Authors Note: Some material gets kind of graphic towards the end. Skip over if you don't feel comfortable.

Disclaimer: This version of the story comes from my mind- everything else is from Janet Evanovich.

Before heading back home (to Morelli's home at least) I stopped at a gas station and browsed through their map selection. I couldn't stay here anymore, there was no way I was going to be able to be the person I wanted to be. I was always going to be the person people expected me, no one would accept my saying I was going to raise this baby alone. I wasn't going to marry Morelli and I was certainly not going to simply just be a homemaker. Not saying anything bad against those who are but that isn't me. I was going to take my 10% of the bond and use it to start a new life, I would pay off all my outstanding bills, move to a new place, get a home suitable for me and my child and get a new car. Plus, I would use the rest of the money to get what I needed for my sweet baby and it would even allow me time to find a job that made me happy. 50,000 dollars was going to change my world, and nothing was going to stand in my way.

I kept spinning the little rack with the maps until finally one stuck out at me, in big letters it said: Home of the Cheese Heads. Shit, I like cheese. I pulled out the map and found myself looking at the map of Wisconsin. I didn't know much about Wisconsin, just the fact that it certainly wasn't Trenton. There was a large dirty looking cashier standing behind the register flipping through a car magazine.

"Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"The maps are 5 bucks."

"I know, that wasn't the question." He put down the magazine and stared at me waiting for me to ask so he could get back to his boring life.

"Do you know anything about Wisconsin?" I asked holding up the map, this seemed to catch his attention.

"I sure do missy, I was born and raised there. My wife, well ex-wife wanted us to move to Trenton so here we are."

"Did you like it there?"

"I loved it there, definitely a different world that New Jersey I'll tell you that much."

"Where in Wisconsin did you live?" He gave me a smile revealing that he was missing a couple teeth.

"Not a lot of people know about it, but the town is called Fond du Lac it's not like a country setting. It's got about 32,000 people in it not too big you feel like you're going to drown in the sea of people but not too small where everybody knows your business." There was definitely an appeal to that, I was tired of everyone knowing every detail about my life and holding it against me.

"Is there a beach around there, is it good for kids?"

"Yup, it's right next to Lake Winnebago great place to raise a kid in my opinion. They got this park next to the lake with baseball fields, a huge playground set, and right across this little street is a Merry-Go-Round, a little train that takes you around this area of the park where they keep some animals. Plus they got bumper boats there too."

"What about weather- what's that like?"

"Well in the summer if you're from Trenton you won't have any problem with that- gets humid as a bitch though. Fall and Spring are beautiful and weather is going to freeze your ass off. They get a lot of snow, but thankfully it takes you about 5 minutes to get across town as it is." The cold I could deal with if it meant doing it on my own. Fond du Lac, Wisconsin home of about 32,000 is about to be home for 2 more.

"I'll take the map, Fond du Lac sounds perfect." He smiled at me took out his pen and circled it on the map.

"On the house, I hope you find your happiness, darling. You look like someone in need of some serious happiness." I gave him the best smile I could and nodded to him.

"That I could." I thanked him for the map and got back into the Buick and booked it back to Morelli's. Even though it had been my home too for the past month and a half, it didn't feel like mine. I felt like a maid and a guest, nothing about that place felt like both of ours. Even the furniture was all his, when I left my apartment I sold all my furniture and put that money in my savings account. It wasn't a ton but it was enough to help me buy all new furniture, well along with the 50,000 I planned to add to my funds tonight.

Morelli was still out at work so I hurried down to the basement and grabbed out my big suitcase with rolling wheels and two other large duffel bags. I hurried back up to the bedroom and packed up all my clothes, shoes and all my make up and things from the bathroom. Without risking Morelli coming in early seeing my suitcases I ran them down to my car shoving them all into my trunk and returned inside. I didn't know how I felt about all this, I was afraid to make the final leap into the unexpected but leaving like this didn't feel right. It wasn't as if I didn't love Joe Morelli, I couldn't just give him what he wanted and it would be easier in the long run to stop this before it went further. Morelli's office had a desk, bookshelves, paper shredder, computer and a bunch of other random things. I logged online and booked myself a one way ticket to Wisconsin, non-refundable. The nearest airport was in Madison, WI which would be about an hour cab ride after I landed. I decided not to print out my ticket but instead to just get it when I went to the airport. The flight time was in 2 days at 10:00am this would give me enough time to finish the last things I needed to close up the Trenton chapter of my life. The notepad sitting next to the computer gave me an idea, I knew there was certain people I couldn't say a final goodbye to without risking them changing my mind.

