Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is copyrighted to the author and may not be used without permission.
Synopsis: Amanda is attacked in a random act of violence that has repercussions for the entire family.
WARNING: Implies graphic violence against women. Proceed at your own discretion
Author Notes: Feedback is welcome but if you hate the story and have to trash it, please do so in a private E Mail to me. This story is hard to read as it concerns a topic that touches one in four women. Thanks to Beth for her Beta reading, suggestions and support.
Time: After the series is over,
"And The Truth Will Set You Free"
Part 4
Lee stared at Billy in numb disbelief. His night had gone from worse to unthinkable. Lee had killed people in the past, given his line of work that was a hazard of the job. He had even beaten people so badly that they had died of their injuries. Never before had he lost control of himself so completely that he had beaten them to death.
However, never before had he come upon a scene like the one that confronted him in the underbrush that night. That monster had been in the process of RAPING his Amanda. He deserved to die for his actions. And Lee had wanted to kill him. He just had not realized that he had done so in his rage.
Detective Castleberry was speaking to Billy. Lee vaguely heard things like "understandable rage, any husband would have done it,..Monster…better off" Lee gathered that this meant there weren't going to be any charges, not now anyway. When Billy took his arm to lead him away, he knew that was how things were going to be.
Billy took Lee's keys from his hand and gently pushed him in the passenger seat. Billy and Francine had gone to the concert together in her car. Francine had been dropping Billy back at the Agency to pick up his car when the call had come in from Lee. Strictly speaking, this was not an Agency matter but Lee had instinctively called the people he relied on the most. Billy had the night operator notify the Arlington PD and was pleased to see they had arrived in record time. He gave the keys to his car to one of the rookie agents with a request that it be dropped back at the agency.
Billy didn't start the car. He was worried about Lee. Ever since Billy told him that he had killed that monster, Lee had been silent.
"Lee, Scarecrow? Are you with me here?" Billy asked, hoping for a response. "Lee?? Snap out of it, man! Amanda is going to need you." Billy knew those were the magic words when he saw Lee take a deep breath and come back to himself.
"Billy, I killed him. I beat him to death right there, in front of Amanda. Dear god, what must she think of me?" Lee buried his face in his hands, unable to face the thought of Amanda's condemnation. She wouldn't hurt a soul and he had just brutally beaten a man to a bloody pulp in front of her.
Billy was not expecting that reaction but on second thought it made sense. Lee was not dealing with the reality of what had provoked such fury in him. Billy knew that Lee was very protective of Amanda. It had been the source of much conflict in the past between Lee and just about everyone in the Agency at one time or another. Lee just could not accept that he wasn't there in time to prevent this from happening to Amanda. He was her knight in a sliver corvette and he had failed her this time.
"Lee, I don't think Amanda saw what happened. She looked pretty out of it to me. I don't think you have to worry about that. What you have to do is be strong for her. She has been through a terrible ordeal and she will need you and her family beside her as she works through it." Billy reassured him.
"Billy, our family! I've got to call Dotty. She must be frantic by now." He reached for the car phone and hit the speed dial that connected him to the center of his universe.
"Dotty? Yeah, it's Lee. Listen, there has been a problem. No, not with the car, it's Amanda."
Billy could hear Dotty's shrieks through the phone as Lee gave her the condensed version of what happened. He asked her to stay with the boy's until he got home and that he would break the news to them. Billy heard Dotty's sobs as she heard the things that Lee could not , would not say aloud. He reached out and took the phone from Lee's numb hand to speak to Mrs. West.
"Mrs. West, yes this is Mr. Melrose. Yes, I know it's just a terrible thing. No, I don't know yet and neither does Lee. He's not doing very well with this and I think that.. no, I understand that you are very upset also. Please just try to hang on until we know something and I will personally call you when I do." Billy hung onto his temper as he listened to Dotty rave. He could tell where Amanda had gotten her gift of rambling and normally it amused him but tonight was not the time to be amused. "Yes, I promise, yes, as soon as I know something. Yes, I will take care of them both. Alright, goodbye."
He hung up the phone with relief, glad to see that Lee had roused once again from his stupor during the call. Billy looked at him and Lee could just shrug his shoulders. "What can I say? Mother-in-laws." Lee and Billy shared a look that only married men can know when it comes to that topic and wisely let it go.
