Torn
by: Rhiannon
Stevie sat in the airport, waiting for her flight to begin boarding. She was
all alone, save the other passengers who wandered around the airport.
She hadn't told anyone she was leaving... She had left the White House
quietly, leaving a note in her room for Jed and Abbey ... For the couple that
would have been her Mom and dad.
Stevie knew she was doing the right thing. No good ever came when someone
wanted to adopt her. She knew that she wasn't meant to have a family, at
least not as a child.
Maybe someday ... when she was grown. Perhaps she could have a marriage like
the Bartlets. Maybe she could have a family like the Bartlets.
"Flight 205, nonstop service to Dallas, Texas is now boarding First Class
passengers at gate 43," came the voice over the loudspeaker.
Stevie sighed as she rose from her seat. She grabbed her carryon bag and
walked towards the gate. With one last look, she handed the lady at the gate
her ticket and quickly boarded the plane.
She walked onto the big airplane and found her seat. Stevie sat down and
closed her eyes, shutting out all thoughts of the family she was leaving
behind. Focusing, as she always had, on the future.
"Is this seat taken?"
Stevie jumped at the familiar voice. She opened her eyes, "Mr. President?"
Jed sat down in the seat next to her, "I thought I told you to call me Jed
... or Dad."
"How?" Stevie stammered. "How did you know?"
"Mark Tanner called me." Jed replied. "He was worried about you."
Stevie sighed, "So he sent you to stop me."
Jed smiled to himself, "No, Mark Tanner didn't send me anywhere. I came on my
own accord."
"What did Mark tell you?"
"That you heard Abbey and I have a fight. That you were upset that you were
causing problems for us." Jed said, quietly.
"She slammed the door."
"She always slams doors," Jed replied. "That's what she does ... and I like
it better than when she tells me what to go do with myself..."
Stevie felt a slight smile form on her face. She had witnessed such a sight
once before and it had been an ... unique experience to say the least.
"We weren't fighting about you, Stevie." Jed told her. "We were fighting
because we're both stubborn and don't know when to back off sometimes. We
were fighting because we couldn't agree on how to solve a problem ... a
solution that you should have been a part of."
"You aren't mad at each other, are you?" Stevie asked, almost afraid of the
answer.
"Mad? No, we're not mad at each other." Jed replied. "We're both unhappy with
one another at the moment. But, that moment will pass ... and we'll be acting
like a couple of teenagers again in no time."
Stevie laughed in spite of herself, "Really?"
"Really," came a female voice from in front of them. Abbey Bartlet stood in
the aisle, watching them both with tender eyes. "Jed's right ... we weren't
fighting about you. We love you very, very much. And we're not letting you go
without a fight."
Stevie sat for a moment, "Okay..." she took a deep breath. "Okay."
"Let's go home," Jed said.
"Okay," Stevie replied.
Jed helped Stevie out of her seat and, after a hug, Abbey let her walk ahead
of her. Abbey leaned over to Jed as they left the airplane, "You and I are
going to talk later."
Jed nodded as they made their way through the airport together.
TBC...