****AN: Just playing around with JE's world. Don't own anything and not making anything. Words can never express how much you're response to my stories mean. I've enjoyed playing around with this story and hope you've enjoyed reading it. Forever thanks to my Beta, Angie. Without her, you'd be reading gibberish.

Ranger lay there for a long time, watching her sleep. He could see the fatigue and worry etched in her face all night. As he watched her drift off to sleep, all of that washed away from her face and what he saw took his breath away. She was gorgeous in sleep. No, that wasn't the right word. He battled for the right word to put toward the angelic face. Precious. Where the hell had that word come from?

With the word came an unfamiliar feeling for him, tenderness. Well hell, that's not something he was expecting to feel towards her. He'd expected to feel the desire, had been since he walked into the apartment, but the feelings of protectiveness were a shock to him. The feelings were overwhelming, but they felt instinctively accurate. As a feeling of completeness settled over him, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

"After The Darkness"

Chapter 4

"Babe"

He saw her blue eyes and followed them under a waterfall. He had her bathing suit peeled off in the blink of an eye. Her body glistened with the water that cascaded over her taut nipples and he pinned her to the rock wall behind her. She was a hellcat as she clawed his back and wrapped her legs around his hips. Grasping her ass, he plunged deeply into her, chanting 'home' in his head. She took him deeply within her womanhood as their tongues dueled for supremacy. He could see himself pound into her relentlessly. Rock hard and pounding with the intensity of the desire, he took them over the edge as they screamed each other's name.

Ranger woke to the sweet scent of peaches and a summer rain. He must have gone on one hell of bender, if he brought a woman into his home. He never allowed anyone into his personal space. Except this time, he guessed he did, because there was a naked leg entwined with his and a massive amount of hair splayed across his chest. He reached down to pick up the hand that was splayed across his heart and that's when he saw the ring on his left hand.

In an instant, everything from yesterday came flashing back to him. This wasn't one of his standing engagements. It was Stephanie Plum….Manoso. His wife. He brushed the hair away from the face that was pressed into his chest. The thought from last night replayed in his mind. Precious. He watched as she burrowed deeper into his chest. A deep 'hmmmm' came from her and then a sigh as she said his name. And then, she was awake and scrambling up.

"Uh…morning. Sorry, we always wake up tangled like that." She knew she was rambling, but couldn't help it. They just stared at each other.

A memory of the dream flashed and Ranger shook his head. "Stephanie, it's alright. I don't want you uncomfortable in your own home. I'm going to take a shower." He tried to discreetly get up without her seeing his erection. The combination of the dream and her mesmerizing scent had him in a state of complete arousal. He'd have to take a cold shower or take care of the matter himself.

Surprisingly, Stephanie had awakened with an improved attitude. Sometime, during her dreams, she'd made up her mind. She wasn't losing her husband. The bomber might have taken her child, but she'd be damned, if he was going to take her husband, too. She was going to do just what Bobby had said. She was going to go about her daily routine and hope that his memories came back. If they didn't, they'd make new ones. As she heard the shower shut off, she dialed Ella's extension and requested breakfast.

That's when she heard it. Ranger bellowed from the bathroom, 'Fuck'. The door swung open and one hot-tempered Cuban stepped over the threshold, a towel swung loosely around his hips. Oh, my. He was hot when he was in a foul mood.

"What the fuck is this on my shoulder?" His eyes flashed with anger.

Stephanie had to smother a nervous giggle with her hand. "We got them on our honeymoon."

He was examining his tattoo in the dresser mirror and his eyes snapped to hers at her comment. "You have one, too?" At her slow nod, he demanded, "Show me." He watched as she rose up to her knees on the bed and then he gulped when her hands went to the waistband of her boxers. Slowly, she pulled her shorts down to one side and what he saw made the blood pound in his veins. Here was certifiable proof that she was his. He'd marked her and she him. Un-fucking-believable. He'd never allowed anyone to claim ownership of him. But….he had and the emotions that swamped him were completely foreign.

