"Ah, there you are, Scarecrow. I've been looking for you."
Lee whirled, a split second of panic registering on his face before he began backing away hastily. "Oh. Hi. Good to see you. Sorry, I can't stay, but I'm . . . uh . . . late . . . for an appointment. Uh, bye . . ." With that, he spun and dove out of the doors of the bullpen, leaving Billy Melrose, Francine Desmond, and Amanda King staring after him, open-mouthed.
Finally, Billy turned to the newcomer and asked, "What the hell did you do to *him*, Pfaff?"
Martin Pfaff, senior psychotherapist for the Agency, took a bite of his ice cream bar and smiled. "Not a thing . . . yet."
Slowly Francine began to grin as Billy replied, "Yet?"
"He's due for his psychiatric evaluation again, isn't he?" Francine asked wickedly.
"Overdue," Pfaff replied. "And as you can see, he's been ducking me every chance he gets."
Billy sighed. "I'll talk to him."
"Get him into my office, Melrose. I really don't want to have to pull him off the active roster."
"I said I'd talk to him. I'd suggest you keep after him, too. Lee's stubborn and a little pressure from all of us is probably a good idea. Amanda, can you . . . "
"Yes, sir. I'll say something to him about it, too."
"We'll get him in there one way or the other."
"Excellent. Later, all."
"Good luck," Francine commented, still grinning.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hang on, Scarecrow," Billy called to Lee later that day as the other agents filed out of the conference room following a mission briefing. "I need a word with you."
Obediently, Lee paused. "Why don't you go on up to Q Bureau. I'll be along in a minute," he said to Amanda, who smiled and nodded. Turning back, he asked cheerfully, "What's up?"
Billy rested one hip on the conference room table, folded his arms across his chest and frowned at his best agent. "I'm told that you're ducking your bi-annual psychiatric exam."
"Aw, Billy. You know those are just a waste of time."
"I don't know that . . ."
"Furthermore, I'm buried right now. Amanda and I are still trying to tie up the Fletcher case, she's got that background security thing to do to renew the government license on Stanton Electronics, I'm trying to backtrack that Asian extremist group that's rumored to be planning something, and Smyth's on my case about activity reports. I need every hour of my day just to cope with all of that stuff. I simply don't have time for Pfaff's head games."
"Lee, you know that these exams are mandatory every two years. You're already almost two months overdue for this thing and if you think Pfaff's going to let it slide after discovering the way you ducked the annual physical, you're delusional." Billy shook his head. "You are the only man I know who can interpret "annual" to mean once every three to four years, and then only when you're forced into it."
"I just *hate* doctors and hospitals!"
"That may be, but you have to get this done." Suddenly, Billy's gaze sharpened. "Unless you have something to hide . . ."
"Oh, come on, Billy!" Lee replied forcefully, but at the same time, his eyes slid away uneasily.
Melrose leaned forward quickly, suddenly looking concerned. "Is there something wrong? Something you aren't telling anyone?"
"There's absolutely nothing wrong, Billy! I swear."
"Scarecrow . . ."
Lee held up his left hand and placed his right over his heart. "Scout's honor, Billy!"
Billy snorted, leaning back again with an unwilling smile tugging at his mouth. "Don't give me that. You were *never* a boy scout."
Lee grinned at his boss, trying his best to look forthright and honest. "Amanda tells me that it would be a good idea for me to start thinking more like one. I'm just trying to follow her advice."
"Oh, go on, get out of here. Just get the damned thing done before Pfaff follows through on his threat and pulls you off the active duty roster."
"Will you *please* try to talk with him and get him to back off, at least for a little while longer? I meant what I said . . . now really is a bad time."
"I'll talk to him, but don't plan on it having any effect. Now, go. I've got work to do."
With a wave, Lee left the conference room and headed toward the door on the far end of the bullpen. Noting that it was a little before five, he wondered if he could convince Amanda to go for an early dinner. He had meant what he told Billy, their work schedules had been seriously frantic recently. What he couldn't say was that it had been almost three weeks since he and his wife had had a chance for a quiet dinner alone, and even longer than that since they'd spent a night together. He considered asking her to stay with him at the apartment that night, but put the idea aside even before it was fully formed. It was Monday night. Lee knew she would want to be home with the boys, and he didn't want to put her into the position of feeling like she had to choose between them.
