Disclaimer: Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions are the rightful owners of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, its characters, and its premise. The plot for this story and any original characters remain property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended; this work is written solely for the pleasure of the author and the readers, and no profit is being made. This story, however, does belong to its author, and any reproduction or distribution is prohibited without authorization of said author.

Reckless Abandon

Reckless abandon: surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation

Chapter One                                                                                                                                Monday, November 13, 1989

Amanda glanced up from her desk as Francine came into the office. She’d been back at work for a week, and today they were going to formalize the expansion of the Q Bureau.

“Good morning, Amanda,” Francine said as she walked over to the coffeemaker. “What time is the meeting again? 8?”

“That’s right,” Amanda responded as she gathered several files together. “We’re meeting in Billy’s conference room in about 15 minutes. I’ve just got to gather a few things and then I’m going to head down there.”

“As soon as I drink this coffee, I’ll be down, too. Ephraim went back down to the classrooms a few minutes ago. He’s meeting with the new lead instructor to answer any last minute questions- they have a new class starting tomorrow.”

Amanda nodded. “You realize Billy’s going to want to know how it’s going with your new partnership soon.”

“I know,” Francine sighed.“So?” “So, I think it’s still too soon to tell. We haven’t really had a case to work on, so I don’t know how to answer the question. We’ve basically been going back and forth between our old and our new desks, so we haven’t really had to deal with each other on that kind of basis yet.”

Amanda nodded. She’d thought the same thing, but didn’t want Francine to feel any pressure. According to Lee, Billy was going to give the new Q Bureau a pretty big assignment at the meeting today, and Amanda thought this would be a good opportunity for Francine and Ephraim to get a real feel for how they worked together.

Just then, the phone rang. “Q Bureau,” Amanda responded. She nodded and smiled. “We’ll be right there.” She looked at Francine. “That was Lee. They’ve got everything ready, so we can head down now, if you’d like. Ephraim’s already there.”

The two ladies headed out the door and made their way to the conference room.  Once they arrived, Amanda took a seat next to Lee and Francine sat on the other side of Amanda. Billy, Ephraim and a young woman sat across the table from them. Dr. Smyth followed Amanda and Francine in, and sat at the head of the table.

“OK, kiddies, tell me what you’ve worked out,” Smyth said as he took one of the folders Billy was handing out.

“Well, everyone, Amanda has outlined what types of cases the Q Bureau will now be responsible for, along with general job descriptions for each person. Why don’t we all glance over the sheet, then we’ll discuss,” Billy suggested.

Everyone opened their folders and quietly read. According to the outline, the Q Bureau would continue to deal with the questionable cases that continued to pop up, but would also now be responsible for other diplomatic missions. They would continue to be available for any problem Billy or Dr. Smyth felt needed the attention of either partner team as well. Lee would become the department head of the Q Bureau and would be responsible for department head meetings and other leadership requirements. Amanda would become a liaison of sorts with the other Agency departments along with supervising the vault and other critical files. Francine would be the liaison with other government agencies such as the CIA, FBI, and NSA and deal with any diplomatic issues that arose. Ephraim would be in charge of the Q Bureau’s computer systems as well as supervising any research projects. Billy would remain their Section Chief and would still be in charge of mission assignments for both partner teams.

Dr. Smyth nodded as he finished reading. “Everything looks copasetic, William. Carry on,” he said as he stood and walked out of the room. A collective sigh of relief could be heard by all.

“Now, that that’s out of the way,” Billy grinned. “I want to introduce you to Kelly Reed. She’s been a part of the steno pool for two years, and I am temporarily assigning her to the Q Bureau, in order to help you finish organizing the expansion and get the filing up to date.” Kelly smiled shyly and Amanda smiled back. “So, let’s look at the design of the offices and make sure you’ve got what you wanted.”

Everyone looked at the blueprints of the upper floor. The floor consisted of four office spaces down a long corridor. The first two rooms were filled with filing cabinets and miscellaneous desks and chairs- they had obviously become a kind of catchall. The next room had been cleared out for Francine and Ephraim to use and was finally organized after the last of their belongings from the basement area had been moved in. The final room was Lee and Amanda’s office, where the vault was located. According to the new plan, the first two offices were going to be converted into a conference room and a computer/library room. This would make it easier for the Q Bureau agents to meet and do any computer work without having to go down below.

“OK, Billy, I think we’ve covered everything with the expansion,” Lee interjected. “Now, let’s get on with it. What’s this big project you told me about?”

Billy laughed. “Chomping at the bit, Scarecrow? I think someone’s been stuck behind a desk too long.”

Everyone started laughing and Lee shook his head.“OK, people, here goes. As you know, last month, Hungary transitioned from a communist regime to a democratic country. They did this peacefully, without any bloodshed. Dr. Smyth has been in meetings with the President, who has been in talks with Hungary’s provisional president, Mátyás Szűrös. They are sending a delegation and would like for us to provide security for it. President Szűrös is also concerned that there may be some radical elements developing in his country…those who may not like the idea of democracy, and is worried that some in the delegation may not be what they appear to be. So, Dr. Smyth and I would like background information on all members of the delegation, just to be on the safe side.”

“Sounds like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Francine said. “How long are they going to be here?”

“At least three days, according to Dr. Smyth,” Bill answered. “They arrive on Thursday. That gives us three days to figure out locations for their meetings with the various Cabinet and Congressional members as well as any dinners they wish to host, design a security plan, and complete the background checks. The Hungarian embassy has agreed to provide housing for the members, so we’ll need to coordinate with them.”

SMK SMK

The morning flew by. Francine supervised the men moving the old desk equipment out of the first two offices as well as the new furniture coming in, while Ephraim went over the computer schematics with the technology chief. Lee was in a department head meeting with Billy, while Amanda showed Kelly around the vault and showed her how the filing would be done. Once the computer room was set up, Kelly would help in filing the various manuals and binders that would now be kept in the Q Bureau.

After lunch, the four of them met in the new conference room. Lee handed out folders with the information he’d received at his meeting.

“OK,” Lee began, “here is the list of probable delegation members along with a tentative schedule of their meetings and any dinners or parties they’ll be attending. Amanda and I will go over the security plans with the head of the delegation, a Béla Szabó, when he arrives. Ephraim, I would like for you and Francine to begin background checks on the names on this list. I’d like for us to know as much about these people as possible before they get here.”

“Sounds good,” Ephraim responded. “Any ideas of what we’re looking for?”

“Not at this point. Hungary is pretty peaceful considering they’ve just done a 180 on their government. It’s pretty remarkable, though it’s not hard to imagine there are some unhappy communists still lurking around,” Lee continued.

“Lee, I’m going to try to finish up the vault today, then get Kelly started on the library tomorrow. I think we should have everything ready to go by the end of the week,” Amanda added.

“Francine, you’ve been pretty quiet. Do you have anything to add?” Lee asked.

“Um, no…Lee, I was wondering…what about running some of these names by Magda? I mean, she did defect from Hungary and she might recognize any names we don’t,” Francine answered.

“That’s a great idea,” Amanda responded. “If you’d like, I could go with you tomorrow to see her.” Francine nodded with a smile.

“Great,” Lee said. “I think this covers everything for today. Ephraim, why don’t you show me what we have left to do with the computers.”Everyone got up and left to finish their work for the day. Amanda watched everyone go about their business and smiled to herself. ‘This is really going to work out,’ she thought to herself.

SMK SMK

Later that night, after dinner, Phillip asked Lee to shoot some hoops with him. “I really want to make the basketball team,” Phillip pleaded. “Think you can help me out? The tryouts are after school tomorrow.” Lee laughed, then grabbed the keys to the ‘Vette.

“Guess we’ll be back later,” he told Amanda. “Jamie, want to come?”

“Uh, sure,” Jamie responded. “Give me just a minute.” He raced up the stairs. Amanda shook her head.

“You realize he’s probably calling Rachel…” she mentioned. Lately, Jamie and Rachel Montez had been calling each other all the time. Phillip gave him a hard time about it, but Jamie didn’t seem to mind. Apparently, Jamie and Rachel had started “dating” after the Halloween party.

Jamie raced back down the stairs. “Well, are we going or not? Come on!” he said as he grabbed Lee by the arm, pulling him out the door. Lee barely had time to kiss Amanda before he was gone.

Dotty asked, “Amanda? There’s a Cary Grant movie coming on in a few minutes…wanna watch it?”

“Sounds good, Mother. Let me just get this load of the girls’ laundry going,” she answered as she headed to the laundry area. Dotty closed the baby gate on the stairs and headed to the den, where Katie and Sarah were playing on a blanket.

A few minutes later, Amanda sat down on the couch with her mother and they began to watch Indiscreet. As they were watching, Sarah stood up and toddled over to Amanda.

“Up,” she demanded, reaching for Amanda. Amanda reached down and pulled her close.“Do you want to watch the movie, too, Sarah?” Amanda cooed. Sarah snuggled closer. As they cuddled, the doorbell rang.

Dotty stood and said, “I’ll get it.” She walked to the front door and opened it to Francine. “Well, hello there,” Dotty greeted. “Come in! We’re in here, watching Indiscreet.”

Francine followed Dotty into the den and kind of waved at Amanda.

“Hey, Francine,” Amanda welcomed. “What’s up? Need a baby fix?”

“Uh, no, nothing…” Francine stammered. She wandered over to the couch and sat down. Amanda stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on. Francine was definitely not herself. Dotty looked at her daughter, then shrugged.

“Francine, can I get you something to drink? Eat? We have some leftover meatloaf from dinner…” Dotty offered.

“Sure, Dotty, whatever you say,” Francine answered automatically. Dotty looked at Amanda, who looked at Sarah in her lap. Amanda nodded.

“Sarah, darling, why don’t you come with Grandma and Katie up to my apartment? I think I’ll get the girls out of your hair, Amanda, and you and Francine can relax,” Dotty said as she gathered the girls into her arms and swept out of the house.

Amanda turned to her friend and said, “OK, Francine, spill it. Something’s got you rattled and I want to know what it is.”

Francine looked down, then pushed her purse over to Amanda. “It’s in there,” she whispered.

Amanda opened the purse and pulled out a creamy white envelope addressed to “Miss Francine Desmond”. Amanda held it up and Francine nodded, then looked away. Amanda opened the envelope and pulled out a wedding announcement.

Mr. and Mrs. Clare
request the honor of your presence
at the Nuptial Mass at which their daughter
Eloise Clare
and Mr. Jonathan Stone
will be united
in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
on the twentieth of December 1989
at five o'clock in the evening
Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle
Washington, DC

“Oh, Francine,” Amanda sighed. “Did this arrive today?” Francine nodded. Amanda looked at her friend. Francine looked worn down, fragile. Amanda placed her hand on her arm. “Are you OK?”

“Amanda…you know, I just don’t know what to think. I mean, I’m totally over him. He is a complete jerk and treated me terribly. I can’t believe I ever loved him. I haven’t even spoken to him in over a year. So, why does this hurt so much? Why did he even have to send me an invitation?” Francine rambled, then shook her head as she tried to avoid crying.

“He is a jerk, and you are well rid of him,” Amanda insisted. “Now, let me ask you something. Are you upset that Jonathan is getting married? Do you still love him?” Francine shook her head vehemently. “All right, then let me ask you this…are you jealous? Not of the poor girl who’s marrying him, but about the fact that he’s getting married…and you aren’t?”

Francine stared at Amanda, then bowed her head. Amanda wisely said no more, realizing that Francine still needed to sort through the many emotions she had to be experiencing. Amanda went to the kitchen and pulled out the bottle of Beaujolais Lee had opened the night before. She poured them both a glass, then headed back into the living room. Francine accepted the glass and both women sat together in silence for awhile, glancing at the movie still playing.

Eventually, Francine looked at Amanda and whispered, “You’re a really good friend, Amanda. Actually, you’re the best girl friend I’ve ever had.”

“I could say the same about you, Francine. You’ve been there for me so much lately, it’s time I returned the favor,” Amanda shared. “Who would have thought 6 years ago that we would be this close?”

“Not me, that’s for sure!” Francine laughed. “I really resented you back then…some civilian jumping in and working with Scarecrow, thinking she could save the world. But, you proved to me over and over again that I had misjudged you. I’m really grateful you’ve never held any of that against me.”

“Well,” Amanda grinned. “I did get you back a few times…besides, I misjudged you, too. You’ve become my closest friend and I will never forget how much you helped my family when we needed you the most.”

Both friends smiled and turned back to the television. Eventually, Lee and the boys returned home, and Francine went back to her lonely apartment, still thinking about what her life was missing. 

Chapter Two                                                                                                                            Tuesday, November 16, 1989

Magda Petrak had done very well for herself in the five years since she’d defected from Hungary. Her dress shop had become one of the top bridal shops in the DC area and many of DC’s elite society wore her gowns. As Amanda and Francine entered the store, they saw several brides in the back of the store with some of Magda’s employees showing them various dresses. Another lady stood behind the counter, walking over to Francine as soon as she saw them.

“May I help you?” the clerk inquired with a smile. She did a quick double take when she saw Francine, but remained professional.

“We’re here to see Magda Petrak. Is she available?” Francine responded, looking around to see if she could spot her.

“Ms. Petrak is in her office. May I tell her who is here to see her?”

“Please tell her Francine Desmond and Amanda Stetson. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see us,” Amanda answered. The clerk nodded and headed to the back of the shop. A few minutes later, Magda came out with a big smile on her face.

“Amanda, Francine, it is so good to see you,” she gushed as she walked up to them.

Amanda smiled and answered, “Looks like you’re doing very well, Magda. I’ve been hearing great things about your store.”

Magda shrugged and said, “It is good. I am very lucky. So, are you here for a dress? I have good discount for such good friends.”

Amanda noticed a quick, pained expression flash across Francine’s face as she turned away. Quickly, she responded, “Actually, we’re hoping you can help us out. We’re in charge of some festivities with some of your former friends. Think we could go somewhere to discuss this privately?”

Magda nodded and led them to her private office. She invited the ladies to sit as she closed the door. “So, tell me how I can help.”

“Well,” Francine began. “As I’m sure you already know, Hungary transitioned to democracy about a month ago. In order to welcome the new government, ours is hosting a delegation from Hungary’s new president. We are in charge of security. What we’d like you to do is go over this list of names and see if anyone stands out as someone we should…watch out for…if you get my drift.”

Magda smiled. “I see…you are afraid that some of my former comrades may be passing themselves off as capitalists. Yes, I would be happy to help. I can’t tell you how happy it made my family to see my country become free. Mara is talking of traveling back to Budapest…I don’t know if we should do that so soon. But, it would be wonderful.”

“I’m sure it would be good to go back home to visit,” Amanda responded. “We really appreciate your help with this. Can you have it done by tomorrow morning?”

“I will have it for you tonight. Why don’t you drop by around 6? The shop will be closed and everyone will have gone. I will have it for you by then,” Magda assured them.

“I’ll be here,” Francine agreed. “Thanks, Magda, for doing this.”

“You are quite welcome,” Magda answered.

SMK SMK

Meanwhile, Lee and Ephraim were meeting with the aide to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Péter Várkonyi in order to plan for security.“Mr. Balázs, we need to have some idea of where the delegation plans to hold these balls,” Lee exclaimed. So far, the meeting was not going well. János Balázs was not forthcoming on any details. “I am meeting with Mr. Szabó tomorrow, and he will expect me to have a security plan in place. Now, where are the balls going to be held?”

“Mr. Stetson, if you please, we are most capable of handling security. You are not needed,” Balázs retorted.

“Sir,” Ephraim interjected. “I understand that the Embassy wants to provide their own security. We are just trying to work with you, especially since our own dignitaries will be attending. Now, can you please work with us?”

Lee and Ephraim glared at the aide, who appeared to be shrinking in his chair. Finally, the man cleared his throat and responded, “I will show you the ballroom. That is all. You may figure the rest out on your own.” He stood up in a huff and ushered them to a large ballroom located on the ground floor. “Is this, how you say, good enough?”

“We’ll need to go over the room, to check out all entryways and windows,” Lee retorted. The man stood there nervously, but didn’t stop them. Lee and Ephraim wandered about the room, taking notes. They noticed a balcony area in one corner that overlooked the entire ballroom. “Where does that lead?” Lee asked.

“That is attached to the Ambassador’s personal office,” Mr. Balázs huffed. “It is off limits to anyone else.”Lee gave a look to Ephraim. There was definitely something hinky about this guy. It was probably a good idea to just leave everything…for now. “Well,” Lee said. “I guess we’ve gotten all we’re going to get today. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again, Mr. Balázs, very soon.”

With that, Lee and Ephraim walked out, leaving the agitated aide rendered speechless.

SMK SMK

After lunch, Lee and Amanda began working on the questions and suggestions they had for Béla Szabó. Amanda told Lee about their meeting with Magda, and Lee filled her in on the trip to the embassy.

“I really want you to meet this guy, Balázs, Amanda,” Lee shared. “There’s just something not right about him. I’d love to get your impression of him. Maybe we need to ask Magda about him as well.”

“I’ll let Francine know,” Amanda answered, looking over the list of embassy employees. She paused when she saw the current Ambassador’s curriculum vitae. “Lee, did you realize that the ambassador was the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the old regime?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Lee scoffed.“No, it’s right here in his CV…Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1983 until May of this year. I wonder if he was for the transition or not. And…even if he was…his aide might not have liked it. It’s worth looking into, don’t you think?” Amanda thought out loud.

