Disclaimer: Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions are the rightful owners of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, its characters, and its premise. The plot for this story and any original characters remain property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended; this work is written solely for the pleasure of the author and the readers, and no profit is being made.

Timeframe: May 1988. Marriage is still a secret to everyone.

"Amanda, how could you?" Lee fumed as he stormed through the door to the Q Bureau.

Amanda King looked up from the files on her desk. "Good morning to you too," she replied dryly.

Lee stopped directly across from her desk and folded his arms firmly across his chest, glaring at his partner. "You really need to learn to be more careful in the field, Amanda. You could have been killed."

"It was just a training exercise." Amanda rolled her eyes. "Beaman and seven other freshman candidates were all there as backup. We caught our guy, didn't we?"

"That's not the point!" he shouted. "Why can't you ever follow orders and stay back, out of the line of fire?"

Amanda stood angrily, taking a step towards Lee with every furious word she spoke. "What? 'Stay in the car, Amanda'? Do you really think that's going to solve anything? How am I supposed to be your backup when you never let me do my job? Would you prefer I just let you get killed?" They stood nearly nose-to-nose now, neither willing to back down.

"No, but I'm not about to let you get killed either!" Lee's voice was growing steadily louder and angrier, his index finger raised in accusation. "Don't you remember what happened in Las Palmas? Dammit, Amanda, I love you!"

A movement behind Lee had caught Amanda's attention, and her eyes widened. Sometime during his tirade, the door had been opened to reveal a very speculative Billy and an extremely shocked Francine.

Amanda looked up tenderly at her husband, clasping his outstretched hand in both of hers. "Later," she said softly before releasing him and rapidly slipping her professional demeanour back into place. She took a few steps around Lee to face the station chief. "Good morning, sir. Francine." She nodded coolly at the blonde agent, who still had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

Billy, on the other hand, was glancing between Amanda and Lee with a curious smile. "Hello, Lee, Amanda."

"What do you want, Billy?" Lee's mildly annoyed voice came from just beside Amanda.

She cleared her throat pointedly.

"Sorry," Lee continued, a little sheepishly. "What brings you to the Q Bureau?" he asked more politely.

Billy Melrose turned to shut the door and grinned at Francine's frozen face. "Francine? The file?"

The impeccably dressed woman visibly shook herself. "Right. The file." She took a moment to collect herself, giving strange glances to the other occupants of the room, before striding confidently to Lee's desk and placing the folder on it, flipping it open.

"We've received intel that the family of the Ambassador from Dalin is in danger," she began briskly. "Ibin Talhi and his wife, Chay, have been receiving threats for years from a rival noble family back home. The Ambassador's wife is heavily involved in philanthropic endeavours, and the hurricane in Africa last month caused a lot of damage to their country. They're holding an open house at the Embassy this week – she's hoping to gain some exposure for her cause, and raise some funds from rich and influential Americans."

"The Ambassador has requested an Agency team to go over the security plans for the week," Billy continued. "They're holding different events every day – a penny carnival for children out in the courtyard, a dinner party at a thousand dollars a plate, tours of the Embassy, performances of music and dancing from their country…it will be a logistical nightmare." Billy sighed wearily. "There are no specific threats against the event – but Talhi is nervous. With all the outside visitors, it will be impossible to screen them all – a perfect opportunity for someone to slip in unnoticed."

Lee frowned. "Why assign this to the Q Bureau, Billy? We're going to need a whole security team, not just me and Amanda."

Billy nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that." He gave a small smile. "You and Amanda will be coordinating all security for the week. You'll have Johnson's team to assist you – Johnson's on leave at the moment, so your leadership won't be questioned – and I'd like the freshmen to help out. You'll have plenty of manpower, and it's good experience for them."

"Excuse me, sir," Amanda interjected, brow furrowed. "Will I be working on this as Lee's partner, or with the rest of the freshmen?" Her exact position within the Agency had been unclear at best since she'd become partnered with Scarecrow, and even more so since she'd begun training to be a full field agent. She had too much experience to spend all her time with the rest of the freshman candidates – plus, she was needed in the field. Even Billy didn't want to waste her skills in a classroom five days a week, and Lee would have thrown a fit had the station chief suggested it. But she wasn't yet a full agent, either, and several people in the Agency – freshman and agent alike – were very vocal in protesting what they perceived as 'special treatment' for Scarecrow's protégée.

Billy sighed. He'd known this transition would be a difficult period in Amanda's career, but he had a feeling he'd no idea quite how much she struggled to prove herself. Billy had seen her remain professional under fire time and time again, even to the most hurtful of critics. He glanced at his blonde aide wryly. But he knew his own position as station chief discouraged such conduct in his presence – so anything that he had seen happen, he was sure was much worse in his absence.

"You'll be helping Scarecrow coordinate and plan the security detail," he replied firmly. "You have plenty of field experience in this area, and anyone who has an issue with your authority on this project can speak to me about it."

Amanda smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

"Thanks, Billy." Lee nodded, thankful their supervisor saw Amanda's skills as clearly as he did.