The first letter I wrote was to my parents, the second to Grandma Mazur and the third was to Joe. I put them in envelopes and slipped them into my purse, I knew Morelli would be home by 6 and I needed to be out of the house before he came home. That gave me a couple hours to myself, the TV couldn't hold my attention for more than a few minutes. I ate a little bit of lunch but that didn't take up enough time either. Finally I realized all I wanted to do was lay with Morelli but since this wasn't an option, I settled for our bed. I laid on my pillow with my arms wrapped tightly around his pillow breathing in his smell. The smell wasn't nearly as strong as Ranger's Bulgari but this was all Morelli and if I tried to explain it I wouldn't be able to. But it smelt like home and it really killed me to realize what I was doing. Where did I go wrong that I couldn't be satisfied with fitting into the role that was common for those wives and mothers of the Burg. I mean this was Joe Morelli we were talking about, every woman wanted him and would kill to be here. And here I was Stephanie Plum the big bad bounty hunter (sort of) running away from it all. It was almost time for me to leave and the longer I laid with his pillow, I realized there was no way I was going to leave it behind. But it would be the first clue something wasn't right if suddenly a random pillow was missing. In the top of his closet were a couple older pillows and pillow covers. I replaced the pillow that was now staying with me, I went down to the living room. Wrote on a post it that I would be out and about tonight and he was on his own for dinner. Then I locked the door and took one last look at the life I wish I could belong to, got in the car and drove away.

I wasn't stupid enough to know Rangeman had trackers installed in my car, so I drove to Mooner's apartment. He would give me company without questioning what I was doing, and I hung out with Mooner quite regularly so it wouldn't look weird to Rangeman to have my car parked here for a long time. I hung out with Mooner for a while, told him to make sure nothing happened to my car and that I would be back to get it. But if someone called asking for me they were supposed to tell them I was with him still. I knew Ranger had a tracker in my purse too, so I grabbed my cash, pepper spray, cuffs and gun and shoved them in my sweatshirt. I took a cab part of the way there, then I got out and took another one a little farther, then I got another cab and took it the rest of the way. Call me crazy but I wasn't going to risk anyone tailing me and stop me from doing this. I arrived at 8 and the manager Olivia was excited to see me. She had already filled in the girls about the plan and they were equally as excited to see me. So they want to town on me, doing my nails, hair, make up and everything else they could. When they were picking out my outfit they noticed my baby bump and I could see them begin to hesitate, it was one thing to have some woman they didn't know risk her lives for them. It was another to put this unborn child's life at risk but I assured them all would be okay.

By 9:30 I was ready and I checked out myself in the full length mirror. I could hardly recognize myself, first of all the blonde wig was beautiful. Long hair that curled in at the ends, the hair really looked like it belonged on my head. My make up was a bronze and gold smoky eye look covered with black eyeliner and tons of mascara, (with fake eyelashes, my lashes are pretty long but they were no match for these things). It was crazy the way it made my blue eyes really pop out of my face. There was a soft pink color on my lips, my nails were fake with a French manicure. I could hardly believe from the neck down was me, I looked so unbelievably different. The girls selected a baby blue corset that pushed my boobs way up and made my waist look small and the front went down in a little V that covered the majority of my bump. There was a matching set up baby blue booty shorts that definitely showed more cheek than I was comfortable with, my legs were covered with black fish nets. On my feet were 4 inch high black FMPs (Fuck-Me-Pumps), I looked like a totally different person. But I had to admit these girls know what they're doing- I looked hot and sexy. Olivia rushed to the backroom and told me Ronald had arrived, the girls took their places ready to make their appearance on stage. I got a couple quick sexy dance pointers and followed Olivia to the floor where the club had been totally transformed. The lights were off minus random spotlights on the girls and blue under lights on all the tables.

