Chapter 38

Rainy Day in Paris

Back in DC, Billy had heard back from Paris Station that they detected no further tail on Lee and Amanda. However, he had an unsettled feeling after reading of the murder at the Paris metro station. Brody would rear up again at some point and use hired men to spy, then kill them once they were detected or he had no further use for them. He also knew that Kristen Adler would continue to tutor Phillip King while Lee and Ananda were in Europe and he wanted to make certain there was no tail in the U.S.. He called her into his office.

"Yes, sir" the young agent arrived in his office a little nervously. This was the first time he'd ever called her into the office when no one else was there.

"Are you still tutoring Phillip King?" He asked. It seemed a strange question, but she replied.

"Yes, I was planning on tomorrow evening as he has a test the next day." She replied. "Should I not go there?

"No, I want you to go" He explained. "Lee called me from Paris. They had a tail there but it seems to have stopped after Lee chased him. There was also a murder of an American in a metro station near their hotel. I need you to do two things. First, look up Jacob Tawley," he handed her a file. "Look to see if he has any connection to Nathaniel Brody."

"Do we think he's back again?" She asked.

"He's laid low a few weeks, but the circumstances seem similar so want to see if he's resurfaced and following Lee again."

"Got it."

"Next, when you go to their house, take some time and see if there are any cars lurking around. I want to make certain he's not staking out the family home. See if Amanda's family has seen anything strange."

"Ok," Kristen said. "I can do that. Should we set up surveillance?"

"Not yet, we need something more before we do that. I think we all want to make certain their family is safe." Billy said, then grinned. "Wow, never thought I'd say that, their family. Still tickled Lee's become a family man." Kristen smiled. She hadn't known him that long, but that hopeless romantic she kept buried deep inside reveled in the idea that Amanda had turned a one time rouge into a loving husband and dad.

- SMK -

Kristen ran the info on Tawley. While no prison time, Tawley did have some minor charges for vandalism and petty theft. This made sense as if he had a felony on his record he would not be able to secure a passport, but these misdemeanors made him the perfect dupe for Brody to use oversees. Also, this guy being some common, low level thief could explain why he was so easily caught and why Brody had no trouble in disposing of him. There was no obvious link to Brody, but the pieces fit. The next day she'd be meeting at the King/West/Stetson household to see if there was any suspicious activity going on while Lee and Amanda were away.

- SMK -

The next morning, Amanda woke early again, feeling refreshed. She put on her robe and quietly opened the balcony to sit out and enjoy the morning air and the sounds of the streets below. She would never tire of this ambiance. The baby was fluttering quite a bit, likely hungry and ready for nourishment. She smiled and held her had to her belly. "Ok, little one, I get it." She laughed.

She stood up to find her very handsome husband sleeping peacefully in bed. She didn't have the heart to wake him but remembered the hotel had some croissants and coffee downstairs. She got dressed to get an early snack to hold her for now before they went out so she could devour her way through the city once again. She left a note for Lee as she headed down to the lobby. She picked up a couple croissants and some coffee to bring upstairs. As she was returning, she noticed a man just sitting in the lobby looking at her. He looked to be in his forties, slightly graying around the temples with a sharp nose and very blue eyes. Something about him seemed off so Amanda committed his face to memory and headed back upstairs.

As she returned, Lee was just waking. He rolled over.

"Where did you head off to?" He smiled at her.

"Guess," she grinned at him.

"Hungry again?" He laughed.

"Well, the baby was kicking a lot, a clear demand for food. You do expect me to be a good mother after all, don't you?" She giggled.

'"You already are an amazing mother." He got up and walked over to her, bending over to her tummy. "Are you giving your mom a hard time?" He spoke to her belly before planting a kiss.

"If this kiddo is anything like its dad, you know that's happening." She laughed and kissed him playfully. She then turned serious. "On a more sour note, I noticed a man in the lobby. He was alone and looking at me when I went down there. I got a good look at him." She described him to Lee and they decided they would keep a sharp eye out for him today. She, like Lee before, was not certain if she was just being paranoid or if they had picked up another tail.

Within an hour, they were out and about the city again. They took the metro over to Montmartre to take in the Basilica. Amanda hugged Lee as they walked through the little town. It was a little cloudy and a colder today, but that worked in their favor to keep the crowds at bay. "Are there really 300 steps to get the Basilica?" Amanda asked, looking up the first of several flights of stairs.

"Yes, there are. You okay with that?"

"What do you mean by that?" She smirked, then took off. Lee bounding up behind her. They were keeping up with each other, then Lee started taking two at a time with his long legs, overtaking her. Amanda could not keep up. This called for a little subterfuge.

"Lee….wait," She called, holding her belly. Lee turned and, in a panic, ran back to her.

"Amanda!" He reacher and bent down. She looked up at him, stopped the heavy breathing, and grinned.

"Sucker!" She took off running up the stairs ahead of him.

"Hey," Lee yelled after her, "That's that fair." They raced up the stairs, finally getting to the top, both breathing heavily. "You! You are in trouble for that one!" Lee grabbed her from behind tickling her.

"Okay, okay!" She squirmed. "I give." She turned and hugged him as to the walked over to take in the view. "Wow. I've seen so many photos but nothing prepares you for just how breathtaking it is." Amanda said to him, resting her head on his shoulder and moving in closer to stay warm. The cool air felt good after the race up the stairs, but now it was getting chilly again. "Thank goodness you are the world's cutest space heater." She laughed.

"Well, just be glad I've forgiven you. That was dirty play."

"No, the dirty play comes later when I make it up to you." She whispered in his ear. Lee waggled his eyebrows at her with the grin. The two of them wrapped up in each other's arms, Amanda pressed her face upward until their lips met in a long, passionate kiss.

"Mmm." As their lips parted, Lee looked her in her brown eyes, so full of love - for him. They turned to take in the amazing landscape. "This has been, by far, my best trip to Paris. I love seeing the city through your eyes." He snuggled her, the two stood wrapped up in each other while the rest of the world slipped away.

After several long moments they made their way back down all the steps at a much more relaxed pace to take in the cute little town lined with shops and cafes. They chose a cute little cafe with some indoor space away from the cold where they enjoyed some lunch.

"I told you I'm eating my way through the city." Amanda laughed again. "It must be all the walking as, while I was pretty hungry with Phillip and Jamie, it was nothing like this." After lunch, they enjoyed the shops where Amanda was able to find some gifts for Dotty and the boys. They made their way back to the metro and decided to take in the Arc de Triomphe where they took in the view of the city, then strollied up the Champs Elysees. While Amanda was way too practical to buy anything there, they played a game of what will see Francine wearing next as they looked in the windows?

The weather was starting to turn so they made their way back to the hotel. As they neared the hotel, a sudden downpour happened. Instead of getting upset, Amanda loved the fact that she was walking in the rain in Paris. "This is amazing!" She yelled not caring what anyone thought. It was pure joy. If it were even possible, Lee fell even more in love with her.