May 1988…
At breakfast one Friday morning, Amanda was clearing her breakfast dishes. The boys were still eating, and she wanted to get a head start on the morning’s pots and pans.
“Is Lee going to pick you up for work again today?” Jamie asked out of the blue.
“As a matter of fact, he is. That’s why I’ve worked shorter hours this week,” Amanda said.
“He always does when Grandma has the car,” Phillip pointed out with a grin.
“Yeah,” Jamie put in, “And since Grandma has been at that health spa for her week-long vacation, Lee had to drive you on all your errands, too.”
“To be honest, I feel like I’m lucky he did that. And we got to spend more time together,” Amanda said, keeping her back to her sons as she worked on the dishes.
Phillip laughed, “As if you don’t see each other at work. Geez. And when he’s here, you guys are mushy before Jamie and I can count to three,” Phillip picked on her relentlessly.
Amanda had turned around to answer the remark when she started blushing, and they knew they had her. But they had a valid point.
Both boys knew she and Lee were in love, and that they probably wouldn’t break up any time soon, like with her other boyfriends. It had been a couple of years, really, of their mother and Lee together.
Phillip and Jamie liked and respected Lee. It seemed that every chance he got he spent time with them. Jamie was able to get extra credit in his photography class thanks to Lee, and Phillip could usually count on a game of hoops if Lee was around. Lee went to some of their ball games, and last year he’d conveyed gifts to them, via their mother, on their birthdays. This year, the boys wanted him to be there, at the party, even if their father was too. They hadn’t told him this yet, but planned to talk to their mother about it soon.
“Hey guys, quit daydreaming. You’ve got a bus to catch, remember? So you’d better get hopping,” Amanda said, bringing both boys out of their individual thoughts. She wondered why each of her sons had a kooky grin on his face, but thought better of asking. Sometimes, she didn’t want to know.
Phillip and Jamie cleared their breakfast dishes and mumbled something like “Okay” as they made their way up the stairs.
What the boys didn’t know, because Amanda didn’t plan on telling them, was that she and Lee both had the day off from work completely, and Lee was due at the house about lunchtime. He’d be there when they got home from school, also.
For some reason, coming to the front door was not a habit of Lee’s. When he knocked at the kitchen door before coming in, Amanda grinned to herself. She’d teach him one day that he could be seen in public with her.
“Hi, handsome,” Amanda greeted her husband as he came in the back door.
“Hi,” he said back, grinning his widest grin, “What’s cooking? Smells good.”
“We’re going simple today,” Amanda commented, “Grilled cheese and tomato soup.”
“Perfect. It’s chilly, and I need something to warm me up,” Lee said, holding Amanda to him at the same time. She shivered, feeling the cold on his jacket.
Amanda looked up at him, “Gee, I can take care of that!”
“Well, I need food, too,” Lee said, qualifying his prior statement, “Especially if you plan on warming me up further.”
Amanda laughed, “Well, let me go, before your sandwich burns, or you won’t be eating much.”
Lee reluctantly let Amanda out of his embrace. He loved holding her. Of course, watching her move about the kitchen could do wonders for him, too. He had a deep appreciation for the way a woman could move and look sexy without intending to. Amanda did it all the time, and drove him crazy, but that was his secret. He wanted to keep her doing it, naturally, and telling her would spoil the effect.
Lee brushed a hand through his hair asking, “Do you need any help? I might not cook as often as you do, but I do cook. My uncle taught me exactly how to set a table, too.”
“If you want to, you can get some dishes out of that cupboard there,” Amanda said, gesturing to her left, “And we’ll eat in here on the island.”
“’Kay,” Lee said, taking off his jacket and doing as she asked, “How are the kids?”
“The kids are fine,” Amanda said, looking up at him and grinning. For a moment there was silence.
“Good,” Lee said, nodding, “How are you?”
“Lee, everything’s fine,” Amanda turned to him with a look that said ‘what gives?’
He smiled in answer, “I, uh, good, well then, is lunch ready, because I’ve run out of topics.”
“Scarecrow, why are you jumpy all of a sudden?” Amanda insisted on knowing.
“All right, well, I’m not used to time off. I’m feeling gun shy. No one shooting at me…I’m getting jumpy at my own shadow,” Lee admitted.
“Well, you can stop being jumpy. This neighborhood is Nowheresville. Nothing happens here, so relax,” Amanda said, serving up soup and sandwiches (Guess she forgot about the time her doppelganger tried to kill her and Lee, not to mention a lot of other things that have happened near her home—ed.).
