Author's Note: In the movie, Pretty in Pink, we really are not told all that much about Steff, we know he's from a rich family, he wants to get back at his parents for something ("This one may just kill the old son of a bitch, Blane."), and of course, he does not take too kindly to rejection. We don't even know what his last name is. It could be Grey. We're not told, so for the purposes of this story, it is. (I know there was a novelization of Pretty in Pink, but this story is based on the movie and only the movie.) If you're a fan of James Spader (and really, who isn't?) you will quickly take note that many details of Steff (or Stefan, as he is called here) and his later life are derived from various other movies/TV shows he was in, chiefly, Secretary, but many others as well. Elizabeth, the protagonist, is an analog (or 'counterpart') of Maggie Gyllenhaal/Lee, in case you couldn't tell from reading the story (many of Elizabeth's character details are derived from movies Maggie Gyllenhaal was in as well), and Elizabeth and Stefan's relationship here is structured around their character's relationship in that film, with many differences, Elizabeth's hangup is not that she cuts herself, but that she cannot allow herself to get over her college boyfriend, Toby.

I hope everyone will enjoy reading this story, especially those who love Steff, and want to see a better resolution for him than the one he got in the actual film.

Elizabeth had been driving her father to work and various places every day after his license had been suspended due to a DUI, one of several. Her father, Stephen, was a lawyer, dealing mostly with slip-and-fall type cases, work-related injuries, and the like. Stephen was a highly intelligent man, and had been a brilliant defense attorney years back, however, his troubles with alcohol had gotten him fired from the firm he worked at, and since then he worked in private practice. However, after two years of AA meetings, Stephen had managed to stay sober for some time now. Elizabeth was glad to have her father back, even though driving him to work could sometimes pose an inconvenience.

"So how was work today?" Stephen asked Elizabeth in the car one morning.

"Work was good." Elizabeth said.

"Still seeing Toby?" Stephen said, a disapproving note in his voice.

" 'Seeing'?" Elizabeth said. "Dad, I've been in a relationship with him for seven years. You know that."

"A relationship?" Stephen said. "Elizabeth, you told me that Toby didn't want a committed relationship. I thought you weren't even together with him anymore."

"We're still close. Toby doesn't like labels and commitments. Til death do you part type stuff. It reminds him that he's going to die one day."
Stephen snorted and shook his head.

"Dad…" Elizabeth said.

"Are you still sleeping with him?"

"Dad!" Elizabeth said. "That's none of your business."
"Let me guess. He still wants to sleep with you, but 'not label it a relationship'."
"For your information, Toby and I haven't slept together for two years." said Elizabeth. "But we've stayed close."
"Have you seen anyone else these past two years?" Stephen said.

"No, Dad." said Elizabeth.

"And why not?"
"Because," Elizabeth said. "Toby and I are still together, even when we're not a romantic couple."
"And does Toby know this?" said Stephen.

Elizabeth blinked in irritation, before answering. "Of course he does, Dad. Toby knows how I feel about him. And he understands. He just doesn't want what I want out of life. You make it sound like I was dangerously obsessed with him."
"Princess, of course I didn't." Stephen said. "It's him I find in the wrong is all."
"Dad, I don't know why you don't like Toby, anyway. He's a great guy."
"Elizabeth, he may very well be a great guy, in some respects, but I don't approve of the way he treats you. He's obviously just using you."
"Using me for what?" Elizabeth said. "And anyway, Toby's been great. He's been very understanding of our….situation. He says not to worry about what time I go to, or leave work, when I take you places." Elizabeth worked at a coffee and pastry shop, which Toby owned.
Stephen looked down at his lap briefly. "Well, he should be understanding. You don't need to be working at that coffee shop for him. You have an English degree, for goodness sakes. You should be doing something else, something more meaningful."
"Dad, please." Elizabeth said. "Please, just cool it, okay? Working at the coffee shop for Toby is what makes me happy. It is meaningful. Okay?"

Stephen sighed, shaking his head.

