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

Warning: Adult language, adult situations, mild smut

Chapter 50: Sunday, August 28th, 2000-2200

Ranger's Estate

Ranger's POV

Today was a strange day. The morning started with a wonderful Stephanie wake-up call. Even though I didn't get anything in return, seeing Stephanie smile after her ordeal last night was well worth it. I can see that she is already starting to get a little stronger emotionally. The BAU team giving her the praise and acknowledgment that she deserves and earned is doing wonders on her self-esteem and self-confidence, both of which are sadly lacking.

While Stephanie was meeting with Dr. Purpura, the BAU and my team set up the basics of the plan to take down Terry and hopefully Dickie as well. I explained to them what my home in Palm Beach looked like, more of the cover that JJ and Matt will be sharing and where my men can assist. I feel that the plan they developed is a solid one. I know that by the end of the day on Tuesday, Terry will be in custody, then we can start to find the answers for how far and deep their baby stealing scheme runs. I know that I feel for the parents who adopted the children because I'm sure that most thought that Discreet Adoption Services was a legitimate service. I hope that their children don't get removed, but that if the birth mothers want to have access, the families might consider allowing them into their children's life. I'm sure some kids were taken under duress. Once everything was in place, the BAU headed to Palm Beach, leaving my men from Trenton here alone with Julie and my Babe.

At around 1300, the furniture that we ordered for Thomas' room was delivered. Stephanie, Julie, and I spent the afternoon setting up Thomas' room, placing loving touches all around so that he would feel welcomed when he arrives tomorrow. Julie had asked for some personal items of Thomas' from his bedroom and family photos from his home, allowing us to keep the connection to the only family he had ever known. Julie, Steph and I thought it might help in his recovery to not just have his 'old' life just disappear. Julie insists that he will love his room. I know my six-year-old self would have loved the room as well. Julie and Steph did a great job picking everything out.

His furniture is in natural pine wood. It consists of a twin-sized bed, three drawer dresser, and a five-drawer dresser. Stephanie purchased a matching toy chest and had his name carved on the top. She put up light blue curtains. The walls have pictures of superheroes and sports paraphernalia decorating the room. There was also a Thomas the Train bank to sit on the small chest. Julie thought that he might prefer superheroes and sports to Thomas the Train because he's getting older. The bedding is different sports balls, baseballs, footballs, basketballs, and soccer balls. The comforter is a nice light blue that matches his curtain. The clothes are hung in his closet on a lowered rod that he can reach on his own, and the rest have been placed in his drawers. My men bought him a few different Lego sets and GI Joes. I got him Battleship. Hey, one should learn about wargames early in life.

My sister, Mariela, went to visit with Abuela Rosa today, to take her to church and to keep her company for dinner. That means that I got to spend my day with my family, Stephanie, and Julie. Once we finished the room, we spent some time on the beach, taking in the sun while swimming in the ocean. I made sure to lather a lot of sunblock on Stephanie; I don't want her to get sunburned. Her skin is so fair, but it is finally starting to get a little color. Living in Miami, once she gets the start of a tan, she should be okay for the rest of our time here. I only wish it wasn't the heart of summer when the sun is the strongest.

Dinner was a quiet affair. We had steaks with baked potatoes, grilled vegetables, and a nice salad. We invited Lester, Manny, Bobby, and Hector to join us. I told Javi that he could come over, but he deiced to have dinner with Abuela and Mariela. That means that I will need to make my obligatory visit sooner rather than later. Us men cooked the dinner, so Julie and Stephanie cleaned up after. I was surprised at how long they were taking to load up the dishwasher. I went in search for my girls in the house, only to discover that they had washed and dried all the dishes by hand because they didn't want to have us guys clean out the dishwasher in the morning. This was more than likely in consideration for the first person to wake up in the morning. That person has been the one responsible for cleaning it out. I was so proud of my girls.

Once the cleanup was finished, we sat around the patio table, playing Monopoly at Julie's request. I was the race car, Julie the dog, Bobby the top hat, Manny the boot, Lester the battleship, Stephanie the horse and Hector the iron. Lester was the first to be eliminated, followed by Bobby, Manny and then Stephanie. Julie, Hector and I remained. Somehow, I managed to land on Boardwalk, which had a hotel and was owned by Hector. That put a dent in my cash reserves, but I was still good until I landed on it again a few turns later. I was bankrupt. Hector and Julie each owned half the board and an equally distributed half. Each owned one set of properties on each side, Julie owned the railroads while Hector owned the utilities. They spent a lot of time passing money back and forth until Hector went around the board only landing on properties that Julie owned while she managed to avoid his properties. Finally, three and a half hours after we started, Julie was victorious.

Julie left us to go get ready for bed, while the peanut gallery took the hint. Hector retreated to his room off the kitchen, Manny to the guest house, with Lester and Bobby retreating to their rooms. Mariela called to let us know that she was staying with Abuela tonight. Stephanie and I kissed Julie goodnight, and I escorted Steph out to our balcony, with a glass of wine for each of us. I sat on a chaise lounge and pulled Stephanie down, so she was sitting in front of me, her back to my chest.

