A/N: I'm so glad that you all are liking this one - I'm having a blast writing it. A few things about this chapter/story: 1) If Lee seems OOC from here on out - he's dealing with his feelings and fallout from Amanda's shooting, something that the show didn't really address - but I'm going to address it here. 2) This story takes place after the episode 'One flew east' but before 'All that glitters' - and as a result, my story rewrites the end of season four; and 3) I originally intended for this story to be PWP - sweet moments between Lee and Amanda with journal entries mixed in - but the muses are thinking up a bit of a plot. Stay tuned . . .

"We have most of the day to ourselves before I have to go home and meet the boys. What do you want to do – go to the Smithsonian or maybe see a movie?" I asked Lee as I refilled his coffee and tried not to frown as I noticed he hadn't touched his eggs or toast.

He lowered the paper and smiled at me. "I promised Philip that I'd take him to see 'Lethal Weapon' later on this week-"

I narrowed my eyes. "Really? I thought Joe was taking them to see that this weekend-"

He shook his head and sipped his coffee. "No, Philip told me his dad isn't a fan of the action films- says I'm the cool one."

I groaned. "Lee, do not get into a competition with Joe for the boys' affection – Philip already idolizes you because of the 'Vette and the simple fact that you are around more and play ball with him. Jamie-" I sighed and took a bite of eggs before continuing.

Lee frowned at me. "I thought I was making headway with Jamie."

I swallowed quickly to reassure him. "Oh, you are – the camera earned you major bonus points-"

He set the paper aside and leveled a serious look at me. "And you disapprove of gifts because-"

I held up my hand. "I don't – I really don't. I just don't want the boys to come to expect them from you. I want you to be your usual, charming, handsome self – that's who I fell in love with – and the boys will too."

He leaned across the table, and I closed the gap to press my lips to his, savoring the flavor of coffee on his lips. When he pulled back, his eyes continued to study me.

"But you do think I'm making progress with your baby?"

I grinned. "I think so, yes. He asked if you were going to be at the house tonight when I talked to them on the phone this morning. When I said I didn't know, he said to invite you over to have pizza with us."

Lee grinned but before he could reply, the sound of the phone ringing pierced the stillness of his apartment.

He groaned. "That better not be Billy – you and I are off the duty roster this weekend."

"We both know that doesn't mean a thing if something important's come up." I tucked into my eggs with renewed vigor, not knowing if I'd have time to finish eating.

"Hello?" I heard Lee answer the phone. "Oh, hi, Dotty – Amanda's right here – oh you called to talk to me?" He threw a slightly panicked look over his shoulder at me and I smothered a giggle as I continued with breakfast. "Yes, I was planning to- I guess – ok, we'll see you around five then – Good-bye, Dotty."

He hung up and exhaled loudly before joining me at the table again, shaking his head in amusement. "It's no mystery where you got your motor mouth from!"

"Hey!" I protested.

"Sorry – but it's nearly impossible to get a word in when talking to your mother – it's better just to agree."

I raised an eyebrow as I finished my coffee. "What did you agree to?"

"Apparently, she is eager to finish a conversation between the two of you, but she wants me there as well – do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

I stood and reached for his cup. "Would you like more coffee?"

His hand covered mine. "No, what I would like is an explanation. Amanda, what's going on?"

I sank back into my chair. "I may have let it slip yesterday that we love each other-"

"Surely that can't be news to her-"

I shook my head. "She wants to know what we're waiting for-"

Lee blinked and then began to laugh. "We didn't wait. We're already married."

I reached out and slapped his hand. "You want to tell her that, Scarecrow? Along with the fact that we're spies?"

He scowled at me. "I've never liked that word-"

"It's the truth, isn't it? Intelligence operative is just the fancy phrase for what we really are – spies."

"Did I miss something? You seem awfully upset about a conversation I know you've had with your mother many times before-"

"Yeah, but I've never finished it, have I?" I muttered under my breath.

"What?"

"Never mind." I stood up and began to clear our breakfast dishes, placing my empty plate atop his full one, knowing he was never going to eat anything at this hour of the day no matter how much I insisted. Years of living on his own couldn't be undone in two months' time.

Lee stood and took the plates from me, setting them back on the table.

"Amanda," he spoke my name softly, as he tenderly took my hands in his and placed them on his chest. "Talk to me."

I swallowed as I raised my eyes to his. "I guess – my shooting clarified some things for me. I'm so tired of the lies, Lee, of living this double life."

He wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me into him. "Go on."

