Stormy Weather II
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!
Chapter Three – Watches and Warnings
The Agency Field Section Chief's Office
Amanda held Lee's hands loosely for a moment as she stood face to face with him beside his desk, searching his eyes. "You're sure you're going to be all right?" she asked, the slight quiver in her voice betraying the thinly- veiled emotion behind her simple question.
"Honestly? No," he said quietly, flashing a quick glance toward the window. He turned his gaze back to his wife's concerned face and gave her a weak smile as he suggested, "But maybe a little routine'll help. . .you know. . .give me something else to think about." His eyes scanned the desktop and the piles of paperwork, which seemed to have doubled in volume since he'd left the office on Friday. He slipped one of his hands free and gestured in a sweeping motion across the desk as he went on with a wink, "All this oughta keep me busy enough, hm?"
"Yeah. . .I suppose so," she replied with a small smile. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and said, "Well. . .I guess I'd better go on over to Training and start attacking my backlog, too." She flicked a glance toward the bullpen, scanning for prying eyes. When she found none, she gave Lee a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. With her hand on the door handle, she spun around to say, "Love you, Sweetheart! I'll see you later."
"Me too, Amanda," he answered. "See ya." As the office door closed behind her, Lee pulled out his reading glasses and slid them on, then opened the first of the case reports from the stack in the center of his desk.
********
Two hours later, Lee had just moved the last of the closed case files to his 'out' box when he heard someone rapping on his door. "Come in!" he called, as Francine entered the office and went to stand behind one of the chairs that faced his desk. "What can I do for you? Is there a problem?" he asked, taking his glasses off and motioning with his hand for her to take a seat.
She remained standing, though, gripping the back of the chair with both hands as she caught his eyes with her sympathetic gaze before she began, "No. . .not for me. I was just about to ask you the same thing, Lee. I know you saw the doctor again this morning. . ."
Lee's mouth dropped open, and he narrowed his eyes, his expression a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "What d'you mean, you know I. . ."
Francine held up a hand to stop his outburst, as she cut in, "Now, before you accuse me of spying on you, just hear me out, okay?" She moved to sit down in the chair as she continued, "I'd been down to have a chat with Devlin in Research, and I ran into Amanda on her way back to Training a couple hours ago. She looked so worried, Lee," Francine said, her blue eyes a mirror of her genuine concern. "When I asked her what was wrong, all she'd volunteer was that you'd been back to see the doctor this morning, but she really didn't want to talk about it. I, mean, seriously," she reflected aloud, her eyes flitting to the ceiling and circling the room, "when Amanda Stetson doesn't want to talk. . ."
"Hey. . ." Lee put in, frowning in protest.
"Sorry, Lee, I didn't mean it that way. . .really," Francine stated defensively. She explained, "It's just that normally Amanda's so outgoing and friendly, and. . ."
"Yes. . .yes she is, Francine," Lee agreed with a fleeting smile. He slicked a hand down the back of his hair, stopping at his collar. He leaned his elbow on the desk, saying, "But then again, I guess you could say we just haven't had a whole lot of 'normal' lately."
Francine nodded her agreement, as she said, "Oh, I know, Lee, and I'm so sorry. Your family's really been through some tough times. . ."
"Yeah. . ." he sighed. "And they're not over—not by a long shot."
"Want to talk about it?" she questioned.
He appeared to mull over her question, staring at nothing in particular for a moment before looking up and beginning to tell her about their latest troubling news. "Now you understand," he began, looking directly into her eyes, "this has to be kept in strictest confidence. . .no exceptions. . ."
********
Amanda heard the phone ringing a good five seconds before she reached her small office. She barely managed to snatch up the receiver before the call would have gone to her voicemail. "Amanda Stetson," she answered, slightly short of breath.
"Oh, good, Darling, you're back!" Dotty gushed.
"Hello, Mother," Amanda replied wearily, too emotionally exhausted to force a smile into her voice.
"I'm sorry, Dear," Dotty said, her sincere apology evident in her subdued tone. "If you'd rather not talk about it. . ."
