Disclaimer- Scarecrow and Mrs. King is property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I do not own the characters. :-)
Author's Notes: I'm not sure how good this particular section is. It's kind of iffy, so please gimme feedback!
[i]It's tearing up my heart,
When I'm with you.
But when we are apart,
I feel it too.
And no matter what I do,
I feel the pain.
With or without you.
-Backstreet Boys [/i]
"Katherine Elizabeth Stetson! Get down here right now! Your breakfast is getting cold." The angry voice of her mother came blaring over the intercom.
Katie rolled over in her bed and moaned. She threw back the covers, yawned, and dragged herself out of bed. She went out into the hall to see a sleepy eyed Joel standing in the middle of the it. Joel was one of the many foster children that the MacKenzies had taken care of over the years.
The four year old reached his arms up to her, and she scooped him up. "Morning, Joel."
He layed his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. Katie smiled and took the stairs down to the second floor, where she knew from so many days of doing this that her foster brother, seventeen year old Taylor, would still be in bed, the covers thrown over his head. She walked into his room and pulled them off of him.
"Come on, Tay. Time to get up. Mom fixed muffins. I can smell them. She's going to be mad if you don't get down stairs before they get cold."
He nodded and got up. "Let me have him." Taylor said, motioning to Joel. Katie handed him over. The three of them came downstairs to see seven other children in the MacKenzie house sitting at the table, eating and chattering.
"Morning Mom." Katie said, placing a kiss on her foster mother's cheek. Emma MacKenzie was not her real mother, but she might as well have been. For some legal reason Katie didn't understand, they couldn't adopt her or any other child. But she,as well as every other foster kid in the MacKenzie home, considered Roger and Emma MacKenzie to be their parents, and their foster kids to be brothers and sisters.
Katie felt two arms slip around her waist and pull her close. She smiled. "Hi Jake." He planted a kiss on her cheek. "G'morning, sis."
Katie turned around and returned his hug. Of all the eleven foster kids currently living in the MacKenzie household, she, Jake, and Matthew were the closest. It had been just them for twelve years, except for the occasional two week stay of some other foster kid. Then the MacKenzie's had bought a new three story house, and they now housed around ten foster kids.
"Well, I think we're all here, except..." Roger MacKenzie looked around the table.
Katie and Jake exchanged a grin. Matthew was always the last one up. Katie smiled. "I'll go get him."
Katie went up the stairs to the second floor. When she got outside Matthew's room, she could hear him snoring. Katie chuckled and opened the door. She flung a pillow at him. "Get up, Matt!"
He moaned and waved a hand dismisivly. She jumped on his bed, nearly landing on top of him. He groaned. "Katie..."
"Mom cooked muffins."
"Yeah, and I'll get some as soon as..."
"Matt! Get up."
He sighed and threw the covers off of him. "You sure know how to interrupt a perfectly good dream, you know that?"
Katie smiled. "What are little sisters for?"
He glared at her. She grinned. "Go eat something, Matt. Tell mom and dad I'm upstairs getting dressed."
Matt nodded. Katie turned to leave, but a hand on her arm stopped her. Matt held out his arms. Katie smiled and hugged him. "It didn't take you long to get in a better mood."
Matt just smiled.
Katie headed up to her room. Today, she started work at the agency. Only Roger and Emma knew, and she figured it was for the best. She checked her watch. She needed to be in Mr. Melrose's office at ten that morning. It was nine thirty.
Katie finished getting dressed in a rush, than went downstairs again. "Bye guys! I'm leaving for work."
"Bye Katie! Be careful!" Her dad called. Katie smiled.
***********************************************
Lee and Amanda showed up at the agency at nine that morning. Billy had called them that morning.
"So what is it, Billy?" Lee asked.
Billy smiled. "At exactly ten o' clock, Katie will be standing in this office."
Lee was shocked. "She's coming?!" Lee sat their for a moment, trying to comprehend exactly what was going on here. Then he broke into a grin. "Thats great! I can't wait to meet her again...it's been so long. Do you think she'll remember me?"
