Author's Note: It was a bit of a race for me to try and get this one out for Christmas. The original episode is so perfect that I didn't want to mess around with it, but how could I resist Lee's first Christmas as her secret husband? I hope you enjoy this late offering. Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for all your support.
The bullpen Christmas party was its usual festive but slightly frantic self. The agents who knew they were off work in a few hours were celebrating, while the ones who were on the roster were more muted, greeting wishes of good cheer with forced smiles. The punch had been spiked at least an hour ago and it had done its usual job of lubricating the high spirits and dampening the low ones.
Francine escaped the crowd around the food table and made her way to a subdued Lee, an island of safety in a room full of men who had over-imbibed in Christmas cheer.
"Well, you don't seem to be getting into the spirit of things.", she commented.
"I'm just not very big on parties, he explained.
"Unlike Beaman," she replied.
"Beaman?"
Francine gestured with her glass of lunch. "New guy in Fabrications. The punch has had an unfortunate effect on his inhibitions." She studied Lee. "So what's really wrong with you? Missing your teacher's pet?"
"Can it," Lee growled. "I'm just not in the mood, okay?"
"Oh, come on, it's Christmas!"
"Exactly," he muttered.
Francine glanced towards the bullpen door, then elbowed Lee in the ribs. "Speak of the devil, there she is. Our woman in suburbia, bearing gifts."
"Merry Christmas!" Amanda greeted them, obviously brimming with the holiday spirit.
"Merry Christmas," they greeted her back.
"I'm surprised to see you here," said Lee. "I would have though your family would have you swamped with stuff to do."
"Oh, they do," Amanda replied. "But I wanted to drop by and give you your presents."
"Oh, you really shouldn't have," said Francine, in a tone that suggested she feared the worst.
"Oh, they're nothing much," said Amanda as she handed Francine a small box. "I just saw this and thought of you. Go ahead, you can open it."
Francine peeled off the paper and opened the box, pulling out a small bottle of perfume.
"It's called Intrigue," said Amanda, helpfully. "I thought it sounded appropriate for a spy."
"Well, thank you," said Francine. "That was very thoughtful."
"I thought it smelled quite nice too," Amanda went on, "but if it doesn't suit you, I figured you could keep it your purse in case you needed to blind a bad guy."
"I could have used this just now over at the punch bowl," mused Francine.
Amanda looked around, craning her neck to see over the many heads crowding the snack table. "Is Mr. Melrose here? I have a little something for him too."
Francine grinned. "Oh, he'll be along in a minute. Trust me, you won't miss him." She gestured to the gifts still in Amanda's arms. "Don't you have something for Lee?"
Lee began to interrupt, but stopped when Amanda picked up the small box on top and held it out.
"Of course, I do," she said. "You can open yours too."
Lee looked at her in confusion, knowing full well there was a present under the tree for him back on Maplewood Drive. He pulled off the ribbon and opened the lid. Francine peered over his arm and cackled.
"Socks?" she said.
Amanda nodded. "I thought about getting you a scarf since those are useful and one size fits all, but then that seemed a bit impersonal –"
"Hey!" Lee objected and Francine snorted into her glass.
"So then I thought you should get something you might not think of getting yourself and that I knew you needed."
"You knew he needed socks?" asked Francine, turning an arch smile in Lee's direction.
"Oh yes," said Amanda. "When I was in the Pioneers' locker room with him the other week, I noticed the pair he was wearing had holes."
"Ah," said Francine, obviously disappointed at the dull explanation.
"And I thought, well, that was just terrible," Amanda went on. "Because what if you brought a girl home and then you had socks with holes in them? I think that would put a real damper on a romantic evening, don't you? I mean, there's nothing sexy about a man with socks like that, is there?"
"Not at all," agreed Francine looking back and forth between Lee and Amanda with an air of disbelief.
"And I thought maybe that these could be your lucky socks," said Amanda. "You might find you're more confident now, knowing you can take off your shoes without any embarrassing problems. And look," she went on triumphantly, "they all match so even if you do get a hole in one, you can always find a replacement!"
