“Wake up, D.C.!  It’s December 12, 1984 and guess which celebrities are getting a year older today?”  Lee slammed his hand on top of the radio to quiet it, succeeding on the second attempt. 

The sunlight filtered through the window, as his eyes darted around the room.  He’d had the most bizarre dream--it was so real, leaving him feeling warm and safe.  He felt like he had slept for months, instead of one night.  Trying to recollect the dream only seemed to push it further and further into the recesses of his mind.  Shrugging off the sensation, he headed for the shower. 

Upon arriving at the Agency, he felt the strangest sense of déjà vu.  He strolled to his desk in the Bullpen, grabbed his mug, and headed toward the coffee. 

“Scarecrow!  My office now!”  Came the loud boom from his section chief.  ‘Oh, yeah, most definitely déjà vu.’

Lee walked into Billy’s office and sat down.  “What’s up, Billy?”  He was certain he hadn’t done anything recently to embarrass the Agency or the country.   

“Can you tell me why Mrs. King would be so upset that she would want to quit this Agency?”

Lee wisely looked surprised.  In all honesty, he was taken back a bit.  He thought for sure she was bluffing when she said she was quitting the Agency.  “Well, she might have mentioned it last night during a disagreement we had.”  ‘Okay, it was more like a fight,’ he mentally added.   “You know, Billy . . . it’s probably for the best.  She’s a mother of two small boys.  This is no life for her.  It’s too dangerous!  Besides that, she could really screw things up.  Lord knows, she’s tried in the past.”

“Cut the crap, Scarecrow!  She’s turning out to be a great asset to this Agency, and you know it!  Besides that, she’s the only one who can keep you on your toes and grounded at the same time.  She may just be the best thing that has ever happened to you, and you’re just going to let her walk right out of your life, without so much as a fight.”  He shook his head in evident disgust. 

Lee opened his mouth to protest the absurdity of his boss’s notion, but the look his supervisor gave him made him rethink that plan.  Just then, there was a knock at the door, and both men looked up to see Amanda. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything, sir.”   

“Not at all, Mrs. King.  Please, come in.  We were just discussing how sorry we are to see you leave us.  Isn’t that right, Lee?”  Billy smiled at Lee. 

Lee nodded.  “Uh, yeah, right.”  Why did he feel so torn?  He should be happy she was finally getting out of his hair. 

Amanda kept her eyes on Billy and never once looked at Lee.  She was obviously still very upset with him after last night.  ‘Of course she was upset, Stetson.  She wouldn’t be resigning from her job otherwise.’  Why did he care?  Wasn’t this what he wanted? 

He watched her, waiting for their eyes to connect.  When they finally did, he was beset by the complete sadness that he saw there.  He had seen it once before, but when?  Images flashed through his mind.  There it was again--that same odd sense of déjà vu.  They were sitting in a restaurant talking.  But they were much older than they were now.  How could that be possible?  Was this part of the dream he had woken up from this morning? 

Lee could hear Billy trying to talk Amanda out of her decision, but he focused on the images that were springing forth in his mind.  He saw a little girl with hazel eyes . . . his eyes.  Her voice, she was saying something, and he strained to make it out.  She was calling him ‘Daddy,’ and a much smaller child joined her.  His eyes--just like Amanda’s.  An overwhelming feeling of love swept over him.

Trying to shake the unexpected feeling, he cleared his throat and struggled to focus on the conversation going on in front of him, but the images wouldn’t let him.  Pictures flashed before his eyes.  He and Amanda dressed up at what appeared to be their wedding.  Images flickered, of babies and smiles and tears.  Another picture came into view, one of the two of them in a much more casual setting--sitting on a porch, each with a child on their lap.  They were the same two children that he saw moments before.  Were they their family?  How was that possible? 

Before he could think of an answer, he heard Billy calling him, pulling him from his reverie.

“Lee?  Lee!”

“Yeah, sorry, Billy.  What were you saying?”  He ran his hand through his hair and fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“I was just asking if there was anything else you needed to say to Amanda before she left?”  His supervisor raised his eyebrows and tilted his head, as if to prod him along.  He knew Billy wanted him to say something to her so she’d stay.  ‘Say something, Stetson.’  His gut was telling him he shouldn’t let her walk out of his life.  Why wouldn’t he listen to it?

“Uh, nope.  Guess there’s not much left to say.”  He stood and shook her hand.  “Good luck, Amanda.”  He walked over to the door and opened it for her.  Why couldn’t he swallow his pride and ask her to stay?  ‘It was just a dream!  I must have eaten something bad.’  He was a loner; he didn’t need anyone, especially a suburban mother from Arlington.  

She smiled weakly at him, and then Billy.  He thought for sure he saw her shoulders sag.  “Well, I guess I should go then.  Thank you again, Mr. Melrose, for the opportunity.” 

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out, Amanda.  Please be sure to give your badge to Marlene before you leave, she’ll have a few documents for you to sign.  And take care of yourself,” Billy said, as he shook her hand. 

“Yes, sir.”  She nodded to Lee.  “Lee.”

“Amanda.”  He attempted a smile but failed miserably.                                                              

Standing in the office doorway with Billy, Lee watched her hand over her I.D. and read through the documents in front of her.  Running his hand through his hair once again, he mumbled something about getting back to work and headed for his desk. 

Lee looked up from his desk to see Billy shake his head and return to his office, closing the door behind him.  His gaze drifted to Amanda.  She seemed different to him.  Or rather, he felt differently about her.  He saw something in her he hadn’t seen before.  Her voice penetrated his thoughts, and he refocused on her as she headed out of the Bullpen toward the elevator. 

He tried to concentrate on the file in front of him but could only stare at the glass doors. An unexplainable feeling of dread washed over him. Something was terribly wrong.  One image kept replaying in his mind.  It was a photograph of him and Amanda looking at each other so intently--the love between them was almost palpable.  No such photograph existed, did it?  Snippets of a conversation between himself and another man came next.  Someone he didn’t recognize. 

“This is a glimpse, Lee.” 

“A glimpse?”  The man nodded, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.  “A glimpse of what?”  What the hell was he talking about?

“You’re gonna have to figure that out for yourself, and you’ve got plenty of time.”

“How much time?”

“As much time as it takes, and, in your case, it’s probably going to be considerable.”

Lee jumped out of his chair and pushed open the glass door to the hallway.  He saw her entering the elevator.  “Amanda!”  Yelling down the hallway to get her attention, he rushed toward her.  Her hand moved to stop the door from closing, and he sighed in relief.  He wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to speak to him again.  The ridiculous argument they’d had the night before was entirely his fault.  Seeing the look of sadness on her face once again, he knew this was the right thing to do.  At that moment, he knew--dream or not--he couldn’t let her walk out of his life. 

He was nearly breathless from the sheer emotion of his decision.  She looked at him with a question in her beautiful eyes.  He smiled softly at her and shrugged.  What should he say?  Expressing his feelings was always difficult for him, but he knew this was necessary.  He felt in his gut that this was important to his future, as well as hers.  Taking a deep breath, he prayed his voice would cooperate. 

“Stay.”

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