Author: Xraygirl

Rating: K+ for now - may increase in later chapters.

Summary: One day changes everything for Lee and Amanda and they learn some choices can be made for you.

Disclaimer: Ugh. Do I have to go through this again?? I don't own anything even remotely connected to 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King'. Never have. Never will. 'nuff said.

Timeline: Six months into their marriage.

Feedback: Yes! And plenty of it! This is going to be a multi-parter for me folks, so I'll need boatloads of encouragement to see me through.

A/N: After rediscovering my joy in all things 'SMK', my muse has returned me to a tale I originally began years ago. I hope you enjoy it. Once again, my thanks go out to all who have left kind words for my previous stories. You're the ones I'm bustin' my hump for! With that said, on with the show.

Weaponry Dept. Friday. 9:03 am.

Leatherneck pulled the gun out from beneath the counter and unwrapped it from its felt cover before sliding it across to its owner.

"Here ya go. I adjusted the firing mechanism, so the trigger won't feel so stiff anymore. And I refitted the clip. It'll slide in much easier now."

Lee took the weapon, checked the chamber and while pointing it at the floor, pulled the trigger several times.

"Thanks, Leatherneck. This feels great."

Picking up the matching clip, he loaded the gun, slid it into his shoulder holster and after a quick nod, turned to leave. He didn't get far before the other man's voice called out to him.

"Hey! Did I tell you Amanda was down here practicing her aim with the test screen?"

Swiveling back, Lee smiled at the mention of his wife. "Yeah? How's she doin'?"

"Not good," Leatherneck chuckled. "She still can't bring herself to shoot- even when they're firing right at her! I was about to give up hope when I had an idea."

Noticing the barely contained grin and devilish gleam in his eye, Lee had a sinking feeling he wasn't going to like whatever was coming next.

"I just inserted your image onto the screen, had the bad guys aim at you instead and…Voila! Her accuracy rate shot up to 98.3!" Tongue firmly planted in cheek, Leatherneck searched Lee's features for a reaction. "Funny that, huh?"

"Hilarious." Lee deadpanned dangerously.

Placing his hands on the countertop separating them, he leaned forward and with narrow- eyed menace asked, "What's it going to take for you to forget that ever happened?"

"Forget 'what' ever happened?" he questioned innocently and waggled his finger for emphasis as he continued, "You know, it's the strangest thing. My memory ain't what it used to be, 'cause I completely forgot to mention anything about it in my official report."

Leatherneck had now given up any attempt at pretense and was beaming from ear to ear.

Lee grinned with relief. 'Thanks, I owe you one."

"Tell me about it, Stetson!" was the laughing agreement.

Heading for the door, he heard Leatherneck slyly shout out to him once more.

"Give my best to Mrs. King, will ya? I mean- it IS still Mrs. KING, isn't it, Scarecrow?"

"You're a funny guy, Leatherneck." Lee tossed over his shoulder as he walked through the exit. "I'll catch you later."

Watching the agent's retreating back, he muttered, "Yeah, I'm funny, but not stupid. What's with this place? Is everybody blind?"

Smiling to himself and shaking his head in silent wonder, he got back to work.

Q Bureau. Friday. 9:11 am.

Quietly entering the Q Bureau, Lee turned the lock behind him and stood drinking in the sight of his wife as she closed the refrigerator door. Even though they'd only parted company a little over two hours earlier, it seemed an eternity to Lee since he'd held her nestled in his arms. A situation he planned to rectify immediately, if not sooner.

"Hey, Good-lookin'. Come 'ere." he invited, as she turned to face him.

"Hi there, Sweetheart." Amanda replied and placed her glass on her desk as she walked into his waiting arms.

Eventually leaning back from their embrace, Lee cupped both hands around Amanda's face, pulled her close and angled his mouth across hers for a deep and hungry kiss. A long moment later, Amanda reluctantly broke away and scanned his face.

"You looked tired." she rasped breathlessly.

"I had a hot date last night." he smiled

Joining the game, she parried, "Really? With who?"

"This gorgeous brunette with a very cute nose." he whispered in her ear as he nuzzled her neck.

"Mmm. How nice for you."

'Yes, it was. Very nice," Lee continued trailing kisses along Amanda's jaw line and was rewarded with a barely audible gasp. "She was insatiable though, really wore me out. Maybe I should start taking vitamins. What do you think? …ooh yeah, right there."

Amanda had turned the tables on him and was now gently, but erotically nibbling his highly responsive earlobe.

"I'm sure she couldn't possibly have any complaints about your stamina." she breathed as she loosened his tie to gain access to the hollow at the base of his throat.

"No?" he questioned hoarsely.

"No." she answered firmly before capturing his lips with her own.

The situation rapidly spun out of control from there. With her hands sliding restlessly across her husband's chest, Amanda lost herself in a hypnotically drugging, open-mouthed kiss as Lee urgently tugged the blouse from the waistband of her skirt and feverishly began working on its buttons.

Her eyes flew open in panic. "Oh, my gosh!!" she whispered, "Lee!"

"Lee!!" she called louder, grasping his hands to stop their progress. "Sweetheart, we have to stop- we're at work!"

