Strength isn't about how much you can handle before you break, it's about how much you can handle after you break. Stephanie is past her breaking point. Will life be too much for her or will she prove her strength and survive? Not Joe or Plum family friendly. HEA TBD at this point.
Disclaimer - All the characters you recognize belong to the brilliant Janet Evanovich. I am only playing with them in my own sick and twisted ways. I'll return them good as new in the end, promise!
I'm not sure where this fits with the books so just be warned there could be stuff from any or all of them.
Chapter 1 - The Beginning of the End
Today is a good day. I woke up before my alarm. I ran four miles without vomiting. I passed the Tasty Pastry without stopping to eat my weight in Boston Cremes. I caught three of my skips without any problems. I was ecstatic as I walked my latest catch into the Trenton Police Department. The officers standing around weren't passing money back and forth. There were no jokes, no rude comments. There were congratulations and adda boy (or girl) being tossed my way. It was a good freaking day.
Me, Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire was having a good day. I was shocked. After starting the job with my weasel cousin Vinnie I haven't had the best of luck. I'm not what you'd call a normal bounty hunter. I'm 5'7 of Italian and Hungarian hormones. We're not even going to discuss my weight, but I've got long brown curls that have a mind of their own and what some say the bluest eyes they've ever seen. I'm not muscular or athletic, and probably shouldn't be doing this job. I'm constantly rolling in garbage or getting covered in questionable substances. My cars also get blown up at an alarming rate. I've been kidnapped, shot, stabbed, burned, stalked, tortured; but not today. Today I was a badass.
Of course the saying came to mind "it's always calmest before the storm," but I quickly pushed that out of my mind as I sashayed my happy ass to my boyfriends office.
I have been seeing Detective Joe Morelli off and on for years. Joe's six foot of lean, hard muscle and hot Italian libido, has the best ass in the state, and he's all mine. I've known him my entire life and he was my first in many ways. At 6 he was the first to explore my body. At 16 he was the first to taste my body and then he was the first to make me scream his name in ecstasy. He is my first love. He's been a good friend when I've needed one. We have a history and from the looks of things, a good future.
We recently started a serious on phase and have been getting along rather nicely. He has finally accepted my job as a bounty hunter and supports my decisions when I do my job. There's been no yelling or ultimatums given when something happens to me. He even offers to help when he knows I'm going after an aggressive skip. I know he wants to marry me and we've even had some adult conversations about it. I'm not ready for that type of commitment right now, but I'm not freaking out about it either. Maybe someday I'll be ready for marriage and kids, but not today.
I guess the reason for my hesitation to marriage is because of the other man in my life, Ricardo Carlos Mañoso or as the streets calls him, Ranger. Ranger is my sometimes boss, mentor, past lover and a Cuban sex-God. He's close to 6 foot, with mocha-latte skin pulled tight over hard muscles. I call him sex on legs, but that's just me. In the past Joe has had issues with my relationship with Ranger, but he's accepted that I will never cut him out of my life. Ranger is probably my best friend. He's saved my life on more than one occasion and has never once told me to find a different job. He encourages me and I love him. When or if I will admit it to myself, I am IN LOVE with him; but he has made it clear that we will be nothing more than friends. I guess his life doesn't "lend itself to relationships." His words not mine. He was in the special forces and still does dangerous government missions, so I guess I can understand his hesitations. He protects me at all costs, even from himself.
I sometimes work for Ranger at his security company, RangeMan, and the men that work for him have quickly become some of my closest friends too. Ranger's cousin Lester Santos is one of those men. Lester is Puerto Rican and like every other employee is pure muscled perfection. His green eyes sparkle with mischief and his light brown hair begs to have your fingers ran through it. I've always been drawn to him from the moment I met him. He's just easy to talk to and makes me laugh any and every time I need it. I tell him everything. In a way, I guess I love him too. How messed up is that? Gah! I got us off track, let's get back to my incredibly good day.
After turning in my skip, I knocked on Joe's office door and opened it when I heard him grunt. I plastered a big smile on my face ready to share my good day with the man who claimed to love me and stepped through, not quite ready to see what was inside. Joe had Robin Russell, a fellow officer, bent over his desk. As if their lack of clothes wasn't enough to get an idea of the activities, I just happened to walk in during the big finale. What a joy for me.