Lee smiled. Amanda could always see things others might miss. “So, what do you think our next step is?”

“I think we should add the names of both the Ambassador and his aide to Magda’s list and have Francine add it to their background check list,” Amanda responded. “What else do you think we need to do?”

“I’m going to head over to State and make sure they’ve got everything lined up for the delegation meetings. Billy told me State called earlier with a status report. Looks like our main responsibility is going to be the ball the US is hosting at the Mellon Auditorium and the ball the Hungarians are hosting at their embassy,” Lee explained, showing her the notes from the trip to the embassy and the blueprints he’d received from the auditorium. “I’m not concerned about the Auditorium. Secret Service and I have already come up with a solid plan. The embassy is where I’m worried. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be able to figure some things out.”

“OK,” Amanda smiled. “I’m going to look over Kelly’s work, then head home. I want to make a special dinner for Phillip, whether he makes the team or not. Meet you at home?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Lee grinned, pulling her close to him. He leaned in for a kiss, which she enthusiastically returned. After a few minutes, they broke apart and Amanda sighed. “Guess I better go before I’m late…maybe we can have an early evening tonight?” Lee whispered.

“Sounds like a plan,” Amanda teased, then gently pushed him out the door. “See you at home, Scarecrow.”

SMK SMK

Francine sat at her desk, staring at the various folders in front of her. She couldn’t stop thinking about that stupid invitation. Why had he sent it to her? It must have been to gloat. After all, she was the one who’d finally ended it last year and Jonathan could be pretty petty. “Ugh!” she exclaimed, pounding her desk.

“Everything OK?” Ephraim asked. He saw her glance up rapidly, as if angry at being caught. He couldn’t figure out what was going on with her today. She’d been growling at just about everyone, with the exception of Amanda.

“Why wouldn’t everything be OK? Do I look like I have something wrong with me?” Francine snapped. “Can’t I just get frustrated without you bugging me?”

“Sorry I said anything! How are things coming on the background checks? I’m just about through with my bunch,” Ephraim retorted.

“Well, of course you are, Beaman,” Francine groused. “You’re Mr. Perfect. You get everything done on time and in perfect order.”

“Hey,” Ephraim exclaimed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but quit taking it out on me! I’ve been just as busy as you.”

Before Francine could answer, Kelly walked in the door. “Um, excuse me, but Amanda asked me to see if you had any leftover files for the vault. Also, um, Mr. Beaman, um, I need to see if you can show me where you’d like the computer manuals. We’re about to start on the library.”

“Sure, Kelly, I’ll be right there. I don’t think there are any files still in here, but I’ll check. Oh, and, please call me Ephraim…Mr. Beaman makes me sound like my father,” Ephraim responded with a smile. As Kelly left the room, Ephraim turned to Francine and said coldly, “I think I’ll stay in the computer room to finish up. That way I’ll be sure to keep everything on time and in perfect order.”

Francine stared blankly at him as he gathered some files and stormed out of the office.  Then, she sighed and got back to work on her files. She didn’t know why she’d jumped on him, but she regretted it. He hadn’t done anything wrong at all.

The afternoon went slowly for Francine, but finally it was time to leave and head to Magda’s. As she locked the office, she heard laughter coming from the library. She glanced in and saw Kelly seated at a table, with Ephraim perched on the table in front of her. Francine couldn’t tell what Kelly was saying, but Ephraim threw his head back and laughed heartily. Kelly started laughing, too, but stopped when she saw Francine standing in the door.

“Um, Ephraim, I’ve locked the office for the night…I’m going to head over to Magda’s for the list,” Francine stammered, unsure of why she felt so nervous.

“Fine,” Ephraim retorted with a cold look. He was obviously still angry by her outburst from earlier.

“OK, well, then…I guess I’m off,” Francine stammered again. Ephraim continued to stare at her. “Did you want to go with me…to see Magda, I mean.”

A look of confusion washed over Ephraim’s face. “Do you want me to go, Francine?” he questioned.

“Well, um, I guess so…I mean, we are partners, right?” Francine responded, trying to figure out what Ephraim was thinking. He stared at her for a long time, causing her to gulp spontaneously.

“OK,” Ephraim agreed with a sigh. “Let me put this stuff up and I’ll follow you in my car…unless you want to ride together?”

Francine looked at Kelly, who’d been staring silently at Ephraim the entire time. She really was an attractive woman, albeit a little young. What was she…20? “I think we should ride together…that way we can discuss it on the way back,” Francine decided.

Kelly looked a little crestfallen, which gave Francine a little twinge of pleasure.

“Fine,” Ephraim said. “Kelly, why don’t you call it a night? You’ve done outstanding work here.”

“Thanks so much, Ephraim. You made today a lot of fun! I hope we can continue it tomorrow,” Kelly gushed. Francine rolled her eyes, then flushed when she saw Ephraim watching her. Kelly grinned at Ephraim, then headed out the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ephraim. Good night, Ms. Desmond.”

Ephraim waved goodbye, then said to Francine, “Give me a minute, will ya?” He headed out right behind Kelly. Francine stood there for a minute, then started to walk to the door.

Lee was walking by and saw Francine standing there. “Hey, Amanda just called. Phillip made the basketball team! She told me to see if you and Beaman wanted to come help us celebrate. She’s making Beef Stroganoff, Phillip’s favorite.”

“Uh, sure, Lee, I’d love to,” Francine responded blankly. “You’ll have to ask Ephraim yourself, though. I have no idea of his plans.”

“OK…” Lee said. “Well, just tell him for me. We’re eating at 6:30 and we’ll plan on both of you, all right?”

“Sure,” Francine answered. “See you later.” As Lee walked off, Kelly bounced past her, evidently coming from their office. Ephraim followed her out and locked the door, glancing up to see Francine gaping at him. He gave her a bemused look, then motioned for her to follow him out.

SMK SMK

After they met with Magda, Francine turned to Ephraim, who was driving to Arlington. “Ephraim, I’m really sorry for snapping at you earlier. I’ve just been in a rotten mood and it’s not your fault.”

“It’s OK, Francine. You know, you can always talk to me. I really don’t mind,” Ephraim responded. He really wanted to know what was going on with her. Lately, they’d seemed to be forging a really good relationship…until this morning when the old Francine seemed to have returned with a vengeance.

“I appreciate that,” she whispered. Ephraim glanced over at her, but she was facing the window, staring off into space. Pretty soon, they pulled up in front of Amanda’s house.

The dinner was delicious and everyone congratulated Phillip on making the team. Afterward, Phillip and Jamie headed into the den to watch TV and Dotty started cleaning the kitchen. Amanda and Lee took the girls and put them in their playpen in the living room and motioned for Francine and Ephraim to join them.

“So,” Amanda began. “Did Magda have anything interesting to share?”

“Well, it turns out most of the names on the list used to be part of the Communist government, but Magda said they were good people who were honest and reliable. She also said that the Ambassador was a decent man, but to watch out for his aide. She said he used to be a member of the Interior’s ‘security force’, which translates to the Hungarian version of the secret police. She also recognized the last name Kun from one of the delegation. Apparently, one of the men we dealt with back in ’84 had the same last name. She recommended we really look into him as the one we deported was pretty nasty,” Francine shared.

“Good work, Francine,” Lee praised. “So, tomorrow Amanda and I meet with Béla Szabó to make sure we’ve got everything covered. Why don’t the two of you focus on Kun and Balázs? At State today, we went over the security for the meetings and it’s solid. I really think our main problem area will be the ball at the Hungarian Embassy on Saturday. It’s the only place we’re unsure of, and Balázs is determined to keep us from getting anything ready in advance.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Katie pulled up on the side of the playpen and yelled, “Ba ba ba ba!” She then started making motorboat noises.

“Katie, do you want to come out and visit Aunt Francine?” Francine cooed as she walked over to her. “Ba ba!” Katie answered, then reached for Francine. Francine picked her up and carried her back to the couch. Katie started laughing and tried to grab Francine’s hair. Everyone started laughing with Katie, including Francine. Soon, Sarah wanted out as well, and the four adults passed an enjoyable evening playing with the two babies. 

Chapter Three                                                                                                                                 Wednesday, November 15, 1989

Amanda and Lee sat in the foyer of the Hungarian Embassy, waiting for Béla Szabó. Apparently, he was still in conference with the Ambassador. Amanda leaned over to Lee and whispered, “Let me know if you see that aide.” Lee nodded and squeezed her hand. It was on days like this that Lee felt blessed to have a partner like Amanda. She was able to see things no one else would ever notice and her instincts were usually right on target.

Just then, an older man entered the foyer. “Mr. and Mrs. Stetson? I am Béla Szabó. It gives me much joy to see you today,” he welcomed. Lee and Amanda stood and shook his hand. “Please…to follow me, yes?” He motioned for them to follow him. As they walked through the embassy, Amanda was struck with the simple beauty of the rooms. Finally, they reached a little reception area.

“Mr. Szabó,” Lee began. “I have here the details of the security plan we’ve developed. It’s pretty straightforward. However, I am concerned about the ball you will be hosting here on Saturday. Yesterday, I met with János Balázs, but he was unwilling to let us do more than get a cursory look at your ballroom.”

Mr. Szabó looked disturbed. “Mr. Stetson, my apologies. I do not understand why János would not allow this. Please, let me show you there so you may do your work.” He jumped up and proceeded to show them the way, apologizing the entire time. As Lee looked around the ballroom, making extensive notes, Amanda stood to the back and looked up at the balcony. She noticed a man peeking through the curtains of the door that opened back into the building. When the man saw Amanda, the curtains flew shut. “Hmm,” she said to herself. “I wonder if that’s Mr. Balázs.”

Eventually, Lee made his way back over to his wife. “I think I have everything now. Are you ready?”

“Sure,” she replied and they walked back to Mr. Szabó’s room. He met them on their way and was effusive in his thanks for the detailed security plan. As  he led them out the front, Amanda noticed the same man from earlier watching them from a corridor. She whispered to Lee, “Is that him?” Lee looked over and nodded. “Hmm…” she murmured as they left.

As Lee opened her car door for her, she said, “Lee, that man was watching you in the ballroom. He stopped when he saw me watching him. I definitely think we need to keep a close eye on him Saturday night.”“I agree,” Lee responded.

“Something’s fishy about that guy. I’ll be interested to see if Francine or Ephraim have turned anything up on him.”

SMK SMK

At the Agency, Francine sat at her computer, reading the information she’d found on Mátyás Kun, the delegation member Magda had pointed out. From what she’d found earlier, he’d been a party member since the age of 17. There wasn’t much else to go on, so she was trying to decipher his family members and match them to any undesirables on the Agency list.

Just then, the door flew open and a laughing Kelly backed in, followed by a smiling Ephraim. Francine looked up and grimaced. There was something about Kelly that she just didn’t like. She seemed familiar, but Francine couldn’t place a finger on why. “Oh,” Kelly exclaimed with a giggle. “I think we’re disturbing Ms. Desmond, Ephraim. Want to join me in the library?” She leaned forward towards Ephraim with a suggestive look.

Ephraim looked at Kelly, a little nonplussed. He glanced over at Francine, then replied, “Uh, no, Kelly, I really need to get some work done in here. I think Amanda wanted you to finish shelving those books.” Kelly gave a little moue and Francine rolled her eyes.

Kelly glanced over at Francine, then turned around to Ephraim and simpered, “You know, I heard that they have a really great deli just down the street. I, uh, was wondering if you’d like to join me for lunch. Please say you will, Ephraim?”

Francine looked up at Ephraim and was shocked when he answered, “Sure, Kelly, I’d love to.” Kelly giggled and wiggled her fingers at him as she sauntered out of the room. Before she left, she shot a triumphant look towards Francine.

“You might want to watch your back there, Beaman,” Francine warned. “Looks like someone has her hook out for you.”

Ephraim gave Francine a look and said, “She’s just lonely. She told me all of her family is back in Georgia and she hasn’t really made any friends here.”

“I just bet she hasn’t,” Francine muttered. “It’s your life…just trying to help you out.”

“I don’t need helping, thank you very much,” Ephraim retorted. “So, have you found anything out about Kun?”

Francine filled him out on the background she’d found, then said, “How about you…anything on Balázs?”

“Nothing more than you found…party member since 17. Can you check the Agency list for his last name? What town did you say Kun was from?”

“Um,” Francine muttered as she looked at her background information, “Balatonfüred…why?”

“Nothing,” Ephraim sighed. “I thought maybe they were from the same town…maybe they are connected to one another. Mine is from Veszprém. I’m still going to look into the geography. Maybe there’s a connection that way.”

The two of them continued working for the rest of the morning. Around 11:30, Kelly popped in and said in a sing-song voice, “Ephraim, I’m ready!”

He glanced up at her, somewhat surprised at her tone. “Oh, is it lunchtime already?”

“You silly,” Kelly laughed. “Of course it is! We want to beat the lunchtime rush now don’t we?”

“I guess…” Ephraim muttered, glancing over at Francine. She looked at him, then faced her computer. “Sure, Kelly, let’s go right now,” he exclaimed. Kelly giggled, then put her arm through his.

Francine watched them go out, then threw a folder at the closed door. She knew that Kelly was up to no good, and Ephraim was going to suffer for it.

SMK SMK

The rest of the day flew by as Lee and Amanda met with various members of their “family” to see if they had heard of any plans to disrupt the delegation. Francine and Beaman continued digging into the background of the two suspects.

Finally, at 6, Lee called the rest of them into the conference room. “OK, Rhonda told us she overheard one of the embassy workers complain about Balázs. Apparently, they haven’t been allowed to work in or around the Ambassador’s office all week. Unfortunately, that’s all anyone had for us. If Balázs has a plan, he’s keeping it close to the vest.”

“We were able to determine that Kun and Balázs worked at the same resort on Lake Balaton around the same time. We can’t confirm, however, if they worked together. I tried calling the resort, but they don’t keep employment records for that long. However, they both began working for the party at around the same time as well. We’re still trying to dig, but looks like this is all we’re going to find,” Ephraim explained.

“What’s our next step?” Francine asked.

“OK, tomorrow and Friday they are in meetings all day in offices at the State Department. I’ve assigned several agents to be there, and Secret Service is also going to be working them. I’d like for one of us each to be there at rotation shift, to get a feel for the meetings as well as getting a physical ID on Kun,” Lee clarified. “Our main concern continues to be the Saturday night ball. Ephraim, I’d like for you and Francine to head over there tomorrow and make a sweep of the room. That way you can also ID Balázs. We’ll all meet here prior to going to the ball on Friday night, to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

They all nodded and got up to leave for the day. Francine pulled Amanda to the side and whispered, “I need to talk to you sometime about…Kelly.”

Amanda gave her a look and nodded. “Does it need to be tonight? I’ve really got to get home…apparently Katie has been really fussy today. I think she may be teething again.”

“No, it can wait until the morning…she just bugs me. Nothing official,” Francine sighed. “Go home and take care of Katie. I’ll be fine.”

SMK SMK

Around 8:00, Francine was sitting on her couch, glass of wine in one hand, remote control in the other. She had been surfing through the channels mindlessly, her mind unable to get off of Kelly. She’d finally realized what was so familiar about Kelly. Kelly was exactly like the simpering women Francine always saw at cocktail parties- the kind that had clawed their way up the social ladder.

Obviously, Kelly had set her sights on Ephraim. He was a really nice guy and was well-liked by everyone in the Agency. Kelly must have thought that by, catching him, she would be able to have her choice of assignments. Ephraim wasn’t rich by any standards, but he did well enough to drive a new car and wear nice clothes. Francine would be willing to bet that Kelly came from a blue collar family and saw Ephraim as a meal ticket.

As soon as she came to this realization, the phone rang. “Hello?” Francine answered.

“Hi,” Jonathan responded, “Is this a bad time?”

“Jonathan?” Francine choked out. “What…what…ahem, why are you calling?”

“I was wondering if you got my invitation.”

“Yes, Jonathan, I did,” Francine retorted. “Are you calling for congratulations…or to ask if I’m going to buy you a gift? I’ll tell you the first, but don’t hold your breath on the second.”

“Actually, I was wondering if I could come over,” Jonathan explained.

“Come over? No, you can’t come over!” Francine exclaimed. “Why on Earth would you want to come over?”

“I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing…marrying Eloise,” he said. “I think I’m still in love with you.”

Francine hung up the phone. “Who does he think he is? Why is he doing this to me?” She burst into tears as she thought about the games Jonathan had played with her heart over the years. First, he’d left her at the altar. Then, he’d come back into her life and drugged her for Brody. Then, she’d given me another chance and wasted a year in trying to please him. Now, he was messing with her head, telling her he didn’t know if he should get married.

She looked around the room for something to throw and found a magazine. As she was lifting it to throw, her doorbell rang. “Ugh!” she yelled. “Jonathan, if that’s you…you better look…” As she opened the door, she saw Ephraim standing there with a folder in his hand.

“Francine, I hope…” Ephraim began, stopping when he saw her tearstained face. “Francine? What’s going on? What’s happened?” He put his hand on her shoulder as he spoke to her.

“Oh, uh, Ephraim…um, nothing’s going on…why do you ask? Did you need me for something?” she spit out, turning to wipe her face, hoping to hide the evidence of her outburst.

“Francine, it’s obvious there is something going on. Something has obviously upset you. So, tell me…what’s going on?” Ephraim pressed as he walked into her apartment.

