Author: VetteGirlScrcrw2 

He had zigged when she zagged, he turned left while she had veered right. Talk about a couple who had absolutely no clue as to how to get from point A to point B, or for that matter, if they even wanted to when points D through M seemed, if nothing else, reasonably safe and undemanding.

Like a roller coaster, the progression of their relationship had more dips and turns and ups and downs. So, would it be any wonder that Amanda, despite the fact that she thought she was fairly certain of what, or should we say, whom, she wanted all along, suddenly added yet another conundrum to the rocky ride?

She may have said yeah in the Q-Bureau as Season Three slipped away to become television history, but the summer of 1986 was just beginning, the perfect arena to conjure up a little case while tossing in mixed portions of apprehension and danger.

Oh, did I happen to mention that while Amanda and Lee are still trying to comprehend the garbled road map to love, this case puts them front and center of both Mr. and Mrs. Melrose?

I guess the nickname Twisted Sister does seem appropriate. I never do anything the conventional way, do I?

Well, for safety’s sake, I best give it an adult rating, you never know what I’ll spring on y’all.

The characters belong to Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon. The twisted plot and convoluted emotions revolving within and around the central characters belongs to me.

It should have been the most thrilling moment of her adult life, the highly anticipated kiss. For a very long time she had wanted it, desperately so.

It couldn’t have been the fact that he was a bad kisser, because he most certainly was not. The usual and by now expected interruptions weren’t to blame either for the great Scarecrow had ensured to the best of his ability that there would be none.

If she were asked to pinpoint the exact reasoning as to why this highly coveted and momentous occasion had suddenly taken a very wrong turn, Amanda King wasn’t sure that she could.

In fact, at this very moment there only two things she knew with certainty.

One, "it" had finally happened and there was no doubt that either of their lives would never be the same again and two, she didn't have time to dally round the fact that she had bolted from the Q-Bureau and all but gone AWOL on her partner for the last two weeks. She needed to be back at the Agency in a little over an hour, packed and ready to yet again go on another assignment in the name of national security.

Only this time, Amanda King wasn’t sure that she wanted to.

Lee Stetson paced nervously in the Q-Bureau. Thirty minutes remained until he needed to meet Billy downstairs. Thirty minutes in which Amanda could change her mind and back out.

She wouldn’t, would she?

At one time, Lee would have said no with as much certainty as a Federal Agent could ever guarantee in this crazy business.

Today he wasn’t filled with as much conviction.

Since he had kissed Amanda in this very office nearly two weeks ago he felt as if his entire world had turned upside down while trying to twist inside out.

He thought that she had wanted the same thing, hell, he’d have bet his paycheck for a year on it. They had seemed to finally be on the same highway, even in the same vehicle, and both very much in agreement. What the hell had gone wrong, he wasn't sure.

The unmistakable and undeniable chemistry between them had grown to such a degree that neither could continue denying it. Even if their minds had tried, their bodies obviously had very different ideas. He’d pulled her into his arms that day, fully aware of just how much things would change between them, aware of how much things had already changed.

Claiming her mouth with his had been one of the greatest joys he’d ever known. He’d anticipated the spark, the combustion reaction. What he hadn’t predicted was the enormity of it.

Amanda was very special to him; he’d known that long before his lips had touched hers. He’d long suspected that he might be falling in love with her and he’d certainly been having some erotic dreams about his beautiful partner. Vivid dreams that left him wide awake at night, his mind spinning round the possibility that their relationship held far more potential than just an office romance.

The minute his control had abandoned him and his tongue had parted her sweet lips, Lee Stetson had known exactly what potential existed. Amanda was not a passing fancy or a casual whim of a beautiful body to satisfy far too long repressed sexual desires. She wasn’t window dressing nor was she simply just his partner.

She was his best friend, his soul mate, and heaven help him, if he had any say in the matter he was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

Or so he’d thought, until they had been forced to part for air and she’d opened those beautiful dark eyes of hers and lifted her face to gaze at him.

He’d seen the raw passion, the sparkling dance of excitement and want but something else had manifested itself in that brief moment. Like him, she could scarcely breathe, and he was sure that her heart had been equally hammering as heavily within her chest as his had been.

In the space of several heartbeats he had looked down upon her face and known without a doubt that he was never letting her go, even as the expression in her eyes had changed dramatically.

Her hand had come up to her mouth, her eyes had widened, and then those beautiful orbs became dark pools of liquid.

Like a frightened deer, Amanda had bolted from the Q-Bureau, her hand shaking as she undid the lock, leaving Lee alone. And now, nearly two weeks later, he realized that for the first time in a long time, he might be working on a case alone and the question of whether his future would be spent alone as well was foremost in his mind.

William Melrose had pulled the blinds down in his office after the first of the three remaining individuals to work this case had arrived. He’d asked her to arrive early. It wasn’t as if she graced the inner sanctuary of IFF very often and he planned on enjoying these few moments.

"So," her soft feminine voice queried, "things any better between them?"

She didn’t have to refer to them by name, he knew exactly who she was referencing.

Billy shrugged.

"Amanda practically begged for time off, not that she hasn’t earned it and not that I had any right to deny it to her. After all, her sons will be gone for the next two weeks and she’s had far too many ruined family experiences since Lee bumped into her."

