Mission of Gold: A Little Truth Anyone?
The story takes place season 4, episode 17, Mission of Gold. Everything that happens after the shooting is AU, my take on what Lee might have said and done once Amanda was shot.
Lee held his head down on Amanda's lap as she lay there unconscious. What was supposed to be the beginning of their life together and a visit to an old and dear friend turned out to be a catastrophe. Amanda took a bullet in the chest that was ironically enough, not from a case.
At this stage in the game, the doctors weren't sure whether or not Amanda would make it. As Lee sat next to her, he thought about all the "what ifs". What if she didn't make it? What if he had to tell her mother? How would or could he explain to her that he and Amanda had married and eloped without telling anyone? How would Amanda feel knowing that God forbid, she died and her mother didn't know about their marriage? Should he wait and tell Dotty when she arrived or should he go ahead and call and tell her now or not tell her at all?
"Amanda, honey, what do you want me to do? I know you've hated all the lies you've told your mother over the years and even though we decided to keep our marriage a secret, this…" Lee said in a hoarse whisper as he waved his hand out before him, "may make it necessary to come clean."
It was with all these thoughts that Lee decided that he should try and catch Dotty before she left for the airport. Lee glanced at his watch.
Dotty sorrowfully stared at the clock as she looked outside once again, as she anticipated the arrival of her cab that would take her to the airport. Please hurry! She prayed. Poor Amanda! What exactly was she doing in California? Amanda had been so secretive about where she was going when she'd left for some time, she said, to bealone. She'd speculated that she and Lee had planned something together, but when Dotty got the phone call that Amanda had been shot, she'd been blown away. Who would want to harm her Amanda? As she was thinking these thoughts, the phone rang, and she snatched it up eagerly.
"Lee? My God, did something happen? I'm on my way, just waiting for the cab to arrive. The boys are-"
"Dotty, she's still the same, nothing's changed. But there's something that I want, no…I need to tell you before you arrive. It's just in case—"
"Lee, don't say it, don't even think it, Amanda is a fighter, she will be fine."
That's true; his Amanda definitely was a fighter, but just in case. "Yes, Dotty, she is a fighter, but I need to tell you this, anyway…"
"Okay, Lee, what is it?"
"You know, well…that Amanda and I actually went away on vacation together," Lee began slowly.
"Yeah, I already guessed that even before you went away and then of course once you phoned earlier, it was clear."
"Yes, but, what you don't know is that Amanda and I actually eloped. We got married a few days before we left and came to California."
"Lee, are you joking? Now isn't the time to joke about something so serious."
"No, I'm telling the truth. I just wanted to tell you, in case, well…please don't be too angry with us, with Amanda, it was all my idea which I can explain to you later."
"Lee, I am so hurt and angry, I don't know what to say—" Dotty's words cut off, as she heard a horn honking from outside her front door. "Lee, I think that's the cab," Dotty said slowly, trying her best to process what she had just been told. "I'm glad you told me, we will talk when I get there."
Dotty hung up the phone, grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
Dotty stood outside of Amanda's hospital room and watched as Lee sat by Amanda's bed, his head leaned forward, his hand in hers. She'd watched him the last few days go from being anxious to angry to being elated when he rushed in earlier today to find that Amanda was in fact in the clear and would be alright.
She had to admit, that when she first heard they had eloped, she was angry. All the way to California, her mood had gone from angry to worry, every thought imaginable in her head. She and Lee had only talked briefly since she'd arrived and that was mostly about Amanda's condition. She couldn't think of any reason why they felt the need to elope, though the secrecy surrounding the vacation made more sense now. What she did know, was that from the way Lee acted over the past several days that he was deeply in love with Amanda. The important thing was that Amanda was well. They could wait until she was feeling a little better to talk more about why she and Lee decided to elope and not tell her family about it. Did anyone else know about the marriage or had they decided to keep everyone out of the loop too? What about Lee's family, didn't he have an uncle and what about the people at this IFF, the film company?
Lee sat in what was now "his spot", in a chair next to Amanda's bed at the hospital. Although she wasn't completely out of the woods, she was more alert and was able to remain awake for longer periods. Lee hadn't told Amanda that he'd told Dotty about their marriage yet. Now, as he sat holding her hand, Lee wondered if whether or not now was the best time to tell her or not. "Amanda?"
