Chapter 2

Billy and Francine stood as Amanda rushed off the elevator at County Memorial hospital as soon as the doors opened wide enough for her to squeeze through.

"Sir! How's Lee, where is he?" She asked in a panic.

"He's still in surgery, Amanda." Billy said as he motioned for her to join them in the waiting room.

"How long has he been here?" She asked, tears began to well up in her eyes.

"He was already in surgery when I got the call four hours ago." Billy replied as he rubbed his face wearily.

"Why don't we sit?" Francine offered once again as she gestered to the waiting room.


"Sir, I don't know if you're going to be able to tell me or not but I have to ask … what happened!" Amanda said as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Lee got a tip from what he thought was one of his informants about where Greggers might be holding up, but the tip was a ruse, and Greggers was waiting for Lee with a sniper rifle. I'm sorry, Amanda, that's all I know until we can talk to Lee." Billy said.

"If we get to talk to him." Francine said out loud without thinking , Billy shot her a sharp look and she grimaced as she realized what she had let slip out.

Just then, the doctor came through the doors to the surgery ward, looking positively exhausted, rubbing his hands over his face as he walked over to them. Billy dug his ID out of his coat's breast pocket and showed it to the doctor.

"I'm Billy Melrose, Lee's superior; this is Francine Desmond and Amanda King, they work with Lee. What's the word on him?" He said.

"Well, he had lost a lot of blood when he arrived, and needed two transfusions during surgery. I have to say he is a very lucky man, that bullet missed his vital organs by millimeters." The doctor said.

"Doctor, will he be alright?" Amanda asked in earnest.

"Well, the fact that he made it through surgery is a very good sign of course, but the next twenty four to forty eight hours are going to be very touch and go." He said.

"Can we see him?" Amanda asked, the doctor opened his mouth to spew some kind of nonsense about hospital policy, and all that, but Billy beat him to it.

"You might as well let her in, doc. She's just going to camp out here in the waiting room if you don't." Billy said with a smile.

"Very well, right this way, Mrs. King." The doctor said as he led her to Lee's room.

"He's heavily medicated, so don't expect much in way of response for the next day or so." He said as he left them.

Amanda pulled a chair up to his bed and took his hand in hers.

"Oh, Lee, why didn't you let me help you. Why do you always have to go charging in there like Superman." She said as she gently stroked his hair. Of course, as the doctor said, there was no response. He looked so peaceful, as if he were merely sleeping.

"I'll be here if you need me, I am not going anywhere." She said as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Maybe she had imagined it, but she swore she saw the ghost of a grin cross his face.


Lee slowly opened his eyes and tried to shake the fog out of his brain, slowly, a hospital room came into focus, his gaze fell on Amanda, who had fallen asleep with her head resting on his bedside. She must have felt the movement, because she began to stir.

"Oh, Lee! You're alright!" She said as she took hold of his hand.

"Well … I don't know about alright … but at least I'm not dead." He said with a painful smile, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

"Oh, quit talking like that! It's bad enough that you just … disappeared on me without telling me anything, then I get a call saying you were shot and in surgery!" She said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hey, hey! Come on now, no tears, eh?" He said as he squeezed her hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything, Amanda, but I knew that you would follow me, and if anything happened to you because this son of a bitch is after me, then I'd never forgive myself. You have a family that needs you, and loves you, you have people who depend on you. I'm ... well ... I'm alone, I don't have anybody and if something happened to me ..." Lee said.

"You're wrong, Lee. You have someone, too, you have me, you know that." Amanda interjected.

Upon hearing that, Lee's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning; he opened his mouth to reply when Billy and Francine walked in.

"Well, Scarecrow! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! It's sure nice to have you back with us." Billy said as he and Francine came to stand at his bedside.

"You really gave us a scare this time, Lee." Francine scolded him as the nurse entered to administer Lee's medication.

"Alright, out, visiting hours are over." She said as she ushered them out.

"Nurse, I want Mrs. King to stay here." Billy said.

"But that's against hospital policy." The nurse replied.

"Trust me, nurse, your best bet for getting Lee to stay put is this lady right here. Lee has a penchant for cutting out as soon as he is able." Billy said as he turned to Amanda.

