Brief Summary: This is the first installment of what I feel like a script for a SMK Reunion movie could be like. This is my first Fan fic, and I really wanted to try to place Lee and Amand in the present time, 14 years after they were married. I'm introducing some new characters in the mix. This is just the beginning.
Contact Info: I have e-mail throught the PAX forum under the name of JINKIES.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The characters of Scarecrow and Mrs. King are not my property. I just wanted to try out a story. Although if they were, a reuion would've already been made.
Author's Notes: This story is the first of hopefully many entries for me. Please send me any comments you have about this story. It's my first one.
“Are you going to meet her when she gets here?”
“Yeah, I figured it was best.”
“Lee, do you think she’s really going to go for this?”
“Well, Amanda, I think so. Mikayla is a smart girl, she loves adventure. I know this would be perfect for her. I just feel this whole thing is my fault. The last thing I want to do is to bring another family member in to this agency.”
“Lee it’s not your fault. I could’ve done the same thing.”
“You wouldn’t have. And I’m usually so careful. I just can’t believe I left that file out. I know Mikayla didn’t knowingly look at it. I feel we have no other choice but to bring her here today.”
Lee Stetson slowly brushed his fingers through his hair. He looked across his desk to see Amanda, his wife, smiling at him. ‘My wife,’ he thought to himself. He could hardly believe they’d been married for 14 years. There had been some up and downs, but it had all been worth it. Their jobs were the most stressful part of their lives. Being an agent for a government agency was never an easy task. Lee had been doing this job for almost 30 years. If anyone knew how stressful it could be, it was him.
He glanced over his shoulder at a picture on his wall. It was a picture of his mentor, Billy Melrose. Billy was gone now, and Lee had acquired his position. Lee missed Billy more than he could have ever imagined. There were many times he had started to reach for the phone to call Billy, just to ask him a question. He then would realize Billy wasn’t there.
Amanda noticed the object of her husband’s attention. “Miss him huh?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said rubbing the back of his neck.
“He would be so proud of you,” she smiled.
“He’d be proud of you too. He always thought you were special,” Lee said with a chuckle. “He was constantly putting us in to situations where he knew we’d have to rely on each other. He wasn’t surprised when I told him we were married.”
“He was always so happy for us. When we renewed our vows and he walked me down the aisle, he told me he hoped you knew how good you had it.”
“And of course I do,” he said leaning over and kissing his wife on the cheek.
“Better watch that. You don’t want to get accused of giving preferential treatment,”
Amanda said with a laugh.
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” he smiled.
“So, how are you going to handle Mikayla today?”
“I’m not sure exactly. I guess I’m going to lay it all out on the table.”
“And you think she’ll accept?”
“I know she will.”
“Well I hope so since you called the advertising agency and told them she won’t be returning,” Amanda smiled. “How do you think she’ll react to that?”
Lee sighed. “Not good. I’m prepared for that. She’s a lot like you, do you know that?”
“I do,” she smiled. “Some times it’s hard for me to realize she’s Joe’s niece and not mine. She’s so much like me in some ways.”
“You’re her favorite aunt.”
“I guess I am, aren’t I?” she asked with a wide smile on her face. “She’s pretty fond of her Uncle Lee too.”
Lee laughed. “I guess she is, isn’t she. I’ve had fun teasing her over the years.”
“How do you think she and Jackson will get along?” Amanda asked turning serious.
“I’m hoping well. With all that Jackson’s been through, I still feel he’s my best agent. I think he and Mikayla will make a good team. I know he’s not thrilled about taking on a ‘rookie’ but then I wasn’t either.”
“Oh, I remember. It took you two years to realize I was good for you.”
“It didn’t take me two years.”
“Oh yes it did. You were always trying to get someone else assigned to your cases. It took you a long time to admit I was your partner.”
“Well, I’m glad you were. You were the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said smiling and winking at his wife. “I know Jackson’s had a hard time, but I do feel he and Mikayla could learn a lot from each other.”
“And you don’t fear for Mikayla being partnered with him?”
“No I don’t. Jackson couldn’t prevent the deaths of those two agents. He’s had grief therapy; he’s had counseling. He seems to be doing much better now.”
“I’m not questioning you Lee. I know he’s the best. I just feel sorry for him you know.”
“ I know.”
The phone suddenly rang. Lee reached over to answer it. “Stetson here.”
