Thanks for the huge support on the first chapter of this impromptu short. As a thanks, here's chapter 2. Some of you agreed that maybe Julie has her own little spidey sense going on.
Let me know your thoughts.
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. The typos are mine.
Stephanie's POV
Ranger easily caught my frown as he moved to stand next to me.
"Babe." Humor laced Ranger's tone as he met my gaze through the bathroom mirror.
"What?" I blinked in an effort to clear my head out of the gutter.
"Why do you have that confused look on your face?" He didn't laugh, but I could still detect the barely there tug on the side of his perfectly tempting mouth. He wanted to laugh.
"It's just weird okay." I shrugged as I placed my pajama set next to the sweats and T-shirt he placed on the marble counter. "You usually sleep in the nude." My eyes darted away from the mirror as I felt heat rise up from the neckline of my Rangeman T-shirt.
Ranger's bark of laughter reverberated in our enclosed space, causing me to snap my gaze to the mirror once again. "Babe, usually I'm the one trying to coax you into sleeping naked." His thousand watt smile and the smoldering look he appraised me with was one I was very familiar with.
I shook my head to let him know that his wish won't be a reality for several weeks.
"Stephanie." He warned when I passed my hand over the growing bulge in his cargo pants as I moved away from the counter.
Flicking my eyes to the shower, I remembered a little piece of advise Mary Lou shared. According to her, a house full of little boys can make sexy time with her husband a difficult maneuver at times and so they've had to get creative.
All I had to do was trail my hand down his T-shirt covered abs and then shed my clothes to have Ranger quickly following me into the glass enclosed shower.
"Babe." Ranger's breathy plea fueled my movements, my hands gliding greedily across his muscular chest from behind.
"Mmmm?" I breathed, burying my face against the side of his neck as I pressed my breasts to his back. My lips nibbled on his tempting mocha skin, lining open mouthed kisses down the side of his neck to his shoulder. My fingers trailed the grooves of his well defined muscles as I roamed his torso, slowly moving lower.
"You're trouble, Babe." He groaned as my fingertips continued to outline his taut body.
"Shh." I mock whispered over the sound of the hot water cascading above us. "Don't send your wife after me. I hear she's a pretty kick ass Bounty Hunter." My lips spread into a smile as I pressed a kiss to the his right shoulder blade. His uncontrolled moan of pleasure when I finally dipped my hands lower, wrapping them around an even harder part of him, told me I was close to snapping his tight restraint. "And it's rumored that she always gets her man." I whispered in his ear as I stroked him from base to tip.
"Babe." My time to solely control and lead was up the moment he spun in my arms, quickly turning the tables.
Naturally, I couldn't get enough of him once his unleashed power engulfed us. I couldn't kiss or touch him enough and neither could he. Our unrestrained need was slightly satiated when he plunged inside of me as deep as he could possibly go. He didn't stop moving, pumping his hips in an expert crescendo as my back pressed against the glass. We moved as one until our magic engulfed us in a uniquely pleasurable bubble.
Long moments later we finally exited the shower, basking in our post orgasmic haze.
I'd just reached for my pajama top when I felt a hand smack my left ass cheek. Once I donned my top, I glanced at the culprit over my shoulder. In his defense, Ranger said the Batman logo stretched over my ass was just too tempting. I smiled sweetly as I reached to open the door that led to our bedroom. "The men's version of these bottoms has the glow in the dark logo here." I brushed my hand fleetingly over his crotch before I darted away.
My yelp of surprise as strong arms lifted me off my feet sounded louder than it probably should in the stillness of the night. I clamped a hand over my mouth as I bounced against the mattress after making contact to help muffle my laughter. "We're going to wake up Julie." I reminded with a snort as I rolled over to my side as he joined me under the covers.
We settled into our usual sleeping positions and knocked out almost immediately.
The feeling of being watched pulled me out of my slumber. My head jerked off my pillow when I noticed the figure standing in the open doorway, bathed by the hallway light. For a brief moment my heart hammered wildly in my chest as I tried to process the scene. It took a great deal of strength to fully assess the situation instead of outright bolting out of bed. My old apartment was broken into quite often. Although it's been a while since my sleep has been disturbed by anyone other than Ranger, my subconscious is still on high alert.
"Julie?" I asked, blinking rapidly to try to shake off the sleep fog currently engulfing me. Pushing my hair off my face, I tried to gauge as best as I could what was the matter with Julie. Something big must have happened for her to be up this late.
"I uhm..." Nervousness and fear were clear in her timid tone.
"Are you alright, Julie?" Ranger's a light sleeper, so I wasn't surprised when he spoke up. The moment I moved, he slipped into protective mode.
"No." Hearing her voice breaking worried me. Julie's usually very brave and vivacious. In fact, just hours earlier she was laughing and filling us in on everything Julie over dinner and a movie. The girl currently hovering in the open doorway was a shell of the lively girl we're used to seeing. And I automatically knew that I'd do anything in my power to help her get through this difficult and scary moment. "I uhm..." Conflict engulfed her soft features as she mentally weighed her options.
