DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Productions. The author as for pure entertainment purposes – copyrights this story.

AUTHOR: angelsslave

DATE: June 2002.

RATING: PG-13

SYNOPSIS: this was the first attempt at S&MK fan fiction – and after being beta-read by `Fling' who in her wisdom helped me greatly on where I was going wrong `thanx for all your help and support' - I decided to re-write the original storyline from a different point of view.   `Why did Amanda start wearing a diamond and platinum heart-shaped necklace?' what if Lee had given it to her? And why did he?

AUTHOR'S NOTES: After reading fan fiction that centred on the heart necklace that had been worn from season three by Amanda. I've taken it from a slightly romantic angle – as by the end of Season Two I think Lee had started to see her as more than just a partner to him, but also a really good friend and the first stirrings of something more. My theme of stories so far has centred on a song I have been listening to – this one is no exception. The song albeit a bit soppy - but hey we are talking about two character's that took THREE years to admit their feelings for each other! Is by Tina Arena – `Greatest Gift'

TIMELINE: after Season Two and just before Season Three's `A Lovely Little Affair'

SUMMARY: Amanda runs in to a spot of bother with an armed robber at the convenience store – loosing something from her past, only to be given something for her future…by Lee.

FEEDBACK: oh yes please – good or bad I can take it!

THE HEART OF AMANDA…

`I awake to my beating heart,
You save my soul from falling apart.
Say goodbye, I'm leaving this race…
How I long for your embrace.'

She touches the pendant hanging around her neck smiling a whimsical smile. The greatest gift anyone had ever giving her had to be from him – there could be not explanation as to why at 6am in the morning, a sliver `vette' would be exiting her neighborhood. Once again he had taken her by surprise with a simple thought `a very expensive thought!' she would treasure forever. It's beauty and clarity almost taking her breath away as she looks down at it - placing it next to her own erratic heartbeat that was now doing summersaults inside her chest. He had signed it anonymous, but she knew his handwriting anywhere no matter how well he had tried to disguise it – Lee Stetson had given her more than just a diamond heart on a platinum chain… unknown to him - he had given Amanda King the key to the door of his own heart…

…smk…

Yesterday…

`How long did it take me to find?
So close – I won't be left behind.
I believe and to you I confess,
I gave up on me but you showed me happiness…'


"M-oth-er! I'm going to be late for work, is there anything you need before I go?"  Amanda stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited…"Mother did you hear me?"

Noises could be heard above her…until, finally Dotty West emerged on the balcony - looking as if she had had a run in with the lawnmower and lost.

"I hear you dear… oh I do hope this clears up before my week at Hampton – I would hate to leave the `Ladies Auxiliary' with one `Bridge Queen' short…*sniff*"

Amanda smiled at her as she descended the stairs, not much put her mother off going out on a trip that had been planned two months previous - not even the flu.  "Oh c'mon you'll be up in no time…now Jamie is sitting watching some action film I think, and Phillip is still in bed. I checked on him once and he's asleep – now do you think you'll be all right? I can always give Mr. Melrose a call and tell him I won't be in?"

Dotty shooed her daughter with her hand holding on `just' to the box of tissues under her arm, croaking as she spoke.  "Darling I will be fine…but if you insist on getting anything I think we are out of painkillers, I couldn't find any last night in the medicine cabinet."

Amanda made a mental note to call into a drugs store on the way to work…as she picked up her jacket and handbag pulling out a sleeve of painkillers she had – incase of emergencies. Dotty awarded her with a kiss on her cheek; her daughter was a lifesaver.

"Anything else before I go?"

"Mom we're out of ice cream again!" Jamie's voice filtered in from the den, causing them both to smile,

"That boy I swear…has ears like a bat!"

Amanda smiled at her mother's comment - leaning down and giving her a hug, "I'll see you all later…" then into Jamie "Be good for your grandmother!" leaving behind her `sick' family to head off in the direction of the grocery store to pick up the ice cream and painkillers, before heading into work.

