Chapter TWO - You Never Know … Maybe someday this will be over.

Flashback to a few days before Jennifer and Matthew's wedding -

Jennifer Stetson sat at her desk. She was finishing up some last minute paperwork before her vacation/honeymoon. She sighed as she looked down at her engagement ring. She thought of the past year with Matthew and smiled to herself. She played with the ring and thought of Matthew and his parents. She wished they could have seen him grow up and become the man he was. The ring was beautiful, she thought to herself. It was an emerald cut diamond with smaller diamonds going down the gold band. She was thinking about any last minute wedding plans she needed to go over with her mother when Jamie, her brother and partner, walked in.

"Oh good grief, Princess, are you still looking at your ring? We get it. You are getting married. Geesh…I swear you look at that damn thing at least 25 times a day!"

Jennifer stuck her tongue out at her brother. "I do not! I don't know why you would even say that!"

"Cause it's true. You do. The other day I actually counted."

Jennifer rolled her eyes at Jamie. "James Joseph King! I do not look at my engagement ring all day. Even if I did…which I don't…I can't help it. It's beautiful and I am excited about finally marrying Matthew. So you can just hush!"

Jamie laughed as he walked over to her desk. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Come on Princess, I am only teasing you. It's a beautiful ring and I am very happy for you and Matty. He's a great guy. I think that this weekend is gonna be lots of fun. A wedding at Mom and Dad's…whatever made you decide to have it at their house?"

Jennifer smiled at her brother. "It's the only place I would ever dream to have it. It was my world growing up. I know that you and Philip had the house in Arlington, but the Rockville house…that was all mine. I would run in the fields all day, Daddy taught me how to ride, backyard campouts in the gazebo. It's the perfect place." She sighed and sat back in her chair. "I know that Grandfather Austin was upset we didn't want the wedding at his country club but this is more Matthew and I….we love Mum and Daddy's house."

Jamie was about to say something to her when the phone rang. Jamie walked over to his desk and picked it up.

"King….yes sir. Um…okay. Not that I know of. Um…okay. Jennifer and I will be right there. Thanks Sam."

Jennifer looked over at her brother. "What's up?"

"Sam wants to see us in the bullpen. Something's come up."

Jennifer shook her head. "OH NO! I am about to get married! I am NOT on the roster for the next two weeks! Sam cannot hit us with a new case three days before my wedding!" She stood up and stormed out of the office. Jamie ran out of the office and tried to catch up to her. "Hey Princess…slow down! I am sure it's nothing! Come on! It will be okay!"

They said hello to the new receptionist, Bonnie, and went into the elevator. They were bickering all the way down to the bullpen. Before they walked in, Jamie stopped her.

"Hey, Jenny. Come on. I am sure it's nothing. Don't go all Ice Princess and snap at Sam. I am telling you…whatever it is…it will be a piece of cake. Come on. Let's go see what's up."

He led her into the bullpen when there was a crowd of agents all waiting for them. Sam was in the middle of the crowd standing next to their parents, Francine, Dr. Smyth and Matthew. There was a sign that said "Congratulations, Jennifer and Matthew" hanging from the ceiling. Jennifer's mouth fell open and Jamie started laughing.

"GOTCHA PRINCESS!" He yelled at her. Jennifer smacked him playfully as she went over towards her fiancé. Matthew wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly. Everyone in the room clapped. Jennifer blushed as everyone yelled for her to say something. She looked around the room and smiled. Her eyes caught her fathers and he was beaming.

"Thank you everyone. I can't tell you how much this means to me….well to both of us! I never thought that a year ago I would literally run into the man I would spend my life with. But I am forever thankful he chose to take that package. Thank you again for being my other family. So I guess it's time to celebrate! Thanks again everyone!"

The group started clapping and enjoying the festivities. Jennifer and Matthew headed over to the gift table and started opening gifts. Sam pulled Jamie aside and asked him to meet him in the office. Jamie nodded. Jamie pulled himself away from the party and walked into Sam's office.

"What's up Sam?"

