Disclaimer: The characters belong to WB and Shoot the Moon

Productions.

Author's note: Have you ever wondered why Francine tries to warn

Amanda away from Lee? She made a comment about Lee dumping her.

Let's here what happened from Lee's point of view.

Time Frame: When Lee and Amanda are just starting to date.

Feedback: Yes, it helps me decide what my next story should be.

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WHY FRANCINE IS SOMETIMES SNIDE TO LEE?

BY

MELINDA G. LIGHT

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Lee and Amanda are at Spencer's having dinner. Let's listen in on

their conversation.

"Amanda, do you really need to know about all the girls I have dated?",

he watches Amanda and thinks to himself, "The only girl I am interested in

talking about is you. Actually I'd like to do more than talk?"

Amanda looks into Lee's eyes and thinks "I have a feeling I know what

he is thinking and I wish he'd just kiss me instead of just thinking

about kissing me." She answers him "It is only fair considering you

know about every guy that I ever dated. But there is one I am

definitely interested in finding out about."

"Let me guess. Could it be Francine? He grins at her.

"You guessed it, buster. So out with it." as she takes a drink of

her wine she notices Lee is watching her lips. She smiles at him.

"I think I'd better start when we first met. We actually first met

when we were both 14 years old and my uncle, the Colonel was

transferred to D.C. for a year and a half. At that time, we were

constantly picking on each other. Then we didn't see each other

until I joined up with the Agency after I left the OZ network. Billy

reintroduced us when we were both assigned to the same case. We were

to pose as husband and wife. Well we discovered that we enjoyed

working together. So I decided to ask her out to dinner and we had a

real nice evening of talking about work and the past. I started to

ask her out about once or twice a week. While I was going out with

her, I was also seeing other women. Then I began to realize that

Francine was starting to get serious about us. Therefore, I did what I

usually did with the others. I sent her a bouquet of flowers with a

note that said:

"It has been fun but I feel like I am holding you back. Good

luck for the future. Thanks for the great time."

Lee

Lee pauses and looks at Amanda.

"Continue, Lee. What happened after that?" she is really enjoying

this tale.

"Well, I didn't think anymore about it for the rest of the day. I got

off work that day around 6:30 and headed back to my apartment. When

I got there, I discovered my door was open so I pulled out my gun and

cautiously entered. Just as I entered one of my china vases that was

left to me by my parents came flying at me and missed my head by an

inch. I ducked behind the sofa as Francine started throwing other

stuff at me. This went on for over an hour and she started to calm

down. That is when I started to try to talk to her." Lee pauses as

he takes a drink of his wine. Then he reaches out and takes Amanda's

hand. "I told her that I am sorry that I'd hurt her but that I

didn't think it was fair to her to keep her hanging on for something

that wasn't going to happen. At the time I truly believed that."

Lee is looking into space as he remembers. "After losing Dorothy I

had swore never to get that close to anybody again." Lee looks at

Amanda and squeezes her hand. "That was before I met and fell in love

with you." He leans over and kisses her. When the kiss ends he

says, "Francine did not talk to me about anything except work for

about a year. Then Billy sat both of us down and got us talking. We

have been pretty good friends since." He pulls Amanda up out of her

chair as he gets up to go to the dance floor.

Amanda says,"So that is the reason why she sometimes is snide to

you." She reaches up to pull Lee's head down so she can kiss

him and that was the end of the conversation for the rest of the

night.