Disclaimers: The characters in this story are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. I make no money from these characters; I simply like to share their world for a short time.
A/N I've always wondered what Amanda's codename would have been. As I was writing the 'Scarecrow' segment to Alphabet Soup, an idea began to form in my mind. After reading clagjanet's review, that idea took on a more solid form. And thanks to her brilliant suggestion, a codename was born. (Needless to say, a special thanks goes out to clagjanet for all her help!) Hope you enjoy! (Constructive reviews are always welcome.) A special thanks to Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson—as well as the rest of the cast—for portraying these characters so wonderfully.
The preliminary meeting was traditionally held at Randy's over steak and beer, and tonight was no different. Those usually in attendance were the three people closest to the agent. In this case it was the partner, the section chief, and the best friend. These three people had what could only be called an impossible mission—choosing a codename for the agent. The mood was usually somber. The codename would stay with an agent for the duration of his or her employment with the Agency; it could set the tone for the agent's entire career. It was a monumental decision-one made at the end of official training and the successful completion of five missions.
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"I still think 'Happy Homemaker' would be terrific," quipped Francine.
Lee just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Francine, you know Amanda better than that! Would you please stop belittling her! I thought you were her best friend."
"Oh, calm down Lee. You know I just like to tease you. I know you've always defended Amanda, but since you married her, it's only gotten worse. And for tonight, you need to put aside the personal aspects. This is Agency business, nothing personal," responded Francine.
"Can it, both of you." Billy was using his section chief voice, so they knew they were in trouble. "Your arguing isn't getting us anywhere. No 'Happy Homemaker,' and that's final. What about just 'Happy'? She certainly is always that. I don't think I've ever seen her without a smile . . . well . . . maybe once or twice—and that was when she was upset with you, Lee," he added with a pointed look in Lee's direction.
"Sorry, Billy, but that sounds like she's one of the seven dwarves . . . which she is not," said Lee emphatically. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. He had never been part of a codename decision before. Until Amanda, he had been one of the more junior agents. His previous partner had been a few years older and therefore already had his codename. And Lee had certainly never been anyone's best friend. His own codename had been given to him as part of the Oz network, which had been one of his first assignments. Sometimes the codenames given like that were changed. Other times, they stuck. And his had done just that. Not that he minded; he kind of liked 'Scarecrow.' It forever linked him with Oz, which was still regarded as one of the best networks that Agency had ever seen. He could have done without the reference to 'no brains,' but that wasn't his problem. If others saw him that way, so be it. He knew differently. While he might not have always used his brains in the past, things had changed ever since that fateful day at the train station. Amanda had taught him that using your brain could be much more effective than using your muscles, and she had proven that fact over and over again out in the field. She was an exceptional teacher.
"Hey, how about 'Foley,'" he suggested.
Francine shot him a look of pure confusion.
"What? Don't give me that look, Francine. I was just thinking what a great teacher Amanda has been, and 'Foley' just happens to be the name of my favorite teacher. Okay, I guess it wasn't such a good idea; nobody would get the connection anyway." He ran his left hand through his hair and sighed. "This is way harder than I ever thought it would be. Paul had it easy with us—a definite set of names. From there it was just choosing which one to give to each of us."
"Yeah, and you got the one with no brains. Fitting, if you ask me," chuckled Billy.
"Ha, ha, very funny," replied Lee. "I wouldn't laugh too hard if I were you, 'Hardy.' Just remember that most of the current agents don't know your codename since you've been out of the field so long. I bet they would just love to start using it again—especially when you get one of those belly laughs of your going!"
"Hey, I can't help it if my partner's name was already 'Laurel.' Guess it didn't help that he was tall and skinny and I was . . . well . . . you know," he said as he looked down at his stomach.
"All right, all right, you win," he continued. "Just keep my codename under your hat. We don't need everyone at the Agency comparing their section chief to a comedian. They'd never take me seriously!"
"Right, Billy. Like they take you seriously now," giggled Francine. "Just kidding, just kidding," she quickly added as he shot her a scathing look.
"Just remember, 'Princess,' that your codename is common knowledge. And it's quite fitting on several levels. Your wardrobe budget alone is twice that of some of our agent's salaries. Care to explain that to your colleagues?" Billy said with a grimace.
"Oh, alright, let's stop all this squabbling. After all, we're here to choose a codename for Amanda, right?!" she replied.
