Lee struggled to open his eyes. His head was killing him. He reached up to feel the egg he could tell was protruding out of his forehead. Instead of flesh, he found a bandage wrapped in gauze. He pulled his eyes open as far as the aching flesh would allow. He was in a dark room… a hospital room. He could barely make out the monitor beside his bed before the pain of the light made him shut his eyes again. He let out a groan as he tried to turn his head.
"Well, look who's awake!" a jovial bass voice said in the darkness.
"Billy?" Lee whispered.
"Yeah, It's me, Lee."
Lee squirmed.
"No so loud, huh? Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital AND back from the dead! We were all convinced we'd never see you again! Then I get a call to come down here immediately because you AND Amanda had been recovered outside the Soviet Embassy! What the hell happened, Lee?"
Lee's eyes sprang open sending shooting pain to his head.
"Amanda! Where is Amanda?" he said getting more agitated with each syllable. "Where is she, Billy?"
Lee instantly became more than agitated. His head pounding in pain, his equilibrium way off kilter.
"Calm down, man! She's fine. Just fine. The doctors are checking her out to make sure she's healthy. She's been locked up for the past year. Who the hell ever would have thought that Gregory had her this whole time?"
"Where is Gregory? I'm gonna kill him!"
Lee attempted to sit up. His vision started to spin, and he immediately returned to the bed.
"Ow! Damn it! What the hell happened?"
"You don't remember?"
Lee thought for a moment. He tried desperately to remember the actions that took place as he tried to rescue Amanda.
"Last I remember, I dragged Amanda into the storage room in the embassy. Then I woke up here."
Billy let out a soft chuckle.
"Well Amanda didn't know it was you. Your wild man look had her convinced you were someone named Martinovic. She grabbed the closest thing she could find, which happened to be a very heavy flashlight and let you have it. She said you went down like a sack of potatoes."
Lee scratched his beard.
"Have you seen her? Have you talked to her?" Lee asked.
"Yes. She said she wasn't mistreated. She's a bit thin and dehydrated but I think she's going to be just fine."
"I need to see her, Billy. Please!" he said in a desperate pleading tone.
"You will. I promise. But she needs to finish up with the doctor first."
Lee let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
"Will you at least go and find out how much longer?"
"That I CAN do. I'll also tell your doctor that you are awake."
Billy began to walk away and stopped, looking at Lee.
"Damn, it's great to see you" he said as he smiled widely at the long-lost agent.
Billy quietly left the room. Lee lay in his bed trying desperately to remember what happened in the storage room and how they got out.
"Lee?" a soft female voice called from the open door.
"Amanda?" he said desperately as he tried to sit up.
"No, Lee dear. It's Dotty. I came to check on you."
Dotty pulled a chair close to Lee's bedside and sat down. She reached over and held his hand tightly in hers. He tried to turn his head to look at her but it caused him to get a wave of dizziness, so he closed his eyes and listened to Dotty.
"You found my girl. You brought back my girl to me. Oh, Lee! How can I EVER thank you?"
Lee could hear that she was crying. He began to choke back his own tears as he listened to her.
"You never gave up hope. You found her! I just can't BELIEVE you found her!"
"Dotty….don't cry," Lee said as he gently turned his head to look at her. He winced from the pain.
"Oh, Lee. These are tears of shear joy! I couldn't stop even if I wanted to, which I don't!"
"Do the boys know?"
"Yes, I called them as soon as I saw her with my own eyes. They are away with Joe, but they are packing up the car and heading home. They should be back sometime tomorrow afternoon. They are beside themselves with happiness. And we owe it ALL to you."
Dotty picked up Lee's hand and kissed it.
"Is she really, ok?" he asked in a hushed tone, afraid to hear the answer.
"Yes! She is! She is alive and beautiful…. and HOME thanks to you!"
"Billy said she was thin and dehydrated."
"Well, yes. She is thinner than I would like to see her, but I can fix that in no time at all. I will be making a pot roast for her as soon as she comes home!"
Lee let out a very small laugh.
"How are you feeling, Lee?"
