Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters are property of Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Productions. No copyright infringement is intended. The characters belong to them but the story is mine!
References are made to Season 3: Episode 7 "Utopia Now", Episode 16 "The Triumvirate" and Episode 17 "The Eyes Have It"
Time: Post Season 4- After "Boys Day Out"
Chicken Soup or vegetable soup?
Canned or Homemade?
Homemade!
You know, something just occurred to me..
What's that?
Of all the people I work with, there's one that helps me the most and she's NOT on the Barnstorm List.
That's a terrible oversight.
Uuhh..No it's not. Welcome aboard.
The pleasure's mine..
No it's not..
They stopped in front of the elevator doors. Lee slowly lifted Amanda's hand to his lips and gently kissed it. He found it difficult, if not impossible to take his eyes off of her as he applied a gentle pressure with his lips to her smooth, soft hand.
Amanda could feel her heart begin to beat wildly as Lee's moist lips grazed her flesh. He had kissed her hand many, many times before, but something about this time left her almost breathless.
"Well! Isn't this romantic?" Francine said as she eyed Scarecrow and Mrs. King from behind the now opened elevator doors. "What a better place to start being all touchy feely than right here in the middle of the hallway?" she said with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
Embarrassed, Amanda quickly pulled her hand away from Lee's grasp and swallowed hard.
"Can it, Francine!" Lee sniped back at the blonde with the Cheshire Cat grin.
Francine let out a soft, high-pitched chuckle as she made her way off the elevator and walked in between the two. Amanda quickly stepped onto the elevator and rearranged the coats in an aggressive manner. Lee followed and watched as Amanda slid the coats back and forth on the bar angrily.
"One of these days, I'm going to let her have it!"
Lee gently grabbed Amanda by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.
"Amanda, don't let her get to you. She's….well she's Francine. "
Amanda knew Lee was right. She wasn't so much mad at Francine as annoyed, mainly for her terrible sense of timing. A moment ago, Lee was looking deeply into her eyes and they both felt a connection. Well, Amanda hoped they both felt a connection.
"You're right, Lee. I'm sorry. I've gotta get you home and get you into bed."
Lee looked at Amanda and tried to resist the grin that was forming at the corner of his mouth. She soon realized what she had just said and tried to correct herself as her cheeks took on a crimson hue.
"I mean, get you home so you can get some rest!"
Lee stepped closer to Amanda and dropped his arms from her shoulders. He then took her hands into his, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. He inhaled slowly and began to speak to her in low, soft tones.
"Amanda, I am fine. I don't need a babysitter. Please don't worry about me."
"Lee, you are not fine! You are recovering from a concussion! Besides, you heard Mr. Melrose. YOU are now my assignment for the next five days!"
"Amanda! I…"
"Uh, uh, uh…..don't waste your breath!"
The elevator doors opened at the Georgetown Lobby. Mrs. Marsten was seated at her desk. She smiled to herself as she saw the duo get off the elevator. 9 times out of 10, when they were exiting the elevator, they were arguing about something. Today, it seemed as if Mrs. King had the upper hand. Mrs. Marsten added 1 for Amanda in her mental tally.
"Have a nice day, Mrs. Marsten", Amanda said as she politely returned her visitors pass.
Lee gave Mrs. Marsten a quick wink and a smile as he followed Amanda out the door.
"So, you never answered my question, Lee."
"What question?"
"Chicken or vegetable?"
Lee smiled at Amanda.
"Chicken….please."
"OK, you got it! Here's what we're going to do. It's 10:30am now. Let's get you home and all tucked in for a nice long nap and I will go to the store and get going on your soup."
"Amanda, you really don't have to do all this! I am fine. I promise you that I am just fine!"
Amanda stopped walking and turned towards Lee, looking him right in the eye. "Ok, you're fine. Would a little chicken soup make you not fine?"
Lee chuckled despite himself. "No, I don't suppose it would."
"OK then….get in the car….or did you forget I drove you here this morning?"
Amanda opened the car door for him and gestured for him to have a seat. Lee smirked as he laughed hardily to himself. Amanda had just won their argument. She had definitely gotten the best of him this time…..and he loved it! Lee buckled his seat belt and watched Amanda slide into the driver's seat. She had a huge smile on her face. She knew that she just bested Lee at their bickering. She couldn't help but gloat a little. Amanda pulled away from the curb and headed to Lee's apartment. He would never admit it, but Lee was tired and was very glad to have at least the next two days off: five was going to be challenging. He didn't do well sitting still. Lee glanced over at Amanda who was still smiling over her victory. She had the most beautiful smile. It made Lee content to look at her. He reached out and gently touched her arm. As his hand made contact with her arm, a jolt of electricity shot through them both. Amanda could feel goose bumps surface on her arms, safely hidden under her blouse.
"Amanda, thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me that you care."
"Aww, Lee. You don't need to thank me. I am happy to do it. Besides…..I know you. You'll say that you'll rest, but you won't rest. You will have some excuse that you have too much to do at work, or around the house or any other excuse you can think of that will get you up and out of bed and NOT RESTING. And with a head injury, you can NEVER be too careful. Plenty of rest is exactly what you need and that is exactly what I am going to make sure you get!"