How had this slip of a woman managed to get under his skin? All theses feeling, the wedding ring he couldn't force himself to remove, and a tattoo that marked him as belonging to another. Had he changed that much in three year? He searched his brain for something, anything that could have been a defining moment that had inspired him to veer so far off the course and lifestyle he'd been content with. His only answer was staring at him boldly, the love, passion, and desire flowing from her steel blue eyes.

Stephanie watched as he battled the emotions and felt moved to comfort him. She rose and went to stand before him. "Ranger, it was something we both wanted at the time. If you feel the need to remove it, I'll understand." She pushed some of the hair on his forehead in an unconscious gesture and then left to go to the bathroom.

He stood there lost in his thoughts for a minute before responding, "I won't."

She smiled as she heard the comment and started the shower.

Stephanie had just wrapped herself in a towel when she overheard Ella talking to Ranger in the kitchen. Quickly, she threw on her usual RangeMan attire and went to the kitchen with her sopping wet hair. What? She was hungry.

"Good Morning, Ella." The maternal housekeeper smiled warmly and greeted her in kind.

"Stephanie, I brought you link sausages for extra iron. Bobby said that the iron pills might make you queasy and that it'd be better if you got your iron from natural sources. So, if you'll eat plenty of iron rich foods, you may be able to discontinue the pills." She patted Stephanie tenderly on the arm.

"Thanks, Ella. You always take good care of me." Stephanie said with a small smile.

"You know I love taking care of you. Also, the boxes you and Ranger shipped back from your honeymoon arrived. I'll have Hal bring them up later." Ella left Ranger and Stephanie to their meal.

Ranger cleared his throat. "So, where did we get them?" He really wanted to know if it had anything to do with that damn dream. Is that where they were when they got their matching brands?

Stephanie paused with her coffee half-way to her lips. "Bora-Bora. It was the last leg of our honeymoon." It was strange to have to tell him things he should know.

Bora-Bora. Could be, but it didn't feel right. This felt more like a river in the states. He was feeling frustrated and a killer headache was coming on from trying to remember. He watched as Stephanie stood and retrieved two pain pills for him and her iron pills. She laid the two pain pills in front of him, causing him to wonder how she knew, but he took them without comment.

When they arrived on the fifth floor, Ranger was flummoxed at the reception. His men who would normally hunker down at his arrival, sprung up to greet…..Stephanie? One-by-one they each came over to give her a hug and welcome her back and say they were glad she was feeling better. Ranger silently observed as the great big men he relied on to watch his back, showed both warmth and respect towards his wife. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that word.

He headed to his office and was surprised that Stephanie followed him. In his office, he found the reason she'd followed. His office was no longer his. It was theirs. Holy Hell, will the surprises ever cease? Across from his mahogany desk, was another identical desk complete with items he was sure were hers. On top of that, his desk sported several unfamiliar items. Knicknacks with his initials had replaced the plain ordinary ones from before. They were all simple items, a business card holder, a paper weight and leather covered appointment book. They all looked so….professional. And then there was the digital photo frame. He watched as images of Stephanie and him over a period of time flashed on the screen.

He was entranced by the images. It was like their entire relationship played out in sequential order. Along with the desire and possessiveness, another foreign feeling came over him as he watched the display. Comfort.

Flipping on his computer, he saw Stephanie do the same at her desk. When the screen came on, he understood what Bobby had been talking about last night. He didn't recognize any of the programs. He also didn't recognize the background. It was a picture of him and Stephanie standing in front of a cabin. Ah….the dream. This must be where they'd been when they were in the waterfall.

Sometime during his meanderings, Stephanie had come to stand behind him. "I can show you the new system first, if you want." Ranger nodded. He was trying to come to grips with all this and it had his mind boggling. Efficiently, Stephanie showed him the new programs and then pulled up his 2007 files.

"If you'll start with 2007, I'll start with 2008. That way we're not overlapping each other. I guess we need to look for anybody with experience with bombs." When Ranger nodded, she went back to her desk and got to work.