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In the ambulance Amanda was semi conscious. She knew that Francine was with her. "Francine," she muttered. "Is Lee…"
"Lee is fine, Billy is with him and they will be right along, Amanda." Francine took a deep breath but the hospital needed to know and it would be easier coming from a friend. At least she hoped that it would.
"Amanda, did he …? Did he complete…?"
Amanda looked at Francine with tears in her eyes and nodded then turned to face the side of the ambulance. The color drained out of Francine's face as she turned to the paramedic and saw the sympathy on his face. He put his hand on her shoulder and caught her as she swayed and finally lost her battle to keep her dinner.
Francine pulled herself back together by the time they reached the hospital. She dealt with the paperwork , devoutly wishing Billy were here to do this. She wondered how in the world she would be able to tell Lee what had happened to Amanda. It would destroy them both if they didn't deal with it and Lee was very capable of just shutting out anything this painful. After all, that had been his pattern for years, until Amanda had broken through and reached his heart. Francine was afraid that he would freeze up; in the process destroying everything he had learned in the past few years as well as destroying Amanda and everything they had built in the past few years.
Francine was in the waiting room holding a cold cup of coffee when Lee and Billy arrived. Lee strode straight to her and waited.
"She's still being treated, Scarecrow." Francine slipped into agent mode to deal with the tension. " The doctor will be out when he has a good idea the extent of her injuries."
Billy led Lee to the desk to check in and have his own injuries treated. Lee protested but had no choice when Billy pulled rank. The doctor examined Lee's hand, covered with scrapes and bruises. X-rays determined that there were no broken bones and he was bandaged up and returned to the waiting room.
Lee looked at the door leading to the exam area where his wife was, longing to charge in there. He wanted to sweep Amanda in his arms and make this whole nightmare go away. Instead he sprawled in the uncomfortable plastic chair, waiting and feeling useless. Whenever the door opened he tensed, ready to jump at the sign of a doctor coming towards him.
Billy and Francine saw the crime scene investigator team enter through the far door accompanied by Dr. McJohn. Lee, focused on the near door missed the new arrivals. Neither Billy nor Francine enlightened him.
After what seemed like an eternity the doctor made his way over to them. He beckoned the group into a nearby conference room.
"Mr. Stetson? " he began and shook Lee's hand as Lee identified himself. Glancing at the others in the room, he asked in a low voice "Do you want to hear this alone?"
"No, let them stay." Lee said. " I have no secrets from them."
"Very well, then, " the doctor cleared his throat. "Your wife is suffering from numerous contusions and a mild concussion. There are quite a few lacerations on her face, hands and forearms. She needed stitches in the corner of her mouth where it was torn."
Francine winced, knowing even if the men did not what had caused that injury.
"We want to keep her overnight. The CSI team will be there in a few minutes to take a sample. Did they catch the bastard that did this to her?"
"Oh, yes," Billy said softly. "You won't need the samples as evidence, please don't put her through that."
"We need the evidence to put him away, sir," said the doctor firmly.
"No, you don't," corrected Billy. "There won't be a trial, he's dead."
Francine and the doctor were shocked at Billy's announcement. The doctor stepped to the doorway and motioned over a nurse. He whispered instructions in her ear. She exited the doorway, sparing a glance of pity at Lee, still slumped in his chair with shock.
"Can I see her?" he asked. "I need to see her."
"In a few minutes, Mr. Stetson, let us get her up to a room and sedated first. I'll have someone fetch you when she is ready." The doctor turned and left the room. Francine pulled Billy outside after him.
"He's DEAD!!" she screeched softly in Billy's ear. "My lord, Billy, what are the police going to do?"
"Nothing, Francine, absolutely nothing. At least I hope not. Lee wasn't in his right mind when this happened and no one should hold him responsible for that monsters death. If I had been in his place, I would have done the same thing and so would any man."
Francine nodded, recognizing the wisdom in Billy's words. At least Amanda would not have to testify against that creep.
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Lee stood at the doorway to Amanda's room. She was so frail, lying there in the ill fitting hospital gown. She looked like a china doll that had been dropped and cracked. Crossing the room to her side, Lee pulled the chair over to sit beside her and took her hand. He could see the bruises on the face and the strangle marks surrounding her neck. He felt his blood boil again at the thought of what she had endured. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Lee continued looking over her. The stitches on the side of her mouth were very small, delicately done. There would hardly be a scar. He traced her lips with his finger, marveling again at the wonder of the woman he loved.
