Free At Last

Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns Stephanie Plum and all of her family and friends. I just like to play around in her world.

A/N: Thanks again for all the nice reviews! They're definitely keeping me motivated to post new work ASAP. It also helps that I live in northern Virginia and I'm currently snowed in with nothing better to do than to write. ;P Okay, now it's time for a change of scenery. I'm even taking a break from Army slang in this chapter. Just like Tank, Morelli has been pestering me for a vocal outlet. So, here it is. I truly hope you'll like it! :D

Morelli stood. "You're hopeless. You were like this as a kid, too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You were nuts. You'd do anything. You used to jump off your father's garage, trying to fly."

"Didn't you ever try to fly?"

"No. Never. I knew I couldn't fly."

"That's because from the day you were born, you had a one-track mind."

Morelli grinned. "It's true. My interests were narrow."

Three to Get Deadly

Chapter 4: The Other Man

"Wake up, Steph. It's time to get up." I said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Game's over."

"Huh?" she said groggily and began to sit up on the couch. "Wh-what happened? Who won the game?"

"The Devils won, but the whole game sucked!" I exclaimed. "Neither team played like they even cared about winning tonight. To make matters worse, I made a stupid bet with Dan Zelazny and now I'm gonna owe him lunch at Pino's. You know how much Dan sounds like a pig when he eats? It's disgusting!"

"What time is it?"

"Half past midnight," I said and I ran my finger around the neckline of her shirt. "C'mon, Cupcake, let's go upstairs. I've been dying to get this RangeMan outfit off your body ever since you showed up on my doorstep."

She blinked and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry, Joe, I can't stay. Not tonight. My father needs his cab first thing in the morning so he can pick up his regular Wednesday fares."

"You're not serious, are you?" I couldn't believe that she was thinking of going to her parents' house at this time of night, especially when my 'boys' really had been looking forward to having a good time with her.

"Yeah. I gotta go. I don't want a repeat of this morning." When she turned away from me to pick up her purse, I could see that her face had turned slightly red. She was blushing!

"What happened this morning?" I asked warily.

"Nothing," she replied too quickly. "It's just that - well, you know about my car exploding and Lula's car, too, right? I've got such bad car karma. So, anyway, I had the cab and I parked it in the RangeMan garage last night. Dad called me this morning and told me to pick up his rider, but I wasn't expecting to be up so early. I guess the events of the day finally caught up with me and now I'm really tired. You saw me - I couldn't even stay awake for the whole game and that hunk, Lundqvist, was playing goalie tonight. I can't believe I fell asleep while watching him!"

"You could fall asleep here and stay the rest of the night," I smiled wickedly at her, ignoring the fact that her babbling usually meant she was fibbing. "What I have in mind to do with you won't take a long time. I'll even set my alarm clock early enough for you to wake up and take the cab back home in time for your father's first fare of the day."

"Gee, that sounds so convenient - for you," she said sarcastically. "You know, maybe it would be best for me not to share a bed with anyone tonight. Not you, not Ranger, not anyone."

Not Ranger? Did she realize that she'd said that out loud? I waited a full minute before I answered, trying to keep my voice and temper under control. "I thought you said you've been getting up early so that you'd be out of Ranger's bed when he finished working his double shifts. You told me you were sharing his bed, but that the two of you weren't in the bed at the same time."

"Yep. That's right."

"So then, what's all this about not wanting to share a bed with either me or Ranger tonight?"

Steph shook her head. "Please, Joe, I'm too tired to talk about this now. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Then she stood up and stretched. Her loose, black sweatpants fell down just a little and I caught a glimpse of the top band of her underwear. There, barely visible, in small magenta letters, was the word 'RangeMan'. Now she had his name embroidered on her little black panties. Fury boiled through my veins.

"What the hell?" I yelled and yanked her sweatpants further down so that I could get a better look at the abominable logo.

Of course, she protested. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, I haven't lost my mind, but you clearly have! You've told me time and again that there's nothing going on between you and Ranger. But look here - you've got 'RangeMan' written on your panties and you still want me to believe there's nothing's going on? And you actually want me to believe that you've been sharing Ranger's bed without anything going on? Cripes! Do I look that stupid to you?"

