DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions.
My use of these characters is intended purely for entertainment, a few laughs and maybe a sigh or two
Title: Great Expectations 6/?
Author: Merel Inglis
Time Frame: Takes place after the show ended, the marriage is common knowledge
Summary: We know he can shoot with deadly accuracy, drop-kick a KGB agent in to the next day without mussing his hair, and bootleg his 'vett into any parking space in DC. But how will the charming and dashing Lee Stetson face the adventures of becoming a father?
Rating: PG
Archive: Fine, but ask first
Author's Notes: Once again, thank you, Pam, for taking the time to beta-read for me. Your feedback and interest in this story is much appreciated.
The fire crackled and spit as Lee tossed a handful of small pinecones into the hearth. The glow from the fire and the sweet smell of the pine infused the room with a feeling of warmth and comfort that had little to do with temperature. One foot resting on the ledge of the hearth, he leaned over and prodded at the logs with the brass poker until he was satisfied that the fire would play out for a while longer. Reaching up to the mantle, he found his champagne glass, swirling the amber contents before taking a tentative sip.
"Can I get you some more cider?" he asked, looking over at his wife, who was stretched out on the sofa, a handmade and obviously much-loved afghan snuggled over her lower legs and feet.
Amanda peered into her empty glass, then placed it on the coffee table. "No, thanks," she smiled at her husband. The warmth of the fire had given his complexion a ruddy glow and the firelight glinted off his soft brown hair in a most appealing fashion. Once again she marveled at how stunningly handsome he was. The stone-washed jeans he wore were tattered and worn in all the right spots; a tiny tear of frayed denim near the fly catching her attention. Her eyes found the permanent impression in the back left pocket, visible even though the wallet that lived there had been discarded on his bureau drawer hours before. He'd rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt, leaving bare his forearms – the sight of which caused a shiver to mark its way down Amanda's spine. She watched the play of his muscles as he coaxed the fire to his bidding. She pulled her knees up, leaning in to wrap her arms around and laying her chin atop them to gaze at the man she loved.
She tried a bit of fire-coaxing herself. "Hey, I'm getting lonely over here."
Lee turned his warm, hazel eyes to her, a flash of dimples and a raised brow telling her that there was already a flame there, just waiting to be fanned. He dropped to kneel on the floor before her, leaning against the sofa and looping his right arm around her knees. He leaned in, grazing her lips with his.
"This better?" he murmured against her parted lips.
"Um hmmm." She reached behind his neck to pull him closer, the kiss deepening as her fingers trailed through his soft hair. She smiled against his lips. "You taste like apples," she chuckled.
He pulled back, his left hand softly stroking her cheek. "So do you," he smiled.
"You know, you don't have to give up alcohol just because I can't drink."
"I know I don't have to. I want to. I think it's a small concession to make considering all the changes you're going to have to go through."
"That's very sweet," she smiled. She reached up to brush back a lock of hair that had fallen onto his forehead, then thought better of it and mussed his hair even more. He gave her a lopsided grin and her heart leapt in her chest. He looked so young; his tousled hair falling into his face, his hazel eyes twinkling, and his dimples playing hide and seek in the smoothness of his cheeks. It was hard, looking at him like this, to see the man who had held her life in his hands so many times. A man who, at a moment's notice, could come out with gun blazing or fists churning to protect her country, her family…her life. Now it would be his family he was protecting. Not that he hadn't taken the boys to his heart when they'd married. But they were practically young men now…no longer small children. The life she was carrying within her body would be Lee's first chance to experience and explore all the aspects of being a father from the very beginning. As much as she was apprehensive about the changes this baby would bring to their lives, she also relished the chance to give him this gift. She knew what a good father he would be and how wonderful it would be to share this experience with him. She wanted to look down into the face of a child they had created together; wanted to see the little child in Lee play itself out in a new life. She hadn't realized exactly how much she wanted that until this very moment.
Lee watched the flicker of emotions play out in Amanda's eyes. 'Scared?" he asked tentatively.
She ran a finger, feather-light, across his lips. "Nope. Maybe a bit anxious," she admitted, focusing on the texture of his lips and the sweet smell of his breath, warm on her face.
"Me too," he whispered. "It's like I can't wait and yet I want to slow it down and savor every moment of it. I just can't believe it." He shook his head. "I'm going to be a father." A strange feeling fluttered up from the depths of his stomach and circled his heart. A father. His agency experience had prepared him for just about anything…except this. The small seed of fear and uncertainly that had been planted with the news of Amanda's pregnancy had quickly been extinguished by the warmth of Amanda's hand in his. He knew, in his heart, that with her, all things were possible. Even the evolution of the aloof Scarecrow into the role of husband, and now, parent. He knew it had already begun with her boys and would now continue with this new life they'd created together. Together they would find a way…they always did.
"Yes, you sure are," Amanda interrupted his thoughts, her voice husky in her throat as she witnessed the wistful look on his face.
"We have to tell your mother…and the boys," Lee blurted out suddenly, the thought just occurring to him. "Boy, what a surprise they have when they get back from the scouting trip." A shadow crossed his face and he gave her a wary look and raised an eyebrow. "Wait….they don't already know, do they?"
"No," she huffed, "they don't. So how was Williamsburg?"
Lee leveled a look at her, narrowing his eyes. "Nice try, partner. So, are you ever going to tell me the entire story of what happened back at the agency? Exactly how many people think I'm a perfect idiot because I was the only one who didn't know you were expecting?"
Amanda leaned in to place a tender kiss on his nose and smiled. "Well, do you want me count only those people we work with or the intelligence community at large? And…what is your definition of the word 'perfect'?"
To Be Continued