Two months later ...
Beth quickly clipped her wet hair behind her head as she ran out of the house. She was the perfect picture of youth, beauty, and energy. And this picture perfect girl was incredibly nervous. Lee and Amanda had invited her over for dinner tonight, and she had big news for them.
Jamie refused to let her walk out of his life. The night they'd met at the Lincoln Memorial, Beth had driven him around until early the next morning. They'd talked about school, about Jamie's travels, and Beth's childhood. She never let herself tell anyone about the life she knew as a child, about all the loneliness and abandonment. Yet she couldn't stop herself with Jamie. She found herself wanting to tell him everything. And now, that they'd been growing closer the past few weeks, it was getting harder and harder not to.
Jamie was vague about his family. Whenever they came up in discussion, Jamie would smile and shake his head.
"My mother is beautiful. She's the most incredible person I know. My father lives in Estoccia with his wife and daughter, and he works for the EAO. I really mostly credit my stepfather with raising me properly, not Dad. Dad's a good guy; he just couldn't be everywhere at once. He wanted to work and help people, and he left me and Phil behind and really didn't look back. He was back in DC for a couple years, and married Carrie right before he went back to Africa. Mom married my stepdad on Christmas Eve in 1989, and I really haven't looked back since. I have an incredible family. I couldn't be luckier," Jamie had said that night. Beth tried to bring up his family on a couple other occasions, but Jamie had cleverly danced around the subject. He'd mentioned his younger brother and sister, Matty and Jenny, a few times, but generally avoided the family topic. "You have to meet them to understand."
Tonight she wanted to tell Lee. She wasn't looking forward to it. She knew as well as the rest of the bullpen that she was Lee's new prodigy. Beth seemed to be the 'lone wolf' that Lee had once been. Some of the steno pool had gone so far as to start referring to her as 'Toto' behind her back, because she seemed to be at Scarecrow's side so often.
Beth was also in a complicated situation with Jamie. She'd lied to him when they first met, telling him she'd been ejected from the FBI academy. He had only within the past few days started to ask questions about why she kept breaking dates, and missing classes. For someone she was so hooked on, she felt like she didn't really know him, and she knew for a fact he didn't know the 'real' Beth. They'd never been to each other's apartments, and though Jamie had asked Beth twice, she hadn't met his parents.
But she didn't have time to worry about Jamie right now. She had to concentrate on not freaking Lee and Amanda out with the news. They expected so much out of her, and Beth wanted to please them. But she also wanted some semblance of normality in her life. She let out on final sigh of exasperation as she knocked on the front door of the gorgeous Rockville home.
Lee answered the door in jeans and a slightly wrinkled polo shirt. Beth smiled at this irregularity. She wasn't used to seeing her boss in anything less than perfectly pressed suits and sport coats.
"Hi, Beth. Come on in," he smiled, opening the door for her. "Amanda is in the kitchen, straight down the hall. I'm on the phone, I'll be in shortly," he pointed down the corridor and then plopped down onto the stairs.
Beth was impressed at the interior of the house. It was well done, but not too stuffy. Beautiful photographs of the two younger children lined the hallway, and she stopped to look at the picture of their oldest son. It was a graduation portrait from the Naval Academy.
'Another navy boy,' Beth thought.
"Hi, sweetheart," Amanda called from the kitchen. "Come on in and sit down, it's almost ready. I hope you like Beef Wellington!"
"It smells wonderful, Amanda," Beth smiled, taking a seat at the bar.
"Lee and I are just loving this. Jamie took our two youngest ones for the night, so we decided to go all out. Matthew refuses to eat red meat. We don't know why, he just hates it! He'll sit here and eat chicken all day, but he won't touch a hamburger. Never in my life have I seen such a picky eater!"
Amanda handed Beth a glass of wine, which she accepted.
"I didn't know you had a son named Jamie. I've heard about Philip and Matthew, but I don't think you've mentioned Jamie," Beth said, her curiosity peaked.
"That can't be! Don't tell the younger two, but Jamie will always be my baby. Philip is Lee's tough man, and Jenny is daddy's girl. Matthew is the apple of his grandmother's eye. But Jamie. Jamie is a mama's boy, no matter how much he'll deny it," Amanda laughed. "Jamie is my artist. He's the sensitive one."
Beth shook her head. There was no way that her Jamie was Amanda Stetson's son.
"How old did you say he was, Amanda?"
"Jamie is twenty now. He's a junior at Georgetown. You actually might know him, he's a Russian minor."
Beth dropped the wineglass onto the carpet.
"Oh, Amanda! I'm sorry!" she said, scurrying to get a paper towel.
