AN: I don't own them and I'm not making any money off them.
This is a Babe story! It may not seem like it at first but hang in there and you will get the HEA. Please review they inspire me to continue to write and be a better writer.
CHAPTER ONE: COMING HOME
Running along the beach, watching the waves, I get to think about how much my life has changed in the last eighteen months. I wonder if my friends and family are gonna welcome me back or hate me because of the way I left. Today, I'm going home.
I have only spoken to one person since I left, my dad. He kept me filled on my family and my ex on-again-off-again boyfriend, Joe Morelli. He has gotten married, and I'm happy for him. I'm glad he found someone to fit into the 'Burg' mold. My dad didn't know much about what was going on with my friends, so I guess I'll catch up with them when I get home…if they don't hate me. I guess I should tell you who I am and a little bit about me.
My name is Stephanie Plum, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter most of the time, but we will get back to that. I grew up in Trenton, New Jersey and was a bounty hunter, not a very good one. I always got my man but mainly by pure luck. Nineteen months ago, I was kidnapped, yet again, by a crazy man who I had thrown in jail.
While I was kidnapped I was beaten…badly. Both my eyes were swollen shut, my nose had been broken. I looked like I had been a punching bag well, I guess I had been.
I was rescued by Ranger and the Merry Men. Ranger is/was my mentor, best friend, and for one amazing night lover. The Merry Men work for him at his security company Rangeman. These men are/were my friends but I was sick of them having to rescue me. I was sick of having to depend on others to come to my rescue, I realized while I was recovering that I needed to be able to depend on and defend myself. I could have asked them to train me but I didn't think they would take me seriously or push me as hard as I needed.
So, I called my dad -who I had just recently found out was a Former Ranger- and asked him if he knew of anyone away from Trenton who could train me. He told me to pack two duffel bags and he would get back to me. That night he called me and told me one of his Ranger buddies has a son who just got out of the Rangers and was willing to train me.
I was leaving at 3 am. At 3 am, my dad picked me up and drove me to the airport. I was flown to Key West, Florida where I met Aaron, my trainer. I will say he was nice to look at. Aaron is built like all of the Merry Men. He's 6'2, pure muscle, gorgeous tan, dirty blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. He is gorgeous but he also put me through hell.
For the first 6 months, we trained constantly only stopping to eat and sleep -and I was only getting about five hours of sleep a night. After my first 6 months, we continued to train just not as hard as we had. I wasn't ready to go home, so I stayed with Aaron and he kept up my training and exercise routines. Then one night, he told me he had to go on a mission because he is a 'Free Agent' for the government.
A 'Free Agent' has a contract of sorts with the government, they are generously rewarded for the work they do and they get to choose the missions they go on. Aaron asked if I would like to go and I said yes. After that first mission, I trained harder for three more months and then signed on as a 'Free Agent'. When I signed my contract Aaron asked how I wanted to celebrate and I decided to do something I had never done before and get a tattoo. I got two Sig Sauer 229's tattooed on my lower back with PLUM above them. Since then, I have done quite a few missions and have been paid generously for them. As a free agent, I do a lot of stuff that is legally grey but morally right. I have killed for the government, gathered intel, and brought people in, I'm not exactly happy that I had to kill but it was for my country and the people I killed had done many horrible things. Most of my missions are spent with me gathering intel and then reporting to my 'boss' who assigns someone to go and neutralize the person I gathered intel on.
That is not always the case, as I said I have had to kill some. I spent a lot of nights when I first started as a free agent crying over the lives I had taken, lucky for me I had Aaron who held me while I cried and got me to change my thinking. He talked to me about what these people would have done had they not been taken out. Now I sleep better, I took a life but saved many.
Two weeks ago, Aaron sat me down for a talk about me going home, and how it was time to face my past so that I could truly move on. After a long talk, and me crying, I knew he was right. So we leave today for Trenton. I have a lot of money, because of the work I do, so my dad contacted a Real Estate Agent to find me a house.
I emailed my specifications to the realtor, and she emailed me pictures of houses. I found one that was perfect, sent money to my dad, and bought a house in Trenton. When I get to Trenton, I get to go straight to my house with Aaron. He is staying with me for about a month until I'm completely situated and he knows I'm going to be okay. I'm nervous but excited so much has changed. I'm stronger, smarter, and don't take crap from anybody anymore. Well my run is over, time to get ready to head home.
I finished showering and getting ready and went downstairs to find Aaron loading all our stuff into our SUV's. I drive a silver Audi Q5 and Aaron drives a blue Porsche Cayenne. I turn around and get one last look at the house that has been my safe haven for the last eighteen months. I hate leaving but know it's what I need to do. I feel two arms wrap around me and pull my back to his front. I let my head fall back onto his shoulder.
