Title: Strictly Personal
Note: References to any Scarecrow and Mrs. King episodes, including the characters of Dotty, Philip, Jamie, Lee, Amanda, Francine, and Billy belong solely to the writers, producers, and characters of the show. Any reference to another fan fiction story belongs to that author.
Personal Note: I am simply a fan of a wonderful program. I am a writer by nature, but this is my first time at writing fan fiction. I hope that the experience for you of reading it will be as wonderful as the experience was for me writing it. Thank-you and enjoy!
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*The King House*
Dotty anxiously paced across Amanda's spic-n-span floor, almost to the point of wearing a hole through it. "Grandma, are you all right? " The boys interrupted, causing Dotty's train of thought to jump tracks.
"Oh, yeah, sure, I'm fine. Don't worry about me boys. I was just wondering have you heard from your mother today?"
"Ugh, grandma? I think Jaime has something to tell you!" Said Philip hesitantly.
" Tell her dork face, or I'll tell mom about how you clean your room by pushing everything under your bed! You'd forget your head if it wasn't attached; just like you always leave your bike lying in the driveway!" Philip chided.
"Now boys, boys! What is it you forgot to tell me?" Said Dotty, who was more than a little frustrated with her grandsons' lack of responsibility.
"Well, ugh, mom called earlier this afternoon and said that she would be late because she had a meeting at work. She said that all you have to do is pop in the meatloaf that is in the fridge and that she'd see us when she got home."
"Now, see, that wasn't so hard was it? I only wish you two would have told me sooner, so that I wouldn't have paced a whole in this floor," joked Dotty who was now feeling somewhat relieved over the whole matter.
The boys noticing that their grandmother was in a better humor now, decided that it was safe to ask her what they were going to ask her in the first place. "Ugh, grandma? Do we have to do our homework now? That show "Scarecrow and The Rambler" is on!" Pleaded the boys. Of course, Dotty, who couldn't resist her grandsons' charm, easily relented, "Ahh, why not, you can always do your homework later after it's over. Go ahead, watch your show. In fact, after I get the meatloaf in the oven, I think I will watch it with you. But keep your feet off the coffee table!" As the boys were in the living room watching TV, Dotty put the meatloaf in the oven and the headed in to join them. "I'm sure Amanda will be home soon, well, sooner or later anyway," Dotty half-hazardly remarked and took her seat in between Philip and Jaime on the couch.
************************************Meanwhile***************************************
Lee and Amanda were on their way to "La Maison L'Amour," one of the more exquisite French Restaurants in Washington.
"Lee, this is awfully nice of you, but are you sure you can afford it. I have heard this place is pretty expensive. You know me Lee, that burger place down the street is just fine." Said Amanda in her usual self-sacrificing way. "You mean the one where I went undercover as a pirate when I was trying to find you that first time we met when I handed you that package at the train station?" Lee was kind of amused in a way, but at the same time feeling that twinge of guilt that usually panged him when he knew that he didn't do right by Amanda. He hated to disappoint her because he knew that she really deserved a nice dinner out without worry or hassle. How was he going to break the news to Amanda that this was strictly business? "Lee, you know we don't have to have dinner at "La Maison L'Amour"? Heck, we could have just made up some good BLTs on wheat and it would have been just fine too." He knew that if he didn't say something soon that Amanda would just keep going on and on, and that pain in his chest would keep growing.
"Ugh, Amanda, This dinner is..." Lee could barely get out the words when Amanda interrupted,
"Oh no you don't Stetson! You said, 'Amanda, how about a nice dinner out tonight with no cooking or cleaning up after it?' You said, 'A dinner at a nice French restaurant, one of the most exquisite in town.' You said, at "La Maison L'Amour,' you said! Humph, you never mentioned anything about business. Although, I should have guessed, knowing you Stetson!"
Lee knew that he was going to have a hard time talking his way out of this one. Just like he knew that he was going to have to make it up to her with a nice evening out of his own. He didn't know how but he would definitely make it up to her, and he was sure just giving her three roses this time wouldn't be enough. It would have to be a whole lot more, not because Amanda wouldn't forgive him, he knew she would. He would have to do more because he knew in his heart that was what he wanted to do for her. He wanted to do more and be more for Mrs. Amanda King.