"Don't worry, dear. This carpet has seen worse, believe me," she smiled. "Are you all right, Beth? You just got awfully pale!"
"I'm fine," she managed. There was a silence while Beth cleaned up the mess and Amanda went back into the kitchen.
"Amanda?"
"Mm hmm," she said absently, setting the table.
"How long have you and Lee been married?"
"Well, if you count the elopement, almost nine years. You see, Lee and I married secretly in 1987 because we were afraid our marriage would put our family in danger. Philip and Jamie were just getting to be teenagers. We just didn't know what to do."
"What happened with your first marriage, if you don't mind me asking."
"It's long and complicated. Joe graduated from law school right before Jamie was born, and immediately took a job with the EAO. They sent him to Estoccia. Joe, of course, wanted us to come with him, but I insisted that we couldn't raise two little boys in North Africa. We tried living apart for a couple years, but by the time Jamie was two, we realized it wasn't going to work. The divorce was final in December of that year, and Joe quit coming to visit as often," Amanda said. "He came back to Washington for a while, long enough to meet a wonderful woman who was willing to go with him back to Africa. That was in 1989. They've been there ever since, and that Joe King does a wonderful job."
Hearing the words 'Joe King' out of Amanda's mouth removed any doubt from Beth's mind. She sighed loudly. No wonder Jamie didn't like to talk about his parents! They were two of the world's most effective spies! Beth wondered if Jamie even knew that.
"Amanda, how did you tell your sons about everything?"
"Well, actually it's a complicated story. An old nemesis of Lee's kidnapped Jamie when he was fourteen, and we were basically forced to tell our family then. They didn't even know we were married, much less federal agents. It was an incredibly difficult situation. I've never been so scared in my life. Lee went to Moscow to get Jamie, and we were on contact zero, so I had no idea where my son and husband were or if they were even alive for almost a week. Finally, Billy came and got me in the middle of the night and put me on the first flight to Frankfurt. Lee had rescued him," Amanda continued, beginning to get choked up.
"Oh, Amanda," Beth said after a silence. She really didn't know how to handle all this. "It must have been so hard."
"It still is hard. The two little ones are still too young to know anything, and I can only imagine what it's going to be like when we finally tell them. I was sedated when Lee had to tell Mother and Philip that night. But Lee still gets choked up when he talks about the whole situation. We never meant to hurt our family, and they know that. It was just hard," she said.
"I can imagine," Beth replied.
Lee entered the kitchen and smiled at Beth.
"So what are you two talking about? I heard my name," he smiled, reaching for the bottle of wine.
"I was telling Beth about how you and I came to be 'you and I.'"
"I see. So let me guess, Elizabeth. You've got a boyfriend and you're scared to death to tell me," Lee smiled and took a sip of wine.
Beth grinned sheepishly and nodded.
"How do you do that? Know what I'm going to ask before I get around to it!"
"You haven't asked either of us many personal questions before. You were obviously trying to grasp the situation. Things will be different for you, Beth. I'm assuming you're seeing a civilian?"
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"See, Amanda and I don't have any problems with talking about work. But you won't be able to just come home and talk about what the President is up to in Lebanon this week. National security comes into play in this relationship. And I really don't have any experience in that field. How long have you been seeing this guy?"
"Since right after I was recruited. I really didn't intend for this to happen. It just ... did," she sighed.
"There isn't anything wrong with it, Beth. You just have to realize what you're getting yourself into," Amanda said. "Towards the end of all the secrecy, I was running out of lies and my mother was getting incredibly suspicious. It gets complicated. I'm assuming you haven't told this guy anything?"
"No, I haven't," she replied.
"I wish I could help you more. Maybe she should talk to Francine, Lee," Amanda said, looking at Lee, who immediately laughed out loud. "What? She dated Jonathan for the longest time and never really got into too much trouble."
"I don't know about that, Amanda. Francine may be getting soft in her old age, but she certainly isn't soft enough to sit down for a fireside chat with a rookie. Maybe we should take her to see Billy," he answered.
"What is Billy up to tonight, Lee? Maybe he'd come over for dinner. I've certainly got enough here," Amanda said.
"Ah, forgot to mention. That was Philip on the phone, he's on his way over. He was in DC today so he's just going to stop here for supper. We can't exactly chat about this in front of him," Lee smiled.
"Well, we'll just have to set something up. Billy was our section chief before Lee took over, Beth. He's just a darling teddy bear of a man," Amanda smiled, and pointed to a picture of Billy and Lee at Billy's retirement party.
