A/N: Sorry for the delay. I wanted to make sure I get the last couple of chapters right. A lot of shit is going down and will be important in the next story. And…I did some research on the FBI Academy and have taken a few creative liberties with the admissions process and the program. Trying to balance writing and training puppies. Both are fun but I don't pee on the carpet when I write, so the training sometimes has to be a priority. Enjoy.

Chapter 35

Just as Stephanie had hoped, Mrs. Morelli brought a warehouse of tasty treats. Morelli no longer looked like the back of a TV set. He lost the last of his tubing and wires that morning. His EKG monitor had been swapped out for a portable unit. Sitting up in the recliner, he resembled a king holding court. His subjects, Eddie, Mooch, and his brother Tony dined on the lavish spread. Mrs. Morelli bustled around the room making sure everyone's plates were full.

"Oh Stephanie!" Mrs. Morelli announced. She shoed Mooch out of the chair.

"Hey Cupcake," Joe said.

"Let Stephanie sit down," Mrs. Morelli scolded. "Don't any of you know that you're supposed to offer a lady your seat? Especially a pregnant lady?"

"Hi, Joe," Valerie told him as she kissed his cheek. "You look great. How are you feeling?"

"Better. It's nice not being chained to all this crap anymore," he admitted as he waved a hand at the disconnected equipment. He gave a nod to Hal and Lula.

"Here." She handed him the box. "Angie and Mary Alice made you some cupcakes."

He flipped open the lid to investigate. After a quick scan, he selected a huge chocolate one with pink icing and a gray blob.

Valerie giggled. "Mary Alice…that's supposed to be a policeman's badge."

Lula turned her nose up, and muttered under her breath, "It looks more she hocked up a lugie."

"With Mary Alice…you never know," Stephanie whispered back.

Joe devoured it in 2 bites. "Your girls can bake for me anytime. They did a helluva better job than their aunt."

Morelli gave her a sly smile and a wink. Stephanie just rolled her eyes.

"Steph used to make me mud pies…with real mud," he told them.

Mrs. Morelli handed Stephanie a plate piled high with a meal that probably would have fed all of Rangeman. But it would do for her and the twins! She scurried back to her makeshift buffet on the bedside table to assemble plates for Valerie, Hal, and Lula.

"I also used a secret ingredient, Joe…dog poop. That's why it held its shape."

Morelli turned green as he gagged. "Jesus Christ, Steph! I actually ate those things so you wouldn't cry!"

His mother slapped the back of his head. "Don't you dare take the name of the Lord in vain, Joseph Anthony Morelli!"

Eddie gave up his seat for Valerie while Lula made herself comfortable on Morelli's bed. Hal stood behind Valerie.

"No wonder…you always did have that shit-eatin' grin, Morelli," Eddie joked.

Lula looked around the room as Mrs. Morelli handed the girls their plates.

"So…where is that lady that's supposta give people the evil eye?" she asked.

"Grandma Bella?" Morelli frowned. "She's at the Senior Center today. Bingo."

Lula blew out a sigh. "Thank God…I didn't want Tank's dick fallin' off. A girl don't want no man with no dick."

She dug into the pile of food on her plate while Stephanie and Valerie almost choked. Hal made a feeble attempt to decline, but Mrs. Morelli thrust the mountain of food into this hands.

"Resistance is futile," Eddie told him with a short laugh.

"Damn…this is some good shit, Mrs. M.," Lula told her, mouth full. "You do know that I got shot in the ass…right?"

"Lula was at Pino's, too, Mom," Morelli explained.

"Oh my goodness! We certainly have a lot to be thankful for. All of you are going to be fine," Mrs. Morelli replied.

"Hey…did you know that Joe got accepted to the FBI Academy?" Eddie interrupted. "He got his letter yesterday. Tony brought his mail up for him."

"Congratulations!" Valerie gushed. "That's wonderful. I'm sure the girls will want to make something special for you."

"I've got Ranger to thank for that," Morelli sighed. "Otherwise, I would have lost another year. But I still have to get outta here and back into shape. I can't walk 4 feet without feelin' tired."

"Joe…you got shot and almost died a few days ago," Stephanie pointed out. "It's going to take some time, but you'll get there. When does it start?"

"First week of October. It's a 20 week program. With a few breaks, graduation is in the beginning of March," Morelli explained.

"That's almost 4 months away. You'll get back into shape, little brother," Tony assured him as he helped himself to more ziti.

