Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King belong to Warner and Shoot the Moon - not me!
Author's Notes: Trying to finish up before I have to start studying for finals. Thanks to everyone for the support!
Lee sat at the top of the stairs. Doc McJohn had come and gone. Amanda was finally asleep after Lee held her down so McJohn could give her a light sedative. This night was intended to bring down all the walls of secrecy that he and his wife had been living in for so long. They had planned for it to be an exciting time for the family, a time of joy and renewal. Instead, they had been violently shoved into coming clean for the sake of Jamie.
***********************************************
Lee had come downstairs and told the guests Jamie had suddenly taken ill and that they would certainly reschedule his party for another night soon. Billy was upstairs in Jamie's room, trying to decide what their first move should be. Amanda had been brave and shown most of the guests out. As soon as she finally closed the door, she collapsed into the floor of the foyer in hysterics. Francine had rushed to her side, trying to calm her down as Lee took Dotty and Philip into the living room to explain almost everything.
"There's really no easy way to start this conversation," he began, running his hand through his hair nervously.
"What's happened to Jamie?" Dotty said urgently.
"Jamie has been taken from the house, Dotty," he whispered.
"What do you mean taken from the house? Do you mean kidnapped?" she was now beginning to get frantic.
"Yes," his voice cracked. He had to keep his emotions under control; he had to be the strong one right now, for his family.
Dotty was frantically running for the phone when Lee stopped her. Philip sat in a state of shock on the sofa, staring across the room.
"Dotty, the police aren't going to be able to help us in this situation."
"The hell they aren't! What are you talking about, Lee? Do you know what's happened?"
"Dotty, you need to sit down."
"I need to be looking for my grandson!"
"Dotty, you're not going to find him. Chances are he's on a plane to Russia at this very moment."
"RUSSIA? Lee, this is absolutely absurd. What is going on?"
"Do you remember when I left in January to make that film in Russia?"
"Of course I remember, Lee. What does this have to do with Jamie?"
"I wasn't making a film."
Dotty fell silent. Was Lee a criminal? Had he somehow traded Jamie to get himself out of trouble? How could her daughter be involved with a criminal? Was Amanda a criminal too?
"I don't quite understand..."
"I was in Russia on behalf of the American government. I'm... I'm...."
"You're a spy," Philip realized and slowly turned to look at Lee.
"I'm a spy."
"YOU'RE A WHAT? Wait just a minute. Amanda works at IFF with you. Is Amanda not really working at IFF? I don't understand!" Dotty was practically in hysterics now herself.
"Amanda is a spy as well," he whispered. Dotty completely lost it then, and got up to leave. "Dotty, wait..."
"I'm not going to sit here anymore and listen to you. You've lied to us thus far, why stick around and listen to the rest of it?"
"Dotty, we didn't tell you because we wanted to keep you safe. It's... it's just..."
"Keep us safe? Well you certainly botched that part of the plan up nicely!" Dotty screamed. "My grandson is out there somewhere, being held hostage for only God knows what, and you and Amanda have been secretly spying for a living for God knows how long... what else haven't you told us, Lee? Please continue, this is getting to be entertaining." She was crying and flailing about, so much that Philip had stood to make sure she didn't hurt herself.
Lee watched in absolute horror as his mother-in-law was crushed by the agonizing truth of he and his wife's double life. Philip was crying now, though Lee wasn't sure if it was because of what he said or because of how upset his grandmother was. He clenched his jaw, trying to hold in the stream of emotions surfacing. Realizing that he was going to have to tell them the entire truth, he broke down and let the tears finally fall.
"Dotty," his voice trembled, "I think you need to sit down."
She had fallen silent now and watched as Lee looked at the floor and cried, his shoulders shaking with the silent, agonizing sobs. Philip's sobs were audible at this point, encouraged by the older male's show of emotion. She watched as the nearly forty year old man transformed to a scared little boy in front of her eyes. She leaned into him and he put his arms around her.
