By: Nectar99

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. They belong to WB and Shoot The Moon Productions.

Rating: PG-13

See chapter 1 for summary and guideline.

Wednesday
9:00 p.m.

"Lee, I really don't have anything to wear," Amanda admitted after she'd already accepted his invitation.

Lee turned to face her, momentarily at a loss for words.

"What's the matter?" Amanda asked, keenly aware that something was bothering him.

"Amanda, I sure hope you aren't going to get mad but uh…yesterday when I ran those errands, I thought it would be good for you…for us to go out and enjoy ourselves for one evening. But…when I came back yesterday, you were upset so I didn't think it was a good time to bring it up," he admitted.

"Bring what up?" Amanda asked, feeling as if their roles had been reversed and it was now she who was utterly confused by his rambling.

"I stopped at a department store downtown and picked out an outfit for you. I mean…for an evening out together," he stumbled over his words.

Reaching up, Amanda placed her palm on his cheek. "Lee, that's so sweet and thoughtful of you. I don't know how to thank you," she murmured softly. She encouraged him to lean closer, placing a kiss of gratitude on his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, truly touched by his gesture.

"Well…I'll be out here…I mean…I'll go get dressed," he replied, surprised by his sudden nerves.

Amanda took a few extra moments applying her makeup, trying to cover the remnants of the bruises on her face. The door to the bathroom was slightly ajar, allowing Lee's voice to carry into the small room. She wasn't purposely listening to his discussion, even going as far as to run the water so she wouldn't be tempted to eavesdrop, but she could still tell he was speaking to Billy.

"Amanda?" he called out her name, hesitant to step into the bedroom.

"I'm in here," she replied, her voice echoing from the bathroom, " and I'll be out in just one moment, Lee."

"Okay," he replied, trying to curb his impatience by letting out a small sigh.

Moments later, Amanda emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of black slacks and a red silk shirt. "I must admit that you have wonderful taste in clothing. This outfit fits perfectly, Lee," she commended him, smoothing the imaginary wrinkles out of her pants.

"Thank you," he smiled, walking back to the dresser to retrieve his keys.

Trying not to draw any attention to her face, she wore her hair down. "Do I look okay?" she asked quietly.

Lee turned back around to see her, his eyes widening considerably. "You look beautiful," he replied, reaching out to kiss her hand.

"Thank you," she said shyly, taking her eyes off his dark suit to stare at the ground. Without looking up, she placed her hand on his chest. "Lee, if I ask you something, will you tell me the truth…even if it hurts?" she inquired softly, unable to look up at him.

Lee studied her intently for a moment, lifting her chin up so she could look at him at eye level. "I will if you look at me," he spoke very gently. "That's it," he smiled, as she slowly met his gaze.

"Lee, do I look…I mean does my face look…bad?"

Lee's smile turned to a sudden frown. "Oh my God, no. Amanda, you can't even see where…I think you look absolutely incredible," he finally replied, unwilling to allow thoughts of the attack to interfere with their evening. Taking a deep breath, he was determined to keep from losing control in front of her. "Can you trust me on that?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood, tilting his head while flashing a slight grin.

"Of course I trust you," Amanda replied, unable to hide her emotions. She leaned against him and placed a kiss on his cheek. His skin was smooth against her lips and the smell of his cologne was intoxicating. "Thank you," she whispered, as she pulled away from his face.

After a late dinner, Lee nonchalantly watched Amanda sip her wine while listening to the soft music heard throughout the establishment. He wanted to dance with her more than anything, however he was reluctant to do so out of fear of crossing any unseen boundaries. Every time he looked into her eyes, he swore that she was waiting for him to take the initiative, but fear was stopping him from doing so.

Unsure as to why she saw uncertainty in his eyes, Amanda let him off the hook and asked him to dance. His gorgeous smile warmed her throughout, leaving her unable to stop the blush that crept upon her cheeks. 'He is the most attractive man I've ever seen,' she thought, continuing to gaze at his alluring dimples.

Holding her tentatively at first, he kept his distance, still unsure what was considered going too far. He wasn't about to make her uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form. When her head fell upon his shoulder, he knew she trusted him completely. Lee pulled her close, almost afraid he'd lose her if he let go. He skillfully maneuvered her around the floor, keeping perfect synch to the rhythm of the song. As the familiar melody finally ended, Lee pulled back slightly, looking down at her. His vision was somewhat clouded, lost in the intimate atmosphere of the music. Without reason, he leaned down, closing his eyes to place a kiss upon her lips. A mere whisper away from her lips, he opened his eyes to gauge her reaction. Even though he saw willingness, the reluctance was still visible, causing him to halt his actions.

"Amanda, I'm…I…I'm sorry," he pleaded, suddenly at a loss for words.
Amanda blinked furiously, unsure what had transpired. She replayed it in her head, the conclusion baffling her. 'He leaned in to kiss me, but now he's sorry?' she asked herself. Shaking her head, she looked back at him, his face sorrowful and full of desperation. "Lee, it's alright," she murmured softly, caressing his cheek.

Removing his hands from the residence they had taken around her waist, he backed further away as if he'd touched fire. "No, I shouldn't have done that," he insisted.

"Lee, I want…."

"No, I shouldn't have done that to you," he interrupted, his voice a notch louder than before. "Come on, we should get going," he stated, leading her toward the door.

