Remington opened his eyes and took a moment to remember where he was: Laura's living room on the sofa. He stretched, and threw back the blanket as he grabbed for his robe and put his feet into the slippers that waited nearby. Rikki's new bicycle, complete with training wheels, was sitting before the tree, waiting for her to appear. He managed to see his watch in the still twinkling lights. Four a.m. He needed to get up and put on the goose- slow cooking it was best, he decided. Then he'd make breakfast after Rikki opened her gifts.
But first, he folded the blankets and returned them and the pillow to the linen closet. Closing the kitchen door, he turned on the light and set to work- only to be interrupted by a tapping on the back door. Remington lifted the curtain, and found himself looking through the small pane of glass at the surprised face of Murphy Michaels.
Unlocking the door, he opened it. "Murphy. This is a surprise. I thought you left for Denver yesterday?"
"I did," Murphy said. "What are you doing here?" he asked, pushing past Remington into the room.
"Getting ready to cook a goose," Remington informed him. "Care to volunteer?"
"I meant this early. And wearing your robe-"
"I spent the night," Remington said, going back to where the bird awaited his attention. He'd done most of the preparatory work while unable to sleep- all that needed doing was to put in the stuffing and slip it into the oven.
"You what?"
"Spent the night. Slept here," Remington clarified.
"Where's Laura?" Murphy asked, heading for the door.
"Still asleep, Murphy," Remington said. "And I'd appreciate it if you would keep your voice down so not to disturb her or Rikki."
"So help me, if you did anything-"
The kitchen door slid open on its runner and Laura slipped into the room, wearing a robe over her nightgown. "Murphy?!" she hissed, closing the door. "What are you doing here?" She didn't look as if she'd slept much either, Remington thought.
"Denver was snowed in," he told her. "They diverted us to Vegas. I rented a car and drove back to LA. Figured if I couldn't be with my folks for Christmas, I'd spend the day with you and Rikki." He glared at Remington. "I didn't expect to find *him* here this early."
"He spent the night," Laura said, glaring at Remington's satisfied smirk. "On the sofa." The smirk faded slightly. "Look, you can stay, Murphy, but I don't want you two arguing around Rikki and ruining the day. Play nice, okay? Or else I'll send you *both* home right now."
"Mommy! Mommy!" Rikki yelled, and Laura opened the door as the child reached it. "I got it! Santa brought it!" she grabbed Laura's hand to pull her back toward the living room.
"Got what, Rikki?" Murphy asked.
"Hi, Uncle Murphy!" Rikki said, but kept pulling Laura along. "My bike!"
Remington finished stuffing the goose and put it into the oven, then washed his hands before following the three of them.
Rikki was sitting on the bike, her delighted smile nearly dimming the lights from the tree. "Isn't it the prettiest thing you ever saw?" she asked.
"Absolutely beautiful," Murphy replied, kneeling beside her.
"I wonder what else you might have gotten to go with it?" Remington questioned, and Rikki's attention turned to the packages nearby.
He grabbed a present from the stack and held it out to her, as Murphy did the same. Laura grabbed both packages and found another- one from her. "Here you go, Rikki."
Rikki took the package and tore the wrapping paper, causing Laura to wince slightly. "I'm going to find a trash bag," she decided.
"It can wait, Laura," Murphy told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Part of the fun of Christmas is cleaning up the wrapping paper, right, Rikki?"
Rikki nodded, opening the box to reveal a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. "She's not playing hockey, Laura, she's gonna ride a bike," Murphy said.
"Laura's right, Murphy," Remington insisted. "Safety first." He reached around Murphy to help Rikki put the helmet on. "There you go. All set."
"Can I go ride it?" she asked.
All three adults laughed. "Let's see what else is under the tree," Laura said, then pointed to Murphy and Remington. "Over there-" ordered, pointing toward the couch. "I'll sort the presents, and then we'll all open them at the same time." She picked up one and handed it to Rikki. "This one is for your Uncle Rem," she said. "And this one is yours- put it over there . . ."
Half an hour later, all of the presents were unwrapped, thanks given and received for them. Rikki ran back to her bicycle, and started trying to roll it through the papers laying on the floor. "Whoa, where are you going, Princess?" Murphy asked.