"Okay Candy, work your way around the tables do your thing honey and if you need something let me know." I gave her a smile and set off going from table to table dancing on the top of it holding onto the stripper pole that was coming out through every table. I was amazed at how easily it was for me to get into the role I was in, if I had looked like my ordinary self there was no way I could do this. This disguise gave me the confidence I needed, one of the girls brought me out a sheer light blue piece of fabric that I added into my dance. I knew the private room would be ready, Olivia and the girls strategically placed my cuffs and pepper spray next to the oversized red chair that was the focus of the room. As I made my way around the room I kept catching Ronald's eye, I had his attention.

Finally I got to his table, and I was feeling confident that I could do this, I took my place on the table and slowly started dancing with the pole. Looking into the face of only Ronald Ellis he was scum and part of me wanted to jump on him and just pound away at him until I could no longer move my arms. But that would never work, so I put all my hate into my performance.

"You must be new here, baby." Ronald asked me.

"First night, I'm Candy."

"You sure are." He said looking me up and down, I wanted to puke but I held everything back. There was no way I could blow it now, I could smell the $50,000 dollars.

"You wouldn't happen to be Mr. Ellis would you?" I asked in the most seductive voice I could conjure up.

"I would." I flashed him a smile.

"Well the girls told me you were their best customer and if I wanted to impress anyone, it would be you." He took the compliment and I saw him feeling a little cockier about himself.

"They were right."

"Well baby, I'd love to treat you to a private show so you could tell me how I'm doing." The men he was with scooted out of the booth for him so he could slide out.

"I'd be happy to give you some…pointers, Candy." He scooped me off the table and set me back onto the floor. I grabbed his hand and dragged him off to the back room that was all set up for us.

The moment the door was closed his hands and lips were all over me. Now if you would have traded this guy for Joe, or even Ranger and this would be beyond sexy. Right now I felt nothing but discomfort, I got chills on my skin wanting nothing more than for him to drop dead right now. I had to take control again of this situation before things went further than I was ready to handle. I grabbed him by his tie and kissed his neck.

"I need you to sit down Mr. Ellis, you need to let me show you what I can do." I pushed him down into the chair in he sank down a little lower and spread his legs out. I tried to forget what position I was actually in and put myself in a happy thought. I thought of how Ranger smelt like Heaven, his wonderfully perfect body, and bed. Then I thought of Morelli and how happy I was when things were good with us. I imagined laying with him on the couch watching some stupid game, but no matter what was on the TV his fingers never stopped tracing my baby bump. Instead here I was moving my hands down Ronald's chest shaking my hips slowly from side to side. I crouched down right in front his lap, he tipped his head back waiting for me to go to town on his Johnson. Yeah right. I grabbed the pepper spray that I spent 10 minutes shaking before I started my little career as an exotic dancer. I moved closer to him putting my hand on top of the lump in the front of his jeans. He slowly opened his eyes to look down at me and I shot him with the pepper spray. At the same time I slammed my hand hard against his dick making positively sure that he was going to be in plenty of pain.

"You bitch!" He screamed laying a solid punch across my mouth making my lose my balance and fall backwards. That wasn't stopping me, I grabbed the cuffs off the floor and as he came after me to attack me again I slapped the bracelet on his left wrist. I had to think quick, there was no way I could get him to keep his wrists close enough to cuff them together. Besides even if I did, there was no guarantee that he wasn't going to run, which would draw way more attention to this than I wanted. So with the free bracelet I quickly latched it around the stripper pole standing in the room next to him. With his free hand he slapped me hard across my face again, shoving me down.

"You think you can arrest me you little whore! Well I'll teach you a lesson here and now that you don't fuck with Ronald Ellis." He yanked my legs back and straddled my body, inches away from my sweet baby. He started undoing his pants, he was going to rape me, and probably kill me in the process. I tried to struggle and get away I didn't stop kicking my legs until he had a pocket knife placed directly at my throat.

"If you don't stop moving I will cut your throat and make you bleed a slow painful death with the last thing you ever remember is that I was killing and fucking you at the same time." I stopped moving, I needed to come up with a plan, and while I thought I closed my eyes tight. I felt the warmth of blood trickle down the side of my face, I wasn't sure where it was coming from.

Then suddenly Ronald's weight was no longer bearing down on me, I waited a moment before I opened my eyes. When I did I realized we weren't alone in the room any more, Lester, Tank, Bobby, Hal and Ranger stood there with us. One of them had stun gunned Ronald so he was lying limp attached to the pole still, but all of the guys standing over us stared down at me for a second. None of them believed their eyes, finally Lester was the first to speak up.

