If Anyone Could Manage It

Chapter 14

Billy headed back to the Agency, which left Lee and Amanda to have their talk concerning Francine.

After settling Lee on the couch, putting aside his crutches, Amanda asked, "Would you like some coffee?"

Lee shook his head saying, "No thanks...So, let's start from where Francine came into the ICU...Did you know she was there?"

Amanda swallowed answering softly, "N-No, not at first...So, I guess if you remembered my kissing you, then you remember wh-what I said?"

Lee sighed and taking her hand, rubbed her knuckles with his thumb gently, responding, "Let's um, talk about that, later, shall we? Anyway, after your talk with me, you heard something?"

Amanda nodded answering , "Y-Yeah...I turned around, hearing something, and it was Francine...I saw the surprise on her face, and not knowing what it was about, I asked what was the matter."

Lee nodded remarking, "Go on."

Amanda shrugged with a sigh, "Well, that's when she pulled me out of the ICU, and took me to the conference room nearby, and closed the door in after us."

Lee sighed saying warily, "Alright, what did she say?"

Amanda responded slowly, "She, um, asked me what I thought I was doing in there with you..."

Lee shrugged perplexedly, "You were visiting me-"

Amanda shook her head stating with a blush, "No, Lee! Obviously, she saw me ho-holding your hand, and th-the rest of it..."

Lee, confused, queried, "What "rest of it"?"

Amanda swallowed commenting, "You know about the kiss, but I was also brushing back the hair from your forehead, as-as well as saying that other...stuff...Anyway, she said why try gaining your love, when I had your friendship already? Besides telling me that the reason you keep things close to the vest is because of what happened with Eva Spinelli, and that someone like you wouldn't go for someone like me, a simple divorced housewife, who barely dates anyone to begin with..."

Getting up from the couch, Amanda went to the stove to get the tea kettle, and brought it over to the sink to fill it.

Bringing it back to the stove, she turned on the burner to heat the kettle and with a sigh, continued with, "So, I then reminded her that she had been at one time left at the altar, and that you and she ended as quickly as it had started..."

Getting out a cup and saucer from the cabinet, as well as a tea bag, Amanda remarked, "The final jab came from her when she said that judging by my actions with you in the ICU earlier, that I was no better than Eva-"

Lee seethed and shook his head stating angrily as he attempted to get up, "SHE WHAT?! I'm going to wring her self righteous neck! Who the hell does she think she is, anyway?!"

As Amanda came back to the couch to get him to sit again, pleading, "Pl_Please, Lee, calm down! I-I handled it, alright?", the tea kettle whistled loudly, and Lee, leaning against the couch, put up a hand answering with a gesture, a bit more calmly to her, "I'm-I'm okay...Go get your tea ready..."

As Amanda went back slowly to the stove and removed the tea kettle, she turned off the stove, and placing the tea bag in her cup, poured the hot water in, allowing it to steep as she returned to the couch answering softly with tears in her eyes, "Okay, Lee...That's all of it...Now, I just want to forget it, alright? Can we do that, hmm?"

Just then, the phone rang, and Amanda, clearing her throat, and wiping her eyes, answered, "Hello?"

It was Billy, and hearing her strained voice asked, " Hello, Amanda...You sound funny. Is everything alright?"

Swallowing, Amanda remarked, "Yes... Just fine, Sir. I'll put you on with Lee..."

Handing the phone to Lee, Amanda tiredly commented, "I'll be upstairs..."

-SMK-

As Amanda headed up the stairs, Lee shook his head, and getting on the phone, remarked growling, "Billy? Where's the "Wicked Witch Of The West?!" I'd like a few words with her!"

Billy answered, "I sent her home for a few days until things quiet down-"

Lee stated furiously, "You mean until I calm down, right? Well, that's not happening any time soon! The nerve of that woman! Okay, when I get off here with you, I'm heading over to her place in a cab, and having it out once and for all! She's not getting away with anything-"

Billy cut him off stating, "Scarecrow! She isn't at her home! I sent her to go visit her parents for a few days..."

Lee was incredulous asking with a slight chuckle, "You mean, you...banished her from our kingdom? Way to go, Billy! What did she say to that?"

Billy responded, "What could she say? It was basically an order from her superior. She had no choice but to obey...How's Amanda, by the way? She sounded a bit upset by her tone."

Lee sighed as he looked towards the staircase saying, "She told me everything, Billy...And now, she just wants to forget it. Can you believe that?"

Billy commented, "Well, that's just the kind of person she is, Lee. You know that. Anyway, Francine will have a lot of time to think about turning things around, because I told her that whatever place Amanda has in your life, it won't change anything, since I won't be letting either one of them go, and that she'd better learn to adjust to it..."

