Telling the Colonel…Off

"Mr. Stetson, I hate to bother you but you have a visitor waiting for you."

"Who is it?" Lee asked suspiciously.

"A Colonel Robert Clayton, he is waiting for you in the Georgetown foyer."

The look on Lee's face as he turned to Amanda told her all she needed to know, "You never told him, did you?" Storming from the room before Lee could even try to explain to her as to why he had never told his only living relative that he was going to be a father was beyond her comprehension.

Lee was stopped from following after her as Billy and Francine both blocked the door to his escape. "Come on, I have to talk to her." Lee pleaded.

"No, you need to talk to your uncle it seems to me, Scarecrow." Billy suggested.

"That is what I am saying he has never met her and if, I, mean when I tell him he is going to come completely unglued at MY irresponsibility in this whole situation. I already know that I am a screw up in his eyes, I didn't feel the need to give him more ammunition."

"Did you ever stop to think that after you explain the whole situation, he might be happy to know that you are finally in a happy place with Amanda, her family, and this new baby?" Francine asked.

"I don't know, up until Amanda walked out of this room the only thing I had ever been more frightened of was that man's disapproval of me. I think it was because I never could do anything right. I was only ever a reminder to him that my father wasn't around and I wasn't anything like my father." Lee sat down in a chair and took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, Amanda King was in the elevator heading up to the Georgetown foyer. Her anger at Lee began to make the short ride longer than she preferred. The doors opened to a man in of intimidating stature standing with his arms pressed behind him, in a fashion she had seen Lee stand on many occasions.

"Mrs. Marston, Mr. Stetson sent me to collect his uncle and bring him down to him. He is just finishing with some personal matters at the moment."

"Of course, Mrs. King," she answered as she gave the younger woman a knowing look while handing over the visitors badge to the Colonel.

"Colonel Clayton, I am Amanda King I have worked with your nephew on a few occasions. Please follow me, Sir."

"Never said I was one to turn down an invitation from a beautiful lady," Robert said as he followed Amanda into the closeted elevator. "What kind of contraption is this?"

Smiling she answered brightly, "An elevator, Sir."

Lee, Francine, and Billy were heading out of the conference room as Amanda and Lee's uncle were coming in the doors of the bullpen. Lee could feel his heart racing at seeing the two together and Amanda laughing at something the Colonel had said.

Rubbing her stomach the three heard her saying, "Why, yes I am, Sir, almost five months."

"Well, congratulations, Mrs. King. I am sure that you and your husband are thrilled about this addition to your family."

"Oh, Colonel, I'm no longer married, but the father and I are thrilled more than you could ever imagine at the impending arrival of this baby."

"Oh, well, again congratulations. I see Lee right over there, have a good day." Colonel Clayton walked away feeling sorry for the young pregnant woman, he didn't get the impression from her at first that she was irresponsible.

Amanda watched as Lee stood at attention as his uncle approached him. She saw the nervous energy that formed on his face and shown through in his eyes. It still hurt that he hadn't told his uncle about their baby, but at that moment she could almost see why he didn't.

"Sir, it is good to see you again. What brings you by?" Lee asked as his uncle was close enough to welcome him.

"Is there a place we could talk alone, Skip?"

Lee felt the heat rise on his neck and face at the nickname his uncle had given him as a young boy. Comments like that made Lee feel as if that was all his uncle ever saw, was that little boy and not the man he had become.

"Uh, sure, come on in here." Lee led him into the conference room he had just exited.

Amanda walked over to the desk she was working at, that gave her the perfect view of the conference room. Lee hadn't closed the blinds so she could see in perfectly. She also knew that if she could see Lee than he could see her and then maybe he could get the courage to tell his uncle that he was the father of the baby she was carrying.

"Amanda? Can you help with these files today?" Francine asked, even Amanda knew it was to get her mind off Lee and his uncle in a conference room talking about god knew what.

"Sure, what time do you need them?"

"The end of the day will be fine."

Shaking her head Amanda turned her attention to the files that Francine had just given her and began typing at an enormously fast rate. As Francine watched Amanda, she only hoped she had e=given her enough paperwork.

"Skip, I am only in town for a few days, but I wanted to get together with you. We haven't really had dinner in a while. I was thinking tonight would be great."

"Uh, tonight, Sir really is not a good night. I have plans tonight."

"I am sure whatever little gem has captured your attention can hold off one night."

"I am sure she would, if that was the case, I would have no problem changing plans but I can't. You are more than welcome to come with me and have dinner afterward."

"I didn't come to run some spy game with you. I am in town for a military council hearing and I just thought it would be a good idea to see one another since we haven't in a while."

