Father's Day Visit
I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.
Set at the end of Season 3
(*(*(*(*(**L&A**)*)*)*)*)
Lee stood silently in the shadows and watched Amanda as she solemnly knelt beside her father's grave and placed flowers on it for Father's Day. He hadn't asked to accompany her and she didn't know he was there. But he felt it important that he be there, never the less. Father's Day was hard for her and whether she knew or it, he wanted to support her on that occasion.
In the three years that he'd known her, Lee had found himself increasingly attracted to and in love with Amanda King. He could acknowledge that fact now, at least to himself. He still hadn't plucked up the courage to tell her that though. And he knew courage is what it would take.
But sooner or later, he promised himself, he would tell her of his feelings. He would tell Amanda King that he loved her and wanted her. Just not right now and especially not here, while she visited with her long deceased father.
"Hey, Daddy." Amanda said softly as she knelt down and brushed some errant leaves from the head stone and placed a carefully chosen bouquet of flowers on the ground before it. "Sorry, I haven't been here too often but well, things in my life have been a little hectic. To tell the truth, things in my life have been absolutely crazy."
Amanda raised her head and looked intently around the cemetery. She saw no one and heard nothing, but for just a moment, she could've sworn she felt someone close by. However, taking another look around, she saw nothing, save the dense clump of trees to her right.
Shaking her head, she looked back down at her father's marker and once again ran her hand across the stone, her fingers tracing the letters carved into it. "Mother sends her love." Her lips curved into a smile, thinking of her one remaining parent. "The boys too. Oh, Daddy, you should see those two grandsons of yours. They've gotten so tall. Phillip looks a lot like Joe, Jaime does too as a matter of fact, but well, I like think they take more after me."
She paused, thinking of that. Did they really take after her, or did she just want them to? Question without an answer, she realized, or at least without an answer as of yet. Besides, the purpose of her visit this day was not to talk about who the boys were more like.
"Daddy?" She started again. "Remember the agent I told you about? You know the tall, handsome man with the beautiful eyes named Lee Stetson? Well, I need to talk to you about him. Actually, you're the only one I can talk to about him."
Amanda settled herself onto the ground beside the grave and dropped her head for a moment. "Daddy, I'm scared." She finally admitted. "No, not of him. He… he would never hurt me. But I'm scared of what I feel for him." Amanda lapsed into silence for a moment, contemplating her next words.
"I love him, Daddy." She finally sighed. "I swore at first that I wouldn't, that I couldn't. When I first got to know him, I thought he was rude and egotistical. But…" She took a deep breath and looked around her again, that feeling of being watched remaining with her.
Still seeing no one, she looked back at her father's grave marker. "But I found out he's not like that at all." She finished her sentence. "He's the most amazingly super man I think I've ever known. He's kind and courageous and strong and gentle…" she took a deep breath, "and it scares me to realize how much I care for him."
Amanda flicked an unbidden tear from her cheek as she considered the marker before her and thought of the man she was speaking about. "I know, Daddy. I swore after Joe, I'd never love another man like that and I haven't, at least not till now. But Lee's not Joe. He… he's different. He's so much more…"
Amanda halted again. On the surface of things, talking to her deceased father about a man, she was almost certain, didn't love her as she did him, seemed rather ludicrous. But who else could she talk to? Certainly not her mother or sons, most positively not Joe and there wasn't anyone else.
"What am I going to do, Daddy?" She finally asked plaintively. "I love him. I know I'm always going to love him. But I don't think he loves me like I do him. He said he wants to get to know me better. But what does that mean exactly? Does he care about me? Oh, I know he worries about me, but I think that's because he got me into this crazy business we're in. But does he really, truly care and love me?"
Dropping her head, Amanda struggled against the tears that wanted so badly to fall. She didn't want to cry, not here, not now.
Standing out in the distant trees, Lee continued to watch Amanda. He wasn't close enough to hear what she was saying, but he could tell by the droop of her shoulders and the look on her face that she was upset about something. He wanted to run to her right then and scoop her up into his arms and just hold her. But he kept still. It wasn't time yet.
Taking a deep breath, Amanda raised her head again and one last time looked around her. She knew it was crazy, it couldn't possibly be, but she felt Lee nearby. But no matter how hard she strained her eyes she still couldn't see him. Looking back at her father's tomb stone, Amanda smiled, wiped one last blade of grass from its surface, and got to her feet.
