Welcome to Fiction Cove!

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part VII

2009-05-14T21:30:00.001-04:00

Laura bolted from her seat. She was having a difficult time drawing air into her lungs. She tried

to put as much distance between her and the ancient scroll as possible.

Remington was right behind her. "Laura, it's okay." he soothed wrapping her in his arms.

"It's not okay, she gasped in a tortured voice pulling away from him. "You saw that painting. It was me. Me, Remington. I don't know how, but..."

"It is you. You can't escape this." Valencia pressed.

"Back off," Remington said, icily. "It's not her."

The woman held her hands up and instantly retreated.

"Laura, listen to me. The woman on that scroll is not you. She may resemble you, but it's pure coincidence."

"Nothing in life is pure coincidence, Mr. Steele" Nero retorted.

"We can leave here." he whispered for her ears only. "I don't give a damn what this crazy man threatens or believes. He can go find another group of detectives to do his dirty work. I won't have you upset like this."

"No," Laura said with considerable effort. "You heard what he said. It was no idle threat. He won't stop hounding us until we do what he says. I'll be fine," the color was returning to her face. Her breathing had slowed.

Remington tilted her face up to meet his. "Sweetheart--"

"I promise you, I'm fine." Laura assured him. Her hand rubbed his shoulder.

Turning, they both walked toward the Neros. Remington's arm protectively at the small of his wife's back. They both resumed their seats on the couch. Remington handed his wife the untouched glass of wine. This time she took it.

Glancing at Nero, Remington tilted his head toward the scroll. "Start talking."

Neronoma had a family he'd left behind to pursue the forbidden treasure and Queen Andulisa. He was married and his wife, Mena, was expecting their first child. When she heard of her husband's lack of fidelity and that he'd subsequently perished trying to attain the vast riches and King Talonysius's bride she was inconsolable. If it wasn't for the sheer will to protect their unborn child she would have died from a broken heart. When she went into labor she vowed nothing would happen to her baby. Despite a difficult childbirth, Neronoma's wife gave birth to a son. She named him Titan. He was strong and handsome. He grew to be a true fighter and excelled at every task put before him. His mother grew prouder with each passing year. She was certain that despite the weakness of his father, the mighty Gods had protected her son and would always keep him safe. Titan grew and eventually the soldier's life that was in his blood beckoned to him. A few years later, Mena fell in love and married a great general that loved and fostered Titan as his own. His new father's position ensured he had the best teachers to tutor and the greatest military minds to foster him as he grew into a man. Aware of his father's downfall and his harsh tyrannical rule, Titan vowed he would never follow in his footsteps. He would be fair, honest and never seduced by greed or unattainable wealth. Years later, during a great campaign his father was killed. Titan grieved for him like a true son. Inconsolable for a time, Titan traveled the world with a few trusted companions in search of something that would fill the void his father's death had left. It was during this time he came across an old captain from Neronoma's army. He told the Titan and his friend's tales about his father's successes and exploits. Despite his disgust, Titan was curious about his sire. The man recounted in detail Neronoma's obsession and the unclaimed treasures in the lost city. He implored Titan to take up his father's quest to find the lost bounty and claim them for his own, but Titan refused. The captain showed him a map of his father's detailing King Talonysius' city. Something about the map called to him like nothing had ever done before. For days he tried putting it out of his mind, but he couldn't. One morning when he woke up he knew he had to find the ruins. To see the remnants of the place his father had perished. Secretly, Titan copied the map. He didn't tell anyone what he'd done. He paid one of his friend's handsomely to deliver a "message" to his mother of great import. He told the man to tell his mother that they had decided to find the lost city and that he would contact her as soon as he could. He entrusted the man with a small satchel containing several items and a letter. Inside the letter he used a coded message to instruct his mother where to look for the map. Titan's friend dutifully delivered the items to Mena. When she discovered what her son had done she was distraught with fear and worry. To ease his mother's fears, Titan wrote often and always sent word that he was well. He was gone for over two years. Eventually, the letters grew more and more infrequent. Soon they stopped altogether. Mena was inconsolable at the loss of her only child. She took to her bed and awaited death. Several weeks later, she was barely clinging to life when she received a visitor. She was weakened and barely able to make out the disheveled, exhausted man before her. When she gazed into his eyes she wept with relieve and love. It was her son, Titan. He'd finally returned. He told his mother that they'd found the ruins by following his father's map and that he had barely escaped with his life. There was no city of gold. Just a dilapidated fortress ravaged by centuries of exposure. They searched every square inch of the structure and surrounding areas to no avail. Eventually gave up the search. Exhausted and defeated, they stumbled across a nearby village. There they found a man claiming to be one of the the rulers only remaining guards. He told them after the King and Queen's death what treasures that he and that last of the King's soldiers could move were scattered to keep invaders from taking them. The Earth simply swallowed up the rest. That night Titan awoke to a skirmish. The other men in his party were ransacking the old man's home in search of the riches. On the floor the old man lay dying. Upon seeing this betrayal, Titan took up arms against his friends. A fierce battle ensued but in the end, he was injured, but victorious. The others were dead. He tried to help the old man, but it was too late. Before he died he told Titan the location of his only keepsake from the city."

"What was it?" Remington asked despite himself.

"A golden statue of a lion. In his mouth was a scroll. The scroll is rumored to contain the location of the vast treasures. My resources have discovered it's location. It's in an ancient church in Meteora."

"Greece?" Laura asked.

"Yes." Nero replied.

"Who is the woman on the scroll?"

"That's another mystery that has yet to be discovered. Isn't it enough that she resembles your wife, Mr. Steele? Don't you see that somehow this is all tied together?"

"What I see is that you'll stop at nothing to search for what may or may not be treasures that don't belong to you, Nero." Remington retorted.

"Don't be hypocritical, Steele. People have been making discoveries like this since the dawn of time. You are no different from me. Need I remind you that you were a jewel thief? One of the best, but still a crook that stole what didn't belong to him. I am intrigued by the tale, and as a descendant I have a vested interest in this treasure. After all it did take the life of one of my ancestors."

"Greed to the life of one of your ancestors, Nero," Laura replied. "Why are you determined to involve innocent people in something that only you will profit from? Neronoma has been dead for thousands of years. Any treasures from that time are either gone, spent or went back to the Earth they came from. You can't honestly expect to actually find anything."

"Laura, you amaze me at your incredible short-sightedness. It is my destiny to uncover this mystery. It's time the both of you accepted that it's yours, too."

Vladimir's daughter walked over and handed Remington a large briefcase. Remington opened it. "What's all this?"

"All the arrangements have been made. In three days time we travel to Meteora, Greece. You'll meet me at my Villa in Larissa. From there it's a short journey to Meteora. Don't disappoint me."

"What about Dakota and her family?"

"They'll be safe. As long as you both cooperate."

Remington and Laura exchanged looks. His jaw clenched rhythmically. "It appears it's all settled then."

"Nero raised his glass. "To good fortune. All of ours."

Back at the hotel Laura and Remington paced the floor of their suite with Mildred hot on their heels. "You can't trust this bum! There's no telling what he'll do to us once he gets what he's after."

"We know, Mildred," Laura replied. "Still, it's a risk we'll have to take. You know what we're up against. Vladimir Nero isn't a man you say no to. We can't afford to say no to him. Not after that threat he made against all of us."

"Well, if you're both going I'm going." Mildred said with conviction.

"Mildred, we can't ask that of you, love." Remington said, his voice low.

"You don't have to. You kids are my family. I love you both like...you're my own," she said, her voice laden with emotion. "If anything happened to either of you...let's just say I'd feel better if I were right there with you. There's safety in numbers."

Laura went over and hugged Mildred to her. "Remington and I both love you, Mildred. More than anything. If you want to go, we would love to have you. You aren't just a valuable employee, either. You're part of our family."

"And we look out for our family, eh?" Remington gathered both his ladies in his arms. He cleared his throat a few times as he struggled for composure. "Uh, I think I'll go check in on Dakota, okay?"

Laura and Mildred smiled knowingly.

Remington kissed his wife and Mildred on the cheek before he walked out the room and closed the door behind him. In the hall he sagged against the wall. His eyes closed, he fought to keep himself in check. After a few moments he pushed away from the wall and went to check on Dakota. Carefully, he opened the door and peaked his head in. He was slightly surprised to find her sound asleep. Closing the door just as soundlessly, Remington headed back the way he'd come. Halfway there he stopped. Angrily he pounded his fist against the wall. His heart pounded in his chest. He'd be damned if he'd come this far in life and finally discovered happiness to have it jeopardized. Laura was his soul mate. He'd waited his whole life to be with a woman he loved and who loved him back. To finally have a family. "There's no way I'm going to let it be taken away. Not by anybody." He vowed aloud. He headed back down the hall in the opposite direction toward the elevator. Retrieving his cell phone, Remington selected his address book and dialed a phone number. He had to wait for some time before it was answered.

