CHAPTER ONE - BUSINESS AS USUAL
*Thursday - 10:48PM
Agency Bullpen*
"Ok, everyone. Whatever is left on these reports can wait until tomorrow," Billy Melrose boomed through the nearly empty bullpen. "Another good job well done. Especially you two," he said nodding toward Lee and Amanda. "Scarecrow. Amanda. Good work."
Amanda tilted her head to the side and smiled. She shifted in her chair, obviously uncomfortable with the direct praise from their section chief. Her partner, Lee Stetson, rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her.
"Thank you, sir," she said in the soft, yet femininely husky voice everyone knew.
"I expect no less from my best team," Melrose said and walked away through the bullpen.
The watcher mumbled under his breath and kicked at a nearby chair. **"I expect no less from my best team. Blah! Blah! Blah! Scarecrow and Mrs. King, best team in the Agency. Tough case? Give it to Scarecrow and Mrs. King."**
Everyone filed out of the room, and the watcher followed Stetson and King at a safe distance. They stopped outside the elevator, standing close together, and spoke in hushed voices. The watcher stopped around the corner and strained to hear, but only caught a small giggle from Mrs. King.
"Amanda!" Mr. Melrose called as he came down the hall.
"Yes, sir?"
Their watcher smirked at the step they took away from each other, hiding their close proximity from Melrose. Who did they think they were fooling?
"I meant to tell you earlier, before this thing with Mancini blew up, but Leatherneck has some time set aside for you tomorrow in the shooting gallery. Two o'clock."
"Thank you, sir. I'll be there."
"I'll make sure of it," added Stetson, with a chuckle.
Another wave of annoyance hit their watcher, who vowed to be there as well.
"Once you're done, come by my office. I want to go over the recent evidence you've put together on Anthony Mancini. Now that we've shut down his local weapons distributor, we have a chance of getting right to him."
"Sure thing, Billy. No one wants Mancini more than I do," Scarecrow said sternly. His eyes darted down to the slight woman at his side.
From his position, their watcher saw Mrs. King slip her hand back and wrap her fingers around Stetson's arm. He knew the story, remembered when it happened. The first time Mancini and Scarecrow butted heads, Amanda King ended up with a bullet in her shoulder. Stetson's bullet. For that, Stetson wanted revenge.
Revenge. Retribution. The final word. Their watcher knew this all too well.
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**Lee's Apartment
Friday Morning - 1:00AM**
The first heavy tendrils of sleep tugged at Amanda's senses. Sweet satisfaction left her body tingling, yet called to her to slip into dreamland. Then the rousing awareness of fingertips across her stomach brought a long, slow hum to her lips.
"Are you asleep?" Lee's deep timbre whispered against her ear.
Amanda shifted and turned toward the sound, her movement causing the bedsheets to rustle, and she opened her eyes. Lee leaned over her, his weight supported on one elbow with his curled fist against his temple, and a smile on his face. His bare chest brushed her arm and his fingers moved slowly across her abdomen.
"Not yet," Amanda mumbled. "But I'm not too far from it."
"Do you think that's a good idea? It is almost one in the morning. Won't Dotty wonder where you are?"
Amanda moved into the hollow created between his body and the bed. She pressed her palm against his chest and felt the pounding of his heart beneath his ribs. The heat of his body warmed her skin, and she had no desire to move from this spot.
"I talked to her earlier and said it would be a late night. Mother probably went to bed hours ago and won't have any idea when I come in."
Her husband nuzzled his face into the bend of her neck, and the feel of his lips on her throat sent a warm hum through her body.
"I hate this," he said, his voice vibrating over her. "We've been married over two years and I can count on my fingers and toes the times we've spent the entire night together until morning."
Amanda heard the resentment in his voice, and it only mirrored what she felt. She pushed her fingers into his hair and held his head as his lips played sweet music against the pulse of her throat. "I hate it as much as you do."
His kisses grew in intensity against the column of her neck, and she shifted closer to him.
"Is there enough time, Cinderella, to make love to your husband before you have to be home? It is after midnight . . ."
Amanda slipped her arms around his body, feeling the muscles of his back shift and tighten beneath her palms. "I think there might just be time."
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**King Household
Friday Morning - 8:15AM**
"Good morning, Mother," Amanda said as she bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen the next morning. "Hello, boys."
