Title: Surprise!
Author: Mac ngaiomw@yahoo.com
Story: Some spoilers here, for just about every episode.
Rating: G
Summary: Amanda is sent on a treasure hunt. What will she find at the end of it?
Time Line: 1988
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of SMK. They all belong to Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Prod. Washington, Jefferson, and Walker are mine.
Author's Note: After noting (well, actually getting it pointed out to by a few people) that my stories are usually sad or depressing, I decided that I needed to do another happy fic. SMK gets it first, but the folks at JAG will have to wait until I finish writing Pawns to get theirs. Thanks to Tammy, Jenny, Brenda, Mara, and Kathy for answering questions that they had no idea why I was asking at first. The Quotes come from the works of Shakespeare, including Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest. The poem in part two comes from Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken. Translations for the Italian sentences and phrases are at the end of the part they appear in.
Thanks to my beta reader: Brenda
++ signifies a dark robed stranger and/or an elf like person (take your pick)
+++++++++
Mysterious Stranger-
Sigh no more, ladies
Sigh no more
Men were deceivers ever
One foot in sea, and one on shore
To one thing constant never
But sigh not so
But let them go
And be you blithe and bonny
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny nonny
Sing no more ditties
Sing no more
Of dumps so dull and heavy
The flight of man was ever so
Since summer was first leavy
But sigh not so
But let them go
And be you blithe and bonny
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey nonny nonny
+++++++++++
***********
1530, 29 October 1988
The Agency
"Where is everyone?" Amanda asked herself as she walked down the dimly lit Agency hallway. She was confused and frustrated at the same time. The past week had been very hard on her. Lee was away on assignment, the boys were out of town on a camping trip with Joe, and Mother was off skiing with Captain Kurt somewhere out west. She needed to talk to someone. Her week of vacation was turning into one frustration after another. What she really needed was Lee to be home. Or, at the very least, be able to call and talk about nothing for a couple of hours. Seeing no one in the bullpen, she took out the notes she'd been given throughout the day.
***Flashback***
0830, 29 October 1988
4247 Maplewood Drive
Amanda woke up feeling slightly chilly. This was the first time in a year that Lee hadn't been there while her Mother and the boys were gone. She put her robe on and headed downstairs to make some hot chocolate. 'The house sure is quiet, now,' she thought as she brought the water to boil.
Amanda walked over to the pantry where she kept the special hot chocolate that Lee had given her for their anniversary. When she turned back to the counter, a single red rose rested there. Attached to it was a note.
= = = =
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world that has such people in it!
Follow your heart to where your adventure began.
= = = =
"'To where your adventure began'? Now what does that mean?" Amanda stared at the note until the teakettle whistled. She poured the hot water into a mug and added just a dash of sprite to it. She placed the rose into a vase, took it, the note, and her hot chocolate into the living room with her. Placing the items on the coffee table she went over to the bookcase and selected one of her favorite books from the shelf. _The Complete Works of Shakespeare_. It had been a wedding gift from her Shakespearean Lit professor when she married Joe. 'My, this needs a good dusting,' she thought as she sat down on the couch with the tome. Twenty minutes later she found the quote she was looking for. She reread the note again. "Of course! Where my adventure began! The train station!"
Amanda placed the book on the table next to the vase and ran up the stairs to change. Ten minutes later she rushed out of the house and drove to the start of her new life.
She spent an hour that morning at the train station where she met Lee for the first time. A man dressed in a white suit approached her with a small package that had her name on it. Inside the package was a small gold and silver locket. When she opened it, music began to play. She identified it as 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. Inside the locket was a small picture of a red rose and a piece of straw.
****End Flashback****
Amanda fingered the locket delicately. There was only one person, well make that two people, who could have gotten her the locket. The note that had accompanied the locket was like the one that mysteriously appeared on her counter earlier.
****Flashback****
= = = =
Love is a spirit all compact of fire,
Not gross to sink, but light, and will aspire.
Reflection is good for us. Lovers and friends alike
= = = =
End Part One
Part Two
See the Disclaimer in Part One
*******
From Part One:
Amanda fingered the locket delicately. There was only one person, well make that two people, who could have gotten her the locket. The note that had accompanied the locket was like the one that mysteriously appeared on her counter earlier.
