Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Here we go with the next chapter. Thank you all so very much for your continued reviews! I love reading that you all are still loving this story. We don't have very many chapters left to go in this epic journey. I'll be posting once a day until we're all through. I hope you enjoy todays!

To my beta, my best friend, Potterwench...thanks just isn't enough girl. We need to seriously find our muses and kick their butts back into gear. They're hanging out with the Merry Men on a beach somewhere and not doing their damn jobs.


Chapter 28 - Help Comes in All Forms

Stephanie woke up the next morning to an empty bed. She stretched and looked around the large bedroom through half-closed eyes. She hadn't taken the time the night before to really look at the room. She saw that it was decorated beautifully with different shades of browns and beige. The large bed, she was currently lying in, took up most of one wall and it sat opposite a huge fireplace. There were overstuffed chairs positioned in one corner and a chaise lounge in front of the fireplace. There was a balcony outside a set of double doors that looked out to the beautiful ocean. Stephanie loved the room and the man who owned it.

Lying in her thinking position in the huge bed, Stephanie thought about what happened the day before. She hated that she allowed herself to get lost in the memories. She hated having to think about who she was and where she was. She hated feeling lost and scared; but she couldn't really help it. That's the reason she agreed to talk to someone so easily the night before. Stephanie knew she needed help and she hoped Ranger's friend could be the one to help her.

Ready to start her day, Stephanie rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. After using the toilet, she washed her face and hands before fixing her hair as best she could. Without taking time to shower, it was the best she could do. She stood for several minutes looking at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't quite grasp who the person was in the mirror looking back at her.

Her hair was back to brown, but it was still mostly straight. She didn't feel exactly like Malena, but she didn't feel like Stephanie either. She was confused and, to be honest, a little scared. She needed to see her son so she could center herself once again. When CJ was in her arms, she knew who she was. She was his mom and that was all she needed to be.

With a long sigh, Stephanie decided to escape the bathroom and headed out the door. She planned on throwing on a pair of pants and going to the nursery, but walking into the room, she spotted a bare-chested Ranger lounging on the bed. He was sitting back against the head-board and had his strong legs stretched out in front of him. He caught her hungry gaze and smiled at her.

"CJ's back asleep. I changed him and fed him, so he should be good to go for a few hours." Stephanie nodded and walked slowly back to the bed and sat down on the edge next to Ranger's legs. She was disappointed that she couldn't see her son. Her thoughts from the bathroom still swirled in her mind. Who the fuck was she?

Stephanie felt the bed shift and then a warm hand rest on her shoulder. "Babe?" A finger under her chin turned her head so that she could look at the man sitting next to her. "Are you okay? You're looking a little lost."

She felt a tear fall and turned her head away, so he wouldn't see her cry. His finger turned her head back to him and he wiped away the few tears on her face. His voice was whisper soft when he spoke. "What can I do, Babe? Tell me what to do to help you."

Hearing the tenderness in Ranger's voice made her stomach flutter. Maybe he could help her remember who she was. Maybe his touch could erase all the others. Stephanie swallowed the lump of fear in her throat and cupped his face. "I'm so confused about who I really am. I have all of these memories that I can't escape from. I need you to help me forget them and help me become your Babe again." She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. "Make love to me Carlos. Erase his fists with your touch. Erase the memory of his lips on mine."

The pain in Ranger's heart upon hearing her words almost stole his breath away. She sounded so sad and so full of pain that he decided to do whatever she asked. He would try to erase every touch and every kiss from her memory. He would do anything for this woman.

Ranger leaned back and framed her face with his hands. His thumbs brushed the tears from her face and he slowly leaned down to capture her lips with his. He kept the kiss light at first, testing her emotional waters. He groaned when she pressed her lips into his more firmly and opened her mouth to allow his tongue to explore.

His tongue entered her slowly. He massaged the inside of her smooth mouth as his hands fell away from her face. He rubbed them down her arms to the hem of the T-shirt. Stephanie raised her arms so he could pull the shirt off her. They broke the kiss only for a brief second as the fabric passed over Stephanie's head. Immediately after it was gone, Ranger's lips returned to hers as his hands snaked around her to rub up and down her bare back. He kept his touch soft and tender as he touched her heated skin.

When breathing became necessary, Ranger pulled away and stood up off the bed. He brought Stephanie up with him and walked her to the chaise lounge at the end of the bed, in front of the fireplace. He gently forced her to lie back on the soft chair as he came down over top of her. They were both breathing heavily and both had matching looks of pure lust on their faces.

