I do not own these characters. They are the property of Janet Evanovich. They have just come to my backyard to play.
I place a warning for all chapters for adult language and situations, some being sexual.
I would like to thank Denny for encouraging me in the endeavor and the moral support she has given me. Also thank you to Xylia for her work to beta this story.
I would like to appologize for my first chapter not having punctuations. When I submitted the chapter they were present.
The Dream
Chapter 2
All News Is Bad News
I lay in the bed totally blinded by the dark. He had yet to light a candle or turn on a light. I was so spent so sated that I could not move. My eyes drifted closed with his warm arms around me. I felt the bed dip and I was coming awake.
He touched my cheek and I thought to myself that he must be part cat to see me in the total darkness. I longed to see his face and his body as his hands slowly slid down my body never speaking a word. "Who was this man that could take me so far and never leave this room? How could I sleep in my dream? How could anything this erotic and wonderful be a dream? Where was I?" Questions swirled in my head.
"I should get up get dressed and leave," said dumb Stephanie. "But it is so cold and scary outside," said smart Stephanie. What could happen if I stayed except maybe he was a murderer and just wanted to work off some tension before doing the deed? What would my mother say or the 'Burg grapevine? Look at Stephanie Plum she got what she deserved. She was such a slut a real embarrassment.
Just then his lips and tongue traveled down my neck and across my chest."What the hell is that noise?" I knocked my alarm off the nightstand but it kept ringing. "Why did I have to wake up just when the dream was getting good again?" Then realizing the noise was my phone; I answered a little too gruffly with a "WHAT?"
Mary Lou said "are you OK, you were supposed to call me this evening and it is already eleven oclock. Where have you been?"
By that time I was awake and had checked the room to make sure I was alone. Unfortunately, I was.
"Mary Lou I was having the most awesome dream and you woke me just before the good part. I could feel everything I could hear and taste but I couldnt see anything.'
"Do tell. What were you feeling and tasting?" I felt my face flush. "Oh it was nothing." I said breathlessly. How could I possibly tell even Mare how the dream had felt? How his lips caressed my skin? How his tongue traced my nipples? How his teeth nipped at my neck? How his fingers felt as they touched my moist skin. No, I definitely couldnt go there, then Mare would think I was a slut too. How could you dream something so real?
Mary Lou said," come on Steph. There are no good girls gone wrong-just bad girls found out. Now, spill about this wonderful dream."
"OMG Mare I dont know where to start. I came home after shopping and lay down to think. Thats when I fell asleep and the dream started." I told Mary Lou about the dream starting with how frightened I was walking the dark deserted street and finishing with the tingle and feelings when I was in bed with the dark stranger. "What do you think it means I have never dreamed anything so real?"
Mare started to analyze my dreams. She had taken some psychology course in college and did a lot of research on the internet. Guess that made her an expert. "It would seem to me that you are very afraid of being alone. That you think that is where youre headed in the dark and alone. Maybe that is where you think this thing with Joe and your mother is taking you, since they are whom we were talking about, Steph.
Maybe what you should think about is what you have with Joe, what you really want. Will he be with you when you need him? Or will you be in the dark alone?
Your mother doesn't understand how you feel. She thinks happiness is marriage and the 'Burg. Thats where she is happy. Loneliness isn't part of her picture because your dad is always there.
You on the other hand have a history of wanting your freedom to make choices and being treated with equality. You are the new generation of women. Your fights with Joe show that. You suffer and cry then you go back feeling you don't have a vote in your own life. Maybe in the 'Burg, that is your dark and everyone pushes you to be like them."
"Oh, Mare Im just so lost. I don't know where to go or what to do. I'm brave on the outside but Im not sure how brave I really am. I don't know if I'm ready to live my life alone. After all I will have failed two times if I lose Joe. I sat chewing my lower lip."
Mare gently said over the phone," I would rather stay positive and get 50 percent good results, than stay negative and get 100 percent bad results.
My positive is Lenny and the boys; they are what I've always wanted. Sure sometimes I pull my hair out but I love my life. I can't think of anywhere I would rather be. You, on the other hand have different thoughts. Let's talk about the juicy part of your dream."
