***Chapter 1***
Amanda King stood in the Q-Bureau vault sorting files. Billy had assigned them the task of ‘spring cleaning’ all the files in the vault. She glanced at the handsome man across the room. She had known that he cared deeply for her from the first kiss they shared in this very office. A kiss they had both wanted for so long, a kiss that had answered so many questions. As she filed away their reports on Stemwinder, her thoughts drifted to what had occurred during that case. Lee had put into words what she had known from the excitement of their first kiss and the emotion she saw when she looked into his eyes. He was not a man to show emotion easily. She knew just how much courage it had taken for him to say 'I love you.' She knew now that all her hopes and prayers had been answered. She couldn't pinpoint the exact time she fell in love with Lee over the past three years, but she knew she had never, nor would she ever, love another as she did him.
Lee Stetson sat at his desk watching Amanda diligently working through the files. She looked so intent on what she was doing. She always got so enthusiastic and excited when she was working on an assignment, even the small unimportant ones. He realized that was one of the things he loved about her. Love. Lee Stetson was in love. Not since Eva, had Lee admitted to himself that he was in love with anyone. But Amanda was different. She was caring and sensitive. She was always there when he needed her, even though he had convinced himself that he would never need anyone and had tried to make the outside world believe that as well. Amanda King, however, wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She had been there for him when Paul Barnes had come back into town and turned his world upside down. She had kept an eye on him when Harry had been in trouble. She had saved his hide on so many occasions. A warm smile crossed his face as he thought about how much their relationship had transformed over the years. At first he resented having to work with a housewife from Virginia and now he would walk through fire for her. She was his partner, best friend, and the love of his life.
Lee rose from his chair to close the distance between them. He was halfway to his destination when the phone rang. "Damn interruptions," Lee mumbled.
"Stetson here."
"Scarecrow, I need you and Amanda down here on the double. I've got a new assignment that has been sent from the big man himself," Billy stated.
"What's up, Billy?"
"I tell you when you get here," Billy said, as he hung up the phone.
As Lee returned the receiver to its base, Amanda popped out of the vault. "Who was that?"
"Billy. He needs us down in his office. He's got a new assignment for the two of us." Lee smiled and shook his head. She always did get in the first word.
Amanda returned his warm smile and started for the door. "What do you think it is?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. She always got excited when she found out that they had a new case together.
"Don't know. Let's go find out." Lee opened the door for her to exit and followed her out into the hall.
**********
As they approached Billy's office, they could see that Francine was already there. She appeared to be having a heated conversation with Billy.
Lee knocked and then opened the door for Amanda to enter ahead of him.
"Francine, I understand, but I am the one who gives the orders," Billy said, as he nodded in Lee and Amanda's direction. "Have a seat you two."
Francine threw a few daggers Amanda's way as she took a seat on the couch.
Amanda took her usual seat in front of Billy's desk. "So what is our new assignment, Sir?"
Lee just smiled at her usual 'get right to the point' manner, as he took the seat beside her.
"Well, it seems that a very close friend of the President is asking the for our help. It appears that one of his associates has been kidnapped," Billy started explaining, "and the president's friend specifically asked for you to be on this case." He finished, looking directly at Amanda.
"Me Sir? But…" Amanda began.
Lee interrupted her, "Amanda? Billy, how could anyone possibly know that she's an agent?"
"Somehow this man does. She is expected to fly out to Los Angeles this afternoon. Apparently a first class ticket is already waiting for her at the airport," Billy paused and turned his attention to Lee.
Francine sat back fuming. 'Why does this housewife always get to go out on the field assignments with Lee? Sure, she has had some formal training, but I'm way more qualified than her.' Francine thought to herself, observing Amanda's nerve-racking enthusiasm.
"He may have asked for just Amanda, but I am sending you with her, Scarecrow. You two make a good team, and I won't have one of my agents going on any case without back-up," Billy stated matter-of-factly.
Billy watched the expression on Lee's face and knew what his next words would be. Before Lee could protest that Amanda shouldn't be going at all he added, "The President is asking for our full co-operation on this assignment." Then turning his attention towards Francine, "and I am not about to go against the President."
"Sir, what information can you give us about this man? What I mean is, do we have a name or anything?" Amanda asked nervously, as she fidgeted with her necklace. To her, Los Angeles could mean only one thing. She had thought she had put all this behind her fifteen years ago. The mention of California began to dredge up some old memories she would rather leave in the past.
"Here are the facts of the case," Billy said, handing Amanda a folder. "Well as much as we know."
Amanda opened the folder and swallowed. Her gut feeling was confirmed. She only half listened, as Billy started explaining what was in the folder.
"It appears that this man, a Mr. Charles Townsend, used to run a detective agency. It was fully disbanded a few years back, but he apparently keeps tabs on most of his detectives."
Lee had gotten up and was now leaning down next to Amanda's chair. His arm had gone around the back of her chair and was barely touching her shoulders. He felt Amanda's body tense as she read the file. As he glanced up at her, Francine began to protest.
"If they were part of a detective agency, why do the want the Agency's help?" Francine asked. "I mean, its not like it's a matter of national security or anything."
"Francine, I really don't know. But as I said, I am not going against the President's wishes," Billy said, as he gave Francine the 'can-it-look'. "Amanda, do you have any idea who this man is, and why he asked for you?"
Lee looked at Amanda curiously. She had become quiet and he could tell her mind was somewhere other than in the file Billy had handed her.
Amanda jolted back to the present at the sound of her name. "Hmm…what? Sir? Oh I'm sorry, I was busy reading the file," she stated, not wanting to make eye contact with her boss or for that matter, anyone else in the room.
"I asked if you had any idea who this man is and why he asked for you?" Billy repeated his question, as he tried to make eye contact with Amanda.
"Do I have any idea who this man is? Why would I know why he asked for me?" Amanda restated his question. It was bad enough she had lied to her mother for the past three years, but now she was faced with the fact that she may have to hide her past from her boss.
Whereas before Lee had been curious, he was now growing worried." Amanda only answered a question with a question when she was hiding something.
"Well." Realizing that no further progress was going to be made, Billy decided to conclude the conversation, "it appears that your flight is at 3 o'clock this afternoon, so you might want to go start packing."
Billy looked from Lee to Amanda and noticed that Amanda had her eyes focused on the report in her hand. Her strange reaction to the contents of the file, and the fact that he knew nothing at all about this case, made him totally uncomfortable with sending them out to Los Angeles. "According to Mr. Townsend, there will be someone at the airport to greet you and take you to your destination."
"Yes Sir," Amanda replied quietly as she stood and began to leave the room. She was just almost at the door when Francine made her final protest.
"Billy, are you sure that you don't need me to tag along with them? Just in case they need extra backup." Francine gave Billy a pleading look.
"We'll be fine, Francine," Lee mumbled as he joined Amanda at the door. Lee felt anxiety creep into his veins by the look of indifference Amanda now wore on her face. Francine's comments usually flustered Amanda, but now it was almost as if she hadn't heard a word Francine had said.
Amanda shook her head and went out the door. Lee looked at Billy and shrugged his shoulders and quickly followed Amanda.
"I expect an update when you get to Los Angeles!" Billy called after them.
**********
"Alright, out with it. What's bothering you, Amanda?" Lee asked, as they rode up the elevator. "You know more than you were telling Billy."
"Now why would you think I know more than I do?" She repeated his question without looking at him. She knew she couldn't fool him. She was just putting off the inevitable.
"Amanda, I know when you are lying…" Lee tried to turn her to look at him, but the elevator had stopped and the doors opened.
Amanda avoided his intense gaze and rushed from the confinement of the elevator. She dashed up the steps, intent on getting her purse and leaving the building before facing the questions she knew Lee was going to ask. Her mind was a jumble of repressed memories. Why now? She had put it all behind her. She had told Charlie she wanted to move on with her life and start a family. She had met Joe and wanted to settle down, or so she had thought. The image of Lee pleading for her help at the train station flashed before her eyes. She smiled softly as she entered the Q-Bureau.
She had just grabbed her purse and was turning to leave, when Lee entered the office and closed the door behind him.
"Amanda King, you are not leaving here, until you give me some answers," he demanded as he advanced towards her. He wasn't about to let her shut him out. She would never let him do that to her.
"You can be so exasperating sometimes. Now don't go telling me you don't know what this is all about. I felt you tense up as you were reading that file. Who the Hell is Charles Townsend?" Lee asked, as he placed his hand on her arm.
She knew she had to tell him. What choice did she have? Billy had made it clear that Lee was to go with her, and like it or not, her secrets were going to come out. She put her purse on the couch and sat down.
"I guess there is no way around this. You would find out once we get to L.A. anyway." She looked up at Lee and patted the seat next to her. "Lee, this is very hard for me to admit, but I owe it to you, to tell you this. I thought it was all behind me, but the past always has a way of coming back to haunt you."
Lee's eyebrows furrowed, as he tried to read the expression on her face. 'Amanda King's past haunt her? Secrets? Amanda?' He shook his head, and then took a seat on the couch.
She took his hand in hers and continued, "Lee, before I go on, I want you to know that I care about you. I hope that what I am about to tell you, doesn’t change your opinion of me. I have never told anyone about this. Joe doesn't even know about…well, about anything that I am about to tell you," she paused and turned towards Lee so she could look into his eyes.