"You'd better have a damn good reason for calling me this early in the morning," a man's voice growled in his ear.

"I do, mate. We're in trouble. Big, very large, very dangerous trouble."

It was sometime later before Remington returned to his room. By that time Mildred had already gone and Laura had showered and put a nightgown on. She was standing in front of the window peering out onto the busy city streets when she heard the door click. Remington quietly opened the door. She turned and stared at him. Their eyes locked from across the room. Each saw something in the other's expression that they'd never seen before. It was Remington that moved first. He strode purposefully over to his wife and pulled her into his arms. Laura molded her body against his and wrapped her arms around his neck in one fluid motion. When their lips met it was an explosive kiss that shattered them both. Moments later their parted. "Remington, I was worried. I thought--"

"Shh." He whispered against her lips. "Nothing else matters right now. Just you and me."

Before Laura could reply Remington picked up her in his arms. He claimed her lips again and a passionate kiss that held an urgency that Laura had never experienced before. He got them both to the bed and lowered them on it without ever breaking contact with her. They touched from head to toe. In a matter of minutes they were both frenzied with passion. Remington ended their embrace just long enough to remove his and Laura's close before wrapping her back in his arms. He kissed her everywhere he could reach. Any spots he missed his hands made up for the oversight. Laura was almost catatonic with desire. When he joined their bodies together she moaned aloud with joy. On and on he moved above her, his pace frenzied and his face an complete mask of concentration. Sweat glistened over both their bodies, the sheets around them soaked with perspiration. He'd cascaded her over the edge so often and yet he never joined her. Sensing the restraint he forced himself to endure Laura eventually begged him to end the torment or she'd pass out from the pleasure. "Please," she moaned in his ear. Moments later he sat up on his knees and pulled her up so that her legs straddled his waist. He moved slowly and decisively coaxing her body into one last release. Laura had wrapped her arms around his neck and had her face buried in his wet hair.

"Look at me," he whispered.

Laura leaned back so that she could look into his eyes.

"I love you." he said with conviction.

"I love you, too. I always have," she said, tearfully. "I always will."

"We'll be okay. I promise you."

"I know."

"Say it," he commanded.

"We'll be okay."

Laura repeated the words over and over. She was still saying them when her body tightened around Remington's and her world shattered into thousands of colorful crystalline pieces.

To be continued...

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part VI

2009-05-09T18:45:00.001-04:00

Mildred was shaking her head before words even escaped her mouth. "I don't like it, Laura. It's too dangerous."

What choice do we have, Mildred?" She looked directly at Remington. "If we don't go their as good as dead. I won't let that happen--I won't."

Remington walked over to his wife. Gently, he pulled her hands in his. "I know you won't, love. None of us will."

A quick nod from Mildred verified that she too was on board. "So, what's the plan to keep everyone alive and in one piece?"

Laura was thoughtful for a moment. "I don't think he'll do anything just yet. I'll bet this is just a meeting to verbalize his demands. He wants that coin back, at any cost. He won't hurt us before he has what he's so desperate to get back."

Remington walked over to the bed and sat down. "Still, I don't believe it's prudent to be cautious," he replied.

"If he suspects we've brought anyone else into this he'll leave us sitting in that lobby. "We can' risk back-up being detected. We go with the original plan. Just you and me."

An hour later...

"Just you and me, eh?" Remington nudged Laura's elbow with his. "It's like we're on a grand scale stakeout in broad daylight."

"We've been in worse places passing time."

"Don't I know it," he snorted. "I'm thankful, believe me. This time, no coffin."

Laura wrinkled her nose at her husband. "Hey, you told me you didn't mind sharing such close quarters with me and that you'd gladly do it again."

"And I meant it," Remington quickly replied. "Just sans coffin."

Before Laura could reply a group of dark-suited gentlemen came into the lobby from the outside. "It would appear we're up," Laura whispered.

Without stopping the men closed the distance. "Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Steele. Would you both come with us, please?" One of them said as politely as if they were old friends."

The other men parted and let Laura and Remington proceed. A large, black limo idled at the curb. The man leaned across them and opened the door. "Here you are."

"Gee, thanks," Laura said, sarcastically.

Remington eyed her with concern. "Steady. No upsets," he cautioned quietly.

Once everyone was seated, their escort conversed jovially with them about everything from stocks to the latest operas. Remington couldn't refrain from voicing his surprise. "I must say, you're quite a step up from the chap earlier. He wasn't nearly as...well versed."

The man smiled. "Mr. Nero's list of employees is quite extensive. Everyone has a specific role to play."

"I suppose his was petty thug?"

"What my wife is trying to say is that the man we conversed with earlier is a far cry from our current entourage. I take it you work more closely with Mr. Nero?"

The man relaxed further into the leather seat. "You could say that."

"While I can appreciate the suits, polite conversation and expensive ride, it doesn't really explain why your boss is willing to hurt a nine year-old girl and her family to get an old coin back."

"Mr. Nero will explain everything to you, Mrs. Steele."

It was almost forty-five minutes before he spoke again. The limousine pulled into a circular driveway. The door was opened and the man stretched his hand toward the door. "After you."

Remington alighted first and then helped Laura out. Still holding her hand, he followed the men up the brick-pavered walkway to the large wooden door. It was opened before they reached it.

"Mr. Nero is in the conservatory."

Nodding, his employee escorted them to a large staircase toward the back of the sprawling home. The faint strains of piano could be heard down the hall. "Right this way, please."

Laura and Remington were lead into a large circular room. The walls were black, and the walls in the entire room were floor-to-ceiling windows. In the middle stood a grand piano that was being played by a distinguished looking man with black hair streaked with silver. Laura assessed him. He was a tall man with a strong, athletic build and long, graceful hands. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata echoed throughout the room. An experienced pianist, it was one of her favorite pieces. Unable to help herself, she closed her eyes and allowed the notes to move over her until the last note had resonated to a somber end.

"Good evening Mr. & Mrs. Steele. I appreciate your coming to my home."

"Did we really have a choice, Mr. Nero?" Remington replied.

"There's always a choice, Mr. Steele. You could have remained at your hotel enjoying the rest of your evening without incident."

"While are client's lives hang in the balance?"

"There is that, Mrs. Steele. Life is all about choices, is it not? Take little Miss Jefferies for instance. If she had chose to ignore the coin in Central Park none of this would ever have been set in motion. Alas she didn't and I find myself with a unique opportunity to find an amazing treasure. I can't simply turn it down you see. It has been on my mind for quite some time and I can ignore it no longer."

"Your referring to the cursed treasure of Queen Andulisa." Laura stated.

"You don't disappoint me, Laura." Nero enthused. "You don't mind if I call you Laura, do you? I really don't care to stand on formalities. I feel like I know you so well already. I've been watching you both for quite some time."

Laura and Remington's expressions remained neutral. Sliding around on the piano bench, Vladimir Nero stood. "Come now, you're not the least bit curious?"

"We're curious when you're going to release Daktoa's parents, Mr. Nero." Laura countered.

"Please, call me Vladimir." He walked over to the Steeles. "I'll admit, I never had them. They are perfectly safe--for the moment. As I've said I've been been following your careers with great zeal. Each of them," he stressed looking at Remington."

"Is that so," Remington replied.

"Yes." Nero inclined his head toward the door. He made eye contact with his employee. The man nodded and left the room. Turning his attention back to his guests he regarded them with interest. "It pays to stay several steps ahead of anyone that would threaten my way of life --or enhance it. My observations of you Laura were only as it pertained to some of my interests on the west coast. You however Mr. Steele commanded my attention on a more global scale." He walked as he talked so the Steeles had no choice but to follow.

They walked down a long hallway and into a large library. The room was lined with several floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases, a large table in the middle of the room, a leather sofa and several chairs. On the walls hung several paintings and a large map of the world. Nero sat in a high-backed chair and motioned for Laura and Remington to have a seat on the couch. You sure I can't get you anything? A drink, perhaps?"

"We're fine," Remington replied stiffly.

"Nonsense. I would love some refreshments and I dislike drinking alone." He retrieved a cell phone from his pocked and hit a button. "The Chateau Margaux and three glasses, please."

A tall, impeccably dressed woman entered the room carrying a tray. She soundlessly lowered the the tray onto the table across from them and handed each of them a glass. Opening the bottle, she filled their glasses half-way and returned the bottle to the tray. She'd also brought a plate of cheese and fruits and one with petite crackers and sweets. Nero smiled appreciatively. "You are wonderful, darling. Thank you,"

"Of course, father," the young woman replied before sitting in the seat closest to her father's chair.

"My daughter, Valencia. Darling, this is Mr. & Mrs--"

"Remington Steele. Father really, no introduction was necessary. We're quite familiar with their work. Especially Mr. Steele's." she looked at Remington and smiled. "You are quite good at what you do."

