Disclaimer: Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions are the rightful owners of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, its characters, and its premise. The plot for this story and any original characters remain property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended; this work is written solely for the pleasure of the author and the readers, and no profit is being made. This story, however, does belong to its author, and any reproduction or distribution is prohibited without authorization of said author.

Title: Strive for Success

Timeline: End of Season Two

Thursday, May 16, 1985

Amanda King sat at her kitchen table, going over her latest bills with a sigh. Since her recent raise at the Agency, bills had been easier to pay, but they still seemed to overwhelm her at times. She finished balancing her check with little relish, then sat back in her chair, closing her eyes. Sometimes, it just got to be too much for her to handle on her own and she wished she had someone to lean on, someone to take on a little of the burden of raising two boisterous boys, someone with broad shoulders and sandy brown… An image from her “wedding” a few months ago popped into her head. Giving herself a shake, Amanda began to gather her paperwork and forced herself to quit thinking about her partner in that way.

As she finished putting her checkbook away, she heard a small tap on the back door. Amanda shook her head with a smile, thinking, ‘He really does have impeccable timing.’ She glanced into the living room where her mother was avidly watching Charade with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, while the boys were upstairs, already in bed. She heard the tap again and hurried over to the door, slipping out.

“Hi there,” Lee whispered with a grin.

“Hi yourself,” Amanda smiled back and motioned him over to the gazebo. As the settled onto the benches, she continued, “What’s up?”

“Well, I have some news I think you’ll like,” Lee grinned at her. “How would you like to give Station One another shot?”

Amanda stared at him, remembering how her first attempt at Station One had gone. She’d tried her best but, considering she’d been involved in capturing a Soviet assassin, she’d been unable to complete the session. “Really?” she croaked. “Well, I, um, I don’t know…”

Lee gave her an understanding look. “Would it help if I told you that Francine wouldn’t be at this session?”

Amanda smiled and nodded. “She wouldn’t be? What about Mr. Melrose?”

“This was Billy’s idea,” Lee answered. “Actually, he and I have been talking about it for a couple of weeks now. You’ve really proven yourself over the past couple of months and, well, we thought you would do a lot better if you had another chance.”

Amanda gave a small smile. So, Lee had been a part of this decision? So much had changed over the past year. Gone were the days when Lee had balked at working with her. In fact, ever since that terrible case where he’d had to pretend to shoot her, he’d seemed glad to have her around.

“Well?” Lee asked. He gave her a look that seemed a little wary. She had seen this look a few times over the last few weeks, ever since she’d temporarily left the Agency to work for Byron Jordan. She knew that her quitting had rattled him and, even though she’d gone back to work with him fairly quickly, she had tried to be as reassuring to Lee as possible.

“Sure, Lee, I’ll give it another try,” Amanda responded with a smile. “I can’t say I’m not nervous about it, though. I don’t want to let you down.”

Lee nodded and answered. “I think you’ll do fine. Billy will be running this session, just like last time, but I will be his assistant instead of Francine.”

“Who’ll be the ringer?” Amanda asked.

“You don’t need to worry about the ringer. Billy and I thought it would be easier for you if you went through Station One just like the rest of the recruits…make you less nervous,” Lee explained. “Of course, you’ll have a tiny advantage in that you know the instructor and the leader, but I don’t think that’ll bother you.”

“No,” Amanda answered, smiling. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. And you’re sure Francine won’t be around?”

Lee laughed and patted her hand. “Billy’s given her an assignment with the French embassy. She doesn’t even know you’re a part of the next class. So, can you get away this weekend? The new session begins tomorrow afternoon.”

Amanda nodded. “You actually picked a good time. Phillip and Jamie are going camping with their friends, Max and David, after school tomorrow and won’t be back until Sunday evening. I’m sure Mother won’t mind a weekend to herself.”

“Good,” Lee said. “Then, I’ll pick you up tomorrow, unless you want to drive there again. We’ll get to Station One before the other recruits, so no one will know you’re actually my partner.” Lee gave her a smile then stood up to leave. “See you around 10?”

“Sounds good. I’ll go ahead and ride with you so Mother can have the car,” Amanda responded with a smile. As she watched her partner slink out of her backyard, she grinned. Lee wanted her to go through Station One again. Would wonders never cease…

Friday, May 17, 1985

Amanda looked around at the site as she left her assigned cabin. Although it had been over six months since she’d been here the last time, it seemed like only yesterday. There were groups jogging around the perimeter in unison, wearing the blue and gray uniforms that denoted a Station One class. Lee had explained to her that various Agency groups used Station One for training. It was a place where they had advanced training for specific squads as well as for preliminary screening of new recruits.

