A/N: Thank you, everyone, for all the LOVE in reviews. Keep them coming - they feed the muse! I think this story is going to be a fun one! The plot thickens in this chapter. . . .
Francine stormed into the bullpen and marched over to Amanda's desk in the corner, slamming her briefcase down on top.
"Something the matter?" Amanda teased but didn't miss a beat in her furious typing as her fellow agent flopped into the chair.
"Do you know what Billy asked me to do this morning?" Francine's tone dripped sarcasm and Amanda bit back her smile.
"I couldn't imagine – I've been chained to this desk ever since I got here, finishing my report on the Melbourne case."
"I would have loved to have traded places with you – that man sent me out to the Betsy Ross Estates to follow up on a complaint about a missing wife – all because the husband called and bothered his congressman after hours-"
Amanda pulled the sheet out of the typewriter and gave it one last scan before nodding and placing it in a manila folder. She turned her full attention to her friend, shrugging her shoulders, still not seeing what the problem was. "So? You got some fresh air-"
"Amanda! It's the suburbs!" Francine shuddered. "Do you know who lives in the suburbs-" she lowered her voice and leaned over the desk. "Children!" she hissed the word as if it was profanity.
Amanda laughed. "They won't bite you – well, not unless you get too close to them-"
Francine's face drained of color and Amanda laughed harder.
"You're awful."
"I'm sorry," Amanda sobered. "Do you need some coffee?"
"No, I stopped for some on the way back. I just thought you might be a bit more understanding – I mean, kids aren't your thing either. Oh, wait. I forgot. Your partner has kids, doesn't he?"
Amanda's expression darkened at the vague reference to Lee Stetson – a civilian that she had dragged into this world of espionage. She hadn't talked to Lee in a month. There hadn't been any cases where his particular skill set could have helped her, so she followed Agency protocol and maintained the 'no contact' rule. No one needed to know that in her off hours, once or twice a week, she found herself across the river in Arlington on Maplewood Drive. Just to make sure he was all right – that his kids were safe. He had helped take down a major ring of foreign agents after all – Amanda wanted to be sure that Lee and his family were in the clear.
"Amanda?"
She startled in her seat and her eyes flew to lock with Francine's blue ones.
"What?"
"Where did you go? Are you thinking about your partner?"
Amanda snorted. "I don't have a partner, Frannie, you know that."
Francine smirked. "Sure, Mandy."
Amanda stuck out her tongue as the conference room door flew open and Billy bellowed.
"Amanda, Francine, in here – on the double!"
Both women leapt to their feet and fell into step with each other.
"What's this all about?"
"Your guess is as good as mine – I'm still working my way back into his good graces after the Mrs. Welch incident."
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous – that's water under the bridge."
Francine reached for the doorknob and threw a reply over her shoulder. "He didn't send you out to the suburbs at the crack of dawn, did he?"
Always so dramatic!
Amanda kept the thought to herself as she entered behind the blonde agent, her eyes scanning the room, taking in the handful of agents, their section chief Billy Melrose, and finally landing on Mrs. Frampton, the head of the Agency's security review board.
"Have a seat, Panda," the woman ordered, and Amanda took the last seat at the end of the table, next to Francine. "I wanted to let you know that the review board has finished its security check on Mr. Lee Stetson."
Amada cleared her throat. "Pardon me, but I thought I submitted my own report to you and Mr. Melrose weeks ago-"
Mrs. Frampton nodded. "You did, and although we took that report into consideration, you must know that a formal review was required."
"So my report wasn't necessary-"
"On the contrary, Agent West – the research you provided, and your own personal testimony was invaluable. However, if Mr. Stetson is going to work with the Agency in any capacity, a thorough investigation of his background needed to be conducted."
"Amanda," Billy spoke up, turning his chair to look her in the eye. "Mrs. Frampton was only doing her job. I'm sure she didn't mean to ruffle feathers or step on your toes, did you, Regina?"