"Steph, I know this is going to be hard, but honey you have to do it. It's time to face your past and make plans for your future" I nodded my head, I know he is right but I love the peace here. I turn in his arms.
"Ready?" He nodded and gave me a quick kiss, I smiled up at him.
"Let's go."
He released me and we walked to our cars. I got in and left the house without looking back Afraid that if I looked back, I might not leave. I guess you are wondering what my relationship with Aaron is and it's complicated to say the least. We have slept together and he is the only person I have slept with in eighteen months. Beyond that, I really don't know. I still love Ranger, which makes it complicated. I guess it will all be figured out in time.
After a long day of driving we have finally made it to Trenton, we used GPS to get us to the house. As we pulled up, I noticed my Realtor waiting at the gate. The house is just outside of Trenton. It is guarded by a 10 foot privacy fence, and to get in the gate you have to have the code plus use a thumbprint and palm scanner.
The realtor got mine and Aaron's thumbprints and palm prints entered into it and we changed the code. The gates slowly opened to show a beautiful front yard and a beautiful two story brick house with a 4 car garage. I pulled into the garage using the opener the realtor gave me with Aaron pulling in beside me. We got out and there was a door to the left that led into the house.
We walked in and the house was beautiful. I had ordered all my furniture online and my dad came to the house when it was delivered. My realtor, Shelly placed all the furniture for me using the plans I sent her with where I wanted everything. When you came through the door you entered the kitchen which was done in black and white, with stainless steel appliances. There was a breakfast bar with black upholstered stools, the dining room came off the kitchen and was in black and white also, it had a dining room table with eight chairs.
The living room was in the center of the house and was done in neutral tans and off white, with a tan micro suede sectional sofa and two matching chairs, there was a glass coffee table and two glass end tables, and a 64 inch flat screen TV mounted on the wall.
Leaving the living room was a hall way that held my office which was done in black and white with a beautiful black desk, leather couch, and two chairs. Continuing down the hallway were two bedrooms and a bathroom in between them. Both bedrooms were done very plainly, white walls, a queen bed in each and a dresser, the beds had black and white plaid comforters. They were the exact same in every way.
We walked out of the hallway and went up the stairs to check out the second floor. On the second floor was my bedroom and bathroom. My bedroom was done in blues and greens and a cherry sleigh bed with matching dresser and night stands, off my bedroom was the bathroom which had a Jacuzzi tub, double sinks, and a huge shower with six showerheads, the countertops and cabinets were in white.
There were also two more bedrooms and another bathroom upstairs done the same as the two downstairs. We walked down into the basement which was converted into my gym. I had two of every kind of workout equipment you can imagine plus a sparring mat.
After our tour, we unpacked and put our things away. I went in the bathroom to freshen up so we could grab dinner and go get groceries. I straightened my hair which I have been doing for the last six months, its easier to manage this way. After I finished getting freshened up I went downstairs to find Aaron. He was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking water waiting on me.
"Hey Aaron, you ready to go grab dinner?"
"Yeah where we going?"
"Well depends what are you in the mood for?" I said as we set the alarm guarded by Rangeman and walked into the garage.
"Pizza would be good." He said with a smile.
"Okay. I'm not ready for the Burg grapevine yet so Pino's is out but we can go to Shorty's which is second best."
"Sounds good your car or mine?" He asked.
"Umm Mine." He smiled and walked to the passenger side and got in. We were both in the zone while I drove to Shorty's. That is something I learned being gone, I now have a blank face and go into the zone. My zone keeps me hyper alert but makes others think I'm not paying attention.
We pulled into Shorty's and I noticed three black SUV's and knew some of the Merry Men were here. Hey, they are gonna find out eventually and they may not recognize me with straight hair. My clothes are the same, kind of, I've got on tan cargoes and a black tank top, with a black jacket to cover the gun in my waistband plus the one on my shoulder holster. I also have one in my ankle holster and two knives, one attached to my belt and one on my other ankle.
We walked in and I immediately noticed the Merry Men sitting in the back at a table. No Ranger, which doesn't surprise me, but my favorite Merry Men were here. Tank, Bobby, Lester, Hal, Cal, Vince, and Woody. Aaron and I headed towards the booth across from them so we could see the door, another habit I picked up. I looked at Aaron and he knew the question in my eyes, he nodded his head. Yes, we have ESP, its all in the eyes. I got up and walked over to the Merry Men. Lester was the easiest to get behind so I wrapped my arms around his neck put my mouth by his ear and whispered.
"Guess who?"