Flashes of my first, and only, marriage were racing through my head. I found my husband, of only a minute, Dickie Orr in the same position on my dining room table with Joyce Barnhardt, my archenemy. I divorced him soon there after in a battle that is still known in Trenton. Joe knew I hated cheating more than anything and it was a sure fire way to destroy any relationship with me. All I could do is glare at him and Robin and turn out of the office. I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes. So much for my good day.
"Shit! Cupcake, wait." I heard as I slammed the door closed. My first thought was I had to run, I had to get the hell out of the police department. So I ran. I headed out the door and straight to my car when I heard footsteps running up behind me.
"Stephanie, stop please." Joe yelled as he grabbed my arm and spun me around.
"Joe, if you know what's good for you, you will turn around and walk away. Never talk to me again. Whatever we had is done! I don't put up with cheating bastards. You know that." I stated calmly praying the tears held back.
"I'm sorry Steph, I don't know what happened. One minute we were talking about a case and the next she was kissing me. I couldn't stop myself. Please don't throw us away because of a slip-up. I love you, Cupcake. You know that."
He turned his chocolate bed room eyes loose on me as he caressed my face lovingly. Those eyes had gotten me to do more things than I care to admit. I could forgive, right? Maybe I needed to be better in the sex department, maybe it was my fault. WAIT...what the hell am I thinking?
"I don't know anything, Joe. What you did, is not love. Love doesn't act like that. Love could have controlled itself. Love doesn't hurt the person it claims to care about." The tears fell freely, not out of sadness but out of anger. I always cry when I'm mad. I was raising my voice as I spoke, but couldn't control the rage I was feeling. Joe brought his other hand down from my face and gripped my other arm.
"You need to release my arms now, Joe. You need to turn around and head back into the station and you will NEVER speak to me again. This charade, that we call a relationship, ends now! You obviously don't care enough about me to keep your dick in your pants, so you need to back the fuck away from me NOW!"
I saw the spark of anger in Joe's eyes when I said he didn't care. I saw something snap inside him. He tightened his grip on my arms and pushed me back into the closed car door leaning his body against mine. I could feel every hard muscle pressed against me.
"This will never be over, Cupcake. You will be mine." Joe seethed and the anger and venom in his words scared me. There was a different look in his eyes as he spoke to me.
"You think it's easy for me to see you with Mañoso and his goons? I know you're fucking all of them, so why is it okay for you and not me?" His voice was whisper soft with his mouth right next to my ear. An on looker wouldn't see an angry man holding a woman captive, they would see two lovers in an embrace.
"Joe, you know nothing is going on between me and Ranger or his men. We are friends. You of all people should understand my feelings on infidelity. You were there for the Dickie fall out. Remember, or did you think just because you are a Morelli that you get a free pass? Well, guess what Joe, you don't. I'm done. Now let me go." His grip only tightened. I was going to have bruises tomorrow. Great. The look on his face was pure rage and anger as he sneered at me.
"Well, Cupcake," he spat out, spit flying from his mouth "if I can't have you then no one will. You think about that before you throw me away. You WILL be MINE." The pain in my arms was almost unbearable as he squeezed harder.
"I'll come by your apartment tonight and we'll finish this conversation." Joe pressed a bruising kiss to my lips as he released me and pushed away from me. From instinct I raised my hand and slapped him hard across his face. He chuckled rubbing a hand over his cheek.
"I'll see you later, Cupcake. You can count on that" was his parting words as he sauntered back into the building.
I stood beside my car for a minute before shaking myself from the fear that had enveloped me. I have never seen Joe act that way. Sure he's yelled and been angry, but he's never gotten physical.
I know his dad was a mean drunk and would beat his kids and wife, but Joe had worked to be better than his father. He had succeeded in not just becoming another Morelli. The sadness I felt in the realization that he hadn't succeeded after all was too much and I started to sob.
I could feel my heart break a little for the relationship that was ending today. All of my dreams and all the memories we shared poured from my eyes as I stood outside the TPD. The fear started to seep in when I remembered Joe's finial warning to see me later. Surely he wouldn't really show up and hurt me, but I was still scared of him nonetheless. I had to get away and I couldn't go to my apartment. He might show up there. I got into my latest pile of shit and drove to the one place where I felt safe. RangeMan.
A/N - This is my first multi-chapter fan fiction so let me know what you think. I've gotten about 13 chapters so far and it is my goal to update at least every other day. Hope you all stick with me and enjoy my ramblings!