Scarecrow and Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production. The characters are theirs, the story is mine. References to episodes The First Time, Playing Possum, Need to Know, and Nightcrawler.
Author: Microdotty
Written: July - August 2002
Prologue
The mystery marriage lasted all of six months. The funny thing was, its ending had nothing at all to do with all the evasions, half-truths and outright lies which were essential in keeping the secret. It wasn't even the frustration of too many interrupted rendezvous and way too many nights spent alone. No, the whole thing was doomed because of two little words . . .
Part 1
The rain fell heavily, limiting visibility on the slick streets, but Lee Stetson drove with confidence, his strong hands holding the steering wheel firmly. While he was aware of the traffic around him, his attention was on the preparations he had made for the night's activities, for tonight was his and Amanda's sixth month anniversary. He went over the list in his head; a bottle of Dom was chilling in the apartment, on the seat next to him lay a dozen roses, and in his pocket he carried a small velvet box. Tonight was going to be perfect.
Lee couldn't get over the love he felt for Amanda, his Amanda. She made him complete in a way he never thought he would experience. He had often tried to pinpoint when he had actually fallen in love with her, when his feelings had changed from annoyance to friendship to love. Sometimes he thought he had always loved her. Now, Lee Stetson was not one to believe in love at first sight; you had to know somebody before you could love them. But then, from the first time he had seen Amanda on the train platform four years before and stared into her beautiful deep brown eyes, he thought he had known her forever; maybe he had. What he was sure of was that he would spend the rest of his life showing her how much she meant to him.
He made it to his apartment building in record time, despite the rain, and grabbing the flowers off the seat, bolted up the stairs and into the foyer. Too impatient to wait for the elevator, he raced to the stairwell and quickly made it to his floor. "Hold it, Stetson," he thought, "conserve your energy. You're going to need it . . . " Taking a deep steadying breath, he paused outside his door, unlocked it and walked inside. "Amanda, I'm home." He waited for her, "Hello, sweetheart," but only silence greeted him. "She must be in the bedroom," he thought. After placing the roses on the coffee table, he strode over and opened the bedroom door. Empty . . .
Puzzled now, and running his hand through his hair as he often did when he was nervous, he stood silently for a few seconds and scanned the room, when he noticed the message light blinking on his answering machine. He walked over and pushed the button, relieved to hear Amanda's voice on the tape, "I'll be a little late tonight, so you'll probably beat me home. I had an appointment that ran over but I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you."
Almost as soon as the message finished, he heard Amanda's key in the lock. Amanda opened the door and announced, "Sweetheart, I made it. The traffic was awful, and the rain just won't stop!" as she turned and placed her bag and umbrella on the entrance table. She peered into the dim living room, "Lee, where are you? Lee?"
Her husband quietly approached her from behind the door and enveloped her in his strong arms, placing his hands protectively around her waist. An involuntary yelp escaped Amanda's lips before she recognized the loving embrace of her husband and leaned back against his strong chest. Holding tightly to her waist, Lee raised one hand to her neck and gently smoothed the hair away. Then bending his head, he began tenderly kissing and nibbling her neck and shoulder. Delicate shivers danced up and down Amanda's spine. Lee murmured into her neck, "Uhmm, Amanda, I've missed you," his warm breath on her skin inflaming her senses. Amanda, luxuriating in his embrace, and the feel of the strong, hard body of her husband behind her, murmured back, "Yeah, I can tell," as she delicately moved her hips against him.
Lee groaned and turned Amanda in his arms, then bent his head and captured Amanda's lips with his and began kissing her passionately. She held him tight, and returned the kiss with just as much passion. After a few minutes, Lee raised his head and whispered, "I love you, Amanda. Happy Anniversary," before sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her over to the couch where he gently placed her.
