Disclaimer: I do not own of these characters; they are the property of Shoot the Moon Enterprises and Warner Bros. Television. I acknowledge gratefully the hard work of the creators of the series who brought to life characters we like so much we can't let them go.

An AU story set somewhere in the week before Christmas, 1985, but with an Easter egg if you can spot it. If you do, feel free to PM me with it, but please don't reveal in a review.

Chapter 1: Look Out the Window

"When I think about it I can still get a little cold."

"Ah, well, you know something? I've got just the cure for that… It's gonna take some time… and dinner… and a very special bottle of wine."

"It sounds great."

...

Amanda stood in front of her bedroom mirror, absentmindedly adjusting and readjusting the cashmere sweater she'd chosen for her dinner with Lee. She'd debated endlessly with herself all the way home from the Agency about what to wear for what was just dinner with a close friend.

Probably just dinner.

Definitely just dinner.

Maybe more than dinner.

Oh how she wished it was more than just dinner.

She sighed and ran her hands down her arms, comforted by the softness of the material. The sparkle of her diamond heart caught the light from where it lay against her skin in the vee of the sweater.

"So who is it you're having dinner with again?" Dotty was leaning in the door of her room, arms crossed, staring at her speculatively.

"With some people from work, Mother," she sighed. "It's just a thank you for a project we worked on."

Dotty's dark eyes sparkled with amusement. "Just a thank you dinner doesn't usually get you to break out the Rebecca's lingerie."

"Mother!"

Her mother didn't even try to hide her smile as she turned from the door. "Don't mind me - I just came up to tell you that Joe's here to collect the boys."

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute."

"No hurry. Lillian is busy grilling him about his plans now that he's back in D.C."

"Oh my gosh. Poor Joe," she answered, but didn't move immediately to follow her mother downstairs.

Instead, she stared at her reflection again for a moment, considering her mother's comment. She had put on silken lacy lingerie, but not for the reason Dotty thought. She wasn't expecting anything more the usual flirting comments from Lee but she was getting tired of the dance, not even certain anymore whether he meant any of it or if it was simply an ingrained habit he had around women. Leslie O'Connor had been an unwelcome surprise – leaving her with a bad taste in her mouth that Lee had a type and she wasn't measuring up to it. Then to her satisfaction, Joe's arrival back in her life seemed to have set Lee back on his heels in the same way.

Thus the lingerie tonight. Her mother might think that was for a hot date – the last time she'd worn it had been for her date with Alan Chamberlain - but actually, it was for herself. She wanted to feel feminine, and sexy and, slightly evilly, she wanted to know that Lee Stetson was missing out, that if he just bothered to really look… She'd been tempted to wear the infamous dress – the one with the spaghetti straps, but the lingerie was better. It was like her hidden armor against the hurt all those times he took a step forward and just as quickly took two steps back. The mixed messages of the last week had been like swinging on an emotional pendulum; no sign of him for a week, followed by the request for help on an out of town job – but as brother and sister. Honestly, why hadn't he just asked Francine? He wouldn't have had to find her a second room, she thought bitterly.

This is such a cozy place you have here… My, oh my Scarecrow, how times have changed.

Why had they changed? He hadn't even denied it, he'd just smirked at Francine like some kind of private joke. Why was she the one woman in the world Lee seemed to have no real interest in? He'd followed her back to her room five minutes later, keeping up his usual man-about town teasing about 'field experience' but the second Francine had appeared again, he'd brought it to a shuddering halt and scuttled back to his room. She was still kicking herself for giving into that temptation to check the hallway and see if he was still there – of course he hadn't been. Lee never really looked at her.

"I still can't believe you actually have Christmas decorations," she said looking at the small tree beside the fire and the garland that was stretched across the mantle. With the fire burning in the fireplace and the lights of the tree, the light in the room was pleasantly low with only one or two small lamps still on.

Lee looked around and shrugged, obviously a bit embarrassed. "Well, your house always looks so nice. And I guess I decided it was time to grow up a bit and make the place more like a home."

