Passageway

Chapter 3

As Lee was having his talk with Billy, Amanda was beginning hers with Dotty who froze at her daughter's painful admission!

She gulped querying, "Wh-what?! Wh-when? Did you call the police? Where did it happen? Was It here? Was Lee-"

Amanda yelled in anguish, "Stop, Mother! Please stop!"

Dotty held Amanda as Amanda cried fresh tears! Dotty shook her head and responded quietly, "It's all right, Darling. Everything's going to be all right. Shh..."

When Amanda composed herself she got up from the couch to grab a tissue. Blowing her nose and dabbing her eyes she cleared her throat and sighed remarking, "Before I tell you what happened, I have to admit something else that may explain my being in and out of the house at various times of the day and night over the last few years. I never meant to worry you or the boys at all. You mean the world to me and I hope you know that."

Dotty was puzzled as she shrugged and replied, "Well, of course we do. C'mon, Sweetheart. Come sit down and I'll get us some tea-"

She stood up but Amanda shook her head and remarked, "N-No, Mother. This really isn't a tea talk. Just sit and listen please, all right?"

Dotty slowly nodded and sat as Amanda walked around the room slowly to begin stating, "The year after the divorce I was seeing Dean, remember?"

Dotty nodded and answered, "Yes, Dear. What about it?"

Amanda sighed and responded, "Well, you remember the day I took Dean to the train station because he didn't want to leave his car out in the rain while he was out of town?"

Dotty chuckled dryly commenting, "Yes. And I don't believe that anything would've happened to it regardless but-"

Amanda nodded and remarked, "Yeah. I didn't think so either, but you know how fussy he was about certain things. Anyway, that day I met Lee."

Dotty confused replied, "You've known him longer than I thought. Why didn't we meet him sooner, Dear?"

Amanda sighed and commented, "I'm getting to that. See he and I work for IFF, but it's not a film company really and we aren't documentary filmmakers."

She paused and then responded, "Mother, IFF is a cover for where we really work. You see, Lee and I are agents. Intelligence operatives, they call themselves. I started as a civilian auxillary, which means I wasn't in training yet. I would just help out with filing and going with Lee on certain trips and some were pretty dangerous but I never used a gun. I would just shadow him and-"

Dotty was floored as she stared at Amanda! She cut Amanda off and shakily responded, "Hold it! Do you mean to tell me that all this time he's been putting my little girl's life in danger?! What in God's name could you have been thinking about? I know you needed to support your family but-"

Amanda rushed to her mother and knelt in front of her stating gently, " Mother, it's all right. I never killed anyone and Lee's done his very best to protect all of us this whole time. I know it wasn't exactly my life plan to become an agent, but I wanted to make a difference and help protect our part of the world in my own way."

Dotty remarked briskly, "I see. So when you had the accident that nearly killed you, you weren't chasing down criminals?"

Amanda went to sit next to Dotty and took her hands and shaking her head commented, "No, Mother. That was just an accident. Really. I was in a car when a stray bullet went through the windshield and got me in the chest. That's what Lee told me later."

Dotty swallowed hard and nodding answered, "All right. I just have one question from that time and then you can continue. Were the two of you together on vacation or was it like he told me, that the police had contacted him through IFF when they couldn't reach your boss? Mr. Melrose, was it?"

Amanda pained with guilt over the many lies she'd told her mother over the years morosely stated, "He is our boss and yes, we were together on vacation. In fact, we were on our honeymoon-"

Dotty snapped incredulously, "Wh-what?! So you've been married how long now?"

Amanda remarked slowly, " A year and six months. Look, Lee had a contact who's family was in danger. In fact, their little boy was kidnapped and we had to help get him back. It was during that time that we decided to elope because we didn't want the same incident to happen to the boys-"

Dotty interrupted angrily stating,"The very fact that you hid all this including keeping your very own family out of your original wedding plans truly astonishes me, Amanda Jean! I can't believe the nerve of your husband-"

Amanda defensively retorted, "Mother, he wanted to protect us! Besides, you told me one time you thought he was an eleven! What's changed?"

Dotty crisply responded, "He talked you into this dangerous job and you just blindly went along-"

Amanda shook her head commenting, "No! It was only supposed to be the one time I was to help him that day at the station. But after the case was over and we went back to the office, Mr. Melrose talked with me as I did the debriefing and decided that Lee needed help from then on. He'd been doing cases solo since his first partner was killed the year before-"

Dotty sarcastically remarked, "Well, it's nice to know that he was thinking that my daughter who's had no training whatsoever would be perfect for the job! How dare that man!"

Amanda sighed and stated, "Mother, I'm fine! I've been fine. Except for the shooting, I've managed to get through most of the cases Lee and I've done together. Yes, I've had training since then! I still don't like the firing range, but no one ever gets used to it really."

Dotty shook her head in disbelief answering, "I- I can't believe this conversation!"

Taking a deep breath she let it out slowly and continued by replying, "All right. We'll talk about those "cases" later. If you're allowed. Right now though, let's skip ahead to the most recent one. The man that attacked you... is he in jail?"

Amanda answered simply, "No. He's dead."

Dotty nodded and not being sure she could handle hearing the worst just remarked, "You mean, Lee-"

Amanda commented, "No. The Agency people tracked us down and they killed him outside the hideout and we got out of there."

Dotty then queried, "When you found out you were pregnant some time ago, did you know for certain who's child it was? I mean we naturally assumed-"

Amanda shook her head replying, "Not at first but then later I looked at my calendar and the timing didn't coincide with Lee and I being together. And later when I had the miscarriage, I felt relief and sadness all at once. All I kept thinking was that it was never supposed to be like this. I mean, Lee and I hadn't had a chance to discuss having children of our own and then that happened. Oh Mother, I'm so sorry for everything! I truly never meant to hurt you but in the Agency world, the less people that know the situation the better. So I apologize if I don't tell you from now on certain details of my job, but I'm trying to keep you and the boys safe, all right?"

Dotty sighed and then stated, "Okay, Darling. But you're all right? I mean, you and Lee could have a child-"

Amanda shrugged answering, "Sure. Only we're going through this rough patch right now due to that case and attending therapy sessions so we're not even thinking about that. I promise you though, if Lee and I do get back to normal at some point-"

Dotty half smiled at her responding, "Oh, you will."

Amanda gave her mother a sidelong glance and remarked, "Really? So, you don't hate him after all?"

Dotty sighed and answered, "I never said I hated him, Dear. But this double life you two lead is crazy at best and I could throttle him for the danger you're in half the time. But you love him and I just have to get used to the idea that the life we all share is far from normal now. So, are you going to tell the boys anything?"

Amanda shook her head once more and commented, "No. Lee and I discussed it and decided to wait until we feel they'd be able to handle it. Now, anything else we need to cover or are you okay with what I've already told you?"

Dotty shook her head and responded, "No I'm not really okay, but I've kept you from work long enough as it is. You'd better go, Darling."

Amanda hugged Dotty and giving her a kiss stated, "I love you, Mother. Thank you for understanding. I know none of this is easy, but-"

Dotty waved it away and replied, "I have to adjust, that's all. But as long as you and Lee still love each other, there's still a chance, hmm?"

Amanda swallowed hard and answered softly, "From your mouth to God's ears, right?"

So Amanda left and as Dotty watched her pull out of the driveway and turn the corner she stated, "Please keep her safe, Lee. I don't know what we'd do without her..."

TBC