Steeling The Bliss

Chapter 1

It had been a month since Remington and Laura's quickie wedding, due to the INS and Norman Keyes breathing down their necks, but now they were home from Ireland, and landing in L.A. that first day of June in 1987, Laura felt she and her new husband could finally relax and get back to their lives together.

As the plane landed in LAX, Laura looked over and saw Remington asleep, and gently nudging him, stating, "Mr. Ste- Remington? C'mon, Honey, we're home..."

Remington stirred slowly, and looking around, mumbled, "When did I drop off, Dear?"

Laura smiled answering as she looked at her watch, "About eight hours ago...You must have been exhausted."

Remington yawned as he saw the passengers near their seat start to file out of the plane, and looking at his new wife queried softly, "Weren't you tired as well?"

Laura shrugged replying, "I had a nap for a couple of hours, but then I read a book..."

Remington took a glance at the cover and remarked strangely his voice raising slightly, "Gone With The Wind? You can't be serious!"

Laura countered, "It's one of your favorites! You even said so! I was going by your recommendation-"

Remington shook his head answering, "No, Darling. I meant the film! You have to go by films-"

Laura, shaking her head, quickly commented, "Where do you think those film ideas came from? Books of course!"

But Remington argued back, "Yes, I know, Dear, of course, but don't try "War And Peace". It was a bit too long for my liking-"

Just then, they realized the flight attendant was standing there, and Laura, apologized, stating, "Oh, we're terribly sorry. Were we too loud?"

Tracy, as her nametag indicated, said as she shook her head slowly, "Uh, no, but everyone has left the plane. Are you Mr. and Mrs. Remington Steele?"

Remington answered, "Yes, why? Is someone asking for us?"

Tracy nodded and replied, "A Mildred Krebs is just outside in the terminal and says to tell you that "The meter is running, and to get your butts in gear." Whatever that means."

Remington sighed and getting up, apologized to Tracy as well, commenting, "Thank you, and tell her we'll be right out, hmm?"

Tracy nodded and left, and as Laura got up slowly, Remington opened the overhead to get their bags, responding, "I specifically told Mildred over the phone last night that Fred was to meet us where the cabs pull in. Hope he didn't misunderstand and double park somewhere."

As they collected their things and walked to exit the plane, the pilot, Jeff, commented, "Thank you for flying with us. Hope you enjoy your stay in L.A. I understand it's beautiful here..."

Remington shook his head, asiding to Laura as they went toward the terminal, "Is he daft? We live here-"

Laura shushed him, answering, "C'mon! Not everyone knows who we are! Let's go..."

-RS-

As the two entered the terminal, they spotted Mildred, who came up to hug them both, and asked in a rapid fire succession, "How was your honeymoon? How was the flight? How's the castle? Were the people there good to you? If they weren't, let me have a crack at them-"

Remington put up a hand stating quickly as he looked around, "M-Mildred! Please, Dear! Everything was fine, alright? Now, where's Fred, hmm? We'll need help with our luggage-"

But Mildred shook her head answering, "Out sick.", as she saw where Remington was looking, and whistled at the Sky cap, yelling, " Over here, Cappy! Shake a leg!"

As the Sky cap came over to assist with the luggage once it was all collected and they all made their way to the airport curb, Laura noticed that it was Mildred's car they were going home in, and asked as Remington paid the Sky cap, "Mildred, what happened to the limo?"

Mildred answered quickly, "Uh, in the the shop, Miss Holt-uh, Mrs. Ste-Uh, c'mon, let's go! Chop, Chop!"

Remington and Laura shook their heads and got into the car as Mildred drove them out of the airport parking lot.

They'd been driving for a while when Mildred turned off the interstate, heading in the direction of Remington's apartment.

Laura, noticing this, asked, "Mildred, this isn't the way to my loft. Where are we going?"

Remington cut in, "The apartment, Dear. Some of your things are already there, so-"

Laura shook her head stating firmly to Mildred, "Pull over this minute, Mildred! Mr. Steele and I have to have a word-"

Remington groaned and responded bewilderedly, faltering, "Oh, c'mon, Laura! We'll talk about it at home...Wait a minute-Mr. Steele is it?! Why are you calling me that again?!"

Laura sighed as Mildred pulled over to the curb, parking, and asked meekly, "Now what, Miss Holt?"

When Remington gave Mildred a scowling look, she shrugged answering, "Aw, I'll give you two a minute here, huh? But why you didn't talk before today about where you were gonna live-"

Then Laura, with pursed lips, gestured for Mildred to get out of the car, then remarked softly, "I'm sorry, Mildred. Please?"

As Mildred got out, she turned back to them saying, "I hope you figure this out soon, because... First, the INS agent is at the apartment, and Second...Miss Holt's mother and sister are at the hotel waiting to hear from me that I've picked you up-"

With panic showing on both Remington and Laura's faces, they exclaimed loudly, "WHAT?!"

Remington then asked Laura, "I thought we would tell them together about our marriage -When did you-"

Laura shook her head with a gasp, "I-I didn't! I swear!"

Remington then eyed Mildred, and queried, "Okay, Mildred, when did you spill-"

Mildred, shaking her head, got back into the car, and opening the glove compartment, pulled out a newspaper, and handing it to Laura, said, "I didn't either, Boss-I guess the INS took care of that too. It made all the papers...I'm sorry."

As Laura sat beside Remington, feeling shaken as she and Remington saw the wedding announcement, and an old office photo of the two from a month ago in the L.A. Times, she asked him, "Well, what should we do?"

Remington sighed, and queried with a soft chuckle, "Well, remember one month ago, when you jokingly named me The "Duke Of Deception" for this whole charade?"

Laura eyed him warily answering slowly, "Yes?"

Remington smiled at her, remarking with a wink, "Then it would stand to reason that if I'm the Duke, then you, my darling wife, are "The Duchess" now, and it's time for you to think of something, eh?"

Laura then nodded slowly, and with a sigh, stated to Mildred, "Alright... On our way to the apartment, Mildred, can you stop at a gas station so I may get a drink? I need some aspirin as well because I have a feeling it's going to be a very long day..."

Mildred winked at her answering as she started the car once more and carefully pulled away from the curb to continue onto the apartment, "You got it, Honey..."

Remington added, "Oh, and also, Mildred?"

Mildred replied, "Yeah, Boss?"

Remington remarked, "When we have another free moment today, you will tell us what happened to the limo, hmm?"

Mildred gulped and nodded quickly, "Oh, yeah, sure, Boss...Absolutely..."

As Mildred concentrated on driving once more, she thought, shaking her head, Ooh, Fred! If you weren't already sick...

TBC