Disclaimer: Not mine. Just playing for a short time. The lyrics belong to Maroon 5. They were simply my inspiration for this story.

No beta so please excuse my mistakes. This is for fun, not profit.

Payphone

Almost nine months ago I did the unthinkable; I walked away from the woman I love to sacrifice myself for my country. The last time I saw Stephanie was the morning I left for my final mission. I can still picture her laying in her bed, with tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her hair a disaster of epic proportions spread out on the pillow behind her. Her luscious body covered in a fine sheen of sweat from our hours of love-making. She had never looked more gorgeous to me and I thought that was going to be last time that I ever saw her.

When I walked away from her that morning, I left thinking I was walking into my death. That last mission had a one percent chance of survival and I knew that I wasn't that damn lucky. Turns out I was lucky or just that damn good. There were some complications during the mission and we lost communication with the other teams with us. I have no clue where they were or what happened to them. I just know that I was able to walk out of that God forsaken jungle, mission accomplished without a mark on me and with no injuries to my team. It was amazing.

Unfortunately, since that was my last mission the government kind of dropped me on my ass. Once the debrief with the big-wigs was done, I was stripped of all government issued gear and led out the front door of the office building. It wasn't stated, but was understood that I was not permitted back inside. Well, fuck you very much.

So there I stood with no cell phone (that was from the government) and no way to contact my Babe. I wasn't sure how she was going to take the news that I was alive. Even though the words were never spoken, it was understood that I wasn't coming back. I can't imagine the pain that I caused her since I've been gone. What if she moved on? What if she fell in love with someone else? These thoughts haunted my mind and fueled my desire to get to Trenton as quickly as possible. I had to see her.

I noticed a pay phone on the corner about a block away from where I was standing. I dug in my pocket and found some loose change. It was time to make some calls.

I'm at a payphone trying to call home

All of my change, I spent on you

I called her apartment number first. It was a long shot because it was in the middle of the day and she would probably be out catching skips. The mechanical voice informed me that her number was no longer in service. Hmmm...that's weird. She probably ran short of money and had to disconnect her phone again. Either that or something else happened and she disconnected it so she wouldn't have to hear from her mother. Both of those scenarios were good possibilities.

Next I tried her cell phone. I wasn't sure if she even still had the same number. Her phones were always getting destroyed in her car fires or tossed into disgusting garbage. That number, too, was no longer in service.

I wasn't ready to call Tank. I wanted to stay off-line for a few more days if at all possible. I decided to try her parents. Maybe they could help me find her. I could disguise my voice and say I was an old friend. I wasn't sure if Steph told them about my mission or not and I sure as hell didn't want to scare them. I got their answering machine. At least I found out that they still lived there. I didn't leave a message because I didn't have a number for them to call me back at.

I was running out of ideas. I took a chance and called the bonds office. Connie answered on the second ring.

"Good Afternoon, Plum Bail Bonds." She sounded stressed, not her normal happy self that I remembered. I disguised my voice as best I could. Again, I didn't want to scare her either.

"Hi. I'm looking for one of your Bond Enforcement Agents. A Stephanie Plum. Does she happen to be there now?" I tried to sound cheerful, not sure how it came across though. There was hesitation on the other end and then Connie sounded really worried.

"Umm...sir. There is no one by that name who works here any longer. She hasn't been employed here for quite some time." Interesting.

"Do you have a number I can reach her at? All of my contact numbers are old. I really need to speak to her." Again, trying to sound calm and cheerful. Where was my Babe working?

"No sir. I don't have any numbers for her. When she quit working here, she left town. I have no clue how to reach her." Now Connie sounded sad. Whatever happened between Steph and her friend was painful.

"Okay, thank you for your time." I hung up the phone and looked dejectedly at it. Where had my Babe gone? I suddenly started to get worried. What the hell was going on? I reached into my pocket for more change and found it empty. SHIT!

I looked around for another phone to use. Millions of thoughts swarmed through my head. Maybe she did move on and met someone. Maybe she left town with him. She wasn't working at RangeMan, Connie would have known about that. She specifically said that Steph left town, but where did she go?

I walked quickly to a nearby hotel and got a room for the night. I could use the phone in the room to make some more calls. The first was to Tank, I wasn't ready to resume my work at the office but maybe he had some idea where Steph was. He thought I was walking into my death too, so that call was interesting. I took the stairs up to my room and quickly let myself inside. I grabbed the phone and dialed a number that I thought I would never use again.

