Three hours later, Grawley was on his way back to London, unaware that he would soon be arrested for murdering the Major using the gun which he'd given Laura to hold as evidence.
The four of them were gathered in Laura's living room, watching as Remington uncorked a bottle of champagne to celebrate their success. "I still can't believe that you gave Mother a gun with live ammunition," Laura told Remington.
"We had to make it look real," Remington reminded her, pouring the champagne. "Grawley wouldn't have been fooled with blanks. He had to believe that Abigail really shot Daniel."
"I don't know what you're so worried about, Laura," Abigail said, her face still flushed from the excitement. "I'm no stranger to acting. I starred in my high school play."
Daniel lifted his glass. "I want to thank you all for your help. And you have standing invitation to visit me in my villa in the south of France."
Abigail giggled. "Well, I supposed I *could* take another trip to Europe."
Laura gave Daniel a warning look, but before he could respond, the front door opened to admit Murphy and Rikki. "There she is," Remington said, then frowned as he realized that she wasn't smiling at him. She wasn't smiling at all. "What's wrong, Poppet?" he asked.
Murphy put a hand on her shoulder and knelt beside her. "Why don't you go and find Maria, Princess? I'll see you before I go."
"Promise?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears again.
"Cross my heart."
"Rikki?" Laura asked as her daughter ran toward the kitchen. She and Remington were both on their feet now, facing Murphy. "What happened, Murphy?" she asked.
"I'll go see-"
Murphy stopped Remington with a hand on his arm. "Not yet. We have to talk first." He nodded at Abigail and Daniel. "The three of us."
Abigail rose from her chair. "Why don't *we* go and see what's wrong with Rikki, Daniel?" she suggested. "It'll give you that chance to meet her."
Daniel shook himself out of the daze that seeing the child had put him in, swallowed heavily, and nodded, following her toward the rear of the house.
"Okay, mate, what did you say to Rikki that upset her like that?" Remington wanted to know, in full protective father mode.
"I told her that I'm leaving town," Murphy explained in a monotone.
"What?"
"Murphy, no," Laura cried softly. "You can't-"
"It's all set, Laura. I called my folks last night. My dad's got this old storefront he's gonna let me use to set up an office. Its for the best, in the long run."
"But- what about the agency?"
"You don't really need me anymore, Laura. All I've been doing the last few weeks is picking up autopsy reports and doing information searches."
"You really don't have to do this, Murphy," Remington said. "If this is because of me-"
"It is, partially. But it's also time I moved on. Made something of my own. As long as I'm here, I'll be in Laura's shadow- just like she's been in Remington Steele's shadow all these years. I need to do this to prove to myself that I can."
"But Denver," Laura fretted. "It's so far away-"
"A little over an hour by air," he told her. "And I'll stay in touch with Rikki. I'm not abandoning her- just- giving her a little space."
"When are you leaving?" Laura asked, wishing she could keep the tears out of her eyes. She couldn't see very well through them.
"Resignation's already on your desk at the office. Effective immediately."
Laura moved to give him a long hug, and Remington heard a few suspicious sniffles as she turned her face away from the both. "Hey," Murphy said. "I'll just be a phone call away. So if this guy gives you too much trouble-" he said with a half-hearted grin that Remington knew meant he was more than half serious, "just pick up the phone." He pulled Laura away from him to look at her. "And as much as it pains me to say this, he's right about something."
"I am?" Remington asked, surprised.
"Rikki deserves to know he's her father, Laura. Now. The longer you go without telling her, the harder it's gonna be when you finally do. Just think about it, okay? She's gonna need him- if he stays around."
"I will, Murphy," Remington said in a quiet voice. "I'll go get Rikki," he said, deciding that Laura needed a moment alone with her old friend.
"I wish you'd reconsider, Murphy," Laura said. "It won't be the same without you."
"Hey, as much as I don't like the guy- I have to admit he's come a long way since he fell into our lives as Remington Steele. He's got good instincts. With a little training from you, I think he'll be okay. But, like I said, if you ever need me, call, and I'll be here as soon as I can."
She nodded and gave him another hug.
