Chapter 22
Sandra woke up in a familiar room. Her hands and legs were bound to a metal chair. The table was new, she noticed. She turned her head to the left, where a new area carpet got placed beneath the coffee table in the next room. Sandra turned her head to the right. New stainless steel appliances shone in the renovated kitchen.
When she looked around the dining room, a photograph on the wall caught her attention. She felt the tears on her face, but they couldn't get wiped away. Brenna always smiled. Her leukemia had not stopped her from living her life. "No, no, no, no, no," Sandra cried. "Anywhere but here!"
Charles entered the room. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked. "Did you miss me?"
"How did I get here?"
"Special delivery," Charles said on a laugh. "You left after Brenna's funeral. Why did you leave?" Charles tilted his head to the side, waiting for Sandra to answer his question.
Sandra thought she had gotten away from the pain and memories. She had left like a thief in the night. Burying her sister was too much for her to bear. "Let me go, Charles."
"Cassandra, you must pay for everything you had done," Charles stated.
"I didn't do anything!" she screamed. She picked a spot on the dark hardwood floor and focused her attention. Sandra knew it was a lie the second the words left her mouth. She did everything.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. The sale of our secrets to the highest bidder? Placed my wife in the line of fire? Drugging my wife so my enemies could take advantage of her? All of that was doing nothing?" Charles screamed.
Sandra was relieved. If he were screaming, then one of the neighbours would rescue her or call for help. "I didn't do those things, I swear," Sandra replied.
"Nobody will come to help you, darling. It's just you and me," Charles stated. "Oh, and the wolves."
She slumped in her chair, realizing what Charles had in store. There was no escaping this time. The family took care of their own. "How did you find me?" Sandra asked. Her vision got blurred from her tears.
"Have you never heard the phrase, the enemy of your enemy is your friend?" Charles asked.
"I have heard that phrase before," Sandra confessed.
"My enemy, Frank Plum, is Fabian Marcelo's enemy, making him my friend. Do you know who Stephanie Manoso was before she got married?"
"No." Sandra was confused. What did Frank Plum have to do with Stephanie Manoso?
"Mrs. Manoso is Frank Plum's daughter," Charles whispered in her ear. "He sent a message that he found you harassing his daughter."
"Shit!" Sandra screamed. "I didn't know. Nobody mentioned her maiden name."
"Say goodbye," Charles said.
~~~
Anna climbed into Stephanie's bed and leaned against her friend. "How did you make the connection?" Anna asked.
"My dad told me that Sandra looked familiar. Her nose, chin, cheeks and breasts were different, as in plastic surgery different. He knew Cassandra and Brenna's dad from his military days. It didn't take long to discover her background information was too clean. Even you have more shit in your past," Stephanie explained. "Charles Tucker had been looking for his sister-in-law for years."
"Ah. It all makes sense now. Um. I met Joe Morelli last night," Anna confessed.
"Hmm. Do I sense a question?" Stephanie asked.
"Maybe? Joe asked me out, but I'm not sure if I should agree. He was horrible to his ex-wife and you. I don't want to get mixed up with the mess," Anna replied.
"Do you remember our discussion a month ago?" Stephanie waited for Anna to nod. "If or when you feel that connection with someone, you should grab hold and enjoy the ride."
"Are you telling me to go for it?" Anna asked, leaning on her elbow to look into Stephanie's eyes.
"In a way. Did you feel sparks when you met Joe?"
"Yes. I felt an invisible force field pulling me towards him," Anna answered.
"Did an electric shock go through your body when you touched him?"
"Mmhmm."
Stephanie smiled at her friend. "Anna, you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities. It didn't work between Joe and me because it never was meant to be, exactly like his relationship with Carol. Go on a few dates, take your time before hopping into his bed. Most importantly, lay out the ground rules," Stephanie advised.
"What if he cheats on me?" Anna wondered.
"I'll castrate him," Stephanie sweetly replied. "Remember, it would only get awkward between us if you let it."
"I heard you told Ranger not to hug other women," Anna said, laughing.
"I could only assume that April told you," Stephanie laughed. "I kind of went overboard. Honestly, I don't have a problem with him hugging other women or kissing their cheeks. The guys are affectionate with me, so I get it. However, Sandra was different. She wanted my husband, and I took offence to him being alone with her. If another woman showed that much interest in Carlos, I expect him to remove himself from the situation. I do have an issue with him placing wires in their clothes. I'd expect him to have the same issues."
"Ah. I understand now."
"You thought I was a hypocrite?" Stephanie asked.
"Maybe just a little," Anna replied honestly.
"And that's why I love you, Anna. You call me out on my bullshit."
Ranger listened to Stephanie and Anna's conversation. He smiled when Anna asked about the hugs. It wasn't something he didn't already know. Stephanie made her point. Ranger knew Sandra wanted him, and he stupidly played into her hands.
Stephanie watched Anna exit the room. "You can come out now, Carlos," she called. Ranger gave his son to Celia before climbing into bed with his wife.
"I'd never cheat on you, Babe," Ranger whispered. "I also know you'd never cheat on me."
