"What do you really think, Lee? I mean, don't hold it in!" Amanda practically yelled at him.

For a moment, Lee Stetson was stunned. Then, the anger took hold, again.

"Fine! You want to know what I think?!"

But, Amanda cut him off. "Actually, no. You don't get another chance to lay into me. I've heard it all before - how I'm a civilian and not cut out for this, and you've made it abundantly clear how much you don't want me around. So, you know what, Scarecrow?" - and she emphasized this with a single hard poke to his chest - "Your wish is my command. I have decided that I no longer like working for the Agency."

But, she shook her head at that and continued, "No, that's not true. I like the Agency fine. I just don't like working with YOU. And, since you're the only one it seems that I was ever going to be paired with, I guess this means that my budding new career is officially over. Happy, now? You are 100% free of Amanda King." She gave his chest a little push. "Now, leave!"

Unbeknownst to him, she had already been making him hoof it towards the door. With her final words, he realized that he was now standing outside - which was plaintively emphasized by the door slamming in his face, as well as a resounding crack as it hit the doorjamb.

Lee was back to being stunned. Scared, if he was being honest. He'd shown up at her house to apologize, not lose his temper again and have her quit outright. He'd only wanted to make her understand that she needed to follow his instructions to the letter, when out in the field. There had been too many close calls.

An errant thought made him snap to attention. He had been worried that she'd be hurt, but he realized that he was the one who had hurt her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been thrown out, she wouldn't have quit, and he wouldn't be standing on the other side of her door.

Groaning inwardly, he knocked on the kitchen door.

"Amanda! Amanda, open up!" he called. He tried to sound friendlier, even apologetic in tone.

But, evidently, that wasn't going to gain him entrance. He received no answer.

So, he walked over to peer through the kitchen window - and didn't see her, at all. 'Dammit,' he thought and walked back to the door. Sending up a quick prayer, he tried the knob, and it turned. In her anger, she must have forgotten to lock it behind him, to which, he was grateful. He needed to talk to her - not get into a yelling match with her.

At some point, he was going to have to temper himself and allow Lee Stetson - not Scarecrow - handle Amanda. The agent in him could be pretty hard, and he needed to remember to use kid gloves with a civilian. Not just any civilian, but with Amanda, because she deserved more respect than he'd typically shown her.

He called out, again, but at a volume much more appropriate than a few minutes earlier.

Still, he received no answer.

He could feel it in his bones that she wasn't downstairs, but he checked nonetheless. He gave the door to the basement a cursory glance but instinctively knew that she wasn't there, either. He almost stopped, as he headed up the stairs toward the bedrooms, but plunged forward. He wouldn't allow her to quit because he couldn't keep his mouth shut or control his temper.

"Amanda," he called a bit quieter than before, in some deference to where he was...on the verge of invading her private space.

He heard her sigh down the hall, but she didn't answer him outright. He headed toward the sound and gulped back a bit of nerves. As he neared, he could see her sitting on her bed. She was looking down at her hands, which were resting on her thighs, and he could tell that she was still pretty upset.

He gave a cursory knock on the doorjamb and said, "Hey," remotely above a whisper.

She looked up at him but didn't say a word. They stared at one another for several moments, before she sighed again and got up to hang clothes in her closet. She was behind another door, finding yet another way of shutting him out, but it wasn't going to work.

Seeing as she hadn't yelled at him nor asked him to leave, again, he walked into the room and stared at her back as she worked. Then, it was his turn to sigh.

"Listen, I'm sorry, Amanda. Truly. I can be a real jackass, sometimes-"

Her snort cut him off, but he continued, "- and I'm beginning to realize that my worst character traits come out mostly when I'm scared that you're going to get hurt."

She stilled in her movements and slowly turned around. Her eyes held questions that he wasn't ready to answer, but he gave it a go, anyway.

"I don't ever want to see you get hurt. While not right on my part, it makes me crazy when you come dashing in, after I've specifically told you not to. It sends me into a panic, and my panic makes me angry...and I wind up taking it out on you."

"But, Lee-"

He held a hand up. "No, Amanda. No 'buts.' It is what it is, and I'm not sure I'm going to completely change how I feel because you're not a trained agent." At the disgruntled look on her face, he finished, "But, I will do better. I promise. I am sorry for my hot-headedness. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I really don't want you to quit." His eye were earnest. "Will you please accept my apology - and still be my partner?"

He didn't realize that he'd been holding his breath, until she smiled. It was tentative, at best, but it was a start.

"Okay," she said. "Apology accepted. Thank you, Lee."

It was only then that he realized how much she valued his opinion - how much she valued him - and he was humbled.

He easily walked over and embraced her in a tight hug.

"Are we okay, now?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. We're okay, now," she replied.

"Good." But, he found that he was reluctant to let her go.

"Uh, Lee? Mother and the boys will be home soon. They can't find you here...and especially not here."

That did it. He quickly let her go. "Yeah. Right. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, you'll see me tomorrow," and she gave one of her trademark Amanda-smiles. Sometimes, like now, he imagined they were brighter because he was the recipient.

"Good." He edged his way backwards, towards the door. "I"ll just be going, now."

She nodded in acquiescence. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." What was wrong with him? All of the sudden, he was feeling like a schoolboy with a crush. He shook his head to gather his wits, and it did help. Some.

"Bye, Amanda."

"Bye, Lee."

With that, he was gone. She could hear his footsteps as they made their way through the house and out the back door.

"I'm going to marry that man, someday," she said, and smiled her special Lee-smile.