My first story.. so please be gentle. I'm working on something longer but I don't write in chronological order so I wont post until its finished.

Not my characters, just having fun.

I walked into the Trenton police station with my skip in hand. I had been chasing Ryan Festin for almost three weeks. This is the largest bond I've ever taken on by myself. Ranger would have been angry had he been in town. As it was, Tank wasn't pleased with me. I had been allowing my babysitters to help me for most of my searching. I was actually planning to take today off but ran into Festin on my way to the mall. I spotted his car, surprisingly I had remembered his plate number.

I followed him to Golden Empire Chinese, a restaurant on highway 1. I followed him inside and he was standing at the counter placing a carry out order when he spotted me. He took off towards the kitchen and I ran after him without thinking. Ok, part of me knew I should call Tank or Lester or Cal. But most of me wanted to accomplish something on my own and not worry about what might happen.

He threw a plate of food at me and I got fried rice in my hair. Then he grabbed a pan full of some kind of meat in a brown sauce and threw that from straight off the stove. The meat mostly hit my jeans but the sauce caught my arm and burned. That was going to be ugly later. Shit that hurt. I kept running after him and followed him out the back door. He turned to run around the outside wall and tripped over a box of cabbage. I tackled him and ended up rolling in the cabbage until I got him face down on the pavement. I grabbed my cuffs out of the back pocket of my jeans and handcuffed him before he kicked me off. I hadn't noticed he's rolled to the side but it was enough to really nail me in the stomach. I flew back into some bags of garbage which all things considered, was better than flying straight into the wall.

I smelled like soy sauce and cabbage as I got up and pulled Ryan Festin up to his feet. He was charged with rape and suspected of assaulting three women, one while out on bail. I wasn't about to call for reinforcements and wait while this guy picked out his next target at the restaurant. Ranger would be angry. Tank would be royally pissed and my family would call me a screw up again. But right this second, I didn't care. I looked Festin in the eye.

"You proud of yourself sweetheart?" he asked.

I drew my arm back and punched him in the nose. I wasn't really that angry but this guy was scum, I could see it in his eyes. I heard a crack which I thought was his nose but might have been my hand as well. That hurt. There was blood on my hand but I wasn't sure if it was his or mine. I didn't really care.

"You bitch! I'm going to sue your ass for assault." Festin spat at me.

"Go right ahead and tell all of New Jersey that you need protection from a woman like me." The feminist in me was screaming but I smiled at him as he turned green. No way he'd report me now, and that was more important. I was not going to spend a night in jail with all those skips just to honor a woman's right to equal prosecution.

Ok so maybe I'm a little high strung right now. Ranger has been gone for months and we had been in the middle of working things out when he was called away. I always hate when he's "in the wind" but this time I was more anxious since we had unfinished business. Joe and I have been done for months and he continues to criticize but not pursue. I want to figure things out with Ranger. I also want a night alone with Ranger. My shower massager needs a break and I need a social orgasm. The figuring things out should probably come first though. The social orgasm can wait. I hope.

I had walked Festin around to my car which was on the side of the building and locked him in the back seat. The cops were showing up near the entrance but I didn't really want to deal with them, especially not in public. I'd take this scum bag to the station, get my body receipt, and then hit the mall to celebrate my biggest solo bond recovery at Macy's and Victoria Secret.

I drove to the station with a big smile on my face. I couldn't help but be proud. Sure my methods were strange and got me covered in Chinese food, but I got my man. I didn't use Ranger as a crutch and Joe couldn't tell me I was a crappy bounty hunter. Not today. Messy, dirty, sloppy maybe but I got my man without hurting him, me or anyone else. Ok so I broke his nose and I'm pretty sure that brown sauce gave me a second degree burn but overall, still a victory.

I pulled into the station and got out of the car just as my cell phone started ringing. Tank. Shit.

"Yo" I said.

"Where are you bombshell?" he asked. I couldn't tell if he was concerned or mad.

"At the police station, don't you have my car tracked?" I asked.

"Yes, but there was a situation that came over the police band. I wanted to make sure you weren't involved."

"The police didn't see me so they can't have mentioned me by name." I said, slightly indignant.

"Shit. It was you wasn't it?"

"Yea well I got Festin and I'm turning him in. I'll call you later, and stop being such a buzz kill. I'm proud of myself."

I hung up on him before he could ask me questions. I didn't really want to tell him everything that happened especially since I didn't really want Ranger to know the specifics. I could edit the story and tell him so he'd be proud without needing to mention injuries or any of the other sloppy in between steps. I walked Festin inside and handed him over to the cop behind the desk. Morelli poked his head around the corner and started laughing. Festin was being led away to a holding cell and I was still waiting on my body receipt so I couldn't leave yet and avoid him entirely.

"Looking good cupcake. Who'd you go after?"

"Don't worry about it Joe."

