Favourite Lee Lets His Barriers Down Moment: Service Above and Beyond

When Amanda falls foul of Hollander and is injected with muscarine Lee sits in the ambulance with her, anxiously waiting for the medic to do his job and let him know how she is.

He doesn’t say a word but merely stares down at her lifeless form, hoping and praying that he wasn’t too late in getting her help.  Perhaps if he had reached her quicker he might have been able to stop her being injected in the first place?  As it was he was just a few moments too late, the starkness of her scream the brutal echo of that.

“She’s stabilised, Mr Stetson.  She’ll be all right,” the medic finally informs him, cutting through his troubled reverie, having done what he needs to.

Lee briefly turns to glance at the medic and merely nods, the words that form on his lips in response not finding their voice as his attention immediately shifts back to the woman lying so completely silent before him.  His eyes bore down upon her, stark with the worry and fear which have stalked him since he found her.  The fact that she became the innocent victim of Hollander’s menace is certainly a haunting reminder of the risks she takes whilst working with him on a case, of the dangers she faces.

Quietly the medic moves away leaving Lee sitting beside her, the anxiety etched on his face having no less abated even though he has been reassured that she’s going to be fine.

With the relief that suffuses his body comes an overwhelming desire to be closer to her and he moves nearer, kneeling down by her side as he leans towards her, instinctively reaching out to touch her and gently brush invisible hairs from her face with loving reverence.  If something had happened to her…

He can’t think like that though.  He got to her in time and she’s going to be okay.  “I guess this one got a little rough,” he murmurs softly, his entire focus on her sleeping form, not even caring that the medic in the back with him might overhear.  “I’m sorry.  You did a hell of a job.”

And she did.  He can’t deny that fact. For a supposedly ordinary housewife she showed that she could do the job asked of her and for the first time since he discovered her inert body on the bed in Delano’s house a tender smile reaches into his eyes.

“Thank you.”  Still a little groggy from her ordeal, Amanda’s eyes open and look directly at him.

He can’t believe it!  He’s horrified that she might have heard what he’s just said to her; after all, he didn’t say it expecting her to hear it!  He certainly doesn’t need her knowing how he feels about her potential as an agent – or the fact that deep down inside of him there is a slow blooming feeling that she means something more to him than he wishes to actually consciously acknowledge.

The fact that Amanda has absolutely no idea of what he’s just said to her is, however, confirmed by her assumption that he is just a porter because she asks him to wake her when they reach their destination, a grateful smile dancing across her entire face as she speaks.  She has absolutely no idea what has happened to her it seems – at least not at this moment in time.

Infinitely relieved that she clearly hasn’t heard what he’s said, Lee relaxes a little and shakes his head in amusement.  Only Amanda…

 

Lee & Amanda: Relationship Progression Notes – There Goes the Neighbourhood (Pt6)

IN OUR COSY KITCHEN

The next day (presumably) Lee and Amanda meet up at their “house” on the Betsy Ross Estates to catch up and swap notes on the case, having settled companionably in the kitchen to talk things through.

Even as Lee is running through what they know so far out loud, Amanda is busy nailing another thing she’s brought from home to the kitchen wall – a picture of Dean holding a massive fish in front of his face!

Having finished doing that she starts to go about making herself a sandwich, bustling around the kitchen with the as much ease as she would in her own home.  Lee, meanwhile, is looking at the picture on the wall, his mind distracting from the case, a frown furrowing his brow.  Despite the picture appearing a bit strange, there’s something else wrong with it – something about it that’s not quite right.  Then he realises!

“It’s crooked,” he tells Amanda, pointing.  Horrified, she rushes to straighten it and as he watches her do so, Lee cannot help but question her about it. “What is it?”

“It’s Dean,” Amanda replies, proudly stating that it was from when they were on vacation together.

“Good likeness,” Lee quips rather uncharitably, although he can’t help being a bit curious about a man who puts a big fish in front of his face.  “You and whats-his-name do a lot of fishing, do you?”

His question, however, provokes Amanda to immediately close the shutters on any further discussion about her relationship with Dean.  She’s not about to discuss her love life with him!  Very succinctly she gives him a brief response that, yes, she and Dean do do a lot of fishing before pointedly suggesting that they return to the actual matter in hand – namely the case.  After all, that’s what they’re here for.

Lee abides by her wish and duly turns his mind from Dean, only to notice as he glances up at the window, halfway through some further musings about the case, that Amanda has changed the curtains! Again he finds himself derailed from matters which should be fully occupying his mind. He can’t quite figure out why Amanda would even bother to do such a thing.  After all, what does it matter what the curtains look like?  It’s not as though it’s their actual home!

Amanda gives a casual little shrug when he asks her why she changed them.  Personally she didn’t think the old curtains went well with the rug she bought and as she prefers a cheery kitchen to work in she changed the curtains.