"To ride my bike," she announced.
"Why don't we wait til after breakfast?" Remington suggested. "Pancakes?"
Rikki thought, trying to decide what was more important. Riding her new bike- or Remington's pancakes. "Chocolate ones?" she asked.
"If you like."
"With funny faces?"
"I think I could manage that."
"Okay," she finally agreed.
"Tell you what," Murphy said, "While he's doing that, why don't you and I pick up this wrapping paper?"
"I'm going to put this stuff away," Laura announced, gathering her presents. "You know where the trash bags are, Murph."
Laura carried her armload into her bedroom, closing the door with a sigh of relief at the relative silence. She was used to loud, boisterous family celebrations, but not the thinly veiled antagonism between Remington and Murphy. She lay the black velvet wide-leg pants on the bed, wondering how Remington had known that she wanted them. The red velvet blouse with its satin holly appliqué was from Murphy- and had been an easy choice for a gift, considering he knew how much Laura liked Christmas. But the two pieces matched perfectly. The ensemble symbolized her confusion when it came to the two men. Murphy was her best friend, her confidante- at least, he had been until Remington's appearance, or rather reappearance. Her big brother, although she knew he'd prefer that it was that.
Remington, on the other hand, was sexy, sweet when he wanted to be, and too charming for his own good. Both men were important to her in different ways, but there was no way that both could be part of her life.
So far, Rikki seemed not to notice the competition between her "uncles" for her attention and affection. She seemed to almost take it in stride, as if it were her due. And she certainly wasn't complaining about being spoiled to death by both of them.
***
Murphy dumped a handful of paper on Rikki's head, making her laugh in delight. He bent to pick up some more, and saw something on the carpet beside the sofa that caught his attention. Picking it up, he held up the sprig of mistletoe and looked at it as Rikki copied his move. In retaliation, he grabbed her and tickled her ribs, causing her to wiggle away from him and pick up more paper. "I thought you two were supposed to be cleaning this up?" Laura asked as Rikki prepared to drop another armful on Murphy's head.
"We're playing snow, Mommy," Rikki told her, tossing the paper into the air instead of on Murphy. "See?"
"I see." She picked up the trash bag. "Let's shovel the snow into this, shall we?"
Rikki put some of the paper into the bag as Murphy held up the mistletoe. "Where'd this come from?" he asked. "I didn't see any around the house- except for the one you have in the dining room doorway-" He glanced in that direction and studied the piece in his hand again.
Laura shrugged as she looked at it. "I don't know. I guess it broke off. Just put it in the trash with the paper."
He shook his head and held it over hers. "Not just yet."
"Murphy-"
"It's tradition," he reminded her. "Just one kiss."
He leaned closer, and gave her a light kiss that could easily have become more- if Laura had let it. But before she could even end that brief contact, she heard Remington clear his throat from the kitchen doorway. "Breakfast is ready," he announced.
Rikki took off, slowing only when she passed Remington. "Pancakes!'
Murphy gave Remington a triumphant grin as he tossed the green sprig toward him, then followed Rikki into the kitchen with a slight swagger.
"Coming, Laura?" Remington asked, moving to put the mistletoe into the trash bag.
"I'm not very hungry," she told him, picking up a piece of stray paper.
"Rikki will wonder where you are," he reminded her, indicating that she should join him. In the dining room doorway he paused and placed a hand on her arm. "Let's do this right, shall we?"
"Remington-"
He didn't give her a chance to protest further. He pressed his lips to hers as Murphy stuck his head out of the kitchen. "You two coming?"
Remington lifted his head, his eyes on Laura. "On our way, Murphy," he replied, and took Laura's hand to lead her toward the kitchen.
Rikki tore into her pancakes the moment they were all seated at the table, oblivious to the undercurrents in the room. "Slow down, Poppet," Remington admonished quietly, no sign of his anger at Murphy evident. "What's the rush?"
"I wanna ride my bike," she told him through a mouthful of food.
Laura managed to laugh. "You still have to change clothes, Rikki. Now slow down."