"Now, I have a few surprises for you." He reached over to the coffee table and picked up the roses. "Well, they might not be as pretty as the flowers from your garden . . . " he trailed off and smiled his most dazzling smile. Amanda smiled back, "Oh, Lee, they're beautiful, and you know it. Thank you. We really need to get them into water before they wilt." "Always practical, aren't you Amanda?" he teased. "Why don't you find a vase for them while I open the champagne?" As he turned and walked to the kitchen, he missed the expression that flickered over her face.
Lee came back with two glasses filled with champagne to find Amanda busily arranging the roses in a crystal vase. Handing her one of the flutes, he toasted, "To Amanda, my beautiful wife, who taught me what love is." Amanda placed her flute on the coffee table, leaned over and stroked the smooth plane of his cheek and strong jaw before giving him a quick kiss. "I love you so much Lee. We really are the luckiest two people on earth. I don't know where I'd be without you." "Well, if I have anything to do with it, you'll never have to find out," he replied as they kissed again.
"One more gift, Amanda," he said and placed the small velvet box into her hand. She opened it quickly to find a stunning opal ring surrounded by emeralds. "Oh, Lee, it's gorgeous," she gasped, "and those are our birthstones!" She pulled the ring from the box, but then Lee took the ring from her and with great reverence placed it on the ring finger of her right hand. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly.
Quietly, Lee began to speak, "Well, Mrs. Stetson, I thought maybe you could use this as a wedding ring. Since our marriage has to remain a 'mystery' and you can't wear your wedding band all the time, I wanted to give you this ring to wear as a secret signal between us, a visible reminder of our commitment to each other."
"Lee, it's really a wonderful gift, but I'm afraid it won't be necessary," Amanda replied.
Taken aback, Lee could only repeat, "Won't be necessary?" "What did that mean?" he thought as his mind raced to find a reason for her comment.
"Lee, Lee . . . " Amanda finally caught his attention, "Lee, I have a present for you too, but it's not here yet."
"I don't care about a gift," he snapped, hurt apparent in his voice, "I just want to know why you don't think it will be necessary to wear this ring."
Amanda smiled and shook her head. "Some spy you are," she thought, and then decided a frontal assault was her only choice. Taking his face in her hands, she leaned in close and whispered, "I'm pregnant . . . "
Part 2
Trying to keep his attention on the road as he drove to the Agency, Lee couldn't help glancing over at Amanda. Lee thought back to the previous night and the announcement his wife had made.
"Lee, Lee, did you hear me? I'm pregnant." Amanda peered intently into Lee's face; he seemed stunned. "Lee, come on now, answer me!"
Slowly, the stunned look was replaced with wonder, and then Lee replied, "Pregnant? How? When?"
Amanda chuckled, "Well, Scarecrow, I think you know how! As for when, think back to about a month ago . . . "
"The 'stakeout' at the waterfront! I had just returned from that two week assignment in Europe, and . . . oh yeah, the boat we were waiting for never showed. "
"Sweetheart, I think the whole Soviet Navy could have invaded and neither one of us would have noticed. We were lucky we didn't compromise the whole mission. I still can't believe we . . . Do you think maybe that's why the Agency frowns on partners becoming intimately involved? I mean, National Security was at stake and there we were oblivious to anything going on around us, and . . . "
Lee interrupted, "Um, Amanda?"
"Yeah?"
"I have a confession to make."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. That 'stakeout?'"
"Uh huh?"
"I made it up."
"You did what?"
"Hey, you can't blame a guy. I missed you so much, and I wanted to spend time with you alone with no chance we would be interrupted. Didn't you ever wonder why I insisted we take the Wagoneer and not the Corvette?"
"I thought your Corvette was in the shop."
Lee smiled disarmingly and shook his head, "Nope. Good old reliable Wagoneer! So much more comfortable than the Corvette for a 'stakeout!' And I was right! That was quite a night, Amanda, and you're sure that's when . . . ?" He trailed off, he knew it had to be then; they had had precious few nights together in the six months of their marriage.
"Lee, you know I should be furious with you, but I can't. I love you too much, and the memory of that night, wow!" Amanda took his hands in hers then, and asked shyly, "Are you happy?"
