Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters are property of Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Productions. No copyright infringement is intended

Time: Post Season 4- a few weeks after "O, Christmas Tree"

Lee stepped behind Amanda and put his arms around her waist. He pulled in close to her and lightly kissed her neck. He never got tired of the sweet smell of her perfume and shampoo. As he nuzzled her neck, he moved his hands to her ever-growing belly. There was no hiding the fact that she was pregnant now. Just running his hands over his unborn child sent a thrill of happiness through him. Amanda turned around and faced Lee, careful not to disturb his grasp around her waist. She loved being held by him. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and gently kissed his lips.

"Lee, don't forget that we have guests. Let me finish the dishes and you bring Sam and Francine their coffee. I will be right in with the dessert."

Lee squeezed her tighter and kissed her passionately.

"They can wait a minute while I kiss my wife. I missed you today. Work is keeping us both far too busy lately."

"Tell you what, sweetheart, I promise you that I will be all yours tonight and we can make up for lost time. Deal?"

Lee looked at Amanda with a playful gleam in his eyes.

"Deal!"

Lee carried the tray with the coffee into the living room where Francine and Sam were sitting enjoying the raging fire in the fireplace. Amanda soon followed with one of her homemade chocolate cakes that she made especially for Francine.

"Amanda, thank you for dinner. It was wonderful! It is so nice to catch up with you and get to know Lee better." Sam said.

"Oh, Sam, it is great having you and Francine over. Mother will be disappointed that she didn't get to see you. How are you adjusting to DC?"

Amanda began serving cake to everyone as Lee poured the coffee. Sam gave a glance at Francine and smiled as he gently grabbed her hand.

"I am adjusting very well. It was definitely the right move for me. It's been great catching up with Joe, too."

Francine smiled at Sam and leaned back in her seat.

"I wish that tomorrow weren't Monday! Last week was crazy. Is it me or do the new agent candidates seem to get worse and worse every year? They seem to lack all common sense! All they want to do is shoot something and go right out into the field. More than half of this class won't make it….I'm telling you that right now! Amanda, how about you switch with me for tomorrow? You take my freshman seminar and I will do whatever it is you are working on."

Amanda chuckled.

"No way, Francine! I have an easy job tomorrow. Just have to do a soft interrogation of 3 people that want to defect to the United States. Piece of cake. Guess you will have to run your class on your own!"

"Lee? You want to trade with me?"

"No….not on your life! I have done more than my share of those seminars. It's all you, babe!"

Sam laughed at the situation while he sipped his coffee.

"So Amanda, how are you feeling these days? I must say that you look wonderful!"

"Thanks, Sam. I am feeling really good! Christmas was a little hectic with my recovery from my concussion and all, but I am feeling just fine now."

"Good! Well I know the boys are excited about the baby! It seems like every time I see them that is all they are talking about."

Lee and Amanda both smiled at Sam's comment. Francine shifted uncomfortably in her seat and placed her coffee cup on the coffee table.

"Uh, Amanda…..speaking of the boys…", Francine began.

Sam squeezed her hand and shot her a look that indicated she should stop talking. Lee and Amanda looked intently at the couple wondering what the issue was. Francine pulled her hand free and continued with her thought.

"Amanda, I think that it is time that you and Lee had a talk with the boys about the agency."

"Francine, this is none of our business", Sam said curtly.

Lee and Amanda looked at Francine.

"What makes you say that, Francine?" Amanda asked.

"What is it that you know that we don't" Lee inquired.

Francine still looked uneasy. Amanda was quickly losing patience.

"Francine? What is it? Spit it out!"

"OK. Sam doesn't think I should tell you, but the other day, Sam was talking to Joe about me and Joe said something about me working for the agency. The boys overheard him and starting asking some questions like what was the agency and since you and Lee worked with me, did you work for the agency, too."

Amanda felt her stomach drop as a ball of panic began to rise in her throat. Lee became angry at Joe for not telling them that this conversation had taken place. He began questioning Francine.

"So what did Joe say to them? Did he tell them what the agency actually is or did he give them vague answers? And when the HELL was he going to tell us that he had had this conversation with the boys?"

"Now, Lee, don't get mad. He just…."

Lee quickly cut Francine off.

"Don't get mad? Joe has a conversation with Philip and Jamie about their parents working for the agency, doesn't bother to tell us and we shouldn't get mad? Francine, we should have been notified immediately! You know as well as I do that a little information can be far worse than the whole story!"

Amanda quietly got up and went into the kitchen. She grabbed the phone and dialed Joe's number. She impatiently tapped the phone message pen against the kitchen counter as she waited for him to answer.

"Joe?...this is Amanda."

"Hi, Amanda. We were just packing up to leave to head back to your place. Is everything ok?"

"Um…no everything is NOT ok. I was just informed about your little discussion with the boys about the agency. When were you planning on telling me that you had that discussion?"