“You’re right, what am I worrying about?” Lee smiled and said nothing more. (He forgot too—ed.) He listened to Amanda talk about things that had gone on during the morning, nodding when appropriate, but his focus was on food.
Fifteen minutes later, he couldn’t eat another bite, but was more than willing to wash the dishes while Amanda dried them. There was water play too, making the job even more enticing.
“How much time do we have till the boys come home?" Lee asked as the final dish was put in the cupboard.
Consulting her watch Amanda said, “Two hours…better make it an hour and a half to be on the safe side. Phillip gets home from high school first, then Jamie gets home about half an hour after that.”
“I’m game if you are,” Lee said in a low sensual voice.
“Oh yeah, I’m game,” Amanda grinned, her voice husky.
The couch had been the perfect spot to make love that afternoon, and Lee and Amanda had made full use of their time. As they sat in the kitchen, now showered and clothes intact, Phillip walked in from school, a concerned look on his face.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Amanda asked.
“Mom, Lee, I have a problem,” Phillip admitted.
“Well, what is it?” Lee asked.
“I’ve been followed,” Phillip stated simply.
“Oh my gosh, by who?” Amanda said, going to the curtains at the front of the house and peeking out.
“By the man in the brown car out there on the curb,” Phillip told her. He reached into the refrigerator for the milk.
“Wait, wait, how do you know he doesn’t have some other purpose?” Lee asked.
“Because…he followed me home yesterday and the day before too. And he sits out there for hours,” Phillip said as he poured the milk and then returned the carton to the refrigerator.
“Why didn’t you tell us about this before?” Lee asked.
“Well, I didn’t want to cause any alarm, and now it’s been three whole days. Actually, it could be more, but I wasn’t paying attention till the other day,” Phillip explained as he reached into the cupboard for five chocolate chip cookies.
“I’ll look into it,” Lee promised, feeling protective of the boy, “Don’t worry.”
“I’ll just be up in my room,” Phillip decided, taking his goodies and leaving the adults alone.
Amanda gave Lee a look. He could see she was upset, so he decided to come clean with her. He just hoped she wouldn’t be upset.
“Um, ‘Manda,” Lee started, “You don’t have to worry about that guy, really.”
“And why is that, Scarecrow?” Amanda asked, her voice sounding suspicious.
“That’s Johnson in the car. I told him to keep an eye on the boys.”
“You did what!” Amanda yelled with a whisper.
Lee took her by the arms and looked into her eyes, “I just want them to be safe…and with your mother out at that health spa and us BOTH working in the Q Bureau…I guess I overdid it?”
“Bigtime,” Amanda said sternly, “How can the Agency even afford to keep a watch on our family?”
“Johnson’s new. Really, it’s only after school. During the morning, they’re around other kids— too hard to have anything happen to them. So I picked Johnson to do this milk run assignment.”
“Lee, really,” Amanda was exasperated, “For how long? Forever?”
“That was kind of what I had in mind,” Lee said, staring at the floor.
Amanda crossed the living room to the couch and sat down, “Lee, we’re going to have to tell them some time. About our jobs, the marriage. Let’s do it tonight. Mother said she’d be home for dinner.”
“Are you sure you want to, tonight?” Lee asked. He was almost ready to throw a party. He’d wanted to come clean for the last six months, but he didn’t want to pressure Amanda into it.
“Yes, I’m sure…we’re going to have to tell them sooner or later, might as well be sooner,” Amanda insisted.
“You want me to call Billy? Do it all at once?” Lee asked, not revealing his excitement.
“It’ll make explaining our real jobs easier,” Amanda agreed.
Ten minutes later, the call was done, and Billy agreed to dinner. Who wouldn’t, with Amanda’s cooking?
The easiest thing for Amanda to make for dinner that night turned out to be spaghetti. Lee helped…he went shopping for her while she started things. When he got back with bread and salad, he prepped everything to her specifications, in between stolen kisses.
“Did I tell you today that I love you?” Lee asked as he checked on the garlic bread in the oven.
“Yes, about an hour ago,” Amanda said, grinning while she watched his butt as he checked the bread, “I reciprocated, didn’t I?”
“Did you ever,” he teased.
“Good thing you guys aren’t sugar, you’d melt!” Phillip had come down the stairs to steal a bite of bread.
“Hey, that’s for dinner,” Lee reprimanded him, “Give it fifteen minutes until it’s final doom, all right?”
