Disclaimer:

I don't own anything! All the characters are Janet Evanovich's creation, I'm just playing with them and messing them up into something that vaguely represents a story.

SPOILER WARNING THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS!

A/N: Omigod thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them, so I'll give hugs to everyone who reviewed, gives hugs!

Here's another chapter for anyone who is reading this!

Chapter 2

After I had composed myself I got into my car and went off in search of Jerry Lopez and Mooner.

I decided to start with Mooner because he was usually considerably easier to handle.

Mooner liked me and didn't try to make my job hard for me.

I pulled up at Mooner's house which he shared with his friend, Dougie.

I knocked on the door and waited.

A few seconds later I heard a shuffle from inside and the door clicked open.

"Steph! How are you, dudette?" Mooner asked me, beckoning me inside.

I walked inside and smiled at him,

"I'm good; look, Mooner you've missed your court date, I need to take you down to the station." I said to him apologetically.

He nodded,

"Damn, I like always forget the date. I write it on my hand and like everything but it totally comes off. Stupid permanent marker pens that totally don't work." He said sighing and shaking his head, "I'll come down, just after Star Wars, 'cause it's started and it's the one where…"

I just agreed before he could carry on telling me the entire episode, I made that mistake before and ended up having to sit through an hour of the whole synopsis and what everybody said including their actions as well and Mooner's personal thoughts on it.

So instead I just nodded and went to sit down on the couch in their living room saying a 'hi' to Dougie who was watching the tv like it was a god or something.

An hour later I had Mooner's body receipt and I was driving down main, feeling slightly peckish.

I pulled up at Macky D's and ordered a big Mac meal with extra fries.

I drove back down to the office and pulled up to see Lula's Firebird still here.

I frowned, wasn't she supposed to be in lunch with Tank?

"Hey, Lula, why are you still here?" I said, slumping onto the couch and digging in to my food.

It was the first time I noticed that the smile on Lula's face was actually bigger than before.

"I've been, girl." She said grinning.

I raised an eyebrow, "And?" I said glancing over at Connie was grinning as well, "What's the surprise!" I almost screamed.

"I told him once tha' I'd ne'er been t' New York City so he's takin' me there. It's gonna be amazin', we're gonna see da Ranger's play and visit Central Park and The Empire State Building!"

I felt my mouth open, I think I had newly found respect for Tank now, he sounded like such a sweetie.

"Omigod! When!" I asked her grinning widely.

"We're travellin' tonight so tomorrow we'll wake up in da hotel 'nd be ready t' start tha' day. Girl, I am so excited! Omigod, I need clothes! What am I gonna wear!"

I could sense a full blown Lula panic attack coming along and I decided to stop it before it could get any further.

"Calm down, we'll go shopping next, 'kay?" I said to her in a calming voice, stroking his shoulder comfortingly.

I gave my receipt to Connie and got the money, ready to spend, spend, spend!

Five hours later I was shopped out and my bank account was considerably lighter.

Lula had gotten about 40 different outfits for her week's stay in NY. Most of it was lingerie which would surely make Tank a very happy man.

I'd gotten a couple of new dresses, 4 or 5 different pairs of shoes and half a dozen piece of scanty lingerie.

I felt a cross between completely asleep-on-your-feet exhausted and utterly happy and placid.

I got back to my apartment to find Joe on my couch, his feet up on the coffee table I had required recently during a sale in Pottery Barn.

"Hey cupcake." He shouted to me as I came in and dumped all my bags by the door,

"Hey Joe, good day?" I shouted to him from the kitchen.

I jumped when I felt his voice in my ear and his hands on my hips.

"It was crappy but it's starting to brighten up." His voice was low and seductive.

My mind went blank and my hormones started to stand up to attention…long with my nipples.

He started to devour my neck with butterfly kisses down towards the juncture between my collarbone.

I sighed dreamily and closed my eyes, yawning suddenly.

Joe stopped an raised an eyebrow,

"Excuse me?" he said looking slightly peeved.

I blushed, "Sorry, I'm just tired. Lula shopped me out today…she's going out with Tank, did you know."

Joe nodded, not looking interested, looking a little pissed that I had yawned during his ministrations.

I sighed, "Look I'm sorry, I really am. Please, continue, I promise I'll not yawn."

He narrowed his eyes but edge towards me,

"The moods gone." He muttered but still edging closer to me, our lips only a breath away.

I raised an eyebrow, "You sure about that?"

He leaned in and kissed me with his famous 'Let's get naked' kisses that he had down to scratch.

He moved slowly to my ear, licking the shell and nibbling on the lobe.

I moaned instinctively and opened my eyes staring at the ceiling.

Was it just my tiredness or was this getting boring?

I shook my thoughts and concentrated on getting back into the mood.

Joe moved down from my ear to my neck again, biting and licking at my most sensitive part.

I jerked from underneath him as he bit hard.

Damn, that hurt.

His hands wandered and cupped my breasts, rolling my nipples with his fingers.

My mind started to involuntarily wander.

Was the dress I bought worth the $135?

Did I feed Rex this morning?

I froze when I caught myself and scolded myself mentally.

I forced out a moan hoping that Joe wouldn't sense anything was wrong with me.

I didn't want to upset him again, that's for sure.

I looked up into his face to see his eyes a molten chocolate colour.

"You want to move to the bedroom with this?" he asked me, his voice a low husky sound that would usually send shivers through my body.

Suddenly a loud ringing noise filled the apartment and I immediately started towards it, thankful for the interruption.

