Author's Note: The beginning of the flashback scene comes from an un-filmed scene in the original script for the episode "Bad Timing" up to the point that Lee carries Amanda up the stairs. The rest is mine. I thought the deleted scene from that episode would flow nicely with the cognac scene from "All That Glitters." Hope you enjoy.

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After Lee left, Amanda finished drying her hair and had dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and had just begun to pick up the room when her mother walked into the door Lee had left open.

"Dinner's ready and I just called over to Buck's so the boys should be home anytime." Dotty surveyed the room from the doorway taking in the scattered clothing on the floor and tangled bedding "Well, I see you decided to take my advice," she added with a smile.

"Yes, I did," Amanda said with a smile.

"I'm guessing your dashing husband had no objections," Dotty said as she picked up the blouse that Amanda had worn to work noticing that it now had two missing buttons.

"No, he didn't" she said chuckling at how he'd tried to take the lead at first but she'd stopped him wanting to make sure that he had a reminder of what he had at home and just how much she could please him. She smiled at her memories of the last hour or so. How happy he was about the baby, how he had cried out her name repeatedly reminding her that she was the only woman on his mind. She took her blouse from her mother then bent to pick up Lee's Oxford shirt noticing that it had buttons missing as well. "Looks like I'm going to have some sewing to do tonight.

"I don't think there's any hope for these," Dotty said with a smirk as she picked up Amanda's torn panties. "Is your secret agent getting a little rough with you?" she teased.

"Give me those," Amanda said snatching the ruined fragment of satin and lace out of her mother's hands. "And no, he was not getting rough with me, just a little...impatient. I did tease him mercilessly." She tossed the destroyed undergarment into the trash can in the corner and laid her blouse and Lee's shirt on her dresser as a reminder to sew the buttons back on them later.

"Hmmm," Dotty said with a smile, happy for her daughter and happy that she was sharing things with her. "Well, a little teasing is good for a man. Keeps them in line and keeps the romance going."

"Speaking of romance, how are things with you and Captain Curt?"

"Great," Dotty said with a smile. "He invited me for a weekend getaway to the mountains next weekend."

"Are you going?"

"Yeah, it'll be nice to get away, plus it will give you and Lee some alone couple time since that will be Joe's next weekend with the boys. Maybe give you a little time to catch up on what you missed out on with your honeymoon being interrupted."

"Then I think this calls for a girls' day out before then. How about this Sunday just you and I spend the day together? We could do a little shopping to get you ready for your trip, hit the Victoria's Secret at the mall and maybe while we're there I could pick up a little something for my first full weekend alone with my husband," she said with a grin. "We could have lunch at the food court and talk like we used to."

"I would love that," Dotty said. "Plus, it will give Lee and the boys the opportunity to have some male bonding time without us girls around. We'll just have to make sure that we're home in time for dinner with Lee's uncle."

"Good, it's a date then," Amanda said with a smile hoping that now that all her secrets were out they would soon be on the road to having a normal mother-daughter relationship again.

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Lee sat at the dining table in Elisa's huge dining room with her seated at the end of the table to his left. He'd purposely seated himself that way so that during dinner, she would be unable to miss the wedding ring on his finger since he was left-handed. She had tried several times to engage him in conversation about their past relationship, if you could call it that, and he'd changed the subject every time to the real purpose behind his visit causing her to fall silent. He absently poked at the food on his plate realizing he didn't have much of an appetite.

"Lee, Darling, You've hardly touched your dinner," she said. "Is there something wrong with the food? I could have a talk with my cook, if I need to."

"No, Elisa, it's not the food..."Lee said. It's the company, he thought but didn't say it. He couldn't risk blatantly insulting her and it getting back to Dr. Smyth. "I guess I'm just not very hungry."

"That's a shame," She replied with disappointment. "My cook does a wonderful oysters Rockefeller."

Lee knew exactly where she was going with that and changed the subject again. "Listen, do you mind if I use your phone? I didn't get a chance to see the kids before coming over here because they were at a neighbor's house and I'd really like to check on them."

"Certainly, there's a phone in the living room," she said with a little dismay in her voice that she couldn't keep his mind off of his family life.

"Thanks," He said as he tossed his napkin into his plate and exited the room. She glanced at his barely-touched dinner and the nearly full champagne flute while she finished her dinner. She waited what seemed like forever before she got the hint that he wasn't coming back to the table. She decided to try a different tactic going to the bar in the corner pouring two glasses of cognac before walking into the living room with them. She paused in the doorway as she heard Lee on the phone.