"Yes, Lee?"
"You know that your mother is here?"
"Yes, I saw her earlier when I opened my eyes, "Amanda replied quietly.
"When you were first shot," Lee began, "and I didn't know whether you were going to, going to—" Lee nearly choked on the words, still remembering how he felt when thought he was going to lose Amanda.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Amanda encouraged Lee, gently rubbing his hand.
"I told your mother, about our marriage."
Amanda's eyes brightened, growing larger, lit up in surprise. "Lee?" Amanda questioned, her expression conveying her confusion.
"Amanda, I know we said that we'd wait, that we'd keep our marriage a secret but I thought it was important, that someone knew. No, that's not true, I thought it was important for your mother to know."
"It's okay."
"How did she take it?"
"She was surprised, upset—over the phone. We haven't talked about it in detail yet." Lee caressed the back of Amanda's hand with his fingertips. "But I think she will understand."
Amanda nodded her head.
"You're not angry? That I told her?"
"No, I'm actually kind of glad you did."
"Me, too," Lee brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "Next, I guess, we have to tell her about our jobs."
"Yeah," Amanda closed her eyes.
"I love you, Mrs. Stetson!"
"I love you too," Amanda yawned, "Mr. Stetson!"
Once Amanda was asleep, Lee slipped out of the room, back out into the waiting room, where Dotty was waiting, sitting patiently.
"How is she doing?" Dotty asked.
"She's resting," Lee responded.
"You look like you could use some rest yourself. Amanda's in the clear now. Why don't you go back to your friend's place and get—"
"No, I'd rather wait a little while longer, you and I haven't had a chance to talk," Lee began, but Dotty cut him off.
"That can wait!" Dotty answered back putting her hands up.
"No, I'd like to talk to you now, if I can," Lee said matter-of-factly as he looked around the semi-crowded waiting room. "How about we go down to the cafeteria and grab some coffee and maybe something to eat. Amanda will kill me if she finds out I haven't been eating."
Dotty nodded her head in agreement as she stood up and followed Lee to the elevators. Several minutes later, they were seated in a discreet corner, two sandwiches and two cups of coffee before them. Neither of them had an appetite, yet they took a few bites anyway.
"So, Lee, why did you and Amanda feel you couldn't trust me enough to tell me that you were getting married?"
"First of all, I want you to know that I love Amanda! I've never felt for another person the way I feel about Amanda. She is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
I know that you love Amanda, Lee! Any fool or blind man can see that!"
"I can't tell you the reason for the secret marriage, not just yet. That'll have to wait for another day, but I promise you this, the reason for all the secrecy had nothing to do with you or the boys.
"But you can't tell me what it has to do with, but I'm supposed to trust you?" Dotty asked.
"Yes!" Lee answered as he reached out and placed his hand upon Dotty's.
Dotty looked at Lee and for some reason that she couldn't completely understand, felt completely at ease and at peace about trusting Lee.
"Amanda and I love each other very much and wanted to start our lives together, properly. We were going to wait for the boys to get a little more used to the idea of me, get to know me better before we then had a more traditional ceremony."
"Well, I can see why you'd want the boys to get to know you better, but," she threw up her hands and asked, "Can you tell me anything? Can you tell me about your wedding?"
"That I can tell you," Lee answered and began to tell her about his and Amanda's simple ceremony and honeymoon plans before the shooting. They sat in the cafeteria for a while, just talking about the wedding ceremony and Amanda in general.
Lee was happy that Amanda was doing better and he was happy that he'd told his mother-in-law about their wedding. It really helped to have someone to talk to, someone that knew Amanda too. Now, once she was feeling betterand able to return home, the two of them would be able to go on with their lives with their family, without all the secrets.
"Lee, thanks for telling me, about the wedding. I'm glad that you did."
"So am I!" Next, we'll have to talk about what it is we do for a living, but that can wait for another day. Lee thought to himself.
Author's Notes: This story was written because I have a true love of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I rediscovered it over a year ago and I have been enthralled with it ever since. I hope that you, the reader, will take the story as it was written, just for fun! This has been Beta read by two people. Any errors not caught, I take total responsibility for!