A/N: WARNING: GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND ABUSE BETWEEN THE "SMSMSM" YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Stephanie was tired, and her clothes were dirty. She stripped, then climbed into the shower, relaxing when the hot water washed away the trials of the day. Her heart pounded when she heard someone in the apartment. Shit! Was Ramirez in her apartment? Did he find a way to get inside while she was vulnerable? Her heart momentarily stopped when a blur appeared on the other side of the shower curtain. Stephanie was afraid Ramirez asked the super for a key.
She screamed and threw her shampoo bottle when someone tore the shower curtain off the hooks. "What the fuck are you doing?" Stephanie yelled. Joe rubbed his forehead where the shampoo bottle connected. Morelli dumped the contents of Stephanie's purse on the floor. He picked up the cuffs, grabbed her wrist and attached it to the shower rod. She was relieved it wasn't Ramirez but not impressed that Morelli had destroyed her shower curtain. "How did you get in here? Unlock the cuffs!" Joe turned off the water.
"Through your open bedroom window. The screen was locked. It was easy to cut," Morelli screamed. Stephanie had forgotten to close the window and felt like an idiot.
"Why me?" Stephanie shouted. She was cuffed to her shower curtain rod by Joseph fucking Morelli. "I have to get out of these," Stephanie said, tugging the cuffs. "I'm going to kill you, Morelli!" Stephanie screamed. She could hear Joe dropping drawers on the floor in her bedroom. He was making an ungodly mess in her apartment, searching for the elusive distributor cap she had hidden in the azaleas along the side of the building.
Stephanie yanked on the curtain rod, but it wouldn't budge. Thankfully, Morelli only cuffed one wrist to the rod. Stephanie stretched as much as she could to reach the cuff key on the vanity. Her fingertips brushed against the bottom. "Just a little more," Stephanie said as she hooked her fingernail into the loop.
"No!" she screamed when it fell to the floor. It settled between the toilet and vanity, out of reach. "How the fuck am I supposed to reach it now?" The key was too far away.
"Not my problem," Morelli said when he returned. "Where is it?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Stephanie shouted. She knew what he wanted and refused to help until he unlocked the cuffs.
"My distributor cap?" Morelli snarled. He started at Stephanie's breasts before moving to stare at her crotch. "You need a little… grooming."
"Get me out of these cuffs," Stephanie demanded. Morelli shook his head, then left. He returned a few seconds later with a cordless phone. "I need the car to interview Sal."
"Call someone for help before someone comes in to take advantage of you," Morelli said, handing her the phone. He stomped out of the bathroom after taking another look at her nakedness. Stephanie heard the apartment door close, leaving her naked, cold, alone and cuffed to her shower rod.
She brushed the tears from her face, then used her foot to pull the towel closer. Morelli never locked the door. Her wrist hurt from the cuffs digging into the delicate flesh. She didn't trust Morelli to leave the phone base plugged in. Stephanie cried in relief when she heard the dial tone.
"Who am I gonna call?" Stephanie asked. She giggled when "Ghostbusters" popped into her mind. After running the possibilities through her mind, Stephanie dialled the only number she could in that situation.
"Yo," Ranger answered.
"Um. Hi. It's Stephanie Plum. Do you remember me?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes," he replied. Ranger couldn't forget about the attractive brunette. She starred in many of his fantasies. The other women no longer appealed to him. Ranger wanted to possess his Babe. Stephanie waited for him to ask a question. He got lost in the rabbit hole of his imagination.
When Ranger remained silent for a few seconds too long, she added, "I'm cuffed to my shower rod naked."
Ranger chuckled. "Do you have something kinky going on?"
"No. Morelli broke into my apartment," Stephanie explained.
"Get him to release you," Ranger replied and hung up. He was about to call Hector to check on her when his phone rang again.
Stephanie redialled. "Don't you dare hang up on me!" she screamed. "I need help getting out of the cuffs. Morelli didn't exactly leave the fucking key within reach."
Ranger sighed. "I'll be there soon," he replied. Stephanie gave Ranger her address and apartment number. She didn't think about how he would get into her apartment. Joe left it unlocked after breaking in through her bedroom window. Ranger was across town from Stephanie's apartment. It would take him at least twenty minutes to arrive. The other men were inside the warehouse, looking for their skip.
SMSMSM
Five minutes later, Stephanie heard someone open her door. Ranger was surprisingly light on his feet. "Thank you…," she said.
"Stephanie," a high-pitched falsetto voice singsonged. Stephanie frantically tugged on the cuffs. It tore into her skin, causing her wrist to bruise and bleed. "The champ is going to take Stephanie to Jesus."
"No," Stephanie whispered. "Please, don't hurt me." Ramirez laughed. He enjoyed scaring women. Stephanie's skin erupted in goosebumps. She was scared out of her mind.
"The champ will have fun with his new toy. Nobody says no to the champ," Ramirez said. He removed a switchblade from his pocket. "The champ wants to make Stephanie bleed until she sees Jesus." Ramirez ran the sharp blade down Stephanie's arm. Stephanie punched him with her left hand. It hurt her more than him.