Mrs. Frampton gave a small, tight smile. "Of course not. None of this is personal."
None of this is personal. The typical party line – except the Agency digs into every aspect of your personal life from the moment you were born and can twist even the most innocent event to mean something else – something subversive.
"And what did your investigation reveal about Lee Stetson?" Amanda kept her tone light and neutral, revealing none of her inner turmoil.
"We have confirmed that Lee Stetson's father, Matthew, did indeed work for British Naval Intelligence and his mother, Jennifer, worked for them as well. We weren't able to determine when she officially retired as it seems she continued to work on a part-time basis after Lee was born, finally terminating her employment when Matthew was killed in an automobile accident when Lee was ten years old. That's when she moved to DC to be closer to Matthew's parents, who passed away when Lee was in college."
Francine raised her hand and waited for Mrs. Frampton to acknowledge her. "Lee's father was killed?"
"His case is still open – it's never been solved."
"Does Lee know?" Amanda demanded. "That his father was murdered by some unknown foreign agent?"
Mrs. Frampton frowned. "We were unable to determine that in the course of our investigation. We talked to several of Matthew Stetson's surviving agents as well as the head of his department, Colonel McMann. Jennifer was informed at the time of Matthew's death and is updated every six months on the progress of her husband's case-"
Amanda sniffed in disgust. "Or lack thereof."
Mrs. Frampton blinked and then cleared her throat. "I fear we have wandered rather far afield. We're here to discuss the results of Lee's security review, not try to solve a twenty-five-year-old cold case that occurred overseas."
I'll drop it – for now. But you're sadly mistaken if you think I'll forget about it.
Amanda nodded and waved her right hand. "Let's get on with it then."
"Lee Stetson went to Georgetown University, then law school. He passed the bar-"
"Wait, he's a lawyer?" Francine interrupted this time, and Mrs. Frampton bit her lip, clearly impatient with all these interruptions. "Didn't you tell me he's a clerk at a law firm, not an attorney?" she demanded, turning to Amanda.
Amanda nodded. "He is – he's a clerk at Steele and Wilson, a small firm in Georgetown-"
Mrs. Frampton noisily cleared her throat. "If I may be allowed to continue-" she waited for both women to look in her direction. "Before Lee could set up in practice, his wife ran off to New York City to pursue her fashion career, abandoning her two young sons, Philip and Jamie Stetson. Lee called his mother for help and Jennifer immediately gave up her downtown apartment and moved in. Lee applied for clerk positions all for the city, eventually accepting the position at Steele and Wilson."
"What happened to his wife?"
"Lee filed for divorce and child support – both of which were granted by a judge in the family court."
"Wait – she can afford child support?" Francine demanded. "She made it in the fashion industry? What's her name?"
"Wendi Wallace."
Francine gasped. "The Wendi Wallace? As in the Wendi Wallace who designed my blouse and half the clothes in my closet?"
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Calm down, fan girl. She also abandoned her own husband and two small boys to make those clothes – doesn't sound like someone you should look up to –"
"Amanda, come on! I set aside portions of my paychecks every month so that I can pay for her designer originals! The woman is a genius!"
"Ladies, please!" Billy's voice cut through their conversation. "We've gone off track again - Regina, bottom line: is Lee Stetson a security risk?"
"Bottom line? No. He's too busy working to provide for his boys and his mother to have any subversive tendencies or questionable relationships. Unless you count the unwise decision he is making in dating the boss' daughter-"
Amanda shook her head. "I thought he was smarter than that."
"Well," Mrs. Frampton sniffed. "I don't know how serious it is – from what our surveillance has picked up, their dating relationship is still casual and in the early stages."
Francine leaned over and whispered in Amanda's ear. "Good, plenty of time for you to swoop in and get rid of her."
Amanda turned her head and glared at Francine. "I don't date field agents – or people I work with – too messy when things don't work out."
"So, I can try my hand then?"