The woman sitting in the chair opposite his desk nodded with total understanding. She’d seen that happen with her own two children. Not that their father hadn’t had every good intention on being a part of their lives, but life as a Federal Agent had a unique way of lying claim to one’s personal life.

At least her daughter’s had had it easier, being a two-parent household to begin with. Amanda’s boys had spent the fair majority of their young years without the presence of their father. It had to be easier with Joe King back in the picture but still his work could be and often was as demanding on the time schedule as Amanda’s was.

She sighed softly before speaking again.

"They need time."

He chuckled.

"They’ve known each other for three years, how much more time do they need?"

"William," she scolded softly. The man sitting behind the desk could be a grumpy old bear, he had, after all, earned the title of Section Chief, but she knew him to be a teddy bear when it came to romance.

"I think this assignment might be just what Dr. Romance would have prescribed. An easy case, warm skies and smooth sailing."

"I hope so."

She smiled that warm smile again, reflecting on exactly why she was sitting here in her husband’s office. O’Lansky was a former operative, someone who used to work in the field when Billy still did. Officially, it was a simple meet and greet, with very few strings attached. O’Lansky had information for the Agency regarding some project code named Stemwinder, something that the Russians were obviously trying to wriggle their way into. He would only meet with Billy; the only person he knew could be trusted implicitly. For precaution, he had requested another agent, Billy’s discretion, but absolutely someone that could be trusted just as implicitly.

It just happened to be that O’Lansky requested the meet on a cruise ship, a couple’s-theme cruise at that. Billy had naturally chosen Scarecrow to tag along. Since that didn’t quite fit the bill for the cruise theme, it had seemed only natural to bring in Amanda.

She knew Billy was quite proud of the younger woman’s progress since coming to the Agency and there was no doubt which two agents could pull of a couple’s cover better than anyone. It had become Scarecrow and Mrs. King’s specialty.

The fringe benefit was that she, Mrs. Melrose, got to tag along for appearance’s sake. She leaned back in her chair and laughed softly.

"I think, dear husband, this is going to prove to be quite the assignment."

"Cruise, dear, cruise," he gently reminded her.

"Oh, don’t worry darling, don’t think I haven’t learned a thing or two about this business in all the years we’ve been married. And yes, I still think, it’s going to be very interesting."

Charles O’Lansky paced his cabin aboard the luxury liner Imperial Princess, wringing his hands nervously. He’d been one of the first to board her, accompanied by his wife. He hated lying to her, but he’d had to, yet again.

Sure, he’d been retired for nearly six years, but once an agent, always an agent. And his agent instincts were telling him that what he’d stumbled upon could be big. Big enough that he knew he had to venture out of retirement to contact William Melrose and arrange what he hoped would pass to his wife as nothing more than a relaxing vacation and a chance encounter with an old business associate.

Except that towards the end, his wife had grown weary of his chosen career and all of the drama that had ensued. So much so that it had nearly cost him his marriage.

He could only pray that this little adventure went smooth as silk and that they glided the waves of the ocean with hardly a care.

Then why was his gut churning and his brain trying to piece the puzzle together regarding this Stemwinder thing? He didn’t know exactly what it entailed, wasn’t sure that he wanted to know really, but his gut told him that what he’d been given could be big, dangerous, and maybe even messy.

The quicker he handed it over to Lancer, the better.

With a sigh he retrieved his half-empty bottle of antacids from his bag. Suddenly he was glad that Gladys had insisted on packing more than one bottle of them for their anniversary cruise.

Lee Stetson sat quietly on the plane flight to Florida, alternating between thinking and observing his partner. While her demeanor towards him hadn’t been unfriendly it certainly had lacked most of the usual exuberance that was so uniquely Amanda.

She’d chatted politely with Jeannie within the confines of the Agency sedan on the way to the airport and, while she might have pulled off a fairly good job for an amateur observer, he knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t in her comfort zone.

Regretfully, Lee had to acknowledge that the blame was his. His intention had been nothing more than demonstrate to Amanda that he cared for her, to let her know that he was finally ready to move past the emotional barriers that had kept them apart. Lee knew he hadn’t planned on the emotional strength of that one kiss so swiftly and so powerfully dozing those walls down to little more than dust anymore than Amanda had.

It had been too emotionally powerful and far too abrupt of a giant step for them to take.

At least that was what he kept telling himself.

Amanda had once said that with love one had to be patient. Well, he knew he was in love with her and Lord knew she’d been far more patient with him since they’d met than any one individual deserved.

She was here, sitting beside him on the plane. They were headed to Florida to board a cruise ship, to work on a case, milkrun of an assignment that it was. That spoke volumes to him. Amanda may have pulled away but she hadn’t fled completely. Maybe somewhere in the midst of this case he’d find a way to handle this.

Sitting beside him on the plane had been complete torture. Knowing that she would be spending the next few days working beside him was far worse. She’d been up all night, tossing and turning, her mind spinning in a million directions.

She would have loved to turn Mr. Melrose down when he’d inquired about her availability. In the end, she knew she couldn’t. He’d been kind enough and far too polite when he’d granted her request to spend most of the last two weeks with her sons during their last days of school and the first of their summer vacation without interrogating her too much.

