Who Now?
Scarecrow and Mrs. King do not belong to me they are owned by Warner Bros. And shoot the Moon Productions, I just like to pretend that they are still around and carry on their story.
They were walking slowly down the street, talking about the upcoming long weekend. They stopped, Lee took Amanda's hands and said, "Amanda, what do you say we head up to Pine Top and spend our long weekend by a roaring fire." He winked and gave her that killer dimpled smile. Amanda moved her hands up his lapels and around his neck, pulled him in for a kiss, and whispered in his ear, "The skiing is horrible now, so we may have to find something else to keep us occupied, are you up for that?" Lee pulled her closer, where she could feel his growing erection, "I am definitely up for that." Kissing him hard and grinding him a little, "you most definitely are." They didn't notice the black car creeping in on them, before they could react the men had grabbed Amanda and with a gun to her head they told Lee, "If you want your beautiful wife to live, slowly give me your gun and get in the car." Lee handed the men his gun and got in the car, Amanda was shoved in after him, the men got in the car and sped off. Little did they know that a member of Lee's family saw the whole incidence and jotted down the license plate and called IFF.
Across town the black car with its occupants pulled into an abandoned warehouse. The men got out and forced Lee and Amanda out, Lee was looking around trying to figure out where he was and who had taken them. As they were being led (or pushed as it may be) through the building Lee had counted 6 men besides the 2 that grabbed them, the odds were against them and not looking good. Just then, Amanda stumbled and Lee grabbed her to steady her, "are you OK?" Before she could answer, one man grabbed Lee and pushed him further down the hall, as one of the other men roughly grabbed Amanda and slapped her, "KEEP UP!" he shouted at her and shoved her down the hall after Lee. Lee was furious, trying to break free at get to his wife. "Let her go! Amanda are you OK?" As another man punched him and once again pushed them down the hall to what would be their cell. As they were roughly shoved into the room, Amanda asked, "Who are you? What do you want with us?" The bigger man stepped up and replied, "our employer will be here soon, he will explain everything." He grabbed Amanda by the chin and stroked her cheek, "such a shame, I am sorry."
Lee was shouting, "leave her alone." Two of the men were holding him another stepped up and punched him in the stomach and Lee dropped to his knees. The large man stepped over to Lee and said "you will not try to escape, you will keep quiet and follow directions. I understand you may need something to keep you occupied and I will give you that", as another man brought some cloths, antiseptic, food and water into the room and set them on the table beside the small cot in the corner of the room. As he walked back over to Amanda, who was now quiet and fearful about what was going to happen to them. The man once again took her chin roughly in his hand, "so beautiful, maybe when our employer is finished, he may let me have you. I am sorry, but you and your husband are just too good for your own good. (As he looked to Lee who was still struggling to get to Amanda) looking to Lee, this may keep you out of trouble and out of my hair until our employer gets here," he pulls back his hand and slaps her across the face, balls his fist punches her hard, twice in the stomach and with the next blow Amanda's world went black and she fell to the floor where he then kicked her in the ribs. Lee was released as the men exited the room and Lee gathered his wife in his arms and gently carried her to the cot and began to tenderly care for his bloodied wife.
"Amanda, please wake up." He softly spoke to her as he cleaned her wounds. "We will get out of here, I promise and that man will pay for hurting you. When we get home, we need to pick up where we left off. I am so sorry about this, I shouldn't have let my guard down on the street, this is all my fault." Lee didn't know how much time had passed, it seemed like years as he sat there holding her hand talking to her. The men were right, he wasn't thinking of ways to escape, Amanda was in no condition to go anywhere just yet. He sat quietly talking to her, stroking her face waiting for her to awaken, he needed to see those beautiful brown eyes, then together they would get out and he would make the man pay. He was lost in thoughts when he heard Amanda moan and began to stir. "Come on Amanda, wake up. Come on, baby." "Lee." He smiled at her as he watched her eyes open, "hey" he softly said. "Hey" she said back. "How long..(gasp).. have I….(gasp).. been out?" He brushed her hair away from her face, "I haven't paid attention, I was worried about you. How are you feeling?" "I'm OK!" Amanda whispered, trying desperately to hide the pain she knew was showing in her eyes, she moved to sit up and the deep breath she took was not lost on Lee. "Amanda, you need to take it easy. I don't think you have broken ribs but I don't want you to hurt yourself more." He helped her sit up, then he began to search the room for something he could use to help get them out of there.
