Amanda and Lee walked to the car from the Georgetown entrance. Both were lost in their own thoughts about what was going to take place. "Are you sure you're ready to do this, Lee? I know you're nervous about telling Mother and the boys, but you know, they all love you and they already know we're serious about each other," Amanda told Lee once they were in the Corvette, heading towards Amanda's house.

"Amanda, I'm so ready for us to come out in the open with all of our secrets that I think I could handle just about anything the boys or your Mother might throw at us," Lee told her. "I'm ready to be a full-time husband to you and a full-time step-father to your boys. I am so tired of only seeing you when your family is out of town or when you can tell your Mother that you're working late," Lee said with determination.

Amanda agreed with him," Yeah, I know. It's hasn't been easy. This has been the longest eight months of my life. I hate seeing you at work, but not really being able to spend any quality time with you. And the looks from everyone in the office. Everyone can tell that we're in love. I'm so glad that everyone knows now. I can't wait to start moving your stuff into the house."

"Moving my stuff into your house?" Lee echoed." I never thought it would happen. I know we talked about it and we decided that once we told everyone, I'd move into your house but I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen."

They were pulling up in front of the house when Amanda spotted Joe's car. "I wonder what he's here for?" Lee said.

"I don't know. I hope everything's OK, but you know what? I'm glad he's here. This way we can tell everyone at the same time," Amanda said.  

Lee got out and walked to Amanda side of the car. He helped her out of the car and they walked up the path to the front door.

"Hi, Amanda." Joe said as he and Dotty met them at the door.

"Hi, Joe. What are you doing here? Is everything OK? " Amanda asked her ex-husband.

"Oh, yeah, everything is OK. I know it's not my weekend to have the boys but I have tickets to the game this weekend in Baltimore. They're great seats and I was wondering if you'd mind switching weekends with me?" Joe questioned Amanda.

"Actually Joe that would be perfect," Amanda answered. "Lee and I need to talk both you and Mother before the boys get home and then we need to talk to the boys alone."

"Amanda is everything OK? I mean you're not sick or anything are you?" Amanda's mother asked her.

"No, Mother, everything's fine but we need to talk to you. Let's go into the living room so we can talk." Amanda stopped as if she'd forgotten something. "Go on in, I'll be right there. I need to get something out of my bedroom." Amanda looked at Lee and smiled. Lee knew she was going up to get their wedding rings. She kept them there in the false bottom of her jewelry box.

Amanda came down from her room with a smile on her face. She had her rings on and had Lee's in her pocket. She decided to keep her hand out of view, though, until they'd told her mother and Joe.

"There she is. We were starting to wonder Amanda.,"Dotty said.

"Sorry, Mother, but I needed to get something. First let me say that I don't like keeping secrets from you but I had to, to keep you and the boys safe." Amanda hurried on because she could see a question forming in her mother's eyes and she wanted to get this over with. "Lee and I don't work for IFF. We work for a governmental counter-intelligence agency. In short, we are spies."

Dotty took it in and then just started laughing. "Amanda, can't you come up with a better excuse for being out all night and being so secretive about your job? I know you do documentaries and that some of them are top secret but, please..."

"Dotty, Amanda is telling you the truth. She and Lee work for an organization called the Agency. Do you remember when I was accused of killing the Prime Minister of Estocia?" Joe questioned Dotty. Dotty nodded her head a look of disbelief starting to form. "Well, thanks to Lee and Amanda, I'm a free man. They helped clear my name."

"Is this true Lee? Amanda?" Dotty asked. She just couldn't believe that her daughter, the mother of her two grandsons was a spy.

"Yes, Mrs West. Amanda and I are spies although we prefer counter-intelligence agents. We have worked together for nearly five years. I handed her a package at a train station nearly five years ago and asked her to deliver it for me because I was being followed. After that case was finished my boss thought she would be good partner for me and started enlisting her help on different assingnments. She worked as a civilian courier for nearly four years before she became a full agent. Do you remember Billy Melrose?" At Dotty's nod he continued, "He's our boss."

Dotty was flabbergasted. She had never been at a loss for words before. She always knew what to say. She looked from Lee to Amanda and then back to Joe. "You've known all this time, Joe?" Dotty asked.

"Yes. Lee and Amanda asked me not to tell you or the boys because they didn't want you to worry. And they didn't want anything to happen to you or the boys by you knowing what they did. It's a dangerous business that they're in." Joe finished but Dotty wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixated on Amanda's left ring finger.