"You really need to sit down, Dotty," he whispered. She grasped his hand tightly and extended her other to Philip before sitting back down on the sofa. "We had intended to tell you this tonight, even before Jamie was..." he broke down again.
"Lee, you need to tell us. You need to take care of us right now and get my grandson back. You need to take care of my family, because I know I can't," Dotty tried to comfort him. She didn't understand how he could be this upset. Jamie wasn't even his son.
"That's what I need to tell you. It's my family too," he whispered.
"Lee, we all love you very much, we consider you family-"
"No, Dotty, that's not what I mean. Amanda is my wife."
The room was silent for several minutes and Dotty finally spoke up.
"When?"
"February ... almost two years ago."
"Why didn't you tell us? I don't understand," she whispered, grasping his hand tighter.
"We didn't want anyone to know we were married to keep you safe. We thought if anyone knew we were married, they might try and use you or the boys to get to me or Amanda."
Dotty sighed. The room was silent for a few more minutes before Philip stood and walked to Lee's side. Lee stood and gave the boy a hug, trying to be strong for him. He had to be strong for him.
"Welcome to the family, Lee," Philip said, and smiled slightly.
"Thank you, Philip," he answered, and hugged the boy tighter.
Dotty stood and looked her son-in-law in the eyes. She realized he was just as terrified as she and Philip were. He also looked as if he desperately needed her acceptance. She knew that Lee and Amanda had the right idea of keeping the family safe, though it hurt to know he had been her son-in-law all this time and she'd never known. Her daughter had married again, and she had never known. They hadn't led a double life; it was a triple life. She sighed in resignation. Jamie's walls had finally come down, and Lee's and Amanda's had followed suit. She was hurt and angry, but right now, she had to put things aside and concentrate on what was important. Family was important, and Lee had just become a part of hers.
"Lee, I'm not really sure what to say to you right now. You've brought so much into this house; joy, pain, confusion, and excitement, and certainly love. This will come up again after our family is back together. But right now, I'm welcoming you into this family and begging you to bring me my grandson back," she began to cry again, and Lee hugged her and Philip tighter to his body.
"Thank you, Dotty. I can't tell you how much this means to me," he whispered.
Shortly thereafter Dotty took a Valium and went up to bed. Philip was seated on the couch, still absorbing everything that had occurred.
"Will you be all right for a few minutes if I go check on your mom and check in with the office?" Lee asked. Philip nodded. "I'll be back soon." Lee collected himself and slowly made his way to her bedroom. He opened the door and crossed the room to her bed. Her hand looked so small resting in his. He began to cry again, recalling just how upset she had been. He never wanted to see anything like it again. Looking down at his wife, Lee Stetson vowed that very moment that nothing would ever bring her to this point again.
He quietly left the room and went to use the phone in Philip's bedroom. Billy should have come up with something by this point, and Lee knew he'd be at the Agency.
"Melrose," a tired voice answered.
"What do you have, Billy?" Lee asked.
"Nothing good, Scarecrow. Shortly after you left Moscow in August, one of Varostov's underlings began a quiet revolution in Minsk. Varostov was wasting away in a Communist jail, each day detaching himself more and more from the KGB and planning his own agenda."
"The bastard finally got what was coming to him," Lee sighed.
"He's out, Lee," Billy replied. "He's been out for over a month. Apparently this revolution, the 'Prizrak Revolutsii' as he's referring to it, and his followers overthrew the small jail and took Varostov back to Moscow. We think Varostov's ultimate agenda is to completely destroy the KGB for betraying him at his trial and letting him take the fall for the operations you busted up in the spring."
"Prizrak Revolutsii? The ghosts -"
"The Ghosts of Revolution. He's stirred up a bunch of farmers and lower class from outside the city, claiming to give them the city when he's finished. His war cry seems to be 'laborers' freedom is to be obtained by their own hands.' He obviously wants you first, since you were the cause of all his problems in the first place."
"Billy, those operations weren't all that serious. I went in and found the American intelligence leaks and stopped the KGB from selling a few nuclear weapons to the Saudis. Varostov just happened to be in charge of deals with Saudi Arabia. I don't understand this personal vendetta," Lee was confused. Varostov had been in jail before for botched operations that Lee had taken care of. And no hard feelings had come from those events.