Francine shrugged her shoulders and motioned for him to sit down. “I just hung up on my ex-boyfriend. I received his wedding invitation a few days ago, and tonight he called me and told me he thought he was still in love with me,” she sighed.

“Oh,” Ephraim exhaled. “So…I take it you weren’t happy with him calling? I mean, since you said you hung up on him.”

“No, I wasn’t happy! That jerk has jerked me around for the last time! He actually wanted to come see me…can you believe that? I really feel sorry for this woman he’s marrying. I hope he doesn’t leave her at the altar,” she yelled.

Ephraim sighed and watched as Francine strode about the room, waving her hands in the air. “I take it this is Jonathan Stone you’re referring to,” he finally said.

“How did…how did you know that’s who I’m talking about?” she questioned as she stopped pacing to look at him.“You seem to forget…I was around the last time you were with him. I well remember when you broke things off…people steered clear of you for quite a long time, if I recall,” Ephraim shared. “In fact, you locked me in a supply closet one afternoon for saying the name Jonathan in your presence.”

Francine stared as the memory of that afternoon rushed back. She flushed and whispered, “Oh, Ephraim, I’m really sorry about that. It’s just that Jonathan makes me so mad sometimes!”

“I take it this is what’s had you in such a stellar mood the last few days,” Ephraim surmised. Francine flushed again and bowed her head. “Hey, it’s OK. I understand. It’s hard when you see someone you once cared about taking a big step…even if you don’t particularly want to see them ever again.”

Francine walked over and sat on the couch next to Ephraim. “When you’d get to be so nice? I’m really sorry I’ve been so grouchy this week. Forgive me?”

Ephraim smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Of course…that’s what friends are for. OK?” He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. “You can always come to me…for anything.”

Francine stared back at him. He really was a nice guy…nothing like the other men she’d known over the years, with the exception of Lee. Ephraim was someone she could count on- he never played games with her and allowed her to be herself, without holding her mistakes against her. “That means more to me than you can possibly know, Ephraim,” she whispered as she gazed into his eyes.

Slowly, they started leaning towards each other…when the doorbell rang. Ephraim couldn’t help but exhale audibly. Francine leaned back and wiped her face with her hands, then made as if to stand. Ephraim put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Allow me.”

Ephraim walked over to the door and opened it to find Jonathan Stone standing there. “Yes?” Ephraim said authoritatively.

Jonathan gaped at him, then asked, “Um, is Francine here? She’s expecting me?”

“She is?” Ephraim queried, sarcasm evident in his voice.

“Uh…” Jonathan stammered. Then, he noticed Francine wander into the room from the bathroom.“Who is that, darling? Has our pizza arrived? Don’t forget to tip him this time,” Francine called out.

“Honey, it appears to be an old friend of yours. He says you’re expecting him,” Ephraim answered, catching on quickly to Francine’s game.

“Oh?” Francine said as she walked over to Ephraim. “Jonathan? What are you doing here?”

“I told you I was coming…”

“That’s right…and I believe I made it clear that you weren’t welcome.”

“Who’s this?” Jonathan demanded. Ephraim glanced down at Francine and smiled.

“I’m her fiancé,” Ephraim responded. “Now, Francine has made it clear that you aren’t welcome. So, I suggest you leave…now…before I’m forced to take…an action…you might not like.”

“Her…fiancé? Francine, you’re getting…married?”

“Yes…as are you, Jonathan,” Francine answered. “Don’t contact me again. I prefer to leave my mistakes in the past.”

“I think that’s your cue to leave, Mr. Stone,” Ephraim warned. Jonathan looked one last time at Francine, then walked away dejectedly. Ephraim closed the door and watched Francine walk back to her couch.

“Francine, I, um, I hope I didn’t overstep…I mean…you called me darling, so I thought…”

“Ephraim…thank you,” Francine said. “You really helped me out tonight. You didn’t overstep…you were wonderful.” She lowered her head.

“OK,” he answered. “Um, I think I’d better go. I came by to give you the schedule for tomorrow. Lee left it on my desk, and I figured you might want to look it over before the meetings.”

“You don’t have to go,” Francine said.

“Yeah, I think I do,” Ephraim responded. “You need to get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He turned to walk out the door when Francine rushed up to him and gave him a fierce hug. “Thanks,” she whispered, then turned and went to the bathroom.

Ephraim stared at her as she left, then shook his head. Tonight he’d seen a different Francine, a vulnerable Francine…and she’d never been more beautiful. 

Chapter Four                                                                                                                           Thursday, November 16, 1989

Amanda shifted her legs as she tried to get comfortable. The morning meeting was running over, and she’d been standing for a good twenty minutes. So far, everything appeared to be running smoothly. She was going to meet with the agents in charge of security, to get a rundown on the morning’s events once the meeting had concluded. Then, she was going to run through the security tape to see what Kun looked like.

A few minutes later, diplomats and aides streamed out of the conference room. Amanda stood to the side, watching them surreptitiously. She noticed one tall man who glanced around the hallway, then leveled a glance at her. His eyes were dark, and squinted a little as they washed over her. She shivered involuntarily, then watched as he moved away.

Fred Fielder wandered out of the room, then spotted Amanda. “Amanda, we’re over here.”

Amanda walked over to the four agents and said, “Good morning, everyone. How’s everything going so far?”

“Smooth sailing,” Fred bragged. “Not a single issue.”

Amanda looked at his smiling face. He seemed sincere, and the other agents were nodding. “Good to hear,” she replied. “I’d like to see the security tape. We need an ID on Mátyás Kun.”

“Kun?” Fielder asked, confused. “I don’t remember seeing that name on our roster.”

“Let me see your roster, Fred,” Amanda demanded impatiently. She ran down the names on the list. Fred was right…no Kun. “Lee’s not going to be happy about this. Fred, I need a copy of this roster. Damon, I need a copy of the tape.”

The agents scurried around to fulfill her requests. While she waited, Amanda went over to the phone banks and called the Q Bureau. Kelly answered, “Q Bureau,” in a sing song voice.

“Kelly?” Amanda asked. “I need to speak to Lee. Is he there?”

“Sure, Amanda,” Kelly gushed. “I’d be happy to get him. Just a sec!”

While she waited, Amanda remembered that Francine wanted to talk with her about Kelly. Amanda thought she knew why. Kelly seemed to have developed a crush on Ephraim and that had to bothering Francine. Amanda smiled when she thought about Francine being jealous…it was about time!

“Amanda?” Lee came on the line. “What’s up?”

“Lee, we have a problem,” Amanda answered. “I’ll be back at the office in a few minutes with the roster and a copy of the tape. Kun’s name is not on the roster, but we have the right number of people. He’s got to be under an assumed name.”

“OK, I’ll find Ephraim and Francine and we’ll be waiting.”

SMK SMK

Francine and Ephraim sat next to each other in the conference room, waiting on Lee and Amanda. Francine glanced over at Ephraim, who looked over at Francine and smiled. Francine smiled back, then turned away. Ephraim started to say something, but stopped when Kelly walked in the room. She started to smile when she saw Ephraim, but then noticed Francine glaring at her.

“Good morning, Ephraim, I was just looking for you,” Kelly gushed as she walked over to him. “I wanted to tell you just how much I enjoyed our lunch yesterday. It was so much fun!”

“Uh, good, Kelly,” Ephraim stammered, glancing over at Francine. Francine rolled her eyes, then turned to look out the window. “I, uh, enjoyed it, too.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Ephraim,” Kelly squealed. “So, want to do it again today? It’s supposed to be gorgeous outside!”

Ephraim glanced again at Francine, then looked at Kelly. He suddenly realized that Kelly was making a play for him. This wasn’t good. No, this wasn’t good at all. “Uh, Kelly, um, I don’t think so. I’ve got a lot to do today.”

“Oh,” Kelly pouted. “Well, maybe we can do it some other time?” She put a really sad face on, and Ephraim suddenly felt really bad. He’d gone to lunch with her the day before to be friendly, but he didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. He was definitely not interested in anything beyond friendship with this girl, if even that. However, he knew that she didn’t have many friends at all and didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“Uh, maybe,” Ephraim wavered.

“Oh, good,” Kelly raved. “I’ll just get out of your hair then. I’ll see you later!” She wiggled her fingers at him as she pranced out of the room.

“You’re going to have trouble there, Ephraim, if you don’t watch out,” Francine muttered as she turned back towards the table.

“Think so?” Ephraim responded. Francine sounded…almost jealous, he thought to himself. Could she really be jealous? Before he could dwell on this bewildering idea, Lee entered the room with Amanda.

“All right, we’ve got a problem,” Lee announced as they sat down across from Francine and Ephraim. “Amanda discovered that Kun isn’t using his own name. We have to figure out who he is and soon. I’ve got the original list here,” he said as he handed each of them a paper, “and here is the list Amanda got today. There are over a hundred names on each list, so I want you two to go over them together and see if you spot the new name. Amanda and I are going to watch the security tape and see if we can match any names to faces through their badges.”

“OK, boss,” Francine joked. “Ephraim and I can go back to our office, so you can watch the video in here. Amanda, do you have a quick minute?”

“Sure,” Amanda replied. “Lee, why don’t you get everything set up and Francine and I will head to our office to get some coffee.”

Amanda and Francine headed to Amanda’s office. As they entered, Amanda shut the door, then checked the vault. “I’m assuming you want to talk to me about Kelly.”

“Yes,” Francine sighed. “Look, I’m really not trying to start anything, but…I think she’s making a move on Ephraim.”

“So?” Amanda responded with a smile. “I mean, he is single. She’s cute…what’s the problem?”

“Ugh!” Francine grimaced. “I don’t know. I just don’t like her. She’s coming on awful strong. She reminds me a lot of those trophy wives you see. I think she sees Ephraim as her meal ticket.”

“And…if he doesn’t mind…” Amanda continued. She looked at Francine and could tell she was really upset. “Why are you so upset about this, Francine? I thought you just wanted to be friends with him.”

“I don’t know, Amanda,” Francine whispered. “I don’t know what I want. But, I do know that I don’t like her.”

“OK,” Amanda said as she walked over to her friend. “If you don’t like her, she’s gone. I want you to be happy working with us up here, so I’ll speak to Billy about it. She’s nearly done anyway, so maybe tomorrow can be her last day.”

Francine smiled with relief. “I really appreciate this, Amanda. She’s just really grating on my nerves.”

Amanda laughed, then went to get some coffee for herself and Lee. Francine waited and poured some for Ephraim and herself as well. Together, the friends walked back to their respective partners to begin working on the latest wrinkle.

SMK SMK

After lunch and several hours of hard work, the four agents gathered back in the conference room. “Ephraim and I found the name!” Francine exclaimed. “We just found it a few minutes ago. And, let me tell you, it was not easy! Do you know how many of them have the same first or last name? A lot, I can tell you!”

“Great!” Lee interrupted. “Can you tell us what it is?”

“It’s Mátyás Árpád,” Ephraim revealed. “He apparently kept his real first name, then chose a very common last name.”

“Good,” Amanda remarked. “Now, Lee and I went down to the lab after we viewed the surveillance. We had stills made of all the shots where we could see nametags and faces. We got about 75% of the people. I matched up as many names as I could, but we have about 25% still to do. Let’s flip through those and see if we caught him on tape.”

Everyone grabbed a handful of pictures and started flipping through them. A minute later, Lee exclaimed, “I’ve got him!”

The other agents dropped their pictures and gathered around Lee. “Lee, that looks like the guy I spotted this morning. He was really creepy,” Amanda shared.

Lee smiled up at Amanda. She really could pick up on vibes that no one else could. “Great, Amanda! Hopefully, we’ll all be able to spot him now. OK, the meetings are over for today. I’m going to…”

As Lee was talking, the door opened and Kelly started to bounce in, but stopped when she realized that all four agents were present. “Oh,” she exhaled. “I, uh, I, uh…I was coming to see you, Amanda, to see if there was anything else I needed to do before I left.”

Amanda looked at Ephraim, who was very determinedly not looking at Kelly. Then, she glanced at Francine, who had become enamored with the ceiling. Amanda stifled a smile, then responded, “No, Kelly, I think you can go for the evening. We’ve got everything under control.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t mind…”

“Goodnight, Kelly,” Amanda said in her “mother” tone, giving Kelly the same look she gave the boys when they’d messed up big time.

Kelly blanched, then muttered, “Goodnight.” She turned around and walked out dejectedly.

Amanda turned around and gave Francine a grin, who grinned back. “So, Lee,” Amanda said as she sat back down. “You were saying?”

“Uh, yeah,” Lee said, giving Amanda a confused look. “Uh, where was I? Oh, I’m going to take this picture down to the photo lab and get prints made for all of the agents. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be at the first meeting to get the prints to them. Then, I’ll get them to the Secret Service for tomorrow night’s ball. Anything else?”

Everyone shook their head. Amanda smiled and said, “I think we all deserve a nice evening. Lee and I were going to go to Spencer’s for dinner. Would you two like to join us?”

Ephraim grinned and said to Francine, “Think you can put up with me for awhile?”

Francine smiled and nodded, “I don’t see that being a problem.”

Amanda said, “We’re going to run home to drop off my car for Mother. Want to meet at 7?”

SMK SMK

Amanda and Lee pulled up to Spencer’s a little before 7. “So, what’s up with Francine?” Lee asked as they sat in the front seat of the ‘Vette.

“Well,” Amanda began. “Would you believe that Jonathan Stone is getting married and had the gall to send an invitation to her?”

“You’re kidding,” Lee scoffed. “Wow…I had him pegged for a serial womanizer.”

Amanda grinned. “I guess people can change.” Lee looked up at her and grinned, then lifted her left hand to his lips and gently kissed it.

“I guess so,” he agreed. “So…who’s he marrying and why’s Francine upset? I thought she was over that creep.”

“Oh, she is. It’s just that she never expected it. She expected to move on with her life, but not vice versa. It was just a shock. He’s marrying…what’s her name…Elise Clare? No, Eloise Clare,” Amanda shared.

“Eloise Clare?” Lee responded with a whistle. “Wow, Stone hit the big time. The Clares are old school DC money.”

“Anyway, Francine got upset when she received the invite. Also, she took a real dislike to Kelly,” Amanda continued.Lee laughed. “I bet she did. Kelly was a tad obvious, wasn’t she?”

“Oh, you noticed, did you?” Amanda teased, swatting him on the shoulder.

“Hard not to,” Lee retorted. “Poor Beaman didn’t stand a chance.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve already spoken to Billy and tomorrow is Kelly’s last day in the Q. I’m going to tell her tomorrow afternoon.”

“OK, well, that’s your call,” Lee whispered as he leaned in to kiss his wife. “What do you think of Kelly?” They each opened their doors and got out of the car. They met each other at the back and instinctively clasped hands.

“You know, at first I liked her, but then I began to see that she was a little too overeager. Not that that’s necessarily bad,” she said as Lee gave her a little grin, “but, it just doesn’t seem…real. It seems like she’s got a hidden agenda and, well, I guess I want to keep Francine happy. And she is definitely not happy with the moves Kelly has been making.”

Lee laughed and escorted his wife into their favorite steakhouse. A few minutes later, Ephraim and Francine joined them and the two couples enjoyed a great dinner with a lot of laughs, great stories, and some sparks between the unmarried couple that did not go unnoticed by the couple who were married.

“So,” Amanda said as they began to eat their cheesecake. “Do you have your dress ready for tomorrow night, Francine?”

“Oh, yes, actually I do,” Francine nodded as she swallowed a bite. “Remember that blue dress in Magda’s window? Well, I went over today and bought it!” Ephraim threw Francine a startled look. When they’d entered the dress shop the day before, Francine had mentioned she needed a new dress for Friday’s ball and he’d made an off-the-cuff remark about how that dress would look great on her.

Amanda noticed Ephraim’s expression and answered, “Oh, yeah, I do remember it. It would look great on you.”

“How about you, Amanda?”

Amanda gazed at Lee and smiled fondly. “Well, my darling husband bought me a beautiful red gown the last time he was in New York, so I’m all set.”

Francine glanced at Ephraim and smiled, then turned away at the look in his eyes. What was going on with her this week? She thought about all the emotions she’d been feeling: shock at the invitation she’d received; an ache when she thought about Jonathan moving on when she seemed so stagnant; excitement over her official posting to the Q Bureau; trepidation about her partnership with Ephraim…Ephraim… She thought about the feeling that had been one of the strongest this week…stark jealousy at that…Kelly moving in on her…her? When had Ephraim become hers?

“Francine?” Lee joked. “Anyone home?” Francine looked at Lee with a start, then joined in with the communal laughter.

“I’m sorry, I guess I was woolgathering for a minute there,” Francine admitted. “So, what did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Amanda reassured her. “Oh, by the way, everyone,” she continued with a grin towards Francine. “Tomorrow is going to be Kelly’s last day.”

“Really,” Lee said with mock surprise.

“Oh?” Ephraim questioned. “How come?” Seeing the look on Amanda’s face, Ephraim had a pretty good idea as to the reason. He’d realized yesterday that Francine didn’t like Kelly. After seeing Francine’s reaction this morning, it had dawned on him…Francine was actually jealous of the attention Kelly was giving him. When Ephraim had realized that, it had given him a tiny hope that maybe, finally, Francine was beginning to see him in a new light.

“Oh,” Amanda answered mischievously, “I just don’t think we’re going to need her anymore. I think the four of us can handle things just fine.”