"Never," Stephanie stated. "I promise to never put myself into a position that could get taken the wrong way."
"I promise to touch you, love only you, every second of every minute. Every minute of every hour," Ranger said.
"Every hour in every day," Stephanie continued.
"Every day in every week. Every week in every month." Ranger kissed Stephanie on the lips.
"Every month in every year," Stephanie whispered against his mouth.
"Every year until the day we die," Ranger finished before he deepened the kiss.
"You two are so adorable and sappy," Celia said, wiping a tear from her eye. Ranger and Stephanie grinned.
~~~
Joseph Morelli met with Robin, Monica, April and Anna at Pino's. He had to know where they sent Sandra in the shipping crate. Monica laughed, "Siberia."
"You've got to be joking. What's in Siberia?" Joe asked.
"Her family. Sandra went missing several years ago. They've been searching for her," Monica replied.
"Is she in danger?" he wondered.
"Possibly. We don't know for sure. I've only heard rumours and speculation," Robin answered.
"What are the rumours?" Joe asked.
Anna shrugged. "Some say that Sandra stole her twin sister's identity after she killed her. Another group says that Sandra hired someone to murder her sister. Every scenario fixates on Sandra getting her sister killed. In any way you work the case, Sandra gets imprisoned for life," April explained. "We sent her home where she belongs."
"She needs to pay for her crimes," Joe stated. "Are Stephanie and the child safe?"
"Very," April replied. "We should get back to work. Come on, Robin and Monica, let's go."
Robin smirked at Joe and Anna. She leaned over to whisper, "If you cheat on her, Joe, I will castrate you."
"Ditto," April and Monica chimed.
"Then I'll ship you to Colombia," Monica added.
"In a crate," April said over her shoulder. Joe gulped when the three women left laughing.
"Remind me not to piss you off," he mumbled.
~~~
A few months later, Valerie sat at her desk wondering what she should do. Something was in the water at Rangeman. Anna and Robin had announced they were pregnant a few weeks earlier. Stephanie's baby was already four months old, and April was due any day.
"Val? Is everything okay?" Stephanie asked.
She shook her head. "Everything's changing again," she whispered. Valerie was what Stephanie called a delicate crier. Her nose didn't get red and snotty. She looked perfect, put together with water dripping down her cheeks.
"May I?" Stephanie asked, pointing to the box in Valerie's hand. Stephanie opened the box. "Are these happy tears or sad tears?"
"Happy but scared tears," Valerie replied.
"You know Cal will be happy," Stephanie said.
Valerie picked at her uniform shirt. "It's not Cal. It's me. I keep getting myself into this situation. I'm ready to move in with Cal. What should I do?" Val asked.
"Val, you and Cal are practically living together already. Does the baby affect how you feel about him?" Stephanie asked.
"No. I love Cal. Our relationship is easy. He's my other half," Valerie replied.
"Then I don't see the problem. Let's have some fun telling Cal about the baby," Stephanie suggested.
Valerie wiped the tears from her eyes and agreed. She followed Stephanie to the seventh-floor apartment. "Is something wrong?" Celia asked when the women entered the living room.
"Nope. We've got news for Cal. Do we still have the preemie Rangeman onesies from Ric?" Stephanie asked.
Celia reached into the laundry basket to pull one from the pile. "I was getting ready to put these into storage," she replied. Stephanie was grateful for Celia. She had decided being a live-in nurse for the Rangeman babies was more rewarding than working in the hospital. Stephanie thought Celia liked hanging around her nephew.
"How are his lungs today?" Valerie asked.
"Pneumonia cleared, but Ric has asthma. I'm hoping he grows out of it," Celia replied.
"Can that happen?" Val wondered.
"Yes. Some children have asthma or display asthmatic symptoms when they get chest infections. I'm hoping Ric falls into this category. At least I'm praying that's the case. He's sleeping peacefully, which is always a good sign," Celia explained.
Stephanie hugged Celia. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered. Celia and Stephanie became close friends during the past few months.
Valerie giggled when Stephanie wrapped the pregnancy test inside the onesie. She enclosed it all in a new diaper. "What are you doing?" Valerie asked when Stephanie grabbed her phone.
"Calling Hector. He can tell us if Cal's in the Control room," Stephanie replied.
"Hola," Hector answered.
"Hey, Hermano. Is Cal in the control room?"
"No, in the break room eating lunch," Hector replied.
"Awesome. Thanks. Oh, can you record our encounter?" Stephanie sweetly asked. Hector laughed and hung up.
Valerie and Stephanie made their way to the fifth-floor break room. Cal was sitting at the table eating the stew Ella made for the employees. "Hey, sweetheart," Cal said when Valerie entered the room.
"I have a gift for you," she said, attempting to hold back the giggles.
Cal accepted the item. He pushed the bowl towards the centre of the table. "A dirty diaper?" he asked.
"Eww. No," Valerie replied. "Open it."
He removed the diaper, exposing the black Rangeman onesie. "Um. Baby clothes? Why did you give me Ric's baby clothes?" Cal asked.
