Summary: Lee and Amanda deal with the pressure of work and home.
Disclaimer: The main characters belong to Shoot the Moon and Warner Brothers Production. The story is from my imagination.
Timeline: Is just after the four season.
“I’m up.” He replied trying to shake the sleep out of his head.
“Francine is on the phone.” She handed the phone to Lee.
“Morning, Francine. What? What time is it? No, I’ll be down as soon as I can.” Lee jumped out of bed. “Amanda, do you know what time it is?” He grabbed his clothes out of the closet and headed for the bathroom.
“It’s a little after 8.” She said as she made the bed.
“I had a meeting with Dr. Smyth at 8 o’clock this morning. I told you about it. Why did you let me oversleep?” He started to shave.
“You didn’t tell me and I believe you know how to set an alarm clock.”
“Amanda, I was on a stake out last night. I didn’t think of it when I came home. Dam there’s a stain on my shirt.” Lee stormed out of the bathroom and tossed the shirt on the bed. He took another one out of the closet.
“Maybe you should do your own laundry. I’m going to leave before I say something that we might regret.”
“What ever.” Lee finished dressing. He ran down to the kitchen and Amanda was doing dishes. Lee poured a cup of coffee and opened the refrigerator, “Do we have any milk?”
“No. The boys finished it for breakfast.”
“Coffee’s a little dark.”
“I can’t cook either. I can’t do laundry. Is there anything else I’m doing wrong?” Amanda stood at the sink with her arms folded starring at Lee.
“Forget it.” Lee turned away.
“What does that mean?” Amanda demanded throwing the dishcloth back into the sink.
“What?” Lee looked puzzled.
Amanda shook her head and turned back to the sink.
“I don’t even know what we fight about anymore.” Lee reached for her arm but she stepped back. “What did I say?”
“Never mind.” Amanda said. Lee wanted to reach out and hug her. He missed holding her, kissing her. Lee took a deep breath, “Amanda, what is going on with us? We can’t say two words to each other with fighting about them.”
Amanda looked down, “This isn’t working, Lee.” She tried to hold back the tears.
“No, it’s not.” Lee said as the phone rang and Amanda answered it.
“Hi, Joe. Lunch sure no problem.”
Lee slammed his coffee cup down, Joe, always Joe sometimes he hated him. Lee grabbed his car keys and gave Amanda one last look. She was deep in conversation with Joe. Lee left.
Amanda finished her call, “The boys would love to go.” Amanda hung up the phone she really hadn’t heard much of what Joe had said.
Dotty came into the kitchen, “Was that Lee I heard just leaving?”
Amanda was still trying to fight back the tears. “Yes.”
“Amanda, I try not to hear but I can’t help it. I care about you and Lee. You two seem to be arguing all the time. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I just don’t know what’s going on. I want to rush into his arms when I see him but we can’t even talk anymore.”
“You know right after you’re father and I were married we lived with my parents for a little while until we could afford our own place. My mother told me something that I will never forget. Married couples need to spend time together.”
“Mother, we’re together all the time here and at work.”
“Yes, but you’re together with other people all the time. It should be just you two alone.
Marriage is hard work and it’s even harder with an instant family.” Dotty touched her daughter arm, “Especially if you never had a family.”
“You’re right. I think I’ll make plans for the two of us this
weekend. Sunday is our anniversary. I better get to work. Thanks,
mom.” Amanda hugged her mother.
Lee walked into the bullpen as everyone was leaving the meeting. Billy and Dr. Smyth were walking out together.
Dr. Smyth looked at Lee and said, “A diller, a dollar a ten o’clock scholar. What makes you come so soon? You use to come at ten o’clock but now you come at noon.”
“I over slept.”
“My office, Lee.” Billy followed Lee as Dr. Smith left. Billy closed the door behind Lee.
