Nothing belongs to me! All money goes to JE!

This is my first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think!!!

Confusion

By Brianne

Chapter 1

Sometime when I go outside the sun blinds me, it takes a second for my eyes to adjust and I become coherent again. Well that's kind of how it is when I realize I have another stalker. No point in fainting, that would just be annoying and dangerous especially now because I'm eight months pregnant. It does take a second to for my brain to realize what is going on though.

My name is Stephanie Plum and for the last seven months I've been a Police dispatcher. It wasn't that difficult a switch for me since everyone knew me and to my dismay, they even had bets going on when my next car would become kaput. Having made several of the calls myself throughout my time as a bounty hunter, I also knew several of the dispatchers by name. I really like this job, not only am I not knee deep in garbage, which would be difficult right now, but I get to hear about everyone else's problems that have nothing to do with me. Don't get me wrong I have sympathy for those calling in I'm just excited they don't have anything to do with me. I usually get the incoming calls and get to talk to the public since I have the most hands on experience in dealing with stressful situations.

That's what got me in this situation to begin with. I got a call at 12:17 pm (we have to document everything that comes in):

Me: My name is Stephanie, Do you have an Emergency?

Caller: Yes.

Me: Do you need me to send out a police or emergency team to your location?

Caller: No

Me: Sir, what is the nature of your call?

Caller: To talk to you Ms. Plum.

Me: Sir?

Caller: I like how you answer the phone Ms. Plum.

Me: Sir, if you don't have an emergency I'm going to have to hang up. Do you have an emergency?

Caller: That's a pretty shirt you are wearing. How far along are you?

Me: Sir, I'm hanging up NOW!

Caller: I guess I'll call back later to talk to you.

_______

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I have no real idea what it is like to be a dispatcher. My dad is a fire chief and everything I hear through him and looked up online. So I'm just taking creative license with everything having to do with that career.

Chapter 2

Maybe this doesn't have anything to do with me. Maybe I can just go on with my life and forget he ever called. Denial is a great thing; well except for when I think about the call and realize that he knew my last name. Shit! I never say my last name and that is just creepy if he really knew what shirt I was wearing. I mean is it nice, I'll give him that, especially for a maternity shirt. They have gotten much more stylish recently. Ugh, concentrate Steph.

We always trace the calls in case someone isn't able to verbalize what is wrong over the phone, so all I have to do is trace the call. Wow a smart psycho. He must have use an untraceable phone because nothing is coming up. Well I guess the only thing left to do is tell someone and report it to the cops. Not something I'm looking forward to doing since I'm fairly sure they actually have a bet about how long it will take for something to go wrong with this job because when I tried something other than Bounty Hunting before it wasn't pretty. For one, I got my old employer blown up and then the next job I blew up the entire store. Not that working at Cluck and Bucket was my life long goal, but I do miss the chicken.

Well here goes nothing; I turned to Jan who was watching me apprehensively because I was starring into space while trying to figure out what the best thing to do is. Jan has short salt and pepper hair that is spiky, but she styles it so she doesn't look like she is trying to look younger than her years. She does look damn good for fifty-five and has the mindset of any thirty year old I know. Her figure isn't that of a thirty year old, but she hasn't let herself go either. I'd feel damn lucky to look like her because my Hungarian genes will probably have kicked in and caused me to get fat.

She knew something was up. Yet, it could have just been indigestion from lunch for all she knew. *Sigh* I wish.

"So I just got a strange call"

"You want to elaborate?" She has gotten to know me too well over this short time and has come to know when to drag information out of me.

"Well this guy called and knew my last name without me having told him." I said looking at my fingernails. It's never easy having to tell someone about a psycho after you. Maybe denial would work for her too?

"Really? This is so exciting. I was hoping something would happen with you working here. I thought it would be sooner than now. We should tell Jerry about this."

"Do we have to?" I whined. Jerry was our boss who made sure we got the calls out fast and efficiently as to not cause any more pain for the caller. Of course half of him watching over us was so that the station wasn't sued. It's not like the Trenton Department has money just lying around.

"Steph, a caller made a threat to you and knew exactly who you are. I think that warrants letting Jerry know about the call."

"Damn, I was hopping I could just ignore it unless it happens again. Oh well. I guess I'm gonna go tell him now and get it out of the way AND you off my back."

"There's no need to get testy, it's not like I made the call to you. Maybe you can get the daddy of your baby to make sure nothing happens."

I just glared at her. I never should have told Jan about Ranger. She of course along with the whole population of Trenton knew exactly who he was. I haven't actually been able to discuss my pregnancy with many people and she was one of my confidents. That doesn't mean that she doesn't throw it in my face every now and then.

Chapter 3

About a year ago I ended my relationship with Morelli. It was difficult, but playing the game ring around the rosy was getting old. All we did was spin around in circles and never get anywhere and eventually fall on our ass. I knew I would always be left out of the loop in his life like what happened during the Dickie mess. It's not as though I felt he didn't trust me at all, but I mean it wouldn't hurt to be trusted a bit more. It wasn't like I would have told about Dickie being over at Morelli's house and he didn't seam to mind that I finally found out. I guess it was just one more thing to add to the list of our screwed up relationship because it's not like I told him everything either. Actually both the men in my life kept things from me, but with Ranger it seemed to be his lack of talking that was the problem. He couldn't lie if he didn't talk. So technically he didn't really lie to me. I know it sounds lame even to me, but it was a good enough excuse for me to be able to trust him enough into my bed.

I know it was a stupid decision, well not so stupid because the sex was amazing. With Ranger how could you believe anything else? We didn't discuss our "relationship", so I had no clue where I stood with him when I figured out I might be pregnant. The question turned out to be, do I or don't I tell him?

We were lying in bed and I decided to start up a conversation to see if I could get information that way instead of just outright asking.

"So how is Julie doing?"

"She seems fine."

"How often do you talk to her?"

He just turned and looked at me trying to read my face to see where this questioning was going. I tried my best to look innocent. Not sure how well it worked but he answered.

"About once a week."

"It's a shame you don't see her more often, having a bubbly young person around is fun."

"Babe"

What the hell am I supposed to do with that; I can't tell which babe that was. Is having a bubbly young person around a good thing or bad thing to him? Ugh.

"Why don't you have Julie come visit once in a while?"

"Maybe I will," he answered starring at me.

I couldn't stand it anymore he was going to figure it out by just reading my face. I blurted out. "I'm pregnant!"

Ranger didn't do anything for about a minute and it felt like an hour with him staring at me with his blank face. I couldn't stand it anymore.

"SAY SOMETHING," I screamed.

"What do you want me to say Stephanie, everything will be fine. We should get married and live happily ever after?"

"What would be so wrong with that? Would it really ruin your life to try to be happy with me?"

"You knew where I stood on children, I didn't want another one of my own. My life doesn't belong to me right now and to bring a child into it isn't fair to me or the child." His voice was eerily calm as he stared into my eyes, but his eyes had fire in them.

"It's not as though I did this on purpose." I was starting to get pissed, it's not as if I poked holes in condoms to force Ranger into a relationship with me, hell I wasn't even going to tell him at all.

"Fine. I acknowledge the baby and will be financially accountable for it. Other than that we will have to see." During the talk or a better word would be argument, he had gotten up and got dressed.

"Fine." I said looking away from him. I didn't need his money, but when he got into this kind of mood it is easier to just agree.

Then he walked out of my apartment without another glance.

My hormones and emotions in overload, I curled up in a ball and sobbed. I cried for my unborn baby who will be fatherless. For my heart that lost the shred of hope that he felt the same way I did. I cried for my future that is now even more up in the air than before.