Chapter 25

God, please don't do this to me. I'm begging you, please don't take her away from me.

Steff prayed fervently, his eyes clenched shut, his hands clasped together, pressed into the bridge of his nose. He didn't hear anything, couldn't feel anything, couldn't see anything, except his future happiness slipping away. He prayed for long minutes, every fiber of his being focused on his conversation with the Almighty.

Please, God. Please, I can't do this without her. She's my whole world. Please don't take her from me.

As he continued to pray he could feel the fear beginning to trickle away, bit by tiny bit. Steff began to breathe deeply, stopped begging and listened.

Would you get a grip? Who are you going to believe in, put your faith in? Andie, or that sack of shit, Blane?

Andie.

So stop freaking out. She loves you.

Yeah, but she was crying. And that fucking letter! I am going to kill him for writing that pack of lies to Andie.

Would you fucking forget about fucking Blane? Who gives a fuck about him? Andie is who we care about. You need to find out what's wrong with Andie. Whatever it is, she needs your help. Your woman needs you, so stop sitting here like a pussy and go find out what's wrong!

"Steff?"

Steff continued to breathe deeply, intently focused on his internal dialogue. Andie loves me, I know she does. Andie loves me. She's gonna marry me. Andie loves me.

A little louder this time. "Steff?"

A soft, gentle hand caressed his cheek. "Steff, honey? Are you okay"

Andie was crouched down on the floor at his knees in front of him, one hand on his leg, gently rubbing his thigh, the other tenderly stroking his face. Steff jerked, opening his eyes, startled to see Andie's whiskey colored eyes staring up at him intently, concern coloring her face. He uttered a sharp gasp, equal parts anxiety and relief as he reached for her and pulled her tightly to him.

Steff squeezed her so tight, she gave a small squeak of surprise. He didn't let go of her for quite a while, thanking God over and over as he ran his hands over her, kissing the side of her head and holding her as close as he could. Thank you God, thank you. When at last he could bear to release her, he scooted over so she could sit next to him at the foot of the bed. It was only then that he noticed how absolutely, completely drenched she was.

He searched her eyes, and wouldn't let go of her hands. "What happened? What's wrong? Why were you crying?"

Andie looked puzzled. "What?"

"Jennifer said you were crying when she got home, and then you just disappeared."

Andie gave a small laugh, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah. Jeez, what an ordeal! So, get this, I lost my research paper – couldn't find it anywhere and I was here tearing the room apart, looking for it, and the phone rang. When I went to answer it, I cracked the shit out of my toes on the end of that stupid dresser. Ugh! Look at this!" She kicked off her still-soaking-wet shoe and displayed her wet, pruney foot, its two smallest toes curled up and turning purple.

Steff look alarmed and gently clasped Andie's cold wet foot and began to gently rub it, trying to warm her up.

"So, it was the librarian on the phone" Andie continued, "and they found my folder with my research paper in it, but they were closing in 15 minutes, and I had to have that paper to work on tonight. So I had to hobble back over there in the pouring rain before they closed." She sighed in relief. "Fortunately, the lady saw me limping up the walk through the front doors, and waited on me." She began to shiver from being soaking wet and cold. "And now I look like somebody went upside my head with a wet squirrel." Her teeth began to chatter. "Bb-b-but at least I ha-have m-my p-p-paper."

Steff's relief was palpable. He could almost hear God saying "I told you so." In that instant he learned a valuable lesson. Trust. Trust God. Trust Andie. Trust in what they had built together. "Come on, let's get you out of those wet clothes" Steff said, helping her up. Andie hobbled into the bathroom and Steff handed her dry clothes to change in to. "I think I'm gonna take a hot shower – get warmed up. That okay?" Steff nodded and went back and sat back down on her bed to wait.

When she emerged a few minutes later, Steff was still sitting in the same place, staring at his hands, thinking. Andie studied him for a minute, wondering what had him acting so weird. She limped over and sat next to him, and grasped both of his hands in hers, and leaned into him, kissing his cheek. "Talk to me sweetheart. What's wrong?"

Steff looked up into her eyes, saying nothing, for a moment. At last, he took a deep breath and shook his head. "I had a pretty bad scare earlier." Even though everything had turned out fine, he was still shaken. Not because he doubted that she loved him, it wasn't that. It was the combination of events; reading that fucking letter, her crying on the phone, telling the caller to please wait for her, and then disappearing without a word to anyone. The cumulative effect of the events all balled up together had taken its toll on him. Intellectually, he knew everything was fine, and had always been fine. Emotionally though, it was another story. He was still feeling very vulnerable, traumatized even.