Amanda had hoped that her bluff of being with Philip and Jamie before they left with Joe for a two week camping trip was enough, but then this was her boss so who did she think she was kidding?

Sooner or later she’d have to deal with the problem and she and Lee would need to have a very in-depth conversation. Perhaps this time together, away from almost all of the usual interrupters would be kind to them.

The cabin steward had no more than departed their cabin before Amanda spoke, her tone revealing to Lee just exactly what she thought of their accommodations.

"I thought you said that Mr. Melrose had booked us adjoining cabins?"

"Look, Amanda, this mix-up wasn’t Billy’s fault. It was a simple mistake. If you want, I’ll arrange for a rollaway. Lord knows I’m not going to fit in that," he informed her as he pointed to the love seat that sat near the cabin’s window.

He knew better than to even suggest that they share the bed, though the king size would have left them more than enough room.

"I’m not asking you to take that," she retorted while massaging her temples with her fingers. To his eyes, she looked slightly pale.

"You’re not going to get seasick on me, are you?" Lee asked her.

"Oh," she exclaimed loudly. "No, I am not going to get seasick. I have a headache, I’m tired, and I want to take a nap. Heaven forbid that Amanda doesn’t feel up to Scarecrow standards, it is, after all, a matter of national security. Though I really don’t understand why we have to be here, you could have come alone, or you could have brought Francine, or Mr. Melrose could have,"

"A-man-da," Lee interrupted, "I have Tylenol," he offered as he sat down slowly on the bed beside her, careful not to invade her personal space.

She looked at him and gave him a weak smile.

"I’ve been so busy with the boys, run here, run there, and I didn’t sleep well last night, and I’m really sorry because I know I shouldn’t be taking that out on you."

"Let me get you that Tylenol and then I’ll go check in with Billy."

He rose from the bed. Lee supposed this was a start, she had quit rambling and ranting and though her smile was weak in comparison to normal, she also hadn’t tossed him off the bed.

"Did Mr. Melrose say anything else in regards to this case?" she asked.

He returned to stand in front of her and handed her the small bottle of pain relievers.

"I don’t know anything more than you do, other than his contact insisted on two agents and chose this cruise."

"He could have picked a nice luxury hotel getaway," Amanda said.

To Lee’s ears she might as well have said that this was the place on earth that she wanted to be. Right now would be a very good time to give her some space and later, he’d keep his fingers crossed that they’d have some private time for that discussion that they desperately needed.

"Go on, take a nap and let me go check in with Billy, OK?"

She nodded and Lee made his way to the door. Just before he exited their cabin he turned back towards her.

"If you need me for anything, that’s where I’ll be, OK?"

Amanda gave him a small smile.

"Thanks," she offered.

With that, Lee closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in their cabin. Despite the fact that there were people about in the hallway and that the cruise had been booked, Lee felt very much alone.

O’Lansky double checked the bottom of his shaving cream can again, making sure that the false bottom was secure. It would do him no good to have arranged this meet just to find out that the information hadn’t made the trip to the ship along with him.

He chuckled as he thought of all the unique and creative methods that that young bloke Leatherneck had managed to tinker into being.

Now, all he had to do was ensure that he could catch up with Lancer and pass it off while not drawing unwanted suspicion from his wife Gladys or any other non-American spooks who just might be meandering upon this ship.

And, he didn’t doubt that there would be.

It was a ship; there would be spies, no doubt about it.

Again the elder man chuckled.

"Ships, spies, and lies," he mumbled as he placed the can back with his toiletry items and headed out to rejoin his wife, who no doubt was in a hurry to go spy about in her own unique, gossipy way.

"I can’t tell you anything more Scarecrow. Stemwinder is big; sure to be the hottest ticket once it reaches final stage, estimated to happen by late summer. All I can say is communication network, nuclear attack and the Russians, it seems, are trying to gain access to front row seating."

"And we don’t want them in the same stadium?"

"No," Billy confirmed.

"Do you think what O’Lansky’s got is good?"

"I don’t have any doubts. The man’s retired, trying to rebuild his marriage, which nearly atomized itself several years ago. He wouldn’t have contacted us unless what he’d stumbled upon was well worth it to the United States."

Lee ran his hand through his hair, his mind obviously working round this.

"Let me ask this," Lee began, "how does an old agent, retired no less, just stumble upon this?"

Billy laughed.

"Let’s just say that O’Lansky always had a unique talent for just, uhm, blundering into things. Not unlike someone else we know. Speaking of which, how is Amanda doing?"

"I told you, she’ll be fine. She took some Tylenol, she’ll get some sleep, she’ll be fine."

"That’s not what I’m asking, Scarecrow," Billy pushed.

"William," Jeannie’s soft voice echoed from across the suite where she’d been pretending to read a novel while the boys talked shop.

"Jeannie," Billy returned.

"Oh hush, old man," she muttered as she placed her book down and stood up. She walked over to them and stood there, looking at her husband and shaking her head sadly.

"Haven’t you learned by now when there’s trouble in paradise, you wait until the parties involved are ready to discuss it? It does no good to push the issue any sooner."

