I apologize for the long gap in posting this update. This chapter's been sitting for over a year. First, the convo between Ranger and Rachel just didn't feel right. Then, once I got that right, there were several mass shootings. Didn't want to be insensitive, so I waited (it was a similar choice for Shock). When I finally said 'f it', a six year old shot his teacher... Finally, I decided to post as rationally I know the unfortunate happenings have nothing to do with fiction...
As a thank you, this chapter is nearly 4k works. Let me know your thoughts.
P.S., I hear ya. Your fave work in progress story will get an update as well, lol.
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. The typos that slipped by are my bad.
Ranger's POV
Lester took Julie back to Haywood and Ella offered to be with my daughter until Rachel flew in from Miami. It was a tough conversation to have with Rachel, tougher than when she called me crying hysterically when Scrog kidnapped our daughter. Despite the assurance that Julie was okay all things considered, Rachel wanted to see it for herself. I don't blame her. That gut wrenching, nearly all encompassing feeling grips your like a vise, filling you with desperate worry for your child.
I was granted special access to see Babe for a few minutes despite her still being unconscious after her surgery and not officially moved out of the temporary recovery room.
It was difficult to take in such a contrasting visual. One moment we were bantering back and forth this morning, and then the next my world was upside down. Ending the day with Babe in the hospital wasn't, nor will it ever be, in our plans. However, given the alternatives it's an outcome I can live with. She's not out of the woods yet, but Steph made it out of surgery. It's good news.
Julie's safe at Rangeman. Babe is out of surgery. We'll be fine. We can beat this. Together we can. That's what I have to focus on to keep myself from going down the dark rabbit hole. Julie is safe and Babe is fighting to stay here.
Julie's safe. Babe's a fighter. Julie is safe. Babe is a fighter...
"Babe." I choked out as I approached her bedside, tentatively reaching for her too still hand. Pressing a kiss to her right palm, I felt tears prick my eyes and threatening to escape in a cascade of unchecked emotional overload. "You're doing so good, Stephanie." I encouraged, pressing another kiss on the too pale skin of the back of her hand, just below her IV line.
It's hard to believe that just last night her hands were skimming sensually over my heated skin while she expertly stoked the flames of desire between us. Scorching caresses, breath stealing kisses and our unique connection strengthening as we loved one another fiercely. Her unique, compassionate and loving heart that drew me to Stephanie more and more throughout the years shone bright when she didn't hesitate to comfort Julie in the aftermath of her nightmare. This morning Babe's playful smile was on full display, looking to get me to agree to their sneaky outing. Of course, it's always hard for me to deny Babe, even more so when she's teamed up with our daughter. Stephanie and Julie created their unbreakable bond years before, one that would have remained intact even if I didn't get my head out of my ass in time.
Now, my wife's in a hospital bed looking very, very pale and frail.
And still.
Too unmoving for my comfort. Babe is a blur of light in our everyday lives. She's only ever motionless when it's out of her control. Literally. Stephanie and stationary don't peacefully coexist. My Babe's gotta be on the move all day, every day.
"I'm sorry." My voice wavered many moments later, rendering me speechless. I've always felt responsible for her safety, even from day one after meeting her at that diner. Throughout the years that inexplicable protective feeling has only grown. It has skyrocketed more than I ever deemed possible after our recent wedding, officially blending our lives into a single shared one.
A small smile escaped regardless of the heaviness in my chest as I envisioned the adorable scrunched up expression Stephanie would be sporting at hearing me blame myself for something that was absolutely out of my control.
"We're supposed to be spending the summer enjoying Julie's company." I confessed I had planned for us to have a fully offline vacation week in Miami. Half the week we'd spend it with Julie and I showing Babe the sights. Then, I planned for us to enjoy some beach adult fun once Julie was back with the Martines enjoying their annual camping trip near the glades. It was intended to be a surprise trip for both my girls. Considering our honeymoon in Hawaii was so short lived due to conflicting chaotic schedules, and despite Stephanie being super understanding about our limited time away after becoming husband and wife, I arranged to slide fun down times in between our work rotations for the rest of the year.
But oh how plans can change in the blink of an eye. Now, instead of envisioning my wife sporting a distracting deep blue sexy two piece bikini while sunbathing on the beach by the water, all I want is for her to wake up so that I can look into her captivating electric ocean blue eyes. Screw busy agendas and hectic, nonstop work days. All I want is for Stephanie to be okay.
