Disclaimer: I do not own Scarecrow and Mrs. King or any of the characters associated with the show. But, like ghosties and ghoulies, we come out to play on Halloween. ;)

Any characters you don't recognize are ones that I made up. I also have references to previous stories I've written.

The song Magalena Hagalena is a favorite from camps and schools all over and comes in about a hundred variations. This is part of the one I remember from when I was a kid.

Explanation: Every year, for the past few years, I've been doing Halloween stories for SMK, and so far, I've been keeping to the timeline of the show. Last year, I hit the fourth season. But, that left me uncertain about what to do next year. What to do, what to do, I pondered. Finally, I decided to do one that takes place the following year, in an imaginary 5th season of the show. Everyone has ideas about what happens after the show ends. Here's my take. Some parts will be kind of like people have already speculated. Some parts are, well, just me speculating. Don't assume anything.

Of course, this also begs the question: What am I going to do next year? Am I going to do anything next year? . . . Eh, I'll probably figure something out. You know, eventually. Maybe. Muahahaha!

The Wailing Woman in the Haunted House

By Jestress

Chapter 1: Right Up Your Street

There were three reasons why things turned out the way they did. When they talked it over later, both Lee and Amanda agreed that much of what happened wouldn't have happened at all if Linda Montez hadn't moved to California at the end of the summer. Fourteen-year-old Philip spent the first month of school moping around about the loss of his first-ever girlfriend.

Amanda told Philip that it was natural to feel a little sad but that he'd have plenty of other girlfriends and things would work out better for him in the future. Lee didn't doubt it. In another year, Philip would be entering high school. He was growing like a weed, and he was turning out to be a pretty good-looking guy. Girls were definitely going to notice him. Some of them might even be sad if he didn't notice them, Lee pointed out to Philip, and he probably would notice more of them if he didn't mope so much about Linda. Linda was a nice girl, but there were plenty of other nice girls for Philip to notice.

Philip's twelve-year-old brother Jamie spent the first month of school rolling his eyes at his brother's moodiness. Amanda told Jamie not to bother his brother and to have a little sympathy. After all, someday he'd have a girlfriend of his own, and it's always sad when a relationship ends. Lee knew from personal experience that Jamie would find that out eventually, and the more he teased Philip, the less sympathy he'd get when it was his turn to mope.

As far as Philip and Jamie were concerned, Lee was their mother's co-worker and boyfriend, a director who worked for a documentary film company called International Federal Film (IFF). They were unaware that Lee and their mother were actually married and that Lee was their stepfather. They had no idea that both Lee and their mother were spies and that the documentary film company was just a cover for a secret government intelligence organization known simply as "The Agency." Their profession was the primary reason why Lee and Amanda had married secretly the year before, not even telling Amanda's family or their closest associates.

At the time, it had seemed like a reasonable thing to do. The secrecy would protect Amanda's family and allow them to continue working together without co-workers complaining about their personal relationship. But, both of them knew that they couldn't keep up the act forever.

Although Philip and Jamie were still unaware that Lee and Amanda had eloped and that he was now their stepfather, Lee knew it, and more and more, he was feeling a fatherly obligation to help the kids and teach them a few life lessons. He maintained a separate apartment in Georgetown to keep the marriage a secret, but he was acutely aware of everything that happened in the King household.

Lee knew that Amanda's ex-husband, Joe, was leaving town the first week of October with his new wife. They were taking an extended trip to Europe until November. He knew that the trip (and the new wife) had occupied much of Joe's attention recently, and that both the boys were feeling neglected. He also knew that Philip and Jamie would both feel better if they had something do to take their minds off of everything that was bothering them. He urged both the boys to get involved with some kind of project, if not something going on at school, then something fun they could do with their friends. That was the second reason why things turned out the way they did.

The third reason was that things were quiet at work. Too quiet. And, that was a bad sign. At least, in Lee's experience it was. With the way things were going, who could say for sure? And, that in itself made Lee uneasy.

