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October 21, 1983: The Agency (If Thoughts Could Kill)
“Ah, come in, Mrs. King. Thank you for coming to see me.” Billy Melrose rose from behind his desk and gestured for her to have a seat in one of the chairs that faced it. As she sat, he walked around the end of the desk and proceeded to sit in the other chair, facing her.
“Of course, sir. Is everything alright, sir?”
He smiled at his newest employee. “Everything is fine, Mrs. King. I just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work the last couple of weeks.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Especially what you did yesterday. The outcome would likely have been very different if you hadn’t been there.”
She smiled modestly. “Oh, I just…I was just watching out for Lee, sir. I knew he wasn’t himself, and he wouldn’t have ever forgiven himself if he’d—” She broke off, conscious that she was speaking to the man who would have suffered an even worse fate than Lee, if she hadn’t succeeded in stopping the younger agent.
The section chief cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I also wanted to thank you for helping with Lee while he was in the hospital. I didn’t receive nearly as many complaints from the hospital staff as I usually do when he’s a patient. You seem to have…smoothed out some of his rough edges, so to speak.”
Her lips quirked in a knowing smile. “I’m sure…”
He gave her a shrewd glance, deciding to level with her. “Mrs. King, Lee Stetson is one of our best agents. But he’s a bit single-minded, and the niceties of interacting in public sometimes escape him in the moment.”
Amanda laughed brightly. “Yes, sir, I completely understand.”
Billy grinned at her. “Yes, I thought you might.” He paused thoughtfully, then sighed. “I’m afraid that your current status has placed you in the unenviable position of receiving the majority of his…”
“Grumpiness,” supplied Amanda, helpfully.
He barked out a laugh. He just loved this woman. “Yes, grumpiness.”
She smiled at her boss. “Well, it’s not pleasant, but I can handle it, most of the time.” She met his eyes, unsure if she should say anything further, but then read the understanding and friendliness that looked back at her. “I think he’s just lonely.”
Billy’s smile faded, and he looked at her with new respect for her perspicacity. He nodded slowly. “It’s not my place to tell you about all the loss he’s endured in his life, but I think you have the right to know that his last partner—”
“Oh, yes, sir, I know.”
Billy’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “He told you?”
“Well, I don’t think he really meant to say as much as he did, and I still don’t know the details, but he alluded to it when we first met.” She tilted her head and sighed. “I don’t think he’s gotten over it.”
Billy shook his head. “I don’t think he has, either. But he really is a good man, and if you can bear his attitude, I think I’d like to have you continue to help him out from time to time. I think you’ll be good for him, and you seem to have the ability to see things in ways we don’t. You have a different perspective than the seasoned agents around here.”
She allowed the corners of her lips to curl up in a smile, pleased to hear that his stated opinion was so different from Lee’s. A little bit of grumpiness was bearable if she could really help Lee and Mr. Melrose, and by extension, her country.
**SMK**
February 12, 1985: 4247 Maplewood Drive (A Relative Situation)
Amanda opened her front door. “Come in, Colonel.” She backed up to make room for Colonel Clayton to come through the door. Before stepping through, the Air Force officer nodded at Lieutenant Mauntel, who saluted from his position next to the car parked along the front curb. Colonel Clayton returned the salute, then turned back to Amanda and smiled.
“Thank you for allowing me to keep you company today, Amanda.” He stepped through the doorway and removed his service cap.
Amanda closed the door, smiling at Lee’s uncle. “You’re very welcome, sir. It’s not going to be all that exciting, I’m afraid,” she added, gesturing for him to follow her through to the kitchen. “I’ve just got to make these cookies.” She waved her hand at the stool sitting near the counter. “You’re welcome to have a seat and we can chat as I get them done.”
“Nonsense, Amanda. I’m not just going to sit here doing nothing while you’re working. What can I do to help?”
“Oh, Colonel, that’s not really necessary…”
“I insist.” He placed his cap on the counter and removed his coat, folding it and setting it on the very stool on which he was meant to be sitting.
Amanda chewed her lip for a moment, then sighed under her breath. She could certainly see where Lee got his stubbornness. “Alright, sir. Let’s get ourselves situated…”
Amanda set the colonel up at her “work station” forming cookie dough balls, keeping up a light chatter. Of course, the conversation inevitably turned to Lee.
“You know, Amanda, I was pleasantly surprised to meet you last night. You’re not what I’ve come to expect from Skip’s dates.”
She smiled, knowing exactly the type of woman to which the Colonel was referring. She glanced up at the man, the smile still reflected in her eyes. With a low chuckle, she shook her head. “No, I guess I’m not.” She wasn’t sure what else to say, since she didn’t want to expose Lee’s lie about them ‘seeing each other’ but didn’t want to lie, herself.
She found her eyes caught by the Colonel’s, and was struck by the earnest expression in his. “I’m encouraged by this example of maturity. I can tell he really likes you, you know.”