The doorbell rang, and Lee went to let Philip in. He entered the living room in uniform, and immediately went into flirt mode upon seeing Beth sitting at the bar.
"Beth, this is our oldest son, Philip," Lee said.
"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure," Philip said, shaking Beth's hand and flashing the trademark Philip King grin.
"Can it, Philip. She's taken," Amanda said, swatting his arm, and then kissing him on the cheek. "And she works with us at IFF."
"Oh, dear. Here I am again, surrounded by spies. And I can't believe you let Jamie take Matty and Jenny out tonight, in your brand new car! I haven't even taken it for a test drive yet!"
"Jamie doesn't have a car, Philip. He's a full time student! You just bought that truck, I don't know what you're complaining about," Amanda continued to get dinner on the table.
"Philip will do his best to find something to complain about, Beth. He gets jealous of Jamie," Lee smiled, clapping him on the back. "You're almost twenty-three years old, and you're still fighting with your younger brother!"
"Come on, fellas. Dinner is ready," Amanda said, sitting down at the table. Dinner was passed in pleasant conversation, and Beth spent most of the time observing this family that Jamie had referred to as 'incredible.' He was certainly right about that.
"So, Beth. Tell us about yourself," Lee said nonchalantly. He'd read her file, and knew about her parents. But he was trying to break down some of her walls. He knew how easy it was to build up a persona and lose track of the real person behind the codename. She sighed and hesitated. Amanda gave her an encouraging look.
"Well, I was born in Boston, and shortly thereafter we moved to Arlington. My father was CIA, as I'm sure you know. My mother taught English at Boston University until I was born, and when we moved here she worked as a courier for the CIA and stayed at home with me until I started school. I had a semi-normal childhood until I turned ten. My father got involved in a conspiratorial mess within the CIA. Some of his friends were leaking information, and they wanted him to get involved. Obviously they couldn't let him live after he refused. So, on their wedding anniversary in July, my parents went out to dinner and left me at home with the babysitter. It was the last time I ever saw them alive. They were shot sitting in the car at a traffic light. My mother's brother was my only living relative, and he was awarded custody. Obviously, he couldn't raise me properly, so he sent me to boarding school in London. I saw him every once in a while. Uncle Austin seemed to materialize out of nowhere at swim meets or debates, and he'd take me out to dinner and tell me to keep it up; that hard work will pay off. I decided when I graduated I wanted to come back here to be near him. He's my only family," Beth sighed. "He spoils me rotten, as I'm sure you know. But I was honestly surprised when he offered me this job. He's done nothing but refuse to offer me a job. He was honest with me a couple months ago, though. He said he wanted me here instead of MI6 so he can 'keep an eye' on me."
Lee smiled and reached over to pat Beth's hand.
"I lost my parents at an early age too, Beth. I know it's not easy, but it seems like you've got a good head on your shoulders. You've done nothing but impress us since we met you," he said.
"Thanks, Lee," Beth smiled. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"So, I guess Jamie hasn't told you two that he's been dating his dream girl," Philip said, getting up to pour himself more wine.
"No, no. There were two messages waiting for me when I got in the morning after he met her," Lee said.
"Wait a minute! I'm the only one that hasn't been informed? This is Jamie's first girlfriend, and I don't even get to hear about it from his own mouth?" Amanda said, reaching for the phone.
"Oh, Amanda, leave them alone! They're probably in the movie theater; he doesn't want that cell phone ringing in the middle of the movie. He didn't even want to take it with him!" Lee smiled.
"All right. But he's going to get it as soon as he walks in that door, Stetson," Amanda said, releasing her death grip on the cordless.
Beth managed to miss Jamie by twenty minutes when she left the house. She was in quite a mess now. It wouldn't take too long before Lee or Amanda put their stories together to get the complete picture. She was supposed to be meeting Jamie at the jazz club across from her apartment building at midnight, so she had a couple hours to decide what to do. He said he had a surprise for her.
Jamie chewed on his thumbnail as his mother dissertated on the importance of being honest for almost half an hour. He was trying desperately to keep a smile off his face. Between his mother's overprotectiveness, Lee rolling his eyes from the kitchen, and the thoughts of meeting Beth, he was fighting a losing battle.
"And just what are you smiling at, James Michael?" Philip burst out laughing at the use of the infamous 'middle name.'
"Mom! Are you really that upset? You haven't called me James Michael since I got that speeding ticket my senior year," Jamie managed, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, Jamie. I was just jealous I hadn't heard anything," Amanda conceded, and plopped down next to him on the couch. Lee was close behind her, and Philip sat across from the three of them on the fireplace.
