It's Not Overby Jersey Girl in Oxford (Sue)
Okay folks….from your emails, I know this is long overdue! Here is the sequel to How Things Change. I am almost done with this and usually don't post until it's completed….but since it's been more than 6 months with the cliff hanger I left you, I decided to go against my own rules this one time. This is the Prologue and Chapter One. I am going to post a chapter a week while I finish the story. I have it in my head but need to get it into my computer. Also, I listened to the feedback about being easier to read on if I posted by chapter. I apologize this took so long. I got side tracked on so many stories and kept pushing this aside. As I finish this, I will also be starting on the 4th story so hopefully, that will only take a couple months before that one is posted. Thanks to all of you and your amazing reviews! I appreciate all the support you have given me and that pushes me forward. Special thanks to Kym, Beth, Marilyn, and my first fan, Xylia, for their feedback. And for those that don't read works in progress, it really is almost done, but you can wait a few more weeks to read if you prefer.
Prologue
"No Carlos…you don't understand. I'm so sorry to put you through all this. I'm still pregnant!" She removed her hand. He furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Babe?"
"I didn't lose the baby….we made that up," Stephanie whispered. Ranger's head was spinning. He blinked several times…not believing what he just heard. When he didn't answer right away, she began to back away from him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him again.
"You're still pregnant?" he asked her softly hoping and praying that he didn't misunderstand what she had just said. She nodded.
"I'm sorry we lied to you, Carlos. When we found out that Jeanne Ellen was trying to hurt me so I'd lose the baby, I thought it would be best if she thought she succeeded. It was my idea but I thought the plan would be to tell you the truth!" she explained. Tank spoke from the doorway.
"His reaction had to be real, Bombshell. Jeanne Ellen might have been able to see through him. It was the only way the plan would work." Ranger looked back at Tank and nodded.
"What happened?" He brushed away her tears with his thumb. Lester brought her a bottle of water as they all sat around Ranger and Stephanie to explain.
"I told you that Hal ordered pizza when I talked to you last." Ranger nodded for her to continue. "Well, I heard Ivy growling. She never growls so it scared me."
"I was carrying the pizza to the kitchen and she was growling at me. Then she started barking. I put the boxes down on the coffee table and she grabbed one. I tried to take it away from her and the pizza flipped out on the carpet," Hal said. Stephanie took it from there.
"I yelled at her, and she backed off. I went to clean up the mess when I saw a little yellow chunk. I looked through the rest of the pizza and found some more. We looked at the other pizzas and there was a chalk like substance on all of them. They also had some small yellow chunks. Ivy started growling again. It was the same color yellow as the pills we found in Jeanne Ellen's apartment, Carlos!"
"Morelli took the pieces to have them analyzed, and it was the RU486. If Bombshell had eaten that pizza, she would have lost the baby," Tank added. "So she came up with the idea to let Jeanne Ellen think it worked. She agreed to go to the safe house. We contacted the ER doctor and Bombshell's doctor to help with the documentation. Morelli contacted Juniak to fill him in. The only people that knew she was still pregnant other than those in this room were the doctors and Juniak. She wanted to tell you, Ranger, but it had to be this way. That's what she was having the hardest time with." Stephanie nodded.
"I hated doing that to you, Carlos. It seemed so mean! I'm so sorry we lied to you!" she cried while looking down at the hands she was wringing.
"Stephanie…..look at me," Ranger told her. She glanced up and met his stare. "I am so proud of you, Babe. I told you to do whatever it takes….and you did. You did what had to be done to protect our baby. That's what a mother does for her child." He pulled her to him again and kissed her.
"You're not mad at me?" She stared at him, eyes wide, waiting for him to answer. He slowly shook his head.
"No, I'm not mad. I'm….relieved if you want to know the truth," Ranger replied. He turned to Tank. "That's why you wouldn't let me talk to her." Tank nodded.
"Bombshell didn't want to go along with it unless we told you. We finally convinced her it could only work if everyone, including you, really thought she lost the baby. I had to have Lester and Hal stay with her to make sure she had no contact with you or anyone else. It was harder to do than I thought it would be. First, when I told everyone at the office and then, when I had to call you….." Tank trailed off and swallowed hard. "It did start to feel like a fucked up thing to do to you." Ranger nodded.
"I'm not going to lie and say I didn't feel like I'd been punched in the stomach," Ranger agreed. "All of you did what you had to. I respect that. Your safety is far too important to me, Babe, to worry about hurting my feelings. Always remember that." He squeezed her hand. She smiled back. "What do you say we get outta here? It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted." She put a hand to the side of his face and gave him a gentle kiss on his lips.