'Oh, good--the guilt trip begins!' Amanda thought, shutting her eyes and sighing silently as she opened her bottom desk drawer and slipped her purse inside. She realized her mother's concern for her and Lee was genuine, but her own feelings were too raw at the moment to deal with them openly, especially over the phone. "Oh, no, Mother. . .we'll talk about it. . .just not right now, okay?" she pleaded.
Dotty's crisp, "Of course, Amanda" did little to disguise her hurt feelings, and Amanda, ever the caregiver, rushed in to say, "Moth-er. . .it's just that I'd much rather tell you about this when we're together, all right? Are you free for lunch today?"
The tension hadn't completely left her voice yet, but Dotty replied, "Yes, I suppose so. Can you be free by 12:00?"
"Sure. I'll just give Lee a call to let him know where I'll be, and I'll come and pick you up by noon," Amanda said. "I love you, Mother. . .'bye!"
********
"Promise me, if there's anything I can do for you and Amanda, you'll let me know," Francine insisted, reaching across the desk and touching the back of his hand for emphasis.
"All right. . ." he agreed hesitantly, "we'll do that." He paused, acknowledging to himself that he still found it hard to ask for help from anyone, but he realized it was a skill he'd have to master, and soon. He looked into his friend's sympathetic eyes and told her, "Your friendship means a lot, Francine. . .to both of us. Thanks," he said with a trace of a smile.
The bleating telephone startled him, and his hand quivered slightly as he picked up the receiver. "Lee Stetson," he answered.
"Lee, it's me," Amanda said, her voice sounding nervous and strained.
"Amanda. . .what's up?" he asked.
After she told him about her lunch plans and her mother's 'need to know', Lee said, "Yeah. . .I guess we should tell her. . .I don't know. . ." he vacillated back and forth, tipping his head from side to side.
"Lee. . .Mother's been awfully good to us for a lotta years," Amanda said, the tension in her voice rising. "She deserves more from us than to be kept in the dark, especially about something. . ."
"Like this," he finished for her. "Yes. . .you're right. . .we really do have to tell her. . .I just hope she doesn't try to read too much into it, you know? Just be sure to tell her there are a lot of things we don't know yet. Remember your words, 'one step at a time'?" he reminded her. Across the desk, Lee could see that Francine was making a move to get up and leave. He motioned to her, indicating that he wanted her to stay awhile longer, as he wrapped up his phone conversation. "Me, too, Amanda. I'll see you when you come back. 'Bye."
"All right, Lee, what is it?" Francine asked.
He studied the desktop for a moment, fiddling with the tabs of several of the file folders, before he looked up at his friend. "I'm a little worried about our new boss, Ms. Kingston," he admitted. "From the brief contacts I've had with her, I get the impression she's like a drill sergeant. . .you know," he said, drawing air-circles with his hand, "all spit-and-polish, by- the-book. . .if you get my drift."
"Ah. . .so that's what you think. Well, you just might be in for a surprise, Lee," Francine replied. "I mean, it's true she can be a bit formal. . .and she does like to run a tight ship, but I'm sure a lot of that's from her upbringing. She was an Army brat, and from what I've heard, her father took 'spit-and-polish' to a whole new level!"
"Okay. . .that explains her brusque first impression," Lee considered with a quick nod. "But how do you think she's gonna take it when I tell her about the brain surgery and the extended medical leave I'll probably have to take?" He touched his fingers to his temples as he continued, "Look. . .we don't have any idea how long that'll be yet, so. . ."
Francine cut in, "Lee? You know that old saying, 'You can't tell a book by its cover'? Well, Alberta Kingston's a prime example. She's a seven-year breast cancer survivor. . .she's been through two surgeries, the chemo, the hair loss, the depression. . .all of it. And she's healthy now, thank goodness. You really should go and talk with her, Lee. . .I'm sure she'll understand."
As she stood to leave, Lee stood up as well and thanked her for her support once again. As they both headed out through the bullpen, Francine asked, "Do you have any lunch plans? A few of us were going to go over to Ned's. . .would you like to come along?"
"Thanks for the offer, Francine," he said graciously, "but no, I don't have much of an appetite. . . I think I'd just like to take a walk." I have a lot of thinking to do, about our future. . .if there is one, he lamented.
