Inter-Series…

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inter-Lude…

 

 

 

 

 

I lay in bed watching him sleep beside me. One arm curled low over my hip while I rested my head on his other upper arm. And as I watched him, in my mind I made a mental list of the past year.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe and I had fought, breaking off our engagement.

 

I had died my hair blonde. It was moments like this that a change was good. Right?

 

Ranger and I had fucked like bunnies.

 

            The night after Joe and I had broken up, Ranger came into my room. It started there and had continued for close to six months non-stop, six fantastic months. After that it was kind of sporadic. Mostly in my bed, but occasionally in his. I fell in and out of love with Ranger regularly during these six months.

 

I had died my hair back to brown.

 

            Sometimes a girl realises that a change isn’t for the best. Especially when the change makes her look like Art Garfunkel.

 

Joe and I had made up.

 

            Strange as it may seem, I had really missed him. Sure he pissed me off, but he also made me happy. Most of the time anyway.

 

Ranger and I had fought.

 

            He didn’t take kindly to me calling him names when he had stood me up for a date for the third night in a row. Work, work, work. Who’d have thought anyone could be worse than Joe? It was after that fight that fucking him became sporadic.

 

Ranger and I had made up.

 

            I just couldn’t say no to him and his body. Damn he had a nice body. And he knew what to do with it. Ranger had made things difficult for us. Excessively so. Probably why I had let Joe back into my life so easily.

 

I had been gut shot.

 

            Never in my life had I ever been in so much pain. Only the fact that Ranger had turned up when he did had saved my life. I had bled out and woke up in hospital. Ranger had arrived to hear the shot and had found me, subdued my skip and called an ambulance. For the first time Joe had realised that Ranger in my life was a good thing.

 

I had been seeing both Ranger and Joe at the same time.

 

            It hadn’t made me feel great, but I hadn’t felt bad either.  Until they both started to pressure me into giving the other up. At least on a personal basis.

 

I had gone into seclusion.

 

            At my parents no less. What an idiot I was about that. If I had thought the pressure from Joe and Ranger had been bad, it was nothing compared to the pressure from my mother.

 

I had run away.

 

            The minute I cashed a $10,000 cheque for capturing a skip I had taken off for places unknown.  Joe had gone ballistic. Ranger had taken it in his stride. 

 

I had returned home.

 

I had only gone for a week, and I wasn’t sure if Ranger had even realised I was gone. In hindsight I knew he knew. It had pissed me off that he hadn’t said anything about it. Like he had ignored it. He was good at ignoring things he didn’t want to pay attention to. I liked Joe’s reaction more; it made me feel like he gave a damn.

 

I had cooled off on Ranger, warming up to Morelli. Again.

 

            It was right there that I had screwed up. Truth being, I didn’t have the energy to work on my problems with Ranger. Again, in hindsight, I should have made the effort. Things wouldn’t have gotten so damn complicated if I had.

 

Joe and I got engaged.

 

            And Ranger pretty much dropped of the face of the earth to me. It upset me more than I realised.

 

My mother organised the wedding.

 

            She did everything. I worked harder in my life than I ever had at that point.

 

Joe and I got married.

 

            And it was a beautiful ceremony. Only my Father’s ‘little talk’ had stopped me from bolting at the last minute.

 

Contact with Ranger was re-established during a take down.

 

            We both had skips hanging out in a bar together. After I had made my capture and screwed up his and found him and Tank laughing about it, things had nearly returned back to normal for us. Normal except the lust factor was now off the scale.

 

I had another pregnancy scare.

 

            Scare because neither Joe nor I wanted kids right then. In fact our marriage was pretty much in shambles.

 

Joe and I fought.

 

            About anything and everything. He worked away more and I worked with Ranger more. We were both so stupid.

 

We got counselling.

 

            Angie Morelli had brought Father Carolli around and we had gone into counselling. Slowly but surely, things were getting worked out between us. We still had our problems. Some that Joe didn’t even know about.

 

Ranger and I sorted Us out.

 

            We spent a day and laid it all out. We worked out what went wrong and what we should have done different. The lust flared again, but by then it was too late I was married to Joe.

 

 

 

 

 

I watched as brown eyes opened and focused on my blue ones. I ran my hand through dark hair and leaned in for a kiss. “You slept for a long time.”

 

“I was tired.” I grinned.

 

“I figured.”

 

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

 

“Thought you needed sleep more than you needed to cum again.” He grinned and rolled on top of me, wriggling his way between my legs, kissing down my neck.