"What can I say? Am I just supposed to meet someone who never talks just makes unbelievably passionate love to me? The only thing he said is that he would ruin me and make me his forever. How could anyone love me like that, Mare? I pretty much fall into the category of unlovable, at least over the long haul."
"Steph you have to have faith in yourself. Everybody is lovable to someone. You've had some very bad experiences. But, remember perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.
I really hate to say this because I am so afraid of losing you, but Steph you need to get out of the Burg. You need to stand on your own. You need to stand up for you and your needs. Give yourself a chance to find a life that will make you happy. Fly like you have always wanted. Maybe that dark passionate man is waiting for you. Think of it, a life filled with passion and love. You never know if you don't try and you can never try if you don't take that first step."
"Ill think about it, thanks Mare. Now don't you need to get some sleep instead of psychoanalyzing my dreams?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Are you going to be alright?"
"Sure Im just going back to dreamland for a while."
"'Kay, what if you take a vacation? Get away from all the stress and bosses you seem to have. Take a week to clear your head. Think about what you really want for the rest of your life. Is it Joe and the 'Burg, is it your little apartment and dinner with your family, or is it a life where you are on your own terms and can fly or crash. Just remember no matter what you decide I will always be here. You will always have my shoulder, my home to come back to. A person is only as big as the dream they dare to live. If you find that dark man that gives you love and makes you feel safe think about grabbing him. If he wants to let you fly, don't ever let go. Night Steph, I love you."
"Love you too, Mare."
Hanging up the phone, I fell back onto the bed. My mind was swirling with all the things Mary had said. "Could I really fly? Could I walk away from the 'Burg and not look back? Could I ever (did I want to be) be me alone? Was I too dependent on my upbringing to go it alone?" I guess this is the real chicken test.
Where did I want to be in ten years? Hell, where did I want to be in ten days? Here I was Trentons own Queen of Denial who couldnt even decide what to do after breakfast trying to decide what to do for the rest of my life.
Okay lets look at my life: (a) I pretty much sucked at my job as a BEA, yeah I brought in my skips but I rolled in garbage, got shot, and had my cars blown up in the process. (b) I sucked at marriage, proved that with Dickie. (c) Probably sucked at relationships, Joe and I were pretty much living proof of that fact. (d)I'm a failure as a daughter, my mother kept pointing out to me. (e)Why would Ranger even want to make me his?
I know the dark silent stranger was Ranger in my dreams. Who else could it be? He had said part of those words to me once before but never that he wanted me, except for one night of the most fantastic sex of my life.
Here I am in a life-altering phase and Ranger is in my dream. What is he doing there? I know he makes me feel safe; he is always there to catch me when I fall. He gives me a job when I need money and a car when mine blows to pieces. He always says he is proud of me and never puts me down. He is my best friend, companion, co-worker, mentor, and yes one time lover. Ranger is the most important person in my life. I lo....no I won't go there. How can I even think that; he has told me he doesn't do relationships? His love doesn't come with a ring, maybe a condom, but defiantly not a ring.
Now I am just getting crazy. All of this talk about changing my life has gotten to me. Mary is right I need a vacation, time for me to get away and think. Leave the Queen of Denial in Trenton.
The beach, that's what I need. A few days at Point Pleasant always improves my outlook and attitude. That's what Ill do. I have some money saved from a few higher paying skips. I'll get a room at the Inn and spend some time alone. Maybe I will like it, NOT! Its too cold to swim, but I can walk on the beach, browse the shops and eat junk food.
That's it, in the morning I will: 1) Call Connie and tell her Ill be gone for a week or two. 2) Call mother and tell her I'll be out of town. 3) Call Mary Lou and tell her I'm going away to Point Pleasant and have her pick up Rex. 4) Call Ranger and tell him. What would I tell Ranger? Funny I thought about calling Ranger and didn't think about calling Joe!
I didnt need to call Ranger he wouldn't even notice I was gone for a few days. Besides, I hadn't seen him in a month. Im guessing he's in the wind. He hadn't told me he was going but Tank had come to check on me a few days ago. I like Tank and all of the other guys at Rangeman but they're no Ranger.
"You are over thinking again Steph. There is no reason to walk down this crazy road. Just get some sleep."
I tossed and turned for hours after talking to Mary Lou. The last time I looked at the clock it was 3 AM. I woke at 10 AM feeling bushed, more exhausted than when I went to bed. My strange dream had not recurred but Ranger had been in some part of a dream. We were in the woods or more like a jungle. That was all I could remember but it gave me a chill.