It had been over nine months now since the wedding, and both of them were finding this secret marriage more and more difficult to deal with. It seemed like they never had any time for themselves. From the beginning, they knew that their highest priority would have to be to get Dottie, Phillip and Jamie accustomed to his presence. Dottie and Phillip hadn't been a problem. He had liked Dottie from the beginning, and generally enjoyed her tendency to mother him. And Phillip . . . well, he and Phillip were so much alike that they had just naturally hit it off. But it had been tough going with Jamie. The boy had seriously resented his presence and for a while, Lee had wondered if Jamie would ever accept him. It had taken a lot of time and effort to break through the anger and fear that Lee's relationship with his mother had obviously triggered. Over the last couple of months, though, things had improved dramatically, and Lee finally felt that he was starting to get on firm ground with the boy.
Unfortunately, rather than making things easier, it had only seemed to make them worse. With acceptance had come welcome and, even more importantly, an obvious desire by Amanda's entire family to spend time with him. It was almost routine now for him to pick Amanda up in the morning and take her in to work so that Dottie could have the car. In the evening, he would take her home again and end up spending the evening at the house on Maplewood Drive. And while he loved that time, it was becoming increasingly difficult for both of them when the time came for him to leave.
*"Scarecrow!"* Lee blinked, startled out of his reverie by the sharp call. Focusing, he suddenly realized that Francine was clutching his arm, trying to drag him to a stop.
"What?"
"Good heavens, Lee, where were you? I chased you halfway across the bullpen and I swear you didn't hear a word I said."
"Sorry, Francine. I was thinking. Did you need something?"
"I wanted to let you know that Pfaff was here looking for you again. He's passing the word that if you aren't in his office for your bi-annual exam by the end of this week, he's going to pull you off the active duty roster."
Lee waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I just heard it from Billy. He's going to talk to Pfaff and see if he can buy me some more time. The workload in Q Bureau is just too heavy right now for me to be able to spare the time."
"Uh huh. I've heard that one before."
"I'm serious," Lee responded irritably. "We're buried."
"Okay, okay. I'm just trying to warn you that I don't know how long Pfaff will tolerate being put off." Francine looked at him, suddenly anxious. "There isn't a problem is there, Lee? I mean, you're not trying to hide anything from him, are you?"
"What could I possibly have to hide?" he asked evasively.
Francine eyed him doubtfully. Finally, she said, "Well, okay. Just don't push him too far. Q Bureau will really be in trouble if Amanda ends up having to run it all by herself."
"I won't. Thanks for the warning!" With a wave, he turned and left the bullpen, his mind once more occupied with thoughts of dinner with his wife.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was almost 11:30 p.m. before Amanda arrived at the house on Maplewood Drive. She sighed wearily as she closed the door behind her and wished for about the hundredth time that she could have taken Lee up on the offer of a romantic early dinner. Unfortunately, she simply couldn't. She'd promised her mother she'd be home by 6:00 to help with dinner since Dottie was going out that night. After that, Amanda had a PTA meeting that she simply couldn't miss. Her local PTA chapter was currently at war with the School Board over allocation of funds. The School Board wanted to use the capital money in the budget to build a new gym for the basketball team, but a large group of the parents were protesting the project. The school already had a perfectly good gym and the parents wanted the money spent on new computers and equipment for the classrooms. She had been elected spokesperson for the parents group, forcing her to attend this evening's meeting. It had been long and acrimonious, and she felt like she had been run through a wringer by the time it was over.
Setting her purse on a nearby table, she shrugged out of her jacket and turned to hang it in the closet. She thought again of Lee's loving smile as she unhappily told him that once again they couldn't find time for themselves. He'd just shaken his head, shushed her stumbling apology, kissed her, and suggested quietly that they go on home.
The thought of that conversation warmed her. More and more recently she'd noticed that Lee's references were changing. She wasn't even sure he realized he was doing it. The apartment in Georgetown was unerringly referred to as "the apartment" or "my place", but whenever he spoke of "home" . . . well, that now only seemed to refer to her house on Maplewood Drive. And there was never any question of what he meant when he spoke of "our place". Fervently, she wished neither of them had agreed to this secret marriage.