Billy smiled. "Scarecrow, she was barely a year old when you took her to the MacKenzie's. She probably won't remember you."
"Does she still live with them?"
Billy nodded. Lee was nearly shaking with excitement. Amanda placed a steadying hand on his arm. "Now Lee, be gentle at first. She may not..."
"She may not what, Amanda? She's my daughter." His blue eyes were sparking like the stars in the heavens. He placed his hands on her elbows. "Amanda, I've seen how happy you are with Phillip and Jamie, and I know how much you love those boys. This is my chance to get to know my child. It's a chance to go back. "
Amanda nodded and smiled, despite the warning feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't so sure how Katie would react. She had had more experience with children then Lee had, and had seen how angry Phillip had been at his dad for a long time for leaving them. But Amanda hoped, for Lee's sake, that Katie wouldn't be like that.
The next hour was spent talking with Lee in happy tones about what he was going to do with Katie, all the places he was going to take her. But as time passed, the feeling in Amanda's stomach grew.
"It's ten o'clock." Amanda said, looking at the clock in Billy's office. "Lee, would you like me to leave? You know, so you can be alone when..."
Lee sighed. "Amanda...no. I want you to be here."
Amanda nodded.
"There she is." Amanda watched Lee 's face light up like a Christman tree. The feeling in her stomach was almost sickening. The medium heighth, blonde headed girl knocked on Billy's door. Billy moved to open it. "Hello Katie."
She smiled, and Amanda could clearly see that she had the same grin her father did. "Hello Mr. Melrose."
Lee didn't move a muscle. He was in a state of shock. Amanda gripped his hand, and he squeezed it. Katie looked at them, and Billy smiled. "Katie Stetson, this is Amanda King."
He looked at her, and Amanda thought if he smiled any wider his face would crack. "This is Lee Stetson."
Katie visibly tensed. "Um, nice to meet you."
Billy laughed. "Katie, you and Mrs. King and Mr. Stetson are going to be working on this next case."
Lee got up. He took both of his daughter's hands. "Katie, I'm your dad."
She flinched as though someone had slapped her. She pulled away from him. She stared at Lee, and there was no denying the look of sheer hurt on her young face. She turned away from him and headed for the door. "I'm sorry Mr. Melrose, but you'll have to find somebody else." She turned and left the office, walking once again out of Lee's life.
*************************************
Katie had done more damage to Lee Stetson than bullets ever could. Amanda came to his apartment several times a day, silently grieving for her friend. At first, he had tried to act like everything was fine. He had gone about his usual days work, acting as though nothing has happened. But Amanda knew him better than that. It was though he had encased himself in a layer of ice, driving out everyone who cared about him.
Now he had sunk into a state of depression. He wouldn't eat, and he wouldn't sleep. He just stared straight ahead, looking for something that he never found. Amanda had tried to talk to him on more than one occasion, but the more she tried to get close to him again, the more he pushed her away. It was tearing her up to see him like this. But she had to try. She picked up her tray of sandwiches and walked over to him.
"Lee, would you like a sandwich?"
"No, Amanda."
"Lee, you haven't eaten in days. Please-"
Lee jumped off the couch and knocked the tray of sandwiches from her hand. "[b]I SAID NO AMANDA![/b]"
Amanda stepped back. She was shaking. Lee had never, ever done that before. She grabbed her coat and turned to leave. He placed a hand on her arm, and she jumped. "Amanda, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. Please, stay."
Amanda turned to look at Lee. In his normally shining blue eyes she saw a man who's heart was bleeding. She wrapped her arms around him, and he did likewise. "Lee, you have to stop this."
"I know Amanda. I know."
When Amanda went home that night, the first thing she did was look up a number in the phone directory. Roger MacKenzie. She dialed the number. It rang, and someone picked it up promptly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, this is Amanda King. May I speak to Katie please?"
"Yes, ma'am. Please hold on a moment."
Amanda did, and after a few minutes she heard the voice of Katie Stetson on the line.
"Look, Mrs. King, if you're calling about today-"
"I am." Amanda said quickly, cutting her off. "I think you owe Mr. Stetson a chance."