Ramirez grabbed her pants from the floor and tied her other arm to the curtain rod. He picked up the key for the cuffs and shoved it into his shirt pocket. Stephanie held onto the bar and kicked out with her legs. Ramirez plunged the knife into her right leg, then the left, preventing her from kicking. She screamed in agony, making Ramirez smile. He was taking sick pleasure from her screams.
"Stop!" Stephanie cried. Her breath hitched as she attempted to fight off the boxer. "No more."
"The champ is happy when Stephanie Plum cries in pain. Did it make Stephanie Plum wet?" Ramirez asked, then roughly touched Stephanie's crotch. "Does Stephanie see Jesus as the champ feels her wetness? Are you afraid of the champ now?" She was beyond scared.
Stephanie shook her head and prayed Ranger would rescue her before she died or got raped. Life flashed before her eyes as she felt Ramirez shove something cold inside her. Stephanie's body violently shook as blood pooled beneath her. Gunfire rang through the bathroom seconds before Stephanie passed out.
~~~
Ranger arrived at Stephanie's apartment twenty minutes after she called. Hector was too far away to get there first. Ranger heard Stephanie scream from deep inside the unit. The door was locked when Stephanie said it wasn't. Ranger kicked it open since he didn't have time to spare. It destroyed the frame, but it couldn't be prevented. There wasn't enough time to pick the locks. He called his friends to assist and contact the police on their way.
"Does Stephanie Plum see Jesus now?" Ramirez asked. "Tell the champ you like it, Stephanie." Ranger recognized the high-pitched timbre belonging to the boxer, Benito Ramirez. He approached the bathroom with his weapon drawn.
"Ramirez, raise your hands and leave Stephanie alone," Ranger ordered.
"The champ isn't finished playing with Stephanie Plum. Ranger will let the champ have his fun and show Stephanie what happens when a woman disrespects the champ," Ramirez replied. "The champ doesn't like Ranger interfering. Ranger should let the champ have Stephanie Plum." He swung his knife at Ranger. It nicked Ranger's hand.
SMSMSM
Ranger shot Benito in the chest. Benito faced Ranger. His face contorted from anger, and he lunged at Ranger. The second bullet hit Benito's forehead, between the eyes. Ranger's ears rang from the gun discharging close to him.
"Sorry, Boss," Tank said. "It was the only way to get a clean shot."
Lester and Bobby pushed past Ranger and Tank to get to Stephanie. "Where's the ambulance?" Ranger demanded. Lester reached into his pocket for the standard key to unlock the cuffs.
"Five minutes out," Bobby replied as he lowered Stephanie. "We called them on our way. Who's the woman?" Bobby didn't recognize her as the woman he had researched.
"Stephanie Plum," Ranger replied before helping Tank remove Ramirez's body from the bathroom. Tank bandaged Ranger's hand until Bobby could stitch his injury. Bobby needed to help Stephanie first.
"She's cut everywhere, Lester. The boxer hurt her badly. I hope Ramirez didn't ruin her chances to have a child," Bobby said. He shook his head and sutured the stabs on Stephanie's leg while Lester assisted by applying pressure bandages on her arms and chest.
"Stephanie's going to need plastic surgery to reduce the appearance of these scars," Lester said. "I can't believe Morelli cuffed Stephanie to her shower rod, knowing Ramirez was after her."
"It was fortunate Ramirez didn't nick an artery. Was Stephanie chasing Morelli?" Bobby asked.
Ranger returned to check on Stephanie. "Yes. We need to capture Morelli for Stephanie," Ranger replied. "She lost too much blood. Hook me up." Lester grabbed the needles and tubing to attach Ranger to Stephanie for a field transfusion.
The ambulance arrived a few minutes later. It took them longer to arrive at Stephanie's apartment. "What's going on?" the emergency technician asked.
"Field transfusion," Bobby replied.
"I can see that. Did you check for blood type compatibility?" he asked.
Bobby rolled his eyes. "Ranger is O-neg," Bobby answered. "I was a medic in the army."
"Oh. You know what you're doing. How long has he been hooked up?" he asked, pointing to Ranger.
"Three minutes," Ranger replied as he checked his watch.
The technician and his partner rolled Stephanie onto the backboard, then carried her to the stretcher in the living room. "Move," the technician yelled. They moved quickly to the elevator and got Stephanie and Ranger loaded into the back of the ambulance. There was no time for Ranger to give the police officers a statement. He promised to handle it once Stephanie got to the hospital.
Ranger stayed close to Stephanie to remain connected. He ran his free hand through her hair, surprised by the silkiness of the curly locks. "I'm sorry, Babe," Ranger whispered.
His quiet apology startled the emergency technician. "Did you do that to her?"
"No. I dismissed Stephanie when she initially called for help. She called a second time before I decided to help. It's my fault Ramirez got to her," Ranger replied.
