Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. The rest belong to me. Thanks to Knitter (Sandy) for the basic idea for the story.

Spoilers: Anything from the first 18 books.

This is probably more AU than canon. Although there may be material from any of the 18 books, I have changed the reality of Stephanie and the rest of the characters from the Plum series.

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

I stood in the parking lot of my apartment building and watched as the fire trucks and police cars came screaming into the parking lot. The firefighters pulled their equipment on and headed into the building as the police officers set up a crime scene perimeter. My ex-boyfriend, a Trenton cop by the name of Joe Morelli pulled his non-descript car into the lot and got out of the car. I watched as he searched the crowded parking lot till our eyes met and the worry left his face and he gave a slight smile. He ambled in my direction and I watched as he closed in on my location. Morelli smiled as he reached me and he asked, "What did you do now Cupcake?"

I turned to him with my hands on my hips and glared, "Why do you assume I did anything?"

Morelli threw back his head and laughed, "You've had 9 cars, 3 apartments, a funeral home and a restaurant go up in flames and you're wondering why I'm assuming this is on you?"

I rolled my eyes, "They weren't my fault!"

"You're losing credibility with that line Cupcake."

I glared and gave Morelli a hand gestured letting him know what I thought of his attitude and walked away. He chuckled and took hold of my arm to pull me up short. "Seriously Cupcake, any ideas who might have done this?"

I shook my head. "No." I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

"Aw Steph, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry."

I wiped my wet face and sniffed, "Rex didn't make it."

Joe's face twisted in agony and he wrapped his arms around me. He rested his chin on the top of my head and said, "I'm sorry Steph."

I nodded and let myself feel secure in his embrace. Joe stayed with me until the fire department had finished up and the crowd had all but gone. Joe asked, "You need a ride somewhere Cupcake?"

I sighed, "No. I have my car and it missed the explosion so I'm good."

He walked me to my car and helped me into the driver's seat. I turned the key and the car turned right over. I thanked Joe and we said our goodbyes. I headed to my parent's house. They lived in a two story duplex in a neighborhood in Chambersburg known as "The Burg". Our half was yellow with a brown shingle roof. When I pulled up in front of my parent's house, my mom and grandma were standing on the porch by the front door. I never knew how they did it but they always knew when I was arriving and they were always waiting on the front porch. Grandma Mazur's eyes were lit up with excitement but my mom's lips were pinched with disapproval. I sent them a finger wave and made my way over to them.

My mom tossed her head and sniffed, "We've had over three dozen calls. Why must you always get into these situations?"

I rolled my eyes, "It wasn't my fault."

"Right. It never is."

I stopped midstride and turned to my mother. "I just spent the past two hours dealing with the fact that someone blew up my apartment building. I'm tired and I'd like to get some sleep before I have to get up in three hours and get ready to go out on job interviews. I don't need the added stress of you putting all this on me. Now, I will find some other place to spend the night so I don't contaminate you with my presence." I turned and headed back towards my car.

"Stephanie!"

I turned and felt my shoulders sag as I noticed my dad on the front porch. "Sorry daddy, but I'm at the end of my rope."

"Come into the house and get some sleep Pumpkin. Your mother will keep her opinions to herself." Dad turned to mom and sent her a look I wasn't privy to, "Isn't that right Helen?"

Mom gave a slight nod as her lips pinched even further into a sour expression. I made my way into the house and headed up to my old room. I still had a few things at my parent's for emergencies and I slipped into the nightie in the drawer and slipped into bed. I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow. I heard noise the next morning that told me I had missed the window to get in and out of the bathroom before grandma and dad had their usual fight over who needed it more. Each one took forever in there and I got some extra sleep while I was waiting for them to finish. I took a quick shower and dressed in the navy pantsuit I had left there from the last time I spent the night. I got myself all dressed and ready before heading downstairs, hoping to get breakfast.

When I walked into the kitchen, grandma was dishing up French toast and bacon onto a plate. She set the plate on the table and said, "Dig in. Your mother is at the market buying meat."

I sighed as I sat down. Grandma stopped behind me and wrapped her arms around me. "You don't let her get to you baby girl. I was so proud of you standing up to her last night. So was your daddy."

I took a bite of breakfast and moaned. "This is really good grandma."

She sat down and gave me a questioning look. "What are you going to do about a place to live?"

I shrugged, "Look for another apartment I guess. Although its getting harder each time one blows up."

Grandma smiled and pushed a photo in front of me. My eyes widened and then I met her gaze. "Its for sale. I have some money squirreled away that I could let you have if you are interested in buying it and fixing it up. I'd like to rent a room from you, and if you rented out other rooms, the money you got would pay the mortgage."

I had to admit, she had a great idea. I had always loved the three story Victorian house on the outskirts of Trenton. The house was set on 15 acres of land. I picked up the paper and noticed the price of the house had been lowered. "How much do you have to put towards this?"

Grandma replied, "I have $50,000."

I bit my lip. "I would have to work out a proposal for the bank, but I think we could make this work. I'll get on it when I get done with my interviews."

