Chapter 31

Is Friday the 13th Actually Cursed?

February came in like a storm. First, Lee's ISP was compromised when it was discovered a duplicate was made and was about to be sold on the black market. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, Lee had been mugged and then injected him with an experimental chemical warfare drug called PD-2 that could have taken out the Agency as well as his family if Amanda had not insisted he see Dr. Kelford. They were beginning to wonder if the Friday the Thirteenth wedding date truly was cursed. Fortunately, things started looking up when Lee had moved in with the family a couple weeks ago. It seemed the final preparations for their wedding were taking shape. If only life were not so sadistic.

Amanda was at the vintage shop for her dress fitting. She slipped into the dress and started to pull up the zipper. It was stuck. She reached around to the back of the dress and felt a huge gap at the waistline. "No, no, no. no. This can't be happening. They were supposed to leave some room." She tried standing taller and sucking in her stomach, but the zipper would not budge "Mother," she called out, "can you give me some help?" Dotty, came in to the fitting room and tried to zip up the back of the dress. Dotty confirmed, although not out loud which would have sent her daughter over the edge, that was a clear space between the sides of the zipper.

"Dear," Dotty said in the calmest voice should could muster. "I don't know that they took much consideration that you would be gaining a little around the midsection."

"Please be careful," the seamstress called into the fitting room. "The dress is delicate."

"But I'm getting married next Friday." Amanda was losing her cool. Between everything else this month, they just needed a break. Dotty, realizing her daughter was about to blow, interjected on her behalf.

"It's ok, Amanda, they still have time" Dotty turned to the seamstress, activating scary mother of the bride mode by asking the leading question. "You will have this ready in time, right?"

"You have to finish the alterations" Amanda called out from the fitting room, hitting an eight out of ten and climbing on the freak out scale. "What else would I wear to my wedding?"

"Wait, you're getting married on Friday the thirteenth?"

"Yes, I am!" Amanda snapped. Level ten activated - ABORT! ABORT! "We liked it. The day is unique."

"You're right," the seamstress said, realizing her comment was rude and, looking at Dotty, knowing that her life depended on getting this dress ready on time.. "Don't worry, this should be simple. We just took it in a little too much. Can you come back in two days?"

- SMK -

Lee and Amanda had gotten their blood tests performed a few days ago. Lee called to confirm the tests were ready.

"I'm sorry," the clerk said. "What was the name?"

"Stetson and King," Lee replied.

"Hmmm," she said. "Just a moment." She placed him on hold.

Amanda walked into the Q Bureau looking frazzled.

"Hey, you ok?" Lee asked.

"No," Amanda said, trying to hold her emotions together. "My dress is too tight. She said she could fix it, but I'm nervous. We only have a week."

"It'll be okay," Lee was trying to calm her when the clerk came back on the line.

"What was the name again?"

"Stetson and King."

"I'm sorry, but we can't find the tests." The clerk said nervously.

"What?!" Lee barked at her. "I called yesterday and they said they should be done by today! We are getting married next Friday."

"Friday the thirteenth?"

"Yes, Friday the thirteenth!"

"I'm sorry sir, um, let me see if I can find them. Otherwise, you'll need to do the tests again."

"We don't have time," Lee barked. "Again, our wedding is next Friday. I know the tests were completed. You need to find them."

"Yes, sir," the small voice said. "We will look again and call back."

"Yes," Lee roared. "Call me back immediately."

"Oh no," Amanda said. "Maybe Friday the thirteenth is truly cursed. What are we going to do?"

Lee walked over to comfort her. "Amanda, Don't worry. What did the seamstress say about the dress?"

"She said to come back in a couple days for another fitting."

"Ok then," Lee said "that's fine. She'll get it fixed. I will go down to the lab to check on the blood tests personally and get this straightened out. It will all work out." He said this as much for himself as for Amanda. "First, Billy needs to see us downstairs."

As they walked into the bullpen, they were greeted by Kristen and Tony who was teaching her the latest computer software programs. As they were heading to Billy's office, the receptionist called over to Lee. "Mr. Stetson, call for you on line two." Lee picked up the phone.