****Flashback****
= = = =
Love is a spirit all compact of fire,
Not gross to sink, but light, and will aspire.
Reflection is good for us. Lovers and friends alike
= = = =
*******
'Reflection is good for us. Lovers and friends alike?' Amanda thought. She thought about where all the walks that she shared with Lee were, and tried to think of anytime that she may have walked the same route with a friend. The Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials were the most frequented places when she walked with Lee, but she didn't walk there with any of her friends; it was too special to her. 'Reflection is good for us...' She thought for a moment before it hit her.
"Of course! The Reflecting Pool!" Amanda made her way to her Wagoneer and headed for the Reflecting Pool by the Washington Monument. She and Lee walked there a few times, but she also walked along the path with some of her co-workers and a couple guys she met before Lee came to his senses.
When she arrived at the park, she didn't see anything out of place. She walked along the path, trying to figure out who was sending her on this chase. It couldn't be Lee because he was in Europe, and the boys were still out of town, as was her mother. Amanda was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't see the woman in blue standing in front of her.
"Oh! Excuse me!" Amanda said startled. She bent down to pick up the package that the lady dropped when she bumped into her. "Here you go-" The lady in blue had disappeared. She looked at the package a little closer to see if she could find a name on it. The envelope that was taped to the outside of the flat rectangular box had a name written on it: Amanda King.
At first Amanda thought it was meant for someone else, but then the name sunk in. It was her name. She sat down at the nearest bench and opened the package. Inside were photographs of Phillip, Jamie, and herself at an amusement park from a few years back; right before she started working at the Agency. She opened the envelope and inside was a note similar to the previous ones.
= = = =
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
You've had many choices to make it here; few of them have been easy.
= = = =
****End Flashback****
1537
The Agency
"Indeed it has," Amanda said softly as she looked at the note. During her drive to the Agency where she figured this note was taking her, she reviewed the many choices she made in Mr. Melrose's office. She agreed to work for the Agency, she refused to believe that Lee had gone to the other side; she had blindly followed Lee on missions that began there. The list could go on and on.
Now she stood outside the glass doors of the heart of the Agency. 'Well, no use in standing out here if the next clue is in there,' Amanda thought as she pushed the doors to the Agency bullpen open.
End Part Two
Part Three
See the disclaimer in Part One.
From Part Two:
= = = =
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
You've had many choices to make here; few of them have been easy.
= = = =
****End Flashback****
1537
The Agency
"Indeed it has," Amanda said softly as she looked at the note. During her drive to the Agency where she figured this note was taking her, she reviewed the many choices she made in Mr. Melrose's office. She agreed to work for the Agency, she refused to believe that Lee had gone to the other side; she had blindly followed Lee on missions that began there. The list could go on and on.
Now she stood outside the glass doors of the heart of the Agency. 'Well, no use in standing out here if the next clue is in there,' Amanda thought as she pushed the doors to the Agency bullpen open.
-----
The bullpen was dimly lit with only every third light on. She looked around for any sign of life or mysterious package. As she got closer to Billy's office, she noticed light coming from below the door. Cautiously she approached the door. She didn't hear anything coming from inside, so she slowly tested the knob. It was unlocked! 'Strange. I thought Mr. Melrose locked his office at night.'
Amanda backed away from the door and looked around for something to use as a weapon. On the desk, to her immediate right, was a letter opener. 'It's not much, but at least it's something,' she thought. She crept towards the door and quickly opened it holding the letter opener like a dagger. "Hold it right there, Buster!" She looked around the office and didn't see anything amiss. Suddenly the chair behind Billy's desk turned around to reveal the intruder, laughing.
"You!"
"Hello, Amanda." There before her eyes was T.P. Aquinas. "I was wondering when you would get here."
"You were?" Seeing the unspoken question in his eyes she quickly explained, "I decided to take one of the notes literally and take time to reflect on what has lead me here."