TO BE CONTINUED
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!
Chapter Three – Watches and Warnings
The Agency Field Section Chief's Office
Amanda held Lee's hands loosely for a moment as she stood face to face with him beside his desk, searching his eyes. "You're sure you're going to be all right?" she asked, the slight quiver in her voice betraying the thinly- veiled emotion behind her simple question.
"Honestly? No," he said quietly, flashing a quick glance toward the window. He turned his gaze back to his wife's concerned face and gave her a weak smile as he suggested, "But maybe a little routine'll help. . .you know. . .give me something else to think about." His eyes scanned the desktop and the piles of paperwork, which seemed to have doubled in volume since he'd left the office on Friday. He slipped one of his hands free and gestured in a sweeping motion across the desk as he went on with a wink, "All this oughta keep me busy enough, hm?"
"Yeah. . .I suppose so," she replied with a small smile. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and said, "Well. . .I guess I'd better go on over to Training and start attacking my backlog, too." She flicked a glance toward the bullpen, scanning for prying eyes. When she found none, she gave Lee a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. With her hand on the door handle, she spun around to say, "Love you, Sweetheart! I'll see you later."
"Me too, Amanda," he answered. "See ya." As the office door closed behind her, Lee pulled out his reading glasses and slid them on, then opened the first of the case reports from the stack in the center of his desk.
********
Two hours later, Lee had just moved the last of the closed case files to his 'out' box when he heard someone rapping on his door. "Come in!" he called, as Francine entered the office and went to stand behind one of the chairs that faced his desk. "What can I do for you? Is there a problem?" he asked, taking his glasses off and motioning with his hand for her to take a seat.
She remained standing, though, gripping the back of the chair with both hands as she caught his eyes with her sympathetic gaze before she began, "No. . .not for me. I was just about to ask you the same thing, Lee. I know you saw the doctor again this morning. . ."
Lee's mouth dropped open, and he narrowed his eyes, his expression a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "What d'you mean, you know I. . ."
Francine held up a hand to stop his outburst, as she cut in, "Now, before you accuse me of spying on you, just hear me out, okay?" She moved to sit down in the chair as she continued, "I'd been down to have a chat with Devlin in Research, and I ran into Amanda on her way back to Training a couple hours ago. She looked so worried, Lee," Francine said, her blue eyes a mirror of her genuine concern. "When I asked her what was wrong, all she'd volunteer was that you'd been back to see the doctor this morning, but she really didn't want to talk about it. I, mean, seriously," she reflected aloud, her eyes flitting to the ceiling and circling the room, "when Amanda Stetson doesn't want to talk. . ."
"Hey. . ." Lee put in, frowning in protest.
"Sorry, Lee, I didn't mean it that way. . .really," Francine stated defensively. She explained, "It's just that normally Amanda's so outgoing and friendly, and. . ."
"Yes. . .yes she is, Francine," Lee agreed with a fleeting smile. He slicked a hand down the back of his hair, stopping at his collar. He leaned his elbow on the desk, saying, "But then again, I guess you could say we just haven't had a whole lot of 'normal' lately."
Francine nodded her agreement, as she said, "Oh, I know, Lee, and I'm so sorry. Your family's really been through some tough times. . ."
"Yeah. . ." he sighed. "And they're not over—not by a long shot."
"Want to talk about it?" she questioned.
He appeared to mull over her question, staring at nothing in particular for a moment before looking up and beginning to tell her about their latest troubling news. "Now you understand," he began, looking directly into her eyes, "this has to be kept in strictest confidence. . .no exceptions. . ."
********
Amanda heard the phone ringing a good five seconds before she reached her small office. She barely managed to snatch up the receiver before the call would have gone to her voicemail. "Amanda Stetson," she answered, slightly short of breath.
"Oh, good, Darling, you're back!" Dotty gushed.
"Hello, Mother," Amanda replied wearily, too emotionally exhausted to force a smile into her voice.
"I'm sorry, Dear," Dotty said, her sincere apology evident in her subdued tone. "If you'd rather not talk about it. . ."
