No Pain No Gain
Story by Dyane Benson aka MovieGal (dyane@wisdommicro.com)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they belong to Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Brothers. I am only having a little fun with a story. No infringment intended. The story is mine so I need to know if you use it for anything. I just read another fanfic titled Until We Meet Again and I noticed that there are a few similarities with my story. No infringement was intended.
Time frame: Season Three during and after Over the Limit. I have changed what happened in the original episode ever so slightly. She has all the brains and instincts of a good agent, but what would it take to make her a "bad ass" one as well? This episode provided the needed material and soil to grow my story. Hope you enjoy. This is my first fanfic. Let me know if you liked it.
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 3
Sunday eeked by ever so slowly. It took every ounce of strength Lee had not to run over to Amanda's and talk to her, hold her and tell her everything would be all right. Billy was right. He was in no position to do that not after his stunts a few weeks ago. He would have to slowly gain her trust back. Patience was never his strong point but Amanda had taught him a lot. Hadn't she waited over two years for him to come around? If she could do it for him he could do it for her. Monday arrived and Lee got up early and was at the office before Amanda came in. He had the next case all ready to go and was ready to brief her the moment she came in. At 8:00 on the dot the elevator doors opened and out walked Amanda. Lee noticed the dark circles under her eyes but there were no red marks from crying. He wondered if she had even let herself cry. He resisted the urge to go to her and give her a hug. He noticed her attire. It was different than her regular work clothes. She wore jeans and a tight t-shirt and a wool blazer in light brown. It complemented her eyes but without the usual sparkle the effect was dimmed. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail with little wisps of hair teasing her neck. She looked beautiful though hard. She noticed Lee staring at her and didn't even blush as she usually did when she caught him staring. Instead she walked straight up to him said hi and good morning and went straight to Billy's office with an air of sureness and professionalism. Lee followed her in. The Monday morning meeting was underway. Francine joined them and they started. They were to track down a rumor of possible KGB connections with the current major increase in the drug market. Lee and Amanda were to take the reigns and go and get a statement from a man in the hospital who supposedly had information that linked the drug dealers with the KGB. Amanda's eyes were straight ahead. She took note of everything. When she had a question it was professional and straight to the point, no typical Amanda ramblings. When the meeting was over with she got up and went to Lee's office to get started.
Francine had a look of pity in her eyes. She knew the look of someone in pain well enough so she held her tongue and silently wished her luck. She knew of Amanda's loss. By now the whole Agency knew. How she had held up this long showed her strength. Francine was ashamed to note she had not given this little wisp of a housewife enough credit. She silently took back every mean thing she had said or thought. She resolved to be nicer to her in the future. Besides, the jacket did look great on Amanda.
When Lee got into his office he noticed Amanda had taken off her jacket. What was underneath it shocked him. She was wearing a shoulder harness with a gun! Amanda had always refused to carry a gun. He had to admit she looked like an agent now. He sighed and stepped inside to start the day.
So far the morning had gone smoothly. The information the man at the hospital gave and the description of a man called The Blade was very informative. The leads that TP had given them were leading down one road and then the next but Lee felt confident that they were getting closer to tracking down The Blade. This Blade person seemed to be the middle man for the drugs between the streets and the KGB. Why the KGB was dealing in drugs was a mystery and the sooner they tracked it down the better. Something was just not right. Amanda had voiced his same concerns, what would the KGB want with the drug trade? That was not their normal avenue. He looked over at Amanda. She looked a little better than she had this morning. Maybe it was because of the three cups of coffee she had drank that morning or maybe it was being on a case and having something to do. Either way she seemed to flow with the work. She was not the timid person he knew just 3 months ago. When she asked questions it was not with a hesitancy like before but with a sureness and a tone of assertiveness. He could see the wheels in her head spinning as she was trying to figure out their next move.
Lee broke the silence, "TP said that his informant claims to have heard The Blade spoken of frequently at the dance club called The Pit. I think that is our next stop."
"I agree. We won't be able to go until tonight though. Going now will only raise suspicion. We don't want to be seen in our Agency attire. We'll need to blend in. You could pick me up at 8:00 and we could go down. I don't think that my station wagon would go over too well with trying to 'blend in'."
Lee had to laugh. She was right about that. A small smile played at the corners of Amanda's lips. For a brief moment he saw the old twinkle in her eyes but instantly in was gone again. She looked away and cleared her throat. "We better head back to the office and inform Billy of what is going on."