Lee, letting the receiver rest on his shoulder, clapped slowly, stating firmly, "Way to go, Papa Bear! You sure told her a thing or two!"

Billy, clearing his throat, answered, "Yes, well, now, I'd like to give you an order."

Lee asked worriedly, "Such as?"

Billy remarked, "Get better, and take care of your partner."

With that, Billy hung up, and left Lee staring at the receiver!

Hanging up the phone while shaking his head, Lee stated aloud, "Looks like Billy's not the only one with clean up to do.", then reaching for his crutches, carefully got up from the couch, went over to the counter where Amanda's tea cup sat, and gingerly going over to the stairs then, called up saying, "Amanda? Your tea's ready, and I'd like to talk, okay?"

A few moments later, Amanda came to the stairs from her room and remarked, "I-I don't wanna talk about Francine any more...Please, Lee?"

But Lee, looking up at her, put up a hand answering, "It's not about the Francine crap...It's...It's about us... Just please come down, and I promise, it'll be alright, huh?"

Amanda nodded slowly, and made her way down to the kitchen querying puzzledly, "Us, Lee? What do you mean by "us"?"

As Lee watched Amanda bring her tea over to the coffee table and set it down, he made his way back over to the couch, and motioned for her to sit down, while he did the same, and commented, clearing his throat, "Well, I like things done in a certain way, and I don't have to check with anyone if I want to take off somewhere at a moment's notice-"

Amanda responded with a nod, "R-Right...You're fiercely independent, and headstrong, got it, but also a little...shy-"

Lee, with a nonplussed look at Amanda, protested, "I am not shy! Where did you come up with that, anyway?"

Amanda shrugged stating, "You don't like social gatherings...For instance, you never participate in the office Christmas parties. They're fun! What does Lee Stetson do for fun?"

Immediately, she put up a hand, commenting, "And I don't mean sunbathing in Borno! C'mon! What about the cruise we were just on? That was...-"

Stopping suddenly, Amanda swallowed hard answering softly, "Okay, bad example...But you did do the Frisbee thing, which surprised me because it was so unlike you. And then, you..."

Amanda, getting up, walked over to the French doors to look out on her patio, and sighing deeply, remarked sadly, "I've had people die in my life, Lee. My father, my grandparents...I-I mean, I know it's a part of life and all, but in our line of work, I've had to be front and center to watch you nearly get killed time and time again, and the recent injury to your foot? I mean, you weren't being chased by anyone, then. It was just an accident, but it could've been so much worse, you know? I really thought I was going to lose you this time!"

Lee, swallowing hard as he listened to her pained words, sighed heavily, and stated with a gesture, "Amanda, c'mon back and sit down, huh?"

Amanda, looking back at Lee, nodded, and went back over to join him on the couch.

Taking Amanda's hand gently in his, Lee answered softly as he pointed to himself, "There have only been three times in my life where I have been truly scared, Amanda...Once, when my folks died, and someone said to this little kid here, "Oh, your mommy and daddy are in a better place now...It'll be alright very soon."

Amanda gulped, squeezing Lee's hand in comfort, commenting, "Y-You were so young to lose your parents then! Of course you were scared!"

Lee nodded, and clearing his throat, responded, "Right...The second time was when Curt Hollander pumped you full of Muscarine...Thank God you had the foresight to leave your purse on the banister that night, or I never could've found you in time!"

Amanda answered lightly, "You carried me out of there, as you told me later."

Lee nodded remarking, "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat..."

He paused for a moment, fighting for composure, as he stated tearfully, "The-The third time, was just recently, when I was trying to fish you out of the ocean and you were unconscious! My God! If-If the Coast Guard hadn't come-"

Amanda nodded as she went to his arms, and said firmly, "But they did, and I'm alright now, thanks to you!"

Holding each other for a moment, they pulled back, then shared a tender kiss...

Leaning back against the couch as they now held one another, Amanda queried, "Lee? Is it true that if you leave the Agency, you can never be in contact with anyone there again?"

Lee silently nodded, and Amanda swallowed hard saying, "Whew! Well, remind me never to quit, Mister, because, if I had to go without seeing you any more-"

Lee, kissing her temple, responded quietly, "I-I know, Honey. Believe me, I feel the same way."

Amanda, surprised, looked up at him asking, "Really?"

Lee nodded, then shrugging, queried, "Yeah, unless all that stuff I remembered later that you said to me in the ICU was a lie?"

Amanda shook her head shyly, and commented softly, "N-No, I thought you should know, in-in case, you know-"

Then Lee passionately kissed her, stopping her words, and when they parted, Amanda nervously smiled saying in a whisper, "W-Well, I guess we're an us, now, huh?"

Lee answered with a grin,"Yeah...Which I know means we have a lot to talk about..."

Amanda, leaning against Lee, sighed happily and remarked, "Yeah..."

TBC