily Bartlet admitted that any of her daughter in law's genetic traits had made their way into the Bartlet gene pool.

The room suddenly went quiet and Abbey turned to see why. She watched her husband come striding into the room in his tuxedo full of strength and purpose and her heart gave a lurch as she took in how handsome he looked, how powerful and how very, very sexy. The tuxedo gave him an air of elegance and the light from the chandeliers danced in his bronze hair. His blue eyes were like lasers as they fell intensely upon her. She loved him so much that just watching him walk into a room could give her a start. The power that emanated from him and the very physical attraction she still had for him after all these years pulled her to him as if by an invisible thread. She stepped forward and at the look in the President's eye the crowd hushed and parted like the Red Sea.

Jed's heart thudded against his ribcage when he saw his wife. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her sleek wine colored gown was elegant and displayed her slender figure quite nicely indeed. The neckline was a little less revealing than many of her gowns given the solemnity of the event but the gentle rise of her collarbone and the slender column of her neck were revealed by the slightly scooped neckline and her elegant upswept hair do. Jed paused before her taking her hands in his, his eyes locked with hers. "You take my breath away." He bent to kiss her gently on the lips.

"You clean up pretty good yourself," she smiled, as she ran her thumb over his lips to remove the smudge of lipstick she'd left there. He smiled softly at her; the look in his eyes the one that Ellie remembered so vividly from her childhood. And then the intimate moment was over and he turned to everyone urging them into their cars.

****

"Ladies and Gentleman, let me proudly introduce the President and First Lady of the United States, Josiah and Abigail Bartlet and the rest of the Bartlet family."

Jed and Abbey strode out onto the stage at the MTV ball, the first ball on their list of five balls to attend. The cheers from the young crowd were deafening.

"So, what do you say, guys," Jed took the microphone. "Do my gals look great or what?" He gestured a sweeping hand toward his wife and daughters.

Again, the crowd reacted with cheers and this time whistles. "Seriously, though, for many of you this was the first time that you participated in an election, the first time you voted. I want to thank you on behalf of my family and my staff for sticking by the campaign and for putting all this youthful energy to good use. Now, from what I hear, this is supposed to be a party and I'm supposed to start things off. There is someone here who loves to dance and who has been practicing her moves for the past few months." He turned from the crowd to where Abbey stood with Aislinn and Nicholas clutching to her gown.

"Aislinn, sweetheart, come dance with daddy."

The crowd erupted as the strains of ""Isn't She Lovely" filled the room and Aislinn toddled forward. The little girl took her father's hands and stepped up on to his feet as they had practiced. Jed bent down low and began to sing along with the lyrics while he carefully danced with his tiny daughter.

"Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderful
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely made from love

Isn't she pretty
Truly the angel's best
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I can't believe what God has done
through us he's given life to one
But isn't she lovely made from love�

The music medley made a switch and as the strains of "My Girl" began Jed took turns dancing with Annie, Liz, Zoey and Ellie.

Abbey stood back with Nicholas on her hip, a smile of maternal pride on her face and a lump in her throat. They were so beautiful, her husband and their daughter's and there was such love and genuine affection between them. She smiled softly as she watched Ellie kiss Jed's cheek as the song ended and Zoey passed Aislinn back into his arms. With barely a pause the song changed to the gravelly voiced Joe Cocker and Abbey began to dance with her son on her hip.

"You are so beautiful to me.
You are so beautiful to me."

With Aislinn still curled up in his arms, Jed moved closer to his wife and son wrapping one arm around them both so that the four of them were able to dance together in one embrace.

"You're everything I hoped for.
You're everything I need.
You are so beautiful. To me."

"Why, Leo McGarry, is that a genuine tear that I see in your eye?" Jordan teased. Leo was standing just offstage watching the family dance together, the words to the music hitting him right in the heart.

"Maybe it is," Leo admitted. "Jed's a lucky man. He's got a beautiful family."

"Yes, he does." Jordan stared at Leo's profile. His words were different this time. There was a hint of longing, but more than that there was warmth and love. "You're happy for him?"

"Of course I'm happy for him. He's my best friend. He's come a long way; it's been a rough year. He deserves his moment in the sun."

"And now everyone, the First Couple" Leo and Jordan turned their attention back to the stage.

Abbey and Jed handed the little ones over to their older sisters and Jed placed his arm familiarly around Abbey's waist to pull her close although not as close as he would like. He smiled down into her face as he began to glide her along to a song he had picked specifically for this moment. The Frank Sinatra song had long been a favorite of his, a song that always made him think of his Abbey.

�Some day, when I'm awfully low,
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight.

Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
And the way you look tonight.

With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fear apart...
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
It touches my foolish heart.

Lovely ... Never, ever change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it ?
'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.�

"I'll never forget a moment of tonight, Abbey." Jed whispered into her ear as the song came to a close. "I'll never forget how you helped me get to this moment and I'll never forget just how beautiful you are tonight and how good it feels to be here on this stage with you and with all of our children."