She was greeted with "Hi Mom" in stereo as Phillip and Jamie worked on their bowls of cereal. Her mother turned from the sink, a cup of tea in her hand and a stern look on her face. Amanda kissed each of her son's heads as she walked by.
"You had a very late night last night, didn't you darling?" Dotty said, the tone in her voice telling Amanda she wasn't really asking a question.
She shrugged and poured herself a glass of orange juice. "I told you it would be when I called, Mother."
"I heard you come in, Amanda. It was after two."
Amanda felt the heat rise in her cheeks, a flash of memory of why she was so late hitting her. She turned away on the pretense of making some toast.
"Jamie, I want to work on your World History project tomorrow morning. If we finish it by noon, I'll take you to the new photo gallery like you wanted."
"Will Lee be with us?" Jamie asked around a mouthful of banana.
"I'm not sure, but I'll ask him today." A smile tugged at her lips. Not many thinks warmed her heart as much as Phillip and Jamie spending time with Lee. Jamie had a hard time with her relationship with Lee at the beginning, but they had come a long way in the last two years. It meant so much to her that her teenage boys had a roll model like Lee in their lives, even if they had no idea his true place in their lives. He was their step- father, and more of a father to them than their own at times.
"Cool," Jamie said and stood up, leaving his dirty bowl on the counter. "I gotta go, Mom."
"Wait up, nimrod!" Phillip shouted and slung his book bag over his shoulder as they headed for the door.
"Bye!" Amanda shouted after her children as the front door slammed shut.
Silence settled into the King kitchen. Amanda leaned her hips against the counter edge and looked out the small window over her sink. Her mother's spring flowers bloomed with the oncoming of spring. Staring out into the greenery beyond, Amanda thought of how many times she saw her husband's face pop up to startle her and motion her outside. Nowadays, he tended to come right to the front door, but she almost missed those nights of sneaking into the dark back yard to whisper about cases and conspiracies and to steal clandestine kisses.
"I know you're a grown woman, Amanda," Dotty said, breaking the silence.
"Mother -"
"I just don't understand you two."
Amanda rolled her eyes and set her cup down. "Mother, please."
Dotty waved her hand in the air and walked across the kitchen. "I just don't understand it, Amanda. I adore Lee. The boys adore Lee. It's obvious you adore Lee. And I know he adores you. You've been dating for well over **two years**. There is obviously something more here than casual dating. He is here almost every night and every weekend. He's here for Phillip and Jamie more than Joe, not that Joe isn't a good father, mind you. And he is a very handsome man, Amanda! But whenever I mention marriage, you'd think I lit the house on fire. What does Lee have against marriage?"
Lee's familiar knock at the front door saved Amanda from answering. "Come on in!" she shouted, thankful for the interruption.
Within moments, Lee's handsome face peeked around the corner with a wide smile on his lips. "Good morning! How are my two favorite ladies today?" He stepped down into the kitchen and kissed Dotty's cheek before moving to Amanda's side.
"Tired, I would suspect," Dotty mumbled. "You kept my daughter awful late last night, Lee."
"It would have been earlier if the film splicer hadn't broken down," Lee said, not missing a beat. "I never thought we'd get out of there. But we met our deadline and the producer is happy."
Dotty mumbled something about wondering how blind they thought she was, and headed upstairs. As soon as she was gone, Lee wrapped his arms around Amanda and pulled her into a deep kiss.
"I feel like it's been days since I saw you," he whispered against her lips. "Instead of hours."
Amanda laid her cheek against his chest and listened to his heart beating through his jacket. "Lee, do you still think we're doing the right thing?"
He sighed heavily and his arms tightened around her, his chin resting on top of her heard. "I don't know, Amanda. I don't know anymore. At one time I did. I thought this was the only way. But I'm not so sure anymore."
They both remained silent for several minutes, and Amanda enjoyed the feeling of standing in her kitchen in her husband's arms. It was a sensation she didn't experience very often. Since that October day almost six years before, Amanda had made many decisions she questioned the rightness of - but none more than hiding her marriage from her family. It would be different if they didn't know Lee, or didn't like Lee, but as her mother just pointed out that just wasn't the case.
"I saw the guys outside," Lee finally said.
