Hey, sorry for the delay. Recharging my batteries has proven to be more difficult than I initially thought. Aside from regaining my strength, my brother and his wife welcomed a baby girl last week (two weeks before the due date). There were some complications with the birth, so we're all pitching in to make things smoother for them. My brother is the first of us to have a child, so we're all excited (his twin might follow suit soon; Me? Not yet, lol).
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Typos are my bad (foggy brain sucks, oops!).
Mary Lou's POV
My youngest son was finally down for the night, so I allowed myself the luxury of sipping a glass of wine despite how late it was. Maybe this way I'll fall and stay asleep for just a bit longer. Teething is kicking my ass this time around. I don't remember it being this bad with my older boys.
When my phone's screen illuminated, buzzing on the counter next to the wine bottle, I frowned. No one ever calls or messages me this late unless it's an emergency. Since I put my phone on Do Not Disturb after ten pm every night, I knew it had to be one of the few selected contacts that I allow alerts from despite my sleep mode being switched on.
My worry grew when I saw the text was from Stephanie. Sure, she's got very unconventional work hours but even so she's not usually one to call or message me so late.
Unless…
Unlocking my screen, I read the message as I gulped half of my wine glass. I had a feeling I was going to need alcohol for this. Nothing good ever comes from late night interactions.
Yo, ML, Reed Joe me fight big swings. More ally nosy bleed. Gossip Burger lite grapes vines. Phone Bat man. Crazy night to.
I had to squint and scratch my head to try to make sense of the word vomit that Steph sent as a text message. It's late, I'm sleep deprived and the wine hasn't hit the spot yet. Either Steph's having a stroke or she's drunk.
Not wanting to waste valuable seconds in case my BFF was having a medical emergency, I skipped over a written reply. Instead, I initiated a video call.
"Yo, Mare!" Steph's face filled my screen several moments later. Her tongue was peaking out of her lips, her forehead was scrunched up in thought and it sounded like her fingers were tapping the screen violently. She was probably in the middle of texting me again. Stephanie hates sending long text messages. Instead, she'll say what she has to say in short spurts and sends each piece individually. Sure enough, seconds later I got the notification that another message came in. It wouldn't do me any good to read said text, considering Steph looks plastered. "Wait! Why you awake? It's nighty night at your casa."
Yeah, Steph is mega wasted. I don't think I've seen her this messed up since we turned twenty one and hit Atlantic City for her birthday weekend. I had to wait a few months so that my BFF could enjoy the experience with me. It was totally worth it.
"I'm still awake." I said, urging Stephanie to clarify her unintelligible message. In a slurred tirade, I got the gist of what she was trying to say. Steph was working a distraction job for Rangeman and in spectacular Burg fashion, chaos ensued.
"Wait, Reed punched Morelli?" I was in shock. Patrick is super sweet. I have a hard time picturing him handing Morelli his ass. Sure, Reed's decked, but Morelli isn't a slouch either. Hmm, I'm going to have to go through my phone once the call ends to see how much I've missed. It sounds like it's been a little while since this all went down. The grapevine must be in full swing right now. As morning comes and more people wake up, the gossip news will spread far and wide. Oh boy.
As Steph continued with her garbled retelling, I noted that she was in a moving vehicle.
"Stephanie, please tell me you're not driving?!" My screech sounded loud in my otherwise silent home. Biting my bottom lip, I awaited her response.
"Nope." Her curls whipped across her cheeks as she assured me that she wasn't behind the wheel. "See?" When she flipped the camera to be able to pan down and show me her FMP encased feet, instead of relief I felt even more worried.
"Why are you shackled to the floor?" Oh, God. I'm going to have a heart attack. Stephanie's drunk and she's been kidnapped. "Who took you?!"
"I did!" Steph's giggling fit was added proof that she's a goner tonight. She'll have the mother of all hangovers in the morning. If she makes it to tomorrow, that is. "Look, I got a stick that glows!" Her beautiful face was cast in a chemical green light as she flipped the camera on herself again, enthusiastically waving a thick glow stick in front of her cell.
Take a deep breath. Count to ten. I told myself.
