Tag to The Eyes Have It
"All right. So, how do you want to play this, Scarecrow? Rough or smooth?" she teases him in the elevator on their way out. Billy has just given her a temporary A0S-16 status and she intends to use it to the last day.
He squares his jaw. "Now, wait a minute," he protests.
She exits the elevator, Lee in toe, and hands her pass to Mrs Marston with a gracious smile. She motions for him to follow her. "You leave your car down here. I'll drive you home. Dr Scarpelli was very specific and I intend to follow her instructions to a t."
He grunts. "God, Amanda, please don't do that to me. I have tons of work to do and it will still be waiting for me when I come back."
She turns and rolls her eyes. "Do you really think I'm going to let you worry about that while you're supposed to rest?"
He gives her a questioning look.
"I'm going to ask for your dossiers to be delivered to your home tonight. You have a typewriter, right?"
He nods in agreement.
"Well, I'll follow your instructions and do the work for you. Ah, ah," she warns him as she opens the passenger door for him, "but only if you follow my instructions and stay in bed."
"Stay in bed!" he protests. "Now, wait a minute! I can't stay in bed all day. I hate staying in bed when I'm awake."
"Well, we'll have to find ways to make you enjoy it for a change." She gives him a sweet smile and closes his door then rounds the car. She shakes her head in disbelief. "It's gonna be a long week," she mumbles to herself.
"I don't want to go to bed," he protests once more when she leads him to his bedroom.
"You'll do what I say or I swear, Lee Stetson, I'll report you to Billy and the medical staff."
She pushes him towards the bedroom. "Now, you get in there and make yourself comfortable. I won't be a minute. I need to call my mother and tell her she's on duty for the next five days."
"You're not going home?"
"I'm not going home. Well, obviously I am going there to get my things and kiss the boys but then I'll be back," she warns him. She points at him. "And before you start wondering what mischief you can pull on me while I'm gone, know that I won't leave until I get Francine here to wait with you while I'm gone."
He huffs. "Amanda King, I don't need anyone to mother me."
"Oh, you do. You just don't want to admit it. But for your information, mister, I don't intend to mother you or baby you. I'm not your mother and you are not my child. Got it? But I'm going to make sure you get that bed rest," she warns him, spacing out the words.
She stabs his chest with her forefinger as she does then points to the bedroom doors. "Now, get in there and lie down." She sees he's not moving. "Now, be a good boy," she adds, closing the distance, locking eyes with him. "You know I'll have to take the blame if you refuse to obey Billy's orders, don't you?"
"Stop doing that doe eye thing on me," he tells her, short of breath. "It's so unfair."
She grins at him and walks back into the living room. "Two can play that game, pretty boy," she says over her shoulder.
Francine and Amanda are standing outside Lee's apartment. Amanda has dropped her overnight and grocery bags in the hallway and stepped outside for a moment to see Francine out. Francine looks both worried and aggravated.
"Do you think you can handle him? I haven't spent two hours with him and I'm ready to smack him over the head. Argh, that man is infuriating."
Amanda chuckles. "I know. But believe me, I've seen worse." Francine gives her a dubious look. "Two boys and a husband," Amanda elaborates.
Francine pouts and nods. "Well, I guess you have more expertise than I do on that one. Good luck. Yell if you need back up."
"What did you two talk about?" He hounds her as soon as she enters the apartment.
She glares at him. "You pissed her off. Don't do that. I work with her," she reminds him. "She'll hold me responsible."
She narrows her eyes at the dossiers he's carrying under his arm. "And what do you think you're doing with that?"
She huffs and turns him around towards the bedroom. "Give me these and head back to where you belong."
"Amanda!" he warns.
"Now," she barks and slaps his butt with one of the files. "You'd better be in bed and resting when I check on you. I'll only be a minute."
She grins in satisfaction when she sees he's obeyed her and is lying on his bed, hands on his stomach, eyes closed. She comes to sit next to him and drops a light kiss on his cheek. "Now, that's a good boy."
"Don't call me that," he pleads.
"What do you want me to call you? Baby? You did call me baby the other day," she reminds him.
He opens his eyes. "I did. But I won't do it again if you don't like it."
"Oh, I like it all right, Lee," she whispers in his ear.
"I love the way you say my name. I've always loved it." He sighs and closes his eyes again.
"You're finally relaxing," she remarks. "Try to sleep a little. I'm going to make dinner."
He grabs her hand. "Stay with me a little," he says groggily.
