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
DeLois. This story is the property of DeLois Booth
ã 2002.
Steele Destined
Part 7
By D’Lois
Ring! Ring!
Ring! Ring!
Remington opened the
door and almost fell when Tracy rushed by him to grab the ringing phone.
“Hello?” Tracy answered breathless. “Hey, Grandma Abby…School was
fine…Yes, I ate all my lunch…Daddy is here…BUT, he can’t talk right
now…We are waiting for someone to call…None of…”
Before Tracy finished,
Remington grabbed the phone from her and gave her a scolding look.
Tracy shrugged her
shoulders then tossed her book bag over the couch.
“Hello,
Abigail…No…No, Abigail, she wasn’t about to tell you none of your
business…Why would you think that?”
“Daddy, get off
the phone. D-a-d-d-y!”
Remington placed his
free hand on top of Tracy’s head to still her.
“Daddy, get off. She may be trying to call.”
“No one
Abigail…She’s hyper. Mildred gave
her some candy before we left the restaurant…Yes, I know you said candy this late is
bad for her…Will you hold on for one moment, Abigail?”
Remington took the
hand that was on top of Tracy’s head and covered the mouthpiece before he leaned over
and said, “STOP!”
Tracy was startled by
his firm tone but quickly recovered.
“Fine!”
Remington watched as
Tracy walked over to Buddy.
“I’m sorry
Abigail…Yes, I remember, this is the weekend you wanted to pick her up…I’m
glad she behaved herself last weekend…Yes, I know you think she acts a lot like Laura
did when she was a child…” Remington gave Abigail his complete attention as she
babbled on.
Tracy frowned at her
father as she held the overweight cat in her arms. Her
attention was caught by the flashing red light on the answering machine. Putting Buddy down, she smiled and walked over to
the answering machine.
‘Yes. My name is Harry Chalmers. I got your number from Mildred’s friend,
Hazel. I was wondering if we could go out on
a date. Call me at 5-5-5-5-6-5-3.’
Remington stiffened
when he heard the message he left earlier.
“DAMN!…Abigail,
I have to go.” Remington hung up the
phone and turned around. Tracy was looking at
the answering machine with tears running down her cheeks.
The sight made Remington’s heart ache.
“Liebe…”
“DON’T.” Tracy said in a low voice filled with hurt. Remington recalled the times Laura had said the
same single word in the same voice.
Remington grabbed Tracy
before she ran off.
“Liebe, I’m
sorry.”
“You promised,
Daddy.”
“I know.” Remington said whipping her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“You crossed your heart
and hoped to die.”
“I know.” Remington repeated and he cursed himself for
hurting her. He could see the pain in her
eyes and it was killing him.
Remington searched
Tracy’s face and knew the only way he was going to make things right was to call
Laura and ask her out. He looked at his
watch. 10:15 p.m.
“How about I
promise…”
Tracy gave him a
‘don’t go there’ expression.
“Okay. Okay. I’ll
call in the morning. First thing.”
“No. You promised today.” Tracy insisted.
“Tracy, it’s
10:15. I don’t have her number here. By the time we drive…” Remington stopped
as Tracy reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with Laura’s
number.
“Why did
you…” Remington started to ask spellbound.
“Answering machines
always cut people off…except Grandma Abby.”
“No more movies for
you. Only Atomic man.” Remington told her finally, agreeing with Abigail
that his child was too grown for her age.
“Call Daddy.” Tracy picked up the phone.
“Sweetheart, it’s
late.” Remington figured he could reason
with her.
“We are up.” Tracy looked at the piece of paper then started
pushing buttons.
“Tracy…”
Tracy handed Remington the
phone and stepped back and eyed him pointedly.
?
?
?
“Hello.” Laura answered the phone before it disturbed Rem.
“Laura
Micelli?” Remington asked nervous.
"Yes.”
“Chalmers. Harry Chalmers.
Hazel’s friend’s son.” Remington
ran his free hand through his hair. He
couldn’t believe he was doing this. “I’m
sorry for calling so late. But, I had
something nagging me to call.”
Tracy stuck out her
tongue as he eyed her.
“Something
nagging you to call me at 10 something?”
There was something
very familiar in his voice but couldn’t put her finger on it.
Laura frowned in
confusion. Since she’d arrived in Los
Angeles there were feelings coursing through her that were unexplainably familiar.
“Yes.” Remington said finally focusing on the
conversation and her voice. “Where you
about to go to bed?” He asked needing to
hear her voice again.
“Yes. I just put my son, Rem to bed.”
Suddenly the world
closed in on Remington and he could barely breathe. “Oh,
God, Laura.” He said hoarsely and
dropped the phone as though it scorched his hand.
The moment Laura said
“Rem,” there was no doubt in his mind that her voice was almost identical to
Laura’s.
“Hello? Hello?”
Laura said a little startled.
Tracy watched as her
father backed away from the phone and leaned against the wall for support.
“Daddy?”
Remington didn’t
answer. He just stared at the phone.
Tracy walked over to
the phone and picked it up.
“Harry? Harry, are you still there?”
“This is
Tracy.”
Laura felt a little
relieved when she heard the young girl’s voice.
“Honey, is your
father okay?”
Tracy looked at
Remington who had walked over to the couch and collapsed.
“Yeah. He’s just nervous.”
“I know the
feeling.” Laura smiled recalling the
real reason her date ended so early with Chuck.
“Will you go out
with my Daddy?”
Laura gasped. She was expecting him to ask her out, but she
didn’t expect the invitation to come from his child.
Then again, he did say something was nagging him to call.
