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Scarecrow and Mrs. King: Total Comfort

Disclaimer: They are not in any way mine. I make no money. I'm poor as it is. I'm just a teenager! If you want to sue me, I promise you won't come up with much.

Thanks to Jen for beta reading this story for me.


This story is a continuation in the series I'm sort of making. Sorry it's taken me so long to continue it, what with graduating and all I've been busy these last few months. The other stories in the series are:

Secrets Can't Be Kept Forever

A Familiar Dance

Hush Little Baby

There will be more to come; I'm trying to show you my version of all that I think might have happened after the series ended. I hope you're enjoying them.

I love writing, so your reviews are very welcome, especially helpful ones. But flames are not appreciated. It's fine if you don't like my stories; even though I'd really like you to.

Chapter 1

"Everything will work out, everything will work out." The man reassured himself, he began to play with a few pieces of machinery he had sitting on his table, he was enjoying David Letterman on the TV that sat in front of him. "You will pay Lee Stetson, you will pay."

________

Lee rolled over in bed and went to put his arm around his wife, he realized she wasn't there and looked at the clock sitting on the nightstand on her side of the bed. 3:43, she couldn't have been making breakfast, and he doubted she was up with Eric, he didn't remember hearing the baby monitor, and ever since he'd taken a break on the teething, he had been sleeping all night. Then he realized there was a light on in the bathroom. Lee threw his covers to the side and slid out of bed. He stood in the doorway and looked at his wife sitting against the bathroom wall crying.

"Manda, it's 3:45, what's wrong Beautiful." Lee said as he sat next to her and put his arm around her.

"I wasn't feeling so well, so I came in here, and after I threw-up, I just started to think."

"Think about what gorgeous." Lee asked.

"Well," Amanda paused. She looked at Lee. "I don't remember." Amanda sobbed as she fell into her Lee's chest. She began to cry even harder. Lee hugged her, and played with her hair.

"Hey, hey, stop." Lee said as he wiped her tears. "Come on now. Let's brush your teeth, and go back to bed, I'll hold you." He helped Amanda to her feet, and stood behind her as she brushed her teeth. He loved the idea that she was wearing his shirt. "Come on." Lee said as she finished up and hugged him. They walked out of the bathroom and he turned the light off. He climbed into bed with her and she laid there the rest of the night in Lee's arms.

At seven o'clock the alarm went off. Lee threw his pillow at it, and knocked it off the nightstand. He laid his head on Amanda's pillow and lay there smelling Amanda's hair. He wished they could stay there forever.

"That was effective." Amanda said as she grabbed Lee's hand and kissed it. The doorknob on their bedroom door began to turn, and the door pushed open. A tiny ball of brown hair peered it's way through the slit in the door as Eric slipped in.

"Mommy, Daddy, Normie's stuck." Eric said as he came into the room dragging a blue blanket behind him. Lee quickly sat up.

"Eric, who let you out of your crib, Philip or Jamie?" Amanda asked.

"Nobody." Eric said as he climbed up on his parent's bed.

"How'd you get out then Sport." Lee said as he looked at his son.

"Climbed." Eric answered simply.

"He wouldn't be related to you, would he?" Amanda asked as she sat up and lifted her son to her lap. Lee smiled. "Sounds like somebody's ready for a big boy bed." Amanda said as she looked at her son.

"Sure." Eric shrugged. "Normie's stuck."

"Where is Normie stuck?" Lee asked.

"In the bars." Eric said.

"Come show me." Lee replied as he lifted his son off Amanda's lap and stood him on the ground. Lee climbed out of the bed. "I'll get Philip and Jamie up, you get your shower."

Lee took his sons hand and went with him into his bedroom. He saw that the small yellow stained blackish, duck laid with his head outside of the bars, his neck between and them, and his body inside of them. Lee kneeled down by the crib and looked at his son that stood next to him. 

"Tell me what happened." Lee looked over to the little boy and watched intently as he explained.

"Well, I woked up, and I was a tittle hungie, so I climbed up Bear, and then I got on the desser, then, I got onto the dair, and I came back to the bed to get Bankie and Normie, Bankie came out, but I could only pull Normie to dare." Eric said as he pointed to the duck that was indeed stuck. Lee nodded, as he turned the duck to its side, and pulled him out.

"There's Normie." Lee said as he handed him to his son. "Now, let's go wake up the other two sleepy heads." Lee picked his son up and they left the room. They walked across the hall to Philip and Jamie's room. Lee opened the door and saw Philip asleep on the top bunk; Jamie was sitting at the desk writing something. He was too caught up in whatever he was doing to notice Lee and Eric come into the room, Lee walked over to Jamie and stood watching him.

"Why don't you give your brother a kiss." Lee mentioned to Eric. Eric willingly leaned over and kissed Jamie on the forehead.

"Good morning Jamie." Eric fell back into his fathers' arms.

"What's up there little man." Jamie mumbled still paying attention to his paper.

"What are you working on?" Lee asked.

"I just don't feel right about what I wrote on this picture. I hate it that Mr. McGrant thinks we should be able to write three-hundred words on the pictures we turn in."

"Well, write what you feel." Lee said as he picked the picture up to look at it.

"That's the problem, I think there a short circuit somewhere in my brain, I know what I feel, but I can't put it on this dumb piece of paper." Jamie told him in frustration.

"Well, keep tryin' Champ, you'll get it." Lee patted Jamie on the back. Then he walked over to the bed where Philip slept. He lifted Eric onto his shoulder; Eric took his hands and squeezed Philip's cheeks together.

"Fishy." Eric giggled as he watched his brother move around on the bed.

"Eric, I don't want to get up yet." Philip moaned as he rolled over.

"Tough luck Chief, school starts in an hour." Lee replied as he pulled Eric back. "Get up." Lee walked away from the bed and turned the light on. He knew that Philip would be unable to sleep with the light on. "Oh, give me your pillow." Lee thought. Philip groaned as he threw the pillow across the room. "Morning boys."

Lee took Eric in his room and dressed him. Then he went down stairs and started making the boys their lunch. He gave Eric a graham cracker to keep him occupied, and watched him play in his high chair from the counter. Amanda came down stairs with her hair wrapped in a towel; she was dressed and mostly ready for work. She kissed Lee on the cheek and whispered "your turn" in his ear. After the boys were sent off to school, and Eric was dropped off at Mrs. Mather's house, Lee and Amanda headed for work.

Mrs. Mather's was a sort of safe house for the children of spies, agents were posted around the house at all times, and Mrs. Mather's watched the children from inside, the windows were bullet proof, and the doors remained locked at all times. Of course the kids didn't understand what was going on, but the children of spies had to be protected from anyone that might want to take revenge on their parents, it was an agency precaution.

When Lee and Amanda arrived at the agency, Francine and Billy were in a conference. It didn't matter too much, the four had agreed on having lunch, and that would come soon enough, so Lee and Amanda just went to the Q Bureau and began to work on filing. Amanda had excused her self twice before lunch to go to the bathroom, and the second time Lee followed her to make sure she was okay. She had been throwing-up constantly lately, and it was making Lee worry, although Amanda never said anything was wrong.

__________

"Everything is going according to plan." The tall man said to himself as he watched the agency in a black car from across the street.

Chapter 2

Lee sat in his desk waiting for Amanda to come back into the Q Bureau; he fiddled with the pen that was in his hand before Amanda finally came back in. She gave him a quick glance before sitting to her desk, hoping he wouldn't say anything she dove into some papers.

"I want you to go to the doctor." Lee said breaking the silence.

"I said the same thing to you about five months ago, and I remember hearing, 'doctors won't help, they don't know what they're talking about'." Amanda told him.

"That was different, I knew that I had just caught some whimsical virus that passed out of me in a couple of days, you on the other hand, have been throwing-up every couple of hours for the last four days. You're going to the doctor today at 1:30, we'll go after lunch with Francine and Billy, together."

"Lee, we have all kinds of work to do here at the agency, the last thing either of us have time for is the doctor."

"Amanda, you're going, we're not arguing about this."

"Fine, the sooner I get this 'whimsical virus' out of me, the better." Amanda smiled as she stood and headed for the safe. Lee followed her over to the safe. He put his arms around her waist and looked into her brown eyes.

"Thank you." Lee said as he kissed her cheek. "It's makes me sad to watch you sick."

"Well, it's not like it's all fun and games for me." Amanda whimpered as she kissed him back. "Although, I always enjoy this." Amanda whispered as she moved towards Lee's lips, he willingly kissed her back when they heard the door outside the Q Bureau open.

"Did you lock the door?" Lee asked. They pulled apart quickly.

"No." Amanda answered regretfully. "Why is it, that no one comes up here when we're looking at paper work, but the second the fun begins, they decide to drop by the Q Bureau." Amanda asked as the door opened, it was a very pregnant Francine. She'd begin showing lately, and she wasn't very happy about it.

"Amanda, how did you ever manage to look so good when you were pregnant with Eric." Francine complained as she sat in Amanda's chair at the desk.

"Francine, it's all part of being pregnant, you can't always look like a model."

