CHAPTER SEVEN

Wednesday 22 July, 10:05am

Lee heard his mother-in-law in the kitchen as he descended the stairs, wearing his robe.  It sounded like she was baking and the smell of freshly baked cookies was very enticing.  He walked through the kitchen and took a cookie from the cooling rack.  As he sat at the table in the breakfast nook, Dotty handed a mug of coffee to her disheveled son-in-law; he and Amanda had decided to sleep in.  "Good morning, Lee."

"Morning, Dotty."  Lee yawned.  "Thanks." 

Silence fell over the kitchen as the pair considered their own personal thoughts.  Lee sat drinking coffee as Dotty started tidying up the kitchen.  After a few minutes of easy silence, Lee spoke.  Looking a little sheepish, he said, "So you know, huh?"

Dotty stopped her intensive cleaning regime and looked directly at her son-in-law.  "I think it's safe to say that, Mr. Bond."  She smiled.

Lee returned the smile.  "I suspect you were a little shocked?"

"Well, it's not every day that you come face to face with your daughter holding a gun." 

"We planned to tell you."  Lee stared into his half-filled mug.

"Really?" asked Dotty.  She sounded skeptical.  "When?"

"When the time was…well…er, right."

"So never then?"

"Hmm," Lee answered, non-committally.  There was a pause.  "We thought it would be safer, you know?  For the family.  But now we're not so sure.  This entire family seems to have a knack for getting into trouble."  He looked up at his mother-in-law and laughed.  Dotty smiled back, but it didn't reach her eyes.  Lee was trained in observation, and he could tell something was wrong.  Dotty had mechanically started cleaning again.  "So, how are you really?"

Trying to sound light, Dotty said, "Oh, I'll get over it.  Of course it was a bit of a shock."  Her cleaning intensified.  Lee watched as she rubbed and rubbed at a particularly tough spot on the work surface – although, for the life of him, he couldn't see what it was she was rubbing at. 

He stood up and walked over to her, placing his hand on her forearm.  "Dotty, stop."  He spoke quietly but firmly enough to stop her activity.  She looked up at him and Lee saw her upper lip quiver.  "It's not unusual to suffer from late shock, you know?"  Dotty just nodded her head.  "You've been through a traumatic experience."

Dotty's façade began to crumble as she spoke.  "Oh, Lee…I was so frightened.  I mean, I woke up…I was under the dryer and I'd fallen asleep, you know, and there was a man with a gun, just standing there.  I've never really seen a gun that close-up before, especially not one pointed at me."

Lee spread his arms, "Come here."  He pulled his favorite mother-in-law into a protective embrace.   "We don't expect you to carry on as if nothing happened, you know.  You went through a lot.  You need to take time to recover."

"But how?  How do you handle that kind of thing every day?"

"It gets easier.  Besides, I've been doing it for a long time."

"But Amanda!  I can't believe she's involved in your work!  I mean, how could she ever become a spy…sorry, agent?"

"Ah…well, yes.  Maybe we should sit down?"  They sat at the table in the breakfast nook, adjacent to each other.  "You see," he began, "it all started at the train station in Arlington…"

~~SMK~~

Amanda went down the stairs, but before she entered the kitchen she stopped.  Dotty and Lee were obviously having a heart-to-heart and Amanda didn't want to interrupt so she sat at the bottom of the stairs.  As Dotty explained her experience to Lee, Amanda's eyes filled with tears realizing how much emotion Dotty had suppressed during her debriefing.  It hurt to hear how much Dotty had suffered during her ordeal.

Eventually, Dotty appeared to run out of questions.  Except one.  "Lee.  Can I ask you something?"

"Dotty?"

"Well, I've wanted to ask you this for a while now, at least, I thought of asking you but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it, so I didn't ask you but now I have to ask you if you would, I mean I would love it but considering your past, but it's not like I'd be looking to replace her or anything but you mean so much to my daughter, and I can see how much we all mean to you so what do you think, would you?"

"I have no idea."  Dotty looked crestfallen.  Then he smirked.  "I have absolutely no idea what you just said – and I've studied Amandaramble for years." 

Dotty began to smile.  "Lee.  I said, would you call me Mom?"

