Because you love her- by jersey girl in oxford (sue)

Chapter 2

Morelli didn't mind out of town assignments. It was nice to get away every now and then. Safe guarding a witness was a boring job. With all the time on his hands, his thoughts turned to Stephanie. He knew she had been avoiding him. She hadn't returned any of his calls. He relived the Scrog incident. That was one of the worst nights in his entire life. Scrog had Stephanie and Ranger's daughter hostage in her apartment. He wanted to be the one to go in but was overruled by the Chief. Scrog wanted Ranger so Ranger got to be the hero. Shit…it almost cost Ranger his life, too. Stephanie's reaction unnerved him. Sure, she had gotten upset before but had never come apart like that. He started to believe that she loved Ranger more than she did him. When she admitted to him that she loved him, he thought that was the major turning point in their relationship. There was a twinge of guilt over the feeling of satisfaction that he finally had the upper hand while Ranger fought for his life after he saved Stephanie. Morelli knew Ranger put himself in that position because he loved her. Ranger loved Stephanie as much as he did. But Stephanie told him that she loved him. Thank God. But, she pulled away from him. Why?

Morelli took some solace in the fact that she hadn't been with Ranger either. Last he heard, Ranger was still in Miami. His instincts told him there was something between Stephanie and Ranger. He, too, could play the denial game. He liked to believe what ever did happen wasn't when they were officially in the on-again status of their relationship. Just like he would never do that to her. Sure, the rumors about him and Terri Gillman were all over the place. That was all they were….rumors. Morelli never cheated on Stephanie, and he never would. Could he ever forgive Stephanie if she had cheated on him with Ranger? It would hurt, but yeah, he would forgive her. Why? Because he loved her.

And as soon as he got back into town, Morelli decided he would do whatever necessary to prove that to her. He called her cell, but it rolled over to her voicemail. "Hi Cupcake. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I…I love you, Stephanie. Call me…please." Shit! He thought he would never see the day that he begged a woman for anything. He never had to before. God, Stephanie Plum drove him crazy.

Ranger planned to return to Trenton the next day. He called Tank to apprise him of the situation. It didn't take long for the conversation to turn to Stephanie. "She hasn't returned any of my calls, Tank. Is she back with Morelli?" There was an uncomfortable silence. "What's going on with Stephanie?"

"I don't know. She's been avoiding everyone. Family, friends, Morelli, us….everyone. I saw her the other day, and she didn't look too good. She didn't even let me get close. She just took off."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Ranger disconnected with Tank and immediately called her. Again, he only got her voice mail. "Babe…call me as soon as you get this." Something was definitely wrong. Stephanie always called him back. Even when she was with Morelli. This was his fault. He asked for her help to get Julie back from Scrog. He used her for fucking bait! And when she needed him the most, he took off for Miami. Yeah, his daughter needed him, too. But he should have known better. He should have at least split his time between Trenton and Miami.

Ranger called Tank again and ordered to have Stephanie followed. He needed some answers now. He was the loner…not Stephanie. Oh, she tried so hard to be independent. And in so many ways, she was. But, she never shut everyone out of her life before. He prayed that tomorrow would not be too late.

Tank met Ranger at the airport late the next morning. "What did you find out?" Tank rubbed a hand over his bald head and sighed.

"Not much. Had Santos and Brown follow her to a club called DuJour's last night. She was there with a man nobody knows anything about," Tank explained.

"Pictures?" Tank handed him a few. Ranger's breath caught in his throat.

"Jesus Tank! She looks….." Ranger trailed off. The lighting of the club was poor, but she still looked so pale. Her face was drawn. She looked terminally ill. "Why didn't you get any of the guy she was with?" Didn't he teach his men anything?

"Santos insisted he did. But he wasn't in one picture. He swore the guy was right up against her. Brown confirmed it. I'm sorry man. I don't know what else to tell you," Tank replied.

"Is she sick? Tank she looks like she's fucking dying." Ranger was beside himself. He had a nagging suspicion that the situation was bad. All his senses had been on full alert. But, he in no way was prepared for what he saw in the pictures.

"Nobody knows."

"Take me to her right now," Ranger commanded. He tried to call her again. Voice mail. The drive from Newark to Trenton took days or so it felt like. Before Tank could park the SUV, Ranger jumped out and ran up to her apartment. Out of habit, he started to pick the lock but thought better of it. Stephanie would be furious if he barged in on her and another man. Shit, he would be furious if he found another man in her bed. He gently knocked at first but became more persistent after a few minutes. He placed an ear to the door and could the shuffling of feet approaching. The door opened a crack.

"What are you doing here, Ranger?" She was wearing dark sunglasses. Her skin looked almost white against her dark curls. She looked worse than the photos. She made no move to open the door wider or invite him in. He swallowed hard at the thought she had someone there.

"I just got back, Babe. I wanted to see you." Damn. He couldn't see her eyes. Her eyes always gave away her thoughts.

"How is Julie?"

"Better. She's going to continue with counseling. Uh…are you going to let me in?" She stared at him for a brief moment then opened the door wider. She turned and headed for the couch. He walked in searching the apartment for anything out of the ordinary. "Have anything to drink?" She pointed to the kitchen. He looked in the fridge and was shocked to see it empty. He looked through the cabinets and found only hamster pellets. He mentally sighed before following her into the living room. She was curled up on the couch wrapped in a comforter. "Is everything okay, Babe?" She yawned and nodded.

"Everything is fine, Ranger." He didn't see any signs of a man in her apartment. He sat in the chair opposite her. They engaged in a staring match. She showed no signs of backing down.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Don't tell me it's nothing, Babe. You don't return anyone's calls. You look like hell. There's no food in the house. Don't bullshit me," Ranger insisted. It came out a little more forceful than he intended. She stood up and walked to the door.

"Thanks for coming, Ranger." She opened the door and gestured for him to leave. Christ, what was going on here? What happened over the past few months? She sighed when he didn't get up right away. "Look, I'm seeing someone. I'm moving on with my life. Joe is a great guy, but he is not the one for me. You don't do relationships, so you're not the one for me either. I appreciate you coming to check on me, but it's not necessary anymore. Please leave." Ranger was floored. She never kicked him out before. He pulled himself out of the chair. He took his time because he wasn't sure if his legs would actually support his weight. He wasn't going to push her right now. It was obvious that she was sick. Was it drugs? Did this new man in her life start her on drugs? As he walked up to her, she lowered her head and refused to look at him. He saw what looked like a bruise on her neck. He reached out to touch it, but she slapped his hand away.

"What's that?"

"It's nothing. Do you mind?" She waved her arm to the open door.

"I'll leave, but we're not finished, Babe. There is something going on with you. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you, Stephanie. This is all my fault…." She waved him off.

"It's not your fault, Ranger. Things change. You said you loved me…in your own way. Well, I loved you in every way. I loved Morelli, too. But I found my soul mate. Someone who loves me for who I am and wants a relationship. We are meant to be together. I just want everyone to leave me alone so I can live my life….please." She gently shoved him into the hall and closed the door behind him.