STEELE'S BIRTHDAY
Part Four
By
Cristina
Translated by Eva


Disclaimer: This "Remington Steele" story is not-for-profit and is purely for entertainment purposes. The author and this site do not own the characters and are in no way affiliated with "Remington Steele," the actors, their agents, the producers, MTM Productions, the NBC Television Network or any station or network carrying the show in syndication, or anyone in the industry.

WARNING: Some parts of my stories are rated "R". If you don't know what that means, don't read it !!!!



Part IV
: Remy arrives at Laura's loft without imagine the surprise which is awaiting him. Remington celebrates his first familiar; Laura thinks everything is finally going to be cleared up, but all gets complicated.

Fred announced the arrival at Laura's loft.

"Good, Fred, thank you. I don't think I will need you tonight. Well, it was an agreeable company, but now it's a pleasure to leave you. Good luck at the championship, Mild, and you, Daniel be careful."

"Yes, Mr. Steele, until tomorrow."

"Bye, Harry, there will be time to talk, OK?"

"Yes, Boss, you shouldn't worry about anything, I take care of everything. Relax, you're very tense."

"Thanks, Mildred. Good night."

Remington entered Laura's building and stopped at the foot of the stairway. OH, my God, I haven't had one single minute of time to think about what I'm going to tell Laura. I hope she talks before I have to ask, because I do not want to sound possessive or jealous. But if she keeps lying to me, what would I do? OH God, so many wishes I've had today to meet her and now all I want is to turn around and go home.

But what's this, Mr. Steele? How is it possible that you doubt about Laura's love? Specially YOU, who were a fraud all your life, who have exposed Laura to so many women of your past one single person could stand. The most terrible thing about all this and what makes me feel shame about YOU, MR. STEELE, is that in your inside you had even considered Daniel's proposal of going with him to who-knows-where, leaving Laura as his father and Wilson did. Is this what you fear most when you face Laura? That she might be able to read in your eyes that for an instant the idea of leaving her went through your mind? DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE COMPLETELY CRAZY, boy!! What foolishness is this?

You know this story came in very handy, don't you? What for? To give free rein to your fear to marriage. Yes, YES, if not why did you leave the rings well guarded in the safe? Come on, don't be stupid! Laura is THE WOMAN OF YOUR LIFE, she is the one who loves you, who believed in you despite of all and against all, she trusts you. How is it possible that you let your mind get lost in these dark thoughts just because of one stupid chap passed by? STOP this nonsense, Laura is waiting for you and it all will be cleared, and this awful day will end in a perfect evening as always.

Come on, up these damned stairs which are the last handicap to reach the MOST IMPORTANT person in your life.

Damn it, I hadn't had time to buy her some flowers. That doesn't matter, for Laura the most important thing is that YOU are there!
He sighed deeply and started to go upstairs.

* * * * *

Laura was worried. Fred had warned her that Remington went to her, and he never took such a long time to go up the stairs. What's happening? What is delaying him?

"Laura, calm down, it's not your wedding day. Maybe he regretted it and decided to celebrate his birth date with someone else."

"No, mother, you don't understand, and shut up. I don't want to hear even a pin drop. Mr. Steele has a very refined ear and hears everything." This was really difficult, as there were so many people there at that time. When Laura had already decided to go down, a soft know on the door was heard.

Laura's heart jumped. "YEEES?"

"It's me," was heard from the other side of the door.

"OH, yes, come in, it's open," answered Laura.

Remington somewhat confused as Laura hadn't open the door, moved the heavy gate, to stand in the completely darkness of the loft.

"Bu- ... but what's happening here that it's so dark? LAURA, are you all right?" As he tried to switch on the lights, all was illuminated and a crowd said:

"SURPRISE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"

Remington could not understand what he saw. There they were Frances and Donald with all the little family, Monroe and his wife, Abigail, Jarvis and his fiancé, Sheldom and Lucile with her little baby, George Mulch and, of course, Max, the Atomic Man. Frances' and Donalds' children rushed shouting "UNCLE REMINGTON, UNCLE REMINGTON", embracing him and climbing up to his arms as they always did, at the time Mildred, Daniel and Fred appeared from behind and held Remington to avoid him to fall together with the children to the floor.

"Boss, HAPPY BIRTHDAY," said Mildred helping Remington with one child.

"Happy birthday, my boy, it's clear that the people here love you, isn't it?"

"Congratulations, Mr. Steele."