 

“If the sleep is quality then I can do with less. And I always sleep better when I’m with you.”

 

“Yes, but you’re going again soon. I thought I’d let you store up some of that quality sleep.”

 

“I’d rather cum.” I laughed.

 

“I know.” He bit down on my nipple and I sighed in pleasure, a shudder running through me.

 

“Come with me. Come up to New York for the week with me.” I sighed again, this time in exasperation.

 

“We’ve talked about this. I cant. You know I cant.” He came up to look in my eyes again.

 

“Why not?”

 

“I have to work, I’ve got a lesson with Tank and not to mention-“ He cut me off.

 

“I’m sick of this shit Stephanie. I want you with me.” He growled and buried his head in my neck. I was starting to feel bad about this, we usually had this conversation right before he left if he wasn’t in a hurry. “I can’t always ask you to come with me, and when I do you always say no! Screw Tank and his self defence shit.”

 

“You’re the one who made me promise to have lessons!”

 

“Sometimes I wonder if you’d rather be with him than me.” He was sulking now, rolling onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. I rolled up on his thighs, kissing down his chest to his abs.

 

“Don’t be stupid.” I looked up at him and we stared for a time. “I told you-“

 

“I don’t care what you said, things have changed. We’ve changed.” His cell, the phone by the bed and his beeper went of simultaneously. He made no move towards them.

 

“You may as well check them. Nothing has changed in that regard.” Work still came first, it almost always had.

 

“Fuck! I’m not going to check them. We’re going to work this shit out before I have to go.” His plane was leaving in about 2 hours. And now I just wanted to roll over and get the sleep I hadn’t gotten before.

 

I watched the mask that hid his feelings slide across his features and decided enough was enough. I wanted to go with him, I was going with him. “Ok, I’ll come to New York with you.”

 

He wrapped his arms around me and rolled to be on top of me. He kissed me until I couldn’t breath and I had melted into a puddle on the sheets. He pulled away smiling, looking into my eyes as he entered me. He felt so good. Not to big, not to small.  A perfect fit. I sighed.

 

“Ranger…”

 

 

 

 

 

Inter-Val…

 

 

 

 

 

The two men sit side by side in the newish looking forest green ’98 model Lexus coupe. Ricardo Manoso and Joseph Morelli watch as Stephanie Morelli and Andrew Parker come running out of a large warehouse through the rain to jump into a new black Bronco. Stephanie is laughing as she jumps in puddles splashing Tank after a hard work out and self defence lessons. One raises an eyebrow when Tank picks up Stephanie dumping her on her ass in a large muddy puddle. The other remains impassive. Both are wondering if there is something more at play than just two friends playing in puddles like children.

 

Both Morelli and Manoso smile small smiles when Stephanie pulls Tank into the puddle when he offers her a hand up. Both smiles disappear when Stephanie moves to straddle Tank’s thighs. One raises an eyebrow when Stephanie leans down and puts her mouth to Tank’s ear. The other remains impassive. Stephanie jumps up, large smile across her face and after carefully scopeing the surrounding area strips down to her underwear and bra. Both Morelli and Manoso feel their groins twist. They watch as Tank sneaks up behind her. And they watch as Stephanie knocks him on his ass before pulling on some loose dry clothes she had pulled from the back of the Bronco.

 

Manoso recognises his running gear from earlier that day and feels a satisfaction and a twisting in his stomach at seeing this woman in his clothes. Morelli believes the clothes to be Tank’s and shrugs it off as being satisfied that she was dry and unlikely to catch a cold from her earlier frivolity. For a change they might actually go out for dinner to a restaurant rather than ordering in tonight.

 

vvv

 

Stephanie was feeling relaxed and good about life 2 days after returning from her trip with Ranger to New York. She had told Joe about it of course, telling him that Ranger had a female skip he needed help transporting. She had said it could take anywhere from 2 to 6 days. If it took longer she’d come home. They had argued over it, Joe wanting her home with him while he was there. She had won the argument based on the fact that he was never home when she wanted him to be. She was going anyway, no matter what he said; let’s see how he likes it for a change she had thought. Ranger, his skip and her had returned on the fifth day. Joe had presumed she was tired from working relentless stakeout shifts. Stephanie didn’t correct him. Tank threw open the door to the warehouse and they stepped out into the rain, breaking into a run.

