Chapter 4
Tuesday, August 4th
4:00PM Moscow time
Hotel Rossiya
Lee made sure Nadya and Elena knew where they would be and headed for the hotel. He stopped at the desk and extended their reservations indefinitely as Amanda continued up to their room. She called her mother and filled Dotty in on everything that had happened the last few days. Everything she could share, anyway. Amanda still hated that she couldn't be completely truthful with her family, but at least they didn't have to hide their jobs or marriage anymore. After promising to call again with more information, Amanda hung up and headed for the bathroom. She desperately needed her toothbrush and a shower. After showering, she came out of the bathroom and found Lee on the phone.
"That's what one of the nuns was telling Amanda," Lee sounded a bit defeated. "Billy, she doesn't have to . . . " He had stood up and turned to face Amanda, a look of surprise on his face. "I don't know what to say. Do you have the information?" He looked around, motioning with his hand to her for a pencil. Retrieving one from the nightstand, she handed it and a pad of paper to him and resumed towel-drying her hair. She watched as he wrote what looked like flight information and 'FRANCINE' in big letters. "We'll be there. I really don't know what to say. Just tell everyone . . . heck, I don't know. Tell them thanks, Billy." Lee ran his hand through his hair and put the phone back in the cradle.
"What's going on, Lee?" Amanda had grown curious when she saw Francine's name on the paper with the flight information.
"Well, it seems Francine has some friends who adopted a baby here in Russia last year. She went and visited them and found out even more than we could have hoped for. She went back to work and took over, started making calls and arrangements, told everyone what was going on, and collected everything we're going to need to get Nick home." He gave Amanda a perplexed look. "As of right now, she is somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Francine is personally bringing everything over to us and staying to help with whatever extra things we need done. And it was her idea. Billy even tried to talk her out of it." Lee shook his head. "Francine and I have been friends for a long time but . . . well, I guess I just never would have expected something like this from her, since it had something to do with children and family and all . . ." He had walked to where Amanda was staring at the pad of paper and stood behind her. Taking the towel from her hands, he gently finished drying her hair.
"What do you mean by 'everything', Lee? Can't they just fax over the stuff we need?" Amanda was stunned by Lee's news.
"Well, from what Billy said, there are clothes, a stroller, car seat, bottles, diapers . . . everything." He chuckled. "Billy said Jeannie is sending over enough formula and bottled water to last two weeks. He told me she said 'the formula over there isn't good enough for my nephew.'"
Amanda smiled. "Leave it to Jeannie."
"I just hope Francine doesn't have problems getting everything through customs. But Billy said the former President called in a few favors so she should be all right. I told him we'd meet Francine at the airport. We've got about 7 hours before she gets here, so I thought we'd head over to the Embassy and start our paperwork. Couldn't hurt to be a little ahead of the game, right?"
Lee hesitated. "Amanda?" He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him.
"I'm just thinking." She shook her head. "It never ceases to amaze me what people are capable of. Both good and bad."
Silently, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I know," he whispered, "pretty amazing. This whole thing is pretty amazing." They stood there for a few minutes, before continuing their discussion. She released her hold on Lee and turned to pick up her hairbrush. Moving to the mirror, she started to brush out her hair.
"I'd say 'amazing' is a good word for it. Francine collected things we need for Nicky and is personally flying half-way around the world to bring them to us." It wasn't a question but rather a statement, like she was trying to reconcile the Francine she knew with the one who was on the way there with the physical and moral support they so desperately needed. Amanda continued to brush her hair while Lee sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah, she is," he said.
"Francine DESMOND," she emphasized, stone faced.
Lee laughed out loud. "Yes, Amanda, 'our' Francine."
"I KNEW IT!" Amanda slapped her brush onto the counter. "I knew she had it in her," Amanda joined Lee in laughter for a moment. "I can't wait to hear her talk herself around this one," she said with a smirk.
"This should be fun," Lee stood and headed for the bathroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After a trip to the Embassy and the courthouse, Lee and Amanda decided to head back to the orphanage to see Nikolai again. By the time they picked up Francine and finished at the airport, it would be too late to return and see their son. As they walked into the rundown building, Nadya appeared and walked to the nursery with them.
"I received a confirmation request from the courthouse just now about Nikolai. They needed to know he was over six months old and had no living relatives. That part is cleared. Now you just have to get through the court appearance itself. I will go with you, if you desire," she told them as they reached the nursery door. "It helps if the orphanage director approves of the family." She stopped and turned to face them, smiling. "I most certainly approve."
Lee reached out and took her hand, squeezing it as Amanda hugged the older woman. "Thank you so much, Sister," he said quietly. "We can't thank you enough for everything you're doing to help us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lee was the first one to the crib this time and therefore, the first one Nikolai saw when he awoke. The now familiar squealing and wiggling brought a huge smile to Lee's face, which in turn made Nikolai giggle. "I sure could get used to this greeting every morning," he said to the now frantic baby. "Okay, okay. Here you go!" Lee lifted him up out of the crib and put the baby up to his shoulder for a hug. He was patting the baby's back when Nikolai let out a huge burp. Lee felt something warm seep through the shoulder of his shirt and down his back. "Hey now! What do you thi . . . " He stopped as an indescribable smell reached his nostrils. "Ugh!" He turned his head toward the baby and sniffed, wrinkling his nose. "Amanda!"
