I haven't been writing in a while due to writers block and basic disinterest. I am hoping a one shot will help clear it up.

All characters are JE's I am just playing with them.

SPOV

I was in my favorite thinking position but this time I was in some place much more pleasant. September at Point Pleasant is glorious especially on a Wednesday. I decided I needed a day to sort through some things so here I am.

I was contemplating the life of being Stephanie Plum, the bombshell bounty hunter. I was no longer Cupcake and I haven't been for a while. I was still Ranger's "Babe" but only in a best friend capacity. My job is going well. I now work full time for Rangeman. While Ranger was in the wind on his last mission Tank and Lester trained me and I surprised Ranger and myself by qualifying mediocre in all the Rangeman tests. Don't get me wrong I know that I an no longer just an entertainment line and the guys tell me that I never really was but to know that I can even pass the tests makes me feel like I am worthy of being there.

Then there is my love life. Joe and I broke up quite a while ago and I have been alone and celibate since. I am in love though but it is unrequited. There is no way my favorite Merry Man thinks of me as anything more than a little sister but a girl can dream and oh what dreams they were. Of course my thinking gave way to snoozing as it always does.

I awoke when the sun went in and the air started to chill. Sitting up slowly I saw that I wasn't alone. My favorite Merry Man was sitting next to me, still in uniform, hot as ever and staring out at the ocean.

S- Talking/ MM- Talking

"Hey, What are you doing here?" God he is so hot. I was just having the greatest dream about him and here he is in real life.

"Enjoying the sights and sounds. What are you doing here?"

"The same." I glanced at him and noticed he was checking me out.

"You didn't show up at work today and Lester told me where you were."

Ah yes, Lester my hermano, he is the only one I trusted to know how I really felt about the guy sitting next to me.

"And did he tell you I needed help or something to run you al the way out here?" There goes that one eyebrow thingy. I really need to learn how to do that.

"No, in fact he told me you had some stuff to think about and that you needed some time away."

"OK so you are here because?" I mean c'mon if Lester told him I wanted to be alone why would he track me?

"Because I need to talk to you."

"And?" I wasn't going to make this easy on him and I can't ESP.

"Little Girl, you need to sit and listen all the way through and do not interrupt me. I don't due this very often so I will need your complete cooperation."

He is going to fire me I know it. What else could he be talking about? I can take the unemployment what I can't take is not seeing him every day.

"Will you cooperate?"

I nodded… Well at least I think that I did. I was shaking. He turned himself towards me and looked into my face. His hand reached up and brushed stray curl back from my forehead and I couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"Steph, before I met you I was a warrior. I did nothing that did not have to do with bettering myself for my missions and my job then I met you. This little slip of a girl that just broke down all my barriers and wormed her way into my life becoming the most important person in my heart. That little girl goes above and beyond every expectation that people throw at her. She gives love and acceptance freely and constantly brings out the best in me."

At this point he took a big breath and I began to get warm and fuzzy inside with hope.

"Steph, I love you and I don't mean in a big brother kind of way. I love you with everything I have and everything I am. I love you as my other half of my soul."

The tears slipped down my face. My dream was coming true right now. I knew I had to wait patiently. I had promised to not say anything until he was finished.

"The reason I asked you not to say anything is if you don't feel the same way we can pretend this conversation never happened and go back to just being friends. No one knows that I came out here to talk to you with the exception of Lester. I received my discharge yesterday and knew that I could now admit to my feelings and move on without a possible mission hanging over my head. OK I am done I think."

He looked down as soon as he said it and missed me launching myself at him. We fell over on the sand with me on top or his gorgeous body. I crushed my mouth to his savoring his taste. I tried to put everything I felt into that one kiss. His tongue licked my bottom lip begging for entrance which I immediately granted. After several minutes we finally pulled away from each other both of us breathless.

"Little Girl does this mean what I think it means?"

I smiled and looked away while gathering up my courage and settling my nerves before taking the final step towards my forever. I finally did it and looked him in the eye.

"I love you Tank always have always will."