"Uh, oh, Lee.." her voice was low and husky. He took her hand and raised it to his lips.
"I'm here Amanda, I'm here. You're ok, you're in the hospital but you'll be ok." He spoke soothingly to her and felt her drift off to sleep once more, holding securely to his hand, her lifeline in this nightmare.
'I guess Amanda is rubbing off on me,' he thought,' I'm starting to ramble.'
Billy had called Dotty with the news that Amanda would be in the hospital overnight and that Lee was staying with her. Dotty would get the boys off to school and come to the hospital with fresh clothes for Amanda when she was discharged. Then he and Francine shared a cab home, leaving the Corvette for Lee and Amanda.
Part 5
Morning found Lee Stetson with his head at an awkward angle in the chair beside his wife's bed. Amanda awoke to see him sprawled uncomfortably beside her and opened her mouth to call his name.
"Lee.. " it came out in a strained whisper and Amanda's hand flew to her throat. Disoriented for a moment she looked around in a panic." Lee" There that was louder but she still sounded like a mouse. Realizing that her hand was captured in his, Amanda shook their hands to wake him.
Lee felt Amanda's hand moving his and came alert. Looking at her with relief that she was awake, he smiled the special smile that he reserved just for her.
"Morning, princess. How do you feel?" he asked as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Lee reached for the pitcher of water, pouring her a glass and easing the straw into her mouth. After a long slurp, Amanda sighed and started to speak.
"Lee, what happened, how did I get here?" Lee's heart sunk. Briefly he wondered if she was suffering from amnesia again but she knew who he was, right? So it couldn't be too bad, could it?
"Manda, what's the last thing you remember?" he questioned gently, barely noticing the nurse who had entered the room.
"Now, Mr. Stetson, don't push her," she bustled Lee away from Amanda as she took Amanda's temp and blood pressure. Lee stood by the door, watching with sharp eyes. He didn't trust anyone to take care of Amanda but himself.
'Yeah, Stetson, you did such a great job taking care of her last night.' A vicious voice whispered in his head. 'Took such good care that she was attacked because you left her alone, alone, ALONE.' Lee shook his head, trying to dislodge the voice. He stumbled from the room down the hall towards the elevator. It was opening and Lee saw Dotty exiting.
Dotty spied Lee and headed his direction. "Lee, well, I declare, you must have known I was coming. What are you, a mindreader?" Dotty took him by the arm and continued. "Well, I hope you can lead me to Amanda's room, I get so lost in these places. Too many directions, West Tower, North Wing, its just too confusing for a woman my age."
Rallying, Lee began to speak. "Now, Dotty, you thrive on it, you know that you do. Why, you could find your way anywhere, given enough time." He smiled down at his mother-in-law.
Dotty smiled back up at him. "Yes, I know, but let that be our little secret. My cover works much better this way." She gave him a wink and Lee gave a short laugh for the first time since he had left the house the previous evening.
Dotty smiled, seeing him relax. She had been terribly worried about Lee when he had called last night. That nice Mr. Melrose had called and let her know that Amanda was OK but Lee had not been able to talk to her and that upset her. She knew that Amanda would need Lee to be her rock in the next months while she came to terms with the attack.
"Dotty, you know what happened?" Lee said. "I …"
Dotty nodded, wanting to spare Lee the pain of having to say it aloud.
"Dotty, I want you to know…He paid for what he did to her. I..I..killed him. I beat him to death."
Dotty gasped in shock. She knew that Lee would move heaven and earth to protect her daughter but she had never realized how far he would go. And she knew that that knowledge would eat at him and Amanda until they were able to talk it out. Her heart ached for the two of them.
Lee looked sideways at Dotty as she gasped. He knew she was shocked and revolted. He was prepared for anything except what she did. She reached out with open arms and pulled him into her embrace, her tears flowing freely down her face. "Lee, oh, Lee, I am so sorry you had to go through that. You did the right thing, it's ok, it's ok…just let it all out now."
Lee Stetson felt his nerves crumble at this whole hearted acceptance of his pain. He leaned into her embrace and sobbed as if his world had ended.
