A Matter of Trust, Part 2

As Amanda stared after Lee, she felt a wave of nausea sweep through her. She made a beeline for the ladies room. Francine followed her and found her with her with her head over the toilet, heaving uncontrollably.

"Amanda, are you all right?" She asked. Amanda flushed the toilet and leaned her head against the wall. It's coolness felt wonderful against her flushed face. Francine kneeled down beside her. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Amanda shook her head, not ready to talk yet, afraid the nausea would take over again. There was a knocking on the door. Francine opened the door to find Billy standing there.

"Is she ok?" He asked, concerned.

"I think she's sick. Maybe we should take her to Doc. McJohn."

"No!" Amanda cried as she used the door of the stall to pull herself up from the floor. "I'm fine, really." Seeing Dr. McJohn was the last thing she needed. The whole agency had already witnessed her argument with Lee. She certainly didn't need it gettting spread around that she was pregnant on top of it.

" Something I ate didn't agree with me, that's all." She walked toward them a little unsteadily.

"Are you sure?" Billy asked, still worried about her.

"Sure. I just feel a little drained."

"Do you want to go home?"

"No, I just think I need to rest for a minute."

"Why don't you come with me, Amanda."

"Ok." She staggers toward him. He put one hand on her back to steady her and the other on her arm to guide her.

"Careful, Billy. Lee might think I'm having an affair with you next." she said weakly. Billy chuckled at that. "Then what would Jeannie think?" Francine headed toward the elevator.

"I don't think I have to worry about Jeannie." Billy replied. Amanda could feel everyone's stares as they walked through the bullpen together. She hung her headin embarassment. He lead her to his office. "Here we are." He said as he shut the door. "Why don't you sit down?" She sat down. "Would you like some coffee or something?"

"Just some water, please." He got her a glass of water.

"Here you go." He said as he handed her the glass and sat in the chair next to her. She took a drink.

" I should go talk to Lee."

"Amanda, let it go for now. You'll only make things worse by running after him now. You know better than anyone how he gets when he's this angry."

"What am I supposed to do?" She cried in despair. "He won't even give me a chance to explain myself."

"He's hurt and angry, but I know he loves you. I think I knew that before he did." Amanda smiled as she thought of the first time she ever heard Lee say those three little words. "He'll come around. You just have to give him some space and some time to calm down."

"I know." she agreed.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on? You don't have to , but it might help. I could talk to him. We've been friends for years."

"It's just so stupid!" She said, exasperated. "I can't believe Lee thinks that I would cheat on him with my ex-husband. Joe and I are just friends. We've been divorced for five years now."

"Try to see it from Lee's point of view. You cancelled a lunch date with him to meet with your ex-husband, a man you were with for ten years and had two children with, and you lied to him about it. That's got to be making him crazy with jealousy."

"But I wasn't doing anything with Joe! We were just talking."

"I believe that, Amanda. But I'm not the one you have to convince. I'm not the one who's in love with you." Amanda nodded as she let Billy's words sink in.

Meanwhile, In the Q bureau, Lee was slamming his desk drawer and and flinging files around the room when Francine poked her head in the door cautiously.

"Lee?" She said tentatively.

"What?" he snapped as he pounded his fist on his desk. Francine winced.

"Sorry. I'll leave you alone." She started to back out the door.

"No, it's ok, Francine. I could really use a friend right now."

"You want to talk about it?"

" I just don't know what's gotten into Amanda lately. She's so secretive and that's not like her. I know she was sick awhile back, but I thought she was over that. This meeting with her ex today sure clears things up."

"Do you honestly think she's having an affair with her ex?"

"Why not? You thought the same thing when you saw them together."

" I was just trying to get a rise out of you. I didn't really mean it. I didn't think you'd take it to heart."

"What else could it be?"

"Maybe she really was supposed to have lunch with her mother and something came up with one of the kids? He is the father of her children, after all."

"No." He said adamantly. "That's not how Amanda operates. If something was wrong with Phillip or Jamie, she'd be with them, not here. Not only that, but she would have told me. She knows the boys are important to me." She raised her eyebrows at that.

"Really?" She said in surprise.

"Don't look so surprised. I happen to care a lot about Phillip and Jamie. They're the closest thing I've ever had to a family."

"The best advice I can give you is to stop torturing yourself. Amanda loves you. She obviously had more to say to you when you walked out of the bullpen. Why not give her the benefit of the doubt? Let her tell her side of the story. After all, Amanda is not exactly the type to carry on a clandestine love affair." Lee paused to ponder Francine's words, smiling a little, thinking of his own 'clandestine love affair' with Amanda.

"You're right. I'm probably blowing this whole thing way out of proportion." He crossed over to Francine and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I really owe you one. Thanks for listening. She touched the hand on her shoulder.

"It's no problem. You've been there for me more times than I can count. I'm just trying to balance the scales a little." She hugged him just as Amanda walked in. Amanda surveyed the situation. and came the wrong conclusion.

"Well, I see you didn't waste any time." She said sharply.

"Amanda..." Lee started, but Amanda cut him off.

"No wonder you were accusing me of playing around! That's why you're so suspicious of me. Because you've been cheating on me!" Her eyes filled with tears, but she was too stubborn to let them fall.

"Amanda, This isn't what it looks like."Francine started to explain. Amanda gave her an icy look that made her think better of it.

"Spare me, Francine! I've known for a long time that you've been you're still carrying a torch for Lee. That's why you've always been so hateful to me."

"That's been over with for a long time. I thought you and I were getting to be friends."

"Friends? Friends? Is this how you think friends treat each other? Stabbing each other in the back? You are not my friend! Is that what you wanted to talk to me about. To rub it in my face that you're having an affair with my husband!" Francine stood stunned, not knowing what to say.

"Amanda..." Lee began as he started to move toward her

"Don't you come near me! I don't even want to be in the same room with you after what you've done to me." She left and slammed the door behind her, finally letting her built-up tears fall.