Fic: Burdened (West Wing)
Title: Burdened
Fandom: The West Wing
Character: Abigail Bartlet, Annie Westin
Table: #5
Prompt: #19. Whore
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Well, I have raised three daughters. I hope I learned something along the way."
Table O' Fic
Abbey loves Christmas at the farm; there is a sense of peace and quiet that cannot be found in Washington. When she is here, it is as if the rest of the world has vanished. And this year her whole family is together, which is a miracle in itself.
Gus has gone to bed, with the promise that the sooner he is asleep, the sooner Santa will come. Ellie and Liz are curled up in front of the fire place, talking. Zoey is on the sofa; sending text messages to Charlie, Abbey suspects. Jed is beating Doug at a game of chess, and Annie is sitting at the window pretending to read.
"Come help me make hot chocolate, Annie," Abbey says.
Jed immediately perks up at the mention of hot chocolate.
Annie follows Abbey into the kitchen; her stopped shoulders and listless expression confirming Abbey's suspicions.
"Okay, what's wrong?"
Annie takes milk out the fridge. "Nothing's wrong, Grandma."
"Right, so the gloom and despair is just a new look you're trying out?"
Annie slides onto a stool. "No, it's - there's a guy at school. Everyone likes him. He's, like, the hottest guy there."
Abbey starts heating the milk on the stove. "Does he like you?"
"I thought he did."
"Get the mugs out, please. So, what happened?"
Annie sighs as she removes mugs from the cupboard. "There was this party. Mom didn't want me to go but in the end Dad convinced her."
"Cocoa powder, please."
Annie hands Abbey the tin of cocoa.
"Was he there?"
"Yeah." Annie stares at the counter. "He wanted me to go upstairs with him. So I ditched my agent and went."
Abbey doesn't comment; Annie needs to finish the story in her own time.
"Nothing happened. I mean, we kissed, but that's it. He wanted me to go further but-" Annie shakes her head. "I left."
"I'm proud of you, sweetheart. That took a lot of courage."
Annie looks up now and her face is streaked with tears. "But he told everyone we did it. Now all the kids at school think I'm a - a-"
Abbey abandons the hot chocolate and pulls Annie into her arms. "Oh, Annie. The people who love you don't think that at all."
"What if someone tells a reporter? I feel so stupid."
"Annie, baby, you've done nothing wrong."
"No one's going to care what really happened."
"Sweetheart, don't worry about what everyone else thinks. You have the truth on your side. And the only people that matter are right here in this house tonight."
Annie smiles for the first time all evening. "How come you always know exactly what to say?"
"Well, I have raised three daughters. I hope I've learned something along the way."
Annie chuckles.
"You think you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah."
"I can always get your grandfather to ship this kid off to, I don't know, Mongolia."
"Mongolia, huh?"
"Yeah. Now let's see if we can salvage any of this hot chocolate."
"Okay." But Annie makes no move to break the hug. "Thanks, Grandma."
"Anytime, baby."
Fandom: The West Wing
Character: Abigail Bartlet, Annie Westin
Table: #5
Prompt: #19. Whore
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Well, I have raised three daughters. I hope I learned something along the way."
Table O' Fic
Abbey loves Christmas at the farm; there is a sense of peace and quiet that cannot be found in Washington. When she is here, it is as if the rest of the world has vanished. And this year her whole family is together, which is a miracle in itself.
Gus has gone to bed, with the promise that the sooner he is asleep, the sooner Santa will come. Ellie and Liz are curled up in front of the fire place, talking. Zoey is on the sofa; sending text messages to Charlie, Abbey suspects. Jed is beating Doug at a game of chess, and Annie is sitting at the window pretending to read.
"Come help me make hot chocolate, Annie," Abbey says.
Jed immediately perks up at the mention of hot chocolate.
Annie follows Abbey into the kitchen; her stopped shoulders and listless expression confirming Abbey's suspicions.
"Okay, what's wrong?"
Annie takes milk out the fridge. "Nothing's wrong, Grandma."
"Right, so the gloom and despair is just a new look you're trying out?"
Annie slides onto a stool. "No, it's - there's a guy at school. Everyone likes him. He's, like, the hottest guy there."
Abbey starts heating the milk on the stove. "Does he like you?"
"I thought he did."
"Get the mugs out, please. So, what happened?"
Annie sighs as she removes mugs from the cupboard. "There was this party. Mom didn't want me to go but in the end Dad convinced her."
"Cocoa powder, please."
Annie hands Abbey the tin of cocoa.
"Was he there?"
"Yeah." Annie stares at the counter. "He wanted me to go upstairs with him. So I ditched my agent and went."
Abbey doesn't comment; Annie needs to finish the story in her own time.
"Nothing happened. I mean, we kissed, but that's it. He wanted me to go further but-" Annie shakes her head. "I left."
"I'm proud of you, sweetheart. That took a lot of courage."
Annie looks up now and her face is streaked with tears. "But he told everyone we did it. Now all the kids at school think I'm a - a-"
Abbey abandons the hot chocolate and pulls Annie into her arms. "Oh, Annie. The people who love you don't think that at all."
"What if someone tells a reporter? I feel so stupid."
"Annie, baby, you've done nothing wrong."
"No one's going to care what really happened."
"Sweetheart, don't worry about what everyone else thinks. You have the truth on your side. And the only people that matter are right here in this house tonight."
Annie smiles for the first time all evening. "How come you always know exactly what to say?"
"Well, I have raised three daughters. I hope I've learned something along the way."
Annie chuckles.
"You think you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah."
"I can always get your grandfather to ship this kid off to, I don't know, Mongolia."
"Mongolia, huh?"
"Yeah. Now let's see if we can salvage any of this hot chocolate."
"Okay." But Annie makes no move to break the hug. "Thanks, Grandma."
"Anytime, baby."