I'm Back! For those of you who sent PMs gently nudging (read that as regularly poking) me to come back to fanfiction, thank you. It was so nice to know even though I'd been gone for a long time, you hadn't forgotten about me. I doubt I'll be updating every day like I used to, but hopefully it will be often enough to keep the story rolling.
If you're curious what I was up to, feel free to go to Amazon and look up A Killer Cup of Joe. It's my first original novel and I'm really excited about it. If you take the time to read it, I'd love to hear from you! Now that we've gotten the shameless commercial out of the way…on with the story.
None of the characters below belong to me. I've blatantly taken them for my own amusement.
Jenny (JenRar) you're amazing. Thank you for reading and correcting everything I send your way.
Chapter 1 – Necessary Intervention
Tank ran his hand over his face, wishing it was enough to help him wake up. He could function on less sleep than most people, but this past month was pushing his boundaries. Knowing if he stayed in the office a moment longer that he'd fall asleep at his desk, he decided to step outside his usual routine and go to Pino's for a bite to eat. Not only would the change of scenery refresh him, but it might offer a little much-needed perspective.
Having people stare at him when he entered a room was nothing new. Being larger than the average citizen in Trenton ensured that he stuck out anywhere he went. Walking into the Burg's pizza joint reinforced that point as eleven sets of eyes swung his way. A mother in the booth closest to the entrance pulled her toddler to her. Little did she know that her kid was much safer with Tank in the restaurant than outside it, but he'd stopped trying to assure people that he wasn't a threat years ago. Nobody ever believed him anyway. People will trust what they think they see over what they hear, no matter how earnest the speaker may be.
He moved to an empty stool at the lunch counter, but before he could grab a menu, he felt a tentative touch on his shoulder. He turned as slowly as possible, not wanting to scare whoever had managed the task of sneaking up on him. He saw a woman, close to his age, with dark hair falling around her shoulders. She was dressed neatly and seemed to be all pulled together, except for a mud mark on her trousers at her right calf, Tank noticed. If he were a betting man, he'd say it was in the shape of a cleat.
"Mr. Tank?" She spoke softly, but her voice was steady, and she looked him in the eye. He admired her strength from that single act.
"Just Tank will do, ma'am," he corrected her.
She smiled and repeated his name, as though testing it out, and then shrugged, a gesture he'd seen Stephanie perform hundreds of times.
"I'm Mary Lou," she reminded him.
He nodded and turned on the stool to better see her. He wasn't rude, despite how his quiet nature tended to be perceived. Not only was this one of Stephanie's closest friends, but she was treating him with a great deal of respect, which deserved to be returned in kind.
She took the stool next to him, and once she sat down, the low hum of conversation again filled the restaurant. "I'm glad we took care of that," she commented, rolling her eyes.
Tank briefly wondered if that was a skill taught to young women from the 'Burg. No one where he grew up would dare do such a thing.
"What brings you to Pino's?"
"Lunch," he answered simply.
Her eyes narrowed, and he fought the urge to smile at how much that expression reminded him of his mother's.
"Maybe you're hungry, but I'm not buying it," she blurted out, proving he was right on track with the maternal comparison.
"Needed a change of scenery to go with my lunch," he said, adding another piece of truth to his original answer.
Mary Lou looked around and pointed to a booth at the back. "Why don't we go sit over there, and you can tell me why you're really here."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," he answered.
"You're on my turf now." She laughed as she explained, "I have a rare free afternoon, because my boys just left with their dad for a day of back-to-back soccer games. I don't need to go shopping, and I don't feel like being alone. I came here to do some thinking and was failing miserably until you walked you in, and I think you might be just the answer I was looking for."
Not sure he understood what she meant; he did allow her to lead him to the booth she'd indicated. He stepped around her to sit so his back was to the wall and he could see the entire restaurant. Having a more secure seat allowed him to relax a little. "Can you tell me what the question was?"
She laughed and waved at a waitress when she passed by. "I'd love a glass of water and a large pizza with extra cheese and every kind of meat you have in the back." Then she turned and looked at the large man across from her. "I'm assuming you can help me put that away."
He nodded and then added, "I'll have water too."
"You don't waste many words, do you?"
She didn't seem to be malicious in her comment, so he simply shook his head no.
Tank attempted once more to get her to explain her earlier comment. "What were you thinking about?"
"Stephanie Plum," she didn't hesitate to reveal. "You're Ranger's best friend, aren't you?"
Tank wasn't sure if that was the right description for what they were. Brothers was closer to reality, but he didn't want to argue semantics. "You could say that."
She let out a long breath and shook her head. "I can see what Steph means when she says it's like pulling teeth to get you guys to open up."
He'd heard her say the same thing, so it wasn't hard to picture.
"Maybe it will help if I tell you what I was thinking about," she prompted. "I can't figure out why Ranger and Stephanie aren't together."
The waitress arrived at that exact moment and placed two glasses of water on the edge of the table before walking away. The interruption gave him the chance to wipe his reaction from his face.
