Then again, Tracy had been watching Atomic Man with Laura and Rem, and that hadn’t been helping either.

She sat just like Laura, pouting with her chin turned upwards. 

“Do I get a hug and a kiss goodbye?” 

Tracy remained quiet. 

“Tracy, we have had this talk before about parting upset.” 

“P-l-e-a-s-e D-a-d-d-y.  Call Grandmother and tell her I’m sick.”  Tracy coughed and covered her mouth for effect.  “See.” 

“Nice try, Liebe.  Now, give me a hug and kiss.” 

“A kiss.  No hug.”   Tracy compromised. 

“Fine.  I’ll tell your Mummy you will miss her.” 

“Does she want me to go?”  Tracy asked in a low voice. 

“Oh, Honey.”  Remington said, sitting in the limo.  “Of course, your Mummy doesn’t want you to go.  I have to go over there and calm her down after I see you off.  She’s just as upset over this as you are.” 

“So, why don’t you listen to us?”  Tracy asked, tears forming in her eyes. 

Remington sighed. 

“I don’t want Abigail to come here.  You know your Grandmother.” 

Tracy held her cheek out for him to kiss it.  Remington smiled.  She always offered him kisses this way when he didn’t succumb to her charm. 

“I love you.”  Remington said kissing her cheek then tapping her nose. 

“Me, too.” 

“Fred, call me when you get to Abigail’s.” 

“Yes, Sir.” 

“Remember you two; don’t mention anything about Laura.”  Remington reminded.

Tracy nodded her head along with Fred.

“Have a safe trip.”  Remington said then tapped the top of the hood twice.

Laura was sitting on the couch looking over some paperwork when Rick walked in carrying a crying Rem.

 “What happened?”  Laura asked, putting down a folder and rushing to their side.

 “He fell off the monkey bars.”  Rick said, looking over at the coffee table where she laid the folder.

 “Oh.”  Laura said, taking Rem.

 “Laura, don’t baby him.  He’s a man.  He has to be tough.”

 “Rick, he’s a boy…a baby.” 

 “I am not a baby.”  Rem said, still crying and trying to wipe away his tears.

 Laura ignored Rem and looked directly at Rick.

 “I don’t want you filling his head with those chauvinistic thoughts.”

 Rick watched as Rem wrapped his arms around Laura’s neck and tried to stop crying.

 “He’s warm.”  Laura walked over to the couch and sat down.  She placed Rem on her lap and lifted his head.

 Rem eyed her intently as she placed her hand on his forehead.

 “Rick, will you go into the kitchen and get me the thermometer?”

 “Sure.”

 “It’s in the drawer by the dishwasher.”  Laura said, watching Rick leave.

 “Mommy, Ric mad at me cause I cried.  He says men don’t cry.”

 “Well, that’s not true.  Sometimes, men do cry.”

 “Ric says…”

 Laura sighed.

 “Honey, some men don’t like to openly express their feelings, so they use excuses like ‘real men don’t cry’ or something silly like that.  But, it’s really okay for you to cry.”

 Laura looked at her son and realized she wasn’t getting through to him.   She couldn’t tell if it was from him not feeling well or a woman telling him how a man should act.

 “Why don’t you ask Harry if it’s okay for men to cry?”   Laura decided.  Since Rem was spending more time with Harry lately, she was sure her son would listen to him.

 “I don’t feel good, Mommy.”

 “I know, Honey.”  Laura said, seeing all the color drain from his face.

 “Mommy, I think…” Rem turned his head and lost his breakfast and lunch all over the coffee table.

 Laura forced Rem to stand up.  She almost retched looking at the mess on the table, carpet, and on her clothes.

 “I couldn’t help it.”  Rem whispered as his teary eyes followed Laura’s.

 “It’s okay, Sweetie.”  Laura said rubbing his hair behind his ear.  She made a quick mental note to take him to the barber before turning her attention back to the situation at hand.

 Mind over matter.  Mind over matter, Laura thought as she started to lift Rem up again.  First, she’d get him cleaned up and in bed then she’d take care of the mess everywhere else.

 “Oh, God.”  Rick said, covering his mouth.

 Laura couldn’t help but smile when Rick turned around and ran back into the kitchen.  She looked at Rem who was already staring at her.

 “Men.”  Laura kissed Rem on his forehead.

 Rem smiled weakly.

* * * * * * * *

Laura was sitting on the edge of Rem’s bed adjusting the wet folded washcloth on his forehead.

 “How is he?”  Rick asked, walking up behind her.

 “When I checked his temperature last, it was102.”  Laura said feeling uncomfortable with Rick’s hand rubbing her back.

 “Should we take him to the hospital?”

 “Not yet.  I gave him some Tylenol, lets see if that works. Did you call Rita?” 

 Rick watched Laura stand and walk over to Rem’s dresser.

 “Yeah.  She wanted to know if you still wanted her to come over and baby-sit.”

 “Baby-sit?…Oh, Harry.”

 Laura started to walk out and was shocked when Rick stopped her by pulling on her arm.

 “Laura, do you really think it’s wise to have this stranger around Rich?”

 Laura frowned then looked over at Rem who was sleeping.  She pointed to the door then walked out of the room.  Rick followed.

 “Laura, I asked you a question.”

 “Look Rick.”  Laura turned to face him with her arms crossed in front of her chest.  “This S-T-R-A-N-G-E-R happens to be the father of my daughter.”