"Happy? My wife is pregnant with our first child and asks if I'm happy?" Lee smiled broadly, but then his eyes narrowed and he asked seriously, "What about you, Amanda? How do you feel about this pregnancy? You've already had two children, and . . . "
Amanda leaned over and kissed Lee tenderly, "Lee, I love you, and I love our baby. Of course I'm happy. We do have a lot to talk about, though."
"Yeah, we're going to have to let some people in on our little secret, won't we? Let's do it tomorrow and then we won't have to worry about sneaking around anymore."
"Tomorrow? Lee, I'm only one month along, so there's no rush. And in the first trimester, anything can happen. What if I miscarry?"
"Shhh. Don't even think that!" Lee had only known about his child for a few minutes but already felt fiercely protective. "This is the perfect time to tell everybody. And even if something does happen, at least we'll have come clean."
"But . . . "
Lee dropped to his knees in front of her and held her hands gently, "Amanda, I'm tired of all this secrecy, and I think you are, too. Please say you agree." He gazed into her eyes, the look in his a mixture of pleading, longing and love.
Amanda gazed back, seeing the same look in Lee's eyes that she had seen when he had proposed to her. "You know, I couldn't turn you down the last time you looked at me that way," she said with a small grin.
He smiled back, "Great! We'll start at the Agency in the morning and then talk to our family afterwards."
"Yeah, great," Amanda replied worriedly. "I sure hope we're doing the right thing," she thought to herself.
Back in the present, Lee looked over at Amanda again and smiled. Amanda, though, a slight frown on her face, seemed lost in thought. "Amanda?" he said, taking her hand in his, "you seem a bit preoccupied this morning."
"Preoccupied? Preoccupied? Why wouldn't I be preoccupied, Lee? I'm pregnant. We have a secret marriage that won't be secret for much longer. I have to find some way to explain to my mother why I never let her know we eloped six months . . . six months!... ago. And the boys, what will I tell them? How can I ever explain the secrets I've kept from them? And right now we're on our way to inform Mr. Melrose, and then who knows what will happen. What if we can't work together anymore? I know we agreed last night, but right now, I'm worried and I'm scared." She paused to take a breath and turned to Lee, anguish in her eyes.
"I know, I know. But just remember, whatever happens at the Agency, we'll make it through just like we always have. As long as we have each other, we'll be fine." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and she smiled, "I love you, Lee."
"And you know I'll always love you, Amanda."
"I know."
************************************************************************************
The couple stood outside Billy's office, each taking strength from the other, gathering the courage to face their boss. Lee said quietly, "Well, Mrs. Stetson, I guess this is it. Do you feel up to it?" She leaned in close and whispered, "It's now or never, Mr. Stetson." Glancing into the office window, they noticed Billy waving them inside. The two went in and sat down in front of his desk.
"All right you two, what did you need to see me about?"
They looked at each other and Amanda instinctively reached over and grabbed Lee's hand. Billy observed the action and a faint smile came to his lips.
Lee began, "Well, Billy, we, uh, have to inform you about something."
"Yes, yes, Agency business?"
Lee glanced at Amanda and she gave a slight nod. "In a way, Billy. You know that Amanda and I have gotten, well, you know you've even commented that we, well, and that you . . . "
Billy interrupted, "Spit it out Scarecrow, I don't have all day."
"Sir, Lee and I are married," whispered Amanda.
Billy sat back in his chair, a wide smile on his face, "Well, I'm glad you finally decided to tell me. It sure took you long enough!" and burst out laughing.
"What?" Lee and Amanda chorused.
"People, people, what is it again that we all do for a living? We gather intelligence, don't we? And not always on the bad guys. You know we do background checks and spot checks on all of our agents, and that, of course, includes any legal activities that are filed by the courts. You know, things like lawsuits, traffic tickets, marriages . . . " At that Billy trailed off.