"Let's go home," she whispered. Ranger loved when Stephanie called his apartment home. Tank, Hal, and Lester left the room while Stephanie began to gather her things. Tank filled them in about Jeanne Ellen out in the living room.
Ranger leaned back against the headboard and just watched her. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught site of the ultrasound picture. It didn't really look like anything, but he knew it was their baby. He couldn't help but smile. He stuck the picture in his jacket pocket.
After zipping up her suitcase, she blew out a long sigh. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what happened with Jeanne Ellen. Did he have to do anything sexual? Did he kiss her? She was afraid to ask.
"Nothing happened with Jeanne Ellen," Ranger told her. Damn ESP! "What I can tell you is that she had problems with other agents she worked with in the past. She admitted she tried to hurt you. It turned bad when they were handcuffing her. She was shot and killed. We'll never have to worry about her again, Babe." Stephanie let out a small gasp that she covered with a hand to her mouth. She sat down on the edge of the bed next to him.
"Are you okay?" He nodded pulling her into his good side.
"Let's get out of here. I just want to get in bed and hold you all night," he whispered to her.
"Sounds good to me, but I want to tell Ella and the rest of the guys the truth as soon as we get back," she insisted. "God Carlos, this was so hard. I didn't want to hurt anyone."
"They will understand," he assured her. "Hell, they'll be as happy and relieved as I am." He hugged her as tight as he was able before sliding his hand down to her belly. She hissed and her body jerked a little. He raised his eyebrows.
"Seatbelt bruise," she explained. "It's still a little tender." She took his hand and gently placed it back on her stomach. She looked back into his eyes. "I love you, Carlos." He leaned in and kissed her.
"I love you too, Babe." He pulled back and got off the bed. Holding out his hand, he helped her up. "Let's go home."
Chapter 1
It was the middle of the night, and Ranger was walking the halls of the Haywood office. It had been two weeks since what Stephanie now referred to as the Weekend of Hell. There were some hurt feelings about the miscarriage hoax. Thankfully, those feelings didn't last. Stephanie felt horrible and guilty enough as it was. Although he was riding out the rest of his contract on disability, Ranger still had two more weeks till he was officially discharged from the Army. He couldn't understand why he had trouble sleeping. Usually, he slept so soundly with Stephanie by his side. There were so many things running through his mind. In addition to the whole Jeanne Ellen fiasco, there was the helicopter crash, the end of his military career, and impending fatherhood. He was already a biological father. Now, he was going to be a full time father. So many changes in his life. Then, there was his damn shoulder. It had to be totally immobilized for at least another two weeks. He wasn't able to run or work out. He routinely exercised every day. It helped keep him in shape as well as work out any frustrations. Maybe that was why he was having trouble sleeping? He let out a long and exaggerated sigh. He made one more lap around the building before heading back to 7.
Stephanie wasn't in bed when he got back. Grimacing, he went to check the bathroom. She had spent the past couple of early mornings heaving her guts up in the toilet. This morning was no different. He found her and Ivy seated on the floor next to the bowl. "You okay, Babe?" She gave him a weak smiled but nodded. He held out his hand to help her off the floor. She brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face. "Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks." She gave him a quick kiss. "I think I'm just going to go back to bed." She studied his face for a minute. He looked tired. Ranger had been having trouble sleeping since he got back. He had also been a little edgy. "Carlos…is everything alright? Do you want to talk about it?" He pulled her close.
"I'm fine. Just been through a lot lately, and my body's not used to taking it easy. I'm used to working out every day, Babe. Not being able to do anything is getting to me," he explained. That and I'm a little nervous about becoming a father, he said to himself.
"I totally understand what you're going through…remember?" She gave him that fantastic heart melting smile. "At least you're able to walk." He kissed her. Thank God for that, he thought, otherwise he really would go crazy. Stephanie helped him get settled in the bed and snuggled up next to him. She fell asleep almost instantly. It took him about an hour before he was able to sleep.
Ranger was still sleeping when Stephanie woke. She stared at the softened features of his face. The hardened expression vanished when he slept. As long as she had known him, for about six months now, he never seemed so restless. She had a nagging suspicion that he was feeling trapped. He told her he was happy about the baby. Then again, Ranger was a very active and busy man. He was used to working all the time. She prayed that was all it was. Nature was calling before but now it seemed to be screaming. He could always sense when she got up so she didn't want to wake him. Slowly, she pulled back, keeping her eyes on his with every inch she slid away. Good, she thought, he's still out. After gently lifting herself off the edge of the bed, she quickly tip-toed to the bathroom. Sneaking back towards the bed and peaking at his face, she found him still sleeping. She motioned for Ivy to follow her. She pulled on some sweatpants, shoved her feet into sneakers, and wrapped herself in Ranger's coat. After grabbing Ivy's leash, she crept out of the apartment.