“This week the President is meeting with Chancellor Erich Honecker from East Germany. Talks will include uniting the both East and West Germany. There have been rumors that Hans Von Bremen is going to try to assassinate the Chancellor. If this happens during these talks it could jeopardize our Military Bases in Germany. You will be working with the secret service. I don’t need I remind you how important this will be. You are probability the only person who knows more about Von Bremen the he does himself. This assignment is need to know only. We can’t let Von Bremen know you’re going to be there so you and I are the only ones at the agency that will know.”
“What about Amanda?” Lee asked.
“Just you and I only.” Billy handed him a folder. “Here’s what we have so far. The secret service is expecting you at noon. You will fill them in on everything they will need to know. The talks are scheduled to take place in Geneva. You stay with the Secret Service until this is over.”
Lee went up to the Q-bureau but Amanda wasn’t in yet. He called home but the line was busy. Lee headed home hoping to see Amanda before he had to leave. Dotty was getting ready to leave when Lee came in.
“Lee, is everything alright?” She asked.
“Yes, is Amanda here?”
“No, she went to work.”
Lee grabbed the phone and dialed his office. Francine answered.
“Francine, has Amanda come in.”
“No, she is in the field today.” He had forgotten that Amanda mentioned it.
“Thanks.” Lee hung up. He smiled at Dotty and went upstairs. He threw a few things in his bag and came downstairs. “Dotty, will you tell Amanda I’ll call her when I can.”
“Lee, where are you going?”
“Work. Bye” Lee said as he put his bag in the car. Dotty watched as Lee pulled out of the driveway. She worried about her daughter and Lee.
Dotty was finishing dinner when Amanda came home. Amanda picked up a carrot.
“Mother, I made arrangements at the Crystal Springs Inn that’s where we spent out wedding night. Has Lee come home?”
“Amanda, he came home this morning and packed a bag and left.”
”Did he say where he was going?”
“No.”
Amanda went to the phone and dialed Billy’s number.
“Melrose here.”
“Billy, where’s Lee?” Amanda asked.
“Sorry, Amanda, need to know only.”
“Thank you.”Amanda looked at her mother. “He’s on assignment.”
The next couple of days dragged for Lee. He tried not to think about Amanda and their fight by throwing himself into his work. He kept his check-ins with Billy but nothing was said about Amanda, Lee kept it to business only.
Amanda kept busy with plans for the weekend in case Lee was back. She enlisted the aid of Billy, Francine and Mrs. Marston.
On Friday, Lee called Billy to report that he would be coming home the next morning.
“Billy, is Amanda there?”
Billy smiled. “No, Lee, I haven’t seen her today. I believed she took the day off.” Billy winked at Amanda, who was standing next to him.
“Oh. I tried to call her but no one is home. If you see her will you tell her I’m on my way home?”
“Sure. See you tomorrow.” Billy hung up the phone. “He’ll be here tomorrow morning.Do you have everything set?”
“Yes, I can’t thank you enough for all the help.”
“I loved doing it. See you in the morning.”
Saturday morning, Amanda was in the Q-Bureau when her phone rang.
“Yes, Billy.”
“Amanda, I just received word that Lee’s plane will touch down in about 30 minutes. He is to report here first. Is everything set?”
“Yes. I took care of everything yesterday. You know what to tell him?”
“Yes, and don’t be nervous. I know he loves you.”
“Thanks, Billy.”
Amanda grabbed her coat and left the Q-bureau.
Lee reported to Billy and filled him in on the events of the week.
“Von Bremen is dead, his son and nephew are still alive but they will be locked up for a while.”
“Good work, Lee. The secret service gave Dr. Smith a glowing report. You can take off the next three days. Just get me your report by Tuesday.”
“Billy, have you seen Amanda?”
“No, I tried to call her yesterday but her mother said she went away for the weekend.”
Billy said. Lee looked so down that he wanted to tell him everything but he resisted.
“Thanks, I’ll see you Tuesday.”