"Right you are, partner. After you." Lee did a flourishing bow and opened his car door for her. She refused to look Lee in the face. Nice and slow was how he had to do this. Nice and slow. He shut the door and walked around to his side. Before opening his door he took a deep breath and said a little prayer. Something he had not been in the habit of since he was a little boy. "God, please give me strength to help this wonderful woman. Please help me to ease her pain." He got in and they were off.
The ride was one of silence. Nothing was said until they got to the Agency. Lee was getting out intending to go around and open the door for Amanda when he noticed her hand on the door handle. "I'll get that for you," Lee said.
"That's okay. I can get it." Amanda opened the door and was heading for the doors of the Agency without a further glance back to see if Lee was coming. He sighed and followed. This was going to take some time.
In Billy's office they went over their game plan for that night. They had a really good description of what The Blade looked like and Amanda was the one who would do the most. Part of it was that Amanda would pose as a depressed woman who's husband had just left her and who was looking to get high and have a good time. Nice and easy the way they understood The Blade to like his women. Lee would just pose as a typical womanizer. Amanda had made the comment "Not too hard" under her breath. Lee knew he wasn't supposed to hear that but he did. If only she knew he only had eyes for her. Had only had eyes for her for a while now.
Billy looked at the pair before him. Amanda's stance was stiff and unrelaxed. He decided to bring up a touchy subject. "Lee, could you excuse us for a moment. I need to talk with Amanda alone."
"Sure, Billy." Lee squeezed Amanda's arm and told her he would be waiting just outside the door.
Billy walked to the windows and pulled the blinds so they could have some privacy. "What do you need, sir," Amanda asked with a touch of hesitancy in her voice. She knew what was coming and didn't want to hear it.
"How are you doing?"
"I'll be fine. The pills the doctor gave me to help me sleep make it so I don't remember any dreams. That or I don't have any. Either way I am getting more sleep than I used to." Amanda's voice held a note of tiredness.
Billy knew this was hard. It was hard on him just to see her this way. "Have you told Lee about your family yet?"
"No, sir. I know he knows. I know everyone knows. I can see it in their faces when they look at me. He doesn't need to hear it from me. At least he is not criticizing every move I make."
"Amanda, I know how hard this is for you but you and Lee make a great team. Not to mention the fact that you two have become good friends. Don't you think it would improve your working relationship if you told him what is going on? He cares about you. I can tell this is bothering him deeply. He doesn't like to see you in pain."
"That's the problem Billy. I feel no pain. I should be breaking down and sobbing and my heart should be breaking but I can't even feel anything. You see this?" Amanda picked up a pair of scissors from Billy's desk and opened them up. Before Billy could stop her she had made a small cut across the top of her forearm about two inches long. It wasn't bleeding very much. Billy just stared in shocked silence. He looked in Amanda's eyes when she cut and saw the smallest flicker of ecstasy cross her eyes to be immediately replaced with the dull dead look. "That is the only pain I feel now," came her soft reply.
Billy grabbed a tissue and held it to Amanda's arm. She took it without a word and just stood there lost in thought. Billy knew this next subject would be touchy but he had to get it out. "Amanda, I want you to go and see Pfaff today." He saw the look of protest on her face and pushed on before she could speak. "This is not a request. This is an order. I have made an appointment for you at 3:00. I was hoping you would be back for it. You don't have to work until tonight so I don't want to hear any complaints. Is that clear?" He knew his voice was firm but there was concern there too. Amanda heard it and hung her head and said, "Yes, sir."
"Good, now go and get that arm taken care of." As Amanda turned to go Billy reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her into a gentle hug. He felt Amanda relax but then go stiff and pull away.
"Thank you, sir, for trying tohelp. I need to go now." With that she opened the door and left.
Lee had not witnessed the scene in the office due to the fact that Billy's blinds were down. Amanda's face told him all he needed to know. Her guard was back up and there was a look of determination on her face. He noticed her holding a tissue to her arm with a little blood on it and wondered what had happened. "Hey, partner. How did it go in there?" When she didn't answer he asked, "Do you want to go and get something to eat? It's only 12:30 and I am starving."
Amanda looked up as if suddenly realizing that Lee was there. She shook her head. "No, I was going to go down to see Leatherneck and practice shooting for a while. Thanks anyway. I'm sure there is someone else you could go with that would be better company. Why don't you go a give Leslie a call. I'm sure she has time for that. You have all day to be with her."
