About 6 weeks ago while rewatching Triumvirate, I wanted more with Amanda and Lee in the hotel suite and went searching for a deleted scene and couldn't really find anything that fit with my thoughts. I say that because there were just some holes that I felt needed to be filled. From why L/A posed as brother/sister in FFFT to why did Lee say they would be a 'cute couple' in the tag to why did he say they had a lot to 'talk about' in ATWAS. However, while I have written for the Once fandom, I was new to FF for the SMK fandom and decided to ask a couple of veteran SMK writers to collaborate with me. I was fortunate that LanieSullivan and clagjanet took a chance joined me in my journey. Both can be found on FF. Thanks, girls, let's do it again. We hope you enjoy.

Our scene starts just as Billy and Lee are walking Amanda up the steps to the Cumberland where she is going to be in protective custody.

Chapter 1

As they climbed the steps to the building that her boss proclaimed to be once grand, Amanda's thoughts were bouncing all over the place. The building, while large, looked abandoned, devoid of life and when they stepped through the door, there was a hush in the air. None of the sounds that one would expect from a grand old building, but the quiet efficiency she had come to expect from Billy Melrose's employees.

"I'm sure it will be fine with me," she exclaimed hurriedly as Lee's credentials were checked, "but I'm worried about my mother and the boys, Sir. I'm going to need a story to get them out of the house tonight." While she had directed her comment to Billy, she couldn't help but send Lee a pleading glance.

"I know it's short notice, Amanda," Billy explained, "but we'd all feel more comfortable with knowing you were in here and Jepard was out there."

She sighed, "Yes, Sir. You're right, Sir." but that didn't solve the problem.

"Come on," Lee cupped her elbow, gently ushering her through security.

"See you later, Sir." Amanda stepped through the metal detector and as if the precariousness of her situation just hit her, she hesitated long enough for Lee to walk right by her. His hand reaching toward her was like a lifeline, pulling her in from floating too far out on that proverbial limb. She reached out to take his hand as they walked to the elevator, and as a calmness came over her, her fear somewhat abated. When he let her hand loose, pushed the button and they stepped through the opening doors, she immediately searched for his hand again because she needed that connection with him. Lee gave her strength and made her feel safe. "My family," she murmured softly, as the elevator whisked them up a few floors. "What am I going to tell my family?"

"A gas line break?" Lee tossed out an idea.

"They aren't going to buy that." Amanda scoffed.

Lee hummed, "A water line?"

"How would that work?" Amanda wanted to know as they stepped off the elevator onto an empty floor.

Lee gave her a crooked smile as he unlocked a door and pushed it open. "After you."

She stepped through the entry way thinking of all the other times Lee had led her into a hotel room like this.

I've spent more nights in hotels with Lee in the past two years than I ever did with Joe in ten years of marriage she chuckled inwardly.

"Oh, this is lovely!" she exclaimed, looking around. "I see what Billy meant about her being quite a lady in her time - this is real old-time luxury." She walked through the room, trailing her fingers along the back of the sofa and peering into the rooms of the suite.

"Complete with old-time entertainment," said Lee with a wry look holding up a stack of magazines that looked at least ten years out of date. "The celebrity articles are even more antique than the collectibles in this one."

"Two bedrooms," she commented over her shoulder as she continued her tour of the room.

"Ahhh, well, yeah," said Lee, rubbing the back of his neck as if he could erase the flush that was creeping up it. "But we won't be sleeping much."

Amanda twirled slowly on the ball of her foot to look at him. "We won't?" she asked breathlessly.

Lee opened and closed his mouth for a moment like a gasping fish. "Oh! No! I meant I won't be sleeping much. Because I'm here to keep an eye on you, right? So, you can go to sleep if you want to, but I'll be keeping watch."

"Well, it's still pretty early," she said lightly, trying to hide her amusement at his obvious discomfort. "So, I don't think I'll be sleeping any time soon either."

"Oh right," Lee said sheepishly, glancing out the window at the bright sunshine. "I guess not."

