Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot of the following story was co-conspired. My thanks to Amy for the story idea and the inspiration to this sequel. Enjoy the read.
The story is a sequel to "I Would Never Cause You Pain". This deals with the aftermath of a drugged Lee beating Amanda.
Good Intentions
Lee and Joe helped Amanda down the stairs to face Dotty. Amanda looked her in the eyes and was grateful to see most of the intense anger gone, replaced by concern. Amanda was touched that her mother cared so much but was frustrated that she thought she would tolerate any abuse let alone her current state. Amanda was fully aware of how serious her injuries were and looked and couldn't image what some women go through. She thought maybe when this was over she would see if she could help part time at a shelter for battered women. "Mother sit." She ordered and Dotty complied. "You need to listen right now okay. I want no interruptions and I want you to think rationally all right?" Dotty nodded and Amanda let out a breath so far so good. "Lee." Amanda turned it over to him knowing in her current emotional and physical state she wasn't very rational. She was glad Joe was there as well; a levelheaded third party was what they needed.
Lee nodded and began the story they had rehearsed. "Dotty do you remember Billy Melrose?"
"Remember him? That rude little man who stormed in here throwing around accusations." Dotty blurted out.
"Throwing around accusations, that sounds familiar." Amanda said under her breath.
"Amanda." Joe warned and she shut up.
"He approached Amanda and I to produce a video on terrorists and drug running for the department of defense. He was impressed with how we handled ourselves and felt bad about all the confusion. Everything was going great until Thursday."
"Things got a little out of hand." Amanda added.
"A little! Amanda you look like you're lucky to be alive. What happened?" Dotty exclaimed.
"Mother we can't tell you everything. It's a need to know basis." Amanda answered almost smiling. How many times had Lee told her that?
"I can't believe the government would let civilians get that involved in a dangerous situation."
"They backed us up every step of the way. If it weren't for them Amanda would be dead. This was our decision. They never forced us to do anything." Lee returned.
"Why did you confess to beating Amanda? And why did you have a gun?" She questioned.
"It was my fault…" Lee started but Amanda interrupted.
"Lee blames himself for me getting hurt. Billy wanted one of us trained to defend ourselves. They issued him a gun and a license to use it. I was grabbed from behind. There was nothing he could do but he feels responsible. They decided to have some fun and told him he had to kick me or they'd kill me." Amanda explained as the true memories of what happened haunted her.
Dotty nodded taking the story in. It seemed reasonable. That's why the police let him go and why he looked so guilty. "Are you okay Lee?" Dotty asked suddenly switching gears. She began to feel horrible; she had treated him so badly.
Lee looked at her in shock. 'Was he okay?' Did Dotty just ask him that? "I'm…uh… fine." He stammered. "It was just hard watching Amanda… watching her get hurt. And then be forced to cause her pain." He answered on the verge of tears. He now had full recollection of hitting her and relived it every time he closed his eyes. Amanda grabbed his hand to comfort him.
Dotty was taken aback by his emotional state. He obviously cared for Amanda a great deal. The love for her was so evident she couldn't believe she had thought he was anything but loyal to her daughter. To have been forced to beat her; then be blamed for causing her continual pain, and now face his accuser must have taken incredible strength. She stood and closed the distance between them. He stood as well to meet her. She hugged him, "I'm so sorry. I just thought… I mean I over heard you tell Amanda you beat her." Dotty said.
Lee returned the embrace and assured her, "It's okay. You were looking out for Amanda. I'm thankful for that. She gets in enough trouble it's good to know there's another pair of eyes watching out for her." He teased trying to lighten the mood. He stole a glance at Amanda and smiled. That went better then he could have imagined.
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Amanda was sitting on the picnic table in the back yard. It was getting cold but she needed some solitude. Dotty had insisted that Lee spend the night to have dinner. The boys were glad he was there. They could tell there was tension in the house the whole weekend and now life seemed to have returned to normal. Whatever normal was in the King household. Joe left after he saw his services were no longer needed but Amanda thanked him and made sure he knew how much she appreciated him being there. In mid thought Amanda realized she was being watched. She could feel his presence. "Come sit." She offered never turning her head to look at him. Lee grinned and sat next to her enveloping her small body in his arms amazed at the strength she possessed. They both knew they had a lot of healing to do after this one but were happy that everyone was on the road to recovery. Amanda was content to remain in his arms and realized that together they could get through anything.
Dotty watched on from the kitchen window. "It's about time they stopped sneaking around." She contemplated and returned her attention to the dishes. Amanda deserved a caring gentle man and Dotty was sure she had found one.
The End
Note: Vengeance and Valor seems to fit in this story arc as well although that was not my intent. I will try to tie them all together and finish that story ASAP. Thanks for the encouragement and compliments!