DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow & Mrs. King and all related characters, including Lee Stetson and Amanda King, named in this fan-fiction do not belong to me, but are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions.

AUTHOR: Leah

SUMMARY: Francine is getting on Amanda’s nerves big time. Can she ignore her or will they both explode?

THE TROUBLE WITH FRANCINE

Lee and Amanda sat in the corvette across the street from the Agency building. They were waiting for Francine, who was getting some information from Billy.

They hadn’t talked much while waiting. Amanda had a frown on her face and Lee didn’t want her to get mad at him for saying something. She didn’t get mad at him very often, but there was something about her disposition that made him a little wary.

“She doesn’t like me, does she?” Amanda asked referring to Francine.

Lee wasn’t given time to answer before she went on.

“Why? What did I ever do to her?” She was in a lousy mood and Francine’s wise remarks weren’t making it better.

“Don’t let her get on your nerves.” He knew it took a lot to get on Amanda’s nerves, and Francine tended to dish out a lot.

“I try, I honestly do.” She replied.

“I know.” Lee replied.

They saw Francine come out of the building and walk across the street, to Lee’s car. She stopped and leaned down. “Billy said we should stake out at the empty building next door.” She held up a piece of paper. “The owner gave us permission. We won’t get thrown out this time.” She said with a smile.

“All right.” Lee started the car, and Francine moved away and then headed toward her car.

“I’m not looking forward to this.”

“Why not?” Lee pulled into traffic, with Francine right behind him.

“I don’t relish the thought of spending a stakeout with Francine.”

Lee wondered if Amanda was sick or something. She never acted like this. “Amanda, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She said harshly.

Lee raised his eyebrow.

“I’m sorry.” She turned to look at him. “I’m just get sick of people asking me that.” She turned and looked out the window.

The look that had crossed her face confused him. He looked in his rearview mirror to make sure that Francine was behind him. ‘Was she really annoying Amanda that much?’ He glanced over at Amanda, she was still turned away. He stuck his hand out the open window and motioned for Francine to pass him and he slowed down.

She gave him a questioning glance as she passed him.

He just motioned her ahead.

“Amanda?”

She leaned forward. “Why did Francine pass us?” She asked, ignoring his questioning.

“I told her to.”

“Why?”

Lee pulled into a side street and parked on the side of the road. He put one arm over the seat and the other one on the steering wheel

“What are you doing?”

“Amanda, what’s going on?”

“Lee we’re supposed to be going to a stakeout.”

“I thought you didn’t want to go.”

“If we don’t get there, we’re going to miss him.”

She was almost hysterical. She attempted to open the door but Lee grabbed her shoulders and turned her to look at him.

“Amanda. What has gotten into you?”

She didn’t reply.

She breathed hard and her eyes began to water. “I can’t handle it anymore.” She held her tears, but Lee could tell she wanted to break down.

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?”

“Lee, I try to ignore Francine, but she has been laying it on lately and I don’t know why. I want to prove to her that I can do the job just as well as she can.”

“She knows you can do the job, that’s what bothers her.”

Amanda looked questioningly at him.

“You’re good at your job. So is she. It just took her years of studying to get to where she is. All you did was trusted a man, took pity on him and then did what he asked.”

She smiled.

“Don’t let her get the best of you.”

She smiled and nodded her head.

He kissed her gently. “Okay. We better get over there.”

~~~~~ SMK ~~~~~

They parked the corvette behind the building and covered it with a tarp. They then climbed the two flights of stairs to their stakeout location.

“What did Francine mean when she said that we wouldn’t be thrown out this time?”

“We were staking out at an abandoned building. Somehow the owner found out we were there. He wasn’t too happy about the possibility of his building being shot up. He ordered us to get out. By the time we convinced him to let us stay the suspect was long gone.”

Amanda grinned.

“It wasn’t so funny at the time.”

They reached the door and Lee opened it and let Amanda go in.

“What took you so long?”

Amanda was afraid that Lee would tell her, but she needn’t have worried.

“I was low on gas.” He remembered that there had been a gas station across from the side road.

Francine nodded. “We have a great view from right here.” ‘I hate seeing them together. Why did Billy have her come?’ She had asked him and he had told her that Amanda need some more experience with stakeouts.

Lee and Amanda looked out the window. From one window you could see the front door and from another one you could see the back door.”

“Perfect.”

~~~~~ SMK ~~~~~

It had been three hours and it was getting dark. They took turns watching the house, none of them seeing anything.

Francine was watching and Lee and Amanda were playing cards.

“Hey, that’s not fair.” Amanda whined.

“It is too. I won.”

“You cheated.”

“I did not. You’re just a sore looser.”

Amanda smirked. “Am not.” She threw her cards at him.

“Are too.” Lee laughed and gathered up the cards.

Francine watched as they played. ‘Why does he have to tease her? And that look he always flashes at her of, adoration is pathetic.’ She turned away and looked back out the window.

“Lee, there’s someone standing on the doorstep.” Francine called. “He came out the font door.

Lee picked up his binoculars and looked out the window. “It’s not Ray. Do you recognize him?” He asked, handing the binoculars to Francine.

“No, I wonder why he’s there. We didn’t see him go in.” She handed the binoculars back to Lee

Amanda walked over and Lee handed her the binoculars.

“I saw that guy at the grocery store this morning.”

“What did he buy?” Lee asked.

“Well, he bought some D batteries. I noticed him, because I thought it was weird that he bought so many.”

“Anything else?”

