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Chapter Five

Friday Morning, September 18th

A wide grin spread across Phillip’s face when he caught sight of the wide-eyed, drooling faces of some of his fellow classmates as Lee pulled the Corvette alongside the curb in front of the high school. “I’m so glad you and mom decided to take two cars this morning.” Unhooking his seatbelt, he gathered up his books and reached for the door handle. “Thanks for letting me ride with you, Lee.”

“You’re welcome, Chief.” Before his stepson could open the door, Lee put a hand on Phillip’s arm. “Just remember, either your mom or I will be picking you up after school. We’re thinking of pizza and a movie tonight, so try and be out front once school’s out, okay?”

Phillip nodded. “Yeah.” Opening the car door, he turned back towards Lee. “You know, you sound more and more like a parent everyday and less like mom’s boyfriend.” He stepped out of the car. “Just don’t let it go to your head, Lee. Don’t get me wrong, I think you’d make an awesome stepdad, it’s just that I’d hate to see you lose your cool status too soon.” He grinned widely and winked.

As his stepson closed the door, Lee heard the other boys shouting, “Wow, Phillip.” “Totally rad ride.” “Whose awesome car is that?” A sense of pride came over him when he heard Phillip telling the guys that it was his mom’s boyfriend’s car. Keeping an ear on the conversation outside the car, he checked his mirrors for anything suspicious. Catching sight of the Agency power company van pulling up across the street, he breathed a sigh of relief that Phillip’s safety was secure. He was just about to wonder who had drawn the short straw for this stakeout when he heard one of the boys comment, “A total babe magnet, think you’ll get to borrow it?”

Lee looked back in their direction when he heard Phillip reply, “I can definitely guarantee it.” His stepson’s grin widened as he waved at Lee, and then turned to walk towards the school, still chatting about the car with the group of boys.

Lee shook his head and muttered, “Not until you’re old and gray.” He watched Phillip enter the school before putting the car in drive and pulling away from the curb. He only hoped that his stepson was showing off. It would be a cold day in Hell before he would even consider letting Phillip drive his baby. Thankfully he realized that his stepson had at least a year to go before he got his license. In the meantime, though, he would be more than happy to give his stepson a ride to school, if it helped increase Phillip’s ‘cool’ status with some of the other high school boys. He remembered what it was like in high school, trying to fit in. Then again, jumping around from base to base, he didn’t really get a chance to make many friends in high school.

As Lee drove the remaining few blocks to the middle school, he thought about Phillip’s comment. Did the boys really think of him as a father figure and not just as a friend? Now he was really glad he had insisted on going in two cars this morning. Since he had his meeting with T.P. and Amanda was meeting Joe for lunch, they’d realized it wouldn’t be a good idea for either of them to be without a car, just in case something happened. If they had driven in together, he would definitely have missed out on that little tidbit.

Smiling, Lee pulled into a spot at the middle school and, glancing in his rearview mirror, he caught sight of Amanda’s Jeep enter the parking lot. Putting his car in park, he shut off the engine and climbed out of the vehicle. Taking a quick look around, he took note of Fred Fielder overseeing an Agency crew working in the area of a manhole across the street. At least their cover should be a little more believable than the telephone company van back at the house.

Amanda pulled into the spot next to Lee’s Corvette, just as her husband had shut his car door. “Jamie, I know we’re a little early but I want you to head straight to your homeroom. No dawdling in the gym or anywhere else, okay?”

“Okay, Mom.” Jamie gathered his books and opened his door. “Hey, Lee. You made good time. I thought for sure Phillip was going to keep you there forever showing off the Corvette.”

Lee chuckled as he went to open the door for Amanda. “I was surprised he didn’t ask me to pop the hood, but I think he definitely earned a few Brownie points with some of the older kids.”

Amanda gathered her purse and turned back towards Sydney. “You ready for this?”

Sydney nodded. “I’m actually kind of excited…and a little nervous, too. Do you think you’ll be able to get me into the same classes as Jamie?”

“I think, since you’re just visiting, it shouldn’t be a problem.” Amanda smiled at the young girl. “You can still change your mind, you know.”

Sydney scooped up her backpack and opened her own car door. “It’s okay. I really want to do this.”

Amanda smiled as she got out of the car. She leaned over and kissed her husband’s cheek as he closed her car door. Taking Lee’s hand in hers they walked around the car to meet up with Sydney. “So you didn’t want to show off the engine to a bunch of teenagers?” Her eyes twinkled with merriment.

Lee rolled his eyes and let out what almost sounded like a growl. “Not in this lifetime. Do you remember the last time I let Phillip look under my hood?”

Jamie laughed. “I thought you said it helped increase the ’Vette’s performance?”

“Actually, I believe Phillip said it would. I was more afraid to find out exactly what he’d done to it.” Lee felt Amanda squeeze his hand. “So, how big is this book sale thing you have me signed up for?”