"Ah. Well, are you ready for your last clue?" Amanda nodded. She was very excited as to where this next clue would take her, but she was also starting to suspect 'Someone's' involvement in this treasure hunt. T.P. rose from the chair, came over to her side of the desk, and handed her a wrapped package and another card. Then he said, "'The lunatic, the lover, and the poet. Are of imagination all compact.' Congratulations, Amanda."
Amanda watched T.P. leave her alone in Billy's office. His quote and congratulations slowly sunk in. 'Does he know?' she thought wildly. She slowly sat herself down in one of the chairs in front of the desk almost numb with nervousness. After a while, her brain started to function again.
She turned the package over in her hands. It was beautifully wrapped. The red tissue paper was kept firmly in place with gold and silver ribbon. Amanda gently shook it near her ear. 'It doesn't rattle. Hmmm,' she thought. Deciding to hold off on the package she opted to open the card. The card was beautiful, unlike the blank cards with block letters that she had received throughout the day.
The front of the card simply said 'To someone very special'. Underneath the words was a sketch of Dorothy and the Scarecrow walking along a golden path, only instead of woods in the background there was the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Reflecting Pool. Inside the card were a couple of quotes from Shakespeare written in the most beautiful calligraphy she had ever seen. 'It must have taken them hours to write this,' she thought in amazement. The quotes described her relationship with Lee so well that it could have come from only one person; her Lee.
= = = =
Give me your hands, if we be friends;
Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably;
The course of true love never did run smooth;
What's mine is yours and what is yours is mine.
Siete il mio amico migliore, l' un costante nella mia vita. Ti amo ora e per sempre.
-- Lee
= = = =
"Oh Lee," Amanda said softly. She didn't understand the last sentences written in the card but she recognized some of the words as Italian. She gently placed the card down on the desk and turned her attention to the object in her lap. She gently pulled the ribbon off and carefully undid one end of the inch-thick package. She tilted the gift and a simple black case slipped out. Amanda slowly opened the case part way and gasped.
Lying on a plush black velvet pillow, she saw the most beautiful set of fresh water pearl necklace and matching teardrop earrings. The dark background offset the cream coloring of the pearls just right. Between each pearl was a small royal blue stone that shone brightly when the light hit it. "These are so beautiful," she whispered. She barely reached out her hand to touch them when she noticed a gold plate attached to the underside of the lid.
The plate was inscribed with six lines:
Ti amo
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts
His acts being seven ages.
There were no other clues. "All the world's a stage. I recall thinking that a while back. Now where was I?" Amanda sat in the chair and thought for a couple of minutes. "Of course!" She carefully closed the lid to the jewelry case and picked up the card before heading out for her next destination.
1600
Amanda raced up the stairs to the Q-Bureau where Francine interrupted her and Lee a little over two years ago. She opened the door to a dark room. The moment she stepped into the room the lights came on and she was greeted by a loud, "SURPRISE!"
End Part Three
Translations:
Siete il mio amico migliore, l' un costante nella mia vita. Ti amo ora e per sempre. (You are my best friend, the one constant in my life. I love you now and forever.)
Ti amo. (I love you.)
The Epilogue
See Part One for the disclaimers.
-----
From Part Three:
1600
Amanda raced up the stairs to the Q-Bureau where Francine interrupted her and Lee a little over two years ago. She opened the door to a dark room. The moment she stepped into the room the lights came on and she was greeted by a loud, "SURPRISE!"
-----
Amanda stood in the doorway, shocked. Facing her were all the people she cared for the most. Jamie, Phillip, her Mother, and Lee had jumped out from the Vault. Billy, Francine, and T.P. were behind Lee's desk. On the couch, by the light switch, were a couple of agents that she has been working with for the past few months. 'George Jefferson and Thomas Washington,' she silently reminded herself. Across the back wall of the office was a colorful banner signed by everyone from her PTA and neighborhood that proclaimed, 'Happy Birthday, Amanda!'
"Oh my gosh!" She had forgotten it was her birthday. Her family and friends soon engulfed her, each wishing her a happy birthday.
After everyone calmed down, Amanda took a good look around the office she shared with Lee. Nothing screamed that IFF wasn't a real film company. Even the Vault that her family jumped out of had been converted into an actual film library.
