I wasn't expecting to do another story, but it happened anyways. This story is different from all my other stories. This is in an Alternate Universe. In this story Mrs. Plum isn't horrible and neither is Morelli. While it isn't a Cupcake story, there is no real Morelli bashing. Ranger never got married and divorced. He never had a kid. Steph never got married to Dickie.

Disclaimer: I don't own the ones you know. They belong to the wonderful Janet Evanovich.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Steph's POV

"Yes sir," Carlos says into his phone. I can see his outline in the soft glow of the bathroom light. He got a call in the middle of the night. I don't know what it means, but I don't want him to leave. I'm sitting up at the edge of the bed with the bed covers pooled around me. Right here, in this moment, I feel young and helpless. I just met the man of my dreams, and I fear he'll be taken away. He comes back over to the bed with a sigh on his lips.

"What's wrong?" I ask biting my lip, not sure I want to hear the answer. He looks me in the eyes and tilts my head up. He kisses me softly on the lips and pushes me back on the bed. I don't stop him when he makes love to me again. It's bittersweet. I know something is coming, but I don't know what. Tears leak out of my eyes and he kisses them away.

"Babe," he breathes looking at me with tears in his eyes. Tears that he will never shed; at least not in front of me. I lift my hand and caress his face.

"Carlos," I whisper not daring to ask what's happening. He kisses me and drives me home. He lays back, and I settle in the crook of his arm.

"You know I love you Stephanie." When I nod against him, he continues. "That was my commanding officer in the Rangers. I'm needed on a mission. I have to leave at four." I cling to him.

"I love you," I whisper. I look over at the clock and see that it's two thirty. He squeezes me to him.

"I know we haven't known each other very long, but I can tell you right now, I'll love you for the rest of my life. I've never felt this way before." He chuckles. "I feel like an idiot for saying it, but if I didn't have to go, I'd whisk you off your feet and marry you." Tears sting my eyes at his words. We'd known each other for less than twenty-four hours, but I guess sometimes you just know. I turn and look into his sad dark brown eyes. I promise myself I won't cry until he is gone.

"Make love to me until you have to go," I demand in a whisper hoping he'll give me my last request.

"Of course." And we do. Over and over again until three thirty. Then he gets up and goes into the shower. He takes two minutes and is in his clothes in three. He packs his duffel. He's wearing all black. He drops his duffel in front of the door. I stand up and pull on my shirt and shorts. I go over and he wraps his arms around me.

"I'm not usually a touchy feely sort of guy, but Dios, I don't want to leave," he says, "I've never felt like this before."

"I've never felt like this either," I tell him snuggling into his chest. I inhale his scent and try to memorize him. He squeezes me tighter.

"I'm sorry I have to go," he says. "This is the first time I wish I didn't have to." He looks at his watch and sighs. He lifts my face up and kisses me for all he's worth. My eyes tear up but I can't let him see. I don't want to make it harder for him.

"I'll miss you Babe," he says and his phone beeps. He sighs.

"I have to go." I give him a peck on the lips.

"Go save the world Batman," I say ending in a whisper as my eyes fill with tears. He nods and grabs his duffel. He heads out the door. It closes and I collapse, all my tears spilling. I sob. I can barely breathe. When he left he took the air with him. I drag myself onto the bed and cry myself to sleep. I wake hours later to knocking on the door. I jerk up and I'm not sure where I am for a second. I blink a couple times to wake up fully. I head to the door and open it. Mary Lou's standing there looking a little worried. She gathers me in hug.

"I've been so worried! I called but you didn't answer. Sweetie, you look terrible. What happened to that hunk?" She spits out in a rapid fire.

"Sorry, I was sleeping. He got called off for a mission because he's still active in the military," I tell her. She wraps me in a hug.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry." She says even though she doesn't know the half of it. We had come up to Pennsylvania for our coworker Tina's wedding. The wedding and reception was last night and I met Carlos because he was a date of one of the groom's guests. He had actually come with a date, but we wound up spending the night. A fabulous night. Then...heartbreak. I didn't even know his last name. I spend the night with a guy and I don't even know his last name?

Two Months Later

My eyes shoot open and I bolt to the bathroom. My stomach is already heaving and it's not even nine o' clock. Turns out when I slept with Carlos I got pregnant. When I found out I laughed a bit. The lunatic kind of laugh. I barely knew the man and he was off in some god forsaken country. I have no clue if he's coming back or if I'll ever see him again. I've been having terrible morning sickness, but I'm not showing. Mary Lou is the only person who knows. I'm thinking about moving to Newark to be closer to my job and farther away from my parents. I know my mother won't be happy to know I'm pregnant. She'll be even more upset to know that I'm not getting married with a 'burg guy and that I barely know the father. The only thing to remind me of Carlos, besides my baby is a picture of us dancing at the reception. I tried to find out his last name, but no one seemed to know it.

Five Years Later

"My daddy's a firefighter," a little girl named Marie says to the class. Her father steps up with a grin on his face and tells us about his job. I look over at Alex. He looks a lot like his father. I'm standing in the back of the classroom with the other mothers. In his hand is the photo of his father, only blown up so it's only Carlos in the picture. It's his turn next and I cross my fingers.

"My daddy can't be here today. He's a hero in the military. I love him very much, even though I haven't met him. This is a picture of him," Alex recites as he smiles holding up the picture of Carlos. My eyes tear up and I feel eyes on me. I'm getting pitying looks, but I decide to ignore them. They have no reason to judge, they don't know what happened. Alex runs up to me and gives my legs a hug. I hug him and tears spill out.

"You did great buddy," I tell him as I pick him up and give him a kiss on the cheek. He looks up at me with a smile on his lips.

"Thanks Mommy. I love you." I hear some sighs in the crowd.

Carlos' POV

I'm in my home office staring at a picture of Stephanie. I took it the night we were together, before I was called. She was smiling at me. I haven't seen her in five years, but my heart is still etched with the memory of her. On lonely nights I dream of her. She saved me when the military was kicking my butt. I've tried to find her, but I was never able to get in touch with the people who got married. I realized I never found out her last name. How could I have been such an idiot? Since then I've started a security company with guys who I served with in the military. It's called RangeMan. Everyone calls me Ranger. I got my nickname in the army and it stuck. I have one office building so far, but I'm thinking of building another one in Trenton, New Jersey. A lot of the men have family up there. The one I have now is in Miami. We're doing well enough that I'll be making more money by moving instead of spending more. There's a knock on my door. I put the picture back in the bottom drawer of my desk and go to the door. It's Tank, telling me we have a new client. I nod and put on my suit.