Sally's April Sewing Challenge April 2011: Write a story about the special meaning of a quilt/other handmade memento.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters- just the idea behind the story. Thanks to Janet Evanovich for letting us play with her awesome characters.

Warm Memories

Merriam Webster defines Murphy's Law as "an observation: anything that can go wrong will go wrong". Seeing as how that pretty much sums up the summary of my life in general, I should have known better than to go after Herbart Hobart today, of all days. When I woke up this morning, the skies were a lovely shade of dismal gray that reminded me of the color of burnt charcoal- after the heat had gone away and all of its' usefulness was gone. The temperature outside was a frigid 22 degrees, which made me want to snuggle down further into my covers and waste the day away in bed. However, my rent was due in two days and I only had about half of it saved up. I'd used the money from my last skip to pay the utilities and buy a loaf of bread, some olives, and some peanut butter.

As of late, skips were few and far between. The frigid weather had not been very helpful where they were concerned. Everyone seemed to be showing up for their court dates, choosing to risk being found guilty at their trials instead of going FTA. At least they had the promise of three hots and a cot if they were put in jail. That's more than I was getting right now. Most days I was eating peanut butter and olive sandwiches for all three meals, except for the few that I mooched from my mom's house. The fact that I'd almost rather eat the same thing, three meals a day, seven days a week should tell you something about the state of my relationship with my mother. She'd been on my case ever since Joe Morelli and I broke up. Seems that we couldn't agree on two key fundamentals. He wanted me to quit my job and marry him. I wanted him to be faithful. Since neither of the two were happening (as evidenced by me finding Terry Gilman's underwear in the backseat of his Explorer) we had split up over three months ago. Our relationship was tense and strained whenever we saw each other around town, but at least it was over and done with.

I had worked a few distraction jobs for Ranger in the past month. He always paid me well for the work, and the money came in handy. The cash I'd earned from the last two distractions had gone to pay for my car taxes and an unexpected ER bill. I was chasing an FTA and eventually caught up to him. Unfortunately, he was a tad bit stronger than I was, and he tossed me through the Giovanni Deli's front window. I did get my man, along with 28 stitches to my arm.

Recently even the distraction jobs were slowing down. Ranger had stopped by my apartment one night and offered the job of searches to me. I almost jumped at the chance, but felt like he was only offering because he knew I was hard up. I didn't want a hand out, and it wasn't his fault that I was broke. I declined, stating that I was making ends meet and that I'd let him know if I changed my mind. He told me to call him if I needed anything, but I'm not sure that a Ranger induced orgasm was on the list of things acceptable to call him for. So I hadn't.

I finally made my way out of bed and took a somewhat warm shower. I say somewhat because my hot water heater had decided to pick the coldest day of the year thus far to quit working. By the time I finished my shower, I was colder than when I stepped into the shower. If I was able to catch the FTA today, I'd have enough money to pay my rent and could then ask Dillon to fix the water heater. As it was, I didn't feel right asking for him to fix it if I couldn't at least pay my rent on time.

I finally was dressed and flipped the television on as I munched on a piece of peanut butter toast. I groaned inwardly as the weatherman forecasted the weather for today. "Today's high is expected to barely hit the freezing mark of 32. Look for a mixture of rain and sleet with overcast skies. Tonight's low will be 16 degrees." Geez. What I wouldn't give for a trip to Miami right now.

I threw on my heavy overcoat that I'd gotten from a thrift store. It looked a little worse for the wear, but it was warm and only cost me three dollars. With my budget as it was as of late, I'd lost a bit of weight and had bought a few things from the thrift store. There wasn't much use in buying new jeans and shirts to roll around in garbage. That seemed to be where I ended up most of the time while catching FTA's anyway. A whole stack of clothes, plus the coat, had only cost me twenty dollars. With that purchase, there wasn't any money left for Tastycakes or the Tasty Pastry. And I hadn't seen or smelt the grease from Cluck In A Bucket in over two months. I couldn't wait for summer time to get here, so the FTA's would at least be back on the run. That'd help my cash flow tremendously. If things didn't pick up soon, I was going to have to go apply at the button factory or take Ranger up on his offer for employment. And while I'd love to work for Ranger, I wasn't sure I could stand being around him each and every day while knowing that he didn't want me.

