Title: The Price We Pay
Title:The Price We Pay
Disclosure: Warner Brothers Television Distribution and Shoot The Moon Productions owns these characters, as well as to the writers, and actors who created and portrayed them.Generous references to the past and the events of the 4th season… I don't make any money off of this – my only reward is my personal satisfaction at having written a decent story (and the story is all mine).Oh, and any new characters that you meet along the way - those are creations from my own twisted imagination, so hands off, unless you ask for permission to play with them.

I apologize for formatting issues that appear... I'm really beginning to hate my computer...

See Chapter 1 for more information on timing and all that other good stuff...

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With her schedule clear for the afternoon, except to wait on the repairman for the dishwasher, no charities to support, or rummage sales to keep her occupied, Amanda decided that the best way to avoid any boredom would be to bake some bread.She had just set upon the task of kneading, her hands and forearms covered in flour and sticky dough, when someone chose that moment to call.Cursing herself for not turning on the answering machine, she grabbed a towel and quickly rubbed the dough and flour off her hands, and grabbed the phone on its 5th ring.
"Hello?"A split second of silence, a click and a dial tone.Amanda sighed and hung up the phone.Whoever it was must have decided that it wasn't important.Hoping that it wasn't Billy, she went back to her dough.Seconds later, the phone rang again.Deciding that it would be easier to clean the towel, she wrapped it around her hand to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"Again, she was greeted with silence, a click and then the dial tone.Thinking to herself that it was a wrong number, she hung up the receiver, and started to clean off her hands.When they were sufficiently clean, she turned on the answering machine, and then turned back to the dough.'If this keeps up, I'm going to have to toss this and start over, or else it's going to be as hard as a rock,' she thought to herself, waiting just a few seconds before touching to dough to see if there was going to be another phone call, a deliveryman, or a nuclear disaster.When nothing came, she turned back to the dough.


Then the doorbell and the phone sounded at the same time.Amanda groaned, picked up the ball of dough, and threw the mess into the trash before heading for the front door.Upon opening it, she found Lee just about to insert his key in the lock, his arms juggling a load of mail, papers, and assorted books, and an amused repairman behind him.Saying nothing, she grabs the books on the top of the pile and moves back into the house with a smile, before turning to the repairman."Thank you so much for coming quickly.Follow me, it's back this way."Her voice faded as she led the repairman towards the kitchen, leaving Lee behind with his armload and an open front door.
"Hi honey, it's nice to see you, honey, can I help you with anything?"Lee whispered to himself as he managed to kick the front door closed with his foot.He headed for the den to put down his load, and then thought better of it.He followed his wife's voice to the kitchen, where he put everything down on the table, and started to sort things into various piles.The papers that he'd had hidden away and information from his network went into one pile, the books into another, and the day's mail into another.He heard Amanda and the repairmen go silent, and chose that moment to put himself into a precarious position."Amanda?Do I see the makings for some homemade bread on the counter?"He instantly regretted those words when he heard the growl and saw the look on his wife's face as she approached."I said something wrong, didn't I?"

"You bet you – oh, it's not your fault.I just got frustrated with so many interruptions while I was working on the bread that I just threw it out when the doorbell rang."She looked rather sheepish at this admission.

"Yeah, I saw the repairman as I was pulling into the drive and I guess he didn't hear me say that I could let him in.I shouldn't have grabbed all that stuff before heading in, but I didn't want to make the trip back out.Look, he's busy with the machine, and you've got enough supplies to start again.Why don't I run interference, and you get busy with more bread?"

"Maybe later.What's all this?"Amanda started looking over the books and papers that were spread out over the table.She picked up the mail and started flipping through it, pulling out an envelope here and there.

"Just some notes and papers that our friends were keeping for me.And a few things left in storage that I wanted to take a closer look at.Social registry and all."

"Social registry?Looking for a debutante?"Amanda arched an eyebrow at Lee.

"No.Looking for some history.Smyth runs in some pretty prominent circles, and he's never been one to miss a society party.So I thought I would do some digging on our favorite mess-maker and see if there's something that leads to why we're out of our jobs."

"You know that's a long shot.Even if there's something in there, it's going to take time to find it."

"Yes, I do, but all we seem to have now is time."He swept his arm around to show the repairman and the bread makings on the counter.Amanda slowly nodded her agreement as she realized the truth in Lee's statement.She was still going through the mail, when an envelope caught her eye.She pulled it out of the pile and looked at it carefully."Amanda, something wrong?"

"I don't know, Lee.This is odd.It's addressed to me as Mrs. Lee Stetson, and there's no return address."She held up the plain white cardstock envelope for her husband's inspection.Lee took the envelope, looked it over, and handed it back to Amanda.