She grimaced as she remembered Francine singling her out during various exercises, seeming to delight in her inexperience. Well, at least she wouldn’t have to deal with her today. As she stood in the central courtyard, she noted the other recruits who’d gathered in the open outdoor area with her. There were four other women and five men. One of the women seemed as if she was barely out of her teens and one seemed to be as old as her mother. The men seemed closer in age, maybe late twenties, although one looked closer to her age. He gave her a smile and began to walk towards her.

“Hi,” he said as he came closer, “I’m Martin LeBlanc.”

“I’m Amanda King,” she responded with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here,” he smiled. “This is really exciting, isn’t it? I can’t believe I’m actually at a spy training camp.”

She smiled but didn’t respond. It seemed a little odd to her that he would say something like that. She glanced around and saw Mr. Melrose walking toward the group.

“I think we should probably…” Amanda began, shifting Martin’s attention over to where Billy stood.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” Billy began, glancing at the group. “I’m William Melrose and I will be your training officer while you are here. If you will follow me, my staff will take your belongings to the cabins you have been assigned, if you haven’t had the opportunity to do so.” Billy gave Amanda a quick grin as he turned to lead the group.

Amanda hung back and watched as the rest of the group followed him. She glanced around, then followed at the back. As they walked through the wooded area, she noticed a rustling near a tree that Billy had just passed by. Suddenly, a shadowy figure jumped out and grabbed one of the men. He grappled with the figure, but the figure held tight, placing the man in a head lock.

Amanda shook her head as Lee pulled off a black hood. Billy smiled and turned to the group. “I’d like to introduce you to my assistant for the duration of your stay, Lee Stetson.”

Lee nodded and said, “An important part of your training is to be constantly aware of your surroundings. If I had been an enemy agent, you would be dead now. Let’s head over to the training area.”

The group followed Billy and Lee waited until Amanda passed by to join the group. Amanda gave him a smile and he whispered, “So, what do you think so far?”

“I think I’m glad Francine’s not here,” she whispered back. Lee gave her a grin and she continued. “I haven’t really gotten to know anyone yet, although I did meet one of them, Martin LeBlanc. He introduced himself to me. I thought he was a bit odd- called this spy training camp.”

Lee gave her an inscrutable look, then said, “Why did that strike you as odd?”

“I don’t know- maybe the way he said it. It just seemed…I don’t know.”

“OK,” he answered. “Maybe you’ll figure it out as time goes by. I want you to be sure to let me know what you think about the recruits, all right?”

Amanda gave him a grin. “Sure…you really want my opinion of them?”

“Yeah,” he responded with a smile. “I’ve come to rely on your instincts.” He gave her a wink, then walked ahead of her as they reached the training area.

She thought to herself, ‘Did he really just tell me that he relies on my instincts? I can’t believe Lee actually said that!’ A huge grin spread across her face. ‘Lee really does think of me as his partner!’

As Lee stood behind the podium, he surveyed the group of 10 recruits. Five men, four women, and Amanda. It was a motley group, as usual. The Agency recruited all walks of life, never knowing who would make a good agent. Unfortunately, only about 10% of recruits made it through Station One.

Lee began to give the standard spiel to the recruits about what they would be doing, then told them about the ringer. As he explained that one of their group was actually an agent who would be observing them, he glanced at Amanda. She was looking at everyone else, just like the rest of them. He glanced at Billy, who stood at the back of the outdoor training area. Billy grinned back and Lee continued. As he finished his talk, he dismissed the recruits to their cabins for lunch.

Billy walked up to him as Lee watched Amanda follow the rest of the recruits to their living quarters. “So,” Billy grinned, “does Amanda have any idea?”

“That she’s the ringer?” Lee chuckled. “No, not at all.”

“I think that was a great idea. I mean, she’s not our typical recruit, is she?” Billy continued. “And she has amazing instincts when it comes to people, doesn’t she?”

Lee gazed at the retreating figure in the distance. “That she does, Billy. I really think she’s going to do fine this weekend. Well, except for the shooting range and Dodge City- I still can’t convince her to handle a gun.”

