Visitors – (Sneaking Series)
A/N: I thought it might be fun to write a Sneaking series of one-shot fics where Lee, Amanda, or someone is sneaking. This is not a sequel to the last one, so you don't need to read it to follow this. I've got a third idea that I'm thinking about.
Takes place mid-season 3 (after Utopia Now)
Humor/Drama/Romance
x x x
Billy's Office – Thursday 5:00 pm
"Lee, I'm sorry about the damage to your apartment," Billy remarks.
He shrugs and sighs. "Lelikov turned the place over looking for that computer disk. Fortunately, he never found it."
"I'll second that," says Billy. "Where are we on decoding?"
"In progress. I told them to put a rush on it. It's Dalton's plan for a high-tech missile launcher. I managed to grab it before Dalton's killer got ahold of it," Lee explains.
"And we thought it was just the Iranians who were hot on his tail for the missile launcher code," adds Francine. "At least now we have a suspect in Dalton's murder. It's gotta be Lelikov."
"Now we need to find out how Lelikov found out about the disk and what he planned to do with it. Whatever it is, can't be good," says Billy.
"How bad is the damage to your apartment, Lee?" Francine asks.
"Two broken windows, some broken furniture, vases, artwork. He emptied some drawers and files. Because it was raining and windy at the time, some files, pictures, and books were also damaged. Looks like a tornado went through it," Lee sighs.
"I'm just glad you weren't at home when he broke in, Lee," Amanda comments.
"I don't know. I wouldn't have minded catching him in the act."
"If you need to take a couple days to deal with the mess, you've got it," Billy suggests. "Francine can handle Lelikov."
Lee shakes his head. "Not necessary, Billy, but thanks. I'll get to it this weekend. I need to track down those photos from the party. That might tell us who Lelikov's working for."
"Okay. Let me know what you find."
"Will do."
"Dismissed."
"Thank you, sir," says Amanda.
Lee and Amanda turn to leave the office. A few minutes later, they enter the Q-bureau.
"Lelikov is one of Russia's top spies. Very dangerous, Amanda."
"Also involved in a Plutonium heist back in '68," she adds.
"That's right," he smiles, then looks at his watch. "Uh….Amanda. It's after five. Why don't you head home, and I'll see you tomorrow."
"What are you going to do about a place to stay?"
"I'll stay with a friend. Just temporary until the landlord replaces the broken window. I'll be fine."
"Anything I can do?"
"As a matter of fact…yes. I meant to mail a package that's sitting on my counter. It's a couple of camera lens parts I don't need, so I'm returning them. Could you pick it up and get it to the post office tonight? I was supposed to mail it back days ago." He hands her a spare key to his apartment.
She nods. "What else are you planning to do here?"
"Oh, just a little more research on the party guest list, track down those pictures and see what Lelikov's been up to for the last few years."
"I can help if you need me. I'll take the package over, then come right back and give you a hand."
"Don't you want to get home and see your boys?" Lee counters.
"Phillip and Jamie are camping with their father this week."
"Oh. Sorry, you probably told me, and I forgot," he says, shaking his head.
"That's okay. You've had a long week. Anyway, the boys are gone until Sunday. Mother's staying with her friend Judy, who broke her leg, while Judy's husband is away on a business trip. She'll be back Saturday afternoon. So I can stay late if you need me to."
"Thanks, Amanda. Just mailing the package is all I need for now."
"On my way. Good night, Lee." She collects her things and prepares to leave.
"Good night."
x x x
Lee's apartment – 5:20 pm
Moments later, Amanda arrives at Lee's place. She unlocks the door and enters.
A few steps inside, she glances around, shaking her head. She's sad that he lost some of his things, but at least he wasn't home when it happened.
A thought enters her mind as she walks through his place. Maybe he'll use this opportunity to do a good spruce? Heck, she'll even offer to help.
She notices a newspaper on the counter sitting on top of something else. She lifts the paper and sees the brown-paper package. It's labeled, includes postage, and is ready to go. She picks it up and walks toward the door. After securing the lock, she leaves.
x
Lelikov peeks through Lee's bedroom closet door while trying his best not to breathe, sneeze or make any other sounds while the King woman is inside.