"Especially not with a big bulge in the front of you." Francine whined as she put her hands in her face. Amanda walked over to where Francine stood. "What were you both doing in the safe, I wasn't interrupting anything was I?" Lee looked disappointed as he left the safe and shut the door. He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a chocolate pudding cup, he grabbed a spoon and walked over to Francine.

"Amanda loved these when she was pregnant." Lee said as he handed it to Francine.

"You didn't bring one for your wife." Amanda said displeased. Lee went back to the refrigerator and grabbed one for Amanda. "Thank you." Amanda added smiling. Lee handed it to her and went and sat at his desk.

"So, what's this really about Francine." Lee questioned. "Because I know that you didn't come up here to whine about how pregnancy is ruining your fashion statement, and although part of it was probably for the pudding cup, you had to think of a real reason, or Billy would have never allowed it."

Francine smiled at Lee, she knew he was right. "SDBIR offered me a job, pay jumps to GG 15, and I'm probably going to take it."

"I think it's a great idea." Amanda said as she went and sat on the couch on the opposite end of the room.

"So do I, but…" Francine paused.

"You're worried about us." Lee said. "Francine, we aren't work acquaintances, our friendship goes deeper than that. And you can always call Amanda after the baby's born for advice on how to change a diaper." Lee joked.

"I know, I just never thought when I met Amanda six years ago, that I'd be needing her help."

"Hey." Amanda complained. "I'm not that bad."

"No, you aren't." Lee started. "But you know, that six years ago, Francine and I lived quite differently than we do now, if you'd have told me six years ago, that today, I'd be married, have three sons, one of which was genetically mine and taking my wife to the doctor at 1:30, I'd have laughed in your face. But, I love you." Amanda smiled back at him.

"I love you too."

"Isn't this cute. Guys, I'm talking about me here." Francine interrupted.

"Sorry." Amanda apologized. "Look, give us more details, maybe that'll help."

"Okay, well, the job doesn't start until August of next year, which will give me plenty of time with the baby, and I like that, I just don't know how I'll feel investigating things that aren't, well, you know." Francine said as she fell back in the chair.

"August of next year? That's a lot of advance notice, don't you think?" Amanda sounded surprised.

"Well, I guess some old guy can't retire and get full pension until then, and he likes to make sure there's someone to fill his shoes, so he suggested me. Then, he heard that I was pregnant, and things seemed to just fall in place. He wants me to come in a few days a week next July so he can train me. Said I could bring the baby." Francine explained.

"Francine, I think you should take it." Lee said. "The danger is very low at SDBIR, that'll put you, Jonathan and the baby at a lot less of a risk. Having a family is a lot different than being on your own. You know mine and Amanda's number, you can call us anytime, and we can do stuff with the kids, I want Eric to get to know that baby."

"Yeah."

"Hey, that little baby in there is going to be my niece or nephew, and I don't want to put it in any more danger than Eric is in, I already hate it that Amanda works here, but she insists, and I can't tell her no, now, we keep our family safe, and we still work at the agency, it just might be better if you didn't."

"I know. Amanda, you're pretty quite in all of this, why aren't you saying anything?" Francine asked.

"Well, I already made the decision once, it was a hard one for me, and it was a decision I had to make on my own, you're where I was about two years ago, you just have to look at your options." Amanda told her honestly. "Are you guys hungry? I think it's time we left for lunch." Amanda quickly stood up and walked toward the door. "I'll be right back."

"Not again." Lee sighed as he followed her.

"Where are you going?" Francine said as she watched them both quickly leave the Q Bureau. Francine stood up and watched Lee and Amanda go into the woman's bathroom. She decided to figure out why they were both going in there, so she too went in. She heard Amanda, and stood in the door waiting as Billy came in the door. He didn't realize that Francine was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, so he proceeded into the Q Bureau.

Amanda stood from the toilet, Lee flushed it for her, and she washed her face off in the sink. "Is Amanda pregnant again?" Francine asked. Amanda lifted her head quickly from the sink. Lee was taken aback.

"I never thought about that." Amanda turned to look at Lee.

"You can be pregnant again, already, I mean…" Lee stammered.

"Lee, Philip was about Eric's age when I got pregnant with Jamie." Amanda informed him as she looked at Francine and knew that she was right.

"Really?!" Lee questioned smiling. Amanda hugged Lee as Billy came over to the bathroom.


"When did we start having meeting's in the ladies restroom." Billy asked as he came over.

"Billy, Amanda's pregnant." Lee shouted as he looked at his boss with a gleaming smile.

Billy smiled widely as well. "Lee, we don't know for sure yet." Amanda reminded him.

"Are you guys telling me, you didn't have it figured out?" Francine questioned looking amazed.

"Don't let it go to your head Francine." Lee grunted as he wrapped his arm around Amanda's waist and began to leave the bathroom. "Let's go get something to eat."

Lee and Amanda didn't go back to work after they left the doctor, it was certain that Amanda was pregnant now, two months a long, and the baby was due in July, they wanted to spend the after noon together, so they went to the park. They sat on a park bench talking.

"We're going to have to move." Lee said looking at Amanda.

"No, we can make Eric share his room with the new baby." Amanda said not fully willing to put up with the hassles of moving.

"What if it's a girl." Lee said.

"We move Eric in with Jamie and Phil…" Amanda stopped as she thought about it. "Yeah, you're right, we have to move."

"Can we move to Rockville, acre and a half?" Lee asked. "We still have all of that money from when we let go of my apartment and sold the furniture."

"We didn't sell your bed though did we?" Amanda asked.

"No, we kept my bedroom set, that's the $59 payment we make to Diamond Storage every month."

"This will work." Amanda smiled looking at Lee.


"You lost me."

"We can give Philip his own room, and he can have your bedroom set, those bunk beds that the boys have now come apart, we give one bed to Eric, and the new baby can have Eric's crib. Everything is coming together quite nicely."

"So you see us getting a five bedroom house." Lee said just before an explosion came from across the park. They both sat up quickly as they noticed what had just been blown up, Amanda's car. As they ran toward the car a homeless man that pushed a cart walked up to them.

"The man in the red hat said to give you this."  The homeless man told them as he handed them a small piece of paper that read, 'do I have your attention now?' Lee scanned the park for a man in a red hat; he couldn't see anyone in a red hat. The homeless man walked on, mumbling something to himself.

"I don't believe this Amanda!" Lee shouted as he looked around the park.

"Yeah." Amanda sighed, deciding this actually fit perfectly into the picture, nothing ever seemed to work out without a few kinks.

"How are we supposed to cart three kids around this city if they just blew-up the Wagoneer, now all we have is the Vette, and it's a two passenger." Lee growled.

"Multiple trips?" Amanda joked. "I'm sorry, Lee look, let's just call Billy, and tell him what happened. We should have him send a few agents over to the school to make sure no one goes after the boys, and we'll go pick up Eric so that he's with us. We'll call mother and check on her too, they'll probably leave her out of it though if they want our 'attention'." Amanda reasoned as she hugged her husband for support.

"Chevy's been making Corvette's since 1953, you'd think by now they'd have made a backseat." Lee mumbled to himself. "Not now Amanda, I don't want to deal with this right now." He said as hugged her back and rested his head in her shoulder.

"Come on." Amanda was trying to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Let's find a pay phone." He grabbed her hand and they began to walk closer to the Wagoneer that sat in flames at the edge of the park. They knew they should investigate more closely, but there were already crowds of people around the flaming car, and people were working on putting out the flames, they weren't ready to answer any questions.

Chapter 3

Francine offered to let Lee, Amanda and the boys stay at her house for the night, the agency wanted to do a sweep of Amanda's house to check for bombs and bugs. Seen as how they weren't allowed to step foot in the house until the agency was sure it was safe, they had to go through the agency civilian 'props' to find things for the night. Amanda took the boys to Target to get some new clothes for school the next day. Amanda was glad she carried three different outfits for Eric in his diaper bag.

The conditions were more than cramped, and the boys weren't very happy, but they were nice to Francine and Jonathan, and that made things a little better. Lee and Amanda agreed this was definitely not the time to tell the boys about the baby. At around ten o'clock everyone decided it was time for bed, Eric was already sleeping in his fathers' arms. Francine had never realized how fatherhood had almost come naturally to Lee Stetson.

As Francine put the dishes in the sink, Amanda made sure the boys were somewhat comfortable in their sleeping bags. They seemed tolerant to this situation, they understood why they couldn't go home, they just wished things could have been different.

"How are you guys doing?" Amanda asked as she sat between them.

"Mom, this kind of sucks, I wish I was at home, in my bed." Jamie grumbled.

"Yeah, I don't even have a glove for tomorrow at school. I want one that's already broken in." Philip complained.

"Well, Lee and I will stop by the house tomorrow and bring it to you at school before you need it." Amanda told her son.

"I need it at 11:30."

"We'll drop it in the office at 10."

"Okay." Philip said, less than satisfied he slipped into his sleeping bag. "It smells like smoke in this."

"So does mine." Jamie joined.

"I'm sorry guys, but it'll work for tonight." Amanda said as she stroked Jamie's hair.

"I hope I don't die of smoke inhalation." Philip complained.

