Disclaimer: "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot is mine, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.

AN: This is a sequel to the Christmas fic, "King's Ransom," so if you haven't read that one, I'd strongly encourage you to go there first since the events of it have a direct bearing on this story. This will also serve as a filler of sorts to flesh out the details of the New Year's Eve party referenced in OTL. Hope you enjoy!
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December 30, 1984

Joe beamed at his luck as he hung up the phone. He couldn't believe he was able to get the last-minute reservation he'd wanted for him and Amanda and for New Year's Eve with only a day's notice, no less. He had to admit that as much as he was upset with his employers for leaving him stranded in Malta, his job with the EAO had its perks like being able to name-drop heads of state. Now, he just had one more call to make and everything would be set.

While Joe was making his plans, outside the house Lee was hoping his New Year's Eve plans hadn't changed. He cautiously peered through the sheer drapes of the French doors for any sign of Amanda. When he didn't see her, he crept closer to the back door figuring she was probably in the kitchen which wasn't easily visible from the patio. As was his normal habit now, he quietly cracked the door open a bit...just enough to poke his head inside and that's when he heard the unmistakable voice of Joe King. He was about to close the door and be on his way when he realized what the other man was doing. He leaned closer for a moment to hear him ordering flowers...for Amanda...and gushing about how he wanted to do something special for his wife for New Year's. Lee shook his head, let out a deep sigh and not wanting to hear any more, finally shut the door and stealthily made his way back down the driveway fuming all the way.

Joe had just completed his call when he heard Amanda and Dotty arguing as they came down the stairs.

"Mother, give me back my dress," Amanda insisted.

Curious about the hubbub, Joe stepped closer to the landing to see Dotty carrying a party dress just as the two women paused on the stairs and Dotty turned to face her daughter.

"Amanda, I know you and I know there must be some man you want to impress if you plan to wear a dress like this." She held the dress out at arm's length. "Just look at how revealing it is. Why, it practically screams 'come and get it.'"

"Mother! It's not that revealing!"

"You don't think so? Well, since Joe's here, let's just ask him and see what a man thinks!"

"No, Mother, give it back. I really don't think we need to bother him with this."

Dotty rolled her eyes. "Nonsense, Amanda. It never hurts to get a man's opinion."

Amanda made a wild grab for the dress but wasn't quick enough for her spry mother when the older woman made a beeline for Joe. "Joe, Dear, we need a second opinion."

"No, we don't." Amanda argued. She knew all too well what her mother was up to. After her break-up with Dean, Dotty had been determined that her daughter would not stay single forever and ever since Joe had arrived for Christmas, she'd been dropping not-so-subtle hints about the possibility of them getting back together.

Dotty continued as if Amanda hadn't spoken. "Amanda made this dress for New Year's Eve and I was thinking it's just a bit too...I don't know...too racy for this time of year."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "No, Mother it's not. Just because it's sleeveless doesn't mean it's-"

"I'm talking to Joe," her mother interrupted.

"Well, it's my dress," Amanda argued as she finally took it from her mother's hands. "And I'll wear what I like. I'm not scrapping this dress when I went to all this trouble to make it." She nodded to her ex-husband. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this."

Joe shrugged. "It's okay. And, Dotty, I don't see anything wrong with her dress. I seem to recall her wearing similar things to parties when I still worked for the EPA." He had to admit to himself that he couldn't wait to see her in it, but he didn't quite have the nerve to voice that thought aloud.

"See, Mother?"

"All right, all right. You win," Dotty grumbled good-naturedly. "Of course, if I'm truly going to help you with your New Year's Eve outfit, it would help if I knew where you were going...and with whom." She gave her daughter a pointed look.

"I told you it's just a party with some work friends and I didn't ask for your help." Amanda sighed as she made her way upstairs to escape.

"What was that all about?" Joe queried with an arched eyebrow. "It's not like Amanda not to talk to you about things."

Dotty let out a snort. "You haven't been around lately. The last couple of years she's begun acting so strangely and you wouldn't believe the secrets she keeps since she began working for that IFF."