"Honestly? Relieved, anxious, and horrible all at the same time. Relieved she's safe, anxious because I need to see her with my own eyes and horrible because she cracked me over the head with a flashlight and I have the worst headache I've ever had!"
"That's because you have a concussion!" a voice from the door proclaimed. "a pretty good one, too. But not the worst I've seen."
Lee recognized the doctor as a member of the NEST team. He entered the room and turned on the lights. Lee held up his arm to shade his eyes.
"Mrs. West. Nice to see you again so soon."
"Nice to see you, too, Dr. Bailiff. How is Amanda?"
"Oh, she's in good hands. A few more tests, then she's all done. We want to keep her overnight, then she can go home with you in the morning!"
"See, Lee? I told you!"
"When can I get out of here, Doc?" Lee questioned.
"Well, not so fast. I want to wait at least another 8 hours before I make any discharge orders. Let me take a look in those peepers."
Lee let out a heavy sigh as the doctor shined a flashlight into both eyes.
"Good! Good! Better reaction than when we first took a look at you a few hours ago."
"When can I see Amanda?" he said pointedly.
"I would say in about 10 minutes, maybe 20. I promise to wheel her in here as soon as she's done. Melrose has already explained the importance of her visit."
Lee looked alarmed.
"Wheel her in? I thought you said she was ok?"
"Just a precaution! We are giving her fluids to help with the dehydration."
Lee relaxed a bit at hearing this explanation.
"Why don't you close your eyes for a bit until she comes in to see you?" Dr. Bailiff said.
Dotty could see that Lee was about to argue with the doctor.
"Go ahead, Lee dear. I will make sure they bring her in right away. I know she is as anxious to see you as you are to see her." Dotty said in a calming tone.
"That is absolutely true!" the doctor replied. "Trust me….. wild horses can't keep her from coming in here the moment she is free."
Lee smiled and settled into his pillow.
"Ok" he said softly as he shut his eyes.
"I'll be back to check on you in a few hours, Mr. Stetson. Please try and get some rest during that time."
The doctor left the room and drew the privacy curtain. Dotty sat back in the chair beside Lee, squeezing his hand.
"Thank you, again. I really never thought I would see her again. But you never stopped believing that she was out there, did you?"
Lee's eyes remained closed as he thought about this question. He couldn't bring himself to admit that she was dead. Was that the same as believing that she was still alive? Finding Birol was about revenge and making him pay for Amanda's disappearance, not about rescuing her.
"No" he simply said. It was far easier than trying to explain the different thoughts going through his throbbing brain. "I couldn't go on with my life if I didn't find her or at least try."
Lee began to get agitated again and attempted to sit up.
"Easy, Lee. Calm down! Let me help you." Dotty said as she sprung from her chair and arranging the pillows behind him allowing him to sit up and still rest his head. "There, that's better."
Lee looked at her and gave her a very small smile.
"Yes. Thank you." He sighed heavily. "Dotty, can you please go see how much longer until I get to see her? Please?"
"How about right now?" a very familiar, slightly husky, female voice said from behind the curtain.
Lee sat up quickly. His head pounded and he became slightly dizzy, but he didn't care.
"Amanda?!" he said so very desperately.
A lump formed in Dotty's throat at hearing the level of emotion in his voice. She jumped up and quickly walked over to the privacy curtain, pulling it back revealing Amanda.
"Lee" she said in a choked whisper. Tears immediately spilled out of her eyes and down her cheeks as her face broke into a huge smile.
Lee practically catapulted himself out of his hospital bed and over to Amanda. She stood up as quickly as she could and allowed herself to be engulfed in his arms. They both held on to each other tighter than they ever had. Lee grasped Amanda's face and pulled her to him, their lips meeting in a hungry, desperate kiss-one that neither was completely convinced they would ever share again. Their lips pressed into each other each desperate to find comfort and confirmation of their love. He needed to look at her. Pulling back from the embrace he still held her face in his hands and looked upon her soft brown eyes smiling at him. Her smile was so big it almost consumed her entire face. She laughed softly as she looked into his blue-green eyes. Lee scanned every inch of her face, drinking her in with his eyes. He softly cupped her jaw in both hands and ran his thumbs over her chin and cheek bones, where he wiped away a few tears that had trickled from her eyes.
