Disclaimer: I do not own SMK, do not profit, and enjoy the heck out of these characters.
Fathers, Dads, and Daddy
Christmas Eve 1989
Lee came home early and was surprised when he pulled in the drive and didn't see Amanda's Jeep. She said she had some errands and then was going to pick the twins up from Dotty. He thought he would call and make sure she had when realizing that plan was ended when he came in the front door.
"How could you do that? What were you thinking? He is only fourteen; no you don't get a pass on this one. Do you wonder why he wants to call Lee dad now? Lee is a federal agent and he still seems to remember the important things, especially where Jamie is concerned. No, I am not saying he brushes me aside, he has done a lot for both of us; I just didn't want to hurt you by telling you that we have both wanted to call him that for a long time now. Really well since you forgot one of the biggest accomplishments in your sons lives, yes I included myself, why don't you just forget you have two sons in the first place." Philip slammed the phone down to see Lee in the doorway of the kitchen and froze. He didn't know how much Lee had heard but from the look on Lee's face he had heard a lot of it.
"Have you heard from your Mom? She was supposed to be here with the twins by now; we have church service and dinner." Lee asked not mentioning the phone conversation yet. That was one of the things that Philip admired about Lee; he never pushed and let the boys come to him unless necessary.
"Yeah she said she would be here soon; she had to stop at the store, pick up Katie, and then they were going to get the twins. Grandma said that she would meet us at church with Curt. Constance called and said not to let Katie forget to take her antibiotic."
"Okay, anything else you want to talk about?"
"Yeah, um, can. . . "
He was interrupted by the kitchen door opening and his youngest son falling in the door. Lee walked over and picked up the toddler quickly moving out of the way as Katie came running in holding Jennie out away from her and yelling, "Out of the way she is going to blow again and this time it is not going to be on me." Katie rushed passed everyone and she barely got Jennie into the bathroom before the little body jerked and lost whatever else she had in her tiny stomach.
Amanda was the last to come in and Philip asked, "Mom, what is that in your hair?"
"Philip, if I would have to guess I would have to say vomit from your sister. Could you two please go and get the groceries and bags out of the Jeep please. I have to go get this out of my hair. Oh, no not you," she said as Matt went to go out the door behind his brother and dad, "you are staying where I can see your hands at all times."
Lee and Philip came back in as Katie and Jennie came back downstairs and as soon as Jennie saw Lee she reached for him and was fussing until she was in his arms. Rocking her back and forth in his arms he could feel the heat coming from her little head and ask, "What is wrong with her? She was fine when I took them to Dotty."
"She started running a fever and so mother just took her in and got her checked out. She has medicine she has to start to take as soon as I get it out of one of these bags. Matthew Lee Stetson you put your hands where I can see them and I won't put you in lock down. He once again tried to take things from Mother's purse today. When it was time for them to go to the doctor, they were almost late because she had to find her keys. Katie you need to go and take your medicine; Lee could you please get Jennie's medicine and give her the first dose while I go and wash this out of my hair."
Amanda turned and as she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard something fall and Lee curse and then Matt continue to repeat his father as the older two teenagers laughed at the toddler. She just continued up the stairs and took a quick shower and changed her clothes. As she was walking back down the stairs she noticed that Jamie was lying down on his bed and she thought oh, please not anymore sick people tonight. Walking in she cleared her throat and asked, "Jamie are you feeling okay?"
He rolled over and she saw how red his eyes were and she knew he had been crying. Not that he would admit it out loud to anyone. "Jamie what is wrong? What has happened?"
"I hate him. He wants it to be all about him but it isn't!" He said a little harsher and louder than he had meant to with his mother.
"Who sweetheart; did your brother do something again?"
"No, it was Joe." It surprised her that he would refer to his dad in that manner so logically her next question to her son was, "Your father, what did he do?" She suddenly had the feeling that for the first time she needed to use her ex-husband as target shooting practice.
"He told me that he would be coming to my awards banquet, I didn't even want to ask him but Philip said I should have to at least give him the opportunity. It's a big deal and he said he would go. He called this afternoon and said he couldn't make it because he had to be out of town for work. That is why I didn't want to ask him; I wanted to ask Lee. Now if I ask Lee he is just going to think it is because Joe flaked on me, but I really wanted him to go in the first place."
Amanda smiled she was glad that Jamie had such a great relationship now with Lee, "What awards banquet? I don't remember you telling me about one."
"I didn't tell you yet about it because it is for fathers and sons."
"And Jamie you wanted to take Lee over Joe, why?"
