Author's Note: In the script, there is a humorous little scene at Lee's apartment in which the Colonel finds a bra mixed in with a pile of Lee's laundry and makes a comment about it. I am using that scene with a slight modification to fit this story because I just thought it was a great scene. Up to the "birds and bees" line, in the apartment scene with Lee and his uncle, I can't take credit for the dialogue. The rest is mine. On an additional note, this was yet another episode that was aired out of order as "A Little Sex..." was aired before it and it was the first one featuring Amanda's horrible short haircut while she still had her longer 'do in this one.

Chapter 35-For Some Time Now

"A Relative Situation"

Amanda shifted awkwardly, staring at the floor as she tried to hide the hurt she felt at hearing Lee talk about his date while on the phone.

Lee also shifted uncomfortably at his uncle's interrogation of him, "Is she new?" He questioned nervously, pangs of guilt washing over him both for lying to his uncle when he didn't actually have a girlfriend and at seeing the pained look on Amanda's face in front of him. "Uh...Well, actually we have been seeing each other for some time now," He hedged, still feeling a little guilty for lying to his uncle, but at least it was partially true. He and Amanda had been sort of seeing each other for over a year, even though neither would admit that there was more to their relationship that just fiery sex-capades. When he heard his uncle's next question, he immediately replied, "Amanda. Amanda King, Sir."

Amanda instantly perked up at hearing her name, smiling that Lee had referred to her as his girlfriend. She looked at him with a questioning gaze while his finished his phone conversation, which ended with him saying he could bring her along. She wondered just who he was talking to her that he'd just told was his girlfriend. She looked at him quizzically and cleared her throat.

Lee looked at Amanda, never feeling more awkward in his life and said hesitantly, "Uh...Amanda...I...uh...I need you to do a little favor for me."

"So, I gather," Amanda replied, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Lee gestured to the phone and said, "That was my uncle."

"Oh, the colonel," Amanda said excitedly, wondering if him referring to her as his girlfriend to the man she knew was his only living family meant that he was finally ready to admit that they were more than friends and partners. Lee stammered an awkward explanation and she replied, "Oh, Lee...Look, I'm...um...I'm flattered that you thought to ask me..." she couldn't help the giddy feeling that flooded through her at the idea that Lee wanted her as his date for his dinner with his uncle.

"Oh, good, I was desperate," Lee said with a smile and at seeing Amanda's face fall realized how that had sounded. Oops, he thought.

"Well, thank you so much," Amanda said acidly with a glare at him as the bitter disappointment swamped her soul. So much for him being ready to acknowledge that there was something between them.

"Oh, no, that's...uh...I didn't mean it that way," Lee said desperately trying to dig himself out of the hole that his thoughtless words had dug him into. "I mean...If you come along...It'll make things a lot easier." Amanda's calming presence at what he was sure would be a very tension-filled dinner would definitely make things easier.

"Yeah, sure," Amanda said, her smile returning at Lee's attempt at an apology.

"You'll do it?"Lee said elatedly.

"Sure, I'd love to meet your uncle," Amanda said, her smile widening. For Lee, meeting his uncle was the equivalent of meeting the parents since the colonel had raised him.

Lee breathed a sigh of relief, smiled warmly and her and said, "Good." They smiled at each other for a moment, before Lee said, "So, I'm sure that you heard dinner's at eight. I'll pick you up at your place at seven, if that's okay."

"Um...I don't know," Amanda replied. "That's an awful lot of pointless driving for you, going all the way to Arlington, then driving all the way back to DC, then at the end of the night, having to drive all the way back to Arlington to take me home again and then you'd have to drive back again to go home." She was babbling and she knew it, but until she was sure that they were going somewhere real, she didn't really want to have him pick her up at the house, knowing that her mother would insist on meeting him and would grill him endlessly, then when the date was over would grill her about it. She knew that the second that she introduced him to her mother, she'd be all over it, since she already knew his first name. After all, how many men named Lee could she possibly know? Then there was the fact that she couldn't seem to keep her emotions in check around him. She knew it would be written all over her face that he was the one. She thought it was better to spare both of them the torture. "How about I meet you at your place at seven instead?"