Lee returned her look, with an inquisitive but reassuring smile. "After high school, I was accepted to California University. While I was out there, I entered the police academy out in Los Angeles. I actually started it as a side job to help pay for college. Then one day a man named Charles Townsend recruited me as well as two other women to work for his detective agency. We went undercover to help people who were in tight spots. The agency was called Townsend Investigations, but Charlie always referred to us as his ‘Angels’."
Lee looked at her in astonishment as he tried to digest the words she had just spoken. Amanda King, the person sitting next to him, who hated guns and used lamps to knock out bad guys, had once been an undercover detective. It just didn't fit, or maybe it did. She had always had good instincts and knew more about the business than the average new recruit.
Amanda noticed the look of shock on Lee's face. She knew what he was thinking. She wanted to explain why she had never told him. "Lee, three years after I started working for Charlie, I met Joe, and well, I wanted to start a family. I told Charlie I was leaving, and that I wanted to start fresh. He understood, so he wiped any information surrounding my association with him away. I figured, with all the enemies I had made during that time, it probably wasn't a good idea to keep that identity around. I tried to put all the memories behind me. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, but I felt that if I was going to start over, I had to forget everything about those years."
"Amanda, you just can't leave your past behind. You’ve seen how my past has affected my life." Lee stood and began to pace the floor. "There have to be records of your activities. We did a background check on you when you started and none of this ever showed up." Lee stopped in front of her.
"When I started working for Charlie, I changed my name. Well, really he did. He created this whole other identity for me, so it wasn't really that hard to make that person disappear. For three years I was Sabrina Duncan. I didn't want my parents to find out about my extra-curricular activities and, besides when working under cover, a secret name always seemed like a good idea. I also had fun pretending to be this whole other person." She smiled to herself at the memory.
"Okay, maybe that explains why we never found any of this in your background check, but how come there wasn’t a gap of information?" Lee asked, continuing to stare at her.
Amanda shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I guess Charlie took care of that. He probably made it look like I was in school or living back here in Virginia already. I really couldn’t tell you. We always wondered what type of connections Charlie had. He always knew information before we did and could take care of anything we needed to work on a case successfully."
Still not quite sure what to make of all this, he let the information sink in. He suddenly realized that Amanda had kept this huge secret from him. For some reason, that hurt just a little. "Why didn't you say something earlier? After all that we’ve been through together, didn't you think you could trust me?" he spoke in a quiet, hurt tone.
"Oh, Lee, don't feel that way," she said, looking down at her hands. "I told you I put it all behind me, and started fresh. I forced myself to forget. I didn't even think about it the day you handed me the package at the train station. Well, not really. I thought I was content with the path my life was on. I was a housewife with two great kids and I was in a comfortable relationship. After I had helped you catch Mrs. Welch, I realized how much I missed the adventures I used to have. And now, you have done more than give me back the adventures, you have given me..." She looked up at him again and caressed his face with her hand, "You have given me so much more." Lee smiled at her touch.
"Lee, promise me you won't say anything to Billy. I know I'll have to come clean eventually. Right now," she stopped and looked at her watch, "I think we need to get moving. I can't imagine what is so important for Charlie to drag me back in." She started to get up.
Lee rose with her and took her in his arms. "It'll be all right, I'll be with you," he whispered into her ear.
They broke apart and left the office in silence.
As they reached her car, Lee turned to her. "Amanda, I know that there is a lot more to all of this. I’m not going to push you right now, but I think we do need to talk some more when we get to California. I'll pick you up at your house in a couple of hours and then we can head to the airport together." Looking around to make sure no one was around he placed a kiss on her lips.
Breaking apart she nodded. "Thank you. I love you, you know."
"I love you too," he replied as turned towards his own car.
She let out a sigh, 'The flight to California is going to be very long ride,' she thought as she got into her car and headed home to pack.
***Chapter 2***
As Amanda started packing her suitcase, thoughts of the boys being without her for so long troubled her. She knew her mother wouldn’t mind looking after the boys, but it wasn’t fair to always ask her to give up her free time. She picked up the phone and called Joe. To her surprise, he was more than pleased with the idea of spending extra time with the boys. He offered to come and stay with them in her house while she was gone. Joe knew enough about her involvement with the Agency not to ask too many questions. He wasn't thrilled with her new career choice, but he accepted it as part of her new life without him.
After she hung up with Joe, she finished packing and headed downstairs. She left the suitcase by the front door and went into the den to talk to her mother.
"Mother, I have to leave in a few minutes. I wanted you to know that I invited Joe to stay here and spend some time with the boys while I’m gone. I hope that’s alright with you."
"You know Joe is welcome anytime."
"Thank you, Mother. Please give the boys my love and let them know that I’ll call as soon as I can."
"Amanda dear, how long will you be gone?" Dotty asked
"I really don't know. It depends on how many locations we can find for this documentary. If we find one we like right away, I could be home before the end of the week. If not, it may be mid-next week," Amanda quickly told her mother. Over the last few years, it had become easier to make up stories about her whereabouts, just not easier to actually say them.
"Dear, can't you even stay to say bye to the boys?" Dotty asked, not liking her daughter's constant picking up and leaving at the drop of a hat.
"Mother, I wish I could. I really do, but my flight is at 3 o'clock and Lee will be here to pick me up shortly. I wish I was given more notice, but I wasn't." She shrugged her shoulders and sat on the couch next to her mother.
"You know darling, I really don't know if I like this job at IFF. Don't they realize you have a family?" Her mother just loved pressing this issue.
"Yes, Mother, they do. But you know what, I love my job and I’m good at what I do." She really did not want to have this argument with her mother again, and not now. She had way too much on her mind.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. "That will be Lee. I love you, Mother. I'll call when I get to California." With that, Amanda hugged her mother and almost ran to the door.
**********
Lee stole glances at Amanda as he drove them to the airport. Amanda was looking out at the passing buildings with distant eyes. She was a hundred miles away deep in thought and had said very little since he had picked her up.
Lee sighed as he tried to process the fact that Amanda had had another life, a life of mystery and intrigue, long before he met her. He reviewed the past three years since she had entered his life. He thought about how, at first, Amanda’s ways of getting herself out of situations that were hardly typical really annoyed him. Still, her ways always did prove effective. This past year she had become a more efficient agent, but still did things the ‘Amanda way’. It just didn't seem to fit the woman that sat beside him to have a secret past, but then again, she always was full of surprises. He shook his head and chuckled at the image of Amanda King the detective.
Amanda continued to stare out the window, sorting through the memories of her distant past so many years ago. Doubt washed over her as she thought about all the wild and reckless things that she had done so many years ago. Would she still be able to do all those things? Gosh, could she still drive a racecar, or to be more exact, could she turn herself back into the glamorous 'Angel'? The robust sound of Lee's chuckle brought her out of her thoughts and she turned to see him watching her with laughter in his eyes.
"What's so amusing?" she asked.
"Oh nothing really. I was actually just remembering you on some of our earlier cases together. The way you had of getting into trouble and how you always managed to help me get us out of it. And to think you might have had some earlier training to get out of those situations differently." A warm smile glinted over his features, as he quickly glanced over at Amanda and then turned his attention back to the road.
Amanda playfully smacked him. "Ha, ha, very funny Stetson. You know, there are a lot of things you'd be surprised I could do," she laughed and then drifted back into her reverie of the past.
After parking the car in extended parking and taking the shuttle to the terminal, they went to the ticket window to collect their tickets.
"I have a ticket waiting for me, Sabrina Duncan," Amanda told the attendant.
"I'll need to see some ID please," the attendant stated as a matter of protocol, and then, noticing something on the ticket, "oh never mind, it appears you’re already cleared."
Amanda sighed in relief. She knew she didn't have any ID that would verify who she said she was. Taking the ticket from the attendant she looked inside the ticket envelope, and sure enough, there was her Sabrina Duncan’s California driver's license tucked inside. She took it out and put it into her wallet.
Lee was with the attendant next to her and heard the exchange. He began to wonder just how powerful this Townsend man was. ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’ he wondered as he was given his first class ticket.
As they walked towards the terminal he asked, "What was that all about? She didn’t need to see your identification?"
"Actually, she did. But I didn't have to show it to her, the ID was already with the ticket," she replied with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
The plane ride was almost as quiet as the car ride to the airport. The only difference was that they had a movie to occupy the time. As the movie played, Amanda closed her eyes and relaxed. She continued to think about all the past cases she had been on with Kelly Garrett, Jill and Kris Monroe and Bosley. Good old Bos. She took Lee's hand in hers, and he gave her hand the familiar squeeze, letting her know everything was going to be ok.
As the Captain announced their descent into LAX, she suddenly began to wonder who was going to meet them at the airport. She hadn't really thought about Billy's words until now. Her emotions churned with nervousness and excitement all at once. As if he sensed her anxiety, Lee put an arm around her shoulder to give her a hug. Relaxing she placed her head against his chest.
Once the plane landed, they gathered their carry-on luggage and walked down the aisle. When they had entered the airport, Amanda started scanning the crowd for a familiar face.
"Sabrina!" Amanda turned her head towards the familiar voices of Kelly and Jill. She glanced up at Lee briefly before she released his hand, and ran to meet her friends from the past.