Amanda leaned back and looked up at him. "Did Jamie talk to you?"
Lee shook his head. "No, we just kind of waved. They were already down the street. What's up?"
"I was going to take him to a photo gallery tomorrow. He wondered if you would go with us."
Lee smiled, and Amanda recognized the emotion behind it. Lee Stetson, top Agency Intelligence Operative and until three years ago a confirmed bachelor, now enjoyed being a dad to two teenage boys. In whatever capacity he could.
"Just tell me the time, and I'll be here."
Amanda smiled and pushed up on her toes to kiss him. "I love you."
He returned the kiss, with more intensity, and that kiss was his response.
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**Agency Shooting Gallery
Friday Afternoon - 2:20PM**
Lee stood behind his wife, her back pressed against his chest. His hands enveloped hers, and both wrapped around the gun she aimed down the far end of the room.
"You want to squeeze the trigger, don't pull. Squeeze," he said against her ear as he leaned into her warm body.
Amanda laughed. "Lee, I've shot a gun before. I didn't like it, but I've done it."
"I know you have," he said, deepening his voice and was rewarded with a slight shiver that moved through his wife's body. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stand this close to you and whisper 'squeeze' in your ear."
"Lee!"
He laughed and moved one hand to pull headphones over his ears to protect from the echoing boom the gun would create in the small space. Amanda did the same.
Their blatant pawing at each other turned their watchers stomach. From the vantage point on the other side of the soundproof windows, every smile and touch could easily be seen. Did they have any idea how obvious they were? They had to be stupid to honestly believe no one had any idea about what they had going on the side. If Dr. Smythe, or any other higher up in the Agency, had any idea . . .
A plan formulated in their watcher's mind. It would take no effort at all to take 'the best team in the Agency' and break them up forever, maybe even remove them from the pool of competition for good. But it had to be done right. There had to be no questions, no deniability, and if their lives were shaken up in the process then all the better.
SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK
**Billy Melrose's Office
Friday Afternoon - 3:30PM**
"Did any of the men we brought in give us any leads on Mancini? Where his home base is here in DC? How he's getting the weapons in and out of the country?" Billy asked, looking over the overflowing file folder on his desk.
"No," Lee said and paced behind the two chairs adjacent to Billy's desk.
Amanda glanced over her shoulder and watched her husband rake his fingers through his hair. She knew this particular case was the bane of his existence, and it haunted him. It would until Anthony Mancini was behind bars, or something more permanent. Three years Lee had been on his tail, and somehow Mancini had managed to sidestep their efforts each and every time.
"Was there anything at the warehouse where we nabbed them?"
"No, Billy!" Lee boomed, but immediately drew himself back and curled his lips over his teeth in frustration. He leaned his arms into the empty chair and his fingers curled into the fabric. "I think Mancini knew we were getting close. Us catching his men at that **particular** warehouse," He pulled the words out slowly, his anger apparent. "It was a slap in my face!"
Billy's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about, Scarecrow?"
Amanda leaned forward, resting her hand on Billy's desk. She was afraid her husband would burst at any moment, the fury flashing in his eyes.
"Sir," she said, drawing their section chief's attention. "It was the same warehouse Mancini surprised us before. Three years ago."
Understanding flashed on Billy's face. Lee hung his head and sighed heavily. Amanda's heart hurt for him, because she knew what a painful memory it was for him. Memories flashed through her mind, still vague to her, but there all the same. They made her pulse pound and her skin chill.
**"Don't leave me, Amanda," Lee begged as he pulled away the cardigan sweater she wore to reveal the blood-saturated blouse beneath. "Damn it, don't leave me. Do you hear me?"**
**With trembling fingers, sticky with her blood, Lee unbuttoned her blouse and shoved it back to reveal the entrance wound just below her collarbone. The way the blood pooled beneath her, Lee suspected his bullet had gone straight through.**
**"Somebody help me!" he yelled into the empty warehouse, his voice echoing back to him again. "Somebody please help me!"**
**He yanked his jacket off and rolled her enough to shove it beneath her in an attempt to staunch the blood flow. His finger searched again for her pulse, again reassuring himself her heart was still beating, before tearing off his tie and yanking over his shirt, not bothering with the buttons.**
**"Amanda," he whispered as he pressed his shirt into her wound. "Amanda, please open your eyes. Please." His eyes burned and his throat was raw as he tried to swallow against the panic and emotion that choked him.**
**Lee brushed some tendrils of hair off her forehead, smearing her own blood across her deathly pale skin.**
**"Stay with me, Amanda," he whispered. "You're right. I need you. Stay with me."**
**A salty droplet fell from his cheek and landed on her lips.**
It was painful for her, too, but Amanda tried to focus on the final outcome of that terrible experience. It had been his fear of losing her that pushed Lee into finally admitting what they had both known for a long time. How much they loved each other.
