Disclaimer: "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot is mine, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Thank you to Taya for the quick and always positive beta work! She makes this story so much more than it was. Any mistakes that are left are all mine. To the person who unknowingly inspired this, Thank you!
I approached my door lost in thought. What is Amanda doing? Is she in pain? Has Dotty backed off from mothering her too much? I tried to stay at the house last night a little longer than I had been, but Dotty ushered me to the door telling me that Amanda needed her rest. As if I needed reminding that she had just had surgery. Like I hadn't been there . . . hadn't lived through each agonizing minute. Hell, I was there when it happened, Dotty wasn't. I know the pain she was in. I caused it. Slipping my key into the lock, I'm suddenly filled with peace. I know she's in there waiting for me. It's as if she's surrounded me even out here in the hallway. I hear the click of the lock and smile now that I know what is waiting for me.
My unmade bed now had an Amanda-sized shape making it more appealing than when I left it's warm cocoon earlier this morning. Since she hadn't stirred at my entrance, she must be in a deep sleep. I wonder briefly if it's a drug-induced sleep. The pills she was prescribed after her surgery often knocked her out. I have come to know that Amanda doesn't sleep deeply. Often awaking at the sounds the guys make in the hallway on their way to the shared bathroom, afraid they might invade our haven no matter how much I assured her that the door was locked.
"Hi," Amanda's sleepy voice startles me. "I hope you don't mind that I let myself in." I see her struggling to push herself up in the overly soft mattress to a sitting position and I'm by her side immediately.
"Let me help you," I offer while wrapping my arm around her slight body and positioning the pillows to comfort her back against the headboard.
She smiles up at me, "You don't have to spoil me. I need to do things for myself."
I'm certain the smile I returned didn't quite reach my eyes. "I like to spoil you."
"You still feel guilty, don't you?" Concern written across her beautiful face. My Amanda, always trying to put everyone around her at ease no matter the cost to herself. "It wasn't your fault, you just happened to be in the area when it happened."
"Boy, I was in the area, alright." I start to stand but her hand catches my arm bringing me back to my perch next to her. Her other hand travels behind my head, pulling me toward her for a kiss.
She finally releases me from the binds that I long to have, and I pull back reluctantly. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Seriously, I don't blame you. None of this was your fault."
"I know that." I duck my head keeping her from seeing the truth in my eyes.
"No, you don't know that. It just happened. No one could have predicted it or stopped it. It's what you did afterwards that shows me how much you love me." Bringing her left hand in front of my face to count off, I notice her ring immediately and smile. "You kept a clear head and got me help. You stayed with me until you couldn't anymore. You called my mother and then lied to her about what we were doing and why you were with me, which couldn't have been easy. You took my ring off my hand to keep Mother from knowing. You know you would have gotten more support from her if you had told her the truth about our relationship, that you're no longer just my boyfriend."
"Amanda, please stop. I'm trained to do all of those things. Remember I'm a Boy Scout."
"You were never a Boy Scout," she smiles.
"I knew I would get you to smile." I lean in for a quick kiss. "Speaking of your mother, does she know you're here? How did you get here anyway and lastly, why?"
"I'm not sure if she knows I'm here or not yet. I left her a note when she went to get her hair done. I was going stir crazy, I needed to get out. I've been out of the hospital for 10 days now and she won't let me do anything. Do you know she wanted to sit in the bathroom this morning while I showered just in case?" Amanda huffed the words out quickly.
"I would have offered to help you shower if that would help relieve some of the pressure."
Her laughter was music to my ears. "I'm sure that would have gone over great. Though, if you want . . ." A spark that had been missing lit her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. As she started to remove the blankets that covered her long legs, I noticed that she was in the t-shirt I had worn yesterday and discarded haphazardly on my way to bed last night. I pulled the blankets back in place but not before I noticed she wasn't wearing much more than the shirt.
"Amanda, we are not showering together, at least not until you've been medically cleared. Now, tell me why you are here; how you got here; and what did the note to Dotty say?"
"Why? Well, because I've missed you. When you come to visit, someone is always in the room with us. You can't hold me like I need you to; or kiss me like I want you to, so I called a friend that I knew worked part time near here and asked if she wouldn't mind dropping me off. I left Mother a note saying I was having lunch with you and would nap at your place until dinner time and then you would drive us both home."
"Amanda," her name escapes my lips with more frustration than I want. "Do you know how much worry you must be causing your mother? You didn't know when I would be here. What if I hadn't come home before I went to the house for dinner?"
The pull of the blanket as she turns away from me and snuggles down into the bed tells me that she was now very angry at me.
"Amanda, do you realize how scared we all were? The surgeon said you almost died. I know you're feeling better and want to do things that you were once free to do, but you need time to heal and we need time to rid ourselves of the fear of losing you."