We'd had a conversation shortly after Joe and I broke up where I pretty much laid my feelings on the line. I told him I felt like I could potentially be falling in love with him. That's really big words for me, since I'd never told any other man that I loved him before. His response was to remind me that he wasn't relationship material. He also reminded me that he loved me in his own way, but couldn't have a relationship with me. In other words, "thanks but no thanks". It broke my heart, but at least he was honest. For whatever reason, he didn't want me. I'd learned to live with it. Being at Rangeman daily might be good for my wallet, but it wasn't good for my heart.

I made my way down to my Honda CRV. It was in relatively good condition and had four doors, which made hauling skips easier. I pulled the file on Herbart Hobart out of my bag and looked it over. His last known address was a little cabin down by the river. I'd check there first, and if he wasn't there, I'd find a place to sit and wait. He didn't have a job that I knew of, and had no family in the area. He was pretty much a loner. He spent his nights drinking and his days sleeping it off, which is probably why he'd been arrested for drunken and disorderly conduct.

I made the twenty minute drive to his address and pulled behind some trees to watch and wait. I'd packed a thermos of coffee this morning and opened it up and poured a small cup full. At least it would help keep my hands warm. I didn't want to let the car idle too long since gas was so expensive and I hated to waste it.

After watching and waiting for over four hours, I saw Herbert open his front door and make his way behind the cabin. It had started to sleet and I wondered what he could possibly be doing outside in this weather, but I slipped from my car and quietly made my way towards the back of his cabin as well. I watched as he fed a mangy looking dog that was in a dog kennel behind his house. When he had finished, I stepped around from the corner of the cabin and began my usual speech. "Mr. Hogart you are in violation of your bond. I'm here to take you to jail and get you re-entered into the court system. You can try to post bail at that time."

That was all I got out before Herbert decided that he didn't want to go. "Stupid cunt! You're a fool if you think you're going to take me in! All you stupid women are all alike. Think you can boss us men around! Well it ain't happening!" At this point, I had my taser in my hand, but Herbert was quicker than I gave him credit for and as I tried to make my way towards him, he gave me a quick shove and pushed me to his immediate left. I didn't realize that there was a steep embankment behind the cabin that led down to the river, and the surrounding soil was soft and mushy from all of the recent rain and sleet. I tried to regain my footing, but as I did I stumbled into a soft area of the ground and fell backwards, tumbling down the long embankment into the river below. The current was fairly swift, and the water was icy cold. It was an immediate shock to my system and took my breath as I fell in.

I flailed about as I tried to find my footing, but was only rewarded with mouthfuls of water. I finally stood, but slipped on a slick river rock and fell, twisting my ankle and hitting my head on a larger boulder near the river's edge. Black dots flashed before my eyes as I felt warm blood trickle down my face. What I wouldn't give to be warm and cozy in the Rangeman offices right now, happily doing searches on criminals. Suddenly, bond enforcement didn't look as appealing as it once had.

Somehow I managed to drag myself to the rivers' edge and pulled myself from the water. I tried to stand, but was unable to. I'd fought against the current of the river and was exhausted. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, willing to eat a bit of humble pie and call Ranger for help. I knew he was my only hope of getting out of this predicament.

My cell phone had somehow survived the water. Thankfully, it was one that Ranger had given me and I figured that even dynamite wouldn't harm it. I hit speed dial one and was greeted by a friendly "Yo".

My teeth chattered from the frozen temperatures and the wetness that had soaked me through and through. I tried to speak, but it came out as "Rrrraaannger".

"Babe, what's wrong? Where are you?"

My head was continuing to throb, and I could feel the blood continuing to trickle down my temple. I lifted my hand to check the cut and was surprised at the amount of blood when I withdrew my hand. The dots were back in front of me, and I could feel darkness creeping in. I finally managed to say "Ranger, help me" before the darkness overcame me.

Ranger's POV:

"Stephanie! Babe, answer me! Where are you?" She didn't reply, but I could hear the rush of water in the background. I ran from my office to the control room where Hal was on monitors.