Phillip gave a pleading look to his mother.
“Sorry Phillip, what you got is all you’re getting. Dinner won’t be long now, I promise,’ Amanda said, backing up her partner on his statement, as she backed him up in many other things.
“Guess I’ll wait in my room, away from temptation,” Phillip moaned.
As he walked up the stairs, the doorbell chimed.
“I’ll get that,” Lee volunteered. Phillip acknowledged him by continuing up the stairs.
Billy was waiting outside, and Lee welcomed him in, taking his coat and hanging it in the coat closet by the door.
“Tell me again why I’m needed here?” Billy inquired.
Lee turned from the living room to glance at Amanda who only nodded at him. Lee supposed he should just give Billy the basics for the time being…no need to repeat the information. And they both figured Billy was less likely to give them a tongue lashing with the rest of the family around.
“It’s like this… Amanda and I have decided that not telling her family we are both Federal Agents is more a detriment now than a benefit. So, we’ve decided to tell them tonight, and we think you’d help us back up the discussion.
“I see,” Billy said, having a seat on the couch.
“Can I get you anything, sir, while I’m in here?” Amanda called from the kitchen.
“Just ice water,” Billy said as he watched the news Lee had set the television to.
Dotty then arrived, some of her luggage in tow. The boys rushed down the stairs to greet her. When she mentioned presents in the car, they were out the door in a flash, sans coats. Amanda frowned, but there was nothing she could do.
“Hello mother,” Amanda said, giving Dotty a hug and a peck on the cheek.
“Hello, Dear,” Dotty said in reply. She glanced at the couch and saw Billy, “Why is Mister Melrose here? Is something wrong?”
“No, mother,” Amanda said reassuringly.
On hearing his name, Billy had stood, “Hello, Mrs. West. Lee and Amanda invited me to dinner this evening. It is good to see you again.”
Dotty nodded her head and shrugged, “I’ve got to get up to my room and freshen up for dinner. Amanda, call me down when dinner’s ready, okay?”
“Sure, mother,” Amanda said. The boys came inside with a shopping bag and a piece of luggage each.
“Where do these go, Grandma?” Phillip asked.
“Come upstairs with me, I’ll show you, and you can have your presents up there,” Dotty said. She picked up her bags again and headed off up the stairs, her grandsons on her heels.
Dinner was ready ten minutes later, as Lee had promised his oldest stepson. Amanda called everyone to sit down. Billy was introduced to the boys for the first time. Once they were seated and had begun eating, Lee broached the subject of what he imagined would be a very loud, long discussion.
“Everyone, listen,” Lee started, “Amanda and I have some things we wanted to discuss with you, and I guess the best way to start is with IFF.”
Dotty and the boys looked at Lee and Amanda curiously. Billy continued eating, trying not to be noticed.
“We’re not filmmakers. We’re intelligence operatives for the federal government,” Lee said bluntly.
Phillip laughed, “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, he’s not kidding. Mister Melrose is our section chief.
“Cool,” both boys interjected, looking from Billy to his two agents.
“Wait a minute, what?” Dotty asked, “What did you just tell me my daughter does for a living?”
“That’s right mother, I’m really a government agent,” Amanda reiterated.
“That certainly explains a lot of things,” Dotty said, looking at Billy pointedly, “Especially why you were rude to me that time.”
“I am very sorry about that, Mrs. West,” Billy said with a trite grin, “But it was a matter of national security. I wish I could have told you then, but Lee was in a lot of trouble, and I couldn’t add to the mix by blowing his cover, or Amanda’s. It really was for their safety.”
Amanda had been nodding along with Billy, “Mother, it was. And I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Well, if it was for national security and all,” Dotty said in a voice that was still peeved.
Amanda gave up. She couldn’t expect her mother to just understand and treat the secrecy as water under the bridge. Amanda was not the type to keep a secret that big from her mother, so of course she would be hurt.
“And,” Lee continued before Dotty fully recovered from the first bit of information, “We’ve known each other for several years. You may have guessed that. But what none of you knows is that we’re…”
“Married,” Amanda said when her husband faltered. She admired Lee for taking the lead with all the news, but she needed to say something besides “that’s right.”
“What!” Billy said first, a deep scowl overtaking his features. Dotty gave them a motherly version of the same look.
“Whoa,” Philip said. Jamie was just shocked. He sat with his mouth open, mid-bite.
“Lee! You know the rules on fraternization between partners. Amanda, you know the rules better than Lee does,” Billy admonished them, one finger scolding them both.
