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For personal use and select distribution only © March 2002 by Amber Stockton
The Khrushchev List - tagalogue
Written by Lee Maddux (excerpts from the episode belong to him)
Lee opened the door to his apartment and entered. Amanda was sitting in the wingback chair writing. He closed the door then looked at his keys before placing them on the table by the door. If he was going to be part of the solution, he could make a few changes in his life. Amanda hadn't even looked up at his entrance. Lee forced a smile to his face and walked toward her, careful to keep his right hand behind his back.
"Hi." She didn't even look up at him, so he took a nervous breath. "Uhh, I just saw Harry. He's been discharged from the hospital. He's looking great." Amanda looked up at him and nodded, her face a passive mask of obvious tolerance. When she returned her gaze to her writing, Lee continued. "What are you doing?"
"I'm writing you a note."
The clipped tone in her voice made Lee realize he'd better say something and say it soon. "Uhh, Amanda, I realize that making that list was a very stupid thing to do. I mean, everybody does silly little things that bothers the other person."
Amanda looked up at him, still very upset and not willing to concede until he made the first move. "Do you have flowers behind your back?" she asked, her voice devoid of any real emotion.
"No," Lee answered, a hint of a smile on his lips as he began slowly walking toward her. He came to stand in front of her and flipped the cover back from the pamphlet he held.
With a snap, she replaced the cap of the pen she was using to write the letter and looked up at him. "More complaints?"
"No." Lee paused and sighed, then looked directly at her. "It's a list," he began, bending down toward her, "of all the things that I love about you." He came to kneel in front of her, resting his left hand on the arm of the chair where she was sitting.
"Ohh." Amanda smiled as he leaned closer, but stopped his progress with her index finger on his chin. "Better be a long list," she warned in a playful yet serious tone.
She lightly clasped his chin and leaned forward for a kiss. Lee raised his eyebrows, smiled and kissed her back. Amanda brought her left hand up with her right to lightly touch his face on either side as they shared several sweet kisses. They both pulled back and smiled, realizing they had successfully taken the first step toward a reconciliation.
"You want to hear something funny?"
"What's that?"
"After our phone call this afternoon, I spoke with Billy. You're not going to believe what he said." Lee shifted into a more comfortable kneeling position and rested his arm on the ottoman. Amanda raised her eyebrows, silently encouraging him to continue. "He said that when he and Jeannie had their disagreements, they made lists then calmly and rationally went through each one and talked them out."
"He just said this out of the blue?"
"Well, he made a comment about the next time I would see you. My face must tipped him off. He then said that having a partner was a lot like being married," he grinned, "so this was just practice for the real thing!"
Amanda smiled and reached up to caress his cheek. "Practice, huh? Guess he's pretty convinced of us ending up together."
"I'd say there's a very good chance of that," Lee teased as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her nose. "That wasn't the best part, though," he continued. "He said that maybe you and I should do the same thing." Lee watched her face as he said that, wondering if she would be willing to continue with the lists and working out what was on them.
"Little did he know we already had them," she answered.
"That's right," Lee replied, then paused as he realized what she had just said. "What do you mean, 'we'?"
Amanda leaned back in the chair and gave him a teasing grin as she picked up the pen and the note she had been writing when he came home. "Well, I said I was writing you a note. It was actually the beginning of my list of your little habits." Lee reached for the paper, but she held it out of his reach. "Ah, ah, ahh! You got six pages, so I think it's only fair that I be allowed to have at least that many!"
"At least? Amanda, come on! I can't possibly..." Lee stopped and changed his approach. As a bachelor for almost twenty years, it was definitely possible. Sighing in resignation, he stood and ran his hand through his hair. "All right." He made a placating gesture with his hands. "All right. Make your list. As you said, it's only fair." She looked like she was going to say something, but stopped when he turned and headed for the desk on the other side of the couch. "I do have one thing to say, though," he said as he retrieved several sheets of paper from the desktop. Walking back to where she sat, he held up the papers in front of them. "After really giving it some thought, I went overboard, and I'm sorry. I said you weren't meant to find this list, but I'm actually glad you did, because it helped me see a few things a little clearer."
"Oh, and what's that?" Amanda put the pen back down on the ottoman and gave him her undivided attention.
"Amanda, there's always going to be little things that get on your or my nerves. Everyone has them." He lowered the papers and resumed his kneeling position in front of her. "But, there's also much more about you that I love. That's far more important than the little things that can get in the way. Making a list may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but if we let it come between us, it can do more harm than good." Lee lifted the papers again and placed his fingers at the top on either side. "So, with that in mind..."
Amanda reached out to stop him, covering his hands with her own. "Lee, you're right," she began, gently pushing his hands down. "We can't let the lists come between us, but there is good that can come of them."
"Such as?"
"Such as it can help us both see the areas where we're going to need some work, and areas that could cause some problems in merging our lives together," she pointed out, caressing the backs of his hands.
Lee let the papers fall and turned his hands over to clasp hers. "How very observant of you," he remarked with a grin.
She smiled then leaned back in the chair again, picking up the paper and pen once more. "Besides," she began, tapping the end of the pen against the right corner of her lip as a gleam stole into her eyes, "I think it'll be fun writing down all of your little habits."
"Oh, really?" he teased. "So, you going to let me see what you have so far?"
"No."