"Julie?" Ranger's worry was clear. I could feel the buzzing of energy rolling off him in waves.
"I..." She cringed when her voice wavered. Her face was partially obscured in shadow, but we could tell she was struggling with something. "Can I sleep with you?" Julie finally asked after several tries, seemingly holding her breath.
Without further thought, I nodded vigorously as I scooted over against Ranger to make space for her. I pulled back the covers and patted my freshly vacated side of the bed in open invitation.
"Thank you." Julie exhaled heavily before dashing across the room. She climbed onto the foot of the bed to crawl the rest of the way until her head hit my pillow. Facing away from us, she settled on her side as I tucked the covers over her still trembling body.
None of us said anything for several beats, waiting her out.
"Nightmare?" I asked after several minutes of silence. I ran my fingers through her soft hair, effectively pushing the sweat soaked straight locks off her face and neck. When she didn't offer up an explanation I decided to bridge the gap.
She nodded in response, probably because she was still too affected to speak.
Ranger reached over me, placing his hand on Julie's upper arm in solidarity. "Do you want to talk about it?" I was temporarily sandwiched between father and daughter as he offered the physical reassurance that she wasn't alone.
The forceful head shake was answer enough. She didn't want to talk. At least not now.
"Okay." I offered up in acceptance. I've had my fair share of nightmares, both as an adult and as a child. Growing up, my mother was never one to get up in the middle of the night to comfort me. Instead, she would chastise me for disturbing her sleep. She went on and on about how hard dad worked and how much she herself had to do to keep the house running smoothly. I couldn't even turn on my bedroom light without having a Burg gossiper tattle on me the next day. As an adult, it wasn't much different. When I woke up in my apartment alone, I resorted to turning on all the lights or simply allowing the drone of the television to lull me back to sleep. I'm thankful I no longer have to go through those rough nights alone, because I have Ranger. And on the nights he has trouble with peaceful rest, I'm there to help ground him back to reality.
We did the same for Julie, both of us offering up our share of comforting caresses until she fell asleep.
When I was on the brink of sleep myself, it was Ranger's lips pressing against my nape that gave me that final push to fully let go.
The next morning I knew that Ranger wasn't in bed before I even opened my eyes. The usual tingle on the back of my neck was notably absent.
Staring into brown eyes very similar to his startled me more than I wanted to admit.
"Sorry." The bashful apology brought everything rushing back.
"Don't be." I offered up a sleepy smile to help fully ease her doubts.
"Thank you." She added without extra prompting.
"No thanks are needed." I patted the hand resting next to her face on the pillow to let her know that even the toughest of the toughest need help sometimes.
"You have nightmares too?" Julie asked tentatively as if she was unsure if I wanted to broach the subject.
I nodded, hoping that my honesty would help her open up.
"How do you deal with them?" Hope of moving on from darkness shone through her still drowsy eyes.
My nightmares vary depending on what the trigger uncovers. I've had a lot of close calls over the years. But the really bad ones, the ones that leave me in the same state Julie was in the previous night, all revolve around Ranger. My best way of coping with those nightmares is to climb over Ranger until I've satiated my need to make sure he is in fact still alive and well. I hid my grimace, knowing that wasn't a very appropriate answer for a teenage girl. "I have people I can talk to." Which was true. I wanted her to know that she could always talk to me. Anytime. In the light of day or the darkness of night.
"Yeah?"
"Yes." I noted on her expression that sometimes talking isn't enough, which is something I completely understand. "And when I need a little extra something..." I leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, further captivating Julie's observing gaze. "Donuts!" I shared with delight that sometimes the little things can go a long way.
"Really?" Her face lit up with obvious excitement. "What kind of donuts? Like a regular one or a special one?" Julie was very intrigued.
I thought about my answer for a few seconds. "It depends." I said sincerely. "Some days a Boston Cream hits the spot." I shrugged as I added that other times a no filling pastry is more my jam. "Recently, the Tasty Pastry has made some changes to their menu. This month's seasonal addition is very good."
"Can we get some?" Julie's bright hopefulness was evidence of her resiliency.
"Yes, but we better hurry! They usually sell out." I grinned as I watched her bolt out of bed.
We took turns getting ready before we met up in the kitchen after Ella delivered our breakfast. Ella stayed to chat for a few minutes, catching up on Julie's latest achievements. Once Ella was gone, Julie and I continued to our earlier chat.
"Hey, Batman." I greeted playfully even before he fully entered the kitchen. The tingling in the back of my neck went haywire as soon as he entered the apartment and tossed his keys on the little silver bowl on the sideboard. My welcome had the desired effect when Julie snickered over a mouthful. "Ella was up not long ago." I invited him to join us, knowing his gym session was longer than usual this morning. He really needs to refuel.
"Five minutes." My husband promised before turning on his heel to grab a quick shower.
