Disclaimer: Everything familiar belongs to JE and the creators of Criminal Minds.

Warning: Adult Situations

Chapter 10: August 20th, 1600-2300

Hospital

Ranger's POV

As we drive from the police station to the hospital, I try to get into my zone, as Stephanie calls it, not realizing that I'm trying to process everything going on in my life. I do my best thinking and planning when I am driving. It's a task that requires concentration, but it doesn't require a lot of mental strain. Right now, I'm trying to figure out the best move with my Babe. I want her in my life, permanently. I don't want her to leave me and to go back to Morelli. I have her with me now in Miami, and I want her to stay with me. I'm not sure how long I'll be down here, that all depends on Julie. I would love to take Julie back to Trenton with me, where she can get to know her Manoso family, her cousins, aunts, and uncles, but I am willing to stay here in Miami if that is where she wants to be. Hell, if she wanted to move to Boston, I'd happily follow her. Right now, she is my number one priority. She is my daughter, and it's about time I start acting like her father.

In the last three years, since Scrog, Julie and I have grown close. Immediately after Scrog, we would talk on the phone twice a month. Then, about six months later, we started to talk once a week. Before I knew it, I was talking to or e-mailing Julie every day. Six months ago, she started to call me Papi. I was planning on asking Rachel if Julie could stay with me during her Christmas break this year. At least once a week, Julie asks me what is going on with Stephanie and me. I hate to disappoint her all the time by telling her nothing. She likes Stephanie and thinks that Steph is perfect for me. She keeps telling me to go after Stephanie. It seems I needed her almost to die to make me realize that life is too short to be worried about an enemy finding Stephanie. She attracts so many crazies and stalkers herself that the next time could be the end for her. I can't imagine the pain and guilt I would feel if something were to happen to Stephanie before I can admit my feelings to her.

I'm not sure if Stephanie wants to leave Trenton, though. It's been her home her entire life. Her family is there, her annoying mother, her non-existent father, her crazy grandmother, and her saint of a sister. The only person in her family who has any redeeming qualities is Mary Alice, her niece, who thinks she's a horse. She reminds me of Stephanie, and I wonder if she will grow up to be as independent and fearless as her aunt is when she is older. I hope and pray that Valerie and Ellen Plum don't destroy that girl the way they've been trying to destroy Stephanie.

I want to tell Stephanie that I love her, that she is my heart, my soul, my light. She is the reason I get up every morning. I've worked hard over the past four and a half years to be worthy of Stephanie, trying to atone for my mistakes and the horrible things I did for my country. I know Stephanie doesn't see the dark side of me, I try to keep it hidden from her, but she is an optimist, always trying to see the good in everyone, including her skips. I love everything about Stephanie, from the top of her wonderfully crazy curls to the tips of her pink colored toes and everything in between. I love her good heart. I love how she accepts my men and me not judging us by our past. I love how she hates that I have money that I want to spend on her, to spoil her. Most women, hell who am I kidding, all the women I've dated in years before I met Stephanie have wanted me for my looks and my money. They were shallow, and I'm sad to admit that I was equally as shallow. However, once I met my Babe, I couldn't look at another woman. They were all nothing compared to her. She is truly the most beautiful woman I know, both inside and out.

The night that Morelli handcuffed her to her shower rod I was on a date with a woman. She was beautiful, a Latina with jet black hair and curves everywhere. She could give Sofia Vergara a run for her money in the asset department. I hadn't been with a woman in a month and had an itch I needed to scratch. She was the lucky woman that night. We had arrived at her apartment moments before my cell phone rang. I stayed back in my car to answer the phone when I saw Stephanie's number pop up.

Flashback (dialogue copied from One for the Money, pages 87-89, e-book)

"Yo," I answered.

"Ranger?"

"Who wants to know?" I respond, letting my ghetto persona play a little. I mean, I'm about to fuck this smoking hot woman and Plum is calling me.

"Stephanie Plum. I have a problem." Great. What the fuck could be her problem? She's going to be the death of me. I could kill Connie for cashing in on that favor. I should be in Miami right now.

"What's the problem?" I finally respond.

"I'm handcuffed to my shower curtain rod, and I need someone to open the cuffs."

Did I fucking hear her correctly? Is Steph handcuffed to her shower rod? No way is it possible. She had to be playing with her cuffs. I hang up the phone. I start to walk towards the woman du jour when my phone rings again. Now I'm pissed.

"Yo!"

"Don't hang up! This is serious, dammit. I'm trapped in my bathroom. My front door is locked, and no one has the key."

"Why don't you call the cops? They love this rescue shit." I say, my voice is full of sarcasm. I mean really, who does she think I am? Batman?

She responds, "because I don't want to have to explain to the cops. And besides, I'm naked."

"Heh, heh, heh." I can't help but chuckle. I haven't heard a story this good in a long time.

"It's not funny. Morelli broke into my apartment while I was in the shower, and the son of a bitch handcuffed me to the shower rod." She said, starting to sound desperate.

"You gotta like the guy, I respond.

