Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! For those that have Private messages turned off that left Reviews thank you for the reviews! I love reading every one of them so keep them coming.

I want to Thank Margaret Fowler for encouraging this story out of me. When I mentioned it to you 6 – 7 months ago you didn't let it die in my head. You kept pressing for it so here it is finally being written! I hope it is everything you thought it would be.

Standard Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. They belong to JE I just take them out of the box and play with them a little. I have begged to keep Ranger and Lester for myself but I have yet to get a response…

For everyone who has reviewed the past several chapters that I haven't responded to I want to Thank You! I love all of your comments and your reviews. I have been so busy I have been focusing on the chapters getting them written so I can get them posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! I plan on responding to the reviews from this chapter forward! So keep them coming as it gives me the opportunity to give you a sneak peek into what's coming.

Chapter 26: Stories are told

SPOV

"So you think what I am dreaming could actually be something that I am remembering. That it actually happened?" I asked Lester trying to wrap my head around the fact that it could be true. I had to admit it seemed so damn real when I was dreaming it.

"Yeah Beautiful, I think it is a memory instead of a dream." Lester said making me feel even more uncomfortable.

"I don't remember anything so I don't know." I tried to dismiss it. I wasn't sure how much I wanted of this in my head. I wanted to dismiss it as a dream and nothing but a bad dream I didn't want this to have really happened.

"Babe if this happened we need to know. We need to know if there is a chance he could come after you again, if he was the reason you were running. We can't protect you the way we should if we don't know." Carlos told me.

Protect me why was it he felt like I needed so much protection and from what? I mean they stopped mom and Joe from coming in the room and that was nice but it wasn't like I couldn't handle them. I could handle them I had run him over with my Dad's Buick. Of course with my leg like this I wouldn't be able to do that but hey it's my left arm and left leg so it is possible I could drive if I had anything to drive.

"Carlos why do you think you need to protect me so much? If it happened, and I am not sure, nothing else is going to happen. In my dream I am there on an interview maybe and he comes on to me. It scares me, it makes me feel very uncomfortable in my dream but it isn't like he is chasing me or after me." I tell him. Trying to understand what he thought it was I needed protection from.

"You said you had guys at my door why are they there?" I asked him and he looked at me. I noticed Lester smiled and wasn't sure what he thought was so funny because at the moment I didn't think there was anything funny.

"Babe they kept your mother and the cop from getting in when you didn't want them. They guard the door to keep people like them, and others who could hurt you out. It is how I can keep you safe." He tells me and I shake my head.

"I am grateful they kept mom and Joe out don't get me wrong but it wasn't like they were here to hurt me. No one is going to come here to hurt me. Who would want to hurt me?" No one is the correct answer.

"Babe you never know you were running from something maybe it was the guy in your dream, maybe it was something else but until you remember and I am satisfied that we know who or what it was the guards stay, and so do I." He said adamant as if that was the final say in his voice. Would he leave?

I liked him being with me. I liked him being in my room. I liked him holding my hand playing with my fingers. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want him to go anywhere. I felt the urge to refuse the guards to rebuttal his final say just because it felt like it was something he was demanding and well I never did well when people made demands of me.

I was the type person that would willingly follow and be happy about it but you couldn't force me or push me because in those cases I pushed back, I demanded back. I needed my freedom. I needed my independence and when someone tried to push me or demand things of me it felt like they were taking away my independence; my freedom and I tended to rebel even when what they were forcing or demanding was for my own good. It didn't matter that feeling of being forced was too strong for me to ignore.

However I wasn't sure I wanted to risk causing Carlos to walk away. I had agreed to allow him to help him but I hadn't signed up to be controlled. I hadn't signed up to be told what to do. I didn't agree to that.

"Carlos the guards aren't needed for me. I don't have anyone after me the worst I have coming after me is my mom." I told him.

"Beautiful, what about the cop?" Lester asks me. Fuck I don't want to talk about Joe right now.

"Joe isn't an issue I can deal with him, besides he isn't here to hurt me." I told them hoping that would be enough to make them table this conversation.

"Babe how do you know he doesn't want to hurt you? Why is he here? Why is he looking for you?" Carlos asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders. I actually had no idea why he wanted to see me. I hadn't seen him for years.

