The tiny observations screen suddenly seemed to fill the room, or at least the part of it that Lee was in. His mind whirled and he just couldn’t reconcile the woman on the grainy black and white monitor with the woman he loved and shared his life with.

This woman, in the center of the empty cell-like room, was cold and hard. Her eyes didn’t hold the warmth that his Amanda’s always did. Right in the man’s face, she leaned over the suspect seated in one of the two chairs. Suddenly he leaned forward and grabbed the slim woman by her arms. He leaned close and his face grew red with rage when Amanda didn’t so much as flinch.

Lee was up and heading for the door, to go to her assistance quickly. Billy chuckled and pulled him back down into his seat.

“Lee, wait and listen. There are armed guards outside the door if she can’t handle it, just like with every interrogation.” Over the speaker system could be heard the exchange of words between agent and prisoner.

“Mr. Simms, I strongly suggest that you let me go. I’m going to get the information out of you, one way or another. One way won’t be so bad, but another way, my way, would be very bad.” She stated this calmly, clearly. To Billy, it was simply a statement of her intentions. He knew she didn’t bluff about what she could do. The suspect obviously hadn’t been clued in.

“Why should I tell you anything? Huh? You got nothing on me…” The sleezy looking man sneered at her.

Amanda simply rolled her eyes in the direction of the camera, hooked her foot under the rung of the man’s chair, jerked her arms upward and pulled the chair up and over with her booted foot. The man released her in surprise and fell over backward with a startled cry. Stepping forward, she dropped her weight to the ground. One knee pressed into his throat, her hands quickly restrained his with the cuffs she pulled from her back jeans pocket. She stood, using her body weight as a counter balance to pull him up with her.

“Now, Mr. Simms, would you like to talk to me now, or do you want to see the rest of my tricks?” She shoved him into the second chair and tapped her foot, impatiently.

The man swallowed hard, still feeling the pressure of her knee against his trachea. Nodding, he replied, “What do you want to know?”

She nodded in return and reached behind her to turn on the recording equipment.

In his office, Billy watched Lee’s reaction and chuckled again. After reaching out to turn off the observation screen, he slapped Lee hard on the shoulder. “Not quite the Amanda you remember, is she?”

“Uh, no, no I guess she isn’t… Billy, who taught her…I mean, what happened while I was gone? Francine is acting funny even for her. You aren’t the least bit surprised by this Amanda and I don’t even recognize her. That is not the same woman I remember…” Lee was bewildered and beginning to tire from his trip to the office, not to mention the shock of seeing the exhibition he had just witnessed. His hands shook and he feared that he couldn’t stand if he tried. He wasn’t sure he could handle the answers if he got them, but he needed to know. Amanda had been avoiding his questions for two days. She refused to talk about the time he had been away or the things she was doing at work.

Recalling the way she handled that prisoner, he was beginning to see what Phillip and Jamie mean, by ‘almost back to normal’. He took a deep breath and looked up at his section chief. “Billy, I need some answers, please…”

“Scarecrow, haven’t you asked Amanda about any of this?” Melrose propped against his desk and carefully watched over his friend.

“I have, but she keeps brushing me off. I want to, need to know what’s going on around here. What happened while I was gone? The boys talk about the difference in her now and while I was away. But she’s even different from before all of this started. I don’t know my wife any more, Billy.”

Billy studied the younger man, his eyes starting to twinkle as Lee called Amanda his wife. “Ah yes, your wife…you know, you could have told me…”

“Ah, yeah, we wanted to, but we just thought…” Lee blushed slightly, embarrassed at being called out like a lovesick schoolboy.

“I know, Lee. Amanda explained it all to me one day. And I think she really needs to be the one to explain all of this. But for now, man, you look exhausted and I think you should go home. I’m going to call your wife and tell her just that…”

“Uh, you know, Billy, why don’t you just take me, yourself? I mean Amanda is busy and I don’t want to…” Lee protested quickly.

Chuckling yet again, Billy shook his head, “She doesn’t know you’re here, does she? You are supposed to be at home in bed, come to think of it!”