"Good, I don't want you to ever forget it. Because I'll never forget how I feel about you today. I'm so proud of you, Jed, I could just bust. But, uh, Mr. President, the music has stopped."

Jed looked around, He hadn't even realized that the song was over. "Well, I guess that's our cue." He pulled away from her with a sheepish smile at the catcalls sent their way. He took the microphone and faced the crowd.

"Well, it's time for Abbey and me to hit the road everyone."

Boos filled the room but Jed held up his hand. "Wait, wait�I'm leaving my daughter's here to have a good time with you all. So have fun and thank you again for everything." Abbey and Jed kissed their daughters good bye and headed out for the rest of their evening. The party was over for Aislinn and Nicholas who were going back to the White House with Isabelle but it was just starting for Abbey and Jed. They would stop briefly at three more balls before finishing their evening at the New Hampshire ball.

****

"I was really proud of Jed today." Father Tom Cavanaugh was dancing with Abbey at the New Hampshire ball. "But you know, I couldn't help but think of just how magnificent he would have been on the pulpit calling people to God. That voice, that delivery."

"You think Jed made the wrong choice?" Abbey pulled back to look up at her priest with surprise, a wounded look in her eyes.

"How can you ask me that, Abigail?" Tom smiled and stroked her cheek. "No, I think he made the right choice. What I was going to say was that God obviously had other plans for Jed Bartlet, much bigger plans. That voice, that vision, it was too big, it needed a national stage and now he is calling to an entire nation. I think Jed is standing exactly where God intended him to be standing."

"Do you mind if I cut in?"

Abbey turned with surprise to see Leo standing before her.

"Be my guest." Tom kissed Abbey's cheek and moved on. Abbey watched him walk away as if her lifeline were floating just out of reach.

Leo took Abbey's hand. He felt how stiff she was as he pulled her into his arms.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"I shouldn't be. I've danced with dozens of times, Leo."

"Yeah, but not since finding out how I feel about you. How I've always felt about you."

"No, not since then." Abbey glanced around the room hoping Jed wasn't watching. She didn't know how he would react to Leo dancing with her.

"I just want you to know that I think I've come to terms with all of that. I mean, I've come to terms with the fact that a part of me will always envy what Jed has with you. A part of my heart will always belong to you."

"Leo�" Abbey started to pull away as she grew uncomfortable with the conversation.

"No, listen to me. It's just a part of me; it isn't all of me anymore. I have room in my heart for others."

"Jordan?" Abbey's eyes widened. "Are you in love with her? Have you told her? During sex doesn't count."

Leo chuckled. "What a mouth you have on you, Abbey Bartlet. No I haven't told her that I love her because I'm not sure if I do or not, and for your information I haven't had sex with her yet."

"Well, what are you WAITING for?"

Leo stared at her and Abbey could see the pain in his eyes.

"Oh, Leo," she shook her head sadly. "Don't say it's because of me."

"Indirectly. But, I didn't ask you to dance to rehash all this stuff. I just wanted to thank you for everything. You are one of the main reasons we are here celebrating tonight. I know about the deal. I know that Jed offered to drop out of the race if you couldn't bring yourself to support him and I know that once you decided to support him you were behind him all the way. Without your tireless work on the campaign and without you being there for him there is no way we would be here today. I just wanted you to know that, cause I don't think any of us tell you that enough."

"Thank you, Leo." She didn't hear that enough. She got the criticism, but rarely did she get the thanks. Abbey stepped back as the music ended and Leo started to turn from her. "Leo?" He turned back around. "Exorcise your demons. Be with Jordan in every way that counts. Don't hold a part of yourself back."

Leo smiled and gave her a sad little nod.

Hot from dancing and being in the midst of the crowd, Abbey walked off the dance floor reaching for a glass of champagne from a wandering waiter. As she sipped from the glass her eyes scanned the crowd looking for husband. Those eyes narrowed when they found him seated at a table with a busty blonde leaning down over him reaching for her drink and thrusting her breasts into his face. She moved forward as if propelled by force her eyes never leaving the scene. At the sight of the First Lady heading her way Bitsy Carmichael backed off in her obvious flirting with the President.

Jed had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning as Abbey blatantly ignored Bitsy, stepping in front of her and turning her back to her in a rude gesture that was not typical of his usual gracious wife.

Her smoky gray green eyes smoldering with fire, Abbey placed a hand possessively on Jed's shoulder. "I believe they're playing one of our songs, Jed."

Jed smiled as he listened to what was playing. It was "You Belong to Me". "Why, I do believe you're right." Jed stood and took Abbey's hand in his. "You'll excuse us, Bitsy?"

"Yes, of course." Bitsy plastered a fake smile on over her scowl.

"Slut," Abbey muttered under her breath as Jed led her toward the dance floor.

"Abbey!" Jed chuckled.

"Well, she is. My God she did everything short of burying your face in her tits trying to get you to notice them."

"Now, sweetheart, you know Thelma and Louise are the only tits that interest me."

Abbey laughed her sour mood lifting but when Jed tried to pull her to him on the dance floor she stopped him.