Remington was astonished; he couldn't speak; he couldn't understand what was happening. My birthday, where did it all come from, what's this madness? Laura!! Of course. Oh my God, and HOW BEAUTIFUL she is and I can't embrace her. He thought while he tried to get rid of the children who tried to give him their gifts.

Laura approached him and said: "Well, Mr. Steele, you don't have anything to say? What do you think about the surprise?"

"To be honest, Miss Holt," he said clearing his throat, "I don't know what to say; I had no idea that this day could turn into a birthday party."

Abigail came and extending her hand to greet Remington, said: "Mr. Steele, Laura wanted to make a surprise birthday party, what I didn't find a good idea, specially because you're her boss and I don't want you to get upset with her ..."

"Mother, STOP IT, please. PAY ATTENTION," said Laura increasing her voice and in front of all, trying her plan not to slip out of her hands. "Now I'm going to give to R- ... Mr. Steele his birthday present. I would like to tell you all that ..."

Remington took her by her arm. "One moment, please ... Laura, I need to talk to you, outside. Forgive us one minute ... we'll come back."

"Bu- ... but ... Laura," totally sad, went out after him without saying a word. Once in the hall, Remington closed the door after them.

They all look puzzled seeing that something was going to happen, and it seemed nothing good.

"Mum, why did uncle Remington and aunt Laura leave? Why didn't he open our gifts?" Asked insistently the baby.

"They will come and open the presents, darling. The only thing is that Remington was too surprised with this unexpected party. Everything will become clear soon."

"I told your sister that this wasn't a good idea, but you know how she is, she doesn't listen to anybody."

Daniel approached Abigail. Mildred cautiously put herself closer to watch what Daniel was planning to do.

"Abi, what is happening here? Do you have any idea?"

"No, but I suspect that we have put our feet in something, and that we are on the verge of causing a disaster."

"But do you really think that these two ..."

"Yes, Daniel and I think our plan is going to generate a big disaster."

Mildred completely dazzled, took them by their shoulders: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BOTH TALKING ABOUT, WHAT PLAN?? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO LAURA AND REMINGTON? ABOUT WHAT DISASTER ARE YOU TALKING??"

"AH Mildred, you wouldn't understand ..."

"TRY ME!!"

Abigail feeling totally guilty and not able to look Mildred into the eyes, said breaking into tears: "We just wanted these two to finally take the decision to commit to each other and ..."

"Mildred, you know that these two if they don't have challenges, they'll never decide to do nothing. That's why we decided to give them a little push forward."

"WELL, what a pretty PAIR you've turned to be. The ones who DON'T KNOW ABOUT NOTHING are you. What have you done to the kids?"

"Okay, we tried to create situations to keep them apart, so that they would try to join and finally declare their love one to the other. So that we ..."

"I see, I see, don't tell me anything more. That's why Remington was SO altered this afternoon, and why Laura was acting SO strange. And now you've ruined EVERYTHING. Let me tell you something. What Laura was going to say is that since three months ago she and Remington are engaged. This was going to be a GREAT surprise, which you both have ruined with your STUPID plan. Now the kids are arguing there for certain stupidity that you created."

"OH, my God, Daniel, what have we done?" said Abigail between sobs.

"But how could we know something like that with all the comings and goings the two have gone through their relation over four years?"

"Well, just asking me, who am the one who is with them every day!!"

"And you would have told us, Mildred?"

"Certainly not, but I could have given you some clues not to invent this foolish plan."

"Oh my God, what are we going to do now?"

"We have to do something quickly before everything goes to hell!!"

"Yes, yes ... let's see ..."

* * * * *

A very upset Remington had Laura grasped by her arm and turned her round to face him.

"WHAT IS THIS ALL, LAURA, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GOING TO SAY AT THIS MOMENT??"

"But, what happens to you, Remington, why are you so sulky? I wanted to surprise you, offer you a birthday party with the family, as you never had one and give you my confession of love in front of them all. Wasn't that what you wanted? Wasn't this what we were talking about this morning?"

Remington had a lump in his throat, noticing that Laura had done this for him, to please him, to bestow him, but at the same time he couldn't forget the image of Laura in the museum's coffee shop with that stranger, and all the lies, and Daniel pounding his head.

He swallowed saliva and tried to lower the tone of his voice. "Yes, but isn't there something you should tell me before, something you have hidden the whole day long and for what everyone has been lying to cover you?"

"WHAT? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??"

"I'm talking about us, about our trust to each other, about telling us all, I'm talking about being a couple that doesn't hide anything."