"Right," said Lee. "And we're still no closer to a name than when we walked in an hour ago. We're ready for dessert and still don't have anything close to a name. I promised the boys I'd be home by 8 o'clock to watch a movie with them. There's a James Bond film on channel 6, and they think it will be cool to watch it together, just the guys. Somehow they don't think their mother would appreciate the finer points of the movie—specifically the Bond girls," he chuckled. "Hey, I just had a great thought—what about 'Mom'? She certainly is a terrific mother, and she tries to mother just about everyone she comes in contact with—myself included."
"I don't know, Lee, that just doesn't seem like an actual codename to me," said Billy.
"It's too generic," added Francine. "It's too bad 'Dorothy' was taken."
"Yeah, that wouldn't work—too many painful memories for me," Lee said with a sad shake of his head.
"Toto?" suggested Billy.
"That's a damn dog, Billy," Lee spat out. "NO!" After a minute's thought, he added "It's a shame, but there is a name from Oz that would fit, although it wouldn't be understood correctly. She really is the 'Cowardly Lion.'"
"Now wait just a minute! She's anything but," responded Billy. Francine seconded that thought with a quick nod of her head.
"Don't you think I know that better than anyone," said Lee emphatically! "No, think about it. Just like me, 'Scarecrow' supposedly didn't have a brain but was actually the smartest one there."
That got raised eyebrows from both his companions.
"Oh, come on . . . use your brains. Think about the story. The scarecrow didn't have brains but was very intelligent. The cowardly lion said he was afraid but possessed the most courage of the group. While Amanda certainly gives the outward appearance of being afraid, no one can dispute her courage. She might not want to handle a gun—yet alone fire one—but she has never backed down in the face of danger. In fact, she has proven time and time again that she is extremely courageous. If she does break down, it's well after the fact. I should know . . . it's usually in my arms." Lee suddenly found his shoes very interesting.
"You do have a point," conceded Billy. "But we certainly can't have the 'Cowardly' part in there. Maybe just 'Lion'? But that doesn't sound right, either. Leo? No, too masculine."
"Wait . . . I think I've got it," interrupted Francine.
As she voiced her suggestion and the reasons for it, both masculine heads just nodded eagerly in agreement. As their desserts arrived, Amanda's codename was unanimously approved and a toast was made to her incredible career with the Agency.
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There was quite a gathering in the bullpen the following Monday morning. Everyone from janitors to senior agents knew and respected Amanda King Stetson; they all wanted to be present when her official codename was bestowed.
As was tradition, the section chief began.
"Amanda," he addressed her. "As you know, Lee, Francine, and myself met this past Friday night to pick your codename, and let me just say that it was quite a challenge. Since you didn't come to the Agency in the traditional way, it wasn't easy to find a traditional codename."
As everyone's eyes turned to Lee, he just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. While people might have initially thought his handing a package off to a civilian was ill-advised, everyone now readily admitted that it had been the best move of his career. He admitted that it was also the best move of his life! He put his arm around his wife and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"When you first started here, you were a little like a cub. You had the basic skills necessary for survival, but you had to be taught many of the finer points of the game." As Lee started to protest, Billy waved him off. "Let me finish, Scarecrow. I know what you were going to say. You would say that she already knew many of those finer points through her incredible intuition. And you're right; she did. But in the process of her discovering those finer points, she taught all of us here a thing or two about friendship, compassion, and yes, love. Her gentle ways have helped make this Agency into a family of sorts. While we still might argue and bicker about the little things, we know that deep down we have each other's backs. She has brought this diverse group of people together in a way that none of us could have foreseen."
"Thank you, sir," Amanda said quietly. Everyone in the crowd could tell that she was moved by the great compliments her section chief was bestowing on her.
"Ok, enough of the mushy stuff," said Francine. After everyone left out a slight giggle, she continued. "As Billy said, you were like a cub when you first started here. And I, for one, didn't hold any hope of you learning to use your claws and fangs. Boy was I wrong. Oh boy, was I ever wrong!" she said as she shook her head. "Granted, it took a while. And it took a village—Lee, Billy, myself, and especially Beaman and Leatherneck—but we finally taught you to hunt for yourself."
"She still tends to shoot the ceiling at times, but her scores on the gun range are at least passable," interjected Leatherneck amidst chuckles from the crowd. "Even with Ace here helping, it's been a long, hard road. But it's also really been a rewarding one. I'm proud to have helped!"
He was rewarded for his comments with a huge smile from Amanda. She knew he was instrumental in helping her overcome her fear of guns.
"Anywhoooo . . . Since we're here to give Amanda her official codename, that means she's completed the required coursework as well as successfully closed out five missions. That should speak for itself. I'm sorry if I was one of your doubters early on . . . ok, for longer than I should have been." Everyone chuckled. "But I am truly proud of the agent you've become, and I'm honored to call you my best friend." With that, Francine gave Amanda a great big hug.