As he was beginning their search the door opened and one of their captors walked in," Ah! I see you are awake, Mrs. King or should I address you as Mrs. Stetson?" Lee stepped between the man and Amanda, Amanda pushed herself against the wall, "leave her alone." Lee hissed. Taking a step back, the man replied, "Ah! Mr. Stetson, don't worry she is safe, for now at least. You will not try anything just yet, as I believe your beautiful wife is not up to travel at the moment, bide your time I will be back soon, my employer wishes me to apologize for his tardiness, he will be with us soon." Taking a step towards Amanda, Lee once again moved between them, laughing the man retreated out the door. Lee was once again at Amanda's side, taking her hand, lifting her chin to look at him he was rewarded with a small smile, "hey, are you OK?" Amanda nodded, "yea! I just …want to get…. out of here." Her breathing strained she went to try to stand, she collapsed back on the cot, tears streaming down her face, "hurts." Lee was gently wiping them away, "easy, I said I didn't think your ribs were broken, please take it easy." Amanda nodded and allowed Lee to gently help her lie down. Lee was searching the room, trying to figure out a way to get through the door when bout of coughing by Amanda brought him back to her side. Lee eased her to a semi reclined position, rubbed her back until the coughing stopped, Amanda leaned against him heavily, "hurts to breathe." It was them that he saw the faint tinge of blood around her lips and a small drop at the corner of her mouth. He took the cloth and some fresh water wiped her face, cleaning the blood away before she saw.
He sat on the edge of the cot, looking at her while she slept, he brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face careful not to touch the bruises that covered the side of her face. Lee was happy she had dozed off, the pain in her eyes was more than he could bear, he knew she was hiding just how much pain she was in. He smiled as he looked at this brave beautiful woman, who he loved more than anything, the urge to touch her over powered him. As he softly touched the bruised face of his wife, her eyes fluttered open, she opened her eyes to speak but he quieted her with a finger to her lips. "Shhh! Don't try to talk, I think coughing may have made those ribs finish breaking. Try to stay still, I don't want you to make your injuries any worse. OK!" Amanda shook her head, and Lee placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. Lee was letting Amanda rest while he searched the room for something he could use as a weapon when their captors burst into the room grabbed him and started shoving him out the door, "time to move, we had some unwanted visitors, moving to a new location." Lee came to a halt when he heard Amanda cry out, he turned around to see them almost dragging her across the room. "Please, let me help her. She is hurt and can barely move. Please!" "Fine! (as he shoved Amanda toward Lee and she fell to the ground, the man walks by, kicks her and laughs) make it quick Stetson, we leave in a few minutes." Lee goes over to where Amanda lay on the floor, kneels down and rolls her over, "Lee" "hey, you OK?" She shook her head and he gently picked her up and followed the men out of the building, places her in the door of the van, climbs over her and pulls her into the van and settles her against his chest. She pats his hand, "I'm OK Lee, really. I.." with that she began coughing. Her whole body convulsed with each cough, to Lee it seemed she was coughing up a lung and the more she coughed the more worried he became about the woman he loved. As the coughing subsided, Amanda gasped as she looked into her hands that were now covered in blood, Lee reaches in his pocket and pull out his handkerchief and wipes her hands and kisses her temple. He pulls her more solidly against him as she drifts off to sleep as he prays a silent prayer, 'please let someone find us before it's too late.'