The voice on the phone sighed. "Mrs. King, my dad left me here fifteen years ago. I never saw him again. He forgot about me totally, but I never forgot about him. Do you know how many nights I sat up and wondered about my dad? Why he had left me here, and why he didn't even care enough to at least send me a birthday card once a year? He gave up his right to be my father the day he left me at the MacKenzies."
Amanda's heart went out to Katie. Here was a girl who had wondered her whole life about her dad, and one day he shows up, wanting her to come back into his life, but now she was scared to. "Katie, your dad couldn't take care of you. He had just lost his wife, he was young, and he didn't know the first thing about raising a daughter. He did what he thought was best because he loved you." She had used her most motherly tone, and she hoped it would have some effect on the teenager."
The other end of the telephone was silent for a moment. "Does he really think that I'll just welcome him with open arms after all these years?"
"Yes, he does. Or at least he did. Katie, he's been sitting on his couch for the last four days, not eating or sleeping. Please, just give him a chance."
"I'll think about it. But don't expect me to run to him like a kid.
She hung up. Amanda sighed and went into the family room to talk to her mother.
****************************************
Katie sat on the bed in her room, a little bit stunned. Andrew and Andrea, the twins, were in there too. "Whats wrong, Kat?" Andrew said, giving his foster sister a worried look.
Katie smiled. "Nothing, Drew. Don't you and Andrea have homework?"
The twins exchanged looks. "Um, yes."
Katie raised her eyebrow. "Well? Hop to it, you two."
They exchanged looks. "Katie, that was a conversation about your dad, wasn't it?"
"Roger MacKenzie is the only dad I have. Now you two get to your homework, okay?"
They nodded and left the room.
Katie layed down on her bed to think. She wanted to think that her dad would take her back, but what if he did and then decided he didn't want her anymore again? She didn't want to be hurt again.
"Katie?"
Katie tore herself away from her thoughts to see Matthew and Jake standing at her door.
Jake smiled at her."Can we come in?"
"Sure."
They closed the door and came and sat down on her bed. "We talked to the twins, and they said that you had talked to someone about your real dad."
Katie sighed. "Look, it was nothing, okay?"
"Katie." Matthew said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We've been brother and sister too long for you to hold back on us. We've told each other almost everything from the very beginning."
Katie could see the fear and great concern for her in both of their eyes. "I met my dad four days ago."
Jake and Matthew exchanged looks. "Have you told Mom and Dad about this?"
Katie shook her head. She told them the story of meeting her dad, and of Mrs. King's phone call. They both enveloped her in a hug. "That must have been hard, huh?"
"Yeah." She said, letting her head rest on her older brother's chest for a moment, then she pulled back. "I can't understand it! I've heard all the excuses why he abandoned me, why he never even bothered to ever contact me, but..."
"But he still hurt you."
Katie nodded. "His girlfriend says he wants me to come back, but I don't know. What if he's a double agent? I wouldn't put it past him to hold me captive just because-"
"Hold it, Katie." Matthew said, laying a comorting hand on his sister's arm. "You're bitter towards him. But you don't honestly think that he would do that to you?!"
"I don't know what to think! The man is a stranger to me! And he expects me just to waltz into his life and be happy, and everything will be perfect! Well, he's wrong! I just-"
Katie turned away from her older brothers, so they wouldn't see her cry. Lee Stetson had wounded her deeply. She felt her brother's comforting arms around her, and soon she felt the presense of her parents as she sobbed.
"It's all right, Katie, it'a all right." Her mom stroked her hair comfortingly. At that moment, Katie knew that this was her family. Lee Stetson could never replace them. But should she give him a chance?
******************************************
((Dream Sequence))
[i]"No daddy! Please don't go! Don't leave me daddy! I don't want to stay here! Please, daddy!"
She watched helplessly as the man set her down and walked out the door. She screamed for him to come back, but he ignored her. She clutched her doll to her chest, and kicked against the man holding her. "No, I have to go with my daddy! He can't leave me!"