I finished breakfast and told grandma I would see her later. I headed out to my car and made my way to my first interview. It was at the law offices of Limbrick, Downley, and Orr. I was directed to a waiting room and after about 15 minutes I was called back for my interview. The minute I was introduced to Richard Orr I knew this wouldn't be the job for me. The Dick was more interested in getting in my pants then he was in finding a new secretary. When I said goodbye I knew I wouldn't be accepting any job offers from this company.

I knew when I pulled up for my second interview that I wouldn't be accepting a job there either. It was at a bar on Stark Street and they needed a manager. I wasn't willing to put myself in mortal danger daily for a job. The third and last place where I was interviewing was a small, seven story, nondescript building on Haywood. I noticed as I parked a small name plate that said Rangeman. I sent a prayer up that I would get this job. It was the best option that had come along in the 6 months since I'd been let go from E. E. Martin. I entered the Lobby and smiled at the man who sat behind the desk.

I walked briskly and confidently across the Lobby floor and stopped at the desk. I smiled and held out my right hand as I said, "Hello. My name is Stephanie Plum and I am here to see Mr. Manoso for an interview."

The man behind the desk accepted my hand and shook it before saying, "My name is Binkie ma'am. Mr. Manoso is not available but Tank will interview you. I'll just call upstairs and have one of the guys come down and show you where to go."

I smiled, "I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble. If you could give me directions, I'm sure I could find Tank's office." I couldn't help but think who would go by the name of Tank.

Binkie stood and I looked up…way up. At a guess I would say Binkie stood 6'3" tall and weighed probably close to 250 pounds of solid muscle. He was a very good looking guy that looked to be a few years younger than I was. His face gave nothing away as he led me to the elevator. His light brown hair was cut military style and he had brown eyes. As we neared the elevator it opened and a man topping Binkie by a good inch stood inside waiting. The two guys nodded to each other and I stepped inside and sent Binkie a finger wave.

I turned to the big, bald, jug-headed guy, neatly dressed in black jeans and T-shirt. He had muscle-bound, bulging arms crossed over his massive chest and his tiny eyes were fixed on me. He had a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead and looked like a Steroidasaurus. (pg. 221 TTN) I smiled up at the guy with no reaction from him. I rolled my eyes and turned towards the elevator doors and waited to arrive at our destination. When the doors opened I stepped off and the guy behind me motioned me towards an office at the other end of the room. There were cubicles to one side and the other side of the room had a wall of monitors where two men sat watching the screens. When I reached the indicated office I stopped and looked up at the guy beside me. He gave nothing away as he knocked on the door.

A deep, booming, "Enter." sounded and the guy beside me opened the door and indicated I should precede him. If I thought the first two guys were big they were nothing compared to the man who stood as I entered and stepped towards me with his hand out. He smiled and said, "Welcome Ms. Plum. I'm Tank. I'm the second in command around here and since Ranger isn't available for your interview I'll be the one conducting it. Please have a seat."

I shook his hand and then walked over to the sofa and sat down. Tank never looked away from me as he said, "That will be all Cal." My gaze took in Tank as we waited for Cal to leave. Tank stood about six foot six and is built like a tank. He didn't have an ounce of fat on him and wore his hair in a Marine buzz cut. (pg. 131 TTN) He was dressed in black cargos and a black t-shirt. He was a good looking black man and his face gave nothing away. What was it with these guys anyway? Did they all take blank faces 101?

I waited for Tank to read through the file in front of him and then he looked up and met my gaze. "I see from your resume that you worked for E. E. Martin. Can you tell me why you are no longer with them?"

I nodded, "They were bought out by another company and the new owners decided to hire their own staff. Plus, it was rumored that some of the people in management weren't exactly honest."

Although he didn't react, I had a feeling I surprised him with my answer. I schooled my face not to let my thoughts show but couldn't help thinking, 'What, you didn't think I would be honest. Everybody and their brother knows all about it and I have no intention of trying to hide the facts because I want this job.' At a barely there smile on Tank's face I started wondering if my thoughts had stayed where they belonged or if I had voiced some or all of what I was thinking.

"I see you haven't been working the past 6 months. Been finding it difficult to find an employer willing to take a chance that you weren't one of the dishonest ones?"

I nodded. "That's part of it."

"The other part?"

"There are some things I'm not willing to do no matter how much money is involved."

"Ms. Plum, if we decide to hire you, would you have a problem following our company polices. In particular that you would need to carry a gun on you at all times as well as training on how to use various types of guns. You will also need to follow an exercise regime as well as healthy eating habits."

My mind was reeling with all he had just told me. "What kind of regime?"

"You will need to be proficient on several weapons as well as carry a gun on your person at all times, you'll need to work out three times a week for an hour each time, and Rangeman has a contraband rule as to what can be brought into the building. No sweets."

I paused, "Does that mean no sweets at all or just none in the building?"

Tank's lips lifted slightly, "As long as you don't eat them at Rangeman you're good."

I took a sigh of relief. "I think I can follow those rules."

Tank nodded, "I'm prepared to offer you the position Ms. Plum."

I winced, "Can you call me Stephanie or Steph? Ms. Plum makes me feel like my mother." I shuddered involuntarily.