"Hal, pull up Steph's trackers. Quick! Where is she?"

"Boss, her car is showing up at 113 Waters Edge Way. That's down near the river."

I was already running towards the stairs as I yelled for Bobby, Tank, and Lester to follow. I knew whatever had happened had to be bad. Stephanie was so independent that she wouldn't call for help unless it was her last option. Tank and I jumped into his Hummer as Bobby and Lester jumped in Bobby's Expedition. I knew he kept it stocked with medical supplies in case a takedown went bad. I silently prayed that we would find Stephanie alive and well, while fear and dread loomed heavy over me.

When we arrived at the address Hal had given, I immediately saw Steph's car. It was empty and the hood was cold-as if it'd not been running for a while. What was she doing way out here near the river anyway? Tank radioed back to Rangeman to ask if Hal had the name of the owner of the cabin. Hal replied that it belonged to Herbert Hogart and that he came up in our system as an FTA.

Lester and Bobby took the front entrance as Tank and I took the back. I heard them pounding on the front door of the cabin as I quickly scanned the area, looking for Stephanie. I knew I heard water rushing in the background when I was on the phone with her, so I assumed she was close to the river. Bobby yelled "Got him, Boss" from the front, so Tank and I immediately made our way down the embankment towards the river.

We scanned the waters' edge, not seeing anything but mud and water. I knew we had to find her quickly with the temperature as cold as it was. Hypothermia was probably already setting in, and she'd be dead within minutes if she was wet from the river. We continued to scout the rivers' edge and finally stumbled upon a place in the river's edge that looked like it had been disturbed. It wasn't smooth and soft like the rest of the riverbank. It looked like someone had climbed out of the river. I quickly turned towards the rocks behind us and saw Stephanie lying on one of the rocks. She was on her side, clutching her cell phone. Her temple was bleeding profusely, and she looked pale and lifeless. A small puddle of blood had pooled on the rock below her head.

I ran to her, quickly taking off my coat and wrapping her in it. "Babe! Can you hear me? Stephanie! Tank, get Bobby down here! Tell him she's wet and freezing! Hurry!"

I wanted to hold her to me to warm her, but knew the best thing to do would be to get her out of the weather. It had already started to sleet, and the temperatures were continuing to drop. I gently picked her up and began carrying her bridal style up the steep embankment. I had to stop several times to regain my footing in the soft dirt. Bobby quickly made his way towards where I was with a makeshift cot that we kept in his truck, and we secured her to it and worked together to carry her to the top of the ravine.

Once back on stable ground, we loaded her into the back of Bobby's truck and I climbed in with her. Tank got behind the wheel as Bobby worked on her and I gently rubbed her frozen hands. I spoke softly to her in Spanish, promising her everything from the moon to the stars, if she'd just wake up.

Bobby worked furiously, starting an IV and cutting her wet clothes from her. We both saw the long cut on her arm with stitches at the same time and I grimaced. I'd heard that she'd had an accident with a FTA, but when I'd questioned her about it, she assured me she was fine. There was no telling what kind of bacteria and germs had gotten into the cut from the river. As we finished removing her clothing, and wrapped her in thermal blankets, she began to come around. Bobby was holding pressure to her head to try to stop the bleeding while I held her hands gently to my chest, trying to warm her.

She blinked her eyes several times and when she spoke, her throat sounded scratchy and hoarse. Her teeth chattered as she tried to speak. "Wwwwhat happened? Rrrrranger?"

I pulled her closer to me and held her, silently thanking God that she was awake. "Babe. I'm so glad to see your beautiful eyes! You scared me to death! Seems like you fell in the river. Want to tell us what happened?"

"Where am I?"

"In the back of Bobby's truck, Babe. We're taking you to the hospital to get checked out."

"Nooooo! You can't do that! Ppppplease. I don't want to go!"

"Stephanie, you have a cut on your head and you're freezing to death. You need to go get checked out!"

"Can't B-bb-obby check me out? Please?"

I sighed and looked up to Bobby, silently sending him a question. I knew she really needed to go to the hospital, but I also knew that whenever she did, the Burg had a field day with the information.

