Disclaimer: All characters and everything else familiar belong to JE!
This story takes place loosely after the events of book #27 and is mostly canon compliant. However this story will progress past the books and allow our favorite characters to actually grow and come to terms with their happily ever afters.
SPOV
"Ughhhh" What is that noise?! My head was pounding but I rolled over onto my back and slowly sat up. I looked around the room to see my phone buzzing on the nightstand next to my bed. I picked it up to find 23 missed calls, a few from Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, Valerie, and even some of my Merry Men. The last 15 were from my mother. I put the phone back down as I laid my head back on the pillow.
I didn't need to listen to any of the messages. I knew exactly what they said.
Flashback
It all started yesterday, I was getting ready for the New Year's Eve party at this new club Enchantress with Lula and Connie. I was going to go with my boyfriend Joe Morelli and his cop friends to the Pino's party, but he canceled shortly after Christmas claiming he had to work due to the staffing shortages during the holidays. At first, I was disappointed but honestly, I was excited to have a much-needed girl's night out after a difficult joint Christmas with the Plum's and Morellis.
The affair went exactly how you'd think it would with too much food, watching people get gifts they didn't really want, and my mom Helen Plum and Angie Morelli tag teaming me and Joe on the whole marriage and babies thing. Recently we have been in a on-stage but Joe has been increasingly distant over the last few months starting just before my 31st birthday in October. Joe was working that day, so we didn't get to celebrate together but he brought over a meatball sub the next day and we watched football the following Sunday at his brother's house. My parents had invited me over for dinner instead, so I spent the night with them and ate Pineapple Upside Down cake. Not the best birthday but fairly normal as far as my life goes. I actually ended up spending the earlier part of the day with my Merry Men running searches on my most recent FTA's and helping Hal come up with some ideas on how to track him down. No one there knew it was my birthday and the only one who did was called into the wind a few weeks prior to that. I had wished he had been there so at least someone would've wished me a happy birthday but it was still nice to spend the day surrounded by people who made me happy.
The weeks following that progressed extremely similarly and agonizingly slow. I would get up, go to the bonds office, pick up my files, pick up Lula, catch the FTA's, haul them into TPD, pick up dinner, watch a game, and go to bed. If the FTA's had been difficult to track down I went into Rangeman and ran my searches and helped the guys out with theirs in exchange for their services. Joe and I only hung out once a week or so, he always brought Pino's followed by hot and sweaty sex. However he never stayed too long and I refused to move back into his house. On the brightside I haven't blown up any cars in the last 3 months. With the cold weather fewer people were skipping bail so I didn't have a lot of money to work with these days anyways. Note to self I really need to create a savings plan for this year. I may not be planning a future of any kind right now but having more money than my monthly rent and food costs in my bank account would be nice. The holidays passed quickly with invitations to both the Plums and the Morellis for Thanksgiving and then a joint Christmas Party. The monotony of my life was starting to drive me crazy around November. Sure I wasn't exactly struggling with my life right now, sure I only manage to get 1 out of 3 of my skips in without a struggle or covered in something gross and I had a steady relationship but none of it was making me happy and none of it screamed successful or fun. That's why when Joe canceled and Lula asked if I wanted to join her and Connie for New Year's I was excited to finally get out of my routine, let my hair down, and dance!
I had gotten a brand new silver dress that hugged my waist just right and flitted out at the bottom so it created the perfect flowing motion when I twirled. I wore a pale blue lingerie set and compression shorts over my panties so I didn't flash the world when I danced. I paired it with 4in silver strappy heels, a matching earring and necklace set with fake diamonds, and my favorite baby blue shawl. I pulled my hair into a half up half down look so I looked presentable, but it wasn't too much in my way when dancing. I finished the look off with a silvery blue eyeshadow, a couple swipes of mascara, and light pink lipstick called shameless.
Lula picked me up at 10:15 and we headed off to meet Connie at the club. We got to the club just before 11 and saw that it was becoming quite busy, but the line wasn't too long and they were still letting people in. We got in line and were almost immediately let in by the bouncer. The club was 2 stories, the first floor held the dance floor, the second floor was a balcony level that wrapped around but looked over the dance floor. There were bars that took up the back wall on both floors. The first floor also had tables and chairs all around the floor. The second floor was mostly booth seating by the wall but the front of the balcony was open and had lots of couples talking and looking over the dancers. The ceiling had lots of colorful lights and a big jumbotron type screen hanging from the center with a disco ball.
