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

Warning: Adult language, adult situations

Chapter 71: Thursday, September 1st, 0900-1600

Miami Rangeman

Ranger's POV

Last night, I mentioned to Marco some of the leadership changes that were going to take place now that Lester and I were staying here for an extended time. He didn't seem happy. The truth is, I need to spend time here in Miami, and the issues with Julie gave me the excuse to come down and take over. This office isn't earning the same money that Trenton and Boston are earning. The mood and tone of Miami are much different from both Trenton and Boston.

There are very few women who work for Rangeman in general. Most of those women work in our Boston office. Eagle, who heads the Boston office, has two sisters in the military, both career Army. He believes that women can do the same job. With his sisters' connections, he gets women regularly applying for jobs. He has about eight on payroll, and they work great together. The men accept the women, each trusting the other to have their backs.

We have had three women apply for Trenton, who all immediately asked for a transfer to Boston. They did a great job, but with the focus of Trenton more on Fugitive Apprehension, they didn't feel comfortable down on Stark Street. I gave them their transfer. Karen, Boston's Ella, is treated much the same way that my men treat Ella; she's their honorary mother. Whenever either Ella or Karen come back to the building from shopping, at least two to three of the men meet them in the garage to carry the packages up to their apartments or the kitchen. Both Ella and Karen will change sheets, make the beds, and do all the cleaning in the apartments, but most of my men keep their apartments tidy, limiting what Ella or Karen need to do. In fact, they strip their bed and change their own sheets every Saturday for Ella and Karen. I think Lester and I are the only two who leave most of the work to her, and that's because she insists. Also, being our Tia, we are a little more comfortable with her doting on us as her nephews.

However, here in Miami, Maggie is not very happy. She said that the men who live here are pigs. They leave their laundry on the floor, all over the apartment. They seldom make their beds, and they order her around. If she asks for assistance to carry packages, they all claim they are too busy. I'm livid. Maggie and Ella are close friends, I've known her most of my life. She is not their servant. I told her I would address the situation while I'm down here. I think some random room checks are in order. I also tell Woody, Manny, and Hector, who will be at the monitors until they leave, to assist Maggie with her shopping, showing by example, what I expect.

Marco. I don't understand what changed. He and I were close like I am with Bobby and Tank, but in recent years, we've grown further apart. I know that my being in Trenton is part of the problem, but my relationship with Eagle didn't change. I think Marco is power hungry and trying to make the Miami office in his vision. I noticed last night that the men here don't seem too thrilled that Stephanie is here. The looks they gave her behind her back at seeing her in her Rangeman uniform had me on guard. I asked my Trenton guys to try to find out what the Miami guys think of Steph joining us. We'll discuss what they learned after the morning meeting.

When we arrive, I head to my office to check my e-mails while getting my notes on the changes in leadership. Stephanie heads to the breakroom for coffee, and I watch as Lester accompanies her. I know that he senses their reluctance to work with Stephanie and am glad he has her back. I want Steph to sit with me at the head of the table. The Core Team has already decided that once she's trained, we will offer her a partnership. She is valuable to our company, and deserves a share, especially after she saved us multiple times.

I enter the conference room, proud to see that Lester placed my Babe to my immediate right, with him next to her. Her position between us signifies our trust in her. I can also tell that Marco is not happy. He'll need to get used to it. I also notice Steph looking around the room. From her eyes, I can tell that she is picking up on the unfriendly vibes while trying to read the men here.

I start off the morning meeting. "Good morning. I have a few announcements to make before I turn the meeting over to Marco. I will be staying in Miami for the next three months at a minimum. While I am here, this will be Rangeman's headquarters. Marco will still attend to the day-to-day running of this office, but I have the final say. For the last year, the numbers here in Miami have plateaued. Some of our research says that we have most of the market covered already. But I think we can do better in a city this large. I will be looking into ways to expand our business here, so if anyone has any ideas, please come and see me.