"Night sweetheart." Amanda told them as she stood to her feet and went into the kitchen to check on Lee and Francine. "Here, let me take him." Amanda said as she put her hands out toward Lee, he gently slid his arm out from underneath him as Amanda replaced hers there. Eric only moved a little bit, Lee bent forward and kissed his sons' forehead. "See ya in a bit Sport." Lee whispered. Amanda went into the living room and laid Eric in the middle of the bed.

"He looks a lot like you Lee." Francine said as she faced him in the kitchen.

"Amanda says that all the time. He climbed out of his crib this morning, by himself, and Amanda asked if we were sure he wasn't my son." Lee told her.

"He's a lot like you. But, who'd have ever guessed that Lee Stetson would have a child, and be so good with him."

"I know. It's amazing. We've grown so much in the last six years haven't we."

"I hate to say it, but most of it's due to Amanda."

"She changed a lot, and not just in me."

"Do you think I'll be a good mother?"

"Hey, look how I've been doing with Eric, you just got finished saying that I'm good with my son, and six years ago, I didn't even know how to hold a kid, now, I've changed numerous diapers, stayed awake all night long when he had colic, I mean, it sort of comes natural, to everyone. Amanda helped though.  Besides, Amanda and I will both be there to help you. But, if you think I'm coming over here at two in the morning when that kid wakes up, you'll be shocked to hear me say no."

"I wouldn't expect you to, especially since you'll have another to deal with."

"Yeah, it's great isn't it? I get two kids, on top of Philip and Jamie, it's the family I never had." Lee smiled at that thought. "But, it wears you out, and I think I'm going to hit the hay." Lee hugged Francine good night. "You'll do fine." He assured her as he went into the living room; he climbed into the fold out couch where his wife and son were already asleep. He faced them, and put his hand across, just enough room to get around Amanda. Francine had stayed in the kitchen and thought to herself long enough, that when she passed the living room she saw the family that slept in it. It looked so natural, she smiled, and said 'The Happy Stetson-King Crew' before she turned off all the lights and turned in herself.

'The happy Stetson-King Crew' was up at 6:00 o'clock, by 6:30, Philip and Jamie had already had their breakfast, and Eric sat on the couch watching TV. The couch had been returned to its original form and the blankets were folded neatly on the arm. Amanda was in the kitchen making breakfast for Eric when Francine and Jonathan woke around 7. Lee sat on the couch next to Eric watching cartoons, as Francine came out of her bedroom rubbing her eyes.

            "Where are Philip and Jamie?" Francine asked as she rested her body against the back of the couch.

            "They took our stuff down to the car, we'll be leaving in about half an hour, soon as Amanda gets E-R-I-C fed." Lee said paying attention to the TV. Francine began to open her mouth. "Don't say anything about the last third of that sentence, he doesn't need to be walking around the apartment saying H-U-N-G-I-E, it'll annoy the pants off of you."

            "Daddy, what'd you just spell?" Eric asked as he looked at his father.

            "Nothing, don't worry about it, hey, watch this huh?" Lee replied as he looked at his son.

            "Cartoons huh Lee, I'd have never guessed you watched them." Francine teased as she started walking into the kitchen.

            "You'd be amazed, they're really entertaining." Lee shouted. "I never watched 'em much as a kid, but I'm loving 'em now."

            "So, Amanda, what's for breakfast?" Francine asked her as she came into the kitchen.

            "Well, I haven't eaten much for breakfast since Lee and I got married, Lee's never been much of a breakfast eater, but I made oatmeal for the boys if you want some you're welcome to it." Amanda said as she poured some into the two bowls sitting on the counter, and took a third smaller one out of the refrigerator. "Lee, I'm ready for Eric."

            Lee turned the TV off and picked his son up. Then he carried him into the dinning room, he sat Eric on his lap, and picked the spoon up. He put a small amount of oatmeal on the spoon and touched it to check the temperature. As he began to move the spoon closer to Eric's mouth Eric raised his hand and stopped it.

            "I want to do it Daddy, I'm a big boy." Eric pleaded.

            "I know that Eric, but we don't need you making a mess all over Auntie Francine's house, we don't have a bib for you, and these are your last set of clothes, everything adds up to, I'm feeding you." Eric began to pout at the thought of not getting his way. "Eric Lee Stetson, are you crying?" Lee asked him.

            "I want to feed me." Eric pleaded again.

            "Sorry Sport, either I feed you, or you don't get to eat until lunch today." Lee asked him.

"Let me feed me."
"Eric, if I have to tell you that I'm feeding you one more time you're going to get a spanking, do you want that?"

"No." Eric said softly.

"What was that?" Lee asked him.

"No, I don't want a spanking." Eric told him reluctantly. "You can feed me."

"Thank you." Lee said as he lifted the spoon back up and into Eric's mouth. Eric willingly took it and ate.

"Lee, Lee!" Shouted the boys as they rushed into the apartment.

Lee sat Eric down in the chair as he quickly got up to see what the problem was. Philip and Jamie stood right inside the door crouched over and gasping for air. "What's the matter?" Lee asked them, Amanda, and Francine came over to see what was wrong as well.

"505-J84R, 505-J84R, 505-J84R." Jamie repeated over and over again.

"Lee, remember that blue Cadillac that was sitting outside of here last night, and the guy that was wearing a hat was sitting in the car." Philip said trying to grasp for air.

"Yeah?"

"Well, last night at around midnight or so, Jamie and I went to see if it was still there, and it was, but from up here we couldn't see if the guy was in it, and then, this morning, Jamie and I saw it out there again, with the same guy, and he was talking into a radio, so I went over to see if he needed anything, but when I knocked on the window, he got this scared look and drove off really fast. Jamie has the license plate number."

"505-J84R." Jamie said as he finally stood.

"I'll call the agency, have Billy run the plates." Lee said as he combed his fingers through his hair. He walked into the dinning room and saw that Eric had taken the bowl and dumped it over his head. "Eric, why couldn't you have waited just two minutes?" Lee shouted. "Manda, you want to come clean this?" Lee said in a rush. "Jamie, keep saying those numbers over and over in your head. Come here."

Amanda came into the dining room and looked at the mess Eric had made. "Philip, will you take Eric, change his clothes and wash his hair in the sink." Amanda said as she picked up her youngest son and handed him over to Philip.

"Bad Eric." Eric began to say as his brother walked into the kitchen. Lee watched his sons and began to smile. "Hey, Billy, I have a license plate number for you to run, you ready?" Lee watched Philip struggle to try and get Eric to lean backwards. "Eric, you listen to your brother and lean over, or I'll deal with you." Eric immediately agreed to lean back and let his hair be washed.

"Scarecrow, I'm surprised to here you say something like that." Billy said into the phone. "Which brother is Eric not listening to."

"Philip, now will you grab that pen from your jacket and hurry up and write this down, Eric made a big mess, and it's not fair to Amanda to have to clean it alone." Lee was agitated and sounded so accordingly into the phone. "Kay, Jamie, numbers." Lee told him.

"505-J84R." Jamie told Lee as he watched his mother gather oatmeal from the chair.

"Sounds like you have your hands full Scarecrow." Billy said.

"No, this is a normal morning. Eric just dumped his breakfast, it's all too normal." Lee told Billy.

"Bad Eric!" Eric shouted from the sink.

Billy laughed into the phone. "Why don't you bring them into the agency this morning, I need to ask them a few questions." Lee said into the phone.

"All you're going to get out of Eric is 'Bad Eric'." Lee finally smiled.
"You know I mean Philip and Jamie."

"Yeah, okay, I'll run the idea past this gorgeous woman cleaning up oatmeal and we'll see what she says." Amanda looked up from the ground and into her husbands' eyes to try and read them. "Look, I should go." Lee hung up the phone, grabbed a towel and began to try and help her.

"What I'll say about what?" Amanda asked as Lee crouched down to the ground and began to blot the carpet.

"Bad Eric." Eric said once more as Philip sat the now nude Eric on ground next to his parents.

"Eric will you stop saying you're bad, you're not bad, you just get into trouble." Lee pleaded as he looked over at his son. "Jamie, will you put a diaper on your brother."

"Sure." Jamie said finally glad he could be of more help to this family crisis than remembering some numbers.

After the mess was cleaned up, and Amanda had agreed to allow the boys to skip school, they all headed for the agency in Amanda's agency rental car.

Lee opened the door and Amanda walked into the agency lobby with Eric in her arms, Philip followed her and Jamie sort of unwillingly came through the door, Lee closed up the door behind Jamie. Mrs. Marsten looked up from her desk and saw the entire Stetson-King family standing in front of her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stetson, you are supposed to leave the children in the car." Mrs. Marsten said as she handed Lee and Amanda their passes.

"Actually, Billy wants to talk to Philip and Jamie, and well, we couldn't have left Eric alone, besides, he's really little." Lee said as they stood in the center of the room. Philip and Jamie just looked around the room trying to understand what was going on.

"Well, they'll need a 'guest pass'" Mrs. Marsten said as she grabbed two more and handed it to Amanda, who handed one to the boys.

"Guys, just clip it somewhere on your clothes." Lee told them.

"I think the little one will be okay without one as long as either you or Lee is carrying him at all times."

