Birthday Wishes

By: AMKP

Disclaimer: Not mine, not making the big bucks. Just taking JE's characters and manipulating them into the story that I would use if they were mine…especially Ranger. I'll return them when I'm done playing and hope that they'll use their influence with JE to make the Ranger/Steph HEA ending truth in fact.

This story would not be as interesting or easy to read without the incredible and talented support of my BETA-RangerBabeFan--Thanks a lot, Babe.

Chapter 1-One of those days

You know when you get out of bed on some mornings and you just sense that it's going to be one of those days? Well, for me today is that day. My name is Stephanie Plum. I'm a 30yr old, mildly attractive brunette with blue eyes. For the last couple of years I've lived a very interesting life in my current career choice as a bounty hunter. When this job started I wasn't very good at it, but at the time I was desperate for a job and was determined to make it work for me. I've gotten a little better since then, but frankly there's still a lot of room for improvement.

Lately, the bounty hunter business has been slow. In fact, I only have one outstanding FTA on the books. His name is Lenny Paniske, wanted for doing the 5 finger discount at the local liquor store. I present myself at Lenny's doorstep, knock and wait for an answer. Lenny opens the door and mutters: "What do you want?"

"Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum, I represent Vincent Plum Bonds. It seems you have missed your court appearance and I'm here to take you downtown to reschedule. Apparently, Lenny wasn't going to go along with my idea as he slams the door in my face and I hear heavy footsteps moving away from the door. Great, he's heading for the backdoor, why can't this ever be easy? I ask myself. I run to the back of the house giving chase to the retreating Lenny. He runs across his yard me nipping at his heels, we go over his chain link fence--which rips a hole in my favorite pair of jeans, damn-- and down the alley. I finally am able to catch up with him as he is tiring quickly; I fling myself at his fast moving body and manage to grab him around the waist with just enough force to bring us both down into a huge mud puddle left over from last night's rain. We begin rolling around for several minutes, which insures that every part of us is completely covered in mud, I am able to slap the cuffs on him. Just as I am attempting to pull him to his feet he throws his head back and connects with my head..hard. Black dots swim before my eyes and I can feel the huge goose egg already forming on my forehead. I manage to hang on to him preventing his escape and drag him to my waiting CRV. I can hardly wait to see and hear the boys down at the station when I haul Lenny back to the lock up to collect my body receipt.

Upon reaching the desk at the Trenton PD, I'm not disappointed.

"Damn Steph, you're a mess!" Spouts my friend Eddie.

"Really, I hadn't noticed." I clip out, desperate to just get this over with so I can make a quick escape.

"Did you apprehend him at a mud wrestling event?" Eddie asks with a little chuckle.

"Not hardly" I reply. "It wasn't nearly that exciting." Thank God, I did not need to have an audience witness my pathetic takedown and ensuing chase. The people milling around the desk are plenty enough for me.

"Hey, well I'd like to hang around and visit, but I think I need to get home and get cleaned up." I say hoping to make my escape to my car then my apartment for a much needed shower and a Tastykake. Since it was one of those days that isn't going to happen. As I turn towards the door, I run smack into Joe Morelli falling back onto my butt. Great! The humiliation just keeps on coming, what's next? "Hey, Cupcake, watch where you're going. Christ, you're a mess!" Joe exclaims looking me up and down with a little wince and a head shake.

I mumble "Sorry." An argument with Morelli is the last thing I need now, especially with all the very interested observers.

I have a long history with Joe Morelli. He has been my on again/off again boyfriend for the last couple of years. We are currently in the "off again" segment of our relationship. A few weeks ago we had a big blow up over my job, friends, lack of domestic skills, etc and my current mud encased body is not going to improve that long standing argument. Joe is a good cop and an all around good guy. He's comfortable, like your favorite pair of old shoes and he's predictable, most of the time in his company is spent in the same way day in/day out. His family is as crazy as mine, which is a big time statement. I mean his Grandma Bella scares the bejeezes out me with her insane visions. At this point, we just seemed to have outgrown our relationship. I mean we've been trying this relationship thing since high school and where have we taken it? He wants a wife, 2.5 kids and someone to take care of all his needs. I'm not ready for a second marriage. My first one, to Dickie the slime ball, was a disaster that was talked about loud and long in the 'Burg' for longer than the marriage actually lasted. This type comic relief to the gossip mongrels was not something I was ready to repeat anytime soon. I mean my present job more than kept the gossip mill running full bore, much to my Mother's constant dismay. I really never wanted to be a 'Burg' housewife, I still don't know what possessed me to marry 'the Dick' in the first place.

