Disclaimer: The Main characters are not mine. They infact belong in a universe created by one Janet Evanovich I just made up the plot.

AN: I struggled with how I wanted this chapter to go. Feedback from the reviewers helped me figure out what i wanted next. I know how the main storyline is going to go, but I will be relying on you guys to help me with some of the little things. Thanks a bunch for all the positive reviews. I write for you guys. Enjoy this next chapter, its a bit longer.

*RPOV*

Pregnant? Could she really be pregnant? My first emotion was of joy that it was mine and shortly there after it was shattered by the thought that it might belong to her rapist. Could I raise a rapist's child as my own? Stephanie already felt she could and she didn't even know if she was pregnant yet. If she felt that she could live with a monsters seed growing within her, could love it, could raise it without regret, then I could too… couldn't I? I turned to Steph and told her my decision.

"Babe, whatever child inside of you, if there is one, is half you. I love all of you, I will love that baby. If its mine, I'm over the moon and if it doesn't have my biology, it's still mine. Because you are mine. You have been mine since the day we met in the diner. Neither of us was bright enough to see it yet." A corner of her mouth quirked up in a slight smile. She placed one hand on my face and one on her belly. "I love you, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, and I always will." She said. I loved it when she said my full name. I loved the way it rolled off her tounge. Hector had been teaching her Spanish and she was now able to roll her r's like a pro. If she hadn't been in a hospital bed, hooked to a million machines and had just been through a trauma no one should have to endure, I might have gotten a little excited with the way she said my name. She gave me a knowing look. I guess my blank face had slipped away. But I could tell she was exhausted. "Sleep cara," I said. "You need your rest so that you may recover quickly." With a gently smile and a squeeze of my hand she fell asleep. A nurse came in to check her vitals and that all her tubes and wires were working properly. She commented that Stephanie was still very pale and that she made need another transfusion before being considered out of the woods. I felt my heart clench at the thought that I could still lose her. I stayed with her, by her side, never letting go over her hand. I wanted her to have that comfort, even in sleep, of knowing I was still there. Several of my men came and went, trying to persuade me to at least go and take a break. To eat, stretch my legs, get some air. Tank, Lester and Bobby all offered to take watch so I could go to the family room and take a nap. There was a constant guard outside of Steph's room and If I choose to go take a nap, there would be one for me as well. But I wasn't leaving my babe's side for anything. I dozed off and on in my chair, still holding on to her small delicate hand. I ate when Ella came and threatened to have me admitted for dehydration and starvation. No one could tell that saintly woman no. Besides, who wants to eat hospital food anyway. The nurse came in and took some blood from Stephanie's iv. She didn't even stir. She told me it was for the testing that the doctor had spoken with us about earlier. I nodded, but never took my eyes off my babe. I told myself that we didn't care what the results were, we would take it all in stride. It was what she wanted and how she wanted it to be. And I would do anything for her.

*Unknown POV*

"SHE IS ALIVE?! How is that even possible. You said she was as good as dead. You should have made sure she was dead before you left her there. I can't believe you were so stupid and careless. You could have left evidence to lead them to us."

"I am sorry sir. I really didn't think she was going to make it. She had lost a lot of blood and I was sure that she had a punctured lung with the way she was breathing. I didn't think she would last 5 hours, let alone wake up enough to make her way out of the warehouse"

"Well it doesn't really matter now, I will just have to deal with it on my own, now wont I?"

"Sir?"

"You have outlived your usefulness, Chase. Goodbye." A shot rang out and the other man dropped to the floor.

"Time to clean up this mess."

*SPOV*

I slowly made my way back up to the land of the living, peaking one eye open, trying to adjust to the bright sunlight making its way into my new room. I had been moved at some point, but I didn't even remember it happening. I opened my other eye and looked over to see Ranger slumped over the side of my bed. His hair tousled from sleep, his mouth slightly open and the faintest little snore coming from him. I giggled a little and then sucked in a breath as the pain in my chest hit me. My squeak of pain must have woken ranger as he sat bolt upright and quickly move up by my head. "Careful babe, you have a couple of broken ribs and nearly all the rest are bruised. They don't have them taped yet because they have to watch for any internal bleeding. Do you want me to call the nurse and get you some pain medication?" He asked, gently stroking my cheek. I shook my head no. I knew there really was no safe pain killers while pregnant and even though we didn't know if I was yet, I was still going to be cautious. I focused on my breathing until the pain subsided. I looked over and saw I was the proud owner of yet another iv. This one was obviously blood. "I needed another transfusion?" I asked Ranger. "Yes, they said you had lost more blood than they thought and your body wasn't making new blood fast enough to compensate. So they gave you another unit. But the doctors are confident it will be the last."

The doctor came in then to check on me and talk to us. "How are you feeling this morning, Stephanie?"

"Like I was hit by a mac truck. But who can complain when they've got batman as their bedside entertainment?" I gave Ranger my most shit eating grin, and he actually stuck his tongue out at me. "Wait did I just see that or are all the drugs making me hallucinate"

The doctor laughed. Nope Steph, he really did stick his tongue out at you. Now on to business. Your labs are coming back better than when you arrived yesterday. This last unit of blood is really helping move things along. We are going to keep you here for a while. You have a nasty concussion, staples in the back of your head, and until we can tape up your ribs, you are stuck in that bed. Your shoulder was dislocated and will probably be sore for at least a week. And I am amazed that you walked as far as they say you did. You left ankle is broken. We have it splinted and we will reevaluate it once the swelling has gone down to see if we can cast it or if you will need surgery. You have some major trauma to a few other places as well and will be sore for quite some time, and will need time to heal. So even when you are out of this place, there will be no physical activity for at least six weeks to two months." He said this last bit with a look at Ranger.

