New Beginnings Chapter 1
Title: New Beginnings
Summary: While escorting a weapons specialist across the country by train, Amanda and Lee find themselves caught in a web of romance, intrigue and murder.
Timeframe: This is the first episode of Virtual Season 5
Rating: PG
Copyright Info: Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and most of the characters contained herein, are copyright Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. The plot is all mine - 
Please do not distribute this story without my permission. Thanks!
Chapter 1
Scanning the crowd he could find no sight of her. Maybe his boss had been mistaken. After all, maybe she had taken a car or a plane instead. But his boss had been pretty sure of himself. She would be on this train.
He turned his attention to the crowd about ready to board the train. The transcontinental route brought all sorts of people together: families, businessmen, couples on a romantic getaway. And somewhere among these 50 or so people was the woman his boss had sent him to take care of.
He saw her then. Walking towards the ticket counter, her mouth upturned in a smile. Somehow that smile made the anger well up inside him. ‘But careful,’ the boss had said. ‘Make sure she knows she is paying for her crimes.’
‘Oh she’ll know,’ he thought to himself. ‘I’ll make sure she knows.’
“So tell me about this assignment again?” Amanda asked as she arranged her toiletries in the small bathroom.
Lee’s voice carried in from the main room. “In a few moments we will be meeting Dr. Diana Vande Berg and her assistant to escort them back to the Agency. Dr. Vande Berg is a weapons specialist who is being brought in to give a talk at the DOD conference about the new laser defense systems. What are you doing in here? Taking up permanent residence?”
Amanda looked up into the vanity mirror and saw Lee leaning against the doorway. “I’m just making do with limited space. Why didn’t we just fly back from LA?”
Lee watched his wife as she placed her things in the drawers. For Amanda everything had a specific place and a specific reason. It was one of the things that made her a good agent. “Dr. Vande Berg specifically requested train travel. No reason was specified.”
Lee walked up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist. “I’m so glad to have you here.”
Amanda couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad to be here,” she said, turning to face him. “It’s been a rough couple of months hasn’t it?”
“Yes it has been,” Lee said, his voice a mixture of concern and love. “I’m glad you’re better now.”
“And that all of my class work is done,” Amanda said, remembering how her heart had kept her off the active duty roster for a while. Confined to desk duty and light surveillance, she had completed most of her formal classroom training. Lee had been partnered with Francine for most of the assignments and the two of them hadn’t had much of an opportunity to work together, let alone see each other. ”But at least the doctor says that my heart can take a little excitement now.”
Lee slipped her a sly grin. “I could go for a little excitement too you know.”
“Oh you could, could you?” Amanda teased back.
“Mmm I most certainly could,” Lee answered leaning in for a kiss.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and a woman’s voice called out, “Hello?”
“Why us?” Lee asked, shaking his head. “Can I ever spend a normal moment with my wife?”
“Not when we’re on the clock,” Amanda said, disentangling herself from his arms and moving past Lee into the main stateroom. “Back to work, Scarecrow.”
“Come in,” she called, adjusting her sweater.
The cabin door opened and a woman with striking red hair stepped in.
“Ah, hello Mrs. King and Mr. Stetson?” The woman raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she set down her case near the door.
Amanda stepped forward and shook the offered hand. “Dr. Vande Berg, a pleasure to meet
you and please, call me Amanda.”
A rather tall man stepped into view behind her. His blond hair was slightly unkempt and in his
hands were a number of different pieces of paper. “Diana I have the itinerary for the…. um, hello.”
Lee stepped forward. “Dr. Phelps I’m Lee Stetson. We’re your escorts back to Washington.”
The tall man nodded in Lee’s direction. “Nice to meet you.”
“Well, ah, why don’t we take your things and get you settled in - our stateroom is through
here.”
Lee escorted Dr. Phelps into the adjoining room leaving the two women alone in the
stateroom. Diana picked up her case and walked over to the bed near the window.
“You don’t mind if I take the bed by the window do you?” Diana asked as she began removing
items from her case and placing them on the small side table.
“No, of course not,” Amanda said.
At that moment there was a loud whistle as the train started up. Diana paused and looked
out the window. “You know, the one thing about train travel that never ever fails to amaze me is the
scenery. I could sit here for hours and just watch it stream by.”
Amanda walked over and looked out the window. The hustle and bustle of the station was
beginning to fade and looking towards the front of the train Amanda could see the rolling green hills
lying at the foot of the mountains. She let out a content sigh, “I’ve never taken a train cross country
before.”
Diana looked up from where she was sitting. “You’re in for a treat. This is my fourth time on
this particular route. Every time I see something new. Dr. Phelps has only traveled with me once
before, but I think he’s beginning to see the enjoyment.”
“You know, if you let her, she’ll speak about this for hours,” Dr. Phelps said entering the
room and walking over to where Diana was sitting. Amanda felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to
see Lee behind her.
“Brian, when you’ve traveled on a train as much as I have you gather enough stories so that
you can talk for hours without being boring.”
There was a light knock on the door and the four of them turned towards the sound. “Come
in,” Lee called.
A young man in the company blue uniform opened the door. “Good evening ladies, gentlemen. My name is John and I am the porter for these cars. Dinner will be served in an hour and the Captain will make his address then. If there’s anything I can get for you just press this button.” He pressed a red button to the left of the door and the white service light lit up. He pressed it again and the light went off. “I hope you have a pleasant stay and enjoy your trip on the American Orient Express.”