"Doesn't your wife feed you at home?" Mooch smirked.

"She's not as good of a cook as my mother."

"It's hard to cook from the living room couch," Mrs. Morelli muttered under her breath as she snatched a butter cookie.

"Looks like everyone's gonna have a busy summer," Valerie sighed. "You'll be getting back on your feet. Steph has to plan her wedding, and I have to try to find a bigger place to live. Steph's lease is up in a couple of months."

Morelli pursed his lips. "Well…unless you have some definite plans…how about you house-sit for me?"

Mouths stopped chewing, and all eyes turned towards Morelli.

"Huh?" Valerie asked with a frown.

"I'm going to be gone until March. Then I don't know where I'm going to get assigned. It could be a few years before I'd be able to transfer to the Trenton office. I can't leave my house empty. I'd need someone to take care of things while I'm gone."

"What about me?" Mooch whined.

"Like I said…I'd need somebody that would take care of things while I'm gone. You'll have plenty of room for you and the girls. It's around the corner from your parents. And…you would just have to take care of the utilities. Free rent for house sitting. What do you think?"

"I think that's a lovely idea, Joseph!" Mrs. Morelli cried.

Valerie looked from Morelli to Stephanie and back to Morelli. "Uh…I…are you sure? I mean…where will you stay when you come back to Trenton?"

"He could stay with me," his mother insisted. "I'm so glad that is settled. My Joseph is going to be an FBI Agent. I'm so proud!"

Valerie smiled. "Okay…but this is temporary. I would just need enough notice to find another place when you are able to move back."

"This will help you to save more money, Val," Stephanie agreed. "You'll be able to pay for your divorce and maybe have enough for a down payment on a house."

"Well…what about your furniture and stuff?" Valerie wondered.

"We'll work out the details. I can put some stuff in the basement or attic. You can use the furniture, or I can put it in storage. Whatever you want," Morelli offered.

"I don't really have much anyway. What I have is mostly Stephanie's. Wow…I can't believe this. The girls will be so excited to have their own rooms!"

"And their mother will be excited to have her own room," Stephanie added with a wink.

The fire-engine red color of both Hal and Valerie, in addition to the looks of horror, gave away the real meaning of Stephanie's comment.

An awkward hush fell over the room. Stephanie and Valerie followed everyone's gaze. Annemarie stood in the doorway. Her face sort of resembled the Wicked Witch of the West's after she got electrocuted by touching the Ruby Red slippers. Fortunately, Mrs. Morelli took over the role of Glinda and saved those in Munchkin Land.

"Annemarie!" She smiled as she took Annemarie's hand. "Just in time for the celebration. Let me fix you a plate."

"What celebration?" Annemarie forced a smile, but it never made it to her eyes.

"So many things to be thankful for," Mrs. Morelli continued. "First, Joseph, Stephanie, and Miss Lula are all alive and well. And you already know about his acceptance to the FBI Academy. And now Valerie and her girls will be house-sitting while he's away. Everything is coming together like this was meant to be."

Annemarie's eyes never left Morelli's as his mother handed her the plate. Stephanie turned to Valerie and cocked her head towards the door. Valerie nervously nodded.

Mrs. Morelli surprised them by announcing that she had to leave. She hurried to repackage the food. Valerie jumped up to help her.

"Um…if you ain't gonna do anything with the rest of that ziti…I'll take it," Lula offered. "It was real good."

"Certainly. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Stephanie? Would you like some of these cookies? I know they're your favorite." She held up the half-full bakery box.

Stephanie immediately accepted. "Well…did you want any?"

Morelli shook his head. "You take 'em. I've got the rest of these cupcakes from the girls. Besides, my mom will bring another box tomorrow."

"Those are my favorite, too," Annemarie announced.

Mrs. Morelli took one cookie out and placed it on a napkin. She handed the rest to Stephanie. "Here you are, Annemarie."

"Okay. I think we'll walk your mom out. See you tomorrow," Stephanie told him.

"Thank you so much, Joe. I can't wait to tell the girls," Valerie gushed.

Valerie placed the leftovers in her portable shopping cart. Tony and Mooch waited in the hallway. Final goodbyes said, the group filed into the hall to join them.

"Cupcake?"

Stephanie poked her head back in the door.

"You were just kiddin'… about the dog poop…right?"

She gave him her heart-melting smile. "Nope. Why do you think I only hit you once with the Buick?"

She could hear his groan as she hurried to catch the elevator with the others.