Lee didn't stray far from Amanda as she walked around their office. He kept one hand in his pocket and if any of the spies around the office kept a close eye on him, they would have noticed that the 'cool as a cucumber' Scarecrow was almost as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room of rocking chairs. Finally, the time came. The phone on Lee's desk rang once and then went silent. Somehow Lee got Amanda to the center of the room and he took a deep breath.
He looked into her brown eyes and saw the love they held for him. Now was the right time. "Amanda?"
"Yes?" Amanda looked at her husband. 'What is he doing?' she wondered.
Lee knelt before her and in a terrible Italian accent he asked, "Lo sposerete?" The room went silent at Lee's words. He repeated his question, this time in English, "Amanda, you have been my rock for so long. You never lost your faith in me, even when I did something that anyone else would have turned their back on." He paused as he brought out a familiar box. He looked up into her eyes, "Amanda, will you marry me?"
Amanda's mind went a mile a minute. 'Oh my gosh! Did Lee just propose to me in front of everyone? Ohmygoshohmygosh.' Her answer came softly in the only Italian that she knew, " Sì." Lee put her engagement ring on her left finger and kissed her until discrete coughs broke through to him. Breaking the kiss, but still holding her close to him he whispered, "Grazie."
Dotty hugged her daughter and soon-to-be-son-in-law tightly. The boys both gave a whispered "Yes!" before congratulating their Mom and Lee. T.P. winked at the couple and Francine actually smiled. Jefferson and Washington congratulated Amanda and presented Lee with a hastily drawn up coupon for one free night of drinking, supposedly to be redeemed no later than the night before his wedding. Billy was hesitant to break up group after he congratulated his best agents, but they still had a show to put on the road.
"Ahem!" They room stopped and looked at him. "As much as I would love let you all continue, we have one more surprise for Amanda."
"There's more?" Amanda asked stunned.
"Yep." Lee said smugly. From his back pocket he brought out a black blindfold. Amanda shook her head when she saw what he meant to do with it. "Come on, Amanda. You wouldn't want to spoil all the fun, now. Would you?" Amanda looked around at everyone. Phillip and Jamie both were giving her their best puppy dog expression, but that didn't compare to the sad puppy dog eyes that her fiancé was giving her.
"Oh, alright. I'll wear the blindfold. Just make sure I don't hurt myself, Big Fella," Amanda said with a laugh. Lee tied the blindfold behind her head and took her arm.
"OK, let's get moving!"
1635
The group slowly walked down the stairs to the lobby where Dotty, Phillip, and Jamie were also blindfolded. Lee told them ahead of time that part of the journey to the real party took them through some federal projects that IFF was working on for the government and they would have to blindfolded for security reasons. Jamie and Phillip had readily agreed to the blindfolding, but Dotty was a little more suspicious. After much reasoning with her, Lee finally got Dotty to agree.
Minutes later all the blindfolds were removed except Amanda's. Amanda had been very patient, but now she was wondering when she would be able to take her blindfold off.
"OK, everyone ready?" A chorus of "Yes's" reached Amanda's ears and she was led through a set of double doors. "Amanda, close your eyes." Amanda obediently closed her eyes and felt Lee remove the blindfold. Lee checked to make sure that she wasn't peeking. "OK, Amanda, on the count of three open your eyes. One. Two. Three!"
Amanda opened her eyes and was bombarded by another round of "SURPRISE!" and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" from her friends and co-workers. Amanda looked at the transformed Agency bullpen. All the lights were on, decorations hung from the ceiling, and a large cake was in the center of the room with a big 38 on it.
"How?" Amanda started to say.
"They let the Marines handle it." Amanda turned to the person who answered her partly formed question. Lieutenant Mackenzie Walker smiled brightly before heading to the buffet table to help distribute the punch.
Before Zora Marsden led the birthday girl to the cake, Lee whispered in her ear, "Buon compleanno, Amanda."
The End
Translations:
Buon compleanno (Happy birthday)
Lo sposerete? (Will you marry me?)
