A Spooky Little Girl Like You, Part V
By Christine
A Halloween Tale
DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. My use of these characters is intended purely for fun.
"Thank you so much for picking me up today," Amanda smiled at Daniel as they rode to work in his jeep. "It was really very nice of you."
"I'm delighted to have your company an hour earlier than usual; with any luck your car will be in the shop for a few days, so I can pick you up every morning."
"Oh, please, Daniel, don't even kid about that. I'd be lost without my car. Hopefully, it will be ready by this afternoon. You see, Phillip and Jamie and their friends were playing 'Wild West' last night around dusk, and the driveway was their fort. When I called them in for their baths, I didn't remember to tell them to put up their things, and of course, they didn't remember either. So this morning I went to back out and ran over the whole pony express."
Daniel laughed delightedly, "The whole pony express?"
"Yes, the whole pony express. Four bikes, Jamie's scooter, and Tommy Peterson's new skateboard. I don't know how much damage has been done to my car, but the pony express will have to be put out of its misery." Amanda sighed a deep sigh. Now she had to worry about replacing the neighborhood kids' toys, too.
Daniel watched the road, all the while smiling and chuckling to himself over the antics of Amanda's sons. He was glad they were such an active bunch. He was looking forward to meeting them; maybe he could wrangle an invitation to dinner tonight. "Whoa, Paulson! You're getting way ahead of yourself. You haven't even asked her out, yet! And Scarecrow is still trying to wrestle Amanda away from you," Daniel reminded himself. "But I do need to ask her to Billy's party today, or she's gonna think I'm a real heel, waiting until the last minute because I'm desperate." He actually wanted to ask her Tuesday evening, but she seemed so preoccupied. Daniel thought it had everything to do with Lee Stetson acting like a real ass, and he decided this wasn't the best time to approach Amanda with anything more. So Daniel had been maneuvering carefully and gently these past two days, and he was encouraged to find Amanda relaxed and smiling in his presence. He thought it would now be safe to try for something a little more.
The rest of the commute was spent in amicable silence, with the radio playing softly between them. Daniel was concentrating on how he would ask Amanda to the party at this late date, and if he could call in a favor with an old friend to have a special costume fixed just for her. He had the specifics in mind, and he dreamily pictured himself waltzing into the party with the beautiful Amanda on his arm. He just couldn't wait to see the look on Lee Stetson's face. Lee had been glaring at him all week, and had been very brusque when they had the occasion to speak to each other.
Daniel knew Lee had pestered Amanda Tuesday evening about breaking this assignment with him. So Daniel had gotten busy first thing Wednesday morning and did some checking. It seems Lee Stetson hadn't had any real crumb jobs in awhile, having let Amanda handle most of them. Also, things weren't all wine and roses between Stetson and Dr. Smyth, either. It didn't take long at all for Daniel to set some wheels in motion, and by Wednesday afternoon Lee found himself knee deep in a nest of "crackpots". Daniel had seen to it that Lee had been too busy to bother Amanda again. Lee had only been able to look longingly across the bullpen at her, much the same way Daniel had just a few short days ago. "My, how quickly tables turn," thought Daniel smugly, with a secret smile. And Daniel certainly had enjoyed working with Amanda these past few days. She was unassuming and very easy to be with. He was really impressed with her organizational and clerical skills. She had a wonderful eye for detail. "And she's cute, too," thought Daniel gleefully, "No wonder Stetson's about to have a hemorrhage over her." Yes, Daniel was in a very good mood that morning, feeling very much like the cat that swallowed the canary.
Amanda spent the morning commute listening to the radio and watching the scenery change outside the window. Occasionally her mind would wander to Lee. She hadn't spoken with him for two days now, and the last time he made her feel just awful. Lee had caught Amanda without Daniel Tuesday evening right before quitting time, and had proceeded to let her have it. He had told her he needed her help, and had accused her of being an ungrateful back stabber by accepting this assignment with Daniel Paulson before clearing it with him. He had insinuated that the real reason she was working with "that polo player" was to move up in the Agency. She had tried to explain to him that she needed the money, that Daniel had offered her at least 2 weeks worth of steady work, and that she had thought about asking him before she made her decision but he wasn't anywhere around. Lee told her that the only way he could be convinced of her sincerity was to break off with Paulson entirely and begin working with him again.