The voice on the other end was Mrs. Dowdy, the secretary at IFF. “Mr. Stetson there’s a Mikayla King here to see you.”
“Thank you. I’ll be right down,” he said putting the phone back in the cradle.
“Well here we go. This will either work out or we’ll have World War Three on our hands.”
* * *
Mikayla King smoothed her hands over her slacks and looked around the room she had found herself in. Her uncle, Lee Stetson, had called her earlier that day and asked if she could meet him at his office. She had never been to his documentary agency before. ‘If that’s actually what it is,’ she thought to herself. She had seen some disturbing things at her aunt and uncle’s house yesterday and her mind couldn’t stop thinking of it.
She had gone over to their house for Sunday dinner with her sister and brother. She relished the times she spent with Lee and Amanda and her cousins. With her parents being in Egypt, she felt lonely. Lee and Amanda had become like a second set of parents and had helped her out any way they could. They were even letting her and her siblings rent Amanda’s old house. She was very grateful for all the things they had done for her.
That’s why the thoughts she was having frightened and confused her. She had always felt comfortable around Lee and Amanda and in their house. Yesterday after dinner, Phillip had asked her if she minded getting a book for him from Lee’s office. He had told her it would be on Lee’s desk. Mikayla was looking on the desk when she spied a file marked top secret. Normally, she would have just left it sitting there and walked on. However, the file was open and the words nearly jumped off the pages at her. She had glanced through it long enough to know the file was about a secret agency in the United States that was working to find a leak in their agency. After reading the first paragraph, she felt terribly ashamed. Flustered, she started to run out of the room and ran right smack into her uncle’s chest. She quickly made an excuse that she couldn’t find Phillip’s book and she was suddenly feeling sick. She went home shortly after that and had thought about that file all day. The thought of her aunt and uncle being spies was laughable. However, there were those times she’d been at their house and they’d gotten called out in the middle of the night. They did travel a lot too.
‘No way,’ she thought to herself. ‘I’ve been watching way too many James Bond movies.’
Lee stepped off the elevator in the lobby and spied his ‘niece’ sitting in a comfortable chair. He may not be blood related to her, but she was his niece in every way. She had been twelve when he and Amanda had married. She had been close to him from the beginning. Even though she had lived in Missouri, she and her siblings had spent summers with Lee and Amanda, spending her time with Phillip and Jamie. Lee looked at her now and realized that the child was gone. She was a woman now and even though he thought a position with the agency was what she needed, he wasn’t going to push her if she was dead set against it.
“Mik?”
The voice suddenly brought Mikayla back to the present. “Lee. I came as soon as I got off work.”
“Thanks for coming. I asked you to come today because I’d like to talk to you. I’ll take you to my office.”
“Okay,” she said starting to rise.
“Mr. Stetson, Miss King will need an ID tag,” Mrs. Dowdy announced from behind her desk.
“Oh you’re right. I almost forgot,” he said picking up a visitor’s tag for Mikayla.
“Here you go. You’ll have to wear this,” he said handing her a tag.
“You have to wear a tag at a documentary company?”
“Uh well, yeah. Extra security you know. Come on and I’ll take you up to my office,” Lee said as the elevator doors opened.
Mikayla looked in the elevator. It appeared to be a coat closet, and at that moment her wild thoughts were confirmed. Her aunt and uncle were spies! She was very quiet as the elevator doors opened and Lee led her to his office. When he opened the door, Mikayla saw Amanda sitting in a chair across from his desk.
“Mikayla,” Amanda said starting to stand. “Why don’t you have a seat?” she said motioning toward a chair.
“Okay,” Mikayla said thankful she was sitting. She suddenly felt the room was spinning.
“Mikayla you’re here today because I need to explain some things to you,” Lee said standing behind his desk.
“Like the fact that you and Amanda are spies?”
The words stunned him, but he didn’t know why. He had always known Mikayla to be an intelligent, intuitive person. “We prefer agents, but yeah we do work for the government. You saw the file huh?”
Mikayla felt the redness in her cheeks. “Lee I didn’t mean to see it. I really didn’t. It was just sitting there.”
“I know it was. I should’ve put it away after I read it, but I didn’t. That was my fault.”
“How did you come to the conclusion we were spies?” Amanda asked.
“That was the rather easy part. Yesterday I thought about all the trips you guys had taken when I was a kid. I also remembered Jamie and Phillip telling me about the times you got calls in the middle of the night. Then I show up here and have to have an ID tag. I thought that was strange. And then when I came up here in an elevator disguised as a coat closet, I knew I was right.”