Elizabeth had met Toby in when she was in junior high school, where he was two years ahead of her, at an after school club that met to discuss the works of Stephen King, who was Elizabeth's favorite writer. Toby was a slender, handsome guy with dark hair, and dark eyes, who wore mostly black, and hung out with the nerds, despite being better looking than your average nerd. He had an easygoing, jokey personality. Toby was very into books and literature, as was Elizabeth, but she had never had the courage to tell him how she felt in high school, despite their friendship. After she graduated, Elizabeth had based her choice of the college that she was attending on the one where Toby was also attending, where she had finally made her move, telling Toby how she felt. They had dated throughout college, after which Toby had decided to open up his own coffee shop and bakery, and had invited her to come work for him, where she had been working for the past three years.

"I had another argument with my father about you yesterday." Elizabeth said in the kitchen of the bakery the next day.

"Oh, really?" said Toby. "What was it about?"
"Oh, he thinks I shouldn't work for you. He doesn't approve of our relationship."
"Well, it just so happens, I agree with your dad." Said Toby. "I mean, you need to stop feeling the way you do about me. I told you that. I'm just not into relationships."
"That doesn't mean I can't like you, does it?" said Elizabeth. "Should my feelings about you go away, just because you don't want a relationship?"
"What's so special about me, anyway?" said Toby. "Come on."
"How can you say that?" Elizabeth said. "I mean, you're great looking, and a great guy, and easy to be around, and funny, and smart, and you like Stephen King as much as I do, and…"

"Nobody likes Stephen King as much you do, Liz." Said Toby.

"Well, that may be true, Toby, but anyway. I've never met anyone I like as much as I like you. I've told you that." She bit her lip. "But it doesn't matter, anyway. If you want me, I mean."
"Want you?" Toby said. "Oh, come on. Don't be so overly dramatic. That's silly…it's not that I don't 'want' you….I don't want anyone that way…as a lifetime relationship. I like being by myself. Not all the time, but when it counts. I like living alone."
"I'm not asking to live with you, am I?" Elizabeth said.

"I know, I know." Toby said. "But you want more than I can give you. You want those things, I know. I can tell. So I can't really…I can't keep….we just can't see each other. For anything non-platonic. Not…well, not in good conscience."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Toby, it's enough for me…I know it sounds…maudlin, but it's enough for me to work here for you, and to be around you every day. That's…that's what I wanted to achieve, in my life, ever since I've met you. Is that creepy?"
"No, not creepy." said Toby. "You can like to work here all you want, but you should…stop…you know. Having romantic feelings about me. Not for me, for yourself."
"But Toby." Said Elizabeth. "That's the thing. I don't want to not feel this way about you. Caring about you…makes me happy. Like when my dad was in the hospital because of his drinking. I'd think about you to feel better. And when my parents were fighting all the time, because of his drinking. Not just wanting you, but also…wanting you to be happy, no matter what. That's what made me feel better, and like…have more goodwill towards my dad. Not resent him for his problems. That's the way it's been, ever since we were in school together. Losing my feelings for you…would hurt more than you not wanting to be with me. I live to like you, Toby."

Toby swallowed. "I see." He looked down at his hands. "It's kind of…hard to know what to say to that."
"You don't have to say anything to it, Toby." Elizabeth said. "That's just the way it is. But you don't have to worry about me. I'm not tortured or anything. I'm not trying to get you to do anything you don't want to, am I? I'm happy, doing what I'm doing."
"I'm not sure you are." Toby said. "That's the thing."
"I am." Elizabeth said.

"I mean, I love having you here, but…I just don't think these strong feelings for me are right. I worry about you, you shouldn't have your whole life dedicated to me or anything."
"Toby, don't flatter yourself. I think about plenty of other things. I think about books, and writing, and philosophy, and…running this place, and helping my dad, and…"
"Running this place." Toby said. "See, that's something that has to do with me. You should do what you want in life, not run around trying to please others. The same goes for your dad. You shouldn't be driving him to work every day, either."

"Again, Toby, helping you run this place is what I want." Elizabeth said. "And my dad needs me."
Toby sighed. "Okay." he said. "If this is really what you want in life."

"It is, Toby." Elizabeth said. "It is."

"I have a meeting with this lawyer, who's looking for a partner." Her father said one morning a few weeks later. "Can you come and pick me up around three?"
"Sure." Elizabeth said.

Stephen looked at her. "How's Toby?" he said.

"He's great." Elizabeth replied archly.

Stephen sighed, and shook his head, looking out the window.

"Well, this other lawyer I told you about, Mr. Grey, seems confident in my abilities. We have another meeting today at one."