She smiles. It's the second time he's doing it in a few hours. She combs his hair back on his forehead. "I'll stay as much as you want."
He's soon fast asleep so she removes her hand gently from his and tiptoes to the doors.
"I didn't hear you leave the room." His shoulder leaning against the door to the kitchen, he's watching her.
She startles. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough to hear you hum Over the Rainbow twice."
She blushes just a little. "I like that song."
"And the movie, I imagine."
She shrugs. "I might have watched it seven or eight times already."
He chuckles. "Well, well. Now, tell me, who's your favorite character?"
"Book or movie?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Actually, it does. Here, put that on the table, will you?" She hands him the bread basket with dinner rolls she's just taken from the oven.
He takes it from her but not before snatching one from the basket and biting into it.
"Lee!" she chides him, "you won't eat anything if you have bread before dinner."
He gives her a dubious look.
She relents. "Oh well, knock yourself out."
"So? Character?" he prods.
She thinks about it. "Movie? Definitely the Scarecrow," she says, earning herself a grin. "Book series? Scraps, no contest."
"I didn't even know he'd written a series." He helps her bring the salad and their glasses to the table.
"Oh yeah. I read them all when I was a kid." She points at her bag in the hallway. "Actually, I brought it with me in case I couldn't sleep tonight."
She goes back to the kitchen and comes back with a pot roast she's taken from the oven. She sets it on the table and sits across from him.
"Why wouldn't you sleep?"
She hands him his plate. "Because I never sleep really well the first night I sleep somewhere."
"You don't intend to sleep here, do you?"
She snorts. "Really? You really think I'm going to sneak out when you're asleep and take a chance on you leaving the apartment behind my back?" She's got a daring look.
He pouts.
She laughs out loud. "Oh, Lee, you're so predictable." She shakes her head. "For your information, I intend to stick to you like glue for the next five days. You're not getting anywhere without me." She motions to his plate. "Now, eat up. You need all the strength you can get."
He pushes his plate away from him. "Now, that was a very nice dinner, Amanda. Thank you. I hadn't had pot roast in I don't know how long."
They've eaten in silence, enjoying every bite. She smiles at him. "You're most welcome. Ready for some cake?"
He looks surprised. "You made cake? When?"
"I always bake an extra one when something comes up at the kids' school. And there's always something going on there so you can guess the amount of cakes I bake every week."
She comes back with a chocolate cake and sets it between them. "Would you like some coffee? I know red wine would pair well with that one but Dr Scarpelli warned me it's a no-no until she's giving you another physical."
He shrugs. "I can do without it. Coffee would be nice." He stops her with a hand on her arm when she stands. "I'm going to make it. You've done enough and I'm sure I'm allowed to do this."
"So?" he prompts when they sit down on the couch with their coffee and cake. "Scraps, hum?"
She draws a blank at first then realizes he's thinking about what they were talking about. "Oh yeah, Scraps." She shrugs. "You know, she's just a doll made out of bits and pieces of material, like the dolls little girls had in the past, nothing fancy or sophisticated."
"Why does she interest you so much?"
She bites her bottom lip and looks away in embarrassment. "Well, you might want to read the story first if you don't know it."
He pokes her side, making her squirm. "Come on. You've said too much or not enough. I wanna know. Who is she?"
She replies offhandedly. "Oh, you know, just a secondary character. She's just, eh, Scarecrow's love interest." Her voice is almost inaudible at the end of the sentence.
His interest is suddenly piqued. "What did you say? I didn't quite catch it." He stares at her, making her squirm.
"She's Scarecrow's girlfriend. There," she huffs, "satisfied?"
He chuckles. "Oh very, very satisfied. I wanna read it. Where's your book?"
They've settled under the throw-over blanket after finishing their cake, their shoulders touching, the book between them. Lee cannot count the times she's slapped his hand for trying to turn the pages too fast. "Take your time," she chides him at some point, "we'll get there eventually. Don't be such a baby."
"You promised love and romance. I intend to get it before we go to bed," he tells her wickedly.
She refrains from punching his arm because it's still tender from the injury he's sustained in the crash. "You're impossible," she tells him.
Lee wakes up around two. His arm is numb. He shifts on the couch and grunts.
She's suddenly alert and gets to her feet, the blanket falling at her feet. "Oh geez," she whispers, "I'm sorry, Lee. I think we fell asleep on the couch. I need to get you in bed." She takes his good arm and pulls gently. "Come on. You need a good night sleep."
He resists. "Just put the blanket back on us. We can sleep here. It's all warm and cozy. I don't want to move," he says sleepily.