**"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Amanda. You mean more to me than anyone else in my life."**
**Amanda couldn't say anything, the lump of emotion in her throat too thick. She felt the same way. That was the very reason she went into the warehouse that night, because Lee was in danger and she couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.**
**"I just don't know what to do about it," he whispered against her hair.**
**Amanda leaned back and looked up at him. He met her gaze with a nervous smile.**
**"What do you want to do about it?" she asked.**
**She held her breath as Lee lifted a hand and brushed her cheek and lips with his fingertips. "I'm not sure that what I want to do, and what I should do, are the same thing."**
**"That's not what I asked. I asked you what you wanted to do about it."**
**"This," he said in a husky breath before his lips covered hers.**
**It wasn't a faked kiss, and it wasn't a tentative kiss. This was a kiss to claim her, and Amanda let herself be claimed. She leaned into him and let him take her breath away. Lee's fingers pressed against her back and held her as close as possible. Lee pulled his lips away and buried his face into the bend of her shoulder.**
Amanda blinked and pulled her thoughts back to the present conversation. Billy said her name, and the hint of irritation and possible concern told her he must have said it more than once.
"Yes, sir," she said, probably too quickly.
Lee sat down in the chair beside her. "Amanda, are you okay?" He reached across the space and took her hand between both of his, something he did more and more when people could see. It was getting harder for them to keep their natural need to touch each other at bay.
"Oh, fine," she said with a flip of her hand. "Thoughts just wandered for a moment. I'm sorry. What were you saying, sir?"
Mr. Melrose smiled and closed the folder. "Nothing we need to worry about right now, Amanda. I'm sending a tactical team to the warehouse and see if we can find any clues Mancini might have inadvertently left behind."
"I doubt it," Lee mumbled, and Amanda turned toward him.
"We've got to give it a try, Scarecrow. Listen, you two have had a couple of long days. Why don't you head out? There's nothing left to do today. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. I'm assuming you'll be at Amanda's?" Billy asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.
Amanda suppressed her smile and diverted her eyes from both men. Lee chuckled once and stood, offering her his hand. "I'll be around," he said in non-commitment.
They left Billy's office, and without needing to discuss it, headed out of the bullpen to the elevator and their office upstairs from the Georgetown foyer. The entire way, Lee's hand pressed against the small of her back. Once inside the Q Bureau, Lee shut the door and locked it with a click - a habit they developed before ever getting married. Amanda moved to the leather couch near the fireplace and sat down. Her husband quickly joined her.
His arm circled her shoulders and he pressed his lips against her temple. "So, what were you thinking about downstairs?"
Amanda looked up at him, and his hazel eyes immediately pulled her in to a warm, comfortable place where she felt safe. Her fingers toyed with his tie, and she fought the need to curl into his side.
"I think you know."
Lee leaned into the back of the couch with a sigh. "Yah, I think I do. Mancini. What he did. What he caused. What I did to you." His voice dipped low and strained.
Amanda pressed her finger to his lips. "Enough of that, Lee Stetson."
He pursed his lips against her finger, then turned her hand to kiss her palm. "It's true."
"Lee, What Mancini did was wrong. It was cruel. Heartless. But I thank goodness for it."
"What?" His brows furrowed and a dimple formed in his cheek with his cockeyed smile that served as a look of confusion.
"Lee, what we went through was hard. It would have been hard for any two partners, but for us it was different. It was a turning point for us, and if you think back, you'll know it."
Lee's slow, sexy smile answered her. He kissed her palm again. "I do. Almost losing you made me realize how much I needed you. I still need you. But it doesn't change the fact that I want to see Mancini pay."
Amanda wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into the bend of his neck. He embraced her in return. "I know, Sweetheart," she whispered. "I know."
