Arlington Part 3
She was close. He could smell her perfume. He could feel her hand on his. He couldn't see her. All he could see was sand; white sand. It should be hotter than hell he thought but it wasn't. He heard all the voices telling him that he didn't have permission to die. He didn't want to die. He wanted to open his eyes and get Amanda to stop that rambling. What is she rambling about Fred Fielder for; what did he do to her while he was gone? He will handle Fred later. He better not of made her cry.
He tried to remember why he couldn't open his eyes. He knew that if he opened his eyes that Amanda would be there. He could look into her brown eyes and his world would balance. He had known for a while that Amanda was the only person he wanted to spend his life with. He just had to make some changes to his life first.
She was wonderful but, as wonderful as she was, she came with responsibilities. He didn't want to be a disappointment to the two most important men in Amanda's life. He wanted to be someone that could really be there when they needed him. "That is my biggest fear." Lee said.
"Parenthood in any form is freighting, son." He turned in the direction of his father.
"Dad, I know it is; why do you think I have stayed out of their lives?" Lee asked not questioning his father's presense.
"Tell me how you have stayed out of their lives in the last three years, Lee Matthew Stetson."
"Mom, why do you always use my full name? I am not five anymore."
"You are still my child and when you misbehave I will always use your full name; it is my only right. Now please answer me." She said placing a kiss on his cheek.
"I have stayed out of their lives by not even getting involved in them in the first place. I can't disappoint them if I am not there to hurt Phillip and Jamie."
"Lee, you get them clowns, space toys, save their lives, and you want me to believe you are out of their lives. I don't buy it, son. What are you really afraid of?"
"Dying and leaving them alone; like you two left me."
Amanda watched Lee mumble as he slept. She couldn't make out most of what he was saying until he said, "Dying and leaving them alone."
She heard the pain in his voice as he spoke. She leaned over to his ear and whispered, "You can't leave me, Lee Matthew Stetson."
"Lee, that woman loves you, I think." Jennifer Stetson said with joy in her voice to her son.
"I love her too." Lee said matter-of-factly as if he said the words every day.
"Oh, my dear, Matthew, I do believe our son has fallen truly in love; not like the times before."
"Mom, the times with Dorothy an Eva, was real, just not like with Amanda. It goes deeper with her."
"It always is with the right one." Matthew said.
"Why haven't you told her?"
"I am not ready."
"Lee Matthew, it has been almost three years, what are you waiting for?" Jennifer scolded.
Amanda stood and stretched her back. The chair was far from comfortable and Lee's room didn't have a couch for her to lie on. She looked out at the lights of DC and remembered one of the first meetings with Lee. He made a crack about her wearing a trench coat. It was the first time Lee had made fun of her in this business. He did it again when they had been "married" the first time. He even kissed her as Sandy Newcomb giving her a cocky look about it afterward. He did seem shocked that she kissed him back though.
"Lee, you know I was just thinking about the first kiss you ever you gave me. Do you remember it, Mr. Newcomb? It was a very interesting kiss. I wonder if you will you ever kiss me and not for an agency cover story? I have learned to expect the unexpected from the waiter that accosted me in the train station."
"I didn't accost her at the train station, before you two get on me about that; I was about to die and needed her help."
"It seems to me that in the last three years she is there whenever someone wants you dead. Is she the cause or the deterrent?"
"It is a toss-up on some days; but she saves me more than she harms me."
"Lee, do you even know when you fell in love with her?"
"Son, do you think she really doesn't know it already?"
"Yes, Mom, I know when I started to fall in love with her. I even know when I was completely in love with her. Dad, she is extremely intelligent and calls me on all my bull, so I am sure she knows all about my love for her."
"Do you ever plan to tell her out loud before you die or do you just have a note for her to find?"
"Jennifer, that was never for you to see. He isn't that much like me." Matthew explained but his smiling eyes told a different story.
"What are you two talking about?" Lee asked.
"Your father was terrified to tell me he loved me; I found a note that declared his love for me. I just happen to have found it when he was on a mission that did not include me. I was beside myself until he came back."
"I bet she let you have it when you got back." Lee said.
"Lee, she did. I would not underestimate Amanda when you return. Son, you know you have to return."
"Yes, I know and I look forward to it."
"Are you scared to go back?"
"No, I am just enjoying my time with you. I don't always remember things about you. I like hearing your voices; I don't remember them."
"Lee, my darling you don't have to hear our voices to know we are near you. We always have been there, looking over you, and bringing people in your life that truly needed to be."
"Like the Colonel?"
"Especially my brother; you can't give him too hard of a time anymore; think of Phillip and Jamie and how your role in their life will be. It isn't too far off from what Robert's role was."
Lee suddenly heard her crying again, "I love you, Mom, Dad."
"We know we love you too; now go to her."
"I know this may be very selfish of me, Lee, but could you please wake up. I am really scared and I need to know that you are okay and I can't do that if you don't wake up. I more than want you to wake up; I need you to. I don't want to be here without you in my life. Please, Lee, don't leave me." Amanda begged.
"Manda, I'm not going anywhere." He closed his fingers around hers and held them tightly.
"LEE! You're awake!" She leaned over and pressed the call button for the nurse. "Can I help you, Mrs. King?"
"He is awake; get the doctor."
"He will be right there."
"Amanda, calm down, I told you; I am not going anywhere." Lee said refusing to loosen his grip on her hand. He needed her to know he meant it.
"I was so scared. What happened?" Amanda asked but before he could answer the doctor was there.
"Nice to see you awake. I really didn't expect to see you wake up at least until morning." He began to check Lee over and ask him all the routine questions. While the doctor was looking Lee over Amanda went to call Billy and Francine to inform them that Lee was awake.
"Did he say what he was doing at your house, Amanda?" Billy asked.
"No, but he was barely awake when I called for the doctor."
"Okay, I'll stop by after Francine and I are done here."
"Yes, sir, I will let Lee know." Hanging up the phone Amanda heard Lee yelling at the doctor.
"Yes, that hurts, what do you think? I was stabbed!" Lee said as the doctor checked his stitches and bandage.
"Mr. Stetson, do you mind?"
"Not real well, Lee, let him exam you." Amanda said coming to stand next to the side of the bed and hold Lee's hand to help calm him down.
Looking up at her Lee sighed heavily and said, "I don't want to be here. Can't I just go home?"
"You just had major surgery and lost a significate amount of blood. That means at least a minimum two day stay here and then upon your release you will still need 24 hour care for at least a week."
"Doc, I live alone. I don't have someone to care for me 24 hours a day for that long. Why would I need that any way?"
"Your bandages will need to be changed often and you need to be monitored with your medicine since we are unable to give you any with penicillin. The antibiotics you will be taking I need to know if you have a reaction to, which you haven't yet. Still you need someone."
"Lee, you could always stay at the house." Amanda suggested.
"Amanda, I can't, your family?" He started in with his protest but Amanda stopped him saying, "You were bleeding to death in my bedroom; they know about you now. It is either that or I get Francine or the Colonel to stay with you."
Lee looked at her and said, "Those are my only options?"
"No, you could always stay here in the hospital for the whole time." She offered smiling; knowing that her house was the only appealing offer he would consider.