Sì (Yes)
++++++++
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
++++++++
Author: Mac ngaiomw@yahoo.com
Story: Some spoilers here, for just about every episode.
Rating: G
Summary: Amanda is sent on a treasure hunt. What will she find at the end of it?
Time Line: 1988
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of SMK. They all belong to Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Prod. Washington, Jefferson, and Walker are mine.
Author's Note: After noting (well, actually getting it pointed out to by a few people) that my stories are usually sad or depressing, I decided that I needed to do another happy fic. SMK gets it first, but the folks at JAG will have to wait until I finish writing Pawns to get theirs. Thanks to Tammy, Jenny, Brenda, Mara, and Kathy for answering questions that they had no idea why I was asking at first. The Quotes come from the works of Shakespeare, including Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest. The poem in part two comes from Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken. Translations for the Italian sentences and phrases are at the end of the part they appear in.
Thanks to my beta reader: Brenda
++ signifies a dark robed stranger and/or an elf like person (take your pick)
+++++++++
Mysterious Stranger-
Sigh no more, ladies
Sigh no more
Men were deceivers ever
One foot in sea, and one on shore
To one thing constant never
But sigh not so
But let them go
And be you blithe and bonny
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny nonny
Sing no more ditties
Sing no more
Of dumps so dull and heavy
The flight of man was ever so
Since summer was first leavy
But sigh not so
But let them go
And be you blithe and bonny
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey nonny nonny
+++++++++++
***********
1530, 29 October 1988
The Agency
"Where is everyone?" Amanda asked herself as she walked down the dimly lit Agency hallway. She was confused and frustrated at the same time. The past week had been very hard on her. Lee was away on assignment, the boys were out of town on a camping trip with Joe, and Mother was off skiing with Captain Kurt somewhere out west. She needed to talk to someone. Her week of vacation was turning into one frustration after another. What she really needed was Lee to be home. Or, at the very least, be able to call and talk about nothing for a couple of hours. Seeing no one in the bullpen, she took out the notes she'd been given throughout the day.
***Flashback***
0830, 29 October 1988
4247 Maplewood Drive
Amanda woke up feeling slightly chilly. This was the first time in a year that Lee hadn't been there while her Mother and the boys were gone. She put her robe on and headed downstairs to make some hot chocolate. 'The house sure is quiet, now,' she thought as she brought the water to boil.
Amanda walked over to the pantry where she kept the special hot chocolate that Lee had given her for their anniversary. When she turned back to the counter, a single red rose rested there. Attached to it was a note.
= = = =
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world that has such people in it!
Follow your heart to where your adventure began.
= = = =
"'To where your adventure began'? Now what does that mean?" Amanda stared at the note until the teakettle whistled. She poured the hot water into a mug and added just a dash of sprite to it. She placed the rose into a vase, took it, the note, and her hot chocolate into the living room with her. Placing the items on the coffee table she went over to the bookcase and selected one of her favorite books from the shelf. _The Complete Works of Shakespeare_. It had been a wedding gift from her Shakespearean Lit professor when she married Joe. 'My, this needs a good dusting,' she thought as she sat down on the couch with the tome. Twenty minutes later she found the quote she was looking for. She reread the note again. "Of course! Where my adventure began! The train station!"
Amanda placed the book on the table next to the vase and ran up the stairs to change. Ten minutes later she rushed out of the house and drove to the start of her new life.
She spent an hour that morning at the train station where she met Lee for the first time. A man dressed in a white suit approached her with a small package that had her name on it. Inside the package was a small gold and silver locket. When she opened it, music began to play. She identified it as 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. Inside the locket was a small picture of a red rose and a piece of straw.
****End Flashback****
Amanda fingered the locket delicately. There was only one person, well make that two people, who could have gotten her the locket. The note that had accompanied the locket was like the one that mysteriously appeared on her counter earlier.
****Flashback****
= = = =
Love is a spirit all compact of fire,
Not gross to sink, but light, and will aspire.
Reflection is good for us. Lovers and friends alike
= = = =
End Part One
Part Two
See the Disclaimer in Part One
*******
From Part One:
Amanda fingered the locket delicately. There was only one person, well make that two people, who could have gotten her the locket. The note that had accompanied the locket was like the one that mysteriously appeared on her counter earlier.
