Disclaimers: Characters of Scarecrow and Mrs King belong to Shoot the Moon Productions. Babylon 5, characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Time Warner Entertainment Co. (I copied that from the official web site). Typical lines, situations, clichés, etc are borrowed from SMK for the amusement of the author and hopefully the readers as well. This isn't a real crossover story, I'm just having fun with the names, after all the real American president of the early 80's wasn't a hunk.
Lee Stetson maneuvered his cab around the corner, and smiled as he realized he was near a familiar neighborhood. Figuring he could kill two birds with one stone, he continued making the necessary turns to reach his destination.
Amanda King was walking back from the grocery store with a full bag, and an umbrella. It wasn't raining very hard, but she didn't want to get any wetter than necessary. She looked both ways before crossing the street, there was a taxi coming, but it was far enough back, and would have to stop at this corner anyway.
"Amanda!" The driver shouted to her when she was halfway across the street. Amanda turned, startled, towards the familiar voice. She slipped on the wet pavement, dropping her groceries and falling to her knees, but managing to keep the umbrella over her head.
"Lee!" She smiled at him, shaking her head and laughing, "I wish you wouldn't keep doing that to me!"
"Sorry," Lee laughed back at her through the open window of the cab, as he shifted into park and got out to help her. "Why are you out grocery shopping in the rain, anyway?"
"The wagon's in the shop," Amanda launched into a lengthy description of how Jamie had bounced a baseball off the hood and through the windshield at last night's Bombers' game. "At least it was the winning run!" she finished breathlessly, sliding across the front seat of the cab to the passenger side. Lee handed her her groceries, tossed the umbrella into the back seat, and climbed behind the wheel. "What are you doing here? Why are you driving a taxi?"
"Oh, I was doing some surveillance at the airport, and managed to lure one of the suspects into my cab for a ride home. You know people talk to cabbies almost as much as they do to bartenders! I found out... never mind, you don't 'need to know' that," Lee shook his head, how did she do that to him? Somehow he always found himself telling her far more details about a case than was necessary. And she didn't even need to know anything about this case, it didn't involve her at all.
"Anyway," he continued, "I was just a few blocks away, and realized that I need to ask you a favor." Amanda looked up from checking over her groceries and smiled encouragingly, curious about what Lee could want from her. "I have to attend a reception at the White House tonight, working security, you know... and my date cancelled on me. Debbi's got a toothache."
"Why don't you just go alone?"
"Meet the President, on a Friday night, without a date? Do you know how pathetic that is?"
Amanda rolled her eyes. Of course she would go with him, how often did a suburban lady from Arlington get to attend a reception for the president? "OK, sure, what time?"
"Thanks, Amanda! You're a pal! Why don't you meet me at the IFF parking lot around 8?" Lee pulled up in front of Amanda's house and parked the cab. He grabbed her umbrella, then walked around the taxi to open the door for her. He held the umbrella over her head with one hand, and reached with the other to open the gate, and walked her up the sidewalk to her front door.
"See you later," Lee grinned at Amanda, shoved the umbrella in her hand, and dashed back through the rain to his taxi, as the door started to open.
"Amanda, darling! Why are you taking a taxi from the grocery store? That's so extravagant, couldn't you have caught the bus?" Dotty asked.
Amanda turned in a daze, impressed as always with the way Lee managed to disappear whenever anybody else showed up. "Oh... Mother, I was at the store, and suddenly remembered that I have a dinner engagement tonight, I just thought a taxi would be a lot quicker. The Princess of Zaquir is in town again and asked me to join her, and it wouldn't be polite to keep her waiting, right? The taxi was right there, and you just never know how long it's going to take a bus to show up."
* * *
Amanda gazed in surprise into the President's friendly hazel eyes. She'd been nervous about meeting the most powerful man in the free world, but for some reason she felt completely comfortable with him. It wasn't just that he was handsome, though he certainly was that. There was something else... She barely heard Lee's introductions.
"President John Sheridan... Mrs Amanda King..."
"Mrs King," The President smiled warmly as he took her hand. Not Agent Stetson's usual type, he reflected, but he recognized the name.
"Mr President," Amanda smiled, returning his handshake.
"My wife, Delenn," The President continued the introductions.
"Pleased to meet you," She nodded at Lee and Amanda, exchanging handshakes. They responded in kind, then proceeded to their table, The President had many people to meet and greet tonight, as usual.
"Lee," Amanda said distractedly, "Does the President remind you of anybody?"
"Amanda! He's the President!" Lee responded in irritation. Amanda heard him emphasize the last syllable of her name so that it sounded to her like 'Duh'.
"Well, I know that!" She protested in defense, "But I've never met him before, and I feel like I already know him."