"Thank you, Amanda," said Lee, barely controlling the tremor of laughter in his voice. "It's just what I've always wanted."
"I'm so glad to hear that," she answered, dark eyes twinkling at him. She looked around the room. "It's so nice to see everyone having such a nice time, but is there like some sort of truce that happens at Christmas?"
"What do you mean?" asked Lee.
"Well, if everyone takes the day off, aren't you worried you'll miss the bad guys doing something?"
Francine rolled her eyes. "Well, of course we don't all take the day off, Amanda! There's always people on the roster for holidays, just like there are on the weekend."
She pointed across the room, Amanda's eyes following, to the large whiteboard.
"It's not all bad, of course They get extra pay for working, and the guys like Epstein who don't celebrate it just treat it like any other day." She turned and smirked at Lee. "And of course, just like every year, our Boy Wonder here is the headliner," she remarked. "He volunteers to work every Christmas."
"Francine…" said Lee in a warning tone.
"What?" gasped Amanda at the same time. She swung around to face Lee. "You're scheduled to work on Christmas? You have to be here all day?"
"Yes," said Lee just as Francine said "No".
"So, which is it?" asked Amanda, not taking here eyes off a guilty-looking Lee.
"I don't have to be here," he answered cagily "but I usually spend the morning here. Until the football games start – then I get the calls forwarded to my apartment."
"I see." Amanda was quiet for a moment, then asked "I suppose it's too late to be taken off the schedule?"
"Of course, it is," said Francine. "Everyone else will already have plans with their families."
Amanda gazed at Lee until he nodded, squirming under her obvious disappointment, and Amanda nodded back.
"If you'll excuse me," she said. "I want to go give Mr. Melrose his gift."
She walked away, her posture stiff.
"Well, that was just sad," remarked Francine, once Amanda was out of earshot. "Did she really think she was going to seduce you with socks and a home cooked meal?"
"What are you talking about?" snapped Lee, still watching as Amanda paused in the doorway to Billy's office, holding out a box with a determined smile.
"Oh, come on, Scarecrow," Francine shot back. "All that stuff about how you might need socks for a romantic evening? That's a textbook heavy hint."
"For Pete's sake, Francine," Lee protested. "She was just being… motherly," he finished lamely.
"Sure she was," she replied, eyes rolling again. "And how about asking if you really had to work and looking so disappointed? That woman absolutely had visions of you as her own personal sugar plum, huddled together under the mistletoe." She gave a snort. "As if you'd be interested in our woman in suburbia."
"Hey, there's no need to be mean," Lee said, torn between wanting to defend his wife and not wanting to raise Francine's suspicions.
"I'm not being mean," Francine turned wide blue eyes on him. "I'm being a realist. Something that Amanda King seems incapable of being."
Lee started to retort but stopped when he saw Billy waving him over.
"Oh God," he muttered. She's asked Billy to take me off the roster, he thought until he saw Billy wave Francine in as well.
"It's Rudolph again," Billy said as they walked in.
"Not the reindeer," Francine turned to Amanda with a smirk.
"He's holed up in a hunting cabin in the woods in Virginia," Billy continued, ignoring the interruption. "His deadline's the 25th."
"Or else?" prompted Lee
"Or else he goes public with the names of every American and Soviet undercover agent working in this country" Billy answered. His expression turned grim. "Ted Rudolph's in a position to jeopardize our most sensitive intelligence programs. As well as endanger the lives of a number of people!"
"Well, we can relocate him, can't we?" asked Lee. "We do it all the time."
"That's not all he wants, Scarecrow. He wants us to find his daughter and bring her to him."
"His daughter? Why?"
"I don't know. He wasn't making much sense."
"Well, of course he'd want to see his daughter," said Amanda. "It's Christmas. Most people want to be with their families."
Lee winced, knowing that was a shot at him.
