"Could I please speak with Mr. Lee Stetson?" Jamie did his best to sound as mature as possible. He knew his voice would never pass as an adult, but maybe if his tone was business-like enough they would connect him.

The voice on the other end of the phone, who identified herself as Mrs. Marston, didn't seem inclined to do so however.

"Could I ask who is calling please?" she asked. Despite her doubts, she had worked at the Agency long enough to know to never hang up on a call. It could mean the difference between life or death, literally.

"Of course, this is James King. I met Mr. Stetson through my mother, Amanda King."

The receptionist's brow furrowed. She knew Mrs. King was down in the bullpen having checked her in a little over an hour ago. Why would her son be calling for Mr. Stetson?

"May I ask what this is in reference to?" she still wasn't quiet sure what to do in this situation.

"It's a personal matter." Jamie realized how ridiculous it sounded but he thought keeping the details vague was probably his best chance to get Lee on the phone.

Fortunately for Mrs. Marston, the agent in question walked out of the closet door at the very moment. She gave an inward sigh of relief. "I will see if he if available. Can you hold for a moment?"

"Of course," Jamie replied. Adding "Thank you for your assistance."

That brought a slight smile to Mrs. Marston's normally stern face. Lee noticed that smile as she stopped him, "Excuse me, Scarecrow?"

"Yes?" Lee asked wondering what was going on.

She seemed to hesitate for a second. "You have a phone call." She paused, "From Mrs. King's son."

Lee gave her a confused look. "Are you sure it's not for Amanda?"

"No, sir. He asked for you," she confirmed. "It's Jamie, although he gave his name as James."

Confusion turned to concern as he reached out for the receiver. Amanda had mentioned there was no school today and the boys were home with her mother. "Jamie? Is everything alright? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Lee. I'm fine."

"What about Philip? Your grandma?" For some reason he could not understand, Lee's heart rate had sped up. All sorts of terrible images flashed in his mind.

"Everyone's okay." Jamie suddenly felt very stupid for worrying Lee. He was not used to that feeling and did not like it. Usually he was the smart one. "I'm sorry to bother you. It's no big deal. I can ask someone else."

As he went to hang up, he heard Lee's voice, "No, no, no. Wait. Look, I just thought you might be calling because there was a problem and you couldn't get ahold of your Mom. What can I do for you?"

Jamie took a deep breath and proceeded with his plan. "We each got assigned a country to do a project about in school. I really wanted Australia. You know, because of all the interesting animals. I ended up getting Germany. I was kinda bummed since they don't have anything like a kangaroo or koala. But then I remembered at Thanksgiving you talked about living there so I was wondering if you would be willing to answer some questions about it. If not, I totally get it. I mean, I know you're busy. Mom will probably be mad that I called you at work. Actually, just forget about it. I can just have Mom take me to the library. Please don't tell her I bugged you at w-"

"Jamie," Lee interrupted, amused that Amanda's son had inherited her ability to ramble, "it's okay. Tell you what. I'll handle it."

"How?" There was a note of panic in Jamie's voice.

"Don't worry about it. I'll come up with something. When it your project due?"

"In two weeks."

"Okay, I'll take care of it. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Now I have to go, but we'll talk soon. Bye."

"Bye." Lee thought Jamie had hung up, but there he heard, "Thanks Lee. You're the best!"

Mrs. Marston couldn't help but notice Scarecrow's dimples were on full display as he hung up and headed back downstairs. She wondered what Mrs. King's son could have said to make him smile like that and detour from whatever had brought him up from the bullpen in the first place.

The latest lead in his current case had turned up dead. Frustrated, Lee had been planning on sneaking out for an early lunch, but now apparently he was in cahoots with Jamie. Remembering what had happened earlier this morning, he had an idea about how to approach Amanda about it. Amanda was sitting at a desk working away. She had a slight frown as she concentrated on something in front of her. "Probably my illegible handwriting," Lee though guilty.

"Amanda," he spoke softly so as not to startle her. Lee knew she hated that.

Despite his best efforts she jumped. "Lee, I thought you'd left."