I hear her frustration growing. "Are you going to help me or what?"

"Where do you live?" I respond, resigned that she won't leave me alone until I help her. Why do I have to be Henry Higgins?

"The apartment building at the corner of St. James and Dunworth. Apartment 215. It's a rear apartment. Morelli got in by climbing the fire escape and going through the window. You can probably do the same."

I made some excuse to my date that my company had an emergency. I promised my date that I'd call in the morning. When I left, I had all intentions of calling that woman for another date. She was smoking. But then, I arrived at Stephanie's apartment, and all thoughts of that woman went out of my mind.

Flashback continued

I picked the locks on Stephanie's door and made my way through her sparsely decorated apartment. Shit, I had more possessions when I was in the middle of the dessert than she has now. I understand her desperation, her desire to get Morelli. My respect for this white girl from the Burg increases tenfold. I wander through her apartment, finding her bathroom. When I see her, it takes all my training not to go over to her and take her while she's restrained. She's stunning. Her skin is so pale that it almost shines. She has perfect perky breasts with nipples that are waiting to be sucked and licked. Her triangle of hair covering her core is glistening; I'm not sure if it's water or her juices. Her hair is so big it will give the afros of the seventies a run for their money, but I love every part of her.

When she sees me, she says, "I appreciate your coming out in the middle of the night."

I smile at her. "Didn't want to miss seeing you chained up naked," I replied, telling her the truth.

"The keys are in the mess on the floor."

"You and Morelli got something kinky going on?" I asked her as I opened the handcuffs. She thinks I'm joking, but I'm trying to find out if she's into bondage. I've never tried it, but seeing her standing there is making me rethink my stance on it.

"Remember when you gave me his keys this afternoon?"

"Un huh."

"I sort of borrowed his car."

"Borrowed?"

"Commandeered, actually. You know, about us having the law and all?"

I can't help but love the guts this woman has; I'd swear she had balls if I didn't see her naked. "Un huh." is the only reply I could muster.

"Well, I commandeered his car, and he found out."

I smile, handing her a towel before I do something I'm going to regret. She's so cute when she tries to act all innocent. "He understand about commandeering?"

"Let's just say he wasn't pleased. Anyway, I parked the car in the lot out here and removed the distributor cap as a safety precaution."

I'm proud of this woman, my Babe. She thought ahead and had a plan. I would bet that she was sitting outside in the rain waiting for him to come to try to capture him in a blitz attack.

"Bet that went over big," I reply.

Once she got out of the tub and the bathroom she said, "I need to install an alarm system in his car, but I haven't got the money."

I laugh softly. Steph keeps making me prouder and prouder. "An alarm system. Morelli'll love that." I pick up a pen from the mess on the floor and write an address on a piece of toilet paper for the Al, who outfits all my vehicles. "I know a garage that'll give you a price."

She walked into her bedroom and put on a robe. Dios, I'd love to take that robe off her body. "I heard you come in through the door."

"Picked the lock. Didn't think it prudent to wake up the super." I noticed her window, watching the rain spattering on the dark pane, and seeing the screen torn. "I only do the Spiderman shit in nice weather."

"Morelli wrecked my screen."

"Guess he in a hurry."

"I've noticed you only talk ghetto half the time."

"I'm multi-lingual," I answer, walking towards the door before I drag her into her bed and underneath my body. I walk out her door and wait to hear the locks engage before walking to my car. I need a fucking cold shower.

When I walked out of her apartment that I night, I knew, in my heart, that she was the one, the woman who was my other half, my soulmate. However, I was still getting Rangeman off the ground, and my contract with the government was only in its infancy. It wasn't the time to start a relationship. Over the years, I fed her so much bullshit that I'm surprised she still talks to me. I sigh. All too quickly, we are back at the hospital. As we enter the lobby, I see Javier waiting for me.

"I have good news for you, Carlos. Ron had stated in his Will that if he predeceased you, your parental rights to Julie are reinstated, with the caveat that Rachel would have full custody of Julie. So, once Ron died, you were legally Julie's father once again. Since Rachel and Ron died together, you are her next of kin and her only surviving parent. Rachel had requested that the kids be kept together, hoping you wouldn't break the family apart. But since only Julie survived, you are legally her parent and guardian. I already informed Ron's sister. She wasn't aware of that stipulation on the Wills. She left about thirty minutes ago in a huff."

Finally, I have some good news. I have my daughter. I glance at Stephanie and see that she is genuinely happy for Julie and me. I hope she will be willing to be Julie's step-mother. I have no problem raising Julie alone if I had to, I mean, my Abuela is still alive and well here in Miami. I also have my sisters and mother to help me, along with Ella. But I would much prefer Stephanie. She and Julie already have a strong bond, and I know that she will help Julie to fly. My Babe is also the only one who can keep me reigned in and in control when the boys start coming around, hopefully not for another twenty years.

I hug my brother as we walk towards Julie's room. I see through the observation window that she is awake. The nurse sees me when I enter the ward. She approaches us.

"Mr. Ricardo Manoso?" She asks.