"Kelly, Jill…as I live and breath! I had no idea who Charlie was sending!" Amanda exclaimed.
"Bri, it’s so great to see you!" Jill and Kelly said in chorus, as they rushed to greet Amanda.
The three women embraced each other, as if their friendship had not ended over ten years ago. As they released from their group hug, they all stepped back and gave each other a chance to really look at each other.
"Kelly, you haven't changed a bit. And, Jill you look absolutely radiant. How's Kris? Where is Bos? Do you know what is going on?" Amanda asked, all in one breath.
"Still the same old Bri, how do you manage to get all that out without stopping for air?" Kelly asked, with a large smile on her face.
"And you look absolutely stunning yourself. I guess the years have been good to you too," Jill replied. "Kris is fine, she's actually waiting for us in the old office."
Lee stood back watching the scene. He suddenly felt like an outsider. ‘How many times have I put Amanda in this same situation?’ He shook his head and made a mental note to make a few changes when they got home. He had a feeling that he would indeed be the outsider in this case. He would just have to get used to that over the next couple of days.
As if hearing his thoughts, Amanda turned to look in Lee's direction. She motioned for him to join them. He took a deep breath and headed for the group of women.
"Jill Monroe, Kelly Garrett, I would like to introduce you to my partner, Lee Stetson."
Jill and Kelly looked over at Lee’s tall form and then back to Amanda.
"Charlie said you’d be bringing someone with you, he just didn't happen to mention what a hunk he was," Jill said, as she winked at Amanda.
Lee walked behind Amanda and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It’s very nice to meet you two lovely ladies. I must say though, I haven't heard anything about you. Must be that A…Sabrina was afraid I’d decide to move out here and give up my current partner," Lee chuckled, as he lightly squeezed Amanda's shoulders.
Amanda didn't find the humor in that and gave him a punch in the ribs with her elbow. She turned her head to look in his laughing eyes and grabbed his hand in hers.
Jill and Kelly let out a very silvery set of laughs.
"Bri, you said ‘partner’. What exactly have you gotten yourself into?" Kelly inquired. "Charlie said something about you working for the government, but he didn't get specific."
Amanda felt like she was back in old times already. "Believe it or not, I’m working in counter intelligence, as a civilian. I leave Charlie's and wound up becoming involved in the world of espionage!" she exclaimed as she joined their laughter.
Lee shot her a look that pretty much said it all, "Ah…Sabrina, don't you think…"
But Amanda cut him off before he could go any further, "Lee, relax. It’s not like Charlie isn't aware and probably would have told them if I hadn't".
Kelly noticed the obvious connection between Sabrina and Lee. "We probably should go down to baggage and then head on over to the office."
"Yeah, if I know Charlie, he won't want us delaying," Amanda stated, and then remembering that they were here with a specific agenda, "so why did Charlie contact us, and who all did he gather?"
"Well, we can't give you the specifics yet, as there are way too many ears in the airport, but other than Kris, it's just us three. The original 'Angels'," Jill explained.
**********
They gathered the suitcases and headed out to the parking lot. All the while, the women chatted about this and that as Lee listened in. He was amused at the giddiness of the three women and how at ease they were with each other. One would hardly believe that they hadn't seen each other in over fifteen years. He slowed his steps and fell back a short distance staring at this Amanda.
His thoughts drifted to the Amanda King he had met at the train station. It was clear that that Amanda no longer existed. Back then she had been insecure and nervous about herself. She always seemed uncertain of what her actions would cause and how people viewed her. The woman who walked in front of him today was more confident and radiant. She was more the leader, instead of a passive stand by the side type of person. As he watched her, he noticed how truly at ease she was with herself and her friends.
He began to wonder what had happened in Amanda's past to change her to the woman who entered his life so abruptly, three years ago.
Falling back to walk with Lee, Jill took his arm and said, "You know, I could tell you stories about our Bri."
"Jill, I don't think Lee needs any education about my past. He has his secrets and I have mine." Smiling she joined them and took Lee's free hand in hers. Lee just winked at her, as he took full advantage of this possessive side of Amanda.
When they got to Jill's car, Kelly climbed into the front passenger seat, letting Lee and Amanda share the back.
"Ok, can you guys spill the beans now? Please!" Amanda begged as they pulled out of the parking garage.
"Bri, I don't know how to tell you this, but it’s Bosley who's missing," Kelly said, as she turned in her seat to look at Amanda.
Amanda just stared back at Kelly and said, "Bosley? Bos is missing?"
"Well not missing, he's been kidnapped," Jill corrected.
"Kidnapped? But why?" Amanda asked, tearing up a little at the memory of Bosley. Lee reached over and took her hand in his.
"We don't know any more than that. That's all Charlie told me when he called and asked me to come back to L.A.," Jill said.
"That's right, I forgot you were on the racing circuit. I read about your last win. Congratulations," Amanda said, with just a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Bri, don't worry. We'll get Bosley out of this. Charlie wouldn't have gathered us if he didn't have faith in us." Kelly tried to reassure her friend.
Lee still couldn't get used to this other name of Amanda's. It was going to be rough trying to remember to call her Sabrina. "Um, excuse me. Not to change the subject, but you’re not the same Jill Monroe who raced in the Indy 500, are you?"
"One and the same," Jill jumped in. "So, Mr. Stetson, tell us about yourself, its apparent Bri isn't going to share any information."
"Please, call me Lee. And honestly there isn't much to tell. A…Sabrina and I work together for the Agency in D.C. Well, to be honest up until about three years ago, I spent most of my time as a loner."
"Oh, what happened three years ago?" Jill asked.
"Yes, Lee, what did happen three years ago?" Amanda asked, raising a teasing set of eyebrows at him.
"Well, you see this woman appeared at a train station, agreed to help me give a package to the man in the red hat and when she held onto the package, my life was forever changed." Lee flashed a grin at Amanda.
"My, my, Bri, you sure know how to pick 'em," Jill jibed.
"Yeah, I do." Amanda smiled at Lee.
Kelly observed this exchange, and noticed once more how well these two fit together. There was something new and vibrant about this Sabrina. She had a feeling that the man sitting beside her had had a big hand in it.
"So, what’s new with you, Bri?" Kelly asked, turning the conversation over to her friend.
"Well, shortly after I left, I got married and then divorced, but not before I had two wonderful boys," she stated with pride, then if remembering something, "Jill, do you mind if I borrow your car phone. I really should call home and say goodnight to the boys and let my Mother know I made it ok."
"Sure, Bri, here," Jill said, as Kelly handed her the phone.
Amanda dialed her home number. "Hello, Mother, it’s me. I just called to let you know we landed safely. No, I don't know where we'll be staying yet. I'll call you from the hotel and let you know the number. Yes, Mother, I'll take some shots of Hollywood for you, if I have time. Are the boys there?" She decided to change the subject. She wasn’t in the mood to answer her mother’s usual twenty questions.
"Well, tell them I love them and I'll try calling them tomorrow. Bye, Mother." Amanda started to hand the phone back to Kelly, but then realized that Lee probably wanted to check in with Billy.
She looked over at Lee, but he shook his head, "I'll call him once we find out all the facts."
Lee sat back and listened as the three women reminisced about Bosley. Before he knew it, they had arrived at the old Townsend office.
**********
They entered the Townsend office, and before anyone noticed Kris on the couch, a wave of nostalgia crossed over them all. Lee took in the room - there was a fully stocked bar to his left. A living room set up in the middle and over to one wall, a lone desk with a speakerphone, and a projector screen behind it.
"This place hasn't change a bit!" Amanda declared.
At that, the blonde came over from her seat on the couch stating excitedly, "Sabrina Duncan, you made it after all."
"Kris, oh, it’s so wonderful to see you!" Amanda beamed, as the two hugged each other.
"Do you two mind moving just a little, so the rest of us can enter?" Jill asked, trying to get by them.
"Well excuse me, Sis," Kris bantered back at Jill. As she did, she noticed Lee standing behind Kelly. "And you must be…," she paused waiting for an introduction.
"Kris, Lee Stetson. Lee, this is Kris Monroe," Amanda introduced her two friends.
Taking her hand, Lee replied, "Nice to meet you. Sabrina, you really should have warned me about the company we’d be in." He winked at Amanda and flashed her his famous Stetson smile.
"Yeah, well I am beginning to think I should have insisted Billy keep you in D.C.," Amanda joked, smiling back at him. She trusted her old friends and knew that she had nothing to worry about where Lee was concerned.
"Well, Angels, it’s nice to hear all your voices again," a male voice boomed through the room.
"Hi Charlie!" All four women chimed in unison, snapping back to the task at hand and turning their attentions to the desk.
Lee began to look around the room for the man whom had just spoken.
Amanda took Lee's hand and led him over to the couch. Whispering, she explained to him, "I totally forgot to mention to you that none of us have ever actually seen Charlie. Bos was always our face-to-face liaison. Charlie only communicates with us via the telephone," she finished, pointing to the speaker on the desk.
"Angels and Mr. Stetson, it appears Bosley is our case this time."
"Charlie, do we know anything about his kidnappers?" Kris asked, taking a seat on the edge of the desk.
Sitting on the arm of the couch next to Lee, Amanda put in, "Are there any ransom demands?"
"How long ago was he kidnapped?" Jill asked, from her position at the bar.