 “And, that,” Rick started, his anger increasing every minute.  “Rita told me that crazy story.  How can you believe that this little girl is yours?”  Rick ran a hand through his hair.  “I mean.  Laura, if you had another child, Tony would have let you know.  Do you think he was the type of man who would have kept something like that from you?”

 “Rick, to be honest, I’m not sure if I knew Tony at all.”   Laura walked over to the couch and sat down.   “Harry and I had a life together and Tony had to have known about Tracy.”

 “Are you calling Tony a liar?”  Rick asked defensively.

 Laura looked up and frowned.  Why was Rick being so defensive?  Yes, he and Tony had been friends, but…a thought occurred to Laura and she decided to follow her instincts.

 “Rick, how much do you know?”  Laura asked pointedly.

 When the doctor told her it was a rare chance that she would remember anything, she was content.  But, that contentment was deteriorating rapidly. 

 “What do you know about Harry and Tracy?”

 “Laura, please…”

 “No, Rick.  Don’t you ‘Laura please’ me!  You and Tony were VERY CLOSE business partners.”  Laura walked over to face him.  “How can a man’s wife be pregnant for nine months, without him knowing?”

 “Laura, why are you listening to this creep?”  Rick barked.

 “This creep is the only one who is being honest with me.”  Laura roared.  “Now, tell me.  Did you know about Tracy or not?”

 Rick eyed Laura warily as she stood underneath him.  He noted her heaving chest and the determined look in her dark brown eyes.  He knew she wouldn’t be dissuaded.

 “No, Laura, I didn’t know about Tracy.”  Rick lied.  “But, Tony did confide in me about the affair.”

 Rick saw the guilt wash over Laura’s face.  He smiled to himself.  He was wondering how much information Steele had given her.  From the look on her face, she didn’t know the whole story.   Let’s see how much Laura knows.

 “Laura, Tony was crushed when he found out you were sleeping with the great detective Remington Steele.  Tony was ready to divorce you.  Your amnesia saved your marriage.”

 Remington Steele.  Detective.  Laura frowned then turned quickly so as not to reveal her reaction.  Rick watched as Laura turned and placed her hand on her chest.

 “Tony had the papers ready to be signed.”  Rick’s tone went cold.  “And, here you are again with the same bastard who ruined your marriage the first time.  Playing Mommy to H-I-S little girl.”

 “She’s mine.”  Laura snapped.   “I can feel it.  I had dreams about her.”

 “Just like you had dreams about him.”  Rick stated.

 Laura gasped and searched his face.   

 How did Rick know about that?  She had only shared it with Rita and Harry.  Oh, God.  Rita knew.  Rita knew about her affair with Harry. 

 “Laura, I think, it’s best you end this lie with Steele.”

 Laura’s head snapped up as she studied Rick’s face again. 

 “You need to focus on your son.”  He said quietly.

 Laura made several mental notes and decided to stay quiet until she talked to Rita and Harry.  Looking at Rick though, she recognized that she had to set him straight on one thing.

 “Rick, I think, it’s time we set some boundaries.  You are Rem’s Godfather and my F-R-I-E-N-D.”

 Rick looked at Laura and noticed her mood change.  Laura watched as his jaws clenched and he looked away.

 “I don’t want you filling his head with chauvinistic ideas or acting like my husband or his father.”

 “Laura, it’s my job to take care of Rich and you.” 

 “No, it’s not.”  Laura countered.  “Your job is to take care of Rita.  She’s your wife.  Not me.”

 “So, what is Steele’s job?”

 “Mommy.”  Rem called out in a weak voice from his bedroom.

 “Rick, I need to take care of my son.  I trust you won’t mind seeing yourself out.”

 Rick watched as Laura walked back into Rem’s bedroom.  He heard her ask Rem in a tender voice what was wrong.

 “Mommy will you read to me.”  Rem asked, pointing to his bookshelf.

 “Sure, Honey.”  Laura asked walking over to the bookshelf.

 Laura heard a loud thump in the other room but decided not to go investigate.   If she didn’t give into Rick’s tantrum, he would leave.

 Once she got Rem settled again, she would call Rita and have a talk with her.  Then, she would decide what she was going to do next. 

 Laura was finding it very hard to believe Rita knew anything about this.  Rita was her best friend…or was she?

 “What do you want me to read?”  Laura asked trying to focus on her son. 

 “The one with the sling shot.”  Rem replied with just a little spunk.

 “David and Goliath.”  Laura grabbed the book of 365 Children’s Bible Stories. 

 Rem watched her as she sat on the bed next to him.

 “Saul looked David up and down.  He must be…” Laura began reading as Rem settled in again.

* * * * * * * *

Tracy stared out the limo window.  They were halfway to Abigail’s.  She had to come up with a way to get Fred to take her back home.  She had to see her Mummy.

“Fred?”  Tracy called, getting the chauffeur’s attention.

“Yes, Miss Tracy.”  Fred glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

“I…I…I left something.”  Tracy tried.

“What?”  Fred asked, concentrating more on the road now.

“I…I…I left Pookie.”  Tracy said, knowing her Dad had packed her teddy bear safely in her night bag.

“Mr. Steele said he packed him in your night bag.”  Fred held back his smile.  Mr. Steele had figured she would try to use some tactic like that. 

Tracy huffed then crossed her arms in front of her chest again.