"You can't enjoy them if you don't take time to taste them," Remington pointed out. "The bike will be there when you are. It's not going anywhere."
Rikki resumed eating her pancakes at a slightly more sedate rate. "That's better," Laura said, picking up her own fork and looking at the happy face made with whipped cream. "There's enough sugar and calories in this for a week," she sighed.
"It's Christmas," Remington reminded her. "Forget the rules."
"Words you live by, eh?" Murphy asked.
"Until recently, perhaps," Remington agreed smoothly, cutting into his own pancakes. "I've a growing appreciation for boundaries these days," he replied with a note of warning that seemed to finally get even Rikki's attention as she stopped eating to look from Remington to Murphy.
Laura dug into her own breakfast with gusto. "These are delicious, aren't they, Rikki?" she asked, hoping to take her daughter's mind off of the random bits of male testosterone that seemed to be floating around the room. "I wonder if Maria can make these as well?"
"Not without my secret recipe," Remington said, winking at Rikki, seeming totally relaxed again.
Murphy got up. "You want some coffee, Laura?"
"Thanks, Murphy," she said.
"I'll take a cup as well, since you're offering," Remington said, putting another pancake onto Rikki's plate.
Murphy poured two coffees, then brought them to the table, placing one of them before Laura before sitting down again. Rikki stopped eating and frowned at Murphy.
"Rikki, finish your pancakes," Laura said quietly, putting her napkin on the table beside her own half eaten breakfast. "If I could see both of you in the other room, gentlemen?"
"This isn't going to work," Laura told them the moment they got into the living room and out of Rikki's hearing. "Murphy, that was juvenile and unnecessary."
"I know," he sighed. "There's just something about this guy that brings it out. Ever since I got here this morning, he's acted like he belongs here or something."
"I do," Remington said. "Rikki's my daughter," he reminded them both.
Laura waved him to silence. "Shh! You both promised to behave-"
"I thought I was behaving," Remington told her.
"Shh! Rikki's starting to notice that you're not exactly the best of friends. She doesn't need that kind of confusion in her life."
"We could solve this easily," Remington pointed out.
"Yeah," Murphy sneered. "You could leave." Laura threw up her hands in resignation.
"No, I meant that we could tell her the truth."
"What?" Murphy exclaimed.
"No," Laura said. "That's not an option. She's too young to understand."
"She understands that her father isn't here because he doesn't know about her," Remington pointed out. "How much farther is it from that to saying *I'm*-" he looked toward the kitchen. "I'm her father? I think she'd accept it."
"What makes you so sure she'd choose you even then?" Murphy asked.
"It's not a question of choice, Murphy, it's a matter of birth."
"Well, *I'm* the one who was there when she was born," Murphy reminded him. "While you were off planning another jewel robbery or con job, no doubt."
The fact that he was telling the truth hit Remington a bit too close to home, and he grabbed the other man's jacket as Laura tried to get between them. "Let him go, Remington," she said. "Please."
"Truth hurt, pal?" Murphy asked, straightening his clothes when Remington loosened his grip. "I've been right here for Rikki *and* Laura every day since she got back from Acapulco. Where were you?"
"If I'd known, I would have been here. But I didn't know. And nothing any of us can do will change that little fact, will it? No matter how you slice it, Murphy, she's still my daughter, not yours. And that's not going to change, either. I might not have been here for the past five years, but I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere- except to get dressed. Excuse me, Laura."
Laura stood thee, glaring at Murphy once Remington had left the room. "I'm sorry, Laura. It's just- for the last six years,-"
"I know, Murph. And I'm grateful those six years. But he's right. It wasn't entirely his fault that I didn't know a name to go with the face. He didn't know my name, either, remember. He needs the chance to get to know her. He has that right as her father. I can't deny that to either of them."
"And what am I supposed to do? Just step out of her life?"
"Of course not. She wouldn't understand that anymore than she would understand that he's her father. You're her Uncle Murphy. You'll always be her Uncle Murphy. In a way, you've probably go the better deal, you know. She'll come to you with the things she can't talk to him about."