Dotty drank two big gulps of water.
“Mother, are you okay?” Amanda asked. She wasn’t sure what reaction she expected.
Dotty nodded.
“So, you’re, like, our step dad, huh?” Phillip asked while his grandmother recovered.
“Yeah,” Lee grinned, “I hope that’s okay.”
“But we see Dad on the weekends,” Jamie said, “So we’d have two dads or something.”
“I guess you do,” Lee agreed, not sure what exactly to tell the boys.
“I guess it’s okay with me,” Phillip said, looking to Jamie.
“Me too,” the younger boy agreed, “Dad doesn’t know then?”
Lee shook his head ‘no’.
“At least I am not the last to know,” Dotty said, seeming upset.
“Is this not okay with you?” Lee asked her, suddenly terrified. When he and Amanda got married, it was just between the two of them. He hadn’t considered how Dotty would feel, or the boys. Maybe this whole idea of telling them had been a huge mistake. But Amanda was right, they would have had to do it soon anyway. Keeping up the charade was getting tough, and would only get tougher, especially on Amanda. Now they would be free of the stress.
“I think it’s wonderful, but I wanted to be there,” Dotty said, “I’ve been telling Amanda you were a ten for some time now.”
Lee instantly blushed at the compliment from his mother-in-law. For her to say that in front of him and Amanda was one thing. In front of Billy was something else.
“I won’t be able to keep Dr. Smyth from breaking you two up,” Billy said.
“I’m going to quit the Agency, Sir,” Amanda volunteered.
“Why? We can transfer you,” Billy said, his heart aching to lose an agent who had learned a lot and could think on her feet.
“She’s pregnant,” Lee blurted, the final secret now out in the open.
“She’s…?” Billy stopped in his tracks.
Both boys said, “What?”
And Dotty merely said, “You are?”
Lee had Amanda’s hand firmly in his grasp the whole time. He thought she’d squeeze it off at any second. This seemed to be her way of telling him he’d screwed up to put it so bluntly. He was immediately sorry.
“Well, dear, how far along are you?” Dotty wanted to know. The boys were focused now on Lee and Amanda, as was Billy.
“Three months, we think. Just before Christmas rolls around, we’ll have a baby,” Amanda said.
“We’re going to have a baby in the house again, it’s been so long,” Dotty said, for once not more shocked than the others.
“Great…a baby,” Phillip said with a shrug.
“Guess I won’t be your baby anymore, Mom,” Jamie said, staring at his plate.
“Hey, you two will always be my babies…never forget that,” Amanda replied quickly. She didn’t think they’d be this upset with her over the baby. She and Lee had discussed it a lot recently, but she wasn’t sure how they’d react.
“Can I go up to my room now?” Phillip asked.
“Yeah, me too?” Jamie asked. His brain was on over load, and he would bet Phillip’s was too. First their mom was a secret agent, and she was secretly married to Lee AND she was going to have a baby. He knew that he, at least, needed to mull the whole thing over.
“Plates in the kitchen, if you’re done,” Amanda said. They needed to sort out their feelings on their own, not under the watch of adult eyes.
“I suppose I should get going, also,” Billy said, rising. Amanda cleared his plate for him and met him and Lee at the door.
“I’ll have my resignation on Monday, Sir,” Amanda said.
“Let it wait a week, if you want to. It won’t be a problem, and you might be able to type up a report or two for Lee before you leave,” Billy said with a grin. He knew full well who did such a great job on Scarecrow’s reports.
“That’d be good, sir, I’ll wait till then,” Amanda said, smiling as Billy left. Lee closed the door and leaned on it. They still had to face Dotty and her reaction.
A blanket of silence covered the Arlington house. Dotty had retired upstairs to finish unpacking. That was fine with Amanda. She was more than willing to put away leftovers and do the dishes with Lee.
The couple didn’t talk to each other or joke around, as they had earlier. They washed, they dried, and did everything mechanically. Neither knew what to tell the other.
One weight had been lifted and replaced with another. Both were anxious. All the information had to sink in with their family. Billy seemed to take it the best, but he never expected them to share their lives with him the way they did with Dotty and the boys.
After the dishes were finished Dotty made her way downstairs. Lee decided she must have been spying on them, to be down just in time for them to finish the dishes.
“Here goes,” he mumbled to Amanda. She nodded and gave him a hopeful smile.
“Lee, Amanda, let’s talk in the living room. I have a lot of questions that need answers.”