Remington nodded his head. "So, it's apparent you both know all about my wife and I. What we're uncertain of is why."

"As I said before, Remington. It's of the utmost import to me to know when anything will cause me an inconvenience or be an attribute. Between the two of you are the greatest criminal and detective minds of our time. This is of the utmost import to me because I have a mystery that has remained unsolved for centuries. I want to find the treasure left by King Talonysius and his beloved Queen. Thus far the staff at my disposal has been unable to unearth the location of this vast bounty. It's taken me years, but I have finally assembled some clues that could point me in the right direction. I need both of you to assist me in finding something that is quite frankly my destiny."

"Let me guess, you believe you are a descendant of Neronoma," Laura scoffed.

"Watch your tongue," Valencia warned. "It's a belief that is backed by centuries of records supporting my father's claim. This isn't some wish, Mrs. Steele. This is my family's heritage."

"I'm sure the original Neronoma thought that to and look what happened to him," Laura countered. "It wasn't his treasure to take and it certainly isn't yours to find."

"You're right, Laura. It's yours to find. I want what's rightfully mine and I want the best to locate it."

"We aren't the best Mr. Nero. You need archeologists, not detectives."

"You're one and the same. Besides, I have something that was recently discovered in a small church in Larisa, Greece that will prove that you and your husband are precisely the right people for this quest."

"I don't care what you've found, Nero. We aren't helping you claim something that doesn't belong to you."

"Trust me when I tell you, my reach is vast, Mrs. Steele. There isn't anywhere on this planet you or your loved ones could hide that I can't find you. I am giving you the opportunity to help me of your own accord. Don't delude yourself for a moment into thinking that you have a choice in the matter. You will help me and you will be successful in this quest."

"What makes you think that, Nero?" Remington said, with skepticism.

"Because, it's not just my destiny, Mr. Steele," Nero said as he reached onto the table retrieved a worn leather briefcase. Opening it, he eased out an old, weathered scroll and unwound it. "It's yours."

Looking at it briefly, he turned it around so that Laura and Remington could get a good look at it. When Laura saw it she gasped. The color drained from Remington's face. There was a picture of a woman etched on the scroll. A petite woman of ethereal beauty, that looked exactly like Laura.

To Be Continued...

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part VI

2008-12-11T23:03:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Stay tuned for the next installment!! As always, thanks for reading!!

Lisa

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part V

2008-12-11T22:48:00.002-05:00

This story is intended for amusement purposes only. This story is not meant to infringe on the names of Remington Steele, Laura Holt or anything that would cause MTM productions or anybody else to sue me. This story is the property of Lisa Watson ã 2008.

Mildred walked as slow as she could without being obvious. She believed the man behind her wouldn't hesitate to inflict bodily harm to her or Dakota if it came down to it. Frantic, Mildred wracked her brain for a solution. Moments later her saving grace came from a very loud, very purposeful, “Excuse me, do you both have a visitors badge?”

Turning, Mildred said a prayer heavenward. Her eyes gratefully made contact with Mrs. Bushfield, one of the 4th grade Room Moms.

“Good morning, Mrs. Bushfield. Uh, no, I don't believe this gentleman has a visitor pass. He asked me to show him the way to--”

“Oh, I'm sorry Ms. Krebbs, I didn’t recognize you from behind. I’m afraid this gentleman has to go to the office to sign in before visiting any of the classrooms. It's school policy.”

Mildred attempted to look properly chastised. “Oh my honey, how irresponsible of me to forget to mention that. I do apologize for not following school procedures. I'm usually by the book. Nothing gets past me,” Mildred smiled.

“It's okay, I'm headed that way so I'll take care of him,” the younger woman turned toward the silent man. “Sir, I'd be happy to escort you to the front office to sign in. You'll just need a driver's license or some other picture ID and we can get you on your way.”

Mildred's assailant looked at her. His stare was menacing before he turned around to face the woman that had foiled his plans. “I'm sorry, I didn't know I needed an ID. This is the first time I’ve actually been here. I just decided to stop by and pop in on my son, Johnny. I didn't think to bring any with me. I'll just run out to the car and grab my wallet. I'll meet you back in the office in just a few minutes.”

Before either woman could reply, he was running down the hallway. Mildred's hand came quickly to her chest as she breathed an audible sigh of relief. The woman that had probably just saved her life steadied her.

“Are you all right, Ms. Krebbs?”

“No. No, I'm not. We've got to stop that man! He isn't here to see his son, he was trying to harass one of our students!”

Without hesitation, she bolted down the hallway after him. “Stop that man!” Mrs. Bushfield screamed.

Several people took off in pursuit. Mildred wasn’t far behind.

The attacker slammed into the front door flinging it open with a resounding crash. He was running in earnest now as he heard the shouts growing louder behind him. Reaching into his inside pocket, he grabbed a cell phone. Flipping it open, he pressed a speed dial number.

“Hey, it's me. I got trouble. I need you to meet me at Casey's in fifteen minutes. No, I wasn't able to get to her. I just told you I got trouble,” he gasped for air. “Some people are trailing me, but I'll shake 'em. Just don't be late.” Closing his cell phone, he dashed around the backside of a car but was brought up short by an arm around his neck. He tried to get his hand into his pocket to retrieve his gun, but was too late.

“I’ll take that,” the man holding him said. “Now that I have your attention, I have a few questions for you.”

The man laughed loudly. “I’m not telling you a thing.”

Remington smiled menacingly. “That’s where we have a difference of opinion, mate.” Grabbing his collar, Remington threw him onto the trunk. “Why are you after Dakota Wilson?”

The man snickered. “You think a few blows is going to make me talk? You haven’t been at this very long, have you?”

“On the contrary,” Remington threw him to the ground, “I’m just getting started.”

Jumping up, the man charged Remington. Both crashed to the pavement. The assailant was the first to get up. He swung his leg and connected with Remington’s stomach. The next blow missed its target as Remington rolled out of the way and got back on his feet. The man’s leg flew through the air to deliver a well-placed blow to Remington’s face, but he missed the target when Remington’s hands came up to grab his foot. Spinning it around, the man’s body followed suit and he hit the ground. Slower to get up, he roared in anger as he advanced on his opponent. He delivered a blow to Remington’s jaw and was about to hit him with an uppercut when Remington ducked and delivered a forceful blow to his solar plexus. The effect was instantaneous. The man dropped to his knees. His face contorted with pain and surprise before he rolled to his side in muted agony.

Remington turned him over. “Why are you after Dakota Wilson?”

The man was shuddering with pain. Leaning over, Remington placed his elbow on the man’s middle section. “I suggest you answer me or we’ll be at this all day, I assure you.”

“She’s…she’s got something that belongs to my boss,” the man whispered harshly. “H…he wants it back. Now get off me.”

“What is it?”

The man was silent. Remington increased the pressure. “Mildred, I need your assistance persuading this gent we mean business.”

“A pleasure chief. Want me to pile drive the bum?”

The man’s eyes widened as he saw Mildred advancing. She was rolling up her sleeves. “A coin,” he gasped raggedly. “She’s got a coin that belongs to my boss. He wants it back,” he eyed Remington with disdain. “By any means necessary.”

“Not on my watch,” Remington replied before elbowing him on the chin. He didn’t bother to see if the man was unconscious before he turned to his faithful associate. “Mildred…”

“I’m on it, boss.” Mildred replied, rushing toward the school’s main door.

Some time later…

Everyone had rendezvoused back at the Jeffries home. All eyes were on the youngest member of the family.

“What?” she said, innocently.

Wilson took a deep breath. “Dakota, we asked you before if you had discovered anything in the park and you said no.”

“I know, Daddy.”

Then you can understand how upset your mother and I are to find out you lied to us. The question is, why?”

“It was just a coin. It wasn’t even where the two guys were fighting. How did I know it belonged to them?”

“Cody,” her father warned.

“It’s ancient, Dad. I researched it online. It’s from the Classical period. It has Athena on it. She was the patron Goddess of the city Athens and…”

“Dakota Jeffries,” her mother admonished. “This is serious. Anything could’ve happened to you. You could’ve been seriously injured, or kidnapped! And for what? Some centuries old silver coin?”

“It’s not just a silver coin, Mom. There’s something inscribed on the back of it, but I can’t figure out what it means.”

“May I?” Laura asked, stepping forward.

Dakota handed over the coin. Scrutinizing it closely, Laura handed it to Remington. “What can you make of it?”

He studied the coin carefully. “About five hundred dollars on the open market,”

The glare from his wife caused him to clear his throat. “The coin is authentic, but I can’t decipher the code. This coin is from the 5th century and is in mint condition. You can see the etching from the inscription isn’t something that was done by the ancient Greeks.”

“Why would someone inscribe a centuries old coin? Boss, you mentioned it’s worth a few hundred dollars. Why would someone resort to such lengths to get it back?”