In the distance, she could hear a low murmur of sound. It was way past the boys' bedtime, and her car was still missing from the driveway so her mother obviously hadn't returned yet. Over dinner, Dottie had announced that Captain Kurt was having car trouble and that he wasn't going to be able to pick her up. Knowing that Amanda needed the car that evening, she'd asked her daughter if she could drop her at the bus stop on her way to her meeting. Amanda hadn't even had the chance to reply. Lee had jumped in immediately, stating that there was no way he would allow Dottie to ride a bus at night, even in Arlington. Firmly, he'd told them both that Dottie could take the wagon and Amanda would use his car. When she tried to protest, he'd simply shook his head stubbornly and said it was settled. He'd spend the evening with the boys, and if he decided to go to "his place" before she got back, he'd take a cab and she could pick him up on the way into work the next day. The boys were delighted and her mother seemed to feel this was a natural solution to the problem. Amanda shook her head. It still amazed her a little to see how rapidly and completely Lee had been absorbed into the family dynamic. Even Jamie, who had been so resistant at first, now looked forward to Lee's arrival with enthusiasm and seemed to suffer when he was absent for several days.
Following the sound down the hallway, she stopped in the family room doorway and stared in astonishment at the sight before her. Lee had definitely stayed. Slouched down into the corner of the big, overstuffed sofa, he appeared to be sound asleep. His shoes were nowhere to be seen and his stocking feet were propped up on the coffee table, while his head lolled back against the cushions. He was snoring softly. His left arm was draped limply across the armrest of the sofa while his right was securely wrapped around her 12-year-old son. Jamie lay heavily against Lee's ribcage, his head resting on Lee's chest, with the rest of his body curled up on the sofa beside her husband. On the floor nearby, Phillip lay stretched out on his stomach, his head resting on one of the throw pillows from a nearby chair. A large bowl with a few kernels of popcorn sat on the coffee table and the credits of an old monster movie were running on the TV set on the far side of the room. Her throat tightened momentarily as she gazed at the three of them. In all of the years she had been married to Joe King, she could never remember seeing a scene like this one between her sons and their father. The sense of love in that room lingered even though none of them were awake.
She crossed the room quietly and knelt down beside Phillip. Ruffling his hair, she called, "Phillip. Come on, sweetheart. Wake up." The boy shifted and snorted softly, waking reluctantly. "Come on. Time for bed."
Phillip rolled over and peered up at his mother sleepily. "Oh. Hi, Mom." He looked around and mumbled, "What time is it?"
"Almost midnight. Long past time for you to be in bed. Go on. Your brother will follow you up in a minute."
"'Kay." A sleepy smile lit his face. "We had fun tonight, Mom. Lee helped Jamie with his homework and then we watched movies."
"So I see. I'm glad you had a good time. Now off to bed with you."
Stumbling to his feet, Phillip reached out and hugged his mother briefly. "See you in the morning," he mumbled and then shambled out of the room and made for the stairs.
Picking her way carefully through the rubble of the evening's entertainment, she went over and shook Jamie gently. Her efforts to wake the boy did little more than cause him to snuggle down against Lee more securely. Glancing up, her gaze was caught by sleepy hazel eyes.
There was definite amusement in his look as he asked, "Doesn't want to wake up?"
"No. He's well and thoroughly out. Jamie . . . come on, sweetheart. Wake up."
Lee sat up carefully, bringing the boy with him. "Hey, Jamie. Wake up, sleepyhead."
The boy blinked dazedly and muttered, "Lee?"
"Right here. Your mother's home and her expression is telling me that I let you and Phillip stay up way too late."
Jamie turned and peered at his mother owlishly. "Hi, Mom. We had fun."
"So your brother tells me. Where are your glasses?"
"Here," Lee replied, reaching over and picking them up from the end table next to his hand. Carefully, he seated them on the boy's face and pushed him away gently. "Time for bed. Go."
Jamie nodded and then reached out and hugged Lee tightly for a long moment. "Thanks, Lee. This was great."
Lee wrapped his arms around the boy and returned the gesture, rubbing his face in Jamie's hair briefly. "Yes, it was. And we'll do it again soon." Releasing him, he pushed the boy gently in the direction of the door. "Bed. Now."
Jamie rose obediently, kissed his mother and wandered out the door. A moment later, Amanda and Lee could hear him stumbling up the stairs toward his bedroom.
"Sorry about that," Lee apologized, standing and stretching mightily. "Last I remember, it was about 9:30 and we were about 20 minutes from the end of Godzilla."
Amanda threw her arms around Lee's neck and pressed her body against him tightly. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" she whispered and then drew his head down and kissed him. A soft moan rumbled deep in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and responded willingly.
