Laura felt the cold steel of a gun against her neck. She didn't have to question who it was, she knew.
"So we meet again Felecia," Laura said calmly.
Felecia grabbed Laura and pulled her toward the cat walk. "Hello Lisa darling, it's nice to see you too. I hope you don't mind my interruption but I have need of your services," She replied.
Laura was growing concerned but she knew Remington would know by now that she wasn't behind him and start looking for her.
"Exactly what do you think I'd help you with Felecia?" Laura inquired.
Felecia laughed as she pressed the gun further in to Laura's neck.
"Why you were my contingency plan darling. You Lisa are my ticket to getting those paintings and Michael. I tried to settle this before, I thought telling your mother all Michael's dirty little secrets would do the trick. I just knew that would end this farce you call a relationship. But no, that didn't work. I'm afraid I don't have time to come up with a new scheme Lisa. You see, I have had to eliminate poor Maxwell and I'm sure his boss won't be too happy when he doesn't return with the money or the paintings. In fact, I'm sure he'll be looking for Maxwell, alas he won't find him darling I assure you," Felecia snickered as she pulled Laura further onto the catwalk.
"He won't find me either Lisa, you see I'll have the paintings and be long gone before he knows things haven't gone according to plan," she reasoned.
Felecia chuckled. "That's where you come in Laura dear. You and Michael are going to help me still the paintings and then Michael and I will be off to the South of France. I've waited so long to have him back, it seems like an eternity since we've been together. I'm sorry it has to work out this way Laura but you've given me no choice."
Laura felt a cold chill as she asked Felecia just how it was going to work out. Laura could see the glazed look in Felecia's eyes as she laughed. Felecia had become unbalanced and that made her all the more dangerous. That's great. Laura thought to herself. That's just what I need, a crazy woman pointing a gun at me.
"Felecia, you must realize that Remington isn't going to help you steal the paintings. It's over, you might as well forget about it."
Felecia grabbed Laura by the arm and shook her. "No, YOU are the one that better just forget it! Michael is going to help me and we are going to be together. You however won't be around to see it because I'm going to kill you Laura. Michael will be so heartbroken over your death; you see, I'm going to push you off this cat walk. It will look like you accidentally fell, he'll be beside himself with grief and I'll be there to comfort him," She explained.
Laura shook her head. "It won't work Felecia. Even if you do kill me, Remington won't turn to you, you've lost him just accept it."
Felecia shook with rage as she approached Laura. She aimed the gun at Laura. "Sorry Lisa, I tried to do it the easy way," she said coldly. Now I'm just going to have to kill you and be done with it."
"Felecia stop!" Remington screamed as he reached the other side of the catwalk. "You won't succeed, just put the gun down. We can work this out eh?" He said slowly.
Felecia turned to face Remington as she walked toward him. "Michael darling, just in time. You are going to help me all right. You are going to give me the codes I need and help me steal those paintings," she said firmly.
Remington shook his head, never breaking eye contact. "I can't Felecia, you know that. Give it up, this can't work and you know it."
Felecia smiled at Remington, her eyes frenzied as she moved back to Laura. "Oh you are wrong darling, this will work, if you don't help me I will kill Laura right now. You say she means the world to you? Just how far are you willing to go to prove it?" Felecia asked boldly.
Felecia grabbed Laura around the neck and put the gun to her head. Time stopped for Remington as he looked into Laura's face. She was scared, he could see it, but she was trying to keep a level head.
Remington could feel the sweat running down his neck. He had to think quickly, he had to remain calm. Laura's life hung in the balance and it was obvious that Felecia had gone off the deep end. Her obsession with having him had finally pushed her over the edge. Remington began taking small steps toward Felecia and Laura. He had a gun in his pants at the small of his back. He'd use it if he had to. His hands were in front of him so Felecia could see them.
"Relax Felecia, I'm not armed. I'll give you the codes. I'll help you do whatever you want, just don't hurt Laura," Remington pleaded as she pressed the gun harder against her captor.
Felecia started crying as she turned the gun toward Remington. "Stop Michael, don't come any closer. I'm not stupid, you aren't going to help me, you're just trying to get the gun away from me so you can save Laura. You can't love her! You love me, you've always loved me just like I've always loved you! She's standing in the way, it's her fault we aren't together!" Felecia screamed.