"So, we still haven't figured out what we're going to tell my mother," she said. "I really don't think problems with the water line will work because she'd just wonder why none of the neighbors are being moved as well." She moved to perch on the sofa, gripping her hands together in her only show of tension.

"Yeah, that eliminates my gas line idea too," agreed Lee. He settled into a chair nearby and stared at the ceiling. "We haven't had to think up ways to get them out of the house much in all these years - usually we're just trying to keep bad guys from getting in."

"Yeah," Amanda said in a quiet voice. "Except these bad guys are also part of the good guys." She looked up at Lee, the strain showing on her face. "I don't think I've been this worried since I knew there was a nuclear bomb about to go off."

"And that came out okay, didn't it? said Lee, smiling reassuringly. "So, what did you tell your mother that time?"

Amanda gave a weak chuckle. "I told her there was a nuclear bomb about to go off."

Lee straightened up, jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

"Oh, she didn't believe me, of course," Amanda gave a deprecating wave. "She thought I was trying to have the house to myself, so I could have an affair."

Lee grinned. "That might just be the first time you actually said 'affair' and not 'a thing'," he teased her.

There was a loud sound suddenly that he realized was Amanda's stomach growling.

"Sorry," she said, flushing. "I was going to have lunch after I went to the store and with everything that's happened, I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Well, tell you what. Let's order some room service and we can think up something to tell your mother while we eat."

"Good plan," she replied with a warm smile in his direction.

"Anything in particular you want?" He asked as he picked up the room service menu and handed it to her to look over while he leaned against the back of the sofa.

"Oh, gosh!" she gasped. "On second thought, maybe we should just order a pizza or something. I mean, would you look at these prices! I could feed my whole family dinner on just what one of these meals costs!"

Lee sighed and gave her a bit of a scolding look. "Amanda, the Agency is paying for this, remember?"

"All the more reason we should be a bit more frugal," she reprimanded him with her patented "mom" look. "Do you really think we should be wasting taxpayer dollars on such an expensive meal when it would be so much cheaper to-"

"A-MAN-da!" he cut off the beginning of her ramble before it could build up steam. When she quietly looked up at him, he continued, "Look, I know you live on a budget because you have to, but let's put that logical mind of yours to work, huh? Your Agency paycheck was screwed up, right?"

"Right," she nodded in agreement.

"And it was your Agency computer access clearance that caused you to be stuck here, right?"

"Right!"

"And since they seem to be tracking our every move, we can be pretty sure that someone within the Agency is behind this, right?"

"Well, pretty sure, but not a hundred percent sure. I mean, I know I haven't been at the Agency as long as you have, but I have been there long enough to know that we can never be a hundred percent sure of anyth-" She stopped talking abruptly when she saw the stern, scolding look appear on his face again. "Yes, pretty sure," she completed meekly.

"Okay, then, so if we agree on all of that, then why shouldn't the Agency pay for just this one meal since it's because of your job that you're here?"

"You're right," she finally conceded. "I'll...uh..." She glanced down at the menu again and then said, "Just the cheeseburger and fries."

"That's it?" He questioned. He shot her a teasing grin. "You don't wanna' splurge just a little since it's on the Agency?"

She shook her head.

"This isn't just you being cheap because you feel guilty about spending taxpayer money again, is it?" All teasing gone, he added in a reassuring tone, "Listen, if it makes you feel any better, this whole place is a front, which means these prices..." He tapped the menu she still held. "They're not real. They're only there because sometimes this place is used as a safe house for civilians who aren't aware of what the Agency actually does."

"That may be, but still, someone has to be paying for the food even if these prices aren't real, but anyway, it doesn't really matter because I really just want a cheeseburger and fries." She paused and smiled shyly at him, hoping he'd remember the time they'd talked about normal people and hamburgers. "After all, that time you stayed at my house, we never did get to have our hamburgers, did we?"

He laughed as he reflected on that time and her surprise that he could cook. "No. No, we didn't, so you know what? I think that's what I'll have too."