It was almost Spring. March was unpredictable with weather in New Jersey. The mornings were still very chilly. Luckily, she was able to get out of the building without being stopped by one of the Merry Men offering to take Ivy out for her. Not that she wasn't grateful for their help, she just really wanted to get out by herself for a while. Ivy missed getting out every morning. Bobby and Lester had taken her jogging with them a few times. She decided to walk her to the dog park so she could run. She smiled at the memory of Ranger feeding her steaks for dinner the first few days after he had gotten home. Ivy saved their baby. If Ivy hadn't smelled the RU486 on the pizza, she would have eaten it. That thought still haunted her. The what-ifs ran through her mind and, she shuddered. Morelli had suggested that she get Ivy formal training as a drug dog. The breeder that he purchased her from had sold several puppies to law enforcement. It was in her blood. Ranger, of course, liked the idea and was looking into it. The park was empty when she got there. She wished she had brought Ivy's Frisbee with her but didn't even think about it. Unhooking her leash, Ivy took off to run.
Hearing someone yelling, Ranger startled himself awake. He was covered in a fine sheet of sweat and heart pounded in his chest. He realized he was the one who yelled. Turning his head to the side, he blew out a deep breath when he saw that Stephanie wasn't there. "Babe?" There was no answer. Ivy was gone too so she must have taken her out. Thank God she wasn't there. She was worried enough about him. He remembered he was dreaming about the crash again. He refused to admit that he couldn't handle this on his own. Feeling stressed about a bad accident was normal, he told himself. It will pass. It's only been a month. Just focus on being with Stephanie. Stephanie. He sighed again. They were going to have to have a long talk, and she wasn't going to like it. He spoke to Tank about looking for another woman to do distractions. After what happened with Harding, and now that Stephanie was pregnant, Ranger was not going to take any chances. He didn't want her going after FTAs either. He wanted her to work with him on the business side. He smiled at the memory of the shocked look on her face when he told her they got the Morris & Sons' account. Mr. Morris, Sr. was not only impressed with Rangeman and its services, but he was sold because of Stephanie. Tank lined up some interviews for tomorrow, and Ranger wanted Stephanie's input. He rolled his head back and forth. The muscles in his neck were tight, especially on the right side. He would need to wait for Stephanie to come back to help him shower. He didn't do such a great job with one hand. Not to mention he loved the feel of her hands all over his body. He padded barefoot into his closet to pull on a sweatshirt when his eyes caught the locked drawer that held his guns and the engagement ring. He tapped the code into the lock and opened the drawer. He cracked open the black velvet box and gazed at the sparkling stone before him. His heart ached at the thought that Stephanie would turn him down. His plan was to ask her to marry him when he finished with the training. He knew if he did ask her now that she would think it was only because of the baby. He thought about showing her the date on the receipt so she would know that this is what he really wanted. But then he knew she would freak when she saw the price. He felt like he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Stealing one last look, he closed the box and locked it back in the drawer. Let the dust settle and ask her in a couple of weeks, he told himself. He wandered into the kitchen to get a bottled water to drink when he heard the locks tumble on the front door. "Morning, Babe." He noticed right away that she was wearing his jacket. He loved when she wore his clothes. She flashed him her heart warming smile before kissing him hello.
"I'm surprised you're up. You didn't get much sleep again." Her smile faded into a look of concern. He took her hand and led her to the couch.
"I need to talk to you about something that I want your help with," he began as they sat down. She shrugged off his jacket, kicked off her sneakers, and drew her legs up Indian-style on the seat next to him.
"I'll help you with anything Carlos. You know that." He nodded and drew a deep breath before continuing.
"I don't want you doing any distractions or chasing FTAs while you are pregnant." She opened her mouth to protest but he waved her off. "Just hear me out first….please?" He pulled out the big guns with the 'P' word because he knew she would give in. Her shoulders slumped, bottom lip protruded, but nodded for him to continue. "I want you to work with me to keep learning the business. We got the Morris account because of you, Babe. People like you. You will be a strong asset to my business in dealing with our clients. Now is the best time to do that because I'm going to be limited in the field myself. I'll be able to spend a lot of time with you going over things." Okay, she's not pouting anymore so she's actually listening to me, Ranger said to himself.
