Two Wonderful Lives
By Robin

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. It is meant for enjoyment purposes only. All characters in this story are fictional. Also, this story borrows from the theme of Frank Capra’s Christmas movie classic, "It’s A Wonderful Life," by Liberty Films. No infringements on any rights are intended in any way. Do not distribute this story without the express written consent of the author.

Author's Note: This story was written in 1999 and is an ALTERNATE REALITY story.  It explores the concept of what might have happened if Lee and Amanda had never met….
 

Christmas 1988:
 

Billy and Jeannie were sitting in the Stetson’s family room with Lee and Amanda. The house was decorated to the hilt for the Christmas holiday. A large twelve-foot Christmas tree stood in the corner of the two-story family room, lit up with soft twinkling lights, which cast a warm glow throughout the room.

"That really is one of the most beautiful trees I’ve ever seen," Billy commented as he stared at the glistening lights. "The whole house is remarkable. Amanda, I don’t know how you did all this, but you did a great job."

Amanda grinned appreciatively, "Billy, I only decorated inside; all that stuff outside and on the roof, that was Lee and the boys. They’ve been going crazy stringing lights and decorations since Thanksgiving Day."

"So, Scrooge, here has finally seen the ‘light’?" Billy teased.

"Hey, I was never a Scrooge!" Lee argued defensively.

Billy and Amanda both looked at each other and laughed.

"I love the smell of a fresh cut tree," Jeannie added. "It makes the whole house smell like a winter wonderland."

Amanda nodded in agreement. "You should have been there when they carried it through the woods after they cut it down. It had to be a mile walk back to the car."

"It wasn’t that far," Lee answered with a grin.

"Well, I guess we should get going; it’s getting really late," Billy said, reluctant to end such a pleasant evening. "I’ll see you both on Monday."

"Billy, Jeannie, thanks so much for coming," Amanda said, as they walked them to the door.

"Thanks for inviting us," Jeannie commented. "It was a wonderful dinner, the whole place is just lovely."

Amanda and Lee stood on the porch watching Billy’s car drive down their long driveway. It was only a week before Christmas; Amanda surveyed the festive decorations on the lawn, the lights decorating the house, then looked back at the tree. They had never had such a large tree before; but then again they never had the room for one in the old house in Arlington.

Lee looked at her face, noticing a small frown. "Amanda, is something wrong?" he asked with concern.

"Oh, no. Just thinking about the old house in Arlington, I do miss it now and then," she sighed, then smiled brightly. "But Billy was right, that is the most exquisite tree I’ve ever seen."

Lee beamed in delight. "She really is. Almost as pretty as you."

"Lee, you say the sweetest things."

Lee kissed her gently on the lips, wrapping his arms around her. "It comes from my heart…."
 
 

***

Amanda and Lee sat in the conference room with the rest of the agents waiting for Billy to start the Monday morning briefing, but Billy was uncharacteristically late.

"Francine, what’s going on?" Lee asked with growing concern.

"I don’t know for sure. But Billy’s been in a foul mood since I saw him first thing this morning. He grunted at me, not even a good morning – a grunt!"

"Great, what a wonderful way to start Christmas week. Something's going down," Lee commented; he’d been an agent long enough to know something was amiss.

"Let’s not think the worst, OK," Amanda suggested in her usual cheerful way.

"You’re right," Lee sighed. "We shouldn’t go and borrow trouble."

"Don’t worry, we don’t have to borrow it; he’s following Billy through the door right now," Francine nodded as Billy walked in followed closely by Dr. Smyth.

"OK, folks. We’ve got a lot of things to cover this morning so let’s get down to business," Billy started curtly. His eyes darted angrily towards Dr. Smyth who was standing in the corner with his usual lofty air.

Billy did a quick run down of the assignments and situations that were most immediately at hand. Then with little ceremony he made the announcement. "There will be some new personnel moving in and out of here over the next three months."

The room groaned with displeasure. "Trainees?" Francine asked.

"No, not exactly trainees. You’ll all get the memo, it will only affect the junior agents, but we expect you all to be cooperative and helpful," Billy explained, then asked, "Any questions?"

"How many and how soon?" Lee inquired.

Dr. Smyth replied haughtily. "Melrose already told you, Scarecrow, read the memo. If you check your mailbox on your way out, I’m certain you’ll find it. You can read, Scarecrow; you do have a brain don’t you?" Dr. Smyth added with grating pleasure.

Amanda grabbed Lee’s hand under the table and squeezed it. She knew Dr. Smyth loved to play this annoying cat and mouse game with him.

"Is that all?" Lee gritted out, holding his tongue, with some difficulty.

"You're dismissed," Dr. Smyth announced. The agents quickly sprang from their chairs and rushed for the door. He calmly added, "Wickman, King and Moreno you need to stay.

The three agents reluctantly sat back down. Amanda quickly looked over at Lee and shrugged. He nodded and walked out the door. Dr. Smyth went and closed the door and then looked over at Billy waiting for him to start. "Get on with it, Melrose. I don’t have all day."

Billy looked more than annoyed, but after taking a deep breath, he started. "As was just announced, we’re going to be rotating personnel around. Since relations in the east are starting to thaw, we feel this would be a good time for some of the junior agents to take on some new assignments, broaden their horizons."

"Just hand out the packets, Melrose," Dr. Smyth crankily snipped.

"Since you three are the most experienced junior agents, we are giving you an opportunity to make some choices. We’ll need answers before Christmas as the assignments not chosen by you three will be randomly assigned to the other junior agents," Billy explained as he handed out the thick envelopes to each of the three agents sitting uneasily at the table.

"No later than Christmas Eve, and no exceptions," Dr. Smyth barked as he opened the door and walked swiftly out of the room.