"I am retaining my title as CEO, and as always, the buck stops with me. Marco will be the Second-in-Command, attending to payroll and scheduling as always. He will also oversee all Commercial Accounts. Slick, who will be returning tomorrow, will handle the Residential Accounts and Personal Security. Lester Santos, from the Trenton office and one of the Core Team members, will be staying here in Miami, taking over the Fugitive Apprehension and Research Departments. Philip will be heading to Trenton to assist Tank and Bobby with the running of that office while Santos and I are here.

"I'd like to formally introduce Stephanie Plum to you. She is also joining the Miami team, assisting Santos with the Fugitive Apprehensions and Research. She will be developing the apprehension plans for our FTAs as well as finding where they are. When necessary, she will assist Silvio and his team with any searches that need to be completed. Stephanie and Lester will be partners."

I'm ready to hand the meeting back over to Marco when I see Hector get in the face of one of the guys, looking murderous, saying something to him I can't hear. I decide to address the situation because I think it has to do with my Babe.

"Héctor, ¿cuál es el problema?" Ranger asks. (Hector, what is the problem.)

"Dijo algo muy irrespetuoso sobre Estefanía," Hector replies. (He said something very disrespectful about Stephanie.)

"Carter, what did you say?" Marco asks.

Carter replies, "I said, I guess it's a good thing that Bomber's the Boss' little piece of ass. Maybe you'd let some of us fuck her."

I know I need to reign in my rage at the level of disrespect Carter is showing Stephanie, and by extension myself. I am hoping Stephanie doesn't do or say anything, and thankfully, she doesn't, she only stares down Carter.

I finally control my temper enough to say, "Carter, first off, you will refer to Stephanie by her name, Stephanie, Steph, Ms. Plum, or Ma'am. You must earn the honor to call her "Bomber," and so far, aside from Silvio, none of you have earned that privilege. Secondly, she is not a piece of ass, nor is she available. You will respect her. Third, Stephanie has instincts that could put most of you in this room to shame. She can find things out about people that we can't find out using our best search engines. She is a valuable member to this company and has assisted me numerous times, most notably in finding Julie when she was kidnapped and this past week in finding those responsible for hurting my daughter and killing her family. Carter, I expect you on the mats at 1300. You will face Hector, Lester, and myself. If you are still standing, you will face Woody and Manny. Is there anyone else who would like to comment on the role that Stephanie will play in this office?"

I look around the room, practically begging someone to say something when Silvio speaks up.

"I have seen Stephanie in action, and she is the best researcher I have ever worked with. I had the honor of training her in the programs, but Ranger is right, her instincts are second to none. If it weren't for her instincts, Scottie would be sitting here now with me in federal custody."

I am thankful for his vote of confidence in Stephanie, and I can see some of the men are willing to give her a chance right now. It seems that the situation is resolved for now, so I continue the meeting.

"Thank you, Jaime. Now, I'll turn the meeting over to Marco to discuss what's on the table for today."

While Marco led the meeting, I'm watching the Miami men. I see more than half of them giving Stephanie the evil eye, alternating with trying to undress her. They will learn quickly that she is mine, and I will not share her nor put up with them disrespecting her. Lester nods his head slightly, and I know he wants to address the room. I give him the floor.

"Before you leave, I'd like to give the floor to Santos."

"I want the apprehension teams to meet with Stephanie and I in Conference Room C at 1500. At that point, we will discuss those changes that will occur in how we go after skips effective Monday. Questions?"

I end the meeting, watching as everyone walks out. I ask the Trenton team, Philip, and Marco, to stay behind. I now address Marco.

"Marco, what is going on with your team here? Woody and Manny have been telling me that the men here don't want to work with a "skirt" and think that she can't do her job. I have always respected the valuable role that women can play in our company. I also heard how you don't use distractions, mainly because the women you hire don't want to work here after a week. I spoke to Maggie, and it seems that the men who live here treat her like a servant. I'm not happy. I promise you, if I don't see changes soon, I will be forced to take extreme measures, and one could be your job."