Lee heard her ill-disguised snickering and turned to face her. "Hey, Amanda, a little help here, huh?" Lee tried to sound stern.
She cleared her throat and grinned. "Oh, sure, let me get a . . . "
He glared at her. "I don't find this funny at all, Amanda King." He hoped the use of her former name would get her attention. Unfortunately, it wasn't working.
"I'm sorry Lee, I was just thinking about the potential for blackmail here." She turned and winked at him. "Let's see, the infamous Scarecrow with baby spit-up running down his back. Hmmm . . . how much is that worth?" She raised her eyebrows mischievously and laughed at him again.
"You wouldn't dare."
"You wanna bet?"
Lee was suddenly reminded of another time he had dared her. They had ended up with cake everywhere in the Q-Bureau and a lot of explaining to do. He sighed and looked down at Nikolai. "I'm going to have to teach you how to defend yourself, you know. She's ruthless."
Amanda had picked up a cloth diaper from the changing table and was now wiping off the back of Lee's shirt. "It certainly isn't going to be the last time that happens, Stetson. You'd better get used to it." She smiled and leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I think you look rather sexy like this, myself."
Lee grinned and whispered to Nikolai conspiratorially, "You can spit up on me anytime, buddy."
"Well, not necessarily the spit-up part." Amanda scrunched up her nose and took the baby from him with a laugh. "Ever change a diaper before?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"No." She laid Nicky on the changing table.
Lee sighed. "Look, we don't have time right now for diaper changing lessons."
Amanda raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Mm-hmm."
"Really, we don't." He looked at his watch and held it out for her to see. "We need to be out that door in twenty minutes if we're going to make it. And he still needs to eat. You wouldn't want to keep Francine waiting in a Russian airport, would you?"
"All right, fine, you win." Looking down at Nikolai she whispered, "He's gonna have to do it sooner or later." She finished changing and dressing the baby and handed him off to Lee once again for a bottle. Lee sat in the chair closest to the window and started to rock slowly. He could get very used to this. And hopefully soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
10:30PM Moscow time
Sheremetevo Airport
45 minutes northwest of Moscow
Amanda had enjoyed the scenery as they sped up the M10 toward St. Petersburg. After about twenty-five minutes, they turned onto another roadway heading west to Sheremetevo Airport. She had had no idea that Moscow was so sprawling and huge. Even after planning for their trip, the pictures and maps just hadn't prepared her for actually being there. Slightly shocked at the fact that Lee obviously knew his way around Moscow, Amanda made a mental note to one day ask about his time spent there.
"I think this is the smallest 'international' airport I've ever been in, Lee," Amanda said, her voice barely above a whisper. They were standing in a rather unkempt terminal awaiting Francine's arrival on Delta flight 367. Despite the cool, damp weather, it was quite warm and rather dark in the airport, elements that added to Amanda's restlessness. It had been little more than a day since she had first laid eyes on Nikolai but it seemed like forever. The last few hours had dragged on, and she wondered if they'd ever get him home. She looked at her watch, only to realize that she still had not changed from Eastern Standard Time. Normally she would have changed her watch on the plane but she'd been otherwise occupied during the flight and the last week had been so hectic she hadn't even looked at it. Francine's flight was due in at 10:40 PM and her watch said 2:25.
A brusque Russian voice made a hollow announcement over the PA system prompting Lee to take Amanda's elbow and move them toward one of the gates. Almost immediately Francine was heading down the jetway toward them. She caught Amanda's gaze and for a moment, looked embarrassed. But by the time she reached them she had regrouped and was her usual cool, collected self.
"Lee, Amanda." She nodded and gave them a brief smile. "Billy said you'd be here to meet me. I have a ton of things waiting at baggage. Customs should be a breeze." She flung a look back over her shoulder at them and smiled. "Reagan still has pull over here, you know. He's been out of Office for almost a year now and I think some people here have forgotten." Francine started toward Passport Control at a brisk walk. "Come on, you two, we don't have all night, and this place has never agreed with me. The lighting is all wrong."
Amanda looked over at Lee, shaking her head in amazement. "She just got off a nine-hour flight! Look at her!"
They caught up with her just as she shoved her passport to an older Russian woman behind the Passport Control desk. The woman raised an eyebrow at Francine's paperwork, stamped the passport, and tossed it back at her. Grabbing the small book, she spun around, heading off again toward the baggage area.
Collecting a few bags, she motioned to Lee and Amanda to pick up the rest. "My gosh, Francine," Amanda muttered.
There were three boxes, a stroller, and two suitcases which, luckily, were on wheels. Carting the luggage and packages, they turned and entered the line for customs.
"Do you have everything ready for customs, Francine?" Lee asked.
Francine turned, and, rolling her eyes, huffed, "Do I have everything for customs? Lee, really."