"Who are you with?" I asked, already planning to go rouse my husband so one of us could go look for Stephanie.
"Tall, muscular, wears all black and is hot!" Again, there was more laughter on Steph's part.
I blew out an exasperated sigh. "That describes all the guys at Rangeman." Of course she wouldn't narrow it down further. However, I know she's not with Ranger because she's sitting in the backseat.
"Halosaurus!" Stephanie revealed with added flourish.
Taking a few seconds I had to wrack my brain to mentally picture who she was talking about. "The one with the forehead tattoo?"
"Nooooo." This head shake was more violent than the previous one, dislodging several curls she'd pinned up on her left side. "That's Cal." Her usual fiery blue glaze reflected green thanks to the glow stick she still held close to her face. "I'm with Ha-al."
I briefly pictured the huge blond man. Ah, yes. The one she dubbed Halosaurus because he's massive. "Let me talk to him."
"He's shy." Steph added that he doesn't talk to strangers before she jabbed her phone forward. For long moments, all I saw was the bright dashboard lights.
"I'm driving." I heard a man protest before Stephanie somehow twisted her upper body enough to be able to put the phone at ear level with the man. "Yes?" Hal asked, sounding resigned.
"First off, thanks for driving my friend…" I heard his grunt of acknowledgement. With my gratitude out of the way, it was time for me to warn him. "But if you even think about taking advantage or being inappropriate, you'll have me to deal with." I may be tiny compared to the Rangemen and Stephanie, but I fight dirty. I'll kick his ass if he dares to cross the line with my BFF.
"Mare!" Steph grumbled in her tipsy outraged tone.
"I…I…No, I wouldn't…" The huge blond man's face turned red as he profusely assured me that Steph was safe with him.
"Good." After ensuring Steph was safe, I made her promise to let me know when she arrived at her destination.
While I waited, I checked my incoming messages.
"Ninety-four messages!" I ground out when I saw my notification bubble. Social media and text alerts. Oh my God! Once again, Steph crashed the Burg grapevine. And it's only going to get worse as morning comes and more people join the mix. Shit.
I was deep into the rabbit hole, sifting through message after message, and frowning more and more with each additional piece. The gossip thread started innocently enough. It was most likely the closest to the truth account of events. However, in spectacularly disastrous Burg fashion the truth got so twisted that now it's hard to decipher what's true and what's not. Without being able to ask Steph for corroboration, I'm confident in saying that the story that she was out prowling the bar nightlife looking for a new man, or woman, is one hundred percent bullshit. The sexy outfit Steph wore tonight is from the side of her closet she likes to call 'distraction' clothes. To me that shows that she was working tonight. The Burg is under the impression that bounty hunting is simply a lot of footwork and thrashing around on Steph's part. I used to think the same, until she explained how distractions work.
I'd downed more than half the bottle of wine by the time I went through all the incoming alerts. Oh, Steph will not only be dealing with the mother of all hangovers in the morning but she'll also have to dodge all the nosy Burg residents who want to dig for info. They'll be relentless now that they know that Reed has finally declared his feelings to Steph. I always thought they'd make a cute couple, yet neither of them ever said anything to the other. I understand that the timing has passed, but I'm glad Reed finally spoke his truth out loud. Maybe this way he'll be able to get his happily ever after. He's a good man.
Just when I was getting ready to head to bed, there was a knock on my door. Frowning, I checked the peephole only to find the last person I'd ever expect to find on my doorstep: Ranger.
"How can I help you?" I asked when I wrenched my door open. When he asked if Steph was with me, I grew worried. She'd left me a voice note after our phone call to let me know that she'd arrived safely. Now Batman, like she calls him, is asking me if I know where she is.
What the hell is going on?
S&R
Ranger's POV
When I couldn't get a hold of Babe, I opted for driving to the bar. That was her last known whereabouts, so I figured it'd be a good place to start. What I was unprepared for was to find that as I neared the location, several blocks were in total darkness. People were out of their homes and angry drivers honked and cursed as an officer redirected traffic.
I pulled over at the first opportunity, locking my truck and jogging towards the officer. It was a young man I was unfamiliar with, which would prove to mean that I'd have to find info elsewhere.