“Kind of does give it away doesn’t it?” Lee asked smiling.
“Yeah. So I guess I’m here because you want to make sure I’ll keep this quiet. You of course know I will. It’s probably a matter of national security right? You can trust me you know? I know I looked at the file and I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back, I really do. So if you’re done with me, I’ll just go on home.”
“See, she is a lot like you,” Lee said smiling at his wife. Amanda had a tendency to ramble at times, especially when she was scared or nervous.
“Actually you’re here because I want to offer you a job.”
“A job? As a spy?”
“Well, in a manner of speaking, I guess so.”
“I can’t believe this,” Mikayla said trying to catch her breath. “Why me?”
“For a lot of reasons. You know now about the agency. There’s no taking that back. More than that, I think you’d be a great asset to the agency. You’re smart, intuitive, a good communicator. You majored in criminal justice and communication arts in college. You did an internship with a police department; you worked closely one summer as a page for a senator. You’re well versed on politics. You know how to handle a gun. You went hunting with your dad every year. And if I remember right, you always took home more than he did. All those reasons have led me to bring you here today.”
“But I work at an advertising agency. And I’m not exactly a physical person. I don’t really like sports. Don’t agents have to be physically fit?”
“It’s good yes, but believe me we have agents that are not.”
“You know, I find this very flattering, but this job wouldn’t be for me. I would like to live to see my thirtieth birthday.”
“We’d want you to too. That can be a risk. But Mikayla, I’ve been doing this job for thirty years and I’m not dead. Amanda and I have been partnered for twenty years and we’re still doing this job.”
“You may not be dead, but how many times have you been shot?”
“Uh well,” Lee started.
Amanda felt she needed to jump in. “Look Mikayla I can understand your reluctance. Believe me if anyone can, it’s me. I was just a housewife with two kids when this man came up to me and handed me a package. That’s how it all started, with just a simple package. Now I’ve been doing this for nearly twenty years. Yes, I’ve been scared in those twenty years and yes, I have been shot. But I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. Serving my country and protecting people across the world has been rewarding. Lee feels you would be a good asset to the agency because you’re a lot like me. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders Mikayla. You always have had. And you won’t be doing this job blindly. You’ll have to go through extensive training just like every agent does. You’ll also have a partner who you will learn a lot from. He’ll be there to teach you the ropes.”
“If I did take this job, and that’s a big IF, how much of an income could you offer me? I have to think about that. Raising my brother and sister while my parents are in Egypt can be expensive. My parents left us some money, but there are always expenses that come up.”
“I’ve already talked it over with payroll and you’d be making 5,000 more a year than you do now.”
Mikayla nearly gasped. “5000 more? But how did you know how much I make? Oh never mind, I know,” she said smiling for the first time since entering the office.
It was a sign to Lee and Amanda that she was starting to soften on the idea. “So what do you think?” Lee asked.
“It’s intriguing. But I would have to give up my job at the advertising agency, and that would be a few weeks.”
“No it won’t. I called them and cleared it today,” Lee said.
“You did what! How dare you do that! What are they going to think of me now!”
“They’re going to think that you took a job with the federal government and we needed you now. I already cleared it with your boss and she said she’ll need the accounts you were working on, but understands your country needs you.”
“I can’t believe this! Were you so sure I’d take this?”
“Actually, yes. This job is made for you Mikayla.”
“What if I say yes now, and then change my mind later?”
“Then you change your mind and we let you go.”
“You won’t have to kill me or anything like that?” Lee laughed as he shook his head. “You’ve been watching too many James Bond movies Mik.”
“What do you think?” Amanda asked knowing her niece must be experiencing a variety of emotions.
“Well it looks like my mind’s been made up for me.” “Mikayla that’s not true. If you really don’t want to do this, then we’ll end this conversation right here,” Lee said.
“You said I’ll be working with a partner. Bet they’re not too enthused about that.”
“The man I am partnering you up with is one of the best. He understands the situation, and he’s willing to train you.”
“So how old is he? Sixty, seventy?” Mikayla said with a laugh.
“Thirty seven actually. And he will be with you every step of the way.”
“What am I going to tell my brother and sister? I can’t exactly tell them I’m a spy. And my parents, what will I tell them?”