"I’ll be in my office if there are any questions, folks," Billy replied as he too left the room. The agents, stood stunned for only a moment, then cautiously opened their respective envelopes.

The memo inside was short and to the point: ‘Field agents with less than three years experience will be rotated to new assignments within the next three months…’ At the bottom of the page were three choices. She blinked, at first not believing her eyes. Her heart started to sink; this couldn’t really be happening. Not now, not after they just moved into the new house. The boys just got settled into a new school. Her life had finally achieved a normalcy that she had hoped and dreamed of over the last few years.

She looked over at Agent Moreno and Wickman. Their faces were just as lost in the letters they'd received. She watched as Wickman crumpled the letter into his hand, threw back his chair and stormed out of the office. Moreno just shook his head at Amanda and shrugged, she could sympathize with the feeling of hopelessness he felt. Moreno had just gotten engaged around Thanksgiving. Certainly his bride to be wouldn’t be anymore thrilled about this Christmas present than the boys or Lee would.

Then a wave of panic washed over her. Her thoughts turned to Lee. Did this mean they were separating them? Or would Lee be allowed to go with her? She sat in stunned silence looking down at the memo. She finally whispered her three choices out loud, her ears still not believing this was happening: Cairo, Egypt …Istanbul, Turkey… or Denver, Colorado.

She got up slowly, mindlessly. She headed directly to Billy’s office. He was sitting in his office, his face filled with tension. He motioned her to come in. She entered his office, closing the door behind her. She held out the letter that in a single moment, turned her life upside down.

"I understand what this means for me, but what does this mean for Lee? Is this one final attempt by Dr. Smyth to separate us?" Amanda asked harshly.

"Amanda, please sit down," Billy suggested calmly.

"Thank you, sir, but I’d rather stand," she answered firmly.

"Amanda, after a long, heated discussion with Dr. Smyth about your and Lee’s unique situation, it was agreed that wherever you decide to relocate to, Lee will be reassigned there as well."

"How terribly thoughtful of him. So not only do I get to uproot my family, but I get to ruin Lee’s career," Amanda snapped angrily.

"Amanda, I realize you wouldn’t want to move the boys overseas, but Denver is actually a very good assignment. It’s a great place to raise children, and it’s the Agency’s hub for the mountain states. I know what Moreno and Wickman's choices were; you were very fortunate."

"Oh, sure! How very fortunate I feel. Lee and I just finished building our dream house. You know that; you were just over the other night. Not to mention we just moved the boys four months ago to a new school. So I should just walk away from all that?"

"Amanda, I’m sorry. I don’t like this anymore than you do. I hate the fact that I’m going to lose you and Lee. The two of you have been the cornerstone of this Agency for the last few years. When you leave, it’s going to leave one hell of a void," Billy explained sadly, his face filled with remorse. He had tried in vain to reason with Dr. Smyth, but to no avail.

"And if I choose not to be rotated, I’ll be terminated?" she asked point blank.

"You knew when you went full time that reassignment was always a possibility," Billy reminded her.

Amanda shook her head and without saying another word, turned and left. She headed for the Q Bureau, she needed to talk to Lee; she needed him to hold her, to tell her everything would be all right. But Lee wasn’t there; it was empty like the pit of her stomach.

She knew what this meant to her if she refused to transfer: she would be out of a job. But if she moved her family to Denver, it meant readjusting again and for how long: a few months or a year? To Lee, it meant ruining his career. She knew Denver was a good assignment for a junior agent, Billy was right on that account. But for someone with Lee’s experience, DC, LA, or New York was where he belonged, not Denver, and certainly not Cairo or Istanbul; internationally he should be stationed in Moscow,Berlin or London.

***

Lee had waited for Amanda in the Q bureau as long as he could, but was called downstairs. He had read the generic memo, stating that junior agents would be rotated. It really wasn’t that unusual. He was surprised that when he returned to the Q Bureau an hour later, her coat and purse were gone, but there was no note. He started pacing their office. Moreno and Wickman both were junior field agents. They’d joined the Agency less than two years ago. Certainly Amanda wasn’t being considered a ‘junior agent’? She had been with the Agency for over five years.

With growing concern, Lee finally headed downstairs to look for her. As he entered the bullpen, he looked around. She was nowhere in sight. He looked into the meeting room where they held their briefing earlier; it was empty. He saw Billy come out of his office and he called out to him.

"Billy, you got a minute?"

Billy looked up and motioned him to follow him. "What’s up, Lee?"

Lee caught up to him as he entered the hallway. "I was looking for Amanda, she must have gone back to the Q Bureau when I was downstairs, but she’s gone now. She didn’t leave a note. What gives?"

"I think she was a little upset by the memo," Billy answered as calmly as he could and continued towards the elevator, not really wanting to discuss this with Lee.

"What exactly did her memo say?" Lee asked with growing concern.

"Come on, Lee, do I have to spell it out for you? She’s being reassigned like the rest of the junior agents."

"She’s what?" Lee yelled as the door to the elevator opened and Billy got in.

"Lee, you got a copy of the memo, all junior agents are being reassigned. She’s one of the lucky ones, she’s been given a choice of assignments," he explained as the elevator door closed.

Lee followed closely, not allowing Billy to get away. "She’s not a junior agent, Billy. She’s been at the Agency for over five years."

Billy looked up at Lee. "She’s been a full time field agent for less than three years. That’s what Dr. Smyth went by, not her part time civilian record."

"I don’t believe this," Lee yelled as Billy attempted to get off the elevator. Lee stood in front of him, blocking his way.

"Lee, nobody’s more sorry about this than I am," he answered with conviction.

"Where did she go?"

Billy shook his head. "I don’t know, she was pretty upset. I figured she went looking for you."

