Screen Captures Courtesy of Swoopes

For personal use and select distribution only © May 2002 by Amber Stockton

Playing for Keeps - tagalogue

Written by Lee Maddux (excerpts from the episode belong to him)

 

"You really have been working hard, haven't you!" Amanda sounded impressed.

"Oh yeah. Yeah." Lee nodded, although he knew she couldn't see him on the other end of the phone. "Well, the point is, it was just ... uh ... it was different."

"How was it different?"

"Well, you know. I mean, you ... you get ... used to working with one person. You get to know their habits, their rhythms, you know ... the whole potpourri of personality."

"I missed you, too!"

The smile was evident in her voice. Lee smiled. "Am I that obvious?"

"Only when you try so hard to avoid the simple and direct answer to a question!"

At her very astute and accurate observation of his habits, he cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, so, how are you feeling?" He decided a change of subject was the safest thing at this point.

"Oh, I'm doing much better. Nothing that a little more rest and relaxation and some special meals served by Philip and Jamie won't cure."

He grinned at the optimistic sound to her voice. That was just like her to be so upbeat, even when she was sick. It seemed nothing kept her down for long, and that was one of the things he admired about her. "Special meals, huh?"

"Yeah, they decided to fix me a very special breakfast yesterday..."

"Well, that was nice of them."

"It was," she agreed, "only the meal included chocolate cookies, bagged snacks, and candy."

He heard her chuckle through the phone and realized just how much he had missed her on this assignment. "Mmm, sounds like the perfect meal to give you a toothache!"

"Or a stomachache!" she added. "So, are you and Francine going to hang around the country club for a little while and enjoy the atmosphere?"

"No, no, I think we're going to head back up to D.C. and get this case wrapped up. Not exactly what Francine had in mind, but I don't know." He sighed. "I guess I'm just not in the mood to stick around and cut loose." Im truth, he wasn't in the mood to spend any more time with Francine than was necessary. Had he been working with Amanda on this case...

Her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Well, from what you've told me, it's been a grueling two days, so you're probably exhausted!"

"Yeah, maybe a little," he conceded. "So, what are your plans for the evening?"

"Ohh, nothing, really. I'll probably curl up here on the couch with my book, maybe find something to watch on TV. Since it's not a school night, Mother's taking the boys out to dinner and a movie. They'll be gone for a few hours tonight."

If he didn't know better, he would take that as an unspoken invitation; however, he was going to treat it like a normal conversation. "Well, that's good. Give you a chance to relax and get some much-needed sleep." He fought hard to keep his voice nonchalant. Hearing that Amanda was home alone fit right into his plans. He had to make sure she didn't suspect anything.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Lee thought he detected a note of disappointment in her voice.

"Well, look Amanda, you take care of yourself and get some rest, okay? I'll ... uh ... I'll get in touch with you later, once we're back in D.C." He paused then lowered his voice. "Oh, and Amanda? I missed you, too."

"Goodbye, Lee."

He knew there was a smile on her face at his words. Once he hung up the phone, he thought about the rest of the evening. Only one thing marred the pleasant picture in his mind. He had to somehow persuade Francine to leave early and head back to the Agency with him as soon as possible. Every minute that passed was one less he would have to spend with Amanda. Even if he had to drag Francine from the country club, he wasn't going to let anything spoil his plans.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Lee parked the 'Vette down the street. He reached for the bag on the passenger seat, got out and quickly made his way towards Amanda's house. As quietly as he could, he crept up the driveway and past the windows on the side of the house on his way to the back yard. Amanda was fast-asleep on the couch, a book open on her chest. He smiled, then moved around to the kitchen door. It would be the farthest door from where she was and less likely to make as much sound.

He set down the bag and tested the doorknob. Dotty probably made certain the house was locked up tight before she left with the boys. With Amanda out like a light on the couch, it was a good thing. Once he retrieved the lock pick from the inside of his jacket, he inserted it into the door. In just a matter of seconds, he heard the click. He froze and his gaze immediately shifted toward the living room. The TV was on, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, the noise from it would cover any sound he made.

Lee slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open, then lifted the bag into his hands and stepped inside. He figured he had about twenty minutes before Amanda's senses kicked in and alerted her to his presence. So, he set the bag on the floor and got right to work. It was amazing how she always seemed to know when something was wrong or different. Being a mother most likely heightened that awareness.

Since he wasn't as familiar with her kitchen as his own, it took a little extra time to locate what he needed. Once he did, everything went right according to plan. Once or twice, he heard her moan in her sleep and shift her position, but she never awoke. When he had everything ready, he found a tray and transferred the items to it, then quietly walked into the living room and set the tray on the coffee table. After that, he went back to the bag in the kitchen and pulled out an album. With a smile, he walked to the record player, slipped the record from the cover and placed it on the turntable. Flipping the switches and setting the needle on the record, he adjusted the volume. The soft strains of jazz immediately filled the room. With two steps, he turned the knob on the TV, and the sound and picture disappeared.

Next, he turned around to look at Amanda. For a moment, he stood there and watched her sleep. It almost came as a shock to him to realize just how much he had missed working with her. He knew it was pointless to deny it. He had all but confessed it on the phone earlier when he had called from the Country club. She stirred again and mumbled something. He was struck again at how beautiful she was. When that change had occurred wasn't clear in his mind. But, it certainly gave him a warm feeling to know that she was his partner. Never before had that thought pleased him as much as it did now. Never before had her lips seemed so tempting.

Startled at the sudden shift in his thoughts, Lee resisted the urge to give himself a little slap. Instead, he moved to kneel down on the carpet next to the couch. He reached out and traced a feather-light path across her smooth cheek. His finger barely touched her lips before he reached up to smooth a lock of hair back from her forehead.