Remington shook his head. "No Felecia, don't do anything you'll regret," He held out his hand. Give me the gun Felecia," he begged.
Felecia backed up and dragged Laura with her. They were getting dangerously close to the edge. Remington tensed.
Felecia was beyond reason now. "Say goodbye to your precious Laura, Michael. It's time for her to die!" she laughed.
Remington started running toward them, praying he'd get there in time. He pulled the gun out and tried to take aim; if he was off by so much as a fraction, he'd hit Laura.
Laura could see the gun and knew she had to get away from Felecia. Laura dipped a bit and turned around to face her. She'd caught Felecia by surprise. As she tried to shoot the gun, Laura grabbed her arm and raised it up. Without warning, the gun went off and the bullet whizzed through the air. Laura brought Felecia's hand down on the iron railing, the gun dropped out of her hand and over the edge. Felecia grabbed Laura and spun her around and over the railing.
"You bitch, you've interfered for the last time!" Felecia screamed as she pushed Laura over the railing.
Laura grabbed hold of Felecia's arm, pitching her over the edge with her.
"No!" Remington yelled as he lunged for Laura's hand.
Laura managed to grab the flooring but was loosing her grip. Felecia had caught Laura's leg and was holding on tight. The added weight was more than Laura could take and she started slipping. Remington grabbed Laura's hand and tried to pull her up. He felt his muscles straining as he tried to anchor himself.
"Laura hold on, don't let go of my hand," Remington pleaded.
"Easy for you to say," Laura gasped out as she struggled to get her other hand up.
Felecia was trying to climb up Laura's leg. She held on to Laura's gown and started pulling. Laura looked down and saw what Felecia was trying to do.
"Felecia don't! You'll kill us both!" Laura screamed as she felt her grip slipping.
Remington knelt down to grab Laura around her chest. He saw Felecia working against them in an effort to pull Laura with her.
"Laura, dear God please hold on," Remington breathed harshly.
Laura could feel her arms beginning to fail. She looked down at Felecia who had managed to climb higher and was now holding on to Laura's waist. Laura could here the material ripping.
"Felecia, stop this. I can't hold on much longer," Laura cried.
Felecia shrieked, "that's the point Laura, if I die, you die with me!"
Remington told Laura to hold on to him as tight as she could. He reached past Laura and undid the hooks around her waist. Felecia looked up and screamed as the panel on Laura's dress came undone. Felecia's screams echoed throughout the room as she fell through the air. Remington and Laura heard a sickening thud and then silence. Free of the added weight, Remington easily pulled Laura up and back onto the catwalk. He held her as they both fought to restore their breathing. Laura heard a noise and looked up. She saw Mildred and Brett running toward them. Ever the mother hen, Mildred fussed over Remington and Laura as Brett helped them to their feet. Four pairs of eyes looked over the railing to the floor below. There lay Felecia; amidst boxes and canvases, a look of horror frozen on her face. Laura shuddered and turned away. Remington wrapped Laura in his arms and the two couples made their way towards the stairs.
The coroner's office had just left with the bodies of Maxwell and Felecia. Remington was helping a distraught Mr. Franklin relay information to the police. Mildred and Brett were at Laura's side; she was wrapped in a blanket sipping a cup of tea. Mildred asked Laura is she was feeling better.
"Yes Mildred, I am, I just can't believe it ended the way it did. Felecia was so bent on seeing me dead, in the end it was her undoing. She thought that killing me would be what brought Mi...Remington back to her. She honestly believed that he loved her and that I prohibited them from being together," she said wearily.
Remington walked up and pulled Laura to her feet. "I believe we've done all we can here tonight. The police have all the information they need to wrap this up so let's call it a night shall we?" He said softly.
Brett held Mildred's wrap for her and said goodbye to Laura and Remington. "It was a pleasure to finally meet the two of you. Mildred told me your jobs were dangerous, I had no idea just HOW dangerous!" He said shaking Remington's hand.
Mildred kissed her two charges and Brett ushered her to the door.
Laura looked up at Remington. His face was masked. She knew he must be going through a lot right now and she wanted to help him through it. She hugged him briefly, he returned the embrace and suggested they head home. Remington was silent most of the drive home but Laura knew he had a lot on his mind. She didn't intrude on his thoughts. She silently hoped that he wouldn't retreat from his feelings, or her.
