Author's Note: Okay I will keep it short this time! I hope my last A/N didn't come off super harsh! I really do love what you all have to say!
Disclaimer: You know what belongs to JE and you know what belongs to me.
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The next morning I woke up and expected some sort of awkward awakening since Joe was next to me in bed. But it wasn't, it was like two best friends waking up next to each other. I rolled over and accidentally smacked him with my arm he made a wise ass crack and we both started laughing. We got up and ate some cereal watching the morning news he offered to stay with me today but I told him I needed to check on Suzanne. I was glad he didn't fight me on this fact especially since I had something I had to do first. I was nervous we would get into a discussion about the kiss we shared the day before- I still wasn't sure how I felt. The kiss itself was heart pounding, weak in the knees- spectacular. But I wasn't in high school where one kiss could silence every question and concern- which ultimately led to a break up a few days later. I was a mother now and Aly was my first concern- and even though Joe was her father, that didn't mean he was the one meant for me. Not that he wasn't, but I wasn't ready to decide right now.
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An hour and a half later I was riding the elevator up to the 5th floor at Rangeman, I needed to talk to Ranger. I waved to the camera and said "Where is he?" and the door opened on 5- so I walked to his office and sure enough the light was on, shades were pulled shut. I knocked once on the shut door and since I didn't hear a response I walked in. Someone by now would have stopped me if Ranger was in a meeting or if I wasn't to bust in and bug him. I opened his office door and there was stoic Ranger standing behind his desk arms crossed over his chest. If looks could kill- I probably would have dropped dead then and there, his eyes were cold and angry.
"Shut the door." He said, the anger in his voice matching the anger in his eyes.
"On a scale of 1 to 10 how angry are you with me?"
"Off the charts." I slowly walked up to him putting my hands on his arms.
"What are you mad at me for?"
"Do you even have to ask?"
"Yes, Suzanne is my friend and she has been sick all week. For all I know she became so weak she fell down and was going to die trapped under something. All because I had to wait for a bodyguard to go in with me."
"Stephanie, did you think of what could have happened if we didn't show up when we did? Did you think about Aly- what would happen if Aly had no home to go home to? What about everyone that worries about you- and what about me? Did you think of what would happen if I got there and found you lying there dead? I pulled my people from keeping an eye on you, not just because we were busy and I was gone. But you also deserve more respect as a parent. No matter what you say now- I would have always blamed myself if I lost you." His eyes were still cold- but not because he was angry, but because he was scared. It was only a look I saw in his eyes when he was talking to me, and only when he was talking about losing me. I didn't know what to say- because he was right, it didn't matter what I had to say he would always hold himself responsible. Besides, I was alive and I was standing in front of a man I had missed so much.
"You should have said goodbye." I could tell he was confused by what I meant, so I added in, "Before you went off into a no cell phone zone apparently." He was trying his hardest not to look amused.
"I did."
"Oh what? In the parking lot, sorry my telepathy wasn't working that day. So when you mentally said 'hey Steph I'll be gone for a while. Don't worry I'll be back and don't freak out if I don't answer your calls. But I will call you when I get home.'" The smallest hint of a smile touched the corner of his lips.
"I figured you'd be busy with your job."
"Busy or not that doesn't mean I don't want to talk to you. I feel like we talked more when I lived in Wisconsin than when I live 15 minutes away."
"When I was driving to your house last night- that felt like the longest 15 minutes of my life." I uncrossed the arms over his chest, obviously he let me because if he didn't want to there was no way his arms were moving. I reached my arms around his neck and just hugged him, resting my head against his chest. I breathed in his smell- it felt like ages since I last saw him.
"You should have said goodbye." I repeated to him. His arms wound tight around my back and held me close.
"Next time I promise I will."
"Thank you."
"Can I ask you a question and get an honest answer? Seeing as how you owe me for almost getting yourself killed last night."
"I suppose." I could hear him take in a breath slightly deeper than he usually did.
"What's going on with you and Morelli?"
"What do you mean?"
"Last night he showed up to make sure you were safe and on one of my night sweeps through the neighborhood to make sure no one was lurking around I saw his car parked there."
"Well he stayed with me last night, but nothing's going on. I mean we talked about why he never came to see Aly."