"Why Francine, do I see a tear?" questioned Amanda.
"No, I just got something in my eye," responded Francine with a wink!
"Guess that means it's my turn," grinned Lee. "Now you all know that I really don't like to work with a partner." Everyone groaned at that statement!
"Let me amend that statement; I didn't like to work with a partner—past tense. Amanda changed all of that. It wasn't an easy change, and there were many times that she had to put up with a very cranky Scarecrow."
Amanda just silently nodded her head in agreement, although there was a big grin on her face.
"She came to us, as Billy said, in a very unconventional way. While I don't know exactly what made me pick her out of the crowd at the train station that day, I do know that I was somehow drawn to her. Maybe it was her vulnerability; I mean who shows up at the train station wearing a coat over a nightgown?" Everyone chuckled at that statement.
"Nor do I know why she was willing to take the package from me. I like to think that she realized, in that split second, that she needed me as much as I needed her. Maybe I shouldn't even say that she needed me . . . she needed the Agency. She needed someone or something to breathe life back into her existence. Sure, she had her boys, her mother, Dan . . . "
"Dean," she promptly corrected him with a scowl.
"But she wasn't living; she was existing. For as much as she had given this Agency, the Agency has given her just as much in return. It has given her a chance at a second life—albeit a very unconventional, exciting, and often times dangerous one. I think Amanda as we know her would have died—just figuratively, mind you—in Arlington. But never fear . . . the Agency took her in, nurtured her, educated her, protected her. In return, she gave each and every one of us a little bit of her heart."
"Some more than others," Beaman couldn't help but add with a smile and a chuckle as he gave a quick nod to Lee—who turned quite a bright shade of red.
"And I thank the gods for that every day, Efraim, believe me," Lee responded sincerely, then gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek.
"But in all seriousness . . . We did teach her, as Francine so eloquently put it, to 'use her claws and fangs.' We taught her how to survive in the jungle of the intelligence world. She's now a full-fledged agent, out on her own, and I couldn't be more proud of her." That last comment earned him a peck on the cheek from her this time.
"Many times partners have codenames that relate to each other in some way, although that's not always the case. Since mine dates back to the Oz network, we had to rule out any direct references to Baum's book. But that doesn't mean that we can't use his characters as an inspiration. You all know the story. You all know that the lion, while described as 'cowardly,' possessed the most courage of all. Well, that's our Amanda. She doesn't think of herself as courageous, but we all know she is. She's faced some pretty tough situations out there—many of them at the hands of my enemies—and never thought twice about the danger. She just proceeds to talk them into submission with one of her rambles." That last comment earned him a resounding smack on the chest from his wife!
It was Francine's turn again. "Several years ago there was an orphaned lion cub that was taken in by a couple living on the African plains. Some of you may have seen the movie that was made based on the story—BORN FREE. That little lion cub was taken in and nurtured. Then she was taught to use her 'claws and fangs' in anticipation of her release back into the wild—much like Amanda here has been nurtured by us and taught by us."
"While the lioness didn't become part of the pride in the usual way, she eventually became a valued member of the community—much like Amanda," added Billy.
"That little lion cub would have died out on the plain if it weren't for the help of some loving friends. Those same friends taught her the skills she needed to survive in the wild. And while no one thought she could do it, she learned to use her 'claws and fangs'—much like my partner," continued Lee. "The little cub became a lioness, found a mate, raised a family, and became a valued member of the pride. That little lion cub, turned lioness, was named 'Elsa.' With that story in mind, we have settled on the codename 'Elsa' for Amanda Stetson."
The crowd in the bullpen erupted in a thunderous round of applause. The chant of "speech, speech" was promptly quieted by 'Elsa.'
"Wow . . . oh my gosh . . . For once I think I'm speechless." There were definitely tears in her eyes as she looked out over the crowd.
Francine couldn't help herself. "I never thought I'd see the day!" she laughed, as everyone else joined in.
Seeing her opening, she reached to the desk behind her and handed Amanda a brightly wrapped present. "Here's just a little something from Billy and me to commemorate the occasion," she said.
Amanda quickly removed the wrapping to find a video of the BORN FREE movie as well as a cassette of the soundtrack with its well-known song. "How appropriate! I know I've seen the movie, but it was years ago. And I just love the song. I know the boys have never seen the movie. There will be no squabbling on our next family movie night; this is it right here!" she exclaimed as she held the tape up for all to see.