"Great, and I was downstairs wasting my time in accounting. I can’t believe it. After all Dr. Smyth has put us through this year just to remain partners. This really stinks," Lee snarled.

"Lee, I am sorry…"

"Her choices?" Lee interrupted.

Billy tried to get off the elevator again. "What?"

"Where is she being reassigned?" Lee protested with an annoyed tone of voice.

"She’s got three choices," Billy answered mechanically; he knew her choices by heart, "Cairo, Istanbul or Denver." With that said, he stepped off the elevator; the doors closed with Lee standing motionless inside.

It took the motion of the elevator to shake Lee back to his senses. He quickly pushed the button and headed to the Georgetown foyer.

"Mrs. Marsten, do you know where Amanda went?" Lee asked hastily.

"No, Scarecrow, she left not quite an hour ago, she looked upset..."

The door slammed behind him before she had a chance to finish the sentence. Lee raced for his car. His mind reeled, going in several different directions. They’d driven in together that morning so wherever she had gone, she would have had to walk.

***

Downstairs, cozily tucked in his office, smoking his cigarette, Dr. Smyth smirked happily, watching Lee as he questioned Mrs. Marsten and then raced out of the office. An hour earlier he had seen Amanda hastily retreat through the Georgetown foyer, nearly in tears.

"Oh how terribly sad, how much DC will miss Scarecrow and Mrs. King," he laughed heartily as he turned off the video monitor and went back to work.

End Part 1
 
 

Part 2

Lee started searching the neighborhood, hoping she wouldn’t have gotten far. But he combed the area block by block and she was nowhere to be found.

"Oh God, Amanda, where did you go?" Lee cursed loudly. "This is all my fault, if only I had never given you that damn package. You’d be better off if we had never met."

He drove towards the old house, on Maplewood Drive. He stopped just down the street. It brought back so many memories; it was hard to believe that Amanda had only been in his life for five years. The memories brought a smile to his face. He took one more look around the neighborhood for her and then drove by his old apartment but she was nowhere to be seen.

"The Memorial," he laughed out loud. She had to be at the Jefferson Memorial. That was where they used to meet, years ago. He walked the TidalBasin, asked the Park Ranger at the Memorial if he had seen her, but he hadn’t. He headed to the Lincoln Memorial; he hoped that maybe she was there. But again, there was no sign of her. Reluctantly he walked back to his car and wracked his brain. ‘Where would she have gone?’ The new house was too far to walk, she would have to take the Metro or the train…

"Of course!" he yelled as he started his car and sped off down the road. The midday traffic was getting heavy and for once the weatherman was right, chance of snow. It started to come down with a vengeance, making the congested roads slick.

"Damn weatherman!" Lee cursed out loud as he finally made a turn into the train station parking lot. But the car in front of his skidded on the slick snow. Lee managed to weave his ‘Vette’ around it but ran up and over the curb. He hit the street light with his fender, the impact causing him to bang his head on his steering wheel.

Moments later he heard a knock on his car window. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and got out of his car

"Mister? Are you all right? You have a nasty bump on your head, and your car, that’s going to cost a fortune to repair," the man stated. Lee put his hand to his forehead, feeling a bump and blood.

Lee pushed him away, snarling at him, "Just leave me alone, I wish I was never born."

He headed for the station, looking down the platform at the people congregating on it. "My life is a disaster, all I do is cause Amanda heartache and pain," he rambled.

"I wish," his thought was cut short when people started yelling. He looked down and noticed a man slumped down in-between the tracks. It wasn’t until he had jumped down and grabbed the man that he noticed the train bearing down on them. With strength he didn’t know he had, he threw the man on his back and climbed up the cement wall to safety, ripping his coat and scraping his hands and arms in the process.

Several people in the crowd helped them up and guided them into the station. A security guard quickly arrived and escorted them both into a private room. Seeing that neither of them appeared to be seriously injured, he waited outside for the ambulance. Finally the man spoke to Lee.

"You know, you should really be more careful," Percy said.

"What?" an annoyed Lee shouted. "You know, you’re crazy. I just saved your life mister, or didn’t you see that train coming? You’d be mincemeat by now if it wasn’t for me."
 

"Oh I saw the train, that’s why I jumped. I was worried about what you were thinking. You shouldn’t think those thoughts. Amanda needs you now, so do Phillip and Jamie…"

Lee stared at the man, "Wa.. wa… wait a second. How do you know Amanda? Or Phillip and Jamie? What have you done with Amanda?" he yelled nervously.

"Calm down, Lee, I haven’t done anything with Amanda."

"Hey wait a second, how do you know who I am? I haven’t told you my name," he snarled, grabbing Percy by the shirt collar in a threatening manner, pulling the much smaller and older man off his feet.

Percy struggled for breath, his arms and legs flailing, trying desperately to get back to his feet. "If you put me down, I promise to explain."

Lee finally put him down, pushing him away angrily. "You better start talking fast. If you’ve hurt her in any way…"

Percy struggled to regain his voice. As he rubbed his neck he started to explain. "Amanda is fine, the boys are fine. I’m your guardian angel. I’m here to help you."

"Help me? By almost getting me killed? Some angel you turned out to be. You’re nothing but a crazy old man who needs to spend the holidays in the mental hospital for safekeeping."

"I’m here to help you – both," Percy said quietly.

"You can’t help me, nobody can help me. I’ve caused her so much pain; every time I think things are going to be all right, then something else happens. I can’t keep doing this to her…"

"Lee, you’re being awful hard on yourself. You haven’t done anything to Amanda but love her. Now I promise, I can help you if you give me a chance."

"OK, well fine then, how about you turn the clock back to 1983. That way I can make sure I never meet Mrs. Amanda King."

"Now, Lee, it’s just not that easy. Not to mention you two have done a lot of good together over the last few years," Percy tried to remind him.