"DADDY!"[/i]
Author's Notes: I'm not sure how good this particular section is. It's kind of iffy, so please gimme feedback!
[i]It's tearing up my heart,
When I'm with you.
But when we are apart,
I feel it too.
And no matter what I do,
I feel the pain.
With or without you.
-Backstreet Boys [/i]
"Katherine Elizabeth Stetson! Get down here right now! Your breakfast is getting cold." The angry voice of her mother came blaring over the intercom.
Katie rolled over in her bed and moaned. She threw back the covers, yawned, and dragged herself out of bed. She went out into the hall to see a sleepy eyed Joel standing in the middle of the it. Joel was one of the many foster children that the MacKenzies had taken care of over the years.
The four year old reached his arms up to her, and she scooped him up. "Morning, Joel."
He layed his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. Katie smiled and took the stairs down to the second floor, where she knew from so many days of doing this that her foster brother, seventeen year old Taylor, would still be in bed, the covers thrown over his head. She walked into his room and pulled them off of him.
"Come on, Tay. Time to get up. Mom fixed muffins. I can smell them. She's going to be mad if you don't get down stairs before they get cold."
He nodded and got up. "Let me have him." Taylor said, motioning to Joel. Katie handed him over. The three of them came downstairs to see seven other children in the MacKenzie house sitting at the table, eating and chattering.
"Morning Mom." Katie said, placing a kiss on her foster mother's cheek. Emma MacKenzie was not her real mother, but she might as well have been. For some legal reason Katie didn't understand, they couldn't adopt her or any other child. But she,as well as every other foster kid in the MacKenzie home, considered Roger and Emma MacKenzie to be their parents, and their foster kids to be brothers and sisters.
Katie felt two arms slip around her waist and pull her close. She smiled. "Hi Jake." He planted a kiss on her cheek. "G'morning, sis."
Katie turned around and returned his hug. Of all the eleven foster kids currently living in the MacKenzie household, she, Jake, and Matthew were the closest. It had been just them for twelve years, except for the occasional two week stay of some other foster kid. Then the MacKenzie's had bought a new three story house, and they now housed around ten foster kids.
"Well, I think we're all here, except..." Roger MacKenzie looked around the table.
Katie and Jake exchanged a grin. Matthew was always the last one up. Katie smiled. "I'll go get him."
Katie went up the stairs to the second floor. When she got outside Matthew's room, she could hear him snoring. Katie chuckled and opened the door. She flung a pillow at him. "Get up, Matt!"
He moaned and waved a hand dismisivly. She jumped on his bed, nearly landing on top of him. He groaned. "Katie..."
"Mom cooked muffins."
"Yeah, and I'll get some as soon as..."
"Matt! Get up."
He sighed and threw the covers off of him. "You sure know how to interrupt a perfectly good dream, you know that?"
Katie smiled. "What are little sisters for?"
He glared at her. She grinned. "Go eat something, Matt. Tell mom and dad I'm upstairs getting dressed."
Matt nodded. Katie turned to leave, but a hand on her arm stopped her. Matt held out his arms. Katie smiled and hugged him. "It didn't take you long to get in a better mood."
Matt just smiled.
Katie headed up to her room. Today, she started work at the agency. Only Roger and Emma knew, and she figured it was for the best. She checked her watch. She needed to be in Mr. Melrose's office at ten that morning. It was nine thirty.
Katie finished getting dressed in a rush, than went downstairs again. "Bye guys! I'm leaving for work."
"Bye Katie! Be careful!" Her dad called. Katie smiled.
***********************************************
Lee and Amanda showed up at the agency at nine that morning. Billy had called them that morning.
"So what is it, Billy?" Lee asked.
Billy smiled. "At exactly ten o' clock, Katie will be standing in this office."
Lee was shocked. "She's coming?!" Lee sat their for a moment, trying to comprehend exactly what was going on here. Then he broke into a grin. "Thats great! I can't wait to meet her again...it's been so long. Do you think she'll remember me?"