“My guess is there’s more where that coin came from, Mildred. Either that or there’s something significant about that code.”

Wilson looked at his daughter then to Laura. “So what’s are next move?”

“We have to find out what the code means. I have a friend in the area that may be able to help us out. We also have to discover who the man was this morning that was after Dakota and whom he works for. It may shed some light on why he’s willing to resort to such lengths for one silver coin.”

Remington reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a cell phone. “I’ve got something that should speed that one along.”

“The scumbag’s phone?”

Remington smiled at Mildred’s eloquent reply. “I figured he won’t be needing it where he’s going,” Remington smiled. “I too have some local mates I can get to assist us. They can trace the calls to and from this phone. My guess is one of them is the bad guy.”

“Pardon me for saying,” Amanda looked around the crowd. “But how will this stop someone from coming after Cody again?”

“I assure you Mrs. Jeffries, we’ll be in a much better position when we find out who’s in charge of all this and what he’s after. We’ll also make it known around town that the Remington Steele agency has discovered an ancient coin of hidden wealth. That should go a long way in taking your daughter off the radar.”

“But, wouldn’t that put you both in the line of fire?” Wilson replied, looking at Laura with concern.

“Believe me, we’re more than capable of dealing with anything that comes our way,” Laura said,

confidently.

***

“Trust me Laura; you want to get this coin as far away from you as possible.” The man eyeing the coin under a magnifying glass replied.

“What are you talking about, David? Why?”

“I’ve deciphered the code on the back. They used a delta-text sequence.”

“Precisely as I suspected,” Remington said, quickly.

Both Laura and her friend looked at him with skepticism.

Remington raised an eyebrow. “Well, it wasn’t audible.”

“Anyway,” Laura continued. What’s this here?

“That looks like part of a co-ordinance and the word Neronoma. Ever heard it before?”

Both Steeles shook their head.

“Neronoma was the name of a tyrannical ruler in Antiquity. He gained great power and wealth by exploiting and dominating everyone in his path. The more he gained, the more he wanted. Nothing was beyond is grasp, until he met Andulisa, a queen of ethereal beauty that ruled by her husband, King Talonysius’ side. From the moment Neronoma saw the beautiful queen he was besotted. He launched a campaign to destroy the kingdom and take the queen for his own, but every tactic he used, failed. He became obsessed. Legend has it that the king challenged Neronoma to a great one-on-one battle. The fight was fierce and waged on for hours. Eventually, Neronoma was wounded. King Talonysius spared Neronoma’s life and demanded he retreat. Unable to accept not winning Andulisa for his own, Neronoma struck down the King. As her husband lay dying, Andulisa cursed Neronoma for his deception vowing he would never have her or know a moment’s peace. He would always want what he could never have, and would never have what he truly wanted. She rushed off to her temple. Neronoma and his troops gave chase. When he came upon the temple, it was surrounded by molten gold. He watched in anguish as each attempt to get to her failed and more of his men perished in the liquid gold. Unable to leave what he desired most gaining the temple became his singular purpose. Eventually Neronoma gained access to the temple. The temple held vast riches beyond his wildest imagination. When he saw the Queen he boasted that he had all that he wanted and thought himself the luckiest of men.”

“What happened?” Laura blurted out.

“He went to the queen and pulled her into his arms. Smiling, she taunted him that if his lips touched hers he’d perish. Confident that he was invincible, he kissed her anyway.”

“Go on, man. What happened next?” Remington urged.

“Andulisa wrapped her arms around him and threw them both into the river of gold. Legend has it any wealth having to do with Neronoma from that moment on was cursed.”

“That’s some story,” Laura said, breathlessly, “but what does that have to do with the coin? This isn’t a direct part of his treasures.”

“True, but maybe its part of a marker that will lead us to the fortune,” Remington concluded with glee. “Worth millions, with a finder’s fee and—”

Laura placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Whoa, first things first, Magellan. We need to figure out who is going through such lengths to get this coin back.”

Mildred anchored the telephone receiver in the crook of her neck while she wrote in her notepad. “You’re sure? No, I believe you. I just didn’t think he was in the U.S., I know. Okay, thanks for checking this out for me. I owe you one. What? “Mildred smiled brightly and blushed. “Dinner it is. Later, Nick.”

As soon as she hung the phone up, Mildred walked two doors down and knocked on the hotel door. Remington opened looking a tad put out. “Am I interrupting something, boss?”

“Actually, Mildred—”

“No,” Laura called from behind Remington. “Come in, Mildred.”

Remington stood aside to allow Mildred entrance into their suite.

Laura was sitting Indian style on the bed a deck of cards in front of her. “Don’t mind
him,” she laughed. “He was just losing his shirt in Uno. Right, Dakota?”

Mildred spotted Wilson’s daughter on the bed smiling conspiratorially.

“Definitely. I just got him with a draw four. It’s the second one in the last two hands. Laura and I have him on the ropes. He’s got about twenty cards in his hand,” Dakota giggled.

“How are you, honey?” Mildred asked the smiling girl.

“Just fine. Mommy and Daddy had a business dinner with his boss. Mr. & Mrs. Steele
are watching me tonight.”

Mildred looked up in time to see the not-too-exuberant look on Remington’s face. She
would have fun ribbing him about it later.

“I see. Well, I wouldn’t mind some company if you’d like to stay in my room. I’ve got
another bed with nobody in it. We could hang out and have a girly night? I believe they have
some cool stuff coming on T.V. later.”

“That sounds like fun!” Dakota enthused. She looked expectantly at her sitters. “You
don’t mind, do you?”

Laura smiled at the not so subtle look of glee on her husband’s face. She knew what he
was thinking without him uttering a word. “Of course we don’t mind.”

“Great. It’s all settled. Cody, why don’t you look over the menu in the other room and
order us some room service for later?”

“Sure, Ms. Krebbs.”

“Honey, if us girls are having a slumber party, I think it’s high time you started calling
me Mildred.”

“Okay, Ms. Mildred,” Cody smiled and ran to the other room.

“She’s such a cutie,” Mildred grinned.

“That she is,” Remington agreed. “So, any news?”

“News you won’t believe, chief. I just got off the phone with one of my contacts at IRS.
Turns out our guy is none other than Vladimir Nero.”

Remington’s expression turned serious. “Nero? As in—”

“Horses, numbers, art, jewels…anything with a high price tag and not on the up and up.”

Laura frowned. “He’s one of the most notorious criminals in the twenty-first century.”

“Hell, he’s bad news in any century,” Mildred retorted. “Seriously bad news to anyone
that crosses his path.”

Laura was thoughtful for a moment before snapping her fingers. “Of course. It was
staring us in the face the whole time. Nero-noma. It’s a calling card of sorts.”

“Laura,” Remington warned. “That’s not exactly the type of call a person wants to take.”

“What’s our alternative? Have him continue to frighten a little girl and her family?”

“I’d say that was a moot point now,” Remington concluded. “He now knows we have the
coin he’s after.”

Just then the telephone rang. Laura unfolded herself from the bed. “I’ll get it. It’s
probably Wilson checking up on Dakota.”

“Hello?” Laura said into the receiver.

She frowned. “Yes, it is.”

Remington traded looks with Mildred.

“Of course I know where it is—”

“Where what is?” Remington whispered.

Laura’s hand flew through the air in a gesture meant to quiet him.

Mildred rung her hands in front of her while Laura continued her call. Eventually, Laura
hung up. Mildred beat Remington to draw. “Well? Who was that?”

“Vladimir Nero.”

Remington’s head snapped up. “Beg pardon?”

“What’s he want, honey?”

“The coin, Mildred. He wants us to meet him later this evening in the lobby,” she looked at her husband pointedly. “Any tricks and he insists we won’t see Wilson and his wife alive again.”

To be continued...

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part IV

2008-12-11T22:41:00.002-05:00

This story is intended for amusement purposes only. This story is not meant to infringe on the names of Remington Steele, Laura Holt or anything that would cause MTM productions or anybody else to sue me. This story is the property of Lisa Watson ã 2008.

Remington realized two things when he woke up. The first was that he ached all over. The second, and more significant, was that he and Laura had just agreed to make a baby. A wide grin covered his entire face at the prospect. As with anything they involved themselves in, both had taken up the task with their own fervor and relentless dedication. Hence his feeling like he'd be run over by a bus. Remington’s smile increased as he recalled some of the numerous ways Laura had proven her exuberance for the task at hand. I wonder if I’ll survive the process. Remington mused to himself.

“I have no doubt you’re up to the challenge, my love,” Laura replied, yawning.

Startled that he’d voiced his thoughts aloud Remington quickly recovered. “Dedication to duty,” my darling wife, is the cornerstone of which this agency was founded on. In fact—”

“Spare me,” Laura groaned loudly before placing a pillow over her head.

Indignant at being cut off, Remington deftly flicked the pillow off her head. “As I’ve always said, anything worth having is well worth the effort of acquiring it.”