"I thought you wanted to dance?" He looked puzzled.

"I do, but not here." She pulled him further along down a short hall and into the small cloakroom.

"Abbey what do you have in mind?" She had definitely piqued his interest.

"Not what you do, evidently. I want a genuine romantic dance with my husband away from the cameras and away from all the prying eyes."

"I can do that."

"I know you can." Abbey shut the light and opened the drapes to allow the moonlight to spill into the room. Only then did she allow herself to be pulled into Jed's arms, to wrap her arms around his neck and lay her head against his shoulder the way that couldn't do in front of the world. She felt his hands on the small of her back holding her pinned close to him and she lost herself to the romantic music and the feel of his body pressed against hers. She began to sing softly along with the music her breath warm against his throat.

"Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember 'til you're home again
You belong to me."

She finished the last line looking deeply into his eyes.

"Only you," he agreed.

"No matter where you go or who you meet?"

"I belong to you. I've always belonged to you and I always will."

"And don't you forget it, even when sluts like Bitsy Carmichael are sticking their tits in your face."

The low timbre of Jed's chuckle vibrated against her cheek.

"Even then."

"Jed, do you remember the last Inaugural night? The first night we spent in the White House?"

"Abbey, I may be four years older but I'm not in my dotage yet. Of course I remember."

Jed thought back to that night four years ago. He and Abbey had been running on emotion for months and that night they had been filled with both fear and excitement. It had been their first night in the White House and despite their exhaustion they had been determined to properly christen their new home. But, their need that night had been more than just about the titillation of making love in the White House. It had been the need of something familiar. Everything about the day had been so alien to them, so foreign, and they were ending the day in a strange bedroom, in a strange bed. It was only through the familiar touching of each other's bodies, of being joined as one in an act they had perfected over the years until it was as comforting as it was passionate, that they kept themselves from being overwhelmed.

Even with his passion spent Jed had been too full of nerves to sleep much that night and when Abbey awoke just after dawn they had continued on with the intimacy of the night before. He had been under the covers between his wife's thighs, Abbey writhing and moaning with every stroke of his tongue when the door to their bedroom opened and a steward pushed a breakfast cart into the room. Abbey immediately yanked the covers up over her breasts and snapped her legs closed around Jed's head causing him to yelp with pain.

"Oh�oh, ma'am, begging your pardon!" The steward turned away with embarrassment.

"What�what you are you doing just walking in here!" Abbey sputtered, her face burning with embarrassment.

"The President always wanted me to deliver his breakfast at 6. The First Lady, well, she didn't sleep in here."

"Well, this First Lady sleeps with her husband, and on occasion she does more than sleep." Abbey could feel Jed chuckling against her inner thigh, his beard scratching the delicate skin there as he tried to keep still so he wouldn't be noticed. He had no idea that the yelp of pain had already given him away. "From now on WE will order our breakfast when we're ready to eat and from now on we expect you to KNOCK before entering."

"Yes, ma'am, of course, ma'am." As the steward turned to leave and Jed began to move up his wife's body they heard Leo's voice.

"Oh good, they're up."

Jed flattened himself under the covers and froze.

"Mornin' Abbey." Leo and Josh entered the bedroom. "Sorry, we thought you were up."

"Where is the President?" Josh asked.

"Well, he�uh�he's�"

"AhhCHOO!" Jed sneezed under the covers drawing everyone's eyes to the foot of the bed. Sheepishly Jed poked his head out from under the covers making it very obvious what he had been up to.

"Hey, guys."

Abbey pulled the covers up over head wanting to die with embarrassment. "Could you please all leave now." Her muffled voice called out from under the covers.

"Oh, God, Jed, sir�Abbey�Sorry," Leo was mortified. Josh was more amused than embarrassed and Leo had grab his arm and drag him from the room.

"We need some new rules here!" Jed called after them.

Jed began to laugh softly at the memory of that morning. It all seemed so long ago.

"Don't laugh, Jed. That was one of the most humiliating moments of my life." She slapped him gently on the arm.

"Well, at least they've all learned to knock before entering our bedroom. You up for a repeat performance of last year."

"I'll think about it."

"Really?"

Abbey felt the zipper on her dress slide down her back.

"Jed!" She stepped back. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Checking to see if you kept a promise you made me." He pulled her dress down to her waist exposing breasts that were thrusting up and spilling out of the sexy corset he had bought her in New Orleans. The same one that she had promised to wear on the night of his Inauguration.

"I see you've done a little more than think about it." He bent his head to press his lips to the soft creamy swell.

"Jed," she sighed. "Pretty soon people are going to be coming in here to get their coats. I think we need to continue this trip down memory lane in our bedroom."

"Where they have to knock," he agreed, sinking his teeth gently into her skin with a sharp little love bite before reluctantly lifting her dress back in place and zipping it up. "It's been a long road, hasn't it?" He took her hand.

"A long winding road," she agreed. "And we're right back where we started."

"And that's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah," she smiled gently up into his face. "That's a real good thing.

The End