Lee breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled up in front of his apartment building. His future mother-in-law had just delivered a masterclass in high-level diplomatic negotiation. Without ever saying it overtly, she'd made it absolutely clear that she was willing to approve his relationship with Amanda but only if he proved that he was up to the level she deserved. He wasn't sure that there was a man alive who was up to that standard, but he was sure that there wasn't one who would try harder or love Amanda more than he did. Lifting the ridiculously large suitcase out of the trunk of his car, he hurried up the walkway and into the building.
As he approached the apartment, he was delighted to hear Francine and Amanda laughing like loons. Knocking loudly to alert them to his arrival, he waited until he heard someone approach. "It's Lee." Francine called out before opening the door. Lee smiled as she let him in.
"Sounds like you and Amanda are having fun." Lee said.
"We are, I was just telling Amanda about how we met." Francine told him, earning a chuckle.
"How come you never told me that story?" Amanda asked.
"I was saving it for future blackmail purposes." Lee answered, winking at Francine.
"How'd you do at the house?"
"Well, I either have your mother's approval or I've just been given fair warning to be very, very good to you." Amanda smiled fondly at him.
"You always are."
"Amanda," Francine began, eyeing the large suitcase. "How long does your mother expect you to be away?"
"A decade, if the weight of this thing is anything to go by." Lee answered, carrying the luggage to the bedroom. Francine reached for her purse.
"I better get going. I'm still… uhm…"
"Debriefing Birol?" Amanda asked, realising that her friend was trying to avoid any mention of the terrorist. Francine cringed but nodded. "That's okay, Francine. I guessed that maybe with Lee here, you were left with clean up."
"He's not having a good time of it, Amanda. I can promise you that. We've been taking it in 8 hour shifts. He hasn't slept since we got you back." Lee shook his head and frowned at Francine. Amanda supposed that he didn't want her relishing her captor's predicament. She wished she was able to be that nice but she just wasn't.
"Thanks Francine. I'm just glad that Lee won't need to do it. I think that Birol would be enjoying it less, but there'd be a whole lot more paperwork."
"Probably." Lee agreed grimly. He hated to admit it but he probably wouldn't be able to maintain his professionalism if he was facing Birol. Now that he had some idea what he'd put Amanda through, the single knockout punch that Lee had administered seemed inconsequential. Following Francine to the door, he smiled when she leaned closer to whisper.
"Trust me on this, Birol is hoping that he'll have an easier time of it behind bars, but he won't. We've managed to find cause for the case to be tried in Virginia instead of Maryland." Lee nodded and smiled. The difference was important. In Maryland, Birol faced life in prison, in Virginia he faced the death penalty. Even if he didn't get a capital sentence, the prisons in Virginia were notoriously tougher than the ones just across the state line. Winking, Francine left and Lee closed the door. Returning to the living room, Lee noticed that Amanda had disappeared into the bedroom with her suitcase. More surprisingly, a moment later, he heard Amanda start to laugh. His lips twitched as he listened to her laugh harder and harder for a moment. Curious, he stepped into the room.
"What's so funny?" Amanda spun around to face him, her hand slamming the suitcase closed in the process. Intrigued, Lee watched as Amanda's cheeks went bright, bright red. "Okay, now I'm intrigued." Obviously trying to contain her laughter, Amanda bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before giving up the fight with a shrug. Reaching down, she opened the suitcase again, revealing a chaotic pile of sexy, silky lingerie. "Apparently, my mother had your convenience in mind more than mine when she packed!" Amanda told him. Lee laughed.
"I guess we'll go shopping tomorrow."
"I guess so." Amanda agreed. Lee didn't miss her small hesitation, or the fact that she quickly pushed it aside. Pleased with her progress, he held out a hand. "Come on, we can make lunch while I tell you about my interrogation. You know, your mother could give the KGB lessons."
Claudia and Quidd arrived shortly after two o'clock. Amanda had found time to bake a cake so it was a very relaxed session over coffee. Describing everything that had happened since the last session, Amanda and Lee kept a hold of each other's hand.
"It sounds like you've both made a remarkable amount of progress since we spoke yesterday. Amanda, your interpretation of your captivity as an excellent exchange for Lee's life is a very positive one. I really think you're on to something." Claudia praised. "Lee, how do you feel about what Amanda's said?"
"It's helping, a lot more than I expected actually. And the reason is just that I know Amanda loves me as much as I love her so I really understand where she's coming from. I'm humbled by it, but it really is helping."
"That's great, Scarecrow." Quidd offered. "But this kind of thing can't just be explained into context and then forgotten. I want you both to continue with your sessions, though I think we'll space them out a bit more so that you can take some time to do other things that will help you emotionally recover. So tomorrow, why don't you guys just have a normal day off and we'll do another session on Wednesday and again on Friday? We'll need to do an assessment again on Friday before we can clear you to return on Monday."
"Okay. Can I skip the BZ though? I think I'll be okay to sleep now without it." Neither physician missed the look that passed between the two before Lee spoke up.
"I think Amanda's right. She'll probably be okay to sleep now. Besides, it can't hurt to try. If things get out of hand, we can still use the remaining dose." Amanda smiled. She knew that it wasn't easy for Lee to entertain even the possibility that she'd have another difficult night but it was important that he was willing to try because she was.
"Alright. But I still want you to take the diazepam for now. Kelford also asked me to have a look at those injuries, just to be sure that there's no need for further treatment." Amanda nodded and stood up to head to the bedroom.
Once they were alone in the living room, Lee shot Quidd a questioning look. "Will she be okay, do you think?"
"I really do." Quidd said with a smile. "You've managed an incredible level of progress in just a few days, Lee. I admit that when you first brought her home, I wasn't sure it was for the best and especially after I heard about the grocery store incident. But she's really perked up, her body language and speech patterns are all more consistent with someone who is recovering well. And I think that your personal relationship has proven to be a tremendous source of strength for both of you. I've also noticed that you are responding much better than I expected."
"Me?"
"Yes. You're not known for your ability to deal with emotional complications, Lee. Or at least, you haven't dealt well with them in the past. In particular, you seem to be letting go of the guilt that you were clearly carrying around when we spoke in Billy's office." Lee chuckled.
"I guess Amanda just helps me feel differently about things."
"I guess she does. Now I want you two to seriously consider doing something fun and relaxing tomorrow. Just take it easy and do what feels right."
"Thanks doc. I think we'll do just that." Lee said softly, contemplating options. A moment later, Claudia and Amanda returned, chatting amiably.
"I got the all clear." Amanda announced, smiling at Lee. "Don't even need any dressings anymore." Claudia made a few notes and then smiled at them.
"We'll see you the day after tomorrow."
"Thanks." Lee and Amanda chorused. Once they were alone again, Lee smiled.
"How about if we drive out to Chesapeake Beach for the day? I know a great place on the water where we could go for lunch? Maybe have a walk along the beach?"
"Sounds perfect." Amanda agreed. "Only, can we just make it a day for us? Just to celebrate our engagement. No talking about Birol, or the Agency?"
"Agreed." Lee said, pulling her closer for a kiss.