Kelly walked over to the chair across from Lee and Amanda. "How do we all fit into this, Charlie?"
"Angels, please settle down. I can only answer one question at a time. I promise, you'll get your answers," Charlie replied. "Two days ago Bosley was supposed to meet me at my place. However, he never showed up. As you Angels know, Bosley has always been punctual. When he didn’t show, I began to get worried."
All four of the women nodded, as if the man on the other end of the speakerphone could see them.
"I started making inquiries, but stopped when I got a call from Bosley's brother. It turns out that Donald is in debt to some hard-hitting bookies. Don approached me as soon as he got wind of his brother's kidnapping."
"Bosley has a brother?" Jill asked, as she looked at the other three women.
"Yes, but apparently they weren't very close," Amanda explained. "Bosley never talked about him much, and believe me, no matter how hard I tried to get Bos to open up, he just wouldn’t."
Lee looked over at Amanda and smiled. He knew from first hand experience how the woman beside him never gave up.
Just then, Kris jumped up from her seat to answer a knock at the door. Opening it, a man of about fifty was standing on the other side, awaiting entry. Kris looked closer at this man's features. He looked just like their Bosley.
"May we help you?" She asked.
"Yes, I was told to meet some detectives here. Charlie said you'd help me get my brother back."
"Please come in."
Kris led him over to the others. "Guys, this, I presume, is Donald Bosley."
The other three women just turned and stared. He looked so much like his brother it was uncanny.
Lee looked around and decided to break the silence. Making eye contact he motioned for the man to take a seat, "Mr. Bosley, why don't you come in and give us some more information on the situation."
"Please, call me Don," the man replied, as he took a seat on the couch next to Lee. "I don't know how much you know yet, but I owe the Peterson brothers a lot of money. They run an underground gambling operation outside of Monterey and when I told them I couldn't pay up, they threatened to kill me. So I ran."
"And, let me guess, they followed you here?" Amanda asked.
"Yeah, I came here to see if John, my brother, would help me. I knew he knew some wealthy people and well I figured, if he could loan me the money, I'd be off the hook." Don fidgeted, as he realized all eyes were on him.
Jill poured the man a glass of water and took it over to him. "Let me guess, Bosley told you he wasn't about to ask his friends for money, nor did he have the kind of cash you needed, right?"
Nodding, Don continued, "He told me I could stay with him, but that he wasn't going to give me the money. He said he'd ask around to see if there was anything he could do. He left to run some errands, and I haven't seen him since."
"So how did you know he was kidnapped by the Peterson brothers?" Kelly inquired.
"Well, I decided to check my answering machine at home and there was a message from Bryant, the older brother. He told me that they had grabbed my brother, thinking it was me, but realized that this was better leverage to make sure they got their money," Don explained, as he looked at Kelly.
Charlie's voice filled the room again, "It appears that the Peterson brothers have a heavy bet going on the Laguna Seca 200 coming up this Friday."
Jill's face lit up, "Charlie, that's the race I am already entered in."
"Exactly, Angel," Charlie added. "On the desk you will find your assignments. It seems that in order to free Bosley, we have to ensure the outcome of the race."
Kris picked up the assignments and began passing them out.
Amanda was about to protest her assignment when Charlie broke the silence, "Now Jill, I have faith that you’ll win the race, but to prove to Bryant your true skill, Sabrina will be racing against you. Sabrina, I want you to make Bryant think there is true competition for the win."
"Charlie," Amanda took this opportunity to voice her concerns, "I haven't been in a race since I stopped working for you. I don't know if I can live up to your expectations."
Lee was watching this exchange with extreme concern. Amanda King, who just two years ago couldn't figure out the clutch in his Porsche, was going to participate in a Formula One race. "Mr. Townsend, I don't think that it's such a good idea to have Sabrina in that race. It's way too dangerous," Lee said, placing his hand on Amanda's leg.
"Bri will do just fine, Lee. She was one of the best and I know she’ll fit right back in. It’s just like riding a bicycle," Jill said, as she walked over and put a comforting arm around Amanda.
Amanda placed her hand over Lee's and gave it a tight squeeze. She saw the worry in his eyes and knew that this subject was far from closed.
"Charlie, I'll just do the best I can," Amanda turned her attention back to the speaker- phone.
"I’m sure you will, Angel," Charlie replied, and then continued his explanations. "Kris, you will be a reporter for The Auto Weekly doing a story on women drivers in Formula One racing. Kelly, you are going to be Kelly Garrison, daughter of Peter Garrison…"
"The Governor?" Lee asked, interrupting Charlie. "I’m sure I'll regret asking this, but isn't that one a bit hard to pull off?"
"Well, Lee, it would be, but the Governor's daughter has been overseas living with relatives for the last five years. Kelly fits her description quite well. The Governor has spent the past few years cracking down on gambling in the state. The reason his daughter is overseas is that she had fallen in with some pretty shady characters. Kelly here, will be back for a visit, and will pick up where the real Kelly Garrison left off. She will be putting a heavy wager on this race. Which brings me to your assignment, Lee. You will be Kelly's bodyguard."
Amanda turned to look at Lee. She knew he wouldn’t be happy that he wasn’t going to be working closer to her on this case.
"Now, all the drivers are staying at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey," Charlie continued. "Jill, Kris and Sabrina, I've booked you rooms on the same floor. You are expected to check in tomorrow. Kelly and Lee, I have arranged for you to stay at the Governor’s mansion. Good luck, Angels."
"Thanks Charlie," the four women said in lieu of a goodbye. With that the voice was gone.
"Well, let’s get going," Kris jumped up from the desk. "Jill, you can stay with me tonight."
"Bri, you and Lee can stay with me," Kelly added.
"Um, excuse me, but that Mr. Charlie, he never told me what I was supposed to do," Don Bosley said, as they had all headed towards the door.
"Oh! That's right," Amanda remarked to the others and then looked over at Don. "What are we going to do with you?"
"We can't let him stay here. We need to be able to keep an eye on him," Kelly added.
"Don, do you know anything about cars?" Jill asked.
"A little, why?"
"Well, you’re going to be on my pit crew. We’ll keep your face covered in grease and a wrench in your hand. They won’t be able to recognize you after we’re through." Jill fell back from the group and put her hand on his arm.
"Come on, you can stay with us," Kris put in, as she linked her arm through his and led him out of the office.
Amanda followed right behind. "Jill, I think I had better ride to Monterey with you. I think I need to find out just how much racing has changed over the years."
"Relax, Bri. It really hasn't changed all that much. You'll do just fine." Jill stopped and put her free arm around Amanda's shoulders.
"I hope you ladies know what you’re getting into," Lee said, as has he followed the others out the door.
"If memory serves me correctly, we never knew what we were getting into. Somehow we always managed to find more trouble than when we started," Kelly laughed.
Lee laughed with her, as he suddenly realized that Amanda’s life with him wasn’t all that different from her past life as one of ‘Charlie’s Angels’. Well, whether he liked it or not, he was going to have to go along with their plan. Besides, even if Amanda had her friends, she would still need her partner.
***Chapter 3***
The ride to Kelly's apartment was filled with more reminiscing. Lee watched Amanda's face light up with each new story that was told. He was finding out that Amanda's past was as full of adventure and mystery as his own.
"Well, we’re here! Let's go get settled." Kelly opened up her door and started towards her apartment.
"Lee, I'm glad you're here," Amanda said, as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Me too." Lee held out his hand for her and they followed Kelly inside.
"I know this place is kind of small, but I think we can manage for one night. You two take the bedroom to the left of the living room. I’ll be at the end of the hall." Kelly pointed down the corridor.
Amanda blushed at her friend's assumption.
"I'll take the couch, if you don't mind," Lee said, as he noticed Amanda's reaction.
"Oh, alright. Let me get you some blankets," Kelly replied with a shrug.
Amanda gave Lee's hand a little squeeze of thanks.
He warmly smiled back at Amanda. "I had better call Billy and check in."
"I think I'll go take a shower and change for the night," Amanda said, turning to leave him to make his call.
"Here you go, Lee. I am sorry about the assumption, but I just thought…well, I guess I should know Bri better than that. I'm going to head on to bed. Tell Bri I'll see her early in the morning." Kelly winked at Lee and placed his blankets on the couch.
"Goodnight, Kelly." Lee watched her return to her bedroom.
Lee decided to use the phone on the spare bedroom nightstand, instead of the one in the living room.
"Scarecrow here. Billy Melrose, please," Lee asked the receptionist.
"Hello? Melrose here."
"Hey, Billy. We made it."
"Great! Now can you tell me what in the Dickens is going on?"
"Well, it turns out we are in the middle of a kidnapping. I need you to get some information on a couple of brothers named Peterson, Bryant and Richard Peterson."
"Have you been able to figure out why Amanda was specifically asked for this assignment?" Billy asked.
"I don't have an answer for you there, Billy. However, you need to watch the qualifying race for the Leguna Seca 200 tomorrow at 5 o’clock on ESPN. It should be really interesting."
"What?"
"Watch the race at 5 o’clock tomorrow afternoon."
"I heard what you said. I just don't understand. What has that got to do with anything?"
"You'll see, Billy," Lee gruffly laughed.
"I expect a report from you tomorrow, Scarecrow," Billy demanded.