"I don't know why I haven't told you, Mom. I know you've been worried about me lately; me and all my sentimentality. I don't have any experience in this sort of thing. I'm scared I'm falling too fast or something," Jamie said, and ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, tell me about her, Jamie! I'll be the judge of who is falling too fast!" Amanda bubbled, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.
" She's getting ready to graduate in December, and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Jamie smiled. "I've invited her to meet you twice, but I think she's nervous about it. I'm getting ready to go meet her now, actually, if Philip wouldn't mind taking me back into the city," he continued.
"Yeah, come on. I'd like to get back to my place by morning," Philip said sarcastically as Jamie stood up.
"Well, ask her again, Jamie. I'd love to meet her, and I know Lee would too," Amanda said, standing to kiss Jamie's forehead.
"I'll see what I can do, Mom. I'll call tomorrow," he said.
"And email me, Sport," Lee said.
"Oh, gross, Lee. You know I hate 'Sport!'" Lee merely laughed and walked the two men to the front door.
"You two stay out of trouble," he called after them as they pulled out of the driveway.
Beth sat at the bar in the club, nursing a beer. Jamie was late; it was almost 12:30. The drone of the announcer was putting her to sleep. She was getting ready to get up when she noticed him sit down at the piano on stage.
He winked at her as he began to play. It was a simple little ballad, but Beth was impressed. As he finished, their eyes locked, and he mouthed the words 'I wrote that for you.' She felt her cheeks get red, and walked over to meet him as he came off the stage. The club was emptying out.
"I can't believe you're drinking beer," he smiled, kissing her gently on the cheek.
"I can't believe you wrote that for me," she whispered.
"Lee has taught me everything I know about alcohol. Says he's trying to prepare me for turning twenty-one," Jamie laughed. "And I've learned the advantages of wine over beer."
"Lee?"
"Oh, my stepdad. I've never mentioned his name before, have I?"
"No, you haven't." She smiled across the table at him. "Was that song my surprise?"
"Oh, your surprise! No, that was not your surprise. This is," he said, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Beth eyed it suspiciously.
"What is this for?"
"I met you two months ago today," Jamie grinned. "I bought this when I was in Moscow over the summer. I was going to give it to Jenny when she got a little bigger, but I think you'd appreciate it more than her," he said.
Beth opened the small box. Inside was a silver ring, with a small, round ruby in the middle.
"Jamie, I can't accept this. You bought this for your sister," she tried to refuse.
"Listen, Beth. I know I don't know everything I want to know about you. And I know you don't really know a lot about me. I can't say I have much experience at this. I've never fallen in love before," he said, taking her hand.
"You're falling in love?"
"I think so. No one makes me smile like you do. No one makes me nervous like you do. And no one makes me weak in the knees like you do."
"Jamie ..."
"I know, I know. It's too fast. I'm going too fast. I can't help it."
Beth sighed and looked down at the ring again. She knew she was falling in love with Jamie, but she'd lied to him so much. If he knew she'd lied to him, he'd never forgive her.
"I want you to have the ring, Beth. It doesn't have to mean anything right now, other than I think you're beautiful and charming and wonderful," he stopped as she slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand. He looked up and smiled at her.
That smile was killing her. She had no idea how to tell him. She didn't even know what she could tell him. Not to mention his stepdad was her boss and his mother was her mentoring agent.
"Jamie, I really think I need to get some rest. I think you should, too. I know you don't sleep enough. Or eat enough for that matter," she said, playfully squeezing his side.
"Well, let me walk you out then," he said, standing up and offering her his hand.
The pair walked out and stood under a street light.
"I'll see you in class tomorrow, Beth," he said, and leaned down to kiss her. Beth was glad he had his arm firmly in place at her back, because she wouldn't have been able to remain standing.
"Good night, Jamie," she said, and set out across the street.
He stood and watched her, and was alarmed when a car sped around the corner.
"Look out, Beth!" he called.
The car skidded to a halt right in front of her apartment building, and Jamie watched as a familiar looking man jumped out of the car and grabbed Elizabeth. This time Jamie couldn't run away and act like nothing had happened. He ran across the street.
"Leave her alone! Stop right there!" he called, as the man hustled Beth into the backseat of the car. Jamie had to dive out of the way as the car sped off. He looked up in time to get the license plate number, and then sat up and looked at the sidewalk. Beth had dropped her purse and the contents were all over the sidewalk.
He picked up her car keys, her wallet, and then stopped as he looked down at an identification tag. He felt nauseous as he recognized the letters on the tag. IFF. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But he did know where he was headed right now. Jamie ran behind the apartment building, started Beth's car, and began the drive to Rockville.