"You didn't have to leave just because we did," Mrs. Morelli told them.

"That's because they're not stupid, Mom," Tony interrupted. "They don't want to be around the Ice Queen any more than we do."

Stephanie blew out a sigh. "So it's not just me…you guys don't like her either?"

The trio shook their heads.

"She's very controlling," Mrs. Morelli finally said. "I don't think she supports my Joseph at all. I'm glad he's not giving up his dream because she doesn't like it. He worked too hard to get where he is. The Navy made a decent man out of him. He earned a degree while he was in because he wanted to be an FBI Agent. I just can't listen to her trying to talk him out of it anymore."

"Yeah…she keeps tellin' him that he's gonna be makin' less money," Mooch added.

"Or she says he's taking a step back. Or he has more advancement potential where he is," Tony said. "Shit…I only wish I had his drive when I was that age."

"You're never too old to work hard to get what you want," Mrs. Morelli scolded him. "You're only a few years older than Joseph. You could better your situation if you wanted to. You and your wife both need to get off the couch."

So…the Morelli family didn't trust Annemarie either. An interesting development. At least Stephanie wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Usually, she doesn't come until after dinner," Mooch whined. "She was early today."

They said more good-byes as they got into their own vehicles.

"Lula…you were kind of quiet," Stephanie said as she broke the silence. "You feel all right?"

"I didn't think I'd be this tired…even before I ate all the food," Lula admitted. "I'm gonna need a nap before dinner."

"Dinner!" Valerie cried out. "That feast was like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. How can you even think about eating again?"

Stephanie shifted in her seat. "Well…I was kinda thinking the same thing myself. But I was planning on eating a late dinner. I have the twins to think about, you know."

Stephanie found Lester in his cubicle staring at a blank computer screen. His usual confidence had gone AWOL.

"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

Lester's head popped up, and he shrugged. She opened the bakery box and offered him some cookies. He just waved it off.

"What's wrong?" She already knew, and it was her fault.

"I can't get a date," he growled. "Well…not with a woman. I keep getting all these guys callin' me. Everyone thinks I'm gay. I just don't get it."

Stephanie chewed on her lower lip. She had to tell him the truth. At least he could stop blaming himself and start blaming her. She only hoped he would be able to forgive her.

"Um…Lester?"

She scooted herself onto his desk. "I've been meaning to talk to you about my conversation with Xylia…"

"And I can't thank you enough, Beautiful," Lester cut her off. "I haven't seen or heard from her at all."

Stephanie cringed. "Um…yeah…well I sort of told Xylia…but you have to understand that it was just not getting through her thick skull that you weren't interested. I got squirted with holy water again. And…well you see…it just sorta…happened."

Lester frowned. "What happened?"

"That's kinda…when you came out of the closet," she finished with a sigh.

Lester continued to stare, but his eyes widened when it finally dawned on him.

"You told Xylia that I was gay?" he gasped.

"It was an accident," she insisted.

"And now everyone in Trenton…probably all of Jersey…thinks I'm gay!"

"Oops?"

"Oops?" He jumped to his feet.

"All you can say is oops?"

"Lester…I'm sorry. That wasn't my plan…it just sorta…came flying outta my mouth," she explained.

Shock was too mild a word for what Lester felt. If Stephanie had been a guy, he would have dropped her where she stood. He felt like exploding. Tears welled in her eyes. Even though anger radiated through his body, he hated seeing Stephanie upset.

"Lester?"

He couldn't look at her. He didn't want to hear another word. Removing himself and working off his anger would get him back under control. Then…maybe then…could he attempt to talk to her.

"What's the problem?"

Ranger appeared outside the cubicle.

"Ask her," Lester told him as he jerked his thumb towards Stephanie.

He pushed past Ranger and stomped off towards the gym.

"What was that about?" Ranger demanded.

"I told Lester that I was the one that outted him, and now he hates me. I'm going upstairs to lay down for a while." Stephanie sniffled as she also pushed past him and hurried to the elevator.

Ranger gave Lester enough time to cool down before he approached. He leaned against the wall with arms folded until Lester acknowledged him.

"I really don't want to talk about it, Ranger," Lester huffed as he pummeled the heavy bag.

Ranger gave him an almost imperceptible nod but said nothing.

"She ruined my life."

He threw another series of punches.

"Everybody thinks I'm gay."

Another round.

"How could she do that to me?"