"I don't know I haven't seen him for years. There really is no reason for him to want to see me." I told them.

"Maybe my mother asked him, I don't know." I added.

"Beautiful I think he told your mother not the other way around." How the fuck did he know so much about me. How did he know this? I felt anger boiling in me again. My life, my privacy all had been invaded and why? Because, he wanted to help me, he wanted to right his fucking wrong he had committed and I was expected to just sit back and allow all of this because he asked to do this.

I was so torn. Part of me wanted to lash out the other part of me just wanted for this conversation to be over so I could go back to blissful denial land and pretend that I wasn't upset by it; in truth I was.

"How do you seem to know everything about me?" I bit out at Lester anger slipping through into my voice. His eyes enlarged slightly but the grin didn't drop from his face if anything it grew. Lester was surprised at my outburst but somehow he found it funny. I was hoping to intimidate him or even scare him a little but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Beautiful I don't know everything just what I could piece together. I ran your background check, then went to your house, talked to Mary Lou and retraced your steps from the other day. It was all done to gain information on you. But I think I just barely scratched the surface to what there is to learn about you." He said almost as if there was nothing wrong with him doing all of those things.

"It seems like you learned a lot." I snapped back at him feeling annoyed at him, at myself, at the world.

"Don't be mad Beautiful. I promise you and Carlos here are the only people I will share the information with. Besides I didn't learn anything that personal anyway." He says as if reasoning that because he didn't learn that much personal about me would be a difference. He was in my house, he spoke to my best friend, he obviously knew something about Joe and my past but he wasn't saying what. How was I not supposed to be mad?

"I am trying really hard not to be mad but I will tell you I am not fond of having my privacy invaded. I am not fond of you talking to my best friend. I have no idea what she told you and that has me upset more than I would actually like to be so don't tell me not to be mad because I am." The words flew out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them.

"I am trying to allow you all to help me because well I agreed." I shot Carlos a look not sure how much of what he told me he wanted me to repeat. Unlike him, I was trying to respect his privacy. "But with everything going on I don't know if I can continue to agree." I confessed and I felt my heart constrict. While they had invaded my privacy they were acting more of a friend to me than I had in a long time. They were trying to offer me help, safety, and protection. While I didn't need all of it and they were taking it to the extreme I would be lying if I said I didn't like it at some level.

I did like it…very much. I wanted to allow Carlos to help me but I had to stay true to myself and I wasn't being true to myself if I didn't say something if I continued to allow them to overstep my privacy, my independence, my freedom. We had to find a balance or this wasn't going to work. What exactly did I want to work?

"Look we need to come to an agreement. Now that I am awake you need to come to me for stuff and not my best friend. You need to trust me when I say I am safe that I am fine or that I have something covered or can take care of something. You need to know that I will allow you to help me but I will not allow you to dictate things to me, I will not allow you to force me to do something that I am not willing to do, and I will not allow you to take my freedom away and treat me like some common criminal who needs to be locked in a room with guards." I said my voice rising as the words rushed out of my lips.

"Babe we aren't trying to do any of those things. You need to understand that we have enemies. We have enemies here in this city, in the state, throughout the country and world. Our enemies are some bad people who are capable of some really bad shit to put it nicely. These people aren't to be taken lightly. By me being here with you like this I have placed a target on your head. I take that seriously. I need you to take it seriously if you are going to allow me to help you." Carlos said

"I need you to think about your personal safety probably in a way you haven't before. I need to keep you safe. The guards need to stay it's the only way to ensure you are safe. Once you are released which I hope is tomorrow we can get you back to Rangeman and get you setup and you will be safe without having guards at your door." He told me.

"Rangeman huh? You say that like I have agreed that is where I am going. I don't recall having told you that." I reminded him. I would probably pick there as I didn't want to have to deal with my mom and especially Joe at my house but still I didn't want him to think he could just mandate it to me and I would do it. That wasn't who I was and because it felt like a mandate from him it made me want to refuse it even more. It made me want to buck the system; rebel.

"Oh Beautiful you coming to live with us? Righteous." Lester said and I shook my head at his excitement.