"Oh yeah?" I could tell even without seeing his face just how skeptical he was.
"Yup- he didn't want to come and risk screwing things up." He let out a soft chuckle.
"Okay."
"What?" I pulled back to look at his face.
"Nothing."
There was a single knock at his office door and I let my arms release him, but he didn't let me go. Tank walked in and looked at Ranger, they must have had some kind of mental conversation because a minute later Ranger nodded and Tank walked back out. I looked at Ranger, then at the door, then back to Ranger. He smiled at the look on my face.
"I have to go, I'm late for a meeting."
"Okay, well don't be a stranger." His lips pressed down to the top of my head and then he released me. We left his office and Ranger was about to head towards the elevator where I would follow- but Lester came running out of the control room.
"Steph, wait I have a question for you."
"Oh sure what's up?" I looked over expecting to see Ranger getting into the elevator, instead he stood next to me arms hung at his side- waiting for me. Lester looked at Ranger and smirked.
"You don't need to wait around, it's not like I'm going to ask her out on a date." He looked from Ranger to me and smiled, "That is unless she wants me to." Lester winked, I smiled and Ranger's eyes darkened.
"We'll talk later." He said to Lester, placing one more kiss on the top of my head before walking away. Lester waited until he was in the elevator before talking again.
"He's like a dog sometime the way he has to mark his territory."
"What do you mean?"
"Like you don't know- I swear these new guys are learning it when they get hired now. All about Rangeman, and about how not to make a move on Stephanie Plum unless you really want to piss Ranger off."
"Oh yeah right, it's not like that." Lester rolled his eyes but brushed it off.
"So are you going to see Suzanne today?"
"Yes!" I had almost forgotten that Lester retrieved her from the home and brought her out to the ambulance. "What happened to her after you brought her out to the ambulance?"
"Well she was doing okay by the time we got her out there, she was still feeling sick but she was able to breathe fine. Ranger asked me to stay with her at the hospital until the doctor talked to us."
"Why did he ask you to do that?" Ranger didn't seem to think twice about Suzanne last night and didn't mention anything about her today.
"He said you guys were friends and this way if you wanted to know anything about her conditions- I could tell you." I turned and smiled back at the elevator where Ranger had disappeared from my view. Sometimes he really surprised me.
"So what did the Doctor say?"
"Well I guess originally she had a case of food poisoning but since she was unable to keep anything of substance down she just drank ginger ale. Well with the summer heat and no water- it really hit her hard only making her condition worsen. The doctor hooked her up to some ivs to get fluids back into her system. They kept her overnight I think so the cops could go through her house looking for evidence of who her intruders might be."
"Well I will go head there right away." I turned to leave and Lester grabbed my wrist stopping me from turning.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Oh yeah- of course I forgot you had a question."
"Well- is Suzanne seeing anyone?" A smile spread across my lips as I looked at him.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well while we were at the hospital and in the ambulance and everything we just got to talking."
"Do you like her?" I asked, unable to hide my smile.
"Well, I don't know her very well, but I can definitely say I'm interested."
"She's really great- from everything I know about her. I guess she has been trying to become an established artist since she was a child- and now she's doing what she loves." He smiled and nodded his head, looking down at the ground.
"Yeah- she seems different from other girls I've met. I only left when she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, but I didn't want to." I couldn't help smiling- sitting in front of me were two great people, both looking for someone. And the more I thought about it- the more I thought they would be really cute together.
"I'll put in a good word for you." Lester smiled again and gave me a hug.
"Thanks, Bomber."
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"Hey pretty girl." I said with a smile walking into Suzanne's hospital room with a 'Get Well' Teddy Bear in my arms. She smiled when she saw me, I could see the start of bruises along her neck- I had a hint of bruising but nothing like what she had. The IVs were still hooked into her arm and I could see she was still tired. This didn't stop her from sitting up farther in her bed to talk to me.
"I'm happy to see you- they told me you were alright."
"Yeah I was, Aly's dad brought me here but they released me."
"Stephanie, I am so sorry you had to be there for that. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be alive but just thinking you could have been killed too, really hurts me." I handed her the bear and pulled the chair up closer to the side of her bed.
"To be completely honest- I've been through a lot worse." She looked over at me her eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Are you serious?" I nodded.