Marco is obviously not happy, and he leaves my office a moment later.

Lester then says, "Steph let's get our first day of training in. If you work with me, you'll be able to take on these guys in no time."

"Babe, are you comfortable working out in front of all the men?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. I assume there's no women's locker room here?" Steph replies.

"No, Babe, there isn't. But you have the fob for the penthouse."

"Les, I'm heading up to the ninth floor to get changed. What floor is the gym on?"

"The second. I'll meet you there in ten." Lester answers.

"Okay, Les. See you in ten."

"Babe, I'll come up with you." I walk out with my Babe, with my hand on her lower back, escorting her to the elevator. When we get into the elevator, I pull her against me, her back to my front. I place my arms around her waist. I don't care that the guys on the monitor can see us. I want them to know that Stephanie is mine. Once we get up to nine, I fob to open the door to my, no our, penthouse. Once the door closes, it's time to share my concerns.

"Babe, I want you to keep your guard up. I'm not pleased with the attitude that many of the men here have regarding women in general, and especially you. Marco was never very comfortable working with women unless they were a nurse or in some sort of service job. The men here treat Maggie as a servant, they don't respect her or treat her the way the men in Boston or Trenton treat her counterparts. I don't think that they all will accept you, especially right away.

"I want you to train hard with Lester. I want you to get strong and learn everything you can. I know that you can do whatever you put your mind to. If you really try, you can be one of the best BEAs in the business. The only thing you are missing right now are the physical skills, the ability to take down a fugitive; and the skills with your gun. Please, Babe. If you develop those skills, any doubts that the men have will vanquish."

"I sensed that they aren't overly pleased with Lester or me being here. I don't feel one hundred percent comfortable with the men here. Can I have my own office?"

"Right now, we don't have another office available. I plan on making you an office in each location, but it will take time here in Miami because of the way the control floor is organized. Initially, you will be sharing an office with Lester. Being that you will be working together exclusively, it makes sense for you to share an office. I'm having a second desk, along with file cabinets and other office paraphernalia set up in his office. Before you protest, it was Lester's idea. He said it will make it easier to train you, help the men to see that you are an important member of the team, and allow you to have a safe place to work until the men here get used to you."

"For your information, Carlos, I wasn't going to protest. I'm glad to be sharing an office with Lester. I don't feel comfortable, and I know that no one will do something to me if he is in the room. If I can't be with you, I prefer to be with Lester."

"Good." By this point, we are in the bedroom, and Stephanie is getting changed. "Babe, I have a pair of Gi pants for you to wear while training. They are the typical uniform used when learning martial arts. You can wear a t-shirt with them. They are comfortable and loose-fitting, which will be better to wear when working out in the gym."

"What's a matter, you don't want your men to see me in my sports bra and yoga pants?"

"No, definitely not, Babe. That is only for my eyes." I tell Steph, desire flowing through my body.

"Whoa there, soldier, I have work to do today. And I don't think having a quickie with the Boss is a way to endear myself to the Miami crew."

"Who said anything about it being quick?" I ask my wolf grin in place.

Stephanie blushes then puts on the pants and a Rangeman t-shirt. How she still manages to look sexy, I'll never know.

"Proud of you, Babe. I know you'll do well." I say before I kiss her chastely. "Te queiro, mi amor."

"I love you too, Carlos."

We leave the apartment, then get on the elevator. I get off on six, and Steph continues to two. I go to my office to catch up on paperwork. I keep the feed from the gym on my monitor, watching Stephanie train with my cousin. He's doing good, going through the basics and helping her build her confidence. Her form looks good. I think about what it will take for her to fully qualify, and the final step is for her to spar with me. I don't know if I could spar with her and give it my all. However, I know for them to accept her as one of us, I need to. Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I text Prentiss with the name of a great restaurant for her team to go to for dinner. Then, I gave her the name of the night club. I go into my safe and pull out the engagement ring that I have kept with me for that last three years, since the week after Stephanie saved Julie. I know that our relationship is new, and as much as I want to take the next step with Stephanie, I'm not sure that tonight is the right time. I guess I'll take the ring with me and see how the night goes.