'Oh, good--the guilt trip begins!' Amanda thought, shutting her eyes and sighing silently as she opened her bottom desk drawer and slipped her purse inside. She realized her mother's concern for her and Lee was genuine, but her own feelings were too raw at the moment to deal with them openly, especially over the phone. "Oh, no, Mother. . .we'll talk about it. . .just not right now, okay?" she pleaded.
Dotty's crisp, "Of course, Amanda" did little to disguise her hurt feelings, and Amanda, ever the caregiver, rushed in to say, "Moth-er. . .it's just that I'd much rather tell you about this when we're together, all right? Are you free for lunch today?"
The tension hadn't completely left her voice yet, but Dotty replied, "Yes, I suppose so. Can you be free by 12:00?"
"Sure. I'll just give Lee a call to let him know where I'll be, and I'll come and pick you up by noon," Amanda said. "I love you, Mother. . .'bye!"
********
"Promise me, if there's anything I can do for you and Amanda, you'll let me know," Francine insisted, reaching across the desk and touching the back of his hand for emphasis.
"All right. . ." he agreed hesitantly, "we'll do that." He paused, acknowledging to himself that he still found it hard to ask for help from anyone, but he realized it was a skill he'd have to master, and soon. He looked into his friend's sympathetic eyes and told her, "Your friendship means a lot, Francine. . .to both of us. Thanks," he said with a trace of a smile.
The bleating telephone startled him, and his hand quivered slightly as he picked up the receiver. "Lee Stetson," he answered.
"Lee, it's me," Amanda said, her voice sounding nervous and strained.
"Amanda. . .what's up?" he asked.
After she told him about her lunch plans and her mother's 'need to know', Lee said, "Yeah. . .I guess we should tell her. . .I don't know. . ." he vacillated back and forth, tipping his head from side to side.
"Lee. . .Mother's been awfully good to us for a lotta years," Amanda said, the tension in her voice rising. "She deserves more from us than to be kept in the dark, especially about something. . ."
"Like this," he finished for her. "Yes. . .you're right. . .we really do have to tell her. . .I just hope she doesn't try to read too much into it, you know? Just be sure to tell her there are a lot of things we don't know yet. Remember your words, 'one step at a time'?" he reminded her. Across the desk, Lee could see that Francine was making a move to get up and leave. He motioned to her, indicating that he wanted her to stay awhile longer, as he wrapped up his phone conversation. "Me, too, Amanda. I'll see you when you come back. 'Bye."
"All right, Lee, what is it?" Francine asked.
He studied the desktop for a moment, fiddling with the tabs of several of the file folders, before he looked up at his friend. "I'm a little worried about our new boss, Ms. Kingston," he admitted. "From the brief contacts I've had with her, I get the impression she's like a drill sergeant. . .you know," he said, drawing air-circles with his hand, "all spit-and-polish, by- the-book. . .if you get my drift."
"Ah. . .so that's what you think. Well, you just might be in for a surprise, Lee," Francine replied. "I mean, it's true she can be a bit formal. . .and she does like to run a tight ship, but I'm sure a lot of that's from her upbringing. She was an Army brat, and from what I've heard, her father took 'spit-and-polish' to a whole new level!"
"Okay. . .that explains her brusque first impression," Lee considered with a quick nod. "But how do you think she's gonna take it when I tell her about the brain surgery and the extended medical leave I'll probably have to take?" He touched his fingers to his temples as he continued, "Look. . .we don't have any idea how long that'll be yet, so. . ."
Francine cut in, "Lee? You know that old saying, 'You can't tell a book by its cover'? Well, Alberta Kingston's a prime example. She's a seven-year breast cancer survivor. . .she's been through two surgeries, the chemo, the hair loss, the depression. . .all of it. And she's healthy now, thank goodness. You really should go and talk with her, Lee. . .I'm sure she'll understand."
As she stood to leave, Lee stood up as well and thanked her for her support once again. As they both headed out through the bullpen, Francine asked, "Do you have any lunch plans? A few of us were going to go over to Ned's. . .would you like to come along?"
"Thanks for the offer, Francine," he said graciously, "but no, I don't have much of an appetite. . . I think I'd just like to take a walk." I have a lot of thinking to do, about our future. . .if there is one, he lamented.
TO BE CONTINUED