As I went about planning my day, I couldnt get rid of that cold feeling. I made my calls to everyone. By afternoon, I was still a little worried so I called Tank to ask if Ranger was ok. Tank just told me Ranger was in the wind and that as far as he knew everything was ok. I thanked him and hung up.
The next morning I was on my way to Point Pleasant. The day was sunny and warm. As I left Trenton, the sky cleared and turned a bright blue.
Arriving at the Inn, I still had that cold slightly worried feeling in my heart. What could this be? Did I have another stalker? Was someone sick?
I called Mary Lou to tell I had arrived and was going to stroll on the boardwalk. After unpacking my stuff, I left my room to take that walk. Maybe a nice stroll would help ease my mind.
Hours later, I was in the shower when that same cold chill ran through my body. I heard Ranger say "Mine". Jumping I looked around. There was no one here but me. I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my body and went to the other room. Nobody, I was alone and the door was locked.
"Steph you are truly loosing it." I know that was Rangers voice.I slowly lowered myself onto the bed trying to imagine why I was hearing Rangers voice hear in my room. Lying there, I drifted off to sleep
I was in a dark room again with Rangers hands on my body. He was saying," I will make you mine, all mine."
Then the light came on and we were in the jungle. It was hot and steamy. There were bugs. I mean big bugs! Ranger was in the tangled vines. He was bleeding from his left side. Ranger looked at me with his gorgeous brown eyes and just said "Mine." Then there were more bugs buzzing and ringing in my ears and it just kept on, it wouldn't stop. Ranger's lips were moving, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I was batting away the bugs when I realized the buzzing and ringing was my phone.
I almost couldn't bring myself to answer the phone. My hand was so cold and I was shivering so much. I slowly opened my phone. Hello.
"Steph, this is Tank. Steph! Steph! Are you ok? Steph, answer me!"
As the black spots cleared from my vision, I heard Tank yelling my name. "Yeah ok, what is wrong with Ranger?"
I could hear Tank take a deep breath as he told me." Ranger missed his check in three days ago. This morning the rest of the team found him off the trail. He was drawing fire for the rest of the team to get out, safely.
He has a gunshot wound in his side he is dehydrated and has been ravaged by insects. The only thing he has said is 'Babe Mine.' He has come around twice and that is all he said before slipping back into unconsciousness. The doctors are very concerned he is not responding to treatment, its not good."
I was silently crying by this time. Ranger couldn't slip away from me this way! "Where is he Tank? We have to get to him. He needs us now!"
"Steph, will you go with me?" I guess Tank felt he had to ask me.
"Of course Big Guy, Ranger needs you at his back. He called for me. How can I not go?
I am at Point Pleasant now it will take me about 2 hours to get back."
"Don't come back to Trenton. There's a private air field about twenty miles from you. Tank informed her. Write down the information for your GPS and I will meet you there in forty five minutes. We will take the Rangeman Jet."
I quickly packed and checked out of the Inn and called Mary Lou. I left her a message to let her know I didn't know when I would be back. If she needed me, she could reach me on my cell phone. I love you. Ill call you when I get to where Im going." I added to the end of my message. Tank didn't even tell me where we were going. Not that it mattered; I'd go anyway.
When I got to the airfield, which was in the middle of nowhere, there was a black SUV by the hanger. Tank met me at the car, took my bag and put his arm around my waist.
Inside the jet, if thats what you want to call it, the thing was the size of an airliner, I buckled myself into a seat made of the softest leather I'd ever felt.
I closed my eyes. "Steph what does it say about your trust for Ranger and his men? In an instant, you packed your bags, met one of them at an airport, get on a jet and fly away to who knows where and never ask a question.
These men were my best friends. I loved Ranger and would go anywhere for him." I said to myself.
Bobby came out of the cockpit, with a smile on his face. He informed me he would be my pilot today and hoped I had a pleasant flight. As quickly as he came out of the cockpit, he turned and went back.
Tank brought me a bottle of water and strapped himself into another seat. He looked at me with a blank face and said, "How did you know Ranger was in trouble? You knew yesterday before I did. Today, you almost seemed ready for the news?"
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