"Only one way to find out what's in it?Open it up, Amanda."She had been turning the envelope around in her hands, and was currently holding it up to the sunlight coming in the window to see if there were any identifying marks that would show from the inside of the envelope.She slid her finger under the flap, and pulled out a single sheet of folded paper.She unfolded the paper, read it, and a concerned look came upon her face."Amanda, what is it?"

She handed the typed sheet of paper over to Lee.He read the single paragraph.

'Why would he bother to be with you?He was made for thoroughbred racing stock, not glue stock.'

Lee look up at Amanda to issue an apology, expecting her to be upset.Instead, she looked angry with the letter."Well, at least the phone calls from the steno pool stopped."She looked up at Lee, and the anger previously evident had changed to resignation."How long are we going to have to prove to everyone that this isn't a joke?"She turned away and headed back towards the sink, where the repairman was still working and asked about his progress.

Lee looked after her and said softly for no one but himself to hear, "Probably until we celebrate our 50th anniversary."

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Now that they had the dishwasher and the washing machine repaired in the same week, the King-Stetson-West household was looking at a couple of days of leftovers and eating whatever they had on hand.The phone had started to ring at odd times of day and night, each one a hang-up to whoever answered the phone.The answering machine was on all the time now, but that didn't seem to deter the mystery caller.Amanda had already written off the caller as a persistent individual with the wrong number, but that didn't explain the continuing letter.
A couple more anonymous letters addressed to 'Mrs. Lee Stetson' had come through in the previous couple of days.The latest one had a signature to the letter – 'Lee's next bedmate' – and this didn't make Amanda feel any better.She had no doubts about Lee's fidelity, but it wasn't sitting well with her or Lee that someone was harassing them this way.She became sure that the hang-ups were related.

Amanda hadn't had any outside activities to keep her busy, and she was starting to feel a little confined.She'd been doing some gardening and yard work with Lee; this was helping stave off cabin fever, but it wasn't doing anything for a change of scenery.Lee had spent the day with one of his old physical trainers (and informants), and was planning to meet Billy at Randy's.He'd asked Amanda to meet them both there, so that she'd have a break from the house, the leftovers, and to see Billy again about their jobs.Just before she was to leave, a deliveryman arrived at the house with a dozen white roses.She smiled as she signed for them, happy that Lee had gotten over his aversion to roses to be able to give them to her as a surprise once in a while.The smile faded as she read the card. 'My condolences on the loss of your marriage.' This message, like the others, was typed, and didn't make Amanda any more comfortable with the situation.Whoever this was, and Amanda had some suspicions, was getting bolder about their anonymous contact.Amanda took the card with her, as it had the name of the florist, and threw the roses in the trash.

She drove to Randy's, and showed up just as the waitress had stopped to pick up the order from the table.Amanda declined ordering anything for herself; she and Lee usually shared dishes when they ate out together.This night would be no different than any other, so she hoped.

"So, Billy, make any inroads?"Lee looked up from where Amanda's hand and his were entwined on the tabletop.Billy had noticed this too, and smiled.They weren't his favorite team for nothing.

"Yes, actually I did.I have good news and bad news."

Lee groaned."Not again, Billy.What now?The President wants to invite *us* to tea, but Smyth has to be there too, right?"

"Lee, settle down.The good news is that all the clearances are under way to reinstate you and Amanda within the next 48 hours.So you'd better spend those hours wisely, because once you're gainfully re-employed, you're going to be busy."Billy stopped to take a drink of his soda.As he did so, he stole a look at Lee and Amanda who had reacted in shock, and now were busy hugging each other and smiling.'If ever there was a pair that were made to be together, it's these two.'Knowing that his statement didn't only mean togetherness in a personal sense, but on professional, mental, and emotional levels as well would lessen the impact of what he had to say next.Lee and Amanda were congratulating each other, and had just turned to chatter at Billy, when they noticed the serious look on his face.

"Sir?"Amanda spoke softly. "The bad news?"

"The bad news is that you're going to have to rotate assignments for awhile, until your partnership is reinstated."He held up a hand before they could protest. "I know I said you're on your way back, but as agents *not* as partners.Not yet, anyway.There's still some sort of problem with Smyth, and I'm still trying to crack that particular nut-" He was interrupted by Lee muttering something about 'nut is an understatement' and a sharp 'OW' when Amanda elbowed him for it."Smyth's motivation isn't going to be easy to find out, but with the both of you back on the inside, we should be able to figure it out.By the way, you two should work out who's going to work in the Q, considering I can't put the both of you up there."