Sam sat down and motioned for Jamie to do the same. "Um, we have a …well, it's a request. I think you can do this one solo. I don't want Jennifer anywhere near this one. Do you think you can handle it yourself?"

Jamie sat up in the chair. An assignment alone! He thought to himself. Jamie had been waiting for something like this for a while. He went through the Bureau training fairly quickly and passed everything with flying colors. He was a very sought out candidate for several different departments, but he wanted to try out being in the field with his sister. He wanted to see what his parents and sister had done for so many years. He loved it but still felt he was known as the great Scarecrow and Mrs. King's son. He felt he was slowly becoming an agent in his own right. He just needed a chance to prove it.

"Okay, Sam. What do I need to do?"

Sam handed him a folder. "I need you to go talk to Efrim Beamon. Well…he um… he wants to specifically talk to you."

Jamie stared at Sam. "Beamon! What the hell does he want with me? Why me? Can't he leave well enough alone. I mean come on. My family has been through enough."

Sam shrugged. "I know, Jamie. I am not sure what he wants. I have been getting this request for the past six months. I finally had to respond. I have been putting it off. He just wants to talk to you."

Jamie stood up and started pacing. "Six months. I just don't understand, Sam. What the hell does he have to say to me?" He ran his hands through his hair and continued pacing. He looked at Sam and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I need to go see him. Where is he?"

"He's in federal prison in Pennsylvania…Lewisburg actually. I want you to talk to him …see what he's been whining about for the past six months and then get right back here. Got it. I have you on the eight o'clock flight tonight."

Jamie stopped pacing. "Whoa. Tonight?! Sam…I can't. Jennifer's wedding is in three days! THREE DAYS! I am Matty's best man! You can't make me go up there….not till after the wedding."

Sam shook his head. "Sorry, Sport. This is Top Priority. You can go out there and talk to Desmond if you want. But she said you should be able to get up there, talk to Beamon and be back here with plenty of time for the wedding. So I suggest you sneak out without your partner seeing you and head to Pennsylvania!"

Jamie smirked at Sam. He didn't call him by his code name very often. It was given to him during training. Someone in his class heard Jennifer call him Sport and of course it stuck. Jamie didn't mind it. Lee had called him that since he was a kid. Jennifer laughed when he told her about it. "Sport and Princess….we sound like a girls boutique store." He admittedly laughed at the name as well. He was just relieved Jennifer didn't call him Wormbrain…or worse.. Doofus. Sam didn't ever really use it unless it was something really important. Finding out what Efrim Beamon wanted to talk to him about obviously was important. He felt a bit uncomfortable about going up there, especially without Jennifer.

Jamie sighed and handed Sam back the file. "Okay… Okay. I will go home and pack." He looked out into the bullpen and smiled as he watched his sister and Matthew opening presents. They looked so happy. So did his parents. His Mom was leaning against his Dad. Lee's arms were around Amanda and they were laughing. Jamie looked back at Sam. " I am telling my Dad where I am going. I won't lie to him, okay. Scarecrow needs to know."

Sam nodded. "I understand. Get up there and get back. You have a wedding to get to!"

Jamie nodded and headed out of the door. He caught Lee's eye and motioned for him to follow him. Lee kissed Amanda on the cheek and followed Jamie up to his office.

Lee walked into the little original Q Bureau office and smiled. He loved coming up there and thinking about all of the memories he and Amanda shared in that little room. Lee loved that his children now used the same office as theirs. Lee watched Jamie slump onto the couch and start rubbing his head.

"Yo Sport, what's going on?"

Jamie looked at his dad. He leaned forward and said "I have to catch a flight tonight to Lewisburg PA."

Lee sat down in the chair next to the couch. "Why? What's there?"

Jamie let out a huge sigh. "Dad, I have to go talk to Efrim Beamon. He's been requesting to see me for six months! Sam has no idea why. This is coming from Francine, Dad. I have to leave today. I will be back before the wedding. I am just going up there, talking to that asshole and coming right back."

Lee started pacing and ran his hands through his hair. "Beamon! What does he want?"