***
When Remington entered the kitchen, he found Rikki sitting in Daniel's lap, crying softly as he rocked her with a gentle motion. The unusual sight brought him up short for a moment. "Rikki?" he said, and wasn't surprised to see her hide her face against Daniel's jacket. Remington knelt beside Daniel's chair and reached out a hand, then drew it back. "Rikki, Uncle Murphy wants to see you."
"Is he still leaving?" she asked, blinking through her tears, hiccupping softly.
"I'm afraid so."
"Because of you," she said. "He's leaving cause you're here," she accused, ending in a hiccup.
"That's not true, Rikki," Daniel said, and she looked up at him. "Your Uncle Murphy loves you as though you were his own little girl. But you're not- and he knows that he needs to have his own little girl. But that won't mean he'll love you any less. And just because he's not here won't mean he doesn't love you, either. Your father's not here- and you know he loves you, don't you?"
Her head moved up and down in acceptance of his quiet words. "Mommy says he does."
"There, you see?" Daniel took out his handkerchief and gently dried her cheeks. "Now, I want you to go out there and wish him well, and give him a big hug that will last til the next time you see each other."
"Will you come with me?" she asked, and Remington thought that Daniel's breath caught in his throat for a moment as he looked into the little girl's blue eyes.
"Why don't you let your Uncle Remington take you in?"
She snuggled against Daniel again, shaking her head no. "Want you to do it."
Daniel met Remington's gaze over the girl's head, as if seeking advice on what he should do. Remington rose to his feet and moved across the room to stare out of the back window. Daniel set Rikki onto her feet and rose from his chair to take her hand in his before following her out into the living room.
Abigail placed a hand on Remington's arm. "She'll get over it, Remington," she said. "You'll see."
"I hope so, Abigail," he said, drawing a shuddering breath.
"Let's go. I need to tell Murphy good bye as well."
Rikki was Murphy's arms, her arms wrapped around her neck as Remington and Abigail entered the room. "I'll miss you, Uncle Murphy," she said.
"And I'm gonna miss you, Princess," he said in a rough voice. "More than you can know. But you know what?" he smoothed the dark hair away from her wet cheeks. "At least you'll still have your mommy and Maria- and your Uncle Rem." She glanced at Remington, and then buried her face in Murphy's neck again.
"I want you."
Murphy sighed. "Rikki, your Uncle Rem loves you. Almost as much as I do. If not more. It's not his fault that I'm leaving."
She looked at him and frowned. "It's not? But you said-"
"I didn't mean it. Its just time for me to go. We can't always keep the people we love close, Rikki. But that doesn't mean that we don't love them- or that they don't love us. You'll always be my Princess. Can you understand that?"
"I think so."
"But I'll call- and I'll come for visits. And maybe your mommy'll bring you to see me sometimes. Would you like that?" Rikki nodded. "Okay. Give me a hug, and go to your Mother."
Rikki nearly strangled him with her hug before she finally let go and was handed to a still tearful Laura. "Bye, Mrs. Holt," he said, giving Abigail a hug.
"Thank you for everything you've done for Laura and Rikki. They couldn't ask for a better friend."
"Yeah. Friend." He shook Daniel's hand. "So you're Daniel Chalmers."
"Guilty, I'm afraid."
"Maria-" he enclosed the Mexican woman in his arms, patting her back as she cried softly. "It's okay. It's okay."
Finally, he and Remington were face to face. "Take care of em," he said. "I meant what I told Laura."
"I never had a doubt of that." They clasped hands. "Thank you. And take care."
"Yeah." Murphy lifted a hand toward Rikki and Laura. "Bye."
"Bye, Uncle Murphy," Rikki said through her hiccups.
"Bye, Murph," Laura added. The door closed behind him, and suddenly Rikki wriggled out of Laura's arms and ran to the door, managing to get it open and run down the sidewalk.
"Uncle Murphy!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms as he turned around to catch her up.
Remington came out of the house, watching them. It was all slipping away, somehow. He watched Murphy come slowly back up the walk with Rikki in his arms. "Rikki," he said softly. "Uncle Murphy has to go now."
She lifted her head, unlocking her arms from Murphy's neck to look at Remington as Murphy said, "I bet if you asked real nice, Uncle Rem would take you to Disneyland tomorrow."