"The boxer? Was he the dead man in the bedroom?"
"Yes," Ranger replied. "Tank and I shot Ramirez to defend Stephanie. Is she going to make it?" Ranger was afraid Stephanie was going to die. He prayed for God to spare Stephanie's life.
~~~
Detective Gus Dembrowski listened as Tank described what he witnessed upon his arrival. Lester and Bobby described Stephanie's injuries and stated the boxer, Benito Ramirez, injured Stephanie. Gus explained they never had witnesses who survived to describe what happened. Dembrowski sighed and rubbed his chin. "Miss Plum filed a complaint for harassment," he confessed.
"Did you order cars to drive past her apartment?" Tank asked.
"No. I didn't take her complaint seriously. Helen Plum said Stephanie was exaggerating." It was too late for Gus to make things right with Stephanie. He messed up by dismissing her request. "I'll file the report." Tank shook his head when Dembrowski left Stephanie's apartment.
Bobby, Tank and Lester drove to the hospital after the coroner arrived to remove Benito Ramirez's body from Stephanie's bedroom. "Should we call the guys to clean the place and redecorate before she comes home?" Lester asked when he exited the car and approached Tank climbing out of Ranger's Mercedes.
"Yes, but don't redecorate," Tank replied. "We're going to move her in with us until she's ready to return to work."
"What about her rent?" Bobby asked.
"I'll cover it until she can come home," Lester replied. Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Listen, Bobby. Stephanie means a lot to Ranger. She's his Babe."
"That's the woman he called Babe?" Bobby was shocked. "The woman he met in the cafe?"
"Yes. I was sitting at the counter, watching his back," Lester replied. "She was as affected by Ranger as he was by her. Stephanie refused to take the shit he dished out." Lester laughed at the memory.
"He's not going to be happy we saw her naked," Tank added.
"It was unavoidable to treat her injuries," Bobby said.
Tank swiped a hand over his bald head. "Let's update Ranger," he said. Bobby and Lester followed Tank into the hospital.
Lester approached the nurse at the triage desk. "Hi, I'm looking for my sister, Stephanie Plum. She was brought in an hour ago with stab wounds," Lester said. The nurse narrowed her eyes at Lester. Nancy knew Stephanie didn't have a brother.
"She's in Pod A with her husband," the nurse replied. Lester raised an eyebrow but thanked the nurse for her assistance.
He motioned for Tank and Bobby to follow him through the doors when the nurse opened them. Lester found Ranger resting his head on an empty bed. "Are you okay?" Lester asked. "Is Stephanie okay?"
Ranger lifted his tear-dampened face to look at his friends. He roughly wiped away the tears. "She's in surgery. They let me stay here for a few minutes," Ranger replied, "because I'm her husband."
"I heard," Lester said, grinning. "When did you get married?"
After looking at his watch, Ranger replied, "Thirty minutes ago. The hospital chaplain performed the ceremony before she went into surgery."
"Are you joking?" Tank asked. Ranger shook his head. On cue, the chaplain arrived with the paperwork. "Was Stephanie even awake?"
"Briefly," the chaplain replied. "I have your copy of the wedding certificate, Mr. Manoso. I'll file the official copy with the records department tomorrow."
"Thank you," Ranger replied.
"Woah. It's real?" Lester asked. Ranger nodded.
"What do you know about her?" Bobby asked.
"She was married to Dickie Orr for two months before she filed for divorce after catching him with Barnhardt," Ranger replied. "Her blood type is O-positive. She had her tonsils removed at three years old. Stephanie broke her arm when she jumped off the garage roof when she was seven."
"Was that all in her background check?" Bobby asked. "I don't recall reading about the medical stuff."
"No," Lester replied. "She shared that information with Ranger in the cafe."
"Does Stephanie know as much about you?" Tank asked. Ranger shook his head. "Change that soon."
"Whatever you're thinking, Ranger, forget it," Lester said. "She needs us." A nurse arrived and said they needed the bed for another emergency patient. She directed the men to the waiting room near the ICU, where Stephanie would go after surgery.
"Do you know who she is?" Ranger asked when they were alone in the waiting area. Lester and the others shook their heads. Ranger used his phone to send a text to the trio. He didn't want to say it aloud since nobody in Trenton knew, and he didn't know if anyone was listening.
Lester looked from his phone to Ranger. "Are you sure?" Lester asked.
"Positive." Ranger held up a finger to prevent the others from talking.
He dialled the familiar number and waited for the man to answer. "What's the problem, Manoso?" Frank asked.
"Sir, your daughter's in the hospital," Ranger replied. "My men and I are in the waiting room outside the ICU."
"Hang on a second, Captain." Ranger heard Frank say something to a woman in the background, likely his wife, Helen. "I'm in my car alone. Is Stephanie okay?"
"It's bad, Sir. I think you should come to St Francis," Ranger answered.
"I'll be there in five," Frank replied and hung up. Exactly five minutes later, Ranger heard Frank ask, "Where's my daughter Stephanie?"