She could feel her cheeks heating at his words. The little ‘lie’ Lee had told about their relationship was really beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. But she did know how to respond to his last statement, and it required no deception.
“Well, I really like him, too. He’s a wonderful man, and you should be proud of the job you did raising him.”
He shook his head, glancing back down at his hands as he finished placing another ball of dough on the tray. “I’m not sure I had much to do with it, actually.” He stopped and placed the spoons down on the baking sheet. “Amanda,” he said, and waited for her to meet his eyes.
“Yes?” She looked up and noticed that he had stopped; he obviously had something important to say. She set down the spatula and cookie sheet she was holding and took a deep breath, then let it out.
“I can see that having you around has really helped Sk—Lee. He’s more grounded, more serious in a way, but also more relaxed, if that makes any sense. I think that he’s just needed someone to feel worthy of.” He stopped to breathe in and then let it out in a rush. “And I think that’s you.”
She swallowed, hard. “That’s—that’s very sweet of you to say, sir.” This was really getting a little too personal for her, and she did not like continuing the lie with the Colonel. She had to change the subject somehow…
She glanced at the tray of cookie dough balls he had nearly completed, then picked up her hot pan and spatula. She heard him clear his throat uncomfortably and saw him pick his spoons back up.
“Well, you’re really pretty good at that.”
He chuckled and stated, “Actually, I’m pretty handy in the kitchen.”
The timer buzzed, and he placed his spoons back down. “Allow me,” he offered.
Amanda smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”
**SMK**
October 14, 1985: 33 Du Pont Circle (Tail of the Dancing Weasel)
“You’re unique, Amanda. You’re not an agent, but Lee trusts you completely. And that’s good enough for me. You’re exactly what I need for this.”
“Oh, gee, I don’t know…”
“I know you don’t. But Lee says you have good instincts. He says he’d follow you blind through a blizzard at midnight.”
“Come on, he didn’t say that.” She looked down at her lap, uncomfortable with the praise. Lee wouldn’t have said that, would he?
“Sure he did, which is how I know you’ll make the right decision.”
Amanda rubbed her temples with her fingertips. What he was asking felt wrong. She trusted Lee, and he apparently trusted her more than she realized. How could she spy on Lee? How could she break that trust?
She was torn between protecting Lee and keeping his trust. “I just don’t think I can do this. Not to Lee.”
Harry smiled softly at the woman. Lee was right to trust her. She definitely had his best interests at heart. If he wasn’t mistaken (and he rarely was), Amanda’s protective instincts toward Lee were based on more than friendship and trust. It confirmed something he had suspected the last time he had seen Lee. Now he just had to harness those instincts to do what was best for Lee, even if she was having a hard time seeing it right now.
“Believe me, Amanda. If Lee finds out you were watching him, he might be temporarily angry, but he’ll get over it when he finds out that I asked you to do it to help him. However, if we can’t find the letter and Lee is found to be involved in this investigation, it could ruin his career. Possibly his whole life.”
Amanda closed her eyes and sighed. Opening them up again, she looked Harry in the eyes. “I just need to watch him and report to you what he’s doing?”
He nodded, smiling gently at her concern. “He’s the closest thing I have to a son, Amanda. I wouldn’t do anything to harm him. Like you, I care about him in more than just a professional way. And he cares about you, too. You really couldn’t have a better friend.”
He saw her eyes widen slightly at the insight, but then she gave a small nod. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Harry’s smile grew. “Lee’s lucky to have your friendship and trust, Amanda. I’m glad he has you to take care of him.”
“Oh, sir, I don’t—” Her voice faded away as she swallowed, then nodded. “We take care of each other, sir.”
He stood up from his seat behind his desk and walked around it to stand in front of her. Holding his hand out, he helped her stand up, placing his other hand on her shoulder. “It’ll all work out, Amanda. Someday, you’ll think back on what I’ve said today and realize just how good you two have it.”
**SMK**
February 18, 1986: Parker General Hospital (The Eyes Have It)
“Scarecrow, just let us handle this. I’ll have a team trace your route until we find them.” Billy Melrose glared at Lee. “You just stay in the bed.” Lee groaned and turned away from his boss. “You wouldn’t be good to anybody if you killed yourself.”
Billy gave a final glance at his top agent, then gave a look at Amanda that requested her presence in the hallway. He walked toward the door, expecting Amanda to follow him. When she didn’t immediately appear beside him, he glanced back toward Lee.
Amanda’s hand was on Lee’s cheek, and she seemed to be murmuring something to him. Lee gently pulled her hand toward his lips, and he placed a soft kiss in her palm before closing her hand around it. Billy couldn’t see Amanda’s face, but he could see Lee’s, and he was surprised at the love and contentment he saw flash across his agent’s face. He’d never seen that expression on the younger man’s face before, and it was especially unexpected after his anxious actions of only moments before.
He pulled the door open and waited outside. The door hadn’t even fully closed behind him before Amanda opened it again and walked through with only a momentary glance over her shoulder.