"Will do! Oh, by the way, I’ll be staying at the Governor’s mansion. I am supposed to be his daughter’s bodyguard. Well, she’s not really his daughter. She is one of Mr. Townsend’s associates. It’s all part of our cover."
"You’re beginning to sound like Amanda," Billy chuckled at Lee’s rambling. "I don’t know if that is a good thing or not."
Trying to ignore his boss’s remark, Lee decided it was time to end the conversation. "I promise we’ll check in tomorrow. You can contact me at Governor’s mansion if you come up with anything. Goodnight, Billy."
"Okay, goodnight."
Amanda finished her shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She rummaged through her overnight bag for her lotion and opened the bathroom door to allow the steam to exit. She began her ritual of rubbing the lotion into her skin, unaware of Lee's presence.
Lee had just finished hanging up the phone, and was going to head out of the room to give Amanda her privacy when he heard the turn of the handle. He quietly leaned his body against the back of the bed to get a better view of this beautiful woman. He watched her massage her damp skin with the lotion. She traced every part of her exposed body with the smooth cream. Lee knew Amanda would be embarrassed if she found out he had been watching and decided he should let his presence be known. As he got up to walk behind her, she started to loosen the front of her towel to smooth the cream on her upper body. Lee almost hesitated, wanting to see all of Amanda, but decided that might not go over too well.
He crept up behind her and placed his hand over her mouth covering the scream he knew would come, and turned her to face him. "Amanda, it's me."
Amanda dropped her towel with the surprise of his touch. Lee could feel her firm breasts pressed against his chest. He allowed his hands to trail down the softness of her bare back. Amanda locked her eyes with his and remained silent. He could feel her body trembling beneath his touch. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his own. She parted her lips, wanting to taste all of him and he readily accepted. Their kisses deepened, as he leaned her against the bathroom wall. The soft moan that escaped her throat made Lee realize how quickly his own body was betraying him. He longed to take her to the bed and make love to her, but not this way. He wanted to make the first time they made love together special for Amanda.
"Amanda, we shouldn't do this yet," he said breathlessly, as he smiled into her eyes and released her. He turned his back to her to allow her to retrieve her towel.
"Lee, I'm decent now," she said quietly, having put on her nightgown instead of the towel.
Lee turned to face her. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I didn't mean to startle you."
"That's alright Lee, habit right?" she said, giving him a shy smile as she walked to the bed.
"Yeah," Lee replied sheepishly, as he walked to the bed to join her.
"What are you doing in here?" Amanda asked, absently playing with his fingers.
Never taking his eyes from hers, he explained, "I needed to call Billy, and I thought it might be more private in here than in the living room. I really didn't mean to startle you."
"I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me. It's not like me to…" Amanda said, lowering her eyes away from his gaze.
"Don't be." Lee placed his hand on her chin to bring her eyes to look into his.
"Lee, I…" Silencing her with a finger to her lips, Lee lowered his head to gingerly kiss her again.
Reluctantly they pulled apart. "Amanda, I want this to be special between us. When it happens...and it will happen, it will be when we're both ready." Lee tried to reassure her when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes.
"Lee I…Thank you." Amanda started to run her fingers through his hair.
Lee touched his lips to hers briefly. Amanda allowed her hands to gently caress his neck and shoulders before breaking the contact between their bodies. Lee was quite relieved that the uncertainty he had seen in her eyes a moment ago had now been replaced by a yearning passion.
"Goodnight, and sweet dreams." Lee stood to leave before he changed his mind. He wanted so much to take her in his arms one more time, but he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to be true to his words.
"You too, Lee."
"I'm sure I will," Lee said with a devilish grin, as he went to the living room.
Lee settled himself on the couch after finding the remote. His mind wandered back to the image of the Amanda pressed against his body. The way her bare skin had felt like soft silk to his fingertips. He shifted on the couch as his body began to awaken with the images. He decided he needed less confining clothes, and dug in his bag for a pair of shorts. He quickly changed and forced his mind to focus on what was on television. It didn't take him long to fall asleep with visions of Amanda drifting through his thoughts.
A few hours a later Lee awoke from his fitful sleep to the sounds of gunshots and immediately rolled from the couch and grabbed his gun from the coffee table. As he looked around the room, he was relieved to find out it was only the television. He lay his gun back on the table and once again tried to make himself comfortable on the couch. He brought his hands to his face trying to rub out the tension from his body. He decided that if he wanted to go back to sleep he would need a drink to help him relax.
As he rose to try and locate Kelly's liquor cabinet, he heard muffled cries from Amanda's room.
He quickly changed direction and went into the guestroom. "Amanda, wake up. It's me, Lee," he said, as he sat beside her on the bed.
"He can't be dead. It's only a race. No it should've been me!" Amanda cried, as she tried to free herself from Lee's embrace.
Lee gently cradled her in his strong arms. "Amanda, wake up. You're having a bad dream."
Amanda opened her eyes to find Lee's concerned face inches from her own. "Oh my gosh, Lee. I haven't dreamed about that in over three years." She buried her head in his bare chest.
"Dreamed about what?" Lee asked, stroking her hair.
"My last race, before I left Charlie's. It ended in a terrible accident."
"Want to talk about it?" Lee asked, as he continued to stroke her hair and back.
Amanda turned to look at him. She needed to tell him, to confide the truth to him. It might help her face her fears and then maybe she would be able to perform better in the race tomorrow.
She took a deep breath and began. "We were only five laps from the end of the race. I had led the race for the last 120 laps. Nick Sporelli, another competitor, came up behind me using my draft to increase his speed. As we approached the third turn, he clipped me causing me to tailspin. I tried to control it, but I couldn't. I spun out and slammed into Paul Nadeau's car. The impact of my car threw his car into the wall. I was able to pull myself from my car, but he wasn't able to pull free from his. His car was pinned to the wall by mine." Amanda breathed deeply, as she tried to control the tears that began to flow down her face.
"Amanda, you don't have to…"
"Lee, I need to tell you all of it," Amanda interrupted him placing a finger to his lips. "As I got closer to him, I saw the horror in his eyes before his car exploded. The explosion threw me back into the line of cars. They had slowed due to the caution, but I was hit. I don't remember anything after that. Besides a broken leg, a few broken ribs and a broken wrist, I had a head injury. The impact of my fall put me in a coma for two weeks. It should've been me that died. I should've been able to control my car better. If I had he might still..."
"Amanda, you can't blame yourself for the accident. It's a risk every driver takes. It's just like the risk we take every day. You know what can happen and you just have to accept it." Lee tilted her head up to look in her eyes.
"I know, Lee. It's just that I feel responsible."
They held each other silently while Lee processed the information Amanda had just told him.
"Oh God, Amanda. That explains why you didn't want to drive my car at first. It explains a lot of things," he said, as he pulled her closer. 'She blamed herself for the accident. This had been what caused her to lose her self-confidence.' Lee thought as he rocked her in his arms. The reasons why her life had gotten so complicated were starting to piece together.
"Lee, it's just that every time I got behind the wheel of your car the image of Paul's eyes came back to me. I couldn't make myself do it back then."
" You drive my car now," Lee commented, pulling her back to look into her eyes again.
"Because you needed me too. You helped me overcome a lot of my fears by just being there," Amanda whispered, as she gently stroked his cheek with her hand.
"I guess that does explain how you were able to learn to drive a stick so fast." Lee tenderly swept the hair from her shoulder. "Amanda, there is still so much about you that I don't know."
"I'm sorry, Lee. I never meant to lie to you." Another tear fell down her cheek.
"Don't be sorry. You didn't lie to me. I’ve never asked you about your past." Lee wiped the stray tear from her cheek and claimed her lips with his. Gently, he pulled away from her and whispered, "I think we should get some sleep, before we head out tomorrow."
"Lee…"
"Hmm…"
"Would you stay with me for the rest of the night?" Amanda asked as she rubbed her hand over his chest.
"Amanda, I'm not sure…"
She pulled back the covers for him to join her, "Please?"
Lee sighed as he joined her in bed. He pulled her small body to him and she rested her head on his chest.
"Goodnight, Amanda."
"Goodnight, Lee."
Lee closed his eyes and waited to hear her even breathing before he drifted off as well.
Lee awoke to the smell of fresh coffee brewing. He looked at the woman he possessively held in his arms. He moved his hand from her side and brushed her stray bangs from her forehead.
"Hmm…Lee," Amanda moaned, as she snuggled closer to his body.
A warm smile crossed his face at the thought of what it would be like to wake every morning with her in his arms.
"Hey you two sleepyheads, time to get up and join the real world," Kelly called from the kitchen.
Amanda opened her eyes at the sound of Kelly's voice.
"Good morning, Amanda."
Amanda looked up at Lee's mischievous smile. "Good morning, Scarecrow. Sleep well?" she asked, as she gently placed her hand on his chest to move her body up in bed.
"Very. Did you?" Lee asked, not allowing her to pull completely from his embrace.
"Yes." Amanda blushed as she realized how much she was enjoying their closeness.
"Maybe we should do this more often," Lee teased, as his hands roamed down the side of her body. He bent his head to capture her lips.
Ducking from his intended kiss and squirming out of his embrace, Amanda laughed, "Maybe."
"No fair!" Lee called, as she quickly got out of bed.
"Who told you life was fair, Scarecrow?" Amanda returned his mischievous smile and quickly left the room.
