As always, the characters remain the the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Enterprises.

A/N: This one will make no sense without having read "Whine After Whiskey"

The sun was still below the horizon when they arrived back at Maplewood Drive, both of them stiff from sitting in the plane overnight on top of their aches and bruises from the crash the day before. Fortunately, the flight had been mostly empty and they'd had a row of three seats to themselves, which allowed Lee to stretch out sideways and for Amanda to curl up against him in the circle of his arms as they'd dozed most of the way home.

They hadn't talked a lot from the time the plane had landed or during the drive back to Amanda's, a combination of exhaustion and sudden shyness at where they found themselves – married on less than a few hours' drunken acquaintance and an impulsive decision to see where that would lead them.

When Lee pulled the Porsche up to the curb, the silence was slightly more awkward though as he walked around to help her out of the car and carry her overnight bag to the door. They stopped on the doorstep, hands entwined and both blushing slightly, uncertain what to say.

"I guess I should thank you for such an interesting second date," Amanda finally teased and watched his posture relax as he grinned.

"You can't say I don't know how to show a girl a good time," he quipped.

"And I've got the bruises to prove it," laughed Amanda, reaching out to touch his arm when his smile dimmed fractionally and his eyes dropped to where the scrapes of yesterday's adventures were still evident across her hands. "And I'll be good as new in a few days."

Lee looked up to meet her eyes with a wry expression. "Helluva way to try and impress a girl. How am I going to top that on our third date?"

"Well, we've already explored the usual third-date option, so it'll have to be spectacular," she chuckled.

"I'm not sure it can be more spectacular than the usual third-date option." Lee lowered his head to kiss her neck. "We are spectacularly good together."

"Are we? Remind me…" she replied, dropping her head back to allow him easier access.

"And besides, it won't be me you have to impress" she went on a few minutes later, when they finally came up for breath. "It's Phillip and Jamie, so just showing up with a pizza or a Marvin's burgers will probably do the trick."

"That does sound calmer," he agreed. "Would tonight be too soon?" He'd unconsciously tightened his grip on her hands.

"No, I think that would be fine… oh no." She went still and her expression turned serious.

"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned at the abrupt change.

"Dean," she replied.

"What's the problem with Dean? You were going to break up with him anyway – right?" he said tentatively

"Well, I kind of have to, now that I'm married to someone else, don't you think?" she asked, the smile back in her voice. "And yes, I am but I haven't yet and that's not right. I mean, it hardly counts if we're broken up and I'm the only one who knows it, does it? So I need to talk to him first – before I introduce you to the boys because it wouldn't be fair to him or to them not to have all that cleared up and everything out in the open before you meet them – they're only eight and ten years old and it would be so confusing."

Lee nodded. "I can see that." He paused and drew her back into his arms, resting his cheek against her hair. "So tomorrow night then?" he asked.

"Lee!" she could contain the gurgle of laughter and leaned back to kiss him lightly. "What happened to 'let's not rush into anything'?"

"Okay, okay," he answered. "So I have an impulse for instant gratification – sue me."

"That's probably what got us into this mess," she teased, twisting the lapel of his jacket into her finger.

"It is kind of a mess, isn't it?" he said in a wistful tone. "I'm sorry about that."

"Well, messes can always be tidied up – just ask my boys."

"And when will I get to do that?" he smiled at her.

"First things first," she said firmly. "First Dean, then Phillip and Jamie."

"What about your mother?" he asked.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Oh that's a whole mess on its own. I hate to lie to her but she'll never believe we went all that way and didn't apply for the annulment!"

"Won't she?" Hazel eyes twinkled down at her in the porchlight, so bright she momentarily got lost in them, before starting to laugh.

"Actually she totally would… but she'll also totally approve!"

Lee sighed and looked at his watch. "You better get inside – and I better get showered and changed and be ready to go tell my boss all about this."

"All about it?"

"Maybe not all of it," he grimaced. "The thing is…" he looked at her apologetically. "I'm going to need you to come down there and give a statement too. It was kind of a trade-off for getting us out of Vegas so quickly."

"Well, that's not a problem – when will you need me?"

"Tell you what, I'll stonewall Billy for today – play up the aches and bruises from the crash and stress how traumatized you are, as a poor unsuspecting civilian," he paused as Amanda let out a snort. "A poor unsuspecting civilian," he repeated, "Caught up in international intrigue and held against her will…"

"Ah yes, the handcuffs…" she murmured, running her fingers over his wrist where the cuff had been just a few days before.

Lee cocked a wide grin at her. "Anyway, I'm sure I can get him to put it off until tomorrow, so you can get some sleep and spend some time with your kids."

"Okay, that would be good actually. Who knows what I'd say in the middle of a spy interrogation when I'm this tired?" She snuggled into his chest and gave a yawn.

Lee squeezed her gently. "Okay, first, we don't really use the word 'spy' and second, it's not going to be an interrogation since you aren't the one who did anything wrong. It will just be a simple statement of fact provided to a very grateful intelligence agency."