"My family has gotten to know you over the past few months, so they're naturally wondering when you are going to pop the question. Unless, you're planning to stage a public break-up with me-"

He leaned in and pressed a firm, quick kiss to my lips. "Never. I am never letting you go, Amanda Stetson."

I nodded in reply. "Our secret marriage isn't really a secret from my family then, is it? I mean, everyone around us can see we are in a relationship – even if we aren't wearing our rings."

Lee frowned. "What are you saying – that we tell everyone we're married?"

I held up a finger. "Not everyone. When I got shot – it was our love – along with knowing how much my mother and the boys loved me – that got me through. Waking up to your face-" I linked my arms around his neck. "In that moment, I didn't care if my mother heard you call me 'Mrs. Stetson' – and I still don't."

He ran his hands up and down my arms, raising gooseflesh. "But if we tell Dotty we're married, she's going to want to know why we kept it a secret in the first place."

"I know."

He pulled out of my arms to look at me with a mixture of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. "You really think we can trust her with a secret of this magnitude?"

"There's only one way to find out."

He sighed and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Let me think about it, all right? Let's get out of here, go for a walk, maybe have a picnic – enjoy our day together as Mr. and Mrs. Stetson."

"Sounds like a plan, Mr. Stetson."

We walked around the Washington Monument, along the reflecting pool and up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial, talking about our first meeting and how our partnership had grown into love. Eventually we ended up at a small park overlooking the Potomac and ate our picnic lunch under the cherry blossom trees, with Lee resting his head in my lap afterwards.

"I've been thinking about your journals, Amanda."

I grinned. "I was waiting for you to bring those up."

"Do you remember working on Millicent's diary during the Sallee case?"

"The terrorist who was presumed dead for two years and then showed up here in DC. Yes, I remember. What does that have to do with my journals?"

"It's a prime example of taking a person's private life and using it to find-"

"Lee, that was an extreme case! We used the information contained in her diary to stop the bombing and catch Sallee. My own journals don't have any information like that-"

He sat up and continued as if I hadn't spoken. "In the wrong hands, your words could be used against us – could be used to find us, or even locate the Agency."

"Lee, I never wrote down any addresses of safe houses or code words and I definitely didn't write down the location of the Agency! But since you brought the subject up, what about your mother's journal, huh?

"What about it?"

"You still have it, don't you?"

"Yeah – it's at the apartment – but what does that have to do with- Amanda, that's my family history, my legacy. I don't have anything else to connect me with my parents-"

"And what if my journals are all Philip and Jamie have one day? I could be killed on a mission tomorrow-"

"Amanda-"

"It could happen! I was shot in California and nearly died – and think about all the other close calls we've had over the years. My journals will be able to explain some things to the boys that no one else knew about but me."

"Except you wrote it down in code-" he pointed out to me.

I rolled my eyes. "You and I both know that if given enough time, my code can be cracked –it was written by ten-year-old girls – who better to crack it than two teenage boys?"

"All the more reason to get rid of them- I thought last night you were ok with burning them-"

"I've had some time to think about it and I've reconsidered."

"Oh really?"

I nodded. "I don't want to let go of my legacy – can you understand that?"

"I can – but can you understand why I'm worried? About having concrete evidence out there that could put you in jeopardy, not to mention the exposure risk for the Agency-"

I turned away and began to load up the picnic basket, slamming empty containers inside while trying to contain my rising irritation. "I can't believe that after all these years you still don't trust me to keep our work secret! I've done a pretty good job for four years-"

He grabbed my hands. "I do trust you, Darling-"

I yanked my hands free. "Don't you 'darling' me – and you keep your hands to yourself, Lee Stetson."

Never had any man been able to tie me up in knots or make me see red faster than Lee. Joe had been my first love and yet the two of us hardly ever said a cross word to each other over the course of our entire relationship, not even when we were separated and getting a divorce. But from the day I met secret agent Lee Stetson, this man could make me madder than a wet hen and feel things with a passionate fire that my first husband never could.

10/10/83

I've never understood the expression 'you make me so mad I could scream' – until yesterday. Lee has to be one of the most exasperating human beings on the planet.

After a week of no contact, I decided to take matters into my own hands and go in myself to see if there was any work for me – Mr. Melrose at least had the manners to look apologetic when he said there wasn't anything for me to do – Lee was cold and distant, Francine – well, she's just downright rude. It's not like I'm after her job – that would take years and years of training, so I don't know why she is so nasty to me.