Breathing hard, Lee met his wife's earnest gaze and for a few moments strained mightily to clear his head. He clenched his jaw painfully and growled in frustration.

"I know, I know. You're right."

With a final quick kiss, he released her and stepped back. Amanda exhaled raggedly as she began straightening her clothing. After redoing his tie, Lee took a deep breath and ran a quick hand through his hair, while deciding a change of topic was desperately needed.

"So... I ah, I saw Leatherneck this morning."

Amanda looked up from tucking in her blouse. "Uh, oh."

"Yes. He told me about his little 'adjustment' to the test screen. 98.3 ? I'm impressed- not to mention flattered!"

"Shoot!" she scrunched her face in consternation, "He promised me he wouldn't say anything."

"Don't worry, he won't. We just finished having that same conversation." he reassured, "He was fishing for my reaction."

Amanda frowned, 'He suspects, doesn't he?"

"Oh, I would say so!" Lee laughed as he perched on the edge of her desk. "He all but came right out and said he didn't think you were Mrs. King anymore."

"Oh no!' she groaned, "You know what that means!"

"Yep." he affirmed, "If Leatherneck suspects, then you can bet he's not the only one. Has Billy or Francine said anything to you?"

"No, nothing." she shook her head, "But that reminds me- Billy called. He wants to see us both in his office."

Lee stood and adjusted his jacket. "Okay. Well, let's go then. He'll be steamed if we keep him waiting any longer."

He escorted her to the door and unlocked it while Amanda reached over and retrieved the glass from her desk.

Looking back over his shoulder, he eyed the liquid she held, "What's that?"

"Just some ginger-ale. I've been feeling a little off this morning."

Turning around from the door, he searched her features carefully and noted her slight pallor with a frown. Lee reached out, gently cupping her face and caressing her cheek with his thumb before placing the back of his hand to her forehead.

"Are you coming down with something?" he asked anxiously.

Amanda gave a little shrug, "It's probably nothing. I just had my yearly physical with the Agency doctor three days ago. He didn't seem concerned."

Seeing his look of doubt mixed with barely concealed fear, Amanda knew Lee was again thinking of her close call on their honeymoon. Though he'd tried to hide it from her then, it was the only time she'd ever seen him genuinely terrified. Since then he'd become a mother hen when it came to her. It had taken her months to stop his hovering and longer still to convince him something horrible wouldn't happen the moment she was out of his sight. Tilting her head, she reached up and tenderly smoothed the furrows from her husband's brow.

"Lee, it's likely just a touch of the flu. I'm a little tired, but I'm fine. Really. Stop your worrying." she smiled encouragingly and nodded towards the door, "Come on, let's go."

He wasn't convinced but gave in to her cajoling.

"Alright, but you're taking it easy this weekend." Lee ordered before opening the door and holding it for Amanda to pass through.

"98.3, huh?" he teased smugly as she walked past.

"Don't let it go to your head, buster." she threatened and poked him in the ribs where she knew he was ticklish.

"Hey!" Lee jumped, chuckling as he closed the door behind them.

Billy's Office. Friday. 9:32 am.

"Good morning, sir." Amanda lightly rapped on Billy's open door.

" 'Morning, Billy. What's up?" Lee added as they entered the office.

"Ah, there you are. Close the door and sit down, you two." Billy indicated the chairs across his desk.

After they took their usual seats- Lee to his left and Amanda on the right, the section chief contemplated the agents before him. Lee had always been like a son to him and Amanda- well, Amanda never failed to make him smile. He'd known from the start she had what it took to become an excellent agent and the transformation she'd brought about in Lee in the four years she'd been here was nothing short of miraculous. He could freely admit to himself the soft spot he had for his two favorite agents. However, in this present situation, they'd put him in a very difficult position and it remained to be seen whether he could protect them or not. The rules were there for a reason, after all. Granted, some rules were always more flexible than others and Lord knows he'd bent a few himself, back in the day. But if he was going to be asked to stick his neck out, a 'heads-up' is always appreciated. After a moments consideration, he flipped open the file on his desktop and read it's contents once more to convince himself he hadn't imagined them in the first place. It was a stall tactic- he knew, but he still had no idea how in the hell to broach the subject at hand.

In the ensuing silence, Amanda sipped her drink and exchanged a questioning glance with Lee. He shrugged slightly in return.

Finding that the contents read exactly as he remembered, Billy sighed heavily and concluded that in all his years with the Agency, sugar-coating the facts had never solved anything. So, coming up with no better way, he opted for the direct approach. Interlacing his fingers, he leaned forward on his desk.

"Alright. I don't see any reason to beat around the bush, so I'll get right to it- How long have you two been married?"

Amanda promptly spewed ginger-ale all over Billy, his desktop and all its contents. Pandemonium erupted. Cursing, Lee leapt to his feet and sent his chair careening over backwards with a resounding crash. And while his wife choked and sputtered, he tried to use one hand to pat her back and the other to haphazardly clean the desk with his handkerchief. Meanwhile, his boss was making use of his own handkerchief to wipe at his face and shirtfront. After receiving a mute nod from Amanda assuring she wasn't going to asphyxiate, Lee righted his seat and collapsed into it like he'd been pole-axed.