Thirty minutes later the van pulled up to another warehouse, the doors opened and the men with guns ordered Lee and Amanda out. Lee scooted towards the door and pulled Amanda with him, he stepped out the door and gently picked her up and carried her where the men led them. They were pushed into another dark room with a cot and table, this room did have a chair, he was glad of that. He lay Amanda down on the cot and covered her with the light blanket, pulled the chair beside the cot and sat, taking is vigil over the sleeping woman. He must have dozed off, because he was awakened by Amanda's moans, he brushed the hair away from her forehead, frowning when he realized she was beginning to feel warm. She turned into his touch and opened her eyes, now glassy from fever. "I don't feel so well, Lee." He leans down and lightly kisses her, "I know baby, I'm going to get us out of here and get you to the hospital." Amanda smiles and nods her head as her eyes drift closed. "Damn!" he shouts, standing on the chair to try to see out, maybe get someone's attention to get help. The alley was empty and the windows are to small and high to get out. Lee starts banging on the door, "show your face, you son of a b…." the door swung open and in walked Sinclair, "the two of you cost me years in prison, not to mention $100,000 dollars. But you see the buyer still wants Amanda, and now he even wants to buy you Mr. Stetson. Seems he wants to use you as a servant and has plans for a little torture since you have soiled his property. But it will be a couple days before he can pick up the two of you, we do need time for Amanda to heal some although it was his idea to keep you both from escaping. Now I have food and water, I need to keep you healthy." Lee steps up to Sinclair, "You, sorry piece of crap. Look at her she needs medical attention, I think her ribs are broken, she's getting hot and she's coughing up blood. Please, do what you want with me. Please, I'm begging, help her." Sinclair turns to one of the men, check her out, this may be one of their tricks." One man guarded Lee while another went to check on Amanda, "Miss..Miss.. wake up." He shakes her and when that didn't get a response he slaps her hard and when she still didn't move, he felt her head. "Man, she is burning up. Something is wrong, I think she really needs help." Sinclair turned to one of the men, "Tony, I need you to contact Dr. Waters tell him what is going on and you will pick him up at the drop point, NOW! Mr. Stetson, please pick up your wife and follow me."
Lee gently picked up his wife, tucked her head under his chin and followed Sinclair to another room, this one much more comfortable and warm, there was a window with light streaming through. They bring some blankets in and some fresh water and towels, they cuffed Lee to the bedpost. "Care for your wife Stetson, a doctor will be here later, if she dies you die." Lee wiped her face with the cool water, cooling her skin and washing the blood away, "It's OK Amanda, help is coming. Hang on, please, just hang on." He brushes the hair away from her face and places a soft kiss on her forehead. He sat trying to cool her hot skin and holding her hand begging her to hold on just a little while longer.
While back at the agency they were getting closer to finding the missing agents. The first warehouse was a bust but evidence showed they were just a step behind them and their captors. As they searched the rooms they found the small room where Lee and Amanda had been kept, they found blood and tucked in the side of the cot was a half rake and on the floor a button from a lady's blouse. "Billy, one of them is hurt. I hope not seriously but probably enough to keep the other compliant." "Spread out people, talk to anyone you can find, we need to find our people. NOW GO!" The other agents took off, soon Fielder and Beamon came back with news of a vehicle and partial partial plate. Billy says to the others, "Let's get back to the agency, run those plates and hope something turns up."
Back in the warehouse, Lee is still talking to Amanda trying to keep her cool and comfortable, talking to her to keep himself awake, he is figuring it has been about 52 hours since they were taken. He was exhausted but he dares not sleep, he had to stay awake for Amanda, just then he felt a slight pressure on his hand and looked in to those beautiful brown eyes that were once again open. "Hey there big fella, what ya doing in a place like this?" "Aww just hanging around waiting for my partner to wake up, thought I would take her to this nice place and all she does is want to sleep" he leans down and places a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. She takes his hand, "Lee, you need to try to get out, go for help. I am in no condition to leave and I can't help you so you need to go." Lee brings her hand to his lips and kisses her fingers, "Amanda Stetson, you listen to me. When the time comes I can get us out I will get us both out together. I am not leaving you here alone, you're hurt and need someone to keep an eye on you. I don't want those broken ribs to puncture a lung. So, someone has to make sure you lay still and be good." She looks at him, eyes glassy from her fever he has the feeling that she is not really seeing him. She squeezes his hand, nods and closes her eyes. He kisses her forehead and once again prayed for the woman who held is heart in the palm of the hand he was holding.
