STEAMING

Chapter One

Just playing with the characters who belong to JE. The plot and any mistakes are mine.

oOoOo

It seemed like another messy capture but she was successfully able to bring in her skip for a deliberately planned late-night capture. They were both dripping wet, leaving puddles on the floor at the TPD while he was being processed. Her research proved fortuitous with her timing, just that he was somewhat reluctant to go with her. Go figure.

As always, Stephanie was polite and explained the necessity for him to be taken in, so he could face court for which he failed to appear, for a number of very serious crimes. After a chase and a spectacular rugby tackle, she took him down. As he stood up to challenge her, she caught him off guard with a nudge to the back of his knee and, of course, a well-placed fully charged taser enabled her to cuff him quickly, on the front porch of his brother's house. It also helped that he was quite winded and that Hal stood between Martin Rigo and his only escape to the side gate. One look at Hal had him holding his tongue with the vicious diatribe and his foul misogynistic remarks. Seems he didn't like being captured by a "fucking bitch".

"That's no way to talk to a lady," Hal remarked sternly, which gave Steph the opportunity to zap him again before any more profanities spewed out of his foul mouth.

Much to her surprise, the brother had assisted her by half carrying and half dragging him to her SUV … but he kept dropping him. Yeah, he was none too gentle. Her partner Hal standing there, with folded arms across his broad muscular chest holding the rear door open perhaps made him a bit more compliant. But it was obvious, he had no regrets, no conscience at all. Michael Rossi was only too glad to be rid of his nasty, evil brother, who had brought so much misery and interference into his relatively normal personal life, aside from his extensive crime spree spanning a decade. Steph recognised the disapproval of a fed-up sibling. The likeness between the brothers as far as twins go, was not obvious since they were fraternal twins, so there was no mistaking Martin from his taller, more respectable twin. Martin Rigo reminded her of a balding, greasy little Italian Danny de Vito look-alike. His taller brother had a full head of hair and was much like dark-haired Arnie Schwarzenegger, but not quite as muscular. They could almost pass as doppelgangers at first glance.

"Thanks," Stephanie said to Michael. He nodded.

"Don't worry about it. He has all the bad genes from our estranged father's side of the family including my share. And I'm the exception. He was always out to prove how tough and mean he could be. I'm so over his shit. He's all yours. And, there's no way that I will even consider posting bail for him. Thank you, for taking this little shit out. He deserves every penalty for his violent and aggressive behaviour and whatever else he has done. I don't even wanna know. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. They can throw away the key for all I care."

"Yeah, well. His rap sheet is quite extensive."

"Yeah, and he was always going to miss his court appearance. I am not my brother's keeper. I tried that long ago and the ungrateful shit only made my life hell. Hence why I decided to change my surname from Rigo to Rossi. But you did good in tracking him down."

Standing in the heavy rain, he nodded again and went inside. Hal had already secured Martin Rigo to the floor shackles. Steph towel dried her hair since her Rangeman cap had come off in the chase and the scuffle on the porch. Hal tossed it to her as he drove to the TPD giving her a knuckle bump to her fist, grinning broadly.

"You're so much more fun in a take-down than the other guys. That was a good chase, Steph, you're a natural hunter. Great tackle, by the way. Rigo didn't stand a chance. And Rossi's right, your research was on the mark. I wouldn't have thought they were twins and the different surnames threw me completely."

The rest of the drive was relatively quiet until Rigo started to stir as they arrived at the TPD docking ramp.

"Well, lookey-lookey. Look what the cat dragged in," sneered a familiar voice.

"Admit it, Cupcake, you're not cut out for this … this thing you call a job. You should leave it to the Big Boys, the Professionals, who know what they're doing." The look of disdain and contempt was plain for all to see.

"Looks like you just crawled out of the lake. Or, did your skip toss you in a dumpster perhaps?" And with that he sniffed at her. Stephanie rolled her eyes and stiffened slightly, but maintained her composure. When she glanced at Hal, he lifted his chin ever so slightly, the corner of his mouth indicating the ghost of a smile and gave her a wink, for strength and encouragement.

"I hear there might be an opening at the button factory, or that "personal products" plant might have an opening. They might be suited more to your "skill" level. Better still, you could move in with me, marry me and have my babies."