"The man is getting old, Lee. You and I both know he's been unstable for quite some time, but at this point, he's obviously got serious mental problems, more than likely from experimental drug testing while he was in prison. He's old and bitter, and sick. Not to mention he's holding Amanda's son hostage God knows where, and he knows you're going to go after him."
"You're damn right I'm going after him, Billy."
"Dr. Smyth has already denied you the case. He may not like you, but he doesn't want his best agent dead somewhere in a Moscow street because your emotions clouded your judgement. But I know better, Lee... I know better. Francine has already arranged transportation into the country for you on a supply plane. It might not be comfortable, but it'll get you into the country, Scarecrow," Billy continued.
"And she's following you on the next flight. You'll be leaving late tomorrow night, probably after midnight. That gives us tomorrow to try and stir up something overseas, and find out where the hell Varostov is keeping the boy."
"I'll be in soon. I need to make sure Philip is doing all right. Jesus, Billy. I don't know what to do about Amanda," Lee mumbled.
"Amanda is strong, Lee. She has unwavering faith in you, and so do I. You're going to bring her son home, safe and sound, and let the Russian government take care of Varostov. If Dr. Smyth gets wind of you causing any damage over there, he'll yank you out of the field so fast you won't know what happened. Now, you try and sleep a little, take care of the other boy, and be there when Amanda wakes up. Call McJohn if she's still upset... and he'll write her a prescription. I need you in here, and I need you to go see a couple of your people in the Embassy to see if they've heard anything. We're going to get him, Lee. Varostov won't hurt the boy. Hell hath no fury like the Scarecrow," Billy said.
"Thank you, Billy. I should be in by nine," he sighed.
"No thanks are needed, Lee. I'll see you in a few hours," and Billy hung up the phone.
Lee hung up and quietly made his way back downstairs to check on Philip. He was asleep, the television quietly emitting the end of Johnny Carson. Lee knelt next to him and watched the boy. He debated whether to move him or not.
"Philip. Philip, come on, buddy. You'll be more comfortable in your bed," he whispered. Philip stirred slightly and woke. "Come on, let's get some sleep."
Lee walked Philip into his room. "I'll be right down the hall if you need anything. I'll be here in the morning. Try to get some rest, ok?"
"Mmhmm," Philip muttered as he drifted back off to sleep. The emotions had exhausted him, and he would sleep through the night without waking.
And now Lee sat at the top of the stairs, replaying in his mind his telephone conversation with Billy. Russia had been such a small operation. 'More of an annoyance than an assignment,' he thought to himself. Some American agents had defected and were leaking information to the KGB, mostly names of agents in other foreign countries, mainly Saudi Arabia. Varostov had seen to many of their quick, painless deaths as he tried to keep the weapons deal quiet. The KGB would only tolerate so many botched operations before Varostov would disappear into Siberia, or worse.
Lee had been in deep cover and made friends with several unhappy younger KGB agents, and had promised them passage to the United States in exchange for information. He finally got the information he needed and had stopped the weapons deal. He had then rinsed his hands of Varostov by handing him over to the KGB and fleeing the country. The young agents he had befriended did not survive the siege on the caravan out of Moscow on its way to the weapons deal. They had not died in vain.
He came home to turmoil. Philip was on a travel baseball team halfway across the country playing a tournament. Amanda had struggled the first few weeks Lee was away, but threw herself into her work at the Agency to try and distract herself. Dotty finally got the pilot's license and was working with Captain Kurt giving tours from the air of the city.
Jamie felt he had no one. It was summer, and he was home alone all day. By the time his mother came home at night, she was too tired to do much more than eat and talk with him, occasionally playing a board game or watching a movie. He felt abandoned. His father rarely called, and Lee, the one person he thought might actually understand him, had suddenly left the country for work. One night he finally got the courage to his ask his mother if she wouldn't mind taking a day off and spending it with him. She had too much going on at work, and it just wouldn't work out right now. She promised him they would spend some quality time together soon, but right now was impossible.