They exchanged affectionate smiles, but the moment was lost by the sound of Amanda's stomach loudly growling again. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Don't be sorry. We'd just better get you fed soon."

As he took the menu back from her and dialed, she began looking around the room again and taking in all the little details. It really was a lovely place and it was obviously kept up very well despite it being unoccupied. Her thoughts drifted to her conversation with Lee about wasting taxpayer dollars and couldn't help wondering how much they spent on something like this. She was sure it was a lot because they'd need a groundskeeper to take care of the expansive landscaping, a maintenance man or two to take care of things that needed repair and of course, someone to cook and deliver the room service and she supposed since it was such an old building with a real wood frame, they'd have to have an exterminator come out once in a while to inspect for termites.

"Termites!" she blurted out just as Lee had hung up the phone.

"Termites?" He gave her a confused look, "Here?"

"No, no, not here," she hastened to clear up what she meant. "My house."

Lee's brow furrowed as it often did when he hadn't followed the direction her thoughts had traveled, "Your house has termites?"

Amanda opened her mouth to explain but before she said anything, it was as if a light went off in Lee's head, "Oh, your house. Yes," he nodded his head, "that might work. Just tell them that the house is being treated and they need to leave." He held out the phone, "Do you want to call your mother?"

Amanda started to reach for the phone, "Lee, shouldn't you call Mr. Melrose first? After all, if the neighbors talk..."

"And your mother mentions the termites then we'd have a lot more explaining to do. Do you want me to have Billy arrange for them to stay in a hotel?"

"No," she shook her head, "I'll call Aunt Edna. I'm sure she won't mind the company for one night...at least I hope it's only for one night." Her voice trailed off as once again the situation weighed her down.

"Hey," Lee sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close for a comforting hug, "we're going to get this guy just like we always do."

Amanda relaxed against him, letting his warmth seep into her bones, giving her strength for what was to come. Her family would be taken care of and they would get the guy, but for a few seconds, she needed to lean on him. The tension between her shoulder blades relaxed slightly and reluctantly, she pulled back, smoothing her hands over his shoulders, "Thank you." she whispered wanting to say so much more, but knowing this wasn't the time, settled for a gentle squeeze of his hand.

He gave her that tender smile, that showed just a hint of his dimples, but made her knees weak and her heart race, "Any time." His murmured response wafted across her lips taking her breath and causing her blood to surge through her veins.

The moment was charged but her common sense reared its head and with a little smile she stood up and turned away, so he could call Billy. While he was on the phone, Amanda wandered around the room, peering into cabinets and opening drawers. Most of the ones she peered into were empty, showing no sign of ever being used until she reached a small chest tucked away in a far corner of the room.

"Well, well," Lee appeared at her side, "what went on here? Hmm, there are candles and even some old records. Maybe after dinner tonight, we can make the best of a bad situation, huh?" His voice dropped into that flirty deep register he used when he was trying to coax her into something. "A little candlelight, a little music, a little... cha-cha perhaps?" he went on with a wink.

Amanda stifled a laugh. "I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye on me to protect me from the bad guys, not dining and dancing on the Agency dime."

"Well, what better way to keep an eye on you than from up close?" he teased. "Come on, we haven't gotten to dance in ages since Billy took me off the Embassy circuit and put me in the Q Bureau." He pulled her into a waltz position and began to twirl her sedately, humming as he went.

For a moment, maybe more than a few, Amanda let herself relax into his arms, giving into that feeling of safety she always felt when he held her. It would be so easy to just stay like this, let her mind go blank, forget everything outside these walls. But then, she shifted her hand and felt her fingers slide over the strap of his holster and the real world came rushing back in. She pulled herself away unwillingly, patting his chest absently as if to apologize.

"Lee," she sighed. "I know you're just… well, you're just trying to cheer me up like you usually do but I don't need to be distracted right now. Right now, I need to call my mother and convince her to leave the house before those men show up there looking for me. Before they…"

"Amanda," he said, waiting for her to tilt her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes. "It's going to be fine. There are already agents outside your house – Billy sent them before we even left the Agency. There are guys at the school keeping an eye on Phillip and Jamie. This isn't our first rodeo on Maplewood Drive, remember?"