From where Amanda’s standing it’s all pretty simple, although Lee has a completely different idea of how things should be done.

His response isn’t really a surprise to Amanda.  She’s already worked out a few things about him and wastes no time in telling him what she thinks – namely that he’s out of touch.

He doesn’t immediately understand – or doesn’t want to.  “Out of touch with what?” he responds testily.

“The way normal people do things.”

Irritated by her assessment of him, Lee turns from her to get back to his notes.  It’s not a conversation he particularly wants to have, but Amanda isn’t about to let it go.

To her mind, at least, Lee has no real idea of normality and from what she’s seen certainly has no wish to embrace it!  He may not want or lead an ordinary life in the suburbs as she does, but she knows that he needs to start connecting with the people they are “living” amongst by approaching them and showing an interest in their lives.  It is, after all, the only way he is going to discover things which might be relevant to the case.

When, upon completely losing his patience, Lee tells her that if she’s so damn normal she can solve the case she is more than willing to snatch up the gauntlet.  And when Lee questions her as to how she thinks she can do that she is more than ready with her answer.

She already has her own ideas about what has been going on and when she tells Lee he is left to wonder whether she may have a point after all.  In fact, he can’t help but be impressed with her line of thinking.  “Did you just think of that?” he asks and when she admits she has, although wonders if it is a bit too way out to have any real substance, he dismisses it, telling her it’s a good thought.

His compliment isn’t lost on Amanda – in fact, she is very happy to receive it.  As far as Lee is concerned it’s an idea he wants to run with.  The fact that Judy Wainwright is making deliveries that day spurs his decision to trail her and keep an eye on things; and so, wasting no more time, he makes ready to leave the house.  It is only when he’s gathered up his jacket and on his way out that he suddenly realises what has just happened between himself and Amanda.

It stops him in his tracks and he turns to look at her.  Does she realise it too?

She comes to stand in front of him, although she is completely unaware of what is going through his mind.  “What?”

Amanda gives a little laugh, surprised by his words. “Right here in our cheery kitchen,” she muses.  Only a short while ago he was busy telling her that their “home” wasn’t real.  Now here he is referring to them as arguing like a proper couple!

Lee glances towards the kitchen area, remembering, before turning back to her. “I guess I’ll see you later,” he begins as though to leave her, although his gaze holds fast to hers, his feet firmly rooted to the spot.

An awkward, unspoken anticipation hangs between them. Gone is the cocky spy, the smooth operator amongst women, and in his place stands a man whose own words have had the power to throw him a little off-balance.

He’s not quite sure how to proceed, how to move forward from what he’s just said.  After all, if they were indeed a regular married couple who’d just had a fight, wouldn’t they be kissing and making up at this point?  Not that they are a couple, of course!  They’re definitely not emotionally attached or anything like that as far he’s concerned (in fact they barely even know each other) and yet he can’t walk away until he makes up with her for the argument they’ve just had.  He’s got to say something….do something…

Galvanising himself into action, he extends his hand out to Amanda as a peace offering, breaking through the awkwardness which lingers between them.

Seeing what he is doing Amanda grasps his hand with a somewhat relieved smile and as they shake hands they give a little laugh, both of them knowing that this is their way of making up after their fight.

“Have a good…” Amanda begins as their hands part, gesturing as if to verify that she means his day.

“Yeah. You too,” he replies, things seemingly back to normal between them, even as they both turn away from each other to go their different ways.

However, even then Lee finds that he can’t just walk away.  There’s something else he needs to tell her before he goes.

“You know, I like blue a lot better,” he says, referring to the curtains from which their whole argument sprung.

Amanda cannot hide her pleasure at his remark.  It means a lot to her that he appreciates her efforts to make the place feel more homely. “Oh!  Good.  I’m glad,” she replies with a bright smile as she watches him give her a little salute and finally walk away, leaving her standing watching after him.

Service Above & Beyond Graphic

I’ve been busy working on making vids for the past month with quite a few sitting waiting for final touches before they’re posted, but this afternoon I sat down and made some graphics.  This is one of them.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Lee & Amanda: Relationship Progression Notes – There Goes the Neighbourhood (Pt5)

NIGHT MANOEUVRES

Later, with Lee having reassured himself that the coast is clear, he and Amanda set off to search the Bodine house.  It’s not the first time that Amanda has accompanied Lee on a break-in, although on that occasion they were letting themselves into an impersonal Post Office to find a parcel rather than breaking into somebody’s actual home.

Having got into the house, as they come through the french windows, Amanda’s first instinct is to shine her torch around the room to see if she can spot anything.  However this only earns her a whispered hiss from Lee to keep her light down, even as his hand reaches out to push it downwards.  The last thing they need is for someone noticing an unexplained light in a supposedly empty house!  The gloom of the darkened room and the whole fact of what they are doing certainly doesn’t make Amanda feel particularly comfortable!

“This gives me the creeps,” she whispers.