 

Feeling like she had a new lease on life for the first time in a long time, Stephanie jumped in a puddle splashing muddy water on Tank. She laughed at the look on his face and did it again. She let out an indignant squeal when he heaved her onto his shoulders and dumped her in a puddle.

 

“Serves you right.” She stuck her tongue out at him and spied the Lexus in the shadows. She knew he was here somewhere. She could feel his hot gaze on her. A shiver ran down her spine. Tank offered her a hand and she grasped it, pulling him in the puddle with her. Moving quickly she straddled him and bore down on the pressure points near his shoulders. Knowing how it would look she leant in and whispered in his ear.

 

“What’s Ranger doing here?”

 

“Where?”

 

“Green Lexus in the corner. Don’t pretend you didn’t know he was here.”

 

“He’s with Joe.”

 

“What?!”

 

“Yeah, something to do with something or other.”

 

“Nothing to do with me?”

 

“Not as far as I know. Just neutral territory.” Stephanie pressed down harder on Tank’s pressure points.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“You didn’t need to know.”

 

“Like hell.” If Stephanie had known they were there she wouldn’t have been jumping in puddles. She pressed until Tank grunted in pain. “I think I should get extra points for this. Holding you down.”

 

“Wait until you get up. Then we’ll see who gets the extra points.” Tank wasn’t amused at Stephanie’s behaviour. He was amused at the reaction he knew she would be getting in the Lexus. Though he could be wrong he thought as Stephanie got up. With both Morelli and Ranger together, reactions could be scarce. Especially them guarding their reactions around each other. Tank was one of the few who knew about Ranger and Stephanie. He wasn’t sure wether he should feel privileged to be one of the special ones in both their lives or if he should be pissed off at being put in the middle of all the shit. While Tank was pulling himself to his feet Stephanie was scanning the lot to see if anyone else was about. She had seen Ranger’s sweats in the back of the Bronco and knew how they would fit her. She was also wondering if she could stir up some kind of reaction from the Lexus. She made sure she shimmied how Ranger liked her to and she made sure to bend over the way Joe liked her to.

 

She heard the gravel crunch behind her, making her aware of Tank’s presence behind her seconds before he made his move. She spun quickly dropping him to his ass again.

 

“Game, set and match; Stephanie.” Tank laughed as she pulled on Ranger’s sweats. Tank quickly pulled off his shorts and T, wrapping a towel around his waist. They climbed into the Bronco and pulled out of the lot, neither of them glancing at the forest green Lexus parked in the shadows.

 

vvv

 

Manoso and Morelli returned to discussing business as soon as the Bronco had left the lot. Their faces were blank.

 

“Are the conditions going to be satisfactory to both parties?” Morelli’s eyes were cool as they regarded Manoso.

 

Ranger angled his jaw and scratched his chin. “Hard to say. Both of them are used to getting what they want, when they want. It’s possible that Tito will go to war over this if it doesn’t go his way. But then, so will old man Grizolli.”

 

“I can handle Grizolli if you can handle Tito.” The dark purple hicky on Ranger’s neck hadn’t gone unnoticed and Morelli wondered if he would get away unscathed if he remarked on it.

 

“Didn’t think Grizolli was happy with you doing his dealings anymore.” Ranger’s eyes were dark and assessing taking in the slight flush that graced Morelli’s cheeks.

 

“Good thing business is more important to him than Terri is.” Ranger, who knew better didn’t say anything, just waited silently for Joe to continue. People said amazing amounts of things if you just remained quiet long enough. “He brought me back in when Detective Herst was brought by Stole. Knew that I couldn’t be swayed by money.”

 

More like you owed him for the shaming of Terri, Ranger thought. Once again he neglected to mention it. Ranger knew that Grizolli was out to get Morelli; Ranger knew he was just biding his time. Ranger was in odds as to wether he should help Morelli out or just let nature take its course and get Stephanie free and clear. He also knew that Stephanie loved Morelli and that if he didn’t help him when he needed it, she would never forgive him. Ranger was in a quandary.

 

Morelli caught glimpse of the look that flashed across Ranger’s face and ignored it. His cop instincts told him that Ranger was a criminal; one of the bad guys, his personal ethics however knew Ranger was one of the good guys when it came down to it. Besides, Stephanie trusted him, and she had better instincts than anyone he knew. Not that Morelli trusted him with Stephanie, no way no how, but Ranger had morals, and they didn’t cross sleeping with another man's wife. Before he had married Stephanie he had guardedly asked Ranger about his morals in that direction. Ranger didn’t believe in sleeping with other men’s wives. He wasn’t however, against sleeping with another mans girlfriend. Neither of them were. Of course it was different when it was their girlfriend.

