Disclaimer: I do not own Lester (the character) or the Stephanie Plum series. This short-story is only inspired by the Plum world, out of canon.

Once again, today's chapter is another rushed order (unedited). I have a self-imposed deadline (learning self-discipline here), which means I had to sacrifice the proofreading. My apologies if the last chapter was a little too sad. I hope this one makes up for it.

Loving

Lester walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a pizza-themed apron, which was too small to cover all of him.

"What do you think?" He asked. I bit my bottom lip to restrain myself from laughing. My husband proceeded to click on the music and walk the imaginary catwalk. The cast on his leg did not deter Lester at the least. He made up for his limping by shoulder shimming with every step. The laughter bubbled from the pit of my stomach and out of my mouth.

"Babe, you're too sexy," I shouted over the music. He winked at me before turning off the music and waltzing to my side.

"I love you," he said, lying next to me on the bed and pressing his lips against mine. It was one of those tender and delicious kisses that leave you craving more.

"Thanks for making me laugh," I said, entwining our fingers.

"I didn't want to make you laugh," he huffed looking semi-disappointed, but the smile on his face was contagious. "I wanted to seduce you into having sex with me."

"Sex is getting a little complicated right now," I said, rubbing my belly for emphasis. Lester eyed the belly like a parent scolding a child.

"Maybe we can Google some tips online," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm not going to search for pregnancy porn with you," I punched his shoulder, feeling a little indignant. The thought of looking at pictures of naked people made uncomfortable, and it had Lester laughing at the terrified expression on my face.

"I remembered that you're a prude," he said matter-of-factly, which earned him another punch on the shoulder. Lester winced, sat up, and picked up his tablet from the night table. "I suspected that you would react this way. So, I did my research earlier today and found some safe illustrations for us to examine."

My husband opened the imagines on the screen, and he was right. It was series of cartoonish illustrated were safe for my eyes. I cuddled closer to him, snuggling into his body, and we spent the next few minutes studying the guide in silence.

"I can't believe we're going to be parents," he whispered suddenly, and the wonder and love in his voice ached in all the right ways. Lester always wanted children, and we had tried for so long to get pregnant that it felt like it would never happen. It had challenged our marriage and my sanity in ways I never imagined. "What's going through your head?"

"What if I unconsciously pass down all of my emotional baggage to our child?" I asked, feeling the tears pool in my eyes. "And if you haven't noticed, I'm not a nurturing human."

"You're nurturing with me," he said, putting the tablet aside and wrapping his arms around me. "The way you care for me, our friends, when you accompany me to my appointments even though there's no need."

I snorted at the last comment, but it didn't stop him. Instead, he chuckled at my eloquent response and began a trail of kisses down my neck.

"You're honest, passionate and kind," he continued between kisses. I raked my fingers through his hair, fisting it in my hands, and pecked his lips.

"You help me be all of those things," I said, making sure our eyes were connected. It was from Lester that I knew when a friend needed company or assistance. He always pushed me and challenged me to bring joy to the world. It helped not to become bitter and wallow in the past. Nevertheless, he also gives me space to built myself up from within on my own, while he watches and cheers from the sidelines.

"Do you want to tell me what happened with Ranger?" He asked gently.

"I tried to address his guilt about the rape," I mumbled, feeling a little ashamed admitting it to my husband.

"Babe, I told you there was no point bringing it up." Lester cupped my face and caressed my cheek with his thumb.

"I feel guilty for being happy," I said, and this time the tears did fall. One by one, the droplets fell from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I wiped them away with a little too much force.

"It's good to cry." My husband kissed my forehead and scissored my legs with his own. "It's healthy."

"I'm tired of feeling guilty," I said, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

"Ranger's happiness is not your responsibility," Lester reminded me following a long moment of silence. "Could it be that you still feel guilty for what happened?"

I lifted my head, about to protest, but he held up a hand.

"Please, hear me out," he said, giving me a breathless kiss before continuing. "Subconsciously, deep inside perhaps, you feel it's your fault? It could be why you feel guilty seeing him unhappy."

"I feel like it's my fault that he's not happy because he no longer has a military career." I gasped at my own words, staring at my husband's gorgeous face. "As if I was responsible for the rape or sexual assault laws we were subjected. Lester, he was just trying to do the right thing. It isn't fair that he was punished."

"It wasn't your fault," Lester groaned, his arms tightened around me, drawing even closer to his body and into his warmth.

"You are such a smart man," I said, giving him another peck on the lips. In turn, he gave me that mischievous smile of his and sat up.

"How about we become real life versions of those illustrations?" He asked, and I realized he was positioning our bodies in a V-shaped position. I covered my blush with my hands, which only made him throw his head back and let out a barking laugh. My body, nevertheless, quickly gave into his gentle hands.

-rs-

We spent the afternoon tucked away in our room until our biological need for food called us out to the kitchen. We were spoiled with time, which we used to talk about the baby and to make love.

"I should check on Stephanie," I told Lester over dinner, and he verbalized his agreement. When dinner was made, I wobbled my way to the door, only to find Ranger standing outside seemingly lost.

"I am sorry," he said solemnly.

"Stephanie?" I asked, my lips tight.

"She's fine," he said with a deep breath. He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the room behind me with uncertainty. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." I stepped aside and motioned for him to walk in. Ranger's tall and muscular frame suddenly filled the room. Lester walked over from the living room with a sour expression on his face, his hands fisted.

"I came to apologize," Ranger said to Lester, raising his hands in defeat. "Could you give us a moment?"

"Lester knows everything," I sighed, crossing my arms over my belly.

"I owe you my honesty," he said, and I nodded in agreement. "The thought of Stephanie being hurt that way made me feel angry, and it brought back some memories. You were right about that."

"It's fine," I said, exchanging a knowing glance with my husband. "You were not the only one projecting."

Ranger slung an arm around me, tucked me closer, and kissed my forehead in an almost fatherly gesture. I curved my arms protectively around my belly and slid out of his hold, but he didn't appear fazed by my reaction. He had known long enough to know it was better to wait for me to initiate any physical contact. Very few people had my trust when it came to touching, and that included Lester and Tanks for some strange reason.

"Stephanie told me you wanted to visit her parents," he said, this time with a knowing grin on his face. "Good luck!"

-rs-

Thanks for reading. Please, don't be shy, let me know what you think.

Best, Steph