"Sure. Just don't wear one of his ex-wife's designer outfits when you ask him out."
"Ladies-"
Amanda and Francine snapped their attention back to their boss to see that Mrs. Frampton had left and the three of them were alone.
"What's up, Billy? Do we have a new case?"
"A new lead," Billy clarified, "on the possible location of where those guns are coming from that are arming the ring in South America." He looked at Francine in expectation.
She stared back before her mouth fell open in surprise. "You think it's coming from somewhere in the Betsy Ross Estates – the pristine suburbs of DC? Billy, that's crazy?"
"Why?" He held out his hands, shrugging his shoulders. "Who would suspect the average American household of smuggling guns?"
"It's a good cover-" Amanda admitted. "But how is the Agency going to infiltrate the suburbs without sticking out a like a sore thumb?"
Billy grinned. "You'll need a good cover – and a partner."
"I don't work with a partner."
"You do on this assignment." Billy took a small box from his pocket and slid it across the table.
Amanda caught it and flipped the lid up, revealing two gold wedding bands. Her startled eyes flew up to meet her boss' laughter.
"Congratulations, Panda – you're getting married!"
The buzzer on Bo Steele's desk sounded again and the man let out a grunt of frustration as he pushed the glowing button.
"Brenda, I told you we weren't to be disturbed for any reason-"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Steele, but it's Mr. Stetson's boys' school on Line 2. This is the second time they've called and I'm afraid something is wrong with one of the boys-"
Lee straightened up from the other side of the desk, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He and Mr. Steele had been sequestered in the office most of the day, pouring over notes and the research he had pulled together for the trial that started tomorrow. He knew that they were at a critical point in the prep, but if something was wrong with Philip or Jamie-
"Go," Bo Steele barked. "Pick up the extension in Wilson's office," he waved a hand toward his partner's room.
"Are you sure?" Lee questioned, still hesitating, even though every fiber of his being wanted to run to the phone.
"Family trumps everything – go."
"Thank you, Sir."
Lee bolted into the office and slammed the door behind him. He picked up the receiver and punched the blinking button for Line 2.
"This is Lee Stetson – who am I speaking with, please?"
There was a pause before he heard a voice that he hadn't heard in over a month – a voice that haunted his dreams – a voice that, honestly, in his waking hours he wondered if he'd made up.
"Hello, Lee, it's Amanda."
He sat on the corner of the desk, his back to the closed door, and dropped his voice. "You!" he sputtered into the phone. "You – you can't just call here whenever you want! Real people with real honest-to-goodness jobs work here and they won't understand you – or what you do!"
She laughed and the sound only made his blood boil more. When he had last seen her, she had made it sound like they would see each other again soon – would work together again soon. Instead, one day became two, became a week, became two weeks, until a month passed by, and he'd heard nothing from her. Day after day he'd woken up to the same old dull routine, secretly craving the excitement that occurred when he'd been working the Mrs. Welch case with her.
What the hell was wrong with him?
He was a single father of two, with a mother and a mortgage.
He needed to focus on paying off his student loans and putting food on the table and keeping his family safe. Any extra time he had was used up in being a Trail Blazer leader, a Bomber Baseball Coach, and going on the occasional date with Eva.
There was no time in his life for espionage, danger, excitement-
"What do you want?" he demanded. "I'm busy."
"I have a job for you – us."
"So, that's it. A month of silence and then you call and – bam! I'm just supposed to drop everything and come running? I happen to be at work right now-"
"Which is why I told your secretary that I was calling from the boys' school. Just tell your boss that one of the boys got sick and you need a couple days off-"
"You want me to lie to my boss? I can't-"
"I thought you wanted to work for the Agency-"
"I do but I'm not going to lie-"
"Okay, then tell your boss I said Philip is sick and is asking for you-"
"Why can't my mother pick him up?"
"Because she's getting her hair done-"
The protest died on Lee's lips. Today is the first Thursday of the month – Mother is at the salon. How does she know that?