Beth quickly clipped her wet hair behind her head as she ran out of the house. She was the perfect picture of youth, beauty, and energy. And this picture perfect girl was incredibly nervous. Lee and Amanda had invited her over for dinner tonight, and she had big news for them.
Jamie refused to let her walk out of his life. The night they'd met at the Lincoln Memorial, Beth had driven him around until early the next morning. They'd talked about school, about Jamie's travels, and Beth's childhood. She never let herself tell anyone about the life she knew as a child, about all the loneliness and abandonment. Yet she couldn't stop herself with Jamie. She found herself wanting to tell him everything. And now, that they'd been growing closer the past few weeks, it was getting harder and harder not to.
Jamie was vague about his family. Whenever they came up in discussion, Jamie would smile and shake his head.
"My mother is beautiful. She's the most incredible person I know. My father lives in Estoccia with his wife and daughter, and he works for the EAO. I really mostly credit my stepfather with raising me properly, not Dad. Dad's a good guy; he just couldn't be everywhere at once. He wanted to work and help people, and he left me and Phil behind and really didn't look back. He was back in DC for a couple years, and married Carrie right before he went back to Africa. Mom married my stepdad on Christmas Eve in 1989, and I really haven't looked back since. I have an incredible family. I couldn't be luckier," Jamie had said that night. Beth tried to bring up his family on a couple other occasions, but Jamie had cleverly danced around the subject. He'd mentioned his younger brother and sister, Matty and Jenny, a few times, but generally avoided the family topic. "You have to meet them to understand."
Tonight she wanted to tell Lee. She wasn't looking forward to it. She knew as well as the rest of the bullpen that she was Lee's new prodigy. Beth seemed to be the 'lone wolf' that Lee had once been. Some of the steno pool had gone so far as to start referring to her as 'Toto' behind her back, because she seemed to be at Scarecrow's side so often.
Beth was also in a complicated situation with Jamie. She'd lied to him when they first met, telling him she'd been ejected from the FBI academy. He had only within the past few days started to ask questions about why she kept breaking dates, and missing classes. For someone she was so hooked on, she felt like she didn't really know him, and she knew for a fact he didn't know the 'real' Beth. They'd never been to each other's apartments, and though Jamie had asked Beth twice, she hadn't met his parents.
But she didn't have time to worry about Jamie right now. She had to concentrate on not freaking Lee and Amanda out with the news. They expected so much out of her, and Beth wanted to please them. But she also wanted some semblance of normality in her life. She let out on final sigh of exasperation as she knocked on the front door of the gorgeous Rockville home.
Lee answered the door in jeans and a slightly wrinkled polo shirt. Beth smiled at this irregularity. She wasn't used to seeing her boss in anything less than perfectly pressed suits and sport coats.
"Hi, Beth. Come on in," he smiled, opening the door for her. "Amanda is in the kitchen, straight down the hall. I'm on the phone, I'll be in shortly," he pointed down the corridor and then plopped down onto the stairs.
Beth was impressed at the interior of the house. It was well done, but not too stuffy. Beautiful photographs of the two younger children lined the hallway, and she stopped to look at the picture of their oldest son. It was a graduation portrait from the Naval Academy.
'Another navy boy,' Beth thought.
"Hi, sweetheart," Amanda called from the kitchen. "Come on in and sit down, it's almost ready. I hope you like Beef Wellington!"
"It smells wonderful, Amanda," Beth smiled, taking a seat at the bar.
"Lee and I are just loving this. Jamie took our two youngest ones for the night, so we decided to go all out. Matthew refuses to eat red meat. We don't know why, he just hates it! He'll sit here and eat chicken all day, but he won't touch a hamburger. Never in my life have I seen such a picky eater!"
Amanda handed Beth a glass of wine, which she accepted.
"I didn't know you had a son named Jamie. I've heard about Philip and Matthew, but I don't think you've mentioned Jamie," Beth said, her curiosity peaked.
"That can't be! Don't tell the younger two, but Jamie will always be my baby. Philip is Lee's tough man, and Jenny is daddy's girl. Matthew is the apple of his grandmother's eye. But Jamie. Jamie is a mama's boy, no matter how much he'll deny it," Amanda laughed. "Jamie is my artist. He's the sensitive one."
Beth shook her head. There was no way that her Jamie was Amanda Stetson's son.
"How old did you say he was, Amanda?"
"Jamie is twenty now. He's a junior at Georgetown. You actually might know him, he's a Russian minor."
Beth dropped the wineglass onto the carpet.
"Oh, Amanda! I'm sorry!" she said, scurrying to get a paper towel.
