Chapter 29
Thursday morning dawned with overcast skies and the air was heavy with moisture but even that couldn't dampen Amanda's mood as she cheerfully woke before Lee, making coffee and preparing a small serving of pancakes for the two of them.
Lee woke a short time later to the smell of coffee and the sound of Amanda in the shower. He debated what his better morning choice would be… a fresh, steaming cup of coffee or a hot shower with his wife. Taking a chance, he slipped into the bathroom and climbed in the shower with her.
"Good morning," he said as he wrapped his arms around Amanda.
"Good morning yourself. I thought you were going to be late, you were sleeping so soundly," Amanda replied after kissing him lightly on the lips.
"I think I slept well last night. Might have been that sandwich right before bed," Lee teased, rubbing his hands up and down her arms lightly, the hot water sluicing downward.
"Uh-huh. Or the exercise you got might have helped a little bit too. I'm thinking exercise is good before bed… really gets the blood pumping, you know?" Amanda teased him back as she settled her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a long, sensuous kiss.
Leaning back, Lee tasted his lips with the tip of his tongue before commenting, "Pancakes for breakfast, huh?"
Amanda laughed and said, "Yeah, how'd you guess?"
"You taste like maple syrup and butter," he replied, a devilish grin on his face.
"Oh really? Well, you're lucky I just got in here then. I was a little sticky," Amanda smiled back at him, an eyebrow raised.
"And now you're all wet and sticky?" Lee teased, the innuendo hung in the air.
Amanda ran her hands down his chest as she said, "I'm sure you can help me out with that though… can't ya… Big Fella?"
Lee plundered her mouth with his as he ran his hand down her body, pulling her tightly against him, "I can… how do you want to handle this?" he asked breathlessly.
Before Amanda could reply, they could hear the phone ringing. "Damn," Lee swore. Shaking his head, he said, "No, let the machine get it." As the ringing continued, he pressed her body against the cool tiles of the shower as he kissed her neck.
They could hear the machine click on and then Billy's voice booming into the room, "Scarecrow, dammit, you better be on your way here now. Infernal Affairs is already in my office looking for those reports. And make sure Amanda has Edwards' report too."
Amanda lifted her chin upward and groaned, "You know what this means?"
Lee nodded and sighed, "Yeah it means I don't get any pancakes today."
Amanda began laughing as she gently pushed Lee backward into the spray and said, "You'll get yours… later. Right now, we need to get into work before Internal Affairs starts thinking we really did do something wrong. I need to get my car, so finish your shower." Stepping out of the water, Amanda reached back to pull Lee in for one last sensual kiss. "That should hold you until later," she whispered as she ran her hand down his back.
"I'm gonna hold you to that… I still want my… pancakes," Lee replied with a grin.
"I'll take care of that problem later, now scoot," Amanda said as she gave him a playful slap on his backside before slipping out of the bathroom.
Lee cranked the water to cold and shivered as he quickly showered, mumbling, "I thought my days of cold showers were over."
He found Amanda sitting at the table, sipping her coffee, fully dressed. Waiting for him beside her was a mug of coffee as well as two small pancakes on a plate. He looked at them, rolled his eyes and said, "Amanda, this isn't what I meant…"
Amanda laughed and replied, "I know but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Just think of this as a…. promise… a…."
"It's a damn tease is what it is, Amanda, come on," Lee grumbled. Taking a sip of his coffee, he stared at the pancakes on the plate in front of him. Picking up his fork, he cut a small piece and shoveled it into his mouth mumbling, "Happy now?"
"Yes, now finish your coffee. We have no idea what's waiting for us at the office and from the sounds of things, Billy isn't too happy," Amanda replied as she sipped her coffee.
Lee took another bite of the pancakes and a large gulp of his coffee before stating, "I can't wait to see what Billy has in store for us now. What could Internal Affairs possibly find that would make them think we… any of us… pulled the trigger for anything other than self defense?"
Amanda put her hand on Lee's forearm as she said, "Well, we're never gonna know unless we get Edwards' report and get in there. They need to see everyone's side of the story. And well, Edwards doesn't know much about your history with Veronica so his report should be the clearest of all of them."
"Yeah if he actually saw anything. He was hit and on the ground around the side of that building, remember? He may not have seen anything that can help us," Lee stated firmly.
"No, Sweetheart, you're right, he may not have seen anything but I'm sure he heard everything. Veronica was warned, by all of us. She made her choice and when she threatened…." Amanda stopped and shivered for a moment at the memory of Veronica spinning toward her, gun raised, before she continued, "Well, she had a choice and if it wasn't for Francine, one of us might not be sitting here right now."
"I know, I know… it's just… First Dr. Smyth and now this. When are we going to catch a break, Amanda? When are you and I ever going to catch a break so we can live our lives like… like…" Lee was exasperated.
"Like normal people? We've talked about this before. We're moving in that direction but we know our lives will never be normal. But at least now, we get to be together," Amanda smoothed his hand with hers.
"You're right. Let's get your car and get this over with," Lee replied with a sigh.
The rain fell heavily as they drove toward Amanda's house, creating more traffic than usual. By the time Lee dropped her off and he made it to the Agency it was almost 9:30, his mood as dark as the clouds above. He stormed down to Billy's office, not bothering to knock when he saw Mrs. Frampton of the Internal Affairs Committee standing beside his desk, arms crossed, waiting. Billy was sitting beside his desk, scowling, an uneaten donut in front of him.
"Here, here's my report and Amanda's. She's on her way to the hospital to get Edwards' report now," Lee tossed two folders onto Billy's deks.
Mrs. Frampton leaned over to retrieve the files when Billy's hand landed on top of them, stopping her. "I'd like to review these first, if you wouldn't mind. I haven't seen them yet and I'd like to be sure there are no surprises hidden away," Billy stated firmly.
Mrs. Frampton moved to sit on the couch and replied, "Mr. Melrose, I can wait but you're behavior will be noted."
"My behavior? Mrs. Frampton, you show up, in my office at an ungodly hour and demand I call in my agents to turn in reports I haven't even had a moment to see and you want to note MY BEHAVIOR?" Billy's voice rose loudly as he slowly stood and leaned on his desk.
Lee put his hands up, trying to calm his friend and mentor, "Billy, look, it's not a big deal. Just calm down, read our reports and then Mrs. Frampton will be on her way. Amanda should be here soon as will Francine, I'm sure of it."
Little did he know, Francine was sitting in a massive traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge and Amanda was at the hospital trying to get herself out of her own jam.