“This from a reformed jewel thief?”

“Really, Laura, I thought you of all people would appreciate my honed skills, my cat-like reflexes, and my keen intellect.”

Laura leaned over and kissed him on his neck. “Trust me, Mr. Steele, I’m well
aware of your extraordinary…talents.”

In two seconds Laura was rolled over and under her husband. Grinning, Remington’s
eyes smoldered. “Is that right? Care to elaborate, Mrs. Steele?”

Laura’s breath caught in her throat at the passionate, intense way he stared at her. If I live
to be a hundred I’ll never tire of that look. Laura told herself. “I’d rather show you, Mr. Steele.”

Two days later…

Laura and Remington rendezvoused with Wilson and his family at their home. Wilson was none too happy at their plan. “Laura, I don’t know if I’m comfortable with this idea of yours. You want us to go back to business as usual and wait for some lunatic to come after our daughter?”

“Wilson, I assure you we will be tailing her every step of the way. We will protect her. This is the only way we’re going to draw these people out.”

Taking Laura’s arm, Wilson guided her away from Remington, his wife and Mildred. When they were out of ear shot Wilson looked at her.

“This is my child, Laura. Can you imagine what our lives have been like since this whole nightmare started? I’m terrified for her; that some greedy, dangerous man isn’t going to rest until—” Wilson struggled for composure. “She’s my life,” he said, evenly. “I can’t have her harmed, Laura. I can’t.”

Tears welled up in Laura’s eyes. Her heart broke for what he was going through. She ran a hand over his shoulder. “Wilson. You came to me for a reason. You trusted that I would do whatever it took to find out who is following Dakota. You believed in my abilities to get to the bottom of whatever your daughter’s caught up in. She’s your little girl, and I know as a father you have to do what’s best for her. I understand that, Wilson, but you have to understand something, too. Remington and I are not just good; we’re experts at what we do. We won’t let any harm come to her,” Laura looked him right in the eyes. “I promise you-- I’ll protect her with my life.”

“I know,” Wilson replied hugging her to him. “I know.”

They rejoined the rest of the group. Laura walked straight to her husband’s side. Silently, Remington’s arm came up to the small of her back. He gave her a slight squeeze. It was enough.

“Mildred, are the arrangements made at Dakota’s school?”

“I report there tomorrow as the new teacher’s assistant in her class. I’m clear on my part.”

“Remington?”

“All the surveillance cameras have been installed in the house and around the perimeter. The motion sensors are in place, and the security system’s been tested.”

“Great,” Laura replied. “Can your contacts be ready by 7 o’ clock tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll call everyone and finalize our plans. I’ve got my best men working on this. Even Monroe’s made a few calls. If there’s anything to dig up out there, they’ll find it.”

Laura nodded.

“Who’s Monroe?” Amanda inquired.

“A friend of the family,” Laura smiled, warmly.
Remington winked at his wife.

“Wilson, do you and Amanda have any questions on anything?” Remington asked.
“It all sounds like a viable plan, I just hope you all know what you’re doing,” Amanda said, worriedly.

“We do,” Laura assured Wilson’s wife. She looked toward Remington and Mildred confidently.

“We do.”

***

At seven o’clock on the dot, Remington pulled up to the Jeffries’ home in a black Mercedes limousine with black tinted windows. Alighting from the vehicle in an all black suite and dark sunglasses, he slowly walked up to the front door. Ringing the doorbell, Remington stepped aside and waited.

“You look amazing,” a voice piped through his ear.

Smiling, he lowered his head down a bit and tilted inward. “Contain yourself, darling. Mustn’t look suspicious.”

“What you look is incredibly hot.”

“Keep this up and I’ll have to—”

Just then Amanda opened the door. Lowering herself to her daughter’s height, she kissed and hugged Dakota tightly before standing up. “Have a good day, love.” Her mother smiled.

“I will mommy, you too.”

Remington placed an arm around Dakota and escorted her to the awaiting limo. When he’d gotten her settled, he stepped around the back of the car and got in to the driver’s side. “Ready, sunshine?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the little girl’s quick reply.

Remington leaned down to adjust the volume on the stereo. “Off we go,” he said, quietly.

“Roger that.” Laura’s voice piped through his earpiece.

Mildred had taken many assignments over the years since she’d joined the agency. She’d played Countesses, mothers, a fish toting bag lady, a high rolling millionaire and even a gigolo’s wife, but being in a room full of 4th graders as their teacher’s assistant was downright fun.
Never would Mildred have pegged herself as teacher material, but she found that she honestly enjoyed working with the students. Their current assignment was free writing in their journals for 15 minutes. At the end, everyone had the ability to share an excerpt from their writing assignment. Even Mildred and their teacher joined in. Mildred wrote about her unexpected trip to Malta and how she helped apprehend a passerby that later turned out to be a two timing con man that lured unsuspecting women into a web of deceit and betrayal by pretending to be infatuated with them. As she was telling her tale, there wasn’t one person in the room that wasn’t hanging on her every word. Even the teacher was glued. Mildred loved her job! A buzzer on the desk indicated that their class would be over in ten minutes.

“Okay everyone, let’s start cleaning up and getting ready to go,” the teacher announced loudly over the kid’s protests. “We’ll have to hear the rest of Ms. Krebbs Maltese adventure tomorrow, okay?”

Cheers echoed throughout the room. Mildred beamed with pride.

Excusing herself, she decided to go to the ladies’ room while the kids were packing up. Thinking about Edvard made Mildred’s heart flutter. Despite her protests, she had been more affected by him than she’d led on. He had truly captured her heart. “The bum,” Mildred said, aloud. “Tomorrow, I think our country-hopping Casanova will meet an untimely demise on the end of a meat hook. A big meat hook,” Mildred nodded at her brilliant idea.

Coming out of the stall, Mildred leaned over to wash her hands. Thoughts of how she’d kill Edvard off were still swirling around in her head. Closing her eyes, she thought up more intricate, colorful ways to make the slimy chum bucket pay.
Grinning at her latest idea, Mildred opened her eyes. Looking into the mirror, she let out a shriek when she noticed the man standing right behind her.

Before she could scream, he leaned in and slipped an arm around her and covered her mouth with his right hand.

“Ah-ah-ah. If I were you I wouldn’t draw attention to myself by screaming. That may prove to be an extremely bad idea. Get me?”

Shaken, Mildred nodded slowly.

“Good job. Now, you have something that I want. “Do you know what it is?”

She shook her head left and right.

The man leaned closer. “Access to Dakota Wilson.”

Mildred concentrated on making her expression look neutral.

“There’s a few questions I’d like to ask her. We don’t want to hurt the little girl, but make no mistake lady, she’s got something that belongs to my boss, and he will stop at nothing to get it back. Do you understand?”

Quickly, Mildred nodded, yes.

“Now, I’m going to let you go. Don’t try anything suspicious, or I will have to hurt you. You go in there and talk things over with little miss Wilson. I want that item back. By any means necessary,” he stressed. “You got it?”

He let her mouth go. Mildred wanted to sandblast the taste of him off her lips, but she didn’t dare—at least not in front of him. What I wouldn’t give for a bazooka! Mildred said under her breath.

“What does Miss Wilson have that’s so important?” Mildred asked.

“A map.”

“A map?” Mildred repeated.

“Yes, a map,” he snapped. “Now, that’s all you need to know. “It’s Showtime, lady and don’t forget—I’m watching you. I’m watching your every move. You make one false step and you, and the kid get dealt with. “Understand?

“I understand.” As she walked toward the bathroom door, she felt a sharp object collide with her side. It didn’t take a scientist to figure out what it was. During their slow progress down the hall, Mildred’s mind raced. She couldn’t do anything that would put any of her kids’ in harm’s way. Looking around, Mildred didn’t see any sign of Laura or Remington. She was affectively cut off. If Mildred was going to do something she had to think fast. They were almost back to the classroom. If ever she was going to pull a rabbit out of a hat, now was the time to do it!

To be continued...

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part III

2008-12-11T19:24:00.002-05:00

This story is intended for amusement purposes only. This story is not meant to infringe on the names of Remington Steele, Laura Holt or anything that would cause MTM productions or anybody else to sue me. This story is the property of Lisa Watson ã 2007.

Warning: This one is on the Rated R side. Don't read if you're offended, too young, etc...

Perusing the pile of paper in front of him, Remington heaved a heavy sigh then leaned his head back against the fluffy pillow behind him. “We’ve been over this bloody report just short of insanity, and we've come up with the same thing every time.”

“Nothing,” Laura answered, tiredly.

“Exactly. We’ve scoured that park for missed clues, asked everyone from the daily Tai Chi class to the pungent fellow sipping from his flask on his self-allotted bench every evening. It’s been almost a week Laura, and we haven’t gotten any closer to figuring out who’s following Dakota Jeffries around than we knew at the beginning of this bloody case.”