"Boss, it looks like she's gonna need several stitches to her temple. Maybe some antibiotics for the cut. And a close, watchful eye overnight. Nothing we can't handle, if you want to."

"Okay Babe. We'll do it your way. But if there's the slightest chance that you're not well, then we're going. Agreed?"

"O-okay."

Bobby told Tank to head towards Haywood. We had left Lester with the skip, and I felt certain that he'd take care of getting him to the police department. When we arrived at the Rangeman garage, I gently lifted Stephanie out of the truck and carried her to the elevator. Tank and Bobby followed and pressed the button to take us to my apartment. I carried her into the bedroom and placed her on the bed, pulling the covers up around her. She was still shivering from the cold, and could hardly speak. Bobby hung the IV fluids he'd started and instructed me to wrap her in as many warm blankets that I could find. He also suggested I strip down and lie down next to her to try to warm her quickly with my body heat. Bobby left to get more fluids and meds as Tank went to find Ella to fix some soup for Stephanie.

I ran to the closet to get all the blankets I could find, and my eyes landed on the handmade quilt my Abuela had made for me after I was sent to live with her. She gave it to me after I had signed up for the Army, and it was one of the few possessions I had that I truly cherished. It was dark blue and as soft as spun silk. She had painstakingly made it by hand and given it to me, telling me that no matter where I was or what happened in life, to remember that love is what warms the heart. She had made me promise to always keep myself open to the possibility of love-instilling a sense of family in me even when I wanted no part in my own. I guess it was because I had arrived at her house in Miami, hating the world and everyone in it. She slowly drew me out of my shell, telling me that I was important and worth loving. I never felt like I belonged anywhere until then. She was one of the few people in my life that loved me despite myself and my hard headedness. She accepted me when no one else would-faults and all- and loved me when no one else would. Much like the way Stephanie did now.

I quickly took the blankets back to the bed, finding Stephanie with her eyes closed and her teeth still chattering. I pulled the comforter back and wrapped my Abuela's blanket around her, pulling it up to her chin and tucking it in around her. I knew the softness of the material would feel good against Babe's naked skin. She was so pale and thin. I didn't realize how much weight she'd lost. She looked almost like a child lying in my bed, bruised and battered. Her ribs were slightly visible beneath her pale skin, and her hips had lost the graceful curve that they once had. I felt an ache in my heart that was physically painful as I realized just how much I had pushed Steph away. And for what? To keep her safe? Maybe, just maybe, she was safer with me than she was when she was distanced from me. Maybe it was time I took my abuela's advice from long ago.

Bobby returned and hung a new bag of fluids near the bed. He said they were warmed and should help her to get warmer more quickly. I stripped down and pulled on my black silk boxers and slid into bed beside her. Her skin was like ice, but I pulled her to me, holding her and gently stroking her cheek. Bobby worked around me as I whispered to Stephanie. I also prayed that God would give me the chance to tell her how I felt about her and that once again she'd be okay. Close calls seemed to happen all too often with Steph. Lying here in my bed, she seemed so frail and it seemed to hit me all at once just what I'd lose if I ever lost her.

When he'd finished checking her wounds, Bobby whispered, "Boss, I need to stitch up her head. Can you see if she'll wake up?"

I nodded slightly and pulled her closer to me. "Babe, can you wake up for me? Bobby needs to take care of your temple, and put a few stitches in. Can you open your eyes?"

At first there was no response, so I shook her gently, brushing the halo of curls from her face. "Stephanie, Babe, I need you to wake up for me. Please?"

She nodded slightly and turned towards me. Her voice was a hoarse and came out as a soft whisper. She blinked several times, as if she were taking in her surroundings. "Ranger. You found me. I was so scared."

"Babe, I'll always find you."

I held her tightly as she started to drift back asleep. Bobby numbed the area, and began placing the stitches in her head near her hairline. I knew how much she hated needles, and tried to soothe her as Bobby worked. She seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. I knew it was important to keep her conscious with her head injury. Bobby must have been thinking the same thing as he spoke. "Ranger, talk to her. Keep her awake until we can make sure she's gonna be okay. She had to have taken quite a hit to crack her head open like this."

