In Limbo

Chapter 29

When Amanda awoke in her motel room, it was nearing noon, so she got up to head to the bathroom to fix her hair when the phone rang.

Going to the desk, she picked it up, answering, "Hello?"

It was Lee. "Hi. How are you doing?"

Amanda replied, "Better than I was...Listen, I'm sorry I left the office that way...I-I didn't mean to upset you, but my mind's been all over the place lately, and I don't know how to move forward with this...With you, and-"

Lee chuckled softly, commenting, "I-I know, I know...Are you ready to have some lunch now? We really need to iron out some stuff, and make some sort of plan, but look, I'm not trying to back you into a corner, really. I guess I'm just excited about what could be, you know?"

Amanda answered quietly, "Yes, I-I understand...Look, if you're in the lobby, then come to my room because I'm still trying to fix my hair and my face since I just got up, okay?"

Lee remarked, "On my way, but I'm sure you look great."

Amanda giggled, stating, "Flatterer..."

They hung up, and Amanda went back to her carry on to grab her makeup bag, and hairbrush, and set to work once more in the bathroom...

-SMK-

As Amanda was finishing her hair, she heard a knock on the motel room door, and opening it, smiled as she greeted Lee, and ushering him in, closed the door, stating, "Give me another minute with my face, and we can go, huh?"

A few moments later, after touching up her face, and applying lipstick, she exited the bathroom and getting her purse, stated to Lee, "Okay, I'm ready."

But as Amanda grabbed her motel room key to put it away in her purse, and Lee opened the door to have her go ahead of him, she said quickly, "Oh, wait!"

Lee looking concerned, asked, "What?"

Amanda shook her head as she turned to head back into the room, answering, "I have to call Mother-"

Lee, shutting the door, groaned, querying, "Why now?"

Amanda, sensing Lee's impatience, remarked, "Because if you recall, we left rather abruptly in the pre-dawn hours, and because I told her I'd call her if anything changed, but by the time we were at the Agency, I was too tired to think straight anyway, and-"

Lee sighing, put up a hand to stop her speech, saying, "A-Amanda! You can't tell her anything yet anyway, until we work things out...What would you say? "Mother, I'm in D.C., and get the boys packed up because we're coming home again"? Do you want her to worry even more?"

Amanda shook her head responding, "Of course not, but-"

Lee commented calmly, "Okay, so let's just go have lunch, and we'll work on it, alright? Trust me, please?"

Amanda nodded slowly, and remarked turning towards the door once more, "I guess it isn't the kind of news you tell over the phone..."

Lee, opening the door again, shook his head, answering softly as she went out ahead of him, "Definitely not..."

They took a cab over to Emelio's for their lunch. It was busy, but luckily, there was a booth available on the other side of the room.

As the server, Jill, came over to their table, she asked, putting down menus," Welcome to Emelio's...Would you care for drinks?"

Amanda and Lee just ordered iced teas, and Jill, writing it down, stated, "I'll get your drinks, and give you time to look over our menus...Be right back..."

As she hurried away, Lee, taking Amanda's hand from the other side of the table, commented with a smile, "So..."

Amanda sighed and nodded, smiling also, but asking, "Yeah, so...How is this all supposed to work? You leave Chicago and come to Trenton, or do I move to Chicago?"

Lee, looking at Amanda, shook his head and bewildered, scoffed, stating, "Are-Are you insane? Honey, we're home! How it will work is, you go back to Trenton, explain to your family that the danger is gone, that the Government is moving you back to your Arlington home, and that all your real names remain intact...Simple-"

But Amanda, taking her hand away from Lee's, shook her head, and with a sigh, commented, "N-No, I don't think it's gonna work that way."

Lee queried, "Why not?"

Amanda responded, "Because Mother will have all kinds of questions that I alone, won't be able to answer satisfactorily..."

Lee asked, "Okay... So, what is your alternative plan?"

Amanda answered simply, "That you come back with me, and-"

Lee then shook his head commenting, "Ohh, no! And face a firing squad?! No, thank you-"

Amanda swallowed hard at his dismissive tone, and queried softly, "Why not? You already know Mother-"

Lee nodded, commenting nervously, "S-Sort of, but then there's..."

Amanda sighed once more, and with a shake of her head remarked, "My children...Yes, Lee, I have children! But news flash! They're out of diapers, they're able to walk and talk, and yes, even think for themselves, so if you come into my house being combative, that's what they'll take from you, and they will assume that you don't like them, period!"

And when Lee tried to respond, Amanda came back asking, "Okay...So, I guess what you went through with Alexi was all an act, huh?"

Lee, confused at this point, shook his head, commenting, "N-No, but-"

Amanda, taking her purse, rose from the booth stating, "Well, you think about what you really want, and when you make up your mind, come find me in Trenton-"

Lee quickly got up from the booth, and grabbing Amanda's hand as she was trying to leave, said urgently, "Wa-Wait a minute! I didn't say no to your family! I-I just meant I would need time, obviously, to get to know them, okay? And also your mother, of course...That's what I meant, okay? Now, come on, please ? S-Sit down and let's have lunch like we planned, alright?"

Amanda nodded slowly as she and Lee sat down across from one another once more, and Lee thought, Man, is this what it's gonna be like to make this whole thing work? She's gotta know how much I care about her...What's going on in that head of hers?

And as Amanda looked at Lee, she thought sadly, Is he really ready for this? More to the point, am I ready to make another commitment to someone else after what I went through with Joe? Why is all this so difficult all of a sudden?

They both realized they had a lot to go over as they then concentrated on their lunch menus...

TBC