"Fine." Lee said as he looked nervously around the room, he himself was unsure of what to do with the boys.

"So, what's the little Lee Stetson's name?" Mrs. Marsten decided to ask since they all still stood there.

"Eric." Philip said as he looked at her. "Mom says he's a dead ringer for Lee."

"He is." Mrs. Marsten smiled adoringly as she looked at the little boy in Amanda's arms.

"Ah, he has Amanda's smile." Lee nervously informed as she grabbed Amanda's free arm and began to go up the stairs. "We're going to go to the Q Bureau, will you tell Billy to call me if you see him."  The boys followed Lee and Amanda.

"I see you brought the whole family Scarecrow." Dr. Smyth said as he stood at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, Billy has a few questions for Philip and Jamie."

"And who's Scarecrow Jr.?" Smyth asked with another breath of his cigarette.

"That's mine and Amanda's son Eric sir, if you don't mind, I'm taking my family to the Q Bureau." Lee said as he tried to ignore the man in his suit. Lee stood at the door to the Q Bureau and began to search for the key.

"Film Library?" Jamie asked.

"Um, yeah, this is mine and your mother's office." Lee answered as he opened the door to let Amanda and the boys' in. "Uh, don't touch anything." Lee added as he watched them go in.

A few minutes later the boys were sitting on the couch bored, Eric was beginning to get fussy, and Lee was wondering where Billy was. He thought he'd be waiting for him to come and get the questions over with. Lee lifted the phone and called Billy's office, no answer.

"Amanda, I'm gonna go down to the bullpen and see if I can't find Billy." Lee grinned, as he looked at the boys' toss a ball back and forth on the couch.

"What's the bullpen?" Philip asked.

"The brother to hell." Lee rolled his eyes and left the Q Bureau.

"Mom, what's the bullpen?" Jamie asked when he saw that Lee was gone.

"That's where a lot of people work, there are a bunch of desks down there, and it's really hectic. Lee and I used to work down there, but we got the office up here about three or four years ago. This way it's easier for us to think and put together pieces of the puzzle for cases we're trying to solve."
         "Why do you guys get your own separate offices, and other people don't?" Philip asked.

"Well, there are other people with their own offices, but most people work down in the bullpen if that's what you mean." Amanda skirted answering the actual question trying not to go into too much detail, the less the boys actually knew the better.

"I think, what Philip wants to know is, what makes the people with offices better than the people with desks in the bullpen."

"Well, the better agents are normally the ones that come up here."

"Are you and Lee good?" Philip asked just as Billy came into the Q Bureau with Lee behind him.

"The best." Billy laughed as he walked over to Amanda and Eric. "How's my godson?" Billy asked as he took Eric from Amanda and into his arms. "Hey there Eric, how's life been treatin' you?"

"Billy, he's really cranky right now." Amanda warned him.

"Who, Eric, why are you being cranky?" Billy questioned him as he bobbed the boy up and down in his arms. Billy walked over to where the boys sat and Lee sat at his desk. "So, which one of you wants to go first?" Billy grinned.

"Not me." Jamie said quickly.

"Jamie, you're not scared are you?" Billy's brows furrowed in puzzlement.

"No, I'm not scared, I just don't want to go." Jamie hung his head lower. Billy smiled at him.

"Alright Jamie, come with your Uncle Billy, and we'll go answer some questions. Don't worry, it'll just be you, me, and Eric." Billy said as he forced Jamie to stand up. Lee looked at Billy thinking 'why's he going to take Eric?' "Scarecrow, relax, I hardly ever get to see this little guy, and I'll just keep him with me. He'll be fine, spend some time with your wife and Philip, I'll be back in about fifteen minutes."

"Don't worry. Easy for you to say." Lee sighed as he sat back in the chair. "Amanda, what would you think about telling Philip now?" Lee asked as he eased back.

"Telling me what?" Philip curiosity got the best of him.

"I guess we could, and if we told the boys individually, we could get their individual thoughts and concerns with out taking in the considerations of what the other was thinking." Amanda added to the conversation.

"Tell me what?!" Philip shouted as he stood, his mother and stepfather were driving him crazy. "Tell me now, anyway, it won't matter if Jamie's here or not."
         "Philip, why don't you sit down." Amanda said as she watched her son jump about the Q Bureau.

"Philip, your mother's pregnant again." Lee watched Philip sit quietly.

"Really?" Philip asked in excitement.

"You're happy about this?" Amanda was in shock.

"Yeah, I love Eric, he's the coolest little guy I ever met, and it'd be awesome to have another little brother."

"What if it's a girl?" Amanda asked him.

"A girl, I doubt you're even capable of having a girl, you already had three boys, I bet somewhere in your gene's it's written 'boys only'." Philip told her. Lee chuckled.

"That's not funny Philip, it could be a girl."

"If it's a girl we'll return her and ask for a boy." Philip said seriously. "No, I'm just kidding, if it's a girl, I guess it'll be a learning experience for all of us, and she'll have three very protective big brothers, and Lee to watch out for her." Amanda smiled at the thought. "Yeah, she'll probably never get married."

"So, we have your approval I take it." Lee said as he went to hug his son.

"Well, if you wanted my approval, you'd have asked a few months ago, but I wasn't in the decision making process." Philip said as he moved closer to give Lee a 'congrats' hug.

"Philip." Amanda's voice stern.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I didn't say I was upset about it." Philip said as he backed away. They all laughed and spent the rest of the time talking about how they would be moving to a bigger house, which Philip was also very excited about. He'd get his own room.

In exactly fifteen minutes Billy came back with Jamie and Eric. "Well, that was successful, but I'd guess someone needs a diaper change, and that's not Uncle Billy's job is it Eric?" Billy said as he bent down to hand Eric to Amanda.

"Uncle Billy's job." Eric repeated in a giggle.

"Philip, it's your turn." Billy said as he motioned toward the door.

"Have fun Phil." Jamie teased as he watched his brother go.

"Hey, you too Bro!" Philip shouted as he walked out the door. Billy nodded his head and left the Q Bureau.

"What was that all about?" Jamie asked uncomfortably as he sat down at his mothers' desk. His mother had moved to the couch to change Eric's diaper.

"How was your talk with Billy." Lee asked as he watched Jamie fidget uncomfortably in the chair.

"Fine. I guess." Jamie said, as he looked the desk over. "Mom, why don't you have any pictures of me, Philip and Eric on your desk?"

"Put your hands under the desk, all the way to the back, you'll feel an envelope, it's taped to the back of the desk, pull it out." Amanda said as she finished taping together the diaper. Jamie pulled out a small manila envelope, he lifted the flap at the top and saw a picture of him and Philip in their baseball uniforms, it was an older picture because he wasn't wearing his glasses. Then he flipped to the next one and saw a picture of him and Philip with Eric in the hospital when Eric was born. Then he flipped and saw a picture of Lee and Amanda at their first wedding.
         "When was this?" Jamie asked as he took the picture to Lee. Lee looked at the picture and realized it was him and Amanda at their original wedding. Lee looked at Amanda for what to do.

"Let me see it Jamie." Amanda said as she sat Eric on the ground and walked over to Lee's desk. Jamie held it up for her to see.

"Oh, well that was after our wedding." Amanda informed, while she didn't want to lie to her son, she knew she couldn't tell him that they'd been married in February of three years ago, instead of October of three years ago. It was the truth, just not the whole truth.

"Jamie, sit down, your mother and I need to talk to you." Lee told him, Jamie looked at Lee, and he decided to agree and went to sit down on the couch.

"About what?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Well, what would you think of having another little brother or sister?" Amanda was being blunt.

"You're pregnant?" Jamie asked not very enthused.

"Yes, and I want your honest truth on how you feel about it." Amanda told him.

"Well, if you're already pregnant, it doesn't matter how I feel, I wouldn't expect you to get an abortion, but I guess it's fine. But I don't want to share a room with Eric and Philip." Jamie mentioned.

"You won't have to, we're going to get a bigger house, what if we go look at them this weekend." Lee looked at Jamie, knowing he wasn't excited made Lee think he didn't want the baby.

"Sure." Jamie tried not to show how upset he really was.

"Do you want to talk about the baby?" Amanda asked as she stood from her desk and walked over to her son.

"No. Not really, there's not a lot to talk about, I just hope this ones a boy like Eric was." Jamie said as he turned his face from his mother and looked at a picture on the wall. He noticed that it was a confusing picture, and seeing it as an opportunity to change the subject, he pointed to it. "What's that?"

"That's a picture of us. You can only see it if you think about it though, the colors were changed to looked like a picture of trees, but if you really look at it, it's that family picture we took about four months ago." Lee replied as he walked over to where Amanda stood. "See, there's you, and your Mom, there's me, and Philip and Eric." Lee said as he moved his finger around on the picture. "One of my friends in covers helped me make it."

Jamie smiled as he looked at Lee. "You really wanted a picture of us in the office that badly?" Jamie asked.