"Yeah, I….," he paused, "Wait, I didn't tell you that. How did you know?"

Amanda colored slightly, embarrassed she had been caught watching him. She cleared her throat and explained, "Um, I ran out of paper and saw you leaving when I went to get more." She hoped he'd let the explanation pass.

Fortunately for Amanda, Lee was too focused on his phone conversation with Jamie to notice her blush or the shelf full of paper right next to the desk.

"Oh. Well, I was going to grab a sandwich, and then I remembered I had accidentally squished your breakfast when I found out about Williams. Would you like to come with me?"

Amanda was about to decline when her stomach growled giving her away. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with Lee, and heaven knew she was hungry. It was just that after his Thanksgiving visit she had found herself being cautious around her partner (or whatever he was). Every time she looked at him she flashed back to the moment when their hands had touched and that spark between them.

Unfortunately for Amanda, Lee had heard the growl. "That settles it. Come on, let's go before the rush."

Ten minutes later, she found herself in a small bistro sitting across from Lee. Amanda had just finished looking at the menu when waiter came over and took their order. She looked across the table at Lee expectantly.

"Amanda, I have a confession," Lee started.

"Oh?" She tried convey a calm demeanor as her stomach knotted up.

"I didn't ask you here because I ruined your breakfast. Well, not JUST because," he amended. Then he started his adjusted version of the phone call incident, "Earlier, the switchboard directed a call meant for you to me by mistake. It was Jamie."

"Jamie? Is he alright? Did something happen? Are Philip and Mother okay?" She started to stand up.

"A-man-da, sit down," he directed her. "Do you think I'd take you lunch if something serious had happened?"

Amanda considered that and sat down. "So why didn't you just redirect it to me?"

Lee had known she'd ask and planned an explanation. "Listen. When I found out it was him the first thing I did was to ask if everything was okay. Once I found out it wasn't an emergency I tried to contact the switchboard to redirect, but they must have been overloaded or stepped away. While we were waiting I asked him how things were going. He told me he was calling because he wanted to see if he could go to the library to research for a school project. It turns out that the project is about Germany."

"Germany?" Amanda was confused.

"Yeah, then Jamie remembered that I had lived there and started asking some questions."

Amanda's eyes went wide. "Lee, he shouldn't be bothering you at work. I am going to have a talk with him."

"No, it's fine. He wasn't bothering me."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Honest. Anyway, since the switchboard was taking forever I told him I would pass the message on."

"Okay, so why did you have to take me to lunch to tell me this?"

"Well, I got to thinking that I had mentioned I would come back some time and give them a ride in the car. If it's okay with you, I could swing by one night. Then I could answer Jamie's questions about Germany, and we could go for a ride." He cleared his throat, "I mean the boys and I could go for a ride. I thought it would be easier to make the plans away from the office."

Amanda tilted her head and look at him questioning. "Away from the office?"

"Yeah, you know how quickly rumors get started around that place."

She nodding in understanding. "Lee, that's very nice of you, but you don't have t-"

Lee cut her off, "No, I told them I would, and I don't want to break my promise." He was reminded of Jamie's soft sigh at Thanksgiving when Joe announced he had to leave early. It had brought back memories of his uncle and broken promises. The last thing he wanted to do was make a kid feel like that.

Amanda had been around Lee long enough to know there was a reason for his abrupt response. She also knew better than to question him about it when his hazel eyes had that steeled look. If there was one person who took promises seriously, it was Lee.

Amanda looked down at the table. "Lee, I feel like I should explain something about Jamie," she began hesitantly.

Lee leaned forward and nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"Jamie was always," she paused searching for the right phrase, "an early kid."

Confused, he asked, "You mean premature?"

"No." She took a breath and plunged forward, "I mean he did everything early. He rolled over at four months, crawled at five, and was walking when he was nine months old. At six months he said his first word. His first sentence was at fourteen months. He recognized words at three and a half and started reading when he was four. At first I thought he was just trying to keep up with hisbigbrother, but then he just kept on going. When Philip started kindergarten, I put him in preschool thinking it would be more stimulating for him. After a week and a half the teacher suggested I have Jamie….assessed…..developmentally."