“Every year it changes. Last year’s was pretty tame, we didn’t have a lot of people coming in, but the year before that was pretty busy.” Amanda let go of her husband’s hand as they reached the entrance to the school. She opened the door and let Sydney, Jamie and Lee enter ahead of her. Once inside she took Lee’s hand again. “Jamie, I meant what I said in the car. Just go straight to your homeroom.”

Jamie nodded and rolled his eyes. “I will, I promise.” Then glancing briefly at his friend, he looked back towards his mom. “What about Sydney?”

Amanda reached out to ruffle his hair but stopped and let her hand fall back to her side. She had suddenly remembered that they were on school grounds and she was sure her son would rather die than have his mom do that to him in public. “Either myself or Principal Dennis will take Sydney to first period.”

“Okay.” Jamie then turned towards Sydney, “I’ll try and see if my first period English teacher, Mr. Sharkey will let me change seats temporarily. If he’ll let me have one near an empty desk in the back, I’ll save you a seat.”

Sydney smiled shyly. “Thanks, Jamie. I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah, see you in a little bit.” Jamie shouted as headed in the direction of his homeroom.

Amanda wrapped her free arm around Sydney’s shoulders. “Come on. Principal Dennis is very anxious to meet you.” She smiled at the young girl’s questioning gaze. “She told me yesterday when I talked to her that it’s not every day she gets to meet someone who willingly wants to go to school, especially when they could technically be on a mini-vacation.”

When they reached the office, Principal Dennis was standing at the desk waiting for them. “You must be Sydney Bristow.” She extended her hand for Sydney to shake. “I’m Principal Dennis.

With all the confidence she could muster, Sydney took the offered hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Principal Dennis then turned her attention on Amanda. “Good morning, Mrs. King.”

Amanda smiled brightly. “Good morning, Principal Dennis. We really appreciate you letting Sydney do this. It’s very important to her. She doesn’t want to fall behind while she’s away from home.”

“I understand completely.” Glancing down at the young girl, Principal Dennis smiled. “It’s always gratifying to see young people excited about education.” She then noticed Lee standing quietly next to Amanda. “Have we met before? You look awfully familiar.”

Lee hadn’t thought about the fact that he had, in fact, almost met Principal Dennis just over a year ago. They had never been officially introduced but he had been close enough to her that she might have recognized his face. Putting on his best agent face, he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Amanda, too, had forgotten the fact that Principal Dennis had been present that day in the gym when Mr. Prescott had tried to abduct Phillip and Jamie. Deciding a diversionary tactic was in order, she quickly jumped to her husband’s aide. “Principal Dennis, this is Lee Stetson. You may have seen him driving my car to pick up Jamie from school once or twice before. Anyway, I managed to rope him into helping with the book sale. Since he’s never been inside the school before and is most likely going to need your help later, I wanted to introduce him to you. You see, he’s got a meeting in a little while and when he comes back he’s going to need to be shown where to go. I figure the three of us,” she motioned to herself, Principal Dennis and Sydney, “will probably be tied up for a while and I won’t be able to get him started before he has to leave. So I was hoping that when he got back he could come and see you and you could take him to the book sale area. That is, if it’s all right with you?”

Principal Dennis stared dumbfounded at Amanda’s rambling. She had had many conversations with Mrs. King in the past and it never ceased to amaze her how one woman could say so much so fast without taking a break to breathe. “Um…yes, that shouldn’t be a problem at all.” She looked in Lee’s direction. “Mrs. Thompson, the woman in charge of the sale, should have the signs directing the public, posted on the walls by the time you return. All you need to do is follow the signs to the book sale.”

“Thanks, I will.” Lee let a small grin tug at the corners of his mouth. Amanda’s rambling had, once again, managed to diffuse the situation. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to get going.”

Amanda turned towards Principal Dennis. “Would it be okay if Sydney stays here with you for a minute? I just want to walk Lee out.” At the other woman’s nod, she led her husband into the hallway. “Say hello to T.P. for me.”

“I will.” Lee leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t forget I need to stop by the office and drop off the files.”

Amanda nodded. “That’s right, I almost forgot. I guess you’ll want to meet with Mr. Melrose and brief him on the few likely candidates that we found last night.” With all the school students walking past them, she was trying to keep her comments as neutral as possible.

“Yeah, I want to make sure he gets Francine started on passing their photos around.” Lee glanced at his watch. “I really have to go, so I can be in time to touch base with you before you head out to meet Joe.”

Leaning in, Amanda placed a quick kiss on his lips. “I love you,” she whispered as they broke apart.

“I love you, too.” Lee winked and headed in the direction of the doors.

Amanda turned and headed back into the office. As she approached Sydney and Principal Dennis, she heard the older woman asking Sydney about her interests.

Sydney smiled as Amanda reached her side. “I love to read and I do really well in math.”

Amanda placed a hand on the young girl’s shoulder and looked towards the Principal. “So, what exactly do we need to do to get Sydney started?”

“Do you know how long Sydney will be staying with you?” Principal Dennis moved over to the counter and scanned the forms.

Amanda glanced at Sydney and shook her head. “Well, her father is away on business. He hopes to have it concluded by next Friday at the latest. However, he mentioned something about the possibility that complications might arise and he would need a little more time to conclude his business.”

