***See Chapter 1 post for disclaimers****

Part 2

A very confused Lee Stetson watched her walk out of the bar and he
swiftly decided to follow her. He threw a few bills on the table
and exited the room just as he saw the elevator doors closing with
Amanda inside. He rapidly made a dash for the stairs, and barreled
down them as speedily as possible without falling. As he reached
the bottom floor and opened the stairwell door, he could see her
making for the hotel entrance. Still intent on his pursuit, he
followed her outside, just in time to see her hailing a cab.

"Amanda, please wait! I need to talk to you!" he yelled out,
hoping to get her attention.

"I think you've said about all that needs to be said," she answered
icily as she turned back toward him.

"Don't leave like this," he pleaded, his hand reaching out to touch
her arm. "Look, I don't know if you're in any condition to be out
by yourself right now. Why don't you come back inside and we'll
have some coffee. Then I'll be happy to drive you home."

"Lee, I'm an adult, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of
myself." Her eyes narrowed as she answered him heatedly. "And to
be honest, I really don't want to be with you right now, after
making a fool of myself like that. Now please, just leave me
alone. I'm going to go straight home. After all, I've got a lot to
do before the boys' camping trip this weekend."

Reluctantly he released his hold on her as he mutely watched her
enter the cab.

He stood on the sidewalk staring while the taxi drove off into the
night. Lee went back up to the bar and ordered a scotch. He was
feeling puzzled. This was not the Amanda that he knew. Or was she
right? Did he really know her at all? The previous week when she
had accidentally been drugged, she had done many things that he
wouldn't have expected of her. There, in the Agency clinic, while
waiting for the antidote to kick in, she had tried to seduce him,
and he had been hard pressed to get away from her without offending
her. In fact, a part of him hadn't wanted to get away from her at
all. She hadn't seemed to remember any of it afterwards, but the
memory of that evening had been invading his dreams all week long.
He would awaken, embarrassed that he had been having such dreams
about her, but feeling an emptiness that he couldn't quite explain
to himself.

Sure, he had kissed her before, both undercover, and last week when
she hadn't been quite herself. But under both circumstances, her
kisses had been somehow different. Tonight, there was a sense of
recklessness in her touch. As if she thought there was no way he
would be able to turn her down. Like he would be happy to bed her
just because she was offering, without any regard for the friendship
or close working relationship they shared. Almost as if she didn't
know him at all.

Suddenly, he had a horrifying thought. What if the antidote hadn't
really worked? What if she was undergoing some strange personality
change as a result of the hallucinogens in the chicken salad
sandwich she had eaten?

He didn't know, but he would have to find out as soon as possible.
He settled his tab and decided that a return trip to the Agency was
in order. He would talk to Dr. Fronin to find out what he thought
of her unusual behavior. Of course, he would have to swear him to
secrecy. Amanda would be horrified if any of this information made
it into the gossip mill. At least, he thought she would be
horrified. It was time to get some answers.

With that, he left and soon found himself on the familiar streets
leading back to the Agency.

****To Be Continued****