Lee stepped into the nursery, his thoughts whirling. What the hell was going on? How could he have been an intelligence operative all this time and not know that his mother was still alive? Was his father still alive and in hiding somewhere too? No, he argued with himself. He couldn't be. Wouldn't they be together if he were? Why hasn't she ever tried to contact him all this time, let him know that she was still alive? Lee let out a deep sigh.

"Are you ok," Dotty asked him pulling him out of his reverie.

Lee glanced at her. He'd been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed that Dotty was sitting in the rocking chair with one of his babies in each arm. Seeing his children made him smile in spite of the turmoil he was feeling. That was why he had come in here in the first place. Even though it was chaotic at times, having two babies at once, they had a calming influence on him. "Here, let me help. You kept them for the entire night. You shouldn't have to handle them all by yourself just because of my personal drama."

"Well, they're both sleeping now. Besides, I don't mind. I love my grandchildren and I love being a part of their lives," Dotty replied.

"I know you do," he said softly as he lifted his sleeping son from his mother-in-law's arms, gently laid him in his crib and gazed down at him while he slept.

Dotty rose from the rocking chair and laid Jennie in her crib, then approached Lee, gently laying a hand on his shoulder. "You know there's another grandmother out there who would probably love it just as much if you'd give her a chance," Dotty pointed out.

Lee turned to face Dotty and said, "She hasn't earned the right. You, on the other hand, have. You've always been there. You even accepted the fact that Amanda and I got married without your knowledge and forgave us for lying to you about it for six months. You welcomed me into this family with open arms, while she's done nothing but lie to me for damn near 33 years. You've been more like a mother to me in the past year or so than she's been my whole life."

"I can certainly understand why you would feel that way, but aren't you being a little hypocritical?" Dotty said pointedly.

"Hypocritical," Lee said incredulously.

"Yes, Lee," Dotty said. "You said it yourself. You and Amanda lied to me, to the boys, to everyone around you for six months, hiding your marriage. I sometimes wonder even now if you'd have ever told the truth if Amanda hadn't become pregnant with the twins."

Lee's mind drifted back to that fateful day last August when they knew without a doubt that the mystery marriage had to end.

August 13, 1987

Lee puttered nervously around his apartment waiting for his wife to arrive to celebrate their six-month wedding anniversary. They had managed to take a long weekend at the same time that Phillip and Jamie were spending the last part of their summer vacation with their father. He surveyed the room wanting everything to be perfect, champagne was chilling in an ice bucket, the room lit with only candlelight creating the perfect romantic glow, dinner was in the over being kept warm, the dining table set, soft music playing low in the background.

Everything looks good, he thought with a smile. All that was missing was his wife. What was keeping her? He picked up the phone and was just about to dial when she let herself in dropping her keys on the entry table and her overnight bag and purse to the floor. He rushed to her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her feverishly, a low growl emanating from him, Amanda sighing in response. He remembered the disappointment he felt when she abruptly pulled away.

"Lee, stop," she said gently pushing on his chest. "I need to talk to you."

"We can talk later," Lee said as he nuzzled her neck. "I've missed you like crazy. It's been nearly two months," he murmured against her skin.

Amanda pushed more forcefully on his chest and replied. "I know it has and I've missed you like crazy too, but there's something I have to tell you that just can't wait. I...um...I got some news today. Can we sit for a minute?" She indicated the couch.

"Yeah, sure," Lee said worriedly no liking the seriousness in her tone or the nervousness he saw in her eyes. He took her hand in his, led her to the couch and they sat down together facing one another. "What is it? Is something wrong? Did something happen to one of the kids, your mother?"

"No, everybody's fine."

"Then what's going on?" He began to panic as he remembered she'd just had her annual agency physical. "Oh, God, your physical," he said. "They found something, didn't they?"

"Uh...yeah...they did."

"What is it? What did they find? Are you ok? Is this another Russian virus thing? Are you gonna' die? Or maybe something left over from your shooting? Are you in pain?"