"Hey, I have my own packet of pictures of you guys hidden in my desk too." Lee said as he rubbed Jamie's head. "I'll show you one that I took myself." Lee told him as he went to his desk and pulled out his top drawer. Then he lifted an envelope out of the top of the desk. Lee lifted the flap on the envelope and pulled out a picture of Philip and Jamie. He handed the picture over to Jamie.

"This is my tenth birthday?" Jamie questioned.

"Yeah, that's what it is." Lee didn't want to hide too much from the boys.

"You didn't meet me until I was twelve." Jamie said doing the math.

"That's right, I didn't actually talk to you until then, but I met your mother when you were eight." Lee told him.

"Yeah, I guess that would be right, so why did you take a picture of me and Philip when I was ten?" Jamie asked.

"Well, I'd started watching you guys grow up, and you two both kept getting taller, and I hoped that I'd be able to remember you when I got older. So, I decided to take a picture."
         "You did?" Amanda was shocked as she walked over to Lee.

"Yeah, your family was the only family I knew, and you know how I feel about family." Amanda put her hands up on Lee's face and kissed him.

"I love you." Amanda said as she heard a bang. Eric looked over at his parents and laughed at the mess he'd created by pulling on the blanket that covered a filing cabinet. Lee and Amanda looked at Eric and laughed. Lee walked over to Eric and lifted him up.

"So, Sport, what do you say to a little brother or sister?" Lee said, as he looked his son in the eyes.

"Broder." Eric said laughing.

After Amanda, Lee and Eric finished cleaning up the mess, Billy came back with Philip. They exchanged good-byes, and Amanda took the boys' home. The house was completely safe. Lee stayed behind to talk to Billy, he told Amanda he'd be home in time for supper.

The boys were happy that they'd gotten a day out of school and spent the rest of the time playing at the park. An agency monitor sat outside the house at all times, just in case, and someone from the agency went with them to the park.

Lee arrived at home in time for supper. It was a quiet evening at home for the Stetson-King family. After dinner the boys went upstairs to do their homework for the day. Lee had stopped at the school on his way home from the agency and picked their homework up for them. After Lee and Amanda had given Eric a bath, they put him in bed, shut the door, and went downstairs for a nice little, talk.

"I think we should talk about names Mrs. Stetson." Lee said as he sat back into the couch and moved Amanda's arm behind his head.

"Names for what?" Amanda teased as she looked into her husbands' eyes. "The different ways you make me smile?"

"No, that child in there." Lee smiled as he rested his other hand on her stomach.

"I was hoping we could name it Lee Jr. if it's a boy."
         "Amanda, we went through this with Eric, you really want to do it again?"

"Well, I was just hoping."
         "Amanda, Lee is a terrible name, plus, I want to have a girl."
         "I'll do my best." Amanda said as she kissed Lee's cheek. "So, what if it's a girl."
         "Amanda." Lee said.

"What?"

"No, I want to name it Amanda."

"I can't name a boy Lee, but you want to name a girl Amanda?"

"Yeah."

"What about Jennifer?" Amanda asked.

"For my mother?" Lee questioned in a barely audible whisper.

"Well, yes, and because I really like the name." Amanda told him.

"Alright, Jennifer if it's a girl, but does that mean we have to do Dorthea for middle name."

"I think if we tell my Mom we love her, she won't punish us by making us call any child Dorthea."

"What about Amanda?" Lee asked.

"Jennifer Amanda."

"Yeah, I like it. Plus, Amanda is your mothers middle name." Lee told her honestly.

"Alright Lee Stetson, you win on the girls name, but now we can't have a boy." Amanda mocked as she faced her husband and pulled up on his loosened tie. She smiled and kissed his lips lightly.

"Why is that?" Lee asked as he kissed her back.

"We can't agree on a name." Amanda informed as she kissed her husband passionately.

"I don't know, I think we can." Lee said. Amanda pulled back and looked at him.

"Well, your Dad's name was Adam right?" Lee asked her.

"Yeah. I like the name Adam." Amanda sat back to think about the name for a few seconds.

"Adam Mathew." Lee said. "If it's a girl, we use our mothers' names, if it's a boy, we use our fathers' names." Lee smiled thinking at how great he'd done at solving the problem of Lee for a boy's name.

"Agreed." Amanda said as she grabbed Lee's hand. "But I still want a Lee Jr." Amanda whined.

"I tell you what, if for some reason, we have three sons, I'll let you name the third one Lee." Lee told her as he kissed her forehead.

"How many do you want Mr. Stetson?"

"I don't know, lots." Lee said.

"Okay." Amanda told him as she kissed his lips. "Now, no more arguing, I want to go upstairs." Amanda stood up and dragged Lee along.

"If you insist." Lee told her as she closed the distance between them and kissed her neck.

Answers were running short the next few weeks. Every lead they had crashed and burned. Things were looking doubtful and tormenting.

______________

"Amanda, do you want to hurry up?" Lee asked. "We're going to be late for the doctors appointment."

"Alright, I just want to type these last few words." Amanda hurried.

"No. No. No." Lee said, as he lifted her fingers off the keyboard, he lifted her up, and anxiously moved her out the door.

"My purse." Amanda said. Lee jumped back into the Q Bureau, grabbed her purse and shut the door. They were walking down the hallway when they passed Billy. He opened his mouth and was about to speak.

"Not now, we'll be back tomorrow, if it's urgent, call the house at around 7, we should be home." Lee said as he held his wife's arm and rushed her out of the agency.
        

At the doctors office Amanda laid on the bed nervously. Lee stood next to her with his hand wrapping Amanda's. Her shirt was lifted over her stomach and the doctor was making the ultrasound. You could hear the babies' heart beat.

"Wow, it's really fast." Lee said in amazement.

"Almost too fast." The doctor said looking at the screen.

"Why is that bad?" Lee began to worry.

"Actually, I think that's good, you're having twins." The doctor said as she turned to face Lee and Amanda.

"Twins?" Amanda asked. "As in, oh, there's one, and now two?" Amanda began to babble. "As in, two babies at one time?" Lee moved his hand and put it over Amanda's mouth.
         "Shhh. Darling, let the doctor talk." Lee said with a smile on his face. "Twins?" Lee asked.

"I'm afraid so. You have two little babies in there Amanda."

"How is that possible, twins don't run in my family?" Amanda asked.

"Well, sometimes it can be genetic, and skip a few generations, but it doesn't have to be." The doctor told them as she focused back to the screen. "Would you like to know the sex?"
         "No." Amanda said.     "Yes." Lee said.  Both answering at the same time, then glancing at each other.

"Yes." Amanda said.    "No." Lee said. Again glancing at the other. Lee winked at Amanda this time.

"No." They said together. She knew that when Lee winked he was telling her that they could do whatever she wanted. The doctor nodded and looked at Lee and Amanda.
         "Both the babies look healthy. But with twins, you may deliver a little earlier than expected. And the pregnancy should be a little more difficult than you had with Eric, or even Philip and Jamie." The doctor warned. "Don't over do it, and try to avoid a normal amount of stress."

"A normal amount of stress for me, or a normal amount of stress for a normal person." Amanda asked.

"A normal amount of stress for you, for right now, but you'll have to take it easy."

"Well, I guess that can be arranged." Amanda sighed as she began to climb off the table.

"Don't worry Doc, I'll make sure she takes it easy." Lee grinned as he wrapped his arm around Amanda. "Thank you so much." Lee shook the doctors' hand and they began to leave the room.

"Don't forget to schedule an appointment for next month. And call me if you have any questions, or problems." The doctor said as she went the opposite way from Lee and Amanda down the hall.

            Lee helped Amanda into the car they'd been loaned from the agency. As he stepped into the car he was thinking about twins. He put the key in the ignition and began to turn it; just before the engine started he stopped and looked at his wife.

            "Twins." Lee said staring into Amanda's brown eyes.

            "Yeah." Amanda breathed. Trying to be as happy as Lee was.

            "Twins, Amanda, can you believe it." Lee repeated in shock.

            "Yes, Lee, I can believe it." Amanda told him.

            "Aren't you excited?"
            "Yes Lee, I'm excited, but twins makes five."

            "Five what? Twins is two."

            "I know twins is two, but we already have three, and two plus three is five."

            "Oh, okay, yeah, so we have five kids, what's the difference."

            "I don't know what the difference is, but how'm I suppose to go to the grocery store with five kids."

            "Amanda, Philip and Jamie are in high school they don't have to go to the grocery store, plus, I can go with you if you feel you need to take them all." Lee assured as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

            "You don't understand do you, we need bigger everything, a bigger car, a bigger house, another crib, it's going to be twice as hard to take care of these two as it was to take care of Eric." Amanda worried.

            "Hey, we can get a bigger house, we were going to when we thought we were only having one, and we have to get you a new car anyway. And we can handle taking care of two babies, plus Eric." Lee put his finger up to Amanda's mouth; he knew she had something to say. "We work best together, we can handle twins, and we'll do it together."

            "Fine, but if we have two boys, I'll get my Lee." Amanda asked.

            "You already have your Lee, but you can have another one if we have two boys, however, I think your mother will kill us both."

            "I really do want a girl Lee." Amanda said as she leaned over and laid into Lee's arms. He turned the car on, and they were on their way home.

