Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson, Matt Granger, and the other characters not found in the television show are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

The Eyes of the Father

Chapter Five

Lee tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for the light at Maplewood Drive. He worked his jaw absentmindedly as he stared at the signal.

"Hey, Stetson. You're grinding your teeth again."

Glancing over at Amanda, he let his mouth fall open a little, relaxing his jaw. "You know I'm always tense after these attorney things."

"You said they didn't even ask you about the park."

"No. They started with the Brad Smith business. I didn't have much to offer there. I guess his case is coming up first."

"But you're thinking about the park?"

"Yeah."

Reaching over to massage her husband's neck, Amanda gave it a quick rub before he pulled into the driveway.

Turning to her, Lee was still serious. "It's going to be rough for Sarah. These guys are tough. She's got the most to say. The defense guys will back her into a corner, as you can imagine. But the prosecuting attorneys are out for Smith's blood. They will make sure her testimony is rock solid. They're going to really push her for every detail and make sure everything is consistent."

"Oh. But at least Greg Peterson can be there to help, right? They'll allow the Agency attorney to accompany our people. And he'll look out for Sarah. He's watched her grow up."

"Yes, but he can only do so much."

As they walked into the house, Amanda tried to be cheerful. "Well, she'll have other things to keep her busy this week, anyway. Besides taking her and Matt to the Pops concert this week—"

"—great idea getting those tickets for Friday, by the way. It will be a nice way for us all to unwind after talking to the attorneys all week." Lee took her coat and hung it in the closet, then followed Amanda into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she prepared two cups of coffee.

"Then, there's the sampling dinner at the caterer's."

Lee looked uncomfortable. He ventured cautiously. "You still okay with me having Matt here for beer and pizza while you two sample the food?"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Stetson, I know how to pick my battles. You'd be all grumpy about going. Then, you and Matt would probably love the food—so much that you would say 'yes' to every dish they served. We'd never make any decisions with you there." She settled more comfortably in her seat. "Nope, we'll be fine on our own."

Lee watched as Amanda sipped her coffee.

"Have some coffee, Scarecrow."

He sat down slowly and took the mug in his hands. "Do you think you may have packed too much into this week for Sarah? She'll have the depositions this week and next. I'm sure Leatherneck won't let up on her training. Everyone wants to distract her."

"Keeping her busy should help keep her mind off of things."

"Or stress her out."

Amanda looked at Lee thoughtfully. "I guess I need to remember that she's your daughter, too. She often reacts to things more like you would."

"We've had this conversation before. She's still becoming her own person. She's a little like me, a little like you. Maybe I'm worrying too much."

"And she has Matt. He's done with his field work until after the wedding."

"Oh? I hadn't heard that."

"Yeah. He and Rene came back from their early morning meeting at the campus. Their 'advisor' told them to enjoy their Christmas break. No more meetings until the middle of January."

"Oh. That means they have to become real graduate students until the case is over."

"Yes. Matt will be able to say he's had graduate hours in engineering, if he ever wants to get an advanced degree."

"You already trying to help him change to a safer career? You sound like David."

Amanda chuckled. "Poor David. He was unhappy with Matt taking a job in the film business until he found out he was really in intelligence. Now he and Sharon are trying not to worry about him and Sarah."

Lee steered the conversation back to where it started. "So, Matt is back to background checks and following up on alerts, then?"

"Yeah. No more late nights for now, hopefully."

"Good. All these depositions will keep him busy enough without having to be undercover. That's a lot of stress, too. These kids should be enjoying their engagement, not reliving some nightmare." He ran a hand through his hair and sat back in his chair.

Amanda got up, taking their coffee cups to the sink. "Well, at least it's Christmastime. After this week, things should get better."

"I hope so, too."

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"Let's try one more of these observation exercises, Junior."

Sarah sighed heavily. With her elbow on the table, she rested her head on her hand. "Leatherneck, I'm going to be too worn out mentally for the deposition. If they ever decide to call me."

"We'll try some lock picking next."

It was after two o'clock in the afternoon. After running through a simulation with the pop-ups that morning, Leatherneck had sent Sarah over to Jamie's office to help his team with some research. Taking a break for her usual Tuesday lunch date with Matt—eaten in a crowded restaurant because of the falling snow—she had reported back to the quartermaster's offices for observation exercises.