Lee held his hand up to stop the Amandaramble. "Are you saying Jamie is a genius?"

"Actually we don't say "genius," she said in a slightly teasing tone. Their eyes met and they shared a smile remembering the first time she used the word "spy".

"He's just very…..advanced in some areas. There are things he struggles with, like spelling. You would think that a kid who had been reading for so long would ace spelling, but I have to practice with him all the time. Mother thinks it's because he read so early. He sees the words as a whole and has a hard time breaking them down. She's actually been really helpful withunderstanding Jamie."

"Did she have experience with ge-, um, advanced kids?" Lee questioned. He hadn't found anything to indicate anything like that in his background check of Amanda and her family. Maybe he'd missed something.

"Nothing formal. But you see, Mother had an uncle who was a lot like Jamie. Hisparents pushed him awfully hard academically. He skipped grades and took classes all year long. She shared with me that as an adult he was really uncomfortable being around people, even most family members. He and my Grandpa were only a year a apart and really close when they were younger. So her uncle would visit them quite a bit. Her dad was one of the few people that could connect with him. Mother spent a lot of time with him as well."

"So you didn't consider academic options for Jamie?"

"Well, he was offered admission into a sort of academy. At the time Joe and I were having difficulties. I really didn't want to make things more challenging for Jamie by taking him away from his school and Philip. It ended up being yet another thing we argued about. He kept going on and on about how we could be the parents with a 14-year-old in college." As she said this Amanda rolled her eyes. "I really struggled with that decision."

"Why? You were afraid you'd be hurting his chances at success?" Lee asked softly.

"Oh no," she answered without a hesitation, "I don't worry about either of my boys being successful, but I do worry about them being happy. That's why we do Bombers baseball and Junior Trailblazers and all the other activities. I want them to get a chance to experience as much as possible." She took a deep breath, "I just worry that he'll find out someday and be upset with my decision. He might think I limited him."

Lee covered her hands with his. "Amanda, look at me. Even in the short time that I spent with your boys I could tell that they were both bright, thoughtful, and respectful. They're great kids, and you're an amazing mother."

Amanda lit up at the compliment. She gave a wide smile and her brown eyes sparkled. "Thank you. That means a lot," she whispered.

After a moment, Lee suddenly realized he was holding his breath. He quickly pulled his hands back and put them on his lap. Then he cleared his throat and took a drink of water as he cleared his head.

"You're welcome. So when would be a good time to come over?" he asked.

Amanda likewise had to shake herself out of a daze that always occurred after looking into those hazel eyes for too long. She managed to collect herself and answer, "Well, tonight we have Trailblazers. Tomorrow's Friday and I have a date with Dean so that won't work."

At that moment the waiter delivered their order.

Lee continued the interrupted conversation, "That's okay. I'm meeting with a source tonight. And I have a date on Friday too. Maybe we'll run into each other." He picked up his sandwich to take a bite.

Amanda seriously doubted that. Dean's plans for date night usually involved a restaurant with a "buy one meal get the second for half off" promo. It wasn't that she minded. Even though Dean came from a wealthy family, it seemed that he was supporting himself. That was one of the things she had liked about him. It was just that he never seemed to consider what she might want versus what was financially responsible as he planned their evenings out. She would have been happy with a hot dog stand if Dean had chosen it with her in mind instead of its impact on his wallet.

She imagined Lee preferred to frequent fancier establishments. There would be a mater'd who would escort Lee and his date to a cozy booth in dark corner. A perfectly chilled bottle of wine would be waiting. He would escort her to the dance floor holding her tight while they swayed to a soft romantic tune. Back at the table he'd hold her hand and caress it. Then he'd lean in and…..

"Oh!" Amanda jumped. She pulled herself out of that dangerous daydream and back into reality.

Lee looked up from his plate with concern, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just realized I forgot to pick something up at the store," she covered. Quickly, she looked down at her salad and began filling her fork. She took a peek across the table and was relieved to see that Lee was concentrating on his lunch.

