Here's the next chapter. I won't be able to write anything in a little while (with school and all). I hope you enjoy and keep the reviews coming!

Chapter 6:

I ran to Morelli's side. He was struggling to get up.

"Joe? Joe! Answer me please!" I was hysteric.

"Shh, I'm okay." He responded. I looked at where the bullet had struck him. He had been hit in the arm. I thanked God because my first thought was he was dead. I turned my eyes back to his face. I could see he was struggling with pain. I pulled him inside as fast as I could. Once satisfied where I had set him down, I called for an ambulance.

In the next couple of minutes the ambulance had arrived along with almost every cop in the Trenton police force. Everyone's face was grim. Morelli was a respected cop. Everyone was waiting anxiously to hear the report on his health. I gave the police as much details as I could. Even though I didn't see the shooter, I knew who it was. I wanted to murder Mueller for all the pain and trouble he had caused me in the past couple of days. First he tries to kill me, then blows up a car on my parent's driveway and then shoots Morelli. I knew the bullet was intended for me but that didn't make things any better. Something had to be done and the first thing I had to do was get my things and leave. I couldn't stay at Morelli's any longer.

"We're taking him to the hospital now," A paramedic told me after loading him into the vehicle.

"I'll follow behind you in my car. There's just one thing I have to do first."

The paramedic gave me a kind smile. I watched the ambulance drive away before heading inside the house. It was stupid but I was still inshock. Snapping out of my state I ran into the house and grabbed my things. I dropped Rex off at my parent's before I went to the hospital. Rex always needs company after a crisis.

The people at the hospital were nice and directed me to Morelli's room without question. I wasn't allowed in right away because he was in surgery. I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity until a doctor emerged from the room and walked over to me.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"Yes. He'll be fine. We'll keep him over night, but tomorrow he should be able to come home. He lost a lot of blood. But he's lucky the bullet missed his chest. Now that could have been fatal." I did a mental sign of the cross.

"When can I see him?"

"You can go in now, but he'll probably be asleep." I thanked the doctor and silently walked into the room. I was surprised to see Morelli lying there with his eyes open. He looked at me.

"I wanted to wait until after I saw you to fall asleep."

"Joe that wasn't necessary. You should rest."

"Nah, I'm fine. The damn doctor won't let me go home."

"Maybe it's for the best." I knew I had to tell him I was going elsewhere, but I was kind of hoping he'd be sleeping so he wouldn't object.

Joe shook his head. "Cupcake I'm fine. And I damn well mean it."

"Okay," I said. He smiled at me and reached out to hold my hand. We sat like that for awhile not saying a word. Morelli broke the silence.

"Well you can't stay at the house tonight, that's for sure," A surge of hope went through me. Maybe telling him I was going over to Ranger's would be easier then I thought. Hell, maybe he'd even suggest it.

"I can probably get the hospital to let you stay here overnight. Tomorrow we can go back home."

Never mind. "Joe that's ridiculous! Tomorrow you'll be weak and you won't be able to protect me. I can't put you in anymore danger."

"Jesus Christ Stephanie! Where are you going to go?" We both knew the answer to that question.

"Joe don't get upset."

"Don't get upset? I can't believe you! Stephanie like I said before if you leave don't bother coming back. And I mean it." My heart felt as if it were being squeezed with a fist. Morelli's fist, to be exact. I wanted to be with Morelli so badly, but the thought of putting him in even more danger hurt me more then him leaving me. At leastthis wayhe wouldn't be dead.

"Joe, don't do this."

"Stephanie,"

"You know the answer. I can't hurt you like this anymore."

"Steph…"

"I'm sorry, Morelli but you know this is the only option."

"It's not the only option!"

"The only reasonable one."

"Fine then! You've made you're choice! Leave! Just leave!" I quickly left the room. My eyes stung with tears and I heard him yell from the room, "Don't bother coming back".

I ran out of the hospital as fast as humanly possible. By now I had lost control of my emotions and I sobbed hysterically. We're not over, I told myself, we just need a break. Although I knew in my heart Morelli and mine relationship was over unless I stopped seeing "my friend the big fellow" Ranger. But I needed Ranger. I needed the protection he could give me, even though it would be awkward.

While driving around in a daze I thought about my relationship with both men. Both of them scared the hell out of me. But I understood Morelli better. Ranger was a mystery. I thunked my head on the wheel. Why did I have to be such a dope when it comes to men?

Realization finally brought me back to my senses. Mueller had already attacked while I had been driving. The safest option was for me to get off the road and go to someplace safe. I dialed Ranger's cell and left an urgent message telling him I'd accepted his offer and needed him to call me as soon as possible. With that out of the way, I needed someplace to go where I could hide in a crowd of people. That was an easy problem to solve. I made an illegal u-turn and headed straight to the mall.

While chowing down on a Big Mac and fries, I felt my cell phone vibrate.

"Hello?"

"Yo,"

"So you got my message?"

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"I'm at the shopping center. When can I head over to your place?"

"I'll pick you up."

"Oh, okay then. But I have to drop off the car. Why don't you pick me up at my parents then?"

"Fine."

Ranger disconnected. Our telephone conversations were always short and somehow always left me hanging. Shoving the last remains of the fries in my mouth I got up and headed to the parking lot.

When I arrive to the car I half expected it to be blown to smithereens orsee a shady figure in the backseat. But this was the Big Blue. Nothing ever happens to the Big Blue.

I jumped into the car and headed home. Once there I parked the Big Blue into the garage. Afraid that my parent would turn me away at the door, I waited at the curb for Ranger.

"Stephanie? Is that you?" I heard my mother's voice call from the door. Uh oh. I was busted.

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for a friend to pick me up. I returned dad's car."

"Oh, well you could have kept it longer. Why don't you come in for some coffee and wait for your friend inside?"

It was nice to know my family still allowed me in the house but I didn't want to lose that privilege if they saw Ranger. They've had their share of scary men over the past couple of days.

"It's all right. I can wait here."

"I'd much prefer it if you came inside. What will the neighbors think? And you'd be much safer in here."

Before my mom and I could really argue, Ranger's Mercedes pulled up in front of me.

"Well he's here. I better go. I'll see you soon. Bye Mom." My mother hardly heard me, for she was gaping at the Ranger's car. I quickly got into the passenger seat.

"Babe," I looked over at Ranger. He was dressed in full SWAT gear. He was wearing black cargo pants, a black t-shirt, black boots, and a black jacket, which I knew he wore to cover his many guns.

"Hey," I said. "So I guess you know why I phoned you already hunh?"

Ranger nodded his head ever so slightly indicating he knew.

"So I was thinking I'd stay in the fourth floor apartment you know. That way I'd stay out of your way." That wasn't the reason I didn't want to stay in Ranger's seventh floor apartment. I didn't want to tempt myself. No temptation, no guilt. Even though Morelli and I were on an off-stage (at least that's what I hoped it was), I still had feelings.

"Babe, the fourth floor's in use."

"What?" What!

"Yeah, a friend of mine needed a place to stay."

Oh God help me.