My ruminations were interrupted when the nurse came back into the room, telling me that my time was up. Technically Stephanie can't have visitors this soon post op, a rule that I had no remorse about breaking. I nodded to let the nurse know that I heard her. I was extremely grateful for the short few minutes I got to see Babe, although it wasn't nearly enough time by her side. Tomorrow would be a new day. As soon as she's able to talk, my wife will be orchestrating or attempting to bribe her getaway.
"I'll be here when you wake up, Babe." I murmured my promise against her left ear, not knowing if she could hear me. What I do know is that she'll most likely be out until tomorrow morning. At least that's what's expected based on the intel Bobby gathered and what I've been told so far by her doctor. It could be longer, but I didn't want to think about that right now. Only positive thoughts!
"I'll see you in the morning, Stephanie." Kissing her softly, I murmured against her lips that I love her.
As the Plums retreated to their respective homes in the Burg, I arranged a rotation to have one of my men posted outside of Babe's room at all times. Despite knowing the shooting was accidental, I still want her under tight surveillance while I go back to Haywood to check on Julie. I'm not used to this feeling, having half of my heart in the hospital fighting for her life while the other half is in my penthouse. Although the unfamiliar emotions are tough for me to fully process, I also realize that this means I've effectively terminated my once solitary mercenary life.
"Report." I asked Tank as soon as he picked up my call while I exited St. Francis, breathing in the crisp evening air after being couped inside the hospital for the better part of the day. I wanted all the intel my second in command had. Before I disconnected earlier, he was already running an important lead.
"From what we can gather, the boy's mother placed him in his booster seat in the back seat after their donut run at Tasty Pastry. As the mother was pulling out of the parking spot, she heard the first gunshot and panicked. When she heard the second one, she was already in the process of peeling out of the lot with the intention of putting distance between the gunshots and her son. Not realizing that the shots came from within her SUV, in her shocked confusion she drove off deeper into the Burg. The gun went off again, striking the mother through the back." Tank paused when someone in the background said something to him. After listening intently for several seconds, Tank continued filling me in. "The mother didn't register that she'd been hit until after pulling into her driveway moments later."
I closed my eyes when Tank said the only reason the boy didn't shoot himself was because the gun thankfully misfired as first responders arrived on scene to render first aid to his mother. The malfunctioning of that weapon was a life saver for that child.
Three people were physically affected by someone's irresponsibility. That boy could have been the fourth, though he's likely to need therapy after the whole ordeal to heal wounds that aren't visible to the naked eye.
"Apparently, daddy is a TPD Detective." Tank snarled, beyond enraged at the whole situation.
"Fuck." I cursed. Before I could give Tank orders to not only find but also bring me that asshole, my second in command interrupted the slew of fury fueled orders.
"Someone must have tipped the fucker off." With a clipped tone Tank shared that the asshole was in hiding, because he knows he left his service weapon unsecured in the back of the family vehicle. Presumably, rumor on the street has it he's been having some extramarital fun. While this detective was busy trying to hide his cheating ways, he became extremely careless when it came to something so vitally important. Due to his irresponsibility, we're currently living this nightmare. Babe would be getting ready to wind down for the day in our apartment on seven instead of in the hospital. "We'll find him." Tank added that Rangeman will have a chat with our wanted detective before he gets turned over to the TPD. My men love Stephanie so much that they're willing to risk their lives to protect her. Teaching some dick wandering cheater with a badge an unforgettable lesson is a piece of cake for any one of us.
"Perfect." I said, reminding Tank that I wanted to be notified when he found the scum before disconnecting. I'll personally deliver this piece of crap the 'speech' of a lifetime.
My drive to Haywood was a short one. It was dark, the after work traffic rush already long dispersed. A whole day gone, filled with unnecessary anguish and worry. All because of someone's carelessness.
"How is Beautiful?" I heard Lester ask me when I parked my truck in my personal parking space by the elevator, not waiting until I cut the ignition before he materialized by the driver's side door.
Seeing Babe's SUV parked next to me upon exiting my truck caused a stab-like feeling to spread across my chest. I've become accustomed to coming home to Babe. Or coming home with Babe. Seeing her Cayenne parked in the underground garage usually means that Stephanie's somewhere in the building. It's always fun to track her down, catching her off guard with a surprise kiss or teasing caress. Tonight, it's just another stark reminder that Babe's not here; that I could have lost her today.
