Sorry for such a long wait! life has caught up with me and it hasn't been pleasant. On the up side i was able to type this and another chapter:)

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Chapter 16

Carlos' POV

6 months later…

I woke up slowly from a very restful sleep and enjoyed the feeling of this beautiful woman wrapped around me. I shifted ever so slightly to take care of business only to find said woman snuggling closer into my arms and awakening another part of my body. I looked at the clock to gage anytime for morning acrobatics but came to the conclusion that I would be late for our yearly physical if I did.

Rangeman physicals consisted of fitness and physical examinations. All fitness tests were done yesterday, me included. It's important that all employees are on their A game and have no restrictions when doing field duty, even when installing security equipment. While overseeing these fitness tests I was very impressed at the improvements Stephanie has made to her life, and her career. Speaking of which it was time to drag sleeping beauty to the gym with me for our daily work out.

There are some days where I am gone from the crack of dawn till the setting of the sun and the only time I could have with my babe would be during my work out time or late into the night. Knowing how much Steph likes her sleep I made it a point to make her start her own daily fitness routine to spend more time with me. These past six months have slimmed and toned her body in more ways than I thought possible, along with increase her sex drive.

I turned to my beautiful babe and moved pieces of her hair out of the way of her neck where I planted kisses. I smiled as Steph slowly came awake, turned on her back, and did her usual morning stretch. Her breasts were pushed into my face and nipped one through the light material of her tank top. This had me rewarded with a slight flinch then a sexy giggle, and kiss, before she headed to the bathroom with me hot on her trail.

We did our morning routine that we had perfected and were soon on our way down to the gym. A few weeks after handling Ron's incarceration we finally moved all of babe's stuff into the apartment and started to call it home.

I walked mostly in silence with my babe to the tread mills where we started our customary 5 mile run and I went into my zone as I thought of my not-so-baby girl. Julie accepted the offer of doing the prosecution under wraps and was brought home by Rachel and her siblings a week after the incident. The night I went to the holding cell to "handle the situation" I ruined Ron so bad the men had to drag me away before I ended his life. He will not be able to piss straight, father any more children or have much sight in the right eye. My contacts from Rangeman Miami took him from our holding cells to one down there until my lawyer could meet with my contacts higher up about a reasonable punishment for his actions. Forty years in prison was his subtotal, if he made it that long for what he did. Inmates don't like child beaters.

I finished my run in record time and waited for my babe before moving onto weights then cool down stretches. Babe came off the tread mill and smiled at my out-stretched hand.

"Show off." She said taking my hand and following my lead. I could feel the eyes of all my employees following us around the gym as we did our routine and I couldn't help but think I wouldn't have it any other way.

Stephanie POV

I finally made it to my desk by 7 and was greeted with a full inbox. I had a good two hours before I was needed downstairs for my physical. This particular physical will have me on edge all day because…

I think I may be pregnant.

A few weeks after Julie went home and Ron was removed from the building I noticed Carlos was mopping around a bit. This was shocking for me to see because he was never one to walk around with his head hung low when life tore him down even in the slightest. I was able to ask him what was wrong one night and was stupefied at his sincere response.

*Flashback*

"Carlos, what's the matter?" I was able to ask after an amazing dinner cooked by none other than the great Ella herself. "You haven't been your entire self since Julie left."

My gaze was finally met with broken brown eyes and I couldn't help but drag him to the couch to make the surroundings more comfortable for this particular conversation.

After ten minutes of him holding my hand Carlos finally broke the silence. "Would I be good enough?"

If I wasn't paying so close attention to him I would have missed what he had said. "What on earth are you talking about?" I asked very confused.

I heard Carlos take a deep breath and sigh before answering me. "Would I be a good enough father and husband for you and our future children? I know will be in theory but there is this piece of me that doesn't know if I could succeed in having the American dream, a wife and children to come home to. I walked out on Julie but I am trying to make up for lost time that can never really be made up for. I have a dark side that likes to be shown every once in a while and I don't want to subject you and our offspring to that. I had to go on a take down the other day and apprehend a skip, while this guy's family watched. He wasn't a good man in the eyes of the law but to his family he was the world. I couldn't bare to watch his youngest daughter cling to his leg as we tried to apprehend him. We never usually like to do a take down while family is involved but our plans were changed when our skip was called home to pick up his sick son from school. How many times have I been seen as terrible to the eyes of the law but really a model citizen to everyone else? Will that be me one day with our family?" I turned to him during his break in speech and curled up in his arms, wanting to take these thoughts out of his head. I felt his arms go around me and his breath on my neck as he breathed in the scent from my hair. "I know I was doing my job but I believe it sucked today. I have thought about it for a while and want Tank to take on more responsibilities after we are married, or when you are with child, whichever comes first. I don't need to be in the middle of the action when I have a family to worry about. I've had my 15 years of aggressive fun in the military and its time the might Manoso enjoys the finer things in life."

I sat in silence and wrapped my head around what he just said before responding. "I am so sorry you had to witness a family watch a loved one be dragged to jail but the way I look at it you helped that family. You helped this man get the help he needs for whatever he has done so he can enjoy his family without guilt. As for not being a good enough husband and father you need to get those thoughts out of your head. Don't base your marriage to me and fathering of our children to the ones previous because you are a different man than that 19 year old boy you were. I bet you have done worse things in the military than drag a man to jail in front of his wife and children. I know for a fact the stuff you did in the Rangers was worse. Stop this un-ranger like mopping and get your shit together. We are a unit and will overcome anything. This unconfident Carlos is killing me and I want my over confident, egotistical, fiancée back!"