Ranger slowly began placing feather light kisses all over Stephanie's face. Any place that the monster could have laid his hands he kissed or stroked with his fingertips. Tears filled Stephanie's eyes at the gentleness of his touches as Ranger made his way down her chest. He saw a faded bruise on her upper arm and gently stroked it with his finger. "He'll never hurt you again, Stephanie. I hate that he put his hands on you and caused you so much pain." He kissed the bruise. "I don't know how anyone could mar your beautiful body with marks of violence." He moved his kisses to her other arm where another bruise stained her pale skin.

"I wish my kisses could erase those memories forever," Ranger whispered and kissed that bruise with such tenderness and love that it made Stephanie ache with emotion. "Since they can't erase the memories, maybe they can make you feel safe..." He kissed her wrist. "...they can make you feel warm..." He kissed her open palm and then moved down to her sides where light bruises were visible. "...and hopefully, they'll make you feel loved." He continued his exploration of her body and made sure that his lips met every mark that he saw. When he'd gone from the top of her head, to the tips of her toes, he moved back up her body and placed a tender kiss on her parted mouth. When he pulled away, her eyes were closed tight. He placed soft kisses on her closed eyes.

Ranger's voice was so soft that Stephanie barely heard it. "Open your eyes, Stephanie. Watch me while I love you."

Stephanie's eyes fluttered open and shimmered with unshed tears. Ranger's blank face was gone and in its place was every emotion that was currently flooding through his body. She saw fear, concern, and desire, but the most prominent emotion shining through his face was love. Stephanie let the tears fall from her eyes and Ranger quickly bent and kissed them away. "I love you so much, Stephanie Plum."

"I love you too, Carlos." He smiled down at her and lowered his lips back to hers. The time for talking was over, now it was time to permanently seal himself on her soul. His kiss became more heated and her hands worked their way underneath the waistband of his boxers. She pushed them down and ran her hands over his ass. Ranger groaned into her mouth. He pulled away long enough to stand up and remove the boxers along with her panties. When he came back down on top of her, Stephanie spread her legs so he was cradled between them.

~*~ Smut ~*~

Instead of returning to her mouth, his head dipped and he attached his lips to her taut nipples. Stephanie arched her back to press herself into his mouth more. She whimpered as he left one breast and moved to the other. She casually lifted her hips up to rub against his erection, but his hand moved to hold her in place. He backed away slightly to speak. "Oh no, Babe, we're going to go slow. I'm going to do everything I can to let you know exactly who you are." Stephanie whimpered as his mouth returned to her chest.

Ranger spent several minutes paying homage to Stephanie's breasts. When she thought he was done, he simply switched sides and continued kissing, nipping, and sucking. By the time he had finished, Stephanie was almost crying with need. She couldn't ever remember a time when she'd been so desperate to have him inside of her.

"Carlos, please." He smiled at her desperate plea. "Please what, Stephanie?" Ranger's voice was husky and laced with desire.

"Please make love to me. I need you inside of me." Stephanie explained on a half moan have whimper.

"Your wish is my command, my Love." Ranger positioned himself at her entrance and took her lips in a tender kiss as he slid home. They both sighed when he was fully sheathed inside of her. Ranger didn't move for several seconds. He simply peppered her face with light kisses and then fused their lips together.

Growing impatient, Stephanie started grinding her hips against his. Ranger took the hint and began to slowly move inside of her. He kept his strokes long and made sure to hit the places deep inside of her. Stephanie whimpered and moaned at his movements. Her eyes filled with tears again but Ranger quickly kissed them away.

He suddenly needed to feel her wrapped in his arms so he picked her up off the chaise lounge and she wrapped her legs around him. He sat down on the large chair and leaned back slightly. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist and he was now able to wrap his arms around her better and hold her close as he flexed his hips to move inside her.

Stephanie brought her mouth to his and moved with him in a lover's dance. She flexed when he did and the sensations were bringing them both higher and higher. Ranger could tell by her breathing that she was so close. He angled his hips perfectly, so that with each thrust he brushed against her outer bundle of nerves.

"Oh, fuck, Carlos!" Stephanie groaned as he continued his gentle assault. She buried her head into his neck and kissed his exposed skin.

"That's it, Stephanie. Lift your head and open you eyes. Let me see your eyes as you cum." Ranger pleaded with the woman in his arms. His hands kneaded and squeezed her butt. Her moans encouraged him to continue.

A few flexes of their hips later, Stephanie reached the edge of sanity. She was almost crying from the feelings coursing through her. Her eyes were open and locked onto Ranger's. He was standing on the cliff looking down with her and together they jumped.

Stephanie shattered, whispering Ranger's name, seconds before he let himself join in her bliss. He spilled his seed deep inside of her as her inner muscles clenched and milked every drop from him.

~*~ End Smut ~*~

When they'd both come down from their mutual high, Ranger hugged Stephanie tight into his sweat slicked body and placed a kiss on her dry lips. "You are Stephanie Plum, the love of my life and the mother to my son. Anytime you need a reminder, you come find me."