Lee came out of the elevator and started to hand his badge to Mrs. Marston.
“Mr. Stetson, are you going to the Q-Bureau?”
“No, I think I will just go home.” Her heart went out to him he looked so sad.
“I think you should go upstairs.” She winked at him.
Lee looked up the stairs and smiled at her. He took the stairs two at a time but when he opened the door the office was empty. Amanda wasn’t there. He started to leave but the phone rang and he ran to answer it.
“Stetson here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Stetson, I meant to buzz Mr. Melrose.” Mrs. Marston said.
“That’s OK” Lee hung up the phone.
He picked up their wedding picture, “Amanda, what happened to us?”
Lee put the picture back down on the desk and then he noticed the note from Amanda.
Lee opened it,
‘Lee,
I love you. Meet me where it all began.
Your Amanda.’
Lee smiled and ran out the door. He passed Mrs. Marston.
“Mr. Stetson, your ID.” He ran back and handed it to her. Then he leaned over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank You.”
Mrs. Marston smiled and gave a thumb’s up to the camera that was watching her.
Billy and Francine smiled as they watch Lee run out the door on the close circuit TV.
Amanda sat on the train station waiting for her cell phone to ring. She didn’t think she would be this nervous. What if he didn’t show? She was so deep in thought that she jumped when the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Amanda, he’s on his way.”
She smiled, “Billy, thank you. Thank Mrs. Marston and Francine for me.”
“I will. Bye.”
Amanda hung up the phone as the train pulled into the station. She picked up her shopping bag and got on the train. As they pulled out of the station Amanda stood up, she couldn’t believe she was doing this.
“Excuse me please. I need some help.” Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Amanda.
Lee arrived at the train station in record time. Amanda wasn’t there. He waited while two trains pulled in and left. He didn’t care he would wait all day if necessary. The next train pulled in and the station filled with people. No Amanda. Lee was beginning to think he had the wrong place. Maybe she meant where they had their first date or first case. The conductor leaned out of the door of the train and yelled, “All aboard!”
Lee looked at him. He was dressed in his uniform but he was wearing a red baseball hat.
Lee smiled and boarded the train. Everyone on the train had a red baseball hat on.
“Excuse me, sir. Do you have a ticket?” The conductor asked as the train pulled out of the station.
“No.” Lee said.
“That all right I have one for him.” Lee turned to see Amanda standing there. Lee brushed her hair off her cheek, he put his hand on the side of her head and he leaned in and kissed her. He put his arms around her and pulled her close.
“I love you, Amanda.” Suddenly he realized that everyone on the train was cheering.
He looked around and smiled. What a way to celebrate their anniversary. He turned back to her and kissed her.
“These are for you.” He handed her the box with the roses.
She read the card first.
‘Amanda,
I wanted to give you a rose for every reason I love you but there weren’t enough roses in Virginia.
I will love you until the last rose dies.
Lee'
“Until the last rose dies?” She was confused. Amanda opened the roses. There were dozen silk roses. Amanda started to cry. He took her in his arms. He leaned in and kissed her.
“Amanda, I love you. I’m sorry for everything, I guess I’m a little jealous of your boys and your mother. I love them but I don’t want to share you all the time.”
“Lee, my mother was right we need to take time for just the two of us without work or family.”
He nodded in agreement. “Let’s do something special each week.” Lee looked out the window of the train. “Amanda, could I ask you one question.”
“Yes.”
“How far are our tickets going to get us?”
“You’ll see.” She laughed.
When the trained pulled into the next station Amanda said, “This is our stop.”
Her car was in the parking lot and as she drove, Lee started to recognize where they were.
She pulled up in front of the Crystal Springs Inn. They walked up to room 2 where they had spent their wedding night. Lee took the key from her and opened the door. Then he picked her up and carried her in. He laid her on the bed and leaned over and kissed her. He walked back to the door and put out the 'Do not disturb' sign.
the end