"Mom," said Lee, the surprise and confusion on his face turning into a smile that would have lit up all of DC's memorials.  "I would love that."  When her mother asked Lee that question, the tears erupted from Amanda's eyes and she made no effort to stop them.  She was amazed how quickly Lee had become an integral part of their family; she couldn't imagine life without him and it seemed her mother was quite partial to him too.  Amanda decided it was time to join her family.  As she entered, Lee hugged Dotty again.

"Do you have room for a third?" Amanda asked. 

"Of course, darling," Lee and Dotty replied simultaneously.  All three of them laughed, then hugged.

Eventually, the hug was over and Lee guided his two favorite women to the sofa.  "Why don't you ladies sit.  I'll get the coffee." 

As he sat down between them, Amanda noticed he had another cookie sticking out of his mouth.  "That doesn't look like a stale roll to me," she teased. 

"Are you kidding?  Fresh-baked cookies?  Don't you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"  He grinned knowingly at his wife.

~~SMK~~

Wednesday 22 July, 2:20pm

"He did?" asked Billy.  He threw his head back and laughed.

"Well, after that it was me or Cordoba.  He chose the lesser of two evils."

"You."  Billy pointed to his best agent.

"Me," Lee agreed.

There was a tap at the door, and Amanda peered her head around into Billy's office.  "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Amanda."  He beckoned her with his hand.

"I have Lee's report."  She handed it to her boss.

"Thanks, Amanda.  At least I know I'll be able to read it.  Sit down."  She did.

"How's Francine doing?"  Billy asked Amanda.

"She's fine, she's fine.  Although she's a little mad about Efraim."

"What about him?" asked Lee, a puzzled expression on his face. 

Billy grinned and invited Amanda to explain, "Amanda?"

"Well," Amanda grinned.  "You remember when Billy made you my assignment when the doctors insisted you got five days bed rest after the Barnstorm case?"

Lee understood immediately and looked at Billy.  "You didn't?"  Billy nodded as he attempted to hold back the laughter.  "You made Beaman Francine's superior?"  Lee grinned.  "Oh, I do wish I'd been there when she received those orders."  Billy could contain himself no longer and released a huge belly laugh.  Tears fell down his face while Lee and Amanda joined in the laughter. 

"I was there," said Amanda.  "She wasn't amused."

"I hope Beaman's armed," said Lee.

"Oh, I'm sure she wouldn't actually hurt him," said Amanda.  "Well, I think she wouldn't.  She's not so bad, you know?"

"Billy tells me you and Francine made a pretty good team."

"He did?"  Amanda smiled broadly.  "Well, it certainly was interesting."

"Not so much fun as with me though, right?"  Lee began a fishing expedition.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that.  We worked well together and we got our man, well men actually."

"Maybe you should switch permanently."  Amanda saw a twinkle in Billy's eye as he made his remark.

"That might be a good idea," said Amanda, playing along.  "At least it would make my work simpler."

"What?"  Lee's eyes sought Amanda's to see if she was joking but her feelings were cloaked.

"I'm serious," she nodded. 

"You're kidding?  You preferred working with Francine over me?"

"Well, she does do her own paperwork."

"There's more to life than paperwork," argued Lee.

"Yes and with Francine I don't have to wait in the car."

"But that's for your own good, Amanda."

"Hmm.  Then there's girl talk.  Francine's good at that."

"I can talk girl talk."

Billy made a choking sound as he tried to suppress his laughter at Lee's attempts to win Amanda.

"Actually," said Amanda, finally looking Lee directly in the eye.  "Francine's even more frustrating than you are, Lee."

"No!"

"Yes!  Talk about high maintenance.  She whines about every little thing, whereas you-"

"Whereas I what?" Lee interrupted.

"Oh," Amanda exchanged an amused glance with her Section Chief.  "You only whine about every other thing."  She reached for his hand.  "Not that I don't love you for it."  She laughed.

Lee raised his wife's hand to his lips and Amanda's cheeks became tinged with pink as she sat under the scrutiny of her boss.  "Lee!"  She tried to pull her hand away, but he wasn't having any of it.

"So, I'm better than Francine then?"