Despite the length of the line, they were through customs in record time, the paperwork from the former President of the United States a big boost in getting them through. Amanda listened to Francine converse in fluent Russian with the officers. She had to admit, not for the first time, that Francine was very good at what she did.
Leaving the building, the trio headed for the car. "I sure hope you didn't get yourself some little German sports car, Stetson. I'm in no mood to cuddle with the two of you for an hour." Francine waved her hand at them.
"No, Francine, you'll be happy to know we picked up a distinguished yet comfortable Mercedes sedan, courtesy of our colleagues at the US Embassy. Oh, that reminds me, Agent Maltby was quite interested in the fact that you were coming here. He told me to say 'Hey'." Lee smirked at her.
"Oh, great. Is he still here?" she sighed shaking her head. "Just great. I'll be dodging that bullet all week."
"Old boyfriend, Francine?" Amanda asked.
"Old annoyance is more like it," Francine shot back. "Let's just say he puts Beaman to shame. Thank goodness he's always been *away* at Christmas. I can only put up with one imbecile at a time."
They reached the borrowed car and Francine slid into the back of the black Mercedes. "I'm so tired. There was no way I was going to sleep on that plane, and once we get back to Moscow there won't be time." She seemed to finally relax, lowering her voice so only Amanda could hear her, "Russians make me so nervous when they're on their own turf. They have less sense of humor than Dr. Smyth. I know Gorbie is moving to make changes in this country, but thousands of square miles of nothing but KGB still tends to put me on edge. I've had a few too many run-ins with these people."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The return trip to Moscow was uneventful as Francine fell asleep right away. Amanda sat sideways in her seat, glancing every so often at the woman in the back. She sighed. Lee glanced over at her and smiled. "You really need to get some rest tonight, you know," he whispered sternly. Reaching over, he ran a hand down her cheek. It was finally dark, although not for long, and she decided to take advantage of the car's droning motor lulling her to sleep. Smiling at her husband, she took his hand in hers, kissed the backs of his fingers, and, leaning her cheek on the headrest, she closed her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" . . . anda . . . Amanda!" Lee's voice woke her with a start. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she realized they had reached the hotel. Lee stood at the open passenger door, his hand held out to her. "Welcome home," he said with a grin.
"We should probably wake up Francine, too, huh?" she asked.
"She's all ready inside. You, on the other hand, were a bit more difficult to wake up. I told you you needed to rest." Lee took her hand and provided her with the leverage to get out of the car, drawing her to himself as she stood. Sliding his arms around her waist, he buried his face in her neck. "It'll all be over soon, I promise. We're really ahead of everyone here. Things are falling into place for us, Amanda." He pulled his face back and smiled at her. "This time next week we will be home with our baby. Come on, we're going up and getting you in bed."
"Hmmm . . . " she smiled, closing her eyes. "I really like the sound of that."
Lee grinned wickedly, "The sound of what, Mrs. Stetson? Being home with our baby, or me getting you into bed?"
She pushed away from him and playfully punched him on the arm. "Take your pick," she winked as she slipped past him and headed into the lobby of the Rossiya.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So the hearing is all you're waiting for? That's not bad, Stetson," Francine nodded approvingly. "There are certainly benefits to this job. It took Claire and Timothy months to get through all this, and he's not exactly a civilian." She gave them a knowing look.
Amanda glanced questioningly at Lee. "Who?" she mouthed.
"Timothy Bowman, he's an Aide to the Secretary of Defense," Lee whispered to her.
Amanda nodded. "Oh."
Francine seemed not to hear their exchange. "How long have you been here?"
Amanda glanced at her watch and rolled her eyes. "I have no clue how long we've been here. On top of jet lag when we arrived, problems with customs, getting caught in Butsayev's place, Mironov chasing us, and all that's gone on at the orphanage, we've gotten no sleep. I don't think I've eaten a meal at all, and when I have it hasn't been the most appetizing food Russia has to offer. And this weather is enough to depress anyone. It's rained ninety- eight percent of the time we've been here; everything I brought has been soaked at least once this trip. I packed summer clothes and the temperature hasn't gotten above 65 degrees, it's light out from four-thirty in the morning until ten every evening. Honestly, Francine, I really don't know what day it is. I'm not even sure my watch is correct." Amanda held up her wrist to show them.
By the time Amanda finished, Francine was rubbing her temples, "By the time Amanda had finished, Francine was rubbing her temples. "Wow, it's been a while since I've heard you go on like that, Amanda. The lack of sleep is definitely getting to you. For your information, it is 1:00 am, Moscow time, Wednesday, the fifth." The elevator door dinged open and Francine marched out, a large bag slung over her shoulder, trailing one of the wheeled suitcases after her.
Lee was chuckling as he pushed the cart with the remaining bag and boxes out of the elevator after Francine. Amanda followed with the other suitcase.
"Just *what* is so funny, Stetson?" she inquired.
"You. You never cease to amaze me with how easily and quickly you can get to her. And I never get tired of it. Quite a talent, if you ask me," he stopped, to let Amanda catch up with him and leaned back to give her a kiss on her nose.
