A/N : Sorry it took so long to update. My muse was "clogged up" and I didn't have my "muse-lax" available. **wink, wink** you know who you are. :-P Anyway here goes the next installment. Enjoy! Rain (Jackie)

SPOV

The last few days have been hectic. First of all Morelli is really starting to get on my bad side, then Alpha is protecting his "problem child" Ramirez, and then Ramirez. Ramirez has brought the term "torture" to a whole different level. That phone call a couple of days ago was beyond wrong and disturbing on so many levels.

And speaking of torture, tonight is dinner with my crazy family. But at least I don't have to go through it alone. Ric will be right by my side. I can't believe he's putting himself up against Grandma's hands and fingers again. He must really like me! Either that or he's a glutton for punishment!

Which is why he is picking me up in an hour. It's almost 5 and we need to be at my parent's house by 6 or dinner will be ruined according to my mom. But I will be the good daughter and show up and accept her not-so-subtle hints about how my life is wasting away.

I only have an hour to get ready so I best get my butt in the shower and start the beautifying process. I shower, cleanse, shave, exfoliate, and lotion up every inch of my body. After I wash my hair twice, OK three times, a Jersey girl's hair can never be too clean, you know. And I can never tell how long it's going to take me to get my hair to cooperate.

It seems to be doing as I want it to tonight. After blow-drying and using my hot rollers, my hair is falling around my shoulders in soft waves. 'Looking good, thank goodness'. I think to myself as I head to the closet to choose my outfit. I settle on a pair of butt-hugging jeans and a snug yellow t-shirt.

I am in the bathroom applying the last, fourth, coat of mascara; hey I need all the courage I can get, I'm having dinner at my parents; when I feel a presence behind me. I look over my shoulder and see Ric's reflection. I then feel his arms wrap around me and hear his voice whisper in my ear.

"Looking good enough to eat, babe."

"Mmmmmm ... thanks Ric, but we need to get going, we only have a few minutes before Mom will claim dinner is ruined and blame me." I sulk.

"OK, I'll be in the living room, come out when you're done." He says.

"I am done now, let's go." I tell him.

I pick up my purse from the night stand by the bed and we make our way to the front door. Ric locks up behind us and we make our way to his truck in the parking lot.

A few minutes later we are pulling up in front of my parent's house. My Mom and Grandma are standing behind the screen door, as usual.

"Is it too late to turn back?" I ask him.

"Babe, it won't be that bad, I'm here with you. Just keep your Granny's hands and pinchers away from me and my ass please!" He sighs.

I laugh out loud. "No promises!"

I swear he actually sighed. We climb out of the truck and head up the walkway to face the music. I have my arm around Ric's waist, trying to block Grandma's access to his nether regions.

"Hi Grandma, hi Mom," I say as we reach the door.

"Stephanie, and Ric, is it? It's good to see you again." My Mom says.

We squeeze our way by my mom and grandma as we make our way into the house. I look over to the living room and call out to my Dad.

"Hey Daddy."

"Pumpkin," he answers as he momentarily looks up from the news playing on the TV.

"Ric, why don't you sit here and get to know Dad some and I'll help Grandma and Mom in the kitchen till dinner time." I suggest.

Ric kisses my temple and nods before sitting down on the sofa and joining my Dad watching the news.

Minutes later dinner is ready and Mom asks me to get the men from the living room. I call out to Dad and Ric telling them that dinner is ready and to come on to the dining room.

After a quiet dinner of lasagna, salad, and garlic bread, wait did Ric acutally eat lasagna, Mom brings out the chocolate cake for dessert. I cannot help myself, I moan through three pieces. Ric was looking at me with a pained expression halfway through the second piece.

We are making our way to the front door soon after, thank goodness. I can hardly belive we had a complete meal without incident. After we are once again buckled in the truck I speak.

"I can't believe it! That was the nicest meal I have ever had at my parent's house. It was actually pretty normal!"

"I can't believe your grabby granny behaved." Ric says in awe.

"I can't believe you actually ate lasagna, it's fattening you know."

"I can't believe you ate three pieces of cake, it will go straight to your hips babe." He jokes.

"You'll just have to help me work it off later, hot stuff!" I grin back at him.

I see Ric's eyes darken as he wolf-grins back at me and starts the truck. "Later babe."

"Let's head to my place and watch some movies while dinner digests." I tell him.

"Whatever you want babe." He replies.

We arrive back at my apartment minutes later. And of course, Ric has to do his standard security check before he will let me walk through the door.

"Is everything safe? No boogey men waiting to slash me into itty bitty pieces?" I tease.

"Smart ass!" Ric laughs. "So get whatever movie started that you want to watch, just no "Ghostbusters" please." He pleads.

"You're no fun." I tease back. I make my way over to my movie collection and choose tonight's comfort film. Let's see what he thinks of "Ghost".

The opening credits begin to roll and I hear Ric sigh.

" 'Ghost', babe, really?" He groans.

"Well you said no "Ghostbusters", so this is it, take it or leave it?"

Ric chuckles and leans back into the couch cushions taking me back with him in his arms. We settle back and begin to watch Patrick Swayze at his best.

RPOV

I sit back on Steph's couch with her in my arms. There is nothing in the world like quiet times holding the one you love. Whoa, did I just think that? Oh hell, I'm in trouble!

Halfway through the movie my babe starts to doze off. I chuckle to myself. I pull her tighter in my arms and decide to catch a few winks, too.

I am awakened by a crashing noise close by. I feel Steph jerk awake in my arms also.

"What in the world was that?" She asks.

"I don't know babe. It sounded like it came from outside, down-stairs, the parking lot maybe." I tell her as we get up to go investigate.