"Did you say IFF?" Now, some things were starting to make sense about the man he'd met in Malta. From his dealings with the EAO, he knew all too well about IFF and what it really was. He wondered if that meant the mysterious Lee who'd saved his life knew Amanda. He had said they had a mutual friend. True to his word, he hadn't said anything about his adventures, but now he wondered if the other man hadn't had an ulterior motive for the request. Or, a hopeful voice added, did Amanda ask him to come after you so you could come home to your family? He was elated by that thought. Surely that must mean she still cared for him. Whatever the reason this man had done it, he was grateful to him for helping him get home. It had been nice to reconnect with his family and especially with Amanda.

"Yes, Joe, IFF. It's some documentary film company. Now, I ask you, why on earth would a film company hire a mother of two with no prior experience in the industry?"

"Well, she did study photojournalism in college," Joe pointed out, quite sure by Dotty's statement that she had no idea what IFF really was, which was as it should be, he supposed since the organization is supposed to operate covertly. "I suppose it's not that much of a shift from there to documentary film." He hoped that would be enough of an explanation to keep his former mother-in-law from probing further.

"I suppose. But did I tell you about the men she's been dating? She seems like she'll have a perfectly nice time, but then they seem to just disappear."

"Disappear?" His eyes widened in concern, wondering exactly what the mother of his children was doing for the Agency. He'd heard of them using female operatives or contacts to get close to men who were otherwise unapproachable. Surely, the woman he knew and loved wouldn't allow herself to be used in such a way.

"Yes, like there was this one man...Daniel...No, not Daniel...It was David. That's it...David. She had just one date with him and then he was gone. Then there was Alan...she dated him for about two weeks, then...poof..." She snapped her fingers in a dramatic gesture. "...Then he was gone too. And just a few months ago, she was sent off to London to meet with an old classmate for her job and then I never heard another word about it. I swear I just don't know what's going on with her. Joe, you're a reasonable, sensible man, maybe you can talk some sense into her."

"Maybe." He smiled as he thought of the plans he'd made. If Amanda wasn't seriously dating anyone, maybe things would work out. He'd heard her talking to Dotty about this work party for the past week and the way she had made it sound as if it were no big thing, surely she'd be appreciative of his efforts to get her out of the drudgery of a work obligation. He couldn't wait to surprise her.

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The next day, however, Amanda received a different kind of surprise. She had just about completed the last of the wire transcripts she'd been working on when Jill, the receptionist told her she had a call on the IFF line. She let out a sigh as she answered, knowing it could only be her mother or Joe calling. Shaking off her annoyance at the interruption, she answered in her normal pleasant tone, "IFF, Amanda King speaki-" She didn't even get the greeting finished when her mother began rattling on about how they had to do something or their plans for the evening would be ruined.

"Mother, slow down," she interrupted. "Just tell me what's going on."

"The sitter called. Her daughter's been up all night with the stomach flu and she can't watch the boys tonight. Oh, Amanda, what are we going to do? I have the New Year's dance tonight at the VFW and you have your own plans and I don't know anyone who'd be willing to babysit on such short notice on New Year's Eve and you went to all that trouble to make new dresses for both of us and my date will just be crushed if I cancel at the last min-"

"Mother, just calm down," Amanda told her mother in a soothing voice. "We can figure something out." She bit down on her lower lip as she thought about their options and it occurred to her that even when her mother had accosted Joe with her dress last night, he still hadn't said anything about having New Year's plans of his own. "Listen...is Joe still there?"

"Um...Yes, he is...he and the boys are playing with that video game thing he got them for Christmas. Why do you ask?"

Amanda shook her head. "Mother, could you just ask him to come to the phone, please?"

"Okay-ay," Dotty answered skeptically.

A couple of minutes later when he picked up the phone, she greeted him cordially, "Hi, Sweetheart. Listen, I was wondering...you know, since you got back we've done nothing but talk about the boys and your work...you know...playing catch-up and I told you all about this party I'm going to tonight, but it never once occurred to me to ask you if you had plans for this evening."