"Uh, Billy, how long have you known?" Lee asked.
"Oh, about five months or so."
Quietly, Amanda asked, "Sir, you mean you've known about our marriage since March and you haven't said anything?"
"Well, Amanda, I knew you would eventually get around to telling me. I'm just glad you didn't wait much longer. You know, you've gotten way too good at keeping secrets."
Amanda glanced over at Lee and smiled, "Well, I did have a good teacher."
Lee interjected, "Since you know we're married and have allowed us to remain partners, does that mean our marriage doesn't cause a problem?"
"Exactly, sir. Lee and I will still be able to work together, won't we?" Amanda asked.
"Until you give me a reason to, I don't see a need to split up my best team. Now, since you've let me in on your secret, I guess you're going public? Was the strain of the secrecy getting to be too much?"
"Uh, no, there's a complication," Lee said, "that wouldn't allow our relationship to be secret much longer."
At this, Billy looked puzzled, "A complication?"
"We're having a baby," they blurted out at the same time.
Francine, who had opened the door just in time to hear the comment, stood at the entrance to Billy's office, dumbstruck.
Billy's smile returned, "Congratulations. Francine, did you hear?"
Francine could only nod dumbly, while Lee and Amanda took in her expression and began to laugh.
Strangely, their laughter seemed to calm Francine, "Oh, I get it, you're on some kind of case. What is it? A black market, baby selling ring?" She laughed, "Oh man, what was I thinking, you and Amanda having a baby? Amanda isn't the type to, well you know, she's just not the type."
Lee winked and said, "Sorry Francine, it's not a case. Amanda is pregnant and I'm the father, and believe me when I say, she's just my type," and gave Francine a wicked grin. Then he looked over at his wife with such love in his eyes that it took Amanda's breath away.
Francine spat out, "Amanda, you know I warned you about Lee, about his scorched earth policy of relationships; you can't be naive enough to believe getting pregnant will change him, do you? Not that I can really blame you, Amanda. I do, after all, have first hand experience with how, shall I say, persuasive Lee can be. But you," she turned on Lee, fury in her bright blue eyes, "how could you do this and to Amanda of all people?"
Thoroughly enjoying himself by now, Lee said, "Amanda, I guess it's time to tell her everything."
"Everything? You mean there's more?" Francine asked incredulously.
"Darling, would you like to tell her, or should I?" Lee continued.
"Oh, you go right ahead, sweetheart. I think she needs to hear it from you. Francine, you might want to sit down for this," Amanda replied, a smirk on her face.
Francine's blue eyes widened as she thought, "What could be so bad that I have to sit?" " I would prefer to stand," she said stiffly.
Amanda muttered, "Well, I warned you," as Lee began, "Francine, not only is Amanda pregnant, she's also my wife and has been for six months."
Lee, Amanda and Billy looked on in shock as Francine slowly crumpled to the floor. After a few seconds, Amanda asked sweetly, "If Francine can't take simple news better than this, how does she ever survive in the field?"
Part 3
As Lee and Amanda walked in the front door of her house, Lee leaned in and whispered, "I can face enemy agents without flinching, but the thought of telling your mother about us . . . "
"Oh, Lee, she's my mother, not the enemy. And this was your idea, remember?"
Lee looked over at Amanda and rolled his eyes, "I know, I know, but how will she feel about all the secrets we've kept from her?"
"I don't know, I just want to get it over with. Now, we are going to tell her everything right? The marriage, the baby, our jobs?"
"Right, everything."
Dotty's voice drifted in from the kitchen, "Amanda, is that you?"
"Yes mother. Lee and I are here," she replied as they walked into the den.
"Lee, it's so nice to see you again."
"It's nice to see you too, Dotty."
"Amanda, why don't the two of you sit down and I'll get us some coffee."
Suddenly, Amanda felt dizzy and stumbled. Lee tightened his grip around her waist and settled her on the couch. "Amanda, are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.