"No really. Who took you for a roll in the Chinese food?" He was looking me up and down with what appeared to be satisfaction. Guess he was as happy that we were over as I was. No need to be embarrassed by me anymore. He could laugh it up with all the other cops.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Looked like you were so I thought I'd get the good stuff from you instead of waiting to hear from someone around the Burg."

He was still chuckling when Eddie Gazzara came around the corner from the direction of the holding cells.

"Might not want to be laughing Morelli." Eddie said.

"Why not Gazzara? She smells like cabbage and soy sauce. And there is fried rice in her hair!"

"Did you ask who she brought in?" Eddie looked at me from the corner of his eye and winked. We've been friends for forever plus he's married to my cousin so he's family too. He's done his best to keep Joe off my back since we split up. Doesn't always work and sometimes his cop attitude shows more but I appreciate that he tries.

"I asked but she wouldn't tell me. Was it Rita from the bus station?"

I've brought Rita in before and never been this messy. She spends most of her time at the bus station turning tricks. She's feisty but manageable. The fact that he implied that Rita could get me this dirty just pissed me off.

"No Joe," I said, "I brought in Ryan Festin." Joe's smile disappeared.

"That was your case wasn't it Joe? Hadn't the chief asked you to look for him since there was that rape while he was out on bail? Guess Steph got your man for you Morelli." Eddie said winking at me again before he walked away.

"You were looking for Festin? You were supposed to bring Festin in and couldn't find him? This day just keeps getting better!" I said with a smile.

Joe's face was red. He looked like he wanted to yell and rant like a good Italian man but instead he glared at me and shoved his hands in his pockets. I think it was to stop the arm waving from beginning.

My gloating was cut short by a text on my cell.

Looking good, Babe. I'm waiting.

My heart stopped in my chest. If he could see me then….

I looked outside and spotted Ranger leaning against my red POS car with his Porsche parked right next to it. I said bye to Joe without taking my eyes off of Ranger. I was afraid if I looked away he might disappear. All I could think of was touching him. I had to know he was real.

I walked outside and hurried as nonchalantly as I could over to where he stood. I reached up and touched his face without breaking eye contact. As soon as I felt his warmth under my touch my breathing started to return to normal. I hadn't realized I was close to hyperventilating.

"Babe." There was no criticism in his voice, only pride and what I hoped was longing.

"You're home." I couldn't help myself. I kissed him. I forgot about my mess and kissed him. I had missed him so much. I hadn't realized how much I was hurting until he was here and the pain went away. I felt so much lighter with him standing in front of me and I wasn't thinking about figuring things out. I was thinking about his mouth and so I took action.

Instead of avoiding the Chinese food mess that was me right this moment, Ranger kissed me back. He wrapped his arms around me and put his hand in my disgusting hair to pull my face closer. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist without breaking contact. I just wanted him to hold me. His hand rested on my ass which I just remembered was covered in garbage juice. I broke from the kiss and leaned back but he didn't put me down.

"I'm sorry, I'm disgusting. I'm getting garbage all over you." I tried to wiggle away but Ranger held tight.

"You're not disgusting, Babe. You're amazing. You brought in Festin alone. You should have called Tank for back up, but I'm proud of you, Babe." And he kissed me again.

I forgot about the garbage again and just enjoyed my time with Ranger. Who else could look at me and see amazing? Who could look past the fried rice in my hair, the cabbage stuck to my clothes, the brown sauce on my arm and meat stains on my pants to see someone they wanted to kiss? Ranger loved me.

For a brief second I considered Morelli. Was he still watching me from inside the station? What would he think about our little PDA? He would have never touched me, acknowledged me, or spoken to me if I looked like this while we were together. He didn't get me. Ranger did.

"Let's go over to Rangeman." I said breaking the kiss so I could catch my breath. "Amazing or not I need a shower, and eventually I need to see Bobby."

Ranger set me down on my feet and started running his hands over my body checking for injuries. He noticed the blood on my hand and ran his down to meet mine. I winced when he moved over the sauce spot. He barely touched it, avoiding the sauce I'm sure. But it was enough pressure that I couldn't keep a straight face.

"What's wrong with your arm, Babe? And why is your hand bloody?" He looked angry. I had to remind myself that it was concern and I wasn't in trouble.

"My hand is fine. The blood is Festin's, I think. I kinda broke his nose. My arm got burned a little."

"You broke his nose?"

"Yea." He gave me the raised eyebrow waiting for more of an explanation. I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled. His ESP must be working since his mouth hinted at a smile and he shook his head.

"The burn?" He asked trying to look at my arm through the think brown goo.

"He pulled a pan off the stove and threw it at me. Most of it hit my pants but the sauce caught my arm."

"Let's go." He said as he guided me over to the passenger side of the 911 turbo.

"Ranger, I don't want to get food all over your car. I'll drive myself."

"Babe." He said and I knew that arguing was pointless. He'd just drag me back if I tried to go for my own car.