Lee looked at Amanda and began to smile.
"You done?"
Amanda quickly realized that she had been rambling again. Sheepishly, she smiled and nodded her head.
"Sorry….didn't mean to get carried away."
"Don't be sorry, Amanda. Look, there's a spot open right in front of the building!"
"Ah-ha! Good eye there, Scarecrow!"
Amanda pulled the car up next to the curb in front of Lee's apartment. As she turned off the engine, she began to get a strange feeling bubbling up inside her. She quickly identified the feeling to be excitement.
"What is wrong with me?" Amanda thought to herself. "Why am I excited that Lee has to be home for 5 days to rest because he has a concussion? Concerned? OK concerned is fine. Worried…maybe a little. But excited? This is business. Mr. Melrose gave me an assignment to watch over Lee while he rests. This isn't personal. I just…."
"Did you hear me?" Lee said bringing her back to reality.
"What?"
"I said is there something wrong?"
"Oh, no…no nothing wrong. I was just trying to think of everything I need to go buy for the soup."
"Amanda, really. You don't need to go through all this trouble. I'm sure that I have a can of something in the cabinet. I can throw it in a bowl and heat it in the microwave."
"Lee, you will do no such thing! Now come on! Let's get you upstairs."
Lee placed his hand on the small of Amanda's back as they walked into his apartment building. As they stepped into the elevator, Lee unconsciously grabbed Amanda's hand. Amanda's heart began to flutter at his touch.
"Amanda! Get a hold of yourself!" she screamed in her head. "Lee has held your hand before. You are acting like this is your first date in high school! Besides-this is LEE. He doesn't feel the same way about you as you do him."
"Amanda?"
Amanda quickly snapped out of her conversation with herself.
"Huh"
"You coming?"
Amanda noticed Lee trying to make his way out of the elevator, gently pulling on her hand so that she would follow.
"Oh, yea. Sorry!"
"Are you sure you're ok? You seem very unfocused today. Everything alright?"
"I'm fine! I told you, I was…"
"Just thinking about what you needed at the store….uh-huh."
Lee looked at Amanda with confusion mixed with a flirtatious smirk. Opening the door, he gestured for Amanda to enter the apartment as he walked in and closed the door behind her. Amanda placed her purse down on the coffee table and began to straighten up the living room.
"Amanda, you don't have to do that. It's just a couple of newspapers and a coffee mug."
"Sorry…habit. Let's get you all settled so you can get some rest."
Amanda began to walk toward the French Doors of Lee's bedroom. She quickly noticed that Lee wasn't following her.
"Well? You coming or not?"
"Amanda, I will be fine right out here on the couch", Lee said as he plopped down onto the cushions and kicked off his shoes.
"Oh, Lee. You know that you will get better rest in your own bed and not out here on the couch!"
"I promise you that I will be fine right here! I sleep out here quite often, you know."
Amanda stepped closer to the couch and looked down at Lee.
"No, I didn't know. Will you at least go change into something more comfortable to rest in? You still have your jacket on for goodness sakes!"
"Ok, ok! I will go change. But then I am coming back out here to lie on the couch and watch some TV!"
"Fair enough. You go change and I am going to go look to see what you have in the kitchen that I can use to make the soup. I'm guessing not much!"
Amanda gave Lee a big smile as she made her way into the kitchen. Lee shook his head and chuckled to himself as he made his way into his bedroom. He let out a big yawn as he stretched and took of his jacket.
"Guess I am more tired than I thought."
Lee was again feeling happy that Billy had given him the next couple of days off. He needed the rest and his head was hurting more than he was willing to admit to. But 5-days? Did anyone that knew him really think that he was going to be able to rest for 5-days? Suddenly Lee jumped at the sound of pans crashing to the floor in the kitchen.
"Whoops! Sorry! That was me…I'm ok!" he heard Amanda yell from the other room.
Lee let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Oh, Amanda!" he said as he unbuttoned his shirt. Slowly his expression began to change from being annoyed to contentment and happiness. He began to realize that he would get to spend the next 5 days with Amanda, uninterrupted by Francine or other agency business. A smile slowly began to spread across his face. It was getting harder and harder for Lee to deny his feelings for Amanda. He found himself thinking about her all the time and finding silly little reasons to stop by her place late at night. Just the thought of her made his pulse quicken.
"Get a grip on yourself, man! This is Amanda we are talking about! You have pushed her away so many times…..there is no way that she would go for someone like you. She is so kind, sweet, smart, funny…and so, so beautiful…."
Lee sat down on his bed and ran his hands through his hair trying to get his mind off of the way he felt about Amanda. He stepped out of his pants and slid on his sweat pants.
"Lee? I am going to get going to the supermarket. Are you going to be ok?"
Lee stepped out of his bedroom wearing only his sweatpants with his t-shirt in hand.