At the same time, Dotty asked, "What's wrong, Amanda?"
"Oh, Lee, mother, it's nothing. I must be, ah, coming down with something." Lee looked at her, understanding. Dotty fussed over her a while and asked, "Can I get you anything?"
Amanda nodded, "Yeah, do we have any ginger ale? I think that might settle my stomach," and then cringed slightly as she thought, "Oh my gosh, I hope mother doesn't remember."
Dotty replied, "Sorry, no ginger ale."
Lee took out his car keys, "Well, why don't I run down to the corner store and get some?" and left.
Dotty continued to fuss over Amanda, but then with a puzzled look, said, "Ginger ale? Amanda, you don't like ginger ale. The only time you ever drank it was to settle your stomach when you were pr . . . " Instantly Dotty's eyes narrowed and she looked closely at her daughter. Amanda did not meet her gaze. "Amanda, you're pregnant! Now, don't even try to deny it."
Amanda sighed, "I won't deny anything, mother. I am pregnant."
"Does Lee know yet?"
"Of course he does mother."
"And what is he going to do about it?"
"What do you mean do about it?"
"Will he support you and the child? Has he mentioned marriage?"
Another sigh, "Mother, can we wait until Lee comes back, please?"
"I can't believe he did this to you, Amanda, and he seemed like such a nice man."
"He is a nice man, mother, and it does take two, you know."
"Amanda, that man took advantage of you. I always thought he was much too charming and smooth and way too handsome for his own good. Believe me, missy, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when he gets back."
"Mother," she warned, "can we not do this now?" and closed her eyes.
Lee walked in a few minutes later. "I've got the ginger ale," he announced, took one look at the two women sitting stiffly on the couch, and immediately knew something was wrong. He made his way over to Amanda and sat next to her. Amanda leaned close and murmured, "Lee, she knows." "Which part?" he whispered back.
Dotty glared at him, "How could you have done this to my daughter? Amanda has two young sons, and has always been a wonderful role model. But now you've ruined her, seduced her and gotten her pregnant. You should be ashamed of yourself."
Lee couldn't help the slight grin that came to his lips.
"Oh, you might think this is funny, Lee, but it's very serious."
"Believe me, Dotty, I'm always serious when it comes to Amanda."
"Are you going to marry her then?"
"No, I'm not. I'm . . . "
Dotty's glare intensified.
"I'm not going to because I already am m. . . . "
Dotty cut in, "Married? You're already married? I just knew you were hiding something. I guess you're going to tell me that your wife doesn't understand you, you just don't love her anymore, or some kind of nonsense like that."
Lee answered thickly, "No Dotty, I'm not going to tell you anything like that. I love my wife more than life itself. She is the most beautiful, loving, courageous woman I know, and I'm lucky to have her." He was looking directly into Amanda's eyes as he made the declaration. Amanda's eyes glistened with unshed tears and love, as she listened to her husband's words.
Dotty, oblivious to the undercurrent in the room, turned her attention to her daughter, "Amanda, did you hear that? He's married!"
Amanda answered, her voice trembling, "Yes, mother, I know he's married and I also know for a fact that his wife is the luckiest woman on earth." With that she gave Lee a big smile and took his hands in hers. Lee smiled back.
"Amanda!" she said in a shocked voice, "You know he's married and you don't care?"
"Of course I care, mother. He's married to me!"
Now Dotty was confused, "What?" Her eyes narrowed. "When?"
Lee placed his arm around Amanda and pulled her close, "Well, here goes," he whispered.
"Mother, Lee and I have been married for six months."
Dotty choked out, "Come on, you expect me to believe that the two of you have been married for half a year, and what, you just keep forgetting to tell me? Who in their right mind would do something like that and why?"
"Well, believe it or not Dotty, that's what we came over here to talk to you about, only Amanda's dizzy spell kind of messed up the order we had planned on."
"Just tell me now. Why have you kept your marriage a secret?"
"Well, mother, it has to do with our jobs."