She wanted to scream out that she was sick of all the training. She did not want to fire another gun, pick another lock, or run from yet another hidden sniper. Maybe I'm not cut out for this work after all. Now that I'm in the thick of it, I'm miserable. Except for the break in Jamie's office today.

She remembered asking Matt if he ever grew tired of his job as they had walked back through the snow to the Agency. He had been wearing the hat Amanda had purchased for him in Almaty, and she had pulled up the hood on her coat. The bracing temperature of the December snowstorm had been refreshing.

Matt had not replied immediately, instead taking a moment to observe her. "I'm not sure I'd say I grow tired of it. But sometimes I get stressed if it's a tough case or I'm personally involved."

Sarah knew that he had been referring to the weeks before their attack. He had been beside himself with worry over her.

"Sometimes the workload gets to me. Although Francine has been easy on me the last few months, I'm going to have to work more starting in January. At least until the case at UVa is resolved."

"Well, at least it's in engineering. Maybe you'll learn something useful in your graduate classes. At least you don't have any classes to T.A."

"Yet." He had looked over at Sarah again. He took her hand and drew her under an awning, where they were sheltered from the wind and falling snow. "Sweetie, why did you ask me about work just now?"

"Oh, I was just curious."

He had narrowed his eyes. "We both know you had a reason. You have so much on your plate right now. Maybe you should ask Leatherneck for a break this week. Or maybe you could postpone this meeting with the caterer. We could just watch a DVD together." At her look, he amended his suggestion. "I'd get something from the new releases at the box at the grocery store. Then we'll pay better attention to the movie."

She had laughed. "I can't put off the caterer. They have a busy schedule—they squeezed us in. We have to settle the menu this week."

"Maybe you'll eat better there than you did at lunch."

"I was just not as hungry as usual. I guess I'm kind of wound up."

"At least you're being honest now." He had looked around, frowning. "I'd like to pray with you right now, but this isn't the best place."

"But it's a good reminder."

In the quartermaster's offices, Sarah smiled ruefully. She should pray right now while Leatherneck was out of the room. She had forgotten to stop in the women's restroom to pray once she and Matt had gone their separate ways. But it was too late to pray here. She heard someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me."

Sarah turned around to see the intern looking about the room. "Are you looking for Leatherneck?"

"Yes." He stepped forward and reached out a hand almost shyly. "I'm Grant Hill. I hear we may be part of the same training class. Sarah Stetson, right?"

"Yes. How do you do?" Shaking his hand, Sarah wondered if she should flash her ring after all, then brushed off her concerns. He seems too shy to worry about.

"Your reputation precedes you."

"I'm not sure if that is good or bad."

"Don't worry. I guess all of the training is going to be a formality for you, with the parents you have."

"I need it just as much as anyone else. That's why I'm here."

"That's not what I heard. Saved your fiancé's life, survived two flashbangs…"

Uncomfortable now, she looked to the doorway. At least most of the Brad Smith case is classified. She could hear Leatherneck carrying his tray from the other room.

"Were you looking for Leatherneck? That's him coming."

"Hill. Can you come back in twenty? I'll need help cleaning all of this up."

"Yes, Sir." Hill slipped out of the room as quietly as he had entered it.

"Okay. Turn around."

Sarah obeyed, swiveling in her chair so her back was to the table while Leatherneck brought the tray with the items she was to observe.

Hearing the telltale rattle of the various odds and ends on the metal surface, she blew out her breath in preparation for mental exercise.

"Okay, turn back to the table."

As Sarah swiveled back, Leatherneck pressed the button on the old-fashioned stopwatch and observed Sarah methodically scanning the tray. Before he could call time, she had sat back in her seat, turning away from the table once again.

Leatherneck came around to face Sarah as she rattled off the names of the items on the tray. "Nine millimeter magazine with 10 cartridges loaded, a note saying, "three cats, ten a.m.," a spool of burgundy thread, two shirt buttons, a wire brush, your bank credit card—do you want me to call out the last four digits? You sure trust me."

Leatherneck rolled his eyes. "Just finish the list."

