This story pairs Lee and Amanda, and is an AU adventure set in 2008 and 2009. It commemorates the 6th anniversary of the DVD release (March, 2010). Names have been changed just in case anyone objects to being named, but they are deliberately recognizable to give credit where credit is due.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Enterprises own these wonderful characters. All I get from writing about them is the chance to visit with Lee and Amanda from time to time. The story is my own.
Summer 2008
The SMK Youkou Forum was abuzz with anticipation and eager plans. Many members expected to travel to Hollywood for the 25th Anniversary of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. A frequent topic of conversation was their mutual interest in obtaining DVDs of the show. Repeated requests to The Powers That Be at Warner Brothers had been ignored. Members dared to dream the impossible dream that the gathering of fans would be chosen by Warner Brothers as an ideal time for a public announcement that their pleas had been heard and the desired DVDs would be produced. Barring such an announcement, it also provided optimal conditions for strategy sessions and persuasive campaigns.
In September, the member known as I Want Scarecrow on DVD suggested buying parking signs which read "Reserved Parking for Scarecrow and Mrs. King Fans Only." Scattering such signs throughout Warner Brother's employee parking would certainly attract attention.
JAGJunkie pointed out that contracts from the 80's did not include provision for sales of the show to home viewers. She speculated that the delay with SMK could be due to the need to renegotiate music rights and compensation of actors.
BBFan encouraged the members "Never give up on a miracle!" Fans of other shows had been wearied by a long wait, but then joyfully surprised by newly available DVDs. AlwaysBuffy rallied the troops to "hang on to hope!"
Reena questioned Warner Brothers' research methods. It was unbelievable that they had actually tested the market or compiled accurate demographic information about the fan base. No one on the forum had heard of any survey effort, so what resources were they using if they hadn't actually contacted fans?
Neenee voiced the alternating opinions that "Warner Brothers just doesn't care" and "They are deliberately holding out on fans." She often expressed the wish that the studio executives would quit sitting around and DO something about the DVD release. Sometimes she lamented that "It's all about the almighty dollar." Other times she suspected them of having "an evil plot" against SMK fans specifically. It was a subject of considerable angst for all.
XOXOXOXOX
October 9, 2008
Hollywood, CA
The 25th Anniversary Celebration of Scarecrow and Mrs. King had been a marvelous success. Guests of honor included actors Paul Stout, Joseph Brutsman, Myron Natwick, Martha Smith and Bruce Boxleitner along with producers Dennis Duckwall and Kurt Galvao. Joseph had designed a commemorative poster of actors, guest stars, and villains which he gave to each attendee. Paul had joined the viewing party while fans watched The First Time, providing commentary and behind-the-scenes tidbits. Martha was witty and beautiful. Myron was far more charming than Dr. Smyth on his best day. And Bruce (sigh) was as handsome as ever. BahamaFling and her committee had done amazing work and hosted a wonderful anniversary party at the Beverly Garland hotel.
Dozens of fans had attended to celebrate the show, chat with actors and production staff, and meet one another. Screen names matched up with real names, and fan-girl bonding was one highlight of the event. Tours of the Warner Brothers lot, photos of the King house, autograph sessions, and question and answer sessions satisfied every fan's dreams. Hot topics benefited from actor input. Fans learned that Bruce believed Lee had started falling in love with Amanda during Service Above and Beyond (swoon), and that he believed Lee and Amanda waited until after marriage. Attendees had scattered to their homes clutching precious souveniers (mugs, autographed photos, key chains, toy cars, beanie baby pandas), and savoring memories. As Kermit the Frog sang, they were "old friends who just met." It was a stellar occasion.
Throughout the weekend, fans compared VHS archives, internet viewing options, and bootleg DVD copies. Time after time, they asked, "When will Warner Brothers release the official DVD series?" The fans asked the actors and learned nothing new. They asked Kurt and Dennis, but the producers had no answers either. Other shows from the 80s had been released and these fans longed for their favorite show to be available in its clear, uncut beauty.
Sadly, written queries to Warner Brothers received no reply.
XOXOXOXOX
October 20, 2008
Eastern edge of Alaska
The lights were out in dazzling display tonight. Besides the common green streaks usually visible, tonight's display included pink highlights woven in the glittering green. The lights pulsed and roiled from one horizon to the other. It reminded her of another night some years ago, about a year after she moved to the cabin.