"Don't worry, dear. This carpet has seen worse, believe me," she smiled. "Are you all right, Beth? You just got awfully pale!"
"I'm fine," she managed. There was a silence while Beth cleaned up the mess and Amanda went back into the kitchen.
"Amanda?"
"Mm hmm," she said absently, setting the table.
"How long have you and Lee been married?"
"Well, if you count the elopement, almost nine years. You see, Lee and I married secretly in 1987 because we were afraid our marriage would put our family in danger. Philip and Jamie were just getting to be teenagers. We just didn't know what to do."
"What happened with your first marriage, if you don't mind me asking."
"It's long and complicated. Joe graduated from law school right before Jamie was born, and immediately took a job with the EAO. They sent him to Estoccia. Joe, of course, wanted us to come with him, but I insisted that we couldn't raise two little boys in North Africa. We tried living apart for a couple years, but by the time Jamie was two, we realized it wasn't going to work. The divorce was final in December of that year, and Joe quit coming to visit as often," Amanda said. "He came back to Washington for a while, long enough to meet a wonderful woman who was willing to go with him back to Africa. That was in 1989. They've been there ever since, and that Joe King does a wonderful job."
Hearing the words 'Joe King' out of Amanda's mouth removed any doubt from Beth's mind. She sighed loudly. No wonder Jamie didn't like to talk about his parents! They were two of the world's most effective spies! Beth wondered if Jamie even knew that.
"Amanda, how did you tell your sons about everything?"
"Well, actually it's a complicated story. An old nemesis of Lee's kidnapped Jamie when he was fourteen, and we were basically forced to tell our family then. They didn't even know we were married, much less federal agents. It was an incredibly difficult situation. I've never been so scared in my life. Lee went to Moscow to get Jamie, and we were on contact zero, so I had no idea where my son and husband were or if they were even alive for almost a week. Finally, Billy came and got me in the middle of the night and put me on the first flight to Frankfurt. Lee had rescued him," Amanda continued, beginning to get choked up.
"Oh, Amanda," Beth said after a silence. She really didn't know how to handle all this. "It must have been so hard."
"It still is hard. The two little ones are still too young to know anything, and I can only imagine what it's going to be like when we finally tell them. I was sedated when Lee had to tell Mother and Philip that night. But Lee still gets choked up when he talks about the whole situation. We never meant to hurt our family, and they know that. It was just hard," she said.
"I can imagine," Beth replied.
Lee entered the kitchen and smiled at Beth.
"So what are you two talking about? I heard my name," he smiled, reaching for the bottle of wine.
"I was telling Beth about how you and I came to be 'you and I.'"
"I see. So let me guess, Elizabeth. You've got a boyfriend and you're scared to death to tell me," Lee smiled and took a sip of wine.
Beth grinned sheepishly and nodded.
"How do you do that? Know what I'm going to ask before I get around to it!"
"You haven't asked either of us many personal questions before. You were obviously trying to grasp the situation. Things will be different for you, Beth. I'm assuming you're seeing a civilian?"
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"See, Amanda and I don't have any problems with talking about work. But you won't be able to just come home and talk about what the President is up to in Lebanon this week. National security comes into play in this relationship. And I really don't have any experience in that field. How long have you been seeing this guy?"
"Since right after I was recruited. I really didn't intend for this to happen. It just ... did," she sighed.
"There isn't anything wrong with it, Beth. You just have to realize what you're getting yourself into," Amanda said. "Towards the end of all the secrecy, I was running out of lies and my mother was getting incredibly suspicious. It gets complicated. I'm assuming you haven't told this guy anything?"
"No, I haven't," she replied.
"I wish I could help you more. Maybe she should talk to Francine, Lee," Amanda said, looking at Lee, who immediately laughed out loud. "What? She dated Jonathan for the longest time and never really got into too much trouble."
"I don't know about that, Amanda. Francine may be getting soft in her old age, but she certainly isn't soft enough to sit down for a fireside chat with a rookie. Maybe we should take her to see Billy," he answered.
"What is Billy up to tonight, Lee? Maybe he'd come over for dinner. I've certainly got enough here," Amanda said.
"Ah, forgot to mention. That was Philip on the phone, he's on his way over. He was in DC today so he's just going to stop here for supper. We can't exactly chat about this in front of him," Lee smiled.
"Well, we'll just have to set something up. Billy was our section chief before Lee took over, Beth. He's just a darling teddy bear of a man," Amanda smiled, and pointed to a picture of Billy and Lee at Billy's retirement party.