Throughout the day, they worked in mostly silence. Except when, Lester or Tank would stop by, check on their progress and then go back to further research anybody they'd flagged. Bobby came in twice to remind Stephanie to take breaks and brought her a bowl of beans. Ranger almost laughed out loud at her expression of disgust.

"You'll really be laughing when these hit my digestive system." Then she covered her mouth with mortification.

"Stephanie, I was in the Army with a bunch of uncouth men. I'm sure nothing your digestive system can come up with can compete. Eat your beans like a good girl." Dammit! There was that shiver again. What the hell was he doing wrong? He was trying his best to just act naturally with her, but every time he said her name, she had a response that wasn't pleasant. He could also feel the air go cold with her response.

The intercom buzzed, "Talk."

"Sir, Detective Morelli just requested entrance." Ranger rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension that burrowed into him.

"Send him up." He saw the mortified look on Stephanie's face and he was sure it had nothing to do with the beans. He gave her a quizzical eyebrow, "Problems?"

She brushed him off. "No, no, it's just that it's probably time for me to go and rest for a bit." She stood and started clearing her desk and shutting down her computer.

Ranger stood too, "What's going on, Stephanie?"

"It's complicated and you're not going to understand because you don't remember."

He could see her panic, "Try me."

She sighed deeply, "Between the years of 2007 and 2008, Joe and I had an on-again, off-again, relationship."

He tried to absorb this information, "I thought……we were together?" He watched as she battled with an answer.

"You're life didn't lend itself to relationships." She toyed with a pen, trying to avoid his penetrating look.

"So, not once in two years, did I try to make a move?" He was shocked at her laugh that was a mixture of sadness and irony.

"You had moves, in spades, and we spent….one night together, but your moves came without strings. Listen, Ranger, like I said, it's complicated and I really don't want to be here….." Shit. The intercom buzzed again alerting them to Morelli's arrival.

In frustration, Ranger snapped out an order for Morelli's entrance.

Joe noticed immediately the freeze in the room. Internally, he was doing a happy dance. If there was friction, maybe…just maybe, he was back in the game. The devil on his shoulder was cheering. The angel was shaking his head sadly.

"Cupcake, glad to see you're feeling better. Manoso, I came for your files."

Well, guess he now knew who Cupcake was. Ranger was seething, but reigned in his emotions. He didn't like the cop's tender and possessive expression towards his wife. And he sure as hell didn't like the man coming in and demanding access to his files. "It'll be a cold day in hell, before I hand over my files. My client's confidentiality is what makes my company credible." He now understood the cop's attitude towards him. He'd gotten the girl and Morelli hadn't, apparently the cop was still having trouble dealing with that little rub. Too bad for him, she was his, the wedding rings on their fingers proved it. Morelli better watch his step with his wife because, even though he didn't remember everything, he'd be damned if he was sharing with anyone…especially this sore loser.

Bobby strode into the room. "Bomber, it's time for you to go rest for a while. I promised your doctor you would take breaks during the day when you returned to work."

Stephanie was glad to escape the uncomfortable temperature in the room. First the conversation with Ranger was far from being over, and then Joe. Hell, he just had to come in all bull-headed and demanding. Then, there was the way Joe looked at her with possession. She was more than sure that Ranger hadn't missed the look. She tried to step around Joe and out of the room, but his hand shot out and grasped her arm.

She could feel the temperature in the room skyrocket as she looked down at Joe's hand.

"Steph, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" His eyes were pleading and his voice was soft.

She shook her head. She was certain of what he wanted to talk about. She wasn't ready to talk about losing the baby with her husband, much less of all people, Joe. "No. I've got to rest. You can stay and discuss the case with Ranger, but I've got to go." She knew her voice was strained and clogged with tears. Then in a low voice, she said, "Let me go, Joe." She knew Ranger was getting angry, she could feel it bouncing off her skin. She wasn't sure how to handle any of this. She didn't want Ranger to think she still had feelings for Joe and she felt guilty for leaving him with a spewing Italian, but she had to get out of here, and fast.

