A/N: I'm re reading my story and seeing grammatical and spelling errors that are driving me nuts. I may delete a Chapter to fix them, then re add it so if something seems weird that's why. Okay last update til who knows when! Enjoy!!

Chapter 6

Stephanie POV

I wanted to bang my head on the table, instead I just held it in my hands. Another bad guy out for revenge. Gee I wonder how many cars will get destroyed because of me this time.

"Doesn't matter Babe. As long as you're safe."

I raise my head and look around at the men huddled around the table staring at me. "Out loud again?" and they all nod. Perfect. "I would really like to go to the hospital and see Joe, if that's okay. " Yeah he treated me like garbage, but at one time we were pretty serious about each other, and I definitely didn't wish him harm. Okay I take that back, when I ran him down with Big Blue and broke his leg in three places , I definitely wished him harm. But I was over that.

Ranger nods. "Tank, you and Lester take her. The rest of us need to get to work tracking Bowman back down." This surprised me. Usually Ranger wouldn't let me out of his sight when he knew someone was after me… maybe times are changing.

Tank, Lester and I made our way down to the garage. I could tell they didn't know what exactly to say to me, I mean here I was being threatened with bodily harm by yet another crazy . "Guys I'm okay." They stopped and turned towards me.

"You sure little girl?" Tank stood in front of me and wrapped his arms around me. I love when Tank hugs me… I live for them. You know those huge stuffed bears they sell around Valentine's day? The ones that no sane person would buy because where would you put a stuffed animal that huge? It feels like being hugged by one of those. A big teddy bear that smells like cinnamon and looks like melted chocolate, what girl wouldn't love that?? "You need to stop and get a meatball sub on our way back from the hospital?" As if on que my stomach rumbled loudly and I remembered my dinner got waylaid by Eddie's call.

I pulled back from Tanks grasp, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks big guy. Yeah that would be great." He got in the drivers seat while Lester opened the passenger door for me, then got in the back and we headed to the hospital.

As we walk in through the emergency doors I see Joe's mom Angie and Grandma Bella sitting in the waiting room. I try not to catch their eye as I make my way through to the front desk, but I hear a voice call out to me causing me to stop in my tracks.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum!" Shit.

"Hi Mrs. Morelli." She pulls me into a tight hug, disregarding my companions who are trying desperately not to laugh.

"You know you are supposed to call me Angie. It's so good to see you dear! Joe will be thrilled." She held my hands and squeezed. "I can take you back there right now." Double shit. I did not need Angie Morelli to be thinking what I'm sure she was thinking …

"No that's okay Mrs. Mor… Angie. Actually my colleges need to talk to Joe anyway, so we'll just head on back. " I slip out of her grasp and make an attempt to dash for the front desk, under the watchful glare of Grandma Bella. I'll do anything to avoid that woman like the Plague. She put a hex on me once… the evil eye as she called it, and I do NOT want that experience again.

"Hi, Stephanie Plum here to see Detective Joseph Morelli." The nurse at the desk just stares at my bodyguards, causing me to roll my eyes so hard I'm surprised I didn't sprain them. Yup they're hot, and they know it… It starts to get a little annoying when she doesn't respond to me. "Um… hello?" I wave my hand in front of her face and that seems to snap her out of whatever trance she was in.

"Room 215. But, it's past visiting hours…"

"I'm an old friend of Detective Morelli's, and we are working on his case so if we could just get 10 minutes ?"

"Oh! You're with the police ?? Of course head on back." I didn't even bother to correct the poor girl, she was so flustered and flushed that I just went with it. We made our way to Joe's room, and I stepped inside while Tank and Lester waited in the hallway for me.

As I approached the bed, tears sprang to my eyes. I knew he was going to be okay , but God he looks like shit.

"Cupcake?" Joe opened his eyes, smiling when he saw me standing next to him. "You gotta work on that whole saying your thoughts out loud thing." He reached out his hand and I grabbed it.

"And you gotta work on staying out of the line of fire." I reply. "What the hell happened?" I sat down in the chair that was placed next to the bed.

"Stupid boot that booked him in didn't do a complete body search before putting him in the holding cell. He managed to smuggle a paper clip in , un cuffed himself, so when I went in to take him to the van to go to county he fucking grabbed my gun and shot me." Boot equals a rookie cop, and it sounded like someone wasn't going to be advancing any further in their law enforcement career.

I could see he was in pain. "You want me to get a nurse?" And he shook his head.

His eyes searched the room. "Where's Manoso?"

Oh. Well this was awkward. "Um, back at the office getting a team together…" I looked down at our hands intertwined and felt ashamed, although I had no reason to be.

"He let you come here alone? That nut job is looking for you Cupcake, you need protection!" I could hear his monitors start beeping wildly and I knew I needed to calm him down before the doctors kicked me out.

"No, Tank and Lester are here with me, they're standing outside. Trust me, I'm perfectly safe. Ranger… he and I aren't…" I couldn't even say it.

"What did the fucker do Steph?" I didn't really want to rehash this drama out with him while he was laying in the hospital from a gunshot wound, but I knew Joe wouldn't let it go if I didn't say something .

"Nothing, we just… we aren't together like that. I work for him, that's all." I felt stupid, because I didn't even know the reason WHY we weren't together , just that we weren't. Joe sensed my frustration and dropped the subject.

"I just wanted to check on you , make sure you were really okay. You going to be released tomorrow?" Gun shots required a minimum 24 hour stay to watch for infections.

"Should be. Listen Cupcake… I'm sorry. About everything." Well this was different. Joe never once apologized for the choo-choo incident when I was 6, or taking my virginity at the Tasty Pastry ten years later. He didn't apologize for the trashy poems about said incident he left around town after , nor the fact he left for three years without so much as the word Boo. I mean I know he went into the Navy, but what, they don't allow you to write a letter while at sea? I felt tears springing to my eyes, as his thumb brushed over my knuckles. "Steph, I wish I could take it all back. I treated you terribly, no wonder you ran away from me. I hope some day you'll forgive me."

Well hell. Here I figured Morelli and I would never get back to a good place with each other, and then he had to go and get shot and do some major soul searching. I realized I hadn't responded when I felt him tug slightly at my hand, causing me to look into his eyes.

"Of course Joe. That's all in the past." As the words came out of my mouth I couldn't believe I was saying them. I don't think my friends could either, I heard them talking in the hallway (Merry Men are terrible whisperers). I managed a small smile at him as I get up to leave, I could tell he was getting sleepy. "I've gotta run , but I'll check in tomorrow after you're home okay?"

He nodded and I leaned over to kiss him on the forehead before turning to leave. I heard him say quietly "Thanks for caring cupcake. I love you." And I had to hurry out the door before the tears fell.