And Blane is a fucking dead man, the next time I see him. I'm gonna rip off his head and spit down his throat. I'm gonna rip off his arm and beat him with the wet end. He's dead.

Andie immediately looked alarmed, her eyes widening in concern. "What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?" She brushed his hair back from his face, "Is everything alright?"

Steff said nothing, his eyes sliding to her desk, where Blane's letter still sat. Andie followed his glance, her eyes landing on the letter, understanding immediately dawning. "Oh. That. Can you believe that asshole?" She shook her head and rolled her eyes, still not believing what an idiot Blane was. Andie began to smile, but her smile faded when she noticed that Steff wasn't joining in making fun of Blane. She looked at Steff intently when he still hadn't said anything after a moment.

"Steff? Honey? What's wrong? Why would Blane's letter scare you?" She ran her fingers through his hair, rubbing his scalp, searching his eyes. She became distressed by the uncertainty she saw reflected there. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and just held him, rubbing her hands over his back, and then kissed him again, pouring every ounce of the love she felt for him into the kiss, undoing the treachery Blane's lies had caused. Gradually, she felt Steff come back to life, felt his insecurity fading away, felt his assurance returning. At last she pulled back from the kiss, and holding his face in her hands whispered, "Don't you ever doubt me again Steff McKee." At his widened eyes she added emphatically, "I love you. That's never going to change." Steff exhaled deeply in relief, and nodded, smiling.

Andie glanced back over at the letter and shrugged, "That was the dumbest thing I ever read in my life; it just annoyed me – I didn't even finish it."

Steff gave a bark of laughter. "So you didn't get to the part where he told you not to believe me when I tell you that I love you, and where he asks you to wait for him?"

Andie threw her head back and laughed, the sound warming Steff down to his unbroken toes. "As if!" she exclaimed. She continued to laugh, "No, I bailed on his fairy tale when he said you were still sleeping with Benny."

Steff shuddered with revulsion. Then he said, "Well maybe you can sympathize with my plight when I get here and your roommate tells me that she came home to find you on the phone, crying your eyes out, and heard you tell someone to please wait for you – and then I find that" he nodded towards the letter, "and I have to read a bunch of filthy lies about myself, lies about how I feel about you, and hear Blane's fucking voice in my head, coming onto my girlfriend…" Steff was breathing raggedly, "and then, the last thing he says, is for you to please wait for him!"

Horror and a new sympathy alighted in Andie's eyes. "Please wait for me…." she whispered. Her eyes filled with sorrow and compassion for what Steff must have thought. She threw her arms around him and whispered in his ear "Oh baby, I am so sorry. I'm so sorry you went through all that."

Steff couldn't take it anymore, he needed to hold his woman. He scooted up further on the bed and gathered Andie in his arms, and lay down, holding her tightly against his chest, his breathing labored. They stayed that way for a long time, neither speaking. Andie held him, communicating with her touch that he was safe, loved, secure. At last she leaned up on one elbow and gazed tenderly into his eyes.

"I love you, Steff" she said softly.

He nodded. "I know." He smiled, "Not to get all 'Han Solo' on you, or anything."

She gave a soft laugh, falling into the depths of his beautiful blue eyes. "I'm never going to leave you, Steff. Never. I promise." She kissed him softly. "I want you to forget all about that stupid letter and Blane's idiotic lies, and I want you to remember this; I will always believe you. No matter what. I will always believe you." She smoothed the hair back from his brow. "Nothing anyone else says means a goddam thing to me. Just you."

Steff inhaled deeply, and that last remaining little tight sensation in his chest shook loose and broke free, leaving him at peace and relieved, his equilibrium being restored at last. He hugged her tight, kissing her deeply. This was the puzzle piece he had been yearning for; the knowledge that she would always choose him, always believe him first, no matter who said what; she would trust him implicitly.

When he pulled back at last, Andie blinked slowly, and then, considering something, got a very mischievous gleam in her eyes.

She smiled evilly, "However, if sometime over Thanksgiving break, you feel the need to make Blane feel like my little toe, all over, I'm not gonna stand in your way."

Steff laughed. "Maybe Duckie and I will hold hands and beat the shit out of him together."

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A/N: Whew! So much angst, and all over a broken toe and a misplaced term paper! Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!