Author: Regency

Title: Dos Aviones - Right Hand Man

Rating: PG for language

Pairing: Jed/Abbey

Season/Spoilers/Sequel: Season seven; none; this is a sequel to On His Last Day. There is a sequel in mind.

Summary: "When in times of uncertainty and fear, your greatest allies are your staff…and your wife. They're your first defense. Tell them everything. Especially your wife, because when she's pissed at you, the Residence gets to be a very small place."

Author's Notes: I meant for this to be the end, but it didn't happen that way. So, I guess this will be a trilogy.

Disclaimer: I only own Secret Agent Mann.

~~~~

The Inauguration had gone fine or had seemed to. Surprising many, her husband had stood up and was given the podium to speak. He spoke as briefly as he ever did. When he stepped down a half hour later there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Not even hers, but she was crying for wholly different reasons.

He spoke of changes, handing over the reigns, passing the torch, moving on. His eyes met hers, but once during the entire time he spoke, during the climax, the denouement. He spoke of loving the office too much, of inner transition, of loss. He gave the man a gentle, but meaningful warning:

"Think to yourself, every time the two of you fight. That woman is my life. Wrong or right, I can't let her leave. Look into her eyes and say, I'm wrong, you're right. I'm a jackass, forgive me."

"And if she's forgiving, she will, but you don't get to be a jackass too many times. Because one day it'll hit her and she'll think, I married a jackass. What the hell am I still doing here, I deserve better. And when that happens, be prepared to beg, my friend. Because, when a woman's got her mind made up, it's damned made up." That got a round of chuckles from the few former Presidents in attendance. They'd all been there and more than one of them were now long divorced. "When in times of uncertainty and fear, your greatest allies are your staff…and your wife. They're your first defense. Tell them everything. Especially your wife, because when she's pissed at you, the Residence gets to be a very small place." Boy, did he know that well. There was no hiding or not running into each other when they were there together and fighting.

"More than anything you must remember, be subject to one another. You may have the power, but you need people who respect you enough to listen and to give a damn. Every once in a while, you need your Press Secretary to say, Damn it, sir, I need you to take a moment and do what I say. You're going off half-cocked and you're running head first into a brick wall called the media. You don't have to do that, that's my job. Let me do it. When they ask you to let them do their job...let 'em do it. But, and this is the absolute last thing, I promise...Love your job, but don't ever put it above the people you love. Make the office, don't let it make you." His voice was soft and his eyes looked into hers with such fire that she thought the air between them would ignite, but it didn't. There was a wet applause as everyone tried to wipe their faces and clap at the same time. It was the last of it that reminded them of everything that's happened in the last four years. The disappearance of Zoey, her later health scare, Leo's health scare, CJ's son. A thousand scandals have come and gone in the time her husband was in office, but if it didn't cross his desk then it didn't hold ice water. That's what she feels like she's been submerged in as she's ushered to her car and she enters to realize that Jed's already gone. As she sits and watches the outside scenery of well-wishers and some protesters go by, she feels the emptiness...the loneliness of this enormous car closing in on her. She was originally planning to attend the balls with Jed, but that's not a possibility anymore. She wonders if he's gone yet, or if his conscience gives him even a moment's pause. She wonders.

"Agent..." She can't remember his name. "Could you call ahead and see if the plane's ready? I'd like to leave now." He nods at her, not at all suspicious of the question. She can't help wondering how many of her own agents her husband has enlisted in his plan to leave her. It's a question that leaves her wary, if not more than a little curious. To her surprise, the car phone on the console beside her starts to ring. She's never paid it any notice before and has had little use for it in the past. Who would know she was here, much less actually call her? She looks to the driver to see if this produces any reaction from him. None. The phone that never rings is ringing and this doesn't seem strange to anyone else? She guesses not and picks it up. "Hello."