"Yes, that is me."

"My name is Linda. I will be Julie's nurse until tomorrow morning. She woke up a short time ago. She is doing well, considering her injuries. I expect her to make a full physical recovery. Based on her response so far, she might be able to go home in three days. However, she doesn't know about the rest of the family yet. Her doctor would prefer that you wait until he is here to tell her. He won't be in the room with you but wants to be on hand in case he needs to sedate her. It is not in Julie's best interest to get too stressed out and emotional right now. If you would like, I can have a grief counselor on hand to help you inform your daughter."

I sigh. I don't want to be the person who tells her that her world as she knows it changed forever last night. I don't want my daughter hating me. I look at Stephanie, and she can sense my discomfort.

"Carlos, I'll go in with you, if you want. Julie and I have bonded over the last few years. It may make it easier if I'm with you both. I also think the counselor would be a good idea."

"You're right, Babe. Linda, can you please call the doctor and the counselor asking them to be here immediately. I know once I go in, she's going to ask me about her parents and siblings. I don't want to lie or to evade her questions. She will already know something is wrong because they aren't here."

"No problem. I'll contact Dr. Farren and the counselor, Kim Molina." Nurse Linda states. I watch as she walks over to the nurse's station and makes her calls. Ten minutes later, both the doctor and the counselor walk towards us.

"Mr. Manoso, my name is Kim Molina. I am a grief counselor with the Survivor's Network of Miami. I provide grief counseling to minors who have lost a loved one, either parents, siblings, or extended family members. I have been in this position for the last fifteen years."

"My name is Dr. Thomas Farren. Physically, Julie is doing great. Her wound from the gunshot is healing nicely, and her broken ribs will heal in time. The break in her left arm is not severe and should cause her no problems in the future. Most of her injuries are superficial cuts and bruises. Fortunately, they did not rape her too roughly. She had a little tearing, but no lasting injuries. The rape did not harm her reproductive health."

I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. I was fearful that Julie wouldn't be able to have children someday as a result of the rape. I didn't know how brutal those mother fuckers were, but I'm thankful that she'll be fine. I turn my attention to Kim Molina.

"Julie and I did not have much of relationship until three years ago when a crazy man pretending to be me kidnapped her and Stephanie. Since then, we have developed a close relationship, and she has only recently started calling me Papi. I've notified next of kin before, as part of my job in the Army, but I don't know how to tell my daughter that the only family she's ever known are dead."

"Mr. Manoso, I understand your concerns. There is no easy way to break the news to Julie. You need to say it, don't sugar coat it. I know it sounds harsh, but it is the best way. She may be angry with you for being alive; she may be angry with herself for not helping her parents and siblings. The most important thing you need to do is to assure her that she is not at fault, that there was nothing that she could have done to change the outcome. She will need your love and support. Don't blame yourself, either. Don't tell her that you wish it were you instead. It will only make her grief worse because she'll think you don't want her. You can tell her that you wish you could take away her pain, tell her that you love her and support her."

"Okay. Thank you. Do you think I should tell Julie by myself, or would it be better for Stephanie to be there with us?"

"What is her relationship with Stephanie? Is Stephanie your wife?"

"No, Carlos and I are not married, we are good friends. When Scrog kidnapped both Julie and me, I helped to rescue her. Since then, we've talked at least once a week, developing a close friendship." Stephanie replied.

I had no idea that Stephanie and Julie spoke so often. Julie never told me. I guess that's why she keeps pushing me to make a move. At least I know that my two girls will get along.

"I think that you will be able to help her. You can be a maternal figure as well as a big sister. Have you ever been shot, raped, or attacked?"

Now it's Stephanie's turn to sigh. "Yes, to all three. I've gotten shot, I've been attacked more times than I'd like to admit, and when I was in college, some guys raped me."

I look at Stephanie like she has three heads. Guys in college raped her? She never told me that. Then she continues, "I lost my virginity at sixteen to a neighborhood boy. I'm not sure if he raped me or not, but I could have been raped."

Kim looks at Steph with admiration and empathy. "I think Stephanie will be a great comfort to Julie. I suggest that she is there with you when you speak to her."

"The FBI wants to talk to Julie. Is it advisable for her to talk to them tonight or should I push it back until tomorrow?" I ask.

"The sooner, the better, so the details are fresh in her mind. However, you need to leave that decision up to Julie. She's going to feel like she has no control and allowing her to decide if she ready to share her nightmare tonight or not will help her. Give her the following choice. She can speak to the FBI today or tomorrow. She can't escape talking to them; she can't live in denial forever. She can have tonight to mourn, but tomorrow, she needs to face her demons."

I fully agree with Kim. That is the best approach. Now, I need to find time to talk to Stephanie about her rape. I want to know everything about her, and I don't want her keeping secrets from me, especially where Morelli is concerned. I look at Steph, sitting next to me, and ask her if she's ready to talk to Julie. She nods her head yes. I stand, reaching out for her hand. I grasp her hand and help her to stand. Together, we walk into Julie's room.