"She's a fighter." I answered, telling him that she was holding her own as I struggled to dart my eyes away from her Porsche SUV. She's expected to be moved into a regular room sometime tomorrow, pending her progress. It'll be a huge relief when that move does happen. For tonight, knowing that Babe's under close monitoring and care gives me a small sense of relief.
"Damn right she is." Lester supplied before he filled me in on what happened on his end while I was at St. Francis. "Don't worry about Rangeman." My cousin, in a moment of utter uncharacteristic-ness, guaranteed that everyone is working extra hard during this crisis. "You focus on our girls. We'll hold the fort down."
"Thank you." I told him how grateful I am for everything he did today.
"No thanks needed, cuz." With a slap on my shoulder, Lester went on his way, possibly to finally get some rest in his apartment on four. As for me, I went up to seven, taking the stairs in defiance to my exhaustion as a way to burn off my bottled up anxious energy. Riding the elevator would only serve as another reminder that Steph's not in the building.
As I fobbed my way into the penthouse, I mentally prepared myself for the huge void that would await me. Yes, Babe and I have technically lived together for brief bursts of time in the past. Yet, living without her for longer than our recent marriage doesn't take away from the huge effect her absence will have on me as soon as I cross that threshold. After going to sleep and waking up with her by my side daily since we started our Someday, I can't fathom returning to the old status quo. I'll never want us to go back to those torturous times. Stephanie fills any room she's in, which is why I knew before I even unlocked my front door that the apartment would be shining with her absence.
Finding my ex wife making herself a cup of tea in my kitchen was odd to say the least. Ultimately another striking reminder of the unexpected horror we've been subjected to.
"Hi." I greeted Rachel. She acknowledged my arrival by presenting me with a plate of food. Seems like she was given the heads up that I was on my way up. That was probably Santos.
"You need your sustenance." Rachel was ready for my refutals, because she wasn't afraid to pull out the big guns: pointing out that Stephanie wouldn't want me to neglect my basic needs. My decision to not argue and sit down to eat something since breakfast was influenced by my wanting to discuss the resurgence of our daughter's nightmares.
For several minutes I ate and she sipped her tea while silence nearly reigned around us. My rumbling laugh sliced through the quietude that had settled over us several long minutes later. Steph would find this scene pretty funny, what with my ex wife serving me a meal despite our estranged relationship through the first years of our daughter's life. God, it sounds so ridiculous even. It's not as if Rachel and I ever hated each other. We both knew that we weren't meant to be even though we got married soon after learning that Julie had been conceived during that lust filled night in South Beach so long ago. Was there temporary resentment at some point on her part? Could be. Does it matter now? No, because we have Julie.
I forced myself to eat as much as possible given my lack of appetite, choosing to broach the elephant in the room. Bringing up the traumatic experience our daughter lived through at such a young age has never been easy. I still feel guilty that my dark past caught up to her, infiltrating Julie's innocence and forcing her to live through something that no one should. I'll always be grateful for Babe's bountiful unselfishness. She was willing to give herself in exchange for Julie, something that Stephanie did simply because of her altruism. That was around the time when we both realized we were in love, love with each other, further heightening our emotions.
"Julie was quite shaken up." My succinct recount of last night's episode had Rachel nodding slowly in silent understanding. "She asked to sleep with us, looking terrified that we may not understand and deny her request." I'd lie if I said that sharing a bed with Stephanie and someone else ever crossed my mind. My years-long machiavellianism where I kept defending my opportunistic ways to justify the whole means to the end approach cemented my 'no sharing' ideal. Once Babe and I blended our lives, I can admit that sharing our private space with anyone else was a hard no.
Rachel shared that the frequency of Julie's nightmares has reduced heavily through the years. "Predicting what will be a trigger isn't as easy now." Julie can go long periods of time being 'perfectly' fine, sleeping without interruptions. "When the nightmares return…" Rachel's sigh indicated the up and down progress our daughter has been through.
I suggested revisiting all possibilities so that we can offer our daughter all the tools at our disposal to keep her moving forward. She easily agreed to explore any and all avenues to help Julie thrive. With our daughter's active involvement of course.
