Disclaimer: I do not own the characters created by Janet Evanovich. I just really really wish I did!! I am just using them in this story. I only own Carmella, but you can have her if you want her!
Ranger glanced at his daughter, who was huddled up on the back seat.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked softly. She shook her head and sniffed.
"Did anyone get my shopping?" she whispered.
"Yeah, I picked it up. I'm afraid I couldn't save the Ben and Jerry's though." Tank smiled. She almost smiled back. I placed my hand on her arm, trying to be reassuring, but she flinched and pulled away. Tank pulled up outside the office and we all got out. Carmella walked wordlessly into the office and sat on the couch. Tank and Ranger were sending each other dark and meaningful looks.
Tank got back in the car and drove off; going God knows where, maybe to take over some unmapped country. Ranger and I stood outside in silence. I looked up at him.
"What did he do to her?" I asked. Ranger tensed and avoided eye contact.
"He tried to rape her, he beat her senseless, he broke three of her ribs and he put her in hospital four times. If she goes back, he'll be furious and do God knows what to her. If I get custody then we can press charges and put him behind bars. If he walks, I'll kill him." He said darkly. I knew he meant it.
"You go and talk to your daughter. I'll go and get her some more ice cream." I told him. He nodded and walked into the office. I strolled down the street and into the 7/11. After locating the Ben and Jerry's, I picked up two tubs and walked to the counter. The Pakistani manger looked at me and smiled.
"You are the bombshell bounty hunter, are you not?" he asked. I nodded and forked over a twenty dollar bill then stood waiting expectantly for my change.
"How many maniacs have you taken off the streets today then?" he asked.
"Just the one today, but I have a good feeling about tomorrow." I smiled, took my change and ice cream and walked out the shop.
Carmella was sat on the couch when I walked back in. I took two spoons off the coffee tray and handed her a spoon and a tub of ice cream, then settled next to her and started to eat mine.
"I was just at the shop and I got the weirdest craving for ice cream and I couldn't resist getting myself some as well." I told her. She smiled.
"And so it begins, you'll be like a beached whale by the ninth month." I laughed but was a bit scared that it was, in fact, a pretty accurate prediction.
"Where's Ranger?" I asked, noting the lack of his presence.
"He's talking to Vinnie. I wish he'd just hurry up, I want to go home." She stated. I suddenly wondered where she was staying. Maybe it was the Batcave!
"Are you staying in the office building?" I asked, trying to sound casual. Connie and Lula both stopped pretending to work and looked up, intrigued.
"No, of course not. I'm staying at Dad's house." A.k.a the Batcave.
"Oh right. Which house?" I asked.
"The one on Ha-" Carmella was cut off by Ranger walking back into the room. My cell phone rang and the read-out told me it was Joe.
"Hey cupcake." He chimed when I answered "Pino's in half an hour ok for tea? I'll have to meet you there."
"Sound's great." I replied and then looked over at Carmella. She still looked pretty shook up. I turned my back and spoke quietly "Would it be ok if Carmella and Ranger came? It's just that Carmella's had a rough day and it doesn't look like anything amazing is going to happed to make it better anytime soon." I asked. Joe faked a huge sigh. At least I hope it was a fake sigh.
"Yeah that's fine. I'll see you later." He said, then disconnected. One of these days I was going to hang up first. I turned back to Carmella.
"Hey, do you want to come out for a pizza with me and Joe? You can come as well." I added to Ranger. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Yeah, that'd be great." Ranger smiled at his daughter and sent me an appreciative nod. I sat back down and started on my ice cream again; feeling satisfied that I'd done my good deeds for the day. Ranger pulled up a chair opposite us and looked at me.
"You went to Trenton High, didn't you?" he asked. I nodded
"Yeah, it was great as far as high school goes. Got me into a decent college." I stated. I didn't want to go into the whole career path I'd ended up following.
"Good, I'm thinking of sending Carmella there." Carmella looked up, stunned.
"What?" she asked in a shocked voice.