After a long moment, Lee pulled back and smiled. "No, tell me," he replied teasingly and then leaned down and nipped at her lower lip delicately before trailing tiny kisses down her chin and along her jaw.
She sighed in pleasure and then stepped back out of his embrace. "In a minute. Let me go check and make sure Jamie and Phillip got settled. I think there's a bottle of wine in the refrigerator. Why don't you get us a glass?"
He raised an eyebrow, glancing at the clock. "At this hour?"
"Just one. I could use it."
"Bad meeting."
She nodded. "Yes. I'll be right back."
"I'll be waiting."
When she returned about ten minutes later, she had changed from her dress and heels to a pair of well-worn sweatpants and a T-shirt. As she re-entered the family room, she saw that the bowl and miscellaneous rubble was now missing, Phillip's pillow had been returned to the chair, and Lee was back in his earlier spot on the sofa. Two glasses of white wine sat on the coffee table. Turning sideways and stretching his legs out on the sofa, he held out his arms and said softly, "Come here."
Without hesitation, she crawled into his waiting arms, positioning herself between his legs and relaxing against his chest. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.
"You want your wine?" he asked, kissing her forehead and rubbing her back soothingly.
"Not if it means that I have to move."
"It'll keep. So tell me about your bad meeting."
She told him about the meeting, then about what went on during the rest of the day while he was involved in other things. In turn, he told her about his evening with Phillip and Jamie. It was a time of quiet contentment that both of them cherished. Finally, Lee stirred and leaned over to retrieve one of the wine glasses. "Here," he said handing it to her and then retrieving his own.
Amanda sipped the light, fruity beverage appreciatively and then eyed her husband for a moment before saying carefully, "Oh, I meant to mention . . . I ran into Dr. Pfaff this afternoon . . . "
"Not you too!" Lee moaned. "Please. I talked to Billy about this right before we left today. He's going to try to get Pfaff to back off until things settle down a little bit."
"I really don't think it's going to do any good, Lee. Dr. Pfaff is very determined. I think he means it when he says he'll pull you off the duty roster."
"Billy will fix it."
Amanda sighed softly. "Lee, why do you fight this so hard? You don't have anything to worry about, so why don't you just get it over with?"
"I'm surprised you have to ask me that."
She sat up and stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"Amanda, what do you think those psychiatric evaluations are for?"
"They're designed to make sure that field agents aren't trying to cope with the negative aspects of their jobs by holding it all inside, and to identify the symptoms of burnout and treat the problem before an agent self-destructs."
"Yes, that's part of it, but it's also designed to find out if an agent is suppressing anything the Agency should know about. They want to know what you're hiding from them. And, boy, are we hiding something!" Catching the nape of her neck in his free hand, he tilted her head back and kissed her slowly. He could feel her hesitation and knew she was thinking about what he had said. Releasing her lips, he took her wine glass, set them both on the coffee table, and then turned back to her once more. Deliberately, he kissed her again, nipping her lower lip and teasing with his tongue until he felt her lips part. He slid his tongue deeply into her mouth, exploring its warm wetness and breathing in the intoxicating scent that was so distinctly Amanda. She responded immediately, her tongue dancing with his, as one hand caressed the side of his face and slid up into his hair.
He moaned, the sound vibrating deep in his chest as his arms tightened around her. Breaking the kiss, he nibbled his way along her jaw line until he reached her ear and then sucked on the lobe gently. Amanda whimpered and allowed her head to fall back against the sofa, giving him access to the soft skin of her neck. At the same time, she reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt slowly, caressing the bare skin of his chest with her fingertips as she worked her way down to his belt line.
Lee shuddered as Amanda pulled his shirt apart and leaned forward to place a kiss at the base of his throat. Her breath was hot as she trailed her lips along his skin until they reached his left nipple. She sucked at it gently, teasing it with her tongue until it became hard. At the same time, her hand drifted down across his stomach, stroking the tight muscles of his abdomen sensuously.
It had been too long . . . too long since they'd been able to kiss and touch each other without fear of interruption . . . too long since he'd been able to take her to his bed and share the physical intimacy that was supposed to come with marriage. His entire body burned, inflamed by her touch and his need for her. He caught her head and lifted it, drawing her lips back to his urgently as his hands slid up under her shirt and stroked the bare skin of her back. Deftly, his fingers unfastened the closure on her bra and pushed it out of the way. Taking the warm weight of one breast in his hand, he caressed it, flicking his thumb lightly across the nipple until it became rock hard.