"Funny sort of family, "said Francine. "He hasn't seen her in 30 years. We've been trying to find Karen Rudolph after the first phone call and so far, we have just drawn a blank."
"Probably married and changed her name," said Lee.
"And we have less than 48 hours to find her," said Billy. He looked at the three of them, his gaze stopping on Amanda. "Unless…"
"Oh no, Billy. Absolutely not," said Lee, straightening up from where he was leaning against the window.
"Why not? Like Francine said, he hasn't seen her in 30 years. She's the right age and she's an unknown."
"No!" said Lee again. "She's not doing it."
"Shouldn't I get a say in this?" asked Amanda.
The two men swung around to look at her.
"You want me to go meet this man and pretend to be his daughter, right?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Billy.
"Yes."
"I can't miss Christmas with my boys," she warned him.
"You won't," Billy promised. "If you leave first thing in the morning, you can be up there and back in an afternoon."
"Alright," she agreed
"Amanda, no," said Lee.
"Why not?" she turned to him. "Mr. Melrose said this Rudolph person could hurt a lot of people. And if agents are expected to work at Christmas, why shouldn't I?"
"Well, you're hardly an agent, Dear," sniped Francine.
"No," agreed Amanda. "But I work here, just like anyone else, and if I can help, I will." She turned to look at Billy. "Will Lee be coming with me?"
"Of course," Lee interjected even as Billy nodded.
"And if Lee has to work Christmas Eve, will he really have to work Christmas Day as well?"
"Amanda…" sighed Lee.
Billy grinned. "No, Mrs. King, I think if he'll have already put in his hours on a case, I see no reason why any other calls can't be routed to the next agent in line. That would only be fair."
"Then that's settled," said Amanda. "I'll go call my mother and tell her I'm going to be busy tomorrow. Now Lee, shall I tell her you'll be joining us for Christmas dinner? You know she invited you weeks ago." She turned to look at the other two. "For some reason, she's very fond of him and insisted I invite him."
Lee nodded silently.
She turned and walked out the door. There was a beat of silence and then Francine chuckled.
"My, oh my, she'll do anything to get you to her house for Christmas, Scarecrow. There must be a bet on in the steno pool this year."
"Can it, Francine," Lee muttered.
There had been a slightly frosty silence in the Porsche for the first few miles, Amanda still obviously angry that Lee had tried to avoid Christmas with her – their – family and Lee, unable to think of how to begin to explain himself. It was Amanda who finally broke it.
"Are you sure we'll be back in time? The boys always open their presents on Christmas Eve, and besides that, I still have to prepare the goose for tomorrow."
Glad to hear anything from her, Lee nodded. "We'll be back by four o'clock, five at the latest. It's a simple assignment."
Amanda made a small noise of disbelief. "That's what you always say."
Lee shook his head, unable to disagree with that assessment, but he tried to sound optimistic. "Amanda, all you have to do is play your part. You did study your scenario, didn't you?"
She nodded, staring out the window as she recited. "My name is Karen Rudolph, we lived in Silver Spring, Maryland until I was three years old, that's when my father left, he sent me birthday presents from all over the world, my mother told me that he had a very important job with the government." She paused. "That's so sad."
"What is?"
"Growing up without a father."
Lee's hands tightened on the steering wheel and Amanda let out a soft "oh", realizing what she'd said. She reached over and squeezed his knee in silent apology. Lee glanced sideways, meeting her worried eyes, then looked back at the road.
Her faux pas seemed to have taken the fight out of Amanda a bit and she tentatively started the conversation up again.
"So how do you usually spend Christmas?" she asked, quietly.
"Alone on my living room couch, with a large bowl of guacamole dip, a perfectly chilled bottle of Dom Perignon '73, and a good football game.," he shrugged. He gave her another quick glance. "Unless I get called out to work, of course."
"Of course." Amanda watched the scenery fly by for another few moments. "Do you really volunteer to work every Christmas?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Isn't that lonely?" she asked.
"Nope," he answered. "Lonely is spending Christmas on air force bases with 500 guys in a mess hall fighting for the dark meat."