"Look – today's Thursday, right?" Amanda was still talking. "Ask your boss for the rest of today and tomorrow off. Give me through the weekend to solve this case – personally I don't even think it will take that long."
Lee grunted. "Because you're that good?"
"That's right."
He sighed. "I better pick Philip up and take him home – just in case Mr. Steele checks up on me. Where should I meet you – say, two hours from now?"
"Got a pen and paper? I'll give you the address."
Lee scribbled the address on a piece of S&W letterhead. "What's here?"
"Our home, Mr. West."
He nearly dropped the phone receiver. "Excuse me?"
"We're going to be posing as husband and wife in the Betsy Ross estates-"
"That's asking too much – good-bye, Amanda."
"WAIT! Lee, don't hang up, please."
He remained silent, listening to her rapid breathing on the other end of the line, wondering if she was worried he would say no, and if she had a plan b if he actually refused to help her.
"Are you still there?"
"I'm listening."
"Look, I know the end of your marriage was a nightmare – but I'm not asking you to play house with me. I'm asking you to help me stop a gun smuggling ring and save lives. Three days. That's all I'm asking. If at the end you never want to work with me, or see me again, I'll understand."
"Three days," he agreed. "I'll see you at the house in two hours, Mrs. West."
Amanda tossed her flashlight on the bed and stretched her arms over her head, glad that their long evening was finally at an end. She removed the gun from her ankle holster, conscious of Lee's eyes on her the entire time, as she engaged the safety and placed it gently on the bedside table.
"Well, all things considered, I think that was a successful night's work."
Lee looked at her in astonishment. "You're joking, right? Frank Bodine is dead!"
"I know – and there isn't anything we can do about it. If you're thinking we might have saved him by arriving a few minutes earlier, don't. We only would have gotten caught in the crossfire and you or I would have very likely been shot as well." She sighed wearily as she stripped off her black turtleneck sweater, revealing a black lacy camisole that left little to the imagination.
"Amanda-"
"Hmm?" she murmured as she toed off her shoes and reached for the snap on her slacks.
"A-MAN-da!"
"What? Oh my gosh!" she gasped as it dawned on her that she was undressing in front of Lee, a man she barely knew, and that he was blushing furiously as he turned around, acting as if it mattered to him that he saw her partially naked.
Why didn't it matter to her?
"Sorry," she mumbled. "I'm so tired that I'm not thinking straight – about anything right now." She reached out a hand, but he backed away and she sighed. "Please don't think that I was trying to – because I wasn't. I know you have a girlfriend-"
"Girlfriend?"
"Yeah – you're dating your boss' daughter-"
"Oh, Eva. Well, I wouldn't call her my girlfriend – we've been out a few times – but I don't think it's going to go anywhere," he shrugged. "It never does."
She decided a subject change was in order. "Want some tea?"
"I thought you were exhausted?"
"I am – but I'm still too keyed up to sleep."
Lee chuckled. "I guess breaking and entering will do that to you."
"Hey, technically it was just entering. The back door was open-"
"If you say so-"
She shoved him in the chest. "Go put the kettle on, Mr. West – I'll slip into my flannel pajamas and join you in a few minutes."
Lee felt an enormous rush of relief as he escaped the bedroom and went downstairs to the small kitchen that still contained the mountain of dishes and remnants of leftovers from the impromptu housewarming party hours before. He smiled to himself as he remembered Amanda's nervousness about how to meet their neighbors and his reassurance that it wouldn't be necessary. Her thunderstruck expression as the doorbell kept ringing and ringing and neighbors kept piling into the small living room carrying platters of food was priceless.
"This kitchen looks like a disaster zone," Amanada announced as she entered, clad in soft cotton pajamas, similar to ones his boys wore. "Do we have a maid?"
Lee smiled and handed her a mug of hot water and a box of tea bags so she could choose her flavor. "I don't think the Agency provided one of those, did they?"
