'The Wrong way Home': Extended scene / tag.

Summary: This is kind of a longer version of the ending of TWWH about how I think Lee ended up at Dooley's and what he was thinking as he watched them. Also the characters will be in canon for season 3, with one exception … this will be slightly AU, and entertaining the thought that they might have had a kiss before their 'official' one in ATWAS, and were dating before then (judging by the tags from FFFT, and 'J Edgar's Ghost)'. Nothing overly hot and heavy of course ^_^

Lee wasn't sure what made him go at Dooley's that night after the case against Joe King was closed; he remembered Amanda mentioning that Joe was taking the boys to an Orioles game and he had a hunch that they would end up here.

Unfortunately, his hunch had been right, sure enough, about ten minutes after he had gotten there, Joe and Amanda walked in, arm in arm; the very sight of that made his blood boil and his hands twitch with the urge to brain Joe King's head against the side of the bar.

But why? Lee ran a hand over his face and through his hair in frustration with himself. He knew damn well why, it was because he was in love with her. He chuckled inwardly as he thought back to when he first admitted that little fact to himself; it was when he was undercover as a burn out, trying to nail Bracken. He had seized the opportunity to use her as a cover and had gone too far …. WAY too far.

But when he had come clean and explained everything to her, she had completely understood and forgiven him right then and there, she was just relieved that he was okay and not really having any real serious troubles.

THAT was the moment he realized just how amazing of a person Amanda was, how lucky he was to have her in his life, and how stupid he'd been for so long.

But just because he had admitted to loving her didn't mean he was ready to take that next step and jump into a relationship with Amanda with both feet, there were still things in the way … and the biggest obstacle was that they both worked together, and Dr. Smyth was clear on his standings when it came to workplace relationships.

If they pursued a romantic relationship, and Smyth found out, it could mean reassignment, and Lee knew he wouldn't be able to cope with that; the thought of Amanda working with someone else, especially another man made him feel sick to his stomach.

So he tried to pursue a relationship outside of work, outside of Amanda, he tried to bury his feelings deep down inside him where they would never surface again and he had almost succeeded in doing that with Leslie. Until he realized, after Amanda left in a huff after their fight in the hallway of his building that the reason he liked Leslie so much was because she reminded him a little of Amanda.

He also knew that Leslie wasn't looking for anything serious, he could tell because that had been his MO for so long that he could spot it from a mile away, and the problem was that he was looking for something serious now. He wasn't getting any younger, and his life priorities had changed, ever since his whole past was laid out into the open for all to see. Amanda had been gracious about it, and he was grateful to her for that, but he could tell it did shock her to learn that he had four black books.

But unlike Francine, who couldn't resist the urge to bust his balls about it, Amanda had handled it with class and gentleness, she could tell that it was embarrassing for him, and she put his feelings in front of her own on the matter.

And now as he watched Joe take put his hand in Amanda's and say something to her, and as she smiled sweetly in response to whatever it was he said, he walked over to the jukebox, put a coin in and pushed his selection.

He should have known he would play 'Happiness is a thing called Joe', it was their song after all. Lee ground his teeth as he watched Joe lead Amanda to the dance floor for a dance, he watched them talk and smile together, and he would give anything to hear what they were saying.

"You know, Amanda, this whole ordeal has showed me all of the mistakes I've made in the past. With Foster and Prescott arrested, they need someone to run the EAO, they asked me and I said yes." Joe said.

"Joe, that's great!" Amanda exclaimed.

"It means I can stay here in town, and spend more time with the boys, I know I've been pretty absent in their lives, but you've done a great job raising them, they're great kids…" Joe continued.

But Amanda wasn't listening, she glanced over Joe's shoulder and thought she'd seen Lee, she scanned the crowd, maybe she was just seeing things. Then she saw him again, and this time their eyes met and they shared a smile.

Joe was still talking … something about how good a job she did raising Jamie and Phillip, and she knew she should be listening, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Lee's and that smoldering look he was giving her.

Joe finally picked up on the fact that her attention was elsewhere, he pivoted them around on the dance floor and followed her gaze to see Lee, and he caught the tail end of the heated look he was giving his ex wife. Joe stepped away from her with a grin on his face.

"Go." He said.

"Joe, no we came here together, that'd be rude!" Amanda said as she reached for him again, Joe took her by the hands.