****Flashback****
= = = =
Love is a spirit all compact of fire,
Not gross to sink, but light, and will aspire.
Reflection is good for us. Lovers and friends alike
= = = =
*******
'Reflection is good for us. Lovers and friends alike?' Amanda thought. She thought about where all the walks that she shared with Lee were, and tried to think of anytime that she may have walked the same route with a friend. The Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials were the most frequented places when she walked with Lee, but she didn't walk there with any of her friends; it was too special to her. 'Reflection is good for us...' She thought for a moment before it hit her.
"Of course! The Reflecting Pool!" Amanda made her way to her Wagoneer and headed for the Reflecting Pool by the Washington Monument. She and Lee walked there a few times, but she also walked along the path with some of her co-workers and a couple guys she met before Lee came to his senses.
When she arrived at the park, she didn't see anything out of place. She walked along the path, trying to figure out who was sending her on this chase. It couldn't be Lee because he was in Europe, and the boys were still out of town, as was her mother. Amanda was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't see the woman in blue standing in front of her.
"Oh! Excuse me!" Amanda said startled. She bent down to pick up the package that the lady dropped when she bumped into her. "Here you go-" The lady in blue had disappeared. She looked at the package a little closer to see if she could find a name on it. The envelope that was taped to the outside of the flat rectangular box had a name written on it: Amanda King.
At first Amanda thought it was meant for someone else, but then the name sunk in. It was her name. She sat down at the nearest bench and opened the package. Inside were photographs of Phillip, Jamie, and herself at an amusement park from a few years back; right before she started working at the Agency. She opened the envelope and inside was a note similar to the previous ones.
= = = =
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
You've had many choices to make it here; few of them have been easy.
= = = =
****End Flashback****
1537
The Agency
"Indeed it has," Amanda said softly as she looked at the note. During her drive to the Agency where she figured this note was taking her, she reviewed the many choices she made in Mr. Melrose's office. She agreed to work for the Agency, she refused to believe that Lee had gone to the other side; she had blindly followed Lee on missions that began there. The list could go on and on.
Now she stood outside the glass doors of the heart of the Agency. 'Well, no use in standing out here if the next clue is in there,' Amanda thought as she pushed the doors to the Agency bullpen open.
End Part Two
Part Three
See the disclaimer in Part One.
From Part Two:
= = = =
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
You've had many choices to make here; few of them have been easy.
= = = =
****End Flashback****
1537
The Agency
"Indeed it has," Amanda said softly as she looked at the note. During her drive to the Agency where she figured this note was taking her, she reviewed the many choices she made in Mr. Melrose's office. She agreed to work for the Agency, she refused to believe that Lee had gone to the other side; she had blindly followed Lee on missions that began there. The list could go on and on.
Now she stood outside the glass doors of the heart of the Agency. 'Well, no use in standing out here if the next clue is in there,' Amanda thought as she pushed the doors to the Agency bullpen open.
-----
The bullpen was dimly lit with only every third light on. She looked around for any sign of life or mysterious package. As she got closer to Billy's office, she noticed light coming from below the door. Cautiously she approached the door. She didn't hear anything coming from inside, so she slowly tested the knob. It was unlocked! 'Strange. I thought Mr. Melrose locked his office at night.'
Amanda backed away from the door and looked around for something to use as a weapon. On the desk, to her immediate right, was a letter opener. 'It's not much, but at least it's something,' she thought. She crept towards the door and quickly opened it holding the letter opener like a dagger. "Hold it right there, Buster!" She looked around the office and didn't see anything amiss. Suddenly the chair behind Billy's desk turned around to reveal the intruder, laughing.
"You!"
"Hello, Amanda." There before her eyes was T.P. Aquinas. "I was wondering when you would get here."
"You were?" Seeing the unspoken question in his eyes she quickly explained, "I decided to take one of the notes literally and take time to reflect on what has lead me here."
