Disclaimer: Everything familiar belongs to Ms. Evanovich and the creators of Criminal Minds.

Warning: Adult situations, adult language

Chapter 48: Sunday, August 28th, 0800-1200

Ranger's House

Dr. Purpura's POV

I arrived at Ranger's estate just before eight. I was meeting with Stephanie first. We made a lot of progress last night, discussing her prior sexual assaults and her reaction to them. Now, today, we must tackle her family and community. From what she said yesterday, her family has a lot of influence over her choices and her behaviors. I need to get Stephanie to see that not all those influences are positive.

Ranger greets me at the door, thanking me for helping with Stephanie last night. I am glad I could help. She was in such horrible shape, emotionally. Her trigger was seeing Julie's assault. It brought her back to her assault, and in turn, those memories were pushed to the forefront of her mind. Now, we need to figure out why Stephanie couldn't cope better. For such a strong woman, she is very weak.

Stephanie and I enter the media room and sit on the comfortable reclining chairs. She tucks her legs under her as we sit down, sipping tea.

"How did you sleep last night?"

"Surprising well. I feel rested today."

"Was Ranger with you in bed?"

"Yes."

"Did you participate in any sexual activities?"

"Well, he woke me up with some kisses."

"Did you want him to wake you up that way?"

"I didn't mind it. Carlos often wakes me up with kisses. He…"

"Stephanie, you don't have to be embarrassed to talk about sex. It's a natural act between a man and a woman. You don't need to feel ashamed."

"Ranger fingered me this morning. Before he did, though, he asked if I was okay with it. He told me he would stop if I weren't ready. I wanted to reciprocate, but I couldn't, and he told me it wasn't necessary; he wanted me to be happy."

"Stephanie, your relationship with Ranger is a healthy one. You have a man who cares about your happiness and pleasure over his own. Why do you keep pushing him away?"

"Well, first off, he told me his life doesn't lend itself to relationships. Then he told me that his love didn't come with a ring, but a condom may be necessary. Ranger also told me he'd give me a baby if I wanted one, but I had to work out my relationship with Morelli. That was the morning after we made love the first time. Then, after every other time, we were together, he kept pushing me back to Joe. He doesn't want me as anything but a fuck buddy, a play toy."

"Those were his words. What did his actions tell you?"

"That he loves me, in his own way. I mean, he always seems to arrive just in time to console me or to save me. He jumped off a bridge to save my life. Anytime I needed a car, he gave me one, even though I keep getting them blown up. I could be covered in God knows what and he'll still touch me or kiss me. I feel safe when I'm in his arms like nothing can hurt me or touch me. Whenever I need a safe place to hide, I know I can always go to Ranger."

"Stephanie, to me, that sounds like you already have a relationship. Ranger is a bounty hunter, a security expert and he is still doing missions for the government. His lifestyle is often a solitary one. He can be called away for weeks or months at a time with little to no notice. He can be killed on the next call he goes out on. Ranger is right, his life does not lend itself to a relationship. How do you think Ranger feels every time he has to leave, never knowing if he will ever see you again? Maybe he doesn't want you to have the burden of being a young military widow, someone who might give up her chance at becoming a mother, of having a family because he gets killed."

"You told me yesterday that Ranger often said that he didn't want more children, that's where the condom line comes into play. Once again, no ring because he doesn't want to leave behind a wife. Ranger said that he'd give you a baby if you wanted one because he knows that you wouldn't be able to make a child with someone you didn't care about, that you didn't love. He also knew that having Joe's child would slowly kill you as you'd be forced to change your identity. Stephanie, did you ever fight for Ranger over Joe?"

I carefully watch Stephanie's expressions, seeing her take in my words, reevaluating her prior opinions. Finally, she responds. "No, I never fought for Ranger. I allowed him to push me away time and time again."

"Why, Stephanie? Why do you keep pushing him away?"

"Because he's not Burg! He's not Italian. He wouldn't be accepted by my family or my friends. It doesn't matter that I'd be happy. I would lose everyone in my life."

"Stephanie, did you hear what you just said? You are more concerned with having the approval of your family and friends that you are willing to give up your chance at complete and utter happiness. Why? Tell me about your childhood."

