Disclaimer: This story is based on characters copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only and cannot be redistributed without permission from the author. I retain the rights to the plot, not the characters. No infringement is intended. Dialogue and situations taken from "Weekend" written by Rudolph Borchert..

Author's note: The first part of this story is dialogue from the episode, which I also used in "Weekend Dreams." The two stories are not related, they just begin at the same point. Thanks to Andrea for her insight and encouragement.

Date Written: November/December 2000

Weekend Reflections

by Linda

(email: smkfanforever@hotmail.com)Lee and Amanda returned to their room after their candlelit gourmet dinner. They were posing as newlyweds at the Cumberland, a fabulous resort, hoping to prevent a kidnapping. Lee said, "I think we carried that off pretty well, don't you? We were very convincing."

Amanda replied with a smile, "Yes, we were very convincing. We convinced Mrs. Craddock, and she's been married for 30 years."

Lee had removed his tuxedo jacket while they were talking, and now began to further undress and fluffed up the pillows. Amanda, standing just inside the entrance to the room, nervously glanced at the bed and said "I guess you plan to..."

"Yeah, do you mind? It's been a long day."

"Oh, no, I don't mind, you must be tired."

"Yeah, tired..." Lee continued to remove his suspenders and tie and said, "I just want to grab a couple hours of sleep."

"Yeah, you have to get your rest to do your job well." Amanda smiled nervously, "Lee, you know we still haven't discussed... the... accommodations (gesturing towards the bed). You know... there aren't... enough accommodations."

Lee tried to pacify her. "You see, there weren't any suites available. This was the only room that I could get, OK? I mean if Francine had come along like we'd agreed and... (looking at her doubtfully).....you see, it's surveillance, not an assignation."

"I know that, it's not a problem."

"Good, fine, it's no problem." He was just about to get into the bed when Amanda spoke again.

She offered, "You know, I could call the housekeeper and ask them to send up a rollaway bed. I do this all the time when we travel with the boys. It's only a little additional expense and..."

Lee interrupted, frustratedly running his fingers through his hair, "Amanda, everyone thinks we're newlyweds."

She said in a quiet voice, "And I suppose a rollaway bed wouldn't look right, huh?"

Lee shook his head while he spoke emphatically, "No, no, it would not look right." A pause while they looked at each other.

Lee volunteered, "Look, I will take the couch."

"You won't fit on the couch.."

"I said I will take the couch."

"You won't fit."

"I'll fit. You just watch."

"You won't fit," she said again as she gave him one of her "you'll soon see I'm right" smiles.

Lee tried several ways to fit onto the small, stiff, uncomfortable-looking formal sofa. He had a choice of his upper body fitting, or his lower body, but not both parts at the same time. He groaned in exasperation. "Forget it. Just forget it." He got up from the couch running his fingers through his hair in weariness and frustration. He shrugged back into his tuxedo jacket and said with an edge to his voice, managing to control his temper, "If you need me, I'll be in the closet across from Mr. Bosca's room." With that, he strode to the door.

As he reached it, Amanda turned to him. "Good night," she said with an attempt at lightness. She knew he was upset with her.

He turned from the door to look back at her. "Yeah." Then he was gone.

Amanda turned to stare at the comfy-looking bed. She felt a pang of guilt for sending Lee into the hall closet to spend the night. He wouldn't get much sleep in there. She shouldn't have been so insistent about them not sharing the bed. She knew she had nothing to worry about as far as her honor was concerned. Lee would not try to take advantage of her. She had known she could trust him since that first day he had given her the package.

Then why had she acted that way toward him? She had hit his hands with her purse when he touched her. She knew he was only trying to ease her mind about sharing the same room. But she couldn't bear having him touch her any more tonight. She felt like she would melt into him if he came any nearer to her. She needed the physical separation from him. So in defense of her own feelings, she had hit him with her purse. She knew she had hurt him, not physically, but emotionally. He probably wondered why she didn't trust him after all they had been through together. She felt as if a hand were squeezing her heart. It was herself she didn't trust, not Lee. His kisses and caresses tonight came close to pushing her over the edge. Even though she knew they were for cover and meant nothing to him, she couldn't help but respond to him. At one point while he was nuzzling her hand, she had asked him, in a quavering voice, if this was absolutely necessary. He had looked into her eyes and said that it was necessary-it was part of their cover. She hoped he couldn't read her true feelings when he looked into her eyes. She simply didn't think she could share a room, much less a bed with him, and keep distance between them. The attraction she felt for him was too strong.

She threw her purse onto the chair in annoyance and anger at herself. Amanda King, you are going to have to get over this man! He is not interested in a mother of two from the suburbs. He only dates women whose names regularly appear in the society columns. Besides, he "loves 'em and leaves 'em" and that is not the kind of man you want in your life. You want someone dependable, responsible, someone who would be a good stepfather to the boys. Someone like Dean? Yes, NO, well maybe someone like Dean, but not Dean. Dean had been too dependable, too responsible, too... dull. She needed someone more exciting. Like Lee? She sighed heavily. Her feelings for Lee were so complicated.

She was too emotionally drained to change into her nightgown. And she didn't feel like she deserved to sleep in the bed when Lee was on the floor of the hall closet. She left the bed made up and laid on the very edge of it, still completely dressed in her evening wear. She was exhausted and knew she needed her energy for tomorrow. Who knew what would happen then, and she had to be ready. But she found it difficult to fall asleep knowing Lee was uncomfortable on the nearby closet floor.