Steph looked pissed off now and she angrily pulled her pants back up over her hips and adjusted her t-shirt, which also had RangeMan written on it. "If you'd just take a moment to calm down, you'd remember that we had broken up. And then you might just remember that a couple of hitmen chasing after Lula firebombed my apartment the other day. My staying over at Ranger's apartment really isn't such a big deal!" she protested. "He's my friend."

"I'm your friend, too, but you don't have my name written on every scrap of clothing you own."

"Quit overreacting, Joe! Jeez! It's not my fault - Ella, Ranger's housekeeper, has an embroidery machine and she's the one who puts the logo on everything."

"Even your underwear?" I felt my voice rise up half an octave. "That's ridiculous!"

"Calm down. I said it's no big deal." she reiterated. "They're just clothes, for crying out loud! It's not like Ranger has a cow whenever I wear my Trenton PD t-shirt at his place."

My breath caught in my throat. "Wait - you wear your TPD shirt at Ranger's place?"

"Yeah? So?" She was glaring at me as though I was messed up.

What my Cupcake didn't realize was that I knew she only wore that particular shirt as pajamas because it was so soft from having been washed a million times. This meant that Ranger must have seen her wearing the shirt while she'd been sleeping at his apartment. I don't care what Stephanie says; I know how sexy she looks in that t-shirt and there is no way Ranger could have kept his hands to himself all this time. I'd be a fool if I thought so - and I'm no fool.

It was at that moment that something became very clear to me. Stephanie Plum was up for grabs, whether she realized it or not. Ranger had moved in on my turf much further than I'd given him credit for and I could sense that he was on the verge of getting what he wanted. And then there was that nut job, Diesel, who always wreaked havoc when he came into town. I knew they both had the hots for Stephanie - in fact, everyone in my office joked about how it was only a matter of time before I would become the 'other man' in her life.

I wanted to blame Ranger for this mess. I wanted to blame him for Steph's decision to become a bounty hunter. I wanted to blame him for her being in harm's way more than any person should go through in one lifetime. I wanted to blame him for my Cupcake's problems with commitment and for causing her to waver in her devotion to me. I truly wanted to blame Ranger for all those things and more, but I couldn't. The real problem is - and always has been - Stephanie.

I always knew she'd be a pain in my ass! I've been attracted to Stephanie Plum like a moth to the flame since we were kids. It's never made any sense to me, especially when I could've had any girl I wanted, and it still doesn't make any sense to me now. I even debated with myself to just walk away before I even started pursuing Steph. Regardless of how much I love having sex with her - and, God help me, I do love it - I should've allowed my sensible self to win that argument. Now look where my 'boys' have landed me. It was time for all of us to wake up and face the truth.

"That's it, Steph," I said quietly. "I'm done."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"You know exactly what it means, Cupcake. I'm through with trying to make something happen with you. It's over. Finito!"

"Aww, Joe! It's too late at night and I'm way too tired to do this," she whined. "Weren't we still in the 'off' stage, anyway? I only came over to watch the game."

"Well, the game's over, so I guess you can take your little RangeMan-covered ass outta here."

"Why are you being such a jerk? Can't this wait until later?"

"No, it can't," I said as I began to pace. "There's been too much 'later' between us, Steph. I can't keep doing this back-and-forth crap with you anymore. It's time for you to decide who you want to be with - Ranger or me. You have to make a choice and stick with it."

"Right now? Is this some sort of ultimatum?"

I stopped pacing and stared at her. "Yeah, right now. We've been dragging this out for way too long, Cupcake."

She just stood there, looking angrier by the moment and yet she chewed on her lower lip as though she was nervous. Suddenly, I was disgusted with myself for thinking about how sexy she looked, even with all her RangeMan clothes on. Seconds felt like minutes and it became painfully obvious that she'd never be able to make the right decision. Besides, I'd already figured out Steph's answer when she didn't say anything right away. It was time for me to 'man up' and save us both from a lot more misery.

Somehow, after all this time, I thought my Cupcake and I could make it work. Never mind the endless arguments about her job, her bad luck with vehicles, and her life. I mean, come on! She's a magnet for every kind of disaster known to man. And she'll never be the kind of wife a guy like me needs. I've always known this, but I chose to ignore the facts for far too long. The sex might be the best I've ever had, but Steph isn't much of a housekeeper and she can barely fix a decent meal. When I'm totally honest with myself, the thought of bringing children into the world with her scares the crap out of me. I thought I could deal with the whole package, but I just can't see it happening anymore. So, I decided to make it easy for her.

