THE STEELE THAT WOULD NOT DIE

(what we should have seen)

By Pat C

 

ACT 8, Scene 1
Int. Ashford Castle Lounge - Night

 

CLOSE UP on TELEVISION SET broadcasting details of Daniel Chalmers' funeral in England. There is an announcer's V.O. describing the funeral.

 

REVERSE to STEELE and LAURA on a sofa. Steele is sitting up, Laura is laying with her head on his lap. Both are watching the funeral coverage.

 

REVERSE to CLOSE UP on television set again. Now the Russian "funeral" of Sergei Kemadov is being broadcast, again with a V.O. describing the funeral.

 

REVERSE to Steele and Laura on the sofa. Using the remote, Steele turns off the television.

 

 

LAURA

 

Only Daniel could end up being buried as a national hero in both London and Moscow.

 

 

STEELE

 

It's the ultimate con. He deserves nothing less.

 

 

LAURA
(beat)

 

You're a good son.

 

 

STEELE

 

I only wish I could have spent more time with him.

 

 

LAURA

 

On the other hand, you spent 20 years with him.

 

 

 

STEELE
(reflectively)

 

And wasted them all by not letting him know how I truly felt.

(beat, then directly to her)

 

I think it's high time I stopped doing things like that, don't you?

 

 

Laura regards him quietly for a moment, then stands and holds out her hand.

 

 

LAURA

 

Care to elaborate, Mr. Steele?

 

 

Steele smiles slightly and rises, then sweeps Laura off her feet and carries her away. The camera does not follow.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 2
Int. Ashford Castle foyer - Night

 

Steele emerges from the lounge door into the foyer, still carrying Laura. He heads toward the staircase to the second floor.

 

 

LAURA
(looking around curiously as she is being carried)

 

Where are the servants?

 

 

STEELE

Out celebrating. I decided to give them the castle.

 

 

LAURA

 

Awfully generous of your lordship.

 

 

STEELE

 

The act of a desperate lord, I assure you.

 

 

Laura kisses him, but breaks off suddenly.

 

 

LAURA

 

Where's Mildred?

 

 

STEELE
(smiling)

 

I decided to give her Mickeleen.

 

 

LAURA
(slightly surprised)

 

So, there's nothing between us and the bedroom door?

 

 

STEELE
(still smiling)

 

Not a thing.

 

 

SFX: Phone rings.

 

Steele sags, only midway up the staircase, as Laura slips from his arms.

 

 

LAURA

 

I'll get the phone. You turn down the covers.

 

 

She kisses him lightly and heads down toward the ringing phone. Steele looks after for a moment, then heads upstairs. The camera follows Laura as she reaches the phone.

 

 

LAURA
(picking up the receiver)

 

Hello?

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 3
Int. Pub - Night

 

TONY is using a public phone.

 

TONY

 

Well, they finally released me.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 4
Int. Ashford Castle Foyer - Night

 

 

LAURA

 

I never doubted it for a minute.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 5
Int. Pub - Night

 

 

TONY

 

I still think Steele's plan was a little risky.

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 6
Int. Ashford Castle Foyer - Night

 

 

LAURA

 

Well, what's life without a little risk?

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 7
Int. Pub - Night

 

 

TONY
(warming suddenly)

 

Yeah, about that. Well, at least about the stuff we talked about earlier-

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 8
Int. Ashford Castle Foyer - Night

 

 

LAURA
(cutting him off, firmly)

 

Stop there, Tony, please. Look, I've been a risk-taker my whole life.

Except in one area. I've been avoiding risk - in that area, at least -

 

for a long time now. And that really hasn't worked out for me. I've thought

 

about it long and hard and finally realized that you can't live like that.

 

Life's too short. Sometimes you have to make a choice and risk everything.

 

Because, sometimes, that's the only way you'll ever have anything. Or at least,

 

anything worth having. In a way, you helped me make that one crucial decision.

 

And I want to thank you for that.

 

(beat)

And then I want to say goodbye.

 

(beat)

 

Goodbye, Tony. Take care of yourself. Please.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 9
Int. Pub - Night

 

TONY, on the phone in the Pub.

 

He has gotten the message, it shows clearly on his face. He draws a breath and swallows.

 

 

TONY

 

I'm, ah, glad I could help. Look, Laura, it's your life and your risk

 

and I honestly wish you the best with it. But if you ever decide it was

 

the wrong choice…

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 10
Int. Ashford Castle Foyer - Night

 

 

LAURA

 

I'll renew my interest in archaeology. Vaya con Dios.

 

 

She hangs up the phone and heads upstairs, to be met by Steele on the second floor landing.

 

 

STEELE

(a little uncertain that he wants an answer)

Ah, was that anything…urgent?