Breakfast was spent with Julie working to convince her father to join us on our donut quest. He's not one to rush to the Burg for dessert, but he's always willing to do anything for his daughter. I conveyed with a look that I had a talk with Julie and would share my thoughts with him when we had a moment alone. In acknowledgement, he placed his hand on my thigh and squeezed in muted gratitude. I placed my hand over his to return his squeeze, rejoicing at the feel of his wedding band grazing our entwined fingers.
After clearing the table and loading the dishwasher, I followed behind Julie on our way to exit the penthouse. My progress was halted before I could reach the open doorway when Ranger wrapped an arm around my waist. With a hand cupping my cheek, his lips descended on mine. Our kiss was brief yet passionate. Various emotions flashed between us in the short time span.
"Wow." I breathed, smiling as I blinked the lust away and asking what merited the heated lip-lock.
"Thank you." He answered, following it up with another quick peck before nudging me out the door.
During our short elevator ride, I noticed Ranger was deep in thought. He was worried about Julie; I could tell.
After a brief interaction with Lester, we piled into Ranger's truck to go on our little road trip.
"Oh my gosh! These are so good!" Julie praised as she shoved the last of the pastry into her mouth, chewing with abandon on our short walk back to our parked spot.
"They are." I agreed, shooting my husband a mischievous look as I took a bite of my doughy treat. "Mmmm." My exaggerated delightful moan and the discrete seductive look I shot him as I rounded the front of the truck had the desired effect.
"Babe." Ranger warned as I held his scorching gaze. His dark eyes promised payback for my tease.
"You should try one, dad." Julie joined in, oblivious to our heated undertone.
I took another bite, making a show of licking my lips as I reached for the door handle. I'd just swallowed when a loud bang rang nearby. Pain seared my chest, making me wonder if the donut went down the wrong pipe. My eyes searched for Ranger, wondering if he was staring at me in disapproval.
That stuff will kill you, Babe. Popped into my mind as I watched Ranger dive for cover, protecting Julie in the process.
A woman screamed before another gunshot rang. Realization dawned on me a little too late since my hand was already in the process of rubbing at the painful heat spreading across my chest. As my legs began to give out, my pain intensified as my palm found wet cotton.
I managed to glance down at myself, catching the unmistakable growing red stain as darkness took hold. Everything went black seconds before I hit the ground.
S&R
Lester's POV
"Man, the guys aren't going to leave us even a tiny crumb." Zip bitched as I took a right turn on Hamilton Ave.
I laughed, knowing he was right. The guys on five would in fact devour those fucking pastries in a heartbeat and feel zero remorse whoever missed out.
Before I could join in on the conversation, the control room issued out an emergency alert. Manny's voice filled the SUV as he quickly relayed the limited intel:
Shots fired at the Tasty Pastry. Ranger's requesting back-up.
Zip and I shared an alarmed look. The squealing of tires as I hooked an U-turn enraged other drivers, but I didn't care. As I sped towards the scene, Zip connected with the other nearby patrols.
Chaos reigned as people ran for cover. Since we had no further details, we approached the situation highly cautious.
"Take the other side." I ordered Zip as our boots hit the worn asphalt, our weapons already drawn. A police cruiser arrived on scene seconds after we did, assisting us in securing the scene.
"Babe!" Ranger's voice wavered as he crouched over someone by the front passenger door. I approached the truck cautiously, sweeping the area for possible threats as I went. Relief washed over me at seeing Cal and Vince joining us for added backup. In an emergency, the more the merrier.
"Fuck." Shock hit me like a sledgehammer when I realized the woman on the ground was indeed Stephanie. Her white T-shirt was soaked in blood. There was so much blood.
The sounds of approaching sirens snapped me out of my temporary stupor.
"Get Julie!" Ranger barked the order over his shoulder, his hands busy applying pressure on Beautiful's chest wound. "Get her out of here. Keep her safe."
"I have her." Zip's voice carried to us from under the truck.
Kneeling gave me a good snapshot of Zip helping Julie out from under the truck. "Hey, everything's going to be alright." I knew I couldn't make that promise to Julie, but there just simply was no other satisfactory outcome. Stephanie has to make it. She just has to.
"I don't want to leave." Julie cried as Zip escorted her to our fleet SUV, expertly shielding her along the way.
An unfamiliar officer dashed towards the packed bakery in a futile attempt at keeping everyone corralled long enough to get a grip on the situation.
"Santos." Ranger gritted out, ordering me to retreat. I didn't want to leave, but I understood his need to protect his daughter.
Eddie Gazarra, Stephanie's friend, arrived on scene as I sprinted back to my Explorer. I pulled over mere feet later to allow the ambulance to pass.
"First responders are on scene." I heard Zip relay back to the control room as I peeled away from the bakery.
"It's all my fault!" Julie wailed from the backseat as I sped out of the Burg and back to Haywood.
"What? No!" I assured, dividing my attention between her and the road ahead.
"It is!" Julie cried, saying the outing was because of her but worst of all she'd had a nightmare about Stephanie being shot. "I didn't say anything." She lamented, sobbing uncontrollably.
Zip and I locked worried gazes when I was forced to stop for a red light.
This is bad. Very bad.