"Yeah, right. Because of me she’s been kidnapped, poisoned, shot and a whole lot of other things I’d like to forget," Lee answered hotly.

"You’re thinking negatively. You need to concentrate on the good things…" Percy tried to reason, but Lee wasn’t listening to him.

"Her whole life has been turned upside down since the day I met her. This is all my fault," Lee harangued himself as he paced back and forth.

"Lee, give yourself some credit," Percy said, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Lee pulled away angrily, the bump on his head still bleeding, his hands and arms starting to warm up and burn from the fresh scrapes and bruises. "Some angel you turned out to be. Look at my jacket? That’s a two hundred-dollar jacket. I wish I had never given her that package.… If she had only walked away from me. If I had never met her…"

"You don’t really mean that."

"Yes, I do," Lee stated emphatically.

Percy looked at Lee thoughtfully. Maybe there was a way. "OK, you got your wish."

"What?" Lee snapped angrily at the little old man.

"I said you got your wish. You and Mrs. King have never met," Percy answered with a casual shrug.

"You know, you really are a nut. Where is that ambulance?I’m going to take you to the hospital myself, make sure they lock you up tight. Then they can check out the bump on my head."

"What bump on your head?" Percy asked.

Lee reached up to his head, but the bump seemed to have receded and the bleeding had stopped.

"You are a certifiable lunatic," Lee argued. "The bleeding just stopped."

"Look at your hands, and your jacket. Your hands aren’t cut and your jacket isn’t ripped."

Lee looked down at his hands, they weren’t cut and scraped, his jacket was perfectly fine, like it was when he put it on that morning. Again he felt his head, the bump was gone.

Shaking his head wearily, he said, "I must be dreaming this or something. I’m imagining this, that’s it, the bump on my head is making me dream all this up."

"No, Lee, I granted you your wish. Amanda is at home in Arlington."

"No she’s not. We moved to Rockville in September," Lee answered crossly.

"She never moved to Rockville; she’s still living in the little house in Arlington with her husband, Dean McGuire, the weatherman."

"Very funny. Amanda didn’t marry Dean, she married me."

"She didn’t marry you because she never met you. She married Dean because you weren’t in her life to instill doubts about their relationship," Percy argued.

Lee shook his head in confusion, "I’ve had enough of you. I’m getting out of here."

Lee marched towards the parking lot and Percy eagerly followed. He went to the street light where he had left his car, but it wasn’t there. Looking around he couldn’t find it anywhere.

"Where’s my ‘Vette’?" Lee snarled. "I remember smashing it around this damn pole just a few minutes ago? Don’t tell me they towed it already."

"You drive a Porsche, not a ‘Vette’," Percy corrected.

"The Porsche went over a cliff and exploded in 1984. I’ve been driving the ‘Vette’ ever since."

"The Porsche never went over the cliff, because you never got into the charity fund raiser. Remember you didn’t know Mrs. King – she was the one who got you into that party. You’ll find your car is right over there," Percy pointed. "Go ahead, Lee, it’s your car. The key is in your pocket."

Lee fumbled in his pocket for his keys, sure enough there was a key to his long smashed Porsche. "This can’t be?" he said with little conviction. "How do you know so much about me, about Amanda? You must be some kind of agent or something…"

"I know everything about you, I told you I’m your guardian angel, and this was your wish."

Lee got in the car, Percy quickly sat in the passenger side even though the door was locked.

"Hey where do you think you’re going?" Lee snarled.

"I’m with you," Percy smiled.

Lee sighed heavily. "OK, I’m dropping you off at the hospital as soon as I see Amanda. Then I’m getting a CAT scan for myself."

"You won’t like what you see at Amanda’s," Percy warned.

"Not another word," Lee snapped angrily at the plump, little man.

"You’re going the wrong way, I tell you she’s at 4247 Maplewood Drive."

Lee shot him an annoyed look. "OK, a quick trip by the old place and then over to Arlington GeneralHospital for you."

Lee navigated the same routes through the streets of Arlington that he had followed earlier that morning. The snow that had fallen earlier had stopped and magically the streets were dry as if it hadn’t snowed at all. Lee arrived at the house and thought, ‘Funny, it looks a lot shabbier now than it did earlier in the day. But then again, nobody could keep it up as pretty as my Amanda did.’ There was an older station wagon in the driveway; it reminded him of the one Amanda drove years before.

"Stay in the car," Lee ordered Percy as he got out and headed up the walkway. "This will only take a minute."

Lee rang the doorbell. He hadn’t met the new owners; he’ll just give them some lame excuse and be on his way. Moments later the door opened and Lee stood there for a moment speechless.

"Amanda? What are you doing here?" he blurted out.

Amanda gave Lee an odd stare. "Do I know you?"

"Very funny. Is this one of Billy’s practical jokes? It’s a good one I have to admit that. He even got your old car back." Lee started to laugh.

"Listen, I don’t know who you are or who Billy is. There’s nothing wrong with my car.Dean believes in taking care of things, he says we probably can get another year or two out of it," Amanda retorted wearily as she wiped her hands on the towel she was carrying. She looked tired and sad; there were bags under her eyes.

"What? Dean the weatherman? Amanda, enough!" Lee yelled. He was getting tired of this ‘practical joke’ and his level of anger began to climb again. He reached out for her arm.

She pulled away from him in fear. "Will you please get out of here? What are you, some nut? Get out of here now or I’ll call my husband."

"I’m your husband, Amanda; it’s me, Lee!" he cried in vain.

She slammed the door, locking it quickly. Then she grabbed for the phone and started to dial the police.