“This way,” Lee announces, having done a quick scan of the room and decided on where they should head first.  Amanda doesn’t question it and merely follows in his wake; after all, she is sure he knows what he’s doing being the experienced spy that he is. What’s more she’s going to stay as close to him as possible!

“We’re looking for letters, diaries, phone numbers, anything unusual,” he tells her, although as he turns to find her right behind him – and far too close for his liking – he decides on another track.  “I’ll check upstairs.”

He’s not about to have her follow him so when she asks him what she should do he tells her to just check around.  That should keep her occupied and to his mind she’ll be perfectly safe downstairs on her own, especially as they’re the only ones in the house let alone awake!

Reluctantly, Amanda watches Lee head for the stairs.  She’d much rather go with him but if he wants her to check the downstairs then that’s what she’s going to have to do. But where to start?

She flashes her torch around and spots a closed door.  Perhaps she should check to see what’s behind it?  Stealthily she creeps towards it and even though she knows there’s no one at home she gives the door a brief knock before tentatively entering.

It leads her into the bathroom – the surfaces strewn with a whole host of beauty products and, upon closer inspection, a rather blackened hairdryer.  She picks it up thoughtfully and gives it a sniff.  It smells as though it’s burnt out.

As she puts it down she hears the sudden startled sound of a cat.  She really isn’t comfortable with the situation and decides it’s high time to try and find Lee.  Surely he isn’t far away?  When she calls out to him, however, she gets no response.  Maybe he didn’t hear her? Venturing back into the main room she hears another noise – this time seeming slightly more ominous as though glass has been broken – and in the eerie gloom she calls out nervously to Lee again.  Fear starts to swell; something is definitely not right!  The worst thing is that there seems to be absolutely no sign of Lee.

Keeping a wary eye out and more than a little unnerved she heads towards the kitchen, not quite knowing where she should start looking for Lee, when suddenly she feels something seize her leg.  She lets out a scream, utterly terrified, although as she sharply spins about and peers down she sees Frank Bodine lying on the floor!

His very presence in the house is a shock to her.  He isn’t supposed to here at all but rather staying with Harriet and her husband for the night!  That was the whole reason why they came to check the house for clues!

“Oh! Mr Bodine!” she cries, instinctively crouching down to help him, only to find the horrifying sight of blood on her hands from a wound Frank has received after obviously being attacked.  Had it happened while she was in the other room? Is that what those noises she heard were linked to?

When she looks up after hearing the back door open behind her she finds herself confronted by a masked figure lurking menacingly in the doorway.  Alone with only a dying man in her arms, she has no way of defending herself, no weapon to use if this person should try to attack her too so she does the only thing she can – she screams at the top of her voice for Lee, praying this time that he will hear her, a move which mercifully sends the intruder running.  “Lee, they’re getting away!”

From the garden Lee hears Amanda’s stark cry of warning.  His first reaction is to get to her as quickly as possible; he has no idea whether she’s in danger.  He slows, however, his instincts anticipating something, reaching for his gun to protect himself as he moves towards the house.

The sound of a car’s engine and then, in the next second, a van coming crashing through the garage doors forces him to abandon trying to fire at the speeding vehicle when it heads straight for him. He can do nothing else but run as fast as he can to try and escape the van which seems hellbent on hitting him.

Desperate to avoid being struck he throws himself out of its path into the shrubbery, although in the next moment, with the van having ground to a halt, someone bears over him seemingly intent on finishing him off.

Quickly reacting, he narrowly avoids being staked by a pink flamingo. He kick outs and knocks his assailant off his feet, taking advantage of the fact by scrambling to his feet and reaching for the nearest weapon to hand – another plastic flamingo!

He has little time to dwell on the suitability of such a weapon; the bad guy is quick to continue his attack upon him, giving Lee little option but to fight back as best he can. Flamingos clash, no longer ornaments of the garden but potentially deadly weapons.

It is only when the van once more comes back to try and mow Lee down that he is compelled to leap aside while his assailant gets into the van before driving off into the night.

Left alone his mind switches back to Amanda.  Is she all right?  He hasn’t heard anything more from her since he heard her scream out to him.  Retrieving his gun from the ground where he dropped it earlier, he bolts for the house not knowing what to expect.

What he finds is Amanda, seemingly and mercifully unharmed, sitting on the kitchen floor with Frank Bodine cradled in her lap.

He rushes over to her and crouches down beside her.  What was supposed to be a simple break-in to find some evidence has now yielded something far more than he originally bargained for – a dying man who, even though he is beginning to fade as the life ebbs from him, has only one thing he needs to say.

“Hairdryer.” Frank Bodine murmurs as he draws his last breath and dies.

In absolute silence Amanda and Lee turn to each other.  Betty Bodine spoke about hairdryers before being found dead and now it seems that her husband has gone exactly the same way….