"You got an A on your photography project? That's great, Champ! I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you," he gushed. "I can't wait to see what you do with your next one...Phillip has news too? Sure, put him on...Hey, Chief what's up?...A B on your English paper...Wow...I guess what your mom suggested helped, huh?" He paused to listen to his stepson for a moment. "That's really great news and I want to hear all about it when I get home...Hey, can you put your mom on for a minute?" Elisa noticed that his tone changed when speaking with his wife. "Hey, did the kids tell you the news too...Yeah, we do have a pair of really smart boys...You didn't tell them our news yet, did you?" He paused to listen. "Good, because I really feel like that's something we should tell them together...I'm glad you agree...I'll see you when I get home. Kiss the boys good-night for me. I love you," he said as he hung up the phone. He sat down on the couch and started thumbing through the date books Elisa has left on the coffee table looking for a clue as to who sent her that earring, but he found with just hearing the news that he was going to be a father a couple of hours ago, he was having trouble focusing. HIs mind kept reflecting back to the day that their baby had been conceived.

"I've never had a beneficiary for the Agency life insurance policy...and I wanted to make sure you and the boys were taken care of, just in case... " He'd said sitting down with a frustrated sigh knowing that it was hurting his fiancée to hear this but he felt he had to do it to make sure that she'd be ok in the event that they didn't make it to their wedding day.

"When do you have to leave?"

"Billy's here at six. Why?"

"Because I want some time. An hour. To be normal people...to fix dinner for you, to sit down and eat it with you...and then fit a lifetime into whatever's left over. That's not asking too much is it?"

Lee stared at Amanda for a long beat noticing the tears in her eyes that she hadn't allowed to fall, then shook his head.

He recalled not much later sitting at the breakfast table, dinner dishes in front of him. Amanda crossing to him, holding a snifter of cognac. She sat and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"That was great," he said.

"Yeah," she said raising the glass. "To more great dinners," she said trying to be hopeful but he knew from the look on her face that she was on the edge of falling apart. She drank from snifter before handing it to him. He took a healthy swig but Amanda kept him from finishing it off. "Save some...for later." She then leaned over and kissed him, then stood, taking his hand and leading him toward the stairs. Just as they had started toward the landing, Lee stopped her, stared longingly at her for a moment, kissed her gently, then bent and lifted her off the ground and into his arms.

By the time they'd reached her bedroom her thick sweater and bra had already been dropped to the floor and she was working on the buttons of his shirt having it mostly removed by the time he'd laid her down on the bed. She had a little trouble with the one sleeve due to the dead-man's watch being in the way, a painful reminder that this may be the last moment they ever shared like this. He undid the cuff of his sleeve himself, pulling it over the watch and throwing his shirt to the ground before lying beside her on the bed. They undressed each other quickly needing to feel nothing separating them for as long as they had left together. Lee kissed her tenderly as their hands roamed, exploring every inch of each other savoring each touch, each kiss knowing it might be their last. When things began to grow more heated, Lee tried to slow things down to make it last as long as possible, but Amanda urged him on. "Lee, please don't tease me. Not this time. I need you, all of you, now," she pleaded.

"I love you," he said as he clasped one hand with hers and entered her slowly gasping at the feel of her closing around him. He kissed her tenderly, but Amanda wouldn't let him keep the pace slow. She used her free hand to pull his head down to deepen their kisses as she hooked her legs behind his back raising her hips to meet his to encourage him to move faster. She knew that she may never get this moment with him again and wanted desperately to feel that he was still alive for as long as she had him. Lee lost all semblance of self-control when she wrapped herself around him.

Lee was jarred out of his reminiscence by Elisa's voice. "A diamond tiara for your thoughts, Darling," she cooed as she parked next to him on the couch handing him a snifter of cognac.

He looked up at the glass she was holding smiling slightly at the memories he'd just been reliving and the glass of cognac he's shared with Amanda the day their baby had been conceived. Not wanting her to mistake his smile, he turned his attention back to the datebook in his hands and said, "You do stay busy, Elisa."

"Short attention span, Boring company," she replied.

"Boring?" He questioned. "The names on this calendar are right out to the pages of Who's Who How can that be boring?"

She chuckled and replied, "Even filet mignon every night gets tiresome. Besides variety is the spice of life," she said as she set her glass down propping her arm on his shoulder stroking his hair. "At least that's what you used to whisper in my ear," she said seductively as she nibbled at his earlobe.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said as he pulled her hand away.

She giggled and said, "Still ticklish in all the old familiar places?"

"We have got a lot of ground to cover tonight," he said as he gently pushed her away hoping she would take the hint once and for all. He didn't want to prolong the evening any longer than he had to.

"Exactly what I was thinking," she said with a devilish glint in her eyes.

"Business," he said firmly.

"Before pleasure?" When he only glared at her, she said, "You have changed, haven't you? I'm not at all sure that I approve," she said as she leaned back against the couch and kicked her shoes off.

"Yes, Elisa, I have," he said. "Contrary to what I used to say about variety, I learned since I met Amanda how empty that life was for me. I've found that I rather enjoy filet mignon every night and I don't find it tiresome at all."