 

“Ok. We can’t do anything more until we talk to the respective groups involved in this. Can I drop you anywhere?”

 

Morelli shrugged. “The station if that’s ok.”

 

Ranger grinned and bent over the steering wheel, turning the spike he had used to turn the engine. “You might not want to be seen in this car by now.”

 

“Shit.” Ranger’s laughter boomed off the interiors of the car. “Drop me off at Eddie’s.”

 

Ranger couldn’t help but grin as he peeled out of the lot. He didn’t get to play many games with Morelli’s head these days.

 

Morelli had been feeling rather smug with himself up until that point. He had won the girl and everything had been going his way. Ranger knew the games between himself and Morelli were legendary, he also knew that most everyone believed that Morelli had won. Little did they know.

 

They pulled to a halt at a red light, Manoso looking at a leather ensemble in a store window. Joe worked up the courage to ask him about the hicky.

 

“So, Steph said she had fun in New York.” Ranger raised an eyebrow, wondering not for the first time if Morelli knew just how much fun they had when they ‘worked’. “She did a lot of shopping.”

 

Ranger grinned to himself, remembering just how much shopping had turned her on, and just how much the thigh high leather boots had turned him on. “She refused to sit on the stake out for another minute. I had Santos take her shopping.”

 

“Poor Santos.” Both men smiled at the thought of Lester Santos shopping with Stephanie. Morelli envisioning him being dragged around against his will to every damn store Stephanie came across. Manoso envisioning the two of them laughing it up and having a brilliant time. Santos was after all a gay shopaholic. “Looks like you had yourself some fun too.”

 

Joe glanced at the barely noticeable hicky on Ranger’s dark skinned neck. “I guess you could say that.”

 

Ranger’s face closed off and Morelli decided to push it. He might actually learn a bit more about Ranger than what Steph let slip every now and then. “You know her long?”

 

“Few years.”

 

“Steph know her?”

 

“They’ve met.” Ranger took off with a powerful rev to the engine, throwing Joe back into his seat, effectively cutting off the conversation.

 

 

 

 

Inter-Mission…

 

 

 

 

 

The man watched. They were in the back of Big Blue. Parked in a darkened lot between a Range Rover and a Bronco. Not that anyone passing by would have been able to see inside. The windows were so steamed up that the condensation was starting to trickle down the glass…

 

vvv

 

“No, move your arm…”

 

“Steph-“

 

“Just a little bit further.” A grunt and a sigh, “Yeah.”

 

“Here, move that way, shift your leg…”

 

“Ouch! Damn.”

 

“What?”

 

“Bashed my head. Not to worry, no permanent damage.”

 

“When is there ever?”

 

“Smart ass. Just for that, you can forget me ever doing this for you again.”

 

“We’re to old for this shit anyway.”

 

“Speak for yourself.”

 

“Ok. I’m too old for this shit.” The sound of a slap and a grunt of pain.

 

“You really piss me off. Let me go.”

 

“Not fucking likely.”

 

“Dammit-“

 

“Sit still, Ow! Shit, watch were you point those things.”

 

“Let me the fuck go or I open a window and scream rape.”

 

“You wouldn’t, what would you do if someone actually did their civic duty and came to your rescue?” A gasp and a moan.

 

“Ohh, god.”

 

“You like that?” A whisper.

 

“Harder…”

“Ohh…”

“Yes, there…”

 

“More?”

 

The beeper on the front passenger goes off.

 

“Fuck!”

 

“Sorry Steph, I have to get it, I left Pearson out there on his own.”

 

“I was this close!” A whine. “And who is Pearson?”

 

“New guy just came out of active duty in the marines.”

 

“I don’t want to know. Let go of me.”

 

Sounds of movement and dialling of a cell phone.

 

“What?    I know… You sure?   Don’t make a move; I’m on my way… Two mins.”

 

Sound of a cell snapping closed.

 

“Sorry, Steph, I have to go.”

 

“I figured.”

 

vvv

 

From a distance the man watched as Stephanie hauled herself out of the back seat, slamming her way into the drivers seat. She was wearing a t-shirt that had been hastily pulled on backwards and a frown the size of Texas. The Buick started with a loud grumble and rolled out of the lot. The man heard it pause maybe half a block later as she let out her passenger. He flipped open his cell, hitting a few buttons, connecting to Stephanie’s cell.