"I know," she said, a tiny crack in her voice. "And I know it seems silly, but that man was willing to kill me and everyone in that store today and for all Mother knows, I just went to buy a dress for my reunion just like a normal day and I just need…"

"You need to talk to your mother," he finished her sentence. "Come on." He led her back to the sofa and handed her the phone. "I'll just go in the other room, okay?"

"Thank you, Lee," she replied, eyes bright with emotion.

"No problem," he smiled at her. "But when this is all over, maybe we can go out dancing sometime?"

"I'd like that," she said, softly.

Lee watched her punch in her home phone number and turned away as he'd promised, to give her some privacy. As he stood in the small bedroom, looking out the window his thoughts drifted to how much things had changed since he'd first met Amanda and how he'd tried so hard to shoo her away because he hadn't wanted anyone new in his life, even if it were just a professional relationship, but now- He thought of how his heart had leapt into his throat at the store when he'd seen just how much danger she was in and shuddered at the thought of anything happening to her. He knew now that it was much too late to chase her away and that as hard as he argued against it, they were most definitely involved.

"How the hell did this happen?" he murmured to himself. Against his better judgment, he'd let her in before he'd even known what was happening and while he hadn't shared this part with Amanda, he personally had been the one to make sure that Billy had posted those agents at her house and at the school; in fact, he'd insisted on it. He swallowed hard as he thought of his own childhood without his parents and he wouldn't wish that on any child, so he'd make damn sure Phillip and Jamie never had to experience that kind of pain.

"Who are you kidding," he chided himself, knowing full well that he'd be just as devastated if something happened to her. He cast a glance to the next room where Amanda was still in full-ramble mode with her mother and trying desperately to explain why she and the kids had to get out of the house and shook his head. He turned back toward the window and chuckled softly at the memories. While he'd initially balked at Billy's constant scheming to throw them together and had done everything he could to thwart his well-meaning boss' efforts, he'd come to rely on Amanda - too much sometimes - and that scared him senseless; not because he was still afraid to open his heart to her - he'd figured out months ago after that debacle with Leslie that he was too far gone to turn back now - No, it was more that he was terrified of losing her. Predicaments like the one they were in now just brought that terror to the front of his mind.

He let out a deep sigh as he thought of his own predicament. He loved having Amanda as his partner, but at the same time, he wished he could somehow talk her out of her job at the Agency, only now it wasn't because he didn't want her around as it had been in the beginning; it was because it was just too damned dangerous for her and he couldn't bear the thought of losing yet one more person he loved. Love? an inner voice questioned as he glanced her way again to see that in addition to words, her hand had now entered the conversation emphasizing each syllable she uttered. Should he help? Could he help? When her normally quick way of speaking picked up speed, it didn't matter if he could help, what mattered was for him to be close if she needed him.

Lee dropped the curtain and walked around the bed, thinking about the last time they had stayed in a hotel. Separate rooms with Francine as chaperone and missed moments for them to... what...but how had that ended? Amanda in danger with his getting there just in time to save her. He had almost been too late. We'll get them, he silently promised her as he stepped into the living area.

The tone of her voice as she hung up was so...forlorn sounding, he wanted to leap over the sofa, take her in his arms and just hold her. But as much as he wanted to comfort her that way, she needed him to be at the top of his game, professionally.

Alert.

Aware.

Ready. He could do it, right?

Lee took a deep breath and sat down on the back of the sofa, close to her, but not too close, and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze, "Look, it's going to be alright."

"Is it?" She sighed, her pain causing his heart to twist...just a little.

He tilted his head, giving her a small smile, "Yes." he promised softly, hoping she knew that if needed, he would gladly exchange his life for hers.

"Oh boy," she sighed again, "don't you ever get tired of this?"

