Remington Steele sat on the couch in Daniel's hotel suite, his gaze on the bottle of pills in his hand. Why hadn't Daniel told him? he wondered. He knew the answer - or thought he did. Daniel didn't want to be any trouble. Remington supposed that he would do the same in Daniel's place. Or he might have done before he had met Laura. The sound of the key in the door drew his attention. Daniel entered the suite, thinking that he had just enough time to finish dressing before- "Harry?" he asked, stopping, putting the medicine bottle he'd just had filled into his pocket. "You're early." "Yes," Remington told him, taking a deep breath. "I thought we might have a drink together before going to pick up Laura." "Excellent idea, my boy," Daniel said. "Just give me a moment to-" Remington had something in his hand. Small, brown, cylindrical, with a white plastic cap and familiar label- "Harry-" "Why didn't you tell me, Daniel?" he asked, his quiet voice seeming to fill the room. Daniel sank into a chair opposite his son. "I hadn't intended for you to find out," he admitted. "I didn't want to be a burden- " "A burden, Daniel?" Remington repeated, pain evident in his voice. "A burden? Daniel, you took care of me for a long time - why would you think I would ever consider returning that favor to be a burden?" He glanced at the bottle again. "How bad is it?" "Bad enough. And before you ask, I've been to several doctors in London. They all have the same answers." "How - " Remington paused. "How long?" "Now *that* they couldn't really answer. The longest estimate is another few months- perhaps even less-" So little time, Remington thought to himself. "You should have come to me, Daniel. Did you know about this the last time we saw each other?" "I've known it was coming since not long after you settled here in Los Angeles," Daniel admitted. "The retirement," Remington realized. "That's why you-" "In part, yes." He sat forward. "Harry, my boy, you don't owe me anything. Certainly not taking care of an old man -" "I owe you more than I could ever repay, Daniel. Dragging me kicking and screaming out of the alleyways of Brixton - teaching me how to survive, to be a gentleman, so many things. If the only way I can repay that is to take care of you now, then I'll do it." Remington rose and went to pour two glasses of whiskey from the bar. Picking them up, he was about to hand one to Daniel, and then stopped. "Should you-?" "Harry, I realized quite awhile ago that life wouldn't be worth living if I couldn't continue as I was used to doing." He held out his hand for the glass. "It's the reason I decided to come out of retirement. If I had stayed in that bloody villa, I would have been dead inside a year." Hearing him actually say the words, Remington took a drink. "God, Daniel, how can you be so bloody calm? So resigned? It's not like you. You're a fighter. 'Never give up.' That's what you've always told me." "There comes a time, Harry, when one has to bow to fate and accept her capricious nature." "I'm not giving you an option about moving to Los Angeles now, Daniel. You're going to stay right here, where I can keep an eye on you-" "A death watch, my boy? I don't think-" "Not at all. We'll find another doctor. Perhaps there's something that can be done -" "There isn't," Daniel assured him. "Too much stress, too many close calls- have simply taken their toll. I can't stay here, Harry. I have a job, remember? The Earl is expecting me back -" "Does the Earl know?" Daniel stared at his glass. "No. He doesn't know about my health problems," he said. "I'll call him tomorrow, explain that you're staying on here in Los Angeles-" Remington paused, his eyes narrowing. "Laura." "What about her?" "She knows, doesn't she? That would explain her spending so much time with you, pressing me into asking you to move here - " "She found out in much the same way you did," Daniel admitted. "While you and I were staking out that gentleman the other evening, Laura gained access to my room and searched it -" "She did?" "Looking for evidence that I was trying to involve you in a game. She found the medicines, did some investigation - " Seeing Remington's frown, Daniel quickly told him, "Don't blame her for not telling you. She wanted me to tell you, wanted to tell you herself, but I made her promise not to." He smiled. "Of course, I should have known she would find some way to keep me here." "Then you'll stay?" Remington asked. Daniel rose to his feet to go to the window. He couldn't think with Harry sitting there, those blue eyes so like his mother's, staring into him. "You said earlier that you and Laura had talked. Did you come to any decisions about your future?" "What has this got to do with anything, Daniel?" he asked. "Because I don't want to be the cause of your pulling away from her to take care of me." "Daniel, if you go back to London, I'll just follow you." That was the last thing Daniel wanted to happen. He wanted Harry here, with Laura, where he belonged, not halfway across the world. But there was more to be considered, Daniel forced himself to remember. Yes, it would be wonderful to be here, close to Harry. But it would also mean having to face Laura's insistence that he tell Harry the *full* truth. As stubborn as he was, Laura Holt was more stubborn, and if she broke through his resistance - or if Harry found out the truth by accident, as he had found out about *this* - Daniel shuddered slightly. "Daniel?" Remington asked, concern written on his handsome face. "I'll stay, Harry-" As the younger man began to smile, Daniel added, "For the time being, at least. But the moment I think I'm interfering in your relationship with Laura -" "You've been doing that ever since you arrived, Daniel," Remington pointed out with a smile. "And I'll call the Earl myself," Daniel told him. "I'm not an invalid, and I won't have you treat me like one." Besides, Daniel thought to himself, he wasn't going to risk the Earl mentioning anything to Harry about a certain pocket watch. "Whatever you say, Daniel," Remington agreed as the telephone rang. He finished his drink as Daniel answered. "Hello?" "Daniel? It's Laura." "Laura, my dear. We were just talking about you." "We? Then Remington *is* with you? I called the limo, and