Aquila (Eagle)

SPOV

I squeezed my eyes shut as I ran, the silent pounding of my feet on the sand in sync with the pounding in my head. When I opened my eyes again I had reached the cliff rise overlooking the boundless blue torrents. I collapsed to my knees at its peak, not even panting.

I felt, more than heard, him come up behind me. I should have known he wouldn't have let me deal with this alone. Part of me wanted to pound into him in frustration at having my wishes ignored while the other part of me wanted to bury myself in his arms in love for him having ignored them.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked me in a whisper.

"It is the only way to keep them safe," I answered back, just as quietly, my tone final. He dropped to his knees next to me and wrapped his strong, muscular arms around me. My vulnerability and raw emotions won out and I sagged against him with a sob.

"Hush, my sweet one, it's alright," he soothed me, uncharacteristically. I cried harder, letting out all my pent up feeling in a torrent of tears.

"I have to protect them," I whispered, "but I wish it didn't have to hurt me too."

"I wish you weren't hurting too, Sugar," he said simply. I shifted my head to the side to look at the houses in the distance. The houses that held my chosen family. The houses that held the weaknesses in my armour. I breathed one last goodbye before I turned around and forced myself not to look back.

###

Trenton, New Jersey. The place I had left 4 years ago was just the same; I heaved a sigh of depression at my return.

"Are you sure about this, Sugar?" he asked from the driver's seat.

"It is the only way to keep them safe," I answered the same way I did on the cliff.

"You don't have to do this," he denied. "We can keep them safe while keeping the life we have now."

"No, Benito," I said firmly, sadly. "It is time for me to return to being boring, normal Stephanie Plum."

"You don't have to, Sugar…"

"I do, Benny. I do."

###

I heaved the last box into my new apartment. It was nondescript, and in my opinion, a two-year old with a toy screwdriver could pick the locks, but it was just what I needed to stay off the radar. Sadness and longing seared my soul, but I knew I was doing the right thing.

"Is this goodbye?" the sorrow laden question came from behind me.

"No, Ben," I refuted softly. "Maybe in the future, when all this is over, we will see each other again."

"What will you do?"

"Get a job. My cousin Vinnie is hiring bounty hunters. I could give that a shot."

"Bounty hunting?" he asked sceptically. "Sugar, you are supposed to be staying off the radar."

"I will," I nodded, "I know I have to."

"You're telling me you're going to do this job without revealing who you are," he raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You think I cannot?" I bristled.

"Christ, no," he laughed for the first time since the day I told him my plan. "If anyone can do it, you can."

I smiled at him and turned to look out of the window. This life that I had been so set on avoiding had come back to haunt me in the worst of ways. I tried so hard to stop all this from going to hell…

"Did you get them the security necessary?" I asked him.

"Yes. I've got a company called Rangeman installing security as we speak. They're the best; made up mostly of ex-military. I put you down as the additional contact person for any incident, and they'll take care of the threat. If you deem it necessary you can get there easily," he reported.

"Excellent," I turned back to face him and just looking at him, and knowing this may the last we see of each other, suddenly became too much.

I launched myself into his arms and he crushed me against him, the same thoughts and feelings going through his mind as well.

"If you ever, ever change your mind…" he breathed into my neck desperately.

"…you will be the first one I tell," I finished his sentence with a promise of my own, my tears seeping into his turtleneck.

He pulled back and pressed a kiss to my forehead; I closed my eyes as his lips lingered there.

"Bonaventure, my dear, sweet one," he murmured. (Good luck)

"And to you too."

###

"Thanks, Con, I really appreciate the help. Think this Ranger guy would be willing to show me the ropes?" I asked innocently. I had gotten the job and was now a bounty hunter. My first case was bringing in one Joseph Morelli, and boy was I going to enjoy doing that. It was just such a pity I had to hide who I was…who I had become.

"Sure, Hun, he owes me a favour," Connie answered breezily.

Sometime later saw me walking into a diner, looking for a man Connie described as tall, dark and delectable- not much to go on, but hey. My eyes skittered across the room and out of habit I catalogued in my mind before settling my gaze on the single sexiest man I have ever laid eyes on.

"Ranger Manoso?" I asked, approaching him and sticking out my hand. "I'm Stephanie Plum."

He took my hand and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. I was immediately irked, since I had been trying to do that for years.

"You want to be a bounty hunter?" he asked with a smirk. Clearly, he thought I was in over my head and I fought the urge to show him just how wrong he was.

"Last I checked, yeah," I answered mildly. His lips quirked upwards as though he was thinking of smiling.

"And you want to take down Morelli?" Smug asshole.

"Are you just going to keep stating the obvious, or are you going to help me?" I asked snippily. "Coz I gotta tell ya, I'm not one to forget the things that went down just a few hours ago, I don't need reminding."

He gave me a grin and my heart stuttered, but I refused to show any outward reaction.

"Well, okay then, Babe. Let's get started."

A/N: Hey all! Okay, I know I have Te amo babe, my other story, to finish, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone! I am posting the prologue to see how it is received…please let me know how you feel about me continuing this story! I promise that Te amo will not be neglected, with or without this story! Review, please!

JazMitch