Billy smiled. "Scarecrow, she was barely a year old when you took her to the MacKenzie's. She probably won't remember you."
"Does she still live with them?"
Billy nodded. Lee was nearly shaking with excitement. Amanda placed a steadying hand on his arm. "Now Lee, be gentle at first. She may not..."
"She may not what, Amanda? She's my daughter." His blue eyes were sparking like the stars in the heavens. He placed his hands on her elbows. "Amanda, I've seen how happy you are with Phillip and Jamie, and I know how much you love those boys. This is my chance to get to know my child. It's a chance to go back. "
Amanda nodded and smiled, despite the warning feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't so sure how Katie would react. She had had more experience with children then Lee had, and had seen how angry Phillip had been at his dad for a long time for leaving them. But Amanda hoped, for Lee's sake, that Katie wouldn't be like that.
The next hour was spent talking with Lee in happy tones about what he was going to do with Katie, all the places he was going to take her. But as time passed, the feeling in Amanda's stomach grew.
"It's ten o'clock." Amanda said, looking at the clock in Billy's office. "Lee, would you like me to leave? You know, so you can be alone when..."
Lee sighed. "Amanda...no. I want you to be here."
Amanda nodded.
"There she is." Amanda watched Lee 's face light up like a Christman tree. The feeling in her stomach was almost sickening. The medium heighth, blonde headed girl knocked on Billy's door. Billy moved to open it. "Hello Katie."
She smiled, and Amanda could clearly see that she had the same grin her father did. "Hello Mr. Melrose."
Lee didn't move a muscle. He was in a state of shock. Amanda gripped his hand, and he squeezed it. Katie looked at them, and Billy smiled. "Katie Stetson, this is Amanda King."
He looked at her, and Amanda thought if he smiled any wider his face would crack. "This is Lee Stetson."
Katie visibly tensed. "Um, nice to meet you."
Billy laughed. "Katie, you and Mrs. King and Mr. Stetson are going to be working on this next case."
Lee got up. He took both of his daughter's hands. "Katie, I'm your dad."
She flinched as though someone had slapped her. She pulled away from him. She stared at Lee, and there was no denying the look of sheer hurt on her young face. She turned away from him and headed for the door. "I'm sorry Mr. Melrose, but you'll have to find somebody else." She turned and left the office, walking once again out of Lee's life.
*************************************
Katie had done more damage to Lee Stetson than bullets ever could. Amanda came to his apartment several times a day, silently grieving for her friend. At first, he had tried to act like everything was fine. He had gone about his usual days work, acting as though nothing has happened. But Amanda knew him better than that. It was though he had encased himself in a layer of ice, driving out everyone who cared about him.
Now he had sunk into a state of depression. He wouldn't eat, and he wouldn't sleep. He just stared straight ahead, looking for something that he never found. Amanda had tried to talk to him on more than one occasion, but the more she tried to get close to him again, the more he pushed her away. It was tearing her up to see him like this. But she had to try. She picked up her tray of sandwiches and walked over to him.
"Lee, would you like a sandwich?"
"No, Amanda."
"Lee, you haven't eaten in days. Please-"
Lee jumped off the couch and knocked the tray of sandwiches from her hand. "[b]I SAID NO AMANDA![/b]"
Amanda stepped back. She was shaking. Lee had never, ever done that before. She grabbed her coat and turned to leave. He placed a hand on her arm, and she jumped. "Amanda, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. Please, stay."
Amanda turned to look at Lee. In his normally shining blue eyes she saw a man who's heart was bleeding. She wrapped her arms around him, and he did likewise. "Lee, you have to stop this."
"I know Amanda. I know."
When Amanda went home that night, the first thing she did was look up a number in the phone directory. Roger MacKenzie. She dialed the number. It rang, and someone picked it up promptly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, this is Amanda King. May I speak to Katie please?"
"Yes, ma'am. Please hold on a moment."
Amanda did, and after a few minutes she heard the voice of Katie Stetson on the line.
"Look, Mrs. King, if you're calling about today-"
"I am." Amanda said quickly, cutting her off. "I think you owe Mr. Stetson a chance."