The doorbell rang, and Lee went to let Philip in. He entered the living room in uniform, and immediately went into flirt mode upon seeing Beth sitting at the bar.
"Beth, this is our oldest son, Philip," Lee said.
"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure," Philip said, shaking Beth's hand and flashing the trademark Philip King grin.
"Can it, Philip. She's taken," Amanda said, swatting his arm, and then kissing him on the cheek. "And she works with us at IFF."
"Oh, dear. Here I am again, surrounded by spies. And I can't believe you let Jamie take Matty and Jenny out tonight, in your brand new car! I haven't even taken it for a test drive yet!"
"Jamie doesn't have a car, Philip. He's a full time student! You just bought that truck, I don't know what you're complaining about," Amanda continued to get dinner on the table.
"Philip will do his best to find something to complain about, Beth. He gets jealous of Jamie," Lee smiled, clapping him on the back. "You're almost twenty-three years old, and you're still fighting with your younger brother!"
"Come on, fellas. Dinner is ready," Amanda said, sitting down at the table. Dinner was passed in pleasant conversation, and Beth spent most of the time observing this family that Jamie had referred to as 'incredible.' He was certainly right about that.
"So, Beth. Tell us about yourself," Lee said nonchalantly. He'd read her file, and knew about her parents. But he was trying to break down some of her walls. He knew how easy it was to build up a persona and lose track of the real person behind the codename. She sighed and hesitated. Amanda gave her an encouraging look.
"Well, I was born in Boston, and shortly thereafter we moved to Arlington. My father was CIA, as I'm sure you know. My mother taught English at Boston University until I was born, and when we moved here she worked as a courier for the CIA and stayed at home with me until I started school. I had a semi-normal childhood until I turned ten. My father got involved in a conspiratorial mess within the CIA. Some of his friends were leaking information, and they wanted him to get involved. Obviously they couldn't let him live after he refused. So, on their wedding anniversary in July, my parents went out to dinner and left me at home with the babysitter. It was the last time I ever saw them alive. They were shot sitting in the car at a traffic light. My mother's brother was my only living relative, and he was awarded custody. Obviously, he couldn't raise me properly, so he sent me to boarding school in London. I saw him every once in a while. Uncle Austin seemed to materialize out of nowhere at swim meets or debates, and he'd take me out to dinner and tell me to keep it up; that hard work will pay off. I decided when I graduated I wanted to come back here to be near him. He's my only family," Beth sighed. "He spoils me rotten, as I'm sure you know. But I was honestly surprised when he offered me this job. He's done nothing but refuse to offer me a job. He was honest with me a couple months ago, though. He said he wanted me here instead of MI6 so he can 'keep an eye' on me."
Lee smiled and reached over to pat Beth's hand.
"I lost my parents at an early age too, Beth. I know it's not easy, but it seems like you've got a good head on your shoulders. You've done nothing but impress us since we met you," he said.
"Thanks, Lee," Beth smiled. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"So, I guess Jamie hasn't told you two that he's been dating his dream girl," Philip said, getting up to pour himself more wine.
"No, no. There were two messages waiting for me when I got in the morning after he met her," Lee said.
"Wait a minute! I'm the only one that hasn't been informed? This is Jamie's first girlfriend, and I don't even get to hear about it from his own mouth?" Amanda said, reaching for the phone.
"Oh, Amanda, leave them alone! They're probably in the movie theater; he doesn't want that cell phone ringing in the middle of the movie. He didn't even want to take it with him!" Lee smiled.
"All right. But he's going to get it as soon as he walks in that door, Stetson," Amanda said, releasing her death grip on the cordless.
Beth managed to miss Jamie by twenty minutes when she left the house. She was in quite a mess now. It wouldn't take too long before Lee or Amanda put their stories together to get the complete picture. She was supposed to be meeting Jamie at the jazz club across from her apartment building at midnight, so she had a couple hours to decide what to do. He said he had a surprise for her.
Jamie chewed on his thumbnail as his mother dissertated on the importance of being honest for almost half an hour. He was trying desperately to keep a smile off his face. Between his mother's overprotectiveness, Lee rolling his eyes from the kitchen, and the thoughts of meeting Beth, he was fighting a losing battle.
"And just what are you smiling at, James Michael?" Philip burst out laughing at the use of the infamous 'middle name.'
"Mom! Are you really that upset? You haven't called me James Michael since I got that speeding ticket my senior year," Jamie managed, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, Jamie. I was just jealous I hadn't heard anything," Amanda conceded, and plopped down next to him on the couch. Lee was close behind her, and Philip sat across from the three of them on the fireplace.