She saw the look of pain cross his face. She knew her words were harsh. Her voice was harsh. She didn't care. Why should she care? He didn't.
Lee stood there hurt but understanding. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and tell her he never had loved Leslie, that he had been a fool and that there was no more Leslie. He wanted to tell her how much he loved just her and only her, his Amanda. But he couldn't. He knew it would be misunderstood by her in her current frame of mind. Instead he smiled and said, "I would much rather go shooting with you. Do you mind?"
"Suit yourself." Amanda turned and walked to the elevators with Lee following behind. The old habit of placing his hand on the small of her back came naturally. This time, when he touched her she pulled away and kept a distance between them. Lee understood. He sighed silently inside and smiled at her with a gentle smile. Amanda looked away and pushed the button for the floor to Leatherneck.
Amanda could not look at Lee right now. Even now his simple touch set her body on fire. She would not do this to herself. She would not allow herself to feel these emotions. She couldn't afford it. There was just too much waiting behind that little dam she had built around her emotions for him. They were the only thing she seemed to feel. The last thing she needed was for him to see her weak. She still loved him so much but that was her weakness and she knew it. She would just have to avoid contact with him.
The gun going off in her hand felt good. The force of the shot gave her arms a jolt but she didn't even care. She had been shooting for ½ hour straight. Though her arms ached with holding the gun and shooting for that long she craved more. She needed more. Pain was like a drug right now. She needed it to feel alive. She was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Amanda, our times up. You need to let the other agents play." Lee hoped his playful voice would enter the little world Amanda seemed to be in. He had called her name three times and she had not answered. She had even ignored the buzzer indicating the end of a session. She had kept firing till the target had one big hole in the center of it's chest and the head was in tatters. His arms were sore and he was sure hers must be but she did not look as if she were going to stop. She stopped at his touch and looked at him. He could not read the reaction in her face. It was one of anger, joy and fear all at the same time. She flinched from his touch as if his hand had been fire.
"Sorry, I was just concentrating. Excuse me." She squeezed past Lee and went to the front to get her gun checked. She had been using a larger one than she was carrying in her shoulder holster. She needed to do more. She looked at the clock. It was only 1:00. She still had two more hours before her meeting with Pfaff and she needed to get some energy expelled.
She headed down the hall without waiting for Lee and made a bee line for the gym. She needed to punch something, anything. Lee caught up to her and said, "Where you going now?"
"I am going to go to the gym. I need to practice on some of the kicks and punches I learned at training."
"Mind if I tag along?"
"It is a free country isn't it?"
Lee watched as she went into the ladies locker room. This was hard but he could be patient. He had a good teacher. He could wait.
After he had gotten dressed in his shorts and t-shirt and tennis shoes he went into the gym. Amanda was already there and warming up at the punch bag. She looked really sexy in the tight silk shorts and tight t-shirt she was wearing. He knew it was so she could move better but he enjoyed the look just the same. He had never really seen her wear clothes like that before. She was always dressed modestly and conservatively. Pull your mind out of that thinking, Lee. He told himself. That kind of thinking was not going to do Amanda any good. He spied the weights over in the corner and headed in that direction. He knew she needed some space but he also needed to be near her. Although he knew she could take care of herself physically he felt fiercely protective of her right now emotionally. He would watch her from here.
After about an hour and a half Lee was in the middle of kicking the punch bag, practicing some of his Kickboxing, when he suddenly noticed that Amanda was gone. She had been here just 10 minutes before. He stopped and looked around for her. She was not at the weights as she had been just previously but he did spy another agent, Steve, at them.
"Did you happen to see where Amanda went?"
"Yea, she left about 10 minutes ago and headed for the showers."
"Thanks."
"No problem. It is kind of weird seeing her in here. I am glad she's finally getting her formal training. Just think, not only does she make a mean brownie but she can deliver a killer punch too." Steve laughed at his little joke. Lee smiled. How things had changed in just the blink of an eye. He headed for the showers. Maybe he could catch her but he would have to hurry.
It took him 20 minutes to get ready. Surely Amanda had taken longer. Women always did didn't they? He looked at his watch. It was 2:50. He glanced down the hall. No sign of Amanda. He asked a nearby agent if they had seen her.
"Tall good looking brunette? Yea, she just passed me upstairs. On level 3. Fine looking lady. Wish I had her number. You're Scarecrow aren't you?" Lee heard the admiration in the young mans voice. He was a little irritated at the insinuations this guy was making about Amanda. He was obviously new so he had better be set straight now.