He felt so incredibly heartbroken and abandoned that he had gone into the hall bathroom, swallowed almost an entire bottle of his grandmother's Valium, and went into the den to watch television. When Amanda came down to check on him, he didn't respond. She panicked, and had called an ambulance. She ran into the bathroom to check what prescriptions he was taking for his allergies when she saw the empty prescription bottle.
That night she watched as doctors pumped her thirteen-year-old son's stomach. The Valium had been in his system long enough to leave him in a coma. She didn't leave the hospital until he woke up a week and a half later. Billy granted her a leave of absence to get things back on track with Jamie, but things had been difficult. His feeling of abandonment took a long time to dissipate.
Things were just getting back to normal when Lee came home at the beginning of August. There were enormous strains on his relationship with Amanda, because of her worries over Jamie. Lee had stuck it out, and tried to get back to where things were between himself and Jamie. Jamie had refused to even speak to him until the middle of September, and even then it wasn't much. Amanda finally learned to balance everything, and Jamie had thrown himself into being the prodigy of the piano studio at his high school. Music had been his savior more than anything, and by the time his recital rolled around, everything was back to normal.
'Back to normal,' Lee thought. Not that he could ever be normal. Jamie's life was in his hands now, and his family was counting on him. Amanda would want to come with him, he knew that. But she was staying here to be strong for the family. Lee committed himself to being back within the week, with Jamie, unharmed, and starting a normal life. He wasn't quite sure what normal entailed, but he knew for sure it wasn't flying across the ocean in the cargo hold to smuggle himself into Communist Russia. He ran his hands through his hair and stood up.
Amanda hadn't moved. The sedative Doc had given her was just enough to guarantee she would be calm for eight hours. Eight hours at the Agency usually turned up lots of news, and it was no different this time. He lay next to his wife on the bed. His first night at 'home.' He sighed and brushed her hair away from her eyes. Home would have to wait for now.
Author's Notes: Trying to finish up before I have to start studying for finals. Thanks to everyone for the support!
Lee sat at the top of the stairs. Doc McJohn had come and gone. Amanda was finally asleep after Lee held her down so McJohn could give her a light sedative. This night was intended to bring down all the walls of secrecy that he and his wife had been living in for so long. They had planned for it to be an exciting time for the family, a time of joy and renewal. Instead, they had been violently shoved into coming clean for the sake of Jamie.
***********************************************
Lee had come downstairs and told the guests Jamie had suddenly taken ill and that they would certainly reschedule his party for another night soon. Billy was upstairs in Jamie's room, trying to decide what their first move should be. Amanda had been brave and shown most of the guests out. As soon as she finally closed the door, she collapsed into the floor of the foyer in hysterics. Francine had rushed to her side, trying to calm her down as Lee took Dotty and Philip into the living room to explain almost everything.
"There's really no easy way to start this conversation," he began, running his hand through his hair nervously.
"What's happened to Jamie?" Dotty said urgently.
"Jamie has been taken from the house, Dotty," he whispered.
"What do you mean taken from the house? Do you mean kidnapped?" she was now beginning to get frantic.
"Yes," his voice cracked. He had to keep his emotions under control; he had to be the strong one right now, for his family.
Dotty was frantically running for the phone when Lee stopped her. Philip sat in a state of shock on the sofa, staring across the room.
"Dotty, the police aren't going to be able to help us in this situation."
"The hell they aren't! What are you talking about, Lee? Do you know what's happened?"
"Dotty, you need to sit down."
"I need to be looking for my grandson!"
"Dotty, you're not going to find him. Chances are he's on a plane to Russia at this very moment."
"RUSSIA? Lee, this is absolutely absurd. What is going on?"
"Do you remember when I left in January to make that film in Russia?"
"Of course I remember, Lee. What does this have to do with Jamie?"
"I wasn't making a film."