 

vvv

 

Stephanie answered her phone with a snappy, “What.”

 

“Are you on your way home?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Didn’t go well huh?”

 

“I don’t know why I bother with him sometimes.” Stephanie had worked hard setting up alibis all over the place to get him alone for the night.

 

“Neither do I.”

 

“Yeah well he says the same thing about you.”

 

“I bet he does.”

 

There was a pause as Stephanie swerved around a bicyclist and swore at her. Dark clothes on a bike at night weren’t a great idea.

 

“How long will it take you to get home?”

 

“About 20 minutes. Why?” Normally it would have taken only 15, but this situation required ice cream. Lots of ice cream. Maybe even chocolate as well.

 

There was a smile in the answer. “I’ll see you there.”

 

Stephanie snapped her phone closed and threw it onto the passenger seat, wondering if she’d really need chocolate or ice cream.

 

Stephanie didn’t stop to get ice cream or chocolate, aside from the fact that she was wearing only a t-shirt, she wanted to get home. As she opened the front door to her house she went straight into the man’s arms that was standing waiting for her. After a long and deep kiss that had re-awoken her sulking hormones she pulled away.

 

Ranger grinned down at her. “I take it Joe didn’t take to kindly to you dragging him away from work.”

 

“Oh, no. He took it fine. It’s me who didn’t take to kindly to him running back to work as soon as the new guy beeped him.” Ranger laughed softly and lifted her by her bare thighs to wrap her legs around his waist.

 

“Lets see what I can do to get that frown off you face then.” He stripped off her shirt and put his mouth to her breasts. “Besides, I didn’t go to all the trouble to get you alone just to sit back and watch you sulk.”

 

Stephanie’s mind fluttered back into gear and she pulled away from him. “You what?”

 

Ranger attempted to pull her back to his mouth. He didn’t have any success, having been with him for quiet some time she had learned a few tricks. “You heard me. I went to a lot of hassle to get you alone tonight. Joe wont be back for hours yet. Tito and Grizolli are in negotiations.”

 

“You set this up? Even after you knew I what I was doing?”

 

“I thought you might enjoy it.”

 

“Dammit Ranger! Do you know what I had to do today to get that meeting with Joe up?” Stephanie wrenched out of his arms and slid down his legs until she was standing. “What were you thinking?”

 

“I wanted to spend some time with you.” Ranger’s face was dark and brooding.

 

“I just spent a week with you in New York. Is it to much of a hassle to let me have a night with my husband?”

 

“He’s only your husband when it suits your purposes.”

 

“Get out of my house.” Stephanie said it softly and calmly. The way she talked when she was really, really, really angry. Ranger gave her a hard kiss goodbye and left by the back door, out into the small dark back yard.

 

Stephanie stomped her way upstairs, bending to pick up her t-shirt on the way. She ran herself a bath and as she soaked in the hot water she wondered why she was stuck with not one but two pig headed males that just wouldn’t get the hell out of her life. She cried herself to sleep.

 

vvv

 

Stephanie woke up the next morning rubbing her aching stomach. She found three small pimples on her chin and had to cut a knot out of her hair that she couldn’t brush out. And wasn’t it just her luck that Joe wasn’t home yet so she had to call her sister to go to a seven/eleven to get her some tampons.

 

Sometimes Stephanie hated her life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inter-Jection…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie stood in the doorway and watched her husband dispassionately as he explained the timer function on their new VCR.

 

She didn’t listen; she tuned out and just watched him.

 

His flicking fingers as he pointed things out, his arms as he moved to flick hair out of his eyes.

 

He asked if that explained it all.

 

She nodded.

 

He sat on the couch and asked her to get him a beer seeing as though she was still standing and he wasn’t.

 

The quick grin he threw her way didn’t flutter her stomach.

 

She shrugged and walked to the kitchen, returning with a beer.

 

At his sigh of content after the first mouthful, it hit Stephanie in the stomach that she was no longer in love with this man.

 

Blindly she turned and walked up stairs.

 

vvv

 

Joe had seen the emotions flash across her face. The last emotion had been flat out terror. Joe had seen that look on Stephanie’s face just twice in all the time he had known her. The first was right before she had run away last year. The second time was right after she had said ‘I do’ at their wedding.