We go to the dining area to look out the window there. I am quickly scanning everything in the parking lot and the immediate area. I see a flash of silver in the distance going down St. James street. Just as I start to comprehend what I have seen, I hear a faint moan coming from the vicinity of Steph's fire escape.

"What the ... " Steph starts as she makes a bee-line for her bedroom.

When we reach the bedroom we don't see anything, but we hear another grunt coming from the window. Steph goes to the window and rips the curtains open. The look on her face is pure nausea as she takes in the scene before us.

Tied by sheets to her fire escape is a large black woman. The sheets are stained with her blood. She has been beaten nearly beyond recognition. But I recognize her as the whore on the street we talked to earlier in the week. She has also obviously been raped and stabbed repeatedly.

I look back at Steph and she is absolutely green in the gills. I pull my phone off of my hip and dial 911. As we are waiting for the ambulance to arrive, I try to settle Steph down.

"Babe, sit down. Put your head between your knees, that's it, push against my hand. Breathe in slowly and deeply." I tell her.

While Steph is getting back under control, I go out to the fire escape again to check on our victim. I feel for a pulse at her neck. It is faint, but there. I hear sirens getting nearer. I look up to see the ambulance pulling into the parking lot.

The paramedics make their way up the stairs and rush into Steph's bedroom. I move out of their way and let them work.

"How is she? Is she going to live?" I ask them.

"Too early to tell yet, sir. We have to get her to the hospital immediately. She has lost alot of blood." One of them tells me.

They get her loaded on the stretcher and out the door fairly quickly and efficiently. But they have left an awful mess on Steph's bedroom floor, well it's not their fault.

Steph is still looking a little green, but better. I ask her.

"You know who that was?"

"Yes, it looked like that prostitute we were talking to on Stark a few days ago. Wasn't it?" She asks.

I nod my head at her as I add. "Yes, I thought it looked like her too. You want to go to the hospital and check on her, don't you?"

She shakily nods her head. "OK, let's go then. I'll drop you off and then come back here to keep a look out in case he comes back." I offer her.

"You know me so well Ric, I am worried about her. That guy is sick. How could anyone do that to another human being? She may have been a prostitute, but she didn't deserve that. No one does!"

"She will be OK babe, let's go so you can see. You need to be reassured. I understand." I say to her.

She heads down to the parking lot after she grabs her purse. I am lagging behind and locking up the apartment for her. I make a fast call as I head down the stairs.

"Yo, clean-up crew, Yeah Steph's. I'll explain later. OK."

Steph is already buckled in my truck when I reach it. I crank up and head to Saint Francis, that's where the ambulance crew said they were taking her.

I drop Steph off at the ER doors, give her a quick kiss, tell her I'll see her in a little while, and to call me when she's ready to come home.

I turn the truck towards Stark. I have a few words I want to have with Jimmy Alpha.

I park around the corner and head up the stairs to his office. I fore-go knocking and barge right in.

"Yo, Jimmy, we need to talk." I announce as I stop in front of his desk.

Jimmy looks up from his computer screen and visibly pales.

"Oh, shit. What now?" He groans.

"Benito, of course. I told you if he contacted Steph again all bets were off. Well he did. He raped and nearly killed one of his whores. Left her bleeding and tied to Steph's fire escape." I inform him.

"Wait? That can't be true. What? How do you know it was Benito?" He stammers.

"I saw his silver corvette leaving the scene. It was him Jimmy. And that's the final straw. All bets are off now. He's mine!" I threaten and then turn to leave. I hear Alpha begging me not to do anything rash as I walk away.

'Tough!' I think to myself as I walk back down stairs and to my truck. The cleaning crew should be at Steph's by now anyway.

When I pull back into the parking lot at Steph's apartment I see a couple of my black SUV's that my employees use. I wonder who Tank sent to take care of this.

I enter Steph's place and see that it is Cal and Hal. Hal is a good choice, he is our resident evidence investigator, like our own personal CSI.

"How is it going? Find out anything? Get anything we can use later?" I ask Hal.

"Foot print in blood and a couple of black hairs in the metal railings on the fire escape. I bagged and tagged. I'll look into it when I get back to Rangeman." Hal replies.

I nod my assent. "Good." I tell him.

They have almost gotten rid of all of the blood and other debris. Everything should be all clear in 30 minutes or so. I only hire the best.

True to my thinking, they have the apartment clean like new in less than 30 minutes. They pack up the equipment and head back down to the SUVs. I shake each of their hands and thank them on their way out.

I sit down on the couch and watch TV as I wait for Steph to call. I wake up later. I look at my watch, it is nearly 6 a.m. Why hasn't Steph called me yet?

I call her cell phone.

"Yo, babe. What's up? How is she?" I ask her.

"She's got alot of damage, especially to her female parts. She lost alot of blood. She's just regained consciousness. She's in alot of pain. I wanted to stay till she woke up, that's why I haven't called you to come get me yet." She explains.

"It's fine babe, I was a little worried, but I'm glad she is going to be OK. So are you ready to come home now?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I know she's stable now and I am starving." She giggles.

"I'll be there in 10 and I'll make you a nice breakfast when we get back." I tell her.

"Sounds good Ric. See you in a few then." She answers.

I hang up and head to the truck to go get her. I stop by the grocery store on our way home to pick up breakfast fixings. I am in the mood for some steak and eggs. I'll be putting in an extra hour of running later to balance it out though.

'But it is worth it seeing my babe smile. Not to mention hearing her enjoy her food such as she does.' I walk her into her apartment taking the bags of grocery with me.

I lock the door behind us and make my way to the kitchen to start our meal. This feels almost domestic, I laugh to myself. But Steph deserves things to be hot! #################

Please continue to R & R. Your words keep me going and keep my muse from getting "stopped up". ;-) Rain (Jackie)