I hate to switch up POV's so much buuuut this was the only way I could think of to make this work.

*~*

Tanks POV

"Tank, I'll be offline until further notice. In the wind." Shit! I needed to tell him. I wanted to tell him, he had a right to know that he was going to be a father.

"Ranger, you have to come home. Home to Trenton." I told him.

"Why?" His voice was strained, not usually the tone he used with me.

"Stephanie, she needs you man." I heard him sigh.

"She has Morelli." And he was gone. I stared at the phone in my hand and hit the redial button. His phone went straight to voicemail. Shit.

*~*

I rolled over and knocked my alarm clock in the floor to silence it. I groaned and huffed out of bed, shedding clothes as I went. When Tank dropped me off last night, I told him I would be in early, early was a bad thing. I'm not a morning person, never have been, never will. I did my business and hopped out of the shower feeling a little more awake. I rummaged through my closet and found an older Rangeman uniform. I threw my hair into a messy ponytail and covered it with Ranger's SEAL hat. I dropped a grape in Rex's bowl and clicked a leash to Bob's collar. I grabbed my purse and headed out to my car. My 2006 Ford Focus. I had found the car on EBay for only 6,000. No rust, no weird stains on the carpet and it ran reliably.

I dropped Bob off at my parents and motored off to Rangeman. I fobbed my way into the garage and parked. I did a quick check in the mirror and added another coat of mascara. I really didn't like meeting new people. I sighed and slid out of the car. I took the elevator to the 5th floor and went straight to Tanks office. I nodded and he yelled for me to enter.

He looked up and grinned. "Hey Steph, have a seat and I'll get Jesse in for you."

I plopped down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and Tank left to get my new bodyguard.

I jumped when the door opened and stood to greet them. Tank entered and a much shorter man followed behind him. He was about the same height as me, give or take an inch, short brown hair and deep blue eyes. He had about the same amount of muscles as Ranger, thick biceps and broad shoulders. He wore blue jeans and a black Rangeman shirt with some worn camouflage hunting boots. He extended his hand. "Jesse James Williamson."

"Jesse James?" He nodded and grinned. I grinned back, unable to stop myself. His voice had a deep, smooth, southern drawl. His grin was contagious. "Stephanie Plum."

"I hear I'm going to be your bodyguard."

I nodded. "That's what I was told."

Tank picked up a stack of files off his desk and handed them to me. "Connie gave these to me to give to you."

I thanked him and went to my cubicle with Jesse following me close behind. I sat down and started the computer. "You can probably grab a chair out of the Comm Room."

He nodded and rolled a chair next to mine. "So what are we doing?"

"I'm going to run some searches on a few of these FTAs."

I ran searches on the first three folders and stretched. Jesse had been sitting, watching me. "You do a lot of searches?"

I nodded. "Mostly I do searches for Rangeman, but sometimes I do my skips."

I shut down the computer and tucked my files in my shoulder bag. We waved goodbye to Lester and Bobby in the Comm Room and took the elevator to the parking garage. I yanked open the drivers door and Jesse hesitantly opened the passenger side. "I figured I'd drive the first day, I guessed you aren't from Jersey."

He smiled and we both got in. "You're right. Virginia. How about you?"

"I've lived in Jersey my whole life, right here in Trenton. My parents still live in the 'Burg."

"That's nice. You been bounty hunting long?" He pulled a hat out of his back pocket and pulled it low down over his eyes.

I shrugged. "A couple of years."

He nodded. "This is my first. I ain't never been a bounty hunter before. Tank gave me a run through and all."

I laughed slightly. "Well, if I can be a bounty hunter, you can definitely be a bounty hunter."

I pulled up in front of the Bonds Office and hopped out. Jesse followed close behind. He stood by the door and waited.

"Who's he?" Lula asked from her place on the couch, giving Jesse a once over.

"I'm her bodyguard and her new partner." Jesse tipped his hat back on his head to uncover his eyes.

Lula stood, hands on hips and huffed. "I'm her partner."

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Right."

Lula glared at him. "I'm the best partner she got. I can partner your ass off."

I rolled my eyes and gave Connie my body receipt for Julie Marquez from yesterday.

"Where'd you find him? Is he one of Ranger's?" Connie asked as she wrote my check.

I nodded. "Ranger hired him for me. My own personal 'bodyguard'." I made air quotes.

"How do you get all the guys?" Connie shook her head at me.

"It's a curse." I turned and started for the door, but Lula blocked my way.

"I'm your partner. I'm coming with you."

I chewed my lip. I liked Lula, but she was barely above me in bounty hunter skills. "We're not really doing anything today. I'm just going to show Jesse around Trenton." I lied.

Lula humphed and stalked over to the couch. She grabbed her purse and stormed out the door.

I glanced and Connie, we shrugged. Jesse and I hopped in my car and I flipped through my first file. "Joseph Contrelli shouldn't be to hard. He lives in the 'Burg."

Jesse raised a brow at me. "The 'Burg?"

I nodded. "It's a family section of Trenton. Mostly blue-collar."

He smiled. "Let's go then."

I navigated my way through the streets I'd known since childhood and stopped in front of a brick house with a well manicured lawn. I shoved my car in park and stuffed my cuffs in my pocket. Jesse adjusted his hat and checked the clip in his gun.

"Just in case." He smirked at me and shoved open his door. I shook my head and climbed out after him. "I'll go around back and you can take the front door."

"Okay." I started for the door and watched Jesse sneak around the house. I ascended the steps and knocked. A short olive skinned woman answered the door.

"Can I help you?" She kept her security chain in place and peeked out at me around the door.

"Yes. I'm looking for Joseph, is he home?"

She shook her head. "He's not here. He didn't come home last night. I don't know where he is."

I handed her my card and jumped when I heard a yell and then a gunshot. Shit.

*~*

Hello! I'm still here. Reality hasn't been friendly to my writing lol. Remodeling a house is hard! Lol And since I took a tumble down a flight of stairs and was banished to bed, I finished up this chapter for yawl! My pain is your gain lol. Reviews are much loved!!!! Mistakes are all mine and I apologize for them!