I felt Carlos smile into my hair before looking me in the eyes. "Thanks, I needed the pep talk babe. Now let's get ready for bed we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

I was carried into the bathroom to carry out my nightly routine and almost crashed into Carlo while coming out of the bathroom with my birth control pills. I bent down to pick them up but Carlos beat me to it. I smiled at him and went to take them from him only to be refused. I frowned as he walked past me into the bathroom. I watched as he flushed every single pill into the toilet and throw out the packet.

I stood there with my jaw dropped in shock. "Those were my pills. I needed those."

Carlos walked over to me, put his finger under my chin to close it, and kissed me possessively. "You won't be needing them. We're gonna do this, and it's gonna be good." That was the last coherent thing I heard that night.

It's been 5 months since that night. I had never gone back on the pill and we decided that if I got pregnant great, if not we would still have each other. Over the past few months we have had negative after negative pregnancy tests as we planned our small wedding. With every negative test I could feel a piece of me breaking inside. I knew I said I never wanted children but when it became a possibility to have one with the love of my life I never thought I wouldn't be able to conceive one. Carlos is my rock during these hard times and smiles his heart stopping smile every time we find out I am not carrying his child and he tells me to be patient and our miracle will happen. It builds me up again to see his confidence and I brush it off saying "there is always next month."

I went for a checkup with my Ob/Gyn last month, she knew I was having trouble getting pregnant, and was told that if I receive another negative to come back and she would set me up with a thorough check and possible hormonal adjustment medications. She also suggested that Carlos get checked, although he has already fathered a child.

Since today was our annual physical and it is in Carlos' report that he may need his swimmers checked Bobby is going to end up doing the test before clearing him to full duty. I find it a little humorous. For a few days I have felt a little more tired than usual, tenderer breasts, and more of an appetite. These signs along with a period that is two weeks late has me very hopeful.

Along with the thoughts of a suspected pregnancy I can't help but wonder what shit my mother would spew from her mouth about it. When Carlos and I first got settled into our lives together my mother had the nerve to show up at my fiancé's business and confront me about our personal decisions.

*Flashback*

I was at my desk filing a new report on a house that requested a systems check after a burglary when I heard a lot of yelling and commotion in the hall outside of my door. There was NEVER a commotion in the building and I knew something had to be up. That's when I heard it.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum! How dare you leave the nice Joseph Anthony Morelli for this scum of a man who calls himself Ranger. What the hell kind of name is that?! Marybeth Defrancesco's daughter would never think to give up a nice burg boy for a street hoodlum! I demand you men move out of my way so I can speak with my child and put some sense into her!" I took a deep breath, shook my head, and went to open the door.

All the men on the core team were in guarding my office like silent sentinels and were unfazed by the great Hellen Plum. "Do you want me to remove her from the premises Bomber?" Tank asked standing in front of his office door, which was right across from mine.

"No thank you Tank, I would love to have a word with my mother." I said staring her right in the eyes. "Les, Bobby, I would like you two to accompany me to conference room B for this discussion." I walked into my office, finished saving my progress and led the processional. I could hear the comments my mother was making as we walked towards the elevator and headed down massive hallways to the conference room. She was shocked by the many awards hanging on the walls not only for my Carlos but all members of the core team.

I sat in a chair with my mother sitting across from me and waited for her to break the silence.

"It is utter nonsense that you gave up the one good thing that has ever happened to you. How can you breakup with Joseph after all he has promised. He is an esteemed member of the police force, born and raised here, and is loved by everyone. The most eligible bachelor in town wants to my daughter and yet again she disappoints me by being with a man who is, from what I saw in the hall ways, way too out of her league." I had to process what she said before I could answer her and rip her a new ass hole to spew shit from.

"Mother, I don't give a fuck what you think is right or wrong for me. You can shove your opinions where the sun don't shine. Please get your story straight when trying to insult my life. Either you believe my fiancé, yes fiancé not boyfriend, is a 'hoodlum' or he is far out of my league. Both ways you are wrong and need to watch what you say about my future husband." I watched as she gasped at the news of being engaged and reveled in her feeling of shock. "Do you see this cast that is on my arm? Your dear Joseph Morelli gave it to me along with a broken rib and I was saved by none other than Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Now if you will excuse me I have a job to get back to and then dinner with my faithful fiancé if you don't mind. I may be in touch in the coming weeks, I may not, depends on how you take my news. If you don't accept the fact that Morelli is scum and would only be an abusive, unfaithful, unloving husband then you won't be seeing a lick nor hide of me. I am building a life, and possibly a family, with the man I really love and won't have you spoiling it. Have a nice night Mrs. Plum, its been a pleasure." I walked right out the conference doors and heard Lester and Bobby snickering behind me. My mother was too stunned to leave and was escorted out, I was told later, by Carlos himself.

I hope my mother will take this time to really question her judgment of character.

I laughed at all the things that has happened these past few months very glad that I never had to run into Morelli once. I wonder what was with that. Where has he been? Only one name came to mind. Carlos.

I glanced at the clock and knew I had to leave my office in order to make it to my physical on time and possibly get the answer I have been waiting for. Am I carrying the Bat baby finally?

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