"Mr. Grey?" said Elizabeth. "Like the evil alien from Dreamcatcher?"
Stephen laughed. "Could be. He seems relatively harmless, though. Very reserved, almost…humorless."
"Sounds like a blast." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah, but he seems like a pretty smart man. While I was waiting for my appointment the other day, his secretary, Tricia, said that he almost never loses his cases."
"Well, that's great, Dad. Neither do you though."
"Yeah, before the booze got the better of me." Said Stephen.

Elizabeth sighed, and patted his hand. "Well, it hasn't now." She said.

"Well," Elizabeth said later that day, in the parking lot of the lawyer's office. "I'll wait for you out here."
"Okay." Stephen put his hand on the door handle, then turned to look at her. "You know, Liz," he said. "Our meeting might go awhile. Maybe you should wait for me inside, instead of in the car."
"I'm fine out here, Dad. Don't worry." said Elizabeth.

"I don't know, Liz." said Stephen. "I've heard that this is a dangerous area. Maybe you should wait inside. You don't want to get carjacked, do you?"
"I haven't heard that this is a particularly dangerous area." Said Elizabeth.

"Well, there's not really any such thing as a safe area anymore, Elizabeth. You don't want to take chances."
"Dad, I'll be okay. Really." Elizabeth said.

"Elizabeth, I'd really feel better about things if you'd wait for me inside. Please, just do it for me."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Fine. If it'll make you happy, I'll wait inside, okay?"
Stephen smiled at her. "Thanks, honey." He said.

Elizabeth got out of the car, rolling her eyes.

Inside, there was a small waiting area, where Elizabeth, her father waited. There seemed to be a lot of Asian themed décor around the office After about twenty minutes, a blond woman approached the two of them.

"Mr. Dawes, Mr. Grey will see you now." the blond woman said.

"All right. Thank you." Stephen said. He got up, and disappeared down the corridor. The blond woman took a seat at a desk, and began inserting a piece of paper into a typewriter.

"Typewriters." Elizabeth said. "Haven't seen one of those for a while."
The blond woman smiled a tight-lipped smile at her. "Mr. Grey prefers we use typewriters here."
"I see." Elizabeth said. "Is he aware that it's like…2002?"
"Probably not." The blond said.

"Oh." Said Elizabeth. The blond woman resumed typing.

"Why does he prefer them?" Elizabeth asked, after a few moments.

"Oh, he thinks computers with spell-check facilitate laziness. He prefers that secretaries earn their keep. Keeps them smarter and more skilled."
"I see." Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. "He sounds like a peach to work for."
The blond pursed her lips, and kept typing. Elizabeth sighed, and looked at her watch.

After about thirty minutes, Stephen emerged from the corridor with a man with dark blond hair.

"Well, Mr. Grey, I assure you that you won't regret this decision." Stephen was saying to the blond man.

"No, I'm sure I won't, Mr. Dawes." Mr. Grey said.

"Stephen, please. As I said." Stephen said. "And as I said, Mr. Grey, I'm very glad that we're going to be working together."

"I'm glad as well…uh, Stephen." Said Mr. Grey, though it appeared to Elizabeth that his tone of voice never conveyed any emotion, much less being glad of anything.

"Indeed." Stephen said. "Well, I should probably be going, but I suppose we'll be seeing each other again very soon."
"Right." Said Mr. Grey. "Well, I suppose I'll see you then."

"Yes." Stephen said. He turned to go. "Oh, Mr. Grey." He said. "I forgot. I wanted you to meet my daughter, Elizabeth. She was concerned about waiting in the car."

Mr. Grey looked startled. "Uh. Well-

Elizabeth stood up, and walked over to him. "Hello there, Mr. Grey." She said. "My father tells me you're uh…an excellent attorney." She held out her hand.
Mr. Grey sneezed suddenly. Elizabeth bit her lip.

"Allergies." He said.

"Oh." Said Elizabeth. "Okay."

"Often happens when I'm around perfume." Said Mr. Grey. "That's why I have a policy against it for my employees."
Elizabeth restrained the urge to say something sarcastic, not wanting to sabotage her father's livelihood.

"Well," she said. "I'm sure that you and my father will work well together. He tells me that you're an excellent attorney. As is he, of course."
"Yes." Said Mr. Grey.