"Yeah, and that "good looking brunette" who you think is so "fine looking" is my partner." The tone in his voice spoke volumes. The young agent quickly excused himself and headed the opposite direction. Level 3, that could only mean one thing. She was going to see Pfaff. He would bet his life on it. Well, at least she was getting some help. He went to see Billy.
Chapter 4
Pfaff sat in his chair and observed the stiff and uncomfortable form of Mrs. Amanda King. He knew why she was here. Billy had briefed him. So far, besides the brief exchange of pleasantries Mrs. King had not spoken a word after his question of how her partner, Lee Stetson was doing. He had seen cases like this before. When someone looses someone close to them they tend to shut people out. In the case of Mrs. King he knew things were much worse. She had shut herself out. She had shut out any emotion. She had lost her entire life. He could see someone before him that felt she had nothing left to live for, but a single thread of hope seemed to glimmer somewhere in her eyes at the mention of Lee's name. He had suspected there was something going on between the two of them. The whole agency suspected it. That is until Lee started dating that Leslie woman. Things were making sense. He knew her grief needed to find and avenue to safely express itself. He looked at her sitting there in her jeans and t-shirt. Her blazer was over a chair and he noticed her gun. Everyone knew of Mrs. King's fear of guns and hurting people. Apparently she had gotten past that. He wasn't surprised by this fact. It was common in some extreme cases for a person to adopt a totally different personality in order to survive the loss of a loved one. He noticed the bandage on her arm. There was bright red blood that had recently seeped to the surface of the large bandage. A current injury. He noticed her bruises on her hands and cuts on her knuckles. Her arms sported quite a few bruises and abrasions themselves. He knew she had just gotten back from a rigorous two week agent training camp. He had his suspicions about the bruises though. His next question and her answer confirmed them.
"Mrs. King, what are you feeling right now?"
After a few minutes Amanda's reply was, "I am not feeling anything. I have been sitting here trying to feel something. Anything. When I think of my children and my mother I know I should feel something. Instead there is only this hollow emptiness inside. I feel nothing. The only thing I feel is for someone who feels nothing for me so I block that out. What right do I have to feel those things for someone when I feel nothing about my family?"
"Tell me about your bruises."
"These…" Mrs. King slowly fingered the bruises on her arms and hands. She even went over some spots on her legs under her jeans. "These are the only "pain" I have any more. Physical pain is the only thing that registers. I know I should be feeling pain inside for the loss of my family but I have none so I have these…" She sat there in silence for a long while. Pfaff searched for any clue to see if she was getting beyond this. All he saw in her eyes was a deadness. He knew she would get through this but only with some help. If she didn't snap soon then her alternate identity might remain permanently. He knew who he needed to speak to. Time was a luxury that was unpredictable in cases like this. He needed more information from a different source to see if his hunch was accurate. He gently took her hands and helped her stand. Her emotion showed the wall that was there and he knew he would get no further today.
"Why don't we agree to see each other on Wed. Okay? Same time?"
"Sure. See you Wed." Amanda heaved a sigh of relief as she shut the door, glad Pfaff had not pushed the subject of Lee. She just couldn't deal with Lee right now. She knew he cared about her. They were great friends but she did not want his pity. She would wall off her love and thus protect what little heart she had left. A heart that should be breaking from her loss but wasn't. She turned made a quick stop at wardrobe and made her way home.
Pfaff sat in his office gathering his thoughts for a while after she left. He knew she would probably go home. She had mentioned she had to work at 8. He sat there and sucked on an ice cream bar he had gotten from his personal freezer. He called down to Mrs. Marsden and confirmed she had left the building. Then he called Billy's office. Lee was there. He was glad of that. Just the two people he wanted to talk to. He told them to stay there and that he would be right down.
"What can we do to help?" Billy's voice echoed the concern that Lee was feeling as well.
"Mrs. King has just gone through a terrible ordeal that in her understanding has left her with nothing. In order to protect herself she has shut down her emotion and essentially become the exact opposite of what she would normally be in some instances. Characteristics that she normally would not demonstrate she does. Things she normally wouldn't say she had no problem with now. It is a defense mechanism that is not uncommon. There is some emotion there, however. This is something that is not related to her family. Lee, how close are you and Mrs. King?"