Lee & Amanda: Relationship Progression Notes – There Goes the Neighbourhood (Pt4)

SO…WHO GETS THE BED?

With all their guests having departed, Lee and Amanda are left to wait for an opportunity to search the Bodine house in the hopes of finding any clues as to why Betty Bodine was targeted.  Sitting alone in the living room Amanda realises that Lee is going to need her help, although when he pops his head around the bathroom door, having heard her speaking her thoughts aloud, she quickly covers it and asks for his thoughts on her taking the job as a Connie Beth representative.  Lee thinks this is actually a great idea – after all, she’ll have access to every house in the neighbourhood!

“Yeah, I’ll have the blisters to prove it too,” she responds before turning her attentions to more immediate matters.

She has already had to call Dotty more than once to say she’s running late and she’s adamant that she’s not going to do it again.  After all, how long can a rummage sale go on for?  She can see the time ticking away and would rather get on with the search they need to do rather than wait any longer.

However, any idea of leaving any time soon seems scuppered by Lee emerging from the bathroom casually unbuttoning his shirt and getting ready to go to bed. She really doesn’t need to hear that he is going to take a nap. After all, surely they can go and do their searching now?  Frank Bodine isn’t home, having gone to the Rosemonts for the night so the house is completely empty.

“I don’t want anyone up to watch us break in,” Lee responds, making it all sound perfectly feasible that they should wait until gone three in the morning until they take any action.  He is, after all, the agent. “Now, are you coming?”  he continues, gesturing towards the stairs.

Amanda can’t believe what she’s hearing.  “No!” she cries, horrified that if Lee has his way she will end up spending almost the entire night with him – and that’s something she certainly hasn’t accounted for!  The fact that she will feel like she’s lying and cheating cuts no ice with Lee however.  In fact he couldn’t be less understanding of her situation.

“No!” She has to try and make him understand how she feels.  This is, after all, all new to her.  She hasn’t had to pretend to be married before, much less wait until the coast is supposedly clear with a handsome spy whose inviting her to get some rest in the same bed as him!

And what about Dean?

If she stays here she will feel guilty and even though she knows nothing is going to happen it doesn’t stop her feeling as though she’s having a thing, although when she finds herself trying to explain this to Lee he merely looks at her with a somewhat indulgent smile.

“A thing?”  he repeats softly, knowing precisely what she’s talking about even if she hasn’t used the word “affair”

“Yes,” Amanda clarifies, attempting to emphasise her point in order to fully drive it home to him.  “You know. A thing.”

For the briefest moment he looks at her with a smile before, in the next moment, cutting any thought of such an idea to the quick. “Well you’re not,” he informs her briskly before proceeding to get back to the matter at hand.

He really needs to get his mind back on the case.  After all, this really shouldn’t be any different to any other assignment he’s had with a female agent in the past although there’s no getting away from the fact that it is – however hard he tries to gloss over the fact.  That doesn’t stop him from carrying on as if they haven’t just had the conversation they have though. “Now, do you like a window open at night?”  It seems like a perfectly reasonable question in his mind.

Has he actually been listening to what she’s been trying to say to him?  She has to think about Dean even if he won’t.  “I have to consider Dean,” she tells him, trying to put her point across as succinctly as she can.  Surely she can get him to understand how all this might look?  She has a boyfriend and here she is standing in front of an open-shirted Lee who thinks it’s perfectly reasonable to expect her to spend what will end up being virtually the whole night in his company.  She knew she would be posing as his wife for this assignment but staying with him until the wee hours of the morning was not something she envisaged.

“Ok.  How does he feel about windows?” Lee replies unhelpfully to her words.

Amanda is losing patience fast.  It seems that there’s no way she’s going to be able to make him understand how she feels about all this.  But Lee has his own ideas of what he understands and it doesn’t include worrying about what Dean might or might not think.

She can only but agree that the situation between them is indeed business and having established that Lee continues on, telling her that they both need to get some rest to be able to do their job properly and if that means one of them getting the bed and the other the couch then he really doesn’t care!  “You tend to get killed less often that way,” he concludes.

And that’s the end of the matter as far as he’s concerned.  He’s said his piece and now he’s going to bed.

“Who gets the bed?” Amanda calls after him as she watches him make his way up the stairs, already knowing the answer.

If they are going to go down the route of one of them getting the bed and one of them the couch, for Lee there is only one response.  Amanda merely responds with a knowing sideways look.

Lee turns to head up to bed alone as Amanda rolls her eyes irritably and marches back into the living room to sit out the time until they can go and break into the Bodine house.

Season 1 Walls

Here are some new walls from Service Above and Beyond, The First Time and Saved by the Bells.

Have a lovely week everyone!

Please do not copy, amend or alter in any way

If taking, please credit

Do not hotlink

Lee & Amanda: Relationship Progression Notes – There Goes the Neighbourhood (Pt3)

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY

And so Amanda finds herself faced with the prospect of posing as Lee’s wife.  For Lee too, this is something new – he’s never had to play house with a real housewife before, particularly with one who brings props for the house they will be using as their pretend home with her.