"And less like a French guy decorated it while you were out of town?" she couldn't resist teasing him, catching her breath at the way his face lit up with laughter. "Well, anyway it looks really nice," she complimented him. "And if anyone asks, I'm taking full credit for your new found maturity." She toasted him with the glass of wine she was nursing.

"Credit where credit's due," he agreed, reciprocating the toast.

"So did you buy it all today after you invited me over?" she ribbed him.

"No!" he said in a reproachful tone, before going on in a laughing confession. "I bought it last week when my uncle called to say he was really going to show up for Christmas this year. He'd give me hell for not making an effort when he always made sure we at least had a tree when I was growing up. Even the one in Guam, which was a palm tree with lights on it" he finished.

"I'm glad you two are getting along better," she said softly.

"Well credit where credit's due," he repeated. "Having you as a buffer last time kept us both on our best behaviour. He finally found something about my life he approves of, even after he figured out we weren't really dating."

"It'll be nice to see him again," she smiled.

"He's looking forward to seeing you too."

They lapsed into a companionable silence for a few moments, before Amanda broke it.

"That coq au vin was amazing," she said. "Just when I thought you were just a steak guy, you go and surprise me again."

"Amanda! You know perfectly well I can cook something other than steaks. I made you a complete Japanese dinner the first year we met!"

Amanda pretended to wrinkle her nose in disgust, amused by how easily he'd risen to the bait. "Oh yeah, I tried to forget that."

"You said you liked it!" he started to exclaim before seeing her lips press together trying not to laugh. "Very funny," he finished in a grumbling tone.

"You know I'm teasing, Lee. I always enjoy anything you cook," Amanda reached to put her glass down on the coffee table. "And it was all amazing."

"Why thank you, Ma'am. Does that mean my cure worked?" Lee was lounging in the opposite corner of the sofa, watching her with hooded eyes. The firelight was bringing out the gold flecks around his pupils. She tore her gaze from his, afraid she'd be mesmerized by how beautiful his eyes were, twinkling like starlight. Two years and she still wasn't used to it.

"Oh yes, all warmed up. The welcome was nice and warm and so was the food," she agreed. She glanced at the window, noticing for the first time that she could see something swirling in the light from the street lamp. "But I don't think I'll stay that way with that rain blowing in."

Lee followed her gaze, brow furrowing as he took in the pattern of droplets on the window and the way it clicked against the glass. "I don't think that's just rain – I think that's freezing rain."

"What?" exclaimed Amanda getting to her feet and going to look out. "That wasn't in the forecast was it?"

"Well no, but you know how it is - it only takes a little shift in temperature for it to turn to sleet."

As they gazed down on the street, a passing car fishtailed across two lanes, its brake lights flashing the panicked reaction of its driver.

"I should go home before it gets any worse," Amanda murmured, her disappointment not entirely hidden in her voice.

"I'm not sure you should," answered Lee doubtfully, watching the passing traffic on the increasingly slippery road.

"Well, I can't stay," frowned Amanda. "What would I tell my mother – she'd worry herself to death."

"That's better than you actually facing death on those streets," said Lee firmly, grabbing her hand and holding it up with a smile. "Your hands are finally warm after being like ice all day. I'm not letting you out there when it's like that, so you'll just have to stay here"

"Lee!" Amanda was laughing now at his authoritative tone but inwardly, her stomach was doing backflips at the idea of having to stay with Lee all night. Not on a job but in his apartment.

"I'm serious! Call your mother, tell you're staying with a friend, come back and sit in front of the fire and have a coffee. We'll wait and see how long it takes the city to get out and deal with that-" he pointed at yet another car sliding its way into the curb. "And once it's not a death trap, you can go home."

Amanda looked down at the sleet-slicked roads then back at the roaring fireplace with a longing glance. "Well, okay, maybe just for a bit. A coffee would be nice."

"You okay with instant?" he asked.

Her eyes flew up to meet his laughing ones and in that second, she was transported back to the hotel corridor of the Fox Run Inn, spellbound by the warmth in his expression.