"She is my partner and my friend." Pfaff knew he was holding something back. He could read this mans emotions for this woman like a book on his face.
"My guess would be that you love her but have never told her, am I right?" Shock registered on Lee's face. How did he know? Lee hung his head.
"I only just realized it myself over 2 weeks ago. I wanted to tell her before this all happened but I never got the chance. That was the day she found out her family died. Billy and I agreed that my telling her now would only just confuse her and make her think I was pitying her. So I am just patient and trying to be there for her in any way I can."
"Right you are. I must say I am impressed with your assessment Mr. Melrose. I can see more and more why you are head of this agency. She has deep feelings for you, Lee. No, she did not tell me that. I could not tell you anything she would say to me but I am telling you what I have observed over the past 2 years with her and yourself. I believe those feelings are her only link to sanity right now. She is effectively walling them off but she won't be able to do it much longer. She will take physical risks she would not normally take to feel the rush of adrenaline and the physical pain to prove to herself she is still alive. Watch her and just be there for her is all I can say. I have another appointment with her on Wed. Let's see what a few days does for her."
"Hello? Oh, hi Lee." Amanda's voice was like music to his ears, tainted though it was with tiredness.
"Are you ready? It's 7:55." Lee was just pulling into the subdivision where Amanda lived and had called her from his car phone.
"Yeah, I am ready when you are."
"Good, I am just around the corner. See you in a few minutes."
Lee pulled up to her house. He got out and rang her front door. It felt weird being at the front door but he had nothing to worry about now. He noticed a FOR SALE sign on her lawn. He would miss this house and all the memories it held. The front door opened and a vision stood before him. He could tell his mouth was hanging open. The sleeveless, low cut blouse she was wearing was a lot revealing and the tight leather pants hugged every curve of her beautiful frame. Just when he thought his ears would burn up from his flush Amanda jolted him back to reality.
"Put your tongue back in your mouth. Do you like?" She did a little turn. "It is amazing the stuff the agency has. Something for every occasion. Now I know where to go when I go to the next Kiss Concert." She gave a little laugh. She felt like another person. This disguise thing had her giddy. She had pretended to be something else before but never someone like she was tonight. The rush of adrenaline was intoxicating. Seeing Lee only heightened it. She could play along though.
It felt wonderful to hear her laugh, even if it was only a little one. Lee cleared his throat and extended his arm. "You look like a lady with a deadly mission tonight. One look from you and we won't have to worry about The Blade. He will fall dead at your feet from a weak heart."
Amanda smiled. It felt good to hear his compliment. It felt good. "You don't look so bad yourself in those jeans and that shirt. Here, open it up just one more button and the ladies will swoon even more." She reached out and slowly undid a button on his shirt. Her fingers gently brushed his chest and the energy that shot through his body was electrifying. He grabbed her hands and looked deep in her eyes. He could tell she was feeling something. The desire was raw in her eyes. She looked up at him as he slowly tilted her head up to his and lowered his face to within inches of hers. Suddenly she jerked her hands out of his and took a step back.
"We had better get going if we don't want to miss The Blade." She squeezed past him and got in the car. Lee stood there in the doorway stunned. Her tone had gone from one of pleasure to pure business. He shook off his hormones. Gosh, she was beautiful. There, he had said Gosh again. He had never said gosh before. She was rubbing more and more off onto him than he thought. Come to think of it there was not a part of his being that didn't have Mrs. Amanda King written all over it. He smiled, closed the door and got in the car.
That was a close one, Amanda thought. She had better keep her hormones in check. She had almost let herself slip. She was glad she had recovered quickly before she did something really stupid. She had seen the desire in Lee's eyes but that was only because of what she was wearing. She had never worn anything so daring before. Well, let him goggle for a change. She had done it for far too long. By the time Lee had gotten in the car her resolve was firmly back in place.