*Thursday - 10:48PM
Agency Bullpen*
"Ok, everyone. Whatever is left on these reports can wait until tomorrow," Billy Melrose boomed through the nearly empty bullpen. "Another good job well done. Especially you two," he said nodding toward Lee and Amanda. "Scarecrow. Amanda. Good work."
Amanda tilted her head to the side and smiled. She shifted in her chair, obviously uncomfortable with the direct praise from their section chief. Her partner, Lee Stetson, rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her.
"Thank you, sir," she said in the soft, yet femininely husky voice everyone knew.
"I expect no less from my best team," Melrose said and walked away through the bullpen.
The watcher mumbled under his breath and kicked at a nearby chair. **"I expect no less from my best team. Blah! Blah! Blah! Scarecrow and Mrs. King, best team in the Agency. Tough case? Give it to Scarecrow and Mrs. King."**
Everyone filed out of the room, and the watcher followed Stetson and King at a safe distance. They stopped outside the elevator, standing close together, and spoke in hushed voices. The watcher stopped around the corner and strained to hear, but only caught a small giggle from Mrs. King.
"Amanda!" Mr. Melrose called as he came down the hall.
"Yes, sir?"
Their watcher smirked at the step they took away from each other, hiding their close proximity from Melrose. Who did they think they were fooling?
"I meant to tell you earlier, before this thing with Mancini blew up, but Leatherneck has some time set aside for you tomorrow in the shooting gallery. Two o'clock."
"Thank you, sir. I'll be there."
"I'll make sure of it," added Stetson, with a chuckle.
Another wave of annoyance hit their watcher, who vowed to be there as well.
"Once you're done, come by my office. I want to go over the recent evidence you've put together on Anthony Mancini. Now that we've shut down his local weapons distributor, we have a chance of getting right to him."
"Sure thing, Billy. No one wants Mancini more than I do," Scarecrow said sternly. His eyes darted down to the slight woman at his side.
From his position, their watcher saw Mrs. King slip her hand back and wrap her fingers around Stetson's arm. He knew the story, remembered when it happened. The first time Mancini and Scarecrow butted heads, Amanda King ended up with a bullet in her shoulder. Stetson's bullet. For that, Stetson wanted revenge.
Revenge. Retribution. The final word. Their watcher knew this all too well.
SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK
**Lee's Apartment
Friday Morning - 1:00AM**
The first heavy tendrils of sleep tugged at Amanda's senses. Sweet satisfaction left her body tingling, yet called to her to slip into dreamland. Then the rousing awareness of fingertips across her stomach brought a long, slow hum to her lips.
"Are you asleep?" Lee's deep timbre whispered against her ear.
Amanda shifted and turned toward the sound, her movement causing the bedsheets to rustle, and she opened her eyes. Lee leaned over her, his weight supported on one elbow with his curled fist against his temple, and a smile on his face. His bare chest brushed her arm and his fingers moved slowly across her abdomen.
"Not yet," Amanda mumbled. "But I'm not too far from it."
"Do you think that's a good idea? It is almost one in the morning. Won't Dotty wonder where you are?"
Amanda moved into the hollow created between his body and the bed. She pressed her palm against his chest and felt the pounding of his heart beneath his ribs. The heat of his body warmed her skin, and she had no desire to move from this spot.
"I talked to her earlier and said it would be a late night. Mother probably went to bed hours ago and won't have any idea when I come in."
Her husband nuzzled his face into the bend of her neck, and the feel of his lips on her throat sent a warm hum through her body.
"I hate this," he said, his voice vibrating over her. "We've been married over two years and I can count on my fingers and toes the times we've spent the entire night together until morning."
Amanda heard the resentment in his voice, and it only mirrored what she felt. She pushed her fingers into his hair and held his head as his lips played sweet music against the pulse of her throat. "I hate it as much as you do."
His kisses grew in intensity against the column of her neck, and she shifted closer to him.
"Is there enough time, Cinderella, to make love to your husband before you have to be home? It is after midnight . . ."
Amanda slipped her arms around his body, feeling the muscles of his back shift and tighten beneath her palms. "I think there might just be time."
SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK
**King Household
Friday Morning - 8:15AM**
"Good morning, Mother," Amanda said as she bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen the next morning. "Hello, boys."