"But I'd be really careful!" she whined.
"I know you would. But what if a skip pulled a knife on you and stabbed you in the stomach? We have to think about the baby's safety too." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm not an idiot you know! I think about the baby every day. All the time. My boobs are sore. I'm puking my guts up half the time. I cried at a damn Kay Jeweler's commercial! I don't think anyone has to remind me about being pregnant, Carlos!" Before he could grab her, she hopped off the couch. "With my luck, I don't even have to be doing anything dangerous. Shit just seems to find me. So please don't lecture me about the baby's safety!" She marched into the bedroom and slammed the door. Ranger ran a hand over his face.
"Fuck," he muttered. He got up and followed her into the bedroom. He found her in the oversized chair in the corner hugging her knees and head down. "I didn't mean it like that, Babe. I know you'd do anything to protect the baby. Believe me…I know." She raised her head and rested her chin on her knees. He slid into the chair with her and pulled her to him.
"I'm sorry," she told him with a sigh. "I'm a lot more sensitive these days. That still doesn't mean it's okay for you to make decisions for me. But…I don't have a say because this is a work related decision. You're the boss, Carlos. It's your business and your decision." She felt him stiffen. He didn't respond but she resisted looking at him. It was several minutes before he replied.
"That's not fair, Babe." He was a little annoyed. Partly because what she said was true. He was the boss, but it wasn't a business decision. It would be in Rangeman's best interest to have her doing distractions. "This wasn't a business decision and you know it."
"Thanks for being honest. It's another personal decision you made for me without including me in the decision." She still wouldn't look at him. He was sure she could feel his gaze burning into the side of her head. "Never mind. This is a pointless conversation. You've already made up your mind so there is no sense in talking about it." She started to get up but he was quicker this time. He pulled her to him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her. He felt her relax and sink into him.
"You're sorry that you made a decision for me or sorry that's how it's going to be?" He sighed.
"In this instance….both." He kissed the top of her head. "I should have talked to you about it, but I'm not going to change my mind. You're far too important to me. And so is the baby. I promise to try to include you in the decision process in the future. I've told you before. I'm used to giving orders and having them followed with no questions asked. I'm not going to change overnight so I'm asking you to cut me some slack. Babe…I love you so much…it hurts. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Carlos, I know you have my best interest in mind when you make these decisions. I really do. But it makes me feel like I'm one of your possessions and not your partner." Ranger winced. He didn't want her to feel like a possession.
"You are my partner. And my lover. And my friend. Next to Tank, and only because I've known him much longer, you're my best friend, Babe. You have no idea how important you are to me. I feel so lucky to have you in my life. Don't doubt that for a second." She finally turned to look into his eyes. His expression had softened and showed a rare moment of raw emotion. "I love you." She laid a hand on the side of his face then lightly kissed him.
"I love you, too." She leaned back into him again. "Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" He grinned. She did know him pretty well.
"Most of it. I wanted to ask you to help interview some women for distractions. I really want your opinion. I don't want the guys to be thinking with their dicks during the interview. I need you there to let me know what you think of them. Tank's got two coming in tomorrow. Will you help me?" She chuckled.
"Who's going to be there?"
"Me, you, Tank, Bobby, Lester, Cal, Hal, Woody, and Ram. The usual distraction team." She looked up and grinned.
"Yeah, I'll help. Just don't get mad at me if I give you my honest opinion and it doesn't match everyone else's," she insisted. He smiled back.
"Promise." He kissed her temple. "I need another favor now….would you help me take a shower?"
"Is that all you want me to help you with?" she purred as she felt his arousal pressing into her hip. His lips crashed down on hers and his tongue stroked hers. After a few minutes, she broke the kiss and stood up offering him her hand. She led him to the bathroom where she turned on the shower and got him undressed. Sucking in her breath, she stared at his amazing body. Even after six months, she still couldn't get used to how perfect he was. The curves of his muscles, sculpted abs, and incredible manhood which stood proudly at attention. She licked her lips.
"See something you like, Babe?" His voice broke her out of her thoughts and she blushed. He watched her as she undressed. He thought she, too, had a beautiful body. He pulled her into the shower and under the comforting feel of the warm, cascading stream of water. It wasn't like they hadn't made love since he got home. He hadn't been able to make love to her the way he wanted to. Another frustration. He used his good arm to lift her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He leaned her against the tiled walls as he thrust himself into her over and over again. It wasn't long before he watched as her eyes glazed over and she screamed his name as he pushed her over the edge. He could feel her tighten around him bringing him to a shuddering finish. This was what he needed. Being inside her helped him to forget everything else. Nothing mattered while he made love to Stephanie. He gave himself a few minutes to catch his breath before he let her down.