“I know. We’ve surveilled their home, discreetly questioned the suburbanites in the quaint town of Bridgehampton, and sifted through more of Central Park shrubbery than I care to count. To quote Mildred on this, “We’ve got Bupkus.”

Remington sat up then through his feet over the edge of their King-sized bed at the Waldorf-Astoria. “I’ve had enough of this merry-go-round. I say we have the Jeffries fly back up here and resume their normal lives.”

Laura was shaking her head before he’d even finished his thought. “Isn’t that going to be dangerous for them?”

“Do you have a better idea of how to catch the bad guys on this one? Think about it. If we give them a moving target, we can keep a close eye on the Dakota and see who comes out of the woodwork. When they make their presence known, we nail the bloody bastards.”

“I don’t know,” Laura frowned. “I’m not sure I want to use a nine year old as bait, Remington.”

“It’s the only way we can end this stalemate. If we don’t give them a target, we’ve got nothing,”
When Laura remained silent, Remington got up and walked over to his wife. Putting a hand on either shoulder, he squeezed. “We won’t let any harm come to Dakota, Laura. I promise.”

“I know, but the bigger issue is that we need to convince Wilson and Amanda of our plan. That’s not going to be easy.”

“I know. Let’s discuss our game plan over dinner. All this pondering has left me famished.”
“I can’t believe you can only thing of your stomach at a time like this,” Laura chastised.

Grinning, he leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. “Trust me, darling. That isn’t the ONLY thing running through my mind just now.”

“Come on Casanova,” Laura laughed handing him his jacket and pulling him toward the door. “One craving at a time.”

He stopped her before she’d opened it. Turning her around, he pinned her against the door. Lowering his head, his lips glided over the sensitive spot on her neck. “Nonsense,” he growled into her ear. “I think it’s high time we sampled one of this hotel’s raved about amenities.”

Laura was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate. “What would that be?”

Remington’s eyes smoldered as they roamed down the expanse of his wife’s body and back again. By the time his gaze reached her eyes, the preference of his hunger was as clear as new blown glass. “Room service. You know how proficient I am at the art of combining two of my favorite pursuits.”

Immediately, Laura’s arms wound around his neck. Sliding his leg between the two of hers, Remington increased the pressure of his body until his arousal was blatantly obvious. Starting at her rear end, he eased on of her legs around his waist to ram his point home. When Laura’s body started writhing against his, he reached down and picked her up wrapping both legs around his middle. Her skirt rode up her thighs. Slowly, he walked them both across the room to the desk. Easing Laura onto its hard surface, he leaned down to slowly open each button of her silk blouse. As each shiny button was released from its holder, he kissed the expanse of chest it revealed. When he’d divested her of the cumbersome garment, Remington took a moment to savor his wife’s breasts straining against the black lace bra she wore. It was one of his favorites. Her staccato breathing confirmation of the effect they had on each other. It was intoxicating.
Unable to resist, Remington lowered his head and kissed a trail across her exposed skin.

“Exquisite,” the timbre in his accented voice deepened with desire.

Several minutes passed before he raised his head. By the time he did Laura’s body was shaking with need. Smilingly devilishly, Remington lowered his right hand and retrieved the telephone receiver. Pressing a button on its face he waited patiently.

“Room service? Ah yes, Steele here. I’d like to order your Chef’s special this evening, for two. The finest caviar on your menu, fresh strawberries with cream, a magnum of Dom Perignon and…pardon me?” Remington asked. After a second his face took on an indignant look. Whipped? Never. Clotted, naturally.”

Despite her arousal, Laura couldn’t contain her snicker.

“We’ll finish with the Crème Brule. And how long will that take?” Remington glanced at Laura and winked. “Perfect. Thank you, my dear.”

“That was quite an order.”

“I’m certain we’ll have quite an appetite.

Remington eased Laura off the table and reached around to the back of her skirt. Unbuttoning it, he slid the zipper down and lowered the slim skirt over her hips until it pooled around her ankles on the floor. Next was Laura’s pantyhose followed by her black slip. Savoring the vision, he took his time surveying his wife in her lace bra and matching panties.

“That’s not fair, you’re fully clothed,” Laura chided.

“Can’t have that, can we love? By all means, I’m at your disposal.”

“You’d better be.”

Sliding her hands from his neck to the front of his jacket, Laura slid the coat from his shoulders. Her fingers roamed the expanse of his strong chest for several seconds before lowering to his waist band. She made quick work of pulling his shirt from his trousers. Releasing his belt, her finger looped around the button on his trousers, Laura opened it with ease before sliding his zipper down. The sound echoing around the soundless room was deafening. She’d repeated his slow, deliberate movements as she lowered his pants to the floor. His black boxer briefs unable to contain his desire.

“How much time do we have, Mr. Steele?”

He ran a thumb over her lower lip before capturing her mouth with his. “Enough time for me to render my wife ecstatically, blissfully, and incandescently happy.”

Laura’s knees almost buckled. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she jumped effortlessly into his arms like she’d done on their Ireland honeymoon. Laura’s dazzling smile was instantaneous.

“I’m already that,”

He lowered her to the bed. His body immediately covered hers. “Well then, allow me to improve upon perfection.”

“I don’t think I could stand it,” she breathed.

“Let’s see, shall we?”

Wrapping her legs around his waist, Laura ground against him. She reveled in the loud, erotic moan that escaped his lips. “Yes—lets.”

They took turns loving each other with slow, deliberate movements. Each time Laura thought their lovemaking couldn’t improve she was always proved wrong. The longer they were together, the more they discovered untapped places on their bodies that aided in their mutual bliss. Each time Remington joined his body to hers left her in awe. Each splendid, amazing, indescribable time he made them one left her wanting to weep with the overwhelming feeling that surged explosively over her body. For a few seconds, all her senses, every faculty she possessed shut down in homage to the unbearable pleasure of first contact.

“I’ll never tire of this,” Laura choked out when Remington lowered his body to greet hers.

“Nor I,” he confessed. He was still for a moment. The gravity of that one simple sentence raced through his mind. Laura’s solemn confession overloaded his heart with emotion. Reverently, he rolled over and placed Laura on top of him. He needed to see her face, gauge her reaction to what he was about to say. His hands gently rested on her hips. He lay cradled inside her, completely ensconced in the warmth surrounding him.

“Laura, I couldn’t be any happier, than I am at this moment. From the day I met you, I’ve wanted nothing more then to remain by your side, sharing your life, bringing you joy and healing your pain. I wanted you. Plain and simple. Not just the physical,” he stressed. “I mean…all of it.”

She swallowed and nodded. “I know.”

I want what we share to continue to grow, to have meaning. To be a beacon to the whole bloody world how much I cherish you, love you, adore you.”

Tears slid down Laura’s reddening face. Her eyes shone brightly with the emotion she was powerless to contain. “Remington, I love and adore you, too. You know I do. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“Nor can I. That’s why I’m certain now without a doubt that it’s time, Laura.”

Her expression registered her confusion. “Time? Time for what?”

Remington ran a thumb under her right eye capturing the tear against his skin. He slowly traced a path down her front. “For our love to grow—here,” he said solemnly resting his open hand across her abdomen.

Laura’s whole body shook. “What…what are you saying?” she choked out.

Remington sat up, never breaking contact. “I think you know what. I want a baby with you my beautiful, amazing wife,” his voice heavy with emotion. “I want what I always dreamed of when I was bounced around from place to place.” Resting his forehead against hers he closed his eyes. “A true family—yours, and mine.”

She cried in earnest now. Wrapping her arms around him Laura held on like her life depended on it. Time ticked by and still they held each other tight. The trust it took for him to admit his deepest desire humbled her. Warmed her. She cherished every second of it. She’d never been closer to him than at this time. In this moment.

“Laura?”

“Yes, my love?”

“You haven’t answered me.”

She laughed. A pure, silly, crazy laugh of supreme joy. Pulling back, she cupped his face in her hands and stared deeply into his blue eyes. “Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes!” she cried. “I want nothing more in this world than to have a baby with you. For us to be…a family.”

To be continued...

Steele a Blast from the Past - Part II

2008-12-11T19:15:00.002-05:00

This story is intended for amusement purposes only. This story is not meant to infringe on the names of Remington Steele, Laura Holt or anything that would cause MTM productions or anybody else to sue me. This story is the property of Lisa Watson ã 2007.

Stepping back into his office, Remington rejoined the group on the couch.

“Mr. Steele, is Laura okay?” Wilson ran a hand over his brow. “She seemed rather upset, and left so suddenly. I hope our showing up like this out of the blue hasn’t caused any—”

“Of course not,” Remington interjected. “Dedication to duty has always been paramount for my wife. Luckily for both of us, Laura remembered an important meeting with the police commissioner. Hearing you say you’d be married ten years triggered that connection—ten o’clock appointment and all. She asked that I relay her apologies for the hasty retreat.”

