I had forgotten to put this on the first part so here it is: I don't own any of these characters. If I did, I'd be a whole lot richer and Remington Steele would be on DVD finally!
For all story purposes, although Jem is a cartoon, in this story that world isn't. Or if you prefer, Remington Steele is animated. There is no Roger Rabbitesque cartoon/live action going on.
And now back to our regularly schedueled programming:
CHAPTER 2
While Laura and Remington were at Starlight Music, Roxy had been looking all over town for any and all Jem video footage. Without calling attention to herself. Not an easy thing to do since she was recognizable as a Misfit.
She paid a kid a ten bucks to buy a few Jem movies on video for her and then headed over to VTV. Using Remington's credit card she bribed one of the techs into dubbing her a few Jem performances and interviews that VTV had in its archives. The tech wanted a date but Roxy managed to negotiate down to a pizza and beer to be delivered. Once she had the tapes in her hands she left and went home to quickly change to meet Remington.
She threw on a mini skirt and a black top that she had just bought. She reapplied some makeup and fluffed up her hair before driving to Remington's.
He lived in a nice building that probably cost a fortune to live in. She figured that the detective business must do pretty well. Roxy entered the building and took the elevator up to his floor, humming the muzak to herself.
She stepped off once the doors opened and located his penthouse. She knocked on the door hoping she had the right one.
Remington answered a few seconds later, carrying a dish towel.
"Ah, Roxy! Come in, come in." He offered.
Roxy walked into the grey penthouse and whistled. "Nice digs."
"Thank you. Have a seat. Dinner will be ready in a few moments." He said. "I'll just get us some wine."
He went back into the kitchen and Roxy studied the movie posters and the knick knacks before sitting on the couch. Remington emerged a few minutes later with two glasses and a bottle of wine which he poured.
Roxy took a sip and Remington sat next to her.
"Just so we can get this out of the way, did you get the tapes?" He asked.
"All here." Roxy said handing them to him. "It was a piece of cake. Luckily I found a kid to buy some of them for me. I didn't want to deal with the questions of why Roxy of the Misfits was buying anything Jem."
She also handed over his credit card.
"Against my better judgement of course." She added.
Remington laughed and took the card.
"I understand. Believe me." He said cryptically. "So tell me about you." He requested.
"I'm the bass guitar player for the Misfits." Roxy replied mysteriously.
"And before that?"
"Tell me about you." Roxy countered.
"I'm the famous investigator, Remington Steele." He replied.
'She's hiding something' Remingotn thought.'
'what's he hiding?" Roxy thought.
They just sat and stared at one another for a moment or two, sizing each other up, trying to figure out exactly what the other was thinking.
Finally, Roxy , decided to change the subject. After all she's with a a gorgeous guy in his penthouse apartment, there are more interesting things to do than talk about work.
"Movie buff?" She asks poinintg to the Casablanca poster.
"Yes, There's something magical about the movies." He sighed. "And much that can be learned and incorporated into real life."
"The only movie I can relate this Jem thing to is Tootsie." She laughed. "No one knew who he was either. So Jem's a really gifted drag queen."
Remington chuckled and shook his head.
"You truly have a unique view on things, Roxy." He said and moved closer to kiss her.
The oven timer beeped and interrupted his actions before he could.
"Canard au van rouge!" He announced and stood.
He offered her his hand to help her up. She accepted it and he led her to the dining room and settled her at the table before going to take his duck out of the oven.
Roxy checked out his butt as he walked away and gave an appraising smirk.
'The Misfits just handed him to me on a silver platter. Pizzazz must be so peeved. He didn't even give her a second glance.' Roxy thought almost laughing out loud.
It wasn't that she didn't consider her bandmates her family, the only one she had, she just was tired of being alone. And there was something about him, something similar, like he somehow could understand where she came from and what she's accomplished.
In the kitchen, Remington was thinking about if he should persue a relationship with Roxy. After all he and Laura were, well they were, what exactly were they? They'd shared a few kisses, a few laughs, but Laura was far too against the idea. She would never go along with anything, always suspicious of his motives. She rarely trusted him.
