A/N: First of all, to all my guest reviewers that I can't reply to - you guys' rock! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story and thank you for your love in reviews! Second, I haven't heard from some of my faithful reviewers in a while (I know a couple of you were having internet issues) and I hope that you come back soon - I miss you guys! Enjoy this chapter: Lee and Amanda's reunion, another case twist. My resolution isn't going to be too graphic, in case any of you are worried - I plan to keep it light, in keeping with the spirit of the show!


"You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man, Amanda."

"Watch me."

I pulled the trigger, and the sound of the bullet was deafening as it left the chamber and pierced Sinclair's chest. He fell to the ground at my feet, looking up at me in shock as blood blossomed across his chest.

I sat up, gasping for air, taking in the fact that I was in a bedroom now, and not locked in the darkness as I had been.

But I had shot Sinclair, hadn't I? Just before-

"Lee?" I called. "Are you here?"

Firm footsteps came from just outside the door and then Lee appeared, his face drawn with exhaustion, but he smiled when he saw that I was awake. He crossed to my side, dropping onto the bed next to me.

"Amanda," he breathed my name softly. "Are you all right?"

I began to tremble as his arms came around me. "I shot him – I've never shot someone before."

"Hush." His fingers were soft and gentle in my hair, as his eyes searched mine. "Sinclair isn't dead, only wounded. He may walk with a limp for the rest of his life but in my opinion, he got off lucky. If it had been me-"

I shook my head, placing fingers over his lips. "I'm okay, he didn't hurt me, not like that – he didn't have time."

"Oh Amanda-" he choked as he swept me up into his chest and held me tight. "When Billy told me Sinclair was out and might be involved in this case – and that you'd missed your daily check-in - it was like reliving a four year old nightmare-"

I tried to lighten the mood by teasing him. "Except we're so much more than partners now-"

He groaned. "Please don't remind me of how much of a blind idiot I was back then-" He pulled away to place a quick peck on my lips.

I smiled. "But now you know for yourself that I am one hot mama."

He grinned, leaning his forehead against mine as I heard a gagging sound from the doorway. We broke apart to see Francine glowering at us.

"I suppose the two of you are going to be even more openly insufferable-"

Billy stepped around her. "Can it, Francine. Now is not the time to air any grievances you have with Lee and Amanda for keeping the true nature of their relationship a secret from all of us." He turned to look at me. "Amanda, how are you? Are you up to telling me what happened?"

I extricated myself from Lee's arms and scooted to the edge of the bed, nodding. "Yes, Sir."

I started with our arrival at PCP headquarters and the fact that we were left alone for the first time, which gave us an opportunity to search Styles' office for a second set of books or other incriminating documentation.

"Emily remained in the outer office area to search Fiona's desk and be a lookout. I got the safe open and found ledgers, a large stack of cash, and some stationery. Unfortunately, I lost all of those items when I exited the office and was chloroformed."

"We're just glad you and Emily are safe," Billy reassured me. "Did you see Emily when you came back into the main office area?"

I shook my head. "No – and I called out for her – before I was jumped on from behind. I think I would have gotten away if there had been only one – but there was a second person that came in front and together they boxed me in." I shrugged. "I didn't have a chance against the two of them and the chloroform."

Lee had been pacing while I was talking – and when I mentioned the fact that there were two assailants that had boxed me in, he looked ready to punch something.

"Lee, I'm okay," I reassured him quickly. "They didn't rough me up – much. Not like Emily. I'm really worried about her."

"Amanda, the NEST team is working on her right now," Francine spoke for the first time. "She's in good hands."

"I still don't understand what happened – I mean, Emily has so much more experience than me. How did they get the jump on her?"

"Amanda, even the most seasoned agent can be caught unaware at times-" Billy shrugged. "Perhaps she found something, and her attention was momentarily diverted – a split second is all it takes."