"You have to go to school. You haven't been for about three months. And don't think we won't be having a talk about the whole going to Cuba incident. If you go to a school here then it'll show the courts that you have a stable life here and give us more of a chance of winning." He replied. Carmella scowled but stayed quiet. Ranger stood up and walked to the desk, pulling a phone directory open. Carmella turned her scowl to my direction.
"Y'know, you could have said it was a dump or something. I hate school!" she moaned. I smiled
"Everyone has to go. Wait a year and then you'll have the choice but until then, you have no say whatsoever." Ranger tapped in a number to the phone and stood waiting for whoever he was calling to pick up.
"Hello is this Trenton High School?" he asked. Carmella's mouth dropped in shock.
"Oh my gosh, he's actually going through with this. I thought it was just a threat!"
"It's not that bad, you don't have to wear a uniform or anything." I told her.
"Yes, I want to enrol my daughter…she's fifteen…her name's Carmella Maria Conchita Mañoso…M-A-N-O-S-O…yeah, that's great…ok, what equipment will she need?" he grabbed a pen and piece of paper off the table and started writing a list.
"Well, you've been a great help, I guess we'll see you on Monday. Goodbye." He placed the phone down and looked up.
"Monday, you're going to school. You need a P.E kit and the usual school stuff." Carmella continued to stare in shock.
"Monday? But today's Wednesday. That means I only have four proper days to get ready!" She exclaimed "I'll have to go shopping again!" Ranger paled slightly.
"Again? How much more stuff can you need?" he muttered.
"You have an amazing name!" I said to Carmella, feeling the unnecessary tension in the room. She rolled her eyes.
"You think so? It's ridiculously long. Mom wanted to call me Minnie, like after the mouse. Can you imagine that? Minnie Mañoso! It'd be awful! Dad insisted that I have a proper Spanish name. So my initials are CMCM. It's madness!" Ranger grinned.
"It's a great name, it ensures that you're different." He smiled. I looked at the clock on the wall and decided we should start walking to Pino's.
The walk was made more 'interesting' by Carmella arguing with Ranger about why she shouldn't have to go to school.
"But if madre does get custody, heaven forbid, I'll have to go back to Florida and re-settle in another school!" she exclaimed.
"No, you just go back to your old school." He replied.
"No I can't, I was expelled!" she exclaimed.
"Uh oh" I muttered, noticing the look on Ranger's face.
"You were expelled? When? Why?"
"I thought Madre told you." She muttered.
"No"
"Ah well, there was an incident involving some minor explosives and the boys toilets. It was political; they spent loads re-decorating the boys' toilets but did nothing to the girls, when the boys only use the loos if they want to smoke. It wasn't fair! So me and a couple of friends accidentally, of course, exploded a toilet. No one was hurt; I personally didn't see the problem. Anyway I was expelled and my friends were suspended." I was trying so hard not to laugh and could see that Ranger was as well.
"Why weren't the others expelled?" I managed to ask.
"Well, it was my idea and I was the one that actually did the detonating, so I took the rap for it. I was planning on doing a runner anyway, so there was no point the four of us all being expelled." She explained.
"That was very noble of you." I grinned. She nodded.
"I am a very noble person." I could see Ranger shaking his head in disbelief.
Joe arrived ten minutes after us and sat down next to me, planting a kiss on my cheek. He greeted Carmella and Ranger and then picked up a menu.
"Carmella's going to Trenton High." I informed him. He looked up.
"No shit, that's where I went." He told her. She looked at him.
"Did everyone around here go to Trenton?" she asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, probably." She looked at Joe.
"Do you have any sons or nephews that go to Trenton?" she asked.
"Three of my nephews go there, one's the year above you, one's the same age as you and the other is two years above you. A few of my nieces go there as well." He told her. Carmella looked more interested in the nephews.
"I don't suppose you have any pictures of the nephews do you?" she asked, earning her a dark look from Ranger. "What? I'm just asking!" she exclaimed.
The pizzas arrived pretty quickly. That was what I loved about Pino's, the service was good and the pizzas were delicious. Half way through eating, Joe's cell phone started ringing. He answered in his usual professional manner.