Principal Dennis nodded in understanding. “Well, for now, since Sydney is really only visiting, I’ll just have you fill out a visitor’s form. If it turns out that she’ll be with us for more than a week, I may need you to fill out a complete registration form.” She pulled out a pink form and handed it to Amanda.

Amanda accepted the form and reached into her purse for a pen. Upon opening her bag, she found the forms Jack had prepared. Pulling them out, she glanced towards Principal Dennis. “I almost forgot. Sydney’s father filled out a few forms just in case. One giving permission for Sydney to attend school here and the other giving me temporary guardianship.” She handed the documents to Principal Dennis.

Principal Dennis accepted the papers and gave them a quick once over. “These look very thorough. Do you need them back? Or are these our copies?”

Amanda shook her head. “Actually if you could make copies, I’d like to keep the originals with me, if that’s all right with you.”

“Not a problem at all.” Principal Dennis walked around the counter. “I’ll be right back.”

Amanda glanced at Sydney, who appeared to be looking at some of the pictures that adorned the walls behind the desk. “Principal Dennis, before you go, there was something I meant to ask you.”

Principal Dennis turned around, and looked inquisitively at Amanda. “Go ahead.”

“Well it has to do with what classes Sydney would be taking while she’s here.” Amanda reached over and placed her hand gently on Sydney’s shoulder. “Sydney was hoping that she could attend classes with Jamie.”

Principal Dennis smiled pleasantly. “Actually, I pulled Jamie’s class schedule earlier. I figured Sydney would feel more comfortable being with someone she already knew. I’ve already made her a copy and was planning on bringing it with me when I returned. Just give me a minute and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Nodding, Amanda watched as a contented smile appeared on Sydney’s face. Giving the young girl’s shoulder a gentle pat, she turned her attention to the form in front of her. It was basic enough and only needed a few pieces of information. She filled in her address for Sydney’s home address; she was pretty sure that Principal Dennis wouldn’t be expecting her to put Sydney’s California information. Moving over to the next section, she glanced over at the young girl. “What’s your date of birth? I’m sure I saw it on the form your dad filled out, but since Principal Dennis has it at the moment and I can’t remember what it was.” She had actually seen it in Sydney’s file but hadn’t memorized the actual date; she remembered the month and knew the year, since it was the same year Jamie had been born. Besides, even if she had known the answer, she would probably have asked anyway, figuring that it might appear a bit suspicious to a bright girl like Sydney if she didn’t ask.

Sydney, who had been staring at a picture of the Principal and some of the students on the wall behind the counter, quickly turned her attention towards Amanda. “Oh, I was born on April 7th, 1975. When Jamie and I were working on his homework assignments last night, he mentioned that he was born in November, but that he was so far ahead of the other kids in his class that he was able to skip second grade. I could tell from how fast he was able to do his homework that he’s pretty smart.” She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I’m really glad that he got to skip a grade because I’m not so sure I’d enjoy visiting a strange school if we weren’t in the same grade. I would have felt like an outsider. I only got my hopes up to do this when you told me Jamie was in the same grade as me. Does that make sense?”

“It makes perfect sense, Sydney.” Amanda smiled knowingly. “Jamie had a rough time of it for the first few months when he started third grade. Since all his friends were suddenly a grade below him, it took him a while to adjust to being the youngest in his class but in the end, it worked out for the best. He’s doing wonderfully in school and I’m sure Jamie’s glad that he’s the one who gets to show you around.”

Sydney nodded and went back to admiring the photos around the office. There were pictures all over the room, happy smiling faces of children and probably their teachers. “Principal Dennis is really well liked, isn’t she?”

Amanda followed Sydney’s gaze. “Yes, she’s a wonderful Principal. She really takes the time to get to know the students and their parents.” She sighed as she thought back to a year ago. If Principal Dennis hadn’t taken the time to be involved, then Mr. Prescott’s presence as a private investigator probably wouldn’t have aroused any suspicions. As it was, because the principal had known that she was still on good terms with Joe and that he was supposed to be out of the country, Mr. Prescott’s sudden appearance had concerned her. A small shudder ran up her spine as she realized just how fortunate they had been that day. She hated to think what might have happened had Principal Dennis not caught up with her in the parking lot that morning. Knowing it was useless to think about ‘what ifs’, she shook her head, and returned her attention to the form in front of her.

Amanda had just finished signing her name, when Principal Dennis returned. “Perfect timing.” She handed the form to the other woman.

Principal Dennis accepted the paper. “Thank you.” She then handed the original forms back to Amanda and a small piece of paper to Sydney. “Here’s your schedule…well Jamie’s schedule, really. You probably won’t need it, since you’ll most likely be walking to classes with Jamie. But it’s a good thing to have just in case.” She glanced quickly at her watch. “Now, first period is about to start. I’ll walk you to class and introduce you to Jamie’s English teacher. Shall we go?” She headed towards the door, with Amanda and Sydney behind her. “Mrs. King, the book sale is set up in the corridor outside the library.”