"What's going on?" I asked as yet another frustrated driver flipped him off while they struggled to maneuver on the narrow street.
"Car crash up ahead." The officer quickly relayed that a vehicle jumped the curb, slammed against an electric pole and caused a chain reaction of transformer explosions. The blackout is affecting a one mile radius, give or take, from the point of impact. "Hey! You can't go over there! There's live wires on the road still!" He yelled after me, but I didn't care. I sprinted towards Nicki's bar, hustling ass as I went.
My usually stoic facade broke when I noted that it was none other than Morelli's green SUV that caused the whole disaster. I was able to see thanks to the flashing lights of first responders. PSE&G would likely be on site soon. Regardless, it might be a long while before electricity is restored.
"Report!" I barked out when I spotted Zip. He visibly paled despite the less than stellar lighting.
"Idiot was driving erratically and jumped the curb." Sounds like Morelli was unhappy that Babe and the team were having a post work celebratory drink. Hmm…
"Where is everyone?" I had a feeling that if I asked where Stephanie was, I might get the runaround like with Manny.
"Patrol units gave everyone a lift home." Zip said evasively before he got an incoming break in alert. The team will be on high alert, expecting calls or alerts from our clients. This particular alert came in via a client's cell.
With a sigh, I called Tank. He too gave me a curt rundown. As suspected, those on shift are spread quite thin right now. Crimes of opportunity will be on the rise tonight. It's a recipe for a perfect storm for sure.
By the time I returned to my truck, an even larger traffic jam had ensued. Not sure why someone hasn't reported the incident on the main GPS systems by now so that alternate routes could be suggested.
"Asshole!" Someone hollered at me when I hooked an illegal U-turn, cutting off at least a handful of inept drivers. Shrugging off the profanities and finger salutes, I left them all in my wake as I sped off to my next destination.
Babe's building was cast in darkness. The parking lot's only light source barely glowed, bathing a handful of parking spaces in harsh yellow lighting. Stephanie's latest POS, a navy blue Nissan Rogue that's seen better days, was parked next to the dumpster. Since all other spots were taken, I parked parallel to the dumpster and the Rogue. Locking up, I trotted towards the lobby door. Silence reigned in the building as I took the stairs three at a time.
Unlocking the front door took seconds, which was alarming considering that Stephanie's under the influence and didn't engage the change. I locked up behind me, chain included, before I ventured deeper into the apartment.
There were no lights on and the only sound was the rat running on his wheel. The living room was empty. Her bathroom looked like it had been ransacked. Knowing Babe, it was simply the evidence of her getting ready before tonight's distraction job. Stephanie most likely changed her mind halfway through, which based on tonight's declaration whatever outfit she settled on was the right choice.
My assumption was confirmed when I entered Babe's bedroom. It looked like she went through nearly everything in her closet. Most of the explosion of clothing had been returned to their corresponding spots, with only a handful of contenders draped over the back of the chair I now consider mine. The heels? Oh those were all neatly organized on the racks Woody made for Babe last Christmas. Guess once she settled on her distraction clothes the shoes were an easy pick.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to attempt to track her down electronically once more. Again, none of her trackers nor her cell pinged for me.
"Give me a call if your owner returns." I said to Rex, smiling to myself because I could clearly picture the amused chuckle this would elicit in Babe if she'd witnessed me having a conversation with her rat.
It took me longer than it should have to circumvent the detour and chaos caused by the blackout. Even though the Burg itself is unaffected, it's the weekend and for some godforsaken reason many Trenton residents went out tonight only to clog the smaller residential streets on their way back. Ugh!
Stephanie wasn't at her parents' home, nor was she at her sister's. Connie and Lula were out partying in Atlantic City, so they were automatically excluded from the possibilities. One of the reasons why I stuck with Vinnie in my beginning days as a bounty hunter in Trenton was because of Connie. She might be a top notch gossiper, just like the rest of the Burg locals, yet her sense of self preservation will always prevail. She won't pry or ask questions she knows I won't give answers to, so to be thorough I called and asked her if she knew where Stephanie was. I got an honest no in response.