            "I know you do. I want a girl too." Lee told her. It didn't matter how bad things seemed to get at work, Amanda always seemed to make them better at home.

            Lee and Amanda entered the house; they'd stopped at Mrs. Mather's and picked Eric up. Philip and Jamie both had agency escorts, Philip didn't mind it too much, but Jamie absolutely hated it.

            Amanda was in the kitchen fixing dinner and Lee was in the living room playing with Eric. Philip came in the front door and started up the stairs, his agency escort had stayed outside the door.

            "Hey Mom, hey Lee!" Philip shouted as he came in through the door.

            "Hey Philip, where's Fields?" Lee asked as he continued looking at one of Eric's toys.

            "He's standing outside the door." Philip said as he started up the stairs.

            "Well, when you get back downstairs, can you come watch Eric, I want to go talk to him." Lee said. "Where's Jamie?" Lee asked just as the back door opened and slammed shut.

            "Will you please just leave me alone?!" Jamie shouted. "Just, go away. I can walk home on my own."

            "Sir, you don't understand your life…" Agent Mylar began to say.

            "I know, I know, that's all you ever say, my life could be in danger. Well you know what, I don't care, my life isn't that great anyway, and if someone wants to take it, let them!" Jamie shouted as he made his way up the stairs, making his angry presence known with every step.

            "Mylar, I'll talk to him, just go out front with Fields, Amanda, don't worry, I'll talk to him, just keep an eye on Eric for awhile, I'll send Philip down in a sec." Lee stood from the floor, approached his wife, gave her a quick kiss and began his way up the stairs.

            Lee pushed the door open to Philip and Jamie's room, Philip was standing by his desk trying to talk to Jamie, who was laying on his bed, his backpack had been thrown on the floor and he had his pillow over his head. "Philip, will you go keep an eye on Eric for me?" Lee asked as he patted Philip on the shoulder.

            "Yeah." Philip sighed sitting the book in his hand down on the desk. Philip left the room. Lee pulled the chair that sat in front of the desk and sat it in front of Jamie's bed.

            "Hey Champ, you want to tell me what this is all about?" Lee asked.

            "I hate being followed." Jamie muttered.

            "I know it's more than that, you met Mylar last Christmas at the agency party, and you two seemed to get along pretty well."

            Jamie sat up and threw the pillow across the room. "Will you just leave me alone?" Jamie pleaded.

            "Nope, not until you talk."

            Jamie took his glasses off and threw them to the end of the bed. He wiped his eyes and looked at Lee. Jamie laughed at the thought that this was his stepfather that was pressing him to talk.

            "What's funny?"

            "I figured Mom would be the one that would come up, instead I'm facing you."

            "What's wrong with me?"

            "Nothing, I guess. I mean, you're a really great stepfather, I just didn't think you cared that much about me and Philip, at least not as much as you seem to care about Eric." Jamie whispered the last half of the sentence.

            "Is that what this is about?" Lee asked.

            "Partly." Jamie said kicking his legs out.

            "Well, let me tell you a little story, about these two little boys that amazed me for four years, you see, these two little boys made their way into my heart before I'd ever even really spoke to them. It only confused how I'd felt about your Mom, because there were these boys, who made me happy just looking at them. And I would have killed to make sure that they lived. Now, I don't know if I felt that way because of how much I loved your Mom, and I knew she loved you, I just knew, that I loved your Mom, and I loved her sons."

            "What's your point?" Jamie asked.

            "My point is, that I have loved you longer than I've even known Eric, and I love you just as much as I love Eric or Philip. It doesn't matter that genetically, you aren't mine, I still love you the same." Lee told him.

            "Yeah, but Eric gets all your time, and when this new baby comes, it'll take even more time."

            "Babies." Lee corrected him.

            "What?" Jamie asked in confusion.

            "You're Mom's having twins."

            "Twins!" Jamie began to shout, he rose from the bed and began to pace around the room. "Oh, well that's great, two of them. That's three kids for you two to take up more time, and even less for me and Philip."

            "Jamie, will you please sit down and not yell, I don't want your Mom to have to come up here." Lee asked.

            "Why should I? You're not my father." Jamie said.

            "Yes, yes I am, and I asked you nicely to sit down, I think you owe me the courtesy of sitting down." Lee rose to his feet to look Jamie in the eye. Jamie reluctantly agreed and sat in the chair Lee had just stood from.

            "I'm sorry that your Mom and I don't have much time to spend with you and Philip now that Eric's here, he's a baby, he can't take care of himself. And, yes, you're right, now that we have two more on the way, it'll take up even more time."

            "Yeah." Jamie sighed, not feeling any better.

            "But, what if, we make a special night for you and Philip. You're brother would have to agree."

            "What do you mean?" Jamie asked.

            "Well, one night, you, me and your Mom will go out, and Philip can watch Eric, and another night you can watch Eric and Philip, me and your Mom will go out. We can start that now, and continue until your Mom's about seven months along. Then we'll have to put it on hold for about six months, but we'll start it back up, it'll just mean you and Philip will have to watch Eric and the twins instead of just Eric."

            "Can we go out with just you or Mom sometimes?" Jamie asked.

            "Yeah, sure, anything you want." Lee told him.

            "Kay." Jamie said, he stood up and hugged Lee. "Thanks."

            "No more yelling at Mylar okay?"

            "Yeah." Jamie sighed as he pulled back from Lee. "Now, put on your glasses, let's go downstairs, and talk this deal over with Philip and your Mom okay?"

            Amanda looked up from her spot in the kitchen as she saw Lee and Jamie come into the den. She smiled as she thought of Lee taking care of whatever problem Jamie had been having.

            "Um, Philip, Amanda, Jamie and I have come up with an idea." Lee said as he patted Jamie's shoulder.

            "Well, what is it?" Amanda asked in anticipation.

            "Now, Philip, you're going to have to agree to this."
            "Okay, what is it Lee?" Philip asked as he stood up and lifted Eric into his arms, Eric was preoccupied with a small block.

            "What would you say to watching Eric one night a week, while your mother and I take Jamie out, and vice versa, Jamie will watch Eric one night a week while your mother and I take you out." Lee said as he let out a breath of relief.

            "Yeah, sure it's not a problem." Philip said, he smiled. "I think it's a really good idea."

            "And, can I ask why we're leaving teenage boys alone with a small child?" Amanda asked unsure that this was a good idea.

            "Well, Jamie was feeling left out, Eric takes up a lot of our time, and this will be good for some responsibility too." Lee said, he decided to walk into the kitchen and put his arms around his wife.

            Amanda nodded; she smiled and gave Lee a quick kiss. Then she began to peel the carrot she was working on. Philip let Eric slide out of his arms, and Jamie came into the kitchen to grab a carrot.

            "Me want a carrot." Eric loudly spoke as he walked over to where his parents stood and held out his arms. Lee handed him one and watched as his son walked into the den and sat on the couch.

            "I'm going to go talk to Mylar and Fields quick." Lee said as he left the kitchen.

           

            When Lee came back into the den, Jamie had already told Philip that Amanda was having twins. As he came into the den he saw that Amanda had the table set, and Eric was in his high chair, Jamie sat at the table laughing as Philip walked about the kitchen.

            "Twins!" Philip shouted. "How is that even possible, I mean, what if it's two girls, I'll just have two little sisters all of a sudden, I mean I've never even had one little sister, then one day I'll just have two!"

            "Who said we were having girls?" Lee asked.

            "Who said we were having boys?" Amanda replied in shock.

            "It could be a boy and girl." Jamie said blatantly.

            "It better be boys." Philip warned as he sat down at the table.

            "Oh, yeah, Grandma would really like having five grandsons." Jamie said to his brother.

            "Better than having any girls!" Philip shouted. Lee had to laugh at the boys arguing over whether or not the babies would be boys or girls. The ringing of the phone distracted him.

            "I got it!" Philip shouted as he dashed out of his seat at the table and over to the phone.

            "No! I got it!" Jamie yelled just as loudly, the boys met at the phone.

            Lee casually glanced at his watch and realized it was 7:03. "Actually, I got it." Lee said as he walked over to the phone and lifted the receiver.

            "Stetson." Lee answered. "Hey Billy…What?… No… I guess so, but we're about to eat… Hold on…" Lee said in frustration. "Billy wants all of us to meet him at the Arlington Sports Complex in half an hour. He wants to know if you can put whatever you're making in the oven."

            "I don't know, my ovens full." Amanda joked. Lee made a face and the boys laughed at her joke. Amanda nodded to Lee.

            "She says her ovens full Billy." Lee said into the phone. "It's a joke, she'll put it in the oven, and we'll meet you there in half an hour, you want all of us to come?" Lee questioned. "Yeah okay… Yes, I'll explain the joke when we get there." Lee piqued. He hung the phone back on the receiver. "Okay, if you boys are hungry, grab a couple of granola bars for the ride, we'll be back in an hour, go get your coats."

            "Grab one for Eric too!" Amanda shouted as she watched her sons run up the stairs.

            Lee grinned at his wife as he walked over to where she still stood. He wrapped his arms around her. "Sorry your ovens full." Lee whispered as he kissed her cheek lightly.