Lee sighed heavily.

"Jeannie, I appreciate what you think that you’re trying to accomplish, but there is no trouble in paradise because there is nothing going on between Amanda and me. Strictly business, we’re p-a-r-t-n-e-r-s, partners." The latter part Lee spoke while directing his gaze more at his boss than the boss’s wife.

Lee stood up.

"I really need to be going. I have a partner that I should check on, you know, in case that headache turns into a migraine. See you two at dinner."

With that Lee excused himself.

Once the door had shut behind the younger man, Jeannie tisked, tisked at her husband.

"Well, that went over well, don’t you think?"

Billy huffed.

"Amanda doesn’t have a history of migraines, if she did, I’d know about it," was all that he said.

Lee Stetson stood in front of the door that would take him into the cabin he would be sharing with Amanda for the next six nights. A part of him was eager to get inside and check on his partner while another part of him was hesitant to disturb her. What if she wasn’t asleep, what if his company was not what she desired?

Odd, how just a few weeks ago they couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. They had grown closer rapidly in the last few months, something he thought that they both wanted and maybe even needed.

Now, he found himself slightly unsure and if there was anything Scarecrow detested most, it was the feeling of being in uncertain waters. He was a man of control, a take charge kind of guy. His entire relationship with Amanda had changed all of that, it had changed him.

As quietly as he could, he opened the door and slipped inside. One look at her sleeping form on the bed brought an instant smile to his handsome face.

She’d discarded both her white linen jacket and her shoes and was now lying upon the bed sleeping.

Any signs of stress had been erased from her face, replaced by a slight smile.

Her white skirt had ridden up slightly, exposing even more to his greedy eyes. His eyes took in her long legs, stocking clad, and he couldn’t help but think that there was nothing sexier than a woman with great legs showcased by the sheer hosiery.

The navy blue of her blouse contrasted nicely with her bare arms and the neckline gave him the briefest glimpse of tempting cleavage. Lord, she was absolutely beautiful, he thought.

Then his eyes settled on something else she was wearing and he sighed heavily. Now adorning her left hand were the rings that symbolized their partnership on this case. Another cover as man and wife, the pushing together of their relationship at the hands of their boss, who, Lee was beginning to suspect, possessed an odd kind of twisted sense of humor.

His mind drifted back to the last time he and Amanda had gone undercover on a cruise. They’d boarded the ship as two separate people, nothing more than business associates, and yet before the case was over he’d slipped not only an engagement ring on her hand but a wedding band as well.

He remembered with all too vivid recall that kiss, in front of the minister who’d been performing all of that day’s weddings in rapid procession, one after another.

Never had Lee Stetson been so terrified to kiss a woman and yet Amanda’s dark eyes, once he’d lifted her veil had erased that fear. Dark pools filled with trust had met his own questioning hazel eyes and his lips had claimed hers in a sweet kiss that had only hinted at the promise of what they could have, if both would have only been brave enough to hazard a step forward.

That had been a little over sixteen months ago. On that day, when he’d taken her as his wife under the pretense of a cover, he couldn’t have guessed at the changes that would have taken place. How far they’d come and yet now, when he’d been given a larger taste of what it could be, she had backed away.

Lee had to forcefully command his brain to not go there. He wasn’t sure when or how, but he knew that he would sit down with her and get her to talk about what was going on. He had no other choice.

Note: I visited the Princess Cruises website to garner a little info to make the cruise details as realistic as my twisted mind could do.

Enjoy!

Their first dinner aboard the Imperial Princess was enjoyed at the Sterling Steakhouse, sampling what the cruise line had promised to be a more refined approach to the traditional steakhouse aboard the high seas.

Hands down, Lee had to agree with Billy when he said it even topped the beer and steaks at Randy’s.

Their table had seating for eight but only one other couple was placed with them, a delightful husband and wife in their eighties. They were delightful company; a crackerjack of a couple that still sparkled with the gentle radiance of newlyweds, even after decades of marriage.

In no time at all, Jeannie made friends with them, and to Lee’s delight, even Amanda had opened up to them and seemed to be having a wonderful time. She’d been quiet and very reserved after waking up from her nap and Lee had worried about her being able to go along with their cover.

But, in true Amanda fashion, she surprised him. For the first time in weeks, she allowed him the closeness that they had shared, even letting him hold her hand. He gently caressed her with his fingers, hoping to convey to her without words that he was there and that he cared and that he was not going anywhere.

While waiting for their steaks to arrive after a fabulous salad, Lee took the opportunity to just watch Amanda.

In his eyes, she was gorgeous.

She wore a sweet little version of the traditional black dress that began with a halter-top styled bodice and ended with a tea-length skirt that swirled about when she walked. Lee wasn’t sure what he appreciated most about the dress, the way it teased by allowing a tantalizing view of her back and showcased her great legs or the way that it clung endearingly to her soft curves and emphasized the great body she had.

To say the least, it was an eye-catcher, judging by the way more than a few male eyes settled on her as the evening progressed.

She’d worn her hair up and he found himself longing to touch the soft tendrils that framed her face or to tease her by playing with the dangling black earrings that graced her ears.