“We’ll work that out. This is just a technicality anyway. With Dr. Smyth taking over from Blue Leader next month, I want it officially on paper that she passed the physical and psychological aspects of Station One. We can deal with the rest as she continues to work with you,” Billy shared. “So, you’re sure you want her officially listed as your partner?”

Lee nodded to his boss. “Yeah, but let’s keep that between us, at least for now. Francine gives her a hard enough time already, and I don’t know how this Dr. Smyth is going to react. Once we’ve gotten Amanda through more training, then we can let it slip out.”

“Understood,” Billy agreed. “She’s come a long way, hasn’t she? Never thought I’d ever get you to admit she’s your partner.”

Lee chuckled. “Yeah, well, she’s a lot different from Eric, isn’t she? But, I’ll never forget how she stood by me during the Brackin case…when everyone else had written me off.”

Billy nodded. It hadn’t surprised him one bit that Amanda was so loyal to Lee. She was an amazing woman and had wrought a tremendous change in his favorite agent. This would definitely be an interesting weekend.

SMK SMK

After lunch, Lee led the recruits on the traditional five mile run. Several of the men had trouble keeping pace and, at one point, Amanda fell behind the pack. Lee grew a little concerned until he saw her helping one of the men to a rock. He motioned to one of the ladies, Margery Williams, and told her to continue the pace. Then, he turned back to where Amanda and the man, John Carlson, were talking.

“Mr. Stetson, John here wrenched his ankle when we came through that creek bed. I didn’t think he should be left here by himself,” Amanda explained a little ruefully.

“You did the right thing, Amanda,” Lee assured her, bringing a smile to her face. “John, are you capable of walking back to camp or do I need to get a medic out here?”

John shook his head. “I appreciate your help, Amanda, but you need to get back to the run. I don’t want to keep you down.”

Amanda smiled. “I don’t mind helping you- do you need me to walk with you back to camp?”

“No,” John answered. “I think I can do it now.” He stood up gingerly and began to limp towards the camp.

“Make sure you head straight to the infirmary,” Lee informed him. “You need to have that ankle examined.”

John gave him a wave and continued on. Amanda looked at Lee and shrugged. “I don’t think he realized how much we would have to do physically. He said as much to me  when I came back here. Martin barely glanced at him when he fell. I don’t like him.”

“Who- John or Martin?” Lee questioned.

“Martin- there’s just something about him I don’t like. He just doesn’t seem to take any of this seriously. By the way, I think John was glad to have an excuse not to run. Oh!” she exclaimed. “I’ve messed up my run, haven’t I?” Her hands flew to her face. “Oh, Lee, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about how this affected me. I’ve really screwed up, haven’t I?”

“Amanda,” Lee interrupted. “I told you you did the right thing, didn’t I? How many times have we been in the field and we’ve had to change course? Now, why don’t we try to catch up with the group? We only have another lap to go.”

He started to jog and Amanda joined him, keeping pace with him pretty well. He looked over at her and gave her a reassuring grin, then sprinted ahead to rejoin the group. Amanda watched him and chuckled to herself. This session was so much better than the last time. She hoped that she would make Mr. Melrose…and Lee…proud of her.

SMK SMK

That evening, as Amanda made her way back to her cabin from the cafeteria, she found herself peering down a hallway she hadn’t noticed the last time she’d been at Station One. As she turned down the hallway, she saw the names and photographs of various people. She walked closer to the wall to her left and saw that beneath each name was a date and the words “killed in the line of duty”. This was a hallway honoring fallen agents. She made her way down the hall, looking at various photographs and reading the names. It was a sad part of the career she’d chosen, one she tried not to dwell on too often.

She realized that someone had entered the hallway behind her, so she turned and found Lee standing there. He was staring at a photograph of a young man. Amanda walked up to him and said, “Lee, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“I saw you leave and tried to catch up to you. I haven’t been down this hallway in a long time,” he murmured, keeping his eyes locked on the photograph.

Amanda noticed the peculiar look on Lee’s face and questioned, “Did you know…” she stopped when she read the name under the picture, “Eric Lassiter, killed in the line of duty, July 4, 1982”.

“He was my partner,” Lee murmured. Amanda laid her hand on his arm and he glanced at her. “He died in my place.”

Amanda nodded and said, “I know. You told me on our first case together…when you told me you worked alone.”

Lee gave a small smile and responded, “Yeah, as I recall you told me you hadn’t noticed since we’d been working together.”

Amanda nodded and looked back at the picture. “He looks like he was a really good man, a good friend.”