"Oh, Lee," she began but was interrupted by him saying "Here we go", as he pulled off the highway and headed up to park at the end of a dirt track. He opened the hood of the Porsche and began pulling out supplies to hand to her.
"Ponchos, binoculars, maps, canteens, flares…" he paused and held up the next item with a wry smile. "Socks."
Amanda reached out to take them with a smile. "Can't beat having a fresh pair."
Lee looked as if he was about to say something, then shook his head and turned toward the path. "It's three miles in, should take us an hour, hour and a half, if we keep up a good pace."
"Yes, sir." Amanda lifted her hand in a mock salute, almost dropping the canteen and the binoculars.
Lee punched her playfully on the arm, then took some of the load from her. "Let's go."
An hour in, Amanda was starting to feel the strain of trying to keep up with Lee's long stride. "Do you think we could stop for a break?" she asked.
Lee looked at his watch. "You want to be back for Christmas Eve, don't you?"
"Yes," she said, "But five minutes to catch my breath isn't going to make a difference, is it?"
"I guess not." Lee looked around, desperate to come up with some conversation that might thaw the frosty silence that had sprung up again between him and Amanda.
"So socks, huh?" he finally went with. "You know, Francine thinks you're trying to seduce me with domesticity."
Amanda gave a snort of laughter. "That figures. I was aiming for something so dull that no one would think anything of it."
"Oh." He couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice.
"Lee!" she gurgled, "You know that wasn't your real gift, don't you?"
"It's not?"
Amanda stepped closer, letting his arms settle in their natural spot on her waist. "Of course not. Although at least one of your presents came from kind of the same department."
Lee raised a confused eyebrow.
"Things you wear under your other clothes. Or in this case, things I wear under other clothes." She nuzzled his cheek and murmured "Silky satin kind of things. Of course, that one isn't under the tree – we wouldn't want the boys to see it."
Something caught Lee's attention in his peripheral vision and he turned his head. The next instant, he had pushed her to the ground, covering her with his body.
"Lee!" she squeaked.
"Shhh," he responded in a whisper. "There are two men over there – with rifles."
Amanda subsided instantly, both of them straining to hear anything.
"Are they gone?" she whispered finally.
"Yeah, I think so," Lee said softly. "They were probably just hunters."
"Oh good."
Lee looked down into her face, realizing for the first time the physical position they were in. Amanda's face lit up with laughter as she saw it hit him.
"Well, hello there, Big Fella" she said, squeezing his shoulders.
"Hi," he answered.
"You know I'm not wearing the silky satin stuff right now, don't you?"
"A boy can hope, can't he?" said Lee, rubbing his nose against hers before dropping a kiss on her lips.
"Not in the freezing cold in the middle of the woods, he can't," she replied. "First rule of scouting – don't get pine needles in places you don't want to chafe."
"That's the first rule?" he laughed.
"Maybe the second. Poison ivy is probably more of a first rule thing."
They lay there for a moment, smiling at each other, before Lee's expression turned serious.
"Amanda," he began.
"We gotta go, huh?" she asked, starting to struggle upright.
Lee held her still. "Yeah, but before we do, I need to say something."
Her eyes broke from his for a moment and the colour rose in her cheeks.
"Like why you volunteered to be rostered for tomorrow?" she asked.
"It's complicated," Lee began, but Amanda interrupted him.
"You've always known we were expecting you to be there," she said. "Mother's expecting you – how would I have explained that? That you didn't come because you were stuck on a last-minute editing job? She'd never believe that! And her feelings would be hurt! And so are mine!"
"I know, I know," he nodded. "I just… Christmas really isn't my thing." He rolled off her and sat up, Amanda pulling herself up to sit beside him.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"I never had a family Christmas, not that I remember anyway, and I couldn't imagine myself at your house with your family, pretending like I belonged there."
"Well of course you belong there! What are you talking about?"