"I seem to remember you being just as annoyed by my rambling for awhile, too. You gave Mr. Melrose heck for pairing us up . . . Don't you have the least bit of sympathy for her?" Amanda teased as she started off again. "I can still confuse someone to death, you know," she threw over her shoulder as she reached their room. Turning, she took the key from Lee and unlocked the door. "Where did Francine go?"
"Her room is three doors down, didn't you see her go in? She already had the door unlocked by the time you got to Billy pairing us up," he grinned at her, shaking his head. Leaving the luggage cart sitting inside the door, he flopped down on the bed, sighing heavily. "I used to be able to go for weeks without sleep, Amanda. I'm getting too old for this." He slid his hands under his head as he kicked off his shoes.
"And we're not even on a case. You are losing it, Stetson. Just wait until you're up a couple of times every night," she had moved to the bed and was lying on her side next to him, brushing some stray hair back off his forehead and trailing her fingers down his face.
"Mmmm . . . " He closed his eyes, relaxing under her caressing touch. "Keep that up and you won't get me out of here for a long time."
"Would you two get a room already?" Francine laughed at them from the door. At their slightly annoyed looks she added, "That's a joke, you know, get a room . . . " She sighed and waved a hand at them. "Never mind. I thought we'd get through some of this stuff tonight and then once we have the hearing we're out of here. Considering who you are and the fact that the KGB is seemingly on your side, the ten-day waiting period shouldn't be an issue. But, obviously, it all hinges on the judge. We should see if anyone from the Embassy has an in with the judges or connections at the courthouse." She finally sat in one of the chairs across from Lee and Amanda, leaning back and crossing her legs. "Hello? Anyone awake over there?" she called testily.
"Fran-cine." Lee sat up and slid back to lean on the headboard of the bed. Amanda shifted and moved up next to him. "It's almost two o'clock in the morning. Amanda and I have gotten almost no sleep this week. Even if we could get anywhere tonight with the Russian end of things, it's quitting time at home, too. No one will be available until tomorrow morning. Why don't we just call it a night and start this all up, say . . . " He glanced at his watch. "Around seven?"
Francine sighed. "I just thought maybe you'd be interested in what the office had gathered . . . " she began, but was cut off by Amanda's voice.
"Actually, Francine," Amanda started, glancing at Lee. "I'm very interested. I thought we'd go through the boxes and get everything organized. I'm going to want to get to Nicky before breakfast tomorrow, well, this morning, I guess. I want to feed him and spend some time there until everything opens and then we can go from there. Lee if you're tired, we can take the stuff down to Francine's room and go through it there; you've had less sleep than I have. I'll only be an hour or so, I promise. I'd really like to see what's in those boxes. Kind of feels like Christmas, you know? It's been a very long time since I got to sort through baby clothes and I'm afraid we won't have the time tomorrow. It'd be nice to be able to bring some things to Nicky when we go, too," she finished, smiling gently at Lee.
"You can stay here. No use carting it all down to Francine's room and then carting it all back. I could use a shave and another shower – that'll take me a while so go ahead and get started here." He stood and grinned. "I'm sure this will be a learning experience for both of us, Francine," he winked at Amanda and headed into the bathroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, Lee emerged from the bathroom to find Amanda and Francine surrounded by baby supplies. "We're gonna have enough stuff to last us for six months," he laughed, looking around at the piles.
"Actually, Lee, most of this . . . the diapers, formula, and food . . . won't last more than three weeks," Amanda said absently, as she folded a small T-shirt.
"Three weeks?"
"If we're lucky."
"Wow." Lee shook his head. "And I thought it took too long to do the shopping before."
"We'll have to go in shifts," Amanda teased back.
"You can take care of this stuff; the boys and I will take care of the food."
"Nice try, Stetson. We tried that set-up once before and I wasn't impressed. You blew the lid off the grocery budget and there wasn't anything in the house that even resembled the makings of a normal, family dinner. The boys don't like exotic food, you know that. You agreed when you moved in that they could have three normal meals a week." She glanced back at him with a challenging look on her face. "I don't think you could handle shopping for hot dogs and macaroni."
"I've never claimed to follow the rules, you knew that from the beginning. That's your own fault." Lee wrapped his arms around Amanda's waist and hugged her. "You should be thankful I don't follow the rules, Mrs. Stetson," he whispered.
"Oh, I don't think you . . . " Amanda began quietly.
"Excuse me!" Francine interrupted, rolling her eyes. "There is someone else in this room, you know. I hate to interrupt your little romp through domesticity here, but we really have to get this organized so I can get freshened up before we leave."
Lee kissed Amanda on the cheek and grinned. "Did you hear something?"
Francine huffed and shook her head. "Honestly, Stetson, after all these years you'd think that one-track mind of yours would have let up a bit."