Amanda moaned passionately into his mouth and responded by reaching even lower. Placing her fingers at the base of the rapidly growing lump in his pants, she applied light pressure and drug her nails along the length of it. Lee gasped, every muscle in his body tensing. Amanda pulled her lips away from his and moved downward once more, nipping at his neck and running her tongue along his left collarbone. "Oh, God," he gasped hoarsely. "Amanda . . ." He forced his eyes open and looked at her. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes were heavily lidded and dark with passion.
Where he found the strength to stop her, he wasn't entirely sure.
"No . . . Amanda . . . don't." She faltered, looking at him in hurt confusion. His breathing was ragged as he struggled to sit up straighter on the sofa. He tugged her shirt down and then caressed her cheek with a gentle hand. "We can't," he whispered in a shaky voice. "The boys are right upstairs and your mother is due in any minute. If we continue this, one of them is sure to catch us."
"Then come upstairs," she said urgently, caressing his bare chest again. He caught her hand in his, bringing it to his lips to kiss it gently as he held her eyes with his.
"We can't. You know that. My car's out there in your driveway for the whole world to see. What would we tell the boys and your mother tomorrow morning?"
"I hate this!" she said passionately and then threw herself down across his chest and clung to him tightly.
"I know. So do I. But you know it's for the best."
"Do I?" she demanded in a choked voice.
"Amanda?" Catching her shoulders, he pressed her back away from him and forced her to look him in the eye. "Amanda, we've discussed this. You know that if my enemies found out about us and our family, they'd be at risk. I won't have anything happening to them because of me!" She looked away, catching her bottom lip between her teeth and biting it so hard he saw a tiny bead of blood form. "No," he moaned softly at the sight of her pain. Teasing her lip free from her teeth with his thumb, he kissed her again gently and then pulled her back into his arms to hold her close. "I'm sorry, Amanda. Maybe getting married was a bad idea."
"No!" she replied urgently, holding him even more tightly, appalled that he might think she was sorry she had agreed to become his wife. "No, Lee, it wasn't a bad idea. We just . . . we just have to find a way to have more time for ourselves." She levered herself up out of his arms and gave him a shaky smile. "This business of going weeks without -"
"I know. Come on, I think the best thing for both of us right now is for me to head back to my place. Remove the temptation, so to speak." The two of them stood and Lee began to rebutton his shirt. As he did so, he suddenly laughed ruefully. "I used to think that I had a healthy sex drive. These days I'm more inclined to believe it's *detrimental* to my health!"
Amanda's responding laughter was bittersweet. "Certainly to our mental health, if nothing else."
That comment caused Lee to sigh. "I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do about Pfaff. I can't keep ducking him forever, and he's got a mind like a steel trap."
"Maybe we could just tell him the truth," Amanda suggested quietly.
Lee looked at her silently for a long time. "You know the can of worms that would open up?" She just gazed back at him without saying a word. Finally, his gaze fell and he shook his head. "Maybe. I don't know. Let's think about it for a while, okay?" Amanda nodded wordlessly and then allowed him to tuck her against his side as the two of them left the den. "I wonder where I left my shoes."
"Probably in the kitchen. That's where they usually are."
"I'm getting that predictable, huh?" he asked as he spotted them right were she said they would be. Sitting down, he began to pull them on.
"No, not predictable. Just feeling at home here."
Finishing up, he stood and pulled her back into his arms and kissed her fleetingly again. "This *is* my home," he told her with conviction. "The apartment in Georgetown is just a place that I stay." Still holding her against him, he moved reluctantly toward the front door. Stopping in the entryway, he turned to face her again. Cupping her cheek in one hand, he gazed down into her eyes for a long moment. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson."
"I love you, too," she replied and caught his head, pulling it down to kiss him again. Just as their lips met, they both heard the distinct sound of the key in the front door. Amanda felt Lee tense and begin to pull away, but for once, she didn't care. Locking her arms around him tightly, she deepened the kiss, demanding entrance into his mouth. He surrendered to her just as the door swung open.
Dottie stopped in the doorway, momentarily startled at the sight that confronted her. Then she smiled in satisfaction and turned to close the door. When she turned back again, they had broken the passionate kiss and were simply gazing at each other with a look that brought tears to her eyes. Without a word, Dottie turned and tiptoed toward the stairs. As she reached them, his deep voice stopped her.