"When I was little, I was always getting in trouble. I never liked playing with dolls or Barbies. I preferred to run around outside with the boys, playing in the dirt, riding my bike. My mom would yell at me because I wasn't acting like the proper Burg girl. How would I ever land a husband if I didn't know how to deal with a baby? My father took me fishing once, and I had a blast. I think my sister had some dance competition that she was in, ballroom dancing, that is. Dad and I went to the lake and spent the day fishing. I caught three fish. My father showed me how the clean them and filet them, we ate them for dinner. When my mother found out how we spent the day, she was livid."

"I remember always wanting to fly. When I was about seven or eight, I tied a blanket around my shoulders like a cape and jumped off the roof of the garage. I had the sensation of flying for a few seconds before I hit the ground, breaking my arm in the process. When I was six, Joe Morelli took me to his father's garage to play Choo-Choo. He was the train, I was the tunnel, or my vagina was the tunnel, and his fingers were the train. When I got home, my panties were on inside out. My mother asked me what happened, when I told her, she punished me for two months. Nothing was ever said to Joe's parents, because, well, boys will be boys.

"When I tried to help my mother cook, if I handed her the wrong ingredient or the wrong measuring spoon, she would yell at me, calling me helpless and useless. How would I ever land a husband if I couldn't cook? It got so bad that I was so nervous in the kitchen that to this day, I can burn water. My mother kept trying to put me in Burg appropriate classes and lessons, but I hated every one of them. She was appalled when I wanted to go to college to get a degree. Val went simply to meet her husband. The only time I remember my mother being proud of me was when I married my ex-husband. The day I caught him cheating on me on my dining room table was one of the worst days of my life. After I threw his clothes out on the front lawn and made a bonfire with them, I went to my parent's house for help. My mother sent me home, telling me I had to fix my marriage, to turn a blind eye.

"She was happy when Joe and I started dating again because he's from the Burg, has a good job and owns a house. She wants me married to him last year and expects a child from me as soon as possible. She hates my job and is the first to yell at me or criticize me if something goes wrong, never asking if I'm okay first. Every time Joe and I break up, she tries to set me up with whatever available Burg man she finds on the street. One guy turned out to be a serial killer! However, I know my mother loves me because she still makes me a pineapple upside-down cake."

I'm am shocked at what I am hearing. I have a thirty-four-year-old woman sitting in front of me who has the emotional age of a teenager. If her mother showed her love with food, I could understand why she doesn't see the actions of others as being loving.

"When you and Joe get together, what does a typical night consist of, what activities do you do?" I ask her.

"One of us will stop at Pino's and bring back pizza, meatball subs, and beer to the other's place. We eat dinner in front of the television, then usually end the night in the bedroom."

"Does Joe take you out to dinner? Does he ever buy you a gift, not for your birthday or Christmas, but a 'just because I'm thinking about you' gift?"

"No. I can't even remember if Joe ever got me a birthday gift. For some reason, I think we always manage to break up right before my birthday and Christmas, only to get back together a few days later."

"What about your ex? Did he buy you gifts?"

"No, he didn't either. Neither did Brian nor any other boyfriend, except Tom. He used to give me butterflies, or things with butterflies on them."

I follow up with, "who supports you?"

"Ranger and his Merry Men."

I look at Stephanie quizzically. She answers, "I call Ranger's employees Merry Men. Those men who work for Ranger are like a bunch of brothers that I always wanted. They will do anything to protect me, to keep me safe. They always ask me to let them train me, to work with me, but I turn them down. I don't want to be indebted to them."

"Do you think they are offering, so they get something in return?"

"No, maybe, I don't know. I was always taught that no one does anything nice without wanting something in return.

"What about Ranger?"

"What about him?"

"Does he want something in return?"

"I don't know."

"What does he say?"

"He says that there's no price for what we give each other. Ranger had given me a job when I needed money, he's lent me cars when I've managed to blow mine up, he has had Ella stock my refrigerator when it's low, he has purchased me ammunition, cuffs, and a variety of other things to help me do my job. If he knows I was out with the girls, he'll have someone drop off the cure to my apartment, and occasionally, will let me eat contraband. He bought a Ferrari convertible for me."

"Stephanie, what do you think all that means?"