As he pulled a beverage to sit in front of him, he realized this was a conversation he might be able to contribute to. "I've been wondering the same thing myself."
Mary Lou's eyes opened wide, and she sucked in a quick breath. He'd surprised her, but he wasn't sure if it was what he said or the fact that he'd spoken at all. When she spoke next, her words came slower, as though she were being very careful in picking each word before she let it out. "I believe people have a right to live their lives the way they want to without anyone trying to take over."
"So do I," he quickly agreed, uncertain as to where she was going.
"Nothing would set Stephanie off quicker than to think someone had put their nose in her business."
"Ranger wouldn't let something like that go unpunished," he agreed.
"But if these two don't hurry up and get their act together, then I'm going to have to start avoiding her, because I can't take it anymore."
A laugh was as close as he could get to agreeing with her, although he fully understood what she was saying. He'd been trying to figure out where Ranger might ship him if he had Brown drug them both so they could be locked in a room together and forced to get their shit worked out before their recent moods began to rack up casualties.
Mary Lou wiped her eyes with a napkin from the little dispenser on the table. Apparently, his response had allowed her to see the humor as well.
"When Steph and Joe called it quits the last time, we all knew it was for good. There was no fighting, no yelling. They just divided up their stuff and had a final night out before shaking hands the next morning and saying goodbye. It was the most mature thing they'd ever done, and I knew they'd figured out that they were never meant to be more than friends."
Tank had wondered what had happened, because he could see a difference in Stephanie after that, but he couldn't come out and ask what was going on.
"She told me they were watching a game with Bob on the couch between them, when she turned to him and asked what they were doing. He shrugged and said it was just them hanging out." Mary Lou lifted her shoulders, as though she wasn't sure why that was significant. "That's when she knew…a Friday night, nothing to else to do, and she had come over to his house because she didn't feel like doing anything else. He was her consolation for not having a better offer, and she realized that even if he wouldn't admit it, she was the same thing for him. That was okay if they called it what it was, but she wasn't going to lie and pretend that was enough for her anymore from the guy she was supposedly dating."
Tank had always admired Stephanie's spunk, and hearing her finally stand up for herself made him proud.
"I've tried everything to get her to admit that she called Joe a consolation because there was an actual prize out there she wanted, but she refuses to say it." Mary Lou tapped her nails on the table top before adding, "I know the truth: she wants Ranger, but for some reason, she thinks she can't have him."
The way she leaned back and held Tank in her gaze made it clear she was expecting to hear something in return.
"The boss is probably to blame for that." When he stopped talking, she motioned for him to start up again. Telling Ranger's private business went against everything he stood for. It was his job to have the boss's back, not to betray it. But if this conversation could somehow help those two to quit fighting what was obviously going on, then it might be the kick in the ass Ranger needed to finally see what was right in front of him. "He's said some stuff to her that might make her think he could never have a relationship with her."
"She says he never lies to her, so this must be a waste of time." She seemed to admit defeat too quickly.
"He never lied to her," Tank quickly defended. "Whatever he said would have been true at the time, but the circumstances have changed, and I don't think he knows what to do because of that."
As he finished speaking, the waitress set their pizza in the center of the table, which gave him a chance to take a breath. That was a lot of talking with somebody he didn't know.
"What would have changed?" she wondered aloud.
"He's a free man now," Tank explained, hoping he didn't wake up in Siberia for this. He hated the cold.
"You mean he was married?" Mary Lou looked a lot like Steph at the moment, clearly getting mad on her friend's behalf.
"No," Tank quickly corrected, realizing he was going to have to talk more, because he couldn't let that kind of accusation stay out there. It questioned Ranger's honor, and nobody had the right to do that. "He's not been in a relationship of any sort since he met Miss Plum. I meant that until this past month, he'd been under contract with the government. They could call him up at any time and send him on a mission that he couldn't refuse. Some of these were short and simple, and some were months at the time and could have resulted in his death. As long as he lived with that kind of uncertainty, he didn't think he had the right to pull anyone into his life."
"Because he didn't know how long he'd be around to share it with them," she continued, quick to catch on. "So that isn't a problem anymore?"
"What we do isn't a safe desk job." Tank couldn't guarantee that Ranger was going to live to be an old man. Statistically, it was already a miracle they'd survived this long. It was impossible to tell if it was because they were that good, or if it had primarily been luck, which could run out at any time.
"Is there any chance he's planning on sharing all this with Steph?" she asked.
"I seriously doubt it, at least not freely," Tank admitted. "What about her? You say things with Morelli and Steph are over for good. Any chance she'll share that with Ranger and explain why this time is different?" It had been four weeks since she and Joe called it quits. He knew based on Ranger's habits in the gym that he was bracing himself for her to go back to the cop any day now. He might tell the other guys that it was her life and they needed to let her figure it out, but Tank knew something about this time was taking on toll on Ranger. Hope was an enemy you couldn't defeat without it coming at a high cost to yourself.