"Good night, Dottie." She looked back and saw that their eyes had never left each other.
"Sleep well, Mother."
Dottie smiled again. "Good night, dears," she replied tranquilly and left them alone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lee met Francine in the hallway outside the elevator in the late afternoon several days later. He had come looking for Billy just as Francine was leaving.
"Hi, Francine," Lee greeted her. "Billy in his office?"
"Yes, but I'm not entirely sure you want to go in there right now." Lee gave her a questioning look. "He's with Pfaff."
"Damn. Well, that's okay. It was nothing urgent. I can catch him in the morning."
"You still haven't rescheduled that appointment, have you?"
"Give it a rest, would ya? I'm getting sick of hearing it."
Francine sighed. "It's Thursday, Lee. Tomorrow is the deadline that Dr. Pfaff gave Billy for having you in his office for your annual. He's not going to let you off the hook this time. I heard him talking to Billy right before I left. He's convinced that there's something going on because you're working so hard to avoid him."
"How many times do I have to say it?" Lee asked in aggravation. "There is nothing wrong with me. Unless you want to count my hatred of being poked, prodded and psychoanalyzed. I've had enough of that crap to last me a lifetime."
Francine gave him a funny look. "You've avoided doctors like a plague ever since I've known you. And considering our line of work, you've had remarkably little contact with them. You make it sound like you're subjected to them continuously."
"You forget. I grew up as a military brat . . . was hauled all over the world at the drop of a hat. The one thing the military does not have is a shortage of doctors."
"I never thought about that," she commented, frowning slightly. "You mean . . ."
"Every year, like clockwork. Not to mention, every time we changed bases. I remember one year . . . I was about 13 or so . . . I'd just gone through the standard physical. Those were always bad enough. Then the Higher Powers That Be decided that my uncle was needed at one of the bases in the Middle East, so he got orders to be transferred overseas. That meant another, more extensive physical *plus* inoculations and all the shit that goes with getting a military passport to one of the more obscure places in the world for the first time. And once we got there, there was a snafu with all of my medical records and the base physician never got them. Government lost them entirely, in fact. So I had to go through it all over again, including all of the inoculations. One of them ended up making me so sick, I spent damned near two weeks in the base hospital. And the icing on the cake came about a month after I got out of the hospital. They made me go see the base shrink because, and I quote, 'his attitude has been so poor since his release from the hospital that we believe he needs help.' Of course I was pissed!"
"Yuck," Francine said, shuddering slightly in sympathy.
"That's a polite way to put it. So you'll forgive me if I have a definite aversion to doctors!"
"I don't blame you a bit, Lee. Unfortunately, that's not going to make this situation go away. Whether you like it or not, you're going to have to see Pfaff sooner or later."
"Definitively later," Lee said with conviction as they both stepped into the elevator.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Oh, Mrs. King!"
Amanda stopped and turned, waiting for the man to catch up to her.
"Good morning, Dr. Pfaff," she said with a smile. "Isn't it a lovely morning?"
Pfaff glanced at her with an enigmatic look and commented, "You're in a very good mood this morning, Mrs. King. It's such a pleasant change from the way most people greet me."
Amanda laughed, her good mood making her feel slightly giddy. "How can anyone feel bad on a day like today? It's Friday and the weekend's right around the corner, the weather is glorious, I've finally got everything I need to close out three cases that have been plaguing me for weeks, and all of my family and friends are doing well." 'Not to mention that the boys are going to be with their father all weekend, mother's going to Williamsburg with her Rose Grower's Association and my husband's off the duty roster until Tuesday,' Amanda thought privately. "Life's just really good right now."
"I'm pleased to hear it."
"So how can I help you, sir?"
"I was hoping you could tell me where I could find Scarecrow. He seems to have been rather elusive lately."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't think he was going to be in the office today. He called me at home last night to let me know that Mr. Melrose asked him to handle a debriefing at one of the embassies today. Something to do with a case he worked a couple of years ago."
"Odd that Melrose didn't mention it to me when I was speaking with him yesterday afternoon."
Amanda shrugged. "I got the impression from something Lee said last night that this was somewhat unexpected, but you might want to ask Mr. Melrose."
"Thank you. I'll definitely do that."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was 4:30 Friday afternoon when Lee burst into the Q Bureau. A smile was plastered on his face and he was in high spirits. The debriefing had gone really well and it was close enough to 5:00 p.m. to call it the weekend. All he needed to do was collect his wife, and they were out of here for three whole days to themselves.