"Okay, Steph," I began, "Forget choosing between me and Ranger. How about you just give up being a bounty hunter once and for all?"

"Oh no, not this again!"

"Humor me. Would you quit working for Vinnie if I asked you nicely?"

"I ... um ... I don't know."

"Okay, then, let's try this one on for size - would you quit working for Ranger if I asked you nicely?"

"Joe, please! Not now."

Steph's eyes had welled up with tears, but there was still more than a hint of anger behind them. I needed to focus on her anger - both past and present - in order to see this through to the end. I only hoped that we'd be able to remain civil towards each other afterward. Hating myself for forcing her hand like this, I knew I had to 'go in for the kill' - it was now or never.

"I'm gonna ask you one last time, Cupcake - please give up your job. Marry me. Have babies with me and settle down. I'll be real good to you - you know that. We could build a nice life together here in the Burg."

This was difficult for both of us. Although I realized I should have waited for a better time, I just wanted to get it over with now. There really never would be a good time for this discussion, anyway. Steph's mouth dropped open and I waited for her to say something, but no sounds came out. The tears silently slid down her face and I knew her true answer.

Watching the emotions play across her face, I desperately wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss her sweet lips. But I knew that my time with my Cupcake was coming to an end. If I touched her at all, I might not have the strength to let her go. Somewhere along the line, Stephanie had shifted her alliance - and probably her love - to Ranger and even she hadn't realized it yet.

It didn't matter to me whether or not they had 'done the deed' yet; I refused to share her with him any longer. Stephanie was dangerously attracted to Ranger and if he wanted her so badly, he could have her. But I'd certainly let Ranger know that, just like he had warned me many times, I would be watching him now to make sure he'll treat Steph right. Of course, unlike Ranger, I wouldn't resort to any low-down poaching. There's no way I was going to be the 'other man' in this new scenario.

"Don't worry, Cupcake; it's gonna be alright," I finally said. "C'mon, I'll follow you home to make sure you get there safely. You look beat."

Stephanie only nodded. My guess was that she was in shock over the way this night had turned out. To tell the truth, I think I was in shock, too. Nevertheless, I picked up Rex's cage and took it out to her father's cab for her. I'd never understood why Ranger hung around, waiting for my off-and-on relationship with Steph to stay in the 'off' position permanently, but I guess his patience will have finally paid off this time. When I saw Steph's overflowing grocery bag of her clothes in the back seat, I realized that she'd really left Ranger's place, too. Still, I had my pride. There was no going back now.

Once Steph was safely inside her parents' house, I waved at her and then I drove away. Although I still considered Ranger to be a loose cannon, I knew for a fact that he had saved Steph's life more times than could be expected of any normal man. He's even killed bad guys to prevent them from harming her, but she doesn't know about that. Of course, if Ranger hadn't shown Steph how to be a bounty hunter in the first place, then maybe she wouldn't have been in so many dangerous situations. Now, for his sake, I hope the poor bastard possesses a deep well of patience, as well as a lot of great health and property insurance. Ranger definitely will need those things if he hopes to survive his relationship with Stephanie Plum.

As for me, I realize that it might take a while for the pain to go away, but this is the way it has to be. I've known my Cupcake practically all my life. She gave me everything she could and I took way more than she offered, but I wanted to be the center of her universe and that just wasn't going to happen. At least, not in this lifetime.

Oddly enough, as I drove back through the quiet Burg to my house, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. Even though she'd never warm my bed again, Stephanie Plum was no longer my problem, either. Hopefully, she would find happiness out there - possibly even with Ranger. Now, I wonder where I hid my little black book...

A/N: Okay, for the sake of full disclosure I must confess that I like Morelli. In fact, I'm related to some men who resemble the guy - perhaps not so much in appearance (I'm a woman of color), but certainly in attitude. And I can understand the whole 'parental-pressure-to-marry-someone-familiar syndrome' that Stephanie has had to endure throughout the series. If my mother had had her way, I'd be married to a great guy I've known since high school, even though he was entirely wrong for me. No one would've put me together with my husband of sixteen years (he's very pale). No one! But we're quite happy with each other, even after two kids and lots of military relocations. No matter how 'tame' Morelli's become, I just don't think he's right for Stephanie. It seems to me, unfortunately, that JE is leaning in Joe's direction. Please tell me what you think. Thanks! :D