"What? I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"
Amanda stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Lee with no shirt on. She wasn't expecting him to come out of his bedroom half naked. She was surprised by what she saw but also very pleased. She could feel a bush come to her cheeks. She tried to turn away but her feet didn't seem to want to cooperate. Lee pulled his shirt on over his head covering the chest that she longed to reach out and touch.
"Amanda? What did you say?"
"I…uh, I said that I was going to head out to the supermarket. Let's get you settled on the couch. Here, I made you some iced tea, just the way you like it. Why don't you lie down and we'll get you settled before I go."
Lee let out a heavy sigh. "I'm not helpless you know!"
"Oh, Lee, I know that! But I also know that you are stubborn and I will feel better if I actually see you lying down before I leave. I know as soon as I walk out that door you will probably get right back up, but I will at least feel better if I know at one time you WERE lying down. So come on, let's go! You…lie down!"
Amanda gestured towards him and sharply pointed to the couch. Lee pretended to protest by grunting and moving slowly, but inside he was really loving the fact that Amanda was showing such concern for him. He stretched out on the couch, placed his head on the pillow and let Amanda cover him over with a blanket.
"There! Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Amanda said as she sat on the corner of the couch and smiled at Lee. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed his hair back from his eyes. That same feeling of electricity flooded them both as their eyes locked. Lee grabbed Amanda by the wrist and began to pull her towards him. He could feel her pulse beating rapidly: her eyes widened and she moved ever so slowly towards Lee her eyes focusing on his waiting lips.
RING! … RING!
Amanda jumped at the sound of the phone. She quickly stood up to answer it.
"Amanda! Let it…" Lee called out to Amanda, but too late.
"Hello? Oh yes, Hello, Sir….Yes, Lee is about to take a nap and I am about to head out to the supermarket. Was there something that you needed?...oh, OK I can do that. See you in a few minutes."
Lee's heart sank upon hearing Amanda agree to go back to the agency. Something must have come up and Billy was calling her back to work. He wouldn't get to spend time with Amanda after all.
"What was that about?"
"That was Mr. Melrose."
"Yeah, I gathered that. He's calling you back to work, isn't he? Well if you're going back, then so am I. I told you I am fine!"
"Lee! Lie back down right now! I am not being called back to work! You left your wallet at the agency and Mr. Melrose wanted me to stop by and pick it up so you wouldn't be without it for the week."
"Oh! OK"
"Honestly, Scarecrow! What is it going to take for you to just rest! I'm going to have to slip some sleeping pills into your chicken soup!"
Lee smiled up at Amanda.
"Ok, ok….resting…I promise!"
"You'd better! I am going to the supermarket. Be back in a little while."
Amanda grabbed her purse and walked out of Lee's apartment, list in hand, and quietly shut the door.
"I just know he's not going to rest! I bet you as soon as he heard the door click shut he jumped right off that couch. Sometimes I want to strangle him because of his stubbornness! And then other times….."
Amanda began remembering the kiss that they almost just shared. He was going to kiss her, wasn't he? She wasn't imagining things, was she? He was definitely pulling her down to him…and the feeling between them…..they both felt it.
"I'm not crazy…I know he wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him. After all, HE was the one pulling me closer and HE was the one that didn't want me to get up and answer the phone. He has been looking at me differently in the last few weeks. I catch him sneaking glances at me and staring when he thinks I don't notice him doing it."
Amanda soon realized that while she was having a talk with herself, she forgot to push the elevator button. Pushing it, she let out a heavy sigh.
"See…I AM losing it. I must be out of my mind. Lee doesn't feel that way about me. If he did, he would have acted on it by now. Right? I can hear it now…'Amanda…it was just a cover or Amanda, it's business…..' Push him out of your mind, Amanda. It will only lead to heartache."
The elevator doors opened, Amanda stepped inside and headed to the supermarket.
Lee watched Amanda walk out of the apartment. As she pulled the door shut, he settled further into the comfortable couch and began thinking…..of her. He could still smell her perfume on the pillow where he rested his head. She had only sat next to him for that brief moment, but her scent lingered. How he had wanted to kiss her. He could feel that she wanted to kiss him, too. Why didn't he move faster? Why did the damned phone have to ring? What was happening to Lee? His mind always seemed to be on Amanda. When he was with her, all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her. When he wasn't with her, all he could think about was how much he wanted to see her….and then kiss her. What was he waiting for?
"What am I thinking? This is Amanda King! Not some woman that I have picked up in a bar. She's not even my type…..right? Then why can't I stop thinking about her? When did this happen? When did she become my best friend? When did I fall in lo….whooaahh there cowboy! You are NOT in LOVE with Amanda! That is ridiculous! Amanda King…haha! She's….well she's just…..just…oh! Why can't I just admit it? She's all I think about! I am….I AM in love with Amanda. Oh God! This…this can't be good. It would never work! She would never fall for someone like me. We are so different. We come from different worlds…..Then why do I feel that we would be so perfect together?"
Lee began to run his hands through his hair as he became more and more anxious now that he had admitted his true feelings for Amanda to himself. He gently touched the bruise on his head and found it to still be quite tender. He sat up and reached for the glass of iced tea Amanda left for him.