"Yes, Sir. I feel responsible. She wouldn't be working on this case if it wasn't for me – she was doing it because Lee was out of the country and she wanted to keep an eye on me and she's the one that ends up in the hospital-"

"Amanda, stop it." Lee's voice cut across my own, his eyes meeting mine across the room. "Emily is her own woman and makes her own decisions. She's fearless – and I know for a fact that she would have helped out on this case if I'd been here, because that's who she is – an agent through and through. Besides, you're her niece, remember?"

I gave him a tight smile, knowing that he was trying to make me feel better.

"You're related to Lady Emily Farnsworth?" Francine's voice held disbelief.

I rolled my eyes. "It's an honorary title, Francine." I turned back to Billy. "Where do we go from here? Styles got away with Meg – we have to find her- and those other girls!"

"Amanda-"

"No! We can't just let him get away – are you telling me that there's nothing we can do?"

"Of course not – but I don't want you getting your hopes up. We've collected the files Sinclair dropped when you shot him and taken them back to the Agency. We'll go over those with a fine-tooth comb. Once Sinclair is out of surgery, he'll be transported back to the Agency for interrogation, but I don't think we'll get much out of him – we don't have anything to bargain with and the man can't be tried again for the same crime. The best thing that you and Lee can do now is go home and get some rest-"

I recoiled at the idea. "Sir, I can't-"

"Amanda, don't make me order you like I have to do with Stetson! You haven't eaten or slept in over twenty-four hours, am I correct?"

I thought about it for a moment, and then nodded reluctantly.

"Lee also hasn't slept in almost two days because of his own assignment and the fact that as soon as his plane landed, he was informed of your disappearance. I need you both to eat and then get some sleep while we are waiting for word on Sinclair and Emily's surgeries."

I sighed. "You promise to call as soon as you know anything about Emily or have a break in the case?"

Billy reached out and laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I promise. I'll even call your mother and let her know that both of you are safe and sound and are recovering at Lee's apartment. That way I know both of you will get some rest."

Francine frowned. "Why not just tell Dotty they're on assignment."

Billy chuckled. "Because Dotty knows."

"Knows what?" Francine parroted back and then her mouth dropped open as the truth dawned on her. "Your mother knows that you work for the government?"

I nodded wearily as I stood, and Lee slipped his arm around my waist, pressing a kiss to my temple.

"Well, why didn't the two of you just take an ad out in the Washington Herald?"

"Francine!" Billy snapped. "Now is not the time-"

Lee led me out of the room, and I leaned on my husband for support as my knees threatened to buckle under me. I gasped as I felt myself being lifted into the air, as Lee swung me up and into his arms.

"I can walk," I protested, though my voice sounded weak to my own ears.

"Somehow, I doubt that," he chuckled in my ear. "Just hold on, the car's parked right out front."

"I'm not too heavy?"

He snorted. "You're kidding, right? You're light as a feather, honey. And this time you're awake to remember how you got out of here."

I frowned at his words, trying to place them – but then I smiled, as I remembered the night long ago when I'd been poisoned, and he'd carried me to safety.


11/15/83

All little girls love fairy tales and fantasies – I mean, what's not to love? A prince comes along and sweeps you off your feet, taking you out of your current miserable situation, and into the lap of luxury and ease.

I don't know why I hesitated and gave Jim the name Victoria Grenich instead of Amanda King – I mean, I didn't know at the time that he was someone I needed to be afraid of – someone that I needed to keep at arms' length and protect myself from. The boys love Quickie Chickee and would have been over the moon if they knew that I had met the man behind the business – and yet, alarm bells were going off – even before Lee came back from his meeting in the men's room and scolded me.

That's what he does – he invites me along to these things as his 'cover' – and then when I do what he asks me to do, mingle and act naturally, he gets all bent out of shape. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was jealous.

Which is completely ridiculous.

Lee S- agent extraordinaire, jealous of me, Amanda King, housewife of Arlington, VA. Even writing it down in black and white – it still looks ridiculous.