"Amanda, I am sorry. I should have told you before about this being strictly on the professional level." Lee's voice was low and scruffy. "Amanda could tell that he really didn't mean to trick her into coming this evening. As well, she knew that earlier on the phone that day she really hadn't given him a chance to mention that it was agency business. Yet, she wasn't going to let him off the hook too easily. After all, this wasn't the first time he did something like this too her. There was that time with the groper and even though she liked Mr. Potts, that was another thing that he wasn't completely honest with her about from the beginning.
"There, was that so hard Stetson! Telling the truth for once instead of a lie!" Amanda looked over at Lee and could see that he really was being sincere, and she was beginning to feel a little guilty as well.
"Lee, you know I still would have said yes to dinner tonight, whether business or pleasure. I just like being with you Lee Stetson."
Even as Amanda said it, she felt her cheeks gain that red glow that they were often accustomed too when she and Lee would have one of their moments. She looked over at Lee with that sheepish grin only to see that he was smiling right back at her. She hadn't even noticed that they had pulled in to the restaurant's parking lot.
Lee reached over and grabbed Amanda's hands, ever so gently stroking her fingers. "I know, I rather enjoy your company as well Mrs. King." At that moment, Lee carefully leaned over to gently place his two 'Prince Charming' lips over Amanda's with a kiss that would have awakened Sleeping Beauty. It definitely stirred something deep within Amanda's heart, something that she was finally willing to embrace with every fiber in her being. She only hoped that by this kiss tonight that Lee was ready too.
***************************Bonjour! Bienvenue à La Maison L'Amour!**************************
"Yes, Sir, May I help you?" Enquired the maitre d'. "Ugh, yes, a reservation for Mr. and Mrs. Stetsman." Amanda gave Lee that wide-eyed look of surprise. As they were waiting to be seated, Lee quickly slipped the wedding band upon her finger. It was the same band that he gave her on that cosmetic company case in the suburbs, which was another time when they had to pretend to be married. Lee started to wonder if maybe someone somewhere higher up might be trying to tell him something. Amanda held out her hand to see as the ring caught the light and sparkled on her finger. Lee looked at the ring as well and then at Amanda's eyes. He couldn't help but notice that the sparkle in the ring could not match the sparkle that was in her eyes. Just then Amanda turned her attention to Lee, and those warm hazel eyes met with Amanda's sparkle. They both shared a smile about their fond memories of one of the first cases that they ever worked together. However Amanda's memory brought more than a smile to her face, it brought a warmth all over her body as a picture of Lee Stetson with his shirt unbuttoned and a bare chest came into her mind.
Amanda felt Lee's eyes on her and she began to chuckle. "Amanda, what's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing." Amanda said still chuckling to herself. However, Lee knew all to well what she was thinking, and it brought a grin to his face to think that Amanda thought of him in "that way."
"Your table is ready Mr. and Mrs. Stetsman." As Amanda followed after the maitre d', Lee thought to himself about the relationship that he shared with Amanda, even though that relationship has never been truly defined. "Hmm, that has a nice ring to it, Mr. and Mrs. Stets... Well, maybe someday. It is too soon to be thinking about that now. Besides, Lee, get a grip! This is strictly business, at least tonight is anyway.
"Are you coming dear?" Amanda's voice brought him back to the task at hand. Lee knew that they had to solve this case tonight or both the drugs and the smuggler would be long gone, and it would be years before they could mount up enough evidence against him again. And, he knew once this case was solved that he would be able to make things right with Amanda, which was one thing that he was most certainly looking forward too.
***************************Back At the Table*******************************************
"So Lee, just what are we doing here if its not for a nice dinner alone?" Amanda just couldn't resist teasing him a little. Lee gave her one of those grins of annoyance. "Billy wants us to keep an eye on that guy over there by the bar. His name is Jean LeDeux, a known French drug smuggler."
"Lee, if he is so well known why don't you just go and bring him in right now?"
"I have word that there is going to be a major deal going down here tonight. And besides we can't bring him in without catching him in the act, or else he would be let go in a matter of months putting drugs back on the street again."