When she finished, Sarah had correctly noted twelve of the fifteen items on the tray.

"That was your best yet." Leatherneck's phone buzzed. He pulled it from his shirt pocket and answered it. "Yeah. She's here. Sure. I understand. I'll send her over."

Sarah hoped that it was the attorneys wanting to depose her. But she knew they would have called her directly. Her phone had no missed calls and the signal, boosted on each floor of the underground complex to ensure uninterrupted service for the agents and other personnel, was excellent.

"Jamie needs you for the rest of the day."

Sarah imagined she was joining the team that was busy sorting through the details that had been derived at the University of Virginia engineering department meetings Matt and Rene had attended. Matt might be on the team this afternoon. Maybe if she could sit with him, it would calm her nerves—even if they were both busy on their computers.

But when she arrived in Jamie's department, Matt was not there.

"He's with the attorneys, Sarah." Rene looked sympathetic. He was a good friend to her, not just Matt, and he seemed to sense she was on edge. "He just left a few minutes ago when they called him. I was there earlier today."

"Okay." She took the partial list of student and faculty names that Jamie's assistant had given her and started searching the internet for the first name that was listed.

"They're tough. You should prepare yourself. They really grilled me about all my interactions with Smith when you were in the safe house. Then they practically made it look like I wanted to be gassed." Rene was still nursing his anger at Brad Smith's betrayal. The rogue agent had managed to get on the rotation to watch Sarah and Matt's safe house from the townhouse next door. At some point he had planted a gas canister that released noxious fumes once Brad hit the remote trigger. With Rene and Grace Tanaka lying helpless on the floor, Brad had made his move to abduct Sarah.

Sarah felt her stomach tie up in knots. She could not remember how she replied to Rene as she concentrated on her work. At least Matt drove me in today. I can ride home with him.

Her phone rang. She got up to take the call in the hallway. "Hi, Mom. Oh? They need us there earlier?" She listened. Her face fell. "Okay. I'll be out on the street at five o'clock. Thanks for picking me up. I know it's out of your way."

Disappointed that she would probably not see Matt again until later that evening, she texted him her mother's plan to pick her up early from work to go to the tasting at the caterer. Matt would have to drive by himself over to the house on Maplewood, where Lee would eat dinner with him.

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Amanda kept an eye on her daughter surreptitiously while she also watched the road. It had been snowing all day, but it had finally stopped while they were at the caterers. She was thankful that the ice was at a minimum. Lee and Matt, both seemingly anxious, had texted them more than once, urging them to come straight home from their appointment.

Sarah had been tense all evening, but it had not been about the weather. Now she sat quietly, lost in her own thoughts, staring out the front window of the Volvo SUV.

"Matt and your father should be relieved that the streets are fairly clear."

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Daddy is funny about that. Especially after getting you this SUV so you wouldn't have trouble in the snow."

"Matt is a lot like your father sometimes."

"Yes, he is. But I know he tries not to be overprotective. He's gotten a lot better since we went to counseling together."

Amanda was sober. "He's young. It was the first time he'd experienced almost losing someone. From what I've heard, he saw a lot over in Afghanistan, but it was never his closest buddies." She patted Sarah's hand. "He's also a resilient person. He seems so happy right now."

"Yes. We are both so excited about the wedding being so soon, now. For his sake, I'm glad it will be sooner rather than later."

Glancing over at her daughter, Amanda hesitated before answering. "You know, no one would blame you for not waiting."

"To be married?" Sarah's voice showed her confusion.

"No—you know what I mean."

"Oh." Sarah reddened. "Well, he's wanting companionship, too. I think he gets tired of being alone in his apartment, since we had a taste of living together for those two weeks in the safe house."

Her mother seemed to be waiting for her to continue.

"Sometimes though, I think he's rather miserable. You know, like he wants more but he's fighting it because he wants us to have a special honeymoon—keep the promise he made when he was in high school to wait. There have been a few times, lately, when he's just kissed me good night at the top of the stairs."

"Well, that will get better in just a few short weeks. And I have to admire a young man for waiting these days—I'm sure he's been tempted a few times. It was a little easier when I was your age, despite the peace and love stuff."