"He's a politician, Amanda! It's his job to make people feel like they know him." Lee rolled his eyes. Women! They were always swooning over a man with power. He should have realized that Amanda would be out of her league here.
"No, there's something more," Amanda started, but then decided to drop it. Lee never listened to her anyway. She nodded coolly as she took the seat he offered, Lee sat next to her. Immediately a ditzy-looking blond appeared.
"Lee Stetsman!" she cooed, "I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been keeping yourself?" She put a hand on his arm.
"Oh, Cindi, hi," Lee responded politely. "Cindi, this is Amanda. Amanda, Cindi." He introduced them perfunctorily. Cindi dismissed Amanda with barely a glance.
Amanda smiled politely. If I did see Lee socially, I'd have to change my name to 'Mandi', she thought to herself, a small giggle escaping her at the very idea. She quickly covered with a cough when they glanced at her quizzically, then took a sip of her drink. Lee dismissed Cindi with an "I'll call you."
"Can't we at least dance?" Amanda asked Lee.
"This isn't a date, Amanda," Lee replied, "I'm here to work! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to check in with the others."
"Sure." Amanda watched Lee cross the room. That man has the worst manners, she thought. Why do I keep agreeing to attend these things with him? He was always leaving her to 'mingle' while he took care of business. Like it would kill him to dance with her even once???
She smiled to herself as the band started a familiar tune. At a nearby table, the President whispered something to his wife who smiled and nodded.
"Mrs King? I believe this is your song, may I?" Amanda was startled to find the President standing beside her, holding out his hand.
"You are good with names, Mr President" she laughed, taking his hand as she stood up. They moved onto the dance floor and began to sway in time to the music.
"Call me John. Word association," he continued, "Plus I've always been a fan of Boston's music."
"Amanda," she replied and they laughed together.
"Actually, I have heard of you. Civilian auxiliary with the Agency, you've been working with Mr Stetson for several months now."
"I'm flattered!"
"And I'm impressed. How in the world did a suburban housewife get involved in the 'spy' business?"
"Well, it's kind of a long story," Amanda grinned at the President. "But I'll try to keep it to the length of the song. Mr Stetson sort of recruited me..."
"Omigod!" Francine exclaimed, grabbing Lee's arm. "Would you look who Amanda's dancing with, now!"
"I'm almost afraid to," Lee groaned. Amanda had the uncanny ability to hook up with the most unlikely men. Time and again when he left her alone at these functions, he would return to find her dancing with whomever he was investigating. She had some kind of spooky radar for it. He turned around just in time to catch Amanda and the President looking in his direction. Amanda said something, gesturing towards her head, the President laughed, and they twirled out of sight.
Lee Stetson maneuvered his cab around the corner, and smiled as he realized he was near a familiar neighborhood. Figuring he could kill two birds with one stone, he continued making the necessary turns to reach his destination.
Amanda King was walking back from the grocery store with a full bag, and an umbrella. It wasn't raining very hard, but she didn't want to get any wetter than necessary. She looked both ways before crossing the street, there was a taxi coming, but it was far enough back, and would have to stop at this corner anyway.
"Amanda!" The driver shouted to her when she was halfway across the street. Amanda turned, startled, towards the familiar voice. She slipped on the wet pavement, dropping her groceries and falling to her knees, but managing to keep the umbrella over her head.
"Lee!" She smiled at him, shaking her head and laughing, "I wish you wouldn't keep doing that to me!"
"Sorry," Lee laughed back at her through the open window of the cab, as he shifted into park and got out to help her. "Why are you out grocery shopping in the rain, anyway?"
"The wagon's in the shop," Amanda launched into a lengthy description of how Jamie had bounced a baseball off the hood and through the windshield at last night's Bombers' game. "At least it was the winning run!" she finished breathlessly, sliding across the front seat of the cab to the passenger side. Lee handed her her groceries, tossed the umbrella into the back seat, and climbed behind the wheel. "What are you doing here? Why are you driving a taxi?"
"Oh, I was doing some surveillance at the airport, and managed to lure one of the suspects into my cab for a ride home. You know people talk to cabbies almost as much as they do to bartenders! I found out... never mind, you don't 'need to know' that," Lee shook his head, how did she do that to him? Somehow he always found himself telling her far more details about a case than was necessary. And she didn't even need to know anything about this case, it didn't involve her at all.
"Anyway," he continued, "I was just a few blocks away, and realized that I need to ask you a favor." Amanda looked up from checking over her groceries and smiled encouragingly, curious about what Lee could want from her. "I have to attend a reception at the White House tonight, working security, you know... and my date cancelled on me. Debbi's got a toothache."
"Why don't you just go alone?"
"Meet the President, on a Friday night, without a date? Do you know how pathetic that is?"
Amanda rolled her eyes. Of course she would go with him, how often did a suburban lady from Arlington get to attend a reception for the president? "OK, sure, what time?"