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Some time later, Amanda's nurse found the two of them in a private waiting room. Lee was still in Dotty's embrace but the sobs had quieted and he was resting with a peacefulness he had not know since he was a little boy before his parents had been killed.
"Mr. Stetson?" she spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he was sleeping.
"Yes?" he sat up and wiped the remaining tracks of tears from his face, momentarily at peace. He could live with his actions now. He knew that he would have to justify them to the ghouls in IA but he hoped he could find peace within his soul.
"Your wife is awake and asking for you. She wants to leave the hospital. The doctor has been in to check on her and is writing her release orders now. He'll want to talk to you before you leave. Do you have some clothes?"
"Oh, yes, I have them right here. I'm her mother. Lee, why don't you go talk to the doctor while I help Amanda change?" She shooed him out the door and went down the hall to greet her daughter.
"Amanda" Dotty called as she entered the room.
"In the bathroom, Mother. Did you bring me something to wear?"
"Yes, dear, right here with me. Shall I come in and help you change?"
"Yes, please. I seem to be a little stiff this morning. And what happened to my face, did I lose a fight with a holly bush? It's all scraped up and I cut my mouth. I wonder how that happened?"
Dotty was a bit puzzled as she entered the bathroom. Didn't Amanda know why she was in the hospital? Catching sight of Amanda's bruises, Dotty gasped softly but quickly suppressed her shock. Deftly, she helped Amanda dress and brush her hair. Lee soon returned followed by the Bedside Bluebell with a wheelchair.
"All ready to go, see, Mrs. Stetson. Let's just get you in here and we'll give you a ride out to the car. Mr. Stetson, do you want to pull up to the discharge area and meet us?" The perky Bedside Bluebell was bustling Amanda into the wheelchair, looking for any loose belongings. She efficiently began herding the group out the door.
Dotty took Lee by the arm and pulled him aside. "We'll just get the car." She stated as she hustled him down the stairs. "Lee, what's going on? Amanda acted like she didn't even know why she was here. She never said a word about the attack or her injuries."
"I don't know, Dotty. She asked me what happened but the nurse interrupted us before I could talk to her. But, the doctor discharged her so it must be OK, right?" Lee tried desperately to convince himself.
Dotty pulled the Jeep around and Lee helped Amanda into it. The Corvette was just too low for her to get in comfortable with her bruises. Dotty drove home in silence with Lee following closely.
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Lee helped Amanda out of the jeep and lifted her in his arms to carry her to their room. She was dozing again. When he laid her on the bed, she did not stir. Leaving the door ajar so he could hear her if she called out, Lee went down to the kitchen where Dotty handed him a cup of coffee.
"What did the doctor say?" she went directly to the point. " What's going on, Lee?"
"The doctor said she might block out details of the attack until she feels stronger. He said that's not unusual when someone has experienced a trauma."
"Lee, that's bull and you know it. Amanda is strong. It would take more than this to break her. You two have been through some rough things together and she has been fine." Dotty held up her hand to forestall Lee's protests. "Lee, I am not stupid. Now, I don't 'need to know' but I can always tell. I am her mother, you know."
"Really, Dotty, I don't know any more than that. I'll have Amanda talk to the Agency shrink. I am sure that he can help her deal with it. I guess, this time, I need to talk about things as well." Lee fell silent, remembering and feeling the guilt starting to eat at him again. 'I felt so helpless. I was too late. She trusted me and I was too late.'
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Those words echoed in Dr. Phaff's office later that afternoon as Scarecrow relayed the events of the night before and his reactions to them. Dr. Phaff just listened as Lee poured out all his anger, his despair at not being in time to save Amanda.
"Lee, I think you did what came naturally to any man." Said Dr. Phaff, the Agency shrink as Lee sat in his office. "You wanted to protect your wife and you used the training that comes naturally to you to do so."
Lee just shook his head, not believing anything the doctor was trying to say to him.
"I understand that IA and the Arlington PD are investigating. I know they want to talk to Amanda when she feels up to it. Do you want me talk to her first, given how you say she is acting?" said the doctor.
"Thanks, doc. But I doubt the cops will want her to talk to you first. I know that she will need to see you. How about this evening? Could you come by the house? I really think she needs to talk before this goes on any longer."