Amanda swirled her tea bag in the steaming water. "No, I guess not. Get to it, husband."
"Me? Surely you know how to wash dishes?"
Amanda's nose crinkled as she thought. "I don't think I've done dishes since I was eight years old."
"It's actually easier when you're older – the water doesn't burn you, and you can reach things easier." He pulled a pair of yellow rubber gloves from under the sink. "Do you want to wash or dry?"
An hour later, the kitchen was clean, and the neighbors' platters and dishes were stacked and organized on the end of the counter thanks to Lee's excellent organizational skills. Lee and Amanda sat at the small table, nursing their second cup of tea, this time without caffeine to help them sleep.
"Why do you think Frank's last word was 'hairdryer'?" Lee wondered aloud.
"It was a clue, obviously."
"Good work, Sherlock. Did you find anything in the garage?"
"There were boxes and boxes of cosmetics and larger beauty products out there-"
"Any hairdryers?"
"I think so- and not just the handheld kind – I think I saw the big dryers the salons use too."
Lee frowned. "Why would there be salon type dryers in the Bodine garage?"
"The Golden Circle girls handle big overseas shipments to wealthy clients-"
"Yeah, but hairdryers?"
Amanda set her mug down on the table with a thump. "Lee! What if those hairdryers contain the guns we're looking for?"
"How could they? I mean, the boxes are put through an x-ray machine before they are put on a plane-"
Amanda ran a hand through her hair. "We're close – I know we are. Hopefully tomorrow when we open those boxes at the Agency, we'll figure out exactly what's inside and see if it has anything to do with the gun smugglers."
Amanda unwrapped her hands from Lee's neck, as they stepped apart to collect their breath, both of their hearts still racing from their close call with death.
She turned to the cars that had just pulled up, agents spilling out of the front and back seats.
"Bobby Bouchard and his goons are up on the roof – don't let them get away!"
"Hey," Lee said softly, waiting for her to turn back to him. "You okay?"
She laughed shakily. "I was going to ask you that – things got a bit hairy back there."
Lee shrugged. "When Marian told me you had been taken upstairs to Bobby's office, I knew our cover had been blown-"
She reached out and took his hand. "And yet you followed my lead beautifully! Picking up on my cue about scouting for the competition and then we both grabbed the hairspray at the same time," she broke off laughing, releasing his hand in the process. "What made you think of that?"
"I took a self-defense course in college. Our instructor told us in an emergency to use anything as a weapon – keys, hairspray, whatever you can get ahold of to fend off an attacker."
"Smart instructor."
He nodded and began to walk down the sidewalk, looking for a taxi to hail. She fell into step with him.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"I have to get home – weekend's almost over and I haven't seen the boys at all. And then, well, tomorrow's Monday and it's back to the grind."
"So, that's it? You helped me solve this case and you're just walking away?"
"Amanda-"
"Lee, listen. I know that I'm asking you to make all the sacrifices here and it's not fair. You'll be the one leading a double life, lying to your family, friends, and colleagues. But I thought we made a pretty good team – you may even make me change my mind about needing a partner – once in a while, not all the time! And if you think that you can just go back to your hum drum existence at the law firm and you won't miss all this excitement of taking down the bad guys and making the world a better place, well then, the biggest lie you're going to be telling is to yourself!"
By the end of her speech, Lee was staring at Amanda in open-mouthed astonishment before he began to laugh, shaking his head in amusement.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
"You are," he admitted. "I have no idea how you said all of that in one breath."
She shrugged. "My Aunt Thea says I was blessed with the gift of gab – though sometimes I think it's more of a curse."
He stepped forward into her personal space as he slipped the wedding ring off his finger and placed it in the palm of her hand, curling her fingers around it. His stare was intense as he backed away and she felt something in her belly – a warmth, followed by a lingering chill that she might be losing something precious. "Guess this means the honeymoon's over, huh?"
"For now."
The chill disappeared as hope bloomed in her chest. "Does that mean-?"