"What did Morelli want earlier today?" I asked Stephanie.

"It was really strange. Morelli said that he was leaving Trenton, moving to Atlanta. He said that he had realized that he didn't love me or want to be with me and that he doesn't want the Burg life. I am a little shocked. He told me he had already spoken to the Chief about a transfer to Atlanta. Carlos, can you maybe help him out? I know he wasn't the best to me, but if he's in Atlanta, then I don't have to worry about him hurting me anymore."

"I can do that if you want me to. Joe's a good cop, a bad boyfriend, but a good cop." I reply.

"He also asked if I wanted Bob." I looked at Stephanie with one eyebrow raised. She continued, "he said he doesn't know anyone in Atlanta and that having Bob there wouldn't be fair to the dog. Joe won't have the time necessary to walk him, and there won't be anyone to take care of him if he's stuck at work. I know he's not a great dog, but do you think we can take him? He is half my dog." She replies sheepishly.

Bob is the most untrained dog I have ever met. He eats everything, relieves himself wherever he wants, and has no manners. However, I know it's not his fault. He hasn't' been trained, nor has he been given the attention and exercise he needs. I look at Steph, I can see that she really wants him. "Babe, we can take Bob. However, it will be on a trial basis. I won't have him destroying my home. He needs exercise and discipline. He will be joining us on our morning run, will be fed dog food exclusively and will be reprimanded if he does something wrong. I think that with a little training and attention Bob can be a wonderful dog. I'm sure Tommy and Julie will give him lots of attention as well."

"Thank you, Carlos. I was afraid Bob would end up with someone who would hurt him. How will you get him down here?"

"I'll contact Tank and tell him to get custody of the mutt. When the Miami guys return here from Trenton once the case is over, they'll escort Bob on the private plane. In the meantime, Tank will keep him and start his training. I'll have Ella bathe him and start him on his new diet."

I kiss Stephanie on her forehead as I see her eyes light up. I'm always amazed how such little things make her so happy. Now, it's time to shift gears. "Babe, are you okay with Thomas coming here tomorrow?" I ask her.

Stephanie sighs before she answers. "Yes and no. I'm excited to take Tommy because I know that he will have a good, stable home with us and that he'll be safe. But I'm afraid. I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother. I don't know if I have it in me to be a mother. I don't want to make Tommy think that this is forever, even though deep down inside I want it to be forever. Carlos, I'm afraid I'm going to fuck things up."

"Babe, you are the most loving, caring person I know. You love with your whole heart and give one hundred percent of yourself to those you care about. You will be an excellent mother. You could never be like your mother because your heart is too big."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, Stephanie," I tell her truthfully. She turns her face towards me, and I can't stop myself from kissing her lips, tasting her. She twists her body so that she is straddling me, we continue to kiss and touch each other. I'm running my hands down her back and to her ass, feeling her body trembling beneath my touch. Dios, how I want this woman. Stephanie's kisses are getting more intense, I know I need to move us inside.

"Babe, we need to go inside. We have company."

I can tell that she's blushing, the idea of someone seeing us embarrasses her. She stands, holding her hand out to help me rise. We walk together inside, and I secure the door closed. I turn around, we once again kiss each other. I walk her back to the bed, secretly hoping that tonight she'll let me have her, though I know, in my heart, that she still isn't ready. We lie down in bed next to each other, continuing to kiss and explore each other's bodies with our hands. Stephanie starts to trail her kisses down my body, starting with my neck, my chest, my eight pack, kissing along the muscle's definition. She aims lower, pulling my sweatpants down, releasing my throbbing cock. Before I can react, her lips are around me, her tongue caressing me, making even harder.

"Babe," I manage to exclaim. I rub my hands along her back, as her ass is near my face. I decide at that moment that I must taste her. I pull off her panties and lift her lower body, so her core is sitting on my face. I inhale deeply, allowing Stephanie's scent to wash over me. I begin to lap up her juices, gliding my tongue inside her dripping pussy as she exclaims, "Carlos."

We both give each other oral gratification, syncing our rhythm to one another. It seems like a matter of minutes before we are both flying over the edge, peaking together and milking each other until our orgasms have subsided. Stephanie turns her body around, placing her head on my chest. I kiss the top of her head, once again reminding her that I love her.

"Babe, I want to make love to you. I want to feel your body wrapped around mine. Please allow me to make love to you."

I feel Stephanie tense as she responds, "Carlos, I'm sorry. As much as I want to make love to you too, I can't. I have too many demons to vanquish before I can give myself to you. Please forgive me and understand. I don't mean to be a tease. I don't want you to think I'm playing games with you."

"Ssh, Querida, I could never think that way. I will never force myself on you or force you to do something you don't want to do. I love you. My love for you will not waiver because we are not making love to each other." I reassure Stephanie.

"Carlos, can you please hold me. You chase away my nightmares."

