Epilogue

"A-man-da! We're going to be late!"

"Then why are we still standing here?" Mischief sparkled in her deep espresso eyes as Amanda reached up to adjust his bow tie. He took her breath away when he wore the tux and, devil that he was, he knew it too! Lee Stetson was too handsome – for her own good!

An appreciative light glowed in his hazel eyes as he drank in the sight of his lovely partner. She took his breath away. Stepping back, he just stared for a long moment. She was a vision in midnight blue. Her gown was cut high in the front, with clean lines. Three-quarter length sleeves were inlaid with black lace, giving teasing hints of her creamy flesh. A flowing handkerchief skirt draped gracefully around her calves, parting coyly as she moved to reveal a heart-stopping length of enticing thigh. Her grandmother's double strand of diamonds and pearls rested against her breasts while yet more flashed fire at her ears.

She turned regally, all signs of her injuries well healed. His fingers itched to trace the bare length of her delicate spine, framed exquisitely with more of the lace. He swallowed for a moment, and shoved down the primal urge to drag her off to the bedroom. Lee didn't remember the dress looking quite this good when it was hanging in his closet a few hours ago. He'd be beating admirers off with a stick! Maybe he'd better bring his gun after all.

Pressing a soft kiss at nape of her neck, he inhaled her bewitching scent of lilies. No one smelled like his Amanda. Across the room, he caught sight of their reflection in the mirror. He wanted to remember this moment forever. Her sparkling eyes smiled only for him. He still wasn't quite ready to make the next step. There were still too many unanswered questions in his past. Soon... He couldn't bear to wait much longer.

*/*

The ballroom glittered under the light of the crystal-laden chandelier. Jewels caught the light as women moved gracefully about, sparkling like a scene from a fantasy novel. The orchestra played softly in the back ground while dancing couples circled the smooth marble floor.

Here and there, trays of champagne and canapés moved about the room, enticing the occasional guest. Security stood at various strategic spots, well-hidden but always watching. A Presidential gala was the event of Washington's social season. Everyone who was anyone was sure to be there.

Scarecrow proudly escorted his Mrs. King into the crush. His palm rested intimately on the small of her back as he nodded to people he knew. Amanda smiled softly, pausing their entrance for a quiet conversation with Jeanie Melrose. Billy and Lee watched their ladies fondly. This is why they did what they did. Not for the parties themselves, but to make the world safe so parties like this were possible. The men exchanged a conspiratorial glance and knowing smiles. Amanda was in for a big surprise tonight.

Claiming a pair of glasses, the elegant couple resumed their stroll while sipping on champagne. A smoky soprano crooned a familiar song across the glamorous ballroom. She canted her head to look into his eyes, and smiled. He merely nodded, and placed the flutes on a nearby table. Without ever exchanging a word, he led her to the dance floor, hand in hand.

"This is nice. I love this song." Amanda rested her cheek against his shoulder for a moment, breathing in the musk of his cologne. He spun her adroitly, before drawing her back into his strong arms. The patented Stetson dimple flashed when dark eyes widened in surprise as he bent her back in a dip.

They danced slowly, lost in each other. Nothing existed but the enraptured pair and the music weaving its seductive truths about them. Surrounding couples nudged one another, looking on with knowing indulgence. Romance was in the air; there wasn't a person who didn't know Lee and Amanda were well and truly caught in its decadent embrace.

The song faded away, and Lee was rudely jarred from their reverie. Someone tapped him on the shoulder imperiously. He glanced over with resignation. He should've brought the gun. Instant recognition flared in his hazel eyes and he turned Amanda over, accepting the implied request with equanimity. This was probably the only man to whom he would willingly release his partner tonight.

Amanda's eyes were star-struck. Standing there, with his hand extended and a smile on his face was Maestro Luciano Pavarotti. Waiting to dance with her!

She stumbled a bit, honestly shocked to see her idol before her. Lee reached over with a gentle finger and closed her mouth. Drawing her slack hand to his lips, he pressed a soft kiss on her trembling fingers before releasing her with a proud smile. " Mrs. Amanda King, may I present Maestro Luciano Pavarotti."

"O my gosh!"

Lee, Billy, and Francine watched from a distance as they danced. A rich laugh boomed over the orchestra in apparent response to something Amanda said. The housewife and the Maestro, who would've ever guessed?

"Well Melrose, all's well that ends well. You have quite an agent there." A very familiar voice rasped behind the Agency's finest.

"Yes sir. Mrs. King is definitely an asset to the Agency."

"Think you can find a few more like her?"

Francine choked on her champagne while Lee smirked into his own. Billy simply answered truthfully, "Mr. President, Amanda King is truly one of a kind."

-*-*/*-*-

Author's Notes:

Some literary license has been taken with this tale. 'When You Say Nothing At All' was first recorded 2 years after this story takes place but, as the lyrics fit the feelings so well, I made it out to be a much older song. If you're not familiar with the song, you really need to look it up.

Obviously, Margaret Thatcher's grandchild was never mixed up with the IRA, much less Abernathy (who in turn was never the nephew of anyone politically important according to canon, favorite or otherwise). The Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island is a real event which takes place in the middle of June, and the Ojibwe does not in fact exist. Nor is her fictional concierge the accomplice to the kidnapping of a 'hapless housewife' from Arlington, VA. On the other hand, only Gates & Jobs know if they ever had a secret summit to discuss the future of technology.

The messy itinerary Amanda is faced with, however, is likely something very real. At the time, there were no major airports in close proximity to Mackinac Island and both of the mentioned Air Force bases were very much still in operation in the mid-to-late 80s. Further, Ronald Reagan was extremely concerned about the future implications of personal computing technology. Maybe Amanda's report is what got then-Senator Al Gore so interested in the information superhighway. Amanda's idea to take the carbon reels was a moment of pure genius I thieved from NCIS.

Nothing in canon states the engagement ring belonged to Jennifer Stetson, that it was also the one used during various 'marriage' plots, or even that Lee began carrying it unconsciously looking for the 'perfect moment'. No where in canon does it mention that Amanda King is passionate about Luciano Pavarotti, nor does he perform at the Kennedy Center on any Wednesday in May, 1986.