Francine coughed and Ephraim worked really hard to stifle a grin. He felt a little bad about Kelly, but knew she had a position waiting in the steno pool for her. She was nice and all, but really a dead bore. He’d tried to talk about various topics, but she seemed interested only in fashion and shopping. That one lunch they’d shared had been sheer torture for him. Of course, Francine didn’t need to know that.

“I agree, Amanda,” Lee said. “How about you two? Are you happy with your move to the Q Bureau?”

Ephraim glanced at Francine, who smiled back radiantly. “Yeah, I think it’s going to be great.”

“Me, too,” Francine murmured. “I think the four of us make a great team.” Ephraim grinned at her emphasis on the word “four” and grabbed her hand under the table, giving it a little squeeze. She squeezed back, then looked him in the eye and smiled.

Amanda and Lee witnessed this little exchange, then gazed at each other. Yes, things were definitely going to be great from here on out.

Chapter Five                                                                                                                                           Friday, November 17, 1989

Ephraim sat in the new Q Bureau library, double-checking the list of programs available on the two new computers that had been installed. He was amazed at how the technology seemed to be growing by leaps and bounds and seemed to be making their jobs a little easier, at least on the research end.

Francine popped her head in. “Lee just called. He’s given the photos to the agents at the meetings and is heading over to meet with the Secret Service about tonight’s ball. I’m heading downstairs to meet with Dr. Smyth- he wants an update on the delegation. Amanda should be here in a few minutes.”

Ephraim smiled at Francine. “Thanks…I’ll be done here in a few minutes. Want to grab a bite when you get back?”

“Sure…Ned’s?” Francine responded.

“Sounds good,” Ephraim grinned. Francine pulled back and closed the door. Ephraim shook his head. Could Francine really be interested in him now? It didn’t seem possible, and yet…it did.

Before he could continue with that thought, Kelly bounced in. “Good morning, Ephraim!” she sang out as she walked over to him. “Wow, you look really great in that suit!”

“Uh, thanks, Kelly,” Ephraim stammered. “Uh, can I help you with something?”

Kelly giggled, then flipped her hair. “You are so sweet. I was just coming in to make sure I had the books all shelved before I moved back to the vault. You know, I really love working with you here in the Q Bureau,” she said as she moved a little closer. “You are one of the smartest men I’ve ever known. I know I could learn a lot…working…with you.”

Ephraim shifted to move away from her, but she leaned closer. “I just wish I could be more of a help to you…like at the ball tonight. I know agents sometimes use the steno girls as…window dressing. I sure wish I could help you out…make it look like a date…” she trailed off as she leaned a little closer.

“Actually, Kelly,” Ephraim responded firmly as he stood up. “I’m already taking someone to the ball.”

Kelly gave him a stunned look, then stammered, “You…you are?”

“Yes, Francine is going with me. She is my partner,” he answered, then stopped as he noticed Amanda standing in the doorway. “Good morning, Amanda.”

“Good morning, Ephraim…Kelly,” Amanda responded, giving Kelly a look. Kelly withered in response. “Kelly, could I see you in my office?” Amanda requested, then turned to leave.

“Ephraim…” Kelly began, pasting a smile on her face.

“I think you’d better go see what Amanda needs,” Ephraim answered coldly as he left the room as well. 

SMK SMK

Kelly knocked on Amanda’s door, then cautiously opened it. Amanda motioned for Kelly to sit down in the chair placed in front of her desk.

“Kelly, I want you to know that you’ve been a great help in getting the Q Bureau reorganized this week and I’ve written a glowing review for your employment file,” Amanda began.

“Oh, thank you, Amanda!” Kelly gushed. “I really love it up here!”

“Unfortunately, Kelly,” Amanda continued brusquely, “there isn’t going to be a need for you to continue up here. I’ve already spoken with Mr. Melrose and, effective Monday, you will be back in the steno pool.”

“What?” Kelly exploded. “I’ve worked my tail off this week! What did I do to deserve this?”

“Kelly…” Amanda tried to interrupt, but Kelly jumped out of her chair and started pacing the room.

“I don’t get it! You’ve told me every day that I was doing a fantastic job!”

“You have been…”

“And Ephraim, he…well, we…” Kelly sputtered. How could this be happening? Kelly thought to herself. She’d spent the week working hard in order to impress Amanda, along with steering clear of the infamous Scarecrow, knowing that he wouldn’t take kindly to someone flirting with him. She’d had many warnings from the women in the steno pool- Lee Stetson might be drop dead gorgeous and a legendary ladies’ man, but he was off-limits. He no longer had eyes for anyone other than his wife, and Billy Melrose would not be pleased with any employee that tried to get between his best team. Ephraim, on the other hand, fit her plans nicely- attractive, stable, and unattached. Kelly had ambitions much higher than the steno pool, and she would do whatever and whoever it took to get where she wanted.

“Kelly, I don’t know what you think is going on between you and Mr. Beaman, but it has nothing to do with this office,” Amanda reprimanded. “Today is your last day in the Q Bureau. You will report to Mrs. Anderson in steno on Monday.”

Kelly stared at her, speechless. Before she could say anything else, Lee walked in. “Good morning…” his greeting died on his lips as he saw Kelly pacing his office.

Kelly responded, “I’m going to the ladies’ room. If you’ll excuse me.” She rushed out the door and Lee shut the door.

“I take it she didn’t take kindly to leaving the Q Bureau,” Lee whistled.

“Nope,” Amanda answered. “And Francine was right- Kelly is after Ephraim.”

Lee shook his head, then gathered his wife into his arms. “Kelly apparently doesn’t know it’s a bad idea to mess with Francine…or you.”

Amanda hugged Lee close, then leaned up for a kiss. He smiled, then kissed his beautiful partner, all thoughts of the disgruntled file clerk drifting out of his head.

Down the hall, Kelly stood in the ladies’ room, seething with rage. This wasn’t good…no, this wasn’t good at all. She’d worked too hard to get close to Ephraim this week to leave now. She had been disappointed that he wouldn’t take her to tonight’s ball, but she was sure, given time, she’d have gotten into the next one. Now, Amanda Stetson had thrown a wrench into her plans.

Kelly stared at her reflection, checking to make sure her face was composed once more. Ephraim was still a possibility, she thought to herself with a grim smile. She knew how to play the “damsel in distress” well. Surely, it would work on him.

SMK SMK

When Francine returned to the Q Bureau, she and Ephraim headed down to Nedlinger’s for a light lunch. They spent the hour enjoying each other’s company, discussing the present case as well as past ones.

“So, Francine,” Ephraim began as they were finishing their iced tea. “I thought that, um, maybe we could go together tonight. I could pick you up, if you’d like.” He looked over at Francine, trying to gauge her reaction.

Francine looked back at him and smiled. “I would really like that, Ephraim. I think it’s a great idea.”

“Oh, well, great!” Ephraim stammered. “I’ll pick you up at 6:30 then. Will that be early enough?”

“That will be perfect,” Francine agreed. She looked over at Ephraim and decided to hash out the Kelly situation with him before it got worse. “Now, I understand from Amanda that Kelly was at it again this morning.”

Ephraim sighed and tried to decide how to respond to Francine. He knew that Francine had been acting jealous, but he was afraid that maybe he’d misread her. Finally, he decided to just be honest and tell her how he really felt about Kelly. “Listen, Francine, I think I may have made a mistake here.”

Francine’s eyes grew wide and she turned a little white. “Uh, a mistake?” she spat out. Was Ephraim about to tell her that he really did like Kelly instead of her after all?

“Yeah,” Ephraim continued, noticing the look on Francine’s face…was it fear? Ephraim couldn’t tell, but it gave him hope. “I felt sorry for Kelly, you know? She seemed shy and like she needed a friend. So, I was nice to her and I went to lunch her.”

“And?” Francine seemed to recover a little.

“Ugh! I can’t believe that one person could be so…boring! All she wanted to talk about was shopping and shoes! It was the longest hour of my life! And now…she just won’t leave me alone. Then, this morning, she tried to get me to take her to the ball tonight. And, well, I told her you were my date...well, as my partner, you see. I’m sorry, Francine, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Besides, it worked…at least, I think it did. Amanda came in to get her right about that time,” Ephraim confessed.

Francine sat through his entire ramble, utterly speechless. ‘He doesn’t like Kelly,’ was the thought that kept echoing through her head. When he finished, Francine placed her hand over his.

“Ephraim, it’s all right. I don’t mind you telling Kelly I’m your date tonight,” she reassured him with a smile. “Actually, it’s kind of true now, isn’t it? I mean, you are picking me up and we are going together…sounds like a date, doesn’t it?”

“Well, technically, we are working…” Ephraim responded with a little smile.

Francine grinned. “Yes, technically…but, then, technically so are Amanda and Lee, right?”

“True,” Ephraim smiled. He looked over at the woman sitting across from him. She was so beautiful. He’d wanted a chance with her for so long, but it had seemed impossible. Now, she seemed to be looking at him with a different expression than he’d ever seen, one that encouraged him to have the courage to ask, “So, Francine…would you…like…for tonight to be a date?” He gazed in her eyes and silently willed her to say yes.

Francine gazed back at Ephraim and realized she knew exactly what she wanted her answer to be. “Yes,” she whispered. “I would like for tonight to be…a date.”

SMK SMK

The afternoon passed quietly. Francine and Ephraim worked on last minute security details for the embassy ball, while Amanda and Lee met with the various agents who’d been providing security at the meetings. The meetings had all proceeded without a hitch, which left the Hungarian Embassy as the one potential security problem.

Around 3:30, Francine headed downstairs with Amanda to meet with some of the agents who would also be attending the evening’s ball at the Auditorium. Lee and Ephraim spent a few minutes in the library, looking over the floor plan of the Embassy when Kelly entered, acting subdued.

“Excuse me, Lee, but Mrs. Marsten just told me that Mr. Melrose was looking for you,” she intoned flatly.

“Oh, thank you, Kelly,” Lee responded. “I guess I’ll head down to see him. Ephraim, why don’t you finish assigning the exits and we’ll discuss it when I get back.”

Ephraim nodded and went back to work. After Lee left, Kelly exhaled a loud sigh, causing Ephraim to look up.

“Kelly, did you need something?” he asked.

“Oh, no,” she sighed dramatically.

“Well, then, if you don’t mind…” he answered absently, waving his hand over the plans.

“Oh,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry, I’ll just go. I just…” she sniffed again, “…wanted to tell you…how much I’m going to…miss…working with you,” she sniffed again, turning away.

“Uh…oh…yeah, well, I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you back down in steno,” he said haltingly, unsure of how to deal with the seemingly distraught woman.

She stopped and thought, ‘They’ll be happy to see me back in steno? What the heck is going on here?’

“So…aren’t you going to miss me, Ephraim? I thought…maybe…I mean…you seemed…” she whispered in a sad tone, bending her head down so he couldn’t see her face.

“Um, Kelly…I…you see…” Ephraim stammered. How on earth was he supposed to do this? He wracked his brain trying to come up with something, then looked up to see Francine standing in the doorway with a grin on her face.

“What Ephraim is trying to tell you, Kelly, is that you assumed wrong,” Francine stated matter-of-factly. Kelly’s head shot up and turned to face Francine, shock evident on her countenance. “What?”

“Ephraim was trying to be your friend, nothing more,” Francine continued. “Ephraim is a very nice man, but he’s not available for any more lunches…at least with you.” As she spoke, she calmly walked over to Ephraim and placed her hand in his. Ephraim couldn’t help but look down at Francine with a soft smile, making it clear to Kelly that, as far as he was concerned, he was definitely taken. Francine gave Kelly a knowing look and raised her eyebrows.

“Well,” Kelly sighed. “I guess I’ll get out of your way then.”

“Yes,” Francine answered. “I’m sure you have some filing to finish before you go.”

Kelly turned and walked out of the door, heading to the bathroom. Once there, she let loose with the frustration she’d kept under control. How could this be happening? She’d heard rumors that Beaman had a thing for Francine Desmond, but hadn’t seen the evidence of it at the beginning of the week. They seemed just like partners and maybe friends, but that’s all. She’d read all about Beaman in his file when she’d spent that week in Personnel and had picked him as a good man to help her move up the Agency ladder. She’d been sure that Francine had no interest in Beaman at all, but apparently she had been wrong about that.

Now, it looked like her work had all been for naught, all because of Amanda Stetson and Francine Desmond. “I swear,” she seethed. “I am going to get even with these women if it’s the last thing I do.”

SMK SMK

The Mellon Auditorium was festively decorated with the colors of both the United States and Hungary. As Amanda and Lee arrived in his silver Corvette, Amanda let out a deep contented sigh. The exterior of the building always took her breath away, especially the beautiful columns and imposing architecture.

The car stopped at the front entrance and Lee helped Amanda out. “Have I told you this evening how amazing you look?” Lee whispered as he put his arm around her.

Amanda smiled and reached up to touch his face. “About ten times, but who’s counting?” She leaned up and kissed him tenderly. “By the way, have I ever told you how gorgeous you look in a tux? I swear I fell in love with you on sight the first time I saw you in one.”

He chuckled. “Sure took you long enough to admit it…” She swatted his arm and he pulled her closer. As they walked into the Foyer, Lee led them over to several of the Secret Service men in attendance.

“Hey, Lee, Amanda,” Michael Donovan called out. Michael was the Secret Service liaison to the Agency and had worked several cases with Lee in the past.

“Hi, Michael,” Amanda greeted. “How’re Amy and the kids?”

“Amy’s around here somewhere and the kids are great…at the grandparents for the weekend,” Michael answered.

“Lee, I see Francine and Ephraim, I’ll be right back,” Amanda said, and left the two men to review the security plans for the evening.

As Amanda walked over to her friends, she noticed that Ephraim and Francine seemed to be standing closer to one another than usual. Could they be…together?

“Francine, that dress is amazing,” Amanda gushed as she reached them.

“Thanks, Amanda. You look gorgeous in red,” Francine responded, smiling.

“Where’s Lee at?” Ephraim queried, searching the Foyer. Amanda pointed to where Lee and Michael were standing. “I’m going to go see how things are, if you don’t mind, Francine?” he asked, then headed in their direction at her nod.

“Francine?” Amanda questioned, giving her friend a nudge. “Are you and Ephraim…”

“What?” Francine blushed. Amanda’s eyes grew wide and she grinned.

“Are you and Ephraim here…together?”

“You mean…on a date?” Francine giggled. “Well, yes, Amanda, I do believe we are.”

“You’re kidding!” Amanda crowed with delight.

“No, though I can’t really believe it myself. I don’t know how to explain it,” Francine explained. “I guess it’s been coming on gradually and then…well, this whole thing with Kelly just kind of opened my eyes. Now,” she warned, “this is just a date. I don’t really know how I feel about him, but I realized this week that I need to give it a chance, so…that’s where we are.”

“I am proud of you, Francine,” Amanda praised. “I think you are doing the right thing. Ephraim’s a good man.”

“I agree,” Francine whispered as they noticed the two men walking over to them.The night was gloriously free of incident. The two couples spent their time dancing and mingling, enjoying the music and the beauty of the Auditorium.

Lee especially enjoyed dancing with his beautiful wife. As they spun around the room, he noticed Ephraim and Francine dancing together. “Amanda, are they…” he questioned as he looked closer.

“…on a date?” Amanda finished and glanced at the couple. “Yes, they actually are.”

“Really?” Lee sounded surprised. “Good for Ephraim- I knew he had it in him!”

Amanda laughed and put her head on his shoulder. “I think they’re good for each other. Francine needs someone with a good head on his shoulders and Ephraim needs someone to liven him up.”

“Nothing like opposites attracting…” Lee smiled and kissed Amanda’s cheek. “Now, what say you and I slip out of here? The boys are spending then night at the Lightners and your mother has the girls with her…”

“We have the house to ourselves…” Amanda whispered. “I like the way you think, Stetson.”

Lee grinned and pulled her closer to him. “Let’s go say goodbye then,” Lee suggested seductively. Amanda smiled at him and led him over to their friends.

“We’re going to slip out of here,” Amanda said to Francine.

Francine looked at her two friends and grinned. “So early?”

“That’s right,” Lee responded, pulling Amanda with him. “We’ll see you tomorrow morning…late tomorrow morning.”

Ephraim laughed as he watched the couple walk away together. He pulled Francine back towards him and they continued their dance.

A little while later, Ephraim and Francine walked to the side of the room to get some fresh air. “This has been an amazing night, Ephraim, but I’m getting a little tired and we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. Mind if we call it a night?” Francine said as she stifled a yawn.

“Actually, I was about to suggest the same thing,” Ephraim smiled. “I’m exhausted from this week…shall we go?” He led her out to the entrance and motioned to the valet. A few minutes later, they were riding in his Dodge Shelby Charger, headed to Francine’s apartment. They spent the time talking about the various dignitaries they’d talked with and the socialites they’d seen.

Too soon, they pulled up in front of Francine’s building. Ephraim helped Francine out and began to walk Francine to her door.

“Ephraim, you don’t need to go with me,” Francine began, but Ephraim held up his hand.

“Francine, I know I don’t ‘need to’…I want to. I always walk my dates to their door,” Ephraim explained gently.

Francine smiled, then took his hand as they walked into the building. They rode in the elevator in silence, then walked quietly to her door. Once Francine had opened her door, she turned to him. “Ephraim, I really did have a wonderful night.”