She slowly turns around to look at me. The tears pooling in her eyes match my own.
"I'm sorry. You're right and I will apologize to my mother. She probably doesn't even know I've left yet. I've only been gone about an hour and it takes a while for her to get her hair done. It's just that she won't let us have a moment alone together."
The single tear and the quiver in her voice are my undoing and I quickly stand, slip my shoes off and walk around the other side of the bed. Pulling the covers back, I join her. It's been too long since we shared this bed. She snuggles in close and starts to unbutton my shirt.
I stop her hand and raise my brow at her.. "We can't."
"I know, but this is part of it."
"Part of what?" I ask.
"Part of the reason I needed to come here. Part of the reason I am wearing your shirt. Part of the reason I was sleeping on your side of the bed. Part of the reason I was hugging your pillow so tightly." Her eyes search mine as if hoping for understanding. Frowning, she continues, "I guess you don't understand. Let me explain." She props herself on her right elbow and frees her hand from my grasp placing it on my chest. "I was frightened too. The pain was intense. When I opened my eyes for the briefest of moments, I saw the fear in your eyes. I've never seen you afraid before. I didn't know what was happening and all I wanted was for you to make it alright, as only you can. I wanted to smell your soap and cologne mixed together. I wanted to see the love in your eyes. I wanted to feel your heart beating against my chest. I wanted to taste your lips. I wanted to hear your whisper. Just a short time before, we were making love and you had surrounded me. I felt safe, loved, invincible. Then I felt pain."
"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault." I pull her tighter to my side. I want to help her feel safe again but I can't.
"Sweetheart, it wasn't your fault. I've told you that."
The warmth of her hand against my bare skin makes me realize she is continuing her mission against my buttons. Ignoring the reaction my body was having to her nearness, I again try to understand what she needs from me. "Honey, what can I do to make you feel safe? You're on the road to recovery. The doctor said you would be cleared to go back to your normal routine in another 2 weeks. In the meantime, if you need me at your house more, I'll work it out. If you need me to tell Dotty to back off, it won't be easy, but I will. Just tell me what you want from me and it's yours." I find my hand traveling up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her before I realize that the shirt she was wearing has traveled with me and I am now caressing her bare skin, confirming my earlier suspicion that she is in fact not wearing anything under the shirt she stole from me.
"Well, what you're doing now, helps." I can feel her cuddle closer. "Just give me a little while of this, you holding me. We might not be able to make love yet, but feeling your skin next to mine helps. I'm safe and warm. I feel love, not pain. This is what I've been missing. I've needed you to surround me."
I hold her for the next little while before realizing she has fallen asleep. I guess going to work this afternoon is not going to happen. Amanda needs me. Realization hits me then. This beautiful, capable, amazing woman who needs nobody, needs me, loves me. How did I get this lucky? What have I ever done to deserve this kind of everlasting love? With that last thought, I allow myself to fall asleep wrapped around my Amanda.
The banging of the door rudely awakens us both. "Hey King, there's some irate woman on the phone. McDragon told me to come up and get you. You better get downstairs quick before she has the police show up," calls one of my housemates through the door.
I groan as I turn toward Amanda, "I guess your mother finally got home from her hair appointment."
"I'm sorry, Joe. I'll throw on my clothes and go down to talk to her," she says as she rises to leave my bed.
"No, it's alright, I'll deal with it. You just lay back and relax. It'll be fine." I quickly button up my shirt and slip on my shoes.
Returning a short time later, I find Amanda fully-dressed, sitting on my bed silently crying.
I kneel in front of her and take her hands in mine. "Babe, what's wrong? You're not in pain are you?"
"No. I'm sorry, Joe. I should have known better than to leave the house like that. Mother must be furious."
"Dotty is worried about you but everything is okay now that she knows you're okay. I told her we went to lunch and that you were currently napping while I studied. I did tell her that we have a big surprise to share with her and your dad when we get there for dinner, so you should wear your engagement ring home." I start playing with the ring I placed on her hand just over 2-weeks ago and removed the same night, hiding it from her mother.
"Well, that certainly will take the heat off." Amanda laughs but then furrows her brows. "We need to come up with a story for the proposal though. We certainly can't tell her that you proposed at dinner then we came back here to celebrate. I mean it's bad enough that my appendix almost burst that night, but I really don't want to explain that we were making love at the time."
"Yeah, I would rather not tell them that. We could say that I proposed in the same restaurant but at lunch today. That way, we could use the same story of the proposal but just change what we did afterward." I stand and gently pull her up from her perch on the bed. Hugging her close, I whisper into her ear, "I do want a raincheck on our celebration though, once you're medically cleared."
"Yes, I want that too. I want you to surround me forever."