Disclaimer: Remington Steele is owned by MTM. For entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.
This is Remington and Laura's last outing before she must take to her bed for the remainder of her pregnancy … or so they thought.
Two Steeles for the Price of One
Remington and Laura sat at a table at what appeared to be an upscale restaurant. This would probably be their last outing before Laura took to her bed for the remainder of her pregnancy. Remington leaned forward and took hold of Laura's hand. As he stared raptly into her eyes, she inhaled sharply and leaned back to reveal a very pregnant belly.
"Are you all right?" Remington asked, mock sternly, suddenly alarmed.
Laura laid her other hand on the huge mound that now took up the better portion of her lap and exhaled slowly. "Just another Braxton-Hicks, I think," Laura said calmly, as she inhaled slowly, held it for a few seconds and then exhaled slowly.
"But it's almost a month early. Are you sure you're all right?" Remington asked, alarm making his voice sharper than he intended it to be.
"Just practicing for the big day," Laura said, as she patted her tummy and felt a foot jab into her palm. She smiled wistfully and cocked her head to one side, as she stared with unabashed love at Remington.
Remington stared back just as unabashedly and brought the hand he held to his lips. "I love you, Mrs. Steele and I love our babies," he said in a near whisper meant for her ears only.
Laura patted her tummy once again. Yes, babies. She remembered with vivid recall the day they had found out they were having twins. She was about 18 weeks along and they were at their first ultrasound appointment. The doctor had ordered it, since Laura had been gaining weight at a faster rate than usual. Since she took her vitamins religiously, her diet was mainly vegetarian with chicken and fish occasionally, she had cut out all use of caffeine and alcohol, she was very careful about over the counter medicines and she exercised as she was able, there was no reasonable explanation without a few tests.
Laura reclined on the examination table and Remington stood next to her, holding her hand, perhaps a little too tightly. Laura smiled and wriggled her fingers in protest. Remington smiled back and loosened his grip, but only slightly. With her free hand Laura reached to touch Remington's face and draw his head down to touch his forehead to hers. Savoring the contact, Laura closed her eyes and said, "You'll see. It will be all right, Harry."
Remington closed his eyes as well and said, "I know. I know."
Just then the doctor said he was ready. Laura pulled up her blouse and the doctor passed the gel slathered wand over her already rounded belly. His eyebrows knitted and he passed the wand over her belly once more. Then he moved the wand a little to the right and two grainy, but discernible images appeared on the screen.
The doctor pointed at the screen and said, "I thought that's what it was, but I just wanted to be sure."
Laura came up on her elbows and squeaked, "What? Is there anything wrong?"
Then he turned to address Laura and Remington directly. "No. No. Not at all. It's just that you, my dears, are having twins," the doctor said and smiled.
As Laura watched, all the blood drained from Remington's face and he began to breathe rapidly. The doctor gave him a stool to sit on. Laura leaned close and whispered in Remington's ear, "It's okay, Harry. It's okay."
"Twins," Remington croaked through the lump in his throat.
"Would you like to hear the babies' heartbeats?" the doctor asked.
Laura turned back onto her back and said, "Yes, that would be nice."
The doctor passed the wand over Laura's belly once again and turned knob on the machine. A strong fast heartbeat resounded through the room, along with a softer but equally strong and fast heartbeat in the background. "Strong and healthy, these two. Would you like to know the sex?" the doctor asked.
Remington and Laura looked at each other and Laura nodded slightly. Remington was still for a moment and then nodded his agreement as well. They watched as the doctor maneuvered the wand head and finally he pushed a button on the machine that froze the picture on the screen. He pointed at the screen again and said, "It appears you are having two boys, but don't quote me on that. It is a little early in the game to be inconclusive."
Remington's heart sang with the word, TWINS and his mind wandered a bit as the doctor went over the risks of having twins and the precautions that Laura would have to take to insure healthy babies and lower the risk of premature labor, which was common with multiples. But Remington's ears pricked when he heard that Laura would more than likely need bed rest the last three weeks of her pregnancy. He smiled wickedly for a moment, which did not escape Laura's notice.