“So did I, Francine,” Ephraim responded. “So…do you want to…be my date tomorrow night?” He looked at her a little nervously. She was so difficult to read at times.

Francine looked at Ephraim and realized that he was nervous. She smiled and responded, “I’d love to, Ephraim.”

His smile lit up his face and he whispered, “Well, that’s…wonderful, Francine. I guess I’ll, uh, see you in the morning then.”

She looked at him and realized that she wanted to kiss him more than anything. She moved closer to him, tilted her head up and whispered, “Well, goodnight then,” pulling his head down to her.

Ephraim put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. The kiss was gentle and sweet at first, but then deepened as they both realized what they wanted. As the kiss ended, Ephraim pulled her closer in an embrace and held her tight.

Eventually, Ephraim let her go and whispered, “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.” He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead and turned to go.

Francine stood in her doorway, watching as he got on the elevator and held his hand up. As she walked in to her apartment, she smiled. It really had been an amazing night.  

Chapter Six                                                                                                                        Saturday, November 18, 1989, daytime

Sunlight gleamed through Amanda and Lee’s bedroom window. Lee had been awake for a few moments, savoring the unusual quiet of the house and the warmth of his sleeping wife in his arms. His mind reviewed the plans for the evening, making sure he knew exactly what they would do in any given scenario. The week had gone so smoothly, but he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. If Kun had anything planned, he’d kept it close to the vest. None of his family members had come up with anything.

Amanda stirred in his arms and he smiled. He was so lucky to have found her- his best friend, an incredible partner, his soulmate. Even now, after six years with her, he was still amazed that he’d found Amanda and that Billy hadn’t allowed him to push her away. He pulled her closer and she murmured in her sleep. He kissed her forehead as she opened her eyes and whispered, “Good morning, sleepy head.”

Amanda’s eyes fluttered, then she smiled. “Mmm…what time is it?”

“Still early,” Lee whispered. “Go back to sleep.”

“Oh?” Amanda whispered, then smiled as she snaked her hand around Lee’s neck. “I think we can find something better to do than sleep…don’t you?” Lee grinned, then lowered his head for a kiss. “Hmm…”

A little while later, after they’d spent a relaxing morning in bed and then a leisurely shower together, Amanda and Lee snuggled together on the couch, drinking some coffee.

“So,” Amanda said. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

“We’ll head into the office and go over the security plans one more time. Do you think you and Francine could go talk to Magda again? She may have heard something from the delegation,” Lee answered.

“Sure…are you and Ephraim going to the Embassy?”

“Yeah- we’ll do a walkthrough, then meet with Béla Szabó to go over the final details.”

“Sounds good,” Amanda responded. “When do we need to leave?”

Lee smiled. “Oh, in a few minutes…let’s just enjoy the quiet for a little while longer, shall we?”

Amanda grinned, then put her arms around her husband’s neck and began kissing him. Lee chuckled, then said, “I guess it’s a good think we’re not dressed yet!”

SMK SMK

Across town, Francine was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when the telephone rang. “Hello?” she answered.

“Good morning,” Ephraim responded.

Francine smiled and said, “Well, good morning to you, too.”

“I thought I’d call and see if you wanted me to pick up anything. I was going to stop and get a danish at the bakery, and…”

“Oh, that’s really nice of you, Ephraim. Yes, I’d like that,” Francine accepted.

“OK, well, then I guess I’ll see you in a little while…unless you’d like for me to pick you up?”

Francine grinned. “You don’t have to do that…”

“It’s no trouble,” Ephraim insisted.

“Well, all right then…I’ll see you in a few minutes.” As she hung up the phone, Francine smiled. Last night really had been amazing. She’d begun to see a new side to Ephraim, one that she liked a lot.

She rushed around getting finished, then sat on the couch as she waited for him to arrive. She thought back to a few nights ago, when Jonathan had come by. Ephraim had been so…in control. When he’d first come to work for the Agency, Francine had thought of him as a Fred Fielder clone, bumbling his way around. Now, though, the impression had completely changed.

Ephraim was a take charge kind of man- he worked well with others, but he had his own opinions and was ready to act on them. He was also a little shy around women, not really knowing how to talk to them until he knew them well. He was such a polar opposite to Jonathan. Jonathan was suave, debonair, and knew the effect he had on women.

Francine remembered a conversation she’d had with Amanda back in July, when she’d been tired of the constant dating scene. Amanda had said, “Stop doing what you’re doing and let yourself be open to new possibilities. The love of your life might be just around the corner. He could be someone you work with, but haven’t ever given them a chance because they didn’t fit your ‘type’. You might be surprised by what you find.”

Could Amanda have been right? Ephraim was definitely not her usual ‘type’, which was why she’d always rebuffed him in the past. But, lately, she’d seen that there was more to Ephraim than getting tipsy at Christmas parties. They definitely worked well together. Could there be more there? After that kiss last night, Francine admitted to herself that there definitely could be…and she was definitely interested in finding out.

The doorbell rang, and Francine opened it to see Ephraim standing there with a pastry bag in hand. “Hungry?” he grinned.

She smiled and welcomed him in. As she looked in the bag, she moaned, “Chocolate éclairs!” She pulled one out and took a bite. “Did you know these are my favorite?”

Ephraim chuckled, “A little birdie may have mentioned it once or twice.”

“Well, come in here. Would you like some coffee? Have you eaten?” Francine offered as she headed to her kitchen for a plate and a mug.

“Yeah, I ate mine in the car. I was too hungry to wait. I’ll take some coffee, though,” Ephraim confessed. Francine grabbed another mug and fixed his coffee.

As Francine ate, Ephraim asked, “So, has Jonathan bothered you anymore?”

She shook her head and replied, “No, I think you scared him off. Thanks again for doing that. He’s a real jerk.”

“I didn’t mind. I just wish you’d told me about it ahead of time. I’ll always be here for you, Francine,” Ephraim said, placing his hand over hers. “Speaking of helping, I want to thank you for helping me with Kelly yesterday. I was floundering until you came in.”

Francine squeezed his hand. “No problem. I didn’t like the way she was acting around you…so phony.”

“Really?” Ephraim queried. “Can I ask you something, Francine?”

“Sure.”

“Why don’t you like Kelly?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Francine confessed. “She just seems fake. I mean she wouldn’t quit flirting with you or fawning all over you or…”

“You don’t think she could’ve just been interested in me?” Ephraim questioned, sounding a little offended.

“No, no, Ephraim,” Francine backpedalled. “That’s not what I meant. You are a nice guy and she just seemed like a barracuda. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Don’t you think I can take care of myself?” Ephraim chided.

“Of course you can,” Francine reassured. “I didn’t mean it like that…really. Do you want me to be honest?” Francine stood up and walked over to the window. Ephraim stood up and watched as she continued to speak. “Kelly reminds me…a lot…of the women I meet all the time at functions. They are so artificial…sugary sweet…and out to trap the first millionaire that happens to fall into their trap. She reminds me…of a female…Jonathan. And I don’t want that for you…you don’t deserve it…you’re sweet and funny and attractive and…”

“And?” Ephraim smiled as he walked closer to her.

“And…all right,” Francine sighed. “I was jealous of the attention she was getting from you, OK? Happy now?”

Ephraim put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Most definitely,” he murmured, then captured her lips with his. She snaked her arms up around his neck and pulled him in even closer.

SMK SMK

Around 11 a.m., both teams were sitting in the Q Bureau’s conference room, going over the security plans. As they finished up, Lee mentioned his plans to Francine and Ephraim.

“Are you OK with it?” Lee asked.

“Sure,” Francine responded. “I guess, Amanda, you’ll have to drive to Magda’s since I rode with Ephraim this morning.”

“OK,” Amanda agreed with surprise. She shot a look to Lee who grinned at Ephraim. Lee tossed his keys over to his wife and everyone headed out.

Amanda and Francine found Magda in her dress store, helping a mother and daughter with a mother of the bride dress. When Magda saw them, she motioned to an employee to come take over. Magda then led the ladies back to her office.

“I am so glad you came to see me today,” Magda exclaimed. “Mara gave me information this morning that I think can be of use.”

“What is it?” Francine asked.

“You asked me if there was connection between Mátyás Kun and János Balázs. Mara spent the evening with her old friend, Ersebeth Német, who is with delegation. She told Mara that Kun was once married to Balázs’s sister. Apparently, they have been good friends for many years. Kun is good Communist and does not like the change. He wishes to go back to Hungary in the 50’s, which was not so good,” Magda shared.

Amanda and Francine looked at each other. “We need to get back and let the guys know about this,” Francine said. “Magda, thank you so much.”

“I have been invited by the Ambassador to attend tonight’s ball. They wish to be…friendly…again. I will be happy to help you if you need tonight,” Magda answered.

“Thanks, Magda, you’ve been a big help. We’ll see you tonight!” Amanda replied.

Francine and Amanda walked out of the store and back to the Corvette. As they headed back to the Agency, Amanda teased, “So you rode with Ephraim this morning? Hmm…”

“Amanda!” Francine exclaimed. “For your information, Ephraim called to see if I wanted a ride, and I accepted. He brought me breakfast.”

Amanda grinned. “So, I take it last night went well.”

Francine beamed. “Yes, it did. Oh, Amanda, I can’t believe I’m actually interested in Ephraim Beaman, but…I really am.”

“So…are you…seeing each other now?” Amanda asked with a smile. “Personally, you know I think you’re perfect for each other!”

“Well, I don’t know…we haven’t really discussed anything, but we are going to the ball tonight together, and…I kissed him last night,” Francine prevaricated.

“Really…” Amanda squealed.

Francine blushed and said, “It was so sweet and gentle and…then, this morning, he just grabbed me and kissed me and it was…toe curling, take your breath away incredible. I didn’t know he had it in him, but let me tell you this- I am definitely kissing him again!”

Amanda laughed and Francine blushed again. It was pretty funny seeing cool and collected Francine all hot and bothered by Ephraim Beaman. Amanda continued to laugh as they made their way back.

SMK SMK

The afternoon sped by quickly as the agents finished last minute details on the Hungarian ball. Finally, Lee sent everyone home to prepare for the evening. When Amanda and Lee arrived at home, they saw Katie crawling towards them, giggling. A minute later, they saw Jamie coming after her, calling, “I’m gonna get you, Katie!” Katie squealed and kept crawling until she reached her daddy’s leg. She pulled up on it and grinned.

“Hey, Katie girl, where are going?” Lee teased as he swooped her up in his arms.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Amanda said to Jamie, wrapping him in a hug. “Did you have fun last night?”

“Yeah! We played Ghouls ‘n Ghosts on their new Sega Genesis! Can we get one for Christmas, Mom?” Jamie exclaimed.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Amanda appeased. “Where’re Phillip and Sarah?”

“Phillip’s upstairs on the phone and Sarah’s in the living room with Grandma,” Jamie answered as he headed up the stairs.

Amanda and Lee headed into the living room with Katie babbling to Lee. Amanda saw Sarah playing with a stuffed animal on the floor. Sarah looked up and broke into a grin when she saw Amanda. “Up…up…up…” she cackled excitedly as she clapped her hands.

Amanda reached down and picked her up and said, “How’s Mommy’s girl? Have you been a good girl for Grandma?” Sarah gave Amanda a hug then kicked to get down. Amanda laughed and set her down, then reached for Katie from Lee. Lee sat down on the floor and Sarah toddled over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“So how was the ball last night?” Dotty asked.

“It was good, Mother. We didn’t have any problems. Now, tonight…” Amanda shared.

“Tonight may be a late one, depending on what happens,” Lee continued. “Well, I’ve already set up the bed in the nursery for me tonight. Don’t worry about anything here,” Dotty shared. “I’m going to go make dinner. Why don’t you take the girls with you up to the nursery while you get ready?”

Lee picked Sarah up and they headed up to their bedroom. Amanda went into the nursery and grabbed a few little toys and carried them into the room for Sarah and Katie to play with. Lee placed a blanket on the floor and the two girls began playing together with their stuffed animals. Amanda and Lee relaxed next to them, relishing the few minutes of normalcy before reentering agent mode.

“Mom, Lee, are you in here?” Phillip called out.

“Yeah, chief, come on in,” Lee answered.

Phillip came in and sat on the bed. “Hey, would it be all right if Jamie and I went to the movies tonight with Linda’s family? Grandma said it was all right with her, but to check with you.”

“If Grandma’s all right with it, that’s fine- will it be just the girls or are their parents going, too?” Amanda questioned.

“Her parents want to see The Fabulous Baker Boys, so we were going to see Look Who’s Talking,” Phillip explained. “So, is it all right?”

“Go ahead- are they picking you up?”

“Yeah, OK, I’m going to call Linda back!” Phillip said as he left the room. “Oh,” he popped his head back in, “Thanks!”

Lee grinned and Amanda shook her head. It was hard to believe sometimes how fast the boys were growing up. Now in high school, it wouldn’t be much longer until they were headed off to college. Amanda let out a sigh.

“Not babies anymore, huh?” Lee commiserated.

“No, they’ll always be my babies, but they’re growing up way too fast, Lee!” Amanda moaned. “Seems like only yesterday they were this size,” she said, indicating the girls.

“I know,” Lee comforted. “Come here.” He put his arms around her and said, “We do have a wonderful family, don’t we?”Amanda nodded and hugged him closer. As she did so, Katie pulled herself up on Lee and grunted. Lee laughed and pulled her into their embrace. Not happy to be left out, Sarah toddled over and said, “Me,” causing Lee to pull her in as well.

SMK SMK

Francine pulled out the emerald green dress from the back of her closet. It had been 5 years at least since she’d worn it, but it was her favorite. It was a fuller dress, with two taffeta under slips and microscopic spaghetti straps. The back tied in a criss-cross and the dress was sprinkled with sequins. In her opinion, it was one of the best looking gowns she’d ever seen and she thought Ephraim would be blown away.

Francine glanced at the clock on her living room wall…6:00. The ball started at seven, but Lee wanted all of them to arrive a little early. Ephraim had mentioned he’d pick her up at 6:15, so she had a couple of minutes.

Suddenly, she felt jittery…she realized she was actually nervous. She ran her hands over her hair one last time to make sure it was perfect, then applied a little more lipstick. She decided to go sit down on the couch, but stood back up a second later, unable to sit still.

“This is ridiculous!” Francine scolded herself. She glanced at the clock again…6:03. Had her clock stopped, she wondered, then realized how silly that was. She picked up a magazine, then set it back down. Finally, she walked over to her window and stared out to the street below.

A minute later, the doorbell rang. Francine threw it open to reveal Ephraim standing there in a tuxedo, holding a bouquet of roses. “Hi, Francine,” Ephraim said sheepishly. “I know I’m a little early…”

“Oh, no, that’s fine, Ephraim. Come in,” she gushed. “Are those for me?”

“Oh!” Ephraim exclaimed. “Yeah, I thought I heard you liked pink ones the best.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “Francine, you look…breathtaking.”

Francine smiled as she took the flowers. “Thank you. May I say you look pretty darn good yourself in that tux.”

He followed her into the kitchen as she found a vase and filled it with water. She unwrapped the roses and placed them gently in the water, arranging them until they looked perfect.

Francine placed the vase on her dining room table, then turned nervously to Ephraim. “Would you like a drink? I have scotch, gin, vodka…”

“No, thanks, Francine,” Ephraim replied. “Francine, are you OK? You’re acting kind of funny.”

Francine froze and stared at him. “Funny?”

“Yeah,” he continued. “Like your nervous or something…what’s going on? Are you not sure about tonight? I mean, it doesn’t have to be a ‘date’…if you don’t want it to. I mean, we are partners.” Ephraim suddenly felt as if his collar had become a noose and he couldn’t breathe.

“No…no…nothing’s going on. Uh,” Francine floundered. “Oh hell, Ephraim, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know why but I just feel nervous all of a sudden. I can’t explain it.”

Ephraim looked at her and realized she was speaking the truth. “So, you’re OK with tonight?”

Francine looked in Ephraim’s eyes and realized he needed some reassurance. “Yes, I’m OK with tonight. But, I don’t know about anything else, Ephraim. I really do like you, but I don’t know if I’m ready to move beyond friendship. Does that make sense?”

“Sure,” Ephraim replied. “You’ve been burned before and you’re not sure you want to be in that position again.”

“Exactly,” Francine nodded, smiling. “I don’t want to jump into something, then realize it isn’t what I want. I don’t want to lose a good friend in the process. I mean, when this all ends, I don’t want to have to start over with a new partner…”

“Who says it has to end?” Ephraim whispered as he moved closer to her. “Look, I’m not asking for a lifetime commitment here. In fact, I haven’t asked for anything beyond tonight. But, there’s one thing you need to understand, Francine Desmond,” he continued, stepping even closer. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not Jonathan Stone and I’m not any of those other guys who’ve hurt you in the past. You don’t have to hide from me. I’m your friend and your partner. And, if that’s all you want, you just have to say the word, and I’ll accept it,” he promised, moving to where he was standing directly in front of her. He moved his hands until they were encircling her waist, then gazed deeply into her eyes. Slowly, he leaned his head down until his lips gently touched hers. “Is that all you want?”

Francine gazed back into his eyes and gasped at the emotion she saw within his blue eyes. “No,” she murmured, closing her eyes as he captured her lips again, deepening the kiss passionately. Suddenly, all of her nervousness and fears were swept away by a tide of emotions. She realized that she couldn’t let this go…not now.

