Chapter 21

Ranger gave the anxious crowd a brief update in the waiting room. He left out the news of the twins like Stephanie requested. "Can we see her?" Lula asked. Ranger shrugged.

"She said she wanted to be alone right now, but I'll ask her." He returned to her room.

"Whew! I'm glad White Girl's gonna be okay." Tank put an arm around her.

"You and me, both," he agreed. Ranger came back a few minutes later.

"She dozed off. I don't want to wake her. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow," he apologized. He wasn't sure if Stephanie would have agreed to visitors or not, so he was a little relieved to see that she had fallen asleep. "Let's get out of here." Tank looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"You're not staying?"

"Just drop me back at the Hilton. I want to shower and change. You can head home from there."

The man watched as the crew from Rangeman left. He assumed the Hispanic man they called Ranger was the father. He also got the impression there was a little turmoil between them. Another plus. He contacted Henried again. Since she was staying overnight anyway, he was cleared to leave. He would have another man watch the Haywood office building for her return. Henried was definitely interested in Stephanie Plum. He was sure he could make a retirement nest egg killing from the fees he could get for her and her baby. Ethnically mixed babies were hot on the European market these days.

The limo dropped Ranger in front of the Hilton. "Have Ella pack a bag for Stephanie, and whoever comes to pick us up tomorrow morning can bring it," Ranger reminded Tank before they left. Because he was so involved with processing his thoughts, he didn't see Camilla strolling towards him.

"Well…hello Carlos," she purred. Ranger turned around to look at her after he smacked the elevator button. It took a few seconds for it to register who she was. "It's so nice to see you again." Ranger just gave her a nod. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. She sauntered over to him. "I see you're alone. I can keep you company tonight." If Ranger had the energy, he would have given her his best death glare. The doors rolled open, and he stepped inside. He pushed the button for his floor.

"Not interested," he told her as the doors closed in her face. Christ. That would have been all he needed on top of everything else. Now that the adrenaline rush of the day seemed to be dissipating, he noticed how hungry he was. It was still fairly early at 9:00. He let himself into his room and called room service. He decided to take a shower, eat dinner, and head back to the hospital for another visit before she kicked him out again. Ranger's mind was still reeling over what had happened. Stephanie told him that it wasn't over. Yeah, it might not be over, but it was sure different now. Twins! They were having twins! That was the least of his worries. Twins would be a lot of work. Especially on Stephanie. But, they had a lot of family and friends to help. Not that he wouldn't help, but he still had a company to run. Maybe they should talk about hiring at least a part time nanny? He might not be able to put off buying a house like he intended to.

He stripped off the stained tux. Ranger surveyed the damage. He didn't know whether to attempt to have it dry-cleaned or just toss it. He showered and changed into black sweat pants and a pullover Rangeman hoodie. He sank into the comfortable looking chair by the window and clicked the remote for the TV. It wasn't much longer before Room Service knocked on the door. To his dismay, it was Camilla again. "Room Service," she cooed sweetly. Ranger groaned. She rolled in the cart. "Where would you like me?" Ranger held the door open.

"You can leave the tray on the table." Her smiled slipped a notch, but did as she was asked. She sat on the bed, leaned back on both hands, and crossed her legs.

"Would you like me to turn your bed down, Carlos?"

"No." He gestured to the open door. When she didn't move, he sighed. "I'm not in the mood for this, Miss Toe. I want you to leave right now." The phone rang. After glaring at each other, Camilla scrambled to answer it.

"Hello?...Yes, it is…..Well, who is this?" Ranger knew right away it was Stephanie. Fuck!

"Get out!" he commanded and grabbed the phone. She gave him a smug little smile.

"See you around, Carlos." She walked slowly and defiantly towards the door. He waited till it locked closed before answering the call.

"Hello?" he asked cautiously. Ranger almost wanted to jump up and down when it was the chairman of the awards dinner. He had heard about Stephanie's illness and was calling to check on her. He also had the plaque for Rangeman's service award that he wanted to present him. He thought for sure it was Stephanie. And…why not? Everything else seemed to be going so well for him that day.

He quickly ate his dinner and hurried back to the hospital. St. Peter's was in walking distance. Stephanie had been moved to her room. She was surprised to see him. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'm not staying. I just wanted to check on you before I called it a night." Her nurse's aide, Kathy, slipped in behind him.

"I brought you back a hamburger and fries. They didn't have any pizza left downstairs." She set a white bag on Stephanie's bedside table.

"Thanks, Kathy. I'm so hungry," she replied as she tore the bag open.

"I find that hard to believe after all the turkey sandwiches you ate." She laughed at her. Ranger smirked and took out his wallet.

"What do we owe you?" She gave him a dismissive wave.

"Dr Ortiz left her some food vouchers. We got it covered. Need anything else, Stephanie?" She shook her head.