"Ah. Well, are you ready for your last clue?" Amanda nodded. She was very excited as to where this next clue would take her, but she was also starting to suspect 'Someone's' involvement in this treasure hunt. T.P. rose from the chair, came over to her side of the desk, and handed her a wrapped package and another card. Then he said, "'The lunatic, the lover, and the poet. Are of imagination all compact.' Congratulations, Amanda."
Amanda watched T.P. leave her alone in Billy's office. His quote and congratulations slowly sunk in. 'Does he know?' she thought wildly. She slowly sat herself down in one of the chairs in front of the desk almost numb with nervousness. After a while, her brain started to function again.
She turned the package over in her hands. It was beautifully wrapped. The red tissue paper was kept firmly in place with gold and silver ribbon. Amanda gently shook it near her ear. 'It doesn't rattle. Hmmm,' she thought. Deciding to hold off on the package she opted to open the card. The card was beautiful, unlike the blank cards with block letters that she had received throughout the day.
The front of the card simply said 'To someone very special'. Underneath the words was a sketch of Dorothy and the Scarecrow walking along a golden path, only instead of woods in the background there was the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Reflecting Pool. Inside the card were a couple of quotes from Shakespeare written in the most beautiful calligraphy she had ever seen. 'It must have taken them hours to write this,' she thought in amazement. The quotes described her relationship with Lee so well that it could have come from only one person; her Lee.
= = = =
Give me your hands, if we be friends;
Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably;
The course of true love never did run smooth;
What's mine is yours and what is yours is mine.
Siete il mio amico migliore, l' un costante nella mia vita. Ti amo ora e per sempre.
-- Lee
= = = =
"Oh Lee," Amanda said softly. She didn't understand the last sentences written in the card but she recognized some of the words as Italian. She gently placed the card down on the desk and turned her attention to the object in her lap. She gently pulled the ribbon off and carefully undid one end of the inch-thick package. She tilted the gift and a simple black case slipped out. Amanda slowly opened the case part way and gasped.
Lying on a plush black velvet pillow, she saw the most beautiful set of fresh water pearl necklace and matching teardrop earrings. The dark background offset the cream coloring of the pearls just right. Between each pearl was a small royal blue stone that shone brightly when the light hit it. "These are so beautiful," she whispered. She barely reached out her hand to touch them when she noticed a gold plate attached to the underside of the lid.
The plate was inscribed with six lines:
Ti amo
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts
His acts being seven ages.
There were no other clues. "All the world's a stage. I recall thinking that a while back. Now where was I?" Amanda sat in the chair and thought for a couple of minutes. "Of course!" She carefully closed the lid to the jewelry case and picked up the card before heading out for her next destination.
1600
Amanda raced up the stairs to the Q-Bureau where Francine interrupted her and Lee a little over two years ago. She opened the door to a dark room. The moment she stepped into the room the lights came on and she was greeted by a loud, "SURPRISE!"
End Part Three
Translations:
Siete il mio amico migliore, l' un costante nella mia vita. Ti amo ora e per sempre. (You are my best friend, the one constant in my life. I love you now and forever.)
Ti amo. (I love you.)
The Epilogue
See Part One for the disclaimers.
-----
From Part Three:
1600
Amanda raced up the stairs to the Q-Bureau where Francine interrupted her and Lee a little over two years ago. She opened the door to a dark room. The moment she stepped into the room the lights came on and she was greeted by a loud, "SURPRISE!"
-----
Amanda stood in the doorway, shocked. Facing her were all the people she cared for the most. Jamie, Phillip, her Mother, and Lee had jumped out from the Vault. Billy, Francine, and T.P. were behind Lee's desk. On the couch, by the light switch, were a couple of agents that she has been working with for the past few months. 'George Jefferson and Thomas Washington,' she silently reminded herself. Across the back wall of the office was a colorful banner signed by everyone from her PTA and neighborhood that proclaimed, 'Happy Birthday, Amanda!'
"Oh my gosh!" She had forgotten it was her birthday. Her family and friends soon engulfed her, each wishing her a happy birthday.
After everyone calmed down, Amanda took a good look around the office she shared with Lee. Nothing screamed that IFF wasn't a real film company. Even the Vault that her family jumped out of had been converted into an actual film library.