Chapter Seven                                                                                                                     Saturday, November 18, 1989, nighttime

Lee and Amanda stood in the entrance of the embassy ballroom, waiting to speak with Béla Szabó, the head of the delegation. As the Hungarian walked up to the couple, he exclaimed, “Mrs. Stetson, you look…szép…how do you say…ah, beautiful tonight!”

“Thank you,” Amanda replied. She was wearing her favorite evening gown, the black gown she’d made for that New Year’s Eve party so long ago. Lee glanced at his wife appreciatively, remembering that evening almost 5 years ago when he’d realized that Amanda was truly a beautiful woman. Amanda looked at Lee and smiled. This dress had been the catalyst to the changing of their relationship from friendship to love.

“Mr. Szabó, I’ve checked the room and all of my agents are in place. They’ve been told to watch for Kun as well as any other unusual activity. Hopefully, tonight will run as smoothly as the meetings did,” Lee related to the diplomat. “My wife and I will be circulating throughout the room, as will Mr. Beaman and Ms. Desmond. They should be…ah, there they are now!”

The three turned to see Ephraim leading Francine into the entryway with his arm around her waist. Amanda’s face lit up with a smile when she saw how closely they were walking together.

“Sorry we’re a little late…traffic was a nightmare,” Ephraim apologized.

“It is no problem,” Béla assured them. “I was just bringing Mr. Szabó up to speed on our plans,” Lee told the couple.

Soon, diplomats from various countries began filtering in. Amanda and Lee stationed themselves in view of the Ambassador’s balcony while Ephraim and Francine remained in the entryway, watching for any sign of trouble.

Not long after their arrival, Francine noticed Magda Petrak and her sister, Mara, enter the embassy. Francine smiled at Magda as she walked over to greet her.

“Good evening, Magda, you look magnificent in that dress,” Francine said. Ephraim clasped her hand in welcome then turned and did the same to Mara.

“It is good to see you again, Francine,” Mara whispered, darting glances around the room.

“Is everything all right?” Francine questioned.

“Everything is fine,” Magda answered for her sister. “Mara is just a little…nervous…being back in the Embassy. It has been a long time for both of us.”

“I understand,” Ephraim reassured the ladies. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for your country to suddenly change.”

“It has been our dream,” Magda replied. “However, the reality takes a little getting used to. If you will excuse us?” Mara gave them a small smile as she walked off with her sister.

Francine nodded and watched as the sisters entered the ballroom. “I think this is going to be a long night, Ephraim,” she whispered as she watched more dignitaries walk through the reception line.

“I think you’re right,” he agreed. “I’m glad, though, that we’re in this together. It’s not much fun doing security alone.” He pulled her a little closer and placed his hand on her waist.

Francine looked up at him and smiled. Maybe the evening wouldn’t be so bad after all, she thought to herself.

SMK SMK

Several hours later, Lee noticed a movement behind the curtains of the Ambassador’s balcony door. “Amanda, do you see something up there?”

Amanda turned to look and saw the curtains flutter. “Yeah…want to check it out?”“I’m going to head up there,” Lee muttered, keeping his eye on the balcony. “You let Francine know where we’re headed, then follow me.”

Amanda nodded and headed to the other side of the room where Francine and Ephraim had stationed themselves. Francine saw Amanda, and walked up to her.

“Something’s up,” Francine stated as Amanda came closer.

“We think there’s something funny going on in the Ambassador’s office. You two stay here and see if you notice anything. I’m going to follow Lee upstairs.”

“We’ll take care of it,” Ephraim agreed. “Be careful, Amanda.”

“Thanks, Ephraim,” Amanda replied. “Hopefully, it will turn out to be nothing.”

Amanda made her way back through the dancing throng and headed up the stairway. As she reached the second floor, she saw Lee standing in the doorway of the office, gun in hand.

She rushed up to him and positioned herself against the wall.

“Whoever was here is gone now,” Lee muttered. “Let’s see if we can figure out where he went.” After checking out the room and finding nothing, Lee headed towards the door, keeping Amanda close behind.

Together, they snuck down the hallway to another office, where the door was slightly opened. Lee saw some movement and motioned for Amanda to arm herself. He held up his fingers in a counting motion and, on three, they moved silently into the room.

There in a chair, Béla Szabó was tied up with a scarf stuffed into his mouth. Amanda rushed over and pulled the scarf out, saying, “Are you all right?”

“Hála istennek! The president…there is man with gun! Find him, kérem!” the man begged.

Amanda untied the man, reassuring him that they would take care of the situation, then followed Lee as they headed back out the door. “Which way, Lee?” Amanda asked.

“This way leads to the back stairs. If they were trying to get out of here, that would be the way to go,” Lee answered as he pulled her with him.

SMK SMK

Back in the ballroom, Ephraim saw János Balázs, surreptitiously looking around the room as he made his way to the back entryway. “Look, Francine, let’s follow him.”

“Good idea,” Francine agreed and they hurried to pursue Balázs. Once they reached the back, they saw him dart through a back door. They increased their speed and made it to the door in time to see him reach a gated area.

“Stop right there!” Ephraim demanded. Balázs froze, then turned around.

“Can I help you?” he sneered.

“Put your hands where I can see them,” Ephraim continued.

“You have no authority here. I am on Magyarország land,” Balázs continued as he started slowly stepping back towards the Embassy. Francine moved sideways, trying to get on the opposite side of Ephraim while keeping her eyes peeled on the man.

“Mátyás Szűrös gave us the authority. Now, stop where you are and put your hands where I can see them,” Ephraim ordered. He kept his eyes on the man while Francine moved closer, trying to get in position. Balázs glanced at Ephraim, then at Francine.

As Francine took another step, Balázs withdrew a gun and, grabbing Francine by the neck, shoved it into Francine’s side. “Hülye amerikai, you think you are so tough? You kapitalista think you are so much better than us? No, we are much intelligensebb. You cannot keep us from returning to People’s Republic. Szűrös is disznó. With him dead, Magyarország will be in chaos. Communists will take back what is ours!”

As he said this, he pulled Francine back with him. Francine stared at Ephraim and mouthed, “Take him out!” Ephraim stared back, trying to see if he had a good shot. He shook his head once to tell her that he didn’t have a clean shot. Francine looked Ephraim dead in the eye, then glanced to her captor’s knee. She looked back up and winked. Ephraim nodded and Francine pounced. In one swift motion, she shifted her body, blocked the gun from her side and dug her heel into his knee, then threw herself deftly to the ground.

As Balázs howled in pain, he quickly pulled the trigger on his gun. Ephraim was faster, and took the man down with a shot to the heart. Francine glanced up and saw both men lying on the cold pavement, motionless.

SMK SMK

Amanda and Lee raced down the stairs, trying to find the gunman. In the distance, they heard two gunshots from the outer courtyard. Amanda glanced at Lee, who muttered, “We need to find the president…now!” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the ballroom, where they saw the Hungarian president and ambassador headed to the dais. They scanned the ballroom, looking for Ephraim and Francine but didn’t see them anywhere. As they scanned, Amanda caught a glimpse of the man she’d seen a few days earlier at the meetings. “Lee,” she whispered urgently, “there’s Kun! Right over there!” She pointed to the far corner where a bank of trees had been positioned.

“I got him,” Lee answered. “You head up to the dais and warn the president. I’ll take Kun out.” Amanda nodded and ran to the stage in front of them. She ran to the stairs and motioned to the agent, codename Firefly, behind the president, who calmly walked in front of the president, blocking the man from the audience, and began to whisper, pointing towards Amanda. The president nodded and stood calmly. Amanda glanced over to the trees, desperate to find her husband.

Lee ran to the trees and pulled them out of the way. Mátyás Kun spun around towards the disturbance, then threw a plant at Lee, running out the back doorway. Lee swore, then raced after the gunman.

Amanda saw the escape and rushed to catch up to Lee. As she went out the door, she turned, trying to see which way they went, but couldn’t distinguish anything. Finally she chose to head towards the courtyard, coming to a halt when she saw Francine kneeling next to a body, hands covered in blood.

“Oh my gosh, Francine!” Amanda cried. “What’s going on?”

“Check Ephraim, Amanda, please…he’s been shot!” Francine sobbed.Amanda raced over to Ephraim, who was slumped on the ground in front of Francine. As Amanda leaned over to check him, she heard a low moan coming from him. “Ephraim,” Amanda called out, “can you hear me?”

“Ah…Francine…is she…ah…” Ephraim moaned. Amanda looked over at Francine, seeing the look of stark fear on the other woman’s face. Amanda gave her a small smile and Francine gave a sigh of relief.

“Ephraim, don’t move. Francine is all right, but you’ve been shot. I don’t want you to move,” Amanda reassured. “Francine, can you get over here? I’ve got to find Lee and I’m going to get Fielder to call an ambulance. Is Balázs dead?”

“Yes,” Francine responded vacantly. “Where’s Lee?”

“Kun tried to assassinate Szűrös. We’ve got the president covered, but Kun escaped,” Amanda answered. “Lee took off after him.”

Francine nodded and Amanda went to find Fielder. She thought to herself, ‘Please, Lee, don’t do anything reckless!’

SMK SMK

Lee hurtled past a fenced area as he saw Kun dart back into the Embassy. He glanced around, noticing the startled glances of waiters. As he ran through the kitchen area, he saw a black jacket flutter as it turned a corner. Lee smiled as he realized the man was heading to the back stairs.

Increasing his speed, he came to the bottom of the stairs as Kun reached the landing. “Freeze!” Lee yelled, pointing his gun at the man.

Kun started laughing and made a lunge for the next staircase. Lee fired a round, knocking the man down. Lee raced up the stairs and leveled the gun at the man, who was grasping his right leg and cursing in Hungarian.

“I told you to freeze,” Lee insisted, then fished in his pocket for his walkie talkie. “Firefly, this is Scarecrow.”

“Firefly here,” scratched the walkie talkie.

“I’ve got Kun in the back staircase.”“On our way,” Firefly answered. “We’ve got a bird in the nest.”

“Copy,” Lee responded. He suddenly remembered the earlier gunshots, hoping that one of theirs hadn’t been killed. He glanced up to see Amanda racing out the kitchen door.

Amanda looked up and saw Lee standing over Kun and smiled with relief. “You OK?” she asked as she ran up the stairs.

“Yeah,” Lee grinned. “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

“Ephraim took out Balázs,” Amanda informed him. “Lee, Ephraim’s been shot. I don’t know where he was hit, but we’ve got an ambulance on the way.”

“How bad is it?”

“I really don’t know…there was a lot of blood. Francine was covered in it,” she whispered. “We need to get to the hospital.”

SMK SMK

Francine paced in the ER waiting area as Amanda and Lee walked in. Amanda rushed up to Francine and asked, “Are you all right?”

Francine nodded, then exclaimed, “They won’t tell me anything! He’s been in there for an hour! I’ve asked everyone and nobody will tell me if he’s alive or dead!”

Lee said, “Francine, they’re doing everything they can. Where was he shot?”

“Somewhere in the abdomen was all they told me,” Francine muttered. She shuddered as she turned away from them. She couldn’t believe this was happening! Why had she allowed herself to get close to Ephraim? She should’ve known that he would leave her, one way or another. Everyone always did…

Amanda glanced at Lee, who said, “Hey, I’m going to call the house and let them know where we are.” He walked over to the bank of phones as Amanda put her hand on Francine’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Amanda whispered. “Everything’s going to be OK. Why don’t we sit down over here? You’re not helping anyone by pacing.”

Francine nodded and let her friend walk her over to the chairs. She slumped down into the chairs and whispered, “I can’t handle this, Amanda.”

“Yes you can, Francine,” Amanda responded. “You are a strong woman…the strongest I’ve ever known. Ephraim is going to be fine.”

“What if he’s not?” Francine questioned. “This is why I always swore to never get too involved with anyone. They just end up hurting you, one way or another.”

Amanda smiled at her friend. “Francine, I know how hard it is. It’s hard knowing that someone you care about is putting themselves in danger, but that’s just a part of this business. You know that. Ephraim is a good agent and a good partner for you. He’s going to pull through this just fine.”

Francine glanced up at Amanda. Amanda was surprised to see tears glistening in the other agent’s eyes. Amanda put her arm around Francine’s shoulder, and pulled her into a hug. “Francine, I’m here for you no matter what, you know that,” Amanda whispered. “Ephraim is not leaving you. Why should he? He’s finally getting what he’s wanted…a chance to be with you.” Francine looked at her friend, then bowed her head down, trying desperately not to let the tears fall.

Lee returned a few minutes later, coffee in hand. As he sat down, Amanda glanced at the nurses’ station and recognized the nurse behind the counter. “I’ll be right back,” Amanda said as she headed over to see Sherry.

“Francine, you OK?” Lee asked gently. Francine refused to lift her head, but nodded. Lee placed his hand on her back and whispered softly, “It’s OK to be upset. Amanda and I are here for you.” Francine looked up at her oldest friend, who wrapped his arm around her shoulder in comfort.

As Amanda approached the station, Sherry Taylor glanced up in recognition. “Amanda?” she questioned.

“Hi, Sherry,” Amanda greeted. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, but I have to say I’m surprised to see you here. Is your family OK?” Sherry responded. Sherry had been the nurse on duty the night Joe and Carrie King had passed away.

“Yes, we’re fine, but a friend of ours was brought in a little while ago…Ephraim Beaman?” Amanda explained. “He’s part of our team.”

“Oh, yes the GSW. I understand the NEST team is working on him. Let me see what I can find out for you,” Sherry smiled. “Is that his wife?” she said, glancing over at Francine.

“Partner,” Amanda clarified, smiling. Sherry glanced back over at the waiting area and then smiled.

“Seems to be more than just a partner,” Sherry said with a wink. Amanda smiled at the nurse, then walked back over to Lee and Francine. Just then, she saw Billy walk in from the parking lot.

“I just spoke to Sherry and she’s going to see what she can find out about Ephraim for me,” Amanda explained to everyone.

“Good,” Billy responded. “We’ve got Kun locked up and President Szűrös is safe. He shared with Smyth his appreciation for all of your diligence and his concern for Beaman. So, Francine, I need you to tell me what happened. How did Ephraim get shot?”

Francine took a deep breath and shared with everyone how they’d followed Balázs out to the courtyard and the resulting melee. “Ephraim saved my life,” Francine whispered as she finished.

Billy raised his eyebrows at Amanda and Lee, then responded, “Well, I think that covers everything. Are you OK, Francine?” Francine nodded her head and Billy patted her on the shoulder.

Amanda looked up and saw Sherry walking towards them. “Amanda, the doctor will be out in just a moment. But, it looks like everything went perfectly and your friend is going to be OK.”

“Thanks so much, Sherry,” Amanda gushed. “I really appreciate it!”

“No problem at all, Amanda,” Sherry grinned. Francine glanced up at Amanda, “She said he’s going to be OK?”

“Yep,” Lee responded. Francine gave a sigh of relief and slumped back into her chair.

Billy gave an interested look to Amanda, then whispered, “I expect you to fill me in on what’s going on with Francine and Beaman later!” Amanda grinned back and gave him a wink.

Soon, Dr. Kelford walked out and met with the agents. “Well, Billy, it looks like we’ve got Beaman sewn up. The bullet went through his right side, breaking a few ribs, but missed his vital organs. We were a little worried about the bleeding, but it’s under control. There’s no sign of internal bleeding. We’re going to keep him for a couple of  days for observation, but he should be out of here by Thanksgiving.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Billy responded with a grin. “Is he up for visitors?”

“I think that can be arranged,” Dr. Kelford laughed, then showed the way up to Ephraim’s hospital room.

Amanda glanced over at Francine, who was visibly relieved, then at her husband. Lee gave her a little grin and squeezed her hand. The night hadn’t turned out quite the way they’d hoped, but their mission had been successful and they were all safe. With the delegation leaving tomorrow, they’d be able to have a happy Thanksgiving after all.

Translations:

Szép means beautiful

Hála istennek means thank God

Kérem means please

Hülye amerikai means stupid American

Disznó means pig 

Chapter Eight                                                                                                                       Sunday, November 19, 1989

Whirring and beeping noises filled the air as Ephraim opened his eyes. He blinked several times as he saw the stark whiteness of the ceiling and walls. He tried to lift up, but his body felt like it was weighed down by a Mack truck. As his head hit the pillow again, he exhaled loudly.

He heard a shuffling noise coming from the side of the room, but couldn’t figure out what the sound was. He slowly turned his head towards the sound, letting out a low moan as his head pounded from the movement. As his head came to rest, he saw a mass of blankets on an unfamiliar couch.

“Where…am…I…” he whispered, trying to raise his arm. As his eyes began to focus, he realized he was in a hospital room. He continued to stare at the blankets, then saw the mass move.

“Ephraim?” the mass said quietly. Ephraim blinked and realized that the mass of blankets was actually Francine. “Are you awake? Are you OK? Do I need to get the nurse?” As she said this, she threw the blankets off and rushed to his side.

“Francine?” he said. “What are you doing here? What happened?”

Francine smiled down at him. “You got yourself shot, Beaman. You’re at Galilee General and where else exactly should I be? You’re my partner and I thought we were in this together. Now, I need you to tell me…are you OK?”

Ephraim stared at her blankly. “Uh, my…head hurts a little and I feel like I was run over by a Mack truck. Did you spend the night here?”