“That he was,” Lee agreed. “Did I ever tell you he’d just gotten engaged the day he…” he sighed. “Anyway, her name was Elizabeth. She was a really sweet girl, but I didn’t like her…she took away my wingman.” He gave a sardonic chuckle then glanced at Amanda. “You don’t want to hear this.”

“Sure I do,” Amanda retorted. “You know how curious I am.” She smiled at him and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“We actually met when I came to Station One. We were the only two recruits that entire month to make it out of here,” he shared as he led her out of the hall. “Eric was nothing like me. He grew up in Connecticut with wonderful parents and a kid sister, Sarah. I don’t know what happened to any of them.”

“You never saw them after…” Amanda whispered. She was trying to keep as quiet as possible. Lee hardly ever opened up to her, although he’d begun sharing little things here and there since she’d met his uncle.

Lee shook his head. “Too hard,” he said. Then, as they reached the door to the courtyard, he changed the subject. “So, what do you think of your fellow recruits?”

Amanda sighed, but didn’t push for any more revelations. Lee would open up to her when he felt comfortable, and she wasn’t going anywhere. “Well,” she began, “I guess you know John quit.” At Lee’s nod, she continued. “Margery seems nice. She’s from California, which I found kind of funny considering last time, and is a grad student in history. She thinks you’re cute.”

When Amanda rolled her eyes, Lee laughed. “She’s pretty nice looking herself,” Lee admitted. ‘Hmm,’ he thought to himself, ‘maybe I should look her up after we’re done.’

Amanda snorted, then continued, “Alexandra is pretty snobby and was quite put out about doing the five mile run again tomorrow. I don’t think she likes getting her hands dirty. Betty seems pretty down to earth, but a little ditzy. I can’t figure out Sandra, though. She talks a good game, but I get the feeling she’s not really being herself.”

Lee nodded. He’d read the files on all the women and everything Amanda was telling him fit the psych profiles the Agency had provided. Based on them, he didn’t think any of them would be moving forward, but you could never tell. That’s what Station One was for- giving agents a chance to see the recruits in a real-life setting.

“And the men?” he asked.

“Well, you know my opinion of Martin, and, well, I don’t see that changing. That leaves Sam, who seems like a really good guy who has a lot going for him, Edward, who seems like he’d rather be reading than running…you know, he’d probably really do great at research. He told me he has a photographic memory and loves to dig into things. Oh, and Andy…well, he’s another one that’s hard to read. You know, if I were guessing, I’d think Sandra or Andy was the ringer,” Amanda concluded.

Lee smiled. She really was good. When Billy and Lee had been going over the folders, the real standouts had been Sam, Andy, Margery, and, possibly, Edward. They’d agreed with Amanda that Edward would be a good fit in research, so they were focusing on him during the memory tests. The others were long shots at best, but both thought it would be interesting to keep them in the mix to see how Amanda picked people out. So far, Amanda was passing her special Station One test with flying colors.

Saturday, May 18, 1985

Saturday flew by with the various physical and mental tests that Station One was known for. Amanda did fine in the mental tests, as well as most of the physical tests. She kept up in the five mile run, made it through the obstacle course without incident, and did OK during the self-defense exercises. The one area where she had some trouble was at the shooting range, which didn’t surprise anyone. The driving test went well this time, with Lee encouraging her as she made her way through the track.

By the end of the day, she was exhausted and collapsed onto her bed. She really hoped she’d made Lee proud today, but she was definitely worried about the Dodge City portion of the experience. She’d never really gotten the chance to do it the last time, and she really didn’t want to use a gun.

As she pondered the ramifications of failure, she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it, she saw Lee and Mr. Melrose standing there.

“Good evening, Amanda,” Billy greeted. “May we come in?”

“Of course, sir,” she responded. “Come right in.” She motioned them in and Lee shut the door behind them. “Is everything all right?” she asked nervously.

“Everything is fine, Amanda,” Billy soothed. “Lee has been telling me about the insights you have on our other recruits, so I wanted to come by and see if you’ve come up with anything new.”