During slow times at work, people who didn't have enough to do would turn the attention to rumors about their colleagues. For a time at the Agency, Amanda and Lee pretended to break off their personal relationship because their co-worker Francine had become concerned about their romantic life. Francine's rather chaotic romantic life and rumors of a new love interest for her had distracted their other colleagues for awhile, but the novelty of that was wearing off, and the rumor mill was once again focusing on him and Amanda. Lee was starting to hear the whispers again and see people at the Agency giving them odd looks as they passed by in the hallway.

Billy Melrose, head of the Field Section of the Agency, maintained a dignified silence when these rumors reached him, but then, Lee knew that he and Amanda had never been able to fool him in the first place. Whether he knew anything about their secret marriage was a matter for debate, but he had admitted to both of them that he was alright with their relationship "whatever it is." He was aware that they were romantically involved.

He hadn't gone any further than that, but he had never stopped giving Lee little hints about handling married life and kids, and the hints were coming with increasing frequency. It was even more telling that Billy was now arranging the duty roster so that Lee was always free for Philip's baseball games and had given him last Thursday off without him even asking so that he could go with Amanda to see Jamie receive first prize in the science fair. Billy might or might not know the exact status of their relationship, but he was keenly aware that Lee had become a regular fixture in the life of the King family. At least, he was trying to be.

With things being slow at work recently, taking a little time to spend with the boys hadn't been difficult. In fact, it was too easy. Lee was starting to have other concerns besides the rumors that had been flying around about his relationship with Amanda.

"I don't like it," Lee said to Amanda on Monday morning during the first week in October. "It feels weird."

"What does?" Amanda asked, looking up from her computer.

"This," Lee said expansively, waving his hand at the Q-Bureau in general. "It's quiet. Too quiet."

The purpose of the Q-Bureau, a small office somewhat loosely attached to the main Field Section (although housed in a completely different part of the Agency), was to handle odd cases and situations that didn't quite fit the main work of the Field Section. Sometimes, it was big stuff that threatened the security of the entire nation. Sometimes, it was little things that could be resolved in a day or a week, like investigating strange people who may or may not turn out to be significant or overseeing security for small gatherings of important people. There were unusual cases in their files that were still considered "open" because they'd never really been "closed." But, nothing was happening concerning any of that right now. No new leads on old cases. No new orders for the week. Not even a message from Billy. Nothing was happening.

"I've finished totaling up our expenses for the month, and they're ready to submit to accounting," Amanda offered. "That's something."

"That's nothing," Lee said. He felt as moody as Philip.

Seeing Amanda's expression, he quickly relented. "Sorry. It's just that . . . I think this is the calm before the storm."

"The calm before the storm?"

"When nothing's happening around here, that means that something is going to happen soon. Something really big."

"Not necessarily," Amanda said, printing out their expense lists. "Maybe things are just, you know, really quiet."

"No," Lee said. "This is espionage, Amanda. Things are never just really quiet. Nations, people all over the world, always want to know what each other is up to."

"Maybe nobody's really up to anything right now." Amanda always liked to look on the bright side.

"Not up to anything?" Lee asked. "When Philip and Jamie are being really quiet, is that when they're not up to anything?"

"Well, when you put it like that . . ."

"Never mind," Lee said. "Some questions just answer themselves."

Amanda smiled. "You need something to do. Why don't you come over tonight and have dinner with me and the boys? Mother is going out with Captain Kurt."

The night before was one of the all-too-rare nights when they'd been able to be together as a married couple because the boys were staying with their father before he left on his trip and their grandmother had gone to visit her sister for the weekend. With Joe gone for the month of October, Philip and Jamie wouldn't have any weekend visits, and it would probably be November before they'd be able to spend another night together. But, they could still have dinner. They told themselves that was good enough for now.