"No thanks, Kathy. I'm good for now." Ranger took the seat next to the bed.

"I guess I don't have to ask if you're feeling better," he chuckled. She looked a lot better. Even her coloring improved.

"Whatever that stuff was that they gave me today really worked. I'm starving," she replied with a mouthful of fries. "I can't seem to get enough." She sipped her drink. "Well…I am eating for 3 now." This got her the full 200 watt grin.

"Babe, you ate for at least 3 people before you were pregnant." She rolled her eyes.

"Well…now I'm eating for 5! You're not going to give me a hard time about this too…are you?" She pointed to the burger in her hand.

"Not today."

"Jerk." He watched her finish what sounded to be like her 3rd or 4th dinner. With the way his luck was going, he needed to tell her about Camilla before she somehow found out from an orderly or something.

"I guess when we didn't hire that Toe woman, she got a job at the Hilton," he began. He saw it took a few minutes for her to realize who he was talking about.

"You mean Camel Toe?" He nodded.

"She offered to keep me company tonight while I was heading up to my room. Then, she brought up my dinner from room service. She still doesn't like being told no." She looked at him blankly. "I'd rather keep you company." Okay, maybe that was a little unfair, but he hoped she would ask him to stay now.

"Can you help me up? I have to use the bathroom." He helped get everything untangled and lowered the side rails for her. She held on to him while he rolled the IV poll along. After she was done, he helped her back to bed. "I would have liked to go for a walk, but I'm supposed to be on bed rest because of the cramps."

"How are you dealing with the idea of twins?" She shrugged and just sighed.

"Still in shock I guess. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. How about you?" He pulled the chair closer to the bed and took her hand.

"I usually don't like surprises," he admitted. "But…the more I get used to the idea, the more I'm getting excited about it." She raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" He kissed the back of her hand.

"Yeah…really." The conversation turned back to Camilla.

"Is…uh…Camel Toe working tonight?" Ranger shrugged, but bit back a smile. Nice to see a little jealousy.

"Nothing to worry about, Babe. You're the one I love." She gave him a weak smile as she pulled her hand from his.

"I do love you, Carlos. You really hurt me, you know." The pained expression on her face and the single tear that ran down her cheek weakened his legs. He was grateful that he was seated. "I never expected you to lie to me. How do I know you won't do that again? Or, that everything else you told me was a lie?" She ran a hand through his hair. He took it back in his own, kissed her palm, and then entwined his fingers through hers.

"I'm sorry," he told her as he gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. He didn't know what else to say. He was ready to give her all his excuses that he was protecting her and had her best interest at heart. But, they just didn't seem to make up for what he did. She squeezed his hand before pulling it back again.

"I'm going to try to get some sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow." She was dismissing him again. He fought the urge to beg her to let him stay. Pushing her would probably not be in his best interest now. He dropped his head then slowly nodded.

"Okay." Rising from the chair, he bent over and gave her a slow and lingering kiss. A hint of promise eased his mind as she kissed him back. "I'll see you for breakfast, Babe." He traced a finger down the side of her face. "I love you." Placing a hand on her belly, he moved it in a slow circle. "And, I love them." She covered his hand with hers.

Ranger knew sleep was an impossibility. He wandered around New Brunswick for about an hour before he returned to the Hilton. He didn't see Camilla around…thank God. He snapped on the TV, got undressed, and slid into bed. The TV didn't help take his mind off how badly he screwed things up with Stephanie.

Stephanie's mind was in overdrive. She flopped around on the bed every few minutes. There didn't seem to be any position that would allow her brain to shut down. Kym, her nurse for the evening, snuck into the room to change the IV bag. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. I can't sleep. Too much on my mind, I guess."

"Want to talk about it?" What the hell, Stephanie thought. Can't hurt to talk to someone not involved in any of their lives.

"I just found out that my finance took my old car, had it destroyed, and bought me a new car. After I told him not to. He told me he was taking it to get it fixed. He flat out lied to me. And, he's always making decisions for me. Maybe this wouldn't have been so bad if my ex-husband didn't do the same thing. Dickie really screwed me over."

"You were actually married to an adult male that still called himself Dickie?" Stephanie rolled her eyes then nodded.

"Oddly enough…the name fit. He really was a dick." Kym snorted.

"So…what was the reason he gave you that he took your car?" Stephanie sighed.

"Because he thought the car wasn't safe. And, he wanted me to have a good car." Stephanie covered her hands with her face and groaned. "It doesn't sound that bad when I say it out loud." Kym laughed.

"Yeah…it does sound like he cares. That bastard!" Stephanie giggled.