Did she even have any idea what she was doing to him, sitting beside him looking so classically beautiful and yet so very sexy in an understated way?

Their waiter’s return interrupted his silent visual indulgence of his partner’s best assets and he was forced to acknowledge the loss of contact with her, now that the main course was here.

But the night was still young and there was no telling what might transpire.

"Billy Melrose!"

All seated at the table looked up to see an older man and his wife approaching their table.

"Charles O’Lansky!" Billy stood up and greeted the man with a handshake.

"And Gladys, how good to see you."

"William," the woman acknowledged, not as friendly as her husband’s greeting.

Billy didn’t miss a beat, ignoring the woman’s less than inspirational hello.

"You remember my wife, Jeannie," he said.

Charles leaned down and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek.

"Best Christmas fruitcake in all of DC," he said with a grin.

"Hello Charles, good to see you," Jeannie said.

"Gladys, you remember Billy’s wife, Jeannie," the man said.

Gladys nodded. "I do."

"Hello Gladys, its been such a long time," Jeannie rambled on, knowing the reason behind Gladys’ coolness and fully intent on putting the woman at ease. "My goodness, what have you both been up to? I see you must be enjoying retirement, obviously since you’re here on the cruise."

Charles laughed.

"She better be enjoying it, do you know what a chunk this cruise bit out of my savings?"

"Oh hush, Charles, it did no such thing," Gladys scolded him.

"Sit down, join us," Billy offered.

Charles glanced around the table. The elderly couple he’d never seen before, nor the pretty brunette, but he surely recognized the other man.

"Lee Stetson? Times must be tough Billy, keeping a scoundrel like him on the payroll."

While Charles and Gladys made themselves at home at the table, Billy spoke.

"Oh yes, he’s still a scoundrel, but he’s good," Billy shrugged, "so we keep him."

"Hey!" Lee exclaimed.

Laughter floated round the table.

"And who’s the lovely doll with you Lee?"

Lee looked at Amanda and smiled.

Sticking to their cover, he spoke. "Charles, this is my wife Amanda. Amanda, Charles used to work at IFF, until he retired in pursuit of better things."

"Nice to meet you," Amanda said.

"Married? Good Lord, times have changed," Charles said in mock shock, his eyes twinkling with merriment. "You must be a angel, to put up with the scoundrel here," Charles told her.

Lee draped his arm around Amanda, pulling her close.

"She’s very special," Lee proclaimed.

Without hesitation, both Lee and Amanda leaned towards each other, Lee placing a soft kiss on her lips and then giving her a wicked wink as he pulled away.

"Aren’t they darling? By the way, I’m Bessie and this is my husband Gregory."

Charles smiled at the older couple who had been seated at the table with the contingency from the Agency.

"Evening Bessie, evening Gregory. Yes, they are darling together. I must admit, I’m shocked. You see I knew Lee in his younger days, quite the, uhm, well," his voice trailed off as he chuckled.

"Time have changed," Lee interjected quickly.

"I’ve always said that behind every good man is a great angel of patience," Bessie commented.

"Oh, indeed," Jeannie agreed.

Billy gave his wife a very quizzical look.

"You’ve had your moments, Mr. Melrose," Jeannie told him.

"Don’t remind me," he grumbled lowly.

"So Lee," Charles spoke, "where did you meet Amanda at?"

"She’s actually employed by IFF, she’s my partner."

"Oh," Charles now understood. "That’s very nice."

"Married and work together," Bessie gushed. "Isn’t that sweet Gregory?"

Her husband just nodded indulgently. Far be it from him to say anything when Bessie was in that romance rules mindset.

"I’ve got the best of both worlds," Lee said as he leaned back in for another kiss, making sure this one lasted a bit longer than the first. After all, he was never one to let an opportunity slip by and Lord knew, right now he needed each and every chance he could grab.

To his amusement, Amanda blushed and ducked her head shyly.

Bessie sighed. "Oh, dear, they’re so darling together, aren’t they Jeannie? Why, my goodness, can you just imagine what beautiful babies they’d make?"

Amanda nearly choked on the sip of wine she’d been taking and Lee’s hazel eyes widened Considerably.

"Ah, oh," he stammered.

"Amanda already has two handsome sons," Jeannie quickly put in, "from her first marriage."

Bessie smiled as though she’d not witnessed any reaction to her statement.

"Did you find it hard to step into the role of stepfather?" Gregory asked.

Lee gulped and looked at Amanda for help.

This was not the evening he had anticipated.

"Finally," Lee whispered into his partner’s ear as they danced in one of the clubs on board, soft mellow sounds of jazz having a soothing effect on both of their rattled nerves.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"You know Amanda, I am really sorry," he told her.

Amanda looked up at him and smiled.

"It isn’t your fault Lee." She shrugged. "Besides, Bessie is kind of cute."

"Cute!"

Lee shook his head.

"Amanda, I don’t know what your idea of cute is, but between her and Jeannie, well let’s just say that I figured we stood a better chance of scrutiny under Dr. Smyth’s magnifying glass."

Lee had to chuckle when Amanda actually shuddered.

Then he happened to glance towards the entrance of the club and groaned.

"What?" Amanda whispered.

"Don’t look now, but they’re back."