He raced for the familiar back door. Finding that it was unlocked, he let himself in. "Amanda, enough, this isn’t funny. Now stop this right now! Please, you’re scaring me…"

"Get out of my house. The police are on the way," she screamed as she kept backing away from him. "If you don’t want to be in jail for Christmas, I suggest you get out of here," Amanda begged. "Mister, my husband is very jealous, please, he’ll be home for lunch any minute. Get yourself some help."

She pushed him out the door. The look on her face was one of utter terror. Lee backed out the door about the same time the police cruiser arrived. He ran around to his car with the police following him. He jumped in his car and raced out of the neighborhood.

"I told you, Lee, she never met you. She’s married to Dean," Percy said apprehensively holding on as Lee’s car skidded around the corner.

"I’m going to the Agency. I want some answers," Lee answered, running his hand nervously through his hair.

"You don’t work there anymore. Dirk let you go after you lost that package."

"I didn’t lose the package. I handed it off to Amanda and she helped me solve the case."

"Lee, she never went to the train station that morning. You never gave her the package. You got beat up, they got the package and you got fired."

"No, no, no!" Lee said as he hit his hand repeatedly on the steering wheel.

"Sorry, but it’s true," Percy replied.

Lee drove to the Agency. He parked his car in front and walked into the Georgetown foyer. Mrs. Marsten looked up.

"Mr. Stetson?" she greeted him nervously as she pushed an emergency button on her desk.

"Is Billy still in? I’m having the weirdest day," he said in confusion.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Stetson, but Mr. Melrose is not available. I’ll tell him you called and he has your number if he needs you," she stated in an authoritative voice.

Lee looked at her as if she had lost her mind. He walked over to the elevator/closet door and tried to open it. An alarm sounded shortly before two guards showed up and bodily picked him up and shoved him out the door.

"What the he…." Lee shouted as they pushed him down the stairs.

Percy was waiting for him at the bottom stair. "I told you, Lee. You don’t work here anymore. You’re not an agent."

"I’m going up to Rockville. I’m starting to get a headache. I need to lie down in my own bed," Lee said, but with diminishing confidence.

"Lee, there’s no house in Rockville."

"Not another word from you," Lee demanded.

He got back into his car and drove to Rockville, to his and Amanda’s dream home; the one that they had just built and moved into only four months ago. The one that he and the boys spent hours decorating for Christmas with lights everywhere and a manger scene for Amanda on the front lawn. The large six-foot star sitting on the roof could be seen for blocks. Santa and his reindeer were going up the long driveway. The house looked great day and night. He’d show Percy where he really lived. Lee pulled up to the lot that should have been his house but there was nothing there but a few trees and a for sale sign.

He got out of the car and walked the vacant property. He was shaking noticeably and his stomach was doing flip-flops. He mumbled anxiously, "This can’t be, I live here; this is where our house is supposed to be…"

"Lee, you and Amanda don’t live here because you never met," Percy tried again to explain.

"I need to talk to Amanda again, this is just a bad dream or some pretty strong hallucinogens. That’s it, somebody must have slipped me something," Lee said as he got into the car and headed back to Amanda’s house.

Phillip was out front sitting on the porch when Lee drove up. "Hey, sport, why are you so glum?" Lee asked, worried about his stepson’s downcast face.

"I got a C in history."

"A ‘C’, hey that’s not so bad," Lee smiled, knowing how much Phillip disliked history.

"Yeah, well tell that to my stepfather, he grounded me for the entire Christmas break. I hate my stepfather."

Lee looked at Phillip with confusion. "I would never ground you for getting a passing grade."

"Now if you were only my stepfather," Phillip mumbled.

Lee stood there for a moment dazed. Then the door flung open.

"You again? Stay away from my son," Amanda cried in distress. "Phillip, you better get in the house before Dean gets home; you’re supposed to be up in your room studying."

Phillip got up sullenly and ducked into the house. Lee waited until he knew he was out of earshot. "Amanda, I would never hurt the boys. You know that."

"Please, I don’t know who you are or what you want, but leave my family alone," she begged.

"Amanda, I am your family. I’m your husband. We are married, we’ve been married twice in fact, once privately and once publicly.

"Married? Twice?" she answered with alarm. "Did you fall out of a tree or something? I think you need help, maybe you should see a doctor, but please, just leave me alone."

"Is Joe making you do this? Is he threatening to take the boys? That’s it! Someone’s threatening you." Lee thought he had it figured out. It had to be something like that. One of their old cases, threatening her if she didn’t go along with this charade.

"Joe King?" she whispered, looking to see where Phillip was. With tears in her eyes and anger in her voice, she responded, "He’s in Estoccia serving a life sentence for killing the Estoccian Prime Minister."

Lee stepped backwards, stumbling down the stairs. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry; oh my God, Amanda, what have I done?"

Lee trudged slowly down the walkway. Amanda watched silently. Despite how badly he had frightened her, she felt oddly drawn to the man. As she watched him drive off, a tear rolled slowly down her face.

He got in his car and drove away. He walked aimlessly through the streets ofArlington, neither knowing nor caring where he was going or what he was going to do.

End Part 2
 
 

Part 3

Amanda walked obliviously through the downtown streets of DC. It was a cold and blustery day with snow beginning to accumulate on the sidewalk. She shivered although her coat was buttoned tightly. It wasn’t the weather that was giving her such a chill; it was the thoughts of what she was doing to Lee and his career.

"Oh God, it would have been better if we never met. If only I had given the package to the man on the train, any man on the train," she mumbled out loud.

She cautiously navigated her way down the slick sidewalks in her heels. She slipped and cut her leg on a nearby bench, ripping her stockings. The sharp, stinging pain made her cry out, "Oh dear God, help me. I’m not sure how much more I can take."