"Amanda, you are truly a special woman, and I am sorry I never realized what a good thing I had, but now it's too late for me and that's okay, I've made peace with it. It wouldn't be fair of me to keep you from the man you really love and who obviously loves you, judging by the look he was giving you." He said as he cupped her face and brought his lips to her forehead.

Lee's stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with lead, he couldn't watch anymore, he turned and made his way to the exit.

Joe gave Amanda's hands a final encouraging squeeze.

"Now, go, I'll take a cab home." He said with a smile.

Amanda's smile was so big that it hurt her cheeks.

"Thanks for being so understanding, Joe." She said as she gave him one final kiss on the cheek and dashed off to find Lee; the problem was that he was now nowhere to be found, on a whim, she popped outside, she just had a feeling, and sure enough, there he was pacing about, seemingly undecided on whether to get into his car and go home, or go back into the bar.

He turned on his heel to head back into the bar, muttering unintelligibly to himself and stopped when he saw her standing there. They wordlessly stared at each other, unsure of what to say.

"What's that matter? Things got to hot and heavy for you in there with your ex that you had to come out for a breather?" Lee spat without thinking, his anger and jealousy bubbling over and talking for him.

Instead of being offended or put off by his attitude, she walked slowly toward him with a coy smile on her face.

"You're jealous!" she pinned, Lee resumed his pacing and ran a hand frustratingly through his hair, he'd been busted acting like a jealous boyfriend and there was no way he could deny it this time.

"You know what, Amanda? YES, yes I'm jealous! I thought we had a good thing going here, then in waltzes your ex and you're suddenly acting like a couple again even though he abandoned you and the boys for a stupid job offer!" The words tumbled out of Lee's mouth before he had a chance to stop them, passersby were giving them curious looks, but at this point, he didn't care.

"Lee, we do have two kids together, so he is always going to be in my life." Amanda replied.

"Looks like you want a lot more than just having him in your life." Lee spat venomously.

Amanda blew out a breath of air in a huff as she put her hands on her hips.

"We were talking about him being offered the CEO position at EAO, and how he could spend more time with the boys. And yes he did ask me if I ever thought about going back, but I told him no, that I want to go forward." She said, whether she realized it or not, she was using that tone of voice she used when she had scolded the boys for blowing up their volcano and making a mess of the kitchen … and it was adorable.

There she was, hands on her hips, a fiery look in her eyes with her chin jutted out defiantly and she looked adorable. Lee couldn't help it, his face broke into a wide grin.

"Ohhh I'm glad you think this is funny, because the last time I checked, we aren't a couple, you don't get to have an opinion on who I spend time with …"

And what if I wanted to be a couple?" He cut her off, still grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"… I … wha?" She stammered, she had been rendered speechless and that wasn't an easy feat to accomplish.

Lee slowly started to close the small distance between them, his steps slow and deliberate.

"I said … what if I wanted to be a couple." He repeated as he closed the remainder of the distance between them, he was so close now that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She suddenly felt flushed, and her skin buzzed and tingled as the sexual tension sizzled between them.

Lee stepped closer, leaving nor more distance between them, he wrapped one arm around her waist, making his intentions clear and giving her every opportunity to say no, she responded by wrapping her hand around the back of his neck.

He was a breath away from kissing her when the sound of his car phone ringing reached their ears.

"Ugh … damn it!" He cursed, there was only one person who would be calling him at this hour.

"That's probably Billy." Lee said as he made a move toward his car.

Seeing her opportunity to throw him off balance, Amanda grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him into a quick but passionate kiss that was over almost as soon as it began.

Still, that one small kiss was enough to ignite the embers that he had had burning for her into a raging inferno. A growl escaped from deep within him as he pulled her close, just then, his phone rang again.

"I think you'd better get that." She said, smiling sweetly as she tried unsuccessfully to hide her disappointment.

His displeasure at being interrupted was even more profound, she could see all the unresolved desire, and sexual tension swimming in his eyes as he looked at her with such a heated passion that her breath almost caught in her throat.

The phone rang again, he reached in and grabbed it.

"Yeah!" he barked, he'd been right, it was Billy.

"Lee, I have a special assignment for you, get down here on the double! And bring Amanda." Billy said.

Lee hung up the phone albeit with some force and turned to Amanda, who shrugged good naturedly.

"Duty calls, what are you gonna do?" He offered as he opened the passenger door for her.

"We'll have to finish this later." She whispered sensually into his ear as she bent down and slid into the seat.

He gave her a bit of a surprised look before it melted into a mischievous grin that said 'You're on!' as he walked around to the driver's side and slid in.