He just stared at the bag as the last drop of anger left his body. He raised a gloved hand and tore open the Velcro strap with his mouth. He removed his gloves and tossed them aside.

"She's crying…isn't she?"

Ranger again gave him a nod. Lester dropped onto the nearby bench.

"Shit," he muttered as he dropped his head into his hands. "I didn't mean to make her cry. I know she was only trying to help me. Jesus! Why did she say I was…gay?"

Lester grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face. "Thanks for this talk, Ranger. You always know the right things to say. I'm gonna grab a shower. If it's okay with you, I want to take Stephanie out for ice cream later. I've got an idea about how she can help put me back in the closet."

Lester jogged towards the locker room. Ranger just shook his head. Once again, he agreed with Stephanie. Santos was so not right.

With two alarms the night before, Stephanie never got her ice cream date with Lester. Ranger had tried to assure her that Lester didn't hate her but needed to respond on the second alarm. He finally rolled in around 4:30 that morning. He rarely slept late, so she decided not to wake him before she left.

A few years ago, Stephanie started a tradition of having breakfast with Grandma Mazur on Grandpa Mazur's birthday. With everything that happened, she almost forgot. She left Ranger a note by the bed telling him that she would be at her parents' house.

Stephanie stopped on 5 to ask Valerie if she would like to come with her. This would be the first year that Valerie could join them. It was kind of nice tradition they had. Now, she could share it with Valerie.

Lester and Bobby hadn't made it in yet either, and Hal covered the monitors. Stephanie asked Ram and Woody to take them.

"You 2 owe me big time!" she scolded. "You told those reporters that Lester was gay. And now he hates me. I should make you take my grandmother out on a date!"

Woody cringed, but Ram just laughed.

"Spending time with your grandmother would still be worth the look on Santos' face when that guy asked him about Don't Ask Don't Tell," he joked.

"Well…we have to stop at the Tasty Pastry first," Stephanie sighed.

"And for the record…Santos could never hate you," Ram added. "He'll get over it…believe me."

"I hope you're right. I feel horrible about the whole situation."

They headed down to the garage and piled into the SUV. Once again, the parking gods smiled on them as a space opened up right in front of the door.

"Do you guys call ahead or something?" Stephanie asked as she grabbed her bag. "We'll be right back. Do you want anything?"

"Yeah…see if they have those cookies that Mrs. Morelli always buys," Woody begged.

After scanning the heavenly, treat-filled cases, Stephanie placed their order. Valerie opened her mouth as if to say something, but the jingle of the bells on the door distracted her. Her face fell, so Stephanie's head snapped to follow her gaze. Joyce! She didn't need this bull shit today. Joyce's face always looked as if she smelled something rotten. The thick layers of concealer failed to hide the leftover bruises from their last encounter. Score one for me, she thought.

"Wow…they'll let anyone in this place these days," Joyce told them in her irritating, nasally tone. "No wonder they have roaches."

"Sorry Joyce…you're too early. They don't throw out the stale rolls until closing time," Stephanie jabbed back. "Just make sure your back before the trash pick up."

"I guess I should be grateful that I ran into you today," Joyce continued as she examined her manicure. "Saves me the time of contacting you."

"Why don't you really save yourself the time, and just stay away from me."

"Not until I get my car back. Dickie gave me that Mustang. You got another one from your babies' daddy…Rico Suave…or whatever that beaner's name is. Or maybe you don't know who the father is…"

"First, his name is Carlos. All of your ex-husbands put together couldn't even shine one of his shoes. And second…Dickie gave me back my car…the one he stole from me. If he cares about you so much…let him buy you a new one. Dickie doesn't care about anyone but himself. That's a trait that you should be very familiar with," Stephanie spat back. Why did she let this bitch always push her buttons?

Joyce titled her head back and smiled. "Don't get so high and mighty with me, Stephanie Plum. Oh…that's right…you don't know your real last name. Most unwanted, adopted kids never do."

"Joyce!" Valerie cut in. "That's low even for you. You know damn well that neither Stephanie nor I are adopted."

"Well…you might not be…but Stephanie was. I have proof," Joyce insisted.

Stephanie's stomach churned. The screaming from her spidey senses reverberated in her ears. Somehow she knew…Joyce spoke the truth.

"I found the file at Dickie's. Apparently, his father handled the adoption. To pay for his silence, your new mother promised you would marry his son." She threw her head back and laughed. "I always knew you were a bastard!"

