Remember Me | A Steve Randle Fanfiction

Chapter 22 | Justice

🌻Juliana's POV🌻

The next day, I woke up with my entire body aching. I could feel my pulse in every little muscle. Soda was holding me close to him, not wanting to let me go. Darry had told me that I wasn't going to be leaving the house without at least 2 of the guys with me. They were all my bodyguards. Steve, Soda, and Darry were staying home for the rest of the month, using their paid vacation days so we didn't fall behind on bill payments, and Steve just wanted to help out. I started tapping Soda's arm, wanting to wake him up. He quickly woke up, and held my face up.
"Everything okay?" he immediately asked.
"It hurts." I mumbled, but it came out as more of a quiet whimper. He instantly got up to get some medicine. Steve had stayed over that night, and when he saw Soda rush out of the room, he came rushing in.
"You okay, baby??" he asked, sitting down on the bed next to me. I didn't say anything. He pulled me up and into his lap, petting my hair, my head on his shoulder and my body curled up. "Are you hurting?" I nodded, still not wanting to talk. He kept holding me, and Soda soon came back with a couple pills. I didn't feel like making an effort to take them, but I did anyway. Soda sat on the other side, still leaving room for if I wanted to lay down again. The bed was large enough for 3 people. Steve didn't want to leave the room now, wanting constant assurance that I was still okay. I didn't mind anyway. I wanted to stay in his arms for as long as I could, until he was physically forced to let go of me. Longer than a week without him made me even more clingy that I used to be, and it looked like it did the same to him. We were inseparable now. The only thing that could separate us was death, and even then, I'd still be with him. Haunt him for the rest of his life. That thought made me laugh internally a little. The thought of ghost me just opening Steve's cabinets, scaring the hell out of him. Of course, I'd find a way to let him know it was me, but still. I apparently had let out a bit of a snicker, because Steve looked at me, grinning. "What're you laughing about?" he asked, glad to see me more happy than I was 3 seconds ago.
"Death." I said, which probably wasn't the best wording, because he looked a bit more concerned then.
"What?"
"The idea of me dying, and coming back as a ghost and haunting you for the rest of your life, just opening your cabinets and turning your lights on and off, scaring the hell outta you." I clarified. He was silent for a moment, before laughing himself.
"You're mean." he joked. I looked up at him, smiling.
"You love me, though."
"Unfortunately." It was obvious that he wasn't serious, so I didn't actually take any offense to it.
"'Unfortunately'?" I asked, acting offended but my grin wouldn't go away.
"Okay, maybe I willingly love you." he said. I giggled, and kissed him. Soda had fallen back asleep pretty quickly. I pulled away after a couple seconds, and snuggled up to him, staying in his lap. It was 9 a.m., but I did not want to get up yet. Steve buried his face in my hair, holding me tight, but comfortably. He was so warm. He was like my personal blanket. Before I knew it, we had fallen back asleep.

Maybe half an hour later, we were woken up by Johnny and Two-Bit hopping on the bed, making us bounce. Steve and I jolted a little, but didn't really move after that. Soda got up and started playfully chasing Two. Johnny looked at us.
"Goooood morning, sleepyheads!" he greeted cheerfully. He was smiling more than I'd ever seen him smile, other than yesterday when I showed up. I smiled back.
"Good morning, Johnny. You're awful cheery today." I sounded like I had been awake the whole time. My voice was already normal.
"Because it's the first morning with you since you went missing. It's a lot more colorful and bright today now that you're back." he said. Honestly, I thought that was a little depressing, but it was sweet. Steve held me closer.
"She's miiiine." he mumbled. He was fully aware of reality. He was just sleepy and clingy. "You ain't gettin' my girl, Jonathan." Johnny flicked Steve's forehead.
"I know, wise guy. I wasn't tryna take her. I'm just glad she's back. Don't get your panties in a wad." He was being pretty brave, talking to Steve like that. Of course, Steve wouldn't have done anything to him. He stared at Johnny for a moment, before chuckling.
"You've been around Dally too much."
"Jill, get in here!!" Dally called. Speak of the devil. Steve and I looked at each other, before going to the living room.
"What's going on??" I asked. Johnny followed behind us. Dally pointed to the television. The news was on, and there was a picture with a girl on it, with the caption 'Teen arrested for kidnapping and assault' underneath it. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Evie. "Evie was arrested?? How was she caught??"
"Two-Bit went down to the police station last night and told them about Evie being the one that kidnapped you, and gave them a description of her. Well, they found her in an abandoned house a bit outside of town after having a canine unit track her down, and she was doing something with the evidence of the kidnapping and your beatings." Dally told me. "Your blood was still all over the floor, and after a few forensic tests, and examining the evidence, they had all the proof they needed to put her behind bars." He crossed one leg over top of the other, and crossed his arms, slightly grinning. "Justice has been served."