"Um hmm," she agreed, still leaning sleepily into him. "I was just in Vegas trying to get divorced from a man I married in a drunken fling and got kidnapped by Russians. Perfectly simple."

Lee couldn't hold in the chuckle. "Well, we definitely need to come up with a better story for the first part of that."

"Better than the truth?" she asked, lifting her head.

"Just a slightly shady version of the truth," he replied. "One that you can tell your friends and children and that I can also tell my very suspicious boss."

"Oh yeah, I see what you mean," she said, wrinkling her nose at him. "I'd have to step down as den mother if they found out how we really met. Harper Valley PTA doesn't hold a candle to us."

"And maybe, well…" he started, then paused, not sure how she'd react. "Maybe not mention the marriage part?" he rushed on as her eyes widened. "Not because I'm ashamed of marrying you or anything but it would be hard to explain without looking…"

"Like idiots?" she filled in with a smile. "Oh yeah, I don't think anyone needs to know that little secret just yet."

"Oh good," he breathed out a sigh of relief. "I mean, we can just tell my boss that you were someone I picked up in the bar and the whole wife thing was a misunderstanding…" He met her direct gaze again, and the way the smile chased across her lips. "Still my best idea ever though," he added as he lowered his head to kiss her again.

Finally though, Amanda pulled away with another yawn. "I'm sorry – it's not you, it's my complete lack of sleep, honest."

"And the shock setting in a bit," he agreed. "You get inside and see your boys and I'll call you later."

Amanda grimaced again. "Yeah, maybe a lot later? I should see Dean tonight and clear the air there."

"Yeah, okay." Lee turned to leave, then swung back around to grab her hand and pull her in for another kiss. "But not a lot later. Otherwise I'll have to worry that he'll talk you into going back to him."

Amanda's deep chuckle huffed out. "Well, then I'd just have to tell him I'm a happily married woman and he's out of luck."

"Happily married?" Lee couldn't help asking.

"So far, so good," answered Amanda with mock solemnity, which she ruined a second later when she tipped up on her toes to kiss him again. "Now scoot."

"Yes, Dear."

"See? You're learning already."

She waved him off, then turned to let herself quietly into the house. Dotty came out of the kitchen bearing a large cup of coffee as she stepped down into the family room.

"Thank goodness! I thought I was going to have to turn the front porch lights off and on a few times like your father used to do," she quipped, holding out the steaming mug. "You look exhausted, Darling… good trip?" Her eyes were twinkling with mischief as she surveyed her daughter.

"Oh Mother, stop" sighed Amanda. She pulled off her coat without thinking and watched her mother's expression turn from teasing to horrified at the bruises and cuts she'd revealed.

"Oh Darling – I thought you said it was just a little car accident!" said Dotty, putting down the coffee and rushing forward to grip her wrists to study the marks more closely.

"Mother, I'm fine! Stop worrying," said Amanda neatly sidestepping around not admitting that it had actually been a fairly violent plane crash – and that she'd been the pilot. "That coffee looks so good right now though – I didn't get much sleep on the plane home."

"Of course you didn't," replied Dotty instantly. "Who could sleep when they could sit and stare at Lee Stetson for a few hours instead?"

"Mother!"

Dotty shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying, Amanda… he's very handsome."

Amanda's lips twitched. "Yes he is, isn't he?" Her smile broadened at the way her mother beamed back.

"But you got the whole annulment thing sorted out?" asked Dotty, turning to walk back and pour her own coffee.

"Pretty much," answered Amanda evasively, lifting the mug to her face to try and cover the white lie.

It did no good. Dotty paused with the coffee pot still in mid-air. "Amanda? You did file for the annulment, didn't you? I mean… that's why you went all the way back to Vegas!"

"We-ell," Amanda hedged. "We meant to… we really did… but then we had the accident before we could get there… and then in all the excitement, we kind of forgot to actually do it before we flew home." The crazy part, she thought, was that everything she'd said was actually the truth. She needn't have worried – Dotty's face almost split in half with a delighted smile.

"So I still have a son-in-law?" she asked. "You aren't going to get it annulled?"

"I didn't say that!" said Amanda quickly. "We just need to do it from here after all, so it might take a little longer and I mean…" She decided to take the plunge. "We thought that maybe in the meantime we could… ummm… date?"

There was a silence and then Dotty gave a crow of laughter. "Oh Amanda, my darling – how marvellous! It's like one of my novels!"

Amanda sagged into one of the kitchen chairs. "You can't say anything to anyone, Mother! I mean, not just because it would be embarrassing but also… I don't want the boys to know. I haven't even broken up with Dean yet-." She paused as Dotty gave another snort of laughter. "You know what I mean – and I want Phillip and Jamie to meet him and for us all to get to know each other better. After all, it might not go anywhere…"

"Says the woman who just spent twenty minutes on the doorstep saying goodbye to her new husband," replied her mother. "But you're quite right, of course. They'd never understand and no one else needs to know the inside information of your relationship." She took a long sip from her coffee, then gave Amanda a bright smile. "But you never said I couldn't enjoy boasting about your handsome new beau to my friends!"

"Mother!"