Dotty fell silent. Was Lee a criminal? Had he somehow traded Jamie to get himself out of trouble? How could her daughter be involved with a criminal? Was Amanda a criminal too?
"I don't quite understand..."
"I was in Russia on behalf of the American government. I'm... I'm...."
"You're a spy," Philip realized and slowly turned to look at Lee.
"I'm a spy."
"YOU'RE A WHAT? Wait just a minute. Amanda works at IFF with you. Is Amanda not really working at IFF? I don't understand!" Dotty was practically in hysterics now herself.
"Amanda is a spy as well," he whispered. Dotty completely lost it then, and got up to leave. "Dotty, wait..."
"I'm not going to sit here anymore and listen to you. You've lied to us thus far, why stick around and listen to the rest of it?"
"Dotty, we didn't tell you because we wanted to keep you safe. It's... it's just..."
"Keep us safe? Well you certainly botched that part of the plan up nicely!" Dotty screamed. "My grandson is out there somewhere, being held hostage for only God knows what, and you and Amanda have been secretly spying for a living for God knows how long... what else haven't you told us, Lee? Please continue, this is getting to be entertaining." She was crying and flailing about, so much that Philip had stood to make sure she didn't hurt herself.
Lee watched in absolute horror as his mother-in-law was crushed by the agonizing truth of he and his wife's double life. Philip was crying now, though Lee wasn't sure if it was because of what he said or because of how upset his grandmother was. He clenched his jaw, trying to hold in the stream of emotions surfacing. Realizing that he was going to have to tell them the entire truth, he broke down and let the tears finally fall.
"Dotty," his voice trembled, "I think you need to sit down."
She had fallen silent now and watched as Lee looked at the floor and cried, his shoulders shaking with the silent, agonizing sobs. Philip's sobs were audible at this point, encouraged by the older male's show of emotion. She watched as the nearly forty year old man transformed to a scared little boy in front of her eyes. She leaned into him and he put his arms around her.
"You really need to sit down, Dotty," he whispered. She grasped his hand tightly and extended her other to Philip before sitting back down on the sofa. "We had intended to tell you this tonight, even before Jamie was..." he broke down again.
"Lee, you need to tell us. You need to take care of us right now and get my grandson back. You need to take care of my family, because I know I can't," Dotty tried to comfort him. She didn't understand how he could be this upset. Jamie wasn't even his son.
"That's what I need to tell you. It's my family too," he whispered.
"Lee, we all love you very much, we consider you family-"
"No, Dotty, that's not what I mean. Amanda is my wife."
The room was silent for several minutes and Dotty finally spoke up.
"When?"
"February ... almost two years ago."
"Why didn't you tell us? I don't understand," she whispered, grasping his hand tighter.
"We didn't want anyone to know we were married to keep you safe. We thought if anyone knew we were married, they might try and use you or the boys to get to me or Amanda."
Dotty sighed. The room was silent for a few more minutes before Philip stood and walked to Lee's side. Lee stood and gave the boy a hug, trying to be strong for him. He had to be strong for him.
"Welcome to the family, Lee," Philip said, and smiled slightly.
"Thank you, Philip," he answered, and hugged the boy tighter.
Dotty stood and looked her son-in-law in the eyes. She realized he was just as terrified as she and Philip were. He also looked as if he desperately needed her acceptance. She knew that Lee and Amanda had the right idea of keeping the family safe, though it hurt to know he had been her son-in-law all this time and she'd never known. Her daughter had married again, and she had never known. They hadn't led a double life; it was a triple life. She sighed in resignation. Jamie's walls had finally come down, and Lee's and Amanda's had followed suit. She was hurt and angry, but right now, she had to put things aside and concentrate on what was important. Family was important, and Lee had just become a part of hers.
"Lee, I'm not really sure what to say to you right now. You've brought so much into this house; joy, pain, confusion, and excitement, and certainly love. This will come up again after our family is back together. But right now, I'm welcoming you into this family and begging you to bring me my grandson back," she began to cry again, and Lee hugged her and Philip tighter to his body.
