Steele Working it Out Part 11

Steele Working It Out Part 11 By Kristen McNeil
Disclaimer: See pt. 1

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading this fic! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
***

"OK Miss Holt, we've all gone to see him...even Murphy! It's your turn now."

Laura shot Mildred a panicked look. Until this point, she'd been itching to go in there, to talk to him, to tell him how she felt but now...now that she knew he was OK, the old fears had returned...along with new ones.

"I don't know if I can Mildred!" She protested. "I was so awful to him. I didn't even go and look for him when he left. I didn't deserve to have him still want me, let alone take a bullet for me!"

"Miss Holt you're being silly." Mildred said gently. "The moment I walked in there his face fell slightly. Oh, I knew he was happy to see me, but the truth of it is that he was looking for you! How could you think he wouldn't want to see you?"

Laura shrugged, a helpless look on her face.

"What can I say to him Mildred? 'Thank you for nearly dying for me, I'm sorry I didn't trust you'?"

"Sounds good to me." Mildred told her with a smile. "You're going to be fine Miss Holt. He's not angry with you at all. He just wants to see you and I know that despite what you say, you want to see him too."

Laura gave a short laugh as she realized Mildred was right.

"I AM being silly aren't I?" She asked her. Mildred nodded. Straightening her shoulders Laura began to walk to the door.

"Miss Holt!" Mildred called, before she entered. Laura turned and shot her a questioning look. "My advice...be honest with him. No matter what happens, there's nothing he'll appreciate more."

"I know. Thank you Mildred."

"Any time honey."

****

Laura chuckled as she laid eyes on her handsome mystery man. He had obviously fallen asleep while flipping through the TV channels and was leaning against his shoulder, head tilted, mouth opened.

'He looks so peaceful' Laura thought affectionately as she took in his innocent expression, his ruffled dark hair and perfect lips. 'Why is it I never see his honesty, his purity when he's awake? Why does he hide it?'

Sitting next to him, taking his hand in hers, she watched him sleep some more. She knew she should wake him so they could air out their problems but at this moment, she simply couldn't. All she wanted to do, was hold his hand and look at him. She was so thankful he was alive and well that there was no need to rush. They had all the time in the world to talk...right now, he needed this.

After a few moments, he began to stir lightly. Laura squeezed his hand gently to let him know she was here. Her breath caught in her throat as his deep blue eyes opened slowly and met hers.

"Laura?" He murmured softly, hoping to God that it was indeed her and not Murphy again.

Relief flooded through her. It was then the fact that he was alive and well hit her full force. She had come so close to losing him, in body and in spirit that just staring into his eyes brought her joy she had never allowed herself to feel.

"It's me." She murmured. "I'm here."

"We have a lot to talk about Laura." Remington told her with a sigh. Laura lifted his hand and kissed it gently.

"We don't have to talk at all just yet, do we?"

A little surprised that she wasn't demanding explanations or confessions of his feelings for her, Remington merely nodded.

"Of course not Laura. Whatever you want."

Laura stared at him, her expression soft, and pleading.

"Kiss me?"

Remington could only nod as Laura leaned against him and pressed her lips to his, gently at first, then deeper and more urgent. Remington didn't understand what was going through her mind at the moment and at this point he was beyond caring. He was alive and Laura was in his arms...it couldn't get any better.

Laura leaned even further into him, wanting nothing more than to finally get lost in him, throwing all restraint completely out the window. It was only when she heard him cry out in pain that she realized she'd pressed too hard against his wound.

Sitting back up as quickly as possible, she was reminded that she was in a hospital room with him and now was definitely not the time. Of all the rotten luck!

"I'm sorry." She told him, touching the bandage gently.

"Don't be." He replied with that familiar mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I'm certainly not. I hope I can count on being kissed like that when I'm released from this sterilized prison."

"That and more." She told him suggestively. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Laura...what's gotten into you?"

"I don't know." She admitted. She bit her lip slightly, trying desperately to figure out her own behavior. "It's just...you almost died...for me!"

"Laura I..."

"No one's ever done that for me before." She continued. A wry smile crossed his lips.

"Nearly died for you? Not a fairly common occurrence I'm guessing."

"No, not that." Laura told him. She faltered slightly. "No one's ever cared that much for me before. I could never imagine Wilson doing what you did. You saved my life...I guess I wanted to thank you."

"You can do that with words Laura." He told her gently. "You don't need to prove anything to me or do anything you don't want to do. I didn't save your life to obligate you to sleep with me."

"I don't feel obligated!" Laura protested. "I feel...motivated."

"Motivated?" He echoed. She gazed at him tenderly.

"I was so scared you weren't going to make it." She admitted. "I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life. Do you know how totally and completely in love with you I am?"

Remington's mouth suddenly felt very dry. Had she just said what he thought she said?

"Laura?" He questioned, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm in love with you." She repeated. "And I'm sick of all these games we've been playing. I've been so paranoid with who was going to confess our feelings first that I nearly lost you. I am not going to let that happen again. Starting right now, honesty is my new theme."

"I like it." He replied. It was then he felt it...the completeness he had thought would come from knowing his real name. Who knew it would happen when a fiery, petite brunette told him she loved him?

He suddenly felt at a loss for words. Luckily, she didn't look like she was waiting for him to say anything.

Finally, when he had regained his composure he knew what it was he had to say to her and it was something that couldn't wait a moment longer.

"Laura...I know my name."

"What?"

"I spoke to Daniel." He continued. "He told me all about my past. I know everything I came to London to know Laura...and I want to share it all with you."

Laura sat for a moment, taking his words in. Suddenly, the information he had just given her impacted full force.

