Truth Aftermath

Chapter 8

Amanda, reading a magazine, heard a light tap at the back door about 10:45 that evening, and got up from the couch slowly as Lee let himself in quickly and stated quietly, gesturing, "Hey, hey! I didn't want you to get up. Go sit back down, Honey..."

Amanda, moving closer to him, replied softly as she glanced back towards the stairs, hoping she wasn't waking her mother," It's alright. I feel like I've been sitting too long tonight anyway, except for making myself some tea. Do you want coffee?"

Lee, puzzled, shook his head, stating, "Uh, no. I'm fine. I'll be up the rest of the night if I do that."

Amanda shrugged answering, "Okay...Then why don't you tell me what you meant by calling Joe "Mr. Wonderful"? What went on with the two of you tonight after you talked to Billy and Francine?"

Lee sighed, and gently guiding Amanda back towards the couch, responded gently, "Everything's alright now, Sweetheart. I handled it. You don't have to worry-"

Amanda then turned in her tracks to face him answering crisply, "Look, Buster! You didn't have to "baby" me during the Stemwinder mess, and you sure as hell don't have to do it now! I want to know once and for all what happened ?!"

When Lee hesitated, Amanda turned slowly, heading for the phone, commenting, "Alright... Guess I'll have to ask Joe what went on-"

Lee then quickly stepped in front of her, and putting his hands gently on her arms, remarked, "Okay, okay...I'll tell you! Just please go sit down and we'll talk, huh? Please?"

Amanda deeply sighed and nodded, as she went back towards the couch and sat down, with Lee sitting next to her.

Lee began, "Alright...After my talk with Billy and Francine, one of the Steno ladies came to tell me I had a visitor. So we looked on the video monitor, and it was Joe."

Amanda looked perplexed stating, "Really? Well, right after he and I talked, he told me he had to check in with the Embassy on some things, and he'd be back later for dinner with the boys-"

Lee scoffed commenting, "Oh, I'm sure he fit that in somewhere tonight...What time was it when he left here after your talk?"

Amanda shrugged answering, "After 5, I guess. He returned here a bit before the boys had to go to bed, about 8:30 or so. He packed his things, telling me he had another assignment, and he left to go to the hotel in D.C. shortly after. So, he met you at the Agency. What happened?"

Lee sighed, deeply replying, "He said he needed to discuss something, but not there, so we went to Dooley's-get this-the same booth you and I went to when he came back to town during the Prime Minister case-"

Amanda stated lightly, "Ahh, well...He couldn't have known-and anyway, it wasn't exactly our booth to begin with-"

Lee shrugged commenting as he took Amanda's hand, "Well, I kinda feel like it is now...Since you opened up to me finally about your divorce...You do know I wasn't trying to upset you that day, right?"

Amanda nodded, reaching up to caress his cheek softly, answering, "Yes, Sweetheart. You were just showing me more and more how much you really did care about me, even though I was still trying to figure out my feelings about him being back and all."

With a sigh, Amanda shook her head then commenting, "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

Lee, taking her hand, kissed it, and remarked, "Yeah, so, we had drinks, and I asked him what he needed from me..."

Releasing her hand gently, Lee rose from the couch and slowly began to pace as Amanda watched him.

He responded, clearing his throat, "I-I couldn't have seen this coming for anything, Honey! I-I mean, from everything you told me about the guy, it-it just didn't seem to be his style, you know?"

Amanda put up a hand confusedly answering, "Sw-Sweetie, what are you trying to tell me?"

-SMK-

Lee sighed deeply, and sat down once more, stating carefully, "Joe had papers with him...Annulment papers, to be exact-"

Amanda was startled and reacted, querying loudly with a gesture, "What?! What in the Sam Hill was he thinking about?! Why?!"

Lee quickly tried to calm her as he glanced at the stairs, hoping Dotty didn't hear, or decide to come down! "Honey, Honey! Shh! Take it easy, huh? I told you it's over, okay? He claimed that you and the boys would still be protected, if he put in the no fault clause, saying we weren't thinking at the time of our wedding-"

Amanda then slowly rose from the couch answering angrily, "You and I were thinking clearly! Get my coat, please. We're going to go see him-"

Lee shook his head commenting, "Honey, it's late, and you're tired-"

Amanda turned away from him to head to the foyer near the front door, slowly, stating, "You either help me, or I'm getting a cab, because he's leaving in the morning. Either way, I'm going to have my say!"

Lee, knowing he was now losing the battle with his stubborn wife, shook his head in defeat, asking, "Where are your car keys? You can't bend down to get into the "Vette this soon, so I'll drive."

Amanda grabbed the purse handle, taking the purse from the stair railing, and handed it off to Lee answering with a swallow, "They're on the counter here...Thank you...And I appreciate that you tried to talk to him, but he needs to hear things from me now, and not over the phone, okay?"

Lee sighed and replied softly, "Alright, let's go..."

But just as the two got to the front door, Dotty came down the stairs, and seeing first, Lee, and then Amanda with her coat on, whispered quickly, asking, "Lee? When did you get here? And Amanda, where do you think you're going at this hour, Missy?"

TBC