The thought of Philip and Jaime at the playground having someone come up to them and try to give them some of LeDeux's drugs made Amanda cringe. Lee didn't have to ask to know what Amanda was thinking, for the same thought had occurred to him earlier this evening as he was preparing for this case. He noticed that Amanda was beginning to look more and more worried. "Now Amanda, there's nothing to worry about." Lee reassured her as he gingerly stroked her fingers, "You know what I always tell you if things get too out of hand?" Amanda sheepishly nodded, and looked down at Lee's hand that was stroking her fingers. It touched her that Lee cared so much, and the way that he knew what she was thinking without ever having to ask. It also helped to ease her fears that Francine was posing as the bar tender, and that Billy was posing as the maitre d'. Amanda realized that with Billy and Francine working undercover and Lee at her side, that nothing bad could possibly happen. Yet, she thought, something usually managed to go wrong.
Suddenly a loud crash that came from the kitchen brought Amanda back from her subconscious. A waiter had dropped a stack of plates. However, what surprised Amanda most was the look of concern that came over Mr. LeDeux's face. He was definitely on edge.
"Lee, psssst, Lee?" Amanda innocently squeezed Lee's hand, although she must not have realized her own strength because Lee jerked his hand away. "Amanda, what is it?"
"Did you notice that look on Mr. LeDeux's face when those dishes crashed in the kitchen? He looked like he just lost his best friend."
"Yeah, you're probably right Amanda. Something is not right here. I think I need to try to get a peek in that back room off the kitchen. Amanda, I have an idea, play along."
Lee stood up from the table and addressed the room.
"Alright, this charade's gone on long enough. It looks like if I find one more health violation, like this fly that was in my soup. Then we're going to have to shut this place down Mrs. Keen."
"Yes, I suppose your right Mr. Stedman. This place is crawling with violations, and I do mean crawling, look at that cockroach that is heading into the kitchen."
Just then Billy came over, "Excuse me, just what is going on here?"
"We are from the health department here in Washington, and we've had our eye on this place for sometime. I am Mr. Stedman and this is Mrs. Keen."
"How do you do?" Amanda chimed in. "We've been watching you ever since Mrs. Weston called in with a complaint about your Escargot crawling right off her plate. They shouldn't do that, should they? Well, we just thought that we better get right over her and see what the problem is."
"And the problem is Mr.?"
"Monsieur Jones."
"The problem is Mr. Jones that you are only one violation away from being "fermer" down." said Lee doing his best impression of a health inspector at a French restaurant with only a tourists knowledge of the French language.
"Yeah, only one more violation and the doors are closed for good. Mrs. Weston won't have to worry about corralling her snails anymore." Added Mr. Stedman's trusty sidekick Mrs. Keen.
"May we see the kitchen Mr. Jones, seeing as how that is the really important place? "
As they were entering the kitchen, Amanda thought she better add a little icing on the cake.
"Those hands better be clean in there. You can't prepare food with germs on your hands, unless you are making gourmet germs."
****************************Back In The Kitchen********************************************
"Alright Stetson!" Billy scolded. "Just what the hell is going on here? One minute everything is going fine, than a crash in the kitchen, and you're jumping up yelling about health violations."
"Billy, something just didn't feel right. LeDeux got awfully edgy when those plates crashed in the kitchen. And I think that we need to find out why before something really goes wrong."
Just then Amanda noticed a familiar face from her mud wrestling days.
"Lee isn't that Augie over there in that chef's uniform?"
"Yeah, you're right! Hey Augie, get over her!"
"Lee, buddy old pal! What's new? Here for a nice dinner with your lady friend Mrs. King?"
"That's what I thought too." Amanda zipped in another zinger.
Lee shot her one of those glaring looks. "More to the point Augie, what are you doing here? And don't tell me that you got a job as a chef because you couldn't cook a microwave pizza."
"Alright, Lee you got me. One of my buddies on the street gave me word that there was a major deal going down, and thought that I might be interested in a piece of the action. But you got to believe me, I didn't know that there was a little girl involved."
"What do you mean a little girl?" Amanda now very concerned that there was an innocent child involved.
"Here I'll show you Mrs. King. She's in this room right over here."
Amanda, Lee, and Billy followed Augie over to the room off the kitchen only to find a five year old little girl hugging her teddy bear and very frightened.
"Who is she Augie? You better start filling in the details or it is off to Leavenworth for you." Lee's threat tactics always worked with Augie, and from the looks of things they weren't going to fail him now either.
