"Amanda, what have you been doing?" Dotty asked as she watched Amanda struggle to lift the boys Bomber bag high enough to get it on the shelf in the closet.
"Learning how to hit mother," Amanda replied dropping her aching arms back to her sides.
"Looks like you really overdid it at the gym yesterday darling," Dotty observed.
Amanda nodded her head. "I think you might be right mother." She had been so sore when she woke up this morning it had taken her a few minutes to get herself out of bed, and even then it had hurt. A lot!
Dotty shook her head. "You need to pace yourself darling, you can't just do it all in one go."
"I'm learning that," Amanda agreed. "It's just that I seemed to be making such good progress I wanted to keep going with it."
"Well your trainer should have known better!"
"He did mother," Amanda replied, defending Lee. "He asked me several times to take a break...I think I'll listen to him next time."
"Well it is what he's getting paid for Amanda," replied Dotty as she turned back to dusting the hall table.
Amanda sighed as she moved into the kitchen to look out the window. Deep down she missed Lee when she had to go without seeing him, but she was almost glad he rang this morning to cancel their training session for the day. That is until he added that an overseas assignment had come up and he'd actually have to cancel their training sessions for a while. She would have gladly put up with the pain another training session would have caused compared to the alternative.
:::::::::::
Lee stood at the coffee pot, stretching and rotating his shoulders and arms as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing. If he felt like this after yesterday's workout he could only imagine how Amanda must be feeling.
Francine smiled as she watched Lee pour his coffee. "Rough night Scarecrow?" She asked as she held her mug out for him to fill.
Lee was in the middle of stretching out his neck muscles when he heard Francine's voice. He looked at her as he poured her coffee. "Those workouts I never have any trouble with," he replied with a smirk.
Francine rolled her eyes at the typical Scarecrow response. "So what's with the stretching then?"
Lee paused for a moment. Up until now he'd managed to keep his training Amanda just between him, Amanda and Billy. He didn't really want Francine to know about it because he knew she'd end up coming down to the gym with comments that would do no one any good. In the end though he decided to just tell her the truth, mostly because he was too tired to think of anything else.
He shrugged, trying to make his response sound matter of fact. "You know how Amanda's been going on about getting some training..."
Francine's face lit up. "Oh you're not..."
Lee rolled his eyes at her. "Billy's making me do it," he replied, trying to make it sound more like the chore he originally thought it would be, rather than the pleasant surprise it had turned out to be.
"Well of course," she replied. "But this is still too priceless!"
"Yeah well," Lee griped. "Now you know. And now you can shut up about it!"
Francine smiled. "Maybe I'll just come for a visit during your next session..."
"Francine..." Lee warned.
Francine's face morphed in an instant to one of complete innocence. "For moral support purposes of course."
"Oh, of course..." Lee ground out sarcastically.
"When you two are ready," called Billy from his office doorway.
Lee and Francine exchanged one last glance then headed towards Billy's office.
Billy grinned when he saw that Scarecrow was moving a bit stiffly this morning. "Training been going well?"
Lee stopped and gave Billy a withering glance.
Billy chuckled in response, but Lee was hard pressed to see what was supposed to be so amusing about all this.
"Seriously though, how is Amanda going?" Billy asked as he closed his office door behind Lee and moved behind his desk.
Lee was glad he'd decided to tell Francine the truth a few minutes ago. It saved some explaining now that Billy had let the cat out of the bag anyway. He considered his answer for a moment. "Well, in usual Amanda fashion, she is trying my patience...buuut...she's actually going pretty well," he replied honestly.
Billy nodded as he took his seat. "Good to hear Scarecrow," he replied sincerely. He liked Amanda King, and wanted her around for some time to come. "I knew if anyone could bring out the best in her it would be you."
Lee snorted. "So I suppose that's your justification for handing her training over to me in the first place instead of one of the usual instructors?"
Billy smiled. "You got it." When Lee looked skeptical, he continued. "Would you rather me have Francine train her?"
Francine nearly spat out her coffee. "What!?" She demanded.
Lee turned to her, a mischievous look coming over his face. "You know...that might not be such a bad idea Billy," he started seriously, struggling to keep a straight face. "I do have this assignment in Panama coming up..."
Francine looked panicked. "Oh, no. No, you can't be seriously contemplating..."
Billy caught on quickly and followed Lee's lead, nodding gravely as if seriously considering the suggestion. "That is true Scarecrow...and it would benefit Mrs. King if she kept up the training while you were away."
At the look on Francine's face, neither man could keep up the charade any longer. First Billy cracked a smile, then Lee burst out laughing.
Francine stared daggers at them. "Oh, very funny." When Billy started laughing as well she continued. "Laugh it up you two...you know what they say about payback!"
After a few more moments, even Francine couldn't help but let her icy demeanour slip in the face of the mirth of her two friends. The three of them had worked together for a long time, and small digs like these had become common place between them. "Yeah, yeah...okay..."
"Okay, back to business..." Billy said after a few moments and the three turned their attention to the case at hand.