"Stetson," Lee said hoping that it was the lab notifying in him the blood tests had been located.

"Hello, Mr. Stetson? This is Angela Mason, the pianist."

"Yes, Ms. Mason," Lee said.

"I have some bad news. I had an accident and broke my wrist yesterday. I'm so sorry, but I can't play at your wedding." Lee hung up the phone with a look that made everyone in the room back up a few steps.

"Lee, who was that?" Amanda was almost afraid to ask.

"The pianist. Apparently, she broke her wrist and can no longer play at our wedding."

"Is this a sign?" Amanda cried, trying to activate Mrs. King mode, but raging hormones were blocking the pathways to reason. "All I want to do is get married and everything is going wrong."

"I don't know," Lee said, pacing the floor. "It took us nearly four years to get here, and it's as if the universe is getting in the way."

"Ok," Amanda said, finally finding a sliver of Mrs. King, the level headed agent in training. "We just need to take charge of the situation. I will not get upset, we can work this out. If I have to tie my dress with shoe strings, I'm wearing it. You'll go down and if you have to rip the lab apart you will find the blood tests."

"Ok," Lee said. "We'll make this work."

"Oh, but the pianist. We have no music the ceremony." Kristen heard the pain in Amanda's voice. While singing alone in front of strangers came with some PTSD, she needed to help her friends. They had so much for her, it was time to put on her big girl panties and sing.

"Um, Amanda? Lee?" Kristen, looking uncharacteristically nervous, approached them. Get your shit together Kristen. "I don't play piano, but as Lee knows, I can sing."

Lee looked a little take aback. He could see her nervousness and recalled her brother, Alex, talking about the fact she no longer sang after the severe bullying in high school. But Alex had convinced her to help him with some music, and she seemed to like singing with her mother. Another idea came to him. He looked at Amanda who could see something was brewing. "Do you think your brother, Alex, would come out and accompany you on guitar?"

"Are you serious?." She responded looking visibly relieved at the idea.

"That would be wonderful," Amanda said. "Lee told me you sang beautifully with your mother. Are you certain you are ok with this?"

"I'll need to get him here a few days early so we can arrange the music. It's going to be expensive to get him here in just the new few days." Kristen was thinking through the logistics. Billy, who had been standing nearby, overhead the conversation.

"Don't worry about that." Billy smiled like the proud uncle. "See if your brother is available."

"Okay. Let me make a call." Kristen picked up the phone.

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked of Billy, calculating airline costs for last minute travel from California to DC.. "Kristen's right, this could be expensive to get him here."

"Amanda," Billy grinned. "It would honestly be my honor. We've all waited way too long for this." He chortled.

"Yes, Alex. I'm serious. But you CANNOT try to nail Tess!" Kristen said. That got everyone's attention. She put her hand over the mouthpiece, "Twenty-two year old musician. Don't even get me started."

"Sounds like someone we know," Francine had walked up at that moment. "Or, used to know." She smiled at Amanda as Lee gave her a warning look.

Kristen's face beamed as she put down the receiver. "He's in! Do you have any pieces in mind?" Lee looked at Amanda and shrugged.

"We trust you." Lee said, looking toward Amanda for approval. She smiled and nodded. She loved the idea. "You know us. At this point, not worrying about the music is a big relief."

"Is everything ok?"Kristen asked, realizing that putting someone else in charge of music would allow them the concentrate on other concerns.

"My dress doesn't fit, our blood tests were lost and the pianist backed out. " Amanda explained.

"Fortunately, the latter has thankfully been fixed by you." Lee said.

"Don't worry," Francine said. "We'll make this happen. If I have to, I'll go sit on that seamstress until she fixes your dress."

"Billy, if you don't mind, I want to head over and see if I can get the blood tests worked out." Lee said. As if on cue.

"Mr. Stetson," The receptionist said. "You have another call on line three."

"Maybe that's them," he said. "Stetson." He looked up at Amanda. "Really? Are you serious?" A huge smile emerged on his face. "It's the realtor's office. We got the house."