Title:  Family Secrets (Revised)

Author:  Robin [email protected]

Summary:  A box of photos proves to be a Pandora's box for Amanda.

Rating:  I would think PG, but it may be PG13 because of themes, such as guilt and death.  Did I ever mention how much I hate giving something a rating?  I stink at it. :) I usually go for better safe than sorry.

Note:  This is a revised edition.  It has appeared earlier on this site.  Hopefully, this version is a little smoother--especially with grammar and spelling. :)

Thanks:  To everyone who gave me in-depth feedback when I first posted this story.  Hopefully, I did make it a better story with your help.  If not, the fault is all mine.

Disclaimer:  Why do I always want to forget this thing?  I don't own them.  I don't try to make money with them.  I simply play with them nicely and return them to the owners as good as new when I'm finished. :)

SMKSMK--signals flashbacks

***--signals transitions

***

She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was one of Freddy Kruger's victims.  She had been yanked into a nightmare world where fact and fantasy intertwine in an effort to drive her mad.  It was the only logical explanation.  She was having a nightmare.  It was not, could not, be real.  It would disappear as soon as she opened her eyes.

Wincing, she rubbed her arm.  The pinch had not worked.  She was still lost in a strange world.  She would just have to accept that was indeed wide-awake, sitting on her own couch, on her first day off in almost a month.  She was supposed to be spring-cleaning.  She looked like she was supposed to be spring-cleaning.  She was wearing a hideous t-shirt--stretched and thinned from multiple wearings and washings--and her hair was piled on top of her head in an unappealing ponytail.

Her mother even looked ready, for goodness sakes!  Well, Dotty's hair was still perfectly arranged from where she had prepared for their earlier luncheon date, but her clothes, including her apron, said cleaning day.

Doctor Smyth, on the other hand, looked as calm and collected as always.  There was not a wrinkle anywhere on his expensive suit.  There was not a speck of lint that could be seen by the human eye.  Amanda doubted that she could find one if she had a magnifying glass.  His hair, as always, was perfectly cut.  It had even returned to its usual style after he ran his hands through it after only seconds of being in disarray!  He probably spent more on a haircut than what she spent feeding her family for a week.

Of course, Doctor Smyth was not really in her living room.  He was a part of her odd nightmare, the one that would soon go away, pinch not withstanding.  Because, if Amanda accepted that he was here, then she would have to accept that it was him having the ever-increasing-in-volume argument with her mother.  And, if he were having a fight with her mother, than Amanda would have to accept that Dotty and Doctor Smyth were--

No.  Definitely not.  He was not in this house.  Freddy should be showing up at any minute to take care of the problem.

The loud ring of the front door bell filled the room, making Amanda jump.  The two verbal boxers did not even show a sign that they heard it.  They continued to fight instead going to their respective corners.

Smiling at the two people who were too engrossed to notice her, Amanda went to answer the door, wondering if maybe she was dreaming a polite version of the serial killer.  No, instead it was her husband, arriving extremely early for dinner.

Lee quickly lost his grin when he heard the yelling voices coming from inside the house.  He tried to look over her shoulder.  Pointing his finger, he began to ask, "Wh--"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the house.  She slammed the door behind him, as if the entire neighborhood could hear the warfare happening inside her home.  "You tried to warn me!"

His frown grew.  His eyebrows twisted in confusion.  "Warn you?"

Nodding, she looked in the general direction of the angry voices.  "Yes, you told me that looking at pictures that weren't mine was a dangerous pastime."

Amanda could see that he was having a hard time focusing on her, although he was trying.  "What are--Oh!"  He laughed softly.  "Amanda, I was joking."

The look she gave made him take a step back.  Shaking her head, she turned and walked into her family room.  Lee followed, knocking into her when he saw the two people standing in the middle of the room.  "Amanda," he whispered, even though he would have had to use a megaphone to talk loud enough for Dotty or Doctor Smyth to hear him.  "That's Doctor Smyth."

Sighing, Amanda nodded.  "I know."

"--wasn't like I planned it!"  Doctor Smyth was shouting, honestly shouting.  And turning red.  Amanda admitted, if only to herself, that she could find the scene amusing except for the fact he was fighting with her mother.  The man had always been so cold and emotionless at the Agency.  She had often doubted he had a heart--an honest-to-goodness-living Tin Man.  Now, he stood in her living room yelling as if he were the most passionate man in the world.

She could have even found her mother's reactions interesting--if she had not been arguing with Doctor Smyth.  Dotty had never been a woman to keep her opinions to herself, but she enjoyed the subtle hints and pouting of anger over screaming.  Except for today it seemed.  "Oh, you're entire life has been planned, Austin!  You don't take a breathe without it being on your calendar."

Amanda watched as her mother slowly regained control of herself.  Dotty's arms were crossed tightly across her chest as she took several deep breaths.  There was a hint of tears in her eyes.  From anger or pain, Amanda could not even guess.  "You made me a promise, Austin.  You stood in my living room that day, and promised me that you wouldn't--" Taking a deep, shaky breath, Dotty turned and walked away without even glancing in Amanda's direction.

Doctor Smyth also did not bother to look at her or Lee as he walked past them.  A loud snap of the kitchen door let Amanda know that he was gone.  It was only then that Lee dared to speak again.  "Uh, Amanda why was Doctor Smyth here?"

Laughing in an effort to keep from crying, she sank back down onto her couch.  Leaning her head down into her upturned hands, she whispered, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Lee smiled as he slowly sat down beside her.  "Oh, I don't know.  I think I would believe anything Amanda Stetson told me."

She reached over to draw him closer.  Smiling, she softly kissed his lips.  Lee's moan made her small smile expand into a large grin.  They had been married for over six months, but there were still days that Amanda allowed herself to be amazed that this wonderful man had chosen to marry her.  Sometimes, not very often, she wondered if he would ever grow bored with her, but he showed her in so many different ways through out a day how much he loved her.  All of her fears were old and silly, and she knew it.

"Well, it all started last month when I started--or tried to start my spring cleaning--" Amanda said as she leaned back into his arms.   Just being with him made every muscle in her body relax.

"When you were in the attic and found that old box of Dotty's with those old, ripped photographs inside," Lee said, obviously remembering what she had said earlier about him warning her. 

She nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip.  "You told me it could be dangerous, but I thought my mother had a clean closet.  No skeletons.  I would have never thought--"

"Your mother's got a secret?"  She smiled weakly at the note of disbelief in Lee's voice. 

"Why else do you think Dr. Smyth showed up to talk to her today?" she asked.  Lee's silence told her that she had made her point.  She began to tell her story again.