Mitzi had been on the move for several years. She knew how thoroughly, and relentlessly, the Agency could track people. She changed her name and hair color every time she moved. She had become adept at finding jobs that would pay cash so that there was no paper trail with the IRS. Her paranoia often spiraled into anger, and she conveniently forgot that she was the architect of her desperate circumstances. In 2001, she had drifted to Washington State and worked a back-breaking job planting apple trees. With an envelope of cash, she made her way to Seattle and drank her way steadily through the night. As dawn broke, she hauled herself off the bar stool and staggered to the pay phones in the back. Even when she was drunk, the phone number was at her finger-tips, and she pressed the keys rapidly without error.
"Stetson," the mellow voice could still melt her knees.
"I'm telling you again, I don't forget and I don't forgive. You and your floozy won't be making a fool of me. You embarrass me, and I'll tell what I know to every two-bit journalist I can find. I mean it! Everything I know will be tomorrow's headlines, if you cross me in this."
She hung up the phone, triumphant. She was sure she had talked fast enough to prevent their fancy machines from tracing the call. As she crossed the street back to her friends' apartment to sleep off her drinking binge, she had the unpleasant thought that the Agency might have faster tracing methods since her last call. In the fifteen years since she left the Agency, technology had taken giant steps. By the time she faded into sleep on a worn air mattress, her paranoia had reached a new high and her dreams were filled with images of running farther and farther away.
The next day, she talked her way onto a boat that was returning to Alaska for the summer. A private vessel wouldn't register a passenger list with anyone, and her escape from Seattle would be untraceable.
She bought a box of "light caramel brown" hair color before leaving town and introduced herself on the boat as Mindy. Upon arrival in Anchorage, she made vague promises to "keep in touch" and disappeared into the streets around the dock. She rented a cheap room for a month, dyed her hair and started calling herself Marti.
She'd been working in a sticky, decaying bar for four months when she met Hal and a whole new way of life. Hal lived in the Alaska "Bush" – far off the roadway and far away from government agents of any type. His tales of quiet nights, solitude, and daring independence ignited her imagination. Instead of worrying about what other people think of him, he had turned his back on public opinion and fashioned a life to please no one other than himself. He was in town for a week in October, stocking supplies for the winter and storing up conversations against the months of solitude. Finding someone to warm his bed for the week was a bonus. Finding someone to warm his bed for the entire winter was mind blowing. Before he had considered the impact of another person on his precious solitude, he had doubled his food order at Sam's Club so there would be enough to eat for both of them, and made arrangements with the flight service to accommodate an extra passenger on the return trip.
She bought a bottle of "medium champagne blonde," because it was the closest to her natural hair color, and met him on time at Lake Hood, the busiest seaplane airport in the world. She introduced herself to the pilot as Mitzi and convinced Hal that he had been too drunk to remember her name correctly. Dressed in military surplus winter clothing, she began to wonder if maybe this time she had bitten off more than she could chew. The tiny plane bobbed on the water as the pilot carefully stowed Hal's supplies and other goods to be delivered to remote locations. With an expert eye, he estimated the weight of his new passenger, her clothing, boots, and backpack. It was important to distribute the weight inside the plane evenly. He mentally shrugged off any interests for her well-being. She was Hal's concern, not his. Briskly, he briefed them on safety matters, toileting methods, and the expected duration of the flight, then gave them 5 minutes for a final bathroom break while he finished his preparations and cleared the flight with the control tower. With water arcing on both sides of the plane, the pilot raced the length of the lake and lifted into the crisp Fall morning. That was a lifetime ago.
The night she was remembering might have been colder than this one, but she was alone then, too. Hal had gone to check on one of his trap lines and that generally took a week. If they had gotten sick of each other, it might take longer. Once, he was gone a month. That particular night was memorable because it was her 45th birthday and it served as a milestone of self-revelation. She had suddenly realized that the boiling anger that had been her lifetime companion had somehow abated. It had been weeks – no, months really – since she had felt the familiar surge of fury. She had probed the memory of anger and was surprised to find the merest hint of peace. And under the starry night where the northern lights danced, she had felt her soul expand, uncoil, relax.
This night, she cherished the simplicity of solitude and self-reliance. She watched the lights until they dimmed and then made her way to bed – working through all of the safety precautions in the tiny cabin and survival preparations for herself, just in case. She was satisfied with the course of the past few years. For the first time in her life, she felt at home.
XOXOXOXOX