As they entered the hallway, Amanda touched Sydney’s shoulder. “If you need me for anything, the library is just around that corner.” She pointed down the hall and to the right.

“Okay, but I’m sure Jamie can help me find it, if necessary.” Sydney gave Amanda a bright smile. Anxious to get to class, she moved closer to Principal Dennis. “I’ll see you later.”

Amanda was about to turn when she realized she hadn’t packed Jamie or Sydney lunch this morning. Since she wasn’t a hundred percent sure that Principal Dennis would let Sydney shadow Jamie, allowing the young girl to store her lunch in his locker, she had planned on giving them money. “Sydney, wait up.” She turned around and took a few strides to catch up to Sydney and Principal Dennis. Reaching into her purse, she took out her wallet. “I almost forgot to give you and Jamie lunch money. I won't be here at lunchtime and Lee may be too busy during the book sale. Besides, it probably wouldn't look too good for him to be passing you money when he's supposed to be selling books.” Pulling out a twenty-dollar bill, she handed it to Sydney. “This should be more than enough to cover lunch for both of you.” The young girl took the money and put it in her back pocket. “I expect the change back though.” She smiled and winked.

“I promise not to let Jamie spend it all.” Sydney grinned and then resumed walking towards her first class with Principal Dennis.

As Amanda watched them go, she felt a little like she was sending her daughter off on her first day of school. For the first time since Sydney had arrived, she began to wonder what it would be like to raise a girl of her own. She loved Phillip and Jamie with all her heart but there was just something about the idea of having a daughter to share all the experiences and knowledge she gained when she was growing up; experiences you can’t really share with your sons. She wondered what a little girl with her husband’s genetic makeup would look like. Shaking her head, she turned and headed towards the library. Their lives were just a little too complicated right now for thoughts like that. ‘But, maybe someday.’ She smiled thoughtfully. Then again, it wasn’t a topic that had ever come up between her and Lee and she wasn’t sure what his thoughts on having children were. She knew he loved her boys as his own, but did he want children of his own. ‘One thing at a time, Amanda, one thing at a time.’ With their marriage still a secret and Lee not officially a full-time part of the family yet, now was not the time to start thinking about adding to the family.

Turning the corner, she spotted Mrs. Tompkins, who was in charge of the book sale, and headed in her direction. She needed to find out what her job for the sale was going to be.

SMK a SMK a SMK

Lee got out of his car and immediately spotted T.P. feeding the ducks near one of the benches next to the pond. Locking his car door, he made his way across the grass in the direction of his friend. As he scanned the area for anyone suspicious, he thought about the crazy business he was in. Normal people would just enjoy a stroll in the park and not worry about who might be listening to their conversations or watching them. However, he knew that in the profession he had chosen, letting your guard down, even for a moment, could be the difference between life and death. He wondered if there would ever be a day when he could truly be normal. Then again, every day that he spent with Amanda and her…no his family, he was getting closer to being normal, although he doubted that he’d ever stop being on the alert for anything suspicious.

“Ah, right on time, my boy.” T.P. handed Lee a bag of peanuts as soon as the younger man had reached him.

“Morning, T.P.” Lee accepted the bag and sat down on the bench. “What have you got for me?” He threw a few peanuts to the ducks near his feet.

T.P. shook his head and chuckled. “Always one to get right to the point, aren’t you?”

Lee gave his friend a lopsided grin and shrugged. “Sorry, T.P. I’ve got a tight schedule this morning.”

“Yes, you mentioned something about dropping off Amanda and the boys at school but I noticed you drove up in your car.” T.P. looked over in the direction of Lee’s Corvette. “Surely you didn’t try and fit them all in that tiny thing.”

Lee laughed good-naturedly. “No, actually, I drove Phillip to school. Amanda took Jamie and our friend Sydney in the Jeep.”

T.P. tossed a few more peanuts to his duck friends. “This is a new side to you, my boy. Things seem to be getting quite serious with you and Mrs. King. I sure hope so, anyway. She’s good for you, Lee. I’ve always thought so.”
Lee trusted T.P. and would love to tell his old friend exactly where he stood with Amanda but he didn’t feel right about spilling the beans without his wife present. He cleared his throat and focused his attention on the ducks. “So, what did you find out for me?”

T.P. smiled knowingly. Being quite used to Lee’s avoidance of conversations that revolved around anything personal, he decided to humor his friend and went along with the change in topic. “Quite a lot, in fact. It wasn’t easy but once I found what I was looking for, I found enough to write my own expose.” He sat down next to Lee. “However, since I can’t actually admit that I found proof of the existence of Project Christmas, the government would probably try and bury my findings along with all those crazy UFO stories.”

Lee turned to look directly at his friend. “Now you’ve really got my interest, not that you didn’t before.” He popped a few peanuts into his mouth.