“Where is that button?” Francine answered absently. “Oh, here it is. Now, I’m going to go over here and call Billy. He told me to let him now as soon as you were awake.” She put her hand on his cheek and let it linger for a moment, then turned away to grab the phone.

“Francine…you didn’t answer my…” Ephraim complained, but Francine waved her hand at him as she picked up the handset.

Ephraim turned his head slowly back towards the door and watched as a nurse came in. “Well, I see we’re finally awake, Mr. Beaman,” the nurse said cheerily. “Let’s check our vitals.”

While the nurse checked him over, Francine cast surreptitious looks at Ephraim and continued to talk with Billy. Once she hung up the phone, she walked over to the nurse and watched the inspection. The nurse had raised the bed into a sitting position and Ephraim felt a little more like himself, giving Francine a weak smile.

“Well, looks like we’re making progress, Mr. Beaman. Dr. Kelford will be in a little later to check on you,” the nurse confided. “Are you in any pain?”

“Yes, he is,” Francine answered for him. “He was complaining of a headache when he woke up.”

“That’s to be expected. I’ve got some pain medication for you. Do you think you can swallow a pill?” she asked Ephraim. Ephraim was staring at Francine as if she’d sprouted another head. “Sir?”

“Uh…yeah, I’m sure I can,” Ephraim answered distractedly.

“All right, here you go. If you’ll help him and let me know if he has any problems at all. I’ll be down the hall if you need me,” the nurse instructed Francine as she headed out the door.

“Francine…” Ephraim began.

“Here’s a glass of water…do you need me to hold it for you?” Francine asked. Ephraim slowly raised his hand up to grasp the water. “Open your mouth,” she instructed and placed the pill on his tongue. Ephraim slowly drank the water and grimaced as he swallowed the pill. “Good,” Francine soothed as she ran a hand over his head. “I’m sure you’ll start to feel better soon.”

As she started to walk away, he tried to grab her hand. “Francine…” he again tried to speak.

“I’ll be right back, Ephraim,” she said smoothly. “I’m just going to go freshen up and get a cup of coffee. I won’t be long.”

He watched her as she walked out of his room. What was going on? He thought to himself. Francine was definitely acting very differently. He took a deep breath and sighed.

SMK SMK

Francine walked back to Ephraim’s room ten minutes later, feeling even more nervous than she had the night before. His shooting had shaken every fiber in her being. She was amazed at the flood of emotion she’d felt when she’d seen him lying motionless on the ground. The feeling of indescribable loss that had frozen her in the moment she’d thought he was gone. When Amanda had roused him, she’d experienced a wave of relief.

The emotions had been too much for her to compartmentalize and she’d been left floundering until Lee and Amanda had come to her rescue. They’d stayed with her while they waited to hear the news on his condition, then accompanied her to his hospital room. Eventually, she’d felt stable enough to let them go home to their family and she’d collapsed on the couch, unable to leave Ephraim alone.

Now, she was unsure of how to act. She’d always been cool, calm, and collected Francine, able to handle terrorists with aplomb. She’d learned early on how to persevere, pushing emotions down until she didn’t feel anything. After her father walked out on her mother, she’d sworn that she would never rely on anyone for anything. She’d done everything for herself from that point forward.

She reached the door and paused. The past few days with Ephraim had made her feel things she’d never felt before, even with Jonathan. Last night, she’d thought for a moment that she’d lost Ephraim forever. That feeling had terrified her. With a deep breath, she turned the door handle and walked in.

“Francine,” Amanda welcomed. “I hope you didn’t have too rough a night on that couch.”

Francine saw Amanda standing next to Ephraim, holding Sarah. Lee was sitting on the couch, changing Katie’s diaper. “It wasn’t that bad,” Francine answered, turning to smile at Ephraim.

“Good,” Amanda smiled. “We just stopped by on our way to the office. Billy asked us to double check the statements and then we’re headed to the park with the girls. Mother deserves a break.”

“I bet,” Francine remarked. “Do you need me to go in?”

“No,” Lee quickly answered. “Billy gave all of us the week off for Thanksgiving as a bonus for working so hard this past week. Amanda and I will finish everything up this morning.”

“We would like to invite both of you over for Thanksgiving,” Amanda continued. “Do you think you’ll be up for it, Ephraim?”

“I wouldn’t miss it, Amanda, thanks. Francine, how about you?” Ephraim replied, glancing at Francine with uncertainty.

“I’d love to, Amanda. Would you like for me to bring anything?” Francine answered with a smile.

“Sure…want to bring a dessert?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest. I have a fabulous cheesecake recipe,” Francine grinned.

Amanda turned back to Ephraim. “Now, I don’t want you trying to do too much. Billy told me to make sure you were taken care of, so I think I’ll put Francine in charge of your nursing. Think you can handle it?” she whispered.

Ephraim gave her a weak smile. “Yeah, thanks, Amanda,” he responded, then yawned.

“Let’s go, Amanda, I think we’re wearing him out,” Lee said as he picked up a squirming Katie.

“OK, Lee,” Amanda agreed. “We’ll see you both later. Mother told me to tell you she’s making you a care package. We’ll drop it by your apartment when you get home.”

Francine walked with them out the door. “Francine, take care of yourself as well,” Amanda admonished. “He’s going to be fine.”Francine nodded, then headed back into the room. As she looked over at Ephraim, she saw he’d fallen back asleep.

SMK SMK

Amanda and Lee arrived at the Q Bureau with both girls rested from quick naps. As they walked in the door, they saw Billy emerge from the closet/elevator.

“Well, who do we have here?” Billy welcomed. He put his arms out and Sarah reached for him. He laughed heartily as she put her hands on his moustache.

“We’re going to head up and finish the paperwork on last night. Have you gotten anything out of Kun?” Lee responded. Billy followed the couple up the stairs as they made their way to their office. When they reached it, Amanda pulled out a quilt and put it on the floor and Lee placed Katie on it with her stuffed bear. Billy set Sarah down and sat on the couch with Amanda.

“We’re still working on it. Magda and Mara came in a little while ago and gave statements on what they learned. Kun’s wife was Balázs's sister. She left him about a year ago, supposedly disgusted that he couldn’t hold a job. Kun contacted his friend and they met in Budapest this summer. From what Mara learned, they had been planning on creating some sort of information network. That all fell apart when the communist regime fell. Mara’s friend, Eresbeth, had apparently been dating Balázs, but ended it when she found out what he was planning. She had no idea he had moved on to assassination.”

“Wow,” Amanda answered. “It’s hard to believe what some people will do. How is Mara?”

“Well,” Billy smiled. “She seems pretty happy. Apparently, this friend, Eresbeth, has a pretty good position with the new government and has offered Mara a job with the Hungarian Embassy. Mara and Magda can now go home to visit whenever they like.”

“That’s great, Billy,” Lee said. Katie sat up and threw her bear at Amanda, then laughed. Sarah stood up and toddled over to Katie and handed her a ball. Katie immediately tried to bite it.

“So, Amanda,” Billy began with a grin. “You were going to tell me what exactly is going on with Francine and Beaman.”

Amanda laughed. “Well, Billy, what do you think is going on?”

“Well, you told me the other day that Kelly needed to move back to steno because she was causing, how did you put it? Friction in the Q Bureau.”

Lee laughed. “That’s putting it mildly. Kelly was coming on mighty strong to poor old Ephraim and Francine was pretty upset over the whole thing.”

“Ah,” Billy answered. “So, Francine got jealous.”

“Well, she just didn’t like the position…” Amanda prevaricated. “Oh, all right, yes, she was very jealous. And then, there was the whole thing with Jonathan. That didn’t help matters…well, actually, maybe it did help. Anyway, it looks like Ephraim has finally won Francine over. He really came through for her this week, and Kelly just opened up her eyes to what’s been in front of her.”

Billy grinned and gave Lee a knowing look. Lee just shrugged, then picked Katie up and started making faces at her.

Amanda smiled and Billy winked at her. “So, are they together now?”

“Based on how Francine’s dealt with Ephraim being shot, if they weren’t before, I’d bet they will be now,” Lee answered.

“Good for Beaman,” Billy laughed. “I never thought anyone would be able to settle Francine down, but he’s the man to do it.”

The three agents started laughing. Katie clapped her hands and Sarah yelled, “Happy.” The agents laughed even harder.

SMK SMK

Ephraim awoke from his nap feeling much better and more like himself. He sat up with more ease than the morning and looked around the room. He saw Francine flipping pages in a magazine.

“Francine?” he rasped. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“Of course,” she replied smoothly, not looking up from her magazine.

“Oh,” he answered. She glanced up and smiled weakly at him. Before he could say anything else, the door opened and several people from the Agency walked in.

“Hey, Beaman,” Fred Fielder said. “Looks like you survived.”

“How are you doing?” Nancy Anderson from steno asked.

“Oh, I’m feeling alright,” Beaman responded a little shyly.

“So, Francine, I hear Beaman saved your life and you were a basket case,” Fred joked. Francine glared at Fred, who slunk behind Casey Johnson. The other agents shook their heads at Fred.

“Actually, Fred, Ephraim did save my life last night. I’m lucky to have such an excellent partner,” Francine intoned. Fred glanced at her, a little embarrassed.

Everyone stood around quietly, then Nancy brought a plant over to Ephraim’s bedside table. “We all pitched in and bought you this plant and a gift certificate to Chan’s Express. We figured you wouldn’t be able to fix yourself meals for a couple of days.”

“Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it,” Ephraim exclaimed. “This will definitely come in handy this week.”

As the agents continued visiting, Dr. Kelford walked in. “Well, Beaman, looks like you’ve got quite the crew here today.”

“Hey, Doc, we were actually about to go,” Casey said. “Beaman, we’ll catch you next week.”

The agents all left and Francine turned to go as well. “Francine, if you don’t mind, I’d like for you to come back in in just a minute,” Dr. Kelford requested.

“I’m going to head down to the cafeteria for some coffee, then I’ll be back,” Francine responded.

A few minutes later, Francine returned to find Ephraim and the doctor joking around. Dr. Kelford looked up and said, “Good, Francine, I’m glad you’re back. Ephraim’s wound is healing really well and there are no signs of any infection. I told him that I think we can expect to release him tomorrow. However, he can’t be on his own for at least 24 hours after that.”

“I can stay with him,” Francine volunteered. She glanced at Ephraim who gave her a weak smile. “That would be great, Francine. I’ve spoken with Billy already and he told me that you have the week off. I can have him change it to a work situation,” Dr. Kelford offered.

“No, it’s really no trouble. I’d rather have the time off. You don’t need to worry about Ephraim. He’s my partner and I’ll take care of him,” Francine insisted.

Dr. Kelford smiled and said, “OK, well, I’ll be back in the morning to check you one last time, then we’ll get you home.”

Not long after Dr. Kelford left, Francine told Ephraim she needed to head him for a little while to get some things. He nodded and said, “I really appreciate this, Francine. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to…”

“Nonsense, Ephraim,” she retorted. “You are my partner and you would do the same for me. Now, I want you to rest while I’m gone, all right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied contritely. As she headed out the door, she turned around and smiled, saying, “I’m really glad you’re going to be OK, Ephraim.”

SMK SMK

Francine walked down the hospital corridor to Ephraim’s room. She felt much better after taking a shower and changing her clothes. She’d spent quite a bit of time in the shower crying her eyes out, trying to get past the gut-wrenching emotions that had been churning inside for the past few days. ‘I need to be strong,’ she told herself continuously. ‘Ephraim doesn’t need to see me vulnerable. I need to take care of him.’

As she came to his door, she heard tinkly laughter coming from the other side. She started thinking about who might be visiting him, then realized it might be some of the newer agents who’d been Ephraim’s students. She put a smile on her face and walked through the door.

The smile froze on her face when she realized that Kelly Reed was sitting on Ephraim’s bed. Ephraim shot her a look that screamed, “Help me!” while Kelly gave her a hateful look.

“Hello, Kelly,” Francine sneered. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I couldn’t stay away when I heard poor Ephraim had been shot!” she pouted. “I mean, I just couldn’t believe it!” She turned to give Ephraim a sad, puppy dog face. “I was so worried when Mrs. Anderson told me that you were in the hospital that I just rushed right over. I was so surprised when I found him here all by himself. I mean, if someone saved my life, I don’t think I could leave them for a minute.”

“Francine has been here the entire time, Kelly,” Ephraim retorted. “She only went home to get her things and to change clothes.”

“Her things?” Kelly said as she noticed the bag Francine was carrying.

“That’s right, Kelly,” Francine said as she walked over to the couch and dropped her bag, “my things. I’ll be staying with Ephraim for the next few days, taking care of him.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Kelly,” Ephraim said dismissively.

“Oh, I don’t mind a bit, Ephraim,” Kelly purred. “I can come by anytime you need me.”

“That’s all right, Kelly, I have it covered,” Francine insisted. “I think Ephraim needs to rest now. Thanks so much for stopping by.”

Francine walked over to Ephraim’s side, effectively blocking Kelly. Kelly stared at Francine with venom, but turned away when it was obvious Francine was not backing down.

After Kelly left, Ephraim turned to Francine and whispered, “I’m really sorry about that. I know you don’t like her. She just showed up.”

Francine ran her hand over Ephraim’s hair and smiled. “You have nothing to apologize for. I can handle Kelly just fine.” Ephraim smiled, then yawned. “Now, I want you to try to sleep. You’re not going to get any better if you wear yourself out.”

“Francine, I really want to talk to you about…” Ephraim began. Francine leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“We have plenty of time to talk. You need to rest. I promise we’ll talk tomorrow,” Francine whispered.

“Stay with me?” he pleaded. Francine sat on the bed next to him and held his hand.

“There’s no place I’d rather be right now,” Francine smiled. She sat there holding his hand, watching him fall asleep. She looked at him, sleeping peacefully. She was so thankful that he’d survived the gunshot and would recover completely. She’d deal with the emotions she couldn’t control later. Right now, she was just going to relish the complete relief she felt in knowing that Ephraim Beaman was safe, on his way to being well, and wasn’t leaving any time soon.

Chapter Nine                                                                                                                       Monday, November 20, 1989

Monday morning, Francine awoke late to find Ephraim sitting up in bed, talking on the phone with his parents. When he finished, he said, “Good morning, Francine. I had the nurse bring some coffee for you with my breakfast, if you want some.”

“Definitely,” Francine responded. She walked over and grabbed the Styrofoam cup, drinking the coffee greedily.

As Francine finished her cup of coffee, Dr. Kelford came back in. “Well, Ephraim, are you ready to leave?”

“Definitely,” Ephraim insisted. “I just want to get home and get in my own clothes and not have to eat any more hospital food!”

“Well, if Francine will go get the car, we’ll get you out of here!”

Francine jumped up and smiled. “I’ll be waiting at the front of the hospital for you.”

Ephraim watched her leave, then slowly got himself dressed. A minute or two later, Nurse Taylor came in with the wheelchair and Ephraim reluctantly sat down. “I don’t understand why I have to ride in this thing,” he complained.

“Hospital policy,” Sherry responded. “Please tell Amanda the next time you see her thank you for the cookies. She’s such a sweet lady.”

“That she is,” Ephraim answered. “She’s supposed to bring me a care package later on today.”

“You’ve got a really good girlfriend, too. She never left your side Saturday night. We tried to get her to go home, but she wouldn’t budge,” Sherry confided.

“Francine?” Ephraim questioned. “Really?” He was stunned. He knew she’d been in his room since he’d been there, but figured it was partner loyalty or something like that. Whenever he’d ask her about it, she’d say something about how he was her partner.

“Yes,” Sherry confirmed. “She was close to losing it in the waiting area until Amanda and her husband got there. I thought she was your wife.”

Ephraim was speechless. He stared blankly in front of him, unaware of the nurse pushing him into the elevator. Francine really cared about him. He’d thought she was interested in him and he’d certainly enjoyed kissing her, but he knew she was nervous about going any deeper. The idea that she’d been that upset about his shooting filled him with a feeling beyond anything he could describe.

“Ephraim?” He shook his head and realized they were at Francine’s car. “Are you OK?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Ephraim stammered as the nurse helped him stand up.

“Let’s just stand here a moment and make sure you can move on your own,” Sherry insisted. They stood for a moment as Francine watched with concern.

“I’m OK now,” Ephraim said. Sherry led him to the car and helped him get in. Francine took his bag from the wheelchair and walked around to the driver’s side.

“Thanks, Sherry,” Francine said as she got in. She looked over at Ephraim and said, “Are you ready to go home?”

Ephraim glanced over at her and nodded. He still couldn’t get what Sherry had confided out of his head. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

SMK SMK

Amanda and Lee sat in the Corvette in front of Ephraim’s apartment building, waiting for Francine to arrive with Ephraim. They had arranged earlier that morning with Francine to be there to help Ephraim navigate the elevators and get settled in. Soon, they saw Francine pull into the parking lot and the couple got out to meet them.

“Good morning, Francine,” Amanda greeted as they came up to Francine’s BMW. “How’re you doing?” Amanda walked closer to Francine and looked closely at her. “Are you holding up OK?”

“I’m fine, Amanda,” Francine insisted. “Let’s get Ephraim situated, shall we?” Francine walked away from Amanda without looking her in the eye. Amanda glanced over at Lee and gave him a look. He shrugged and turned to help Ephraim get out of the car.

