A/N not mine, I own nothing but the plot.

This is in answer to Margaret's challenge in the Babe and Plum family challenge on Facebook. Fall in love with the person who enjoys your madness. Not an idiot who forces you to be normal.

Fall in Love

Crap, another damn car destroyed. I'm already covered in Thai food from chasing, Louise Martin through the restaurant she waits tables at; pretty sure she no longer has that job. I have her cuffed and sitting on the curb next to me as we wait on the first responders. I cringe as I watch the POS car that Morelli drives for work, pull up and stop abruptly in front of us.

He stalks over to us, his face is so red it's purple. He has already worked up a head full of steam and I am his target. I tense up, ready for his tirade. He grabs my arm and yanks me up to stand on my obviously broken ankle. I cry out in pain, but that doesn't stop him as he begins yelling at me.

"What the fuck, Stephanie?! Can't you do a damn thing right?! It's time for you to grow the fuck up and start behaving like a normal woman, instead of a mad person. You're not qualified to do this damn job and you fucking know it..."

He kept right on going as I was starting to black out. I felt a familiar tingle on the back of my neck, but before I could even spot him, Louise was attacking Joe.

"You ignorant ass! Want to know why I ran? I had to at least say I tried. I knew she was coming for me, and she always gets her FTAs. She's not mad, she's fucking brilliant. Not even that damn Manoso has that good of a capture rate. I've heard all about you trying to change her so she could be "normal". Let me tell you something, she is in love with the one who enjoys her madness, but stays with the idiot who tries to make her normal, all to please her family.

"You, detective Morelli, are the idiot. Did you even notice the broken ankle you just forced her to stand on? Did you even care if she was okay? No, you were embarrassed. Why, because if she's better at her job then even you are, dickwad. Get the hell out of here and grow up yourself. "

Ranger is at my side by the time her rant is done, he scoops me up into his arms while we watch Joe slink back towards his car. He is about ten feet from it when I hear a whooshing sound and see his car go up. I guess the idiot parked a little too close to my flaming pinto. I had to laugh, there was no stopping the hysterical sound coming from my throat. The tears were rolling down my face. I can't even protest the hospital visit.

I was slightly surprised when I woke up in Rangers bed. My leg was casted and propped up on some pillows. I was trying to figure a way to leave without causing him any more problems when the man himself walked in.

"Don't even think about it, Babe."

"But..."

"No. For one you're injured, and second I think it's time we cleared a few things up between us."

I could only sigh. I knew what was coming, the entire song and dance. He's given me the speech before. I nodded and waved my hand for him to continue. Better to get this over with, like ripping off a band aid. I looked down at my lap, because I don't want him to see me cry over him...again.

"Babe, my life is dangerous. I worry everyday that something will happen to you because of me. I realized today, that I can't let that stand in our way any longer." He paused and lifted my chin so we are eye to eye and nose to nose, "I love you, Babe. I don't want someday. I want today and forever. Please, tell me I'm not too late."

I wrap my arms around his neck. "I would've waited forever and a day for you. I'm ready when you are."

The kiss was slow and gentle, full of love. When we pulled apart his blank face was gone.

"I've always enjoyed your madness. Normal is over rated anyway," he whispered in my ear.

A/N I know it's short, but it felt right to end here. :-)