"What? ...that's hardly my speciality…isn't there anyone else? ...fine, what's the address? ...ok, I'll be there as quick as I can." He hung up and cursed under his breath.
"I have to go, there's been a fire somewhere on Hanstock Street, y'know the one with the huge houses, one of the houses is burning up and they need me to be there. They can't get hold of anyone else, probably all had there phones off, smart bastards. They don't know who lives there and the neighbours aren't home." He sighed and made to stand up. I noticed that Carmella and Ranger had gone slightly rigid and pale.
"What number on Hanstock Street?" Carmella whispered.
"Um…number 16." He replied. Carmella pressed her hand against her mouth and sobbed.
"Well, you just found the owner." Ranger informed him and stood up. Joe stared in surprise.
"You mean that's your house?" he asked. Ranger nodded and I could see Carmella's eyes filling with tears.
"OK, do you want to come with me? I know you can't exactly drive in your state." He offered. Ranger nodded and pulled Carmella gently to her feet. She grasped my hand.
"Come with me?" she asked. She looked so helpless. It obviously hadn't been her day. I stood, threw a few dollar notes on the table and we ran out to Joe's car.
Carmella was shaking throughout the whole journey to the house. It was unbelievable, I finally knew where the Batcave was and it was burning to the ground. We pulled up at the end of the street and walked under the police line/ Carmella burst into tears at the sight of the skeleton of the house and the ashes that were still smouldering. It had obviously been huge. Ranger pulled her to him and whispered to her in Spanish. She nodded and blinked away tears.
"I just can't believe it. Everything's gone. All my clothes, my jewellery…everything." She put her hand to her neck and cried out. "My necklace! I forgot to put it on this morning and now it's-" she burst into fresh tears and fell against Ranger.
"She was given the necklace by her Great-Aunty before she died." He whispered to me. My heart ached for her. It was so awful. A fireman walked up to us, looking sympathetic. I recognized him as Matt Baldwin, he'd been the year below me at school so I didn't really know him personally but he seemed like a nice enough guy.
"Are you the owners?" He asked. Ranger nodded silently. "I'm really sorry" Matt went on "We managed to salvage a few things, but everything else…well, you can see." He indicated to the house, then held out his hand. Sat in it was a silver chain with a cross pendant on it and what looked like a gold wedding band. Carmella squealed and grabbed the necklace.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She jumped up and hugged Matt. He looked slightly embarrassed but smiled. Ranger took the ring silently and stuffed it in his pocket. I looked over at him enquiringly but didn't say anything. Carmella attached the slightly blackened necklace firmly around her neck and sighed.
"I'll never take this off again!" she grinned. Joe walked over to us and looked at Ranger.
"I need a word." He said simply and indicated that they should talk somewhere private. Ranger didn't move.
"You can say whatever it is hear, it's Carmella's business as much as it is mine." Joe nodded.
"It looks like the fire was started with a Moltov Cocktail into one of the bedrooms upstairs. Whoever threw it must have had a strong arm." He explained. We all nodded wordlessly.
"I'm going to need you to come down to the station, help us think of anyone that might want to hurt or scare you and Carmella." He told Ranger.
"Ok, I'll call for someone to come and get Carmella then I'll come with you." He said and pulled out his phone. A few minutes later, a black SUV pulled up and Bobby got out. He walked over to us and threw an arm around Carmella.
"Don't worry about a thing Princess, we've got a whole apartment sorted for you and there are some of the clothes that you bought this afternoon plus a few more waiting for you." He told her. She smiled weakly and nodded.
"Hey Bobby, drop Steph off as well." Ranger told him.
"Wait, can't Stephie stay the night, just this once. It's just that you won't be back for ages and I don't want to be alone..." Carmella trailed off. I looked up at Joe who smiled and nodded. I looked back to Carmella and nodded.
"Sure I'll stay. I've got a load of new clothes that I can wear tomorrow." I smiled and we climbed in the car.
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Thanks to everyone for reading and thank you very much for all the review. Woo, I managed to update again before Christmas! Anyway it's the holidays which means I'll either be able to do loads more or I won't have time to do any! Thanks for reading. Keep all the reviews coming. Arigato!