T.P. threw some more peanuts onto the ground. “Seems that Jack Bristow was in charge of researching the learning curve of five and six year olds. Someone in the Department of Education had noticed a pattern and brought it to the CIA’s attention. Their studies showed that six year olds have the ability to learn math and cognitive skills at an alarmingly fast rate. The CIA picked up on this information and decided to see how true it was. They began developing questions about spatial relations and inserting them into various tests around the Los Angeles area, since that’s where Jack lived and for some reason they gave him the project. I don’t know much about the man, so I can’t say if it had anything to do with his field of expertise or not. Anyway, the CIA wanted to see if they could locate any children that showed really high scores in those areas.”

“What would the government want with children who have these types of skill?” Lee threw a few more peanuts to the ducks, before eating a few more himself.

“Patience, my boy, patience. I’m getting to that.” T.P. crumpled up his empty bag and walked over to the garbage can. Throwing it away, he returned to his seat next to Lee. “Well, from what I discovered, Jack managed to gather enough data to show that the theories were correct. He had questions put into tests for first thru fifth graders. The results that came back showed that almost thirty percent of the children with high cognitive skills were all first graders.” He reached into Lee’s bag and threw a few more peanuts onto the ground. “From what I gathered, the CIA thought that children with this gift would be good candidates for learning certain skills. Things like learning dozens of foreign languages with very little effort, and putting together intricate puzzles, in a short amount of time and without looking.”

“Do you mean blindfolded?” Lee remembered back to some of his earlier training with the Agency. One of the tests he had to endure was putting a gun together blindfolded, and in under sixty seconds. Not to mention, all the different languages the Agency had taught him. As it was, he was only able to speak about three or four, fluently. There were some languages he could understand, if not speak them, but he had started learning late in life, imagine how many a child with extraordinary learning capability could learn.

T.P. nodded. “Exactly. The traits that Jack’s studies were focused on were efficiency with numbers, three dimensional thinking and creative problem solving. They should sound familiar to you since I know they’re the type of things that the government looks for in its top agents.”

“You know, I never really gave it much thought, but we do concentrate on those traits a lot when looking for new recruits. But why focus on children?” Lee started to pop another couple of peanuts into his mouth, then stopped, his eyes growing wide. He looked directly at T.P. “You’re not suggesting that the CIA was trying to train first graders to be spies, are you?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” T.P. slowly nodded. “Apparently the KGB got wind of this and sent in someone to uncover the results Jack was gathering.”

“Irina Derevko.” Lee rubbed the back of his neck, trying to keep the hairs from standing. He was getting a very bad feeling about of all of this.

“Right and Irina reported her findings back to the KGB. Not long after they received her reports, a Valery Kholokov started doing his own studies.” T.P. leaned his head back on the bench. “Shortly after Irina’s death and he returned from solitary, Jack decided to stop doing research and found someone to test his theories on. Apparently the test was a success; the subject’s results were off the charts.”
“I’d really love to know what type of tests he subjected the child to. I remember some of my early tests with the Agency and they weren’t fun.” Lee threw the last of his peanuts to the ducks in front of him. “What happened to the subject? Obviously the CIA wouldn’t be brash enough to recruit a six year old.”

T.P. shook his head. “No, Jack found a way to reset the child’s memory so that the child has no recollection of anything related to the test. But, the information is there, the skills are there and all they have to do is reawaken the memories years later and they have an instant spy.”

Lee ran a hand through his hair. “So what you’re telling me is that Project Christmas is actually a way to create sleeper agents. They’re basically taking away the children’s right to choose what they want to grow up to be.”

“Well from what I found out and considering the fact that Jack’s test had positive results, they’ve already put their project into motion.” T.P. looked at Lee. “Back in 1982, they put a small number of spatial reasoning questions on some Standardized Tests. They then passed the tests out to thirty-three different states.”

Lee let out a slow whistle. “It’s all starting to make sense to me now.” He saw T.P. raise his eyebrows questioningly. “Jack refused to tell me anything and Dr. Smyth had Billy order me to keep my nose out of it. Now I know why. They’re creating sleeper agents using children. I wouldn’t want any of the other American agencies to find out that I let the KGB get their hands on something this big either. If the CIA is creating American sleeper agents, what’s to stop the KGB from doing the same thing? I’d hate to think of the repercussions of that. Think about it, Russian sleeper agents in America. Hell, the KGB would be just bold enough to try and set up sleeper agents all over world. They’d have an instant spy network.” He shuddered at the thought. Glancing at his watch, he rose from his seat on the bench. “Thanks T.P. Keep this information to yourself, okay?”

T.P. nodded. “I take it you’re not planning on sharing this information with anyone?”

Lee shook his head. “Only Amanda. If Dr. Smyth gets wind of the fact that I know anything about this, he may just have my job.”

“I understand. I had a hard enough time finding out what I did.” T.P. gave him an understanding nod. “The CIA was definitely keeping a tight lid on it.”

“One more thing, T.P.” Lee hesitated briefly, knowing that he probably wasn’t going to get answer to his next question. Deciding that it would bug him more if he didn’t ask, he plunged ahead with his question. “I don’t suppose you were able to find out the name of the six year old Jack tested his theories on, were you?”

