A/N: Hello new fandom! SMK was my first ever 'ship' - before I knew what that word meant! I grew up watching this couple - and the flame for me has never gone out. I feel like my fanfic writing "career" wouldn't be complete without a story for Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I've tried to come up with a fresh premise, but we only have so much material to work with and there are already so many stories out there already - so if I have unintentionally copied from any of you amazing writers, I apologize here and now. None of these characters belong to me!

(UPDATE: 4/18- a couple of reviewers pointed out to me that 2 weeks was too short of a recovery period, and I agree! I have now edited the story so that 2 MONTHS have elapsed since Amanda's shooting.)


April 11, 1987 (Present Day)

I was just setting the tossed salad on Lee's table when I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me back into his chest.

"Amanda-"

"Yes?" I snuggled into his arms.

"What's in the box on the couch?"

I turned in his embrace to wrap my arms around his neck. "I was wondering when you were going to ask about that-"

He dropped a quick kiss on my lips. "Well – we have been a little busy since you got here-"

I felt the warmth rise in my cheeks, but I didn't drop my gaze. I no longer had to hide how much his words, his lips, and the touch of his hands affected me. Not now that I have been Mrs. Lee Stetson for two whole months.

"Darling? What is it? Is something wrong?" he queried when I didn't answer, and I was quick to smile in reassurance.

"Nothing's wrong, Sweetheart. I was just thinking about us – how happy I am to be your wife-"

My words were cut off by his lips and I moaned as Lee pulled me tight to him and I felt desire build in me again. Ever since my shooting, the man had kept his distance, kept his touches brief and his kisses short and sweet.

Until yesterday.

I'd had my final check-up with my own doctor here in DC and gotten the green light to resume all my normal physical activities.

Arrangements had already been made for the boys to spend the weekend with their father and Carrie, so I hurried home and packed an overnight bag, telling Mother that I'd be at Lee's if she needed to get in touch with me.

"Darling, you go and spend time with Lee. I've never seen a man so devastated when you were shot – he tried to hide it, of course, but his eyes gave him away."

I grinned. "I know – his eyes always do."

"Amanda-"

"Yes, mother?"

"He loves you – you do know that don't you?"

I was so tired of all the lies that my secret life made me tell. In a rare moment of insanity, I decided to be honest. I set my bag down and threw my arms around her, squeezing her tight. "I know he does – and I love him too."

I felt her exhaling against me. "Then what on earth are the two of you waiting for?"

I pulled back and gripped her arms. "It's complicated – the boys don't know him very well yet – our jobs – it's complicated, Mother."

"Amanda-"

"Can we talk about this later?"

"You always say that – and we never do!"

"We will, I promise. I have to go – I love you!"

As I drove to Lee's, my eyes fell on the box in the back seat, and I smiled. I really needed to take that up with me – not that its contents would mean much to someone if my vehicle was stolen during one of our cases.

But when Lee answered the door, his eyes fell on the bag in my hand and all other thoughts flew out of my head as he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

"You've been cleared?"

I nodded, to overcome with emotion to speak, as I dropped my overnight bag at our feet.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead as he pulled me into him. "My Amanda," he breathed the words against my skin as I began to tremble in his arms. "I know that I've been keeping my distance from you – but I hope you know I – Amanda, in California, when you were shot-" he shivered and pulled me tighter. "I've never been so scared. One day we were saying our vows and the next-" he swallowed and I pressed a kiss to the pulse point of his neck.

"I know," I whispered. "The happiest day of our lives was followed by your worst nightmare."

He pulled back enough to look me in the eyes. "Exactly."

I smoothed my hands over his chest, feeling the wild beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. "I'm here, Lee. Right here – with you – and I really need you to kiss me."

He cupped my face. "If I start, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop-"

"You don't have to – the boys are with their father and mother knows where I am – we have her blessing." I grinned as his eyes widened in surprise and then darkened with desire. "Now – are we done talking? You always say that I'm the talker but gosh, Lee Stetson, you've proven to me today that I must be rubbing off on you because-"

My words were cut off by the crush of his lips on mine and I groaned deep in my throat. This was always my favorite method of being shut up – and it was a great pity that I had had to wait all these years to discover that Lee's kisses were the best I ever experienced. And yet, some things truly are worth waiting for. I braced my hands on his shoulders as his hands ran down my sides to my waist, lifting me as I wrapped my jean covered legs around his hips and he carried me to the bedroom.

The rumbling of my stomach brought me back to the present and I giggled as I pushed my husband away, swatting his chest. "Lee, we really should eat something – I need food to keep up with your healthy sex drive."

He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at me but withdrew his hands, promising to keep them to himself while we ate.

It wasn't until we were lingering over coffee that the subject of the box was brought up again.

I smiled at him across the table. "It's mostly just mementos – the ticket stub from Verdi's opera, a menu from the chicken shack, a recipe card of Pilgrim's Peach Puff, Sandy Newcombe's football-"

He grinned. "Our first kiss-"

"Was it? I don't really remember-"

"You don't remember the first time we kissed?"

"Well, we were on a case and Bella also kissed me-"

"You're comparing my kisses to –"

I reached across the table and captured his hand. "Gotcha!"

He visibly relaxed and grabbed my other hand. "How is that you can still tie me up in knots?"

I shrugged. "I don't know – I married you – I'm in love with you – I have been for a very long time-"

"How long?"

I shook my head. "I'm not giving you that kind of ammunition-"

He laughed. "So, you brought your mementos to my place?"

"I thought it would be nice to keep them here, you know, share them together."

"And that's all – nothing else is in the box?"

"No – well, I brought my journals."

"Journals?"

I nodded as Lee released my hands and ran a hand through his hair. I sipped my coffee as I watched the tic form in my husband's jaw.

"You mean – you've written down details about you and me and the agency – and left it lying around your house where your mother or the boys or anyone could read it? Amanda! How could you be so – careless? I've told you and told you, no one must know-"

"Lee, can I get a word in, please?"

He clenched his jaw, but closed his mouth, nodding once, waiting for me to reply.

"Thank you. Now, you've been a spy for almost fifteen years, and ten of those years were without me. You were used to the secrets and lies game – it was second nature to you – and I don't think you truly understand how hard it was for me to lie to everyone I loved – and not tell them anything about my new life and abilities. I needed an outlet – a way to vent and let out steam before you and I grew close enough that I felt comfortable telling you those things- are you with me so far?"

Lee had the slightly dazed look he usually got when he tried to keep up with one of my long, rambling speeches.

"Yeah, I'm with you, but Amanda, the risks-"

"Lee, I didn't write down any specific details about our cases – most of it is just about you and me, how I felt and what I was going through-"

He stood and began to pace in the small dining room. "That is dangerous enough – if it ever fell into the wrong hands-"

"They wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of it, Scarecrow."

He stopped short when I used his codename.

"What? Why?"

"Because my journals are encrypted."


A/N: Intrigued? Want more? Please drop me a line in reviews!