A/N: Here's the Companion Piece to "That Ain't My Truck." You don't have to read the other one for this one to make sense. Has Stephanie finally mad a choice between Ranger and Morelli? Joe's PoV
Okay, here goes. I got out of my truck and looked up to the window of Stephanie Plum. Yesterday I told her that she needed to make a choice. You see, the love of my life isn't just the love of my life. She also has Ranger. I mean, what, is he an action figure? But anyway, she's been going out with me for a few years now, but every time we have a fight she runs off to him.
I don't quite know the extent of their relationship. Frankly, I'm not sure I want to. He's pure muscle and has that dark Latino skin color that women seem to go all gaga over. I don't know what to do about it. To be fair, he has saved her life on a number of occasions. Again, probably more than I want to know about. But, dammit, I want my woman to be mine. I'm not willing to share her. What man in his right mind is?
So yesterday, she was chasing a skip and told me she was going to stop in a Rangeman for some information. My Italian macho attitude got the better of me and we got into a fight about how much she relies on Ranger. In the end I told her she needed to choose and I didn't want to talk to her until she made her decision.
She left crying and I wanted to go after her, I really did, but at some point I had needed to tell her what I'd been thinking and it had finally come out. Chasing after her would just undo everything I'd said.
So that brings us to now. I'm standing outside her apartment. She called me up and asked me to stop by this afternoon. I'm hoping she wants me to come over so that she can say she chose me, but if I'm honest with myself, I'm terrified she just wants to break the news about Ranger to me in person. I took the stairs to stall for more time, but here I am at her door.
I raised my hand to knock, put it back down, tried to knock again, and then walked back down the hall. Okay, so we both have hot tempers every once in a while and we fight a lot. Blame it on our Italian heritage. We're stubborn as can be, but I really do love her. With all I have. I can't imagine not having her. I mean, we've broken up before, but I always figured we'd end up together.
Okay Joe, you're a cop. A homicide cop. You're the one who has to knock on doors to tell families the worst news ever. You've done it before. You can certainly knock on Stephanie's door to find out if you have a girlfriend or not. Here goes. I raised my hand again and the door swung open before I had the chance to knock.
"I thought you were just going to leave after coming all the way up here when you turned around." Stephanie said with a chuckle. She had seen my minor freak-out. Great.
"How long were you watching?"
"I saw you get out of your truck, I was waiting to open the door for you and watched you chicken out a couple of times." She stood back to let me enter. "What has the big bad Trenton cop so scared?"
"Steph." I walked inside and turned around, hands on my hips. "You know I'm about as nervous as it gets about this.
"Joe, I guess I didn't think you would be that worried. Come on, let's go sit down and talk." She led the way to her living room couch. Okay, here it goes, whatever she says, I'll respect her decision. "Joe, when you told me yesterday that I had to choose, it really hurt me. But you told me something I've known for a while and that even Lula has told me I'm messing up my karma seeing both of you."
"Lula finally said something that made sense, huh?" Stephanie gave me a hard look that quickly had me backpedaling. "Not, that, uh, she doesn't come in handy for helping you out. Look, Steph, I can't get all mushy and say that I've loved you for a long time, because we both know that in high school, you were just another conquest. But we've both grown up since then. And now, ever since you were chasing me as your first FTA, I've grown to love you, a lot. I really want you to choose me. And for all my bravado, I'm pretty scared you aren't going to."
Well, that was as much of my soul as I was going to give her. I might still be able to walk out of here with an ounce of dignity if I have to.
"Joe, I've known who I would choose for a while now. I just didn't want to admit it to myself. There is something between Ranger and me, but mostly it's sexual tension. I told him yesterday after our fight that you told me I had to choose between the two of you. There's a reason I date you and run to him when we fight and not the other way around. I could never actually date or completely be with Ranger." She moved her hand so she was cupping my cheek.
"I love you Joe." She leaned forward and kissed me. I kissed her back just as enthusiastically. She chose me! Stephanie got up and took my hand to lead me toward the bedroom. We got inside and continued our kissing until we were almost to the bed. I hated to break this mood, but I needed to have the rest of this conversation.
"Stephanie, you know what choosing me means, right? It means me. You get me and that's it. I can't forbid you from going to Ranger for help with your skips, but no more leaving me out of your cases, I need to know that you're okay and I need to be in the loop so I can help you if you need it. I need to know that you understand this before we go any further."
She looked at me, eyes still somewhat clouded with lust. "Joe, I spent all last night and most of today thinking about what choosing you would mean. And it's worth it. You said you won't 'forbid' me from asking him for information, but I don't know that I'd feel right going to him for help anymore. Joe, we both have our imperfections, and we'll have to learn to work through our fights instead of blowing up at each other and leaving. But I'm willing to work on it if you are.
"Cupcake, you know I am." I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to me. Suddenly, we heard the loud roar of an engine and I looked out her window to see a black car zoom away from her lot. Ranger.
"What in the world was that?" Stephanie had run to her window to look but she hadn't seen the same car as I had.
"Cupcake, I'm sorry to say, but I think Ranger saw my truck here, and he probably saw us in here through your window." I tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away.
"Crap. This was not the way that I wanted him to find out. Granted, it's a little creepy that he just sat there and watched us, but I still feel like I should have called him." This time she let me grab her hand and I succeeded in pulling her to me.
With her tucked against my chest, I planted a kiss on top of her hair and said, "Steph, do you really think you could have kept anything a surprise from Ranger?" Her sigh told me that she knew what I meant. "Now, where were we?" And I flipped off her light and led us toward her bed.
A/N: Sorry if it's not all that good. Usually, I have almost the entire story, or at least the dialogue written in my head before I start to actually write it, but I just sat down at my computer and started writing this one. Even after editing, I'm not sure how good I think it is. Please, let me know what you think!