Lee was beginning to regret some of the things he had told her in the past. He rose from the bed and decided that perhaps a cold shower would help.
Kelly met her in the living room with a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Bri."
"Good morning, Kelly," Amanda said with a beaming smile.
"I see our Mr. Stetson decided the couch wasn't very comfortable. Is he the reason for the big smile?" Kelly teased.
Amanda blushed at her insinuation. "Yes. I mean no. It's not what you think, Kelly."
"Oh really. Then where is he?" Kelly questioned.
"Taking a shower. Don't you hear the water?" Amanda replied, as she focused on her coffee.
"Well…"
"Well, what?" Amanda glanced at her friend.
Kelly raised her eyebrows, "If I were you and I had that waiting for me…"
"Kelly, we are dating. It's just, well we haven’t gotten to that stage yet," Amanda said, waving her hands towards the bedroom.
"I wouldn't let him get away, Sabrina," Kelly laughed, as she went down the hallway to dress for the day.
Amanda smiled at her friend’s comment. She had no plans of letting Lee Stetson out of her life. She had waited too long for them to admit they had feelings for one another. As a smile crossed her face, she went into the kitchen to fix him a cup of coffee.
Lee walked behind Amanda and placed his arms around her waist. He was enjoying the intimacy that they could share away from the probing eyes of the agency.
Noticing her pouring cream into a cup of coffee, Lee asked, "Is that for me?"
"Yes." Amanda turned to face him, still in his embrace.
"I could definitely get used to this," Lee teased, as he leaned down to place a kiss on the end of her nose.
"Hmm..." Amanda tilted her head up so that the intended kiss landed on her lips instead. She raised her arms to caress his bare shoulders, giving Lee the incentive to deepen his kiss.
"Good morning, Lee. Are you two having breakfast?" Kelly joined them in the small kitchen.
Lee smiled warmly at Amanda and released his hold. "Just a snack," he replied, as he turned to leave the kitchen and finish getting ready.
Amanda pointed her finger at Kelly. "Before you say a word, Kelly, it's like I said earlier…"
"I'm not saying a word. I guess I'll just have to settle for what's in the refrigerator for my morning snack," Kelly laughed.
Amanda began to laugh too, as she made her way back to the bedroom to get dressed for the day ahead.
Lee sat patiently waiting for the two women to join him. He glanced at his watch and was about to call out for them to hurry up when Kelly came into the room.
"You definitely are dressed for the part of a bodyguard." Kelly looked at him in his conservative suit.
As he slid over for Kelly to join him on the couch, Lee laughed, "Not much of a costume is it, especially since I wear this everyday."
"You're not going to wear that, Bri, are you?" Kelly asked when Amanda entered the room.
"Why, what’s wrong with it?" Amanda asked.
"You look like a business woman. You definitely don't fit the part of a racecar driver," Kelly laughed at the dress slacks and shirt Amanda wore.
Placing her hands on her hips, "I don't have anything like what I used to wear with me," Amanda explained.
"Well lucky for you I just may be able to fix that. Why don’t I loan you some of my things? I’m sure we are still about the same size." Kelly was halfway down the hall and headed for her closet, before Amanda could protest.
"Kelly, I'm not sure I would look right wearing your clothes," Amanda said, following her.
"The tighter the better. Right, Lee?" Kelly called from her bedroom.
Lee just shook his head. He had no idea what to expect from these women of Amanda’s past.
"Lord, Bri. I can't believe you can still fit in this stuff after having two kids. You are just as sexy today, as you were fifteen years ago," Kelly said, as she took in Amanda’s appearance.
Amanda smiled at her reflection in the mirror. It had been a long time since she had considered herself sexy. The cut-off jeans shorts and the red crop top fit her just right. It was just snug enough to accent her figure, without being too tight.
Feeling just a little unsure of herself Amanda looked at her friend. "This sure doesn't leave much to the imagination, Kelly."
"Well, you definitely fit the part now," Kelly laughed shoving Amanda towards the living room.
Kelly took this opportunity to pack a few of her things into Sabrina’s suitcase. She smiled mischievously, as she picked some of the more revealing clothes. 'I don't think Sabrina will mind too much. I don't think Lee will either,' she whispered to herself, as she closed the lid on the suitcase.
Amanda shrugged her shoulders and walked into the living room. She was greeted by Lee's approving smile. She blushed slightly as she watched him look her up and down.
"I don't think I have ever seen you in such a…"
"Can it, Stetson!" Amanda teased, as she headed for the door.
"I guess we should be heading to the office and meet up with the rest of the gang. We will have to pair off carefully before heading into Monterey. You know, to avoid watchful eyes," Kelly said, as she came out of the bedroom carrying her suitcase and Amanda’s.
Lee took Amanda’s suitcase from her and followed Amanda out the door with Kelly close behind.
**********
Lee took Amanda's hand, as they walked towards the building. "Are you ready for this?"
"Yeah," Amanda said weakly.
Lee stopped their movement and turned to look in her eyes.
"Yes, Lee. I am as ready as I’m ever going to be." Amanda smiled brightly, trying to reassure him.
"I'm worried about you driving in that race today," Lee said, as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I know, Lee. I'm not real thrilled with the idea either. However, it's something I have to do. If I don't face this now, then I will spend the rest of my life running away from my past," Amanda replied, as she placed her hands on his chest.
"I know, and I understand. I still don't have to like the idea that my part in this is not as your back up. I guess I’ll just have to settle for cheering you on from the stands," he said, as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Don’t worry too much. I may not have you, but Jill will be out there if I need her."
"We had better get in there before they send the troops out to find us." Lee brushed his lips across her forehead.
"Yeah," Amanda laughed softly.
Lee took her hand in his, as they walked to the front of the building to catch up with Kelly.
"It's about time you three got here!" Kris proclaimed, as she opened the door for them.
Winking at Amanda, Kelly replied, "Well, we had to have a snack before we left home."
Kris watched the exchange and noticed the blush in Bri's cheeks. She decided she would have to ask Kelly about it later, but right now they had to get on the road to Monterey if they were going to make it in time to check into the hotel before the race.
"I like the change in outfits, Bri," Jill laughed, as she joined them in the office.
"Thanks." Amanda took a seat at the desk.
"Alright, this is how it is going to go. Jill, Bri, and Don go ahead onto the hotel. Lee and Kelly, you head straight to the track. I’ll meet you guys there. I want to make a few appearances as an over-eager journalist," Kris explained.
"What about our race uniforms? I'm sure my old one is way outdated," Amanda asked Kris.
"Don't worry about that. I think Charlie has arranged for everything at the hotel. He said something about Bri needing some new attire for this case." Kris winked at Amanda.
"Oh my Gosh!" Amanda said, not daring to look at Lee's face. She could just imagine the grin he was wearing.
"What about me?" Don asked. He was just a little confused by all of this.
"Don, you have a room waiting for you as well. Just tag along and follow our lead,"
Kris explained, as they all headed to their respective vehicles.
***Chapter 4***
Amanda inwardly cringed as the roar of the cars and screeching tires on the hot pavement streaked by. She traced her finger along the hood of her Porsche. ‘Remember, you are doing this for Bosley. He stood behind you and risked his own life for yours many times during those years,’ she continually repeated, as she braced for the events to follow.
She focused her mind on the task at hand. As she waited for her pit crew to give her the all go, she went over every detail of the car. She was glad that Charlie had lined up a competent crew, but she wished that Bobby could have been her crew chief again. His overbearing figure always put her at ease. She smiled at the group of young mechanics and slid into the driver's seat.
The sound of the engine’s moan beneath her encouraged her that perhaps Jill was right. Maybe all her training would return to her, as if she were riding a bicycle. As the crew chief gave the signal for her to pull out of the pit, she gave one last glance into the stands. She knew Lee was there, silently supporting her. She closed the visor to her helmet and pulled out onto pit lane.
‘The preliminary race is only 100 laps,’ Amanda reminded herself, as she steered her car back and forth across the lane to warm her tires. She wondered how she had managed to be in the fifth starting position for the qualifying run. ‘Charlie must have pulled in another favor,’ she thought as Jill passed ahead of her to take her place in third position. Amanda said a silent prayer as the cars took their places. She had to finish the race first for everything to go as planned.
Lee and Kelly were seated in the stands watching the driver’s line up.
"Do you think she’ll be able to handle it? I mean, after all she went through before," Lee said worriedly to Kelly.
"I take it that you know about the accident then?" Kelly replied putting a comforting hand on Lee’s arm. "She’ll be fine, Lee. If I know Bri, she has her mind on Bosley. She always was one to put others before herself."
Lee sighed. He knew what Kelly was saying was true. Amanda always did put others’ needs before her own. How many times in the past had she volunteered to put herself in danger to solve a case, or for that matter, to save his life?
"Some things never change, no matter how many years go by." Lee looked at Kelly, letting a small smile form across his lips. "She’s my partner, I can’t help but worry about her. I never do give her the credit she really deserves," he remarked, watching Amanda’s car weaving in and out on the track below.
Kelly smiled back, as she watched Lee’s intense gaze. She could see his body tense with each lap Bri made. Kelly knew that this man beside her had been bitten by the love bug, but was probably too afraid to admit it to anyone. She shook her head slightly and returned her focus back on the race.
