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Author's Chapter Notes:
G'day,
I wrote the first story (Jelly Days) then had another idea. As I wrote the other idea I realised that another story could technically be squeezed in between and then I had an idea for that too. I had to wait before posting them because I gave James a haircut between writing the stories, sorry for the wait. So, umm, here is part two of the trilogy. I personally blame Jan and Amy.

Disclaimers: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. This story, however, is copyrighted to the mentioned authors. This story is for entertainment purposes ONLY.

Timeline : This story is set during the time when Lee was still arguing about wanting to work solo, but me thinks he doesth protest too much . . .
"Five miles? You want me to run five miles?"

The look of shock on Amanda's face when she blurted the request back
to Scarecrow had been all he hoped for, and more.

*Serves her right* Lee thought, as he slammed his locker door shut
and bent down to do a last minute check of his running shoe laces.
If she wanted to keep on insisting that she tag along after him and
do things that a partner would do, she'd have to do the five mile run
that he had to do as well.

*At least this year I know it's only five miles* he thought, still
not finding anything funny in Billy's little joke from last year.
He'd only found out after he finished the run.

Voices and laughter suddenly filled the silent locker room, a bunch
of male agents had walked in and started opening their lockers,
directly behind Lee's.

"So Scarecrow's little housewife is going to be running the whole
five miles?" One voice drifted over the din to Lee's ears, "just to
prove a point or what?"

Lee suddenly straightened, and leaned towards the noise, curious as
to why Amanda's name had been brought up.

"Oh yeah, the whole thing, she looked pretty determined when she
accepted the challenge apparently."

"She gets kinda cute when she's in that mood don't cha' think?"

The dis-embodied compliment made Lee's blood run cold.

*Cute?* Who was this loser and why was he wondering if his
partn . . . why was he wondering if Amanda was cute or not?

He leaned forward, eager to learn more.

"I don't know about cute, but I'm sure going to enjoy running behind
that ass, that's for sure!" laughed a voice that Lee instantly
recognised as belonging to Davis, the smug lothario from crypto.

The laughter floated away as the men left the room, leaving Lee's
mind in a whirl.
Anger slowly built up as he imagined leering faces lusting after
Amanda.

Amanda in a small pair of running shorts, her body all sweaty from
running . . .

Lee shook his head, where had that thought come from? Obviously he
was imaganing what Amanda would look like in the minds of the pigs
he'd just overheard, that's it, he'd only been thinking of how Amanda
would look in *their* eyes.

Sure, he thought of her as a pest but she may hold some appeal to
another guy he supposed, if you were attracted to that type.
The plan became clear as he jogged onto the running track. He'd just
have to do the run with her, every step of the way, to guard her
against any opportunistic slugs that might try something. It was the
only way, he'd didn't want to spend anymore time with her than he had
to, he was only doing it for her protection.

By the third mile, Lee was wishing for the impossible, he was wishing
that he could hear Amanda King talk. Even a ramble would be better
than this silence.
Amanda had been pleased that Lee was going to do the run with her, at
first.

That was until she had seen Lee assume a position behind her,
scowling at anyone that happen to be running behind her.
Her heart sunk as she realised the reason he was running with her at
all, not as a small sign she was beginning to be accepted, as a
friendly gesture, no, he was running behind her as some sort of self
appointed guardian. Protecting the civilian, not his partner, the
civilian he was responsible for.

The fourth mile came and he could stand it no longer. He picked up
the pace until he was matching her long, even running style.

"It's not so bad, nearly finished hey?"

Silence.

Lee sighed, "Amanda, look, I don't want you to be angry with me. I
just overheard some guys talking and they, well . . . ahh shoot
Amanda, take it from me, guys can be -- well not all guys but some
can be real . . ."

Amanda smiled to herself listening to his scrambled attempt at a
truce, *given the right situation even the mighty Scarecrow can
ramble* she decided to mercifully end her brooding silent treatment.

"What guys Lee?"

The relief was instantaneous, *she's okay now, she's talking again,
well, not alot by Amanda standards but it's a start*.
He decided to come clean, almost.

"I overheard some guys, real bozo's, talking before and they were
laughing at how I challenged you to run the five miles. I just felt
bad, the way they were, ummm, talking about it that's all."

Silence.

"And I felt bad that I yelled at you the other day okay? I shouldn't
have done it, you just are always there when something goes wrong and
sometimes I take it out on you I guess." He stopped for a breath and
when he straightened he was glad to see that Amanda had stopped as
well.

"Sorry?" He stuck his hand out, hoping for a response, any response
but silence.

Amanda grinned as she shook his outstretched hand. She didn't want
him to feel this bad, he was trying to make amends after all.

Lee was relieved, things were right again.
He looked Amanda up and down from the corner of his eye, she did look
very trim and in shape, he could still picture Davis though, the
slimy creep, taking any chance he could get. He owed it to Amanda to
warn her, now that she was talking to him and all.

"Amanda . . . he began, as they rounded the last curve of the track.
He cleared his voice and started again. "Amanda, you really have to
watch out for some of the people here at the agency you know, not
everybody is nice and willing to help."

"Really, came the drowl sounding reply, "You mean Francine can get
worse?"

He ignored her barb and gamely continued on, "I'm serious, take
Davis, the guy from crypto who passed by awhile back." Lee
remembered alright, remembered the red face on Davis and how quickly
he'd run passed them when he saw what was standing between him and a
good few of Amanda's ah, particulars.

"Especially the guys Amanda, some of them are real joys. They'd
think nothing of making unwanted passes. Male agents are always
hanging around with lust in their hearts, trust me."
They had come to the end of the run as it dawned on him what he had
said. It sounded like he was being a . . .

"Just be careful okay Amanda?"

At her careful nod he rushed off, yelling over his shoulder, "I'll
see you later, I'm headed for the showers, you did good."
She watched his retreating form for a moment then plopped onto the
ground, tired but deciding to stretch before she hit the showers
herself.

She didn't understand most of what had just happened, but one thing
was clear, Lee didn't like arguing any more than she did, and he had
told her she did a good job, that would do, for now.
She got up and headed for the female showers, who would have thought
that running could actually get you closer to the real Lee Stetson?
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