Lee released Amanda and straightened, "Not a chance, Francine." He walked to the bed where the three boxes were sitting empty, waiting to be refilled. "Okay, then, let's get this finished. And as soon as we're through, we need to call home." He turned to look at Amanda. "The boys will be there this time and they need to hear this from one of us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
TBC
Tuesday, August 4th
4:00PM Moscow time
Hotel Rossiya
Lee made sure Nadya and Elena knew where they would be and headed for the hotel. He stopped at the desk and extended their reservations indefinitely as Amanda continued up to their room. She called her mother and filled Dotty in on everything that had happened the last few days. Everything she could share, anyway. Amanda still hated that she couldn't be completely truthful with her family, but at least they didn't have to hide their jobs or marriage anymore. After promising to call again with more information, Amanda hung up and headed for the bathroom. She desperately needed her toothbrush and a shower. After showering, she came out of the bathroom and found Lee on the phone.
"That's what one of the nuns was telling Amanda," Lee sounded a bit defeated. "Billy, she doesn't have to . . . " He had stood up and turned to face Amanda, a look of surprise on his face. "I don't know what to say. Do you have the information?" He looked around, motioning with his hand to her for a pencil. Retrieving one from the nightstand, she handed it and a pad of paper to him and resumed towel-drying her hair. She watched as he wrote what looked like flight information and 'FRANCINE' in big letters. "We'll be there. I really don't know what to say. Just tell everyone . . . heck, I don't know. Tell them thanks, Billy." Lee ran his hand through his hair and put the phone back in the cradle.
"What's going on, Lee?" Amanda had grown curious when she saw Francine's name on the paper with the flight information.
"Well, it seems Francine has some friends who adopted a baby here in Russia last year. She went and visited them and found out even more than we could have hoped for. She went back to work and took over, started making calls and arrangements, told everyone what was going on, and collected everything we're going to need to get Nick home." He gave Amanda a perplexed look. "As of right now, she is somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Francine is personally bringing everything over to us and staying to help with whatever extra things we need done. And it was her idea. Billy even tried to talk her out of it." Lee shook his head. "Francine and I have been friends for a long time but . . . well, I guess I just never would have expected something like this from her, since it had something to do with children and family and all . . ." He had walked to where Amanda was staring at the pad of paper and stood behind her. Taking the towel from her hands, he gently finished drying her hair.
"What do you mean by 'everything', Lee? Can't they just fax over the stuff we need?" Amanda was stunned by Lee's news.
"Well, from what Billy said, there are clothes, a stroller, car seat, bottles, diapers . . . everything." He chuckled. "Billy said Jeannie is sending over enough formula and bottled water to last two weeks. He told me she said 'the formula over there isn't good enough for my nephew.'"
Amanda smiled. "Leave it to Jeannie."
"I just hope Francine doesn't have problems getting everything through customs. But Billy said the former President called in a few favors so she should be all right. I told him we'd meet Francine at the airport. We've got about 7 hours before she gets here, so I thought we'd head over to the Embassy and start our paperwork. Couldn't hurt to be a little ahead of the game, right?"
Lee hesitated. "Amanda?" He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him.
"I'm just thinking." She shook her head. "It never ceases to amaze me what people are capable of. Both good and bad."
Silently, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I know," he whispered, "pretty amazing. This whole thing is pretty amazing." They stood there for a few minutes, before continuing their discussion. She released her hold on Lee and turned to pick up her hairbrush. Moving to the mirror, she started to brush out her hair.
"I'd say 'amazing' is a good word for it. Francine collected things we need for Nicky and is personally flying half-way around the world to bring them to us." It wasn't a question but rather a statement, like she was trying to reconcile the Francine she knew with the one who was on the way there with the physical and moral support they so desperately needed. Amanda continued to brush her hair while Lee sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah, she is," he said.
"Francine DESMOND," she emphasized, stone faced.
Lee laughed out loud. "Yes, Amanda, 'our' Francine."
"I KNEW IT!" Amanda slapped her brush onto the counter. "I knew she had it in her," Amanda joined Lee in laughter for a moment. "I can't wait to hear her talk herself around this one," she said with a smirk.
"This should be fun," Lee stood and headed for the bathroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After a trip to the Embassy and the courthouse, Lee and Amanda decided to head back to the orphanage to see Nikolai again. By the time they picked up Francine and finished at the airport, it would be too late to return and see their son. As they walked into the rundown building, Nadya appeared and walked to the nursery with them.
"I received a confirmation request from the courthouse just now about Nikolai. They needed to know he was over six months old and had no living relatives. That part is cleared. Now you just have to get through the court appearance itself. I will go with you, if you desire," she told them as they reached the nursery door. "It helps if the orphanage director approves of the family." She stopped and turned to face them, smiling. "I most certainly approve."
Lee reached out and took her hand, squeezing it as Amanda hugged the older woman. "Thank you so much, Sister," he said quietly. "We can't thank you enough for everything you're doing to help us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lee was the first one to the crib this time and therefore, the first one Nikolai saw when he awoke. The now familiar squealing and wiggling brought a huge smile to Lee's face, which in turn made Nikolai giggle. "I sure could get used to this greeting every morning," he said to the now frantic baby. "Okay, okay. Here you go!" Lee lifted him up out of the crib and put the baby up to his shoulder for a hug. He was patting the baby's back when Nikolai let out a huge burp. Lee felt something warm seep through the shoulder of his shirt and down his back. "Hey now! What do you thi . . . " He stopped as an indescribable smell reached his nostrils. "Ugh!" He turned his head toward the baby and sniffed, wrinkling his nose. "Amanda!"