He's very hungry. It's hard to break into a place on an empty stomach.
He had hoped Scarecrow would have something to eat in his ice box. Even a can of sardines would have been lovely.
Nothing but some stinky cheese in the refrigerator. The best vodka in all of Russia couldn't help with that!
But never mind his hunger. He's got to find the disk!
He listens until he hears the front door latch, exhales the breath he is holding, and pushes the closet door open. He re-enters the living room, looks over at the kitchen counter, and sees that the newspaper has been moved.
Lelikov gasps… No! No! There was something underneath the newspaper. A folder? An envelope? A package…?
It had to be the disk!
The King woman must have taken it!
He shakes his fist and curses.
I'll find that King woman and get the disk back from her…or else!
x x x
Q-bureau - Friday 5:00 pm
Amanda collects her things and peers over at Lee's desk.
Lee holds his head up with one hand as he listens to some notes on a mini recorder.
Midway through a yawn, he realizes he's being watched. He stops the tape and lifts his eyes toward her.
"How long are you going to be here?" she asks.
He manages a shrug. "The photos from the party told us very little. These are some notes from one of my contacts on Lelikov. Not much help so far."
"You need sleep, Lee." She feels like she's lecturing him, but she can't help it. He looks exhausted. "You said that you didn't get any sleep last night, and you've been complaining about your back all day. Don't you have another friend you can stay with?"
"It was just a bad night's sleep, Amanda. Too restless. Lots on my mind. I'll be fine."
"Well, you blamed your friend's lumpy couch this morning," she reminds him.
"I'll sleep better tonight. It's okay. Go and enjoy your evening, Amanda."
"Goodnight, Lee." She picks up her things, peers over at him again with concern, then leaves.
x x x
Amanda's house – Friday 9:00 pm
After showering and changing into a comfortable nightshirt, Amanda heads downstairs and enters the living room. It's still early, but she's in the mood to relax and unwind. Her plans include a movie on cable and a bowl of popcorn.
She starts opening windows in the living room to let in some air. The air carries the scent and feel of rain. Thunderstorms are in the forecast for later that night. For now, there's a good breeze.
Next, she grabs the bowl of popcorn off the counter and wanders back into the living room.
Against All Odds is showing on one of the cable channels. She's never seen it before, but it sounds good. She settles back with the bowl of popcorn in her lap and watches.
x
The movie nears its conclusion, and the end credits start while tears cloud her eyes.
"No! No! No! Oh, come on! That can't be it!" Amanda sniffles and blots her eyes with a tissue. Still a great movie. She settles on a news show and falls into a light sleep for a few minutes until a knock on the front door awakens her.
She glances at the clock… 11:38 pm. Who can that be? She turns the TV volume down and goes to answer the door.
She sees that it's Lee through the peephole and opens the door.
"Hello," he greets.
Although she's covered just enough for company, she folds her arms in front of her chest.
"Lee, what are you doing here?"
"Uh… I need a favor," he asks with a sheepish grin.
Yes, she'd do just about anything for those dimples. "Come on in." She steps back and lets him enter. He's carrying a small duffle bag.
"Your mother won't be home until tomorrow, right?" he confirms.
"That's right."
"Can I sleep on your couch? Just for tonight."
"Is your back still bothering you?"
He nods.
"What you need is a good bed," she replies. "What about a motel?"
"Most of them are booked through the weekend. There are a couple of big conventions in town."
"Oh."
"I'd settle for a better couch."
"Okay, you can stay on my couch. Just for tonight."
"Thanks, Amanda. I really appreciate this. The landlord said he'll get to the broken window in the morning."
"Great! Umm… I'll be right back." She exits the living room and goes upstairs for a moment.
Lee steps in a little further, peering around the area. The TV is on, and he sees a bowl of popcorn that looks half empty. He feels bad for showing up so late. Not even a phone call.
I'll make it up to her.
"Here you go," she returns to the living room carrying the pillow and blankets and puts them on the couch. "Are you tired?"
He nods. "Exhausted."
