Amanda jumped as the thunder roared above her. Lee was at the agency, interrogating a suspect. The boy’s were at Joe’s and her mother was living 30 minutes away with her new husband Captain Kurt. So, that left her home by herself. High wind’s and down pour rain warnings were out everywhere and Lee still hadn’t called her. She looked over at the clock on the nightstand; 12:30 am. Climbing out of bed, Amanda reached for her robe, she headed out of the bedroom towards the stairs. Making her way to the den, she sat down on the couch and shivered. She hadn’t turned on any lights or started a fire, so it was totally black and cold in the house. She covered her head as lightning hit a tree outside of her window, ‘oh Lee, please hurry home.’

“Billy, I have to leave. Amanda gets a little scared during storms when nobody’s home. Her hormones are acting up.” Lee paced back and forth.

“Go on, we’re done for now, anyway,” Billy smiled

“Thanks.” Lee ran out of the Agency and headed for his car. Yanking open the door, he stepped into the car, grabbing the phone out of the cradle and dialing home.

“Hello?” Amanda cried into the phone with hopes of it being Lee.

“Hey, honey, are you ok?” Lee could tell she was crying.

“Yea, I think so, just come home when it‘s safe, the rain is really bad out, Lee.”

“No, Honey, I’m leaving now. Expect me in about 30 minutes, or so, okay?” Lee, was already in his car and was driving down the street.

“No! Stay there! It’s too dangerous, they said the roads are flooding. I’ll be okay.”

Lee wouldn’t take no for an answer and just laughed, “You know I can’t do that, Manda.”

Nodding her head, as if he could see her, “Okay Lee, but you better be careful?”

Lee laughed and pulled onto the interstate, “Okay, Sweetie, love you.”

“Love you, too, bye.”

Lee said bye and punched, End, on his phone. Two hours later, Lee sat in traffic, only fifteen minutes from home. ‘She’s going to think I’m dead, or something:’ Lee stated angrily. “I can’t believe this,” he yelled, slamming his hand against the steering wheel.

Finally, traffic moved and he was in the driveway in no time at all. She opened the door and started to run to him. As he walked up the driveway, a tree started to fall.

“LEE! Look out!” She screamed as the tree crashed to the ground and a huge branch hit him in the head, knocking him out. “NOOOOOO!” Amanda screamed as she immediately rushed to his side and got the branch off of him. “Lee, can you hear me?” God, don't take him! Please, no. She put his arm around her neck and she started to drag him into the house, she finally made it in and put him down on the couch. God, please let him be alright, please she begged with tears in her eyes. Amanda ran her fingers over his cheek lightly and kissed his lips softly, “I love you, Lee. I’m going to go call an ambulance, Sweetheart.” Amanda said, starting to pull herself up off the floor next to the couch.

“No! Don’t I’ll be all right,” Lee whispered grabbing her hand and pulling her back down beside him.

No words were spoken between the pair, she laid her head down on his chest and fell asleep having nightmares of only the worst of what could possibly happened to Lee.

Amanda slowly opened her eyes looking around and trying to get her bearings back. She laid there for a few minutes, trying to remember what had happened last night. “Oh my gosh,” she said out loud. Bolting from the couch, “LEE!” she yelled.

“Right here, Honey,” Lee said from the kitchen table where he sat drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper.

Amanda walked into the kitchen, taking a cup off the counter, pouring herself a cup of much needed decaffeinated coffee, then walking over to the table to join Lee. “How’s your head?” Amanda asked as she kissed his forehead.

“Sore,” Lee touched the bandage on his head and winced, “Ya know, this has got to be an eyesore, this, this, thing, on my head.”

Amanda laughed and nodded “It is.”

He frowned, “Gee, Miss Compassion.”

Standing up, Amanda took the paper out of his hands, depositing it on the table flopping herself down in his lap giving him a light kiss on the lips. “It is an eyesore, but I love you anyway, Amanda giggled.”

Lee smiled, “That’s a nice thing to know.”

TBC

Go To Part 3