"Sure, Lee, I'll come by about 8. We'll talk more then. You know that this will affect the whole family, don't you? Have you told the boys yet?"
"No, I was waiting until they get home from school," looking at his watch, Lee jumped up." And that is in a half an hour. Gosh, I've got to get home."
Dr. Phaff smiled as he walked Lee to the door. "Gosh, indeed." He thought." Oh, Scarecrow, Amanda is rubbing off on you."
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Lee arrived home as the bus pulled off from dropping Phillip and Jamie off. The two were roughhousing as usual when they spied Lee getting out of the car.
"Hey, Lee. What's going on? Why was Grandma here this morning? Don't tell me you and Mom had a mission after the concert?" Jamie joked with Lee as they entered the house.
"Well, no. Not a mission," Lee spoke in a serious voice." But there is something I need to tell you." And he related the events of the previous evening to the stunned young men. After assuring them that the creep who attacked their mother was not going to hurt anyone again and that their mother was going to recover, Lee held out his arms to Phillip and Jamie. Both boys came over and the three men in Amanda's life comforted each other in a group hug.
Dotty had been listening on the stairs, assuming that this was something better coming from their step-father than from her. Men could relate better to each other at times like these. She remembered breaking the news to the boys of their mother's brush with death when she and Lee had eloped. She had never understood their reaction and finally just decided that it was a" man thing" and she never would understand. Joe had helped them deal with that one, she remembered.
Lee was here now for them. Hearing the silence, Dotty peered around to see them breaking apart and started to round the corner when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," she called out, matching her actions to the words.
"Mrs. Stetson?" questioned the police woman standing at the door.
"Oh, no, dear, that is my daughter. Are you here about last night? I guess you still need to talk to her. Oh, here's Lee. That's her husband. I guess you'd better talk to him.
"Come on boys, let's have a snack and start on that homework." Dotty shooed the boys into the kitchen, leaving Lee facing the officer.
"Come in," he said, leading her into the living room. "Where's Detective Castleberry?"
"He's coming, I guess I am early. They always like to have a woman doing the questioning during this type of interview. Makes it easier for the victim to talk to another female."
Lee nodded and silence fell while they waited for Castleberry. When he arrived 10 minutes later, Lee filled them in on Amanda's blocking out the attack when she woke that morning. Not knowing if she had remembered anything yet, Lee led the way upstairs to see if Amanda was awake.
She wasn't but when Lee gently called her name she awoke with a smile on her face. "Lee, hi," she said softly. Glancing over his shoulder, Amanda saw the officers in the doorway. Her face fell. In a shaky whisper she said, "Oh, gosh, I had hoped it was just a nightmare."
Lee's heart ached to see her distress as he gathered her in his arms. Yet he could not help but be glad that she was remembering and he didn't have to explain to her what had happened.
"Mrs. Stetson," began the woman. "My name is Linda Gelmini. I need to ask you some questions."
Castleberry ushered Lee out of the room, over his protests. "You know the drill, Stetson. Now don't give me a hard time."
"But," Lee protested, "I haven't even had a chance to talk to her."
"Sorry, but you'll have all the time you need after we are finished." Castleberry firmly closed the door and Lee slumped down against the wall, trying to hear what was being said.
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After what seemed and eternity, the door opened and the officers came out. Neither would meet Lee's eyes and he felt his heart clench. He looked past them into the room to see Amanda, the bruises standing out in stark contrast to her white face.
"What?" he demanded. "What's going on?"
"Stetson, why don't you come down to the station. We need to have a talk." Castleberry wanted to do this the easy way. "We still need to get your statement about last night."
"Sure," Lee said, absently. "Just give me a minute with my wife, OK?"
Officer Gelmini moved to block his entrance to the room. "Really, Mr. Stetson, you know that it would be better if we get you statement before you talk to her. I'm sure you watch the cop shows on TV." She gave him a smile as she closed the door behind her, taking Lee firmly by the arm. With Castleberry behind her, Lee was herded down the stairs and out the door.
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At the Arlington police station, Lee was interviewed about the events he encountered the previous evening. Slowly, he recounted the encounter, beginning with his late arrival home and ending with his discovery of Amanda being attacked.
"Are you finished?" he asked, anxious to get home before Dr. Phaff arrived to see Amanda. In all the confusion of the police visit, he had forgotten to tell Dotty about the psychiatrist coming over.