"Amanda? Filet mignon? She strikes me as more the fast food burger type," Elisa said cattily. "Good enough to quench your appetite for a while, but not a truly satisfying meal."

"Well, that's where you're wrong, Amanda is not only filet mignon, but filet mignon with crème brulee for dessert. A very satisfying meal," he said with emphasis.

"I find that very hard to believe with the conservative way she dresses, the way she carries herself, almost like she's afraid to emphasize her femininity."

"You know, a lot of people see her that way but I know better. I'm the one who sees what she wears underneath the conservative business suits and I like it that way. I love that she reserves that side of herself just for me."

"Clearly she showed you that side of herself since I met her at lunchtime," she said indicating the mark on the right side of his neck that was now facing her when it hadn't been at the dinner table. She once again laid her arm on his shoulder as she fingered the brand his wife had on him. "She's obliviously learned your ticklish spots as well."

"Well, I did say at lunch that I planned on going home before dinner tonight," he said once again removing her arm from his shoulder.

"Yes, to say good-night to the children, wasn't it? But apparently that didn't happen since you just asked to phone them." She once again leaned back against the couch pulling her knees up to her chest.

"It was still well worth the trip home," he said with a warm smile recalling how his wife had made love to him when he returned to the house.

"So, where is home these day?" she asked.

"Arlington," he answered.

"You're kidding?" she said with a laugh. "You, living in Arlington? I'd never have believed it."

"Believe it, Elisa," he said. "I've got it all. House, back yard, garden, picket fence and all. I'm really not that same guy you knew. I love my life with my family. Wife, kids, even my eccentric, meddling mother-in-law. Now, enough about my personal life. I wanna talk some more about the names on this list. Now, you've been seeing a lot of General Garrett lately. He was at your birthday party."

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Sweetheart," she said in frustration that she was getting nowhere with Lee. "Grumpy Garrett and I are like old hunting buddies. We get together every now and then to scratch and sniff and tell rude jokes. The most romantic thing he ever did was to name his Jeep after me." Lee couldn't help but chuckle at that comment. Elisa took the datebook from his hands and asked in a low, seductive tone, "Did you ever name your Jeep after me, Lee?" For the third time since entering the room she leaned in closer placing his arm on his shoulder yet again.

"No, I never did," he said awkwardly.

She perked up as an idea struck her. "I know what you need. You need me to skip into something a little more comfortable," she said shoving the datebook back into his hands and making a beeline for the stairs before he could say anything leaving him frowning.

Great, that's the last thing I need, he thought. He sighed in frustration at the fact that Elisa would just not take the hint that he wasn't interested and that he had every intention of remaining faithful to his wife.

"I won't be long, Darling," she called from the stairs. "Be a dear and open another bottle of champagne."

Lee sighed again understanding completely what Elisa's intentions were. He imagined that she was thinking that if she could loosen him up enough with alcohol and come down the stairs in some revealing bit of lingerie, that he would give in to her. She had no idea that he would never allow that to happen. He loved Amanda too much to ever betray her like that and he didn't want anyone except her anymore. He'd waited too damn long to find the right woman to spend the rest of his life with and now that he had her, he was not about to jeopardize his marriage to her. He decided it was long past time for him to leave since he obviously wasn't going to be able to keep her focused on the task at hand. He tore a page out of her date book and quickly scribbled a note, exiting hastily through the front door before Elisa could make another attempt to work her wiles on him.

Lee had almost made it back to his car when he heard an alarm blaring from inside the house. He looked back to see flames coming from an upstairs windows He bolted back into the house and trotted up the stairs. "Elisa!" he called "Elisa!"

"Up here Mr. Stetson," a maid called.

"Elisa!" He called on more time as he entered her bedroom behind the maid to find the room in flames and Elisa unconscious on the floor.

"Please, hurry," the panicked maid said as Lee swept Elisa into his arms and carried her down the stairs. "The fire department's on an automatic alarm," the maid said as she descended the stairs behind Lee. "I'll get everyone out of the house and direct the firemen," she added calmer now that her employer was out of immediate danger.

Lee laid Elisa down on a loveseat in the foyer. He sighed in frustration. He may not want Elisa anymore, but he certainly didn't wish this on her. Once had put out the fireman had put out the fire and paramedics were working on reviving Elisa, he went back to the bedroom to examine the scene finding several decorative pillows slashed open. He picked one up and took it downstairs with him to find that Elisa was now conscious with an oxygen mask over her face. He said to her, "Whoever raided the Hale mansion must be pretty desperate to keep us from finding him. That's why he took the risk to break in on you. Now, there were seven cases cut. You didn't see him find it?" She only shook her head. "All right, then I'm gonna guess that it was the other earring. He planted it for you to find in one of these pillows."

