I'm sorry readers that I'm behind on posting. My Dad just passed from cancer and it's still going on with family and the funeral and stuff and I will be back soon catching up. Thank you for all your great reviews!

Previously-

After a few months, Ranger rolled over one night in his sleep and snuggled me and whispered that he loved me and I knew then for sure that he meant it and I finally felt secure enough to open my heart and myself to this complicated man that drove me crazy for him and didn't like relationships.

Chapter 10

My life was unusually boring and uncharacteristically delightful for a change. I had my hot sex God making me happy every night and my days were spent having fun with my best friends and Ranger and I were happy. Really happy.

I was doing my morning routine on the mats with a couple of the guys and I went for Ram and missed and struck Tank at a full run and bounced off him and crumbled. Out cold.

I woke up rubbing my head. "Damn, Tank. That was like hitting a friggin' brick wall. Put a warning sign on your chest or somethin'." Bobby had walked up and laughed. "Let me look at you, Bomber. You scramble your marbles again?" Then I got this flash of memory.

"Omigod! Lula shot Connie in the ass." All the guys went, "What?"

"When I was in the hospital."

Bobby said, "Wait you remember being in the hospital? Do you remember anything else?"

"Oh no! I made my doctor thinks that Joe was a... Oh shit!" And my parents... I owe them an apology. I never really thought about it that way. That's why my parents were so upset and wouldn't let me come home. They were hurt and humiliated. I have to talk to them."

Bobby smirked, "Well, he did do those things didn't he? With no memory of your romantic relationship with Morelli, you saw that experience for what it was and your parents should be ashamed if they knew and still wanted you to get with him."

"Doc McAllister was so nice. He was really upset about that and was trying to protect me. I still want to see Joe and my parents. We need to mend this."

I smiled. "I remember what I did to Ranger. Oh, I was bad and I gave you guys new names..."

"Yeah, Bomber. It was good times. Tons of fun."

Bobby finished checking me over. "I think you're fine. Just take it easy the rest of the day."

"Okay, Dr. Pepper." I winked at him.

The rest of the day, I spent thinking about the pranks and how much fun I had doing them. When I looked at my calendar, I got an evil idea. April Fool's Day was coming up and I had some news for Ranger that I had been putting off every day. Maybe I could find a way to work it in and it wouldn't make it seem so bad or so hard.

The next day, I made two important phone calls and I asked Joe to meet me at my parents house at lunchtime. When I arrived, my Grandma was at the door smiling at me and until that moment I had not realized how much I missed my family.

I hugged her. "I've missed you, Grandma."

"Me too, Stephanie. It's been boring around here without you. I'm glad you're here. I think the time is good for this." Then she winked at me and took my hand. My parents and Joe were sitting at the dining room table and my mother had already put out sandwiches and salads and drinks. I sat down and took a deep breath.

"I called you because I just got the rest of my memory back yesterday. At first, I lost most of the last three years and then the time between the accident and the ten weeks or so right after that. In the hospital, I didn't remember having the relationship with Joe the last couple years. Until yesterday, didn't remember what I told the doctor in the hospital. Okay?" They all nodded. "I want to talk about those things I recalled when I was in the hospital."

"Joe, I'm sorry if I hurt and humiliated you. I don't really think of you as that boy. I know that you changed and you're a good man now. Mom and Dad, I didn't mean to disrespect you. However, I am going to repeat something a friend said to me and that is that without my memory, I saw what happened when I was six and again when I was sixteen for exactly what is was.

The choo choo thing was like curious kids playing doctor I guess, the other humiliated me. I just pushed it all to denial land and called it my fault because I was taught that nice 'Burg' girls don't let things like that happen and if it does then you don't talk about it. Mom and Dad, you knew both times and you didn't do anything either time to protect me or acknowledge that somebody had hurt your daughter. So, my doctor was right. What does that make you? He only cared for my safety because he knew my mind was fragile at that time."

Joe was the first to speak. "Cupcake, I hate the mean little cocky shit I was back then that did those things to you and I'm not him anymore. I was hoping that we would have the rest of our lives for me to make that up to you. I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Joe. I appreciate that. I would like to be friends if we can. You have to understand now that there won't be a future for us though." He nodded.

My Dad spoke next. "Pumpkin, I've had a lot of time to think about all this and I'm ashamed. I was in denial land too and I wasn't happy and I was selfish. I took a boring postal job that I hated because I had obligations, when I really wanted to be doing something more exciting like I had in the military and I guess I resented my family a little because I felt like I made the sacrifice for all of you. That was wrong. The Mazur side of the family is not the only side that has the adventure bug. I'm so sorry that I didn't support and protect you better. If I had been taking care of you, the second incident may not have happened." The he glared at Joe. Joe paled slightly. "I plan to be a better Dad to you now and I will support you no matter what."

We all looked at my Mom. "Oh, for goodness sakes! I love you Stephanie. You're my daughter. You just don't know how this family has been talked about and mocked and laughed at because of you. It was almost too much to bear."