Appeased, Wilson relaxed. “Oh, that isn’t necessary. I remember work always took center stage with Laura.”

“Some things never change,” Remington agreed.

As Remington launched into a monologue about busy schedules and professional obligations, Amanda leaned in to her husband. “Is he always so…lengthy?” she whispered.

“Always,” came his hushed reply.

Neither Jeffries noticed Remington’s arched eyebrow, a clear indication he’d overheard their comment.

Clearing his throat, Remington spoke louder than necessary. “Now, why don’t we discuss why your daughter would like to retain our services?”

Amanda glanced down at her daughter. “Sweetheart, is that why you ran off?”

The little girl nodded. “You both seemed like you didn’t want to ask Mrs. Steele to help us, but you said she was the best person who could. I didn’t mean to run off, I just wanted to ask her myself if she’d make it so you and mommy wouldn’t worry so much.”

Wilson gathered Dakota in his arms. ”I promise you, baby, we’ll work this out.”
After a moment, Wilson leaned in to whisper in his wife’s ear. Nodding, she smiled brightly and leaned down to address her daughter.

“Cody, how about us girls go check on Ms. Krebbs?”

Dakota knew a set-up when she saw one. Nodding obediently, she followed her mother out the door.

After his wife and daughter left, Wilson took a deep breath. “It all started innocently enough. Just a simple class trip to the park set this whole thing in motion. Two weeks ago, Dakota’s gym class spent the afternoon in the park having relay races. Cody went to retrieve a stray ball, and stumbled upon an altercation between two men. One man was getting roughed up pretty good. Dakota ran to get her teacher. When he returned, both men were gone.”

“Fortunate for the man being pummeled that your daughter came along when she did. She appears to have saved his life.”

“That’s what we thought, too. But since then, we’ve received several days of hang-up calls to our home number, I was in a hit-and-run accident, and Cody swears there was a man following her one day after the bus dropped her at school.”

Remington was thoughtful. “And you don’t think these are random occurrences?”

“You think they are?”

When Remington didn’t respond, Wilson continued. “Contrary to my wilder bachelor days, I now lead a pretty straightforward life, Mr. Steele.”

Remington placed his hand over his mouth to hid a smile.

“Car pools, play dates, company golf every third Saturday and two vacations a year. So when we start getting unpredictable things happening on a frequent basis, I’m going to get a bit concerned.”

“I see your point. Tell me, Wilson. Have you alerted the local authorities?”

“Of course, I have, but they haven’t uncovered anything, and other than a description from a nine year old, they have nothing else to go by. We’re to alert them immediately if there are any more mysterious incidents. Quite frankly, Steele, I don’t want to wait around that long. Will you and Laura take our case?”

Remington stood. Wilson immediately followed. Placing an arm around Laura’s old flame, he squeezed reassuringly. “Of course. Laura and I will do some preliminary digging to see if we can find anything. Rest assured, if there’s anything out there to find, we’ll find it, okay?” Remington patted him on the back several times before shaking his hand. “In the meantime, why don’t you and your family stay at the loft?”

“I don't know, Steele. We don’t want to intrude…”

“Nonsense. It’s the safest place for you, and you’ll be easily accessible, in case we have additional questions.”

Guiding Wilson to the reception area, Remington said goodbye, then went over to bring Mildred up to speed.

####

“Chief, you can’t be serious,” Mildred whispered behind a file folder. “Do you know how hard it’ll be to find out anything on that little bit of information?”

“Yes, I am, and yes, I do, Mildred. Still, we’re going to do what we can for Wilson and his family. I’d appreciate if you can take statements from each of them.”

Mildred lowered the folder. “Sure thing, boss.”

“Then call and have Fred bring the limo around.”

“You got it.”

Remington reached into his wallet to retrieve the company credit card. “Treat the Jeffries and yourself to dinner, too.”

“Ooh, great.”

“After dinner, have Fred drop everyone at the loft. They'll need help getting settled.”

Mildred’s mouth dropped open. “Come again?”

“If there is someone out there trying to get to little Dakota, the safest place for them to be is right under our noses.”

“True, but…”

“Trust me on this, Mildred, okay? I’ll be in contact later,” Remington replied shrugging into his jacket while heading for the door.

“I’ll handle it, but wait,” Mildred called after him. “Where are you going?”

“To find my wife.”

####

Laura sat on a bench staring into thin air. A familiar voice sounded behind her.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Not bothering to look up she replied, “How’d you find me?”

“There are several places you go when you have something weighing on your mind,” Remington reasoned. “The observatory was the last stop on the list.”

At that confession, Laura looked up. “You didn’t.”

“Actually, I did,” he laughed then sobered. “Want to talk about it?”

Laura’s arms snaked around her middle. “You were there. I made a complete fool of myself running out of the office like that. Strange thing is, I don’t know why I did it.”

Walking in front of her, Remington lowered himself until he was eye level with his wife. “Sure you do.”

Silent, Laura lowered her eyes. A few seconds later, Remington tilted her face up with his thumb and index finger.

“Laura, I’m not here for recriminations. Talk to me. I want to help.”

Tears rolled down her face. Eventually, they rolled over the fingers Remington still hadn’t moved.

“What do you want me to stay?”

He smiled. “Amazingly, the truth still works wonders.”

Standing, Laura walked to the iron rail. After a few moments she turned to face her husband.

“There wasn’t a rebound girl,” she blurted out. “There was supposed to be a rebound girl, but there wasn’t. All along she was the one he was supposed to be with, it wasn’t me. It was never me—and you know what I’m sitting here stupidly wondering?”

Remington shook his head.

“Why wasn’t it me?” Laura cried. “What was wrong with me? Why wasn’t I good enough to be the happily-ever-after?”

Walking over to her, Remington pulled Laura’s rigid body into his arms. “How could you ever think you weren’t good enough—for anyone, eh?”

Remington leaned down to kiss the bridge of her nose. “You weren’t meant to be Mrs. Wilson Jeffries, Laura. Deep down in your heart you know that’s true. Personally, and for purely selfish reasons I might add, I’m glad you didn’t end up marrying him, because I’d have hated to be the one to inform the poor sod that he’d just married my happily-ever-after.”

Laura leaned against his shoulder for a few minutes before she spoke. “I’m sorry. This isn’t fair to you. I don’t know why I’m letting Wilson’s marriage, and his being a father affect me like this. I don’t want you thinking I’m doubting how my life turned out. I’m not. I love my life—I love you.”

“Darling, I love you, too, and what you’re feeling is perfectly normal, Laura.”

She looked up in confusion. “It is?”

“Of course. This was a man you loved. Deeply. A man you lived with for several years. Discovering he’s married, and has a child was bound to stir up latent emotions. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel some pangs of the past.”

Laura pondered his words. “I hope…that is…I don’t want you to think...don't think for a second that I’m having doubts about us. I don’t. I’m happy how we turned out.”

“Good to know,” Remington wrapped an arm around Laura and guided her back down the hill.

Arm in arm, they walked in silence until Remington spoke.

“Tell me something. Was finding out Wilson had a daughter more upsetting then hearing he’d married?”

Hesitantly, Laura nodded. “I guess it made me question my decision to put off having children. For a second, I was—”

“Jealous?”

Laura stopped walking. “Mmm Hmm. I always figured it was something I…that we’d discuss when the time was right. But—”

“It never happened.”

“Yeah. We’d just gotten on the same sheet of music with this relationship of ours, and then getting married— again,” she laughed. “I just thought we were getting used to the idea of truly being together, you know—before we’d broach that subject.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “Honestly, I’m still getting used to kissing you without being shot at. Still, I’d like us to have children, too, Laura. Every so often it enters my mind, but I can’t deny that until that moment comes, I’ll relish our practice sessions.”

Laura laughed. “What would I do without you, Mr. Steele?”

“I’m praying you never have to find out,” he winked. “Now, how about we head back to the office? By now, Mildred has the Jeffries’ safely ensconced at the loft. She’ll stay with them while you and I figure out our next move. I’ve got a lot to bring you up to speed on. That is, if we’re going to help them,” Remington said pointedly.

“Of course, we’re going to help them,” Laura replied, “but the first thing I’m going to do is apologize to Wilson and Amanda for running out of the office earlier.”

“No need. I explained you were merely assuring that we didn’t keep our good friend, the police commissioner waiting.”

“The police commissioner,” Laura stammered.

“Our ten o’clock appointment. Really, Laura, I wish you’d keep up.”

A look of mock chagrin crossed Laura’s face. “My apologies, Mr. Steele.”

Laura was heading for her parking space when Remington grabbed her arm and steered her toward his car.

“Remington, what are you doing? My car is parked over there.”

“I know. We’ll get it later. Where we’re going, you won’t need it.”

“Just where are we going?”