Maybe even more clearly, he mused as he thought back to their recent argument.

"Alright," Billy said with an air of dismissal. "I'll leave you to it. The open house starts Monday, so you've only got a few days to get everything tied down. You'll want to give the freshmen's assignments to Beaman before the weekend, so I'd like you to clear the plans with me after Friday's morning report."

Lee nodded. "Will do."

"Yes, sir," Amanda chimed.

When the door had shut behind the station chief and his administrator, both partners breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe…they didn't hear us," Lee said hopefully, referring to their earlier argument.

Amanda raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Right."

"Well, it's possible," he defended.

But Amanda only grinned, barely holding back her mirth. "Did you see the look on Francine's face?"

"Priceless." Lee's mischievous smile matched her own. "But you know she's not going to let that go – she's going to be on our case more than ever."

Amanda shrugged. "I can handle Francine."

"That's not the tune you were whistling last week."

She chuckled. "True. But I've been handling Francine and her barbs for four years now. It's old hat." A slight frown marred her features. "It's Beaman I'm worried about."

"Yeah, I know. Ever since you started candidacy training, he's been on your case. Mine, too, come to think of it." Lee sighed. "You'd think your performance yesterday would have changed his mind…but no. He stormed up to me the second I walked in, berating me for letting you get away with that kind of behaviour in the field. 'She'll never learn if you keep babying her,' he told me."

"Babying me?" Amanda asked indignantly.

"I'm starting to wonder if that man has ever even been in the field. Has he ever worked with a partner, day in and day out, two people with each other's lives constantly in their hands? There's no substitute for that," Lee ranted. "The man wouldn't know a partnership if it danced naked in front of him."

Amanda gave her husband a soft smile, laying a hand on his tense shoulder. "I love you."

Lee started at the non sequitur.

"I really appreciate the faith you have in my abilities, Lee. It means a lot to me. More than I can say." She sighed. "But I'm going to have to deal with this little problem myself. If you and Mr. Melrose keep stepping in and defending me, I'm always going to be seen as some favourite pet. I'll never be respected as an agent in my own right."

Lee frowned, contemplating the wisdom of her words. "You have a point there."

"Even you," she said suddenly. "Even you still see me as the naïve civilian housewife. I appreciate your desire to keep me safe, but…even the great and mighty Scarecrow needs backup every now and again."

Lee scrubbed his face with his hand. "Look, Amanda, I'm sorry about earlier. It just…scares me when you have such a close call…" He sighed, taking her hands in his and looking intently into her eyes. "I can't lose you."

She smiled, and kissed him softly. "But here's the thing, Stetson – I can't lose you, either. How many times would you have died if I'd just stayed in the car?"

"But, Amanda – "

"No," she interrupted. "And another thing – how many times have I gotten into trouble that had nothing to do with the Agency, or you? How many times has my connection with the Agency saved me from those situations?" She shook her head. "When I was shot in Las Palmas, I was in the car. When Addi Birol kidnapped me, I was in the car. Even without this job, I still would've been targeted by that human trafficking ring…I would've been sold, and my family never would have seen me again."

Amanda was slowly growing hysterical. "When Joe came back – my children! We might not have gotten to them in time. And…Dr. Zernoff's defection…Mother had just read some crazy romance novel about a handsome Russian defector and some beautiful civilian. She would have gone over there just the same, whether I knew about him or not. And…Lee…" Amanda was nearly in tears now. "Without my experience in the Agency, I might not have had the guts to follow her…and I certainly wouldn't have had the resources to call in backup." A dry sob shook her shoulders. "Mother would have died."

Gently, Lee wrapped his arms around his wife. "Hey…ssshhh. It's alright. I'm right here – I will always come and find you," he murmured tenderly in her ear. "You're right – you're always right. You and me – we're a team. Always will be. And now…now there are two of us around to keep our family safe."

As her tears subsided, Amanda reveled in the warmth of Lee's embrace. She didn't think she would ever tire of the safety and love she felt in his arms. "Thank you," she whispered into his chest.

He only held her tighter.

"So…tell me again why it is Amanda has your car?"

Lee sighed. "Francine…the answer hasn't changed in the last half hour. Hers is in the shop, and she wanted to get to the Embassy early to speak to the Ambassador's wife. After all, she has done a lot of charity events – maybe she has some ideas. Besides, I had to give Beaman the duty roster for the freshman candidates. I did not want her around for that."

Behind the wheel of her own car, Francine frowned. She glanced over at her passenger. "Why not? Is he giving her the same kind of trouble he gives me at every office Christmas party since the dawn of time?" She laughed. "I bet you hate that someone else is giving her attention."

"Eyes on the road, Francine." Lee rolled his eyes. "I wish it was only that. You remember when Amanda first came on?"

"How could I forget?" the blonde asked sarcastically. "It was the first time I'd been drugged for information, though certainly not the last."

"Well…you remember how you felt about Amanda? How…we all felt about Amanda?"