"Um...sure...that'll work too, I guess," Lee said feeling a little disappointed. He kind of liked the idea of ringing the doorbell and taking her out on a proper date, instead of their clandestine meetings in the back yard. What she said made some sense though. "So, I...uh...I better let you get to your baseball practice. So...I...I guess I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah," Amanda said with a shy smile, "Seeya' tonight."

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Amanda had just finished dressing for the evening and was fastening her necklace when she heard a tap at her door and her mother's voice on the other side calling her name. "Come in, Mother," she said steeling herself for the interrogation she knew was coming.

"You look lovely, Dear," Dotty said as she entered the room as she looked her daughter up and down, "But don't you think that outfit's a little tame for a date?" as she took in the modest sweater and calf-length skirt Amanda wore.

"What's wrong with it?" Amanda said. She thought she looked nice and she didn't want to wear something to racy that might made a bad first impression with Lee's only family.

"Oh, I don't know. It's just...what's the word," Dotty said fixing her daughter with a steely gaze, "...boring."

"Well, Mother, boring is exactly what's called for tonight," Amanda said.

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"What I mean is that you're never going to capture a man's attention if you don't let yourself loosen up a little. I mean, I don't get what the big deal is. You've let yourself loosen up around Lee plenty of other times before," Dotty said.

"Well, I'm meeting his uncle for the first time tonight and I want to make a good first impression. I don't want him thinking that I'm just some...some...trollop."

"A-HA!" Dotty said triumphantly. "I knew it1 I knew you were going out with Lee tonight! I knew that's why you said you were meeting your date somewhere instead of him picking you up here!"

"Ooh," Amanda groaned as she realized she'd walked right into her mother's trap. The idea of skipping the inquisition, which had been the whole reason behind her wanting to meet Lee instead of him, picking her up, was not shot to hell.

"So, you're meeting his uncle tonight? You know, that sounds very promising. Didn't you tell me not to long ago that he was raised by his uncle? Why, that's as good as him asking you to meet his parents."

"Oh, Mother, please don't make more of this than there is," Amanda said as she stepped into her heels. Even thought she'd thought the exact same thing herself when Lee had asked her, she wasn't about to let her mother know that. It would only encourage her to bring lee around to the house, invite him to dinner... "He just wants me along as a buffer because he and his uncle don't get along very well."

"Oh, well, of course. That is something that you are very good at. You're always the calm at the center of the storm, but let me ask you something."

"What's that, Mother," Amanda said as she made her way out of her room and toward the stairs, her mother hot on her heels.

"What has he told his uncle about you?"

"What do you mean," Amanda said evasively as she reached the foyer and reached for her coat.

"Well, this uncle, he must be curious as to why you're coming along to this dinner. Does he think you're Lee's girlfriend, maybe his...fiancée?" Dotty questioned hopefully.

"Oh, Mother, you're really jumping the gun here. It's just a dinner, that's all," Amanda said, then called into the living room, "Fellas, I'm leaving! Come give me a kiss goodnight." When both boys barreled into the foyer, she knelt enough to hug and kiss them both and said, "Now, you boys be good for your grandma while I'm gone, okay?" She then stood, turned to her mother and said, "Don't let them stay up too late."

"Aw, Mom," Phillip groaned. "It's not a school night or anything."

"No, but you still have weekend homework to do and you've got the circus trip tomorrow," Amanda said. "So, bed by ten, okay?"

"Okay, okay," Phillip grumbled as he trudged back into the living room.

"Have fun tonight, Mom," Jamie said just before he followed his brother.

"Yes, Darling, have fun," Dotty said with a kiss to her daughter's cheek.