Remington opened the passenger door of his silver Jaguar and eased Laura onto the leather seat. Walking around the car, he slid in behind the wheel before answering.

“Back to our place, of course. I suddenly feel an extremely intense need to—you know.”

“I know, what?”

Placing the key into the ignition, Remington started the car. Glancing at his perplexed wife, he flashed his signature look. The intensely erotic, penetrating stare, that never failed to cause Laura to bite her lower lip with her front teeth.

“To…practice.”

To be continued...

Steele a Blast From the Past - Part I

2008-12-11T17:49:00.003-05:00

Looking down at her ring finger, Laura couldn’t help the nostalgia creeping persistently into her psyche. Gone were the days of uncertainty—of fishing around for explanations, or declarations. The days of Laura Holt…Steele…Holt-Steele…Laura Holt Steele were a careless memory. A new self-insured and supremely confident woman had emerged. Laura Steele, P.I.

Smiling, Laura’s gaze returned to her left hand. For the last five-years, a spectacular two-carat square diamond and sapphire ring had graced her small hand. The flawless diamond was his idea, the sapphires, hers. The exquisite gems were bound together by an intricate gold setting, each existing harmoniously on her finger, one never outshining the other. Just like her and Remington.

After their whirlwind marriage of convenience, and the impromptu honeymoon in Ireland, the two had started their “married” life with a promise sealed with a kiss. The night of passion shared at their newly acquired castle, had paved the way for an insatiable hunger that neither could extinguish nor deny. That one night had changed everything.

Consummating their relationship had caused a ripple effect on every nuance of their lives together. Eager to wipe the slate clean and begin anew, they were wed in a small church in County Meath with Mildred and the castle staff in attendance. After the ceremony, she and Remington spent an additional week in Ireland before flying first class to Turtle Island in Fiji.
Laura’s expression turned truly carnal recalling their isolated bure (cottage) on the shores of the Blue Lagoon.

“Penny for your thoughts, and from the looks of it, it had better include me.”

Laura blinked several times before being jolted out of her erotic daydream. Her chair snapped back as she whipped her feet off her desk and onto the carpeted floor. “I was…I mean, I…”

Remington sauntered over to his wife’s desk from the doorway to his office. Sitting on the edge, he leaned in and gave her the look that always made her blush. “I know what you were thinking, what I asked was whether or not I was in it?”

Leaning in until there faces were mere inches away, Laura answered. “Oh, you were in it all right.”

The double entendre wasn’t lost on her husband. “Mmm,” he sighed before branding Laura’s lips with a searing kiss.

Before either could do more, the buzzer on Laura’s desk went off.

“Bloody buzzer.”

“It could’ve been worse,” Laura soothed. “It could’ve been bullets whizzing by.”

“Small consolation, darling. The way I feel right now, I don’t think bullets would’ve deterred me from my quest.”

When the buzzer sounded again, Laura picked up the receiver on her phone. “Yes, Mildred. What? Uh, no, that’s fine. Give us a sec to get back to Remington’s office.”
Standing, Laura hung up and pulled her husband along behind her in one fluid motion.

“New client?”

“It appears so. There’s a Ms. Jeffries in reception to see us. She didn’t have an appointment, but Mildred insists we’ll want to meet her.”

Remington adjusted his tie before pulling his suit jacket off the back of his chair. What dire emergency requires our services this time? Distraught wife? Jealous husband? Greedy government officials on the take?”

“Careful, dear, you’re cynicism is showing.

“God, I hope not.” Remington quipped, looking down the front of his pants.
Elbowing him in the ribs, Laura headed for the door at her usual rapid pace. Catching up to her before she opened it, Remington gave her a visual once over,
ran his tongue over his teeth, then nodded for her to open the door.

“Welcome to Remington Steele Investigations,” Laura said cheerfully to thin air.

Remington too had begun his “How can we help you,” speech before he also realized there was nobody in front of him.

Puzzled, they both looked toward Mildred. Smiling, Mildred pointed her pencil in a downward direction. Eventually, Laura and Remington’s gaze followed Mildred’s pencil line toward the floor. Standing patiently was a little girl dressed in a Girl Scout uniform.
Remington’s amused voice broke the silence as he lowered his tall frame to match her height.

“How may we help you, Ms. Jeffries?”

“Actually, it’s Miss Jeffries,” the little girl replied. “I’m too young to have married, and gotten divorced.”

“Of course,” Laura quickly agreed moving backward. “Are you selling cookies?” Laura couldn’t keep the hopeful sound out of her voice.

“No.”

“Right, we’ve purchased cookies, and you’re here to deliver them?” Remington nodded reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

“No, sir.”

“Okay,” Laura shifted forward. “Will your mother be along, soon? Or was it your father that wanted to see us?”

“It’s just me, Mrs. Steele. Mom and Daddy don’t know I’m here. ”

“I see. In that case, won’t you come in, Miss Jeffries.” Laura waved her hand toward Remington’s couch.

She and Remington exchanged puzzled glances as they walked toward the sofa.

“So, young lady, how is it that Mrs. Steele and I can be of service?”

“I’d like to hire you.”

A choking sound came out of Remington’s mouth. “Beg pardon?”

“You see, I’m in danger, and I need to hire your agency to protect me. I heard Daddy mention you both. He said you helped him out of a big jam years ago, and seeing how you’re an old friend of my daddy’s, Mrs. Steele, I figured you could help me, too.”

Laura sat back in her chair. “An old friend?”

The girl nodded. “My daddy’s name is…”

“Wilson,” Laura choked out.

The little girl nodded excitedly. “Yes, that’s it. How’d you know?”

The color drained from Laura’s face as she continued to stare toward the doorway.

“Hello, Laura.” Wilson Jeffries said hesitantly.

“Daddy,” the girl cried, running to the door and flinging herself at her father.

Wilson caught his daughter in mid-air. He buried his head in her hair and held her tight. By
now both Laura and Remington had stood up and were staring toward the door. “Laura, Mr. Steele. I see you’ve both met my mischievous little girl, Dakota.”

When Laura didn’t speak, Remington stepped forward. “Yes, we have,” he said, shaking Wilson’s proffered hand. “Quite a little lady you have there. Jeffries.”

“Yes, she is,” he agreed. “She uh, takes after her mother.”

When an awkward silence overtook the group, Remington spoke up again. “How about we all sit down and catch up? Can Mildred bring either of you anything?”

Wilson looked down at his daughter. She shook her head. “No thanks, we’re fine.”

Maneuvering Laura to the couch by her elbow, Remington gently sat her down next to him. When she still hadn’t spoken, Remington lightly nudged her.

“So, Wilson,” she said loudly. “I see you’ve been busy since last we saw you.”

“Yes, I have. After the winery caper, I was promoted at the bank. Eventually, my interests turned toward the stock market. After a few years, I was offered a position at a major trading company on Wall Street. It was too great an offer to pass up.”

Before he could continue, a woman ran into the room. “Cody, oh my darling, there you are.”

“Mommy!” Dakota ran into her mother’s outstretched arms.

“Oh sweetheart, don’t you ever scare us to death like that again,” she cried. “You know you shouldn’t run off like that, not now. We’ve been to every office on this floor looking for you.”

Wilson went to his wife. “Darling, I’m sorry. I should’ve come out sooner.”

His wife melted into his embrace. Laura watched the family without comment.

After Wilson introduced his wife, Amanda, he returned to his story.

“So, you two met in New York?” Laura asked.

“No, actually we met here, years ago. We fell head over heels in love, and were married shortly after my promotion.

“Isn’t that wonderful, Laura?” Remington put his arm around his wife. “Love at first sight and all.”

“You met years ago? How many years?”

Wilson was thoughtful. “I guess it’s been almost ten.”

“Ten.” Laura stated flatly.

Before anyone could react, Laura got up and bolted out of the room.

The Jeffries all turned to Remington in confusion.

Standing, Remington smiled politely. “Uh, if you’ll excuse me a second,” Remington said walking quickly to the door. Shutting it tightly, he walked over to Mildred’s desk. “Where’d she go?” he asked quietly.

“Beats me, boss. Mrs. Steele came running out here and out the door as if the hounds of Hell were after her. She didn’t tell me where she was going. She just looked distraught. Chief, what’s going on?”

“It’s a long, story Mildred. I’ll fill you in, but it’ll have to wait. First, I’ve got to go back in there and figure out why Wilson Jeffries, and his happy family have breezed in here out the blue. Why his daughter, Dakota, thinks she’s in mortal danger, and in need of our assistance. Why my wife turned the color of paste at seeing her old flame, and left me hanging high and dry without so much as a by your leave, and most importantly, Mildred—what the bloody hell this has to do with the Girl Scouts.”

Straitening his tie, Remington sauntered back into his office before Mildred could utter a response. Shaking her head, she went back to typing on the computer. “In other words, just another day at Remington Steele Investigations.” she called after him.

To be continued...