"Not quite," said Gelmini. "Just one more question. What made you so sure the man was sexually assaulting your wife, Mr. Stetson?"
"What!!" Lee exploded from his chair. " I saw him, goddamnit, that's why. He was… he was.." Lee was overcome with the horror of what he had seen and could not speak.
"Well," began Detective Castleberry. "your wife has a slightly different tale. She says that he had just thrown her to the ground and was trying to strangle her."
Lee sat back; suddenly uneasy at the directions the session was taking. He knew that Amanda was still in shock and had blocked out the details. He explained to the officers his theory of why her story was different from his version, his concern for Amanda's mental state reflected in his voice.
"That could be the case. We'll be looking at the evidence from the forensic team to determine if she was actually assaulted. Just, eh, don't leave town, OK? We may need to talk to you again."
"Sure, whatever. Hey, can I go now? I really need to get home before the shrink comes over to the house."
Detective Castleberry drove Lee back to the house. As Lee was getting out of the car, Castleberry put his hand on Lee's shoulder.
"Stetson," he said. "You know, I don't blame you for your reaction. Hell, man, any one seeing a creep assault his wife would be tempted to do the same. But I am afraid you may have crossed the line, here. You know what I mean? This could cause real trouble down the line if your story doesn't check out."
Lee took a deep breath and reminded himself once again that this man was just doing his job. Lee knew that he had nothing to worry about. The man had been raping Amanda, he had seen it with his own two eyes and Amanda would remember, in time. He had plenty of time to devote to her. Billy had given him two weeks off when Lee had checked in before leaving the Agency to come home.
"Thanks, Castleberry. I know everything will be ok. I just need to get to my wife now, if you don't mind." Saying this, Lee exited the vehicle and hurried to the house.
Part 6
Amanda was sleeping again when he went up to her room so he sat and watched, drifting off to an uneasy sleep beside her. The demons were tormenting him again. 'You were too late, ha, ha, ha, too late. You cannot protect anyone. You are a fraud and now Amanda knows it. She was better off with Joe. This never happened when she was with HIM. Too late, too late.' Lee woke from the nightmare in a cold sweat. He checked that Amanda was still peacefully asleep and went down to see if Dr. Phaff had arrived.
Dr. Phaff arrived at 8 PM and Lee drew him outside to catch him up on the events of the afternoon. He related the police's assertion that Amanda remembered the attack differently and that they suspected him of over reacting to a situation that could have been handled in a much different way. He did not tell the good Doctor about his nightmare demons, figuring that he would deal with them later. Amanda needed him so much now that he didn't want to be distracted.
Dotty helped Amanda dress and come down to the living room. She was going to take the boys over to her apartment for the evening, saying that Lee and Amanda needed to be alone. Phillip and Jamie were very subdued as they saw their mother for the first time since her attack.
Amanda gave a weak laugh, trying to cheer them up." Hey, did I finally get the Halloween make-up right?" No one laughed.
Dotty gathered the boys and left, letting Amanda and Lee have some privacy to talk about the previous evenings event.
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Lee and Amanda settled on the couch while Dr. Phaff took the chair nearest the bookcase. With notebook in hand, he began to talk to Amanda.
He had talked to her several times in the past as normal Agency medical checks. This time he started at the beginning, drawing a plan of her family relationships and how she felt about each of them.
Lee was starting to get antsy and volunteered to go make coffee. He didn't see where any of this was going. Lee just wanted to get Amanda to talk about the attack and work on getting over it. He heard the demons dancing in his head as he waited for the coffee to brew. 'Get over it, just get over it. She'll never get over it. You let her down, let her down and she'll never trust you again' Cackling, the imps danced in Lee's head until the shrill of the kettle brought him back to reality.
He made the coffee and returned to the living room.
Amanda sat silent, her face calm. Lee poured the coffee and tried to figure out what he had missed. Dr. Phaff drank his coffee in silence also. The room was so quiet that Lee could hear the ticking of the Grandfather clock located in the upstairs hall. It was driving him nuts but he force himself to sit quietly, waiting.
"Amanda," Dr. Phaff spoke and Lee jumped. "Amanda, can you tell us about last night? What happened?"
