PART 14:

Steve lay on the couch, his father sat next to him.

Steve threw the blanket off himself. "It…it's too damn hot…hot in here," he said, standing slowly from the couch.

"Where are you going, Steve?"

"Do….don't worry, Dad, I…I'm not go…going anywhere," Steve said sarcastically. "I'm just…just too hot…hot under that…that blanket."

At that moment the door opened and Jesse and Amanda walked in. Amanda saw Steve standing near the desk and walked over to him. She noticed once again he was still shaking and sweating. "Steve, how are you doing?"

"Just peachy." He walked away from her.

"Oh-kay," she said and turned toward the rest of them. "Do I dare ask what happened while we were gone?"

"Just more of the same," Mark answered her.

Amanda sighed and decided to try again with Steve. She carefully approached him again. "I got you something from the store," she said with a smile.

"What…what's that?"

Amanda held up the bag she was holding. "Some candy."

Steve quickly snatched the bag out of Amanda's hand, went over to the couch and sat down. Amanda turned and looked at Steve as he tore open one of the candy bars and began to devour it.

"You're welcome," she said.

Amanda walked up to Jesse and Mark.

"So what did Newman have to say?" Jesse asked.

"Torres is definitely out of jail. Where he is," Mark said. "They don't know."

"Shouldn't we get Steve out of here then just in case?" Amanda asked.

"There's no need."

"There's no need?" Jesse questioned. "You don't know that."

"Jesse," Amanda said.

"No," Jesse interrupted her. "What, are we going to stay here and let Steve be a sitting duck for this man?"

"Captain Newman put an unmarked car outside to guard the house," Mark said.

"I don't like this one bit," Jesse said.

"I don't like it either," Mark agreed. "But Newman said we have no choice but to wait for Torres to make the next move."

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Hours passed. Amanda finally convinced Mark to get some rest and sent him to one of the bedrooms in back. Steve sat at the table in the dinning room as Jesse slept in the chair. Amanda watched him; he was searching through the bag for more candy. She walked over to him.

"You…you have any…any more candy?"

"What was in there is all I had."

Steve threw the bag aside, and began to search through the wrappers that littered the table.

Amanda grabbed his hands and stopped him. "Steve, there's no more. Stop it."

Steve go up and started to pace the floor. "Well then go…go get some."

"The stores are closed now, Steve. You're going to have to wait."

"Come on…on Amanda, there…there are stores…stores opened twenty-four hours."

"I'm not going, Steve."

"Fine!" He turned his back to her.

"Steve."

"Go…go away."

"No, you listen to me," she said grabbing his arm and turning him to face her.

"Amanda, you…you can get…get me something from…from the hospital."

"No, Steve."

"Come on Amanda," Steve pleaded. "No one has to know."

"Oh sure," Amanda said. "I'll go get something right now and jeopardize my career just for you."

"I…I would do…do the same…same thing for…for you," he said.

"Oh, don't even try and lay the guilt trip on me, Steven," she told him. "You wouldn't do this for me and you know you wouldn't."

"Do…do you have…have any idea how…how much pain…pain I…I'm in?"

"Steve, it will pass, you just have to get through this part and everything will be fine."

"I can't…can't do it…it Amanda," he pleaded. "I…I'm trying but…but the need…need is…is so much…much greater."

"That's why we're here," Amanda said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Your dad, me and Jesse, we're all here to help you through this."

Steve closed his eyes as the tears started to come again.

"Don't shut us out, Steve, I know that we must look like the bad guys right now, but we aren't."

"I…I know," Steve said with a shaky voice. "Amanda, I…I'm just so afraid that…that they're going…going to get…get me."

"No, they won't. We won't let them."

"Torres is…is going to…to find out…out where I…I am. He…He's going to come…come after me."

"Steve, you have to trust me," Amanda said. "We won't let them do anything to you ever again."

"I…I trust you," he said. "I…I just don't…don't trust myself."

Amanda silently hugged Steve, who wrapped his arms around her.

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The night continued to pass slowly. Amanda sat on the couch as Steve paced the living room floor once again. Jesse remained in the chair, asleep.

"Why don't you sit down for a while, Steve?"

"Can't….can't," Steve replied.

"You want to try and lie down, see if you can get some sleep?"

"No…no."

Steve walked over t the window and looked out. Dropping the curtain back in place, he went back to pacing the floor. Amanda watched Steve as over and over again he went to the window, looked out, and then returned to pacing the floor.

"Steve, the only one out there is the unmarked police car."

Steve glanced at Amanda, looked one last time out the window, and began pacing again.

"I…I hate this!" Steve yelled.

Jesse jerked awake from the sudden outburst. Rubbing his tired eyes, he looked at Steve.

"I hate…hate the way I…I feel," Steve continued. "I…I hate being…being cooped up…up in this…this house."

"It's going to be over soon, Steve," Jesse said.

Steve sat on the couch beside Amanda. He started to shake again. Amanda grabbed the blanket and put it around him.

"I…I'm sorry, Amanda," he said quietly. "Just…just when I think…think the…the shaking has…has stopped, it…it starts up…up all over…over again."

Suddenly Steve moaned in pain, grabbing his stomach as he fell against Amanda, who wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm the one who's sorry, Steve," she whispered. "I'm sorry for not being able to do more for you."