After leaving the hospital, Lee and Amanda ran back to the office to follow up on a few things. Amanda was in the Q Bureau, looking at some paperwork, while Lee talked to Billy.
"He's up to something, I just know it," Lee was saying to Billy as he paced around in his office. "He left, and then he started communicating more with the boys on a regular basis; more letters and more phone calls and gifts and then he just shows up here in the states…just as me and Amanda have gotten even closer and I'm about to ask her to marry me. Well, he can't have her back.
"Lee, you know that I'm here for you, but could you do me a favor?"
Lee stopped his pacing. "Yeah, sure Billy, what?"
"Could you please sit down before you wear a hole in my carpet?"
"But Billy…"
"I need you to calm down and sit down."
Lee reluctantly complied.
"Now, Scarecrow, tell me what's going on."
"Apparently Joe is back in the country."
"For a visit?"
"I don't know, we didn't get to talk to him all that long, but I got the feeling from the conversation at the hospital, that he was back to stay."
"Well, wouldn't that be a good thing for the boys?" Billy ventured.
"I guess, but I don't know this for sure, but Billy, I get the feeling, that Joe still wants Amanda back."
"Lee, you can't be sure of that."
Lee ran his fingers through his hair. "Just a feeling and no, I'm not sure of it; I got a pretty good hunch about this and my hunches are usually dead on. You know that, Billy!"
Billy let out a sigh. "Yeah, they usually are."
"I swear, I'm proposing to Amanda come hell or high water. I don't care if Joe is back. It will take civilization as we know it to end for me not to propose to Amanda this weekend."
"Well, everything is a go on my end."
"Thanks Billy."
"So, what happened when you went to see Dr. Smythe?"
"He was well, you know….his usual cheery poetic self...but he actually thanked me and especially Amanda for saving him."
"Yeah, me and Francine got one of his thank you's too!" Billy said wryly.
"Yeah, but he told Amanda to make sure to let him know if she needed any help where Joe was concerned."
"What?"
Lee explained Dr. Smythe had seen them talking to Joe in the hallway. "Yeah, our voices must've been raised a bit, so he came out into the hallway. He was rather crisp to Joe; you know Dr. Smythe's usual style but later in his room, he told Amanda to let him know if Joe tried to give us any trouble."
"Trouble about what? Now I'm really confused."
"Well, apparently the night he was kidnapped, he had seen me and Amanda in the park."
"Oh did he? And he didn't give you any flack about it?"
"No, I guess since we saved his life, he thought better of it."
"Yeah, I guess that would change anyone...even Dr. Smythe...if only a little."
"Yeah, there's something about almost dying that will change a person." Lee stood up. "Thanks Billy, if it's alright, I'm going to get Amanda and get her out of here."
"No, it's fine."
"You know how she is, she is probably tired and in some discomfort, but she'd stay and keep right on working and not say anything."
"Yeah, I know how she is. And you gotta love her for it." Billy said with a smile.
Lee smiled. Yes, I do! He thought to himself.
"Tell Amanda not to overdo things. And if she needs tomorrow off, it is fine by me. You too for that matter Lee. You two did a great job."
"Thanks sir, I'll tell Amanda, but I want us to use that extra time off you gave us for uh, something else," Lee responded with a crooked smile.
"I got you!"
/
Sure enough, Amanda was at her desk working away at filing when Lee stood in the doorway to their office.
"Come on, time to go home."
"But Lee, I had a few more files to put away," Amanda protested.
"It can wait til tomorrow."
"Okay."
Lee stopped dead in his tracks and took a good look at her. Her eyes looked tired, puffy from not enough sleep. Yet, she was still beautiful.
"Well, that was quick and easy."
"I'm too tired to argue."
"Well, let's go!"'