"She really does take good care of me, much better than I deserve. Man, I was so awful to her when we first met. How did you do it, Amanda King? How did you sneak your way past all my defenses and into my heart? So, Scarecrow…now that you have admitted your feelings for Amanda, what's next?"
Lee sat in silence and sipped his iced tea. His mind was void of any ideas of what to do next, at least void of any ideas that didn't terrify him. Any scenario he conceived of had Amanda running the other way. He couldn't risk losing her as a friend. He couldn't take that chance. Lee placed his glass of iced tea back on the coffee table and settled back into the couch for a nap.
"If Amanda comes back and sees that I am still awake, having not slept….she'll kill me." He said to himself as she closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, all he could see were images of Amanda. He figured, why fight it and let himself drift off to sleep while thinking of her.
SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK
Amanda had successfully retrieved Lee's wallet from the agency on her way home from the supermarket. She had almost made a clean getaway from the building when she ran into Francine coming down the stairs from the Q-Bureau.
"Amanda? Done already?"
"Hi, Francine. Done? What do you mean?"
"Oh, well I just meant that in the old days, Lee liked to take his time. I thought for sure…."
Amanda's face dropped at Francine's insinuations. She felt a white-hot anger begin to build within her as her face began to tighten and her eyes squinted locking Francine in her sights. Amanda's angry expression took both Mrs. Marsten and Francine off guard. The two women stopped in their tracks and stared at Amanda.
"You know Francine, I have put up with…"
Francine put up her hands, palms facing Amanda.
"Easy! Easy , Amanda! I'm kidding! Just kidding!"
Amanda stared down Francine for another moment before she quickly turned on her heels and stormed out the front door.
"OOHH! That WOMAN! I want to…to just…..punch her right in the face sometimes! She gets me so ANGRY!" Amanda conducted the conversation with herself at full voice while walking to her car. She ripped open the car door, plopped inside and slammed it closed as hard as she could. "Someday, Francine…..someday", she said as the aggressively pulled on her seatbelt. Closing her eyes, she laid her head against the seat rest and gripped the steering wheel. She took a few deep cleansing breaths to help her calm down. Amanda was upset with Francine, but she was more upset with herself. She was mad that she let Francine get the best of her again. She was terrified when she realized why Francine had affected her like she did. Comments like the ones she had made today were hitting too close to the mark. As much as Amanda tried to push the idea out of her mind, she was falling fast and hard in love with Lee Stetson. Every touch, every whisper…..every whiff of his cologne set Amanda's heart into a tailspin. She would find herself daydreaming about being swept up into his arms, being held tight and finally completing all those near miss kisses they had experienced over the last few months. Amanda had kissed Lee before while on missions. She remembered what his lips felt like pressed against hers; she remembered how good his kisses tasted. She longed to experience them again, and not as part of an assignment but as a testimony to how they felt about each other. Her mind wandered back to earlier in the day in Lee's apartment. She could feel him pulling her towards him. She willingly let him guide her closer; her heart beating wildly. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to be kissed by him. She then remembered the ill-timed telephone and its shrill ring that broke the magic spell that was forming between them. Amanda opened her eyes and looked out the windshield onto the street that housed the agency.
"Amanda, stop building castles in the sky. Get back to Lee's and get going on this soup. The sooner you start, the sooner you can head back to your own house."
She straightened up, glanced in the rearview mirror as she started the car, pulled out of her parking spot and headed toward Lee's apartment.
SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK
Lee rolled over in his sleep, hugging the pillow that had been cradling his head. Amanda's scent still lingered on his pillow from when she tucked him in for his nap. Lee drew the pillow in tighter, breathing in her sweet perfume.
"So how long are we going to have to be held up in this place, Lee?"
"Until they find King Cobra….hopefully, not too long. Besides, is it so terrible us being here together?"
Lee looked around the room at the warm-colored walls and cream colored sofa. Not the nicest place he has ever had to be confined to while on stake out but certainly not the worst. Let's face it, wherever he was would be a paradise as long as Amanda was with him.
"Lee, that's not what I meant at all. I just…well I hate the thought that someone is out there that wants to kill me and maybe my family."
Lee moved to the couch and sat next to Amanda. He took her hand in his and held it tightly.
"Amanda, you know that you mean the world to me and I will never let anyone hurt you. Never."
Amanda looked up at Lee with her big brown eyes full of trust and….something else. He cupped his hand along her jawline and tenderly brushed her lips with his thumb. With his other hand, Lee brushed a stray curl off Amanda's forehead causing her to shutter.
"Lee….I"
"Shhh….don't Amanda. Don't say anything. We've waited too long for this. Don't you think it's time that we both admit our feelings and stop pretending they don't exist?"
"But you said that…"
"Amanda, forget what I've said. I know I have said a lot of stupid things to hide how I feel about you", Lee said as he continued to caress her cheek and neck. He could feel the heat that was building between them. He leaned in close to her, allowing his lips to gently brush her cheek, moving slowly towards her waiting lips. Suddenly, the sound of jingling keys in the lock broke their would-be embrace. Lee quickly turned around to see who was coming through the door, weapon drawn.