"The way it's going, she's going to be able to talk to him about anything," Murphy sighed. "God, even *I* can see how close they are already. After just four months." He ran a hand over his face, then around his neck. "Maybe I should go. Leave the three of you-"
"No. You're staying for Christmas dinner, as we agreed. But only if you can chill a little."
He gave her a sad smile. "A little, maybe. And I promise, no more bickering around Rikki."
"Thank you." She gave him a light kiss on the jaw. "I'm going to see if Rikki's finished with her breakfast. She's going to need another bath after all that chocolate and whipped cream."
"I'll wait in here," Murphy told her.
***
Rikki was just finishing her pancake when Laura entered the kitchen. "What's wrong, Mommy?" she asked.
"Nothing, sweetheart. Uncle Rem and Uncle Murphy just had a slight- disagreement, that's all. It's okay now."
"Uncle Murphy doesn't like Uncle Rem, does he?"
"Of course he does. He just misses having you all to himself. Let's go take a bath and get dressed so you can go ride that bike, okay?"
"Can I wear my new blue jeans?"
"Of course."
"And the Rudolph shirt Uncle Murphy bought me?"
"That's what I was planning on your wearing," Laura assured her daughter as they started out of the kitchen. Remington was on his way in, wearing jeans and a blue shirt, and smiled at Rikki. "How were the pancakes?" he asked.
"Yummy!" she declared, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Once I get the kitchen cleaned up and check the goose, I'll be out to help with the bike, okay?"
"Okay."
Remington finished in the kitchen, then poured two cups of coffee, carrying one out to where Murphy still waited in the living room. "Thought you might want this," he said.
"Thanks." He was looking at some photos of Rikki taken over the last five years. "I can remember when she took her first steps. I was as proud of her -"
"As if she were your own?" Remington finished, his coffee hovering near his lips. "I know this isn't easy for you, Murphy."
"It's hell," Murphy agreed. "Before you stepped into Laura's life again and turned it upside down, there was a chance that someday-. A small chance, but it was there. Now- "
"Tell me, Murphy, would you really have been able to settle for a life with Laura, knowing that she didn't love you?"
Murphy looked at him. "Would you?"
"No. Luckily, I hope that's not a problem I'll have to face."
Laura and Ricky came from the bedroom, Rikki now wearing her new outfit. "See, Uncle Murphy?" she said going over to him. "I'm wearing the shirt you gave me."
"I see," he told her. "Wanna go ride that bike now?"
"Let me change clothes first," Laura said as the telephone rang. She answered it quickly. "Hello? . . . Mother? . . . Merry Christmas . . . I didn't expect you to call- where are you? . . ."
Rikki, wearing the bike helmet, went over to stand beside her mother. "Is that Gramma? I wanna tell her Merry Christmas."
Laura nodded, trying to hear her mother over the connection. "Bern? . . . Switzerland? . . . Yes, yes, I'm sure it is lovely . . . What? . . . Yes, we got the gifts. Everything's the right size . . . When? . . . Okay . . . I will . . . Good-bye . . ."
Rikki pouted when she hung up. "I wanted to talk to Gramma," she said.
"I know, Rikki. But she was calling long distance, and she needed to call Aunt Frances too. She'll be home in another two months."
"I wanted to tell her what Uncle Rem and Uncle Murphy got me for Christmas."
"You can tell her when she gets home," Laura said.
Remington grabbed the bike. "Sidewalk, here we come," he said, and Rikki followed him from the house, giggling.
Murphy looked at Laura. "You haven't told her that he's here, have you?"
Laura shook her head. "You know what my mother's like, Murphy. She'd catch the next flight from Europe and be on my doorstep," she said. "Then proceed to make my life, and Rikki's, and Remington's life miserable. I think they need a little more time before adding my mother into things."
"Hmm," Murphy grunted. "Go get dressed. I'll see if I can't delay those two."
"Thanks."
"What're friends for?" he asked. As he went outside, he was smiling again. Laura's reticence to tell her mother that Remington Steele was in the picture might just work out to his advantage. Abigail Holt had a huge chip on her shoulder when it came to Rikki's absent father. A little information dropped into her ear could be just the ticket to getting that man out of their lives for good. If he could just stick things out until Laura's mother returned from Europe, things might just get back to normal.
To Be Continued---