“Well, I haven’t really changed my opinion on any of them. I definitely don’t think Edward is cut out for field work, but I think he’d be a great asset to Research. He can remember just about anything he’s seen. Maybe he’d be good working in the surveillance department because he seems to have a great memory of faces. Sam really impressed me during the self-defense exercises. He watched how everyone moved, then used it to his advantage. I still can’t figure out Sandra or Andy, though. They don’t seem to have any emotions and they certainly don’t like small talk,” Amanda spoke with animation, moving around the room as she shared the information she’d gleaned throughout the day. “Although, I did notice Sandra would pull a picture out of her pocket every once in awhile. So, maybe it’s not that she’s standoffish, but that she’s got a great deal on her mind. Margery didn’t do as well in the obstacle course, but still seems like she’s got a lot going for her. I really like Betty, but I don’t think Alexandra likes what she’s doing.”

Billy looked at Lee, who shrugged back in return. Amanda glanced at both of the mean and became confused.

“Sir, what’s going on? Did I do something wrong? I hope it’s all right that I was watching the other recruits. I mean, Lee did ask me earlier for my opinions…”

“Amanda,” Lee interjected. “You haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, you’ve actually been doing a great job.”

“Really?” she responded. “You think I’m doing a great job?”

“Yes, Amanda,” Billy answered. “You are doing perfectly well. I’m very pleased with how you’ve conducted yourself. I wanted to let you know that we want you to be yourself tomorrow at Dodge City. There’s no reason to be nervous. You don’t have to be an expert with a gun to pass Station One. Keep in mind this is just the first step towards becoming an official agent. If you make mistakes, it’s OK.”

Lee continued, “Focus on using your strengths. The point is to make it through the course.”

Amanda grinned at Lee, then Billy. “Thank you, Lee…sir. I promise I won’t let you down, sir…or you, Lee.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, Amanda. Now, you get some rest and we’ll see you when you complete the Dodge City obstacle course,” Lee assured her, then waved goodbye.

Amanda shut the door behind the two men and sighed. Dodge City…the last time she’d been here, she’d bungled her way through the “town”, hitting hidden buttons without meaning to, but getting the KGB agent after all. Hopefully, tomorrow would be different than the last time.

As Billy and Lee walked away, Lee remarked, “Billy, she nailed Sandra- her husband just left on a military mission and she’s been carrying around his picture.”

Billy grinned and nodded. “She’s doing great. I wonder what she’ll think when we tell her she was the ringer.”

Lee laughed and shook his head. He didn’t know how she would react, but it sure would be fun to tell her.

Sunday, May 19, 1985 

Amanda stood outside the entrance to Dodge City, staring at the other recruits. They were down to eight now- Lee had informed her on the trip over to the compound that Alexandra had quit the night before, not long after he and Billy had left her cabin.

Edward was the first to enter Dodge City. Amanda and the other recruits waited in a holding area with the agent in charge of the compound, while Lee and Billy were at the exit, ready to watch each recruit on a security monitor as they tried to successfully maneuver their way through the “deadly” course.

About 15 minutes after Edward disappeared, the agent motioned for Betty to begin. Betty looked at Amanda with trepidation. Amanda tried to give her a reassuring smile as the lady walked out the door. Margery turned to Amanda and whispered, “Do you think it’s as bad as it sounds?”

“Of course it isn’t,” Martin interjected. “These clowns just want to scare us into giving up. I guarantee I can make it through this playground in 5 minutes flat.”

Amanda stared at the man, trying to hide a smile. She hoped that she would go before Martin, just so she could get Lee to let her watch his efforts herself.

“Do you really think so?” Sandra asked Martin.

Martin stared at Sandra, then answered, “Of course, Sandra. It’s going to be a piece of cake.”

Just then, Agent Galloway spoke up, “Mrs. King, you’re up.”

“I’m…up?” Amanda stuttered. “What happened to Betty?”

“She didn’t make it,” the agent responded with a bored tone.

“Didn’t…make it?” Margery gulped.

Agent Galloway stared at Amanda and said, “Are you going in or not?”

Amanda swallowed hard. She couldn’t let Lee or Mr. Melrose down. They both had given her this opportunity to make it through Station One and she wanted desperately to make both of them proud. She gave the agent a nod, and he handed her a pistol, then opened the door.

As she walked through the door, she saw a vacant lot filled with broken down vehicles. Quickly, she moved back into the shadows as she remembered that pop-up “people” would jump out to “kill” you. She looked around to see how she could make it through.

‘What would Lee do?’ she thought to herself. She thought back to the many times he’d pulled her through areas where you could get shot. ‘Keep my head down and move out of the line of fire.’ She glanced at the pistol in her hand, but knew she couldn’t really use it.