As she waited at the corner for the traffic light to change so she could cross the street, her dark thoughts continued, ‘I can’t do this to Lee. This will ruin his career. His network is here in DC, he has so much here, I can’t…’

Suddenly she looked up, the light had long ago changed. A bus was coming quickly down the street. A small roundish man had slipped and fell in the wet roadway almost at her feet. The bus’ brakes squealed loudly as the driver frantically tried to stop to avoid the fallen man. Amanda took a few steps forward, grabbed the man by his arm. Pulling him with all her might she managed to drag him to safety. In the process she fell on the sidewalk, ripping her stockings and cutting her leg further.

"Are you all right?" she asked, finally catching her breath and wiping the grimy slush off of herself.

"Whew!" Percy exclaimed as he exhaled deeply. "That was a close one. You know, you really should be more careful. I didn’t like what you were thinking."

Amanda gave the plump little man a strange look. "I should be more careful? You stepped out in front of a bus!"

"Only to make sure you wouldn’t do anything silly," Percy said smiling happily as he dusted off the grime and mud that was now covered his coat and pants.

"Did you hit your head or something? You’re not making any sense."

"I’m perfectly fine, Amanda. I was really worried about you though," Percy answered plainly.

"How do you know my name?" she asked warily.

Percy laughed softly, "Amanda, I know every last detail about you, the boys, your mother and Lee. That’s why I’m here - to help you."

Amanda eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"I’m your guardian angel," he answered with a bright, dimpled smile.

"Yeah, right, and I’m Mrs. Claus. I must be stuck in some weird nightmare. That’s it! This day is just too unreal."

"I can assure you this is not a nightmare. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you," Percy tried to reassure her, but Amanda started to swoon, more than a little overwhelmed by all that had happened.

"Are you all right?" Percy asked, concerned. "Maybe we should go sit down, you need to wash up that cut on your leg and if you get that grease out of your jacket soon, it might not stain."

Amanda nodded. "That’s the first thing you’ve said that made sense since we met." She looked around and noticed a small coffee shop just up the street. "Come on."

They sat down at a small table in the coffee shop. Using a napkin she wiped the blood off her leg, before asking, "OK, now I want the truth and I want it now. Exactly who are you?"

"I told you; I’m Percy, your guardian angel. I’m here to help you and Lee through all this. You have us all quite concerned."

"Who exactly is ‘us’?" Amanda inquired, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Percy looked up, then back over to Amanda and shrugged bashfully.

"If you really want to help me, just transfer Dr. Smyth out of the US."

"I’m not here to help Dr. Smyth. Although I would agree he certainly could use some; but that’s a different department," Percy answered shaking his head sadly.

"Well then, I’m not sure there’s anything you can do to help me. I’m about to ruin my husband’s life and there is nothing I can do to stop it," she said remorsefully.

"You’re not going to ruin Lee’s life, Amanda, and you have quite a few choices."

"Choices? You call moving to Cairo or Istanbul choices? Denver is two thousand miles away. He would have been better off if I never met him. He’d be out rubbing elbows with kings and queens, the rich and famous, models and starlets..."

"Even if that were true, Amanda, Lee chose to be with you. Didn’t he?"

Amanda was barely listening to this crazy man’s rambling, she continued on. "Now we have to think about selling the dream house we just built. Move the boys again, move away from the network he’s spent years building, for who knows how long, a few months, maybe a year? He’d be better off if we had never met, I wish…"

"You know, they say you should be careful what you wish for," Percy warned shaking his head, and making a ‘tsk, tsk, tsk,’ sound.

.

"Yeah, well I once wished Lee would fall in love with me and look where that got him. The man deserves better than what’s going to happen. I wish we had never met," she said as tears filled her eyes.

He shook his head one more time. "Is that really what you want?"

Amanda nodded her head up and down slowly.

"OK, it’s done," Percy said as a loud crash came from the back of the kitchen. He looked up at the ceiling and shrugged, "I know, I know, but what else was I supposed to do?"

Amanda squinted at Percy. "Would you like me to take you to the hospital or something? Are you sure you’re all right? Maybe an X-ray; you could have a concussion. I might need a few stitches in my leg. I wouldn’t mind taking you, really," Amanda whispered, truly concerned for the little man.

"I’m fine, Amanda, and your leg is fine, too. You don’t need any stitches."

Amanda looked down at her leg in surprise. Not only was it not bleeding, but her stockings weren’t even torn. "Now that’s really weird, I know I tore these when I bumped into that bench, and when I pulled you out of the street…"

"Your jacket isn’t smudged anymore either," Percy pointed out.

"What????" Amanda replied with a great deal of confusion. "I think I’d better call Lee. He must be getting worried about me," Amanda fretted.

"Sorry, you can’t do that," Percy warned.

"Can’t do what?" Amanda asked crossly. This plump little fellow was starting to grate on her nerves.

"You can’t call Lee."

"And why not?"

"Because he doesn’t know you. Remember, you two never met," Percy pointed out.

"Yeah, right, and reindeer fly," she answered angrily as she got up from the table and headed out of the café.

She went outside to flag down a taxi; Percy followed closely on her heels. "What do you think you’re doing?" she asked him.

"I’m with you," he said with a soft smile.

They waited outside in the cold, blustery air until finally a taxi stopped. Amanda got in as did Percy. She gave him an annoyed grimace and then gave the taxi driver the address to IFF. The ride only lasted a few minutes.

"Amanda, where do you think you’re going?" Percy asked as she started walking up the steps to IFF.

"I’m going to find Lee, we need to talk. I suggest you might want to have yourself checked out by the emergency room. GeorgetownHospital is just a few blocks down the road," she pointed.

"Lee’s not in there."

"And how can you be so sure of that?"

"Lee doesn’t work at the Agency anymore. He was fired quite some time ago."