Lee was almost asleep, when the door opening alerted him to the captors returning, hoping they were bringing the doctor. His prayers were realized when in walks a man in a white coat and a medical bag. He sits the bag and the table, pulls out some instruments and began examining the injured woman. With Sinclair in the corner watching he finished his exam, "she has broken ribs, I feel they are pushing against her lungs, any sudden move could puncture a ling and she would not be able to breath. She can't be moved right now, some of the injuries are becoming infected, I can start an IV and give her some antibiotics, pain medicine and fever reducer. Make her comfortable and keep her warm. I would say bedrest for at least 5 days. I'll wrap her ribs, it should help breathing more comfortable for her too. I'll leave supplies and instructions for her care and be back in 3 days to check on her." He gathers his belongings and leaves the supplies and instructions and turns to leave.
Lee cleans her wounds, wakes her to drink and eat some soup that had been brought in for them, it was barely enough for one but he stretched it to enough for the next 2 days. He sleeps on and off between dressing changes and giving her medicine and making her eat, barely eating himself, he had to save it for Amanda, she needed her strength. She was still in so much pain and the fever was still high, no worse but there and he was getting more worried. He was losing hope that they would be found. He woke her and tried to get her to drink some water, she shook her head, and softly said, "you need to eat and drink too" her voice no more than a whisper. Lee takes her hand and kisses her fingers, "I will, just as soon as you have some, ok." The door rattled and opened, in walks Sinclair and the doctor, the doctor checks Amanda over and says, "she needs a hospital, she needs more than I can provide her here." He turns and leaves, leaving Sinclair, Lee and Amanda alone in the room, "well then" Sinclair says as he walks near them, Lee moves between him and Amanda, "well then, since my employer can't have Amanda he wants neither. So, I dislike the messiness of shooting you both, I'll leave the two of you here, the building is to be destroyed day after tomorrow, and the world will finally be rid of 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King or Mrs. Stetson now, good riddance." He leaves locks the door and soon Lee can hear the sounds of men packing, doors slamming, cars speeding away. Now he could use the lock pick and get himself out of these cuffs and find a way out for himself and Amanda and get her to a hospital.
Soon it was reported to Billy that cars matching the description of the ones from the other warehouse and the plate matched the one from Lee's 'family', Billy called in the teams from the field and sent them to the new location. The warehouse was soon surrounded, medical crews were on standby and the van with Billy soon pulled up. Billy gave everyone their instructions and then began to call the teams, "Blue Team ready." A static came over the radio. Confirmed, blue team ready. The same went with the other teams, when all teams had checked in ready Billy called "GO! GO! GO!" the teams began to file in through all entrances. Upstairs Lee heard all the commotion and thought the worst, he tried to listen to see what was happening. Just then, he heard the knob being turned and stepped back ready to fight the captor and try to get them out of the and get Amanda to help. To his surprise and relief, the first person through the door was Francine, "Oh my gosh! Francine, you got to get medical up here, now." Francine turns to see a still and beaten Amanda asleep or unconscious, she wasn't sure, on the small bed. Francine called in to Billy, "Billy, the warehouse is clear, we need medical in here now, second floor last room on the right, Blue team leader, out." Soon medical and Billy was in the room, everyone stepped back and let medical do their job. Soon Amanda was loaded on the stretcher and carried to the waiting ambulance with Lee right behind. Lee held her hand and talked to here all the way to the hospital, as they wheeled her into the ER, the doctor stops Lee. "Lee give us time to check her out, she is really sick, please." Lee nods his understanding, and moves to the waiting room, there was a phone call to make. He moves to the phones and dials the number on Maplewood, as he was waiting for her to answer Billy came up and stood by him. "Hi Dotty, it's Lee. Yea, we're back. It's Amanda, she's in the hospital. I don't know yet, she's really sick right now. OK, see ya soon." Lee hung up the phone and turned to talk to Billy, "they just took her back…" Just then Lee collapsed against the wall and slid down to the floor. "I need some help over here, NOW!" Billy shouted.