In The Wrong Place
A/N : Just a quick note to thank everyone who faithfully followed this story to its conclusion. To all those who left such kind reviews my sincere and heartfelt thanks for your support and encouragement. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this story and to all those who patiently waited to see what would become of Steve and Jeannie your wait is finally over !
Chapter 33 : The Epilogue
Steve was not expecting her to ask that and almost choked on his water. Spluttering a little to clear the water that had gone down the wrong way at Jeannie's impromptu question Steve stammered.
"Oh just about yesterday I guess and ... about something Joe had said." Steve ventured not realizing that Mike had already discussed Joe's dying words with his daughter the previous evening.
Hearing this and mistaking the reason for Steve's obvious discomfort Jeannie immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"Oh my God! He told you didn't he? He told you how I felt." Jeannie said jumping up off the bed and starting to rant. "Oh wait till I get my hands on him! Oh I'm so embarrassed."
At first Steve didn't understand what Jeannie was talking about but then realizing what she thought he tried to intervene and calm her down.
"Jeannie! It wasn't like that."
But she was too mad and didn't listen to his plea.
"Oh Steve! I'm sorry if I've made you feel awkward."
"Jeannie! Will you listen to me please?"
"He had no right to say anything to you."
"Jeannie!" Steve tried again getting frustrated at the fact that in her anger towards Mike she wasn't listening to him.
"If you don't feel the same that's quite alright. I understand completely."
JEANNIE! ... I DO FEEL THE SAME !"
"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when he ..." then suddenly Steve's last words registered with her."What did you say?"
Realizing that the truth was out and there was no going back now Steve swallowed back the nerves that were threatening to choke him and grabbing her hand and pulling her back down sitting on the bed he repeated shakily.
"I do feel the same way about you Jeannie. I ... love you."
Steve couldn't believe how hard that had been to say but once he had said it, a strange relief washed over him that it was now out in the open after all this time. Jeannie stayed still staring at Steve in disbelief and blissful happiness. She couldn't believe that he truly felt the same way about her. It was like a dream come true.
"You do?"
Squeezing her hand Steve continued feeling suddenly a little more confident.
"Yeah. I do!"
"Well why in the world didn't you say something before?"
"I guess because of Mike, and his rule about you not dating cops kind of discouraged me from it." Steve said and smiling broadly he added" You do know he has a gun right?"
Jeannie chuckled and again leaned closer to him affectionately sending Steve's nerves on high alert again.
"So where do we go from here Steve?" Jeannie asked slightly amused by the fact that every time she seemed to get close to him, his breathing seemed to get deeper and he definitely got more flustered.
"Well...I think we should take it...nice and slow. You know... After all, you have to finish your college degree. I don't want to get in the way of you becoming a great architect! Now do I? I can drive down there some weekends and we can call each other a lot and then we can spend time together when you're home." Then pausing to look at her his smile faded slightly and he added.."I'll wait for you Jeannie."
Jeannie was deeply moved that Steve would be willing to put up with a long distance relationship in order for her to finish college and when he said that he would wait for her, Jeannie felt very blessed indeed.
"You will?"
Smiling again Steve answered.
"Yeah...You're worth waiting for!"
Jeannie smiled her broadest smile yet...
"What about Mike? You think he's going to be ok with us seeing each other?"
"Yeah. He said if we wanted to start dating that we had his blessing!"
Sitting up slightly, Jeannie stared at Steve in disbelief.
"Did he actually say that?"
Steve laughed. "Yes!...He really did. It took me by surprise too! He seemed all for it! That's what he wanted me to talk to you about."
Leaning forward again towards Steve, Jeannie couldn't quite believe that in just a few days all her dreams had come true. She hadn't felt this happy for a long time and staring now into the face of the man she loved, she had a slightly mischievous look in her eye.
So close now that her face was very close to his she spoke softly.
"I realize we're going to take things nice and slowly but we can kiss.. Right?"
Feeling very out of his comfort zone with Jeannie's lips so close to his, Steve answered shakily.
"Yeah...I guess that would be ok."
As Jeannie leaned forward to kiss him she felt him tremble slightly...Stopping for a second she worried that his fever might be coming back.
"Steve! You're shaking! Are you ok?"
Again answering softly Steve replied.
"They tell me it's because my blood sugar is low but right now I'm not so sure."
Smiling, Steve couldn't resist any longer and gently pulled Jeannie into a soft and lingering kiss...When they finally parted they were both smiling widely...Still staring at each other lovingly Jeannie was the first one to break the silence.
"I love you Steven Keller!"
Suddenly feeling totally content and at ease for the first time in the last two days Steve replied.
"I love you too Jeannie Stone!..You know maybe we should try that again...just to make sure though."
Jeannie smiled but this time as their lips touched the door suddenly opened and the young couple quickly separated. Looking over at the door slightly flustered they saw Mike!
"Oh oh...Sorry you two! You know I was almost down to the car when I remembered that I'd left my hat behind."
Looking over on the bedside chair Steve and Jeannie both smiled when they saw Mike's fedora. Jeannie hurried around and retrieved it and brought it over to her father.
"Thanks honey!" Then Mike stood smiling for a moment or two at the two of them before he continued "Say Steve, I met Dr. Armstrong on my way out. He said he'd be in to see you in a little while. He told me he got your blood results back and they're fine. He reckons if you manage to get a little sleep this afternoon that he'll let you out of here this evening. That's good news isn't it? Say, it looks like you two had your little talk. Well come on! Are you going to put an old man out of his misery or not? When we get home later are we going to have something to celebrate?"
Steve and Jeannie smiled at each other and Jeannie answered her father.
"Yes Daddy..It looks like we will!"
Mike threw an "I told you so" look at Steve and then continued.
"That's great news! I couldn't be happier for you both."
Steve was the next one to feel slightly mischievous so he spoke.
"You know it's really good news that I'm getting out of here later Mike because me and Jeannie have a date!"
Mike looked at Steve curiously. "You do huh?"
Jeannie looked even more surprised. Eyeing up Steve she asked.
"We do?"
Steve smiled at Jeannie teasingly and answered.
"Yeah...with your apple pie...You know I never got to have a piece of that!" and with that he started laughing.
"With my apple pie?... Why you ... I'll give you apple pie!"and grabbing a spare pillow she started to whack him with it playfully..
Still laughing and holding his injured side Steve protested.
"Hey,hey, watch it! I'm still an injured man you know?"
Mike stood and laughed as Steve and Jeannie teased each other like they always did only this time beneath it all was something more special and meaningful..Deciding it was time to go deliver that letter again Mike called out.
"Hey!..Play nice now! I'll see you two later!"
And heading out the door he closed it behind him..still hearing the giggles and pillow fight continuing. As Mike put on his hat and headed down the corridor he couldn't help but reflect on what had been a life changing few days. What had started out with Steve being in the wrong place at the wrong time sure had ended up putting him in his rightful place by his daughter's side..Mike grinned broadly and while he wasn't looking forward to delivering Joe's letter to the Shaffers, knowing it would be a difficult thing for them to hear he felt comforted by the fact that perhaps Joe's actions had brought some happiness after all by bringing Steve and Jeannie together...and for that fact alone Mike would be forever grateful...
The End
I sincerely hope you have enjoyed my story...Until next time!...