It was the day after Lizzy came home to Tulsa. Steve was sitting at Soda's house, thinking about everything that has gone on in the last few hours of his life. There were a lot of un-answered questions between the two of them. Steve was lost in thought when Soda, Darry and Pony walked in followed by the rest of the gang. Steve silently thanked them for showing up. He needed all the help he could get on this whole Lizzy and Veronica topic.
"Steve, you okay?" Soda asked his best friend as he sat on the couch.
"Not really, I'm confused as hell on this whole topic right now," Steve replied. Soda sighed, knowing that Steve was talking about Veronica and Lizzy.
"Well, just be thankful that she actually came back," Darry told him.
"You know how I found out Veronica was mine? We got into a fight!" Steve told them still upset, shocked and mad about the whole thing. He truly wanted confront her for not telling him about his daughter. But at the same time he wants to take Lizzy in his arms and hold her as tight as he can and give her a long needed kiss.
The guys all nodded, well all but Pony nodded, he really wasn't paying attention to the conversation. Steve told the guys everything; they were all shocked that he had a kid, but happy she came back and didn't keep it a secret.
"What are you talking about?" Pony asked. Before anyone could answer a truck pulled in, but only one door closed. The truck backed out and headed towards town. There was a knock on the door.
Soda got up and answered it, not sure who knocks anymore. Once he opened the door he saw Lizzy and Veronica there. "Hi Soda," she greeted with a soft smile.
"Hey Lizzy, come on in," Soda greeted and allowed the two to enter the house.
"Daddy," Veronica cheered and sat on Steve's lap. Steve had mixed feelings right then. He wanted to push the child away, hold her close and make up for not being in her life and he also just wanted to get up and walk out of the house for good.
"Hey sweetie," Steve greeted his daughter, "Lizzy."
"Hey Steve, can we—can we talk please?" Lizzy asked. Not really sure what to say to him.
"Start talking then," Steve told her. She glanced up and saw Veronica curled up on his lap, not wanting to move. She chuckled a little.
"I'm sorry," she first told him.
"What for? Not telling me you got pregnant after that night, or not telling me at all about Veronica until after two years?" Steve harshly asked.
"Let me explain before you do the damn blame game, my drunk father wouldn't let me use the phone much. Hell Steve, he never let us talk when you called most of the time. He also must have thrown the letters I sent you away or you'd have a lot of photos of her from when she was first born until we came back. I couldn't use my work phone for the simple fact I was over worked, I never got a break; if I got one it was to take a call from the babysitter quick like, hell my uncle would have let me use his phone if he even had one that was working before we got here. The day the phone started working was the day my father tried to kill me and Veronica. So sorry for trying to do the right thing and send you letters and updates every month of our daughter," Lizzy tearfully told him. She hated talking about the day her father tried to kill her and Veronica. Steve felt like shit for blaming her for not letting him know.
"I'm sorry, this is just huge news, Soda can you take your niece so Lizzy and I can talk in private?" Steve asked. Soda nodded and took Veronica so Steve could get up.
Steve got up and led Lizzy to the back porch, they stood there in silence for a couple minutes, and then Lizzy spoke first, "I am scared shitless right now."
"What about?" Steve kindly asked her.
"My father coming to kill me, being a mom, you not wanting to be with me now that you know you have a kid," she told him. She felt him put his arm around her waist like he used to when she was scared or upset.
"I won't leave you, as for your dad if he comes around I know you have a lot of friends that'll keep him away from you and Veronica, and you won't be a bad mom, hell, we have a wonderful daughter because you raised her," Steve told her. She didn't say anything so he glanced over and saw the tears running down her cheeks, "Hey, what is it?"
"Just, my father kept saying one of these days my family and friends will be going to a double funeral and he won't stop until it happens," she told him and she felt him pull her close.
That really pissed Steve off. He wanted to go to Ohio and beat the hell out of her father for saying he'd kill them two. They were his life, yeah, he never knew his daughter until now, but he has a lot of years to prove he's a good father. Hell, there might even be more kids later on in life. "What were you talking about when you said he tried to kill you?" He asked kindly.
"Can we not talk about that right now please?" She asked into his shirt.
"Yeah, we can when you're ready to," he told her.
She pulled back and a slight smile came on her face. She noticed the chain around his neck and pulled it out to reveal the ring. She was happy he kept it and she knew he was happy that she kept his. And she was right about that.
Steve traced a scar on her cheek, "Your dad?" He asked.
"No, rose bush, I was helping Scott move it and I pulled a little too hard and the rose bush got even with me for trying to move it," she replied with a chuckle. Steve chuckled too.
"So, Scott, he's just a friend right?" Steve asked her.
"Yeah, more of a big brother to me than anything," she replied. He smiled and they went back inside.
"Before we go, I… I'm also scared to be a parent, I mean I love you and Veronica but it's going to be hard to adjust with the weird bed times, the tucking a kid in and that stuff," he told her. She smiled and hugged him.
"Don't worry, you have me to help you learn," she whispered. The two of them went inside and sat down on the couch.
They saw the looks on the guys' faces; the confusion and sadness stood out above all.
"Okay, we all need to talk please," Steve spoke up. They all nodded, "We, or I, would like to know how you all feel about this whole thing that's going on."
"I would also; you all were my family and suddenly I show up with a kid that's Steve's and I'm sure that's given you mixed feelings in some way," Lizzy replied as she glanced around and saw Soda and Veronica coloring.
"Well, I am a little disappointed that you didn't play it safe then, but I am also happy that you came around to tell Steve about Veronica instead of keeping it a secret," Darry told them with a slight smile.
