Author's Note:

I am just going to leave this here for you guys to read.

There is more to come.

I sink down on the ground and stare at the door that says 'Authorised personnel only'. This just isn't happening...today was supposed to be a happy day...The final step to our someday and then this...We seriously must have pissed someone off in our previously lives...

Earlier today

"Are you nervous pumpkin?" my dad questions and smiles at me.

"No...I am excited" I grin and he shakes his head.

"I am happy for you. He is a good man, he will make you happy for the rest of your life" he assures me and walks over to the door to open it, when someone knocks.

"I am counting on it" I quip back.

"You are not supposed to be here" my dad growls as he opens the door and immediately closes it again.

"Please...I haven't seen her in a 26 hours, 30 minutes and 58 seconds" I hear the familiar voice say through the door and a grin spreads over my face.

"You have made it through so far, you can wait another half an hour. She will see you at the altar." my dad shouts back and shakes his head. "No sense for tradition" then he takes one look at my face and he adds "You are not getting out of here until it is time to go."

"Fine" I roll my eyes jersey style and turn back to the floor length mirror. The dress is perfect. I fell in love with it the first time I tried it on. Even my mom instantly said that this is the one. The white dress is floor length, has a tight bodice, no straps and flairs out on the bottom, but it is not puffy. The top layer is lace and a silvery band is tied around my midsection.

The hairdresser has managed to pull all my curls, with the help of lots of pins and hair spray, into a complicated hairdo, with middle seized braids on either side of my head.

I am wearing diamond earrings which my mother gave me as something borrowed and a small diamond necklace as something new. That one was a gift from my sister. My something old are my shoes and my something blue is the Victoria secret underwear beneath the dress.

There is another knock and my dad, once again, goes to answer it. I half expect for it to be my future husband again, but it is only Lula, Mary Lou, Connie, my sister and mother.

All of their dresses are in pastels colours with different lengths and cuts, since I wanted them all to look great. They do however all spot a similar hairstyle. All of their hair is straighten with a couple of small braids on either side of their head and tied together in the back.

The next half an hour is spent in exciting chatter and not before long my dad ushers them all out of the room. "I can still bring the car around back for you to make a clean getaway" he jokes.

"I don't think we would get very far...he has a way of tracking me down. There is probably a tracker on me right now…" I grin back. "Besides, I don't want to runaway. I have waited too long for this day."

"Then let's go and get you married" my dad says and opens the door for me. Together, we walk out of the room and down the stairs of the wooden house.

Manny's parents own a large farm, which is surrounded by mountains and forest. They built multiple small two storey cottages on the other end of the farmland far and secluded from the main house. The cottages are close to the forest, where events such as weddings can be held. I fell in love with it the first time we came here for a company 'retreat' and we thought it was perfect for our wedding.

The six cottages are arranged in a circle, which gives the feel of a small village, with a gravelled walkway leading towards a big garden on the edge of the forest. Right next to the garden we set up a big tent for the reception, with a band, dance floor and lots of food.

My hands are starting to shake and I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Maybe I lied to my father a little. I am nervous as hell and I really don't know why. It wasn't like this when I married Dickie.

"Wow" escapes my mouth, as we round the corner and I can see my soon-to-be husband standing there in his black Armani suit with a black dress shirt and a white silvery tie. My father chuckles and guides me down the aisles when the band starts playing John Legend's 'All of me'.

"Ranger" my father nods as he hands me over to my soon-to-be husband, after he kissed me on the cheek.

"Sir" Ranger nods, without looking away from me. "You look beautiful."

"You don't look so bad either" I smile.

I hand my bouquet to my sister, who is my maid of honour, and together we turn to the celebrant. Our mothers nearly got a heart attack as we told her that we wouldn't be getting married in a church nor by a priest. But we kept firm and they had no choice but to agree with us.

"I do" I say 20 minutes later with a huge smile on my face, when Carlos slides the simple silver wedding band over my ring finger.

"Do you Ricardo Carlos Manoso take Stephanie Plum to your lawf…" BANG BANG

Blood splatters on my dress and I look down, before looking back up to meet Ranger's eyes. "Babe…" Ranger says and puts his hand to his chest. For a moment, a long moment, the world stands still, before it continues in slow motion. When he removes his hand seconds later, my heart stops beating and I can't breathe. His hand is covered in blood. His eyes grow wide, when he falls towards me and I have trouble holding him up, before we both sink to the ground.

"Stay with me" I beg over and over again.

"I-I mmm not ….goinnngg anywherebabe" he slurs and brings his blood covered hand to my cheek.

"Just keep your eyes open, handsome" I shoot him the best smile I can muster up right now and he chuckles, which results into coughing. I can see that he has great difficulty to hold his eyes open.

This all happens in the matter of seconds, but it seems like a lifetime to me. To say that I am panicked is an understatement. I am terrified.

Lester and Tank try to pry me away from him, but I don't want to leave his side. I need to make sure that he stays awake.

"Beautiful, you need to let us help him." Lester urges and I finally let go of Ranger. Bobby immediately drops to the ground and presses his suit jacket on Ranger's chest. Zip materialises out of nowhere with Bobby's medic bag and also drops to his knees to help Bobby.

"He will be fine" Lester keeps whispering in my ear, as much for my comfort as well has his own, while I watch over his shoulder Bobby and Zip work on Ranger. My mind is blank and all I see is Ranger lying on the ground, bleeding to death, with my heart aching like crazy.

At some point someone produces a backboard and they load Ranger onto it. Together the Rangemen carry him to the chopper, which I never heard approach.

"Here, put these on" Les says and hands me a some headphones.

Just as we take off, one thought jumps into my mind and I repeat it over and over again.

Please don't die!