"I don't know why I haven't told you, Mom. I know you've been worried about me lately; me and all my sentimentality. I don't have any experience in this sort of thing. I'm scared I'm falling too fast or something," Jamie said, and ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, tell me about her, Jamie! I'll be the judge of who is falling too fast!" Amanda bubbled, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.
" She's getting ready to graduate in December, and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Jamie smiled. "I've invited her to meet you twice, but I think she's nervous about it. I'm getting ready to go meet her now, actually, if Philip wouldn't mind taking me back into the city," he continued.
"Yeah, come on. I'd like to get back to my place by morning," Philip said sarcastically as Jamie stood up.
"Well, ask her again, Jamie. I'd love to meet her, and I know Lee would too," Amanda said, standing to kiss Jamie's forehead.
"I'll see what I can do, Mom. I'll call tomorrow," he said.
"And email me, Sport," Lee said.
"Oh, gross, Lee. You know I hate 'Sport!'" Lee merely laughed and walked the two men to the front door.
"You two stay out of trouble," he called after them as they pulled out of the driveway.
Beth sat at the bar in the club, nursing a beer. Jamie was late; it was almost 12:30. The drone of the announcer was putting her to sleep. She was getting ready to get up when she noticed him sit down at the piano on stage.
He winked at her as he began to play. It was a simple little ballad, but Beth was impressed. As he finished, their eyes locked, and he mouthed the words 'I wrote that for you.' She felt her cheeks get red, and walked over to meet him as he came off the stage. The club was emptying out.
"I can't believe you're drinking beer," he smiled, kissing her gently on the cheek.
"I can't believe you wrote that for me," she whispered.
"Lee has taught me everything I know about alcohol. Says he's trying to prepare me for turning twenty-one," Jamie laughed. "And I've learned the advantages of wine over beer."
"Lee?"
"Oh, my stepdad. I've never mentioned his name before, have I?"
"No, you haven't." She smiled across the table at him. "Was that song my surprise?"
"Oh, your surprise! No, that was not your surprise. This is," he said, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Beth eyed it suspiciously.
"What is this for?"
"I met you two months ago today," Jamie grinned. "I bought this when I was in Moscow over the summer. I was going to give it to Jenny when she got a little bigger, but I think you'd appreciate it more than her," he said.
Beth opened the small box. Inside was a silver ring, with a small, round ruby in the middle.
"Jamie, I can't accept this. You bought this for your sister," she tried to refuse.
"Listen, Beth. I know I don't know everything I want to know about you. And I know you don't really know a lot about me. I can't say I have much experience at this. I've never fallen in love before," he said, taking her hand.
"You're falling in love?"
"I think so. No one makes me smile like you do. No one makes me nervous like you do. And no one makes me weak in the knees like you do."
"Jamie ..."
"I know, I know. It's too fast. I'm going too fast. I can't help it."
Beth sighed and looked down at the ring again. She knew she was falling in love with Jamie, but she'd lied to him so much. If he knew she'd lied to him, he'd never forgive her.
"I want you to have the ring, Beth. It doesn't have to mean anything right now, other than I think you're beautiful and charming and wonderful," he stopped as she slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand. He looked up and smiled at her.
That smile was killing her. She had no idea how to tell him. She didn't even know what she could tell him. Not to mention his stepdad was her boss and his mother was her mentoring agent.
"Jamie, I really think I need to get some rest. I think you should, too. I know you don't sleep enough. Or eat enough for that matter," she said, playfully squeezing his side.
"Well, let me walk you out then," he said, standing up and offering her his hand.
The pair walked out and stood under a street light.
"I'll see you in class tomorrow, Beth," he said, and leaned down to kiss her. Beth was glad he had his arm firmly in place at her back, because she wouldn't have been able to remain standing.
"Good night, Jamie," she said, and set out across the street.
He stood and watched her, and was alarmed when a car sped around the corner.
"Look out, Beth!" he called.
The car skidded to a halt right in front of her apartment building, and Jamie watched as a familiar looking man jumped out of the car and grabbed Elizabeth. This time Jamie couldn't run away and act like nothing had happened. He ran across the street.
"Leave her alone! Stop right there!" he called, as the man hustled Beth into the backseat of the car. Jamie had to dive out of the way as the car sped off. He looked up in time to get the license plate number, and then sat up and looked at the sidewalk. Beth had dropped her purse and the contents were all over the sidewalk.
He picked up her car keys, her wallet, and then stopped as he looked down at an identification tag. He felt nauseous as he recognized the letters on the tag. IFF. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But he did know where he was headed right now. Jamie ran behind the apartment building, started Beth's car, and began the drive to Rockville.