She sits next to him. "Come on, you really need to lie down. You'll feel so much better in the morning."
"Don't want to," he mutters and puts his head on her arm.
She sighs but relents. "OK, but just that one time." She wraps the blanket around them and settles his head on her shoulder. "Sleep tight, sweetheart."
"Sleep tight, baby girl," he replies drowsily, making her blush.
She sighs and tries to settle more comfortably knowing they're both going to have a backache come morning. He grins in the dark and settles more comfortably against her, his arm loosely wrapped around her waist.
"Scarpelli said you needed to have your head checked. And she's scheduled another scan. I'm putting my foot down, Lee."
She looks majorly pissed.
"It's barely ten. I need to lie down and have a little nap before we go," he tells her, giving her his best puppy look.
"Anything to avoid the hospital, Scarecrow, I see!"
Oh, oh. Not good if she's calling him by his code name. He decides to barter. "You give me time to take a long, hot shower and then we'll go, how's that?"
She rolls her eyes. "I guess I can call the hospital and move your appointment," she relents. She shoos him towards the bathroom. "Go. But don't take too long."
"Lee, are you ready?" she calls for the hundredth time. "We're going to be late. Traffic is horrendous at this time of day."
He walks in with his hair still wet and only a towel wrapped around his waist. She feels the instant flush travel from her chest to the roots of her hair. "I can drive if you want. It'll be so much faster." He tilts his head at her. "Get your mind out of the gutter, King."
She stomps to the hallway and grabs her bag. "I'll wait for you in the car. Get a move on." She looks murderous.
He sits next to her fifteen minutes later. She's finally managed to calm down but when she sees his smirk, she feels anger boil up to the surface.
"Don't," she barks, starting the car.
"What?"
"Don't act like you don't know what you just did. That was a low blow." She keeps her eyes on the road.
"I never intended to annoy you, believe me. I usually don't wear any towel at all," he adds wickedly.
She stops at a red light and turns to him, glaring. "Oh, and of course, you felt the need to mention it."
The light turns green. She follows the flow on K Street towards Georgetown. She's eerily silent.
She parks in front of the building. "Go on," she tells him. "I'll park the car and join you there."
He starts getting out of the car, sensing he might have gone too far.
"You know," she calls after him, "I could do the same to you. Walk around your apartment half-naked. Just so you get a taste of your own medicine," she elaborates. She sees she's struck a nerve when he winces. "Yeah, I just might."
He regains his composure. "You can't do that to me. I'm recovering from a massive head injury, remember?"
She gives him a sweet smile and shoos him towards the entrance. "Go on, we'll see what the doctor thinks about said head."
"So, what's next on your list for the day?" He sits in the passenger seat, not even asking to drive, and even puts his seat belt on.
She glances at him. "What's on yours?" she counters.
He looks innocent. "What do you mean? You're the boss. You tell me."
She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious. We do whatever you want. I'm opened to any suggestion. As long as it doesn't include bowling. Not a fan."
She's mollified. "What about an impromptu picnic at Rock Creek Park. It's not far from here. I have a blanket in the trunk and we can buy something on the way."
"Sounds like a plan." He gives her a good-natured smile.
She narrows her eyes at him.
"What?"
"Nothing. You just seem in a very good mood."
"And I'm not normally?" He sounds hurt.
"Nah, just ready to rip something off every time you have to see the doctor."
"I saw the doctor. Done. That's why I'm in a good mood. And hungry. Start the car. I'm famished."
She sighs. "No, there's more to it. You're usually in a bad mood even when you've seen the doctor." She steers into traffic.
"That's because they tell me something is wrong. She said I didn't have to come back if I was feeling OK. See. That definitely calls for a celebration."
She winces. "No alcohol, Lee, and no partying, you heard her."
He rubs her shoulder. "I don't need any of this to celebrate. We're having a picnic."
They are lying on the blanket, looking at the clouds above and trying to make out shapes.
"It's mid-afternoon," she remarks, "and we haven't gotten a head start on your reports. We're being lazy. Maybe we should return to your apartment. You nap a little. I work on them while you do."
He lays a hand on her arm. "I like being lazy with you. I've got a better idea. We have a nap right here. What do you think?"
He props himself up on his elbow and looks at her. She bites her lips. "Humor me," he pleads.
"I'm not the one supposed to take a nap, Lee," she reminds him. "You are."
"And you were not the one supposed to slumber on the couch last night either. You need a nap almost as much as I do."