"The boys are really excited to find out what their mom's codename is, too," added Lee. "Ever since they learned about the Agency . . . and 'Scarecrow' . . . they've been bugging her. I told them on Friday night that they just had to wait a little longer. They threatened to torture it out of me, but I simply reminded them that I've withstood more than two teenage boys can inflict. The movie will help them understand why 'Elsa' is so appropriate." Lee quickly reached behind the closest divider and presented his wife with a dozen long-stemmed red roses. As he gave her a little kiss, he whispered a quiet "your other present is waiting up in the Q Bureau" in her ear.
"Thank you, everyone; I couldn't ask for a better codename or more thoughtful friends," Amanda exclaimed as she started to blush.
As the crowd in the bullpen began to disburse, small groups kept coming up to Amanda. It seemed that everyone wanted to personally congratulate her.
As the last of the well-wishers took their leave, she quickly looked around for Lee. She had seen him head into Billy's office earlier but wasn't sure where he had gotten to from there.
After a knock on Billy's door, she entered without waiting for a response. Her instincts had been right—Lee and Francine were with Billy. All three were in the midst of a chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked with a smile.
"Oh, we were just talking about our codenames and what fun we had Friday night at Randy's," responded Lee.
"I don't believe I've ever heard your codename, Sir," commented Amanda. "On the other hand, I know all about yours, 'Princess,'" she grinned at Francine.
Billy gave Lee and Francine a pointed look. "That's 'Need to Know' Amanda, and you don't have a need to know."
"Ah, come on Billy! If you don't tell her now, you know I'll just tell her when we leave your office. We don't keep secrets anymore, do we?" Lee asked as he smiled at his wife.
"No, Sweetheart, we don't." She just grinned at Billy and waited expectantly.
"Oh, alright . . . You can tell her later, Scarecrow. Now all three of you get out of here. As soon as you've made sure there's nothing pending on your desks, you can all take the rest of the day off. Now just leave me in peace," he said as he motioned toward the door.
"Don't know about you two, but I don't have to be told twice," chuckled Francine. "See you tomorrow!"
They all left the office, and Lee and Amanda headed toward the elevator-Lee's hand in its usual spot at the small of Amanda's back. Once they entered the relative privacy of the elevator, she gave him another kiss. "That's for giving me such a lovely codename. It's also for giving such an eloquent speech a little while ago in the bullpen. Having you for a partner and husband makes me the luckiest agent in the world!"
"You know I can't take all the credit for the codename. In fact, it was actually Francine's suggestion. I just helped steer the discussion in the right direction."
"Well, whoever is responsible, I couldn't be happier with it!"
As the elevator doors opened, Mrs. Marston added her congratulations to 'Elsa.' News had always traveled fast, and Mrs. Marston was nothing if not efficient in finding out all the agency's secrets!
Lee and Amanda made their way up the steps to the Q Bureau. As Lee had done a few years ago, he quickly turned the lock on the Bureau's door and took his wife in his arms for a much more passionate kiss.
When they came up for air, he asked her to close her eyes and hold out her hand. He quietly opened his desk drawer, took out her other present, and placed it in her hand.
"Oh, Lee, it's exquisite," she exclaimed as she held up a small lion cub made of Austrian crystal. "Where did you ever get it!"
"That, my dear, is 'need to know,'" he replied with a chuckle. "But I do have my ways. It helps that the Colonel is stationed in Vienna at the moment. A quick phone call to him with the address of this little shop I remembered on the square, a big favor from some of his buddies at the air base, and the rest, as we say, is history. By the way, the Colonel sends his congratulations, too. He's extremely proud of you and that new codename of yours! So am I, if I've forgotten to say it!"
"Why thank you, kind sir. And speaking of 'Need to Know' . . . just what is Billy's codename? It must be something good if he wants to keep it a secret."
"Well, you've heard his belly laughs, right? His first partner was fairly tall and skinny and already had the codename 'Laurel' . . . "
"No . . .they didn't!" she exclaimed. But she knew it could only be one thing. "Hardy? Really? Mind you, it fits. But now I understand all the secrecy! Heaven help him if Beaman or Fielder ever get wind of it. He would never live it down."
"That's why all the secrecy. You, Francine and I are the only ones that know, so if it somehow gets out, there will be hell to pay for the three of us."
"Don't worry; my lips are sealed! But it is hysterical," she giggled. The next time she heard Billy's laugh, however, she knew it was going to be extremely difficult to keep a straight face.
"Hey, I know our desks are clear; we wrapped up everything on that last case on Friday. How about we get out of here before Billy changes his mind about giving us the rest of the day off, huh? The boys are at school, and Mother is on an all-day trip to Baltimore with her gardening club. We have the house to ourselves for several hours," she said with a smile.