"I was told to follow LeDeux here, and when he produced the drugs, I was to hand over the little girl back to him. That was it!"
Francine suddenly burst in the room with a waitress pad in her hand.
"Hey, take a look at this. LeDeux has been in co-operation with the FBI, and was part of the witness protection program. Recently his little girl was kidnapped, and Jo Franklin was using his little girl to make him smuggle drugs again."
"Billy, if we play this thing out to the end. There's a chance we could get the shark, instead of the fish like we thought." Lee was right, and Billy knew it.
"Alright, Francine go out there and bring Mr. LeDeux here. Tell him that the package exchange is ready to take place. Then we will fill him in on the rest."
"Augie, what was to happen after the exchange?"
"I was to tell LeDeux to go to a warehouse on Florida Avenue, and wait for further instructions. Then I was to drop the drugs off at the back of that warehouse and there would be someone to pick them up from me."
"And all this was done over the phone?"
"Yeah, that's right. I never saw the guy!"
At that moment Francine came back with LeDeux. Billy wasn't sure if he could trust LeDeux completely yet. So he thought it best to withhold the reunion between him and his daughter until this whole mess was over.
"Alright, carry on with the plan as usual LeDeux. Mrs. Keen, here, will stay with your daughter until everything is straightened out. As of right now you are working for us. Mr. Stedman and Miss Desmine will go with you to the warehouse."
"Augie, you take the drugs to the back of the warehouse like you were instructed."
"Alright, let's go get this turkey! I think he has done enough damage to enough lives already. So everyone be careful!" Billy ordered.
As the others went to head over to the warehouse, Lee went over to Amanda and the little girl. "Amanda, I mean it. You stay here with Kimberly. Do not by any means come to the warehouse! You got me!" Amanda looked up at Lee with that worried look again. "You be careful Stetson! You got me?"
He smiled to think of how quickly she turned his words on him. "I'll be careful Amanda don't worry."
Francine, then, peeked her head through the back door to the restaurant.
"You coming Lee, we don't have much time."
"Yeah, I'll be right there." On his way out the door, he turned back to look at Amanda. It touched him deeply to see the way that she was holding that little girl. He knew that it was as much for the little girls fears, as it was for her own.
*******************************At the Warehouse****************************************
LeDeux drove up to the front of the warehouse after dropping Lee and Francine off a little further back. It was dark with only the streetlights lighting up the area around the warehouse. Everything was quiet which often worried even the most trained agents.
Billy and Augie were around back waiting to deliver the package. They could hear LeDeux entering the front of the warehouse, and they knew that Lee and Francine must already be in place.
Everything was going according to plan, or at least they thought it was.
**************************Meanwhile, Back at the Restaurant**********************************
Amanda and Kimberly were sitting at a table enjoying a nice cup of "chocolat chaud," or as Amanda's boys like to call it, hot chocolate. They were discussing Kimberly's doll when Franklin walked over to them and quietly asked them to come with him with a 45 pointed at Amanda's side. Amanda thought about trying to get away, but this time she just didn't have her safety to worry about, she had Kimberly's as well.
"Where are you taking us?" Asked Kimberly.
"Don't worry sweetie, we are going to see your Daddy!"
Amanda wasn't sure just how much Franklin knew. She wondered if he knew about Lee, Billy, and Francine.
"What do you want with us?"
"Well I figured that LeDeux was going to double cross me. He though that by leaving the little girl with someone else while he met me at the warehouse would be safe. Well now I have an ace in the hole as well." Franklin said with a laugh that made Amanda's hair stand on end.
***********************************The Warehouse on Florida Avenue*************************
Just then the back door to the warehouse opened and took Billy and Augie by surprise. There stood Franklin with that 45 pointed right at them.
"Throw down your gun! Augie, I never thought you would dare to pull a double cross on me. Although I should have suspected that you would do something like that, you guys always look to double your money."
Franklin directed Billy and Augie into the back room of the warehouse where Amanda and Kimberly were tied up. "Don't get too cozy now because after I gather up the rest of you, it will be plenty warm in here. Especially with all of those crates out there, we should have a nice little bon fire."
As LeDeux left the room in search of LeDeux, Lee and Francine, Amanda looked at Billy for a solution.