Lester arrived and took control. "There you are, Beautiful. I was just coming to escort you back to the apartment." In a smooth move, Lester took Stephanie's arm from Joe's grasp and led her from the room.

Ranger watched the exchange and felt the inner turmoil battling. He should have stepped in, but he wanted to see Stephanie's reaction to Joe. Relief washed over him when he didn't feel any sexual vibes coming from her. Instead, he felt her feelings of panic and fear. Did the man hurt her? If Joe had been responsible for hurting one hair on her head, he'd kill him with his bare hands and chop his body to bits.

Joe stared at Stephanie's retreating form and was surprised to find Ranger breathing down his neck.

"You'll keep your hands to yourself in the future." Ranger could barely contain his anger.

"Look, Stephanie and I have a history together. She's obviously in pain and you don't seem to be doing anything about it. If she needs a shoulder to lean on, I'll be glad to provide it." Joe knew he was baiting the tiger, but couldn't seem to stop himself.

At Joe's smug look, Ranger had a flash of a memory of slamming Joe to a wall and decided it was worth repeating. When he had Joe dangling against the wall, he told him, "We've been here before. You've been warned and the next time won't be a warning."

He dropped Joe and stepped back. Tank had stepped in by this time. "Morelli, I told you we'd be forthcoming with any information, when we had it. Now, I suggest you leave and quit trying to stir up trouble. She made her choice and there's no sense in you pulling the tiger's tail every time we have to have dealings with each other."

Lester stepped back in the room and gave Ranger a nod that he'd settled Stephanie.

Joe strode to the door, "I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be expecting a full report of any findings you have."

As soon as Joe was in the elevator, Ranger strode towards the door, intending to go see about Stephanie. Both Lester and Tank put a restraining hand on him.

"Ranger, man, don't go up there right now. She's resting and you're in no mood to soothe her." Lester was pleading with him. She was shaking with fatigue and nerves by the time they'd made it to the apartment and he didn't want Ranger anywhere near her right now.

"I'll go see about my wife now and if you don't remove your hands, you'll both find yourself in third world countries before the sun sets." He wasn't surprised that they both reluctantly stepped back. He stalked to the stairs needing the physical exertion before going to the apartment. Tank and Lester were probably both right, but he needed to see her. He needed to know she was alright, to touch her, and to look into her vivid blue eyes.

This sucked balls. To know that you had this undeniable connection to someone, and yet unable to remember why, was like living a nightmare. When he reached the door of the apartment, he leaned in and rested his forehead on the door. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he wondered if he was making the right decision going into the apartment. It was like his other half was waiting for him and he couldn't wipe that thought out of his mind.

Maybe what he needed was to relieve some of this tension. And since working out in the gym was out of the question, due to his head injury, maybe he could find another type of release. The thought of a sexual release with his sexy wife had conflicting emotions running through him. Sure, he wanted it, and boy, did he want it. He could see in her eyes that she wanted it, too, but something was keeping him from pushing the envelope. Taking a deep sigh, he twisted the door knob and entered the apartment.

As he stepped in, Stephanie came out of the bedroom rubbing a towel over her wet hair. She'd taken a bath and changed into some lounge pants and a snug thermal top. Ranger could smell her shampoo and soap from where he was standing.

In two strides, he was across the room with her body plastered against his. He could smell her desire with an underlying scent of fear. He'd meant to be tender, and had thought he'd reigned in his foul mood. Instead he asked her, "Are you scared of me, Stephanie?" When she shook her head and grasped his biceps, he continued, "I try real hard not to do anything stupid, that includes nonconsensual sex – I will make a move with partial consent."

He saw her lips move, but he couldn't hear anything she was saying because a hot, blinding, white light streaked through his head. He stumbled back, grasping his head with both hands. A single image played in his head over and over again. Joe and Stephanie….kissing. He heard her voice, but couldn't understand the words. Her hands gently guided him to the couch and helped him to lie down. She left, but was back in a heartbeat with a bottle of water and some Tylenol.