…smk…

Lee Stetson had just come off a case and was bone tired, the police had just pulled the body of his informant `Izzy Falcone' from the Potomac and he was in no mood for small talk – looking like he had slept in his suite, he exited the closet elevator into the agency and right smack into Francine Desmond.

"My, my what have we here…the `great Scarecrow' how far you have fallen – what is this? Late night with what's her name again…Martha, Melissa – Megan that's it! Or was it someone else's bed?"

Lee glared into the icy blue stare of his fellow agent refraining from biting her head off… "Can it Francine I am in no mood, they just found Izzy – with cement boots!"

"OOH!"

She fell into step with him as they entered the Bullpen – the noise and bustle invading Lee's already over sensitized hearing causing him to blink several times before making his way over to the coffee station, filling a much needed mug and draining most of it in one gulp. He had been awake almost fourteen hours non-stop his eyes felt gritty, his hair had been constantly finger combed until it stood most on it's `own violation' in spikes, and a days growth scratched his cheeks and chin - making him look more of a vagabond than an intelligence agent, so you could imagine the last thing he needed was the door to William Melrose's office to open and, "Scarecrow, Francine in here NOW!" to be barked out of it. Lee cast his eyes heavenwards - as he and Francine squared back their shoulders and went inside closing the door behind them.

…smk…

Amanda had decided to call into a store close to IFF/The Agency, as it was quicker and meant she didn't have to beat the rush hour traffic on the way home. Picking up a basket she filled it with Phillip and Jamie's favorite ice cream – double choc'o'mallow, lifted a selection of sport's and action magazines – spying a good thick romance novel that would thrill her mother, satisfied she had everything apart from the painkillers, stood at the check out waiting her turn to be served. A noise brought her out of her thoughts as an elderly woman screeched from behind her in some considerable distress,

"HELP someone please, he has my bag…. somebody stop him? He's getting away"

Scanning the group in the shop, she noticed him straight away.  Dressed in a black jacket and jeans a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes – he had in his hand the woman's bag as he pushed his way through the aisles, knocking over shelves of food and people in his wake to make it to the front door before security would catch him. Amanda had little time to react, as she spied what appeared to be a knife in is free hand. Using all her force she pushed into a pyramid of Pineapple chunks that were on offer – sending them into the `would be thief' putting her in line between the door and his freedom.  Unfortunate for him, he did not loose his footing – instead grabbed for Amanda pulling her in front of him - the knife close to her throat.

"HEY back off – or the lady buys it!!!"

Seconds ticked slowly away, but to Amanda it felt like hours – before one of the burly security guards had managed to sneak up behind him grab the hand with the knife allowing her to escape as he was sent sprawling head first into the floor. The crowd of on-lookers who had watched the whole scene unfold, began applauding the quick action of Amanda and the store guards. With her face tinged pink with embarrassment replied that it wasn't necessary, lowering her eyes to the floor – only then noticing her diamond pendant lying at her feet…broken.

…smk…

She stooped down and picked it up – feeling a tinge of sadness. Joe King had given it to her on their wedding day and she had vowed back then never to take it off. Even when their marriage had ended, she couldn't bring herself round to putting it with the simple solitaire and wedding band – deep in her jewelry box. And now the pendant lay in her hand, broken just like the marriage it had come from. Sighing unhappily at the thoughts in her mind - she slipped it into the pocket of her purse vowing to call into a jeweler to get it fixed, paid for her purchases and left.

Lee's morning hadn't gotten any better for him either – after having endured a roasting from his section chief and several dirty looks from Francine, as he had picked bones through her follow up file on the `Robertson' case. The same case that had resulted in  `Falcone's' death - note to himself – avoid Francine at all costs  he - finally sat down wearily at his desk placing his head gently on his folded arms….just for a second,

"Hello everybody, hello Francine…Lee – what are you doing?"