“Tell them you work for International Federal Film. That’s our cover. That’s what Amanda always told her family. We’re supposed to produce documentary films. No one will ever be the wiser. With your communications background it won’t be questioned.”
“So does Dotty know what you do?”
“Yes, she does,” Amanda said smiling. “She still can’t believe it but yes she does.”
“And Will and Dorothy? Do you tell them you work for IFF?”
“Yes we do. Jamie and Phillip are different, but Will and Dorothy are only thirteen. We’ve kept it hidden from them well.”
“I just don’t want to lie to my siblings. I’m not prone to lying you know. I’ve always been taught morals and values and I’m worried this job will compromise them.”
“Believe me when I say that your morals and values will be an asset to you. You’ll meet a lot of corrupt people. You’ll rest assured knowing you won’t be like them,” Amanda said. “I’ve always felt I’ve been a moral person. This job has not changed that.”
“How are your parents? Have you heard anything?” Lee asked.
“No, I haven’t. But as missionaries in Egypt communicating with us here is very different. And that’s the other thing I think about. You guys have been so great to us since we moved here. You let us rent your old house, you’ve let us come over for dinners, and you’ve been all around wonderful. I kind of feel I should do this to repay you for your kindness.”
“Mikayla I don’t want you to take this job because of that. Amanda and I have taken you under our wing because we care about you. I’m offering you this job because I think it would suit you.”
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Yeah?” Lee asked feeling a smile starting to form across his mouth.
“Yeah,” Mikayla said letting out a sigh. “On the condition that I can quit if it doesn’t work out.”
“I’m fine with that condition. But before you do that, I want to make sure you come to Amanda or I first. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mikayla said nodding her head. “But I don’t want you giving me any special treatment because of our relationship okay?”
“Okay, no special treatment. I can do that.” Lee then felt he could sit now that his goal had been accomplished. For the first time since Mikayla had been in the office, she looked at the wall behind Lee. What she saw was a picture of a very familiar person.
“Billy, was he with the agency?” she asked gesturing toward the picture.
“Yes,” Lee replied. “He had the position I have now. He brought Amanda into the agency.”
“Really? You had told me he died of cancer five years ago. It wasn’t cancer was it?” Lee sadly shook his head. “No Mikayla it wasn’t cancer. Amanda and I hated to tell you that, but I couldn’t tell you how it really happened.”
“It’s okay. I understand. And you don’t have to tell me now. I prefer to think of Billy as the caring person I remembered. He was so much fun, such a great person. Right now I don’t want to know how he died if that’s okay. So when do I get to meet this guy I’ll be working with?”
“Shortly, but first I want you to meet some others you’ll be seeing here as well. Are you up to that?”
“Of course. If I’m going to be a part of the team here I need to know who the other players are.”
Amanda smiled. “Oh Mikayla,” she said giving her a hug. “Welcome to the agency.”
“Thank you,” she said returning the hug. “I’m going to have to lean on you a lot.”
“I know. I’m always here for you.”
Lee then picked up the phone and spoke to an agent about coming to the office. He also reminded him to bring his partner. A few seconds later, a knock was heard on the office door.
“These will be two agents you’ll be seeing a lot of,” Lee said as he opened the office door. The man standing in front of Mikayla caused her to immediately jump from her chair and run to him. “Phillip!” she said looking into the eyes of her cousin. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Surprised?” he smiled.
“Don’t know why I should be. I’ve had a load of surprises today.”
“Then let me introduce my partner to you,” he said stepping to the side to reveal a blonde woman standing behind him.
“Francine! Oh my gosh! This is unbelievable!”
“Shocker huh?” Francine said with a laugh.
“You can say that. No wonder you were always over at Lee and Amanda’s all the time. And no wonder you knew all the best dress shops in Washington,” Mikayla said with a laugh.
“So are you going to do this?” Phillip asked.
“Yeah I am. It’s a little unreal to me right now, but I am.”
“Mikayla I want you to meet another of our agents,” Lee said going to the door and motioning to someone out in the office.
A young man started to enter the office and Mikayla instantly recognized him. “Avery Melrose. Not you too?”
“I’m afraid so,” he said as he walked towards her and gave her a hug. “You look great,” he said pulling her from his embrace so she was standing in front of him.
“You too. I haven’t seen you for so long. So how long have you been doing this?”
“About two years. I wanted to carry on my father’s work. I felt it would be very important to him that I do.”
“He would be so proud of you.”