'About time, too,' he thought ruefully. 'I'm not sure I could have lasted much longer.' The chaos in both their personal and private lives had continued throughout the week, allowing them absolutely no private time. Lee never believed he would reach the point where he would wish *not* to spend time with his wife, but he was almost there. Working side by side with her every day and not being able to do the things he kept dreaming of at night was taking its toll. Hasty kisses stolen when they were sure they weren't being observed by co-workers or surveillance cameras, fleeting contact between their bodies as they brushed past each other at meetings, companionable evenings together with the rest of her family in the evenings . . . it had all become little more than torture. If they didn't do something about this soon, he had the feeling something really embarrassing was liable to happen.
"Amanda, I'm back. Are you ready to go?" Silence greeted his call. "Amanda?" He stuck his head in the door of the film library, but she was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he crossed to his desk, wondering where she had gone. Then he noticed the note lying in the middle of his desk blotter.
Lee,
Since you weren't back yet, I figured I'd take
care of some of the old filing. If you get back before
I'm done, you can retrieve me out of the dead file archive
downstairs.
A.
The dead file archive. The wicked grin formed slowly. Tossing the debriefing file into his inbox, he locked his desk and set off in search of his wife.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The dead file archive was deep in the bowels of the Agency. It was rarely frequented by anyone other than the couriers that transferred materials down for storage, the occasional agent who needed something urgently and couldn't wait for someone else to locate it, and the odd secretary who found herself unlucky enough to have to return materials that had been pulled for some specific purpose. Amanda had been working in its tomb-like silence for almost two hours when she inserted the last file in its proper place and breathed a sigh of relief. Done! She was just about to put the lid back on the box in front of her when strong arms engulfed her from behind.
"Gotcha!"
She leaned back against her husband in delight, her initial surprise rapidly subsumed by the feeling of his lips on her neck.
"Oh, I like that," she purred ecstatically.
"You do, huh. How about this?" He nipped at the lobe of her ear and then probed the inside lightly with his tongue. He felt the shudder that ran through her and smiled in satisfaction as he breathed, "Yes, I think so." He tilted her head back until it lay against his shoulder, turned her face to his, and caught her lips in a passionate kiss, reveling in the feel of her body pressed against his. At the same time, he slid his hand up to cup her breast. He teased the nipple with his thumb and it contracted immediately into a hard nub. She moaned into his mouth and tried to twist in his arms, but he held her fast. "No," he begged, his senses rapidly being overwhelmed by her perfume and the sensations her body was arousing in him. "Let me play . . ."
Pulling her tightly against him, he continued to kiss her passionately as his fingers deftly unfastened the buttons on the front of her silk blouse. Pulling it open, he stroked the underside of her breasts with both hands and then used the tips of his fingers to trace the lines of lace that lay snugly against her chest. Her breathing deepened and became more ragged as he released her lips and trailed light kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.
"Oh, Lee . . ."
Spurred on by her obvious arousal, he unfastened the front closure on her bra and pushed it aside, freeing her full breasts from their silken prison. He caressed her bare skin and rolled one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, as he reached down with his other hand, pulled her skirt up, and slid one finger inside her panties to stroke her clitoris. Amanda cried out and thrust her pelvis against his hand sharply. Her vocal response aroused him even further and he pulled her back against his body and ground his hips against her body. Feeling his rock-hard erection pressing into the base of her spine, she worked her hands between them and rubbed the bulge. This time, it was Lee that moaned loudly.
Releasing her abruptly, he stepped back and turned her, intending to pick her up and set her on the table where she had been working. Spotting the box that still occupied the table, he demanded hoarsely, "Where does that damned thing go?"
Amanda raised a shaking hand and pointed at a gap in one of the nearby shelves. "There. Lee, should we . . ."
"There's no surveillance in this vault and no one ever comes down here. We won't be disturbed." He shoved the box back onto the shelf and then grabbed her again and lifted her up to sit on the table facing him. "I want you now. I've waited long enough." He leaned forward and caught the nipple of her right breast in his mouth, flicking his tongue over the hard nub and sucking on it until she cried out passionately.
As he shifted his attentions to her other breast, she began to fumble frantically at his clothing, yanking his tie free and unbuttoning his shirt as quickly as she could. Jerking it from his pants, she pulled it open and ran her hands over his bare skin.