"Thank you, Dotty. I can't tell you how much this means to me," he whispered.
Shortly thereafter Dotty took a Valium and went up to bed. Philip was seated on the couch, still absorbing everything that had occurred.
"Will you be all right for a few minutes if I go check on your mom and check in with the office?" Lee asked. Philip nodded. "I'll be back soon." Lee collected himself and slowly made his way to her bedroom. He opened the door and crossed the room to her bed. Her hand looked so small resting in his. He began to cry again, recalling just how upset she had been. He never wanted to see anything like it again. Looking down at his wife, Lee Stetson vowed that very moment that nothing would ever bring her to this point again.
He quietly left the room and went to use the phone in Philip's bedroom. Billy should have come up with something by this point, and Lee knew he'd be at the Agency.
"Melrose," a tired voice answered.
"What do you have, Billy?" Lee asked.
"Nothing good, Scarecrow. Shortly after you left Moscow in August, one of Varostov's underlings began a quiet revolution in Minsk. Varostov was wasting away in a Communist jail, each day detaching himself more and more from the KGB and planning his own agenda."
"The bastard finally got what was coming to him," Lee sighed.
"He's out, Lee," Billy replied. "He's been out for over a month. Apparently this revolution, the 'Prizrak Revolutsii' as he's referring to it, and his followers overthrew the small jail and took Varostov back to Moscow. We think Varostov's ultimate agenda is to completely destroy the KGB for betraying him at his trial and letting him take the fall for the operations you busted up in the spring."
"Prizrak Revolutsii? The ghosts -"
"The Ghosts of Revolution. He's stirred up a bunch of farmers and lower class from outside the city, claiming to give them the city when he's finished. His war cry seems to be 'laborers' freedom is to be obtained by their own hands.' He obviously wants you first, since you were the cause of all his problems in the first place."
"Billy, those operations weren't all that serious. I went in and found the American intelligence leaks and stopped the KGB from selling a few nuclear weapons to the Saudis. Varostov just happened to be in charge of deals with Saudi Arabia. I don't understand this personal vendetta," Lee was confused. Varostov had been in jail before for botched operations that Lee had taken care of. And no hard feelings had come from those events.
"The man is getting old, Lee. You and I both know he's been unstable for quite some time, but at this point, he's obviously got serious mental problems, more than likely from experimental drug testing while he was in prison. He's old and bitter, and sick. Not to mention he's holding Amanda's son hostage God knows where, and he knows you're going to go after him."
"You're damn right I'm going after him, Billy."
"Dr. Smyth has already denied you the case. He may not like you, but he doesn't want his best agent dead somewhere in a Moscow street because your emotions clouded your judgement. But I know better, Lee... I know better. Francine has already arranged transportation into the country for you on a supply plane. It might not be comfortable, but it'll get you into the country, Scarecrow," Billy continued.
"And she's following you on the next flight. You'll be leaving late tomorrow night, probably after midnight. That gives us tomorrow to try and stir up something overseas, and find out where the hell Varostov is keeping the boy."
"I'll be in soon. I need to make sure Philip is doing all right. Jesus, Billy. I don't know what to do about Amanda," Lee mumbled.
"Amanda is strong, Lee. She has unwavering faith in you, and so do I. You're going to bring her son home, safe and sound, and let the Russian government take care of Varostov. If Dr. Smyth gets wind of you causing any damage over there, he'll yank you out of the field so fast you won't know what happened. Now, you try and sleep a little, take care of the other boy, and be there when Amanda wakes up. Call McJohn if she's still upset... and he'll write her a prescription. I need you in here, and I need you to go see a couple of your people in the Embassy to see if they've heard anything. We're going to get him, Lee. Varostov won't hurt the boy. Hell hath no fury like the Scarecrow," Billy said.
"Thank you, Billy. I should be in by nine," he sighed.
"No thanks are needed, Lee. I'll see you in a few hours," and Billy hung up the phone.
Lee hung up and quietly made his way back downstairs to check on Philip. He was asleep, the television quietly emitting the end of Johnny Carson. Lee knelt next to him and watched the boy. He debated whether to move him or not.