"I wouldn't have even entered the contest except that Lee gave me that camera a couple years ago and helped me to learn how to use it and develop my own photos. The theme was for the contest about Father's Day. We had to show how our dad had inspires us in our lives." Jamie handed her a frame and in the frame was a picture of Joe holding Jamie in the hospital, Jamie and Joe on his first birthday and the other photos in the frame were of Lee. Lee must not have realized that Jamie had been taking the pictures because they were everyday things; Lee waiting by an open car door, sitting on a blanket in the backyard with the twins next to him while they slept, Lee and Philip in the backyard practicing martial arts, were among the few. The picture in the center was just a simple photo of Lee smiling. Her heart began to ache at the realization of how she and Joe's broken relationship had affected her younger son.
"I never realized how much Joe and I hurt you. I am so sorry sweetheart." It was all she could manage to say before he said, "Mom, I don't blame you. I understand that you and Joe just couldn't make it work; but it might have been a little easier if he was here. You can't fix what you can't see. I see how Lee is with you; he gets mad and you two yell, but he doesn't leave and if he does he always comes back home. He always comes home."
"Yes, he does and I am sure he will understand about the banquet when you show him this. This is really great Jamie. Now why don't we go and take care of dinner and make sure Jennie and Katie took their medicine?"
"Katie's here, why?" Jamie seemed to perk up at the mention that Katie was there. In the last couple of years they had become best friends. Lee was worried that as the dating years were upon them that Jamie and Katie would take their toll and he didn't want to see either one hurt over a high school romance. Luckily it seemed that friendship was the only thing on their minds with each other.
"Constance and Mitchell went out of town for a fashion show and Katie was sick and not allowed to travel and she asked if we could handle one more person in this house for Christmas. I said the more the merrier." The two came down to find that Philip and Katie were talking in the corner until Jamie walked in and Katie rushed over to him and put her arms around him, "Are you okay? Philip told me what happened?"
Looking at Lee, who at the moment was trying to put groceries away while not dropping Jennie, Jamie said, "Everything is great now."
Lee looked over at Jamie and remembering Philip's words from earlier he just smiled and said, "Jamie, son can you please get little Bugsy Malone for me before he breaks every jar in this bag."
"Sure Da, um Lee" he stumbled and before Katie could say anything he said, "Katie don't."
"I know nothing, um Lee watch out!" Katie yelled but it was too late, Jennie got him, right down his shirt and tie.
"Amanda, I think we should call your mother and let her know church is probably out of the question." He said as he walked and handed Jennie to her and then took Matt and placed him I the pack in play, "cock down daddy?"
"Yes, lock down, Bugsy. I will be back in a few minutes." He went upstairs and took off his shirt and tie placing them in the hamper after rinsing them out. Lee laughed at the situation, he remembered that not so long ago he would be rinsing out lipstick or a strong perfume from his clothes, but this was better than anything he ever imagined. When he went back downstairs he walked back into complete pandemonium. Amanda was trying to calm Jennie down; unfortunately when she was sick she only wanted Lee. Katie was trying to break the prisoner out of baby jail without being noticed and Jamie and Philip looked like they were about to go to blows about something. He placed his fingers in his lips and then whistling to get everyone's attention he said, "Okay, now Katie put him back. His sticky fingers are done for a while he has plenty to keep him occupied in there. Amanda give me her please, take a break, and you two I want to know what is going on right now."
Philip looked at Jamie and said, "Go ahead and tell him, I think it will be fine. If you don't Jamie I will he has a right to know how we really feel. Remember Mom's rule about no secrets that do not deal with national security; I don't think this falls into that category."
"Jamie, really, nothing can be so bad that you can't talk to me." Lee said calmly as he sat down and rocked Jennie to sooth her again. He noticed that other than the twins all eyes were on Jamie and Lee. "Jamie, just tell me; I promise it will be fine whatever it is."
Amanda sat and watched her younger son struggling and said, "Jamie, would it be easier if Lee saw the photo essay? Why don't you go and get it, let Lee see it, and then we can talk over dinner."
As Jamie went to go get his essay Philip went to answer the phone, "Hey, Grandma, I don't think we are going to make it to church tonight but we are still having dinner so just come on by afterwards. Okay, I love you too, be careful." No sooner had he hung the phone up it rang again, "Hello. Hey, yeah how is Florida?"
Amanda looked at Lee and he just shrugged when Katie said, "That must be Karen Toms, she is a real bit…"
"Katie, watch your language." Lee scolded. "There are two very language learning children present and from the sound of it one has picked a new word to say." Everyone but Philip listened as Matt in his pack in play still repeating the unfortunate word Amanda had heard Lee say as she went upstairs earlier.
