- Sensitive Steele rewritten ending
Date: Wednesday, November 21, 2001
- Sinead O'Byrne <SteeleaScarecrow@hotmail.com>
Authors Note's: OK-an add on of Sensitive Steele,
complete with the notes that they wrote each other! I, sadly,
in no way own Remington Steele or Laura Holt, though I sometimes
wish I was Laura-It certainly would've changed the show! But
that's for daydreams and of course, writing, so here's my story!
My first, first person story, so if she seems a little-out of
character I guess you can call it, and don't forget sappy, well,
my fault! E-mail me with any questions, comments, etc, etc, at
SteeleaScarecrow@hotmail.com
***************************************************************
The waves gently lapping at the shore had a calming effect over
us. He reached gently into his pocket, and felt the small piece
of paper. He tried to make his actions go unnoticed, but, of
course, all my years of being a detective had taught me to notice
everything. Especially everything about him. There was something
about him, that made me notice everything. I was aware of every
step he walked, every breath he breathed, and I wanted to take
things farther so badly, but as always, whenever I got the chance,
either something happened, or my rational mind took over. I knew
I couldn't stop running, and I'd have to give up eventually,
but my mind was constantly keeping him away. As we strolled along
the beach, I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked,
in the small sweater, and jeans that seemed to be just a little
bit tight. It took every nerve in my body not to lean right over
and kiss him then. Suddenly he stopped. Puzzled, I looked over
at him, a curious glance clouding my features.
"So, where are we?" He asked. "See, I'm talking
again." yes, I thought. Yes you are, with that wonderful,
lilting brogue of yours. That voice that melts me to the core.
I wanted to say so much, yet I wound up saying so little.
"This time I'm the one who doesn't have anything to say."
Smart move. I think, now I just screwed things up even more.
"Were you really better off before you met me?" Why'd
he have to ask that question now? Now, when things were going
so well. I come up with the best answer that I can, with my mind
saying back off, and my body screaming at me to just jump his
bones right there in the surf.
"No, life was easier then, less interesting but easier."
Now I really blew it. This was it, If he was anything like all
the men in my past then he'd......No, he's not like them. He's
not like Wilson, not like my father, he won't leave me. He paused
for a few seconds before responding.
"Yes, I know what you mean. Before, I didn't know where
I'd be the next day- or with whom. Didn't really matter, though.
I always liked it like that. But then it all changed the day
I met you." What was going on? My mind was jumbled. Was
he going to say it, say those three magic words? Ask that pressing
question? Well, only one way to find out.
"Changed for the better?" Why did words always have
to come out wrong? I watched that charming little half-smile
creep across his face.
"Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I've wondered about that. But-"
his smile fades as he looks down at me. "Here we are."
"Yes." I all but mumble. Great, now he probably thinks
that I really was better off before I met him. I hated situations
like this. They were so pressing, so much of a fight between
my mind and my heart.
"Laura, I know we both want- whatever it is we have between
us- we want it to go forward."
"I think you're right." I say. Right, right was an
understatement! Of course I wanted it to go forward! But after
Wilson, after my father, my damn fears always got in the way.
I wanted nothing more than to finally cross the line with him,
but always, when I built up the courage, something happened,
the moment was lost, and I retreated back to my fears.
"So-" He starts, but somehow, he can't find the words
to finish. Was he? Was he what though? Say something? Do something?
We start walking again.
"So how do we get there?" It was do or die. Something
was going to happen, and I knew it. Just what, however, that
was a different story.
"Well, words don't come easy to me- well, at least not ones
you need to hear, anyway." Was he going to say them anyway?
"Well, it's hard to be a man of mystery if you give all
your secrets away." God, why was I being such an asshole
and stalling? I wanted to know what was going going to happen
and desperately.
"Where I come from, I learned to read people by what they
did, not by what they said. There are too many traps in that."
"I understand." I understood too well. Wilson had always
said that he loved me, but he never meant it. My father always
said that he loved me, and yet he left me, too.
"Uh," he stopped again, and I stopped as well. "Listen.
I took a stab at revising my letter- remember the one where I
had to put down your most endearing qualities? Well, here it
is." He handed it to me. I gently opened it, and began to
read.
Laura,
You most endearing qualities are-well-there's too many to name.
So I'll take a shot at it anyway. While you are very well dressed,
and kind to furry animals, there's more to you than that. Your
sense of excitement, of danger. You're not afraid to take risks.
You never give a second thought when you put yourself in danger
to save somebody. Your suicidal "good ideas" as you
call them, as nerve-wracking as they are to hear about, or to
witness, are quite admirable. Your ability to see past one's
outward appearance. You saw me as something more than a cut-rate
con-man. You saw George as someone more than a klutzy inventor
with a string of bad luck. You see people as human beings, not
as just what their outward appearance suggests. Your sense of
hope. In the midst of even the worst conditions, you have a strong
hope that nothing bad will happen. That no matter what, you'll
come out ahead. And yes, I think that your fashion sense is part
of one of your endearing qualities-your bea!
uty. Some men I know consider Felicia, Anna, and anyone else
who could appear as cover material for Playboy to be beautiful.
