Lazy Afternoon

This is the first Fan Fiction that I wrote; hidden away on disc on my computer for the past two years. I thought I would bring it out, dust it off and let it see the light of day.

The usual suspects deserve my thanks and gratitude: Di for her beta and stomach of steel and Diane for her command of the comma and semicolon, as well as her instinct for prose. My thanks as always. (Trying not to get too sappy here, Di!) To Kelley, thanks for giving me the nudge to write it in the first place!

Hope you enjoy!

Time: Several years after the series ended.

Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I'm just borrowing these great characters for an afternoon of sunshine and Spring Cleaning! I have not profited from this story. The story premise is that of the author and remains her property.

Archive: Here and on Others, please ask, I'd be honored.

Feedback: Sure

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Lee stretched his lanky frame across the length of the lounge chair. The late spring day was unusually warm, holding within it the scent of the coming summer. The soft breeze played with new leaves while white clouds raced across the brilliant blue of the sky.

The sounds of the neighborhood sang around him. Children playing, Buck working on his car engine. The laughter of his wife Amanda, as she argued with her mother over the last of the spring cleaning. He smiled as he listened to the banter over who had hauled the rugs outside and given them their ritual beating last year. Lee may have grown up on a variety of military bases under male influence, but he knew enough to hightail it when the women of the household drew breath to discuss cleaning duties.

Lee marveled that a little over two years ago he would not have noticed the day or the sounds of life around him. Amanda had given that to him with her love. Although there had been some rough days while he learned to fit into the King household, Lee would not trade what he had learned about himself and life in general for anything.

Dotty called for Phillip and Jamie. Lee knew the boys had taken advantage of the distraction to head to the park for a pickup game of basketball. It had made him happy that they had asked him to join them, knowing that they accepted him. He had waved them on their way, warning them to watch the time and be careful. They had rolled their eyes at him and made comments about him being as bad as their mother. He had grinned and agreed; he was as bad as Amanda when it came to the boys. He was a father now.

Glancing at his watch, he knew that Phillip and Jamie would be home in half an hour. He listened to the noise of Buck kicking the tires on his car and the sound of his tool chest crashing to the ground. He briefly entertained the idea of going over and helping him, but he knew that total desertion on Spring Cleaning Day would not go over well with his wife or mother-in-law. Lee felt that a family trip out for dinner was called for after the day's activities. Amanda would enjoy dinner at that new cafe across town. Maybe a run to the video store was called for as well . . .

"So this is where you're hiding!" Amanda said as she sat on the lawn chair across from her husband. She reached out and took his hand in hers and gave it a swat. "No fair sneaking out on Spring Cleaning, Lee!" Lee laughed at Amanda as she continued to scold him. "The boys have disappeared and the rugs need to be hauled out and Mother and I decided that you and the boys should have the honor of beating the rugs this year."

"Oh you did, did you? I don't get a choice in the matter?" Lee leaned over to give Amanda a swift kiss before he climbed out of the lounge chair. "You didn't by chance look at the clothesline, did you?" He reached out to give Amanda a hand out of the chair. Her swollen belly made her a little unsteady getting up, and he took advantage of the moment to draw her close and hold her in his arms.

She mumbled in his chest and pushed away, her brown eyes sparkling as she looked up into his.

"Are you telling me that the rugs are already taken care of and that you let Mother and I go on and on about them?" Amanda linked her arm with her husband's as they walked back towards the house.

"Well, it was an opportune time to take a break, and you and Dotty seemed to be enjoying your discussion. Besides, I couldn't get a word in edgewise!"

"So you took the rugs out and took a snooze? Thank you, Sweetheart!"

"There was no snoozing while on duty, Mrs. Stetson!" Lee crossed his heart and held up his hand in a three-fingered pledge. Amanda carefully inspected the rugs and smiled her approval at Lee's handiwork. They both heard Dotty still calling for the boys, so Lee held the door open for Amanda and shouted out the whereabouts of Phillip and Jamie. Dotty, flushed from housework, came into the kitchen.

"Those two boys! And you, Lee Stetson! Desertion during Spring Cleaning is a serious offense."

"Mother, Lee took the rugs out and has beaten them already. So we just need to bring them in, and we're done!" Both Dotty and Amanda bestowed grateful smiles upon Lee who could feel the heat rise up his neck. Dotty patted his cheek like Lee had seen her do with the boys countless times. Amanda grinned; her mother often treated Lee like one of the boys, and she knew that Lee secretly enjoyed the attention.

Lee cleared his throat, and announced dinner out that evening. They heard the front door slam as Phillip and Jamie came in, and Dotty made a bee-line for the stairs announcing the need for a soak in the tub before dinner. Her last order as cleaner-in-chief floated down the stairs. "Boys, bring in the rugs."

Amanda rubbed a hand over her belly; the baby seemed to enjoy the noise of the household and joined in with kicks and arches. Lee placed his hand over hers, marveling at the life his wife carried.

"You okay?" Even though the doctor assured Lee that all was well with Amanda and their baby, he worried over her. He fell in love with her all over again when she smiled that secret Amanda smile and nodded her head in answer. She patted his hand and headed into the family room.

"I'm going to take a short nap before I get ready. Thank you, Lee, for helping today. And for dinner." She blew him a kiss and disappeared into the other room.

Lee nodded at her, not trusting his voice at that moment. He looked out over the kitchen sink, through the same window that he had been on the other side of all those years ago. He heard the boys run up the stairs, the sound of the basketball hitting the wall at the top of the stairs. He'd have to paint that hallway . . .

The sounds of the afternoon were quieting down. The late afternoon shadows lengthened. Buck slammed his garage door, and parents were calling for their children. Yeah, Lee told himself, a couple of years ago I wouldn't have noticed any of this. He leaned his head outside the door to check the flowerbed under the window. He'd have to get Dotty some new plants. That bed still had trouble sustaining plant life..

He thought about his life, his family and the love of his life, his Amanda. She had saved him. And that was certainly worth beating a few rugs! He sighed . . .

"I love Spring Cleaning."

"I heard that!" came the soft voice of his wife in answer.

Lee shook his head in amusement and went in the family room to watch his wife nap. Life was good.