"Like I said, I have prior plans that you are more than welcome to attend with me, but I am not changing my plans because you decided that you wanted to see me. I am not one of you privates that you can order around and make me do what you want when you want. I left that life a long time ago."

"What plans are so important that you aren't able to reschedule them?" The Colonel demanded.

"I am volunteering at school tonight. It is their Fall Fundraiser and I agreed to help at it. You are welcome to come like I said and then afterward you are more than welcome to come with my girlfriend and her family for dinner."

"When did you start seeing this woman? You hadn't mentioned anyone new the last time we talked, which was what, when you were in Europe?"

"We had only begun seeing each other when I was assigned the European case. It was still fairly new and I wasn't sure if it would still be a relationship when I got home because I was gone longer than I had planned."

"Where is this fundraiser you will be assisting with tonight?"

"Here is the address; it begins at five-thirty. Uh, Sir, there is one other thing I would like to tell you."

"What is it, Skip?"

"Uh, I know that you already meet Amanda King, well, she and I."

"I already know that you two work together. I feel damn sorry for that woman."

Lee looked up at his uncle as his eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the few minutes I was with her, she seemed like a real nice lady. I noticed right away that she was having a baby, when she said she wasn't married, I kind of felt sorry for her. She said her boyfriend was excited but if he was so excited why isn't that little lady wearing a ring to show it?"

"Maybe because he knows that she wouldn't accept it if he had offered her one. Her marriage has only been dissolved about two years and I think she is still pretty shy about marriage. I can tell you for a fact though that her boyfriend is excited about the baby and if he thought she would actually say yes to a marriage proposal, he would ask her. He doesn't want to rush her."

"Rush her? Skip, I don't know if you have noticed or not but they seemed to have already rushed things. Do you know her boyfriend? I mean you seem friendly with her."

Summoning all the courage he had Lee said, "I know him and so do you, you raised him."

The Colonel turned to face Lee at the realization of Lee had just admitted to him and without another word he turned and walked out of the room.

Amanda saw the Colonel leave the room and head for the doors. She also saw the look on Lee's face as the Colonel exited. Standing she followed the Colonel, catching up to him at the elevator. "Sir, I'm sorry, sir, but you have to be escorted through the building at all times."

He turned and faced Amanda saying, "I know how to use an elevator, even if it does look like a closet. I also know how to leave a building on my own."

"Be that as it may, Sir, you still have to be escorted. Those are the rules."

Stepping into the elevator behind him, Amanda listened as he pointed to her growing stomach and said, "You don't seem to follow the rules do you?"

"I try, but no not really. Your nephew did train me after all," smiling at him.

"My nephew, humph, he is a real case isn't he?" He said as he rolled his eyes in a way Amanda had seen Lee do many times.

"I don't know what you mean?" She said innocently.

"I mean he is one of the most irresponsible men I know." Stepping from the elevator, Amanda continued to follow the Colonel.

"So, you're saying that Lee is a failure because I am pregnant?" Amanda pushed passing her badge to Mrs. Marston.

"No, I am saying he is irresponsible because you are pregnant and he isn't stepping up to do the right thing by you."

"Would you be surprised to know that Lee has stepped up in many ways? He has been there for my two young boys, even though he doesn't have to be. They have a father; he is just out of the country. Do you know that I know he wants to ask me to marry him, but he won't because he knows I will just say no at this point? You see, Colonel, I don't know why you hate your nephew, but you raised a wonderful, caring, compassionate man that puts his life on the line every day, just like you, Sir. He might not do it in the same way you do, but he is not irresponsible or reckless. I was mad at first when I found out he didn't tell you, but now I can see why. I would love for you to be a part of this baby's life and your nephew's but not if all you have for him is judgment."

Amanda turned to go back in the building when the Colonel stopped her, "Ma'am, I don't know what kind of con my nephew has put over on you, but ever since he knew the difference between a man and woman he has made it his personal goal to capture the attention of the opposite sex. He seems to be firmly planted in your mind as a great man, but I just see the same wild child that defied me at every turn."

"Maybe if you had treated him like family and not one of you military men, he might feel differently toward you. If you think Lee is a failure then maybe you should think about the man who raised him and his short comings. Maybe Lee is only the way he is because you were the only example he ever had."

Amanda turned away from the Colonel and headed back into the building. She leaned against the door and before she knew what was happening she was crying. Mrs. Marston walked over and placed her arms around her. Within a few moments Lee was exiting the elevator and took her from the matriarch's arms and held her.

"I am so sorry, it was never about you."

"I know. Lee, I love you, you know that right?"

"I do and I love you."

"Lee, will you marry me?"