You, you're different. You have a sense of style, an air about
you that contributes to your beauty. You are the most beautiful
woman I've ever seen, and no matter what others say, nothing
can change that about you. You have the most wonderful smile,
it lights up your entire face, and the lilt of your laugh, just
hearing it puts me into a more joyful mood. Your kind, caring
personality. You're kind and caring, even to criminals. You are
humane, you wouldn't want to see an innocent man to be hurt,
nor would you want a guilty one to get a stronger punishment
than needed. Yes, furry animals tie into this, because you are
great with them too, apparently, however, turtles are not your
area of expertise-at least not with Vinnie Dowds running around.
You are all this and more. You are the woman that is my other
half. I would not be the man I am today if it was!
n't for you, and I don't mean only because I'm Remington Steele,
I mean that I would still be on the run, a no-good thief, or
probably in jail. You've changed me for the better, you've helped
me realize that having people care about you mean more than money,
or fame ever could. I would gladly trade in every ounce of fame,
every single penny to be with you. I've never been good at saying
the words, so I'll take a shot at writing them. I love you, Laura.
I think I've loved you since that day I walked in, pretending
to be Ben Pearson. It just took me a while to realize what it
was. Even Felicia noticed it that first time that she was here.
She said I appeared smitten, and I was. I'd always thought of
women as sources for pleasure, and nothing more, all that changed
when I met you., You taught me, not only how to be at least a
decent detective, but how much other peoples feelings matter.
And I just hope you at least feel a little bit of the love I
feel for you.
Love,
Your Remington Steele.
As I laughed and smiled my way through the first half, as I got
down closer to the bottom, I noticed it taking on a more serious
tone. I was almost crying, that's how much emotion I was feeling.
He said it, he actually said it! I hugged him close, never wanting
to let him go. It was then that I remembered about the small
piece of paper that, although I didn't know why, I kept. Sure,
I had tossed out over the cliff, but when that gazebo fell, I
had found it, talk about fate. It was quite crumpled, but it
had my true feelings on it. I jammed my hand into my pocket and
removed the piece of paper. I handed it to him, an eager look
on my face. I knew it word for word. I watched him read it, as
I remembered what I had written.
Dear Remington Steele,
Your most endearing qualities-hmm.........Your ability to always
look on the bright side of things. Even in the worst of situations,
you can think of an old friend who was in worse, or find a way
to cheer anybody up. I remember the story that you told me when
my house blew up. You helped me to get through it. I don't know
what I could've done without you. I don't know who I could've
turned out to be if it wasn't for you. I'd probably be a miserable
old miser if it wasn't for you helping to bring out the person
that I was before I had my life shattered. I guess your smile
and your laugh would have to be one (or is it two?) of them.
that cute little grin that you get whenever you're about to quote
a movie to solve a case. Along with your many stories, just one
look at you smiling can easily cheer anyone, me especially, up.
Your mysterious past. I guess I would have to count this, since
it is one of the things I love about you. As much as I would
like to know it, I guess you do!
have your reasons for not telling me. Your past is part of you,
and it has come in handy sometimes. Your encyclopedic knowledge
of movies. As annoying as it can be to listen to you quote movies
every five minutes, it's unbelievable sometimes how you can find
a movie for any case. Movie for every occasion there is-doesn't
take a genius to figure out what movie I was just trying to spoof
there! There are so many more endearing qualities that you have,
that I can't even begin to list them! All of them sum up to the
man that I fell head-over-heels for. Although those first few
days I might have called you a pain, truth is from that first
day I was so taken by you that it was to the point where only
a blind person couldn't spot it, and it stayed that way, until
I finally realized that life's too short to be afraid. And I
just realized that as I'm writing this! So, now I'm stuck with
you as Remington Steele, but, as stuck as I am, I don't mind
it one bit, because I've fallen in l!
ove with you, no matter who you were, all I'm interested in now
is who you are, and you're Remington Steele, and I hope you stay
that way forever.
Love,
Laura.
Or it was something along those lines. Not as good as his, but
it worked. I watched as that grin spread across his face, and
I couldn't help but smile too. He pulled me close and tilted
my head back to kiss me.
"I love you, Laura" He whispered softly into my ear.
"Oh, Remington, I love you too." Just the look on his
face when I said that could last me a lifetime. His blue eyes
were bright with tears of love, tears of joy, and I suppose mine
were the same way. Anyone that passed us by, I guess they'd say
that they saw a couple very much in love. And they'd be right.
FINIS!
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