Unable to resist the urge, he leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her lips, then pulled back and watched her face. She stirred a little at his touch and a soft smile appeared on her lips. He grinned at her reaction and touched her face again.

"Amanda," he called in a whisper.

"Mmm." She moaned, then took a deep breath and exhaled it.

"Amanda," he repeated, a little louder.

"Hmm?" She mumbled and shifted on the couch.

"Amanda, wake up! It's Lee."

"Lee?" Her voice drugged with sleep.

"Yeah, Amanda, it's me. Now, come on, wake up."

He watched her swallow a few times and take in a few deep breaths, then smack her lips together in an obvious attempt to moisten her dry mouth. Briefly, he wondered just how sick she had been and how long it had been since she had eaten anything nourishing. Hopefully, her mother had overruled the sweets meal. Even then, he hadn't seen any evidence of food when he had come in. With that in mind, he was sure she would appreciate what he had done. Now, all he had to do was get her to wake up enough to enjoy it.

As he reached out to shake her a little, he saw her eyelids flutter, then open. Her gaze focused on him. A smile immediately lit up her face and eyes when it registered to her foggy mind that he was there. She disentangled one arm from the blanket covering her to place a hand on his arm.

"Hi."

Lee smiled. "Hi, yourself! Did you have a good nap?"

"Mmm, very nice! You know, for a minute, I thought I was dreaming when I saw you there."

"Oh? Dreaming of me, were you?" He grinned when she shot him a quick flash of contempt before settling her expression into something a little more neutral.

"So, what brings you over here? When we spoke on the phone, you made it sound like you and Francine were headed back to the Agency to wrap up the case and get the report filed and had several other things to do before you'd be able to head home tonight. Did you finish everything, or is this a brief stop on the way?"

It was obvious she was just about fully awake. She was rambling like normal, but he didn't mind. It was nice to just hear her voice. "Well, that's just what I wanted you to think," he countered with a grin. "When you told me your mother and the boys weren't going to be here this evening, I formulated a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"Ohhh, one that includes a little soup, a little music, and a little TLC."

"Mmm, sounds wonderful," she murmured and sniffed appreciatively. "So, is the soup that delicious aroma I smell?"

Lee pivoted to reveal the tray to Amanda's view and passed his hand over it with a flourish. "Yeah, I brought you some nice, hot soup to cure what ails you." He turned back to face her, then reached towards her. "Here, let me help you sit up so you can enjoy it."

Lee slipped in between her and the edge of the couch to support her against him, then leaned forward to slide the table towards them. He handed her the bowl of soup and a spoon. She accepted it with a smile.

"Mmm, this really does smell wonderful, Lee!" She used the spoon to stir the broth, then liefted the first bite to her lips. "Vegetable beef, one of my favorites!"

Lee leaned forward again and retrieved a napkin from the tray, then handed it to her to catch any spills that might occur. When he settled back against the couch, he resisted the urge to put his arm around her. Instead, he settled for extending it across the top of the couch behind her. He watched as she ate her soup in silence. There was something so comfortable about the entire scene. He didn't feel any conversation was needed.

When she finished a few minutes later, he took the bowl from her and set it back on the tray, then leaned back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Feel any better?"

"Mmm, much!" she replied. "Thank you, Lee. The soup was just what I needed."

"Well, it wasn't the best, since I didn't have time to let everything simmer as long as I normally do to bring out the rich flavor, but I'm glad you liked it."

"It was wonderful!" She paused, and Lee saw her tilt her head a little. "Whose album is that playing?"

"It's mine. I know how much you love Duke's music, so I brought over the album you said your dad played a lot. Figured it would go well with the mood." He shrugged.

"The mood?" Her voice contained a hint of skepticism.

Lee grinned, although he knew she couldn't see him. He shifted in his seat and pulled her back against him a little more securely. She wrapped the blanket around her and allowed him to position her where they were both comfortable.

"Yeah, a little soft jazz to soothe your soul." His voice was low as he began to slowly press his fingers into her shoulders and initiated a tender massage.

"Mmmm."

Lee immediately felt Amanda relax against him. The weight of her body filled him with a very unfamiliar, but pleasant feeling.

"A little music to soothe my soul and a little massage to soothe my aching muscles. You sure know how to show a girl a good time!"

He smiled and remembered the last time she had spoken those words. After the assignment with New Utopia, things between them certainly had changed ... for the better. "Well, I'm glad you approve!"

"A girl could get used to this kind of treatment! Maybe I should get sick more often!"

"And stick me with Francine again? Oh no, you don't!"

"Oh, come on, Lee. I'm sure it wasn't that bad," she countered.

"No, but it wasn't like it used to be when we worked together. I don't know." He sighed. "She's just not you." He could sense her smile, but he didn't say anything else. His fingers continued to knead into her shoulders. Then, he moved to work on her neck and back.

"Well, don't worry." Her voice contained hints of fatigue. "I'll definitely be back at work on Monday."

"Good, because I missed having my partner." Lee leaned forward to place a kiss at her temple. "Now, relax," he whispered in her ear.

Amanda's body lost all rigidity. "Mother and the boys will be home later."

"That's all right, I'll be gone before they return."

"Well, just don't make it anytime soon!." She sighed, and her head fell back against his shoulder.

Lee chuckled and tipped his head to see Amanda's eyes drift shut. He slipped his hands down her arms to tuck the blanket tightly around her. Then, he leaned his head against hers and wrapped his arms around her. Another soft kiss to her temple, and he closed his own eyes. They may not have the entire evening, but they had now. He wasn't about to let it go to waste.

(THE END)

Leave your comments

Back to SMK Fan Fiction