"Why whatever will we do with several hours of peace and quiet?" he questioned with a wriggle of his eyebrows and a dimpled grin.
"Oh, I'm sure we can think of something," she said as she grabbed his tie and pulled him in for another kiss.
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A family meeting was called right after dinner that night in the King/Stetson household. The boys—and Dotty—had been told to wait until then for the big announcement.
Once everyone was seated in the family room, Lee officially began the meeting. "I just want this entire family to know how extremely proud I am of Amanda. While it took her a few years to begin to receive proper agent training, she has come through all the courses with flying colors. Her first five assignments were also completed without incident—quite an achievement for a rookie agent."
"You can hardly call me a rookie agent, Sweetheart. I've been working with you for six years now," she reminded him.
"Yes, but technically you are still a rookie. You should know better than to argue with the senior agent," he reminded her with a grin.
"It was my pleasure today to bestow Amanda with the codename 'Elsa.' Now before you question me about that . . . "
"Oh, I think I know," exclaimed Dotty. "Amanda, is he referring to the lioness from that wonderful movie? It was such a hit in the theaters. And the theme song climbed the charts. I remember going to see it with you and your daddy when it first came out. Do you remember, Amanda? It's all you talked about for days. You were so taken with the story of that little cub. And to think that it was a true story, too!"
Lee just shook his head at the Dotty ramble. This was actually one time he didn't mind; the ramble had given him some information that Amanda had failed to tell him! "Why didn't you say something, Amanda? I knew you were familiar with the story, but I didn't realize it was one of your favorites. That makes the choice even more special," he added.
"Sorry . . . I was planning on telling you later." She simply gave her husband a heartstopping smile.
"I'm hoping," she said as she looked at each of the boys in turn, "that you boys can wait a little longer for the full explanation of the codename. As you can see, we have a special movie night planned for Friday," she said as she held up the video tape for everyone to see.
"Ah, you mean we have to wait some more," complained Philip.
"Come on, Mom," added Jaime. "We know it's a school night, but our homework is done, and it's only 7 o'clock. Couldn't we watch it tonight?!"
After silently conferring with Lee, she nodded her head. "Ok fellas, but you have to promise me that there will be no grumbling in the morning when you have to get up for school. No missed buses, promise?"
"All right!" they both exclaimed.
"I'll go get the popcorn started," Dotty added as she headed toward the kitchen.
Lee turned on the TV and put in the tape as everyone settled back to enjoy the story of Elsa's journey on the African plain.
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As the movie ended, sniffles could be heard coming from both Amanda and Dotty. Even Amanda's three men were moved by the story.
"While I can't go into too many details of what was said at work today, I can hope that you see the similarities in Elsa and Amanda," Lee said. "Both have definitely learned to become independent, strong individuals. You also know my codename, right?" he asked as he looked at Dotty and the boys.
All three heads just nodded.
"Lee's 'Scarecrow' was taken directly from The Wizard of Oz," added Amanda. "They wanted something that tied into Oz but was not a direct reference."
"But what does Elsa have to do with Oz," asked Dotty.
Amanda started to blush. "Well . . . it's a reference to the Cowardly Lion, Mother." She looked at Lee for support, and all eyes turned to the Scarecrow.
"Let me see if I can explain without revealing any national secrets," Lee chuckled. "Think about the story of Oz. While the lion is described as 'cowardly,' he is actually the bravest of the bunch. And that's Amanda. While she doesn't think she's brave, she has more courage than most of our agents in the field—myself included." With that, he gave her one of his dazzling dimpled smiles.
"Wow, Mom, that's really cool," said Phillip.
"Way to go, Mom," added Jaime.
"Thank you, boys! Now it's definitely time for bed. You both have school tomorrow, remember?"
"Ahh . . . Mom . . . ," both boys said together as they both gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then headed up the stairs.
Dotty took her cue from her grandsons and headed up the stairs, too. "It's been a long day. Plus I think it's time I left you two alone. Good night Elsa and Scarecrow," she said with a smile.
"Well, Elsa, we're alone at last. Whatever will we do?" Lee asked with a wink at his beautiful wife.
"I have no idea," she responded innocently. But the wicked grin on her face told a different story as she grabbed his shirt to pull him closer. "You know, Francine reminded me that I now have 'claws and fangs.' Seems to me that those two things might just be deadly to a Scarecrow's straw stuffing."
"I can't think of a more pleasant way to go," he said softly as he gently picked her up in his arms and headed for the stairs.