"Signed, Steeled and Delivered" PAX(ed) Scene
Date: Friday, January 18, 2002
By: Frannie Piper

Another scene I had to write to answer three lingering issues in this ep:

1 - Murphy's insistence that LH does not have enough fun in the first scene and his scolding her during the final scene in total ignorrance of her weekend activities. I always thought the exchange between LH and RS at the end warranted more...

2 - Laura's never answering Steele's questions regarding the man she lived with.

3 - The scene in the car regarding getting in too deep also needed more...

Permission to archive...

Karen

Signed, Steeled and Delivered PAX(ed) Scene

This scene takes place immediately after the scene at Sheldon's wedding and before the tag...



The elevator doors at the Rossmore Towers opened to reveal Remington and Laura laughing. She held her shoes in her hand and leaned slightly on him with her arm laced through his. Remington had removed his morning coat and tie and had them slung over his free hand. As they begin to exit the elevator, it is apparent that they are both a little intoxicated.

"I had no idea that you were such a good dancer," Laura said, leaning against the wall as Remington opened the door to his apartment.

He leaned over to look her in the eye and said seductively, "There are a great many things that you don't know about me, my dear."

Laura sighed and touched his cheek, forcing herself to focus on his eyes. "That is part of the problem," she answered. After a long pause, she involuntarily lost focus on his deep, blue eyes. "I think I had too much champagne."

"Well," Remington responded, standing upright and motioning for her to enter the apartment ahead of him, "it did not seem to hamper your dancing skills, my dear - the tango, the waltz... You must have had a good teacher."

"I did," she answered, plopping onto the sofa, "my father."

"Love to meet him." Steele threw his coat on the armchair and sat next to Laura on the couch.

"Can't."

Remington stared at her confused. Then, upon realizing he may have said something inappropriate, he took her hand and said, "Oh, Laura, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize your father had passed away."

Laura shakes her head and laughs softly. "No," she answered, "he's not dead. At least, not that I know of. He left when I was a teenager."

"Oh."

"See," she continued, standing and walking over to the windows at the balcony "men have a habit of leaving me." She turned around to face him at the end of her statement.

"Laura, it's not you..."

"That's what I try to tell myself," she interrupted him. She paused and looked away, trying to decide if she wanted to continue this conversation. The champagne was working on her inhibitions. "You know the white belts?"

"What?" Remington was confused by her change in the topic.
"The white belts you found in my house," she explained. "You want to know about the man I lived with? Well, that was another one," she gestured in the air, "gone with the wind."

"Not all men are like that, Laura."

"No, you're right - only the ones that I end up with." She turned, opened the door to the balcony and went outside.

Remington rose from the couch, poured himself a glass of brandy and joined Laura on the balcony. She was staring out at the skyline. After a pause he ventured, "So, this is what you meant when you said that Murphy was worries about you getting in too deep."

"I've had too much too drink," Laura answered, rubbing her forehead. "Forget I said anything."

Remington looked sideways at Laura, who continued to rub her forehead. "Laura, I know I'm not exactly Mr. Stability, and I admit that my evasiveness regarding my past can be very frustrating for you. But all I'm asking for is to spend some time with you."

Laura stopped rubbing her head and looked up at him. He sounded like a nervous teenager asking a girl to a high school dance.

"I like you, Laura - more than just a business associate. Let's just see where things lead."

Laura sighs heavily. "You know my policy," she answers, almost begrudingly.

"Ah, yes," he answers looking up to the sky. "Never mix business with pleasure." He paused a moment, thinking. "Well," he continued, going back inside with Laura following. "What if I promised you that there would be no pleasure involved."

"What?" Laura asked, laughing.

Remington sat his glass on a table.

"I mean," he responded, walking over to the stereo and turning on some music, "what if I promised you that spending time with me would be hopelessly boring? Endlessly tedious? Horribly painful?"

She laughed.

"I mean," he walked back over to her and assumed a dancing position, taking her hand and placing his on her hip, "then it wouldn't be breaking anyone's rules, right?"

They begin dancing around the apartment as Laura laughs.

"You're insane," she tells him.

"After all," Remington continued with his solution, "I wouldn't want you to have too much fun, Laura Holt."

She smiled at him as the music ended.

"That's another of Murphy's worries," Laura said.

"What?"

"That I don't have enough fun, that I work too hard."

"On that one point, I would have to agree with Mr. Michaels."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"And just what do you call this afternoon at the wedding? And this?" she gestured at themselves still standing in their dancing stance.

"Well, not fun. After all, Laura," he said softly as he looked into her eyes and bent his head down, "I wouldn't want you to break any rules." He kissed her lightly and cautiously. She did not pull away, and so he deepened the kiss.

The music started up again as they parted, and Remington swept her into a waltz.

She threw her head back and laughed.

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