She wouldn't object to staying up a little to talk or watch TV, but she understands. "Need anything else? A glass of warm milk?"
"No thanks. I should be fine."
She switches off the TV and carries the bowl of popcorn to the kitchen. A moment later, she returns to the living room. "Well… Goodnight, Lee."
"Goodnight."
x
Lee retrieves his sleepwear from his bag and a toothbrush and toothpaste. He prefers to sleep without a shirt on, but he makes an exception this time and grabs one from his bag.
He finishes in the bathroom a few minutes later and returns to the living room.
Amanda has the windows open, and the outside air feels nice. It's raining, but as far as he can tell, there's no rain getting in.
He fixes the blankets and lies down. Much better. Amanda's home is nice and cozy. He knows he'll sleep a lot better here.
He relaxes and succumbs to sleep quickly.
x x x
Amanda lies in her bed, listening to the rain.
She thought she could fall asleep quickly.
Too many thoughts race through her mind. The first few are of her boys and how they're doing. Her next thought is of her mother and whether or not she will decide to come home in the morning rather than stay until late afternoon.
It's a very good possibility. Mother does not get along with Judy's cat. Then again, that cat doesn't like many people.
Then there's Lee. Asleep on my couch.
Soon she's thinking about those scenes from the movie Against All Odds.
She wouldn't mind strolling along the Mexico beaches with Lee. Playing in the lagoons.
She blushes at some of the images that pop into her head. Her smile gets bigger.
Suddenly a loud clap of thunder sounds, interrupting her thoughts. The rain becomes heavier, beating against the roof and the window in her bedroom.
Oh no! The downstairs windows!
Amanda springs out of bed and starts down the stairs. The third step from the bottom always makes a creaking sound. She carefully steps over it and continues to the main floor. She reaches the living room and looks over at Lee.
Fortunately, the clap of thunder didn't wake him. The poor guy is so tired.
He lies mostly on his back, one arm is tucked under the pillow, and the other lays across his chest. The blanket is pulled up to his waist.
How can someone look so good when they're just sleeping?
She steps carefully, trying not to awaken Lee as she approaches each window. Most of them close easily, but the last window closes with a thud. She startles and turns back to check on him.
While she's looking at him, lightning flashes, and a loud clap of thunder sounds. She startles from the thunder and gasps loudly.
Another glance confirms that Lee still hasn't woken up.
While she's trying to exit the living room quietly, he sleep-mumbles. "Ah-manda…"
She stills and looks back at him.
"Mmmhh… Mandaaahhhh."
Could he be having a dream about work? Or…?
She shakes her head dismissively. It's probably nothing.
He doesn't say anything else, so she continues up the stairs quietly and returns to her room.
x
At least she doesn't have to get up early and be somewhere, Amanda thinks as she climbs back into bed.
Nothing but a little housework to do. She noticed that her mother went grocery shopping before she left, so she doesn't have to worry about having food for the boys when they get home from camping.
Good. Those boys will eat everything on that camping trip and still come home with gigantic appetites. Joe swears he feeds them.
Her thoughts return to Lee mumbling her name in his sleep.
Wonder what that was about?
Maybe she's on his mind too?
Soon she's remembering that moment a few weeks ago when they were trying to hide from Sacker's group.
x
'Still cold?'
'Yeah, just a little.'
'Look, here, let's huddle closer, let our body heat warm us up, huh?'
They both admit that they're happy to have met one another. Lee talks about how much he's learned from her through the years.
And then…
'What's the matter?'
'Well….I—I got a cramp right—'
Suddenly, Lee's gazing into her eyes. Then a deliberate glance at her lips. She's sure she looks at his lips too.
He pulls her closer. Her pulse quickens. She's definitely not cold anymore.
She feels his breath on her lips as she closes her eyes.
Someone yells out, 'over there,' and she and Lee quickly duck to stay hidden from view.
What would have happened if Sacker's crew hadn't interrupted them?
She allows another 20 minutes of drifting thoughts before she succumbs to a light sleep.
x x x
Amanda awakens abruptly from a noise outside her window.