If this is a spell, I have no idea how to break it. Or if I want to. She held his gaze for a few seconds before losing her nerve.

"Oh well, if that's all you have, I'll take my chances with the roads," she quipped.

Lee stepped closer and grabbed her forearms gently, unsure if she was serious. "Amanda, you can't go out in that – even if I thought it was safe enough for you to drive slowly, you'd freeze to death- you didn't even bring a warm enough jacket."

"That's true," she admitted. "Could you lend me a coat?" The intensity of his look was beginning to unnerve her especially when she licked her lips nervously and watched his gaze drop to follow the motion.

"No," he said. "I won't."

"You won't even lend me a coat?" she said, trying to keep her voice light. "You want me to catch pneumonia and die?"

"Nope. And I won't let you drive in that – and before you ask, no, I won't drive in that either. We have enough danger at work, we don't need to do something dumb on our own time."

"I could get a cab," she said doubtfully. "They probably all have snow tires."

"Snow tires are for snow," he answered immediately, "Not ice. And besides, I bet there isn't a cab to be had out there. C'mon, Amanda, you're just being ridiculous now. You know it's not safe out there in that."

Is it safe in here? she thought irreverently, then chided herself mentally. There was nowhere safer in the world than with Lee, she knew that. Even if I sometimes wish it wasn't.

Lee walked over and lifted the receiver off the phone cradle. "C'mon," he coaxed. "Call your mother. You know it'll make her night to gossip with her sister about where you are."

"Aunt Lillian does have a vicious killer instinct for that kind of stuff," she smiled in agreement.

Lee just grinned and held out the phone. She took it with a sigh, brushing past him to dial the number at home.

"Oh Amanda! I'm so glad you called!" said Dotty the moment she heard Amanda's voice. "I didn't know how to get hold of you, but I really think you should stay wherever you are. Joe just called and said he's keeping the boys with him tonight because the roads are simply treacherous."

"Well, Mother, that's exactly why I'm calling. We've all just noticed that too, so my boss has offered to put us up until it's safer to drive." She looked up and stuck her tongue out at Lee's told-you-so expression. "The number here? Uhhh, just a second." She looked at Lee enquiringly, not sure he'd want to open the floodgates that could be Dotty in possession of the home number of the mysterious Mr. Simpson, but he just nodded. She recited off the number, not without misgivings.

"All settled?" Lee asked as she replaced the handset, looking faintly relieved when she nodded. "Good. Now, why don't you put on another record while I go pour us some coffee?" He disappeared into the kitchen while she gave one last thoughtful glance out the window at the storm, then wandered over to the stereo to flip through the albums.

"Funny, these didn't stay in alphabetical order," she joked, looking sideways into the kitchen where Lee was juggling with a French press. Instant indeed, she thought, distracted almost immediately from that train of thought by the sight of Lee reaching up to get something from a top shelf, causing his shirt to ride up and expose the strip of skin across his lower back. She averted her eyes and took a deep breath. Calm down, Amanda, you're stuck here all night. She realized he was answering her comment and tuned back in.

"Yeah, the stuff I'm listening to the most just migrates to the top of the pile," he was saying, most of his attention on fiddling with the coffee grounds. "You could probably write a thesis on my life according to what I'm listening to at any given moment."

Amanda stared down at the selection of Verdi albums that were stacked beside the turntable, La Traviata on top. Lee had teased her a bit about crying at the end of that one during their opera date, but there'd been something about the doomed lovers finally admitting their true feelings at the end that had always touched her. And here it was sitting on the top of the pile. She shoved aside thinking about what that could mean and flipped quickly through the rest of the shelf before pulling out a Dean Martin collection of standards.

"Good choice!" she heard him call out from the kitchen as the first few notes filled the air.

"Yeah, you can't beat a bit of good old fashioned Dean," she deadpanned, her smile broadening when she heard the snort of laughter that followed the silence after her comment.