Amanda quickly spoke up."Sir, there's enough work in the Q Bureau that Lee and I could split it up easily and not cross paths.It's happened before."
"I know, Amanda, but-" Billy faltered.

"Amanda, Becca Dobson is handling the Q while we're out."Amanda's forehead creased in concentration, and then realization hit her face.

"I know you could feel uncomfortable with either of you working with Becca in the Q, which is why I wanted to make it your decision.Either way, you're going to run into Becca, Amanda – there's no avoiding it.With you back on board, I could move Francine up there, and you could help take over some of her duties."

"Billy, you know that would overload Francine's case load.She's the best at the foreign dignitary and embassy row scene.Amanda and I will figure out what to do."Lee smiled at Billy, and looked to Amanda who was deep in concentration again.He nudged his wife, and she startled but smiled once she realized the conversation had taken a turn."Where've you been all night?"

"Amanda, is something wrong?"Billy always could tell when something was weighing down on Amanda's mind; this time there was clearly something important on the lady's mind tonight.

Amanda pulled one of her hands out of Lee's and reached into her pocket to pull out the card."I received a delivery today before I came here, and this was the card enclosed."

She pushed the card across the table to the center, where either Lee or Billy could pick it up.Both men reached out for it, Billy was faster.He read the card, his brow creasing and then handed it over to Lee.Lee read the card and started turning it, tapping each edge on the table as it turned in his long fingers.He spoke in a calm, determined tone of voice. "Amanda, what was delivered?"

"A dozen white long-stemmed roses."

"Amanda," Billy spoke, "Is this the first time you received anything like this?"His concern was evident in his voice and face.

"No, Billy, it's not.Amanda's been getting letters.And I think the phone calls are related too."

"Letters?Phone calls?Scarecrow, how come I haven't heard about this before?"Billy's voice rose.

"I wasn't concerned about them, sir.I figured it was probably someone who heard about Lee and I and was just jealous."Amanda looked down at the table.She quickly outlined the last few days worth of hang-ups and letters."They're all typed, and they're probably clean.There's no return address, and no signature.I've got them all, but I don't think you're going to get much from them.They're on plain white paper, no special marks or anything else to identify them."
"Amanda, there *was* a signature on one of them."

"Lee, that's not import-"

"Amanda, anything's important when someone is harassing one of my agents.What was the signature?"

Amanda mumbled something as she looked down into the table.Billy looked quizzically at Lee who translated."It was signed, 'Lee's next bedmate', Billy."

"I'm sorry I asked."Billy knew Lee's restless past as well as any of them sitting at that table, and it wasn't an easy thing to bring up.Amanda tended to either tease Lee about it or look away from the conversation; Lee was usually embarrassed about it.It was something, however, that needed to be addressed."Lee, is there anyone in your past who was a little, er, unstable about their relationship with you?"

"No."Lee looked up, clearly uncomfortable and starting to turn red around the collar."There was always someone around.There were a couple of times at Embassy assignments where Amanda was with me, and at least one or two people from my past came a little too close.But no one had ever gotten obsessive about it.I think the closest I ever got to someone coming on too strong was Elisa Danton after Amanda and I had gotten married."He looked over at Amanda, and squeezed her hand, which he had been holding the entire time."I know this isn't Elisa at work – she and Amanda actually became friends after I brought them to meet each other."

"Elisa's too sweet to be behind this, sir."Amanda finally looked up and made eye contact with her boss."But I wonder if it's someone who's always wanted to get involved with Lee, and didn't get the chance?"

"Amanda, I haven't met any new women lately.You won't let me prowl the nightclubs anymore."His voice whined, but his eyes twinkled with the tease, which made Amanda smile.

"Yes, I know.The old ball and chain, right?"Amanda's face changed slightly after finishing the statement."Sir, I wonder if there's someone at The Agency who's related to this?"

"Why do you think that, Amanda?"

"Because how many of the women in Lee's past would know that he's moved in with me?Lee moved into that last apartment after he and I got involved, and didn't leave a forwarding address.It isn't likely that it's someone from his distant past, unless it's someone he worked with."

"Amanda, there aren't that many people in the steno pool who would have access to our personal information."Lee looked over at Amanda, wondering what she was thinking.

"That's why I think it might be an agent."Amanda looked around as the thought settled in with the two men at the table.Lee squeezed her hand gently – it felt to Amanda that it was almost as much as for himself as it was for her.Billy was clearly disturbed by the thought.

Just then, the waitress arrived with their food, and the three agents started to eat, the weight of Amanda's idea hanging over them.If there had been anyone watching the group, they probably would have thought their behavior odd.The previously chattering group fell to almost complete silence during the meal, and when they broke up for the night, it was with few words exchanged.