"Lee, calm down and stop with the questions for a second. I'm fine, not going to die, no virus and I'm completely healed from the shooting. It's nothing life-threatening."

"Then why do you look so worried?"

"I'm pregnant."

Lee snapped back to the present to hear Dotty still talking. It took him a moment to register what she was saying as his mind was still focused on how much those two words from Amanda's mouth had changed everything. He shook off the memories to concentrate on what his mother-in-law was saying.

"...I admit that I was thrown by the whole thing, especially since I'd been dropping very loud hints that the two of you should settle down, but when you explained what you really do for a living and the danger it involved, I understood. That's why I was able to forgive you. Besides, that's what family does. You forgive and forget. You realize that everybody makes mistakes and I realized that you kept the secrets that you did to protect the family. Now, I don't know why your mother did what she did, but since she's a spy too, isn't it logical to think that in keeping her secrets, she was trying to protect you just like you and Amanda were trying to protect Phillip and Jamie in keeping yours?"

"Maybe," Lee said. He had to admit that she had a point, and hadn't Amanda said that he should let his mother explain herself so that he could understand what she'd gone through over the past thirty years?

While Lee was having a heart-to heart with his mother-in-law, Amanda was stewing in the kitchen with hers. "Well, that certainly went well," she said sarcastically.

"He's right," Jennie said softly. "He has every right to feel that I abandoned him. I...I should go. In fact, I never should have come here. I knew it was a grave mistake from the start. I should never have let you talk me into this."

"No," Amanda argued with a firm shake of her head. "You are not leaving."

"You heard what he said," Jennie argued back. "He told me to get out, told you to make sure that I left."

"Well, this is my home too and you're a welcome guest in it. I'll talk to him. If anyone can get through to him, I can. Don't you go anywhere," Amanda started to follow her husband, but was abruptly halted by the sound of Phillip and Jamie running in through the front door.

"Hey, No running in the house," Joe King shouted.

"Hold that thought," Amanda said. "Phillip! Jamie! Get in here!" When both boys entered the room she said, "What's rule do we have here about tearing through the house like wild animals?"

"Don't do it," Phillip said as Jamie replied, "Don't run in the house."

"Good, glad you both understand that. Now, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I want you guys to go put your stuff up and get cleaned up before then."

"Yes, Mom," they both answered as they exited the room.

"I don't know how you do this day in, day out," Joe said as he entered the room with his wife, Carrie, on his arm. "They wore me out in just three days."

"You get lots of practice when you raise two boys by yourself," Amanda answered, her statement coming out a bit harsher than she'd intended.

"Ouch," Joe said.

"I'm sorry, Joe. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. We've just got a bit of family drama going on here today. Thank you for keeping the boys for an extra day."

"What's the matter, Amanda?" Carrie asked in concern. "Did your romantic night out not go as planned?"

"Oh, no, it was great. It was wonderful, in fact," she said with a smile as she briefly reflected on the evening's events. "Just other stuff going on."

"Work-related stuff," Joe queried a little worriedly. "Is there some kind of danger? Should we keep the boys longer?"

"No, nothing like that," Amanda answered. "I'll fill you in another time. Right now, I have to do some damage control."

"That's not necessary, Amanda," Lee said from behind her as he entered the room, Dotty with him. "Hello, Joe, Carrie," he said with a nod toward both of them.

"Lee," Joe said with a cordial nod. "You know, it seems you've got some stuff going on so we should probably go," he added awkwardly.

"Good idea," Lee said as he moved closer to his wife. Jennie watched the interaction silently and couldn't help noticing the tension between the two men.

"Amanda, I'll call you later to arrange our next visit with the boys.

"Ok," Amanda said with a nod and Joe and Carrie made their exit. Amanda turned to her husband and said in concern, "Are you ok?"

"Not just yet, but I will be," he said with a sigh. "I think I'm starting to gain some perspective on this whole thing." He then turned to his mother-in-law and said, "Thanks for the talk, Mom," as he kissed her on the cheek. He then turned to his own mother. "You, me, we need to talk, now." He nodded toward the back door and made his way through it indicating for her to follow him.