I didn't think Jim would call me – not really. We just danced and did a bit of flirting. It was a nice fantasy for an evening. It made me feel good – desirable even for one night. Like Cinderella at the ball, before I had to turn back into Amanda. It's been a long time since I've felt sexy to a man – years, really. Jim made me feel like I still had it- and amazingly enough, he did call, and I agreed to go out with him so the Agency could search his house.

But the thing with fantasies is that they aren't real – and reality comes crashing all too soon to burst the bubble of false happiness you've built for yourself. I had fun dancing with Jim – and I had fun feeding him a false backstory that the Agency cooked up for Victoria – but there was a big part of me that was relieved to turn back into Amanda King. I couldn't have kept up the pretense long term. It was exhausting, pretending to be someone I wasn't – I couldn't imagine doing it for months on end – and yet Lee tells me that there are special agents with special assignments who do just that sort of thing.

I know that I'm definitely not cut out for that.

I thought my assignment was finished – but then Lee called, and I met him outside the Smithsonian where he told me he needed me to get invited to Jim's party on Saturday night – which wasn't a problem, since he had already invited me.

I admit that my memory is a bit hazy after that – I know I went to the party, that Lee was my chauffeur and he told me I looked fabulous before I went inside Jim's mansion. But after that- things are really fuzzy. Lee says it's a side effect of the drug H- gave me.

I do remember coming too briefly in an ambulance and seeing Lee's worried face hovering over me. I would also swear under oath that he said something nice about my work – but of course he won't admit it, and I let him off the hook, saying it must have been the sedatives the paramedics gave me.

He showed up in my backyard tonight, something he's never done before - tapping on the window to get my attention. I could tell that he was still worried, though he kept his tone light and a smile on his face the entire time.

When I asked him how he got me out of the house, he simply said, "I carried you."

I can't believe it. Lee S— secret agent man, carried Amanda King, housewife from Arlington, VA out of a house full of East German spies. If that isn't the stuff of fantasies, I don't know what is! The thought still leaves me with a warm, fuzzy feeling that I don't dare dissect too much – not right now.

I told Lee that I used to have fantasies about secret agents – but I didn't tell him that reality is better than any fantasy. Ever since he handed me that package, my life has read like one of Mother's spy novels – who needs fantasies when real life is so full of danger, intrigue, and excitement?


"Amanda."

"Shh, sweetheart, you're going to wake me up-" I murmured, burrowing my face deeper into the softness of a pillow.

Lee chuckled as he swept some of my hair back and trailed a series of soft, wet kisses down my neck. "Sweetheart, it's four o'clock-"

My eyes flew open. "Oh my gosh! How long did you let me sleep?" I rolled over and met his laughing eyes. "We need to get into the office-"

"Whoa! You need to eat-"

I frowned. "Didn't I do that?"

He shook his head at me. "Don't you remember? I barely got you into the apartment before you passed out from exhaustion-"

I ran my hands up and down his chest. "Did you get some rest?"

"A few hours – I've been reading those missing girls' case files-"

"Lee," I admonished him. "You had orders to rest too."

"I did – I took a nap with you," he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Then I threw a tuna noodle casserole together – it should be done in a few minutes."

I sniffed the air and smiled. "I knew I smelled something delicious- how did I get so lucky as to marry a man who can cook?"

"Thank the colonel – the world's most confirmed bachelor – he wanted me to be prepared to fend for myself in case I never found the right woman and settled down."

I looked down to see that Lee had somehow managed to strip me from the restrictive pencil skirt, leaving me wearing only the loose pale gray silk blouse and panties. "Where's my skirt?"

"Hanging up in the closet – I didn't think you'd be able to sleep in that tight skirt – it's not really your style."

"No, it's Amelia the secretary's style, not Amanda Ki- Stetson's style. I've missed my flowy skirts so much this week."