"Well, how about we each read from our lists?"
"Read all of yours already," she answered with an impish grin.
"All of them?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yep."
"Even..." Lee paused and lifted one page from the list to skim over it. "Even the one that said you talk in your sleep?" he teased.
Amanda reached for the list. "Let me see that!"
He smiled and held the paper away from her, then gathered up the other sheets as well. "Ah, ah, ahh! Fair's fair."
She didn't say a word, but locked gazes with him. It was almost a challenge to see who would break down first. Finally, after several moments of silence, Amanda conceded. "All right, but you first!"
"Ohh, no! When we were telling secrets, I had to go first." He gave her a smug smile. "Now, it's your turn!"
Amanda sighed and looked down at the list. "Leaves toothbrush on the counter instead of in the holder." She looked up at him. "Now, your turn."
Lee smiled and looked down at his list. "Always moves things so I don't know where they are."
"Doesn't eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day."
"Tries to get me to change my eating habits."
"Always tells me to stay in the car, when he could need help."
"Doesn't do a good job at following orders, even when her disobedience is sometimes right."
"Never remembers to take his keys out of the ignition."
"Always acts like she has an answer to everything."
"Doesn't like to ask for help, even when he needs it."
"Has trouble separating her 'mother hen' instincts in her work."
"Doesn't appreciate the concern shown to him."
"Gets too much enjoyment when she's right."
"Takes too many of the risks on his own."
Lee changed tactics a little. "Is willing to take risks just as much as me."
"Is usually grateful when help is given to him even when he thought he wouldn't need it," Amanda continued, not missing a beat, despite the shift he took in the banter.
"Made me see that the best things are worth the wait."
"Was willing to let down his guard and be vulnerable."
"Believes the best in everyone and is quick to forgive."
"Always knows the right words to offer comfort and reassurance and to get himself out of hot water."
Lee smiled, then gazed intently at her. "Gave me the desire to be a better man."
Amanda reached out to touch his face. "Does his best to be considerate and knows the right time to be romantic."
"Is a little too good at resisting my attempts to distract her."
"Can be a distraction when there's work to do," she countered.
Lee started to say something, then closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes, the ghost hint of a grin on his lips. He took her list and tossed it on the ottoman, then pushed the piece of furniture out of the way and immediately grabbed her left hand, pulling her forward. "I'll show you distractions!"
"Oh!" The pen slipped from her other hand when she came tumbling forward, knocking them both off balance as they fell to the floor in a haphazard tangle of arms and legs, just missing the edge of the coffee table behind them.
Lee smiled and shifted a little, then wrapped his arms around Amanda . His hands began to move in a rhythmic motion up and down her back, and he moved one hand to the back of her head as he gently brought it down to posess her lips. It didn't take long for Amanda to relax against him and fully participate in the kiss he initiated. Completely involved in the embrace, he used his shoulder to roll them a little so that they were both on their sides, never once breaking the kiss.
After several long and passionate moments, with true feelings communicated, Lee reluctantly pulled back and smiled as he gazed into Amanda's beautiful face. He watched her eyes slowly flutter open and couldn't mistake the way they had darkened from the warm sienna of a moment ago to a deep cocoa brown. "I think I definitely prefer this to the petty disagreements," he teased.
"Mmm, I think I'm inclined to agree with you," she murmured, brushing her fingers across his lips.
"Tell me again why we were arguing?"
"I believe it had something to do with some hurdles we're facing in blending our lives together," she replied, "but now that I think about it, things seem to be a bit fuzzy."
"You know, I was just thinking the same thing," he echoed and met her lips again.
A moment later, Amanda was the one to pull back. Her hands framed either side of his face. She rolled a little to her left and he followed, Amanda now mostly on her back and Lee supporting himself above her on his left arm. Looking up at him, she smiled. "Don't you think we'd be a little more comfortable in the other room?"
Lee grinned mischievously and slid his arms from her back to her neck and behind her legs as he sat up, then stood up with her in his arms, no easy feat, considering their previous position. He began to walk toward the bedroom and glanced down at her. "What about the lists?"
"They can wait," she whispered, placing her arms around his neck and pulling herself up to place a soft kiss on his lips.
Lee stopped and dipped his head to return the kiss wholeheartedly. "Mmm," he murmured when they broke apart moments later. "Sort of how telling your family and a few others about our marriage is going to have to wait?"
"We're telling them very soon," she replied in a tone that left no room for argument.
"And give up all of this sneaking around?" he teased.
Amanda grinned. "Well, perhaps it can wait just a tiny bit longer," she answered, kissing him again then reaching out to push the door open further as they entered. "Mmm, I just thought of another habit to add to my list," she murmured mischievously once they parted.
"Oh?" Lee stopped just inside the doorway.
"Steals the covers and leaves me cold at night."
He chuckled. "I think I have the perfect solution for that! And it's just a start. We can work out our problems if we're both willing."
Amanda nodded. "It won't be easy, but I think we have a head start with the four years we've worked together as partners. Mr. Melrose was right. It is a lot like marriage."
"In that case, I'd say we're way ahead of the game."
"Speaking of games and a little fun..."
Lee smiled and kicked the door closed behind them, then whispered, "I love you, Mrs. Stetson."
"And I love you, Mr. Stetson," Amanda whispered in reply.
(THE END)