"I'm upset that my two best friends were closer than I thought, but I kinda could tell, I think we all could tell that someday you two would get married and have a family, but not the other way around," Soda told them.
"It's a mini Steve, so I am scared of how she'll act when she's mad, other than that it's your lives," Two-Bit spoke up making everyone laugh.
"Oh, Two-Bit, you're weird," Lizzy told him receiving a fake hurt look, "Oh please, I know you better than that." Two-Bit smiled knowing she's right.
"I'm confused as hell. You and Steve hooked up when your mom and dad were gone—before you left though—and two years later you come back to good ol' Tulsa with Steve's' daughter?" Dally asked.
"Yeah," was all Lizzy could think of saying, She hated how Dallas spoke to her half the time. Dally rolled his eyes, still confused as hell on what's going on.
Pony glanced at Lizzy, seeing a hurt look in her eyes, "I'm a little confused but happy for you guys. She did better than Tim and Steve did way better than Evie; and as long as you two are happy there's nothing anyone can do or say to change your minds."
"He's right you guys, but I just hope that you don't just stay together because of Veronica, but because you love each other," Johnny softly spoke up from his spot on the floor.
"Don't worry, I still love Steve as much as I did, maybe even more than before I left," Lizzy told them. Steve's smile got bigger.
"Same here; I never stopped loving Lizzy and now that Veronica is here, life feels almost complete," Steve said.
"Almost?" Soda asked.
"Yeah, when we have the money the thing that'll make it whole will be a wedding," Lizzy spoke up for Steve. Steve nodded in reply.
"Mama, I'm tired," Veronica told her mommy, climbing onto her lap.
"We'll go back to uncle Buck's in a few minutes and see if he has supper done, then we get a bath in then bed time okay, baby girl?" Lizzy told Veronica.
"Okay," Veronica sleepily replied.
"Oh Roni, you are so adorable when you get sleepy," Lizzy joked.
"Oh mama, I love you," Veronica said and gave her mommy a hug then climbed over onto Steve's lap and fell asleep.
"Silly girl," Lizzy softly said to her daughter.
"How about for the night you and Veronica stay here? It's getting late and Buck's having a party," Darry suggested.
"Okay, if you don't mind, I mean I don't want to be a bother or anything," she replied.
"I insist, plus I don't want my niece getting caught in the middle of a raid if the cops showed up at Buck's," Darry told her, "So, I will go fix supper by giving Soda and whoever money to go to the Dingo and get some burgers, fries and drinks."
"I'll go with him. Steve if she wakes up asking for me tell her I'll be back in a few with food and that'll calm her down, and just cuddle, she loves that, soon you'll catch onto her few tricks she likes to use to get out of eating and stuff and her little signs of what she really wants but she's not asking for," Lizzy told him.
"Okay, be careful," Steve replied giving Lizzy a kiss. Lizzy smiled and followed Soda out the door.
A few minutes later Veronica wakes up and sees Lizzy gone, "Where's mama?" She quietly asked.
"She went to get some food with Uncle Soda, she'll be back soon sweetie," Steve replied.
"Okay, where's the potty?" she asked.
"Let Daddy up and I'll show you," Steve told her smiling at the name Daddy. Veronica got up and Steve took her to the bathroom.
"I be out in a minute," Veronica told Steve. Steve just chuckled at how Veronica sounded just like Lizzy when she said that. A little bit later Veronica came out and followed Steve back to the living room, "Daddy, who they?"
"Well sweetie, this goof ball here is Uncle Two-Bit, the one in the chair over there is Uncle Darry, then there's Uncle Pony, Uncle Johnny and Uncle Dally," Steve introduced. Veronica waved to them, not sure what to say to them.
Two-Bit reached over and tickled her, she giggled then tried to hide the other giggles but couldn't. Her small giggles made the rest of the house chuckle. She even got Dallas to chuckle at her giggles. Two-Bit picked her up and placed her on his lap and then turned the TV on to cartoons.
"Mickey!" Veronica called cheerfully.
"Wow, I guess Two-Bit has a cartoon buddy," Lizzy said from the door way.
"Mama, Mickey on, hushie," Veronica told her mommy making everyone chuckle.
"I am so sorry princess Roni, I guess you don't want these chicken nuggets and fries I got you," Lizzy joked. Veronica got off Two-Bits lap, grabbed her chicken, climbed back onto his lap and watched Mickey more, "Wow kid I guess Uncle Two-Bit is a better cartoon partner, huh?"
"Yeah he don't sleep," Veronica told her mommy with a smile. She smiled back as she and Soda passed out the rest of the food. Lizzy shook her head at her daughter, wondering what life will bring now that Veronica has a cartoon buddy. Lizzy put Veronica's fries and pop on the stand next to where she was sitting so she can find it and get it easily.
"So, baby, what to do tomorrow?" Steve asked with a mouth full of food.
"Daddy, Mickey, no talk," Veronica said trying to be strict but giggled.
"You're silly," Steve replied.
"Like mommy," Veronica giggled.
"No, like Daddy," Lizzy replied.
"Like Uncle Two-Bit, I think his goofiness rubbed off some," Steve replied making everyone laugh. The rest of the cartoon was a quiet one. When it was done Veronica got up and went to her mom.
"No bath," Veronica told her mommy.
"You need one kiddo, after playing in the mud puddle Uncle Buck made you, you need to get the mud out," Lizzy told her in reply.
"Okay, daddy come," Veronica said dragging Steve behind her. Lizzy got up and followed close behind.