"Of course, Babe. Nothing will make me happier." I feel Stephanie drift off to sleep. Only after I'm convinced that she's asleep do I close my eyes to sleep as well.

XXXXXX

Something wakes me up. It takes me a moment to realize that it's Stephanie, thrashing around in bed. Something is bothering her, and I know that she's having a nightmare. I try to make out what she's saying, it sounds like. "No, please don't. Why are you hurting me, Brian, I thought you loved me?"

My heart is breaking listening to her words, I begin to understand even more why Steph has such issues admitting her feelings to me. I also see how I've screwed up in the past. I begin to calm her down by talking to her first.

"Babe, it's okay, you're safe. Querida, you're in my arms, no one is going to hurt you. My love, you're safe. Babe, please wake up."

I can tell the moment she starts to hear what I'm saying. I watch her body visibly relax, the tension leaving her muscles. I continue to talk to her, reassuring her that she's safe. Finally, she opens her eyes.

"Carlos?"

"Yes, Babe, it's me."

"Hold me, please."

I sit up in the bed, with my back against the headboard and pull her into my lap. "Do you want to talk about it?" I ask her.

"No, but I will. I was back at the frat party on homecoming weekend. I agreed to go downstairs with Brian, to play pool. He kept kissing me and touching me. I didn't mind at first, but I wasn't ready to sleep with him yet. I hadn't had sex with anyone since the incident at the bakery. I wanted my next time to be a wonderful experience, filled with love and passion. Instead, it turned into another night in hell. I felt them touching me again, I felt them inside me. I was trying to fight them off, then I heard your voice. You helped me realize that it was only a dream. I was able to wake up after."

I hear what Stephanie said, I start to wonder if she views our first night together as a form of rape. I mean, I didn't really give her much choice in whether she wanted to comply, but I would have stopped if she told me to stop. "Babe, the first time we were together, the night of the deal, do you think that I forced you?"

She inhales deeply, then pulls herself away from my chest to look in my eyes. "No, not at all. I was scared to be with you because I already had feelings for you and I was confused by them. You are so perfect. You are arguably the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on, you have a magnificent body, a great business. You exude confidence and masculinity. I didn't understand what you saw in plain little me. I mean, you can have any woman in the world, but you wanted me. I wanted you, badly, but I was too chicken shit to act on it first. No, you didn't rape me, Carlos. I wanted that night just as much as you did."

I feel the tension leave my body. I don't know what I would have done if Steph said she felt forced that night. I'm glad she didn't.

"I'm sorry for telling you to fix your relationship with Morelli. I was an asshole. I was scared by the emotions I had for you. I never felt that way about a woman before. I usually took what I wanted and left, never giving anything of myself, but with you that night, I gave you a part of my heart. It scared the shit out of me. I was still under contract with the government, knowing I could be called away at any moment and that there was always a possibility that I wouldn't return. I didn't want to leave you broken. I thought Morelli was the better man. I thought that you wanted the life he could give you. I didn't listen to what you said, I only looked at your community, choosing to believe that you would eventually conform to the Burg standards. But now I know that I only took that path because I was too much of a coward to admit that I needed you, wanted you and loved you. I'm so sorry, Babe, for not telling you how I felt sooner."

"I don't know if I would have believed you at that time. I don't know if I would have been ready to be the other half of Ranger. I'm not sure I'm ready now, but I know that being with you will mean bodyguards all the time, trackers and GPS, the possibility of going to a safe house. I know what I'm walking into, and I'm ready to give up a little of my independence to have your heart, but I'm still afraid that I'm not enough for you. I'm still afraid that one day you'll wake up and say, 'What am I doing with her when I can have that beautiful woman,' and you'll go take what you can get."

"Stephanie, you know I don't share. I won't allow any other man to touch you or be with you intimately and I won't let another woman do the same with me. I will never share you, and I don't want you to have to share me. Babe, you are beautiful. You have wonderful curly brown hair, that is a representation of your personality. Your skin is silky smooth and porcelain. Your body is long and lean. Your legs go on for miles, your breasts are the perfect size for my hands and mouth. I love when you wear FMPs that put you to my height. But most of all, you have sapphire eyes that can see my soul. I get lost in your eyes, they draw me in and never let me go. Babe, you're my life, my soul, my other half. Stephanie, I love you."

At this point, tears are slowly streaming down Stephanie's face. I wipe them away with my thumbs. She looks up at me, and I see her love expressed in her eyes. It bolsters me. I know she's not yet ready to say the words, but I know she feels them.

"Thank you, Carlos, no one has ever said anything like that to me before. You're my everything, if you were to leave me, I'd never recover." Steph leans forward and kisses me. I keep it gentle, even though I want to bury myself inside her tight center. She stops the kiss sooner than I'd like but lays her head on my shoulder.

"Go back to sleep, Querida. I love you." I tell her once more, reaffirming my feelings to her. I feel her body relax against me, I know that she's asleep a few minutes later. I allow myself to fall asleep once more enjoying the feel of my Babe in my arms.