He cleared his throat. “We had your car towed to the Agency motor pool. Leatherneck should be able to give you a loaner while yours is being fixed. Would you like a ride over to pick it up?”
“Yes, sir, I would appreciate it.”
They walked through the hospital silently, both thinking of the man they had left behind in his hospital room. As they reached Billy’s car and got buckled in, Amanda gave a sigh.
Billy carefully backed the car out of the parking space and headed toward the exit of the parking lot, then glanced over to the woman in the passenger seat. She was staring blankly ahead, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. He decided to give her a few minutes with her thoughts before bringing up what he had seen at the hospital.
After about fifteen minutes of silence, he figured she had had enough time.
“Amanda,” he began, and with his peripheral vision he saw her twitch, startled at hearing his voice.
“Yes, sir?”
“I know that your relationship with Lee has changed over the last few months…”
“Sir?” came her hoarse reply.
He took the opportunity that a red light gave him to look over at Amanda again. She looked even paler than she had been before, and even more worried. He certainly wasn’t trying to add more stress to her plate, so he looked ahead again and hurried to reassure her.
“I want you to know that your relationship, whatever it is, is fine with me. You have been a wonderful partner to Lee, and I have seen the changes in his attitude and maturity over the last few years. And just now, in the hospital, I saw the way you two behaved together…”
“We—we haven’t really been trying to hide it, sir, it’s just that it’s private, you know, and well, we’ve been trying to remain professional at work…” Her voice faded away, and he looked at her again, noticing the pink stain of embarrassment on her cheeks.
He smiled gently at her as she met his eyes, then looked forward again as the car behind him honked its horn. He stepped on the gas pedal and continued their trip back to the Agency.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Amanda. You two have earned your privacy. Just continue to act professional at work, and I’ll do what I can to make sure your partnership continues uninterrupted.” Another quick glance to his right assured him that she was a bit calmer now.
“Thank you, sir. Lee and I—” She cut off her sentence, unsure how to explain their relationship to her boss.
He softened his voice, knowing that what he was about to say would probably discomfit Amanda, but he wanted to make himself clear about his approval of their relationship.
“You love each other.”
The sudden silence was broken by her sigh. “Yes, sir.”
He pulled into the parking lot of the Agency motor pool, parked the car, then put his hand on Amanda’s knee to stop her from opening the door.
She glanced up, meeting his eyes. He smiled gently at her. “I’m happy for you two. In this business, we deal with a lot of negativity. I’m glad that you have each other to help you through it.”
She smiled affectionately at her boss. “Thank you, sir.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll just keep this little revelation to myself. You two can reveal your relationship to everyone else when you’re ready, though I don’t think that most of the Agency will be surprised…”
Amanda’s cheeks flushed again. “You’re probably right, sir,” she admitted.
With a final amused glance at Amanda, Billy opened his car door and got out. Amanda followed suit, then shut her door.
“Well, sir, thank you very much for the lift. I certainly do appreciate it. How long do you think they’ll have to keep my car?”
“A few days, so you can stay at home and out of trouble.”
“Yes, sir. What about Lee?”
“He’ll be fine, Amanda. All he needs now is rest, and lots of it.”
“Yes, sir, but you know he won’t stay put…”
He chuckled, agreeing with her assessment. “Why don’t you stay with him?” He gave her a wink. “I’ll hold you responsible for keeping him there.”
Her cheeks flushing once again, she agreed. “Yes, sir, I’ll do that if you’d like for me to.”
“Yes, Amanda, I’d like you to.”
She smiled and walked across the garage toward Leatherneck.
Billy chuckled again and shook his head, then made his way back around to the driver’s side of the car. As he backed out of the garage, he thought again of the expression he had seen on Lee’s face in the hospital.
“He’s got it bad,” he muttered to himself. “They both do.” He sighed. “Thank goodness they’ve finally admitted it!”
He’s a Good Lad written by David Gates and performed by Bread
He's a good lad
A little bit shy so you'll try and have to understand
Such a good lad
And just for a while the guy'll need a helping hand
His words are hard to follow, but his heart has found a way
To show you the things that he never could say
He's a good lad
A little bit wild but his style is really gentle and kind
He ain't so bad
Right to the end he's a friend about the best you can find
As you come to know him, and his needs are comin' through
You'll flash on the day I was talkin' to you
And he needs somebody to love
Yes, he needs somebody to be worthy of
He's a good lad
He's a good lad
And if you come to want him, like I know he wants you to
You'll see all the things I was sayin' are true
Tellin' the truth
'Cause he needs somebody to love
Yes, he needs somebody to be worthy of
He's a good lad
Maybe he's wild but his style is really gentle and kind
(He's a good lad)
You need a friend, he is about the best you can find
(He ain't so bad)
Little bit shy, so you'll try and have to understand him
(He's a good lad, good lad)
Just for a while the guy'll need a helping hand
(He's a good lad, good lad)
Maybe he's wild but his style is really gentle and kind...