"So at six years old, it was my fault I was taken advantage of in a neighbor's garage?" Joe winced.

"Well...of course not."

"When I lost my virginity out loud and in public at sixteen, it was my fault?" Joe was hanging his head.

"You could have had better judgement, but no. You put yourself in a situation, alone with a teenage boy with raging Italian hormones."

"I was working, doing my job!" She shrugged her shoulders.

"When my new husband, Dickie, screwed Joyce on my new table, it was my fault?"

"Well, men have needs. I don't know if those were being met", she said smugly. I gritted my teeth.

"I embarrassed you as a bounty hunter?"

"Oh my gracious. The newspapers, the garbage, the low lifes, the deviants, murderers..."

"Some of those I know you're speaking of are my friends, Mooner, Dougie, Sally, Lula, Randy, Ranger..."

She just kept grimacing. "So you preferred that I marry Joe, no matter the past, because he was 'Burg'?"

"Why couldn't you have been like Thelma's daughter, married with three lovely children..."

"She has herpes, Mom. Husband cheating."

"Margaret Delisi's daughter, two children, works at the feminine hygiene factory..."

"She tried to commit suicide last year and spent a month in a mental institution."

"Well..."

"Stop...I live with a man that loves me and supports my dreams and me, friends that love me, have a job that challenges and excites me and I'm deliriously happy. What's embarrassing about that? Can't you be happy for me?" Poor Joe winced again.

"You're living in sin, Stephanie, and that is just not done."

"You sent me there to live when I was helpless. You didn't condemn me when I was living with Joe."

"Not our fault, you getting yourself hurt. Joe was your fiancé. That is different."

"So, you would prefer me to be unhappy or broken or desperate like some of these other poor women just to be 'Burg' proper?"

"Yes...No. Now your twisting this conversation to your advantage. You should remember your duty as a respectful daughter."

"I feel sorry for you, Mom. Thank goodness for my journey to see what I see now. Grandma and Dad, I'll call you. Joe, take care and I hope you find someone special."

Back at Rangeman, I was melancholy the rest of the day. I just went to the apartment and got my notebook out and continued to plan my fun day coming up. In the middle of the night I snuck out of my warm bed next to Ranger to do a little prep.

April Fool's Day - I woke as Ranger left to go to the gym and hopped in the shower and was ready to roll in thirty. I hummed my way downstairs. Nobody knew my plans for today. This would be a day for old times sake, because my life was about to change. This would be a last hoorah and an all out assault on Rangeman. I rubbed my hands together.

Everyone got new computer backgrounds. Hector got a big busty babe with booty and everyone else got a Rue Paul lookalike with an extremely enormous package seen through the flimsy dress. Then I went down to the shooting range and replaced all the targets with male body parts, big male body parts.

Tank got a penis mouse pointer, Bobby's receiver was glued to his phone. All of the cubicle phone wires were swapped and the keyboards as well. Zip's stapler was booby trapped with a pop cap to explode when used, I filled up all the bathroom stalls with pants legs and shoes and locked the doors on the control room level and in the gym. This would make all the stalls look occupied. Last, I re-decorated Lester's gym locker.

I went down to the lounge and got a muffin and coffee and sat as some of the guys came in. Hal sat down next to me and laid his phone down. Bingo!..I asked him if he would get me a napkin and then programmed a nasty bodily function ringtone into it. Then Hector walked in and laid his phone down. Bingo! This was so easy. I grabbed his phone and changed the language to Russian. Then did the same on his computer back at the cubes.

I then zipped out and pulled up cameras on my computer and there was Lester finishing up in the gym and getting ready to head to his locker. I sent out an email I had drafted from Lester for the guys to meet him in the gym locker room. I sat and watched as Lester opened his locker. There was a Justin Bieber poster on the door, several pairs of girls' panties and a bra hanging, a big box of preparation H, athlete's foot cream and a few bottles of Beano. There was a stud magazine with a couple hot dudes on the front in thongs, a tube of lube, a penis pump and a bottle of male enhancement pills.

Lester put his hands on his hips as the guys began filing in behind him. One snicker turned into two and three and then Lester turned around and the guys were slapping him on the back and roaring with laughter. He turned and looked at the camera and grinned right at me. One April fool.

I picked up my phone and rang Bob's office and pulled up the infirmary camera. I dialed his number again, waited a minute and dialed it again and then I saw a phone being launched out of his office and crashing to the infirmary floor into several pieces. Hehe. Two April fools.

I had plugged in a search when I heard a door open and a big booming bellow, "Stephanie!" I hid as big boots stomped into the cubicle area and Tank asked, "Where the hell is she?"

Hector said, "Estaba aqui hace un minuto (she was here a minute ago)."

"Come to my office, please."

"El problema?"

"Yeah. I need you to get the dick and the dude off my damn computer!"

"Como (say again)?"

"Just come in here!" Hehehe...Three April fools.

TBC