"Oh come on, I don't think a film company cares if two of its employees are married, and if they do, so what? You can always get another job."
"Mother. We don't work for a film company. That's just a cover."
"Cover? What's a cover?"
Lee answered, "A cover is just that, it covers up what we really do. It prevents people from knowing our real jobs."
"And just what are your real jobs?" Dotty asked sarcastically.
Amanda began, "Well, we, um, gather intelligence."
"Okay. So?"
Lee continued, "secret intelligence."
"What?"
"For the government," he finished.
Dotty sputtered, "wh . . . it sounds like you're telling me you're spies."
"We are, mother."
"And can we use the word agent, instead? I've never been too fond of the term spy," Lee added.
"I don't believe this. Amanda, you're telling me you work for the government as a sp . . . I mean, agent? For how long?"
"Four years."
"Four years?"
"Yeah, well, part of the time I was just a civilian assistant, but I've since completed my training, and I'm a full-fledged agent now."
"Right, Dotty, one of the best we've got."
Amanda smiled at her husband, "Thank you, sweetheart."
Dotty looked overwhelmed, "How did all of this begin?" "I can't believe I'm taking them seriously," she muttered to herself.
"Mother," Amanda asked, "do you remember Mrs. Welch, who had the cooking show on TV?"
Dotty's brow furrowed as she thought back four years, "Yes, I do, she turned out to be an enemy spy but was finally discovered and arrested by federal agents." At that, Dotty's eyes widened, and with sudden comprehension, looked at the two and asked quietly, "Was that you?"
"Well, Dotty, it was actually Amanda. I was taken hostage and your daughter not only found me and saved my life, she stopped a series of agent killings that could have destroyed our intelligence community. And she had never even flown a helicopter before!" Lee looked over at Amanda, "But you know, she did okay."
"Helicopter? My Amanda flew a helicopter?"
Lee looked over at his wife and gave her a dazzling smile, "I was so proud of her."
Amanda smiled back, and teased, "But at the time he was too scared to even open his eyes!"
"But Amanda, how did you know to save him? How did the two of you meet?"
Amanda smiled, "Let's just say a 35% chance of rain brought us together."
Lee laughed, "I still don't know what you saw in that guy, but if I had Dean's address, I'd send him a thank you card!"
"Dean, what does Dean have to do with any of this?" asked Dotty, confused.
"Well, mother, if I hadn't brought Dean to the train station that day four years ago, I would never have met Lee."
"You met at the train station?"
"Uh huh. I had just seen Dean's train off and was going back to my car, when this extremely handsome man, dressed as a waiter, with the most gorgeous hazel eyes I had ever seen," she turned and winked at Lee, "grabbed my arm, and asked me to walk with him. Then he gave me a package, told me to get on the train, and give it to the man in the red hat."
"And you did it? Amanda!"
"The only problem was, there must have been 25 men in red hats on the train!" Amanda grinned, "Hey, maybe we should send a thank you card to the Shriners too!"
Lee chuckled and continued the story, "I knew that the package hadn't been delivered and I also knew that it could become dangerous for Amanda. So I tracked her down and we've been together ever since."
" So Amanda has been working with you all this time? I don't know if I can believe any of this."
"Well then, maybe you should hear more about Amanda's work. Not only has she saved my life more than once, she even helped save all of Washington, D.C."
Dotty rolled her eyes, "Now Lee, don't exaggerate."
"Oh, I'm not. Amanda, would you like to tell the story?"
"Sure, Lee. Now, mother, I told you this once before, but you didn't believe me. Remember a few years ago when I put you and the boys on the early train to Vermont?"
"Of course I remember that. You tried to get us to leave early with some silly story that you were a spy . . . " she stopped. "That was the truth? There was really a nuclear bomb in D.C.?"
Lee answered, "Yes, there was, and Amanda was key in preventing its detonation. She was so brave."
"Oh, it was nothing, really," Amanda replied modestly, then added, "Well, I guess it was something, wasn't it?"
