Lost and Found

Francine made her way back to Billy and whispered, "I wouldn't tell Lee this but I think Jovanici has Amanda. The lady at the booth was telling me how kinky Amanda was to let the men treat her so roughly. Really; Amanda kinky I don't see it."

"How am I not supposed to tell Lee his partner has been taken once again?" Billy asked as his voice began to rise.

"What about Amanda?" Lee looked up from the papers he was looking at when he heard Amanda's name.

"It seems that Jovanici has Amanda."

Lee set the papers down and began to walk away before Billy grabbed his arm, "Lee, I thought you wanted to stay out of his line of sight."

"That was before he had Amanda."

"What is going on with you two?" Francine inquired.

"Nothing; she is my partner and a civilian, she doesn't need to be with that monster."

"I just mean all day you have acted weird around each other. Are you sleeping with her?"

"No; I have never slept with her. Now can we please just find her and find out what Jovanici wants with her?"

The three separated and went to find Amanda. Billy saw her next to the fountain sitting and rubbing her ankle. "Amanda, are you okay?"

"Yes, I just twisted my ankle as I got away from him. He is planning on shooting the Secretary of States wife, not the Secretary. The weapons are hidden in the new fireworks containers. I already warned Duffy and Johnson to get them to the Secretaries wife."

"Good job; now how did you get away?"

"I went to do a leg sweep that Francine tried to show me once before telling me I was hopeless in self-defense. I fell, twisting my ankle, but in the process I knocked Jovanici down and was able to get away from him. I just couldn't get much farther than here, my ankle is really hurting."

At that moment Lee and Francine came walking up with Jovanici in handcuffs, "Well, I guess you aren't a complete failure at self-defense, you did at least get away."

Billy took Jovanici from Lee and told him to get her looked at and then home. "You two can debrief and turn reports in tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir", "Okay, Billy." They responded at the same time.

Lee helped Amanda into the car after the benefits on site doctor had wrapped her ankle for some minor swelling. He ordered her to stay off her ankle unless absolutely necessary.

The ride back towards Amanda's was an unusually quiet one. Lee and Amanda were both lost in their thoughts from each other's earlier comments.

The silence was broken as Amanda turned to face him in her seat asking, "Are you upset with me? That man came back and had a gun; what was I supposed to do? I had to go with him."

"He never would have picked you out so well if you had stayed in the damn booth like you were assigned to."

"I was also assigned to report if I saw anything out of the ordinary at any of the other booths. Now can you please explain to me how I to do that if I am stuck at a table with limited views?"

"Why can't you just do what you are told?"

"I am not a puppet, Lee, I have my own mind and contrary to what Francine and you seem to think I am smart. I know how to handle certain situations."

"You said he had a gun! You think he wouldn't have shot you if he needed to?" Lee shouted as he pulled into her driveway and slammed the car into park.

Amanda sat and as Lee opened the door for her and despite his anger with her was gentle as he helped her into her house; leading her to the couch as he placed her ankle up on a pillow to elevate it.

"Thank you, Lee."

He ran his hands through his hair and said, "Your welcome; do you need anything else before I leave?"

"You're leaving?" Amanda looked up at him confused.

"Uh, yeah, I should go. I am meeting someone later."

Lee turned to get his bag when he heard her say, "have a good time. Lee, I do know that he could have shot me; I know the risks I put myself in with this job but I am tired of everyone but Mr. Melrose telling me that I am wrong for this and to just go home and stay put. I make a real contribution. I am not naïve or stupid; in that respect I am not reckless and halfcocked."

"Amanda, I just can't be responsible for you out there always. You need to stay where you are told."

"I am a grown woman; I am responsible for my own actions, at work and otherwise. I don't need or want anyone feeling responsible for me or my actions!"

"I am completely aware of the fact that you do not want anyone; I heard that much. As long as we work together I will feel responsible for you on assignments, but don't worry on that account after Saturday; I won't be around to get in your way of doing your job, Mrs. King!"

Lee stormed from the house leaving her to sit and wonder what he meant by his last statement about not being around. She sat there a few more minutes and then as she stood to go upstairs she noticed he had left his bag. Picking it up to put in her room to take to him later she found it wasn't zipped and as everything fell out she began to cry.

"Damn you Lee Stetson! Damn you to hell!"

The next morning Amanda was sitting at her kitchen table drinking her morning coffee and reading the paper when she heard a car in her driveway. Thinking it was Lee coming after his stuff she went to meet him at the back door; to her surprise the front bell rang.

Calling out as she made her way to the front of the house she said, "Why are you at the front door?"

"I always come through the front door; that is unless I was with you." Amanda was surprised to see Dean McGuire standing on her doorstep and it must have shown as he continued, "Amanda, I know this is a shock but after yesterday I wanted to make sure you were okay. Can I come in?"

Stepping aside to let him in she offered him a cup of coffee and they went to sit at the table.

"Now what about yesterday, Dean?"

"I saw you yesterday at the Gala and I noticed that a couple of men were kind of mistreating you. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Amanda laughed at his concern and then answered him, "Oh, I am fine. I twisted my ankle a little yesterday but it is okay today. I don't remember seeing you there."

"I was a guest of the Secretary and his family yesterday; you see I am getting married to his daughter later this year."

"Dean, that is wonderful. I am so happy for you. How did that come about?"