I want to be "Wonder Woman." I want to fly and feel the clouds floating beneath me, not be chained to a house waiting for my husband to come home. Don't get me wrong I care for Joe, Hell, I love him, I'm just not in love with him and that is something he is having a hard time accepting.

"What happened?..Wait do I really want to know? I mean I ran out of Maalox last week and haven't had a chance to restock my supply" Joe states.

"I'm sure it looks a lot worse than it is." I hope, gaining my feet and rising from the floor. "Just the usual day at the office for me. I knock on the door, ask the skip to come with me to reschedule, he refuses and makes a run for it. I give chase, I tackle him from behind, we go down in a mud puddle and roll around a while and Viola! here we are." I grimace, realizing that my job wasn't really all that attractive now that I put it that way.

"Cupcake, you don't have to do this job. Frankly you're not very good at it. We could get married and make a great life together. I'll support you and you can give up your crazy career choice. Why don't you come over tonight so we can discuss this further? Bob misses you (giving me a wink). We can order a pizza, watch the game, relax and unwind talk about the future." Joe says with a leering grin.

"No, Joe. I can't do that right now, and to be honest with you, I don't think I can do it ever again. We both know deep down we'd drive each other crazy in no time at all. I mean look how many times I've moved in only to move right back out again. We have a hard time sharing space for more than a few months at a time." I respond, please just let him drop this conversation so I can go back to my apartment.

"What are you talking about? Of course, we can be together we just haven't tried hard enough. You can make a few changes, a few adjustments, like quitting this silly job; then we can both be comfortable in a lifelong commitment like marriage. You'll be wife and the mother of my children and we'll be happy. You'll see! Come over tonight and we'll talk about this more. We can give this relationship a real try." He says as looks into my eyes.

"Look, Joe. I'm wet, muddy and my head is killing me. This really isn't the time or the place to be having this discussion. Can I just give you a call sometime or maybe we could met at Pino's for pizza and a beer?" I ask hoping he'll drop this so I can get out of here and back to my apartment.

"Sure, Cupcake. I'll talk to you later." Joe says noticeably disappointed as he looks for a clean spot on my head to give me a quick kiss. Not finding one he just pats me on the back as I head for the door.

I beat a quick escape to my car and motor towards home. I can hardly wait to feel the hot spray of my shower.

As I pull into my lot I notice the black Porsche Cayenne sitting in the parking space closest to the door. Wonderful. Is this day ever going to be over? There is no way I can get past and avoid having Ranger seeing me like this.

Carlos Manoso, aka Ranger, is my mentor, my tormentor, my protector and one of my best friends. Ranger is the 'man of mystery' although through the years, as our relationship has grown some of the mystery has been revealed. Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot I don't know about him. He is a man of few words; he uses actions to speak for him. This is where the biggest contradiction begins in understanding the complex person that is Ranger. Even though he has never lied to me outright his words and his actions are not always parallel. He tells me "I don't do relationships," but we clearly have a relationship of some sort. We've lived together a couple of times--strictly platonic, of course-- and have been comfortable together much more so than I've ever been with Joe. I have a key to his apartment and clothes in his closet. He comes to my apartment at all hours of the day or night without invitation, sometimes just to check on me and make sure I'm safe.

He gives off a persona that states "Don't touch, don't get too close." Yet, when we are together he always seems to be touching me. His hand will rest at my neck or on the small of my back as we walk or pushing one of my wayward curls behind my ear. He has turned to me several times when he's had problems in his life and I've tried to help in anyway I can. I've lost count as to how many times he's helped me. I mean he has literally saved my life on more than one occasion, I shudder as I recall several of those instances. During the Scrog incident he told me he was emotionally attached to me and would not be able to live with himself if something happened to me while helping him get his daughter back. Then he proceeded to "exchange" his life for mine and his daughter's, Julie, in the foyer of my apartment. Luckily, the bullets he had taken for us were not fatal and he survived with just the scars left behind. It was in those few moments before Scrog had fired his gun, as our eyes had met and held, that I realized I was "in love" with Carlos Manoso. Looking back there has always been this draw between him & I, but I was always too busy going back and forth with Morelli to pay real close attention to that feeling. It wasn't all my fault, I know that's one of my classic lines but this time it really was true. After our one incredible night together, Ranger got out of my bed quickly and pushed me back to Morelli, telling me to repair my relationship with Joe.

Ranger has told me he loves me, using the qualifier, 'in his own way', whatever that means. He seems to know what I need before I even know for myself, most times he can sense my thoughts, I call it ESP. I've learned a few things along the way too though, like I can read his body language and his eyes and have developed my own sort of ESP. These signs from his eyes and body speak of a deep lasting sort of love. He's told me that if Morelli is out of my bed for too long, he would be back in it. I know that he is aware of Joes' & my current off again status. I mean he's Batman and he knows everything.