"RangeMan, this is Tank." I smiled. What happened to the standard 'yo' I wondered.

"Tank. Good to hear your voice again, brother." I decided to go for friendly instead of my normal 'report'. I was supposed to be dead, after all.

"Shit, Ranger? That can't be you." He sounded...scared? He's a mercenary, he doesn't get scared.

"It's me. Mission was a success and I made it out. Fucking miracle, but I did it." I paused to let that information sink in. Then I got down to business.

"Where is Stephanie? I found out from Connie that she left town? Tell me you are still watching her." I wanted answers and he better give me the right ones. He stuttered around for a few moments before getting his voice to coöperate. I started to get worried. Something bad must have happened.

"Ranger, why don't you come to the office and we'll talk about it. You aren't going to want to hear this over the phone." My heart dropped. He's never once been scared to tell me what's going on with Steph over the phone and she's been in some scary shit. I was driving back from DC when I learned that Stiva kidnapped her. Whatever happened this time was worse than kidnapping. My mind went to the worst possible things.

"Just tell me what happened man, please." I whispered out. I didn't want to go to the office to hear that she's gone forever. He sighed heavily and started to tell me what I didn't want to hear.

"We thought you were dead. We got word two months after you left that the mission was done and you didn't survive. Steph was crushed. She knew that morning that you left that it was going to happen, but hearing it for certain broke her." He paused. My poor Babe. I couldn't imagine the pain she must have gone through.

"She spent the next week locked in her apartment. The only person she would let in was Les. They had gotten close during the two months after you left and she leaned on him during the week after the news of your death. Don't worry. There was nothing sexual going on...then. They needed each other and they used each other for support. The news of your death crushed Les too. You know you were...are his hero." I knew how much Les looked up to me. I was older than him by two years and he always wanted to be just like me. I'm glad that they had each other to lean on during the grieving process.

"Ranger. I want you to understand something. Everyone thought you were gone. Had we known there was a chance for you to come back, we would have acted and done things differently." That didn't sound good.

"I understand that, Tank. Tell me what I want to know. Where the hell is my babe?" I was getting pissed and the tone of my voice gave it away.

"Shit, Ranger. She's living in Miami...with Les. We had a memorial service a week after we learned you died. They both asked for transfers and then left a week later. Last I heard they were living in an apartment not far from the office and are happy together." He paused. I could picture him rubbing his giant hand over his face.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. I encouraged them to be together. I didn't want either of them to mourn you any longer and was happy when they decided to leave. I haven't talked to them in a while. They both asked me not to call or to check up on them. It was too hard to be here and they wanted a clean break from Trenton. The last I heard from Silvio in Miami is that they seem to be liking working and living down there." My babe was no longer mine. She had, indeed, moved on. Moved on with my cousin. Les was a good man and I was really happy that she was with him and not Morelli. I was done talking and with a quick "thanks" I hung up the phone. I needed to process everything I learned.

If happy ever after did exist

I would still be holding you like this

I used to believe in happily ever after. When Steph and I first got our shit together, I could see our happy ending. I would lay awake and hold her while she slept and I could see us still together when we were 90. Old and wrinkly and still completely in love. Happy endings don't exist. I thought at one time that they did, turns out I was wrong. I thought Steph and I would marry, have kids and die wrapped in each others arms. I guess that dream is gone. She was happy with my cousin and I was alone.

All those fairy tales are full of shit

One more fucking love song, I'll be sick

Stupid fucking fairy tales. I had my homecoming pictured in my head being a joyous occasion. I didn't expect a freaking parade, but I wanted to see Steph and have her run towards me with a smile on her face and jump into my waiting arms. You've seen the movies where that happens, right? It's all a lie. It's fiction, not reality. In reality, people move on, they fall in and out of love. People change. Fact of life. Get over it Manoso.

I decided that I needed sleep. I was exhausted from the mission and the debrief that followed. All I wanted was a good night of sleep. I set the alarm on the clock radio beside the bed and closed my eyes. My sleep was not peaceful that night. My dreams were haunted by Stephanie.

She was there with open arms and then she turned from me and Les took residence in her arms. That was my place. That was my home. Then they kissed with such passion that my anger raged. She was mine. Or was she?

I tossed and turned all night with the same dream running through my tortured mind. At 5:00 AM the alarm when off and I couldn't help but throw the damn clock against the opposite wall. Whoever stayed here last had the alarm set to radio and I wasn't ready to hear Firehouse's Love of a Lifetime come blaring out of the damn thing. Now that I heard a part of it, that damn song kept playing on repeat in my mind.