"We as parents can only do so much to protect our kids as they get older. All we can really do as they cross that threshold into true independence is to be there and allow them to be open with us. If Julie's going through something, then we need to be there to support her. We'll be involved as much as she'll allow us to be." Rachel smiles as she sums up our conversation of the past half or so hour. "We're very lucky, because Julie wants us as involved as we can be in her life." When she reaches out to give me a pat on my shoulder, I allow it. Stephanie's been the only one that has successfully gotten past my defenses, touching me in more than just the physical sense. Rachel braving a tap is attestation of our evolving dynamic. "Everyone always likes to say how lucky Julie is to have four parents ready to love and protect her from the evils of the world, but I think we're the lucky ones to have such an amazing daughter."
I couldn't agree more. Julie's our godsend.
"Get some rest." In a testament to her increased comfort with me, Rachel 'threatened' to tattle on me. "As your ex wife, I'll be holding down the fort for your wife." The tease tore a small smile out of my bone-weary face.
I dragged my heavy feet towards the master bedroom, mentally bracing myself. The hallway light spilled into the room, partially illuminating Julie's still form in our big bed.
"She was already in asleep here when I arrived." Rachel said as she followed me into the room.
Again, having my ex wife enter the private space I share with my current wife, Stephanie, was also extremely odd. Babe would make a joke right about now to cut through the awkwardness. That thought and the sight of Julie sleeping peacefully on Stephanie's side of the bed was comforting, tugging a full smile out of my fried body.
"No." I shook my head while I tucked the covers around Julie similar to the way Stephanie did last night, telling Rachel that Julie was fine where she was. In fact, Rachel can be the one to stay with her. Stephanie doesn't care about such inconsequential things like someone else taking our bed.
Grabbing clothes from the walk in closet took longer than it normally would, because I spotted Babe's wadded up Batman pajama bottoms. Fingering the soft material, warmth spread across my chest as I remembered our playful banter before bed. I'll have the matching pajama set ready for us to wear once Babe's discharged. She'll get a real kick out of it. I can already vividly picture her bright smile.
The pulsating water cascading over me from the various shower heads did wonders for my stiff muscles. As I lathered, I briefly felt a faint caress across my abdomen much in the same way Stephanie did last night during our shared shower. Shaking my head at the odd experience, I sped through the rest of my cleansing.
I crawled under the covers, settling my head on the pillow that we selected specifically for Julie. Babe and Ella spent the previous weeks searching for anything and everything needed to turn my home office into a bedroom a teenage girl would approve of. Jules was quite happy with the result when Babe did the reveal after dinner. Babe specifically kept in mind that Jules would most likely want to personalize the space further.
As I settled myself fully on the supportive mattress, my thoughts revolved around Babe once more. I fell asleep with mental images of Stephanie's cheeky smile, transporting me to our wedding and honeymoon.
A familiar scent assaulted my senses suddenly, pulling me from a dreamless slumber, just before I felt the mattress dip with the weight of a body. The blanket was pulled back as someone climbed into bed with me, pressing themselves against my front while their forehead rested against my left pec.
Stephanie likes to cuddle up against my chest when she slips into bed after getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, taking advantage of my position when I'm sleeping on my side. I can be facing my side of the bed with little room between my body and the edge, and Babe will still squeeze herself in even if she has to cling to me to keep from falling on her ass. It's just one of those things she does when she's in her sleep haze.
"Babe." Without thinking, I adjusted my position so as not to crush her. Since I could feel soft curls skimming the underside of my jaw, I blinked my eyes open at the same time I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.
For a brief moment I was suspended in that wakefulness/sleep in between, gloriously surrounded by both the scent and feel of Stephanie.
As the slumber haze vaporized, my senses came back fully online. When they did, realization hit me like a cold bucket of water.
It can't be.
Babe can't be here.
"Yo!" I huffed, alarmingly yanking off the covers as I flicked on the lights. Gasping for breath, I darted my eyes over the full sized bed. Desperate to comprehend what the hell had just happened, I rounded the foot of the bed while I continued to attempt to process the scene. Babe was here. As crazy as that sounds, Stephanie was here with me. I not only felt her, but somehow smelled that unique scent that is Babe.
My heart thundered under my ribs, my breathing still erratic as my confused brain tried to decipher the experience.
The shrill ringing of a cell phone, mine, abruptly snapped me back from the haunting confusion.
"Report." My tone was clipped in response to my overloaded senses.
"Stephanie…" I was already on the move before Bobby told me what I already suspected.
Hang on, Babe. Don't go!