Eventually, Lee and Amanda were either going to have to tell Amanda's family that they were married or else get married all over again publicly. They had talked about it many times. They were both tired of trying to hide their relationship, of keeping two separate homes. It was going to mean changes to their careers and major adjustments for Amanda's family. They still weren't quite sure how to handle it all, but helping the boys adjust to Lee's presence in the family was a step in the right direction.

"Sure," Lee said. "We might as well take advantage of the calm before the storm."

"I'll just go run this down to accounting, and I'll be right back," Amanda said. She gave him a peck on the lips before leaving the office and heading downstairs.

Lee leaned back in his chair and thought. Maybe he should just relax and enjoy this lull for what it was. Maybe he and Amanda could take a long lunch break, maybe even swing over to his place again. Maybe nothing big would happen for awhile yet.

"Good morning, people!" Billy said cheerfully, letting himself into Q-Bureau. He had a box of donuts in his hands and a thick file folder under his arm. "Where's Amanda?" He stopped, looking around for her.

"Just taking our expenses to Accounting," Lee said, straightening up. Inwardly, he groaned. He liked Billy, but Billy's presence in the office meant that he probably wasn't going to take Amanda out for a long lunch.

"Well, maybe it's just as well if I talk to you first," Billy said, taking a seat on the Q-Bureau's couch. "I want to talk to you about your next assignment. It's right up Amanda's street, but I don't think she's going to like it."

"Oh?" Lee asked, raising his eyebrows. "What is the assignment?"

"Managing security for a family of defectors," Billy said.

"That sounds pretty routine," Lee said. "Who are they?"

"Anton Petrescu, a scientist from Romania. He and his wife, Doina, came here several years ago with their daughter, Antonia. He used to be a chemical researcher, but since he and family resettled in California, he's gotten into computer technology. He's employed by a private development company, but he's currently working on a top secret project for the Pentagon. They won't even tell us exactly what it is, only that they require his 'unique combination of skills' as they put it."

"So, now that he'll be working in the D.C. area," Lee said, "he and his family will need protection and a secure place to live?"

"That's right," Billy said. "We've already found a place for them to live, and we're all set to start moving them in next week. I want you and Amanda to oversee the project and their security arrangements."

"Okay. Where is it?" Lee asked.

"I already told you: right up Amanda's street."

Lee groaned. "You mean they're moving into Amanda's neighborhood? Why Amanda's neighborhood?"

"Where else could we find an available house at the right time for the right price and conveniently located so that we could keep an eye on these people?"

"Come on, Billy! You know how these things go. Every time we put someone even remotely close to Amanda's neighborhood, her mother starts poking her nose in! Remember the Russian scientist she fell in love with?"

Billy winced at the memory. He'd had to interview Mrs. West at the end of that escapade.

"Well, there's no worry about her falling in love with this guy," Billy said. "He's about the same age as Amanda, and he's married with a thirteen-year-old daughter."

Lee did some quick calculations in his head. "Did you say thirteen?"

"Yeah."

"So, she's right between Philip and Jamie in age?"

"Now that you mention it, I guess so."

"So she'll be going to school with them, then?"

"Arlington Heights Middle School."

Lee groaned and put his head in his hands.

"I don't suppose Amanda is going to take that well, is she? But, there's no risk to her sons. She's between them in age, so she'll be in a different grade from each of them. They probably won't even see her or talk to her, and even if they do talk to her at school, they still won't be involved in Agency business."

"You don't understand," Lee said, lifting his eyes from his hands. "Philip's broken up because his first-ever girlfriend moved away. Now, a girl about his age moves into his neighborhood, just down the street, and his mother takes over a welcome basket or something. You think Philip's not going to go over and investigate?"

"So what if he does?" Billy said. "Security will make sure that everyone is safe in that house, including guests, and even if Philip says 'hi' to the girl, that's no guarantee that he'll get involved with her."

"You don't know Philip," Lee grumbled. "The kid's turning into a little Romeo."

"Is he?" There was a glint of humor in Billy's eyes.

"He's a fourteen-year-old boy," Lee said. "Practically all he thinks about are girls and cars, even though he's not really old enough to date any more than he's old enough to drive."

