Disclaimer: This story is based on characters that are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. It is meant for enjoyment purposes. I retain the rights to the plot and not the characters.

Lee Stetson had already finished changing his clothes and went outside to the foyer. When Amanda wasn’t out yet he hurried over to the flower shop he’d passed in the lobby and picked out a nice bouquet of flowers. After all, a bride needed flowers, he reasoned logically. After paying he hurried back to the foyer, afraid that she’d be waiting for him. When he got there he discovered that she still hadn’t come out yet, so he decided to wait for her. 'Just relax,' he reassured himself. 'She'll be out in a minute.’ If anyone had told him four years ago that things would have turned out this way he would have laughed in their faces. Not only was he getting married but he was getting a ready-made family at the same time. He could hardly believe it himself. He still couldn't figure out how she managed to sneak up on him. Somebody had definitely been looking down on him that day at the train station. He loved Amanda more than he ever thought possible.

Sure, their marriage has to be a secret for now but that's only temporary. Actually he was a little relieved. This would give him time to get to know Dotty and the boys better without them knowing just what his relationship in their lives actually was. It would take time for them all to be comfortable with each other but it would work out in the end.

Philip and Jamie were great kids. He was looking forward to doing things with them that he'd always wanted to do at their age -- camping, hiking -- all the things his uncle never seemed to have time for. He still got a little queasy thinking of himself as being a fill-in dad. Being their friend he could handle. They were at the age to be dating as well. They'd certainly need a man's advice on how to romance a woman, and that's one thing he knew how to do very well.

It’s funny. He’d had more than his fair share of women in his life, and it’s what he always thought he’d wanted from life. He never realized just how empty that life was before he met Amanda. She’d taught him the difference between romance and sex.

'I can't wait to see the look on Francine's face when she finds out the truth,' he grinned. 'I could always drop a few hints here and there...maybe mail her an anonymous copy of our wedding license,' he mused, strolling casually down the corridor. After a few seconds he reluctantly stopped his fantasizing. 'We can't risk the lives of her -- OUR -- ' he corrected himself, spirits rising again, 'family just for a few minutes of fun, no matter how enjoyable that might be.' Besides, it would be all over the Agency in minutes and Amanda would kill him. He straightened his tie self-consciously.

Amanda! His attention snapped back to the present with a thud. He glanced at his watch, and noticed the time in alarm. What was taking her so long?! "Amanda!" He exclaimed anxiously, hurrying over to the ladies room. "Amanda, come on, will ya? He's going to go home!" He knocked anxiously and started pacing back and forth.

This was it. It took them four years to get to this point and he wasn't about to wait another minute longer than necessary. He glanced over at the judges chambers sharply, reassuring himself that the justice of the peace hadn't indeed left.

He began mentally preparing what arguments he could use in case the situation came to that when he heard the bathroom door open. He spun around and saw her standing there, his breath momentarily taken away by the sight of her. She looked so radiant.

She self-consciously closed the door behind her and glanced at him wide-eyed.

"You look beautiful," he admitted tenderly.

"Oh, you look handsome," she confessed shakily.

"Lee and Amanda!" Mrs. Bowman called out.

Back to:  IFF Film Library