Disclaimer: Anything familiar belongs to JE and the creators of Criminal Minds.
Warning: Adult situation, adult language
Chapter 52: Monday, August 29th, 0900-1700
Hospital/ Rangeman Miami/ Ranger's Estate
Stephanie's POV
When we arrive at the hospital, we head straight for Tommy's room. Before we can enter, though, the social worker and representative from Children's Protection Services want to meet with Carlos and me. Julie heads directly into Tommy's room, which I am glad she did.
"Mr. Manoso, Ms. Plum. It's nice to see you again. I know that Thomas will be safe living with you, but I must express my concerns. I'm concerned that you two are not married or engaged. I am not an old-fashioned person, but from all accounts, this relationship between the two of you is rather tenuous. I'm concerned about Thomas becoming attached and then having to leave your custody. It won't be good for his social-emotional development. I will be watching the case. Once the danger to Thomas is over, I will be petitioning the court to remove him from your custody, unless your status changes dramatically. It is no reflection on your ability to be parents, only on your ability to provide Thomas with the stable home environment he needs." The social worker, Felicia Landro stated.
"I understand your concern, and we only want what's best for Thomas as well. I respect your position, and your willingness to state our concern directly to me."
"You're welcome, Mr. Manoso. I've been in this business long enough to know that keeping my mouth shut is not the smart move nine times out of ten." I take a good luck at Felicia and see that she is a Hispanic woman, about fifty years old. She has light brown hair with a skin tone a little lighter than Carlos', more like Lester's. She has kind brown eyes and a no-nonsense stance. I immediately respect this woman, standing before me in tan-colored dress pants with a darker brown dress shirt. She exudes confidence and air of warmth. I like this woman.
At this point, the CPS worker takes over. Her name is Molly O'Connor. She has strawberry blond hair, stands about three inches shorter than me, wearing a black business suit with a white button-down shirt. She looks like she'd be more at home in a courtroom than here.
"I've already reviewed the paperwork with Javier here. Everything seems to be in order. The only thing left is a home visit sometime this week. I will call you when I'm about twenty minutes away to make sure you are home. I will need to see the entire house, including Thomas' room. Your brother already told me about the nature of your business. I just need to glance in each room to make sure that there are no blatant risks to Thomas in the room. The only rooms I need to enter are the bathroom, Thomas' bedroom, family room, and kitchen."
"That's fine. We have a guest house, but currently, I am working on a sensitive case with the FBI. That is our headquarters right now so I cannot let you in there. I'm sure SSA Prentiss will vow for the safety of that structure." Carlos states.
"That will work. I'm sorry to be so obtrusive, but it's my job. I'm heading to court after we finish to testify against a man who beat his child with a belt because he had an accident in his bed. The boy was only two and a half years old. Then, he locked him in the attic. Thankfully, the man's sister went to the house an hour later and found the boy. The mother was in the hospital and had just given birth to another child, unaware of the abuse. I couldn't get into that home. Had I forced my way in, I would have seen the signs." She says, regret evident in her voice.
"Is the child okay?" I ask.
"Yes, he got treated. His mother left her husband and is now safe. She has a lot of support. Her brother is a former Navy SEAL and moved his sister out of state, where she has a home with top-notch security. Her abuser followed her, and while he was near her new home, she had bodyguards with her 24/7. They helped apprehend him. Now that I think about it, he works for your company, Mr. Manoso."
I watch Carlos think about his employees before he makes the connection. "Ian Murphy. He requested a transfer to Boston. Now I know why. The transfer is in the works. We're waiting for his replacement for the Miami office."
"Yes, Mr. Murphy. He's a good man. Your company is also a good company. I know that his sister will be safe with them helping her."
"Thank you. If you need any help tracking down those animals, feel free to contact Marco Suarez or me. He's the one in charge of the Miami office when I'm not here."
"Will do. Thank you. Good luck with Thomas. He's a special young boy."
At some point during our discussion, Lester snuck into Thomas' room. I'm glad that he's in there to distract and reassure Thomas and Julie. I'm drawn back into the conversation by Felicia. "Stephanie, is there any possibility of you staying with Mr. Manoso permanently?"
I know I must look like a deer in headlights, but I manage to respond. "It's a possibility, but I can't give you any percentage right now. A safe bet would be fifty-fifty. I have a lot of issues that I need to work out on my own before I can decide to be a permanent part of anyone else's life."
