- Who Wants to
Steele You?
- Part Twelve
- Written by
Ulrike Gubelt, 1998,
1999, and 2000
Part twelve
There was absolute silence for a few seconds. The doctor and
an officer, who had suddenly appeared in the door looked at Harry.
The officer dropped his gun and the doctor went to Tony to check
his pulse. He looked up at Harry, who still hadn't moved, and
shook his head.
Tony was dead.
Harry nodded. It was better this way. If Tony had lived, he and
his family would never have found peace. Suddenly he recognized
a soft moan from behind him.
< My god Laura!> Harry thought and turned around. Laura
was trembling. Crouching and tied to the bed frame her eyes were
closed. She wasn't crying but whimpering.
It suddenly hit him. <She 's still thinking that I'm...>
He returned to the bed and softly touched her cheek. Laura jerked
away from his touch.
"Darling, it's alright. I'm alive. It's over!" Those
lovely words needed their time to sink into Laura's stressed
mind. She felt someone remove the tape from her mouth.
She heard someone say, "God, I thought I would never touch
you again," She jerked away again.
Harry became frightened. <Maybe Tony hurt her too much...broke
her spirit! Maybe she'll never be the same strong Laura again.>
"Please" he pleaded, "Open your eyes! It's me"
Then she slowly opened one eye, hoping her ears weren't betraying
her.
But they weren't. Harry looked sorrowfully at her, tears running
down his cheeks.
"Harry!" she whispered with a small voice. Then she
started to cry. Harry threw his arms around her.
With a weak voice she heard him whisper over and over again "It's
all over, darling!" She knew these words weren't only for
her...He had to say them to himself as well, to calm his mind.
After one moment Harry felt someone touching his shoulders. Harry
and Laura looked up at the doctor.
"I found these in Tony's pocket." He showed them a
key. "Maybe Laura would prefer to embrace you, too?"
he added smiling, starting to open Laura's handcuffs.
Harry smiled back. "Yes, thank you, doctor. For everything!"
"We couldn't let you come here all by yourself, Harry!"
the doctor replied.
"Where's Tony?" Laura wanted to know.
"He's dead, my dear!" the doctor answered. "Don't
worry about him. Relax and enjoy your time with each other, will
you?" He smiled once again at them and turned around to
leave them alone.
They embraced each other tightly for a few minutes longer. The
world around them disappeared. They didn't even hear the authorities
remove Tony's body.
Laura rested her head on his shoulder. For the first time in
a month she felt save again.
"I love you!" Harry whispered softly in her ear.
Laura lifted her head and watched him. Worried she asked "Danny?"
She couldn't manage to say anything else.
Harry stroked her hair and answered soothingly "She's with
Mildred. Don't worry she's absolutely fine. We're together again,
all three of us. And I promise that we'll never be apart again."
Tears rolled down his cheeks once again as he said " I'm
sorry, Laura..." He caressed her cheek and stroked strands
of hair out of her face.
There was a big wound on Laura's forehead. Harry was shocked.
He swallowed "Oh, no...!"
It was all he said. If that bastard weren't already dead, he
surely would kill him.
It nearly broke his heart to see Laura injured. The physical
wounds would be gone someday, but he was unsure about the wounds
of Laura's soul. Carefully he touched her wound as if his touch
could heal it.
<What else than beating her did he do?> it was a question
he tried to avoid asking himself in the last few weeks, but it
was suddenly back in his mind. >She's pregnant, and he...he!>
Laura recognized the inner fight Harry fought to control. But
she didn't want him to worry about her anymore.
She pulled him close to her once again, "I was so frightened.
I thought I would never see you again! But you're here now, that's
all that matters."
Harry noticed her plan to change the subject, but he needed to
know. He lifted her head again and asked, "Tell me, Laura...did
he... I mean, did he...!" he swallowed.
Although Harry couldn't say it, Laura understood. "He ...
it was..." she started to cry again.
"That bastard!"
"He only tried, in Ventura...but that was bad enough!"
Laura finished. Harry pulled her close to him once again.
"I'm sorry! From now on, I'll be at your side and protect
you!"
Laura freed herself from his embrace and to Harry's surprise
she smiled at him.
"You were with me all the time, Harry! In my mind, my heart
...and right here!" she took his hand and put it on her
belly.
Suddenly it hit him! <Pregnant! She was pregnant!> He smiled
at her.
"And I had that photo of you as teenager under my pillow."
Laura continued. "Unfortunately Tony found it only minutes
before you arrived and ripped it into little pieces. It was a
nice picture."
"Really?" Where did you find it?"