Laura came out of the bathroom and donned a robe. The warm shower had done wonders to ease her frazzled nerves and aching muscles. Remington wasn't in the bedroom so she made her way into the living room. There was a fire going, but no Remington. She went to the kitchen, fixed a glass of wine and headed for the balcony. Remington always went out there when he had something on his mind. Tonight was no different. Laura opened the door and went out. The night air was cool, but not uncomfortable. Remington's arms were crossed around him, silently he looked out into the night. Laura came up behind him and offered him the glass of wine. He smiled briefly and took it from her.
"Want to talk about it?"
Remington brought the glass to his lips letting the sweet liquid slide down his dry throat. He cleared his throat and spoke.
"I'm saddened Laura that it had to end this way. I never thought Felecia would become so obsessed. After all these years and so much time apart, I really had hoped she'd put what she and I had together behind her. She came to my apartment the night you'd gone home wanting me to help her steal the paintings. I told her it was out of the question, we had a heated discussion. She just couldn't get it through her head that my life was with you. I'd chosen to be with you, I wasn't forced, coerced or tricked. I'm here because this is where I belong. Felecia just refused or was incapable of accepting the extent of my feelings for you. I honestly thought she'd gotten the picture when she left," he said somberly.
Laura moved around to stand in front of him. She ran her hands up his arms in a soothing motion.
"I know. I thought talking to her would do it too. I thought if she heard it from me as well, she'd give up. Lord knows I didn't like Felecia, but I never wanted her dead. I just wanted her to leave us alone. I'm sorry Remington, that it turned out like this. I know that you cared deeply for her long ago. It couldn't have been easy chosing her life over mine," she said with sorrow.
Remington sat his glass down and placed his hands on either side of Laura's face. "Laura, there was no real choice to make. Sure I wished Felecia wouldn't have caused me to kill her but she gave me no alternative. She was so intent on killing you that she wouldn't even let me save you both," he said regretfully. "The moment she placed that gun to your head, I knew if it came down to it, she would have to die."
Remington kissed Laura softly and held her in his arms. She inhaled his scent and thanked God she was still alive to enjoy this, enjoy him. Remington took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He looked Laura in her eyes as he spoke. "Laura, I can't begin to tell you what I felt coming upon you and Felecia on that catwalk. I've been scared over your life a dozen times before when we've gotten into some tough scrapes, but never have I felt as intensely as I did tonight. I've loved you for so long, it's become second nature to me. But now that we've finally come together, it makes my love for you all the more real. I don't want to lose you Laura, I can't lose you. Most of my life I've spent shielding my heart from people that would break it. Moving from place to place caused me to protect it that much more. It was the only true possession I owned you see, and I guarded it fiercely. I saw you go over the edge of that catwalk Laura and I swear to you my heart stopped beating. I knew before I loved you but I didn't know until that moment, just how completely I was in love with you."
Laura could feel the tears sliding down her face but she was helpless to stop them. How long had she yearned to hear such a confession from him? How many nights had she dreamed about his professing his love to her and she to him? Now the moment had come. Remington Steele, the man she'd conjured up from her dreams was here before her; in the flesh and declaring his love for her. She knew when Felecia threatened to kill her that she had found the one thing in her life she'd been searching for when she made up Remington Steele. She'd been looking for the one man that would complete her, that would meld his soul to hers, share a love with her unlike any she'd ever known. She had fought back then. Intent to stop Felecia from taking away what she'd searched her whole life to find; peace.
Laura told him then. She told Remington all the things she'd been holding back, all the declarations that she had guarded so long inside her because she'd been scared to let go. She told him that she too had loved him for years; with such a longing that she thought it would consume her. True they both had their faults but they thrived when they were together. They were partners in every sense of the word: Work, love and life. Remington grabbed Laura in his arms, the intensity of what they'd been through that night evident by the way he crushed her to him. He whispered over and over how scared he'd been at losing her. She replied over and over that he would never lose her. Remington picked her up and took her back inside. He put her down in the living room in front of the fire place.
They gazed at each other for what seemed like a lifetime. Laura could feel the warmth that surrounded them and she embraced it. No longer afraid of the future, concerned about the past or worried about the present, she was secure in her feelings for him and his for her. This was how she knew it would eventually be between them when they'd both, for different reasons, decided to stop running and start living.