"I understand. The last thing I want to say before I leave is that the worst thing that could happen for Thomas is for him to get comfortable in your home only for you to give him away. He has already bonded with Julie, looking at her as his sister. He will bond with both you and Mr. Manoso quickly. His parents never showed him love and attention, so the love and attention you show him will signify that you love him, at least in his mind. Please be delicate and make Tommy no promises. Be upfront with him. The more he knows about the situation, the better he will be able to handle any changes."
"I respect that, I will make sure that we keep Thomas in the loop. We won't hide his custody from him." Carlos responds.
"Good. I already spoke to Thomas. I explained that this living situation was temporary until the people who hurt his family was behind bars. He knows that you are taking him to protect him. If it turns into something more, he'll adjust well. If it doesn't, he won't be blindsided." Felicia responded.
"Perfect. Is there anything else?" I ask, wanting to see Tommy sooner rather than later.
"No. We're good. Good luck, Ranger and Stephanie. I know things will go well."
"Thank you."
With all the legalities finalized, Carlos and I enter Tommy's room. I can see that Julie already has him dressed to leave. We are now waiting for the doctor. Tommy and Julie fill the silence with talk of the house, the beach, and the pool. Tommy is obviously excited to come home with us. Then Julie tells him about school. Surprisingly, he's excited to start school on Thursday. I guess we need to go back to school shopping soon. Finally, Tommy notices that Carlos and I have entered the room.
"Stephie!" He yells, jumping off the bed and running into my arms. I deftly pick him up, placing him on my hip.
"Hello, Tommy. How are you feeling today?" I ask him.
"Great. I excited to go home with you."
"I know. I'm excited as well. I can't wait to show you your room." I tell Tommy. He kisses my check then goes to get down. I place him on the floor. He runs into Carlos' arms.
"Hiya Ranger! Julie telled me that you have a pool in the ground. Is that true?" Tommy asks.
"Yes, Tommy, it is. Do you know how to swim?" Carlos asks him.
"A little bit. I only swim in the kiddie pool, never the big people pool."
"I have a life vest for you to wear until you're comfortable in the big pool. I'll make sure you know how to swim well."
"Yeah! I super excited." Thomas exclaims. "When we leave?"
"We're waiting for your doctor to come in. Once the doctor exams you one last time, we'll be able to leave. We need to stop at my job first, then we'll go home." Carlos informs Tommy.
"That cool. Is that where Big T and Rocco work?" He asks.
"Big T?" Carlos questions.
I answer, "Big T, Tommy, his bodyguard. He was confused calling him 'Tommy,' so he gave him the nickname Big T."
"Yes, that's were Big T and Rocco work."
"What we do when we go home?" Tommy asks.
"Well, it's a beautiful day, so if you want to swim and the doctor clears you, we can go into the pool. Then, we decided we're going to make dinner tonight together, you, me, Stephanie, and Julie."
"Awesome. What we eat?"
"Tacos. Do you like tacos?" I ask him.
"Yes, I love tacos. Do we have lettus, tomato, cucombur, cheese, and soft shells? What about sour cream?" He asks.
"Yes, Tommy we have all of that." Julie answers.
"Awesome sauce," Tommy replies.
The door opens, and Dr. Farren walks into the room. "Good morning everyone. I guess it's safe to assume that you are all waiting for me, is that correct?"
"Good morning, Dr. Farren. How's our little patient doing?" Bobby asks.
"He's doing extremely well. All of his injuries are healed. He is cleared for all normal activities. Tommy is no longer on any medication. However, I do recommend that he sees a therapist. That will help him deal with his ordeal." Dr. Farren responds.
"Julie is currently seeing Dr. Karen Purpura. I spoke to her earlier today, and she is willing to take on Tommy as well." Carlos replies.
"Dr. Purpura is a well-respected psychologist. She'll be perfect for Thomas. I have a copy of his chart here for you, Bobby. It includes all his records from his pediatrician. If you choose to use a new doctor, everything that the doctor would need to know is here. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, I think we're good," Carlos replies. With that, Dr. Farren turns to Julie.
"Julie, how are you doing? Does your arm still hurt you?"
"I'm much better. The pain isn't that bad. Bobby has been only giving Tylenol. It's working." Julie replies.
"Excellent. I'm glad to hear you are doing better. You look great. If you ever need anything, please feel free to contact me."
"Thank you, Doctor, for everything you have done for both Julie and Tommy. I appreciate your help." I say to him. He says his goodbyes after Carlos signs the discharge papers. Twenty minutes later, we are on our way out the door and heading to Rangeman Miami.
Julie took Tommy on the quick tour of Rangeman, with Lester accompanying them. Carlos stopped in his office to sign the payroll for Trenton and Miami, as well as a few big-ticket contracts. An hour after we arrived at Rangeman Miami, we were on our way home.
