Story Title: What Ever Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
Summary: Morelli and Steph finally break up (for real) and Morelli can't handle it. He does the unthinkable, and Ranger helps Stephanie deal with the results.
Story Rating: R
Status: Work in Progress
Genre: Drama
Couple: Stephanie and Ranger (eventually)
Spoilers: through Ten Big Ones
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but only gently use for my amusement.
Warning: If you love Joe Morelli, you aren't going to enjoy this story.
Chapter Nine
Straightening the outfit she had finally chosen- black on black, a tank covered by a zippered fleece, cargo pants, and combat boots- Stephanie emerged from her bedroom to find Ranger sitting on her sofa, flipping channels. He paused, turning the television set off. One eyebrow quirked up.
"I'm channeling my inner Ranger today," Steph answered shortly before settling on the coffee table in front of him.
An almost-smile washed across his face. "And why is that, Babe?"
"I need some of your strength." She took a deep breath. "I want to talk about how you love me-"
Ranger began to object. This was not the time-
"But this is not the time. I am not in the correct frame of mind." Steph ESPed him. "And that statement is something that deserves my full and undivided attention." She sighed. "And you know that its not easy for me to have to wait."
Ranger pushed a stray curl behind her ear and cupped her face in his hand. "I know, Babe. And I appreciate it."
Steph smiled shyly at him before she thought about how it must look with her bruises. Some grim rictis, she was sure, and the smile faded away quickly. She needed to work out the mess that Morelli had made of her and her life before she could deal with Ranger. In the meantime, she would simply accept that he loved her and supported her. Or keep telling herself that he said he did. "I thought of a way to deal with Morelli."
"I'm listening," Ranger sat back, happy that she was finally going to do something.
"I really don't want everyone to know about this. It will ruin his life and mine. And I just don't believe that he meant to hurt me. He was drunk, and upset-" she cut Ranger's interruption off with a glare. "You can disagree with me, but you won't change my mind."
Ranger unhappily conceded, at least for now.
"I'm not going to go to the police."
Ranger frowned.
"I don't want to be the object of the Burg gossip vine anymore than I already am." Stephanie bit her lip. "But I don't want Morelli to get away with this again, if it were to happen. If I don't do something, and he rapes someone else, it will be partially my fault."
"Babe! It is entirely HIS fault-" Ranger was getting angrier by the second. Give him five minutes alone with Morelli, no witnesses, and the man would never do this to another woman again. Ranger re-evaluated his former opinion of Morelli yet again for the umpteenth time in past few days. Ranger had thought Morelli was difficult, but one of the good guys.
No more.
"Why did you help me become a bounty hunter?" Steph challenged him, a gleam in her eye, a fight in her posture, that had been recently missing.
"Because you were going to do it if I helped you or not. If I didn't, and you got hurt-" Ranger stopped. She really was channeling her inner Ranger today. "I get you."
"Good." She sat up straighter.
"So what are you going to do?" Ranger asked.
Steph steeled herself. This actually scared her more than going to the cops. "We're going to go talk to Grandma Bella."
Chapter Ten
Ranger was surprised by her plan, but ameniable. This was the Babe he knew and loved.
Stephanie insisted that they take her car, rather than a Rangeman vehicle. "I need you these with me, but I don't want everyone to know you're there. One visible Rangeman or Rangeman vehicle, and Morelli will be there in a heartbeat."
Ranger agreed with her reasoning, but really didn't like it. He liked it even less when she insisted on driving. "Babe, you aren't feeling a hundred percent yet-"
Steph put on a pissed off scowl. "You're just afraid of my car luck. I probably won't get us blown up or shot at on the way." She gave him a sideways glance. "Or is it that your afraid of my driving?"
Ranger was willing to compromise. "I am- uncomfortable- with your driving."
"Tough." Steph held her keys in one hand, the driver's door handle in the other, waiting.
It took a lot of self-control to meekly get into the passenger seat. It took more not to reach out and shut off the ear-shattering heavy metal tinnily blasting out of the speakers when she started it up. He realized she played the stuff to hype herself up, and he knew she needed it today. That didn't mean he enjoyed temporary deafness. The ride was mercifully short, however, and the advantage of the loud music was that it announced their arrival. Mrs. Morelli and Grandma Bella were already at the door when he and Steph pulled up.
Mrs. Morelli looked at Steph as if she were smelling shit. It was obvious that she did not like her son's choice of women. Grandma Bella got a light in her eyes that reminded him uncomfortably of Steph's grandmother. Steph straightened her spine and strode resolutely up to the screen door.
"Hello, Mrs. Morelli, Grandma Bella."
"Is it really necessary to play your music so loudly that I can hear the obscene lyrics from a block away?" Mrs. Morelli asked in a tone to match her facial expression.
Stephanie ignored the jibe. "I came to see you, Grandma Bella."
"I ain't had no visions of your grave lately, girl." Grandma stated.
"I need to talk to you." Steph stated calmly, not letting the Morellis bait her.
Bella nodded. "Get some cake out, Marie. A big one. She's for the bounty hunter fella with her."