The two did as they were told. They sat on the couch and Dotty took a seat in the chair nearby.
“Now, Amanda, you have been a spy for how long?” Dotty asked.
“It all started that day I took Dean to the train station, and you mailed that package,” Amanda admitted, chafing just a little at the term spy.
“You’ve been a spy that long?” Dotty asked. She saw out of the corner of her eyes that the boys had chosen to listen in from the top of the stairs. Well, they were a part of the family too. She wouldn’t call them on that.
“We like the term federal agent mother, and no, I wasn’t one then. I had to get trained, and Lee was the one who trained me,” Amanda said.
“So you’ve been partners this whole time?” Dotty asked.
“That was Billy’s idea,” Lee admitted.
“I see,” Dotty said, a thoughtful look on her face, “And you were married when?”
“Last February,” Amanda spit out quietly.
“A whole year!” Dotty exclaimed.
“Uh, fifteen months, to be exact,” Lee said, clearing his throat.
“And pregnant since sometime in February,” Dotty nodded to herself.
“Valentine’s day, we think,” Amanda said bashfully. Lee looked at her and grinned. That had been a Hell of a night.
“Really?” Dotty said, raising her eyebrows. Both nodded.
“Why the secrets?” Dotty asked finally.
“Promise to let us have our say? No interruptions?” Amanda asked.
“I promise…cross my heart,” Dotty said seriously, crossing her heart.
Amanda nudged Lee with her elbow.
“Hmm?” he asked her, not understanding.
“Go ahead, sweetheart, tell her all that went on from the beginning. I’ll jump in and correct you if you leave anything out,” Amanda said.
“Me? You sure?” Lee asked, hesitant to bare all.
Amanda nodded.
“Okay, well…it all started in 1983, and I had an emergency. I ended up at the train station, needing someone I could trust to hold a package for me. I can’t say why, but Amanda seemed the right one, and when I asked for her help, she said ‘no’, initially, but when I said ‘please’, she took the package.
“I guess I was full of myself back then. Billy thought so. I hadn’t had a partner in a while, so he stuck me with Amanda,” Lee paused, noting how Dorothy wanted to ask him a question…she was making good on her promise, “Well, at the time, I thought I was stuck with her.”
“I had to convince Amanda to help me out the next time, and we’ve had a lot of mishaps since then. I guess the biggest one is when a man named Adi Birol kidnapped her. I realized I loved her than, I mean, over time, we knew it, but I couldn’t live without her when she was gone. By the next day, I’d gotten her an engagement ring.
“We were going to tell you all about it…this was about the time when Joe got engaged to Carrie. But something happened on a case…the child of one of my informants was kidnapped and might have been killed.
“I decided this had to be a secret marriage. I wanted to keep you and the boys safe,” Lee said in a quieter tone.
“But it was my decision to do it too,” Amanda jumped in, “I hated keeping secrets from you mother…sometimes, when Lee went too far, I flat out told you, but the truth was so unreal you’d laugh it off.”
“So, we got married in February of last year, secretly. But my heart has been with my family…all of us here, since then, and probably long before,” Lee started again.
“When Amanda came up pregnant…we had some discussions, but Amanda was sure she could keep it quiet as long as we wanted. I’ve been dying to tell you, for as good at keeping secrets as I am,” Lee grinned.
“Can you ever forgive us, Mother? It really was a matter of national security…and later, family security,” Amanda explained.
Dotty sat quietly a moment, “I certainly can forgive you both. After all, I get a son and a new grandchild out of all this.
Lee and Amanda grinned at each other.
“But I still have some questions,” Dotty said, holding up the index finger of one hand.
“We’ll answer them, anything you want,” Lee promised.
“Is this pregnancy safe for you, Amanda? You’re going into your late thirties, and I’m worried about that,” Dotty asked.
“I’ve been to my doctor, Mother, and he says I’m fine, and to keep checking in with him. But that is why now is such a good time to come clean. I needed to quit work to have the baby, to reduce my stress,” Amanda replied.
“So it’s safe to have the baby?” Dotty asked again.
“I wouldn’t want her to if she wasn’t going to be able to handle it,” Lee said.
“Well then,” Dotty stood, “I think this dictates a hug!”
Lee and Amanda stood and embraced Dotty for a good long while. Having that explanation out of the way lightened their hearts.
“Now,” Dotty said, “I think there are two guys upstairs who need some reassurance from their mother and step dad.”
