Disclaimers: The characters in this story are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. I make no money from these characters; I simply like to share their world for a short time.
A/N Just a little glimpse into Lee's and Amanda's thoughts on their lives and relationship. Hope you enjoy! (Constructive reviews are always welcome.) A special thanks to Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson—as well as the rest of the cast—for portraying these characters so wonderfully.
Night. Night, it seemed lately, was the only time of peace and quiet in the King household. And after the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it was much needed.
The boys would be in bed by 9—especially on school nights. Not long after that, her mother would head up the stairs for her nightly bubble bath. She rarely came back downstairs. If she did, it was only to grab a glass of warm milk with a splash of Galiano to help her sleep.
Night was when she could relax . . . maybe read a book or watch a little TV . . . put her feet up . . . de-stress from the hectic day.
Lately, however, her nights had taken a decidedly more active turn. But she wasn't upset by these intrusions; she was delighted! For the activities included Lee Stetson. If they weren't attending an embassy part (as part of security, of course), they were on a stakeout. Or maybe they could be found in the bullpen going over files, trying to make sense of the latest case. Sometimes they were just plain tied up—literally! Or chained together in a swamp . . . or searching for an enemy agent . . . or . . . the list was quite extensive!
Even if they were in between cases, Lee usually managed to show up at her kitchen window most nights. He liked to make the excuse that he was just checking that she had locked up properly at the end of the day. But she knew better. He was enjoying this new nightly routine just as much as she was . . . even if he wasn't ready to admit it!
Night. If only the night didn't have to be so dark! Ever since that mission in Istanbul, he really had this thing about being in the dark. There were nightlights all over his apartment. When he was "entertaining" for the evening, candles made a more romantic substitute.
Lately, though, his nights had less "entertaining" and more work. It seemed like he was always on a stakeout, going over files in the bullpen, working security for some fancy party or another, or doing the dreaded paperwork associated with all Agency business. Oh well . . . those activities almost always included his beautiful partner, so they didn't really seem like work.
And when he wasn't working, it seemed like his car automatically drove itself to 4247 Maplewood. After all, he had to check that she had locked up properly, didn't he? And if she just happened to be alone in her kitchen, he could always tap on her window and motion for her to join him outside. He was getting quite good at coming up with excuses for his nighttime visits.
Hmmm . . . he didn't even mind being in the dark if his Amanda was with him!
Normal. Well, one thing she knew for sure . . . her life was anything but normal! It was bad enough being a divorced mother of two small boys. Add a live-in mother, and normal started to go out of control. For the past few years, however, normal had completely left the building!
Ever since she had taken that package at the train station, everything normal in her life had been turned upside down, inside out, and backwards.
It wasn't just the spy work. She actually really liked that aspect. She had always had a logical mine and simply loved solving puzzles . . . and that was a big part of the spy business. It was more the odd hours, crazy assignments, and all the lying! While she tried to tell her family as much of the truth as she could, most times she really had to be creative-like telling her mother that she had been tied up at work. Well, she had been tied up—literally. But all the stories . . . late nights in the editing room meant stakeouts, being on location meant kidnapped, deadlines meant going over files to try and find a lead, film premieres meant security details at embassy parties. It was a wonder she could keep anything straight anymore! She knew her mother was beginning to get suspicious . . . and not just about her work. How many times had she lied about the neighbor's dog being in the yard when it was really Lee-and Lee was definitely not normal.
Normal or not, at this point she was enjoying having Lee all to herself. Once her mother found out about him . . .
Normal. Now there was an interesting word . . . a word that definitely did NOT describe him! The only normal he had ever known was before his parents were killed, and that was too many years ago to really remember with any detail. Once he had gone to live with his uncle, he had quickly learned what military life was like. But that life wasn't normal by anyone's standards.
Because he didn't have a reference for normal, his college days had been wild and free. That might be considered normal for some college students, but those types usually didn't finish their degree. So here he was again, not being normal. He had earned his degree, albeit after being thrown out of several different colleges.
Life as an agent was anything but normal . . . so he fit right into the intelligence community. He actually liked his job; did that make him normal or abnormal? At this point he couldn't wrap his head around it anymore.
He did know someone that was the epitome of normal, however—Amanda King. But that was before he had handed her that package at the train station. She was now beginning to fit into his abnormal life.
Hmmm . . . would he ever fit into her normal one? He certainly hoped so.
Needles. She had never really had a fear of needles, but lately . . . well . . . that was a different story. Up until that day on the train station platform, needles had been reserved for blood tests, immunizations, etc. Now it seemed that needles held a much more sinister meaning.
Many of the people she knew at IFF had been the victim of an evil needle or two—especially Lee. And now they were even targeting her. As she thought about it, however, she realized that the delivery method didn't have to include needles. After all, she vividly remembered a chicken salad sandwich that had done quite a number on her brain not too long ago.
Oh well . . . she was certain that whatever she or any of the other agents were given, Doc McJohn would have a quick and effective antidote . . . wouldn't he? If not, she didn't want to think about the potential consequences.
Needles. He hated them, pure and simple. Actually, he thought they were probably the worst part of any hospital stay. Being poked and prodded was uncomfortable and at times awkward, but being used as a pin cushion was much, much worse.