The doctor pushed the button again several more times and left a stack of stills on the counter. After he cleaned his instruments and put them away and Laura cleaned her belly and pulled down her blouse, the doctor said, "I know you are stunned. Most couples usually are. Take all the time you need. I'll tell the nurses not to disturb you. Call me if you have any questions or concerns. I'll want to see you, young lady, in two weeks." With that he left and closed the door softly behind him.
Laura sat up on the edge of the table facing Remington now. Remington still sat on the stool, holding her hand. The other hand reached up to touch Laura's belly, already beginning to show a burgeoning roundness. Her belly came alive under his splayed palm and he smiled wistfully.
Laura grinned back, noticing that the color was coming back into his cheeks.
"I just realized something, Laura," Remington groaned.
"What's that?" asked Laura.
"We're going to have to buy two of everything," he mumbled and sighed.
Laura smiled, touched his hair and smoothed it away from his forehead. "Icy calm, Mr. Steele. Icy calm," she said, touching on a watchword they used when they needed to calm down and think clearly.
"Why did you smile that way a little while ago?" Laura asked.
"Oh, that. I was just thinking with you on bed rest, I would have a captive audience for my lechery," Remington said and with twitching eyebrows and twinkling eyes, he turned his wicked smile on her again. Laura said, "I doubt I'll be up to anything more strenuous than a little heavy petting by then." Her head cocked slightly to one side, she looked back at him with tear bright brown eyes filled with love. Remington reached to touch her face and wipe a tear away with the pad of his thumb.
He stood up, still somewhat unsteady, drew her into his arms just then and touched his forehead to hers once more. After a moment Remington drew back to catch Laura's gaze. "Come now," he said with a bit of a catch in his voice. "This is no Major Descoine, but we can handle it."
"This is momentous," said Laura, smiling through her tears. "We should celebrate. Let's celebrate the coming birth of our two sons." She slid from the table, steadied herself and tried to coax Remington to walk toward the door. On their way by the counter, she snagged the ultrasound stills and her purse. Laura opened the door and peeked both ways down the hallway.
Remington, still looking a bit peaked, swayed as though he were still a bit dizzy and leaned in the doorway. Assured that the coast was clear he reached out to grab Laura and pull her into his embrace. He planted a kiss on her forehead and then her lips with a bit more passion. With a wistful smile he splayed his palm on her belly once again and shook his head in disbelief.
With a mischievous smile and a sparkle in her eyes, Laura laced Remington's fingers with hers and drew him out into the hallway. Together they strolled to the receptionist's desk to make her next appointment.
Laura blinked and came back to the present to find Remington regarding her curiously, his chin propped on one hand. "Where were you just now?" he asked.
"I was just remembering when we first found out we were having twins," said Laura, a twitchy smile playing about her lips.
"All I really remember is that I hyperventilated and nearly passed out," scoffed Remington, softly.
Suddenly, Laura got the strangest expression on her face and placed both hands on her belly. "OK, that wasn't a Braxton-Hicks."
She glanced down over the side of her chair and back up and squeaked, "Oh no. I think my water just broke."
Remington scrambled backward a bit and yelped, "Not here. Not now. Are you sure?" his voice more alarmed than before.
"Yes, I'm sure! Now pay the bill and get us to the hospital!" Laura all but shouted. She watched as Remington's mouth quirked at Laura's unconscious "we" reference. Laura staggered to her feet and made her way around the table to where Remington stood. He left more than enough money on the table to cover the bill and a generous tip in apology for the mess. Grasping Laura's elbow firmly, he guided her out of the restaurant and settled her in the back of the waiting limo.
"To the hospital, Fred, and don't spare the horses. Any speeding tickets are on me," Remington bellowed at a startled Fred.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Steele."
Between contractions Remington used the car phone to call Laura's doctor and Mildred, who promised to be at the hospital within the hour. Thankfully, they arrived at the hospital without police interference. As Remington helped Laura out of the car, she grabbed his arm in a vice like grip and another contraction began. When it was over, Laura released her death grip and let out a long slow breath.