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Lee dozed fitfully in the cramped closet. He awoke rubbing the crick in his neck. The lighted dial on his watch revealed it was only 1:30 AM. He thought he had heard a sound in the hallway. Listening intently, he didn't hear any other sounds. But he'd better investigate. He silently rose and opened the closet door just a crack. No, the coast was clear.

Then he thought about Amanda in their room across the hall. He chuckled ruefully at the thought of "their room." Yeah, sure. Then what was he doing here in the closet? She would be sound asleep in the luxurious bed, probably gloating, he told himself. Just the same, he thought he should check on her. It had been his idea this time to bring her along when Francine's toothache prevented her from accompanying him. So she was his responsibility. As usual.

He crept quietly toward the door of their room, and using his key, entered silently. The drape was partially open, allowing moonlight to dimly illuminate the room. He walked closer to the bed, surprised at the scene before him. Yes, Amanda was in the bed. If you could call it that. She was fully dressed, still in her evening clothes. She was lying just barely on the bed, at the very edge. And she was lying there uncovered. Lee ran his hand through his hair, puzzled as to why she wouldn't be in her night clothes snuggled into the warmth of the bed. The woman never ceased to amaze him. Just when he thought he had a part of her figured out, something else would make him wonder about another aspect of her personality. She was such a complicated creature.

And such a beautiful creature. Looking at her lying there, Lee felt a little tug at his heartstrings. She looked so vulnerable, so fragile, so child-like. True, he found it annoying to have her around sometimes. But she had begun to grow on him. He didn't mind having her around as much as he led Billy and Francine to believe. She had a good head on her shoulders and her instincts complemented his expertise very well. That's why he had suggested using her for this assignment. Usually Billy forced her upon him. But this time, using Amanda was his idea. They had played a married couple before, and were getting pretty good at it. As he had anticipated, she had been a good little actress tonight, playing her Mrs. Stetson cover very believably. Even Mrs. Craddock thought they were newlyweds.

To his surprise, he had found himself enjoying his part of the cover. Amanda was a very lovely woman. Kissing her and caressing her aroused very pleasant feelings in him. He hadn't expected this reaction. She wasn't at all like the women he chose to date. He usually dated flashy, sexy women. Why a demure little housewife from Arlington would make him feel this way was a mystery to him.

So as not to awaken her, he very gently took the edge of the bedspread and pulled it over her body. She didn't wake up, but she did make a little satisfied murmur and snuggled into the warmth and comfort of the spread. He smiled. Yes, she was quite something. He bent to lightly touch her hair where it lay across the pillow. Then he tiptoed toward the door to return to his closet bedchamber, forgetting to be annoyed with her.

Then he had a sudden thought. He looked back to the bed. She was sleeping on the very edge of one side. That left a full two-thirds of the bed unoccupied. She hadn't awakened when he covered her. What if he were to very quietly slip into the other side of the bed? Maybe she wouldn't even wake up and he could get at least a few hours of sound sleep till morning. The thought was very tempting as he put his hand up to his sore neck.

He analyzed the consequences. If she did wake up to find him sleeping in the bed with her, what was she likely to do? Since it was the middle of the night, and she knew her honor was untarnished, probably nothing. He seriously doubted she'd wake him to make a scene. He didn't know all there was to know about her, but he felt this was a safe guess. However, he would hear about it in the morning, he knew. He chuckled to himself at the thought. On the other hand, since he was a light sleeper, there was a high probability he would wake before she did in the morning. And then she would be none the wiser.

The weary agent decided to take his chances. He locked the door, then removed the jacket of his tuxedo which he was still wearing and placed it on the couch. Lee then stealthily moved to the other side of the bed from where Amanda was sleeping. Next he removed his shoes and socks. He didn't dare remove any other articles of clothing in case she did wake up later. He didn't want her to feel compromised. He slowly opened the covers and slid beneath them. It took all of one minute after his head hit the pillow for him to fall soundly asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later, daylight began to stream into the window of their suite. Lee awoke and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. He cautiously turned towards Amanda, still sleeping peacefully under the quilt. She had moved closer to the center of the bed, but she hadn't discovered him. He grinned. His little plan had been a success. He felt much more rested than he would have if he'd spent the entire night in the closet. He got out of the bed very slowly so as not to awaken Sleeping Beauty. He very carefully re-made his side of the bed so Amanda would not be suspicious. She never even stirred.

He allowed himself to gaze at her for a few more seconds, wondering about the complexity of this woman he had felt drawn to that day not so long ago at the train station. Funny how things turned out sometimes. He had never expected to see her again once he gave her the package. And now he found himself working with this suburban housewife on a regular basis. They had become good friends. He shook his head incredulously with a smile on his face and turned towards the bathroom to take his morning shower.

A few minutes later, Amanda awoke. It felt odd to be in her evening wear, but then everything came back to her. She looked at herself covered with the quilt. She didn't remember covering herself. She must have done it instinctively during the night. But she did sleep well after finally falling asleep. She heard the shower running and knew Lee was up ahead of her. She hoped he wouldn't still be mad at her for having to sleep in the closet. She wasn't sure what to say to him. Maybe she would wait to see what kind of a mood he was in.

She looked around the beautifully-appointed room and at her evening clothes, and couldn't help but think how funny things turned out sometimes. Here she was, Amanda King, mother of two, getting paid to share a room in a fancy resort with the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on who happened to be a government agent who was at this very moment in the shower she would soon occupy herself. If she had read it in a novel, she would never have believed such a preposterous situation. Sometimes truth was stranger than fiction.



The End