“Ah, Billy, I was going nuts sitting there. I love being with the family and Dotty is spoiling me rotten, but I’m bored stiff. How about some paper work to take home or something, huh?” Lee knew, for sure now, that he was more bored than he had ever been. He, Scarecrow, was asking for paperwork!

Before Billy could refuse, the office door opened and Lee stiffened under the gaze of his wife. “Uh, hi, Amanda, I, uh, just…”

“Uh huh, you just broke and ran, that’s what you’ve done. Mother came back too early and was nearly hysterical when I called home to check with you.” Amanda shook her head at her wayward husband.

“I was bored?”

Amanda shook her head.

“Worried?”

Another negative shake.

“Lonely?” The smile and the hazel eyes he knew she loved so well accompanied this; and he saw her melt just as he hoped.

“Lee, what am I going to do with you?” She sighed, obviously exasperated, but relaxed her rigid stance and smiled back.

Before he could come back with an appropriate response, Billy intervened and made a suggestion. “Take him home. He’s exhausted. Better get him out of here before Smyth finds him and drags him into debriefing. He’s jumping up and down for a report…”

“Well, he isn’t getting one until the doctor OK’s it.” Amanda’s voice was decisive.

From behind her, Francine’s voice chimed in, “Then you better get him out fast. Smyth is headed this way.”

“Thanks, Francine. Think you can stall him till we get to the elevator?” Amanda was asking even as she was reaching for Lee, to assist him to his feet.

“Sure thing, partner.” Francine headed down the hall and around the corner.

Amanda pulled Lee toward the elevator, calling over her shoulder. “I’ll see you in the morning, sir.”

Inside the elevator a stunned and decidedly winded Lee asked, “Partner?”

Lee’s hand was grabbed by his wife and he was hustled out of the elevator, past the staring Mrs. Marston and into the street. They headed for her parked truck. Lee finally came to his senses and jerked to a halt.

“Amanda! Wait… I asked you a question.” Lee’s voice was loud and drew the stares of several nearby pedestrians.

“I know and I’ll answer you when we get you home and into the bed.” She continued to walk toward the parked vehicle, expecting him to be walking behind her. From behind her, Lee stood still watching her walk away from him. Her stride was graceful as always, yet she carried herself somehow differently. More, more something… he just couldn’t put his finger on it. When she had reached her door, she looked back to check on him, only to find that he wasn’t there. He remained standing on the sidewalk, staring at her familiar yet strange form.

Lee, watching her look back for him, saw her sigh and hang her head for a few moments. Suddenly sheepish, Lee realized how childishly he was behaving, creating a scene in a public place. He walked slowly forward and opened the passenger door. Sliding inside, he waited for his wife to join him.

“I’m sorry, Amanda. But I need answers. I need to know what happened to you while I was gone. I need to know if you are okay now and if you were okay then.” He pleaded for her to open up to him.

As he looked across the seat at her, he saw her unconsciously rubbing her arms where the prisoner had gripped her. She allowed him to lock his gaze with hers and for long moments they each just watched the other.

Swallowing, she nodded, “Okay, you’re right. You have the right to know. I wanted to tell you, but I just wasn’t sure how.”

He sighed a huge breath of relief, maybe now they could get somewhere.

“Just start at the beginning, but first, show me your arms. He hurt you. Let me make sure you’re all right.” Hesitantly he reached to push up the arms of her sweater. Once he wouldn’t have hesitated to try and take care of her. She hadn’t needed a caretaker then, but she had allowed it. He knew she certainly didn’t need a caregiver now, either. She was a strong, capable agent. He had seen the proof for himself. But he still needed to take care of her. He hoped she could understand that. He looked into her eyes, willing her to try to understand.

She nodded slowly. Lee felt the tension in her frame as he ran his hands over the large, already forming, handprint shaped bruises on her forearms. Her eyes were closed and for one second, he thought she was afraid of him. He lowered his hands to her skin and ran his thumbs over the tender flesh. She sighed long and low and relaxed. Her eyes flew open and he heard her whisper, “Lee, I missed you so much.” Tears gathered in her eyes and he pulled her close to his chest. She sobbed against him and he knew, no matter what else happened, they were on their way back. Back to each other and back to their lives.