"That's why you came to London?" She finally whispered. "To find out your past?"

"I did it for you Laura." He admitted. "After you told me we needed time apart, it became clear to me that my murky past was like a big huge barrier between us. I knew the only way to gain your trust was to drop the name I borrowed from you and to give you one of my own. Daniel gave that name to me when he came to visit...that and so much more. I want to share it all with you Laura. No more secrets."

"I feel so ashamed." She finally said, her eyes down-cast.

"Whatever for?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"For not believing in you. Everything you did was for me...even after I treated you so badly and constantly pushed you away. I don't deserve to have your trust..."

"And I don't deserve yours...so we're even." He simply retorted. "I'm done keeping score here Laura. If we want to be together, we both have to admit we made mistakes and forget about it. What do you say...can we wipe the slate clean? Start all over again?"

"I think...I hope so." Laura murmured.

"I'm in love with you Laura." He continued. "I've known it since I met you. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before, but you aren't the only one who was frightened."

"I know," she whispered, running her finger lightly down his firm, strong jaw to his lips. "But I'm done being scared. Lets start right here and now."

"What do you want to know Laura?" He questioned. "Ask anything and I will tell you."

"What's your name?" She couldn't help but ask.

"The name on my birth certificate is Harrison O'Neil." He replied. Laura chuckled.

"I always thought you looked like a Harry."

"I'm not though." He interrupted. She shot him a curious gaze. "My real name is just a formality Laura, don't you see? I don't feel like a Harry any more than I feel like a Richard Blaine, a Ben Pierson or a Douglas Quintaine!"

"Then who do you feel like?" She wondered.

"Remington Steele." He told her gently. "Laura I have never wanted to live up to a name as much as I want to live up to the one you gave me. Remington Steele just feels so right to me...like if it's where you are then it has to be mine. I could go by Harry if I really wanted to..."

"But you're right." She finished for him. "You are Remington Steele." She looked at him for a long while. "It's going to be hard getting used to calling you Remington instead of Mr. Steele."

"I expect it's going to be tough getting used to a lot of things Laura." He replied simply. "We've made some major moves forward today and in some ways we can never go back. I can't promise you it will be sunshine and roses from now on. Our fears may be out in the open but they're not completely gone. I can promise you this though...if we can trust each other and our feelings then we'll be OK in the end."

"That sounded almost poetic Mr...uh, Remington." Laura told him with a teasing smile. He flushed slightly embarrassed.

"I can be like that when I choose to be." He took her hand and suddenly turned serious again. "There's more to tell you about my past Laura...lots more. Daniel left nothing out...and I'm not going to either. But I don't want to tell you everything now."

"Why not?" Laura asked, slightly disappointed.

"Wrong time, wrong place." He answered lovingly. "I want to tell you when we're alone together in my apartment. I want to get all my secrets out in the open in the most intimate of settings. Only then can we ever..."

"Make love?" Laura inquired. Again, the intrepid con man flushed.

"I wasn't going to put it quite so bluntly, but yes. All I want to do now, is look at you, hold you, and tell you once more without fear that I love you."

"I love you too." Laura whispered, her voice muffled by the tears that threatened her. "I like the idea of just sitting here. I've wanted some peaceful time with you ever since this whole ordeal began."

"Mmm, then peace you shall have." He replied gallantly with a gentle kiss to her lips. "There's just one thing I have to tell you Laura and in the future I hope you will regard this with the utmost amount of seriousness."

"What's that?" She asked him, suddenly worried about what he was going to say.

"If you ever do something so stupid and risky as coming into that basement again, I will never forgive you."

He said it with a smile, but she knew how fervently he meant it. She could see it all in those transparent blue eyes.

"I know." She replied, a teasing smile on her face as well, "but if you ever get captured again I will never forgive you if you die on me...deal?"

"Deal."

****

Outside, Daniel and Mildred shared a way too chocolaty cafe mocha and made observations about Laura and Remington.

"I really think those two kids have a chance." She was telling him. "After all they've been through, they deserve it. Don't you think?"

"Indeed I do Miss Krebs." Daniel replied with a warm smile at the plump, elderly secretary. "Love only comes once."

Strangely, as he said that...he wasn't sure he believed it.

"They're young." Mildred added. "The heart favors youth."

'Not always' Daniel thought as another smile at Mildred spread across his face.

"Ah yes." Daniel half-heartedly agreed. "I suppose it's too late for a couple old folks like ourselves to ever find happiness eh?"

"Maybe not..." Mildred said with a flirtatious smile at Daniel. She suddenly felt like a bloody teenager again. "I belong to a bowling league in LA...the Dragon Ladies. Any time you want to come and watch us..."

"I would Mildred." Daniel replied somewhat regretfully. "But London is my home right now. Maybe, if my work ever takes me to LA we can test your theory. Right now, I think making myself scarce might be the wisest course of action."

"What about Mr. Steele?" Mildred exclaimed, aghast. "Surely he's not going to find his father only to lose him again?"

"He'll never lose me Mildred." Daniel replied. "He'll always know where to find me, that I'll make sure of. He and Laura need time together now to build on their relationship. Harry and I had twenty years together. I'll always be here for him and I think he knows that."

Daniel stood up and circled the table.

"Will you say good-bye to him?" Mildred wondered. Daniel nodded.

"When the time is right. For now though, I'll say my farewells to you Mildred Krebs." With that, he gallantly took her hand and gently kissed it, his eyes never leaving hers. As he walked away, Mildred was suddenly breathless.

"Now I know where the boss got his charm." She murmured to herself. A sly smile crossed her face as she pictured what could happen if she ever saw Daniel again. "Like father, like son."

****

THE END!!!!
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