I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World, a scarecrow and mrs. king fanfic

A/N: This story was presented to write with 700 words or less using the prompt "the difference is I lie for a reason". This is my contribution, please I hope you enjoy. Challenge is the ultimate word here, because this was the fourth attempt. Please let me know how I did.

Music lyrics provided by Ronnie Milsap

Characters provided by Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions.

Word count: 696, not counting A/N and Title.

I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World

Amanda Stetson knew it was close. She knew it as much as she had known that Lee Stetson was going to change her life ten years ago on that train platform. Lee, she thought, how will he handle all this? He already knew she had been keeping something from him. It was something she never thought she would ever do. Well, tonight after dinner the whole family would be in on the secret and she would do all she could to pick up the pieces of the lives that would be destroyed by her lies.

Amanda was in the backyard when she heard the back gate open. She looked into the eyes of the man that was about to change her family dynamic completely. "Hey, where is everyone?"

"Lee will be home at any time. The boys should be here by dinner time. I was just sitting out here thinking how we were going to tell them this. Lee knows something has been going on, but hasn't pushed. This is going to shatter all of them."

"How could we have changed anything, Sweetheart?" He ran his hand over her back to comfort her.

"I don't think we could. This is one of the times that I am relieved that Mother is no longer alive to hear this."

The two sat in silence for a few moments holding onto one another until he stood taking her hand as a song came on the radio that always made him think of her. Pulling her close he began to sing in her ear making her laugh.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I wouldn't have missed loving you girl. You made my whole life worthwhile, with your smile. I wouldn't trade one memory, because you mean too much to me. Even though I lost you girl, I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"That is a very nice sentiment to be singing to my wife, Joe." Lee said from the backdoor as he watched his wife and her ex dancing together. "Would this be the reason you have been lying to me for the last three weeks?" Turning to face her husband with tears in her eyes all she could do was nod her head. Seeing the hurt in her husband's eyes she froze, she couldn't move. Coming closer to the pair, Lee clenched his fists resisting the urge to pummel the man that had refused to move his arm from Amanda.

"I know I have lied, the difference is I lie for a reason, and that reason is national security. What is your excuse for lying to me? If you just wanted your ex back, you could have found a better place than the backyard to let me find you together."

She stood staring into his face, frozen trying to explain the whole situation of the past three weeks. She looked at Joe and said, "I can't." She covered her face and ran into the house. Joe went to go after her until Lee grabbed his arm.

"Then, Joe King, you can explain it to me." Lee demanded.

Shaking loose Joe said, "Amanda has been with me for the last three weeks, I have been having chemotherapy treatments. I just found out they aren't working. I'm dying. So that song you heard me singing to your wife was my way of saying goodbye to her and she knew it. I asked her to not tell anyone until I knew the results. She is going to need you more than ever, because she will be so worried about the boys, she will forget herself. We both know you would never forget about her."

Two months later, after Joe's funeral Lee found Amanda in the backyard. She was lost in her thoughts as he slipped in the cassette. Lee pulled her into his arms and hit play.