I watch as Stephanie wraps her brain around what she just told me. I notice the moment she realizes the significance. "It means he loves me," she says, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I'd say so, Stephanie. When you go somewhere together, whether it's work-related or not, how does Ranger treat you?"

"He opens the doors for me, places his hand on the small of my back to guide me where we are going, he'll sit next to me. If we are someplace together and I get tired, he'll let me lean on him, even falling asleep on him. Ranger is always looking out for my well-being."

"So why are you still with Joe? Why does he have such a hold on you?"

"Because he's the man that my mother will accept. She'll never accept Ranger as my husband, my lover, or my mate."

"Is her happiness more important than your own?"

"No, it isn't."

"Then Stephanie, it's time for you to start doing what makes YOU happy, not your mother, not the Burg, but YOU. If you don't, you will be miserable for the rest of your life. You don't want that kind of life, Stephanie. If your mother really loves you, she'll accept your other half because she'll see that you are happy. If she doesn't, then you don't need her in your life. Set a good example for your nieces, for Mary Alice. Be a strong woman. Let love in, Stephanie."

I watch as she contemplates what I told her. We made significant strides in two days, and I'm ready to let her go for the day, but beforehand, I have a couple of more questions for Stephanie.

"Where do you see yourself ten years from today, Stephanie?"

I watch her consider my question. She seems scared to answer, but she does. "I picture myself married hopefully to Ranger, watching our children playing soccer, living together in the Batcave, but not here. I see Julie there, as a young woman starting to make her way."

"What do you need to do to get there? That's what I want you to think about. I want you to use a journal to write down your thoughts and emotions after dealing with Joe, your family, especially your mother and anyone else from the Burg. I want you to also write down how you feel after dealing with Julie, Ranger, or his men. I will meet with you in three days unless you feel that you need to see me sooner. That will be on Wednesday, August 31st. Depending on how that meeting goes, I may recommend we meet weekly for a while, before meeting at longer intervals."

"That sounds good. What should I do if I have another flashback or nightmare?

"Stephanie, ask for help. You don't have to face this alone. Lean on others. Were you able to recognize that no one was hurting last night?"

"Yes, a part of me knew they weren't there, but I couldn't get the rest of me to agree."

"Then search for your safety net, whoever that may be. When you hear that voice, tune to it. It will help you to come back faster."

"Okay, thank you, Karen."

"You're welcome. If you can send Julie in here in about ten minutes, that would be great. I need to finish up my notes and use the powder room."

"Sure. Would you like more tea?" Steph asks.

"No, dear, I'm fine."

I finish writing up my notes. I am optimistic about Stephanie. I think that she was already starting to come to some of these conclusions on her own, but our talks have pushed her to make those leaps sooner. I feel for the woman. Her concept of love is so convoluted that she can't even see what's right in front of her. I haven't met with Ranger one on one for a session, but from watching his body language and actions when he's around Stephanie, I can tell that man is deeply in love with her. I think he is also in denial about his feelings. I hope that these two emotional stunted adults get their act together soon because they will be unstoppable together.

Right now, Julie's most pressing concerns are about her acceptance back into her social circle. At fourteen, our friends are more important than our family. Losing her friends on top of losing her family could break Julie. I hope the families here in Miami are open-minded. But, too often, you see parents forcing their kids to alienate victims, afraid that because they "had sex" that their child will want to have sex too. What they don't understand is that the victim never wanted it or asked for it. It was taken, and in the victim's mind, they didn't have sex. The biological activity may be called sex, but what occurred is nothing short of assault.

Julie walks in, looking a little scared and unsure of herself. I hope she's okay.

"Good morning, Julie. How are you feeling today?"

"I'm okay, but I'm scared and worried about Stephanie. I didn't know what to do when she shut down yesterday. There was so much pain on her face, will I ever experience that?" Julie replies, close to tears.

"It's understandable for you to be scared and worried. Stephanie never had the support that you have so it will be a little harder for her to face something that she pushed aside for over ten years. I don't think you will experience the terror that Stephanie did, but I can't know for sure, Julie." I reply.

"I'm just glad that Papi was able to help her. I felt so helpless, standing there, not being able to reach Stephanie."