"Well, you weren't exactly a hippie, Mom."

Amanda laughed. "No. But I did have my causes. Still, I hung out with a fairly conservative crowd. In fact, that's one of the things Joe liked about me. I was a 'good girl.' And I wasn't the only one. My friends were too, for the most part. That made it easier." She pulled the Volvo to a stop at the light near Maplewood. Traffic was light despite the early hour. "I'm thinking you seem out of sorts, too. Do you want to talk about it?"

Sarah looked over at her mother. "Oh, well. It's nothing, really."

"Oh, sweetheart. I know that you're stressed. I'm your mother. What is it? The wedding?"

"No." She looked out the window, watching as a panel truck with a bakery logo approached on the cross street. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed with all the things I'm learning with Leatherneck. And I'm nervous about the depositions."

"I know what you mean about Leatherneck's training. I felt the same way…"

Amanda stopped talking as at the same time they both noticed the car coming along their street from the opposite direction. The light had changed, but knowing that the intersection would be slick in this weather, the truck driver had not bothered to stop at the very yellow light. Not surprised, Amanda had been prepared to wait for the panel truck to continue through before she had pressed the accelerator. Now she still had her foot on the brake as she and Sarah watched the accident unfold before them.

For whatever reason, the oncoming car did not slow down as it approached the intersection, so when the driver finally noticed the truck, it was too late. The car tried to swerve out of the way, but that only put it into a spin, its rear end colliding with the truck. The small sedan skidded back the way it had come and onto the curb. The truck also tried to swerve away at first, but after hitting the curb it jumped the center divider of the wide street, knocking down a sign. Both vehicles came to a standstill.

"I'll get the first aid kit. You call nine-one-one, Sarah."

Only one other car approached the intersection, but as it was on the cross street and unimpeded by the accident, it continued on down the road. Sarah shook her head, wondering at the driver's lack of concern, and then placed the call to emergency services.

With the police on their way, Sarah joined her mother in aiding the victims of the accident. "Mom, let me help the truck driver. You can't climb up there."

Amanda chose not to argue with her daughter about whether she was still able to climb up to a truck cab's door, and instead went to help the driver of the car, who had still not emerged from the vehicle.

Sarah was not prepared for the amount of blood that had already come from the wound on the truck driver's forehead. An image of Matt lying hurt on the grass at the park flitted through Sarah's consciousness, but she focused on the man in front of her.

Dazed, the driver, a middle-aged man, did not respond immediately when Sarah tried to get his attention. Casting about for some kind of compress to stanch the flow of blood, she was forced to settle on the man's muffler, which she pulled from his neck and applied to the wound. He flinched and leaned back against his seat.

"Just relax, sir. I've already called for help."

"I should have stopped. It's my fault."

"Don't worry about that right now."

Amanda fared better with the driver of the car. She was a young girl, probably not much older than sixteen or seventeen. Amanda could hardly get a word in edgewise with the girl, who had not stopped fretting once she had recovered from the shock of her airbag going off.

"Where's my phone? I was texting my boyfriend. He'll be worried about me." She started looking on the floor of the car.

"Try not to move around. You could have been hurt."

"I feel fine, except for getting smacked in the chest. My friend had a huge bruise from her accident."

Amanda helped the girl from the car, making sure that her jacket was zipped. She pulled up the girl's hood, thankful there was no protest. "Just sit here where I can see you while I go help my daughter."

Amanda knew there was not much she could do, so she hurried over to the truck to check on Sarah. She found some gauze pads in the first aid kit she carried, replacing the muffler with a more suitable bandage.

Sirens signaled the approach of the police. Two squad cars were soon joined by a third. By the time Amanda and Sarah had given their names and a brief report of what they had seen to one of the officers, an ambulance had arrived on the scene as well.

"Well, somehow you managed to keep yourself from getting any blood on you—except for your gloves. I'm sure the men will be worried enough as it is."

"Oh no!" Sarah had pulled out her phone, holding it gingerly with her clean hand. "Matt's been trying to get a hold of me. He must be worried sick." She touched the screen and voice activated the call.

He answered immediately. "Sarah! Where are you?"

"We were delayed by an accident a few blocks away. We'll be there in a minute."