The buffalo’s head brings it home to him that, unlike for him, this assignment is something new for Amanda.  She’s had to continue to lie about where she is going and what she is up to to her mother, having fallen back on her previous invention of her new “club” to explain why she’ll be absent for at least the day.

She throws herself into the assignment almost as soon as they arrive, telling Lee that she’s going to check that the removal men know where to put everything.  Lee can only stand there and stare after her as she goes sprinting towards the house.  Surely she’s getting a bit too involved in all this?  It’s not as though it’s even remotely real!  Certainly he’s never had to worry about what piece of furniture goes where or how everything is arranged.  That’s not his job.  Nor should it really be Amanda’s but she’s quickly taken it upon herself to sort it all, keeping busy, her own natural instincts shining through.

Already the whole assignment is feeling a bit different from any other he has worked on before and he doesn’t like it.  He reluctantly retrieves Dotty’s offering to follow her into the house.  It’s going to be a long three days.

Amanda busies herself with all the jobs that need doing to turn the house into what will be their “home” for the next few days – unpacking boxes, putting the shelf paper down, arranging flowers and washing glasses.  It might not be their real home but that doesn’t mean that it can’t look nice.

Lee, meanwhile, dedicates himself to the task of nailing Dotty’s buffalo’s head to the living room wall.

As Amanda comes into the room to put a vase of flowers down on the coffee table, she notices that Lee still looks like he did when they first arrived.  Surely he’s done something while she’s been sorting things out?  She glances round but can’t really see any evidence to suggest it.

Lee is surprised she’s even asked.  “Are you kidding?” he responds, pointing to his handiwork.

“Maybe you ought to take a break,” Amanda quips.  After all, she doesn’t want him getting too exhausted from the sheer exertion of it all!

Lee merely shoots her a look before going to pour himself a drink, even as Amanda assesses the furniture and furnishings.  “Who picked this stuff?” she asks, even though Lee doesn’t appear particularly bothered by any of it.

“That’s Government Issue Suburban Grouping,” he tells her. “We do this kind of thing a lot, you know.  This stuff’s been used before.”

When Amanda discovers a mark on one of the sofa cushions she looks pointedly over at him.  He’s certainly right about that.  “Cigarette burn?”

“Bullet hole,” he tells her.

As Amanda absorbs this rather disturbing fact, Lee turns his thoughts to how they can get to know the people in the street.

Not that Amanda is worried about having to meet anyone.  This is suburbia after all.  As if on cue, the doorbell rings.

“That’s probably the welcome wagon now,” she says brightly, handing him the offending cushion and heading to the door.  As Lee quickly rearranges the sofa cushion and grabs his drink, forcing a pleasant smile to his lips, a whole host of people start piling into their living room.  It seems that Amanda was right – here on their doorstep are the very neighbours they need to get to know!

They’ve bought everything for an impromptu party with them, plunging Lee and Amanda into their domestic cover head on.  Amanda quickly assumes the role of hostess to the unexpected gathering even as Lee plants himself firmly in the kitchen mixing up strawberry daiquiris.

Somehow, however, he has to try to contrive a way to have a chat with Harriet Rosemont whose name was on the gunrunner’s body.  The question is how? He’s not going to be able to achieve very much standing in the kitchen whipping up daiquiris. He’s not enjoying himself at all, even though he sees Amanda making the best of it and being her usual friendly self.

If this is what life in suburbia is like then he doesn’t want any part of it!  It’s definitely not for him!  Not that Amanda seems to be paying much attention to how he’s feeling. She wants him to light the barbecue when he’s finished mixing the drinks.

“You’re really doing very well,” she tells him encouragingly.  “Really.”

He turns and glares at her, at which point she beats a hasty retreat back to the party. She’s not going to linger any longer in the kitchen, especially if he’s getting annoyed with her.

Having come to the conclusion that it’s best to let him stew alone for a while she goes to offer more chips to the neighbours and give them their drinks. If Lee won’t get a chance to come out of the kitchen to talk to people any time soon then maybe she can somehow do some investigating of her own?  After all, she might be able to find out something useful that would help him with the case.

As Amanda goes about seeing to her guests she finds herself chatting to one of the neighbours whose more than happy to make small talk about her and Lee’s life “together” before being approached and accosted by Judy Wainwright who decides she needs rescuing.

Excusing herself and following Judy across the room, she is introduced Karen and Harriet.  Alarm bells blare through her mind.  Harriet is the woman Lee mentioned about needing to speak to just now.

Also it appears that Lee, without her knowledge, has already had a chance to tell Judy that she is keen to get involved with the neighbourhood.  There’s no mention of Lee being as eager, of course.  By his own admission he has absolutely no idea about everyday life nor, it seems, any real willingness to embrace it.