Lee swiveled them just enough so that Amanda could see and she groaned as well.

"By now I’m sure they’ve got the nursery patterns all picked out," she said with dismay.

"Ever heard of evasive maneuvers?" Lee asked.

Amanda raised her head to meet his gaze.

"You’re thinking what I’m thinking?"

"Probably," Lee nodded.

"Absolutely," she agreed at the same time as Lee took her hand in his.

This night had gone on long enough, as far as Scarecrow and Mrs. King were concerned and if drastic measures were needed, then Amanda was all for it.

Nobody had paid the foursome sitting at a far table within the club any heed, which was exactly what they had wanted. Every so often the pretty blonde would follow the eyes of the older dark-haired man and very subtly pull out her compact.

Then, when he gave the signal she and her boyfriend bid farewell and headed back to their cabin.

Once inside, she headed straight for the bathroom and placed the compact very carefully into the special case, hand designed to protect it and the valuable information within back to their Mother Russia.

After that was done, she tugged off the blonde wig and allowed her long dark hair to fall down her back. A quick run through with her silver brush made her feel normal again. She finished getting ready for bed and rejoined her boyfriend.

After a few passionate kisses she sat down on the bed, inviting him to join her. Then she spoke, in Russian.

"Grandfather will be pleased and my job here is done. The rest remains for Cherniov to complete. Now that we have what they wanted, the path to obtaining Stemwinder can be set in motion, and we, my love, can enjoy the rest of the cruise."

They kissed again and fell back on the bed, knowing exactly how they were going to enjoy their time.

By the time they managed to dodge everybody and escape into the privacy of their own cabin, Lee Stetson could tell that Amanda’s patience had been severely tested this evening. She sat down on the bed and began massaging her temples, prompting him to frown.

Immediately he turned his concern into action and within moments, Amanda was accepting the bottle of Tylenol from him.

"Thank you," she told him.

He sat down beside and sighed wearily.

"I am really sorry about tonight, but you were wonderful Amanda," he told her.

"Really?"

She shook her head. "This is more than I bargained for Scarecrow."

Lee stood up and paced for a few seconds before deciding on his plan of action.

"Look, Amanda, I, uhm, well, you know," he began awkwardly. "I know you probably want to get some sleep and I’m still pretty wound, so, I, ah, well, if you don’t mind, I might go check out the casino."

She shrugged.

"If that’s what you want, no problem. I’ll see you in the morning."

With that, she rose from the bed and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and dismissing him and any possible discussion they might have had.

"Amanda," he whispered, "I swear, before this is all over I’m going to find out exactly what is going on inside that pretty little head of yours."

Little did he know that Amanda had backed up against the bathroom door and now stood there nearly in tears, wondering to herself if she could make things right between them or if she was ruining what had taken them so long to get to.

Sometime after midnight, Jeannie Melrose joined her husband under the covers, yawning repeatedly as the long day had exhausted her.

"Whew," she sighed.

Billy laughed as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Getting too old to keep up with the young ones?"

"Hush, old man. I didn’t see you wasting any time crawling into bed. It has been a long day," she agreed. "So, when are you going to accomplish your mission?"

"Need to know Jeannie, need to know."

"Yada, yada, yada, and I don’t need to know. You’re a wicked man, Melrose."

"Hmm, I didn’t hear you complaining when I invited you along."

"Well, I’m glad you did. I think Amanda’s going to need a little female company this time around."

Billy was almost afraid to ask her, but he did anyway.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, the poor dear. I mean, she handled herself very well at dinner tonight and I don’t need to be a spy to know what was going on."

"What was going on?"

Jeannie practically snorted. "Old man, you try my patience. You know damn well what’s going on with your agents, you always do. You are not going to lie there and pretend for even one second that you don’t know they’ve fallen and fallen pretty hard, I might add, for one another."

She rolled over to look at him and even in the dim light, he knew she was scrutinizing him very closely.

"Why do you do it?"

Billy sighed. "Do what, Jeannie, sweetheart?"

"Toss them together, case after case?"

"Because they’re two of my best and they work well together. Besides, I thought they both deserved a break. After the last two cases, which, though you don’t have a need to know but I’ll tell you anyhow, they proved to me without a doubt just how efficient of a team they are. O’Lansky needed to know that he had the best here, that tells me that what he has in his grubby paws is good, damned good. For that, I needed the best and that is Lee and Amanda. I don’t anticipate any trouble, if I did, you wouldn’t be here. This was supposed to be more of a joy ride for Lee and Amanda, a well-earned break, Agency’s expense."

"Well, I can tell you she’s not too thrilled with the room situation."

"Jeannie, that’s not my fault and you know it. If I could get them adjoining cabins, anywhere on this ship, I would. But I can’t, it’s booked solid, and I know Amanda, if I have her too far from Lee, she’ll manage to somehow find trouble, she always does."

"Don’t push either of them too hard, William Melrose, or you just might have a disaster on your hands. I get the feeling that if you push her too hard, she’ll bolt. I don’t think you want that."

"Its not me you’ve got to worry about, its more Lee and even Amanda herself."

"He loves her," Jeannie said.

"I know that."

"She loves him."