"Amanda, do you think you could wiggle over here and get that letter opener off the desk? Hopefully, we can cut our ropes with that."
It was a good thing that Amanda, Dotty, Philip and Jaime did the three-legged race every year at the Junior Trail Blazers picnic. She and Kimberly wiggled over to the desk where the letter opener was laying and picked it up. Then, she proceeded to cut herself loose. Once Amanda was loose she went around and cut the others loose.
"Alright, Amanda I want you and Augie to take Kimberly out to the car and wait there. I will go and try to find the others before Franklin does."
Amanda murmured a "Be careful Sir," and then along with Augie took Kimberly to the car.
Billy heard voices coming from the front of the warehouse.
"Can it man; I don't even know who you are? Boy LeDeux I don't know where you found your friends from because all their doing is making matters worse for you. I have your daughter and that lady friend of yours, and pretty soon you are all going to be one big happy family, or should I say one big happy dead family."
It finally registered what Franklin had said. Lee realized that Amanda and Kimberly were no longer safe back at the restaurant where he had left them only a half-hour before. "If you harm one hair on their heads Franklin it will be the last thing you do."
"Oh, I think you have that wrong." Franklin smirked.
"Alright, Franklin Freeze! Drop your gun or I'll shoot." Billy ordered as he came up from behind.
Franklin turned around. "How are you going to shoot me when I have your gun?"
That was all Franklin could say before Lee took him from behind knocking the gun out of his hand. Franklin was like a trapped rat in a maze. He over tipped some crates on Lee, Francine and Billy and went running out of the warehouse only to be stopped by a lady with a car door.
Lee and Billy came running out with Francine and LeDeux not far behind them.
"Nice Job Amanda!" Said Billy with his usual mode of congratulations.
"Yeah, those car doors can be real lethal weapons!" Francine smirked.
Just then, the back car door opened and Kimberly got out. "Daddy!" She said as she ran up to LeDeux wrapping her arms around his leg. It brought tears to Amanda's eyes to see this father/daughter reunion, especially when she thought about how she lost her father. Lee glanced over at Amanda and noticed the little glimmers streaking down her face, and he casually reached over to wipe them away. Feeling the touch of Lee's hand as it brushed against her cheek brought a warmth and fuzziness all over Amanda's body. This case has brought them even closer together, and this time, neither one of them minded at all.
"Amanda shouldn't you be getting home to mother dearest and your darling boys. It is after midnight you know?" Francine intruded with her usual graceful timing.
"Yeah, Francine's probably right. Your mother's probably worried about you. Come on Amanda I'll drive you home."
"Yeah, if I know mother she is probably pacing back and forth wearing a hole in my floor right about now."
Lee drove Amanda home in silence. Both of them thinking about all of the events that occurred this evening. They both knew that after tonight things could not go back to the way they were. It was time to move forward another step, and at the same time they knew that with love you have to be patient.
*************************King House, 3AM*************************************************
After Amanda got done explaining to her mother about how she cut the sleeve of her blouse with a letter opener, and went in to kiss the boys good night, she decided that it was time for her to get a little shut eye her self. After all, she would have to go into IFF in the morning and help Lee type up the report on tonight's case. Although she didn't mind typing up this report because it had a happy ending.
As she settled into bed underneath her fluffy comforter and was just about to fall asleep, she heard a familiar tapping at her window. "Lee, what are you doing out there? You're going to fall, get in here. Not only that it is freezing out there, where's your coat?" Lee thought to himself that just looking at Amanda brought all the heat to his body that he would need to keep him warm on this chilly evening.
"Well, Mrs. King there was some unfinished business that I had to take care off."
"Lee, couldn't it have waited till morning? I am so tired."
"No, this I had to take care of tonight."
Amanda had gotten back underneath her comforter by this time and Lee was sitting by her on the bed. He reached out and pulled her closer to him and then planted one of the most passionate kisses on her delicate lips leaving Amanda breathless and dazed from his dose of "Stetson Mo-Jo". "That," he said, "was Strictly Personal!" And with these parting words, "Until tomorrow Mrs. King," he climbed back down the trellis, pausing for a brief moment to look up at her window and send her a kiss with a genuine "I love you" right on its tail, then rode off in his 'Vette' with a smile on his face in anticipation of tomorrow's encounter with the amazing Mrs. King.