“Well, you know, I am very anxious to become involved with the neighbourhood and I’d like to get to know everybody,” she tells them, not wanting to seem unfriendly. “But unfortunately I am looking for work.”

She notices Judy’s eyes light up at this.  She has the perfect solution: join the troupe of Connie Beth girls!

Harriet seems a little reserved at the suggestion, but Judy thinks Amanda would be perfect even though Amanda isn’t quite sure what that actually means.

The ring of the doorbell, however, heralds an abrupt end to the party proceedings when Lee opens the door – expecting to see yet another party guest – and finds a policeman standing there looking for Frank Bodine.

As Lee calls Frank over he listens to what’s being said, hoping that it might have some bearing on the case.

It does…..the body of Betty Bodine has been discovered and it’s not good news.

Complications of a Double Life (1)

I thought it might be fun to also write some notes about all the excuses Amanda gives Dotty about her whereabouts and why she is coming and going at odd  times of the day. So to start it off, here’s the first excuse of them all – Amanda’s club to save the clams.

INVENTING A CLUB (THE FIRST TIME)

The minute Amanda agrees to take the package for Lee at the train station she immediately finds herself embroiled in a situation which is the polar opposite of her normal, safe, everyday life.  Certainly, the fact that things go completely pear-shaped by her being unable to deliver the package sends her into a whole new world of secrets and intrigue.  And that means she finds herself having to come up with an excuse to her family – more particularly her mother – as to why she suddenly has to start leaving the house without warning to go and keep her meeting with Lee.

The fact that Dotty is engrossed in following a cookery programme led by Mrs Welch on TV means that maybe she can just casually say she’s popping out for a while and won’t be questioned on it.  The trouble is that Jamie notices that his mother looks much prettier than usual. “You look great, mom.”

That draws Dotty’s attention towards her.  As she peers at Amanda, she notices that there is indeed something different about her daughter. Amanda plays it down, casually dismissing her appearance and the fact that she has made an effort for her meeting with Lee in the hopes of shutting down any further questions.

“No TV until they do their homework,” she tells her mother, veering the conversation in another direction as she gathers up her purse and readies to leave the house. She is stopped in her tracks by Dotty asking where she’ll be if Dean asks.  After all, he’s going to be there at six and if she’s not back….

Then it strikes Dotty that Amanda hasn’t actually mentioned anything before about going out.

“Where will you be?” she queries, frowning.

For a split second Amanda stands there, a little caught off-guard by this one seemingly innocent question, before seizing upon the first thing that enters her head. “At my club.”  And with that she scoots for the door to avoid any further questioning and leaving Dotty looking completely confused.

“What club?”

She is pretty sure that Amanda hasn’t mentioned anything to her about joining any new club recently.

The fact that a few hours later Amanda, with Lee in tow and hiding in the shadows beneath the kitchen window, comes home soaked to the skin is not lost on Dotty.  In fact, she doesn’t hold back in telling Amanda just how untoward it all looks.

“Marine life, Mother. To save the clams,” Amanda tells her, seemingly vocalising the first thing that comes into her head, even as she furtively feeds yards of kitchen paper through the open window to Lee while her mother’s back is turned.

Dotty, blissfully unaware of what is going on while her back is turned, finds it all very odd indeed.  After all, surely clams aren’t endangered?

Amanda doesn’t respond but merely smiles before rushing off into the dining room to get the package – only to find that her mother has mailed it!  And what’s even worse is that she can’t even tell her why she wishes she hadn’t done her the favour of posting it without mentioning her association with Lee.

Dotty isn’t particularly pleased by Amanda’s lack of gratitude either.  She abruptly walks from the room leaving Amanda with not only the realisation that she’s annoyed her mother but that Lee, having heard every word skulking outside in the bushes, will almost certainly be angry with her too for having lost the package.

Furthermore for Amanda, trying to juggle her secret meetings with Lee and her family life doesn’t get any easier either especially when, having learnt that Lee might well be in danger she decides to go to his rescue.

Unfortunately, she has her Cub Scout group with her.  She has already taken them to the TV station, trying to keep them entertained by practising knots while she tries to get hold of Lee – all to no avail – on the telephone.

She knows she certainly can’t take the boys off on her little mission to find Lee but is thankfully saved by her mother coming to help out just as she’s leaving the studio with the scouts.  That, at least, gives her the perfect opportunity to leave her mother in charge.

“Mother, something’s come up.  Now I need you to take the boys home for me all right?”

Dotty, for her part, can’t imagine what on earth would have Amanda running off like this – besides, Dean is coming for dinner!

Well, it’s not a complete lie as Amanda does have an emergency in that she needs to get to Lee as fast as she can if she has any hope of helping him.  With that, she heads off, not giving her mother a chance to question her further as to what sort of emergency would have her bolting off in such a fashion.