"Before I got pregnant I was a bounty hunter, and for some reason I attracted a lot of problems."
"Is that how you met Lester and Ranger?"
"Yeah, Ranger worked for my cousin's bail bonds company and helped me out. Over the years we eventually grew closer and I got to know the other guys at Rangeman." She looked at me, but I could tell it wasn't Ranger she cared to hear about. "So I talked to Lester today and he said he stayed with you for a while last night." Her smile brightened and a soft red color rose to her cheeks.
"Yeah he was really nice."
"He's a really good guy, and he asked about you." She smiled more.
"Did he really?"
"Yeah… I can give him your number if you want?"
"Only if you think it would be a good idea."
"Well in the past I have to tell you, he sort of bounced around from woman to woman. Not that he cheated on any of them, it was simply just that he didn't commit. But he told me when we moved back that he was looking to maybe get more serious. Plus, if I give him your number it's his call whether or not to contact you."
"Okay, that works for me."
"Suzanne, I need to ask you- do you know who that was in your home last night?" She shook her head.
"It was dark when he came into the room and he just started beat up on me a little. Right before you hit him he had just started to choke me."
"I think there may have been other people there." Suzanne nodded and sighed.
"There was at least one other person in the basement, that's where I had my art studio. They destroyed everything down there." My mouth dropped to the floor.
"Why would they do that?"
"I wish I knew- but when the cops told me about my art- it felt personal. I mean how would they know to ignore everything else I had of value in my house. It wasn't like they sold them to make money either, they just destroyed what I had."
"I'll look into it when I go into work on Monday. When do you get to go home?"
"Tomorrow, they want me to stay another night."
"I'll have Ranger and Lester make sure to get your house checked over to make sure it's safe when you come home."
"Oh Steph, you don't have to do all that."
"Maybe not, but I want to."
"Thank you."
I stayed and let her talk about what happened with her and Lester and I could see in her face she really liked him. Eventually though I left because I could see Suzanne really needed to go to sleep. As I walked out to my car I called my mom and told her I would be coming to pick Aly up in a few minutes. On the way to her house though I stopped at Tasty Pasty bakery and picked up a couple dozen donuts. Some of which were for Aly and me and the others were going to be a thank you for my family for having Aly overnight. They never realized how thankful I was for them taking her. Not because I wanted a night to go party- but because who knows what would have happened to Aly if she would have been there last night. I walked out of the bakery and saw Ranger leaning against my car- I was happy to see him, but even happier to see he didn't look angry.
"Hungry?" He asked motioning to my bakery boxes.
"It's not all for me, I know how to share. I'd offer you one but- I already know the answer to that." I unlocked my passenger door and put the bakery boxes on the seat.
"How did your trip to the hospital go?" After a little while of knowing Ranger, I no longer wondered how he knew everything- I just accepted it.
"It went good she's staying the night there again. Monday I'm going to look into it, I do want you guys to check her house and get her new locks. Whatever else she needs, she has the same feeling I had- it was no random hit." He nodded but he looked at me with a smirk on his lips.
"What are you going to do for me, if I do this for your friend."
"What do you want?" I asked with a hint of a flirt, but I had to admit deep down I was worried what he would ask for.
"Dinner."
"Well, you can come over for dinner tonight with Aly and me."
"Is that your dinner?" His head nodded to the donuts sitting on my front seat.
"I can make something else, unless you would like donuts for dinner."
"Something else will be good. I'll be over at 6." Ranger reached out to grab my arm, he pulled me close and placed another kiss on my forehead. I watched him walk to his Porsche, get in and drive away.
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I picked up Aly and saw my mother had the ironing board out and was ironing away. Grandma told me they heard about the break in last night and I left before my mother's self restraint wore off. We stopped at the grocery store and picked up ingredients to make a nice salad with croutons. I let Aly pick out our dinner and she decided on chicken, bow tie pasta and alfredo sauce. I even picked up a bottle of wine to go with dinner. When we got home Aly played in her room while I hopped in the shower, once I was out I put on one of my tighter pair of jeans. They fit great on my butt and thighs. I put on a blue T-shirt that was form fitting and had a nice dip in the cleavage. I put a little curl enhancer gel in my hair and a few layers of mascara. Not that I needed to impress Ranger, but for some reason I still felt the need to look nice. Aly changed into a cute pink dress and we worked together to get dinner cooking.