"I know that too, I’m their Section Chief, remember?"

"Who would have ever thought, Lee Stetson seriously in love?" Jeannie asked.

"I’ll tell you when I thought it, it was right after the first time they unofficially worked together. Oh, I thought they were something, heck even Francine teased Lee about them being darling together. But there was something there, even then. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but somehow I just knew that if I gave Amanda the chance and could keep Lee from balking too much that it just might work."

"You’re a despicable man, you know that?"

"Hey, you know I’m right. And it certainly took them both long enough to get on the same page, although I have to admit its been nothing less than interesting watching them develop and grow. I feel like I’ve watched Lee grow up, he’s like a son, almost. Amanda’s changed him, brought out the best in him. He’s more cautious, less cocky, and a hell of a lot better at playing within the strategy instead of winging it."

"I thought you said that was one of his assets, the ability to adapt in a heartbeat."

"It is a good asset but only when you use it to your advantage. I swear before Amanda entered the picture he was a man hell-bent on his own self-destruction."

"I hope this doesn’t backfire," Jeannie replied, "because even though they make a great professional team and I’m sure they’ll be just as good on a personal level, I’m not sure that Amanda’s ready. In fact, although it sounds ridiculous, Lee’s far more ready for this than she is."

Billy chuckled as he leaned over and kissed his wife.

"Anybody ever tell you that you talk too much?" he mumbled.

"Old man," she grumbled before returning his kiss.

Running water awoke Lee Stetson and his groggy mind began registering the fact that it was morning. He scrubbed his hands over his face and groaned.

"I hate mornings," he grumbled aloud.

He’d spent until the wee hours of the morning in the casino, playing on the same fifty dollars until he finally couldn’t keep his eyes open and he was down to five. Then he’d practically crawled back to cabin, thankful that Amanda had been soundly sleeping.

He knew he shouldn’t be complaining already, the day hadn’t even started and he knew that Amanda would have the more stressful morning. She’d fallen victim to the coercing of Jeannie and Bessie to accompany them on a morning adventure of visiting the ship’s multitude of boutiques.

Lee shook his head.

At this rate, they wouldn’t be any further towards resolving whatever issues Amanda had than before they had embarked on this little assignment.

"Milkrun my foot," Lee muttered as he slipped out of bed and stretched his achy body. He must be getting out of shape, he thought, remembering a time not that long ago when he could have partied until the wee hours of the morning and still put in a full day at the Agency.

Jeannie kept a cautious eye on Amanda all morning and, when Bessie decided to join her husband for lunch; she did her best to ensure the older woman that they didn’t mind. Bessie was a sweet, dear little lady who, like Jeannie, had a very romantic soul, but Jeannie knew when Amanda had had enough.

So, finally, she had some time alone with Amanda and she chose what looked at the moment to be a quiet little place called the Horizon Court.

As they waited for their salads to arrive she made the small talk pleasant, prompting Amanda to discuss her purchases for the boys and her mother.

Philip and Jamie proved to be just the distraction Amanda needed and soon she was laughing as she discussed their latest antics. Jeannie had raised two daughters instead but teenage children were still prone to the most bizarre behavior, gender not mattering.

When she thought the time was appropriate, Jeannie ventured into deeper waters.

"Billy told me briefly, what he thought I could know, about you and Lee being assigned another cruise. Are you getting to enjoy this one a little more?"

Amanda looked down at her ice tea for a moment, an obvious pause before answering.

"I guess so, I mean its early, we haven’t even docked at our first port yet."

"True, tomorrow we dock at St. Maarten, you’ll love it Amanda," Jeannie told her.

"Yeah," she replied.

Ah, Jeannie thought to herself, here we go.

"Amanda, what’s troubling you?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly.

"I know we don’t know each other very well, but I can tell there’s something bothering Amanda. I am a mother, you know, and we always can tell."

"Have you been talking to my Mother?" Amanda quizzed back.

"I would, if I thought it would help."

Jeannie took a sip of her own drink before continuing.

"Something tells me that there are an awful lot of things going on in her little girl’s life that she hasn’t a clue about."

Amanda frowned.

"Yeah."

Jeannie reached over and patted her hand comfortingly.

"Amanda, I know what this business is like. Oh, I know I don’t know it from the inside the way you and Billy and Lee do, but I’ve lived it just the same. I know enough to know that you have to have somebody that you can go to, somebody that you can count on to help pull you through the rough waters. Billy always preaches about not getting emotionally involved, in not forming permanent and lasting attachments, some psycho-babble about it not being healthy."

Amanda nodded.

"That’s about text book."

"Let me tell you, my husband, old man that he is, doesn’t necessarily follow that damned text book. If he did, he probably would have been dead a long time ago or at least cracked. Amanda, you and Lee depend on each other, help each other?"

There, Jeannie saw the flickering range of emotions in Amanda’s eyes. Now was the time to pounce.

She left Amanda a few quiet seconds, time that Amanda didn’t use to respond.

Jeannie sighed as she patted Amanda’s hand again.

"You’re in love with him."

Finally, Bessie's dear husband decided that he had enough gambling and winning, no less, to suit his morning and he ventured off to meet his wife for lunch, allowing Billy, Lee, and Charles the first

opportunity to sit down and discuss what exactly it was that Charles had discovered.