I gently shook her again, placing my hand on her face. "Babe, would you like to hear a story? If you wake up, I'll tell you about my abuela in Miami." Stephanie murmured and shifted slightly. Determined, I tried once more. "Come on Babe. Don't you wanna hear the story?"

She opened her eyes and started to nod, but Bobby gently reminded her to hold still. She smiled and spoke softly. "Yes please."

"When I was sixteen I got in trouble for stealing a car and was sent to live with my Abuela. She lived in Miami, and my parents figured that by sending me away they could get me away from the kids I was hanging around. By the time I stepped off of the bus in Miami, I was mad at the world and everyone within twenty feet of me. But my Abuela didn't care. She took me in and slowly showed me that she loved me. And that I was worth caring about. She never gave up on me and didn't let me get away with anything. She wasn't afraid to call me out when I'd done something wrong. You remind me a lot of her, Babe."

Stephanie was beginning to warm up, and she had finally stopped shivering, although her voice was drowsy with sleep. "Really?"

"Um hmm. You do. You see the goodness in everyone. No matter how much they try to show you the truth otherwise. When I left for the Army, Abuela gave me the blanket you're wrapped up in now. She had a saying. She'd say 'Remember that love warms the heart, Carlos. Don't get so buried down in the muck of the world that you forget that. There's good in everyone. Especially you.' I paused, thinking about my dear Abuela and how she would have loved Steph. "Seems I may have forgotten that until recently."

"What made you realize that, Ranger?"

"You, Babe. When I saw you lying on those rocks, I think my world stopped." I glanced up at Bobby as he continued to work, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and open- two emotions that I'm not especially comfortable with. I really wished that there wasn't an audience for my little speech, but I realized that I had to get the words out. Today's close call was the final straw. I had to tell her how much she means to me before it's too late.

I took her hands in mine and brushed her hair from her face as I continued. "I realized that I do love you in my own way. It's the only way I know how to love you. It's all I can give. That's all I know how to give. But I'm willing to give it if you'll accept it. I've been such a fool…Babe, can you give me one last chance? Please?"

Stephanie's eyes filled with tears as she placed a cold, pale hand to my face. "Batman, I never gave up on you. I've trusted you with my heart since the day you rescued me from my shower rod. And I still trust you today. I love you, Carlos. I've always loved you. Always."

I kissed her gently and pulled her closer to me as she snuggled down into the warm blanket, absorbing my warmth with a smile on her face. I held her to me as Bobby finished his work and tucked the soft covers around us even tighter. I nodded my thanks to him as he reminded me to wake her in two hours since she probably had a concussion. He'd propped her swollen ankle up on pillows, and said she'd be feeling sore by morning but that he'd bring some pain relievers up in a little while.

As I lay there in the warmth of the blanket from my Abuela, holding the most important person in my life, I realized I didn't want to be alone anymore. I wanted to share my life with this wonderful person lying in my arms. I didn't deserve her, but I'd do everything within my power to be worthy of her, starting today. I chuckled quietly as I thought about the love I'd finally opened myself up to and the simple reminder of my Abuela's love. Funny how something as simple as a blanket can be the catalyst that puts events into motion.

Later, as I lay in the bed still holding Stephanie in my arms, I noticed how content I felt. The room was quiet, and I was at peace and happy to simply hold my Babe in my arms. I looked down at her peaceful face as she shifted slightly and smiled a sleepy smile. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what, Babe?"

"That you were willing to try? A relationship with me, that is? I wasn't sure if I dreamt it, or if you were just scared I was gonna die on you."

I kissed her beautiful lips gently. "Yea, Babe. I meant it. I love you. I've known it all along. Guess I just needed a reminder that I was capable of loving and being loved- if you'll have me."

Stephanie snuggled down even deeper underneath the soft blanket and into my chest. "I've always loved you, Ranger. I told you nothing would change that. I'm just happy we're finally on the same page, for once. Seems like you're always rescuing me in some way."

"No, Babe. This time I think you rescued me."

Stephanie looked slightly confused and tilted her head up to glance at me. "From what?"

I smiled as I kissed her again, gently. "You rescued me from myself, Babe."