"Your assignment for now is him, keep him off his feet and out of trouble, understand?"

"Yes, sir! I won't let you down." Amanda said brightly, Billy gave her a knowing grin.

"I know you won't."

"Billy … wait a minute … I don't need a babysitter!"

"Now don't give me that, Scarecrow, I have known you long enough to know that as soon as you are feeling well enough, you're going to slip out of here and go after Greggers and his men … and get yourself killed in the process. Amanda, I'm giving you a temporary AOS16 status effective until he his back on his feet." Billy said as he turned to go.

"Billy! You just hold on one damn minute! I don't need to be watched over!" Lee said indignantly.

Billy ignored him and turned to Amanda.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked her.

"Oh certainly, sir it'll be no problem at all!" She said brightly, he flashed them both a knowing smile.

"Good." He said as he and Francine left.


Lee awoke and panicked a little in the darkness before the pain hit him and he remembered where he was, and what happened. He needed to get out of here somehow, before the trail on Greggers got any colder and it wasn't going to be an easy trip since the mere act of breathing hurt like hell.

He slowly sat up, gripping his IV stand for support, once he was in a sitting position, he paused for a moment, allowing the pain to return to a somewhat manageable level. With a growl of pain, he stood.

Amanda suddenly appeared at his side "Lee! Oh my gosh what are you doing!" Amanda said as she wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him back toward bed.

"Amanda no, I have to get back out there before Greggers crawls back into whatever hole he came out of." He said as he resisted being led back to bed.

"Oh, don't give me that, look at you, you can barely stand! Now come on, let's get you back to bed." She said as she draped his free arm over her shoulders and sat him back down on the bed.

"Now, let's get your feet up." She said.

"Amanda, please! I'm not some invalid, I am not helpless! I'm only putting up with this because Billy forced it on me." Lee snapped before he could stop himself, his frustration and his temper getting the better of him.

Amanda tried to hide it, but he caught the hurt as it flashed in her eyes.

'Damn!' he cursed inwardly.

"Amanda, look … I didn't mean … I'm just … on edge … you know?" He offered

"Yeah." Amanda said softly as she sank into the chair at his bedside, her gaze was focused on her hands as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Lee reached up and tipped her chin so her eyes met his.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He said, his tone urgent, they held a gaze for a beat before she smiled warmly at him.

"Just rest, you can't get well if you don't rest." She said softly as she stroked his hair.

It was then that he realized just how special Amanda really was, she never held grudges against anyone, she never had a bad word to say about anybody, it was clear to him now why so many people at the Agency, Billy included liked her so much. She had been the ray of sunshine the Agency had needed, but didn't know it.

She always forgave people, no matter how dismissive or mean they were to her. Even him, and he god knew he didn't deserve it; he mentally cringed as he remembered how nasty he was to her when they first started working together. His heart clenched painfully as he remembered the hurtful look she had given him when he told her they weren't partners, even after all she had done for him.

He remembered the look on her face when he had slapped her to sell his cover to Jack Harris that he was a burn out. The look she had given him … he'd never forget it, it was burned into his brain for the rest of his life. He promised himself that he would never, ever use Amanda to sell a cover again. It was almost six months since the incident, and he still was torn up about it.

He thought back to when he had given her that package, and what had made him choose her, a frazzled woman wearing a trench coat over her nightgown. But there was something about her that his spy sense had picked up on, he didn't know how to explain it, but as soon as he saw her, he just has this feeling that she was someone he could trust … and he had gotten that right in spades.

He suddenly felt compelled to confide in her, and before he knew it, the words were tumbling out of his mouth.

"Amanda, I have to tell you something. I know I haven't the easiest person to work with, hell who am I kidding, I've been a real jerk. But I want you to know that it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate you as a partner… and as a friend." He said.

Amanda smiled bashfully. "Why the sudden confession?"

Lee put a hand on hers.

"Amanda, I face the possibility of death every day, that's no secret, but this is the first time I've come this close." Lee said.

"Well … I appreciate you saying that, I always thought I was nothing more than a burden to you." Amanda said.

"Burden?! Are you kidding?! You saved my ass more times than any partner I've ever had." Lee replied as he stifled a yawn.