Jamie shook his head. "I have no idea. But Sam has been ignoring the requests for over six months. It was finally approved and Francine wants me up there to find out. I am leaving now." Jamie stood up and walked closer to his dad. He sighed and continued "Dad, I don't want Jennifer to know where I am. What story can we come up with? She is about to be married. I can't let her find out. I know that we promised one another that there would be no more secrets between us but this time…."

Lee nodded. "I will come up with something. You go home and pack. Get up there and back. I expect you to be at the rehearsal dinner. Take care of yourself, Jamie. I mean it. Call me if you need anything. Understood?"

Jamie gave Lee a quick hug and said "I will Dad. Thanks. See you in a few days." Jamie grabbed his car keys off his desk and walked out of the office. He left Lee standing there. Lee took a deep breath and walked out of the office and headed back down to the bullpen. He walked in and watched Jennifer and Matthew cutting the cake. Jefferson made a wisecrack about practicing for the big day and everyone laughed. Lee caught Francine's eyes and she motioned to him to head to Sam's office. She excused herself and headed to the office. Lee walked in and glared at her.

"What the hell is going on Francine? What could Beamon possibly have to say that's so important?"

Francine tried to smile at her friend. "I don't know Lee. I know that you are angry with me. This couldn't come at a worse time. I know that. But I don't want Jennifer anywhere near that man. Jamie is the logical choice. Beamon requested to speak to him anyway. We will have the entire conversation recorded so once Jamie gets there and back we will all know what Efrim wants." She walked over to Lee and put her hand on his arm.

"I really did try to stop this from happening. Your family has been through enough. I am sorry."

Lee patted her hand and smiled at her. "Hey, this is our family. Remember that. I know that you tried. I am just worried about Jamie….and Jennifer….and Phillip. They are my kids, Francine. They mean the world to me."

Francine smirked at him. "You know there was a time when the great Scarecrow would have never put kids and the world to him in the same sentence."

Lee chuckled. "That man hasn't existed in a very long time. We can thank Amanda for that. She has been the best thing to ever happen to me."

Francine nodded "I could have told you that years ago! I never understood why you continued to work with her but then one day it finally hit me. You were in love with her. You just didn't realize it. I never thought she and I would be friends either, but there is just something about her. You just have to love her."

Lee smiled "You are so right about that. She's an amazing woman. I thank my lucky stars every day that I picked her out of that crowd at the train station. I am proud of the work that we did here…don't ever doubt that. But when Amanda and I got married something in me changed. My family was more important. And honestly I was tired. What happened last year was eye opening for me….I knew that I would never get out of this business and I somehow dragged two of my kids into it."

"Lee, you didn't drag them. They both found their path in this world. Jennifer and Jamie both understand what they are doing. They are very good. You know this. Let Jamie take this one and you focus on your daughter and her happiness. That child has been through too much and she needs some happiness." Francine shooed Lee out of Sam's office. "I mean it, Scarecrow. Out! You are the father of the bride! I will take care of Jamie."

Francine walked back over to Dr. Smyth and Matthew. They were in a deep conversation. Lee chuckled to himself and he felt an arm around his waist. His wife whispered in his ear "Just what are you and Francine up to? You aren't trying to find work again, are you Scarecrow?" Amanda's eyes were twinkling and she had a smirk on her face.

Lee kissed her forehead. "No 'Manda. I am not trying to make up work. I am retired. Jamie has something he needs to take care of before the wedding and he just wanted my opinion on it. That's all. " She raised her eyebrow at him and he chuckled "I promise. I was just giving my opinion to Jamie about something." He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her nose. "I am the father of the bride this weekend. And you, Mrs. Stetson, are the mother of the bride. That's what we are going to focus on. Right?"

Amanda gave him a hug. "You are right sweetheart. Our baby is getting married. Oh…how I wish Mother was here to see this. She would have loved Matthew, don't you think?"

Lee kissed his wife on her cheek and whispered "Oh I know that Dotty would have loved him. I don't know if the poor kid would have survived her interrogations, but I think he would have passed most of them."

Amanda playfully swatted her husband and they walked over to where Jennifer and Matthew were chatting with Francine and Dr. Smyth.