"I might. But I'd rather you stay here with me because you want to, Rikki," Remington said. "Because I love you more than anything in the world. And if you'd rather Uncle Murphy instead of me- then I'll go and he can stay if that's what he- and you want."
Murphy took a deep breath, and then whispered something in Rikki's ear. The girl's eyes widened as she looked at him. "Really?" she asked. Murphy nodded, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of pain and relief. She turned her head to look at Remington with something different in her eyes. Finally, she reached out and grabbed Remington's neck, freeing Murphy. He stood there for a minute, then turned and walked away, this time unhindered.
Remington watched him go, then started back toward the house as Rikki looked up at him and asked, "Are you *really* my daddy?"
It caused him to stop for moment and he turned to where Murphy was getting into his car and driving away. Taking a deep breath, Remington looked at his daughter. "Do you want me to be?" He held his breath as she studied him for what seemed to be forever before she responded with a hug.
"Yes."
He lifted his eyes toward the heavens in a silent prayer of thanks. "Well, I am."
She gave him another hug, and then squirmed to be released from his arms. Running into the house, she found Laura sitting on the sofa, Abigail and Daniel at her side. "Mommy! Mommy!" she said, climbing into her mother's lap. "Uncle Rem's my daddy!"
Laura's eyes widened as Remington appeared in the doorway. "You told her?"
"Actually, Murphy told her. I just confirmed it."
"Mommy!"
"Yes, sweetheart. I know."
"Then it's true?"
"Yes, it's true. He's your father." Laura watched as her daughter slid from her lap and ran back to Remington to throw her arms around his legs. He sat down in a chair and pulled her into his lap, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Abigail sighed at the scene. "You see, dear?" she said to Laura. "I told you that things would work out if you told her the truth. I'm going to see if Maria needs some help with dinner. Excuse me, Daniel."
He nodded, looking at Remington and Rikki until he felt Laura rise from the sofa and go to the window. He followed her as Remington and the child talked softly across the room. "Why so glum, my dear?" he asked. "If anyone should be depressed, it's me. I've lost Harry, I'm afraid."
"And I'm afraid I've lost my daughter- " Seeing his confusion, she shook her head. "I can't really explain it. For the last five years, I've had Rikki all to myself, really. Now-"
"Ah. You're worried that she'll come to care more for Harry than you."
"It's been known to happen," she said. "He's so much better with her than I am. Do you know that he hasn't missed *one* of her ballet or piano recitals in the last six months?"
"I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, Laura," Daniel said. "I doubt Harry will allow it to happen. Family tends to be very important to someone who's never had one."
"Like you?" Laura asked.
"Oh, there was a time when I had a chance to settle down, start a family of my own."
"You did?" she asked. "What happened?"
"I was young, foolish. Too much so to grasp the brass ring and hold onto it. Instead I turned my back on what might have been." He looked at Remington and Rikki. "I don't think I've ever seen him quite so content and happy."
"He means a lot to you, doesn't' he?" Daniel's affirmative answer was visible in his eyes. "At least you'll always know where he is," she pointed out. "And- if you'd like- you could- visit. Occasionally."
Daniel smiled at her, understanding. "Just not too often, hmm?" Laura smiled in response.
Remington and Rikki were still whispering between themselves, and Rikki giggled. "What's so funny?" Laura asked, moving to sit on the arm of the chair.
"Nothing," Rikki said, giggling again as she looked at her father.
"Keeping secrets from me already, hmm?" Laura said with a long suffering sigh.
Abigail returned a moment later. "Dinner's almost ready," she announced, and then picked up the champagne glass she'd used earlier. "I think we should have some more champagne."
"An excellent idea," Daniel agreed, grabbing the bottle and locating the glasses.
"Do you think you should, Mother?" Laura questioned. "You know what it does to you."
"One more glass won't hurt, Laura," Abigail insisted as Daniel distributed the glasses. "To Remington, Laura, and Rikki," she said. " And the future."
"The future," they all echoed.
"So," Abigail said, "When's the wedding?"
Laura choked on her champagne, her eyes on Remington, who sat there looking totally unconcerned. "What wedding?"
"Why, yours and Remington's, of course. Now that Rikki knows-"
"I never agreed to a wedding," Laura insisted.