The voice on the phone sighed. "Mrs. King, my dad left me here fifteen years ago. I never saw him again. He forgot about me totally, but I never forgot about him. Do you know how many nights I sat up and wondered about my dad? Why he had left me here, and why he didn't even care enough to at least send me a birthday card once a year? He gave up his right to be my father the day he left me at the MacKenzies."
Amanda's heart went out to Katie. Here was a girl who had wondered her whole life about her dad, and one day he shows up, wanting her to come back into his life, but now she was scared to. "Katie, your dad couldn't take care of you. He had just lost his wife, he was young, and he didn't know the first thing about raising a daughter. He did what he thought was best because he loved you." She had used her most motherly tone, and she hoped it would have some effect on the teenager."
The other end of the telephone was silent for a moment. "Does he really think that I'll just welcome him with open arms after all these years?"
"Yes, he does. Or at least he did. Katie, he's been sitting on his couch for the last four days, not eating or sleeping. Please, just give him a chance."
"I'll think about it. But don't expect me to run to him like a kid.
She hung up. Amanda sighed and went into the family room to talk to her mother.
****************************************
Katie sat on the bed in her room, a little bit stunned. Andrew and Andrea, the twins, were in there too. "Whats wrong, Kat?" Andrew said, giving his foster sister a worried look.
Katie smiled. "Nothing, Drew. Don't you and Andrea have homework?"
The twins exchanged looks. "Um, yes."
Katie raised her eyebrow. "Well? Hop to it, you two."
They exchanged looks. "Katie, that was a conversation about your dad, wasn't it?"
"Roger MacKenzie is the only dad I have. Now you two get to your homework, okay?"
They nodded and left the room.
Katie layed down on her bed to think. She wanted to think that her dad would take her back, but what if he did and then decided he didn't want her anymore again? She didn't want to be hurt again.
"Katie?"
Katie tore herself away from her thoughts to see Matthew and Jake standing at her door.
Jake smiled at her."Can we come in?"
"Sure."
They closed the door and came and sat down on her bed. "We talked to the twins, and they said that you had talked to someone about your real dad."
Katie sighed. "Look, it was nothing, okay?"
"Katie." Matthew said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We've been brother and sister too long for you to hold back on us. We've told each other almost everything from the very beginning."
Katie could see the fear and great concern for her in both of their eyes. "I met my dad four days ago."
Jake and Matthew exchanged looks. "Have you told Mom and Dad about this?"
Katie shook her head. She told them the story of meeting her dad, and of Mrs. King's phone call. They both enveloped her in a hug. "That must have been hard, huh?"
"Yeah." She said, letting her head rest on her older brother's chest for a moment, then she pulled back. "I can't understand it! I've heard all the excuses why he abandoned me, why he never even bothered to ever contact me, but..."
"But he still hurt you."
Katie nodded. "His girlfriend says he wants me to come back, but I don't know. What if he's a double agent? I wouldn't put it past him to hold me captive just because-"
"Hold it, Katie." Matthew said, laying a comorting hand on his sister's arm. "You're bitter towards him. But you don't honestly think that he would do that to you?!"
"I don't know what to think! The man is a stranger to me! And he expects me just to waltz into his life and be happy, and everything will be perfect! Well, he's wrong! I just-"
Katie turned away from her older brothers, so they wouldn't see her cry. Lee Stetson had wounded her deeply. She felt her brother's comforting arms around her, and soon she felt the presense of her parents as she sobbed.
"It's all right, Katie, it'a all right." Her mom stroked her hair comfortingly. At that moment, Katie knew that this was her family. Lee Stetson could never replace them. But should she give him a chance?
******************************************
((Dream Sequence))
[i]"No daddy! Please don't go! Don't leave me daddy! I don't want to stay here! Please, daddy!"
She watched helplessly as the man set her down and walked out the door. She screamed for him to come back, but he ignored her. She clutched her doll to her chest, and kicked against the man holding her. "No, I have to go with my daddy! He can't leave me!"
"DADDY!"[/i]