"I don't know how to act! I don't know if the boys will like their gifts! My uncle didn't know what to do with me all day; I'd open whatever toy I'd picked out in the PX and then we'd just spend the day watching football games," he said miserably. "And nowadays, I just do the same, unless I'm working. What if I wreck some long-standing tradition?"
"You managed to survive Thanksgiving," Amanda pointed out.
"The boys hated having me there!" he flared up.
"What are you talking about?" asked an astonished Amanda. "Of course, they didn't!"
"They yelled at me!" he protested.
Amanda stared at him for a moment, then started to laugh. "Sweetheart, talking back to you when you told them to do their chores isn't yelling at you!"
"Philip said I wasn't his dad and had no right to tell him what to do!"
Amanda struggled to stop laughing. "Lee, how often did you say that to your uncle?"
"Just once," he admitted, with a guilty expression.
"And did you mean it?"
"Not really – I was just lashing out."
"And Philip was just mad you were interrupting his video game. That doesn't mean he hates you!"
"Really? Because it sounded like he didn't want me in the family."
"Of course not," she reassured him. Amanda leaned in and wrapped an arm around him. "I think you're projecting your old fights with your uncle. We're married, for heaven's sake – how much more like family could you be? All you have to do is show up – it'll be just like every other family dinner you've come for this year. The only difference is that the boys will be way more excited because they'll eat all the candy in their stockings for breakfast and then they'll rip open their presents without even paying any attention to us grownups and then they'll collapse in front of the TV to watch the games until it's time to go visit their grandparents."
"Really?" he asked in surprise.
"Really," she confirmed. "They'll probably get a second wind during half time and want to go play in the backyard. You can pull out your Sandy Newcombe skills and throw the ball around, right?"
"I can," he smiled.
"Well, there you go. Your job is to keep them out from under our feet while Mother and I finish preparing the meal." She glanced at her watch. "But if we want to be back on time, we'd better get moving."
Lee jumped up and reached out to a hand to help her to her feet, then pulled her closer. He pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "I love you and I'm sorry. Forgive me?"
"Of course, I forgive you," she replied, patting his cheek. "Tis the season."
"I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for missing all these years with you," said Rudolph. "Please forgive me."
"Of course, I forgive you." Amanda smiled and wrapped her hands around his. "I know you were doing an important job. I got all the presents you sent me. Sometimes it was in July, but I got them."
Rudolph laughed along with her. "What do you usually do for Christmas these days? I imagine it must be lonely since your mother passed away"
"Well, it was for a few years," said Amanda glancing at Lee. "Usually, I would just spend it like any other day of the year. You know - hang out in my apartment, make myself a really good bowl of guacamole dip and watch the football games."
"Sounds lonely," he commented. "But you said you used to do that? Has something changed?"
"Yes," she said softly. "A few months ago, I met a really wonderful man."
"And he's the one?" asked Rudolph, then chuckled. "That's a rhetorical question by the way - I can tell from your expression that he is."
"I-I-I think so," she stammered. She looked down at her coffee and blushed. "We're working through a few things, but I'm hoping we'll spend Christmas together."
"Oh, I see," said Rudolph.
Amanda's eyes shot up to meet his. "Oh!" she gasped. "I mean, I hoped for that before I knew I'd be seeing you, of course!"
Rudolph reached out and patted her hand. "Now, now, don't worry, Karen. I have to tell you something. I've got to go away again for a year, or maybe two. It's just to establish a new identity, a kind of new life. But once we get that behind me, I want to come back and see you and be the father that I've never been. If you let me."
Amanda gave him a tremulous smile. "That would be great," she said. She looked over at Lee, who met her eyes with a guilty smile and shifted uncomfortably at his spot looking out the window.
"What about you, Scarecrow?" asked Rudolph, looking to break the uncomfortable silence that had descended. "You got a family to get home to tonight?
"Yeah, I do," Lee nodded.
"You found a woman crazy enough to put up with this spy lifestyle?" Rudolph chuckled. "Lucky man."