That only left one possibility: Babe's childhood friend, Mary Lou.
Well, it turned out that Mary Lou Stankovic was quite surprised to find me at her doorstep so late. The only reason why I knocked was because I saw her through her kitchen drapes sipping on a glass of wine while furiously scrolling through her cell phone. She was confused, because she spoke to Stephanie and even confirmed that one of my men had taken her home.
It was just past three in the morning by the time I returned to Stephanie's apartment. The slight hope I had that I'd find her snuggled in her bed flew out the window when after a quick walkthrough I found the apartment just as empty as the first time.
"Got any ideas?" I asked the rat. Rex stuffed the grape I gave him into his cheeks, blinking up at me expectantly. "Same." I blew out a sigh. We're both out of ideas it seems.
As soon as Rex realized I wasn't going to keep giving him snacks, he hid inside of the new soup can. I can tell it's new since this can has a yellowish tint to it and last week when I stopped by his soup can was the standard gray.
Just as I was lost in thought a loud ping resounded in the small kitchen. Fishing my cell out of my pocket, I frowned when I saw I had a message from Babe. The notification alert showed it was a voice memo instead of a text. Odd. Stephanie either calls or sends a short text. It's unheard of that she'll opt for a voice message.
"You-you didn't come for me." The obvious hurt was evident in her tone. In fact, it sounded like she'd been crying.
I've been looking for you, Babe.
I texted back, only to receive an alert signifying that my message was undeliverable. Trying twice more, I decided to hell with it and called her. I gritted my teeth in annoyance when the call went straight to voicemail.
"I need more advanced tools to try and track her down electronically." I voiced into the silence, earning me a quick scratching sound from Rex inside of his soup can. I took that to mean that he thought it was a good idea. "Her phone's obviously on, yet I can't reach her…" The second the thought left my lips, I knew.
Everything suddenly made sense. Someone who is quite techy is preventing me from tracking her location, limiting my ability to reach out to Stephanie yet allowing her to freely call and message out.
And I know exactly who is capable of accomplishing just that type of masking: Hector.
I locked up Stephanie's apartment, practically flew down the flight of stairs and then sprinted to my truck. The usual fifteen minute drive to Rangeman from her place took me half the time. Parking in my designated spot by the elevator, my door was ajar even before the ignition cut off.
I had just reached the elevator when Hal burst out of the stairwell. He had a scheduled patrol shift after delivering tonight's FTA. He must be on his way back out after his meal break.
"Boss." To his credit he didn't piss his pants, taking the heat of my glare like the trained soldier he is. He did, however, paled profusely when I told him we'd be seeing each other on the mats. "Yes, sir." He said simply before moving deeper into the underground garage, knowing he's been dismissed.
I glared at the camera as the elevator rose to the seventh floor. Every single person on shift was part of the wild goose chase I've been on since Babe's call. I haven't decided what their punishments will be for this.
The moment I entered the penthouse I blew a sigh of relief. As crazy as it may sound to anyone else, I can sense her. Without having to walk through the apartment, I already know that Stephanie is here.
"Carlos." Ella must have been notified of my arrival. Her gaze was unwavering, refusing to apologize for being part of the open defiance. A fucking conspiracy this night turned into.
"Ella." I nodded my head minutely, effectively dismissing her. At the moment I am not in the right headspace to deal with anything other than checking in on Stephanie.
I waited until Ella left to resume my progress. The closer I got to my bedroom, the stronger the tingling in the back of my neck became. Babe was most definitely on the other side of my bedroom door.
She was. I found her on my side of the bed. Yeah, I know it's a bit ludicrous to consider one part of the bed as 'my' side. Despite our limited cohabitation times being short lived, we've easily found a working rhythm.
Sitting down, I used the light spilling in from the hallway to track my eyes over her still form. Steph's never pointed out that I set up the exact same chair she has in my bedroom. It's been a staple in my room, as well as hers, for a few years now. On the nights when sleep has been elusive, this chair has kept me from spiraling. There were nights when I couldn't just go to her because she was with Morelli. Shaking my head, I shrugged off the painful memories. Pain that I'm greatly responsible for.