Her mother had always favored Valerie. Stephanie always felt like a second-class citizen in her own family. After years of being treated like the proverbial black sheep, it all made perfect sense. She never had a real connection with her mother because she wasn't her real child. Images of her childhood flashed before her eyes with Joyce's cackle as the soundtrack. Before she could stop herself, her fist connected with Joyce's nose once again.

Stephanie spun on her heel and ran for the SUV. Valerie hurried to catch up.

"It's all a lie, Stephanie. How can you even possibly believe Joyce? She's just saying that to get you upset!"

Both hopped into the SUV and slammed the doors.

"What's wrong, Bomber?" Ram asked.

"Take me to my parents' house right now!" Stephanie demanded.

Valerie tried to reason with Stephanie on the ride to their parents. The five minute drive felt like an hour. Before Ram came to a complete stop, Stephanie jumped from the SUV and dashed into the house. She heard her mother in the kitchen washing dishes. Helen turned to acknowledge her arrival as Stephanie attacked.

"Am I adopted?"

The look on her mother's face said it all.

"Not only didn't you tell me…but you sold me…like hush money…to Dickie Orr?"

Helen Plum paled as she eased herself onto a kitchen chair. Grandma Mazur appeared in the doorway.

"What's going on here? What about that dickless wonder you married?" she asked.

"Mom?" Valerie pleaded. "Tell Stephanie it isn't true. Tell her that Joyce made up all those lies just to be mean."

"I-I'm sorry, Stephanie. We should have told you a long time ago," Helen whispered.

"It's true?" Valerie's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

"Why am I not surprised?" Stephanie growled. "You treated me like shit my whole life. So why not let me be fucking humiliated by Joyce Barnhardt? Not only do I get to find out that you adopted me…but all of Trenton's gonna know, too!"

"Stephanie," Helen begged, "let me explain…"

"No…it's a little late for that, Mom," Stephanie hissed. "I don't want to hear a damn thing that you have to say."

She charged through the house and wrenched the front door open with a bang. Valerie followed her in a panic.

"Stephanie! Wait!"

"Not now, Val," Stephanie warned.

Her head buzzed as the world appeared to twirl around it. The news totally shut down all her brain functions. She didn't know what to do, how to feel, where to go, or who she was. Lost, she felt lost. She didn't even realize that she walked past the SUV. Ram and Woody called to her, but their sounds never made it to her ears.

Stephanie ran a hand through her thick mop of curls. She wanted to call Ranger, but her purse sat on the backseat of the SUV. At least she thought it did. She could have dropped it at the bakery after smashing Joyce's face again. At least one good thing happened that day! Just go home, a rational voice told her. Ranger would make everything okay. He always did.

Looking down at asphalt, she didn't realize that she had been pacing in the gutter in front of the neighbor's driveway. Valerie stood frozen by her side. The shocking news took both of them by surprise. Figures, Stephanie finally had gotten close to her sister only to find out they weren't even related.

"Steph?"

"I just want to go home," she whispered. "I really don't want to talk about this right now."

Stephanie began to move towards the SUV when she caught a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. Ram and Woody shouted something that she couldn't make out. Again, it felt like time slowed. A small, white SUV barreled towards Valerie.

Without thinking, Stephanie sprung into action. "Val! Look out!"

She shoved Valerie out of the path of the speeding vehicle but failed to get clear. The left corner of the vehicle struck the lower, right side of her belly. The initial impact smacked her head on the hood. Then the SUV's forward momentum knocked her backwards onto the curb. Instantly, Stephanie's legs went numb. The stabbing pain in her abdomen took her breath away. A red stain began to bloom between her legs. No! Please let this be a bad dream, her mind screamed.

Tank got the call and ran up the four flights of stairs when Ranger didn't answer his phone. He nearly broke the front door down entering the apartment. Ranger emerged from his dressing room as he fastened his utility belt.

"What the…" Ranger began with a frown but stopped when he saw the look on Tank's face.

"Let's go. Stephanie was hit by a car. It sounds bad. We got a truck ready to roll," Tank huffed.

The blank mask slammed into place after a brief flash of pain. Ranger's self-defense mechanism. Tank knew it was the only way Ranger would be able to function. When it came to Stephanie, Ranger had little control. His own rules ceased to exist.

Ram had called Tank after he couldn't reach Ranger. He loved Stephanie like a little sister. Bile rose in the back of his throat as Ram gave his frantic report. He needed to stay calm and focused. He needed to keep it together for his friends. Especially if the outcome was the worst case scenario.