Amanda looked at Dr. Phaff and at Lee. Suddenly Lee was afraid that the demons were right, that she NEVER would forgive him. He didn't know if he had the strength to sit here and hear her tell him about being attacked. He started to speak but Dr. Phaff, seeing the feelings reflected on his face, waved him to silence.
"Amanda? Lee and I are here for you. Do you still want Lee to be here with us?"
Amanda shook herself and gave Lee her brilliant smile. "Of course I want Lee here. He's always with me." Lee's heart sank at those words and he condemned himself once again for not being there for her the night before.
"Don't be so worried, sweetheart," she reached out and took his hand. "I'm fine, just a little bruised. It wasn't so bad."
She began telling them the story of the flat tire and the stranger approaching her. How she didn't like him and sent him away but he had come back. She told of how she had fought back but that there was little room. When she had broken away and run into the woods and he had followed her. How she had tripped and he caught her. She relayed how she had bitten him as he forced himself in her and then he started strangling her.
Lee braced himself for the next part of the story but to his utter astonishment he heard Amanda say "And then I screamed and you were there, just like you always are, just in the nick of time. You pulled him off of me and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital this morning."
Smiling at Lee's dumbfounded look, she went on. "You know, I feel like that heroine in that Ray Stevens parody, 'Along came Jones'"
At their blank looks, she went on. "Oh, you know, where the villain is always tying up the heroine and putting her in dire peril and then," Amanda burst into song" And then along came Jones, DA, DA, DA. Slow walking Jones, low talking Jones, along came long, lean, lanky Jones" Faltering a little at the confusion on their faces, she went on. "Well, he always rescues the heroine from all the silly situations the villain puts her in, just like Lee does for me."
Dr. Phaff gave her a small grin and pulled out his appointment book. After scheduling to see her the next afternoon, he began to leave. Amanda, feeling tired, went up to change for bed. Lee walked the doctor out to his car.
"Well, doc, what the heck is going on with her?" Lee asked puzzled. " Why doesn't she remember? Why is she telling everyone that it was nothing worse that an attempted mugging? I was there, I saw what was going on. "
"Lee, it's really not unusual for someone to block out things that they cannot deal with until they are able to cope. I think that Amanda just needs time. And her family around her. She's strong, she'll process this in time. You'll see." Dr. Phaff reassured Lee as he got in the car to go home. You just be there for her when she comes out of this. Your friends and I will stand with you all the way."
"Yeah," Lee muttered to himself as the doctor drove off, "I just hope I'm not on the other side of bars when you are standing with me." Lee was wondering where the police investigation since Amanda's version differed so drastically from his.
Dotty brought the boys back home after Lee called. The house settled down and Lee crawled into bed beside his sleeping wife. She stirred in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. Lee's arm's crept around her and he held her close as he drifted off to sleep, the demons silenced by her nearness.
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The next morning, Amanda rose early and fixed a special pancake breakfast for the men in her life. She was full of energy and the boys were glad to see that she was feeling better. The entire family just picked at their food, however. It was disconcerting to see Amanda acting so normal after the events of the previous days. They left for school and Amanda began to change for the office. Lee stopped her as she began chiding him. "Lee, we are going to be late, again, if you don't hurry."
Lee grabbed her by the arm and sat her down. "Relax, we have a few days off. Billy thought you might need time to recuperate from your experience."
"Nonsense" replied Amanda. " I'm fine and we have all that paperwork waiting in the office. It's not gonna do itself, Lee Stetson. So you just go get ready and let's get to it." Amanda gave Lee a playful swat on the bottom and stood tapping her foot and looking at her watch.
Giving in to the inevitable, Lee went upstairs and finished getting ready returning to Amanda in record time. She playfully inspected his hands and face, checking that he had washed. Lee felt his heart lift. Amanda in a good mood was more than he could have hoped for so soon after the attack. They left the house and headed to work.
Once in the Q-Bureau, Amanda threw herself into organizing the back case files that always seemed to grow in their absence. Seeing her so engrossed in her work, Lee though about sneaking up behind her and kissing her. But the sight of the bruises encircling her neck stopped him.
He cleared his throat and she looked up at him. " I've.. uh.. got to go see Billy in the bullpen. Why don't you stay here and I'll be back before lunch, OK?"
"Sure, sweetheart. I've been meaning to give this place a good sorting anyway and today is a great time to do so. I'm so full of energy."
To be Continued