Disclaimer - "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" are copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. This story is for entertainment only. I will not make any money off it but do hope that at least some people will enjoy it. The Characters are not mine, I only took them out to play with them for a while so they could help me tell the story. I did make up the oddball character like Steve and Nurse Pauline though so those I get to keep.

Dean's Story is rarely if ever told. We never got to see much of him on the show but one has to wonder why Amanda would hook up with such a man. I decided to explore that story and the more I wrote, the more the story took on a life of its own. I did not make Dean out to be the jerk that others have. I think when you look at the little bit that we saw of him and the little bit that we knew of him, he was very much a Mama's Boy and he didn't seem to be a man who really felt comfortable socially. I think my version of the Life and Times of Dean McGuire illustrate that. If you are looking for him to be a jerk, a rapist, or someone who was mean to Amanda, that was not what we ever saw on the show and this is not a story for you. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy my perspective.

Chapter 1 - In the Beginning

The McGuire family bought the house in Lyon Park in Arlington back when Dean was just a year old so he had lived there most of his life. Dean was an only child. His parents really hadn't intended to have children but while celebrating their 2nd Wedding Anniversary, they both drank a little too much wine and actually had sex and Dean was the result. Dean's father was a doctor and the medical community demanded that he fit into a certain life style in order to fit in. His parents had pushed him to marry young so that he could concentrate on his career and not all that foolishness of dating. Dean's Mother had been a childhood friend and he soon realized she would be the perfect "window dressing" for him as she couldn't be bothered with romance either. She seemed perfectly content to share his home as his wife as long as she was given an unlimited credit card. So the marriage was more of a partnership than one of love. It was a mutually comfortable arrangement between the two of them. Dean's Mother loved having her tea parties with her friends and spending time with all the important politician's wives. So when she got pregnant, she was not all that thrilled at first. However, after Dean was born, she realized that he actually did make her smile and he gave her something to focus on during all the lonely hours that her husband was away at work. So she doted on Dean and mothered him. He became her whole world and she couldn't have loved him more.

Living in Lyon Park suited Dean's mother since all the houses were beautiful and expensive. She didn't mind flaunting that her husband had money and they had their share of servants to run the house properly. Dean had a Nanny to watch over him and to help with his education. Dean's father was often working late hours so Dean rarely saw him. His mother was always around even if she didn't always handle his day to day needs like diaper duty or bottle feeding. She was not an overly affectionate person though so it was rare that he was hugged or kissed by his mother and the nanny had strict orders, unknown to Dean that she was never to be more important to him than his mother. So the nanny also was not affectionate with him. She simply took care of his needs and taught him the basics that he would need to be able to enter school when he was old enough.

When it was time for Dean to begin his schooling process, there was never any argument about where he would go. There was a private Academy located just 10 minutes from Lyon Park that supported K-8 grades. All of the high class children attended this academy as it not only continued their education but ensured that only the children of wealthy families attended. This was so important since Dean's mother had been determined to bring him up with as few bad influences as possible. Dean loved going to school and he was a smart little guy. His Nanny had done a good job with creating an atmosphere of making it fun to learn and Dean picked up things quickly. However, life is not all about doing well in school and the one area that Dean lacked completely in was his social skills. He didn't know how to talk to children his age and since many of them were spoiled too, they weren't all that interested in being kind to him. So growing up, Dean was a bit of a loner. He didn't often get asked for sleep overs or even daytime adventures and his mother was never very receptive to having other children in her home. She didn't think it fair to the Nanny to burden her with another child to look after. So from an early age, Dean was included in his Mother's Tea parties and all of the Saturday night Parties that his parents hosted. He spent a lot of time with adults and that made him act very mature, very dependable and very boring to his classmates. As Dean got older, the other children found him to be more and more an odd individual. They were often making fun of him behind his back but they knew not to say anything in front of him because his parents were so influential in the area. The rumors were that many Congressmen and Senators would frequently be at the McGuire's home for those afternoon teas or Saturday night parties. So even though Dean was not well liked, he typically was just left alone. He loved to read and spent much of his time checking out books from the library and learning about doing things. He didn't have any desire to do most of the things that boys his age did. He liked watching sports on TV but was not interested in joining any teams. Overall, Dean was an exceptionally smart child who was never late to anything and was considered very dependable and responsible even at a young age. He had a good life and was a happy child.