I had found my love of a lifetime. I didn't want anyone else besides Steph in my life. She was the one that I needed. I needed her more than food or water. Without her, I was nothing. I had to fight for her.

Did I have the right to fight for her though? Tank said she was happy. Did I have the right to ruin that and ask her to be with me? Could I destroy her relationship with Les and ruin our friendship at the same time? I knew what my heart wanted, but was it the smart thing to do?

If I didn't fight for her, and just let her and Les be happy would she ever forgive me if or when she found out I was alive? She would eventually find out, she works for my company. I knew what I had to do, but it was going to kill me. I had to see her, but give her to Les. I had to smile and tell them I was happy for them. Fuck, that was going to be hard.

I called Tank again and asked him to book me on the next flight out of DC to Miami. I also made him promise me that he wouldn't tell them that I was coming. I gave him my word that I wouldn't hurt either of them and then I hung up the phone to shower. My flight left in two hours.

The flight to Miami was long and I had too much on my mind to enjoy it. The flight attendant tried to flirt shamelessly with me, but I ignored her. I wasn't interested. Once I landed, I took a cab to my office building. I knew my sudden appearance was going to be a shock, but I wanted to get it all over with.

When I pulled up to the building, I tossed a wad of cash to the cab driver and climbed out. I walked into the lobby and was greeted by an employee who obviously had no clue who I was. I decided to use his ignorance to my advantage.

"Good morning. I'm here to see Ms. Plum." I said with a smile.

"Umm...Ms. Plum was rushed to the hospital early this morning. I'm sorry sir." My heart stopped. My Babe was sick?

"What hospital?" My voice was tense and told the kid that I meant business.

"Umm...the one right down the road, I think. Would you like me to call..." That was all I heard and I took off out the door. The closest hospital was only five blocks away. I could run that easily.

I burst through the front doors of the hospital a few minutes later and approached the information desk.

"Can you tell me what room Stephanie Plum is in?" I asked the frazzled looking woman. She typed a few minutes on her keyboard and then looked confused.

"There isn't anyone here by that name." Shit.

"What about Stephanie Santos?" Maybe they got married. Awesome news for me to think about right then, but it was a possibility. After a few minutes of research she finally had an answer for me.

"Nope. No one here by that name either." Maybe I had the wrong damn hospital. I stood there and thought a second and then had an idea.

"Can you tell me if anyone got admitted last night or early this morning with the first name Stephanie?" Hopefully they'll give me what I want to know. She refused to give me that information, but a few flirty smiles and a gentle touch to her hand and she did what I asked. My heart stopped beating when she relayed the information.

"Here we are. Stephanie Manoso, admitted to Labor and Delivery. It says she is in labor suite 733." Labor? That mother fucker got her pregnant! Wait, that's couldn't right. Oh shit...I've been gone almost nine months. She's having my baby?!

I rushed to the elevator and took it up to the seventh floor. How ironic. When I approached room 733, I paused outside for a second. She was already in a stressful situation right now, and seeing me wasn't going to make it better. I planned to just wait outside the room and see her after the baby was born, but then I heard the newborn cry of my baby. I burst through the door at the same moment the doctor said, "Congratulations, it's a boy."

Steph wasn't paying attention anything except the new baby being placed in her arms. She had tears pouring out of her eyes and Les was standing beside her with tears in his eyes. His attention was on the new baby also, neither of them had seen me yet. It was a nurse who first caught my addition to the room.

"I'm sorry, sir you can't be in here." She tried to turn me toward the door, but my eyes were locked on my Babe holding my baby.

"Carlos?" Steph finally looked to where the nurse was causing a disruption. Her beautiful blue eyes widened and then filled with fresh tears. I approached the bed and stood beside her on the opposite side of Les. He had a shit eating grin on his face. Not the look I expected him to have.

"Carlos. Meet your son, Ricardo Carlos Manoso the third." Stephanie reached out and touched my hand that was resting on the side rail of her bed. It only took one look at my son for me to be completely in love with him. He was part me and part Stephanie. He had the crazy curls of the woman that I loved and her beautiful blue eyes. I hoped he kept them that color. He was a few shades lighter skin tone than I was, but not as light as Steph. He was beautiful and so was the woman holding him.

A nurse came and took the baby for tests and a bath promising to bring him back as soon as they were done. Les took the opportunity to leave the room also. He dropped a kiss on Steph's head and whispered something in her ear but I wasn't close enough to hear what he said.