I took off for the bar while Lula and Connie grabbed us a table off to the side on the first floor. I ordered a drink for each of us and joined them at the table they picked out. We drained our glasses as we gossiped about the latest happenings of the burg and our relationships. Lula was seeing Tank again, they apparently sat down and had a long discussion that ended with both of them compromising on their lifestyles. I was actually rather jealous anytime I tried to do something I wanted in my relationship, Joe would start going off about me quitting my job, marrying him, and raising his kids. I hated fighting with him so I hadn't picked any fights lately but sometimes we would still get into it if I showed up at the station with my skip and covered in garbage. Connie was still single but she had been going on this new dating site called cupid and had actually found a guy that she was enjoying talking to. They hadn't been on a date yet but she was taking it slow by keeping it in the what's your favorite color stage.
After finishing our drinks we decided to spend some time on the dance floor. They were playing some great music and I really just wanted to lose myself in the moment. We were having a blast when I heard some of the noise around us still. I looked behind me to find Tank Bobby, Lester, Hal, and some of the other Rangeman guys who had decided to join us around 11:30 after getting off shift. Tank immediately started dancing with Lula, Bobby started dancing with Connie, and the others all quickly found a single woman who had magically appeared around us to dance with. A few of them took me for a couple passes around the dance floor but I knew none of them would dare go more than twice even though Ranger was away.
The DJ stopped the music about ten minutes before midnight to announce that the countdown would begin soon so if we didn't have a drink in hand or someone to kiss at midnight, we should make those arrangements now. I didn't have anyone to kiss so I made my way to the bar to grab another drink for myself before heading my way back to the group on the other side of the floor. I turned around and started my way back over about two minutes until midnight. It was taking forever to get through as more people had joined the dance floor for the countdown. I was looking down trying to watch my step until the crowd started counting with 60 seconds left. I was almost to the group but still had a few more steps to get through by the time they hit ten. I decided to look up at that moment right at Joe standing on the balcony with his arms wrapped around a young woman with brown hair and a big chest. The crowd around us hit zero and everyone started cheering and kissing their partners. I watched as Joe leaned in and planted a kiss on the woman and it quickly developed into an R rated scene. I apparently was in shock because I dropped my glass causing all of the Merry Men, Lula, and Connie to stop celebrating and turn around to look up at what I was seeing. A couple of them tried to get my attention but all I was seeing was red.
I was so incredibly hurt and angry that once again the steady relationship I had found myself in was ending due to a no-good cheating man and me publicly humiliated and alone for the second time. I ran out of there with everyone still trying to get my attention. I pulled out my phone and called an uber to pick me up and take me home. Luckily the club was downtown so there were tons of drivers around. I was immediately able to one before anyone could stop me. Once I got home and locked the door I broke down crying on the floor in front of my door. Eventually I got up, climbed into bed and fell asleep.
End Flashback
Which is how I found myself this morning still in bed, still in my dress, and makeup smeared over everything. I picked my phone back up and glanced at the time it was almost noon, but I had no desire to do anything. Except change into some comfy clothes, watch ghostbusters, and eat ice cream. I walked over to the kitchen to find Rex wasn't on his wheel but I pulled some grapes from the fridge and threw them into his cage. However, he didn't run out to get them so I tapped on the glass a little. When he still didn't come out I looked into the soup can to see him laying in the back except it didn't look like he was sleeping. I took the can out and shuffled him into my hands. He laid stiff and unresponsive in my hands and for the second time in 24 hours my life crumbled and my eyes filled with tears. I placed him back in his soup can and sat down on my kitchen floor as the grief flooded my head.
I wasn't sure how long I sat there but I got up and went to my room to find a shoe box to place him in to bury him somewhere nice. I could do it in my parents back yard but that just didn't seem special enough so I decided that I would pack up and head out to Point Pleasant. Maybe while I'm there I can figure out how to move on and what I actually want in life. It's a New Year after all might as well make some resolutions. I pulled up my laptop researching hotels that wouldn't break my bank account and then went to pack up. After packing enough clothes for a week and all of my hair and make-up necessities I grabbed Rex's box and headed out. Before getting to my car I realized that I didn't tell anyone where I was going and I had promised Ranger before he left that I would keep myself as safe as I possibly could so I pulled my phone out and texted Lula and Tank.
I'm fine. Going to Point Pleasant. Will be back eventually.
P.S. don't worry about Rex, he's on the big hamster wheel in the sky.