"Well, Daddy, I guess, I'd better go. I have some errands to run and some things I have to do before I go home. Thank you for listening to me. Seems lately you're about the only one who does or can." Sighing deeply she smiled for a second before wiping away another tear. "I love you, Daddy, and I miss you. I'll be back, I promise and maybe next time I'll bring the boys."
Knowing there was no need to wait for a reply, she turned away and started back towards her car. But she had only gotten a few yards away when she suddenly saw Lee walking towards her, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Lee?" She questioned when he came nearer. She knew she'd felt him near. "What are you doing here?" Though she tried, she couldn't hide the surprise and pleasure she felt at seeing him there. "Is something wrong?"
"Yeah," Lee nodded when he reached her side. "You being here alone, is wrong." He whispered as he enveloped her in his arms. Try as he might, he hadn't been able to keep his promise to himself to stay out of sight. Something in the way she looked, the sad face she wore, tore at him and he had to go her. He had to do whatever he could to make her feel better.
Wrapping her arms around him, Amanda gave up her struggle and let the tears fall, wetting the front of his shirt. For long moments, they stood there, clinging tightly to each other. No words were spoken, none were needed.
Lee still hadn't confessed his love for the beautiful woman in his arms and Amanda hadn't confessed hers for him but right then it wasn't necessary. What they were feeling right then went beyond words and settled firmly into their hearts.
When Amanda's tears finally subsided, she pulled back from him and looked up into his beautiful, beautiful hazel eyes. "How did you know I'd be here?" She asked.
Lee shrugged. "It's Father's Day and he's your father." He answered. "Where else would you go?"
Amanda nodded, glanced at the ground and then back up at Lee. "Why did you come?" She asked softly.
"Because…" He stopped, still not quite ready to say it. "Because… uh, well, I was… uh, I was… working on a case." He said triumphantly at thinking of an excuse. "And I needed some help and was wondering if you'd take a look at it for me. You know, see if you could spot something I didn't."
Amanda gave him a speculative look. Lee may not have said it, probably still wouldn't say it, but Amanda knew that he cared for her. He had come there, not to ask her help on a case, but to give her support when she needed it most. Looking into the face of the man she loved more than anything, Amanda's heart sang a joyous chorus of Hallelujah.
"A case, huh?" She smirked. "Well, I think I can help you with that. Care to walk me back to my car, Mr. Stetson?"
"I would love to, Mrs. King." He smiled as he warmed an arm around her shoulders and they began to walk.
Nothing more was said between the two until they got to Amanda's car. As Lee reached down to open the door for her, Amanda pulled up and kissed him, softly at first and then deepened it when he responded. "Thank you, Lee." She whispered when their lips finally parted. "I appreciate you coming here for me."
Lee leaned in and kissed her again. "You're welcome." He smiled tenderly, wiping one last tear from her cheek. "I… uh… I want you to know… that… well, you're welcome." He still couldn't say it.
Amanda smiled and opened the door of her car and got in. "I have to make a stop on the way to office." She told him when she had herself seated behind the wheel. "I need to pick up the boys Father's Day gifts to Joe. But as soon as I do that and drop them by the house, I'll come to the office." She told him.
"Alright. See you there." He told her as she put the car in gear and left. Lee stood there a moment longer watching her leave and forcing down the spark of jealously he'd felt when she mentioned Joe's name. He knew it was over between Amanda and Joe. From the little she had told him, there hadn't been anything there for a long time, even before the divorce.
But still, the fact that Joe King would always be in Amanda's life rankled him a little. Lee didn't want Joe in her life, he wanted to be there. Then all at once a happy smile graced his lips and Lee tossed his keys into the air, catching them easily.
It suddenly dawned on Lee that he could be there. No, he WOULD be there. It was going to take a little work on his part and he was going to have to get over his fear of saying what was so plainly in his heart, but come hell or high water, next year, Lee knew, he would be the recipient of Amanda's Father's Day gift. And that gift would be her and her boys.
With that happy thought in his mind, Lee turned and headed to his car. He needed to get to the office and see if he could find some case for Amanda to look at.
As Amanda drove away, she glanced in the rearview mirror to see Lee still standing there watching her leave. Shaking her head in wonder, she smiled. It was going to take some work and she knew a lot more patience would be required of her, but she was certain that this time next year, she would be spending Father's Day with Lee Stetson. And if he played his cards right, she'd give him more than the tie and socks Joe would be getting.
The End