Still waiting patiently for her skip to be processed, Steph held her head high, ignoring the taunting, not even acknowledging his snide remarks and verbal abuse. Hal recognised her contained annoyance, that she was itching to tap her foot.

Rigo was about to add to the snarky one-sided conversation, but Stephanie shut him down promptly.

"Don't even think about it Rigo, so shut it!" Still ignoring Morelli.

She took off her Rangeman cap, shook her head some more before replacing it firmly over her ponytail and threading it neatly through the back, squeezing the last drops from it to flick behind her. Of course, some water sprayed Morelli and between her disregarding him and this act of contempt, he grabbed her upper arm in an effort to aggravate and unsettle her, but before he could grab her other arm to shake some sense into her (Morelli sense, whatever that means – go figure), Stephanie spun and ducked with the turn and in a swift smooth move, had flipped him onto the floor. Her right foot was strategically placed high right near his precious "boys".

She bent down while holding his arm high in a tight half nelson. She caught his stunned expression with her fiery blue eyes blazing as her right foot nudged him in the crown jewels, just to remind him that she had the upper hand and he was completely vulnerable. She held all the power.

"Where do you get the idea that I might consider playing hide the salami with your "boys"? God knows where they've been. You have been a … busy boy, Officer Morelli. Morelli babies? With you? Dream on, moron. When was your last visit to the clinic?"

After collecting the receipt, Hal glared at a chagrined yet belligerent Morelli. Hal's wet t-shirt emphasised his Halosaurus status and Morelli shuddered. He hadn't actually been aware of his presence. He resisted the temptation to mutter about her needing a "babysitter" as he presumed. Unbeknownst to Morelli, Hal and Steph had been working partners.

"I see you two got caught in that downpour, too," said a smiling and very wet Big Dog.

"Hey, Morelli! What're you doing down there?" guffawed Costanza. "You look like you pissed yourself!" There was more laughter from the other TPD personnel who saw Steph's smooth flip of Morelli, sharing that dynamic moment with their wet colleagues.

He picked himself up and skulked away. His crotch area was damp from when she'd so convincingly thrown him, landing in the wet puddles. He was pissed off.

Hal was so proud of her cool composure under the Morelli onslaught. They had a good chuckle on the drive home. Reluctantly, he dropped Steph off at her old apartment. Stephanie still had a few things there but was in the process of transitioning to Haywood. It had been a long day as they trudged to the elevator and stepped off at her floor, sloshing down the hall. Thankfully it was way past Mrs Bestler's bedtime, and it was also way past her own. As a compromise, Hal escorted her to her door before clearing her apartment with a walk through. He didn't trust Morelli. It would be just like him to try something. He left with a knuckle bump and a smile. Once inside her apartment and bolting the door, Steph stripped off her wet gear and shoes in her lobby and walked to the bathroom. She began to shiver as she waited impatiently for the hot water to kick in.

She dumped her bag on the floor and stepped into the warm stream of water, pulling the shower screen across the shower rod to keep as much warmth inside the tub. She was cold and tired. It had been a good day despite that sudden downpour. They hadn't donned their Rangeman jackets as it wasn't that cold but there was a cool change coming.

She lathered up and rinsed off before washing and conditioning her hair. Turning the dial to massage, she relished the extra pressure as the tension eased from her body. Being more relaxed now, before she even opened her eyes, she felt a presence, confirmed by the dark shadow lurking on the other side of her shower curtain.

The shower curtain was wrenched open so violently that some of the plastic curtain rings flew round the bathroom. She instinctively threw a shampoo bottle at the intruder which he deftly ducked. Before the shriek could escape from her mouth, he slanted his lips firmly over hers as he grabbed her wrist and his other hand grasped her head with a firm grip in her hair.

She glared into angry dark eyes, very dark eyes, as she tried to bite his lip and his tongue. She was speechless. And stunned. Freaked out would come close. Terrified too, yes, totally terrified. But before she could consider a rational thought her fear ratcheted up as she suddenly realised the bastard had handcuffed her to her shower curtain rod!

oOoOo

TBC

I was really only planning a one shot, but now it will be a two shot.

Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.