Lee heard her ill-disguised snickering and turned to face her. "Hey, Amanda, a little help here, huh?" Lee tried to sound stern.
She cleared her throat and grinned. "Oh, sure, let me get a . . . "
He glared at her. "I don't find this funny at all, Amanda King." He hoped the use of her former name would get her attention. Unfortunately, it wasn't working.
"I'm sorry Lee, I was just thinking about the potential for blackmail here." She turned and winked at him. "Let's see, the infamous Scarecrow with baby spit-up running down his back. Hmmm . . . how much is that worth?" She raised her eyebrows mischievously and laughed at him again.
"You wouldn't dare."
"You wanna bet?"
Lee was suddenly reminded of another time he had dared her. They had ended up with cake everywhere in the Q-Bureau and a lot of explaining to do. He sighed and looked down at Nikolai. "I'm going to have to teach you how to defend yourself, you know. She's ruthless."
Amanda had picked up a cloth diaper from the changing table and was now wiping off the back of Lee's shirt. "It certainly isn't going to be the last time that happens, Stetson. You'd better get used to it." She smiled and leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I think you look rather sexy like this, myself."
Lee grinned and whispered to Nikolai conspiratorially, "You can spit up on me anytime, buddy."
"Well, not necessarily the spit-up part." Amanda scrunched up her nose and took the baby from him with a laugh. "Ever change a diaper before?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"No." She laid Nicky on the changing table.
Lee sighed. "Look, we don't have time right now for diaper changing lessons."
Amanda raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Mm-hmm."
"Really, we don't." He looked at his watch and held it out for her to see. "We need to be out that door in twenty minutes if we're going to make it. And he still needs to eat. You wouldn't want to keep Francine waiting in a Russian airport, would you?"
"All right, fine, you win." Looking down at Nikolai she whispered, "He's gonna have to do it sooner or later." She finished changing and dressing the baby and handed him off to Lee once again for a bottle. Lee sat in the chair closest to the window and started to rock slowly. He could get very used to this. And hopefully soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
10:30PM Moscow time
Sheremetevo Airport
45 minutes northwest of Moscow
Amanda had enjoyed the scenery as they sped up the M10 toward St. Petersburg. After about twenty-five minutes, they turned onto another roadway heading west to Sheremetevo Airport. She had had no idea that Moscow was so sprawling and huge. Even after planning for their trip, the pictures and maps just hadn't prepared her for actually being there. Slightly shocked at the fact that Lee obviously knew his way around Moscow, Amanda made a mental note to one day ask about his time spent there.
"I think this is the smallest 'international' airport I've ever been in, Lee," Amanda said, her voice barely above a whisper. They were standing in a rather unkempt terminal awaiting Francine's arrival on Delta flight 367. Despite the cool, damp weather, it was quite warm and rather dark in the airport, elements that added to Amanda's restlessness. It had been little more than a day since she had first laid eyes on Nikolai but it seemed like forever. The last few hours had dragged on, and she wondered if they'd ever get him home. She looked at her watch, only to realize that she still had not changed from Eastern Standard Time. Normally she would have changed her watch on the plane but she'd been otherwise occupied during the flight and the last week had been so hectic she hadn't even looked at it. Francine's flight was due in at 10:40 PM and her watch said 2:25.
A brusque Russian voice made a hollow announcement over the PA system prompting Lee to take Amanda's elbow and move them toward one of the gates. Almost immediately Francine was heading down the jetway toward them. She caught Amanda's gaze and for a moment, looked embarrassed. But by the time she reached them she had regrouped and was her usual cool, collected self.
"Lee, Amanda." She nodded and gave them a brief smile. "Billy said you'd be here to meet me. I have a ton of things waiting at baggage. Customs should be a breeze." She flung a look back over her shoulder at them and smiled. "Reagan still has pull over here, you know. He's been out of Office for almost a year now and I think some people here have forgotten." Francine started toward Passport Control at a brisk walk. "Come on, you two, we don't have all night, and this place has never agreed with me. The lighting is all wrong."
Amanda looked over at Lee, shaking her head in amazement. "She just got off a nine-hour flight! Look at her!"
They caught up with her just as she shoved her passport to an older Russian woman behind the Passport Control desk. The woman raised an eyebrow at Francine's paperwork, stamped the passport, and tossed it back at her. Grabbing the small book, she spun around, heading off again toward the baggage area.
Collecting a few bags, she motioned to Lee and Amanda to pick up the rest. "My gosh, Francine," Amanda muttered.
There were three boxes, a stroller, and two suitcases which, luckily, were on wheels. Carting the luggage and packages, they turned and entered the line for customs.
"Do you have everything ready for customs, Francine?" Lee asked.
Francine turned, and, rolling her eyes, huffed, "Do I have everything for customs? Lee, really."