"I'm so sorry, sir." Amanda croaked out, dabbing at the tears that had formed.

Finishing his task and tucking the cloth back in his pocket, Billy smiled benignly, "It's quite alright, Amanda. I've never liked this tie either."

He leaned back and flicked a glance between the two. "Well? Out with it." he prompted.

Billy waited and watched as an entire conversation played out before him without a single word spoken. Lee was looking toward Amanda and their silent communication took only the briefest of moments, but it was enough to give their boss a glimpse into the depth of their bond. At Amanda's almost imperceptible nod, Lee gave her a small 'here we go' smile and shifted back in his seat.

"Six months." he admitted, his tone tinged with reluctant resignation. Glancing in his wife's direction he added softly, "Amanda was shot on our honeymoon."

Billy nodded sagely; it was all making sense now.

"How'd you find out, anyway?" Lee asked with weary curiosity, "What-- did some systems information check spit out our application for a marriage license?"

"Not exactly." Billy winced slightly before looking down at the file. "I have before me the results of Amanda's Agency physical. And if these are to be believed, then- knowing Amanda as I do- she must be married. Naturally, I wondered why she would marry without informing us and…that's where you come in, Scarecrow. I knew you two were growing closer; I just had no idea how close. The rest was a matter of adding two and two."

Lee sent an anxious glance at Amanda who was now perched on the edge of her seat; a look of puzzlement on her face.

"Hold on a minute, Billy!" he demanded, sitting forward. "What does Amanda's medical results have to do with figuring out we're married??"

He sat scrutinizing his cuticles before swallowing hard. Billy hated this part of his job; subtlety in these matters just wasn't his forte. He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. Coming around the side of his desk, the older man took the glass from Amanda's stunned grasp and placed it down before reseating himself.

"Amanda, you're pregnant."

"She's WHAT??!!"

"I'm WHAT??!!" they cried in unison.

"Pregnant." Billy stated again. "Over two months, according to the blood test."

While Lee stared in dumb shock, Amanda sprang up from her chair and gaped dazedly back and forth between the two men. She attempted several times to say something but failed to utter a thing. Giving up, she whirled around and quickly left the office, firmly closing the door as she went.

Billy grimaced in the heavy silence that followed. "I'm sorry, Scarecrow. I could've handled that better."

"You think so, Billy?" Lee snapped. "Stalin would have used more tact!"

His boss nodded morosely in agreement.

Scrubbing a hand across his face, Lee leaned back in his chair and allowed the shocking news to wash over him.

'A father- I'm going to be a father.' he marveled with awe.

They'd discussed having a baby, of course, but it had always been in the not-too-distant future when the issues of Amanda's family and the Agency were settled, and they could expect to live some semblance of a normal life. Then there was Amanda's health to consider as well; it'd only been six months since the shooting and he worried her body wouldn't handle the stress. They had a lot to talk about and he smiled wanly at his own vast understatement. Amanda had to be upset, especially the way she shot out of there and the one thing he could never bear was the thought of Amanda in pain. Knowing he had to make sure she was alright, he rose to leave.

"Listen, I'm going to check on Amanda. We can talk more about this later."

"Sounds good."

Lee crossed the room and grabbed the door handle as a new thought occurred to him.

Turning back he said, "Dr. Smyth will try to break us up now. You know that, don't you Billy?"

The older man's face hardened. "He can try. But he'll have to get through me first." he replied grimly. "You and Amanda should have come to me with this six months ago, Scarecrow. But- what's done is done. Now we'll have to see what kind of interference I can run."

"Billy--."

"No, its alright." he held up his hand, "I understand more than you think I do. You leave Dr. Smyth to me- I'll handle him."

Lee nodded solemnly but warned, "You should know going in- if it ever comes down to a choice between Amanda and the Agency, she's going to win every time."

"You'd sacrifice your career?" Billy's eyes widened.

He needed only to read the determined intensity in the younger man's eyes and he knew the truth. "She means that much to you."

Lee couldn't fault him for his surprise. For as long as Billy had known him, the only thing he'd ever cared about was his job. It was the only thing he'd ever had. But, one day- as the fates would have it- he'd snatched Amanda up at a train station and slowly but surely, she'd changed all that. His glance fell to the floor for a moment before he drew in a deep breath and tried to explain.

"She waited for me, Billy. She waited for me to come to my senses and now that I have... Look- I don't know any other way to say this but..." he shrugged helplessly. "She saved my life."

Billy frowned in puzzlement, "I know you two have gotten each other out of some tough scrapes in the past but…?"

He shook his head and said softly, "No Billy, you're not listening…she saved my life."

Realization of Lee's full meaning dawned and a huge grin split his face.

"Ahh yes. I see. They do have a way of doing that, don't they?"

He jerked his head in the direction Amanda had taken. "Go find her, Scarecrow. We'll work something out."

'Thanks, Billy." Lee pulled open the door

"And Lee-?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations." Billy winked.

Lee snorted wryly and went in search of his wife.

TBC