She was greeted with "Hi Mom" in stereo as Phillip and Jamie worked on their bowls of cereal. Her mother turned from the sink, a cup of tea in her hand and a stern look on her face. Amanda kissed each of her son's heads as she walked by.
"You had a very late night last night, didn't you darling?" Dotty said, the tone in her voice telling Amanda she wasn't really asking a question.
She shrugged and poured herself a glass of orange juice. "I told you it would be when I called, Mother."
"I heard you come in, Amanda. It was after two."
Amanda felt the heat rise in her cheeks, a flash of memory of why she was so late hitting her. She turned away on the pretense of making some toast.
"Jamie, I want to work on your World History project tomorrow morning. If we finish it by noon, I'll take you to the new photo gallery like you wanted."
"Will Lee be with us?" Jamie asked around a mouthful of banana.
"I'm not sure, but I'll ask him today." A smile tugged at her lips. Not many thinks warmed her heart as much as Phillip and Jamie spending time with Lee. Jamie had a hard time with her relationship with Lee at the beginning, but they had come a long way in the last two years. It meant so much to her that her teenage boys had a roll model like Lee in their lives, even if they had no idea his true place in their lives. He was their step- father, and more of a father to them than their own at times.
"Cool," Jamie said and stood up, leaving his dirty bowl on the counter. "I gotta go, Mom."
"Wait up, nimrod!" Phillip shouted and slung his book bag over his shoulder as they headed for the door.
"Bye!" Amanda shouted after her children as the front door slammed shut.
Silence settled into the King kitchen. Amanda leaned her hips against the counter edge and looked out the small window over her sink. Her mother's spring flowers bloomed with the oncoming of spring. Staring out into the greenery beyond, Amanda thought of how many times she saw her husband's face pop up to startle her and motion her outside. Nowadays, he tended to come right to the front door, but she almost missed those nights of sneaking into the dark back yard to whisper about cases and conspiracies and to steal clandestine kisses.
"I know you're a grown woman, Amanda," Dotty said, breaking the silence.
"Mother -"
"I just don't understand you two."
Amanda rolled her eyes and set her cup down. "Mother, please."
Dotty waved her hand in the air and walked across the kitchen. "I just don't understand it, Amanda. I adore Lee. The boys adore Lee. It's obvious you adore Lee. And I know he adores you. You've been dating for well over **two years**. There is obviously something more here than casual dating. He is here almost every night and every weekend. He's here for Phillip and Jamie more than Joe, not that Joe isn't a good father, mind you. And he is a very handsome man, Amanda! But whenever I mention marriage, you'd think I lit the house on fire. What does Lee have against marriage?"
Lee's familiar knock at the front door saved Amanda from answering. "Come on in!" she shouted, thankful for the interruption.
Within moments, Lee's handsome face peeked around the corner with a wide smile on his lips. "Good morning! How are my two favorite ladies today?" He stepped down into the kitchen and kissed Dotty's cheek before moving to Amanda's side.
"Tired, I would suspect," Dotty mumbled. "You kept my daughter awful late last night, Lee."
"It would have been earlier if the film splicer hadn't broken down," Lee said, not missing a beat. "I never thought we'd get out of there. But we met our deadline and the producer is happy."
Dotty mumbled something about wondering how blind they thought she was, and headed upstairs. As soon as she was gone, Lee wrapped his arms around Amanda and pulled her into a deep kiss.
"I feel like it's been days since I saw you," he whispered against her lips. "Instead of hours."
Amanda laid her cheek against his chest and listened to his heart beating through his jacket. "Lee, do you still think we're doing the right thing?"
He sighed heavily and his arms tightened around her, his chin resting on top of her heard. "I don't know, Amanda. I don't know anymore. At one time I did. I thought this was the only way. But I'm not so sure anymore."
They both remained silent for several minutes, and Amanda enjoyed the feeling of standing in her kitchen in her husband's arms. It was a sensation she didn't experience very often. Since that October day almost six years before, Amanda had made many decisions she questioned the rightness of - but none more than hiding her marriage from her family. It would be different if they didn't know Lee, or didn't like Lee, but as her mother just pointed out that just wasn't the case.
"I saw the guys outside," Lee finally said.
Amanda leaned back and looked up at him. "Did Jamie talk to you?"