“Are you the
nag?” Laura teased.
“He is very
pretty…”
“Give me the
phone, Tracy.” Remington said unevenly.
Tracy didn’t
bother finishing what she was saying but obeyed her father.
Laura waited patiently
as she heard Remington tell Tracy to go get ready for bed.
Laura couldn’t help but smile when he said he would be in to read her a
story shortly.
“I’m
sorry.” Remington finally whispered in
the phone.
“Are you
okay?”
“Yes,
you…you…”
Anna Simpson. Remington recalled.
‘I don’t know who she is, but she sounds so much like Anna. She looks so much like Anna.’
‘No!’
Remington reasoned within himself. Laura
wouldn’t have abandoned him and Tracy. No,
she couldn’t have after what her father and Wilson did to her. She knew what it felt like to be left alone. Laura could never do that to her own flesh and
blood, or to him.
“She had amnesia back in ’88.” Mildred’s words replayed in his head.
“So, what is your
answer?” Remington asked allowing his
mind to plot on how he was going to prove his gut was lying. This woman couldn’t be Laura Holt.
"What was the
question?” Laura asked smiling.
“Will you go out
with Tracy’s Daddy?”
“Love too.” Laura said wondering why his voice sounded
familiar to her.
Remington was shaking
as he fought for composure. He couldn’t
believe how much Laura Micelli sounded like Laura Holt.
He had to see her; he had to make sure she wasn’t HIS Laura.
“How about lunch
tomorrow? According to Mildred you work at
L.A. Bank One on Capital. I can pick you up
around noon?”
“Did she give you
my social security, too?” Laura teased
remembering the bio she’d gotten on him.
“No, but I do
have everything else.” Remington said
playfully. “So, tomorrow, noon,
lunch?”
“How about I meet
you at your restaurant?” Laura said not
really wanting him to show up at the bank.
“It’s not out of your way?” Remington asked thinking how he could get rid of
Mildred. If he couldn’t come up with
anything by morning, he could just call Laura and tell her he needs to change their plans
and meet her some where near the bank.
“No.” Laura said rubbing her throat. It was starting to feel a little funny to her, but
she would make herself some tea and honey once she got off the phone.
“Tomorrow then.” Remington said finally.
“Okay. Bye.”
?
?
?
Remington walked into the bank where
Laura worked. He looked around and stiffened
when he saw her at the teller counter. Not
missing a step, he stomped over to the counter.
“Excuse me.” Remington said pushing the customer at the counter
aside. “What in the bloody hell do you
have to say for yourself?”
Laura, taken aback,
stared at Remington as his eyes burned through her.
“How could
you?” Remington roared over the counter
scaring both Laura and the teller beside her. “You
talked about commitment and guarantees, but you offered none yourself. The first bloody chance you got you leave with
that bastard you took it!”
Remington watched as
Laura looked around and flushed with embarrassment.
“I loved you;
gave up my life for you and all for what? For
you to abandoned me and your infant child.”
In an instant the
cloud Laura had lived in for so long finally dissipated.
“Remington,“ she croaked out his name. “Please, let me explain.” Laura looked at the teller and excused herself.
Remington shook
violently as he watched her walk around the counter toward him.
“Let’s go
into my office, and I will explain.” She begged grasping his arm.
He wrenched away from
her and glared at her with contempt. “I
don’t want your bloody explanation. I
thought you were different, but you are just like every other bloody person in my life. I pushed Felicia away trying to protect your
memory, but I see I was a fool. All this
bloody time I was mourning over you, and you were alive and well. Well, you weren’t worth it.” Remington blew in Laura’s face and turned to
walk off. He stopped when she asked weakly:
“What about my
daughter?”
Remington turned
around and his blue eyes shot fire at her. He
slowly walked back over and faced her. In a
calm, cold voice he said:
“You have no
daughter.”
Laura watched as he
strode angrily out of the bank.
?
?
?
“Daddy! Daddy!”
Remington jumped up
and grabbed the hand on him. He quickly
realized it was Tracy and that she was frightened.
“Tracy…I’m
sorry sweetheart.”
Tracy watched as
Remington ran his hands through his damp hair.
Remington felt the
moisture in his hair and felt the sweat on his face.
He had only been dreaming. It
was only a dream. He hadn’t confronted
Laura. His Laura was still dead. “Oh, God.”
“Are you okay,
Daddy?”
“Yes,
Tracy.” Remington looked at her, and he
could still see the concern in her blue eyes.
“I’m fine
honey. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“You were
screaming in your sleep.”
Remington smiled
weakly then brushed the child’s straight brown hair out of her face. He couldn’t believe how hair that was once so
curly managed to becomes so straight.
“Daddy just had a
nightmare that’s all.”
“Would you like
to sleep with Yankee?” Tracy asked
holding up her beige Teddy Bear wearing a New York Yankees’ shirt.
Remington smiled then
took the bear and hugged it to his chest.
“Will
Yankee’s owner be sleeping with us, too?”
“Sure.” Tracy said crawling underneath the blanket.
“Then, how about
you hold Yankee, and I’ll hold you.” Remington
said handing the teddy bear back to the child.
Tracy wrapped her long
arms around the teddy bear and snuggled up against Remington.
“Daddy, would you
like for me to tell you a bedtime story?”
“I would like
that very much.” Remington said not
really feeling up to telling her a story or sleeping.
“Once upon a
time, there was a little girl name Cinderella.”
Remington halfway
listened as Tracy told her story. His mind
was on what he was going to do about Laura Micelli and if Laura Micelli was truly Laura
Holt-Steele.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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