Jamie returned and Philip said he had to get off the phone and stood beside his brother. The last two years with Lee in the house Philip had learned more about defending than offending his brother.
Lee took the photo frame from Jamie and looked at all the photos and then before Lee could say anything Jamie said, "The theme was to show how your dad inspires you and I won the photo essay. I had to write a speech and I really wanted you to be there to hear the speech. Philip thought I should give Joe a chance; I did give him that chance and he flaked. I don't want you to think you were just a second choice." Jamie handed him the speech he had prepared. Lee took the paper from him and began to read.
My dad, not my father, came into my life not at the beginning of my life but when I was eight years old. For four years I never knew he was there; keeping guard, watching out for me and my family; standing in the shadows like a guardian angel. He stayed back in the shadows because like us he was afraid to trust and be loved. He lost his parents when he was young and he needed for us to know that at the right moment he was in our life to stay. He wasn't someone that would be here in name only; he took on a family when he knew nothing of one. I didn't make it easy for him; I pushed him away and refused to try. I wasn't going to let another person hurt my family again. As much as I pushed him away he pushed back; proving that he was nothing like any man that had been or tried to be in our life before. He inspires me to be the man that believes in the good in all and hope for the best; to know that things get rocky and hard but somewhere at the end of the day you come home. He is the man that I want to be like in all ways of life. He is kind, caring, compassionate, patience, and has a great capacity for understanding; he is the man I one day hope to be most like. My father is name Joseph King and he allowed me to be here on this planet, my dad is and always will be Lee Stetson.
Lee handed the paper to Amanda and placed his sleeping daughter on the couch next to her. He walked over to Jamie and before Lee could say anything Jamie began talking, "Philip said he thought you heard his conversation when you got home and that it was about time you knew how we felt. We want to be able to call you Dad and we want you to know that we mean it. It isn't something we want to do so the twins aren't confused. You are there for us and he isn't; he hasn't been. I hope you aren't mad at us or me for the essay."
"Boys," Lee started but his voice caught in his throat, clearing it Lee continued, "I told you I never would try to replace your father in your life, I wanted to be a friend; that being said…"
"I get it, you don't want us too, and that's cool."
"No! It isn't cool! What I am trying to say is I have noticed that in the last year things have been pretty hard between you three. I still am never going to get in the middle of whatever relationship you and your brother want with Joe, but it is definitely my honor if you want to call me Dad. I do not have a problem with it; you almost did tonight anyway and if you noticed I didn't flinch or run away and I never will. I love you."
Lee put his arms around the two boys and Jamie said, "We love you too, Dad."
An hour later Dotty and Curt showed up and everyone finally sat down to dinner.
"Katie, dear," Dotty asked, "Where did you Mom and Mitchell go to for the fashion show?"
"St. Bart's, it is for the summer selection she has coming out, but I got sick and so I got grounded from flying. It is okay Dotty, I didn't want to go anyway there is a dance for school before she gets back and before school gets back in session and I wanted to go."
"Is this the same dance that the boys were talking about yesterday?" Dotty asked.
"Yes Mom said it was okay if I went."
"Are you going with anyone?" Amanda asked and she tried to hide her smile when she saw Lee loosen his collar on his shirt. She knew biologically Lee wasn't Katie's father but she knew he was still protective of her.
"No just some friends. Callie Jenkins' father is dropping us off and I was going to see if you or Lee could pick us up, it is only three of us riding together."
"I am sure one of us could do that; don't you Lee?"
"Sure, I guess that would be okay."
Philip spoke up next and shyly asked, "Dad, do you think since I have my license now that I could drive to the dance?"
Dotty looked at Amanda when Philip called Lee 'Dad' and Amanda just nodded in her direction and the two women smiled and continued to listen as the teenager pleaded his case to Lee.
"Well, if your mother or I will be picking up Katie and her friends then I think you won't have anything to drive." Lee said knowing what was coming next.
"I could drive the corvette, couldn't I?"
Lee's fork stopped in midair and Katie said, "Uh, I have seen that look before. You have a better chance at making a half-court shot than driving his corvette honey."
Philip looked at Katie and said, "No one asked you, sweetheart."
She just laughed at him and Lee said, "Well I will have to consider it and let you know."
Amanda raised her eyebrows and said, "It isn't a no at least Philip."
They finished dinner and the kids cleared and cleaned the kitchen while the adults sat and finished their coffee at the table. When they were done they came into the den and Katie busted out laughing when she saw the paper all over the floor and Matt in the middle of it smiling. "Lee I think Bugsy has struck again, I hope you didn't want anyone to know what they got for Christmas."