"I don't like having my choices taken away, or someone always telling me what to do. Not only does it make me feel stupid, but it makes me feel like he doesn't have any respect for me. My ex lied to me all the time. I can't let myself get stuck in a relationship like that again." She rubbed her belly. "And, I have these guys to think about now."

"Well…let's forget for a moment what an amazing ass he has…" Kym began with a wink. Stephanie raised her eyebrows. "We all checked him out from the nurse's station when he walked down the hall. You're a lucky lady, Steph. The man is hot." Stephanie smiled. No argument there! "Is he a good man?" Stephanie nodded.

"Yeah."

"Did he do this to hurt you? Or, did he hurt you by accident?" Shit, it sounded so simple like that.

"It was an accident. He thought he was doing what was best for me. But, that doesn't make it right! He has to understand that. We are partners. He's not my boss." She pursed her lips. "Well, he really is my boss, but I mean outside of work."

"No, he was wrong. He made a mistake. So, you get even and move on. When my husband pisses me off, I just reach down…like I'm going to give him a gentle squeeze…and, grab a few hairs and twist and pull." Stephanie stared at her in disbelief. Kathy had joined them while Kym was giving her pointers.

"Are you serious?" She looked at Kathy's and Kym's faces to check to see if they were pulling her leg.

"Oh yeah," Kathy told her. "She's serious. It works too. I tried that on my husband. Believe me. He learned quickly and doesn't do it again."

"Damn straight," Kym added. "The pain gives them a little incentive to behave, and you don't damage the goods. A good kick in the balls works too, but why would you want to cut your nose off to spite your face? You don't want to damage the equipment." Stephanie had to hold her side from laughing so hard. Tears streamed down her face. All she could think about was Ranger's reaction if she had done that to him. "Okay…now back to work. When you have your barf-o-rama in the morning, is it usually around the same time?" Stephanie wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and got herself under control.

"Somewhere around 5 or 6 o'clock. It has been pretty consistent." Kym made a note in her chart.

"Okay. Selma wrote an order for the Phenergan. I'll give it to you about 4. I can put it in your IV, and don't have to wake you up. We'll see if that works. I don't want to give it to you too soon…or too late either. Hopefully, you'll have a puke free morning." Stephanie smiled.

"That would be nice," she agreed. Kathy and Kym left to tend to another patient. She thought about what everyone said. Her head had finally agreed with what her heart had said all along. Ranger didn't mean to hurt her. He just wanted the best for her. Ranger didn't see anything but black and white when it came to taking care of her. Dickie, on the other hand, meant to hurt her. Everything that Dickie did was for his own benefit. The ache in her heart was gone. Now to deal with the news of having twins. Figures. She should have expected something like this to happen. Typical for the life of Stephanie Plum. Would it really be that bad? Two babies? She would really have to avoid the office now. She would be supporting several charities in the Trenton area because of that damn Swear Jar. With exhaustion looming, her brain was shutting down, and she just didn't want to think anymore. In one aspect, she was sorry she kicked Ranger out. Having his big strong arms around her while she slept was always so comforting. But, she was glad she took the time she needed to sort this out.

Looking at his watch, Ranger had been staring at the ceiling for almost two hours. He glanced down towards his feet. Someone else had been staring at the ceiling for a while as well. It seemed like forever since he'd been inside her. He hoped that his body would just crash from the extreme fatigue. He hadn't slept much in the past few days. No sex and no sleep. He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. And, no Stephanie. He would never give up. If he had to get on his knees and beg her every day to forgive him, he would. He sure wouldn't go down without a fight, but this was one time that he couldn't force someone to see things his way. He had no control over her feelings. Shit, he hardly had control over his own feelings where Stephanie was concerned. He got up and stripped off the rest of his clothes. Turning the cold water on high, he involuntarily shivered as he stepped under the icy stream. One problem solved. He quickly toweled off and redressed. The desire to see her burned inside him. He would just peek in to check on her, and then he would return to the hotel. Besides, he needed to walk around anyway. At least this wouldn't be caught on camera like at Haywood.

Kym and Kathy watched as Ranger came down the hall. They exchanged smiles when he paced outside Stephanie's room. An internal struggle kept him from entering the room. Finally, he leaned against the door frame and simply stared at her sleeping form.

Stephanie had trouble sleeping as well. She dozed off, then awakened thirty to forty minutes later. She felt his presence before she even opened her eyes. There he was, leaning in the doorway. He straightened up when he realized that she was awake. "Carlos?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. Um…I couldn't sleep." He looked horrible. It was time. They needed to move past this. Besides, the idea of a little retribution was kind of appealing. She scooted back and patted the empty space in front of her. His 200 watt smile practically lit up the dim room.