Dotty, meanwhile, is left standing there watching after her, a frown on her face.  She can’t work it out.  After all, what exactly is this clam club Amanda is a part of which causes her to just up and leave her Cub Scout Group in such an abrupt manner?

 

 

Lee & Amanda: Relationship Progression Notes – There Goes the Neighbourhood (Pt2)

PART TWO – A NEW ROLE

And that’s that or that’s how it seems as Amanda heads off for an interview with Honeycutt Typewriters.  She’s almost resigned herself to the fact that perhaps this is what she might have to accept, seeing as the Agency – or more particularly, Lee – doesn’t seem to have any work for her.

However, everything is completely blown to the wind by the appearance of Lee gate-crashing the interview she’s come for.

Amanda is completely unprepared for his sudden appearance and not only that but for some reason that completely eludes her, he has assumed the role of her husband and has invented three children into the bargain!  It’s a complete u-turn compared to his earlier behaviour when he really couldn’t get rid of her fast enough!  In the blink of an eye he’s gone from coolly detached to attentively admonishing.

For his part he can’t afford to fail with this particular little mission so he makes sure that he keeps talking, not allowing Amanda to get a word in edgeways for fear she’ll start asking questions and blow his cover completely.

If  Amanda is confused then Warren Davenport, who had been happy in the knowledge that she was safely divorced, is even more perplexed by the sudden appearance of the man claiming to be her husband.  He even starts to check his notes to see where he missed some vital piece of information.

Wasting no time Lee propels Amanda to the door, effectively calling a halt to the interview.  Amanda is left not knowing quite what to say to Davenport as she’s ushered out, although she will certainly have a few choice words to say to Lee once they are clear of the office!

Only once they are alone does Amanda let rip. She is furious with Lee for not only seeing fit to interrupt her interview – which he himself previously thought was such a good idea – but for ruining any chance she might have had of being offered the job.

She expects him to tell her precisely why he’s dragged her out of the interview, although his answer is certainly not what she’s expecting to hear.

He makes it sound so natural – as though he’s telling her they are going to the supermarket for groceries.

“That’s asking too much,” Amanda replies without even a second’s hesitation, deciding to cut and run. He wanted to be rid of her – well now she’s more than happy to oblige!  She has absolutely no intention of becoming his wife, real or otherwise!

She’s still not tempted and again she tries to bolt and again Lee grabs her by the arm and pulls her back.

There is no way he is going to allow her to walk away, not when he’s been told in no uncertain terms by Billy to get her help.  And he’s not going to lie to her; after all, he would be far happier if she weren’t partnered with him!

She realises immediately that it’s highly unlikely that Lee thinks they work well together. After all, he’s done nothing but push her away since the moment they met.  “Someone. Not you,” she responds, seeing no reason to pretend this isn’t the case.

“Billy,” he states, completely quashing any last thought she might be harbouring that he wants her involvement. “He ordered – he suggested that we enlist your services for this case, especially since it is right up your alley.”

“How so?” she asks, curious.

Lee proceeds to tell her exactly what’s going on in Central America while Amanda merely looks at him, a little confused.  She cannot for the life of her see what she would have in common with people like that!

“Oh that sounds right up my alley,” she responds sarcastically.

Lee shoots her a look, annoyed. She certainly isn’t afraid to make her point – although he should know this by now having worked with her on the Welch case.  He tells her that Billy thought it would be a good idea for them to pose as an average suburban couple in an attempt to see what’s going on and having Amanda as one part of that couple would, of course, add to the realism needed.

He glares at her, irritated by her remark.  Without even thinking about it, he promptly regales her with the fact that the reason he’s not just a regular suburbanite is because he’s spent years travelling all over the world working. After all, the life of a spy is definitely not the life of suburbia.

Amanda listens quietly, taking in all he’s relating to her.  These brief glimpses of his life have so far been fleeting and few, although she’s not about to tell him that she thinks it’s impressive; her curious quirk of an eyebrow is all he gets from her.

“So will you do it?” he asks, hoping that he won’t have to go back to Billy and tell him she has refused to help him.

He’s relieved when she tells him she will, although not before making sure she gets time off to see her children during the three days she will be working with him.

“And when this is all over you will never have to see me again,” he concludes.  After all, he’s certainly not planning on this being a permanent arrangement!

He can’t help but drum home the fact that she can’t discuss anything about the case with anyone, although not being able to share the details with her family isn’t  high on Amanda’s list of priorities.

 Lee really doesn’t see why she thinks she needs any sort of special training.  It’s not going to be difficult for her to pose as a housewife when she does that every day. Besides….

Lee & Amanda: Relationship Progression Notes – There Goes The Neighbourhood (Pt1)

PART ONE – A NEW CASE, A FAMILIAR FACE

Hot on the heels of cookery guru, Mrs Welch – and her rather unpleasant side business of disposing of agents – comes the problem of vigilantes running around Central America with US-made guns.  Despite what he said when Amanda was last at the Agency telling them all about escaping in the helicopter, Billy hands over this new case over to Lee with absolutely no mention of her assisting him with it.