Lee shook his head. "No, we just kind of waved. They were already down the street. What's up?"
"I was going to take him to a photo gallery tomorrow. He wondered if you would go with us."
Lee smiled, and Amanda recognized the emotion behind it. Lee Stetson, top Agency Intelligence Operative and until three years ago a confirmed bachelor, now enjoyed being a dad to two teenage boys. In whatever capacity he could.
"Just tell me the time, and I'll be here."
Amanda smiled and pushed up on her toes to kiss him. "I love you."
He returned the kiss, with more intensity, and that kiss was his response.
SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK
**Agency Shooting Gallery
Friday Afternoon - 2:20PM**
Lee stood behind his wife, her back pressed against his chest. His hands enveloped hers, and both wrapped around the gun she aimed down the far end of the room.
"You want to squeeze the trigger, don't pull. Squeeze," he said against her ear as he leaned into her warm body.
Amanda laughed. "Lee, I've shot a gun before. I didn't like it, but I've done it."
"I know you have," he said, deepening his voice and was rewarded with a slight shiver that moved through his wife's body. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stand this close to you and whisper 'squeeze' in your ear."
"Lee!"
He laughed and moved one hand to pull headphones over his ears to protect from the echoing boom the gun would create in the small space. Amanda did the same.
Their blatant pawing at each other turned their watchers stomach. From the vantage point on the other side of the soundproof windows, every smile and touch could easily be seen. Did they have any idea how obvious they were? They had to be stupid to honestly believe no one had any idea about what they had going on the side. If Dr. Smythe, or any other higher up in the Agency, had any idea . . .
A plan formulated in their watcher's mind. It would take no effort at all to take 'the best team in the Agency' and break them up forever, maybe even remove them from the pool of competition for good. But it had to be done right. There had to be no questions, no deniability, and if their lives were shaken up in the process then all the better.
SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK ~~~ SMK
**Billy Melrose's Office
Friday Afternoon - 3:30PM**
"Did any of the men we brought in give us any leads on Mancini? Where his home base is here in DC? How he's getting the weapons in and out of the country?" Billy asked, looking over the overflowing file folder on his desk.
"No," Lee said and paced behind the two chairs adjacent to Billy's desk.
Amanda glanced over her shoulder and watched her husband rake his fingers through his hair. She knew this particular case was the bane of his existence, and it haunted him. It would until Anthony Mancini was behind bars, or something more permanent. Three years Lee had been on his tail, and somehow Mancini had managed to sidestep their efforts each and every time.
"Was there anything at the warehouse where we nabbed them?"
"No, Billy!" Lee boomed, but immediately drew himself back and curled his lips over his teeth in frustration. He leaned his arms into the empty chair and his fingers curled into the fabric. "I think Mancini knew we were getting close. Us catching his men at that **particular** warehouse," He pulled the words out slowly, his anger apparent. "It was a slap in my face!"
Billy's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about, Scarecrow?"
Amanda leaned forward, resting her hand on Billy's desk. She was afraid her husband would burst at any moment, the fury flashing in his eyes.
"Sir," she said, drawing their section chief's attention. "It was the same warehouse Mancini surprised us before. Three years ago."
Understanding flashed on Billy's face. Lee hung his head and sighed heavily. Amanda's heart hurt for him, because she knew what a painful memory it was for him. Memories flashed through her mind, still vague to her, but there all the same. They made her pulse pound and her skin chill.
**"Don't leave me, Amanda," Lee begged as he pulled away the cardigan sweater she wore to reveal the blood-saturated blouse beneath. "Damn it, don't leave me. Do you hear me?"**
**With trembling fingers, sticky with her blood, Lee unbuttoned her blouse and shoved it back to reveal the entrance wound just below her collarbone. The way the blood pooled beneath her, Lee suspected his bullet had gone straight through.**
**"Somebody help me!" he yelled into the empty warehouse, his voice echoing back to him again. "Somebody please help me!"**
**He yanked his jacket off and rolled her enough to shove it beneath her in an attempt to staunch the blood flow. His finger searched again for her pulse, again reassuring himself her heart was still beating, before tearing off his tie and yanking over his shirt, not bothering with the buttons.**
**"Amanda," he whispered as he pressed his shirt into her wound. "Amanda, please open your eyes. Please." His eyes burned and his throat was raw as he tried to swallow against the panic and emotion that choked him.**
**Lee brushed some tendrils of hair off her forehead, smearing her own blood across her deathly pale skin.**
**"Stay with me, Amanda," he whispered. "You're right. I need you. Stay with me."**
**A salty droplet fell from his cheek and landed on her lips.**
It was painful for her, too, but Amanda tried to focus on the final outcome of that terrible experience. It had been his fear of losing her that pushed Lee into finally admitting what they had both known for a long time. How much they loved each other.
