Chapter One:

"Here we go again, another Sunday dinner" Stephanie Plum thought to herself as she was driving a beat up 1997 Red Jeep. She got to her parents' house. She parked her car and went inside, when she got in, Grandma Mazur was sitting at the table, and Steph noticed that there was another sitting place at the table.

"What is going on now" Steph said out loud.

"We are having a guest for dinner and he better be cute Helen" Grandma Mazur told her while she was waving a finger at her daughter.

"Mom it better not be Morelli, we are not getting along right now." Stephanie yelled loud enough for her mom to hear.

"It is not Morelli, and I know, because it is all over the Burg on how you threw a pie in his face." Helen said while she was coming out of the kitchen with the roast.

Frank came in and sat at the head of the table, while Helen sat to the right and next to her was Grandma Mazur.

"You, Steph sit to the left of your father." Helen sternly told her daughter. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, Helen went to get it.

"Glad you could make it, come in there have a seat next to Stephanie." Helen told him.

Stephanie turned her head to hallway and saw Tank coming toward the dining room in a blue tailored suit with a white shirt.

"Tank what are you doing here?" Stephanie questioned him

"I was invited to dinner." He smiled with all his straight white teeth.

"Mom what are you doing?" Stephanie asked her mother.

Helen sat down next to her father at the head of the table and noticed that he had already started eating a few slices of the roast.

"You have a very nice house her Mrs. Plum" Pierre said and smiled at her, while he was sitting down next to Stephanie.

"Thank you, and I am sure you know that Stephanie grew up in this house." Helen pointed out to him.

"Now Tank please tell me that is not your real name?" Frank jumped in the conversation.

Stephanie turned to look at her father and told him "Dad no, his real name is Pierre."

While they were sitting down at dinner, Grandma notice that both Stephanie and Pierre kept looking back at each other.

"So, Pierre tell me a little about yourself." Frank asked him.

"Well where should I start, I moved here about seven years ago from California where I was a detective with the LA police, but nobody but Ranger knows that. I was also married once before in LA, but she died in a car crash, so after that I moved here. That is about it, no kids, but I would like to someday." he smiled again at Stephanie.

"Pierre does Ranger know that you are a detective?" Stephanie asked him.

"Yes, he does, he does but he does not know that I was married before though and I would prefer him not to know." Pierre told Stephanie then smiled again.

They chatted a some more, while they were eating, then Helen told them, "I am going to get dessert I will return."

"I will help Helen" Grandma Mazur followed her daughter into the kitchen where she told Helen, "You did good, I think they like each other and I will find out once I go back into the dining room" Mazur told her daughter.

"mom don't do that" but it was too late Grandma Mazur was all ready heading back to the dining room.

Helen heard her mother yelling, "I will say again you did good Helen it looks like we have a new couple and I might have a new grandson in law"

"Grandma" Stephanie yelled then she heard Pierre reply, "Not yet Grandma, but maybe some time soon."

Stephanie looked at Pierre with an open mouth. "Okay" was all she could get out.

After dessert, all of them chatted some more. Stephanie noticed the time, "Well it has been very nice, but I have to go, Vinny is swamped with work, and I have to be there early. Good night mom and thanks." Stephanie told her softly.

She gave Helen a great big hug.

"Thanks for dinner Mrs. Plum I also had a great time." Pierre followed Stephanie out to her Jeep.

Stephanie was just getting into her jeep, when Pierre came to her door.

"Little one sounds like your jeep will not start why don't I give you a ride home, it is on my way to my house anyways." Pierre asked her.

"Would you that would be great thanks" Stephanie replied to him as she looked softly into his eyes.

She got out of her jeep and locked it up. When they got to Tank's large SUV he opened the passenger side door, helped her in.

They were on the way to Steph's place, "So you were married before, does anyone at Rangeman know about that?"

"No, it is part of my past and I really don't talk about it often, I have put it behind me, but she was very special to me. You are to little one."

After a few minutes, Pierre asked, "So what is going on between Morelli, I heard you threw a pie in his face."

"Yeah, turns out he has been seeing someone else behind my back and it turns out that is Joyce Barnhart. I found this out when she walked up to our table at Jennie's and started to kiss him, and the next thing he is making out with her in front of me, so when they were done, I threw a pie at him, and it was a chocolate cream pie all over his white shirt." She smiled at Pierre.

"Awesome that is great." Pierre was laughing now. They finally pulled up to Steph's apartment. Pierre was already out opening Steph's door for her. He helped her down and they walked up to her apartment.

They got to her apartment, and she opened the door, "Do you want to come in for a few minutes?"

"Sure" he followed her in closing the door behind him. Stephanie went to her bedroom door and found a note taped to the door.

On the note were two words, "You're Dead"

Pierre turned around noticed that she was shaking, he looked over her shoulder while she was reading it. So, he turned Stephanie around and held her for a few minutes and whispered "I promise I will not let anything happen to you, you are safe and to prove that, he kissed passionately. She put her arms around his neck, while she stood on her tip toes, and embraced him and the kiss. "Please don't leave, me tonight." She begged him looking into his eyes. "I won't I will be right here on the couch." Pierre told her. He released her she walked into the bedroom and left the door open while he took off his jacket shirt, slacks, shoes, and socks so that he only had on his boxers. He saw a blanket on the couch and he curled up on it the best he could, with the blanket on top of him.