AN: Thanks for the positivity. Y'all are the reason I write.

/

Lee couldn't wait any longer.

He'd done his duty. His reports were filled, arrests were made by local officers, and investigations were ordered. Everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow. Now the only thing left was Amanda.

Nothing was more terrifying than seeing her fight to stay conscious. Her rambles became strangled and one-worded and her hands were like iron clamps on his clothes. For those few minutes, his foundations were shaken by their roots, flipped upside down, and fractured.

Lee was just grateful that he didn't have to hand in a Deceased Personnel statement as well.

The following morning, he unlatched Amanda's gate and slunk along the shrubs. He still remembered his first time along this route. He'd taken a chance on a suburban lady and panned out with a surprising amount of fun. Overcome by nostalgia, he tarried by the window and fondled a budding rose.

"Sir? Why are you in our backyard?" said a young voice.

All of Lee's training flew out the window. He lurched in place, planted both heels into the lawn, and slowly spun. Two round and curious faces stared down at him from a treehouse, well-shrouded in foliage. He felt very foolish for not noticing them before.

Right. No school on Sundays.

He swore under his breath, smoothed his composure, and stuffed both hands in his pockets. "I, er, I work with your mother. Is she in?"

"Sure she is, but why didn't you use the front door?"

One of them poked his fellow's ear. "Stop talking to the stranger, doofus."

"Don't call me a doofus, wormbrain."

It was at that moment that Amanda made an appearance. She wore a baggy white sweatshirt and washed-out jeans. She must've been in the middle of doing dishes, because her sleeves were damp and a towel dangled from her right hand. It was quite a contrast to Victoria Greenwich's wardrobe from the night before.

Lee couldn't have been more relieved to see her. At last, someone with the expertise to bail him out.

"Boys! Get down from there and demolish that fort in the den. We're watching a movie with Grandma today."

Cheerfully, the brothers scuttled down the ladder and streaked across the grass. One of them romped into the house, but the littlest, lighter-haired one stayed by Amanda's side. He tugged on her cuff, gawking openly at Lee.

"Isn't he gonna come inside?"

Amanda patted the lad on the head. "Mr. Stetson is a very busy man. I don't think he'll be staying long."

Lee toed closer to the boy, struck by the resemblance between him and Amanda. They had the same deep, dark eyes, petite features, and restless personality. Even the hair colour wasn't far off, although his was more of a dirty-blond than a brown.

Jamie, his mind supplied. Jamie and Phillip, eight and ten.

Without wasting any time, Amanda waved Jamie into the house. Lee watched him go, reserved. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Amanda was attached to two additional, tiny people. All the more reason for her to stay out of Agency dealings.

"Back in the fray, huh?" he said.

Amanda slung the dishcloth over her shoulder. "A parent's work is never done."

He jerked his head at the house. "Cute kids. Not really for me, but…"

"You sure? You never thought about, you know, one day-"

"No," Lee said promptly.

That put a stopper on the topic. Amanda's jaw snapped shut like a steel trap. Clasping her hands together, she shuffled under the eave and rested against the house's panelling.

"So… What are you doing in my garden?"

He scuffed his soles into the sod. Admitting these sorts of things wasn't one of his strong suits, even to himself.

"Just, checking. I wanted to see if you were alright."

"So far so good. They want me to take it easy for the next few days. Thanks for carrying me out of there, by the way," she tittered, lightly punching his shoulder.

Lee's hand lashed out and latched onto the fist. Gently, he brought her knuckles to his lips, then let them fall. He liked it when they were like this—playful and with no agency involvement.

"Hey, you watch my ass, I watch yours, right?"

Amanda's cheeks bloomed pink. "Right."

They shared a silent moment, shifting on their feet, comfortable in each other's closeness. The ease between them did not last long. Remembering where he was, Lee jolted back and initiated his escape. He awkwardly swung an index finger at the gate.

"Uh, I'll just let myself out, before your mother ambushes me too. Wouldn't want to horn in on King Movie Day."

Before he could take another step, Amanda blurted, "You could watch with us, if you want. You wouldn't be a bother."

Lee blinked owlishly at her, taken aback and touched at the same time. The offer was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. Ridiculous and unrealistic, but endearing. Francine would have a field day with it.

"Ecretsay agentway, remember?" he said, tapping his temple. "Besides, family flicks and buttered popcorn aren't really my style. I'll see you around."

With a flash of his dimples, Lee took his leave through the yard and down the driveway. The further he got from the house, the more his smile faded.

There was no denying it. Amanda King was important to him. Somehow, covertly and undercover, she'd wormed her way into his heart. She was on the same level that Eric once occupied. Maybe even Dorothy or Eva, though decidedly less serious. Lee wasn't naïve enough to call it romance.

But damn it, if he didn't care about her.

/

AN: No, Lee does not know yet. Yes, I will keep teasing you for a little while longer. It will be worth it (I hope).

Subtle shift: Lee shows up earlier in this AU, instead of 7:30pm in the original end tag. I've seen a lot of names floating around for Lee's deceased partner, so I just took one of them that I liked and saw the most. Might change it later.