He lifted his head with a groan - to look directly into a pair of curious molten brown eyes, standing right in front of him hands on her hips.

"Huh? Oh…Amanda…um hi."

She had this uncanny way of making him distracted when he didn't want to be. In the beginning her quirkiness first thing in the morning had drove him mad – but over the last few months he had actually looked forward to her coming in all `bright and cheerful' as if she had just landed on a sunshine cloud from a rainbow. Sitting up straighter in his chair he fixed her with one of his dazzling smiles, "I…um had a late night…work I had a late night at work!"

If his fumbling of words sounded half as bad in his ears as they did her's - she wasn't letting it show. Instead she set down her handbag on his desk, gave him a once over and made a sound, "Aha," Went over to the coffee station with his empty cup and re-filled it, returning with a half smile playing on her lips as she sat it down.

"Then I guess you'll need another one of these – won't ya big fella?"  It was her way of saying that she believed in his `state' as being just that. Any other woman would have jumped at the chance to niggle him about after hours socializing – but not Amanda; she believed in him one hundred and one per-cent and it was very humbling. Lifting his cup to his lips he drank thirstily from it while taking stock `as he found himself more often doing' of her appearance. She was dressed in a cream colored blouse that looked soft to the touch, tucked into the tiny expanse of a waistline. The skirt was of the same material falling in gentle folds in its length to below the knee – the neckline was of a square cut shaped that emphasized her tan creamy skin and collarbone with a huge welt mark along one side – whoa, back up a bit! A huge red welt…

"Amanda! What happened to your neck?"

She reached to touch it gingerly as Lee rose from his seat, coming around his desk for a closer inspection.  "OH that, well…. you see a funny thing happened on the way into work…"

"Uh huh?"

She swallowed nervously as with two fingers Lee had lifted her chin moving her head from side to side – to look at the mark that had caught his attention, making it difficult for her to speak.

"Um…well you know that mother and the boys are all down with the flu –so I offered to get them a few things…to make them feel better…. and, ah this little old woman had her purse snatched."

"Ummm"

Licking her lips nervously as she tried to remember everything that had happened, but with Lee's tender administrations it was difficult to kick her brain into focus. All she could see in front of her was his handsome face, his brow furrowed with worry and his hazel eyes almost black as he studied the mark with more attention that was really necessary.

"Well I couldn't…just stand there and do nothing, so I knocked over a stack of pineapple chunks - good value this week by the way and distracted him from reaching the door."

"Amanda?"

"Yes Lee?"

"If you distracted him, then why is there a hand mark on your neck…umm?"

She coughed and broke the moment as she felt a dozen or so pairs of eyes, fully engrossed in what had been going on between them - including Francine who had stopped her typing. Lee had sensed it too and coughed rubbing his hand through his hair absently, "So, what happened to him then…this would be purse thief?"

Amanda crossed her arms as she looked down at her feet, "H-he grabbed me around the neck…but I was okay one of the store guards had anticipated it and came up behind him and got the knife out of his hand…"

"THE knife! Amanda King are you crazy? You could've got hurt."

He practically barked at her, the vein she had so seldom seen pulse in his neck when he got upset or annoyed was doing a merry jig. Amanda didn't get riled that often, but the mere thought that Lee Stetson after all they had been through in two years still look upon her as a helpless sap – even after all she had seen and done.

"I didn't get hurt Lee – and I resent you thinking I can't look after myself…"

"I never said that…"

Her eyes flashed warningly at Lee as she fought the urge to argue with him, sometimes he could be so pig-headed.  "He surprised me with the knife that's all, I couldn't let him mug a dear old lady of her savings…I didn't think of the danger…I'm sorry!"

She lowered her head barely croaking out the last few words. It suddenly hit her - just HOW dangerous it had been, her neck didn't hurt that much but it had been a close call.

"Hey, Amanda I'm…"

"And he even broke my necklace…."

…smk…