"Amanda….calm down. It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"Oh..yes Joe, it is a HUGE deal and you KNOW that! Lee and I should have been told right away! When you get here, you had better plan on staying a while because we are all going to sit down and have a talk. Good-bye!"

Amanda slammed down the phone and threw the pen across the room. Francine quietly walked into the kitchen and began to talk with Amanda.

"Amanda, I am sorry to have upset you but I thought it was important that you and Lee know that the boys were asking questions. Like Lee said, a little information can be much more dangerous that the whole enchilada."

"It's not your fault, Francine. I am very glad you told us. I have been dreading this conversation for five years and now it's time to pay the piper. I am just not sure what to say to them."

"Just be as truthful as you can without giving away too many details."

Amanda nodded. She felt the hot tears of anger and frustration begin to well up in her eyes. Sam walked into the family room with Francine's coat and gestured to her that it was time for them to leave. Sam shook Lee's hand and thanked him for dinner. Lee walked them out and firmly closed the front door. He walked back into the kitchen to find Amanda looking out the window over the sink, arms crossed and tears gently escaping her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. Lee walked up behind Amanda and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Hey….come on. It's going to be ok."

Amanda turned around to face Lee.

"Lee, this is NOT the way I wanted them to find out. They should have heard it from ME first. Not Joe! Joe doesn't even have anything to do with the agency! What if he frightened them? What if he told them things that will put them in danger?"

"Let's not put the cart before the horse here. We need to find out exactly what Joe said to them and then you and I need to sit the boys down and have a long talk with them."

"I have been dreading this day for 5-years! What do I say to them?"

"You say to them that their mother has been working hard at a job that helps to keep this country safe and you didn't say anything to them until now because when you started, they were too little to understand."

"But, they are still little to me…."

"Amanda….they are young men now. They are not the little boys that I used to watch through that window when you first started working for the agency. They are growing up, quickly I might add. Philip is in high school and dating, Jamie is top of his class and a really outstanding young man. I really think that they are going to be just fine with this."

"Really?"

"Yes, I do."

Lee pulled Amanda close and hugged her tight. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.

"What time did Joe say they were going to be here?"

"They were packing up to leave so I am guessing in the next half hour or so."

"Why don't you let me clean up and you go take a nice hot shower and relax then come down here and get off your feet for a bit. I don't want you getting too upset."

Amanda pulled back from Lee and looked him in the eyes.

"I don't know, Lee. I want to make sure that I am here when Joe arrives. I don't want him leaving before we have a nice long chat about this and him keeping his big mouth shut!"

Lee smirked at Amanda.

"Amanda…do you really think that I am going to let Joe leave? I'll shoot out his tires if I have to. That man is staying and we are ALL going to have a chat."

Amanda laughed despite herself.

"Ok…a shower sounds good. Put all the dishes in the dishwasher but wait till I' m out of the shower to turn it on. And don't forget…."

"A-MAN-da! I know how to pick up the dishes. Stop stalling and go take a shower."

"Ok" she said with a smile as she walked up the steps to the landing.

"Hey!" Lee called after her. She turned to face him. "I love you!"

"I love you, too, Sweetheart."

Amanda heard the clank of the coffee cups against their saucers as she walked into their bedroom. She clicked on the lamp on the night stand and began to undress. As she removed her shirt, she looked down at her pregnant belly and smiled as she rubbed her hands over her stomach.

"You're in for an interesting life, little one! Never seems to be a dull moment around here. I don't expect things will be any different once you arrive."

Amanda turned on the shower and finished undressing. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail so it wouldn't get wet and removed her heart necklace. As she stepped into the shower, the water began to run down her back. The hot water felt so nice against her tense shoulders. As she began to relax, the tears once again began to come. A million thoughts clouded her mind at once. This was not how she wanted Philip and Jamie to find out that she was a spy. Part of her hoped that they would never find out. She felt guilty all these years lying to them, but it was to keep them safe. Now that they were going to find out the truth, would they still be safe or would they now be in more danger? Amanda began to sob.

"Oh what have I done? How will my sons ever be safe again?" She said aloud.

Her tears then began to change to anger. How dare Joe have this discussion with the boys without her and not even tell her about it? Who does he think he is? Leaving her alone for all those years to raise the boys on her own and then just try and waltz back into their lives? Lee was a far better father to them then Joe had ever been. Amanda resolved to let Joe know exactly how she felt. She didn't care anymore if she hurt his feelings. It was her job to protect Philip and Jamie and that is exactly what she is going to do, even if it is from their own father.

Amanda shut off the water and began to dry herself with the big fluffy towel fresh from the linen closet. She then slipped on her Georgetown sweatshirt and her sweatpants that worked nicely with her expanding waistline. Suddenly she heard Philip and Jamie run up the stairs, yelling greetings to her as they passed by. As she opened her bedroom door and began down the stairs she could hear Lee's voice.

"Joe, why don't you go and have a seat in the family room? Amanda will be right down."

"Well, I can't stay that long, Lee."

"Oh no, Joe. Really…I INSIST."

To be continued…