Amanda walked through the front door of Lee's apartment as quietly as possible. The keys made a jingling sound as she attempted to remove them from the lock while balancing the groceries. Lee stirred on the couch. She quickly realized that Lee was asleep on the couch. She made every attempt to move across the room silent as a cat sneaking up on its prey. Amanda smiles as she passed by the couch and was very relieved to see that Lee was not up and doing things he shouldn't be doing. Amanda slipped into the kitchen and began to make the best pot of homemade chicken soup that she had ever created.
Francine quickly put up her hands as she found herself staring down the barrel of Lee's weapon.
"Francine! What the hell are you doing here? And why would you just walk through the door like that? I could have shot you!"
"Easy, there Scarecrow! Do you mind lowering your weapon? Didn't you get Billy's call? He wants you back at the agency."
Lee's heart sank at the thought of having to leave Amanda right now. They were so close to finally letting their feelings out.
"Francine, Billy never called. Are you sure that he told you he needed me back at the agency?"
Lee looked over at Amanda. Disappointment spread across both of their faces.
"If you don't believe me, call him yourself."
Lee walked over to the phone and dialed Billy.
"Melrose…"
"Billy? Scarecrow. Did you tell Francine to come relieve me? She wasn't due here until morning."
"Actually I did but it's no longer necessary."
Lee looked at Amanda and tried desperately to hide the smile that was forming on his lips. He wouldn't have to leave Amanda after all. They could pick up where they left off before Francine interrupted them.
"Oh? Why is that, Billy?"
"We just caught King Cobra outside the safe house. You all can go home. Amanda is safe."
"Oh…..oh that's good news", Lee said while doing a poor job of hiding his disappointment.
"Is that a problem, Stetson? Would you rather that we let him go and you can explain to Amanda why her life is still in danger?"
"No, no, of course not!"
"Good. Now tell Francine to get downstairs and help the agents close up this case."
"Will do."
Francine looked at Lee.
"Well? Told ya, didn't I?"
"Yup, you were right, Francine but as it turns out, none of us need to stay here. They caught King Cobra trying to get into the safe house."
Amanda's eyes widened at Lee's statement.
"So, it's over?"
"It's all over, Amanda."
"Great! So I drove all the way over here for nothing. You know that I had a date with this up-and-coming sportscaster? I had to break our date. Now, turns out I could have gone. Absolutely wonderful."
"Well if it makes you feel any better, Francine, Billy wants you downstairs to help the agents close out the case. And from Billy's tone, I wouldn't keep them waiting."
"I swear that man is going to drive me to drink! Francine, go relieve Lee…Francine, go help the incapable agents close out the case….huh! See you two later."
Francine slammed the door on her way out. Lee reclaimed his seat on the couch next to Amanda. He looked lovingly into her eyes.
"So, Lee…..that's it? It's all over? I am safe? My family is safe?"
"Uh..yea…it's over. See, I told ya I would never let anything happen to you!"
"Oh thank you, Lee!"
Amanda threw her arms around Lee and hugged him tightly. Lee breathed in her scent as her hair fell onto his cheek. He held her close and slowly ran his hand up her back and to the base of her neck. He could feel Amanda respond. A low, sharp sigh escaped her lips as his finger lightly circled her neck and collar bone. Amanda moved her hands up into Lee's thick head of hair. Their hearts were both beating as if they were running a race. Lee pulled back from their embrace slightly and looked deeply into Amanda's eyes. He now knew what the extra something was that he earlier saw in her eyes; it was love. He knew it was love because he was feeling it, too. Moving his hand up into her hair, he slowly leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and sweet: their mouths exploring each other. Amanda broke the embrace and looked deeply into Lee's eyes. A smile spread across both of their faces. Their lips hungrily found each other again as if drawn together by some invisible magnet.
Amanda stepped out of the kitchen into the living room to find Lee sleeping with the biggest smile that she had ever seen appear on his face.
"Huh, that must be some dream he is having. Would love to know what it's about!" she whispered to herself as she made her way to the bathroom.
Lee took Amanda's face in his hands and continued to kiss her passionately. His head was swimming with emotions and thoughts. He had wanted this far more than he ever realized. What had been holding them back?
"Lee…Lee…What are we.."
"Shh…...Amanda. Don't say anything. Just let me hold you, kiss you. We've both wanted this for so long."
Amanda made her way back across the living room and headed towards the kitchen. Lee still was smiling. He seemed to be breathing heavily as well.
"Must be some dream!"
Amanda was almost to the kitchen when she heard Lee call out to her.
"Amanda…..oh Amanda…"
Amanda spun around to see what Lee wanted. As she approached him, she realized that he was talking in his sleep.
"Did he just call my name? Lee? Lee did you just call me?" she said in hushed tones.
"Amanda….we've waited so long…..I…I love you, Amanda."