Confused, Amanda followed Lee toward the front of the restaurant. As they were leaving, the doorman said to have a good evening. Stopping in her tracks, Amanda looked up, noting something strangely familiar about the doorman's voice.

"Amanda? Amanda, is everything alright?" Lee whispered against her ear, urging her to continue moving, patting her in the small of her back.

Glancing at the man's nametag, she began to tremble with fear. "I'm…. fine," she assured Lee, in a sudden rush to get in the car.

Once inside, Lee turned to look at her. "Amanda, are you going to tell me what just happened back there?"

"Just take me home, please," she spoke in a monotone voice, unable to look at him.

"Aman…"

"Please take me home," she pleaded, her voice slightly louder than before.

Lee watched her exit the vehicle, making a beeline for the elevator. It was obvious that she was upset, but he wasn't sure if it was his behavior or not. Once on the top floor, Lee opened the door and stepped out of the way for her to enter. Before he was able to speak, she disappeared into his bedroom.

Deciding to give her time to herself, Lee went into the kitchen to fix himself a cool drink. He stood, leaning heavily against the sink, pondering his actions. 'What the hell were you thinking? She's been through hell and you're thinking about kissing her? You did it this time,' he thought.

Thursday
1:30 a.m.

Lee set his cup down in the sink, trying to be as quiet as possible. The creak from the bathroom door told him that Amanda had finally exited that room and probably went to bed. He decided to play it safe and sleep on the couch for the evening. It wasn't that he didn't trust himself, however he did think it might make her uncomfortable.

Peeking in the bedroom, Lee could see her body curled up beneath the covers. Her heavy breathing told him that she was asleep. Gathering his things, he quickly exited the room to sleep on the couch.

3:30 a.m.

Sprawled out across the couch with his feet hanging over the end, Lee flailed his arms out, one landing over the couch, the other touching the floor. The sound of her horrific scream brought him to his feet. 'Oh God,' he thought, running for the bedroom door.

"No! Stop! Please…Lee, help me, dear God help me!" she screamed.

"Amanda! Amanda, it's me," he assured her, gathering her in his arms. He tried to restrain her without completely restricting her range of motion. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel threatened or scared of him. Tears of anger and frustration fell from his eyes right along with her, as the last several days had finally come to the surface for him as well as for her.

When her tired body finally collapsed in his arms, he glanced at the clock and was alarmed to find out that she had been hysterical for over twenty-five minutes. Calming her down had not been an easy task but it was one that he would willingly do as often as she needed. Trying to help, he left her momentarily to get a cool cloth for her forehead, gently wiping the beaded sweat from her face. Exhaustion had knocked her out and her breathing was still heavy labored.

Rushing out of the bathroom, Lee went back to her, scooping her up in his arms. He continued to wipe her face with the cool damp cloth, eliciting incoherent words from her lips. When he was certain she was in a deep sleep, Lee took the opportunity to call Billy and fill him in on her condition.

"Billy, it's Scarecrow."

"Do you have any idea what time it is? Not to mention the fact that you are off active duty," Billy stated sarcastically.

"Yea, I know, but it's Amanda. I'm worried about her," Lee replied, his fear easily detectable in his voice.

"What's happening?" Billy lost the sarcastic tone at the sound of Amanda's name.

"Well, she was doing really well, then tonight, I took her out to a restaurant and she went into a daze of some kind. I couldn't get her to snap out of it. When she went to sleep, she woke up horrified, screaming and punching. It took me about a half an hour to settle her down," Lee informed him. "Look, Billy, I know she won't see a doctor, but I think she needs a sedative. Right now, I don't know what else to do for her," he admitted honestly.

"Okay, done. I'll handle it. I'll have a messenger drop it off at your place. Let me know if anything changes."

"I will and uh thanks a lot," Lee stumbled over the words, but knew Billy understood.

Standing by the phone, Lee heard her whimper and ran into the room. Once again, he lay beside her, cradling her in his arms. "Shhh, be still, that's it. I'll never let anyone hurt you again, Amanda. I promise!" his voice cracked with emotion as he struggled to blink back the tears that threatened to escape. Gently, he stroked her hair, running his fingers through her soft curls. His eyes involuntarily closed pulling him into a deep sleep.

A short time later, Lee was suddenly awakened when a loud knocking echoed through the apartment. In his haste to answer the door and stop the offending noise, he tripped over a chair in his path. "Damn it!" he hollered. It was out before he had time to try to muffle it. His efforts were worth it however, when he opened the door and saw the delivery boy with Amanda's medication.

"Here, I'll take that. Thanks," Lee clutched the white bag in his hand, while signing the form with his other hand.

Without saying goodbye, Lee shut the door abruptly, heading for the kitchen. He filled a glass with water and brought it to Amanda.

"Amanda, are you awake?" he whispered, shaking her lightly.

"I'm awake," she replied groggily. What's that?" she asked, blinking furiously in an attempt to get her eyes to adjust to the light in the room.

"This will help you sleep. Come on now, just trust me," he nodded affirmatively spotting her reluctance.

Looking up at him, she knew he would always be there to care for and protect her. She reached for the two blue pills without looking away. She nodded to him and watched his expression change to relief as she gulped the water.

"That's it," he soothed. "Now try and get some sleep," he added, playing with a few strands of her hair.

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