"I think that you are being too hard on yourself; you've risen through the ranks in what is still a male dominated field. Were you handed your current position on a silver platter," Michael challenged.

"Hell, no," Francine shot back, her blue eyes blazing. "I graduated with honors from an Ivy League university, I speak multiple languages and I got a very high score on the Agency's written exam to be considered for a position. I didn't merely have to be as good as the male agent candidates; I had to be better than them, just to stay in the training program."

"That doesn't surprise me at all. You haven't just squeaked by, you've excelled and you're well- respected by your colleagues."

She laughed bitterly. "You went too far…they don't respect me…they're afraid of me. They don't want to cross me; I've got quite a temper."

"So, I've noticed, but having a short fuse doesn't account for your success. You wouldn't be the assistant to your section chief if you didn't possess-"

"Michael, stop, over the last few years most of the assignments that I've received outside of the office haven't utilized my intellect…I've been called upon to use my more obvious assets." She walked back to the sofa and sat down wearily.

"You're exaggerating." The expression on her face and the slight sag of her shoulders suggested that she believed what she said.

"When I was younger, particularly after Jonathan jilted me, I enjoyed being able to use my…sexuality to manipulate men. I was good at it, very good, and I was proud of what I could achieve. It was impersonal…I told myself that it was for the good of the Agency; I was doing my patriotic duty but then-"

"Your boss told you to use your skills to see what information you could get from me." He finished her sentence and sat down next to her.

"Yes, no, it's complicated; I haven't wanted to admit to myself that I wasn't feeling good about those assignments for a while now. I try to keep my emotions in check; life is less messy that way. When Lee said that he and I are 'two of a kind', he was right, except that he's changed. I've never known anyone who kept a tighter lid on their emotions than he did, but then she came along and he hasn't been the same since."

"Amanda," Michael questioned, not sure where Francine's train of thought was heading.

"Yes, a divorced mom from Arlington slowly and quietly changed not just Lee; she's had an impact on all of us. No matter how badly we treated her, she kept coming back because she insisted that we needed her help. I was catty and condescending and for the most part she shrugged off my behavior and treated me decently. She wore down Lee's defenses and they fell in love. A while back, he asked me what it was about Amanda that bothered me so much, and I didn't have a good answer for him."

"Have you come up with an answer?"

"I'm afraid so…I'm jealous of her. She has a terrific family, a man who loves her, and she's succeeding as an agent without doing the things that I've done. I don't think I want two kids and a house in the suburbs but I do want a loving relationship, someone to build a life with. You and I could have been good for each other…I should never have kept the truth about my assignment from you. Will you give me another chance?"

"Francine, we're both guilty of being less than honest with each other. I lied to you because I'm still not completely comfortable sharing my most private thoughts and feelings with someone else. I was planning to tell you where I went at lunchtime and what I was doing there…were you going to tell me about your assignment?"

At the same time, Lee and Amanda arrived at the workplace of Megan's estranged husband, Jeff Davis. They entered the upscale law firm as the workday was drawing to a close and employees were filtering out. Davis attempted to walk past them, juggling a briefcase and a cardboard box, but they recognized him from a picture that Megan had shown them. Lee quickly blocked his path.

"Mr. Davis, we'd-"

"Not here, I told you that I'd meet you at my new office," he whispered as he tried to continue past Lee.

"I don't know who you think we are, but we didn't agree to-"

"I told you, not here," Davis hissed as he glanced around furtively. "Just walk with me." Amanda smiled at hearing the familiar phrase turned back on Lee, but he wasn't amused. Quickly realizing that the man before him was afraid of something, Lee acquiesced and followed him out of the office.

Author's note: My thanks to Lanie for beta-reading this chapter in record time.