Amanda smirked.  "No one should have to work with her."  Billy cleared his throat.  Amanda realized she'd actually voiced her thoughts.  "Oh, I'm sorry, sir."  She glanced at Lee who seemed amused to watch her digging her own hole.  "You know what I mean."

Billy smiled at his favorite team.  "I sure do.  That's why I get the big bucks!"  He laughed a deep belly laugh.  When he stopped, he lifted a plate up of his desk and offered it toward Amanda.  "Cookie?"

"Thanks."  She took one.  "What's happening with the clinic, sir?"

"Oh, well, fortunately there wasn't too much collateral damage in the explosion.  Not all the explosives were in the bag that exploded – there was a second bag.  The only real damage was to the hair salon."

"What about the Congressman?" Amanda continued.

"Oh, he's just postponed his visit, although it took seven of our men to stop him.  He's determined to go there again next week."

"And Catherine?"

"She says it's business as usual too.  Went straight back to work as soon as the all clear was given.  They're a stubborn family."

"I'm familiar with the type," interjected Lee. 

Amanda tried to glare at him in reproof, but as soon as she caught his eye she could only smile lovingly at him.  Lee grinned.

"So.  These guys that Amanda and Francine caught.  Did they talk?" asked Lee.

"They sure did."  Billy beamed.  "I think after their ordeal they were so traumatized, they just wanted to go to jail."

"They were traumatized?" asked Amanda, incredulously.

Lee smirked.  "Yeah.  Those West women can be dangerous."  Billy and Lee both laughed at that, until they noticed Amanda's glare.

"Maybe we should offer your mother a job, Amanda?" suggested Billy.

Amanda's mouth dropped open.  The two men seemed deadly serious all of a sudden.  "What?  My…my mother?"

"Yes.  She thinks on her feet, takes charge, she could be an asset around here." 

"You're kidding…aren't you?"  Amanda asked, a little warily.  She appealed to her husband.  "Lee, tell Billy that Mother cannot be a spy."

"That's agent, Amanda, and why not?  I mean, I wasn't sure about you at first, if you recall, and look how well you turned out."

Amanda had gone pale.  She made a final appeal to Billy.  "Sir?"

A huge grin that lit up the room replaced Billy's deadpan expression.  Billy grinned.  "You were right, Lee."

"What?  Right about what?"  Amanda was having trouble following the conversation.  She turned to Lee.  "What did you say?"

Lee attempted to look contrite, but there was a twinkle in his eye.  "Nothing.  I just suggested to Billy that you wouldn't be too keen on having your mother on board with us.  Seems I was right.  You should've seen your face."

"What?"  Amanda was on her feet, indignant.  "You," she accused her husband, "you put him up to this."

Lee attempted to assume an innocent expression.  "Do you really think I'd do that to you?"

Amanda placed her hands on her hips and stood facing her husband.  "Yes.  So?"

Billy stepped in.  "I think you'd better plead the fifth on this one, Scarecrow."

Lee stood up and put his hands on Amanda's arms.  She shrugged them off.  "You should've seen your face.  Really you should."  He winked at her.  Amanda tried to maintain a stern expression but it was impossible under the hazel-eyed stare of her husband.  "Gotcha!"

Her face cracked into a smile.  "Ooh, you."  She turned her eyes to Billy.  "And he got you to play along?" 

"I'm sorry, Amanda.  He," Billy pointed to his favorite agent, "convinced me it was a good idea.  It's a good thing I'm giving you a long weekend off.  Hopefully it'll give you time to forget my role in all of this."  He laughed, a little nervously.

"Really?" asked Amanda.  "Oh, thank you, Billy."  She gave him a big smile.  "In that case, you're forgiven.  You, however," she looked sternly at her husband, "are in big trouble.  It's gonna cost you a lot to get yourself out of this one."

"Really?" said Lee, a little too enthusiastically.  "Then I guess we'd better get out of here, so I can start making it up to you.  See ya, Billy."  He hustled her to the office door. 

Billy just gave them a wave.  "Get out of here, Scarecrow.  Bye, Amanda!"  As the door closed behind them, he laughed to himself and reached for another cookie.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~