"Lester I don't know nothing has been decided. We have just talked about it but I have yet to make up my mind where I am going." I said looking at Carlos and narrowing my eyes at him this was going to come down to a war of wills. His will against mine. I could see it. Would he give enough that I could accept him and would I give enough to accept him without feeling like a prisoner.

Oh this was enough to make my head hurt.

"So what's the deal with you and the cop?" Lester asked me again and I looked at him. Did he not understand I didn't want to have this conversation with him? I never wanted to have this conversation but especially with Carlos in the room. Damn.

"There is no deal. I haven't seen him in years. There is nothing to discuss." I told him willing him to drop it but I could tell by the look on his face this conversation was far from over. Fuck.

"You know when Mary Lou and I talked she seemed pretty heated about him and you for there to be nothing. She told me things that I think you don't want to talk about and I think I know why but I want to hear them from you. I want to know why I am turning him away from your door because you don't want to deal with him." He said. Fuck. I was going to have to tell him this shit.

"Look it is old history between him and I and not very pretty history okay I would rather not talk about it." I told him putting extra emphasis on the fact that I didn't want talk about it but I may as well have been whistling in the wind for as far as a difference it made on his face. None, nothing, nada just the look that said I want to know and I want you to tell me. Damn it.

"Beautiful you don't have to tell us but I think you should tell us. I think by telling us we will be able to help you more." He said. There was nothing they could do to help me this was done over with water over the damn done. You know the spilled milk that you weren't supposed to cry over but every now and then you caught yourself crying over it because it just felt good to let go and cry at times.

Whatever.

"You really want to know what happened between Joe and me." I finally said anger in my voice I wasn't sure if it was directed at them for asking or Joe where the true hatred should lie. The anger was still there fresh as the day everything happened. I only need to think about it, him, and there was anger. I guess I should at some point ask someone about that was it normal to have this level of anger after all these years. I would bet a therapist would say no. But right now it was easier to grasp on to the anger and hold on.

"Yeah Beautiful tell us." Lester said and I looked at Carlos who was just sitting there on the edge of his seat his hand holding mine following his arm to his hand and watching my hand in his gave me a sense of calm I hadn't felt. Seeing his fingers play with my fingers made me soft inside mushy and I never wanted him to let my hand go. I knew it was wishful thinking I knew he would eventually leave me but I never wanted him to leave me. I never wanted him to walk away from me.

I feared he would hear something that would make him realized that he can't help me and he would just turn and walk away never having righted that wrong and not really caring that he didn't because I was too much trouble.

"Joe and I go way back. His family and my family have known each other for years and years before I was born, even before Joe was born. The Morelli men have a reputation in the burg of being the bad boys. Joe's father was about as mean as they got. He drank, and would abuse his whole family. I think it was lucky for all of them he died young. Joe was still a young boy when his father died. I don't remember the details of his death." I said taking a deep breath, well as deep as I could with my ribs, before continuing.

"Joe was no different even as young boy he was bad into everything he shouldn't have been and nothing but trouble with a capital T. He is two years older than me and when I was six he asked me to come into his father's garage to play a game. I did. I knew better my mother had warned me against the Morelli boys to stay away from them but honestly I was six and I was curious. I was independent and well because mom was so adamant about staying away I think that fueled the curiosity more and actually drew me closer. So when he offered I took him up on his offer to play a game." I told them.

"What I didn't know was that the game, Train, had nothing to do with actual trains, and tracks and everything to do with Joe being the train and me being a tunnel. I think you can use your imagination for the rest there. Needless to say at the time I was confused and I was even a little pissed that I didn't get to be the train." I confessed to two extremely pissed off looking men. Damn they were scary when they were pissed. Note to self, never piss them off again.

If they were this pissed about this I couldn't tell them anything else. I sat there with my eyes looking down for I wasn't sure how long just waiting. A few minutes later Carlos spoke up.

"Babe you need anything? Water, food anything?" He asked his voice sounded a way I couldn't understand the words versus the voice were complete contradiction to one another. I found myself shaking my head no while thinking it would be nice to have some water. He got up and proceeded to get me some water. How does he do that?