At 5:50 Ranger showed up, and I almost fainted when I saw he wasn't wearing his usual black on black. His black T-shirt fit great across his chest and looked even better with a pair of dark wash jeans. They weren't overly tight but still fit great over one of his best assets. Even though he greeted me with a simple 'Babe' I watched as he took in my appearance with a smile. Aly was happy to see him as well, just as I was about to start dishing up the salads the doorbell rang.
"Expecting someone?" Ranger asked.
"No, dish up the salad and I'll be right back." Aly was kneeling on the chair reaching up to the counter to help Ranger put salad in bowls for the three of us.
I opened the door and suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Hey Joe, what are you doing here?" I asked him, afraid I may have made plans with him and forgot.
"Aly called me a little bit ago and said you were having people over for dinner and wanted me to come." I was trying to think if he was being serious, or just using this as an excuse to come over. Then I remembered- I left my cell phone with her and she knew what Joe's name was so she easily could have called while I was in the shower.
"Did she call you from my cell phone?" Joe nodded a slight smile on his face- it was like I was admitting I had no idea he was coming over.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked pointing his thumb back to Ranger's Porsche sitting in the parking lot.
"No- Ranger is doing some added security for Suzanne's house as a favor for me. We talked about it when I ran into him today and I invited him over for dinner as a way to pay him back."
"You look nice." It wasn't just a simple compliment, it was observation.
"It's nothing special."
"Did you not want Aly to invite me?" It wasn't like I wanted to specifically have a dinner alone with Ranger and it wasn't as if I didn't want to have dinner with Joe. But well as Connie had said many years ago- you can't have two alpha dogs in the same place. But what was I supposed to do? Tell Joe he couldn't come in and see his daughter that invited him, or kick out Ranger who was doing a favor for Suzanne for me.
"No I didn't know she did but we have more than enough food. We were just about to start on the salads, there's wine too."
"What's for dinner?"
"Grilled chicken, bow tie pasta and alfredo sauce, with salads to start." He smiled at me placing a hand at my waist.
"Smells good, cupcake." After placing a kiss on my cheek he walked into the kitchen where I heard Aly get excited. Before shutting the door I seriously considered leaving, going for a run and coming back after I was sure they were both gone. But I was a grown woman- I could handle dinner with two people that played an important role in my life. At least I sure hope I can!
In Wisconsin there was 4 chairs that sat around my dining room table. Here there was just the eat in kitchen counter with a chair for Aly and one for me. Joe was grabbing himself out a plate and bowl, I risked a quick glance over at Ranger but his stoic unreadable expression was on him.
"Well I need to grab the other two chairs." I said mostly just for an excuse to leave the room.
"I'll get them babe." Ranger said, "I know where they are since I helped you move in." He added, more as a stab at Joe then to justify himself.
"Thank you." I said trying to send him the best apology I could conjure up with just my eyes. Aly sat at the table talking Joe's ear off- not noticing any tension, I wish I could ignore the tension too.
Ranger and Joe ended up sitting on the same side of the counter while Aly and I sat across from them. The conversation topics were all simple ones, work and Aly. I had a few glasses of wine, not out of enjoyment, but out of necessity. It was easy to see they should not be in the same space together. I had no problem with either one being here, they both were important to me- and Aly. Where Joe was concerned I could understand he didn't exactly want to see Ranger here spending time with his daughter. But I wasn't just going to kick Ranger out of our lives, he had been there for us since I first met him.
After dinner I could tell both were about to make themselves comfortable and wait until the other was gone, which means they'd pretty much be moving in. So instead I told them Aly and I were going to have a girl's night since we were away from each other the night before. Even after I made that subtle suggestion neither looked like they minded a night of girl talk. So instead I said goodnight to them both and walked them out at the same time. I was in no mood to make it look like I'm playing favorites, they were both special in my life.
Besides- after I said it, I decided I really could use a girl's night. So we put a few cute girly movies, made some popcorn, and painted our nails. Then when we were so exhausted we decided we put a movie on in my room and just sleep in there together.