But what did he really know about Roxy? She's beautiful, yes, but what else was it that was drawing him to her? The bad girl stereotype? Nah, he had known plenty of those. Felicia, Shannon, Anna, basically everywoman he had known. Even Laura was a bad girl at one point.
Something was making Roxy stand out amongst all of them and it wasn't just her hair color and makeup. There was something almost familiar about her. Something that he just couldn't put his finger on. But he'd figure it out with some more in depth "investigation".
After basting the duck, he brought it out to the table and served the both of them. Roxy took a bite first and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't often that one found a man who could cook like this.
"This is very good." She complimented with a smile. "Now who really made this? Housekeeper? Take out?" She teased.
"Just me with my own two hands." He smiled back. "I'm glad you like it."
They ate and talked companionably through the meal. The whole atmosphere had somehow turned into a date rather than an investigation of Jem. They leisured over the bottle of wine and ate the chocolate mousse that Remington had prepared.
"So who is Roxy?" He inquired with all seriousness and interest.
"So who is Remington?" She teased. "I show you mine, you show me yours." She flirted.
"C'mon." He said getting up and leading her back to the couch.
She sat and he lit a romantic fire in the fireplace and dimmed the lights.
"I'm sure we can come up with something that benefits both of us." He said. "I really want to get to know you. Who you really are under the Misfit exterior and attitude."
"More Misfit and attitude." She quipped.
"I seriously doubt that."
"Ok fine." She relented, either because of the wine or the company. "But for whatever bit of info I give, you have to match it." She suggested.
"But you won't know if I'm telling the truth." Remington pointed out.
"And you won't know if I am either." She smiled eyes glittering in the firelight.
"Where are you from?"
"Philly. Grew up on the streets. Ran away when I was a kid, dropped out of school, joined the Red Aces." Roxy admitted.
"The Red Aces?"
"A gang. We caused some trouble."
"Why did you run away?"
"Your turn." She said avoiding the question. "Same question."
"London by way of Ireland. My mum died and I was sent to London. I managed to survive by my wits."
"So you solved crimes?" Roxy fished.
"Uh, not exactly. I wasn't what you'd call a model citizen. I did what I had to do to survive. Something I'm sure you're familiar with."
"More than I'd like to be." Roxy sighed. "But looks like we both made good."
"It does. But looks can be deceiving." He said sadly. "Things aren't what they always seem."
"Look you're dancing around something. Spit it out."
"Roxy, I'd truly love to. But I can't. Too much riding on it. Too many people depending on me." Remington said moving closer to her.
"So you're going to live with whatever this is and keep it inside, what? Forever? Secrets have a way of popping up when you least want them too. No matter how hard you try and cover them up and pretend that they don't exist. No matter how much you try and bury them."
"And what's your secret that you had to bury?"
Roxy leaned in to kiss him, not only wanting to avoid this line of questioning but simply because she wanted to since meeting him earlier that day. She pressed her lips to his and was happy when he returned her kiss. He brought his arms around her and pulled her even closer as their kisses got more intense.
Roxy could taste the chocolate still on his lips as they kissed and it made the kisses even more delicious. He leaned her down back onto the couch and she pulled away.
"Is this my reward?" Remington laughed.
"Maybe. There is just something about you." Roxy answered.
"Uh huh." He said not quite believing her. "Or you figured that you don't want me to know anymore. I believe you're the one who turned it to me when I asked why you ran away."
"Why do people usually?" She challenged. "They aren't happy. What about you, 'London by way of Ireland'? No family photos or stuff out?"
"Its dangerous to leave things like that out. Never know when your apartment is going to get picked through by suspects. Besides, I'm an orphan. My mum died and I've never known who my father was." Remington explained. "And would I find family mementos in your home?"
"Kinda depends on what you think of as family." She smirked. "If you mean parents and that stuff, nah. If you mean the people who you've adopted as your family, yeah."
"So you have pictures of you and your bandmates up?"
Roxy nodded. "I got no family otherwise. Not that I need em. I can take care of myself. Always have. Sure I haven't always been on the straight and narrow but a girl's gotta do what she needs to survive."
"Roxanne, you and I are such similar creatures, its frightening." Remington sighed.
"So what'd you do to survive?" Roxy asked him. "This could be a pretty dangerous conversation, you bein on the right side of the law now."