Once we arrived at the house, Julie showed Tommy his room. We ate a quick lunch of turkey sandwiches and fruit salad before Carlos took Tommy into the pool. With her cast, Julie can't go into the pool yet, so she retreated to her room to write in her journal. I decided that it was the perfect time for me to write my reflections as well.
I went onto the balcony off our bedroom and stared at the ocean for a while. Finally, my thoughts started to flow.
I am confused and conflicted. I know that I already love Tommy and want to be in his life for the rest of mine, the same way I want to be in Julie's life. I never considered myself to be "mom" material, but these last few days with Julie has made me start to yearn for a baby. I don't know what it means, though. Whenever the idea of a baby came up when I was with Joe, I'd break out into hives and start to hyperventilate, but with Carlos, it seems doable. I know Carlos would be my partner, in every sense of the word. However, I can't help but hesitate. How do I know I won't fuck up? After all, my mother has been telling me that I'm a screw up for my entire life.
I can't imagine how Carlos doesn't see me as a disaster. I mean, I've blown up several of his cars, have gotten kidnapped, shot, stalked numerous times, making him spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on my rescue. I've hurt his employees, stunning them, getting them shot and injuring them in other random ways, yet, he still says he loves me. I don't understand it.
The day we arrived, I was set upon only staying here until Julie was stable. Now, I never want to leave. I don't care where I live, if it's here in Miami, back in Trenton, or anywhere else in the world, as long as I'm with Carlos.
Holy shit! I made a decision. When did that happen? I want to be with Carlos, forever. I only hope he wants to be with me forever as well. I can't tell him yet. I know that I've made up my mind, but I'm afraid that if I tell him, he'll reject me, sending me packing back to Trenton alone. He'd kill me if he did that. Can I trust Carlos? Every man I have ever trusted has hurt me in some way. Joe raped me, Dickie cheated on me, Brian raped me, my father ignores me; and what about Carlos? Well, he told me repeatedly that he didn't do relationships, that his love came without a ring, but a condom would come in handy. How can I trust him when he tells me now that he loves me, unconditionally? I guess I'll talk to Dr. Karen on Wednesday. Maybe she can shed some light on my dilemma.
"Beautiful, Ranger's looking for you."
I jump and let out a little scream. "Damn it, Lester, make some noise. You scared me half to death." I say, holding my hand over my heart.
"I'm sorry. I thought you heard me. I said your name about ten times." Lester responded.
"I guess I was engrossed in my thoughts, I didn't hear you." I reply, "Lester, can I ask you something?"
"Anything, Beautiful."
"Does Carlos really love me, like I mean the forever kind of love."
I watch as Lester looks down, shaking his head while smiling. "Stephanie, Carlos is so head over heels in love with you it's pathetic. You have no idea how anxious he is, waiting for you tell him if you are staying or leaving. If you leave, he might follow you back to Trenton. He wants nothing more than for you to choose him. Every time you get back together with Morelli, he gets moody and grumpy. His workouts are harder. Sparring with him can be dangerous for one's health. However, the moment you and Morelli break up, he's much calmer, more level-headed. I know his head has been far up his ass for way too long, but he loves you, Stephanie. Whenever he returns from a mission or calls when he's out of town, his first question is always about you. Are you safe? Do you need a car or money? He wants to know your status before he cares to ask about his family or Rangeman. Beautiful, why did you ask me that?"
"I want to believe Carlos. I want to trust him, but I've been burned by men in my life so often that I'm afraid to trust him with my heart. I trust him with my life, but my heart? Well, if he were to ever leave me, I'd be broken, forever." I reply.
"And Carlos would be the same if you were to ever leave him. You're each other's half. Stephanie, Beautiful, take the plunge. I promise you, it will be good."
"Thank you, Lester. I want to let you know that I'm leaning on staying here in Miami. I want to give us a chance, but I need to talk to Dr. Karen first."
"Do whatever you need to do. You need to know that I am here for you always. I will always support you, Stephanie. Carlos maybe my cousin, but you are my best friend."
"Thank you, Lester. You are one of my best friends as well." I reply sincerely.
Suddenly, the sound of my stomach growling breaks the mood. I blush from embarrassment.
"Well, I guess you know that it's time to start preparing dinner. I came up here to get you. I'm heading out with Bobby to give you guys some time to bond. We'll be back before bedtime. See you later, Beautiful." Lester says before kissing my forehead and embracing me in a hug. I kiss his cheek right before we walk out of the room together.