Disclaimer: Sorry it's a short chapter. I hope to get chapter 3/6 in as soon as possible. But I might take a little while so bare with me. Thanks for the reviews! Keep sending them in!

Chapter 5:

The police and firemen arrived quickly to the scene. My family, Joe and I watched from my parent's living room window as the firemen hosed my former car down. It was quite a spectacle. I don't think I'd ever seen my parents so pissed off or my grandma so elated. The Plum family wasn't one for emotion, but after tonight that had definitely changed. Now I wasn't sure if I'd ever be invited to dinner again.

"It looks as if they've finished hosing everything down," Morelli said finally as we watched the firemen roll the hose up. Morelli and I stepped outside to give our statements.

After an exhausting hour of questioning me, Joe, and the rest of my family, we were told we could leave. Having no car I was left with one choice.

"I'm going to need to borrow the Big Blue." I told my parent's. My mom's eyebrows shot up and my dad looked pained. "Joe and I need to get back home."

"Can't you walk?" My dad asked in his usual grumble. My mom gave him a sharp look.

"Of course you can borrow the car." My mom said.

"Ellen…" My mother gave my dad another sharp look. He sighed and retrieved me the keys. Before I jumped into the car my dad pulled me aside. This was odd because my dad is a man of few words.

"Don't blow this one up okay?" He said. I assured him I wouldn't. And I wasn't lying. Nothing can destroy the Big Blue. At the end of the world the only thing left would be cockroaches and the Big Blue.

Joe and I drove home in silence. There wasn't much to say. Now that the shock had worn off I realized how much danger I had put my family in. It wasn't a pleasant feeling knowing that I put my family in serious harm. I stole a glance at Morelli. His face was expressionless. It was his cop face. I had put him in danger too. And staying here with Morelli was probably putting him in more danger. My stomach felt like an anchor had been dropped in it when I thought about thetrouble I was putting everyone in.

When we arrived home we knew something right away was wrong. There was a light left on in the kitchen, which we could see through the living room window. We cautiously entered the house. It looked as if a hurricane had run through it. Tables and chairs were overturned, shards of glass from dishes were scattered along the floor. Couch cushions had been ripped apart, the stuffing halfway out. Upstairs in the bedroom clothes were covering the floor and the dressers were all open. Every mirror in the whole house had been smashed and the beds had been tipped over. WWIII seemed to have broken out while we were at my parent's.

I looked at Morelli. You could feel the fury running through him, even though he appeared to be calm. He then started to swear, using the most inventive cussing I had ever heard. Lastly, he picked a chair off the floor and threw it across the room. He had lost his temper and had quickly transformed into the young Morelli, the one whose temper was uncontrollably wild. I stepped away from him.

Finally Morelli took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down. He was still upset, that much was clear, but he had regained control of his anger. I felt incredibly guilty. I had ruined his house and almost gotten him killed over the course of one day.

"I'm so, so sorry Joe." I apologized. I had never felt so low in my entire life.

"Cupcake, come here," he said pulling me into a bear hug. We stood there for what seemed like hours in the rubble that was left of Morelli's possessions. When we finally broke away, we began to clean the mess up. Four hours later there was still work to do, but we had mad a good size dent in the workload. Exhausted we both collapsed in bed. Rolling over to one side, I looked down to the floor where I spotted a piece of paper that I had missed while cleaning. Tiredly I picked it up and read it. I perked right up after reading the piece of paper. It was a letter. From Mueller.

The letter stated that I was doomed. He was going to kill me and anyone who got in his way. It listed all the ways how he could kill me and my friends and family. The letter was signed Your Grim Reaper.

"Mueller," I whispered to myself.

"Hunh?" Morelli stirred beside me. "What is it?"

I handed him the letter. While Morelli was reading it, I thought about my options. I couldn't stay here; Mueller knew this is where I was staying. I also couldn't go to my apartment or my parent's house because he had already attacked me at those places and would again if I returned. Ranger's voice rang through my head. Ranger's apartment is probably the world's safest place. Next to the bat cave.

"Jesus Christ," Morelli said after finishing the letter. I looked into his eyes. I couldn't put Joe is this kind of danger. It wasn't right.

"Joe," I began, "I think I should leave. At least for now. It's not safe for either of us if I stay."

Morelli's eyes went hard. "Where will you go? You can't go back to your apartment or your parent's so where do you plan to go?"

"I have a friend," I answered softly. We both knew who that friend was. Morelli looked totally pissed off.

"Look, we can handle this."

"But Joe, you know it's better if I leave. We'll both be safer if I go."

"What's wrong with staying here?"

"Nothing! It's just dangerous! It's not like I don't want to live with you, it's just not…safe."

"Oh I see, so it's safer to run away and hide with a guy you know nothing about! A guy who is known to kill people!"

"I know things about him Joe! And he only kills bad guys!"

"You don't know that! And besides you'll be fine here! I'll protect you!"

"How are you going to protect me? You're only one man Joe! And besides, you'll be at work during the day! How can you protect me when we're not together?"

"We'll figure out a way!"

"There isn't a way!"

"Yes there is! Only you never stick around long enough to find one! You always run away, doing the first thingthat comes to your head! You never think!"

"That's because there's nothing to think about! I can't stay Joe!"

"You always do this to me! You always run away!"

"Joe, why are you being so unreasonable? You know it's a bad idea if I stay! Why can't you understand!"

"So now I don't understand? I think you don't understand! Do you know what it's like when the person you love puts themselves in danger and won't let you help them! Do you know what it's like to constantly fear for that person's life? Why do you think I never got married? I didn't want someone to go through that! But instead you're the one putting me through that!"

I fell silent. There was nothing I could say because it was true what he said.

"Look, Stephanie, if you leave now, don't bother coming back because I won't be here for you. I can't do this anymore. So what's it going to be?"

I loved Morelli. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving him. And from the look in his eye I could tell he was serious. I wasn't ready to end this relationship.

Though every instinct fought against me, my heart won out. "Alright, Joe. I'll stay." He took a deep breath and smiled at me. I gave him small smile back. Joe pulled me close and held me in his arms. He instantly fell asleep. Before I succumbed to unconsciousness myself, I heard a voice in my head telling me this was a mistake. I then fell fast asleep.

The next morning we both woke up late. While Joe was in the shower, I made a cup of coffee. I was still thinking about the choice I had made. Me being here put Joe in danger put he wouldn't have it any other way. I'd have to talk to him again about it sometime, but as I watched Morelli walk into the kitchen I decided this wasn't it.

"Morning, Cupcake."

"Morning, Joe. There's coffee in the pot."

"Can't stay long, I'm already ten minutes late for work. Don't leave the house today, at all. If anything seems just the slightest bit wrong, phone me right away and I'll come get you. We'll think of something better later."

"Bye, Joe."

"Bye," Morelli downed his cup of coffee and gave me a quick kiss on the lips I watched him open the door. Before he stepped out he waved. Then he put his first foot out of the door.

BANG! Morelli went down like a sack of bricks. I screamed and screamed.