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Was the first sounds Lee heard as he came back into consciousness. A moan from him brought a woman to his bedside, A woman who had been stands a vigil between two hospital beds, in one bed her daughter in the other, a man who over the last year had come to love, not only as her daughter's husband but as a son. She brushed the hair away from his forehead, "Manda" he mumbled. "No, Lee. It's Dotty. Take it easy." His eyes popped open and he sat up quickly, almost immediately regretting that movement. "Dotty, how's Amanda? Where is she?" Laying her palm against his cheek, "Lee, she is just fine. She is responding well to the antibiotics; her fever broke late last night and she woke up a couple hours ago when the doctor came in to check on you two. She is sleeping now, look" she stepped to the side so Lee could see his sleeping wife in the bed next to his. Lee looked confused, "Last night? a few hours? How long have I been out?" "Lee, you've been unconscious for about 38 hours. You collapsed in the waiting room. You were extremely dehydrated and exhausted. Did you eat, drink anything or sleep the 6 days the two of you were missing?" "Very little, I wanted to give as much as possible to Amanda, she needed energy, fuel to heal and her fever was so high I tried to use what I could to keep her cool." He slowly sat up, then stood on wobbly legs, "Lee, you need to rest," said a worried Dotty. The need to touch her, feel for himself her fever was gone, to feel her pulse was over powering. Leaning heavily on Dotty, Lee made his way over to Amanda's bed. "Amanda" he whispered, it sounded like a prayer to Dotty. He pushed some stray curls away from her face and tucked the hair behind her ear. He was rewarded with her eyes opening and a beautiful sleepy smile. "Lee" she took his hand and laid it against her cheek. He leans down and places a soft kiss on her lips. "Hey beautiful." She looks into his hazel eyes and he could swear into his soul, "are you OK, Lee when I woke up and saw you lying there I was so scared." He takes her hand, wraps both his large hands around her smaller one, "I'm fine now that you are ok. You had me so scared you weren't going to make it out of that warehouse, that neither of us were." "We made it out of there, we are alive and together and that is all that matters," she pulls his hand to her lips and places a kiss on his knuckle. He leans in to place another kiss on her lips and gently pulls her into his arms for a hug.
Amanda glances over his shoulder at her mother who was silently watching the interaction between the two of them. With tears in her eyes she gives Amanda a smile and turns to quietly leave the two alone. She would thank the heavens every day for sending Lee Stetson into her daughter's life, she had wanted nothing more for her than to have someone love her like Lee did and she loved the way he stepped in and was becoming a wonderful father to Phillip and Jaime, under his direction and love they were becoming fine young men. Lee nuzzled her neck for a moment and placed her gently back onto her bed, "Yes, Amanda we both are ok, safe and alive." Amanda smiles and says, "No Lee, not the both of us," she takes his hand and places it on her abdomen, "No Lee, it's not both of us, the THREE of us are alive, safe and very much OK." She looked into those beautiful hazel eyes that were now brimming with unshed tears, he smiles the most beautiful smile, and whispers, "really?" With tears in her eyes too, "Yes, in about 7 ½ months we will be adding a little Stetson to the household." "I love you Amanda, I don't know what to say, thank you for giving me this wonderful family and thank you for loving me and not giving up on me years ago." With that he places another kiss on her lips and then moves and bends down and places a kiss on her abdomen, "I love you too baby Stetson, I love you." As he stands once more a single tear makes it way down his cheek.