"Well, I searched the rooms and..."
"Searched the rooms?" Harry asked, shocked "But
the doctor told me you were in danger of having a miscarriage,
and you were searching the rooms?"
"Harry, don't worry. I'm not as weak as I told him! Those
little excursions weren't that bad for us!" Laura replied,
ignoring the pain she felt earlier when Tony had catapulted her
on the floor.
Harry watched her skeptically, but this discussion had to wait.
He looked down at his hand stroking her belly: He smiled proudly.
Laura watched him carefully. <Did he already know that she
was pregnant with twins?>
"So the doctor told you about the pregnancy?" she wanted
to know.
"No, I knew you were pregnant, the same day you did. I talked
to Ken. That's why I didn't believe one single word you told
me on the phone that day, when you said that he and you..."
Quickly Laura put a finger on his lips. "Don't never ever
remind me of those words." Tears welled up in her eyes again.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you. Can you ever forget those words?
I was never in love with Tony! Never! Believe me..."
"I do, Laura. I love you. You, Danny and this new little
Steele to be born..." he smiled brightly at his last words.
<So he didn't know?> "Two Steele's!" she simply
answered.
"Two? What do you mean?" He asked confused.
"Well, don't you think the other twin would be angry...?"
Laura explained smiling.
"You're... Twins? Oh, my....Laura!" He started to laugh
and embraced her tightly. Laura laughed, too. After all the trouble
of the last month she laughed even harder. All of her pain and
fear seemed to melt away in their laughter.
Then Harry bend down to Laura's belly and whispered jokingly
"I apologize. Everybody who's going to be a new member of
our family will be loved equally! " With that Laura had
to laugh once again.
Harry looked up and watched her lovingly "How wonderful
to hear you laugh again darling!"
Laura stopped laughing and looked deep into his eyes. "I
love you!" she whispered. Then their lips met.
After a few moments Laura broke their connection. There was still
news she had to tell him.
"Harry, our twins...I want to give birth to them the same
place their father was born."
"But I don't know..."
Laura shook her head and pointed at the painting. "Do you
know her?"
He stood and went to the picture. "No, though I've seen
the painting before, but I guess I never met her. Daniel told
me she was something like a niece to him..."
Laura got up and joined Harry. She took his hands and said in
a soft tone. "The woman is your mother, Harry!"
Harry swallowed. "My,...my mother?" He looked at the
picture for a long moment. "Mother."
"The doctor told me a sad story. Your story...and hers!"
"My story?" Then Laura told him the story she'd heard
from the doctor.
"She loved you, Harry! She gave birth to you in that bed
over there...here is where your roots are. The roots you've always
looked for." She added.
Harry swallowed and looked at the painting and nodded. "You
look a great deal like her!" Laura explained and thought
< Maybe Danny will look like that one day!" But then
she felt a punch inside of her and cried out.
Harry watched her worried "Laura?!" He didn't wait
any longer before he grabbed her and carried her back to the
bed. "The children love your excursions, eh? You need to
rest! The doctor was right after all!"
Laura smiled. "Don't worry, really! It's just a little Kilkenny
Kid inside!"
But Harry wasn't in the mood for jokes. Concerned he said "I
see, the boy further down the road, eh? But nevertheless you
need to rest now!" With that he laid her down again and
sat down at her side.
Laura thought one moment, then she answered, " You're right.
I need a restful, peaceful place. Why don't we stay here until
the twins are born, mmh?"
"HERE? In this house?" he asked shocked.
"Yes. Although it hasn't been that nice to me in the last
four weeks, but that will change with you around. I think this
old farm could be the nicest and most quietest places on earth."
"But all the memories of you..."
"Maybe at first we could ask the doctor if he could take
us in, and in a few weeks we could come back here. A flight back
to LA at the moment will be more stress for the babies by far!
And there are so many secrets to be found in this old house..."
"Laura!?!" he warned his wife.
"I won't overstrain myself, Harry. I promise! But if you
watch me and carry me back to the bed every time I collapse we
could probably find secret drawers behind paintings,..."
Harry saw Laura's shining eyes and laughed, "You can't live
without secret, can you?" Laura laughed, too.
"I can't think of you, a city girl, could be happy in a
place like this!" Harry said. "What about the agency?"
"Darling, I don't want to stay the rest of my life, only
a few months. Jenna, Murphy and Mildred can handle the agency.
I think you, Danny and me we've earned a few months of peace,
don't you?"
He smiled at her. "Yes, darling. But rest now, okay? Later
we will go to Mildred and Danielle."
"Stay with me... I want to feel your arms around me!"
she pleaded when he was about to move away from the bed.