T.P. shook his head. “Jack reported the child as a Jane Doe. I’m guessing it was to keep the subject anonymous.”

“That’s what I thought. You know, I’ve always wondered how you get your information.” Lee put up a hand. “Don’t worry, I don’t want to know. Thanks again T.P.”

“My pleasure. Give my regards to Amanda for me, will you?” T.P. smiled when he noticed Lee’s face light up at the mere mention of his partner’s name. It was obvious that the young man in front of him was off the market for good and he couldn’t be happier for his friend.

“I will, T.P. I’ll catch you later.” Lee turned and headed back to his car. He was glad he wasn’t going to share this information with Billy. It was kind of nice being able to hold some of the cards for a change. Besides, he only had an hour to get over to the Agency, fill Billy in on their KGB suspects and then get back to the school and have enough time for Amanda to show him the ropes before she left to meet Joe. He wouldn’t have enough time to tell Billy all about Project Christmas even if he wanted to.

Taking out his keys, he watched T.P. pull out another bag of peanuts. It was good to have friends and family who always managed to come through for you. He didn’t have many in this business but the ones he did, were loyal and reliable. He never really took the time to be thankful for little things like that until Amanda came into his life and showed him the true value of friendship. Unlocking the ’Vette, he got in and buckled his seatbelt. Placing the key in the ignition, he put the car in drive and headed towards the office.

SMK a SMK a SMK

Amanda had made it home with only minutes to spare. Not that Joe would have been mad if she’d been late, but she understood the demands of his job and didn’t want to delay him. She was running slightly behind because Lee had gotten back to the school a little later than he had expected. It was really all Billy’s fault that she’d had to rush out and leave her husband alone to fend for himself with the women of the PTA. Lee had told Amanda, when he had finally met up with her at the book sale, that he had been delayed because he had to wait for the copies of the photos.

Amanda had asked Lee why he had to wait for the photos. She was worried that distributing the photos might blow his cover. Her husband had laughed, telling her that that was exactly what he had said to Billy. When Lee had asked why it was so important for him to risk his cover, their section chief had told him that since the two agents who normally cover the Q-Bureau were out on another assignment, Francine was covering for them, and she was stretched pretty thin. The more help she could get, the better. So, Lee would have to find time to distribute the photos to the babysitters at both schools and on Maplewood, all the while keeping his ‘cover intact’. She opened the refrigerator and she started taking out the fixings for sandwiches. She hoped lunch with Joe wouldn’t take too long, she had a feeling her husband was going to need rescuing. As she began placing the items on the counter, she shook her head and let out a soft chuckle as she remembered the look on Lee’s face when she left the book sale.

It hadn’t taken long for one of the other mothers, a Mrs. Silvers, to grow curious about the strange man Amanda King was having a hushed conversation with. Mrs. Silvers had wasted no time in approaching them and enthusiastically asked her to introduce her to the very handsome man she was with. She had hesitated slightly, not quite sure how to introduce Lee, but in the end, she had introduced him as her boyfriend. It had been strange, however, to say boyfriend in conjunction with Lee, he was after all really her husband but since the boys knew him as her boyfriend, it had been the only real choice she could make. Mrs. Silvers had been overjoyed that she had found such a ‘fine looking specimen of a man’ and wondered when she had had the time to catch him. Lee had simply said that it was he who had caught Amanda.

Suddenly they had found themselves surrounded by five other mothers. Amanda knew that the main reason the PTA mothers were so excited was because it wasn’t everyday that they got to meet someone from her personal life and they definitely weren’t used to a man helping out with school functions during the daytime, unless it was a weekend function. After a few minutes of being bombarded with questions from all the mothers, she had glanced at her watch and said that she had to meet someone soon and really needed to familiarize Lee with what he would need to do. Mrs. Silvers had jumped at the chance to help get Lee started. Her husband had looked at her pleadingly, begging her to stay. She had smiled and then kissed him on the cheek, whispering that she’d be back as soon as she could and that he would survive. She then quickly rushed from the area, glancing back only once and caught sight of just how uncomfortable Lee was.

Amanda had tried to suppress a laugh at the flustered look on her husband’s face. One would think that a trained agent could adapt to any situation, but seeing Lee so obviously ill at ease with the attention the mothers were giving him was quite comical. She chuckled as she realized just how ironic that was. Lee Stetson, former ladies’ man, was uncomfortable being the center of attention from a group of women. Well, if the women were all single and gorgeous, Scarecrow the secret agent would do just fine. A gathering of married women with children was probably enough to make her husband wish he were surrounded by KGB agents.

Amanda had just finished putting the cold cuts and condiments on the counter, when the doorbell rang. She closed the refrigerator and headed towards the front door. Opening the door, she ushered her ex-husband inside. “Thanks for making the trek over here, Joe.”

Joe handed her Phillip’s football helmet and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. “Not a problem. I thought Phillip might need his helmet for practice tomorrow morning.”

“I take it the reason you drove all the way over here is because you won’t be able to see them this weekend?” Amanda stepped away and closed the front door.