"An accident? Are you hurt? We're in the car now, leaving the driveway."

"Oh no. We're fine. We saw an accident. Please just wait there. We're turning onto Maplewood now. I'll see you in a minute."

His sigh of relief was audible over the phone. "Okay. I'm glad you and your mom are alright."

Sarah put the phone away after they ended the call. "I take it you heard all of that."

"Oh my. Look. Your father and Matt were getting ready to come looking for us." Amanda pointed her chin at the driveway, where Lee and Matt stood waiting. "We should have called. Let's try to get them inside before your father lets loose on us."

Amanda was not able to get out of the car before Lee opened her door for her and started talking. "Amanda. Thank God. You know, we could hear the sirens. You were thirty minutes late. Sarah had texted Matt that there was no traffic and you were on your way. We couldn't help but think the worst."

While her mother soothed her frantic father, Sarah allowed Matt to help her from the car. He walked with her into the house, following her into the laundry room.

"…so I'm really sorry. But once I started helping the man, there was no chance to check my phone." Sarah pulled off her gloves and after examining them, threw them in the trash. She began a thorough hand-washing at the laundry room sink.

Matt leaned up against the washing machine beside her. "I'm just glad the sirens weren't for you. Somehow, I knew that, but your dad was not easily convinced. It was his idea to get in the car and look for the accident. We could tell it was only a few blocks away."

"It seems as if you helped him keep his cool. I noticed that he wasn't yelling." Sarah offered Matt a wry smile.

"I told him I had a gut feeling that you two were fine, just delayed—maybe by the accident." Watching as Sarah pulled a paper towel from the roll above the sink and dried her hands, Matt was thoughtful. Before she could toss the towel in the trash, he drew her into his arms, kissing her on the forehead before he spoke. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. Just a little cold from being out in the weather so long, but it felt good."

He was still thoughtful, hesitant. "That's not what I meant. It looks like that driver bloodied himself up pretty well…"

Then Sarah knew what Matt was concerned about. "You're worried I might have had a flashback, seeing all the blood, weren't you?"

"The thought did cross my mind."

"I started to remember things, but I was concentrating on helping the man."

Matt smiled at her before kissing her again on the forehead and holding her close for several seconds. "That's my girl."

She looked at him hopefully. "Do you suppose I'm over the flashbacks?"

"I'd like to think so." He grew serious again. "Hey. I know you were upset earlier. I wanted to pray with you, but it wasn't a good time. I was disappointed that we didn't get a chance to after work."

"Well, it's still early, sort of. We could pray now."

"I'd like to hear what's bothering you, too."

"Okay. Let's say good night to my parents and go over to the apartment." She led him into the den.

"Oh, there you are. Sarah, we need to tell your dad about the food."

Lee regarded the young couple. "Amanda. Let them go. Sarah looks beat."

His arm around Sarah's shoulders, Matt had felt the tension there as they walked into the room. Now she was relaxing.

Seeing Sarah's expression finally, Amanda realized Lee was right. "Of course."

"Thanks, Lee, for the beer and pizza."

"Anytime, Matt. If I can get you away from Sarah. We'll have to get together again sometime soon. Maybe go get a couple of beers at this place I know."

"And you can tell me more of your stories."

"And I can hear a few of yours." Lee winked at Matt.

"What stories?" Sarah craned her neck to look at Matt's face.

"War stories. You've heard some of it—what isn't classified."

"Oh." She turned back to her parents. "Good night Mom. Thanks for going to the caterer with me—for helping us with the food at the reception. It's going to be really nice—I want you to know I appreciate it."

Matt chimed in. "We both do."

"It's our pleasure, right Lee?"

Lee was gruff, waving a hand in the air. "Sure. Of course. It's what parents do."

At his words, Amanda's face softened and she stepped over to Lee, putting her arms around his waist.

He looked at her questioningly, and then grew a little bashful when he realized what she was thinking. "Your mother has trained me well."

"Good night, Daddy." Sarah gave both of her parents a quick hug before heading to the door with Matt.

"Night, Pumpkin. Get some sleep."

Amanda chimed in. "Yes, sweetheart. Your father is right."