Of course it wasn't just the hospital that liked to stick needles in him. The bad guys had certainly given him his fair share of injections. And their syringes were never filled with anything good.
After such an occurrence, Doc McJohn was certain to need a blood sample—which meant another needle. He just couldn't win, could he?
Hmmm . . . maybe the next time McJohn needed a blood sample he could convince Amanda to accompany him? If she would just hold his hand, his fears were sure to go away!
Nedlinger's. Up until a few years ago, she wouldn't have given the small bar and eatery a second glance. In fact, she hadn't even realized it existed on one of the side streets of Georgetown. But since she had begun working at the Agency, it had become a great place for a quick lunch as well as a gathering place for after-work relaxation. While she didn't go there often after work, she knew many of the agents did. It was a regular hangout for the intelligence community.
The owner even knew that most of his clientele were part of the spy game. No one had come right and said so, mind you. But he had witnessed enough of the comings and goings to put two and two together. When she had first started frequenting the establishment, he had given her quite a few sympathetic looks. She was sure he was unaware of her attachment to the Agency. Later, as she often came in with Lee for a quick lunch, he had actually tried to warn her about the great Scarecrow. She appreciated his concern, but she was quite capable of handling herself, thank you very much!
As time went on, she realized, however, that she had become just another regular at the establishment . . . just another intelligence operative out for a good time. Wow . . . she never thought she'd fit in so well!
Of course most of her time spent at Ned's was also spent in the company of Lee Stetson. She was starting to fit into his life, too, and she really liked that thought.
Nedlinger's. He had sure spent his share of time at Ned's. The food was good, the drinks were better, and the company was great. It was rare to be able to go out and not have to worry about protecting his identity as an agent. He—and many of the other agents—had even worked out a code of sorts with Ned. When they told Ned to "keep 'em coming," Ned knew to start serving the non-alcoholic versions . . . they were on a case and needed to simply give the appearance of getting or being drunk. That code had saved many an agents' life over the years . . . especially when the bad guys thought they were working with a drunk adversary.
Lately, Ned's had taken on an even more special meaning. It was where he and Amanda often went for a quiet lunch away from the office or for a quick drink before heading home to their respective neighborhoods.
It was amazing; Amanda fit right in with the regular clientele at Ned's. Sometimes he really regretted getting her involved in the intelligence business, but he continued to be impressed at how talented she was. Her ability to see things that others missed made her an invaluable asset on a case.
Hmmm . . . she was beginning to be an invaluable part of his personal life, too. For that he had no regrets whatsoever.
Need to Know. Oh how she had learned to dislike that phrase! It never failed; something or other at the Agency was always "need to know." And she, unfortunately, never seemed to have the "need."
Ironically, she was usually tasked with typing up Lee's reports anyway. While he couldn't tell her the details, she certainly read them and transcribed them! It just didn't make sense . . . but then what truly did in the intelligence community?
One incident of "need to know" in particular had left her shaken to her core. She was simply furious at Lee—and Billy—for putting her through the three days of thinking that he was dead. She had even attended his funeral! Not that she wasn't absolutely thrilled when he showed up at her back door very much alive, but . . . ooohhh . . . curse that little three word phrase!
She would love to tell her family, especially her mother, about the true nature of her work at IFF. But again, that little "need to know" was what prevented her from doing so. It was the sole reason she had to lie to those she loved. She knew it was ultimately for their protection, but her life would be so much easier if that phrase had never been coined.
Believe it or not, though, there was one reason that she actually liked it. "Need to know" also meant that her mother couldn't know about Lee. Since her mother couldn't know about Lee, she couldn't try to play matchmaker. Not that she would mind, really, but her mother could be quite relentless when it came to her daughter's love life. She was finally getting Lee to open up to her, although it was a slow process. And she knew that Dotty's well-intentioned meddling would most certainly scare the Scarecrow right back into his straw shell.
Need to Know. He had never really given the phrase much thought before he had met Amanda. After all, agents were supposed to be good at keeping secrets. He security clearance was quite high, so he rarely ran into the "need to know" wall. And if he did, he could usually get Billy to bend the rules a little.
Unfortunately, there were many times when Amanda's clearances weren't sufficient and he had to bend the rules. Even though he was technically breaking the rules, he knew beyond a doubt that she would never betray any secrets to the enemy. She was the best at keeping secrets; after all, her family had no clue what she did for a living. Nor did they know about him!
Of course there were times that he used "need to know" to his advantage . . . like when they spent the weekend at the Cumberland as husband and wife . . . and when they set sail on the honeymoon cruise to San Angelo. Funny . . . he could—and should—have told her before they left Arlington that those assignments involved their playing a couple. Deep down, however, he had been afraid-afraid that she would refuse to accompany him on the assignment. So he had waited until the last minute before admitting that they would be acting as husband and wife. He had waited until it was impossible for her to back out of the assignment. Could he be subconsciously hoping that they would become involved? . . . actually become husband and wife?
Whoa . . . where had those thoughts come from? And why had he registered them as brother and sister for the Marvelous Marvin's case? Was he trying to deny that subconscious involvement? "Need to know" was getting more and more complicated by the minute.
Hmmm . . . did Amanda have the "need to know" that his feelings for her were deepening? Yes, but not quite yet. He just needed to wait a little . . .