“Come on everybody let’s clear on out of here. I still need to call Jackson in to meet Mikayla,” Lee said standing in the doorway. “You can all come back later. Maybe we should just go out later.”
“Oh good idea!” Francine said walking through the doorway.
As Lee was shutting the door, he looked back at Mikayla. He knew this was a lot to take in at once. “So how are we doing?”
“Besides being totally flabbergasted I guess I’m okay. Just don’t tell me Dotty and Jamie work here too.”
Amanda let out a laugh. “No they don’t. Jamie is a teacher, just like you thought he was.”
“Want to meet Jackson?” Lee asked picking up the receiver of the phone.
“I guess I better.”
“Jackson? This is Lee. Hey, I have Mikayla here. Can you come in?”
“Jackson is a great guy,” Amanda said looking at her niece. “Don’t be so nervous,” she whispered.
“How do you know I’m nervous?” Mikayla said with a wad of a hair in her fingers.
“Because if you twist your hair any harder it’s going to break off.”
“Oh my gosh,” Mikayla said finally realizing what she was doing. She quickly released her hair and then heard a knock on the door.
Lee opened the door to reveal one of the best looking men Mikayla had ever seen. Jackson Anders stood at a height of about six feet, had light brown hair, and his eyes were the deepest shade of green that Mikayla had ever known. Jackson looked down and saw Mikayla King. He liked what he saw. He immediately noticed her long, auburn hair and her dark brown eyes.
“Mikayla this is Jackson Anders,” Lee said gesturing at the man in front of him. “And Jackson, this is my niece Mikayla King.”
“Nice to meet you Mikayla,” Jackson said extending his hand.
“Nice to meet you too,” she said returning the handshake and looking up into his eyes.
“I told Mikayla you’ll be training her.”
“Yeah I will,” Jackson said looking down at her.
“I just want to say from the very beginning, that I’m sorry you’re going to be stuck with me. I don’t want to be an imposition or burden to you, and I hope I’m not. I’m sure it must not be a pleasant thought to be stuck with someone as green as I am.”
Jackson realized that his surprise and shock must have been showing on his face. Never had a new recruit been this open and honest with him. If he could’ve read Lee and Amanda’s minds, he would have known they weren’t surprised these words had came from Mikayla.
“Uh Miss King, I don’t think of it like that.”
“I know it’s getting late in the day, but Jackson would you mind taking Mikayla down to payroll so she can get her paperwork started? Also, can you give her a tour?” Lee asked.
“No I don’t mind at all.”
“You mean I have to fill out papers? I would’ve thought you would have already had that done,” Mikayla said with a smile.
“Well, we do have your background check done. It’s mainly papers for payroll. Amanda and I will be here when you get back.”
“Okay. And dinner later right?”
“Of course,” Amanda said with a nod.
“Well shall we?” Jackson asked gesturing toward the door.
“I guess so,” Mikayla said exiting the office with Jackson right behind her. Lee shut the door and turned to his wife. “So what do you think?”
“I think she’ll be fine and a good agent. And I think pairing her with Jackson was a great idea. Did you see how they looked at each other when he came in here? Reminded me of you and I when we started working together.”
“What? You don’t think they’re attracted to each other do you? Maybe I should pair her up with someone else.”
Amanda laughed. “Lee you surely didn’t think that Mikayla wouldn’t be attracted to Jackson did you? I mean let’s face it Jackson is a good-looking guy. And she is twenty-six, not twelve.”
“Maybe I should have explained the rules about not dating anyone you work with.”
“Lee they just met each other two minutes ago. They’re not going to be walking down the aisle tomorrow. You’ve got to get a hold of yourself here. Mikayla is like a second daughter to me, but we need to remain objective with her. She told you she wanted no special treatment.”
“I know that. It’s just that I put her with Jackson because I thought she could learn a lot from him. I also did it because Jackson has lost two female partners. He still feels partly guilty about it. I thought that Mikayla, with her background, could be a good listener for him. Now I’m having second thoughts.”
“Honey there’s nothing wrong with your reasoning. I think they’ll make a good team, but they’ll both have to adjust to a lot of things. You and I did it. They can do it.”
“You’re right. I’ll stop worrying. I know I made the right decision.”
“It’ll be fun to watch them that’s for sure.”
“I just hope Mikayla will do okay.”
“Of course she will. She is a lot like me isn’t she?”
“That she is,” Lee smiled as he took his wife into his arms.