 

Joe wondered whether he should go on up stairs and see what was wrong. He decided against it. After all, she had came back after she ran, and she hadn’t left him at the alter as he had half feared she would. Besides, the game was about to start.

 

vvv

 

Ranger was sulking and Tank was tired of it. Tank wondered what Stephanie had done to make his boss this pissed off. No one could piss Ranger off like Stephanie could. Coming on 4 years now that she had been in their life Tank was glad that she rarely ever did it. Ranger could be like a nagging sister with her periods when Stephanie pissed him off.

 

The best thing about Stephanie being in their lives was she made them all laugh, Ranger most of all. Second best thing was she made Ranger cum regularly. Ranger could be like a nagging sister with her periods when he got backed up. Tank wondered if getting pissed off at Stephanie and getting backed up had as much in common as what he thought it did. He was contemplating calling Stephanie when Lester walked in, bobbing his head to the beat coming from his headphones. Tank came up with a better plan. He knew Ranger was jealous of any man who got close to Steph. Every man that is except Joe and Lester. Exceedingly weird on the first count, standard with Lester. After all, Lester was gay.

 

Tank motioned to Lester to pull the headphones off so they could talk. Lester slumped onto a bench press and waved his hand in a talk signal.

 

“You need to call Steph.” Lester raised his head.

 

“Why?”

 

“You’ve worked with Ranger on no less than 4 stakeout shifts in the past week and you ask why?”

 

Lester shrugged. “They’re big kids now. They can deal with it themselves.”

 

“Ha! That’s a novel idea.” Tank rolled his shoulders that were starting to stiffen from not cooling down after his work out. Slowly the tension started to slip out of his muscles as the chemicals in his blood began to level out slowly.

 

“I’m not getting involved. You want to know what happened you call her.” With that Lester stood up and left the weights room. Tank stared after him with surprise. It wasn’t like Lester to not get involved in someone else’s love life. Tank decided that Lester was another mystery to add to his list of puzzles to solve, he’d been acting rather strangely recently and Tank, always on the hunt for a mystery, wanted to know why.

 

vvv

 

Stephanie sat on the closed toilet seat. Having locked the door behind her she could be sure Joe wouldn’t walk in and find her crying. Not that it was likely he’d follow her anyway, but it never hurt to be sure. She wondered when she had started to take the Burg’s easy road. She had always gone against the grain. So what had made her give in to the pressures of her peers? When did she start to be like everyone else? She didn’t want that. She never had wanted it. She wanted to be wonder woman, she wanted to be an intergalactic princess, she wanted Life.

 

After about 30 minutes of crying helplessly, quietly, she stood and packed her toiletries into a small case kept there. She moved into the bedroom and started to pack some clothes. One suitcase would do it for now if she packed tightly. She heard the phone ring and listened to Joe pick it up; he called up the stairs to her.

 

“Steph! Ranger!”

 

Stephanie hesitated. “I’ll call him back.”

 

There was a moment’s pause, during which she zipped up her suitcase and started down the stairs.

 

“He says he needs to talk to you now…” He started with a yell and his voice faded as she entered the living room.

 

“Hang up Joe.”

 

“What’s going on?” Joe was looking confused, from her face to her suitcase.

 

Ranger’s voice sounded tinny from the phone receiver. “What’s wrong? Morelli? Steph?”

 

“I’m sorry Joe.” His face went from confused to angry to blank in a matter of seconds. Joe hit end and effectively cut Ranger off.

 

“What’s the deal here cupcake?”

 

“I’m not in love with you anymore. I’m sorry.” Stephanie knew her voice sounded distant, but she had to leave it that way. If she didn’t she’d break down and cry and give in. “I have to get out of here.”

 

“Is this about Manoso?” Steph looked away hurriedly but answered before breaking eye contact.

 

“No. This is about you and me.”

 

“Why don’t I believe you?” Stephanie shrugged.

 

“Believe what you want, but me leaving, it has nothing to do with him. I’m not even talking to him right now.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“He pissed me off.”

 

They stood silently. Joe staring at Stephanie, Stephanie at the floor.

 

“I have to go.” He nodded and quietly Stephanie left, picking up her keys and jacket.

 

“Do me one favour Stephanie.” She stopped but didn’t turn around. “Wait at least a few days before moving in with Manoso.”

 

Stephanie flinched visibly and then quietly shut the door behind her.

 

Joe sat back down and watched the rest of the game.