Ranger didn't hesitate. He was over to the bed in two strides. He toed off his sneakers and slid in next to her. He felt like an elephant was removed from his back. "I love you, Stephanie. I can't live without you." She responded with a gentle, but insistent kiss. Her hand that was splayed across his chest shifted down into the waistband of his sweats. He moaned in her mouth. The feel of her hand as she stroked and caressed him drove him wild. In spite of the fact he was immensely enjoying her touch, reality started to set in, and he remembered that he couldn't reciprocate. Before he tried to stop her, she cupped his balls one more time and began to pull back. "OOOOWWWW!" He rolled off the side of the bed and grabbed his crotch. "Shit!"

"I'll be damned," she muttered. "It does work." He massaged the area where she pulled his pubic hair.

"What the hell was that about?" he cried out. Jesus! That hurt like a mother fucker, he thought. And, he didn't need another cold shower now either.

"I feel a whole lot better. I can forgive you now, Carlos," she told him as she rubbed his back. He craned his head around to look at her face. She lay there giving him that heart-melting smile.

"Did you just grab me by the short hairs as punishment?"

"Uh huh." He raised one eyebrow before the corners of his mouth tipped up into a slow smile. He slid back in bed, awkwardly pulling her towards him because of his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, and snuggled into his nook. "We have a lot to work on. Not just you…me, too. After thinking about what happened…comparing what you did to what Dickie did, was a good thing. It made me realize that the difference is that you hurt me by accident. Dickie hurt me on purpose. I know that sounds so stupid, but it really puts things in perspective for me. I really want this to work, Carlos. Not because we're having a baby…uh…babies together, but because we love each other."

"I'm sorry I hurt you. Honestly, I thought you'd be a little pissed at me, but you would get over it. If I thought for a second that this would have happened, I would never have done it. Babe…I hated that car. I hated you driving it. I hated looking at it. I hated it parked in my garage. I hated the God damn back-firing, and the smoke screen. But, I would have put up with all of it, if I thought getting rid of the car would cause me to lose your trust. I'm sure there are going to be other problems that come up. I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with either." Stephanie snorted.

"Me neither." He hugged her to him.

"But, we'll figure it out together. I promise." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to try to sleep now. You're not going to grab my pubic hair anymore, are you?" She couldn't help but smile.

"Not today." She felt his body hitch as she giggled. It wasn't long before either of them fell asleep.

Selma was not surprised to see Stephanie in her brother's arms when she made her morning rounds. The Phenergan must have worked as Kym reported that Stephanie had not had any vomiting so far that morning. She was glad to see Ranger getting some rest. Both of them looked tired and drained last night. She decided to complete her rounds and save them for last. The blood and urine toxicology reports were not back. She put Stephanie's chart back in the rack, and went to see her other patients. By the time she got back to her room, Ranger and Stephanie were awake.

"Good morning," she told them as she entered. "I see the medicine worked. How do you feel today?"

"Much better. I haven't felt this good in a while," Stephanie replied with a yawn. Ranger stood up and turned away to massage his groin area. Selma leaned towards Stephanie.

"It really works, doesn't it?" Stephanie's eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laugh. "That's how I keep Jose in line." Ranger groaned. He didn't find it all that funny. "Any more stomach cramps?" She shook her head.

"My stomach feels achy…but, no cramping. Can I go home today?" Selma nodded.

"I'll write up your discharge paperwork as soon as we're done here. I'll have my office call Dr James' office first thing this morning. I want her to see you Friday. But, here comes the bad news. I want you on strict bed rest till then. Only get up to use the bathroom. You can shower, but make it quick. This is standard for anyone having cramps or spotting, so don't read more into than there is. I'm writing you a prescription for Phenergan, both pills and suppositories…"

"Suppositories?" Selma nodded. "I am so not sticking anything in my butt!" Selma and Ranger laughed.

"Sorry, Steph. If you are throwing up, taking a pill is not going to help because that will come back up, too. This way, you'll be able to get the medicine into your system to help settle your stomach. I want you to drink as much fluids as you can. You may even want to have some Gatorade on hand. That will give you some electrolytes, but water it down. There is so much sugar in there, and believe it or not, that can cause dehydration. No work, obviously, because you're on bed rest. You can read, watch TV…but…" She turned to look at Ranger. "No sex." She gave him Maria's special look again. "Nada…do you hear me, Carlos?" In another rare moment, Ranger's face took on a little rosy hue. "You can resume real life after Dr. James gives you clearance…okay?" Both Stephanie and Ranger nodded. "Any questions?"

"Can't think of any now. Oh…any chance of you ever practicing in Trenton?" Stephanie asked. "I wish you were my doctor." Ranger silently agreed. Selma smirked.

"Not any time soon. You can always come see me, Steph, for any concerns. Let me get your discharge rolling. I'll see you before you leave." Ranger decided to head back to the hotel to get his things and check out. He called Tank on the way there. Tank informed him that he would send Bobby and Lester to pick them up.