"You have a couple hanging in the closet-"

I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, silencing his words, breathing in his scent, and taking comfort in his presence. He moaned into the contact and lifted his hands, his fingers caressing my cheeks. The oven timer dinged, and I broke away, panting against his neck.

"We need to eat-"

"And get going, I know," I finished his sentence. "To be continued?"

"You bet." He gave me a short, intense kiss and bounced off the bed to check on our early dinner while I crossed the floor to open the closet and sighed in relief as I saw two outfits hanging next to his suits. I unbuttoned my blouse and dropped it to the floor in a fit of uncharacteristic messiness and reached for my pale blue skirt, slipping it up and over my head, fastening it about my trim waist. I was just reaching for a matching sweater when Lee's voice from the doorway stopped me.

"Amanda!"

I whirled, the sweater falling to my feet. "Lee, you scared the hell out of me! What-"

But Lee wasn't listening to me. He had crossed the room and was standing in front of me, his face a mix of differing emotions: fear, anger, confusion, and more.

"Lee?"

He turned me around, his hands running over my bare back, and I shivered under his touch – it was still arousing, even though I knew he was looking at something I couldn't see, and he wasn't trying to get me in the mood.

"What is it?"

"You have a series of numbers written on your back."

"What?" I gasped, as I twisted my head, trying to get a look.

"Wait - let me get a mirror. You can't see them without one." He left my side and went into the bathroom and came back with his shaving mirror. "Here." He moved me over to the full-length dressing mirror, turning me so that my back faced it.

I took the shaving mirror and held it up until I could see my lower back. Two rows of numbers written in thick black marker printed in a heavy block style across my back – where did they come from? Who had written them and what did they mean?

"Lee, what-"

"I don't know – yet. Can you read them to me?" He had a pen and small notepad in his hand.

"Sure, ready? First row is 19.77855 – and second row is 96.42922– Lee, I think these are latitude and longitude numbers-"

"Maybe – but they don't have any compass directions-"

"I know, but I don't see how they could be account numbers or cash values – and it would make sense if it was a destination. Sinclair said that I was going to be sold, eventually."

The tic was back in Lee's jaw. "When I get my hands on that guy-"

"No! Lee, listen to me- I'm fine. And we need him alive and relatively unhurt to be able to tell us where the girls are – and I need you out of jail and with me and the boys, all right?"

He nodded as he placed his hands on my waist. "You eat some of that casserole I made while I make some calls."

"You need to eat too."

"I will – just let me call the Agency, all right? Give these numbers to Francine – see if they are a location on the globe somewhere- and maybe they've heard something about Emily."

"Okay." I pecked his lips and moved towards the door.

"Amanda."

"Yeah?"

"Put on your sweater –" he tossed the garment to me. "Otherwise, we're going to get distracted."

I laughed and slipped it over my head as he picked up the phone.


"Mexico?"

"Not what you were expecting?"

"I – no, not really. I mean, Project Care Patch's party line has been 'come help the youth of Africa' – so I guess it surprises me that these coordinates are for a little coastal city in Mexico-"

Lee shook his head as he took another huge bite of food. "Not just the city – it pinpoints the exact location of a horse ranch owned by the Lopez brothers – one of which is named – wait for it, Martinez."

I dropped my fork in surprise as I stood up. "That's the name Sinclair mentioned. Lee, this has to be it – this has to be where the girls are being held – what are we waiting for?"

Lee placed his hand over mine and waited until I sat back down. "We can't just go down there, break into the Lopez ranch, and demand the girls back with little proof – what if we're wrong? There's such a thing as diplomacy – as much as I hate it, Billy is the first one to remind me that we can't go trampling on another country's foreign affairs – it tends to upset the President."

"So, what, we can't do anything?"

"I didn't say that. Billy is already talking to our President, who is contacting the Mexican President, as well as our ambassador down there. The wheels are in motion – we just have to be a little patient."