A tree branch bumping up against the siding, maybe?
The wind gusts are making it sound worse. One of her neighbors offered to do some tree trimming weeks ago, but nothing has been scheduled yet.
Then she notices another rustling sound, which sounds different from the tree branches. She gets up and goes to her window. Peering down toward the trellis, she sees a shadow figure move quickly toward the back of the house.
There's a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach as panic sets in. She hurries down the steps and arrives in the living room just as Lee sits up on the couch.
"Lee! Lee! Someone's out there!" She points toward the backyard.
He nods, gets up quickly, and walks toward the back door. He peers out, and although he sees no one, he opens the door and decides to look further. He glances over his shoulder and says, "Stay here, Amanda," before closing the door behind him.
Amanda looks out at the backyard. She doesn't see where either of them go, but after a few minutes, there's no longer anyone or anything moving back there.
Probably in a neighbor's yard. She doesn't hear a sound except the rain hitting the side of the house and the wind moving through the leaves.
Every second he's out there just adds to her worry. She could never sit still in these moments.
It's several more minutes of biting her nails and whatifing before she sees another shadow pass by the window in the back and arrive on the back porch.
Definitely not Lee. She knows his size and height.
She goes to the hall closet and grabs Phillip's baseball bat. Holding it gives her a little peace of mind, but she's hoping Lee appears soon too, and she won't have to use it.
Oh my gosh! What if it's Lelikov or one of his people?
She didn't lock the door, assuming Lee would return the way he went out. She reaches over to latch it, but she's not fast enough. The intruder has already turned the door knob.
Her heart is pounding. She tightens her grip on the bat.
She's ready to swing if she needs to, but there's no guarantee how good her aim will be at this hour.
She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes because she can't bear to look, and prepares to swing the bat. At the very least, maybe she'll startle them before they try to get inside.
As the door opens further, she makes eye contact with the intruder and follows through on her swing.
It's Lelikov!
The Russian sees the bat coming toward him and startles.
Amanda never hits him. He slips, trips, and falls backward, landing on his rear.
After yelling out a few Russian expletives, he scoots back hastily, concerned that this crazy King lady with a bat may come after him, without realizing that Lee had already come up behind him.
Lee grabs Lelikov, hauling him up by his arms and shoulders, which causes the perpetrator to wince from the pain caused by his fall.
"Looks like you picked the wrong place and time to show up, Lelikov."
x x x
An hour later, the local police department has Lelikov in a holding cell for the night, and he refuses to talk without representation. Lee updates Billy by phone.
At 4:00 am, Lee is seated beside Amanda on her couch with an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
She's still shaken up. "That scared me!"
"I know."
Lee changed out of his rain-soaked clothes into a pair of jeans and a shirt to speak to the police. Her nightshirt got dirty from hugging Lee when she knew they were both safe, so she's wearing a different shirt and some shorts.
"It's a darn good thing you weren't home when Lelikov broke in. He could have killed you and taken the disk."
Lee nods. "It's something I always have to prepare for. I'm glad I happened to be here tonight."
"Me too. I'd hate for anything to happen to you," she admits, looking him in the eyes.
"I'd hate for anything to happen to you too, Amanda."
They sit still, gazing into each other's eyes.
Just kiss him, she tells herself.
But after a lengthy pause, the moment ends, and she turns her head and rests against him. Following a lull in the conversation, she begins to doze off. Lee's warmth and the rise and fall of his breathing help her fall to sleep. Lee dozes off minutes later.
x x x
It's almost 6:00 am when Amanda awakens to the sound of her mother pulling into the driveway, the car engine shutting off, and a car door closing.
It's not until she hears the key in the door that she realizes who it is. It's too late to move Lee outside.
"Oh my gosh!" She nudges him awake. "LEE! It's my mother!"
"Wha—" Lee responds, still just waking up.
"Hide!"
"Where?"
She grabs the blankets on the couch and tosses them over him.
"Okay…hey, Amand….Oof…" She props the pillow on the other side of him, making it appear that the pillow just happened to be left there instead of covering the gap left by the blanket.