"Hello, Abigail." Her breath stops until it registers with her brain and she begins to choke. What the hell...?

"Why the hell are you calling me?" That's not what she wanted to ask, but she truly couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Oh, Abbey, I thought you'd be happy to hear from me." Of course, she'd be happy to hear from him, if he was right next to her and not, well, leaving her.

"Yes, well, circumstances." The jovial tone he had before dies and for a moment she just listens to him breathe. In. Out. In. Out. He breathes like it's any other day, like he's going to meet her at the Ellipse and they'll kiss and banter just like before. Like it's any other day.

"Yeah. I'm just calling to...check on you." She would laugh if she wasn't so close to tears.

"What gave you the idea that there was anything wrong?"

"You asked about the plane." She sits up straight. How did he know?

"You have spies."

"I do...Like I said, I worry." The idea is as painful as it is heartwarming. She pulls her legs up under her skirts and snuggles back into the seat.

"What for?" He laughs and for a moment she fancies she can hear a bit of her own bitterness reflected in it.

"I thought we'd covered this this morning." She isn't sure what they covered this morning. It's a blur to her.

"Refresh my memory."

"Do you really believe that I don't love you? I mean, do you think I'd leave you for another woman after thirty eight years?" She's almost surprised at the question, but at the same time, she isn't.

"You've given me no proof to the contrary." The fact that they're sitting in separate cars doesn't help much.

"What proof have I given to implicate myself in this? I've never bought lingerie from Victoria's Secret and left the receipt lying around. I've never , if memory serves, taken clandestine calls in the middle of the night. What have I done?" Well there was that one time, but that was Leo.

"You left me, Jed. You left me and you weren't going to tell me until after you did it. If that's not proof of malicious intent, then, damn it, I don't know what is!"

"Has it occurred to you that I didn't want to have to see you cry, that I didn't want to see the pain I was causing you."

"If you knew it was gonna hurt me, why did you do it?"

"Because it was only a matter of time before I hurt you too, really hurt you."

"And you haven't, now? You haven't really hurt me?" She knows that's not true and so does he. That doesn't mean he'll admit to it.

"I know." Or maybe he will.

"You know? What the hell does that mean? You know?"

"I know that I'm hurting you."

"Then, can you please stop?"

"It's not that simple."

"It's not that simple...why?" Why does she have this feeling that there's something he's leaving things out? She doesn't know if she can deal with anything else right now.

"Because, I can't come home to you." Something about his tone stops her cold and she listens to his breath. It's not like any other day. He can barely take a comfortable breath.

"You can always come home to me," she whispers, feeling ashamed that her anger's evaporated so quickly.

"Not this time, Abigail. This -- This is something different." She sits up straight. Something's wrong; she can hear it in his voice.

"What's different about it? You say you still love me. I know I still love you. So, what's changed?"

"So much," he whispers.

"Talk to me, I'm here."

"I can't. You won't understand."

"Make me understand, then. Tell me what's happening?"

"There's..." He takes a shaky breath. In her mind's eye, she can see him run a frustrated hand through her hair. "Abbey, if you ever need me, I mean, really need me, there are two people in the world besides me who know where I will be." Abbey swallows back an unexpected sob.

"Who?"

"There's CJ and --"

"Why does CJ know?"

"Because she's a friend to both of us and I think, she will be able to judge better than either of us whether you really need me. Now, can I please finish this? This is very important."

"Okay." He's silent for a few beats and she listens as he seems to debate with himself. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Yeah, okay. There's an agent, one agent, who will always be with you. He will always be there, on your right side. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you're doing, if you look up and to your right, he'll be right there. He's your 'Right Hand Man.' It is his job, his duty, if you should ever ask, to tell you how to reach me. It is his job to get you to me, with me, at any cost. If he should ever die on duty, his last breath, before any other message he might leave, is used to get you to where I am. His last breath."

"Why?"