He put the water in front of me. "Now what is that you don't think you could tell us?" He asked me and I know my mouth fell open luckily I had swallowed my water or it would have just run out all down the front of me because at the moment I had no control over my jaw.

"Well that was the start. It was the start of the history between Joe and I and it was the start of my mother being disappointed in me and embarrassed by me." I confessed to them while they looked at me and I could see confusion on both of their faces.

"It was years later before Joe and I had another encounter. I mean we saw each other in school and on the streets where we both played but we had little to no interaction with each other. We would speak as in say hello when our paths crossed but that was about it." I told them.

"It was ten years later when I was sixteen and working after school at the Tasty Pastry that our paths crossed again. He walked in one evening close to the time of closing I was busy closing the shop up. He wanted to get some cannoli for his mom at least that is what he said was his reason for the visit." I told them and my throat went dry at the thought of what was to come.

I took a sip of water and in my haste to clear the dryness of my throat gulped too much and choked myself when I coughed from being choked I thought I was going to die from the pain and part of me wished that I would so I wouldn't have to say anything else.

I closed my eyes fighting the pain while I was trying to clear that chocked feeling. After a few minutes I opened my eyes to them waiting. I could tell by their faces they were waiting for the rest of the story. Great, they are just being a little obsessive over it.

"Well there isn't much to tell. He proceeded to talk me out of my pants and well we ended up doing it on the floor behind the counter." There that was it I had said it, whew I didn't need to elaborate anymore.

"Babe he talked you out of your pants? " Carlos asked me and I nodded.

"How so?" He asked me and I could sense and feel the anger in his voice. Was he mad at me? I mean this was something that happened thirteen years ago and I didn't even really want it I mean I went a long with it but it wasn't something I really wanted and not the way it happened.

I heard a sharp intake of air from Lester and I knew I had said that one out loud. Damn it of all the time for the filter to break it had to be now. See get me upset or worried and I couldn't keep shit from coming out of my lips.

"Beautiful you need to clarify that for us." He said and I could sense anger in his voice as well. I looked at Carlos and his body was ridged standing his muscles tight his jaw was clenched as well as his hands in fists. I reached for his hand touching the one closest to me and I saw his eyes drop to where my hand was touching his.

His hand uncurled from a fist to just hanging lose and my fingers stroke his hand and down his pinky finger. I move slightly it is awkward but I grab his hand within mine as well as I could. His hand is so much bigger than mine.

It was a few minutes before he sat down and placed his head on the bed and I took that moment to release his hand to stroke the side of his face and hair. He leaned his head into my hand. I couldn't believe for a hard man how wonderful soft his skin was his hair so silky smooth. I found myself almost jealous. I would die for skin that soft and hair that silky smooth.

"Joe locked the door. I went along with it because well I didn't know what else to do. So I allowed it to happen. I didn't really want it to happen it just did. I didn't know what else to do. He was well on his way to being his father's son. He was involved in fights, known for beating people up. He was known for being an Italian stallion that had taken half of the girls to bed. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to expect. I was a virgin and to tell you the truth had never had a boyfriend. Part of me was excited because I thought it meant he wanted to be my boyfriend. So I allowed what I didn't really want because I didn't know what to do. I was afraid to tell him no on one hand and stupid enough to think if I went along with it then he would be my boyfriend on the other. How stupid was that?" I asked them but they didn't answer.

"So I allowed it to happen and it was a mistake, a huge mistake. It was no more than over when he got up pulled up his pants thanked me calling me cupcake and walked out leaving me on the floor with my pants down around my ankles and blood on the floor that I had to clean up. It was the most embarrassing and painful experience of my life. I thought it was supposed to feel great but it didn't it was painful and it hurt. I just wanted to forget it ever happened. I wasn't going to tell anyone but he proceeded to write about it on the bathroom walls all over town so it was only a matter of the next day before everyone knew." I told them surprised at the tears that threatened to fall while I was telling them.

I continued to stroke Carlos' head and hair while I was telling them this not looking at either one. It made telling it easier to not have to look at them. Maybe psychiatrists were on to something making you lie down and look at the ceiling and not them when you visited them. Because lying here looking at the ceiling I was spilling my guts.