"BUT how do you think I could arrange a party to surprise you without hiding certain things, without some white lies here and there?"

"PARTY, who is talking about parties?"

"THEN TELL ME PLEASE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??"

The conversation tone was increasing, and Laura started feeling something was terribly bad.

"WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LIES!!"

"Lies? WHOSE??"

"All right, Laura, I think that obviously you're not telling me the truth, I thought we had agreed there would be no more tricks and lies in our relation. Now I feel that this way ..."

The door went open and Abigail and Daniel appeared in the scene brought by their arms by Mildred.

"Please, not now Mildred, leave us alone because it seems that Mr. Steele is at the point to say something REVEALING!!" said Laura with a hoarse voice and eyes full of tears, feeling that all this had succeeded in taking Remington apart from her and worse fed his distrust.

"NO LAURA ... DON'T MAKE A MISTAKE ... YOU MUST LISTEN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE AND YOU RUIN YOUR LIVES!!"

"YES, HARRY, PLEASE, DON'T DO OR SAY ANYTHING YOU WILL REGRET ALWAYS!!"

"DON'T MIX YOU UP IN THIS MATTER, DANIEL. I'm grown enough as to have you still guiding my steps," said Remington with a bitter tone in his voice.

"WELL, ENOUGH WITH THIS FOOLISHNESS!! You two stay here and LISTEN to what THESE TWO have to say. AND STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN AND FIGHTING!!" interfered Mildred with an authoritarian and firm tone.

Laura and Remington lowered their heads, knowing that when Mildred acted that way with them was because they have done some stupidity.

"GOOD, THAT'S BETTER ... now, I'm going inside to calm your guests and you four are going to TALK AND CLEAR everything out and then you are coming inside to enjoy it with the ones that love you, IS IT CLEAR??"

"Yes, Mildred," Remington and Laura said as two children that have been reprehended by his mother after a big mischief.

"Oh, Laura, you have to forgive us; I think that we have caused this disaster," said Abigail between sobs. "Yes, yes, and we have to explain something before this turns to a complete disaster."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?? WHAT HAVE YOU TO DO WITH THIS?"

"Darling, listen to us and I hope you could forgive us."

"Daniel and I were worried about you, because you weren't capable of telling how much you love each other."

"THAT YOU DID WHAT?" asked Laura y Remington looking each other in surprise.

"Yes, my boy. One had to be blind not to see how in love you were; and I know you well, Harry, I know how difficult commitments are for you and to express your true feelings. But I also knew from the first moment I saw you with Laura, that you had met the woman of YOUR LIFE, and that Laura had found THE MAN of her life. I knew you weren't going to leave her for anything in the world, and that you were ready to give your life for her."

"But, then, why weren't you able to remember her name and why have you tried to take me away from here?"

"It was just to provoke you two, who are two spirits to be challenged once and again."

"Well, and what has all this to do with our discussion now? Why do you say you have something to do with?"

"Laura, darling, Daniel and I decided that we had to prepare a plan to push you both to each other arms, and for that the best result would be by trying to separate you, coming against difficulties, to confront you to situations that provoked the other to fight for each other: Daniel tempting Remington to commit in a case on his own, traveling away and leaving you alone; and me, on my side, putting you in the hands of a neat young man, who really was a menace for Remington."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"We had no idea that you had decided to commit, and thought that four years were too many and that you needed a little push to take the decision."

"WHAT MADNESS IS THIS? How is it possible you have prepared such a trap!!"

"Harry, my boy, this is my entire fault; I convinced Abi that we had to intervene in this affair for your good."

"NO, NO, Daniel, it was not only your fault, I also agreed and I thought it was the best for you two."

"How funny, now the both of them are trying to obtain the first price as the most interfering person!!" Remington said, making faces of complicity to Laura, who was very silent and with a sad look.

"Could you explain what you exactly did to ruin it all?" said Laura breaking in tears.

"Are you saying that the case of the Getty Museum from today isn't real, Daniel?" asked Remington holding Laura by her shoulders trying to comfort her.

"The case is real; what isn't real is that we had thought of you working alone. I never thought that you would do it without her; it was all to provoke you."

"What about the Getty Museum? Weren't you going to LACMA? Then ... this means that ..."

"I was there in the cafeteria this morning," Remington answered looking at Laura with pain in his eyes.

"NOW I UNDERSTAND ..." said Laura drying the tears with the back of her hand. "Bu-... but ... HOW DARE YOU??"

