I Knew It! He Wants You Back!

Season 4, episode 13, Rumors of My Death. This is my take on the episode if Joe decided that he wanted to ask Amanda to give their relationship another chance. The story is part canon and part AU.

Lee sat down on the couch, the base of the phone in one hand, the receiver in the other. After the phone rang several times without the hope of anyone picking up in sight, Lee replaced the receiver on the hook and put the phone down on the end table.

Lee glanced once more at his watch rechecking the time. Amanda had met Joe several hours ago for lunch. Joe had phoned the office and said he wanted to talk to Amanda about something. He was certain that Joe wanted Amanda back, but Amanda was adamant that Lee was wrong. Considering the fact that he couldn't reach Amanda after several tries, seems like he might not be wrong after all.

Stetson, get a grip. You and Amanda are getting married. Just as soon as this case is wrapped up, you will get your blood test and apply for a marriage license just as you planned. Take it easy; it's been a long day. Besides, his concerns about Amanda's conversation with Joe, Lee's current case was taking a toll on him. Lee positioned his head against the couch and closed his eyes as he allowed happy images of time spent with Amanda to cross his mind. His mind was finally settled when the sound of a key in the door lock jostled Lee awake, causing Lee to jump up forward in surprise.

Lee sat up, rubbed his tired eyes and stood just as Amanda walked through the door. "Hi Amanda," Lee said warmly, smiling as he reached out to kiss Amanda on the cheek, but Amanda pulled back leaving the kiss dangling in the wind.

"Hi, Lee," Amanda said quietly.

Lee arched an eyebrow, his eyes upon her face, for a sign of her mood, whether something wasn't right.

Amanda crossed the foyer and headed towards the couch, but instead of sitting, Amanda remained standing, her eyes ever present upon the front door.

"Amanda," Lee began quietly. "How did it go, with Joe?"

"Well, he wanted to know how the boys were doing, he asked a lot about my work at IFF," Amanda replied.

"Oh?" Lee asked.

Amanda fidgeted, moving her legs from side to side; her teeth biting her upper lip. "Amanda, what is it? You never have a problem talking," Lee said, reaching out and grabbing her by the shoulders when an answer wasn't forthcoming, "especially not when it comes to talking to me."

"Lee, Joe wants—"

"I knew it! I knew it! He wants you back!" Lee responded releasing Amanda's shoulders moving a few steps from her and plopping down upon the couch.

"Yeah, he wants me back," Amanda said softly coming around and sitting on the other end of the couch. "Joe says that he's still in love with me and he thinks that our getting back together would be good for the boys."

Lee moved closer to Amanda. "Well, what did he say, when you told him about us, that we're getting married?" Lee questioned, his voice quivering with fear.

"I didn't get around to telling him about us."

"Amanda, what did you tell him, exactly?"

"That I think I need to give it some thought, that I'd think about it…" Amanda answered, her voice trailing off.

"Amanda, come on! When was he ever thinking about the kids or thinking about you?"

"Lee, this is difficult for me," Amanda lamented.

"But Amanda, what about us? What about our plans? We were going to apply for our license, get our blood test..."

"I know. But I think that I owe Joe a chance—"

"A chance to do what? To screw up your life, mess up the boys' lives?"

"A chance to make what was wrong, right," She answered quietly.

"But Amanda do you love him?"

Amanda turned away from him then. "It doesn't really matter."

"Do you love him?" Lee asked as he turned her back around to face him.

"No, but that doesn't matter, not really." Amanda pulled away from Lee and stood up. "I just—I just, I have to go." She turned towards the door, stopped and reached in her purse, pulled out his engagement ring and placed it in Lee's hands, "Under the circumstances, I have no other choice but to quit the agency."

"I won't take this," Lee exclaimed handing the ring back to Amanda. "Why such a rush? I thought you said you hadn't decided anything yet," Lee began then continued. "I see, you actually have decided haven't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I have."

"Amanda!" He could not believe it, that after all this time, it had come down to this! He'd given Amanda his heart and soul, and here she was, here she was asking for him to give it back!

"Lee, I truly am sorry."

When Lee didn't take the ring, Amanda placed it on the end table along with her keys and headed towards the door with Lee right behind her. "Amanda! Amanda!"

Amanda stood outside Lee's door, key in hand about to insert it in the lock when she heard several anguished cries of her name coming from Lee's apartment. Amanda rushed to unlock the door. "Lee!" Amanda called out as she opened the door and hurried into the apartment.

"Amanda! Amanda!" Lee screeched out as he rocked his body from side to side, his head bobbing about, his arms moving restlessly.

"Lee! Lee! Wake up, Sweetheart!" Amanda voiced as she moved closer to Lee and sat down on the couch placing one hand on Lee's chest stilling his movements, the other hand across his sweat-beaded forehead.

"What the hell?" Lee questioned jerking forward. "Amanda?"

"It's okay. I think you had a bad dream."

"Oh, Amanda!" Lee cried out sitting fully up and pulling Amanda into his arms. "You have no idea."

Lee held Amanda tight and close against his body as he took in everything that was Amanda, from the scent of her hair to the smell of her perfume down to the feel of her body against his.

"What were you dreaming about?" Amanda asked after several minutes of quiet.

"We can talk about that later, but right now I want to know if you met with Joe? How did it go? What took you so long?"

"Whoa! One question at a time," Amanda said laughing.

Lee pulled Amanda on top of his lap and continued to hold her against his chest.

"Yes, I did meet Joe. It went, well…okay. It took so long because we really needed to talk, about some things." Amanda feeling Lee's shoulder muscles tense continued. "You were right, he wanted me back."

Lee opened his mouth to say something, but closed it instead and waited for Amanda to continue.

"He wanted to know if we could give it another try, for the kids and for us. That he knew he had screwed up and wanted to see if he couldn't make things right."

"What did you say?" Lee questioned taking in a deep breath.

"I told him that I was flattered that he'd seen changes in me and wanted to try again, but—"

"Amanda?"

"That I'm getting married. " Amanda tilted Lee's chin so that she was looking at him directly in the eyes. "What else would I say? I'm engaged to marry you, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Lee said quietly as he released a sigh of relief, his taut muscles relaxing. "So, why'd it take you so long?"

"Well, that's when he asked me a lot of questions."

"What kind of questions?"

"Oh, mostly about us, he seemed surprised that we were even dating, even though you came over for Christmas, let alone getting married. And, then he wanted to know why all the secrecy."

"Oh, I see," Lee said skeptically. "How did he take it in the end?"
"He was fine…I guess. I asked him to promise not to say anything to Mother or the boys or anyone for that matter, not until, well…we decided how we were going to handle things."

"And?"

"He promised not to say anything; I think we can trust Joe, though it might take him a little while to get used to the idea of me getting married but…"

"Whoa! You had me worried there for a moment," Lee said.

"So, you want to tell me what you were dreaming about?"

"It was a long dream, more like a nightmare."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you about it later. Right now, all I want is to hold you."

Amanda smiled as Lee pulled her in even closer. "Amanda?"

"Yes, Lee?

"I love you!"

"I love you too!"

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!