Joe's heart soared at her words. "Well, as a matter of fact, I was working on some plans of my own...the trouble is that I don't really have anyone to share them with."

"Gee, that's too bad. Mother told me the babysitter just cancelled at the last minute since it's impossible to get another one on New Year's Eve, I was hoping you'd be free to look after the boys. You know, it might even be good for you to spend some time with them without me around for a change, but I guess I can just tell my friend that I can't go to this work party with him tonight. I'm sure he'll understand. I mean, he gets that I'm a mother first."

His heart sank as he listened to her rambling and the edge in her voice. "You sound disappointed."

"Well, I am. I really wanted to go to this party. It's not very often that I get invited to this type of thing."

"But I thought it was just an office party," he countered in confusion.

Some things never change, she thought dismally as it occurred to her that lack of coherent communication had been one of the downfalls of their marriage. He'd often accused her of being too stubborn, but it seemed that he never really quite took the time to really listen to what she had to say or properly comprehend it. "Joe, I never once said that it was an office party. I said it was for work and it is. I was invited to a party at the Soviet Embassy along with a co-worker of mine...and...and..." She hedged as she wondered just how much she should tell Joe. "And since we were invited together, we thought we should go together."

"Well, my plans weren't set in stone or anything," Joe replied as disappointment flooded through him. "And you're right, it will be good for me to spend some time with the boys, just us guys."

Lee walked into the bullpen to ask Amanda about the party only to find her wrapping up a phone conversation with her ex-husband. "Thank you so much, Joe! I really hate to change plans at the last minute...Okay. Good, I'm glad you're on board with this. I've been looking forward to it."

As she hung up the phone, Lee said, "So, I'm guessing I need to find another date for the Soviet Embassy party?"

Amanda shot him a bewildered look. "No. Why would you think that?"

She doesn't know he's been making plans for her, he surmised by the questioning look in her eyes. "I...uh...I...uh...just figured with your ex back in town-"

"Why should that change anything? I made a promise to go with you and I plan to stick to that...unless, that is, you WANT to find another date."

"Um...no...I mean, why would I when we...you know, already made plans."

"Then why would you want to change our plans?"

"Well, I heard you on the phone just now saying goodbye to Joe. If that wasn't about making plans with him, what was it about? What is it you're looking forward to?"

"The party...with you," she asserted. "As for making plans, the only plan I made with him was for him to look after the boys so I can still go and not have to change my plans since my babysitter cancelled on me."

"So..." He shuffled his feet as he took a step closer to her desk. "Then you still want to go with me?"

"Of course I do! That is...if you still want to go with me?"

"Well, you know, since Yuri did invite both of us and he thinks we're a couple... and you never know when we might have to work with him again."

"Right," Amanda agreed. "Best to maintain our cover."

"So, then it's settled, right?"

"Right."

"So, I'll see you tonight."

"Right. Tonight."

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"Wow, Mom! You look great!" Phillip gushed as Amanda entered the family room dressed for the embassy party. "That must be some party you're going to."

"Thank you, Sweetheart, but it's just a party for work." She then addressed both boys. "Listen, Fellas, I'm taking off, but I want you to behave for your dad, okay?" Once she heard their murmurings of assent, she kissed them both before turning to her ex-husband. "Now, Joe, they're allowed to stay up to watch the ball drop, but no later. They go back to school day after tomorrow and I don't want them staying up all night when they have to go to bed early tomorrow. Understand?"

"Yeah," Joe nodded. "Phillip's right, you know. You do look great. I hope your date appreciates it." He couldn't help thinking she looked positively regal in her handmade gown. He only wished he was the one to escort her tonight, but for all his hopes, it seemed that ship had sailed.

"Oh, Joe. I told you, it's not a date. Just two co-workers going to a party together and he's not even picking me up. I'm meeting him there, so it's really, really not a date."

"If you say so," he remarked skeptically.

"Either way, I don't have time to argue about it. I have to go or I'm going to be late. Boys, have fun...and behave." With one more kiss to each of them, she swept majestically out of the room.