"So let me get this straight." She seemed amused, and Tank wasn't sure if that should make him nervous or not. "She's free and wishing for something with Ranger that she's convinced will never happen. And he's free and staying away from her because he's convinced she's going to go back to Joe like she usually does. So, they're avoiding each other and making themselves—and everyone around them—miserable."
"Sums it up," he agreed, taking half a slice of pizza in one bite.
"I told you I don't like putting my nose in other people's business, right?" When Tank nodded, she added, "But if we don't do something, they're going to let this pass them by, aren't they?"
He had to agree with her again. "Probably."
Her nails drummed on the table top once more. When they stopped suddenly, Tank set his current slice down, figuring she'd come up with an idea.
"She doesn't believe that he wants her as anything more than entertainment. He has to take her seriously, which means trusting her with something that's important to him."
Tank was confused. "He does that all the time."
"When?" She acted like that was the first time she'd ever considered that.
"She has her own cubicle in our office. He gives her unlimited access to RangeMan," he pointed out, wondering how Stephanie didn't understand that she was important to him. "He built that company from nothing to what it is today, and he's basically giving her any part of it she wants."
Mary Lou shook her head. "Steph doesn't want his company. She wants him."
"It's the same thing," Tank argued.
"Not to her," she cut in. "She needs something personal first before she can see this gift for what he intends it to be."
"His daughter," Tank countered. "Few people even knew he had one, and when there was trouble with Julie, Ranger went straight to Stephanie. She was the only one he trusted with his daughter."
"I'll give you that one," Mary Lou agreed. "But after that was over, he left for three months, and when he came back, he was as distant as ever."
It was hard to argue her point. Ranger had briefly entertained the idea that the only way to keep safe the people he loved was to cut them from his life entirely. It took Tank almost a year to beat that idea out of him.
"She needs to see that what he's offering her has meaning to him, so she can see that he takes her seriously," Mary Lou pointed out. "And you can't tell me there's not something he needs from Steph, too. There has to be a reason he's holding back."
Tank thought about that for a minute, and then it hit him. "He needs her to stand up to him."
"Seriously?" Mary Lou seemed intent on arguing that point. "She's been a rebel from the word go. She always does what she wants, even when he tells her not to. She constantly argues with anyone who tries to control her. How much more backbone does he need?"
That was all true to a point. "She stands up for what she wants to do, usually because she wants to act on someone else's interest. When he pushes her about what she wants, she runs. She backs down and hides instead of standing up for herself. Ranger's got a lot of pride. Watching her go back to the cop so many times has forced him to think it's because she doesn't want what he could offer. For him to believe things might be different, she's going to have to stand up to him and talk about something related to emotions."
"That's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" she rightly questioned.
"Yeah, but she's going to have to do it first." Tank was convinced that was true. Ranger would more than meet her halfway, but this first step was going to have to come from Stephanie.
Mary Lou put her pizza down and held her thumb in front of her lips. "How can we get Ranger to see she's serious about him and get her to see that the stuff he's been doing for years is really proof of how he feels about her?"
"It would take an army to pull off something like that," he pointed out, somehow causing her eyes to sparkle.
"You were in the Army, weren't you?" she suggested, leaning forward and lightly tapping her palm on the table. "And most of the other guys at RangeMan were too, right?"
"Yeah, or some other branch of the forces," he agreed, slightly nervous about how excited she was getting.
"Do you trust them?"
He gave the most honest answer he could. "With my life."
"Then we have some work to do," she declared.
"Exactly what are we planning on doing?" He hoped he didn't regret asking.
"Have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz?"
Apparently, she struggled to stay on topic, much like Stephanie did. Tank knew it was usually best to just let these tangents work themselves out, so he agreed that he had, although he couldn't remember much of it.
"We're going to send them on a journey together, and then we're going to pull back the curtain so they see the truth behind everything they learn."
Tank wasn't sure he wanted to ship Ranger off somewhere. That was more the boss's style than his.
As if sensing his confusion about her meaning, she explained, "When we finish here, I'm going to her parents' house to get them on board. Then I'm going to call Connie and Lula and have them play a part too. I have a feeling that once we set this ball in motion, everyone will want to help."
Tank wasn't sure how Ranger would feel about a whole group of people being involved in his personal life. A voice in the back of his mind told him that if it worked and Ranger and Stephanie got together, then it might not matter, but if this blew up, then he'd be even more difficult to be around. Getting sent to the frozen tundra might not be so bad compared to what Tank might have to endure in New Jersey.
They spent the next hour planning exactly what needed to happen and who they'd need to help. It was a bigger list than Tank wanted, but at least on the RangeMan end, it was the group he most trusted to keep it to themselves. It may have been that when men were desperate, they tended to grasp at anything for a solution, but he figured this was a lot more likely to work than doing nothing.
And since it was fall, there was no harm in pulling his winter clothes out of the back of the closet. It wasn't a bad idea to know exactly where his heavy coat was just in case there was time to grab it before he was dropped in a crate.
A/N: More shameless plugging for my original work: A-Killer-Cup-Joe-ebook/dp/B00FITL3KO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380883669&sr=8-1&keywords=a+killer+cup+of+joe