Lee sat in Billy's office. It was after midnight. Amanda was in another room being debriefed. Exhausted both physically and mentally he laid his head back on Billy's couch. He went over the events of the night grateful that everything turned out okay. Lee had given her the purse with the listening device cleverly disguised on the outside so she wouldn't have to wear a wire. Lee silently hoped she wouldn't have to go too far with this man to get the information they needed. She had the drug and was all set. Lee wished her good luck and had dropped Amanda off on the side of the street 4 blocks before the bar. They didn't want to be seen arriving together. Lee had parked and watched as Amanda had gone in. He followed 20 minutes later. They both had mingled and danced with a few people. Amanda did a great job playing her part, though the truth was not too far behind. She had sat at the bar and had a few drinks. She didn't really drink them she just needed to have it look like she was getting drunk. She told her sob story to the sympathetic bartender who only patted her hand and poured her another drink. Then some guy had come over and asked her to dance. She accepted and went out to the dance floor. Lee sat and observed her from a table in the corner surrounded by ladies, he used the term lightly. The man who called himself The Blade had sauntered in around 10:00. He went up to the bar and had a little chat with the bartender. The bartender pointed at Amanda and a wicked grin crept across The Blades face. Lee cringed. He knew what the man was thinking. Amanda had been dancing with another man when The Blade interrupted them and asked to dance with her. The other man apparently got the hint from the look The Blade gave him and quickly got out of their way. Amanda played along easily with the cover. The way the man groped her while they were dancing had made Lee so angry but he knew he couldn't afford to blow their cover. For the hundredth time he wished they had used Francine for this job. She was used to this and Amanda had never done it before. Amanda had been adamant, however and he would not do anything to jeopardize Amanda's safety. Besides, she was doing a bang up job. She really seemed to be enjoying herself. Who would suspect this sweet little lady of being a spy? No one unless he blew it for her, and he had to admit she was perfect for the job so he kept his anger in check and continued to play his part. He looked at the women that surrounded his table. He couldn't believe he had ever found women like this attractive before. His confirmed bachelor days were over. His heart just was not in it anymore, it was with the beautiful housewife from Arlington who was dancing across from him. He watched as The Blade whispered something in Amanda's ear and saw her smile drunkenly and follow him out of the bar. He excused himself a few moments later and saw them head around the corner. Lee had followed at a discreet distance and set up just around the corner from The Blades apartment. She had given The Blade the drug in his drink like she was supposed to and had played along with him. It had taken 20 minutes for the drug to take effect. By the time Lee was able to come in the room Amanda was just finishing doing up her pants and buttoning her blouse. How far had she had to go? He wouldn't know till he read the report if he was able to because she refused to tell him. They had questioned The Blade whose real name ended up being Dan Spidelli. In his drugged robotic voice he explained that he was working for this man named Vincent Rotherford. He had set up a chain of dealers that dealt primarily with the upper class kids. The drugs he was getting from this guy were ridiculously low and he had been ordered to offer them cheap. They had asked where to find Vincent and were told that he would be attending a ball for the Governor on Friday. That was when he was supposed to get his new supply of drugs. They had asked him about the KGB connection to Vincent but all he could tell them was that he had overheard someone talking about it one time when he was picking up a delivery. He didn't have any other information. He was just well paid for his services. At least they knew where the rumor had started. They were able to get the information they needed to lock him away, had called Billy and agents came and got him. Now they were back in the office. Lee had already been debriefed so he was waiting for Amanda so he could take her home. He just hoped she was all right. She had never done anything like this before. She didn't appear bothered by it when he had walked into the room but then that could just be this façade that she was putting up to protect herself. He knew Amanda was in there somewhere and knew in his heart he would be able to reach her. He would take in slow. He sighed and closed his eyes.
Billy came into the office with Amanda on his heels. He knew Amanda and Lee were tired from a long day. He had ordered them to go home and get some rest. They had a long week ahead of them if they were going to find out any information on this Vincent Rotherford fellow. Amanda did not look as distant as she had earlier in the day but that was probably because she had been so exhausted. He prayed Lee would play his cards right and reach her soon. He missed the old Amanda. He missed her smile and optimism and her cheerful personality. He sighed and locked the door to his office and went home to bed.
Lee pulled up to Amanda's house. They sat in silence for a few moments. Amanda hesitated then put her hand on the door handle. Lee grabbed her other hand gently before she could get out.
"Amanda, I…"
"Please don't, Lee." She knew what he was going to say. She just couldn't deal with it right now. "I know you care about me. No, nothing happened with Dan. Please don't complicate things. I accept your apology for your behavior 2 weeks ago so don't worry. I'll be fine." She squeezed his hand, reached over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and left.
Lee just sat there, unable to say anything more. Alone in his car he said, "Goodnight, Amanda. I love you." His eyes began to water. He fought it back and put on a brave face. He would not push this. At least she had softened enough to give him a kiss. Tomorrow is another day. Who knows what will happen. He drove home and as he slept he dreamed of Amanda.