"Now, Lee, you know I can't do that! I've already committed myself. How would it look if I just broke off in the middle of an important assignment? What would Mr. Melrose think?" Amanda had answered him incredulously. "What's really going on here, Lee? I know you, and I know you don't believe all those hateful things you just said to me, but I do know you're very angry. What's wrong?" Amanda looked into his eyes and had reached out to touch his sleeve as she talked to him. "Angry?!?" he yelled as he snatched his arm from her grasp, "Of course I'm angry!" She heard him shouting in her mind, and she winced at the memory. "Do you know how much time I've spent on you? Do you realize how much I've put up with teaching you and guiding you along? And just when you are finally far enough along to be of some help to me, you run off! Oh, Amanda, you make me crazy! You've just proven to me I can't depend on you! And now what am I supposed to do? Go find myself another silly little housewife and start over?" Even after two days time, his comments could still bring the sting of tears to her eyes. "Oh, Lee," her mind whispered to him, "I don't know exactly what I did, but I'm sorry I hurt you." And she reached out toward him with her heart, searching for the almost spiritual bond she sometimes felt between them, praying it was still intact.
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Across town at that same moment, Lee had finished dressing and was sitting on his bed trying to get up enough strength to make it through the day. He never realized how much Amanda had insinuated herself into his daily rounds, how much a part of him she had become. "Well, it serves you right, Scarecrow. That's what you get when you let somebody in and begin to trust, they turn around and leave you the first chance that they get," Lee thought dejectedly. In his fragile emotional state, Lee saw Amanda's actions as abandonment, pure and simple. And he couldn't believe how much it hurt.
He suddenly felt a shadow pass over his soul, as light as a breeze, a gentle little shadow that hovered long enough to make its presence felt and then moved on. "Amanda," he murmured aloud, "you used to be that gentle toward me. I remember how tenderly you would touch me when I was worried or hurt. But I think I've pushed you away for good this time." And with that, he began to admit to himself that maybe this was his fault, after all. He had let his hormones get the better of him with Leslie, and had been very neglectful of Amanda. She still thought he was seeing Leslie; he had not told her otherwise. And he had been incredibly mean to her the other day. No wonder she'd been acting so cold and distant.
As it had so often these past two days, Amanda's voice rolled through his head like thunder, "YOU CAN'T DEPEND ON ME?!?" She had shouted at the top of her lungs, and everyone in the bullpen had turned to stare, "YOU can't depend on ME! Well, Buster, it seems to me that all you've been doing for almost three years now is depend on me! Who's always there at the last minute for a cocktail party or a reception or even to be your wife? Good ole Amanda, that's who! 'Come on, Amanda, hurry up! You have ten minutes to pack! Hurry up! Scoot! I can't tell you where we're going or what we're doing because it's a need-to-know thing! But don't worry, because the split second I'm through with you, I'm sending you back home to your children without so much as a thank you!' I've saved your butt many a time, Big Fella, and gotten nothing in return but a long tirade about everything I've ever done wrong! Heaven forbid one little ounce of praise escape your lips! And you know what else, I'm NOT your servant! I'm grateful for all the help you've given me, but that doesn't mean that you own me! And that doesn't mean that I'm waiting at your beck and call, either, because I'm not! So you can just go and pick out someone dependable and gullible form that famous steno pool of yours, Lee Stetson, because I'm gonna be tied up for awhile with Daniel! GOODBYE!" Even after two days, her comments could still bring the sting of tears to his eyes. And he would never forget that feeling of utter despair as he watched her march away from him, her back stiff and her head held high.
And then Lee got the reprimand of a lifetime from Billy, who would not tolerate this behavior towards Amanda any longer, especially when it came to shouting matches in the bullpen: "SCARECROW!! My office! Now!"