"Of course." Laura closed her eyes and the next moment
she was asleep.
************************************
After a few days, when all the police work had ended, the Steele's
had their opportunity to be alone. With Danny on Harry's arm,
the family walked slowly through the garden of the doctor's house.
They didn't talk...just enjoyed the peace and silence around
them.
Suddenly, Laura broke the silence. "Poor Felicia!"
"Poor Felicia?" Harry asked not believing her words.
"Laura, that woman was an accomplice to your and Danny's
kidnapping, and you still feel pity for her? "
"Did Felicia tell you why she actually kidnapped Danny?"
Laura asked.
<This is the first time Laura has talked about the kidnapping,>
Harry realized. He knew she had been thinking about it all day
long, trying to come to grips with it, but hadn't talked about
it. He also knew there was no point in trying to force her to
talk about it. He was happy she wanted to talk now, although
he hadn't expected she would start with Felicia!
"No, she didn't tell me. All she said was that she hates
me..." he finally answered, his thoughts wandering to that
moment when his former friend died.
"She told me. Do you want to hear it?" Harry nodded.
"Her child died six months ago."
"Felicia had a child?" If there had been any doubt
in Laura's mind about him knowing about that child, the doubts
were now gone, seeing his shocked face confirmed it.
"Yes. She told me...well, that you were the father!"
"Me? Laura, I'm shocked..."
"She said it happened the night before the Earls marriage.
You remember?"
"Sure, I remember. But Laura, I told you that night we didn't...
you know what I mean! Believe me! She lied...her and Me being
parents? NO!" He was really upset and angry.
Laura touched his cheek and smiled. "I didn't believe her
for one single moment, Harry! I promised to trust you, remember?
And that's what I did!" Harry needed one moment then he
smiled back.
"You trusted me?" Laura nodded to his question. Then
he pulled her as close as possible with Danny on his arm and
kissed her. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome. I guess I stood the test...and it was a
very hard test!" she said smiling. "Now do you want
to hear why I feel pity for her and what happened to HER child?"
He didn't exactly know about that, but he sensed it was important
to her so he nodded and Laura told him Felicia's story.
****************************************
February 1989, old Chalmer's farm
Laura and Harry had been living in the house for four months
now. They had renovated it completely into a lovely home. Laura
was sad to leave the house so soon. The doctor had convinced
her to go to a hospital in case there were any problems.
Although her pregnancy was trouble free the last months, now
with only two weeks to go before her due date, she was finding
it hard to sleep.
She looked at her husband and smiled. When she looked down at
her swollen abdomen her smile faded. < I just wish you two
would come. Soon!> She sighed and got up.
She went down to the kitchen. When she saw the calendar on the
kitchen wall, she smiled again. "Happy anniversary, Mr.
Steele!" They had been married for two years now. Their
marriage on the tuna boat seemed so far away... <Tuna boat?
There must be some tuna salad left in the fridge!> Laura suddenly
felt hungry. She opened the fridge and was pleased to find what
she was looking for.
"Got ya!" a voice behind her said. Laura turned around
and found her husband grinning at her.
"Well, I couldn't sleep..."
"So you started eating again?" he really was amused
by the enormous hunger she developed over the past few months.
Laura, however, wasn't amused by his statement. She glanced angrily
at him and sat down at the table to start eating the fish.
Harry took a seat next to her and watched her intently.
"I'm sure I will never understand pregnant woman...Tuna
salad at midnight? Eww, really Laura!"
Laura didn't react. Instead she looked back at the calendar.
Harry looked at it, too.
"Laura, did you notice that today is our second wedding
anniversary...of our first wedding, I mean."
Laura looked at him. "I noticed...," she answered with
food in her mouth. "That's what made me think of the tuna
salad!" she smiled and he smiled back. Suddenly Laura's
smile disappeared.
"And have you noticed that you are a legal US. Citizen now?
You're free, so to speak.... If you want a divorce..."
Harry stopped her by kissing her oily lips. "No chance!
I won't let you bring up my children all by yourself! How do
I know what you'll tell them about their father."
"Our children," she reminded him "And I was going
to say: If you want a divorce you'll better bet you'll get the
hardest time of your life! I won't let you say goodbye that easily...not
with three demanding hungry mouths to feed!" Both smiled
at each other. <Funny!> Laura thought < Now they both
were so sure about not parting, they even could joke about it!>
"I won't go away!" he then said, not joking anymore"
I love you, Laura."
"I know." Laura assured him, taking his hand. "I
know!" she repeated when their lips met once again.
THE END
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