This is an A/U story with a messy timeline. I had this idea when I was writing a different SMK story that will feature a brief amnesia moment but I had to abandon that one to get this out. Super loosely based on the movie 'The Family Man' with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni. Not meant to be serious, just fun. Thank you!

Chapter 1

She clambered up the steps of the Jefferson Memorial behind him, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Anyway I'm sorry I dragged you into all this," He told her shortly wanting nothing more than to send her on her way. She was a terribly nice woman but, he had things to do.

"Now," she said breathlessly, "This sounds like a good-bye," she said breathlessly from behind him.

"It is, you have another life to get back to," he reached the top of the memorial, and they walked across the marble.

"Uhm, well what about you? Don't you have another life to get back to?" She asked excitedly.

"Not so you'd notice," he scoffed absently trying to hurry her along, his mind already calculating what he needed to do to clear his name.

"So, never a Mrs. Spy? No little spies? No girlfriends? No buddies-"

"Look," he cut her off, "you've heard the word loner? That's me," he laughed humorlessly.

"Well I hope you don't go to those singles bars," she told him, genuinely concerned for him, "You'll never met a nice girl in one of those-"

"Look," he said more harshly, cutting her off a second time, "just don't worry about it ok?"

"Do you have someplace to go Thanksgiving?" she asked the authentic care in her voice touched him but, that didn't mean he wanted it.

"Ah! Amanda," he hoped he could get through to her, "I happen to like being alone, you'll notice that I don't even work with a partner."

"No, I haven't noticed…but that probably because we were too busy working together," she smiled smugly at him.

His brows rose in surprise, "No, no, no…you were not a partner you were an emergency," he said rudely, "a partners a guy who laughs at your jokes, loans you his socks and one day he takes a bullet through the head for you," he stopped abruptly realizing what he just said. He took several steps away from her as he stared off into the distance lost in thought.

She sighed, "Were you two friends for a long time?" She asked softly.

"Not long enough," he said sadly but he snapped himself out of it, "Good bye Amanda," he said with finality reaching out to shake her hand.

"Will I see you again?" She found didn't want him to leave.

"No," he said shortly.

She nodded, "What are you going to do?" She asked hesitantly.

He sighed at yet another question, "First of all, I am going to lick this case, clear my name then I thought I'd get drunk so," he looked at her intently, "good bye and thank you very much-" he was hit by a wave of dizziness and he wobbled on his feet. He reached a hand out to her to steady himself.

She grasped his hand, "Lee? Lee?" She said with concern, "Lee can you hear me?"

"Huh?" he mumbled giving his head a shake to clear it.

"Should I get help? Should I call someone for you? A friend? Someone from the agency?" She fired off her questions rapidly.

His eyes snapped open and he took in his surroundings, "what happened?" He asked in confusion.

"Are you alright? Boy that was scary. You just seemed to stop and your eyes closed and I wasn't sure if you were having some sort of a seizure or maybe you know a heart attack which I mean given your line of work probably wouldn't be that surprising. You should really take better care of yourself you know, try to eat healthy, you won't be young forever will you. And oh my gosh, you know as young as you are well you just have so much life to live yet, I mean things you want to accomplish and do and see and stuff like that," she took a deep breath and let it out, "so are you? Sure you're OK?"

"Huh," he said, his mind finally catching up with her, "Uh yeah," he said slowly looking around him again, "I'm fine," he confidently, "I think the last few days are just catching up with me," he told her shaking off her hand.

"Oh, oh ok good," she smiled hesitantly, "you're OK to get home?" she asked nervously.

He nodded exasperated at her, "yes, Amanda," He grabbed her forearms to settle her down, "I'm fine."

She gave him a nod back in understanding, "well, ok then. I'll uhm...I'll just...Goodbye. Again," she turned slowly to leave.

"Good bye," he said with a sigh, he quickly trotted down the steps and away from her.

Ten years later:

Lee Stetson strolled through his Pennsylvania Avenue penthouse removing the diamond cuff links from his Armani dress shirt. He entered his walk-in closet and toss his shirt to the floor. The house keeper would pick it up and launder it later. He flipped through the racks until he found another appropriate dress shirt, Ralph Lauren this time. He pulled out a drawer selected a matching silk tie. He slipped off his Amedeo Testoni shoes, swapping them out for another pair.

Things for Lee Stetson were good, really good. He made a living catching terrorists, enemy foreign operatives and occasionally members of the Cosa Nostra. He had heard himself referred to as a real life American James bond. He had to admit that was a pretty accurate description of himself. He spent most of his time over-seas. The more dangerous the mission, the more money he made. He made a lot.

He had a small apartment in Estienne D'Orves, Nice, France and this penthouse. Lee liked expensive things, and he could afford them. His penthouse, his clothes, his furniture….his car. And he like his women. Tall, blonde, buxom and leggy. And quiet. It didn't matter if they were smart or witless. What he didn't like, was conversation.

Tonight's flavor was Bambi. Dinner, dancing then back to his place. He was sure, if memory served him, that she would arrive in a barely there dress and he was sure it wouldn't take him long to get her out of it. He took the elevator to the lobby and strode elegantly across the floor to the curb outside where his town car waited for him. They had barely pulled away from the sidewalk when his car phone rang.

"Stetson," his commanding voice answered.

"I need a favor," the voice on the other line said.

"Well, Billy," he said with a smile, happy to hear from his old friend, "this is a voice from the past. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Billy told him but by the tone Lee doubted it, "but I could use your help on this one."

Lee sighed, there is was, "I haven't worked in your department in a long time Billy," he told him.

It was Billy's turn to sigh, "I would consider it a personal favor to me," He held his breath as he waited for an answer.

"When do you need me?" the question came without hesitation.

"Right away," Billy answered immediately.

Lee sighed, Bambi was going to have to wait.