Opening a Can of Worms

Dotty ran in the back door just in time to see Amanda and Lee working in sync fixing the boys' lunch. She watched as Amanda made the sandwiches, handing them to Lee who then placed them in the bag while adding the fruit and chips.

"Have a great day, fellas. I love you." Amanda said as she kneeled down to give and received a kiss from both boys as they ran out the door just in time for the bus.

Lee walked over to her and helped her stand back up. "You may have to think of a new way to give them a kiss goodbye. In a few months I assume this kneeling thing will be a bit more difficult."

"I am so sorry they woke you two. I tried to get back from my walk as soon as I could but that Edna Gilstrap was just full of nosy questions." Dotty said.

"It was fine, Mother, Lee and I have work anyway. He needs to go home and get ready for his meeting." Amanda reminded him.

"Uh, yeah, I should go and get ready or I think Billy will have my head on a platter." He went upstairs to get his things from Amanda's room. When he came back down Amanda handed him a travel mug of coffee and leaned up to give him his goodbye. "See that goodbye kiss was a lot easier than the boys."

"I will see you in a little while." Lee said and then said goodbye to Dotty as he headed for the front door.

"Amanda, I have a question for you." Dotty stated as she fixed her own cup of coffee.

"Sure, Mother, what is it?" Amanda responded as she began making their breakfast.

"Do your nightmares have anything with Lee?"

"He is in them, but it was more to the point that I wasn't in them. I guess with this baby I have been worried more."

"Why?"

Amanda wondered if now was the time to tell her mother about her job and what they do. While she stood debating it Dotty said, "Fine, just stay quiet and don't tell me anything."

"No, I was just trying to find a way to explain my worry. Mother, let me finish this and then we will talk while we eat."

"Okay, then I will go and take a shower while you finish up here."

Ten minutes later Amanda and Dotty were sitting down to breakfast. Amanda took a drink of her orange juice, really wishing she had the coffee, but she was cutting back on that for the time being because of the baby.

"Okay, Mother, there is something you need to know. I…"

"Amanda, is something wrong with you or the baby? Is that why you are having nightmares?"

Patting her hand she responded, "No, Mother, we are both doing great according to the doctor. I need to tell you that right before Joe and I divorced I got pregnant."

"Amanda, I don't understand if you got pregnant for a third time with Joe then where is the baby?"

Amanda looked down away from her mother's confused stare and said, "I had to abort the baby."

"What? I don't believe it. You don't believe in abortion. Why would you kill an innocent baby with your husband but then chose to have another one with a man you aren't even married to?"

"I had to, it was an ectopic pregnancy. If I hadn't I would have died, Mother. So when I first found out about this baby I became worried that it would happen again. It didn't thank goodness, but it really had me worried. Then I began thinking what if something happens during delivery, what if I am not around to see this baby grow up? So my nightmares have been about me not being there, my three children were being raised by Lee and some other woman, whom my daughter called Mommy. It really scared me."

Dotty listened to her daughter as she revealed her secret and fears to her. She was surprised Amanda had never told her before about the lost baby. "Amanda, you said the doctor said everything was fine and that you and the baby are doing well, right?"

"Yes, but the next time Lee and I go to the doctor I have to have tests done to make sure the six weeks I was still taking my pills didn't hurt the baby. They have to stick a needle in through my bellybutton and extract fluid to test for problems with the baby. Mother, Lee can't stand doctors and the thought of needles terrifies him. I think he would rather face a hundred Russian agents with no weapons than see them stick me with a long needle."

"Amanda, first of all if Lee isn't able to be in the room while they do the test, I will be. Secondly, why on Earth would Lee be in a room with Russian agents?"

Amanda took a sip of her juice and hanging her head saying, "Mother, Lee works for the government, not a film studio."

"That is crazy Amanda, if he worked for the government then you would work for the government and I know you are no spy."

"He prefers intelligence operative to spy." Amanda sat and looked at her mother waiting for her response to this news and when Dotty didn't say anything she probed further, "Mother, did you hear what I said?"

"I heard you, I just don't believe you. You were always imaginative as a child, why would your adult life be any different?"

"Mother, I'm not joking. I don't want the boys to know though."

Waving her hands in the air Dotty exclaimed, "Well, of course you don't, why would you? No wonder you are so worried about not being here for your child, Amanda you cannot put yourself in danger."

"I sit at a desk all day, take notes in meetings, and file case work at the moment. I don't think I am in any real danger, except from a paper cut."

"What happens after you have the baby?"

"I will be given more formal training and at times help Lee or Francine on a field case. Mother, most of what I do when I help is gather information, type up notes; I am very rarely in danger. I am only a civilian worker. I can only help with so much on any case because of my clearance level."

"Why are you telling me all this now if you are hardly ever in danger?" Dotty asked trying to steady her hands as she picked up her coffee cup.

"I want you to know because you are my mother and I don't want to lie to you anymore."

"Do you carry a gun?"

"No, heavens no, Mother, I don't even know how to really hit yet. I told you I was just starting some of my training and then well, I got pregnant so that had to be out on hold until later."

"Amanda, okay, so how did you get into this business?"

"Lee, he wasn't kidding when he said we met at the train station and he asked me to help him with his assignment. It just wasn't for a documentary."

"So you don't do anything dangerous?" Dotty asked again.

"Not at the moment."

"Could you ever tell me if you did?"

"To a point, but a lot of what we do is classified and I could only give you a general idea about what it was, not a play by play, are you okay with that?"

"No, not really, but as long as you and my grandchildren are safe then I will have to be. You will be safe won't you?"

"Of course, Mother. Now let's finish our breakfast, I still have to get ready for work."

They finished their breakfast then while Amanda went upstairs to get ready for work, Dotty picked up the phone and dialed IFF.

"International Federal Films, how may I help you?"

"I need to leave a message for one of your uh, directors."

"Which director would that be, ma'am?"

"Lee Stetson, could you please tell him to call Dotty West as soon as he can today?"

"Yes, ma'am, does he have your number?"

"Yes, and let him know I have his number too." Dotty slammed the phone down.

Francine held the phone out from her ear as she heard Amanda's mother slam the phone down just as Lee was walking in to the bullpen. "Morning, Francine, wow what is that look for?"

"Your future mother in law just slammed the phone down on my ear."

"My what, I am not getting married."

"Oh, come off it we all know that you two will get hitched someday, I didn't say anytime soon there Casanova. I think you are in some kind of hot water with Amanda's mother. She said for you to call her, not Amanda I am assuming, at your earliest convenience, then when I asked if you had her number she said you did and that she had yours. Whatever could you have done this early in the morning to tick off that woman?"

"Waking up in her daughter's bed?" Lee mentioned off handily.

"What?"

"Scarecrow, Francine, my office, NOW!" Billy stopped any further conversations between the two as he ordered them into his office.

An hour later was his meeting was ending with Billy; Lee stepped out into the bullpen to see Amanda hard at work translating tapes. Walking up behind her he placed his hand on her growing abdomen and kissed her cheek.

"That is very unprofessional, Stetson. Oh, I need to talk to you when you get a chance." She wanted to let him know that she had told her mother about their jobs after all and wanted to warn him before his mother pounced him.

"Okay, just let me return some calls real quick and then we can talk."

Nodding she went back to her transcription as Lee walked to his desk and dialed Amanda's house. "Hello, you wanted me to call? Is everything okay?"

"No, Mr. Spy man, everything is not okay. I want to talk to you about what you have done to my daughter?"

Looking over at Amanda he knew he had a look of shock on his face, but he was lucky she wasn't looking at him to notice. "Okay, I can be there in twenty minutes."