"Yes, Amanda, it was something," Lee murmured.
Dotty saw the couple in a totally new light. Now, she saw the complete love and trust they felt for each other as they gazed into each other's eyes. She thought back to all the strange happenings that had occurred during the past four years. The late night phone calls, the mad rushing out of the house at all hours, the days Amanda never made it home. "I'm going to need some time to sort through all of this," she thought. Suddenly she blurted out, "Amanda, what about Jamie and Philip? You're going to have to tell them, too."
Amanda answered, "We plan to, but we don't think they need to get all the details about our jobs."
Lee added, "But they will have to understand that our jobs must remain secret. Neither you nor the boys will be able to tell anyone what we really do."
Dotty nodded, "I'll help make sure they know how important it is to keep quiet."
"Thanks, mother." "Yeah, thanks, Dotty."
Part 4
Dotty was very curious about Amanda's job, and Lee and Amanda did their best answering her questions and telling her as much as they could without compromising national security. Dotty had just made her way upstairs, "to digest all of this," she said, when the front door flew open, and Philip and Jamie came rushing in.
"Hey, I'm hungry. Anything to eat?" yelled Jamie, as he slammed the door.
"Yeah, I'm starved," agreed Philip.
"Boys, we have company. Let's show some manners, OK? And I know you can't be starved. I packed each of you a good lunch today," Amanda reminded them.
The boys bounded into the den and skidded to a stop in front of Lee, slightly out of breath. Both boys started talking at the same time.
"Hi Lee. I thought that was your 'Vette parked outside. Think we might be able to take it out for a spin later?" Philip asked.
"Lee, you want to see the pictures I took at the zoo last week? That camera you got me is awesome," Jamie added.
Amanda interrupted them, "Philip, Jamie, if you're hungry, why don't you go into the kitchen and get an apple or something. Then come back in here, because we need to have a family meeting."
When the two boys came back in, they sat cross legged on the floor in front of the couch, munching their apples.
Amanda started, "All right fellas, Lee and I have something important to talk to you about. Now, you both like Lee, right?"
As she looked from one to the other, Philip elbowed Jamie in the ribs, grinned and whispered, "I told you." Out loud he said, "Mom, I think we already know what you want to talk to us about. You and Lee are getting married, right?"
Lee and Amanda looked at each other, surprised, then back at the boys. Jamie continued the conversation, "Mom, we're not babies any more. We know you and Lee are in love. And when people are in love, they get married."
Amanda asked softly, "And the two of you are OK with that?"
Philip blurted out, "Yeah, Lee's cool and if you get married the 'Vette will be here all the time." Then, realizing what he had said, he lowered his head and mumbled, "Uh, what I meant to say was, Lee will be here and he's cool and all . . ."
Lee grinned and reached over to tousle Philip's hair, "Hey, that's OK. I like the 'Vette a lot too!" Philip looked up at him then, and grinned sheepishly.
Then, Jamie looked intently at Lee and said, "Yeah, I'm OK with it, too. Like Philip said, he's cool, and he does stuff with us and he actually seems to enjoy being with us. He's not like Dean at all. I never liked him."
Lee chuckled, "You know Jamie, I do like doing 'stuff' with the two of you, and just between us, I never liked Dean either, and I didn't even know him."
"So, when are you getting married?" Philip asked.
Amanda began cautiously, "Well, that's something else we need to talk to you about. You see, Lee and I are already married."
"You eloped? When?" Philip asked incredulously.
"This is where it gets a little tricky, fellas. We've been married six months already," Amanda said weakly.
Jamie and Philip stared at the couple open-mouthed. Finally, Jamie was able to get out, sadness in his voice, "Six months! And you didn't you tell us? I know why. Lee didn't like us and didn't want us to be in the way. He just wanted to be with you and two kids are too much of a bother."
Tears in her eyes, Amanda began, "Sweetheart . . ." when Lee touched her arm and stopped her.