Fred told me that he's been sitting outside for almost half an hour." "Oh, my. Has it been that long?" Daniel asked, pointing at his watch. Remington checked the time and shook his head. Daniel could easily visualize Laura's suspicion. "Something's going on. Did you tell him?" "We'll discuss it later, my dear," he told her. "We should be at your apartment in say-" "Fifteen minutes," Remington informed him, rising. "Fifteen minutes," he repeated. "Good bye." Hanging up the telephone, he turned toward the bedroom. "I'll finish getting ready. Won't be a moment," he assured Remington, quickly closing the door behind him. Removing his tie, he sat on the edge of the bed and dialed a telephone number on the phone beside the bed. "Laura, Harry knows that I'm ill- but that's all," he said quickly. "But- how-?" "I'm sure you'll hear all about it, my dear," he assured her, keeping his voice low. "And I've agreed to stay in Los Angeles- but there's a condition-" "I won't tell him, Daniel," she said. "I gave you my word-" "I want you to stop pressuring *me* to tell him," Daniel said. "Or else I'll be on the first flight that I can book back to London." It was an empty threat, and Daniel knew it. He only hoped that Laura didn't think so. Remington tapped on the door. "Daniel, we have to be going-" "Coming," Daniel called back, moving to the closet to retrieve a jacket and tie. "It's your decision, Laura. Either you agree, or I leave- and Harry will go with me." "You win, Daniel," Laura said, her voice filled with disappointment. "I won't pressure you." She hung up before Daniel could say another word. Wincing at the force that she had probably used on her telephone, Daniel replaced his own receiver, and finished changing his clothes. ********** Laura felt like throwing the telephone across the loft- but she knew that wouldn't do anything but break the thing, and not solve her problem at all. Well, she decided, at least he was going to be here, close by. And that closeness might lead him to realize that he could tell Remington the truth. It was a long shot, and she knew it, but she'd placed her bets on another longshot four years ago - and won. She'd win this one as well. For Remington and Daniel's sake, if for no other reason. She needed some kind of leverage. Something that would make Daniel reconsider his stand. Laura looked around the loft, trying to find something to give her a spark of inspiration. Her gaze fell on the piano across the room. The piano that Remington had bought to replace her grandmother's. It had been that gift which had made her realize how much she really cared about the man she called Remington Steele. She smiled as she remembered her first night in the loft, remembered opening the door and finding it here, with a big red bow and a single red rose. Laura had found her ace in the hole. ********** When the limo came to a stop, Laura was waiting on the curb. Remington opened the door. "Good. You're ready," he commented, smiling his approval at her choice of dress while handing her into the car to sit between himself and Daniel. "We're already late," he told her, then leaned forward. "Let's go, Fred." Laura glanced at Daniel, who shook his head in warning not to bring the subject up. Laura sat back. "Remington-" she began, but he reached for the telephone. "I'd better call and let Claude know to hold the table," he said, dialing the number. "Claude - well, yes, I know. We've been slightly delayed-- Oh, she is?" He smiled. "Tell her we're on our way." He hung up. "Mildred's already there," he told them. Placing a hand on his arm, Laura tried again. "Remington, what-" "We'll discuss it later, ey?" he said, putting an arm around her. "I'd rather discuss it now," she insisted. "Not in a public restaurant." "Daniel's decided to stay in Los Angeles," Remington told her at last. Feigning surprise, Laura looked at Daniel. "Really?" "For the time being, at least," Daniel clarified. His eyes reminded her of their telephone conversation. "It depends on how well I can adjust to living here." "It's not so bad, really," Remington assured him. "And there are some of the best doctors in the world here in Los Angeles." "Better than the ones in London, Harry?" Daniel asked. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would prefer anything American over English." Laura looked at Remington. "How did you find out?" she asked him. "The same way you did, actually, my dear," Daniel informed her. Remington nodded. "I decided to get there early and have a drink with Daniel, but he wasn't in his room-" "So you picked the lock and went inside to wait," Laura guessed. "And found the -" "The medicines," Remington finished, nodding again. "When Daniel returned, he told me the truth." "The truth," Laura repeated. "That's something that neither of you have much experience with, isn't it?" "Sometimes, Laura, my dear," Daniel said, "The truth simply gets in the way of more important things." "Anyway, Daniel's going to call the Earl and let him know that he'll be staying on here." Laura smiled in Daniel's direction, and he had the uncomfortable feeling that she was planning something in that steele trap mind of hers. Something that he wasn't going to like. ********** Terrance O'Malley sighed with relief as the ticket agent handed him the boarding pass. "The flight will be leaving in about fifteen minutes, sir," she said, smiling. "Thank you," he said, turning away. A newsstand across the way caught his eye, and he decided to buy something to read during the flight back to London- something to keep his mind off of his problems. He began browsing the magazines, then stopped as a familiar face came into view. The name of the magazine was LA Today, and there, on the front, smiling into the camera, was James van der Haven. Only the magazine called him something else. Remington Steele- LA's most successful PI. O'Malley picked up the magazine, turning to the article on page fifteen. So now he knew were to go to get his money back. Paying the young man behind the counter, he turned back to the ticket counter. "Excuse me-" he said to the woman. "How do I go about getting a refund? I've changed my mind. I've some important business to finish up here before I can go home." To Be Continued---