When the pain had subsided to a dull roar, he opened his eyes to look at her. Tears streaked her face and he felt remorse for his actions. Before he could apologize, she started talking.

"I know there are a lot of things you don't understand. I….I'm just not ready. I can't…." She couldn't explain and she couldn't be here right now. She grabbed her coat and started for the door.

"Can't or won't, Stephanie?" Her hand was on the knob when he heard her whisper, "Can't."

When she flew out of the room, she nearly bowled over Lester. She didn't stop and didn't care where she ended up.

Ranger heard the door hit the wall and jerked up from the couch.

"What the fuck did you say to her?" Lester barked accusingly.

"It's none of your damn business what happens between Stephanie and me!"

Lester seethed as he headed out the door, "You don't have a clue what you've got and right now, you're a bigger moron than you were the two years before the two of you got together!"

Lester had heard the door to the rooftop slam and knew where Stephanie had headed. He found her huddled on ground, her arms wrapped around herself, sobbing uncontrollably. He knelt beside her and took her in his arms. He didn't say anything because he didn't have the words to tell her it would all be okay. So, he just held her as she sobbed and let out what she'd been holding in for two days.

"Oh God, Lester. I lost the baby. Mine and Ranger's baby. I lost it and now I'm losing him, because he doesn't understand. He's the love of my life and I'm losing him because I can't tell him. He doesn't understand that I waited for him for two years and was only with Joe because he sent me back to him. If he doesn't remember on his own, he'll never understand. I know he won't because most days, I don't even understand myself and I remember living it. And when I tell him about the baby, he won't understand how much we both wanted it or the joy we felt when we went into that store to buy a pregnancy test. How do I tell him, Lester, that I lost our baby when I can barely breathe the words myself?"

Lester had tears in his eyes when he looked up to see Ranger stepping out of the shadow. If Lester hadn't seen the sadness in Ranger's eyes, he wouldn't have released her into his arms. If he hadn't seen the shimmering of tears for himself, he wouldn't have believed it and he wouldn't have been able to leave them on the rooftop.

Ranger rocked her and stroked her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He could tell she knew it was him because she all but climbed on him, holding on for dear life.

"I'm so sorry, Ranger. I can't do this by myself. I need you, Ranger. I can't take not being close to you. You're my life, my heart."

He buried his head into her neck, "Oh God, Babe. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. You don't have to do this by yourself. I'm here. I may not remember our life together, but I want to. With all my heart, I want to remember you."

Stephanie pulled back a little and gave Ranger a puzzled look, "What did you call me?"

Ranger realized that this is why she always cringed a little when he called her Stephanie. He called her something else, was it Babe? "Is that what I call you and why your whole body cringes when I call you Stephanie?"

Stephanie nodded, "You only call me Stephanie when you're mad at me or I do something ridiculous. Wait….was it a memory? My name?"

Ranger shrugged, "Not sure…it just felt right."

"No blinding pain?" She watched as he shrugged again.

"No, it's just what I've been calling you in my head. It started out as baby blue eyes, because I dreamed of them in the hospital." He stroked her back and then her face. "I don't know what's going to happen, but until we figure it all out, I think we need to do like Bobby said and go about our normal routine." When she nodded her agreement, he said, "C'mon, Babe, let's go watch some television and relax. We've had enough tension and drama for one day."

"On one condition, you don't sit there and stare at me the whole time. It makes me uncomfortable, like you're trying to figure out an enigma."

"Babe, you are an enigma to me. Three years ago, it was beyond my imagination that I would ever marry again. I'm trying to figure out….everything….I know Bobby said it was better for me to remember on my own, but do you think instead of watching television, you could tell me something about our life together? Anything that will help me understand how in the hell I went from being a confirmed bachelor to being married and planning…..a family?"

Stephanie nodded and followed him back to the apartment. The entire way, he held her hand and for the first time in two days, it felt right.