RPOV
I was sitting in a jungle in the middle of Columbia slightly dehydrated, exhausted, and bruised all over my body waiting for my informant to return to the shed I was staying in so I could carry out my mission and return home. This was my very last mission ever for the government. My 10-year contract ended as of the first of this year and I was electing not to renew. I was getting too old for these missions and there were plenty of stronger younger men with no attachments willing and able to do the job. I also now had Rangeman. We were operating in the black at the time I left and were still successfully building our portfolio every month. Plus, a certain curly haired blue-eyed woman from the Burg was waiting for her someday and I was going to give it to her.
I hadn't actually told anyone my plans to solidify my relationship with Stephanie, but I was hoping that they would approve of my decision. When I left she was still seeing the cop and they seemed to be going steady so I knew it was going to be a challenge unless something major happened while I was here but I was prepared. To be honest I was actually planning on renewing my contract for 2 years after this mission but a few weeks into my current situation I started to think differently and then I started to plan.
Flashback
I left mid September with the task of going into Columbia and taking out the head of the De La Cruz crime family. The government wanted him taken out before the family started getting into drug trafficking on top of the gun trafficking they were already doing. If they were successful it would essentially start a war between the De La Cruz and the Santiago families. The Santiago family was the current leader in drug trafficking out of Columbia and the government knew that if the De La Cruz family breached the unwritten truce by getting into the trade then as Lula would put it the collapse of another South American countries government would occur.
Before I left I did everything I normally did before a mission. I called my family members to inform them I would be out of touch and to call Tank if they needed anything. I informed Tank that I would be leaving and walked him through my updated strategic plan for Rangeman. I informed the rest of the core team and leadership teams that I was leaving. I contacted my Lawyer and updated my will and beneficiaries. Finally, I stopped by the bond's office to tell Stephanie I was leaving.
I walked into the office to see her gossiping with Connie and Lula. She was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt that showed off her curves in the most perfect way, she really was a beautiful woman even if she didn't see it. Her spine stiffened as soon I walked in like it always does and she turned around to look up into my eyes as I placed my hand on the back of her neck. I asked to talk with me outside for a minute and turned towards the door. As soon as we made it outside and I pulled her into the alley I pushed her up against the wall and kissed her senseless until her knees gave out. I held her up and pulled back to look into her beautiful blue eyes. I told her that I was leaving and that I wasn't sure when I would be back. She looked sad but knew that it wasn't going to change anything if she protested it. I asked her to call Tank and keep herself safe. She grumbled a little before giving in and promising to follow my request. I kissed her one more time before turning away, bidding our normal salutations of "Don't Get Shot" and "Don't Go Crazy" before getting in my car to head to the airport.
When I first got to Columbia everything was moving quickly. My informant was feeding me information on the location of Armando De La Cruz, the head of the crime family and I was starting to put a plan together. I thought it was actually going to go smoothly this time but boy was I wrong. As I was putting the final touches on my plan my informant was discovered by the family and killed. Fortunately for me the family didn't know who he was informing but they packed up all of their operations and moved into a different compound. I found out a week later that the family was informed by a traitorous member of another Ranger team who knew I was on the mission. I was so incredibly frustrated and fed up with the botched mission that it caused me to start thinking more critically about my future.
I was sitting in my shed waiting for my handler to get some intel on a potential new informant when I was letting my wander and remembered that Steph's birthday was likely to have occurred recently. I knew she didn't like to make a big deal of it but I really hope that she at least had a good one and that someone had wished her a happy birthday. I had a background check done on her when we first met but I wasn't sure if any of my men actually read the full report or had just the basics. The basics detailed her known associates, potential enemies, and car history. I didn't keep any personal details in it hoping to give her a little of her privacy back so she could let the men get to know her on their own. Thinking of her and how she spent her birthday made me realize how much I wanted to be there celebrating with her. So, I decided at that moment that I never wanted to miss another one again.
End Flashback
From there I developed a resolution to change my life but first I needed a plan, Operation Someday. I knew the first step would be to restructure Rangeman so that I could rely more on my team and spend more time with her. While I was working on that I would increase my presence in Steph's life. Normally I would try to keep my distance and push her away so she wouldn't get her hopes up but I knew that if I let things continue that way she wouldn't recognize we had made it to our someday. Third, I would talk to her about all of the bullshit I've said to her over the years and tell her it was no longer true. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to accomplish all that but I knew it was a necessary part of this operation. I had come up with other bits and pieces to the plan but until I made it out of the godforsaken jungle it wasn't the most pressing operation in my life.
It took a little while for the government to apprehend the internal mole and find a new informant that was reliable and provided relevant information but about 8 weeks after the initial plans failed, I was finally able to start a new plan to take out Armando De La Cruz. It would take me until just after Christmas to neutralize the situation and then after that I would go home, debrief, renegotiate my obligations with the government, and begin operation someday.