"Julie, at some point in time, I will have you and Stephanie compare your stories, your assaults. However, Stephanie is not at that point emotionally yet. Once I feel that she's ready, I'll let you know. I think that you will help each other heal if you both know exactly what each other went through."

"Okay. I can wait. I'll do anything I need to to help Stephanie. She's helped me so much already. I don't know why Steph thinks she'll be a horrible mother, I mean, she's already a better mother to me than my biological mother was to me."

"Julie, I can't discuss anything about Stephanie with you, she deserves her privacy as do you, but can you tell me what you mean by your statement?" I understand that Julie is a child, a child who is trying to process a horrible event in her life. Julie deflecting to Steph is her form of visiting Denial Land.

Julie sighs before responding. "My mother used to be really good to me. We used to do a lot of things together, just the two of us. It was Mom and Julie day. She'd take me shopping, for a mani/pedi, to museums, anywhere and everywhere. Then Scrog happened. After I saw Papi get shot, I decided I wanted to get to know Ranger better. I wanted to know both my Manoso and my Martine families. My mother was livid. She told me that Ranger didn't want me, he gave me up instead of raising me, that I was nothing but a mistake to him, that being a bigger part of his life would only lead to more pain in the future."

"I didn't care what my mother said. I knew that Ranger walked in there, to Stephanie's apartment, prepared to die for me. I know his connection to Stephanie was greater, but he still was willing to give up his life to save mine. How could he be so heartless like my mom said? I started to question everything my mother ever told me about Ranger, and as I got to know him, I realized what an honorable man he is; how giving me up was one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make."

"Ron never treated me great. I was a nuisance, a pain. He would say the only reason why he kept me was for the money that Papi would send to my parents. Joselyn and RJ were the only two who mattered to him, I was a nobody. As I developed a strong relationship with Papi, my parents were meaner to me. I basically took care of myself in their home. When I had nightmares after Scrog, they never once came into my room to comfort me. RJ would come in, trying to stop me from crying. At the time, he was five. My parents were happiest when I wasn't around."

"Julie, did you ever tell Ranger how your parents treated you?"

"No, I didn't. I was so happy to have my father's love and support that I was afraid I'd push him away if I told him, though I was planning on telling him soon. It was becoming unbearable."

"Have you had any contact with your friends since the incident?"

"I've texted with a couple, Facetimed with a few more, but for the most part, no one wants to talk to me or interact with me. Several of the parents think that because I "had sex" I'm going to convince their daughters to have sex as well. I didn't want to lose my virginity. I didn't want to have those men touch me. It makes me so mad that anyone, especially adults, would think that I wanted that experience."

"Julie, adults are often the worst. They never know how to approach young people who are victims. Given time, most of your friendships should come back to how they were before."

"What about dating and boyfriends? I had a boyfriend, maybe I still do. His name is Tim Navarro, and we were dating for about three months. We went out to the movies, hung out with our friends, went to the beach together, you know, did normal kid stuff. He hasn't spoken to me or looked at me since it happened. What happens if no boy ever looks at me again or wants to date me now that I'm tainted?"

I respond to Julie, "Julie, a good boy, a good man, will not judge you by what happened to you, but would embrace all of you, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You are fourteen. It is hard for teenagers to deal with anything related to sex. If Tim doesn't come around, then he's not the right boy for you. Julie, you need to be yourself, you need to rise above everything to show the world that you are a strong young lady.

"I'm going to end our session the same way I ended Stephanie's. Where do you see yourself in the future, in six months? You don't need to answer that now."

Julie pauses, then responds, "I want to see Steph and Papi together, maybe even married. I want to have Tommy be part of our family, permanently. I want more siblings from Papi and Stephanie. I don't want to live here in Miami."

"Julie, you do realize that most of what you want is out of your control?" I ask her, making sure that she knows her dream may not come true.

"I know, but it's the only thing that feels right to me."

"Julie, I want to see you again in two days, on Tuesday, then again on Saturday. How does that sound to you?"

"Perfect, Dr. Karen."

"Good." Julie and I talk about nothing significant as I pack up to leave. I admire this young lady before me. With all the trauma she's been through, she is very well-adjusted. Regardless of their faults, Rachel and Ron did a fine job raising Julie.