"That was a good one," Laura said, her voice shaking slightly.
Remington let go of Laura just long enough to commandeer a wheel chair and settle Laura in it amid mutterings about beached whales. As he wheeled Laura into the emergency room, Remington whispered near Laura's ear, "I'm here, Laura. I'm not going anywhere."
Suddenly, Laura grasped the arms of the wheel chair and blinked, as though she had just had a huge revelation. "I think I've probably been in labor since early this morning, but I thought it was Braxton-Hicks, because the contractions were really irregular and relatively painless."
A nurse came out from behind the reception desk as they came in. "Well now. Let's get you to Labor & Delivery." Then she looked at Remington and said, "We need some information from you and then you can join your wife."
Another nurse behind the desk quickly took his information. Laura had been pre-registered for over a month, so after asking only a few questions, the nurse waved at Remington and smiling, said, "Go." Remington waved and was gone to be with his wife.
When he got to Laura's room, it was utter chaos, orchestrated chaos, but chaos nonetheless. A nurse gave him a stack of scrubs and pointed to a restroom. He quickly changed and was back in just a few minutes, just in time to see his beloved Laura brace for another contraction, a low puppy whine sound coming from between her clenched teeth.
"Breathe, Laura. Breathe," he said as he took her hand, after she released it from a white knuckled death grip on the bedrail.
Laura inhaled sharply and glanced up as though noticing Remington for the first time. She blinked and said, somewhat sarcastically, "Glad you could join the party." A few minutes passed and the bones in Remington's hand creaked, as Laura squeezed it as hard as she could. But Remington bore the pain stoically, because he knew the pain in his hand was only a small fraction of what Laura was experiencing.
Laura finally released his hand and blew out a long slow breath. "I didn't know it would be like this," she croaked and shook her head.
It was then that Remington saw the fear, uncertainty and defeat in her eyes. In all their years together he had seen many things in those beautiful brown eyes: pride, contentment, forgiveness, lust, humor, anger, remorse, trust, longing, disappointment, sadness, surprise, confusion, jealousy, determination, courage and love; but fear, uncertainty and defeat, not since the thugs from Enterprow Foundation blew up her house and she narrowly escaped being killed in the explosion.
"I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't do this."
"Yes, you can, Laura. I know my little woman can do anything she sets her mind to," Remington replied and patted her on the top of her head. He knew full well that calling her his "little woman" would make her mad, because no self respecting woman of the early 1990's with even a shred of intelligence or independence would allow herself to be demeaned or possessed. Remington had seen it a hundred or more times; Laura, when she was mad, could accomplish great things.
Remington reached to pull a lock of sweat drenched hair from Laura's face and she batted his hand away. "Oooooooooooooooh," she growled.
"Besides, it is a bit late in the game to call the whole thing off," Remington stated the obvious in order to further infuriate her.
Suddenly, Laura's breath caught and she gripped his hand tighter than ever. "I want to push now," she said, her voice strained.
The doctor had arrived only moments before. "Oh no, Mrs. Steele. Not yet. Let me have a look first," he said, as he poked and prodded. "We're at an 8. No pushing yet, but these babies seem to be feisty about making their entrance into the world."
Remington looked up and grinned, "They come by it honestly. Wouldn't you say, Laura?"
Laura's smile came out as more of a grimace as she inhaled in preparation for the next contraction. When the contraction did come, Remington proffered his hand once again and breathed along with Laura or whispered encouragement.
The doctor checked Laura again and said she was at a 9. Still no pushing. Even so, her contractions came one right after the other, with almost no break in between. Laura had a constant grip on Remington's hand now and she bore the pain with an almost stoic calm. Remington knew this was an incredible feat for Laura, since she was no longer in control and control seemed a deciding factor in just about everything she did. Perhaps she wanted to show Remington how strong she could be with a refusal to cry out from the pain.
Remington wiped sweat from Laura's forehead with a cool damp cloth. Laura smiled her thanks, but she could say nothing, so fierce was the pain of her current contraction.
