Chapter 2: In Which Billy Wonders What is Going On?

It was Friday night and Billy stopped in for his usual Friday night dinner and drinks; sometimes he was alone, sometimes with Lee or another co-worker. Tonight he'd expected to be alone; he knew that Lee and Amanda had a standing Friday night date unless work or something urgent came up. He assumed they'd be long gone or would've gone to a different venue. So, he was quite surprised to find Lee there, at the bar no less, sitting alone, and not just alone, but half way through a bottle of Scotch.

Billy looked at him, one eye raised, but said instead, "Hey, Lee, no Amanda tonight?"

"Billy," Lee acknowledged. Then quietly slurred, "no…..no Amanda."

"Mind if I join you?"

Lee shrugged and poured himself another glass of Scotch.

Hmm, no Amanda, and Lee's drinking. He wondered what happened.

Billy had watched them these past few months, as not just as a team, but as a couple; seen their ups and downs, saw how Lee finally told Amanda how he felt and watched as they worked through a few challenges; Alan Chamberlain first and then Joe. He thought things had smoothed out and were finally on the right path. But he'd forgotten how challenging dating could be. And then again, they had extra stressors; her kids, her mother, the Agency.

Billy sat down and ordered himself a drink and some dinner and watched as Lee shot back the glass he held, grimacing as he swallowed.

"Lee, don't you think you've had enough to drink?"

"No, I think I'll need a few more."

"Lee, did something happen between you and Amanda?"

"Something always keeping us apart…."

"What?"

"I just don't understand it….cosmos in this or what…"

"Cosmos?"

"Was good day until after lunch," Lee began but then stopped talking as he poured himself one more drink.

"Well, I'm sure you two can work it out."

"Then we argued at dinner."

"Arguments are normal in any relationship. How long have you been seeing each other now?"

"Six months!"

"Well, that is definitely long for you."

"Yes, it is," Lee sighed.

"What did you argue about?"

"Amanda said that I was jealous."

"Are you?"

"Well, I-"

"What exactly did Amanda say when she left?" Billy asked.

Lee sighed and said, "That could we just drop it and that she was going home. Then she got up and left me here," Lee slurred out the last words. It all had to do with someone she ran into when she went to lunch; someone from her past. To think, that things had been going so well; Joe had been gone over six months; he had been spending more time with Amanda's sons and her mother, but then….. Lee's train of thought stopped as he heard Billy's voice cut into them.

"Well, Lee, that doesn't sound like Amanda at all." It was one thing that they had a fight, they argued, that was what they did, even when they weren't dating; but for her to just walk out and leave him there, that wasn't like Amanda.

"I know, I know," he repeated as he reached for the bottle again, but not before Billy grabbed it and held it in his hands.

"Okay Lee, I think you've been here long enough! I think it's time I took you home my friend," Billy had managed to have part of his meal and had drunk half his beer.

"Well, I think I need one more," Lee slurred as he began to argue with Billy and attempted to grab the bottle from Billy's hand.

"That's what you said about two drinks ago," Billy reminded him. "Amanda, will kill me if…."

"Amanda! Huh! After tonight, I'm pretty sure Amanda doesn't care much about what I do."

"Lee, that isn't true and you know it."

"Do I?" Lee slurred as Billy paid his and Lee's bill, reached out and grabbed Lee and guided him towards the door.

"Yes, you do! Tomorrow, the two of you will talk and you'll find out that I'm right."

/

When they arrived at Lee's apartment, Billy dumped Lee on his bed and helped him out of his suit jacket and as he did so, the jacket fell upon the floor. Billy reached down to pick it up off the floor and as he did so, he heard a thud as something from Lee's pockets fell out and hit the floor. Billy reached down and retrieved the small box. Well, well Scarecrow! Billy thought to himself as he lifted the box and the silver diamond sparkled slightly in the dark. Billy glanced back at Lee who was thankfully, still knocked out. Billy then quickly re-closed the lid, placed it back in Lee's pocket and placed it on a nearby chair.

Billy couldn't help but to laugh as he let himself out of Lee's apartment, making sure the door was locked when he left. Lee was most definitely a sight-it wasn't of course the first time he'd seen him drunk, but it was the first time he'd seen him drunk over a woman. Keeping the two of them together as partners was one of the best things he'd ever done. Of course, it was because of Lee that Amanda had come to them to begin with—but it was because of Amanda that Lee had become who he was meant to be. In spite of what Lee had said, he was still certain that Lee and Amanda would work things out, as hopeful as he was when he put them together three years ago!

For now, he would leave Lee's and let him sleep it off. At least the next day was a Saturday and neither Lee nor Amanda were scheduled to work, so they'd have a chance to get things straightened out. And better do it, because they were one of his best teams and he couldn't have them splitting up now; he couldn't imagine them working apart. And if Lee was at the point where he was going to propose, Billy knew Lee would never be the same again without Amanda if they didn't work things out; but he was hopeful that they would.