Laura sat with her back slightly turned toward Remington, allowing his lips easy access to her neck. He knew she liked him to wrap his arms around her from behind and gently nuzzle her neck. This time, however, he didn't.

He brought his lips to her ear, but instead of giving her a light kiss, he drew a deep breath and said, "I love you, Laura."

For a moment, she froze in his arms.

He didn't move, either. Though it took all his courage and all of his determination, but he allowed her the time to absorb his words - and waited.

Laura pulled away slightly and said, in a voice hardly above a whisper, "It's getting late..."

She stood up, her back still toward him.

"Laura? Where are you going?" he asked, shocked, unable to believe she was leaving just like that, as though nothing had just happened. Hadn't she heard what he'd just said?

"I better get home now," she replied.

"Let me drive you at least."

"Mr. Steele, my car is here," she pointed out in a very businesslike tone.

When she left, he was still rooted to the couch.

It would be so easy to blame him for her abrupt departure, just as she had blamed him for so many other things. After all, what had he expected her to do - fall right into his arms? She knew he still wanted her as much as he ever had, and there had been times in the past when she would have considered his declaration as just another ploy to get her into his bed - but not anymore.

The man she had just left was not the same man who had barged into her life years ago, unannounced and unwelcome, although not entirely unwanted. It was obvious to her that he had really changed, even though she rarely let it show. She had always known that he cared deeply for her - but was she prepared to know that he loved her?

She picked up Remington's photograph from the piano and traced it with her fingers, wondering if perhaps she had always known he loved her. She thought about the way he looked at her when he thought she couldn't see him... about how he had stayed around for four long years, no matter how hard she had tried trying to push him away... about how he had been so determined never to be considered a figurehead again that he had secretly purchased and read that book on criminology...

The more Laura thought about it, the more she was convinced that Remington had declared his feelings for her time and time again. Not in so many words, perhaps, but hadn't his actions spoken for him? Why hadn't that been enough? Why had she insisted on hearing him say the words?

She swore under her breath. She had convinced herself that Remington's refusal to 'say the words' had been the only thing that was keeping them apart. She had convinced herself that she couldn't trust him if she didn't know how he felt about her... Well, now she knew, and what did that leave her with now?

It left her with icy-cold, gut-churning fear - the fear of commitment and the fear of being hurt. Once again, she had hurt the man she cared for. She couldn't blame him if he decided to take off after this last rejection. A tiny part of her even wanted him to leave... because she was absolutely terrified of having to face him in the morning.

He still didn't understand what had happened. Had he done something wrong? Not that he had much experience when it came to expressing his feelings, but still... What had he expected to happen? Had he thought Laura would melt in his arms and finally give in? No, of course not...

Well, perhaps that was what he had hoped for. After all, he had been hoping every day for the past four years that she would do just that, but that was not the point. The point was that he really had no ulterior motives whatsoever - it had involved no games playing and no ploys. He had just wanted to say it. In truth, he had wanted to tell her how he felt about her for a long time now, but it was hard for someone who had only heard the words 'I love you' in the movies.

One day it had suddenly occurred to him that until now, no woman had ever loved him. Well, perhaps, Anna - at least, there had been a time when he had thought so. Perhaps, there was even a time when he had loved Anna, as well. But things had been different with Anna - she had never asked for a commitment nor offered one.

And now there was difficult, impossible, stubborn Laura, who was so different from any woman he had ever met... When he first realized that he loved her, the thought of it had scared the living daylights out of him. It had taken a long time for him to overcome his fears and to finally admit to himself just how much Laura meant to him.

After that fiasco in London, he had realized that the only proof of commitment he could really offer to Laura was his identity as Remington Steele. He would prove his commitment to her by becoming the man she had envisioned and living up to her expectations. God knows that was hard! Laura's expectations were higher than Everest. But he had tried; he had really tried!

He did legwork now... well, sometimes, he did legwork. He did some paperwork... okay, when he couldn't weasel out of it without drawing too much attention to the fact. Regardless, he did much more at the Agency than he used to do. He had even bought a book on criminology, since Laura was always too busy to give him that formal training he lacked. After having fallen asleep a couple of times over the damned book he not only learned to like it, but he found it quite fascinating.

But none of his efforts had seemed to have any effect on Laura; she simply hadn't noticed them. Though his numerous failures never seemed to escaped Miss Holt's ever-attentive eye, she was totally unaware of his strivings for improvement.

'Advancing their relationship' was proving to be a difficult task indeed. For a while now, Remington had grown to suspect his commitment was not the only thing Laura really needed - or lacked. It was just one half of the equation, and he had no idea what to do about the other half.

For a moment he wanted to pick up his passport and leave on the first flight out of the city... out of this country... out of the whole bloody continent! He wanted to get just as far away from Los Angeles and Laura Holt as he could. If only that could solve his problems, he would do it in a heartbeat. But long time ago, Remington Steele had realized it would take him more than years and miles to get Laura Holt out from under his skin. A good dose of cyanide would, probably, do the job, but strangely enough, he couldn't let Laura live with the guilt of having caused his death. And there also was Daniel...

He sighed, wondering how he would face Laura the next morning...