She'll have to distract her mother and find a way to get him out of the house.
She gets up to meet her mother at the door.
"Oh, hi Amanda," Dotty greets her. She carries her bag in, sets it down, and greets her daughter with a peck on the cheek.
"You're home early, Mother."
"You're up early."
Amanda grins nervously. "Oh… I just…. I couldn't sleep any longer. How's Judy?"
"Judy's fine. Dennis got back early. I couldn't spend another minute in the house with that cat. I tell ya…."
"Oh, Mother, you know Cruella just takes time to get used to people."
"She has it in for me," she huffs. "Do you know that she deliberately hung out in the hallway and tried to attack me with her claws every time I walked by?"
"Well, you're home now. It's still early. Are you going to try and get some more sleep?" asks Amanda, trying not to sound as impatient as she feels.
"I'm not sure if I can. I think I'll make myself some tea and see how I feel." Dotty wanders toward the kitchen but looks over her shoulder and adds, "It'll be nice to have the boys home again tomorrow."
"Yes, it will." Amanda watches until she thinks her mother is out of sight of the door, then lifts the blanket, and Lee gets up. But when Dotty reappears in the doorway, she shoves Lee back down, covers him with the blanket, and positions herself to try to block the obvious lump on the couch.
"What are you planning to do this morning, dear?" Dotty asks.
"I haven't decided. Probably tidy up a bit here and there."
Dotty glances at the couch, then back to her daughter. "Amanda, you didn't spend the night on the sofa, did you?"
"Well, it was stuffy in my room."
"I see."
"Oh… And I was watching a movie that ran late. I was comfortable, so I just slept here."
Dotty's eyes light up. "You know… A movie on cable sounds like a good idea, and it's still so gloomy outside. What do you say, Amanda? I'll put on some tea and oatmeal, and we'll hunker down with a good movie before tackling the house cleaning."
On any given Saturday morning, she'd love the idea.
While she's searching her brain for a plan to get her visitor out, a yawn surfaces. She didn't get much sleep, so she decides to go with that excuse.
"You know, Mother…." Amanda finishes the yawn and then adds. "As lovely as that sounds, I think I'm going to go to my room and try to get a little more sleep."
"I thought you said you couldn't sleep any longer."
"Well, maybe I'll try again."
"I guess I'll make my tea and see if I can find something on TV."
Amanda watches Dotty return to the kitchen. "Hurry," she whispers to Lee and follows him to the door. As Lee is almost to the door, he turns back for his overnight bag, but she doesn't pivot in time, and they crash into each other. "Ooof…"
"Amanda…" Dotty hollers from the kitchen.
She quickly throws the blanket over Lee's overnight bag to hide it while Lee attempts to hide in the coat closet in case Dotty should return to the living room. He's too tall and ends up crouching between Amanda's wool coat and Dotty's fur coat.
There's a perfume scent from Dotty's coat that is about to make him sneeze. He does what he can to stifle it, but loses his footing, takes a step, and bumps into the closet door.
Amanda ignores the loud thud coming from the closet. "Yes, Mother."
"Would you like me to make you some warm milk? Maybe that'll help."
"No, I'm fine. Just about to head upstairs now."
"Okay."
As she opens the door to the coat closet to let Lee out, Dotty remembers her travel bag sitting by the door. Lee had taken a couple of steps out when Amanda gestures for him to go upstairs.
He hurries up the steps, finds Amanda's bedroom, and goes in. He'll have to leave by climbing out her window and going down the trellis. Not ideal while it's still raining outside, but he's had to escape under worse conditions than this.
Just as Lee opens the window, Amanda suddenly bursts into her room. "Lee!"
He turns and looks back at her.
She waves her hand frantically, wanting him to follow her while her mother is otherwise distracted.
He'd rather take his chances with the trellis at this point.
"I'll just—"
"No, Lee, that's dangerous! Come on!"
"Amanda, I'll be—"
"Hurry!"
He grumbles under his breath as he closes the window and follows her to the hallway.
Yes, he likes Amanda… A lot.
He'd gladly spend more time here if not for their current predicament. Amanda's mother is as persistent as Amanda herself.