Despite the length of the line, they were through customs in record time, the paperwork from the former President of the United States a big boost in getting them through. Amanda listened to Francine converse in fluent Russian with the officers. She had to admit, not for the first time, that Francine was very good at what she did.
Leaving the building, the trio headed for the car. "I sure hope you didn't get yourself some little German sports car, Stetson. I'm in no mood to cuddle with the two of you for an hour." Francine waved her hand at them.
"No, Francine, you'll be happy to know we picked up a distinguished yet comfortable Mercedes sedan, courtesy of our colleagues at the US Embassy. Oh, that reminds me, Agent Maltby was quite interested in the fact that you were coming here. He told me to say 'Hey'." Lee smirked at her.
"Oh, great. Is he still here?" she sighed shaking her head. "Just great. I'll be dodging that bullet all week."
"Old boyfriend, Francine?" Amanda asked.
"Old annoyance is more like it," Francine shot back. "Let's just say he puts Beaman to shame. Thank goodness he's always been *away* at Christmas. I can only put up with one imbecile at a time."
They reached the borrowed car and Francine slid into the back of the black Mercedes. "I'm so tired. There was no way I was going to sleep on that plane, and once we get back to Moscow there won't be time." She seemed to finally relax, lowering her voice so only Amanda could hear her, "Russians make me so nervous when they're on their own turf. They have less sense of humor than Dr. Smyth. I know Gorbie is moving to make changes in this country, but thousands of square miles of nothing but KGB still tends to put me on edge. I've had a few too many run-ins with these people."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The return trip to Moscow was uneventful as Francine fell asleep right away. Amanda sat sideways in her seat, glancing every so often at the woman in the back. She sighed. Lee glanced over at her and smiled. "You really need to get some rest tonight, you know," he whispered sternly. Reaching over, he ran a hand down her cheek. It was finally dark, although not for long, and she decided to take advantage of the car's droning motor lulling her to sleep. Smiling at her husband, she took his hand in hers, kissed the backs of his fingers, and, leaning her cheek on the headrest, she closed her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" . . . anda . . . Amanda!" Lee's voice woke her with a start. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she realized they had reached the hotel. Lee stood at the open passenger door, his hand held out to her. "Welcome home," he said with a grin.
"We should probably wake up Francine, too, huh?" she asked.
"She's all ready inside. You, on the other hand, were a bit more difficult to wake up. I told you you needed to rest." Lee took her hand and provided her with the leverage to get out of the car, drawing her to himself as she stood. Sliding his arms around her waist, he buried his face in her neck. "It'll all be over soon, I promise. We're really ahead of everyone here. Things are falling into place for us, Amanda." He pulled his face back and smiled at her. "This time next week we will be home with our baby. Come on, we're going up and getting you in bed."
"Hmmm . . . " she smiled, closing her eyes. "I really like the sound of that."
Lee grinned wickedly, "The sound of what, Mrs. Stetson? Being home with our baby, or me getting you into bed?"
She pushed away from him and playfully punched him on the arm. "Take your pick," she winked as she slipped past him and headed into the lobby of the Rossiya.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So the hearing is all you're waiting for? That's not bad, Stetson," Francine nodded approvingly. "There are certainly benefits to this job. It took Claire and Timothy months to get through all this, and he's not exactly a civilian." She gave them a knowing look.
Amanda glanced questioningly at Lee. "Who?" she mouthed.
"Timothy Bowman, he's an Aide to the Secretary of Defense," Lee whispered to her.
Amanda nodded. "Oh."
Francine seemed not to hear their exchange. "How long have you been here?"
Amanda glanced at her watch and rolled her eyes. "I have no clue how long we've been here. On top of jet lag when we arrived, problems with customs, getting caught in Butsayev's place, Mironov chasing us, and all that's gone on at the orphanage, we've gotten no sleep. I don't think I've eaten a meal at all, and when I have it hasn't been the most appetizing food Russia has to offer. And this weather is enough to depress anyone. It's rained ninety- eight percent of the time we've been here; everything I brought has been soaked at least once this trip. I packed summer clothes and the temperature hasn't gotten above 65 degrees, it's light out from four-thirty in the morning until ten every evening. Honestly, Francine, I really don't know what day it is. I'm not even sure my watch is correct." Amanda held up her wrist to show them.
By the time Amanda finished, Francine was rubbing her temples, "By the time Amanda had finished, Francine was rubbing her temples. "Wow, it's been a while since I've heard you go on like that, Amanda. The lack of sleep is definitely getting to you. For your information, it is 1:00 am, Moscow time, Wednesday, the fifth." The elevator door dinged open and Francine marched out, a large bag slung over her shoulder, trailing one of the wheeled suitcases after her.
Lee was chuckling as he pushed the cart with the remaining bag and boxes out of the elevator after Francine. Amanda followed with the other suitcase.
"Just *what* is so funny, Stetson?" she inquired.
"You. You never cease to amaze me with how easily and quickly you can get to her. And I never get tired of it. Quite a talent, if you ask me," he stopped, to let Amanda catch up with him and leaned back to give her a kiss on her nose.