She wavers. "All right but only if I can do a little work when we get home."
"I like it when you say home," he remarks in passing. "Why don't we buy some take out? That way you won't have to cook and we can work on the files."
"I said I'd work on them. You rest. You hear me?"
He pouts and draws her to him. "OK but I still need to tell you about my cases if you want to write the report. Nap here, work there. Deal?"
"Ah, Lee, it's getting late. Why don't we call it a night?" The dinner table is strewn with cardboard boxes of Chinese take out food, the typewriting sitting in front of Amanda while dossiers are piled in front of Lee.
He rubs his eyes making her instantly worried. "Headache?"
"Nah, just sore eyes. I guess you're right. We'd better turn in for the night."
"Leave those," she says when she sees him gather the boxes. "I'll tidy. You get in bed."
"Amanda, I don't want you to sleep on the couch. Why don't you…"
She cuts him off. "I don't want to argue about this again. I told you this afternoon. You stay in the bedroom. I'm taking the couch. Now, shoo."
"Amanda!"
"Lee…" She warns him. She points at the door.
She raps on his door a little later on. "Can I come in?"
He's in bed, her book opened in front of him.
"Ah, this is where it was. I thought I had misplaced it."
He hands it to her. She shakes her head. "No, keep it. I think I'm too tired to read tonight. Say, Lee, can I borrow one of your shirts? I think I forgot my sleepwear at home."
He shrugs. "Yeah sure, go ahead." She smirks when she sees he's so engrossed in the book he barely registers what she's just said. She selects one of his white shirts and walks out to the bathroom.
She knocks on his door a moment later. "Well, I'm gonna turn in for the night."
"Got everything you need?" he asks her, his eyes on the page. He doesn't wait for her to answer his question. "You know, that Scraps you like so much, she's a lot like you. Very stubborn. Never follows orders. Very mischievous, that one."
"Oh," she replies. "I guess she is just like me." Her voice trails off, making him look up.
His jaw drops.
She's leaning against the door clad only in his white shirt. With the light coming from the living room, it leaves little to the imagination.
He gulps.
She smirks. "Told ya," she only says and whirls around then sashays to the couch. "Night, Stetson. Sweet dreams."
"How was your sick leave, Lee?" Billy wants to know. "Ready to get back in the saddle?"
Lee plops down in the chair opposite Billy. "So ready, you have no idea. That woman is a nightmare."
Amanda knocks on the door and walks in. "Good morning, Sir. Good morning, Lee. How are you two doing today? Isn't it a wonderful morning?"
Lee points with his thumb at her. "See what I mean?"
Amanda snorts and sits next to him, patting his knee. "You look so much better, Lee. I must say I'm surely glad you appointed me to take care of him," she tells Billy. "Back on his feet in no time."
"Well, that's good because I have a new assignment for you two."
Amanda sits on the edge of her chair. "What is it?"
Lee gives Billy a warning look.
"I need you to go to the Hamptons for the weekend." He hands them a file. "Cat burglar's been active there for the last couple of months. You'll pose as a newlywed, extremely rich couple from Portland coming to visit their uncle. It's already been arranged."
"Billy!" Lee protests, seeing how perky Amanda looks. "This is hardly a matter of national security. Come on. We can't spend our time babysitting the rich and famous."
"You can and you will. A very close friend of the President has been robbed of a half million dollar in jewels. You will get to the bottom of it."
She walks behind him when they leave Billy's office. He gets on the elevator to the Quartermaster Bureau. She grins at him and walks in. "We're gonna have so much fun," she gushes.
He sighs in exasperation. "No, we're not."
"What's wrong?"
He turns to her and glares at her. "Amanda, I need a respite, all right?"
She follows him down the corridor to Leatherneck's office. "From me?"
He turns and comes toe to toe with her. He looks her in the eye. "Yes, from you."
"What did I do wrong?" She gives him an innocent look.
"What did you do wrong? She wants to know what she did wrong! Unbelievable. Amanda," he pouts. "do you realize we're going to sleep in the same room and very probably in the same bed this weekend?"
"And?"
"You'd better bring a proper nightgown this time. There's so much a man can take." He sees the hint of a smile on her lips. "By the way, where's my shirt?"
She gives him a sweet smile. "I took it to the dry cleaner's." He releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'll make sure to pack it for our weekend," she adds wickedly. "Oh, and Lee? We'll definitely been sleeping in the same bed. I'm a professional now. I can keep my mind out of the gutter. The question is, can you?"
THE END