"Why, because, believe it or not, you may really need me one day."

"What if I need you right now?"

"He's right there, Abbey."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Abigail, trust me, honey. Just trust me. Ask him." There's another voice in the background that she can't hear. "Baby, I have to go, now. Ask him."

"Are you getting on the plane?"

"I'm on the way, yeah. Why?"

"You gonna tell me where you're going yet?"

"Ask the Man." She sighs and nods to herself. If he wants to be difficult...

"I thought you were the Man?"

"Oh, I am. Just not this man."

"Ah. I love you, Josiah." She bites her lip and listens to the silence on the other end.

"I love you too, Abigail. I will always love you. If you ever need me...Ask him. I'm always right where you think I'm not."

"You confuse me."

"I do try." He listens to her laughter and only for a moment, allows himself to bask in the sound that gives him chills. "Goodbye." He can feel the light in her eyes dying.

"Goodbye...jackass." He laughs again, but it's a sad, almost painful sound to hear.

"Ask him the meaning of 'ever.'" She sits there, confused.

"The meaning of 'ever'? Why?"

"Abigail, for once, just do as I say. You'll understand soon." Before she can respond, there is a click and then, silence. Okay, well, that was abrupt.

She can't contain the bereft feelings that run through her and a sigh escapes. Her eyes slide across the interior of the car and come to rest on the back of the driver's head. Was this the man?

"Agent, do you know where my husband is? Do you know where he's going?" He looks up at her via rear-view mirror, but his face remains impassive.

"I'm not at liberty to give that information, ma'am."

"Meaning what, Agent?"

"Meaning: I'm not at liberty to give that information, ma'am."

"My husband said that you're supposed to tell me where he is, if I ask. You're not doing that."

"No, ma'am. You asked me if I knew, not where he was going. That's the only question you're cleared for the answer to."

"I need clearance for this conversation?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"This is so much whatever-the-hell." His eyes smile a little, but he stays silent and continues driving. "So, the answer depends on the question?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay. Where's my husband?" He meets her eyes through the mirror.

"Do you want to know, just to know or because you want to be with him?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does." She doesn't think he's telling the truth, but relents.

"I want to be with him." She meets his gaze steadily and he seems to approve.

"He's waiting for you."

"Where?"

"At the end of this ride. From there, how the day ends is in your hands." Her eyebrows furrow as she tries to comprehend what he's saying.

"I don't understand."

"You will." She isn't so sure, but nods to end the conversation.

Soon, the car comes to stop. She isn't sure how to end this. Does she just get out? What did he mean it's in her hands? What's waiting for her outside of the door? She's not sure she wants to know.

"So, this is my stop?" He nods at her, encouragingly.

"Yes, ma'am."

"My plane's ready?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Agent...what's your name?" She isn't sure why she wants to know, but she does.

"Agent Mann, ma'am." She blinks and her lip twitches. She can't help herself. She's trying. Really, she is.

"Secret Agent Mann? That's your name?" She could swear he just rolled his eyes, but she isn't sure.

"Yes, ma'am." She grins to herself. Suddenly, she's not so afraid of what may await her outside the door.

"Okay." She knocks on the window to signal for the agent outside to open the door. She's ready to face whatever waits there. But not before she says this, "Thanks for the ride...Secret Agent Mann." She skidaddles from the car before he can turn around and shoot her. She's sure she isn't the first to make the remark and she's certain she won't be the last. That doesn’t mean she wants to get her ass kicked over it.

She chuckles until she sees what all the chatter's about. There are two planes, back to back, facing opposite directions. Air Force One and another one with some insignia on it. As the cameras flash, she wonders what her face is like. But as she sees her husband waiting quietly at the end of her carpet, of which there are two, she can't help but ask herself, where's he going? She looks over her shoulder to where her car stood only moments ago, but it's gone. She forgot to ask where he was going. Her husband...

He looks at her. She looks at him. There are two planes...

Dos aviones.

Where's he going?

~~~~~~~

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