The second they enter the hallway, Amanda shoves him into the linen closet because Dotty had come upstairs, but the linen closet has even less standing room for someone over six feet tall than the coat closet.
While inside the closet, he overhears their muffled conversation. Dotty suddenly remembered that Judy had invited her to have breakfast with her and her husband Dennis when he returned, and Amanda is trying to encourage her to go.
Lee's smiling because Amanda has learned how to think on her feet better than he or anyone could ever teach her.
Despite Dotty asking repeatedly if Amanda 'feels alright,' Amanda assures her that she's fine and should let Judy and Dennis treat her to breakfast to show their appreciation. There's a little back and forth about some moody cat that Dotty doesn't care for, but Dotty finally agrees.
Lee breathes a sigh of relief as the closet door opens again, and Amanda's expression conveys how sorry she is. She's about to rush Lee down the steps until Dotty pivots yet again, and she's shoving him into her bedroom.
Then, of course, Dotty's standing outside Amanda's room.
He tries to decide whether to squeeze under Amanda's bed or slip inside the closet because he won't get the window open before Dotty decides to come in.
Amanda shoves Lee toward the bed, intending for him to hide under it. He doesn't make it to the floor and instead ends up hiding under the covers. As Dotty enters, Amanda gets under the covers, pulls her knees up, and positions the throw pillow in her lap purposefully, hoping to make the large lump in her bed a little less obvious.
"Yes, Mother?"
"I am just letting you know that I'm going to take a shower and meet Judy and Dennis around 8:00. We're going to that pancake place. You're welcome to come too."
"I'm good. You enjoy your visit. I think I'll just lay here and read for a bit first." She picks up the book on her nightstand and opens it about in the middle. "This is a really good book."
"Well, enjoy your book, dear."
"Thank you, Mother."
Dotty turns to leave, then hollers back from the hallway. "I'm sure it'll make more sense when it's right-side up."
Amanda realizes she's got the book turned the wrong way and chuckles.
x x x
One week later.
Lee's apartment - Friday 9:30 pm
Amanda finishes the last bite of her dinner and sets her fork down. "Lee, this was really good."
"Glad you liked it." He picks up both plates and carries them to his kitchen. "Just something to say thanks for putting up with me last Friday night when I didn't have a place to stay."
"Oh, that was no trouble at all. In fact, I probably owe you dinner after pushing you into the closet so many times," She lets a grin surface as she thinks back on it.
Lee rinses the dishes, leaves them to soak, and returns to the dining room. "Oh, no problem."
"I'm just glad that's all over, and you're okay." She looks around at his apartment. "Your place looks great, by the way."
Lee nods and smiles. With the window repaired and a few pieces of art on the walls, it's starting to feel like his home again.
"Thanks. I got things put up for now. I'll see what else is needed later on."
"Do you need me to help with washing the dishes?"
"No, that's okay. Are you heading home?"
She glances at the clock. She doesn't want to. She wants him to ask her to stay a little longer. But she gives him a polite nod, collects her purse and jacket, and heads toward the door.
They aren't a couple. At least not yet. But she thinks they're making progress.
Lee follows her to the door, stops, and leans beside the door frame. "Thank you for having dinner with me."
"Thanks again for inviting me," Amanda replies.
He leans in and kisses her cheek. It's just a peck, but he doesn't rush it or back away quickly.
She's got a permanent grin that'll last until the next time he surprises her.
It probably won't be a long wait.
"Hey, umm… I've got some Rocky Road ice cream for dessert," prompts Lee. "There's a movie on cable we could watch if you're interested."
He's still standing very close to her. She's sure she's blushing because her skin feels warm.
The boys are spending the night at a friend's house. Her mother is out on a date. No matter how long she stays here, her mother still won't be home before her.
She sets her things back down. "What movie?"
"Oh, how about…. 'Against All Odds?'" he asks. "I hear it's supposed to be very good."
"I think I heard that too."
x x x
The End
A/N… Yes, I watched Against All Odds around the time I came up with this idea. Always a good flick!
Reviews are great since I'm still new to writing for this show.