Amanda stopped in her tracks, her eyes growing wide as saucers and her jaw almost hitting the floor as she processed what she had just heard Lee say. The corners of her mouth began to up-turn as her heart began to beat faster. She pulled the coffee table over to the couch and sat on the edge. She sat for a moment watching Lee sleep and trying to decipher what other mumblings he was saying.
"I heard him right, didn't I? He said I love you, Amanda right? I am not imagining things, am I?" Amanda sat silently for a moment, afraid to believe what it was that she thought that she just heard. "Lee? Can you hear me? Can…can you repeat what you just said? It sounded like you said that you loved me. Lee? Are you awake?"
Lee smiled in his sleep at the sound of her voice. "Amanda.." he said through his smile-parted lips.
"Yes, Lee?"
"Why did we wait so long?"
"Why did we wait so long for what, Lee?"
Lee hugged the pillow even tighter, burying his mouth in the pillow and muffling his words. Amanda bit her lower lip and tried to devise a plan to gently move the pillow away from his mouth so she could understand what it was that he was saying. She hesitated for a moment and second-guessed herself. Maybe she should just go back into the kitchen and forget about what she thought she heard Lee say. Lee began to mumble again in his sleep. The only word she could make out was Amanda. Immediately, she returned to her original plan of moving the pillow. Gently, she pushed down on the fluffy pillow trying to free his lips. As she moved gingerly across the pillowcase, her finger glanced gently over Lee's lips. Before she knew what was happening, Lee grabbed her hand and pulled it close to his body and held it tight. Even in his sleep, Lee ran his thumb gently over her knuckles and sighed happily.
"uh-oh" Amanda said. She hadn't planned on this happening. She tried to free her hand to no avail. Lee was grasping it too tightly.
"What am I going to do if he wakes up and he is holding my hand? How do I explain my way out of that one?" Amanda took her free hand and tried opening Lee's fingers that were wrapped tightly around her own. It was of no use. Lee was holding her hand so tightly and so close to his chest, she couldn't find a good angle from which to work. She then thought that if she touched his forehead, maybe he would release her hand to brush away whatever was bothering him. She began to examine the bruise on his forehead and ran her finger gently around its edges. Lee's face began to express annoyance at what Amanda was doing. She didn't want to hurt him, but she thought that by touching the bruise, he might swat away at whatever was causing him discomfort. She lightly ran her finger along his hairline. Before she realized what she was doing, Amanda found herself running her fingers through his beautiful thick head of hair forgetting about trying to free her hand. Lee began to stir and then suddenly, his eye sprang open to see Amanda hovering over him, one hand tightly grasped in his own and the other lost in his hair.
"Amanda? What are you doing?" Lee said in a startled and slightly disoriented tone.
"Huh? Oh, um….well…..", Amanda tried to stall while she tried to think of an explanation. "You were talking in your sleep and when I came over here to make sure you were ok, you grabbed my hand. I was trying to get it free without waking up. Guess I didn't do a very good job. I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you up."
Lee then realized that he was holding onto Amanda's hand. He looked down to see their fingers laced together. Lee suddenly got a pang of panic that ran thought his body. "Did she say that I was talking in my sleep?" Lee had vivid memories about the dream he had just had. "What did I say?" Lee smiled sheepishly at Amanda and released her hand. "Sorry….did you say I was talking in my sleep?"
"uh, yea you were."
"What was I saying?"
Amanda wanted to tell him exactly what it was that he had been saying, but she didn't want to embarrass either of them if she had misheard him.
"I couldn't really tell what you were saying. I did hear you say Amanda which is why I came over here in the first place, but after that I'm not really sure what you were saying. Seemed like a happy dream, though. Was it?"
"Was what it?" Lee played dumb to stall. He couldn't tell Amanda that he was just dreaming about kissing her and holding her and how amazing that felt to him.
"Your dream, was it a happy dream. Looked happy. Looked VERY happy! I mean, you had a great big smile on your face….think at one point you even giggled."
"I didn't giggle!"
"Oh yes you did…..giggled…right there…on the couch…dreaming about ….something…what was it about again?"
"I, uh…I don't remember."
Lee shifted uncomfortably on the couch and realized that he was still holding on to Amanda's hand. He looked up at her and smiled a crooked smile, chagrinned with what had transpired.
"Sorry" he whispered as he released her hand and sat up.
"No need to be sorry. I was happy to see that you got some sleep! Feel better?"
Lee ran his hand through his hair as he stretched. Amanda had flashbacks to moments before when it was her hand lost in his sexy head of hair. She longed to touch it again and breathe in the scent of shampoo and Lee.
"Amanda? A-MAN-DA!"
Amanda snapped out of her daydream and realized that she hadn't heard a word that Lee had just said. She looked down at him with her warm brown eyes stretched wide.
"Amanda, are you ok? You've been acting a bit funny today. "
"I'm fine…just thinking about something."
"Uh-huh", Lee said flatly. "Come on, sit down on the couch with me for a few minutes."
Lee grabbed Amanda's wrist and gently pulled her to the couch.
"Oh, Lee. I am absolutely fine. I was just thinking."