 

vvv

 

Mary Lou opened the door and let me in. Even after she saw the case, she let me in. Best friends were good like that. I knew she wouldn’t bash me over the head with the obvious. Lenny took in the sight of my bags and me and then took my bags up to the guest room. I sat on the couch with Mary Lou and after looking into each other’s eyes for 5 minutes of silent communication, she held out her arms and I fell into them gratefully. Over two hours and two boxes of tissues later I had poured out my heart and water reserves. Mary Lou having been my best friend forever knew how to make it seem like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. She handed me a tub of phish food and held two spoons. I called Ranger to let him know I was ok and hung up before he could ask where I was. Mary Lou and I sat and ate in silence curled up next to each other on the couch. Mary Lou didn’t ask questions, she had known about me and Ranger, and she had kept her mouth shut.  It was close to midnight when the door was knocked on. Mary Lou motioned to me to answer it. We both knew who it was.

 

I opened the door and Ranger stood staring down at me. “How’d you figure out where I was?”

 

“You’ve got Mary Lou programmed into the phone Babe.” I slumped against the wall. It had been forever since he had called me babe.

 

“I told you I was ok, what do you want?”

 

“I had to see for myself, and you don’t look ok.” I wondered what he expected. I had been crying for about five hours now on and off. I raised my eyes to his and immediately they clouded over again. Slowly I started to sag down the wall. I heard Ranger swear and felt his strong arms go around me.

 

And for the first time in a long time, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I was going to get back Life.

 

 

 

 

 

Inter-Change…

 

 

 

 

 

I lay in bed watching him sleep. One arm curled low over my hip while I rested my head on his other upper arm. And, as I watched him, in my mind I made a mental list of the past year.

 

 

 

 

 

I had left Joe.

 

Never in my life had I encountered such an overwhelming outpouring of emotion from the Burg. Some in support and love, others thought I was a class A bitch.

 

I had made up with Ranger.

 

The night I had left Joe, I had gone straight to my best friend Mary Lou. As you do. Ranger had turned up and stayed there with me for the night. It had been comforting and I hadn’t felt that kind of ease with myself for a long time by then.

 

I had moved on with my life.

 

I hadn’t realised just how constricting life had been with Joe. Not that he had held me back, more that opportunities didn’t show themselves while I was with him. I felt bad at times, scared, angry and confused. But mostly I was relieved to be out of the relationship. I got myself an apartment and lived by myself.

 

I set out to discover myself again.

 

I didn’t run away, I stayed in Trenton, but I spent a lot of time by myself, trying to figure myself out. Might have been easier to run away, but I didn’t reminding myself that I wasn’t going to do things the easy way anymore.

 

I discovered I was pregnant.

 

I didn’t know who’s it was, all I know is it was no time for me to be having a baby. I aborted. I wasn’t selfish enough to keep it. Sure, plenty of single mothers raised kids. But I faced facts; I could barely look after myself. I fell into myself for a while, but I pulled out of it. Seems like my catholic upbringing raised its head on more than just the Sunday morning.

 

I found my younger self again.

 

Funnily enough I found me when I was running around after my nieces one weekend. My sister, father and grandma all came down with the flu so my mother took care of them while I got to look after my nieces. It wasn’t so bad I guess… I didn’t loose half a head of hair at least. We were driving through McDonalds having a fit of giggles over something inane when Ranger had called. I can’t remember what he said, or what I said even. I know that when I hung up, I could feel Ranger grinning down the line at me, shaking his head. It made me feel new again.

 

I moved in with Ranger.

 

And oh how horrible it was. Sure, we were great together, we had fun together, but living together was hell. He wanted his life to stay the same. I wanted mine to stay the same. And seeing as though we were both horribly stubborn, you can imagine just how it was with us. Compromise didn’t exist in our vocabularies.

 

I moved out from Ranger’s place.

 

There are something’s a girl needs. Like friends being able to know where she lives.

 

Joe and I started to talk again.

 

            Here was the strangest thing, he was just as relieved as me to be out of the marriage. Said he felt guilty as all hell. Hadn’t been faithful to me from the time we started dating until the time we broke up. That was why he hadn’t said anything about Ranger and me. He knew, of course he did, and in the back of my mind I always knew he knew. He told me the only thing that bothered him was that what I had with Ranger was lasting. Truth is, I was more hurt that Joe found it easy to be with dozens of others. Like the more that he could replace me with, even temporarily, was worse than just the one that I replaced him with. Though replacement wasn’t the right word.

 

Eddie had a heart attack.