After Steph was all cleaned up and changed into a new gown, the nurses and doctors all left. It was just my babe and I; and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Nor could I find my voice to speak to her. What was I going to say?

"Carlos..." she sounded so tired and unsure of herself but she continued. "I'm so glad to see you. Tank told me that you died, but I never truly believed it. I could still feel you in my heart." She stopped and wiped a few tears away from her eyes.

"I can't believe you're here and you got to see your son. Isn't he gorgeous?" She was trying so hard to make me talk.

"Not as gorgeous as his mother." I was being honest. The new mother glow was radiating and her curves had gotten softer and her boobs bigger. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Ha! I probably look all kinds of scary." She started to fiddle with her hair and looked uncomfortable. I sat beside her on the bed and brushed a stray curl behind her ear. She leaned her face into my palm and I felt the sobs break from her little body.

"I thought I lost you. I thought I would never feel your touch again." She whispered, like her confession was a deep dark secret.

"You never lost me, love. I'm right here and I'm never leaving you again." I tried to reassure her. I wasn't sure she even still wanted me in her life. I figured we'd cross that bridge when we got to it.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She looked sad again and the tears fell from her eyes.

"I can keep that promise, Steph. I'm done with the government. I'm done running operations. I'm free to live my life how I want to." For the first time she looked at me with hopel.

"And how exactly do you want to live your life? I know before you left that we were together, but you said you didn't want any more kids. So I guess you need to decide..." I had heard enough. I knew what I wanted and needed in my life and I was going to get it.

I leaned over Stephanie and placed my lips over hers in a gentle kiss. Well, it started out gentle but once our tongues met it turned into a burning desire. God I loved this woman.

A throat clearing from the door way broke us apart. Les was standing there with a grin on his face and a short woman next to him. She had tears in her eyes and her hand was encased in Les'.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Tanya wanted to see you Steph. Is it cool if we come in?" Les asked before entering the room.

"Of course. Tanya, this is Carlos or Ranger. Carlos, Tanya a RangeMan employee here in Miami and Lester's girlfriend." I think Stephanie was subtly telling me that nothing was going on between her and Les. I felt instant relief flood through me.

I shook the woman's hand then returned my attention back to my babe. We all sat and visited for about thirty minutes. I told them briefly about my mission, death and return to the land of the living. I learned that Steph moved down here to get away from the Burg when she found out she was pregnant. She didn't want to be the center of gossip. Les followed her to keep her safe. They never had any more of a relationship than friends. Les told me much later that day that Steph would never love anyone else besides me. He was glad that I was home to be the father and husband that they both needed. So was I.

The nurse brought RC, that's what Steph calls him, back into the room to nurse. Les and Tanya took that as their cue to leave and my little family and I were left alone. I watched in awe as Steph nursed our son. I have never in my life been so happy. I realized sitting there, that I hadn't really apologized to Steph since I appeared in her delivery room. I needed to say a few things to her and that was the perfect opportunity.

"Babe..." I started and then paused. I wasn't a man of many words, but I had to get those thoughts out.

"I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain. While I can't imagine what you went through for the past nine months; the past 24 hours have been painful for me. I thought I had lost you to Santos." She looked shocked, but didn't interrupt me.

"Tank told me you and him moved down here and I just assumed it was as a couple. I thought you had moved on and my heart hurt. I love you so much, Stephanie, and I want to spend the rest of my life taking every ounce of pain away from you." She was crying now. Still holding the nursing baby. She held my eyes as I got off the bed and down onto one knee, taking her hand in mine.

"Marry me! Tonight, tomorrow, next year...it doesn't matter. I want to be your husband and I want to be a father to RC. I want to make you the happiest woman in the world because when you are beside me, I am the happiest man."

I was trying to gauge her response. Marriage was a big step, but it was exactly what I wanted. I didn't want to ever be apart from her again.

"I love you so much Carlos. Of course I'll marry you if you promise me one thing." I stood and sat back on the bed beside her. I brushed the few tears away from her cheeks.

"Anything, my love. You can have anything." I kissed her lightly.

"Promise that wherever you go, I get to go with you. Promise that we never spend one night apart from each other. I spent the last nine months in agonizing misery and I don't ever want to do that again." I smiled my full smile at her and kissed her soundly on her lips.

"You have yourself a deal, Mrs. Manoso. That is one request that I have no problem keeping for the rest of my life."

A/N - Was that the HEA that you all wanted? : )