"Something smells good!" Lee said as he deeply inhaled the air.
"Oh, yeah…that's my soup! It will be ready in a little while."
Lee found himself looking deeply into Amanda's eyes….the memories of the dream racing through his mind. Suddenly, he broke the connection and shifted uncomfortably. "Wow...I didn't even hear you come in. Some spy I am! How long have I been asleep?"
"Well, I'm not sure what time you fell asleep….I half expected you to jump off the couch as soon as I left. I was glad to see you were sleeping when I got home…..I mean, back to your place. I've been back here about oh, almost 2 hours and I was gone about an hour, so could be at least 3 hours that you slept. You must have needed it!"
"I guess I did."
"Oh, before I forget", Amanda said as she stood up, walked over to her purse and pulled out Lee's wallet. "Got your wallet. You left it in Mr. Melrose's office."
"Thanks! I appreciate you going to the agency to pick it up. Would you mind putting it on my bureau in my bedroom?"
"In your bedroom? Oh, yeah….sure no problem! I'll be right back…just going to put this on your bureau. Be right back."
Amanda walked into Lee's bedroom and placed the wallet next to his watch and keys.
"Oh, Lee!" Amanda said to herself as she picked up Lee's clothes from the floor, the same clothes he had been wearing earlier in the day. "Clothes do not belong on the floor! I mean really…how hard would it have been to put these clothes where they belong?" Amanda retrieved a hanger from the closet and gingerly placed the shirt upon it. As she reached to put the shirt away, she caught the scent of Lee on his clothing. She took the sleeve to her nose and breathed in deeply and she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander. She began to hear Lee's voice saying that he loved her as she imagined herself replying back to him. "I love you, too, Lee…I have wanted to say that to you for so long."
"Amanda? Everything alright in there?" Lee yelled from the other room.
Amanda quickly snapped back into reality quickly realizing that she was rubbing Lee's shirt against her cheek. Embarrassed, she quickly released the clothing and shut the closet door.
"What? What did you say?" Amanda asked as she exited Lee's room, shutting the French doors behind her.
"I asked if you were OK…seemed like it was taking you a long time to put my wallet on the dresser."
"Well….I was picking up your clothes from off the floor, too!"
"Amanda, you don't have to do that! You're not my maid!"
"Oh I know that, but I didn't want to see the clothes sit there on the floor. It wasn't a big deal. Before I go check on the soup, can I get you anything?"
Lee looked at Amanda with love in his eyes. She couldn't help but notice how he was looking at her-it took her breath away for a moment.
"Amanda? You don't have to wait on me. Why don't you just come over here and sit down with me and we can talk for a bit?"
"Oh….uh, ok. I guess I can do that." She replied with a happy yet nervous smile. Her heart began to beat wildly despite her best efforts to control it. Amanda sat on the couch next to Lee. She reached over and gently touched his forehead and examined his bruise.
"It seems to be getting better. Still looks a little puffy right here."
"Ouch! A-man-da! Don't do that!" Lee exclaimed as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his head.
"Oh! Lee! I'm sorry! I was just…"
Lee felt badly for snapping. He quickly cradled Amanda's hand in his own.
"No…Amanda I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap! I am just annoyed that I have the bump at all!"
His gentle smile put her at ease as did the gentle massaging motions he was making on her hand. They both realized that they were holding hands. They looked at each other and smiled, leaving their hands happily entwined.
"Amanda, you look tired, too. You should take a rest."
"No, I'm fine. I will rest tonight."
"Don't be silly. Come here."
Lee pulled Amanda to him guiding her head to his shoulder all the while maintaining a firm but loving grip on her hand. Amanda didn't know what to make of what was happening. Her instinct was to pull away but she didn't. She wanted to stay right where she was. It was almost too good to be true.
"There. Isn't that better?"
"Yea…much. Thanks!"
Amanda's mind was immediately flooded with memories of the night they were on the run from Peter Sacker and the New Utopia mission. They held each other tightly that night, much like they were now. Amanda came very close to revealing her true feelings to Lee that night. Part of her wished that she had…..a bigger part of her was glad that she didn't. She was beginning to get those same feelings and desires to tell him how she felt. She questioned herself about what she heard earlier. "Lee did say he loved me, right?...But what if he didn't? What if I heard wrong?"
"Amanda?"
"Huh?"
"OK, enough is enough! That is at least the 3rd time today that you haven't heard a word that I have said to you. What is going on with you? Is everything ok?"
"Yes….yes Lee.."
"And don't tell me that it's nothing…..I know you better than that. Just tell me what's going on!"
A million thoughts ran through Amanda's mind at once. Should she tell him? Should she tell him that she loves him, too? "I'm going to do it! I'm going to tell him how I feel!" she screamed inside her head.
Amanda shifted and looked into Lee's eyes.
"Lee…..I.."
Lee looked at her, wide eyed anxious to hear what she had to say.
"I…..had a fight with Francine when I went to pick up your wallet. She really just makes my temper BOIL! I wanted to just punch her right in the FACE!"