They found a nice secluded table inside one the little establishments and ordered sandwiches and beer. Then they settled into agent mode.

Billy wasted no time.

"O.K. Charles, we're here, now tell me why?"

"Well, its no secret that Gladys moved me out of DC the very second I retired, though why she wanted to go back to her hometown in Pennsylvania is beyond me. Altoona," he groaned, "the most boring little town you'll ever know. One dinky mall, one K-Mart and a McDonald's, no night-life, no excitement, no beer and steaks at Randy's. I tell you, I miss being in the thick of things."

Lee and Billy both smiled indulgently at the older man, knowing he'd eventually ramble his way into the details that they wanted.

Charles leaned back in his seat and took a good long sip of his beer then smiled appreciatively.

"Of course, I have my marriage, I guess that's what matters most."

Charles then turned towards Lee with a grin on his face.

"Your partner's quite easy on the eyes, Scarecrow. Though I take it there's really no marriage?"

Lee shook his head.

"Amanda's Agency, agent in training."

Charles gave Billy an inquisitive look then glanced back at Lee and shook his head.

"You'll never wise up, will ya, you scoundrel?"

"Charlie, business?" Lee pushed.

"Younger generation, they have no patience," the man mumbled.

"Sure, sure. Well, a couple of weeks ago Gladys finally gave in and we drove down to visit an old friend of hers. They wanted lunch; I drove up the street to this little deli. While I was inside waiting

on our sandwiches I happened to overhear a conversation between these two fellows at one of the tables."

As their waiter approached the table, he quickly changed topics, choosing to ramble about his wife's spending habits instead, until they were alone.

Then, he took a bite out of his sandwich, keeping both Lee and Billy still patiently waiting.

"And?" Billy prompted.

"They were gibbering, in Russian, no less."

Lee shook his head.

"Do you know how many people in DC speak Russian?"

"Scarecrow, would you let an old man finish?" Charles replied as he shook his head. "Young scoundrel."

"Anyhow, they were saying about having a shopping list to complete. Only their list wasn't groceries."

He leaned in towards Billy and spoke in a hushed tone.

"They were talking about obtaining American frequencies for something called Stemwinder," Charles whispered. Then he leaned back and drank heartily from his beer.

"Then what happened?" Lee pressed.

"Have you not read your instruction manual on surveillance yet, dear boy? Gee William, is he really worth what you pay him?"

"O'Lansky, what did you do next?" Billy asked.

"I got their plates; I had an old friend run their plates. Their sedan screamed Russian and they were eager, quite eager to get whatever this Stemwinder is."

"Yeah Billy, what is Stemwinder?" Lee asked.

"Need to know," Billy whispered.

"Great, you've got me here on something that I don't know anything about, when I could be back in DC working on a million things that I do know about."

"Since when have you ever turned down a cruise assignment?" Billy retorted.

"Especially when his partner is a real doll," Charles added.

"Would you leave Amanda out of this?" Lee shouted.

"Testy, testy," Charles said. "Did you Amanda have a quibble last night?"

Lee exhaled, mentally counting to about three before he spoke.

When he spoke it was in a hushed tone, low enough so that only the old man and Billy could hear.

"Amanda is my partner and no, we did not quibble last night. Now, for the last time, can we please decide what it is that you so urgently need to make sure doesn't fall into the wrong hands so that

I can maybe, just maybe, go enjoy this little government paid vacation?"

"Psychological issues," Charles grumbled. "Deep-rooted."

"OK, Dr. Pfaff, if we can cut to the chase here, I'd like to get this rolling. I have a very nosy wife onboard this ship."

"They want the frequencies and somebody's added them to their grocery list, somebody on the other side. They're gonna find access to this, no matter who they have to find. I won't tell you how I found out, cause Gladys will kill me if she ever finds out I stuck my nose into Agency business anyhow, but I've got the names of who the major buyers are. You get to them and protect the store, they've got nothing to purchase."

"Where's the list?" Billy asked.

"In my cabin."

"Well then, come on; let's go get it. Lee, keep a discreet distance, eyes wide open."

"You got it."

The two older gentlemen excused themselves from the table, leaving Lee behind. A few moments later, he too slipped out.

Along the wall of the establishment, a dark-haired man who had blended in quite easily with the others at his table smiled slightly.

It always did help to know who was on the other team, he thought.

** - I have no creativity for Russian names. I apologize. Enjoy anyway???

Cherniov Yaguden knocked loudly on a cabin door that he knew he should not be seen anywhere near.

Still, it was important.

So, here he was.

Finally it opened, revealing a pretty young woman wearing a towel around her head as well as one around her supple young body, making him wish he were about twenty years younger.

She gave him a very cold look, but he spoke quickly and quietly.

"The mission may have been compromised. Take this for Stemwinder, I have never seen you, you have never seen me."

With that, he pressed something cold and metallic into her palm and left, rapidly walking down the corridor away from her.

She twisted the object around, not recognizing it but positive that it too, would have to be packed safely. Then it came to her, whatever it was, would fit into an emptied tube of lipstick.

If nothing else, they had trained her to be prepared.