Lee didn't stray far from Amanda as she walked around their office. He kept one hand in his pocket and if any of the spies around the office kept a close eye on him, they would have noticed that the 'cool as a cucumber' Scarecrow was almost as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room of rocking chairs. Finally, the time came. The phone on Lee's desk rang once and then went silent. Somehow Lee got Amanda to the center of the room and he took a deep breath.
He looked into her brown eyes and saw the love they held for him. Now was the right time. "Amanda?"
"Yes?" Amanda looked at her husband. 'What is he doing?' she wondered.
Lee knelt before her and in a terrible Italian accent he asked, "Lo sposerete?" The room went silent at Lee's words. He repeated his question, this time in English, "Amanda, you have been my rock for so long. You never lost your faith in me, even when I did something that anyone else would have turned their back on." He paused as he brought out a familiar box. He looked up into her eyes, "Amanda, will you marry me?"
Amanda's mind went a mile a minute. 'Oh my gosh! Did Lee just propose to me in front of everyone? Ohmygoshohmygosh.' Her answer came softly in the only Italian that she knew, " Sì." Lee put her engagement ring on her left finger and kissed her until discrete coughs broke through to him. Breaking the kiss, but still holding her close to him he whispered, "Grazie."
Dotty hugged her daughter and soon-to-be-son-in-law tightly. The boys both gave a whispered "Yes!" before congratulating their Mom and Lee. T.P. winked at the couple and Francine actually smiled. Jefferson and Washington congratulated Amanda and presented Lee with a hastily drawn up coupon for one free night of drinking, supposedly to be redeemed no later than the night before his wedding. Billy was hesitant to break up group after he congratulated his best agents, but they still had a show to put on the road.
"Ahem!" They room stopped and looked at him. "As much as I would love let you all continue, we have one more surprise for Amanda."
"There's more?" Amanda asked stunned.
"Yep." Lee said smugly. From his back pocket he brought out a black blindfold. Amanda shook her head when she saw what he meant to do with it. "Come on, Amanda. You wouldn't want to spoil all the fun, now. Would you?" Amanda looked around at everyone. Phillip and Jamie both were giving her their best puppy dog expression, but that didn't compare to the sad puppy dog eyes that her fiancé was giving her.
"Oh, alright. I'll wear the blindfold. Just make sure I don't hurt myself, Big Fella," Amanda said with a laugh. Lee tied the blindfold behind her head and took her arm.
"OK, let's get moving!"
1635
The group slowly walked down the stairs to the lobby where Dotty, Phillip, and Jamie were also blindfolded. Lee told them ahead of time that part of the journey to the real party took them through some federal projects that IFF was working on for the government and they would have to blindfolded for security reasons. Jamie and Phillip had readily agreed to the blindfolding, but Dotty was a little more suspicious. After much reasoning with her, Lee finally got Dotty to agree.
Minutes later all the blindfolds were removed except Amanda's. Amanda had been very patient, but now she was wondering when she would be able to take her blindfold off.
"OK, everyone ready?" A chorus of "Yes's" reached Amanda's ears and she was led through a set of double doors. "Amanda, close your eyes." Amanda obediently closed her eyes and felt Lee remove the blindfold. Lee checked to make sure that she wasn't peeking. "OK, Amanda, on the count of three open your eyes. One. Two. Three!"
Amanda opened her eyes and was bombarded by another round of "SURPRISE!" and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" from her friends and co-workers. Amanda looked at the transformed Agency bullpen. All the lights were on, decorations hung from the ceiling, and a large cake was in the center of the room with a big 38 on it.
"How?" Amanda started to say.
"They let the Marines handle it." Amanda turned to the person who answered her partly formed question. Lieutenant Mackenzie Walker smiled brightly before heading to the buffet table to help distribute the punch.
Before Zora Marsden led the birthday girl to the cake, Lee whispered in her ear, "Buon compleanno, Amanda."
The End
Translations:
Buon compleanno (Happy birthday)
Lo sposerete? (Will you marry me?)
Sì (Yes)
++++++++
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
++++++++