"Amanda . . ." he gasped. He could feel her pulling at his belt and a moment later his pants loosened and began to slide down his hips. He felt her push his boxers out of the way and then her fingers curled around his rigid erection and she began to stroke him. "Oh God, Amanda, don't," he gasped desperately, "I'm too close . . . You'll make me come . . ."
She hiked her skirt up and began tugging at her panties, "Take them off," she commanded fiercely. She lifted her hips as he slid the silken garment down her legs and dropped it to the floor. Sliding forward to the edge of the table, she pulled him forward and positioned the tip of his engorged penis against her. "Do it!" she urged him.
He moved forward, maintaining just enough presence of mind to enter her carefully so he didn't hurt her. But he quickly discovered that there was no need to worry. She was as aroused as he and was wet and ready for him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeply into her, making them both moan loudly. He'd only thrust into her four or five times when her back arched, her body went rigid, and he felt the muscles surrounding his penis spasm sharply. Her cry as she climaxed was wild, deep and passionate, and it finished him. His entire body shook with the force of his orgasm and he cried out her name as he came.
Lee buried his face in Amanda's hair and they clung to each other desperately as the aftermath of their passion echoed through their bodies. He leaned heavily against the table, trying not to sink to the floor in exhaustion. Finally, he murmured, "I love you, Mrs. Stetson." Lifting his head, he caught her chin and tilted her head back until their eyes met. "I love you so very much."
"Well, this explains a great deal." Both Lee and Amanda's heads snapped around and their eyes widened when they saw Martin Pfaff lounging leisurely in the doorway to the archive room.
"Oh my gosh . . ." Amanda whispered weakly and then buried her face against her husband's chest in mortification.
Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he eyed Pfaff with a combination of embarrassment, disgust and aggravation. "How long have you been standing there?" he demanded, knowing that there was absolutely no way to salvage any dignity out of this situation.
Pfaff's mouth twitched in amusement. "Long enough. Not that it matters. I could hear you the instant I stepped off of the elevator." Then he grinned openly. "Sound echoes in the hallways down here, you know."
Lee flushed a deep crimson and then shifted carefully, trying to insure that the other man's view of their compromising position was as minimal as possible.
"What are you doing here?" Lee snarled.
"I came looking for you. I said I wanted to see you by 5:00 p.m. today or I'd pull you off the active duty roster." Pfaff glanced at his watch casually. "4:59. You just made it."
"Son of a . . ." Lee took a deep breath. "How did you know where to find me?"
"You neglected to throw away Mrs. King's note. I simply followed the same directions you did."
Amanda moaned pathetically and Lee glared at the man. "Would you please just go? This is bad enough without you standing there staring at us!"
Pfaff grinned again and stood leisurely. "Certainly. I noticed that neither of you are up to work this weekend. I'd suggest you find a nice, private place and spend the weekend relaxing, Scarecrow. You both seem a bit . . . wound up. I'll see you in my office at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. Don't be late." As he turned to go, he paused and looked back at Lee with a wicked grin. "And be sure to bring your lovely wife with you. I think we've got a *lot* to talk about." With a cheerful wave, he turned and strode away. "*This* has Agency legend written all over it," Pfaff commented from the hallway in a tone deliberately designed for them to hear.
"Don't you dare . . . " Lee yelled after him.
"I'll bet you never miss another doctor's appointment."
There was dead silence for a long minute and then Pfaff heard Amanda Stetson start to giggle. A second later Lee's deeper tones joined in and before long both of them were laughing hysterically. With a satisfied grin, Pfaff stepped onto the elevator and pushed the button for the main level. 'Tuesday morning should be very interesting . . .'
The End
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King' and all characters, logos, and likenesses therein, are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Brothers Entertainment Television. No copyright infringement is intended by their use in this story. All other material, copyright 2001 by Deborah A. Kluge. All rights reserved. Characters and stories are in no way affiliated with, approved of or endorsed by Shoot the Moon Productions or Warner Brothers Entertainment Television. This is created by a fan for other fans out of love and respect for the show, and is strictly a non-profit endeavor.
Timeline: Nine months following the wedding.
This story is in response to a challenge to write a story where Lee and Amanda are interrupted in a compromising position by various other characters from the show. My compromising challenge person was Dr. Pfaff.
Timeline: Nine months following the wedding.
This story is in response to a challenge to write a story where Lee and Amanda are interrupted in a compromising position by various other characters from the show. My compromising challenge person was Dr. Pfaff.