Elisa pulled the oxygen mask from her face coughing as she did so, her breathing labored, and said hoarsely, "Why'd he cut so many?"

"That's what I'm wondering," Lee said with a shake of his head as Elisa put the mask back over her face. "If he planted it, he'd know where it was, right? Unless it wasn't the same guy."

A short time later while Elisa was being loaded into an ambulance, Lee walked out to his car to call the office.

"Melrose, here," Billy answered.

"We're not chasing our tails, Billy," Lee said. "This guy is serious. He damn near killed Elisa."

"How is she" Billy asked.

"Smoke inhalation, possible concussion. Could've been worse. The good news is she'll probably have to go to Paris to replace a lot of clothes," he joked. "What about you?"

"Knee deep in bad news," Billy said grimly. "Dr. Smyth has brought us up to a full-scale scramble.

"Well, for once I approve of his extremes. Somebody let the genie out of the bottle, Billy, and we're gonna be sorry if we don't cork it back up soon."

"Another thing," Billy said. "Amanda narrowed down the delivery schedule. That first earring came from Captain Carpenter's office. More interestingly, Carpenter took part in the Grenada invasion."

Now Lee was really curious. He'd been suspecting General Garrett as he was the one keeping him from thoroughly investigating and he'd been spending a lot of time with Elisa recently. Now he couldn't help but wonder if the two of them were in it together now that he knew there were at least two people involved. He hung with Billy and got into his car to drive home.

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Lee walked into the bedroom he shared with Amanda around find Amanda had waited up for him. She was sitting up in bed with a book.

"Hi," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed beside her greeting her with a kiss.

As soon as he got close, Amanda immediately knew something was up. She caught a whiff of the scent coming from his clothes. It was the sickening sweet smell of expensive French perfume combined with the acrid smell of smoke. "What happened?" she said in concern as she put her book down on the nightstand.

"Someone broke into Elisa's tonight, attacked her and set fire to her bedroom.

"Her bedroom, huh?"Amanda queried as a pang of jealously stabbed her. "What were you doing in her bedroom?"

"Amanda, Honey, It's not like that," he explained as he took her hands in his. "I was leaving and about to come home to you when I heard the fire alarm. I was only in her bedroom long enough to rescue her from the flames. I barely got her out of there in time. She's in the hospital now. It was a damn close call."

"Uh-huh, This was a close call too," she said pulling one of her hands from his and fingering the lipstick smudge on his collar.

Lee sighed. "Nothing happened, Amanda. She made a move, I said no. She made another move, I said no again. In fact that's why I was leaving to come home without getting the answers I was looking for. She was making me really uncomfortable, especially when she suggested that I needed her to slip into something more comfortable."

"Oh?" Amanda said her eyes flaring.

"I didn't let it get that far. As soon as she went upstairs, I make a hasty retreat, but that's when they jumped her and knocked her out. I'm pretty sure that our mysterious Romeo left the other earring for her and that his partner was trying to retrieve it." He explained to her about the ruined pillows and how that had led him to believe that there was no longer just one person behind the raid on the Hale mansion.

"Captain Carpenter, maybe?"Amanda suggested. "I did find out that the first earring was sent from his office, although since it went out with several other packages he may not be the one who sent it."

"I don't know, maybe. Billy did say that he was took part in the Grenada invasion, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was involved in the attack on the Hale estate. Either way, I think we need to divide and conquer on this," he said. "My money's on Garrett being Elisa's secret admirer and Carpenter being the one who attacked Elisa to get the other earring back. Garrett's name was in Elisa's datebook at least a dozen times in the last month. Plus Dr. Smyth had said that he was standing right next to him at her birthday party. Do you think you could keep tabs on Garrett while I investigate Carpenter tomorrow?"

"You want me to tail him?"

"Just keep a safe distance, surveillance only and hands off," he said firmly. "If Garrett is involved, I don't want you doing anything that would put you or our baby at risk."

"Lee, I know how to tail someone without putting myself at risk. You taught me that, remember?"

"I know and I have faith in you. It's just with you being pregnant, this changes everything. You've just recovered from a life-threatening injury and I don't want you taking any unnecessary chances."

"I'll be careful. Just promise me that you will be too. If whoever attacked Elisa is desperate enough to do so with you there, you could be in danger too."

"I'll be careful. Like I said earlier, I don't like the idea of you raising our child alone and I'm going to make damn sure that doesn't happen."

"Well, we should get some sleep. We're going to have a busy day tomorrow," she said.

"Yeah, you're right," Lee said. He rose from the bed stripped down to his boxers, tossing his clothes on the chair in the corner of the room. Amanda reached over to turn the lamp off as her husband slipped into bed beside her wrapping an arm around her from behind placing his hand protectively over their unborn child. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson," he whispered before falling into a contented sleep holding her close to him.