Both nodded. To Dotty’s satisfaction, the boys had disappeared out of sight. She wasn’t sure when that happened, but as Lee and Amanda started up the stairs, she got the distinct feeling that everything was going to be fine.
Amanda knocked on her Phillip’s door before even thinking about entering.
“It’s unlocked,” Jamie called through the door. Apparently, the boys were conferencing.
Taking the initiative, Lee opened the door. The couple found Phillip and Jamie seated on the bed in a united front.
“Well,” Amanda said, “It looks like we’ve got some explaining to do.”
“Do ya ever,” Phillip agreed.
“What do you want to ask us?” Lee said, settling into a chair at the desk for Round 2.
“We should start at the beginning, maybe,” Amanda suggested.
“You don’t have to,” Jamie said.
“We did a little spying of our own,” Phillip confessed.
“You have us at a disadvantage then…what would you like to hear about?” Lee asked.
“The baby thing,” Jamie volunteered.
“Yeah, why do you have to go and have a baby now? I thought things were good with just us,” Phillip said.
“You guys know I love Lee. Since we were married, we thought a lot about it,” Amanda started, “Of course you two came out so wonderfully. We thought, why not one more?”
“That’s going to crowd us…I’m going to have to share my room, aren’t I?” Phillip asked.
“We might have to move then, but I am not thinking about that right now. The baby can sleep in our room, to start with,” Amanda said.
“You’re awful quiet, Lee,” Jamie accused.
“Only because I happen to think your mother’s right. I’ve been a federal agent for a long time. I can support us all, so your mother won’t have to work unless she wants to,” Lee said.
“Are you guys going to keep having babies?” Jamie asked.
“I don’t know that Jamie, I was pretty surprised with this one. I’m not going to be pregnant full time, if that’s what you’re asking,” Amanda answered, “Jamie, you’ll get to be a big brother.”
“Yeah, I can pass on the punishment from Phillip, when it’s old enough,” Jamie perked up a little.
“But all that crying,” Phillip whined.
“We’ll try to keep that to a minimum,” Lee said.
“Are you really mad at us?” Amanda asked.
“No, but we sure weren’t expecting it,” Phillip said.
“Jamie?” Lee asked.
“No, I guess not. We still get to see Dad and everything, right?” Jamie asked.
“Of course you do, Sweetheart,” Amanda said, “I wouldn’t keep you from him.”
“Okay,” Jamie said.
“Are you moving in, Lee?” Phillip asked.
“We hadn’t discussed that yet, but if you don’t want me to, it’s going to be a bit of a problem,” Lee said, giving his wife an inquisitive look.
“No, it’s cool. I think you should, for the baby, and stuff,” Phillip said.
“Thanks,” Lee grinned.
“How about a hug?” Amanda said. The boys hopped off the bed and hugged her. Amanda waved Lee over to join them, and the boys included him in ten seconds of serenity.
“It’s going to take a while to get used to the idea, but I think it won’t be so bad,” Phillip said.
“Yeah,” Jamie agreed.
“It’ll be hard at first, but we have a while to get used to the idea, don’t we…the baby’s got a few months to go yet,” Amanda mentioned.
Lee and Amanda retreated from Phillip’s room to their own. As soon as the door was closed, Lee locked it and trapped Amanda against the door with his strong embrace. He kissed her longingly and passionately.
“Gee, thanks, He-man,” Amanda smiled at him when the kiss ended.
“I love you Mrs. Stetson,” was Lee’s reply.
“I love you too,” she said. Lee released her and they both sat on the bed.
“That went worse, and better, than I thought it would, Amanda,” Lee sighed.
“At least it’s out now. We can move on with our lives without secrets,” Amanda consoled him.
“Yeah. I’m going to miss you at the Agency,” Lee said with regret.
“Who says I can’t work from home? You know I think best sometimes when I’m not in the Q-Bureau,” Amanda said.
“True.”
“And once you move in, we can work cases together all the time.”
“That’s true too.”
“I think Phillip’s not very upset about you moving in…he’ll have you at hand if he needs you for guy stuff,” Amanda said.
“Is that what his angle was on asking that? If he asked for my help on anything, I’d love it. But when do I move in? We didn’t tell your Mother about that part,” Lee said with trepidation.
“I’m sure she’ll figure out that you’re going to live here. I’m not making an issue of it tonight…just…don’t leave,” Amanda said.
“Okay,” Lee said, leaning back against the headboard. Amanda laid her head on his chest, and they fell asleep.
The End
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: None of the SMK characters belong to me, and I have in no way harmed them during this writing.