"I will, Mother," Amanda replied as she swept out the door.

"Just not too much fun," Dotty added to herself after the door was closed. She sighed with a shake of her head as she made her way to the living room to join her grandsons, wondering if her daughter would ever admit that the relationship she was in was more serious than she let on and why she was so reluctant to admit that it was a relationship.

Lee stood in his living room and fiddled nervously with his tie for about the twelfth time as he waited for Amanda to arrive. "Where is she?" He groused as he glanced as his watch. The closer it got to his dinner with the colonel, the more agitated he became. He really wanted a good stiff drink, but he could just see how his uncle would react if he showed up with the smell of whiskey on his breath. He sighed, wondering again why Amanda hadn't arrived yet as he tried to calm himself. After all, it was only five to seven. He just hoped that she hadn't changed her mind. No, he told himself. If she had, she'd have called. She was responsible and she'd never leave him hanging without an explanation. He began pacing furiously as he waited, desperately wishing that he hadn't agreed to let her meet him at his place and instead, insisted that he pick her up so he could have some semblance of control over the evening. When he heard a knock at the door, he halted abruptly in his pacing, reached for the small wrapped package he'd laid on his coffee table earlier in the day and hurried to his front door. He opened it and at seeing Amanda on the other side of it, smiled warmly and said, "Hi," as he let her in.

"Hello," Amanda said in a timid voice.

Lee gazed at her curiously wondering if it were possible that she was just as nervous as he was. "Come on it," He said as he closed the door behind her. He took in her appearance immensely grateful that she'd worn something conservative. The last thing he needed was for his uncle to start harping on his taste in women again. "You look nice," He said with a smile.

"Thank you," Amanda said smiling back at him.

"Oh, here," He said as he handed her the package. "I have something for you."

"Oh?" Amanda said as she took it from him, her heart leaping. Did he think of this as a real date? She started to make her way to the couch, only to find it was buried.

"Oh...uh...sorry about the mess," Lee said apologetically. "Let me move that stuff for you." He made his way to the couch.

"No, it's okay. I can stand," she said. "It's not as if we're going to be here that long since we have to meet your uncle soon."

"Right," Lee said and shoved his hands in his pocket awkwardly. "I...uh...it's been so crazy these last couple of weeks that I haven't had time to really straighten up the place, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," she said. She could definitely tell that it had been at least two weeks as she spotted the white tuxedo he'd word during their "wedding" amid the jumble of clothing on his couch. She forced herself to tear her eyes away from it as she ripped into the wrapping on the package in her hands. She chuckled a little as she saw what was inside. "Les Trois Nuits," she said with a smile.

"I told you I'd replace your perfume and you know Francine, she's always up on what's fashionable."

Amanda chuckled again and said, "Yes, she is. Me, I'm sometimes just lucky if I have enough time to put on make-up in the morning with the boys running me ragged." She glanced down at the perfume in her hand and said, "You know, Lee, you really didn't have to do this. This is a much more expensive perfume that the one that got dumped."

"No, I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to...I wanted to you know, make it up to you and to say thank you for agreeing to be my date tonight," Lee said.

"Your date?" she questioned. "Is...Uh...that what this is? A date?"

"Um...well, you...uh...you know what I mean, for my uncle's benefit."

"Right," Amanda said with a nod as she shoved the perfume in her purse as an excuse to look away from him to hide her disappointment.

Lee sighed as he realized he'd blown it with her again. He reached out, cupped her chin in his hand to get her to look at him again, and said, "I'm sorry. I...I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I...I'm really glad you agreed to come tonight."

"Yeah?" Amanda said hopefully.

"Yeah," Lee said as he moved his hand to the back of her neck. "I...uh...I've really come to enjoy spending time with you."