Once they were settled next to one another on the couch in the apartment, with Sarah having fresh socks on her feet and an afghan wrapped around her, she finally felt herself relax.

Matt stretched his legs out in front of him, watching her snuggle into the afghan. "You look better already. Did you eat tonight?"

"Yes. I had to. There were so many appetizers and entrees to try. I nibbled a few that I didn't like, but I finished the ones that were good. Definitely made up for my skimpy lunch."

"Good thing you and your mom ordered the cake from that bakery, or you'd have been sampling cake, too."

Sarah giggled. "Yeah. And you wouldn't be able to hold me on your lap anymore."

"Never going to happen. Your idea of pigging out is my idea of a decent meal."

"Did you notice my parents get all mushy when Daddy said he was glad to help out with our wedding?"

Thinking for a moment, Matt stared at the small shelving unit that housed the television and DVD player, empty now of the books and DVDs Sarah had stored there. Those same books and DVDs were now stored in boxes at his apartment, ready to be moved into the townhouse they would share as husband and wife. He and Lee had not talked about Sarah this evening. He wondered if Lee was still struggling to let Sarah go.

He turned back to her and attempted to answer her question. "I guess so."

"People at the Agency never expected him to get married, let alone have kids. And he ended up raising one of his own plus two boys who weren't even his own children. It really was a big leap. Mom said he was pretty self-centered when she first knew him."

"It's not hard for me to believe that he could make the transformation, but I didn't know him then. He's been like a second dad to me."

"Francine says that it's all my mom's doing, but I think Daddy must have been hiding his 'family man' side to the world."

"I can see how your mom could influence someone to bring out the best in themselves. Especially your dad. He's still got it bad when it comes to your mom. I could see that tonight." Matt chose not to dwell on his memories of Lee's state of mind when Amanda had been kidnapped the previous summer.

"Yes. It's pretty neat that my parents are still in love after all these years. Even if is annoying at times when they get all mushy in front of me."

Matt laughed loudly. He had to catch his breath before he could respond. "But it's okay if we're mushy in front of them?"

Sarah drew herself up so her back was now straight. "That's different. We're not really that mushy in front of others. Besides, you don't like to see your parents being all lovey-dovey either."

Matt tried his best to look properly admonished. "You're right. Lauren loves to talk about how great their relationship still is. I can't stand it when she goes on about them going off to the barn by themselves or something."

"Really? The barn?" Sarah's eyes grew wide.

Matt wished he could eat his words. Sarah did not need the mental picture either. He scrambled to cover for himself. "We should be glad we have happily married parents. It bodes well for our relationship."

Saying nothing in response, her eyes took on that shine that he loved. He watched her for a long moment before looking down at his knees. Matt shifted, bending his legs so he could sit up straight on the couch. Don't get all worked up, Granger. You came here to talk, not make out. He gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

It took Sarah a minute or two to form her words. "Oh, it isn't any one thing. It's just all of the things Leatherneck wants me to do. I'd seen guns before and fired them, I've driven on the track, that sort of thing. But now it's all the time, every day."

Matt was quiet, waiting for her to finish. When Sarah did not say anything more, he ventured, "It probably doesn't help that we have the depositions to worry about."

"How did that go today?"

"Okay. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be."

"Did they finish? Are you done?"

"No. I have to go back tomorrow."

Sarah wanted to ask more, but something made her hesitate.

Matt reached up and massaged her shoulders as well as he could from his awkward angle. "You're tense again." He pulled her against him, encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I just want this all to be over with. The depositions, the wedding planning, my training. I just want us to be married, me working with Jamie…" She stopped, sighing heavily.

"I know what you mean about wanting to be married." Soon he would be out in the cold once again, driving home to his empty apartment, leaving Sarah stressed and on her own. God, please don't let her have nightmares. He tried to focus on the rest of her words. "You like working with Jamie, don't you?"

"Yes. And it was fun going out with Grace. I don't mind what little I've seen of surveillance, field work. It's the intensity of the training that's so hard."

"Let's pray."

Sarah's weary tone gave added meaning to her words. "Oh, that would be nice. Thanks." She turned her face to his shoulder and kissed him there.

He smiled at the gesture before closing his eyes and lowering his head.