::::::::::::::
"Oh, okay," Amanda replied to the person on the other end of the phone line. She hoped the huge smile that was currently plastered all over her face didn't transmit down the line. "Well what time would you like me to meet you? Yes I can make it then. Okay, I'll meet you in the gym at six-thirty tomorrow evening." She hung up the phone and sat down on a stool at her kitchen bench. Placing an elbow on the bench she propped her chin on her hand and sighed. Lee's phone call had made her day. After their conversation this morning she had thought Lee was about to fly off to parts unknown on some overseas mission, but apparently after a meeting with Billy there turned out to be some things that needed to be sorted out here before he could go. This meant that his overseas mission had been postponed for the time being, meaning their training sessions could resume tomorrow. Her muscles had been sore this morning, but she pushed through the pain and found that the more she worked them during the course of doing her household chores, the better she felt. She began wondering what Lee would have in store for her the following evening when Dotty came through the back door.
"Earth to Amanda..." Dotty called out as she removed her coat.
Amanda mentally gave herself a shake. "I'm sorry mother?"
Dotty stopped her movements to look at her daughter. "Amanda, what on earth could you be thinking about that had you staring off into space like that?"
Amanda smiled widely. "Oh, you know...just the usual mother. Dinner, the boys homework..."
Dotty scrutinised her closely, the look on her face making it more than clear she didn't believe a word of that excuse. "Yes, well," she replied, looking at Amanda a moment longer before turning back to dig through her bag. "Whatever you say dear."
Amanda opened the refrigerator to take out the pork chops for dinner. "My self defence classes are back on again tomorrow."
"Oh?" Queried Dotty as she washed her hands at the sink to help Amanda prepare dinner. "I thought you said the instructor had to go out of town?"
"Well that's what he thought too," Amanda confirmed, busying herself with arranging the meat in the bottom of a baking dish. "But apparently his trip has been postponed."
Dotty shrugged. "Well that's good news for you I suppose."
Amanda tried not to let her smile get too wide at that thought. "The class isn't until six-thirty tomorrow evening though," she added. "Will you be alright to fix dinner and watch the boys?"
Dotty took her head out of the refrigerator to look at her daughter. "Amanda," she said in a slightly exasperated tone. "You know you don't have to ask that."
"I know mother," Amanda replied. "But you know I don't like to feel like I'm taking advantage of you."
Dotty wrapped her arms around Amanda in a hug. "I know love," she replied, pulling back. "And I appreciate the sentiment. But you know I always let you know if I've got plans. And tomorrow, I don't have plans."
Amanda chuckled lightly at her mothers response. "Well you seem to have quite a few suitors these days mother...I do find it difficult to keep up sometimes," Amanda only half joked.
Dotty returned to the refrigerator, before turning back. "You know I don't like to stick my nose in..."
Amanda's smile grew just a little more rigid, sure she knew what was coming.
"But why you suddenly decided to stop seeing Dean...I'll never know..."
"We've talked about this mother," Amanda replied, trying to keep the hint of annoyance from her voice.
"But it seemed so sudden darling," she continued, either unaware of or choosing to ignore Amanda's obvious reluctance to discuss the topic. Dotty held out a hand before her, palm out, fingers splayed...a gesture Amanda was all too familiar with. "I'm just saying, that one minute you seemed to be as happy as two pigs in a blanket..."
"What?!"
"Then there you were out in the garden telling poor Dean that you didn't think you should see each other anymore!"
"Mother!" exclaimed Amanda. "Were you eavesdropping on us?"
Dotty rolled her eyes. "Of course not darling!" Dotty replied. "I just knew you were out in the garden and then when you came inside...alone...you said you and Dean had broken up. Of course that was the conclusion I was going to come to."
Amanda sighed, hoping the latter was true and that her mother had indeed not been spying on her and Dean.
"Amanda," started Dotty. "You know you can tell me anything."
Amanda nodded, also knowing where this was going. "Yes mother."
"So if there was...is...someone else..."
Amanda adamantly shook her head. "There really isn't...anyone...mother."
"Alright darling," she replied, thankfully ready to let the subject drop. She walked over and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I love you Amanda."
Amanda let her hands rest lightly on her mothers shoulders and smiled, happy to have the subject closed. For now at least. "I love you too mother."
:::::::::::::::
After he'd set the time with Amanda for the following day, Lee put the phone back on the hook. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk, linking his hands behind his head. He wondered what had caused him to make the time he was meeting Amanda so late in the day. He didn't have anything else in particular scheduled for tomorrow, at least nothing that had to be done early in the day. He could have, and was intending on, making the time mid morning. But then she'd asked him the question and six-thirty had come out.
Maybe because by the time you're finished the gym, and pretty much the rest of the building will be deserted, his subconscious chimed in. Lee cut that thought off before it had a chance to go any further.
"And why am I even thinking about this?" He asked quietly, shaking his head.
He sighed as he dropped his legs back to the floor. Pulling on his jacket he left the bullpen heading for Ned's, determined not to think about Amanda King anymore tonight.
!
A/N
thanks to everyone for the lovely reviews :) and to the guest reviewers too
also thanks to one of those guest reviewers who suggested that Francine might make an appearance
I know there was no training in this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.
and please keep those lovely reviews coming - I really do appreciate them all :D