 

 

LAURA

 

Just saying goodbye to an old friend.

 

 

STEELE

 

Oh?

 

 

LAURA
(kissing him gently)

 

It's a bit chilly out here. Isn't there a fireplace in the bedroom?

 

 

STEELE
(scooping her into his arms again)

 

It hasn't been lit yet.

 

 

LAURA

 

Well, then let's get it fired up properly, shall we?

 

 

Steele carries her into the bedroom and shuts the door firmly behind him. CLOSE on the door for a moment.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 11
Ext. Ashford Castle - night,

Angle up towards a softly lit second-floor window. Hold as slow theme music plays. PAN UP to show the night sky.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 12
Int. Ashford Castle, Steele's bedroom - Night

 

Camera close on lit fire, burning down a bit. Camera draws back, revealing a trail of clothing, his and hers, across the floor and over various bits of furniture, finally coming around to shoes and stockings on the floor near the bed. The camera pans up to reveal Steele and Laura, lost in "afterglow", entangled together among the sheets. They are a bit drowsy and both are smiling, looking at each other. Steele gently brushes a strand of hair off Laura's forehead, and pauses, looking at her.

 

 

STEELE
(softly)

 

Thank you.

 

 

LAURA
(slightly surprised)

 

What are you thanking me for?

 

(she smiles and snuggles a bit closer)

 

I think it should be the other way around.

 

 

STEELE
(chuckling a bit, then sobering)

 

I'm thanking you for dreaming so well. You know, I think if you'd done

what I expected when I first met you, I'd have missed something much more

 

important than I would ever have guessed.

 

 

LAURA

 

And what's that?

 

 

STEELE

 

Me.

 

 

LAURA
(draws back slightly and looks at him, curious)

 

What do you mean?

 

 

STEELE

When I first arrived in your life, my plan was to seduce you, keep you

 

off balance, maybe even enjoy myself a bit. But you weren't what I was

 

expecting at all. And the longer I knew you, and the longer I tried to

 

inhabit this 'fantasy man' you'd created, the more I changed. I know

 

I'm not your Remington Steele. I'll never be half the man you invented.

 

But I'm also not the man I was and that is entirely because of you.

(beat)

And the oddest thing is, I'm rather happy with the man I seem to have become.

 

Flaws and all. I've learned a lot from you and a lot more because of you. And I

 

thought it was high time I thanked you for it.

(kisses her)

 

So thank you.

 

 

LAURA
(reaching to smooth his hair)

 

Isn't it funny?

 

 

STEELE

 

What?

 

 

LAURA

 

All this time I've been asking you, over and over, about who you were before

 

I met you. And somehow, I never took the time to see who you were becoming.

You know, you're right. I'd have hated to have missed it. And I suppose, if I'm

 

honest with myself, you're not the only one who needs to say thank you.

 

 

STEELE
(a bit surprised)

 

Whatever for?

 

 

LAURA

I know I've been...difficult.

 

(smiles briefly)

 

Maybe more than difficult sometimes. Letting go of old fears is harder than

 

I ever realized. I didn't even know I was holding on to them, really. I used to

watch you navigate the world and I never understood how you could do it. With

 

all the emotional blows and kicks in the teeth and you still came back for more.

 

 

STEELE

Well, there was something worth coming back for, wasn't there?

 

 

LAURA

I'm talking about before you met me. Even then, you were still hopeful that it

 

could be better. I never knew how you could do that. And I admired you for it.

I never said so, but I did. And it changed me.

 

 

STEELE

Changed you? How?

 

 

LAURA

I finally realized that protecting my heart didn't keep it safe. It just

 

kept it alone. And that wasn't the way to live. So thank you for showing me how

 

 

to finally start living.

 

 

STEELE
(kissing her)

 

That was almost worth the wait.

 

(long beat, then, softly)

 

I do love you, you know.

 

 

LAURA
(looks at him, uncertain how to respond, then kisses him)

 

I didn't know, really. I wouldn't let myself know. Because what I did know

 

was scary enough.

 

 

STEELE

 

What was that?

 

 

LAURA
(gently)

 

That I love you.

 

 

They kiss again, passionately, for several long moments. Finally, they emerge for air.

 

 

LAURA
(smiling and snuggling close again)

 

Just promise me one thing, please?

 

 

STEELE

 

What's that?

 

 

LAURA

We waited so long for this. Don't ever let me make us wait that long for

 

anything this good, ever again. No matter what.

 

 

STEELE
(rolling over on top of her, smiling broadly)

 

I think that's one promise I can give you freely.

 

 

The camera discreetly pans over to the fireplace.

 

 

CUT TO:
ACT 8, SCENE 13
Ext. Ashford Castle - Night

Angle on softly lit bedroom window. Theme music plays.

 

FADE OUT.

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