After kicking off my boots I was in the process of safely locking my weapons in the safe when Babe's distinctive smoky voice filled the room.
"You're gonna sit on that chair all night or are you coming to bed?" There was a heavy slur; still I heard her loud and clear.
Undressing as quickly as I could, I rounded the bed to be able to look at her. Since I had a feeling we'd finally get to have our long awaited conversation I threw on a pair of black sweats. Babe tends to get distracted when I'm naked. Usually I use that to my advantage, yet not tonight.
"Babe…" I automatically clamped my mouth shut when I realized her eyes were closed. When I was sitting down her back was to me, so I couldn't see her face. Her voice though raspy was very commanding. I'm now not so sure that she's all that aware of her surroundings as I initially thought. Raking my eyes over her still form didn't further give me added intel since I'm practically blocking the only source of light spilling in through the doorway behind me.
Reaching out to push her curls off her face proved to be a monumental error. With a speed that should have been frightening, Babe's agile reflexes kicked in. She's always been intuitive and now she's learned to hone her skills into fine tuned senses. One moment my hand was on her forehead and the next I found myself pinned under Stephanie's form. With both arms, Babe trapped mine against her chest just before she flipped onto her right side. In fascination and a little bit of shock. I willingly followed her movement. Now, as I currently stare up at Steph's face I'm nearly holding my breath for her next move. Stephanie has dedicated an immense amount of her free time training. I have it from good authority that said serious shift into her betterment became one of the reasons why Morelli doubled down in his misguided rants.
"Babe?" I tested the waters minutes later, but Steph was in deep. Unable to control the genuine smile that escaped as pride filled me, I raked my gaze over Stephanie in minute detail. Well, as much as I could anyhow. I'm quite restricted for the moment.
Satisfied that my suspicion was correct and Stephanie was indeed still sleeping, I set out to fix the tangled sheets as well as our positions. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I kept Steph pressed securely against myself while I did so. Babe mumbled an unintelligent protest, yet didn't wake. I made sure to leave Stephanie on her side so she wouldn't aspirate or choke on her vomit in the event that I end up falling asleep myself.
Exhaustion overpowered me eventually. The feeling of soft flesh rubbing against my face jolted me awake hours later. Blinking the sleep fog away, I noted that during our slumber Stephanie climbed on top of me. Currently, she's practically smothering me with her breasts. As the opportunist that I am, I placed a kiss on the tops of both breasts. Due to her squirming around, there's more skin exposed than what is intended with her sleep tank top.
My lips brushing against her flushed skin got Babe to rouse completely. Her hands roamed over my head as Stephanie looked to gain some sort of leverage. With her palms spread across my pecs, Stephanie gingerly pushed herself back into a sitting position. Frowning, Babe slowly cataloged the scene.
"Babe." My pointed look and tone was meant to convey that we didn't have sex. Her minute shrug and her thighs squeezing my ribs told me that she understood.
"Just checking." Stephanie groaned out as she patted my shoulder. I saw the instant that it dawned why she'd woken suddenly. "Oh…" The visible paleness, plus the queasiness she was so clearly experiencing was enough of a warning. Before she could even attempt to climb over me and down the side of the bed, I reached for the small trash can Ella had set up by Babe's side last night.
I held the container with one hand while keeping her hair out of the way with the other.
"Oh god." Stephanie cried when she was done, gingerly sliding off of me. On semi wobbly legs she stumbled into the bathroom as she kept the small container pressed to her chest.
I gave her a few minutes of a head start before I followed after her. Once I ensured her 'cure' would be awaiting her, I went into the bathroom to check on Babe. She'd taken care of business, even rinsed off the trash can in the neatly hidden utility closet. As Stephanie was in the middle of brushing her teeth, a task that would take longer given she had her eyes firmly shut as she attempted to add more toothpaste on her toothbrush, I watched as she swayed from side to side. I left her to it, moving to start the shower. Knowing her preferences, I set the temperature to what I consider way too hot but is perfect in Babe's mind.