Francine looked over at her old friend. "Lee…that was years ago. There's no sense feeling guilty about it. Besides, she's come a long way. I guess Billy was right – she's making a pretty good agent after all."

Lee raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Of course, if you repeat this to anyone, I'll deny it."

He chuckled. Typical Francine.

Suddenly, she frowned. "Beaman…is he giving her that much trouble? I mean, I know this business can be rough for a woman to find a place…"

"I wish it were just that she's a woman," Lee fumed. "But Beaman doesn't have a problem with women. Just with Amanda." His jaw clenched. "She's got more field experience than he does, for God's sake! And still, he keeps on about Billy's and my favouritism towards her, telling her she has no right to have anything to do with the Agency…And every time she and I are on a project, he undermines her authority. I mean, she's my partner! Doesn't she deserve to be treated as such?"

Francine frowned in thought as she pulled into the Embassy parking lot. "Maybe…it's time you two worked apart."

"What!" Lee nearly leapt out of his seat.

"Calm down, Scarecrow." She rolled her eyes. "Just for a little while, for a few assignments here and there. So she can prove herself. Prove you're not just carrying her."

"Carrying her? I'm not carrying her! Amanda is the best partner I've ever worked with. We're a team. No carrying involved."

Francine sighed. "Believe it or not, Lee, I know. I've worked with her a time or two…and yeah, she's a little under-trained, and a little unpredictable…but she's good." She raised a warning finger. "But if you repeat this…"

"Yeah, yeah," Lee chuckled softly. "You need to keep up your fearsome reputation, Desmond."

Francine turned off the ignition, but didn't remove her keys. She turned to face Lee, a shrewd expression on her face. "Speaking of fearsome reputations, Scarecrow…"

Lee's face became carefully blank. "What about them, Desmond?"

"What exactly did Billy and I walk into yesterday?"

He groaned. "Just a little argument, Francine. Nothing to worry about."

"Really." She raised an eyebrow coolly.

"Yes, really." He didn't know how much she'd heard – his back had been to the door – but he wasn't about to volunteer any incriminating information.

"So that last little bit…just a typical argument with your partner, at work." Her tone was deceptively even.

"Franciiiine…"

"Yes?"

"Drop it. Now."

"No."

"What?"

"No, Lee, I'm not going to drop it. What has gotten into you? I've never seen you like this before. You're – you're – I don't know. You're different. I'm worried about you."

A soft smile made its way across Lee's features. "Don't be. Yeah, I'm different. I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm a better agent, a better friend…a better man."

Francine gave him an appraising look. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were going soft."

Lee laughed. "Soft? Me? Never."

"Did you mean it?" she asked, uncharacteristically serious.

"Mean what?"

She sighed. Was he really going to make her say it? "Do you love her?"

He couldn't stop the smile. "Yeah. I do." He paused a moment longer, as if he had something more he wanted to say, but then he reached for the door handle and exited the car. "Thanks for the ride, Francine. I'll see you inside." He winked at her and left.

The blonde sat in the car for several minutes, shaking her head. Scarecrow, in love? Yeah, she'd known about Dorothy – she'd been a friend to Lee, and a crush. They'd been close, sure, but they hadn't known each other long before the…incident.

And then there was Eva. Francine had seen what Lee was like when the woman had miraculously reappeared – and he'd certainly seemed obsessed enough.

But she'd never seen him so…happy. Lee was right, she mused. Amanda made him better than he'd been without her. He made smarter choices in the field – he wasn't overly cautious, but he was much smarter about the risks he took. He actually smiled on a regular basis now…and Francine had never seen him act so courteously before. He was kind even to the lowliest messengers and clerks in the Agency – and she hadn't seen him flirt with the steno pool in years.

Had he really changed so much? Or was he the same man she'd always known? She remembered the teasing wink he'd shot her as he left the car. Same old Scarecrow, she thought, pulling her keys from the ignition and leaving the car.

But across the lawn, Francine saw Lee approach Amanda and the tall African woman she was with. She saw Lee's face light up when he greeted Amanda, and his sudden professional look when she introduced him to the woman Francine assumed to be the Ambassador's wife. Suddenly, she remembered the ease and speed with which Amanda had pulled on her mask that morning when she and Lee were interrupted. What secrets had they been keeping, and for how long?

Francine suddenly had a new appreciation for the housewife from Arlington. Amanda was obviously skilled in keeping secrets from her family, who were far from trained operatives. But somehow, she had easily fooled the entire Agency into thinking her partnership with Lee was purely platonic. Sure, the gossip mill ran rampant about the pair every few months, but there was nothing more than speculation. Even Francine, who had been close friends with Lee for nearly ten years now, had been fooled.

The blonde shook her head. Some agent I am, she scolded herself. She'd have to keep her eyes open a little better where those two were concerned.

How does Billy react to this new revelation? What does Francine think? Better yet, what is she going to do about it?

I'd love to know what you think - please review! If wine is the nectar of the gods...then reviews are the nectar of my muse!