"Well, what's a few more days? I mean, it's been two years for a couple of those girls!" I bit the words out sarcastically.

"Sweetheart-"

"Don't 'sweetheart' me right now!" I threw my napkin on my plate and got up to pace the room. "You don't have children, Lee – so you can't understand the agony these parents and grandparents are going through! The worrying about what's happened to them – if they're dead or alive. The wondering that keeps you up at night – thinking about what you'd say if you could just have one more day with them – and terrified that you might never get the chance-"

"Amanda, stop!" Lee was in front of me, grabbing my arms to give me a little shake. "Do you honestly think just because I'm not their biological father, that it wouldn't kill me if something happened to Philip or Jamie? I'd rather die myself than see anything bad – I love those two sons of yours with everything in me-"

I swallowed hard as I threw my arms around his neck, trying to hold back the sobs. "I'm sorry – I shouldn't have said that – you're the sweetest, most caring man I know. Sometimes I wish – and then I feel just awful for even thinking it-"

He chuckled. "Well then, we can be awful together, because I've had the exact same thought over the years, Mrs. Stetson." He pushed me back to look in my eyes. "Did something happen with Joe while I was gone?"

I dropped my eyes to study the third burton on his shirt. "Well, I don't know why you would think something happened-"

"A-man-da."

I smiled sadly. "You were right. He's still in love with me."

I felt the shock run through my husband's body as he stiffened in my arms. "He said that."

"Try not to gloat too much."

He shook his head slowly. "I would never – what happened?" he repeated.

"We had brunch – well, we met for brunch – never actually got to the meal because he made me so mad that I stormed out."

"How did he do that?"

"Can we sit down?"

Lee kept his arm around my shoulders as he steered me into the living room and sat both of us down on the sofa. I curled into his side and for a few minutes, I didn't speak, just breathed in the scent of his aftershave as I collected my thoughts.

"I agreed to meet him because I wanted to help Jamie- he's still very hurt that his dad is moving back to Estoccia-"

"Did Joe say why he's decided to go now?"

"Yeah – because it hurts too much to see you and me together."

"What?" Lee exclaimed. "I thought he was engaged to – Carrie, isn't it?"

"You know very well that's her name, Lee Stetson. Apparently, he broke things off with her – said that she was his rebound – like Dean was mine after the divorce."

"Ooo-kay," he drawled. "So, what? He just expected you to fall back into his arms?"

I shrugged. "I think part of him was hoping that given enough time we would find our way back to each other-"

Lee sat up, breathing hard. "Of all the-"

I laid my hand on his chest and my husband calmed under my touch. "Lee, I was very clear with Joe from his first day back that I had moved on. That I wanted to continue to move forward."

"Really?"

I smiled at the hopeful puppy dog look on his face.

"Yes, really. Besides, Joe saw my engagement ring, so he knows we are officially engaged. He knows that there's no chance of a reconciliation."

He grunted. "You should have told him he was too late – that you're already my wife."

"Lee Stetson!"

"It's the truth-"

I cupped his face in my hands. "And soon enough everyone will know that. For now, isn't it enough to know that you were right – Joe did want me back – but I told him it was never going to happen – because I'm taken." I leaned in a placed a wet kiss on his lips. "Since the day I met you, I was taken."

Lee attacked my mouth, knocking my hands away as his were suddenly everywhere, lowering me to the sofa, pressing me into the cushions. When we pulled apart to draw air into our lungs, he whispered, "Lose the sweater."

I grinned. "A while ago you told me to put it on because walking around without one was a distraction-"

He waggled his eyebrows at me. "Well, that was before we ate dinner. Now it's time for dessert – and I think we could both use a little distraction. Don't you, Mrs. Stetson?"

"Indeed."


A/N: A little SMK lovin' before we get back to the case. Mexico? Hmm. Wonder what's going on at that ranch? And how's Emily? Want more? Leave me some love in reviews to feed the muse!