"He's not the one you have to worry about pushing things too quickly, that's my department." I said with a wink.

"Now, one last thing," He said. "Your hormone levels are slightly higher than normal so we are going to retest again in two days. If you are pregnant, your HCG should double between now and then. Once we confirm it that way we will schedule an internal ultrasound . If you are up for it. It is not as invasive as your usual yearly exam, but with the trauma you have experienced , it will be uncomfortable an possibly even a little traumatic as it may bring up memories of what you went through. I know you said you were drugged and don't remember much, but muscle memory has a way of sparking your actual psychological memories. We can give you a sedative to help keep you calm," I interrupted him on that one. "Sorry doc, but I've been loaded with sedatives for what three or four days now? I think I've had more than my fair share. Ranger will be with me and that will keep me calm." He nodded and then excused himself.

I sank back into my pillows and Ranger leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Sleep," He whispered,

"Ella will be here in a little while with some real food. You want to be energized enough for that. Although you still have to keep to a fairly liquid diet." I gave him a dirty look at that. My favorite foods didn't come in liquid form. But I couldn't argue with him. My eyes were too heavy and I drifted off again.

When I next awoke, it was to the sound of Ranger talking quietly with someone. I knew that voice but it took me some time to place it. Joe. Joe Morrelli, my ex and my still close friend. He took our final breakup hard, but finally seemed to be bouncing back. Word in the burg was he was seeing a new transfer in from Newark. Some skinny blond thing. I opened my eyes and made a small noise. Both men looked towards me and I held a hand out to Joe.

"Hey cupcake, how you feeling?" He asked

"better when they release me from this place and I can recuperate in my own bed. " I Said.

"I heard about what happened and I came to make sure you were alright. I stopped by last night but the wall of black kept me out. Tank told me it was too soon to know anything and to go home till he called me. As soon as I got that call that you were pretty much out of the woods I headed up here. What happened Steph. I thought you were beyond all the craziness with your skips?"

He asked a legitimate question. And I knew as a cop he was taking my official statement as well as being my friend and being supportive.

"Better pull out your tape recorder, Joe, I'm only going over this once." He did as I told him and set it on the table by the bed. Ranger ducked out for a moment and came back with one of his own. He wanted his own copy and didn't want to have to rely on Joe for one. " I was sitting out in front of my skip's mother's house waiting for him to show for his shift taking care of her. I saw what I thought was him walking down the street and climbed out of the car to intercept him before getting to his mother's. Before I had taken three steps, I was ambushed by someone I couldn't even see. He put a cloth over my mouth and stuck me in the neck with something to knock me out. I only remember bits and pieces of when the medications started to ware of. I was sort of awake for the rape and some of the beatings. But when I finally woke up I was in a warehouse. I managed to make my way outside and that's pretty much when ranger found me. I never saw the faces of the men who attacked me. And the drugs distort their voices too much for me to be clear on what they sounded like either." I couldn't be sure but I think I saw what almost looked like relief briefly flash across Joe's face. But I pushed it aside. Probably just glad I was ok, and really didn't remember most of what I had been through.

He switched off the records, handed Ranger his and slipped the other back in his pocket. "I am so sorry that you went through all that Steph. I promise we will find who did this to you and he will know that he messed with the wrong woman. " He gripped my hand when he said that. "I'm just glad you are gonna come through this with no lasting damage."

"That's not quite true, Joe. The doc says they cant give me the morning after pill because of possible hemorrhage and that it had been too long since I was raped. The man didn't use a condom so they got a little DNA from the rape kit, but we don't know yet if its in good enough condition to be usable. And there is also the possibility that I am pregnant. There was a possibility before I was abducted, but this kinda just makes it even more of a possibility. The doctor checked and my hormone levels are already starting to go up. If I am pregnant they can do a test in a couple of months to determine who the father is. If its ranger, or the rapist. Either way I am keeping the baby. And if the man who did this to me is in the system, his DNA can be matched to the amnio and be proved to be a monster. And we will have a way to prove who it is if we manage to catch the jerk responsible for this anyway." When I mentioned the idea of a baby from being raped, Joe went pale. And shortly after he said his goodbyes and left. He was acting a little weird and I said as much to Ranger. "He is just a little shocked and worried. You guys have been friends for a long time, Babe, He almost lost someone very dear to him. Its going to make anyone act a little funny." He reassured me. "Yeah, I know, It made you stick your tongue out at me. Man what I wouldn't do to have had a camera at the moment." "You wont ever catch me on film doing anything less than being menacing, babe, not ever." He said with a mean look that quickly broke into a full on 2000 watt smile. Ella came in just then with something that smelled heavenly, even though it was liquid. She gave me a gentle hug, asked how I was feeling and then went straight to mother hen mode. She pushed ranger to the small table in the room and put a plate full of twigs and rabbit food in front of him and then pulled out a thermos for me. It was stew of sorts and smelled divine. "I know your on a liquid diet for now, but as soon as your cleared for normal food I will make whatever you want, Sweetie, you just have to ask." She patted my cheek and placed my food on a tray in front of me and then left to take care of the bodyguards in the hall. After lunch, I had brief visit with the merry men, but I was overwhelmed with exhaustion again and was asleep halfway through their visit.

*Unknown POV*

Pregnant?! How is that possible? She could possibly be pregnant with my child? I cant let that happen, they cant find out that it was me. She will be out of the hospital before they even do those tests. I will take care of her then and put her where she belongs. Six feet under.

AN: Again I rely on your reviews to help me decide where each chapter is going to go, so review, review review. Love you guys.