"Stephanie?" He asked and at first I didn't understand what was going on but then it hit me, duh the disguise. I had even fooled the Rangeman with this disguise.

"Yeah, it's me." I tried to stand up and Ranger pulled me up to my feet, which were still strapped in behind my FMPs.

"Hal you clean up here, get Stephanie's stuff. Bobby, Tank, Lester you escort Mr. Ellis to his temporary home before they lock his ass up for good." At first I was startled by the coldness in Ranger's voice, he was terrifying, I had never seen him like this before.

"I'm taking Stephanie to the hospital."

"No!" I screamed. "There is no way I went through all this bullshit just to lose my FTA at the last minute. I am taking him to the Police Station, Ranger! That is my paycheck."

"Stephanie, you can have the money but let them take care of it."

"No! I can handle myself, I am bringing him in." He sighed, the determination in my voice wasn't going away easily.

"Fine, let Bobby and Lester at least escort you with him since your car isn't here, babe." I wasn't going to turn this down, I was already exhausted with what I went through I couldn't deal with Ellis on my own but there was no way I was going to accept any money without feeling like I actually deserved it.

"Why don't you get changed, babe." He said as they brought Ronald out to the car through the back entrance.

"I don't care what I look like, I just want to drop him off." Ranger grabbed my hand and pulled me with him to his Porsche. He dropped my hands for a moment to grab something out of the backseat then handed it to me. It was his leather jacket.

"At least put this on." I did, without a fight and noticed the cold in his eyes was slowly warming up as he took in my appearance. His hands ran up my back to my hair and it took me a moment to realize what he was doing.

"I like you better as a brunette." He was holding onto the blonde wig, letting my own dark brown curls fall into place.

"Oh I have to return all this stuff, and my stuff is inside."

"We'll take care of it. You bring Ellis in but then you have to return back with them to Rangeman I want to get something on those cuts, and we need to talk." I moved my hand up to the little trail of blood, it was already drying up.

"It's just a small cut, Lester has a cold towel in the SUV to wipe up the blood." I nodded, I watched him for a moment as he moved his eyes up and down my body. He took a finger and ran it the length of my face sending a good kind of chill up my spine.

"I could have killed him when I saw him on top of you like that. It took everything in me not to end his life right there." His eyes held mine and I knew he meant it.

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's what you do, babe." He smiled and placed a kiss on my forehead. "Bring him in, we'll meet back up in a bit." I nodded and did as he said.

Lester was in the driver's seat, Bobby was in the back seat with Ellis and I slid into the passenger's door. I placed the cold towel on my eye brow, and soaked up the blood. I could feel Lester's eyes beating into me I turned to face him and saw him smirk.

"Can I say something without you taking it the wrong way?"

"I suppose."

"God damn Stephanie, you are sexy as hell. I mean you are an attractive person as it is but shit girl if you weren't with Morelli, and if my cousin wouldn't tear me limb from limb for touching you I would so put the charm on you right now." I laughed, this was a true compliment from Lester. I patted him on the shoulder.

"Maybe in another lifetime." I said with a smile which he returned back to me. We pulled up to the police station and Bobby walked Ellis in as I followed, I realized I didn't have the FTA papers. But somehow Bobby had them and turned them in to the waiting officer. All of them stared at me, mouths hanging to the floor but the only thing I had to say to them was:

"Don't tell Joe." They all nodded in agreement, I could have told them to strip naked and dance around and they would have done it. My outfit was very persuasive, to say the least. I got my body receipt and practically danced back to the car, my plan had worked! Well sort of, I had to admit if my boys wouldn't have been there, this night would have taken a very different turn.

We got back to Rangeman and stepped off the elevator at 5 and met with Ranger.

"Report." Ranger barked.

"Ellis was turned over without issue and Stephanie has her body receipt." Lester reported.

"Bobby, you are to take that to the Bond's office first thing in the morning and get the check but make sure Connie writes it out to Stephanie." Bobby nodded and pocketed my body receipt.

"Stephanie, we will continue our conversation on 7." Without another word he pushed me back into the elevator and took us to his apartment.