Then things began to fall apart. Dean's parents started arguing even more than normal and usually over the little things. They had always had separate bedrooms but soon they started sleeping on different floors. Dean's father had started to want a physical relationship and Dean's mother was not interested. This led to many nights of frustration between the two since this was not the original agreement. Dean's Mother was perfectly happy just being "the wife" with no strings attached. She had been severely abused when she was young and it left her with a bad taste in her mouth about any kind of physical relationships with men. When she had met Dean's Father and realized he was just looking for a platonic relationship, she had thought she had found a perfect world. It was inevitable that it would never last but they had done a good job pretending for many years. The day after his 8th birthday, Dean's father decided to move out and file for a divorce. It didn't take him long to begin dating again but Dean's mother was thrilled to be alone and not have to pretend anymore. However, she did have her day in court and walked away with the house, the BMW and a very nice settlement that would keep her living very comfortably for the rest of her life.

Dean's father's new girlfriend didn't care to have a young child around her too often so it was agreed that Dean would stay with his mother all year, except during summer vacation. Every year, his father would take off two weeks and take Dean fishing in Arkansas. Since Dean's Mother was not there to make him feel guilty about enjoying himself, he soon fell in love with fishing and actually became pretty good at it. They would rent a cabin and Dean got to enjoy outdoor living. His mother didn't really approve of him "getting dirty" but since it was only 2 weeks out of the year, she agreed to it. The deal was that he couldn't bring any of those smelly fish home with him and so Dean's father ate well the rest of the year. Dean truly did love his father. He really enjoyed spending the summer time with him and secretly wished that they could have more time together. He knew his mother would be upset with him though if he suggested it and his father's girlfriend did not like him hanging around at all, so Dean decided to be happy with the time he got. He did talk to his father on the phone every few weeks and told him what was going on in his life. He knew his father loved him and somehow that seemed to make it okay.

While growing up, Dean didn't have any real hobbies except he had always loved studying the weather. He wasn't necessarily very good at predicting it, but he loved trying. He would get so excited when the storms would move in and he loved sitting outside so he could watch the thunder and lighting. He had pestered his mother for months to buy him a junior weather kit back when he was 10. She finally agreed on the condition that he would attend the opera and the ballet with her without complaint. Dean was thrilled to have the chance to learn weather with his new kit and he played with it endlessly. His math skills were excellent and he loved science so he had the makings to become a great meteorologist. When he entered High School, his mother hired a professional tutor to help him learn what he would need in order to follow that career. She was so thankful that he had picked a profession that she could be proud of and that would earn him a decent living. Studying weather gave Dean something to focus on that didn't involve dealing with other people. His social skills still had not improved much over the years and he would spend hours alone just figuring out forecasts or doing math problems. He graduated from high school in the top 1% of his class and walked away with not only several science awards but a huge math scholarship. His mother was not thrilled that he wanted to go to college because it meant that he would be away from her but she relented only if he agreed to go to the University of Virginia so he would be close to home. He could stay in the dorm during the week and return each weekend to be with her and that way he wouldn't get involved in any fraternity or any other bad influences that colleges tended to create. Dean really thrived in college. Having some time away from his mother allowed him to make a few friends but it also allowed him a chance to have a little freedom. He loved his chosen career path though so he put everything he had into it and breezed through 4 years of college in just 3 years. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was able to walk for his diploma the year before his fellow classmates. This field is highly competitive though and normal graduates had a hard time finding a position. A new graduate usually found themselves at a desk job trying to make a good impression so they could climb up the ladder but Dean's mother was determined that he would not have to struggle like a normal person. She contacted her ex-husband and he called in a favor or two and got Dean his first job with the Weather Bureau as the actual weatherman. Of course this meant that the previous weatherman had to be promoted in order to give Dean the spot. Steve had held the position for nearly 5 years and was so tired of doing the same job every day that he was thrilled when he was offered the promotion. From that day forward, he promised himself that one day he would find a way to thank Dean for getting him out of such a boring job.