"Oh, Lee" she said in a husky whisper.
"I had to make sure it was really you!" he said with a laugh.
"It's me!" she said as she leaned in to kiss him again. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Amanda" he said as he placed several tender, soft kisses on her lips-savoring each one as he placed them.
He was so overwhelmed with emotion. He pulled her tightly to him again, a little too quickly this time. He began to lose his balance. Amanda quickly caught him, and he recovered.
"Lee? Are you alright?" she said with great concern in her voice.
"Yeah, just dizzy. Someone hit me over the head with a flashlight" he said with a smile in his voice.
"Whoops" she said abashedly. "Let's get you back into bed. Mother will you help me?"
"I can do it" Lee argued.
"Lee, dear. One thing you had better get used to right now. You will never win when you are up against two West women that want to take care of you." Dotty said lovingly as she helped Lee back into bed.
Amanda laughed through her tears and her heart swelled as she watched her mother and Lee interacting. They were playful and loving to each other. Amanda had evidently missed a lot.
"Lee, you need your rest." Amanda said matter of factly.
"So do you, Amanda. You need to get into bed, too." Dotty said.
"But Mother, I just got here. I'm not leaving!"
"Of course, you're not!" Dotty said as she peeled back the covers on Lee's bed. "Get in on this side, Amanda. Lee, move over just a bit."
Amanda looked at her mother in shock for a moment. Who was this woman and what had she done with her mother? Lee looked at both women and did what he was asked. He scooted over to make room for Amanda to climb in next to him. Amanda snuggled up against Lee putting her head on his chest. His arm tightly wrapped around her and held her closely to him.
Dotty covered them both with the blanket. Her heart was so full at this moment looking at the two of them.
"Now make sure you both try and get some rest. You can catch up on everything tomorrow. Lee, we need you better so you can come home with Amanda tomorrow."
Dotty leaned over and gave them both a kiss on the forehead.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning." Dotty said as she pulled the privacy curtain and walked out of the room.
Amanda settled into Lee's embrace, his arm wrapped securely around her and pulled tightly against his chest. She could hear his heart beating fast and his breath coming quick as he held her.
"I'm sorry I hit you so hard", Amanda said in a whisper.
Lee chuckled a bit.
"I think I need to start calling you slugger" he replied.
She could hear the smile in his voice.
"Lee…..I'm sorry I was gone so long."
Amanda felt him tense.
"Sorry? Amanda, you had no choice in the matter."
Amanda was silent for a moment.
"I should have been more aware when I was in the news van. Birol never should have gotten me."
"Amanda….that wasn't your fault. He outsmarted us all. Even Nightcrawler didn't know that was his plan." Lee took in a deep breath and held it before he began to speak again. "Besides, I never should have let you be part of the operation in the way you were. You shouldn't have been in the van by yourself. I'm responsible."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Amanda shot back. "It was my assignment, and I took it."
Lee was quiet, but Amanda could almost literally hear him thinking.
"Did he hurt you?" he said finally, his voice strained.
"No….surprisingly, he didn't."
Amanda heard Lee exhale slowly.
"I was scared, Lee. Each day I thought that that would be the day that he would beat me, torture me, or violate me. But none of that happened. I think he liked to play psychological games. He liked watching me sweat and being afraid of what he could do to me."
"And how about Gregory?" Lee quickly replied.
Amanda could feel the tension in his arm around her.
"No….Not Gregory, either. I had no idea who Birol sold me to. I had no idea where I was. Most of the time I was just locked in my room, by myself. I wondered what Mother and the boys must be thinking and what the agency would have said to them. I never gave up hope that you would come find me. And just when I thought it was all going to be over for good, you found me…..for a while there, I thought I would never see my family again….or see you again. I really thought that they were going to kill me."
Amanda began to get choked up. Lee could hear the strain in her voice and felt her tears on his chest. He pulled her closer and ran his hand assuringly up and down her back.
"Hey….Hey. Don't cry. I've got you", Lee said in a calming baritone. "And I hope you meant it when you said you loved me because I am never, ever letting you go again."
"Just try and get rid of me" she whispered.