"Okay, enough talk, you need to get some rest, doctor says if you keep improving like you are you might be able to go home at the end of the week." Amanda said as she pulled the covers up around him ans settled back into her seat at his bedside


"You're sure you have everything?" Amanda said as they left the hospital.

"Amanda, I didn't bring that much." Lee said with a laugh as they walked to her car.

"I meant your medications." Amanda said as she eyed him sternly.

"Right here." He said exasperatedly, showing them to her as he slid into the passenger seat of her station wagon.

Undenounced to them, a vehicle pulled out into traffic a few blocks behind them.

"Sir, I have them in my sights." He said over his car phone.

"Good, stay with them but stay out of sight." A voice replied over the phone as the connection was cut.

"What would you like for dinner?" Amanda asked him as she rummaged around in the kitchen.

"Oh … I don't know … how about some of that home cooking I've heard so much about?" Lee replied as he plopped down on her living room couch, he wasn't used to feeling this exhausted all the time and it frustrated him.

"Okay then, I'll surprise you." Amanda called from the kitchen, Lee chuckled to himself, he could hear the smile in her voice and in no time at all, they were sitting down to simple but wonderful chicken casserole, it was so good Lee asked for two helpings.

"And you just … threw this together? This is GREAT!" Lee exclaimed between bites.

"It's one of the boys' favorite dishes, too, it's one of the few things that fills them up." She said with a laugh.

"Say, where are your mother and the kids anyway?" Lee asked suddenly, he put down his fork as worry clouded his handsome features.

"Oh you don't have to worry, mother won a spa retreat in a raffle at one of our fundraisers, and the boys are off at camp for the summer. It was their first time, they were so excited." Amanda said as a sad, nostalgic smile crossed her face.

"Hey, you okay?" Lee asked, sensing the change in her mood.

"Yeah, its just … they grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday they were starting their first day of school." She said with a sad sigh.

Lee smiled empathetically as he put his hand over hers. "Well, from what I've seen, you've raised two pretty good kids there."

"Thanks, I happen to think so." She replied as Lee stifled a yawn.

"You're tired, here, you can have my room, and I'll sleep in mother's room." Amanda said and before he could protest, she was leading him up the stairs.

"The bathroom's right through that door, and there are fresh towels in the linen closet. " She said as she turned to leave.

"Amanda … wait." Lee said, she stopped and turned to face him as he traversed the short distance between them to stand in front of her.

"Look, I … uh …" he trailed off, not really knowing how to begin. There was so much he wanted to tell her; how in the last couple of years he had known her, she had become one of the people he counted on the most, how his heart skipped a beat when he walked through the Georgetown Foyer because he knew he would be seeing her, how she managed to enrage him and delight him at the same time.

How … I'm really happy to have you as a partner, and as a friend." He said.

'Nice save, dumbass' He thought, as he mentally cringed.

Amanda blushed as she smiled shyly

"Ah, well, it makes me happy to know you think so highly of me, Lee." She said, trying unsuccessfully to hide her reddening cheeks.

'It's better this way.' He thought to himself, he would be selfish to make her think that he could offer her a real relationship, especially with what he did for a living. That and Amanda deserved better than someone like him, she deserved someone without so much emotional baggage.

"But Lee, everyone has some kind of emotional baggage!" Lee grinned to himself as he imagined her response to his train of thought.

Lee rousted himself from his thoughts to discover that a slightly uncomfortable silence had fallen between them.

"You look tired, why don't you get some sleep? Things will be better in the morning, you'll see." Amanda said as she excused herself, probably taking his silence as him trying to tell her that he wanted to be alone, when in reality, the polar opposite was true. He'd been 'alone', at least emotionally for most of his life, and had spent a great deal of it trying to find something he didn't even know he was missing until he met Amanda on that fateful day at the train station.

Lee blew out a weary sigh as he collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to get undressed, his eyes felt so heavy as soon as his head hit the pillow and soon he was sound asleep.

Notes: Whoo! Sorry that was so long! I didn't intend for it to go that long, I just couldn't find a good place to end it before this. As I have said before, I have been a fan of this show for many years, more than 20, but this is my first SMK fiction, so please be fair, I am really going to try and be true to the show, and the characters.