“Thanks, Lee,” Ephraim sighed as he stood up. Lee put Ephraim’s left arm over his shoulder and walked with him towards the entrance. Francine pulled the hospital bag and her overnight bag out and Amanda followed behind with the picnic basket Dotty had filled with homemade goodies.

Once they reached the apartment, Amanda went to the kitchen and unpacked the basket. Lee helped get Ephraim situated on the couch and Francine took his bag to the bedroom, placing hers in the dining area.

Amanda walked into the living room and stood next to Lee. “Ephraim, I’m so glad you were able to come home so quickly. We were all a little worried about you.”

Ephraim smiled and replied, “Thanks, Amanda. I really appreciate all the help. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you wrap things up.”

“There wasn’t anything to help with,” Lee responded. “With Balázs dead and Kun captured, the ball finished successfully and the delegation left yesterday for Hungary. Apparently, Balázs was tired of being an aide and had dreams of grandeur. He talked Kun into a plot to assassinate the president, thinking it would lift them up to higher positions. Kun thought it would help him win back his ex-wife, who had left him a few months ago.”

“Well, I’m glad it turned out to be a simple case,” Ephraim breathed. “No loose ends to find with this one.”

“Now, you can just focus on getting better,” Amanda said. “I’m expecting you for Thanksgiving dinner, so you better follow doctor’s orders.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ephraim laughed, then cringed at a shooting pain from his abdomen.

Lee glanced at Amanda and nodded his head at the door. Amanda stood up and said, “We’re going to head out. With the week off, we’re giving Mother a nice break from babysitting duty. If you need anything at all, we’ll be at home, so please call. I’ll be mad if you don’t.” Amanda patted Ephraim on the shoulder and gave him a grin.

Francine stood to walk them out. As Amanda walked out the door, she whispered, “I know you, Francine. You got really scared and now you’re in full retreat. Listen to your heart, not your head for a change. You know where I am, and I want you to call me if you need to talk. Promise me you’re not going to shut yourself out.”

Francine stared at her blankly. Amanda put her hand on Francine’s shoulder and whispered, “I mean it…promise me…or I’m not going to leave.”

“I promise, Amanda,” Francine nodded weakly. Amanda looked her in the eye, then nodded. Lee patted her on the back and whispered, “It’s going to be OK. Look how I turned out.” He grinned as Francine gave him a dark look. She shut the door and started to walk to the kitchen.

“Ephraim, would you like something to drink? Dotty made you some chocolate chip cookies- would you like one?” she said smoothly.

“No, Francine. I’d like for you to come sit down, if you don’t mind,” Ephraim responded.

“Well, I really need…”

“Amanda already took care of everything. You know she did. Now, come in here…please,” Ephraim requested. Francine took a deep breath and walked over to the sitting area, choosing to sit in the chair opposite of the couch where Ephraim rested. “OK, I’m sitting,” she breathed.

“Come sit over here…with me,” Ephraim suggested. Francine looked at him, then sighed and moved to the cushion next to him. “Francine, I just wanted to say thank you for being there for me these past few days. It really means a lot to me that you stayed with me in the hospital and, well, I’m glad that you agreed to stay here to help me out until I can do things on my own.”

“Of course, I agreed to stay with you…if you want me to. You’re my partner and it’s my job to make sure that you’re taken care of,” Francine answered. She looked over at Ephraim and sighed. “Ephraim, I…well, I just wanted to thank you for what you did Saturday night. Balázs caught me off guard and I was afraid that he…well, that I wouldn’t be able to get away and…”

“Francine,” Ephraim interrupted, taking one of her hands in his. “I’ve never been more scared in my life than when he grabbed you. I was so afraid he was going to shoot you before I could get a shot off. When you gave me that look, I just knew what you were going to do and I took the opportunity.” He squeezed her hand and gazed into Francine’s eyes. “I couldn’t let Balázs hurt you…that wasn’t an option.”

Francine turned away, afraid of letting Ephraim see the tears that were coming to her eyes. “Um, I just remembered. I promised Billy I would call him…”

“Stop it, Francine,” Ephraim commanded. “Turn around and look at me.” Francine took a deep breath, willing herself to be in control. “Please, Francine, look at me.” She slowly turned to look at Ephraim and he grabbed her hand again. “You don’t have to hide from me. You don’t have to hide your emotions. I won’t hold it against you, I won’t hold it over you and I won’t laugh at you. I told you Saturday that I would always be here for you, and I meant it.” He searched her eyes and found the tears she was so desperate to hide. “Now, please…tell me…why you are crying.”

“I’m not…” Francine began, then stopped as she looked at Ephraim. “All right, I’ll be honest with you.” She took a deep, shuddering breath as she continued, “I don’t know where to begin, except that, on Saturday, for a little while, I thought you were…dead.”

She took another deep breath as tears spilled over and tumbled down her face. Ephraim sat quietly and squeezed her hand gently. She looked back at him and whispered, “I thought you were gone and it…it…devastated me. I remember just sitting there, frozen, staring at your blood on my hands and wishing…wishing…I could have one more minute with you. I felt like…I…I don’t know…it felt like…when my father left…that I was all alone…” she broke off with a sob and threw her head into her hands.

Ephraim sat back, stunned by the emotional revelation. He couldn’t believe how much Francine had just opened up to him. He began to pull her closer, then groaned when he felt a shooting pain.

“Ephraim, stop…you’re going to rip your stitches,” Francine protested.

“I’m fine, Francine,” he insisted as he wrapped his good arm around her, pulling her closer, having her lean back against his good side. “I’m so sorry, Francine, that you had to deal with all of this. But, I promise you,” he kissed the top of her head, “you are not all alone. I’m not going anywhere.”

Francine took a deep breath, then reached up to wipe the tears off her face. “I’m OK, Ephraim. And, I’m so glad that you’re going to be OK. I just got scared Saturday. It was silly, I know…”

“It wasn’t silly,” Ephraim interrupted. “Quit putting yourself down, Francine. You know, I could kill the people who made you feel that you are less than the magnificent woman that you are. There is nothing wrong with feeling emotions. I’m honored that you think so much of me that you were…devastated…that I might be gone. Now, look at me.” Francine turned to look at him and was taken aback by the depth of emotion she saw in his eyes. “When I woke up in the hospital and saw you there, I was floored. I’ve never had anyone outside of my parents take care of me the way you have these past few days. I can’t even begin to tell you how that made me feel,” he whispered as he leaned down and gently kissed her.

 Francine pulled back and looked at him, tears glistening again in her eyes. “Francine,” Ephraim whispered, “I am not going to leave you.” He kissed her again, pulling her as close as possible without hurting his wounded side.

Francine snuggled close to Ephraim, laying her head on his chest. She sighed deeply, as if letting go of all that she’d been holding in for the past few days. Ephraim held her close, relishing the moment. Eventually, they both fell asleep, spent from the exhaustion of the past few days.

SMK SMK

As the sun began to set, Francine sat up and looked at the man who’d put his life on the line for her, the man who’d been her friend even when she’d pushed him away, the man who’d joined her in a partnership that the rest of the Agency had laughed at. Ephraim opened his eyes, and she saw in his eyes a deep and abiding affection that she’d never seen in anyone’s eyes for her. She saw the same look she’d seen so many times on Lee’s face when he was looking at Amanda.

She suddenly felt an incredible urge to tell him how she felt about him. She thought about what Amanda said, about not retreating, and decided that she had to force herself to do it. She had to trust that he wouldn’t hold it over her head, as Jonathan had for so many years. She looked at Ephraim and took a deep, shuddering breath.

Ephraim saw a strange look come over Francine’s face. Unable to figure out what she was thinking, he asked, “Francine, what’s going on? Are you OK?”

“Ephraim,” she began, summoning up the courage she’d used when she’d blazed her way up the ranks of the Agency, “you’ve told me that you would be whatever I wanted you to be for me. You’ve promised me you’ll never leave me. You put yourself in danger to save my life.”

Ephraim nodded and smiled. “Yes, I’ve done all of that.”

“You’ve done all of this and haven’t asked anything of me in return. You accept me just as I am, flaws and all, and you care about me, even though I’ve been…well, less than kind to you at times.”

“All true,” Ephraim agreed with a laugh, then pulled her to him and kissed her gently.

She pushed back and looked away. “Ephraim, I don’t know how to do this. I’ve spent my entire life keeping everything inside, knowing that, if I let anyone in, they would eventually tear me apart.” She took a deep breath, then turned to face him again.

“This week, a lot of things changed for me. When I got that invitation from Jonathan, I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I’ve spent so much of my life avoiding commitment that I felt like life was passing me by. I wasted so much time on that jerk, and you were there for me when I really needed someone.”

“I was happy to be there for you, Francine. I wish you had told me about it in the first place,” Ephraim said, caressing her hand with his fingers. “We could’ve avoided a lot of misunderstandings that way.”

Francine gave a weak smile. “I see that now but, at the time, I just couldn’t picture you as wanting to…well, do anything more than any other guy who’s chased me has wanted to do.”

Ephraim gave her a look and she shrugged. “Kelly didn’t help matters either. I just couldn’t understand what you saw in her,” Francine continued.

“I didn’t see anything in her, Francine,” Ephraim retorted. “I was just trying to be nice…”

“I know that now, and I guess I should thank her in a way,” Francine interrupted. Ephraim gave her an incredulous look and she gave a little laugh. “Not that I’m going to, but it made me see you in a new light. Actually, it just made me see you as you really are...and it hurt to think you might want someone else.”

Ephraim laughed and kissed her again. “So, you thought that after trying to get your attention for years, my head would get turned by some new girl? I hope you know me better than that. Let me clear something up for you- I could tell that Kelly was trying to work her ‘charms’ on me. I’m not sure why she decided to hit on me, but she did. I felt a little sorry for her. I mean, I do know what it’s like to be interested in someone who doesn’t seem to feel the same way.” He gave her a look, and she blushed. Then he continued. “But, you never had to worry about Kelly, Francine,” he whispered, drawing his hand down her face gently. “There’s just no comparison.”

Francine looked into his eyes and smiled. “You knew the whole time? You knew I was jealous?”

“Not exactly,” Ephraim clarified. “I didn’t know…I hoped, but I didn’t want to take a chance and be mistaken. I didn’t really know for sure until the other day…when you told me you wanted Friday night to be a date.”

Francine smiled again, then took a deep breath. She’d opened up to him, but hadn’t told him everything. Ephraim looked deep into her eyes and said,  “Francine, I…”

She pushed back and looked him. Quietly she said, “Ephraim, wait. If I don’t say this now, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to.”

He looked at her. Francine continued to surprise him. He’d hoped that she’d eventually open up to him, but wasn’t sure she ever would. “I thought I lost you on Saturday night. I thought I’d lost the chance to tell you what you mean to me. I promised myself that, if you lived, I would tell you,” Francine confessed. “I would tell you…that you mean…that I…that you…” she broke down and he pulled her close.

“Francine,” Ephraim whispered. “It’s OK, you don’t have to…”

“I do,” she cried. “I have to tell you that I…” Francine took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “I…Ephraim, I want to give this a chance. I don’t want to look back on my life and regret…not…giving you a chance. I want…”

He pulled her close and kissed her with every ounce of feeling he possessed. She reached up and pulled him closer to her and deepened the kiss. Eventually, he pulled away and gazed into her eyes. “Francine,” he whispered, “I…I…can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me. I…you…mean so much to me…”

Francine looked back at him, then pulled him down for another kiss. “I’m happy, too, Ephraim…but I’m scared. I’m not good with this whole commitment thing and…I don’t want…to hurt you.”

“We’re together, Francine,” Ephraim said as he pulled her close in an embrace. “We’ll work everything else out as we go.” They clung to each other, aware that they had overcome a significant hurdle.

A few moments later, Francine stood up and turned to look at Ephraim, eyes shining. She put out her hand and helped him get to his feet. Together, they slowly made their way to the hallway. When they reached the dining area, Ephraim watched as Francine leaned down and picked up her overnight bag. Then she walked alone to his bedroom, where she set the bag down.

He glanced at her, then slowly made his way to where she stood. He brought his hand up to her face, drawing it gently down, then cupping her neck as he brought his forehead down to meet his. “Francine…” he whispered. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Francine looked into his eyes and smiled, tears filling hers. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but…yes, Ephraim…I want this. I want you…to be with you…for as long as you’ll have me,” she whispered.

Ephraim smiled as he led her farther in, then gingerly wrapped his arms around her, careful not to touch his injured side. “I hope you’re prepared for eternity, Francine,” he whispered as he rained kisses on her face and neck, “because that’s what I want.”

Together, they made their way to the bed, both knowing they were taking a significant step in their relationship. By morning, they both realized that they had truly become partners…in every way. 

Epilogue                                                                                                               Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1989

Amanda gave a deep sigh as she pulled the massive turkey out the oven. It  smelled heavenly. Dotty stood behind her putting the finishing touches on the sweet potatoes and the green bean casserole. From the living room, sounds of the girls giggling at the antics of their brothers filled the air. As she set the turkey down on the stove, Lee snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

“Lee!” she laughed as he kissed her neck. Dotty turned around and gave them an indulgent smile.

“What?” he grinned. “Can’t I give my wife a Thanksgiving kiss?” He whipped her around and kissed her again.

Amanda laughed and swatted him. “Is the table set?” she asked as she moved to put the turkey on the serving platter.

“Yes, the boys finished a little while ago, and I put the glasses out. Everything’s all set.”

“Did the Colonel say what time he’d be here?” Dotty questioned Lee. “Dinner should be ready in a few minutes.”

Lee glanced at the clock. “He said his plane got in at noon, and he’d take a taxi to the house. I told him I’d pick him up, but you know the Colonel.”

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. “I bet that’s him, Amanda,” Lee said. The couple walked together to the door, ready to greet Lee’s uncle.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Amanda greeted as she opened the door. “Francine, Ephraim! So glad you could make it!”

“Thanks for having us,” Francine responded as they walked in the door. Francine turned to Amanda, “Where would you like for me to put the cheesecake?”

“Cheesecake?” Lee piped up. “I’ll take it!”

“Put it on the sideboard, Lee,” Amanda laughed. “Thanks for bringing it, Francine. Ephraim, how are you feeling?”

Ephraim glanced down at Francine and grinned, “Never better. Francine’s an excellent nurse.”

Francine put her arm around his waist and said, “Well, you’re not so bad as a patient.”

Amanda watched the exchange and smiled broadly. Before she could say anything, the doorbell rang again. Francine and Ephraim walked into the living room as Amanda reached for the door.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Amanda!” Colonel Robert Clayton greeted.

“Uncle Robert!” Amanda greeted as she gave the older man a hug. “I’m so glad you made it today!” She turned to the living room, and called out, “Phillip, Jamie, Uncle Robert is here. Can you go get his bags?”

“Now, Amanda, I’m going to stay in that hotel I told you about,” Robert insisted.

“No, you’re not. Phillip is staying in Jamie’s room, and you are staying in Phillip’s room. Now, I’m not going to take no for an answer,” Amanda retorted.

“I’d listen to her, sir,” Lee chimed in as he walked up to his uncle. “You know Amanda always gets her way.”

“How’re doing, Skip?” Robert greeted, giving Lee a warm handshake.

“I’m doing great! Come on in here and meet Sarah. You can also see how much Katie has grown since you saw her in August,” Lee suggested, leading his uncle in to the living room.

As Amanda walked into the room, she saw Francine sitting next to Ephraim, with Katie standing in her lap. Ephraim had one arm around Francine’s shoulder and was holding Katie’s hand with the other.

Francine glanced up at Lee and his uncle as they came in. She stood up with Katie and walked over to the Colonel. “It’s nice to see you again,  Colonel Clayton,” Francine greeted. “Would you like to see your great-niece?”

“Absolutely!” Robert exclaimed. “My goodness, but she’s grown a foot!” He cuddled the little girl close to him, then glanced back at Francine. “And how are you doing, young lady? It’s been awhile since I saw you.”

“I’m doing great, Colonel,” Francine beamed.“I can see that!” Robert agreed, then glanced over at Ephraim. “And is that your young man?”

Ephraim stood up, a little gingerly, then walked over to the Colonel, hand extended. “It’s nice to meet you, Colonel Clayton. I’m Ephraim Beaman. I work with your nephew and Amanda.”

“Nice to meet you, son,” Robert returned. “And you’re taking care of this young lady?”

Ephraim smiled at Francine, then answered, “Yes, sir.”

Amanda grinned at Francine, who grinned right back.

Dotty walked in and said, “Well, everybody, let’s not stand around! Dinner is served!”

Lee bent down and picked up Sarah, while Amanda took Katie from the Colonel. Lee walked over to the Colonel, and showed him Sarah. “This is our new daughter, Sarah.”

“She’s the one who’s parents…” Robert whispered. Lee and Amanda nodded. Robert smiled at Lee, then Sarah, and said “Welcome to the family, Sarah.” Sarah clapped her hands.

Together, Lee and Amanda watched as Ephraim walked with Francine into the dining room, smiling at each other.

“Looks like you got your way, there, too, ‘Manda,” Lee whispered with a grin.

“Oh, Lee,” Amanda swatted him. “I just pointed Francine in the right direction. The rest was all up to them.” She looked at her husband and smiled. “They do look good together, don’t they?”

“Should keep things interesting at work,” Lee teased, then kissed his wife. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

They walked into the dining room, hand in hand, ready to give thanks for the many blessings they had received over the years. It was truly a day to be thankful.