The race had advanced to the twentieth lap. Amanda had taken fourth place and was quickly moving in on Jill, who still held a firm third position. Amanda looked back in her mirror and saw the driver she had just passed fall down into the lower lane. He tried to bully his way around her to regain his position. Amanda’s mind slipped to the past and she almost lost control, but thoughts of Bosley’s situation helped her regain her wits and take back control of the situation. She geared down, catching the down draft of Jill and pulled away from the driver. Jill had told her that if they made it to first and second place, if necessary, she would subtly allow for Bri to take first.
Kris had been watching from pit lane. She had just finished checking on Don. She wanted to make sure that neither of the Peterson brothers had been lurking around. As she started scanning the crowd in the stands, she thought she recognized them about four rows back from where Kelly and Lee were sitting. She wasn’t quite sure if it was them, but if Don’s description of the brothers was accurate, they fit the bill.
Kris mingled among the race fans as she made her way to the empty seat in front of Kelly.
"Four rows back, directly behind you," she spoke, as she kept her eyes on the race. "I am not positive it’s the boys, but if I remember Don’s descriptions right, it’s them."
The racers were now on lap eighty. All was going according to plan. Amanda had maneuvered herself and was now in third place. Jill had just taken the lead.
"That’s my girl!" Kelly shouted, as the crowed cheered.
Four rows back the Peterson brothers cheered, "Come on Monroe. We’ve got a lot riding on you!"
Kris took this opportunity to get up and find a better seat. She found one in the same row as the Peterson brothers, about five seats down.
"I guess old Don may have come through for us after all," Richard remarked to his brother.
"Yeah, well, this is only the preliminary race. Our big money comes tomorrow," Bryant skeptically replied. "We still haven’t seen him. How do we know he can fix the race?"
The race was now in lap ninety-five. Amanda had pulled into second.
"Come on Monroe!" Kelly shouted, as she joined the rest of the crowd cheering on their drivers.
The Peterson brothers took notice, giving Kris the perfect opportunity for a snapshot.
"Hey, Bryant, isn’t that Governor Garrison’s daughter?" Richard asked.
"Yeah. You’re right. I thought she was still overseas. If we play our cards right, we can make this even more worth our while," Bryant said, as a wicked grin crossed his face.
Kris had heard this and decided to take her seat by Kelly one more time. As she reached her seat, Amanda was now neck and neck with Jill.
"Kelly, the Peterson boys have definitely spotted you. Lee, keep an eye out, it sounds like they might make a move to use Kelly as well," Kris said to the two, once again never taking her eyes off the race.
"I’ll keep my eyes open," Lee said, as he put a protective hand under his coat and on his gun.
The race was now in its final two laps. Amanda was amazed at how much she remembered from so long ago. The racers she had passed had put up good fights, but she had managed to overtake them. She and Jill were now side by side. As they crossed the start line for the final lap, Amanda saw an opening. She quickly downshifted and shot ahead of Jill.
As Lee watched Amanda’s car fly pass Jill’s, something akin to fear and pride for her ran through him. He knew all too well how hard it was to face your demons and that is what she had just done. His pride for her as he watched her cross the finish line in first place almost overcame him. He stood and joined the crowd in cheering. He started to head down to the pits to wrap his arms around her and let everyone know that this wonderful woman was his. The sound of Kelly’s voice, however, reminded him of their parts in this case, and he quickly restrained himself.
"Damn! Who is that? He came out of nowhere," Kelly shouted.
"That’s Sabrina Duncan." Kris turned to face Kelly and Lee. "She’s been off the racing circuit for close to thirteen years. I’d say she’s made quite a comeback," she said slightly louder, hoping to attract the ears of the Peterson brothers.
"Excuse me, but how do you now so much?" Kelly asked, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Kris Montrose. I write for The Auto Weekly. I’m doing a story on women in racing. You’re Kelly Garrison, aren’t you?" Kris asked, throwing more information to bait the kidnappers.
"Yes. I’m visiting my father. He’s tied up in meetings, so I bribed my bodyguard here with California Angels season passes if he keeps my trip to the tracks a secret from Dad," Kelly finished, giving Lee a sultry smile.
"I was just about to head down and congratulate the leaders and get some inside scoop for my story. Would you like to accompany me?" Kris asked them.
"You mean, meet Jill Monroe? I would love to. I’ve always admired her," Kelly smiled, as they followed Kris to the pit garages.
Lee was scanning the area for Amanda. He wanted to catch her eye and somehow let her know how proud he was of her.
As they reached Jill’s car Lee heard someone, definitely male, call out "Sabrina Duncan!" He turned to see Amanda greet a dashingly handsome man with a hug.
"Who the HELL is that!?!" Lee said through clenched teeth.
Kelly and Kris looked at each other and grinned.
"That’s Doug O’Neal. He and Sabrina go way back. He was a prime suspect in one of our cases, but Bri never believed he was guilty," Kelly started to explain.
"Yeah, we thought she was just blinded by ‘love’, but her instincts were right," Jill added, as she came up beside them. Noticing Lee’s tightening jaw line she decided to change the subject. "Did you see her pull out ahead of me? I didn’t have a chance to react before she shot right by."
Never taking his eyes off of Amanda, Lee calmed a little. "She never ceases to amaze me." He said, his voice reflecting the pride that he felt, but his eyes showed a twinge of jealousy, as he watched Amanda and Doug in their reunion.
**********
Billy Melrose sat in his office watching ESPN. As he kept an eye on the race, he still had no clue as to why Lee wanted him to watch.
Francine entered with the information on the Peterson brothers. "Here you go. There isn't much to go on, just money laundering and gambling extortion." She became aware that Billy wasn't paying any attention to her, but rather some race on television. "What are you watching?"
"What? Oh I'm sorry, Francine. Lee told me I had to watch this race. I guess it has something to do with the case."
"Sure, I'm slaving away going through files, and you are sitting here watching some dumb car race," Francine pouted, as she looked at the television. The race had just ended and what she saw next made her mouth drop.
The screen displayed pictures of the winners. In third place was John Bordan, in second was Jill Monroe, and in first was Sabrina Duncan.
"Billy, that can't be! That just can't be!" Francine stuttered
Billy turned to look at the astonished face of his assistant. He then looked back at the screen. The cameras were now showing live footage of the drivers in pit lane. It sure as heck looked like their Amanda.
"I don't know, but it does make sense. Lee was adamant I watch this race, if he hadn't, I would never have thought twice about it," Billy replied, as realization suddenly dawned on him. He took one more look at Francine’s face and burst into a fit of laughter.
**********
"Doug, what a pleasant surprise," Amanda spoke, as she pulled away from their embrace. "What are you doing hanging around a racetrack?"
"I was in town and heard that Jill would be racing today. I thought I’d stop by and say ‘hi’ to an old friend. Imagine how excited I was to hear them announce your name, I just had to come down and see if it really was you. You look great. Hard to believe that fifteen years has gone by," Doug replied, standing back and eyeing her. "What brings you back to California?"
"Business, actually," Amanda answered. She was suddenly feeling a tad bit uncomfortable as more memories from so long ago came back. Glancing around to avoid Doug's gaze she noticed Lee standing with the others. She could see how tense he was and knew it was a direct result of Doug's presence. She smiled then. 'It's about time I threw some loops his way. Now maybe he'll know what I always feel like in the presence of his old flames.'
"Sabrina, you aren't back working for Charlie, are you?" Doug asked.
"Well, no, not exactly. I’m here on government business. It just so happens that I am working on this particular assignment with Jill, Kelly and Kris," she replied, trying to leave out any specifics.
"When you left California I thought it was to get away from this type of business," Doug stated.
"Oh, Doug, please, it’s been over ten years, can't you give it a rest?" Amanda pleaded, beginning to get a little aggravated.
"OK, look, I’m sorry," Doug apologized. "Can I meet you for drinks or something later?"
"We have a lot of work to do, but I suppose a drink wouldn't be such a bad idea. I’m staying at the Hyatt Regency, why don't you meet me at the hotel bar say around 8:30?" she asked, as she looked over towards her friends and partner.
"That sounds great! I'll see you at 8:30 then." Doug gave her arm a little squeeze before he walked away.
'Time to face the music,’ Amanda thought, as she headed over to congratulate Jill on a great race.
"I think we have given the Peterson brothers enough information to bait the hook," Kelly was explaining to Jill.
"Yeah I overheard them mentioning Kelly as a means for more money," Kris added.
"I take it then, you’ve spotted the Peterson brothers?" Amanda asked, as she approached the group.
"Yep. I spotted them sitting a few rows back from where Kelly and Lee were seated. Seems like they might want to get near Kelly," Kris repeated, as she pretended to be taking notes.
Amanda glanced over at Lee, who was standing next to Kelly. His stance was quite rigid and he was obviously avoiding eye contact with her.
"So what’s our next move?" Lee asked, looking at Jill.
"Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am hungry and tired," Jill answered. "Why don’t we head over to the hotel and meet up at the bar?"
Linking her arm through Lee’s, Kelly replied, "That sounds like a great plan."
"Miss Garrison, do you think I could borrow your bodyguard for a few minutes when we get back to the hotel?" Amanda asked her friend.
"Oh I suppose. That is if he wants to," Kelly winked at her.