Lee and Amanda went into the den to see the carnage and looked at Matt with his stellar Stetson smile and Lee said, "How did two honest people get a kleptomaniac for a son?"
Five people turned on Lee and said, "Honest?"
"Well, sweetheart, at least he didn't steal these he just opened them."
"Matthew Lee Stetson, what am I going to do with you?" Lee asked as his son reached up and said, "Hugs, daddy." And that is exactly what Lee did he hugged his son then ordered all children to the upstairs so he and Amanda could spend the rest of the night rewrapping over half of the presents. Thank goodness most of the ones that had been unwrapped were not for the older kids.
Amanda picked up a long white box that looked like it might hold jewelry in it and turned to Lee and said, "Should I be wrapping this one?"
"Um, that one Amanda does not belong to you. It is for Katie; Constance told me about the dance at lunch the other day and I thought that she needed something for her first real school dance." Lee seemed a little embarrassed and Amanda took him in her arms and kissed him, "That is really sweet Lee I am sure she will love it. Can I at least look at it?"
He nodded and she held her breath as she looked at the string of tiny diamonds that came down into a point. Her husband really was a ladies man; he knew what a woman would want.
"Lee, this is beautiful Katie is going to love it. Keep this up and you will have one more child calling you Dad."
Lee just smiled and said, "Come on I don't want to be up all night doing this." At that moment Lee looked toward the sound coming from the monitor, Jennie was crying again and as Amanda went to go get her Lee patted her shoulder and went to get her.
Amanda listened as he walked into the bedroom and picked up their daughter, "Hey, princess, what is wrong? Oh, my you are burning up still, why don't we go and cool off a little." Then Amanda heard him leave the room and a few minutes later she heard the water running and she went to investigate and to let the three teenagers know that the television was now available for them to watch the Christmas show they wanted. All four stopped in the hall and listened; Lee was singing Christmas carols to Jennie. Amanda turned and had the kids go down the stairs; she knew Lee wouldn't want them to know he did that.
He came down the stairs a few minutes later with Jennie in his arms and Amanda took her and gave her some more medicine and tried to get her to eat or drink something. Lee sat on the couch and watched the movie with the kids. At the end of the movie he noticed that all three had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the tree he just went and got blankets from the hall closet and covered them. He climbed the stairs, checked on the twins, and then went and climbed in bed with his wife and whispered in her ear, "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Stetson."
Christmas Day 1989
Lee was startled awake by a sneak attack of five children "Get up! Get up! Mom says we can't open anything until you get down stairs and we have been awake forever!" Philip said. Lee looked pass them to the clock on the nightstand and just groaned, "What is it with this family? Is everyone in this family a morning person?"
"Everyone but you Dad," Jamie said "will you please get up now?"
"Yes, I will be right down, now stop jumping on the bed." At that moment Jennie landed on his chest and Matt fell to the floor and started to cry. Katie got him first and told him he was okay and to brush it off. Matt listened and immediately stopped crying. The kids went down as Lee was going into his bathroom and when he came back out he saw Jennie curled up to his pillow sucking her thumb halfway back to sleep.
"Hey, princess, don't you want to open your presents and see what Santa brought you?"
"No I ick, I old your illow." She said and Lee picked her up and said she could hold his pillow downstairs. He came in carrying her and his pillow and Matt was already trying to get to the presents. Lee thought he must be trying to find the ones he already opened.
Amanda passed out the presents and one by one the kids got to open them until the only presents under the tree were the ones for Dotty and Curt and the ones from Amanda and Lee to one another. Lee looked around as the kids opened and thanked everyone and then Katie got to her present from him, the only one that wasn't from her mom and Mitchell, and she said, "Lee what is this?"
"Open it and I bet you will find out. It was something I thought you might need here soon."
She opened the box and just stared at the diamond necklace and tears formed in her eyes and she ran over and hugged him so tight. "Your mom told me that you were going to the dance and I thought with it being a formal dance that you might want a new necklace to wear. Why are you crying? It is only a necklace."
Katie looked at him and knew it was more than a necklace it was statement that meant so much to her. She knew that he wasn't her father, but she knew he would be there for her just as much as he would for his four children and she didn't think he knew how much that meant to her. All she could was to thank him and kissed him on the cheek and then Lee said, "Um, okay, who is hungry? Muffins and juice is in the kitchen."
The rest of the day was filled with the three older children trying to include Matt in their games and fun and trying to get Jennie away from Lee's pillow. Amanda did get the pillow away once although Jennie just climbed the stairs and got in on Lee's side of the bed and whispered before going to sleep, "Daddy."