"What did you ever see in that guy?" Lee asked as he carried the tray in. "Other than his incredibly accurate forecasts," he added, gesturing to where the sleet was hitting the window at a slant.

Amanda shrugged. "He was nice. And just what I needed after my divorce – a bit of stable ground to build myself back up on."

"Stable? You mean dull," he countered with a lazy smile,

"Hey, we can't all be suave secret agents," she reprimanded him, but not heatedly. "The rest of us have to be average regular people."

"You have never been average, Amanda," he answered softly.

She let her eyes meet his, seeing the same sincerity she'd seen only a few weeks before. Ok isn't good enough for you, he'd said. What else might have he had said if Joe hadn't chosen that moment to walk into the bar? She sighed a little inside and looked back at the coffee he'd handed her and went to stare out the window at the storm, which she saw now, had snow mixed in with the sleet. Lee came to stand beside her

"I really should have left earlier," she said, lightly. "The neighbors might think you're a changed man, seeing a girl sneaking out in the morning instead of the middle of the night."

Lee's brows twitched together in a slight scowl. "You know that's just office gossip, Amanda."

"I'm sorry – I do know that," she responded immediately. "I was teasing but it's not fair to you. This evening has been so nice but I guess I'm just thrown off by the weather and worrying about the boys and if they're okay at Joe's and the change in plan and you know what Joe said, I'm resistant to change." She gave a self-deprecating laugh at the end that was just a little bit too brittle and looked anywhere but at Lee.

"God, of all the stupid things Joe King ever said," Lee began in an exasperated tone before pausing and taking a deep breath. "Please don't go back to him," he said quietly.

"What?" She did turn then, startled by such an odd statement from him and the tension in his tone.

Lee reached over to pluck the coffee cup out of her hand and put it on the windowsill before taking her elbows and looking into her eyes before repeating urgently, "Don't go back to him. Don't go back to Joe."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's a nice guy and I know you said the boys love having him back and I'm sure your mother would like nothing better than to get you married off again, but don't do it. Please don't settle for okay again. You deserve better." His voice had dropped, becoming more compelling, and he'd moved in closer, his gaze unwavering.

"Heavens, what was in your coffee?" she tried to joke, unnerved by his intensity.

"Amanda, I'm trying to be serious! I know what you were like when I met you and I know what you're like now and you can't go back! You'd never be happy going back."

"Lee! I don't think you-"

"You don't think I know what's best for you?" he interrupted. "Maybe not, but I know what's not good for you and it's not going back - you need to go forward!"

She was struck dumb momentarily, staring as her brain scrambled to catch up. It wasn't possible that he'd heard her conversation with Joe that night – were they this in tune that he could echo her thoughts so precisely? She knew she should be saying something but to her intense shame, all she could manage to think about was the way Lee's hands had moved up from her elbows; he was running them nervously up and down her upper arms. She wondered if he had any idea what he was doing to her with that simple caress, the way her skin was goose-pimpling under the cashmere, the way the shocks were racing down her spine, making her tremble.

"Lee, I-"

She never got a chance to finish; she'd swayed closer to him unconsciously and he leaned in toward her.

"Don't go back to him," he repeated hoarsely. "Stay with me."

He dipped his head to kiss her, pulling back slightly at the murmured gasp she gave as their lips met, before pulling her into his arms and kissing her again, more firmly this time. She slid her arms up his chest, letting herself give in to every impulse she'd ever felt for him. His hand moved up her back and tangled itself in her hair and he hummed with satisfaction at the way her mouth opened under his, drawing him in. He let his tongue run along her mouth tasting her, before gently tugging on her lower lip with his teeth and kissing her gently again. Amanda sighed out his name against his lips and he pulled away to rest his forehead against hers, breathing hard.

"Stay with me," he said again. "Please."

Amanda closed her eyes briefly, before shifting her hands up to cup the back of his scalp. When he drew back to look at her, she smiled up at him, dark eyes warm with emotion.

"Lee, Sweetheart," she said affectionately, "I was never going anywhere."