            "I'm not." Amanda answered back.

            "You're not upset about it being twins anymore?" Lee asked.

            "No, I'm not upset, I know that we can handle it, we just have a lot of work to do. Can you handle that Stetson?" Amanda asked him.

            "I can handle it, but can you handle it Mrs. Stetson?" Lee asked.

            "As long as I have you right here with me."

            "I'm not going anywhere."

            "And it better not be boys."

            "Wow, five boys, that would be weird."

            "Yeah, and mother would kill you."

            "Why me?"

            "Well, it's you that's supposed to control sex, all I can make is a girl, I only have X's, but you have an X and Y, and it's the Y that makes a boy, so, stop given me Y's." Amanda said, blaming him.

            "Amanda, you lost me, I did not understand a word you just said." Lee said backing a way, he walked over to Eric and lifted him out of his high chair.

            "It was in Philip's Biology book, I was helping him with that last night."

            "Oh, is that what kept you waiting?"

            "That's it, now, take your son out to his car seat and put him in the car. I'll be out with Philip and Jamie in a sec."

            "Yeah okay."

            "Daddy!" Eric shouted. "I'm hungie, and I didn't eat. Put me back in chair!"

            "I know you haven't eaten yet Sport, you can have another carrot on the way, and we'll eat when we get back." Lee told his son carrying him out to the car.

            Half an hour later Lee and Amanda were walking into the Arlington Sports Complex with Eric in Lee's right arm, and Philip and Jamie shortly behind them. Rows of treadmills were set up in a large waiting room. Philip and Jamie looked around what seemed to be and open room with exercise equipment and a desk in the center; despite the emptiness there were many doors around the large blue walls.

            Lee walked up to the desk and looked at the young lady sitting in a chair. "Excuse me, my name is Lee Stetson, and I'm suppose to be meeting a Billy Melrose here, do you know where he might be?" Lee asked her.

            "You said your name was Lee Stetson?" She asked.

            "Yes, that's correct."

            "He's waiting for you in Racket Ball room #4B." She told him, she handed him a pass. "It's up the elevator, go down the hall, it'll be on your left."

            Jamie looked around the room and noticed the mostly empty room. He saw two men on bikes in the corner, and a few men lifting weights. He was distracted and didn't realize his family had left him behind, until Philip ran back to grab his shirtsleeve.

            "Come on Moron!" Philip shouted as he pulled on his brothers' shirt.

            "Philip, don't call your brother Moron." Lee and Amanda shouted from the elevator, the two boys jumped in as the doors were shutting.

            They stepped off the elevator on the second floor and began walking down the hallway. It was seemingly empty, and everyone was counting the numbers on the doors until they could find the number 4. Lee turned to open the door when a man stepped out from around a corner. He was holding a gun.

            "Not so fast Scarecrow." He spoke. Lee pushed Philip behind him and handed him Eric. He forced Philip to stand against the wall. Amanda did much of the same thing to Jamie.

            "What do you want?" Lee asked.

            "I want you." The man said.

            "Fine, you can have me, just let my wife and kids go." Lee told him.

            "Uh, no, see it's not that easy."

            "If you want me take me, let them go!" Lee shouted.

            "Why should I? It was because of your hot headedness that my wife and little boy were stuck a building, with the bomb ticking slowly away, they didn't have a chance to get out."

            "I don't know you, and I don't know what you're talking about." Lee said.

            "Oh, you don't remember that day. Well I'm glad, maybe you'd like to take my memory of that day off my hands." The man said.

            "Look, buddy I don't know what you're talking about, but your scaring my kids." Lee pleaded.

            "So what!" The man shouted at Lee. "God dammit! Don't you think my kid was scared, that he didn't want his Daddy just before he died?"

            "Look, man, I'm sorry about your wife and kid, but maybe if you explained what you're talking about."

            "January 18th, 1975, my wife and I had just heard that she was pregnant again, we were living in the attic of an apartment building in Alexandria. I'd lost my job about three months before then, and it was a place to stay out of the rain, no rent, and it suited our needs. Our son wasn't much older than your son. I don't know the specifics; I just know I'd gone down to the shelter at around seven to pick up some food. When I came back there were fire trucks, and ambulances, police cars, and unidentified cars all around the building. I talked to some guy that said that a Russian had planted a bomb in the building hoping to kill a defector or something. He said they'd emptied out the building. So, I searched for my wife and son, I couldn't find them anywhere. The next morning I read in the paper that the remains of an unidentified woman and two-year-old boy were found in the wreckage. I wanted to blame someone. So, I started searching, I spent days trying to figure out who had cleared the building, and who said it was empty."

            Lee winkled his face, biting his cheek to keep from showing too much emotion. He tried to hold the tears back. He knew what the man was talking about. And he remembered reading about the woman and little boy, he figured it was a mistake, but a part of him always knew it was an excuse he'd made in his mind so he wouldn't have to deal with it. "It was me. I was the last one out of the building. Most of the agents had looked at the bomb, and no one knew how to defuse it. Our bomb expert was on vacation in Florida, we tried to contact the bomb squad, but there wasn't time, we'd gotten off lucky that there were only thirty people in the building, it was pretty easy to get clear in time. But, I wasn't the one that had checked the attic and top of the building, that was someone else, they'd told me it was empty, I just relayed a message, I wasn't the one that was making the order that it would be okay if the building had blown up." Lee told him.

            "I don't believe you!" The man shouted.

            "Look, I know that you hurt because your wife and your son were killed, but that was fifteen years ago, what good would it do to take that away from someone else?" Amanda asked him.

            "Today was Thomas' birthday. He'd be seventeen today. I never got a chance to teach him how to drive, or about girls. I never got to watch him go off to school. I'll never see his wedding. And Anna, oh God I loved her. I loved the smell of her hair at night, when she laid down next to me." The man wiped tears from his eyes.

            "I bet you loved the way she looked when she woke up in the morning, and the way her eyes sparkled at just the right moments. I bet you loved the way she smiled at you whenever you looked over at her. Or the way she jumped when you tickled her from behind. The way she gave you a son." Lee tried to comprehend.

            "How would you know all that if you don't even know my name?" The man asked.

            "Because those are just some of the things I love about my wife. And I can't imagine what it would be like to know that it was because someone had said the building was clear, that your wife and son were taken from you. But I can guess how much it would hurt, and how much I understand your anger, but by you killing my wife and sons, isn't going to take away your pain, and I'll have to suffer through what you did. Would you wish that pain on your worst enemy? Would your wife, who I'm guessing, if she was anything like my wife, is standing right next to you, watching you in shame, that you would even think about taking that away from anyone." Lee told him. He hoped that his persuasion would work.

            "Do you really think she's standing next to me?" The man asked, his defenses were weakening and he was dropping the gun.

            "I know she is." Amanda told him. Lee walked forward and took the gun from the man.

            Philip and Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. Lee and Amanda turned and hugged Philip and Jamie. The man fell to the ground and began to sob on the floor. Lee looked over Philip's shoulder at the man.

            "I just have one question." Lee said to the man. "Did you blow up Amanda's car?"

            "Yes." The man sobbed.

            "How did you know about the man in the red hat?" Lee asked.

            "That was the start of your relationship with Amanda."

            "Yeah, but how did you know."
            "Once I had a name a began to follow you. I know practically everything there is to know about you. I knew once I saw her that you two would end up together." The man sat up and let his back rest against the wall. He put his hands over his face. Just then Billy came out of the door.

            "There you guys are, you're a little late." Billy said as he saw the five of them standing there. He looked at the man on the floor.

            "Who's he?" Billy asked.         

            "That's the guy that blew up Amanda's car." Lee answered.

            "Why isn't he in cuffs?" Billy asked. Lee handed Billy the gun.

            "I don't want to press charges." Lee told Billy.

            "What? What am I missing here Amanda?" Billy asked.

            Amanda shrugged her shoulders. "I'm hungie!" Eric shouted.

            "You heard my son, he's hungie! We're going to take him home and feed him." Lee said laughing.

            "What am I supposed to do with this guy?" Billy asked.

            "Take him to the agency, he'll tell you the story, just let him spend the weekend in jail, that should make up for the few hard days I've had. Don't charge him with anything though." Lee shouted as he walked down the hall with his family in front of him.

            "Scarecrow!" Billy shouted.

            "What?" Lee asked as his family paused outside the elevator door.

            "What was the joke about?" Billy asked.

            "Oh, yeah, Amanda's pregnant with twins." Lee shouted, he walked into the elevator with his family.

Chapter 4

Lee and Amanda lay in their bed, a month and a half had passed since the incident in the Arlington Sports Complex.

            "Wow, that was a hard day." Lee said as he stared at the ceiling.

            "You can say that again." Amanda agreed.

            "Can you believe, that this is our last night in this house?"

            "I know, it's almost surreal."

            "So much has happened here, I almost hate to get rid of the memories." Lee told her.

            "I know, I feel the same way."

            "That time I climbed up the trelace, or all the times I sat in your mothers flowers underneath the kitchen window."

            "What about that guy that wanted to defect in Philip and Jamie's tree house."

            "Yeah, I remember that." Lee said as he looked over at Amanda. "I hated climbing up there."

