Lee made certain the Welch estate was crawling with Agency people combing for evidence before he released the scene to Duffy and headed back to Georgetown to check on Francine. She had started to revive in the ambulance even before they'd left to take her back to the Agency clinic, but he needed to be sure she was really okay before he went into a room with Mrs. Welch. He knew that if he was even the slightest bit worried about Francine's recovery, he'd give into the kind of rage that would make any interview ineffective, but if he knew she was going to be alright and that woman didn't, he could allow that rage to be laser-focused and ice cold – just the attitude he needed to deal with someone who no doubt had years of KGB training.

Even before he'd left the scene, it had become apparent from the files they'd retrieved that this scheme had extended far beyond just the Agency. Mrs. Welch had been giving private lessons to the wives of Cabinet Secretaries, senior diplomats, White House lawyers…

"Oh God," he'd blanched when Duffy had shown him the first few things they'd found. "She didn't actually teach the First Lady, did she?"

"Nah," Duffy grinned. "It looks like that's a rumor she started herself just to get clients."

"Thank God for small mercies," muttered Lee. "Okay, you make sure every bit of that gets bagged and I'll see you back at base. I have an appointment for a little one-on-one time with that witch."

He was so focused on that appointment that he almost missed seeing Amanda standing outside the bullpen until she gave him a small wave of welcome as she walked toward him and he was so deep into his mental preparation for the upcoming interrogation that he couldn't stop himself from scowling at the sight of her and saying curtly, "Amanda? What are you doing here?"

"You brought me, remember?" she teased.

"No I mean, what are you still doing here?"

Her movement forward faltered at the sharp tone. "Well, I didn't know what else to do… and you drove here so…" she trailed off as he continued to frown.

"You should have grabbed a cab or something," he answered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Damn it, I can't drive you home now – I have to go straight into an interrogation and-"

"Lee." She held up a hand stopping him short, dark eyes snapping. "I'm not still here because I need a ride home like a child! I'm still here because I didn't want to leave without knowing you were alright!"

"Oh. Well, I am," he said ungraciously, trying to step around her to keep moving toward the clinic until she stepped sideways to stop him.

"And Mr. Melrose asked me to come tell you that Francine is fine as well but they're keeping her under observation so you need to go see him first."

"He sent you?" he asked, stopping short and staring at her with suspicion. "Why?"

"Because everyone else is busy doing real work and because for some ridiculous reason, he thought you might not be as rude to me as he knew you'd be to other people. But I see he thought wrong!"

He had been trying to do another end run around her as she spoke, but was brought up short by the angry tone in her voice. He turned to look at her, hands on her hips glaring at him.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! But…" he looked down the corridor to the clinic and then back up to the elevator that would take him to the fifth floor where Welch was being held, waiting for him, then back to Amanda who still looked pissed. "I just don't have time to let my head out of the game and be distracted just to be polite!"

"Fine. I'll tell him I passed on the message, that you went your own way anyway and then I'll grab that cab home and stop distracting you." She wheeled away, headed for Billy's office.

"Oh, for crying out loud," he groaned. "Amanda, wait!" he called after her, striding quickly to catch her wrist and spin her back around. She glared up at him, eyes narrowed and lips pressed together as if she was biting back an angry comment. He took a deep breath and tried again. "No, look… I really am sorry and I know it's my fault you're still here and I shouldn't have spoken to you like that but this is my job, Amanda – and a lot of the time it's not fun or pretty or a place to stop and be nice and I need to go make sure that a woman who has had four people murdered… people I knew-"

"Lee, stop." Amanda cut him off as she twisted her wrist out of his grip and for a heartbeat he thought she was going to walk away but then her hand kept twisting until she had flipped it all the way around in order to grab his hand in hers. "I know," she said. "I know you're angry and I know you need to stay here and see this through and I'm perfectly happy to find my own way home, but I really did just want to know you were alright – when I heard that gunshot-" She closed her eyes and shivered slightly.

"What do you mean when you heard the gunshot?" he interrupted. "What the hell were you doing listening in on a covert op?"

"I wasn't meant to, obviously but I was bringing Mr. Melrose a coffee and I happened to still be in the room, and when I heard that shot and then it was so long until I heard your voice again…" she squeezed his hand gently, as the realization hit him of what she'd gone through, helplessly listening with no training to know what was going on or how to cope with it. "Anyway, I'm glad you're alright and I'll see you when this is all over, okay?"

"You sure about that?" he asked. "I mean – are you sure you want that?"

She tilted her head and pretended to think about it, her body language more relaxed than it had been seconds ago. "Oh, I think I can give you the benefit of the doubt for now – everyone had a bad day at work from time to time – and bad days here…well, they're certainly bad." She paused and gave his hand another squeeze. "Go talk to Mr. Melrose like he asked and then go do whatever you have to do and call me when you can." She didn't like the bleak look in his eyes and added in as light a tone as she could manage, "Remember, Mother put aside that piece of dessert for you, and if you time it right, you'll get another home-cooked meal out of it."

"Thank you." He gave the bullpen guard a quick glance then briefly lifted her knuckles to his lips. "I'll try not to still be a jerk by then."

"Hey, for better or worse, right?" she murmured with a wink and turned away. "I'm just glad we didn't have to test out in sickness or in health tonight."

He watched her for a second and then a thought struck him. "Amanda?" he called after her, waiting for her to turn back before giving her an apologetic look. "Uhhh, do you have to go home right away?"

"Well, no, I suppose not, not if you want me to wait for you," she replied.

"No, I don't, but... I know I shouldn't ask you this but um, could you do me a favor and go sit with Francine until she comes to? She really hates hospitals and I think it would be good for her to wake up to a friendly face."

"A friendly face? Lee, she's barely even met me," Amanda said, astonished.

"No, I know, but if she wakes up and she's alone, she's likely to do something like try and walk out of there."

"And then what? I'm supposed to stop her?" she retorted.

"No, I don't mean… I just don't want her to be alone, not when she probably won't remember why she's even in there. It's happened to me and it's really disorienting and she's-"

"Your friend. Well, of course I'll sit with her if it would make you feel better," Amanda smiled at him. "I'm happy to help."

"Thank you – come on, I'll show you the way before I go see Billy. Then I can see her first and he can't be mad at me, right?" He waited for her to nod and for the smile he loved to reappear. "When this is all over, we need to talk okay?" he added as they headed down the hall "About all this stuff."

The smile was almost gone again. "That sounds serious."

"It is – but it's a conversation for later, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. But inside she couldn't ignore that tiny voice that said It's never a good thing when someone says you have to talk…