Steve was a nice man and had been happily married for 5 years. It didn't take long for Steve to really feel sorry for Dean. They would sometimes go out together after work to a local upscale pub and Dean would treat them both to a beer so they could relax and chat. It was during those times that Steve was able to piece together what made Dean tick. He wasn't a bad guy, he just wasn't very good in the social department since his mother had protected him all those years. Steve soon discovered that Dean had never really dated unless you counted going to the movies with a girl and having your mother sit behind you as your chaperone. Steve was sure that if he could get Dean away from his mother, he could find him a nice girl to date. He knew it would be hard though since Dean would want his mother's approval but he was determined to try to help him.

Steve really did try his best to find Dean a girlfriend. He set him up on a few blind dates but none of them ever worked out. Dean was hesitant to bring most of them home to meet his mother because he was sure that she would not approve. Now and then, he found one that he really liked but when he asked her back out, she would gently tell him that she was not interested in seeing him again. The years flew by and it seemed impossible that Dean would ever find anyone who could put up with him. Women just didn't find Dean to be much fun. He never wanted to go anywhere special other than to an opera now and then and of course fishing and camping which most women would not even consider doing. He talked constantly about the weather and his job to the point that any woman who thought he was charming at first, soon found herself yawning and struggling to stay awake. Steve pretty much resigned himself that Dean would probably be alone the rest of his life.

Ten Years went by quickly and Steve had stopped setting Dean up with women. Dean seemed perfectly happy just playing weatherman. He didn't have many hobbies and his work kept him pretty busy. He loved his job and he was very good at it. Now and then, he had to make trips to meetings in Boston or Chicago or New York and he got to explore the local areas. He felt his life was pretty complete but Dean knew that people at the Weather Bureau liked to talk about how he still lived with his mother. It didn't really bother him though. Why did he need a wife when his mom took care of most of his needs? Dean's Mother hired servants to take care of the daily needs like laundering, bed making, cooking, and cleaning. Her money kept him happy with the material needs he enjoyed. As long as he continued this arrangement, he knew his mother would take care of him. Everything seemed to be destined to keep Dean single at least while his mother was alive.

Meanwhile, Dean's father had finally married his girlfriend. Now that Dean was an adult, she didn't mind having him visit now and then as long as he didn't take up too much of their time. She found him to be totally boring but knew it made his father happy to have him there so she tolerated him as long as it wasn't every week. Of course, the yearly fishing trips had continued. Dean's father had invested in a time share cabin so they could live in comfort during their two week Arkansas trip. They would arrive on Saturday morning and head right out to the lake. As Dean had gotten older, he had also gotten a little less agile and though he was still good at catching the fish, he was not always that good at jumping from rock to rock to stake out a spot to cast his line. Dean's father didn't mind though and loved spending time with his boy. He told him once that it was time for him to find a nice girl and settle down. He told him to look for someone who he could love and who would love him back and not to make the same mistakes that he had with Dean's Mother. He also tried to gently tell him that maybe it was time for him to move out on his own. This was a hot topic and was never discussed again. Each summer was a great bonding time for the two men and they both looked forward to their time together.

Sadly, all things must come to an end and when Dean was only 32, he got word that his father had suddenly collapsed while doing his morning exercises. They rushed him to the hospital but he died from a heart attack less than 4 hours later. Dean was devastated. Dean's father had always taken care of himself but all that eating out at restaurants had taken a toll on his arteries. His mother refused to go to the funeral so Dean sat alone while his father's wife glared at him like somehow it was his fault. He could predict the weather but he couldn't predict that his father had health issues that he didn't tell anyone about. After the funeral was over, Dean approached his Step mother and offered his condolences. She shoved the time share paperwork for the cabin into his hands and told him that he shouldn't expect anything else from the will and that she never wanted to see him again. She then asked him to leave and caused such an uproar that he decided it was the best thing to do. When he got out to the car, he took a look at the paperwork she had shoved at him and discovered that his dad had paid for the use of this cabin for the next 20 years. Dean knew that some of the best memories he had were at that cabin with his father so he was glad that he could still go and feel close to his dad there.

TBC