At first, she had tried to find out what had happened. In response to her careful inquiry, Miss Holt icily informed her that everything was just fine, there was nothing to worry about except for huge amount of work to be done, and she would appreciate if there were no more interruptions. Mr. Steele just gave her a look which said "Don't ask" and "How should I know?" at the same time. Then waving his bandaged hand in the air, he answered her questioning glance with a brief, "I broke a glass, Mildred; it's nothing serious."

After being brushed off by both sides, the poor receptionist decided to wait and see which bomb would blow up first.

The fact that both Laura and Remington had a lot of things to do did nothing to resolve matters, either. In between several meetings with clients, a luncheon with the Mayor, and Laura's routine appointment with the dentist, Mildred didn't find much time to talk to either of her 'kids'.

Whatever time Laura spent at the Agency during those two days was spent in her office behind closed doors, trying to settle things in her mind. She was totally baffled as to why Remington hadn't left after the way she had treated him at his apartment, but she figured she better go ahead and come up with a 'survival plan' for if and when he finally did leave. Unable to resolve those personal puzzles, she wasn't able to concentrate on the paperwork, either, and that only added to her frustration.

It also didn't help that her supposedly dentist's appointment was in reality a regular check-up with her gynecologist. She had put it down on her schedule under the guise of dental check-up, knowing that Mr. Steele might see it. Though nothing more than a routine exam, it was just a day after their unfortunate evening. When she returned to the Agency after her appointment, she had fully intended to talk to Remington, but it was late, and he had already been gone. And of course, her courage had vanished with the first rays of the morning sun.

Whatever time Mr. Steele spent at the Agency during those two days was spent trying not to answer numerous questions hovering in his mind. In fact, he tried not to think about Laura at all - a task at which he failed utterly. He wanted to talk to Mildred and ask her advice, but couldn't bring himself to saying, "Mildred, I told Laura I loved her, and she ran away." Regardless of what words he used, it still boiled down to rejection, and it wasn't something to which he could easily admit.

By the end of the second day, Remington still didn't know what to do. Then he recalled a French saying he had once heard during his traveling days: "If the lady is wrong, it is the gentleman who should apologize to her." As dreadful as it sounded, since he considered himself the injured party, he didn't think there was any other way out.

A few moments later, as she slid open the heavy door to the loft, she found herself face to face with Remington, who was standing in the doorway, his hand raised to knock. Both slightly jumped, and then each made a step backwards.

Remington composed himself first, saying, "Umm... Laura. I think we need to talk."

Laura only nodded, still in shock. She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon; she didn't even know what she was going to say yet.

"May I come in?" he asked.

She stepped aside, letting him into the loft.

"Laura, we can't go like this anymore," he said firmly.

She nodded once again as her mind busily jumped to the conclusion that he was just giving her a courteous good-bye... that he was informing her in person that she'd finally driven him away from her life for good.

"You were going out?" he asked abruptly, noticing her clothes and the purse over her shoulder.

"I was going to see you," she admitted. "But you start first."

He nodded and said, "Laura, the last two days were a nightmare. Three more like it, and Mildred will probably take leave without pay just so she doesn't get caught in the cross-fire."

"I understand," Laura said calmly.

He drew a deep breath and said, "Laura, I came to apologize."

"You don't need to."

"Please, hear me out. I meant what I said the other night - I really did. But I guess I said it at the wrong time."

Laura wanted to say something again, but he motioned for her not to interrupt and went on, saying, "I realize you've put up with a lot because of me, and I know I've made your life more difficult than it should be. I want our relationship to work, but I guess I'm not very good with relationships. I should have told you how I felt long ago... Perhaps, I've waited too long... or maybe it's just not the right time yet. I mean, maybe you aren't ready to trust me yet."

Remington didn't know what else to say, so he just waited for a response.

Laura mustered whatever courage she had left and said, "It's not your fault. It's not you that I'm not ready to trust." Catching his confused look, she continued, saying, "I do trust you - at least, I try to. I think I'm just not ready to trust myself. I'm... scared."

Silence fell in the room for a moment, and then he asked, "So, where does it leave us?"

"I don't know," she said as she looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "If you decide to leave, I'll understand." It had been hard for her to say it, but she knew it was the only fair response she could give him.

"Laura, will you give me an honest answer to one question?"

She nodded, still unable to meet his eyes.

"Do you want me to leave?"

The words cut right through her heart, but somehow she managed to answer calmly, saying, "It's up to you; I'll understand if you do."

"Laura, look at me, please... Laura?" When she didn't move, he lifted her chin, saying, "Laura, if you think there is hope for us, no matter how faint or how distant, I will keep trying - for as long as it takes - to win your heart and your confidence. Tell me - do you want me to stay and keep trying?"

He locked his eyes with hers and she felt herself sinking into that sea of blue - she couldn't speak, couldn't think... she couldn't even breathe.

After what seemed to Remington like an eternity, she finally spoke.

"Don't leave," she whispered, burying her face in his chest.

He was afraid to move, fearful of scaring her off.

"Would you really have left if I had asked you to?" she asked quietly.

"Will you kick me out if I say that I wouldn't have?" he asked, giving her a light kiss on the top of her head.

She didn't say anything, only held him tighter, molding her body into his in silent request to never leave. Then wrapping her arms around his waist, she rubbed her nose on his chest and said, "I wouldn't have wanted you to say anything else."

To the second story...