"Come on." I spun her around, helping her shimmy out of the tiny panties and tank top she went to bed in. Since she had her eyes closed still, I shed my sweats and stepped into the glass encased shower. With my guidance, Babe positioned herself under the scalding hot water spray.
We stood face to face for several seconds while water cascaded over our heads.
"Thanks." Stephanie mumbled as she pressed her face against my shoulder.
"Babe." I chuckled at her obvious sluggishness. Thankfully for her, I know a lot about her preferences. In fact, due to her years' long slow progression of taking over my life and space there's anything and everything she needs within arm's reach. Ella makes sure to restock not just my personal care items, but also Babe's. Without being prompted, I reached for Stephanie's special shampoo and got to work.
Babe leaned against my front while I massaged the shampoo on her scalp. With little coaxing, she tilted her head back so I could rinse the suds off. Next came her conditioner. I repeated my careful application and rinse routine before I quickly took care of my hair. Being as much of a gentleman as I could, my hands didn't do anything improper as I used my shower gel to lather us both. After a quick rinse, I shut the water off. This may just be the quickest and chastest shower we've ever shared.
"Careful." I warned as she followed me out of the shower. With a small nod, Stephanie lifted her foot before stepping out. Wrapping a towel around herself, Babe allowed me to dry her hair. "I'll get breakfast started." I told her she needed to at least hydrate when she immediately groaned at the mention of food.
"Okay." Babe nodded her understanding before I left her to get dressed. I opted for the same sweats I wore to bed since I have no plans to leave this apartment all day.
"That actually smells good." Stephanie declared ten minutes later when she joined me in the kitchen. I almost moaned when I saw she was wearing one of my T-shirts and those little panties that look like shorts.
As forecasted, her first go-to was her handy dandy cure of french fries and coke. Despite her previous queasiness, I encouraged Babe to eat a more balanced meal as well as drink water. She's going to need it. From the looks of it, there was quite a lot of drinking going on the previous night.
As soon as she finished eating, Babe put her dishes in the dishwasher and practically crawled back into bed.
Checking in with Tank got me a full report of events. Everyone involved in last night's covert op are either as hungover as Stephanie, or they're keeping a low profile hoping I'll forget about their blatant insubordination. What they don't know is that I have eyes everywhere, including the Burg. I had all the necessary intel of what actually went down as well as the embellished version.
"Morelli made bail." Tank shared that Morelli is in for quite a public fall from grace for last night's DUI crash. His insurance will not cover the totality of damages caused. "Looks like he opted out of additional coverage on his insurance plan since his SUV is paid off." Tank chuckled, because Morelli's hothead finally got him in a pickle he won't be able to squirm out of.
"Keep me posted." I ordered before I disconnected. Our FTA was processed thanks to Babe's quick thinking, no one was hurt and Morelli has to answer for his actions. Not bad for a night's work.
Venturing into my bedroom two hours later had me smiling wide. Stephanie was spread out, laying on her stomach in what she calls her 'thinking position'.
"I'm dying." She wailed when I sat on the edge of the mattress.
"No, you're not." I pointed out that she'll live as I nudged her right hip with my thigh. Eventually she'll stop feeling like the hangover from hell is kicking her ass. I've had a few of those and they suck. "Take this." I passed her a bottle of water and something for the pounding headache. She refused earlier, but I suspect she'll fold now.
"I don't wanna." Babe's pout as she took the pills and swallowed them with a gulp of water before she face planted on the pillow once again was adorable. She'd knee me in the balls if I voiced said thought, so I kept it to myself.
"We have to talk." I emphasized the reminder by spanking her ass. In my defense, the impulse won because the T-shirt rode up when she reached for the water bottle. What was I to do when her gorgeous round butt was perfectly encased in the tiny shorts? I'm a mortal man after all.
Stephanie's groan as I walked out of the bedroom made me smile. The conversation we need to have requires her full attention, so I'm okay with delaying our chat until she can think normally without feeling like her head's getting hacked in half.
Someday is here, Babe. If you're up for it…
This chapter's over 5k words, so I'm saving the chat and the Burg aftermath for the final chapter. Thanks for sticking with this little impromptu short.