"NO, NO, don't argue about that ... it was MY fault, Remington, I sent Laura so that you could see her with William Hancook, and Daniel had to make you jealous, make you react.

"BUT HOW DID YOU THINK ABOUT such a thing?"

"Please, kids, could you forgive us? The last thing we wanted was to cause this disaster. The only thing that Daniel and I wanted was to see you together forever!!"

"Then, everything you told me about Remington was ..."

"To make you defend him, and shout at me what you really felt for him. And it almost worked, if it wasn't for you trying to keep the surprise as a present for Remington, was it?"

"And you, Harry, could you forgive this foolish old man, who only wanted your happiness, and knows this happiness is close to Laura?"

"Laura, what do you say? Should we spare their lives?" said Remington with a light smile.

"Yes, it's all right, but I hope that you two had learn your lesson and that you should NEVERMORE get in between, right?"

"Yes, boys, and now, please, embrace each other and let us go in and enjoy the party, and so Laura could give her present to Remington. I'm so sad about all this, I promise to fix it as soon as possible!"

"OK, you go inside, Remington and I need to talk for a while," she said looking out at Remington of the corner of her eyes.

"But, Laura, they are all there waiting for us, we can talk later." Remington said somewhat nervous, knowing what the conversation was going to deal about. He didn't want to confess in front of Laura how jealous he had been of seeing her with another man, and he didn't know what to do to avoid Lauras' questions to this. Specially now that he knew his doubts had been generated by others and that his beloved Laura had done everything to give him the big surprise of his life. Oh God, what am I going to do, what am I telling her to forgive me?

"Daniel and my mother can entertain them for some minutes; we need to clear something, OK?"

"Come on, Abi, let's leave them alone. But, WITHOUT ARGUING, right? Because if this happens, I'll come and take you by the ears, OK?"

"Ok, Daniel. OK," said Laura pointing to the door to be left alone.

* * * * *

Remington lowered his look to the floor, trying to think in what to tell Laura.

"Well, now yes. HOW COULD YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT ME, EH?"

"NO, LAURA ... I didn't ... it's just that ..."

"THAT YOU WERE JEALOUS!!"

"Well, Honestly, honestly, Laura ... it's that ..." Remington couldn't raise his look, because he knew Laura was right. He was absolutely jealous and nothing he could say could take him from this. So he sighed deeply, and decided to do the only thing right in this case: TO TELL THE TRUTH; with Laura anything else was impossible. Remington kneeled in front of Laura and embracing her waist, with his head on Laura's stomach, he said:

"OH my love, can you forgive me? I swear I'll never act again this way. It's only that I LOVE YOU TO MADNESS, and that makes me feel something inside I have never felt before!!"

Laura, completely melt and with a smile because of Remington's confession, kneeled in front of him, took his head in his hands: "I too love you to madness and I must confess something!! I was also jealous!!"

"Why, my love? If I didn't ...?"

"No, you weren't with anybody, but they told me a story about one ... one ... blonde of your past."

"Who?"

"It doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that we two followed the game they prepared and we were taken by jealousness. I LOVE YOU, Remy!!"

"And me you, Laura, WITH ALL MY SOUL." They kissed deeply, both kneeling on the floor. "Oh my love, if there weren't so many people in there, I think I would make love right now!!"

"But, what are the neighbors going to say, Mr. Steele!!"

"Mmmmm ... I would like to know!! But, tell, me, Laura, how did you came up with all this about my birthday?"

"Do you remember I invented a birth date for you, and that the last time we couldn't celebrate it properly? Well, I thought that it was time to celebrate your birthday inside the family, and I think that you already have an idea about what was going to be your present, hadn't you? THE ONE YOU RUINED!!"

"Correction: Daniel and your mother ruined it!! You were going to tell everybody about us, weren't you?"

"YES, and now the surprise IS RUINED!!"

"No, no I don't think so. We could still go in and give the news."

"Do you think that with my mother there inside, trying to entertain the rest, they wouldn't know already? DAMN IT, I wanted to say it!!"

"Well, let's get in and see what we can do to surprise them all. AH, and Laura, thank you!!"

"For what?"

"For understanding, for my birthday, for your wonderful gift, for being you!! Come on, let's stand up," and he took Laura by her hands and helped her to get up. He kissed her hands, then brought her closer to him and kissed her deeply.

"OH, REMY ... HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU!!!"

"And me you, my love, so do I!!"

 
To Be Continued ...

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