"What about Saturday?" she suggested. "Around one?" she added picking a time after lunch but early enough before dinner to ensure his stay wasn't extended like last time.

"Perfect," Lee replied. He was relieved. Although he'd enjoyed Thanksgiving, Lee felt it was probably best that this visit be a short one. Especially, considering how those few seconds looking into her eyes had thrown him just now.

They finished their lunch quickly and headed back to work. Amanda went back to deciphering Lee's notes. He made a few phone calls hoping to track down a new lead on the case. The next day flew by when Amanda recognized a word in a transcript as the former name of a local park that had been renamed to honor a local hero. They managed to get to the park just in time to prevent the drop from happening and stop the leak.

For once the case was wrapped up before quitting time. Amanda and Lee found themselves heading to the elevator together as they were both going home to get ready for their dates.

"Uh Amanda," Lee began after an uncomfortable silence while they waiting for the doors to open, "Nice job picking up on that clue."

Not used to receiving compliments from Lee, Amanda nervously rocked back on her heels and then up on her toes. "Thanks. I just remembered going to that park with my Dad. Like Francine said, it wasn't that impressive."

"Yes, it was. It saved our informant and my 7:30 reservation at La Bonne Vache," he winked.

Amanda gave a polite smile. "I'm glad," she added.

"You and Dude have a date too, right?"

"Dean," she replied automatically. "Yes, but I am not sure where we are going."

"How did you two meet anyway?" Lee had been wondering ever since he learned that Dean and his mother were members at Capitol Garden Country Club. He doubted Amanda ran in the same circles as their membership.

"I was helping out a fundraiser for the Arts Center. It was a bachelor auction, and Dean was one of the bachelors. Right before it was his turn on the stage he ripped a hole in his pants. I always carry a small sewing kit with me so I mended it quickly."

"And then you bought him?" Lee teased.

"Oh my gosh! No! I wouldn't have been able to afford a ticket to the event, let alone bid. The next day we were taking everything down when he came back to thank me. We chatted for a while, and then he asked for my number."

The door finally opened and Lee extended her arm to indicate she should enter first.

Something had been nagged at Lee since their lunch. He had been waiting for a good time and this seemed to be it. "Amanda, why did you think you needed to explain to me about Jamie at lunch the other day?"

"It's just…well….he….notices…. small details," Amanda chose her words very carefully.

Lee smirked, "Sounds like someone else I know."

She acknowledged his compliment by returning a smile before explaining, "I wanted you to be careful when you talk to him. If you name the wrong place, or dates don't match up, or you contradict yourself, he'll pick up on it." She sighed, "I'm already worried that he suspects I'm not telling the whole story about this job."

Lee was amused at the idea that an eight-year old would be able to catch him in a lie considering that some of Russia's top agents hadn't been able to. However, one look at Amanda's concerned expression stopped him from expressing that thought aloud. Instead he reassured her, "I will be very carefully. Promise."

That seemed to put her at ease. At that moment the door opened on the foyer. Two other agents were standing there along with Mrs. Marston so Lee changed the subject. "Have a nice weekend," he said giving a wave.

"You too," Amanda responded while handing the receptionist her badge. "Good night, Mrs. Marston," she politely added.

"Good night, Mrs. King," the older woman said. Since the call on from the King boy she'd been watching Scarecrow and the housewife carefully. All she knew was it had something to do with a project. Despite her eagle eye she hadn't been able to glean anything else. The two of them had been nothing but businesslike since then.

The boys were already home when Amanda got there. She concluded that Philip must have finished his homework since he was watching TV. Jamie was nowhere to be seen which wasn't that unusual. He only really played outside when Philip was out or Amanda made him. Often his mom found him tucked into a corner reading. Assuming that was what he was doing, she quickly checked in with her mother and then headed upstairs to get ready for her date.

Jamie was tucked away, but he wasn't reading. He was planning his questions for when Lee came over. Honestly, he could have completed the project easily without interviewing anyone. But when Miss Breeden was explaining the assignment Jamie realized it was exactly the opportunity he needed to get Lee back into the house. The only problem was he had to make sure he got Germany.