Lee tried to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up, but to no avail. A loud guffaw burst forth from his lips and before he could help it, it was in a full on laughing fit.
Amanda pushed herself away from Lee.
"It's not funny, Lee! She makes me want to kill her sometimes!"
"Oh, Amanda! Come here! I'm sorry for laughing, but I just don't know why you let her get to you! That's why she does it! Don't you realize that? She pushes your buttons because she knows she will get a reaction! Don't waste your time on her! Now come here. Lay back down."
Amanda allowed Lee to pull her back to his shoulder. He wrapped his arm tightly around her and rubbed her back lightly. Amanda felt 1,000's of pleasurable charges of electricity run up and down her back where ever Lee touched her. Her tension was quickly leaving her tense muscles.
"Seriously, don't let her get to you. You are so much better than that…Why don't you just rest for a little bit. You've had a rough few days, too!"
"Lee….you aren't supposed to be taking care of me. I'm supposed to be taking care of *YAWN* you. Sorry about that….I guess I am a little tired."
"Well you have been going non-stop since my accident. It's ok for you to rest, too, Amanda…"
Amanda listened to the deep timbre of Lee's soothing voice as he spoke and gently rubbed her back. Amanda's feelings for Lee were becoming overwhelming. Being here in his arms felt so right and so comfortable. She began to feel the heaviness of her eyelids increase. The low rumble of Lee's voice reverberating in his chest was lulling her to sleep. Amanda felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into Lee's embrace. She settled in closer to him as she shut her eyes and allowed the much needed rest to overtake her.
"Amanda? Are you listening to me? You've really got to….."
Lee peeked down at Amanda's face and saw that she had fallen asleep. Her breathing began to slow and become deeper. Lee smiled as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, breathing in the comforting smell of shampoo and Amanda. Memories of his earlier dream came to the forefront of his mind. He smiled wider and pulled Amanda closer to him.
"I love you, Amanda King", he whispered in a barely audible tone as he kissed her head yet again.
Amanda stirred slightly in his embrace. "I love you, too, Lee", she said in her sleep in response to Lee's declaration.
Lee froze where he sat, his eyes widening. Was she awake? Had she heard him? Did he hear her correctly? Did she really say that she loved him, too?
"What did you say, Amanda? Amanda?"
Amanda inhaled deeply and let out a heavy sigh. A smile spread across her sleeping face. Lee quickly realized that she was still asleep. He pulled her in closer and gently shifted both of their positions to make them more comfortable. Lee settled in to the pillow and held Amanda close. He gently placed the blanket over both of them and shut his eyes. He inhaled sharply smelling the slow-cooking chicken soup from the kitchen.
"Chicken soup really is comfort food", he said to himself knowing that he would always associate this moment of pure happiness whenever he smelled chicken soup. He took Amanda's hand in his and let himself drift off to sleep.
SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK
Lee rolled over to find Amanda no longer by his side. He had no idea how long he had been sleeping. He checked the bedside clock and saw that is was 2:47am. He got up and went looking for Amanda. As he exited their bedroom door and headed down the stairs of their Maplewood Ave. house, he could see that the kitchen light was on.
"Lee! Did I wake you up?" Amanda said as she stood over the pot of chicken soup she had made for dinner: her pregnant belly forcing her to turn slightly to the side as she stirred the soup.
Lee inhaled the aroma of the soup. A comforting sense of love and happiness rushed to the front of his mind. He smiled widely at the smell of the soup and the sight of his wife.
"No, you didn't wake me up. I rolled over and you weren't there so I went looking for you. What are you doing up?"
"I got hungry. It's the baby's fault! Seems I can't sleep through the night anymore without having to get up to go to the bathroom or to get something to eat. I kept lying there thinking about this soup sitting in the refrigerator and I had to get up and have a bowl."
"Well, the baby must love your chicken soup as much as I do."
Amanda smiled and let out a gentle laugh. "You really DO love my chicken soup, don't you? I never understood why."
Lee stood behind Amanda, wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head. "Oh…..I have my reasons."
Amanda smiled as she thought back to the first time she made this soup for Lee, wondering if he remembered, too.
"Care to share those reasons?"
"Nope! My own little secret with myself!"
"That's ok...I have my secrets, too!"
"Oh? Really? Well, you know Mrs. Stetson, I am very good at discovering secrets. I AM a spy, you know!"
"Well, Mr. Spy...what do you say we go back to bed and you can show me some of your interrogation techniques?"
"Amanda? Are you trying to seduce me?"
"Yup!"
"Well it's working!"
Amanda smiled at Lee as he took her hand. He turned to lead her up the stairs, but she didn't move. He turned to see her grinning.
"You coming?" Lee questioned.
"Uh, yes...but after I have my soup!"
Lee laughed at the sight of his svelte wife with a very pregnant stomach and a bowl of soup in hand.
"Oh, what the heck...I'll have a bowl, too!" he said as he placed a gentle kiss on Amanda's lips and said a silent prayer of thanks for his wonderful wife, family and the bowl of chicken soup that had just been placed before him. "Yes, sir! Comfort food at its best!"