"Percy, I know you mean well and all, but Lee works here. We drove in together this morning. Now once and for all, will you please leave me alone or I’ll have security pick you up," Amanda stated in an aggravated tone as she went into the Georgetown foyer.

Mrs. Marsten greeted her formally when she walked through the door. "Can I help you?"

Amanda looked at her oddly. "Is Lee still here?"

"Lee? We don’t have any Lee’s working here."

"Mrs. Marsten, I’m looking for my husband, Lee Stetson, you know, ‘Scarecrow’." Amanda gave her a peculiar stare as she thought to herself, ‘Is everyone in a fog today or what?’

"I’m sorry, but there is nobody here by that name, and unless you have an appointment, I’m going to have to ask you to leave," Mrs. Marsten answered with a nothing but business attitude.

"Fine, I’ll just find him myself; he’s probably still up in the Q bureau," Amanda answered, trying not to lose her dwindling patience as she began climbing the old wooden staircase.

Mrs. Marsten hit her emergency button and before Amanda could get half way up the stairs, security was politely escorting her out the door.

"But, but, but," was the last thing she said as the door slammed shut behind her.

"I tried to warn you, Amanda. Lee was fired years ago by Dirk. He was beat up at the train station, he lost the package…"

"Lee didn’t lose the package, he handed it off to me. I helped him solve the case…"

"You didn’t meet him at the train station that morning; you never took the package from Lee because you two never met. He was beat up by two goons, they took the package, the Agency accused Lee of conspiring with the enemy and he was fired. They were going to charge him with treason but they didn’t want the publicity," Percy explained calmly to Amanda.

"No, no, no! That’s not what happened." Amanda yelled, the confusion and exasperation in her voice steadily building.

"But it is."

"Maybe he went by his old apartment, he goes there every once in a while to just sit and think, when he needs to be alone. I’m sure that’s where he went. He found out about my transfer, he’s probably waiting for me there right now. He knew I’d be upset and would want a little privacy, away from mother and the boys. I’m glad we haven’t given up his apartment yet." Amanda walked down the road to the Metro station. Percy followed faithfully.

A few minutes later she walked into the lobby of Lee’s apartment building, nodding to the doorman. She took the elevator to the fourth floor, got off and started fumbling through her keys, but she couldn’t find the right one.

"It’s not there is it?" Percy asked politely.

"What’s not?" Amanda answered with growing nervousness in her voice.

"The key to his apartment? It’s not on your key ring, because he never gave it to you. Amanda, you two have never met."

"Will you please stop talking this nonsense. I must have lost his key when I fell pulling you out of the street. That’s what must have happened. I’ll go ask the doorman to let me in, he knows me. You’ll see."

Amanda took the elevator back downstairs. "Hi, Jerry. I hate to bother you, but it seems I have misplaced my key to Mr. Stetson’s apartment, could you let me in?"

"Mr. Stetson? I’m really sorry ma’am, but you must have the wrong building. We don’t have any Mr. Stetson living here," Jerry answered apologetically.

"Of course you do, Jerry. He’s not here all the time anymore, but he still keeps his apartment. You know, Lee Stetson, he drives the silver Corvette."

Jerry shook his head, and graciously replied, "Sorry, ma’am. I’m pretty sure I would remember him if he lived here; that is my job."

"Amanda, it’s true. Lee doesn’t live here," Percy said as he gently tugged at her coat sleeve and guided her out of the building.

She was nearly in tears. Leaning against the outside wall with ragged breath, she pleaded. "I need to talk to Lee. You said you wanted to help me; I need to find him."

"Amanda, I’m telling you, he won’t know you," Percy replied sympathetically.

"Take me to him – now!" she yelled – anger taking over her emotions.

Percy nodded, and flagged down a taxi, whispered an address to the driver and sat back. Amanda looked out the window trying to calm her frazzled nerves.

The ride took them to an older part of town. Amanda paid the cab driver and got out of the cab, slowly surveying the run down neighborhood. The sign on the door said ‘Oz Detective Agency’.

"He’s inside," Percy nodded as he added one final warning. "But, Amanda, he won’t know you. You really shouldn’t do this."

Amanda didn’t heed his warning. She walked inside, not sure what she would find. She went up to the receptionist, looking around uncomfortably. A knot slowly began forming in her stomach.

"Is Mr. Stetson in?" she asked the receptionist timidly.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked brusquely.

"Ah, no, no I don’t," Amanda stuttered, surprised that there was even a Mr. Stetson there. She argued with herself with uncertainty, ‘It must be someone else. Stetson isn’t that uncommon of a name now is it?’

"I’m sorry, but Mr. Stetson doesn’t see anyone without an appointment."

"Will you please tell Mr. Stetson that his wife is here to see him," Amanda demanded.

The receptionist stared at her motionlessly. Amanda looked around the room; it was a shabby little place. The carpeting was worn and stained. The furniture didn’t match; it was old and in need of repair. On one of the doors she saw a cheap wooden sign hanging with Lee’s name on it. Without further delay, she walked to the door, opened it and marched in. Lee was sitting behind a worn metal desk in a cheap suit that had seen better days.

"Lee, thank God. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve been having…."

Lee interrupted with a bright smile. "Hello, beautiful! What do I owe the pleasure? Your husband cheating on you?"

"I’m sorry, sir," the receptionist interrupted. "She said she was your wife and just barged right in."

"Wife?" his head snapped quickly from his receptionist to Amanda, staring at her with a perplexed look on his face.

"Lee!" Amanda clamored.

"Lady, I’m a confirmed bachelor. In my business the closest I come to marriage is helping my clients end theirs. But I’d be happy to add your name to my ‘little black books’." Lee laughed lustily. "So what did you say your name was, beautiful?"

"Lee? What’s going on?" Amanda asked with confusion.