"Of course my parents found out and were once again embarrassed and disappointed in their daughter all though my dad threatened to kill him and I enjoyed that but as it turns out Joe was safe as he left for the Navy the next day." I told them. Carlos' head moved a little but then settled back down within my touch.

I think he was enjoying me touching him as much as I was enjoying it. What I wouldn't do to feel his lips on mine. Part of me wanted to fist my hand in his hair and drag him to me but I managed to refrain. I felt like it would be the wrong time especially considering the conversation we were having.

"The reason I say I can handle Joe is because the next time I saw him two years later when he returned from service I ran him over with my dad's Buick. I saw him walking down the side walk and anger flew into me the next thing I know he was bouncing off of the hood of the Buick and in the process managed to break his leg." I told them and Lester was howling in laughter. Carlos was smiling at me with that look he gets when he tells me he is proud of me. He gives me a nod letting me know that I am right.

"I told him to leave me alone and never come around me again or I would do more than break his leg and from that day until he came here looking for me he has left me alone." I told them and I felt Carlos relax more under my hand.

I was exhausted it was time for some sleep. "Carlos you think Bobby could come give me a little pain medicine maybe like some Advil or something. I am tired, actually exhausted and since I had my coughing bout I am in pain." I confessed and he nodded. I needed to get some sleep.

"Sure Babe let me get him." Carlos said rising his head from the bed breaking our connection which I wasn't happy about but at least he was calling Bobby for me.

RPOV

Bobby came and gave her some pain medication and it wasn't anytime that she was sound asleep. Lester was still in the room sitting on the foot of her bed and I was sitting in the chair holding her hand toying with her fingers. I was running the conversation we had just had through my head.

"Lester I want you to find out everything there is to know about Joe Morelli." He nodded. "Lester I am serious everything. I want to know down to the toothpaste that fucker uses." I told him barely controlling the anger.

The monster within me wanted his blood. The only thing that kept me from storming out and hunting that fucker down was the fact that my Babe was touching me. I offered her my head to touch and rub to keep the monster within me calm and from doing anything stupid until I had the whole story from her.

"I got it man everything. What are you planning on doing with it?" He questions smiling knowing I am asking because of how involved I have become with Stephanie. Fucker, always likes to make a point at my expense.

"You let me worry about that. Don't make more out of this than what it is." I warned him and he laughed again.

"Man I haven't seen you act like this, ever. How am I not going to make more out of it? Face it any other woman and you wouldn't have given her a second glance let alone done all of this. The question is why this one, why her?" He said but I just looked at him. I wasn't about to answer his fucking question. In truth I had no idea why her why now other than the mission and the woman's life I had to take. There was no doubt I was more fucked up than I have ever been but I wasn't going to tell him all of that.

He finally shrugged and dropped it knowing I wasn't going to answer him.

"Look I just need to know about Morelli so go find out what I want everything and anything about his career and if you can find out if he hopes to advance and if so into what type of jobs." I told Lester and he nodded.

"So you are going to bring Beautiful here to Rangeman when she is released?" He asked me not really a question but giving me the benefit of the doubt.

I nodded. "Yeah, I would like to if she agrees to it. It would be better for her we could keep her mother and Joe away while she heals and Bobby would be there to provide her the best physical therapy." I told him and he nodded.

"You do realize having her in the building is going to turn the place upside down you know?" He told me and I just looked at him raising an eyebrow I needed to know more I needed to know why he felt that way.

"Man look at her, she is Beautiful. She is sweet. The guys, all of the guys, are going to love her and they are going to be fighting over who gets her attention and how much they get. There will be contests to win to see who gets to spend time with her." He says and I think he is taking it to the extreme but if one of those fuckers thinks they are moving in on what is mine they have another contest to win and that is beating my ass on the mats. Which none of them combined can do. So they can just fuck off.

"We will see about that." I tell him. Fuck the only way for this to work is for me to say she is mine and direct my men to be reminded of that when they are with her. I want them helping her I just don't want them trying to fuck her or trying to make her theirs because she is mine. Holy shit! She is mine and I am hers. Fuck I don't even know if this is something she wants. Does she want to be mine? Does she want me to be hers? Fuck.

This is why it is so much easier when you just fucked them and walked away.

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