"Yeah, I have too...with you, I mean," she said. They locked eyes for a moment, then the next moment, they were in each other's arms, kissing furiously, grasping at each other's clothing, Amanda's purse and coast soon were dropped to the floor as they tumbled to the laundry-covered couch together, Lee's hands soon working their way under her skirt while hers worked at his belt to free him. "Oh!" she cried out as Lee touched her, stroking her expertly, bringing to life the deep desire she had for him. She tugged at his tie, tossed it aside, and then began working on the buttons of his dress shirt while Lee moved one hand up her back under her sweater to unclasp her bra. She stopped for a moment to pull her sweater over her head, wanting to feel her bare skin against his.

Lee wasted no time in sliding her bra down her arms, shoving it aside, not caring where it ended up, then lowered his lips to capture one breast with his mouth, the other with his hand as Amanda rocked against his other. Her cries of pleasure told him she was close, so he increased the pressure, needing to hear her crying out his name. He was not disappointed as he felt her reaching her peak, shuddering against him, and sputtering out his name. "Amanda," He whispered hoarsely. "I...I need..." his voice trailed off.

"I know," she replied in a raspy voice as she worked quickly to finish the job she'd started on his pants to free him from their constraints. She then fully straddled his lap and guided him into her.

"Oh, Amanda," He groaned at the feeling of being immersed in her warmth. "Oh, God," he growled as she began to ride him hard and fast. He was amazed that she always seemed to know just what he needed.

"Lee," she whispered in his ear as she bent her head to nip at his neck, relishing the feeling of having him inside her and knowing that he needed her even if he wouldn't dare to say the words aloud.

"I can't hold on," Lee growled as he felt the pressure building.

"Don't try," Amanda murmured against his skin as she pushed down against him again and again until she heard him shouting out her name and felt him letting go and erupting within her. "Oh," she cried as continued to buck against him riding out the wave as she felt another intense wave of pleasure taking her over. "Oh, Lee," she said softly as she collapsed against him and tried to regain her breath.

"Thank you," Lee said as he kissed her softly. It sounded so inadequate to say that, but he knew that she would get his meaning. This was just wanted he had needed to relax before facing the firing squad led by his stern uncle and so much better than the stiff drink he'd been craving.

Amanda giggled slightly at his words, leaned her head against his and answered, "Thank you." No further words were needed between them as they grasped each other's meaning perfectly. They sat there together for a moment in a comfortable silence while they came down from the mutual high, until Amanda said, "We...uh...we really should get going. I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep your uncle waiting."

"Well, I did tell him that you were very jealous of our time together," he teased. "I could always use that as an excuse for us standing him up."

Amanda pulled herself from his lap abruptly, straightened her skirt and her underwear and said, "Oh no, you don't, Buster. You're not using me as an excuse to skip out on your uncle. You promised him that we were going to have dinner with him and I'm going to insist that you keep that promise." She reached for her discarded sweater.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lee grumbled as he began to right his own clothing.

"Uh...Lee..."Amanda said worriedly.

"Yeah?" he replied as he retrieved his tie from the floor behind the couch where Amanda had tossed it.

"Um...What did you do with my bra?"

"I...uh...to be honest, I don't know," Lee admitted sheepishly. "I...uh...I was kind of lost in the moment."

"Well, we need to find it," she said. "I can't go meeting your uncle braless."

"Amanda, relax," Lee said. "It wouldn't be the first time I've seen out in public, braless, like when you were wearing that little off-the-shoulder number."

"Okay, yes, but that was different. What's your uncle going to think of me if I show up at the officer's club that way?"

"Look, he'll be so busy judging me that I doubt he'd even notice and even if he didn't, it would hardly be the worst thing he's ever seen in a woman that I've dated."

"Oh?"Amanda said a flare of jealousy rising.

"Oh, come on, Amanda. You've seen some of the ladies that I've dated," Lee said as he finished with his tie.

Amanda snorted and said, "I wouldn't exactly call them ladies."

"You know what I mean," Lee said. "Look, he'll love you. I guarantee it. You're...different...special."