She felt his body relax. His head rested on top of hers. "I love you," she whispered to him as she ran her hands from his chest down to his hips.
"Love you too," he breathed.
After finishing their shower, Ranger and Stephanie dressed and got ready for work. Ranger was only working a few hours a day. Mostly, he was working on contracts and reviewing reports. Stephanie was helping Val with searches in addition to making site visits with Tank. Ranger set up a team meeting to discuss some of the upcoming distractions.
"Okay," Ranger began, "I wanted to tell you Stephanie will not be doing any distractions until further notice." The men tried to sneak glances at her to see her reaction. This didn't come as a huge surprise. They knew Ranger would be gun shy after what happened with Harding, but now that she was pregnant it was almost a given. "We have two women coming in tomorrow that I want the team to interview. Steph is going to help us and give us her opinion." Lester draped his arm around her shoulders.
"None of them will be as good as you, Beautiful," he told her. She gave him a smile.
"Which leads me to the distraction we have set up for Thursday," Ranger continued. "Santos?"
"I'm ready…willing…and able," he joked. Stephanie rolled her eyes. There were snickers around the table. Ranger nodded.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. You're going to distract the skip." Lester laughed.
"Yeah right! What…am I gonna wear a blonde wig and one of Steph's dresses?" Ranger's gaze remained unchanged. The smile waned from Lester's face, and his laughter faded.
"The skip goes for transsexuals, Santos, so you hit the nail on the head." The room exploded with laughter….except for Lester.
"Get the fuck outta here! Are you serious?" Lester was incredulous. Stephanie patted his arm.
"It's okay, Les. I'll pick out one of my real hot dresses for you," she joked. Lester stared at Ranger.
"You are serious! Jesus Christ! Why me? Why don't you ask Hector? He's gay. He won't mind dressing like a woman," Lester insisted. More laughter.
"Not all gay men like to dress like women, Les. A tranny is different. Besides…you have the nicest legs," Stephanie explained. Lester slumped back in his chair.
"Santos, you'll get a higher cut of the bond as hazard pay," Ranger offered. Lester thought for a moment. As embarrassing and humiliating as this would be, it would be a big paycheck. Not that he was hurting for money, he tried to put away as much as possible. Living at Rangeman was pretty inexpensive. He wanted to buy a house one day. But was he willing to put up with the harassment? It would be merciless. What the hell, he told himself. His dick was big enough to handle the ribbing. And he would be the one laughing all the way to the bank.
"Alright…I'll do it," he conceded. Stephanie gave him a hug. The guys cheered him on. Ranger just shook his head. There was no way in hell I'd ever do it, Ranger said to himself. He had to give Lester some credit. Ranger slid the file over to him.
"Steph and Ella will help you get ready. We only had two days, Babe, so you have to take him shopping today." Stephanie bounced up and down in her seat in excitement.
"What bar is this?" Bobby asked.
"The Other Half," Tank replied with a straight face. This produced more snickers.
"Uh…you don't need anybody inside…right?" Hal asked hesitantly. He was worried that he would be at the door. Ranger nodded.
"You'll be at the door and Cal will be behind the bar," Ranger told them. Hal went pale and Cal groaned. Stephanie giggled.
"You guys are the biggest bunch of babies I've ever met!" she snorted. "Afraid of a little gay bar!" Tank and Ranger smiled.
"Wait a minute, Bomber!" Ram interjected. "We aren't afraid of a gay bar. It's just not right for a man to touch another man's equipment. It's not….natural." There were nods and a few 'yeahs' in agreement.
"Well how come you guys smack each other's asses when you play football and basketball? That's kinda gay," Stephanie added. Ranger resisted a smile.
"That's totally different, Steph!" Woody insisted. "It's a part of sports. It's not the same thing!"
"Looks gay to me," she muttered. She leaned over and kissed Ranger. She stood up and grabbed Lester's hand. "Come on, Les. I get to dress you up like a Barbie doll today." He obediently got up and followed after her.
"I want big boobs," he insisted. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"You are so not right, Lester Santos." Ranger smirked as he watched them leave. Tank turned to him.
"I guess she took that better than we thought," he muttered to Ranger.
"Not at first. She was pissed off that I made another decision without talking to her about it. She was right. I should have. But I wouldn't have changed my mind." Tank nodded in agreement.
"I can't believe Lester agreed to this." Ranger smiled.
"Just make sure we get it all on video." The room erupted in laughter again.