            "I saw the look on your face, I know you did."

            "I haven't come in the back door in a long time, and I haven't peaked up in the kitchen window in almost three years."

            "I know." Amanda said.

            "What's on your mind?" Lee asked. He knew there was a reason he was having a one-sided conversation and hearing almost nothing but, 'I know'.

            "Who said anything was on my mind?" Amanda asked.

            "Stop that. What's on your mind."

            "Lee, I've really been thinking about this, and I need your support."

            "You already have it, so tell me."

            "I want to resign from the agency." Amanda just decided to throw it out there.

            "WHAT?!" Lee shouted.

            "Be quiet, Eric's asleep, and I don't want the boys to think we're fighting." Amanda tried to calm him down.

            "Why?" Lee asked her.

            "I just want to be able to take care of the twins, and I don't want to put my life in danger with them on the way."
           "That never bothered you with Eric." Lee said angrily.

            "I know, but, this way I'll be able to take care of Eric too, he'll be going to school in a few years, and I want to be here when he comes home."

            "Amanda, I don't want to stop working with you, I love spending all of my days with you."

            "I do too, but I will love you even more if I get to miss you during the day." Amanda tried to make him understand. Lee stood up from the bed and grabbed his robe that laid on the foot of the bed. He looked around the room, everything was gone except the bed and a suitcase. "Where are you going?" Amanda asked him.

            "I want a glass of milk." Lee told her as he left the bedroom. Amanda knew she'd upset him. She turned over in the bed and let her tears fall. She heard him come in the room a few hours later, and leave before she was ready to wake up.

           

            She was downstairs cleaning up Philip and Jamie's breakfast plates at 8:30, and as she was scrubbing the stuck on syrup she began to cry again. She lifted her head to look out the window, and Lee popped his head up. "Ah!" Amanda screeched as she dropped the plate in the sink and jumped back. Lee laughed.

            "I don't think I ever scared you that much." Lee said as Amanda pushed open the window. He noticed she'd been crying.

            "I don't think I've ever been that unprepared for you to pop up like that." Amanda said as she wiped a tear. Lee came around the back of the house and opened the door. He walked over to Amanda and wrapped his arms around her waist.

            "I'm sorry I scared you." He said as he kissed a tear from her cheek. "And I'm sorry I got angry when you told me you wanted to resign from the agency. I went over there this morning and filled the papers out for you so you won't have to worry about it." Lee told her.

            "I love you." Amanda said as she wrapped her suds filled hands around his neck.

            "I love you too." Lee said he kissed her gently. "Now, for some more changes." Lee told her.

            "What are you talking about?" Amanda asked him.

            "It seems you aren't the only one leaving." Lee told her. "In fact, it looks like I'll be all alone."

            "Huh?" Amanda asked in confusion.

            "Billy's retiring, and Francine is taking the job at SDBIR." Lee said.

            "Really, Billy's retiring?" Amanda asked him.

            "Yeah, he filed the papers while I was filing yours." Lee told her. "But there's more, I was offered his job, pay jumps to GG21." Lee said lifting his eyebrows.

            "Are you going to take it."

            "Well, I figure it'll probably be safer if I wasn't out chasing the bad guys, I'll make less enemy's that way, and I'll almost be assured that I get to come home to a house full of boys." Lee said as he chuckled to himself.

            "Almost?" Amanda asked him.

            "Well, things go wrong every now and then." Lee told her.

            "Oh, just make sure nothing goes wrong when you're around." Amanda told him as she kissed him.

            "I'll be careful." Lee told her.

            "You'd better."

Chapter 5

            In February, Francine had a baby boy and she named him Curtis William, his middle name was for Billy. Jonathan and Francine seemed happy to be making the new addition to their family.

            And, when July rolled around, Amanda gave birth to the twins. Dotty, Curt, Philip, Jamie, Eric, Billy, Jeannie, Francine, Jonathan and their new baby were seated in the waiting room. Which was empty except for the family and friends of Lee and Amanda.

            Dr. Furrston came through a door at the back of the room, with a towel in his hand. "At the request of Mr. and Mrs. Stetson, I was told that Dotty was to go and see her two new grandchildren first." The doctor told the group of people.

"Boys or Girls!" Philip and Jamie shouted simultaneously.

"I'm not supposed to say anything." Dr. Furrston told them.

"What, how can you not tell us, we're the big brothers!" Philip shouted.

"Big broder." Eric said as he tried to jump out of Billy's arms.

"Dotty, will you come with me." Dr. Furrston told them.

"Hmm. It just pleases me to know that Lee and Amanda want me to go first." Dotty said as she walked through the door.

In the room, Lee held one baby, and Amanda the other, both babies were wrapped in yellow towels. Dotty walked in, and smiled gleefully.

"Hey Grandma, this is Adam." Lee said showing her her grandson.

"Boys, more boys Amanda, I swear this time I was sure it was a girl." Dotty shook her head disappointingly. "I suppose I'll love them nonetheless."

"Well, I'm sorry mother, Lee and I did our best. Oh, and this is Jennie." Amanda said showing her mother the baby girl in her arms.

"A girl, you mean it! I have a granddaughter!" Dotty exclaimed.

"She was born three minutes after Adam here, she'll not only have me to look after her, but four big brothers too, I think she'll start dating around the age of 35." Lee joked.

Amanda smiled at Lee. "I love you."

"I love you too." Lee told her as he looked at his son. "And I love you Adam Mathew Stetson." He walked closer to Amanda and looked at his daughter. "And you, little Miss Jennie, I love you too." Looking to his wife, he said, "Don't be jealous honey, I love you the most." Lee kissed Amanda's nose.

"Can I hold one of my grandchildren, because there's a lot of love in this room, and none of it seems to be headed in my direction." Dotty asked.

"Well sure, who do you want to hold, Adam or Jennie?" Lee inquired.

"Well, I don't want Adam to feel left out, but I would love to hold a baby girl again." Dotty said as she walked toward Amanda.

"Well, alright mother, here you go." Dotty walked over to Amanda, and smiled widely as she held her granddaughter for the first time, tear glistening in her eyes. "Lee, give me Adam, and you go get the boys. Remember don't tell them if the twins were boys or girls." Amanda reminded him.

"I won't." Lee left the room.

"Amanda, you know, Adam is the perfect mix of you and Lee, and Jennie here, looks just like you did at this age." Dotty said as she looked over at her daughter.

"Mother." Amanda said.


"No, I'm serious. Amanda, you even had this little mole right here." Dotty pushed a small little spot on Jennie's cheek.

Lee came back into the room with Philip around his right arm, Philip was holding Eric and Jamie around his left, and Billy and Jeannie stood behind the three of them.

"Guys, meet your new siblings." Lee told them, as he took Eric from Philip.

"Lee, this joke is getting old, will someone tell us if they're boys or girls." Jamie said anxiously.

"Well, Philip, here you go, take a look at your littlest brother." Amanda said as she handed Adam up to Philip.

Philip walked closer to his Mom, and looked at Adam.

"He looks like Lee, with less hair of course, but he looks like you too Mom. What's his name?" Philip asked.

"Oh, and Jamie, why don't you go take a look at your sister." Lee said as he pushed Jamie forward lightly.

"A girl! I have a sister?! What's her name?" Jamie asked excitedly.

"Their names are Adam and Jennie, why don't you go hold her Jamie." Amanda told him.

Jamie walked slowly over to his grandmother, he smiled widely, and put his arm under her neck, his grandmother quietly slid her arm out from around the baby as Jamie moved his in place.

"Jennie, I'm your big brother Jamie, I'll make sure Philip doesn't beat up on you to bad." Jamie told her.

"Yeah right geek-boy." Philip said back.

"Philip, don't call your brother geek-boy." Amanda told Philip quickly.

"All right guys, lets leave your mother and Lee with the babies." Jamie walked over to Lee, and handed him Jennie, Philip got off of the bed and he and his brother left, Dotty also reluctantly left the room.

"Congratulations you two, you really deserve this one." Billy said as everyone left the room.

"Thanks Billy." Lee said as Billy left the room. "Well Mrs. Stetson our family is growing."

 "Yeah, and can we say no more. I want it to be done growing." Amanda said.

"Yeah, no more. We'll be done with kids in eighteen years." Lee promised as he watched his wife drift off to sleep. He held Adam and Jennie in his arms. He leaned over and gave his wife a kiss on the forehead. And as he walked over to the small cribs he placed Adam and Jennie in them. He looked at them, and he smiled. Then, he realized the door was being pushed open, and Eric slid in.

"Daddy, I want to see the babies." Eric said, he carried Normie with him.

           

"Well, come here." Lee smiled with pride as he lifted his oldest son up, he watched him look at the babies. "That's your brother Adam, and your sister Jennie."

"They're all wrinkly and red." Eric stated.

"That's how they're suppose to be." Lee said laughing. Philip and Jamie came into the room.

"Sorry Lee, he got away from us." Philip confessed as he went over to take Eric from Lee.

"That's okay. Now the whole family's here." Lee said as he smiled. He glanced at his five children, and smiled. His family might have been finished growing, but he couldn't have been happier.