"Special?"She queried.

"Look, can you just put your sweeter on so we can go. We can find your bra another time, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Amanda said realizing that he wasn't going to answer her yet again. It always happened this way. Every single time she thought they were getting closer, that he was on the verge of opening up to her, he backpedaled furiously.

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Later that night, Lee and his uncle entered his apartment. Robert Clayton handed Lee his coat and while Lee hung it up, he looked around and said, "Nice place, Skip."

"Thanks," Lee said. "Most of the stuff, I picked up during my travels."

His uncle admired a vase sitting on a shelf and said, "Beautiful things. Not like the barracks life you used to know, huh?"

"I guess I outgrew that," Lee said.

The colonel then approached the couch, gestured to the pile of laundry still sitting on it and said, "Some things don't change, I see. Still can't hang up your clothes, can you?"

Lee sighed, hurried to the couch and began to gather up the clothes there, saying, "I wasn't expecting company. I put these things here so I wouldn't forget to take them to the cleaners."

"You don't need to apologize," Robert said.

"I wasn't apologizing, I was just explaining," Lee said defensively as he began to gather up his clothes quicker than before and had a moment of panic at spotting Amanda's missing bra and cringed at he realized the Colonel had seen it too. With his arms full, he wasn't able to grab it before his uncle did.

The colonel held up the satin and lace bra with one finger and said, "I gather more than just your taste in furniture has changed."

Color spread across Lee's face as he snatched Amanda's bra from his uncle and stammered, "That...that...uh got there by mistake."

The colonel smiled and said, "But it wasn't taken off by mistake." Lee turned from his uncle with his armload and shoved the whole pile into the closet while Robert continued, "You always did have a way with the ladies, even when you were a teenager and still living with me."

Lee turned, walked toward the bar; definitely needing that drink now and said, "Look, I can explain that."

His uncle joined him at the bar and said, "Calm down, Skip. I'm not going to lecture you. Besides I think I'd be a little late with my "birds and bees" talk," as he poured himself a glass of scotch, "Especially in light of the fact that you're dating a single mother. I assume that...um...item...is hers?"

"Yes, it's hers," Lee said with a sigh.

"Hmm," Robert said thoughtfully as he took a sip of his drink.

"What's that "hmm" mean?"

"I guess I'm just surprised that being a single mother, she'd be so quick to give in to your...charms. She didn't strike me as your normal type of girlfriend."

"She's not. Amanda's...she's...well, she's special," Lee said.

Robert smiled again and said, "My God, you've actually fallen in love. I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"No," Lee denied, but at seeing his uncle's unwavering stern gaze, he recanted and said, "Okay, yes, but when you go over to her place tomorrow, don't you dare say a word to her. I...I haven't told her how I feel about her and I-"

"Why the hell not?" his uncle interrupted. "If you love the woman, you should tell her so."

"It's complicated, okay? She and I are from two different worlds. She's Cub Scout jamborees and home-baked cookies while I'm more cocktail parties and champagne. Plus, she's got kids, kids I've never even met face to face and..."

"Oh, I see what this is about. You're afraid to get really serious about her because of the responsibility of taking on two kids too."

"No, that's not it. Me being around her kids with what I do for a living could put them in danger and she loves those boys so much, I'd die if anything happened to them because of me."

"Well, aren't you the one who is always telling me how skilled you are at the job? What makes you think that you couldn't protect them? Aside from that, who's to say that just the fact that she works with you wouldn't put them at risk anyway?" When Lee was silent, Robert downed the last of his drink and said, "Look, Son, you're going to have to make a decision. You either man up and make a real commitment to Amanda or let her go. Either way, stop stringing her along. Like you said, she's special and she deserves better." He slammed his glass down and said, "Where's your bathroom?"

"That way," Lee said pointing to his bedroom as he pondered his uncle's words. He had to admit that he was right. This had gone on far too long and he needed to put a stop to it once and for all.