The West Wing - Control & Treachery
Title: Control & Treachery
Fandom: The West Wing
Characters: Abbey Bartlet/CJ Cregg, Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet
Prompt: # 032 Deception
Word Count: 535
Rating: PG… for references.
Summary: Abbey reflects on her childhood, and how it’s impacted on her life.
Author's Notes: Abbey’s childhood story was my idea, I’m pretty sure nothing like this has ever been mentioned. This fic was inspired by
poeticinsanity's first fanfic.
--
Their affair had begun in a moment of desperation, and turned into a year of deception. For weeks they lasted on fleeting looks and hidden touches. It was just those small moments together when they were completely alone, and no one ever knew. She had the power. Abbey always had the power in their relationship. It was something she craved, and unlike Jed, CJ let her take it all.
--
As a child she remembered being powerless. Her older brother would wake her up just four hours after going to sleep, and hurry his younger siblings up into the attic where he’d hide them. Thomas had managed to take apart the old sofa and place some blankets and a pillow on the inside. All they had to do was lay down and go back to sleep while Thomas put the cushions back and sat by the attic door. At the tender age of five with her baby sister by her side, Abbey would fall asleep again. After all, she couldn’t hear the yelling and the crying. She didn’t see the empty bottles and her father’s anger.
Thanks to her brother, Abbey only ever saw the aftermath. Broken glass, bruises, and occasionally blood. She never bore the brunt of it like Thomas had. Before he learnt to stay in the attic, he had been found out on more than one occasion. He was always willing to take the strap to save his sisters.
--
Sitting alone in an armchair in one of the many guest rooms, Abbey considered their relationship. She never had power, just like her mother. With Jed she had to fight hard for it. The scales would tip a different way every time. With CJ she had all the power she ever wanted. Because no matter how strong CJ was, her heart remained insecure. She’d lost her mother and was slowly losing her father. She was desperate for love, for someone to take charge of her personal life. Watching the younger woman sleep, she felt something inside her that she’d never felt with Jed. She loved him, but she was in love with CJ.
Standing she headed for the door, taking one last look at the woman who had captured her heart. She smiled and left the room, only to find Jed walking down the hallway. “Hey Hon, you’re back early.” She kissed his cheek as he pulled her into a hug.
“Yeah, all this political stuff doesn’t take as long as I thought it did.” Jed laughed. “Did you sleep in the guest room?”
“Oh no, CJ and I had a girls night in. She got pretty tired so she stayed the night.” Abbey smiled, taking her husbands hand as they walked towards the kitchen. “I thought she might want breakfast, but she’s still sound asleep.”
“That’s nice. Margaret says she’s worried about her not looking after herself. I don’t know what she’d do if you weren’t around Abbey.”
“Yeah.” Abbey sighed, trying to push away the pain she was feeling as they continued. She was practised in the art of deception. Just like she was hidden in her childhood, she would hide CJ from the world.
It was all about protecting loved ones.
Fandom: The West Wing
Characters: Abbey Bartlet/CJ Cregg, Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet
Prompt: # 032 Deception
Word Count: 535
Rating: PG… for references.
Summary: Abbey reflects on her childhood, and how it’s impacted on her life.
Author's Notes: Abbey’s childhood story was my idea, I’m pretty sure nothing like this has ever been mentioned. This fic was inspired by
poeticinsanity's first fanfic.
--
Their affair had begun in a moment of desperation, and turned into a year of deception. For weeks they lasted on fleeting looks and hidden touches. It was just those small moments together when they were completely alone, and no one ever knew. She had the power. Abbey always had the power in their relationship. It was something she craved, and unlike Jed, CJ let her take it all.
--
As a child she remembered being powerless. Her older brother would wake her up just four hours after going to sleep, and hurry his younger siblings up into the attic where he’d hide them. Thomas had managed to take apart the old sofa and place some blankets and a pillow on the inside. All they had to do was lay down and go back to sleep while Thomas put the cushions back and sat by the attic door. At the tender age of five with her baby sister by her side, Abbey would fall asleep again. After all, she couldn’t hear the yelling and the crying. She didn’t see the empty bottles and her father’s anger.
Thanks to her brother, Abbey only ever saw the aftermath. Broken glass, bruises, and occasionally blood. She never bore the brunt of it like Thomas had. Before he learnt to stay in the attic, he had been found out on more than one occasion. He was always willing to take the strap to save his sisters.
--
Sitting alone in an armchair in one of the many guest rooms, Abbey considered their relationship. She never had power, just like her mother. With Jed she had to fight hard for it. The scales would tip a different way every time. With CJ she had all the power she ever wanted. Because no matter how strong CJ was, her heart remained insecure. She’d lost her mother and was slowly losing her father. She was desperate for love, for someone to take charge of her personal life. Watching the younger woman sleep, she felt something inside her that she’d never felt with Jed. She loved him, but she was in love with CJ.
Standing she headed for the door, taking one last look at the woman who had captured her heart. She smiled and left the room, only to find Jed walking down the hallway. “Hey Hon, you’re back early.” She kissed his cheek as he pulled her into a hug.
“Yeah, all this political stuff doesn’t take as long as I thought it did.” Jed laughed. “Did you sleep in the guest room?”
“Oh no, CJ and I had a girls night in. She got pretty tired so she stayed the night.” Abbey smiled, taking her husbands hand as they walked towards the kitchen. “I thought she might want breakfast, but she’s still sound asleep.”
“That’s nice. Margaret says she’s worried about her not looking after herself. I don’t know what she’d do if you weren’t around Abbey.”
“Yeah.” Abbey sighed, trying to push away the pain she was feeling as they continued. She was practised in the art of deception. Just like she was hidden in her childhood, she would hide CJ from the world.
It was all about protecting loved ones.