"Then, it sounds like he could use some sage words of advice from a man who's older, wiser, and more experienced, someone who could be a positive role model for him." Billy was giving Lee a meaningful look, the same kind of meaningful look he'd been giving him for the last year or so, whenever the subject of Amanda and her kids came up.

"Well," Lee said casually, "I don't know how likely he is to take your advice, but if you want to talk to the kid, you'll have to schedule it with Amanda."

If anyone was likely to figure out that Lee was already Philip's stepfather, it was Billy. Those meaningful looks he'd been giving might mean that he suspected it. Lee's joking comments weren't throwing him off as much as they used to.

"You know what I mean," Billy said seriously. "You've got a point that Philip's not a little boy anymore, and at this point in his life, he could use a man to talk to. You could steer him away from this girl, if you think it's likely to cause problems."

Lee ran a hand through his hair. "His father would really be the best one to talk to him. But, he and his new wife are leaving for Europe tomorrow. They didn't get a very long honeymoon because they had to work, so this is to kind of make up for it."

Even before they'd decided to take this trip, as Lee understood it, Joe had been so wrapped up with his new bride that his weekends with the boys hadn't been very much fun. The kids' stepmother didn't seem like a bad woman, but the couple was still very much in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, and it seemed like Joe's new wife didn't know much about kids. Lee wondered when or if Philip and his dad had time for a real, heart-to-heart talk about anything, including girls.

"So, you could use this time to get close to Philip," Billy suggested. "It might be good for a number of reasons." The meaningful look was back.

"When are the Petrescus coming?" Lee asked, returning to the other subject.

"In two weeks," Billy said. "This is going to be kind of a rushed job, which is why we had to take the first convenient house we could find. The family was renting a furnished house in California, so we're providing them with furniture from our storehouse temporarily until they can buy new things."

"Amanda's going to love that," Lee thought. "She always says that the Agency movers aren't careful about what they pick out and where they put it when they have to furnish a house."

Out loud, Lee asked, "So, they will be living here for the long term, not just for a temporary project?"

"No one knows exactly how long this project will take," Billy said. "It's meant to be a long-term one, but that depends on how successful it is. Dr. Smyth told me that he's particularly interested in the results. He's the only one at the Agency who knows what the project is, and all he'll tell me is that It may have some bearing on a new project that he also has in mind."

"What's that?"

"He doesn't want to talk about it openly yet."

"I still think that putting them so close to Amanda's family is asking for trouble."

"It's too late to change the Petrescus' housing arrangement," Billy said. "The best thing would be for you and Amanda to be on hand to help them. You can look after Amanda's boys as well as the Petrescus."

Lee would have argued more, but Amanda came in just then.

"Good morning, Amanda," Billy said cheerfully. "Would you like a donut?"

Lee suspected that the donuts were a peace offering because of the nature of their assignment.

"Oh, no thank you, sir. I'm not hungry."

"Are you alright?" Billy asked.

"I'm fine. I had a sandwich earlier."

"Peanut butter and pickle," Lee said, wrinkling his nose.

"That doesn't sound like you," Billy said, looking her up and down.

"I've had a craving for them lately."

"You have?" Billy looked surprised.

"But, thank you anyway," Amanda said politely.

"Well, I'd better get going. I'll leave the box here in case you change your mind," Billy said. He gave Amanda an odd look. Then, he placed the file folder he held on Lee's desk. "Everything you need to know about the Petrescus is in here. You'll also need to supervise the moving process and the security arrangements. I'll just leave you to it."

Billy left the room with another cheery, "Good morning!"

"Good morning, sir," Amanda said with equal cheerfulness.

"Just wait," Lee thought.

Billy was wriggling out of telling Amanda about their new assignment. He was leaving it entirely up to Lee.

"Who are the Petrescus?" Amanda asked.

"Lovely family," Lee said gloomily. "They're right up your street. Or, they will be in two weeks."