Please review! Another chapter and an epilogue to go! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 42

I felt this huge smile spread across my face as I looked at Ric's shocked face, 'I escaped.' I said, a tad smugly I admit.

'Babe?' he repeated.

'This is the part where we're supposed to run to each other and then kiss passionately…but I don't think we should do that because I haven't brushed my teeth in however long I've been captured. My tongue doesn't even want to be in my mouth.'

'Babe.' He said, sounding dazed.

'Are you in shock? Should I get you a hot chocolate or something? Isn't that what you do for people in shock?'

'Am I dreaming?' he asked. 'Did I fall asleep in the meeting?'

'No Rico, you're not dreaming.'

'Promise?'

'Promise.' I said. I closed the distance between us and hugged him tightly, unfortunately lifting my left arm like that was a bad idea and I winced as pain shot down my arm.

'How badly are you hurt?' Ric asked, concerned.

'I got stabbed in the left shoulder, and the fingers in my right hand are broken. They haven't beaten me in a few days so most of my bruises are fading.'

'Babe, did they…'

'Rape me? They tried.' I said in a grim voice.

'Tried?' he asked.

'Two of them, early this morning, they were going to rape me. So I hit them over the head with a frying pan.'

'A frying pan?' he said, incredulous.

'I was improvising! I was in the kitchen.' I indignantly defended my choice of weapon.

'Works for me,' Ric said, smiling. 'So what happened after you knocked them out?'

'Not-So came down to investigate and I knocked him out with the frying pan too.'

'Not-So?'

'Not-So Silent Man in Matching Black.' I explained in a well-duh voice.

'Obviously.' Ric said, amusement dancing in his eyes.

'Yup.' I agreed. 'Anyway, then I tied them up some and went to find Pedral. He was asleep so I stun gunned him and dragged him to the kitchen with the others. He started to wake up so I whacked him over the head with the frying pan. Probably I could have used the stun gun again, but it was more satisfying to use the frying pan. Anyway, they're all tied up under the kitchen table, and I doubt they'll get away.'

'Why not?'

'It's pretty hard to get out of handcuffs, ropes, chains, and duct tape. I doubt even Houdini could have gotten out of that mess.'

Ric grinned, 'you did good, Babe.'

'Thanks, thecab driver outside has the address, and when you go outside to get it, could you pay him as well?'

'How did you get acab to drive you anywhere with no money?'

'I sweet-talked him. And fluttered my eyelashes.'

Ric's grin widened, before it faded completely. 'I was so scared I'd lost you.' He breathed.

I hugged him again, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, 'Don't be silly Batman, Wonder Woman always escapes.'

'Yeah,' he said, his smile returning slowly. Then he frowned, 'Damn it Babe, you're so thin.' His jaw clenched and he carefully inched up my borrowed t-shirt to inspect me.

He froze as he saw my ribs. 'I can count them.' He said in a tight voice, 'I can count your fucking ribs Babe. Your stomach is virtually concave. They were starving you.'

'Either that, or Not-So was practicing to become a gourmet chef.' I joked.

'Don't joke Babe, not about this. Jesus. I'm so sorry.'

'Not your fault.'

'Yes, it is!' He turned away from me, shaking his head slightly.

'When Abruzzi bombed your truck, was that my fault?'

He turned back, 'no, of course not.'

I glared at him, putting my left hand on my hip and gesturing wildly with my right hand. 'So when one of my psychos screws with you it's not my fault, but when one of your psychos screws with me it's your fault? Nope, sorry Ric; that won't wash with me. Either you say it's my fault when you got shot and when your car got bombed, and it's your fault now, or it wasn't my fault then, and it isn't your fault now. Personally I prefer to follow the wacky route of blaming the psychos for their own freaking actions.'

A slow smile spread across Ric's face, 'I can't win, can I?'

'Nope.' I said firmly.

'Then I guess I'll be really radical and blame the psychos.'

'Why, Ric, what an amazing idea! How did you ever come up with it? We should phone the President, and tell him all about how people should be held personally responsible for their own actions…'

'Wiseass.'

'Yeah,' I said smiling, 'but you love me.'

'More than anything.' He said. 'Now can I kiss you?'

'Nope. I need to brush my teeth. Where's a bathroom?'

Ric rolled his eyes and led me to a bedroom off the living room. I brushed my teeth using Ric's toothbrush and turned to him.

'You can kiss me now.' I said.

He smiled, and wrapped his arms around me and kissed me with a desperate need that I felt as well. Chests heaving, we pulled back.

'You're not allowed to go out of my sight for the next couple of weeks, ok?' Ric said.

I thought about it, 'What about going to the toilet? I can't go to the toilet in front of you!'

Ric started to laugh, 'ok,' he gasped, 'I'll wait on the other side of the door.'

'But you'll be able to hear me!'

'Babe.' He collapsed back onto the bed, laughing with his whole body.

When Ric stopped laughing at me…ahem…with me, I took a shower…with Ric's assistance; I couldn't wash my hair with only my left hand. The shower ended up being very long – which had everything to do with who was helping me, and nothing to do with me being injured.

Clean and relaxed, I got dressed in Ric's shirt and a pair of his sister's jeans pre-pregnancy. Ric had bandaged my shoulder and Bobby put my fingers into careful splints. That hurt like a bitch, but I dealt with it.

'Let's get you something to eat, Querida.'

'I'm really not that hungry,' I admitted.

'When did you last eat?'

I thought about it, 'yesterday morning.' I said.

His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared slightly. 'Bastards.' He swore. Then he took my left hand and tugged me into the kitchen.

'We should start you out with something easy on your stomach, like soup.'

'If I ever see soup again I'll scream.' I said.

'Ok, no soup - got it.' Eventually we found some food that we both thought was acceptable and I ate it. I was just licking my spoon when the door to the living room opened.

It was my Mom and Aly.

'MOM!' Aly shrieked as she caught sight of me. Then she ran towards me.

'Careful Aly, she's hurt.' Ric cautioned.

Aly skidded to a halt a few steps away, 'I was so worried, are you ok Mom?'

'I'm fine Kitten, come here, we can have a gentle hug.'

Aly held me lightly, as if afraid she would break me if she squeezed too hard.

'Let Grandma Ellen hug Mom now,' Ric said. Aly nodded and stepped back, holding her arms out to her Daddy to be hugged some more.

Mom smiled at me and held me close, 'I was so worried, I was so scared.' She whispered.

'Me too.' I whispered back, 'but it's over now. I'm safe.'

'Stephanie?'

'Yeah?'

'He is the son I never had.'

I felt tears well up in my eyes, 'Thank you,' I said.

'For what?'

'For accepting him,' I whispered, 'for loving him.'