He shrugged and quipped, "Comes with the territory."

"No," she interjected, a little more seriousness appearing in her voice, "that's what I mean. Don't you ever get tired of the territory?" Her eyes dropped to a spot in the fabric, unable to even maintain eye contact with him for long.

Oh Amanda, he thought, lean on me. Her soft voice continued, reminding him of how often she missed times in her children's lives and yet, she hadn't grown jaded, hadn't pushed him away but trusted him to be there.

"Lately, I feel like I can't even make any plans in advance anymore. I missed Phillip's play when he was Rumpelstiltskin. And it looks like I might even miss Jamie's first open house at school."

Lee closed his eyes, trying to think of just the right thing to say to alleviate her fears, "Yeah, I hear you." he finally settled on. "This job has caused me my share of relationships, that's for sure." But he couldn't stop the thought that he would fight for whatever was between him and Amanda and that feeling was new.

Her dark eyes bore into his, almost hypnotizing in their intensity, "Why do you keep on doing it?" she asked softly, making him want to lean closer to make sure he didn't miss anything that was said.

Without thinking, he flippantly replied, "It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it." But almost before it was even out of his mouth realized that response wasn't who he wanted to be for her.

Her dark eyes read him, 'I know what you're doing,' while pleading with him to speak to her as Lee, and not Scarecrow, "Come on, I'm trying to be serious here."

"Well, I guess I am too," he admitted, this time speaking to her from his heart. "It is...a job someone has to do and," her eyes pulled at him, "I happen to do it well. There are parts of it I don't like," but it brought me you, "and parts I like a lot." Focus, Lee, "But what about you?" he brought her back into the conversation. "I mean there are other part-time jobs that pay a lot more than this and are a lot less dangerous."

"I know." She lowered her eyes shyly, "I guess I had some kind of an idea about making the world a safer place for Phillip and Jamie. Probably silly, isn't it?

Oh, Amanda, his hands itched to reach for her, "No, no it isn't. And that's why we are stuck with this." His voice died as any further words faded away and the only thought he could focus on was how disheartened Amanda looked right now.

"I guess so." Amanda twisted her hands together and looked away, unable to meet his eyes for a moment. Her heart had dropped a little at his words. Stuck with this? What does that mean? Stuck here with me?

Her mind went back to that conversation in the hotel a few weeks ago – a conversation that had started out so promisingly and ended so abruptly when Francine had shown up. What was it she'd said? "How times have changed, Scarecrow"…

She glanced over at the open doorway and the bedroom beyond.

Well, things have changed, Francine. For one thing, there was a time I'd have been a lot more upset at having to share a hotel room with Lee.

She looked back up at Lee, studying the face that had become so familiar and dear to her over the years. She could see no sign of Scarecrow anymore in those beautiful clear eyes looking back at her. The man who had been a closed book when they met, emotions locked away where no one could find them had turned into her best friend somehow, a man who had begun to willingly accept what she offered with an open heart and who offered her so much more in return. And yet, even now, she knew there were facets of him she'd never seen, that he'd never revealed, still parts of himself he hid with bravado and deflection and jokes. It's a dirty job… He'd been quick to back down just now when he'd realized she was serious, but she wondered if anything would have been different if Francine hadn't walked back into that hotel hallway that night. Maybe he... maybe she… maybe they… She sighed. Coulda, shoulda, woulda she scolded herself

"Amanda?" Lee asked. "Are you okay?"

She realized he was staring at her with concern and that she'd been silently staring back at him for far too long.

"This wasn't the kind of field experience I was hoping for," she said without thinking. His eyes went wide, and she stood up quickly to turn away, immediately embarrassed and not wanting to see his reaction at that unconscious admission.

"Amanda," he said, so softly she almost couldn't hear him. "Amanda," he repeated. "I-"

But whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a sharp rap on the door. She turned, under control now and gave him a bright look.

"Well, I just bet that'll be our dinner," she said cheerfully as she began to make her way to the door but was stopped by Lee's hand on her arm.