“Just a pack of cigarettes, a candy bar and a magazine.”

“What kind of magazine?”

“I think it was about cars.”

Francine rolled her eyes. ‘Useless information.’ She sighed and watched the guy as he smoked a cigarette.

Amanda turned and walked back to the table and began shuffling cards.

Lee heard Francine’s sigh and noticed Amanda’s __expression as she turned away. ‘I hope they work this out.’

“Make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.” Lee looked out the other window to make sure that the guy out in front wasn’t just a distraction. There was nothing.

“This is turning out to be a long night.” Amanda said. “Usually we get something within the first couple hours.”

“How many times have you been on a stake out? Two, maybe three times?. You can’t base your facts on that.”

“Francine cut it out.” Lee said.

“Why? I’m right. And why do you always stand up for her?”

“I’m not standing up for her. You’re irritating me.”

Amanda stayed quiet, but Lee could tell she was upset. He shook his head and frowned at Francine.

“She’s too sensitive.” She said looking at Amanda.

Amanda looked over at her. “I’m right here you know.”

“Cut it out. Right now. This may be boring, but we don’t need any fighting.”

They both turned away.

“Amanda, why don’t you watch the other window? I’m going to go downstairs to check some things out.” He walked to the door. “And no fighting.” He felt like a parent.

Amanda leaned against the wall beside the window and watched the back door.

“Make sure you watch carefully, Amanda. We don’t want to have to blame you if he gets away.”

Amanda couldn’t take it anymore. Moving away from the window she walked up to Francine. “Why are you so mean to me? What did I ever do to you?”

“What did you ever do? You want to know? Really?” She said angrily.

“Yeah.”

“You took my job and my man.”

“I didn’t take your ‘man’.”

“Yes you did. As soon as you came to the agency Lee began working with you.”

“Only because Billy ordered him to.” Amanda reminded.

“Well, Billy doesn’t order him now. Lee suggests it.”

“I didn’t take him, or your job.”

“I worked my butt off for years to get where I am right now. What did you do? Nothing. But they place you with my partner.”

Lee came up the stairs and could hear the fighting. “Oh man.”

“I never wanted to take your job.” Amanda stated.

“Well, you did.”

“I’ve always tried to be nice to you. I never understood why you hated me so much.”

“Well, now you know.”

Amanda didn’t get to reply because there was a ringing of gunshots.

“Lee.” Amanda whispered.

They both ran out the door and right into Lee, who was also heading down stairs.

“You two are in for some major paper work describing how you let them get away.” Lee called as he raced down the stairs.

They reached the first floor and Lee looked out the window. Two men where hiding behind cars, shooting at each other. One of them was the man who had been out front.

“Amanda stay here. Francine your over there.”

“What? I have to stay here?”

“Yes. You don’t have a gun. I need you to watch the front of the house. Okay?” He looked over at her. “Now.”

“All right.”

Lee and Francine headed out the back and Amanda watched the front of the house. ‘I need to get a gun, but first I need to learn how to use one.’

Amanda caught a movement out of the corner of her eye.

The front door of the house opened slowly. A man’s head could be seen, looking around. He stopped and looked at the front of the building. Amanda moved out of sight. After a minute she looked back and the man was stepping out of the house. ‘That’s Ray.’

She quickly cast a glance toward the back of the building, and then back at Ray. He was walking cautiously toward the building. She looked around and found a 2 x 4. Picking it up she walked over to the door and stood beside it. She wondered why he was coming over here.

The door opened slowly and Ray walked in. When the door was shut Amanda brought the 2 x 4 over his head. He fell to the floor, unconscious. She went over to the closet and looked for some rope.

After tying up his hands and feet she sat him in the closet and shut the door. The shooting had stopped outside. The back door opened and Lee walked in behind the two men, Francine following behind. She had a victorious grin on his face.

Amanda returned the look.

“Okay you two up against the wall. Amanda can you find any rope?”

Amanda picked up the remaining rope and handed it to Lee.

“Thanks.” He tied up the two culprits and then made them sit down. “Now we probably lost Ray.” He glanced over at Amanda. “Anything happen?”

She nodded her head. She walked over to the closet and opened the door, revealing a slumped over Ray.

Lee looked at her questioningly.

“I hit him over the head with a 2 x 4. He came out of the house and walked over here. I don’t know what he planned to do in here.”

“Good job.”

Ray was coming around and Lee pulled him and sat him down with the other two.

Francine’s once victorious grin was now a look of disgust.

“You both should be glad that Amanda got him, or Billy would have had our heads.” He shook his head. “Your fighting is immature.”

Neither of them said anything.

“Okay, let’s get these guys out of here.”

~~~~~ SMK ~~~~~

Amanda sat at her desk in their office and went over the report for the case.

Lee walked in and watched her for a minute.

“What?” She asked a little annoyed.

“Oh, so your mad at me now?”

“You had to make me stand watch. You had to.” She shook her head and continued with what she was doing.

“Amanda, you can’t shoot a gun, you would have only been in the way. And besides, if you hadn’t been there, Ray would have gotten away.”

She didn’t say anything.

“Sweetheart.”

She looked up at him. “So you didn’t do it just to make me look bad in front of Francine?”

“No! Why would I do that?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

He walked over to her desk. “Amanda it was both of you, not just her.” He paused. “She may have started it, but you let it get to you and then you joined in.”

“Can you teach me to shoot?”

He smiled. “Sure.”

She smiled back at him.

THE END

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