"Tomorrow Will Be Better"

Summary: Lee and Amanda face the events of 9/11/01 together with their friends, family, and the Agency. WARNING: While the events of 9/11 portrayed in this piece are treated in much the same way similar events would be treated in the series, the relative newness of this tragedy may cause readers to be uncomfortable with reading this story.

Disclaimer: The characters of Scarecrow and Mrs. King do not belong to me. The news coverage featured as part of the historical setting for the 9/11/01 news coverage belongs CNN.

Author's Note: This story took twelve years to write for me. It helped me to deal as an adult with some of the new realities which we have had to face since September 11, 2001, and so I felt compelled to share this story. I hope it will be taken in the same way in which it is offered—as a memorial to the brave men and women, from government agencies, community hospitals, emergency service providers, branches of the military, and even average households, who became heroes for banding together for the benefit of the community after this tragedy.

September 11, 2001

12:37 am—New York City Agency Offices in the World Trade Center

There had been times in Lee's bachelorhood when travel, whether for business or pleasure, was one of the perks of his lifestyle. Venice, Gstaad, Tegernsee, Munich, London, Stockholm, Japan, even Afghanistan—each had held some exotic pleasure for him.

Now, however, even a three-day trip to New York was too much. He missed his wife. He missed his daughter. He missed having a pulse on the office he now ran.

It was official, he thought to himself. He was an old man.

"Are you headed back to the hotel?" Jack Turner asked, patting Lee on the back as they got a final cup of coffee after nearly three days of administrative budget meetings.

"You know, I probably should," Lee admitted. "But I'm feeling my age a little more than I like to, and so I think I'm going to do something more impulsive than responsible."

"Yeah?" Turner asked with a laugh. "And what is that exactly, Scarecrow? Use your expense account to rack up a night of ladies, liquor, and luxury at the Ritz?"

Lee chuckled. "Let's not let five years go by before we see each other again, okay?"

"You're the boss," Turner said with a laugh.

Lee rolled his eyes as he pulled his jacket on over his dress shirt and slacks. "Yeah—the boss. I may be a boss, but I'm not the boss."

Turner walked Lee to the entrance of the New York branch of the Agency. "You mean, you haven't heard? There are rumblings that they're picking the next Blue Leader."

Lee looked up in surprise. "Blue Leader?"

Turner nodded. "With your connections to Harry Thornton and after Blue Leader picked you to plug the leak in the DC office back in '84, everyone assumes you've been groomed for the position."

"The point of Blue Leader is to keep him anonymous," Lee reminded his friend. "So, I highly doubt that with all of that evidence that I'll be tapped for Blue Leader that anyone will actually select me."

"But Scarecrow," Turner said with a grin as they reached the exit. "Doing something that is predictable is often the very thing that no one in this line of work would think of!"

Lee shook his head as he put his hand on the door. "You have too much time on your hands, Turner, if that's what you're thinking about."

"Yes, well, I doubt you'll be able to think about anything else from now on," Turner said with a note of glee in his voice.

Lee laughed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I'll see you around, Turner."