"Yeah, I am," Lee agreed. "And I've got two boys – my stepsons. It'll be my first Christmas with them. I wasn't sure what that was going to be like, but I think I'm going to enjoy it. They're really great kids."
"I'll tell you from experience, Scarecrow," Rudolph jabbed a finger in his direction. "You'll regret every minute you don't spend with them."
"So we should head out and let him get back to them," said Amanda, getting to her feet.
"Good idea," agreed Rudolph. "Where'd you leave your car? Down off 84?"
Lee nodded.
"Good – my truck's down there too. We'll go down together and I'll follow you in. Karen can ride with me and we can do some more catching up."
"Oh," said Amanda, startled. "I don't -"
"No one's going anywhere," interrupted Lee in a grim tone as he stared out the window. "We've got company."
"Mom! You're here!"
"What are you doing on the sofa?"
The boys leapt into her arms, both shouting at once.
"Well, I needed to make sure Santa didn't miss the house," she chuckled as she hugged them close. "Tell you what, why don't you go wake up your grandma, tell her we're going to make special Christmas waffles and then we'll open presents, okay?"
"Okay!" chorused the boys, leaping to their feet.
"No need," said Dotty from the doorway. "I'm already up. Boys, how about we start getting those waffles ready while your mother freshens up after a night on the sofa?" She waited a beat for the boys to race off to the kitchen before turning to Amanda with a smile. "I stopped by your room on the way down to wake you. It looks like Santa left you a little something." She paused. "Well, not so little actually, but wow, it's really something"
"Oh Mother," laughed Amanda, dropping her face into her hands.
"It looks like it might have gotten damaged in transit though," Dotty went on, looking more serious. "What happened?"
"He slipped on some ice and dislocated his shoulder," answered Amanda, offering up the explanation she and Lee had decided on the night before. "I slept down here because I didn't want to bump into him during the night and hurt him." She jumped up. "I should go help him get dressed."
"Not the order I'd do it in," smirked Dotty, "But I suppose the boys are waiting."
Amanda didn't answer, she just blushed and headed upstairs.
Lee was sitting on the side of the bed when she arrived, greeting her with an embarrassed smile. "I think I surprised your mother."
"I don't think she was surprised at all," dimpled Amanda. "Except when she found out I slept downstairs. On the other hand, she believed me about the dislocated shoulder, so everyone will be pretty careful with you." She squatted in front of him, reaching out to examine his bandages. "How is it feeling?"
"I've been better, but I'm just happy to be here and not stuck in the hospital," Lee winced as he started to stand up. "Let's go."
"Hang on, let's get you dressed first," Amanda admonished him. "Unless you really want to surprise my family."
Lee laughed, but allowed her to help him dress. When she turned, ready to head downstairs, he grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Wait a minute, you've forgotten something."
"I have?"
He pulled her in for a kiss, then kept her held close. "Hell of a Christmas Eve, huh?"
"I can honestly say, I have never spent one like it," she chuckled. "Do you think Mr. Rudolph got away alright?"
"Billy said he vanished during all the commotion, but I think he's got nine lives. Not sure how we get word to him that they found the real Karen while we were up there though."
"Oh, that won't be a problem," Amanda grinned at him. "I told him my number was in the book and he should stay in touch." I thought he might not want to deal with the Agency directly after all that and I think he liked me – even if I had lied to him. I promised that I'd tell him when we found her for real."
"You really are something, aren't you?" marvelled Lee.
"A good agent thinks on her feet, right?" she replied. "Or even just a good seasonal employee."
"Right," he agreed. He dipped to kiss her. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson. Merry Christmas."
"I love you too," she murmured. "Merry Christmas."
Lee visibly girded himself. "Okay, let's get downstairs before I chicken out again."
Amanda rolled her eyes and led him out of the room.
"Lee!" clamoured the boys in delight when he appeared at the top of the kitchen steps. "You're here already! Awesome!"
"Yeah, I came home with your mom last night," he smiled at them. "I hear her special Christmas waffle breakfast shouldn't be missed."