"Philip. Philip, come on, buddy. You'll be more comfortable in your bed," he whispered. Philip stirred slightly and woke. "Come on, let's get some sleep."
Lee walked Philip into his room. "I'll be right down the hall if you need anything. I'll be here in the morning. Try to get some rest, ok?"
"Mmhmm," Philip muttered as he drifted back off to sleep. The emotions had exhausted him, and he would sleep through the night without waking.
And now Lee sat at the top of the stairs, replaying in his mind his telephone conversation with Billy. Russia had been such a small operation. 'More of an annoyance than an assignment,' he thought to himself. Some American agents had defected and were leaking information to the KGB, mostly names of agents in other foreign countries, mainly Saudi Arabia. Varostov had seen to many of their quick, painless deaths as he tried to keep the weapons deal quiet. The KGB would only tolerate so many botched operations before Varostov would disappear into Siberia, or worse.
Lee had been in deep cover and made friends with several unhappy younger KGB agents, and had promised them passage to the United States in exchange for information. He finally got the information he needed and had stopped the weapons deal. He had then rinsed his hands of Varostov by handing him over to the KGB and fleeing the country. The young agents he had befriended did not survive the siege on the caravan out of Moscow on its way to the weapons deal. They had not died in vain.
He came home to turmoil. Philip was on a travel baseball team halfway across the country playing a tournament. Amanda had struggled the first few weeks Lee was away, but threw herself into her work at the Agency to try and distract herself. Dotty finally got the pilot's license and was working with Captain Kurt giving tours from the air of the city.
Jamie felt he had no one. It was summer, and he was home alone all day. By the time his mother came home at night, she was too tired to do much more than eat and talk with him, occasionally playing a board game or watching a movie. He felt abandoned. His father rarely called, and Lee, the one person he thought might actually understand him, had suddenly left the country for work. One night he finally got the courage to his ask his mother if she wouldn't mind taking a day off and spending it with him. She had too much going on at work, and it just wouldn't work out right now. She promised him they would spend some quality time together soon, but right now was impossible.
He felt so incredibly heartbroken and abandoned that he had gone into the hall bathroom, swallowed almost an entire bottle of his grandmother's Valium, and went into the den to watch television. When Amanda came down to check on him, he didn't respond. She panicked, and had called an ambulance. She ran into the bathroom to check what prescriptions he was taking for his allergies when she saw the empty prescription bottle.
That night she watched as doctors pumped her thirteen-year-old son's stomach. The Valium had been in his system long enough to leave him in a coma. She didn't leave the hospital until he woke up a week and a half later. Billy granted her a leave of absence to get things back on track with Jamie, but things had been difficult. His feeling of abandonment took a long time to dissipate.
Things were just getting back to normal when Lee came home at the beginning of August. There were enormous strains on his relationship with Amanda, because of her worries over Jamie. Lee had stuck it out, and tried to get back to where things were between himself and Jamie. Jamie had refused to even speak to him until the middle of September, and even then it wasn't much. Amanda finally learned to balance everything, and Jamie had thrown himself into being the prodigy of the piano studio at his high school. Music had been his savior more than anything, and by the time his recital rolled around, everything was back to normal.
'Back to normal,' Lee thought. Not that he could ever be normal. Jamie's life was in his hands now, and his family was counting on him. Amanda would want to come with him, he knew that. But she was staying here to be strong for the family. Lee committed himself to being back within the week, with Jamie, unharmed, and starting a normal life. He wasn't quite sure what normal entailed, but he knew for sure it wasn't flying across the ocean in the cargo hold to smuggle himself into Communist Russia. He ran his hands through his hair and stood up.
Amanda hadn't moved. The sedative Doc had given her was just enough to guarantee she would be calm for eight hours. Eight hours at the Agency usually turned up lots of news, and it was no different this time. He lay next to his wife on the bed. His first night at 'home.' He sighed and brushed her hair away from her eyes. Home would have to wait for now.