"I seem to remember you being just as annoyed by my rambling for awhile, too. You gave Mr. Melrose heck for pairing us up . . . Don't you have the least bit of sympathy for her?" Amanda teased as she started off again. "I can still confuse someone to death, you know," she threw over her shoulder as she reached their room. Turning, she took the key from Lee and unlocked the door. "Where did Francine go?"
"Her room is three doors down, didn't you see her go in? She already had the door unlocked by the time you got to Billy pairing us up," he grinned at her, shaking his head. Leaving the luggage cart sitting inside the door, he flopped down on the bed, sighing heavily. "I used to be able to go for weeks without sleep, Amanda. I'm getting too old for this." He slid his hands under his head as he kicked off his shoes.
"And we're not even on a case. You are losing it, Stetson. Just wait until you're up a couple of times every night," she had moved to the bed and was lying on her side next to him, brushing some stray hair back off his forehead and trailing her fingers down his face.
"Mmmm . . . " He closed his eyes, relaxing under her caressing touch. "Keep that up and you won't get me out of here for a long time."
"Would you two get a room already?" Francine laughed at them from the door. At their slightly annoyed looks she added, "That's a joke, you know, get a room . . . " She sighed and waved a hand at them. "Never mind. I thought we'd get through some of this stuff tonight and then once we have the hearing we're out of here. Considering who you are and the fact that the KGB is seemingly on your side, the ten-day waiting period shouldn't be an issue. But, obviously, it all hinges on the judge. We should see if anyone from the Embassy has an in with the judges or connections at the courthouse." She finally sat in one of the chairs across from Lee and Amanda, leaning back and crossing her legs. "Hello? Anyone awake over there?" she called testily.
"Fran-cine." Lee sat up and slid back to lean on the headboard of the bed. Amanda shifted and moved up next to him. "It's almost two o'clock in the morning. Amanda and I have gotten almost no sleep this week. Even if we could get anywhere tonight with the Russian end of things, it's quitting time at home, too. No one will be available until tomorrow morning. Why don't we just call it a night and start this all up, say . . . " He glanced at his watch. "Around seven?"
Francine sighed. "I just thought maybe you'd be interested in what the office had gathered . . . " she began, but was cut off by Amanda's voice.
"Actually, Francine," Amanda started, glancing at Lee. "I'm very interested. I thought we'd go through the boxes and get everything organized. I'm going to want to get to Nicky before breakfast tomorrow, well, this morning, I guess. I want to feed him and spend some time there until everything opens and then we can go from there. Lee if you're tired, we can take the stuff down to Francine's room and go through it there; you've had less sleep than I have. I'll only be an hour or so, I promise. I'd really like to see what's in those boxes. Kind of feels like Christmas, you know? It's been a very long time since I got to sort through baby clothes and I'm afraid we won't have the time tomorrow. It'd be nice to be able to bring some things to Nicky when we go, too," she finished, smiling gently at Lee.
"You can stay here. No use carting it all down to Francine's room and then carting it all back. I could use a shave and another shower – that'll take me a while so go ahead and get started here." He stood and grinned. "I'm sure this will be a learning experience for both of us, Francine," he winked at Amanda and headed into the bathroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, Lee emerged from the bathroom to find Amanda and Francine surrounded by baby supplies. "We're gonna have enough stuff to last us for six months," he laughed, looking around at the piles.
"Actually, Lee, most of this . . . the diapers, formula, and food . . . won't last more than three weeks," Amanda said absently, as she folded a small T-shirt.
"Three weeks?"
"If we're lucky."
"Wow." Lee shook his head. "And I thought it took too long to do the shopping before."
"We'll have to go in shifts," Amanda teased back.
"You can take care of this stuff; the boys and I will take care of the food."
"Nice try, Stetson. We tried that set-up once before and I wasn't impressed. You blew the lid off the grocery budget and there wasn't anything in the house that even resembled the makings of a normal, family dinner. The boys don't like exotic food, you know that. You agreed when you moved in that they could have three normal meals a week." She glanced back at him with a challenging look on her face. "I don't think you could handle shopping for hot dogs and macaroni."
"I've never claimed to follow the rules, you knew that from the beginning. That's your own fault." Lee wrapped his arms around Amanda's waist and hugged her. "You should be thankful I don't follow the rules, Mrs. Stetson," he whispered.
"Oh, I don't think you . . . " Amanda began quietly.
"Excuse me!" Francine interrupted, rolling her eyes. "There is someone else in this room, you know. I hate to interrupt your little romp through domesticity here, but we really have to get this organized so I can get freshened up before we leave."
Lee kissed Amanda on the cheek and grinned. "Did you hear something?"
Francine huffed and shook her head. "Honestly, Stetson, after all these years you'd think that one-track mind of yours would have let up a bit."
Lee released Amanda and straightened, "Not a chance, Francine." He walked to the bed where the three boxes were sitting empty, waiting to be refilled. "Okay, then, let's get this finished. And as soon as we're through, we need to call home." He turned to look at Amanda. "The boys will be there this time and they need to hear this from one of us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
TBC