"What did you do to your arm?" asked Jamie. "That bandage looks gnarly."
"Nothing exciting, I'm afraid," said Lee. "Just slipped on some ice and dislocated my shoulder."
"So no jumping around him, okay?" said Amanda. "He's really, really sore."
"Okay," Jamie nodded.
"We'll bring you breakfast!" exclaimed Philip.
"Yeah! I'll make yours just like mine with marshmallows and chocolate syrup and whipped cream!" added Jamie.
Lee looked faintly nauseated. "Um, I'm not really much of a breakfast person… so maybe just maple syrup, okay?"
"Bo-ring!" teased Philip.
"Are you sure?" asked Jamie. "Your first Christmas with us should be special."
"He's sure," laughed Amanda.
Jamie's face brightened. "Well, would you like some of Grandma's Christmas coffee? She says it's an old Irish recipe."
Lee and Amanda exchanged amused smiles. "That would be very nice, Jamie. Thank you."
As Jamie headed to the kitchen, Amanda called after him, "Let your grandmother add the Irish part, Sweetheart! And Mother? Remember Lee is on painkillers for his shoulder!"
Dotty's head appeared around the wall. "Will you be operating heavy machinery, Lee Dear?"
"Mother!" Amanda reprimanded her.
"Just enough to make it festive then," Dotty smiled, not at all abashed.
"Wait until you see what we got you!" Philip burst out. "Grandma helped us pick it out!"
"Don't ruin the surprise, Darling," Dotty reprimanded him.
"Yeah, Doofus," Jamie punched him in the arm.
Dotty pulled them both back into the kitchen, rolling her eyes over their heads at Lee and Amanda. "Sit yourselves down, you two. I'll bring you your coffee in a minute."
Amanda led Lee back into the living room and helped him lower himself onto the sofa before settling beside him.
Lee leaned back, wincing slightly before giving a contented sigh. "This is nice."
Amanda wrapped an arm around his shoulders, then nodded towards the kitchen. "I told you they'd be happy you were here. They've been looking forward to it."
"Yeah," he shook his head in wonder. "I didn't even need to bring a puppy."
Amanda threw her head back and laughed. "Did you really think of doing that?"
Lee nodded sheepishly. "I thought it would make them like me. But I was pretty sure you'd kill me."
"Oh Sweetheart, of course they like you!" Her expression turned serious. "Lee, I know you're not used to the idea yet, but they really like you, just for being you. They boys might think you're just my boyfriend, but they know you belong here. You're not just family on paper, you know."
"I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it," Lee admitted.
"I know," she replied, giving him a light squeeze. "But it's the truth."
"Breakfast!" Jamie said from the doorway. "Come and get it!"
Amanda helped Lee stand up and they joined the family at the breakfast table.
"This one's Lee's," said Philip, handing it to him carefully. "We cut the waffle up into little pieces so you didn't need to use your bad arm."
"That was very thoughtful of you," said Lee. "Thank you, boys."
"We asked Grandma if we should bring it to you on a tray like we do on birthdays and Mother's Day, but she said Christmas morning is for everyone and we should eat the table," said Philip.
"Very true," agreed Lee.
"When's your birthday, Lee?" asked Jamie.
"June," said Lee.
"Well, we can do a special breakfast for you in June then," said Jamie, solemnly. "You'll have to come for a sleepover."
Lee looked down at the table, choking slightly, then lifted his head to smile at Jamie. "I'll look forward to it."
Dotty lifted her coffee cup. "But until then – Merry Christmas everyone!"
"Merry Christmas!" said everyone else, also lifting their glasses.
Lee looked around the table at his ready-made family, feeling a bit like the Grinch after his heart grew three sizes. As unbelievable as it seemed – and Francine would never believe it – he really had found a home here. He turned to Amanda and gave her a quick kiss. "Love you," he whispered.
"Love you too," she whispered back. She gave him a wink. "But good call on not getting the puppy."