"I won’t keep him long. I promised Doug I would meet him in the hotel bar at 8:30," Amanda said, and then, noticing the angry look that crossed Lee’s face. "I figured you could ask us to join you, I really don’t think I can put up with him for too long," she added, giving Lee a subtle smile.
"I guess we should get going then," Jill stated. "I am going to go get grease boy. We’ll meet you in the bar." She turned to go find Don, leaving the others to head their separate ways.
Kris followed Kelly and Lee out of the racetrack. Amanda went back to her pit garage to check with her crew and make sure things were ready for tomorrow. Gathering her personal effects she headed out of the arena to grab a cab back to the hotel.
When she reached her room, she took a deep breath and prayed that Lee would be waiting inside for her.
She unlocked the door and relaxed, as she saw him sitting on the bed. Shutting the door behind her, she greeted him with a smile, "Hi."
"Hi," Lee replied, with just a hint of jealousy and anger in his voice.
"Why don’t you call Billy while I freshen up?" Amanda suggested, as she rummaged through her suitcase for something suitable to wear.
"Yeah, I really should check in with him. It is more private in here," Lee remarked and then realizing what he said and how it might have sounded, he amended, "Fewer ears, that is."
Amanda smiled and walked over giving him a kiss on the cheek before heading into the bathroom to change.
Lee picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number, "Billy Melrose, please."
"Please state your business," the operator responded.
"Oh, sorry. This is Scarecrow," Lee added.
"One moment please."
"Melrose here."
"Hey, Billy."
"Scarecrow! Was that really Amanda?" Billy jumped in before Lee could explain.
Pride in Amanda returned and he forgot all about Doug O’Neal. "You bet! Wasn’t she incredible?"
"Scarecrow, what the HELL was Amanda doing in that race?" Billy demanded.
"Billy, I promised Amanda she could fill you in on those details when we get back. In the meantime have you got anything on the Peterson’s?" Lee asked, getting back to the business at hand.
"Not too much, just the basic extortion and gambling charges. We found a list of their most current associates. I’m sending them to you by way of a special courier," Billy answered, with a chuckle.
Lee picked up on the laughter in his boss’ voice. "Billy, you don’t need to send Francine. We’ve got everything under control," he protested. He really didn’t like the idea of Francine messing up his time with Amanda.
"Oh, yes I do. Lee, the look on her face when she realized Amanda had just qualified first in that race was priceless. My penance for the twenty minute laughing fit I had was agreeing to send her out there," Billy explained.
"I guess there is no changing your mind?" Lee asked, knowing full well that Francine was coming no matter what. "You know, Billy, I could always tell her you called her a courier."
"Oh no, you don’t," Billy laughed, "then I would really have something to regret. I’d make you regret it too."
"Oh, Billy, one more thing," Lee decided to add, "Can you get me a list of the drivers in tomorrow’s race? I just want to make sure all is what it seems."
"Sure, Lee, I’ll send it with Francine. She should arrive at the Governor’s mansion around 10:30 tomorrow morning."
"I’ll have her check in when she gets here. Goodnight, Billy."
"Goodnight, Lee. Oh and wish our speed racer luck for me," Billy said as he hung up.
"Tell who to check in when she arrives?" Amanda asked, as she emerged from the bathroom.
"Francine. Seems she is personally delivering the information they found on the Peterson’s and their associates," Lee explained. "Apparently, she wants to meet some female racecar driver extraordinaire. Someone named Sabrina Duncan." He began to laugh and then stopped, as his eyes fell on the gorgeous woman in front of him. She was wearing a low cut navy blue scoop neck top and a pair of skintight jeans. The outfit definitely accented all of her curves.
Amanda noticed his gaze and began to feel that maybe this wasn’t the best outfit after all. She wasn’t used to wearing this type of clothing anymore.
"Amanda, you look…Great!" Lee managed to stutter.
"You really think so?" Amanda asked hesitantly. "I feel so strange wearing these clothes again."
Lee got up from the bed and crossed the room to meet her. He possessively wrapped her in his arms and leaned down to begin placing kisses along her bare neck. "Trust me. You take my breath away," he said, as he raised his head to capture her lips with his.
A few seconds later, he pulled slightly apart from the woman he loved. "You'll always take my breath away," he sighed contentedly, leaning his head down towards her neck to continue what he had started with her lips.
"Lee, we don’t have time for…well, to start anything," Amanda said, as she reluctantly pulled her lips from his.
He looked down at her and then remembering the meeting in the bar released her.
"Wait just a minute! You aren’t wearing that to see some…some old…flame," Lee growled.
"Oh, please! Two minutes ago you thought it was the most appealing thing," Amanda retorted, and then realizing what he meant, "Lee, this is the old me, the me that Kelly and Jill, and even Doug, recognize."
Before Lee could protest anymore, there was a knock at the door. Amanda went to answer it.
"Ms. Duncan?" the bellboy asked.
"Yes, that’s me," Amanda answered, as she took notice of the dozen yellow roses he was carrying.
"These are for you," he stated, as he handed her the flowers.
"Oh, thank you." Amanda took the flowers, put them on the table and grabbed a five from her purse. Handing the tip to the bellboy she closed the door.
Lee’s look was speculative as she went to read the card.
‘Congratulations on a race well won, Angel’ was all it said.
"You can relax, Lee. They’re from Charlie," Amanda answered his look. Putting the card on the table, she took his hand in hers and led him over to the bed. "Sit down, Lee. I want to explain some things to you."
Lee sat on the bed, giving her a look of discomfort. "This is about Doug O’Neal, isn’t it?"
"Yes, Lee. It’s the real reason I wanted to meet with you before we met the others in the bar." She took his hand again and sat on the bed facing him, "Doug and I had met before a case Charlie had the us on." Lee nodded remembering what Kelly and Jill had told him earlier. "I guess Jill and Kelly told you that he was a suspect who turned out to be innocent." She paused when Lee nodded again.
"Well, after that, Doug and I started seeing each other pretty regularly. Then there was the accident." She shuddered a little remembering that day again.
Lee squeezed her hand. "You were amazing today," he reassured her.
Amanda gently stroked his face with her other hand and looked into his eyes to say ‘thank you’ before continuing, "Doug was there when I came out of the coma and while I recuperated. He decided that my line of work was too dangerous, not just the racing but working for Charlie as well. He and I started to fight constantly about my choice of careers. I didn’t want to leave Charlie’s agency. I enjoyed my job too much and was good at it. Before we could try and work out our differences, my father died and I flew back to Virginia."
Lee watched as she turned to look out the window, trying to bring back the memories of so long ago.
"Amanda, you don’t owe me any explanations," he said, as he turned her face back so he could look into her eyes.
"I know, but I want to." She squeezed his hand and continued, "Mother had taken Dad’s death really hard. I told Charlie I was taking a leave of absence. I knew I was going to home for awhile, so I decided to go back to school. I enrolled at UVA. That’s where I met Joe. I realized that he was someone I could raise a family with. I called Charlie and told him I wasn’t coming back and wanted to start a new life. He understood and wished me well."
She finished and looked at the clock. "I guess we need to head downstairs."
"I still don’t think you should be wearing that," Lee said, more subdued this time.
"Lee, you have nothing to worry about, really. Doug is a part of my past, you are part of my future," she said as she got off the bed, still holding Lee’s hand in hers.
He rose with her and they headed towards the door.
She stopped and turned to face him. She placed her arms around his neck and gave him a long, inviting kiss.
As they broke the kiss, Amanda looked into Lee’s eyes and said, "That’s to give you something to dream about later." Giving him a sultry smile, she left the room.
Lee just stood there and stared with wide eyes and a huge grin. Shaking his head to recollect himself, he walked out into the hall and headed down to join the others in the bar.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The Charlie's Angels characters belong to Aaron Spelling. The story is the property of our imagination, and is for entertainment purposes only.
Summary: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY/CHARLIE'S ANGELS CROSSOVER. Amanda’s past has come back to haunt her. The timeline for this story is placed after the events of Stemwinder. We have based most of the events in this story on the SMK timeline. Therefore, some of the Charlie’s Angels timeframes have been adjusted to fit into those of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We did our best to keep to the facts of both shows, with the exception of Charlie’s Angels background for Sabrina. We wanted to give Amanda a more experienced and adventurous background.
**We have read Kacey's SMK/CA crossover stories, and by no means are we trying to encroach on her ideas. Instead we thank her for giving us the idea for this story. She has been notified of our current story and has given us her permission to use some of her background details on why Amanda was Sabrina. Also, a very warm thank you to the SMKauthors for helping us make this story reach its full potential. **
Summary: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY/CHARLIE'S ANGELS CROSSOVER. Amanda’s past has come back to haunt her. The timeline for this story is placed after the events of Stemwinder. We have based most of the events in this story on the SMK timeline. Therefore, some of the Charlie’s Angels timeframes have been adjusted to fit into those of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We did our best to keep to the facts of both shows, with the exception of Charlie’s Angels background for Sabrina. We wanted to give Amanda a more experienced and adventurous background.
**We have read Kacey's SMK/CA crossover stories, and by no means are we trying to encroach on her ideas. Instead we thank her for giving us the idea for this story. She has been notified of our current story and has given us her permission to use some of her background details on why Amanda was Sabrina. Also, a very warm thank you to the SMKauthors for helping us make this story reach its full potential. **