So, after being practically pushed out the door and into my interview with Honeycutt Typing – who comes barging in and interrupting? Lee, that's who. And it's not like he is polite and says, "I'm sorry, Amanda, but I need to talk to you outside for a minute before you go any further in this interview process."

Oh no, Oh no.

He comes in spouting about me running away from my duties as his WIFE, neglecting our triplets at home – and that I need to wait to earn my pocket money until after the triplets are in nursery school. Of course, I'm totally speechless as he grabs my arm and drags me out of the office, and into the street before explaining that there is a job for me now if I'm interested.

I have never been so furious with anyone in my entire life!

Joe and I were together for twelve years, married for ten. We rarely fought – sure he and I had disagreements but nothing that had me seeing red or wanting to scratch his eyes out.

Yesterday, standing in the street with Lee after he'd dragged me out of that job interview and telling all those blatant lies, I wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face. He ruined my chances of ever getting that job – and yet here he was offering me a one-time part-time job undercover with him – as his wife.

I didn't have much of a choice at this point – and God knows the man needs all the help he can get. He knows nothing about living a normal life in the suburbs. So, I agreed, and Lee slid a wedding band on my finger.

It felt strange to be wearing one again – and even stranger to have it put there by someone I've only known for one week. It was also weird to share a house with a man again, though I hardly shared a house with Joe when we were married. He was travelling so much after Philip was born that I set up our house alone, and then when Jamie came along – well, our marriage was already ending.

Lee asked how we would meet our neighbors and I just laughed as the doorbell rang – knowing that would be the welcome wagon. He looked so uncomfortable, trying to be 'normal' and not be who he is – while I mingled with platters of finger foods and chatted with the wives. He grabbed my hand at one point and pulled me off to the side.

'How are you doing this?'

I frowned at him. 'What?'

'You don't know anyone here – yet – you seem so comfortable.'

I placed a hand on his chest, over his heart. 'Lee, you won't get to know your neighbors if you don't talk to them.' I saw that we were being watched, so I leaned in and brushed a kiss across his cheek. 'We need more drinks, Sweetheart.'

Lee blinked at me in surprise before recovering. He grinned and squeezed my hand. 'Of course, Darling.'

I cringed inwardly as he moved towards the kitchen. I don't like fake terms of endearment. Joe and I had called each other 'sweetheart' for years, and the word had just rolled off my tongue. But when Lee called me 'darling' – with the smile that didn't reach his eyes – he was playing a part – he wasn't the man I was trying to befriend.

When the case was all over and I gave him the ring back, he remarked that the honeymoon was over. I rolled my eyes and he grinned – the smile bringing out the dimples in his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes.

That was genuine. That wasn't play acting.

I just wish I knew if or when I was going to see him again.

I grabbed the handle of the picnic basket and stormed off in the direction of the parking lot, noticing that Lee didn't immediately fall into step with me. Just as the tension was leaving my shoulders and I entered the first row of parked cars, he swooped in and grabbed me from behind, lifting me off the ground and swinging me around in a circle.

"LEE!" I squealed.

"You don't really want me to keep my hands to myself, do you?" he growled in my right ear as he set me back down.

I wanted to stay mad but against my will, I found myself going limp in his hold. "You're that worried about exposure?"

He lightly bit the skin just below my ear. "I need you to understand that it's Lee the hardened agent inside of me that says we can't leave any physical evidence of our partnership behind-" He paused and kissed the bite mark, and I moaned. "But I also need you to know that it's Lee the man who loves and trusts you without question- and I have for a very long time."

I spun in his hold, dropped the picnic basket at our feet and planted my mouth on his. His hands came up to frame my face, playing with my hair as I pushed my tongue past his lips and together, we moaned as our kiss deepened.

It was only the wolf whistles around us and the need for air that broke us apart and I pushed him away, placing my hands on his chest for stability, as my own heaved as I tried to catch my breath.

He leaned his forehead against mine. "We have so little time together to be us – I don't want to spend it fighting with you, Mrs. Stetson."

"I don't want to fight with you either."

"Now that we've settled that," he grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. "Do you have any ideas how we can spend the last couple of hours before I take you home?"

"Hmm, I have a few – we are definitely going to need some privacy, however," I teased, glancing around the public parking lot.

He waggled his eyebrows at me as he captured my hand in his. "Let's go back to my place then. Our honeymoon is definitely not over."

A/N: I couldn't let them stay mad at each other - but I did love it when they fought and got annoyed with each other on the show - it was adorable!

Up next: journal entry/flashback to the episode "Saved by the Bells" and the beginning of the conversation with Dotty. Want it? Leave some love in reviews!