Just then, the doctor said, "OK, we're at a 10." The nurses put her legs in the stirrups in readiness for the next contraction. "Are you ready to push, Mrs. Steele?"
In answer, Laura nodded and pulled herself to a more upright position with Remington supporting her back and shoulders. She met Remington's gaze momentarily and the fear and uncertainty were gone, replaced by courage and determination. Remington's eyes glowed with pride.
"On the next contraction then," the doctor said.
With the next contraction Laura inhaled deeply and then bore down, down, down. The pain was excruciating, but Laura almost didn't feel it as she concentrated with all her might on bringing her sons into the world.
"Laura, I can see the head," Remington whispered excitedly near her ear.
"Stop pushing. On the next contraction I'll deliver the shoulders," the doctor said.
Laura inhaled sharply and waited while the doctor cleaned out the baby's mouth.
"Ready?" the doctor said, looking intently at the monitor. "Push."
Laura once again bore down. Her jaws were clenched so tightly, she thought they might crack from the strain. Then it all happened very quickly. She felt a tearing and heard her firstborn's first cry. She lay back and panted to rest for few moments before the next onslaught of pain. Remington was allowed to cut the umbilical cord and her baby was handed over to be cleaned and evaluated. Now, the doctor prepared to deliver the second baby.
"OK," said the doctor. "Ready for the second one?" Laura nodded and with Remington's help, she struggled back to an upright position. She inhaled as the next contraction began.
"Push, Mrs. Steele."
Laura bore down and once again Remington whispered that he could see the head. Moments later she heard her second baby's first cry and Remington cut the umbilical cord on this baby as well. It too was handed over to be cleaned and evaluated. Laura felt a tugging sensation as the afterbirth was delivered and she lay back, exhausted. One baby was handed to Laura and the other was handed to Remington. They found out that they had identical twin boys, as the doctor had told them what seemed to Laura ages ago.
Remington stood next to Laura, holding his firstborn son. "Ah, Laura. They're beautiful."
Laura smiled through tears and said, "They should be. They look just like their father."
Remington reached to touch her face, kiss the top of her head and rest his cheek there. She heard Remington inhale and felt the warm wetness of his tears as they trickled through her hair and down the side of her face to mix with her own.
The nurses took the babies and sent Remington out of the room so that they could clean Laura up and get her ready to be moved to a room. Still dressed in his scrubs, he went out to the waiting room, where he knew Mildred would be waiting for news.
"Mildred," Remington said and Mildred glanced up from the romance novel she had been reading to pass the time. "Hey, Boss," Mildred answered and put away her book.
Remington extended his arms and Mildred came to be hugged. "We have twin sons, three weeks early, but just fine and Laura and I are over the moon."
"Oh, Boss. That's wonderful. I can't wait to start spoiling them," Mildred said, rubbing her hands together.
"Laura should be in her room by now," Remington said, glancing toward the doors that led to the maternity ward. "Come on. I'm sure Laura would love to see you."
They found her room with ease and Remington stopped in the doorway for a moment to take in a most wondrous sight, his beloved wife, disheveled and looking pale and exhausted, but never more beautiful, holding both of their sons. Laura glanced up and smiled. When she saw Remington, he smiled and moved to the side of the bed and she handed off one of the babies to him. Remington settled himself in the recliner next to the bed and began to sing to his son, an Irish nonsense song that Laura recognized. She had heard him sing it to another baby boy named Caruso many years before.
Mildred stopped in the doorway, reluctant to disturb this remarkable and somewhat amazing tableau; something she did not think would ever come to pass several years ago during the dark days of the Cannes Agreement. Mildred grinned. This was her surrogate family and she loved Laura and Remington like the children she was never able to have herself.
Mildred came in finally, after lingering in the doorway for several moments longer, to hug Laura and hold her second son. Then she smiled wistfully at something that Remington had said not long after finding out they were having twins. Two Steeles for the price of one. Laura's eyes glowed with happiness and pride as she watched Remington and Mildred with her sons.