I watch Lester and Stephanie finish their workout. Steph did great. I saw her head to the elevator, to go to nine to shower. I contemplate going up to meet her, but I decide that she should have some alone time. If she needs me, she'll call me. Ten minutes after she arrived upstairs, she called me for help. Lester told her to meet him at the gun range, but she doesn't know where it is. I leave my office to escort her to the building. Lester and I arrive at nine a few minutes later, sharing a laugh over her confusion as to where the gun range is.

Lester retreats downstairs as I go into the apartment. Steph is dressed back in one of her Rangeman uniforms, all set for shooting her gun. After I kiss her forehead, we go down to the range in the elevator.

"Lester said you did good, that you kept up and have good form. Proud of you. How did you like working out?"

"It wasn't so bad. Lester kept me laughing. It was a lot of fun, actually. I'm a little scared to learn how to get out of holds on the ground. I know I need to learn, but the idea is scary."

"Babe, you know Lester won't hurt you."

"Yes, I do, but every time someone is on top of me, I flashback to my rape."

"I understand. Make sure you tell Lester, and he'll help you get over it."

We've reached the gun range, and I lead her in. Lester is there, with ammunition for her guns at the ready. I leave them to their work, and go back up to my office, getting ready for my session on the mats with Carter.

I finish writing my email detailing the temporary changes in the company to all Rangeman employees. I know my men in Trenton will be disappointed that Stephanie and I are staying here in Miami. I glance at my clock and see that Lester and Steph should be finishing up in the gun range. I watch the elevator and see them ascending to this floor. I wait until I hear the elevator open to meet my Babe.

"How'd you do?"

"Really good. Lester said I'm a natural, but I still hate it."

"Proud of you, Babe." We walk into the breakroom and grab some lunch. Lester and I both eat light, knowing that we will be on the mats in less than an hour. Stephanie grabs soup, a sandwich, and salad, obviously hungry from her workout today. We all have bottled water.

"Carlos, is the water in the building filtered?" Stephanie asks.

"Yes, it is," I respond.

"So why do you buy so much bottled water? There is so much waste there. If we gave each employee a reusable bottle, they could fill their bottle up multiple times a day. Water from the faucet is much cheaper than bottled water, and we'd be reducing our carbon footprint. The water bottles can be customized with each person's name. If you want, we can even get them two or three so that they can be washed regularly, or they can take multiple bottles out with them if they are on patrol. Also, you should probably use mugs and glasses for the coffee and juice to further decrease waste."

Now that Stephanie mentioned it, I never realized how much money we spend on water bottles and paper coffee cups. Providing the guys with water bottles would be beneficial, with their name or initials on them. They can also be free to use their own water bottles if they want.

"I think that's a good idea, but I'll ask the guys to wash their own. It would be too much on Ella, Karen, and Maggie to have to sort the bottles out. The mugs and cups are a great idea as well, and easy to implement. Several of the guys already have their own travel coffee mugs, so I don't think they would object. We can still keep some water bottle on hand for clients or other guests."

"Carlos, don't many of the clients pour the water into a glass or cup?"

"Yes, they do," I reply.

"So then get nice pitchers that can be filled with water. You are not here to provide clients with bottled water. Keep a few on hand for those who might object to filtered tap water, but most will drink from a pitcher. Besides, it's easier to keep cold. Even getting those water dispensers would be better. You can have sliced lemons, limes, and oranges available for adding some flavor to the water."

"Great idea, Babe. I'll discuss it with the ladies and see if they think it's feasible."