"Just open the damn onesie," Stephanie snapped.
When Cal unravelled the onesie, the pregnancy test fell onto the table. He looked at the result. Then he looked at Val. Cal repeated the process a few times before dropping to his knees in front of Valerie. He kissed her abdomen. "We're having a baby?" he asked to confirm.
"Yes, Cal. We're having a baby," Val replied. "However, this one is the last. I'm getting my tubes tied."
"Whatever you want, my love," Cal said.
"Oh! We're moving in with you," Valerie announced.
"It's about time." Cal swung Valerie in his arms. "Now everything is perfect," he whispered.
Cal held the woman he loved. He adopted Angie and Mary Alice the previous week. They loved having Cal as their father. Lisa and Bert called Cal dad because Albert didn't want to visit and cause them confusion.
Stephanie felt the strong arms as they wrapped around her body. "Are congratulations in order?" Ranger asked, nodding towards the Rangeman onesie.
"Yup. Val and Cal are having a baby," Stephanie replied.
"I need to get someone to check the building," Ranger announced.
"Why?" Valerie asked.
"Because I think there's something in the water," he replied.
Valerie and Stephanie cracked up laughing. They both said the same thing when Anna got pregnant.
Anna got pregnant the first time she slept with Joe Morelli. The condom broke and Anna can't take birth control. It wasn't the best way to begin a relationship. Joe seemed to be an entirely new person than the man Stephanie once knew.
He asked Anna to marry him when she told him about their child, she said not yet. It was too soon for her to commit to him. Anna wasn't sure she wanted to get married.
~~~
Eighteen years later…
"Mom, Dad?" Ric called as he entered the house.
"Hey, baby," Stephanie said, wiping her hands on the apron. "Is Jules with you?"
"No. The flight got delayed. Uncle Joe said he'd pick her up from the airport," Ric answered.
"Okay. Is Evan coming home with her?" Ranger asked.
"He should be. Evan got back from his last deployment a few weeks ago," Ric answered. "I got a ninety-eight on my paper."
"Which paper was that?" Stephanie wondered.
"About my family. Professor Carter said I had a unique family. He wondered what happened to that nurse at the hospital where I was born?" Ric asked.
Stephanie stared at the boy who resembled her except for his skin colour. He was a few shades darker than her pale tone. "She got fired. The last I heard, she took a job with the peace corps," Stephanie replied. "Aunt Rachel and Uncle Ron are outside."
Ranger wrapped his arms around his wife, turning her around to face him. "We've come a long way to get here, Babe. It started as a favour that turned into love. You disappeared long enough for everyone to realize what you truly meant to them. Julie and I found you alone on the beach, a stronger person than when you left. Everyone basks in your love. You took many broken men and families to make us whole. We are complete because your love healed us," Carlos stated.
"You loved my daughter and raised her as your own," Rachel added. "We love you for the wonderful woman you are. You opened your arms wide, welcoming us into your life."
"Steph, you helped me realize letting go of the past and forgiveness could help you grow. You told Anna to give me a chance. She still won't marry me, but we have a wonderful life together," Joe contributed as he entered the backyard with Julie, Evan, Carlos and Joey.
"Ranger, you gave me a job to support my family when my second marriage failed. Steph, you aren't just my sister. You are my best friend. I love you so much. You never let me quit on myself or my family. I could never have survived without your unwavering support," Valerie stated.
"You're the family I've always wanted. I had my son and daughter with Hal. Thank you for letting me be a part of all of this," April said, waving her arm around at the group.
"Is this where we tell Stephanie how much we love her?" Eddie asked.
"Sounds like it to me," Robin replied. She wrapped her arm around Vince. They got married a few years after their daughter, September, was born.
"Hear hear," Carl interjected. He placed his arm around Caleb's shoulder. Carl and Monica were the only Rangeman employees without a significant other. They share a son that Monica had through in vitro. The two are best friends and partners in every way except romantically.
"It's too bad Grandma Plum couldn't hear how much everyone loves you, Aunt Steph," Lisa said.
"What happened to your grandma?" Michael Gazarra asked.
"Grandma got run over by a reindeer. Walking home from our house Christmas Eve," Ric started singing.
"You have got to be joking," Michael stated.
"Unfortunately, I'm not. Well, at least not about getting run over by a reindeer," Ric explained.
"Don't forget about us," Mary Lou shouted. "Shirley and I babysat the Rangeman children."
"And grandchildren," Shirley added.
Stephanie laughed at her large and crazy family. There wasn't a single thing she'd want to change. They partied late into the night. Tank danced with his wife, Celia. Lester danced with his young daughter from a one-night-stand many years earlier. Everyone looked content with the family Stephanie nurtured.
"All of this happiness is because of you, Babe."
~~~
"Aaahhhh," Stephanie screamed. Carlos jumped from bed, looking for the threat in their bedroom.
"Babe?"
"Sorry, Carlos. I had a dream, a very scary dream," Stephanie replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N... and this is how the story began... from a scary dream.