She looked around and noticed a car that wasn’t far away. She quickly moved to the rear of the vehicle and ducked down, just as a man popped out. ‘That was a close one!’ she thought. ‘I can do this…I might not be able to shoot a gun, but I can make it through here by trying to keep my head down.’

She looked up and plotted her course of action. Slowly, she made her way through the open area, avoiding the pop-up people. As she arrived at the saloon, she gave a little laugh. This was where she had dealt with Pavlovich the last time she was here. She quickly made her way through the area and followed the stairs down. Suddenly, she realized she’d reached Assassin’s Alley. ‘This is going to be difficult, but Lee said to use my strengths. If I can just make it through here, I’ll be home free.’

She saw that it resembled a typical city alley. She noticed a dumpster, a few stoops, and a large cardboard box. She made her way to the side of the dumpster, then saw an old shopping cart. “I’ve got it!” she whispered. Keeping her head down, she grabbed the cart, then shoved it down the alley as she ducked back behind the dumpster. Suddenly, five cardboard “people” popped out of their hiding places.

Amanda congratulated herself, then heard her name being called from the other end. She popped up and saw Lee motioning for her to come to him. “You’re finished, Amanda. You made it through successfully. Come on.”

Amanda walked out with a smile and made her way down to Lee. “Are you serious? I completed Station One?”

“You sure did,” Lee responded with a grin. “Now, come on. You can watch the rest of your class on the monitor.”

SMK SMK

A couple of hours later, Amanda and Lee sat at a cafeteria table waiting for Billy to join them. Billy was giving candidate information to Margery and Edward. The rest had been sent home. Amanda grinned when she thought back to how Martin hadn’t made it past the first pop-up. Lee had told her it was the shortest time in the history of the Agency. No one had ever been knocked out that quickly.

Billy walked over to the table and sat down. “Amanda, I want to tell you that I’m proud of what you accomplished. You are the only person in the history of the Agency to make it through Dodge City without using their gun at all. Now, we’re not going to be able to put you in the freshman candidate classes…just yet. You’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we’ll be able to start giving you some more formal training now. And, of course, we’ll still be counting on you to work with Lee on various assignments.”

“Yes, sir,” Amanda said with pride.

Billy continued, “Now there’s one more thing, Amanda- we’re going to have to get you over this squeamishness with guns. But, we’ll save that for later. Lee, do you want to tell or should I?”

Lee grinned as Amanda looked at them, confused. “Tell me what?”

“Well, Amanda,” Lee said. “Did you ever figure out who was the ringer?”

“No,” she said, chagrined. “Please tell me it wasn’t Martin.”

“Nope,” Billy said with a grin.

“Betty?”

“Nope,” Lee laughed.

“Well it couldn’t be John or Alexandra. Sandra? Andy? Edward?”

“Nope,” Lee laughed even harder.

“What’s so funny?” Amanda asked, a little perturbed. “That leaves Sam or Margery…and it couldn’t be Margery because you gave her candidate information. So, that means it was Sam, right?”

“Nope,” Billy grinned.

“But…that’s everybody,” Amanda insisted.

“Not everyone,” Lee said with a smile. “You left someone out.”

“The only one left is me and I know I’m not the ringer,” Amanda said, shaking her head. Then she glanced at Billy and then at Lee. Both sat grinning like Cheshire Cats. “I’m the ringer? How’s that possible?”

“Well,” Lee admitted. “We thought this would be a good opportunity to really put your observation skills to the test. And, you came through with flying colors.”

“You really did, Amanda. You’re instincts were spot on,” Billy agreed.

“Gee, thanks,” Amanda said, blushing.

“All right, you two, let’s head back to town. We’ve got a lot to do this week, with Francine at the French Embassy. Can I count on seeing you in the morning, Amanda?” Billy requested.

“You’ve got it, sir,” Amanda smiled.

“Come on, partner,” Lee cajoled. “Let’s go.”

Lee led her to the exit and they made their way to the Corvette. As she began to climb in, Amanda turned around and looked at Dodge City. The last time she’d left with such a feeling of failure. But, today, she felt nothing but pride in her accomplishments and the feeling that she’d finally proven herself to be worthy of being Lee’s partner. She’d worked hard over the past couple of years to reach this point and it had been a worthy journey. Now, she could look forward to eventually proving to others that she belonged. But, she’d already earned what she’d wanted most- Lee’s approval.

“Amanda?” Lee questioned. “Are you ready to go?”

“You bet, Lee,” Amanda answered. “Let’s go…I’m ready.”