"I won't usually be…in here like this. Dad never…got his license. He always saw those videos of people injured in car accidents they show in drivers ed in high school, and was just too chicken." She smiled at him.

"Really." Said Mr. Grey. "That is odd, because he told me you take him to work every day because of a suspended license, right Stephen?"
Stephen smiled. "Right. I'm touched, sweetheart, at your protectiveness, but I already told Mr. Grey I'm a recovering alcoholic. It's not something I go to great lengths to hide."

"Oh." Said Elizabeth.

"Problems with alcoholism aren't unheard of with attorneys, and anyway, as your father indicated, he's had two years sober. I believe that people deserve second chances, don't you, Ms. Dawes?"
"Uh…well, of course. Of course I do." Said Elizabeth.

"But your penchant for creative lying indicates that you would make an excellent attorney." Said Mr. Grey.

Stephen laughed. "I'm afraid Elizabeth here was never very interested in the law. She's all about books, and literature, and writing. She has an English degree, right Liz?"
"Uh..yeah, Dad." Said Elizabeth.

"Ah." Said Mr. Grey. There was an awkward silence.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you, Mr. Grey, but I think we should be going. I have to get back to work. My boss is a real stickler for-

"Actually, your father indicated to me that your boss was a good friend of yours, and your hours are flexible. You know, I always say that the two lowest forms of human beings are liars, and lawyers. Perhaps you should look into the latter, at least that one would pay more."
Elizabeth opened her mouth, but closed it again.

"Well," she said finally. "You certainly did tell a lot, didn't you, Dad?"

"Not a lot, no." He looked at Mr. Grey. "I'm sure that Mr. Grey is just joking."
"Well, lying outside a professional capacity is certainly not indicative of good character, Ms. Dawes."
Elizabeth sighed. "Yeah, okay. Thank you for that lovely piece of advice, Mr. Grey. I'll take it into consideration. However, I must get back to work now, because while the hours might be flexible, running the bakery is important to me, and I like to do a professional job of it. I'm sure that you can appreciate that."

"Of course." Said Mr. Grey.

"Well, that was wonderfully…awkward." Elizabeth said to her father in the car a few moments later.

Stephen cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Grey certainly seems a bit…awkward at first, but he's a very intelligent man, Elizabeth."
"That's great, Dad. But intelligent doesn't mean he's not an asshole, does it?"
"Oh, I don't think he's quite that, Elizabeth…just a bit of a stickler."
"He certainly seems as though he has a stick somewhere." Elizabeth muttered.

Her father was quiet. "Well, that may be, Elizabeth, but you know, not everyone would hire me, with my record."
Elizabeth sighed. "Okay, Dad." She said. She looked at him. "I want you to know, I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sweetie." Said Stephen.

There was a silence.

"Don't think I don't know what you were doing, though." Elizabeth said.

"What was I doing?" Stephen said.

"I see you're an accomplished liar. Second lowest form of human being…or is it the first?"
"Both, actually." Her father said. "But I just thought you'd like to meet Mr. Grey. I was telling him what a help you are to me, and how hard you work, helping me out with my sobriety, and he seemed to be very impressed with my description of you."
Elizabeth looked at him, horrified. "Wait he asked to meet me?"
"Don't be absurd." Stephen said. "Did he seem like the sort that would ask to meet you…or ask to meet anyone, for that matter? It's pretty clear he's an extremely reserved man."
"Except when he was calling me a liar. He seemed to get really into doing that."
"Yes, well." said Stephen. "He does seem pretty officious."
Elizabeth snorted. "What on earth ever made you think that I'd want to meet him?"
"Oh, I don't know." said Stephen. "He's not so bad, once you've talked with him for awhile, and anyway, he's successful, intelligent…and he doesn't wear a ring."
Elizabeth looked at her father. "Dad, you can't be serious."
Stephen shrugged. "I'm just saying. It wouldn't kill you to think of other men besides what's-his-name."
"Dad…" Elizabeth shook her head. "Dad, I knew exactly what you were doing, the moment you introduced me to that…droning creep, but to hear you say it out like that…"
"Oh, come off it." Stephen said. "I'm only saying. Since it's obvious that Toby doesn't want a relationship, you should at least consider other candidates. To be interested in, at the very least."

"Well, it won't be that one." Elizabeth said.