Miss Breeden decided the fairest way to determine which country each student would present about was to draw numbers. Jamie figured he would need to choose third or fourth to ensure he could carry out his plan. His hopes were dashed when he opened the paper slip he had drawn and saw a red seven written there. He looked over at the desk next to him where with his friend Andy was seated happily pointing to the number three on his paper.

Fortunately, his teacher was called into the hallway at that moment.

"Andy, trade me numbers," Jamie begged.

"Nuh-uh," Andy said shaking his head for emphasis.

"Come on. I'll make it worth it."

"How?" Andy was interested. Jamie was the smartest kid in the third grade despite being the youngest. He knew Jamie could complete the project easily no matter what country he was assigned. The fact that Jamie wanted to trade so badly meant a chance to score big.

"What do you want?" Jamie knew better than to offer first.

"Ten dollars," Andy took a chance.

"Ten dollars? No way!" He actually did have ten dollars hidden in one of his books where Philip would never find it, but Jamie knew he could bargain Andy down. "Two dollars," he offered.

Andy tipped his head to side and scowled, "I don't think so." He turned back toward the front of the room. It was obvious that Miss Breeden's hallway conversation was wrapping up, and he knew Jamie would have to make his best offer now or never.

Jamie sighed. "Five dollars," Andy started to protest but he added, "and you can have my lunch dessert for a week."

That was what did it. Jamie's lunch was the envy of everyone in his class. Plus, Amanda always sent some kind of treat. Usually it was a one of her homemade goodies.

"Deal," Andy agreed and they exchanged numbers just in time.

It turned out that nobody in the class really wanted Germany, and he probably could have kept seven and still gotten the same result. Yet Jamie didn't want to leave anything to chance.

He knew no one would understand why he was putting so much effort into bringing Lee back. It was just he saw something between Lee and his mom that he'd never seen with her and anyone else.

Even with her new job and its demands, Jamie always knew that he and Philip were her first priority. Time and time again he had witnessed her making sacrifices for them: rearranging her schedule to attend an event, staying up late to make a costume, or just taking time to play a game with them even when she had other responsibilities to do.

Yet nobody seemed to do that for her.

His dad's actions demonstrated Amanda and the boys were not at the top of his list. Even when his father was in the same room with them, Jamie felt that Joe's mind and heart were miles away.

Dean was nice enough, but he seemed to think of Amanda as an accessory. Jamie would have bet a whole year worth of lunch treats that he didn't even know her favorite color.

At first he thought Lee was just like them, using his mother to get a good meal. Then Lee had volunteered to help her cook. Curious, Jamie watched him carefully. He saw the confusion on Lee's face wondering why Amanda wasn't invited to the club. He'd noticed Lee's appreciative looks after she had dressed up for dinner and down for football. Jamie could also tell they had a kind of silent language and were able to read each other's looks. Despite only knowing her for a few months, Lee seemed to have an appreciation for his mother that neither Joe nor Dean could match.

"Boys!" Amanda's voice brought Jamie out of his contemplations. "Dean will be here to pick me up in minute. Come say goodbye to me."

Philip descended on her from one direction and Jamie from the other. She gave both of them a kiss on the forehead which they both pretended to be annoyed by.

Philip wiped his off with the back of his hand. "Geez, we're not babies," he grumbled.

Amanda gave them both a hug. "Well you'll always be my babies. Now be good for Grandma. You can stay up a little later since it's not a school night, but not too late." The doorbell rang. "And absolutely no dessert unless you eat all of your dinner first."

"Amanda! Dean's waiting. Go on. I've got them." Dotty scolded.

She went to the door and opened it. Dean smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. "You ready? We're going to the Chop House. They have a special tonight. Free dessert with purchase of an entrée."

Jamie couldn't resist. "Only if you eat all your dinner first," he quipped.

Dean looked confused, but Amanda couldn't help but chuckle.

"You just take care of your own dinner. Oh I forgot to tell you, Lee is going to drop by tomorrow around one to answer those questions for your project. Be sure you're ready." And with that she waved and followed Dean out the door.

"I'll be ready," Jamie thought to himself.