"Thanks, Amanda! You're a pal! Why don't you meet me at the IFF parking lot around 8?" Lee pulled up in front of Amanda's house and parked the cab. He grabbed her umbrella, then walked around the taxi to open the door for her. He held the umbrella over her head with one hand, and reached with the other to open the gate, and walked her up the sidewalk to her front door.
"See you later," Lee grinned at Amanda, shoved the umbrella in her hand, and dashed back through the rain to his taxi, as the door started to open.
"Amanda, darling! Why are you taking a taxi from the grocery store? That's so extravagant, couldn't you have caught the bus?" Dotty asked.
Amanda turned in a daze, impressed as always with the way Lee managed to disappear whenever anybody else showed up. "Oh... Mother, I was at the store, and suddenly remembered that I have a dinner engagement tonight, I just thought a taxi would be a lot quicker. The Princess of Zaquir is in town again and asked me to join her, and it wouldn't be polite to keep her waiting, right? The taxi was right there, and you just never know how long it's going to take a bus to show up."
* * *
Amanda gazed in surprise into the President's friendly hazel eyes. She'd been nervous about meeting the most powerful man in the free world, but for some reason she felt completely comfortable with him. It wasn't just that he was handsome, though he certainly was that. There was something else... She barely heard Lee's introductions.
"President John Sheridan... Mrs Amanda King..."
"Mrs King," The President smiled warmly as he took her hand. Not Agent Stetson's usual type, he reflected, but he recognized the name.
"Mr President," Amanda smiled, returning his handshake.
"My wife, Delenn," The President continued the introductions.
"Pleased to meet you," She nodded at Lee and Amanda, exchanging handshakes. They responded in kind, then proceeded to their table, The President had many people to meet and greet tonight, as usual.
"Lee," Amanda said distractedly, "Does the President remind you of anybody?"
"Amanda! He's the President!" Lee responded in irritation. Amanda heard him emphasize the last syllable of her name so that it sounded to her like 'Duh'.
"Well, I know that!" She protested in defense, "But I've never met him before, and I feel like I already know him."
"He's a politician, Amanda! It's his job to make people feel like they know him." Lee rolled his eyes. Women! They were always swooning over a man with power. He should have realized that Amanda would be out of her league here.
"No, there's something more," Amanda started, but then decided to drop it. Lee never listened to her anyway. She nodded coolly as she took the seat he offered, Lee sat next to her. Immediately a ditzy-looking blond appeared.
"Lee Stetsman!" she cooed, "I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been keeping yourself?" She put a hand on his arm.
"Oh, Cindi, hi," Lee responded politely. "Cindi, this is Amanda. Amanda, Cindi." He introduced them perfunctorily. Cindi dismissed Amanda with barely a glance.
Amanda smiled politely. If I did see Lee socially, I'd have to change my name to 'Mandi', she thought to herself, a small giggle escaping her at the very idea. She quickly covered with a cough when they glanced at her quizzically, then took a sip of her drink. Lee dismissed Cindi with an "I'll call you."
"Can't we at least dance?" Amanda asked Lee.
"This isn't a date, Amanda," Lee replied, "I'm here to work! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to check in with the others."
"Sure." Amanda watched Lee cross the room. That man has the worst manners, she thought. Why do I keep agreeing to attend these things with him? He was always leaving her to 'mingle' while he took care of business. Like it would kill him to dance with her even once???
She smiled to herself as the band started a familiar tune. At a nearby table, the President whispered something to his wife who smiled and nodded.
"Mrs King? I believe this is your song, may I?" Amanda was startled to find the President standing beside her, holding out his hand.
"You are good with names, Mr President" she laughed, taking his hand as she stood up. They moved onto the dance floor and began to sway in time to the music.
"Call me John. Word association," he continued, "Plus I've always been a fan of Boston's music."
"Amanda," she replied and they laughed together.
"Actually, I have heard of you. Civilian auxiliary with the Agency, you've been working with Mr Stetson for several months now."
"I'm flattered!"
"And I'm impressed. How in the world did a suburban housewife get involved in the 'spy' business?"
"Well, it's kind of a long story," Amanda grinned at the President. "But I'll try to keep it to the length of the song. Mr Stetson sort of recruited me..."
"Omigod!" Francine exclaimed, grabbing Lee's arm. "Would you look who Amanda's dancing with, now!"
"I'm almost afraid to," Lee groaned. Amanda had the uncanny ability to hook up with the most unlikely men. Time and again when he left her alone at these functions, he would return to find her dancing with whomever he was investigating. She had some kind of spooky radar for it. He turned around just in time to catch Amanda and the President looking in his direction. Amanda said something, gesturing towards her head, the President laughed, and they twirled out of sight.