"It’s OK, Darla. I’m sure she’s harmless," Lee said to his receptionist.

Amanda waited for the door to close. "Well, I’m waiting. Do you mind telling me what’s going on? Why are you here? Why is everyone at the Agency acting like you don’t work there? You know I should have been told about this operation. I’ve been scared half to death."

Lee looked befuddled. He tried to place this woman, but for the life of him he couldn’t. "The Agency? That was a lifetime ago. They gave me the shaft, the hell with them. So, OK, the perks aren’t as good as they use to be, but you’re not bad looking at all," Lee commented as he walked over to Amanda and eyed her up and down.

"Lee!" she looked back at the closed door, then whispered uncertainly. "Is this place bugged?" ‘It had to be, why else would Lee be acting like such an over sexed tomcat?’ she thought.

"Bugs? Yeah, we got ants and you might see a roach now and then…"

"That’s not what I mean and you know it. What’s going on here? Why didn’t you or anyone else at the Agency tell me about this assignment?"

"Lady, I don’t know who you are," Lee said with growing suspicion. "But if you’re Agency you’re not welcome here. I was the scapegoat five years ago; they knew it and didn’t care. They ruined my career; life as a private detective isn’t quite as glamorous as Magnum PI. So unless you have an appointment or are interested in dinner and a quick roll in the hay, I suggest you beat it."

Amanda was starting to feel sick to her stomach; she swallowed hard. "Lee, why are you doing this to me?"

"Lady, I don’t even know your name. Now if you would please leave, I have an appointment at the corner bar that I really don’t want to be late for…" Lee answered as he pushed her out of his office.

She staggered to the street, gasping for air. Percy watched sadly; he supported her as she leaned against the building. Amanda looked at Percy ruefully; he knew that she had just lost the best friend she had in the world.

"I didn’t know," she sobbed. "I only wanted what was best for him."

"But, Amanda, you were what was best for him."

"Oh, God, please, I want Lee back.I want our life back, we can face anything together…"

She walked and walked, not knowing where she was most of the time or what direction she was heading. Exhaustion finally started to set in, she knew she couldn’t walk much farther in her heels. She shivered with a gnawing cold that permeated down through her bones. She again hailed a cab, and took it to the train station…

End Part 3
 
 

Part 4

The snow had begun to fall again. Amanda shivered as she got out of the cab and headed to the crowded platform. She wasn’t sure what to do or where to go, but felt oddly drawn to the train station. This was where it had all started, back in October of 1983 – or had it?

Lee wandered the bustling platform aimlessly. He wasn’t sure why he had returned to the train station, but somehow felt comforted by being there. He ‘had’ met Amanda here on that fateful day in 1983. He knew it, whether or not she would ever remember.

She looked up at the gray clouded sky, which hung ominously low over the station. She watched the myriad of snowflakes fall softly and silently to the ground. The light wind made them float like butterflies in odd directions and patterns. She closed her eyes as the flakes hit her cheeks, stinging them slightly with their cold impersonal touch.

Finally a train whistle was heard off in the distance. Lee watched as the crowd of people flocked to the edge of the platform like a swarm of locust. Lee backed away from the throng of commuters eager to catch the early train home from work. Pangs of emptiness started to overpower him. These people were rushing home to see their friends and families, something he had foolishly wished away so easily, earlier in the day.

"I want Amanda back; I want my life back. We can deal with whatever happens, but we have to do it together, please God…" he finally pleaded out loud.

Amanda tried desperately to fight her way out of the throng she found herself encompassed in. Their momentum was pulling her into the now waiting train. She didn’t want to get on the train; she had to get out of the crowd. She felt like they were smothering her. She forcefully turned and elbowed her way out of the mass of people nearly knocking a man with a red Santa hat off his feet. She grabbed his elbow to help steady him. He turned and looked at her with a stunned face.

"Lee! Amanda?" they both cried at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" they chimed in unison, both of their hearts pounding but with growing smiles on their faces.

Lee quickly swept her up with a bear hug so tight Amanda could hardly breathe. She didn’t mind his tight embrace, she luxuriated in it and returned it with an equally tight hug of her own. They stood there on the platform, no longer aware of their surroundings. They never heard the train pull out of the station or noticed that they were now the only two people left standing on the once crowded platform. They didn’t notice the snow was now falling steadily or that the wind was blowing fiercely. They only knew that they had found each other once again.

Their embrace ended only when Lee’s lips found Amanda’s. He kissed her passionately, as if he needed to be sure that she remembered him, that she remembered ‘they’ were husband and wife – soul mates. But there was no need for him to worry. Amanda returned his kiss with equal exuberance and desire. When it ended they stood together silently, neither of them knowing what to tell the other about the experience they had just endured. Both of them wanted to get back to the lives they were meant to live.

Amanda finally broke the silence. "Where’d you get the hat?" Amanda asked, playfully flipping the tassel, ringing the bell on the end.

"The hat?" he asked unknowingly, then reaching up, he pulled off a red Santa Claus cap off his head. "This?" he grinned brightly. "A friend gave it to me.He wanted to make sure you met the man with the red hat today." He smiled as he reached around her to pull her close and kiss her once again.

"Don’t worry; this time I found the right one, now and forever," she said in a loving tone.

With his hand firmly intertwined in hers they walked together: away from the platform, away from the train station and away from the ordeal they both experienced. They strolled quietly towards his car, holding tightly to each other. They walked back to the two wonderful lives that had blossomed into an extraordinary oneness.

Lee gingerly helped her into the passenger’s seat of his ‘Vette’, carefully closing the door when she was settled. As he turned to head to the other side the bell, on his hat rang once again and they both whispered softly, mindful that the other wouldn’t hear - "Thanks, Percy…."

       Peace to all…

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