Blushing a little as he explained, "Well, Coleen and I knew each other from college, even dated a little. Her father didn't really think a meteorologist was such a great catch and we stopped seeing each other. I would have to say about two weeks after you and I stopped seeing each other I ran into her at a convention. We got to talking and things seemed like old times and we began dating after that and the next thing I know I am asking her to marry me again and she said yes this time. I would really love for you to come to the wedding if you don't think it would be too awkward for you."

Lee pulled up to the house and saw a familiar car in the driveway but couldn't place it. Getting out he walked to the back of house and overheard Amanda and a man talking.

"Dean, I am so happy. It just goes to show you that sometimes you just have to step away from someone to see what you really have in them. I can't wait until the wedding; Mother and the boys will be so happy."

Lee seemed frozen as he watched Amanda put her arms around Dean and kiss his cheek. Lee backed away from his hiding spot going back to his car and drove to the Agency. He knew she would return his things to him one way or another.

A couple of hours later Amanda came into the bull pen walking over to Lee's desk. "Hello, can we talk about yesterday?'

Nonchalantly Lee shook his head and said, "Amanda, we don't have anything to talk about. It is all water under the bridge. Do you have my bag?"

"No, it is still at the house. I was hoping you could come by tonight and get it, maybe have some dinner."

"Oh, I can't sorry, I just found out that I am leaving earlier for my next assignment sooner than Saturday. Oh, well, nothing in it I need; do you think you would be able to take it by my building one day and have the super let you in to leave it at my place?"

Nodding her head she said, "Sure, I can do that. Can I ask where you are going or how long you will be gone?"

"Not sure on how long I will be gone, but I am heading to Europe. I guess I will see you around when I get back."

Feeling like she had just been slapped in the face she nodded and turned to go toward Billy's office. Knocking and then waiting to be told she could come in she explained that she had her part of the report done from the Gala then asked, "Sir, do you think I could work on the transcriptions and reports from my house and bring them back in completed in a few days? With Mother and the boys gone I could really get more done there at home and don't worry I won't claim any extra hours."

"I wouldn't think you ever would. I don't see where that would be a problem. You will still be available for assignments won't you if we need you for anything?"

"Of course."

"Okay then if you don't have anything else; Lee and Francine have tapes and files that need worked on. Just get them from those two and I will see you in a couple of days; by then I am sure we will have more for you to work on."

"Thank you, Sir. Have a nice day."

Amanda made her way over to Francine's desk asked for her tapes and files she needed done and after doing the same with Lee, they both stared in wonder as she went toward the elevator instead of the desk she normally worked at. Lee caught up with her asking her where she was going.

"Mr. Melrose gave me permission to work on these from home since no one else was there and I would get more done around there than I would here."

"I see." Lee said stiffly as he put his hands in his pockets.

"What, Lee; what do you see? Please inform and enlighten me as to what you see so plainly." As hard as she tried she couldn't keep the hurt and anger out of her voice.

"You running away and hiding at home because I didn't agree with the way you handled yourself. That is real professional."

"Thank you for that uncanny but wrong assessment, Dr. Stetson. I just feel like I would get more accomplished form home where there are no distractions around." She informed him as they both got into the elevator to go up to the ground floor.

"What would distract you around here? Certainly not me, not since you are back with that tropical rain storm, Dan, now."

"What are you talking about? I am not back with Dean and what would even make you think that? Wait one minute, were you spying one me this morning? You had to have been or how else would you know that I saw Dean this morning?"

"I came by to get my bag and I saw you two together in the kitchen; you were kissing him."

She couldn't believe it, Lee had been at the house the same time Dean was and he had completely misunderstood the whole thing apparently.

Changing her tone she asked him, "Lee, what exactly did you see and hear this morning?"

"You kissing him, you telling him you couldn't wait for the wedding, your mother would be so happy, and how sometimes you have to be away from someone to really see what you had."

Walking past Mrs. Marston, Amanda told him, "I did say all those things and I did kiss him. I was congratulating him on his engagement to the Secretary of States daughter. They are getting married later this year. I'm not marrying anyone; for that matter I don't even know if I am involved with anyone."

Lee was taken aback at her statement because he was under the impression, well until that morning, that he and Amanda were going to try and see where things led them. All he could come up with was that it led to fights, arguments, and misunderstandings.

"I would have to say that is in your court really; you are the only one that can make that choice."

Looking him in the eyes she pleaded, "What choice do I have to make? I thought I already made it until you made it clear that you wanted nothing to do with me after; well, after, you know."

"Me? You are incredible; you say how I am no one important to you and now you want to get testy over me trying to go along with what you tell people."

"What did you want me to saw to that total stranger; no, he isn't my boyfriend but DAMN what he can do in bed and shower?"

"How was I to know that? You said that after you thought I left. How did I know you didn't mean it?"

"Oh, I don't know; maybe you could have asked me about it. If you really want to know if we would sink or swim in a real relationship then we have to stop letting the past relationships rule this one."

Billy was walking to his car as he left for a meeting at the Capitol building when he heard Lee and Amanda's fight. He knew they didn't see him especially after Lee took Amanda in his arms and began to kiss her. He felt as much worry as he did joy for them. He knew they were great working partners when they listened to each other, but he didn't want Lee to run Amanda over like he had some others around the office he was known to play with. Amanda was someone that was willing to call him out when he needed it and he was just what she needed to learn the ins and outs of the business from. Time will tell he thought; he just hoped he still had to great agents at the end of it all.