As for the case, there appears to be something going on in suburbia, although Lee can’t quite believe it.  After all, as he points out to Billy, it’s hardly a hotbed of intrigue.  Add to that the fact that he’s had his own brief glimpse into suburban life watching Amanda and her mother interact during his last case.  If they are indicative of all suburbanites then they’re certainly not the sort to be supplying gunrunners with arms!

Whether the Betsy Ross Estates is indeed harbouring intrigue of a more alarming nature is what the Agency have to determine and while Francine is swiftly dispatched to the bowels of suburbia to try and get some answers, Lee is left with his own little “mission” – and it has nothing to do with his latest assignment!

Lee has a “visitor”!  This seems odd to him because, despite what Billy tells him, he knows he’s not expecting anybody.  So who on earth is it?  Billy merely smiles knowingly, saying nothing, but pointing towards the monitors on the wall as Lee looks towards him questioningly.

Seeing the amused gleam in his boss’s eyes he duly turns to the monitors only to discover the answer to the question flitting through his mind: Amanda King!  His heart drops in an instant.  This is the last thing he needs!  He really doesn’t want the bother of having to go and speak to her, especially when he’s just about to start on a new case.

“Oh no,” he murmurs, turning back to Billy.

Surely there’s someone else in the Agency who could go and see what she wants?  But one look at Billy and he knows he’s sunk. There’s no way Billy will allow him to wriggle out of this particular meeting, however hard he tries.  The only thing he can do is get the whole interview over and done with as quickly as he possibly can.  After all, he doesn’t want to get any more involved with her than he already has been.  The Welch case was a one-off and he’s certainly got no desire to repeat it!

Amanda’s reading through the file she’s brought with her when Lee suddenly appears in the doorway of what looks suspiciously like a closet, his upbeat “Hi!” making her jump.

She smiles, little knowing that he will develop a habit of creeping up on her later on down the line.

As it is, she’s just happy to see him, particularly as she hopes that her work with the Agency will be with him.  The last case they were on was certainly an eye opener and she’s ready and willing to build on what she learnt from that.

Lee, however, is not about to turn their impromptu meeting into a social reunion and immediately tells her that he has other things to be doing, hoping that that will give her enough of a prod to get to the point as to why she’s dropped by.

Amanda, duly noting that her time with him appears limited, proceeds to launch into a lengthy and rather rambling account, attempting as she does so to give Lee the file she has with her, although he makes absolutely no move to take it.

Like the time they met in the shadows so Amanda could tell him about what Phillip had found in the music box, Lee can’t deny her enthusiasm but still he seeks to trample all over it, determined to quash any sort of spy fantasy she might be harbouring.

He completely bypasses the fact that he was the one who instigated this one in a million event when he picked her out of the crowds at the train station.  As far as he’s concerned, that’s not relevant.  His total rejection of her claim that they worked together puts a dent in Amanda’s bright demeanour.  Even though she knows that Billy can see how useful she will be to the Agency,  she still finds herself confronted by Lee’s very obvious resistance.  Although she’s not going to let that deter her.  With a bright smile, she bulldozes over Lee’s less than enthusiastic response.

For Lee, alarm bells are ringing. The fact that she’s been put on a probationary period tells him that Billy is completely serious about getting her to help out from time to time and that’s really not good!  He certainly doesn’t want her trailing around after him while he’s trying to work, however handy her input was during the Welch case.

No, he doesn’t need her.  Hasn’t he already told her he doesn’t work with anyone?  And definitely not someone who is completely untrained!

Amanda’s smile fades.  It’s not the answer she’s hoping for. Maybe she should try a different tact?  “I guess I’m free to consider other others,” she says. “Very attractive offers.”

Lee’s enthusiastic “Sure!” is hardly encouraging.  Further suggesting that she should perhaps give Warren Davenport of Honeycutt Typewriters a call to follow up the possibility of another job, seems to have the complete opposite effect to the one she’s looking for.  Lee seems even more delighted for her!

Lee himself sees this as the perfect opportunity to terminate their meeting and having completely dented all Amanda’s hopes he blithely tells her that Billy would no doubt give her a reference if she needs one.

“That won’t be necessary,” she tells him.  “My skills speak for themselves. I type 90 words a minute.”

He’s done everything he can to discourage and dishearten her and she knows it. He’s not even tried to hide his determination to keep her away from him and the Agency. What’s more, she’s had enough of it!  She’s determined that she’ll be the one to have the last word though. Walking over to where Lee is standing at the door of the elevator she pokes her file into his chest, forcing him to retreat backwards before shutting the door in his face, the last thing she sees being his stunned expression.

Besides, they don’t even pay overtime!