“Yes. It’s why I wanted to meet with you in person. I have to go to New York for the weekend. I leave tonight and was hoping to switch weekends with you. I hate to do it especially on such short notice.” Joe sighed and looked at his ex-wife, remorse evident in his eyes.

Amanda reached over and placed her hand on Joe’s shoulder. “It’s all right sweetheart. I understand. I was actually planning on giving you a call anyway; you just beat me to the punch. I was going to ask you the same thing, well ask you if you wouldn’t mind if the boys stayed with you next weekend instead.” She moved over towards the hall closet. Opening it, she placed Phillip’s helmet on the shelf above the coats.

Joe looked at her quizzically. “Oh really?” He moved closer to her as she put Phillip’s helmet away. Standing behind her, he noticed the open door to the living room and caught sight of the pullout couch made up into a bed. “Amanda, who’s staying here? Not that it’s any of my business, but…”

Closing the closet door, Amanda followed Joe’s gaze. “Um, well…Lee’s staying here.”

“Doesn’t Lee have a perfectly good apartment across town?” Joe’s tone suddenly got defensive. “Wait a minute, does your need to switch weekends with me have anything to do with him staying here?”

Placing a hand on her hip, Amanda took a deep breath and glared at her ex-husband. “Now, wait just a minute, Joe. It’s not what you think. Lee’s apartment flooded and he needed a place to crash while they repair the damage.”

Joe crossed his arms and stared defiantly at Amanda. “Right, flooded.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’m not buying it Amanda. It’s exactly what I think. This is Agency related isn’t it?” He shook his head when he saw Amanda start to protest. “Don’t try and deny it. I wasn’t born yesterday. If it isn’t Agency related, then tell me why Lee didn’t just rent a hotel room or have his apartment complex put him up in a temporary apartment. What’s so important that Lee has to stay here? Are the boys in danger?”

Dotty had been in her room waiting for Edna when she had heard the doorbell ring. Edna had called earlier, apologizing that she was going to be at least an hour late. She had decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet and had retreated to her room to read. She had been so engrossed in her book that she never heard Amanda come home. She had reached the end of the upstairs hallway just as Joe had asked about the living room. She hadn’t planned on eavesdropping on her daughter’s conversation with Joe but she was curious to hear Joe’s reaction when Amanda informed him of just who their houseguest was. She figured that if she announced her presence, Joe might not be so candid. Now, standing quietly in the shadows of the hallway, she was glad she had remained silent. ‘What was Joe talking about? What Agency? What danger could the boys possibly be in?’ She continued her silent vigil, hoping to get some answers to those questions.

Amanda sighed and relaxed her features. “No, the boys aren’t in any direct danger.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Amanda?” Joe kept his arms crossed, his voice now concerned. “I thought when you told me about your marriage, you and Lee had decided it was best for the boys’ safety not to live under the same roof. What could possibly be so important that you’d risk that?”

Upstairs, Dotty had practically bit her tongue to keep from crying out. ‘Married!’ Her daughter and Lee were married? Why would they want to hide the fact that they were married?’ Amanda’s next words had her quickly searching for a place to keep hidden.

“Look, why don’t we fix ourselves something to eat” Amanda turned and started walking towards the kitchen. “I already pulled out some sandwich fixings. I figured you were probably anxious to get back to work and I really shouldn’t leave Lee alone at the school for too long. I promise to explain as much as I can over lunch.”

Joe uncrossed his arms and followed her into the kitchen. “I’m not going to like this am I?”

Fortunately for Dotty, Amanda’s bedroom door had been left open and she quickly moved into her daughter’s room, remaining out of sight. Once she was sure that both Amanda and Joe were in the kitchen, she moved back out into the hallway. Quietly, she crept down a few stairs, eager to hear exactly what Amanda’s explanation was going to be.

Amanda moved to the cabinet and pulled out two plates. She handed one to Joe and then moved to the counter. Pulling out two slices of bread, she placed them on her plate. “It has to do with Sydney Bristow.”

Joe began making his own sandwich. “Who’s Sydney Bristow?”

“Sydney is a twelve-year old girl who is currently staying with us. Mr. Melrose assigned us to her. We’re supposed to protect her.” Amanda opened the jar of mayonnaise and then, opening the drawer to her left, she pulled out a butter knife. “Before you ask, I can’t go into details. All I can tell you is that her father fears for her safety.” Closing the drawer, she put the knife in the jar of mayo and began spreading it on her bread.

Joe opened the package of ham and placed a few slices on his plate. “Is her father a spy, too?”

Amanda shook her head. “You know I can’t answer that Joe. Look, Lee and I weren’t happy about having to do this. We’ve done everything in our power to keep the Agency away from the boys. But I was ordered to take her in.” She reached over for the package of ham. “I’ll be honest with you Joe, even if Sydney hadn’t been assigned to me, I would have done it anyway. Sydney is a very special girl. Her mother died when she was six and her father is never around.”

Joe reached over and placed a gentle hand on his ex-wife’s arm. “I know you Amanda. You have a heart of gold. You always go out of your way to help anyone in need.”