**"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Amanda. You mean more to me than anyone else in my life."**
**Amanda couldn't say anything, the lump of emotion in her throat too thick. She felt the same way. That was the very reason she went into the warehouse that night, because Lee was in danger and she couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.**
**"I just don't know what to do about it," he whispered against her hair.**
**Amanda leaned back and looked up at him. He met her gaze with a nervous smile.**
**"What do you want to do about it?" she asked.**
**She held her breath as Lee lifted a hand and brushed her cheek and lips with his fingertips. "I'm not sure that what I want to do, and what I should do, are the same thing."**
**"That's not what I asked. I asked you what you wanted to do about it."**
**"This," he said in a husky breath before his lips covered hers.**
**It wasn't a faked kiss, and it wasn't a tentative kiss. This was a kiss to claim her, and Amanda let herself be claimed. She leaned into him and let him take her breath away. Lee's fingers pressed against her back and held her as close as possible. Lee pulled his lips away and buried his face into the bend of her shoulder.**
Amanda blinked and pulled her thoughts back to the present conversation. Billy said her name, and the hint of irritation and possible concern told her he must have said it more than once.
"Yes, sir," she said, probably too quickly.
Lee sat down in the chair beside her. "Amanda, are you okay?" He reached across the space and took her hand between both of his, something he did more and more when people could see. It was getting harder for them to keep their natural need to touch each other at bay.
"Oh, fine," she said with a flip of her hand. "Thoughts just wandered for a moment. I'm sorry. What were you saying, sir?"
Mr. Melrose smiled and closed the folder. "Nothing we need to worry about right now, Amanda. I'm sending a tactical team to the warehouse and see if we can find any clues Mancini might have inadvertently left behind."
"I doubt it," Lee mumbled, and Amanda turned toward him.
"We've got to give it a try, Scarecrow. Listen, you two have had a couple of long days. Why don't you head out? There's nothing left to do today. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. I'm assuming you'll be at Amanda's?" Billy asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.
Amanda suppressed her smile and diverted her eyes from both men. Lee chuckled once and stood, offering her his hand. "I'll be around," he said in non-commitment.
They left Billy's office, and without needing to discuss it, headed out of the bullpen to the elevator and their office upstairs from the Georgetown foyer. The entire way, Lee's hand pressed against the small of her back. Once inside the Q Bureau, Lee shut the door and locked it with a click - a habit they developed before ever getting married. Amanda moved to the leather couch near the fireplace and sat down. Her husband quickly joined her.
His arm circled her shoulders and he pressed his lips against her temple. "So, what were you thinking about downstairs?"
Amanda looked up at him, and his hazel eyes immediately pulled her in to a warm, comfortable place where she felt safe. Her fingers toyed with his tie, and she fought the need to curl into his side.
"I think you know."
Lee leaned into the back of the couch with a sigh. "Yah, I think I do. Mancini. What he did. What he caused. What I did to you." His voice dipped low and strained.
Amanda pressed her finger to his lips. "Enough of that, Lee Stetson."
He pursed his lips against her finger, then turned her hand to kiss her palm. "It's true."
"Lee, What Mancini did was wrong. It was cruel. Heartless. But I thank goodness for it."
"What?" His brows furrowed and a dimple formed in his cheek with his cockeyed smile that served as a look of confusion.
"Lee, what we went through was hard. It would have been hard for any two partners, but for us it was different. It was a turning point for us, and if you think back, you'll know it."
Lee's slow, sexy smile answered her. He kissed her palm again. "I do. Almost losing you made me realize how much I needed you. I still need you. But it doesn't change the fact that I want to see Mancini pay."
Amanda wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into the bend of his neck. He embraced her in return. "I know, Sweetheart," she whispered. "I know."