All that being said, he's going to have a few questions when he sees me like this. No use putting off the inevitable as I shrug out of my CRV and head for the lobby door. As I approach the Porsche I can see Ranger is talking on his cell phone. Our eyes meet and I give him my signature finger wave. His gaze travels down my body taking an inventory of possible injury. He quickly ends his phone call and slides out of the Porsche. I'm greeted with the smell of Bvlgari, leather and Ranger as he steps in close to me.

"Babe" he drawls out. "Looking a little scary"

"Yeah, well it's been one of those days." I say with a half smile.

"How bad are you hurt?" He asks taking in the huge lump on my forehead.

"Nothing more than a band-aid level injury" I joke, thinking back to one of the first times he had helped me with an FTA and got shot in the leg for his effort.

He steps quickly to the door and pulls it open for me; with a hand at the small of back, he propels me towards the elevator. Yippee! No forced exercise, running Lenny down had used up my daily quota. I silently thanked Ranger for having pity on me and not forcing me climb the stairs as we normally do and then we step inside the elevator car.

When we get to my apartment door, Ranger reaches for my keys from my outstretched hand and opens the apartment, doing a quick scan for possible threats. You just never know in my life. After a slight nod, he ushers me through the door.

"Do you need any help with a shower, Babe?" He asks suggestively eyes searching my face for an invitation.

"No" I sigh lightly. I know first hand that he is really good in the shower, but we were not going to travel that road today. "Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a few minutes" I tell him as I head for my bathroom and the hot shower.

I strip out of my dried muddy clothes and dump them into the trash can in my bathroom. I have to wash my hair three times to get all the mud out. Feeling refreshed, I step out of the shower, quickly towel drying my hair and wrapping the towel around myself. I step into my bedroom and there sits a reclining Ranger on my bed. Yikes!

"Feel better?" he asks.

The loaded question. Clean, yes. Naked in just a towel in front of Ranger in my bedroom, I shiver as I feel the little tingle go through my body.

"Yes, except for a pounding headache." Great that sounds like every woman's lamest excuse to avoid sex. But, hey this time it is legit.

Ranger moves his head a little to the left and my eyes glance to the bedside table where he has thoughtfully placed an ice pack, Advil & a glass of water, but no Tastykake. Dang, maybe there's a short in his ESP. I go to my dresser and pull out one of his black t-shirts--yes, Ranger has clothes in my apartment, too-- a pair of Victoria Secret bikini panties and a pair of sweatpants. Stand back-the sex kitten is about to be formed. I dash back to the bathroom to get dressed. As I hurry out of the room I just barely catch a slight chuckle from Ranger.

I re-emerge from the bathroom feeling fortified, though not very sexy, in my clothes as I head back to face Ranger's force field.

He walks over to me, grabs my hand and leads me back to the bed. I sit and he hands me the Advil & glass of water. After I finish downing the medication, he gently pushes me back onto the bed with my head resting on the pillow, smoothing my hair back before placing the ice pack on my forehead.

I feel the bed dip as Ranger sits down next to me on the bed. "So, what brings you to my neighborhood today?" I ask, already feeling better now that the ice pack was numbing my aching head.

"I was at the bond's office today. Connie says it's slow." Ranger says softly.

"I received this token on my forehead from my last outstanding FTA. I did manage to get him to the station though, so the day wasn't a complete loss." I say with my eyes closed remembering the scence at the station. I was not going to relive that with Ranger.

"Rangeman has picked up some new clients. There are several searches to be done." Ranger says as he holds my hand rubbing soft circles in my palm. I could feel the tension of the day leaving my body. Ranger's touch always calms me.

A steady paycheck would help with the rent that was coming due soon. "Well, I guess I could stop by tomorrow and spend some time doing some searches."

"I opened my eyes as I feel the vibration of a cell phone on my hip that rests against his belt. Ranger grabs the phone off his belt, opens it and says "Talk." After a few short moments he says "I'll be there in 15" then folds the phone and returns it to his utility belt. He looks back to me and asks "You going to be ok?" I nod as he leans forward and brushes a soft kiss on my lips. He reaches out and runs his hand down the side of my face tucking a stray curl behind my ear before standing and saying "Call me if you need something. I'll see you tomorrow at Rangeman." He slowly exits my bedroom, then I hear the door close and the lock tumble back into place.

I close my eyes as I start to drift off to sleep. What a day. Tomorrow has got to be better!

TBC

So what do you think? This is my first attempt at writing and my first fan fiction. Please give me your review and help me realize my goal of becoming a review slut. More chapters to quickly follow. Thank you!