Stephanie's eyes filled again, but not because she was sad. She felt so much love that it was almost overwhelming. She could read the sincerity in his eyes and knew that he meant every word that he ever spoke to her. His kisses didn't erase the marks, but they did make her feel warm, safe and incredibly well loved.

"Thank you, Carlos." Ranger understood that she couldn't say more and kissed her again before lying back against the arm of the chaise lounge, bringing Stephanie with him. He held her in his arms and stroked her back. He could feel her tears run down his skin, but he didn't say anything. A lesser man might have been insulted, but he understood that her tears had nothing to do with him.

After several quiet minutes, Stephanie picked up her head and wiped her eyes. She looked at the man under her and gave him a small smile. "Sorry about that."

Ranger placed a finger over her lips. "Don't ever apologize for crying when you need to. You need to let go sometimes. You've been through a whole hell of a lot and it's expected that you'll be emotional. You don't have to be strong for me, Stephanie. I will love you no matter what."

Stephanie smiled and kissed him hard on the mouth. They were both breathless when she pulled back. "When is your friend coming to talk to me?" Ranger leaned back a little to look at the clock on the wall and grimaced.

"He'll be here in about an hour." Stephanie's eyes got wide and she climbed off Ranger.

"Holy shit! I have to shower before he gets here. I can't see him looking like...like..." Ranger stood up and took her into his arms again.

"Like you've been thoroughly loved?" He kissed her and then turned her toward the bathroom and gave her a soft pat on the ass. "Shower. I'll check CJ and then fix us something to eat really fast." Stephanie smiled at him over her shoulder and disappeared into the bathroom. Ranger watched her walk away and said a silent prayer that David could help her heal. He hated that she was so lost.

After throwing on a pair of pants, Ranger peaked in on CJ who was still sleeping soundly before making his way downstairs to fix some food. He had just finished fixing two sandwiches when Stephanie walked into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast bar. Ranger could see that she was nervous, so he slid a sandwich and a coke in front of her and then sat down on the stool beside her.

They ate in silence and Ranger had to constantly place his hand on her knee to keep it from bouncing nervously, up and down. When the sandwiches were gone, Ranger turned the stool so she was facing him. "Relax, Babe. You're going to like David. He was with the guys and me in the Rangers and he's a specialist in PTSD. He'll be able to help you." Stephanie trusted Ranger so she nodded and hopped up off her stool.

"I'm going to go up and see CJ before he gets here." It was Ranger's turn to nod and he sighed as he watched her walk out of the kitchen.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Ranger was going to head up the stairs when the gate buzzer sounded, alerting him that someone was waiting to get in. With a glance at the monitor, he recognized David's car and buzzed him through. He was early, but that didn't really surprise Ranger. He was standing with the front door open when David parked and climbed out of his car. They greeted each other with a hug and a slap on the back.

"Carlos, it's been entirely too long. How the hell are you?" Ranger chuckled at the older man's greeting.

"It has been too long. It's been a stressful year, but I'm managing." David looked at him skeptically. He could see the strain, anguish and exhaustion on his friend's face.

"Hmmm...let me be the judge of how well you're managing." Ranger showed David into the downstairs office and plopped down in the chair behind his desk.

"You're not here for me. You're here to help Stephanie." Ranger's voice made it clear that this was non-negotiable, but David just laughed.

"Don't give me that intimidation bullshit. It didn't work with me in the Army and it's sure as hell is not going to work now. I'm here to help both of you." Ranger glared at him from across his desk.

"I don't need help. I'm doing fine and if..."

David was the only man alive who could interrupt Ranger while he was speaking. Had anyone else done it they would have been beaten to a pulp or shipped to Zimbabwe. "Bullshit! You spent the good part of the last year mourning the love of your life. Just when you started to heal and move on, you find out that she's still alive and you go rescue her. During that time, you find out that you have a son, also. You're worried about her and you're not taking care of yourself. I know you, Carlos." It was David's turn to use the 'don't fuck with me voice'. "I spoke to Tank. He told me about the six months after the funeral and about you finally moving on. In a few days you lost everything and it almost killed you. Now that you have it back, you're going to kill yourself trying to keep it."

Ranger stared at the man for a few minutes in complete silence. He knew everything that David said was true. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He was so focused on Stephanie and CJ that he wasn't taking care of himself. If he was honest, he hadn't been since he heard her voice on the recording. "You're right. I probably do need to talk with you some."

David smiled and nodded his head. "Let me spend some time with Stephanie, and then we'll talk before I head out. I can be back tomorrow to talk to you both if you think I need to."

"Let's see how today goes. Stephanie will probably need you more than me." David smiled again. He was looking forward to meeting the woman who had finally tamed the famous Ranger. "I'll go up and get her. She was going to spend some time with CJ."