To Jamie's surprise, Lee got off the couch and lowered himself onto the carpet right in front of him, "Jamie, nothing could be further from the truth. I love you boys just as much as if you were mine, and I've never thought of you as a bother. In fact, I've been worried about you and protecting you and your mother for four years already."
Philip looked over, surprised, "Four years? Lee, you haven't even known us one year yet."
"No, Philip, Lee's right. He has been around for four years. And, he's done an amazing job protecting this whole family," Amanda announced proudly.
"Protecting us from what?" Jamie asked, skepticism in his voice.
"Well, that has to do with our jobs."
"Mom, you work for a film company and Lee's a director there. What kind of protection do we need?" Jamie continued.
Lee cut in, "You might find this a little hard to believe, but we don't work for a film company. Your mom and I work for the government as intelligence operatives."
Philip and Jamie looked at each other, not comprehending what Lee had just said. Amanda just sighed and said, "Spies. What Lee is trying to tell you is that we're spies."
After a few tense seconds, Philip whooped, "My mom's a spy and she's married to a spy? Cool! I can't wait to I tell my friends! They won't believe this." "It's awesome!" Jamie agreed, "My mom's a spy!"
Amanda bent and whispered to Lee, "Well I guess they didn't find it hard to believe," and then she turned to the boys, "Fellas, we're sorry, but you can't tell your friends anything about this. It could be very dangerous if certain people find out about us. You know, part of being a spy is that it has to be a secret. That's why we're called secret agents."
Jamie and Philip looked crestfallen, and Jamie asked, "We can't tell anybody? That's not cool at all."
Lee smiled as a thought struck him, "Well, it would be cool if the two of you were junior secret agents, wouldn't it? I mean, your job would be to help me protect this family. Do you boys think you could handle that or not?"
"Yeah! Junior secret agents. That's awesome!" Philip agreed.
Jamie nodded, "Of course we can handle that. I told you we weren't babies."
"So you understand that our jobs have to remain secret? It's very important that nobody find out," Amanda said seriously.
"Yeah, we understand," they replied together. Philip added, "Is the family meeting over now?"
"Uh, not quite. Lee and I have one more thing to talk to you about. Now you need to remember that Lee and I love you and nothing will ever change that. You do know that, don't you?"
"Mom, just tell us," Jamie said.
"What your mom is trying to say is, how would you boys like a brother or sister?" Lee winced as he finished.
Jamie answered first, "Mom, you're having a baby? I get to be a big brother? Yeah!"
Philip continued, "All right, another one to terrorize!" At Amanda's look, he added, "Just kidding, mom! Can we go now?" Without waiting for a reply, Jamie and Philip got up from the floor and bounded up the stairs, whispering furiously about spies the whole time.
"That went better than I thought," Lee murmured to himself.
"Do you think they'll be OK, Lee?" Amanda asked worriedly.
"They'll be fine, Amanda. After all, look who they have for a mother. Now let's get over to the apartment so I can pack a few things. I'm staying with my family from here on in."
Epilogue
That night, Lee and Amanda walked up the stairs of the house at 4247 Maplewood Drive and entered what was now their bedroom. Lee closed the door and immediately gathered Amanda into his loving embrace. "This is nice," he said huskily, "No more sneaking around. We really belong together now."
Amanda stroked his face and then rested her hands on his chest, "Oh, Lee, we've always belonged together."
"I know, but now everybody else knows it too," and he leaned in for a deep kiss.
Much later, the two of them lay side by side, Amanda's back curled into Lee's side, her head resting on his shoulder. Taking his hand in hers, she gently placed it, palm down, on her stomach. "Here's who we need to thank for the ending of all the secrecy," she smiled, "our own little spy."
Lee grinned, and running his hand lightly over her belly, replied, "Thanks, little one. Because of you our 'mystery marriage' has officially ended, and now your mom and I can concentrate on beginning." And once again, they lost themselves where they had found themselves, in each other's arms.