Amanda smiled warmly in his direction, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. “Anyway,” she went back to her task of making her lunch. “Since Lee’s my partner, Mr. Melrose thought it was best to have Lee stay here at the house. We figure, it’d be safer with him inside rather than watching from the outside, especially since mother and the boys know him.”

“Is that why you left Lee at the school?” Joe grabbed two slices of cheese and added them to his own sandwich.

Amanda nodded as she picked up her plate and walked over to the kitchen table. “Yes. Sydney wanted to keep up with her classes and, since she and Jamie are in the same grade, we arranged for her to attend school with Jamie. Fortunately there’s a big book sale going on, and our presence at the school won’t look suspicious.”

“Lee’s not the only one keeping an eye on them, is he?” Joe picked up his own plate and followed her over to the table.

Amanda placed her plate down, then turned and headed towards the cabinet next to the sink. Opening it, she took down two glasses. “Would iced tea be okay, Joe? I made a fresh pitcher yesterday.”

“Iced tea is fine.” Joe sat down and began eating his lunch.

Amanda opened the refrigerator and pulled out the pitcher of tea. “To answer your question, no he’s not. We’ve got babysitters watching the high school, the middle school and the house.”

“Yeah I noticed the van at the end of the street. Is Sydney really that important?” Joe asked between bites.

Amanda let out a small sigh. “All I can tell you is that her father thinks she is.” Having filled the glasses with tea, she put the pitcher on the counter and carried the two glasses over to the table. Handing one to Joe, she sat down across from him.

“How long has Lee been staying here?” Joe picked up his glass and took a sip.

“Since Wednesday night.” Amanda took a bite of her sandwich.

Joe scrunched his face, as a thought occurred to him. “Amanda? Do you think that having Lee stay here is going to make you two rethink your decision?”

Amanda let out a deep breath and nodded. “Actually, ever since Mr. Melrose assigned this case to us, we’ve been talking about nothing else. It’s been so hard living apart and now that we’re under the same roof, I don’t think either one of us wants to go back to the way it was before.”

Joe put his glass down and smiled tenderly at his ex-wife. “I always thought your idea of keeping your marriage a secret was going to be tough. Look at us, we couldn’t keep our marriage working and we lived thousands of miles apart, with a whole ocean between us.” He saw regret flash across Amanda’s face. Reaching over, he laid his hand gently over hers. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out. I think we both knew we weren’t destined to stay together. We were always more friends than soul mates. I see the way you and Lee look at each other and how you two always find a way to be near each other.” He caught sight of her eyebrows rising questioningly. “The two of you can’t be in the same room without having some sort of physical contact. We never had that, Amanda.”

“Oh, Joe… ”

Joe squeezed her hand. “I will never regret what we shared.”
“Nor will I. We wouldn’t have Phillip and Jamie.” Amanda wiped away a few tears from her eyes. “I think our friendship has grown stronger because of them.”

Joe nodded. “I also wouldn’t have realized what I have with Carrie. My marriage to her has made me realize the difference between love and true love.”

Amanda let out a silvery laugh. “I know exactly what you mean.” Removing her hand from Joe’s she picked up her glass. “To love, friendship and happy marriages.”

Joe picked up his own glass and clinked it with hers. “I’ll drink to that.”

Amanda swallowed and placed her glass back on the table. “We should probably finish our lunches. I really don’t want to leave Lee alone with the members of the PTA for too long.”

Joe laughed heartily. “Yeah, I’ve met some of those women. I wouldn’t want to be alone with them for long either.”

Dotty sat on the stairs, stunned. She didn’t know what to make of what she’d just learned. Her Panda had mentioned that exasperating Mr. Melrose twice. She had made it sound like he was her boss. Which made her wonder if that whole mix-up last year wasn’t just because of a couple of filmmakers. Was her daughter really a spy? The fact that she had been right in assuming the van down the street wasn’t really from the phone company, didn’t make her feel any better. It made her feel worse. Not only had her daughter been lying to her, but she also had a son-in-law she didn’t know about, and her former son-in-law had been keeping secrets from her, too. Her head suddenly felt like it was going to explode.

Quietly she rose and crept back upstairs. She needed to call Edna and tell her not to bother coming over. She wasn’t in the mood to go look at flowers anymore. Once she finished calling her friend, she was going to call Captain Kurt. Kurt was always up for a flight somewhere and, right now, she needed the escape. She briefly thought about just disappearing but quickly realized that she’d be doing exactly what Amanda had done on more than one occasion. How many times had her daughter up and disappeared with out so much as a note or phone call. No, she’d just leave a note letting the family know she decided to go out of town and would be back sometime Sunday. As she entered her bedroom, she thought about confronting her daughter now, rather than later but, as she sat down on the edge of her bed and picked up the phone, she realized that she was too angry to have a coherent conversation with Amanda at this point in time. Dialing Edna’s number, she knew that she was making the right decision; she needed a few days away in order to make sense of everything she had just learned.
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