Sudden Death - tagalogue

Written by Del Reisman & Tom Sawyer (excerpts from the episode belong to them)

"Hi!" Lee popped up at the kitchen window behind the sink, holding a football.

"What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, brought you a gift," he replied and passed a football through the open window.

She set down her dish towel, then took the ball and looked at him with a look of doubt on her face. "Oh, well thank you. I needed a football..." She broke off as she read what he had written and grinned. "Aww, 'To a heck of a good reporter. Best wishes, Sandy Newcomb.'"

He smiled and produced a champagne glass followed by a bottle of champagne which he pulled from the bushes. "It's a souvenir of our case," he said then poured the champagne into one glass and handed it through the window to her. "I'm out celebrating the end of my illustrious football career." He grinned and poured champagne into his own glass then held it towards hers. "Cheers."

..........Lee slowly stood to peak over the hedge of the bush into the kitchen as Dotty continued. "He was a brush salesman in Topeka," she explained as Amanda turned her head to look at him. "One day they found out he joined a cult. He was becoming a wizard." Dotty continued to talk, and Lee couldn't help but smile at the fact that Dotty had no idea what was happening. "Amanda, you are not Uncle Iggy. Imagine ... you ... leading a double life," she remarked as Lee tilted his glass towards Amanda's and quietly clinked his with hers. "Imagine you. I mean that is a silly thought ... Amanda?"

"Yes, Mother," Amanda hastily replied, sharing a smile with Lee as they sipped their champagne. "It is a silly thought." Lee winked and Amanda shook her head with a grin.

"Well," Dotty announced and slapped her thighs as she stood. "I think I'm going to go back upstairs and try to get some sleep. I just have to make it to the stairs..." she muttered as she walked, hands extended in front of her.

"Turn to the left, Mother," Amanda guided, turning away from Lee. He watched over Amanda's shoulder as Dotty took hesitant steps forward.

"Thank you, dear," Dotty replied as she found the step and successfully made it to the bottom of the stairs. "You'll be certain to turn out the lights before you come upstairs?"

"Yes, Mother." Amanda sighed.

"Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, Mother." When Dotty had disappeared and headed up the stairs, Amanda turned back around to face him. "Well," she breathed. "That was a close one."

Lee had silently watched the entire exchange between Amanda and her mother and couldn't help but smile at how well she covered her tracks, successfully hiding her involvement with him and the government. She was actually beginning to be quite an asset to his assignments with the way she thought quick on her feet and used her instincts to assist him. He never would have believed a housewife from Arlington could pull off what she'd managed to pull off so far while working with him.

He hated to admit it, but he was really beginning to get used to having her around, and that could be dangerous, but not half as dangerous as admitting that he had actually enjoyed the kiss they had shared as part of their cover the other night. He had reacted on gut instinct when he got caught by the coach; he certainly hadn't planned on feeling anything as a result. Even now, as he watched her, he could remember the feel of his lips on hers. He knew he needed to remain aloof and keep his distance, but he couldn't keep the grin from his face at the memory.

He immediately schooled his features when he saw brows drawn together in confusion, and realized she was waiting for him to reply. Clearing his throat, he grinned. "Yeah. A double life, huh? She really has no idea, does she?"

Amanda chuckled, sounding a little nervous. "No, and I'd like to keep it that way, but if you keep popping up at my window and lurking around my house, sooner or later, she's gonna find out about us."

"Us?" Lee asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, you," she amended. "Me. The Agency. My mother doesn't miss much, so you're going to have to be more careful."

"I'm always careful," Lee defended himself.

"Oh, and I suppose you'd say you were careful when you rammed that guy across the desk at the bookie joint, or when you charged onto the playing field into a throng of football players in full uniform wearing just a suit and tie." She rested her left arm and right elbow on the edge of the sink, held her glass out in front of her and raised one eyebrow at him.

Lee was momentarily at a loss for words, but he cleared his throat and replied. "Amanda, that's all part of my job. I told you I do tougher stuff than football every day I'm in the field." He paused and thought for a moment. "Speaking of football, how'd you know about that game where the kicker got creamed? I really didn't peg you to be the football type."

"Oh. Well, I've spent a lot of years here in Arlington, and being so close to a major football team, you tend to pick up on some of the lingo, hear about some of the big events at the games. You know." She shrugged. "Plus, I have two boys, and sports tend to be a frequent topic of discussion around this house, other than Mother's interest in suspense novels and the obituaries of the newspaper."

"Yeah," Lee replied, shaking his head and sighing at yet another ramble.

"So, what happened to Laszlo and Mr. Crandall?"

Lee sighed. "Laszlo was taken in and convicted on his assassination attempt on Bela, and once he was there, they found enough evidence to convict him on his other killings, as well. As for Crandall, they were able to charge him with being an accessory to a murder attempt, not to mention the bundle of money he had sheltered in Liechtenstein. Then, there's that Price guy, the bookie?"

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

He continued, but Amanda wasn't really listening. As Lee explained how Price was tied in with everything, she found her eyes straying to his mouth and watching as he spoke. She tried to scold herself for dwelling on it, but her mind just wouldn't let her forget the kiss he gave her. It had come as such a surprise, she was caught off guard, and she only struggled to cover up the fact that she enjoyed it a little. That wasn't something she was ready to admit yet, so it was easier to tell herself that it was part of their cover, that it meant nothing.

The only problem was that it wasn't easy, especially when she had to see Lee the very next morning and act like nothing had happened. Certain that it was just part of the job to Lee, she made a pact with herself to not think about it. Thinking about it only caused her to remember the feelings that accompanied that kiss, and if she remembered the feelings, she'd end up convincing herself that there was more to it than just a part of their cover, and if that happened, she didn't know if she'd be able to face Lee. So, it was best to just forget it ever happened. Now, if she could only convince her mind of that.

"Amanda?"

Startled, she realized Lee had asked her something, and she had no idea what it was. Embarrassed, she raised her eyes to meet his and saw a teasing glint in them. "Hmm?"

Lee grinned. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said for the past several minutes."

"Sure, I have," she hastily replied.

"Uh-huh, so what did I just ask you?"

She knew she was caught. There was no way out of this one. "I'm sorry, Lee. You're right. What did you ask?"

"If you wanted more champagne," he replied, lifting the bottle and gesturing to her empty glass.

Amanda looked down and realized she had finished what was in the glass at some point, probably when she was thinking about Lee's kiss. This really was getting dangerous. "Umm, no," she finally managed as she turned on the water to wash out the glass before she handed it back to Lee. "I should get some sleep. The mothers in the PTA are meeting tomorrow to discuss plans for the Christmas play at school this year, and I have to be there first thing in the morning."

"Well, we can't have you going to your meeting tired, now, can we?" he teased, then shrugged his shoulders as he gathered the two glasses in one hand and the champagne bottle in the other. "Thanks again for the help on this case. Take good care of that football." He gestured to the souvenir that sat on the counter.

"I'll guard it with my life," Amanda replied with a grin as she picked up the football and cradled it against her. "It'll go very nicely with the panda you gave me a couple weeks ago," she teased.

Lee just shook his head. "Goodnight, Amanda."

"Goodnight," she replied, setting down the football as she reached up to close the curtains in front of the window. "Oh, by the way, I was wrong about my assessment a few weeks ago."

"What assessment?"

"Of your legs. They're actually ... nice," she replied and pulled the curtains closed, effectively cutting off any reply he may have had. Picking up the football again, she tossed it lightly in the air and caught it, a smug grin on her face as she thought about the look on his from her remark. Things might have the potential to be dangerous, but they were also a lot of fun.

(THE END)

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