"You can't go on the way you have been, Laura," Abigail replied. "It's not-"
"Proper?" Laura finished, as if she'd heard it all before. "I've done just fine for the last five years without a husband, Mother. And even if we're not married, Remington is still Rikki's father- and- and- Ooooooh!" she put down her glass and stalked out of the room, slamming the front door as she left the house.
Remington winced at the sound, and met Rikki's worried gaze. "It's all right, Poppet. Mommy's just having a temper tantrum. She'll be back soon."
"You might have helped me out a *little*, Remington," Abigail sniffed.
"And have her angry with me as well?" he replied. "Besides, this is between Laura and I, Abigail. It's actually an old argument, as you well know."
Abigail didn't seem to like his telling her to mind her own business, and sniffed again as Daniel said, "I'd go after her, Harry."
"You're right, Daniel. But I thought I'd give her a few minutes to cool down first." He gave Rikki a quick kiss. "Go sit with Uncle Daniel and your grandmother for a few minutes, okay? Daddy's got to try and calm Mommy down."
Rikki went over to Daniel. "Why do you call my daddy Harry?" she asked as her father left the room.
"It's a nick name," Daniel explained. "Short for Harrison."
She giggled. "His name's not Harrison. It's Rem-ing-ton."
"That's right. Remington Harrison Steele," Daniel told her, thinking quickly. "When he was little, he hated the name Remington. So I called him Harry."
"You've known Daddy since he was a little boy?"
"Not quite a little boy, but for several years," Daniel told her. He deftly pulled the champagne bottle out of Abigail's hands as she was about to refill her glass for the third time. "Stop sulking, Abigail. He was right. This is something the two of them have to settle. Besides, why should they change things now, after all this time?"
"It didn't matter so much before I met Remington, but now that I have, and he's not traveling as he used to, it just makes sense for them to-"
Daniel eyed her over Rikki's head. "As long as they're both here for Rikki, that's all that needs to matter, don't you agree? A marriage license isn't a guarantee of permanence. You of all people should know that."
Abigail sighed, reaching out to touch Rikki's cheek. "I suppose you're right, Daniel. How did you ever become so wise?"
Daniel sighed. "Years of experience watching others make mistakes, I suppose. And myself as well."
***
Remington tracked Laura down to the park down the street. She was sitting on a bench, watching some children kicking a ball. She didn't acknowledge him as he sat down beside her. "We need to talk," he said at last.
"I'm not getting married simply because of Rikki," she told him. "So if that's what you're going to say, you can save your breath."
"Who said anything about getting married just because of Rikki?" Remington asked.
"Everyone seems to expect that because we have a daughter, we *have* to be married," Laura pointed out.
"Everyone as in who? Your mother?"
"For a start. You, for another."
"When did I ever say that I wanted to marry you *just* because of Rikki?" he asked.
"Every week since Christmas- if not before."
Remington sighed and turned to take her hand in his. "Look, Laura, I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for. Hell, I think we all need a bit of time to adjust. You, me, Rikki. To get used to being a family slowly. A little at a time." He lifted her chin with his other hand. "Then, when we're *all* ready, we'll talk about it. Okay?"
"No pressure?" she asked, her expression revealing her distrust.
"None. About marriage, anyway," he told her, giving her a smile. "Other things, however-" When she smiled back, he gave another sigh, this one of relief.
"What about my mother?"
"I'll handle Abigail," he promised. "I think Maria has dinner nearly ready, if I'm not mistaken. And your daughter's been on the same emotional roller coaster that you've been on today, what with Murphy leaving and everything. She needs you."
"Does she? Sometimes over the last few months, I've wondered about that."
"Of course she does. Laura, I don't want to take Rikki from you. She's *our* daughter. Yours- and mine." He leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss, then stood up and held out his hand. "Shall we go and put her mind at ease? She was a bit upset when you left that way."
Laura rose from the bench and put her hand in his. "You know, for an imaginary man, you're not too bad."
"I always aim to please," he told her, joining her laughter as they turned their steps back toward Laura's little house- where their daughter was waiting on the steps, watching for their.
The End
I'll try to get another part written soon- if Real Life-(Yuck!™)
cooperates.-Krebbie