"Let the answer machine get it, cupcake." He said to me, pushing his lips onto mine again.

I pulled away, "Let me get it Joe."

He looked confused and he frowned.

I walked quickly to the phone, praying that whoever was on the other line wanted a long conversation.

"Hello?" I asked watching Joe shake his head and walk into the bathroom.

"Hey Steph, it's Mary Lou."

I grinned, "Hey, chica. What's up?" I asked her, sitting down on the couch, pulling my legs underneath me.

"Not much, just wondering what you're doing. I need someone to baby sit the kids tonight and my babysitter just cancelled on me. Please, Steph. I would owe you so much-"

"Done." I said to her, thankful for her call, "Just try not to be too late back, I'm really tired."

"Omigod, really? You'll do it? Seriously, no joke? Wait, what's wrong Steph? Why did you agree so quickly?" she sounded suspicious now.

I sighed, "I'll tell you when I see you, I'll be over in ten, okay?"

"Thank you again, Steph. I owe you one."

"You owe me more than one, the last time I babysat for you those little devils tied me to one of the kitchen chairs with duck tape and I put my in front of the tv, forcing me to sit through 4 hours of 'My little pony'. I still have nightmares." I said grinning.

She laughed on the other line, "See you in ten."

"Bye"

I hung up and sighed.

Now to break it to Joe.

I knocked on the bathroom door, waiting for a reply.

"Joe?"

Silence.

"Joe!" I banged on the door.

"What?" a angry voice answered back and I bit my lip.

He was upset with me.

"I've got to go baby sit for Mary Lou, not sure when I'm going to be back, don't wait up for me. Okay?"

The door burst open and an angry Joe looked back at me,

"Not too tired for that then, cupcake?" he sneered.

I narrowed my eyes, "Sorry, Joe but Mary Lou has been planning this night out for near two months. Her babysitter just cancelled on her, I have to do this for her, she's my best friend and she does so much for me." I said, getting a little snippy myself.

"Fine, just don't expect me to be here when you get back." He said storming past me towards the door.

"Fine!" I shouted at him as he slammed the door behind him.

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face wondering what the fuck was wrong with me.

I loved Joe, why was I not enjoying his company?

I grabbed my bag and coat and decided to hold that thought until I got to Mary Lou's.

Babysitting was reasonably easy this night. The only mishap was when the dog hurled all over the G.I.Joe dolls causing an uproar of cries from the boys.

I managed to get it all sorted out and cleaned up before I lost my sanity.

Thankfully they went to bed without a fuss as well so I was finally left alone downstairs to gather my thoughts.

I was now lying on my back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling like it had all the answers to all of my worries.

Why had I felt bored during Joe's ministrations?

Why is it that all I can think about is Ranger's hot kisses from earlier in the day?

Why did I feel this way?

What is wrong with me?

Have I finally had enough sex?

I felt the locks tumble at the front door and I jumped to my feet ready to welcome Mary Lou and Lenny.

I smiled as they came in, looking happy and refreshed.

"Good night?" I asked them smiling.

"Fantastic, it was so nice to finally get to go out, wasn't it Lenny?" she shouted to Lenny who had walked towards the kitchen.

"Yeah." Lenny shouted towards us.

I grinned, "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself…I've really got to be going home. The kids were fine but you should really get a vet to do a check up on that dog or stop feeding him so much. Also you might need to buy some new G.I. Joe's for the kids. They smell a little funky now…" I grinned at her grimace and I gave her a kiss on the cheek retreating to the door, ready to leave.

"Wait one second, lady."

I froze and turned to see a amused Mary Lou,

"What?" I said innocently.

She rolled her eyes, grabbed my arm and steered me in the living room, switching off the t.v.

"Mare, you going to be long?" I heard Lenny shout from the stairs.

"I'll be up soon, you go to sleep, honey." She shouted back to him, "I need to talk to Steph."

"Okay, g'night." He called back and I heard his footsteps fade up the stairs.

I turned back to Mary Lou.

She had the same look on her face that she had when she heard that there would be cheerleading try-outs in school – determined.

"Okay, spill. Something's wrong with you and I want to know, now."

She said crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back against the coach.

I sighed, "It's nothing."

She raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious, everything is fine." I said, forcing a smile.

"So, that's why I saw Joseph Morelli drinking nearly his body weight in alcohol in the bar we went to?" she said looking dubious.

I frowned, "He was drinking?"

"Don't change the subject missy, what's wrong?"

I sighed, where to start?

"Well, I don't quite know myself…"

Mary Lou frowned, "What do you mean, start from the beginning."

And so I did.

I started by telling her about every single touch, accidental or purpose, me and Ranger have ever shared and about today and about Joe.

I hadn't told anyone, not even Mary Lou, about mine and Ranger's brief encounter one night whilst me and Joe had been on a break.

I didn't want anyone to know, it was mine and Ranger's night and I knew that if I told Lula or Connie about it they would tarnish it by wanting details. What happened between me and Ranger should stay between me and Ranger but right now I think it had been long enough to hold this inside so I burst and just spilled my guts out to Mare. Including my feelings when Ranger got shot and how scared I was and how I could finally say 'I love you' to Joe and how I actually considering waking up to him every morning in his apartment.

When I'd finished my eyes were drooping and I was yawning next to every minute.

Mary Lou noticed and told me relax and she fetched me a blanket and I spent the night on her couch, exhausted from dragging up all the memories I had left lie.

TBC

A/N: Your thoughts? Good? Bad? By the way the plot is coming up soon, be patient my little readers! Giggles More updates soon…