Once again I was presented with a request, this one from Emelie Martel (BTW, I love Em & M) to do one more chapter, this one in Ranger's POV... The problem? He doesn't have a pet. (and his gun doesn't count.) Hope I did it justice...

The lyrics in italics are from the song Creep by Radiohead. There is a wonderful acoustic version of it pinned to my pinterest board /spiffytgm/plum-diamond. Autumn has a beautiful voice and deserves a listen...

Month 1

The darkest part of the night is where I've spent most of my life, but things are different now. I look forward to this time, because the quiet is soothing. I hold her in my arms and dance around the bedroom, my voice the only thing breaking the silence.

"You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
And I wish I was special
You're so very special
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here."

I close my eyes and think about the journey I took to get to this moment. I try to tell her without words the hell I went through on my last mission. If it were not for the miracle of Stephanie Plum, I would not be here. I know all the way to my soul that I would not have made it out alive if I wasn't doing everything in my power to get to her.

She looks in my eyes and I know without words that I have been granted absolution. I now have the gift of unconditional love, and I am going to hold on to it forever.

Month 2

We've spent this quiet part of the night dancing to different songs, but Creep seems to be our favorite. I have no doubt that this song is written about me.

I don't care if it hurts,
I want to have control,
I want a perfect body,
I want a perfect soul,
I want you to notice,
When I'm not around,
You're so very special,
I wish I was special.
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here.

Today I think about the day I got home. I worked out an elaborate plan to get Stephanie to agree to give our Someday a try. I should have remembered that no plan goes the way it should when it comes to her. I remember the way she launched herself into my arms and wrapped herself around me. All I could do was hold her and breathe in her strawberry shampoo. For the first time in months, I felt alive. When she agreed to marry me, I was determined to move heaven and hell to make it happen as soon as possible.

Month 3

Learning to live with each other was a series of compromises. I will admit that I am very set in my ways and expect my orders to be carried out without question. Stephanie questions everything, and if she thinks you're trying to make her do something, she will always do the exact opposite. Stephanie likes to tell me that her biggest surprise was the fact that I never once suggested that she quit her job as a bounty hunter, but I would never stand in the way of her doing something she loved. I guess you could say that I learned to talk, and she learned to listen, but it wasn't easy.

She's running out again,
She's running out...
She run run run run...
Run...
Whatever makes you happy,
Whatever you want,
You're so very special,
I wish I was special...
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here,
I don't belong here.

The thing that I found to be the most remarkable was her determination to make our relationship work. I remember when her last car blew up. In the past, I would buy her a car and tell her it was a loaner, and she would drive it for a week until she could afford to buy her own piece of crap. She always gave me back the cars because she didn't want to be indebted to me, and if I tried to make her keep them, she would fight me tooth and nail. When her Corolla blew, I sat her down in my office and explained that I wanted to give her a car. I explained to her that I wanted to keep her safe so that we could have as many years together as possible. To my surprise, she agreed. She told me later that it was only because I explained my reasoning to her that she didn't argue. That was when I knew for sure that we were going to make it.

Month 4

Tonight as we danced around the room, I remember the day Stephanie and I got married. The biggest surprise in planning the wedding turned out to be the ally I found in Helen Plum. Stephanie was all for flying to Vegas and getting married by an Elvis impersonator, but I didn't want her to have any regrets about this. Her mother called her church and found us an open date, although I think she bullied the pastor into working us in, and used her grapevine contacts to find out what reception hall would be open for the party later. Best of all, she did it without setting the gossip world on fire with news of the upcoming marriage.

Surrounded by family and friends, the ceremony was everything I could hope for and Stephanie looked beautiful. Morelli tried to bust in and stop the ceremony, but even that worked out when I got the opportunity to break his jaw. I've always said that I'm an opportunist.

Month 5

Tonight we danced while I remembered the Honeymoon Stephanie and I went on. The stretch Hummer drove us from the reception straight to the airport. The car itself was completely over the top with long, curved purple leather bench seats and green neon lighting, but Stephanie loved it. We made good use of the full bar and turned the stereo system up so that we could have some privacy. Peeling the wedding dress off my wife and making love to her for the first time in the back of a gaudy stretch Hummer was the closest thing to a religious experience I'll ever have. When we exited the car after the hour and a half drive, I sent a text message to Tank, "Find out if this Limo is for sale and buy it!"

We stayed at the Beach Villa of the Taveuni Palms Resort in Fiji. For a month nothing existed except the two of us. We spent our time horseback riding, pearl diving, exploring coral reefs, and making love. We explored each other as much if not more than we explored the island, and danced in the sand of our private beach. I would have gladly spent the rest of our lives there.

Month 6

Tonight she wouldn't stop crying, so I kissed her beautiful crystal tears as we danced around the room. Even my soft singing failed to soothe her like it normally does.

You're so very special
I wish I was special
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here

I was counting my many blessings when a movement caught my eye. I looked up to see Stephanie leaning against the door frame, smiling at us as we danced. I looked at her and smiled. "Babe."

She walked into the room and kissed me gently. "I knew I heard someone fussing. I thought she was sleeping through the night."

I looked down at our daughter, who had calmed the instant she heard her mother's voice and was starting to fall asleep. "Usually she sleeps right through. It's me who needs to spend this time with her." Since she was asleep again, I laid her gently back in her crib and took her mother into my arms. Stephanie laid her head on my shoulder and I inhaled the scent of her strawberry shampoo. As we began to dance, I opened up to her. "I missed all of this with Julie. I never realized how precious it was."

Stephanie didn't say anything to me, but she didn't need to. I accepted the love and support she poured into me as we danced around the room. I started to sing a new song for her. The song we danced to on our wedding day.

Wise men say only fools rush in
but I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows surely to the sea
darling so it goes, some things were meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
for I can't help falling in love with you

A/N - The song at the end is, of course, Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. BTW, the Definition of Schmaltz... www dot merriam-webster dot com/dictionary/schmaltz