David stood when Ranger did. "I'll go with you. I want to see how she interacts with the baby. I'm worried about what happened yesterday." Ranger nodded and motioned for David to follow him up the stairs. The both stopped in the open doorway to the nursery to watch Stephanie.

She was once again curled up in the rocker with the baby lying on her chest. She was absent-mindedly humming a song and stroking the child's back, but the look in her eyes let them know that she was somewhere far away. Ranger took a step into the room and spoke to her before he approached any further. "Stephanie?"

Hearing his voice, Stephanie shook her head and looked up at him. She noticed the man standing behind Ranger in the doorway and knew that he was probably the therapist. She saw the worried looks on both of the men's faces. "Sorry. I guess I was spaced out again, wasn't I?" Ranger nodded and held out his arms for the baby. He wasn't going to take him from her again.

Stephanie stood up off the chair and handed Ranger the sleeping infant. When David saw that it was okay, he entered the room and offered her his hand. "David Sinclair. So, you are the famous Stephanie Plum that I've heard so much about! It's a pleasure to meet you, finally."

Remembering her manners, Stephanie smiled and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you David. I guess you're here to 'shrink' me, huh?" David laughed and shook his head.

"No, I'm not here to 'shrink' you. I'm just here to talk to you. Why don't you and I go back to the office and let Carlos handle the baby? Who...by the way, is absolutely gorgeous!" Stephanie smiled and looked at her sleeping son. She bent and kissed his head and then reached up and kissed Ranger on the jaw before letting out a long sigh.

"Let's get this show on the road, Doc." David laughed and followed her out of the nursery and back downstairs to Ranger's office.

Four hours later, they were still inside talking. Ranger had fed and changed CJ and carried him downstairs so he could keep an eye on him while he cooked dinner. He expected David to stay since it was getting so late and he knew that Stephanie would be hungry. He threw together a salad and then roasted some chicken and cooked rice. It wasn't anything fancy, but it tasted good and it would be healthy for them. He had just pulled the chicken out of the oven when he heard talking headed his direction.

Stephanie walked into the kitchen first and Ranger could see her eyes were puffy and swollen, so he knew she'd been crying. He sent David a hard glare as she walked into his open and waiting arms. Ranger felt a few shudders run through her body, so he just held her and let her draw whatever she needed to from him. After several quiet minutes, she pulled back and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Dinner smells amazing. I'm going to go upstairs and clean up before we eat. Is that okay?"

"Sure, Babe, do whatever you need to do. Dinner can wait." Ranger bent and kissed Stephanie before releasing her from his hold. When she was out of hearing range, he turned to David who was sitting on a bar stool at the bar.

"So...what's your assessment?" David sighed and combed his hand through his hair.

"I'm only talking to you about this because she told me that I could. I take patient/doctor confidentiality very seriously." Ranger understood and nodded. "You were right to call me in. Stephanie is suffering from PTSD. Sometimes she still thinks she's in that house. She's getting flashbacks too. You witnessed one of those yesterday in the garage." Ranger raised an eyebrow. "One of your cars is the same as her captor's. Just seeing it parked there was enough to trigger her memory."

It was Ranger's time to sigh. "Christ! Tell me which car and I'll make sure it disappears. Maybe I'll let her torch it. I had no idea something like that could trigger negative memories."

"That's not your fault, Carlos. It's going to take her some time to deal with all the shit. She's been through a whole hell of a lot." Ranger looked at the other man. "When he found out she was pregnant, the beatings stopped, but the abuse didn't. He would berate her and call her all sorts of horrible names. After the baby came, the beatings started again. She would do everything she could to protect her son, so she pretty much did everything he asked. The nanny and Luciano threatened to kill CJ if she didn't behave. They used her own son against her and she feels so guilty for not being strong enough to protect him."

Ranger's heart was breaking hearing what Stephanie had gone through. He knew about the beatings and about the monsters threatening CJ. He just didn't know the severity. David let Ranger chew on that information for a few minutes before continuing. "She's also having problems with remembering who she is. She spent a year acting like Malena Sanchez while in public or around other people. When she messed that up, that was when the more aggressive beatings happened. It was smart getting her hair color changed back, but she's still having some trouble. Being in familiar places will help that."

"You think we should go back to Trenton early?" Ranger asked while picking up his cell phone to call the pilot. They would leave that night if it was better for her. David shook his head.

"No, I think staying here is good for her, too. What I meant was that when you do go back, being around familiar people and places will just continue to help her." Ranger nodded and put his phone back down. He was about to ask another question when he heard Stephanie's feet on the stairs. Anything else they needed to talk about would have to wait. His first order of business was to feed his Babe.


A/N - There ya have it! Stephanie and Ranger are both getting the help they so desperately need. The next chapter will be Stephanie's big return back to Trenton!