Amanda had decided that it was time to move things along. The boys were going to be home any minute and she wanted her mother to know everything before they arrived. "It's a wedding set. Lee and I were married eight months ago," Amanda said as she handed Lee his ring. "We needed to keep our marriage a secret for the same reason we keep our jobs a secret."

"But, Amanda... I don't know what to say. What do I tell all our family, all our friends, the neighbors?" Dotty cried out.

"Mrs West, Amanda and I are going to renew our vows on February 13, our one year anniversary. It's on a Saturday and it will be a perfect time to tell everyone," Lee said.

"Well, I guess you're right," Dotty said reluctantly. Then she forced a smile for her daughter sake. She thought it was all a little fast, but she had learned to trust Amanda's judgement. "Congratulations, you two. I guess it's a good thing I planned on going to your aunt's this weekend, Amanda. It will give you guys a chance to get Lee's things moved in. You ARE moving in, Lee? Right?" Dotty asked.

"Yes, Ma'am . I'm going to move in, if that's all right. We still need to talk to the boys but I think they like me and God knows I love them as if they were my own sons." Lee sensed Joe's eyes on him and he rushed on. "I'm not trying to replace you as a their father. But I'm hoping they'll accept me as a friend."

"Lee, I'm glad you'll be here for them. That's one of the things I wanted to talk to Amanda about. I've been offered a position with the State Department in Bulgaria. It's the same kind of work that I was doing in Africa. So the boys will need a father figure around and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have to be there for my boys than you," He got up and hugged first Lee and then Amanda.

"Thank you, Joe. That means a lot to me," Lee finished as the front door opened.

"Hi everyone. Dad!! I didn't know you were coming this weekend," Phillip said.

"Yeah, hi, everyone. What's up, Dad? " Jamie chimed in.

"Well, guys, I have tickets to the Orioles game. It's the last home game of the season and your mom said it was OK for you to go with me this weekend," Joe told them

"Cool," the boys both said at the same time.

"First though, boys, Lee and I want to take you out to dinner. So get washed up and we'll get going," Amanda told them.

"Is it OK if we drop them off after dinner at your place, Joe?" Amanda wanted to know.

"Yeah, that'll be fine. Again, congratulations, you guys. You take real good care of her, Stetson, or you'll have me to contend with," Joe told Lee with a smile after the boys had gone upstairs.  

"Thanks, Joe. And don't worry, I'll protect this lady with my life," Lee told Joe as they heard the boys come down the stairs. "Pizza!" they both yelled.

    "OK," she laughed. "Let's go get into the Wagoneer and we'll get going."

Lee smiled at Dotty and mouthed, "Thank you for understanding."

Amanda's mother came up to them and gave them a hug. "Congratulations, you two. I'm very happy for you. Welcome to the family, Lee," She whispered in their ears as they walked out to the car.

===============//================

Lee and Amanda had just finished telling the boys about their jobs and their secret marriage.

"So you guys are spies and are married?" At their nod Jamie said, "Cool!"

      "Phillip, sweetheart are you Ok?" Amanda asked her son.     

"Um... yeah, I'm OK. Congratulations, Are you going to move in with us Lee?" Phillip wanted to know. "I mean we're not going to have to move or anything are we?"

    "No, Phillip. You guys won't have to move. If it's OK, I'm going to move in with you. In fact while you guys are gone this weekend, we're going to move my stuff in," Lee searched for some kind of approval from the boys.

    "Cool. No, we don't have a problem with you moving in with us,"Jamie said after catching his brother's eye, knowing by the look there that it WAS OK with Phillip, too.

     "Come on fellas," Amanda said."We need to get you to your father's."

  They pulled into Joe's driveway. As the boys were getting out of the backseat of Amanda's car they both gave their mother and brandnew step-father a hug.

"Congratulation and welcome to the family, Lee. We're glad you and Mom are married. Maybe Mom won't be so lonely now," Phillip said.

After the boys went into Joe's place Amanda looked at Lee "That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. What do you think, Mr. Stetson?"

"I think you're right, Mrs Stetson. Let's go back to my place and start packing. I know it's late but I'm anxious to get started. I'm ready to be your husband full time," Lee said as they drove to his apartment.

"Sounds like a great idea.," Amanda said as she kissed her husband on the cheek. "I want you with me in our house by Sunday night."