 

            He didn’t die thank God. But he wasn’t well for a long time. I was kind of a wreck for a while there. Eddie was one of my best friends. Right up there with Mary Lou, Lula and Ranger. I mean Jesus, he was only just 33, like me. Ranger didn’t even use the opportunity to get me into a healthier life style. I think I’d have felt better if he had, like things were going to be fine. Eddie got better and after a few months slowly settled back into his job, little by little, just paper work at first, then back on active duty. The first day he responded to my call out over a dead skip I was so happy I cried. He was so embarrassed he threatened to make me baby-sit for the next 10 years. I stopped crying fast.

 

I met Ranger’s ex-wife and daughter.

 

            And she was a right little brat. Ranger kind of just shrugged it off. Not his problem he thought. I didn’t say it, but I thought that when she turns up to live with you after her mother kicks her out, it’d be your problem. His Ex was just fantastic. We got along brilliantly, Ranger was uncomfortable about that, and so he should have been. I learned more in that weeklong trip about him than I had in the past 4 years. He was a bad, bad boy.

 

I moved in with Ranger again.

 

            We returned to Trenton and tried the co-habitation thing again. This time we compromised and it worked out rather well. We had our ups and downs, major rows and screaming matches. But the make up sex got better and better.

 

 

 

 

 

Ranger woke beside Stephanie and watched as her facial expressions betrayed her thoughts. He knew when she thought about Joe, Eddie, and himself. He knew when she was thinking about doing something she knew he’d hate and when she was going to do something she shouldn’t be doing. He knew when she thought about sex and when she thought she’d like to smack him across the head. He knew her.

 

To start with, she had been just part of a game. He and Morelli had been up against each other before in that game. Sometimes Ranger won, sometimes Morelli did. Until Steph, it had been a game. She was just another thing wanted. What he wanted he got. Until her. He had to work to get her attention where he wanted it. He had never hated loosing out to Morelli so badly. So badly he gave her a Porsche just to see if he had her attention.

 

Ranger realised the first time he met her that he wanted to fuck Stephanie Plum. She had made him laugh so much that he had drawn attention to himself in a public place. What was more is that she had kept him laughing, even when things were deathly serious, she got him to laugh.

 

Ranger watched Stephanie and saw that wicked glint in her eyes that signalled she was thinking of doing something nefarious to his body. He grinned. He liked the idea. Steph could be wicked all she wanted, in their bed. Or home. Or Car’s. Hell, Ranger thought, anywhere she damn well wanted, he wouldn’t mind. As long as there wasn’t a gun pointed at them at the time. Hard to get it up when that was happening.

 

Ranger saw Stephanie move but wasn’t fast enough to block her powerful blow to the pressure point that made his muscles weak and jelly like. It didn’t hurt, yet. There’d probably be a bruise tomorrow though. Ranger’s muscle weren’t working and there was nothing much he could do as Stephanie cuffed him to the bed. He was apprehensive, though he’d done it to her enough times. He wondered if he could distract her long enough so that he could use his arms before she finished cuffing him.

 

vvv

 

“Who taught you that?” I grinned and finished cuffing him before answering.

 

“Tank.”

 

“I’m going to have words with that man.” There was a frown on his face. Not to worry, I’d soon get rid of that.

 

“No you wont. You’ll be thanking him.” He raised an eyebrow. I raised mine back.

 

“You think?” I grinned, a slow lazy grin.

 

“I know.” I wrapped my hand around his erection and squeezed. He let out a groan. Ranger’s cell by the bed rang. I flicked him a cocky grin that I know signalled pure wickedness. I answered with a moan.

 

“Hellloooooo… He’s- uhhhahh tied up right nowoooh!. Ok, suurrre OH! Byeee!” I hung up and turned the phone off.

 

“Babe-“ I could tell by his voice he didn’t know whether to be pissed or amused. I bit his neck.

 

“That was Tank, he wants you to call him when you’re, ‘Not otherwise occupied’.” I moved up and smiled at him before sliding down to take him in my mouth. One hard sharp nip to his head and I grinned up at him again. “He’s not expecting the call anytime soon.”

 

In fact Tank had said that tomorrow’s plans had been cancelled and we had 2 days to play. I was seriously considering leaving Ranger tied up the entire time. I grinned at him as that thought crossed my mind. He grinned back, his eyes liquid black.

 

“Don’t think so babe. After you’re done… it’s my go.”

 

Hmmm. Sounds like a plan to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End...