"You said at the beginning of this case that it would be my decision-"
"I did."
"I want to continue working with you – but please, no more marriage covers."
"That was Billy's idea – but I'll see what I can do. Want a ride home?"
Lee smiled, his dimples popping out. "That would be great."
"Oh no."
"What's wrong?"
"That's Eva's car."
"Your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Hmm, then why's she here?"
"I don't know – but you better leave before she sees you."
"I can't until you get out of the car."
"Good point." Lee exited her red Camaro and then leaned inside the open window. "So, should I call you or will you-"
"We'll be in touch, Stetson."
He withdrew quickly as she floored it and the Camaro sped down Maplewood Drive. Chuckling, he turned and came face to face with a frowning Eva.
"Eva, hi! Did I forget we had a date for this evening?"
"Who was that?"
"Who was – oh, the lady that dropped me off?"
"Yes – who was she?"
"Eva, I'm not seeing anyone else," Lee soothed, placing his arms gently around her waist.
"How can I be sure of that? I came over because I heard Philip got sick, and you had taken time off work and when I get here you aren't even home!"
Lee swallowed, buying time as he wondered how exactly he could explain his absence.
"I was hoping you would have some free time for us but instead your mother tells me that you are off planning some end of the year event for the Bombers. I didn't realize your meeting was with a woman-"
Bless you, Mother. I owe you a box of your favorite truffles!
"Eva," he crooned, pulling her further into his arms. "That was Mrs. Morton, one of the Bomber Mothers – and trust me, we have a strictly business relationship. Our work is done for now, and I'm all yours. Did you bring over something delicious to make for dinner?"
Eva nodded, lifting her face and meeting Lee's lips with hers. He kissed her lightly, trying to infuse some passion into the contact but as had happened every time they touched, there was no spark. He kept hoping something would happen, but so far, a deeper connection with Eva hadn't formed.
Lee was beginning to fear that when Wendi left him, she had left his heart shattered and beyond repair.
The front door flew open, and Jennifer Stetson stood on the step. "There you are, darling! I told Eva you would be home from your Bomber meeting soon! Eva, I think your pot is about to boil over-"
Eva swore under her breath and broke out of his hold, running up the sidewalk and into the house. Lee chuckled and came up the front walk slowly, dropping a kiss on his mother's cheek when he reached her side.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"You know."
"Hmm. So, it's done? Whatever you were off doing – and you're safe – the country's safe?"
"Mother!"
Jennifer shook her head. "Don't tell me – I don't want to know – just promise me that if you're going to continue in your father's footsteps – promise me you'll be careful. Lee, I can't lose you too."
Lee cupped his mother's face, kissing her forehead as two tears escaped and rained down her cheeks.
"I promise to be as careful as I can be."
Somewhere deep in the warehouse district of DC, a secret meeting was being held between five people around a conference table.
"Have there been any new developments since our latest agents were captured?"
Heads shook around the table.
A fist crashed onto the table. "Not good enough. I know the setback we suffered from Mrs. Welch going offline – but we already have two teams ready to take her place. What we need to know is who is responsible for her capture?"
"Welch herself said it was the agent known as Panda-"
"But we all know Panda doesn't work alone – Panda works with the Agency. Panda was in fact at the estate when the place was swarmed by agents. Correct?"
More head nods.
"So, someone else blew the whistle on Mrs. Welch and her network – someone else was the brains behind the operation and I want to know who!"
Silence met this demand until the door swung open, and a young woman strode in, confident and smug.
"I apologize for being late but I have news – a lead on the person we are looking for-"
The leader leaned forward. "You mean-"
"Yes, the brains behind it all." She reached into her blouse and pulled out two Polaroid pictures, tossing them onto the conference table.
"His name is Lee Stetson."
A/N: Dun dun dun! What secret organization is this - and who is the mysterious woman? (Don't think too hard - LOL). I'm not going to do every episode - but I couldn't pass up this one! Reviews are LOVE!