Tank nodded, "Okay Stephanie." He held his hand out to me, "Welcome aboard."

I shook his hand and grinned. "Thank you. You won't be disappointed."

Over the next two hours I became acquainted with the Rangeman policies. I signed contracts and learned what my pay scale would be. Tank took me around and showed me where the gym and gun range were located. I was allowed to choose a gun and he spent some time going over gun safety and making sure I knew how to use the gun. No one was more surprised than I was when I managed to shoot the paper target in the heart over and over. Tank had me fill out the paper work so he could get me registered to pick up skips, and a gun permit as well as a carry concealed permit. Although picking up skips wouldn't be part of my normal job duties, it was necessary for the paperwork to be filed in case it was necessary for me to run a skip in. Tank showed me into the gym and introduced me to the guys around Rangeman. I knew I wouldn't remember half their names so I just smiled and nodded figuring I would work on getting to know the rest of them later.

When we finished the tour we were in the Lobby. Tank shook my hand once more and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you Stephanie. I'll see you tomorrow morning at 8 a.m."

I groaned inwardly but smiled and nodded. "8 a.m."

I headed out to my car and decided to swing by the banks to see if I could arrange the loan for the house. With the down payment from grandma, my salary from Rangeman, and the rent from the borders, it seemed like a sure thing….I hoped. I pulled into the bank's lot and headed inside. I saw my cousin Mary as I entered the bank and sent her a finger wave. She smiled back. I stopped by the loan officer's desk and asked to speak with John about a loan. I only had to wait a few minutes to see him and when I came out of his office an hour later I had the signed loan note for the house of my dreams. Seems the bank held the loan on the house and they were anxious to sell. I had everything signed and sealed and finalized.

I was walking on air as I made the way out to my car. I had the keys to my new home in my hands. I made the trip out there and looked through the house before heading back to my parent's to tell grandma the good news. When I told my parent's and grandma about buying the house and my new job, the only one not excited was my mother. My dad agreed to go out the next day and take a look to see what the house might need in the way of repairs before I could move in. When I told everyone I had to be to work by 8 in the morning I could see my dad's shoulders silently shaking and grandma was chuckling. I helped with the dishes and watched TV with my dad for a while before heading to bed early.

The next morning when I got to the Rangeman building I made my way into the Lobby. There was a different man at the desk today and I smiled and sent him a finger wave as I walked past him towards the elevator. Just as I reached the elevator he seemed to come to his senses and stood to come after me. My eyes widened and as the elevator doors opened I stepped in and pressed the 5 button. The elevator doors shut before the guy from the desk reached me. When the doors opened on the 5th floor I froze and lifted my hands as three very scary men dressed in black stood there holding their guns aimed at me.

I heard Tank's voice boom from the other side of the room, "Stand down!"

The guys put their guns away as Tank strode towards me and held out his hand muttering, "Sorry about that Steph. Apparently not all the guys got the message about you coming on board."

I nodded, "Its okay. I needed a good adrenaline rush first thing this morning."

I got the impression Tank was fighting not to laugh. "Let me show you to your desk."

I followed him to a cubicle and noticed how neat and tidy everything looked. I sure hoped I wasn't expected to keep it in that condition. I sat down and Tank ran over what I needed to know about my computer and everything. He wished me well on my first day and told me if I had any questions his office was open to me anytime. I thanked him and spent the first hour acquainting myself with everything. I had gone to the break room to get a drink of water, and when I got back I found my in box had been crammed with folders. There was a note on top telling me which program to use. I lifted the first file and got to work.

About halfway through my in box I came to a file on Walter Dunphy. I frowned and wondered what Mooner had done to get arrested. I read through the file and noticed the bond was an especially high one. The more I read the more upset my stomach got. I had a feeling there was something going on here that wasn't in black and white. I put the information into the search program and was surprised to get addresses for Mooner that I knew were fake. I printed out the information and when I went to take it from the printer I noticed my hands were shaking. I looked over everything I had found and noticed a couple of pieces of information that didn't fit with the rest.

I bit my lip and debated what to do. I lifted my gaze and looked towards Tank's office. I stood and decided to take what I knew to Tank and see what he thought. Taking him at his word I walked into his office and didn't bat an eye as he looked up from what he was working on and glared in my direction. After several tense moments he asked, "Can I help you Steph?"

I handed him the file. "There are some pieces that don't fit with this one."

"Just put the search information in the file and leave it in the out box. One of the guys will follow the leads."

I bit my lip and shrugged, "They won't find him with the information in here. Its not accurate."

I suddenly had all of Tank's attention. "How do you know this?"

"Mooner lives in the Burg. I went to school with him. He's harmless and I can't believe he could do something like this. Now if he had gotten picked up for smoking marijuana or selling something hot I could believe it."

Tank motioned to the sofa so I sat down and told him all I knew about Mooner. I also included where they would find Mooner. Tank rubbed his chin as if he were thinking hard about something. "Alright. I'm going to have you go out with Bobby and Lester and to pick this guy up."

I nodded. Tank lifted the phone on his desk and pressed a number. After a second he growled, "Santos! Grab Brown and get to my office!